Red Letter, Yellow Leather: Summer in Stages

Skirt: A New Day, Target

Necklace: INC, Macy's; Strawberry clip: Kate Spade New York for Target

Bag: Princess Vera, Kohl's

Top: Bisou Bisou, JCPenney

Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection, DSW

Dress: Arizona Jeans, JCPenney

Shoes: Betsey Johnson, DSW

Bag: Kate Spade New York for Target

Top: New York & Company

Bag: Sugar Thrillz, Dolls Kill

Shoes: Nine West, Amazon

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: Kenneth Cole Reaction, Gifted

Shoes: Christian Siriano for Payless

This post isn't about public speaking prep.  Nor am I wearing leather.  But I am wearing red and yellow and layers, which in summer amounts to around the same thing.

Of course, now that it's officially summer, we're that much closer to summer fits on The Tote Trove timeline.  

Because with all the schlepping and shopping and, yes, oversharing, things move a little more slowly here. 😏

One Bright Sprite and the Three Stars of Rainbow: Night Skies, Equines, and Alt Rock

Sweatshirt: Forever 21;  Coat: Jou Jou, Macy's

Skirt: Tinseltown, Macy's; Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Paint Party Necklace; Black and white necklace: Mixit, JCPenney

Sweater: Gap; Coat: IZ Buyer, Kohl's; Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon; Boots: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Pink Piano Barrettes

Yellow bangles: B Fabulous; Strawberry bangle: Delia's

Coat: Wild Fable, Target; Bag: Worthington, JCPenney; Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

Mystery Necklace: Ready, set, solve!

Jeans: Simply Vera, Kohl's; Tee: Modern Lux, Target

One bright sprite -- that's me.  Because if I can't be Rainbow -- Brite, that is -- then I might as well be her sidekick.  Or, you know, a citrus soft drink.  

Sadly, none of my actual sprites from the '80s survived (I wasn't always the dedicated hoarder that I am today), so all I have is this Hallmark Itty Bitty from the 2010s:  

Maybe I should ask the heavens -- and also, ironically, RB's steed Starlite -- to send some my way: 

"Star light, star bright/First star I see tonight/I wish I may, I wish I might/Have this wish I wish tonight."  

If that doesn't work, then I'll crank up the Muse.

Eagles Nest Best

Sweatshirt: Bongo, Sears; Jeans: Candie's, Kohl's; Bag: Princess Vera, Kohl's

Shoes: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Bird necklace: Mudd, Kohl's; Green necklace: Candie's, Kohl's; Barrette: XOXO, Ross

Over the years, I've made it clear that I'm not into sports, and that includes football.  But when the home team's in the Super Bowl, I can't help but jump on the bandwagon.  Especially because my dad's the biggest Philadelphia Eagles fan ever.  He even wore one of his many team sweatshirts during last night's Valentine's dinner.  I wore red, not to support Kansas City, but St. Valentine.  Yet today when I went out to run errands, I felt moved to don green and silver.  I even dug up my silver bird necklace, although it's a phoenix instead of an eagle.  Then again, maybe a phoenix is appropriate after all, considering the Eagles' frequent underdog status and their inspiring 2018 Super Bowl win against the Patriots.

So, fly, Eagles, fly, rise, Eagles, rise -- on the way to a fiery victory!

Postest With the Mostest: Sealed With a Kitsch

Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Top: Rebellious One, Macy's

Bracelet: Amrita Singh, Zulily; Parrot Ring: Francesca's; Necklace: The Tote Trove; Clip: Wild Fable, Target; Chartreuse Ring: Claire's

Pants: Princess Vera, Kohl's

Bag: Amazon

Top: Candie's, Kohl's

Bangles: B Fabulous; Rainbow necklace and feather barrette: The Tote Trove; Pink necklace: H&M; Green bracelet: Parade of Shoes; Ring: Making Waves, Ocean City

Shoes: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Kitschy Cactus Necklace

Top: Delia's, Dolls Kill

Skirt: Wild Fable, Target; Tights: Xhilaration, Target; Black bangle: Petite Sophisticate; Next bangle: Bloomingsales Florist, Brigantine; Next bangle group: Mixit, JCPenney; Last three bangles: Steve Madden, Macy's; Owl ring: Decree, JCPenney; Peacock ring: Candie's, Kohl's

Headbands: Gifted

Spider necklace: SHEIN

They used to say that there was magic in getting the mail.  You know, as in, what will come today?  A letter from a faraway friend?  An invitation to a holiday party?  A magazine with recipes and perfume samples?  Sure, it could be a pesky bill, or a flyer for discount dental.  But the hope that it could be something exciting always seemed to tip the odds.  Not so in this age of texts and Evites, where paper is persona non grata.  

Maybe that's why I feel like I'm on a mission whenever I go to the post office with a Tote Trove package.  (If you look closely at the second outfit pic, then you can see the telltale manila envelope under my arm.)  Sending someone something happy to chase away the gray makes me happy.  Nostalgic yet steady, mail is an old school way to connect, correspondence based on things you can see and feel and old-fashioned anticipation.   

Unless, of course, Newman's on duty.  

Don't Fret, Pet: Just Sit Back and Savor Your Ice Cream

Elephant and Unicorns Charm Necklace

Black tee: Merona, Target

Tank: Bisou Bisou, JCPenney

Skirt (a dress!): Zulily

Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney

Bag: Princess Vera, Kohl's

One of the reasons I love to craft is that it's therapeutic.  Which I don't think is a secret, because I weave some version of this theme into most of my posts.  I find it freeing to work with my hands, to know that at the end of my labors I'll have something tangible that I -- or maybe even someone else -- will love.  The fact that that something is the product of my own whim is always satisfying.  It reminds me that I'm putting the best of me out into the world and that it's this best that makes my world brighter.        

So, I thought I'd blog about the power of looking on the bright side.  And why not start with pet peeves -- those peeves that you feed, and in feeding, of course, keep alive.  We all have things that annoy us.  Maybe even enrage us.  But hanging on to gripes, feuds, and ill will of any kind is a sure-fire way to get an ulcer.  I didn't always believe this.  There was a time when I thought that hanging on to the bad stuff meant that I was in control, that mulling it over again and again would help me figure it out.  But then, after one bump in the road too many, I realized that the only way to get behind something was to put it behind me.  Because most stuff is out of our control anyway and not worth worrying about.  I had to learn that relaxing didn't mean giving up, but instead choosing to enjoy life.  Which wasn't easy.  Because to me, it seemed that everyone and her brother seemed to want a say in what I was doing.  I'd go to the dentist, and they'd tell me to floss more.  I'd go to the hairdresser, and they'd say that I had too many split ends.  These are trivial examples, but they show how even the tiniest stresses once unnerved me.  After a while, it felt like my whole life was one giant report card that wasn't up to snuff.  Which was exhausting because here's the thing that they don't tell you when you're a straight-A student (as I was at one point in my life).  It never ends.  Not until the day you speak up and say, "Enough!" and live life the way you want to.  Maybe you want to travel the world or train elephants or open up an ice cream shop.  Whatever it is, it won't be easy.  Some people in your life won't like it (your dentist, for one, especially if you go with the ice cream) and will want you to keep striving for As.  But those are usually not people you want around anyway.  And whatever obstacles you face, pursuing your dream is always worth it.  Even if your dream is just to sit on the couch and watch sitcoms.  Because once you stop caring about grades -- which is a fancy way of saying that once you stop caring about what people think -- your life becomes one long vacation.  Not the kind where you burn in the sun, but the kind where you do the things that make you smile.      

I don't want to train elephants, just make them into accessories (but not, to be clear, in an illegal, poached ivory way).  That's my dream.  Not to mention the only pet I want in my house.  Which isn't merely a metaphor.  A slobbery mutt that licks its butt, then you?  No thanks.  I'd rather have it out with the dentist.

Writing this post was cathartic for me.  But I also hope that it finds its way to someone who needs it and that it helps her (or him) too.

Then again, it's also possible that I offended dog lovers.  

Good thing I won't worry about it.

Something from the Star: Bright Light, Lite Brite

Neon Orange and Chartreuse Barrettes

Neon Purple, Blue, and Pink Barrettes

Banana Bow Barrette

 Neon Pink, Chartreuse, and Orange Barrettes

Inner Circle Barrette

Neon Purple and Pink Barrettes 

 Yellow Bow Barrettes

Top: Candie's, Kohl's

Skirt (a dress!): Modcloth

Shoes: Circus by Sam Edelman, Kohl's

Bag: Princess Vera, Kohl's

Belt: Gifted

What do G. Love & Special Sauce, Gremlins, and that Christmas light-like toy have in common?  They're all about lights and getting lit.  Although not necessarily in that order.  

Because Friday was the solstice, I thought it was a good time for a party look made for -- what else? -- northern lights and winter nights.  Enter this fluorescent frock, sparkly black top, and starry clutch  (holographic parka to ward off frostbite excluded.)  The top reminds me of an inky black sky, making for a spangled, albeit slightly smoggy backdrop for the brooch-styled barrettes.  I've worn it only once, to the movies.  This outfit, however, is ideal for clubbing in Juneau or Helsinki while downing mulled ciders and hot buttered rums.  Or, in my case, hot chocolates and herbal teas (see aforementioned sentence about me wearing this top to see Daddy's Home 2).  Because December is no time to guzzle the cold beverages so immortalized by the Sauce. 

So, about these barrettes.  I can't stop staring at them!  What can I say, their vivid colors and graphic shapes speak to me.  To make them, I decided not to fool with the craft store fare of openwork metal French and alligator clips and instead headed straight to the source, a.k.a. the grocery store grooming aisle, for Scunci and Goody.  These high-quality barrettes are comprised of French clips covered with durable plastic bars that make sturdy perches for cabochons.  The finished products make me think of candy, all colorful and shiny.  And yes, tasty.  Is it bad form to call one's own stuff tasty?  Not according to wannabe rap icon Big Tasty.  Then again, it's probably bad form to view the misguided middle kid from The Goldbergs as any kind of role model.  

One thing's for sure; these barrettes are a step up from the first barrette I ever made, which featured a weird, disembodied harlequin head.  I was about ten and big into harlequins, which were everywhere in the '90s.  Don't ask.  Anyway, the barrette was a big, gold-rimmed white plastic rectangle to which I affixed a ceramic sparkly green and purple turbanned head.  It was pretty heavy (figuratively and literally, clown motifs always being disturbing), and I don't think I ever wore it.  Kind of like how I rarely played with my Lite Brite set.  That was more of my sister's thing (literally; it was her toy.)  Maybe that was because of the if-not-menacing-than-unquestionably-unsettling clown head on the box.  The head that was most certainly that of a workaday circus performer and not a high-brow harlequin.  

It always comes back to clowns.  Maybe they're the ones we shouldn't feed after midnight.