This weekend has been rough, and this week is going to be rougher. Reasons being:
(1) A couple of days ago, in conversation with M., a topic of discussion rose up that sent me into a depression for a couple of days—it was an extremely unexpected and stark reminder of why our future together is so uncertain, and it came at a time when I was already at my limit for being stressed out. M. and I talked about it, mistakes were acknowledged (honesty, one of the reasons why I love the man), and I found my footing again, but, needless to say, I am still emotionally exhausted.
(2) I’m trying to finish another freelance assignment, my fifth (!) since I started getting into the freelance world (and I’m still working a full-time gig on top of that). I have to get through one hundred pages by Sunday and my current pace is about a page an hour. Not sustainable (or profitable, considering I’m paid a flat project fee). I’m definitely still on a learning curve.
(3) I haven’t slept more than five hours a night for the past three or four days. And while I am used to being sleep-deprived (it’s one of my worst habits), I’m not used to being sleep-deprived AND effectively working two jobs. One of the reasons why I am sleep-deprived is because I need the extra time to work, but my ability to work is impacted by the amount of sleep I get. So it’s a never-ending cycle…Additionally, when I am sleep-deprived my self-discipline flies out the window, leading me to spend time writing a blog post instead of working (ahem…).
This past weekend didn’t simply feel long though; it was actually longer than usual for us here in the United States, Monday being a federal holiday and thus an extra day away from (my full-time) work for me. Although I spent most of my holiday hours at home, dealing with the stress of freelancing and then the stress of relationship woes, M. and I did make sure to carve out a few hours for some bonding together.
On Friday night, we had a delicious dinner at the trendy Pl-zen (in Pilsen 🙂 ). For my outfit, I stuck to the simple t-shirt and jeans formula, but added a little interest through my accessories:
I’m wearing three thrift store finds here, something I’m proud of! My t-shirt was purchased from Village Discount Outlet (VDO), a local thrift store chain, and is a soft linen-cotton blend. The bright red pumps, with their awesome 80s vibe, are also from VDO. And, finally, the navy cross-body bag is from Encore Resale, a thrift store in Hyde Park.
To add some “quirk,” I wore furry burgundy earrings (made by me!) and patterned socks from a Japanese brand called Tabio.
On Saturday afternoon, we took a walk down 18th street and wound up at the edge of University Village, by a nice little underpass (and a randomly placed extension cord). I kept my look casual that day too, and as before I added interest through my accessories:
My black top (which I knotted in the back to reduce billowiness) is from Crossroads Trading, and the purple shorts were a gift from my Mom. I brought out the furry earrings and the navy cross-body again and maintained the blue + red color scheme by adding my navy leather loafers (first mentioned here) and a maroon snapback (which I bought from a big fashion retailer back when I didn’t think about where my clothing was made).
Oh, and the circles on my knees? They’re tights! Apologies to the woman who commented to her friend, “That woman has patches on her knees, that’s creative,” as I walked past her down the street. I have misled you, ma’am. They are not patches, nor did I come up with this concept; it was the brainchild of a better designer than me. (Hansel from Basel, to be precise. I hope they are an ethical company, but I haven’t been able to find any information to confirm or deny. To be on the safe side I should probably wean myself off of purchasing from them, but I haven’t yet because, if you haven’t figured this out by now, I have a huuuuuge love of interesting socks and tights.)
It’s been a while since I’ve brought out my collection of quirky socks and hosiery, and I’m glad I did! I love wearing and experimenting with unusual pieces. Sometimes I like to build an outfit around a stand-out accessory; it’s both challenging and rewarding!
Well, here ends my life and fashion update, I need to get back to the grind now. Cue more sleep deprivation, yay!
I’ll leave you with a parting image of myself shielding my face from the sun along some old railroad tracks we found, because why not:
I hope all of you have a lovely week!
Much love,
—S. (a.k.a. AMisplacedPen)
Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way to write about the businesses I have mentioned. This post expresses my honest opinions.
Misplaced Pen 
Awesome!
LikeLike
👌🏼
LikeLike