so long, winter

Yellow like a sweet
canary, yet skimming the
earth, water-bird style.
Some skirts cary warmer days
in just the thought of their hue.

Another outfit from several weeks ago. It must be old because such length and layers would be unthinkable now. I wish I'd worn this skirt more during the brief winter; it's long and oh so warm, but I think the bold bright yellow threw me off. I tend to be a muted-toned dresser in the muted-toned seasons.  Still glad I picked it up for a few dollars at (I think) Last Chance Thrift Store; some cold days are just begging for a bit of color, and sometimes it's your job to bring it!

Wearing
Knit yellow skirt from Last Chance Thrift Store (?)
Lace up boots from Underground Atlanta
Gray shirt from Rainbow
Jessica Simpson brand scarf gift from grandma
Bow barrette gift from Korean student ;)

Zombie Lace -- Not Completely Dead!

As it happens, I had to admit to myself that as much as I love fashion following and blogging as a hobby, I can't let it get in the way of my concrete goals for life. I had to back off the blog for many reasons, from losing my digital camera, to feeling plain uninspired about writing about outfits. There's something to be said for dressing from the subconscious, without analyzing or over-thinking my choices in context of blogging. Not having a camera aided this, and I actually think the respite was liberating in a way!

I did get some random snapshots of outfits here and there. To update you, here is kind of what I dressed like over the colder months.

I suppose I sort of oscilated between glam-loving granny and Victorian school girl. Lots of colorful skin tight bottoms and oversized sweaters. I altered some sequin pants from a dance costume long ago, and I pretty much lived in these leopard gold leggings I found in the ghetto-fabulous treasure chest known as Underground Atlanta. Seriously, the best cheapest place to fulfill your blingtastic needs.

I found these 80s lace-up boots at an awesome little Antique store off Highland Avenue and I got a ton of use out of them this Winter. I think my Victorian looks were inspired from taking my very last class of my college career, the works of the Bronte sisters.

Speaking of my very last class of my college career, I guess now is a good time to reveal my post-graduation plan. In August, I am moving to China to be an English teacher!

And so brings me to the new direction of this blog. I know I'll probably lose some people (and I so hate to lose you, but I understand this is a FASHION blogging community so it only makes sense!) but this blog is going to evolve to reflect my journey. I'll be facing a unique set of challenges, and I plan to be dressed well while facing them and to continue to gush about clothes and antiques and insane bargains, but Zombie Lace will become less geared towards fashion and more towards Teaching Abroad.

My last few months in Atlanta, I will cross all my i's and dot all my t's and say my farewell to the Atlanta scene. I'll also record my experiences as a young Western graduate preparing to ship overseas and hopefully my awkward disasters and mishaps will serve as wisdom and guidance for the voyagers who come after me. Once in China, I will be unable to use Blogger.com, and will then switch to some platform acceptable over there. I hope I can bring some of you with me along for the ride.

Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me this long! I can't wait to start getting reaquainted with your blogs and stealing your outfit ideas.

Resurrecting Outfits

Sorry for the blurriness, but hopefully you can get the idea!

Sweatshirt: Vintage 80's thrift find.
Jacket: a boutique in NYC
Shorts: Very old, once upon a time they were pants... you know how the life cycle goes.
Tights: Layered, blue lacey ones from Urban Outfitters.
Boots: DSW
Maroon clutch: Vintage.

Lately I've been trying to inspire myself to find ways to wear some stuff that's been in my closet forever, and finding creative ways to be warm without buying anything new. Zombie Lace is all about bringing clothes back from the dead and being fashionable in ways that are as green as the decomposing flesh on a zombie. RECYCLING is one obvious way to be green, and you can recycle the clothes in your own wardrobe! Most of these clothes I've had for a year or even years, and they've been sitting lonely and unworn for months, simply because I'm sick of them or just don't feel inspired by them anymore. But they can be reworked into outfits I haven't even tried, and I'm sure there are articles of clothing buried in your dresser drawers that could be reanimated in much the same way. Rather than run out and spend money you don't have on new stuff that will also come to clutter your closet, you can revitalize the corpses of some old pieces and make a whole new un-dead look!

I find that one also needs creativity to be cute and warm. Maybe it's because I am so unaccustomed to the cold here in the muggy South, but below 40 degrees and I feel like I'm gonna die. I can tell other ATLiens feel the same when I walk outside and see how everyone is bundled and bent against the cold, glaring around as though shocked and personally offended by the wind. It would be easier if it was sooo cooolldd that we really needed the big coats and heavy duty boots and fun winter accessories, but in Atlanta winters all that is really overkill. Where is the happy medium?? It's enough to blow the fashion sense right out of ya!