Hypothetical lunch, economic crises, and consumption thoughts

This is what I think about budget cuts

This the outfit I picked out to meet with some colleagues for a little lunch in Manhattan today. I took this photo around 10:30 or so. I walked to the train around 10:45, and around 11:45, after being stuck underground for about 45 minutes, I walked two stops back home, because the A/C train was suffering a breakdown. My colleagues said it was cool to reschedule, as they are very nice, but I am going to somehow blame this on the unfortunate budget cuts that the state/city have instituted. You know that a politician is doing a bad job if the NY Times* makes fun of them with this zinger: "[Working stiffs are] easy targets, especially for a governor who, like the mayor of New York City, rules out taxing rich people any further lest they pack their Louis Vuitton bags and scoot."

I wrote something very long about economic crises, the fallacy of austerity as an end, and the harmful effects of over reliance on a skittish private sector to promote recovery, but deleted it so as to not alienate everyone. I'll end this post by saying that it is a huge shame that politicians are ignoring the needs of productive New Yorkers by promoting regressive taxes (a soda tax? Getting rid of the tax exemptions on items below $110? Cutting school budgets and 1 library day a week? Allowing tuition increases at public universities? To quote G.O.B. Bluth, "Come ON!"). Yo, tax-averse peeps in NY: keeping this city somewhat accessible and safe is GOOD for your property values, your safety, and your ability to sleep at night!

Finally, this relates to the blog because I want to draw on the political conditions as an impetus for my own actions. I will make a more conscious effort to buy less of everything, especially clothes. I am not the best remixer, but I continue to inspired by the personal fashion/style blogosphere everyday. Summer time is hard for remixing, with the heat, but now that it's below 90 in NY, I'm layering away.
Hope you all had a less ranty and frustrating Wednesday then I. Disagreements, thoughts, ideas are surely welcome.

Tunic: Alwin, Minneapolis (via Cliche)
Skirt: OU
Boots: Durango, via Beacon's Closet
Belt: thrifted

*I have a love/hate thing with the NYTimes. They do some good reporting, good local investigating, but they also cater heavily to the champagne Upper Manhattan crowd, which makes sense economically, but likely influences their views. Also, what's up with their obsession with describing their interview subjects' looks?

Still Ill

This weekend's festivities, which were very fun, have taken an unfortunate toll. Beach, BBQ, and bachelorette party= sick Rad. And summer colds suck because I feel cold and hot at once. Plus, the crazy landlord is demanding access to our apartment soon so I had to put on clothes, and because of our special, um, situation, I had to keep myself pretty covered too.
In addition to other activities, Anne and I also also popped by a mall because her fella needed some gifts. We may have gone to the Gap, where there may have been a mondo sale. I am trying not to buy new things, but this western pearl snap button shirt, originally $50+, was now $11, so I fell to the retail temptation. I have some buying new guilt but I will make up for it by swaggering about like an urban cowgirl during the summer, and hopefully layering this with sweaters and cardigans during the fall for teaching.
Sickness, future bridesmaid duties and travels have resulted in a huge backlog on my reader and I apologize for not commenting on your lovely posts. I hope you had a great weekend and stay cool this week.

Shirt: Gap (on major sale)
Skirt: Vintage Blue, via Brown Elephant (Chicago), cut into skirt DIY (original here)
Belt: Not Just Vintage
Shoes: Steve Madden, thrifted

To the middle

I'm totally cheating, you guys. I took this photo in the early A.M., because I have to take a car at 6AM to catch my 8AM flight to Chicago this morning. But since style bloggers have taught me the importance of doing a test run with outfits the night before, I snapped a quick picture to show my outfit today. This outfit has to be multipurpose, because I have to comfy on a plane, then chillax on a North Shore beach (OK, it's not the sea, but when in the midwest, I appreciate the Great Lakes), and hang out with folks at Anne's place for grilling and pre-bachelorette socializing. This dress fits the bill not only because it's jersey, stretchy, and comfy, but also because the bride-to-be gave it to me back in college. Clothes swapping rules.
I'm trying to spice up my army style bag (I seem to love all things military related, including my military students, except wars) with a color coordinated scarf, part of my Ebay stash, but we'll see if I untie it in a moment of frustrated annoyance.
Oh, and by the way, thanks dear Blogging community for your kind comments in response to my landlord anecdote. It's no longer a reason for concern, as her constant phone calls and harassment died down when Blokey moved in (and I was forced to share my closets). I find it hilarious now, although back in November and December, I was a bit more spooked out.
I hope you all have a great weekend. I was inspired to try to work all day because of D-Med's inspiring post on work from home wear. I will not be working from home or otherwise between now and Monday, as I also have plans to spend time with the in-laws, my brother, and my cousin and her new baby.

Cardigan: JCrew, thrifted
Dress: NY&Co, swap
Belt: JCrew, swap
Bag: Brooklyn Industries
Scarf: via Ebay
Shoes: BC Footwear, via Nordstrom Rack

Bracing

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting up with fellow Brooklyn style bloggers, Jesse.anne.o and (vegan indie)WhatIWore. They were both really lovely and we got vegan ice cream and checked out the consignment shops in the Lower East Side. It was fun to meet with folks who know a lot about you through the interwebs.

I picked up these red suspenders, something I've had my eye on via Ebay and Etsy, at the Buffalo Exchange. They have some minor signs of wear, but I am super stoked. I plan to wear them with a grey pencil skirt, black pumps, and a blouse in the fall to teach. Maybe not on the first day though. (I may chicken out. Stay tuned for updates). Today, they make up part of my second attempt to be colorful, and I think the orange, red, and yellow make work, in perhaps an overly literal way. We are off to take our kitten out for ice cream. It's a long story.

To make a long story short, my 75 year old landlord is a bit nuts and thinks she's in love with me. And therefore I avoid talking to her at all costs, and including neglecting to inform her of our kitten. Today, there are inspectors coming so we are hightailing out to a yogurt place by the park, kitten in tow. The awkwardness of the situation was made apparent to me last December, one month after moving, when she called me at home and insisted I come to her apartment, where she built me a fire, told me about our past life together, and sang me a bad song:

This really happened. I am not creative enough to make this stuff up.

Top: thrifted, shortened and taken in
Suspenders: thrifted (Buffalo Exchange)
Jeans: Levis, via Macy's (mom), skinnied by me
Shoes: BC Footwear, via Nordstrom Rack

In drawing:
Skirt: H&M
Sweater: Esprit
Boots: Palladium

Color me timid

Yesterday, the lovely A-Dubs of In Professorial Fashion asked for suggestions on how to wear her adorbs coral and brown sandals. There were awesome comments, but I had nothing to offer, because that much color frightens me. I had to refer to the brilliant color wheel at Academichic, but this puzzles me too. Neutrals with a pop is about all I can manage.
I tried to be more daring today, starting out with a blue-green shirt, but I got hot just trying to get dressed, so I opted for a lighter linen button down instead. I have a meeting today with a cool dude* in the department, and I'm going to try to convince him to let me present my research at his center, while trying to avoid spilling Greek salads down my front.
So the boldest I could get today was the dark purple belt with the green skirt, which I've worn before (mostly because Anne told me to buy them together, as the skirt gaps at the waist), and a scarf with green and blue accents. It's made of artificial fibers so it may come off soon. But it's held down with a mushroom scarf pin, which I think is very necessary sometimes in life.

And although it is already a sweltering 82 degrees outside, I am wearing microfishnet. Because I hate shaving my legs. Is that too much information, blogging buddies?

(In case you were wondering, that is Lula by my feet. She is depressed when it is this hot out, and the little aggressive kitten is not helping. And she doesn't let us brush her, so one of us has to hold her down and while the other brushes her. She is def a "two person" cat.)

*This colleague, of Mediterrean origin, manages to look dignified in shorts and Italian loafers. Over the age of 50. How does he do it?

Shirt: H&M
Belt: Presence, Chicago
Skirt: Tulle, via Presence, Chicago
Microfishnets: via Daffy's
Scarf: Ebay
Sunglasses: DKNY via Mom
Wedges: Aerosoles, thrifted

Metling

Lordy, it's hot here in Brooklyn, and I was hoping that after leaving 90 plus and humid weather in northern Georgia, I'd get some relief. We don't have an A/C (although mother in law sent as one because they are visiting), so we have a series of dark curtains, ceiling fans, siestas, and hydration strategies to keep us alive. And some fruit Popsicles, but they are only occasional.
I love this tunic and perhaps it should be worn with leggings, but I'm too hot and sticky today to care about modesty. Tomorrow, I have a professorial meeting so I'll be more officey in my dress. But today, I'm all about billow fabrics, and no unnecessary layers.
In case you were curious, operation cat plus kitten has not been getting much better. Having both Lula and Buster out requires constant supervision, because while he is curious and accepting (and wants to play), she is cranky, angry, unforgiving, and constantly trying to charge/pounce him. Yet he remains pretty fearless, so I have to watch them as I'm typing.
We just brought him back last night from our friends' apartment uptown, where he got along swimmingly with the other cats there. I hope to someday share a photo in which Lula allows Buster to cuddle, like this one:

Hope everyone is staying cool today.

Tunic: Mojoware* (via Cliche in Minneapolis)
Tank: from Blokey
Shoes: Aerosoles (secondhand, via Ebay)
Scarf: via Ebay

*You can find their stuff at here. It doesn't look like they are using Alternative Apparel tunics anymore. I already begged and asked.

Dad's Day

I've been having a nice and relaxing (translation: lazy and nap-filled) time here in the north 'burbs of Atlanta. Blokey and I almost died* while driving up the mountains to the wedding last night. I haven't been creative with my dress, but I have been looking at old photos, a favorite "stuck in the suburbs where you have few friends," activity. In honor of Father's Day, I'm celebrating my dad's unique style.

My dad is the original Rad. He is the funniest person I know, and even though we fought a lot in high school, he is one of many reasons that my sister and I know to date really awesome, nice dudes. I think I am very similar to him in looks, personality, and our unfortunate propensities to pursue a PhD. My father was a tall and slender drink of water back in the mid 1970s, and remains relatively slender despite pushing his 60s. He has his own sense of style, which consists of wearing XL or XXL button up shirts (despite his non-XL frame), black cotton athletic crew socks, black slacks and belt, and black safety shoes/Florsheims. The weekend version of this consists of XL/XXL colorful polo shirts/Hawaiian shirts, casual slacks, and brown leather clogs. We love him anyway, but it's nice to be reminded that he didn't always dress this way:

Rad's Dad: in his single years, rocking the cuffed slender pants and peppy look (back when he was outdoorsy)

Slim and stylish, left most (and tallest) dude on the bridge

The man is wearing a slim fitting pink (!!) shirt, on a suspension bridge with my ma, 1976. (What's going on with her pants?)

Rocking a chocolate colored slim fitting suit, on some rocky beach in South Korea. Note the funny duck face.

*Maybe not exactly, but I did freak out at dirt and gravel roads up mountains that were only wide enough for one car. That's not a road, people, that's a pre-modern driveway.