Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Snow Day!

We got enough snow today to give me an excuse not to work.  Well... that's not entirely true.  I knew the roads would be bad so yesterday I brought home tax papers to organize in the comfort of my warm home.

While I'm here, I'm squeezing in some fun.  First, an outfit-post because... why not?!  I can never get enough of doing these.  They bring me joy.

Second, I reviewed my entire wardrobe -- and tried on dozens of items -- to assemble two outfits for a trip I'm taking to visit Jen in Atlanta.  Jen is my dearest of friends.  For years, she has supported and encouraged me.  We e-mail, we Facebook, we even chat on the phone.  In two weeks, I'll meet Jen for the first time in person and say hi to her hubby and cute daughter.  Jen is offering to hold my hand while presenting as female so that door is swinging wide open.  :-)

The outfit below is an ensemble of thrift-store pieces, each of which cost less than $10.  That includes the red shoes which are the centerpiece of the outfit.  I swooned when I saw them. 

I hope this collection demonstrates that a whole can be greater than its parts.


 
 
 

 
 
 

32 comments:

  1. I SIMPLY CAN'T WAIT!!!!

    And those SHOES - amazing.

    We will shop. We will talk. And, yes, we will hold hands while you present as female - literally, if that will help!

    xoxo

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  2. Oh I am SO excited for you! That is amazing! You will have such a great time. I love this ensemble. The red stripes are a throwback to the 40s. A fun maritime look!

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  3. Love the red shoes, they're awesome ! I wanna go thrifting with you, it must be so much fun :-), you are so talented at finding good deals ! Looking great. I am sure you're gonna have lots of fun with your friend :-)

    Fashion and Cookies

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  4. I am so happy and excited you! Presenting as female is fantastic and I'm sure very long overdue. I can't wait to hear how it all goes. You are lucky to have such an amazing friend.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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  5. This is super cute! I love it with, and without the jacket. I am on a mission to clean out my closet this spring, so I might have to send some things your way!

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  6. Loooove those shoes and love hearing that you plan to present as female! That must be simultaneously exciting and nerve-wracking for you. Wishing you the best on your trip, I can't wait to hear about it!

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  7. Aw, this is really cute! That second full-length shot especially. You put together a great retro outfit and I'm excited for you to go on that trip.

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  8. Those shoes are amazing! :) Hope you have a wonderful trip to visit your friend.

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  9. Randonly delurking (possibly twice) to say - Those shoes are definitely swoon-worthy! And I love the pairing of houndstooth with the stripes. Have fun on your trip, and sharing those amazing gams and fabulous style with Atlanta!

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  10. SO chic, Ally! The pattern mix is playful yet classic. Beyond excited for you that you will get to strut your true self with the help of a friend ... (and with those legs, I hope you feel comfortable enough to break into a strut ...)
    ;)

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  11. I love the shoes! YES and am so excited for you and your meeting with Jen and the whole experience which will be amazing. On another note- wonder if you may consider wearing a top/jacket with the dress that has definition in the waist? While I love the houndstooth I find the jacket a slightly boxy cut and think it takes away from the feminine aspect of the dress- but then thats just my thoughts since I am so used to having to wear defined waists and avoid straight cuts like this. I'm so excited for the meet up in Vancouver so I get to meet you finally tooooooooooooo :)

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    1. You're right (of course); jackets with waist-definition look better. I bought this one only because I like the houndstooth; I wasn't paying attention to its shape. Thrifting is serendipitous.

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  12. Yay, you look beautiful and what a wonderful time you will have with Jen! X

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  13. Good friend is hard to come by.. lucky you :) and I am sure Jen is a lucky girl to have you as her friend too. I am always amazed by those who can make thrift shopping look like a million bucks! Hats off, this look is stunning and I have no words for those drool-worthy shoes!

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  14. So cute!! Sounds like meeting Jen and your plans to present as a female are going to be huge fun!

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  15. Exciting!! I can't wait to hear about your experience presenting as a female.

    And your outfit is very cute. I love that it showcases your killer legs.

    Lisa.

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  16. How exciting you'll be meeting another friend, specially to be present as a female. I am certain you will enjoy every minute of it and am happy for you, that you're having this opportunity.

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  17. I am so excited for you! Have such a great time--& who knows. You might need that hand to hold onto at 1st & then feel strong enough to stand on your own. Regardless, know that all of our hands are symbolically giving you an extra squeeze. :)

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  18. Enjoy your trip away I know you will have a blast and I have to say those shoes are perfection!!!!

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  19. look forward to hearing about your meetup as Ally :) great shoes. i love anything with t-straps or ones that cross over like yours.

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  20. I have so much fun making outfit posts too! Arent we lucky to be bloggers :)? I mean, it gives us so much joy, I am just so happy about it :D! I love that you thrifted everything in these pictures and for such an excellent price! I want to go towards thrifting-only but I find it really difficult. I wrote a blog post about it (about consumerism in general) and I think I will upload it sometime this week. Anyway, your outfit is playful and pretty! I like it!
    Have a great day

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    1. Thanks, buddy. We share enthusiasm for this. I like thrifting for many reasons, including cheap prices and environmental effects.

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  21. Terrific shoes, Ally! They have a great 1920s meets 1960s vibe to them. Very classic, feminine and subtly ballet-ish, to boot (shoe pun intended).

    I love that doing outfit posts brings you joy - I feel exactly the same way! The bliss they impart is always evident to me in the mile wide smile you so often sport in these kinds of photos. One can tell that you're in a very content and pleasing place in your world while you're taking them (which is awesome and how fashion should be for all of us ideally).

    ♥ Jessica

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    1. So true. And, believe it or not, the smile is entirely unintended. It just breaks across my face.

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  22. Yes!! So glad you'll be presenting yourself as female.

    Not sure if I've ever mentioned this, but when I was going to meet you I actually expected to meet Ally.

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    1. I wish I had the courage to do this more often, but I hesitate. I'm not really passable and, being shy, I try not to draw attention to myself, either male or female. It's a journey and I'm still moving forward.

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  23. It's been interesting keeping up with you the past couple of months and seeing how your style has evolved. It's like watching a butterfly's metamorphosis-- your style has become so sophisticated and flattering on your shape. Excited for your travels!

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    1. Thank you, Sweetheart. My improvement is at an accelerated rate 'cause I'm studying and working so hard at it. I don't see how far I've come until I look back and realize I bad I was!

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