40 Years

I distinctly remember this day; it was a few days after I had gotten my hair lightened and I was still marveling at its boldness. The air was humid and the day was overcast, the sky heavy and still. On a whim, I brushed gold eyeshadow over my eyes and bridge of my nose, like a shimmering mask suspended holographically over my skin. I was so disappointed that it didn't show up well in my photos. I was wearing a simple dress with a simpler vest thrown over the top, but everything still felt too hot to the touch. I wanted to wear something easy to go to work, and this fit the criteria. 

The outfit is indelibly inscribed to a certain memory from that work shift; I work at a coffee shop and a man pulled up in his car, and the normal exchange of a cashier/customer was exchanged. And then, and then, and then! he asked me if my co-worker was "my daughter". My daughter! A girl only a few years younger than me, but apparently so mature I appeared, he legitimately thought she was capable of being my offspring. I had the strong suspicion he was fishing for information on whether or not I was old enough to hit on (sigh) or he lacked all reference to time. I'm more amused than offended by such a out-landish question, but idea that somebody's age radar can be so wildly askew is rather interesting. Do I WANT to look older? Do I want to look younger? How will I look as I age? I hope that wherever life takes me, that I will grow into a strong and beautiful character, that my view of myself will mature and grow as my body ages, changes, and decays. 

(p.s. I'm in my early twenties)

Dress, vest, necklace - thrifted

Earrings - World Market

Sandals - DSW

<3 The Magpie

$th of July

I decided that putting up pictures from the 4th of July is better late than never. This was the day I got to see my best friend Bekah right after she just come home from a trip to India! So as you can see, she had the Indian style dress, and her henna game was strong. I hung out with her and her family that day, and then we all went to a field behind my church to watch the fireworks. We also played around with lightpainting techniques which you'll see later in the post!

This red dress is one of my favorites - a light cotton frock in the brightest of shades. I found it at a thriftstore for only $8, and it turned out to be from Calvin Klein, so double the score. I wear it with a red camisole in a matching shade of red since I cut out the insert in the front. It had a weird sag and was always too low, so snipsnip. I love pairing this dress with with my red rose jewelry and red red lipstick - might as well go all out for the 4th! Speaking of which, I drew little stars near my eyes that spilled down to my cheeks with a gold eyeliner pen. Sometimes you just need to draw galaxies on your face, you know?

I am looking forward to wearing the dress more in the summer, as I feel it is best served on a sunny day with no heavy layers in sight. I'm still enjoying the cooler weather though, so hopefully not TOO soon. Have a great day all!

Dress - thrifstore

Earrings, necklace - boutique/street stall

Shoes - DSW

<3 The Magpie

Mustard Field

Two new years ago I went on an online sale binge, and this rose-covered skirt was one of the pieces I bought. I really like the sheer over-piece dotted with red and pink roses, and the black layer underneath gives it a bit of an edge. I think it would also be pretty in white or pink, but this was the only option. At first, I didn't wear the skirt a lot, even though I really liked it. I'm not sure why. I will either wear something to death when I first buy it, or it hangs in my closet for months, and then I will proceed to wear it to death. Notice how both options include death.. Anyways, it's one of my few skirts that isn't a thriftstore find, but it still feels really special and unique. I paired the skirt with a pink shirt, a long red coat, and a beautiful rose pin with matching earrings that I DID find at a thrift. Can't cheat on my thriftstores for long, iloveyou. It's funny, for not really liking pink, I've been incorporating it more into my wardrobe. Pink paired with that deep rich red just seemed to mesh, so I rolled with it. 

When I saw this fantastic field of mustard blooms, I freaked and went S T O P. Frolicking in flower fields is always a must. I try to always keep an eye out for little hidden fields or small niches that make for great photo backgrounds. I have a list of local places in my head, but I'm always on the lookout for more. Of course, now that this field is plowed over, it looks drab and brown, so timing is also important. 

Although this outfit may seem more girly than my usual garb, it still has that whimsical flair that makes it my own, and I couldn't pass up the chance to ground it with a brown leather belt and boots to match. (Probably faux leather, but still.) I always need my waist belts!

I'm definitely starting to experiment with clothes more, but having something this classic and pretty is always nice to have on hand. I know that in the event of a last minute party or gathering, I have something I can throw on and go. 

 

  

 

Coat, shirt, earrings, pin - thrifted

Belt - Ross

Skirt - Ruche

Shoes - Modcloth

SNEEZE!

<3 The Magpie

Outland

These pictures of from a trip I went on with a friend to collect pretty pictures and have an adventure of sorts. It was so beautiful there, and all the hues of blue were incredibly surreal. The trip turned into a long and hot dusty walk.. but the scenery and company made up for it. I wish my life was made up of more of this - exploring interesting places and experiencing beauty. I do what I can, but I definitely hope this year that I will push myself to go do more. Looking back upon these pics makes me want to sink into blue skies and surround myself with the wild wind that only flies over open plains and water. It's the kind of place that makes you itch to spread wings and fly.

This outfit was pretty simple; just a throw-on dress and go. I tried to spice it up with interesting jewelry and cute little socks. I wasn't so sure about the dress when I originally found it, but I wanted a easy dress (for once); something to slip on and be out the door with no fuss, and this dress definitely fit the bill. I usually wear complicated and layered outfits, so something this simple was a new thing for me, but I enjoyed the concept  of it.

I've been struggling with a recent nasty shock from work; apparently my co-workers hate me and I'm not doing a good enough job at what I do. It's been sticking with me over the last week, keeping me up at night and spinning through my head throughout the day. I am trying to be pragmatic about it, and tell myself that it's an inevitable result in life; not everybody will like you, nor will you ever be perfect. The only thing I can do is just do better, and I am already trying to make attempts to do so. It's such a blow because I already try to do a good job and work really hard, to the best of my knowledge, but you know what? It's a good learning experience. Just gotta roll with the punches and all. I can usually get over things pretty quickly, but this one has been burning holes of pain inside for longer than expected... all I can do is wait it out, and in the meantime, do better. I want this year to be a year of growth and development for me, so it's as good as any a place to start.

 

 

Dress, shoes, backpack, necklace - thrifted

Cardigan, socks - Target

Earrings - outlet store

Lion ring - gift

Camera ring - museum gift store

 

<3 The Magpie