You Better Work: Week Five

So week five was a tough/weird/horrible/confusing string of days. I previously shared what I was feeling and thinking during the bombing on Marathon Monday. As awful as that was, I never imagined how the week would end and that I could possibly feel more stressed about what was happening in my adopted state and former city. I don't know why, I just couldn't get any of it out of my head. 

Even my beloved outfit photos suffered. Not only was I distracted, but it just didn't seem appropriate to take outfit photos when there was so much more important things happening. So Monday, no photo. And Friday I was headed back to the mainland, so between leaving work early, getting on the ferry, driving home for two hours and then all this while listening to a friggen manhunt happening in Boston... well frankly, I didn't think anyone gave a crap about what I was wearing. And to be honest, it wasn't that great. I was honestly going for comfort just to get me through the many hours and methods of travel.

So let's focus on something fun for a minute, shall we?

Tuesday:

old navy sweater & flats/lacoste polo/forever 21 skirt

So you saw this outfit already, but I wanted to include the details. This was my "day after" outfit. When I woke up that morning, I had no clue what to wear. I mean, I gave up wearing all black when I left my last job, but I certainly didn't feel like wearing my usual cheery pops of color that day. So when I pulled out this sweater that I'm pretty sure was an after-Christmas clearance item, I felt like I had figured it out. It just made sense to me. 

Wednesday:

ann taylor cardi/target dress & boots/lulu lemon leggings/kris nations necklace

I know I've been really trying to not repeat outfits, and I haven't... yet. But there are definitely certain pieces that have come into heavy rotation in my wardrobe, and this cardigan is one of them. I love that it's lightweight, and it's a great red orange shade that really pops. This was another day where the weather was ehhh, hence the leggings, boots and no effort put into a hairstyle that day. 

Thursday:

j crew sweater, coat & bag/express shirt/american apparel skirt/old navy shoes

I have been debating back and forth about leopard at the office. Fortunately I have a very relaxed work environment, and depending on how you put it together, I think you can totally class up the Peg Bundy look. Next up... figuring out how I'm going to work in my leopard pumps. And I believe that a good pink coat makes any outfit look even better. 

Next week will be a little lighter, I promise. Thanks to everyone in Boston for being amazing- from my super strong friends to people I don't even know. I felt like I was crumbling on the inside, and I wasn't even there. But it's comforting to know that in scary times, there are good people out there, doing far more important and helpful things than me taking pictures of my outfits.

~L

Gleecap: The Lights That Stop Me Turn to Stone

Tonight started as so many episodes have in the past- with someone from the Glee club snooping on a rival singing group. And what a surprise- it's another former reality show wonder that has suddenly arrived on the scene!

As Mr. Schuester was warning them about their impending competition, McKinley High's power suddenly shut down. Instead of being scared, everyone seemed super jazzed to be hanging out at school in the dark. Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't there be a small amount of concern? I mean, just a mere two weeks ago we had an almost school shooting. Despite the circumstances, the ever inept Principal Figgins decided to keep everything as it were and continue the school day. Which of course, inspired Mr. Schu with a (decent) new theme- unplugged week!

Back in the Brooklyn loft, Kurt and Rachel had an intervention with Santana, who despite their judgey-ness, was not at all embarrassed that she was working it as a cage dancer in a lesbian bar and not trying to become a Broadway star. Get it, girl. She's nineteen- who the hell cares? I was glad to see that this sudden attack didn't affect her sassiness, and I absolutely loved the "Run, Joey Run" reference, a la season one.

Back in the lantern-filled choir room, the Gleeks were hard at work. And by hard at work, I mean Sam made a lot of uncomfortable references to his conception and stripper past before giving an acoustic performance of "You've Lost that Loving Feeling." Ryder joined in uninvited, but the blend of their boy band worthy voices and leftover Bieber haircuts kind of worked. 

Artie was up next, but he's a gangsta' yo, and just couldn't go on without his "synth." Sam became frustrated by everyone's dependency on technology and lectured them about disconnecting, which I found ironic given that practically every member the cast are diehard Twitter users in real life. 

In NYC with SJP! Who even knew that Kurt was still pretending to work at Vogue.com? His boss Isabel continued to be as lovely as ever and oddly supportive of Kurt's school related absence, but she was very excited to have him back just in time for a huge gala teeming with celebrities and swag bags. And because we have entered a realm so far out of reality that this was "work," he was allowed to bring extra friends to help!

Back in Sue's new life, she was back to her angry journal-writing and seemed to have actually found a perfect new job for herself as a personal trainer. There she could scream at people that were actually paying her for her guidance and it was finally appropriate for her to wear a track suit everyday. Somehow Blaine and his sweaty mop snuck in and tried to persuade Sue to return to the halls of McKinley and save the sorry Cheerios. Sue stuck to her guns and refused, claiming she was wear she was supposed to be, which I sort of agreed. 

But why would she want to return to McKinley when THE POWER WAS STILL OUT?! It had been what, days?! 

Ryder confessed that he really wanted to "reveal" himself, and for a second I was concerned. I mean, what is left? Between teen pregnancies, questioning sexuality and gender, learning disorders, eating disorders, depression, bullying, catfishing, being differently abled- we've pretty much run the gambit of issues here. He sang "Everybody Hurts" which I could have sworn had already been sung (upon further investigation, I discovered it was featured on an episode of The Glee Project on his season no less), but judging from his candlelit prayer cycle, everyone was totally into it. 

All of the males in the Glee were inappropriately supportive when Ryder finally revealed that he had been molested as a preteen... by a girl. After all the things everyone in this group has been through, they couldn't have at least feigned the tiniest bit of empathy? Oh well. I guess that's the most realistic thing Glee has done in a while- have the boys act like complete and utter idiots, and not super-sensitive amazing boyfriends. Teen girls, that is real. Get used to it.

At Breadsticks, Kitty confessed to Ryder that not only had she broken up with Puck, but she had been through a similar situation as Ryder had when she was younger. And she admitted why she's been a huge bitch this entire season, and as with most awful popular girls, she was clearly overcompensating for something.

Back at the auditorium, the Glee club was reveling in their technology-free lives with a Stomp-inspired rendition of "We Will Rock You." It was kind of cool, but I just couldn't get over that they haven't had electricity at school for like, a week. Although we did get to see some of Jake's awesome tap moves (?!?!?!).

On the field, Sue was hanging out in the bleachers stalking her former team. Which is weird, because since the school officials are still under the impression she fired a gun at school, you think there'd be some kind of security preventing her from coming within a certain distance. She then launched into a dream performance of "Little Girls" from Annie, which I thought was one of the most perfectly selected songs in Glee history. Especially since if you remember, Sue's mother was played by Carol Burnett. 

At the Vogue party, Rachel and Kurt scurried around as happy little helpers and Santana sulked in the corner. SJP told her that every little girl dreams of being a ballerina (um, not true, but thanks for stereotyping) and then they all sang "At the Ballet" from Chorus Line ON STAGE. I love that song. I love all the songs from that show. And I loved seeing all of them sing in super fancy evening wear. And how appropriate that Sarah Jessica was singing the verse about not being traditionally beautiful? The whole song was just perfection. Minus the fact that it was completely unreal and that they had to cut out some of the dialogue/changed it entirely. They wrapped it up with Carrie... I mean Izzy... telling them that they were young and had plenty of time to figure out what they want to do with their lives. But if it's doing nothing and wearing designer gowns and singing on really big stages, well then I guess they have all made it and no additional growth is necessary.

don't get it twisted, high school seniors: this is not college.
via

Back in Lima, Roz had finally had enough of Becky's behavior (is she really allowed to call her an adult baby? Like really?) and refused to be known as an "eye farter" which for some reason, made me laugh really really hard. In an act of God, the power came back on, but there was still a lesson to be learned. So don't plug your expensive spotlights and pyrotechnics just yet. 

In the library, Ryder was still entertaining the idea that his catfisher was the one for him, even after Kitty threw her emotionally broken self at him. Side note: I'm so glad that I have an ancient laptop in which the screen occasionally turns completely white and Ryder is using a super fancy Mac with a wireless keyboard to sext his imaginary girlfriend while he is at school. The universe is unfair. 

Finally, all was right in the auditorium. And even though they voluntarily remained unplugged, New Directions still couldn't resist having a few snazzy lighting cues. I just have to know- is there an accapella group in existence that hasn't sang "For the Longest Time?" I think not. 

We're down to just a few more episodes... and shocker! Next week is another theme week. And it's... Stevie Wonder? As much as I love me some "Superstition," do we really have time for this? Nationals are only a few weeks away. Finn was MIA, and I don't even remember if Brittany was shown on camera once. Is she on maternity leave already?! None of that matters though... because our girl Mercedes is back next week! And Mike Chang! Can I get a hallelujah? 

~L

You Better Work: Week Four

Wow. I am like an entire week behind on outfit posts. And let me tell you, this is a good week, if I do say so myself. I got the most likes ever on a Monday outfit and I took a picture every day. So I had it together, but clearly not together enough to post on time. So let's get to it:

Monday:

gap sweater/old navy button down/forever 21 necklace/j crew skirt/macys shoes

Guys, it happened. I've peaked. And it's only week four, so I'm kind of screwed. I got the most likes I've ever gotten on Instagram and Facebook with this one. I actually put together this outfit when I was preparing for my interview, and decided against it because I thought it was a tad too casual. But I loved it, and I banked it in my style memory for a later date. Which is awesome, because let me tell you- getting this skirt was work. I saw it at the J. Crew outlet months ago, and though it was cute, but I had no money and therefore no business even being there. Time goes by, I get a J. Crew gift card. Yes! Now I can buy clothes. Go back to outlet, skirt doesn't exist anymore because, duh, it's an outlet. I go home, skirt is sold out online. I consider getting the black and white version. Damn, I should have bought that one too. Then I became a crazy person and started calling random J. Crew Factory stores throughout the country. Finally some nice person puts me out of my misery by telling me that a random store in California has one. I immediately call them, sales girl tells me she's never heard of Massachusetts, agrees to mail me skirt regardless. I wear it to my interview, and get the job. I'm not saying they're related. It's just a great skirt. 

Tuesday:

old navy top/forever 21 necklace/j crew jeans/ll bean wellies

You're probably thinking, "uh Lindsay? I know you've never worked in an office before, but this isn't traditional work wear." And while you are right, you should know that this particular outfit was for a field trip day where we got to go to another whaling museum to visit. What a surprise? The forecast was rain. Of course this is the day that ended up being 75 and sunny and I was sweating in my tube socks and wellies. Regardless, it was a great day and I got to know a bunch of my coworkers. Plus we got to go to the mainland and take a trip to the Christmas Tree Shop and Trader Joe's. Win-win.

Wednesday:

banana republic button down/ny & co cardi/ann taylor skirt/temptation
watch/forever 21 bracelet/old navy earrings/express flats

Can you believe that this skirt is a hand me down? Yes, adults can have hand me downs. I know, I can't resist a free anything. My friend Jaimie was getting rid of clothes she didn't wear anymore, because like me, she could only wear black to work. So what do I do? Take half her clothes. I couldn't help it. And it only took like two years, but I finally wore it. 

Thursday:

h&m dress/forever 21 belt/ny & co necklace/target heels

Some days, you just need to dress up a little, you know? I had to introduce a speaker at work that day, and I wanted to present myself in a classy way. This dress is super versatile. It's jersey, so it's casual enough but can be dressed up with the right accessories. It came with a skinny red belt, but I've worn it with just about every color belt I own. The intention was for there to be another color involved here, but tragedy struck as I put on my turquoise bubble necklace in the morning and one of the "bubbles" popped out. Thanks a lot, eBay. So I threw this gold geometric necklace as an afterthought. 

Friday:

j crew blazer/forever 21 top/tj maxx pants/target shoes

What a surprise? It was Friday, and it rained. Just like last week. Except unlike last week, I did not get hit by a title wave of dirty water and go into a wet dog-induced rage. But I was prepared- I wore pants. And my L.L. Bean boots, at least for the walk to work and back. But then I changed into my leopard smoking slippers, because hey- it was Friday! And I'm fun!

Another week down, and still no repeats! Sure there are some pieces heavily in rotation here and there, and obviously certain color schemes keep popping up, but I'm still looking for new ways to mix it up. 

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram (@legallylinz) to see these outfits in real time, instead of having to wait for my late posts. 

~L

Gleecap: I Love College

Thankfully, this week's episode of Glee started on a lighter note than the last. I think if the school violence episode had been tonight, I don't know that I could have handled it. Instead, we got to see Finn starting his new life at the practically Ivy League University of Lima. Apparently everyone there majors in the Harlem Shake. I liked seeing Finn sort of happy, even if he is basically just a carbon copy of Will Schuester with his penchant for cardigans and messenger bags. It was there he was reunited with his former best friend/teammate/enemy/girlfriend stealer Puck, who has suddenly entered the world of college mid-semester with an equally low GPA and no explanation for how any of this is possible.

Rachel was back in all her Berry glory, doing overly confident voice overs about her destiny to become the next Barbra. If she was wearing kneesocks I would have died and gone to heaven, thinking it was 2010. 

Back in Lima, the Glee club was still managing to weird it up with all of their idiosyncracies. Tina is onto the next big thing, steampunk (which I thought had already run its course- after all it was a them on an episode of America's Next Top Model like, two seasons ago), Unique is popping pills- birth control pills, that is, Sam is pretending he has a twin brother and forgot what shampoo was, and Blaine is just putting up with all of it.

After taking the rap for Becky last week, Sue Sylvester had been replaced- by a peppier than ever Coach Roz, aka Rich Bitch Nene Lekes rocking her best finger wave. Mr Schu fell back into his pattern of giving the Glee club, once again, horribly dated overly themed numbers while Marley pined to sing her original material, circa two years ago. 

Will decided to finally put the past behind him and pay Finn a visit at college, where he had um... adjusted quite well. Finn refused to accept Schu's apology, and for a moment I was crushed that all my former favorite Gleeks really were moving on, much like people do in real life post-high school. Tear. 

Cut to Rachel, who was preparing for her Funny Girl audition in a fury. What was the perfect song for her to sing, and more importantly, is there even a Barbra song left we haven't heard her belt in the Lima High auditorium? One cannot solve these conundrums alone. Fortunately, Rachel's biological mom showed up at her school in a completely different city than when we last saw her, just in time to coach her and of course, engage in a little top 40 mother/daughter duet, which I loved. That Emilie Sande number was the perfect choice for their lovely vocal blend. I swear, being in the prescence of that amount of natural talent (even on tv) is enough to make you crazy. 

Back at U of Lima, Finn and Puck were singing their freshman hearts out with a pretty good rendition of "Fight for Your Right." My heart skipped a beat to see Finn drumming again, even thought I was a little confused how the entire frat party could hear him, sans microphone. He even out-Schued himself as the only guy in the place rocking a tie while everyone else was drenched in beer. Apparently this was a very accepting frat, as they immediately invited them to be brothers (not pledges, brothers) despite their Glee club ties and suspected homosexuality.

Marley called everyone to the auditorium for a sad song party, and they proceeded to sing about being besties forever while I tried to figure out when Marley had time to take music theory and compose harmonies while she was having an emotional breakdown with a side of bulimia. And can we agree that the song kind of sucked? I felt like it was just a sadder version of the Golden Girls theme song. Mr. Schu was doing his teacherly duty of spying on them from the wings and wondering when it was exactly that he stopped believing in his kids and their talents. For singing, not writing music of course, because let's face it, all the original songs they've ever done are mediocre, at best. 

Finn was just barely attempting to plug in a computer (okay, if he can't figure this one out, then maybe college is not for him) when Rachel called and interrupted him with a very important question... about herself. And her audition. You can take the girl out of Glee club...

Finn advised her to go back to her roots, and go back she did. With a piano bar version of the song that started it all, "Don't Stop Believing." As she sang, her original gang (which at first seemed like was excluding Artie, but there he was, on the sidelines again, strumming the guitar) appeared magically behind her, like a musical mirage, and for a second, I was reminded that Mercedes ever existed. It was a touching little number, although I don't know if it really showed off her pipes the way other songs have in the past. But for nostaligic Gleeks like me, it was just what the doctor ordered. Apparently, the directors liked her, and they were kind enough to wait until she had finished to shut down the house lights. 

Despite his dream to become a teacher, Finn was already screwing up his chance by sleeping through classes and resorted to taking advice from Puck, who apparently isn't even enrolled in school at all. 

Back at Lima High, Coach Roz was displeased at some of the Cheerios she inherited, namely Gay Blaine and Adult Baby Becky. I don't even remember what other insults she hurled because she talked so fast. 

Mr. Schu continued to lurk around the auditorium, reveling in the days of competitions past. Finn surprised him by showing up and negotiating a deal that he would come back and help him, under one condition- he wanted to be treated like a teacher. Get over yourself, Finn. Teachers aren't even treated like teachers, and they've completed more than two weeks of higher education, unlike yourself. 

Back at the ridiculously oversized Brooklyn loft, Rachel was waiting by the phone to hear the results of her throwback audition. As Kurt attempted to derail her Broadway career by stuffing her full of cookies fresh out of the oven, she got The Call. She had made it. She got a callback. Her life will never be the same. Or will it..?

Who knows where this road will take us. Now that we know Finn is going to be out soon, there's only so much left for that storyline this season, and Brittany's already showing! I don't know where Ryan Murphy is taking us for the end of season four, but now that we know we get at least two more to go, there is so much that could be done. 

See you next week as we count down to the season finale!

~L

If You're Lost and Alone, Carry On

I don't even know where to start. How does one put into words something that they don't understand? I didn't even know what label to use for this post. Because I've never had to talk about things like this before.

Looking back at yesterday, everything can be defined as occurring before it happened or after it happened. My boss kind of casually popped out of her office and mentioned what happened. Not because it was a casual event, but because I could tell she was trying not to cause anyone to majorly freakout when so little information was available. As part of my job, I had Twitter and Facebook already up on my computer, and was trying to make sense of what they were saying had happened. In a panic, I tried to get on boston.com or some other legitimate news source and couldn't, leaving me in a state of continual refreshing to find out any details.

As I sat at my desk, in an office on an island 30 miles away from the coast of Massachusetts, I couldn’t help but feel connected and isolated at the same time. All I could think about is that I was standing on that street a mere 48 hours before, walking down the sidewalk of Boylston and admiring the setup that was in place, seeing runners everywhere, either getting in their last minutes of training or toting around bright yellow bags from picking up their marathon essentials. A weird paranoia takes over- were the explosives there then? Would I have seen anything out of the ordinary if I were paying attention? For a moment I thought about myself, and then realized how many people, some close, and some mere aquantinces, that I knew that were in some way involved in Marathon Monday. 

I have never personally witnessed it, and I grew up less than an hour away. But to be honest, I have never cared for running- doing it myself or watching others do it, and given that it was a holiday and school vacation, I always had to work. My friends used to look forward to it with excitement every year, whether or not they were training their bodies or just headed to a bar on the route to witness the spectacle. I was completely distracted from my work and sat for 45 minutes just checking Facebook, Twitter and furiously texting to make sure that everyone I knew who possibly could be there was okay. It was only minutes, but felt like hours until I got some responses. I was even tracking people I barely knew but had known via social media that they were running on the tracker provided by the Marathon association to see if they were safe. Friends in places like New York City sent me texts acknowledging that while they knew I was on an island nowhere near Boston, they just wanted to make sure that Steve and I were okay.

Because that’s how things are around here. Boston is a small city, and if you live anywhere in this state or even in surrounding New England states, you feel a connection to it. People outside of this area don’t differentiate Boston as its own city sometimes, as I found when I first attended college in upstate New York and people assumed that New Hampshire and Boston were somehow the same place (or didn't realize that New Hampshire existed at all).

I was in Boston on Saturday for a last minute opportunity to do something as a result of my blog that now I can only look back on as a memory of as an ordinary day spent taking pictures on the Common and the Public Gardens with the city in the background. I was so excited to be a part of it, and now I fear I won’t be able to look back at the photos and not remember is as an eve to a somewhat loss of innocence. I hope someday I can share the pictures with you to celebrate a tiny ion of accomplishment for this blog that I love so much with respect for what happened only days later.

Unless you're new here, you know that the highlight of my day is posting my #OOTD pic when I get home from work. I've been doing it for a month straight now, and it's just part of my routine. I get so excited to share this little thing that I do with people that are far away and it brings me so much excitement anytime I get a comment or a like, or if people ask me where my bracelet is from. It's silly, but now it feels like that is just a part of my life and I love that consistency. 

But yesterday was not a day for consistency. It was the day where everything you know changes in a second. Where you doubt your own actions out of fear that it's not right or that you are wasting energy on something so unimportant while much more serious and awful things are happening not so far away from you. When I got home, an outfit photo didn't even cross my mind. It wasn't until 8:00 that I even thought about it for the first time and thought about how not necessary it was. People had died. Others lost limbs. Who really effin cared about the Old Navy dress I was wearing?

It’s been a little over 24 hours, and I am still frantically obsessed with finding out information. I’ve been refreshing Boston.com every 5 minutes, looking for answers. Of course there aren’t any, and probably won’t be for a while. But it’s through social media that I am staying connected, because right now, being 30 miles out to sea feels like being in Antarctica.

So today, I went back. Aside from seeing and hearing all these horrible things, nothing for me had technically changed. I wasn't there. Everyone I know that was there is okay. I went to work and had a staff meeting and ate lunch with my husband and went about my day. It still consumed my thoughts and was always present in the back of my mind, but I was trying to do what they told me to do- go back to your normal life. Don't let this stop you from living. I'm still me, I just feel like a sad version of me. But I've been told that it brings some people happiness and inspiration when they see my outfit photos, so I went back to posting again. It felt weird, doing something that feels so self-centered (I mean, it is called a selfie after all) knowing what is happening to people right now. But it also felt necessary to do something normal and kind of fun again, and to hope that maybe it could have momentarily distracted someone today from feeling sad too.

peace.

So that's all for today, folks. I hope you are all okay, physically, mentally, emotionally. I hope it gets better for everyone. And I hope that the world we live in can still be beautiful and creative and that it's okay to want to laugh and smile again. Because if we can't, then what are we doing?

~L

You Better Work: Week Three

Hey guess what? I'm still working. At a job where I don't have to wear black everyday. I know, I sometimes can't believe it either. But let me tell you, it's stressful. It's almost like a fun stress, but for someone who is terrible at getting up in the morning, I frighten myself sometimes when I spring out of bed with little time to spare. I think one of the things that's helped me is the fact that all of my clothes are on a rolling rack in my temporary bedroom on full display. I literally look at them all the time. It gets the wheels in your fashion brain moving and you think a lot more about this going with that, or that with this, and don't I have a necklace that goes with that? As much as I love having things neatly put away (sometimes) I suggest that everyone should work some of their favorite pieces into your decor. Get some decorative hooks or display your shoes neatly on shelves. You spend all that money on clothes, if you can't wear 'em all at once, at least you can look at them!

That's my tip for the week. Now, onto the outfits!

Monday:

j crew coat/kate spade dress/forever 21 necklace/targe purse/payless shoes

This coat is my most favorite coat that I have ever owned, and that's saying something, because I have a coat problem. I saw it in J. Crew the first holiday season I was working at the mall. I had never owned anything from J. Crew, hell, I don't even think I had ever step foot in one, and I saw this coat and I knew it was meant to be. Except a tiny problem: it was $300. Steve surprised me with it at Christmas, and it was the first of many times that we have shared all the methods in which we used to lower the price of a gift for each other. He Extreme Couponed himself out on this one, and I was so excited that he paid attention and tried to so hard. The shoes I found in my sister's closet that she never wore and the dress was a birthday gift my my mother-in-law. Which was very nice of her, because my birthday is in July and she gave this to me in February. 

Tuesday:

f21 top & headband/banana republic skirt/macys shoes/jcrew purse/pink pineapple necklace

We were encouraged at work to rock some blue in honor of Autism Speaks day last week. And I couldn't wear my navy without inviting the rest of my nautical friends! So this outfit was born. I really restricted myself when peplum came into fashion and bought just this one top. Unfortunately, due to my wardrobe restrictions, I've only worn it like twice.  Well, NOT ANYMORE. 

As much as I was excited about the cuteness factor of this outfit, something even more exciting happened that day. After Instagramming my usual daily outfit pic, Pink Pineapple- one of my favorite shops in Newport- shared my picture on their Instagram. If you're ever wondering why I always tag where all my pieces are from, that is why. I love seeing how real people wear clothes, and in my mind, these companies should too! This was my first real shout out for my fashion, so I was super excited. 

instagram celebrity. well, for like a night at least.

Wednesday:

old navy coat/ny&company blazer & belt/loft dress/payless boots/aldo watch

This was another cold and windy day, hence the topknot. Seriously guys, the wind here is a killer and I feel like my hair never looks good after my ten minute walk to work. Layers were also a necessity. I love this dress because it's relatively simple, therefore you can dress it up in lots of different (but all nautical) ways. 

Thursday:

ny&company sweater/forever 21 skirt & belt/target shoes/vintage necklace

I don't know how it happened, but this ended up being one of my favorite outfits. I mean, it's nothing crazy. A simple top and skirt. Polka dots are probably my favorite pattern, and you all know that I'm having an affair with color right now. Anyone who can wear color and chooses not to is just silly. No one ever looked back on an amazing moment in their life and remembers an awesome shade of taupe they were wearing. 

Friday:

Once again, there is no Friday photo. I full planned on taking one. I got up that day, like any other. I prepared a cute but functional ensemble, as Friday is when I go out and do my weekly flyering around town. Plus it was raining. So I was walking down the street, trying to get all my locations covered without getting soaked, and I saw a truck coming. I l noticed that I was kind of close to a puddle, and thought to myself, "I should move over so I don't get splashed by this truck." Apparently, stepping a foot over to the left was no match for what turned out to be the most deceptively deep puddle in the history of all puddles. 

via

That photo? That is exactly what happened to me. Head to toe, soaked. Soaked through every layer of clothing. I had to go home and change, and then wait to see if anyone at the office noticed that I had a different outfit on for the rest of the day. I was so distraught I actually put on black pants. I haven't even touched a pair of black pants since I walked out the door the last day of my previous job. So yeah, taking an outfit photo was not high on my priority list that day. What a bummer. I thought I looked cute. 

So other than that minor snafu, I thought week three was a fashion success. Now the challenge begins. When am I allowed to start repeating, if ever? What if I am running late and throw on, *gasp* a pair of pants and like, a button down shirt?! Will the world stop turning? Will everyone unfollow me on Instagram? THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Until next week,

~L

Gleecap: I'm All Shook Up

It had been a few weeks, but now that all those teams are finished with their Final Fouring or whatever it was that took so long, Glee was finally back tonight. 

The episode started like so many had recently… minus the school violence PSA flashed across a black screen. Despite the warning, I still had no idea the direction that this episode was going to go.

Brittany began with some typical non-sensical Brittany chatter about rocks falling from the sky. She was unclear on the kind, but she had a vision- a little out there, but I guess not totally wrong- that the Gleeks were doomed. For a minute I thought we were going to lose our dear Lord Tubbington, but instead there was just a weird séance in an attempt to gain his respect back.

via

Next they cut to a empty hallway shot of Mr. Schuester and for a moment I got scared that this was the part that was going to "address school violence." Although I’m sure Will would have been protected by his helmet hair. Instead, he was on his way to meet Coach Beiste for a weirdly romantic locker room date, where she admitted she had feelings for him and he promptly dashed her dreams by revealing he was back with Emma …which I sort of assumed everyone knew.

Ryder finally heard from his internet date, who at this point I couldn’t decide if it was someone in Glee club or a man. Or both. They agreed to meet, which you could immediately was not going to be a happy ending.

Brit Brit then informed everyone of what they knew all along and that her bogus asteroid/comet/meteor wasn’t real. The best thing to come out of this entire mess was a touching scene between Becky and Brittany, in which she admitted she was afraid to leave high school. Who knew these two had such a bond?

After the commercial, Schu attempted to amend things with Beiste the only way he knew how. In song! But the musical was cut short when in a horrifying moment, shots rang out in the once harmonious hallways. And it continued, for many, many terrifying minutes and we didn’t know what was happening or where some our favorite characters were. Except Brittany, who was hiding in the bathroom. Alone. And Tina, who never ever gets to be a part of the group, not even when it’s something awful happening. Will remained the amazing leader we knew him to be and kept the kids from losing their shit and also rescued Brittany and some Cheeriors and a confused boy from the girls bathroom. How he snuck out I have no idea. And all the while, that damn metrinome just kept ticking and ticking and ticking. It felt like hours.

After the only commercial break I have ever silently begged for, we saw a new McKinley High, one filled with metal detectors and SWAT teams. I take back everything I said about all those awful “Guilty Pleasure” songs last week. Well almost everything. That Wham number was truly terrible.

In a weird twist, Sue admitted that it was her gun that just “went off,” which I never bought for a minute. Something just seemed weird. She turned herself into Principal Figgins and in a very un-Sue like way, took her zero tolerance punishment in stride.

Ryder continued his frantic search for his imaginary girlfriend. Blaine and Tina continued to hag out on each other. Schu very invasively opened up an online dating profile for Beiste. A lot of people that used to have crushes on each other threw around the "love" word a lot, which made me a little apprehensive.

Mr Schuester saw through Sue just like the rest of us, and we learned that it was her number one favorite Cheerio Becky that brought her dad’s gun to school and accidentally shot it off in Sue’s office. Sue took the fall to protect to her and quietly left WMHS for what could potentially be the last time? I mean, there’s just no way to know.

In a not-so-shocking turn of events, we never did find out the true identity of “Katie,” as Ryder got stood up while the rest of the Glee kids sang John Mayer directly in each other’s faces on these weird inverted bleachers that somehow showed up in the auditorium.

I totally get the staying on top of current events, and after a few too many episodes with fluffy faux teenage issues (your biggest problem is you have a secret obsession with the Spice Girls?), this definitely hit home. I’m sure some people will say it’s too soon, but that wasn’t really the problem for me. My issue was that it was a whole lot of intensity for a show that I like to watch purely for its entertainment value. There was no escaping tonight. I understand that sometimes, television can be a teaching tool or prompt a quality discussion about the state of the world we live in. But it’s also to help you forget about some of the seriousness in your own life, which is clearly why I watch Bravo and not like Homeland or something. I can even tell you what songs they sang tonight. I don’t even remember.

I don’t know how next week will pick up from here, but judging from the previews, I’m excited to see some old friends again like Puck and Finn (who we need to get our fix of, because he’ll soon be MIA due to his stay at a “spa”) and to see if Rachel can fulfill her life long dream of making it to Broadway. And let’s face it, after this week’s episode, couldn’t we all use a little dose of Lea Michele + Funny Girl?

Stay safe, kiddos.

~L

I've Been Waiting for Such a Long Time for KS Saturday

A few months ago, I was intrigued when Kate Spade began teasing pics of a new line on Instagram. The only thing initially that we got from these sneak peeks was that the color yellow was involved and it would be called Saturday. I had no idea what to expect, but I had high expectations, as Kate Spade New York is one of my favorite brands. I'm obsessed with their mix of fun and quirky with classic shapes. And it doesn't hurt that all of their pieces have a cheeky little saying on them somewhere.

As more info came out, it seemed that the whole idea behind this line was that it would going to be young, casual and a slightly lower price point. They appear to be releasing new products every Saturday, and each time I look at the site, I discover a new piece. 

I will admit, at first I wasn't blown away. Like I said, I love so many things about the core Kate Spade brand, and this is a completely different concept, so you have to be open-minded. When I first checked out the merchandise, the only thing I discovered that I would remotely want to purchase was a cell phone cover. However, once I continued to check out the site when they added new things, I found more and more things that I thought were cute, and I would totally buy them... if they make it to the outlet or if I get a huge raise, bonus and win the lottery all at once- whichever comes first. 

Check out a few of the pieces I'm particularly excited about. I clearly love the Abstract print and they have it on everything. They even have a pair of PF Flyers, so Steve and I could be that couple and have matching sneaks. I could totally picture myself wearing them, cruising around with Dottie this summer, trying not to kill myself on the cobblestone streets of Nantucket. 

Have you checked out any of the pieces in this new line yet? I mean on the Internet of course, because there are only stores in like Japan or something right now that are carrying this. What items do you like the best? I'm personally not a fan of any of the purses, but I like the concept of designing your own weekender. But the Abstract print is totally where it's at for me. Hell, I would buy a poncho with that pattern if they made it.

~L

You Better Work- Week Two

I've become one of those people.

I didn't intend to conclude every work day by snapping selfies in my full-length mirror and posting them online. I did it the first few days into my new job because I knew that my friends and former coworkers were excited to see me living life outside of retail dress code standards. But a funny thing happened. Every time I posted a new picture, I got anywhere from 12-25 likes. Every day. I haven't felt so much Internet love since I got married. So I started to feel like I should keep doing it. When you know a whole bunch of people are going to see what you wore that day, you spend a little extra time putting together your outfit in the morning because you don't want to disappoint. One day I was so exhausted, I came home, changed into my after-work sweats (hey, my husband isn't here and I'm staying in a drafty old house- don't judge me), realized I forgot to take my daily photo, and then changed back into said outfit. This is serious stuff.

But I have to wonder- have I become the type of person that I've always made fun of? I mean, I get annoyed when I see people posting what they ate for lunch or the entire schedule of their day (and not a fun schedule, like a "I'm eating lunch then going to the bank then doing laundry and maybe taking a nap and then I dunno what's up text me if you feel like hanging out later" schedule), or worse, what form of bodily fluid came out of their child. But is what I'm doing with my outfits any different than people sharing a quote every five minutes from a right-wing conservative that is paranoid that their gun rights are going to be taken away?

Everyone has their own reasons for posting what they post on social media. I have always held myself to the standard that if it isn't something fun/funny/stylish then I don't do it. I don't advertise politics, change my profile picture to support a cause for a day, or share chain posts or whatever other annoying form of technological streaking is next. 

I've written previously how my Internet drug of choice is updating my Facebook status on award show nights. As far as I'm concerned, it's a hell of a lot more interesting and engaging than half the crap I see on there. However, I do understand that it's a free country and that everyone has the right to be as annoying or as boring as they want on social media. What you do with your page is your decision (which is different than your business, because once you put it out there, it's everyone's business). I know I've hidden a bunch of people's statuses and I'm sure they've done the same to me. Isn't that what America is all about? Cause apparently, Canada is not on board. 

It's with that train of thought I decided that if people liked seeing the photos, that I would keep posting them week two and hope it wasn't an overload. Part of me is considering making a Facebook page for my blog and posting all of my fashion/celebrity/photography content there instead, so people can see the same information if they want, but they're not bombarded just because they're friends with me. But another part of me feels that I shouldn't have to do that, because all of the things I post on my personal Facebook page truly are a representation of myself. Also, I feel like the Facebook world is so saturated with blog pages, and if I ended up only getting twenty five "Likes" or something, it would be kind of embarrassing. I'm still thinking about it, but for now, I think all my "friends" are just going to have to deal with my pictures the way they are now. And hopefully, at least a few of them enjoy it.

Whew, that was deep. Let's be real- you came here for fun. Week two outfit photos, yeah! (Wasn't it worth all serious bull just to get to this point?!)

Day One:

jacket, flats & cardi: old navy/blouse: f21/pants: br/earrings: in pink

This is a place of honesty, so I wanna be real with you- this is not one of my favorites. This is my "week one is over, the excitement level of getting to wear whatever I want has wained, and I didn't think about my outfit ahead of time and sort of threw this together" ensembles. First of all, khakis, by nature, are not particularly fashion forward. I mean, any retail associate that isn't required to wear black is rocking these. Look at Best Buy, Target, etc. I have always like this shirt and wanted a reason to wear it, and now I have one! It just wasn't until the end of the day when I was attempting to snap a quality pic that I realized that chinos are a little mom-ish and in no way can be captured stylishly. In my defense, they are from Banana Republic. 

Day Two: 

cardi: ann taylor/button down: express/pants: cr/bag: ny & co/pin: f21

Pants. I forgot I even owned pants that weren't black, and here I am, wearing them two days in a row. While I would be perfectly happy rocking the mantra of No Pants in Twenty Thirteen, some days you just have to give in. It's still winter and I walk to work. So sometimes pants are a necessity. A boring, un-fun necessity. I really have no business doing any shopping, but I would love to get a few more pairs of patterned pants like my polka dot ones. However, since any shopping I do from now on will be online and I don't trust pants that come from a computer, that will most likely not be happening anytime soon. Just to put things in perspective of how anti-pants shopping I am, this pair of gray trousers are from Charlotte Russe... when worked there... in 2003. I don't know if I'm proud of myself or horrified. 

Day Three:

jacket & headband: f21/top & flats: gap/skirt: br/bag: ny & co/necklace: cr

This is my French-inspired work look. While I've been experimenting with my outfits, my makeup routine has gone virtually unchanged. I have lots of fun lipstick colors, but wasn't sure how soon is too soon to work them into office attire. I took it easy with my red Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (I have like four of them, I'm obsessed) because you can kind of throw it on in the morning and it has pretty good staying power. I also wore one of my favorite Forever 21 finds- my pearl-edged jacket. I feel like you can work this into so many ensembles, and I have to stop myself from wearing it all the time. 

Day Four:

dress: j. crew/button down: br/wellies: ll bean/boots: payless/belt: ny & co/necklace: kate spade

I have so much nautical stuff that sometimes I have to look at previous pictures to make sure that I didn't wear the exact same color scheme the day before. This was my first nautical look that week so I went all out- with my favorite anchor dress and the appropriately named "Anchors Aweigh" necklace. It was crappy in the morning, so I wore my trusty wellies for the walk and changed into less outdoorsy footwear once I got in. If I was on Project Runway and the challenge was to design a look that represents myself, this is it, except I can't sew so no matter how cute my outfit, I would be immediately "auf wiedersehen'd" by Heidi. 

Day Five:

Oops.

So this was a day I totally forgot to take a picture. And it was weird, because I actually felt bad for neglecting to post that day. I don't know if that's loyalty or narcissism. If the suspense is killing you, I wore my Thanksgiving dress from two years ago (and if your clothes don't have a name or descriptive word that you refer to them as, well... then you probably have a life) with my Kate Spade purple pencil necklace. Friday was just a crazy day. I ended up staying at the office until almost 6:30, then raced back to the house to eat and catch the ferry back to the mainland for Easter weekend. I just totally spaced and it wasn't until I checked Instagram later that I even realized I forgot. 

I did however, post this picture:

The Compass Rose is a big symbol on the island, and while I was at work that day, Steve went out exploring and came back with this. It's technically a Christmas ornament, but he bought it for us because of what it said: 

"The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving... we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it... but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor." -Oliver Wendell Holmes

I don't know who Mr. Holmes is, but he seems to have written the perfect motto for our lives at the moment. 

Thanks for not being sick of me. Let's do this again next week, shall we?

~L

Once again, not being paid or showered with gifts for any of this. Any links or mentions I've provided are things I've chosen to share. There's hardly any links anyway, because all my fun clothes and accessories have been chilling in my closet for years.