Author: Laura – St. John’s

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Zappos, WhenIHadBraces…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there. And more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

Getting dressed in the morning is always such a hassle: finding an outfit among the array of shirts, pants, skirts, sweaters, shoes, and belts in your closet that’s both stylish and weather-appropriate is both stressful and time-consuming.  Usually, I spend about 10 minutes watching the weather channel with my closet doors open, hoping for inspiration, only to just throw on another tee-cardigan-jeans combination. Which is often not appropriate for the weather.

I’ve always complained that knowing what temperature it is outside doesn’t really help me. “But what does 60 with a 20% chance of showers mean? What should I wear for that???”

Well, someone finally heard my bitching prayers.

The Weather Stylist.

All you do is type in your zip code and The Weather Stylist gives you an outfit suggestion based on the weather forecast for that day (including accessories!).  For example, if it’s raining one day, The Weather Stylist might suggest a hooded cardigan or coat with a tunic, leggings, knee-high boots, and an umbrella.  If you don’t like the outfit it suggests, you can refresh the page to see another option.  Also, if you really love a particular clothing item that the site suggests, they’ve included links to where you can buy the items online.

Genius.

And like tons of other great sites out there, The Weather Stylist has a mobile site and an iPhone App so you can plan your outfits on the go (no more trying to figure out if it’s too cold for you to wear that new mini-dress tonight).

Another great feature of the site is that you have the option of looking up future weather forecasts, which makes planning outfits for a trip a whole lot easier.  Just type in the dates of your trip and the zip code of where you’re traveling, and you’ll know just what to pack. And that means less space wasted on the multiple types of shirts, sweaters, and pants “in case it’s cold,” and more space for extra shoes.

This site is seriously life-changing!

Breathtaking.

Like most people, the years I spent with little metal boxes cemented to my teeth weren’t exactly my best. Not only did those years coincide with my awkward phase (no coincidence there), but my braces also hurt like crazy. And I’m pretty sure I spent 50% of my time in the bathroom picking food shrapnel out of my teeth.

The other 50% of my time was spent smiling for pictures with my lips closed and being thrown into the back of my mom’s minivan for those monthly adjustment appointments (ouch).

And I wasn’t allowed to chew gum or eat popcorn.
Yeah, it’s really not a time I want to relive.

Unless it has to do with other people.

Behold, one of my greatest Internet finds since TFLN:

When I had braces…

This website won’t help you become a better cook or organize your fashion wish lists, but it will make you laugh and that’s all you really need on a Wednesday morning, right? The premise is simple: readers submit their favorite (OK, most awkward) picture of themselves in braces along with a small anecdote about their experience with the little devils. For example, the photo above, which is pretty awesome in its own right but truly magnificent with this little ditty:  “When I had braces straightening irons weren’t yet perfected.”

The best part is, this photo isn’t even the greatest one; the site is chock full of awkward moments in braces’ past. And if you’ve ever had braces, you can definitely empathize with them…. or just use this as a chance to feel a whole lot better about your most awkward days.