Monday, March 25, 2019

March(ing) My Fat Ass Into Spring

Well, hasn't this month just flown by? Last time I posted we had snow, then floods, and now it is practically summer. I know better than to pack my winter clothes, but I am looking forward to a few less layers.


We were lucky in Omaha with respect to flooding, but neighbouring towns were not as fortunate. We had a bit of a foundation issue that was caught and corrected quickly, for which I am very thankful.

Chicken Boy is back in the garden, ready for Easter. I already planted out peas, spinach, and radishes. The sorrel is up, and next week I plan to get the chard started. Potatoes will be a few weeks after, and then I'm not certain what I'll do. Probably a few tomatoes, some flowers, nothing major. I have tickets for a pre-season exhibition baseball game tonight and expect we'll be sitting in the ballpark wearing winter coats, gloves, etc. Mr. ETB is wisely staying home.

 I wanted an Easter version of my Santa Pants purse, but couldn't find anything bunny related that wasn't creepy. Instead, I bought this basket, made a lid for it with cardboard and fabric, and now I have a carrot purse.
 This was a quick and easy project as I didn't line the basket. It would be simple enough to do though.
I knew that vintage silk fabric would find a use, eventually!


How about some outfits?
I thought this was a rather nice combination for spring. The skirt is made of a towelling/terrycloth material, and has a matching tunic. Together, it is a bit much, but worn as separates, I can finally get use from the pieces. The vintage blouse was a very lucky find as I rarely find nice ones in my size. 

Outfit Particulars:
Vintage blouse-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage skirt-Goodwill
Vintage jacket-New Life Thrift
Brooch-Thrift World
Earrings-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage clutch-Goodwill
Vintage bangles and rings-several places

This was one of my favourite outfits of the year, thus far. I have admired Veronica's Desigual pieces she's shown on her blog from time to time, but have never seen the brand in the US. I found this dress on the bargain rack at Hand-Me-Ups, and thought it must be too good to be true. Looking it over, it appeared unworn, and was even in my size. I'd never spend what these dresses retail for, but at thrift store prices, I couldn't possibly say no. I do love it-the floral print is just so lovely. 
 Outfit Particulars:
Desigual dress-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage Handmacher jacket-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage brooch-Goodwill
Vintage earrings-New Life Thrift
Vintage necklace-Hand-Me-Ups
Boots-Goodwill
Vintage handbag-Goodwill

In the winter light, this particular corner of my house gets just bright enough, and I am able to balance my phone against a teacup on the dining room table for timer photos. Is it perfect? no, but I am able to get it over quickly, without requiring anyone's assistance. There's drawbacks, of course-I can look elongated or stunted depending on how the phone is propped, and I am rarely able to get full-length shots of any quality.
That's not your eyes-it is blurry!
 My primary concern has always been the clothes. I don't airbrush my wrinkles, or try to hide my crooked spine. I admit to being really, REALLY insulted when I was messaged by someone I thought I knew pretty well on Instagram accusing me of photoshopping myself to look thinner. Following it with "LOL" didn't make it any less nasty. In fact, I'm downright angry. If elongating the shot lets you see more of the clothes, that's what I'll do. I don't give a rat's ass if I look fat (I AM fat! Militantly so!). Honestly, if El Greco were painting today he'd get called out for making everyone look taller!
Outfit Particulars:
Skirt-Goodwill
Blouse-Goodwill
Vintage carpet bag-Thrift World
Earrings-Target
Clogs-Hand Me-Ups

 This was a fun outfit to put together. I'm wearing a tiered satin skirt beneath a sheer, vintage dress.

The underskirt is gold, as is the trim on the dress-again, it doesn't show well in the photos but I'm not willing to spend money on an expensive phone just for a camera.





Outfit Particulars:
Vintage dress-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage belt-Thrift World
Satin skirt-Goodwill
Shoes-Goodwill
Bolero-Goodwill
Earrings-Hand-Me-Ups

 This pink, knit suit isn't my sort of thing-AT ALL. Still, good vintage is hard to pass up, so I took a chance and it turned out better on my person than the hanger.
 No photoshopping here! Humped spine and fat ass-model's own 😁
 Outfit Particulars:
Vintage Suit-Goodwill
Boots-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage Margaret Smith bag-Hand-Me-Ups
Blouse-Goodwill

By March, I start getting desperate to wear some of the warm weather items I've picked up over the long winter. There was still snow on the ground the day I opted to wear this sundress, so I stuck a long-sleeved top beneath it and wore it anyway.
Outfit Particulars:
Indonesian dress-Hand-Me-Ups
Necklaces-various thrift shops
Top-Dots in Revere about 20 years ago! That's getting your money out of fast fashion.
Earrings-Target

 I did a similar thing here with a vintage Kressandra of San Francisco dress I couldn't wait until summer to wear.
 Strange camera effects again. I have a pretty big head...but not THAT big!

 Outfit Particulars:
70s dress-Hand-Me-Ups
70s blouse-Goodwill
70s jacket (part of a dress) Salvation Army store
Boots-K Mart
 Betsey Johnson Purse-Goodwill
Earrings-antique mall
Cha cha bracelet-Goodwill



 Finally, you know spring has arrived when my Mexican skirts start appearing on the blog. Yes, I still need heavy tights and a blouse with a tunic beneath it-but let's stay focused on the positives. What I really need is a hand-painted and sequined velvet Mexican skirt-but they cost a small fortune. Perhaps someday the vintage gods will send me one for my winter wardrobe.
 Have had that bag since the 90s


 Silver shoes? Why not?
 Don't save your white lucite jewellery for summer-it looks fab against black. The top has silver dots that capture sunshine in a most blinding way. I love wearing it with white shorts in summer.

Outfit Particulars:
Skirt-Goodwill
Top-K Mart several years ago when Selena Gomez had a line there
Necklace-Can't remember
Bag-retail, 90s
Shoes-Goodwill
Vintage belt-Hand-Me-Ups
Earrings-Target

So that's about it for now. I hope early spring is treating you well. Here's hoping they aren't throwing snowballs instead of baseballs at Werner Park tonight!
























14 comments:

Beth Waltz said...

I'm enthralled by the golden glam layered ensemble: Sheer vintage over satin with a bolero -- and golden baubles and bling! This is THE solution to how one wears sheer skirts when one no longer owns a wardrobe of colored satin slips. (I've been desperate enough to wear a nightie shift...)

Also admiring the neat blue bow brooch worn with the perky polka dots and the bright coral lipstick! And just a smudge of shadow?

Vix said...

What a spectacular round-up! I'm rather in love with the brocade ballgown but it's all pretty darned fabulous.
The slip looks loads better than the way the cool kids did it in the 1990s.
Glad the weather is improving and loving your crazy basket skills.
I didn't realise Desigual was expensive, it's often on street stalls in India as it's made there. xxx

Mrs Rat said...

The white on black ensemble is so stylish, and I like your vintage blue polka dot blouse---it's just right for spring. Your gold and black outfit is so elegant. And I admire the clever ways you are wearing summer dresses already. I need to make notes so I can learn how to do that. Your jewelry, as ever, is amazing... Happy early spring! I hope you and your garden are getting lots of sunshine.

Polyester Princess said...

I'm not a big fan of Desigual (they used to have a shop in Antwerp which absolutely drove me mad), but I'm loving the dress you found. What a great print! My favourite, without a doubt, is the towelling skirt outfit. That blouse is gorgeous. I'm also a fan of the pink knit suit. The black and white outfit is another favourite. That Mexican skirt is fabulous and so is the white lucite necklace. As for the Photoshop remark, I'm always wondering why some people feel the need to write things like that. xxx

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...

What a lot of totally fabulous outfits. You look wonderful in all of them. Love, love the Desigual dress; so pretty. Loved your Indonesian ballgown and the Mexican skirt ensemble; loved it all.

The satin skirt under the sheer dress was a brilliant idea and all the jewellery was stunning. I had a pink knitted skirt suit as a small child knitted by mum. I can never think of it without a blush of shame; as the day I wore it to school for the first time was the day when I publicly wet myself. I can still remember the feel of the urine trickling into my shoes...I loved your pink suit btw!

Your hair looks lovely in an updo and the curls are magnificent.

I like how you take your pictures without a photographer; I must see about a timer for my phone. I hate having to rely on others. Some people are just obsessed with size; I can't understand it. It's hard to understand some peoples obsessions at the best of times.

As for the carrot bag - amazing!

Hope you had clement weather and that more is on its way to you.

Vicky said...

Looking fabulous as always.
I have had to layer this morning.....winter is coming :(

bahnwärterin said...

you are not fat! ts!
just a normal figure.

over to your fab clothes ensembles!
the light blue/beige one got my heart! just wow. and yes - pink suit suits you - very well indeed.
the black with gold is a great favorite too and of cause i love the one with the mexican skirt.....

weather is nasty here at the moment - storm, icy rains - but we need the water, so no complaining.

thank you for the inspiration!!! xxxxx

Bibi Maizoon said...

Love the carrot purse & that Desigual dress is divine!
The pink knit suit looks wonderful on you. <3 that Mexican skirt (as always)
Why anyone would call anyone out for photoshopping on Instagram of all places is beyond me?

Anonymous said...

Hi! Not sure I ever posted before but love your blog. First of all, you are NOT FAT! OMG Why would someone say that? Second, I love all the outfits, especially the blue skirt with that fab blouse. You have a real talent for putting outfits together. I enjoy your blog and glad I found it. Don't remember how I did but I look forward to seeing all your great thrift finds and how you put them together. Arlene from NJ

Emily from Etsy said...

I love what you did with the carrot purse! And as always, you've shown such creativity with your outfits. The black and white one is especially pretty, and yes it's a great reminder to wear more white jewelry.

Anyone who knows you, knows how unpretentious and down to earth you are. You're the last person in the world who would Photoshop your pictures. And why would you want to anyway? You're beautiful as you are.

Goody said...

@Beth
Thank you! I confess to having more slips than anyone should but this skirt works so well as a petticoat. It is sort of ugly worn alone. That was robin's egg blue eyeshadow-blended...and blended and blended.

@Vix
I thought about wearing it Kate Moss style with just a thiong, but thought better of it ;)

@Mrs. Rat
Thank you so much. I hope spring arrives soon for you as well.

@Ann
Thank you. I don't know what people think sometimes. I felt bad because I'm not sure if she was half joking, and sometimes I say things that come across wrong. In the end though, I felt it best to just block her and move on.

@Veronica
Ah gosh, things from childhood can stay with us for life, can't they?
I have a very inexpensive Android phone, but the camera has a timer. Front facing photos always look a little distorted, but again, I only care about the clothes.

@Vicky R
After the summer you had down there it must be such a relief to cool down.

@Beate
I don't think of fat as an insult-just a descriptive like tall or short, but over the years it has had negative meanings. She never actually called me fat-just suggesteed I was making myself slimmer in photos. Either way, I didn't appreciate it. I hope you get spring soon. I know you must be eager to get in the garden.

@Bibi
I have no idea. I think she thought she was being "Helpful" letting me know she wasn't fooled? It is possible I took it the wrong way, but I don't feel like I owe her the mental energy of sorting through it. I probably should have said something before blocking her, but I am a coward and hate drama!

@Arlene
Fat isn't perjorative, and I happily use it to describe myself. I wasn't angry about her implying I'm fat, I was angry about her implying I was photoshopping!

@Emily
Thank you!
If I ever DO start photoshopping, I'd start with my teeth ;)

Mim said...

Tweed with floral is SUCH a good look. I love seeing your outfits on IG.

Also, WTF about that message on Instagram? It's very rude! I did a post recently where I'd mentioned seeing people talking about having plastic surgery and how we should all not mind ageing and then I felt bad about that in case it made anyone feel called out (though it had been more than one person talking about it) but it was because they're all lovely and don't need it. I'd never have messaged them to say, "Oi, mate, lay off the photo filters." And anyone who talks about Photoshopping to make onesself look thinner really has no idea how Photoshop works. I do work a little with it - I use it for adjusting lighting/colour casts - and you'd need to be a master at it to do a convincing job of slimming a whole person down because you'd either have to be very skilled with the selection tool/liquefy OR spend hours meticulously cloning over your own outline. RIDICULOUS.

Señora Allnut said...

I'm damn late in my commenting, but have to say something about these fabulous outfits you've been wearing!. Love every print and color and accessorizing!. Love your Desigual dress with tweed jacket!. Love your turquoise ensemble and the mexican skirt, love to see you in summer dresses despite weather was not collaborating!
Lots of enthusiasm!
besos

ARMIDA DE MEXICALI said...

Distinguida señora: hace varios años que leo su blog. Con regularidad lo consulto con la esperanza de ver sus interesantisimas publicaciones de temas varios porque ellas formaron una parte especial de las actividades diarias de mi vida, para ver si publico algo nuevo. Deseo que su ausencia se deba para atender su salud y a su apreciable familia. La extraño y deseo se encuentren su familia y usted, bien. Mucho exito para su hijo en sus estudios, o en todo lo que el quiera emprender. le envio un abrazo y que Dios los bendiga a todos.