We Discuss: Need, Want, NOPE.

M: Oh damn I LOVE these in the brandy color:

A: Ooh! Those are so pretty

M: Dang

A: I have enough Birkenstocks but I always want more

M: The limit does not exist

A: Lo&Sons is also having a great sale which is killing me

A: Even though I don’t need a thing

M: Don’t need no bag to go nowhere

A: Nope, but 40% off plus 15% off everything (code SUPPORTSMALLBUSINESS)

A: RUDE

M: BLERG

A: I know

A: But for why

A: I have two Hanover backpacks already

M: Yeah not even looking. But shoes! Always shoes

A: Absolutely

M: Also tempted by these Madrids, because I only have that style in the EVA version but like them a lot:

A: Oh, dang, I like those too.

M: Cute, right?

M: To wear NOWHERE I need to save my money for I don’t know what

A: I knooooowwww

M: It sucks

A: But, if there’s a color you really love, consider buying it because they will sell out and never show up again (I have learned.)

A: Sorry, End Enabling

M: Yeah that’s my fear

M: Seems like Anthro has some good stuff

M: But haven’t checked to see if it’s exclusive

A: They aren’t!

M: Good to know

A: I had a pair of Madrid years ago that I stole from my mom and totally loved them

A: But, the Eva version didn’t work for me

M: It’s a great style

M: That I feel like I lack 😂

A: Well, now I want them too so thanks

M: Happy to oblige

++++

A: Please talk me out of these terrible pants:

M: Adrien

M: You are calling them terrible

M: Because they are

A: Thank you

A: I have sale blindness

M: They look like something No Doubt era Gwen Stefani would wear with a wife beater tank

A: Hahahahaha

A: I liked No Doubt-era Gwen Stefani

A: which should surprise no one

M: Sure, but do you want to dress like that NOW

A: Who will even see me?

M: Adrien

A: FINE

M: I’m glad we had this talk

A: You are a good friend

++++

A: This just in: Everlane is garbage

M: I KNEW IT

A: Some of their part time workers tried to create a union in December and they were all fired under the guise of Coronavirus layoffs

M: What absolute trash

A: Fuck these assholes

M: Done forever

A: They are getting raked over the coals on social media

A: NEVER AGAIN

M: Good

M: Like so many people, when they started making real money their ideals flew out the window

A: They are worse than fast fashion b/c they pretend to be all transparent

M: Exactly

A: I’m glad that Madewell is now fulfilling my t-shirt needs

M: Oh, me too!

The KonMari Method: Conversations With My Socks.

Have you heard about the KonMari Method of tidying up your house? It's a big trend lately and I don't remember where I first heard about it, but Grechen, one of my favorite bloggers, has been applying the method so I decided to give it a shot too. For the uninitiated, the book is called:

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo 

The basic idea is to only keep the things that "spark joy." You start with your clothes, then books, papers, miscellany and finally mementos. As I read I realized that Marie Kondo is essentially giving her readers permission to get rid of the things that weigh them down. She encourages you to thank the items you’re getting rid of for the lessons they taught you, even if the lesson is that a particular color or style doesn’t suit you. It doesn't matter if it still has the tags on it, if it doesn't bring you joy you should accept the lesson and let it go.

Once you’ve purged the things that don't spark joy, you’re left surrounded by things you love and appreciate. Because you have less it's easier to find a place for everything and keep a tidy household. It sounded both simple and daunting and some of her suggestions are a little crazy balls (like, she wants you to empty out the contents of your handbag every single evening so it can have a nice rest) but as someone who anthropomorphized her toys as a child, the Shinto philosophy works really well for me. The guilt I felt while getting rid of things with memories and feelings attached was eased by being able to thank the items for their service. Basically, I was talking to my socks.

So far I’ve only tackled my clothing (and made a good start on books and papers) but an industrious morning produced five bags of clothes for donation (and one for the blog shop) and my closet and drawers are AMAZING right now. It's hard to take decent photos of a closet, but here's my before:

And now it looks like this:

I wish the pictures did it justice. There's a ton more room on the racks and the stuff in the storage bins is down by more than half. My dresser drawers were also a mess but I forgot to take "before" photos. The KonMari method advocates folding your clothes a specific way and stacking them vertically, which seemed insane to me until I did it:

I can see all my clothes at one time. No more messy stacks. And look at my happy socks:

I’m not 100% confident that I’ll be able to keep this up but it’s so…restful and Zen that I really hope I can. Just having less clutter in general calms me, so I'm planning on continuing until I've worked through all the categories. Are you doing the KonMari method? What's been your experience?

Marianne: CLOGS.

M: OOPS I HAD SOME COCKTAILS AND BOUGHT SOME RED CLOGS.

A: Girl!

M: WHAT.

it was kind of a mistake

A: How do you accidentally buy RED CLOGS.

M: THIS BIG TOE HAS IT'S OWN LITTEL HOME IN THE CLOGS.

I can't even type!

A: Snort.

M: Oh dear dear dear. I don't think they are what I had in mind at ALL.

A: Sorry, I wasn't snorting the clogs, just the toe comment. They look fine! They are pretty tradish clogs.

M: Yeah, but the listing said the heel is over 3" (which I want) but everything I see about that brand says more like 1.5-2 inches. Which feels a little dowdy to me. I want FASHION CLOGS.

Shutup.

Tell me the truth: I look like a middle school art teacher, don't I? I covet some Swedish Hasbeen clogs, but they are millions of dollars. And I still think I want some clogs, just not so...red.

Regardless, these clogs absolutely reek of smoke, so even though I got them for 1/10 of their retail price, they are going back. I think I'll try to get some navy or tan clogs to replace them.

Someone asked to see an outtake photo, so here is one of Buster trying to get in on the action. Oh, Buster.

denim shirt: Gap (similar here)

corduroy pants: LOFT Modern Slim Cords

socks: Falke

CLOGS: Sandgrens

Adrien: Yes, I'm wearing pants.

I'm wearing my new Gap pants today and I think they're probably too big. I am TERRIBLE at buying pants for some reason. Do they look too big? Why can't I figure this out before I rip the tags off?

 

top: Banana Republic (similar)
cardigan: Talbots Charming Cardigan
pants: Gap Perfect Trouser
shoes: Clark's Indigo Sylvie
bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAM
watch: La Mer

Adrien: Keep or Return?

My friend Nina, Finder of All Things Awesome, sent me an email yesterday to let me know she found a bag for me at TJ Maxx. She bought it "just in case" I wanted it because it looked like me. And it does - luxe black leather, pyramid studs, top handles, just my thing. But here's the thing: It's freaking enormous. I mean, yes, it's a tote, but I'm not used to east-west bags, so it feels gigantic to me.

So I thought, who better to tell me if I should spend $60 on a giant black leather tote than the LGFTB readers?

So, here is the bag with me for scale:

What do you think? Keep or return? Leave a comment and let me know!

bag:  Fenn Wright Manson (similar)
top: Gap (similar)  
pants: Banana Republic (similar)  
cardigan: Theory (similar)  
shoes: Banana Republic (similar)
watch: La Mer
necklace: Banana Republic (similar)

Adrien: How Not to Shop

Did you get the email on Monday? The one from the Gap proclaiming that everything in-store was an extra 40%? One day only? Even sale stuff? Lord above. I couldn't go on my lunch break but I did have a small window after work (and before a spin class.) So, with only 30 minutes to spare, I did what you should never do: I panic shopped.

Don't do this. You know why? Because you will end up with two more striped shirts to add to your collection of striped shirts. I know, seriously, it's embarrassing. (They are cute, though.) The store was a nightmare of other panic shoppers and crying babies left to fend for themselves in their strollers, but I did manage to grab a handful of things to try on, tops being the easiest to manage. I somehow neglected the whole part of the store that was dresses, skirts and pants, though. Here's what I got:

Striped cowlneck T



Striped boatneck T



And I got this bag (but mine is bright-ass red):

I think the bag ended up being around $8 and the tops were each $11, so YEAH. But, I didn't really have time to try on things I actually needed, like work pants that actually fit me. Or tops without stripes on them.

I think I have a problem.

Adrien: Dumb Stuff I Buy.

I look pretty mild-mannered on the outside but inside my former self still lurks: the black leather jacket/Doc Marten wearing art school girl is still around and occasionally she makes me buy things I probably shouldn't.
Listen, I know I'm not Kate Lanphear but that doesn't mean I'm not going to keep trying. I mean, look at her:

Dang. Anyway, I was online searching for just the right David Bowie t-shirt. It had to be cool, appropriately slouchy, and not too garish. (There are a lot of bad Bowie shirts out there, people.) But then, I found this:

And I WANTED. IT. Badly. And I was angry because it was too much money for a t-shirt. And I kept thinking about it. And I still wanted it. Even though it is not really something I need at all.

So, I found it on another site cheaper and also found a 20% off code and I bought the damn thing. It's en route, so we'll see what happens.

Adrien: Anthro Reviews and a Confession.

Okay, I'll get the confession out of the way first. The other day I bought jeggings. SHUT UP. Seriously, stop laughing and hear me out. First of all, I didn't buy denim leggings or some kind of acid-washed Stryper horror, I bought black stretchy leggings that happen to look like jeans. Wow, that's not really much better is it? I kind of need your help here on deciding whether I can pull this off or not. But first, a quick review of a few random bits I tried on at Anthropologie.

I loved the idea of this skirt (not on the website anymore) but I really needed the next size up and they didn't have it. I squooze myself into it just for you:

It's got great details - hooks in the front and lacing in the back, just not my size.

Then I tried on this cute top (also not on the website) and wow, is it ever see-through:

 Would definitely require a cami underneath which sort of defeats the purpose of a floaty light summer top.

And then...and then. I found a pair of AG skinny jean leggings marked down (originally $148) and I tried them on. And didn't hate them:

My idea is to wear them with heels and longer/tunic tops during the warmer months and maybe tuck them into boots and wear with long slouchy sweaters in the winter? Am I delusional? Sale-goggling? Please be straight with me, I can take it.

Yeah, I should probably return them.