wild side

Dear Blog,
I am sorry for neglecting you, but I had to sleep. I can't promise it won't happen again, because I can't predict the future, but I can promise to do my best to make you happy and update you regularly.
Sincerely,
Jennifer

I've been especially tired and busy these last few days. Friday night I babysat my nephew and we had a slumber party downstairs; this entailed a bath, three consecutive viewings of Elmo in Grouchland and me sleeping on the couch. Last night I actually went out, with real people to a real restaurant and ate real food and everything. I'm fairly certain it's the first social interaction I've had outside of work and family since Halloween. It's not that I haven't had the opportunity, mind you - I just haven't had the desire/energy to go out. It's nothing against the people who have invited me, and I feel pretty bad for neglecting my friends, but I definitely needed some time to regroup. A lot happened last year, and I needed a break.

I'm doing better now, though, and I want to start going out more. I even have plans for next weekend too (the wedding, and possibly hanging out with a friend post-nuptials).

Sorry for the cheesy self portraits, but I was pretty damn proud of my outfit and my make up last night, and I wanted to share it. I got home about 10:30 (pretty tame for a Saturday night, I know, but baby steps), and most everyone was in bed by this point, so it was up to me to capture the loveliness of last night's ensemble.

I finally gave in and splurged on the MakeUp Forever HD Starter Kit that I've been eyeing for ages, and I really like it. It doesn't give quite as much coverage as I'd like, but I think if the crummy redness around my nose would go away, it would be perfect. Next up on my Sephora shopping list are some Urban Decay eyeliners and eye shadow primer.

I would also like to note that the only editing I've done to these images was a bit of cropping on the one below; the gorgeous skin is the result of a religious skin care routine, expensive make up and fantastic genes.

I don't normally do prints, but I found this leopard blouse at Forever 21 for $12.50 and couldn't pass it up. One of my Style Goals 2012 is to take more risks and add more color and pop to my wardrobe, and this item was the perfect starting point for this goal. It's loose and billowy (by now you may have noticed that this is my favorite silhouette), perfect for layering in the winter and for wearing without layers in the summer.

White jeans have also been on my wish list for ages, and my mother got me this pair for Christmas (although I picked them out...). They're a "skinny flare" fit, and although I love this pair, I'm not sure I'll be getting another one in this fit. The knees are a bit too tight, but the waist is at least a size or two too big (although when I got it, it was almost too small - refer to my previous post). Full on 70s flares are definitely my favorite fit, with skinny jeans a very close second.

This is my new vintage clutch (the one from LoveCharles Vintage) - I used it last night and it was perfect. It fits pretty much everything that I need without being overstuffed, and I love the color and beading. There is a tag inside that says "Handmade by Lillian D. Kahler"; I wish I knew who she was so I could thank her for creating such a gorgeous bag. I plan to use it this Saturday for Sunshine's wedding. It's purple and my dress is red and black, but if Chanel Iman can do purple and red together, so can I!

blouse, necklace, earrings, large black bangle (right wrist): Forever 21; set of bangles (left wrist): Maurice's; white jeans: City Streets; black wedge booties: Express (similar item here); clutch: vintage, via LoveCharles Vintage

This is also how I'm thinking I will do my hair for Sunshine's wedding. I used a waving iron to basically make it look like my hair had been in braids, but the waves are usually much tighter and more defined with an iron. It takes about 30-45 minutes to do it right, because I have so much hair, but it's definitely my favorite hair style. And, I may have mentioned this before, but I'm really loving my overgrown bangs right now.

I'll get some proper photos of this outfit up pronto; my Style Goal of the Week is to wear and photograph an amazing outfit every day. The extreme sleep deprivation of the last few months has been hitting me really hard recently, and it's been difficult to convince myself that I should wear something other than my tunic length hoodie and skinny jeans. This week, though, I'm going to be in bed by 10:30 and up on time (meaning 6:30) and look incredible every day. A 10:30 bedtime might not be a realistic goal for tonight, given that I didn't get out of bed till after 5pm, but I'm going to try...