Away

I suppose I owe you all an apology and an explanation, after being away for almost a whole week. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed lately because of my increased work schedule and a few social events (friends' wedding parties, graduations, holidays, etc.) going on that have required me to be out of town. Not to mention my insane allergies and trying to avoid the outdoors more than usual. 

There will be a 'Friday Finds' post this week (related to the Royal Wedding!) and I'll be back up with outfit posts starting Monday. I've missed you guys and can't wait to get back to some normalcy again. Thanks for being wonderful and patient, and see you soon. 

Friday finds -- pastels on parade

With spring in full gear, I've been delighted in seeing the blog world showcase a litany of pastel and bright colors. In shades of pink, green and orange, here are some looks that would rival any Easter egg basket:

 Emily of Sartoriography is a witty lady, savvy at vintage looks, writing and photographing Chicago landscapes. I love her creativity of balancing out a ballerina-esque pleated pink skirt with a burnt-orange sweater and tough boots. It's an outfit that would also be equally suitable for more adventures in the city or out in the comforts of the rural South.

I've been a fan of  Rebecca, the Clothes Horse for awhile (since before I started my own blog), and I find a lot of inspiration from her mix of interesting vintage finds, contemporary pieces and landscape photography. This beautiful dress is crochet, but is in a modern silhouette and punchy color. With a floral matching trench coat, it's a perfect juxtaposition against the historical sites around her military town.

A fellow Georgian, I love Bonjour, It's Jinah's fusion of Southern charm and cool academic style. Here she wears a cute mint green dress with a playful cat print that pulls off awesome and quirky without being too twee. See more of Jinah's playful prints and brightly-colored wardrobe here. 

You've met Lauren before, and her blog, My Closet in Sketches, is always a treat as she shares the stories behind her items. I love how she combined her grandmother's floral pastel jacket to bring color to her classic stripes and khakis. She also knows how to seriously find a deal -- she found a Lanvin dress discounted at Filene's and wore the hot pink frock for her birthday. Read more about her awesome finds here.

* All photos used with kind permission.

Happy Friday!  I'll be indulging in more awesome sugar comas sartorial inspiration from jellybeans, Peeps and sweet, sweet cupcakes this weekend. 

Condemned to repeat it

 Skirt: Liz Claiborne, vintage, thrifted; Heels: Bongo, thrifted;

 Blouse: NY& Co.; Bracelet: Kohls; Bag: thrifted. 

I wore almost this exact outfit six months ago and it feels just as relevant to fall weather as it does to spring. Sometimes it's nice to repeat an outfit that you know is just going to work no matter what, and I'm a big fan of the high-waisted silhouette these days.

My picture plans were nearly foiled by a biology class taking measurements by the creek. I've run into many university biology classes these past few months, and often I have to change my photo plans (or not take them at all) because the students are on the shore line or right where I had envisioned where I would do my shoot. And let's face it, it's a little awkward being overdressed and taking photos near an audience of 30 pairs of eyes. Not this week. I felt a little bolder and decided not to repeat this cycle of giving up photography in the spot I wanted. As soon as I saw the crowd of students clad in rainboots and  assessing their gear in the parking lot, I high-tailed it to the creek and did quite possibly the world's fastest photo shoot. Despite the buckets of creek sludge they brought back to their labs, I'm sure in my five-inch heels I was the most unexpected specimen they saw that day on the shore.

Happy weekend! Friday finds will be up later this afternoon.

What I wore a year ago

I thought it might be fun to look back on how my style has evolved, although it's strange to think that I've been doing this for long enough ( a year and a half) for me to be able to look back! Here's what I wore a year ago today. I remember feeling pretty happy about this combination, because after just finishing up my two-month Dress Project, I could go back to wearing whatever I wanted. I remember feeling pretty proud of the red and purple combination, but now I definitely feel like my style has evolved with more color/pattern combinations. 

So much has changed in the past year, and this photo is indicative of that: I'm at the farm park in one of my first landscape photos, and Jeremiah is behind the lens. Since then, we've moved to Athens for Jeremiah's graduate school. I started doing all my own photography, started a new job and now am awaiting graduate school for myself. I can't wait to see what the next year will bring ...

Black and white and red all over

Dress (as skirt): Elie Tahari, salvaged from Aunt P.;

Gingham wool blouse: vintage, thrifted; Belt: Loft;

Cougar bracelet: vintage, thrifted, Finders Keepers;

Shoes: Clarks; Ostrich purse: vintage, from Agora (Athens, Ga.).

I've been on the hunt for more pleated skirts recently -- I love that they're coming back into style. I'm not sure  that I'm totally in love with this particular look -- something about where the blouse hits on my frame makes it look boxy with the skirt. Oh, well -- this is all about experimentation, right? Since getting this dress from Aunt P., it's mostly worked as a layering piece with other parts of my wardrobe. I plan on showcasing it all alone this summer when the weather is warmer -- it's really a  beautiful piece on its own. 

My allergies have been really bothersome this season, and it's made it difficult to want to go out into the forest and take photos. They weren't as bad last year, but since moving back to Athens, where there are more forests/greenery, has made me feel like a walking sneeze.  Do any of you have allergies, and how are you dealing? 

Blues traveler

 Dress: Taylor; Blazer: Donna Karan, salvaged from Aunt P.; 

Shoes: Aerosoles; Cougar bracelet: vintage, from Finders Keepers.

This is what I wore last week to work. I've mentioned before that I work in a very casual editing office environment, so pretty much anything goes for personal wardrobe. I know my aesthetic skews on the vintage side these days, but every once in awhile I like going with more modern ensembles. I still love this Donna Karan blazer that I received from Jeremiah's stylish Aunt P. The length is unusual, but it's a piece that I think I'll never get rid of because it fits well and is a pretty classic item.

What are some classic items you covet? 

Gal about town

Just bits and pieces of my life recently, which includes rural field trips and lost outfits:

 

I recently discovered this house on some flickr sets. It's an abandoned Greek revival plantation home that's not too far from Athens. I believe it's owned by a family that still lives in the area, but the house is slowly deteriorating. I found the house with no problem, and it's not too far from other old but intact buildings (a country store and a former slave cabin). I spent more time driving to it then I did photographing it. When I got there, there was a "private property" sign on the door and the yard was cordoned off with a chain, and I decided I'd rather not trespass for now. I got pretty spooked being near the old property by myself in the middle of nowhere. Doesn't it look like Gone with the Wind's Tara plantation?

Out on the open road, somewhere near Watson Mill Bridge State Park. I love finding new farms and fields. Jeremiah's not usually into just driving for scenery, but I'm going to drag him on my next field trip soon.

 A lost outfit! I wore this I think back in February, but it never made it to the blog. Jeremiah and I were on a pizza run at our favorite hole-in-the-wall place.

Of course, Sprinkle gets her due. She looks like Citizen Kane here to me.

I don't know how I managed to never take a photo of my Banana Republic trenchcoat this season, but it's been a mainstay all winter.

And finally, some shots around downtown:

Like a southbound train

 

Shirt: Arizona Jeans Co; Shorts: American Eagle; Bag: H&M; Sandals: Teva.

This might be the most laidback outfit I've worn in awhile, but Saturday I really wanted to be casual when I took a walk by myself near the railroad tracks to shoot photos. These tracks are pretty close to campus, and I've actually only seen a train go by once the entire time I was in school. Right before I got there, I heard the blasts of a train whistle as it whizzed by East Campus. Ever since I saw the Final Destination movies when I was younger, I've had a fear of getting trapped on railroad tracks, so I was pretty glad about my timing. Sometimes the train ends up parking on the tracks for awhile, which makes it difficult to take photos in that location.

This might very well be the blog debut of my Teva sandals! They were such a mainstay to my high school wardrobe because I spent a lot of time outdoors as a teen during my co-ed Scout days. They've lasted me seven years and several dozen mountain hikes and counting. 

I spent some time this weekend exploring my town. The weather is wonderful, the lighting is fantastic during the peak hours and I'm just ready for new landscapes. I suppose it's like mind exercise -- some people do crossword puzzles or Sudoku, and I spend my time scheming up photoshoot combinations. I'll be sharing those finds later today ...

How was your weekend?