Call for self-portraiture tips!

Alright. I admit it. I am currently just absolutely horrible at non-webcam self-portraiture. And frankly I’m sick of it and want to actively improve.

In an attempt to gauge my lack of talent, I took a few outfit posts over a few days. Results:

Yeah. No bueno. My immediate thoughts:

• I should have bought a DSLR with remote control when I had the chance. I’m having a pretty rough time building a healthy relationship with my camera.
• I need to learn to get my self-timer to focus correctly. I haven’t a clue how to do this. The camera focuses for every self-timed shot when I push the button, meaning that it either focuses on my very-close body as I stand in front of the camera to push the button, or the far-away background.
• I need to place the camera higher up, angled down. Which is pretty difficult without a tripod.
• I need to work on my poses. These four images were the least awkward of about 60 self-timed shots. For some reason, being in front of a still camera is just horrifying to me. My muscles tense and I just clam up.
• The hair. It needs more volume. And posture! I need some.

As for what I’m wearing:

• Top left: Mossimo dress from Target, last year; cowboy boots from some cheap online store; Mark bag via Plato’s Closet.
• Top right and bottom left: Vera Wang cardigan from Kohl’s last year; vintage dance leotard; booty shorts from a dance store; vintage garage sale re-mixed sheer skirt (made from a dress); thrifted shoes & belt.
• Bottom right: Thrifted straw hat; maternity tank from Target; thrifted Rocketdog shoes; thrifted skirt with a Japanese brand that I can’t read, thrifted belt.

I don’t know. I think that in general I’m a pretty neat person, but that just doesn’t shine through like I want it to in pictures. Do you guys have any tips for me?

 

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Today’s giveaway from Sometimes Sweet is for these adorable oxford flats. I was pretty bummed to not have won yesterday, but a serial giveaway-enterer knows the key is persistence!

Imaginary shopping spree: Modcloth edition

I’m thinking of making “Imaginary shopping spree” a new recurring post. However, this horrible idea is probably only in my head because I have the headache from hell and can only lay in bed with my computer and complain to whoever will listen and click through online stores lustfully.

(I don’t know if I used “lay” correctly. That lay/lie/lye thing never got through to me and I am too lazy to try to once again memorize that rule. Mrs. Hadley? Help me out here?)

(Just kidding. I know that lye has nothing to do with laying and lying.)

(“Laying and lying: The bachelor years” – the perfect title for a chapter of an autobiography.)

ANYWAY. Here are the things I like from Modcloth:

Clockwise from the top left: Weekend thrifting tank, Throwback dance party dress, Dragonfly by dress, Sunset barbeque dress, Sheerly stunning top, Back of the pickup tunic, Creature comfort teapot, Triple threat wedge, By the bootstraps boot, Simply superb sandal, Antoine watcheau necklace.

Huh. Apparently I have a thing for neutrals. #realization

Also, all of these things are too damn expensive. Seriously. Years of thrift store shopping have made me totally unprepared for the price of real things.

1.24.10

This post is more for myself than for you. I’m getting antsy about forgetting – particularly about forgetting what Grady and I looked like in January of 2011. So anyway, I’m considering doing plain old outfit posts for us both this week – as a backup memory and as a reason to get dressed for the day. Now that I’m not working the days tend to get mind-numbingly boring, which makes me cranky.

On me: thrifted vintage Petit Sophisticate cardigan, thrifted Old Navy silk tank, thrifted and remixed vintage wool skirt, thrifted GAP leather belt. (Unseen: vintage brown flats.)
On Grady: thrifted vintage Japanese silk dress, thrifted Old Navy hot pink tank, Esprit tights from Tuesday Morning, Faded Glory flats

Thrift haul: Inexplicably cheap

I’m actually pretty proud of this thrift store haul. All of this stuff came in at just under $30. The American Fork DI is quickly ousting Saver’s from the coveted Mel’s-favorite-thrift-store throne.

Plaid skirt with pockets for me, Grey knitted vest for me, white tiered miniskirt for me, plaid wool dress for Grady, and a cotton brown H&M dress for Grady.

A bunch of dresses for Grady.

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann; Peace Pilgrim (!! This lady is one of my favorite Christians. I have a bunch of copies of this book – if you’d like one please let me know. A few of her ideas have completely permeated my life.); Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (2nd copy); Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck (my favorite book by my favorite author); Jean Anouilh’s Antigone (This is my favorite play, but I’ve never been able to finish reading it. I have such a strong reaction to it that I just can’t bear to continue reading. Someday I’ll finish it and then I’ll probably die.); Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora neale Hurston, The Transparent Self by Sidney M. Jourard (I’ve never heard about it, but apparently it’s about the transition from a closed private life to one of complete disclosure – of course that sounds really interesting to me.); The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck; and Great Illustrated Classics’ version of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds (I’m collecting this series for Grady, because I loved it when I was a kid. If you see any copies for under $5, please buy it and give it to me and I will pay you back and give you a kiss on the cheek.)

These “thrift haul” posts seem really forced; of this I am aware. Here are my reasons behind writing them:

• I enjoy reading similar posts on other blogs.
• To keep track of my consumerism
• Because this blog is called “thrifted,” after all, and it has lost track of its original purpose.
• Because I really love books and clothes and stuff.

Edit: I forgot to mention the most important reason! To let people know that you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get some great stuff. And that re-using and recycling is cool.

Um, I went to a thrift store.

I never really write about shopping anymore, though I continue to do it. Dressing my new post-pregnancy body continues to be difficult – this doesn’t mean my body is better or worse than before, just different. My years of experience knowing what something on a hanger would look like on my body are now kind of useless. And excuse my over-editing-to-compensate-for-bad-photography. Anyway,

Here’s what you can get at Saver’s on Memorial day for $90. If you get there early like I did, and leave your baby at home, that is.

Clothes for myself:

Lightweight cotton printed Forever 21 mini-mumu.

Grey SO skinny jeans, black Xhiliration dress, grey Gillian & O’Malley nightgown, maroon plaid Westernwear snap-up.

Clothes for baby:

Cherokee dress with pockets, 24m.

Yellow Baby Gap caftan, 3T. A toddler caftan! Love.

Baby Gap dress (3T), Kenneth Cole Reaction denim dress (18m), Cherokee dip-dye dress (3T), Baby Gap pink floral dress (2T), Brandless pink courdoroy dress (24m)

Old Navy blue floral tiered dress, 2T

Baby Gap denim jacket (2T), The Children’s Place sweater (12mo.), Carter’s fleece jacket (24mo.), Baby Gap fleece peacoat (18-24 mo.)

Ralph Lauren t-shirt (18 mo.), Baby Gap polka-dot t-shirt (2T), Genuine Kids blouse (18 mo.), Cherokee henley (3T), Cherokee cardigan (24 mo.)

Old Navy tank (18-24 mo.), sprockets t-shirt (3T), Blueberi Boulevard smocked blouse (2T), Plum Pudding Ltd smocked blouse (2T), Cherokee blouse (24 mo.)

Nick Jr. green pants (18 mo.), b.t. kids jeans (12 mo.), sprockets jeans (18 mo.), Disney leggings (18 mo.), tagless leggings (12 mo.), Hanes sweats (12 mo.), and Okie Dokie sweats (12 mo.).

Etcetera:

Books: “Chrysanthemum” by Henkes (an adorable book for Grady), “The Mold in Dr. Florey’s Coat” by Eric Lax (a father’s day present for my dad), “The Book of General Ignorance” by John Lloyd and John Michinson, “Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live” by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, “The Heart of a Woman” by Maya Angelou, “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy, and “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand.
A pillowcase to be used for the material – probably made into a dress for Grady.
Some stripperiffic brown heels.