Friday's Five Facts: What makes me a Feminist

 Y'all know that I love fashion. This is a fashion blog isn't it? But today I want to talk about the other major F word in my life- feminism.

I am a feminist. Unlike girl genius extraordinaire Tavi Gevinson, it took me about 20 years of my life to be able to comfortably state that. This was partly due to the social stigma around the word, but mostly due to the lack of a label for feelings of frustration I can trace back to when I was labeled a slut by other girls just for having lots of guy friends and a boyfriend in 9th grade.

What makes me a feminist?

1.Equality. I hold a deep seeded belief that all people are equal regardless of gender identity, sex, race, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, socioeconomic status, weight, health, ability etc.

2. Opportunity. Going in line with the belief that all people are equal, I believe that all people deserve equal opportunities. I support equal pay, Title IX, and goddammit I want to see more women, LGBT people, and people of color in positions of power!

3. I hate double standards. I spent three semesters studying the sexual double standard as part of my undergraduate thesis. Double standards go beyond sexual activity. Women are held to different standards than men, and it's not fair.

4. Choice. I believe that all people have the right to make the decisions that affect their health, happiness, and well being. For me choice goes beyond reproductive rights. Choice is about options and freedom. It is the choice to marry, or not marry, whomever you want and to have children, or to not have children. It's the choice to stay home with those children or the choice to be a working parent. It's the choice to live where you want, wear what you want, eat what you want, and practice whatever religion you want.

5. Empowerment. Everyone deserves to find their own voice. Being a part of the VDay movement, working with Boston GLOW, and even starting this blog have helped me find mine.

Want to hear more? Next Wednesday, October 3rd, I'm partnering with Boston GLOW for "These Clothes Were Made for Talking". It will be a discussion and networking event for women, exploring fashion and feminism- what our clothes say about us and whether they should shut the hell up!

If you're in New England please come by! If you don't identify as a feminist, please don't be intimidated. We're just looking to have a good discussion, maybe a few drinks, and a lot of fun!  If you use the discount code "Spitfire" you'll get admission for $2! Purchase tickets HERE.

(Not So) Weekly Wishlist: Booties

What started as a really small fall and winter wishlist is growing every day. The latest thing I just have to have in my closet? A pair of booties. I only own boots that go up to my upper calves or knees. I am finding that, while those boots are awesome, I want some more variety in my footwear. I am loving booties, or ankle boots on other bloggers. Look how cute Annie from Other Side of Gray and Yi-chia from Always Maylee look in theirs, and how bad ass Megan and Nora from Two Birds look in theirs! Shoes that can be styled with dresses and skirts, but also look totally chic with skinny jeans? Shoes that can by styled classically, bohemian, or rockstar bad ass? How versatile! Clearly, I need a pair! Here are a few I've got my eye on:

 

 

image via zappos.com

 Blowfish Gambitt Bootie in Black- $59.00 at Zappos

Call me boring, but I'm most likely to purchase flat or slightly wedged black booties. They're versatile, they look comfortable and they'd look great with skinny jeans. The side zipper on this pair gives them a little rock and roll edge.

Image via payless.com

 Pixie Western Boot in Taupe- $44.99 from Payless

These booties remind me of the pair that Katie Holmes wears everywhere. You know, the pair that is always made fun of on Suri's Burnbook? Regardless, I love them. I can see the taupe color looking great with just about everything, and they're basically flat, so they should be pretty comfortable for my commuting feet. My only qualm is that $44.99 seems pricey for a shoe from Payless.Maybe this pair from Target would a be better value?

image via DSW.com

Qupid Nesha Bootie in Red- $44.95 at DSW 

How cute are these? The deep ruby red color fits with my fall shopping theme of neutral basics and pops of color/ bold prints. Realistically, I wouldn't wear a pair of red booties all that much, and I shouldn't waste my precious closet space on the, but if I had endless closet space I'd totally buy them!

image via Target.com

Kalama Shootie Wedge in Chestnut- $34.99 at Target

While I think shootie is a totally ridiculous word, I love these shoes. I can see myself wearing them with cords or jeans and sweaters or with tights, a sundress and a cardigan. Plus, I love a wedge:)

image via AldoShoes.com

Cedrina boot in Black- $120 at Aldo

These booties would be a totally ridiculous splurge item. Is it bad that I just want them to wear on every New Year's Eve from now until eternity?

What are your thoughts on booties?

How I Layer

Fall is the time for layers. While I wear cardigans year round, I also love layering sweaters, scarves, and jackets and you just can't do that during the summer. Monday was one of those days were I would have been happy to go to work in leggings or jeans and a sweatshirt, but sadly that just isn't an option. Next best thing? Stretchy black pants and a comfy shirt.

But it was chilly out Monday morning. I knew it would also be chilly in my office, so I added a red blazer...

... and a scarf

Outfit: Blouse- Old Navy; Pants- Torrid; Blazer- vintage, thrifted; Scarf- H&M; Flats- Marshall's

Yep. That'll do. 

What are your favorite layering pieces?

Old Friends

Saturday was the first day of autumn, and it is definitely starting to feel like it in Boston. We've been having chilly mornings, warm afternoons and breezy evenings. One of my favorite things about the change of seasons is pulling old favorites out from the back of my closet and wearing them again. It's like getting reacquainted with old friends! This sweater dress is one of the old friends I have been longing to get back in touch with. I wore it in my very first blog post, so it felt fitting to wear it on the first day of a new season.

I originally intended to wear my new black riding boots with this outfit, but I didn't like the way they looked with bare legs. I think they need to be broken in a bit. Instead I chose my cognac colored high heeled boots, and I really love the way this outfit turned out.

Outfit: Dress- Forever21+ (last year); Belt- H&M; Jacket- JCrew (thrifited); Boots- Madden Girl last year (similar here)

Mike snapped these pictures for me on our way to dinner. We went out for some delicious sushi  and then went to a party hosted by one of Mike's friends from law school. It was really nice to spend the evening with good company and drink some fall beers on the porch.

We did a lot of walking and standing. Although these boots are very comfortable for heels,my feet were killing me by the end of the night. Thankfully I'd thought ahead and thrown some flats in my purse, but I really wish I were better at wearing heels. Any tips?

Come Sail Away

Coming into the fall and winter shopping season I decided to focus on two things- basics and interesting accessories. When I saw this scarf at Old Navy about two months ago I knew I had to have it. But since I never pay full price at Old Navy, I also knew I had to wait. Eventually I had some extra cash coupons and the scarf came home with me.

                             

I don't sail, and I get motion sickness on boats, but I love sailboats. I went to a top sailing school for undergrad and have lived in several places where sailing was one of the primary recreational activities. I've been planning a tattoo of a sailboat for years, but I keep chickening out because I pass out when I get shots or blood drawn. 

Outfit: pants- Target (old); shirt and cami- H&M; denim jacket- JCrew thrifted; flats- Target;  scarf: Old Navy

I am not loving these pants any more. I've had them for over a year, but they just don't fit that great and the fabric doesn't maintain it's shape very well. If I could just find some charcoal colored, straight legged slacks to replace them, I would gladly let them go. Any suggestions?

Mustard Shoes

I managed to take some outfit photos in the morning on Monday! Okay, okay I cheated a little. I took these in the alley area behind my building because I didn't have time to walk down to the park.

Although I cheated, I actually really like these photos. I think the simple gray background and natural light help the colors of my clothing to stand out. Cobalt and mustard might be my favorite color combination for fall. I keep buying mustard colored items. I should probably stop.

Outfit: cardigan- Target; shirt- Old Navy; pants- Macy's; shoes- trade from Buffalo Exchange

Aren't these shoes awesome? They're a little hard to see under the wide-leg pants, but they are a mustard colored loafer with a wedge heel. I know I'm going to get a ton of wear out of them this fall and winter. 

Image via heels.com

I found these wedges in very good condition at Buffalo Exchange and purchased them with store credit I had from trading in some clothes. If you have a Buffalo Exchange in your city I definitely recommend checking them out! You can bring in your new or gently used clothing, shoes and accessories to sell and then choose to receive a percent of the sale price in cash or a higher percentage in store credit. They can be pretty picky about what they take, but it's worth a shot! 

If you're in Boston I recommend the Davis Square location in Somerville over the Allston location. It has a better selection of sizes. I got the chambray shirt dress I wore in yesterday's post is from Buffalo Exchange too! 

Sunday: Food Trucks and Glitter

Sunday it was nice and cool out so I finally got to wear my thrifted chambray shirt dress. I met my friend Kelly at the SoWa market. Although I love looking at the crafts and vintage stuff, the food trucks are my favorite part of SoWa. I had some delicious lobster mac and cheese from the Lobsta Love food truck and an amazing samoa cupcake from the Cupcakory truck. I might also be watching the great food truck race as I write this...

Outfit: chambray shirt dress- thrifted via Buffalo Exchange; belt- H&M; shoes and leggings- Target;

After SoWa Kelly and I chatted and gave ourselves manicures on her back porch. I found some really awesome chocolaty/ bronze colored glitter polish at CVS. I'm kind of obsessed with glittery nail polish right now. It is awesome because I am really bad at painting my own nails. With glitter polish you can't see all of my crazy mistakes!

I guess you might say being closer to 30 than 20 makes me too old for glitter polish, but I don't care!

Friday's Five Facts: Why I blog

I am so happy to be blogging on the regular again. I only posted 12 times in August, and it was sad. I actually shocked myself with how much I miss blogging when life gets hectic. So I figured, what better to focus on for my first Friday facts in September than the reasons I blog in the first place?

1. I needed a hobby.
I used to work in a campaign environment. My job as a recruiter required that I consistently work around 55 hours a week, sometimes as many as 70 hours. When I transitioned to a transitional 40 hour work week I found that I got really lazy. I felt like I needed something productive to do with the extra time. Starting a fashion blog was a great choice because I didn't need buy any equipment or learn any new skills (besides awkwardly posing in front of a tripod). I was already reading fashion blogs, shopping and having fun with clothes, so why not document it?

2. To challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone and to build confidence in myself.

I have loved clothes for as long as I can remember, but after I gained weight in college I definitely started falling into the "dress for your body" trap. (I think that's total bullshit, but that's a story for another day) In other words, I avoided selecting pieces that would draw attention to the parts of my body that I was insecure about. I didn't always select items that I liked as much as items that were "flattering". Documenting what I wear challenges me to try new fabrics, colors, cuts, and combinations. An example? Red corduroy pants. Blogging is also challenging me to go to events and feel comfortable talking about myself to strangers. 

3. To present my point of view/ something a little different.
My point of view is something that is evolving everyday. I guess I market myself as the everywoman? I love to shop, but like most people I have limited means. As a result most of my pieces are thrifted or from affordable major retailers.I have a day job, a personal life, and responsibilities outside of blogging, so that comes through in my blog as well.  I'm approximately the "average size" for American women. I'm not glamorous at all! I take my pictures with a point and click, and I blog from my living room on a beat up Dell laptop that is literally on it's last leg, and I don't know HTML or have fancy editing software. I'm hoping to start infusing a little more of the feminist/ activist side of myself into the blog, but I haven't yet found a way to bring those things up organically.

4.  To connect with other awesome women!
This wasn't one of my goals when I started, but making online "friends" has been my favorite part of blogging. Reading your comments and your blogs makes my day. I am still discovering new blogs and bloggers that amaze me, and of course I have mad love for my non blogging readers too. (I used to be you!)

5. Did I mention that I love clothes?

Why do you blog/ don't you blog?

Have a great weekend!

Reality: Football

I don't really get into sports. Mike loves sports, especially football and baseball. This year he is participating in not one, but four fantasy leagues. As a result, he monopolizes the television all day on Sunday. I'm not exaggerating! He had football or football related programming on TV from abut 8:30 in the morning, when we got up until 11 at night when the last game was over. As someone who finds football to be about as entertaining as watching paint dry, I knew I needed to get out of the house for most of the day. Thankfully, my friend Kelly recently relocated to Boston and was available for brunch!

A maxi dress and cardigan combo are perfect for a cool late summer outdoor brunch. Afterwards we went to a few stores, and I managed to stay out of the house for a full 5 hours of football!

Outfit: Dress- Calvin Klein via Marshalls; cardigan- Old Navy; sandals- Payless; Sunnies- thrifted; necklace- gifted.

Now I just need to figure out what to do to get out of the house next Sunday!

Glimpses of Autumn

I have said on this blog before that I am really not a morning person. I've been trying, but I still just can't bring myself to get up in time to do more than shower, get dressed, pack my lunch and pack or grab a coffee. As a result, I've been taking a lot of my outfit photos in the evening.

I'm dreading the day when it will be too dark after work for photos and I'll have to get my butt out of bed to take pictures in the cold!

Outfit: sweater- Old Navy; Pants- H&M+; Jacket- thrifted JCrew; flats- Old Navy; sunnies- thrifted

I'm afraid that day may not be as far off as I'd like. It was 50 degrees outside when I got up for work on Tuesday! I wore a sweater, a jacket, and got a pumpkin spice latte on my way to work. I still refuse to wear socks that require shoes, and I'm not ready to pull my tights out of storage, but I'll acknowledge that Autumn is starting to show herself here in New England.

Plaid and Stripes

Gotta admit I was not super stoked at this month's Everybody, Everywear theme of  "back to school". I don't really get that much into preppy styles. I'm not a student or a teacher, and it's been feeling more like June than September lately. We had our first crisp, cool day on Monday so I decided to wear the flannel shirt I thrifted back in March and have been dying to wear.

Plaid and stripes are totally back to school, right?

Outfit: flannel shirt- thrifted; tank- H&M; black skinnies- Old Navy; shoes- Marshall's

I wish I still had my Doc Martens to wear with this outfit. Then it would be totally 90s! I just need a Lisa Frank trapper keeper, a Giga-pet, some gel pens and a scrunchi and I'm all set to go back to 6th grade!

Weekend Recap: Happy Blur

Happy Monday, y'all! I'm home from work today due to a doctor's appointment this morning, so it's a three day weekend for me. Thus far it has been a really great one. I finally got the rest I was craving and also managed to be really productive.

Friday night we had some date night barbecue at Sweet Cheeks Q  (so yummy!) and watched a movie at home. Mike snapped these outfit pictures for me on the way to dinner, but somehow they all turned out just a little blurry.

Outfit: Dress- Old Navy; Cardigan- Target; Belt- thrifted; Shoes- Payless; Necklace- Gift

Saturday I slept in, made french toast with bananas, and then made a trip to Ikea. That trip lead to assembling a bookcase, putting doors on it, and unpacking almost everything! I'm so proud/ amazed that we've only been in the apartment a week, but the only box we have left is stuff that we have to hang on the walls. Hopefully by the end of this week that box will be gone and all of our shelving and art will be on the walls. As soon as we're finished I'll post some pictures.

Sunday I had a brunch date with a friend and did some shopping. I redeemed my Old Navy extra bucks and got some shirts and a scarf. In sticking with my one in, one out policy, here's a recap of my purchases/ items to be donated for the week.

IN: Items purchased

OUT: Items to be donated (plus a scarf, not pictured)

How was your weekend?

No Facts, Just Pictures

Since I haven't been posting a lot lately I didn't want to focus solely on Friday Facts this week. Outfit posts really are the guts of this blog, so why miss the opportunity to post some? Plus, my hair is finally long enough for a sock bun (shh... I know it's crooked) and I've had this dress for like two weeks and I've been dying to wear it!

Outfit: Dress- Old Navy; Belt- H&M; Sandals- Payless; Earrings-?

Can y'all tell how much I am loving being able to take pictures outside without a big audience? I am actually doing different poses! We'll see how I feel when the weather turns...

Have a great weekend!

Budgeting Space- One In, One Out

My new apartment is really small. I guessed when we signed the lease back in March that our biggest challenge was going to be clothing storage, so I started brainstorming, googling, apartment therapy-ing, and pinterest-ing storage options. During a trip to ikea a few months ago Mike and I discovered a brilliant storage solution- a bed frame with four giant drawers underneath! After checking craigslist religiously for a month, I found a slightly used Brimnes storage bedframe for less than half the price it sells for at ikea!

Image via ikea.com

With the help of those 4 deep drawers, a six drawer dresser used as a tv stand in the living room, and some closet organizers we got all of our clothes and shoes to fit! The only issue is there isn't room for any more. As a result, I'm instituting a one in, one out policy for my wardrobe.If I buy something it has to be replacing an item that is no longer wearable OR I have to be willing to donate or sell an item to make room.

I am actually really excited about this philosophy. It will keep me from making too many impulse purchase, thus saving me money. It is also challenges me to pick pieces I will get a lot of wear out of. If it's going to take up space in my closet/ drawers the I better wear it!

The only items on my "must buy for fall" list are black riding boots, and black flats. Yesterday I went to DSW to see if they had any wide calf boots in stock. They did! I used my $10 off coupon and bought a great pair of wide calf, black leather riding boots. I'll be throwing out an old pair of faux suede black boots to make room for them:)

How do you store/ organize your wardrobe? Any tips for sharing closet space with your significant other?

Some Blogging Dillemmas

One thing that I do not love about my new apartment is the lack of natural light. I don't really have an indoor location that works for taking outfit photos. This is probably for the best because it will encourage me to take pictures outside more often. However on rainy days like Tuesday, it presents a real problem. I looked really cute, but I didn't get to take pictures! Instead you get some pictures from about a week ago.

Outfit: Blouse- Old Navy; Skirt- Alfani via Macy's; Shoes- Payless; Bracelets- thrifted; Earrings-?

These pictures were taken in the stairwell of my old building. I really missed that spot this morning!

Fellow bloggers- what do you do for photos on rainy days?

Settling In

I am finally done with my fourth move in a little over three years. Thursday I spent packing. Friday I packed and cleaned and we loaded the truck. Saturday we got our keys, unloaded the truck, went to Target to get some household essentials, and assembled our bed frame. Sunday was spent unpacking, moving furniture around, and figuring out how in the hell we were going to fit all of my clothes and shoes into our dresser and closet space. I have accomplished so much over the past 5 days, but I am so glad it's over! I missed blogging!

Monday I finally got to take a break from all the moving madness and get dressed in something other than my moving uniform of shorts or work out leggings and a tank top. It was really nice to put on makeup and a pretty dress after a few days of consistently being a grimy mess.

I spent most of the day in hanging out in Somerville's Davis Square. I went there for lunch with my friend Kelly and to sell some clothes at Buffalo Exchange. In the evening I decided to take my tripod for a spin in the adorable Ramier Park, which is just steps from my new apartment. It was really busy at 5pm on a holiday Monday and I'll admit that I felt a little uncomfortable taking pictures with a bunch of people around. One older gentleman offered to take a picture for me. I thanked him and explained that I am used to using a tripod because I take a lot of pictures for my blog. I think he was from the elder living community that borders the park and didn't exactly understand what a blog is, but he was nice none the less.

Outfit: Dress- H&M; Red Belt- H&M; Flats- Payless

It is is a great park for lounging on a bench to read and enjoy the flowers. Of course I'm just hoping it will be an empty park with good lighting for taking outfit pictures in at 8am on weekday mornings.