Daily Outfit: Under Ice There's a World Moving Slow

This is the "snow" we got.  Thank goodness it wasn't more than this. I love me a delayed opening or an impromptu day off due to snow... but I've had just about enough of canceled meetings and being stuck in the house staring at the icy death trap of a parking lot outside my window.  About fifteen minutes after these were taken all of the "snow" was completely gone by the way.

I saw Alyssa wearing a similar Tucker for Target dress to this one in her post on Wednesday and I got really excited to try my white button down under this dress.  And these tights.  You either think they are amazing or weird.  I personally am in love with them.  I can't stop touching them! Which is totally weird in public, I assure you.











What:
Dress: Tucker for Target
Blouse: Target
Tights: Cynthia Rowley, via Gilt.com
Shoes: DKNYC

When:
January 26, 2010

FBFF: The Mechanics of Blogging

1. What technology do you use in blogging? (computer, camera, video camera, tripod, etc...)
Camera(s): NikonD50 & NikonD80
Lens: Nikkor18-105mm
Tripod(s): Quantaray
Remote: Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote
Computer: 15" MacBook Pro
Video Camera: Kodak Zi8 HD

Let's see.  My camera(s).  When I first started blogging I was using a NikonD50, now I use a NikonD80.  My lens is a Nikkor18-105mm.  I use the remote control setting with a three second time delay with my little remote.  I use two different tripods.  One that I use around the apartment complex and one that I use any time I am out somewhere else (that one stays in the car at all times).  Both tripods are Quantaray, though they are two different models.  And then of course I use my Macbook Pro to do all the writing and editing and what not.  I do have a Kodak Zi8 HD video camera, but I've only used it for blogging once so far.

2. What computer and online technology do you use? (blogging system, photo storage, photo editing tools, etc..)
Photo Editing: Photoshop CS3
Photo Storage: Nothing fancy, just my external drive
Photo Hosting: Flickr
Blogging System: Blogger

Well I use Photoshop CS3 to edit all of my pictures and I store them on an external hard drive for the most part.  I'm pretty bad about moving them to my hard drive actually and my computer does not thank me for that.  There's a lot of my face taking up space on my computer at this point in time.  I upload all my photos for the blog to flickr and my blogging platform in blogger, though I have it under my own domain now. (Yay!)

3. What is your process for taking pictures?
Ah yes... the comedy of errors.  That's what it is! I don't take them at the same time of day each time.  It's usually either when I have a few minutes to spare during the work day, or when I just whenever it's convenient/when I finally tell myself I can't wait any longer or the light will be gone and I'll be kicking myself again for not taking pictures!

Once I'm out the door I scout out a place to take them (see next question for more about this process). Then I set up framing of a shot, turn off the flash, and turn on the remote setting.  Then I run out the spot I'm picked and strike a pose.  Or run around in the frame acting a fool while randomly clicking my remote.  I usually set up anywhere from three to six different frames on a normal day.  Sometimes more, sometimes less.  There's usually a few flailing shots or me falling down or something peppered throughout as well.  It's always a little ridiculous. And I usually end up with anywhere from 20 to 100 pictures during a shoot.

4. When it comes to backdrops for your photos what do you consider? Do you scout locations or shoot the same spot daily?
I scout locations whenever possible.  Picking a location can depend on many things.  The outfit itself sometimes dictated where.  If I'm wearing stilettos then grass is a no go.  I do like to try to choose somewhere that fits the feel of the outfit.  Other times if it's too hot or too cold it's just where ever is convenient and good enough, if I'm being honest.  I don't venture far from the warmth of my apartment on cold days.  It's also dependent on weather and how much time I have for taking pictures.  I feel like everywhere I go I see photo back drops.


5. If you could splurge and get one new piece of equipment what would you be buying?
You what what I really want is a really large computer monitor that I can hook my laptop to for better editing.  I am good on camera equipment and all of that, so really that's what I would want.  I big honkin' monitor.

Head over to ModlyChic to find the full list of participants and check out what they had to say on this week's topic!

Daily Outfit: Just a Little Bit of Snake Oil, Tin Foil

Ok first of all, I really hope you guys find it charming that I suck at spelling. I'm telling you, without spell check I would be screwed in life. I misspell so many things constantly. The same words over and over even. I never even made it past my elementary school classroom spelling bee. My lovely mother, who's a school teacher and teaches kids to spell and read and read non-digital clocks, just shakes her head at me.

Anyways another charming thing we have established about me is my knack for falling on my face. Yeah I did that again. This time in platforms on rocks. I have to say contrary to my earlier statements on the subject this is a fall I was very pleased no one saw.  It hurt like a bitch and I scraped my hand and foot and my glittery shoes. Good news for those of you wondering, the glitter has some staying power.  The rock took off skin on my foot, but only mildly dulled the glitter. The rocks may have stolen my skin, but they didn't come away with a spec of glitter. And now that I'd disgusted and disturbed you... Happy Thursday!






What:
Blouse: LOFT
Long Sleeve Shirt: Holister (from High School!)
Blazer: LOFT
Jeggings: Jessica Simpson
Shoes: DIYed by me (Tutorial Here)

When:
January 24, 2010

Seven Things About Me (Old Photos Edition)

One

This is my favorite picture from Elementary School. The four of us met in 2nd grade and were pretty much inseparable until we went off to separate Middle Schools. This was taken in third grade on a field trip we took. I'm still in touch with two of the three to this day and in fact went to college with one of them!

Two

When I was in High School my friends and I would come up with random themes for the day and we would dress accordingly. No not spirit week, though I always was really into that too, but just themes for our group of friends. Some themes were Goth Day, Tie Day, and the one in the picture... Panda Day. Yeah I know... we were strange!

Three

I loved my American Girl Dolls. I especially loved Samantha. For one of my birthdays my mom took my friends and me (and our dolls) to a tea party at this doll cottage on the mountain. It was AWESOME. And yes... i did own and wear the replica of Samantha's dress... often... in fact for picture day once. If my mom hadn't taught at my elementary school I'm pretty sure I would have been teased ruthlessly.

Four

When I was in 1st grade, I believe. I INSISTED on having a chili bowl hair cut. I loved it. My mother and grandmother, on the other hand, hated it. I don't know why I was so insistent on this haircut, but it lasted awhile. And this picture is kind of a two-for-one... because it also displays my love of Ninja Turtles. I was pretty much obsessed with them as a child.

Five

My first concert was the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Foo Fighters. I was in middle school and my friends and I came up with a scheme and managed to trick the floor security and get into the standing room only area that we didn't have tickets for. We were so excited... until my dad came after us like 10 seconds after we got on the floor. He made us go back to our seats in the nose bleeds and wouldn't leave our sides from that point on.

Six

In Middle School my friends Rachel and Ashley and I "started a band" called Hair Die. We took album cover pictures which consisted of us wearing lots of black, spraying our hair with that temporary colored hair spray, and wearing a lot of "tough" looking jewelry. We only sang Kittie songs and really the only one of us that could actually sing was Ashley.

Seven

When I was a Senior in High School I got nominated for Winter Court (It's like homecoming court except not as exciting). When they announced my name on the announcements the first thing out of my mouth was "Who the hell thought that was a good idea?!" And then when we had to pick one of the guys to escort us I pretty much demanded that my friend Matt walk with me so I didn't get stuck with one of the other guys that I couldn't stand.

Thanks Lisa and Ashley for tagging me to do this!

Daily Outfit: Breton Stripes and Blue Skies

So I am joining my fellow bloggers today in wearing Breton stripes.  I think this isn't exactly your typical Breton striped shirts, but my version of a Breton stripe shirt!  So you can check out how everyone else styled their Breton stripes over at Everybody, Everywear.

I actually wore this outfit Sunday as well.  I love what this skirt does for my body.  It such a flattering skirt and looks good with pretty much anything as a top.  It does unfortunately wrinkle easily, as you can see.  I've been scouting out new locations for photos over the last week, and this is one of the ones I found.  I love finding new photo locations near water!  I'm such a Pisces.. always draw to water.  I had some visitors while I was taking photos as you can see.  At one point I started cracking up becuase there were a whole much of them and they were quacking like crazy and it sounded like they were laughing.  It was my own personal duckie peanut gallery!

What:

Shirt: Talbots

Skirt: H&M

Tights: Target

Shoes: Nine West

Belt: Thrifted

When:

January 23, 2010 & January 25, 2010

The Proud Owner of My Own Domain!

I am now officially the proud owner of www.pixieinpumps.com!  I'm very excited.  I believe that the blogspot URL will continue to redirect to the new URL, so no need to change any of your links. I probably should have made this leap BEFORE ordering business cards, but what can I say... I am not very logical.  Since the old URL still works, there's really no harm in it, but the next round of cards will have this shiny new URL on them!

After tweaks on various sites everything seems to be running smoothly and updating correctly. Let me know if you have any problems so that I can get on correcting them as soon as possible.

You can still find me on:
Bloglovin'

Facebook

Twitter

The Many Hairstyles of Jenni Retrospective

So I've been promising you guys a look at the evolution of my hair for awhile now.  I finally got around to putting it together!  I have had some really crazy hairstyles over the last decade and looking back I have to laugh at my choices of styling (See: Feb 04).  The most insane one was clearly June 05... my asymmetrical faux-hawk... man I miss the days of crazy hairstyles and piercings.  I also thought this was an interesting retrospective of my use of make up... it definitely made me want to start experimenting with make up again. Enjoy!



I think if I had been photographing daily you'd get a better picture of how many different hairstyles I had (good and bad), but since I only really took pictures when I liked how I'd styled my hair you kind of only get a biased picture.  It's still fun though!  So what do you think?

Daily Outfit: It Was Taken By the Wind and Snow

No snow, but definitely COLD and windy.  Like I said so over this weather.  I literally walked two feet out of my apartment took these pictures and then ran back inside.  And continued to shiver for like five minutes.  It was craptastic.  But I did make the best of yesterday.  Got a lot done at work and then ran over to the County Clerk's Office during lunch and renewed my driver's license and got my voter's registration changed to the county I actually live in.  So I'd say I was pretty productive.

I'm glad to finally have a driver's license that doesn't say I'm under twenty-one and doesn't have a very terrible picture of me at eighteen on it.  And I had to show my passport, which has another terrible picture of me on it.  One in which I look like a little boy.  Which reminds me, I really need to get on that whole seven things meme with old pictures and the Many Hairstyles of Jenni Retrospective.  It's coming folks, I promise!











What:
Dress: Olsenboyle, via The Clothes Horse Giveaway
Sweater: Lilly Pulitzer
Belt: Thrifted, via Goodwill
Tights: We Love Colors
Shoes: Apt 9

When:
January 21, 2010

PS:  Look how beautiful my brand spankin' new business cards from Moo are!  I am in love with them and I can't wait to give them out!

Daily Outfit: Sweet Like a Kiss, Sharp Like a Razor Blade

So it's supposed to sleet and snow tonight (Can we just be done with this business Mother Nature... Please, I'm begging you!), and so I thought it would be a good idea to go to the store.  I came out with milk, garlic bread, cherry turnovers, and beer.  Yeah... I'm amazing like that.

Yesterday was an incredibly busy day.  I was going going going from the time I got up.  Three meetings in two counties and an event.  And then I went home watched on of he funniest episodes of the Big Bang theory and ate my garlic bread and drank my beer.  Looking forward to the weekend!











What:
Dress (as Top): H&M
Skirt: H&M
Tights: Target
Shoes: Vintage, via Nostalgia
Sweater: LOFT
Necklace: Vintage, Eagle's Wings Antiques

When:
January 20, 2010

Daily Outfit: You're a Vessel Now Floating Down the Waterways

I'm more in love with this top than I even was when my best friend Ashley found it in a second hand store in Georgetown.  And it photographs so beautifully.  In.love.  And as it warms up it will be even more a staple in the wardrobe.  Speaking of... I cannot wait for warm weather.  I am so over the snow, the rain, and the freaking cold.  Ah.  Spring please arrive!

Oh and the Golden Globes... my favorite moment was definitely when Lee Unkrich said "Were you even BORN when the first Toy Story movie game out?" to Justin Bieber and Hailee Steinfeld (who is this chick?).  I googled that shit for giggles, and the answer is yes, by one year, and no.  I got a good chuckled out of that.  Oh and as far as fashion.  I thought January Jones knocked it out of the park and Amber Riley (of Glee) was my close second.  I was very amused by Ricky Gervais and thoroughly enjoyed the show! Your thoughts?













And then my dad decided that he wanted to be in the pictures because he is a giant five year old. So stylish in his full on Titans glory... which by the way my mom was ALSO wearing a bunch of Titans stuff too.  Then he decided that it should look like it is snowing in my pictures... hence that last picture.  Like I said... GIANT FIVE YEAR OLD.  My mom and I were laughing so hard at this.  He just kept doing it too... he's a silly man.





What:
Shirt: Vintage, Second Time Around
Undershirt: LOFT
Jeggings: Jessica Simpson
Boots: Gianni Bini

When:
January 17, 2010

Daily Outfit: Find Your Way to Places That Only Know Lies, Failed Tries and Bruised Skies

I drove around a bit this day trying to find a good place to take pictures.  I went down roads I had never been down and while I saw a lot of cool places, most of them either had nowhere for me to park to access them or were on private property.  It was like of like holy gated communities!  I did find one cool place I will venture back to in the future, but this particular time there was a woman walking her dog there and I didn't feel like answering questions, so I made a mental note to come back to it another day.  I ended up settling for a place I've been before and actually in the same "park" as the place where I took pictures on Friday that didn't get posted because I hated them all.  But there is a lot in that park yet to explored and used for my background needs.

So I spent my Saturday curled up under my electric blanket eating key lime pie ice cream from Bruster's and watching NFL Playoff games.  It was pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself.  I hope you guys have been enjoying your weekend. Oh and here are my obligatory glamor shots of these amazing boots! I love them.











What:
Sweater/Dress: Target
Tights: We Love Colors (Rust) (available)
Socks: Kohls
Boots: Seychelles, via Zappos.com (available)

When:
January 15, 2010