Dress Me Up - Lisa Week!

Predictions-

Right off the bat, I think Lisa will dress me close to how I already dress myself, but probably a little nicer. Not only have I bought most of my clothes with her, she has been a major inspiration to my personal sense of fashion while growing up. I like to think we dress similar- we wear most of the same sizes too! Although she is extremely well tuned to how I prefer to dress, I predict she will add more accessories and layers than I normally would. Honestly I'm looking forward to Lisa picking out some pretty killer outfits!

Monday 15th

Monday

Green tunic and grey leggings 
orange scarf, rose studs

Today was a baby-filled day for me. After nannying in the day, I babysat all evening for a friend of mine. Thankfully Lisa kept this in mind while picking my green sweater tunic and grey leggings. Hey-- that's what I usually wear on Mondays! She added my little gold rose studs and a scarf, which I would never think to wear with this top, since it already has a cowl neck. Surprisingly I liked how it draped after she suggested I tie it into an infinity scarf, and I was super warm all day.

Tuesday 16th

Tuesday

black jeans, polka dot chambray, blue sweater vest
layered pearls, knitted cap

This sweater vest is from a store that no longer exists unfortunately, and I've had it since high school. I don't wear it much any more, so I was glad to see it make an appearance today! Lisa also added my favorite chambray and suggested I "tszuj" up the sleeves a bit. Since I had a lot of blue already, we leaned towards black denim on bottom. She asked if I had any long pearls, and this necklace was the closest I had- another piece that doesn't make its way out often. Finally, Lisa chose a knitted cap to wear while taking LB to the zoo.

Wednesday 17th

Wednesday

black yoga pants, cut off yellow tee, 

slouchy grey cardigan

"Funky 80s comfy" was the vibe Lisa wanted to go for today. Since I had the day off to stay home and organize, she made sure I had layers to work with. I was mostly warm while moving around cleaning, but I was pleased to have the cardigan while watching movies later in the evening with J and his roommate. Their opinion on today's look? I look like Frankie from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Eh, I see it.

Thursday 18th

Thursday

Striped sweater, white button up, black a-line skirt

black thermal tights, pink studs, tear drop necklace

Hey hey hey it's Thursday again, and you know what that means- museum day!!! Seriously, why am I the only one excited about this... The Butterfly Haven had cute little heart sponges this week for Valentine's Day. What's cuter than festive love butterflies??
As we were indoors again, Lisa decided to layer a lighter weight striped sweater over my white button up. Accessories were minimal with my pink studs and pink tear drop necklace. For my bottoms, she chose to pair a plain black a-line skirt with my thermal tights. I had to wear my snow boots again, but at least my legs were warm when walking outside! 

Friday 19th

Friday

Base- blouse, back jeans, leaf necklace, green drop earrings

Day- oatmeal cardigan, blue braided belt, black studded flats

Night- moto-jacket, knitted scarf, black booties, cat clutch

I'm in love with today's outfit. Lisa knew I had to nanny all day, but then J and I were going out to the movies at night. The weather was beautiful today, though really windy, so I could finally wear some lighter layers. The base outfit was black jeans, green watercolor tunic blouse, long leaf necklace, and green drop earrings. During the day she added my oversized oatmeal cardigan belted with my black studded flats. Then for the night, we swapped that out for a moto jacket and black booties. I added my big knit infinity scarf because the wind was a lot chillier once the sun set. You can also see my Betsy Johnson cat clutch peeping out from my hand. Not only was this a seamless transition from day to night, but I felt super cute in each outfit separately, and would totally wear them again. Love love love.

Saturday 20th

Saturday

Spider-Gwen hoodie, long tee, 

comic book leggings, converse

Oh, rocking my favorite sweater in the world, favorite sweater in the world, woahhh wooo! That's a little diddy I wrote you about my, you guessed it, ~favorite sweater~. My Dad and Lisa got this Spider-Gwen hoodie for me for Christmas and I was ecstatic about it. Oh, and did I mention that it came with a Spider-Gwen mask?! Aw yiss. Today was a beautiful day to stay in and open up the windows to paint, but I also had some errands to run. So, basically that meant pants. Lame. Lisa chose my comic book leggings and long tee to finish off the ensemble. I absolutely love the look. Lisa was trying to figure out- how to look cute while laying around at home. And as it happens, that was exactly how I felt! 

Sunday 21st

Sunday

Navy Skirt, button up, blazer, cranberry tights, 

raspberry beret, pearl earrings saddle shoes

See that raspberry beret? Yeah, I totally found it at a secondhand store. By the laws of nature, I knew it had to buy it. That's like an unspoken rule, right? Well, after looking through my hat options, Lisa was inspired by the beret to create this "vintage flair" getup. She even asked if there was a chance I owned saddle shoes. Oh, you know I do... Pearl earrings were the perfect understated addition to tie into the theme. This peter pan collared cream polka dot button up matched perfectly to this navy nautical-esque skirt. To keep warm and dress it up a bit, Lisa thought this brown blazer (it has elbow pads!) and cranberry tights would match in rather well. She was correct to think so.

Originally I had plans to go out to karaoke, but my friends and I had a last minute chance to see a musical, so we took advantage of that instead. I received numerous compliments and a comment about looking like I was a part of some French rebellion. Touche... 

Reflections-

What a great week! I definitely feel like Lisa delivered on my expectations and gave me outfits that fit my style and activities. Not as many accessories as I had anticipated (not a bad thing) and no suggestions on hair or makeup, so I used my own discretion and kept things simple. I was, however, pleasantly surprised at the addition of hats for a couple days, and learned that there's always room for a scarf to bring out an interesting detail. For my lounging around days I appreciated having something to stylish to wear while being practical and comfortable- not just laying around in pajamas all day. And I definitely have a new day to night outfit that will make a comeback at least once! Thank you Lisa!

Next week, on Raggedy Amy- 

Will my Grandmother dress me modestly from head to toe or leave me half naked in the snow? Come back next Monday to find out!



My Week
Bess Week
Caitlin Week
Ashlin Week

Dress Me Up- My Week!

Monday 8th

Monday Blues
Blue tunic, navy leggings, long leaf necklace,
and snow boots (of course)

When I nanny, my go-to outfit is a tunic and leggings combo. Not only is it easy to just grab and run out the door in the mornings, but it's also very comfortable to roll around and chase after a toddler all day! This leaf necklace is currently my favorite and its length looks great with all my tunics- bonus! Thankfully I had the foresight to check the weather, because my cozy snow boots came in handy as the temperature decided to drop and flurry that afternoon. Even though I had to work all morning, I wanted to look more put together than usual since I was meeting up with J for a late lunch date before a photo shoot I had in the evening. Guest appearance by Gideon the kitty-on who agrees that bowties are cool.

Tuesday 9th

Tuesday Tee-time
Hogwarts raglan tee, long grey cardigan, 
jeans and snow boots with
teardrop necklace and earrings

Tuesday's are my more relaxing nights. After nannying, J and I decided to go to the movie theater and see the Big Short at the last minute. He was sweet enough to snap a picture of my outfit for me (though we did not see Finding Dory). I haven't worn these jeans in a while, and after a couple hours at work I remembered that they ride really low, so I was constantly pulling them up. Thankfully, my shirt and cardigan were longer and concealed any minor wardrobe malfunctions! Lastly, I threw on a pair of silver and blue French clasp earrings (that stay on even when curious little fingers are pulling on them) and a dainty tear drop necklace.

Wednesday 10th

Wendy Wednesday
Green peter pan collar sweater,
navy pants, and snow boots (again)
little jeweled bobby pin for sparkle

Peter Pan collar. Wendy Wednesday. Get it?? Anyway... at the zoo on Wednesdays and Fridays there's a singer that puts on a kids concert for a couple hours in the barn. I like to wear an outfit with pockets so I can keep my phone on me while we're indoors. So my navy pants and favorite sweater were an easy choice. Every time I wear this sweater I get loads of compliments, and this picture doesn't do justice to the beautiful shade of green. Since I had to wear my big winter coat and snow boots again, I added a little bling to my hair. Ooo getting fancy!

Thursday 11th

TgiThursday

red dress, chambray (tied @ waist),
thermal black tights, nerdy earrings
snow boots still

MUSEUM DAY!! Yes, Thursdays are my favorite day of the week. The day I take LB to the nature museum. Since we're indoors for the few hours we're there, I don't have to wear big bulky winter sweaters. In fact, the butterfly haven is so warm and humid that the couple times I have bundled up, I've regretted it and silently roasted. So, this day I wore warm base layers under this spring valentine inspired ensemble. As I'm still getting used to my new hair length, I tried a little half up do bun which showed off my cute Adventure Time earrings I made (today's pairing was Lady Rainicorn and Princess Bubblegum). I was already on the pink and red theme,  so I painted my nails with little hearts for Valentine's Day.
J complimented me on my outfit and assured me he always likes the way I dress, just particularly loved today's choice. Aww. But, I think my favorite compliment was when I took off my coat in the morning, LB ran up to me, asked to be picked up, grabbed my earrings, took my hands and individually petted each fingernail, then climbed down and asked me to twirl around to see my skirt. I think it's fair to say she approved.

Friday 12th

Hey Hey It's Friday

button up, black jeans, red suspenders
heart earrings, hair bow
you guessed it- snow boots

Continuing with the Valentine color scheme, today was focused around these sweet red suspenders I scored for $1 at a thrift store a few weeks ago. Finally finding a purpose for them, I paired them with my black denim and a floral button up. Since that top is so sheer, I layered a pink thermal beneath and fleece leggings on bottom to stay nice and toasty. Betsy Johnson heart earrings and pink hair bow added a girly finishing touch. And hey- my hair fits into a ponytail!
I did get one comment on my outfit from the children's performer who suggested I looked ready to perform myself. Don't tempt me- I do a mean rendition of Let It Go...

Saturday 13th

Saturday by Day

pink and black yoga pants, pink cardi

purple apron and black flats!

S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y. Night!

red dress, nude heels, bracelet

Happy Galentine's to all the ladies! Any Parks & Rec fans reading? A couple coworkers and I started this tradition last year, and I'm so glad we continued it this year, even though most of us don't work
together any more. I decided to curl my hair in the morning but clean up and change later, so I could spend the afternoon running errands, decorating, and prepping food for the party with two other ladies. We even found time to test out the photobooth here. My yoga pants, cardigan, and black studded flats were perfect for moving around hanging up decorations and my apron came in handy when it was time to cook.
Quick change into my red dress and nude heels, and I was ready to hear every guest come in and say, "Oh I'm so under dressed!" Nah, you knew I was going dress up. Since the dress has large rhinestones on the collar, I was worried about over accessorizing on top. So, I just threw on a dangly Betsy Johnson bracelet and called it a day. Then I braided my bangs and pinned them back. Not bad for a shorty-do!
Maybe I'll write a separate post about the party, because you need to hear about this waffle bar we made...

Sunday 14th

Valentine's Sunday

Black blouse, leather pants, black wedges

pink and heart earrings, heart necklace, lips clutch

It's finally Valentine's Day. Too bad I used up all desire to wear red and pink earlier in the week. So I opted for a chic all black ensemble. I had the afternoon off to blog in my pjs, but J and I had our night packed with activities. To start the evening we had a beautiful dinner at a nice restaurant. Then, we walked over to a BYOB painting class where we painted two canvases of birds on a branch that fit together when displayed. Capping off the evening we went to the movies to see a chick flick. Just kidding, we definitely saw Deadpool. It was the perfect Valentine's movie too. Since we were going to be inside and seated most of the night, I let myself be not worry about staying warm like I have been. This sleeveless black blouse and high-waisted leather jeans were perfect to transition from classy restaurant to a casual art studio- not over or under-dressed. Unfortunately I began to regret my shoe choice- black wedges, that I chose over my snow boots (that I was getting sick of). But as the snow came down heavy that night, I admonished myself for being so stubborn about wearing cute shoes. Thankfully, all our destinations were within blocks of each other, so there wasn't much walking in the snow. Today won the most accessories of the week as I wore pink and heart studs (my ears are double pierced), a dainty little heart necklace, and my Betsy Johnson pink lips wristlet.

Reflections-

This is a relatively good example of how I dress myself weekly. When the weather warms up I wear more tights, but in the winter I try layering a lot of thermal base layers to keep all toasty. Having two days in a row to dress up was a bit of a treat, but mostly I'd say this was a normal week of dressing myself!

Next week, on Raggedy Amy- 

This week I was in control, but next week my stepmother decides if I live or die! Well, I could like, die of embarrassment or something... Just go with it. And return here on Monday to see if I already regret this experiment!



Lisa Week
Bess Week
Caitlin Week
Ashlin Week

So Here's the Plan...

Every Sunday, I will video chat with my stylist-for-the-week, and have them preplan my options for every day, taking into account my daily agenda (and hopefully weather). Before our chats, I'd like to write some of my predictions for how I think they'll dress me: will they stay pretty close to what I normally wear or will their own style come through? Will my sister make me wear a nerdy tee with everything? Will my grandma wish I owned more earrings?  I'll take a photo each day for you and jot down some of my thoughts and comments.

I'd like to start by telling you a little about my own style, and take this week to show how I would normally dress myself day-to-day. As it is currently winter, it's hard to feel cute in the brisk winds and snow. Living in the midwest, the constantly changing weather keeps me on my toes as to whether I need to bundle up or wear some shed-able layers. During the day I work as a nanny, for an almost 2 year old named LB, so weekdays tend to rock a sweater tunic and leggings combo. Weekends are usually rehearsal time for whatever show I'm currently in, so I like looking put together while still wearing something I can move in- usually a dress and tights. Special occasions are a special treat for me. I will pretty much take ANY excuse to dress up, though. Seriously- any. And if I get an evening off, it's probably spent watching movies with my own boy who waited, J.

Most of my wardrobe is from thrift stores. Not only is it cost effective, but I love finding unique, albeit random, statement pieces thrifting. It's a great way to shake up your style every once in a while without investing in something you end up wearing once. Unfortunately, I tend to hold onto things for far too long (I have so much tacky crap from the early 2000s that I'm just waiting to come back into style), but you'd be surprised how many times I'm ready for a costume party or film shoot at the last second. Thanks to my closet I'm always prepared!

Growing up I was that friend and family member that everyone calls for advice about what to wear. As I got older, I started styling for photo shoots and costuming for theater. Here's some more recent example from shoots I've done:

Hey that's me! In the top one I'm wearing a wig, but the lower photo is all my long red hair. Which reminds me- I recently cut my hair. Ok, that's a bit of an understatement. I chopped off over half a foot a couple days ago. It's been a bit of an adjustment, but I love the change. Styling it has already been exciting to see what I can still do with it and I can now curl my whole head without feeling like my arms are dying. Hello new me!

Thanks for joining me on this adventure- let's get started!

The Beginnings

Ever feel like- "Omg... I have nothing to wear!" It's usually while you're staring at a closet full of clothes, right? And yet, you are somehow able to dress yourself just fine after not doing laundry for longer than you care to admit? Yeah... Me neither... 

I absolutely adore a brand new outfit. However, I'm trying to cut down on needless spending (seriously, do I need another striped top?), and living in a studio has limited room, though I am relatively spoiled with closet space for now. My best friend thinks it's really funny when I borrow a dress or sweater occasionally because she has such a minimalist wardrobe and is constantly borrowing from my plethora of options. Hey- it's nice to cycle in some new options now and then! Even a bottomless closet can feel boring after a while... but I wish I could feel that I have everything I need already.

Did you know that people only wear about 20% of their wardrobe regularly? I would say I definitely fall into that- you know what you look good in and you know what's comfortable. Recently, I did some organizing of my Pinterest boards. Something I honestly didn't think would need to happen. How do I have so many pins?? While sorting through my multiple wardrobe boards, I noticed I'm very drawn to the Capsule Wardrobe idea. I just admire the creativity it takes to rearrange a finite amount of options and still get new outfits every day! If I'm only wearing 20% anyway... I think I could do something like that.

Shortly after my productive virtual cleaning inspiration, I read a blog post about a young lady who let her grandmother dress her for a week. (If you think that's scary, try having your toddler dress you!) I'm sure some of you shutter at the thought of having to wear something straight out of the 60s. (As a vintage clothing enthusiasts, I would absolutely love that by the way). But, no- Hayli Skyped her grandmother who went and chose outfits out of her granddaughter's closet. I love that not only did Hayli find inspiration from new ways of matching and accessorizing, but they have grown closer because of this and now video chat weekly!

Brilliant! I'm in. After mulling over some of the logistics of what I would need to do, I had a quick email conversation with my Grandma to see if she would even be interested. She was. Then a thought occurred to me- could I take this a step further? I have some amazing ladies in my life. And most of these lovely, fashionable ladies in my family I tend to not see more often than on holidays. Could this be a way to get new insights, not only to the secrets lying within my wardrobe, but also into the lives of my family members? Ok, that may be a tad overdramatic, but come on! I would love a good excuse to do some lady- bonding! 
Let the experiment begin!!