Enough deep insightful thinking for now; today I’m back to my trademark weirdo perspective on the more mundane aspects of life…
THE STORY
…I’m of course not done with profound thoughts, I’m simply moving on to what is of interest to me today. It is truly one of life’s great unsolved mysteries. I have tried, I have searched, but alas…no answer has presented itself. How is it that although I dig my hand into the depths of every single pocket of every single pair of jeans, every single hoodie, every freakin’ single pocketed item in the laundry; and I only come up with lint balls and a sticky penny, how is it my friends, that when I remove the load from the washer it is literally coated in millions of pieces of tissue shrapnel? I have lost literal hours of my life plucking tiny damp balls of tissue from countless items of clothing.
Annnddd…to further confound me, why is it only ever in the load of darks? Seriously. What the hell? I swear to God, I check every pocket. And it happens, on average, every three out of five loads of laundry. How is this possible? Are there laundry gremlins residing in my utility room? Do they rent the upstairs apartment in the wolf spider abode? Are the laundry gremlins paid by the wolf spiders to torment me and wreak havoc on my world? Do they crouch, hidden and silent, in the darkest recesses of the utility room, just waiting for me to throw in a dark load of laundry? Then when I leave the room they gleefully rub their tiny clawed hands together, throw a rope made of all of our missing single socks up over the edge of the washer, climb up and toss in a tissue or three? Is that what’s going on? I believe it is. And I believe after they’ve accomplished their mission they head back to the apartment and share a celebratory glass of bubbly with the damn wolf spiders.
THE OUTFIT
Have you ever owned a piece of clothing that has magical powers? You feel so fabulous in it that you are pretty sure you could happily wear it every day. And you are certain that it makes you look at least ten pounds thinner. And of course it doesn’t hurt if it’s velvet and all kinds of fancy either. This vintage velvet maxi dress is that piece of clothing for me. I discovered it while perusing my Facebook feed one day. My lovely blog friend Suzanne Carillo had it for sale in her Etsy shop, VintageBySuzanne. If you haven’t already, you do need to check it out; her style and taste are impeccable and the pieces are all carefully curated and beautiful.
I was saving it for something special, but you know what I decided, every day is special. So I did what I do best and paired it with the opposite of fancy; a denim vest and a moto jacket. All day long I felt like some sort of princess gone rogue; royalty from the wrong side of the tracks if you will.
THE TIP
Don’t save your posh pieces for a special occasion; make every day a special occasion. Sequins? Wear ’em to work. Velvet? Perfect for a trip to Walmart. Silk? Excellent choice for a coffee date with your girls. How to keep it from going over the top? Well, over the top isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you want to avoid appearing ostentatious, then pair your more extravagant pieces with your least extravagant pieces. Think denim, leather or concert tee. Seriously, how much cooler would your Def Leppard tee be if you paired it with a velvet skirt?
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Dress: VintageBySuzanne (Similar); Jacket: Nordstrom; Vest: Old Navy (Similar); Boots: JCPenney (Similar)
Well, when that happens in our house, I only have my husband to blame. Since I never even think to put tissue in a pocket—that’s what my purse is for, right?
Love this outfit—and you are totally invincible!!
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Jodie filogomo recently posted…Borrow from the Boys: 2 (Accessories) Continuing the Collaboration
Lol…unfortunately I don’t have that luxury. It’s always my daughter and I shoving tissues in our pockets!
Amazing velvet dress - you LOOK like magic!
I think I have/had that exact rhinestone brooch…I lose track of what I’ve sold and what I’ve kept over the years, but I def had it at one time.
Sometimes it’s nice to have a day where the biggest worry is where the laundry went wrong. Right now, that’s about all I can handle.
Bettye
Yep, it was time to lighten things up! My son actually got me this brooch years ago. And this dress is magic… 🙂
This dress is like liquid velvet on you. So gorgeous! I’m so glad you’re not “saving” it. The boots with it are perfect.
I knew the colour would be brilliant for you. So very happy it worked out.
We can’t really see the sleeves but aren’t they amazing? I know why you feel like a princess in it.
I liked your story. Those wolf spiders freak me out. Much worse than any kleenex. I did like the bit about the rope of single socks! Ha ha! Great imagination : )
Suzanne recently posted…Don’t Spend Time Trying To Look How Other People Think You Should Look
Hey…the missing socks have to be somewhere, right?! Liquid velvet, I like that description because that really hits the nail on the head. I’m so glad I happened upon this dress, it’s one of my favorites!
Hahaha!! Never happens to me because I carry neither tissue nor kerchief on my person, in my bag, never. If I need some while I’m out, I’ll buy a packet and trash it before I get home. That’s just my MO.
And yes, a helluva yes to all you said, about wearing extra special pieces with their sartorial opposites, to bring them from special-occasion to edgy-ootd. LOVE.
I just don’t think it’s fair to our dressy pieces to leave them languishing in the closet when we can enjoy them every day! And me, I’ve always got tissues stashed somewhere on my person…
Loving you in this velvet dress, the color is fabulous!
Thank you Tara!
I love your moto jacket! And although I don’t have that problem with tissues, I do have it with stickers! Even though I swear I check, they always end up in the laundry!
By Lauren M
It’s a mystery…that’s for sure! Thank you for stopping by!
I don’t know where the tissues come from in the laundry either because I’m always checking pockets! Your velvet dress is stunning! Love how you styled it with an edge!
Jill
Doused In Pink
Jill recently posted…Casual Thanksgiving Outfit & TFF Linkup
Yay for promoting Suzanne! She’s a sweetheart. After my fun visit to Toronto this Summer to see her, I plan to return next Spring.
The past week has been exhausting with all the heavy thoughts. We needed to hear your thoughts but I’m relieved to be returning to lighter stuff. Like laundry conundrums. I don’t even use tissues and I have tissue-balls everywhere. (I use cloth hankerchefs instead.)
The most amusement I get doing laundry is watching my socks make a run for it. Every load, at least one attempts an escape, using hiding inside a top. The companion left behind looks so lonesome…
Shybiker recently posted…Vampire Salt
My laundry is a minefield of tissue debris (not to mention loose change and screws, because I’m married to a carpenter), and it drives me crazy but I know I’m a big part of the problem!
Gorgeous dress, fabulous princess vibe; love the thought of royalty from the wrong side of the tracks — thanks for that mental picture!
This makes me want to get velvet more ! You look amazing!
Stephanie recently posted…Sweater Weather with Zaful
Thanks for linking up to Top of the World Style. This dress is a head turner and it looks perfect on you! Great styling!
nicole recently posted…Stunning leather top for comfortable Casual Friday look | Linkup
Such a beautiful dress Debbie, I agree if you save things for best you never wear them. Thanks for linking up to the Wednesday blog hop
I love wearing fancy pieces on ordinary days! It makes everything more special! I have yet to buy any velvet this season, but I am loving this trend…this maxi included! Love how you paired it with a moto jacket!
-Kristin
countdowntofridayblog.com
AMAZING GORGEOUS OUTFIT AND THE BOOTS ARE TOO PERFECT