in which there is lace and there is lace

This outfit post was cursed.  I actually wore this outfit two days ago (how's that for full disclosure?) and it was so sunny that every shot was ridiculously washed out.  Which is not what you want when wearing an entirely white lace outfit.  As soon as I got to work that day, the skies clouded over, but by the time I left the sun was bright and shining again (what the heck?).  I drove around looking for a shady spot, to no avail, and finally gave up and waited for a cloudy day to try again ;)  But then... the sun came out.  Again.  Like, through the tiniest hole of unmoving clouds I've ever seen.  Anyway, I managed to snap at least a few photos under reasonable cloud cover, and that is (finally) the end of that story.

(skirt/shirt/belt: thrifted; hat/slip: urban outfitters; sandals: kohl's)

Last night was Art Club and it was lovely :)  The girls read the first 25 pages of my novel and genuinely seemed to like it.  A lot.  So that was an incredible relief.  They did have a few constructive suggestions, but the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.  I'm so happy :)  It was a really great meeting all around, and we have some big plans brewing that I think could be really amazing!

So, so glad that it is Friday.  Have a wonderful weekend!

in which floral meets coral

I'm baaaack!  It's been so long since I did an outfit post!  I've been frustrated day after day by the blinding sunlight, but today I decided just to embrace it.  Coral shorts deserve to shine, after all.

(sweater/shorts/belt: thrifted; socks: uo; shoes: tilly's)

 I bought these shorts last year and hemmed them supershort (really, too short to be appropriate at the office, which is why I wore my trench coat all day). I really love the high waist and bright color, but I do wish I had let them hang a little lower.  They get mighty wrinkly when I sit down for any amount of time.

I feel like I've been so busy this week, but it's really just because I've gone to the gym for the past three evenings in a row (!!!)  I'm really impressed with myself, can you tell?  It's not so bad when I just buckle down and do it.  Tonight is Art Club and the girls are supposed to have read the first 50 pages of my novel, so it will be interesting to see what they have to say (if they have even read it!).

I've been going through a strange phase lately.  I feel like I want to reject all of the excesses I treasured so much before, and strip down to the basics.  I've been wanting to exercise and eat lettuce lately.  I want to take long walks in silence.  I want to get up early and stretch.  This goes hand-in-hand with my need for blogging evolution, I think.  I don't really know how to explain it, but the way I imagine it in my mind is like so: Art Club is like really rich, cheesy, delicious food and red wine, and the Blogosphere is saccharine-sweet, like gumdrops and cake pops.  I feel like I've been overindulging in both, and now I need to step back and cleanse my system, however that might happen.  I realize that I'm saying this while wearing coral short-shorts and sky-high floral platforms (and hair), but I'm still feeling this draw toward the Essential--toward simple productivity and basic, healthy living.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend.  I hope to do lots of relaxing, reading, shopping, and sewing.  I also want to attempt another batch of ravioli, since it's supposed to be rainy and I'll have all the time in the world :)

in which i simplify

Maybe it's the springtime, but I've been feeling some serious waves of change wash over me lately.  I suddenly feel like I'm ready to grow up.  I've been feeling it for a while, really, chasing me down, but now the need is nipping at my heels.  I mentioned last week that I'm in a bit of a blogging rut, and that I think my blog might need to evolve in some way, so I've been puzzling that out.  There may be some changes around these parts in the coming months.

(dress: tjmaxx; trench: h&m; vest: plato's closet; shoes: seychelles; glasses: c/o glassesusa.com; necklace: uo)

Suddenly, almost overnight, I feel like my closet represents who I've been, not who I am.  I might be ready to move beyond babydoll dresses and peter pan collars, toward more classic cuts and prints.  I don't want people to mistake me for fifteen anymore.  I'm just trying to figure out what that might mean.

Maybe it's because I finished my novel, and now I feel like I can move into the next stage of my life.  While the book is most definitely fiction, there is an angst about it that characterizes the past few years of my life--sort of a metaphor for my not knowing what to do with myself, or where my true passions lie.  Maybe it's because I've been making a conscious effort to be more creative on a daily basis.  Maybe it's because I'm learning to accept and understand modern technology (I blame Instagram for making me want an iPhone).  I think I'm slowly starting to see the light, but I'm still struggling to find the motivation I need to make things happen when I have no idea even where to begin.

So that's where I'm at right now.  I didn't realize until I was editing these pictures that it sort of looks like I am wearing a parachute.  How apt.  Here we go!

in which i ponder the meaning of blog

So, it was snowing this morning.  But I wouldn't let that shake the spring fever out of me!

(skirt/hat/belt: thrifted; shirt: h&m; shoes: seychelles)

This skirt was a complete mess when I pulled it out of the heaping pile of skirts and shorts on the top shelf of my closet this morning (that thing is impossible to keep organized).  I carefully ironed all of the pleats back into place (I can't believe I only just bought an iron last month), and it's good as new.  This Easter Week has definitely been dominated by longer lengths.  The truth is, I'm still not a complete convert.  When I go out on the town I don't wear a midi skirt; I always go mini.  I don't know what that says about me.  I definitely feel like I wear a certain style for the blog, based on what I find in thrift stores and see in the greater fashion community, but I still always retreat into my safety zone for social events in real life.  Still, it's fun to experiment :)

I've also been thinking a lot about blogging in general lately, and how it fits into my life.  I still enjoy doing it, but it has started to feel a little bit more like a chore lately.  I know we all have these moments where we ask ourselves "what is the meaning of (my blog)?"  I've just had a multitude of frustrating moments lately--maneuvering my tripod out of my car in the morning, or standing with frozen fingers in the open air while strangers stare on their way past--and it's just made me think.  I'm twenty-six years old.  How much longer am I going to do this?  I think I'm just having a mid-blog crisis.  I want my blog to evolve somehow but I'm not yet sure where I want to take it.  Time will tell...

It's blizzarding outside and I overslept, so I thought today might be a good day to tackle the 11 questions circulating through the blogosphere of late. I always love reading these, because I'm incredibly nosy. So here goes.

11 fun(?) facts about me:

1. I am deathly afraid of pigeons. They're always swooping around so stupidly, I feel like it wouldn't be that much of a stretch for them to swoop their beaks stupidly right into my eye. I have been known to duck dramatically while walking down a city street, out of sheer terror.

2. I love to dance. It might be my favorite thing. I'm always the one rallying my friends to the floor whenever there is music playing--though nobody gets up faster than my mom!

3. My friends from childhood and I call ourselves "The Bobs." I'm not really sure how it started, but whenever we refer to the group as a whole, that is the name we use (we're still all as close as sisters!).

4. I use an excessive number of dashes in my writing--and an equally excessive number of exclamation points in casual correspondence! ;)

5. My dad used to direct my brothers and I in elaborate Christmas movies every year, and because we weren't really allowed to watch TV and only had a word processor for a computer--this was the 'nineties, people--I spent most of my youth writing screenplays and directing the neighborhood kids in movies or plays of my own imagining. I guess that is probably why I went on to study film at Boston U.

6. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was a junior in college.

7. I have been a vegetarian since before I can remember (I couldn't have been older than five when I decided). I thought our pig, Hammy, was a pet. Then one day he was breakfast. When my parents explained what had become of him, I said "I'm not eating this," and I never ate meat again (with the exception of hot dogs--I did eat those for several more years before realizing that they were also meat--and I still crave them sometimes).

8. I love bread. I could literally eat an entire loaf in one sitting if garlic and olive oil were involved (and probably have). I also have an insatiable sweet tooth--chocolate, sour patch kids, cheesecake, you name it, I love it.

9. I chipped my bottom two front teeth on the back of my friend's head while sledding down the hill at school when I was in the third grade. They were filled in, but if you look closely you can see where they broke.

10. There were 48 kids in my high school graduating class--and that's from three towns!

11. I am super competitive, especially when it comes to sports and games, even when I'm not very good at them! I talk a lot of smack to wear the enemy down...

And the 11 questions:

1. If money, schooling or time was no obstacle, what career would you choose?

Lately I've been incredibly inspired, and I've decided that there are two things I would love to do with my life (I do not think they are mutually exclusive!). 1) I would love, love, love to design dresses and sell them. And 2) I want to be a published novelist. I've gone back and forth so many times, thinking maybe I should go back to school and become an anthropologist, or a psychologist, or something with a -gist on the end, but I always come back to dress design and writing. Now I just need to figure out a way to make it happen!

2. What’s the one thing you look forward to every day?

I really look forward to those after-work hours, when I can go home to my handsome man, eat a big dinner, and decompress, or write, or work on a project. I look forward to FREEDOM!

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

I definitely don't have a single favorite--I love so many for so many reasons (that's what everyone says, but it's true!), and some days I like one more than another depending on my mood. But lately I've been really inspired by Elsie and A Beautiful Mess. I just love that she's so passionately pursuing her dream, and making it a reality. I think that she is such an inspiration (and I basically want to steal her life)!

4. Biggest online pet peeve?

Most people are saying negativity, but to be honest I haven't encountered much of that in my personal blogging experience (luckily!), so I can't really call it a pet peeve. I definitely agree that fostering a positive environment is paramount, and I never understand why people feel the need to act hatefully toward successful bloggers. Weird behavior, but they're probably the same way in their real lives too... some people are just jerks. Anyway, my biggest online pet peeve is Facebook! Haha! I'm such a ranter on this subject, but basically I think Facebook is destroying the world. And I'll stop there.

5. What is your all-time favorite book?

I think maybe 'Mating,' by Norman Rush. I don't know why, but I really loved it when I read it and I always push it on my friends, so that's probably an indication. Other than that I can't really say--just like blogs, there are some books that have touched me immeasurably at different times in my life, and there are authors that I read religiously and love unconditionally, but they're not always my favorite books. A book becomes a new favorite when it aligns just right with my life at the time. Maybe I should say my all-time favorite book is the novel I just finished writing...

6. What would your “last meal” be?

Indian food, hands down. Spicy curry with rice and cheese naan. And samosas. And then I'd probably have something insanely decadent, like chocolate ganache, for dessert.

7. Do you believe in love at first sight?

No. Does anybody? I guess I assume that sometimes it can feel like love at first sight, if the attraction is immediate and progresses easily into love without too much trouble. But no, I don't believe in it.

8. What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of?

I would get up early and naturally, have an hour or so to myself to drink coffee and do a crossword or read a book, and then K would get up (he's not an early riser--making him get up early would not = a happy Sunday ;) and we would walk down the street to have brunch al fresco on a sunny patio, with mimosas! And then we would stroll around and he would buy me a bunch of clothes. Ha! (It's a fantasy, right?!)

9. Why do you blog?

Honestly I do it to keep myself creatively motivated. I really enjoy putting outfits together and nobody appreciates them around here :) I love having a little goal for every day--something fun to look forward to. And I love the community. Disappearing into my favorite blogs is like a little vacation over my morning coffee :)

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

Probably red. I once did a color test in an old dEliA*s catalog (yes, that's the 'nineties, again) that said red was the best color for blue-eyed brunettes with fair skin to wear (that's me!), and I think it spoke the truth.

11. What is your all-time favorite band?

Ummmmmmm I'm so bad with music. I can honestly say I don't think I have one.

And 11 questions for you:

1. If you could magically play a musical instrument--but only one--which would it be?

2. If you had a million dollars, what would you spend it on?

3. What is one thing you love about yourself?

4. What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of? (I liked this one)

5. If you could live somewhere else for one year, and money were no object, where would you choose?

6. Who is your all-time favorite author?

7. What trend are you most excited about for spring?

8. What is your favorite word?

9. What is your most necessary accessory?

10. What is the most thoughtful gift you have ever received?

11. What is your favorite snack?

Here are the (official) 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.

But I'm going to be a bum and just tell all of you to do it and to send me a link so I can read your answers!

Ready, set, go!

in which i've got sugarlips

Just kidding. I don't really have sugarlips. (Unless the ridiculous amount of Girl Scout cookies I've been consuming have sweetened them unbeknownst to me... I have been eating Thin Mints and Samoas nonstop!) But what I do have is this amazing Rhyme & Reason dress from Sugarlips Apparel! And I won't lie, I kind of love it. Even more than my Thin Mints.

(Rhyme & Reason Dress: c/o Sugarlips; cardigan: old navy; faux fur: h&m; bracelet: vintage/gift; shoes: seychelles)

Sugarlips is a fashion brand based in Los Angeles (swoon, sunny sunshine), and when they asked if I might like to choose one of their dresses for my very own, you can bet I wasn't about to say 'no'! The Rhyme & Reason Dress is so gorgeous--even prettier in person than it is online--and incredibly well-made. I cannot wait to wear it simply in the summer months (to show off the super-sexy open back!) with a pair of sky-high wedges--and maybe a straw hat!

Here are a few of my favorites from the Sugarlips site. I'm seriously thinking about buying all of these... how adorable would the Saturday Lounger be for hanging around the house in cat-eye makeup and a beehive or bouffant?

(Market Festival Dress/Care For Some Cake Dress/Saturday Lounger Romper)

Speaking of summer months, after dosing myself with Ibuprofen to kill the raging headache I had all day at work yesterday, I spent the rest of the evening altering a peachy-pink terrycloth sundress. I was pretty proud of myself when all was said and done--I brought in both sides and shortened it significantly, and my sewing machine hummed along without a single mishap!

Does anyone else feel the blogger-pressure to dress for spring, even though it's still only 2 degrees above freezing outside right now? I feel like florals and corals are on the brain, and all of those bloggers in the southern hemisphere are pulling out the S/S prettiness while I'm still stuck in A/W (and will be for a while now). Oh well, work with what you've got, I guess!

(PS: I know it's too cold for bare legs, still, but I secretly kind of wanted to show off my blogging battle scars before they faded completely--check out those knee bruises! They were much, much worse last week, but they're still pretty ridiculous. I'm hardcore. Or, the ice is, anyway.)

Happy Hump Day, friends!

in which i despise that devil ice

One more reason I am beyond ready for spring to come? I've had enough of this ice situation. I already fell once this winter, right on my elbow, such that I thought it had shattered into a million little elbow-bone pieces. And I fell again today--whammo--right on my knee, which is now a swollen, mangled mess of burst blood vessels and (what feels like) bruised bone. I'd take fluffy snow any day over this. (And I know I'm wearing heels, but I'm so careful!)

(dress/headband: modcloth; sweater/tights: tjmaxx; boots: seychelles)

Anyway, enough whiny-time. I'm trying to squeeze in as much neutral brown and black as I can before I officially give myself over to the pretty pastels of springtime (there is still ice on the ground, after all).

When I destroyed my knee this morning my mind went immediately to how amusingly perilous fashion blogging can be, and then to how strange it is in general. I've been taking pictures of myself every morning (weekends excepted) for over two years now, and publishing them on the internet. That's longer than I've committed to anything in my entire life. When I really think about it, it all just seems so bizarre. These modern times...

Sometimes I start to feel ridiculous, but then, life is ridiculous.

And that's what makes it so much fun.