Capsule Wardrobe Progress Update

So guys, I lied. I like to you and I lied to myself.

Twice I have gone through my closet in an attempt to rid myself of anything I haven't worn so I can make space for new clothes. I've decided to give the "Capsule Wardrobe" a shot, which means going through everything and keeping only the things I love. The first time I thought I had done a good job. There were still some clothes in there that didn't fit the season. Still some maternity clothes that I might need later on. It wasn't good enough though, so I went through it again.

The second time I said, "Not joking around this time! No keeping any 'maybes' or things I sorta like. Get rid of it if I don't love it."

The second time I thought I really had it. I thought I had a fairly clean closet. Turns out that wasn't true. I woke up yesterday morning after a nice Thanksgiving-dinner-pumpkin-pie-induced snooze and looked at my closet, spilling out with clothes I could tell I wasn't planning on wearing again anytime soon. So while the rest of America went out to shop the sales and acquire new things, I stayed in a purged my closet for the third time. Wardrobe Clean Out Phase 3 commenced.

I filled donation bags with all those "maybes" and "kinda likes" and packed away anything I thought I might want next spring into space bags. I packed up my maternity clothes. I even separated out my lounge clothes and workout clothes so I could count the actual items that would be going into my capsule. I went deeper into the closet and pulled out out old duffle bags containing winter coats I don't wear anymore and even old bed sheets and other random things I had forgotten about. I went into the hall closet and took out shoes and old flip flops and threw them into the donation bags.

Six bags! Six donation bags full of stuff. This doesn't count the stuff I've sold on Ebay, things that went into the trash and things that are still lurking around. There is a box full of crap in the bedroom that has been there since we moved in (we don't have bedroom furniture yet so it kinda turned into a space to pile stuff on top of) and I still have a bunch of things I want to sell.

I feel so much better, guys! I feel like a burden has been lifted off of me. I no longer have a closet full of stuff I don't even like. Some of my keepers are honestly take-it-or-leave-it, but I can't get rid of everything or I'd be naked! Right now I have a total of 18 pieces of clothing for rotation.

1 grey cardigan sweater
2 pairs of skinny jeans, one dark and one light
1 pair of black leggings
2 blouses
1 dolmen sleeve hounds-tooth sweater
1 grey striped tank top
2 t-shirts, one grey and one black
2 fitted tees, one grey stripes and one grey leopard print
1 green winter coat
1 hooded cape
1 pair grey converse
1 pair black boots
1 pair moccasins
1 pair brown boots

My lounge clothes/pajamas have been sized down to a pair of boxers, yoga pants, pajama pants and a couple of tees and tanks that I can wear with them. My workout clothes are a minimal two tops, a workout hoodie and a pair of black capris. I have some sentimental items like a few pieces of my grandmothers clothes, a college t-shirt from my dad and my old sorority letters, but I think those will just get packed away for now.

This leaves me with a ton of room for new clothes! The max number I'm going for is 37 items.

This means I can shop for the following number of items:

5 pairs of shoes
2 jackets/coats
5 bottoms
7 tops

I plan on shopping in 6 month increments rather than the "seasonal" capsule like lots of people do. I don't have money for that and I don't see a big need to replace items when there isn't too big of a difference between fall/winter and spring/summer. All I have to do it layer up or down. Not to mention it's taken me practically a month just to start out my first capsule so by the time I finish it will be a new season already!

I Hate Clothes Shopping

I've been working on my 29 before 30 goals and one of them is to get myself a new wardrobe. I cleaned out my closet and started selling a bunch of stuff on Ebay, which takes a little time, but seems to be slowly building up a nice little fund for new clothes. I've been obsessively "window shopping" on the internet (or would you call it screen shopping? eh...) and I've come to the conclusion that I hate buying clothes.

Can I be considered a girl if I hate clothes shopping? Ok, so hate is a strong word. I mean, I don't despise clothes shopping. It's not like I would rather be at the dentist or something. It's always fun to buy yourself new clothes. It's just so stressful! I'm not a fashion person. I don't "style" my outfits or call individual clothing items "pieces." After clicking away and wish-listing things on a half a dozen websites I came to the conclusion that I'm only going to purchase things that are black, white, grey or shades of brown. This is because I can't for the life of me figure out how to combine colors in outfits. One minute I look in my cart and I've got three red things and I don't even like red that much. The next minute I've got burgundy socks, a yellow blouse and a black skirt which I KNOW aren't going to go together. This doesn't even take into account jackets and purses and shoes that all have to match. 

Oh yeah, and then there is money. Clothes are expensive, people! I don't want to buy junk from Forever 21 anymore just to save money and have them fall apart in a couple months. I'm too old for that shit. When I spend my money on clothes I need to make it count.

OH YEAH, and another thing: time. When I'm back to being civilian and going to school again (I got accepted to my school by the way!) I'm going to have to wake up early to get Ellie to daycare.
Daycare starts at 7.
Ugh.
So theoretically I'm going to be waking up around 5 to get ready, eat breakfast and get the baby ready by 6:30 so I can make the half hour drive. This doesn't count snow removal time from the car or defrosting-the-window times. Am I really going to wake up and put together a multi-layered outfit with a skirt, tights, knee socks, boots, a blouse, a cardigan, a scarf, a fashionable jacket and a hat? 
NO.
I can tell you with certainty that will not happen. 
What will happen will look like this: I wake up at 5. I am tired a cranky and cold. I will put on skinny jeans and the first decent looking t-shirt I can find. I will put on makeup and my hair in a bun if it hasn't been straightened already the night before. I will put on the warmest coat I own (aka: Not fashionable. Because being warm means looking like a marshmallow.) That will be that.

So what the heck do I do with all this?
My fashion idols are the likes of The Clothes Horse and The Dainty Squid. But this will never be my fashion destiny. So I've switched gears and tried to take some inspiration from Caroline's blog Un-fancy and her "Capsule Wardrobe" idea. 
Holy moley, guys. There is even a downloadable Wardrobe Planner. I don't consider myself  big "planner" but I AM a Virgo and Virgos like to have things organized. This might be my saving grace. She may become my clothing sensei and I will be that little grasshopper kid.

Grey is My Favorite Color - Etsy Goodies

One of my 29 before 30 goals was to get rid of anything I don't wear and acquire a new wardrobe. I can't go into my thirties without having some semblance of personal style! I know it's not the most important thing in the world, but I consider myself to be a creative person and creative people have to look creative! Plus it's fun. Well guys, I'm proud to say that I've accomplished emptying out my closet. Unfortunately this means I have almost nothing left. No joke! I have two, yes, TWO blouses that I like and all the rest are just t-shirts. A few are pretty good "casual weekend outing" tees but the rest are basically only pajama worthy. Last weekend I went to pick up a couple new pairs of jeans because I literally had no pants. I've pretty much spiraled out of control in the fashion department. Not to be dramatic or anything.

Now I'm on a quest for new clothes. The problem with shopping online and even in stores is that I always get caught up in "the brand" because I don't have a secure idea about how I like to dress. For example, I'll be in Express. I'll be looking at all the business casual clothes and the suit jackets and get all these ideas about how to dress in that style, but then the next day I'm in American Eagle thinking about living the California dream in faded jean shorts and flannel shirts. Then I go online to Modcloth and see all the adorable twee dresses and I get all excited about wearing cute tights. I have fashion multiple personality disorder.

I decided to try out browsing Etsy and saving anything I loved in my favorites so I could get a clearer picture of what kind of things I like to wear. I may not have a clear picture yet but I did notice something: I love grey. Whenever I shop for clothes I inevitably choose nothing but grey things. It's weird because this is the exact opposite of my taste in interior decor, where I love bold patterns and bright colors. Now I've got that Counting Crows song, "Mr. Jones" playing in my head... (You know grey is my favorite color, I felt so symbolic yesterday..." Am I showing my age yet?

hairband :: whale :: sweater :: necklace :: blanket :: slippers

Just an Existential Fashion Crisis.

I don't know about everyone else, but I never really get that "spring cleaning" itch around springtime. It happens randomly. All the sudden I wake up and think, "I NEED to clean out my closet! Like, NOW." Then I sit and think about all the stuff I never wear and what I should do with it and how to decide what to replace everything with once I empty everything out... and then I'm too mentally exhausted to actually do anything about it.

I really don't get fashion. I suppose I read as many fashion blogs as the next person, but they aren't on the top of my list. I know there are certain styles that aren't for me. I can look at someone else's outfit and love it, but as far as recreating it I'm at a loss. Anytime I try to put together a "look," as they call it, I sort of throw on a bunch of stuff and end up looking like one of those sad hobo clowns. How do you wear shorts and tights and make it cute? How do you pick a silhouette? Which one is right for me and defines MY life? Who really cares anyway?? I'm not going anywhere interesting where I feel like impressing anyone. If I lived in New York City or something I might care since most everyone there looks fashionable or at least has their own style. Rural Louisiana is pretty much a fashion desert anyway. So that's how it goes. I throw on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt and that's that.

Last years "fashion-y" boots? Who knows.

Do you know I don't even own a pair of jeans anymore?

How can a twenty something have neglected her own wardrobe for so long that she no longer owns a single pair of jeans? This isn't normal, guys. This is how you know you are getting old. This is on the cusp of "frumpy mom."

No. I refuse.

I refuse to be a frumpy Walmart-clothing mom. It doesn't help that Walmart is the only place to shop within a 60 mile radius, either.

Since I'm on the verge of going back to college I think that now is the time to make a change. I don't want to feel like the "old one" in class. I want to be the "intimidatingly experienced one" in class. Having a non-frumpy wardrobe is probably a step in the right direction, don't you think? Clothes certainly aren't the most important thing in life but they say so much about you that it's a shame to ignore it completely.

It's purging time guys!

Makeup Tutorial by MUA Amanda Fairweather

My very talented friend is a makeup artist and is starting up a YouTube channel. I got to be a model for her second makeover video! It pretty weird seeing myself in HD on my TV. Check it out!

What We Wore, Poolside

Does it count as a What We Wore post if it's bathing suits? 

I needed a new bathing suit since the ones I had were from about 7 years ago and getting a little snug (they were snug when I bought them!) Right after having a baby there was just no way they would fit! I really hate most of the styles that have been popular lately since they're all made for a long waisted body shape - really really low rise and super tiny tops. I also didn't want to blind people with my Alaskan-winter pale skin, so I searched for a cute one piece. My first stop was Pinup Girl Clothing. I love the Rockabilly style even though I don't get to dress in it, so I took the opportunity to get the Betty Swimsuit in Black Cherry. Does anyone else love Rockabilly style, but can't get it together enough to wear it more often? I think it's the hair that gets me. It just takes way too long to do those victory rolls and pin curls do NOT work out for me. I still faithfully watch Cherry Dollface and Lisa Freemont Street hoping one day I can get it right! 

What kind of new mama wouldn't want to have her baby girl wear a matching cherry suit too?? I searched everywhere in vain for a bathing suit to match and the closest I came was a Carters onesie that was navy blue. I still love it and especially love the floppy sun hat from iPlay (they have a matching tankini and swim diaper set that is too big for her just yet!) We dipped her little toesies in the toddler pool but she didn't really seem to care and continued sleeping.

Mother-Daughter-Granddaughter selfie! My mom liked my suit so much she got one too!

The Sweet List - Maternity Style

Now that I'm into the third week of my second trimester I've started thinking of buying some new clothes. I haven't gained any weight yet but I have had to pick up some nursing bras. While we were in the shop I had some fun trying on the "baby bump" pillow and maternity clothes they were selling. I was super excited about it and wanted to go on a shopping spree right then!

I really don't shop for clothes that often. The last time I got a bunch of new clothes was when my friend purged her closet of things that no longer fit her. I don't think I've shopped for clothes for more than a year! Ugh. A girl deserves some new clothes once a season at least! I actually should empty my closet and get rid of the stuff I don't wear anymore, along with picking up some new clothes of better quality. 

These are all from H&M, which isn't in Alaska as far as I know, however it was a favorite place to shop for me in New York.

1. MAMA Jersey Top - 2. Short Necklace - 3. Cardigan in Slub Jersey - 4. Handbag - 5. MAMA Pants - 6. Matte Metal Bracelet - 7. Leather Boots

The Sweet List - Diaper Bags (that don't look like they belong tobabies!)

Is it just me, or do diaper bags always look awful? I'm a grown up. I don't want to carry around a bag that looks like it belongs to a kindergartener. Just because it holds baby things doesn't mean it needs to have Mother Goose on it. I guarantee the baby doesn't care either. No to mention that I'm not the only one who is going to be using this piece of equipment. My husband is also going to be taking it with him... so it needs to not look like a woman's purse.
I went on an Etsy search for diaper bags and I hardly had any luck. There were either goofy looking bags or just your basic messenger bag that could supposedly double as a diaper bag. Then it dawned on me... I'm probably going to be taking the camera anytime I take out the baby, you know, because he or she is going to be freaking adorable. I also assume a diaper bag needs lots of pockets... so what has lots of pockets, looks unisex and can carry a camera? A camera bag! Boom. I'm a genius.

Distressed Leather Bag - I love this bag style!

Green Canvas Bag

Canvas and Leather Bag - I think this shop wins hands down for bags. It's even called "AWESOMEBAG" So yeah. I'm sure I'll be purchasing one of these soon. They are reasonably priced too!

timi & leslie Sophia Diaper Bag - Not unisex and not even a camera bag, but a legit diaper bag! Whoa! I love it. 

Peter Pan Collar Dress

This was such a quick project! I actually sewed the whole thing in a day and a half! The only reason I needed the half day was because I hand sewed the zipper on, otherwise it would have been a one day project. 

I found this fabric at a thrift shop (it's an Ikea design, probably meant for curtains) and used Simplicity 1873 for the bodice pattern. I ended up not having enough fabric to do the skirt in the pattern, so I just used a rectangle to make one instead. That was a good idea, I think, since I wanted the stripes on the bodice and the skirt to be perpendicular which wouldn't have worked out as perfectly if I used the curved skirt pattern. I also took the scalloped collar from Simplicity 1609 and redrew it to fit this bodice.

I actually wore it today to the DMV and got my Alaska drivers license photo in it. The lady at the counter complimented me on it. Isn't it nice when you make something yourself and someone says "I like your dress" instead of saying "Did you make that?" I think that means you've moved on from sucking to actually being good at it!

Linking up with Friday Fab Favorites and Casual Friday Link Up!

Weekend Sewing Project

I finished up my Simplicity dress Friday afternoon and wore it out on Saturday. I wanted to get a picture but I'm very shy about taking photos and I couldn't get one that I liked. I'll get one next weekend though, since I'll be at my friends wedding! 

Other than that we spent the weekend baking cookies and picking out fabric to make hoodies. We were probably in the fabric store for a good three hours picking out fabric and patterns. Joe picked out a grey sweatshirt fabric with a cool wild animal print for the lining. I picked the same color fabric with a Día de Muertos print for the lining.

I almost finished up my hoodie today but it turned out the size was a little too small. I'll have to take off the zipper and the bottom hem to fix it. I added heart shaped elbow patches that I'm pretty happy with.

Mrs. Peacock loved playing with the scraps from the pattern. Silly kitty.

Joe loves to make Cookie Monster impressions while we bake cookies :)

Yellow Dress

I've been working on this dress for a few weeks now. Well, more like I worked on it for about two days and then let it sit around for two weeks before I picked it up again. From the looks of it I think I might make this same dress again with different fabric! I'm doing version B, with the sleeves, which is coming out really cute so far. 

The sleeves were a little tricky because I couldn't understand what the pattern was trying to tell me to do. By far the most annoying part was trying to put in the pockets! I made the mistake of using a french seam on the curved pockets instead of a mock french seam, so things got a little funky. Trying to figure out which parts needed to be sewn right sides together or wrong sides together was tripping me out as well. Eventually I figured it out and the pockets turned out okay. Luckily I discovered that I could place pleats strategically over the pockets so the seams that got a little messy wouldn't show.

I'm happy with the colors I picked out as well. I'm already scheming which fabric patterns I will use for the next version of this dress!

Lookbook

I love this Lookbook by Emilka P!

Autumn Plaid Skirt

This Saturday I used my Burda Young 7229 pattern to make this Fall/Winter skirt. I really love it! I feel like this is the most "finished" piece of clothing I've sewn yet. I tend to get lazy and I take short cuts, which I regret later. I think I will use this pattern again once I find some good fabric.

I wish I had the motivation to take some nicer photos outside, but it's chilly here in Alaska (it snowed yesterday) and I don't feel like driving out to place where there are no other people just to take pictures. 

I found a few great vintage pieces on my trip home that I will have to take photos in. I am also anxiously waiting for my wedding photos to arrive in the mail! I know I'll be doing another blog re-vamp once I get my wedding photos. I cant seem to get a design I love, because I can't come up with something personal enough that is also pretty. Wedding photos will do the trick! Everything was so beautiful and pink! 

Linking up with: Meet Me Monday @ You Are Talking Too Much, Sew Darn Crafty @ Sew Many Ways, Craft-O-Maniac

What I Wore and Fancy Cars

Today was such a beautiful day, I had to walk around and try to take some photos. I figured I would try another outfit post, even though the idea is still weird and embarrassing to me. I enjoy trying on all the new clothes I got from my friends. In fact, almost my entire outfit was free. The tops from two of my friends, the necklace from a friend and my husbands cords. The scarf was from a second hand shop and my converse were from Goodwill.

I took some of the photos inside, after I tried doing them outside. It's hard to get over the fear that someone will see me taking picture of myself. It seems so vain! I don't believe I'm a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination, but it gives me something to do and a reason to actually get dressed in the morning. Being in uniform all week gets so tiring that I really want to dress up on the weekend, but I frequently get caught in the boxer/t-shirt combo.

There was a car show going on across the street. I really love old hot rods. A couple of these looked like they were from the 50's, but nothing too much older (I'm no expert though!)

Beautiful!

Now I'm hanging out at home enjoying a cocktail with pineapple juice, lime, coconut rum and club soda. Not sure what else to do. Just counting the days until my husband comes to visit.

What I Wore and Thrift Finds

I've never done an outfit post before! Today I made the very spontaneous decision to do one. You can tell because of my out-of-the-shower braid. My awesome friend Kyla was getting rid of a ton of clothes, which she offered to let me go through before she took it to a fashion exchange. I went home with a LOAD of great, free clothes! I'm going to have fun making outfits with everything.

Maybe one day I'll do another outfit post.

Top: Volcom/gift

Skirt: Actually a dress... Billabong/gift

Tights: Target

Boots: Charlotte Russe

Bag: H&M

Before I did my little photo shoot I went thrifting. There are some excellent thrift shops in Anchorage! I was one my way to a Value Village when I got lost on the impossible highways, but I ended up at the OTHER Value Village with a Salvation Army right next to it. I found a weaving loom, which I almost bought. I found an espresso machine, waffle maker and cute cups and cookware. But best of all I found my wedding cake topper!!! For $4!! 

My husband and I have a thing about bears. It started out by me calling him "panda bear" as a pet name, but since then we have expanded to all kinds of bear themes. I'll send him bear postcards, bear bottle openers, bear pins, he'll send me stuffed bears, bear cards and he even wears bear shirts and sometimes a fuzzy hat with bear ears on it. So naturally our wedding cake topper had to be bears! I couldn't believe it when I saw how cute this little figurine was. 

I just love it!

Fashion Inspiration

I had the urge to go out today and try my hand at an outfit post. I thought it would be fun and a nice way to get out of my room...BUT my body decided otherwise. Maybe in a little bit I'll feel better and I can go find a secluded place to take photos. Meanwhile I've been checking out Lookbook for inspiration. Among many awesome lookbooks I found Adeline Rapon from Paris. I love her style! Check out Lookbook if you haven't already and enjoy your weekend!