Spring into fall (see what I did there)

Since this disconcertingly indecisive weather seems to have completely skipped over winter, of course I am going to be gawking at all the spring lookbooks and assembling my threaded arsenal. Spring is my absolute favorite of all the seasons for its tendency toward soft, lovely themes like floral prints, lace, and pastels. But I had to double take when I took a peek at what Club Monaco has going on...

CM was all like, "Yo spring. I'm really happy for you and I'mma let you finish. But fall was one of the best seasons of all time." I have to admit though, I am loving those neutrals. And socks, socks galore! I shall not hesitate to join the resistance. Flip those seasons on their heads! Who are they to tell us what we should be wearing? Now excuse me, while I go put on my bikini.

View the full lookbook here!

A little artificiality

skirt, sweater, bag, jacket, and shoes- thrifted, scarf- Target 

Ever have those days when you're just feeling so ethereal? It's like, you get out of bed and your skin is glowing, your eyes are luminescent, your cheeks have the faintest rosy flush, not an eye booger or puff to be seen. Yeah, me neither. In fact, when Gare and I went outside at about 9am to take these photos, I looked like I had just crawled out of my grave. But thanks to the wonders of photo processing, I can live vicariously through my digitally-rendered, most angelic self-portrait. Don't get me wrong, I'm no photoshop genius. But I get by with a little bit of brightening and smoothing. It makes for a better photo than, say... 

This monstrosity... (au naturale, baby)

In all seriousness though, maybe this horse has been beaten to death, but I'm still fascinated by the controversy ever-circulating the media about its use of photo rendering of celebrities and models in the fashion and advertising industry. I find it concerning when we suddenly are accepting without question these digital transformations of beautiful, healthy, unique bodies into "tall sticks with assets." Where do you draw the line?

Look up!

One itch that has begun to inhabit my brain these days is that distinguished bloggers have such awesome, uniquely designed blogs. They're not limited by pre-made layout gook. They've got a look, a style, a brand. Many bloggers are so proficient in the world of HTML, a world to which I am completely foreign (and quite honestly, a bit intimidated by it). But today, my friends, today I have decided to take my first few baby steps into Blog Design Land and create my own header! It's not terribly extravagant, but I think it suits me, don't you? Typically, I don't think this sort of event necessarily merits its own post, but there are a couple artists who deserve credit for their contribution to this header!

The first is the patterned background, which I found off this fantastic website for those who fancy color and pattern design, Colour Lovers! The creator of this pattern is Jewel (a peace of mind). I just can't get over the palette... I'm such a sucker for pastels.

Second, the gorgeous illustration of a girl was done by none other than renowned fashion illustrator, Christina Koutsospyrou. I enjoy her style, it is soft and very feminine. And those soul-gazes! Her work has been featured by many publications and commissions including Vogue, Elle, Levi’s and La Perla. Here are some of my favorites:

 

The rest of her work can be found on her official site here.

All washed out

There's a trick to fashion on a budget, especially when your wallet limits you primarily to secondhand shops. That trick, although perhaps it's more of a test of perseverance, is patience. I remember having a conversation with a good friend about the challenges of finding certain trendy items when thrift store shopping is always such a grab bag. You will never (well, rarely) find the same piece of clothing each trip like you would at a typical retail store. So, as combat boots became the big autumn hit, I tore a reluctant eye away from F21 online and began to scour the shoe sections during my thrifting outings. A couple months fly by without much luck and the $40 I very swiftly could dedicate to those boots begins to sizzle and spark in my pocket. Long story short, I DID eventually find these boots. Rather than $40, I was put out a mere $7. The price of patience? Well, I did nab my prize at a significant discount, despite being a bit tardy to catch on to the trend. Perhaps in the high fashion world, with how quickly trends rise and fall, I would receive a deserving scoff. But in Reno, fashion creeps at a turtle's pace, and hey, I can get by ;)

Is the price of patience worth it to you?

Boots, jacket, tee, shorts - thrifted
Knee-highs - Macy's
Clutch - thrifted gift

Hey, whaddya say

This is one of my favorite ensembles as of late. My closet has become so monochrome, you'd wonder if I've become a funeral crasher. The hair, I tell you! The purple lends my look so much character that when I wear too much color, I feel like it's too loud. It's all about balance, right? Although to be honest, I'm very taken by a somewhat grungier, 90s-era look. That slouchy beanie has become a personal accessory vice of mine. It. Is. So. Bomb. For one, I've never ever ever before been able to pull off a beanie. For two, I've never really frequented skate/snowboarding shops because, well, I haven't attempted either of those sports. But the triumphant feeling of strolling into Zumiez and picking through the giant beanie rack for the perfect black beanie was just so satisfying. Fist pump for expanding style horizons! Thanks, you unicorn hair, you.

Jacket- Marshall's
Dress and button up- thrifted Ralph Lauren
Cut off cowboy boots?- thrifted

Dooney and Burke bag- thrifted
Infinity scarf- gift from my sweet man

There and back again

Want to hear something funny? I've been putting this post off for about a month thinking that I've been too busy to find a quiet moment to write it. Tonight, as I wrestled with my boredom and self-pity about having nothing to do all by my lonesome while the husband is out with the boys and The Old Republic, the thought of this golden opportunity to write entered my mind and even still I was tempted to discard it. But hey, here we are!

Want to hear another funny bit? I did this shoot about a month ago. A month ago! A short bout of inspiration, maybe. Didn't make it to my blog so quickly, as you can see. But that's not all. In the process of moving to our new place, I relieved my closet of more than three GIANT trashbags of my collected vintage. I thought it would scar the core of my being, but for some reason, it didn't. It felt good. Freeing. And not only from the pains of having little to no closet space (ask my husband).

I had conversations with myself about quitting my fashion blog altogether. What do you know about fashion? You're not inspired. Look at that silly tilted half-moon pose. Cut it out. Great, Gabi, wave goodbye to another attempted hobby.

Sorry. This wasn't supposed to be Debby Downer hour. Writings do reflect the writer whether they mean to or not, and what I mean to say is that this is where I am right now. Or at least, it should explain where I've been.

The point of this post is to serve as a confirmation for myself, that I'm starting a turn-around. I've been perusing the blogging community again, and finding new favorites. And I realized I still like fashion very much. I still like writing. Motivation will come and go, won't it? As cheesy as it is, I think that's what I love so much about creating. Zero obligation. One hundred percent freedom to express, no matter who, what, when, where, or why I am. I'm just happy to be here again. And I'm happy that you're here along with me!

Let me warn you, my style has certainly changed since I've changed my hair (which will soon be made apparent on here, I'm sure). I now know what it is like to have true love/hate relationship with my hair. A sigh of pleasure at having achieved this unusual aesthetic goal meets a shudder of the next five-hour session to upkeep it every time I look in the mirror. Oh well, c'est la vie avec la mode ;)

Top and cardigan: thrifted vintage gifts
Shoes: thrifted vintage
Bag: thrifted Dooney and Burke gift
Necklace: Target
Attitude: positive