Happy Birthday to the coolest guy I know!

I am married to an older man. An older man who just turned 30 today. He's pretty awesome, even before he was married to me. So happiest of birthdays to my best friend and the guy who always makes me laugh!

Why are you online?

When I was 10 or so, the internet (Prodigy) was mainly for playing games on my parent's Commodore 64 computer. I also recall something about "bulletin boards," but I'm not sure if I used those when I was that young.

When I was 11 or so, the internet was for giggling with my friend over comments made in AOL chat rooms. A/S/L check, anyone? It was the thing our parents didn't want us to do (talk to strangers), but safer because you were behind the comfortable confines of a computer screen. Also, I got my first email address: cran11@aol.com (because I was 11, and I liked the Cranberries).

When I was in middle school, the internet was for communicating with friends I had in the real world. I had my second email address, KERMIT4474@aol.com (because I liked the muppets, and AOL generated some random numbers for me).

When I was in high school, the internet was for goofing off with my friends, emailing with boys I was too shy to talk to in person, and researching (a little).

When I was in college, the internet was for so much:

• Friendster (R.I.P.)
• MySpace (almost R.I.P.)
• Dowloading tons and tons of music
• Finding out when / where shows were playing and stalking Jump, Little Children in particular
• Blogging (2002-2004, 2004-2007), and usually being a bit emo about it
• IMing all of my college friends with my latest screenname (TorchSongHero - because I loved Jump, Little Children) to organize meet-ups outside of the dorm, express myself in my away messages, communicate with my roomie who sat a few feet away from me, and flirt with boys
• Research
• Homestarrunner, among other web entertainment
• Photo sharing
• Emailing friends from home while studying overseas

In the following years, the internet continued to be for all of those things, and more. Now, the internet is for work and play. Isn't that kind of crazy? I think so. And I like it that way.

The internet and I have been having a love affair since Prodigy, and old internety has aged very gracefully.

I'm online for lots of reasons. (Hey, you're reading one of them now!) True, I do enjoy a little shameless self-promotion, but I read my fair share of personal blogs to offset my egomania, I think. And perhaps I overshare on the internet sometimes. But, you know what, I'm really not that worried about it.

What about you? Why are YOU online?

Old tunic, Old Navy cardigan, jeans & flats, Gap scarf - Can I just say that I'm really digging this outfit? This is quite me.

Found Things: Week Ending Oct. 21

I just had the suspicion that I missed an important email or question from a friend. Do you ever get that feeling?

Anyhoo, I thought maybe I'd start sharing with you some of the fun things I find on the internets each week. (We'll see how long this lasts.) Enjoy!

I have to credit the lovely Jessica of Monster Cakes for this one: Dear Photograph. Think Post Secret, except with photographs and a lot sweeter.

And my friend Sara gets the credit for this one. The music in "Awake O'Sleeper" is stellar, and the video is even cooler. I dare you not to tap your feet this. I think I'll be checking out the rest of Whitestone's short films.

Chat History from GOOD. It's the story of a relationship invaded by cancer and death, told through narrative and a GChat backlog. Please don't read without tissues at hand.

The Pose App comes to Android. This could be really fun, or just kind of lame.

I want my gravestone barcode to send people to a video of me and the hubs singing karaoke to "Paradise by the Dashboard Light."

This is perhaps a little extreme for me, but I'm at least curious about this once-a-month cooking thing.

Target top and leggings, Delia*s shorts, old flats, gifted earrings from Sudan

(Wearable) Fall 2011 Trends

It should come as no surprise that I read (ahem, look at the pretty pictures) fashion magazines. One of my favorites for years now has been Lucky. It's what I want in a magazine: lots of fun photos and collages of fun trends as well as shopping guides. (And they don't just put in the pricey stuff.) What can I say? It gets the fashion magazine job done, as far as I'm concerned.

(Yeah, I dig the Vogues and Glamours of this world, too, but sometimes you just want to flip through brightly colored pages and "ooh" and "aah" at the items you want, OK?)

I stumbled across this blog post from the online version of the magazine: The Top Fashion Trends for Fall 2011, brought to Lucky by the Budget Fashionista. I decided to put together a quick photo run-down of the looks I've tried in the past, and my assessment. Here goes somethin'!

The Maxi Skirt: Fall's Other Skirt

What was fall's first skirt? I think maybe "the leather skirt." I doubt I'll be going there.

Anyhoo. I like the maxi skirt, even this black number I bought for less than $10 off of the Gap sale rack. I think ideally I should get a clingier jersey-style skirt to keep up with the trend, but I haven't worn this sale skirt enough to justify putting some real money into one. It's hard to ride a scooter in a maxi skirt anyway

Chance I'll try it again for fall: Moderate.

Tuxedo Look: Menswear-inspired Trend


I really dig the menswear-inspired stuff. From button-down shirts to oxford shoes to blazers, it's a trend I can get behind. I even ordered a pair of Dolce Vita penny loafers through Hautelook the other day. But I'll probably keep growing out my hair instead of chopping it into the pixie cut made famous (OK, not really) by my appearance as "Peter Pan." As much as I love the cut on me, it's time to grow out the locks again.

Chance I'll try it again for fall: High. Like, certain. I should probably buy more blazers.

Jade & Teal: The New Colors

I've been a fan of jewel tones ever since I decided based on highly scientific research that they're the best for my skin tone. It involved lots of beakers and microscopes.

Naturally I gravitate toward jade and teal (and cobalt blue and magenta and the like). I got a jump on the teal trend this year when I bought this (almost) maxi dress this summer. I like how I "fallerized" it here, and I'll probably keep taking a stab at the layering.

Chance I'll try it again for fall: Very likely.

Work Dress: The Wardrobe Workhorse

I've purchased several dresses this year, two of them LBD's. But I don't get all fancy about it at work like this lady. I mean, I work with a bunch of engineers and programmers. This is pretty darn dressed up for my office.

Oh, and I like this look.

Chance I'll try it again for fall: Likely, but I should invest in a printed "work dress."

Colored Pencil Pants: The Attention-Getter

Are my pants loud enough for you?

I've had these red cords--which I LOVE--for almost a year now, so I guess I'm ahead of this trend? I know, I know. They're not "pencil pants," whatever that is. (First, it's cigarette pants, now pencils??) But I still dig 'em. Perhaps I should branch out in my color choice?

Chance I'll try it again for fall: Highly likely. They're attention-grabbing!

Trends not pictured:

Emberglow. Seriously, this isn't a color. It's orange, I'm pretty sure. Or a Tequila Sunrise, if you stir it up, maybe? But I admit, I like the color. Oh, I know! It's pumpkin!

The Cape Crusader. Ha! Clever title. You all know that I've tried the poncho thing. It was not a smashing success. I'm pretty sure a cap would go over similarly. I won't write it off, but I also won't bother spending $140 on a not-so-sure thing.

Pencil Skirt: The Office Staple. Similar to the work dress, I just don't need something quite so fancy as a pencil skirt. I know they can be casual, but unless I find one that I love (jersey, perhaps) that's also comfy and cozy, it's not worth my closet space.

Polka Dot: The Perfect Print. Do I really own nothing polka-dotted? ::Does a mental closet scan:: No! I really don't! I think I'd like to remedy this. I mean, it's just such a sweet print. Although, I wouldn't call this a fall trend. It's more of a forever trend.

Leather Skirt: It's Back. Uh, no. Not my thing.

Color Bocking: Still Going Strong. I can't believe I haven't (even accidentally) tried this trend yet. On it.

What fall fashion trend would or wouldn't you try?

Try

Some of the fashion trends you--meaning "I"--have just got to try. Like this one: socks with heels. (In this case, the heels are really small, barely noticeable wedges.)

I tried it before here, and the results were less than exciting. For this second attempt, I like it a bit better.

I'm thinking these socks from We Love Colors may be my next step.

Target top, gifted jeans, Urban flats, F21 bangles

Adjust

I had Monday off of work. I had big plans: run & take a long, random scooter ride around the city.

Then, I woke up to rain. And it kept coming and coming.

I was bummed. My whole two plans for the day were ruined. (While I'll happily run a race in the rain, I didn't relish the thought of running in the rain on my day off. Rain soaked shoes = blisters = the worst. But I also admit that I was a little relieved to have the excuse. That's a bad thing to hear from someone who calls herself a "runner," isn't it?)

And so I had a bad attitude the rest of the day. Fortunately, I was able to channel most of it into cleaning the apartment, and no one else was here to let my bad mood affect them. By the time the hubs got home, I had talked myself down from my grump stage and cooked him a yum steak dinner with roasted butternut squash and steamed broccoli. Hubs is on some sort of diet that requires him to eat lots of protein and as many veggies as he wants. Fine by me.

Letting something as simple as a little rain get to me is pretty silly, I know, but I was surprised at how bummed I got. Don't worry; I'm over it now.

What do you do when something messes up your plans? How do you deal with it?

Urban Outfitters top, Target jeans, Old Navy scarf, Converse shoes, Mango blazer

(all of these pieces were pretty cheap, if you calculate the cost-per-wear. I've had the jeans, top and blazer since college, and the shows the scarf are constant staples in the Style Aesthetic wardrobe. Guess that should tell me something about my aesthetic, huh?)

Do one thing.

So, you want to know what my new plan is, now that Give Up / Take On is over? No? You just stumbled upon this blog and now you're thinking, "Who's the chick in the red pants asking me so many questions?" Well, I'll tell you who she is. She's me. And this is her blog. So either respond "Yes" to the first question, or leave.

Just kidding. You can stay. But I'm still gonna answer that question.

This month I'll be starting my "Do one thing challenge." What the heck does that mean? It means that, each month, I'll aim to accomplish one goal. Just one. It won't be so simple as "wear underwear everyday" (check!), but something that's been on my brain's to-do list for a while. Like, learn to make preserves. Or go fly fishing. (OK, that last one's not on my list, but wouldn't it be fun?)

So this month's goal is: Write a song. I used to write songs. And I'm pretty good at putting together a catchy melody, if I do say so myself (and I do!). So stay tuned, because I might even sing it for ya.

Gap cords, Old Navy boots and top

Clothing Lessons Learned at a Work Conference

Sounds like a boring title, huh? I was at a work conference this weekend. The Financial Blogger Conference, to be exact. On top of meeting some really great personal finance bloggers, I also learned a thing or two.

Some of my more unexpected lessons had to do with what to wear at a conference and conference events.

Layers. You can never know what the temperature will be like in the hotel, or the conference session rooms. I kept it simple by layering a cardigan over a tank with a scarf. Cold room problem solved.

Flats. I wore heels (see photo) to dinner one night, thinking I'd have time to change before we went to the dance party. (Bloggers know how to get down.) This was a false assumption, and I ended up dancing for several hours in heels. Some women can do this no problem. I'm not one of them. Ouch.

Something memorable. When it came to being recognizable, I got a little assistance with my Warby Parker glasses (lots of compliments!) and red blazer (new from Sosie.com). When you're networking and passing out business cards, it pays to be noticeable. One blogger said, "I'm going to write 'red jacket' on your card!"

Packable options. Although I was bummed that I didn't get to wear one of the three dresses that I brought (come on, I have a style blog, are you really surprised?), I was glad that they took up little room in my suitcase.

What do you wear at a work conference?

 Sosie blazer, Gap jeans, Old Navy scarf and bracelet, Banana Republic heels

Recap, y'all!

My coworkers claim I've been losing my inhibitions at work (after seven months???) and dropping the word "y'all" a lot more. I say they're full of it. I've never hidden my predilection for the contraction.

This time last year, I started the Give Up/Take On Project. It's been semi-successful. (Hey, a year's a long time!) No matter how good or bad it's been, it has been fun to choose something each month. Here's a quick recap:

October 2010: television (yep) & Bikram yoga (heck no)
November 2010: meat (yes) & couponing (sigh, no)
December 2010: complaining (pretty much) & barefoot running (ran a 10k in Guatemala!)
January 2011: slouching (well, now I have a desk job, so guess I should get back to this one) & making the bed everyday (I hear a made bed attracts bed bugs anyway)
February 2011: elimination diet (a lot of "give ups," and it worked, until I got my new job and just had to celebrate with food) & 30 for 30 (so well that I did it again!)
March 2011: Did I skip this one? I'm not sure. But I do know that March of this year brought new challenges with my new job.
April 2011: partial no-poo (worked and still doin' it) & bootcamp (ugh. I don't want to talk about it.)
May 2011: soda (check) & recipe learnin' (eh, not really. I guess I like it chaotic.)
June 2011: clothes shopping (I believe so) & exercising everyday (naw)
July 2011: sleeping in (kinda sorta) & reading (though I didn't finish a book in July, I have completed several since.)
August 2011: giving up (success!) & playing the accordion (yes. And more importantly, it motivated me to pick up my guitar again.)
September 2011: nothing. It just didn't happen.

You know what I see when I go back over that list? Not a lot of failures, but a lot of experiences. Whether I continued towards my goal each month or flaked out, it was still fun.

And starting this month, I'm going to switch it up. No more of the Give Up/Take On Project. I'm moving on, ladies and gents! I'll fill you in later this week.