All About Those Sparkles

During last night's PHLbloggers chat, I mentioned how much I love my sparkly shoes, especially around the holidays. Think about it: you can wear anything-- even all black-- top it off with some glitter on your feet, and you're Christmas-party-ready. It's a simple way to elevate an outfit from "just alright" to unforgettable. Since so many of those lovely ladies needed some recommendations, I figured I'd scour the web for some of the best. Here are a few of my favorites.

Kitty Cats and Sparkly Slingbacks

Whoa. What a rough week it's been. I holed up in my bedroom-- covered in multiple blankets, with a grilled cheese, cuddling with my dog, crying, and watching Love Actually-- not just once but TWICE this week. It was a "bad news, dreams crushed, weird confrontation, more bad news, good news but I don't have enough money to make the good news actually happen so it turned into rather disappointing bad news again, another weird confrontation, wake up in the middle of the night with a panic attack, wake up to more bad news" (in that order) kinda week. Oh, not to mention some "lady issues." Needless to say, I'm very glad that it's Friday.

Bell Sleeves

Every once in a while, I'll find an article of clothing I'm instantly drawn to. I had all but given up my efforts to find a blouse with over-the-top yet still classy statement sleeves. I didn't want to settle. If it didn't make my heart sing, it wasn't the right one. And then I saw it. In all it's glory. Like a beacon of hope coming from a targeted at on the side of my browser screen.

Ah, Yes. The Holidays Are Upon Us Once More.

This time of year always gets a bit wild so if you're anything like me, planning outfits ahead of time is a luxury you simply cannot afford. It's just so time-consuming and I'll always forget to pick out clothes until the last possible minute-- like the night before big holiday get-together. Dressing up can be fun but when there's a million other things to do, it's likely the last thing on your mind. Fear not though. I went through and picked three of my favorite "holiday" looks so you can have some fresh inspiration. (And by "you guys," I also mean myself!)

Mean Girls

I'll never forget the first time I was bullied. I had always been a bit of a loner. I wasn't interested in whatever the other girls were into so I hung out with the boys. We would play street hockey, jump on the trampoline, and skateboard around the cul-de-sac for hours. I had even started a zine with one of my guy friends. It was a pretty sweet setup I had for a while, until we all got to the age at which girls and boys start becoming "interested" in each other. Swiftly, my sweet little world fell apart. 

I was sitting in the hallway with one of my buds when a girl, who probably had some sort of crush on him, spilled a water bottle on my crotch area and told everybody I peed my pants. I was in fifth grade.  Looking back, it's kind of hilarious, but in the moment, it was horrifying. I was somewhat friendly with this girl and felt betrayed. I was shocked, heartbroken, and confused. I was inconsolable for the better part of the afternoon and can remember hiding out in the library with my lucky rabbit's foot and a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends. That was the day I asked my parents to homeschool me for the first time. I got through it by telling myself that the feeling wouldn't be forever. That I couldn't wait to get older so I wouldn't have to feel this way anymore. Fast forward about fifteen years. Not much as changed.

Always Wear A Baseball Cap

I had quite the weekend, friends. I attended my first hackathon, which was a whirlwind experience. A friend who knew I went to design school (and maybe didn't know that I dropped out?) asked if I could do UI/UX for the weekend. I'm not sure sure why I agreed because I knew absoultely nothing about either of those things. Probably had something to do with the fact that there was money involved? Nonetheless, I downloaded a free trial of a program I'd never used before and set out to do the (seemingly) impossible. I haven't challenged myself in a very long time so overcoming those obstacles was enough in it's own way. Though we didn't win, a lot of experienced designers and developers complimented my work so I'd say the weekend wasn't a total loss.

Herringbone and a Dark Lip

In a perfect world, every plan we make flawlessly works out. It sounds easy enough in theory. In practice? No dice. You may have seen that my anniversary was this past weekend. Joyous occasion, without a doubt. I found the most perfect vegan restaurant in New Hope, went shopping for a classy yet still kinda sexy outfit, and spent hours on my hair and makeup. I had it all under control. Until we got to the restaurant and I realized that I had forgotten to make a reservation. Should have known that the coolest eatery in town wouldn't have a table available on a crisp autumn evening. Lesson learned: always call ahead.

Our Icelandic Elopement: It's Been An Entire Year

It's been a year since B and I stood on Vík's beautiful black beaches and said "I do," and whew, what a year it has been. So maybe it wasn't the easiest first year of marriage but I still wouldn't trade it for anything. 

If there's anything we've learned in this last year, it's that every facet of life is truly, tragically, and beautifully ephemeral. Pretty much everything has changed so it's good to have photographs to vividly recall moments like these that would otherwise become faded over time. Since I love them so much, I gotta dust off our wedding photos and share them once more. 

Photos by Violet Short.