Saturday clothes

Aside from my standard lounge wear of the same yoga pants and tank top that I wore for a little while yesterday afternoon and Thursday evening, today I wore my black bikini swim suit, with a cover up consisting of a black knit skirt and a tank top (all from Old Navy) with my black flip flops. I also wore a pair of khaki shorts from J Crew and a green cotton top that I've had for a long time (it was the one I had planned to wear on Wed. night but didn't) along with brown flip flops from Payless. I don't have any pictures of anything I wore today. Oops!
So in one week, I wore 13 items of clothing (if you ignore loung wear, sports wear, and swim wear) and 23 items if you count everything except for underwear, socks, and PJ's. This does seem like a lot to me, especially since I do re-wear lounge wear and work pants. On the other hand, It has been a very social week- going out to dinner on Wed. and swimming today added 4 items of clothing that I'd otherwise not wear. But on the other hand, I may have used more workout clothes had I not had book club on Mon. and dinner on Wed.- so maybe it balances out.
On the plus side, I think my new Keen's are starting to get broken in (knock on wood). I'm wearing them around the house right now and my feet don't hurt!

How many items of clothes do you think you wear in an average week? Do you think you could wear only 6 items of clothes for a month?

Friday Clothes

Today I got to go to Lafayette for a work trip, so I was in full dork gear. My darling fiance thinks my office polo makes me look like I work at Best Buy. I'm wearing a polo shirt (over a tank top because I think the polo is a little short), khaki pants with patch cargo pockets and my Keen hiking shoes. Note the oil rig shaped fountain in the background of the restaurant where I ate lunch. Reflections: a) short torso-ed shirts make me look like square shaped. b) I wear these same pants and shoes when I go hiking!
I am going to a friend's birthday party this evening and I will definitely be changing clothes. I will probably wear a black knit dress- so that is 4 items of clothing for today.

Thurday Clothes

I actually didn't end up wearing jeans and a top last night. I wore a long linen dress because it was really hot outside! Here's a picture of the dress (another hand me down from Steph) taken in Ft. Lauderdale a couple years ago (because anything is better than another "work bathroom" shot).

Today I'm wearing a blue print trapeze dress from American Eagle with camel colored flats. Here's a picture of it that I dug up from facebook.As far as the rest of the evening goes, I'll end up wearing a tank and running shorts to work out in, then yoga pants and a different tank for lounge wear.
Reflections: a) I love the bow on my dress.
b) It's something that my mom would disparage as "making me look pregnant" but I don't care. I love loose flowy clothes and I think that this dress works b/c the fabric is knit, which means it doesn't stick straight out from the sides of my body like a stiffer fabric would. Also, it has a bow! And pockets!
c) My short hair was so cute!

So this brings my total thus far this week up to 14 different items of clothing by the end of the day. If you leave off workout and lounge clothes- I'll have worn 7. I think that so far it's been interesting for me to keep track of what I wear. I think I do a good job of reusing my work pants and after work clothes (yesterday's lounge wear is generally at least part of today's workout wear) but I think I could do a better job of choosing shirts that wrinkle less (I wear more knit tops in the winter- it's just too hot for that in the summer and a lot of them are long sleeved) and of choosing clothes that go from day to evening.

Wednesday Clothes

Today I'm wearing the black pants from yesterday (don't judge me), a black and white short sleeved button down from Anne Taylor, and black Keen mary janes. I also brought, but didn't need, an electric blue cardigan from Alloy.
I'm going to dinner with friends this evening and plan to wear jeans, a dark green cotton shirt, and black flats.
Reflections: a) Again with the wrinkles- I promise I ironed this shirt! I'm starting to think that it's because I slouch.
b) There was a chance that I was going to have to travel to a testing lab for work today, so I'm wearing the epitome of my "nice, appropriate, but square" work look. Had I known the trip would be postponed, I probably would have worn a knit dress with the cardi and just gone to dinner in that.
c) I bought my new Keen's from Piperlime b/c they were on sale and I really want some black walking shoes. I'm also very happy with a pair of brown Keen hiking sneakers I own. This pair, though has thus far been disappointing. The arch support is wonderful, but they rub the back of my heels and blister me if I don't wear them with socks. I got them stretched at the cobbler and am wearing them with socks today and I think they are a little better, but it's always hard to tell if you are breaking something in when the initial hour or so of wearing them makes your heels hurt. I think they're better and I am persevering, but it's been a frustrating process because the last pair gave me no trouble at all! I'm hoping to wear them on a walking intensive trip I'm taking in a couple weeks, but I'm feeling a little pessimistic.


So far this week, excluding underwear and PJ's- I will have worn 12 different items of clothing by the end of the day. If you leave off workout and lounge clothes- I'll have worn 7.

Tuesday Clothes

Today I'm wearing an outfit that I've posted before (on my post regarding packing for a work trip).
It's a teal knit top from Banana Republic, black slacks from Old Navy (they may have been charcoal in the previous post, but they're the same pant in a different color), and black pointy-toe flats from target.
Reflections: a) I love this top but almost never wore it in the past b/c it was dry clean only. Then I accidentally washed it and it was fine- so now I wear it all the time. It's fitted enough to be flattering, but the band at the waist prevents me from having a weird line where my shirt lays on top of my pants (a pet peeve of mine).
b) I wear my black and charcoal dress pants from Old Navy constantly. They fit well, are comfortable, and appropriate. However, I always feel dorky when I wear dress pants anywhere after work. I think I'd ideally like some pants with narrower legs to transition from work to play a bit better.
c) I love my flats but I wish they had more padding. They're good for work but not for walking around.
For the rest of the day, I'll be wearing a tank top and running shorts to work out in after work, then a different tank top and yoga pants in the space between my post workout shower and bedtime. The workout tank will be the one I wore around the house on Sunday, and the yoga pants will be from Sunday as well.

Six

I am really intrigued by the 6 Items or Less Challenge that is sweeping the internet. I know for a fact that I couldn't do it (especially since my first thought is that everyone doing it has way better taste than I do- and more versatile accessories), but it got me thinking about what I wear in a week. So, because I'm interested, I think I'll try noting everything I wear this week (or for however long this holds my fickle interest.)
Today I have book club after work, so I made an effort to look cute. I tend to hate going straight to social functions after work b/c I feel very "square" and I'm trying to do a better job of anticipating what I'll be happy wearing out after I clock out for the day- it saves time, and prevents me from going home and madly trying on everything in my closet when I should be walking the dogs.
I'm wearing a black pencil skirt (which I've had for years and was a hand me down from my friend Heather), a fuchsia button down tuxedo style shirt that I got last year from Old Navy- the sleeves are rolled up and it is un-tucked b/c nothing looks good tucked in on me, a black camisole under the shirt, and peep toe pumps (recent hand me downs from my friend Stephanie).
Reflections: a) I love button-downs in theory, but often have trouble finding ones that fit my small frame but don't gap when I button them over my chest. Hence, the camisole.
b) Even when I starch the heck out of them, I run the risk of looking wrinkled halfway through the day. Does this happen to anyone but me?
c) I almost never wear high heels to work because flats are much more comfy. The pencil skirt looks great with heels though.
Yesterday I wore a blue patterned dress and pink and cork platform shoes (both hand me downs from Stephanie- I really love giving clothes I'm getting rid of to people I know, and fortunately for me, I have friends who do as well!) to a baby shower for a friend, then lounged around in yoga pants and a tank top (both from Old Navy) for the rest of the day.

Reflections: a) I love dresses like this, designed with a band around the ribs and a slightly A-line skirt below. They are very comfortable and flattering, but I hate dealing with a side zipper going over the two place where the dress is pieced together. I'm always in danger of pinching myself with the zipper and my arm hurts trying to contort myself to zip it all the way up.
b) I live in workout clothes when I'm at home.

Charm

This weekend, I was somewhat alarmed to hear my downstairs neighbors say that they think our house should be condemned. In all fairness, their air conditioner has broken several times this summer and they are really frustrated with that. Also, they are not from New Orleans, and are just living in the apartment below mine until they finish renovating their much nicer house.
Regardless, I will say that my current apartment, much like every New Orleans apartment I've lived in, is fairly decrepit. It's certainly not the worst place I've lived and I don't think this place has been all that problematic (knock on wood) compared to some of my earlier apartments. I'd say my general living pattern has been that of residing in run down buildings that happen to be in nice neighborhoods. I'm hoping the apartment will refrain from falling apart for another year, and until then, reminiscing about my past apartments and their individual quirks.
My first apartment was on St. Charles and General Pershing- probably the nicest location I've lived in. This apartment introduced me to what I like to call it's "charm." First, the doorknob fell off my front door about 5 minutes prior to my Halloween party. Then the light in the living room refused to turn off, regardless of what I did with the light switch. The shelves fell off the wall in my closet. And the toilets in the entire building stopped working the Sunday before Mardi Gras. Good times....
My next apartment was in Old Metairie. I actually lived in two different apartments in the same old building surrounded by a gorgeous jungle like garden- my landlord used the rental property to satisfy his landscaping urges. The building's most notable problem was that the piping was old, and would occasionally clog up. This meant that I would be without hot water for days at a time until the clog worked itself out. (I took a lot of very quick cold showers in the summer, and in the winter, heated a big pot of water on the stove to take into the shower with me- it reminded me of Miss Honey's cottage in Matilda.) The apartment I lived in the longest was a little studio with a separate kitchen. I took all the doors off inside the apartment and hung up curtains to make more room, and I loved it, even though it was tiny, drafty, and old.
My third apartment was on Prytania St. It looked the nicest of all the places I've lived- it was inside a gorgeous house with a lovely porch, in a great neighborhood, and filled with windows- but of course, the water pressure and drainage were terrible, and all hell broke loose once my landlord decided to replace the roof. The old roof gave me no problems but over the course of 6 months after the replacement, the ceiling first fell in on my guest bedroom (ruining a lot of my furniture), and then after they repaired that- it fell in on my kitchen! (And then, after me not being able to use half my apartment for half the time I was there- my evil landlord kept my entire deposit. If you're looking for a place to rent in NOLA, email me and I'll tell you who to avoid!)
My current apartment really hasn't given me that much trouble (again, knock on wood). The heater and AC have both gone out in the past- which was unpleasant; and we've had termites. But that was a couple summers ago. (This is my 3rd summer in my current apartment, which seems really weird to me- time flies!) This year the hot water pipes messed up in my bathroom only (we have 2) so I had to take showers in the other bathroom (which has low water pressure) for a few days until it was fixed. My number one problem with my apartment is that the front stairs hold water, and eventually grow a slippery coating of algae that I have to scrub off with bleach. I usually fall down the stairs once a year when I haven't realized that the algae has grown back. The funniest quirk of my current apartment is that my doorbell doesn't ring when you press the button, but it does ring when someone rings the doorbell of the house across the street. Oddly enough, the doorbell rang at least 12 times this morning. No one was at my door and I can't really see through the tree in front of my house to see if anyone was across the street. I kind of suspect that it's gone completely nuts and I'm going to have to take it apart tonight!
Again, I wouldn't consider any of the places I've rented unlivable and I've become pretty good at chalking up the various problems in my apartments to the "New Orleans Charm." I think that's what you get when you choose to rent an apartment that's been carved into a really old house. The plus side is that you usually end up with hardwood floors, lots of windows, and some funny stories.
What's the craziest living situation you've been faced with?

The Great Outdoors

This weekend was pretty full! On Friday night, we went out to a birthday dinner for our friend Jon at Gautreau's. I went to dinner at Gautreau's for my birthday almost a year ago, and I was pretty happy to go back because the food is amazing. This time I had the bay scallops appetizer, the wild mushroom pirogi's, and the chocolate terrine for dessert. Bliss!
On Saturday we went canoeing on the Okatoma River in Seminary, Ms. Seminary is about half an hour north of Hattiesburg, Ms- where I went to college. It's always nice to drive near Southern Miss, if only b/c I have an excuse to yell "Southern Mississippi To The Top!" and annoy everyone else in the vehicle. :) Canoeing was actually a lot more strenuous that I thought it would be, and I was somewhat concerned that it would screw up my energy levels for the race I ran today. Fortunately, I slept like a rock last night and woke up with plenty of energy.
Today's race was the Spillway Classic. It's a 5K trail run in Norco, La- which is about half an hour away from New Orleans. I really love this race! The first mile is actually pretty miserable b/c you run on top of the levee and it is flat and hot, but then you run down the levee, through a giant mud puddle (more on that later), and then follow a winding path through the woods that requires you to jump over roots and logs, and duck under branches and fallen trees. The water hazard varies in size, but this year it was a 2.5- so not all that hazardous, but big enough that the mud was unavoidable. The mud is fun, but my favorite part is by far the woods. I think it's because you get to dart around and jump over things- it's just a lot of fun, and more interesting than running in a straight line on a flat surface. During the run, I found myself wishing that I could do a 10K of just trails.
I was also really pleased with my time this year. You can't come close to a PR because the once you are in the woods, there is no room to pass people, and going through the mud is also really slow- but I beat my time from last year by a full minute! I also got a medal that doubles as a bottle opener, which I plan to put to good use. :)
I've spent the rest of the day being pretty low key. I took a nap and went to the grocery store, then watched a movie and made spaghetti with shrimp and clams.

What is your favorite outdoorsy activity? Mine are running, day hiking, and skiing.

Guest Posts

My guest posts are up! And of course, they are about food. :)
Check out my post on creative grilling at The Daily Balance and my post on the infinite variety of beans and rice on Bench Fly.

Anecdote

I am in the process of writing guest blogs for a couple of blogs right now. I've never contributed to another blog before, so I am very excited. When I told my darling fiance what I was writing about (I'm keeping it a secret for now, but I'll link to the posts when they're up), he suggested that I instead write about "the weird things I like to keep in the freezer."
Namely, 3 bags of frozen bananas, half a loaf of bread, oranges, and Chinese dumplings.
In my defense, the "oranges" are meyer lemons (though I really should use them), frozen bananas are great in smoothies (though I really should make more of them), and Chinese dumplings are delicious.
On the other hand, I ought to throw out the bread (who puts raisins in pumpernickel anyway?) and I probably shouldn't have put another bag of bananas in the freezer this morning. Oops!

What's the weirdest thing hanging out in your freezer right now?

Swamp Monster

My trip to the Atchafalaya Basin this weekend was wonderful! The swamp is incredibly scenic and peaceful, and it was so nice to get away. Our houseboat was really charming and we all spent most of our time on the porch, enjoying the unexpectedly wonderful weather. The weather channel predicted a weekend full of rain but it was perfectly sunny the entire time we were on the water, and it was much cooler on the water than on land. The highlight of the trip for me was our "pet" alligator, Gucci, who ate anything we threw at him, including the corks off our fishing lines. I also really enjoyed the hammock that my darling fiance brought and hung across the porch. The only complaint I have about our trip is that I think I fed every mosquito west of the Mississippi, despite wearing lots of bug spray! Mainly, I think I will let our pictures from the trip speak for themselves. I hope y'all like them!