52 Pick-me-up: Pattern Max

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Oh thank you IRS for causing a delayed posting for this week's challenge. I managed to schedule my favorite theme -- Pattern Maxing -- in my least favorite week -- Tax Deadline. I'm back dating this and we'll all pretend that today is Sunday. If only!

Since I'm bombarding you daily with all of the fake journaling of Enid, I'm compiling the four outfits that I wore to work last week. I was inspired to new heights of pattern mixing [or maxing, as I like to say] by the Create 28 Lovely Spring Looks Challenge, the brainchild of Whitney A La Mode and Carrie of A Lovely Little Wardrobe. [I'm trying to do the challenge with my socks, but it is getting more and more difficult. Today's prompt is "Spring Dresses". How on earth can a sock be a spring dress?]

Anyway, on the the kooky outfits:

Monday. "Pattern on Bottom"
Pattern everywhere except for my tights.

Tuesday. "Pastels"
Pattern or embellishment everywhere except the faux Keds

Wednesday. Off theme.
Pattern everywhere.
Especially liked the leopard under the striped tee.
Note Jean's neck cowl [gifted] worn as a bum cover/ hip warmer.

Thursday. "Floral"
The coworkers gave me many compliments on the recently rediscovered circle skirt.

There you have it, my week of Pattern Maxing.
Go on, give it a try! Baby steps welcome too -- try a stripe with floral.
I have a helpful pattern mixing post here.

Linking with Create 28 Lovely Spring Looks
and Share-in-Style

Was your Pattern Maxing a success? Link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: Cyclamen

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It's a flower week on 52 Pick-me-up, featuring the cyclamen.

Cyclamen persicum by Mauricio Mercadante [source] 

The pink in the photo above reminds me of my pink shawl. Here's an older picture from last February:

Link up your flower power!

52 Pick-me-up: Crazy Legs

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Time for some crazy on your legs. Crazy pants, crazy tights, crazy socks, crazy shoes.
I'm wearing the crazy tights that I had printed and rainbow socks that Ruth gave me.

How crazy will you go? Link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: Closet Orphans | Ending 2013 at the Beach

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Happy 2014, everyone!
Start the new year with a 52 Pick-me-up challenge. It's a weekly series that I started last June.
You can see all the prompts if you click on the menu bar tab up top.

This week, it's time to wear something old, something that you haven't worn for a year (also known as a closet orphan). You know you have such items. I do, in spades. I've got the "too small but still like" box.
I've got the "needs repair or revamp it" boxes.
I KNOW those boxes are full of things I haven't worn for a while, if ever.
Here's the one I dug around in:

I threw the contenders in a pile (yes, on the floor):

Hmmmm, that floral-paisley skirt might work

I bought this skirt at Savers in Austin in March 2012.
It was too small, but I got it anyway for the print, which I adore.

Look! If I wear it under my extremely huge turtleneck, no one can tell that it's riding up on my ribs!
(Please ignore the fact that I didn't press it and it's a wrinkled mess.)

All ready for work.
*little pink tuft necklace c/o Capwell & Co.

Ah, work on New Year's Eve. We were let out early.
Co-workers rejoice. Me, on the time clock, not so happy.
2.5 days of working will NOT pay the rent. So I didn't clock out. Maybe they'll pay me for a full day.

ANYWAY

Through forces beyond my control (OK, in the wrong lane on the 605),
I ended up going a different way home (105 vs 60/10 through dtLA).
So I thought, why not go to the beach and do some sort of end-of-year ritual?

GOOD IDEA!

I always gravitate to the Playa Del Rey beach. Easy to park is reason #1.

I wanted to find a rock, write 2013 in Sharpie, and hurl it into the Pacific.
No rocks, but this piece of "beach plastic" served well:

My one-take video:


Beachy glamor shot:

*sunglasses frames c/o Ditto

Do you perform any year end rituals? (Aside from NYE parties) Do tell!

Now, back to my challenge. What can you find that you haven't worn for a year?

CMYK Day

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Yes, I really did wear this to work yesterday.

It started with some bright blue lounge pants with pink stitching (courtesy of the work sample box, of course. I wouldn't PAY for something like that!). Then the funky socks came out and the pants stayed home. And MAYBE the blue-pants-under-pink-dot-skirt combo was too over the top, even for me.

Now that I see it in a photo? Not as crazy as I thought!

As I was putting this post together, I realized I missed a yellow scarf opportunity.
So this morning I put almost everything on again with the scarf added.

CMYK head-to-toe!

Selfie closeup for Style Crone's January Hat Attack

Field notes:
Only one workplace comment on this look, from Robert, who had returned to interview (after a seven year absence):
"You look the same." "Yes, I still dress like a clown."

52 Pick-me-up: Get Layered

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This week for 52 Pick-me-up, see how many layers you can pile on.
Northern hemisphere, layers to keep to warm. Southern, floaty light layers.
Here's my version:

scarf -- piece of Italian rayon yardage, Warren Z, 1983
knit shawl -- Tibetan, Brooklyn
tunic -- my design, vintage rayon from Pilgrim Mills [closed], Providence
dress -- Old Navy, deep sale ($7.99)
leggings-- work sample
socks -- Happy Socks
creepers -- Fluevog, SF

I felt an 80's vibe wearing this. Maybe because I got both the printed rayons in that decade.
The black and white squiggle is sample yardage that I picked up when I worked as a sample cutter.
It was my first "fashion" job when I was at Otis.
I've made a couple of tunics out of the other fabric. On the selvedge, it says "'Parchment' a fabric styled by John Launay".
It reminds me of Parisian illustrations from the 50s.

And here's a rare closeup:

I wrapped the "scarf" on my head so that I could join in Judith's December Hat Attack.
Her linkup party is still open for a few more days, if you care to join in.

I'd love to see your layered look. Share below!

Pink Power!

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There's a lot of pink going around this month.
Yep, it's breast cancer awareness time. Please go get that mammogram! Don't let fear allow you to procrastinate like it did me. I had Stage IIIc. And I'm still here to hypnotize you with clashing colors and patterns.  
So there, cancer. I won, you lost!

Here I am, gloating over my victory.

Still keeping with this week's 52 Pick-me-up theme of Accessories First,
I coordinated my outfit with some Nigerian plastic disc necklaces:

If you follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Flickr, you may have noticed these target-like images.
They're over there to the right on my sidebar in the Instagram feed as well.
The shot of my lap (2nd photo), filtered through the Tiny Planet App, became the above. I find it a fun way to present my outfits on social media. I usually make them during my lunch breaks at work, which is why they mostly appear on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. But this week I made one at my desk with some feline printouts. A new way to waste time at work! WooHoo!

I've joined Patti's Visible Monday.
Also playing with Jane's Shiny T Tuesday.

Meanwhile, you still have plenty of some time to add your link here if you've donned some accessories first.

52 Pick-me-up: Texture Mixture

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Happy October everyone!
This week's prompt is "Texture salad". What? Mix up some textures from your closet!

Alas, the pink shawl was used for demonstration purposes only.
By lunch, the temperatures were back up to the high 80s.

Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday.

Album Cover Outfit

I was inspired by an album cover today!

Escape to Paradox Island, by Martin, Luther, Lennon (1999)
has a simple, eye-popping design using magenta and cyan, with some white text.

The inside is equally well executed:

"Armageddon surfer girl, rock on..."

In the Pink

It's getting cold enough to bring out the pink shawl. Woohoo!
Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday.
Have a good one.

FBFF - Vacation!

Ah, vacation... where are you? The old Go-Gos song comes to mind:
"Vacation
All I ever wanted
Vacation
Had to get away"

My summer semester has just started, so I must wait until August. I'll be joining Severo on some East coast gigs (Smithereens in Springfield, MA 8/9 and Circle Line Cruise of NYC harbor 8/10). There is the annual family gathering on Martha's Vineyard starting 8/21. In between, I'll be bumming around, crashing with friends, just like a teenager!

In my mind, I am already packing... 

Huipils to endure the humidity

My favorite plastic sandals

The Pink Shawl for travel and chilly nights

Assorted scarves

Those are the first things that come to mind.
I'll be using my virtual packing vacation board on Go Chic or Go Home to plot it all out.
Plus my handy excel list.

This is a Fashion Beauty Friend Friday post on the theme Vacation. Created by Katy of Modly Chic, FBFF is a lively group of bloggers. This week's contributions can be seen here.

In a Brown Study - #OOTD

Brown, pink and yellow. It's such a strange combination of colors (for me).
I'm working on a 30x30 type challenge. I decided to try to wear summer-appropriate garments that have been either in the back of the closet or newly added to my collection to see what combinations I can concoct. This Shabby Apple cotton pencil skirt I got last March at the TxSC Lulu's swap from Shasie of Live Life In Style. The cotton is "sticky" so it doesn't "play nice" with tights. That makes it perfect for summer, if I can find things to go with it!
I've been very happy in today's combo. PLUS, I can finally close the zipper and not have the skirt float up over my ribcage.

I chipped out the colors of the print:

It reminded of this piece of art I did in the 70s:

Maybe I should print this on fabric and wear them together?

Where In the World: TxSC, Austin, TX

click on images to see bigger 

Much has been blogged about the TxSC events. (Was it really almost two weeks ago? I AM IN SUCH A FOG). I will provide you with SpySketches of my outfits and random photos with blogger links.

all suited up for a day with bloggers

Kelly of Broke Style and Punky of Punky Style
Vanna the Dr Scholl's Fashion Fast Flats
that we were given.
I opted for silver.

Merl strikes a pose in her new caftan

Rocquelle, of Consider Me Lovely,
found a beautiful mustard blazer

Elise, of Dress with Courage,
found a sequined item for $7.99!

I found... three bags full!
Savers is awesome!

We had a "blogger challenge" at Savers - to style an outfit with our thrifted finds and post with the Twitter hashtag #TxSCthrift. The winner got a goodie bag that included Elise's new book, Thrifting 101. I really wanted that swag!!!! I had a GREAT time channeling my inner Project Runway contestant. I wore one of my combinations the next day at the TxSC Symposium. You'll have to wait a bit to see that look... Here it is.