*on vacation!*

I'm going on vacation with my hubby this next week--our first vacation since our honeymoon, 3 years ago!
See you when I get back!

Living in the Movies: You've Got Mail

You've Got Mail is such a classic--I love Meg Ryan's simple style in this movie--timeless and feminine. Here's my take on her style:

you've got mail by thriftypoet featuring Dorothy Perkins tops

green irene one shoulder dress, $38
Women's Dorothy Perkins Black long sleeve crew top Online, 7 GBP
Ceri Cardi, $49
Full Cotton Skirt - Women's Clothing and Apparel - Chic Dresses,..., $49
Plain Round Leather Ballerina Pumps, 25 GBP
Wild Diva Larisa-02 Ballet Flat - Free Overnight Shipping on New..., $30
VINNIE Canvas T Bar Shoes, $50





What movies inspire your style?

Mix-n-Match

Today's Friend Friday, via Modlychic, fits in well with the 30 for 30 challenge a lot of bloggers, including myself, have been participating in this month--its all about thinking creatively with a limited wardrobe, remixing old looks.

1. What's your most versatile piece of clothing? How do you wear it?
I have to be honest--most of my clothes mix pretty well together, since, although I don't shy away from bright colors, I don't have a ton of patterns in my wardrobe. That said, I think one of my most versatile items is my white old navy vest (pictured Here). Sometimes I wear it buttoned up, like a tank, sometimes as an undershirt, sometimes as a vest. Also, my black short sleeved cardigan gets a lot of use, since it makes my sleeveless tops and dresses work-appropriate (as seen here and here). 2. What one piece should every woman own?
Tough question! I don't think I can narrow it down to just one--I think every woman should own a good pair of neutral colored flats, a good neutral colored tank-top for wearing under things for modesty or just to wear as a top, a good a-line skirt, a cardigan that goes with everything...and of course, jeans that fit well.  (for more of what I consider basics, click Here)3. What Summer trends do you love because of their versatility?
Little summer dresses with stretch tops that can be worn as skirts or as dresses. I also love light cardigans.

4. What's the most creative combination you've put together from your closet?
Most of my outfits are pretty simple. I like mixing colors that aren't usually mixed--like my bright pink skirt with yellow skirt here--and I like to belt a cardigan or vest over a skirt from time to time--though, with belting being so in style, I don't know how "out of the box" that is.

5. If you had the guts, what items would you pair and then wear out in public?
I would Love to try mixing patterns--right now, I don't own really any patterned tops, so its not an option--but I've seen pattern mixing done so well by some of my favorite bloggers, and I'd like to try it for myself. As I've said, though my skirts and dresses have some pattern in them, most of my tops are plain, so I don't have a lot of opportunity for pattern mixing at the moment--once my 30 for 30 challenge shopping ban is over, I might go pick up a few patterened tops so I can try out some new looks. There isn't really anything that I don't have the guts to wear in public (excluding things that I feel are inappropriate to wear in public, due to modesty issues)...except maybe socks with sandals. I don't know if I can get on board with that trend.





What are some creative combinations y'all have come up with for outfits? I'm typically a pretty simple dresser--any advice on how to step out of my comfort zone a bit?

I Heart Blogs

Stylishkidsinriot is doing a "I Heart Blogs" day, where bloggers list their 10 favorite blogs and reasons why you should check them out. Here are my top 10, in no particular order:

• Daddy Likey
  This is one of the first fashion blogs I started reading when I was getting into fashion blogs. She's got a great sense of humor and her "Don't Show-cha your Cho-cha" posts are can't-miss!
• Bachman's Sparrow
  Great DIY, outfit posts, how-tos, interviews, you name it! And, she's eco-friendly--it just doesn't get any better. {check out my interview with Maria of Bachman's Sparrow HERE}
• How Not To Dress Like a Mom
  This is the blog that inspired me to start my blog--this blog covers more than just what you should wear when your preggers (though that info will definitely be useful to me later!), "Freaky Friday" posts, style tips, and opinions about current trends.
•  The Laundry Narrative
  This blogger is a new mom and yet still looks fabulous every day! I find that really inspiring, especially when most new moms I know haven't worn real pants in 6 months (no joke.).
•  Fashion Coconuts
  Hands down, the funniest blog I read. The fashion world takes things a bit too seriously sometimes, its nice to read such a refreshing voice.
• The Wardrobe Wanderer
  Her style is always unique and interesting; gives me lots of ideas of how to put my own things together 
• Transmission Me
  Very into thrifting and vintage shopping, which I love.
• Proficiscamur!
  Love her outfit posts, "Friday Frocks," style tips
• Modly Chic
  Hosts "Friend Friday" everyweek, and each outfit post has a little "style tip" at the end of it.
• A La Modest
  The title says it all--how to look cute AND stay modest!

So if you have the time, take a few minutes to check out all of these lovely blogs for some great reading!

Links à la Mode

Questions, questions

Edited by: Jennine Jacob, IFB

They say the only dumb question is one you don't ask, and these days the questions keep coming and the answers? Well, we try. In the fashion world... Lady Gaga, is she really doing it for the girls? What does working with Terry Richardson do for/against her cred? Should we question the ethnic headdress trend? Has fashion blogging become overloaded and narcissistic? What's the real price of our clothing? And more importantly what should we wear to a movie date!?! Oh man, the questions they keep coming. Luckily this week's roundup has some answers.

Links à la Mode: July 8

• 365 Fashion Rehab: Nautical Stripe Shorts 4 Ways
• Denimaniac: Paris Fashion Week SS11 Denim Looks
• Fashion Butter: Beach wear, street wear
• Fashion Cents: What to wear to a movie date.
• Fashionista Lab: Traveling light: Plan ahead
• Fete a Fete: Nars Summer 2010 Colors
• Hello Beauty! Urban Decay Summer of Love set offers a palette that's all about gorgeous sparkle and a vibrant pop of purple
• Holier than Now: The New Hipster Headdress - fun fashion or not-funny appropriation?
• I'm the It Girl: Master Control: Q&A with Design + Conquer
• I like socks: The price that we are willing and able to pay for our clothing.
• Oranges and Apples: My fiancee made me a dress! Lots of pictures and some thoughts on gender divisions in the crafting world.
• Rocker Repro: Lady GaGa: Yeah, but what is she doing for her female fans?
• Rah! Rah! Style Revolt: Information Overload: 2010 & The Blogging Revolution
• Retro Chick: Love yourself, Love others, Love Vintage Challenge
• Return to Sender: Losing some weight! (but not from where you'd think)
• Shrimp Salad Circus: Greta Pollman handmade feature and giveaway
• The Coveted: American Living Preview
• The Fish Tank: Gothic, grunge Jewelry
• The Thrify Poet: Is fashion blogging narcissistic?
• Wicked Whimsy: Fashion & Accessibility

Friend Friday

image from BlossomHillCottons

I'm taking a little break from the 30 for 30 posting for this week's Friend Friday from the Modlychic blog, talking about travel.

1. Are you going anywhere this summer that will require a suitcase?
I'm going to Georgia next week, on a one-day business trip, then to Boston the first week of August for vacation with my husband. We used to live in Boston, so a lot of our vacation will be revisiting old haunts and catching up with old friends.

2. What are your 'must-pack' items?
A novel, poetry book, pen and journal (for long road trips or plane rides, or visiting the in-laws), jeans, cell phone charger. as far as clothes go, I always pack a pair of jeans, a jersey dress, a skirt, a cardigan, and a few tops. Usually I'll pack flats that I can wear out to something nice or something casual. I try to pack things that I can wear almost anywhere.

3. When it comes to makeup how much of your collection do you pack? What do you take? What do you leave behind?
I bring my facial lotion (with spf), powder, concealer, eyeliner, mascara, lip gloss and physician's formula bronzer (since it can double as blush and eye shadow). I guess I bring pretty much all my makeup, ha! I do leave behind a few things--other colors of eyeshadow, lipstain, lipstick, eyelash curler, etc.

4. Do you have any travel packing advice?
Don't assume the weather will be what the weather channel says it will be--I once packed nothing but dresses and skirts for a weekend with the in-laws that was Supposed to be 80 degrees but turned out to be 50 degrees, and I froze!

5. What one item should every woman pack when going on a vacation?
A pair of good jeans. Nice jeans can be dressed up or dressed down, they can be worn a few different times on your vacation and people won't really notice because they're jeans, and they're comfy.
 
 
 
 
So are y'all going anywhere fun this summer? Any travel packing tips? What do you never leave home without?

30 for 30

As of today, I'm taking part in the 30 for 30 challenge hosted by KendiEveryday. The challenge is to pick out 30 items of clothing in my closet and remix them for 30 days -- no shopping, just working with what I have. (Pajamas, underthings, camisoles, bags and accessories don't count in the 30 items).

Ok, you might have noticed, my blog isn't typically an "outfit blog" so please bear with me on my unphotogenicness throughout these next 30 days.

I'm excited about this challenge--I think it will be an exercise in creativity to figure out how to wear so few things so many different ways. and the timing of this challenge is perfect--I'm going on vacation the first week of August and plan to do some major shopping there.

 my bed, as I was figuring out what to wear

Here's what I decided to work with:

4 Shoes:

black sandals: shoe carnival, pink flats: target, white flats: payless, brown sandals: shoe carnival



My workplace is rather casual in the summer--while I'll need to wear flats a few days a week, I can get away with sandals. And its been so Beastly hot in the south as of late, I'm planning to wear sandals as much as possible.

2 Shorts:

white plaid shorts: thrifted, brown shorts: thrifted


I can't wear shorts to work--dresscode--but I can wear them at home and to church. Hopefully I won't regret choosing to wear two pairs.

7 Skirts: 

 khaki pencil skirt: tjmaxx, red skirt: thrifted, black skirt: thrifted, white and black skirt: thrifted, white and yellow skirt: thrifted, khaki a-line skirt: old navy, blue and brown skirt: old navy

I decided to go heavy on the skirts. I went with skirts that are comfortable enough to wear to work or at home or at church, since I figured I'd get the most wear out of them. I didn't choose any pants for this project--its too hot for pants!!









4 Dresses:

navy blue: thrifted, pink and orange: express, teal: steve & barry's, white and purple: target

I'm a little wary about choosing 4 dresses, but I figure I'll just have to be creative with how to work them into my wardrobe for work and play.

3 Tanks and 1 Cardigan:

yellow tank: francesca's collections, white tank: old navy, green tank: tjmaxx, black cardigan: tjmaxx



The tanks will be mostly for afterwork, and the cardigan can make them work appropriate. I think I'll get a lot of use out of the lightweight, short-sleeve little cardigan in the next few weeks!

4 Neutral Tops:

white/blue top: charlotte russe, brown button up: thrifted, black top: gap, white top: F21

5 Colorful Tops:

maroon top: banana republic outlet, blue top: gap, yellow top: thrifted, bright blue top: gap, pink top: thrifted


Although I did use a lot of color in my top choices, there isn't a lot of pattern (like there is in the dresses and skirts). I think things will mix well, I might just need to brush up on my color combos.

Total: 30 outfits for 30 days!

Let me know if you're doing the challenge too--I'd love to see what you're using for your remixes!

Under $100 Outfit

$100 outfit by thriftypoet featuring Forever21

Items in this set:
pretty petunias garden tie dress, $35
Search results for miley cyrus - Walmart, $10
Grommet Studded Bow Flats, $20
Braided Strap Cross Body Handbag, $20
Forever21.com - New Arrivals - 1076236946, $7.80


Total cost: $97

Links à la Mode

Oh, Brave New World...

Edited by: Ashe Mischief of Dramatis Personae

That has such bloggers in it! From a ballsy and confident "I Like Being Fat" at Return to Sender to Awakened Aesthetics post on greenwashing & buying American to Cake Not Coke's expose on Venus Williams' controversial courtside fashion, fashion bloggers are brave and bold. Just the way I like them.

Links à la Mode: July 1

• Awakened Aesthetic: On Independence Day, we're told to "buy American." This eco girl is telling you to think twice.
• Bonne Vie discusses online auction sites; Are they frauds or a fair gamble?
• Cake Not Coke: Venus William's Daring on the Court Fashions...
• Dedicated Follower of Fashion: Interview with Actor/Activist: Adrian Grenier & TV Producer: Peter Glatzer creators of SHIFT, and eco fashion media platform.
• Dramatis Personae: What's so Dazzling about Shoe Dazzle?
• fête á fête: Atelier Cologne - new French luxe fragrance house.
• Grechen Blogs: do you read blogs about blogging? do you find the helpful? are the relevant to the fashion blogging community?
• haute.halifax: A review of several collections inspired by women of the G8 by local Nova Scotian designers
• (IT Hunter): 'Alice Springs' pseudonym used by June Newton, Helmut Newton's wife, to sign her photos first international retrospective
• Miss Jones & Me: Boyfriend Booty
• Ode to Awe: After months of being unable to locate them online, Japan's Transvestite brand is found
• Oranges & Apples: Is it worth buying more expensive nail polish?
• Pixie in Pumps: My take on jewelry storage, creative but not cluttered or tacky.
• Profresh Style: Daily Makeup Routine!
• Retro Chick: The meaning of Vintage
• Return to Sender: I Like Being Fat
• Speak Femme:While rummaging around in my grandmother's sewing room, I found the most amazing guide to sewing and style, courtesy of Vogue.
• Sugar & Spice: To Friendship
• The Coveted: Pull up a chair, we're flipping through Elle's Music Issue
• The Curvy Fashionista: What do you do when your shoes do not fit? Opt for a custom pair with Jen+Kim Shoes!

Friend Friday

This week's Friend Friday from Modlychic is about fashion bloggers--narcissistic or no?

1. Do you think personal fashion blogging is inherently narcissistic?
Some would argue that All writing is inherently narcissistic. I think it can be, but doesn't have to be--its more about creativity and self-expression, whether its writing poetry or blogging. Fashion blogging incorporates a few different elements of creativity--personal style, photography, and writing. I think that any type of art is always good for a person--people need that creative release, whether they know it or not.

2. I think we can all agree, that certainly some blogs are personal odes to the blogger. In your opinion what makes a blog narcissistic.
Blogs where the blogger obviously does not care about communicating with readers / other bloggers seem vain to me.


3. Would you classify your blog as narcissistic? Why?
I would say it isn't--I always respond to comments, and I like to write about things with my readers in mind--what they'll find interesting or helpful.


4. How can we combat the idea that because we share personal style thoughts/pictures we are automatically full of ourselves? Honestly, I think there are always going to be some people that think fashion blogging (or blogging in general) is vain. I think if we do our best to explain our reasons for blogging, it will help with that somewhat.  Also, I think I would tell them that if this is narcissistic, Facebook is too--the carefully posed and edited profile pictures, constant updates on the minutia of everyday life, lists of your likes / dislikes---essentially, all about you.


5. How do you explain what you do to others in a way that doesn't come across as narcissistic? I would say that as a poet, I need a break from writing and reading serious things all the time. Writing a fashion blog is Relaxing--though I love to write poetry, there's a certain pressure to not just write a poem, write an Excellent poem, and there isn't pressure when I'm writing a blog. Of course, I want to do my best at anything I do, but I don't have to worry about each blog post being either rejected or accepted by a literary magazine. And I love the blogging community--its nice to talk fashion with other girls, since I don't know anyone here that is interested in this sort of thing.

Thank You!

The Thrifty Poet has been around for a whole 4 months (the longest I've kept up with a blog in a long time, to be honest!) and I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who reads, comments, follows, and makes blogging so much fun! Thanks y'all!