SortaCrunchy

what i wore wednesday - (more) skirts and tights

cardigan: thrifted; t-shirt: thrifted; dress-to-skirt: Oh, Sweet Joy! closet sale; fleece tights: TJMaxx; boots: Ross; headband: AJ's

Just a few meager offerings this week. The weather has been SO uncooperative (rain! and snow!) for outdoor shots. I tried to take pictures inside and it was a massive fail, so just two outfits this week.

Despite the cold weather, I find myself pretty much living in skirts paired with tights. The one in this outfit is interesting. It was a knit dress I found in a closet sale at Oh, Sweet Joy! (thrifty tip: shop the closet sales of your favorite lifestyle bloggers! Good deals to be found without digging through the rack at Goodwill!) It was a medium, but I took a chance on it, not knowing for sure how it would fit up top.

Sure enough, when I tried it on, it was the kind of too-tight through the bodice that I knew would never fit correctly. So ... I chopped off the top. I did. I took a pair of scissors to that lovely and made that dress into a skirt. Because it's a knit, I didn't even bother to do any hemming where I had done the surgery!

Voila:

And the only other outfit was what I wore yesterday - Valentine's Day:

headband: The Children's Place; sweater: Harold's; sash: lifted from a dress in my closet; skirt: Must Have via Amazon; tights: We Love Colors; boots: JCP

So, you might recognize that this was one of the outfits I was considering for Blissdom. After yesterday, I'm glad I didn't take it with me to Nashville. The skirt - though darling - constantly hitched up while I was walking, so I found myself futzing with it all day.

The weather is supposed to return to the wonderful mildness we've been blessed with this summer, so I'm hoping to have some more for you next Wednesday when once again, I'll show you what I wore.

 

what i wore wednesday - back in the groove

long-sleeve t-shirt: Old Navy; ruffle neck t-shirt: J Crew, thrifted; belt: hand-me-down from my mom; dress as skirt: thrifted; tights: TJ Maxx; boots: JCP

Yes, it's been several weeks since I shared a What I Wore Wednesday post. This is partly due to time crunch, but also partly because I prefer to take pictures like the one one above and not this one:

where it looks like I'm standing in a wind tunnel and my tripod is in serious danger of being blown over. I feel like I need for you to understand I am not playin when I say I live on the windy plains of Oklahoma!

This outfit is one where I utilizing the dress-as-skirt idea. I have a LOT of cute, cute dresses in my closet with prints and skirts and cuts that I adore, but the bodice is too, too tight. The woes of a curvy girl, I suppose. So with this dress, I folded up the bodice and tucked it in so I could wear it as a skirt, and it worked really nicely! Obviously, this works best on dresses with full skirts, of which I have plenty.

long-sleeve t-shirt: Old Navy; top: Polo (at least a decade old); pleated wool skirt: vintage, thrifted; belt: thrifted; tights: Target; boots: JCP; necklace: white owl cameo, c/o My Sweet November

I found this amazing wool skirt at the Salvation Army in my hometown, but it has been hanging un-worn in my closet for months. I would really like to hem it up a bit, but that just hasn't happened yet. I decided to just hike up the waist a bit instead.

denim shirt: Harold's; t-shirt: thrifted; skirt: thrifted; belt: thrifted; tights: We Love Colors; boots: JCP

This is another skirt that I fell in LOVE with in the aisle of a thrift store. It also needs a good hemming, but that hasn't happened yet. I rolled the waistband a few times and used my belt to (sorta) secure the waist in place. It worked okay, I guess, but I really just need to drag out my sewing machine for one afternoon of hemming galore and I won't have to walk around with wonky waist-action so much!

(This is another time I'm glad for outfit shots. As I look at it now, I don't think the skinny belt is doing me any favors with this outfit.)

sweater: Ann Taylor (several years ago); striped t-shirt: hand-me-down from Mama; belt: thrifted; skirt: thrifted; tights: Wal-Mart; boots: Ross

This is probably one of my favorite outfits I've put together recently. The skirt is actually much more of a rich maroon than the picture portrays, and every time I wear it, I am just so tickled by the pleat in front. I love stripes, too, and when my mom handed this simple striped t-shirt off to me, I was a happy lady. I have worn that thing OUT lately.

I wore this on Monday and was at the grocery store when a nice, older, Santa-Claus-looking man smiled and said, "Howdy-do. You look real nice today, ma'am." Hee. That pretty much made my day.

These posts really are fun for me, so hopefully I really am back in the groove of showing you What I Wore!

what i wore wednesday - enjoying january

tunic: thrifted; long sleeve tee: Old Navy, about nine years old; skirt: thrifted; belt: thrifted; tights: We Love Colors; boots: JCP

So, yes, you saw this outfit in my open to healthy living post. I wanted to talk a little about it because it shows a spin on layering I have been doing quite a bit lately: skirt over dress.

I love this tunic. It is SO comfortable, but the material is VERY thin and not really winter-y at all. Putting a t-shirt under it helps a bit, but I have to say that layering a skirt on top and tights underneath made it quite wonderful for winter wear. It helps that up until the past few days, we have had gorgeous no-coat-needed temperatures, but with this many layers, a skirt in the winter is totally workable.

Plus I just had to include my little Liza Joy, also in layers. She can work some color blocking like no one else.

sweater: thrfited; long sleeve t-shirt: thrifted; belt: thrifted; skirt: TJMaxx; tights: TJMaxx; boots: Ross

I met a friend for a breakfast playdate the day I wore this outfit. We were talking about how hard it is to find jeans that fit correctly. I have the fairly common fit problem that when jeans fit me through the seat and thighs, they ALWAYS gape at the waist. I think this is why, now that I've started wearing them so much, I'm enjoying skirts and dresses. I rarely have to worry about hiking up my jeans or worrying about my everything hanging out in the back.

Interestingly, too, is the fact that skirts and dresses are WAY more comfortable to me than jeans. When I was wearing jeans all the time, I would change out of my out-in-public clothes and into pajama-type clothes as soon as I was home for the day. I find I'm wearing my skirt/dress outfits right up until bedtime. They are that comfy!

blouse: thrifted; belt: thrifted; skirt: thrifted; tights: Wal-Mart; boots: Ross

So here's that plaid blouse that I LOVE that I showed last week under the gray cardigan. This week, I let it shine on its own and paired it with my most comfy gray skirt. The temps dropped a bit this week, so I was quite chilly grabbing a picture of it with no coat on, but for indoor wear, it was perfect.

Unrelated: our Christmas tree is still up. We really are enjoying the pace of January and the twinkly bright white lights of the Christmas tree just seem to add a special glow. I've NEVER left our tree up this long. Between actually enjoying winter and the tree still being up and wearing real clothes until it's legitimately time to change into jammies ... I don't even know who I am anymore.

But I do know it's Wednesday, and this is what I wore.

weekend snapshots: january 8 + #janphotoaday

On New Year's Day evening, I noticed quite a few of the people I follow on Instagram were tagging photos with #janphotoaday. I dug around a little and discovered that the lovely and talented Chantelle of Fat Mum Slim had issued a photo challenge to do one photo a day throughout the month of January.

Even though it was late and I had already climbed into bed for the night, I thought what the heck. I'll play along, too. Each Sunday, I'll share my #janphotoaday for the week preceding:

1. You (told you I was in bed!)

2. Breakfast (mmmmm. protein shake.) (I did not eat the owls) (although, aren't they delicious?)

3. Something you adore: Taste of Austin coffee (adore) from Central Market (adore) in my anthro cup (adore). Three things I adore, all together on the 3rd. Aren't I terribly clever?

4. Letterbox: ours is quite minimalist, yes?

5. Something you wore: purple tights.

6. Makes you smile: y'all have already seen this in my office post, but again, having artwork done by the girls in my work area always, always makes me smile.

7. Favourite (or favorite, for spellers of the USA variety): my favorite gift from my favorite man. Kyle gave me these diamond studs 7 years ago, and I've worn them nearly every day since.

I'll be sharing 8 - 14 next Sunday!

* * * * *

Other notable news around the web:

My dear friend Laura - the Hollywood Housewife - is hosting one of her brag book link-ups. Did you post on New Year's Resolutions/Goals/Intentions? Join in and link up!

I love (!) what Kelly at Love Well wrote in Dear January. I echo every word.

Jon Acuff's Running into Michael W. Smith incident made me laugh and laugh.

At Every Breath I Take, Jen wrote to all the sleepy mamas out there, and honestly, I think sometimes it helps to know you aren't alone in the dark night hours.

Finally, I said YES YES YES over and over when I read Leslie's piece on Far From "Having it all together," I'm Just One Mom Learning All She Can. For anyone who has ever felt some negative pushback for sharing what is important to you, a must-read!

* * * * *

OH! WAIT! Don't forget Once Upon A Time returns tonight. EEEEEEEEEEE! I'll host an episode discussion on Desperate Souls on Tuesday!

Happy Sunday!

Meet My Sweet November! (and a sweet giveaway!)

I'm pretty giddy over the lovelies who are sponsoring SortaCrunchy in January, and I'm particularly tickled over introducing you to this sponsor today. You'll see why in a bit!

From Candy, creator and owner of My Sweet November:

My Sweet November is a One Woman Show. My name is Candy and I do all the designing, production, and photography of all of the items I sell. I've been creating and selling jewelry since 2009. As you can tell from my shop, cameos are my favorite component to work with. In my shop you'll find nautical and gothic inspired jewelry as well as modern and whimsical designs. Perfect for special occasions or just everyday wear. I hope you enjoy everything I create just as much as I enjoy creating it for you!

I had so much fun peeking around My Sweet November. I have to say her cameos are AMAZING. So incredibly unique, playful, and fun!

I know two chicas who would be cuckoo over the unicorn cameo:

And honestly? I have a few friends who would look darling in the victorian skeleton cameo:

Candy has more traditional offerings, too, such as this delicate gray rose cameo:

and this charming I made you a mixed tape heart necklace:

Oh, goodness. There is just so much cute stuff! I'm sitting here with a big goofy grin on my face as I click around her shop! But I'm also smiling because I know Candy is offering a very special treat to one SortaCrunchy reader!

To celebrate our partnership this month, Candy is giving away one tiny owl necklace!

Oh my heart. THE TINY OWLS!

Okay, so here's all you need to do: Go check out My Sweet November and let me know which of Candy's incredible creations is your favorite in the comments section. That's it!

BONUS ENTRIES - LEAVE ONE COMMENT FOR EACH BONUS ENTRY:

* Mark My Sweet November as an Etsy favorite. (Etsy members will see the heart to mark favorites in the left-hand column of the shop's favorite page)

* Like My Sweet November on Facebook

* Share this post in the social media format of your choice (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc). Make sure to tell me how you shared it.

Giveaway closes January 14th. Winner will be notified by email.

ONE LAST THING: Use code "SC15OFF" at My Sweet November all month long to receive 15% off of your purchase! Perfect for winter birthdays, Valentine's Day, and post-holiday-cash shopping.

Thank you again, Candy, for sharing My Sweet November with us this month!

what i wore wednesday - after Christmas

cardigan: Banana Republic, thrifted; t-shirt: thrifted; belt: lifted out of my mom's closet; skirt: thrifted; leggings: We Love Colors; boots: JCP

If the question is do I wear that red cardigan a little too often, the answer is a resounding yes. I can't help myself. I love it.

I'm trying to find my way back into thoughtful outfits after quite a few days of lounge-y, relax-y clothes over the holiday break. I found that I ♥ NY t-shirt when I went thrifting with Laura and absolutely love it. Even though I've never been to NY. But I really do ♥ NY. When I wear that t-shirt, it lets me pretend I've visited there and I did all the tourist-y things and bought a campy t-shirt to remember it by.

Look! Don't I look like someone treasuring fond memories of a visit to NY? Either that or someone who has been hitting the eggnog a little too hard.

(Except: gross. Never.)

lace top: Banana Republic, thrifted; t-shirt: thrifted; silk skirt: thrifted; tights: We Love Colors; boots: JCP

That black and gray skirt with the incredible print is also from the same thrifting trip with the Hollywood Housewife. I think she brought me all kinds of good luck at the thrifts that day, don't you?

I picked the skirt up because I loved the print, but when I saw that it's 100% silk, I knew it would be mine. I am such a sucker for silk. I kind of wish I would have worn a belt over this top. Live and learn. (or more accurately, take outfit photos and learn.)

gray cardigan: thrifted; plaid shirt: thrifted; BKE jeans: gifted; boots: Ross

I have been looking everywhere for both a gray cardigan AND a plaid blouse that I liked, and would you believe I found them both on the same trip at our Goodwill? I am pretty much in love with both of those pieces, especially the plaid top. I've been looking for one with a specific plaid in mind everywhere and to think I found it right under my nose. Such a treat. It does have the unfortunate habit of coming unbuttoned quite easily (which is probably what landed it at the Goodwill in the first place), so I have to wear something over it or under it. But still. It makes me smile when I wear it.

And, oh yeah. I colored my hair. But I do not like it. Let's not talk about it. (Unless you can point me in the direction of a color-at-home auburn that you think would flatter me. This turned out way more purple red than I thought it would. Boo.)

It's the first Wednesday of 2012! And this is what I wore.

Did you do any post-Christmas shopping? Have you found anything lately that made your heart pitter-patter?

One Word for 2012: OPEN

If I'm being honest, it was the last thing I wanted to do.

I was irritated that I had forgotten to pack my sweatshirt in our suitcase stuffed with Christmas gathering goodies, and so I was going to have to wear my dress coat with my workout pants. Bothersome.

Plus, I just wanted a break, you know? I wanted to hide in the pages of a book and sip coffee and nibble on chocolates and just ... be left alone.

But AJ was insistent and the sun was shining and it was as crisp and beautiful as December could offer and so I agreed.

Let's go.

We stuffed our coat pockets with animal crackers and blazed out across the lawn of my husband's childhood. And in no time at all, I forgot to be irritated. We played tag and collected acorns and Dacey heard our laughter and came to join us out there. We used our best bird calls to sing to the birds in the treetops and we talked through the fence to the neighbor's puppy who pranced around to the tune of our voices. And the sunning and the running warmed us from the inside out.

When we were called to lunch, we raced up the downward slope from the far end of the yard all the way back up the house where we collapsed into breathless, panting giggles. As I caught my breath, I whispered thanks.

Thanks to God for the glorious day.

Thanks to my child for the invitation.

Thanks to myself for being open.

* * * * *

Since 2009, I've chosen a word to guide each year. Or, more accurately I suppose (though I know it sounds quite mystical), a word chooses me. It's never an easy word and every year without fail, I groan a little bit as soon as the word lands in my thoughts.

2009: Surrender
2010: Rejoice
2011: Give

I'm so happy to see the One Word movement organizing into something a little more formal. A small community is gathering at OneWord365 to share our hopes and dreams and words for the year. And so for 2012 for me, it is OPEN. I'm a little terrified, but that's good, don't you think?

What will it be for you? Join me in linking up to OneWord365 or just tell me your word in the comments. What will mark this year for you?

photo by emdot

http://www.sortacrunchy.net/sortacrunchy/2010/01/rejoice.html

How to Get an Invite to Pinterest (and other helpful tips!)

In May 2011, I wrote my first tutorial for Pinterest beginners, and I followed that post up with some helpful hints in August 2011. Since that time, Pinterest has changed a few things, but I haven't had time to update my original Pinterest posts. I'm going to try to tackle a few of these changes to make it even easier to get started on Pinterest.

How do I get an invite to Pinterest?

1) The EASIEST and FASTEST way to get invited to Pinterest is to ask someone you know who is on Pinterest to invite you. Every single Pinterest member has unlimited invitations. I get so many comments on my other Pinterest posts with people saying, "My daughter is on Pinterest and she sure loves it! Can I get an invite?" or "All of my friends are always posting Pinterest pins on Facebook! I would love to be invited!"

If you know someone on Pinterest, ask them to invite you. All you have to do is tell them your email address.

2) Of course, you can always ask for an invite from Pinterest. I am hearing the wait time is between a couple of days and a couple of weeks. I don't know why some people get them more quickly than others. Remember, I don't work for Pinterest, I'm not affiliated with Pinterest, I'm just a community member, so there are many questions about Pinterest to which I have no answers!

3) You can still request a Pinterest invite from me! I receive anywhere from 25-75 Pinterest invite requests per day. Some days I get to them quickly, some days I don't. It may take a couple of days, but I'll happily send you an invite.

SUPER IMPORTANT: Typepad offers the option to sign in with Typepad, Facebook, or Twitter to leave  a comment. If you are requesting an invite, DO NOT SIGN IN WITH ANY SERVICE. It is very important that you fill in the fields for name and email address correctly. If you do not do this, I cannot send you an invite.

ALSO IMPORTANT: You do NOT have to leave your email address in the actual comment box - ONLY in the field marked "email address." Your email address will be shared only with me. If you leave your email address in the comment box, it is open for all of the internet world to see!

How will I know when I have gotten my Pinterest invitation?

You will receive an email from Pinterest. The body of the email will look like this:

See that link at the bottom of the email that says "To sign up for Pinterest, follow the link below"? Click on that.

You will then be taken to a welcome screen like the one pictured at the top of this post. That brings me to the next most frequently asked question:

Do I have to be on Facebook or Twitter to open a Pinterest account?

This is the biggest change from when I signed up for Pinterest last spring. The answer is YES. As of this publishing, you DO have to have Facebook or Twitter to sign up for Pinterest. Again, I don't work for Pinterest, I don't know why they have decided to do this.

There are people who are intentionally avoiding Facebook and/or Twitter who are concerned by this. There is, however, a very simple workaround - it's what I did to grab the screen shots for this post. Simply open a Twitter account and use it to open your Pinterest account. Once you have opened your Pinterest account, you will have the option to either login with Facebook or Twitter OR login with email and password. You can then close your Twitter account and go on with your happy life. :)

How to get set up on Pinterest, step-by-step:

Step 1: Pinterest will ask you for your interests. Choose all that apply:

Step 2: Pinterest now chooses some popular pinners for you to follow. This is another big change from the time I published my first tutorial. There is no longer a "Tastemakers" list from the drop-down menus. Basically, Pinterest chooses Tastemakers for you to follow as you get started on Pinterest:

Step 3: Create your own boards. They will give you some starter boards by default. You can keep these or start your own:

Step 4: Make sure to install the Pinterest bookmarklet so you can pin wherever you are on the internet!

Other frequently asked questions about Pinterest:

Why does Pinterest say I have no followers when I know for sure people are following me?

Pinterest seems to refresh follower numbers once a week or so. Just hang tight, your numbers will eventually correct themselves!

Why can't I see all of my pins on one page?

You should be able to by going to your profile page and clicking on your Pins link. Pinterest uses an infinity scrolling feature, so just keep scrolling down that page and you'll be able to see all of the pins in one place.

How do I unfollow all of those people Pinterest made me follow when I signed up?

I still get lots of questions about unfollowing. To unfollow, go to the grayed-out FOLLOWING button beneath a person's profile to unfollow ALL of their boards or to the FOLLOWING button underneath an individual board's name and click that button. It will change to FOLLOW:

Again, you may still see that board or that person in your feed for a few hours or even a few days. It's one of those things you just have to wait patiently on and Pinterest will eventually catch up.

I hope this has been helpful for all of the Pinterest newbies and beginners still hoping for an invite! Those new to Pinterest may want to read my original beginner's guide and tips and tricks for insights on how to navigate the Pinterest community.

Remember you can leave a comment below to get an invite from me. If this has been a helpful resource for you, would you consider linking to it from Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, or even pinning it for other hopeful Pinners to see? Thank you so much and happy pinning!

days are merry and bright

I've spent the past few days ignoring technology as much as possible, and I have to say, I feel SO refreshed. Being out of town helps a lot. Sometimes I just need a chance of scenery, you know?

Christmas 2011 brought smiles and delight to everyone. Kyle and I were up at 5:15 Christmas morning, watching A Christmas Story on TV and glancing at the girls' bedroom door every 10 minutes. Finally at 7:00, he went in and got them up. I think we were more excited than they were! Big smiles all around when they saw their gifts.

AJ got her pink guitar and "high heels." She slipped them on right away, and I said, "Careful now, heels can be kind of tricky." Um, she was running down the hall in them two minutes later. I am not kidding. Dacey got a beautiful Waldorf doll named Holly. I won her in a giveaway from Windfall Dolls, and y'all, she is the most charming thing I have ever laid eyes on. I don't know who loves her more - Dacey or me. She also got a doctor's kit that I put together in a vintage doctor's bag I found on Etsy and filled with mostly real doctor's instruments (with much help from Vanessa!).

This little guy was the surprise hit of the day! Another Etsy find, he was just what I was looking for when Dacey informed me a week or so before Christmas that she really must have a Nutcracker of her very own. Both girls have been using him to really crack open pistachios which is not messy at all! Nope. Not at all. (ay yi yi)

Um, let's see. What else?

We went to each of our hometowns and there was much merriment and cheer all around. Yesterday, my sister who is pretty much the best person on the entire planet watched my girls for me so that Laura and I could hit up a few thrift stores in our hometown. This happened in the best shop I didn't even know existed. I am hoping the ruffles distract from the massive bags under my eyes because YIKES. Can't wait to add it into the winter wardrobe mix!

Spent some time with my sister reorganizing our mom's closet (who WOULDN'T want to spend the holidays with me?!) and took this picture of mama on her wedding day, May 11, 1974:

Isn't she the loveliest?

As with all road trippy days, there has been quite a bit too much of this situation happening:

And now we're home and I'm craving routine and normalcy again. I'm even ready to take the tree down, but I'll wait a few more days. I guess.

I know each year that passes is the best for some and the worst for others. I can't complain one bit about 2011. I'm sad to see it go, but I'm so ready to welcome 2012 with open arms. Lots more to talk about the new year in the days to come!

Hope YOUR days are merry and bright wherever you are, sweet friends!

Got holiday cash burning a hole in your pocket? Don't forget just five days left to use code "crunchy" for $20 off your $100 or more purchase from Inca Boot Company! Lovely and unique handmade boots may be just what you need to whirl through the winter days ahead!

what i wore wednesday - note to self

sweater: express, thrifted; t-shirt: thrifted; skirt: TJMaxx; tights: TJMaxx; boots: Ross

Dear self,

Yes, I know it's been a terribly busy week, what with end-of-semester and homeroom mothering and Texas traveling and last-minute Christmas'ing. It's lucky you got one outfit shot in, isn't it?

A few notes:

1) Love this skirt. Love that it was $5 even more.

2) Yes, you needed a belt. Go with your gut and don't second guess so much.

3) Congrats on finding the boots you've been looking for! $15 at Ross. Not too shabby.

4) Your shoulders are broad enough as it is. Please consider your poses more carefully next time, you spaz.

5) Purple tights for the second week in a row. FTW. (Shout out to friend Jenna for the inspiration!) Let's see what we can do about expanding our colored tights collection.

Love,

Me

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all the What I Wore Wednesday chicas!

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