jeanofalltrades

February 5, 2012 · 9:27 pm

Green Sneakers for Skydiving

I went indoor skydiving recently. It was so much fun and I highly recommend it. I booked a beginner session for Mr. Jean of all Trades and myself through a local outfitter, iFly Seattle. The instructor was a lot of fun–and very helpful. This sport is safe for novices but with practice, it gets to be a fun and challenging event.

The preflight instructions said to wear “well-fitting, lace-up sneakers, or running shoes. Other shoes are not suitable. Wear casual clothes, preferably pants and a shirt with no collar.” Dressing for the event would be the hardest part! I don’t wear sneakers in public. I tried that once and was in a shame spiral all day.

But I do have a fun pair of green shoes that I don’t wear often. They did the job.

Notice the lack of collar on my shirt? See how I’m wearing pants and keeping it casual? I can follow instructions to a T!

Cardigan: Nordstrom
T-shirt: Old Navy
Jeans: Express
Shoes: Champion
Purse: Crystalyn Kae

When we arrived at iFly, we threw flight suits over our casual clothes (think mechanic’s coveralls or racecar driver’s outfit). I didn’t get to take a picture of myself in that gear because my valuables were locked away during the jump.

And for those of you wondering what the heck indoor skydiving is, well, it’s a vertical wind tunnel that moves air up at high speeds. When you jump into the wind tunnel you float and soar around. It’s hard to describe. It didn’t give me butterflies like a rollercoaster and it didn’t make me feel queasy like a boat. It was simply fun.

Have you tried it?

8 Comments

Filed under Events, Fashion

Tagged as fashion, indoor skydiving, jeans, style

February 4, 2012 · 10:35 am

Shadow Shot: Miami Beach at Dusk

I’m participating in another Shadow Shot Sunday. This time, I’m showing the walk I took down Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Florida. Ocean Drive is part of the South Beach neighborhood. It all sounds very complicated. All you need to know it that this area is hot, gorgeous, and features a lot of amazing art deco hotels and other buildings. The structures are in original condition and boast an array of pastel colors.

This hotel is a great example of art deco style, with its geometric shapes, sharp lines, and streamlined curves.

This large building is illuminated with lights. The palms add softness and remind me that I was, in fact, in the tropics.

This building had a subtle light show. The color of the facade slowly changed from green to blue to purple to red to orange.

I loved the corner detailing on these two buildings and the beautiful palms that adorned its entry.

People kept photographing this home and I finally learned what all the fuss was about. It’s a hotel now but was once the residence of fashion designer Gianni Versace. (Sadly, he was gunned down on the steps of his home in 1997.) This is one of the most photographed homes in America.

As soon as the sun disappeared, beautiful, wealthy people flooded Ocean Drive. They arrived in Lamborginis and Bentleys and were ready for a night on the town. That was my cue to head home. It’s a great place but it’s hard to keep up.

Don’t forget to check out all the other blogs posts about Shadowy Shots.

11 Comments

Filed under Architecture, Fashion, Photography

Tagged as architecture, art deco, House of Versace, Miami Beach, Ocean Drive, shadow shot sunday, style

February 3, 2012 · 6:04 am

Red Dress for National Wear Red Day

It’s National Wear Red Day®, a day to show support for women’s heart health. Heart disease is the number one killer of women. With that in mind, I’m donning a red dress.

The best things you can do reduce your change of heart disease is quit smoking and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine has excellent information about plant-based diets and how they virtually eliminate risk factors for heart disease. The message seems to be have a heart–go vegetarian! Of course, you know I already am. I have been for thirty years and I feel great. Have you made dietary changes for any reason?

Bamboo dress: Boutique in Seattle
Tank: Charlotte Russe
Vintage belt: eBay
Boots: Naughty Monkey via thrifted
Ring: Festival Flea Market

I recently cut 6 inches off the bottom of this dress. I liked the longer length but wanted something more edgy. Cutting a hem on a skirt is probably the quickest DIY makeover I can think of. I didn’t even sew the edge. It was already unfinished so cutting it and leaving it wasn’t a problem.

2 Comments

Filed under DIY, Ethical, Fashion, Healthy Living

Tagged as dress, fashion, PCRM, style, vegetarian, wear red day

February 2, 2012 · 7:56 am

Color-Blocked Sweater

Back to the cool Pacific NW winter. Oh well. You haven’t heard the last about my Florida trip!

I found this color-blocked sweater on sale at Old Navy (before my self-imposed shopping ban went into effect). It’s so simple but it works so well with jeans. The cut of the sleeves adds interest to an otherwise common combo.

Sweater: Old Navy
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity
Shoes: Seychelles
Ring and necklace: eBay

I’ve worn these jeans about 25 times this year. They were on sale, but even if they weren’t they’d be a good value, if you look at the cost per wear. Better to wear a $100 pair of jeans 25 times than a $40 pair twice! (If you can find a $40 pair and wear them 40 times, well, that’s even better.)

2 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as fashion, jeans, style

February 1, 2012 · 11:31 pm

Menswear with a Feminine Twist

I like menswear-inspired clothing. I wasn’t sure I could pull off a vest and tweed pants, but I found both of these items at a clothing swap and had nothing to lose.

Top: H&M
Vest: Express via swapped
Pants: Swapped
Tights: Target
Booties: Old Navy

I added a bold blue top to spice things up and wore tights and heels (heels being a decidedly womanly style). I like how the pants (or are they shorts?) are embellished with metallic thread in a floral pattern. How lady-like!

Coat: eBay
Gloves: H&M

It was a cold day in Seattle, so I wore a coat over the whole thing. This coat was an eBay find. It’s the type of thing I can buy online without having to worry about whether it’s going to fit. The waist is adjustable and the sleeves are loose. There’s no seam at the shoulder so “tailor-made” wasn’t a requirement. In fact, it’s kind of cape-like.

1 Comment

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as clothing swap, fashion, style, thrifty fashion

January 31, 2012 · 6:16 am

Velvet Blazer and Ruffles

I haven’t worn this asymmetrical skirt in years. I wore this velvet blazer once this past spring, but it hasn’t seen the outside of my closet for a while. I’m sticking with my resolution to wear all the things in my closet, so I paired these two neglected items and made a new outfit.

Tank: Target
Blazer: Doki-Geki
Skirt: Broadway Boutique
Shoes: John Fluevog
Purse: Thrifted

I went out for brunch with Mr. Jean of all Trades and I liked being put-together and comfortable. I have this jacket in black and the skirt in burgundy, so perhaps you’ll see a very similar outfit in different colors soon.

And for the first time I’m actually organized enough to participate in Sophistique Noir’s Monthly theme. This month is rings. You can’t see my new ring in the photo, so here it is up close.

And here it is on my hand.

Ring: Crazy Harry’s
Polish: Earthly Delights

I realize that I’m lousy at applying nail polish and even lousier at being a hand model. If I keep my hands moving, the manicure doesn’t look bad, but up close, well, it’s a bit sloppy. Nevertheless, I like my ring. It has an art deco feel to it. I bought it at a market in Fort Lauderdale last week.

Check out all the other entries at this month’s roundup:

10 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as fashion, ring, skirt, style, velvet blazer

January 29, 2012 · 6:49 am

My Blog-a-versary

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been blogging for a year already–303 posts!. I wrote my first post on January 29, 2011. The first thing I did was join Kendi Everyday’s 30 for 30 challenge. What a great way to focus and have fun deadlines and goals! I met a lot of other wonderful bloggers that month–and every month since!

The blogging community has been awesome! I joined the Feminist Fashion Bloggers soon after starting this blog, and later in the year I joined the Ethical Fashion Bloggers. I’ve participated in group challenges through Everybody, Everywear, Modly Chic, and Pretty, Shiny, Sparkly. I met a group of Seattle style bloggers at a picnic organized by Lindsay Living. I show my thrifty side at Color Blind’s Thrifters Anonymous link-up and my artsy side at Shadow Shot Sunday. I love being connected to amazing people all over the world.

I was thrilled when WordPress put me on their home page–twice! In May, they Freshly Pressed my Santa Fe Art Walk post (and it became my most-viewed post). In November, my dad and his thrifty style were featured (that was my second busiest day). The other posts that round out my top five are my DIY T-shirt Scarf post, my DIY Maxi Skirt Post, and my Bumble Bee Tattoo post. Four of my top ten posts are about feminism.

I’ve done guest post exchanges and had work from my Etsy shop featured on other blogs. All the wonderful opportunities and mentions are listed on my As Seen In page.

I’ve been invited to fashion shows and wine tastings. I’ve done product reviews and discovered wonderful local designers. Crystalyn Kae and UNA are two of my favorites.

My top commenters were Carmen, Lucky Duck, The Boston Fashionista, Victorian Kitty, and Sadie SewBaggins. Thank you for your support. This blog wouldn’t be successful without you.

I had a lovely tribute video made for me by my fashionable mom, who recently started a blog of her own. It really touched me.

Here’s to another fun year!

6 Comments

Filed under Fashion, General

Tagged as anniversary, blogging, fashion, style

January 28, 2012 · 11:53 am

Shadow Shot: Florida Palms

It’s been a while since I took part in a Shadow Shot group post. Maybe because Seattle hasn’t seen sun in so long and without sun, it’s hard to find shadows. Lucky for me, I was recently in Florida: The Sunshine State. Here are a few photos that are distinctly tropical–and shadowy.

For me, anything Thunderbird is such a throwback to the America of yesteryear. I picture a stylish, early 60s-era couple–she’s wearing cat-eye sunglasses, a pretty dress and white gloves; he has on a tailored suit with a narrow tie. They’re rolling into the drive-in in a 1963 Cadillac convertible. It probably never happened, but I like to think it did. This is the back of a drive-in screen in Fort Lauderdale.

These trees were growing outside the entrance to a condo complex in Pompano Beach. To residents, they’re probably nothing special, but they’re so foreign and different to a cold-weather gal like myself. I love how they represent warmth and sunshine to me.

The sunsets in Florida were picture-perfect. Every night the sky lit up with gorgeous shades of pink and blue. I love the pastel painted buildings in Florida but they paled in comparison to the sunsets.

Make sure to check out the other shadow shots on The Shadow Shot Sunday blog.

20 Comments

Filed under Art, Photography

Tagged as Florida, palm trees, photography, shadow shot sunday, shadows, style

January 27, 2012 · 6:20 am

Monochromatic Florals

When I went to Fort Lauderdale for a day of sun and shopping I chose a black and white, floral handkerchief skirt and simple black T. Coincidentally, my mom was wearing a black and white floral top and black capris. We’re quite coordinated, don’t you think?

On mom:
Top: Calvin Klein
Capris: Roots Canada
Purse and shoes: Fort Lauderdale street market

On me:
Top: Target
Skirt: Thrifted
Shoes: Timberland
Purse: Crystalyn Kae

We walked up and down the beachfront, dipped our toes in the water, and looked through the surf shops before stopping for a mimosa at an outdoor patio.

Later, we drove down Las Olas boulevard past Millionaire’s Row to the River Walk. The houses in the wealthy neighborhood had streets in the front and canals in the back. Nearly everyone had a pool and a yacht! River Walk boasted floating restaurants and dinner cruises, towering condos with sweeping views of the beach, and a lovely path where we checked out the water’s edge.

Before heading off to dinner we hit a quaint downtown shopping area with neat shops and restaurants. A fun day for sure!

5 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as capris, fashion, monochromatic, skirt, style

January 25, 2012 · 11:14 pm

Flamingo Pink at the Bird Sanctuary

I visited Flamingo Gardens in Davie, Florida during my trip to the sunshine state. It’s a wonderful, not for profit, animal sanctuary that rescues, rehabilitates, and (when possible) releases injured wildlife. Many of the residents I saw were permanent fixtures. They were too injured to ever be wild again. But they have a good, safe environment at Flamingo Gardens and are excellent embassadors for their species, like Pee Wee, the screech owl:

I bought this Annie 50 dress three years ago at Radish Underground in Portland, Oregon and I’m ashamed to say I’d never worn it. So when I packed for Florida, this was the first thing to go in my suitcase. It’s got screen printed flamingos on it! Annie 50 is a Montreal company. This dress was made in Quebec, purchased in Oregon, and made its debut in Florida. Quite a trip! Today I wore it as a skirt by throwing on a ruched top over it.

Top: H&M
Skirt: Annie 50
Shoes: B2
Sunglasses: Target

I found a few birds that matched my outfit. Here they are.

I’ll show you other pictures soon too: pelicans, hawks, alligators, bobcats, and a panther! Many of the animals had run-ins with cars or power lines. I guess that’s what happens when we encroach on their habitat. I’m glad Flamingo Gardens exists so animals can get much-needed help. the caregivers I met (especially Critter Kim) were knowledgeable and passionate about animals. If you have the chance, I highly recommend visiting them.