Sunshine Award

A couple of weeks ago, the gorgeous Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb nominated me for a Sunshine Award:

 The rules for the award are:

1. Include the award logo in a post and/or on your blog sidebar.  Done. 
2.  Link to the blogger who nominated you.  Done. 
3.  Answer 10 questions about yourself.  See below. 
4.  Nominate 10 other fabulous bloggers and ask them 10 questions.  See even lower. 
5.  Link to your nominees in your post and let them know about the reward.  See # 4

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get to it before now, what with my sinus infection and bike accident, but I’ve finally put together a post.

Here are my answers to Catherine’s questions:

If you had to choose a totally different stage name for yourself, what would it be?

I actually have two; Barbarella and Velvet Camouflage.  I use them for pole dancing class.  Of course.

Barbarella Poster via imdb.com

Excluding loved ones or pets, what one material possession would you save if your house was on fire?

Family photos; especially of my sisters and I when we were young and my nieces and nephews when they were young.

My sister Rosey

Who's the first celebrity you can remember having a crush on?

I don’t know.  Maybe Buck Rogers?  

Buck Rogers poster via imdb.com

What's the best compliment you've ever had?

The other day someone guessed my age at 20.  Being as I’m a LOT closer to 40 than I am to 20, I was pretty flattered.

If you could only ever listen to one band/artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Nooooo.  This is too hard.  I really don’t think I can answer this one.  I want to say Adele, or Florence and the Machine, or City and Colour but I really can’t just pick one.

Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?

Hah!  There is no one even remotely tall enough in Hollywood to play me.

What is your favourite part of your body or appearance?

My smile.  I honestly like smiling and I think it’s because I like my smile; gap and all.

If you were to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport, skill or pastime, what would it be (e.g. spoon playing, procrastinating, ironing, party planning, etc.)? 

Reading.  I am a world-champion reader for sure.  I'm currently reading Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, by Kevin Wilson and you should see how well I'm doing.  I'm reading the heck out of this book:

Image via amazon.com

If you haven't read it, I'd definitely suggest it.  I'm kind of in love with the author and I'm not even halfway through.

What is your favourite all-time TV show?

It’s a cross between Mad Men and The Walking Dead.  I love Mad Men because it’s smart and gorgeous.  I love The Walking Dead because I like to think I’m learning invaluable skills for the impending zombie apocalypse; it’s entertaining and educational.

Which celebrity's wardrobe would you most like to own?

Diane Kruger.  She has great style, whether she’s dressed up or down.  I think her style is accessible, but not boring, so, in a word; perfect.

Diane Kruger, image via snarkerati.com

Here are my questions:

1. Tea or coffee? 
2.  What would the name of your autobiography be? 
3.  Reality TV; guilty pleasure or sheer idiocy?  
4.  Favorite James Bond actor? 
5.  Ocean or mountains? 
6. Favorite author? 
7.  Thanksgiving pie; pumpkin, pecan or something else? 
8.  What are your thoughts on techno music? 
9.  What is the last movie you saw in a theater? 
10. And, finally, because Halloween is tomorrow, what is your favorite scary movie?

And here are the nominees:

Erin of Plus Size Curves Ahead

Tia of Reading in Skirts

Mia of Reading in Skirts

Dawn of Suitcase Vignettes

Whitney of Along the Lines of Style

Katie Q. at An Alaskan Weredork

MissSassypants

Jean at Dross into Gold

Jennifer at Librarian for Life Style

Lynne at Practical Paralegalism

And with that, I have finally spread the sunshine entrusted to me by Catherine. 

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Appreciation

The lovely Jean, of Dross into Gold, has given me a Blogger Appreciation Award:

For which I am, well, very appreciative.  Honestly, it's always such a pleasant surprise when I get one of these.


In order to accept the award, I must:
1.  Thank the person who nominated me by linking his/her blog:  Thank you, Jean! 
2.  Answer the four questions below.
3.  Award the Blogger Appreciation Award to fellow bloggers.

4.  Let those bloggers know that you have nominated them.

Questions:

1. How long have you been blogging?

Almost a year and a half now.  I started in January 2011 after about six months of hemming and hawing.

2. Why did you start blogging?

For a couple reasons, actually.  One, because it’s hard for me to visualize how a trend would look on my shape when I see it on a dissimilar shape.  It’s like shoes.  They look so cute in a size 5 ½, but bring them out in my size 10 and Borrowers run out from under the Nordstrom couches to try and appropriate them as boats.  I figured if I had these problems, other giants tall women might feel the same. 

Two, because I’ve always sort of thought I’d like to be a writer.  But, I know it’s like anything else in that you have to practice.  I wasn’t doing a very good job of keeping a journal and thought blogging would be a good way to practice writing, see if I actually liked it and see what my “voice” sounded like.

3. What type of blogs do you like to follow/read?

Mostly, but not exclusively, personal style blogs.  I don’t really read “fashion” blogs because while I try to stay aware of the trends, I don’t consider myself a particularly trendy person and I don’t try to be.

4. What is the one thing you’d like to improve on as a blogger?

My writing.  I think I probably write too much.  But, I talk too much too, so I think that may just be me.  Still, I’d like to be more succinct at times.  Just at times though; basically nattering on about nothing is sort of my thing.

My Nominees:

Chioma at Chocolatte’s Evolutions of Style

Dawn at Suitcase Vignettes

Krista at Peetee’s Palace

Jessica at A Day In The Life of One Girl

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Gracey 

Black Friday Blog Awards

It's Black Friday, but I'm not shopping.  I'm still in Northern California "enjoying" the snow (I'm not a snow girl).  But, I didn't want any of you who might be reading blogs over the Thanksgiving Holiday to miss me too terribly (it's okay to miss me somewhat, I miss you all too) so I scheduled this post.  That's right, even when I'm away, I'm thinking about you guys.

Here's the deal.  Three of my lovely blogging friends, Kelsey of Charming Pumpkin, Karla of Frugal Big Girl and Erin of Plus Sized Curves Ahead gave me a couple of blog awards last week and I'm quite excited about it because it gives me the opportunity to do two things.  One, I get to share a little bit about myself for my new readers and for those of you who've wondered about my accent.*  Two, and this is my favorite part, I get to share some of my favorite new blogs with you guys.  Very exciting, no? 

Let's get started.  Here are the awards:

And here are the rules:

·         Link back to the fabulous blogger you got the award from (done, done and done)

·         Write 7 random things about yourself (I excel in random things, so, don't worry, I got this)

·         Fill in the question form below (I'll do my best)

·         Give the award to 10 other blogs and let them know (Love to!)

7 random things about me:

1.      I love books.  I read constantly, I just forget to update the What I'm Reading thingy in my sidebar.

2.      I wear a size 10 shoe and am under the impression that is practically dainty for someone my height.  Don't disabuse me of this notion.

3.      I was a three sport athlete in high school - cross country, basketball and track and field.

4.      Zombies both scare and enthrall me; as a result, I am obsessed with The Walking Dead.

5.      I love to laugh.  A lot.  And as loudly as possible.

6.    Grumpy people make me smile.

7.   I ride my bike to work every day, rain, shine or snow.  And it's the best thing I do for myself.

Question and Answer:

·         Name your favorite song: This probably isn’t the best way to start a Q&A, but I don't have a favorite song.  I can, however, tell you that right now I am listening almost constantly to The Black Keys.  Especially their album, Brothers.

·         Name your favorite dessert: Strawberry Lemonade Cake

·         What pisses you off: Besides snow?  People who say “I seen that…” – it makes me stabby when people say “seen” instead of “saw.”

·         When you're upset, you: Shriek and threaten to elbow the offending party in the neck, of course.

·         Your favorite pet: Dogs, I still miss my puppy immensely. 

·         Black or white: I’m both, actually.

·         Your biggest fear: Um… zombies.  Duh.

·         Best feature: I would say my wit, but I guess my smile is okay too.

·         Everyday attitude: I some how manage to be both high strung and disengaged.  It’s a talent.

·         What is perfection: Being woken up late on a Sunday morning from the light streaming through the trees. 

·         Guilty pleasure: The Walking Dead (seriously, I’m obsessed).

And here are some of my new favorite bloggers:

·         Amanda at Something Old Meets Something New – we’re physically polar opposites, but Amanda and her blog are so sweet, you can’t help but love them.

·         Jenn at The Suburb Experiment – Jenn is hilarious and we all know how I like to laugh (see # 5 above).  She’s good at dressing herself too.

·         Tracy at The Closet Shopper – great style and seriously diverse musical interests.  What’s not to like?

·         Kassi at The Closet Intervention – Kassi is a fellow tall blogger with fabulous style and a fabulous personality to match.

·         Fashion Dynamite – Great style and pretty pictures in the woods; an all around lovely blog.

·         Natasha at Required2BeInspired – I’d be inspired by Natasha’s blog even if she didn’t make it a requirement.  She has fabulous style and makes a lot of her own clothes. 

·         Krista at Lazy Saturdays – Krista is crafty, has great style and I LOVE her remix posts.

·         Cambria at Jupe – Cambria is super sweet and her style is what I’d aspire to if I weren’t a total drama queen.

·         Sydney at Basic Cravings – Sydney has very clean, very classic style while working color and the best statement necklaces ever.  Ever, I tell you, ever.

·         Dawn at Suitcase Vignettes – I loved Dawn’s blog from the first moment I read it.  And that was before I found out that she throws the best Halloween parties and pairs awesome fur hats with sequins.  Love.

* I'm just kidding - I have a slight lisp, but no accent.

Preppy Pattern Mixing and the Sunshine Award

Daily Outfit for Thursday, April 21, 2011

I feel so preppy in this outfit.  I suspect it’s not “true prep” and like my grunge look it’s probably my own special brand of prep…

… but I do feel preppy – I think it’s probably the striped Foxcroft shirt (thrifted).  I don’t wear button-downs very much (maybe ever), but I do like it paired with this zigzag-patterned skirt (Mossimo – thrifted).  I think the skirt helps make the shirt more fun than a plain skirt would.  I would have loved to have worn my orange sandals with this, but it is still not warm enough for bare legs, so I wore my trusty Born Crown boots (Nordstrom).  (That’s right, bare knees two times this week.  I told you I was a total Billy Bad Bottom).

This outfit, like Monday’s Prim and Proper outfit, was sort of fun for me because “preppy” is not an aesthetic I subscribe to very often.  The bright colors appeal to me, but it’s just so buttoned-up (dare I say repressed?) which I don’t love.  Again, I think it has a lot to do with how I view myself, which is more footloose and fancy free than prep usually indicates.  Truthfully, I think I am probably less of a free spirit than I’d like to be, and that buttoned-up repression is more my speed, but I’m in denial about that.  So even though prep does have the benefit of bright colors and the occasional whimsical print, I don’t think I’ll make this my go-to look.

In more exciting news, the ever fabulous Claire from Spinning Threads awarded me the Sunshine Award.  Thank you, Claire! 

As part of the award, I get to award it to some other bloggers.  So, here they are, 12 blogs that make me smile: From the Rez to the City, She’s Addicted to Clothes, Steffy’s Pros and Cons, Well Curated, The Chronicles of Lady K, Northeast Chic, Basic Cravings, dash dot dotty, Diversions, Rags Against the Machine, Destrehan’s Daughter and Lovely Apidae.  The rules say to choose twelve, but I could easily choose twice as many.

Tips for Giants: If you have a long torso, tucking your shirts in can be difficult.  A few tricks I use are wearing tunics (or short dresses) as tops – they’re actually long enough to stay put.  Or wearing high-waisted skirts (or pants) – these are getting increasingly easy to find in retail stores, and thrift stores are a great source.  And, finally, what I did today; I’m wearing DKNY Smoothies which are like lightweight Spanx in that they don’t cut off all circulation in your body, but still provide some assistance in sucking it in on those days you don’t feel like it.  They’re great.  They are also great for tucking not-so-long blouses into – this blouse didn’t come un-tucked once today.  If it's still tights weather for you (for which I am sorry) try tucking your blouse into your tights.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

P.S. If you write “preppy” enough it loses all meaning.  True story.


P.P.S My camera broke today so I had to borrow my sister's which was difficult for me to work with and caused me to over-photoshop.  I have one coming, but you'll have to bear with me for a bit.

Stylish Bright Stripes and Black Tights

Daily Outfit 3/31/11

Full disclosure: I love this dress.  I plan on wearing it all summer, so I hope no one gets tired of it.  I really did intend to wait for summer to debut it, but who knows when summer will get to Oregon, so I decided to wear it today.

Fabulous, right?  I couldn’t believe my luck when I found this dress at my local Goodwill for only $3.50!  The dress is vintage, the belt is croc-embossed (Macys), the tights are Spanx Tight End Tights (Nordstrom), the cardigan is Gap, the earrings are of disremembered provenance and the booties are BC Shoes (via Piperlime).

Even though this dress screams summer to me, I really like it with the black accents.  I tried it first this morning with a bright cardigan and tights and cognac belt and shoes, but it felt like a little much to me.  You all know I love me some brights, I just think I might prefer them grounded with a neutral.  And black and brights are a match made in heaven for me.

Now, for those of you looking at this outfit and thinking “My goodness that’s one stylish giant,” you are not alone.  And I’ve got the badge to prove it:

The absolutely fabulous Claire of Spinning Threads has awarded me the Stylish Blogger Award on Tuesday.  The rules for receiving this award are that I have to share 8 things about myself and award it to 8 other stylish bloggers.

I had actually received this award from Sara Star rather early on, so you can read eight things about me here (which will give you a full 22 facts about me!).  I do, however, want to present some of my new-found favorite and stylish blogs with this award. 

In no particular order, these are some of the blogs I am especially loving as of late:

• Surely Sonsy
• Well Curated
• Angy's Tea Room
• Bellishment
• Me Myself and My Closet
• Tart Lemon Drop
• Northeast Chic
• Basic Cravings

Again, if you don't already read these blogs, stop by.  They're definitely worth it.

 

In other news, I am glad to be back in my lovely, green Oregon.  It was pouring when I got home Tuesday night, but this morning’s ride was glorious.  Absolutely perfect – balmy temperatures, no rain, no wind and the trees are beginning to bloom.  Did I mention that it was perfect?

I hope everyone’s day was as wonderful as my bike ride was,

Gracey

Know what? I’m versatile and creative. True story.

Hello All!

Last week the fabulous Gretchen awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award.  And yesterday she awarded me the Kreativ Blogger Award.   As part of the awards, I have to share some things about myself (I think I’m up to 17 – we’ll see if I make it) and award them to 10 other bloggers.

Okay, first up.  Random Gracey-facts:

1.      I’m of mixed heritage – my father is black and my mother is white.

2.      I come from a large family – four brothers, two sisters, one step brother and one step sister.

3.      I have always lived on the West Coast; in Oregon, Washington or California except for a brief stint in Nashville.

4.      I ran track and cross country from kindergarten through college and I miss running a lot less than I thought I would.

5.      I can’t sew, but I do it anyways.

6.      I’m not very patient (which is one of the reasons I can’t sew).

7.      I love food, but I don’t like cooking.

8.      My parents were hippies, hence my awesome name.

9.      I hate being told what to do.

10.  I am somehow surprised to find myself in my mid-thirties and never married.

11.  I think that it’s weird that I’m surprised about being single.

12.  I watch and read sci-fi, but only because I’m scared of zombies, aliens, robots and the future and want to know what to watch out for.

13.  I love books that make me cry and then I never read them again because they made me cry.

14.  I don’t have a favorite color.

Sorry, all, I can’t think of anything more.  But, I’d say 14 items is plenty to know about me.  It’s pretty much everything anyway.

Now for ten versatile, creative (sorry, I can’t keep spelling it with a k) bloggers:

1.      Rose of Well Curated

2.      Emily at Bellishment

3.      Fabienne of The House in the Clouds

4.      Steffy of Steffy’s Pros and Cons

5.      Claire of Spinning Threads

6.      Linda of Little Tin Soldier

7.      Linley at Dwelling and Telling

8.      Katie at Interrobangs Anonymous

9.      Dotty at Dash Dot Dotty

10.  Marella at Me Myself and My Closet

All of these bloggers are absolutely wonderful and if they aren’t blogs you already read, check them out.

Thank you again, Gretchen!

Gracey