Would you believe me if I told you that this is not my favorite t-shirt and jeans look? I picked up this Marine Layer tee as it was being discontinued, and while it's not bad, do you know what's better than a soft black t-shirt? A soft white t-shirt (which sounds like I'm being accidentally racist but in reality I just think it makes the color of my skin pop more).

In other news when I went to see my hair stylist last month we went with a darker brown with red undertones because I'd like to phase the red out (it's very high maintenance and I'm sick of leaking color everywhere) but you know what I see here? RED red hair, which probably means I'm f*cked cause I'm not going to chop it all off and start over.

Really this outfit started with the shirt. A shirt I immediately needed to have as soon as I saw it in Bulletin, so I'm sorry it took me so long to feature it here.

I think a lot of our lives could be improved by "reclaiming our time" though I'm not particularly good at it myself.  Maybe I could add it to "give less f*cks" and keep my fingers crossed that I get better at both.

Sometimes a print or a shape alone is enough to get me to walk into a new-to-me store, and that's exactly what happened with Me Two Designs. I had never seen the storefront before in Tyson's, but I loved the combination of more modern shapes with the traditional African print. The sizing is a little strange - this large fit perfectly, but others weren't going over my hips or boobs without divine intervention - but it's definitely a label I'd like to explore more in the future.

Oh, and if you're taller than me this dress would probably be perfect for you to wear with flat sandals, I had to hem about 3" off the bottom.

On the Saturday of BlerDCon I managed to wander by the mecca of any fashion/costume blogger: a wall mural. I feel like maybe it was the universe's way of saying "good job on the McDonald's decision", since before that moment I hadn't really decided where Jessy and I would be taking pics.

First up is also my first foray into the world of craft foam armor, as Warrior Princess Daisy! Instead of waiting for Luigi - or Mario - to do the saving, she's out kicking Bowser butt and moving on to the next castle looking for more.

Is it perfect? Or the internet's best example of craft foam armor? No to both, but it's done and I don't feel completely embarrassed wearing it, so let's just call it a win, lol. I'm also excited to wear it with my BFF's coordinating Princess Peach at DragonCon! Though I feel like I need to work on my "fierce" poses....hmmm....

You know what doesn't need to be AS fierce? Punk Ms. Frizzle, that's who! This costume was born out of my love of the books combined with my desire for a comfier costume option, lol, so I'm pretty pleased with it. At DragonCon my plan is to wear this with my natural curls, but since my hair had already been straightened for BlerDCon I just went with it.

Y'all, I'm not going to lie - I have no idea how to encompass BlerDCon. Once again I was completely blown away by the caliber of talent, on the floor and in panels. It's an incredible way to spend a weekend and I apologize that my pictures are so crappy. I have a hard enough time taking pictures in costume during an ORDINARY convention, and BlerDCon is definitely not one (in the very best way possible).

I'm going to share a post later this week with better costume pictures for myself, but until then, please enjoy these cell phone pics, and let me assure you that checking out BlerDCon's official Instagram is the better way to witness everything in all its glory.

Hi, name is Dana and I have a jumpsuit problem. Not one that's big enough to make me throw out half my wardrobe in favor of them, but I'm sure at this point I probably own more than enough for one person.

I picked up the one below from The Frankie Shop, a store in SoHo that combines new and vintage pieces (that I only went to because of Lizzy Hadfield).  What's possibly most mindboggling about this piece is that it's considered "one size". Have I ever fit something labeled one size before in my life? If I did it was definitely before my memory was good enough to grasp the remarkability of that, so it doesn't count.

You can see from the link below that (obviously) it doesn't fit me like the model, but this is one of those rare moments where I like the way it fits me better. With my curves I don't do well in pieces that are super large and oversized, so the wide legs, belt, and fitted torso are more flattering. I've already worn this a couple of times and will continue to do so, because it's hot as hell in DC and this jumpsuit is 100% linen and unlined.

As part of my most recent NY trip I made sure to warn my friends ahead of time that much shopping would be done, possibly very little would be purchased, and that this was completely normal/what I expected. I also apologized in advance for any boredom they experienced. There was possibly no better example of this than at the Glossier showroom, where in the middle of the late afternoon, in full blazing summer sun, there was a freaking LINE. A line. To get in to the building and up the elevator.

I sh*t you not, waiting in line with a bunch of chatty women at least two decades younger than me (some with THEIR MOMS) has never been less appealing than when I had to do it in over 100 degree weather.

And then, when I did make it inside (and full disclosure, the line moved faster than I thought it would) the showroom wasn't even much cooler D:. I understand that everyone's AC was doing the most trying to combat the intense afternoon sun, but I cannot browse - let alone try on - makeup and skincare while actively sweating. It's just impossible. I compensated by doing the fastest round robin in history, viciously denying my dollars and time to products I didn't think would perform well (i.e. 99% of the skincare and all the lip products. My friend Jessy bought the raspberry scented lipgloss and the only thing she said to me afterward was "make sure to tell everybody that lipgloss is sh*".).

Now, the way you actually shop the showroom is also unique, because instead of pulling products and collecting them as you go, when you walk in they hand you a paper with a checklist, and after walking around the (much too) small space, trying/swatching/smelling/etc, you grab an associate in a pink jumpsuit, who then takes your order. Finally, after all that, you wait and they call your name to hand you your pick padded envelope (that's in another plastic bag. So much plastic is wasted here.).


First up for review is Boy Brow and the Stretch Concealer, both of which I actually feel pretty positive about. Boy Brow is a brow gel in a teeny tiny tube with a teeny tiny brush, and I went with the tinted version because while I have a little sparsity in the front of my brows, I'm generally too lazy to apply product to correct it. Now I didn't realize until after I'd completed my purchase that there is actually a darker color available, but I don't think it's noticeably too light. Instead I would say it does a good job of grooming all my hairs and keeping them in place for the day, while adding a bit of color just where I want it.

I've thought about this, and apparently I have very little to say about this outfit other than -

1) I love maxi dresses
2) I'm sorry this one is old so there's no current links to buy it new
3) The correct maxi dress length is always nearly skimming the ground while wearing your shoes of choice, thus guaranteeing the longest leg line possible.