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Photo credit: Fancy Pants

HOWDY. I am going on week two of what was supposed to only be Spring Break in Boston, MA. After a week in a hotel, our dear friends kindly opened up their home to me in Jamaica Plain when it was evident that I needed to extend my stay. I somewhat dramatically sent the tomboy and petite back home on their scheduled Saturday flight over a week ago! (Don’t ask. Real estate is a strange and messy, often rather annoying world.)

WELCOME TO UNIFORM, a men’s boutique in Boston’s South End. 

Time has warped and bended and it still takes me a good moment to know which way is up when figuring out what time it is where depending upon whomever I am speaking with, or emailing, etc. and I don’t think I’ve ever been away from the tomboy for this long! I’m pulling my hair out, I can’t stand being away from my girls (and those wonky pups), but I’ve gotten so much done that I can’t honestly complain. Jamaica Plain is a lovely distraction, though, with its sweet little boutiques, incredible food, thrifting and vintage, and the super friendly, small town feel.

Alas, these photos are from an outstanding shop for men (and tomboys) in the South End. My friend Fancy (above) got an invite to a special event they were having yesterday – a tasting of expertly mixed St.-Germain cocktails and a storewide sale! Apparently, shops like Uniform are few and far between, and this one is really special.

It feels very Bay Area (read: Castro) to me, and M would love it – once we’re settled here this summer, I’ll have to bring her back to check it out! So many handsome goodies, and those cocktails were very refreshing on such a warm day. Once we were all shopped out, we snagged a table outside next door at Picco, where I had the best peanut butter chip ice cream ever. (Craving some right now, actually, but I’m pretty sure the cake batter ice cream at trusty old JP Licks will do for tonight.)

The forecast for the first week we were here called for cooler weather, and we packed accordingly. Of course, this weekend’s weather report predicted high temps, which gave me a perfectly legitimate excuse to take a day off from house-hunting to peruse JP’s thrift stores, vintage shops, and boutiques. This was the first day of warm weather (before I had the chance to shop), and the best I could do was a crisp, white, short-sleeved blouse by DKNY paired with James Jeans rolled up at the ankle. My vintage brogues, Asos bag and pony belt brought it all together, and I love the dainty touch of my citrine yellow cocktail ring dangling from a Madewell chain.

Photo credit: Fancy Pants

Photo credit: Fancy Pants

Last but certainly not least, how cool is this pirate kitty below? SO COOL. Such a cuddly and ferocious one-eyed beast. We didn’t know this one, but I’m having a blast snuggling up with the three gorgeous ragdoll cats my friends own. That’s all for now, folks. XOXO!

Now that, friends and lovers, is a sky scrubbed clean by all the storms we had this weekend. By Sunday morning it didn’t look it, as you can see, but we had some serious weather; sheets of rain pitched about by volatile wind, hail, a touch of flooding, loads of thunder and lightning.

The papers went balls to the wall over them, using words like “violent”, “theatrical” and “wallop”, which is my personal favorite.

W A L L O P.

On Saturday during the very worst best of it we ran around the new house hollering and squealing and flinging doors wide open like fools, standing wide-eyed counting one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand whilst waiting for the thunder to come crashing down around us, giggling madly.

We’re spoiled Bay Area girls; we get excited when Mother Nature pitches a fit. Even a wee one!

I am very much still in my nude-beige-flesh-blush tone phase. I love that this bag is a taupe-y mushroom shade, has just the right dash of sparkle and is a perfect match for my Dollywood foxtail. The earrings are a touch heavier than I can deal with for very long, but have gorgeous earth tones – red clay, cream, soft olive green, the same taupe as the bag, and the floral silhouette is etched on the backs – a nice touch for big earrings that are easily turned around!

In home decorating news, we went thrifting Saturday and scored a beautiful dusty rose velvet armchair for the living room, two sets of antique lamps for an absolute steal (just $39 for both sets), and another antique lamp as we’ve got quite a bit of space to illuminate. Our new couch arrived dry by some miracle on Friday, and yesterday – just after these pics were taken! – we all set off post-brunch for an afternoon at the pet store acquiring supplies for the petite’s new fish tank.

Here are the little guys we’re starting her out with:

There are ghost-y, creamy white versions of these guys, with the same glow-in-the-dark blue eyes. She’s getting those, too.

Denim: Levi’s
Blouse: Ultra Pink
Mini Crossbody Bag: Freebird by The Sak
Boots: Rock ‘N Rose
Earrings: Claire’s

Not entirely sure why I titled this post the way I did, but I enjoyed the way it rolled off the tongue, so let’s roll with it. ULTIMATE DISCLOSURE: This outfit was worn exactly one week ago, and just looking at it is making me long like mad for warmer weather. Of course more rain is headed our way, the loathsome weatherman says.

What gives, San Francisco? Why are you trying so hard to push me away? Is it because I love another place? Is it because I keep leaving you this year? Get over it. You’re being needy, clingy. It taxes me.

I love this simple cotton dress, purchased for a dollar or something like that at a thrift store weeks ago, and I love how pairing it with the cropped denim jacket makes it all look kind of soft and washed out. Practicality necessitated this recycled suede belt from H&M, which seemed all loved and worn when I bought it new recently, as well as my VERY well worn cowgirl boots. Throw in the oversized Lucite nugget necklace for a dash of fancy and that, my friends, is that. Just slap on some spurs and take me to the rodeo, already!

Remember how I promised make-up experiments and tell-alls? We’re going to discuss mascara and explore a few comparisons. GET READY, OK!? Here’s a teaser:

CONFESSION: I’ve been really feeling Wear Palettes lately. As ever, I’m probably a late bloomer on this but it’s such a great, lazy way to get motivated with your wardrobe and figure out ways to hit all the tones in the daily palettes through creative means like lipstick, actual metals in jewelry, etc. In addition to actual clothes and footwear and bigger, less subtle accessories. I like that they’ve broken out the palettes between street wear, plants and celebs, but I do wish that they created palettes from other sources.

We were walking around the other day and something caught M’s eye, for example, and she exclaimed “That! That should be on one of your palette thingees!” It was food-related, I think. (Super lesbian, I know. Shut up!) When I saw this one I loved it for the strong earthiness, hence the title of this post!

Tell me what you think in the comments:

TOMBOY CONFESSION: M has said that her confession would only wax poetic about ham or sweet potato pie or my deliciously festive sparkling Cosmopolitan cocktails from Christmas, so I guess I’ll say a few words in her stead. We are both VERY excited about the gun rack my brother and his girlfriend so thoughtfully gave us for Christmas. She keeps fussing with her hair, y’all, saying it’s already gotten too long, despite the fact that it’s only been three weeks since she had it cut. Tomboys!

A bit about this blazer: M found it without much ado at our favorite neighborhood thrift store, for five gay bucks and in pristine condition. Turns out it’s from a little place in San Francisco that’s been in business for over 35 years, The Hound Shop. The embroidered label on the inside says “Tailored for the Montgomery Street Man” and has a great hound in the center – it’s really fantastic. She did a dapper job pairing it with this vintage striped, flat-bottom tie I got her two Christmases ago, I think.

FEMME CONFESSION: I really, really, really love this dress! Another epic thrift store find – it must have been somewhere between $3-$5, tops. From the fluttery little sleeves to the deep pinks and reds to the cut and wearability – it’s almost perfect. I have to try it in some va-va-voom heels and decide whether or not the hem needs to come up a couple of inches. I tossed the beret on as an afterthought on our way out of the door and it really made the buttoned-up look (though the weather was so agreeable, I didn’t need the coat at all).

Long story short, it was a very brilliant Christmas – cozy and raucous and abundant in the best ways – with a very full house, wonderful surprises, lots of incredible food and loved ones. My mother had several silly games with awesome prizes for us to play, including a 2-page, multiple choice Christmas trivia quiz in red and green ink that had us all in stitches (M had the lowest score of everyone, even the foreigners – it was hilarious). Nearly everyone teared up when I opened my mom’s gift to me – several sets of my beloved Grandma’s gorgeous vintage jewelry – I was astonished! Amazed and so, so touched.

Some festive Christmas pics below: