Thank you, Vignette Photography

The day before Valentines Day (before I knew I had a bun in my oven), Hubs and I met up with Elizabeth and James Hafner, the power duo behind Vignette Photography, for a quick lifestyle photo session over at The Triangle. I am happy to report that there wasn't a single image of me with a witch's nose. We had such a fun time shooting, and Elizabeth really knows how to make original, creative, dynamic images. She really captured our zany personalities... and managed to make me look like a model!


I think it's so, so important to have good photos of yourself and your loved ones in your house. If there were one thing I wish I had more of, it's good photos of my loved ones. I whole heartily recommend Vignette Photography to help you capture these important images. Thanks so much for the session, Elizabeth and James!

Links-
Elizabeth's fashion blog: Save For Later,
Vignette Photo Blog

[Vignette Photography is an Adored Austin partner]

Audition outfit: young mom with sick child

Yay! I had a commercial audition in Austin today! But an hour or so before it, I had a giant conundrum in my closet. I haven't done laundry in weeks, and it was just one of those days where I stood there wringing my hands thinking, "I have nothing to wear!" I knew I had to run to Target to grab some ink refills for my printer (why is that stuff so expensive?!) so while there I grabbed this cute skirt:

date: 25 February 2010
occasion: grocery store commercial audition
skirt: Target
shirt: INC
cardigan: thrifted GAP
tights: Target
shoes: Payless

I auditioned for the part of a young mom (suddenly apropos, no?), and the little girl they paired me up with was adorable. She did a really good job. She didn't cry at all, and she took the pretend medicine like a champ! It'd be awesome to book it with her.

You know... I can't wait to have my own kid to start exploiting for money.

Oh, CALM DOWN. I was kidding!

Thanks for all the congratulations yesterday, by the way. I think I have the best readers in the entire world.

Well, that was fast!

Admittedly, lately, it's been pretty quiet here on Adored Austin and over at The Man Makeover and The Wonder Love. Also, I'm really behind at answering a few emails and sending out some packages. I swear that I have a good excuse, though. I got this on Thursday:

Hubs and I are having a baby! We're incredibly excited that it happened so fast! I don't know how far along I am or anything, yet, but a blood test confirmed the news yesterday. After another doctors appointment, I'll know more next week. Thank y'all for being so awesome and patient with me this week. It's been a whirlwind, but I truly consider you my friends, and as you can imagine, I've been dying to tell you!

Blog Spotlight: Kendi Everyday

Confession: I read an insane amount of blogs. I have over 100 personal style blogs in my Google Reader, and although I don't comment on a all of them daily, I lurk like a creepster every day.

One of my new favorite blogs and regular lurking spots is Kendi Everyday. Kendi is a fellow Texan, and her photos are amazingly adorable and the way she labels her outfits is so unique:

Like her super friendly writing voice, her style is down to earth but original. She's given me so much inspiration lately, and I'm so excited to be able to meet this new blogger at next month's New Media Fashion brunch and boutique crawl. If you haven't already, bookmark Kendi Everyday and lurk there everyday like I do... 'cept maybe take the time to leave a few comments, okay?

photos ©Kendi Everyday

Oh, look. Another childhood book series reference.

When I was a kid, I was a voracious reader. Y'all are probably way too familiar with my childhood adoration for Claudia Kishi and The Babysitters Club. I've mentioned that I also liked Stephanie from The Sleep Over Friends, but I don't think I've told y'all how much I loved Lila Fowler from Sweet Valley Twins (note: Sweet Valley Twins follows Jessica and Elizabeth at Sweet Valley Middle School. This is a totally different series than Sweet Valley High. Gosh, the Sweet Valley High books were messed up! I'm talking earthquakes, date rapes, drug abuse, serial killers, the whole nine yards. It's no wonder Diablo Cody is making a new Sweet Valley High movie). ANYWAY, all that to say these three things: (1) I wish I had a real twin!, (2) I wish I had more time to read, and (3) I need to think about wearing more purple. The girls in the Unicorn club in the Sweet Valley Twins books wore purple every Thursday. Like most women, black is my go-to going-out color, but I think a deep, rich purple would be elegant, too.

On Friday, the film I was in screened at the Alamo Drafthouse here in Austin.

I put on a boring black dress, per usual. I am not proud of this outfit, but in the spirit of honesty, here it is:

dress: Kate Moss for Top Shop, tank: Express, sweater: American Apparel,
tights: Target, shoes: Old Navy (via a clothing swap).

As Hubs and I were walking out the door to get to the theater, I was like, "Oh, man! I didn't even grab any animal jewelry!" We were running late, so I had to go without.

It made me realize that I need an evening dress in a smashing jewel color. My darling cousin is getting married next month, and I'm now determined to find the perfect purple dress. I am making the 17 hour drive alone from Austin, Texas to Seymour, Indiana the last week of March for her wedding. I've checked out Jessica's Vintage Where site, but it's always good to ask: does anyone know of any awesome thrift stores along the way?

View Larger Map

Also, if any of you are on my travel route, I'd love to stop and have lunch with you! I hope to do the drive in a leisurely two or three days, so perhaps I'll even spend the night in Memphis or in Tennessee somewhere. Let me know. Meeting people that have happed upon Adored Austin is my absolute favorite thing about doing this site. If I had a real twin, I'd bring her along so you could meet her, too, but, alas, I don't. But I'm sorta glad. Maybe she would have died in a terrible earthquake at our high school after getting stalked by an escaped serial killer or something completely absurd like that.

Comment of the Day: Do you know you have a GIANT WIENER leering over your shoulder...kind of looking down your shirt? Because you do. It's ok though, because you're a movie star and movie stars have to get used to these sort of things happening all the time. Le sigh. -Orchid Grey

Wolf Ring vs. Trench Coat: FIGHT!

So remember yesterday when I said I'd have no trouble at all spending the $50 Lulu's gift certificate that I won? Yeah. I was wrong.

Can someone PLEASE tell me that the trench coat is a much better buy than the wolf ring? But c'mon! It's a wolf! I have an affinity for wolves after this audition back in the day. Gah! Plus y'all know I have a weakness for animal jewelry. But, gosh! I have plenty of animal jewelry. I do not have plenty of coats!

Sorry for the lack of posting today. I was running around like crazy today, and then I started feeling a little under the weather, so I'll be going to the doctor tomorrow to see what's up. A wolf ring would probably make me feel better, though. Right? Right? Don't answer that. Someone be the voice of reason! Someone tell me to go for the coat, instead.

My WORST story is a winner!

Golly! Today is a stellar day for me. I just got another awesome email. This one just informed me that I won the Lulu's Valentines Day story contest on All Women Stalk with my tale of my WORST Valentines Day, ever! I feel it's only fitting that I share that "winning" story with you:

Valentines Day. 7th Grade. My friend John and I met up at his locker at the end of the day.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he said, “I got you something that I overheard you saying that you wanted.” He opened his locker and pulled out a shoe box wrapped in notebook paper. There were skyward drawn arrows on the side of the box and a pencil written note that warned “this side up”.

“Thank you, John. That is SO NICE.” I was having a tough day because the day before, my 8th grade boyfriend had broken up with me so he could take a different girl to the Valentines Day dance that night.

I gingerly peeled off the paper and stuck my fingernail under the lid to break the scotch tape seal. I lifted the top.

A dead hamster. John had gotten me a dead hamster.

John was kind of a weird kid… the sort of kid who reveled in stealing teachers’ chalk, eating anything on a dare, and going weeks without a bath. This was a cruel joke.

“YOU SUCK. A dead hamster? You are a disgusting person!” I pushed the box back in to his hands.

John’s grin switched to an open mouthed gape. His eyes brimmed with tears, but he tried to blink them away in his macho middle school way.

“Mr. Hammy! Oh, I forgot to poke holes in the lid. He probably suffocated in my locker all day. I thought…” he trailed off and tried to regain his composure, “I overheard you say you wanted a pet, and my mom said it was okay if I gave you mine…”

Saddest Valentines Day, ever. Rest in peace, Mr. Hammy!

Oh, and thank you, John and Mr. Hammy and Lulus.com and All Women Stalk for making this happen. My love for Lulus has been well documented over here, and I will have absolutely no problem spending the $50 gift certificate this sad story won me! Plus, I think we've all learned a valuable lesson here:

Comment of the Day: Is it bad that I laughed for a full 5 minutes after reading your story? The picture was what finished it for me. I am still laughing. Congrats on your win! Mr. Hammy would be proud! -The Daily Fashionista

Tommy Hilfiger hearts Adored Austin

I just startled my poor little dog by screaming with shock and joy! I just got an email letting me know I had been featured on the official Tommy Hilfiger Facebook as one of their five "Digital Fashionistas to Watch For". They named me their "Chic Fashionista Pick":

(typical pigeon toed stance-- sorry! i'm really trying not to do this all the time!)

Thank you so much, Tommy Hilfiger. It is an honor to be included in this list alongside people like Katy, from Kansas Couture. Katy and Jessica were the first two fashion blogs I ever bookmarked to read daily, and they are among the sites I still visit every single day, sometimes multiple times a day.

Adored Austin was started seven months ago, and it still boggles my mind that people other than my immediate family and old roommates read this. I feel like I'm truly friends with my readers, and I read every single comment and email I get. I still get teary when I get a sweet email or when I'm featured on a site that is not my own (of any size!). It's an honor to be featured on the Tommy FB, but truly, it's just an honor to be doing this site and getting to know the people that come here. Thank you so much, everyone.

Links:
Tommy Hilfiger's Digital Fashionistas to Watch For,
Adored Austin on Facebook.

Save the Date: Friday, March 12th

You are cordially invited to the New Media Fashion Boutique Crawl!

I am pleased to announce that I am helping Austin put on a boutique crawl during the first Friday of SXSW. All your favorite Austin fashion bloggers will be there, and the day starts at 12:30 p.m. at Eliza Page. We'll cover the 2nd Street District, do a craft with the women from The WonderCraft, and hit up the shops on South Congress. No need to RSVP. Just show up! Everyone is welcome, whether you blog or not.

Bring your camera, some water, and wear comfortable shoes. This is going to be an insanely fun day! We'll be done by 6 p.m. and you can follow the Adored Austin Twitter to find out where we are at any given time. I really, really hope you can make it. Some of the shops will be offering us incredibly discounts that day only!

Loving Linus

I know most of you know that my "day job" isn't really a day job at all. I act for a living, and I've been doing that for most of my life (since the second grade!). Lately, though, I've been thinking more and more about making a go of it as a writer. My first screenplay out of college won the Reel Women annual screenplay contest, and my first television script got me to the semi-finals round of NBC's Writers on the Verge program this year.

Two years ago, I wrote a short script called "Loving Linus" about a young woman who finds herself becoming the infamous "crazy cat lady". It starts with her getting one cat, but then it slowly starts to spiral into crazy cat lady territory. She gets some cat decor and starts wearing cat themed clothing. When she goes to adopt a new cat, her only friend and her mother stage an intervention and attempt to set her up on a series of blind dates. It's a comedy, and I hope to direct, star, and edit it this summer. Before I begin official pre-production, I want to start collecting costume and set pieces. I've started with this fabulous sweater I picked up at an estate sale recently and a gorgeous, hand made, sterling silver cat necklace given to me by the incredibly gracious and wonderful Pam and Mark of Mark Defrates jewelry:

date: 16 February 2010

occasion: cookie baking, script writing, and city group
sweater: estate sale
striped t-shirt: GAP
skirt: Old Navy
tights: Target
boots: vintage (Style Station)
bag: estate sale
heels: JC Pennys
necklace: Mark Defrates

I invested some of the money from the last play I did to buy a wide angle lens for my camera and a shot gun mic. I just need to raise a little bit of funding to secure a lighting kit, craft services, upgraded editing software, and to cover DVD printing and duplication costs. If you are interested in helping out with "Loving Linus" let me know! If you'd like to give me funny cat clothes, art, or decor to be used, please email me for my mailing address. If you're local to Austin and you'd like to help out on set or by contributing music, I'd love to let you know how I can partner with you. If you're simply interested in helping with the fund raising process, you can donate to the "Loving Linus" film fund here:

I'm trying to raise $2500, and every little bit helps. Anyone donating $20 or more will be given special thanks in the credits. Anyone giving more than $30 will be given special thanks and a DVD copy of the final project. If you donate $100 or more I will probably pee myself with gratitude, but after I clean myself up, I'd love to talk to you to see how you can get involved as an executive producer.

I am so incredibly excited about finally making "Loving Linus". Truly, I feel like I'm living the dream by being able to write, direct, and act in my own project. I have high hopes for this little film and hope it will enjoy some success on the festival circuit. Who knows? Maybe it will do well enough to secure a producer for my first feature length project, a comedy about an adorable actuary.

Comment of the Day: Oh, I can't wait to see this! Since college I have joked that I would end up a crazy cat lady with one named for each letter of the alphabet: Azrael, Bertha, Callisto, Daphne ... etc. Best of luck with this exciting project! And you look TOTALLY cute in that sweater! How do you do that?! -SpyGirl1

Victoria's Secret: loading down mail carriers week after week

Dear mass mailer panty pushers,
Did you know that there have been less than seven weeks this calendar year? That being true, can you please explain to me why I have received no fewer than ten Victoria's Secret catalogs this year? I threw the first few away, but then I decided to keep track of how many I received for exactly one month.

Six. SIX! The secret it out, Victoria. It is clear that you hate trees and love mass mailings. I haven't even bought anything since my Great Boot Disappointments of 2009 (which I subsequently and promptly returned). I've already requested to stop receiving your insane amount of catalogs once, but yet they still come at the rate of 1.5 every week. I'm sure this may delight my love starved mailman, but I, for one, am getting quite perturbed.

Most sincerely,
Indiana Adams

Comment of the Day: My hubs hates VS for this very reason! Apparently, mass mailings are all it takes for my husband to no longer be interested in lingerie... he won't even look at the catalogs because he's so annoyed. -Catherine

It's hip to be square (dancing).

I don't usually like to buy things unless I can instantly know what to pair them with when I get home. The petticoats I got last week at Style Station were, admittedly, an impulse buy, but they were too fun not to get. I really wanted a way to wear them without looking too costumey. Black tights and a grey cardigan keep it out of clown territory, I think:




date: 15 February 2010
occasion: thrifting outting, starting City Seminary tonight
petticoat (as skirt): vintage (Style Station)
cardigan: American Apparel
t-shirt: INC
belt: thrifted (Savers)
tights: Target
ballet flats: Payless
alligator bracelet: Fashionique

Rebecca, the Style Station owner, told me that this petticoat used to be a part of a square dance costume. Because of this, I'm half tempted to throw on my tap shoes and wear this gettup to class tonight!

Video: A visit to Austin's HOPE Farmers Market

On Sundays I almost always go to Austin's HOPE Farmers Market. Because I love it so much, I thought it'd be fun to give you a quick glimpse of it:

[music: I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band- The Radio Dept.]

About that pie: my friends and I devoured that PB & J pie in less than 10 minutes, but I'm pretty sure I ate at least 1/3rd of it alone.
Links:

• HOPE Farmers Market • Forward Collective • The Good Shoppe • Made for Walkin' Boots • Me, Myself, and Pie

Video: we got new haircuts!

[song: Dominos by The Big Pink]

Update: I upgraded to Vimeo Pro! Since its inception, videos have been a part of Adored Austin. I hope that by shelling out $60 on a Vimeo Pro account, I'll be driven to make even more videos. Are there any special requests for videos? I know I still owe you a le sac dress tutorial. Anything else?

Also, isn't Hubs' haircut awesome?

Thank you, Birds!

After our student stylist canceled again, Hubs and I finally gave up and went to Birds on Burnet to get our haircuts. We had rescheduled our photos with Vignette Photography to this weekend, and I didn't want to push everything back again due to still not having our haircuts. So we did it! We did it, and we didn't at all do the styles we had initially picked out. This is us right before today's haircuts:

Don't worry. I didn't cut too much off of mine. However, Hubs did! I'll post the super cute video we made tomorrow night. Huge thanks to Camille at Birds Barbershop for getting both Hubs and me in with such short notice. Service like that is why Birds is a staple of this community. And, for the rest of February, women can enjoy their famous ladybird cut for only $19 bucks. That's $20 off! I'm so excited to show you Hubs' hair tomorrow.

I bought two petticoats today. Sounds like something I would do, right?

I am a creature of habit. Every time I have to go up to Dallas for an audition, I have specific places I stop. On my way up, I drive for one hour, then I scoop through the drive-thru at a specif Chick-Fil-A in Temple, Texas. Then I drive another hour and stop at a specific gas station (to use the bathroom) in Italy, Texas. On my way back, I've made it a point to stop at Style Station, the hidden gem in the middle of no-where Texas that I discovered back in October. Today was no exception.
I went in to buy some things for Hubs, but got way sidetracked and ended up buying myself two petticoats. No doubt I'm still feeling inspired by Fashion Freakout. Or Miley Cyrus' little sister. Whichever.
Me: I'm trying to think of a practical way to wear my petticoats!
Hubs: I don't think that exists. That yellow one is so big you won't be able to fit through a door.

Probably, Husband. Probably! Nonetheless, I'm excited about these, and I'll try to come up with some way to wear them. But not tomorrow. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 34º. Pretty sure I'm going to be dressed like this all day tomorrow:
Don't judge me. Truth? I'd be decked out in a leopard Snuggie if I had one.

By the way, in April (after all the SXSW stuff has calmed down), I am planning to take a van full of readers up to Style Station to check it out together. It's about two hours away, and I figure we can make a little day trip out of it. The owners even said they'll make us homemade hummus! They did mention that we'll have to stop in Waco to use the bathroom, though, as they only have an outhouse. Awesome!

Comment of the Day: Oh, pshh. I say you wear those petticoats as a skirt. Hell, layer them together enter through the garage door. -Little Ocean Annie

All I need is a horse.

I kind of look like I'm going horse riding today, but that's alright.

It's no secret that I don't really like how I look in jeans. Also, I don't really like how binding long sleeved button-up shirts feel so I don't wear those a lot, either. But alas, I was looking to get out of my style rut so I tried both of the things I usually forgo. I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised how it turned out.


date: 9 February 2010
occasion: Denny's Free Grand Slam Day earlier today. City group tonight.
vest: vintage (Blue Velvet, during its 50% off sale)
shirt: Express
jeans: Tommy
boots: vintage (Style Station)

This vest is going to go see Jessica soon as it begins its journey with the Delightful Dozen. I'll be sad to see it go, but since it will one day return to me, I'm excited to see eleven different ways to style it.

Have y'all discovered any new clothing combinations lately that you surprisingly like? I feel like it's so much more work to mix up my wardrobe in the winter, so I would love to hear your recent discoveries and solutions!

Eye can change

This gloomy weather is determined to get me down, but I shall prevail! I forgot to snap an outfit photo from Friday's Fashion Freakout, so I put on my entire outfit again today, redid my hair and make-up in an identical manor, and used my new remote to snap my dailies. This dress is my standard cool-weather dress-up dress, as the material is rather bulky and the sleeves provide great coverage:


date: 5 February 2010
occasion: attended Fashion Freakout 3
dress: BB Dakota
$5 1970's fur: Texas Thrift (mint condition)
silver clutch: Savers
brown bag (for cameras): thrifted, Favorite Things (Atlanta)
tights: Target
necklace: courtesy of ClydesRebirth.com

I wore colored contacts on Friday, too! I used to wear all the weirdo colors in high school (confession: I even got my senior portraits done while wearing violet lenses. What was I thinking?!), but now I just stick to hazel and grey. I usually only wear them when I'm auditioning and I think my character would have different colored eyes than regular, ole' brown like I have, but every once in a while, I wear my colored contacts to mix things up a bit out in public or I have to wear them when I run out of clear lenses. This is Freshlook's Pure Hazel for dark eyes:
As soon as I find my old senior pictures, I'll scan them so you can laugh at how alien I look with PURPLE eyes! I'll be in Indiana in March, and I think they may be in storage at my uncle's house. I hope you can hold your laughter until then.

Clyde's Rebirth is an Adored Austin sponsor.

Video: Fashion Freakout 3 recap

Last night's Fashion Freakout was amazing. This is the third year they've had the event, but this was the first time I was able to make it. The clothes were crazy fun, and as I stood there watching the show, - I kid you not- I got a little teary eyed thinking about how much I love Austin. Truly, I live in a wonderfully creative, eclectic town, and I'm so thankful that Austin is a city where stuff like this happens. Unfortunately, all but three (of my 245) photos were a bust. Most of mine are terribly blurry and/ or are shots up people's noses. I got there bananas early and stood at the very end of the runway.
I got a good look at the clothes, but sadly, I was not able to document it well from what I thought was a primo posish. I gave up on taking photos after the first act, and I tried to film the second act since my video camera is slightly better equipped to handle low light and movement. All apologies, though. Due to the blurriness and getting bumped a couple times I had to cut out a couple of the models. Also, I'm sorry for all the up nose shots! I hope you can still see that it was a wonderful, fun, vibrant show (watch for my dream dress at the end of the New Bohemia set. It's white and made of tulle). If you have eight minutes and 55 seconds to spare, check it out. If you missed it and/ or don't live here, feel free to live vicariously:

EDIT: 8 February 2010- This is actually version two of the video, as the producer had emailed me late Saturday night to kindly ask me to re-edit the footage using songs from the show to preserve the show's "aesthetic" and to "present it in it's truest original form". Huge thanks to him for taking time out this weekend to send me MP3's from the show. It was my pleasure to do the re-edit, and big apologies for having the video go AWOL all day Sunday. Thanks for your patience, dear readers!

One of my most favorite moments was during the first act when I freaked out because one of the New Brohemia models opened his jacket to reveal MY FAVORITE T-SHIRT.
Oh, I flipped out! THIS T-SHIRT IS FROM 1987! See how excited I am? Twenty four hours later, and I'M STILL USING ALL CAPS! What are the chances that two people in the same town have the same shirt from 1987?!

I got to meet a ton of really nice folks last night. I had dinner at Koriente with Michelle from Wicked Whimsy and Amanda from Disheveled Stars (happy birthday, friend!). I caught up with Austin's hardest working events photographer, Austin 360's David Weaver, and I chatted briefly with the effervescent Tolly of Austin Eavesdropper. Tiffany of Austin is Burning worked the runway like a pro. Between acts I met Anna from News 8 (thanks for the shout-out, girl! ...On a side note if you go read Anna's recount of the Rock 'n Swap, you might recognize one of the women in her story... just sayin'!). The cherry on top of my amazing night was that after the show I met one of my most adorable local readers, ever! Her name is Gretchen, and she and her darling friend Stefant should have been strutting their fine selves on the runway. I snapped a street style photo of them and was pleasantly surprised that despite the low light and posing them outside the restroom, it turned out great. It totally helps that they're both freaking adorable, though:
Stefant, Textiles and Apparel Design major, UT:

leather jacket- Charles & 1/2 (UO), tank: American Apparel, pants: thrifted (Buffalo Exchange), Boots- Guess?, Jewelry- Guess?, Diesel, Aldo.

Gretchen, Fashion Merchandising major, UT:

leopard coat- F21, top- UO, leggings- Express, boots- vintage (Blue Velvet).

Wow. This was a really long post! I'm proud of you if you stuck it out this far! If you were unable to make the show, get ready for next year. Fashion Freakout Four has such a nice ring to it!

Amazing job, Buffalo Exchange, New Bohemia, Prototype Vintage, and everyone else who made this show happen. Keep on keepin' Austin awesome! I'll try not to cry like a lamewad next year.

For more photos, please see David Weaver's A-list set on Austin 360.

Tonight: Fashion Freakout

I was supposed to go to Dallas for an audition today, but I didn't make it. That means I can definitely make this, though:

It should be nothing short of amazing and totally worth the $10 ticket price. I happened to be shopping at Buffalo when the store clerks were in the fitting room choosing their outfits. Everything was insanely awesome and those people can strut!

Up your cool points. Throw on something dark and sparkly. I'll see you there. I'll be flying solo tonight as Hubs is opting to go to poker night with the dudes from Beer Town Austin. If you'd like to meet up for pizza at Brick Oven or noodles Koriente at 6:30 p.m., email me! I'd love to get to know you better!

There's more to me than what I wear? Really?

On Wednesday night, Hubs and I got together at my friend Miranda's house to have dinner and to do a meet and greet with some of the guys who are speaking at Verge 10. I learned a lot from them and got super inspired to get The Wonder Love up and going. I know some of you may think it's bananas that I'm starting another blog, but I really needed a place where the topics can be a little broader. Writing is so much fun for me, but I want to keep Adored Austin on the path it's on now. I do think our new blog will be just as funny, but over there I will talk about things other than what I'm wearing or where I'm shopping. I hope to detail how our quest for pregnancy is going, and maybe one day it will be a baby blog! The Wonder Love is still under construction (I'm going to work on the header and the sidebars today), but we went ahead and added a little content, including a video! Check it out if you want to!

Also check out what I wore on Wednesday. It's the skirt I got at the swap that I said wasn't really my style. I decided to give her a chance:

date: 3 February 2010
occasion: potluck dinner
sweater: Goodwill (Kankakee, IL)
skirt: swap
tights: We Love Colors
shoes: second hand Old Navy (swap)
dress (as shirt): American Apparel
belt (as necklace): gift
alligator bracelet: Fashionique

Yesterday I got an incredibly sweet email from Tolly, one of the organizers of the swap. Ever since I got that anonymous comment regarding my Rock 'n Swap recap, I've been feeling like a schmuck. I've been combing my mental Rolodex of all the people it could have possibly been and obsessing about whether or not they think I'm a terrible person. Finally, I just let it all go, and I used yesterday to relax and work on the new site. All your encouraging comments and emails regarding the comment combined with Tolly's incredibly gracious email lifted my spirits. I truly feel like I have the best readers in the world! I promise Adored Austin will not get abandoned (unlike my ill fated dinosaur mash-up site). Adored Austin is my first love. The Wonder Love? Well, right now that's just my thang on the side.

Get your block on!

Back in August I was the lucky recipient of some freaky strange Flickr messages. Erin from Work with What You've Got even warned me that come fall/ winter the guys with tights fetishes will come out in droves. Ick-o. She, unfortunately, was right. So today, as a public service announcement, I'd like to show y'all how to block these dudes. Fair warning: some of these dudes are tricky. They often pretend to be other girls.

Here's the common scenario: you log into Flickr and see that you have a new contact! Yay! You don't know who they are (they may or may not have an avatar), so you don't mark them as friend or family, certain that it's just another harmless admirer or reader of your blog. They may have even added some of your photos as favorites. Awesome! Feels good on the ego, no?

Do yourself a huge favor. Click on their profile.

What are their other favorites? What are their groups? Who are their other contacts?
Here are some tell-tale signs that a freak flag may be flying:
1- Are most of their favorites girls in tights, women's feet, girls in bikinis, or marked as "adult"?
2- Do they belong to groups like "Females in Socks", "Pretty Petite Bare Feet", or "Nearly Nude Promo Babes"?
3- Are some of their contacts named strange things? Note: questionable names include anything ending in 69 and anything containing "feetlover".

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you may be Flickr contacts with someone who does not use your photos for good. And since these types of people often connect with one another to share photos, it's best to block them. From their profile page, simply click "block this person" (it's on the right). You should see this next:

Confirm this and your photos will even be removed from their favorites lists.

Yuck. I hate that I even had to deal with this, but as I was looking around on some of these dudes' profiles this morning, I saw several familiar faces from Wardrobe_Remix. Time to get your block on, ladies!

Comment of the Day: girrrrl, thank you for this reminder! I just went through and blocked what felt like 5 bajillion pervy-types. I went through both those who had added me as a contact AND those who had favorited any of my photos and were creepy. the latter took forever, but at least they won't have that pic of me readily available for who knows what anymore! -Chelsea

No magic pants involved... as far as I know.

The lovely Elizabeth over at Delightfully Tacky one day sent out a little email asking some of her blogging buddies if we'd be interested in doing an experiment: a "sisterhood of traveling style", if you will. Past bloggers have done this before with each other (ahem, Calivintage and What I Wore), so happily, we were all game. I was delighted to be asked to take part, and since each of us are different shapes and different sizes and live all over the country, it will be incredibly interesting to see how we remix and use the same exact items. I recommend adding all of these girls to your reading repertoire as they each have amazing, stylish, well known blogs. We're calling it The Delightful Dozen, and we are:

Indiana from Adored Austin (Texas), Erin from Calivintage (California), Rebecca from The Clothes Horse (Washington), Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky (Alaska), Mel from Ideé Geniale (NYC), Jen from Jen Loves Kev (New York), Kristin from Leproust Vintage (Tennessee), Julie from Orchid Grey (Massachusetts), Jennifer from Sally Jane Vintage (Pennsylvania), Tieka from Selective Potential (Michigan), Krystal from This Time Tomorrow (Nevada), and Jessica from What I Wore (NYC).

Selective Potential and Delightfully Tacky already have one link in the style chain as Tieka recently styled Elizabeth's Cosette dress. The dress will go to Ideé Geniale next:

I'm still trying to decide what to send. My box's first stop will be Jessica, and so far I'm considering my new, vintage leather vest, my Le Sac dress, my Clyde's Rebirth necklace, and my floral tunic. If any of you care to go through my Weardrobe account to see what'd be good to pass on, let me know!

Additionally, if you'd like, you can keep up with our experiments on The Delightful Dozen Facebook. Maybe you can even find out which one of us goes to Greece for the summer and meets a cute Greek guy. Or something like that.