Worn|| She's Overboard and Self-Assured

Confession time.

I was never the grungy, edgy teen with heavy eyeliner and a fuck the establishment attitude. I was much more United Colors of Benetton, Polo popped collar kind of girl who attempted to charm authority. 

Now that I’ve hit 50, aka the land my ‘give a fucks’ went to die, the brooding, angsty in me has been dying to express herself.

That’s the beauty of middle age…the power to reinvent yourself and not a single worry given to what anyone has to say about it. Quoting the wise Sheree Whitfield, "Who gon' check me, boo?"

Because I never had a pair of Doc Martins as a teen, I decided I needed a pair or something similar. I stumbled on this pair in near-perfect condition and in my size for $10 during a recent trip to the thrift store. The rest of the outfit seemed obvious. Nothing says “smells like teen spirit” like fishnets and combat boots.  

boots: similar shorts: similar shirt: similar tights: here

Worn || Ready or Not

I’m a week away from my 50th birthday and I have so many feelings about it; very few are good. I desperately want to be one of those people who celebrate their birthdays for the entire month but I can’t remember ever being happy about getting older.

Not to get all “therapy” speak, but I’m certain it’s because I rarely give myself permission to exist and enjoy the present. I’m either punishing myself for the past or anxiously trying to micromanage the future.

My goal for the week is to live in this moment. Enjoy the person I am right now. appreciating the life I have is so much more than I ever imagined it could be. 50 is on the horizon, ready or not.

dress here || bag here || shoes here || jacket vintage\thrifted || necklace here

Worn || Gingham Style

August is a weird month. Many people are focused on getting themselves or their kids ready to return to school, so there’s always a little hope that comes with fresh starts and new school supplies.

I have an August birthday and this month has always been about endings. The end of another trip around the sun. The end of those long sun-drenched days filled with possibility. So long summer romance. Goodbye to my golden summer tan.

I’m going to do everything I can to hold on to the last few glorious days of summer, embrace the sweetness of August and reflect on my last few weeks as a fortysomething.

Worn || Hi Barbie!

Saturday my daughter treated me to a movie. We got dressed up in our pink to see the Barbie movie. The movie and afternoon out with one of my girls were an unexpected delight.

There have been a million think pieces written about this movie. I don’t know if I have anything more to add to the conversation. It was funnier than I thought it would be while being unexpectedly deep. The final scene between Barbie and the creator of Barbie, Ruth Handler (played by the brilliant Rhea Perlman) is the one that made me sob and leave the theater with a tear-streaked face. It was beautifully shot. The set design was fantastic. The wardrobe department hit it out of the park. And, I didn’t think I could love Ryan Gossling more, then I saw him crying shirtless in a faux mink coat and a sweatband. The choreographed Kens dance/fight scene is worth the price of the ticket alone! Seriously, get all dolled up in your version of Barbie and go see it. Then grab a Barbie drink after to discuss how amazing it was.

Starbucks Vanilla Frappucino with Dragon Fruit

Find the skirt here ||the dress(worn as tank) here || the bag here

Similar shoes here || jacket here

Worn|| Cuff It

Having lived through the 1980s when mom jeans were simply called jeans because they were the only style available, I was sure that “mom jeans” was a trend I would avoid, especially since mom jeans aren’t always flattering to mom bodies.

::Dollhouse high-waisted jeans have entered the chat. ::

They are stretchy and comfortably hold in that annoying lower stomach pooch that has decided it’s here to stay. I love that I throw a wide cuff on them and they are the perfect length for almost any pair of shoes I decide to wear.

Speaking of shoes, I didn’t get these until late last summer so I didn’t get much wear out of them before it was boot season. However, I think they are my new favorites.

*This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission if you click the link at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases if you choose to shop through my links.

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Jeans similar here Top here Shoes here Cardigan similar here

Worn|| Such a Slacker

My quest for more simple things to wear that aren’t leggings led me to The Dream Factory, aka, the thrift store. It really is the place where sartorial dreams come true. I have $100 Antrhopologie Dress that I bought for $7 and $10 sequin JCrew skirt to prove it.

Anyway, the goal of this specific trip was to find pants specifically slacks. Since I wanted them to have a baggier fit while still being tailored, I hit up the men’s department. I especially love shopping for pants in the men’s section because the fashion industry allows men to have an assortment of lengths for their pants and I don’t have to worry about getting them hemmed. I snagged these Hagar Collection men’s trousers for $5. I paired it with another thrift favorite, the vintage Ms. Pacman shirt that I bought at Goodwill for a whopping $1.50 on a half-off tag day.

Because no outfit lately feels complete without a pair of kicks, I’m wearing my Stan Smith Adidas. I used to spend my free time searching for and most of my paychecks buying a pair of killer high heels. I currently have five pairs of sneakers on my wish list. Life is weird like that.

Ms. PacMan Shirt similar here Trousers similar here Jean Jacket similar here Kate Spade Tote Stan Smith Adidas

*This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission if you click the link at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases if you choose to shop through my links.

Worn||Coming of Age

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about aging. Living through a pandemic gives the saying “growing old isn’t guaranteed”, a certain poignancy I hadn’t considered. However, knowing what a gift growing old is doesn’t make it easier to accept. Being nearly 50 in a culture that is youth-obsessed is hard. And as much as I wouldn’t want to be 20, or even 30, for all of the money in the world, I can’t help constantly comparing myself to the images we’re inundated with on social media. I find myself checking the mirror daily for a wrinkle that wasn’t there the day before. Being discouraged because I now have to work out twice as hard to get half the results that used to happen with very little effort. Even my eyebrows are sprouting gray hair. It’s honestly rude at this point! I vacillate between feeling like my life is over and wanting to do all of the things before I run out of time…or energy.

Worn|| Coming of Age

I remember my mom telling me that her 30s were the decade she had the most fun, her 40s were the decade that she really got to enjoy being a mom, and her 50s were the decade where she fully came into her own. I guess there’s something to the idea that once no one is checking for you(as the kids say!), you’re free to do exactly what you damn well, please. I’m working on shifting my focus from the things I feel have passed me by. Instead, choosing to pursue the things that I’m currently passionate about. When I think about all that I’m capable of I’m excited to step into the next decade.

Worn|| It's A Wrap

Summer is officially over. I’m not sorry to see the heat go but that doesn’t mean that I’m in a hurry to put away all of my favorite summer dresses and skirts.

I bought this skirt at a local shop and I haven’t given it much love until this summer. I consider it my good luck skirt since I was wearing it the day I ran into Leslie Odoms Jr (yes, that LOJ!) on a sidewalk in downtown Cincinnati, but for whatever reason, I hardly ever wore it until this summer. The lightweight silk skirt paired with a tank top or a plain white t-shirt was an easy way for me to look put together in 10 minutes.

Today I when I spied my husband’s shirt on the ironing board, I remembered how I used to be much more adventurous with mixing patterns and styles when getting dressed. And, honestly, wearing your partner’s shirt all day is a top-notch way to make you feel……you get the point. I’d go into more detail but our kids read these blog posts and I don’t want to gross them out! Anyway, his gingham button-down paired with this skirt and my favorite boots were perfect for an early fall day outfit.

And, Another One

I’m not a person who loves celebrating my birthday. It’s been a time when I usually allow myself to fall into a depression and start ruminating over all of the things I’m not. But, this year something is different. I’ve noticed a small shift in mindset. I suspect all of the loss, sadness, and anxiety of the last few years has made me wildly grateful that I’ve survived. Instead of wallowing in the what-ifs, this year I’m thinking of all of the things in my life - my husband, our kids, our granddaughter, my friendships, therapy, group chats that make me laugh all day, oat milk lattes, noise-canceling headphones, Schitt’s Creek memes, strawberry ice cream- that make my heart happy. That make me infinitely grateful to see every single day.

I can’t promise the angst and ennui won’t return. I’m a GenXer, it’s what we do! But, today as I start my 48th trip around the sun, I’m embracing my life in this moment and celebrating all the good things!

Worn|| On Wednesdays We Wear Pink

::taps on mic:: Is this thing on? I know I’m a GenXer so being a slacker is in my blood, but I didn’t mean to take that long of a break!

Lately, much of my internet surfing has been giving me the same sort of message over and over. It basically says to stop doubting myself. It reminds me that there are people out here living my dream. The one I’ve been too terrified to pursue. It yells at me to believe in my own excellence as much as some people champion their mediocrity.

August is my birthday month. I usually greet it with about as much enthusiasm as one feels for rain on your wedding day(shout out to Alanis!), but this month what if I listened to all of those whispers I’ve been hearing in the universe. What if instead of shrugging them off as flights of fancy, I embraced them. I may not be big on celebrating my birthday but this month, the one in which I’ll begin yet another trek around the sun, I’m gifting myself grace and going all in! I’m going to lean into all of the things I’ve wanted to do and take baby steps into becoming the woman I want to be. I’m going all-in on all of the uniquely wonderful things I bring to the table.

As of late, I’ve been working on countering all of the negative self-talk I bombard myself with daily. My usual response to hearing “there’s only one of you” would be “thank, God.” But, in this vast universe, there IS only one of me and that’s fucking amazing! All of this time I’ve been punishing myself for being imperfect while denying myself the absolute joy that lives in celebrating my humanity! I’m putting you on notice August, I’m coming for you!