What To Do With a Crop Top?

I have a sweater that I really like everything about - except it's cropped. We're talking 90's belly baring. Which doesn't even make sense because it's a sweater.
Being cropped and tight, I am limited in what I'm able to pair this sweater with, as most options such as layering with a collared shirt would produce unsightly or awkward midriff region exposure. As far as I can remember, I actually hadn't previously worn a dress as a skirt, and the placement of this dress' waistline worked nicely with the top.

Sweater: Express /  Goodwill outlet
Dress: Forever21 / Goodwill / $2
Necklace: Apple of My Eye - in a grab bag deal
Boots: Consignment store / $12

Hemming advice?

I found this dress in the bins at the outlet, and came home to find it was a perfect fit. The material is silk, with lace detailing at the top/ bodice area. While it does have a small tag listing the fabric content and cleaning instructions, it doesn't have size or label tags, which leads me to believe it might have been a custom bridesmaid dress.

I love everything about this dress, but the mid-calf length is overwhelming on my 5'3" frame, and even with the super tall heels I am wearing in the photos, I still think the length isn't ideal.

I am debating whether to keep the length as is (for convenience), or hem it to a more suitable knee length. And if the latter, I'm not sure whether I should do this myself or pay a little for a professional.
I'd like to wear this dress to my office holiday party this upcoming weekend and while I'd prefer it hemmed to knee length, I'm also afraid of being too hasty/ unfamiliar with silk if I were to do it myself. Note that though it's a work party and it'll be a dressy event, my office/team is very laid back and there wouldn't be any concerns about appropriate length/ skin showing.


These first photos are of the dress at its original/current length:

For comparison, In the next photos I have the skirt tucked/ am holding it up to simulate how it may look with a higher hemline (length in first two photos is shorter than ideal) :

Has anyone ever self-hemmed a dress? Or cut/sewn silk?

Too Much Leopard

I might have a little bit too much animal print in my closet, and not the modern, subtle and versatile kind like a scarf, belt or flats!

I like to use link up challenges to target pieces that I don't wear much. I had originally put together an outfit with a black and white leopard top I have yet to wear out of the house, but after putting it on in the morning, I yet again vetoed it because I didn't like the way it fit.

So instead I traded for this top, which I have worn a few times. The first outfit is how I wore it this fine fall day, paired with a neutral cardigan for the workplace.

top: Buffalo Exchange / $1
cardigan: Mossimo / Goodwill Outlet
pants: Jolt / Goodwill Outlet
boots: Dolce Vita / Buffalo Exchange / $20

And second is the "louder" version for a night out:

top: same as above
jeans: Goodwill Outlet
booties: Crossroads / $10


Linking up with WCIS for Third Thursday Threads

Goal Jeans

My body mass fluctuates over the course of the year. It isn't much, just a matter of 2 or 3 different jeans sizes (or spandex content), but the result is having two sets of jeans/pants. Though, I'm always going back and forth within either of these two batches.

That said, its always joyous to fit back into the "skinniest" pants. And these, my friends, are them.

Tee: Forever21 / Goodwill Outlet
Scarf: no label / Goodwill Outlet
Jeans: Hudson / $40 Goodwill
Booties: $10 / Crossroads

Furniture, Part II

Several weekends ago, I was perusing the free page on Craigslist, and came across a large cat tower that was up for grabs just 2-3 blocks up from my place. I went over there, and sure enough it had not yet been taken.

The thing was much larger and heavier than I had imagined, and I hadn't brought my furniture dolly. I started to carry it back myself, and the first block and a half was okay, but then I got super tired. I didn't want to put it down and risk someone else coming along and snatching it, so I continued to inch further home. Finally, about half a block from home, I gave in and went for the dolly. And that last portion was like pushing a stroller.

Again, great choices.

But, after a tiresome ordeal, I brought home Chester's new playscape and am happy to say he loves it!

He joyfully utilizes all of its surfaces, including the scratching post areas, which seem to have finally replaced my mattress as his preferred scratching surface. He also likes and uses this a hell of a lot more than the $20 cat hideaway/scratching post that I bought him earlier in the summer.

According to the ad, this was $300 new - and it's in great condition. He doesn't even notice (or at least he isn't bothered by) previous cat smells either.Win!

Winterizing

I got this skirt about a year ago, at a steal of a price. It's a really thick fabric which is perfect for the cold three-quarters of the year. Surprisingly, I have only worn it a couple times, but that is definitely going to change! I'm especially liking this more flared style, which suits my body type well and seems more versatile through the seasons, as it pairs better with thicker tights than my body-hugging knit pencil skirts.

Shirt: Rubbish | Goodwill Outlet (super old)

Scarf: No Label │Goodwill outlet

Coat: Dollhouse │ $7 │ Goodwill

Skirt: Express | $1.29 | Goodwill

Boots: No label │ $20 | Buffalo Exchange

Furniture, Part I

I get the majority of my wardrobe from Goodwill, but my thrifting doesn't just apply to clothing and shoes. I'm pretty sure all of my apartment furnishings are also secondhand; hand me downs from family and friends, and a lot of pieces from Craigslist and free piles.

When I moved into this apartment at the beginning of the summer, I spent one of the craziest Saturdays furnishing the place.

First, I drove a few miles up the road to purchase a table set; a beautiful bar-height dark wood with leather covered chairs. It had sadly suffered some damage from cat scratches, thus the low $50 price. Having my own destructive cat, I knew anything I brought in would get clawed anyway, so this was a good fit. The seller and I spent a little while unscrewing all of the pieces (there were like 8-10 screws on each chair) and then I attempted to fit the entire load in my tiny Smart car. The table surface itself barely fit, but I ultimately was able to get the entire load in there - which included not 4 but 6 chairs!

Then came the second crazy furniture endeavor, back to back.

I wanted a couch, but obviously don't have a vehicle large enough to transport one, and was avoiding a second UHaul rental. So I figured I could find a couch for sale/free close enough nearby in my neighborhood, and move it over on a furniture dolly (a $20 investment at Home Depot). I found a couch I liked that was about 10 blocks down the road, and went over with my dolly.

Of course this weekend happened to be one where my boyfriend was busy and my closest friend was out of town, so there I was, maneuvering the thing down the middle of the street on my own. Luckily two kind samaritans offered to help, and thank goodness they did, or else I never would have been able to finish the journey, or get the thing inside my door.

Moral of the story: get a damn u-haul.

The end result: