At the Arcade

| lip: Wet n Wild Liquid Catsuit in Video Vixen | hoops: Target | blouse: J.Crew Factory | belt: Local Honey | cardigan: H&M | jeans: Madewell via Poshmark | shoes: Target | 

Here's your daily reminder that life's not about waiting for the storms to pass - it's about learning to dance in the rain.

My sunshine-y California heart has had just about all the rain it can handle! In addition to the general bleariness, driving back from Chattanooga this weekend, my sister & I were hit by a car that spun out in the awful rainy conditions. I am incredibly thankful that everyone involved is fine! But my car, not so much. Betty is in the shop, and I am hoping will make a full recovery! So I've been dealing with all of that this week, and it's felt like a part-time job. Again, the dose of perspective is that things could have been much worse, and I am truly thankful. But, car stuff sucks, right?

If only all of our rainy day problems could be solved as easily as this shoot was - it was miserable and cold when Miles & I set out to take these pictures, when he suggested shooting indoors-ish. The Arcade is an open air, covered mall, basically, in downtown Nashville, which I couldn't believe I'd never been to! I am so, so, pleased with how these turned out. The forever musical theater kid in me is rejoicing at how dramatic and moody these look! And the neon light does not hurt.

If you do not already own a fuzzy cardigan, I would highly recommend one! This is one of my favorite things in my closet (as evidenced by all the wears on this blog.) And there are SO many good options out there, at all price points, colors, and lengths (I've linked to a few in the widget.) I also really love this belt that I found at my favorite local vintage shop a couple years ago. I wore it non-stop after I got it and them promptly forgot about it for like a year? As is often the case!

I was tweeting about this recently but my no-buy has REALLY been put to the test since my favorite affordable make-up brand, Wet n Wild, has released so many new products that I'm dying to try!! They are so inexpensive it doesn't even feel wrong to pick up a few new things, but that's against the principle of the matter. So I will not. I'm holding strong with this Video Vixen I purchased awhile back (one of my favorite dark vampy lips, but I do think I'll purchase a new one when I'm "allowed", my tube feels very patchy.) Give it a try if you want a really affordable vampy lip that you don't have to feel bad about trying once and never again.

Another quick check-in about my no-buy: it's going well! I embarrassingly have to admit that I have had several dreams that I've shopped, and instantly thought, now I have to tell everyone?! Haha, is that so dumb or is this accountability really working?

I finally pulled the trigger on the Madewell jeans I've been planning to buy for a while (on the approved list) and I will do a review on whether they feel worth it or not. I also used a Poshmark credit I had to "buy" a very adorable, holiday blouse. Otherwise, minus the Wet n Wild thing, I am feeling GOOD without shopping. I do have a "Spring" purchase on the docket and as I suspected, I am feeling very particular about what exactly I should buy. I'm already thinking about a "Summer" purchase as well, and getting very distracted by all the cute swimsuits out already (does a two piece swimsuit count as two pieces?!?!)

Kinda kicking around a "My Spring Purchase" post idea, which could be a collection of all the trends I'm excited about for Spring and what I'm predicting my ONE purchase for Spring 2019 might be. Would anybody be interested in seeing this?

Thanks for reading! <3

photos by Miles Price