in which fashion is such a commitment

This is THE summer dress. I would wear it every day except a) that would get boring, and b) it's actually pretty heavy linen and my body doesn't like to sweat.

(dress: salvation army; shoes: seychelles; hat: uo; necklace: k's)

Now. I have something to say: Fashion is such a COMMITMENT. I'm struggling with this because in recent months I have not been financially capable of keeping up with the trends that I'm enamoured of, and I've officially trained my sights on fall fashion, which I predict I might actually be able to partake in. But when I realized that my DREAM SHOES are back on the market (they sold out last season and I've been checking back periodically for months to make sure I was ready to pounce when they reappeared) and they're just as expensive and unaffordable as they were last year, I was disheartened. I have no problem splurging on a nice pair of shoes, but what if I want them in yellow AND in brown (I do)? I am literally panicked by the thought that they might disappear. And after a night with a bottle of champagne, Project Runway (which always sparks inspiration), and a sketchbook, I want to buy up all kinds of fabric and fashion myself a fall wardrobe (loafers and leather and lace, o my!). But even that costs money. And what about my bigger goals? Would I be such a desperate shopoholic if it weren't for this blog? If I didn't feel pressure to offer up something new and different everyday, would I still haunt Etsy and Modcloth and Goodwill with such ferocious frequency? Would I still stress and sweat over the potential loss of a most-coveted pair of pretty shoes? Or would I be able to redirect that energy elsewhere? To maybe save some money once and a while? What about my other goals? What about travel? I can't say. I love fashion. It's become more and more apparent to me as I've been indirectly forced to watch from what feels like the sidelines while my fellow bloggers prance about in granny florals and washed-out whites, with a seemingly endless collection of pretty heels at their immediate disposable.

I'm not ashamed of loving fashion. I maintain that making clothes can be an art form, and that dressing up is important for many reasons. And sometimes all I want to do is curl up with a copy of Vogue and daydream of what I would do if I could really tackle my technical incompetance and make something miraculous happen with my sewing machine (working on it...).

But those shoes...

I... want... them.

Is that healthy?

in which i do tomboy like a girl

I tend to tuck blouses into skirts to cinch in the waist because they don't really flatter me. But today, for some reason, I was inspired to go untucked (actually, I was inspired to tie a knot at the bottom of the blouse, but then I really wanted to add a knotted scarf and the two knots just looked way too silly). Mostly I wanted to get out of my shoe rut by wearing a pair that rarely sees the light of day...

(blouse/scarf: thrifted; jeans: pacsun; shoes: charlotte russe)

I always love the tomboy/menswear look on others, but I can never quite pull it off myself. I don't have the waifish shape for it, I suppose. Not angular enough. Same reason I would never have made it as a ballerina... I think this works because it looks sort of retro-housewife). I guess that's not so much tomboy as Audrey-esque (I do need to invest in a nice tapered pant... but I'm so short the right fit is hard to find!) I can definitely imagine myself dressing more like this as I get older--classic retro-inspired silhouettes with pretty scarves, and of course my always-signature high heels!

Anyway... not feeling terribly chatty today. Last night K and I got some groceries, made some dinner, and watched The Fighter. Pretty uneventful evening :) The big news is that my dad turns 60 today! Happy Birthday, Dad!

in which i pat myself on the back

I know I haven't worn this dress in a while but I still feel like a cheater, since the outfit is basically a reproduction of its last incarnation. Mostly it's the hat. I wanted more of the tunic to poke out the bottom, but it is holysmokes short and just wouldn't show its face. Oh well. I'm pretty impressed at how well this dress has held up, considering that I made it without a pattern on a malfunctioning sewing machine...

(dress: diy; tunic: tjmaxx; shoes/socks: kohl's; hat: thrifted)

I've officially gone running twice this week (!!), which makes me very proud of myself. Also, I spent several hours doing this last night:

I ended up writing ten pages, which doesn't seem like an awful lot in retrospect, but felt like serious progress at the time! All I need is a bottle of wine and an open window and I'm golden... (geez, is this "pat yourself on the back" day on the blog, or what?)

in which i babble about my baubles

Whenever I wear this necklace I feel the need to ramp up the "cute" factor in my outfit. Probably because it's so incredibly charming. I always did have an affinity for rainbow-inspired accessories... I remember picking up a bunch of sparkly butterfly clips (remember those?) on the 8th grade trip to Montreal in every color of the rainbow, and I wore a set of glittery rainbow jelly bracelets from Hot Topic (remember that store?) in my latter high school years (when I also wore blue eyeshadow and was quite fond of duckling memorabilia). What can I say? The glitter matched my gleaming braces...

(shirt/skirt: thrifted; socks: uo; shoes: payless; necklace: jewelmint)

Since joining Jewelmint I have yet to find another piece that screams its worthiness of the $30 price tag, but I would have joined the site for this necklace alone. We're having a love affair. I really wish that I were more of a jewelry person, but I still have to actively make an effort to remember to accessorize in the mornings. I'm always envious of those girls who can throw on a thousand baubles and manage to look effortless (I have similar envy for those who can toss their hair up in an "effortless" bun, while the perfect upknot continues to elude me).

Last night I finally cooked up the beets & greens from the farmer's market, but it would seem that I did not wash the greens thoroughly enough because they were a bit... crunchy. Oh well, at least we had asparagus mac&cheese to subsist on :) You live, you learn, yes?

in which i've got sunshine on the soles of my shoes

It's Monday, so I couldn't think beyond a light little dress this morning. Even though this dress makes me look like a cupcake (or about seven months pregnant...), I still adore it. It's funky and fun! Lesson learned, however. Sizing can be tricky, so I appreciate the Modcloth folks telling me to size up on this one... except they lied. I sort of feel like I should have sized down, if anything.

(rays the roof dress: modcloth; shoes: kaya; necklace: flea market)

It is days like this when I wish I had a rainbow of colorful shoes in my closet. Many pairs of strappy sandals in bright yellows and reds and blues have made it onto wishlists this summer but have sadly not been purchased... so these will have to do. I dug them out of a bag of clothes my mother tried to pawn off on me (okay, fair enough, they were my clothes...) one weekend many months ago, because they are yellow and that is my favorite color. The heel is a big low for my liking and they make an annoying flapping noise against my heel when I walk, but I was relieved when they came to the rescue this morning. I feel like they brighten the whole outfit!

Anyway, I was very good this morning and got up early to go running (!!!!) for the first time in about three months. I could only go about 3 miles (and I walked some of that) because I am so out of shape (and because I started having some weird inner-ear pain), but this was a big step toward getting me back into the routine. It was a treat to sit down and enjoy my granola with nectarine in the early morning sun, rather than scarfing down a bagel on the run like I usually do.

I had a pretty good weekend, but it went by wayyyy too fast. Some of the fun:

Harry Potter matinee on our sweltering Saturday

Fishing (him) and reading (her) at Shelburne Pond

Creemees on the stoop

Day trip to Quechee Gorge

Cocktails on the porch at J. Morgan's

Celebratory birthday dinner for my little brother (big 2-0) at Sarducci's

And tonight... white wine spritzers and The Bachelorette!

So far, this summer is a slam dunk :)

savory saturday: spinach&onion lasagne

Ingredients:

1/2 box lasagne noodles

1 jar chunky pasta sauce

1 can tomato sauce

8 oz part-skim ricotta cheese

16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

spinach (fresh or frozen)

large yellow onion

(or bunch of small ones, if they happen to be at the Farmer's Market!)

parmesan cheese

garlic

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, chop onions (&drink champagne), cook noodles (or use the fancy kind that doesn't require cooking), and microwave spinach.

STEP ONE: spread tomato/pasta sauce (mixture) on the bottom of the pan.

STEP TWO: lay the foundation -- four rows of noodles!

STEP THREE: spread ricotta cheese on the noodles.

STEP FOUR: squeeze excess water out of the spinach, then layer with onions (or any other kind of veggies you'd like to include). Sometimes I sautee the onions first, but I didn't this time and the result was the same, so don't bother!

STEP FIVE: cover the veggies with PLENTY of mozzarella :)

STEP SIX: spread a layer of tomato/pasta sauce over the cheese.

Annnnnnd repeat! When you reach your top layer, spread your remaining sauce and another layer of cheese over the noodles, then sprinkle parmesan cheese and minced garlic over the top. I forgot parmesan this time, but it's definitely worth adding if you have some! Cover the dish with tin foil and bake at 350 F for 40 minutes, then uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes (until the cheese gets brown and bubbly)!

Delicious. I promise you. Enjoy!