Critters

Tee - Smoking Lily, gift from Sheila

Skirt - thrifted

Pumps - Fly London

Clutch - gift

Buttonflowers - MMD

Pin - gift from Lynne

Woo! Finally getting stuff done. I've gotten my college schedule squared away, picked up Chinese food from my favorite family owned place, sweated, went to three grocery stores for three entirely separate things, sweated, window shopped, sweated, and finally returned home with mosquito bites and a sense of accomplishment.

I brought out almost all my creepy crawlies today to accessorize my summer uniform. Ant buttonflowers, scarab pin, fly blouse, fly shoes, lizard earring. The only things I passed on were my snake ring and frog ring because my hand is sore. I stuck to one of my favorite color combos and added polkadot accessories.

And of course with all my critters, how can I not show you my big boys! Bruce and York flew past their 4 month old birthday. Both kittens are bigger than their Momma cat, York is growing so quickly. I don't get to see them much, but I miss them all the time. I got to see them for a few brief moments last weekend. I can't believe at the beginning of this awful summer these cats were just little peanuts. Now they're all grown up and ready to be (*SHH!*) neutered.

Sandal Scandal

 Tank - Alexander McQueen for Target, gift from Eek

Skirt - Thrifted 

Sandals - Eurosoft by Sofft

Necklaces - gifts from Lynne

Okay, so some readers totally caught me. Yep those are new sandals. Why did I get new sandals about a week after posting about saving? Well, I hit my first goal! I had put up all the rest of the shoes that made my knees hurt (*tears*) - yes, even those impossibly cool All Saints boots - and the last too-small clothes not going into the yardsale on ebay before I made that post. I wound up with enough dough from the auctions that I ordered the Trippens!

Come to find out, the boots had some sun discoloration on the pair in my size from being in a display. The Gravity Pope rep was super helpful, took photos and let me know before filling the order. They offered to cancel the order, but instead I asked if they would be willing to discount the boots and sell them anyway (knowing it would be final sale). They agreed!

So I wound up picking up this awesome pair of sandals knowing I've got at least another month of hot weather to contend with. It is a good thing I did. I also realized I haven't worn most of my summer clothes more than 1-2 times - including this blouse and skirt. We have a long hot season so I tend to buy a lot of summer clothes.

This pair of sandals filled multiple requirements (black, low heel, leather, could go dressy). It manages to have a tough look, but be super soft. It's pretty goshdarned difficult to find that in a shoe, much less a sandal. I wore them all weekend.

I really killed my shoe collection this year. It's been hard coming to terms with the fact that I can't handle shoes I used to love and wear comfortably. I let go a lot of hard-won shoes. I'm down to 15 pairs, which freaked me out a bit, but now I have the opportunity to really curate what comes into my closet. Apologies if things get repetitive, but I'm trying to shop smarter these days.

My next set of savings goals will go a lot slower, but I'm pretty pumped that my shoe auctions netted enough to score The Boots and a magical pair of sandals as well. Donation is a great option for things you don't want, but look into consigning, ebay, or yard sale-ing as alternatives. The extra dough can be worth it if you can handle the hassle of selling.

And to make my shopping confessions more visible - I'm linking up with the ever-lovely Patti's Visible Monday at NotDeadYetStyle.

Sew Sunday: Cherry Skirt

  

Tee - Old Navy

Skirt - DIY

Sandals - Eurosoft by Sofft

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. This skirt is pajamas.

No, I don't mean "pajama-feeling" or "pajama-inspired" - I mean honest-to-goodness pajamas. I got this sleeved nightgown because I liked the cherry print, and I don't really have any cute pjs. However I forgot that it's always hot in my room and this thick cotton knit would make me burn up.

So I got a wild hair and decided to attempt turning it into a skirt a la New Dress A Day. If it sucked, well it was only a $2 loss - So I started out by cutting straight across from sleeve to sleeve. Then I decided the white buttons had to go. I replaced them with some colorful buttons.

Then I made a simple elastic waistband (roughly using this tutorial). I sewed down the front pieces so it wouldn't gap when I sat down or walked.

Some benefits to using this specific garment for repurposing: It already had pockets. It already had a good hem. The fabric is thick cotton and hella comfy. I'm still not the best seamstress, I've only made one thing completely from a pattern, but I thought this might be a good change up from the onslaught of buttonflowers and obis.

What I learned: Tutorials are a big help! Small changes can have a big impact. Actually pinning the fabric makes sewing a lot easier (I'm lazy and usually skip it). My machine does not like sewing through too much fabric, but I can make it work by rolling the thing very slowly.

Ants and lady bugs - don't miss the butterfly obi belt!

But never fear - I've got new ones of those too. Five new obis are up on the shop thanks to the donation from my MIL.

Long and Short

Dress - All Saints (altered bust)

Beth Obi - MMD

Logic Flats - Cydwoq

Wrist wrap - Target

Oh what a day! We started the morning with puppies. Yep, my Bro-in-law has two new pups that we're apparently dog sitting. I love puppies, well the idea of puppies. But I have some dog allergies and a hyper sensitive nose to 'dog smell' - so I'm alternatively like yayy puppies! boo itchy watery eyes and sneezy nose! Did I mention there's puppy pee?

Rounding out the afternoon, I got dressed up to have lunch with my MIL and go thrifting. Yes! I know! The ban. But I got one blouse that I had originally found while just window shopping. It's long sleeved so it's winter-wear. My MIL also sprung for enough ties for five more belts. I hadn't planned to make any more unless requested, but who am I to deny donation! I'll have them up on the shop by Sunday. 

Speaking of obis I wanted to give this super long belt a spin. It wraps around me twice! After looking back through my archives, I've only worn this dress a handful of times. It's such a statement piece I feel like I need to space out wearing it. I'll probably be wearing it more often because it drew up the last time I washed it making it above knee length/fit better.

Here's some FF questions I snagged from Elegance Personified who kindly gave me a shout-out on her blog today.

1. Since you began blogging do you notice a change in the types of things you gravitate towards while shopping?

Definitely, my style has gone through some major evolutions. Sometimes distorting out of what I even like. However I feel like I'm finally hitting my stride, learning not to care about brands, but using the power of branding as starting point for sizing/style types. My life changes frequently - school, summer, different jobs. These demand different functional outfits so thus my style changes.

2. Do you find, as a fashion blogger, that you dress differently from your family and friends? Do they comment on that? 

Absolutely and absolutely. I often get criticism for not wearing the same stuff as everyone else. I occasionally get side-eyed or snide remarks, but generally everyone is supportive. 

3. What’s the weirdest fashion that you secretly like, even if you aren’t bold enough to wear it?

Pretty sure there's nothing I'm too scared to wear. I like a lot of things I don't actually wear, but I dress for physical comfort first, then fashion second, so a lot of trends go by the wayside for that. As for weird things - I wear harnesses, wild shoes, weird prints, ties as belts, and the loudest colors I can find. I'm pretty weird.

4. Looking at current trends – what would you like to try but need to build up the courage to do? 

Admittedly, I had to go look up what's "trendy"... I'm pretty sure I own something of everything that could be trendy in someway shape or form. The thing I've learned from blogging - don't be afraid of your clothes. Even if you wind up hating what you're wearing, change! You don't have to keep an outfit, you can simply change out of it and get rid of it!

5. Toot someone’s horn – what fashion blogger out there inspires you with her bold fashion choices?

Just check my blogroll. I keep it as updated and fresh as I can. I remove non-updating blogs after 3-6 months, re-add if they return, but my blog roll reflects the blogs I read every time they post. I do add anywhere from 10-20 additional blogs a day, so if you're a comment reader - pop over to some of my readers and say hello! Community is a wonderful thing.

Like a Star

 

Tank - She-bible, thrifted

Skirt - the Limited, thrifted

Star Sandals - Poetic License

Necklace - gift from Beth

I'm quickly coming up on four years of blogging. And it's taken me all of that time to really begin pinning down my functional fashion needs, but also developing my personal style. I spent years just forgoing accessories because I don't really like the fussy feeling of a dangling necklace or losing my standard-size bracelets off my tiny wrists. However I'm back to learning why a piece or two of the right jewelry can elevate a look, especially when it has come to my summer 'uniform' of a sleeveless shirt, full skirt, and fun footwear.

Beth sent me this amazing statement star necklace earlier this week. I know I'll get a ton of use out of it. It's large enough for visual impact, but just the right size to be comfortable. Thanks, Beth! I can't express how awesome it is to get dressed everyday and see my friends' generosity in almost every single outfit. I've met some really incredible people through blogging, and I can't believe I ever considered quitting in the early years. 

Sorry about the lighting in today's photo, it was glaring bright this afternoon. I, for one, can not stop thinking about boots, tights, layers! It's been summer since March and probably won't cool off until September. #weathercomplaints, amirite?

Long Story

Pistachio colored Blouse - Gap, thrifted

Belt - thrifted

Silk Skirt - Bandolino, gift from Lynne

Logic oxfords - Cydwoq

Bracelet - gift from Debbi

First let me say how pumped I was from your comments on Monday's post. I found a number of books I can't wait to read, and I'm excited that so many people are reading. Reading is truly my greatest passion, but it's not exactly a group activity.

Sorry for the silence over here yesterday, but I'm sure you all can envision a plain black tank and jeans. Yesterday all started with a meeting about the painting job I'm supposed to do. Except a quarter tank of gas later, I know no more than I did before about the job because no one was actually prepared despite asking me to come meet with them.

I followed that appointment up with a trip to the college. Turns out I need seven more classes instead of the expected six. Which isn't that bad, but one of my art classes doesn't count towards anything, and I've got the 4 hour science classes both semesters. So, at least one of the two semesters, I'm going to be way overbooking myself if I want to graduate this spring. I'm still shooting for it.

Sometimes you just gotta spin on a trailer

I got signed up for this semester at least, but after a trip to attempt to get my books - they're all still on order and won't be in until 2 weeks before school. I'd normally order online at this point, but I need the school-specific package for two of my classes. Which sucks.

However, today took a nicer turn because I finally get to wear this amazing skirt that Lynne sent me. Knowing I have had some issues with the blistering heat, she sent me a few cool goodies to carry me on through the end of summer. This painterly skirt felt like as air. I nearly had a couple of Marilyn moments, but I felt totally floaty.

Also I got an extra special surprise that you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see! Squee~

Missing Black

Sheer blouse - Loft, altered

Belt - thrifted

Skinnies - Joe's Jeans, NWT thrifted

Sandals - Poetic License

Bag - Target

Cuff - gift from Lynne

Another great reason I don't need to do any more summer shopping - I have tons of clothes that only got worn once or twice this summer. I've practically forgotten about these sandals. Some things still haven't been worn! I plan on using this week to work on that. As much as I've been obsessed with bright bright bright, I'm missing my dark clothes. It's hard to wear black during the summer, but this sheer cotton blouse offers a great cool way to do so.

This outfit was worn for a big post office jaunt (everyone knows me there now), therapy, and I'll add a cami and loose the belt for a meeting with my grandparents. As somebody who considers their life quite boring, I'm certainly busy. 

I finally did start a new book: Promise of the Wolves*. My mom passed it on. I'm already 220 pages into it. It's got a very "Earth's Children" feel to it, which was a series that was passed onto me by a friend. Not my usual sci-fi fantasy fare, but a good easy read to keep my brain occupied. 

What are you reading?




**Link for info sake, I receive no kickback for you clicking or buying anything while using this link.

Sew Sunday Winner

Winner: Terri at RAGS against the MACHINE

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway. I tossed everyone's name into my pink bucket and pulled! Apologies for the terrible shaky video, I am not the best camera-person.

Congrats to Terri who's comment said: "I would wear the flowers to add variety to my 6-items looks." I can't wait to see how they look with her extreme challenge. Be sure to check it out and support her.

For those who didn't win, I will be doing more giveaways in the future. Please keep checking back. I know I'll be doing at least one art giveaway this year, so be on the look out for that. If you find you absolutely need your own buttonflowers, obi belt or art work, feel free to email me at Ecc3ntriccynic[at]gmail[dot]com for more information about ordering.

Drained

Dress - Ruby Rox, swap

Flats - United Nude

Necklace - via Mom

Even though I consider myself quite the Southern girl, I still wilt in this type of heat. The storms last night made no dent in the crispy grass or the glaring sunshine today. Normally I'd spend a day like this cloistered inside doing whatever work I could inside, but school time is quickly approaching and I needed to go and sort out some stuff down at the college.

Except they've got the campus half-torn up due to construction so trying to park and figure out how to get to the actual offices I needed to get to was irritating and heat-headache inducing. Between their website redesign, campus "remodeling", and subsequent raising of tuition I'm really dreading dealing with this year. After spending two afternoons at the college, I'm not any closer to being signed up for my classes, but I do finally have a heads up on who my adviser is and hopefully will have some answers soon. 

Despite various frustrations of the past few weeks, I've had a number of smiles - including packages from some of my favorite bloggers. Today's pick me up came in the form of - napkins! Cocktail napkins to be specific. I got these from Ally yesterday, and having a kick-ass napkin to go with my pity-party lunch of turkey and apple sandwich with a chocolate dipped strawberry made my afternoon a little sweeter.

And since I've avoided discussing my daily outfits lately - This dress is one I got from Lynne when she visited Tennessee. It used to have a cap sleeve and was about 3 inches too long in the bust on me. It sat around for awhile until I got around to taking it up. Also I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before - but the DH hates these shoes. No idea why, not even he was able to explain why. They remind me of aliens or old fashioned flintstone-style stuff. I will wear these shoes til they fall apart.


Don't forget about my giveaway. Tomorrow night is the last chance to enter. 

Back on the Ban - Ethically?

 Tank - Ann Taylor, thrifted NWT

Capri jeans - William Rast for Target, thrifted, hemmed

Army Flats - Trippen

Necklace - gift from Lynne

Star Earrings - vintage shop

I'm usually a good saver. I'm also an impulse buyer. Those two things are contradictory, but true. It's been nearly 2 weeks since I last went thrifting or shopping. In that time I've been digging through my closet, ebaying stuff that hasn't been worn or pulling things to put into the garage sale my in-laws are planning. I've been crafting up a storm for both online sales and the booth coming up. I've got three things on my wishlist for the next 6-8 months.

First on my goal list is the Trippen boots I've been lusting after since I discovered the brand via Nubby Twiglet (it's all her fault). I lost my head the last time I was saving for them and got these flats from Ped Shoes instead. (Totally consider these one of my best purchases ever) But I've had actual dreams about those boots, as outrageous as they are, despite the price, etc. Even knowing I might have trouble with the platform. I want these boots.

I also have to figure out the logistics of ordering them from Canada and how customs/duty works. (Anyone care to explain that? I've never purchased anything more than the import limit before, I'm afraid of getting hit with big fees after ordering.)

I've put up a counter in my sidebar so I can keep a visual reminder of what I'm saving for until I meet each goal. You can also check the wishlist to see what I'm saving for next. The end-of-summer sales will be tempting, but I've got willpower and a plan to save.

Hello, I am the outrageously expensive boots

Have you ever saved up for something special? Was it worth it? 

"Worth it" It's usually the last thing on our mind as we browse through the fast fashion shops filled with rock bottom deals. I've been reading up a lot on 'ethical' buying thanks to Terri (@RagsMachine). I have generally felt good thrifting almost all of my clothing or swapping, and buying shoes from trusted brands. However I've been just as frivolous with my thrifted stuff. Thinking oh I only paid this or that, and re-donating.

I also want to take my own advice of voting with my wallet, and spend money with companies and indie designers who produce things I like. This conversation is really too big for me. I highly suggest checking out this post with the Thrifted Shift and this one at The 6 Items Challenge. This is a difficult topic to face as a fashion blogger, as a consumer, as a poor college kid. But it's got to start somewhere.

**As always, links are love, not profit. I will never receive kick back for you clicking on a link. I only make profit off the things I sell personally.**

Starfish

Necklace - thrifted

Fish dress - thrifted

Flats - Frye, ebay

Snake ring - gift from Sheila

I've seen a lot of "traveling" based posts this summer. Some people traveling for work, others for vacation. I'm a homebody. My idea of a vacation means finding something to do in my own town and sleeping in my own bed. However I imagine if I did travel, this is what I might wear. A loose dress, simple necklace, and flat shoes. This dress is one of those tourist-y things one might wear in a beach town. I'm really anticipating fall so I can try layering it up. 

Did you travel this summer? Are you a good traveler, or are you like me who packs everything imaginable for an overnight trip?

Flash of Talent

Tank - August Silk, swap

Printed pants - Sandra King, thrifted, slimmed

Flats - United Nude

Earrings - vintage shop

Woo! What a start to this week. I got a package in the mail from Tamera with some great new ties. I've already gotten a few new belts put together today, go check 'em out here. These will probably be the last few pre-made belts I'll have up for the end of summer. Any further belts will have to be requested, so if you see something you like - shoot me an email!


I also got a call this afternoon for a possible job painting a wedding chapel sign. I may not be able to do the 9-to-5, but I do love using my skills to create things. 

Bonus outfit - this is what I wore yesterday after the morning crash. I've been wearing my jeans a lot more often. I'm so tired of having to dress around wearing as little as possible - I miss layers and boots and crisp fall breezes. I tried to incorporate what I'm missing with this fab little vest I thrifted. I almost didn't get it, but I am so glad I did because it gave me a good excuse to wear the obi I lovingly call the Frankenbelt.

Tank - Target

Vest - thrifted

Belt - MMD

Jeans - American Eagle, gift

Textile Flats - Cydwoq

MMD accessory of the day: Beth is wearing her obi belt with a gorgeous houndstooth shift. Don't miss this look!

Monday Morning

 Jacket - Eddie Bauer, swap via Lynne

Tee - Hanes sleep shirt stolen from DH

Shorts - St. John's Bay, thrifted

Mirada boots - All Saints

Outfit Inspiration - Here

I suck at the 9-to-5. I can never seem to be awake before noon, unless I stayed up the night before. I do this more often than I should, but I feel like I am most productive, the most creative, the most energetic when I can greet the sun in the morning and say goodnight to the fog that rolls twilight blue into soft pinks. Then sleep through the glaring sun only to start the cycle again.

The worst part of these mornings - they're usually a transition night to fixing my poor sleep schedule. The best part of these mornings - breakfast. The best part of my weekend - comics.

I picked up Danger Girl and the Hypernaturals. I grew up a Danger Girl fan. It was an action packed comic with spunky main characters. Charlie's Angels for the 90s. However I was underwhelmed by the ads on almost every other page (this is no exaggeration), disjointed story, and change in art style from the original editions.

I got Hypernaturals off the newer stock shelf, which turned out to be a really pleasant surprise. Superheroes meet space in this approachable, slightly cliché story. It's a little bit cheesy, little bit wordy, but once you dive in it falls together.  It's also ad-free, except the publishing ads in the back. Will definitely be heading back to the store for Vol.2 - not bad for less than $4. Which is less than I spent on breakfast.

Mmm chick-fil-a sauce

See you in the PM. 

Sew Sunday: Giveaway

Win these!

 Welcome to Sew Sunday Giveaway

MMD buttonflowers and obi belts started as a project inspired by Ally of Shybiker who kindly donated some of beautiful silk ties for me to cut up and sew together to create recycled accessories. MMD accessories have developed into something bigger than I expected. To extend the same generosity that many other bloggers have given to me, I wanted to do a giveaway for my readers.

Here is a buttonflower 'grab bag' for one person to win. They're cotton based with plastic buttons, so even my vegan/vegetarian readers are free to enter. There is 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small in bright summery colors.

"So how do I enter?!"

Sweet and Sage - My fav advice blogger! - wearing her buttonflower
Download her free e-book from her website!

To Enter:

- Leave a comment on this post with a viable email (XXXXX[at]site[dot]com) telling me what you'd do with your buttonflowers

- Tell me how you follow MMD (You must be a follower somehow to enter)

No extra entries - sorry!

Giveaway ends July 21, 2012 Midnight CST

Opposite of Vanity Sizing

Tee - MeghanNoland, thrifted

Skirt - All Saints

Star belt - thrifted

Flats - Frye

Buttonflowers - MMD

Finally feeling much better today. It was nice and breezy as I ran errands. I opted for cool cottony pieces in light colors. This is how summer should feel. This tee is one of a few pieces I've picked up over the years where the sizing absolutely baffles me. This tee is marked a "large". Yesterday's shirt? Was marked either an L or XL... As a size 2/4 person, it was weird. I don't know if it was mislabeled and that's the reason this shirt wound up in Goodwill, but it was a happy find while thrifting. Also a quick google, this tee would have cost astronomically more new than the $2 I paid for it.. 

Just a friendly reminder not to trust your tags. Always try things on, especially if they look like they might fit.

In exciting news, I have a table at the Fall Festival! My MIL knows a lady who is willing to let me sell buttonflowers and obi belts outside her shop during the local festival. It's not for a few months, but I hope for good things. I'm trying to make the best of my time off this summer to shore up my stock. Back to the sewing machine today!

Question Thursday

Blouse - 4ever young

Jeans - American Eagle, gift

Boots - Fluevog, ebay

Buttonflower - MMD

Today's outfit - I spent almost all day in pajamas. I finally got dressed in some jeans and striped top, but honestly I've felt rotten. It's rainy. It's cooled off, but I tend to feel awful any time there's a significant weather shift. This is a typical outfit I might wear on the weekend. I'm not a big jeans wearer, but somehow I still have a drawer full of them.

In fall shopping related news, the brown boots I had planned to save up for are now gone from the site. Wtf. This obviously means I need these Fluevog purple boots instead, right? I mean purple is a good neutral. Upon reflection, I'm not seeing anything in my wardrobe that wouldn't work with purple instead of brown. Plus according to reviewers they're cut for a slim calf, which is nearly impossible to find. Hmm... What say you?

For today's post, I snagged the questions from Beth's post today (You should click through and see her majorly adorable outfit), even though I wasn't technically tagged. She did give me a shout-out, thanks Beth!

1. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

-Pistachio. No almonds. Coffee flavor is the runner up.

2. If money was no object, where would you like to travel most? 

-England or New Zealand. Cliché,  no? I like places with history. I am also not very good at languages, so I'd prefer somewhere predomninantly English speaking.

3. Describe to me your perfect day off.

-Sleep-in. Go to one of my favorite places to eat. Go thrifting. Art Crawl or movie. Dinner with the Hubs. Watch internet videos before falling asleep. I'm not terribly ambitious with my time off. ;P

4. What's your favorite guilty pleasure?

-Keeping up with the Kardashians or Million Dollar Listing. Both shows are so full of ridiculous pretentious people who are incredulously unreal. I also like reading ONTD for gossip. It has the added benefit of real news sometimes and info on upcoming movies/television that I actually do want to see.

5. What is your favorite season?

-Fall, I suppose. I like the smell of winter in the air. The gloomy grey days that are just perfect for curling up with a warm mug of tea and a good book. I like boots, but hate having to bundle up for the coldness of winter. 

6. (Stealing Amanda's) Top 5 Favorite Movies. Go.

-Fifth Element, Star Trek, Harry Potter (all of them), LotR (all of them), and A Knight's Tale (people will probably angrily disagree, but I love this movie so much more than Princess Bride)

7. What is your least favorite household chore?

-Dishes. I hate getting my hands gross. I don't really mind cooking, cleaning, or ironing. I just hate dishes.

8. Coffee or tea or neither?

-Both. I like coffee in the morning, tea in the evening. I don't even know how people can compare the two. They're very different.

9. Last book you read? Do you recommend it?

-Well I did finally finish re-reading the Hobbit. Of course I recommend it. I am HYPED about the new movie coming out. (Disclaimer - that's the last actual book I read, but I read a ton of short stories. I highly recommend fiction press if you want some free fiction written by aspiring writers)

10. What was your favorite childhood toy?

-Books? SNES? Sega Genesis? A lot of my toys were for playing with other people, even my game systems. I had barbies and ninja turtles and legos and polly pockets, but if it was just me playing I often rode my bike or rollerbladed or read books. I was a very active kid, with a wild imagination. I spent a ton of time just me and my crazy brain.

11. Do you have any bad habits?

-Biting my nails, letting my anxiety/phobias control my decisions, staying up too late, enjoying bad television/music, drinking too much caffeine, shopping too much, spending too much time online. Sure, I've got loads of them. 

Sometimes in twos

 Shirt - Austin Clothing Co., thrifted

Skirt - Chadwicks, thrifted

Custom Harness - Audra Jean

Tiny star buttonflower - MMD

Pearl Hart Pumps - John Fluevog

Sometimes finding that perfect piece is impossible - short of having it made up from scratch. From the beginning of this little blog I've wanted a yellow skirt in the perfect shade of not-quite yellow, not quite orange. Very rich and marigold. Sheila gifted me a gorgeous yellow pencil skirt that fulfilled almost all of my dreams. The only problem is the 50% wool/50% modal material. Too hot for my Southern summers.

I kept an eye out for anything that might fill the gap for summer and finally! Success. The waistband needs to come up just a hair, the color isn't quite as saturated as I hoped, but it was a big win for $2. Sometimes it just takes two to fulfill the gap. Now I have the option of a cozy bright pencil skirt in winter, or super thin flowy in summer.

Although here is Light Blue Shirt #4. Oops. Well at least it's got a nifty print and fun little snap buttons? I couldn't resist. You can see by my shoes that despite the sunny appearance - I took today's pictures in the middle of a torrential downpour. My hair poofed up nearly twice the volume by the time I left the garage!

Sky-Jack would make an excellent DJ name

MMD accessory of the day: Sheila wears her lemon mini buttonflower with a gorgeous printed top.

Topsy Turvy Tuesday

Dress - Liz Claibourne, thrifted 

Obi belt - MMD
Flats - Trippen Army

Hallelujah! The temps have finally dropped below the levels of Hell. I decided to jump on the opportunity to wear some sleeves. I also wanted to give this obi a whirl. Speaking of whirling, I'm experiencing some vertigo today. I think any more sewing is going on the back burner for a day or two. I still have a skirt to take up and some sleeves to hem. Instead of sewing, I think I'll make a tasty beef stir fry for dinner.

You may notice color blocking around the blog world today for the EBEW challenge. However I just did my Star Trek, color blocked post about a week ago. You can check it out over here with lots of blocked outfit looks from my past.

Instead today I am challenging myself with an actual challenge - pattern mixing. I've mixed three different sets of stripes today. In interest of editing my closet, I'm still wavering on keeping this dress. I'm not sure the colors/fit is the most flattering. What say you? Stay or go?

Check out Beth's buttonflower on a chain necklace and Megan's flair with added buttonflower. I love the creativity.

Excess(ively awesome)

Wool blend Tee - Ann Taylor, thrifted

Jeans - Divided, thrifted

Boots - John Fluevog, ebay

Obi belt and Buttonflower - MMD

Wrist cuff - vintage via Mom

Or "Quitting While You're Ahead"

I love shopping at Goodwill's Super Saturday Sale. Everything in the store is 50% their already super low prices. I always find amazing deals in the racks. I loaded up on new ties, transforming only a portion of my haul into some lovely new obi belts over the weekend. I also came away with some clothing, despite my best intentions.

Reflecting on my purchases (3 tops and 2 skirts) I realized it's best to quit while I'm ahead. I now own 4 light blue shirts. Two were gifted, two were thrifted. They're all different styles, two have prints, two have collars, one has pleats.

I also now own 3 green skirts. As someone who struggles to find the right fit with skirts, I'm happy to buy any skirt that meets my needs. Until I realize that I have 3 green skirts - all distinctly different, but still far too much for a person who has about 10 skirts.

My plans for this week is to re-edit my closet of things that don't fit and can't be altered. Look over my transitions for fall/winter, and work on creating with the materials I have. I'm really thrilled with the newest obis, including this fabulous red and black combo.

I dressed to match the manicure my MIL got me. I think the polish is My Private Jet by O.P.I (newer version) with tiny hearts on the middle fingers. My fingers are the color of a graphite pencil! I love it. I honestly don't like painting my nails, but it keeps me from biting them. 

What do you do to treat yourself? I enjoy cooking myself a good meal or watching a favorite movie. Lately I've also been taking the time to draw a few times a week.

Sew Sunday Show-Off 3

Welcome to the third edition of MMD's Sew Sunday Show-off!

 We're starting this week off with Sheila in her amazing sunny yellow dress with the bee themed buttonflower. I mailed her a little trio including the bees as a 'response' to the fly shirt she sent me. Bugs for bugs! This outfit blew me away.

Next up we have Lynne in the Dragon obi! She jazzed up her slightly patriotic themed outfit with this fabulous obi belt, and clipped a buttonflower to her shoes for that extra flirty flair. I think buttonflowers have a great future as shoe-clips.

We also have Shannon, Lynne's co-worker, modeling the two obi belts Lynne recently got in the mail. Obis work for a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles. Shannon looks amazing in both styles. Check out the buttonflower with the heart button on the first obi!

Last but certainly not least, Ki of Dressing Up for Life finally got her obi belt in France. International shipping sadly takes a long time sometimes, but she got her belt and promptly styled it up in a fabulous way. Check her out.


I'm happy to say I got a big tie score this weekend and will have new belts and buttonflowers coming up in the next couple of weeks. Check out the Obi Belt page and Buttonflower page for more information. Or contact me at ecc3ntriccynic[at]gmail[dot]com to make an order. Keep an eye out, I'll be doing a buttonflower giveaway soon!

Power On

Cupid Blouse - All Saints

Skirt - The limited, thrifted

Sandals - thrifted

So if you follow me on twitter (@MeganMaeDaily) you'll know I've been without power about half the day. Our neighborhood got hit by strong winds this afternoon, knocking over trees and power lines. Our house was thankfully undamaged. However the bad day just kept going.

D and I decided to escape the un-airconditioned house and 100+F weather by heading over to Panera to get some lunch and use their wifi, but half way over our car overheated and broke down. Awesome. 

D's parents came out and got us, tried to fix the car, but ultimately had it towed. Thankfully the power is back on now, but it was a truly miserable afternoon. I hope everyone else is safe from the storms, be careful if they're heading your way. The one that hit our neighborhood cropped up so fast we barely got to the hall before the windows were rattling.

The final cherry on the top of this craptastic day is that these sandals are totally torn up now. I promised myself no more thrifted shoes and lost my head when encountering these gorgeous things in the Good Samaritan store, but after just two wears the sole is crumbling. Goodbye cute shoes.

Summer Technique

Dress - All Saints, altered, gift from Megan

Fishnet - recycled tights

Belt - Rugged Warehouse

Vintage Flats - etsy

Buttonflower - MMD

Just like the last time I wore this dress, Firefly always inspires me to dress like a cowgirl. I love this dress, but it needs a little extra layering. However seeing as it's 104F that's kindof a challenge. These $2 fishnet tights didn't survive long as tights, but they've been quite valuable as a way of layering up for hotter weather. I still sweated straight through everything right after walking outside, but that's kind of unavoidable no matter what I wear.

In hindsight, I should have picked a brighter buttonflower because this one blends in too much with the dress. Oh well, I'll remember next time! For more buttonflower goodness go check out Beth wearing her buttonflowers. And Lynne too!