in which nothing but blue skies do i see

I can't lie, I love the sunshine. I love that it is light out when I wake up and that I drive home into the sunset every evening (rather than the darkness). But these slowly changing seasons sure do stink up my ability to take blog photos. My usual spot was taken over by streaky blackout areas this morning as the trees reached their shadows toward the river. At least this spot was consistently bright (albeit blinding...). And you get to see the river behind me! See all the sheets of ice washed up on the shore?

(hat: stolen from mom; necklace: diy gift; dress: thrifted; slip: urban outfitters; tights: h&m; shoes: seychelles)

When I received this necklace at the Christmas gift exchange, I knew immediately that I would wear it with these tights. The outfit itself is pretty uninspired, but I wanted to go neutral/natural with the necklace and this is what came out. See the little heart-shaped beads? Pretty appropriate for Valentine season, if I do say so.

Anyway, I had good reason to be a little bit out of my element when dressing this morning--I was super productive last night! I made dinner, prepared my mail and packages for posting, finished and filed my tax returns (I love Turbo Tax), and then passed the 70,000 word mark on the novel (and, more importantly, I now know how I intend to end it, which I hadn't the dimmest idea about until last night)!

So yeah... I wasn't quite with it when I woke up, but there are more important things :)

in which it's getting *cold* in here

Okay, this is like a Where's Waldo of fashion blogging--can you spot the ring?

(dress/scarf/belt: thrifted; tights: h&m; shoes: poetic licence; earrings: claire's; ring: gift)

If you said: is that the thing impersonating a brooch on your scarf, you're right! I feel clever. Can you also spot the frost on the ground? Yeah. It got frigid overnight. Finally feels like November!

Last night I went to the gym (I did it, guys!), and it felt amazing. I left work in a really sour mood--I had to stay late doing something miserable, and the whole day had been one of those pre-holiday disasters. Anyway, I ran on the treadmill for a while and--no lie--emerged a new woman. I was in such a good mood when I left! I always forget how great I feel when I actually get exercise (go figure). Now I just have to keep it up.

So, so, so, so, SO looking forward to the long weekend. One (and a half) more day(s)!

in which the sea foam embraces me

One thing I love about my newfound thrifting fever is the excitement I feel when I uncover something that other people might overlook due to dowdiness and the way I can just visualize how amazing it really is. I found this sweaterdress at Goodwill on Sunday, and even though it was gigantic I knew it had to be mine. I was immediately drawn to the color, of course, this marvelous minty green, but the loose knit pattern and soft scalloped edges were what ultimately sold me. I feel very bohemian in my loose-fitting garments lately...

(sweaterdress: goodwill; ring: vintage; earrings: gift; boots: seychelles)

I wasn't sure how to accessorize the dress, because I didn't want to overwhelm it, but this very art deco earrings and ring combination seemed to suit. Since the dress is completely see-through, I threw on a slip, and I quite like the way the white lace peeks out when I lift my arms, like the white foam of a crashing wave in a sea of green :)

Speaking of the sea, last night K and I watched The Beach, a 2000 movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which I think I avoided watching until now because I wrongly assumed it was a horror/thriller film. It definitely has a darkness to it, but it is that thought-provoking kind that I always enjoy. Basically the premise is that a young traveler goes to Thailand in search of a new kind of adventure (rather than the usual tourist fare) and winds up with a map to some secret Utopian island society. He invites a young Parisian couple on his quest to find this paradise (because he covets the lovely Françoise), and they set off, traveling by any and all means necessary, and finally swimming the last stretch to their destination. They do stumble upon a group of free-spirited folk living in an idyllic lagoon, and happily settle into commune life. Of course, they soon realize that perfection is an impossible pursuit--we are all too human, no matter where we are, and distrust, danger, and death are inescapable, even in Utopia. The question is: how far will we go to protect our private paradise from unworthy invaders? Anyway, I thought it was well done, and definitely worth a watch.

Here's a fun exercise for a Tuesday--I'm curious: What would your Utopia look like?

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 wear a denim dress

Tomorrow I leave on a jet plane, but I have queued up some chambray outfits for the rest of the week! This is the dress my friend Steph sent me, and I am sure it is going to become a summertime staple... I think I'll even pack it in my desert-bound suitcase tonight!

(denim dress: gift; shoes: seychelles; headband: diy)

I made this silly little headband (and many multiples) for my friends at Christmastime. I basically just picked up a bunch of doilies from JoAnn Fabrics, sewed them onto felt backing, and added fabric (or ribbon, until I ran out) so that they could be worn as headbands. I originally had pretty grand plans involving feathers and flowers but ran out of time (! whoops...) I kind of like that they turned out pretty simply--there is such a thing as overaccessorizing your accessories!

I can't lie, I am pretty excited for the next few weeks of my life... and really, the whole summer! I have lots of great trips and quality time with even more quality people coming up in the next few months. It's going to be excellent. Stay tuned this week for more chambray fun!