Project Runway Review

So last night was the third episode of Project Runway season 3. I already have a favorite (Suede) and a most hated (Stella) and a serious beef with the judges. First, I don't agree with who they kicked off last night because the second-worst design I thought should have gone. But my bigger issue with it is what won!



This is Kenley's design and as soon as I saw it I was reminded of:



Balenciaga Spring 2008. I HATED this collection and spent months and months ranting about it and generally defaming Nicolas Ghesquière. I thought the structure of it was unflattering and the prints looked like they belonged in a retirement home and the stitching made the whole ensemble look like an exploded floral baseball. Ick. I know Kenley's design isn't as bad as all that, but it's supposed to be made for a night out on the town. Who would want tulle sticking out of the side of their dress for a night out on the town?

On the other hand, Leanne's design



Was by far my favorite. I love that the structural elements are different colors on the left and right and that she kept the top so simple and that it resembled her inspiration picture so much! I may be moderately biased, though, she's from Portland and you know I'll always root for the hometown favorite.

Thrift Store Finds

There's a second hand store on 13th by campus. Yesterday, I convinced Kaitlin to check it out with me. Turns out, it's very reasonably priced (my most expensive item was $18) and has some real gems.



The dress I'm a little concerned about, it's pretty clingy. I think my mom's constant demands that I wear a slip may have some validity. But I like the color and the cut is very mod. It reminds me a lot of the 60s. The shoes are dollhouse, I'm not sure about how I feel about wearing second hand shoes....but they're adorable and pretty comfortable, so we'll see.



This dress is from Torrid (seems I can't escape the damn place) and is a bit too big for me. I'm going to take the sides in some. The shoes were $8 and they're Steve Maddens! Woo hoo!

I think I've discounted secondhand shopping too much in the past. I never do it because I tell myself there won't be anything in my size. Maybe this place was an exception to the rule, but I didn't have a problem. I think I'm going to do this more often!

7/31/08

So I'm breaking this post into three posts, actually. This is my "what I wore today" post.



Top and Bottoms: Torrid
Shoes: Gap

I was feeling a little "sailor-y." Kaitlin, Heidi and I went to Target and I found:



This baller dress! I don't know that it'll ever be wearable n a day-to-day basis, but it just makes me want to dance. The shoes are a favorite that I got at Charlotte Russe on the day when I had my shopping binge. I haven't had a chance to wear them yet, but believe me, I'll find a reason.



I also got this great sweater! It's so old man-y, I love it. I'm picturing it with leggings and a belt for fall.

Had my panel today and I'm excited because Nick is going to call me sometime this week. We're planning a party...appropriate, non?

7/30/08

Today was another relatively uneventful day. I've been having a really hard time sleeping recently and so I didn't wake up until 2 in the afternoon. I need to break that habit! To that end, I bought some sleep aid pills at Fred Meyer's.



Top: Dear by Amanda Bynes for Steve and Barry's
Jeans: Torrid
Shoes: Charlotte Russe

This was too goddamn hot for walking around. Kaitlin and I went to the bank and then to this cool second hand store by campus called The Clothes Horse (finds to come later) and then to McDonald's. I hadn't had fast food since before Mike and I broke up, so it was a treat. I'm going to say I don't miss ingesting that crap on a regular basis.



This is one of the finished products from my sewing experiment! I'm going to say it's not fantastically well sewn and it is WICKED short, but I finished it! On to dress #2!

7/29/08

Ok, here's the deal, my stolen internet connection is far too weak to upload photos today. I don't know what's going on, but it's annoying. So no picture today. However, I do have some sad news: I learned recently that Steve and Barry's, my mecca for cheap clothes, filed for bankruptcy. This is very sad indeed. I mean, they sell everything in their store for $9, that's got to either make a big dent in any kind of profit they could make or it means that they have some shady business practices. Either way, where else am I supposed to get a pair of jeans for less than $50?

7/28/08

Top: Old Navy
Skirt: Z. Cavaricci at Torrid
Shoes: Gap
Belt: Old Navy

China looms ever closer, I leave in a little over a month! I've been sleeping really poorly recently, re-hashing events from earlier this summer. It's weird to feel nostalgic for a time that was so recent...I miss my crazy colorful little one-bedroom. The morning of graduation was the closest thing to perfect I've ever experienced. I really miss Ely and Jesse--both just as people and the atmosphere their living 2 doors down created. I really wish that part of the summer had been longer. It was probably the closest to "quintessential college" I'll ever get. It was fucking brilliant, really.

I'm sorry, that really had nothing to do with fashion, did it? I don't have much to say on the subject, the blogs to your right do a much better job of talking about what's going on today than I can.

7/27/08

Yesterday, Amy asked me to buy her a bottle of everclear. Being fairly new at this whole 21 thing, I jumped at the opportunity to contribute to the delinquency of minors. Neither Kaitlin, Heidi nor I had ever bought everclear before and didn't know that it's kept behind the counter for some reason. So we wandered around the liquor store for a good 15 minutes before asking where the hell to find it at. In the process, we found fake absinthe, a knockoff brand of Jager and numerous liqueurs we'd never heard f before. Amy invited us to the party she was throwing and so around 10 I started getting ready (didn't want to show up too early, obviously) and it took me like 20 minutes to find the right pair of jeans for my outfit.



T Shirt: Old Navy
Vest: Torrid
Jeans: Bitten Sarah Jessica Parker for Steve and Barry's
Shoes: Charlotte Russe

The outfit felt a little Kate Moss-y to me, which is pretty cool. Looking at the photos, I realize it wasn't, really, but how can you feel anything but hot when you think you're dressed like Kate Moss?

The party was not what I had anticipated--which is to say that it was us, Amy and 2 of her friends sitting in her back yard talking. It was a good time, to be sure, but I spent 20 minutes looking for the right pair of pants to show off these shoes! Not to worry, I'm not going to let this outfit go to waste. You'll be seeing it again.



I mean, fuck! I'm pretty sure these shoes are the hottness!

Today, the weather can't decide if it wants to be sunny and warm or breezy and cool, so I'm layered, ready for anything!



Shirt: Forever 21
Cardigan: Old Navy
Pants: Z. Cavaricci at Torrid
Shoes: Merona at Target
Belt: Old Navy
Necklace: Target

I've taken to writing my entries in HTML mode since getting my Mac, I'm not really sure why. But building the links makes the page look so cluttered! Is this a weird complaint? I suppose it is. Oh well. I should probably go grab something to eat before I go to "work."

7/26/08

Unfortunately, you're not going to be getting photos from last night's party because there aren't any to be shown. Sad story. I'd been charging my camera's battery last night and accidentally put it back in backwards. When it came time to leave for the bars, Heidi and Kaitlin tried to use it, but it wouldn't turn on and I was too drunk to realize that the battery wasn't dead like they thought, but just put in the wrong way. Oh well. I wasn't wearing anything exciting--that red dress I wore last Sunday and some black flats. We all looked pretty good, though.



Shirt, Shorts: Torrid
Shoes: Gap
Necklace: Target

This top is really quite breasty...I need to make some alterations on it. It's still hot, though I'm sitting on my porch and the breeze is making me almost wish I'd worn a t-shirt rather than a tank top. Oh well.

Red lips inspired by miss Kenley of Project Runway, season 5.



Speaking of Project Runway, I was at Megan's watching it today (And VH1's from G's to Gents and it is fucking hilarious!!) and the most amazing dress came out of this week's challenge.



Obviously this isn't some kind of secret TV gem that none of you have seen before, but I still wanted to put it out there that I think this dress is genius. It's a little bit 80s, but in just the right kind of way. It's (going to be?) sold on bluefly.com, so I will be looking for that....

While I was on bluefly, I took a look at Christian Siriano's line for them and...it's only 3 items? I must be mistaken on that, the rest of the collection must have sold out because there are only 3 pieces from Christian, but there are 5 pages of clothes by Sweet Pea. That's at 72 items per page. I would assume that winning project runway and getting your own line with them would merit more than being a mediocre designer and an overreacter, but who knows.

It's off to cooking and cleaning with me! Tootles!

7/25/08

Alright, so after last night, which involved some un-work-friendly substance use, I woke up late this morning and felt like crap. I actually felt so shitty I couldn't eat breakfast or finish my ritual cup of coffee. Ick. Eventually, the roomies and I decided to go see Step Brothers (mediocre on first viewing, I expect that just like Talladega Nights it's going to take a few viewings to become hilarious) and Megan met us after the movie to go shopping.



Shirt: Old Navy
Shorts: Torrid
Shoes: Gap
Necklace: Target

I decided on this because it's way hotter in Eugene than it was in Portland and I just couldn't wear pants again.

Megan found a shirt to wear to the party tonight (pictures should come up tomorrow) and a Hello Kitty sweatshirt. I wanted to stop by and see Libby at the MAC counter, but she wasn't working. There WAS another tall redhead with bangs working who Kaitlin, Heidi and I mistook for Libby and slowed down to say hi, but then realized that it in fact was not her and awkwardly walked away. Hilarious.



Megan found this shirt at Charlotte Russe and showed it to me in mocking, but I love it! I think the next time I have my wallet with me, I'll probably pick it up. I mean, all my friends say I love "granny chic" and "looking like a bag lady," which may be true. I'm quite fond of the look, though and intend to keep dressing how I feel until such a time as it becomes a problem--which it has not yet.

7/24/08

It occurs to me that I didn't photograph my outfit for today.  You're not missing much, I promise.  Instead of a real post, I'm going to give you six things I'm in love with.

Street fashion blogs!  You've gotta love looking at the way other people dress.

High waisted multi-button shorts. So very nautical. I have a little fantasy about being a pin up in a sailor outfit...

Lily Cole. Does anyone not love her? Her coloring, her delicate features? She looks like a goddamn porcelain doll. And like she'd be just as at home in a Jane Austen novel as she is on the runway.

Nerdy chic glasses. They just give hope to those of us who are perennially uncool.

Colored colanders. And actually, just cooking. I enjoy a certain amount of domestic bliss.

Ballet dancers' extension. So fucking pretty. It's like...I don't even know. Like their whole body was made with one beautiful stroke.

Spectator pumps. 1940s. The best of all decades.

7/23/08

Cami:  Torrid

Shirt:  Old Navy

Pants:  Torrid

Shoes  Charlotte Russe

Does this outfit look familiar?  Some unfortunate circumstances involving a white skirt and hot ink underwear led to me having to wear the same pants as yesterday, which necessitated wearing the same wedges I wore yesterday.  Oh well.  This is the way it goes, I guess.

I've been reading other blogs a lot lately and have come to the realization that 1.  I don't have any links for you to follow, that will change; and 2.  I need to become more knowledgeable on what's actually going on in fashion.  It's back to my studies for that!

7/22/08

In Portland.  My traveling outfit is as such:

I'm judging my brother.  A lego Star Wars model?  Oh no.  

Shirt:  Old Navy

Jeans:  Torrid

Shoes:  Charlotte Russe

Very 70s. 

I saw Maddi and Jeremy today.  We had margaritas at Katie O'Brien's and then went to The Pied Cow for Hookah.  A good afternoon as a whole.  

7/21/08

I got another tattoo today.  By virtue of that, my attire has been geared toward comfort and NOT toward looking good.  But I have pictures.  Forgive me?

7/20/08

This is the result of the apron experiment.  Awesome, non?  The ruffle actually falls across my hips in a really unflattering place.  But honestly?  It's an apron.  Chirp chirp chirp!!

Dress:  Forever 21

Leggings:  Xhilaration at Target

Shoes:  Steve Madden

OK, so I was pretty overdressed for "work."  What can you do?  Nick Gower told me I looked very nice.  Later he told me he was hung.  No, it's not what you're thinking, but no, I'm not going to explain.  I like a little intrigue.

7/19/08

I decided to start sewing my own clothes earlier this summer, but then didn't do anything about it...until today!  I bought patterns and fabric to make 4 dresses and an apron today.  Results to follow!

Shirt:  Forever 21

Jeans:  Z. Cavaricci at Torrid

Shoes:  Charlotte Russe

I'm also moderately obsessed with the back of this shirt.  It looks kind of Grecian.  Love love.

7/18/08

Um, it's all Torrid.

Saw Mama Mia today (it was pretty good) and went to an Ems game.  Pretty exciting day, though Jesse flaking on the game was not cool!  

...yeah, I really have nothing to say.

7/17/08

So, today I woke up at the ungodly hour of 10am to the bank calling me...unfortunate.  I opened a second account yesterday and apparently when I signed my paperwork, it didn't match the signature on my license.  No big deal, I went down and fixed it, but I had definitely intended to sleep longer.  The toilet is broken, the tank is draining like crazy, so the whole peeing thing is interesting.  I found that out when I woke up this morning.  Oi.  But, so I showered and put this together:

Top, Shorts:  Torrid

Flip Flops:  Victoria's Secret

I work for introDUCKtion (freshman orientation) doing a little panel about drug and alcohol use and abuse on campus.  Apparently we "glorified" or "glamorized" drinking and doing drugs at our last panel, so we got called in an hour early today to talk about the appropriate way to answer questions---which really feels like we're supposed to demonize substance use on campus rather than address safe ways to use rather than abuse.  But...whatever.  I got really worked up about it and I think upset my boss because I didn't bite my tongue for the first time in my life.  I told her it was like teaching abstinence only sex ed and then being surprised when students get pregnant.  BUT on the walk home, after I talked to my boss and the other people on the panel, I talked to another guy who's just in it for the money and...I realized I was getting worked up over nothing, really.  These kids don't care what we have to say, anyway.  I know I wouldn't have, if I'd gone to my orientation.  So whatever.

The weather is cooling down, thank goodness.  I'm sitting on my porch because I tend to lose my connection inside the apartment and I could put a sweater on.  A sweater!  This won't last for long, I'm sure, but hopefully through tomorrow.  We're going to an Ems game and I'd love to not feel like I'm melting through it.  

7/16/2008

Wow!  It's been forever, hasn't it?!  Well, I've moved and didn't have internet at my new apartment until I got a new Mac today and can pick up other people's wireless.  Swanky.  So that's why I haven't posted in the last month and a half.  However, now that I'm here, I have two outfits to show you!  Ya-ha!

Went shopping in this.  In fact, I went on a shopping binge today.  Some would call it a spree, but I feel like there's something unplanned and spontaneous about a spree.  This was more like binge drinking, where you know you should stop but the more you drink (buy), the better you feel...even if you will regret it in the morning.

Cami:  Torrid

Tank:  Victoria's Secret

Jeans: Bitten Sarah Jessica Parker for Steve and Barry's

Shoes:  Victoria's Secret

After I'd showered.  All new clothes!  And I went to Michael's in this.

Top:  Torrid

Pants:  Torrid

Shoes:  Charlotte Russe

Detail shot.  Yes, these pants are ridiculous.  I fucking love them.

My roommates and I may have a small obsession with 1. the Twilight series, 2. Family Guy, or 3. Making lists.  You never know.