A Geek Tragedy

outfit no. 9

abby_cake — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:08 +0000

I pulled out all the dresses I own the other day, sorting them for both “play” and “work.” Mostly because I am having a bit of an existential crisis in regards to my professional wardrobe (or lack thereof). I discovered something interesting, I am the owner of four orange dresses! All of them are a similar shade, more burnt orange than neon. As I looked down at my bed, and the sea of orange, I began to ponder their place in my wardrobe. I think I am drawn to that particular color because it reminds me of leaves underfoot in autumn, my favorite season. It makes me want to wear boots, and light campfires, and roast marshmallows. Burnt orange makes me think of back to school and freshly sharpened pencils. It reminds me of my parent’s old couch. I suppose it’s simply a nostalgic color for me. I did end up donating one of the dresses, but kept the other three. This skater dress was actually procured whilst shopping in Chicago during the 20sb Summit, thus making it doubly nostalgic.

I love wearing sneakers with dresses, it’s such an unexpected shoe choice with a nice dress and tends to integrate a casual flair. Converse sneakers in particular were such a thing while we lived in Korea. Everyone had wild colors and textures, hi-tops and low, with creative and varied lacing strategies. I was both impressed and intrigued by the trend, so I bought a worn-looking (on purpose), navy pair — and I love them. Isn’t it funny that I had to move to Korea to fall in love with something so distinctly American? Ah, the mysteries of travel.

Dress: F21 // Sneakers: Converse (in Korea) // Bracelet: gift

a fitz update.

abby_cake — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:27:33 +0000

When last we left Fitzgerald, he was pint-sized, unexpected, and had blue eyes. Somewhere between then and now he grew a bit and his eyes changed to green. He’s a total lap kitten and mews until I pick him up for lap cuddles. This actually suits me just fine. Also, never having had a cat / kitten before, I spend most of the day exclaiming whenever he does something. “Jared! Look! Fitzgerald is in the bathtub!” A past owner of many cats, Jared typically just mumbles and does not look up from his tablet. Keep in mind, I feel the need to do this like, three times an hour so I imagine it can get quite tiring to veteran cat owners. As I type this, Fitz is behind me playing in a plastic bag. To me, this is the pinnacle of adorableness and I feel like I should pause my entire day to bear witness to the ongoing contention between bag and kitten . However, my friends have informed me this is simply what cats do, and they do it a lot apparently.

I actually got up and took a picture because this was happening behind me. Squee!! Kitty face!! Also, Sherman’s reaction is priceless.

That’s not to say that having a kitten doesn’t come with any challenges. Fitz is essentially nocturnal and also REALLY wants to cuddle with me at night. Cuddling quickly turns into playing which turns into biting, which is decidedly NOT awesome at 3AM. So, until he can sleep all night on the pet bed, he has to stay outside our bedroom — which often results in angry meows and paws reaching under our door. I told Jared the violently shaking door would probably be far more disconcerting if I wasn’t 100% sure our home invader was a 1lb. kitten. I am also working full-time to discourage any claw sharpening on my couch by introducing the scratching post into our lives.

I feel like, despite the hurdles, he is becoming more and more integrated into our family. And, bonus, I think Sherman actually likes having a friend. Since he’s been alone with us for so long, I was worried he might get jealous or simply eat Fitz when I wasn’t looking.

Sherman is available for both playtime and naptime.

My little parrot snuggling with me after the gym.

He’s now climbed into my lap and started to purr. I think I am going to start telling people my hobby is making kittens purr, because it’s basically the best thing ever.

outfit no. 8

abby_cake — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:00:41 +0000

I wore this outfit to sign some papers at my new job because, THAT’S RIGHT, I have a job. I will be working at a community college in the fall and I couldn’t be more excited about it. From what I can discern thus far, my working environment will be fairly casual. Most of my future co-workers have been dressed in jeans or khakis when I came into contact with them. However, I prefer dresses and cardigans, so I think this is a fairly typical example of what I would wear to work. I didn’t manage to get a good picture of my shoes, they kept blending into the ground, so just imagine I am wearing khaki flats, okay? Okay.

Cardigan: F21 // Dress: Ross

unapologetic.

abby_cake — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:00:33 +0000

Recently I found myself at a small gathering of friends, most of whom I knew, but some that I didn’t. I struck up a conversation with a guy I’d never met before. We were discussing what was currently being taught in high school American Lit classes. We spoke briefly of my love affair with Gatsby, which he scoffed at. I shrugged. He pressed, “What else do you read?” I replied, ” Right now, Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.” This answer brought forth more of a guffaw than the casual scoff from before. Then, he began to deride the author in less than eloquent terms, eventually (literally) waving me off with his hand. Instead of simply smiling and bowing out to find someone else to talk to who didn’t make me want to punch them in their face-hole, I found myself vehemently defending Austen. “But the elegant balls, and the strong heroines, and the period language!” After more derision from my conversation partner, I sunk back in my chair feeling quite defeated and upset.

It wasn’t until later that I realized I shouldn’t have defended Austen at all. Not because she doesn’t deserve a defense, but because she doesn’t need one. She’s fucking Jane Austen! And YES, I like her! Defending things I am genuinely passionate about or interested in shouldn’t be a thing. I don’t know when we passed out cards giving everyone free reign to openly mock one another’s preferences. It’s like a messed up version of social Monopoly. I mean, I can get behind a discussion on differing opinions, but essentially telling someone you think less of them because they enjoy a certain hobby isn’t okay with me.

Later in the week I went record shopping with Jared and a mutual friend. I have been attempting to acquire an assortment of vinyl records, both modern and vintage. Whilst shopping along a particular vinyl rack, I came across a discounted Mumford and Sons record. “Oh!” I exclaimed, producing my find with a smile. My friend, shopping next to me, looked at the cover and gave that familiar scoff of superiority. “Overrated,” he proclaimed, before returning to his own search. Again, I felt oddly defeated, as though I had somehow failed to grasp a concept far beyond my own understanding.

The simple truth is, I like both Jane Austen and Mumford and Sons. That’s it. So, from now on, I am going to unapologetically own it, because I don’t care if you don’t like extravagant balls and banjos — I DO.

outfit no. 7

abby_cake — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 11:00:20 +0000

I’ve always wanted to be a “hat person” — but it feels like too much of a label. I mean, I look okay in hats, and I own a few, but I rarely wear them. Usually when I put on a hat, I feel slightly uncomfortable, like I don’t deserve to call myself a hat person. This accessory conundrum is actually a larger metaphor for how I feel about a lot of things, I suppose. I give myself unrealistic goals for a certain look, or a certain hobby, and if I don’t reach them — well, I can’t CALL myself that, because I’m not really. For example, I run. However, I don’t run very fast and I don’t own a fancy pair of shoes and sometimes I run indoors on the treadmill. Am I a runner? Another example is that I wrote a book, but I self-published it and market it myself. Am I an author? In the end, I’ve decided that I should probably just give up the labels as a whole. I like to run. I like to write. And dammit, I like hats.

Blouse & Skirt: Express (skirt is here) // Shoes: Marshall’s // Hat: Korea

outfit no. 6

abby_cake — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:00:19 +0000

Lately, I’ve been trying to make more time for girlfriends. Having friends makes me happy, and I want more of that feeling in my life. So, I wore this outfit on a lady-date with my friend Haley to shoot some photos for her blog. I am no photographer, but I do love being behind (and in front of) the camera — and how else does one learn after all? It was a much needed day of Mexican food and girl talk. And somehow I missed the opportunity to take any photos of us together. Le sigh. Anyway, I like this particular outfit because it makes me feel both feminine and edgy at the same time. The layered skirt gives an added foofiness to the more structured vest that makes me want to prance through meadows. Also, after seeing some of my favorite fashion bloggers sporting artfully-tattered denim vests this spring, I decided to take matters into my own hands and cut the sleeves off of an old Forever 21 denim jacket. Pro tip: style can always be created with craft scissors and hot glue guns.

Dress: ModCloth (discontinued) // Vest: F21 (edited by me) // Shoes: Toms

formally introducing: fitzgerald von ocelot

abby_cake — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:00:17 +0000

I want y’all to meet someone:

This is Fitzgerald von Ocelot.

Okay, for those of you who follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you’ve no doubt noticed a new addition to my family recently. He had a successful vet checkup last week, and I feel like it’s finally time to introduce this little guy and tell his story.

On Mother’s Day, Jared’s sister brought me a surprise in the form of a tiny, hissing ball of fluff. I’ve never actually had a kitten (or a puppy — I found Sherman full grown) before, and she produced the recently procured stray, announcing that since I did “so well” with Sherman (also a stray) I would probably do well with this cat. Well, cue me panicking! I didn’t own any kitten supplies, toys, or a litter box. I didn’t know what kittens do in their spare time or what kind of mothering they need. Luckily, Jared had a lot of animals growing up and he explained that cats are fairly self-sufficient. Fitz came to us already crate trained, which alleviated a lot of my initial apprehension (and potential cleanup). Jared and I had discussed getting a kitten upon our return from Korea, but we hadn’t made a decision yet — and when the decision was made for us, I wasn’t sure if we could handle it. But, this beautiful little guy has quickly won our hearts.

I feel like he is growing up way too fast and I’m not capturing enough kitten moments (don’t worry, my phone is 99% Sherman and Fitz pictures at this point). The last photo was just taken yesterday and he seems SO MUCH bigger than in the first photo, even though he is eight weeks old and still barely weighs a pound.

Feel free to share any kitten / cat wisdom with me in the comments! I still feel clueless.

hunting for fashion.

abby_cake — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 11:00:26 +0000

The absolute pinnacle of a first-world-fashion-problem for me is finding something I love on Pinterest or Tumblr with NO LINK BACK to where I can actually purchase it. Especially on Tumblr, you just wind up in an endless loop of other people’s blogs before eventually losing your mind and opening up a bottle of wine and that folder of cat pictures you were saving for a rainy day because — let’s face it — you were never going to find those galaxy pring leggings anyway. I know it’s not just me (right?). The thing is, I love a good hunt — that’s why I end up shopping at Ross over department stores so frequently, but I am also a huge ~~addict~~ fan of online shopping. When I want something particular or quirky I always head out to the online, international marketplace. But there’s so much stuff out there — it gets overwhelming to sift through. Although after that bottle of wine I start thinking all kinds of things might look good on me, and my bank account silently cries.

Recently, I was introduced to a site called The Hunt where you can upload pictures from your Tumblr or Pinterest or your own computer, and then enlist fellow fashionistas to help you in your quest for the perfect dress / shoe / belt / purse — whatever! Sidenote: this site would have been SO helpful when I was shopping for my BiSC “white party” dress — just sayin’.

I was so excited to potentially find some of the wayward items I’d pinned on Pinterest that I immediately started two different hunts. The first one is already a success story!! I found these amazing pastel, floral boots last spring and pinned them in hopes that when I returned to the states I would be able to find them. Alas, they were discontinued. But, the lovely members on The Hunt helped me to discover a few different options.

The original image. (via)

What do y’all think? Should I buy them??

I like The Hunt because it offers up the “found it” feeling on a silver platter — which severely cuts down on my wine and cat picture consumption. I love the physical charge into a messy clothing rack, but in the circuitous world of Tumblr and Pinterest, give me The Hunt any day. If you sign up, find me and we can hunt together!!

** post is sponsored by The Hunt, but opinions are my own.

outfit no. 5

abby_cake — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:00:05 +0000

Wednesdays are great because the local bar offers a $4 “bring your own mug” beer special, and you can bring a mug that holds up to 32oz (I think that’s like, a quart? I am not good at conversions). Jared procured several mason jars for this distinct purpose. However, apparently Wal Mart (in their constant quest to make you buy ALL the things you don’t actually need) will only part with their 32oz mason jars in ten packs, leaving us with eight extras. Jared asked me what we were going to do with the extra mason jars, and I was all “Pfft, Pinterest.” So, I’ll probably turn them all into unnecessarily complicated lamps, or soap dispensers, or something really useful like that.

The added bonus of really-cheap-beer-night is that I have an excuse to dress like a contributing member of society instead of an unemployed bum — because sometimes I wear my sad pajamas (I have happy pajamas too, fear not) and don’t leave the house all day. Obviously, I am not a huge trend-spotter, but every once in a while something trendy calls out to me. I bought this high-low hem dress for about $20 before I left for Korea (when high-low hems were still a thing?), but I never really got a chance to wear it in SoKo. On a whim, I decided to wear it to the aforementioned bar. I really like this dress because it translates well throughout the different seasons. In autumn, it’s easy to pair it with a chambray shirt and my Minnetonka fringe boots. But during the Texas summer, I try to keep it simple with sandals and my Korean name necklace — which is my only go-to jewelry. I should probably learn how to accessorize better because it would make these posts more interesting, yes?

Dress: PacSun (similar here and here) // Sandals: Ross // Necklace: from Korea

the most dazzling of shoes.

abby_cake — Wed, 29 May 2013 20:44:16 +0000

So, I’ve recently come out to y’all as a wannabe personal style blogger, which means I spend a lot of time trying to determine what actually fits within my own definition of style. Sometimes I feel like I have a well defined idea of how I want to look, and sometimes I feel utterly confused — mostly about colors and shoe-matching. I tend to be fairly bold with color choices, so I love sites like Polyvore and Pinterest that allow you to play with different styles before trying them on yourself. Anyway, after hearing several times down the blog-vine about Shoe Dazzle, I finally decided to give them a try. Basically, you take a 2-minute style quiz (just choosing styles that you would wear), and they curate a personal showroom based on your choices. Each month your showroom changes, exhibiting a new collection of shoes just for you. It’s like the rotating wardrobe in Clueless, but online!

Here are my picks from my May showroom. You can probably guess from the ones I chose that I am not a stiletto fan.

Right now, ShoeDazzle is offering 25% OFF your first pair of shoes and FREE SHIPPING. For a thrifty girl who still wants to look trendy (see also: me), this site is perfect. After the discount, some of the shoes end up costing no more than 20 bucks. Bargain! You can click here and check it out. Even if you don’t end up buying any of the shoes, their style quiz is definitely worth it.

** post is sponsored by ShoeDazzle, but opinions are my own.