life lately: over the weekend

1/2: folino's and fiddlehead for girl's night

3: lunch in montreal

4: banana split a la "arrete papa!" 

(k and I always throw our hands in the air when we pass this place on our way to/from montreal, and this time we finally stopped!)

5: brunch and "community discussion" with our favorite senator

6: an amazing "vintage inspired lifestyle marketplace"

7: relaxing on the waterfront

8: shaved ice and shopping downtown

9/10/11/12/13: scenic cruise of lake champlain on the northern lights

waking life on smashion!

I did a little interview over at Smashion today.  Click here to check it out!  Smashion is an online fashion marketplace where members can buy/sell and post daily outfit photos. Very cool!

currently craving: a day by the water

(source)

I need to go swimming many more times before saying goodbye to summer...

in which it is gray today

I think today will be the last hurrah for my long bangs... I've been flip-flopping about whether I should let them grow out, or keep them long, but I need my bangs.  I'm not really a fan of my forehead.

(shirt/scarf: thrifted: dress: gifted; shoes: tilly's)

I'm also in love with Oxford shirts (this one in particular).  There must be something about hot weather that makes me want to dress like a man (baggier clothes = more breathing room?). I always try to balance it out with a pair of sky-high wedges :)

It's been cloudy and gray here lately, which is okay with me.  I've been feeling like a hermit crab.  However, tonight I'm going out for pizza and beers with my ladyfriends while K is working--hooray!  I've been desperately needing some girl time in my life.  And it's pay day, so that's good news.  Things are looooking up!

over the weekend: the wine and the climb

Last weekend, K and I had some adventures.  I had purchased a jumponit deal months ago for a buy-one-get-one-free wine tasting/glass of wine/take-home wine glasses at Lincoln Peak Vineyard (outside of Middlebury), and we finally got a chance to use it!  We drove down, tasted the wines, wandered through the vineyard, and watched bullfrogs croak from the wraparound porch (yes, I'm wearing the same thing I wear every weekend--it's my summertime uniform!).  The verdict?  The wine was okay--none of them inspired us to buy a bottle, and K ended up dumping his dry rose into my glass (he's a lot more particular about wine than I am).  Still, I'm glad we went for a visit.  I've never been wine tasting before (beer tasting, yes, which is strange, because I'm definitely more of a wine drinker).  I did experience the wines of Tuscany on a bike tour, but that was more of just wine drinking, not so much tasting.

We've also been planning (for a few weeks now) to climb Mt. Philo in Charlotte.  It is Vermont's oldest state park (est. 1924), and is rather adorably small (the picture of the entrance? yeah, that's the entire mountain).  But we are out of shape and that thing was steep!  We climbed to the top, hung around at the overlook for a while as the sun started to set, and then headed back down.  We're hoping to do a lot more hiking in the coming months!  Vermont is so beautiful :)

in which storms are coming

This dress is so loosy-goosy and lovely for a summer's day, but I think it will transition really well into fall as well--apple picking outfit, anyone?  It's definitely too big for me, but oversized is in, right?

(dress: brave; bracelet: vintage; tote/ring: etsy; shoes: seychelles)

We had a wild rainstorm last night with thunder and lightning rumbling and flashing every few minutes.  I have really been craving rain lately, so it was a welcome change from the humidity and heat of the past few weeks.    Whenever it rains like that I always long for a sunroom or screen porch to sit in and watch the weather.  There is something almost spiritual about storms.

in which i start wearing purple, wearing purple

I had a nice weekend, and here we are again.

(dress: thrifted; necklace: flea market; ring: etsy; shoes: tilly's)

I'm totally in love with simple shift dresses this summer.  They're basically all I wear on the weekends, because they're light and easy and classic.  I thrifted this dress a few weeks ago and wasn't sure about the color--I never wear purple because I worry that it brings out the circles under my eyes--but meh, whatever, I like it :)  Also, speaking of wearing purple, I'm going to see Gogol Bordello again in a couple of weeks--should be fun!  Maybe I should wear this dress :)

Last night I went out to dinner with the family (+K, at Sarducci's, of course).  It was my youngest brother's 21st birthday, so of course I had a couple of gimlets to celebrate :)  Plus, my older younger brother is leaving today for another action in West Virginia (he was arrested there a couple of years ago for chaining himself to a high wall miner while protesting Mountaintop Removal).  I'm so happy to have such a great family that I can always count on to have lively arguments with, even though we basically agree on everything.  Of course, this meant that I missed the Bachelorette finale, which I fully intend to indulge in this evening while soaking in a bubble bath (I'm not kidding--I know it's hot but I need to relax).

the brave boutique: shop update

Click here to SHOP!

in which on thursday i'm in red

When I was taking these photos a jogger came out of the woods and gave me the strangest look.  Or maybe she was just overexerting herself.  Either way, jogging in the woods is much more normal behavior around here than taking pictures of your face in a parking lot.  I need a yard... 

(dress: vintage; shoes: seychelles)

This dress is one of my favorites that I snatched up for the shop.  I bought it months ago but it was a lot longer and frumpier and had giant shoulderpads.  Now that it is shorter, I just love it!  And no, I am not even remotely pregnant, although I know the dress kind of makes me look bump-y.  (Now that I think about it, I wonder if this is actually meant to be a maternity dress??)  But whatever.  It's loose and forgiving and has awesome buttons and is so bright and fun for summer!

Tonight I plan to do some ironing and altering and movie-watching.  It's been a long, tiring week, and I'm ready to relax (yes, I know I say that every week).  K and I had plans to go to Montreal this weekend but we might have to put that on hold until after pay day next week--we shall see.  I'm trying to be really good about saving and I always give in to the pressures of fun summer road trips and al fresco dinners on beautiful evenings... MUST. RESIST.

Oh, and in case you didn't notice, I'm trying to bring back the ponytail.  I hear the topknot is on its way out, and I need an easier updo alternative anyway.  Topknots cause me endless frustration.  I usually fail miserably (whining and bellowing all the while) on my first five tries and then a) give up and put on a hat, b) give up and resort to a ponytail, or c) give up and leave the knot looking pathetically mangled.