Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Rochester Pt. 2

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I always love the opportunity to explore a new city. When I was an admissions counselor, that exploration was my favorite part of the job, ending up in a completely new city, with nothing better to do but make the most of it (and, you know, recruit future art students). While some of the cities I visited came with great reputations (Austin! Seattle!) some came with preconceptions (Detroit). Relinquishing control over where I was assigned not only made me a pretty decent traveler, but opened my mind to places I normally wouldn't consider traveling to. All this to say, Rochester, NY? Delightful. While our time there was short, we had so much fun with Jen, Kev, their girls, and Jen's sister Amy. And, yes, it's safe to say that Finley and Chris were kindred spirits. Oh my heart.

To see more pics from our trip, check out last week's post.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Sanforized (Or: All I Ever Want to Wear Are Jumpsuits)

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These overalls have been collecting dust for three years beneath the bed, a solution for exactly how to style them remained elusive until recently, despite my best efforts. Are overalls even still a 'thing' anymore? Here's hoping. If not, I don't care, I'm happy to channel the OshKosh brigade for a little while longer, because I really liked this outfit. Sanforized is apparently something special in the exciting world of denim, according to Chris. I'm just happy to have found a pair that fits. Next on my list: coveralls. I used to have a pair that I would paint in, and I have no idea what happened to them.

In other news: I turned 30 yesterday and celebrated with homemade cupcakes that I can't stop talking about (I knew Chris could cook, but the man can bake too), and a day of thrift shopping. Which doesn't sound too imaginative, I know, but after a very full weekend, a lazy day was much needed. Our original plan was to go snowshoeing, but it's just too damn cold.

Wearing: Overalls: Sanforized, thrifted (similar 1 & similar 2) // Top: Zara (similar) // Boots: Samantha Pleet for Wolverine 1000 Mile (on sale here) // Scarf: Gap // Coat: J.Crew // Rings: Shop Bueno & c/oShopDixi // Necklaces: MooreaSeal & Black Sparrow

Thursday, January 23, 2014

A Weekend in Rochester for Galentine's Day + Win Free Dresses for a Year from Lulu*s!

Today, Jen of JenLoves Kev and I are partnering with Lulu*s for a very special and very exciting giveaway. Read on to find out how you and a friend could win free dresses for a year!
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When Jen and I met six years ago, it was kinda meant to be. I mean, I was an admissions counselor working at an art college, and she was a high school art teacher molding the minds of future art students. We were both living in Massachusetts. We also both happened to be fledgling personal style bloggers (she far more established than I). The stars, they were aligned.
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I can't exactly remember how I initially discovered her blog, but I instantly connected with her style and personal way of writing. We got to talking (commenting), and eventually met up while I was traveling for work in upstate New York. While it seems so normal now to make fast friends with people on Instagram or through blogging, in 2009 it felt so strange to already know so much about someone I'd never actually met in person. But, that feeling faded quickly and we immediately launched into talking about everything, all while thrift shopping, obviously.

Six years later, I jump at any opportunity to see Jen (and Kev, and the girls). So, when Lulu*s asked us to participate in Galentine's, we got to planning. Turns out, Rochester, NY is smack dab in the middle of Albany and Pittsburgh, about four hours in each direction. (Long distance tip: meet in the middle)

We each chose a dress from Lulu*s for the occasion, and celebrated Galentine's a little early with Chris, Kev, the girls, and Jen's sister Amy at Java's, the most amazing cafe, possibly ever. This is the kind of place I would happily live inside: walls covered in art, almond milk as an option (the fastest way to my heart these days), and late-night hours, which we also took advantage of. We went to Java's no less than three times over the course of our stay.

I'll be sharing more pics of our weekend in Rochester on Monday, but for now, you're probably wondering about winning those free dresses, right? I thought so...
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 Lulu's Great Galentine's Giveaway!
Valentine’s day may be coming up quick but at LuLu*s, Galentine’s day reigns supreme!! Forget the flowers and treat yourself to a year of fresh frocks! LuLu*s is giving away one free dress a month to one lucky gal (and her best pal) for all of 2014! Follow the link below to enter and be sure to refer your best gal pal with your custom generated link for a chance to WIN: http://bit.ly/dressesforayear Good Luck!

What I'm wearing: dress, sweater, boots, & midi ring c/o Lulu's // Hat, scarf, purple necklace, & bracelet: vintage // Teardrop ring c/o Dixi // 'Wife' ring: Shop Bueno // Tights: AA Super Opaque

Love Jen's look? Check out her half of the story over on her blog.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Currently

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Feeling: Grateful for our friends. Chris and I just returned from a weekend trip to Rochester, NY where we met up with Jen and her sister Amy, Kev, and the girls. It blows my mind that we've known each other for six years already, and Chris and I are so thankful to have them in our lives. We realized that Rochester is almost exactly in the middle of Pittsburgh and Albany, and it's a relatively easy drive for us (relatively, only because we can't seem to go anywhere without having some sort of issue - this time our windshield washer fluid froze up, the car's hood wouldn't stay latched, and we almost hit an already-dead deer. Ridiculous). We explored Rochester a bit, ate good food, and worked on a special project together. The perfect weekend. I'm really excited to share the photos soon!

Excited about: Taking more weekend trips. One of our shared goals this year to is really take advantage of where we're living. We've explored outside of Pittsburgh a little bit, but not nearly as much as we should. I'm itching to get to Canada this summer, especially. I haven't been since high school. I'd love to see Niagara Falls and visit Toronto. And I want to explore West Virginia and Pennsylvania more, too.

Dreaming of: Summer. In a big way. And not just because this winter has been especially brutal. After going home for the holidays, Chris and I have been scheming of taking a longer trip back to this summer and maybe renting a beach house (and bringing the cat! because nothing goes better together than water and cats!). I can't stop fantasizing about walking barefoot down a sunny dirt road on my way to the ocean.

Anticipating: The next few weeks. We've had a relatively quiet and slow start to to the year, which I've loved, but I'm ready for a little more action. I finally dragged myself back to the gym this week (and learned my lesson: taking a month and a half off hurts), and this weekend is the post-holiday party at my job. I can't believe that January is almost over, but I'm feeling really good about how this month has gone.

Working on: Going to bed earlier.

Failing at: Going to bed earlier.

Friday, January 17, 2014

5 Ways to Be Kinder to Yourself in 2014

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Sunrise in Maine on December 27th

You know that saying 'you're your own worst enemy'? I'm sick of being enemies with myself, I want to be friends. We're all guilty of beating ourselves up -- whether it's from time-to-time to all-the-time -- over whatever petty thing we might be hung up on, be it a bad habit, a past mistake, or a delusional body issue (I'm guilty of all three, if you're wondering).

This past holiday season, my stress level hit an all time high -- I found myself thrust, suddenly, into an exciting, but much more demanding role at work, and thus, seemingly, without any free time. My car broke down. The cat got sick. Chris's mom's house burned down. I had to purchase a last-minute plane ticket, at the airport. Among other things that I'd rather not talk about here, maybe eventually. And all that stress got the better of me, I was mentally beating myself on the daily about things real (work) and imagined (why does my neck hurt? It must be meningitis!) and stressing myself out, hardcore.

Coming out of that experience, a personal low in recent history, made me realize that I had to make some changes, not just for my sanity, but for the sanity of those around me. So, this year, I'm making some changes, and I thought I'd share a few things that have worked for me to quiet that inner critic, and become at least slightly better friends with myself. I'm not calling myself an expert, these are tings I'm working on right this minute, because I need to.

Read this. Read it again.
Read it, one more time, think about it every time you're tempted to criticize the body you were born with. Physically, I am generally very kind to my body (though I know I need more sleep) - I exercise it, feed it whole, good food in healthy amounts, use natural products to care for it, but mentally, I can be a total asshole. The things I'm guilty of saying to the reflection in the mirror are things I would never even think to say to a friend, a stranger on the street, anyone - so why is it OK for me to say those things to myself? This quote, for whatever reason, has helped quiet my inner mean girl. It just makes so much sense to me, and I've been repeating it until it sticks.

Invest in relationships
I'm guilty of being uncommunicative. I can blame any host of things - my job where I'm online 95% of the time, living far away from friends and family, blah, blah, blah. But, it's bullshit. When I was home for the holidays I was able to spend time with some of our best friends, and was reminded of just how wonderful the people around me are. And strengthening those relationships feels good, it gives me peace of mind, so why not work on it more?

Take a break from a bad habit
For like, 30 days. Bear with me (I know a lot of people roll their eyes at any mention of paleo or W30, but I have a point and it's not preachy, promise) - last fall Chris and I did the Whole 30 as a way to break some bad food habits (fun fact: I don't have a 'stop' button when it comes to sweets, even if they make me feel sick), the idea of the W30 is that it takes a minimum of 30 days to reset a craving/bad habit/etc. So at the start of this year, I applied that thinking to my spending habits, and boy am I learning a lot. This year I'm determined to make some changes financially, so not spending frivolously for 30 days is giving me some insight into where my money goes. I'm not sure what the next step is after 30 days, but I'll figure it out when I get there. I'm thinking maybe just thrift shopping and with a monthly limit? Anyone done something like this? What works?

Unplug. But like, really do it.
I've mentioned in many a monthly goal post how I want to unplug, but have I ever really succeeded? Not a chance. Like other habits, this one needed a crash course, and my mother's house offered that opportunity. No cell phone service, no internet, two TV channels. While, yes, I admit to checking and updating Instagram as soon as I got into a service area, it was refreshing to not be online at night and be able to really spend time with the people around me. My head felt clearer, my heart felt decongested. It's going to take some work to really apply this on a regular basis, but I'm getting there.

Get outside. Explore.
It's the season of hibernation, I want nothing more than to sit gloomily at my window and feel feelings. But, that does me absolutely no good, and I know that when it comes down to it, I'm a happier person after I've breathed in some fresh air and looked at the world around me. This past Sunday I went on a run - my first outdoor run in about five months - I went through the cemetery and up a street I've never seen before, and through another graveyard I've never explored before. And when I got back, I felt better. I want to invest less in things in 2014, I want to invest more in experiences. Day trips, hikes, etc.

I think it's important, for me at least, to remind myself that treating myself kindly doesn't automatically translate to treating myself (you know, like, to things?). It's these changes in habit and thinking that leave the most lasting impression, and those long-term changes are what matters.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Watchdog

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What do you do when your skirt decides to magically unzip itself all day long while you're at work? Seriously, I'm looking for answers here, because this skirt, as cute and amazing as it is with it's eyeballs, gold trim, and short hemline just did not want to stay on my body. It's super professional to walk into a meeting and immediately have to zip up your clothing. I'm thinking it could be that I ordered up a size, under the assumption it would run small. It's now sitting on Chris's alterations pile, awaiting it's turn (my husband is quite handy with a sewing machine). And I await the day when I can wear it again, because I want this baby on heavy rotation.

Malfunctions aside, I loved this outfit. I thrifted this turtleneck back in October while out hunting for Christmas sweaters and other things-I-don't-need, it was a last-minute lucky find: never worn Brooks Brothers, 100% cashmere, and $5.99. A score if there ever was one. One of those finds that makes you love thrifting again after striking out a few too many times.

Wearing: Skirt c/o Choies // Sweater: Thrifted // Jacket: ModCloth, last year // Booties c/o Shoedazzle // Sunglasses: UO, super sale // Tights: AA

EDIT - For anyone wondering about Choies products, personally my experience has been quite positive. The shipping is pretty fast, and the quality is good (this skirt, and the other I chose are both lined). I also have these boots, which have held up perfectly after six months of frequent wear.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Industry

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As we've been car-less since before the holidays (I ran over a road cone and busted the radiator - whoops), our weekends have been exceptionally low-key affairs, with a heavy focus on sleeping in, breakfast, and working on little projects. After a very busy December, it's refreshing to hibernate a little -- this is why I love January, after the hustle of the holidays and peak season at work, January is like a plan-less desert, the perfect excuse to stay in. But, you have to leave the house sometime and this past Sunday we grabbed lunch at Industry Public House down in Lawrenceville with a couple of friends. I secretly love going out to lunch, it's such a rare occurrence that when we do go out, it feels weirdly special -- sort of reminiscent of being pulled out of school mid-day for an appointment.

Whenever I have to get ready in a rush this is my go-to uniform -- dark jeans, boots, a top of some sort, drab jacket, and hat. It's easy, it's comfortable, and it works. I can't wait to style this top with shorts for the summer.

On a side note, Chris has set up a donation fund to help get some assistance to his mother and brother, who lost their home in a fire the day after Christmas. To those who inquired about ways to help, the campaign can be found here. The outpouring of love and support we've received here and across all channels has been tremendous, and I can't thank everyone enough who has conveyed kind words, thoughts, prayers, and good vibes.

Wearing: Top c/o MitlaModa // Jacket: Vintage (similar) // Jeans: JBrand via Gabriel Bros // Boots: Jeffrey Campbell (similar) // Bag c/o Bali ELF // Teardrop ring c/o Dixi // Midi ring c/o Lulu's // Necklaces: various // Hat: Target // On my lips: NYX 'Tokyo' Matte Lip Cream

Monday, January 13, 2014

Maine, Part 2

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Having a birthday in late January and growing up in rural Maine pretty much guarantees one thing: every birthday party will either be a sledding party, or an ice skating party, or some glorious combination of the two (during one particularly snowy winter we even went sledding off the garage roof). So, it's only natural that while home for the holidays we commemorated my upcoming 30th just as I have for the past thirty years -- with sleds. A few of our closest were kind enough convene for our annual Yankee swap and a short afternoon of sledding the next day. Good times with the people I love the most? A pretty great way to welcome a new year and a new decade.