Caterpillar Contact

What I'm Wearing:
Blouse: Milano /  Skinny Jeans:  Salt Works NYC (they're PURPLE, I promise) /  Shoes: Lifestride (DSW)

The other evening, I was outside enjoying the mild spring weather pulling the pesky weeds that have decided to sprout up en masse in my flower beds.  I donned gardening gloves for the task, and as I worked I suddenly felt some mild discomfort within my right glove over the back of my wrist.  I thought perhaps a rogue thorn had slipped in, and ignored it as I worked on.  After all, I was on a roll and it was only a mild discomfort...

Until it turned into a very distracting, very acute stabbing pain.

And when I pulled off my gardening glove, I discovered a little caterpillar half in his cocoon and half out, stinging away at my wrist in protest for my premature disturbance of his metamorphosis.

So, now you know: caterpillars can hurt.  I'm fairly certain it was the irritation of his little hair tufts rather than any bite.  Even so...OUCH.

Sorry little buddy for disturbing you...I don't know how you ended up in my glove!

(And no, I didn't wear this outfit outside gardening.  This was my outfit of choice for a lovely family dinner at my parents' house. Steaks on the grill, beer, and family...what more could a girl want?)

Besides my accidental caterpillar contact, I haven't been up to a whole lot.  Work has been kicking my butt lately; I come home and basically collapse on the couch with a glass of wine and my Apple TV each evening.  In fact, this pretty much sums up my feelings on life:

Can anyone else relate?

Linking Up:

Style Sessions

Belated Easter Outfit

I know this is almost a week late, but I took a few minutes to snap some photos of my Easter Sunday outfit and just realized I never posted them.  D'oh! 

What I'm Wearing:

Blazer:  Soulmates (thrift)  / Lace Tank: Verve Ami /  Skirt: Lauren Conrad (Kohl's) /  Boots: Bare Traps (DSW)

I picked up this lovely tulle skirt from Kohl's a couple months ago, and Easter seemed like the perfect opportunity to wear it.  I love the gold elastic waistband, and I thought the floral print in my thrifted blazer matched the pale rose color of the skirt nicely.  The air still had a bit of a chill in it, so I wore my favorite heeled boots to complete the look.  And now I want to fill my closet with tulle skirts, because they are JUST SO FUN and FEMININE!

This evening I plan to spend relaxing with friends at a local wine bar listening to some live music.  Tomorrow, I FINALLY tackle the lawn!  Does anyone have any special plans for the weekend?

Linking Up:

Anything Goes

Earthy

Is there anything more comfortable than a wrap dress? And is there any better excuse to wear earthy tones than EARTH DAY?  Nope and nope, so say I.

What I'm Wearing:
Wrap Dress: Old Navy (old, thrifted)  /  Cardigan: Forever 21 (old, thrifted)  /  Leggings: Marshall's
Shoes: thrifted  /  Fedora: vintage

Today I had every intention of mowing my lawn.  After all, that's the responsible thing to do as a homeowner on your day off work, right?  Instead, Ohio weather had other plans. We've had lovely spring thunderstorms rumbling through the area all morning, effectively keeping me inside as my little lawn gulps up the rain showers and rebelliously shoots up taller and taller.  Oh well.  Somehow the rain seems fitting for today, EARTH DAY.   Everything seems a bit greener today, a bit brighter, and a bit more ALIVE.

So even though I'm stuck inside watching the rain fall (and my yard grow longer), I'm not complaining.  After all, the earth is essentially giving me full permission to stay inside with a cup of coffee and a good book.  And what could one possible complain about in that?

Linking Up:
Stylish Tuesday  /  Style Sessions  /  Favorite Fashion Friday

Freesia Friday

The Spring Pantone Color Challenge draws to a close with FREESIA, also known as the-color-everyone-thought-would-be-purple-but-isn't. Pantone has decreed that freesia is a vibrant in-your-face YELLOW.

I realize these shoes have made an appearance rather frequently as of late, but they are just SO comfortable and versatile!

What I'm Wearing:

Blouse: The Limited (thrifted)  /  Cardigan: Worthington  /  Jeans: a.n.a. (thrifted)  /  Shoes: LifeStride (DSW)

Here's the thing about yellow: I am often tempted to pair it with navy blue, and have even walked out of the house in yellow and navy before giving it too much thought.  However, I live in OHIO STATE BUCKEYE country, and the sight of NAVY and YELLOW together all too quickly brings to mind thoughts of THAT SCHOOL UP NORTH (COUGH - University of Michigan - COUGH).  Technically their colors are "maize" and blue, but any yellow/navy color combination is enough to elicit a rather visceral reaction from the Buckeye faithful.

And so, because I bleed scarlet and gray, I am very careful to never, ever wear my yellow cardigan with a blue shirt.  (As tempting as it may be.  Because, you know, navy and yellow really DO look quite nice together...)

"Don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan, 'cuz we're from O-HI-O...!"

Linking Up:
Pantone-Inspired Color Challenge: Freesia

Hemlock Green and Socrates

Today's Pantone-inspired color of the day is HEMLOCK GREEN.  I interpreted it as a kind of minty green, and pulled out my favorite pocketed "hemlock" and gray skirt to style for the occasion.

 

What I'm Wearing:
Blouse:  Lauren Conrad (Kohl's)  /  Skirt:  Mossimo Supply & Co. (thrifted)  /  Boots:  LifeStride (DSW)

This look is something completely different for me.  I typically always tuck shirts IN to skirts, but I thought the cut of this blouse made for a fun, loose, almost kind of edgy look. Besides, it bunched up really weird when I tried tucking it in, so out it stayed!

The word "hemlock" immediately gave me flashbacks to my plant toxicology course in vet school.  Believe it or not, I once sat through a 30 minute lecture on the dangers of hemlock poisoning in sheep, pigs, goats, and horses.  Bottom line: it's bad news bears (I guess that's why they call it POISON hemlock, yes?). Thank goodness the plant apparently tastes terrible, so most critters will stay away from it.  Oh, and here's a fun fact: the ancient Greeks executed Socrates with the juice of poison hemlock. So now you know.

The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David

To celebrate hemlock and Socrates, here are a few of my favorite quotes by the old philosopher:

“Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.” 

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” 

"To move the world we must move ourselves.” 

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” 

“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” 

Have a wonderful Friday, friends!

Linking Up:

Pantone-Inspired Color Challenge: Hemlock Green

Paloma Tuesday and Introvert Woes

The Pantone-Inspired Color Challenge week continues! Tuesday's color is Paloma, a lovely light gray. I wore this outfit thrifting with my sister the other day, and I must say it was quite comfy:

What I'm Wearing:
Shirt: Belle du Jour (thrifted) |  Jeans:  Grane
Scarf:   Old  |  Shoes: Merona (Target)

Just a quick update this evening, as I am BEYOND exhausted.  For an introvert, a day full of non-stop social interactions can be more than a little draining.  Fulfilling, yes, but draining nonetheless.  I need some time to reflect and digest on the evening before I share more about my first date.

Instead, I'll just leave you with an excerpt from an incredible poem I recently discovered by the amazingly talented Warsan Shire:

...And you tried to change didn’t you?
closed your mouth more
tried to be softer
prettier
less volatile, less awake
but even when sleeping you could feel
him travelling away from you in his dreams
so what did you want to do love
split his head open?
you can’t make homes out of human beings
someone should have already told you that
and if he wants to leave
then let him leave
you are terrifying
and strange and beautiful
something not everyone knows how to love.

Linking Up:
Spring Pantone Challenge Paloma 

Radiant Orchid and Firsts

Modern Austen and Literate & Stylish are hosting a Pantone-Inspired Color Challenge this week, and I'm very excited to participate!  Sometimes I just feel really uninspired staring at my closet, and these are just the sort of challenges that help me find creative new ways of wearing the pieces I already have.

Today's challenge: RADIANT ORCHID, Pantone's color of the year.  It is a brilliant, warm mix of purple and pink.  Here's what I did with it:

 

 

What I'm Wearing:

Blouse: Chaus (TJMaxx)  |  Cardigan: Talbots |  Belt: Thrifted 

Necklace: Gift from Sister   |   Jeans: New York & Company (thrifted)   |  Shoes: Life Stride (DSW)

I'm just coming off of a long 3-day weekend, which is always a little tough.  The definitive highlight of my day was vaccinating a pair of 6-week old kittens this afternoon, who were tiny enough to fit in the pocket of my lab coat.  I'm convinced there is NOTHING cuter than a kitten...except maybe TWO kittens.  Both of the little cuties were orphan kittens, and the dedicated owner had bottle raised them.  I'm always a bit worried about bottle-fed kittens, as they are some of the more challenging behavior cases I see later in life.  There is something to be said for the boundaries mother cats teach their babies that we humans just aren't able to set for them.  I'm hopeful that the two I saw today are on their way to becoming well-adjusted fur kids!

I am actually super excited to have tomorrow off, because for once in my life I have exciting plans that extend beyond doing dishes or entertaining my cats with laser pointers.  I have a hair appointment at noon for a cut/color (MUCH overdue, I might add!).  Afterwards I'm going consignment shopping with my mom, and then...tomorrow evening...I have a first date.  Yep.  Moi.  Me.  It has been a very long time since I've had a first date, so naturally the butterflies are wreaking havoc.  Seriously, it's like a butterfly mosh pit rocker convention in there.  Perhaps it's time for some tea.  Anyone have any tips on settling these nerves so I don't end up an awkward jumble of nervous energy and, well, awkwardness?

P.S. I'm saving up for a new camera.  Not just any camera: a DSLR CAMERA.  Just you wait, world! One day grainy photos will be a thing of the past for The Fashionista Vet!  

Linking Up:
Spring Pantone Challenge Radiant Orchid / Monday Bloom

That Great Bakery in the Sky

What I'm Wearing:

Blouse: Worthington (JCPenney)  |  Cardigan: Anne Taylor Loft 

Jeans: House of Derreon (Macy's)    |  Boots: Bare Traps (DSW)

Photo bombed by my cat Abby.  Oh, the life of a crazy cat lady.

Yes.  Those are CATS on my cardigan.  In my opinion, any outfit is instantly elevated by the appearance of little cat silhouettes:

Yesterday I helped an older gentleman say goodbye to his pet cat of 15 years.  The old tom used to come around the man's bakery looking for handouts, until one day the baker took pity on the cat in the frigid winter temperatures and brought him inside.  The rest, as they say, is history: the yellow tom had no interest in ever going back outside.  

As together we said goodbye to the old tom cat, still purring even though his poor little body was racked with disease, the old baker tearfully said to me, with a smile, "Don't worry, doc.  Animals have souls just like ours. I'm really not sad, because I'll see him again one day.  Only not like this! He's gonna be healthy again, doc! Not like this...not like this." And the old tom passed away peacefully, purring all the while.

People say to me all the time that the worst part of my job must be euthanizing animals.  I can honestly say that, in most cases, it is not.  "Euthanasia" literally means "good death", and being able to bestow a peaceful passing upon a suffering animal is often the greatest gift I can give my furry patients.  Like the old baker, I  believe there's more to come after we pass away - more for humans as well as for animals.  And that, my friends, is an encouraging thought.

So goodbye, old tom.  May you find some peace in that great big bakery in the sky.  And if it's not too much trouble, save me a doughnut.

Linking Up:

Friday's Fab Favorites /  Favorite Fashion Friday

Salamanders and Spring

Last week, as I was perusing all my old favorite fashion blogs, I happened to click on over to Megan and Nora's "Two Birds" blog.  They continue to host their popular "Inspiration Monday" link-up, and I'm very happy to participate once more in the tradition!  This week's inspiration is January Jones:

I was mainly inspired by the STRIPES in this cute dress, and decided to run with the pattern.  Anyway, it's still way too chilly to even consider baring legs...

What I'm Wearing:

Shirt: Cocomo Petite (via Thailand)  |  Jeans: House of Derreon (Macy's)  |  Scarf:  Charlotte Russe 

Cardigan:  JCPenney   |  Boots: Bare Traps (DSW)

Come to think of it, I actually don't own very many stripes. This pattern can be a bit tricky to wear, as thicker stripes tend to accentuate flaws around the midriff.  And we don't need to bring any more attention to that area than needed, right?

Yesterday my sister and I spent the afternoon "herping" - that is, crawling around the Metro Parks turning over logs and stones looking for amphibians and reptiles. Not a very feminine activity, I know; we are definitely not "girly-girls"!  The weather only very recently warmed up, so we weren't expecting to find a ton of critters out and about.  However, our hunt was rewarded with a TON of red back salamanders!  These are such fascinating little creatures, and it was truly thrilling to find them crawling around their dark, moist little habitats, harkening the arrival of Spring.

Usually we would only find one lonely little salamander chilling under a rock, but sometimes we would find several all living together in their own little salamander world:

I can't wait to go herping again once Spring is well and truly established.  Maybe we'll be lucky enough to find some snakes next time!

(Credit for the salamander photos goes to my sister, who took these photos wither her phone during our herping adventure.)

Linking Up:
Passion For Fashion / Inspiration Monday / A Journey In Style: Floral Week

Weekend Veterinary Woes

Sometimes I really hate Fridays and Saturdays.

That seems like an awfully un-American thing to say, doesn't it?  But for a small animal veterinarian, those two days of the week hold a special significance.  For whatever reason ( :: insert theory here :: ), these are often the busiest and most heartbreaking days of the week at work.  I won't bore you (or depress you) with details, but suffice it to say this past Friday and Saturday were no exception to this general ho-hum rule of thumb. Tonight I enjoyed a nice, quiet evening of margaritas and enchiladas with my sister and brother-in-law, and threw together a super casual outfit for my foray into public (sans white coat, blood stains, and fur).

What I'm Wearing:

Shirt: Thrifted |  Jeans: Thrifted  |  Cardigan: Levi's Outlet  |  Necklace: Present from sister (I think from Kohl's?)

Belt: Thrifted   |   Boots: Tractor Supply Company

To be perfectly honest, I threw this outfit together after I got home from work, and by the time I left for dinner I had thrown my hair up into a bun and changed necklaces.  Am I the only one whose outfits tend to evolve as the day progresses?

On a different note, these photos also give you a peek into some of the things I've done to my piano room!  The pig-jumping-into-a-lake picture over the piano always makes me chuckle.  Although, seeing that most pigs can't swim, it kind of takes on a darker note and feeling when you realize that poor pig is probably committing suicide.  (WHOAH, Megan!  Depressing much?  Sorry, ya'll...I guess I really AM in a dark mood.)

Anyway, give your fur-babies a hug tonight, folks.  It's a cold, sad world out there.  Or just swing them over your shoulders in a backwards embrace of love.  Whatever works.

Calvin may look highly annoyed in this photo, but he was actually purring.  Quite loudly and enthusiastically, I might add.  Yeah, he's an odd one.

Linking Up:

I Feel Pretty

Wait, what?

I think we're all agreed...LONGEST. WINTER. EVER.

It bothered ME, Elsa.  It bothered me a LOT.

I don't know about the rest of you out there on the interwebz, but as of a week ago I was about ready to pack up my bags and catch the first plane headed ANYWHERE SUNNY, WARM, AND NOT OHIO. This past winter REALLY got me down. Between the new house, new job, new city, and un-ending Winter (can we blame Elsa ala FROZEN?), I'm sure some degree-holding psychology guru could have diagnosed me with seasonal-affective-whatever. And you know what? I missed writing. And I missed blogging. And I missed wearing clothes that made me feel like an individual and not a cog-on-the-wheel at work.

 But enough about that. I am SO excited to share with everyone the progress I've made on my humble nest (as I refer to my house at present). You guys, HOME OWNERSHIP IS SO MUCH FUN (mortgage, utilities, and home repairs aside). I have officially turned into my mother, who used to drag me into home decorating stores at the mall when I was little as I begged and whined for her to just-leave-me-at-the-Disney Store-dammit. Yes, there IS a Martha Stewart inside me, and she is well pleased. So you have that to look forward to.

For now though, here are just a couple shots of outfits I wore pre-POLAR VORTEX and never had the opportunity to post. Because, you know, laziness.

 

I don't know what it is about me and birds, but if there are birds on something (be it dress, shirt, scarf, jewelry, kitchenware...virtually anything you can fit a bird on), then I MUST HAVE IT.  I wore this dress (from DRESS BARN, on sale!) to a dear friend's wedding, which happened to be on the same day I got the keys to my new house. I'm looking forward to wearing it again come warmer weather, and may try belting it with a thicker belt.  The built-in-belt really did nothing to flatter my curves.  Oh well.

 

And THIS ensemble...I'm gonna be honest. I don't remember this day, or the occasion. There probably wasn't anything particularly special about the day I wore this, so not much else to say about THAT. The skirt I've had for ages (a hand-me-down from my older sister), and the shirt came from my trip to Thailand.  And this scarf I wear with everything. Because it's perfect, and lovely, and would only be better if there were birds on it.

If you couldn't tell from this post, I'm also still on the Frozen obsession bandwagon.  I've had a couple folks tell me that Anna is basically my doppelganger, between the red hair, bangs, and general awkwardness.  I kind of love her, so I'm okay with the comparison. And it's true: I am awkward. But I like to think of it is an adorable sort of awkwardness, kind of endearing-like, in an "Oh look Megan messed up again, how cute" sort of way.  (Except maybe it's not as endearing as I'd like to think, what with the whole failure-on-the-dating-front issue and all. But I digress. Can of worms...YOU SHUT YOUR LID.)

Until next time, friends:  Remember to burn the good candles.  Life's too short, and they smell so much better that way.  Sometimes you just have to...LET IT GO.

(Sorry...I couldn't resist.)

FROZEN Gif Credit: http://rebloggy.com/post/1k-spoilers-disney-spoiler-myedits-5k-frozen-let-it-go-disney-frozen-elsa-frozen/69317844213

Linking Up:

What I Wore Wednesday