Throwback

So I realize that I've sat on these photos for almost a year, and am now presenting them in non-chronological order. Not sure why it took so long. Perhaps it was knowing  that once I hit publish, I no longer have any photos left to share from my favorite spots in Georgia! I love living up here, but I do get homesick every now and then for my old haunts. But alas, in order to move forward, I'd like to empty whatever's left in my archives and move on. 

This first dress was a dream vintage find from Portobello market in London. It is a World War II-era dirndl dress from Munich, Germany, complete with (what appears to be) a homemade tag dating it to 1944. It's become a treasured item and I love that it's not overly costumey with its heavy cotton and tiny buttons down the front. I wore it down to Georgia during a trip last October to Athens, and took photos in one of my favorite spots at the University of Georgia -- the Fine Arts theater, which was built in 1941 and was the last project to be built by the WPA.

So though it took more than 70 years and thousands of miles for these two to meet, it seemed completely fitting to wear this dress in front of a building from the very same era. I wonder how many women have owned this dress before me, and what kind of lives they led. I'd love to go full period-style and wear my hair in a soft wave and hat with this dress at some point.

This second dress is also from London, but its origins are much more contemporary (Topshop). I'm really kind of in love with white dresses with dark flowers or embroidery for autumn. The print on this dress kind of reminds me of those mushroom cookie jars that everyone's mom seemed to have in the 90s, so it seemed appropriate to wear a mushroom brooch with it.

The cloud cover on this day was beautiful. It was from the same trip to Georgia last October to visit my family.

Not much to say about this thrifted vintage dress, except that I've had it for years and finally got it altered. It's one of those dresses that's awesome when you're just laying around the house and eating potato chips and don't actually have to answer the door, but is super terrible to be photographed in without a belt because it gives the illusion that you're a circus tent.

I've technically posted this outfit before  - I think I was just too critical in how these photos turned out. 

These photos are from the weekend I moved to NYC, and so this was the only presentable outfit I had not packed away in boxes. I snuck away that Friday morning from packing the Uhaul to take some photos as a farewell ritual to visiting my favorite park. For whatever reason, the blue heron that lived around the park would only be out in the open when there was really spectacular natural light, so it always felt like a good photography omen when I'd round the bend and it was there. And it was there that day, for about 30 seconds -- before it flew off across the lake and somewhere unseen into the grass. It was a nice, brief farewell visit before I went my own way too.

And so, goodbye to all that -- onto new adventures up north.

credits

outfit 1 - dress and shoes, vintage

outfit 2 - dress, topshop | sweater, target | shoes, vintage | brooch, cath kidston

outfit 3 - dress, thrifted | shoes, target

outfit 4 - dress, target | top, banana republic | shoes, talbots

outfit 5 - dress, spense | sweater, banana republic | shoes, target

Pantoned

Dress: Spense; Shoes: Born Crown;

 Floral hair wreath: self-made (here's a tutorial); Bracelet: Kohls, gift. 

So I've always been interested in how Pantone chooses which colors are the 'it' color for the year or season. It turns out, it's a much more intricate process than I had originally imagined (paint chips on a dartboard?) that draws upon different themes that have cropped up across cultural, geographic and economic patterns. This story from Slate goes straight to the palette source and the reporter sits in on a color committee meeting. The back-and-forth debate sounds interesting ("Everybody’s into white flowers at the moment ... there are definitely movements, even in flowers"), but slightly mystical to outsiders and subjective to those involved. Either way, it's intriguing to see which colors will dominate in retail decisions.

Here I am in a dress I've had for years, but the color is a close rendition of the on-trend color of the year: 17-1463, or Tangerine Tango. Of course, I didn't buy it intuiting that the color would be popular years later, but it remains interesting how colors and trends ebb and flow. 

I took these photos at the park, knowing full well that the green foliage would make the dress's hue pop even more -- but didn't anticipate how naturally saturated it would all look. Hooray for playing with the color wheel ...

My own little Walden Pond

 Dress: Spense; Shoes Minnetonka; Blouse: Chaps;

 Scarf: H&M; Bracelet: from Destin, gift.

In the last couple days, I've spent more time in front of statistical software and spreadsheets than I have ever done in my life. Any chance outside and away from a computer is a welcome reprieve.

I'll be heading out of town soon for the holidays, and I'll be missing my dock. I've come to this spot so many times in the last year, it's hard to believe that I don't own this part of the park -- I suppose I've had such a sentimental attachment to the place that I've claimed ownership in my mind. I know that when I come back, most of the leaves will be gone, and winter's hush will soon take over...

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Driving up 441

 Dress: Spense; Moccasins: Minnetonka; Saddle bag: Thrift find. 

Photos of me by Jeremiah. 

Jeremiah and I spent some time driving through the north Georgia mountains on Sunday. I had been wanting to drive to see the beautiful autumn leaves change for quite a while, so we took a road trip up Highway 441, which extends from Rabun County into North Carolina. We made a stop in Tallulah to look at the gorge (and to get boiled peanuts and old-fashioned cream soda at the gorge overlook trading post) and then we drove up to the Dillard House, which is known for its family-style country food and its petting zoo. I spent some time up in this area of north Georgia when I worked at summer camp as a teen (read more about those adventures here), and so it was cool to see my old haunts and know that though the years have passed, very little has changed in these mountain towns. 

Here are some photos from the Dillard House zoo: 

Run, run, tangerine skies

 Dress: Spense; Sweater: Ruche;

Headband: from Philippines, gift from sister; Shoes: Zigi Soho.

So, big personal news: I received an assistantship position for grad school.  I'll be doing publicity for a marketing department, so I'm really happy that it's close to what I'll be studying in school. I'm so excited, and have been simultaneously celebrating and preparing for it. The last two years or so I've been getting ready for graduate school to start, and it's so crazy that it's finally happening. I've been teeming over with energy all week, and like good ol' inertia, I think this news was the swift kick I needed to start getting things in motion.

Now to the sartorial: I have worn this outfit a few times already, and I love how the lace accents complement each other. I took these photos a couple weeks ago before I went to the beach. How things have changed since then!

In a summer swelter

 Dress: Spense; Belt: Fossil; Wedges: Bongo.

Whenever I think of summer in Georgia during the winter months, there's this romantic, idealized view of it that no doubt is influenced from literature and the movies: lemonade in chilled glasses on porch swings, paper fans, rocking chairs, cornfields at dusk, swimming holes with knotted rope swings. And of course, through November until late April, I completely forget the sweltering reality of June through August: two showers a day; drinking copious amounts of water; having a relaxed attitude towards appearance and dress codes; and having daily delusions that everything, everywhere will soon melt on the sidewalk and start oozing into the sewer systems. Sure, there are still porches, and rocking chairs, and cornfields. Somewhere. And if swimming holes still exist in this area, if they're really good swimming holes, then they're well-guarded secrets.

So, I guess because of all this, I've been pretty simple, sartorially-speaking, with not a lot of ornamentation or layers but plenty of colors.With a very pared-down closet this summer, it's made me realize which items are most important and most beloved in my closet. (Bonus points if you can't see me sweat in it).

I took these photos on a very quiet college campus, just right before a heat lightning evening show and before I scared myself silly walking alone by a centuries-old cemetery. I still get my kicks, somehow.

Orange crush

Dress: Spense; Jacket: Aeropostale; 

Boots: Target; Tights: Simply Vera.

I've been feeling pretty sick this week, friends, hence my absence from this blog and from visiting others. These photos are from earlier this week, and I'm missing getting out to my favorite spots.
 I have a bunch of outfit logs backed up, so I should be back up to normal next week.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

To everything, turn, turn, turn

Dress: Spense;

Sweater: from Marilou;

Belt: Ann Taylor Loft;

Shoes: Minnetonka;

Leaf brooch: thrifted.

How I've worn the dress before: here.

Listening to: The Byrds, "Turn! Turn! Turn!"

I made some allusions on my Twitter account recently to the fact that I'm in the process of re-applying to graduate school right now. I put some wheels in motion by contacting some of the programs I'm applying to so I can sit down and talk to an advisor and ask some more questions about the program. It's hard to describe how I'm feeling right now -- I'm excited, but I'm a huge, neurotic ball of nerves because of getting rejected last spring and obviously I want to get things started right this time around.

For those of you in academia right now -- graduate students, TAs, professors, etc. -- I'd really like to pick your brain a bit. What sort of advice would you give to a prospective graduate student, now that you are on the other side? What do you wish you knew about graduate school before you got in? Any and all points are highly appreciated. I also wanted to thank all who gave me some words of encouragement yesterday -- it means so much to me.

Not much to say about this outfit except that I kinda threw it on Monday when I was running late. I like the laidback style of the moccasins with the dress. I think I'm going to be reaching for the leaf brooch more, as it reflects my current state of mind about moving forward with my life.