Last breath of summer

I've gotten way behind with my photos from late summer that the only way to move forward with blogging is to  do a giant post of all of them now, and move onto real-time writing. So here they are,  not in order, the last of my summer outfits. Most of these were taken right before Jeremiah's move to NYC, so I was way too busy packing/studying for class to be bothered too much with thinking about clothes or photography. 

One interesting thing about these photos is how my bangs' length changes. They're so long now that I'm itching to get them cut into short, razor-fine wisps again soon...

The soul of wit

 

Slowly but surely I am getting caught up on my outfit posts. Of all the ways I've worn this dress before, I think this might be the most experimental. I've had this thrifted seersucker vest languishing in my closet for a while and it was time to try it out.

Sorry for the brevity. School, work, various other projects and getting used to solo-living are sucking the words right out of me now, and all I can say is, Look at these photos. I made them this one time.

credits- dress: c/o swaychic | vest: tommy hilfiger, thrifted | porcupine earrings: kohls | shoes: naturalizers.

A clearing in the woods

Thanks so much for the congrats on the last post. For the first time in months, I've been excited about future plans. There's so much to do in the next few weeks to get J situated into New York, and it feels like there are a million points in between, but for now I'm just thrilled that we're finally putting this years-long plan into motion.

My summer class is ending soon and I'll be free for a little bit! I'm looking forward to sleeping in for a few days.

credits: dress - c/o sway chic; scarf - vintage, thrifted; bag - fossil, thrifted; shoes - born crown.

Cotton candy

When Sway Chic, a California boutique line, contacted me about featuring one of their dresses, I had fun  perusing their quirky assortment of clothing and accessories that can be described as vintage with an easygoing West Coast vibe. Too often when shopping online it's hard to find vintage-style clothing at moderate prices, but Sway Chic provides an anecdote to that with an array of beautiful blouses, dresses and jackets that are inspired from previous eras but don't require decades of preservation. I ultimately chose the confectionery Sweet Pea dress, and it seemed like a perfect fit with the floral wreath I made a few weeks ago. Sway Chic is currently having a July 4th sale, so check it out -- I'm a fan of the animal print blouses and lace dresses (surprise, surprise).

credits - dress: c/o Sway Chic| floral wreath: diy (here's a tutorial)| shoes: Born Crown. 

Just passing through

Sometimes when summer's lost its novelty, I like playing tourist in my town. It basically means I wander past my familiar haunts and take my camera to places I haven't visited before or in a while. I spent some time on north campus earlier this week and thought I looked appropriately dressed for an afternoon of picture-taking. Somewhere in our family albums, there are photos of me dressed in the same uniform during trips around the country. Except in this case, I'm traveling to old buildings that have personal history around them too, since I've been in school here for so long.

The first photo was just a fun experiment in Photoshop layering -- I like how it turned out. I really am haunting the old haunts ... or something to that effect!

credits - lace blouse: vintage, from agora (athens, ga) | shorts: walmart | bag: fossil, thrifted |  shoes: born crown| watch: c/o the trendy boutique.

The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds strewn across a blue blanket

 Top: Old Navy; Moccasins: Minnetonka;

 Scarf: Thrifted; Pants: Loft; Watch: c/o Trendy Boutique.
Photos of me by Jeremiah.

It's been like 10 million years (okay, a week) since I've updated, but I've had pretty darn good reasons. In lieu of a traditional Thanksgiving during the break, Jeremiah and I decided to skip out on the bad weather and head on a one-week Caribbean cruise through Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Grand Cayman. We haven't been on a vacation since our honeymoon almost three years ago, so we had spent the better part of this year so excited for this trip. It was so great to get away from school work, bad weather and visit a different part of the world (and yes, take about 1,200 photos in the process). I'll be sharing more of our adventures here pretty soon...

But for now, I thought I'd leave you some pretty photos of Miami. Our cruise ship through Carnival was docked at Miami,  and before we boarded, we got to see a little bit of downtown and South Beach. I almost went to school in Miami, so it was great to finally get to explore the city a little more leisurely. The Art Deco district was a real feast for the eyes (and the camera).

Coupon code - eShakti

eShakti was kind enough to offer Sidewalk Chic readers a discount -- just use "Sidewalk0811" and receive $20 off any eShakti order from now until October 31st. With plenty of dress options under $100, that's a nice deal. 

And if you're interested, here's my review of the pretty maroon dress above.

The gladdest thing under the sun

 Dress: c/o eShakti; Purse: vintage, thrifted; 

Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri, Target; Bracelet: from Destin, gift. 

I received this dress from eShakti a few weeks ago and have worn it a couple times already to class and to work. I had the opportunity to try eShakti's custom sizing option for this dress, and when doing so, I was a little apprehensive about putting in my own measurements. I suppose I'm so used to buying things that don't fit well, and having to alter, tuck or just make things work for my body. So when faced with an opportunity to use my own measurements, it felt strange to be so honest. 

I really enjoy having a dress that actually fits me really well, as opposed to one that I'd have to alter. I chose this particular dress, and I love its festive color and floral embroidery. The eShakti line of dresses are a little out of my price range right now as a graduate student, though many wonderful items abound for under $100. As I've mentioned recently, I've adjusted my clothing philosophy and having the desire for more quality items.  For the custom sizing option this company offers, I think it's worth it to spend a little bit more. I'm already saving my pennies for this beautiful design. 

Have you ever done custom measurements for clothing, and what was your experience? Would you rather spend more for a custom fit, or less and have the item altered or fixed later?

I got to get a move on before the sun

 Dress: Ruche (from a giveaway from The Clothes Horse);

Watch: c/o The Trendy Boutique;

Belt: Loft; Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri, Target.
Listening to: "Wagon Wheel," Old Crow Medicine Show.

It feels like my life is finally slowing down a bit. Jeremiah and I went to our last wedding for a couple months this past weekend, and so we're heading into the calm before graduate school starts. I am trying to catch as much leisure time as I can, through hanging out at the pool, sleeping, and taking an impromptu trip to the coast soon ...

I ordered this dress last week from a giveaway I won at Ruche and I've already worn this dress a few times. I was drawn to its lace and interesting back detailing. I'm usually very skeptical about online shopping because I like seeing the quality and sizing up close, but this dress was pretty well-constructed and something that I can dress up or down for different occasions. I'm usually not one to feature my back in clothing, but I slowly see myself making that change in my wardrobe ...