Elementary wish fulfillment

When I was seven or so, I think my favorite color changed constantly, but for about a two-month stretch, pink and purple were my favorite combination. My obsession  with the two colors found its way in my clothing and art projects, and eventually culminated in the purchase of pink/purple sneakers that I am convinced were the Greatest Shoes I Have Ever Owned. They not only featured the pre-requisite 1990s velcro/zipper combination, but also lit up and made noises whenever I took a step. If Carrie Bradshaw was in my second grade class, she would have tried to steal my shoes. 

So when I acquired this new-to-me sweater (another hand-me-down from J's fashionable Aunt P), I think of second grade, when something as simple as wearing your two favorite colors was enough to brighten your day.

credits - dress: ariella | sweater: christopher fisher | sandals: miss trish of capri. 

A wrinkle in time

I took these photos a month ago, back when I was going through a patriotic color phase. I've had this thrifted white skirt for years, but I find it difficult to wear because it wrinkles after one use. 

School and work are going, slowly but surely. So many exciting things are happening right now. I'm working on a "Mad Men" script for class, and so many great television shows are coming back on the air this week. And as a present to myself, I  finally ordered a new DSLR camera that I'm excited to test out soon! All good things, all good things.

credits - skirt: thrifted | blouse: old navy | sandals: miss trish of capri.

Flutter by

Even though I've done landscape photography for the last couple years, I'm still pretty new to it, especially when it comes to taking photos of animals and creatures at the park. I've seen many kinds of birds, and occasionally deer and foxes, but I usually discard many of those shots because I couldn't get close enough physically or my lens couldn't zoom far enough, and those animals are relegated to blurs and dots in my online photo gallery.

So imagine my surprise when, on the same day I wore butterfly sleeves, I spotted a really pretty butterfly nearby. The colorful insect rested in the same area for about 10 minutes, so I experimented with different angles as it flitted around. I'll hopefully be getting a new camera soon so that I do more landscape stuff — something tells me that trying this with either the ducks or the foxes just isn't going to work out quite as well ... 

credits- dress: erika, vintage, from minx | sandals: miss trish of capri, target. 

Stumped

 I have no earthly idea why I've been sitting on these photos for so long. I took these photos about a month or so ago during my summer class session and they've been lingering in here since the New York trips. I've got a few summer outfits I need to post about before it's no longer summer anymore.

I've been practicing stunts with my photography for a while, and things like climbing fences, dangling tripods over lakes and bridges (I'm very careful, most of the time) don't really faze me, as long as I manage to get the photo compositions I want. So I was excited to see that someone (perhaps a fisherman who often sets up in the mornings) left a stump in the lake, just a few feet from the shore. I decided I wanted to, uh, take really majestic-looking photos of me balancing on the stump, overlooking the lake in some kind of zen-like "Walden Pond" way. That lasted for about two minutes, tops, because I over-estimated how sturdy the stump was and managed to fall into the lake and get all mussed up, and these were the best photos from the bunch. Lessons to take away from this: a) don't perform photography stunts before class; b) if you do, don't wear your nice stuff, either.

credits- dress: j. crew | sweater: ruche | shoes: miss trish of capri. 

I wear this J. Crew dress a lot (in fact, I'm wearing it right now as I type this), so here's a recent compilation of all the ways I've worn it.

Look how they shine for you

The last couple weeks have been such a whirlwind of activity with me starting school and J moving for work. I spent three weekends up in NYC this month helping J find a place and get settled in to his (our!) new apartment up there. Now that I'm back down south, I'm readjusting to a routine of school, work, internship and photography. I have so many NYC photos to sift through and I'll be sharing those soon! 

I actually took these photos about a month ago, but I've been wearing this same uniform of button-up shirt/shorts for a while so it's still relevant to my wardrobe. Maybe it's some weird mixture of watching "Breaking Bad" and pining for summer camp that's made me wear so much yellow and green this summer.  

credits - blouse: gap | shorts: walmart | belt: camp | sandals: miss trish of capri | bowtie: agora.

Art of the matter

There are some clothing items that feel like they could be on display in a museum if they didn't already belong in a closet. This thrift dress is quickly becoming a summer favorite and every time I wear it, I feel like I'm a walking display of expressionist art. I've only worn it with simple accessories to downplay its ostentatious nature -- how would you wear it?

These photos were taken on an impromptu trip downtown with Jeremiah. With my research class this month, it feels like I haven't had that much of a summer break, and I sometimes have to force myself out of the house.Too often in grad school, conversation can turn to who has the busiest schedule or the hardest workload, and I've been trying to break free of that by actually trying to have fun outside of class. Since I've started caring about getting more out of my free time, I've watched a few movies, been to an ice cream party, and gone exploring downtown. I may not "win" for having the biggest workload this week, but who cares?

credits - dress: marnie west, thrifted, vintage | shoes: miss trish of capri| bracelet: from aloha stadium in hawaii | bag: fossil, thrifted.

* photos by Jeremiah.

In the shadows of tall buildings

On Friday, I wore this silk dress. Technically it's way too hot to even consider wearing silk in the summertime, but I spend my days mostly inside, so it's actually fine. I'm at the point in the summer where I'm sick of hot temperatures and am tired of wearing the same five or so outfits, so I'll try to justify wearing cooler-weather clothing instead. My drycleaning load has been getting bigger because of these justifications, though -- one wear and the clothes are usually gross because of humidity.

How was your weekend? Jeremiah and I went to a museum mixer, ate lots of chicken sandwiches and watched the fifth season premiere of "Breaking Bad." 

credits- dress: forenza, thrifted, vintage; sandals: miss trish of capri, target; bag: thrifted, vintage.

All laced up

There is something sweet but defiant about wearing lace in the summertime. It's basically saying, "I may be sweating in this heat, but I'll look dolled up when I'm doing it."

credits - dress: the webster for target | sweater: ruche | sandals: miss trish of capri for target | necklace: gift.

Lace is a fabric I wear throughout the year -- here are some of my favorite lace pieces: 

The morning sun is a soliloquy of fire

Dress: Marnie West; vintage, thrifted. 

Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri, Target; Ring: gift from mom, heirloom.

 I wish I knew the story behind this dress. I'm not usually a fan of long dresses, but this one had such a fantastic, bright print that I couldn't let it languish on a forgotten rack in the thrift store. I really need to stop humanizing my clothes ...

It's been a while since I've gone to the dock and watched the sunrise. It's always a special, private moment during the day, to watch the water turn from grey to orange. 

Happy weekend! What are your plans? I'll be updating the ol' blog and finishing up a final class project.

It's empty in the valley of your heart

 Paisley dress: J. Crew; Shawl (as scarf): Burlington;

Belt: Banana Republic; Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri;

Ring: from mom, heirloom.

Listening to: "The Cave," Mumford and Sons.

I don't know how many times I've worn some iteration of this outfit, but this is definitely my favorite dress in my closet. Look how beautifully it matches the foliage of the park ...

I've been in a reflective mood lately. I spent some time hanging out with old friends who came into town for my mentor's memorial service last week. It was so good to hang out with people (co-workers at my college newspaper) that I haven't seen in years, and catch up on the many personal and professional ups and downs that happen after graduation. I almost didn't go — what if we're not the same? — but ultimately was so glad I did, realizing that I missed my ink-stained journalism pals.

Classes are wrapping up this week, and I can barely contain my excitement at being free from so many deadlines. I'll be free to roam around this area this summer, hopefully finding more awesome photo spots along the way.

Beyond the sea

Dress: Ariella; Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri.

Visiting Roatan Island, Honduras on Thanksgiving Day was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. The island is a big stopping point for a lot of cruise lines, so the part of the island we were sequestered to had a very kitschy atmosphere, but it was very nice and beautiful nonetheless. Jeremiah and I slept on beach chairs close to the ocean for most of the morning and splashed around in puddles when it began to rain...

Fluttering in the sea breeze

 Dress: In Roads, from Agora, vintage; Bag: Calvin Klein; Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri. 

Photos of me by Jeremiah.

One of the things I learned during the cruise trip was just how strong the winds were on the main decks. If you weren't careful, a strong breeze could mean inadvertently flashing the entire pool area (which may or may not have been the reason I had to quit a round of mini-golf early -- wind is the ultimate handicap). I packed a few medium-length dresses like this one, and spent many afternoons keeping a hand at my side just in case my hemline went flying. Still, it's a small price to pay for the scenic views ...

Sailor, your home is the sea

 Dress: Donna Ricco; Scarf, bag: thrifted; Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri.

Instead of having a traditional turkey day, our Thanksgiving travels took us to Roatan Island, Honduras, which is a secluded island for cruise ship tourists. Jeremiah and I got to do some exploring on the beach and shops around the area. Behind me in one of these photos is a shipwreck in the Roatan cove. We didn't get a chance to explore it closer but I'd bet it would be worth a snorkeling adventure one day.

I tried to keep to a minimum of dresses on this trip, because I hate packing too much, especially on warm-weather trips. Still, I couldn't resist matching my surroundings (in this case, the Carnival whale-tail) by going red, white and blue on Thanksgiving day.

Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild

Blouse: Forever 21; Skirt: Kensington Square, thrifted; Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri;

 Carpet saddle bag, brooch: thrifted. 

"O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall; Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild, Should waste them all. The crows above the forest call; Tomorrow they may form and go. O hushed October morning mild, Begin the hours of this day slow. Make the day seem to us less brief. Hearts not averse to being beguiled, Beguile us in the way you know. Release one leaf at break of day; At noon release another leaf; One from our trees, one far away. Retard the sun with gentle mist; Enchant the land with amethyst. Slow, slow! For the grapes' sake, if they were all, Whose leaves already are burnt with frost, Whose clustered fruit must else be lost-- For the grapes' sake along the wall."

- Robert Frost, "October"