"The Coldest Winter I ever spent...

...was a summer in San Francisco"- Mark Twain

It's no big secret that the weather in SF is erratic at best. After a short while of living here, after living ANYWHERE else in the world, you eventually figure out how to plan for the day. It can be frustrating when you don't want to carry a jacket around all day, but you will sorry when you don't have one. The warm days turn on you like a friend you've forgiven many times before.

My first summer in SF came as a total shock to me. People had told me it gets cold, but I never imagined spending 4th of July wearing a sweater AND a jacket, after having spent the entire day in a tank top.

4th of July 2010, freezes our ass off and seeing zero fireworks through the fog.

So now, after a few years, I finally think I am getting the hang of things here. And when the weather reaches almost 80 degrees, its a call for celebration. The shorts come out to play, because you don't know when you'll get to dress this summery again.

I was supposed to be spending the weekend in 100+ degree Palm Springs, but plans got messed up. I had a whole bunch of outfits planned, and they all included short shorts. Because I NEVER get to wear short shorts. And damn it, my legs still look good and I am going to wear them at my inappropriate age until they don't.

My sad little suitcase full of un-appreciated outfits

Fortunately the weather in SF was simply perfect, and I was able to spend the day enjoying the sunshine and people watching at the Haight Street Fair. These street fairs are what summer is all about in this city, and in past years I wasn't able to enjoy them due to work. Each one has a different vibe, and I'm sure you can use your imagination as to what the vibe is like at Haight Street!

The shorts come out! 

I'm not exactly always super confident wearing such skimpy things in the city. I never like to feel like I look ridiculous. But on a day like this, I knew I would be fine...especially in comparison to the overall naked-ness of others at the fair.

Awkwardly posing at the corner of Haight and Ashbury.

The good thing about not shopping is that after 22 years of hot New Jersey summers, I have plenty of clothes to choose from. For once, there's no shortage of outfit inspiration, and I actually get pretty excited to get dressed. 

Hippies never really die

Love this guy just chillin in the shade

Thank god I didn't wear my cape and belt outfit like I was planning. That would have been awkward!

Looking forward to more of these gorgeous days, and next week's street fair in North Beach! 

Lost & Found

I have had the greatest Memorial Day Weekend EVER. Kicked off on Friday morning with mimosas to celebrate a few friends graduating from my school, the Academy of Art University. It was great to watch them accept their diplomas and see that there actually is a light at the end of this often dismal tunnel I call art school, and I am on my way to getting it over with.

We thought it would be fun to make the party 90's themed. Oddly enough, I had plenty in my closet to go on, and came up with this gem of an outfit. Complete with french braid and a scrunchie. In related news, I learned that NO ONE thinks scrunchies are cool. Not even in the hipster way. Also, I wore a fanny pack all day, and I have to say, that shit is practical and I am definitely going to be wearing my fanny pack more often now. This is why I hold on to things. Because of theme parties. And because I might be a hoarder.

Floral high waist shorts- check

denim jacket- check

strappy velvet sandals- check

messiest room EVER? yes.

I've been waiting years for an excuse to bring back these bad boys.

Saturday was spent doing major spring cleaning. If you couldn't tell by the above photo, my bedroom was in shambles. So after hours of laundry and folding and OCD style organization, I rewarded myself a little and met up with a girlfriend to catch up over some drinks downtown. At the bar, someone had left a really sweet hat on the seat next to me. After the bartender asked around and no one claimed it, he gifted it to me. I may not be able to shop, but no where have I stipulated that I can't steal.

ooh so artsy

Normally I lack the confidence it takes to wear a hat, and for no particular reason either. I like hats but don't generally gravitate to them to complete my outfits. Yesterday I had a few errands to run and an extremely greasy situation going on with my hair, so it was the perfect day to wear my new hat. What I learned is that the first day you wear a hat is always the windiest day. 

Paired with my favorite purse (its vintage! fancy!) and all black, I felt really really cool. The guy at the hardware store even gave me a compliment.

All in all, it was the perfect way to kick off summer, with just the right balance of work and play. Oh, and on Sunday I was lucky enough to catch the greatest fireworks show of my life from my very own rooftop deck. I'm feeling pretty lucky right about now.

The view from my roof

Photo Credit: Cameron MacPhail 

If this weekend was any indication of the next few months of fun, I am not complaining. San Francisco summer, I'm ready for you!

Mother's Day, a few days late.

Sometimes, a girl just needs her mom.

Some are fortunate enough to live close to their moms, but with 3,000 miles between us, I'm not one of the lucky ones. But no matter the distance, she's always there when you need her most. And for me that moment I needed mommy most happened to coincide perfectly with my family vacation to the East coast.

Since I can remember, my mom always gave me the freedom to do what I wanted and dress how I like and taught me not to take shit from anyone about it. My mom is the reason (whether she knows it or not) that I had the confidence to wear some of the things I did. I would come out of my room, wearing two different colored shoes (Punky Brewster was a major fashion influence) and three pony tails, and my mother would barely bat an eye. I have her to thank for a lot of things, but not stifling my creativity was the best thing she could have ever done for me.

She also had a knack for dressing the whole family impeccably. Easter Sunday was our favorite

Only a few days prior to my much anticipated Anderson Family Vacation to Charleston SC, I was feeling desperate to get out of the city and breathe a little fresh air. I got my wallet stolen on the bus and went through a tiny bit of heartache in my personal life. I was ready to be more than just a phone call away from my mommy.

One of my favorite things to do when I'm home is go to Target with my mom. It's cheesy, but I like to spend the time driving through the suburbs in the minivan with her. I like the stop and go of the busy road, if only for that one day. I like to meander through the usual departments- the clothes, the make up, the home goods. But this time around it was a little different! I'm still not spending money on my own clothes, and I now needed a new wallet. 

Retail therapy is a real thing and probably the reason for at least 60% of what I own. New stuff just makes you feel better. It's a fact, and its lasting effect keeps you coming back for more, which is where my troubles began.  

It was just what I needed- a day running errands in suburban monotony with my awesome mom, catching up and letting her buy me some treats without feeling the guilt. I'm thankful for way more than the things she buys me, but sometimes you just need to be a little spoiled. 

Thank you mommy for allowing me to indulge in the things I didn't need. 

It was definitely the best vacation ever.

This is why we can't have nice things...

The thought of having to use what I already own to actually get dressed up was something I was half dreading, and half looking forward to. I have a whole bunch of fancy crap in my closet that almost never gets worn, and some certain items I've literally never worn. I just always revert back into whatever outfit makes me most comfortable, and even though I like getting fancy, I would always rather feel underdressed than overdressed.

So when my friend Kate invited me to a semi-formal event for her boyfriends gaming company, I was super excited to try and find something original in my closet. I was only slightly tempted to raid my fabulous roommate's collection of nice things, but thought I ought to play dress up on my own for this.

Part of the reason I have SO much stuff is because I buy so much CHEAP stuff. One of my jobs is as a nanny, so I'm constantly getting marker, sauce, and bodily functions of all kinds on my things. I also can't really afford nicer things on a poor starving art student income, and thus I am the antithesis of a [former] fashion student shopping at Forever 21. I've also had in my possession my mom's Gap credit card (thanks mom!) (sorry mom!) with a seemingly flexible limit.


After a little while playing dress up (my FAVORITE pastime) I decided to go with a sleek and sophisticated look. A black pencil skirt and a black top that I modified a little to make it a tiny bit sexier. It was not too flashy, and I still felt like myself, ready to take on the Nerd Convention with my tall, leggy, blonde counterpart.

About 2 and a half drinks into the open-bar event, Kate and I excused ourselves to the ladies room. The skirt I was wearing was tight enough to keep me feeling skinny as I continued to imbibe, and let's face it I was really pushing it trying to fit in to it in the first place. I remained as calm as possible when I realized that getting me back into my skirt would be a two person job.

Kate was awfully determined to fix this skirt, and we laughed as passersby watched us struggle. Ultimately, it was a fancy outfit fail, but I'd consumed enough wine that I played it off like nothing was wrong. The best part about it was the extra inch or so it gave me to enjoy a piece of cake.

I don't have nice things because I don't take enough care or attention to the details, and then this happens. When I start buying clothes again, if anything I'll be more considerate of my purchasing, and I'll definitely check the zippers more than once.

Moral of the story, always have a friend on hand to get you back in your clothes and back out to the party. Sadly, Kate is leaving me and San Francisco behind to follow her dreams in Texas, and I suddenly feel like I didn't take full advantage of having a friend taller than me while we were here together. I'll miss you Kate!

Make Up your mind

This week I learned that the impulse shopper in me isn't dead. Neither is the fiscally irresponsible persona I'm trying desperately to shake. I decided to stop shopping for clothing, accessories, and bags, but I didn't put a limit on things like make up and essential items like socks, underwear, etc. But the line of necessity is thin and when you start to think that new leggings are an "essential" item, it is a slippery slope. 

As for make up,  well I'm not going to live like a total barbarian in 2012. Having no limits with my make up allows me to dress up the boring stuff. I'm a big fan of brightly painted lips with a really basic outfit. But herein lies my financial issue, my make up habit is not cheap. I am all about drug store stuff for some things, but for others, department store quality is just non-negotiable. And that can get expensive.

So this week I was in need of new concealer and I waited patiently until payday to go to the MAC counter and grab a couple of things. I wasn't going to splurge, but I decided to pick up a new lipgloss because I'm a sucker and I'm easily sold sometimes. I tricked myself to think I deserved a little treat. That's why I have so much stupid clothing. It was all a reward for something I never really did. 

I had that lipgloss in my possession for no more than 3 hours before it was gone. History. Escaped from my purse and sacrificed to the wild streets of San Francisco. Twenty precious pay day dollars metaphorically ripped to shreds. My heart actually hurt a little bit when I realized it was gone. I had applied it just moments before I frantically ran myself to the bus stop. 

The truthful words of a coworker didn't help the sting "that's what you get for spending twenty dollars on lipgloss". He was right, but as a straight male, he doesn't get it so he doesn't get to say things like that.

I didn't think before I shopped. I was impulsive, and I was punished. And I'm so mad about it.

Pinspiration

If you haven't at least heard of Pinterest yet, you've probably been living under a rock or you are a dumb boy, and in that case I am wondering why you are reading about my shopping woes. But never mind that. Pinterest has sucked me in and there is simply no looking back now. It satisfies palettes of all kinds. Whether you are looking to share DIY tricks, trendy outfits you like, or ideas for decorating your dream home, there is just something about Pinterest that everyone can appreciate.  It's a mecca for all things visually appealing, it is indulging my inner blogger, and it's sort of changing my life a little bit.

The concept of an online dream/mood/vision board (whatever you choose to call it) is exactly what I needed to make this blog project work. It's such a process to get myself involved and focused, and Pinterest helps me take those baby steps of getting my thoughts organized. The just-right combination of clean lines and easy to read font, paired with a plethora of beautiful photos stimulates my creative brain, and things just work. My main goal when I'm perusing the selected boards I am following is to find outfit inspiration based on items I have in my closet, or might be able to recreate using something else. 


Making do with what I have, and getting creative with my wardrobe are what all this is about in 2012. Pinterest helps me decide how to pair certain things in ways I didn't think of before. This is great because lately, at any given moment, you could find me in my room staring at the floor with my hands in my face repeating "I hate my clothes. I hate my clothes. I hate my clothes." 

And I really mean it. I hate my clothes.


So, I've been making it a point to try and recreate a look at least once a week, and this happens to coincide superbly with my goal to wear heels more often. If you pay any attention to the best looks on Pinterest you understand that outfits just look better when paired with heels. It's a fact. I'm all about looking my best these days. So I will now formally declare a once a week Pinspiration post. I can't promise to be all that creative, but I do hope you enjoy it.

You can follow me on Pinterest here.

Check out my Steal This Look board and leave a comment on a look you'd like to see me try and pull off! 

Heels and Hills and other Hells.

My driver's license says that I'm 5 foot 7. It's a lie. 

In the same way that a young child tells people that they are "4 and 3/4", I say am "just under 5 foot 8", when what I mean is I'm totally 5 foot 8. I sprouted up like a bean pole during the awkward years, and not too many of my friends caught up with me. I've always wanted to be like, a little bit shorter. When I tell people that, it seems to offend them- as if I should look at my height as a blessing. But sometimes I think I'm allowed to feel just as cursed as my friends who maybe can't reach as many things as I can on high shelves. We always want what we don't have.

Because of this, I have always hated wearing heels. While I do feel glamourous when I wear them because of my long legs, it's overshadowed by feeling ridiculous when I stand up and have to look down on 75% of my friends. I am always slightly awkward in heels. And as if dating isn't hard enough, not knowing how much taller than you someone will be is totally anxiety inducing. Even though I have all of these reasons to not like heels, the actual truth is I love them and just wish I could pull them off a little better than I do.

I guess the secret to pulling things off is just about faking it. Pretending like you know what you are doing. Part of not buying anything new is about learning to get creative with the things I have, this means shoes especially. I have had a habit of buying heels because they looked awesome, and then never wearing them because I would always make an excuse. But suddenly I am so terribly bored of some of my flats, and really it is just time to gain a little more confidence in my own shoes. That can be taken metaphorically too, if you wish.

So yesterday, I wore these bad boys. I bought them 'cuz I'm impulsive and they looked awesome. I have worn them less than 5 times in almost 2 years. It was time.

 Do you have any clue the amount of core strength it takes to walk down a hill in 4 inch heels? the answer is a lot. 

The Weather Outside is Weather

I woke up each morning this week in the early stages of gloomy January mornings. Yesterday in particular was a blustery one, and I not so secretly love waking up to the sound of rain. It tends to bring out the worst habits in me though, like taking a cab to work, or drinking one too many hot toddys. I'm a really big fan of being cozy all the time, but I feel that I am doomed to spend the rest of this winter and let's face it, half the cold San Francisco summer in the same stupid sweaters. I see people on the street who have awesome sweaters, and I am viciously jealous, because I want more sweaters. and I want to ask if they want to give it to me. I have a sweater obsession and I didn't think this plan through! I have resolution remorse.

My favorite days of the year are the days I get to wear my beloved christmas sweater with pride. 

I logged on to Facebook yesterday morning and saw that I wasn't alone in my desire to stay in and be warm and cozy- the east coast was hit with a bit of snow for the first time since the freak storm they got in October. I used to be a little bit jealous of the snow, and would wish it would snow here in SF, but after a few years of walking up those hills, I can't imagine, nor would I enjoy them as much if they were covered in snow.

It hit me with a little bit of sadness that I don't have the opportunity to wear my snow suit anymore in California, but I can always enjoy the memories.

January is national Get Your Sh*t Together month

While the resolution to write is mostly the first thing on my mind as of late, I have about 100 other items to cross off my mental to-do list. Over the holidays, even though they weren't filled with my usual hectic travel and last minute gifting, I certainly did imbibe in several indulgent nights and plenty of days, too. I guess I did what everyone does in December. I ditched the gym to dance on some tables, I swapped chicken and brussels sprouts for pizza and pasta (and candy and ice cream). My usual nights in on the couch with wine turned into a tequila fueled birthday and one christmas celebration after the next. I was ready to bring in the New Year quietly. I was feeling old, and oh so tired, yet happy and blissful all at once.

I am not really complaining, it was a fun, albeit untraditional way to enjoy the holidays. I spent the majority of 2011 trying to find a comfort zone, only to end the year totally outside of it. New Years resolutions can be pretty silly, if you don't set a plan in place. In the forefront, my plan to stop shopping is the biggest goal, but it's not the only one. January is our chance to figure out a new way to find balance, and for that there is no time but the present. 

Speaking of presents, mine finally arrived this week. The element of surprise at Christmas time really goes out the window when you're my age, and live 3000 miles from your family. I ask for specific things and I get them. Usually a few DVDs and books and other small spoils I won't go out and buy for myself. This year, I got a very generous gift card to spend at Target, and I was thrilled. I moved into my [amazing, perfect, beautiful] apartment this past August and had sold almost all of my furniture in order to simplify my move up the hill. I have been living like a gypsy ever since. I managed to get a new bed and make-do with other random items for quite a while, but it is time to buy some furniture again. If I am trying to be a grown up, the hand-me-down collapsable wicker baskets stacked neatly in the corner will no longer suffice.  I figured a real blogger needs to have a desk if she feels so inclined to sit at it and write, right? 

a very neatly organized pile of crap

So maybe I found a loophole- I can't buy clothes, but I can definitely spend money on anything else. If I am not defining myself with new fashion trends, you should be able to know who I am if you enter my bedroom. That's my justification for now, anyway. However, I'm still really freaking practical, and so off to Target I went. I employed the bargain shopping skills I use on clothing and translated them into useful items for making my house a home. Much like buying a top at Forever 21, I knew a few things about the furniture I could afford. It's not going to last forever, and if I don't want anyone to know how cheap it is, I had better figure out how to make it look good. The way I shop for clothing is similar to the way I decorate my home, and it's all a facade. I'm always surprised at the compliments I get on a 4 dollar shirt, imagine how I'll be able to present a 50 dollar desk!

It actually pained the habitual shopper in me to overlook the clothing section, to not linger up and down the aisles of shoes, to forego my usual peruse of cheap tank tops. When I think of how early in the year we are, I have to gulp down the thought of being somewhere next fall and still recycling the same sweaters, and thinking like that I feel instantly doomed. Focusing on creating the perfect space takes my mind off of my imperfect wardrobe, and thats all I need, for now.

The Rules

In order to do this right, I really have to put together a list of ground rules to follow for the year. My anxiety of failing myself in this and my desire to prove wrong the people who doubt me is enough to keep me going, as long as I have a list of guidelines. When people ask, it's important that I have a definite answer to their inquiries so I look like I know what I'm doing...

Rule #1- no purchasing for myself any items of clothing, shoes, or accessories in the year 2012.
Rule #2- everything in my closet must be worn once this year, or else it gets donated at the end of the year
Rule #3- try to blog weekly about my adventures in non shopping, plug myself relentlessly
Rule #4- Open a savings account and deposit monthly the amount of money spent on clothing in 2011- Basically I'll be tracking my spending from last year and trying to save that for next year


It is simple, but it won't be easy. This weekend was already a test to see how creative I could get with the clothes that I have. I had a friend visiting SF for a mini vacation and we were constantly on the go. I like to look cute when I go out in the city, especially when friends are around and photos will be captured, but by day 3 I hated all of my clothes. I have to learn to love the stuff in there, because I'm only 10 days in.

I suppose there are loopholes to this, if someone felt so inclined to buy me things, I would not necessarily need to say no to that! I also feel it's okay to borrow from friends and raid my roommates closet for inspiration. I don't do that too often, but in order to preserve my sanity for the next 350+ days, I have to have some flexibility right? The bottom line is I'm trying to learn to live my life differently, and not rely on the ease of filling my life with new things when I already have enough "things" to begin with. On a moral level, I feel that my spending is something I need to learn to control.

My goal in the end is to have spent the year learning to stretch myself creatively and also to save money. In 2013 I'd like to travel somewhere by myself, and the money that I save in this process will be going toward a trip! I'm currently leaning toward a Greek island trip. So the payoff is sweet, and that's all I need to keep me motivated.

My First Resolution Ever

It was the night before Christmas, in the wee hours of the morning, and the only thing stirring was my mouse. In my slightly inebriated state, I found myself staring at the screen of a familiar page. It was a routine I've gotten rapidly used to- I was late-night-online-shopping.

Not until days later when I got the confirmation emails-several of them- did I realize what I had done. I had justified that since I wasn't going home for Christmas this year I could certainly treat myself to a thing or two, right? This is where it starts. My addiction had me gambling with the little money I had and reasoning with myself over irrational decisions.


My name is Abby and I am addicted to new clothes.

When the packages finally arrived, my shame really set in. The things I ordered were cute, but nothing particularly special. Some of them though, were downright ridiculous. Someone even asked me "were you drunk when you bought that?" I knew I had gone too far this time. So I hung the things I wanted to keep, and packed up the things that needed to be exchanged and I made a promise to change my ways. What better a day than the first of the year to start a new project?

Everyone has their own resolution of sorts, some want to be healthier in 2012 (so do I but I love Froot Loops and I can't change that). So we set goals for ourselves that are often unattainable and by mid February we fall back into our old ways. I wanted to make this years resolution fun, because the fact is it is going to suck.

One year without shopping for new clothes. The next time I will be buying something new will be January 2013. Unless of course I fail miserably at all of this. I decided that starting a blog will help me keep myself on track, as well as get my feet wet in the world of blogging I've been wanting to dabble in for a while now.

This year is an experiment in many things. Patience for one, something everyone can improve on, while I wait for the reward at the end of it all. This will also force me to become more creative in my dress. If you know me, you know how much I love the Gap. It's also going to help me budget myself like never before. I've tracked my spending in the last year using Mint.com and let me tell you, it's life changing to look back at all the nonsense I've bought this year.

To me, there's nothing better than a plain white T shirt and some jeans. I have over 30 pairs of jeans. I have more than 10 different variations of a white T. The madness really needs to stop. This will also force me to think differently when I go downtown. I won't be able to peruse the stores or the sale racks because I DON'T NEED ANYTHING NEW.

Just to give you an idea of how little I need new clothing, I spent the day organizing my clothes. I gave away the things I will NOT ever wear again and was left with:
-Over 30 pairs of pants
-44 pairs of shoes
-about 100 tops
-15 sweaters
-over 15 jackets
-over 50 dresses

Needless to say, I have enough. My consumer ways are changing now. Follow me on this journey and join me in the highs and lows this will surely bring.