now usually, i let these dresses go without a murmur. if a dress does not pass the “grazes my knee” test, why, i dismiss them summarily, with the discipline of an olympian. no, dress, you shall not tempt me! i cannot tell you how many cute dresses have been rejected this way — no, literally, i can’t, it makes me weep. but sometimes… well, sometimes, even olympians have their bad days, and sometimes, i buy dresses that i am CONVINCED i can make work.

much like this one:

coat, alloy.com. scarf, thrifted. hat, urban outfitters. dress, ana sui for target. cardigan, thrifted. skinny jeans, can’t remember for the life of me. boots, the gap.

yes, that is supposed to be a dress. A DRESS. i’m not an amazon by any means, but without jeans, if i bent over in that thing i could be arrested. there would definitely not be any loitering on street corners encouraged in that number, if you know what i mean. and yes, i already knew the length (or lack thereof) when i bought it, but… well… it’s really cute and well-made, and i love the dramatic details with the studs and felt. as long as i can figure out creative ways to make it more me and less of-the-night, i shall wear it with pride.

oh, and if you were wondering, this is a serena look from the ana sui for target collection supposedly inspired by gossip girl. it reads far more blair to me — there’s a severe lack of boobage, for one thing — but then i reread my previous paragraph, and of-the-night is definitely serena style. so there’s that.

coming up: a nifty thrift post in which i once again raid the depths of plato’s closet, and a couple of new challenge posts. i can feel your excitement.

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[edited to add] OH HEY NOW. i forgot to introduce an important new addition to OHN — my new baby.

i mean, not a real one, obvi. but my new teeny tiny pretty little camera! my old one got bashed when gear check volunteers were a little throw-happy with my bag at the second 5k, rendering its joy stick useless and unresponsive. bf tried to fix it as best he could, but once precision equipment fails, it fails, y’know?

this is the canon sd780 is; it’s a 12 megapixel beaut that currently retails on amazon for $199 from an original price of $250, and i cashed in my debit card reward points for a $100 amazon gift card… so i paid $100. and it’s glorious and small and red and amazing. i’m no expert, but my photos seem to look a lot better now. highly recommended and all that jazz.

the girl in the image is from a grazia magazine editorial, and your eyes are not tricking you — it is indeed snowing. i thought it went nicely with the girl in her coat and the whole winter thing and… anyway, point is, if it is distracting and icky, please do let me know. i don’t want to disgust you and ick you out.

and while we’re at it, if you could change your links to ohhoneyno.net, i would be very grateful! and send you happy christmassy thoughts, since today i am a christmas elf (see below).

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there was meant to be an outfit post early today, but. er. well, the thing of it is, the alarm wasn’t set, and i woke up with 15 minutes to get ready, which is why i ended up grabbing a green scarf. the green scarf goes wonderfully with my pinstripe shirt-black sweater combo, but did i mention that my winter coat is BRIGHT RED WOOL? i look like  christmas elf. HO HO FRIGGIN’ HO.

anyway, the excuse for no outfit post is that i was in a rush, not that i look like a christmas elf. but if you think i’m taking a picture of today’s outfit, you, sir, would be incorrect.

i’ve spent the past few weeks being torn. and i don’t mean a good kind of torn — like, torn over two incredible, can’t live without them pairs of shoes — because with that kind of torn, that has outcomes that make me happy. i end up with one fantastic pair of shoes, or with both. the decisions don’t come so hard.

this kind of torn…well, it tears you up. do you know what that’s like? i’m sure you do, i’m sure i’m not alone — it just feels like it sometimes.

anyway, i am in the process of patching myself together again, and i figure the best possible way to do that is by concentrating on fashion and fun and the things i can control, like what dress to wear in the morning, and how to tie this belt, and where to place that brooch, rather than the things i can’t control. so hello, hello! to me. regular outfits shall commence shortly.

p/s – oh hey, spot a familiar name in this wsj article? woot woot. it is a teeny tiny mention, but i’d rather have a teeny tiny mention in the wall street journal than a big ol’ blurb anywhere else.

mixed cable sweater in teal

also in: black, crimson
original price: $78
tulle’s day price: $6.99

why: i don’t know about you people in other states, but here in chicago it’s been just about the coldest october in recent memory, and my extensive collection of fine gauge cardigans, while insanely cute, just isn’t going to cut it. i need me some cable knit, and i need it NOW. bonus points for being cute and coming in nice bright colors.

baby quilted skirt in crimson

also in: black
original price: $63
tulle’s day price: $6.99

why: let me tell you a story. once upon a time, cold weather was my nemesis. i refused to go anywhere without cladding my legs in chain mail pants denim or corduroy or 15 pairs of heavy duty tights. then, i discovered how to wear skirts in cold weather. and lo, the heavens burst open and a chorus of angels sang, etc. this skirt, being quilted, is perfect for cold weather, because it’s heavy enough to withstand sudden gusts of icy chicago wind without exposing any ladybits. and i don’t know about you, but anything that prevents frosted ladybits is alright by me.

wool plaid shawl collar coat in graphite/black

also in: lavender/ink
original price: $110
tulle’s day price: $8.99

why: in my head i have this entry planned called “i don’t think so, tim: how to wear plaid without looking like al borland.” and it is pretty awesome, and this jacket would be on my list. it does everything right: the cut is slimming, the wide collar adds some interest, and the colors don’t scream LUMBERJACK. winner.

canvas sherpa vest in graphite

also in: evergreen
original price: $78
tulle’s day price: $6.99

why: okay, so the styling on the tulle site isn’t so hot. but bear with me here — couldn’t you just imagine this over a slim turtleneck dress, tights and riding boots? so very fresh-from-the-ski-lodge chic, no?

oh oprah. is there anything you CAN’T do? print this coupon now for 50% off any pair of payless shoes. valid in-store and only till TODAY, so take advantage of this NOW!

but never fear! i have a handy-dandy list of resources that can help you – yes, you! – conquer your fears and dip your toe into a whole new world of fashion possibilities. and the best part is that these resources are great for a shot of instant inspiration too.

1. pantone
every season, pantone releases a spiffy little booklet of upcoming color trends and how designers will be rockin’ them on the runway. for example, fall 2009′s color report features:

the nifty color report not only shows you some beautiful sketches of next season’s designs, but it also tells you how to pair those colors to create some awesome combinations:

“Pairing Honey Yellow with its color wheel opposite, Purple Heart, will surely add a surprising flair. Or, for a more typical fall combination, group Honey Yellow with Burnt Sienna and Iron.”

want to be ahead of the game? pantone just released its spring 2010 color report… take a gander at the colors featured and start stocking up!

2. colourlovers

have you seen colourlovers? because it is sort of awesome. a whole community of people who love and work with colors in real life post their color palettes, patterns and combos for your viewing pleasure and inspiration. it’s kind of the shit.

3. wear palettes

i place wear palettes firmly in the realm of GENIUS IDEAS. mostly because it’s GENIUS. wear palettes collaborates with lookbook.nu to create color palettes from selected real-life street style photos, so you can see how those colors work together on a real person.

4. your very own fellow cyber fashionistas
speaking of genius and real life, your fellow bloggers can be an endless source of inspiration! the academichics had a comprehensive color series going on that you can see here, and street style sites like weardrobe, the wardrobe remix group on flickr, and lookbook.nu are full of stylish, creative people rockin’ that color combo you never even thought of – never underestimate the power of seeing real people pull off a fantastic outfit!

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so there you have it. i send you off now on your own color journey, with the stipulation that you show me your own fabulous experiments so that YOU can become MY inspiration! what color combos are you rocking this season? what resources do you use to inspire you?

before i embarked upon this Mission, i was firmly anti-working out, and i used every reason i could come up with in order to not have to work up a sweat. it’s too cold, i’d say. it’s too hot. i’m too tired. the tennis court’s too full. gossip girl is on. my mom’s going to call and i’m going to miss it and she’s going to be pissed. i don’t like gyms. people will laugh at me.

that’s the problem with getting yourself off the couch and running your first 5k — there are no more excuses. you’ve already done it before, so how can you not do it now? what’s stopping you?

sometimes i catch myself trying to make excuses. sometimes i catch myself losing my drive. and then i sort of have to check myself and be all, listen self. you better shape up, because do you really want all this pain and sweat of the past couple of months to go to waste?

no. i don’t. i really, really don’t.

which is why, in order to give myself another goal, i’m running another 5k this sunday, almost a month exactly after my first. and this time it isn’t about setting myself a time or competing against anyone — it’s about knowing that first time wasn’t a fluke, and it’s about proving to myself that this is something i can do over and over and over again.

i’ll keep you posted.

there was supposed to be an outfit post for today, but yesterday i had a bad day, a fat day, a bad case of the uglies that i couldn’t shake.

you know those days, right? those days when you get up, and nothing looks good on you, and nothing seems to fit, and nothing goes right, and you hate your body a little bit but you’re not even sure why? that was my funk. i wanted to be invisible. nothing made my day better except being able to go home after work and relax with a bowl of hot soup and the latest episode of glee (side note: freaking. LOVE. that. show).

so here’s my question, because i need your help. what do you do on days when you’re having trouble loving yourself, even though nothing has changed, and you know you should? leave your positive thoughts in the comments, or send an email my way!

images from the clothes horse.

then, i realized one big problem. The Tights.

ladies (and gentlemen, i suppose?), i fear the colored and patterned tights. i adore them, don’t get me wrong, and own several pairs, but always seem to balk at actually wearing them. well, NO MORE. yesterday i wore a colored tights-centric outfit, and i plan to do so for the rest of the week continue experimenting. the results:

dress, cutiemus. cardigan, target. shoes, target, thrifted. burgundy tights… i don’t remember.

i didn’t necessarily have the items to replicate any kate spade looks, but i went for the same colorful, whimsical, bright feel. thoughts? how do you rock colored or patterned tights?

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where: macy’s online
what: extra 20% off plus free shipping
promo code: PL8KM912J3X
until: thursday, october 22nd

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where: chickdowntown.com
what: 35% off everything
promo code: FALL35
until: wednesday, october 21st

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where: dsw.com
what: $10 off $49
promo code: SHARELUV
until: monday, october 26th

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also, don’t forget modcloth’s twelvsies tuesdays — where they offer 12 random items at 12% off every tuesday. click here for today’s items!

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TODAY ONLY: steve madden shoes are on sale at 6pm.com for up to 65%, for anywhere from $14-$60.