Style Stimulus Package for Lesbians

Yeah, the economy continues to tank and us girls have no extra money to spend on ourselves. Ah, if only Obama would have listened to me and included a clothes and shoes stipend in the stimulus bill. It would have put money back into the economy while making us happier and more stylish! I don't know about you, but new stuff makes me happy. It seems like I'm not the only one. Our entire culture is all about having the latest and greatest "stuff". We tend to buy things to make us feel better about ourselves. It's probably one of the reasons why our economy is in the dumps.

For example, I used to be an emotional shopper. Shopped when I was sad. Shopped when I was mad. It seemed to make me feel better until I got that credit card bill in the mail that I couldn't afford to pay. After finally getting out of credit card debt, I learned my lesson. Now, I'm a guilty shopper. "Oh, I can't afford that. I don't need that." If only someone would give me a $1,000 just to have fun, guilt-free shopping. Well since that's not going to happen any time soon, I've come up with a solution that will help me satisfy my need to shop and help the economy without breaking the bank.

Shop at Goodwill. Many people are not aware of the greatness of Goodwill. They think it's that place where you take all of the stuff you'll never wear again but would never actually buy anything there. I particularly like Goodwill because you get two-fold results from spending your hard earned money there. One, you get some nice clothes for yourself. Two, Goodwill provides education, training, and career services for people with disadvantages. According to their website, last year "local Goodwills collectively provided employment and training services to more than 1.1 million individuals". Sounds like an organization that everyone would want to support at a time like this.

There are so many good finds and deals at Goodwills too. I love going to Goodwills in cities other than where I live. They're perfect for finding t-shirts and sweatshirts that have local logos. They've also got those retro styles that we're so fond of. It's great for those of us who want to look fashionable but not like we tried too hard to look that way. You can even make it a challenge between you and your partner or friends to see who can come up with the best outfit for the least amount of cash. That's if you're competitive like me. So come on ladies, grab your girl and get to a Goodwill.

Fabulous Rainy Friday

For those of us who live in Northern California, we know that the rainy season could take up half the year. Yes, we are spoiled because we don't have to deal with the cold and snow that some more eastern states experience. Nonetheless, the rain can become, let's say, annoying at it's best. I acknowledge the rain is much needed. However, it can put a damper on your wardrobe. I have to wear closed-toe shoes again? I have to wear my same old raincoat again? How boring!

Well, this Friday I'm looking on the not-so-rainy side of things. I'm going to embrace the rain and celebrate the wonderful styles we get to adorn because of it. This means rubber boots! I recently got an e-mail from one of my favorite shoe stores, DSW with their latest "spring" styles of boots. Again,those of us in the Northwest will break these in way before springtime. There are various colors and patterns that would add the finishing touch to any outfit. And if you don't want to wear big old galoshes at work, you can bring your cute non water resistant shoes with you. Try it out to make those rainy days a little more fun and fashionable.

Fabulous Friday

This week I decided to go with an eco-friendly fabulous Friday in honor of my partner who has made me the earth-loving person I am today. There are so many green products in the style sphere worthy of mention but I will mention two of my favorite today. These items are related and I'm sure either one would be a great gift for yourself or your not-so-femme girlfriend.

I received a Harvey's Seatbelt Bag as a gift from my co-workers when I left my last job. The entire bag is made of seat belts. It is extremely durable as you would think it should be since seat belts are made to hold lots more than your cherry chap stick. I have not been able to find out if the seat belts they use are recycled or not. I think they are most likely not since they come in floral patterns and non car interior colors like purple. This makes them less eco-friendly but it is definitely a very versatile bag that could last for many years.

The other item I will mention for this fabulous Friday is a Duct Tape Wallet. My partner got one of these for Christmas from my sister. She absolutely loves it. It's very tough and looks cool. Both the Seat belt Bag and Duct Tape Wallet are definite conversation pieces. I receive so many compliments from complete strangers. OK, so the Duct Tape Wallet probably is not really considered a green item either. It just seems like it should be since it's made of something that has many uses. Obviously I have lots more to learn from my partner!

Aloha Style

OK, I know that I've been absent for awhile but it is with good reason. I was on my very long overdue honeymoon with my wife of five months. It was a fabulous adventurous, romantic, relaxing Hawaiian vacation. I am still in my Hawaiian frame of mind therefore it is really difficult for me to think of any fashion topic that I actually feel like writing about. You see, I was on the island of Kauai. The people of Kauai are very laid back and don't seem to care much about anything those of us who live on the mainland care about let alone fashion. The extent of their wardrobe is t-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops. They are much more concerned about how many rainbows, whales, and sea turtles they saw that day or how many roosters they avoided hitting while driving on their two lane road around the island.

While we were there, I completely embraced this lifestyle. I thoroughly enjoyed not wearing make-up, not having to decide what accessories to wear with each outfit, not caring if I was wearing the perfect shoes, and not worrying about how I looked in general. I basically wore one pair of black flip-flops every day with every outfit except for my ugly Teva-like sandals that I wore to zipline, hike, and kayak. This experience got me thinking about fashion and I realized something that I already knew deep down inside; fashion is not THAT important in the grand scheme of things. This does not mean that I'm not going to write about fashion, think about fashion, or change my style in anyway. But I am aware that there are more important things in life. Anytime you need a reality check, go to Kauai. Seeing a rainbow everyday may be all you need. Mahalo.

Fabulous Fridays

To celebrate the start of the weekend, I am enacting a new segment called Fabulous Fridays. The Fabulous Friday or FF posting as I am calling it (you can substitute whatever F words you like), will be a fashion tip, hot celebrity style, or shopping recommendation to kick off your weekend.

Since this is the inaugural post, it had to be fabulous of course. I love this photo for two reasons. One, Uma Thurman looks hot. Two, it coincides with my fashion tip of the week. You have got to own at least one fabulous bag. Yes, I'm a girly girl. I like purses and handbags and I like to match them with my outfits. I love the classics like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel. These designer bags go with just about any outfit from a cocktail dress to sweats. But if you don't have two grand to drop on a purse or if you're not really a purse-carrying kind of gal, there is still hope for you.

Finding the right bag is again like finding your own style. My girl wouldn't be caught dead toting my hot pink faux crocodile clutch. Nor would I be seen hanging with my girlfriends sporting her black messenger bag. So first you must figure out your style and what particular look you're going for. Then pick a bag that compliments your style. You may not think having a hot bag is essential to your look. I disagree. It completes any outfit by providing the finishing touch.

If you're really just not into bags, then go for a fabulous wallet. I guarantee when you pull it out for the first time to pay for your new girl's dinner, she'll notice. It will make her realize that you consider the details and you've got good taste.

Shoes: Part Deux

If you read my last post, you already know that I recently blew 40 bucks on a pair of not-so-pretty shoes. This is a big pet peeve of mine. I hate spending money on things that I don't really love. This may be a shock to you. You may have thought that I just frivolously spend my paychecks on various shoes, bags, and clothes. Sorry to disappoint you, but I truly am a horrible shopper. I love window shopping but it takes me forever to actually choose something worthy enough of my hard earned money to buy. My partner gets extremely frustrated when we shop together. She's constantly trying to talk me into buying various items of clothing and even shoes. But since I don't shop very often, I want the item that I'm buying to be something that I will love and wear often.

I have been checking out the spring shoe trends to find a new pair that I'm willing to drop some dough on. I really can't stand the Gladiator sandals as I've stated previously. I do like the colorful shoes that are going to be popular this spring. I find that bright colored shoes can really "make" an outfit. DSW and Aldo are two of my favorite places to buy shoes. DSW has good deals on quality name brand shoes. I like the royal blue Converse sneakers. They're very versatile and can be worn with jeans, shorts, or even skirts. If you really do like the Gladiator look, check out Aldo. I found a version of the Gladiator sandal that I actually like. Aldo tends to be a bit pricier but they have hot shoes. This leather pump will be perfect to wear with the neutral clothing styles that will be popular this spring. Well, all of this research has sparked the shopping bug in me. Where's my credit card?

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes

I gotta tell ya. I love shoes. Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I love shoes. Sneakers, sandals, flats, heels, flip-flops. I love them all. I would have many more pairs of shoes than I already have if my partner would just give up her half of the closet for my prized possessions. Since I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon, I'm going to have to settle for my current set-up. I'm only allowed to have as many shoes that will fit in my closet. I am forced to get rid of older shoes to fit new ones. This also prevents me from constantly buying shoes since there are many older shoes that I want to keep. It is actually a pretty good system for a compulsive shoe buyer like myself.

The point when this system breaks down is when I have to buy shoes that I don't really want. Yes, there is such a phenomenon. For example, my partner and I are going to Hawaii. All of the tour books recommend wearing some sort of sandals with traction. You know what type of sandals I'm referring to because many lesbians own them. They're called Tevas. Now I have never owned a pair and I never thought I would ever own a pair because they are just plain ugly. But when I rationally thought about hiking, kayaking, and zip-lining in my cute little black flip-flops, I realized there wasn't an option. I had to actually buy a comfortable, although hideous pair of shoes. I searched one of my favorite places to buy shoes, Zappos.com and found the best of the worst sandals. At least they have some pink in them.

When my sandals arrived, I tried them on and it was exactly as I had imagined. They made my already size 9 feet look like two skis wearing surgical boots. And I had to give up space in my closet for these? At that point I made a decision. There was no way that any of my beautiful Aldo heels or Steve Madden flats were going to give up their home for these monsters. So, they will just have to sit on top of another pair of shoes. Although, this set a very dangerous precedence. I can actually buy more shoes and build layers of shoes in my closet. I can't wait to start my spring shoe shopping!