in which it's too hot to pick out an outfit

So, I won't lie, this outfit came together in a very lazy, last-minute way. I'm not thrilled with it, but it'll do for a million-degree Friday :)

(dress: uo; chambray: walmart; shoes: seychelles; necklace: diy)

It's becoming increasingly apparent that my shop-free summer can't last much longer if I'm going to keep this blog interesting. It's not like I self-imposed this shopping ban on myself, that's just the way it's worked out. I haven't had funds, and the money I do have has been spent on things deemed "more important" than new clothes. Which is all well and good, but I'm kind of tired of recycling the same clothes through my closet over and over again and I'm ready for a good old-fashioned spree. Which also won't happen any time soon. I'm just whining.

K and I didn't end up going to see music last night. It was too hot. Instead, we got ice cream and drove around the countryside with our windows down for a while, which turned out to be just the ticket. Tonight we're FINALLY seeing Harry Potter, which I am super excited about, and the rest of the weekend will most likely be spent in a state of blissful relaxation.

Until next time...

:D

in which i've got the seven year (old) itch

I think this little blouse is pretty precious, but I rarely wear it. I think it's maybe a bit TOO precious--it goes so far beyond twee, it's, like... tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. Wearing it backwards definitely takes the cutesy factor down a notch, but the fact is I'm still wearing a shirt meant for a seven year old.

(shirt: vintage; skirt: thrifted; hat: uo; shoes: kohl's)

Last night, after laundry, I was feeling particularly melancholy for some reason. Can't say why, sometimes it just happens (Wednesdayitis?). Anyway, I had some lasagne and a couple glasses of wine and sat down to type out a few more pages of my screenplay for the first time in ... can it be months? And then K and I sat out on the stoop and basked in the dull glow of our little streetlamp for a while, and it was nice.

Tonight we might go hear some free music if it doesn't rain, but I kind of just want to be lazy at home (and eat a creemee). In the summertime I feel so much more of a need to cram my days full of excitement, probably because the days are long and warm and staying indoors seems like such a lame thing to do. We'll see.

in which i wear my fur like a river on fire

Whew, only Wednesday? Really?? Sigh...

(skirt: vintage; blouse: thrifted; shoes: seychelles; faux fur collar: h&m; ring: gift; earrings: flea market)

I got these amazing earrings at the flea market on Saturday (along with a pretty fan necklace). They bring me much joy. Aren't they lovely? Also, I can't remember the last time I wore this faux fur collar! I felt a bit bare in my boring old tank top (even if it is gold) this morning, and I decided that the collar would be just the ticket. This definitely feels like more of an autumn look, but that's okay. It feels like the dead of winter in my office (grrrr A/C), so this is a good compromise :)

K and I are trying this new thing where we eat meals together (aka the same food at the same time). He's a carnivore and I'm an herbivore, but lately he's been more willing to branch out into the great big world of veggie-friendly foods, and I've kind of been excited about the prospect of cooking for two. Since he's been begging me to make lasagne since long before I left town, last night we popped open a bottle of bubbly (because, why not, it was Tuesday!), I cooked up a delicious dish of cheesy goodness (my super-easy recipe to come), and we settled in to watch The Bachelorette (I think he is secretly really into it). I've felt like I'm really packing the days full lately (some good, some bad--like before I cooked dinner I had to wash the dishes and we had to go grocery shopping, and tonight we have to do laundry...ugh) and I just drop into bed at night, totally exhausted. I really do need to find some time to exercise, though. Especially if I'm going to be eating lasagne every night...

in which i expound on uniqueness

Elizabeth of Delightfully Tacky posted about uniqueness on her blog today, and it got me thinking. In recent months/years, I have become increasingly aware of the incredible uniqueness of individuals and the amazing potential for personal growth that comes from interacting with and inspiring each other in a meaningful way. I'm not talking about fashion. I'm not talking about following trends. I'm not talking about being inspired to bake macarons becuase that's what people are doing these days. I'm also not discarding any of those things, because I do draw inspiration from trends in the blogosphere and I do believe that my life is enriched by them (if I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be here). That said, fashion is still a superficial manifestation of selfhood--for the most part, it doesn't say much of anything about who we are (except maybe that we care about how we present ourselves to the world, which isn't a bad thing).

(shorts/shirt/hat: thrifted; shoes: kohl's; scarf: forever 21)

I've been lucky, in my life, to have extraordinarily meaningful relationships--with friends, family, and even with strangers. I enjoy conversations that jump right to the marrow of the matter and burrow deeper and deeper until they hit giddy, hysterical laughter, free-flowing tears, or finally level out like a long, satisfying sigh of contentment. A few days ago, Elizabeth also mentioned the "growth zone," where we push ourselves beyond our usual level of comfort, and eventually expand our comfort zone. I'm not a religious person by any means, but I do have a spiritual side (as evidenced here), and I definitely believe that while we're here on earth we should try to see and experience as much as possible, always pushing ourselves to the absolute limit. While traveling to the ends of the earth is a big part of that for me, connecting with interesting people and having enlightening conversations is the other part. When we are true to ourselves and open to each other, we can really expand our experiences. I think our generation has a tendency to judge each other rather harshly (we compare ourselves to others and react offensively to counteract our own creeping self-doubt), but most of those snap judgments are made based on superficial reasons like the way we choose to dress or the music we like to listen to--and we are all so much more than that.

I've come to believe that every single person on this earth has the potential to be endlessly fascinating. Not only are we born completely unique, our experiences in life are so varied and the choices we've made and have yet to make are so infinite, if we commit to knowing ourselves and knowing others truly (madly) and deeply, that is the best way to find happiness and fulfillment in our lifetimes. This does not necessarily mean that I want to be friends with everyone or that everyone will want to be friends with me. We are not all compatible. Some may prefer to float merrily along on the surfaces of things (which I honestly find rather enviable). But if we are open and genuine with each other (and more importantly, with ourselves) we will know a true soul mate when we find one (and I mean that in both the platonic and romantic sense). I may not know what I want to "do" with my life, but I certainly know what I want to "be." And at this point, I think that's far more important.

On a totally unrelated note, last night K and I did this (can you spot the hot air balloon?):

And then this happened:

So we did this:

Went home, had some wine, and watched "Just Go With It," which I actually rather enjoyed. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston have been impressing me lately (with Grown Ups and The Switch, respectively, and now this). Just because I like to overanalyze everything and swim in the deep sea of humanity doesn't mean that I can't enjoy a nice, light-hearted rom-com once in a while (or... often). I'm not afraid to admit to my guilty pleasures!

If you're feeling forthcoming, I'd love to hear about one of your most formative moments. Let's bust this blogging thing wide open!

in which the sun got the better of me

So, you may notice that I abandoned polka dots. But, in fairness, this is a new week. Maybe I'm sick of themes. I'm fickle like that.

(dress: forever 21; jacket: thrifted; boots: seychelles)

Simplicity is key when you're burnt to a crisp underneath your clothes. Please excuse my reddish hue. I spent most of my weekend like this:

...and I suspect that my 50 SPF sunscreen was not as waterproof as advertised.

Friday night K and I picked up some veggies at the farmer's market (beets, scallions, onions, garlic, cilantro!) and sat on our makeshift "stoop" (aka where the sidewalk ends) and drank some wine while the sun set. Our little "stoop chats" have become a bit of a tradition this past week, since we don't have a porch but we want to take as much advantage of this gorgeous weather as possible. We watched a movie (HappyThankYouMorePlease), which wasn't the best movie I'd ever seen but wasn't terrible, either, and hit the hay at a reasonable hour so we'd be well-rested for our fun-filled Saturday!

We woke up bright and early, had some coffee and eggs, and hit the Waterbury flea market (I bought earrings, a necklace, a clock--with hourglass!, a set of decorative suitcases, and a Moroccan lantern) before heading to K's "secret spot" so that he could fish and I could lounge around in the sun and read. I did end up jumping into the Winooski River (multiple times), which may have been ill-advised but felt incredible. When we'd had enough of the sun, we went home and showered, etc. before driving into town for dinner. After nearly an hour wait, we finally scored a table outside at Three Tomatoes Trattoria on Church Street, ordered some cocktails (hers: blood orange bellini, his: st. germain) and two wood-fired pizzas (Margherita and Primavera). It was an incredible evening, and K and I were in agreement that we must resist the temptation to run away to new places every weekend and spend more time enjoying our own little city.

Sunday was much of the same--we drove to the Reservoir, where K fished (unsuccessfully) and I basked (okay, baked) in the sun and then swam it off (rinse, repeat), also apparently swimming off my sunscreen, because BOY! am I red. I am so glad that I've been swimming regularly so far this summer--I didn't go at all last year, which was a travesty. I used to live in lakes and ponds during the summer months, and definitely lean toward the mer-persuasion. After enjoying creemees for lunch, I whipped up some spicy peanut noodles for a dinner party on Lake Champlain, where we were treated with a beautiful sunset over the water and lots of yummy food.

All-in-all, a wonderfully relaxing summer weekend--the very best that Vermont has to offer!