Boots and skinnies at last!

I've always been a little envious of the girls who can easily tuck their skinny jeans into their boot tops. I have Calves Of Size, and getting calf-high boots to fit over a pair of hose is usually touch-and-go - forget about adding something as bulky as jeans.

However, my beloved Fluevog Inges have a rather wide shaft and hit below the widest part of the calf. So I figured I'd give them a shot with my new, home-pegged skinnies.

Hey, it worked! Although I think I need to tailor in the legs on those jeans a tiny bit more...

Oh, you want to see what else I wore? Oh, yeah. Sorry 'bout that.

Brown rib-knit tank: Old Navy, thrifted

Pink ruched-shoulder tee: velvet, Marshall's

Yellow studded belt: thrifted

Beaded cardigan: Design History, TJMaxx, remixed

Skinnies: Victoria's Secret, pegged by me, remixed

Citrine toggle necklace: street fair vendor at FIT, remixed

Floral scarf (worn in hair): gift from Mom 

The combination of the pink tee and yellow belt was inspired by a neighbor's plantings, a flowering plum tree and forsythia in close proximity. The deep pink and bright yellow were such a visually stunning combination that I wanted to duplicate it. I wish I had a bright green cardigan or jacket to pair with them and complete the nature-inspired color scheme. The purpley-bluey cardigan was definitely more a choice of necessity (darn, it's cold!) than a deliberate addition to the outfit.

However, once I had it on, adding the scarf, with its matching border and highlights of pink in the pattern, was a no-brainer. When I first got my hair cut in this style, Fabulous Reader Dina suggested I try a ponytail with a scarf tied around it, like Audrey Hepburn. My hair is finally long enough to actually put into a stubby little ponytail, so I figured I'd try it - and I like it lots! Thanks, Dina!

Apologies for the blurriness of the photos. Fabulous Husband was unavailable to take pictures of me today, so I was on my own with the camera and the tripod. Jen Kiaba keeps telling me I have to get a camera remote: today's photos prove her right.

Oh, and I keep forgetting to post updates on my shopping ban (or, as Fabulous Husband calls it, moratorium. Fond as I am of Latinate verbiage, I like the final, non-negotiable sound of "ban.") I've been doing a pretty good job of sticking to it. I had one small hitch: a yarn store in my area recently closed, and the prospect of half-price alpaca yarn was a bit more than I could take. As far as I'm concerned, $40 for six skeins of high-quality yarn is an acceptable lapse.

Other than that, though, I haven't bought anything for myself in two weeks - no clothes, no shoes, no jewelry, no raw materials. I'm not saying it's been easy: there have been times when I've been feeling down and wanted desperately to go to Goodwill, TJMaxx, or a local antique store and find something pretty. I'm amazed at how much extra time I have now that I'm keeping myself away from e-tail sites (out of sight, out of mind, right? Or should that be 'site?').

I'm also intrigued by the difference in the way I'm approaching my wardrobe. Because I mostly shop at thrift stores, I've always had a somewhat chaotic, catch-as-catch-can approach to my wardrobe: I find things that appeal to me, then try to find ways to integrate them into my wardrobe. Now that I can't randomly add new pieces, I'm taking a deeper look at what I own and where the holes are. I've already decided that I want more in the way of floaty floral dresses, lace (I am head-over-heels for Queen Michelle's all-lace look),  more yellow, a lime or leaf green cardigan (or jacket), light-colored summer boots, a pair of Kork-Ease wedges... in addition to whatever Fluevogs I end up with, if any, on International Fluevog Day. Which was the inspiration for this ban, anyway.

Where are the holes in your wardrobe? What are its strong points? Are there looks you love, but have trouble figuring out how to make work on your body?