dream a little dream of spring

True story: the other day, I thought to myself, "Hey...isn't there a time where you can...just wear skirts and no jackets and not be cold? What is that?" Yup, I forgot what spring was. Anyone who lives in a northern clime can probably relate. So I thought I would look ahead, past the darkness of winter, and share a little bit of springtime.

retro spring by ficklekitsch 

Ahh, can't you just feel that warm breeze? Spring is all about color, of course, but I'm not married to the traditional pastels. Why say "oh, hey, here's a little color" when you can say "WOW, here's a lot of color!"? (I take the same stance on chocolate, cookies, and episodes of the greatest sitcom ever, Frasier.) I was feeling a little retro feminine flair when I made this outfit: pair the bold, fun skirt with a sweet pretty top (love that bow!). Like the rest of the fashion world, I'm obsessed with these metallic toed flats and darling little leather satchels. The earrings call back to both the chevron and geometric trend without being overly trendy and top it off with a chunky bracelet in a contrasting color. Since it's springtime, you'll obviously need an adorable pair of sunglasses too. I would pair this outfit with a classic trench, just in case you end up in some spring showers. Man, I just want to put this on right now. Why is there still snow on my stoop?

I'm also excited for...

Source: roadkillrescue.net via Jennifer on Pinterest

DIY! There's a great deck off the back of our apartment that I think will be perfect for any kind of outdoor projects, like spray painting. Secret confession: I have never spray painted anything. Not even once. What have I been doing with my life??? Every DIY blogger I follow has shown me how something s simple as a can of paint can transform a piece from bland to bold. I've had this project over here waiting on my Pinterest for 6 months. 6 whole months, and look what cute stuff I could be doing with a little lace and some paint? I'm definitely hoping (as I previously mentioned) to paint our new bookcase and after that, who knows! I'm still on the hunt for a dresser for my room; if I pick one up at the thrift store, it very well could end up getting a fresh coat of paint (there's a new Habitat Re/Store that just opened up the street AND a brand new Goodwill about to open, I'm going to be second-hand heaven!).

Speaking of the deck, I'm SO excited to finally make use of it! There are already some cafe lights strung through the railings, but there's so much more to be done. The deck might be half covered in snow now, but it could look like this:

Source: shelterness.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Wow! Upholstered furniture may not be in our future, but I definitely want at least a cute cafe table and chairs. Sitting outside on the weekends, writing blog posts in the sun? Hanging out with the lights on at night, enjoying the breeze with my roommate? Sounds just about perfect.

I can't wait for spring.

things to do: brewcity bruisers

When I was in college, the movie Whip It came out. The local roller derby team sponsored a premiere with free posters and such, so I figured I would check it out. I loved the movie (female friendships! awesome music!), but more than that, I was super intrigued by the sport. I wished I was tough enough to be a roller girl (for reference, I somehow managed to scrape my hand on the couch yesterday. The couch!), but the fact remained that I still hadn't seen a live bout. Well, no longer! Last night I checked off one of my year goals: I attended a roller derby bout! And it was awesome!

Warm-ups! Everybody was already blurry and this was the slowest part of the night!

The Brewcity Bruisers are Milwaukee's rollergirls; the league is made up of four teams, so really, it's two bouts for the price of one. Last night, we saw Crazy 8s vs. Maiden Milwaukee and Rushin' Rollettes vs. Shevil Knevils. Each bout has two periods, so we got plenty of halftime shows too! Halftime for the first bout was a dance performance by the Beerleaders; during the second, there were Racing Beers ala Miller Park's Racing Sausages (if you aren't familiar, well...it's a quintessentially Milwaukee thing, kind of hard to explain. Basically people dressed as anthropomorphic sausages (or in this case, beer bottles) race one another in a humorous fashion). The main halftime between the two bouts featured a bout by the Micro Bruisers, the youth derby league. Man, I wish I was that awesome when I was 8-17 - maybe I would be tougher today if I'd been doing derby instead of whatever it was I was actually doing (reading, probably, or theater. Both worthy hobbies, but not lending to athletic prowess).

For an $18 at the door/$15 in advance (or with a promo - K and I got a discount for bringing nonperishable items for a food drive) ticket price, you get an awful lot of bang for your buck. There was a communist lime cheering on one team, beerleaders slingshotting t-shirts into the cheap seats, and rollergirls going flying into the crowd seated around the track (K and I decided to stay off the ground level in some real seats for our first outing). If you're not familiar with the rules of the sport, don't worry! The announcers give a lot of information in their play-by-plays, and it's really not hard to pick up on the basics. Even if you aren't sure what's going on, it's always exciting to watch!

K and I came home with the urge to make our way to the local roller rink to strap on some skates ourselves (for some much slower, hopefully less hip checking fun), and are definitely planning to hit the next bout on March 9th - if you're in the Milwaukee area, put it on your calendar now and prepare for some high-speed fun!

home improvement: writing nook

This weekend, I added another room to our apartment. It didn't take any construction permits (and trust me, you don't want to see me handling power tools) or even good ol' fashioned magic - just some simple rearranging! I even did it all by myself to surprise my lovely roomie when she came home from work. The cat mostly got in the way.

 

From the first time we saw our apartment, I was brainstorming how we could set up the slightly odd living room. The illustration below will show you what I mean! The previous tenants had their TV blocking the front nook with the couch against the back wall, leaving the entire nook empty and useless (I think they put a litter box back there? Whatever.)

Man, how long has it been since I did an MS Paint illustration of something? ...not long enough, you say?

 

Look at all that wasted space in question mark land! I wasn't about to let a perfectly good nook go to waste. My plan was to put the TV on the back wall and stagger the couch in the middle, leaving enough room to access the nook. I put my desk back there as a kind of console table. Which was cute, but not really functional. So the wheels in my head started turning around and around, like they do. I eyed up the desk. And I eyed up the wall. I'm not especially gifted in spatial reasoning, but I was Pretty Darn Sure that the desk would justtttt fit alongside the outside wall.

 

In a surprise boon, I got some free furniture from my mom's newlywed boss (mazel tov!), and the new bookcase I brought home was just the motivation necessary to do a little switcheroo. Switch switch it went, and suddenly, we had a writing nook/office where naught but "behind the couch" was before!

 

 

I have so many plans for this nook; there's a decorative craft project I'll hopefully be undertaking soon, and I'd love to brighten the space up with more art (Belle is lonely!). Once the weather gets warmer, I plan on repainting the bookcase, so I'll have to start pinning ideas for that! (Right now I'm sort of feeling ombre on the inside? Maybe a stencil? Anything goes!) Obviously we have to decide what sort of things we're going to keep on the shelf - leaning towards more decorative, since just out of sight there are three massive bookcases double-shelved with books with more books in the built-ins AND an entirely separate shelf K is keeping in her room. Maybe I can put some of my pretty coffee table books out (they were banished from the proper shelves for being non-regulation size).

Here's a close-up of the bookcase:

It's a cute pale blue in real life, but it has a few dings (probably from when SOMEONE was trying to haul it in and out of the back of a Nissan Versa...oops) so refinishing is on the list. Oh, and up on top is a peek at an easy and quick "project" - I framed a page from my alma mater's calendar. This one is of the old-fashioned mailboxes student receive their mail in. Old-timey, black and white, a secret personal connection, AND free? Sounds like a winner to me!

As always, pics are from Instagram. Follow me there to see it all in real time!

rec: challenge accepted

This is probably brand new shocking information for most of you, but I have a little bit of a procrastination problem. One only has to take a look at my history of blog posting (or dish-doing...) to realize the sad truth. I'm a procrastinator. I put stuff off, then I feel guilty for putting stuff off, and then I put stuff off more because I feel guilty about it and I don't want to face it, and et cetra et cetra the vicious cycle continues. I know a lot of folks have the same problem (especially internet folks - big ups to Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, all of you beautiful timesucks), and I'm happy to say that I can recommend a website that's helped me a lot:

 

 

Challenge Accepted/getyedone.com is awesome. The concept: earn EXP for completing tasks and level up, just like you would do in a role-playing game. It seems simple, but for me, at least, it really works! The points don't "mean" anything, but having a tangible reward (seeing the points add up and getting to a new level) is super motivating for me. Suddenly, cleaning the bathroom doesn't just get me a clean bathroom - it gets me points! Much like an arcade, where many hours and many quarters would net you enough tickets to receive some plastic trinket that you could probably buy for a single quarter, it's not really the prize that motivates you; it's the escalating success and the feeling of accomplishment.

 

The site is also super intuitive and easy to use. There are three nested categories: Tasks, Quests, and Odysseys. You can do a solitary task list or create a sweeping plan with multiple layers. Personally, I have a bit of a mix; I have a "Chores" Quest to which I'm constantly adding tasks. I also have a "House Snark" Odyssey with separate quests for each room/DIY projects/etc. so I can keep running track of things that I want to do. I have a quest for writing that rewards me every time I get another thousand words done (I also get points for making blog posts, which might explain the upturn...), one for fun so I can still reap the rewards of succeeding at recreational tasks like beating Super Mario for Wii, one for beauty/fashion since I get lazy and forget how much I like doing little things to stay fabulous (I got points for getting my bangs, and this week I get points for wearing makeup everyday). Basically, the possibilities are endless! You can categorize each task with a "skill" or "attribute" (most of mine fall under "Cleansing," "Adulting," "Wordsmithing," and "Drudgery") but it's optional. You also get to decide the level of difficulty of each task, and you'll be awarded points accordingly.

 

There are still a lot of exciting things coming down the pipeline; I follow the creators' Tumblr, and I'm pumped for a lot of the upcoming changes (especially an expanded social system). It's both interesting and cool to be getting into a site that's still so new; I was one of the first 600 people to sign up, I believe, and they've already blown past 1000 and are still growing. I highly recommend checking the site out; if you're a nerd who tends to put off everyday tasks but could grind for hours to get your character levelled up, it's practically mandatory.

Now if you excuse me, I need to go check off "write blog post"!

bangarang

Once again, the cat was out of the bag on instagram before I came to announce it here...

I got bangs! Also had my hair colored, but really the bangs are the big news. I've never had bangs before in my whole entire life. But I've been wanting to do something different with my hair/look, and some thick blunt bangs were always something that I'd yearned for. Call me a hipster, but there's something about a fringe of hair just brushing the tops of chunky black frames that makes me say "brava!" (The color is more of a deep red in person, and it should lighten up in the next week or so.)

With bonus Historical Disney Belle print in the background

I love them! It's going to be a bit of an adjustment for me, since I need to blow dry them straight and I usually just let my hair air dry with...pretty much no input from me. It does what it wants! But I'm willing to give it a go for the sake of fashion. Also on the table is the products I use in my hair. I asked my stylist about my shampoo/conditioner woes and I got a wrinkled nose in response to the brand I'm currently using. Obviously, they'd like to promote their own products, but I do think it might be time to bite the bullet and buy something salon-quality. I have notoriously uncooperative hair, which somehow is always an inch away from being dried out AND an inch away from looking slimy and weighed down fresh out of the shower. I'm also interested in trying a product without sulfates and parabens. Right now, I think I'll probably stop by the salon and pick up travel-sized versions of the products the stylist recommended to try out - but I'd love any suggestions you guys might have (especially if your hair is a ridiculous prima donna like mine).

What do you use in your hair? What was your last big change-up?

boots boots boots

Let's get some shoes! As many of you know, I've been on a quest for boots. "But Jenny," my mom says when I tell her I need to go boot shopping, "didn't you just buy boots last year?" Yeah, mom - last year! But, really, my boots from last year are still kicking...the problem is that they're heeled boots, which are fine, fresh, AND fierce, but not really suited to long days of walking on the frozen tundra. I think that my mom may be a convert though; when we went shopping, she was the one who got the fanciest pair of boots! I must be rubbing off on her...

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a certificate for a pair of boots and, quelle suprise, my sister got the same thing! (In an entirely unrelated incident, Dad gifted Mom the "boots of her choice" as well! It was a Very Merry Bootmas in the Zowie household.) So off we ladies set for DSW, my current favorite source for all things footwear related.

There was much trying on, not a little angsting about beauties that didn't come in my size, and even some unrealistic lusting over a pair of bright red boots (I still love them! You can't change me!) But in the end, we all ended up with what we needed. My boot shopping requirements were pretty simple - they couldn't be brown, since my other boots are brown; they needed to be easy to get on and off (zippers were a big plus); and, of course, they had to be mader for walkin'.

I already shared shots of the beauties who came home with me on Instagram, but here they are:

Why yes, I do now own a pair of shiny silver boots. Thank you for asking! I love both of my new pairs of boots, and I especially love the fact that, along with a well-timed sale and the DSW Rewards certificates I had squirreled away, I got both pairs under the limits of my Christmas gift! Merry Bootmas to me!

Because it's been a long (looong) time since I made Polyvore sets, I thought I would whip up some outfit options for my boots.

preview booties by ficklekitsch featuring a jumper sweater

For my silver babies, I went with a day look which is actually pretty similar to how I actually wore them. They look great with slim fit colored pants, either for tucking in or going over the top. I totally fell in love with this owl sweater, and thought the neutral tones went really well with colored pants and a scarf. The bag was just too cute, and the whole quirky casual ensemble is topped off with some funky earrings.

fido bootie by ficklekitsch featuring amrita singh jewelry

I've always loved mixing hard and soft. My family will tell you that the Christmas I got my first pair of combat boots, I wore them to Christmas dinner with a red velvet dress. TRUE STORY. So, to pay homage to one of my first adventurous ensembles, I paired my new combat booties with a slightly more sophisticated red dress. A pair of patterned tights adds some interest and another element of soft, along with some pretty sparkly earrings and bracelet. For a last touch of "hard," I couldn't resist this brass knuckles-inspired spiked clutch. Fierce (literally)!

starting off right

One of my general goals for the year is to be better at stuff. And blogging is stuff! So, right on the heels of my year in review post, this is what I did over the long weekend!

As mentioned in the previous post, my fabulous artist friend and first-ever houseguest Claire came down from her shanty in the wild woods of Minnesota to ring in the new year Milwaukee-style. (Note: she does not actually live in a shanty. Or the woods. But she does live in Minnesota.) We had a lovely time - we took a trip to the Milwaukee Pubic Museum, which I hadn't been to in years. It was fun to see the new stuff and all the exhibits that fascinated me in my youth. We ate at the Milwaukee Public Market (always a favorite spot!) and brunched at Cafe Centraal, which is right in my new neighborhood! It wasn't all downtown treks and fine dining, though - we also spent plenty of time playing video games, watching funny videos on Youtube, making butterbeers, and just talking about everything. Basically all the stuff you need your best bros for. We rang in the new year with mimosas and thoughts and dreams for the new year. And before Claire had to go back to her shanty on New Year's Day, we helped my roomie Disdainbrook fulfill one of her 2013 wishes.

We dyed her hair! It was my first time being on the begloved end of a dyeing session, and it went quite well! We only did the underside of her hair (with Atomic Turquoise from Manic Panic) and somehow managed to keep from getting dye on anything in our bathroom, including our big white tub. Great success! It definitely gave me the itch to get my hair dyed again. I'm way overdue for a coloring, but I still have to decide what I want to go with. I'm going to stick with red, but I might go with something a little deeper than before. We'll see what swatches sing to me next time I'm at the salon. Although there's something wonderful about dyeing hair in a little bathroom with a white tub, two friends with gloved hands and a tupperware to do a cold rinse in. It's hands-on, gives you a sense of shared purpose and community. But it does also make everything smell like dye, so. You can't win 'em all.