The Non-Replacement Shoes & a Closet Orphan

Friday I was so proud of myself for having purchased replacement shoes and for somewhat following my one-in-one-out policy for buying new items.  Today I have to admit that I fell off the wagon.  I ordered these shoes the other day and they’re not intended to replace anything, I just really like them:

Image via Piperlime

I have been looking for a pair of gray shoes that weren’t gray suede and I think snake is such a fun print, I had to get these.  And, of course, I had to wear them today:

For their inaugural outing, I paired the shoes (Pierre Dumas Chic-1 via Piperlime) with hot pink pants (Michael Michael Kors via Ross) and a lightweight sweater (v. old Hinge via Nordstrom).  This sweater is the closet orphan I alluded to in the title.  I love the color and the open weave on the back is pretty cool…

But, I never wear it because it’s kind of an odd length.  I think that on non-giants it’s probably a proper tunic, but on my giant-self, it hits me at the worst possible place on my thighs.  And you know how thighs get if they think they’re not being shown in the most flattering clothes; they get mutinous and stabby.  Or, at least mine do.  To avoid Mutinous Thigh Syndrome (MTS), I tried to work with my thighs by reverse-tucking the sweater under my belt, and I think it worked.

Oh, and, in addition to new shoes, I’m also wearing a new necklace:

Isn’t it fabulous?  I mean, sure, it’s a bit off-kilter in this photo, but that’s just how I roll.  And, even off-kilter, I think it’s awesome.  I bought it this weekend at Lil’ Gypsy Vintage.  It’s from the 70s and the stone is moss agate.  And it's fabulous.

In addition to the vintage shopping, I also went thrifting and somehow managed to limit myself to only a blouse and a coat.  I’m very proud.  Oh, and I went to pole dancing class where I got some more bruises and mastered Naughty Carousel.  I’m also proud of that.  Next week?  Peter Pan.

Finally, because there is nothing shy about hot pink pants and snake platforms, I've linked up to Patti's Visible Monday over at Not Dead Yet Style.

Happy Monday, All!  

Gracey

The Replacement Shoes

This was not a good summer for my shoes.  My blue suede platforms broke, my leopard peep toes are years old and starting to fray, I ruined the soles on my ankle boots falling down some concrete stairs and the linen straps on my espadrilles gave up the ghost:

The thing is; I’m hard on my shoes.  I use my heels to put my kickstand up, I ride my bike in the rain so my shoes can get pretty wet, and, let’s be honest, I’m not the most delicate flower in the blogosphere, so my shoes have to contend with a not small amount of weight.  I do what I can to protect my shoes against wear and tear, but they do eventually wear out.  Which means Mama needs a new pair of shoes.  Or four.

Luckily for me, I’ve added all of these to my shopping list.  Because, after my admittedly brief, but still grueling, shopping ban and closet purge this summer, I am actually doing better about sticking to my list.  And, because I am getting rid of the shoes I’ve replaced, I’m also following the (admittedly half-assed) one-in-one-out policy I’ve implemented.  Yay, me!  

Even more luckily for me, Nordstrom Rack had a clearance sale over Labor Day weekend and I was able to score two pairs of replacement shoes for under $50.00.  I bought the yellow pair I’ve been wearing the past couple days to replace my blue pair, and I bought this pair to replace my espadrilles:

I paired my new sandals (BP. Shoes) with a new-to-me thrifted dress and added a thin belt (Steve Madden via Ross) and a vintage bangle.  I know these shoes don’t resemble the pair they replaced that much, but they had everything I was looking for: they’re two-tone (black and natural), they’re strappy (T instead of ankle) and they’re comfortable.

Enough about the shoes though, let’s talk about the dress for a bit.  I love this thing:

Not the print so much – I have no idea what it is.  But, I love the cut and the fit.  And what I really love are the possibilities of this dress.  Because it buttons from hem to neck, I think it will be extremely versatile.  I can’t wait to layer it over, under and next to things all year round.

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Have a great weekend!

Gracey

Stripes and Mia-Approved Pockets

My dress today has stripes and what I believe would be Mia-approved pockets:

This pose is soooo smarmy; it makes me laugh.

Blogger friend Mia wrote that she used to use pocket size as criteria for buying clothes.  If the pockets were big enough to hold a book, it was meant to be hers.  I’m pretty sure my pockets today are big enough to hold a book.  Maybe not a trade paperback, but a couple of Harlequin Romances for sure.

Not that I’d ever put books in these pockets.  When I my hips found out I was even just writing about it, they started preparing Molotov cocktails.  They like to make it very, very clear that they won’t accept any added bulk in their region; they’d secede before they let that happen.  And, of course, my thighs are always up for a revolution so they lent my hips some matches.

Even if I don’t use the pockets for books, I still think this is a pretty great dress.  It’s been on the blog a couple of times before, but not at all this summer.  So, I figured I’d get in a post while it was still summer.  The dress is vintage Raoul (thrifted) and I paired it with an embroidered belt (Target) and platform sandals (Franco Sarto via Nordstrom Rack).  If yesterday’s outfit was a bit 80s, today’s feels a bit 70s to me; like I’m applying for the position of art teacher at that aggressively feminist all-girls summer camp I ‘worked’ at earlier this summer.  I love that imaginary camp.  

And I love this dress.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Gracey

My Skirt is Not Neon

It just looks like it is.  Because nothing is EVER the same color on my blog as it is in my house.  At home, this skirt is a lovely, bright kelly.  In pictures, it really is practically neon:

 

I paired my non-neon skirt (vintage, via Vintage by the Pound) with a blue-and-white striped bow blouse (also vintage, also via Vintage by the Pound).  I added a leopard belt (???), yellow platform sandals (Franco Sarto via Nordstrom Rack), a vintage Monet cuff (Red Fox Vintage) and a single earring (no idea).

I feel very 80s in this outfit.  Which, for me, is a good thing.  I adore the 80s but admit that it sometimes colors my judgment.  Surely only someone enamored of the 80s would think pairing this practically-neon skirt with this blouse and adding random animal print, side-swept hair and a single earring makes sense.  Does it really make sense?  I have no idea; I’m probably the last person you should ask.

I do like it though and am happy to link this outfit to Jill and Adrienne’s How I Wear My: Secondhand Treasures Link Party.  To see more secondhand treasures, please pop on over to Adrienne’s blog, The Rich Life (on a budget) for a visit. 

And have a happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

A Bunch of Random Stuff

I know I usually save my random things for my Saturday Stuff and Things posts, but I forgot to do it Saturday and didn't have anything for today, so this is what you get.

First, some pictures.  A couple of weeks ago, my friends and I went to McMenamin's Edgefield for the Plucky Maidens Junk Fest.  As I've said before, Edgefield is my favorite McMenamin's and on a summer day, it's practically heaven.  Here are some reasons why I love it so...

Hidden courtyards:

I think it's the courtyard to the Black Rabbit Restaurant at Edgefield, but as many times as I'd been there I hadn't ever seen it so it gave me a sort of "Secret Garden" thrill.  And Secret Garden Thrills are the best.


Hydrangeas:

I love hydrangeas.  And that's all I have to say about that.


And here are some photos from the Junk Fest itself:

It was so much fun.  Even in 100 degree weather, we had a great time browsing the different booths and staying hydrated with McMenamin's beers.  What?  Beer isn't good for hydration?  Hmph.  Says you.

In addition to drinking, I also Tweet.  That's right, I has the Twitter.  I have no idea what I'm doing, but I have it and occasionally Tweet about football and other stuff.  If you're interested, I'm @GraceytheGiant; you can even use the follow me link on the right.

Finally, I've started taking pole dancing class again, so expect to see some bruised shins in my photos.  Oh, and prepare yourself for complaints about how sore I am and how terrible I am at pole dancing.  Trust me, I'm terrible.  But, it's fun and I'm glad to be back in the class!

And with that, I wish you all a Happy Tuesday and I'll be back with an outfit post tomorrow.  Probably.

Gracey