what to wear during your holiday break vol. 2.

One of my favorite posts to put together last year was “what to wear during your holiday break” and now I’m back for more.

As you may know this year was a completely different year from last year and we all spent a ton of time sitting around our houses on our asses. We’ve been wearing lazy clothes while hiding in our houses this entire year and we’re not going to stop anytime soon.

Overall I’m not really a proponent of lazy clothes. I like to “look cute” and “get dressed up.” I really, REALLY miss wearing black tights and dresses and makeup and real shoes. This is really, really hard for me.

But I thought it would still be fun to celebrate some lazy clothes because I got quite a few new lazy clothes this year and they’re kinda fun!

So here we go.

what to wear during your holiday break while you’re reading a book.

Yes I’m reading Home Body. Every single one of a certain kind of gal is currently reading it as we speak. I guess I’m just that kind of gal.

The kind of gal that likes amazing poetry without really knowing that much about poetry. But it’s amazing.

My outfit is from ACTA and it’s my favorite new lazy outfit. It’s really soft but not TOO soft. I love the material. I have a code for ACTA if you have any interest. Click here to go to their site and use code SHANIMAL15 for 15% off.

If not, move along.

what to wear during your holiday break when you want to fret over the impeding apocalypse but in a onesie.

This is a leopard onesie.

I guess it’s kind of intense and I think it’s a size too small because it’s not as comfy as I hoped.

It’s from Old Navy. The small size isn’t their fault, it’s just my assumption that I can still wear the same size I could wear back in March.

Which is an untrue assumption.

what to wear during your holiday break while protecting your bird from certain death.

Here’s a sports bra option for when you have to turn up the heat all the way for your bird and it’s too hot to live with a shirt on.

My tropical budgie pal Elvis needs to be protected from a draft at all costs. If he feels the slightest chill you can see in his face that he is terrified of his swift imminent death.

He needs to stay warm so we keep him warm. That’s what we do in this family. Even if human family members have to take our shirts off in the middle of winter. Bra top is from Free People.

what to wear during your holiday break to look out the window and feel sad because you miss your friends and family.

When it’s cold and I don’t want to deal with being outside but it’s still sunny and I need sunlight, I love to sit by the window.

I love to sit by the window and stare at the street and think about all the fun I’ve missed, Santa baby.

This year has been shitty. We all know it. A lot of us won’t see our families. I’ve been quarantining to see my parents and sister for Xmas but I won’t be able to see my brother and his family. It’s a tough pill to swallow. I’m choking on it. So is my mom.

So I’ll just sulk here by the window in my cropped “Jersey City” sweatshirt from JaneDO and tie dyed pants from Old Navy because like what else to I have to do?

what to wear during your holiday break while you adult color and/or reenact a preschool school photo.

I need to get back into adult coloring. It is fun, soothing, passes the time…all good things.

Adult coloring really relaxes the mind. For a long time I thought it was a hoax and a trap but my sister got me this adult coloring book a couple of years ago and it just feels good to do.

This also looks like a photo of me that I have from preschool that I’m going to try to find when I go home this week. STAY TUNED.

Oh PS the whole outfit is from Old Navy. I love the thermal top because it has moons and stars on it. A VIBE.

what to wear during your holiday break while wrapping presents but only a couple at a time because it really hurts your back.

I got this sweatsuit in the fall and I do love that it’s a like a MATCHING SUIT.

It’s also nice that it’s red so it’s festive and if I put on a green headband it’s red AND green and THAT is a beautiful thing.

Sweatsuit is Old Navy again. 85% of this stuff is Old Navy. As I said, I’m not usually a fan of lazy clothes but now that I pretty much wear them every day I like to have a lot of options and Old Navy has cheap but quality options. It may be cheap but it’s also soft and comfortable and I AM INSIDE OF MY HOUSE.

Also, wrapping presents really, REALLY makes my back hurt and I’m not sure why but if you have any tips plz share.

what to wear during your holiday break while you get in bed and wait for santa.

Oh shit did that sound sexual? It’s not, I just meant wait until it’s time to open your presents.

The time goes slow when you’re stuck inside, so it’s nice to be comfortable while you wait.

This is another full matching sweatsuit but it’s not very flattering so I’ll just reveal the top half. Some things remain sacred.

Best wishes for cozy holiday outfits for every single one of you, my friends.

chicken spaghetti outfit.

I haven’t done a post of an outfit for a long time because I never get good feedback on posts of outfits. It’s always, “No one cares about you in outfits.”

But you know what? I care about me in outfits. And it’s fun. And I have nothing to really live for right now. So here’s a post about an outfit.

I tried to take some pictures with my mom’s chickens because I love them and they are my friends. At least I thought they were my friends until I tried to get them to participate in these photos.

And they didn’t.

They really enjoy spaghetti! Usually…

The chickens didn’t show much interest in spaghetti during the time I was taking the photos. Once I stopped taking the photos they were once again interested.

Let’s just say the chickens were being straight up bitches.

Beyond the lack of cooperation from my fellow models, I enjoy this outfit and it was fun to put together.

I love these boots because they’re very high and make it a little “fancy” but they’re super chunky and therefore comfortable. They’re from H&M.

20% off everything — no code needed! We’re kicking off Black Friday today! Shop safe, shop smart, shop early.

This leopard blazer sweater from JCrew is probably my favorite addition to my closet this fall. I rented one similar to it from Rent the Runway last year and I’m glad to own one now.

I dislike wearing my hair up but a woman waiting in line for the bathroom with me last night told me I “look like Lady Gaga” so that was a nice perk and I’ll take it. If I DO wear it up I think a headband def helps. This is also from JCrew.

Of course it’s only appropriate to wear Jersey City shirts while away from Jersey City, and this is one of my old favorites from Kanibal.

The pants are linen pants and they’re pretty loose. I’ve gained a lot of weight in the past 6 months so loose is the way to go when it comes to pants, thanks.

Glad to be back talking about my outfits think I’ll do it some more soon you’re welcome.

shirts that are bras.

Soon it’s going to be warm outside, and like it or not we will be able to go outside and dress naked. There’s nothing I love more than dressing naked. I can’t wait to wear shirts that are bras.

I have a ton of shirts that are actually bras. To the naked eye, yes they are bras. But all of them were sold in the “shirts” section and I have worn them as shirts more than once.

It’s all about perception. And perception is reality.

Are these shirts or bras? You decide.

Actually, I decide. I’ve already decided. They’re shirts. Thx.

shirt that’s a bra with a kimono.

New favorite outfit. Never put this together before today and pretty pumped about it.

shirt that’s a bra that’s def a bra.

shirt that’s a bra with buttons.

Snake necklace from Kanibal & Co, my boyfriend got it for me 🙂

shirt that’s a bra with shorts that match it.

If you think it looks like pajamas you thought WRONG.

shirt that’s a bra and also denim.

This shirt is also wrinkled because my steamer is broken.

shirt that’s a bra and i like the back.

I took these pics in my closet that I’ve recently cleaned! It’s the size of a small room so I can now use it as a room to take photos in. Very exciting stuff.

Most of these tops are from Free People. They specialize in shirts that are actually bras. The skirt in the last section is from Express and I’ve had it since my freshman year of high school…WHICH WAS 1999.

how was your weekend?

How was your weekend? You probably didn’t get to go anywhere. I didn’t get to go anywhere either BECAUSE WE ARE ALL TRAPPED.

If there was a time to be trapped, in the history of time, that time is now because we have many ways to escape our home prison and to communicate with each other.

Ahoy!

Zooms have saved my life. Zooms have saved everyone’s lives. Or Google hangouts or FaceTimes or whatever the hell. All of it is great.

I prepared for a Zoom bday party on Saturday by throwing together an outfit that can only be described as APOCA-DISCO. I guess. That’s how I would describe it.

I also set up a little Zoom area that was festive for the Zoom bday party and included many of my animal friends.

They’re not live animals. I’ve been considering obtaining live animals, even just for short term social distancing fostering, but I’m afraid they’d mess up my stuff. They’d def mess up my stuff.

Anyway we made the best of it or whatever but I can’t believe it’s only been a week of doing this. I hate it a lot. I’m sure everyone does. But I don’t like to spend so much time at home not doing anything fun. It’s really hard.

IT IS JUST REALLY HARD.

I can’t wait to wear a crazy outfit like this out in the real world again and drink a drink and dance a dance and talk to people face to face. Please be soon.

K bye.

red purse, brown boots, can’t lose.

On Sunday I went to Berry Lane Park to take some pics of my outfit. For entertainment purposes.

Since the “right thing to do” is social distancing, I didn’t get to wear this outfit anywhere fun this weekend.

This purse is from Rent the Runway and so bright and fun. I wish I got to take it to a social activity somewhere. 😔

And I was pretty sad about it.

So I took some pics and that made me feel way better.

I really like Berry Lane Park. It has a lot of nice stuff, like a badass playground and copious basketballing space for those that like that sort of thing.

Sometimes kids fight there and it gets messy but kids fight everywhere. I fear the youth no matter where they are.

At one point I was up on a hill with a bunch of goose crap on it and a friendly neighbor little boy ran over and said, “There’s poop up there!”

I like geese but yeah they’re a menace.

And I said, “Yes I know. I’m avoiding it. Thank you.”

Just like I avoided all the people at the park.

target takeover lewk.

Yesterday we went to Target on 611 in Warrington, PA. We took over. This is my Target takeover lewk.

I’ve told you about how our Target in Jersey City is usually ravaged AF and picked clean of all most desirable Target items.

But the Target in Warrington is a ONE FREAKIN EIGHTY MY FRIENDS.

They have everything!

Do yourself a favor and go to a middle of nowhere suburban Target immediately.

Dress, Saloni. Necklace, JCrew. Jacket, Kanibal&Co. Boots, Dr. Martens. Hair clip, ban.do.

i found a lamp on my street lewk.

Today I walked outside to take some photos and I found a lamp on my street.

Possibly more importantly, here is a link to $100 off Rent the Runway Unlimited. That’s where most of the “I found a lamp on my street lewk” is from!

I took pics next to this lamp and was pretty pumped about it.

Afterwards I went inside to put my tripod away and decided I wanted the lamp.

But when I went back outside, it was gone.

Darn.

Dress and jacket, Rent the Runway. Lace shirt, Free People. Necklace, Stone Cooper. Eyeliner, Urban Decay.

fire escape on a freezing cold day lewk.

I left my tripod remote at my parents’ house and had to order some new ones on Amazon, so as soon as the remotes came I jumped out of my bathroom window and did a fire escape on a freezing cold day lewk on my fire escape.

Jacket, Kanibal & Co. Acorn necklace, Kanibal & Co. Top, Revolve. Skirt, Free People. Boots, Dr. Martens.

I enjoy having a fire escape a great deal and it was one of the selling (renting) points of this particular apartment.

It’s a great place to put some bird seed and get bird visitors. Squirrels also come to visit and make a huge mess. Less desirably, and I don’t even understand how, there are ants around on the fire escape that crawl in and hang out on the windowsill.

Yesterday was very cold and windy but it was nice to get outside for a little. I miss hanging out on the fire escape and I can’t wait til it’s warm. I may try and plant some plants but they’d prob die so I’ll just hang out there and read books I guess.

Since it was so windy my tripod almost fell a bunch of times so here’s a special bonus behind the scenes pic of me rescuing my tripod.

a little xmas tree.

This weekend I got a little Xmas tree at Small Business Saturday in Jersey City.

It is adorable.

Yes it’s that adorable.

I like a little Xmas tree because I have a small house and steep stairs. A large, normal sized Xmas tree would be too much. A tree like that would take up too much space and be too hard to get up there and I’d have to throw it out the window to get it back down again. If it even fit out the window.

For a few years living on while living on my own (aka not at my ancestral home) I didn’t even get an Xmas tree because I was 100% over Xmas and didn’t feel like doing any dumb Xmas shit. But the past couple of years I have been trying to get back into it again because why not? So I’ve gotten a little Xmas tree.

I’ve been collecting some new ornaments over the last year or so as well.

Ornaments ready to go!

These Jersey City ornaments I’ve been collecting for 4 years but for the first 2 of those years I just hung them on a drawer handle or cabinet handle or coat rack or something because I didn’t have a little Xmas tree.

But now I do. So now they’re on the tree.

Last year I went nuts getting the little traditional ball ones from Kanibal & Co. and Anthropologie. On sale at Anthropologie. I can’t afford anything there that is fully priced. You’re dreaming. Have you ever thought about what you’d like to say at a job interview when they ask, “what are your career goals?” and thought, “I’m going to tell them ‘My only career goal is making enough money to shop at Anthropologie and not have to buy everything on sale’”? Because I have. And it would be true.

I think the flamingo above is also from Anthropologie but then for Xmas last year my niece got me an EVEN BETTER ONE with ACTUAL feathers so I kinda feel dumb I got the first one.

This one is so majestic I can’t even deal.

Ah yes, the spotted jackalope! This is from Kanibal but overall I have a thing for jackalopes or even giant jack rabbits not mixed with ‘lopes.

Have you ever seen that post card of the cowboy riding the giant jack rabbit? IT IS EVERYTHING. When I spent some time in Texas I saw some jack rabbits in the Texan wilds and they are monster animals and way bigger than they were in my mind. Watch out for those guys. But in a cool way.

Killin me.

This record cutout, red star, and the brown wooden bird hanging out with the jackalope above I got on a trip to Woodstock last January. It was right after Xmas and all the Xmas shit was…ON SALE. And omg the bird smells like cloves and I can’t get enough of it. It was in a whole basket of other on-sale clove-scented ornaments and I should have dumped the whole basket in my bag and walked out of there. I blew it.

My Uncle Tom made these! I really like the Xmas stocking that says my name, because narcissism. I like the other ones too, he just gave to those us over Thanksgiving.

Here we have a lovely little leaf. I got this on a trip to The Finger Lakes in September when we went to a craft fair. I mean that’s it.

What I’m saying is, I like my little Xmas tree with my little Xmas shit that I’ve gotten from some cool places. And I had fun decorating it on Saturday night! I think it’s a fun tradish to come back here to JC and do Small Biz Saturday and get the little Xmas tree and then go home and decorate it after.

And then after that we make out.

I’ve done it two years in a row so it’s tradition now. Deal with it.

Tree decorating time lapse!

When do you put up your tree? Do you like a little Xmas tree or a big Xmas tree? We used to have a “Charlie Brown Xmas tree” that was literally one branch. Wait maybe we still have it, I have to look. Maybe it’s in my hall where I store things somewhere. Or in my closet room under my 6 foot tall pile of pending dry cleaning. We’ll see.

Little Xmas tree all decorated!

Happy beginning of Xmas shit to you!

the fourth thursday in november.

Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November. Maybe you already knew that, but it is. I actually question if you all DID know that, because the fourth Thursday in November was late AF this year and I saw a lot of people being super confused about it. Just like, stumbling down the street, not knowing which day the fourth Thursday of November is. Don’t be ashamed, it’s okay. Actually no, be ashamed. You’re a dumb dumb.

It’s the fourth Thursday in November. Not the third.

This is the turkey.

Sometimes I think of this blog as simply an extension of my Instagram and that’s how I’m going to treat it today. An expanded canvas for sharing some shit that happens on my Thanksgiving every year. Or happened specifically this year, on this fourth Thursday in November.

preamble.

I love Thanksgiving because it is simply and blatantly and unabashedly and only about food. You can say that it’s about like “giving thanks” or “being with family” but you are doing both or either of those things because the food brought you there. It called to you and convinced you to leave your home or invite people to your home. You came for the food. And that’s okay! Just let it happen. Just enjoy the food. You’re celebrating the harvest, after all.

The harvest that we have available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year because we live in a first world country. But a harvest, nonetheless.

This year’s crew!

My niece and nephew, aka my brother’s family, come to my parent’s house every other year and this was a off year so we had a bit less stress and running around the morning of because I guess my mom doesn’t really give a crap about much if they’re not here. Which like…cool.

Good crowd.

Because we had time to go on a walk by the river in the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park and get some fresh air and exercise. I think that’s really important to do before you eat everything in front of your face within a 10 foot radius for 5 hours straight.

pregame.

Once home, it was time for coffee and Bailey’s and then to get dressed and prettied up and then do a whole list of other shit.

The first thing I need to get done this year was a chicken photo shoot. You knew that was coming. It was chilly and windy outside but the chickie gals seemed amenable to photos. Kind of.

A golden comet, layer of Foolproof Sugar Cookie eggs.

Harry lays the blue eggs ❤

They lay eggs!

Following the chicken photo shoot, I did my yearly preparation of the cheesy bread. As I’ve said before I haven’t always been much of a cook and I’m still not but I’m more open to learning now. My previously established role of “cheesy bread maker” involves my mom preparing the bread dough (however that happens) and then providing me with the dough, cheese, and muffin tins to put the cheesy bread into to get it ready to cook. Which she then does.

This requires minimal effort from me, and I made a timelapse.

You may see me exit during the cheesy bread making, and it’s because my dad called from the living room, “OMG SHAN GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!” And I ran out and he was watching the Easton/PBurg football game on live TV and this seemed like a big deal. This high school football game has been happening on the fourth Thursday of November since 1933 and it is insane. It is a LEGENDARY rivalry (apparently it ended in a straight up FRACAS this year?!) I do hate sports but there’s something about rivalries that encompass ENTIRE TOWNS in TWO DIFFERENT STATES that just feels impressive to me. I encourage you to read more about both of those places because they’re a TRIP. Actually hold that thought, I’ll write more about them and you can read about it here. Not today though.

Not NOT interested in high school sports rivalries.

After the cheesy bread was prepared I had to set the table. I have no idea how to set a table like “the right way” and I pretty much just wing it so who knows if this is correct.

Perhaps I could have googled it before I did it but I didn’t. I googled it just now but I didn’t read this. But if you read it you’ll know how to set a table better than me and you can hold that over my head forever, I’ll allow it.

No idea.

Once the table was set it was TIME. FOR. MIMOSAS. Because mimosas are everything, when drinking in the day. My mom gets these little tiny baby orange juices from her school because she’s a lunch lady and half of one is perfect for a mimosa-sized OJ dose. Personally I used a quarter of one, if you’re counting.

My sister and her boyfriend arrived and then my grandma and my uncle, and it was time for cheese and crackers. Which frankly may be one of my most favorite times. We drank our mimosas and waters and black cherry sodas and green apple cider (but like beer cider) and red wines and ate cheese and crackers and talked about shit.

My mom with my Grammie and Uncle Tom.

dinner.

And then it was time for “dinner” but it was like 2 in the afternoon but either way it was time.

I chose pineapple stuffing my sister made, au gratin potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cheesy bread (THE FRUIT OF MY LABOR!), and white meat turkey. I don’t like dark meat turkey because it is slimy and slippery and awful. I’m entitled to that opinion.

SELECTIONS.

Also, I had a difficult time with turkey today because the Audubon Society’s Instagram was full of awesome wild turkey facts this week and they made me feel really weird about eating turkey today. So I just had a nibble. And I’m sorry turkeys of the world, and of the wild. Did you know turkeys are like OG AMERICANS? I knew that but not everyone at work did when I told them the other day so just making sure you know. You’re welcome.

Following the dinner foods I had some pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream. My mom got 3 pies but I’m not huge on pie so I just ate the pumpkin. I brought cookies from the Milkbar flagship too! And the cookies were enjoyed. IMMENSELY. BY ALL.

Desserts!

planksgiving.

After the ceremonial stuffing of faces I challenged my sister and her boyfriend to a “Planksgiving” activity that I was inspired to do by Taylor at JaneDO in Jersey City.

AND I WON. I AM THE STRONGEST.

This is a very long video but that means I did a very long plank so be impressed.

Recently my boyfriend didn’t help me lift someone drunk up out of his hot tub because he was too busy looking on and saying “Shannon is strong, she can do it…watch!” And I am, in fact, strong. And they did, in fact, watch.

Shan = VERY STRONG.

And they all went home to their families on this fourth Thursday of November and told their families about it, I just know it. And then I won Planksgiving forever.

After the meal and the fun and the planking, we gathered all of the dirty dishes into a laundry basket so my mom could forget about them until tomorrow. It’s a real tradition here and it’s nice for my mom. Or dad because he usually washes them. But always tomorrow because who needs to deal with that shit today.

As my leftover meal I made these sliders with cheesy bread, pepper jack cheese, white meat turkey, and strawberry/jalapeño jelly. They were fantastic.

How was your Thanksgiving? Happy Thanksgiving, by the way! I hope it was grand. Did you also do Planksgiving? What is your fav food to eat? Did you eat until you felt sick? I’m really glad I didn’t do that. I’ll say it again for the cheap seats. Any time I don’t eat until I feel sick when that much food is available is a real victory. But I AM tired. Bye.