Tuesday, March 6, 2012

In the Clutch

 
In This Outfit:
Coat: Vintage/Thrifted ($25)
Dress: Vintage/Thrifted ($6)
Belt: Vintage/Thrifted ($1-ish?)
Clutch: Vintage/Thrifted ($2)

When I think about how the next couple of week's worth of outfit photos will most likely be the last of winter, I sort of can't believe it. When we moved to Pittsburgh, we had no idea what to expect in terms of winter weather. I know this year was far milder than most (according to my coworkers), but compared to even the mildest New England winter, this has been a cake walk. I know part of it has to do with being back in an office: I can trudge in in the morning wearing my sensible Sorel's, and change into not-so-sensible footwear at my desk. But then we had days like this too, where the winter sun shone a little warmer, and there were glimpses of spring beneath it all.

I've been thrifting a lot lately. It helps to work in an office full of ladies who appreciate the thrill of the hunt when it comes to shopping, lots of shopping buddies. I found this dress and clutch in the same day, two things I have been looking for: a great sweater-dress and an envelop clutch. I love it when the thrift gods align!

In other news: I'm stressing out over what to pack for Austin (I know, first world problems), I can't wait for warm weather (like anyone can wait for it), I am SO excited to get my hair done at Do or Dye in Houston on Thursday afternoon!

How is your Tuesday morning going?

Oh, also, I've had a few people comment asking what kind of bun this is/is it a sock bun. Well, it's just my hair, in a high ponytail, wrapped around itself. :) Tutorial soon?

Monday, March 5, 2012

A Little Weekend

Did you have a nice weekend? Mine was very quiet and cat-filled. Well, mostly Zephyr-filled. For some reason he wanted to hang out with me all weekend, which I'm not complaining about. Isn't that last photo funny? My favorite thing about this little kitty is that he just sacks out. He tried his hardest to help me make muffins, but no one likes cat-muffins.

I woke up this morning and was surprised to find that I could breathe! I think my cold is subsiding, which I'm just so excited about. I'm dying to get back to the gym this week and maybe not feel like I'm going to have a heart-attack (I went once last week, which resulted in me feeling like I was about to die).


Did you have a good weekend?

PS- I used this muffin recipe from Moosewood New Classics with the apple-pumpkin-cinnamon option (shown below the recipe).

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Hello Sunday

 
I have to say, I was very happy to see last week come to an end. I was out sick for two days and am still not feeling up to snuff. I'm not sure what this sickness is, but it sucks. I'm happy to be feeling better, but due to exhaustion or congestion or both, I'm suffering from a pretty terrible case of writer's block. And my skin always seems to go berserk when I'm not feeling well. I'm complaining I know. BUT I go to Texas this week, and I can't wait! Here are some other things that make me happy right now:

- Listening to Stuart MacLean's Vinyl Cafe on my computer. I love Maine Public Radio, and this program especially. His mentions of Cape Breton make me think of home (we used to make frequent trips to Canada in the summer).

- We're going to Texas this week! I can't wait!

- I've been wearing my Bonlook Drink the Koolaid's non-stop. Faux glasses are great for making you feel more put together when you're just not.

- I have such a hair-crush on Promise, I love this how-to she did with the Girl's With Glasses. I'm getting my hair done on Thursday in Houston!

- I've been obsessed with coral hues lately, I love this maxi skirt. Coral is my favorite color for spring!

- I really want to do this Food Lover's Cleanse from Bon Appetite.

- All the bright colors on Lulu's homepage have me wishing for warm weather! Sadly, It's snowing outside.

- The ModCloth writers were on XOJane! Sadly, I missed the photo opp, I was too busy honking into Kleenex at home.

-I'm obsessed with OLO Fragrances. Dark Wave is in my shopping cart, mmm, like grown up patchouli. If you haven't guessed already, I have some hippie leanings, I grew up in Maine after all.

- Speaking of brights for spring, this clutch is perfect.

-I love yellow and grey together, this vintage skirt combines the two beautifully.

- This tank is so pretty, I think I might need to add it to my summer closet!

Happy Sunday!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Something Old


In This Outfit:
Dress: Vintage via Beacon's Closet ($32)
Top: Vintage c/o Pineapple Mint (2010)
Shoes c/o Lulu's (back in stock!)
Bracelet: Vintage (Swapped)
Tights: AA (old)

This has been one of my favorite outfits lately. It feels rare to find a vintage mini dress that fits in both the bust and hips, I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way, let alone a leather mini dress. I died a little when I found this beauty at Beacon's Closet. Actually, I just did a dorky little dance in the dressing room. I've been on the hunt for a leather dress forever, and I'm so happy I found it vintage. If you follow me on Instagram, I posted the tag- Zig Zag- last week. Judging by the typography and label, I'm guessing (but it's just a guess, so if anyone knows any different let me know) that it's made by the rolling paper company of the same name? I kind of hope so. Lately, I feel like I've fallen in love with vintage again. Maybe it's because I've had some great luck thrifting/vintage shopping, or that I've been rediscovering the vintage items in my closet and finding new ways to wear them (this shirt <- two other ways it's been worn), but I feel motivated again to hunt down unique items.

And on a completely separate- but no less important- note, thank you all SO MUCH for your comments on yesterday's post. I don't often write super personal posts on here, mainly because I have difficulty writing about myself. I can write a dress description no problem, but when it comes to writing in the first person, I clam up. It's something that I'm going to try to change in the coming year.

Happy Thursday!

Oh, and P.S. it's March 1st, RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT!
(do you play this game, it's a fierce competition in my family) 

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

11 Things

No doubt you've seen this going around, I found it on Jen's blog yesterday. Though I wasn't tagged, I personally love reading little facts about people, so I'm taking the bull by the horns and posting 11 of my own:

1. One of the best days I've ever had was two days before our wedding: it was about 95 degrees out and Chris, my brother, and I went to our favorite swimming hole near where we grew up. My brother had been working on a stone dam there all summer and the water had risen so it was super deep. After so much stress of wedding planning, etc. We were brought nearly to tears at how great it felt to let loose and just go swimming. That is one of my most cherished memories.

2. My sister, Caroline is autistic and developmentally disabled. I've never known how to bring it up on my blog before. So, there I just did. I get nervous talking about personal stuff because I worry that I'll come across as "woe is me".

3. I'm not a very good cook. Chris cooks most of the meals around here. If left to my own devices, I would probably eat brown rice and sweet potatoes every night. Luckily, the man knows how to cook. I do make a good dessert though...which lead me to:

4. I really, really love sweets. Too much. It drives me crazy when people bring donuts in to work, which seems to happen daily. I can't not eat them.

5. I've been missing my family a lot lately. I get a little weepy when I think that the last time I was home was December. I feel a great deal of responsibility towards my family, it's hard to be away, but I can't wait to visit this summer.

6. I feel really old and cranky when I hear people talk about current pop culture. Mostly because I have no idea what they're talking about. I'm embarrassingly out of touch with new music. I recently had to have a coworker explain who Lana Del Ray was. I might be 80.

7. Overt "romance" makes me giggly and uncomfortable. The mere thought of a candle-lit dinner for two with roses makes me itch. It's not that I'm not romantic, I just don't like planned "romance" (i.e. typical ideas of what it means to be romantic). This also counts for PDA...shiver.

8. I wasn't a very good student. Many people seem surprised about this fact, but I came close to not getting into college (I did end up being a very good student in college). I think my teenage slacker-ism is why I sometimes over-extend myself now, I take on lots of projects to make up for all that time lost skipping class. (I know I should just get over it, I'm 28...jeesh).

9. I get very nervous about making the right face when people give me gifts. Because of this I hate opening gifts in front of people. I worry that I'll either look disappointed or not excited enough, I want them to know how much I appreciate that fact that they even thought of me. Giving me gifts basically results in a ridiculous amount of inner turmoil.

10. I know absolutely nothing about make-up. I've been doing an approximation of the same routine since I was 19. One of my goals for this year is to get better at make-up.

11. I hope to someday be able to move back to the Maine coast. I daydream about Maine and the ocean on a daily basis. There are many places I would love to live in this world, but in the end I hope I end up back in Maine.

Jen’s 11 Questions...
1. If money, schooling or time was no obstacle, what career would you choose?
Honestly, I'm happy to say that I'm really, really happy with my current job. But... I always thought that extreme movie make-up would be so much fun to do. Like, horror movie/ zombie movie make-up. I did a few projects post-college using prosthetics, mostly just creating fake wounds for one of my former art instructors, I always thought that it would be so much fun to do as a career.

2. What’s the one thing you look forward to every day?
Breakfast. I know it sounds silly, but I love breakfast. When I have time to make a cup of coffee and eat breakfast before work, I'm very happy.

3. What is your number one, all-time, favorite blog?
It changes daily.

4. Biggest online pet peeve?
I'm going to have to agree with Jen here: I can't stand the rampant negativity that surrounds blogging. It's so easy to just not read a blog if you don't like it. The fact that people spend so much of their time dragging down people they don't even know upsets me. There's so much positivity to be had, why be negative? And yeah, I know to just shrug it off, but c'mon.

5. What is your all-time favorite book?
I love the Chronicles of Narnia. But really, anytime I have to read is my favorite.

6. What would your “last meal” be?
Steamed lobster with butter and corn on the cob. And a gallon of guacamole.

7. Do you believe in love at first sight?
Nope. Personally I think a strong relationship needs to go beyond physical appearance, and friendship and mutual respect trumps good looks any day of the week.


8. What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of?
Waffles and/or cinnamon buns, lots of good, strong coffee, then packing up and going on a hike.

9. Why do you blog?
So many reasons but mostly for community and to keep myself thinking creatively!

10. If you had to choose one color to wear forever, what would you pick?
Navy blue

11. What is your all-time favorite band?
The Ramones...always and forever.

I'm tagging anyone who wants to do this! If you do, let me know in the comments section! I'm keeping the same 11 questions above because I think they're good ones...

Here are the rules..
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you’ve tagged them.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

On Tuesday

 
 
In This Outfit: 
Dress: vintage via Avolon Ex. ($13)
Jacket: Forever 21 (so old)
Belt: J.Crew (sale...old)
Tights: AA ($25)
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell "Rumi"
Bracelet: Forever 21 ($3)

Hello! I'm writing to you from the haze of what has been the Worst Cold Ever. It's been a long time since I've been "little kid sick", what I mean is, the whole she-bang: vick's vapo rub, humidifier, chicken soup,  sleeping for almost an entire day, watching Cher movies... Ugh. Today I can finally breathe a little, although I'm definitely still out of it and weaving around the house like a drunk toddler.

Anyway, let's try to make some sense here. I've been experimenting with pinning my overgrown bangs back lately, and I have to say, I'm enjoying the change. Having my hair tied back always makes me feel more awake, and generally "with it". I can actually say that I was inspired by a runway look here, the undone ponytails at Pamela Love's fall 2012 presentation. See? I'm "with it"! Outfit wise, this jacket has been in and out of my "donate" pile for the past year and a half. I think I should just give up and keep it.

Cheers!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Life Lately...



...According to Instagram. The typical wealth of cat photos. This post is late coming because I was finally brought down on Friday by the sickness that has been slowly picking people off at my office. One by one, they dropped like flies...and then there was me. Am I even making sense? Let's blame this on the cold medicine. So as to not make more of a fool of myself than I need to, Here's what I'm loving this week:

- Ruche's new lookbook is making me dream of Spring!
- Vogue Paris as Wham! (so good to see some serious fashion ladies let their hair down)
- I'm loving coral hues for spring, this crop top from Lulu's would look great with a high-waist maxi skirt.
- Such a sweet necklace.
- The perfect summer sunglasses, yes, I'm dreaming of summer already!
- I love Elsie's pony dress! This is a DIY I'm dying to do (once my nose stops running of course)!
- The Gypsy Sandal is the perfect vintage-inspired sandal for warmer months, enter BFORCHID15 for 15% off!
- After Jen's post about meal planning, those note pads are on my want list!
- Love this cozy dress. Enter grey10 for 10% off!
- And one last spring-y dress for you, can you tell I'm pining for warm weather? Enter orchidgrey for 15% off your order!

OK, I wish I had more for you today, but well, I feel like crap. So I'm going back to the couch to watch another season of Friday Night Lights. Now get outside and enjoy this beautiful sunny Sunday for me, ok?