For example: I AM A GINGER!

Also I got an excellent package of excellent goodness from Miss Eboni at the Fashionista Next Door and OH WOW WHAT A GIFT! This woman knows both style and giveaways. Check this out:

And did I mention she’s super cute!??

In other news, we have a dog (like you didn’t know!!) and he’s extra stylish with his new puppy-cut.  The groomer gave him a mohawk – but not like a regular rocker mohawk.  He’s extra hardcore with his new FULL BODY MOHAWK.  Yeah.  Seriously.

Awesome.

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I snapped a couple pictures before I left the house.  I bought this dress at a STREET FAIR of all places!

It’s from a place called “Silk Dragons” or something and is my go-to party dress.  It’s a fantastic deep blue – though it looks brighter here with the lighting.  Don’t mind the ugly comforter under the sofa…..

I wore it with a little light-blue vintage hat, white gloves, and these crazy gold platforms from Hale Bob – which, I have to say, I’m disappointed in!  Over the course of only a few hours, the finish on the wedges had started to come off around the bottom exposing the white wedge material beneath.

I also tried a new and super-easy method of pincurling, where you use a small barrel (1″) curling iron and set the curls in place, then pin them to your head until you’ve done your entire set.  When you pull the pins out and softly brush through it it creates this curly, wavy look that I achieved.  I didn’t use setting lotion, only this crazy “Big Sexy” root-boost-mousse that I bought at the grocery store, and a little hairspray and I had curls 3 DAYS LATER!

The jewels you see here are vintage.  Krystal of Smashing Divas fame found me the most incredible deal – her great aunt was getting rid of excess and she invited me over to take a look.  I’m wearing a demi-parure I found that’s TOTALLY Trifari.  It’s fantastic.  the pearl bracelet is from the same vintage set.  Notice the incredible “hot magenta” manicure – I felt a little springy and went all out with an insane electric-Barbie color.  Totally eye-catching!

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1. Outfit: Smoke and Mirrors
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The skirt is an interesting gray, with draping in the front and a backseam (it used to only go halfway up the back of the skirt, but I fixed it so it a) fit me and b) didn’t look like a buttcrack � ).

The full silhouette is very slim and I added a break in the heavy almost Deco-style patterned top with a waist-belt.   The top is a Deco Modiste original!

The rest of my accessories needed to incorporate well with the pattern, but I also felt like I needed a little color.  These green resin earrings came from Banana Republic, and I tossed on some simple silver bangles for fun.   This outfit is worn with my Where CARA brogues.  It’s warm enough for spring in Seattle without feeling overdressed.

I, personally, love the tailored maxi skirt look.  I feel like it’s not done nearly enough though!  The tailoring on this skirt gives it a sort of Steampunk/gawth feel, but is very versatile.  What’s your feeling on the maxi skirt?  Love it?  Hate it!?  Tell me about it!

Related posts:

1. Outfit: January 6, 2010
2. Outfit: Deco Modiste
3. Outfit: January Blues

Aside from finals, I had a pretty debilitating sickness for a while. I caught an adenovirus that STILL hasn’t left (after 2 weeks, my throat is still on fire, and I feel like I swallowed a marble).  My upper body is infected, apparently, so when I get home from work, all I’ve wanted to do for the past couple weeks is sleep… sleep… sleep!

My schedule has become extra grueling, as well. I’ve transitioned shifts – getting up at the crack of dawn to be at work by six. The reason? I’ve become a Joan.

Image via Deeplyproblematic

That’s me – redheaded office dominatrice (minus all that tyrant nonsense – I’m a benevolent goddess!) with style and talent to spare.  The challenge?  The environment is … I would say … less than endearing.   On more than one occasion I’ve asked myself what Joan would do – regarding male posturing, the new girl’s hysterics, how to work like you mean business, and even how to primp in the morning so that you don’t look like you’ve just rolled out of the sack.

I have a feeling that I’ll be in and out for a bit as I adjust, but never fear!  I’m taking notes just for you darlings.  In the meantime I have some outfits to share and a few other tidbits.  Sit tight, cookies!

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3. Invest In: Massage

♣ ♣ ♣

A balanced budget?  Not necessary.

The Federal government can aim for balance during times of great economic prosperity but in recessions should invest in the economy to lessen their impact. Those who say the budget needs to be balanced will press the idea that budget deficit hurts production – however in recessions, with production already down, running a deficit to invest in the economy means the real exchange rate rises, the value of a dollar rises and we’re able to buy more or better goods; our goods are more valuable, and our Net Capital Outflow (the exports we send out minus the imports we bring in) decreases, and private saving rises because of the high return on interest. Our government has automatic stabilizers built in to reduce tax burdens on the unemployed and provide assistance to consumers who may be hard on their luck.  Those who say crowding out is a problem with government spending don’t seem to grasp the idea that a little help is better than entirely hands-off fiscal policy.

Running a deficit makes the most sense when studying recessions, though in times of economic prosperity, running a deficit isn’t detrimental as our Gross Domestic Product (what we produce in our country) continually increases.  In the late 20’s, the American people found out just how fiscally irresponsible a stringently-balanced federal budget is during downturns in the economy. A mindset of hoarding and curbed spending damaged the economy, and brought about one of the most compelling cases for government spending during recessions. The hands-off government policy of carrying a balanced budget helped turn a recession into the Great Depression.

The way to balance a budget is either to bring in more income through taxation, or to decrease spending by cutting programs like social security, education, and welfare. In recessions the worst thing the government can do is increase taxes across the board when unemployment is high and wages are low – decreasing wealth and leaving less money to purchase goods and services (thereby further damaging the economy). In an Economic Update report, the Joint Economic Committee points out, “… higher taxes mean that Americans have to send a greater portion of their incomes to the federal government. … higher taxes stifle economic growth, which in turn means that the overall economy as well as individual incomes do not grow as fast as they would otherwise.”(1) To cut spending means cutting the programs that support human capital out from under our feet (again decreasing wealth).   In the early Depression, the federal government felt that to run a deficit would be like throwing good money after bad, with the idea that putting money into the economy – investing in our country – would cheapen money and harm the economy. If the government had funneled money into the economy – that money could have been put towards policy that increases GDP (ie human capital – education programs, worker retraining) and the recession could have corrected itself.

There is no reason suffer through hardships of a recession or depression if a budget deficit reduces the impact through tax cuts and programs that benefit consumers.

Hoover did too little too late; when they realized that they may need to jump-start the economy, they put money into the business sector to try to keep it from tanking (instead of taking an evolutionary stance on business).  They increased tariffs, and bought farm surpluses.  This quickly becomes a vicious cycle.   But, the idea that the government should run a balanced budget meant that to pay for the deficit created by bailouts and “public works projects” (ie through the Reconstruction Finance Corporation), money had to be pulled from the private sector through the largest peacetime tax hike in history, up to that point. Taxes were hiked as unemployment soared to an incredible 25%. The idea of running a balanced budget in this scenario was improbable and irresponsible. As economist Milton Friedman noted, “You cannot reduce the deficit by raising taxes. Increasing taxes only results in more spending, leaving the deficit at the highest level conceivably accepted by the public.”

Economist, John Maynard Keynes published a book in 1936 that outlined “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money”. Keynesian ideals of correcting the economy suggested that to remedy a depression the Fed would have to create money (unless the recession was bad enough to enter a “liquidity trap” where no amount of extra money supply would correct the economy), or the government simply start spending their own money – to balance the economy instead of balancing the budget. The end of the depression came with wartime spending in 1941 – the spending did exactly what Keynesian theory said it would do.

We’re in one of the deepest recessions now, since the government started keeping records on unemployment and recessions in the 50′s.  The fact that we’ve not been reduced to bank runs and dust-bowls during our economy’s down times truly shows the effectiveness of government programs, policy, and automatic stabilizers (unemployment insurance, income tax) to alleviate the sting of recessions.

Some may think that cyclical balancing seems to be the answer to a balanced budget – aim for a balanced budget in the good years, but maintain economic responsibility in down turns. Unfortunately, the only time that the government can truly balance the budget is if our economy operates at its full potential – an economy with full employment. There’s a tradeoff between full employment and inflation – we have to sacrifice one of those things to continue to keep inflation low.

At this point, many will point out that we’re only sacrificing our children’s futures – future generations will be forced into servitude to pay off the deficit we’ve run up. This is a great scare tactic – superstitions of mortgaging the future contribute to the fear of national debt. We have to choose between the fruits of our labor that we enjoy today, and the wealth we want to enjoy in the future. The government’s taxation system is set up to redistribute income to ensure those who are holding the debt are provided for (Friedman’s quote about taxation comes into play here as well). Deficits can be economically advantageous – as is the case in each recession. Through monetary policy, the fed makes money cheaper to use so businesses and households have more of it to spend. Government has the ability to alter policy to put more people and plants to use and to decrease the amount the Government takes in through taxes – thereby putting it directly in the hands of people who will use it. These policies put the government budget in the red, but increase economic activity. It’s more important to invest in a balanced economy to avoid or lessen the impact of recessions and to make investments in education, research and infrastructure. The more responsible position is to balance the economy, rather than balance the budget.

♣ ♣ ♣

What do you think?  Was it convincing?  Do you feel smarter?  Was it interesting?  Boring?  Or did I just waste the 8 minutes of your life that you spent reading that?

Sources:
(1 – in text quote) http://www.house.gov/jec/growth/taxpol/taxpol.htm

http://www.capitalgainsandgames.com/blog/stan-collender/410/please-dont-promise-balance-budget

http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/winner-should-balance-the-economy-not-the-budget/2007/11/18/1195321606401.html

http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch15wd.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/flashbks/budget/budgint.htm

http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/flashbks/budget/chambf.htm

http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/flashbks/budget/rauchf.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?Raising-Taxes-is-Bad-Economic-Policy;-It-is-Bad-for-Our-Nation&id=315301

http://moneynews.com/StreetTalk/economy/2008/07/16/id/324574

http://www.politicalforum.com/elections-campaigns/49611-republican-created-myth-about-raising-taxes-during-recession.html

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=1032

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Seattlites – this is it.  Go here.  If you’re looking for a massage therapist, you should call on Carissa first. The atmosphere at Clear Awakening is so serene, even though the little house is located in the hustle and bustle of lower Queen Anne. The room was charming – decked out in ice blue, with chocolate accents. Light softly filtered in through the blinds, and the music wasn’t your normal “nothing” music – it was relate-able, sort of jazzy and ultimately relaxing.

Now, my last massage was ages ago (a year?) at Dreamclinic and they’re good.  However, when I first went in, my LMP told me that I’d have to schedule a second appointment because she couldn’t get the muscles in my back to relax enough that she could work with them. This visit was different. If I felt myself tense up, Carissa had a little trick to get the muscles to relax again. I spent the session pulling a little trick I learned from Savasana (a yoga pose) – every time a thought would pop into my mind, I recognized it and brushed it away. I was in sort of a meditative trance (which isn’t a hard state to accomplish during massage) and it allowed me to just clear out my mind-space.

At the end of my session I felt better than I have in weeks – relaxed, rested, but totally clear.  The session was a total investment in my overall well being and peace of mind.  Now if I can just get through this week, I’ll be set! �

To learn more about Clear Awakening, visit their site, or check out the blog (especially this post).

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Toxic by LisaKimberly on flickr

In Vegas, we eat crappy food (McDonalds chicken nuggets, fried foods, no veggies), and some very rich meals (dinner at Mon Ami Gabi). We drink quite a bit of alcohol and sit in smoky casinos and bars. We spend a lot of time walking, but not necessarily in the best walking shoes. We gamble our hard earned money (that we’ve saved, of course – we’re not irresponsible). We use the ultra drying soap in the shower, and sometimes we use it on our face to take our makeup off. We forget our vitamins, have coffee (or Coke) followed by Bloody Marys for breakfast. We stay up way too late and don’t get enough sleep. When we get home from this trip, we’re exhausted, bloated, dehydrated; our ears ring, our eyes are dry, our throats are sore, our lips crack, our feet are blistered and everything needs a good wash.

This week’s investment is time and effort.  It’s a good time to detox – to get hydrated, to stuff ourselves with delicious fruits and veggies.  It’s a good time to clear the fuzziness out of our brains by reading engaging books and spending a lot of time in thoughtful reflection.  It’s the time to drink lots of tea – green tea in general, but black tea instead of coffee.  It’s the time to pay extra attention to ravaged skin – moisturizing, cleansing, and nourishing with our product regimen, and our diets.  It’s the perfect time to drink up on water and cut down on salts.  We should be saving instead of spending.  We need rest, rejuvenation, and relaxation, but we also need to work our stiff limbs, and get back to our fighting weight.  We need to work out all the toxins, and stuff ourselves full of good things.

It’s the perfect time for me, having just come back from Vegas; it’s also a good reminder to everyone who may feel like they’re slipping a little on their resolutions.  Take the next couple weeks to really focus on bringing your mind and body to their prime.

Some suggestions:

◊ meditate ◊ buy new insoles and cushion your feet ◊ go meatless for a week ◊ keep a water bottle with you for hydration ◊ put a post-it on your mirror to remind you to take your vitamins ◊ floss (dental health is important!) ◊ set your bed-time earlier this week ◊ in conjunction with an earlier bed-time, set your alarm early enough to head the the gym before work ◊ set your beauty regimen out where you can see it, so you remember to use it ◊ pick up a book on an interesting subject and carve out time to read it ◊ make a meal plan this week and keep good-for-you snacks on hand (less temptation towards fast food) ◊ sit up straight ◊ stock a desk drawer with delicious teas

If you can think of any other great tips, post them below!!

P.S. If you’re doing Gala’s Radical Self Love challenge – this is the perfect way to work on some self love.

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These pants  will always remind me of walking the runway to an old track that crackled like it had been copied from a record, while all the other designers’ models strutted the catwalk in their new-wave, modern avant garde feel.  We were ready to wear, elegant, and aptly dressed for both day and night – so when I wear these trousers, I know I’m well dressed!

The pants are high waisted, and have hand-painted designs on the pockets.  The pockets are lined with a soft material and have snaps to keep them from bulging out.  The trouser material is almost a maroon denim.  Lightweight enough to be wearable in the summer, but heavy enough to be warm (with a few layers) in the winter, these pants are all-around perfect.

Because of the pocket design, it was hard to decide what to wear with them.  A waist belt works, because of the rise, but it almost felt like to much bling.  There’s a little belt that goes with the trousers with a vintage buckle – I think I’ll stick to that look in the future.  The wide leg of the trouser calls for a slim fit up top – something with almost no volume to balance out the cut.

Pictured here in:

• Maroon trouser: Deco Modiste
• Red waist belt: bought at Boutique Culture
• Black thermal: thrifted
• Brown and gold necklace: Urban Outfitters
• Black and white swing shoes: TUK

I’m actually off for a few days; the Mister is whisking us away to Vegas for our annual party in Sin City for Superbowl weekend.  It’ll be a lot of fun and I have some great content for you when I return.  Meanwhile, hold down the fort for me, k? �

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We’re not yet out of the throes of winter – spring hasn’t come knocking and the weather is still dreary, cold, damp and miserable. This time of the year can seem disparaging, with bills rolling in (and other general post- holiday blahs), no holiday time-off in sight for the next few months, and for many of us, taxes are due.  Many studies cite the end of January as the most depressing time of the year, and it’s really no wonder that so many people are hit with a little seasonal affective disorder.

That’s why it’s the perfect time to invest in a little R&R, pampering, vacation or staycation to keep your spirits high.   I’ve thought of a few ways to give yourself a little treat…

• Staycation!  Take Monday off and snuggle up on the sofa in your favorite jammies.  Drink hot chocolate and watch daytime tv, read magazines, snooze, or read your favorite book.
• Treat yourself to a spa manicure, pedicure or facial.  If you’re short on dough, Do It Yourself!  Heat up a big bowl of water and steam your face with a towel over your head or slather up with a refreshing face mask like Lush’s Mask of Magnaminty.
• Get out of the house – with room service!  Check yourself into a local hotel for an evening or a weekend.  Take along a bath bomb and spend the evening in their bathtub.  Order room service if you’re feeling extra decadent.
• If you can’t get out of the house, bring that bath experience to YOUR bathroom!  Bust out your fluffiest towel and bathrobe.  Draw yourself a giant bubbly bath (bonus points for sparkly. bubble. baths.), massage a drop of lavender oil into your pulse-points and temples, pour yourself a glass of champagne if you’re feeling frisky, light some fun scented candles and relax.
• If you feel you can’t possibly take a day off for a little at home staycation, book yourself a weekend day, all to yourself!  Cross that day out in your planner and tell people you’re unavailable.  If you want to make time for yourself, you may have to do it forcibly – by not taking appointments that day.  Spend the day doing relaxing things – bake cookies and unplug your internet, turn off the phone.  Give yourself a day of rest.
• If you’re able, book yourself a flight to somewhere sunny, or at least somewhere warm.  Spend part of your staycation just lounging around, eating delicious food and doing almost nothing.
• If it’s in your budget, book yourself a massage (In Seattle, try Clear Awakening or the Dreamclinic).  There’s nothing more relaxing than soothing “nothing” music, and a massage therapist who knows their stuff.

A lot of people like to fill their R&R days with activity – bustling errands, shopping, parties, lunch meetings – and it’s no wonder we often come back from vacation feeling exhausted.  Sometimes it’s best to just take a day to do nothing and recoup from the hum and activity we face every day.

Make that your goal for the next week or two – you may not realize you need that time to unwind until you actually take it.  I promise, you’ll feel better for it!

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I love the black and tan pairing – I think that’s what the girl has on in the product photos and it just stuck.  Black and tan are such an underrated combo…  I have to wear this little number with a slip and leggings though, because it’s kind of short!

This outfit is sort of difficult to accessorize.  The jumper needs to be belted because of the extra panels in the skirt.  With that big of belt, you can’t really wear too much with it.  I picked this Czech Amber pendant to go with it, because the scrollwork on the pendant matches the scrollwork on the belt.

I’ve realized that my  remote is a little fickle – here, I was trying to see if the sensor was flashing.

Pictured in:

• Jumper dress by M641
• Charlotte Russe leggings
• Report boots
• Black thermal
• Czech amber pendant – gifted

This weekend is all about studying for my Midterm, dreaming up outfits to pack for Vegas, finishing some photos and another fun photoshoot with Deco Modiste!  I  might have some photos from a dress-up party too, and I’ve definitely got some post content brewing in my noggin!  See you soon!

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