A Very GAAD Birthday

My birthday was last Thursday.  In recent years, my birthday has fallen during either finals week (quarter system) or during spring break, so I had come to associate my birthday with a day off from academic responsibilities and a day of shopping either with friends or flying solo.

This year was different.  I got up.  I got dressed.  (Unlike SFE, I did not wear my hagiographical green, as being the birthday girl (and one who would punch in exchange for a pinch) exempted me from any potential repercussions.)  I went to campus and taught my classes.  I attended a talk given by a visiting speaker.  Then I picked Bailey up from doggy daycare, since my spouse was out of town, and made dinner for myself and a few friends who came over to help me celebrate my birthday.  I had a lovely time cooking, chatting with friends, eating birthday cupcakes made by a dear friend, and drinking wine.

 (Blouse - JCPenney (purchased in December to wear with suits), Skirt - Sandro (remixed), Tights - We Love Colors (remixed), Shoes - r2 (remixed), Necklace - Gift (remixed), Ring - Boutique in Salamanca (remixed), Watch - New York & Co. (remixed), Belt - from another dress (remixed)

I did not shop.  I'm not sure if I would have been tempted to if I'd had the time.  It's hard to break habits that have become deeply engrained, especially when they're ones associated with special occasions and rituals, but I like to think that I've changed a little bit over the past eleven weeks.  I do know that (online) shopping is no longer my default activity when I'm stressed or bored or pleased with progress.  I'd like to keep it that way.   

P.S. We've gone over to the dark side of the force and switched to Disqus comments so we can more easily respond to individual comments.  

GAADfly - Two Month Check In

February has been a blur of research talks, travel, class prep, and grading.  The month flew by, and, as in January, I had essentially no time to even think about shopping - except for maybe at an airport.  (I did indulge in a new lipstick from Body Shop during one lengthy layover.)  The only real moment of temptation came when I visited Shabby Apple to pick out which dress we should giveaway to one of our readers.  (Don't forget to enter!)  I put one of their dresses on my birthday wishlist, but all the other items I'm hoping I'll get for my birthday are reading, writing, or travel related.

Right now not shopping for clothes, shoes, or accessories seems a lot easier than I expected it to.  Sure, there are moments when I want to shop - because I'm bored, tired, stressed, cranky.  But then I just go look at my closet and dresser crammed full of clothes, even with a laundry hamper overflowing with dirty clothes sitting in my spacious closet and a basket full of laundered, clean clothes waiting to be folded next to my bed, and I know without a doubt that I do not need to shop right now.  I know that, in terms of wardrobe, I have everything that I need right now, and most of what I want.

It doesn't hurt that I am still working my way through un(der)utilized items in my closet, such as this pair of shorts that I purchased at H&M back in November.¹  Saturday marked the second time that I'd worn them and the first time they were documented for the blog.  While I still think shorts + tights is a little trendier and more youthful than I want to go for the classroom or even for office hours, I love the look for a Saturday of grading, running errands, including getting my hair cut, and taking my spouse out for a birthday dinner.

 1. Shorts - H&M, Tank and Cardi - New York & Co. (both remixed), Tights - We Love Colors (remixed), Boots - John Fluevog Bondgirls (remixed)

I do anticipate that March might be a little bit harder.  I have fewer professional spring clothes.  My birthday is March, and I usually spend the entire day shopping.  Hypothetically, I will also be quite busy, but not working at the breakneck pace I've had to maintain for the first two months of 2011.  How have you established new and different habits in the past?  What have you done to reward yourself when you're trying to get away from a system of material rewards?

GAADfly - One Month Check In

For those of you not interested in my endeavor to go a year without purchasing any new attire, I invite you to just look at a recent teaching outfit.  If you are interested, though, here are some of my thoughts after a month of not shopping for clothes....

(Shirt - Larry Levine (via Winners), Cardi - Anthro (remixed), Trousers - Sandro, Boots - Kenneth Cole Reaction (remixed), Necklace - Gift (remixed), Watch - New York & Co. (remixed))

In some ways this has been a lot easier than I anticipated.  I have a number of items in my closet that aren't exactly new but that I've never worn, such as this blouse, or only worn once or twice, such as these pants (they've been worn once before but not on the blog).  I'm only about half-way through that stockpile, so focusing on those items has helped.

I did have to face temptation in Boston at practically every turn because the AHA was in the Copley Place, and there were tons of shops.  Some of them even had window displays welcoming historians to buy their wares.  But I was only one week into GAAD in Boston, and my will-power was still at maximum levels.

For the rest of the month, as self-discipline began to creep to only above average levels, I've been too busy to even think about going shopping.  Without going into too much detail at this point, I'll just say that this has been the busiest month I've had in a long time.  Almost every waking minute has been filled with teaching my three classes and writing lectures for the two new ones, conference and travel to the conference, committee work and department meetings, and working on my research, including getting ready for two upcoming research presentations in the next few weeks.  Those few moments that haven't been filled with professorial things, I've spent running, cooking, cleaning up after a sick dog (who is now thankfully back to normal), enjoying my spouse's company, or blogging.

I've been so busy that I've only been to Target once this month - this past weekend in fact - to buy decongestant and eyeliner.  Out of habit, the moment I walked in I started walking toward the clothes.  When I realized that was what I was doing, I stopped and steered myself to the pharmacy.

With all the frenetic activity in Casa de Moda lately, it's no surprise that I've been stressed.  Historically, it's been stressful times like these that I've been most apt to spend a few minutes here and there shopping online.  In the past - even if I've been too busy to leave the house or my office - I've taken little breaks to browse websites, such as John Fluevog, Anthropologie, Shabby Apple, or Ebay.  And when I would browse I tended to put things in a shopping basket and sooner or later I would buy some of the things in it. Not so this month.  I have very strictly not allowed myself to visit these sites or to open any emails from LOFT, Anthro, Zappos, etc.  I'm trying to retrain myself to put my computer down when I'm feeling overwhelmed and do a few minutes of yoga or to close my laptop and read a book for half an hour when anxiety or the vague desire to shop strikes.

So one month down.  I have eleven to go.  Perhaps from the perspective of GAAD, it's a good thing that February promises to be even busier than January has been.

How do you approach not shopping?  For those of you doing this round of 30x30, what are your strategies for not buying new clothes?  For those of you who are doing GAAD, have you found that you get into the habit of not purchasing things within a few weeks?

Back in Action

Yesterday was my first teaching day of the term.  This semester I'm teaching three different courses, one of which is cross-listed as a grad course, and I'm doing an independent study with a student.  I'm only teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which has its advantages, but makes for a very long Tuesday.  One of my classes only meets once a week on Tuesdays and is almost four hours long.  My "spidey-senses" (one of my strengths according to a student evaluation from last semester) tell me that Tuesdays will present a fair number of pedagogical challenges and some sartorial ones as well.

On Tuesdays I'll need to balance my desire to rock the professartorial with the knowledge that being on campus from 9 in the morning until close to 10 in the evening will require comfortable clothing.  Yesterday I chose my trusty red pencil skirt and a soft silk blouse that I bought on my shopping expedition with Kristin. I wore the blouse while at the conference in Boston, but, since it's dry clean only, I wanted to get another wear out of it before sending it off to be laundered.  I resisted the urge to belt it and to just let it do its drapey magic.

 (Skirt -J. Crew (thrifted and remixed), Blouse - Sandra Angelozzi (Femme de Carriere), Boots - John Fluevog Bondgirls (remixed), Earrings - New York & Co., Ring - Boutique in Salamanca (remixed))

Nutty or on Cold Meds?  You decide!

My sartorial goal for the next few weeks is to wear a number of items that I purchased pre-GAAD that have been worn rarely or never.  Because, honestly, I can probably shop my closet for at least a month before I'll run out of such items.  And hopefully by then this whole no shopping thing will be old hat and I'll have a better handle on some of the other line items in my scholarly budget.  Did you set any sartorial resolutions for the new year?  

Building and Budgeting

It is true that I was attempting to build an igloo last week. After I traveled to see family and friends on the East Coast and researched for a week, I arrived at my in-laws' in New England and was hit with all that snow that began on Boxing Day. SME and I attempted to build an igloo by making large ice bricks out of a Rubbermade storage bin. This is not the way you should build an igloo and contradicted all of the research (YouTube and Wikipedia) I did on the topic. After a few hours we abandoned our valiant effort and settled on "fort" rather than "failed igloo." My research was a more productive effort.

*Shakespeare's Masculine Ending shores up our igloo/snow fort*

Had I posted on what the traveling scholar/amateur igloo builder wears, it would have all been repeats. I left my home on the 7 December and didn't return until the New Year. I was inspired by all of the 30 for 30 outfits and packed even lighter. It was like 15 for 30. You have already seen a lot of the outfits I put together: Orange sweater & black skirt, black sweater dress, gray pants & black sweater (wow, I missed that purple sweatercoat!), red sweater dress. I also had a tendency to wear black skirt, black leggings, and black wellies with a sweater and a scarf. The weather and the lack of wardrobe brought that on. In fact, here I was in my "uniform" on the 27th in the dressing room of Ann Taylor LOFT:

sweater coat - ATL * skirt - H&M (remixed) * leggings - ATL wellingtons - Capelli via Marshalls (remixed)

Which brings me to my next topic: I've acquired an aversion/weariness of making purchases and though I liked this sweater, I passed on it. SME and I sat down and made a budget in the fall and I had not been sticking to it. I've been staying within the overall budget, but regularly exceeding the clothing, shoes, and accessories "line item." And I refused to accept that necessities counted, which irked SME (who happens to do the budget for the NGO he works for and they stretch and use each and every cent). Take the Lands End coat I legitimately needed: That was well over budget for the month of December and SME told me so. Let me be clear: he did not tell me not to buy the coat, only that we were, once again, over budget. While I was traveling I realized that I was spending more on restaurants/bars and would go over budget in that category and so even though I was in DC, Baltimore, Philly, New York and Boston, the only thing I purchased for myself were sock inserts from Aldo. After exercising that much restraint I've grown almost suspicious of spending money right now.

I do not plan to go on the Great American Apparel Diet, as LHdM, Rad, and Cynthia are, but I am not making any purchases until I figure out a few things and decide how I might incorporate a reward system to get this dissertation, some grant applications, and articles out and on their way. One thing is for sure though: I need to unpack, do laundry, pare down, and start remixing lest I stay clad in black skirt, leggings, and boots all winter. Here's me yesterday, my first day back in the Midwest in nearly a month:

bottom - uniform (see above) * sweater - gap
tank - ATL * scarf - boutique

Are any of the rest of you retreating to a winter "uniform"? If not, is there another season in which you find yourself in one?

* * *
Lastly, we do have a budget friendly announcement for our readers: During the month of January you can take 15% off purchases at Buttons N Baubles during the month of January by entering the code "fashionable15".

GAADfly

Although I'm somewhat extremely terrified by it, I will be joining the likes of Style Underdog, Cynthia, and Rad and going on The Great American Apparel Diet (GAAD) as of January 1.  I've given it a lot of thought, and I'd like to spend this next year focusing my financial resources on some things other than clothing.  I'd like to make a dent in my student loan debt and to donate more to some charities.  I'd also like to do some traveling and run some more races.  So I will not be buying any new clothing during 2011.

I will allow myself emergency job market related purchases if the need arises, and I'll allow myself a couple of new footwear purchases.  (I'll need to replace my running shoes in June if I run the number of miles I intend to by then, and I'll allow myself a pair of Fryes or Fluevogs when I get a couple of publications off of my desk.)  At the end of every three months without shopping, I'll allow myself $50 for thrifting and accessories.

But in the meantime, I have so many clothes that I haven't even worn yet, more still that I've never worn on the blog, and even more that I've only worn a couple of times and should definitely get more use out of.  I offer you Exhibit A:

 Dress - ModCloth (remixed), Cardigan - Anthropologie (Xmas gift from M.), Boots - Coconuts Rosetta (DSW), Tights - We Love Colors

I received this cardi from M. for Christmas.  I purchased the boots in San Antonio when I was shopping with my sister, but I hadn't worn them until today because of 30x30 and traveling, and I've worn this ModCloth dress maybe 5 times since I bought it last fall....

I have some other sartorial resolutions and some thoughts on where I'd like to see my blogging here on FA go in 2011 that I'll be posting sometime soon.  For now, I'd love to hear your thoughts on GAAD or on shopping bans and budgets.  Would you consider joining GAAD?  And I'd love to hear what's working well for those who are GAADflies!

Thinking Pink Days 3 & 4

Please forgive me, but I don't have much to say today about the outfits that I wore on Tuesday¹ and Wednesday.²  I have been grading papers and midterms practically non-stop since last Friday morning.  While I think the teaching of communicating ideas and imparting how to construct an argument and use evidence to prove it are crucial and thus will continue to assign essays and papers, I have to admit that grading student writing often tends to sap my energy and give me hurty brain syndrome.*

 1. Shifting Buttons Skirt - Anthropologie (new to my closet in September), Shirt - H&M (remixed), Scarf - H&M (remixed), Cardi - New York & Co. (remixed), Boots - John Fluevog (remixed), Tights - We Love Colors (remixed)

I did purchase this skirt ($59.95), as well as a pair of trousers ($19.99) and a blouse ($16.99), which I've worn but hasn't yet been featured on the blog, in the month of September.  My budget was $50 + $60 for accomplishing 3 of my writing goals over the course of the month. 

 2. Dress - Target, Scarf - ???, Flats - Steve Madden (DSW and remixed)

*Hurty brain syndrome is a term coined by one of my former students and refers to the condition brought on for students by having to turn in written work and for professors by having to read written work. Symptoms of hurty brain syndrome include uncontrollable laughter, the inability to place commas, and the desire to do the lift from Dirty Dancing.

Are you wearing pink this week?  Have you ever suffered from hurty brain syndrome?

Selective Shopping

I usually look forward to buying some new clothing at the start of each academic year.  Since our move was pretty expensive and I haven't yet received a full paycheck as a faculty member, I haven't made very many new purchases for this academic year.  However, a couple of weeks ago I went shopping at TJ Maxx with a new friend and fellow colleague.  I picked up a couple of much-needed tops, a pair of ankle boots, and this belt.¹

 1. Dress - Shabby Apple (remixed), Belt - De Lonti (TJ Maxx), Shoes - r2 (DSW and remixed)

While I have contemplated going on a shopping ban again, I think it's smarter for me right now to establish a shopping plan and a monthly clothing and accessories budget.  There are some wardrobe gaps in my closet that have become especially apparent to me now that I'm teaching four days a week and will frequently have to attend faculty and committee meetings a fifth.  I could use a couple of pairs of better fitting slacks, for instance.  In a couple of months, I will need new snow boots.  While some of my dresses, like the one I'm wearing in this post, have held up really well or are relatively new, others that I relied on in my teaching wardrobe for the past couple of years are looking rather worse for the wear. 

As Shakespeare's Feminine Ending mentioned in her post last week, I am all about the carrot method of motivating myself to work.  It worked really well for me in the past when I needed to produce dissertation chapters, conference papers, etc.  So I have decided to allow myself $50 a month to spend on clothing and accessories.  Whenever I meet one of my five monthly writing goals, I'll add another $20 to my shopping budget.    

Do you have a shopping plan or a monthly budget?  Do you approach clothes shopping with a plan or do you let the spirit move you?  What gaps do you currently see in your wardrobe?

Some Things are Sheer

While I'm not on an all-out ban at the moment, I'm trying to be especially aware that I have to move in a few weeks (eep!) and that I'm not teaching summer school this summer, so I won't have a paycheck in July or August (double eep!).  During my friend's visit, we did a lot of shopping.  Most of it was for her, but I did tell myself that I could get a few tops for summer to replace the ones that are tattered, worn, or otherwise disgusting in my wardrobe.

I found this BCBG top on sale at Filene's Basement, and in spite of the fact that it is sheer and thus outside of my normal style boundaries, I decided that since I'm not teaching and won't be on campus that much this summer that I could justify buying it.¹  It's not so sheer that I'm worried about wearing it in public, but I have my own set of professartorial rules and I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing this blouse (at least without another one under it) in the classroom.  I wore it the other day to take the Dissertating Yogini to the airport and to do some reading at home.

 1. Blouse - BCBG (via Filene's Basement)

Pants - NY&Co. (remixed)

Shoes - r2 (DSW and remixed)

Headband - Etsy

You can't really tell how sheer the bottom part of this shirt is in these photos, but it is pretty transparent.  What are your thoughts on sheer clothing?  Are sheer tops like these classroom and office appropriate in your book or are they best relegated to nights out and days spent working from home or in a coffee shop?

Pockets and Zippers and Spring Professartorialism

As promised, I've started trotting out my birthday treasures here on the blog.  Here are two more.  Today I was working from home on class prep and a bit of editing work here and there, so I thought it would be the perfect day to wear a newly thrifted Eva for Robert Janan dress with my new strappy, zippy sandals that I bought during my birthday shopping expedition.¹

1. Dress - Eva for Robert Janan (thrifted)

Shoes - Michael Kors (DSW)

Bangels - ???

This dress makes me tremendously happy.  I noticed it hanging on the rack and I loved the colors and the style.  It reminds me of pointillism or neo-impressionism.  Plus, this dress has pockets!  Have I ever mentioned to ya'll how much I love a dress with pockets?  I never really put anything in my pockets, but somehow I find them incredibly comforting. 

I also love that these sandals have zippers!  The heel is actually very comfortable, but the straps need some breaking in before I wear them anywhere that much walking will be involved.

     

I think this dress will prove very versatile for springtime classroom attire.  It is a bit on the casual side, but I have to admit that I tend to relax a bit in my professartorial choices as the weather warms up in April and May.  So, even though I think they are rather on the sexy side, I don't doubt the sandals will eventually make a classroom appearance once they are broken in a bit more, as well.  Maybe I'll wear them with socks.  I feel like I'm just on the verge of truly embracing that trend.... 

Do you also tend to dress a bit more casually as the spring weather gets nicer?  Have you been able to wear sandals yet this spring? 

Fiery Fluevogery

So, around the time that I moved to Spain, a dear friend of mine who is a very stylish Asst. Professor bought herself a pair of red Fluevog Cowgirl Boots.  I was broke and moving to Spain, so I didn't buy a pair for myself.  I just coveted them from afar.  When I moved back to the states I continued to covet them, but by the time I was in a financial position to consider a Fluevog purchase again, a pair was not to be found.  It made me a little sad.

Well, a couple of weeks ago I spotted a used pair being sold on ebay, and I convinced M. to bid on them for me as a birthday present.  He did and won, and they arrived the day before my birthday.  I had a chance to wear them for the first time today.¹  They are a little bit scuffed, but I like to think of them as seasoned.

 1. Dress - Nine West (remixed)

Blazer - Silence + Noise (thrifted and remixed)

Tights - HUE (remixed)

Boots - Fluevog (via Ebay and gift)

I appreciated the extra sass these boots provide, as I was frantically rushing around to get some errands run and my lecture prepared before my commute this morning.  Then I had some car trouble on my way home.  I think it is because someone (not me) left the internal light on in the car on the way home from Virginia Beach yesterday and it eventually drained the battery -- at least I really hope that's the extent of the problem.  I had trouble getting the car to start after filling up for gas on my way home and then after stopping off at a local coffee shop to meet a friend to talk about dissertations, the job market, and recent and upcoming trips.  It took about 30 minutes to get the car started, but I eventually made it home to M. and Bailey.

I know that I've mentioned my financial, political, and environmental attitude about shopping at thrift stores in the past, but I haven't purchased much off of Ebay.  Have you?  What do you think about shopping online for second-hand attire?

OK, Sun. I'm Dressed For You

The other day LHdM and I went out for coffee and sun-propritiating in a nearby amphitheatre. What better way to ask for sun than to wear a summer BCBG dress given to me by LHdM and my silvery Target sandals (which felt right at home in the amphitheatre, let me tell you).

Who needs accessories with a dress like this? I love the empire-area detailing (have absolutely no idea what that's called and would appreciate any help!) and just the feel of it. It also transitions from classroom to party to....amphitheatre.

Much as I love pulling out all the fantastic spring wear, I'm finding myself clinging to a few fall favorites, like my ruched red shirt with a pair of brown sailor-ish slacks. All in all, this in-between period has been fantastic for showing off the best of fall and spring.

Are you still between fall and spring outfits? Going anywhere fun for break? If so, what are you wearing?

Color Me Concluded!

Yesterday, I wore this comfy and bright outfit to go over to the lovely AUH's home for brunch and a work session.¹  She had some editing work to do, and I had my introduction to revise and my conclusion to write.  My dear friend and co-blogger fortified me with plenty of coffee and amazing ricotta pancakes with blackberries for the final push before I turned my dissertation into my committee today.

 1. Dress - Red Dress Shoppe (remixed)

Cardi - Say What (remixed)

Tights - Target (remixed)

Boots - Fluevog (remixed)

My new glasses - Coach

After I finished the conclusion, AUH was all to happy to accompany me to a nearby Goodwill for my first thrifting experience since before the shopping ban.  It was a day early, but I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate concluding than by going thrifting.  For the price of $7.44 I bought a lace top, a long cardigan, and a dress.

Today I printed out the beast, made copies, and gave them to the members of my committee.  There is still some work to be done: editing footnotes and compiling the final bibliography, as well as formatting it according to the university standards, but it feels amazing to reach this point!  Finally, the end is in sight! Hopefully, my committee will agree that it is ready to defend.  This evening I'm going to drink a bit of wine, watch Chuck, and relax.  Unfortunately, I have to tackle a bunch of student papers tomorrow, but for tonight I am allowing myself to feel like this:

How do you tend to celebrate major career milestones?

Don't forget to enter my birthday giveaway if you haven't yet!

Dress Challenge Day 5

Monday was International Women's Day.  So it was only fitting that I had coffee with a female faculty member who is a great mentor to me and then I taught about the witch-hunting phenomenon in early modern Europe. (The vast majority of those accused of witchcraft were women.)  My students had some interesting documents to read and only one class discussion left in which they could prove themselves so there was a pretty exciting discussion about popular and clerical beliefs about women in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.  That morning I briefly considered wearing a "witch" costume, but I decided that it was too campy.  Plus, I don't have any striped or green tights (clearly something that must be remedied at some point in the near future), so I wore my Shabby Apple dress one more time instead.¹

1. Dress (as blouse) - Shabby Apple

Cardi - August Silk (thrifted and remixed)

Skirt - Anthropologie (thrifted and remixed)

Tights - Target (remixed)

Shoes - Kenzie (DSW)

Sunglasses - ??? 

I suppose it was inevitable that I style the dress this way for the fifth and final wearing for this challenge.  I had been wanting to wear this skirt again for a while.  It's kind of tricky to remix because its color palette is a little bit odd, but I thought it worked well with the bright turquoise and the browns of the cardi and shoes.  I'm glad I decided to go with tights and the extra warmth of the cardi because it enabled me to sneak in some reading outside in the sun and not feel the least bit chilly.

So which was your favorite?  Was it #5 or was it:

#1

#2

#3

#4?

How else would you style this dress?

Stop by this evening because when I return from administering a final exam I'm going to announce our next giveaway!

Dress Challenge Day 2

Yesterday I confessed to buying the 90 Words Per Minute Dress from Shabby Apple and mentioned that as a reminder to not slip up again during the final two weeks of the ban I was challenging myself to wear it five times in the next two weeks.  Well, I also wore it for a second time yesterday.  I have mentioned in the past that I like to dress a bit more authoritatively when I'm discussing something potentially risque or scandalous in class.  Well, yesterday I thought it might just be a good day to add a touch of authority to my outfit with my velveteen blazer¹ since in my Reformation class we were discussing some legal ordinances and Consistory records from sixteenth-century Geneva, and a lot of them had to do with adultery and fornication.

 1. Dress - Shabby Apple (remixed)

Blazer - Rafaella (remixed)

Boots - Fluevog (remixed)

Tights - HUE (remixed)

Ring - boutique in Salamanca (remixed)

Again, it's not so much that I think a blazer automatically invests me or anyone else with authority (although they definitely don't hurt), but wearing one does make me feel confident and also somehow reminds me not to snicker every time I read or say the word "fornication." I sense the blazer will make another appearance when we deal with similar records from the Scottish kirk sessions later in the term.

Nope, I didn't giggle one bit.  Ok, maybe we all laughed a little at what my students termed the "circumstantial evidence" presented in one of the cases.... 

Are you an academic with a closet stuffed full of blazers?  For those of you who wear dresses, have you done the dress with blazer pairing?  Did you like it?

Shopping Ban Violation Dress Challenge

Almost two months into my shopping ban, I fell off the wagon.  Last week I was suddenly tempted to buy everything and anything.  I compulsively visited the Fluevog website.  I visited Shabby Apple's site repeatedly in an hour. I plotted and schemed how I might convince my husband to buy me something -- to no avail.  He saw right through my offers of a trade.  Then I received a check from a relative and suddenly found myself back on Shabby Apple's website and justifying to myself that it would be okay to make just one purchase.  Since I was (and still am) pretty sure that my mom is getting me the dress that I covet most for my birthday, I found myself buying the 90 Words Per Minute Dress.¹ 

1. Dress - Shabby Apple

Cardi - H&M

Tights - We Love Colors (remixed)

Spectator Pumps - r2 (DSW and remixed)

Earrings - Gift (remixed)

Ring - Boutique in SMA, Mexico

I love the dress and was really surprised by how quickly it arrived in the mail.  It came Friday afternoon, and I wore it to a meeting and to teach in yesterday.  I do feel a little guilty about violating my shopping ban, but I thought it best to go ahead and fess up to it.  I don't feel guilty about buying something with money that someone sent me because I got married.  We really don't need any more towels or kitchen appliances.  I also don't feel too bad because I don't think I've ever gone two months without a single non-necessary purchase for myself since I've been an adult with income (albeit a meager grad student or adjunct's income) before now especially if you count music or make-up or all those little luxuries that I included in this ban. However, I do feel a bit like I broke faith with myself and with you.  Just to remind myself that I still have two weeks left without shopping, I'm challenging myself to wear this dress five times in the next two weeks.  I hope you will forgive me my slip!

Have you ever been on a shopping ban?  Were you able to stick to it through the duration? 

Why I Am Not a Fashionista, Part II

Last week I wrote a piece about why I am not a fashionista.  The outfit¹ that I wore on Christmas Eve demonstrates many of those reasons that I outlined in that post:

1. Skirt - Anthropologie (thrifted and remixed)

Sweater - Sweater Project (Filene's Basement)

Belt - from another skirt

Tights - Target (sale)

Brown wedges - MIA (DSW and remixed)

This sweater is entering its fifth winter, and if it were pictured more closely, you would be able to see that it is definitely past its prime.  It's starting to pill, and I'm afraid this is its last season for wear (although I think I said that last winter, too...).  I thrifted this gorgeous Anthropologie skirt at a local charity shop.  I think it's beautiful, and I feel good about wearing it because I only paid a few dollars and because it is second-hand.  The shoes were a budget-friendly and smart choice because they're so versatile - they've gotten quite a lot of use.  They're also extremely comfortable for walking around campus and standing in for lecturing.

Because I tend to be a hoarder (as my inability to let the sweater go indicates), I have a particularly well-stocked closet.  While I would always love to have a few more cardigans or another A-line skirt in it, I have decided not to add to my closet for the next two and a half months.  Inspired by the Law School Fashionista and her closet shopping challenge and Rosie Unknown who had been only thrift store shopping for the past couple of months, I am going on a self-imposed SHOPPING BAN for the months of January and February and the first half of March.  For the next two and a half months, I will not buy any clothing, shoes, purses, tights, hats, jewelry, or make-up.  I also won't buy any dvds, books, music, or kitchen appliances.  The only exceptions to my shopping ban will be for job interview related emergencies and toiletries, such as moisturizer and shaving cream, or if I desperately need athletic socks or basic undergarments.

I am implementing this shopping ban for a number of reasons.  I have to pay for alterations for my wedding gown imminently because I'm getting married on January 22nd, and I'm going to get my hair and makeup done by my lovely stylist because I am both vain and hair-challenged.  Even though those things could technically come out of money budgeted for the wedding, I am paying for the alterations myself (paying for my own dress was a pride issue for me), and that will more than deplete my clothing budget for the months of January and February, as well as my budget for little luxuries, like dvds, songs on iTunes, and lipstick.  I have decided to include second-hand items in the ban because I have enough winter clothing.  I have plenty of shoes and boots.  There is really nothing that I need, and this will challenge me to make more creative use of what I have.  I am also trying to shrink my carbon footprint and my amount of credit card debt.  Finally, this will make me really consider what items I really tend to wear, which items tempt me the most to violate the ban and why (I'm not saying that I'll cave into the urges), and which - if any - new trends are worth adopting.  If I can't make it work with what I already have that's just too damn bad. 

I'd love to hear what others think about shopping bans!  Have you ever gone on a shopping ban?  What rules did you set for yourself?  Would you consider going on a shopping ban or not?  Why?

Dedicated to My Friends, The Ecologists

Although I am a historian, it wasn't always a sure thing.  When I was a kid I always assumed I'd be a scientist.  My late father was a zoologist and he encouraged this notion.  Somehow through the combination of inspiring professors and intriguing primary sources and perhaps sheer insanity, I ended up majoring in history and going to grad school.  Yet, I am drawn to people who work in and study the outdoors.  (Perhaps it's the end result of all those childhood days in the grasslands and piney woods looking for critters with my dad. ) One of my favorite people in the world studies trees. (She is bad-ass and always going camping with her dog and jumping off of big rocks!) Another friend of mine studies birds in urban environments.  Another studies wetland ecosystems.  They clearly dress a little bit differently for fieldwork than I do.

When I came across this skirt at a thrift store, I thought of them.  I thought the skirt was (and is) lovely, and so are they.

I wore it yesterday.¹  I realized that I was a day off because this skirt is a celebration of nature and it would have gone perfectly with my lecture on the Enlightenment (with its emphasis on Reason and Nature) and the Bourbon Reforms today.  Oh, well...

1. Skirt - Thrifted

Halter top - Hand-me-down (thanks FSIL!)

Cardigan - New York & Company

Boots - John Fluevog

Tights - Who knows....

Necklace - Gift from a friend

The Spy Who Graded

After a morning of cover letters and class prep, I went out to run some errands.  I was out of contact solution and some other necessities and I had a pair of pants to return to Filene's Basement.  I was also going to have a cup of coffee and a chat with a dear friend of mine who now lives elsewhere but was back in town for a conference this weekend.  I decided that my first errand, though, should be a stop by the shoe repair shop to pick up my new John Fluevog Bondgirl boots.

Huzzah!  The beauties zipped right up.  They're still a teensy bit tight, but they now fit over my calves, and they are so comfortable and awesome.  I had to wear them out of the shop!  I had to be a Bondgirl!  I ran the rest of my errands, met up with my friend, and then went home to grade student work at my writing desk.  Perhaps, it was not the most exciting of Saturdays, but it was a nice mix of work and play.  And in my head (and I know it's corny to admit this, but, like Megarita, I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not cool) I thought of myself as the spy who graded.

As I've said before I love the weekends.  In part because I can wear the clothes that I wouldn't wear to teach in.  Today was no exception.  I paired a short plaid Kensie Girl dress (from Filene's Basement) with a fun, patterned Steve Madden jacket with 3/4 length sleeves (from Filene's Basement last year), and a pair of sweater tights that have miraculously entered their third fall/winter season (from H&M).  I also decided that I needed to start wearing some of my hats again.  I wore my cowboy boots until I picked up the Bondgirls.
 

Budget Beauty: Make-Up Product of the Month

A dear friend of mine used to frequently scold me for my lack of a nighttime skin care routine. She was horrified to learn that I washed my face with dial soap in the shower and that I almost never took my make-up off before going to bed. (I did brush and floss, though, so don't think I was a total sloven!) I have in the past couple of years tried to mend my ways, and I have gotten much better. Of course, there are still the occasional nights where I'm too tired or inebriated to do anything besides brush my teeth. However, for the most part, I've settled into a routine of removing my make-up and moisturizing before bed. Because in the past few months I started noticing bags and dark circles under my eyes with an alarming frequency, I have also recently incorporated using an eye cream -- Bioré's See the Future Fortifying Eye Cream -- into my nighttime beauty routine. It feels light and soothing on my skin after a long day, and it does seem to really minimize any puffiness and bags under the eyes that I have. I've also taken to using it in the morning, as well. Just applying a little bit around the eye area before I put on concealer. Since I started using it, I've felt like I haven't needed to apply as much concealer under my eyes.

Do you have a special skin care routine? What are your favorite skin care products?