You've got Questions? I've got answers.

Where are you originally from? 
I don’t have a “hometown;” I always say I’m from a little bit of everywhere. I was born in California, then moved to Virginia, then to New York, then to Illinois. That’s where I spent most of my time (4^th grade through highschool). I moved to Dallas for college, and the rest is history! I am pretty much a Midwesterner (I’d say that’s my “personality”) but I’m quickly becoming a Texan. I like to say—“I wasn’t born here but I got here as quick as I could.” (Thank you, bumperstickers.)

How did you meet your husband? 
We met… at his mother’s house. Yep. It was St. Patrick’s Day three years ago and his mom lives near the annual St Paddy’s Day Parade route. It’s pretty typical for Dallasites to attend this parade (debauchery always ensues) and we needed a “meeting point” for before and after. My friend told me she was invited by her friend (now her sister in law, long story) and so she invited me. We met… and literally, the rest is history. We started dating practically that same day and have been inseparable since. He’s fantastic and caring and so sweet. Oh, and friggin’ brilliant—he was a member of Mensa and boasts and Einstein-like IQ. Not kidding. J

What’s your go-to outfit? 
It’s hard to answer this, because I don’t really have one. It changes so frequently because my style is ever-evolving. Right now, it would be a body-con skirt, a flowy tee shirt and a fitted blazer. I’m currently having a “thing” with minis, if you can’t tell by my recent OOTD posts! This is a far-cry from the way my fashion sense was only a few months ago, where I would have said a tunic dress, leggings and a blazer—something less fitted and more laid-back. I suppose the blazer is the common denominator that I have always loved and always plan to love.

If you could only shop at 1 store for your wardrobe, which store would you choose? 
Yikes! Hehe… If money were no object? Shopbop, hands down. That online boutique has almost everything a girl could want. But unfortunately, that’s not financially possible at the moment. So I would say Nordstrom for now. I actually used to only shop there, honestly. Awesome shoe selection, great range of clothing (from BP to Savvy) and always great customer service. Nordstrom has been a favorite of mine for a very long time. (oh, and if you had asked me this question back in high school/early college? I would have said Express—literally, my closet was only Express.)

What is your favorite color to wear and why? 
I love all jewel tones. They just make me happy. But I think I like wearing teal the best, because it brings out my eyes and works with my in-between skin tone. In the winter, I’m pale with some rosy hues, especially in my face, but in the summer I’m tan with a yellow-ish undertone. Teal works with both, I think!

What is your beauty routine in the mornings? 
Ahh, the eternal beauty question. I always laugh because most fashion bloggers dabble in the beauty-world, too. They seem to go hand-in-hand. But for me? I’m the anti-beauty blogger. Not because I hate makeup but because I’ve struggled with my skin since I can remember and have been generally jaded since then. I’m lucky to have gotten past that phase but I still have problems with redness, dryness and uneven skin tone. So after my shower, I currently use Clinique’s super-hydrating crème (I forget what it’s called) because of my insanely dry skin. I really don’t use any other skin primers, facials, etc. Then I apply Clinique’s superfit foundation, Clinique’s cream stick blush, and a sweep of mascara on my top lashes only (Loreal’s H.I.P. mascara in black). Pretty simple—moisturizer, foundation, blush and mascara. It’s a whole’nother story in the evenings—that’s when I wear eye shadow (in bronzes and purples only).

What does your closet look like?   
A complete mess. Lol… here are pictures:  

one-half of it... you can see the blazers/jackets section

shoes! when they're all put away the rack is full. I just donated a bunch to charity.

Some dresses... my favorite section!

 jewelry organization... or lack thereof.

I still can’t figure out how to properly and neatly organize it. Color? Style? Right now, I do (from right to left): dresses, pants and skirts next to it, then tops, then tees, then long sleeves, then sweaters (mostly light spring ones). They are sort of color coordinated, but not really. All my winter wear is banished to my drawers and storage cubbies. On the opposite ends of my closet go my blazers and jackets; then on the other side is my dresser with accessories on top. I hang all my necklaces and earrings on corkboards so it’s easier to see and so they don’t tangle. My shoes sit on stackable racks and my flats get tucked in one of those door-hung plastic holders.

What is your favorite piece of clothing?   
For sure: my BCBGeneration salmon colored dress with ruffles at the front. It has a short hemline (I love!) and pockets (I love more!). I bought it at Nordstrom almost 3 years ago, which is a long time for an item to live in my closet, and I always feel pretty in it no matter how many times I’ve worn it. I have a problem with most items—after a few wears, it feels “old” and no longer exciting. Not with this dress. I heart it. You'll be seeing it soon...

The clog trend - yay or nay? 
I actually love the Jeffrey Campbell ones (or the Chanel ones, which will never be mine)… 

 Gulp. Gorgeous!!!

But the literal take on the clog, like from Sweeden? Nope. Sorry. A bit too orthopedic… :-\

What is your go-to, never fail outfit for almost any occasion? 
This was sort of answered above, but for any occasion? It would for sure involve a dress—hands down, dresses are the most versatile item of clothing a gal can own. Much more so than a skirt/shirt pairing, I think! I would have to say it would be a printed dress (think abstract print with plenty of color, like a DVF wrap), my Jeffrey Campbell lace up shoes, and a strong-shouldered blazer. That outfit is classic but has enough trend to it that I could be comfortable. Plus, it could pass as either dressy or casual and I wouldn’t feel awkward no matter where I was—work, dinner date, movie, etc. 

Tell me about your career...
I had a few involving this question, so I'll just get wordy, heh.  As most of you know, I'm in the field of psychology-- I have my Bachelors and Masters in it now. I will be pursuing my PhD in counseling psychology come this fall. I'm not sure what area I plan on specializing yet-- I hope that grad school will help me figure that one out! My program is very cool-- takes a feminist perspective to psychology and focuses on the empowerment of the client. Although I've worked with a lot of populations (juvenile delinquents, brain injury, depression/anxiety issues, women's issues), I can't quite say what I like the best. What I can say is I know I want to be a therapist and I know how I want to practice psychology-- I'm a huge fan of the interpersonal, huamnistic and psychodynamic traditions. For those of you who don't know, those areas are mostly concerned with letting the client drive the therapy session rather than setting out with a "plan" for therapy. It's more open ended and, although still goal oriented, centers around a "repect" for and attention tor the therapeutic setting. And yes... I love me some Freud. Sorry, can't help it. :)

Girrrrrlll, show the wedding dress goods!
Only have to ask me once.... ;)

 it was so hot in there and I was sweating like a madwoman, but these pics show the dress pretty well. I wore that birdcage veil, too, and it may have been my favorite part of the wedding ensemble.

...and just because I like this picture:

The dress was by a Spanish designer, San Patrick. It was a sample and they took it from a size 12 to a size 0. A great tailor, I had! I love this dress, but if I were to do it again I might go fuller near the bottom... an exaggerated version of the trumpet-fit, and maybe would have done silk rather than the lace appliques. But like I said, I loved it and the second I put it on my mom said, "That is so you!" That's all I needed to hear. :)

Do you like Ketchup or Mustard better? Or perhaps another condiment?

Although I know the asker of this question loves her ketchup, I must admit I hate it. My husband eats it like crazy and has been known to eat ketchup sandwiches. I like mustard a lot better, but honestly, I don't do condiments a lot. Hate mayo... oh! But as a Midwesterner, I could eat ranch with almost anything. Fries, on top of pizza, you name it.

What is your favorite movie?

I am a HUGE sucker for Pixar films, so I would say WALL-E or Up. Make me cry every time. I also love: Let the Right One In (foreign vampire flick), Sweet Home Alabama (best chick flick ever), I Love You Man (hilarious!) and Watchmen (so smart and fun to watch). So-- I don't really have one fave. :)

Do you have any nicknames?

None that have stuck, but here have been some common ones in my past: J-Rock, Jaybles (I have no idea), J, Justey, Justiney, and Teeney.

What is something we would never know about you?

Hmm... I first skiied when I was 4 years old and have loved it since. Although I haven't been in a while, I was pretty good. And I skiied the Alps! I was on my high school's golf team. I hate ice cream (which I've admitted before). I have a bigger right foot than left. I can't stand eating noises. I started kindergarten one year early. I  have a stuffed ghost that I am inordinately attached to. I have horrible vision and have worn contacts since I was in the third grade-- can't see my hand in front of my face practically until it's touching it (thank god it's correctable vision). That's all I can think of for now. :)

Where do you shop most often (fave stores?)

Number one is probably F21, which I hate because the quality is not the best, but it's the truth. Great trendy styles for cheap-- I'm a sucker. Two would have to be Nordstrom, then Anthropologie, then a tie between Free People/Urban Outfitters (I give that company way too much money!). I used to buy a lot at BCBG and Express but have strayed lately, mostly because I feel the clothes are very "manufactured" and mass produced-looking. Other go-tos are Lulu's, Francesca's, Shopbop, ModCloth, and Endless. I heart shopping.

 

Do you love to decorate your home as much as you love clothes?

The short answer is no. I once said I wanted to be an interior decorator, and then I woke up. I suck at it, lovies. it's pathetic. My apartment is a mish mash of husbands things and my poor attempt at decorating. I definitely plan on hiring someone when we get a house. It's so weird, too... because you'd think a fashion-aesthetic would translate to a design aesthetic, but it doesn't for me. I think it has to do with how often I change my fashion sense-- I can't change my decorating sense quite as often, and that maybe scares me. Who knows.

 

Where do you want to travel in the next year?

Good one! I'm very excited to get to go to Vegas for the first time in a few weeks, so my sights are set there. But I would love to also take another trip to NYC. I lived in New York and have family there, but I want to revisit as a tourist soon. And party like its 1999. Europe is on my 2011-2012 radar (but as a side note, I've been to many countries-- I traveled abroad my sophomore year in college and lived in Rome).

 

Were you popular in HS?

Another great one! :) I was one of those in-betweeners. I wasn't a nerd, but I wasn't well-known or cool, either. This sounds strange, but I recall having to make the "choice" as to what group I'd fall in to my 8th grade year (in Peoria, junior high dictated everything about high school status) and I decided it was too much pressure to be cool. There wasn't much to do in good ole' BFE Illinois, so to "prove" yourself you had to sleep with guys and drink copious amounts of alcohol. I never thought that was cool, so I chose to be not-so-cool. I'm just not a cool person... I'm strange and different and preferred Dostoevsky to "The Real World"... and like it that way. :)

 

What was your major if you went to college?

See above... but to sum, I went to a small liberal arts school here in Dallas and majored in Psychology. I was never "undeclared;" I always knew this was the path for me.

 

What do you do for a living?

Ahem... I'm a "neuropsychometric technician/administrator/

trainer of new internship students/bitch to two psychologists/electronics whisperer." I'm quite the jack of all trades at my office, but my favorite is when I get to test clients for social security evaluations or psychological evaluations. That's what I like-- being around others and hearing their stories. I like gossip. That's why I love psychology.

 

What made you start blogging?

I first discovered the blogging world last summer when I was looking for a Fiona Paxton necklace look-a-like, and typed "Look for Less" in Google. No surprise-- I came up on Jen's blog and read it... and then subscribed to a million more... and then thought, maybe I can do this? I've always loved fashion, just as much as I love psychology, but I knew it was too hard-core to get in to the field professionally. I needed some sort of outlet for my fashion... and poor husband was getting way sick of hearing about my new obsessions. I have no one else to talk to about this (I don't have fashion-ey friends), so now you're my captive audience. :)  Blogging was my way "in" to the field without actually being "in" anywhere. I like that it's relatively anonymous and that I get feedback on what I wear, so it's been a great way to accomplish a lot of different things-- on the practical and purely narcissistic sides. Heh. 

 

Could you style the romper? (Day to night, blazers vs. cardigans, what sort of shoes?)

I left this one for last because I'll dedicate a whole post to it with Polyvores/IRL pics for inquiring minds. The short answer to the question is there is no short answer-- rompers are all so different so it's hard to say anything definitively! Like, I think a cardigan would look better with the more casual rompers, like the Juicy Couture ones made of terry and are strapless; but I think a silk romper that has more elegance would look better with a blazer. Some could go either way (think the Sine Bow Bound romper from Anthropologie's Fall catalog... very versatile with both a cardigan or a blazer). So stay tuned this week for a styling post. Oh, and by the way-- for any others who would like to submit styling requests, feel free! It's one of my favorite things to do, so I'm always up for a challenge. :)

Whew! Thank you to everyone for the questions, and I hope you feel like you know me a little better. :) I hope everyone had a fun and chocolate-filled Easter!