FASHION // i wish i was a ballerina

I took a ballet class. Once. When I was six or seven. I had a little black leotard and everything. I dropped out after one class because the teacher was quite possibly the spawn of Satan.

I've always kind of wished I'd stuck it out and kept dancing. I'm quite possibly the klutziest person you will ever meet — disaster finds me like I have a tracker on my ankle — and maybe dancing would have changed that, or at least have made me a graceful klutz. 

Also, I am really not good at dancing, ballet or otherwise — I blame this on my father's genes, since he is a self-proclaimed horrible dancer. My friend Sam tried to get me to take hip-hop with her, and while I know it would be fun, I also know I would make a complete and utter idiot of myself.

Thus, I am totally in awe of anyone who dances, especially ballet. I like to pretend I'm a ballerina and wear my hair up in a bun sometimes, so people will assume I'm graceful and all that. (That's the theory anyways.) I don't wear a lot of flats — the only pair I have are from American Eagle and look more like moccasins — but I try to be a ballerina in other ways. Like finding floaty skirts and patterned tights. Those seem sort of ballerina-ish, right?

But for some reason, more than the skirts or the flats or the buns, the thing that makes me feel the most effortlessly graceful (that's what I associate with ballerinas as a personality type, even though I know that isn't 100% true) are big sweaters.

I know. Weird, right?

I don't mean man sweaters (though I do have those too — thanks Dad), I mean long sweaters with extra-long sleeves you can wrap around your hands and off-the shoulder necklines. Vaguely formfitting, but not anywhere near tight.

I have very specific requirements for the Perfect I-Am-A-Fake-Ballerina sweater... and, thus, I have never found the perfect one. But at Goodwill yesterday, I found something extremely close. If the neckline was a little larger — just a few inches on the sides — it would be exactly perfect. 

But as it is, I am completely in love with my $2.50 sweater. It's originally from Forever21 and it's crazily soft and comfortable. And I don't feel like a slob wearing it, like I usually do when wearing comfortable things. (Think sweatpants, leggings, Uggs, flannel shirts, ponytails.)

Here is the beautiful ballerina sweater, with American Eagle shorts, an Anne Klein belt ($3, also Goodwill) and a scarf hand-painted by Sam's mother. (Muchas gracias, Rachel!)

{I also found a pair of high-waisted sailor shorts, also $2.50; a pack of Madonna-esque jelly bracelets, 98¢, a pack of thin leather bracelets, 98¢; and a set of three colors of chunky hoop earrings, 98¢. Have I ever mentioned how much I adore Goodwill? So much weird stuff.}

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And this is from yesterday. Hope and I walked the 4.3 miles from my house to Goodwill, both wearing dresses. We felt very vintage and summery.

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PS: I've gotten a weirdly huge amount of emails (I'm talking several dozen) from people in the past two weeks asking if I can guest post or donate to their giveaways. I'm totally swamped right now, guys, sorry — I'm still in school, we have exams coming up, and I barely have enough time to keep horsefeathers running.

Please, no more until July. I feel bad turning everyone down.

{This is also why I haven't been commenting on many blogs lately — I still read your posts, I just keep wanting to comment and having to do something else. Thus, in this post I would like to request that:

everyone wish Hannah a happy birthday, 

everyone ooh and ahh over carlotta's usual beautiful posts (I'm guest posting on the 8th, so make sure to stop by!),

everyone gawk at Casey's gorgeous hair and outfit,

everyone vote on hayley's poll,

everyone do Le Happy's hair "tutorial" (I know I will be!),

and everyone congratulate Sally on finishing her SATs.

Okay? Love you all!}