hair begone

Did I get my hair did?



Yes, I did. (It's not an April Fool!)

I have been wanting/needing a haircut for a while now. You know how when it's been a while since you got it cut, your hair suddenly can do no right? Everyday it just looks wrong, even though it probably (I hope) looks fine to everyone else, you know that's not what you want. In my case, I needed a color freshen-up and I needed to get some of the weight off. When my hair gets longer and heavier, it weighs down my curls. Some people would be pleased about that, but I'm proud to be a curly girl! I wanted to put a little spring back into my hair's step.

Getting my hair cut in the spring is always a little extra special. I'm looking forward to the long warm months ahead, and I want to make sure that I've got a style that'll feel light and fun when it's hot and sticky out. I went shorter than expected this time...the night before, I'd been extolling to a friend the wonders of just chopping it all off. When I was a senior in high school, I went in for a trim and impulsively decided to cut off a good 10 inches. And I've (seldom) looked back!




The asymmetrical cut has the benefits of being a little bit fun/edgy (while still professional enough for work) and is a built in style. Because I shower at night, I don't have a lot of options to style my hair when I'm actually preparing to go out for the day, so it's nice to have a cut that does something all by itself!

Are any of you planning to try a new 'do for summer? Have you ever committed a chopjob or are you happy with long luxurious locks? Sound off below!

i heart etsy: iris + lily

Hello, virtual citizens! I have now officially worked a full week at my new job, which makes this my first official weekend as a gainfully employed person (I worked my final retail shift last Saturday, so that weekend didn't count). So far, I'm really enjoying the job; I get to do a lot of writing, which is awesome, and also a lot of working on websites and researching things on the internet, which are other things that I love to do (obviously). Also, I get to eat lunch in a cafe that's on the 36th floor! I can see my car from there!

But I don't spend a lot of time staring at my car anymore (though I do look out on the lake a lot), because (fanfare!):



Is it a book? A notepad?



It's a new home for my tablet! (and hey, check out my fabulous Sock Dreams sticker) As those of you who follow me on twitter know (and you can head over to the sidebar to do that, if you don't already), I bought a tablet in January. It's an Acer Iconia A100, and up until now, I honestly hadn't gotten much use out of it. When I'm in the house, I tend to be on my laptop, for obvious reasons, and without a case, there was no way I was taking my new baby out and about. I poked around Best Buy and Target, but I couldn't find a case I really loved. Also, since my tablet isn't a Nook, Kindle, or iPad, the pickin's were pretty slim.

But now! Oh, now, he has a beautiful case from Iris + Lily of Etsy. When I was shopping for a case on Etsy, I mostly found zippered pouches, which were great, but I really wanted something that opened up like a book for more security. The cases from Iris and Lily immediately caught my eye. They're gorgeous and custom made to the exact dimensions of your tablet/ereader. The fabrics are beyond fabulous (browsing through their store just now, I'm finding even more that I want. Guess I better get myself some more devices!) and I'm extremely impressed with the quality of the finished piece. I would never guess that this case was handmade; it's professional, gorgeous, and sturdy. Plus, it closes with a discreet hidden magnet, so I don't have to worry about it flopping open in my bag and damaging the screen.

The only downside to this case is that I'd have to remove the tablet to use the back-facing camera, but I knew that going in and don't plan to use it as a camera all that often (though I might eat my words once Instagram for Android comes out!). It did take a little longer to receive than I expected (they quote 2-3 weeks), but when I contacted Diane & Kate, who own the store, they were very friendly and very communicative. My case shipped the next day! (A note on communication: I had actually picked out a case from a different seller, but had a question regarding customization. I messaged them to inquire about it, and after two weeks with no word, received "Oh, didn't I respond to this?" I said that they hadn't, and...they never responded. Not impressed, and I decided to take my business elsewhere.)

In summation, I highly recommend Iris + Lily for all your case needs, if you're looking for something a little glam but still ultra functional. They also make journals and photo albums that look just as lovely.

Now I can hang out and lunch and try miserably to solve crosswords! A great success all around.

shoes of adulthood

You know you're an adult when these are the shoes you love:

Source: dsw.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

and these are the shoes you buy:

Source: softspots.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

The reason behind the sensible pumps? I got a new job! Next week, the world of retail will be behind me (for now). I'm super excited to be able to wear heels/boots/shoes that are not the most comfortable flats I could find to work again. And okay, they may be sensible, but I actually like these a lot! They 're classic and cute and very comfortable. Plus, they're navy, which makes them a little bit more fun than the standard black pump (which was what I actually went out shopping for! They didn't have the black in my size.) Although I'm still pretty passionate about those amazing Minnie Mouse shoes up top!

I had a request for interview outfits, so I'm going to whip some of those together for a new post. Anything else you guys would like to see?

valentine's day

It's that time of year again...no, not Christmas (although we have some lovely Christmas decorations up for testing in the store right now, which is confusing some patrons): Valentine's Day! That most romantic and Hallmark-y of holidays, devoted to exchanging sweet things with your sweetheart.


Conversation Heart cookies! too cute, right? Photo & cookies by thedecoratedcookie

...but what about those of us who are lacking a sweetheart? (I wanted to put a picture here, but have you ever Googled "broken heart" images? That is scary stuff!) It's easy to be bitter about Valentine's Day...heaven knows I've spent my fair share of years being resentful of "Singles Awareness Day." But being bitter can get tiring, and why should those darn couples have all the fun?

I say, fight the power in a positive way: make Valentine's Day about all kinds of love. There are all sorts of people in my life that I love, and I think a day when I can celebrate them and eat candy sounds pretty great. Bust out the construction paper and glitter and show your family/friends/classmates/neighbors how much you love them! Just like I love all of you, my beloved blog buddies ♥

Source: someecards.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Happy Valentine's Day!

operation update: delusions of gallerie

I want a gallery wall. They're trendy right now, and I know there's some backlash against them, but I don't care! It's a great option for people (like me!) who don't have/can't currently afford a big piece of art. This way, you can show off a lot of little pieces. And even if you do have big art, there's no reason not to also have a gallery to show a few other pieces off. It lets you support a variety of artists, which is always a great thing to do! Plus, look how pretty:

Source: housebeautiful.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: plushpalate.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: younghouselove.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

There's so many ways to rock the gallery wall, from museum quality cleanness to the funky clipped on art above. You can mix and match your frames or keep it classic...the choices are endless! Personally, I think I'd like to mix and match a bit, but keep it mostly in the same color family. I have two black frames already; one already has art in it, just waiting for me to decide where I to start my collection.

Kim and Scott of Yellow Brick Home just did a great post about how to layout a gallery wall, especially when you're working with limited space. It's all been really inspiring to me, and it makes me want to Buy Art Now! I would really love to have a wall full of prints from artists whose work I admire! I started a pinboard of prints that I would love to buy. There's some (okay, mostly) dorky TV and movie inspired art, but I'm a dorky media inspired kind of person, so I think it works out okay!

Do you have a collection of prints you'd like on your wall? I'd love to see them! Alternately, maybe you're a steadfast original art or bust kind of person -- what's your favorite piece you own?

commitment issues

Sometimes, it feels like "committed" is in the same family "interesting" or "distinct" often fall into when describing style; even if you don't like what someone is doing/wearing, you can at least applaud them for "committing" to their look! I don't totally agree, though. I think that committing to a style is something that should be applauded! It takes a lot of guts and a lot of effort to maintain what I would consider an "intense" style; to be honest, I'm a little jealous of those people! I adore the aesthetics of a lot of these subcultures (like lolita, Goth, rockabilly, etc) but I definitely do not have either the guts or the dedication to really commit to the look...I want to visit, but I don't think I could live there!

I suspect many of you have the same dilemma, which is the reason for my new series: "Commitment Issues." I'll be taking inspiration from fabulous styles that require some serious commitment to make them work, and showing you pieces that let you bring elements of that style into your own everyday look!

Up first: Lolita. Lolita started as Japanese street fashion; there are a ton of subcultures and substyles that I won't even pretend to be informed enough to speak about. But the bare bones essential (and what most people think of when you mention Lolita fashion) is looking like a Victorian doll. What I'm inspired by today is the "Sweet Lolita" style: lots of deliciously fussy girly details!


Photo from a great source for girly inspiration, ALB in Wonderland

If I had to sum up the best way to put the over-the-top frothy confection of Lolita style into every day in one word, that would would be ruffles. (The second word would be pink.)

ladylike ruffles by ficklekitsch featuring a tie blouse

I would wear every single one of these pieces, and I wouldn't even consider my style to be that girly! Seeing them all together is a little bit of a pink/pastel ruffled explosion, but consider pairing one of those fussy tops with a black pencil skirt or some wide-legged trousers and you've got the right idea. Those comfy shorts seem a little far out from Lolita, but this is about making it work for your everyday...I think they kind of look like bloomers, which definitely fit with the Victorian doll idea. Next up, accessories!

sweet accessories by ficklekitsch featuring brim hats

I took the "sweet" part pretty literally here; bows, more pink, cupcakes, flowers, all great ways to add a girly touch to any outfit. One of the things I love most about Lolita style is the dedication to a theme in an outfit--there's a reason they call them "coordinates"!

If you need more inspiration for making Lolita style work, I highly recommend checking out Cupcake's Clothes. Georgina has some great full-out Lolita fashion, but also works the same ultra-feminine aesthetic into all her outfits (and looks super cute!)

Could you pull a little bit of Lolita-inspired flair into your outfits now? What style have you always secretly loved but aren't willing to commit to full-time?

coveting: retro appliances

I posted a little while back about my love for retroiffic colored fridges, and the fire has not died out. I've always had a little bit of a passion for pastels in crazy places; after watching hours upon hours of house hunters on HGTV complain about strangely colored bathrooms, I realized one set of grandparents have a blue toilet and bathtub and the others have a pink toilet, bathtub, and sink! Theirs, obviously, are not "retro" style -- they're actually old! But obviously there's a genetic component to my fondness for a pop of color in an unexpected place.



How beautifully does this Smeg fridge fit in with the gorgeous retro kitchen belonging to Piewacket? I want one terribly, but it will be a long time before I live somewhere that I'll be selecting the fridge for, if ever. (And isn't that a lovely thought?) So, imagine my glee when I discovered the clean lines and funky colors of Nostalgia Electrics!

Now, I do not own nor have ever tried any of these appliances, so I can't recommend them or vouch for their quality. But look how cute!



I was first seduced by this 3-in-1 breakfast maker. I don't even like toast or coffee, but I want to have this thing on my countertop in all of its atomic age retro-futuristic glory. It doesn't appear to be on their website or Amazon any longer, more's the pity. But a quick exploration of the website brings all sorts of nifty things to the eye!



If I owned this microwave, I would feel like I was in a cool diner every time I reheated leftover pizza. I might wake up one morning to discover that I'd installed black-and-white checkered flooring in a retrolicious haze.



I may actually die. Hot dog toaster! I don't know why I wouldn't just put the hot dogs in my stylish red microwave, but there's something deliciously retro about unitaskers, isn't there? Now I want a malt machine.

Do you feel a pull towards colorful unitaskers like I do, or are you a strict modern stainless fan? I probably won't ever own a hot dog toaster (sob!) but I think a colorful microwave could go a long way towards making a blah rental kitchen feel a little more fabulous (and since my parents have commandeered my plain black college 'wave, I'll be in the market for one when I do move out!)