Rachael, Really.

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May 17th 2012

Last night I attended a cute little fashion show with a few friends, put on by Anthropologie OKC.

Let’s give a big round of applause for Sarah who jumped right in and took to my camera like a pro. You know I like you a lot if I hand my baby to you and trust you enough to take my outfit photos.

In other news, since my “woe-is-me” post about being a loser baby cry face in regards to making friends; I’ve had brunch, coffee, lunch, dinner and a fashion show with 4 different people. If this were dating, well — I’m sure an intervention involving hand santizer and blood tests would be looming.

I did want to take a moment to thank you for commenting, tweeting and just plain ol’ reading my post Wednesday. To hear your ideas, common complaints and suggestions was so refreshing.

So, next step — everyone move to Oklahoma City. Right. Now.

(I feel like I need to point out, there’s a sock in my hair.)

Birds of a Feather

May 14th 2012

Can we just talk about making friends as an adult? I would have been perfectly content to grow old on a porch somewhere with my California bitties. Instead, I moved to a new school.

It’s more complicated than it was in high school — a statement that is almost never made. One of my favorite bloggers, Rachel Wilkerson, once wrote an awesome post about making female friends as an adult. Basically she talks about approaching the situation like you did with dating. Problem for me is, I never really had to date. My husband sort of swooped in before I knew apples from oranges and never left my side.

Since moving to Oklahoma City, I’ve been a bit lazy about securing close female friends. I’ve been hanging on tight to my online/texting relationships with the friends I have out of state and clinging to Twitter like a rabid teenager. I’ve attended a few parties, a few blogging related events — but in the end I still sit at home alone each night picking out a new series to follow on Netflix.

It’s really hard for me to admit this, because ultimately I feel it makes me look like a lonely stage five clinger — but with my husband gone 85% of the time, I’m about to go bat shit crazy.

I met Sarah on this day, she and I have a mutual friend back in California and oddly enough, we both graduated from the same tiny high school. Like me, she is married without kids and we’re basically the same age. Most importantly, she likes food and alcohol — as we downed two drinks and some serious grub at Republic.

So, how do you feel about making close female friends after the college years? Do you already have a tight knit group or do you find yourself relying on your significant other to occupy your downtime? Can I show up randomly at your door on a Tuesday night for wine, cookies and a movie marathon?

I figured you wouldn’t mind a few extra pictures of the awesome shoes. Which I might add, I wore for hours without a single shoe related pain.

iPad Case Review — Pencil Shavings Studio

Before it was even certain I would be getting an iPad, it was certain what case I would be ordering. Rachel Shingleton of Pencil Shavings not only sells beautiful iPhone cases, lucite trays, melamine plates and adorable lunch boxes — but now she has amazing iPad cases. It only took a few clicks to decide that I had to have polka dots (well duh.) and then only a few more clicks to chose the color of the moment, mint. It’s actually called “pool” in her etsy shop, but I’m too smart to be fooled. You can’t call a cookie a macaroon and expect me not to eat it.

Since using the case for a few weeks now, I can say with affirmation that I love it to pieces. It couldn’t be more perfect had I designed it myself. Besides being so cute that it ellicts a response of “Oh my gosh, I love that case!” from everyone — it does tricks.

Like for instance, it’s stands up on it’s hind legs. It also has a soft inner lining to protect the screen (okay, the dog reference fell flat on that one.) — but most importantly, it’s cute.

During my last weekly conjugal visit to my husband (let’s not dance around the fact.) he looked around the camper and asked where my new ipad was. I pointed to my little polka-dotted friend on the bench and asked him what he thought THAT was. His response, “a book?” — men.

So you like this case, right? You want one of your very own, right? Well I guess this is your lucky week, because Rachel is doing a giveaway on her own (newly remodeled!) blog for an iPad case of your choice AND a lucite tray AND an iPhone cover. Whew! Hurry over and enter before Friday May 18th!

I am in no way affiliated with Pencil Shavings Studio or Rachel Shingleton (other than the fact that she’s awesome-sauce and maybe sometimes I hang out with her) — I paid for this case with my own money and this review contains my own thoughts and opinions, it is also part of a complete breakfast.

A Beautiful Mine

Dress: Anthropologie (on sale!) | Shoes: Vintage/Thrifted | Pearl Necklace: c/o of my late mother-in-law | Lips: Lipstick Queen Butterfly Ball in Moment

May 5th 2012

Saturday night Erin of Pippin & Pearl and her husband Tim threw a little shin-dig to celebrate Erin’s coming birthday. The theme? 1962. Mad Men style.

Truth time. I’m not one of those savvy fashion bloggers that can seek out vintage from a thrift store or consignment shop like so many of you seem to be degreed in. For one thing, it’s fairly awkward to find vintage that fits my body. So after some panicking, I fled to my mecca and found this little silk shift on sale. I feel it has a very retro look to it, especially with the longer sleeves, heavier material weight, longer hem and the distinctive dip in the back.

Let’s talk about my hair, because I just spent an hour in the shower trying to detangle that ratted up mess. I let my hair air-dry and then using a 1.5” barrel curling iron, I rolled sections upwards to create volumounus spirals. I used Paul Mitchell “Hot Off The Press” before heating each section, and then blasted each section individually with Aqua Net after curling. I did my entire head in this manner, and then I ran a paddle brush through it all, flipped my head over and ran it through again.

Then, using a rat-tail teasing brush I worked in sections and backcombed with added hairspray until I had teased the entire crown. I then smoothed it over gently and tore a new hole in the ozone with another application of hairspray.

I wish it hadn’t of been humid AND windy, because my hair WAS huge when I finished.

By the way, welcome to my apartment complex. If looks could kill, it would be a sad day for the small family watching me nearby.

Oh What Can I Do?

Dress: Bailey44 via Anthropologie (similar) | Shoes: Sam Edelman “Gigi” in Saddle | Cuff: nOir (similar) | Necklace: Spike The Punch | Lips: MAC Pencil in Embrace Me

May 4th 2012

After reviewing these photos, I had to come to terms with my ladies. With this weight I’ve gained, about 10 pounds of it found itself comfortably nestled in my bra. Or not so comfortably, actually.

It’s another piece of the shame I feel with this extra weight, I’ve always had large breasts. Always. In the sixth grade, this made me a favorite target for the playground skeeze-ball, Jessie. He had ice blue eyes, a small diamond piercing in one ear and likely an older brother who encouraged him to harass the girl with the biggest boobs.

When I’m lighter, smaller — I can get away with wearing less supportive strapless bras, like the one I’m wearing here. Seeing as how that’s no longer the case, I headed out to The Lingerie Store in Nichols Hills on Saturday and picked up FOUR new bras (including, amazingly — a strapless) that hold my ladies up.

So the next time you see me in this dress — another striped dress, but I think the color and style set it apart from the rest, it’s my new favorite — I will have perky pretty boobies.

Title Lyric from The Black Keys — Tighten Up

I had to include this last picture, even though it’s blurry (-er than the rest, thanks husband for that.) because you can see a serious internal discussion happening about where to go for dinner.