in which this one's for the foliage

I had a dream last night that I went to my usual blog photo spot and was thwarted by intruders.  It's really unhelpful how often that happens in real life... and sure enough, today when I drove by my little parking lot there was a guy in a truck talking on his cell phone.  Boo hiss.  Anyway, this is my backup location.   I really need a private yard.  Or better yet, several acres of land and a lake.  (Oh, and please ignore the tripod shadow--I am ill-equipped to handle an unexpected sunlight situation at my backup location.)

(dress/skirt/belt: thrifted; tights: gift; boots: seychelles)

I am in love with these tights but there are holes in the toes already.  I'm having a bit of a tights crisis this season--I desperately need a pair of basic opaque brown and sheer black, and I have plenty of brightly-colored pairs that feel a little bit too cartoonish for me these days, with my newfound love for classic simplicity.  But polka dots are always awesome.

It's getting to be that time of year when the foliage slowly gives way to barrenness after so many blustery days.  So I thought I'd wear some leaves on my sleeves today :)  One more until the weekend!

in which i'm with the (head)band

This is one of those outfits that makes me feel really put together.  It's matchy, but mix-y enough to keep things interesting, and the black and tan color palette is my favorite lately.  Plus, leopard print shoes always make me happy.  Also, this dress has officially been retired to tunic status.  I cannot believe I used to wear this this thing without pants (not so long ago)!  Was I shorter then, or just crazy?  (Hint: I haven't grown.)

(dress: forever 21; jeans: pacsun; trench: h&m; shoes: charlotte russe; scarf: thrifted)

K and I went out for our anniversary on Saturday night, although I must admit that we were both feeling a bit lazy and almost didn't do anything at all!  We ended up driving out of town for cocktails and dinner and then picking up a couple of bottles of champagne to drink at home (while finishing Season 2 of The Walking Dead--eek!).  Sadly, my aunt passed away last week so I had to go down to Massachusetts this weekend for her funeral.  My dad, brothers, uncle and I played/sang "I'll Fly Away" and I sang "Amazing Grace" at the service.  We've been going to far too many funerals in this family lately...

Tonight I intend to get back on track--get groceries, do the dishes, maybe do a workout video, and then work on editing my book.  I've gotten back in the swing and I'm feeling better about slashing unnecessary nonsense from the prose.  To be honest, I just really want to finish this one so I can start working on another project!  There just aren't enough hours in the day... and Alias is so good I just want to watch it all the time!

in which it's been five years

Layers, layers, layers.  That's what fall is all about.

(dress: h&m; jumper/scarf/belt: thrifted; boots: seychelles)

Annnd I don't have a heck of a lot to say.  It's Friday, thank goodness.  Tomorrow is my five year anniversary with K (!!), so we will certainly be celebrating somehow.  Eating will be involved.  I was 22 when I met him (though not for long), and living in Portland, OR.  He was my neighbor on Barbur Blvd and he didn't have a beard, and I worked in a coffee shop and didn't pay any of my bills because I was too broke.  We used to have bonfires in his backyard.  It feels like a lifetime ago. :)

in which this jacket = autumn

This jacket is quintessentially fall.  And that's really the only season it works for.  But I sure love to wear the heck out of it from September through Thanksgiving!

(dress/scarf/hat/belt: thrifted; blazer: delia*s via plato's closet; shoes: lulu*s)

This blazer is from dELiA*s, and I'm probably going to age myself big time, but dELiA*s will always be linked in my mind to middle school, when I actually started caring about clothes and being cool and would pore over catalogs for dELiA*s and ALLOY I received in the mail.  I'm going to have to pull out some of the ridiculously dorky pictures of me from that era.  I am approaching my "scary age," after all.  It might be a good idea to look back at what a silly girl I was to demonstrate that aging can be a blessing :) That's where it all began...  It's funny, I work in the publishing industry and I know what a hard time catalogs are having because of the internet.  Secretly, I kind of miss them!  You can't really shop a Look Book the way you once could...  I'm just so over the internet lately (except for Netflix Instant Watch... that will never get old. My latest obsession is Alias :).

I will now abruptly end this post because I have nothing more to say.

over the weekend: shelburne orchards!

This weekend, K and I kicked off our October with brunch at Toscano and apple picking at Shelburne Orchards (it's tradition: 2009, 2010, 2011)!  It was a pretty cloudy day, but perfect for hot cider!  I'm impressed that we have kept up our tradition year after year.  Fall (and October especially) is such a happy time for me for so many reasons.  Not only is it incredibly beautiful in Vermont this time of year, but I was born in this month (pretty important), and K and I officially got together in October (five years ago, as part of our first date, he took me to a haunted corn maze).  Plus, October is the month of lots of fun size candy.  Which really is fun :)

in which i am a ravenclaw

It's Friday!

(jumper/scarf: thrifted; blouse: gift; shoes: seychelles)

This scarf makes me think of Harry Potter.  Now, I was never a Harry Potter fanatic--fanaticism isn't really my style (I think the closest I came was probably with Hanson in middle school)--but I did enjoy the books and I've seen all of the movies.  Anyway, one of my friends asked me recently which Harry Potter house I would be in, and after investigating on Wikipedia I decided that I would be in Ravenclaw, hands down, without a doubt.  Which is funny, because nobody ever thinks about Ravenclaw, since all of the important Harry Potter characters are in Gryffindor (and are therefore brave, daring, and chilvalrous, none of which describe me in the slightest).  Ravenclaw, on the other hand,  values intelligence, wit, wisdom, creativity, individuality, and originality.  (My friend thought she was probably Hufflepuff--hard working, loyal, patient, tolerant, and kind--which I agree with.)

Since it's Friday, and these games are fun, which house are you in?

in which i follow the cozy code

Another gray, cozy day, and me in a man's sweater.  I found this in the women's section at Goodwill but I'm pretty sure it's meant for a man.  Or for me.  Mostly for me. 

(sweater: goodwill; shirt: tjmaxx; jeans: pacsun; hat: vintage; gloves: old navy; boots: seychelles)

I'm not feeling very wordy today, apparently. Updates since yesterday: K took some time off from paper writing to watch the Debate with me last night.  I'll just say my mind is not changed (not that I was expecting it to be).  I like when K gets up and leaves the apartment before me because I get to mooch his leftover coffee (maybe I should just tell him to make more every morning... hmm...).  Art Club is tonight and I'm going to try to get a roll of Holga film developed (from like, a year ago) so I have something to share for once (besides wine).  Speaking of alcoholic beverages, Woodchuck is really pleasing me lately with their reserve ciders!  I'm loving the pumpkin (obvs), and the ginger is also really delicious... Vermont wins.

Um, what else? 

That's all, folks!