eShakti vs. Anthropologie

Sometimes I surprise myself. Somehow, I've managed to stick to my self-imposed shopping ban in the lead-up to the big move. I haven't ordered the Dorothy Perkins polka dot dress that I mentioned in my last post. I haven't indulged in the nearby sidewalk sales, or taken advantage of all the ridiculous sales going on in department stores. But this -- THIS! -- is seriously tempting

I don't own any pencil dresses because, to be frank, I haven't found any that don't make me look like an overstuffed sausage. I tried on the Anthro dress below, but it was way too tight, and also way out of my price range. The style itself had the potential to be incredibly flattering, but the size and price issues made it a big no go. Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon a much cheaper alternative in a size that would actually fit. I give you the dupe to end all dupes!

Anthropologie Column Tank Dress

eShakti Angular Stripe Pencil Dress

Blue Dress #3: A Bit of Whimsy

Dress: Dorothy Perkins (here)

Cardigan: Anthropologie/Ribboned Rocket Cardigan

Shoes: GAP

Earrings: Forever 21

When I got home from Anthropologie the other day -- with this cardigan in tow! Sale score FTW! -- I recounted for Mr. CP my uber-bizarre conversation with Boob Job Lady that I talked about in my last post (here). It ended up turning into a fairly lengthy conversation about Mr. CP's and my respective stances on plastic surgery. 

My position is quite simple: your body, your life. I think everyone has a right to feel beautiful, and if that means a nip, a tuck, a lift, a pull, and a few injections, then so be it. For my part, I don't like the idea of elective cosmetic surgery. It gives me the willies. Aside from my father, I avoid physicians like the plague. It's best for all parties involved, you see.

In general, I have a fairly laissez-faire attitude towards life (there are a few areas where this doesn't apply... toilet paper, for example, should always roll down on the roll, not up. Yeesh!). So, my philosophy about plastic surgery is pretty much identical to my philosophy about life (excepting toilet paper, apparently): you do your thing, I'll do mine.

On a completely unrelated note, if ever the Fates conspired to thrust me into a position of power as a benevolent dictator, I would commission a statue to be built immortalizing this expression. I think it says, "Peons, bow before me!" and "But I still love and respect you and your peasant ways!" all at the same time. Behold: Benevolent Dictatoress Kelsey. Ahem. Yes, that's a real word and a real title. Why do you ask? Are you challenging my authority!? Are you?!?!

Blue Dress #2: Spring Has Sprung

Dress: Dorothy Perkins (here)

Cardigan: Anthropologie/Hibai Cardigan

Cami: Herberger's (winner of the Department Store With the Most Hilarious Moniker Award)

Head band: Nordstrom

Shoes: Aldo (here)

Necklace and earrings: DIY

I naively assumed that the Swirling Vortex of Weirdness that has surrounded me for most of my adult life had finally, at long last, dissipated. In my idealism, I assumed that whatever deity I had managed to royally piss off had deigned, in his or her infinite wisdom, to forgive any and all transgressions I had committed. It turns out that The Vortex (yes, capital 'T,' capital 'V') didn't go away. Nope. It was just building up a back log of weirdness to gleefully hurl at me at a moment of its choosing. Apparently, it chose yesterday.

Where to begin... I suppose the best place is with the least bizarre incident. It is very rarely windy here in Seattle. It wasn't unusual, then, that it wasn't windy in the slightest when I stepped outside yesterday morning. It wasn't windy while I walked to the car, or when I got out to walk to the ATM. But, conveniently, there was a single very large burst of wind as I was walking down the sidewalk along a very busy street. And that particular burst of wind was strong enough that it lifted my skirt up around my head. Naturally, I shrieked, "The fuck!?" very shrilly. Which wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't pulled my skirt back down to the wide-eyed stares of an entire preschool troop walking to who knows where with their teachers. 

As a balm for my humiliation, I decided to head to Anthropologie to check out the semi-annual tag sale that started today. There I was, browsing the racks of items, when a woman came up to me and asked me who did my boob job. Um, 'scuse me? I don't even... What?! I toyed around with the idea of shrieking, "They came this way! Lay off!" But instead, I did what I do best: laughed awkwardly, and made an inappropriate joke. My exact response: "Mother Nature is my plastic surgeon. Who's yours?" She rolled her eyes, and looked at me disbelievingly. I'm choosing to take her question as a compliment. If I interpret it the way my brain is fighting to -- as a creepy, inappropriate query -- I run the risk of becoming even more disillusioned with my fellow human beings than I already am. So... compliment it is!

I finally made my way home to two very hyper cats (kitty number three is currently vacationing with her grandparents until we get moved next month). Anyway, Gabe (aka Boy Cat) and Luna (aka Fish) were chasing each other around the house like cats are wont to do. Fish was very naughty, and hopped up on the toilet seat, and before I could make my way to the bathroom to shoo her off, Boy Cat pushed her in. The toilet, that is. Fish fell in the toilet. Thankfully, I had just cleaned it this morning... but still. It's a toilet. Blech. So, I got to give Fish a bath today. Without the full body armor that such a chore typically demands. It was... interesting.

Anyhoodle, I'm hoping I'm all paid up on weirdness for a while. Fingers crossed.

The Mane Event!

I'm a firm believer in giving oneself bunny ears. It's what all the cool kids are doing these days.

(Blazer detail)

Dress: Pointelle Sweater Dress/Anthropologie

Blazer: Twill Honeybee Blazer/Anthropologie

Beetle Necklace: Anthropologie

Charm Necklace: La Vie Parisienne/Blue Ruby (jewelry boutique in Vancouver, B.C.)

Earrings: Marc Jacobs/Nordstrom Rack

Shoes: Old Navy

Last Thursday night, Cascade Ice Water hosted an event at the amazing Mane Blow Dry Bar in downtown Seattle. I had never had a blow out before, but I figured they had to be marvelous and magical because I've routinely seen women come walking out of blow dry bars looking like they stepped out of an Herbal Essences commercial. SO, I squealed with delight when I realized that I would finally get to experience a blow out for myself.

I was not disappointed. Look at my curly hair! LOOK! LOOOOOOK! (Excuse the flash... the camera was being temperamental). I'm already planning a Girls' Night return trip for the full treatment!

                                 

                           

Our very generous hosts, Cascade Ice, provided us with delicious refreshments for the entirety of the evening. I took advantage of their tasting bar, and sipped on four or five different flavors. My favorite: their low calorie margaritas. They were absolutely delicious. So were the Cosmos. Grapefruit was good, too. Coconut was pretty awesome. Okay, really, there wasn't a bad flavor in the bunch. They were all fantastic. 

And perhaps most exciting of all, they had chocolate covered strawberries. Sooooo many chocolate covered strawberries. They also had delicious food on skewers. Side note: can I just tell you how impressed I was at some of the other bloggers' abilities to eat these things daintily? I saw at least two or three people use the skewers in seriously creative ways so they wouldn't have to eat the chicken like a popsicle. Alas, I'm not a skewer ninja, so I embraced my more barbarous instincts, and just ate it like a chicken popsicle.  It was glorious.

To Mane, Nunez PR, and Cascade Ice Water: thank you so much for a wonderful evening! I had an absolute blast meeting each and every one of you. To my fellow bloggers in attendance: it was so amazing to meet all of you! Thanks for all the laughs!

Bright and Cheerful

Dress: Torchon Embossed Ponte Dress/Anthropologie - Gifted (here)

Cardigan: Anthropologie

Tights: Target

Head band: Nordstrom

Shoes: Aldo (similar here)

Sorry for the radio silence lately. The bleakness of winter and spring here in the Pacific Northwest tends to leave me feeling a bit apathetic and sleepy. As a result, I haven't really been wearing anything of note. I've pretty much been living in PJs, yoga pants, and shapeless t-shirts. I want to get better about posting regular OOTD's again, though, and this post is a step in that direction.

I wore this outfit to go shopping with Mr. CP over the weekend. It's easily the brightest item in my closet. Eye-searing tangerine isn't something I ever would have been drawn to in the past, in part because I live in a place where pretty much everybody wears variations of black and grey. You can imagine how much I stood out in this number! I felt a bit out of place for a while, until I looked down and realized how happy the color of this dress made me. And at the end of the day, at least in my mind, that's what fashion is about: wearing things that make you feel happy. I had random strangers stopping to compliment me on the dress, so it appears that it was a hit with other people, too. Even Mr. CP said this dress put him in a cheerful mood, so this is my new go to "happy dress."

Mr. CP has a conference in beautiful Santa Barbara, CA later this week, so we'll be flying down the coast to sunnier climes. One of my very best friends from high school and college is finishing up his PhD in the area, so I'm going to spend some quality time with him while Mr. CP conferences it up. Mr. CP presented at the same conference a few years ago, and we met some really wonderful people while we were there. Thankfully, they're all going to be in attendance again, so I'm sensing lots of group meals and laughs.

I'm planning on doing a series of posts featuring the outfits I wear while we're in Santa Barbara. I typically like to pack pretty light, so I'll probably be doing lots of mixing and matching. 

*Which brings me to a question for all of you! I really want to take my beautiful tangerine dress with me, but I'm having a hard time figuring out alternative ways to style it. How would you style the dress?*

Valentine's Day Non-Plans

Dress (gifted): Brushed Terra Dress/Anthropologie (here)

Lace top: Anthropologie

Head band: Target

Earrings (gifted): Betsey Johnson (here)

Belt: Target

Tights: Hue/Macy's

Boots: Enzo Angiolini/Nordstrom Rack

Over the last week or so, I couldn't help noticing all the wonderful posts about Valentine's Day popping up around the internet. All the heart-print clothes, and Valentine's Day inspired outfits made me squeal with delight. Except... well, we don't celebrate Valentine's Day. Long before Mr. CP and I were together, I realized that it just wasn't a holiday that resonated with me. I didn't find any meaning in a single day that celebrates love, because to be perfectly honest, I think every day should be a celebration of your affection for those closest to you. Don't get me wrong. I always loved hearing all about my girlfriends' elaborate Valentine's Day plans: where they were going, who they were going with, what they were going to wear. For my part, though, Valentine's Day just wasn't my style. I preferred to stay in, bake cookies (and not burn down the kitchen, thankyouverymuch), and watch silly movies in my PJs. 

A friend of mine recently asked what Mr. CP and I were going to do for Valentine's Day. When I responded, she looked horrified. No dinner plans? No fancy outfits? No flowers, or chocolate? Thankfully, I was able to alleviate at least one of her fears: there is always chocolate in our household. Always.

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? What are your plans this year?

p.s. Don't forget to check out my Victory Garden Yarn giveaway here! You have until next Monday (2/20) to enter!

New Year's Eve!

Dress: Anthropologie

Top: Anthropologie

Belt: Came with another dress

Tights: Hue/Nordstrom Rack

Shoes: Naya/Nordstrom Rack

Bracelet: Vintage

Earrings: Gift/Betsey Johnson

When I put this outfit on, I loved it. BUT seeing it in photographs, I'm left with that "meh" feeling I sometimes get over my outfits. I don't know. I mean, it's fine. It's just not, "WOWSA!" 

Anyway, our New Year's Eve celebration was marvelous! One of our very favorite seafood restaurants sits directly opposite the Space Needle (where they fire off the fireworks), so Mr. CP and I decided to take part in their NYE celebration. Seated next to us was the most adorable French couple I have ever clapped eyes on. They had to be in their 60s, but they were snuggling like teenagers, and boogying like champs. The French man was wearing a cravat. A CRAVAT! If I spoke any French at all, I would have teetered up to him in my heels and announced to him that he was my hero. Unfortunately, the only thing I know how to say in French is, "Je suis un poisson," and somehow I think he would have found it creepy if a strange woman had waltzed up to him and informed him in no uncertain terms that she was a fish. My favorite moment:  watching the French couple dance to the Beegees... right next to us... because I dragged Mr. CP out on the dance floor and made him disco with me. DON'T JUDGE ME, OKAY?! My father used to do an amazing Beegees impression... it was a thing of beauty. But I digress.

p.s. I apologize for my cosmetic-less face and un-curled hair. Light was fading fast in the lead-up to our New Year's Eve celebration, so I (very politely) demanded that Mr. CP follow me outside to take photos. 

What did YOU do for NYE? Happy 2012 (a few days late)!!!!!!! =D

Kelsey vs. The Cropped Cardigan

Disclaimer: The wind was making my hair do some creative things.

Dress: Flared and Cable Sweater Dress/Anthropologie (on sale here)

Cropped Cardigan: Anthropologie

Tights: Hue/Nordstrom Rack

Boots: Enzo Angiolini/Nordstrom Rack

Head Band: Target

Belt: Target

Earrings: Forever 21

Brooches: Thrifted

Necklace: Orange Box Jewelry

Until today, I was utterly convinced that I couldn't and shouldn't wear cropped cardigans. I was adamant in my belief that they did one thing and one thing only: drew attention to an area of my body that didn't need any more attention (read: the chestal area). When I saw this sweater on sale at Anthropologie a while back for a a mere $25 (plus an extra 25% off!), I figured I'd try it on and see what happened. I was surprised at how much I liked it. The sweater is soft, it's a beautiful color, and it's fuzzy. Plus, for that price, I just couldn't say no. Once I got it home, however, I stuck it in my closet and put off wearing it. I'd see it, think, "Meh... still not sure whether I can pull that off," and grab something else instead. I am, however, a firm believer in getting over myself, so I pulled this baby out to pair with this beautiful dress that Mama CP got me when she and Papa CP were out here visiting earlier this week. I'm actually quite pleased with how the outfit turned out. I had several women stop me today to ask where I got the sweater and dress, so I guess I did something right! =)

I'm thinking I might make this "Kelsey vs. [insert article of clothing here]" an ongoing series. It's a good way to force myself out of my comfort zone. Plus, I have a bit of a THING (that's right... all caps) about letting fear and/or self-consciousness rule my life, so such a series would also speak to that facet of my personality. What do you think? Is a "Kelsey vs..." series a good idea?

I've linked up to the Fashionista Friday series over at Fashion by Alicia, so be sure to check it out! There are some amaaazing outfits being featured this week. You can find the specific post here.

I Bet You Didn't Know...

Top: Lowland Rugosa Tank/Anthropologie

Cardigan: Halogen/Nordstrom

Jeans: Gap

Boots: Abound/Nordstrom Rack

Head band: H&M

Necklace: Aaaaall over the place

Bracelet: Gifted

First and foremost, allow me to apologize for the funky lighting in the photographs. Apparently I managed to stand in the only -- and I do mean only -- patch of sunshine to be found in Seattle today. What are the odds?

The last post I wore jeans in seemed to be a big hit with all of you, my beautiful, wonderful, oh-so-spectacular readers, so I figured I would post another jeans-centric outfit. I wasn't sure about pairing the dark blue top with the dark blue bottoms, but I think the cardigan and boots did a nice job of breaking up the monotony. You can't tell in the photographs, but the embroidered flowers on the top literally glow. Thank you, metallic thread! Swoon! I kept looking down at my shirt while I walked, and mumbling random phrases like, "Preeeeeeeetty" and "mmmphmmmph glooooooows! mmmphmmph." (Note: for the purposes of this post, "mmmph" = random mumbled noises) No one pulled their children away from me today, but I did get the stink eye from a couple people. It's okay, though; I had my beautiful glow-y blouse to soothe my wounded spirit.

The ever-beautiful and exceptionally sweet Alex of Delayed Missives recently gave me two new blog awards! Hooray! A fellow Scotch lover, I'm eagerly awaiting the day when Alex comes to Seattle -- or I go to New York -- and we can bond over our mutual love of malty, peaty goodness and, of course, fashion. ;)

These awards carry with them the requirement that I share 7 random facts about myself. Ruh roh... this could get interesting.

1.) I love coffee. Have I ever said that before? I don't think I have. I love coffee so much, in fact, that I have at my disposal at least a dozen different ways to brew up a cup and/or pot. However... ahem, unfortunately for Mr. CP I'm terrified of most (read: all but one) of the coffee-making implements we have -- I'm illogically convinced they are going to explode on me -- so until very recently it was among Mr. CP's many duties to make sure that I was caffeinated in the morning. In an effort to "empower my womanity" (his words, not mine), we bought an idiot-proof, user-friendly Nespresso machine. I can now make my own coffee. I feel empowered.

2.) I will maintain until my dying day that a three-pronged fork should be called a "threek." I therefore refuse to call it anything else.

3.) I have an inexplicable attachment to hoods. It's a fair bet that 9 times out of 10, if I'm sitting around the house, I'm wearing a hood. 

4.) I once got a concussion while having a nerf war. It's a long story, but I'll boil it down. Mr. CP stole my nerf gun and tried to run away from me; I latched on to his leg, and stupidly refused to let go (I'm tenacious that way); he pulled me along the floor (he's tenacious that way); I bonked my head on my jewelry armoire; I got knocked out. Fin.

5.) I talk in my sleep. Apparently my favorite thing to ask about is "cantaloupe." For the record, my favorite fruit is bananas.

6.) The absolute last place you ever want to find me is in the kitchen. I'll either end up burning the room down, or producing something so foul that not even alley-scavenging raccoons will want to eat it.

7.) I don't talk about it much on here, but I love reading. Lately, I've been wading my way through Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard (headache much?), and also re-reading the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. I recently finished re-reading Silas Marner by George Eliot (one of my very favorite books), Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin, and Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault.

Now I get to pass on the awards to some other lovely people! =D Hooray! In the interest of spreading the love, I tried to give these awards to a different group then last time. ;)

Kassi at The Closet Intervention

Laura at The Blog of Worldly Delights

Rebecca at The Plus Side of Me

Dotty at Dash Dot Dotty

Karla at Frugal Big Girl

Gazel at Bonjour Gazel

Sara at The Woollen Mitten

Loren at Frock Stock

Cold Weather Lovelies

Mr. CP and I are heading to the beautiful Rockies tomorrow! Hooray! I'll try not to disappear completely while I'm on my trip, and I promise I'll come back with lots of photos to share with you.

In honor of our trip, I thought I'd share with you all some cold weather accessories I've been coveting lately. I've posted some of these to Tumblr and Pinterest (where I keep track of all the beautiful items I find on the internet), so for those of you who follow me there, you may see some familiar items.

Whipstitched Riding Boots/Anthropologie

Button Band Gloves/Anthropologie

Knitted Black Cloche/Etsy: JadeExpressions

 Snowdrop Cowl/Etsy: VictoryGardenYarn

Victorian Redingote/Etsy: VigilanteLabs