Glitzkrieg!

Pageant pictures are crazy:
That said, I was a bit hesitant to get my first round of Mrs. Austin photos done. I had a fear that my first professional pageant photo would have to be decked out with fake eyelashes, impossibly perfect skin, and glass doll eyes:

What not to wear when pregnant (2010 post)

A lot of pregnant style bloggers do a lot of maternity outfit photos, and I am sad that I couldn't get up and out to do more. Since I ended up doing bed rest off and on from 22 weeks on, I didn't wear a lot of things that were not maternity tanks and Chris' athletic shorts.

In full disclosure, as I write this, it's Sunday, September 23rd, and I've used most of the day queuing up the posts for this week, including Monday's giveaway, yesterday's Project Runway post, today's post, and tomorrow's. Today's is simply a link to something I wrote two years ago that I think deserves another look. It's just as applicable today as it was back then:
Read more >>>

26 weeks: pregnancy update

In high school, I once accidentally flicked a guy's crotch area with my finger, and I was astonished when tears sprung to his eyes. I mean, sure, I had seen plenty of episodes of America's Funniest Videos (why is there always a section of grown men being hit in the privates?!), so I was aware that this area could be sensitive, to say the least. However, as a woman, I have never really been able to empathize insomuch as simply sympathize with groin pain. Until recently.

The following conversation took place last Wednesday:

Me: So, for the last week, I've been having pain in my front groin area, but today, oh, man! It's like someone whacked me there with a sledge hammer. I can't even walk up stairs or turn over in bed without wanting to cry.
Midwife: Oh, dear. You have symphysis pubis dysfunction.
Me: I have syphilis what?!
Midwife: No, no. Let me start over! Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. Basically it means the ligaments in your pelvis have weakened and your pubic bones have separated. 

Apparently this is pretty common. An estimated of 25% of pregnant women experience this to differing degrees, so I'm certainly not a medical anomaly here. My case is pretty painful, and there's really nothing I can do about it aside from seeing a chiropractor a couple times a week for adjustments to get temporary pain relief. It goes away almost the instant after birth, and thankfully it will not at all interfere with my plan to have another med-free home birth. I've been ordered not to lift heavy things, swim, do yoga, prolonged walking, and vigorous exercise. I'm supposed to wear a support band around my hips and pretend I'm wearing a mermaid tail in order to keep my knees together and my pelvis held in the correct spot (maybe I can convince Chris to get me one of these...). I'm supposed to rest as much as possible and prepare for it to worsen the further I go along in my pregnancy. I may have to get crutches and even eventually go on some kind of modified bed rest. Ha! Yeah, right. Tell that to my super active 20 month old! 

Anyway, I post all this not to have a pity party or to brag about my super stretchy pelvis, but as a way of explanation of what's going on over here in the Adams household. Chris is amazing, I'm feeling fine today, and the new baby is healthy and growing just fine. I'm 26 weeks along, so almost 2/3's of the way done! Hooray!

Rash decisions [updated]

So yesterday something strange happened. On Wednesday night, we put Jude to bed with what we thought was just a little bit of heat rash on his chest and back. Nothing alarming-- Jude and I had been out and about shopping most of the day and joined our city group for dinner at Aster's, so he did spend more time than usual in his car seat. That little seat can get quite warm, and last summer he got heat rash a few times. No big deal.

Jude enjoys a hamburger Tuesday, before the spots broke out.

When he woke up yesterday, though, he was covered in red spots... but he had no idea. He wasn't itchy, he wasn't sad or unhappy, and he was his usual energetic self. However, as the day progressed his rash spread and got redder and worse, yet he remained blissfully unaware that he looked absolutely horrifying. Bless his heart.

Turns out, Jude was having a non-allergic reaction to the amoxicillin he had been taking for six days for a very minor ear infection, and this is common for about 10% of toddlers who take an antibiotic for the first time.

I made a video to show Chris since he was already at work by the time Jude woke up and I emailed it to Jude's pediatrician who was able to diagnose him via the video and from talking to me on the phone. Dr. Bell and her staff were really great yesterday, by the way. They called three times throughout the day to check on Jude's progress, thus saving me the drive over there.

I went back and forth about posting the video and photos, and I finally decided that this is so strange that perhaps other parents would benefit from seeing what this harmless but terrible looking non-allergic amoxicillin rash looks like, so the video is here if you want to take a gander and here's a photo of his back.

His rash doesn't respond to Benadryl and since he's not itchy, we don't have to coat him in hydrocortisone or calamine lotion. We just have to wait it out... and continue with the amoxicillin.

My only concern is that it may not be cleared up by the time we fly out to Florida for vacation next weekend. I don't know about you, but I would be freaked out if a kid looking like mine were on my flight. I mean, he looks like he's got measles or some other crazy contagious disease or something. If he's still spotty, we may have to get a note from Dr. Bell assuring the airline and our fellow passengers that he's not contagious with anything.

The whole thing is so bizarre to me: a non-allergic reaction that results in a horrific rash. It just seems so counter-intuitive... like maternity Spanx or Crocs that aren't clogs.

UPDATE [6 June 2011- one week later]: Jude's rash has finally disappeared from his chest and back, but his arms, legs, and face and still recovering. We've been cooped up, avoiding the sun. (We've been bird watching in the kitchen, playing basketball, and reading nearly non-stop). Sadly, over the weekend, he got throw-up sick in the middle of the night and he has had no appetite since. Yesterday he had some crazy looking stools (sorry, TMI here: they were white, massive and unbelievably stinky), but alas, apparently these are still very common side affects of amoxicillin reassures our pediatrician. The only food he'll eat is his lactose-free yogurt and this cereal. We're sneaking in doses of children's probiotic and a lactose-free nutritional supplement to establish some healthy bacteria in that little stomach of his, but we're laying low, hoping Jude will be back to 100% before our Florida vacation. What a rough week!  Thanks for your kind words, advice, and sweet prayers.

Poor kid. Overdosed on books. 

Central Texas Fires

Over the weekend several areas surrounding Austin were (and continue to be) engulfed in wildfires. We live 30 minutes straight west of Bastrop where so far 25,000 acres have burned, more than 500 homes have been lost, and thousands of families have been evacuated with no way to know if their house is still standing or has been destroyed. As of this morning, this fire continues to burn with little to no containment. I can see the smoke plumes from my upstairs window and we live in the helicopter flight path, so we keep hearing news helicopters en route to see the scene.

[photo by Deanna Roy]

We're okay. We live within the Austin city limits and we spent yesterday packing a bag we can grab in a hurry, making a quick inventory of our belongings, and gathering tools in case a new fire breaks out and we are asked to evacuate. We live next to several acres of woods which is home to a large homeless population and our street is flanked by a field of dry brush. Though the weekend's wind has relented, the low humidity and lack of rain has not. The Austin area continues to be on high alert.

With that said, it seems a little silly to spend the day taking my outfit photos and writing about what I'm wearing. I hope you understand. I've filled out my Red Cross volunteer application and plan to see how I can best lend a hand.

If you'd like to help out, please see KXAN to see how you can give goods, money, or services. I have been told that money, time, and food are really the best way to help immediately.

If you know a displaced family who needs help, let them know my family has a guest room and extra bathroom available and I can watch small pets or kids while parents take care of business.

Stay safe, Austin. I love you.

Crash

It's my fault for not having my camera in the case, but Sunday afternoon, Jude grabbed my camera by the strap from the entry table and CRASH! My lens busted. The camera appears to be in okay shape but I cannot get the cracked lens off the body.

Please accept this kitten as a humble apology for the lack of posts yesterday and today.

[photo c/o PlaceKitten.com]

Hopefully I can scrounge up some Austin Fashion Week coverage and have that up later this week. I hope to have the camera situation figured out late this evening.

In the meantime, would anyone like to do a guest post on the greatest thing you've ever found at a thrift store? If so, get in touch by filling out this form.

Seven bags!

Warning: I don't get all super serious on here often, but I'm about to wander into that territory tonight. Eeek.

I mentioned back in April that I had been trying to re-do my closet since January. I got 90% of the reorganizing done, and then one day last week, I looked in my closet and it was a complete disaster again. I've come to realize that it's not about the space that I have, it's about the stuff I accumulate. My closet took over my guest room, so on Monday I finally bagged up some stuff and immediately loaded it into my car and drove it away to donate:

It wound up being seven bags of clothes and shoes from the guest room alone. I imagine that when I go through my closet again, I'll have another couple of bags of clothes to give away.

I've been wanting to write about this since my (failed) 30x30 run last spring. I read What I Wore's new book over the weekend (review to come later!), and it really got me thinking about putting together a smaller, more thoughtful wardrobe.

I mean, what kind of person have I become? How can I complain about only being able to use thirty items of clothing for thirty days? Seriously? It wasn't that long ago when I was a child in a blue collar family who would have been amazed to have thirty pieces of clothing, total! How in the world did I come to own so much clothing that I could fill seven trash bags full of clothing that I don't really wear anymore?

I have a lot more I want to say about all this, but I need the weekend to really think about what I'm trying to say here.

Goodbye, Cynthia Vincent Wedges (again)

You may remember that my little monster dog ate my first pair of Cynthia Vincent for Target wedges. Recently, a diligent and kind reader sent me a link to an eBay replacement pair that I promptly snatched up. The next day? The button popped off. Sadly, the damage is on both left shoes.

For as much money, time, and heartache as I've invested in the Cynthia Vincent for Target gladiator wedges, I could have bought a real leather, real deal 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent pair. I am convinced that I am at the age when I need to weigh the cost of a "good deal" versus buying a quality item that will last. Of course, in my ideal world, I'd find good deals on quality items. With all that said, it is with a tinge of regret that I announce that I've given up on finding another (a third) pair of Cynthia Vincent for Target wedges. I'm ready to start considering a pricier pair that would be worth the investment.Goodbye, sweet shoes. You will be missed:

I'm ready for a new summer shoe MVP.

Mum's the word at Modcloth

Before we begin, I want to say that I really like ModCloth. My blog will attest to that fact. For my last two big events, I've purchased ModCloth dresses, even as recently as last weekend! You should also know that I have also received some courtesy items from ModCloth. For years, I have been and still am, for all intents and purposes, a ModCloth fangirl:

I Spy prize | Delightful Dozen dress | last weekend | D12 tunic | Fashion Week

What the crap, GAP?

Yo, GAP. This is messed up:

This GAP FEED bags cost $39.99, but five whole dollars of it is given to "help improve school food and nutrition education in America". Don't get me wrong-- that part is cool. What's uncool is the fact that the outside of the bag and the hang tag is stamped with MADE IN THE USA, but the inside tag says the truth: "MADE IN CHINA".

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

And to quote the Consumerist:

"So while $5 of the price of each 'Feed' bag (ranging from $19.50 to $39.50) will go toward feeding children in the U.S., none of it went to an American adult for actually manufacturing the bags."

Word.

[SOURCE]

Update: Apparently not all the GAP FEED bags are made in China. The one Jessica over at What I Wore is giving away is all American- made!

[photo c/o WiW]

Update 2 [17 Dec]: Lacey tweeted me that Yahoo picked up this story today. GAP has responded:

"... some of the bags in the "FEED USA" collection are made in America. However, the FEED USA Denim Bucket bags are made in China, and should not have been connected to the made in the USA signs. We apologize for any inaccurate messaging."

[SOURCE]

Whew. Yesterday was a weird day here! Now back to our regular, lighthearted Adored Austin postings!

Squeezing myself into a tight situation

What was I thinking?

I forgot to mention that at the Bleet-Up on Friday, I may have been acting super awkward because my tights were riding down my booty the entire night underneath my long dress. Thank goodness I wore a long dress!

I usually stick to tights from American Apparel and We Love Colors because after many trials and errors, I am certain that those brands fit.

F21 model vs. me

One size fits all... except formally pregnant ladies still working off 20 of the 40 pounds she gained!

Joanna and I were discussing this. Don't you think that tights should never come in one size fits all? I mean, they cover half your body, so they need to FIT! Plus, ill fitting tights are utterly useless. Regarding these specifically, Forever 21 has the worst exchange policy, and it's not like I can gift these to a friend. Who gives friends used tights? Oh, well. Thank goodness they were only $6.80 and I got at least one wear out of them!

Comment of the Day: ..."My husbands bestfriend has recently told me and his wife that Forever21 we have grown out of and we need to find a forever41"... -Lah Tea Dah

TOMS vs. BOBS: There IS a difference.

When I hit up Barton Creek Mall with Heidi today, we stopped in the Skechers store to check out some brogues, but this caught my attention:
These "BOBS by Skechers" looks identical to my beloved TOMS:The sales girl at Skechers insisted that BOBS were the same exact shoe as TOMS. In her own words, "The BOBS are made in the same place out of the same materials. We just couldn't use the name TOMS because these are the Skechers brand." To further convolute the TOMS vs. BOBS issue, there was a little note on the BOBS sign that said, "Designed in Manhattan Beach, CA". TOMS headquarters are thirty minutes away in Santa Monica.

All this seems a little, well... sketchy to me. As someone who has several pairs of TOMS, I can assure you that BOBS are not the same quality. The uppers are more flimsy, the soles are thinner, and the insoles are have less cushion. After a little online digging, it seems that Skechers makes a donation to Soles4Souls, a non-profit that gives shoes to needy children. It's not exactly like the One for One business model/ movement that TOMS uses. It's a lot less concrete.

I have nothing but praise for TOMS and its founder Blake McCoskie and senior account exec (and Austin local) Brad Otts. As I've mentioned on here before, I had the opportunity to hear Blake speak years ago when TOMS was brand new. He built his company with a true passion and heart to help the needy. He personally built the brand from scratch. He goes on the shoe drops himself, and every TOMS employee who has been with the company for two years or longer can go on the shoe drops with travel expenses paid, as well. Does the Skechers CEO do the same? Do employees of Skechers personally put BOBS on the feet of needy children?

Fashion design infringement is nothing new. Just ask serial copycats Forever 21 and Steve Madden. In this "do good/ feel good" economy, I can see how a team of folks over at Skechers thought that BOBS were a good idea. Blake himself even said that he hoped other businesses would follow the one-for-one model. No matter if you buy TOMS or BOBS, needy children benefit. But for me? I'm sticking with TOMS. There's only a $2 price difference between BOBS and the Classic TOMS. To me, BOBS and Skechers take unoriginality to a whole new level. Their marketing concept is a blatant ripoff of Blake's hard work and dedication and success of TOMS. Make no mistake about it: Skechers did this on purpose to confuse consumers and painted this one shoe in their vast company as a "charity shoe" whereas the entire TOMS company was built on a one-for-one model, which at the time of its creation was brand new.

[further reading at fastcompany.com: "How Skechers Shot Themselves in the Foot"]

Comment of the Day: "I've been working for Skechers for going on 4 years now, and even I have to admit that when these shoes came in I shook my head and laughed. For whatever the reason, the company thrives off imitations. Although I don't have a pair of TOMS, i've always wanted a pair and agree, I would go for the real thing over the BOBS. In fact one of the girls I work with just purchased her sister some TOMS the other day over the BOBS.

Skechers has since upped their "do good" and now claims they donate 2 pairs for every single pair of BOBS bought. Every time they release a new shoe concept I cringe and wonder who they copied the idea from." -Brittany

Update: According to my research, Skechers has been making donations to Soles4Souls before BOBS came on the market. Please understand that Soles4Souls is a wonderful non-profit organization and it's a partnership that makes a lot of sense. Souls4Soles takes shoe donations from companies like Skechers and collects shoes at shoe drives. You can sponsor a pair of shoes for just $1, which is awesome. And if you're Skechers, you can make a tax-deductible donation, piggyback off the success of TOMS, make a shoe that looks just like TOMS, come up with a similar one-syllable man's name, and claim that you're just like TOMS (but better!), too!

[note: though TOMS is an affiliate of this blog, no compensation was given for this or any other TOMS related posts]

Absurd things that Halloween tries to pass off as sexy:

Sesame Street Characters.

Actual quote from costume description: "She did it all for the cookie!"

I watched Sesame Street daily from ages three to five and not once since then did I think that either Elmo, Cookie Monster, or Big Bird were saucy. And is it just me, or does it look like these women MURDERED our beloved Sesame Street characters and are wearing their faces and pelts like proud hunters? NOT SEXY.

Speaking of murderers, you know what else is not sexy? Horror movie men:

Actual quote from costume description: "Slay them with your outfit and slash the competition!"

Behold the sexy lady versions of Leatherface (from Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th), and Mike Myers (Halloween). I just want to know why the Leatherface costume doesn't come with... you know... a leather face.

Too much sexy? Probably!

Other random things that Halloween deems sexy: crayons, candy, Sponge Bob, and Finding Nemo.

The "Naughty Nem-oh" costume description is just too hilarious to not post in its entirety:
"They claim that there are plenty of fish in the sea but none as sexy as this. You will be the catch of a lifetime dressed in the Women's Naughty Nem-Oh Sexy Fish Costume."

Oh. My. Word! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and I'm sad that I won't be able to partake this year. I'm not one to try to use it as an excuse to dress sexy or slutty, though. Honestly, I really appreciate a costume that is pieced together thoughtfully from thrift stores and isn't just a cheap polyester thing from the Spirit Halloween store (proof). However, I have to admit that the Skittles dress and the "Naughty Nem-oh" costume CRACK ME UP! I'm not above procuring them for the irony factor for next year.

[photos from Spirit Halloween]

Comment of the Day: A good friend of mine moved to the States from Korea when he was young. On his first Halloween, his mother made him his costume - he wanted to be a crayon. She made the body out of a sheet, and even made him a pointed hat to wear. The only problem? She made him a white crayon.

On the day of his school's Halloween costume parade, he showed up draped in a white sheet with a white pointy hat. His family didn't know about the KKK, and it took a bit of explaining. -Katie

What not to wear: the pregnancy edition

Hi! Sorry for my absence. I've missed you! I thought I was just tired and recovering from Austin Fashion Week last week, but it turns out my thyroid levels dipped a little low (I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis). No worries, though! I went to the doctor this morning and got a little adjustment in my medicines, and I should be back to 100% tomorrow!

After my doctor's appointment, I went to Walmart to get my oil changed. I had an hour to kill, so I thought I'd show you some things that I've found do not work for a pregnant body. Laugh and enjoy!

Don't tell me to just move up a size.
A- Rompers don't come in "maternity", and
B- This is a size large.


Classy, Adams. Real classy. Makes you wonder, "Is that how she got pregnant in the first place?"


I know that maternity pants (and pants in general) are hard to keep up and around a gestating womb, but nothing makes a pregnant body suddenly look like an old man's beer gut body like suspenders.


Non-maternity button up shirts may seem harmless at first...

but then one of your co-workers loses an eye due to a projectile button off your shirt.


You thought the combo of maternity pants and suspenders was bad? Obviously you have never seen the combo of maternity pants with a body suit. Um, just because you can squeeze into it doesn't mean you should wear it. Yikes!

Just for your peace of mind, please know that I do not usually sport outfits such as those above. No, sirree. Lately I've been in the tried and true combo of empire waist cotton dresses and sandals. Boring, yes, but at least I don't look like a nut case (or a cased sausage!):

date: 26 August 2010
occasion: running errands
dress: Liz Lange Maternity (Target)
sandals: Target, like five years ago

Is there anything else that pregnant women shouldn't attempt to wear?

Oh, how my garden grows!

Grechen had an interesting blog post yesterday about whether or not fashion bloggers post their photos every day regardless of what they're wearing versus only taking photographs when they look particularly good. I left a comment saying that I don't take my photo every day. I skip days that I do back to back repeats (which happens far more often than I care to admit) and I skip the days that I never change out of my pj's or workout clothes. I still try to take my photo when I think my outfit is nothing special or incredibly casual, though. I don't, however, make it a priority to post those "boring" outfits, always. Anyway, today is a perfect example of something I wasn't 100% set on posting. Since I'm on my way to help out Robie set up for tomorrow's Etsy/ ReadyMade craft party, I'm dressed for comfort and a good 'ole work night. Oh! AND I totally wore this on Tuesday, too:

Cased sausage! It is clear that I'm going to have to move up from a size XS American Apparel deep-V! I've been in growing body denial.


Look at that belly! Eighteen weeks to go!


I made this scarf out of an old t-shirt! Holla!

date: 17 June 2010 (and the 15th, too!)
occasion: hanging out with Robie
shirt: American Apparel Outlet (love that we have an outlet nearby-ish!)
cardigan: courtesy of American Apparel
shorts: Liz Lange Maternity- Target
ballet flats: courtesy of a Lulu's giftcard
scarf: DIY (instructions by The Wondercraft. Started off like this, evolved to this).

I don't know if you've noticed, but my garden is doing extremely well so far this summer! Jimi and Sandy (Heidi's dog) had a fun little romp around the backyard the other day. The video is silly, but you can get a good look at most of our planting beds. Plus, I love that my weird, little, home schooled dog is finally starting to make friends! I also love how green the garden looks-- quite a change from last summer!

[music sampled: "Sexx Laws" by Beck]

This is also the first summer that I've seen a hummingbird up close and personal. Right as we were taking today's photos, a beautiful hummingbird hovered around the echinacea behind me. I tried to snap a couple photos, but the little guy was too fast!

I could have reached out and touched him, he was that close! It was one of those moments in life that felt truly wondrous, and I hope I have lots more of these kind of moments in our garden!

Victoria's Secret: loading down mail carriers week after week

Dear mass mailer panty pushers,
Did you know that there have been less than seven weeks this calendar year? That being true, can you please explain to me why I have received no fewer than ten Victoria's Secret catalogs this year? I threw the first few away, but then I decided to keep track of how many I received for exactly one month.

Six. SIX! The secret it out, Victoria. It is clear that you hate trees and love mass mailings. I haven't even bought anything since my Great Boot Disappointments of 2009 (which I subsequently and promptly returned). I've already requested to stop receiving your insane amount of catalogs once, but yet they still come at the rate of 1.5 every week. I'm sure this may delight my love starved mailman, but I, for one, am getting quite perturbed.

Most sincerely,
Indiana Adams

Comment of the Day: My hubs hates VS for this very reason! Apparently, mass mailings are all it takes for my husband to no longer be interested in lingerie... he won't even look at the catalogs because he's so annoyed. -Catherine

Get your block on!

Back in August I was the lucky recipient of some freaky strange Flickr messages. Erin from Work with What You've Got even warned me that come fall/ winter the guys with tights fetishes will come out in droves. Ick-o. She, unfortunately, was right. So today, as a public service announcement, I'd like to show y'all how to block these dudes. Fair warning: some of these dudes are tricky. They often pretend to be other girls.

Here's the common scenario: you log into Flickr and see that you have a new contact! Yay! You don't know who they are (they may or may not have an avatar), so you don't mark them as friend or family, certain that it's just another harmless admirer or reader of your blog. They may have even added some of your photos as favorites. Awesome! Feels good on the ego, no?

Do yourself a huge favor. Click on their profile.

What are their other favorites? What are their groups? Who are their other contacts?
Here are some tell-tale signs that a freak flag may be flying:
1- Are most of their favorites girls in tights, women's feet, girls in bikinis, or marked as "adult"?
2- Do they belong to groups like "Females in Socks", "Pretty Petite Bare Feet", or "Nearly Nude Promo Babes"?
3- Are some of their contacts named strange things? Note: questionable names include anything ending in 69 and anything containing "feetlover".

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you may be Flickr contacts with someone who does not use your photos for good. And since these types of people often connect with one another to share photos, it's best to block them. From their profile page, simply click "block this person" (it's on the right). You should see this next:

Confirm this and your photos will even be removed from their favorites lists.

Yuck. I hate that I even had to deal with this, but as I was looking around on some of these dudes' profiles this morning, I saw several familiar faces from Wardrobe_Remix. Time to get your block on, ladies!

Comment of the Day: girrrrl, thank you for this reminder! I just went through and blocked what felt like 5 bajillion pervy-types. I went through both those who had added me as a contact AND those who had favorited any of my photos and were creepy. the latter took forever, but at least they won't have that pic of me readily available for who knows what anymore! -Chelsea

I'm blue da da de da da dah...

You have got to be kidding me. Look what I got today:

Yes, this is another ticket, totally different than this one from last month that cost me $135. For you see, this one is for being a on cell phone in a school zone, and this one will be $275. The defensive driving course is not an option since today's citation was was issued less than 90 days from my previous (alleged) infraction.

Some people will say this serves me right for making fun of Nike shorts. Others will be like, "What the what? Driving while talking on your phone in a school zone is against the law?!" Yeah, that's what I said to the police man, but I got no sympathy (and really, who could blame him?). He still gave me a ticket. I cried afterward, but I probably should have cried before.

Hubs is going to be very, very disappointed, and this will, for sure, raise our insurance. That's a lot of the reason why I feel so bad: it stinks that he's stuck with a higher insurance bill because of the dumb things I do. Ah, one of the few pitfalls of marriage! This will also kill my shopping budget for the next two months. I'm going to have to get creative with recycling the clothes I already own. Or I'm going to have to get a part-time job to cover all this ticket madness! Is substitute teaching hard? Is working as a temp receptionist fun?

In other news, after debating a color since July, I finally finished painting one of the guest rooms today. This room will soon become Hubs' music room/ office and I hope that all my hard work will convince Hubs to not make me feel even worse than I already do about getting two tickets in less than six weeks time!

This color was color matched from Pratt and Lambert's Academy Blue. I saw it in this post on Apartment Therapy and was in love. Truly, it's lovely, and it's almost as blue as I'm feeling right now! Not that any of this is undeserved, though!

Comment of the Day: Just think, a kid's crossing the road and you're on the phone and don't see him. I'm surprised the fine isn't higher. Good luck! -Taylor B.

So, true, Taylor. So, so true. Admittedly, I absolutely could not handle a ticket any higher than this, so I'm quite glad the fee is as low as it is! Lesson learned. Painfully, painfully learned! -Indi

No Nike shorts! No Nike shorts!

People, we have a serious fashion emergency on our hands. As many of you are well aware, our fellow females are falling victim to the Great Style Annihilator: The Nike Tempo Shorts.

These shorts first appeared harmless. Their natural habitats are environments where athletics and cardiovascular activities are abound. We initially only saw them in or around gymnasiums, work out facilities, or clad around women who were running or biking.

This, however, is no longer the case. These Nike shorts have invaded nearly every crevasse of day-to-day society and have become extremely invasive and hostile in their take-over. They are now seen at the theater, in class, and even in nice restaurants where servers come to your table. We had hoped that they would not be able to survive the winter weather as they were biologically structured for temperatures in excess of 70º Fahrenheit, however, they have formed a symbiotic relationship with two other fashion anomalies known as The Ugg boot and the black, cotton, leggings to ensure their survival and proliferation.

Various blogs and Facebook groups have joined forces to fight off the Nike shorts invasion. I, myself- Mrs. Indiana E. Adams, have turned this very post into a petition for women everywhere to declare that we will stave off the mass popularity of these shorts outside of gyms. I hope these shorts become a thing of the past: much like the Umbro fad of 1993. Diaper butt and built-in underpants, we abolish you!

By leaving a comment on this post, you agree to the following:

We, the undersigned, agree that wearing Nike shorts in situations that do not involve working out or athletics is a fashion tyranny that must be stopped. We shall not wear Nike shorts with Uggs. We shall not wear Nike shorts with leggings and flip flops. We shall not wear Nike shorts to nice restaurants, and we shall encourage our female friends to do likewise. We endeavor to stop the insanity and to spread our credo of "Just DON'T do it".

speed post!

Oh, man. Our outfit posts may have to come later tonight or tomorrow. I totally forgot I have this to take care of today:

I have traffic court today for (allegedly) speeding. I need to find my most responsible looking blouse and get my butt down to the bank to get my ticket notarized and then head on over to the fashion void that is traffic court. Wish me luck!

P.S.
It was 55 in a 45... allegedly. :0)