This Just In: Mia Needs Some New Electronics and a Moving Van

Well, then. Sorry about the radio silence! A couple of things have happened in quick succession in the last couple of weeks: 1) my laptop broke and I lost the ability to process outfit photos, and 2) I was offered a job and will be shortly moving to Tacoma, WA.

Pictured: Tacoma, or at least a very small piece of it.

Given these turns of fortune, blogging might continue to be a little staticky over the next few weeks. If you bear with me, friends, it’d be much appreciated! I’ll make sure you’re handsomely rewarded with overcast photos of Puget Sound and, of course, of myself. Never let it be said that I’m not willing to give the people what they want.

Outfit Post: 1/13/16

Top: Thrifted (Chaps) — Cardigan: Thrifted (no label) — Skirt: eShakti — OTKs: Sock Dreams (Extraordinary Thigh-Highs in Navy) — Earrings: Gift

I don’t use the “navy” tag on this blog very much, since navy isn’t usually my first choice for neutrals and I don’t have much of it in my closet, but I guess I really should use it in reference to this shirt. I think of it as blue, but isn’t it navy?

Where’s the line for navy, anyway? Is it a question only of shade or also of saturation? I guess I could look it up, but I’d rather ask you.

(Please to ignore the my phone; the sticky note just has a to-do list on it. I make to-do lists on my phone, on my computer, on Habitica, and it still isn’t enough. It’s a wonder I get anything done.)

Anyway, I find myself grateful that this blog doesn’t have a “mustard” tag in addition to “yellow,” or I’d be here all day.

This Just In: Mia’s Best of 2015 Is Semi-Democratic Once More

Last year I cast aside my previous tradition of sharing my  top ten outfits for the year–five chosen by the internet (as judged by views), and five chosen by me–to just choose all ten my own dang self. In 2016, we’re returning to form because I didn’t have enough favorite outfits to fill out the ten on my own! Hooray! First, I offer the internet’s five, in order of popularity:

June 11

March 4

April 8

February 4

March 2

Some observations: 1) 80% of these are from my participation in Gracey’s Literary Stylings challenge, so evidently, either the internet gets a kick out of me dressing like books, or I need to trick Gracey into linking to this blog more often. Possibly both. 2) The internet seems fond of my more subdued color palettes! You mean not everyone digs it when I pair neon yellow, chocolate brown, and fuchsia?? 3) Button-front shirts are a Good Thing and I should do more of them.

Now, for my personal favorites, in chronological order:

March 6

June 9

October 9

December 4

December 14

Some observations: 1) I sure learned to use my teeth in 2015. (You should see the photos I had to cut. So, so toothy.) 2) Those pink floral pants remain extremely important to my way of life; also, the internet and I seem to agree that a certain purple ponte skirt is a surprisingly valuable part of my wardrobe. 3) It would appear that I do my best outfit work early in the month. Go figure.

Well, there we have it. Maybe when 2016’s over I’ll ask readers to vote for their favorites! Or maybe by then we’ll have experienced the technological singularity and this will be a blog run by my laptop about it’s daily outfits. We’ll just have to see, won’t we?

Outfit Post: 1/11/16

Sweater: Thrifted (Tulle) — Pants: J.Crew — Camisole: Gap — Boots: 6pm.com (Diesel) — Earrings: QuellyRue — Necklace: Gift

After six months of wandering astray, I return like the prodigal daughter to Gracey’s Literary Stylings! Momentous!

I had a good handful of books to choose from this time around, and after much (okay, some) deliberation, I went with Nalo Hopkinson’s Midnight Robber. It’s a hard book to summarize, but basically: girl, Tan-Tan, grows up on a Caribbean-colonized planet as the daughter of a mayor; mayor commits a felony and escapes with Tan-Tan to a parallel dimension used as a prison world by the main planet; Tan-Tan grows up among hardened criminals; and things progress from there.

It’s a really excellent novel–possibly one of the best I read in 2015, actually. Hopkinson creates two rich, vivid worlds in Toussaint and New Half-Way Tree, and a complicated young protagonist in Tan-Tan. The book is written in patwah and has a gorgeous rhythm and poetry to it, and many pieces of the story–including the relationship between colonizing humans and colonized alien species–are done with what feels like a great deal of thought and care. I would like to give a strong content warning about the sexual abuse of children; it’s a deeply-entwined part of the story, and I wouldn’t recommend you pick it up if that’s going to affect you adversely.

It’s hard to do the book justice with one outfit, especially when it’s winter and that outfit doesn’t feature any feathered crowns from the Miss Universe pageant, but I did my best. The boots and pants are meant to represent Tan-Tan’s survivalist teenagehood, since I couldn’t really wear a dhoti to work in January; the sweater is at least close to saffron yellow, Tan-Tan’s favorite childhood color; the earrings are a nod to the Afrofuturism of the novel (although I’d like to acknowledge that wax print is not as strong in Caribbean culture as, say, madras); and the wee skull necklace is for the Midnight Robber persona that pops up repeatedly around the book’s Carnival scenes and which Tan-Tan eventually adopts as her own.

Ultimately, Midnight Robber is an intense book that I very much recommend if you feel up to the things I mentioned above; Tan-Tan doesn’t have an easy life, and her suffering is not shied away from. I think there’s a lot of reward if you can forge on through, though. Now go check out Gracey’s Literary Stylings post, and those of the other folks who’ve linked up!

Outfit Post: 1/6/16

Sweater: Thrifted (Prezi) — Skirt: Thrifted (Anne Klein) — Boots: Macy’s — Thigh-highs: Sock Dreams (Extraordinarily Longer Thigh Highs in Spice) — Earrings: Woodland Market 

Sweaters! Things!

I dunno, pals. Maybe I’ll have something tomorrow.

Outfit Post: 1/5/16

Dress: eShakti — Cardigan: Thrifted (Carole Little) — OTKs: Sock Dreams (Harajuku Scrunchy Socks in Pale Mint) — Boots: Macy’s — Earrings: Gift, from Barcelona

I love this dress. I love how yellow it is. I love how it makes me look like a happy circus tent.

It’s not restrictive so I could conceivably escape peril while wearing it, but it also goes nicely with argyle!

Even action clothing has its limits, though, so please enjoy a few examples of why I don’t try to do jumping (or in this case, high-kicking) pictures for the blog anymore.

It’s dignity! Gah! Don’t you even know dignity when you see it?!

Outfit Post: 1/4/16

Guess who overslept on her first day back to work in the new year?! I completely spaced on resetting my alarm after the holidays like a champ. Fortunately, my boss was very understanding, and I’m also glad that I remembered all the appropriate pieces of clothing while rushing to get dressed. Any potentially positive aspects of this outfit just frosting.

Outfit Post: 1/3/16

Shirt: J.Crew — Jacket: Ragstock — Shorts: Thrifted (J.Crew) — Leggings: Gudrun Sjödén — Boots: eBay (Steve Madden Troopas) — Socks: Sock Dreams (Meg Unconstricted Top Crew in Pink) — Earrings: Labor Day Pow-Wow

Welcome back, you! Welcome back, me! Welcome back, everybody!

How’s the year been treating you so far? I’m not a huge resolution-maker, but I have resolved to choose relaxation over anxiety or irritability when I can help it.

(I mean, I frequently can’t help it, but that’s what the medication is for.)

Possibly I should also resolve to stop losing my glasses in the couch, but let’s take things one step at a time here.

This Just In: Holidays Are Nigh, We Must All Submit or Perish

Hello, my darling field of ash gourds! I’m going to take a little time off the blog for my holiday preparations and travels. Until I return, please enjoy this photo of Flat Tire gettin’ snug.

See you flowering herbaceous vines soon.

Outfit Post: 12/16/15

Dress: Thrifted (no label) — Sweatervest: Thrifted (Mix It) — Thigh-highs: Sock Dreams (Extraordinarily Longer Striped Thigh Highs in Plum/Black) — Boots: Macy’s — Ring: Asian Art Museum — Earrings: Gift

Re-confirmed: taking indoor night pictures without a fancy lighting setup = not a great idea. It was worth a try, though! My erstwhile blogging companion and said companion’s spouse have been visiting and it’d be a little rude to ask them to move their guest mattress at 7:40am from my picture-taking region, don’t you think?

Unrelated: Evidently, I repeat myself. And I thought this outfit was so original!