Ciblek Mania

I'm on the verge of just renaming this one:  how many whacked out poses can he catch me in?  If I get time to post the outtakes over on FB prepare to pee your pants.

Now let the truth be known:  I'm much more of a Farrah Fawcett meets Kate Moss kinda girl, but every once in awhile my inner Olivia Palermo comes calling.  During Closet Purge 2011 (the saga continues) I came across these faux leather shorts.  Remember when I got them last fall in Canada? Well every time I see these babies Olivia P comes to mind.  In fact, for a good while there every purchase I made was met with 'Olivia Palermo made me do it' (seemed to make sense at the time?).  After awhile that got old or I forgot about it or something.  More than likely my inner hippie came calling and OP got shoved to the back of the closet.

Then Chloe popped up with this in spring:

Living close to the water has to be my favorite thing about living in Southern California.  As much as I miss home on the prairies in Canada, there is something glorious about being able to walk onto warm sand and have salty ocean breezes tousle up your hair.  Truth is I somehow always knew, even as a kid, that I would end up in SoCal.  I realize that sounds crazy, but it's true.  As a result I never really settled anywhere after I left home in my late teens - and even more bizarre is my flip flop pile consistently predominated all other shoe collections as my nomadic lifestyle carried out.  One of my best friends in Seattle told me from the time she met me she was always learning to slowly let me go.  Isn't that kind of sad, but poignant?

Speaking of sad it's Monday.  The past two days have officially been declared "Weekend of the Spontaneous Purchase" as a Saturday toothpaste run somehow resulted in 3 pairs of shoes - each the last or only pair in size 36 meaning it was a sign right?, a tunic that I'm pretty sure Carey is going to tell me is a caftan (I think I've crossed over to the dark side aka caftan-lover-in-training), $15 worth of dark chocolate at See's Candies, and a random pitstop at the beach.  To be fair I left the chocolate with the Chef at his restaurant and actually zeroed in on the tunic Friday night at, oh, 8:59pm after randomly spotting -and then immediately purchasing- the very last blush linen blazer at H&M after stalking location after location for three weeks.  Should have seen the signs coming...

You have no idea how that song's been playing over and over in my mind the past couple weeks.  For those of you who are unfamiliar it was the theme song from one of my fave shows back in the day:  The Jeffersons.  If George Jefferson's character tried even half the racial or male superiority stuff today, he'd be booted right off the tv.  Let's face it he wouldn't even get on in the first place.  Unless he was crazy like Charlie Sheen, but that's another story for another time.

No friends, today is the true story of me moving up to Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred (knees are throbbing and I think I pulled my achilles, but I managed to make it through) in the same weekend the landlord and I reach an agreement on the upper unit of the duplex I live in.  Now after last week's hell I realize  many of you may be thinking, 'giiiiiirrrrrl you just need to get out of there.'  And the truth is at some point I will, but summer is coming and I'd like to spend this one close to the beach.  It's tough to relo feral cats - even those that are semi-tame - at the best of times, never mind when the Chef is in full swing opening a restaurant.  On top of that I want a dishwasher, and this place has it.  

Here we are on the last day of the White Denim Challenge.  The good news is I managed to get it together and make it outside for some outfit pics.  The bad news is I came back home, fell out and am still sick.  Is it Friday yet? Even though I've been under the weather, it's been mad fun to see how everyone has brought a different spin to styling their whites.  A big rah-rah to the girls in the snow...it's a hot mess dealing with slush, but the outfits were awesome!

Confession:  I'm not much of a rule follower - probably because I spent half my life rigorously following them.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still my same nerd - trying to get the right amount of rest, eat my veggies, pay my bills on time and all the important stuff - but in areas such as fashion...I mean really, what's going to happen?  I'm going to wear white after Labor Day and the Fashion Police are going to haul me over?

If anything I find white denim to be particularly wonderful in fall and winter - simply because it can both brighten and soften an ensemble.  The outfit I put together is one of my go-to's.  It blends cashmere, suede and leather with white denim to create a Calvin Klein-esque appeal (at least in my mind).  Cue the horses...I mean the cats.

I know what you're all thinking, "That hooker's wearing a bun, no jacket and white pants in January."  And you would be correct - except I'm not a hooker, but endless blizzards bring out the worst in the very best of us.  Free Pass.  With this post I come offering motivation to anyone who is on the fence about the White Denim in Winter Challenge that will be going on next week.  At the last minute yesterday aft I threw together a quick outfit to bear witness to the fact that white is totally relevant at this time of year.

Pause:  Did you happen to catch Kara's post over at Sprinkles in Springs yesterday?  She's featuring me as her Blogger of the Month for February, and blew me away with the post.  Please check it out if you get the chance.  Her artwork is extraordinary!

I digress.  I've sent emails to everyone who expressed interest in putting on their white, and the tentative schedule will be listed at the end of this post.  Please let me know via email if you need to amend, have changed your  mind (noooooooo) or would like to be added (yes!!!).  And now today's outfit:  bearing in mind that some of you are up to your necks in snow, I remind you that this is my California look.  Next week I'll sport a warmer version that could easily be worn in colder parts of the country.

• Daniela - D, Etc.
• Nicole - Frankie Hearts Fashion
• Shannan - Merci Blah Blah
• Lyddie - Chic on the Cheap
• Taylor - Curly in the City

Tuesday - February 8th, 2011:

• Anna Jane - See Jane
• Valerie - Red Vines for Breakfast
• Rosa - True Crew Love
• Elle - Elle Sees
• Jayme - Jammer at 10am

Wednesday - February 9th, 2011:

• Kai - All Kinds of Complicated
• Lisa - In Dramatic Fashion
• Higgenbottom - Dressing the Higgenbottom
• Ashleigh - Little Girl, Big World
• Kara - Sprinkles in Springs

Thursday - February 10th, 2011

• Carlina - Allergic to Vanilla
• HC - Freelance Shop-a-Holic
• Jiye - Pearls and Green Tea
• Rali - Styles N Cream 
• Me, Carrie - this free bird

Thus ends the longest post in the history of this free bird and if you follow me you know that's saying a lot.  I'll leave you now as I go off to tone my upper legs and behind.  White denim has brought home a few of the finer points I've been desperately trying to avoid.  On that note I have a killer dessert post for tomorrow.  Bring bib.

Let me begin by saying I hope the picture debacle has been resolved.  I'm scared to even mention it.

This weekend was filled with task-type activities: 

•  Vacuuming - check
•  Laundry - check
•  Sorting the mail - half check
• Eating a chocolate bar - check. 

Basically things you don't necessarily feel  like doing (except the chocolate bar, of course), but are so relieved when they're actually done even if it only lasts for 5 minutes.  In between Friday afternoon, (when we escaped for Mexican food and margaritas in 90 degree weather along with a gaggle of other Californians who were pretending it was summer), and Sunday morning's time change the temperature dropped about 30 degrees.  By the time I rolled out of bed yesterday morning it was downright chilly and the sky was filled with grey. Before mother nature could change her mind, I hauled out one of last year's favorite finds that never got a go-round (read: crying shame).  Seeing capes make a grand re-entrance has made me very happy.  It's a coat that's not really a coat - and oftentimes that's all we need here in SoCal! Any capes in your future?

One of my favorite things about fall is the marvelous sunsets.  I don't know if it's the crisp breeze in the air or the shortening days, but the colors lighting up the sky recently have been absolutely breathtaking.  A part of my commitment to getting back to a healthy work/life balance is making time either early in the morning or late afternoon to catch the beauty of the sun.  Have you ever noticed how colors look wonderfully warm and faded in the earliest and latest hours of the day?

Aside from the variety of texture and fabric that appears in fashion, my favorite thing about fall is muted colors:  warm greys, taupes, greens, and mauves in particular.  If you were to come over and peek into my closet you would find piles of grey sweaters in varying shades and forms.  As much as I love grey (and I do have a deep love in my heart for it (as evidenced here, here and here) - are you with me ladies?) I have to be careful or it will take over and leave me feeling a little drab, so when I saw these lace shorts at Madewell it was a no-brainer.  They are the perfect shade, add just the right amount of texture and can be dressed up or down to carry me through days and evenings into the Holiday season.

The past couple days have been rainy, damp and cold.  It's crazy to think that it was over 110 degrees just a week ago yet now it's sopping wet.  And now time for yet another blog confession:  yesterday I got up, worked for awhile, ran an errand, and went back to bed until almost 3pm.  Oops!  I just couldn't help myself.  The rain was pouring down, the heater came on, my bed was looking so fluffy and the next thing you knew I was in it.  Every once in awhile you just need a nap.

Usually rain highly motivates me.  It was probably all those years living in Seattle that conditioned me.  Oh yeah they conditioned me all right - to work and to acquire rain boots.  They line my closet like little soldiers.  Mock me if you will dear friends, but even if it rains once a year I put those boots to good use all day long.  It doesn't help matters much now that there are so many fun pairs to choose from!!  I  know you're with me...I read your blogs!

After it stopped pouring last evening we ran an errand and stopped to catch the sunset.  I wore my boots.  It was still damp and in Southern California that's reason enough.