Thursday, March 31, 2011

Thursdays without Cyd


It's been quite a long time since I did a Thrifty Thursday post. They're much harder to do! I've got to figure out what Cyd will say, and what super sensational picture to pick of her. Plus I have to pull back on the reins of what I reeeeeallly want and focus more on $$$. Anyway, I went out to The Fashion Center at Pentagon City last night to go to the Gap and pick up some false lashes. I went down to the food court to pick up some dinner and who's there staring me down with cute window displays and affordable clothing? XXI!! So I had to (read: HAD TO) go check it out. Found a dress I must have (read: MUST) and wanted to feature it today, but alas, I couldn't find it on their website. Oh Well. Here's a substitute ensemble that is totally different than intended but also super cute. 

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

SweetPea, Spring is here (sort of)


I've decided even though spring isn't really making itself known here in DC, I am going to push the issue by wearing ridiculously over the top springtime outfits. Case in point, 1950's Sweet Pea Sun Dress. This is why I love vintage. For serious, it's a day dress covered in peas. Totes A.Maz.Ing. Top this baby off with a YELLOW!! cardigan. Accessorize with some cute wedges a la 40's/70's and a vintage basket bag (I know, here we go again with the straw/basket bags. I can't help it, it's what I love!) And the icing on this pea-yellow-basket ensemble? Okay, that didn't sound quite as I meant it to, but anywhay... A most spectacular skull necklace! I'm all over it. It's so delicate, people might not even notice the juxtaposition at first. Divine.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Vintage suits on Etsy


Okay, I know it's only March 29, but it's never too early to shop (freudian slip? maybe...) I mean shop for swimsuits. Especially if you're like me and go gaga for vintage playsuits and bikinis. Sadly, I have a heck of a time finding one-piece swimsuits that fit right, I'm just too tall. Not that that stops me from buying them. It's definitely one of my weaknesses. I can't tell you how many times I've told my husband, "I know it doesn't fit perfect, but I'll get it tailored!" And so my collection of vintage suits grows. C'est la vie. 


Monday, March 28, 2011

Drinks on Me!


I'm not much of a drinker. Not that I have any issues with alcohol, I'd just rather spend my money on something more important... like shoes. Regardless, I am all about this super cute retro print! As if the print wasn't enough, Betty Page Clothing even made it a super duper ladylike length (a major plus when you're a giant like me) aaaaaaand gave it a ultra feminine scoop front and back. Totally Fabulous. If it were me though, I'd lose this belt. The glittery vinyl takes it way into cheesy rockabilly territory. I'd swap it out for a simple suede skinny for daytime or patent leather for a dressier look. 


Friday, March 25, 2011

An American in Egypt


In the morning, one of the first things I do (after coffee consumption of course) is check the weather so I know how bundled up I'll have to get to walk to work. On this bright and sunny morning, the fourth full day of spring, I checked my handy dandy weather widgit on my phone and voila! 31 degrees! Wait,wait wait... thirty-what?!?!? It's spring! Shouldn't I be walking to work in at least 40 degree weather? Grumble, grumble. Needless to say since after my early morning wintery weather discovery (they are calling for snow tomorrow night, eek!) all I can think about is being HOT! It also may have to do a little with me reading the honeymoon chapters of Breaking Dawn again last night (yes, again, many many times again. i'm too old to be embarassed, i just roll with it). 

Aaaaaanywhay... here's Today I Want does Modcloth does An American in Egypt!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Gloomy Day



Today is a rather gloomy drizzly day. After seeing this top on Rarely Wears Pants I was suddenly inspired to do a rain themed post. Ta Da! Here it is.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

(back in action) Wednesday!


If I was a rich girl, I would be all over this outfit. Alas, I'm not. For now, I'll just be picking up these epic earrings (only $34!) and daydream of spending oodles of mooolah on super fab ensembles... Maybe one day...

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

(back in action) Tuesday!


I want it to be spring. I mean I know it's already spring, but I want it to be FULL-ON-SPRING! I'm talking nice bright sunshine and no temperature below 50 degrees! I'm over bi-polar spring. Hot, cold warm, cold, rain, hail, snow, hot, wind, sun, clouds, thunder, cold, cold, cold, rain, warm, cold..... 

Aaaaaaanywhay... This outfit would be perfect for my favorit-est of weather, the oh so elusive full-on-spring day.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Friday, March 18, 2011

Meaningful gestures for Japan.

Okay, apparently today is a day of blogging silence for Japan. While I understand that this is supposed to be meaningful, I hate things like this. It's like that stupid "what color is you bra" thing that was on Facebook. I got duped into that not even knowing what I was doing. Did you guys know that was supposed to be to raise awareness for breast cancer? I didn't. Also similar to Bono's (Product)Red Campaign, in which (don't quote me folks) companies spent more money on their marketing than what was actually raised for the cause. Just think how beneficial it would have been if those companies had just donated the money spent on their marketing to the cause itself. Why do people have to make some grand gesture, or show off that they supported something with a tshirt? I don't get it. 

So here's what I'm saying so no one misunderstands....

I'm not gonna be silent for Japan. I'm going to donate money. And to everyone who reads this, I'm asking you to donate money too. Especially YOU, you silent bloggers! you can donate

Take your pick! or find a cause that's super important to you. Clearly mine is animals, but if you are worried about diabetics, children, schools, or whatever, just do a quick google search!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Saint Patrick, hater of snakes.


I'm not much of a drinker, so St.Patty's Day is pretty lost on me. Beyond that, most people think of leprechauns and shamrocks on this not holiday holiday, but me? I'm a nerd. I think of history... and persecution... what's the big idea Patrick? Not all snakes are Satan! 

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

polly want a bowtie


Man do I love a lady bow tie. Man do I love a sunny yellow blouse. Man do I love this shirt! Okay, next up: ultra fab green vintage skirt. For Real. Kick Pleat. I Die. Top of this sunday with a freaking parrot ring! Are you kidding me?! Must... Buy... Parrot... Ring!!!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Best. .Necklace. .EVER!


Oooooooooh my goodness. This is totally the best necklace ever!! I'm kinda speechless, all I can think to type today is, I want that necklace! I feel like shouting it to the mountaintops! 
Tooooooooday I want this necklace!!

okay... now that that is off my chest... you know what else is rad about this outfit? everything. super heart the neapolitan-esque dress, love that these heels could go with just about everything this spring/summer, and need i say anything about the darling bird bag? i'm obsessed with all things bird.




Monday, March 14, 2011

Tactful Trendsetting


I came across these Tactful Trendsetting Wedges and knew instantly I had to feature them ASAP. How could I resist? You all know I'm a sucker for a wedge, and these have super rad pleating, a sexy skinny buckle, and studs to top (or bottom I suppose) it all off! Since these shoes make such a statement, I suggest going on the minimal side with detailing in the rest of your outfit. No extra belts, ruffles, sequins, embroidery, buttons, you get the idea... 

Friday, March 11, 2011

And the winner is....

Mr.Husband met me on my lunch break so I could document the oh so technical drawing process.

First all your names went on little squares of paper, then dropped them into the official ballot bag...


yup, they're in there...


let the drawing commence!


and the winner is.....


Shelly!! You are the proud recipient of a $25 gift card to your favorite, Anthropologie! Shoot me an email (katiepetix@gmail.com) so I can get your mailing info. Congratulations!


Thursday, March 10, 2011

That rain ain't got nothin on me


It's a rainy day here in DC. A whole lotta grey. What better way to fight the gloom than with a fantastically cheerful sunny vintage dress. Take that rain clouds!

Also, your final reminder! Today is the last day to enter our $25 giftcard giveaway. Double or triple your chances at winning by tweeting or facebooking about the giveaway! 
Twitter @katiepetix



Wednesday, March 9, 2011

No more lies and excuses! Time to get this fanny firmed up.

Upfront disclaimer: I am not a physical trainer, doctor, nutritionist, psychiatrist or certified in anything (except awesomeness, I am certified awesome). This is just my advice and my experience! 


I am pretty lucky genetically, from my dad I've got tall and slender and from my mom I've got beauty and curves. But let's be frank, genes only go so far. I recently found out I'm gonna be walking a local runway in some potentially skimpy ensembles after a month chock-full of Popeyes, Dominos and other delicious guilty pleasures. Insert moment of PANIC. I realized I had 26 days to do something about my current figure. Now before you all start scolding me for being reeediculous, just think how you would feel about your butt jiggling in front of a room full of people focused solely on you! I'm not going for weight loss, just need to firm up my hips and butt. That being said, I thought to myself, "self, you should share this on your blog. this might help motivate someone!" So here we go! My thoughts on weight loss and working out and most importantly, how to stop letting yourself let yourself down.

No more excuses, stop lying to yourself. This is what always gets me off track. Your brain will make up all kinds of stuff (creative little effer) to stop you from getting to your goal. Why? I have no idea. I just know it's true. Every brain will come up with it's own unique set of excuses (aka lies) and since I'm not psychic, I'm just gonna share mine...

Excuse #1
You don't have the necessary objects to start.

The truth? You don't need to buy or pay for anything to get in shape.
If your brain tells you otherwise, it's looking for an excuse (stupid brain...) In fact, I have found getting in shape actually saves me money. Cutting out fast food, prepared coffees, soft drinks, alcohol and restaurants can save you a butt-ton of money (that's right, a butt-ton.)

Things my brain told me I needed to buy before I could start...

"Hey Katie, brain here, you need to go buy some workout clothes before you do anything."
 

oooh yeah, Classics

With one exception, this is so totally false! The ONLY thing you need to buy before you can start, and that's only if you don't already have them, is a pair of comfortable sneakers. DO NOT waste your money on cute workout clothing. You are going to look tired and sweaty while working out, no matter what you wear. Most people don't care what you are wearing, most people won't even notice you while you are working out. This isn't about impressing anyone, this is about making yourself feel better! Save your money and just wear what you have...  ...  ...Is that your brain? It's telling you I'm wrong isn't it. How typical. Why don't you tell your brain what I wear while I'm doing my daily workout. It's winter still, so I have to layer up. First I put on a pair of leggings and a tank top, not fancy workout ones, just a pair I like to wear under dresses and an undershirt. Then I pull on a pair of jeans. Yup, Gap Always Skinny Blue Jeans to be specific. Next comes a tee shirt, any ol' tee will do. Then I put on one of my Old Navy boyfriend cardigans, but any sweater or sweatshirt would work. Next up is some socks and my sneakers. Finally my coat, scarf and hat. No brain, I'm not joking, that's really what I workout in.

"Brain again, time to research a gym membership"
 

Don't do it!! Not only can gyms be a ton of money, the likelihood of you actually going is no good, (no offense readers, I just know my brain comes up with a billion reasons why I can't make it to the gym and I'm sure yours will too). Gyms are a bad idea most especially if you are self conscious about the way you look. While the equipment in the gym may be great, the bottom line is you really don't need it to get in shape.

"Oh hey, it's me, brain. I was just thinking you need to join a weight loss program and buy a bunch of fat free stuff, and a diet cookbook too while you are at it."

ew...


Nope, Nope, Nope. You know what you do need to do? Stop drinking soda. ("that's too hard, I'll just switch to diet") I said, Stop. Drinking. Soda. Start drinking water. ("ew, water is so boring") It's the elixer of life, your body needs it and loves it. ("cool, let's go buy some natural bottled spring water from the swiss alps") Drink tap water. Really. Do you know where that bottled water comes from? The bottling center's tap. You know what they do to their tap water? They strip it of everything including all the good minerals. You know what they do next? They add good minerals. Skip the bottled propaganda nonsense, tap water is safe to drink. If you don't like the taste of it, a simple water filtration system like Britta or Pur will do the trick. As far as food goes (I'll get into it in more detail later) I mainly go by two rules, everything in moderation and eat fresh (NOT Subway silly brain) when possible. You really don't have to join a program (although for some people they do work great), you should definitely stay away from "fat free" foods which are often loaded with sugar and sodium since they stripped it of all their fat, and don't stress about learning a bunch of new recipes. Seriously, stick to the 2 rules, moderation and fresh.


What excuses does your brain come up with? Let me know so we can tackle them together! 
My brains excuse today was (Hey, if you're a dude, you might want to not read this next part, it's about monthly lady stuff..)

"Okay Katie, your cycle started today. You have just lost a huge amount of iron in a short amount of time. Tonight you need to call Outback Steakhouse and order a steak to get that iron back in your system. They also have super delicious cheese fries. Get some of those too. Cheese has calcium, good for your bones. You need your nutrients!"

So you know what I did? I called Mr.Husband and told him since my cycle started I need to get a steak (side note: Mr.Husband is vegetarian). He questioned my motives of course, and I said I really needed it. Fortunately, after an hour or so I realized, I don't NEED it. I'd just be letting myself down. So tonight, no Outback, and that's okay.


Sugar and Vinegar


My new thing this year is gonna be perfecting mixing it up. 
Sweet and tough. check. Polka dots and leopard print. check. Feminine and Masculine. Check!  Two watches at once. Why not!?

P.S. Don't forget to enter the $25 giftcard giveaway! 
@ mention on twitter and facebook for those bonus entries!
 


Tuesday, March 8, 2011

darling lace


Wishing I could feel some West Coast breezes today. 
Here's my ode to California!

Don't forget to enter the $25 giftcard giveaway! 
@ mention on twitter and facebook for those bonus entries!




Monday, March 7, 2011

less than 2 weeks...


That's right folks, less than two weeks to go until spring! Hip hip hoooooooray! I am oh so very ready to put away my winter coats and change out to blazers & cadigans and slip on some sandals.

p.s. i am totally freaking out over this dress. divine! 

p.p.s. Don't forget to enter the $25 giftcard giveaway! 
@ mention on twitter and facebook for those bonus entries!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Wedges a la Modcloth!


oh the wedge... *sigh* the wonderful, wonderful wedge. 
my most favorite of shoe styles. they give me a lift without making me wobble. they're kind of like a good handsome man, you know? they make you look even better than before and are there to support you even when you're trying to touch the moon... 
(get it? ... get it!? cause the wedges are really high... and you have aspirations of greatness...  yeah? ... anyway...)

modcloth now has their shoes categorized with a wedge section (did they always have a wedge section? seems like i would have noticed before.) here are my six favorites, i think i've featured several of them previously, clearly i really really want them!



Don't forget to enter the $25 giftcard giveaway! 
@ mention on twitter and facebook for those bonus entries!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Happy Anniversary Giveaway!!

Drum roll pleeeeeeeeease....


It's been one full year! Can you all believe it? 
I owe super mega thanks to three people specifically, 
and last but not least Mr.Husband
I would have never had the courage to do this without 
your initial and continued support! Thank You! 

Aaaaaand THANK YOU, you fabulous readers you! Your comments and questions make continuing this here blog worthwhile. 
As a thank you, Today I Want is giving away a $25 giftcard!! 
How do you win said giftcard? check it out: 

To enter, simply comment below with a link to your favorite item I've featured here on Today I Want. You have until next Thursday to comment, the winner will be picked at random and announced on Friday, March 11, 2011. 

Spread the word! Bonus entries for readers who tweet (@katiepetix) or facebook (@today i want...) a link to this giveaway post.

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you, for everything. 
Here's to a super ultra rad 2nd year of Today I Want!



Wednesday, March 2, 2011

spanish blue leather? yes please!


I went to highschool with a lovely lady named Chess.
We reconnected as so many people do on the book of faces!
Anyway, to the point, she sent me a link to these shoes inquiring, 
"What would you pair with these?" and I replied, "Everything!" 
I do so love a wedge and how can anyone resist the bright blue!? 
I have a feeling this spring/summer is going to be all about saturated colors for me! How about you?

I pulled out my yearbook from '94-'95 freshman year,
which really wasn't all that long ago...... really......
and looked up where Chess signed. She said, 

Hi Katie! "Did I ever tell you that you're my hero?"
Anyways, hope your summer's great! Love Ya, Chess

I have no idea if that was some joke we had or she was just being silly of her own accord, but reading it this morning made me laugh.