Portrait of the Blogger as a Young Woman

July 28, 2010

I was camera shy, even at the tender age of 4. 

Luckily, my style sense has much improved since then…and just to prove it…here I am…

Outfit: (here) dinner in Carmel with friends (and Mr. AN)

That’s right, I finally decided to come out of hiding, albeit, by way of a very washed out photo. Baby steps. It’s my birthday tomorrow, so since I’ve outgrown extravagant birthday parties…and instead just stick to taking days off work, sleeping in, and going shopping, I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate.

I’m embarking on a new adventure in life, so it feels like the right time to say “hello” to everyone. I’m moving to a new city, moving forward in my relationship with my amazing boyfriend, and with all this comes the opportunity to focus more time and effort in Alterations Needed.

There is so much I want to do with AN and the forum, and I was finding that blogging anonymously was a major hindrance to my plans. So, here I am, and hopefully with many more fun things to come.

And to help us get better aquatinted…here are some fun facts about me:

  1. I hate white socks. I only wear colored ones, preferably argyle.
  2. I had straight hair until I was 13 years old. I literally got a hair cut one day, and walked out of the salon with a full head of curly hair. Traumatizing!
  3. I’ve spent the last three years living next door to a mentally ill woman who is convinced I’m stalking her. But the rent is amazingly cheap!
  4. I have a bamboo plant named Chuck. He’s been with me for 6 years, and I only almost accidently killed him once. Not bad huh?
  5. I was a real tomboy as a kid. I think that’s where my love of menswear comes from.
  6. I’ve already named my future pets. Bradley if he’s a Welsh Corgi, Clinton if he’s a pomeranian, and I kinda want a cat named Dave.
  7. I really like wearing crazy colored lingerie. It’s like my little secret. I might be wearing black on the outside…but underneath I’m bright orange!
  8. I’m one whole inch taller than my mom.
  9. I have really boyish handwriting. I even know a few boys with nicer handwriting than mine. It’s kinda embarrassing.
  10. Anyone who has emailed me has learned my real name, so I guess it’s not that big of a secret, but…hi, my name is Kelly!

Hi everyone!
  • Hanna

    Miss Kelly, I hope you have a wonderful birthday! Your fun facts really made me rofl. You had a bamboo for 6 years??! My bf has had one for 2 and he gripes about when it is going to die. (I know secretly he is like in love with the plant)

    You have inspired me with your blog posting and you are one of the reasons why I wanted to start one of my own! So, thank you. =0D

  • PetiteAsianGirl

    As always an enjoyable read. #9 – I bet my handwriting could out-boy yours. Friends and coworkers comment that it's the worst they've ever seen, ever.

    #6 – you only want male pets? Lol!

  • MoneyMaus

    Happy Birthday, Kelly!! Have an amazing day shopping and a wonderful birthday :)

    Love all the fun facts! We're twins when it comes to wearing bright-colored (or patterned for me…today I'm tiger-striped!) undergarments under basic work colors. ;)

    Thank you SO MUCH for your blog! I'm excited for what's to come. And hey, maybe we can go shopping sometime in your new city!

  • HM63

    I like "real" names for pets too. My schnoodle's name is Lou.

    Ha! I hate white socks too.

    Happy Birthday!! :)

  • curls-and-pearls

    Awww what a great post! Happy Birthday! Hope you enjoy your day.

    OMG I had straight hair too as a kid! It had a slight wave to it but nothing even close to being curly. When I was in grade 3 my mom decided to cut all my hair off (VERY TRAUMATIZING!!!) and when it grew back it grew back curly! Let's just say it did NOT make for fun pre-teen years LOL.

  • Ping

    haha that pic is funny!!
    thanks for sharing kelly…i love reading random fun facts about people. it's one of my favorite section in US weekly!

    i can't believe your hair got curly after a haircut. it did happen to my once. when i was in high school, i got a haircut & i swear it made my hair wavy!

  • Alterations Needed

    Thank you for the birthday wishes everyone! I'm really excited to sleep in and go shopping! LOL

    Hanna – Chuck the bamboo plant has been through a lot with me. I'm sure your bf is in deed very attached to his bamboo. They are very lovable (and forgivable, like when you leave them in a scorching hot car for a day directly in the back window, sorry Chuck!)

    PAG – We'll have to have a handwriting contest one day to see who's is worse…the bf's can judge. =)

    I'm weird, I really like male names, so I only want to name pets (and bamboo plants) as males. I suppose I could have a girl dog and name her Clinton or Bradley…maybe it's time to bend some gender rules…lol.

    MoneyMaus – Oh…tiger striped! Good for you! I'm blue today…but I'm thinking tomorrow I'll go red! =P

    HM63 – The first pet I got to name, I named Bingo (as in, "was his name-o"), but then I named a goldfish I won at the fair "Fred", so I guess it all started with that fish…lol. It's been human names ever since.

    curls-and-pearls – There are middle school photos, post curly hair attack, that no one is allowed to see. It was the most traumatizing time of my life. I know exactly what you went through…lol.

  • Missy

    Have a beautiful birthday!

  • Nelah

    Hope you have a wonderful birthday. I have always enjoyed your posts, they are resourceful and entertaining. Thanks for having a petite forum and it's great to see you in light :D

  • Jen

    Glad to see you "came out of the fitting room."

    LOL!

    Ok, I know it was bad. Hubby and I want a future pom and name it Heem. Because we say "heem" far more often and meaning far more things than is actually sane. ;)

  • Erin

    Happy coming out day and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! That's so crazy about your hair – it is SO curly! I had a haircut from hell in the 3rd grade and mine was never the same either. Yours looks good though, so that is a big plus! :)

  • AubreyOhDang!

    Moving to a new city? Does that mean you'll be shopping more often @ fashion valley?! I wish the weather wasn't this gloomy so it would feel like a warmer welcome, but welcome anyways (that is if my assumption is correct about your whereabouts)!!!!

    My favorite fact is lucky #7. I read somewhere in a men's mag that they love brightly colored lingerie. =]

  • Trish

    You're too cute! I think you should come to the east coast and help me find clothes to wear! Have a lovely birthday and hope moving isn't a pain in the butt.

  • Angie

    Happy birthday, Kelly! It's good to know a little more about the person behind the blog : )

  • littlenashua

    Happy Birthday Kelly!

    My cat's name is Feldman (hence my forum name, FeldmanTcat – the T stands for 'the'). It's more of a last name than a typical first name.

  • Jenn

    I also had straight hair that turned curly. I had it really short for a while, and then when I went to grow it out (when I was about 19), it grew in curly! Go figure.

    Happy birthday!

  • sophia

    omg that first pic is funny! takes "camera shy" to a whole new level :p

    nice to finally see your pretty face and learn your name!

    I want a corgi!!! And a frenchie :)) They're such goofy looking doggies!

    And finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

  • Stylepint

    Happy birthday and have fun shopping! I used to be a tomboy too and I love those pet choices…the Welsh Corgies are so cute! =)

  • Jackie

    OMG, It's my birthday tomorrow too!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

  • Anonymous

    Happy birthday!! I actually love the curls. & No white socks? What about with athletic shoes? (When doing athletic-y activities…e.g. running…however infrequent that may be, haha.) Between you, PAG, and Chloe, I've realized it's not just me with a petite shopping problem! Thanks for the inspiration and I'm really happy life is moving forward for you!

    –Jan

  • Hannah

    Happy birthday, Kelly! :)

  • Lisa_teany

    Have a great birthday! Does that mean you'll be getting a lot of new stuff? :) And it's also nice to learn more about the girl behind the blog.

  • Jen C

    Happy birthday!

  • Anonymous

    Happy birthday. <3 your blog.Keep up the great work….I've learned so much from you.

    *mel

  • Alterations Needed

    Jen – I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has already named a pet. Poor little pom has no idea what he/she's in for…LOL.

    Erin – Thanks for the hair compliment! It took me many years of struggle to finally come to terms with my hair, and learn how to coax it to look semi decent. Curly hair has a mind of it's own!

    AubreyOhDang! – Yup! FV will be my new haunt! There seems to be a lot of SD ladies on here…maybe we can organize a shopping outing and take over the joint. A petite gang if you will. LOL.

    Trish – Thanks! Doing some east coast shopping sounds like fun! If you're ever in SoCal, hit me up! I'm always down to shop. =)

    Littlenashua – LOL. Now it all makes sense! I've never been one to give last names, but my mom does. Her adopted chihuahua is named Chica Boom Boom. Chica is her first name, and Boom Boom in her last name. Don't ask me where that came from.

    Jenn – You too?! It seems to be the case with curly hair. I don't know why it decides to attack at such an awkward age.

    Sophia & stylepint – Corgi's are awesome! I love their short legs and huge ears!

    Jackie – We're birthday twins! Happy birthday! =D

    Jan – I haven't done much physical activity that has required socks in quite some time. Athletic socks are the only white socks I own, and they've sat un-used for a few years now. lol. Glad you've found the rest of us obsessed shoppers! I only hope we don't get you into too much shopping trouble. =P

    Thank you everyone for the kind words! Best birthday presents EVER! =D

  • R.L.

    Happy birthday, Kelly! I've learned so much from your blog and the forum and can't wait to see what you have in store next. And also congrats on the move with the boyfriend :)

    I had curly hair when I was born but after my mother cut it into a bowl cut, it was straight. Just when I was beginning to appreciate my straight hair, it suddenly went curly again when I was 17. Oh the joys of curly hair!

  • PetiteXXS

    Happy early birthday! It's great to see you come "out" lol… finally I (sorta) have a face to put to the name. I think I might've had an inkling you were heading in this direction since I kept seeing more and more inches of your face in the outfit pics! :) I'm still a little hesitant to show face on my blog, but I do think that blogs feel more personal when people do.

    I never knew that you can 'suddenly' develop curly hair in your teens… I'm not sure what I would do if that happened to me!

  • Nukem

    Happy Birthday Kelly! Thanks for putting together the AN forum and keeping up with the petite community through your awesome blog. You have fabulous fashion sense and style.
    My hubby calls me Baby Brown Thumb….I kill every plant I buy :P I should try a bamboo plant.

  • good girl gone blog

    I hate white socks too! You should see my sock drawer, it's like a lucky charms explosion.

    Hope you have a great birthday!

  • Mix and Match

    oh, hi Kelly, happy birthday! I like your words a lot, as well as those reviews. If you read my blog, you know I'm inspired by them quite often. I'm very impressed by #4, since I see myself as a plant killer. :( I smiled when I read #7, it's like you are telling my secret too. ;)Good luck to your new life!

  • Annie

    Happy birthday Kelly!!!! So great to finally see your face! Lookin forward to seeing more of you!

  • Really Petite

    This post was awesome! So glad you decided to show your face! You are so cute!!! Happy B-day!!! YAY!!!!!

    As I have always said in the past, you are truly the "ORIGINAL" petite blogger and the queen of all of us fashionistas….so major KUDOS and hats of to you!! Not only did you inspire me but I think you have really started a trend and we thank you for that!!!!

    You always seem to be ahead of the curve in fashion and I am so grateful that you started this and inspired me and many others to open our horizons and pay attention to "FIT" and "QUALITY"!!!!! :)

  • CynthiaC

    Have a happy birthday, Kelly!!!!

    On the curly hair thing: A girl I knew in high school always thought she had wavy-ish hair…until she cut it all off and the curls began to come. I think it might have to do with it "straightening out" because the length weighs it down.

  • simplyvonne

    you name your plant? lol too funny!

    Happy birthday btw!

  • Chloe

    Kelly, have a wonderful birthday. Thanks for not exposing me in the photo :p

  • Rainy Days and Lattes

    You are so cute! LOL I hope you had a wonderful and joyous birthday! :)

  • Vicky

    Happy belated birthday, Kelly! I have been enjoying your posts for a while. You look adorable. Hope to see more not so washed out pictures of you soon!

  • Christine

    I'm super late joining the party, but Happy Birthday! In your normal posts, you look tall because you're proportionate/thin and no point of reference. But with other people standing around, you can see that you are mini. Those are both cute pictures!

  • Christine

    I'm super late joining the party, but Happy Birthday! In your normal posts, you look tall because you're proportionate/thin and no point of reference. But with other people standing around, you can see that you are mini. Those are both cute pictures!

  • Rainy Days and Lattes

    You are so cute! LOL I hope you had a wonderful and joyous birthday! :)

  • simplyvonne

    you name your plant? lol too funny!

    Happy birthday btw!

  • Chloe

    Kelly, have a wonderful birthday. Thanks for not exposing me in the photo :p

  • CynthiaC

    Have a happy birthday, Kelly!!!!

    On the curly hair thing: A girl I knew in high school always thought she had wavy-ish hair…until she cut it all off and the curls began to come. I think it might have to do with it "straightening out" because the length weighs it down.

  • Mix and Match

    oh, hi Kelly, happy birthday! I like your words a lot, as well as those reviews. If you read my blog, you know I'm inspired by them quite often. I'm very impressed by #4, since I see myself as a plant killer. :( I smiled when I read #7, it's like you are telling my secret too. ;)Good luck to your new life!

  • Alterations Needed

    Jen – I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has already named a pet. Poor little pom has no idea what he/she's in for…LOL.

    Erin – Thanks for the hair compliment! It took me many years of struggle to finally come to terms with my hair, and learn how to coax it to look semi decent. Curly hair has a mind of it's own!

    AubreyOhDang! – Yup! FV will be my new haunt! There seems to be a lot of SD ladies on here…maybe we can organize a shopping outing and take over the joint. A petite gang if you will. LOL.

    Trish – Thanks! Doing some east coast shopping sounds like fun! If you're ever in SoCal, hit me up! I'm always down to shop. =)

    Littlenashua – LOL. Now it all makes sense! I've never been one to give last names, but my mom does. Her adopted chihuahua is named Chica Boom Boom. Chica is her first name, and Boom Boom in her last name. Don't ask me where that came from.

    Jenn – You too?! It seems to be the case with curly hair. I don't know why it decides to attack at such an awkward age.

    Sophia & stylepint – Corgi's are awesome! I love their short legs and huge ears!

    Jackie – We're birthday twins! Happy birthday! =D

    Jan – I haven't done much physical activity that has required socks in quite some time. Athletic socks are the only white socks I own, and they've sat un-used for a few years now. lol. Glad you've found the rest of us obsessed shoppers! I only hope we don't get you into too much shopping trouble. =P

    Thank you everyone for the kind words! Best birthday presents EVER! =D

  • Jen C

    Happy birthday!

  • Hannah

    Happy birthday, Kelly! :)

  • Jackie

    OMG, It's my birthday tomorrow too!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

  • http://www.wholesomehedonist.com/ The Wholesome Hedonist

    I just found this post through your 2 year anniversary post…and I had to comment because the exact same thing happened to my hair! No joke, when i was 13, I woke up one day with curly hair, went to the hairdresser, he chopped it all off, and then there was no turning back. I recently had a baby and the curls are not as tight anymore, but it’s still curly. I think it has to do with the release of hormones…

    Anyway, I’ve been following your blog for a year or so and just wanted to comment and say I really enjoy it. And that you must be my curly hair kindred spirit!

    • http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed

      Hi hair-twin! So glad to hear I wasn’t alone with a traumatizing hair cut at 13! Thank you for the comment & kind words. =)

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