One of Those Days

There really isn't a rhyme or reason for this outfit.

I randomly just grabbed odds and ends out of the closet and put them on my body.

Thought that it was better than wearing pajamas to work.

Mission Accomplished.

So I thought...

Until one of my students graciously shared with me that I didn't match.

I looked at HIM for a long time.

Really? That's what you are worried about?

So, you are grading ME now?

Then, I found myself trying to school him on the concept of matching vs. blending...neutral tones, bla bla blah.

Then I caught myself.

Why am I explaining my style choice to someone who is wearing pants down to his ankles and a "I Love Nicky Minaj" t shirt?

(The scarf was more for funtion than for style today.)

Ralph Lauren Blazer (one of my faves)

Thrifted button down shirt

Zara scarf

JC Penney Cargoes (my version of jeans/casual wear)

Sam Edelman Wooties/Bedges (Booties+wedges...I like to make words up sometimes)

Louis Vuitton Sac Plat

*Insert Expletives Here*

Spoiler alert...for those who don't want to bother reading the rest of this post...the moral is TODAY SUCKED!

(Forced Smile, Thrifted Men's Blazer,scarf, Thrifted Vintage Blouse, Zara pants, MY ULTIMATE Coupe de' grace THRIFT...authentic LV SAC Plat (yes, I'm a beast when I thrift)

Not all of today sucked...just every second after 4pm. I will try to hit the key points of today's disaster....

 I go to Target to exchange a broken tripod (the reason I haven't blogged much). I get to the customer service booth and of course the Super Target Nazi lady asked for ID to make the EVEN EXCHANGE! I dig for it. No ID. Ah yes...I switched purses this morning and I forgot to put my license back in my wallet. I beg the Target rule enforcer to allow just an even exchange. Same item. NO money back.

Nope. Super Target Nazi Lady/rule enforcer refused. I stay calm because I once worked customer service. I know the drill. Be nice. Smile. Keep voice calm. I ask for a manager and offer to show her other forms of ID, bank cards, even my insuraance policy. The manager who I would assume must be single handedly trying to bring back the 90's by wearing her hair like Salt N Pepa in the Push It video, refused to allow me to exchange.

Fine. I decide to go home, get the ID and exchange at another Target. I drive through rush hour traffic all the while enduring a stressful phone call with a person who refuses to practice good communication skills by actually LISTENING. I get to the second Target...and they have not a one of my tripod in stock! NOT ONE! GRRRR!

You would think I would give up, right? Oh no, I never give up. I go to a third Target. They have the tripod BUT they wanted me to pay a $2 difference because I didn't have a receipt...bla bla bla. Now, I get it technically. No receipt= Suck it up. I couldn't do it. I calmly explained to the apparently new on the job Target representative that it should be an even exchange. She agrees. I finally leave. There's other stuff in between all of this but then you would just say that I'm whining. (Shush...it's my blog...I can whine:)

I get the tripod. It's pitch black by now but I've gone through all of this trouble anyway. I find a spot. Set up the Tripod...then the camera dies after two shots!!!  Oh and my phone died. I left my charger at work. Score. Not.

BUT...I did make it home to watch the TLC show "Addicted to Eating Pillow Cushions" and "Addicted to Ingesting  Household Cleaning Agents."

So, it wasn't a total loss....he he he:)

When One Doesn't Make it To Church

This is what one looks like the night before they should've gone to church...but didn't:(

Met some old friends and new friends out for a late dinner. One thing I know now that I didn't know before but should have known...apparently it's not illegal to smoke in restaraunts. I didn't know that...and now my vintage coat smells like I've been turning tricks with truck drivers.

(My hair is in a super high bun)

But not just any truck driver...the truck driver who wins awards for smoking the most cigarettes in his rig. I gotta watch the news more or would've known that people still smoke in restaraunts.

Thus...my new year's resolution...WATCH MORE NEWS!

(Urban Outfitters Tee/Zara skirt/Pour La Victoire Booties/LV Speedy 35/ Vintage overcoat/Aldo Earrings)

I would also like to share that I'm a genius (not really). These earrings I'm wearing got tarnished because I accidentally spilled Chic Fil A lemonade on them. I was driving and eating. The earrings were stopping me from enjoying my food so I pulled them off and placed them in the cupholder part of my console. Somehow, I wasted some lemonade on them and they tarnished. I went back to exchange the earrings but they were all gone. One would think that I would have just gotten a store credit. Nope. Not me. I went to Walmart and bought gold spray paint and voila...they were reborn.

One Whole Dolla

Remember that shopping ban that I may have or may have not put myself on? If I bought this dress for a dollar, does that really count? I mean really. One whole dolla? You be the judge! The dress is a tad too big and a tad too long but it was nothing a belt couldn't fix.

I have really been into the Ralph Lauren Spring 2010 look. That whole "housewife during the Dustbowl era with heels" look really appeals to me for some reason. This dress reminds me of the uniform my mom wore when she was a waitress when I was about 5 or 6 years old. She worked at Sambo (what a name)...it was basically a Denny's...I think. I remember she had to wear a uniform and it looked alot like this.

That's amazing that I remember that because I can't even remember what I ate for breakfast! I have the worst time remembering people I went to high school with and I have the nerve to remember where my mother worked when I was 5? Since I'm reminiscing...I also remember one time my mom dropped me and my brother off at elementary school and the car caught on fire when we got there!

Inspiration: Ralph Lauren Spring 2010 Collection via Style.com

(By the way...the season finales of Grey's Anatomy and The Good Wife have me freaking out!!)

Never Say Never

I hate when people make me go back on my word. I never thought that I would be wearing denim with denim. But here I am rocking the look. I still kinda loathe certain washes of denim together but atleast I'm coming around. Here is my version of the double denim trend.  I wore something a little different to work but my date insisted asked that I stuff my face with sushi for dinner with him...so this is what I threw together.

I go through phases with my clothes. I'll be really into something and do it to death and then I'm over it. A few years ago, I was all about the fedora and had to have one in every color. Once the phase was over, it's over. For some reason, I'm back into hats again so I dug this hat (a la' Kyla) out of the closet.

Here is a conversation I had with one of my female students today. I teach high school.

Student: Ms. G, why is your shirt buttoned up so high?

Me: *blank stare* Ummm, because I'm at work?

Student: Yea, but can you atleast unbutton one more button?

Me: Boo, if I did that your Papi' would be calling me Mami'.

Student: Huh?

Me: Never mind. Don't worry about my clothes!

Fedora: (old...from a vintage shop I think)

Denim Shirt: Goodwill $3

Belt/Paperbag skirt: Target

Shoes: Pour La Victoire

Louis Vuitton Sac Plat

Earrings: F21

Bracelet: Urban Outfitters

(Here is my inspiration for today's outfit: Ralph Lauren Spring 2010 Collection)

What is something you swore you would NEVER wear but find yourself atleast "leaning" in that direction again?

 For me, it's double denim. I draw the line at Jellies and Crocs. That will never happen...EVERRRRRRR!!!!!!

Black Out Challenge (Day 2)

No black today!! I am proud of myself. I will even venture to say that the color in my wardrobe might have encouraged me to put an extra dip in my hip when I walked today. My mom hooked me up with this leather jacket ...it only took a whole two seconds before I ripped out of her hands, ripped the tags off with my teeth and was on my way home to introduce it to the rest of my closet.

Speaking of challenges, I have a few other personal challenges that I've inflicted upon myself this week. First of all, I am not listening to any secular music for a week....straight gospel music in the car. Now, if I just happen to zone out while driving and Usher's Daddy's Home song comes on...and I started grinding in my seat...that's the only exception.

But in general, I could use some extra inspiration/motivation in these days. The songs on the radio are just getting plain stupid anyway, so it's not like I'm missing much. Plus, I get tired of looking like Oprah during worship service at church...singing along to songs when I KNOW I don't know the words! (don't act like you've never seen Oprah lip sync to songs that knows she has never heard before.)

I've also challenged myself to pack my lunch every day this week. Not only is it more budget friendly but it's healthier too. Besides, my students are tired of me collecting money from them like I'm taking up offering so I can buy a honeybun from the vending machine everyday. My all time low is when I busted one of my kids for eating in my class. I told her to bring her bag to me. When I saw that they were animal crackers, I told her she could eat them only if she shared them with me. Shameful! LOL.

Click here to check out my "Blog Godmother" (I just made that up just now!). Mish Dish is doing the Black Out Challenge with me. Try to hate her as much as I do for her ridiculous shoe and purse collection.

P.S. I'm friends with Oprah in my head...she is laughing as she reads this right now:) Love you O!

Disheveled

"Disheveled" is the best word to describe me right now. Inside and out. The beginning of this year...not so great. Simply put...life is precious. At any rate, God is good and complaining is for suckers.

I don't have any outfit posts as of late, I've been wearing alot of black lately...too much for some reason. On top of that, I felt totally disgusting today. My tights kept falling down and my skirt kept riding up. I wore flats today....just a pure, hot mess.

At any rate...here's another "What's in My Bag" edition to make me feel productive.Here's what my purse looked like before I dumped everything out. This is basically a carryall which means things easily can get lost. I went out of my way to find compartments to simplify my search for things. I totally forgot that I scored that little authentic LV clutch from a little old lady at a garage sale about 5 years ago. (I seem to get lucky with Louis Vuitton merchandise it seems).I never, ever wear it. I had to dig it out actually but now it serves as my cosmetic bag...and it matches. Can't beat that.

Purse contents (gifted Louis Vuitton Speedy 35...!!!)

1. Scrabble cards (I found a "playing card" holder randomly in one of my dungeon drawers this weekend...I'm seriously addicted to the Scrabble Card Game:)

2. Sunnies
3. Hall Pass ( I bought for my classroom)
4. Thrifted gloves

5. Juicy Couture Body Creme
6. Wallet
7. MAC Prrrr Lip Glass/ MAC Lip Liner/MAC Lipstick
8. Burt Bee's Hand oil
9. Mary Kay Mascara (What's up Arianne!)

10. Toothpaste
11. Cocoa Butter
12. I use a magazine to serve as the base for the purse because otherwise it loses shape.

Oh...I created a Q & A page since I am nearing 100 followers via blogger and subscriptions and lurkers. It's my way of thanking all of you for supporting my blog. Drop by and ask me anything. Answering the questions might just possibly save me from putting my eye out with a hot, jagged fork. (lol...I laughed out loud just typing that). Anywho, hater questions will be deleted.

Random question to you...fill in the following sentence in the comment section...

My last dream/nightmare was about ___________________________.

(On another random note...this whole post is random actually...but I am totally obsessed with my circle scarf by American Apparel. You can wear it in over a million different ways. It's really a scarf with the ends sewn together but just like the Snuggie, I consider it a great invention now:) That's me in the red scarf in the above pic montage.)

Pose...Shoot...Run!

There's a new library in my neighborhood. I'm trying to work up the nerve to take pictures INSIDE but right now, I sneak pictures under the red stairwell. I am not sure if it's considered private property which is why I do drive by photo shoots and run back to the car!

The whole purpose of this post is to RAVE about Miley Cyrus's Walmart Jersey Skinny Jeans! OMG! They are so perfect, cheap and comfy. I think it has everything to do with the fact that she collaborated with Max Azria of BCBG fame! You must run to your nearest WalMart (Walmart.com) and check the "Jersey Skinnies"! First, Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson shoes...now Miley Cyrus designs? Yep. I'm 34 and I own some Miley Cyrus clothes. I SAID IT. There is also a Norma Kamali line at Walmart that's pretty fab. Target and Walmart are not playing with the "guest designer" lines!

Didn't I tell you that I was determined to find short gloves every since I saw Janet Jackson rock some to Michael's televised funeral (click here). It was not a game. Don't tell me that thrifting doesn't manifest dreams honey!



I actually had something on totally different earlier but I had the bright idea to play dress up at night. At dinner, I put this outfit together in my head and came straight home to play around with my gloves. Everyone around me knows I'm pretty impulsive. Sometimes that's good, most times it's not.

These Jessica Simpson shoes are brought to you by Goodwill. The pain I felt in my left arch was brought to me by satan:(

The above picture proves that being a little addicted to thrifting can pay off....(And yes, that purse is real...ummm hmmm) As you can tell, I'm all about the accessories.

Happy Thanksgiving...Yadi yadi yada...who cares about that! I'm going to see NEW MOON this weekend! I have witnesses that will tell you that I would read those 1000 page books in the dark, at stop lights, in the bathroom...it didn't matter. Yes, I'm a Fang Banger:)

(I totally didn't know that my shirt was on backwards, hence that little white tag that's haunting my pictures but I was not about to retake the pictures which meant I would have to do more drive by photo shoots at night. Negative.)