anxiety and nail polish

(omg how fabulous are these nails!)

i run a bit high in terms of stress as a person since..um..birth. i'm pretty sure i get my constantly-anxious and/or depressed demeanor from my ma (RIP, lady) because i recall her struggling in many ways as i grew up. coping mechanisms included cigs, coffee, screaming, zoning out on tv and bailey's irish cream in the evenings. always over ice. she'd sit in the dark in the dining room, pensive over the tiny glass, and when i'd ask her what was wrong she'd just swirl the ice cubes and tell me the drink was something her doctor had prescribed. this same doctor told her to smoke cigarettes to "calm her nerves" which maybe gives you a bit of an idea about the timeframe we're talking about here.




anyway, i've tried my share of coping mechanisms over the years--legal and illegal, expected and unexpected--but rounding up to age 40 this birthday, i'd hoped for a more holistic approach to dealing. however, an unfortunate blow recently (i went to quietly resign from my job--was threatened with a law suit in response. long, LONG story.) threw me into the highest stress i'd experienced in years. or, if not the highest, then maybe my resistance is low anyway, being predisposed to stressy outbreaks anyway. so today at the doctor for a blood pressure check-up, she suggested i finally give monitored anxiety meds a try. i'm not sleeping and i'm eating like crap and general paralysis due to anxiety is enough that i finally gave in.

i don't think i'm revealing any big surprises when i say i've tried anxiety medications in the past, but usually not in the intended way :) while my experiences with xanax and klonopin have been fun and definitely relaxing, they haven't been used when i really needed them, so the feeling i was left with was always "hmm, ok, zzzz." i'd always (probably stupidly) considered (for ME only) turning to prescriptions to manage mental health as a kind of...uh...cop out. i stress FOR ME because i don't have these kinds of restricted judgments for others. so, but well...half a pill in today already i feel clear-headed, not foggy in the slightest and definitely a bit more able to face the day. i guess 40 is not too late to learn some new things about yourself right? right, i hope.

now seriously, on the lighter side, NAIL POLISH:



i've really been feeling glitter this season. i always like to have fun with polish but i've kept the fun almost-exclusively on the toe-end of my mani-pedis. but this year i don't know--maybe because i'm out of work and therefore can no longer spring for a spa manicure, so i'm left to sift through my gigantic nail polish bucket and use what i gots? whatever the reason, it's fun. i'm enjoying myself :) found a couple of glittery polishes at the bottom of that bucket, but they'd mostly gummed up--so i found some cheapie brands at CVS--a rainbow chunky glitter by milani, and this sweet pink glitter by wet and wild. i layer them over newtral sparkly colors like beige and black (really makes the glitter stand out, but i'll bet you could lacquer it over your nude nails for a more subtle effect.) and, yeah, it serves to make me feel just a little more sparkly in general, not just at my tips :) it's the little things, right? pills and polish, i'll give them both a shot.

ok, let's try this again...

well, this is a sad excuse for a blog, am i right? i'm going to give this the old college try this time--no slouching! back in biznass! all this gumption and not a drop of coffee to fuel it, folks! sigh, ok...

(i never know what to do with my hands when i'm showing off pockets!)

tons of new stuff up the shop, and tons more to come. i'm "taking a break" from my day job, which leaves lots of time in the day to accomplish things i've neglected (ie: everything)- the shop is one of those things! the blog is another...

good things: autumn leaves, pumpkin spice lattes, chill in the air, free time

bad things: the uncertain

but hey, good things are still winning out :) xo!

my stars

stasia is an amazing artist. she has a gorgeous etsy shop i can't stay away from. i've had these little stars on my wishlist for a while...not sure how much longer i can resist :) before i stumbled on her shop (i'm always on the lookout for stylish plugs in a smaller gauged size) i'd been wearing the same pair of stinky pyrex glass plugs for about 5 years. now i've got three pairs from her, one on the way, and a custom pair in the works. nuts! but her stuff is so beautiful--hand shaped, hand hammered silver, gemstones, dangles--every piece special. stasia, please stop--i've only got one pair of ears!!



i even wore a pair of her heart plugs on my wedding day... not that you could even see them for all my crazy hair. this pic was taken post-nuptials, post-sobbing-during-our-vows, post-ripped-my-adorable-vintage-flower-veil-off. biggest smile ever, right? beforehand i was crazy and nervous the entire week leading up to the wedding. i don't know if it's normal for all brides-to-be to have mad jitters, but i did! i kept thinking all the what-ifs--what if i hurt him, what if something terrible happens, what if what if what if. at the end of the day, he's perfect for me. the most loving, most nurturing man. funny, smart, adorable and true blue. i'm so lucky!! and, happy. he's the stars in my eyes.

selfish girl

dress: vintage
shoes: target
sweetest bow belt in all the land: darlingtonia on Etsy (she's having a sale on all belts right now--50% off!)

the hardest thing about being a vintage seller for me is giving up the dresses. i mean, i'm sure all the sellers have this problem, but it seems particularly hard for me! :) it's definitely worse because i specialize in plus size, and if a dress fits me to a T, then what am i supposed to do?? let it go?? sigh.

my personal collection of dresses is already bursting my tiny closet at the seams, as you can see:



so, obviously it should be easy for me to sell any new dress that comes in, right? uh...no. i'm trying to adopt a "new in, old out" policy, but so far it's proving difficult. as a professional dogwalker, i rarely get to wear such pretty little things to work, and weekends aren't enough to stuff all my favorite dresses into two days. gorgeous dresses deserve to be worn. i'm going to try to look at it that way from now on. don't keep them locked up--free the dresses!

**don't forget: free shipping at the shop until 12/1/10! give something pretty a new home! :D**

careful what you wish for, miss pipes

only days after complaining about the warm weather here in arlington, va, and the temp has dropped to a crisp and respectable 40-something degrees. ahh, hello sweater vests and wool cardigans and knee socks and scarves, sigh! it should do good to help kick me into a holiday feeling. oh! i almost forgot: PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES



but! with cold weather comes the thrust of the furnace burning all through the night (thanks to an eternally-chilly upstairs neighbor, with whom we share said furnace, and shivers if the temp dips below 64 degrees inside.) and with the forced heat comes dry throat and nose and, well, everything. i especially don't like sleeping with the heater on, but the neighbor insists, so it's time to dig out the humidifiers. we have a big lunky type that works to moisten the bulk of our little basement apartment, but i prefer everything to be CUTIE POO in my crib. (hello kitty toaster oven, coffee maker and tv? yes, please! ) so, i turn to the children's section for my humidifying needs. and tops of the line is crane who comes up as #1 if you're like me and do a google search for "adorable humidifiers" :D



in my experience, they're hard put to get to last much longer than a couple of seasons at the most, but if you're diligent about cleaning, it'll be a moist and cute (most important!) couple of seasons.

fall?

it's autumn finally, my favorite time of year...BUT here in arlington, va--where it's usually gorgeous with crisp weather and scarves and hot clouds of breath it's 60 dang degrees! sure, i'm from so cal and i'm definitely used to warm winter months, but this isn't so cal! where's my east coast cold? ah well. the leaves are reds and yellows and the vacuum trucks are making their rounds, and the nights are dropped down in the 40s and 30s, even, so it's definitely getting there. i guess i'm just spoiled :) what else is new!

one thing i can't get enough of in autumn is plaid. plaid scarves, plaid lining in your favorite jacket, plaid caps, plaid socks and, of course, plaid shirts. i have about five, which if you can believe it is a pared down amount. i would probably do plaid all year if i could get away with it. in particular i'm loving these repurposed men's plaid shirts by poeticjusticeforall on Etsy. sure, she has tons of different designs, but it's the plaid and flannel versions that are really kicking-my-butt adorable. all the ease of your boyfriend's comfy button down, with super-cute feminine details.




all different sizes, too, including a huge plus size selection--all for $19.00 each! such a killer deal. if i were you, i would snatch a couple up for the season (before i buy them all, i mean.)

it's a secret

i'm having a sale at the shop! but it's just between us :) me and the maybe two people who read this blog...

yeah, i figure it's been about a zillion years since i've posted anything in here and it's probably high time i do so. PLUS there are a few things that need clearing out of the shop in order to make room for all the fall and winter stock i've got backing up in my hallway/shop station.

stop by and if you see something you like, mention "i've got a secret" either at check out, or message me before check out and receive FREE SHIPPING!! that's free priority u.s. shipping WITH delivery confirmation. pretty amazing, right? oh, but SHHHHH don't tell anyone!


*sale ends 12/1/10