Mosaics

Dress: Tolani/Nordstrom Rack

Cardigan: Rubbish/Nordstrom Rack

Boots: Abound/Nordstrom Rack

Tights: Hue/Macy's

Head band: H&M

Bracelets: Vintage, Target, Forever 21, and DIY

Earlier this year, Mr. CP spent two and a half months abroad in Italy doing research for his dissertation. I, unfortunately, couldn't join him the entire time, but I did manage to get over there for ten days. I had always wanted to visit Italy. In fact, I took several Italian classes in college in preparation for that far-off day when I would be able to visit. We had determined early on that we would much rather visit fewer places and explore them more thoroughly, and so we decided to spend 5 days in Rome and 5 in Venice. Below, I've listed my 4 favorite memories from our time in Italy. (Note: I know 4 is an arbitrary number. I was initially going to do 5, but this post is already super duper long.) 

1.) The food. May I just say that I will forever and always worship the culture that introduced both pasta and pizza into the world? I'm convinced that Italy possesses some sort of magical powers. I literally ate my body weight in pasta every day, and actually lost weight on the trip. Logic tells me that it was probably because I was hoofing it everywhere, but emotionally I believe otherwise. It was magic. Magic, I tell you!!!

2.) On one of our first days in Rome, we stumbled upon an amazing restaurant called Zeus. We decided to go back a couple times before we left, and ultimately befriended one of the waiters, and the crazy Sicilian chef. So desperate was the SC (Sicilian Chef) to converse with us that he brought out an Italian newspaper and started gesturing and pointing at it frantically. To this day, I have absolutely no idea what he was saying -- the waiter couldn't even understand what SC was saying, despite the fact that he was Italian -- but SC apparently liked us, because he sent out a special dessert he whipped up just for us as a going away present!

3.) Completely unintentionally, we arrived in Venice on the last day of Carnival. Our hotel was right off St. Mark's Square, but we had no idea at all how to get there. We headed in the vague direction of our hotel with our giant ass backpacks only to find that everyone else was trying to get into the Square. My solution: use my overstuffed backpack as a battering ram. It worked relatively well... until we got lost. Mr. CP had to dump me in an alley with our backpacks while he went off in pursuit of the hotel.

4.) I'm a huge art junkie. I haven't got any artistic abilities whatsoever -- even my stickmen look like shapeless blobs -- but I admire the artistic productions of others. The day we spent at the Vatican Art Museum was overwhelming and amazing. The mosaics, in particular, were astonishing. There are no words, and that's saying something for someone as long-winded and verbose as me.

Which brings me to the dress I'm wearing above. It was my love of those mosaics that inspired me to nab this dress when I saw it at Nordstrom Rack a while back. It reminded me vaguely of the beautiful, vibrantly colored mosaics I saw in the Vatican Art Museum, and brought back all the wonderful memories of my time in Italy. When I told Mr. CP this, he insisted that it doesn't look the faintest bit like a mosaic. I did the mature thing. I shrieked, "YES IT DOES, BUTT HEAD!" and dramatically sashayed out of the room. Because that's just how I roll. 

Walk, Don't Waddle!

Top: Gap

Cardigan: August Silk (Nordstrom Rack)

Skirt: Thrifted

Tights: Gift from Mr. CP! (Modcloth)

Shoes: Old Navy

Sweater Clip: CatRabbit

Earrings: Marc Jacobs (Nordstrom Rack)

Head Band: H&M

I tend to fixate on things. It's just how I'm built. I get all worked up about something, and dwell on it. And dwell on it. And, for good measure, dwell on it some more. My current fixation centers on the relative lack of colorful and/or patterned tights available for plus sized women. At least three times a day in our house, I can be heard complaining at length about it. I usually conclude my daily rants with, "What the [insert expletive of your choice here]?!" (In my more PG moments -- which are admittedly few and far between -- I tend to favor, "What the crap?!") Poor Mr. CP is the one who has to listen to my rants. And let me tell you, it's the exact. same. rant. day in. and day out. Nothing really changes except the expletive I use. Poor, long-suffering Mr. CP. 

Because he's just that spectacularly sweet -- and also, I suspect, in an effort to get me to stop complaining -- Mr. CP put his mad Google Fu skills to good use and hunted me down two pairs of colorful, patterned tights! That's right, colorful and patterned. I got what I wanted -- two beautiful pairs of tights -- and Mr. CP got what he wanted -- silence. Okay, well, not complete silence, because I'm still me, but he no longer has to listen to my seemingly endless diatribes on tights. Hooray for Mr. CP!

I tend to be reeeeeally picky about tights. I want tights that are durable, that fit (dur!), and most importantly, that don't result in what I've dubbed Penguin Crotch. Penguin Crotch is best described as the result of a pair of ill-fitting and/or poorly made tights such that the crotch sits somewhere around the knees and causes the wearer to waddle in a rather unsightly way. I am pleased to announce that these Modcloth tights fulfill all three of the above requirements: they seem durable, they fit, and I do not waddle to-and-fro like a Pacific Northwestern penguin. Yippee!

p.s. I apologize for the wrinkly skirt. I had been sitting for a while. =)

Take Four: Cardigans and Chunky Knits

 Dress: Nordstrom Rack

Cardigan: Nordstrom Rack

Tights: Target

Boots: Enzo Angiolini (Nordstrom Rack)

Head band: Nordstrom

Earrings: Fossil

Brooch: Free Table at consignment store (hooray!)

For a long time, I shied away from chunky knits. I was convinced that they made me look, well, chunky. As I've grown more comfortable with my body, though, I've come to realize that it's largely a question of the specific item of clothing you pick. After trying on countless chunky knit items, I eventually realized that not all chunky knits are created equal. Some add bulk in areas where I reeeeeally don't need extra padding (see: the Ladies). Others, like this cardigan, miraculously obscure bulk, and nip in at the waist to give a nice hourglass effect.

There are few things I love more than cruising around the internet looking at photos of peoples' outfits. I particularly love seeing different interpretations of the same trends. So... do you want to see three more interpretations of chunky knits? You do?! Goody! Check out these three ladies!

Bekah at Matters of Merrymaking <--- she is, indeed, a merrymaker.
Gracey at Fashion for Giants <--- She's hilarious, and has beeeeeeeautiful boots, to boot. (heh!)
Karla at Frugal Big Girl <--- She always manages to score some serious deals!

I've met some truly wonderful people since I started blogging a few short months ago. That's far and away been my favorite aspect of blogging. So when Karla approached Gracey, Bekah, and I about starting up a blogging group called Take Four, I didn't hesitate to say yes!

Take Four is an opportunity for the four of us, who bet my chance through blogging, to support each other in a collaborative blogging project. The idea is simple: once or twice a month, we will post four unique interpretations of a selected trend.  In each post, we will provide links to each other’s blogs, so that you, our readers, can find a look and style that suits you, your closet and your budget.  We hope you enjoy the series and, as always, we love feedback, so feel free to get in touch with any of us!

"Silly Pumpkin!"

 

Low flying seaplane!

Behold the very rare Kelsius Moosius in her natural habitat!

Dress: Gap Outlet

Cardigan: Halogen (Nordstrom)

Tights: Hue (Macy's)

Boots: Enzo Angiolini (Nordstrom Rack)

Sweater Clip Brooch Thing: CatRabbit

Head band: Target

Bekah the Merrymaker made me giggle the other day when she concluded an email with the phrase "silly pumpkin." She was, unsurprisingly, talking about yours truly. The phrase seemed very appropriate for this particular post since I pulled a very silly -- or bafflingly stupid, depending upon how you look at it -- move the other day. I pulled a muscle in my back... drum roll, please... putting on my deodorant. That's right, folks. I managed to injure myself while going about one of the most mundane daily tasks you can imagine. I'm sure you're wondering how in the name of all that is sacred I managed to pull such a magnificently klutzy move. I really have no answer. There's not even really much of a story to it which, frankly, makes it that much more ridiculous.

This one time, I forced Mr. CP to go to a yoga class with me against his will. Not only did the instructor end up putting me in the corner to do "remedial" poses (+10 humiliation points), but in an unexpected and fairly hilarious twist of fate Mr. CP ended up being considerably more flexible than I am (+5000 humiliation points). Despite the fact that putting on deodorant doesn't really require an extensive degree of flexibility, I'm tempted to blame my injury on my general inflexibility. It somehow sounds less ridiculous than "it just happened." Silly pumpkin, indeed.

Kelsey vs. The Skinny Jean

 Sorry the photo is blurry and jumbled... I'll try to get a better photo next time. Look! Birdies! Ooooo!

Blouse: Gap

Cardigan: Halogen (Nordstrom)

Skinnies: Gap

Boots: Abound (Nordstrom Rack)

Necklace: Juicy Couture (Nordstrom Rack)

Brooch: Oh My Cavalier!

Earrings: Marc Jacobs (Nordstrom Rack)

Head Band: H&M

I was reading Rebecca's latest post over at The Plus Side of Me a couple days ago, and found myself inspired. Rebecca explained that she had a long-standing fear of ankle-booties, a fear that she overcame to adorable effect in her most recent OOTD (which may or may not be recent as you're reading this). After reading her post, I tried to think of a trend that I was too self-conscious to wear. After ruminating on it for a little while, I decided that skinny jeans were to be my Everest. So, I rummaged around in my closet until I found this pair of jeans I bought ages ago for half off. I tried them on at Gap and thought, "Golly (because apparently I'm a pig-tailed six-year-old), these sure do look flattering! I look so tall! And so skinny!" Let me just say that I will swear until my dying day they have magic mirrors in Gap that make you look taller and skinnier -- and hell, why wouldn't they? It's a brilliant marketing strategy. The jeans looked completely different when I got them home. They made me look hippy. And, let's face it, ass-y. And also kind of short. So, into my closet they went, where they've happily lived for longer than I'd like to admit.

At any rate, inspired by Rebecca, I conquered my fear of skinnies and put together this outfit. I felt a bit uncomfortable running around town in it, but I think that's to be expected when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. I'm definitely going to keep expanding my (dorky and cliche) horizons, though, so I'm certain you'll see these jeans in future OOTDs.

A brief note about the accessories in this photo. I was so excited when I found this necklace on extra-special clearance for around $10. A couple of the charms were on backwards, which was easy enough to fix with a pair of pliers and a few minutes of my time. The earrings were on clearance for around $10 as well, I think. They may have been slightly more. The earring you see in the photograph above has a large gold branch, and a small silver branch. The opposite earring (not pictured) has the reverse: a large silver branch, and a small gold branch. I love little details like that! =)

Wedding Accessories

Necklace, Earrings, and Bracelet: Betsey Johnson (via Nordstrom Rack)

Clutch: DIY

I wanted to show you all some close up shots of the accessories I'm going to be sporting at the wedding I'm going to this weekend. A brief refresher: the bride and groom requested that no one wear black or red, and that guests wear spooky accessories. Yeah, tell me about it. I spent some time digging around on the internet, and found and fell in love with Betsey Johnson's Vampire Slayer collection. The earrings alone retailed for $40.00, though, which I was simply unwilling to pay. As a result, I just assumed that I would have to make my own accessories. On one of our many, many trips to Nordstrom Rack during my mother's recent visit, I was milling around in the jewelry section when I spied (gasp!) a bunch of pieces from the Betsey Johnson Vampire Hunter line. At Nordstrom Rack's prices, I simply couldn't resist. I can't decide which is my favorite. I love, love, love the upside down bat charm on the necklace (and the lips with fangs!), and every time I look at the raven earrings and bracelet I have to restrain myself from reciting Poe... because I had a mean-spirited high school English teacher who made us memorize various stanzas from "The Raven." But that's beside the point.

I'm apparently quite picky where clutches are concerned, and after spending way too much time browsing the internet and store fronts, I decided to make my own. The clutch you see above is the result of three practice rounds. It's still not perfect -- the seams aren't as clean as I'd like -- but I'm pleased with the result anyway. I attached a vintage brooch that my grandmother gave me years ago to add "a bit more 'Kelsey-ness' to it," as Mr. CP would say.

On a different note, I'm not sure that I'll be able to post at all while I'm in Charlotte, so I've arranged for a very special guest blogger. Expect that post on Friday! =)

The Story of a Bracelet

Mr. CP "accidentally" shot this photo. He asked me a question, I used air quotes, and without lifting the camera to his face he snapped this shot without my knowledge. Sneaky. And also a little impressive.

My skirt is a-twirlin'!

Vine-Print Top: Coldwater Creek

Cardigan: August Silk (via Nordstrom Rack)

Skirt: Thrifted

Tights: Hue (via Nordstrom Rack)

Shoes: Chinese Laundry

Brooch: DIY

Bracelet: Trollbeads Charm Bracelet

Earrings: Tiny shop in Rome

Rings: Blue stone - Something Silver; Ruby ring: tiny shop in Venice

Head Band: Target

The summer after Mr. CP and I started dating, he and his family went on a 3+ month trip around the world. He and I didn't get to talk much that summer. Mr. CP sent me emails as often as he could, though his access to the internet was severely limited, particularly in Asia and Africa. I think we spoke about three times on the phone, as well. He knew that I had always loved charm bracelets, though I never wore the traditional, dangly sort simply because the charms frequently fell off and got lost. So, before he left he gave me a Trollbeads charm bracelet that included a single bead -- a beautifully cast forget-me-not charm. To cheer myself up while he was traveling, I pledged to buy myself a single bead for every month he was away. By the time he got back, I had added four additional charms to the bracelet. For a long time, whenever we had a big celebration -- anniversary, birthday, holiday, assorted other milestones -- Mr. CP gifted me with a new charm. Though we've since started a new tradition, Mr. CP and I have come a long way, a fact that I'm reminded of each and every time I look at my now-full bracelet.

If any of you would like to see better close-up shots of the bracelet, I'd be more than happy to oblige. Just let me know in the comments! =)

Cherries and Lace

There was a squirrel right outside the window eating an acorn. Awwww!

Dress: Forever 21+ (not available online)

Cardigan: August Silk (via Nordstrom Rack)

Tights: Hue (via Macy's)

Shoes: Thrifted

Headband: Target

Necklace: Forever 21

Brooches: All thrifted

By and large, Mr. CP and I are fortunate to have the landlord we have. True, he's impossible to get hold of on the phone. And true, whenever he stops by he likes to talk... and talk... and talk some more. And also true, he's not nearly as handy as he thinks he is. On the flip side, though, he isn't overbearing, he's always polite, and he gets the really important things taken care of quickly and efficiently. So it wasn't at all unusual that when a pipe burst in our bathroom recently, he had a plumber out the next morning at 8 AM, and we had running water again by 9 AM. Our landlord felt so guilty for the inconvenience it caused us, however, that he stopped by a few days later and presented us with a very generous gift card to a local fancy pants restaurant. Mr. CP and I decided to go for lunch rather than dinner, because a) we figured we would be able to enjoy the view more, and b) we just kind of felt like going out for lunch. It was a stunning restaurant -- complete with an indoor waterfall, a bridge, and a running stream -- with a spectacular view of Puget Sound, and an adjacent boat/yacht marina. The food was delicious, too, particularly the trio of miniature creme brulees I ordered for dessert.

After lunch, Mr. CP joined me on a quick trip to Goodwill where I recently saw a pin that I loved, but inexplicably didn't buy. Let me just say that we felt ridiculously over-dressed. Ridiculously. It was hilarious. People kept looking at us like we were complete nut-jobs for getting all gussied up for an expedition to Goodwill. I caught myself smothering giggles a few times at the looks we were getting. Oh, and sadly the brooch was long gone. Farewell, sweet brooch. Farewell.

Speaking of brooches, I couldn't decide which one I wanted to wear today, so I pinned on my top three choices. I was initially torn between the bug brooch pictured above, and a bull brooch that I got as a tongue-in-cheek reminder to myself to grab the bull by the horns. True story. I'm hokey that way. I actually really enjoyed wearing multiple brooches today, so I think I'm going to do this sort of "brooch collage," as Mr. CP dubbed it, more often.

A Whimsical Dress

Allow me to paint for you a picture of the conversation Mr. CP and I had while he was very kindly taking these photographs.

 

Mr CP: You always pose the same way. Do something different! Be creative!

 Me: Um, excuse me? How dare you accuse me of being uncreative! I neeeever pose the same way! (I may have been avoiding eye contact when I said this)

Mr. CP: (blank stare)

 Me: Fine. I'll, erm, just walk... this... way.

Me: And I'll look up at the trees.

Me: Are you happy now? Are you?! ARE YOU?!

Mr. CP: (blank stare)

Dress: Fire Los Angeles (via Nordstrom Rack)

Cardigan: August Silk (via Nordstrom Rack)

Tights: Hue (via Macy's)

Boots: Fitzwell (via 6pm.com)

Head band: Target

Brooch: Fossil

Bracelet: Vintage

Earrings: Betsey Johnson

I found this dress recently and pounced on it. It has dainty little trees all over it! If there's one thing I love, it's whimsical prints!

Which brings me to a rather hilarious story. Around the same time I stumbled upon this dress, I found another equally adorable one. It had tiny little black and white castles, horse-drawn carriages, and princes all over it. Too cute! Now, I'm not a size large. I'm just not, which I knew when I grabbed the cute little fairy tale dress. I was so desperately enamored with it, though, that I swore I would fit into the damn thing come hell or high water. Interestingly, the problem wasn't getting into the dress. It went on with surprising ease. The problem was moving around and breathing once I had the damn dress on. With a crestfallen expression on my face (no, really, it was like someone had told me Santa Clause wasn't real all over again), I prepared to take the dress off. Only, it turned out that the dress was so tight that my arms were effectively pinned at my sides. I couldn't lift them. I should probably mention that I don't handle stress well. There are some people who operate rationally and calmly in stressful situations. Mr. CP, for example, is fantastic to have around when unfortunate things happen. My response to stress is far less productive: I either cry, or, as in this particular situation, laugh hysterically. Typically, dissolving into a fit of giggles isn't a problem. Typically, though, I can breathe in whatever I happen to be wearing. FYI, laughter only works well if you can breathe. So there I stood laughing like a crazy person. I couldn't quite manage, however, to get enough air... which caused me to start hyperventilating, which in turn only made me laugh that much harder. It was the proto-typical Giggle Loop. I finally managed to calm down enough to shimmy (yes, shimmy) over to my purse, maneuver my phone out of my bag, dial Mr. CP's number (he was there with me), kneel down, press my ear to the phone, and gasp something largely incoherent into the speaker. So, poor Mr. CP had to come back to the dressing room to help me hoist the dress over my head. ::sigh:: So much for maintaining any sense of mystery. I learned a valuable lesson, though. Love isn't roses, or breakfast in bed. It's rescuing your stupidly determined significant other who's apparently lacking in the common sense department from a too-small item of clothing.

Mary Poppins

This is what Mr. CP affectionately refers to as my "Quoi?" Face.

Cardigan: August Silk (via Nordstrom Rack)

Camisole: Maurice's

Skirt: Vince Camuto (via Nordstrom)

Hat: Ross

Tights: Hue (via Macy's)

Boots: Fitzwell (via 6pm.com)

Rings: Flea Market, Street Fair, Something Silver, and a random shop in Venice

Brooch: Thrifted

Necklaces: Forever 21

Mama CP leaves tomorrow, so we capped off a fun-filled week with, you guessed it, shopping. Mama CP, as I've mentioned, lives in a very, very tiny Midwestern town, so whenever she makes her way to the bustling metropolis of Seattle, she likes to visit her favorite shops throughout the city. So it was that I found myself happily browsing in the shoe section at Nordstrom Rack today (again) when I heard a small child exclaim, "Look mom! It's Mary Poppins!" I wasn't even aware he was talking about me until I glanced over and saw him pointing in my general direction. I did that thing you do when you notice someone looking and/or pointing at you: I glanced surreptitiously over each shoulder to make sure there wasn't anyone else around about whom he could be talking. To be honest, I was flattered. Mary Poppins was, is, and always will be absolutely adorable. As soon as I got home, I made the unfortunate decision to tell Mr. CP about the little boy, and he's been humming "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (shoot me now for having to type that) every time I walk into the room.

The final picture above was a bit of an experiment. Mr. CP wanted to see if he could get a shot of the dandelion seeds. He couldn't. Not really. The last photograph above is the best of about 50 shots. Turns out it's much more difficult to get a shot of dandelion seeds gently drifting through the air than one might initially think. By the end of all the shots, I was winded from huffing and puffing at so many of the damn things.

On a side note, for whatever reason, this skirt always appears blue in photos. In actuality, it's black. 

Autumn Has Arrived!

Dress: Target

Cardigan: August Silk (via Nordstrom Rack)

Tights: Hue (via Macy's)

Boots: Fitzwell (via 6pm.com)

Bracelet: Fossil (via Ross)

Sweater Clip: DIY

Brooch: Nordstrom Rack

Head band: H&M

I think I mentioned this in a previous post, but I'm heading to Charlotte, North Carolina at the beginning of next month for a wedding that will feature, among other things, the colors black and red, and coffins. The politics of dressing for weddings always stresses me out. What's too casual? How fancy is too fancy? Will I end up looking out of place? I'm quite high strung that way. I had initially planned on wearing something suitably autumnal, but when I heard about the theme of the wedding, I figured that mustard colored anything was probably out. So I settled on a different outfit to wear. That's about the time I received further word that, in addition to avoiding the colors black and red altogether, guests are expected to wear elegant evening attire. Not only had I decided upon something that was predominantly black with accents of red (what are the odds?), it was also in no way suitable for an occasion that calls for "elegant evening attire." In fact, I have absolutely nothing suitable in my closet. So, using my limited totally awesome and completely impressive Google-fu skills, I figured out what elegant evening attire is, and dutifully started researching potential clothing items. To be honest, even after my research, "elegant evening attire" still seems like a fairly broad category. There are any number of different interpretations as to what that may mean. I'm going with evening gown, knee-length or longer, with fancier accessories. Which reminds me: they've also requested that guests wear "spooky accessories." I still have no idea how I'm going to pair spooky accessories with the fancy-pants dresses I have my eye on, so I suspect I'll be getting creative over the next few weeks in an attempt to create spooky, but still classy and situation-appropriate accessories. 

A note about the outfit: the cardigan is actually a lovely cinnamon color. The last two pictures show the color off better than the others. For whatever reason, the cardigan appears vaguely pink in the first few photos.