Oh the inner workings of my erratic mind

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Kaleigh

Have you ever been meandering down a pointless path of thought and then suddenly stopped and wondered how the hell you got there in the first place? And why you were even thinking about it? Welcome to my life on a daily basis

i stopped by walgreens the other day, because it was one of those weeks and I only go into walgreens when it’s one of those weeks. If you haven’t caught on to what one of those weeks is my walgreens receipt usually consists of chocolate, a random makeup item (to give me hope for the future) and one other item that my mother will probably be mortified that I mentioned on public Internet but ok it’s tampons. (breathe mom, i’ll type it quite a few times in the next couple of paragraphs so just hold on)

i was in a mood and i was angry at the world (a common feeling during one of those weeks) for having to even buy these ridiculous wads of cotton at highly inflated prices anyways, so it wasn’t a perusing kind of day, it was a get in get out and get that chocolate in my mouth asap kind of a day. So of course I didn’t notice until after I had handed over ten washingtons for a box of cotton(as in $10 guys. keep up) that the box had been tampered with. the top had clearly been bent back and a handful of tampons were missing.

now as soon as i realized what had happened (to clue you in: i bought a box of tamponians that someone had stolen a few from. i.e they had stolen tampons.), i went into a kind of stupor. I just kept staring at that stupid bent up box thinking, “what in the world would posses you to steal tampons? how low a person would you have to be to get a kick out of stealing bits of wadded up cotton on a string? where was your life?!”

but then i started thinking, “you know what, i had just been complaining about having to buy tampons. if i had no Jimminy Cricket and didn’t care about my soul then I would probably steal tampons as well. I mean it costs probably less than 5 cents (why is there not a cent button on the keyboard?) to make these things, and here they are stealing ten freakin bucks from me, ugh society is so messed up”but THEN i switched gears, “oh my bless what if it was some poor starving woman who didn’t have $10 to spend on tampons, so she had to steal them and now she feels horribly guilty but it’s not like she can return them, oh why did she start stealing, it starts with tampons and next thing you know it’s a car.”

and then I stopped myself and began pondering my sanity and tried to back track and figure out how in the world I got from buying tampons to praying for tamponless girls stealing cars.

The happy ending of this story? I didn’t go back in and demand a new box of tampons. I decided to buy that half opened box to make up for the ones that the poor girl had stolen from the huge mega corporation that probably never noticed anything was missing.

i worry about myself sometimes, i really do

forever21 jacket//borrowed top//turquoise necklace c/o Sira & Mara//ASOS metallic skirt//Charlotte Russe wedges

don’t forget to enter the PicMonkey Royale giveaway!

Winter Blues

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Kaleigh

pacsun beanie// Sound & Matter coat// Primark chambray shirt// H&M top// Old Navy pants// Target booties

In case you haven’t heard, Oklahoma was supposed to have the Blizzard to End All Blizzards this week and….it rained. womp woooomp.

Unfortunately that doesn’t change the fact that the sky is a perpetual depressing grey, the wind is blustery, and the chill seeps into my bones.

At one point in time, in the very distant past, I was excited about scarves and hats, wintery coats and chilly nights. Now? I want THE SUN.

I’m just not a winter kind of girl. I love sundresses, I’m excited to wear shorts, and I’m ready to go outside and NOT feel like there are tiny frozen daggers stabbing me over and over again.

Can anyone else relate? Who would vote for Winter to leave and not come back for a good long while?

linking up with Rolled Up Pretty and Because Shanna Said So!

How the Rambler Shops

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Kaleigh

Good morning!

I’ve frequently been asked where and how often I shop, and I was just going to answer this questions in a FAQ post but I decided it needed it’s own post :)

So let’s break this question down:

How often do I shop? Well I’d have to say that I window shop quite a lot. Like 5 out of 7 days a week. But I don’t mean physically window shop. I mean cyber window shop. 98% of my shopping is done online. Whether I’m actually looking to purchase an item or I’m just looking for inspiration, a lot of my free time is spent window shopping. Judge all you want.

How often do I actually purchase an item? Hmmm maybe a few times a month? It really just depends. If it’s a new season than that number will be higher because I’m purchasing items to supplement any losses I have incurred. I tend to wear items until they’re falling to pieces, so a jacket that has grown too small, a pair of jeans that have lost their shape, a pair of shoes that are really scuffed. Those basic items are the things I’m looking for at the beginning of the season.

The farther we get into a season, the fewer purchases I make. I might order a new scarf, or a cute hat, or a simple tee. Items that can be easily worn with multiple outfits. Very rarely do I buy an item that can’t be worn multiple ways and even more rarely do I buy an item at full price.

And despite what people seem to think, I DO wear items more than once. I don’t know where that rumor got started, but believe me it’s not true. I have two simple rules when I go shopping:

1. Can the item be worn at least 5 different ways with items I already own?

2. Will I still like the item in a year?

If it doesn’t match those two criteria, it’s probably not coming home with me, unless there are extenuating circumstances like I’m shopping for a special event, or I’m just feeling low and need a pick me up lol.

Now, on to the fun part!

Where do I shop?

Like I mentioned before, I do a lot of my shopping online but I do occasionally go to the physical store, so we’ll break this question down as well!

Physical Stores:

Target and Pacsun are probably the two stores I shop from the most frequently. There are also three local stores that I LOVE so if you are in the OKC area, check out Lucca, Blue 7, or Cloverleaf! I also VERY occasionally check out the Gap outlet. I’d love to say that I’m a thrifter but live I’ve mentioned before, I just seem to be missing that gift. If anyone knows of some thrift stores with a great clothing selection in OKC let me know!

Online Stores:

I’m a HUGE online shopper. Some people can scour TJ Maxx for hours and find great deals; I scour the internet. So here’s a list of my favorite shops!

ASOS. if you haven’t checked this out yet you really should. Two words: free shipping. And don’t try to ruin my life by telling me that they factored the shipping into their prices, because then you would be a really mean person. Point is, it’s cheap and trendy and they have a great 70% section that runs almost all the time.

Forever 21: I don’t even go into the store anymore, unless I have called ahead and know for a fact that they have the one item I want and it would be cheaper to just go in and get it. Forever21 online is a much safer way to shop. It’s organized and you don’t have to deal with the weird employees. (Anyone else get the heeby jeebies from the F21 dressing room attendants? They like to hover outside the door and want me to model every thing I put on. Just leave me alone and let me try on my items, thanks!)

Urban Outfitters: Since Oklahoma is ridiculous and still hasn’t built an UO yet, I’m forced to either shop online or go to Dallas. I love UO and they have some great sales on their website, sometimes better than the stores.

Ruche: super darling, very feminine, and great prices.

Threadsence: a little more hippy style but still with great prices

Lulus: I have at least 4 pairs of shoes from Lulus, and I love that they carry vegan leather items. They also have one of the best dress sections I’ve found yet.

Polyvore: Not exactly a store but if you’re looking for a specific item it’s a great way to search.

Shop my Closet Sales: This is my new obsession and I’m not joking when I say obsessions. Shop my Closet sales are a great way to find gently used clothing for a great price. Some of my favorite’s are Ruby Girl, Kelli Murray, or Ascot Friday’s instagram sales. Just search #shopmycloset and you’ll find a TON of sales.

Yay! So where do YOU shop? Any great stores I should know about?

Forever 21 jacket, necklace, tee, and pants ( when does it become embarrassing to wear an outfit primarily purchased from F21? When you’re not 21? Whoops!) Target booties, 7th & West hand chain, Unexpected Expectancy feather ring

Little Red

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Kaleigh

Forever21 jacket//Borrowed necklace// cape dress from Kelli Murray’s shop my closet sale (love her)// target booties

Don’t you just love capes? I felt quite super womanish in this, like perhaps I could have jumped off a tall building, or at least a tall chair. I didn’t try either, it was too cold. When I showed my mom this dress she was like, “um where are you going to where this?” ….everywhere, der! Why would I feel uncomfortable about wearing a caped dress to, I don’t know, let’s say work? Or church? Or a quick trip to Target? No shame my friends.

Let’s also note the fact that my legs are now nearing the shade of a 6 week old corpse, or possibly really milky {mushy} grits. I’m constantly hovering between yelling, “white is the new tan!” with an exultant fist pump included, or yelling, “turn the lights off it’s too bright! oh wait…that’s my legs.” and then slunking my way into the nearest ~~cancer~~ tanning bed. The fist pump will probably win, since tanning beds give me the creeps. You want me to lay down in a roaring light filled coffin NEKKID!? Where hundreds of other women just laid their sweaty bums? You know, grits are actually kind of pretty, I think I’ll keep my pasty legs, thanks.

Let’s not even get into the idea of a spray tan. The last time I tried it I came out looking like an ewok. No I wasn’t covered in fur and carrying a spear. My skin just happened to be the exact same shade as my eyebrows which was slightly terrifying. If you’re lucky, you can scrub the first 3 layers of skin off and look somewhat presentable for maybe a day before the dye starts fading and you look like you have some sort of scary polka dotted disease. And ALL of this gloriousness can be yours for the same price as a month’s membership to the cancer coffins(tanning beds)! No thanks.

Anywho, Happy Valentine’s Day! Otherwise known as Single Awareness Day. Or if you’re a cynic, it’s Our Societies Maniacal Attempts at Tricking the Unsuspecting into Purchasing Mass Produced Cheap Wares at Ridiculously High Prices, All in the Name of “Love” Day.

I kind of ride the fence on Val Day. I’m well aware of the fact that flower prices reach astronomical heights on the 14th, but if a guy wants to give me some flowers I’m sure not going to say no! And yes it’s a bit of a cliche to get all lovey dovey on Cupid’s holiday but who’s ever turned down some sweet words? Not this gal. So while I accept that most everyone is being loving only because someone at some point in time for some reason decided to make the 14th a romantic day, I will also accept any and all chocolates, flowers, mushy love notes, and dinner dates

And just so we’re clear, I LOOOOOOUUUUUURRRRRVVVVEEE you guys. You make this blog so much fun to write, I love talking to each and every one of you. You are the bees knees.

It’s good to be back

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Kaleigh

Hello dear ones! It feels good to be back. Thank you for being patient and letting me have some time off. It was so nice to get away, take a step back, and breath for a minute but I didn’t realize how much I would miss it!

Writing this blog and organizing all that comes with it (emails, sponsors, social media, photography, fashion, etc.) has become a part of my everyday life. It’s almost cathartic in its own silly, small way; a chance to break free of the everyday doldrums we can sometimes get ourselves into and to find beauty in the ordinary. Even something as inconsequential as what outfit I wore can suddenly become interesting and fun when I find that one perfect phrase to describe what I’m feeling in my head. Without this blog to transpose some of my creativity onto, I caught myself catching up a notebook and scribbling away for a good thirty minutes or so, multiple times a day. It didn’t really matter what I wrote, or if the page made any sense as a standalone piece once I was finished. Just having the chance to let out everything I was thinking at once was pure bliss.

This blog has always been a place that I can share how I’m feeling, whatever that may be. When I decided to take some time off, it was mostly because I didn’t know where to go from here. I wanted to think about how much I was going to share of my life on this blog.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I’ve always shared whatever the heck I wanted here. I’m not going to allow myself to be hemmed in by others. Their thoughts and opinions don’t matter here; this is my space to share what I want. And I want people to read this blog and see a girl striving to find beauty in the every day, accepting with open arms every challenge, every moment life brings my way, because it’s the happy and the sad that makes life so wonderful.

I’m sure at this point you guys are thinking, “What is this crazy woman rambling on about?” Hey, there’s a reason why The Rambler is such a perfect name for me. But let’s get to it: I broke off my engagement last month. For many reasons that are a bit too painful and personal to talk about, so we’ll just keep it short and sweet and say we didn’t agree on important subjects.

Target hat// Gap trench// Old navy tee// Forever21 scarf// Gap jeans// Guess heels

So all in all, I’m doing fine. Life is beautiful. Painful moments happen. You get up, you start over, and you move on, you keep livin’. You buy those shoes because they’re cute and your legs look great in them and dang it you just broke off your engagement, you deserve them!

*sigh* it’s good to be back!

Vintage Coats Make Me Giddy

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Kaleigh

Target Sunnies// Vintage coat// Charlotte Russe heels

One of my favorite aspects of Winter are all the fun accessories. Scarves, mittens, hats, socks, boots and of course: coats!

This coat is one of my all time favorite pieces I own; my aunt found it in her mother in law’s attic and asked if I would want it. well der! It’s super heavy and quite fancy so I don’t get to wear it very often, but I had to pull it out this year and do a little shoot, it’s just too darling not to show to the world : )

This coat is a great example of why I love fashion, why I do what I do with this blog. There’s a story behind this coat, of how my aunt’s mother in law bought it and never wore it yet somehow it ended up in her attic and my aunt found it and thought of me. I love the story behind an outfit or a particular piece of clothing; what you were thinking when you bought it, what occasion did you buy it for, how you feel when you wear it, where were you when you bought it. If you take the time to invest in pieces like this coat, you have a walking memory, a great conversation starter.

I also love the transformation that happens with fashion. For me, outfits are very emotion-based. How I’m feeling that particular day or what I’m being influenced by will present itself through my clothing; whether it’s a song, a movie, a color, or an emotion. I love that I have that option, that something as simple as my clothing can become a medium for my creativity.

Does anyone else understand what I’m saying? What is fashion to you?

Red.

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Kaleigh

Pacsun beanie, Old Navy jacket, Target Scarf, {old.v old.} jean jacket, Urban Outfitters merci beau coup tee, Pac Sun pants, Charlotte Russe rainboots.

These pictures were taken the day after we were supposed to get nine inches of Christmas Day snow. #weathermanfail. However it’s now snowing again as I type, so they might be able to swing this one and say they meant nine inches over a week?

I love the snow. I love the look, how everything is bright and white and clean. I love how excited everyone gets when they see snow, even adults. Snow causes everyone to pause, to look, to become a child for just a while.

2013 is almost here and I can’t help but use these last few days of ’12 to look back and reminisce. It’s been one crazy year, and 2013 will be even crazier! I’m excited to set new goals for myself, both in my personal life and here on this blog. Thank you to all of the sweet readers who keep coming back and reading this crazy little spot on the ‘net I call my own. It’s been a huge learning experience! I want to continue to learn all I can from this crazy Blogworld. I can’t wait to see what 2013 will hold!

See you guys next year!

Hey We’re Still Alive!

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Kaleigh

Target Hat// Old Navy coat// Forever 21 Top// Pacsun pants// Forever 21 chelsea boots

Welp it’s Friday the 21st and we’re all still alive! I guess the Mayans got it wrong. Or maybe they just ran out of rock, who knows.

The point is that the world didn’t end which means I can now truly enjoy the good things in life. Like these boots. Have I told you of my deep love for Chelsea boots? I absolutely adore boots and these slightly ugly yet equally quirky Chelsea boots are just darling. ( Chelseas are tight fitting ankle boots distinguished by the elastic band on the sides rather than a zipper. For those that are confused. Come on guys, get with the program).

These are on sale, these have a darling color block effect to them, and these are currently starring in my wildest dreams.

Are you in love now as well? Yes. I knew you would be.

Merry {early} Christmas! I won’t be back until after the Big Guy visits, so have a wonderful holiday, hug your loved ones extra tight, and remember what this season is really about.

“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

- I Heard the Bells

It’s Friday, Friday…

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Kaleigh

Forever 21 jacket and Scarf// Target Dress// Primark Tights (thanks Carls!)// Shoe Carnival boots

Oh hey, look it’s that leather jacket that I wear every single day. Don’t believe me? How about 1/2/3/4 and oh ya 5.

Yay it’s Friday!!! This weekend I plan on COMPLETING my Christmas shopping. I think this is the first year that I’ve ever come close to finishing this early. It helps that my siblings and I decided to just draw one name each for gift giving this year. Does anyone else do that? It makes it so much easier, you have so much more time to hunt around for that perfect gift. And since we’re all broke, it’s kind of nice not to be worrying that everyone will notice their gifts are from the dollar bins at Target. (you know you do it too. That stuff is just so cute, it’s irresistible!)

And I know I have been remiss in announcing the Shabby Loves Chic winner. I apologize. Click HERE to see if you won!

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Back to Black

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Kaleigh

old hat// Warby Parker glasses// Forever 21 jacket// Lucca sweater// Pacsun pants// Shoe Carnival buckle boots// 7th & West bangles

Good morning friends! Today is Thursday, which means it’s the Coast to Coast Challenge day! This is my first time to participate, if you haven’t checked it out yourself you can do so here. It’s a pretty fun idea!

Wearing all black makes me think of two things: one of my best friends,Lauren, who frequently rocks the all black look; and Amy Winehouse. Hence the title of this post.

Random things about this outfit:

I’ve had this hat since the dawn of time. I have no clue where it’s from, but I keep it because it’s just so stinkin comfy.

Also, my sweater has gone in and out of the giveaway pile for about the last 5 years, no joke. I always get to a place where I don’t like it anymore and I’m going to give it away, and then I find one more way to wear it and I keep it. I guess I just need to give in and keep the stupid thing for forever.

I wear these pants at least twice a week. No joke. I frequently get asked where I shop (working on that post!) and how often I shop, since it looks where I’m wearing different things in all of my posts. Au contraire my friend. I’m flattered that you think these same pants look different every time I wear them, but believe me it’s the same pair every time. I bet I have a smaller closet than a lot of folks out there!

Yay for Thursdays! Thursdays mean Friday is almost here and Fridays mean a short day at work, which means the weekend is here which means SLEEP! and Christmas shopping! And having a social life past 8pm! YAY!

A Rambling Fancy

Category Archives: Coats