30 for 30, Days 19, 20, and 21: Long Weekend

Hello, internetally-active people! Did you have a nice three-day weekend? Did you sleep in, or get your chores done, or do your other preferred method of celebrating?

I did.

Which means that I got to go wine tasting!

Here's the loot I picked up:


All of the bottles are from local wineries except for the last one on the right, which I bought at a local liquor store because it had a really cute label, was all French, and was only $8.59. Did I mention the label was cute? Oh, I did...

On to the 30 for 30 then!

Here's a quick recap of my last three days* outfits.

Saturday's Outfit In Theory.


All of these items are items from my 30 for 30 draw.

Saturday's Outfit In Practice.


I would later regret my lack of tights added to this outfit. Stephen would also regret it, because he had to listen to me complain about being cold all day. Everything else worked, though.

Sunday's Outfit In Theory.


The white sweater, the black skirt and the boots are part of my 30 for 30, while the necklace was my grandma's. I added tights to remedy yesterday's life-altering mistake.

Sunday's Outfit In Practice.


Warmer than the day before, and great for wine tasting.

Monday's Outfit In Theory.


The skinny jeans and the boots are part of my 30 for 30 swag, while the jewelry and belt are added items. The orange cardigan is also part of my 30 for 30, but I wanted to give it its own sentence so that it can know how much I love it for sticking with me all these years. It is the oldest item in my 30 for 30. We have a long history together....

OK, I better stop before I get emotional over a cardigan. That would be uncomfortable for everyone.

Monday's Outfit In Practice.


Perfect for a busy day.

Now, on to the present day! See you on the flippity-flop.

...

Ooo, now everyone is uncomfortable. Sorry folks.


*Today's outfit will be posted tomorrow because it isn't yet loaded on the computer and I'm lamezy. That's "lame" and "lazy" portmanteau'd.

.

I'm Scared an Etsy Little Bit

I must confess that for all the online shopping (and way more online window shopping) that I do, I am quite unfamiliar with Etsy.

My full admission is that I find it rather intimidating.

There are so many shops that it seems like it would be impossible to find what you are looking for. Plus, with other online retailers, their sizing is standardized and their policies on exchanges and returns are clear (for the most part). And while I know that a whole slew of Etsy professionals have designed their shops to be just that...

I am scared.

What if the item is nothing like the picture? What if I can't exchange it? What if it falls apart? What if they ignore me like the big-box retailer*? What if that quarter that they have in the picture for size reference is some kind of trick quarter? What if they steal my credit card information?

Ok, so the last one is probably less likely since sellers go through a process to determine that they are generally not crooks. Maybe the one before that is a little far-fetched, too.

Still, it is not completely irrational to feel uneasy about buying an item from the lady next door (and across the country) that you would normally get at a store with salespeople and a cash register. The unknowns, though, are not a good reason to avoid this plethora of clothes and crafts, made with love.

Ignorance is not bliss.

If I were to get over my fear soon, these few shops would be the first places I would turn to in bravery (and leave not long after with an empty wallet).

Audrey and Grace Clothing

Flour Clothing

Lirola Clothing

ANAS by Zorya Clothing

Rak Shniya Vintage Clothing

Sweet Bee Finds Vintage Clothing

Simple Serendipity Jewelry

All Things Tinsel Jewelry

Wicked Mint Pillows (and more)

That's just for starters. Don't get me going on the other stores that have the perfect stuff for everyone I know.

How about you--have you purchased something from an Etsy shop? Do you have an Etsy shop, or can you recommend any? Thanks for your support!


I do not receive compensation from any of the retailers listed above.

*I need a bit of virtual hand-holding during my first purchase with somebody

Put the Shirt Down and No One Gets Hurt

Based on requests, and subliminal messaging (oh yeah), I will be dedicating this Fashion Friday post to impulse shopping.

Not that I have ever done that.

I mean, everything I purchase is planned. My closet is well-stocked because I have strategized. Each piece was a deliberate addition to my wardrobe. I....

I....

I can't lie to you people. You're all such wonderful readers. You deserve better. The truth is that, yes, I, Jennifer Huerta, am guilty of impulse buying. I have purchased clothing on a whim and looked at it days later with disdain as it hung in my closet. All those tagged items just hanging there for months.

I think the idea of impulse shopping can be good. New environment. Fresh ideas via mannequins. Warm pretzels.

It's the buying part that always seems to get me into trouble. "Looking around" is harmless. It's that "picking it up, trying it on and loving it" part that is dangerous.

My Achilles' heel is online shopping; to me, it's that much easier to buy that cute top online or to check out e-bay.* Some of the sites that I frequent even store my shipping information for me.

Darned cookies.

So, to remedy my own sad situation, to save myself from running into debt, and to bring you the best fashion-y post I could this Friday, I've dedicated some time to figuring out WHY I impulse shop.

In my deep, self-revealing analysis (that took several minutes, interspersed with scouring YouTube and enjoying my tea), I've learned something about impulse buying.

Bad people do it.

OK, that's harsh. It's GOOD people doing BAD things. See, we have good intentions with our impulse buying. We think it's harmless. But really, we're not fooling anyone but ourselves.

You and I are usually plagued with any (or all) of the following vices when we decide to impulse buy. And, because my reflection also supplied me with some answers, I'm passing those along to you:

VICE - Ignorance: You truly have no idea what's in your closet. The inter monologue usually goes something like this: "Oooh! I've been needing new boots/a raincoat/neon tights." I'm betting you don't.
REMEDY: You think you're missing this piece (and yeah, you might be missing this exact piece), but you likely have 17 other items that fit into the piece's general category of clothing-ness.** The best thing to do is work with what you have and get creative.

VICE - Deception: Impulse buys promise you something. "I am the missing piece. You'll never have to buy another accessory as long as you live! How have you lasted this long without me?" What they should be saying is, "I hope you like car payments."
REMEDY: The above advice works for this. Plus, don't think that any one piece could make up for versatile styling of stuff you already have. A good portion of the time, you can create some cool outfits with your current wardrobe.

VICE - Greed - You hate this, but...you want things. You want things you don't need. You want things no one needs. "Oh, it's the newest fall color?! Well, then, I have to get something in that color! My summer stuff will never work." You convince yourself that new = better.
REMEDY: A lot of colors work year-round. This goes for cuts, patterns, etc. Your closet probably already has all the stuff you need--and could want--for fall.

VICE - Jealousy: You also hate this: You want things that other people have. "Co-worker/so-and-so celebrity/cool kid wore something just like this. I bet I could rock it!"
REMEDY: They may have looked good in it, but is it really your style? Just make the little sacrifice and don't buy this item. And hey, maybe you can borrow it. Unless you saw it on a celebrity. Then you're probably out of luck. Anyway...

VICE - Stupidity: You've totally lost your mind: "Ah, buying this will make me look thinner!"
REMEDY: Know your pitfalls. If a shirt promises to slim you/highlight your eyes/raise your children, and this is something that preoccupies you when you are not shopping, just walk away.

VICE - Loftiness: You have big aspirations, but haven't really planned out how to execute them. "I've been meaning to transition my style into a more contemporary-romantic-goth look."
REMEDY: The best thing to do is plan. Plan plan plan. Think through what you actually want to wear. If this means making over your closet one piece at a time, so be it. Just don't make that first piece an impulse buy.

VICE - Weakness/Susceptibility: It's shiny. It's new. It promises so many things. Maybe it's catching you at your most vulnerable. "Oh no! My best friend is moving away/My football team lost/Facebook is down." You convince yourself that having this clothing will fix things: "This will be way better than my current three-quarter sleeve red cable-knit sweater! That thing is pilling, This sweater will never do that! Look at the quality--and it's cashmere!"
REMEDY: The impulse buy that will do you a lot better during this time is a cupcake and a talk with a good friend. Text them so that the Facebook thing doesn't make you even sadder.

In general, chances are good that you have options other than impulse buys (like borrowing clothes and reexamining your own closet) to refresh your current wardrobe. To keep from making impulse purchases, you really should try to avoid these vices and implement the remedies when needed. You should also try to avoid using so many exclamation points during your inner monologue; you could go totally deaf. Take it easy.

Hey, that request was fun. Maybe I'll take some more requests. Have any? Have a good weekend! (Oh no! I'm doing it, too!)


*I still have to share my wedding dress story with you people. Maybe next week.

**You've probably figured this out by now, but sometimes I make up words.

Special Delivery: Stress

I came home from work on Friday to a special delivery.

My apartment complex called me up at work, informing me that two packages had come for me.

Since I had ordered two skirts (which are fabulous in real life!!), I figured they each arrived at the same time. Sweet!

However, they arrived with a friend.

I opened up the first package and it was the two skirts that I had ordered--together.

My delight was greeted with sudden curiosity.

"What did 'bonus package' have in it?" I wondered. "A treat?"

No. It had responsibility.

It was someone else's order. A violet swimsuit waiting to head to its destined home in Columbus, Ohio, to Taryn B. The package had erroneously been sent my-a-way.*

My immediate reaction was "Uh-oh! They sent it to me by mistake. Sillies! Surely the company will fix this!"

Then I realized, the company likely have no idea, and it is up to me to fix this mess. Taryn B. is in need of her vintage-inspired purple product, and must unknowingly rely on a fellow consumer with plucky enthusiasm to make things right.

After calling the company, they told me how to get a free return label on their Website with no shipping cost to me. I'll package the suit up and should be able to get it shipped out this week. Then, it's up to the company to get it to the proper owner.

I can only wish Taryn B. luck.

Have you been saddled with this responsibility before? How did you handle it?


*Without naming names, some people in my life are trying to get me to just keep it. Bad role models.

Dress, or Repress?

Because I keep my promises, and because I recently received my Shabby Apple order (thanks for all your guidance, readers!)*, I am in the mood to talk dresses.

I seriously love them. Growing up, I was a little bit of a tomboy, and if I hadn't been in Little Hoopsters and received all those white T-shirts, I don't know what I would have worn to school.

But now, I wear dresses whenever I can, especially at events where people give me that concerned face that says, "Hmm, I'm not as dressed up as her--am I missing something?"

Why you ask? Well, you had to know that I would answer you in list form!

Dresses rock because:

a) They are the skirt and beyond: A dress is a skirt plus a top--you get all the benefits of wearing a skirt, yet you have limitless possibilities for tops (sleeveless, blousey, multi-colored, etc.) Did you hear that? LIMITLESS!

b) They are classic: You know all those outfits your grandma claims were her favorite, that she took such good care of, and that lasted for three decades? Yeah, those were all dresses.

c) They're occasional: I don't mean infrequent. I mean that for the big moments in your life, it's a dress that gets the job done. Prom: dress. Wedding: dress. Afternoon tea: dress (and fabulous hat!)

d) They are it: I know that like me, you have struggled--nay, agonized!--about trying to match the darned (but very cute) skirt with something in your closet. And, sometimes, you are just not up for the challenge. Ergo, dress. It comes with a top--attached! The dress eases an aching brain, and for that, I love it.**

And now--that's right--the linkadees to my favorites. The most fabulous dresses on the internet (at least for this week):

The Basics
The LBD
Cute for the office

The Colorful
Blue and loving it
Fifties with flair
Let in the sunshine

The Food-Related
Pistachio ice cream, huh?
I think when you wear this dress, you have to eat cupcakes. With sprinkles.

Just Plain Fun
Safari vs. urban jungle
Cute
Adorable!

Anyone think of any other attributes of dresses that make them extra awesome?

I do not receive any compensation from any of the retailers featured in this post.


*Yes, I know I need to upload some photos soon, and a photo of the dress will be included. It looks pretty much like the ad, except for being life-size.

**I am counting a) and d) as totally different things. I do not want to hear any complaints.

Issuing the Skirt

You would never know it by my super-pale skin (read: glow-in-the-dark), but I love the summer. I love that it is like, eighty-five degrees, when you wake up.* I love the overall casual vibe. And, one big thing I love about summer is skirts.

I actually love skirts year-round, but they are often neglected in the winter because, well, pants are warmer. But, if you are like me, and relish skirt-wearin' weather, you probably feel this way because:

a) You get to: Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, and ladies, I’m with you—I enjoy being a girl. Skirts are strictly female fashion. Based on the exclusivity factor alone, skirts are awesome.

b) They're uniquely feminine: Skirts give you that alluring, desirable hourglass figure. They are inherently girly. Plus, you can twirl in them, and there are days I live to twirl.

c) They're dressy: Skirts automatically make you look like you tried harder this morning than yesterday, when you wore pants (or pajamas, if you are lucky enough to work from home).

d) They're ladylike: You stand up straighter. You keep your legs together. You might even curse less. I mean, not at all. You never have.

e) They're flattering: I’ll let Stacy London, co-host of TLC’s What Not to Wear, take this one. “It's much easier to find a skirt that's flattering. With pants, you have to consider the rise, the width of the hips, the legs, and how they fall on the tush.”

f) They're easier than pants: ...Especially during restroom breaks.

By now I know you are just dying (read: not bored enough yet) for me to link you to some of my favorite skirts. Well, here you go!

For all your school-day needs

For your next picnic

For gallivanting in some Mediterranean countryside

For fun!

For the office (or "The Office" if you like watching TV in character)

For a stroll along a hidden creek

For my closet

Do you have a favorite skirt style, color, or overall feel? I'd love some more recommendations!

Dresses will receive their own post very soon! (Speaking of dresses, somebody's Shabby Apple order came in...and I'll try embedding a picture soon!)

I do not receive any compensation from Banana Republic, ModCloth, Macy's or Ann Taylor, except for the satisfaction of a skirt-search well done.


*I mostly feel this way because I HATE to be cold. Yes, I understand this is confusing because my honeymoon was indeed in Alaska. I'm a complicated gal.