Quintessentially Me

coat: thrifted / scarf: LOFT / shirt: Gap / pants: Anthropologie / shoes: Seychelles




Do you have an item of clothing that feels quintessentially you? Something that screams your name when you see it because it's OMG-the most perfect _____, ever, no question about it, and when you wear it out you feel like anyone that sees you is getting an accurate representation of your true character? That's these pants for me. I bought them over five years ago, after coveting them online for months... (they were on my Pinterest wish list, back when Pinterest first started out...) and I finally stumbled upon one lonely pair on the clearance rack for a quarter of their original price. They were a size too big when I bought them, and I had every intention of getting them tailored... but I just never got around to it. Good thing, too, because now they fit me almost perfectly! I don't know whether I should be happy that they fit now, or if I should be upset... that they fit now. Either way, they fit now!!!

I wore these downtown with some girlfriends the other night to The Franklin Institute for their Science After Hours event (side note: which was AWESOME). On our way there, a bum called me a "clown with wings" (in reference to all of us looking like angels, after also saying a few other things to us that were hilariously inappropriate and should not be repeated on the internet...) I don't know if he meant my pants, my hair, or the whole shebang, but I guess he wasn't too far off. Anyone who knows me in real life will tell you I am a bit of a clown. I'm clumsy, I'm silly, and I like ridiculous things. Maybe these pants are a little over the top for some people, but they're just right for me! And if they help show off my silly side, then so be it. I love them, and I love my silly self, and I'm gonna keep on rockin' both.

Read more...

Comfort in Familiarity

jacket, shirt, pants, boots: Anthropologie / necklace: local jeweler




In my last post I talked about my fall fashion formula. This outfit is very much in those lines, although the only thing I'm actually repeating here is the jacket. I own two pairs of black denim, that pair, and this pair. This pair was a revelation for me; it's my first high-waisted pair of pants and I love them. Finally, a pair of pants that stays on when you bend and squat! A pair of pants that doesn't need to be adjusted or pulled up constantly! A pair of pants that don't require a belt (that, let's face it, is pretty useless most of the time anyway)! The only downside to high-waisted pants? They're not food friendly. Every time I've worn these out to a big meal, the first thing I want to do when I get home is peel them off. But aside from that, they're perfect! And did you spot the fun back detail on this otherwise basic t-shirt? Love it. Also, yay for good hair days! It's growing so fast! Six months ago, it felt like it might never reach my chin, and now it curls so beautifully underneath it. I need to go through my photos and do a growing-out-a-pixie-cut roundup. It'll be a year in January!

Read more...

My Fall Fashion Formula

jacket, scarf, shirt, pants, shoes: Anthropologie


This jacket + these pants + these shoes + a tunic + a scarf are my formula for the perfect fall wardrobe this year. I've been wearing the first three almost every day, switching up the scarf, top, and sometimes the shoes depending on my mood. My neighbors must think I have only these few items of clothing... and they're pretty much right. I actually have this top in two different colors, which works out in my favor because it means I can wear the same outfit two days in a row but switch up the colors... and considering I have enough scarves to last me about two weeks interchangeably... well, let's just say I can fool people into thinking I'm wearing completely different outfits each day just by switching up my scarves.

You've probably noticed from my last few outfit posts that everything I wear seems to be from Anthropologie. Over the past few months I've been slowly but surely curating my wardrobe and I've come to the conclusion that my half-year stint working at Anthro did me well, or, it did well for my wardrobe at least. I have given away most of my clothing that's not from Anthropologie or Gap, leaving me with a much lighter closet full of pieces that I absolutely love. It's so refreshing! I can get dressed in much less time now, and I find myself satisfied with pretty much every outfit I choose because I know all the pieces fit me well and fit together. I've also found myself gravitating more towards neutrals, now that I have a closet full of colorful accessories to embellish with. Who would have thought that all the minimalist fashion bloggers were on to something?!

Read more...

Pumpkin Picking Perfection

sweater, pants, scarf: Anthropologie / boots: Palladium






I'm trying to step-up my outfit photo game... with props (that basket may look out of place, but it was filled with gourds and pumpkins!) and different camera angles. I don't think I'm quite there yet (I think my ten year old camera has a lot to do with that, and my lack of proper photography skills... black and white makes everything better!) but these are significantly better than the photos I've been taking since I got my new phone. The phone wasn't quite cuttin' it for me when it came to outfit photos, so I pulled the ol' camera and tripod back out. Now if I could only get the light in my apartment to cooperate!

On a different note, I'm so happy it's scarf and sweater season!! And if you couldn't guess, I wore this to go pumpkin picking. I don't own anything in orange, so I went for cozy instead. I could say this is my favorite sweater... but I think I say that about all my sweaters. Hey, I'm not picky. Except when it comes to pumpkins. (ka-pow!)

Read more...

Easy Like Sunday Brunch

I rarely make it out to a Sunday brunch, but when I do, I make sure to wear something that gives me plenty of room for the food-baby that inevitably ensues. This top and skirt combo may not be the most flattering fit together, but they're perfect for a casual brunch date with friends. If you're wondering, I ordered the Pit with a Bottom... one egg, one slice of bacon, one scrapple (which I discovered I do not like...), hash browns, and one chocolate chip pancake. Believe me, it's a lot more filling than it sounds in writing. The best part of brunch though? I discovered a little stationary/card store nearby that sold all sorts of quirky little things, and the cutest cards! I have a weakness for paper products and could easily spend some serious money there... alas, I settled for one card (for an upcoming wedding) and one notepad.

top: Anthropologie / skirt: BCBG Max Azria / shoes: Seychelles / glasses: Tortoise & Blonde






I love the details on this top! It's as if someone took a button up and a t-shirt and stitched the two together. And of course, I can never resist stripes, buttons, or three-quarter sleeves. It's all of my favorite things, in one shirt!

Read more...

Gypsy for a Day

On our first trip to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire this year, I went as an archer. Since I kept knocking into unsuspecting people with my arrows though (oops!), I decided to go as something different for our second visit. The decision to go the faire again was a semi-last minute decision, so I whipped up this gypsy costume on the fly. I stopped to get gas dressed like this, and this is also what I was wearing when I got pulled over. Oh, and I went to the pet store dressed like this too. Shawn said I should dress like this all the time! I should have had him snap photos of me at the actual faire, but I didn't think of it until we got back, so I took a few in the office before switching everything out for pajama pants and a t-shirt.

blouse, skirt, scarf, necklaces: Anthropologie / boots: Nine West




I was also super proud of myself for my first successful (albeit small) cat eye! Mainly, just my ability to put on liquid eyeliner in a straight line. I spent over an hour with a specialist at Sephora last week, and she gave me some pointers, so I put them to use! Now I just need to practice, practice, and practice.

Read more...

Dressed Up At Chanticleer

While we were roaming Chanticleer Garden, I asked my brother to snap a few photos of me in front of the sunflowers, to use for outfit photos. The sun wasn't in our favor, apparently, but I am happy to have some outfit photos taken outside. I wanted to wear something summery and garden-y that day, so I chose my most feminine dress. (You can also see it worn here and here.) The smarter choice would have been pants and a t-shirt, for the sheer fact that I got over a dozen mosquito bites that day... but I felt really pretty walking around the gardens in my dress, and that was a good enough reason to wear it! I've found it's incredibly easy to dress up or down (I wore it to a friend's wedding last year with a short sleeved cardigan and heels), and I think it's a great piece on its own, so it doesn't need much to elevate it. So far it's the only thing I've ever ordered from eShakti, but every time I wear it I'm reminded that I should order custom pieces more often.

dress: eShakti / scarf: Anthropologie / shoes: DSW (Zigi Soho) / sunglasses: Anthropologie




And one of my brother and I, for good measure!

Read more...

When is an apple not an apple?

dress: El Quetzal / sweater: Anthropologie / shoes: store in Savannah, GA / purse: Anthropologie
...when it's a pineapple! Dehhhh. I had so many different routes to go when choosing a title for this post... between the show Psych, the movie Pineapple Express, and the cartoon Spongebob Squarepants... well, you can see my dilemma. I went with a corny joke, of course.

Pardon my dressing room selfie... it's the clearest shot I could get of this lovely outfit. This dress is the cutest! As soon as I saw the print, I knew I'd be unable to resist it. It's also a plus that the fit is very flattering (albeit a little shorter than my usual dresses, but hey, flaunt those legs!). Pineapples always remind me of the two weeks my family and I spent in Hawaii. I think we ate at least one pineapple a day while we were there - they're just so damn tasty down there!

Other things to note: I bought this sweater in the winter and it's still one of my favorites. It's supposed to be tied in the front but I always tie it in the back and wear it like a cardigan. It's also light enough that I can wear it pretty much all year round! Also, my hair is in braids! That is quite the accomplishment. This growing-out-the-pixie-cut project is only going to get better and easier from here on out.



Now go eat a pineapple.

Read more...

Wardrobe Flashback

Over the weekend I organized my digital photo albums and I came across some long forgotten about treasures. Maybe treasures isn't the correct word, but sometimes it's fun to look back on the person you were at one point in time, especially when you have photographic evidence. These were my first real attempt at what I wore photos... they never ended up anywhere online because at the time I wasn't really blogging, save for a seldom-updated food blog. They date back to 2008/2009, when I had just moved back home after college and was working jobs here and there before getting my first 'real' pastry gig. I can honestly say I do not own any of these items of clothing anymore, except for the hats and those red shorts. It's fun to see how my style has changed since then; I thought some of you may get a kick out of seeing a bit of the old me...

It does make me miss my long hair though...

Read more...

Summer Staples

top, shorts, bracelet: Anthropologie / shoes: Birkenstock
This is my take on summer casual - the usual combination of t-shirt, shorts, and sandals. I'm not much of a t-shirt wearer so I'll reach for a blouse most days, though this particular top crosses the line between both, because the outer layer is blouse-y but then the under layer is a soft jersey material. These denim shorts and Birkenstocks have been my go-tos all spring and summer... I haven't found a more comfortable pair of shorts or sandals, although I may be due for a new pair of Birks soon if I keep that pattern up!

When I do these what I wore posts, it often makes me feel like a walking advertisement for Anthropologie. I only worked there for a few months but while I was there, I replaced a lot of items in my wardrobe with staples (and fun things, of course!) from Anthropologie... so now whenever I get dressed I find myself reaching for at least one Anthropologie piece. Hence, everything in this post, with the exception of my shoes, comes from Anthropologie.

Read more...

Giraffes and Cell Phones

top: Gap / skirt: Anthropologie / scarf: Anthropologie / shoes: Anthropologie


My little point and shoot isn't the best at jumping photos... doesn't matter how much I play around with the settings, it just doesn't seem to understand what I'm trying to do. Plus, it's about six years old and it eats through batteries (yep, it constantly tells me that the brand new batteries I just put in need to be switched out). But I'm not on the market for a new digital camera... I'm actually on the market for a new phone! And this is what I wore to go look at all the new phones AT&T has. I've had my current phone for just about three years now (that's like, a decade in cell phone years...) and I'm ready for a change. I want one with a decent really sweet camera so that I can take even better photos for the blog! I'm thinking about I'm pretty much decided on the LG G3, whenever it comes out. Anyone have an LG G2? Can you tell me about it? Everyone I know has an iPhone!

On an outfit-related note, this is my favorite spring/summer shirt that I've bought this year. It doesn't look like much, but it's slightly tailored around the shoulders and has a zipper going up the back of it... and I find myself reaching for it all the freakin' time. And it looks really great with scarves, which is awesome because I've been wearing a lot more scarves than necklaces these past few months. By the way, this is how most of the photos I take of myself usually turn out... so, ya know.

Read more...

Dress for Devon

dress: eShakti / scarf: Target / shoes: fair trade shop in Savannah, GA / bracelets: Loft
This week is the Devon Horse Show, which I've gathered is a big deal around here when it comes to horse competitions. Although I rode horses growing up, I've never followed the competitive end of it, so I don't know much about it. I was more interested in the country fair part of the event, so that's why a friend and I decided to check it out yesterday. The event was a lot smaller than I anticipated, but that's probably also because we went during the week - I'm sure it was much more crowded during the weekend and on Memorial Day. We didn't end up spending much time there because it didn't take as long to walk around as I anticipated. But hotdogs were buy one get one free, so we indulged in hot dogs and got to see the Budweiser Clydesdales, which were HUGE and beautiful. Seriously, you need a ladder just to mount them!

When I think of horse shows, I think of dresses and elaborate hats. Well, I don't own any elaborate hats but I do own a few dresses! This is one of my favorites, although I always seem to forget that until I put it on and don't want to take it off for the rest of the day. This year I seem to have gained an inch and a half in my bust, waist, and hips... (I'm blaming a change in birth control but others tell me it's my body preparing for childbirth... but let's not talk about that) and since I got this dress custom fit when I ordered it, I was afraid it wouldn't fit this year - but it does! Just as well as it did last year! Sadly, that's not the case for any of my shorts from the past few years... but let's not talk about that.

Also, you may have noticed that my hair is in a ponytail! The teeniest ponytail that ever was, with the help of many bobby pins... but a ponytail nonetheless! I actually had a larger ponytail before this weekend, but it was disguising a growing mullet, so I trimmed it. Now I'm closer to the bob-look I've been trying to achieve in the midst of growing out my pixie. Getting closer every day!



The perfect dress to twirl in.

Read more...

Zebra Casual

shorts & top: Anthropologie / shoes: from a fair-trade shop in Savannah, GA
Sometimes I'm too lazy to set up the tripod and sometimes outfits are too simple to warrant the effort. In the process of (for lack of a better word) revamping my wardrobe, I've come to realize that simple can be a good thing when it comes to clothes. I finally have a closet full of items that I'm happy to wear, that fit well, and that can (for the most part) all be paired together. This shirt was a very nice addition, and is a different interpretation of the stripes I usually seem to gravitate towards. And these denim shorts are the best summer basic, in my opinion, although Shawn begs to differ. (He says they're for 12-year old girls...) When I was growing up I wore a lot of jeans and t-shirts and over the past few years I've tried to grow out of it and develop a (again, for lack of a better word) fancier style. But sometimes jeans and a simple top are all you need. The addition of fun shoes helps too!

Read more...

Cloudy Saturday

scarf: Anthropologie / shirt: Gap / skirt: thrifted / shoes: from a fair trade shop in Savannah
I felt a little like I was emanating Katherine from Of Corgis and Cocktails in this outfit, because her staples seem to be flared skirts with flats and a tucked-in top; I just swapped the necklace for a scarf because scarves are my jam lately. (Shit, did I just use the phrase "my jam" in a sentence? Who am I?) In the process of growing out my hair (it's taking foooorrreverrrr...) I seem to have caught up to her as well, although I was definitely aiming for more of that flair that Coline of Et Pourquoi Pas Coline's hair emotes.

Saturday wasn't all cloudy, it was actually pretty sunny and windy all day but then of course the sun hid when I decided to take these photos. But I actually really like the way they turned out! The grainy greyness seems to fit, and the outfit was all grey and black anyway, with the exception of my shoes, which were red, of course. Please, you don't think I'd go out without some sort of bright color or pattern on, do you? Clearly you don't know me at all.

Read more...

Foxy Saturday

shirt: Anthropologie / skirt: Loft (thrifted) / shoes: Gap Outlet
Lloyd always manages to sneak his way into my photos; I think he's intrigued by the tripod. It always leads to me taking a bunch of photos of him from above- and by a bunch I mean that I forget to exit out of the timed/sequenced shots option and I end up getting 10 shots of Lloyd that all look exactly the same... oops.

Shawn gave me this shirt as a Christmas gift two years ago and I think I've only worn it two or three times since then. It's super cute (duh!) but the fabric is thin and I'm worried about it warping if I wash it... that seems to be a common concern with a lot of my Anthro shirts, actually. And I really hate hand washing things so excuse me while I admit to wearing my more delicate shirts a few times in a row before washing them. Hey, if it doesn't have stains or stink, well.... I'll wear it until it does. Convenience trumps laundry, every time.

I think I recently mentioned that we moved all the furniture in our living area around a little over a week ago. We've been slowly re-organizing the shelves and various knick-knacks that we have throughout, and on this particular day I got the bookcase looking all nice and (mostly) set up our 'bar area'. So of course I had to take some photos of it all! And I just so happened to look cute that day too. Just ignore the dishes in the background - they're clean, I swear! They're just drying. That dishwasher is totally just for show. (Ahem, we never use it.) Apparently convenience doesn't trump dishes here.

Read more...

Stripes are never boring

With my new job now I rarely get a chance to get "dressed up" throughout the week, considering I go to work in chef pants and loose t-shirts and that's what I wear for 8+ hours of the day. By the time I get home all I want to do is change into pajama pants and a different t-shirt. So my weekends are for getting dressed! This is what I wore on Sunday, to go to Target and IKEA. Yeah, I know, my life is super exciting. My outfits are not. Shorts weather!

top and shorts: Anthropologie / shoes: Birkenstock


I thought it'd be nice to show you all what I'm really like. There's a French blogger named Coline whom I follow and part of the reason I love her blog, aside from her impeccable style, is that she's super silly and she shows it! So here are some 'outtakes' of me being... well, myself.





Lloyd gets a taste of my ridiculousness on the regular...


Now that we've rearranged the living room I have a blank wall to stand in front of! I have to move things around first, but it's a blank wall nonetheless. Is that too boring? I don't care! Now you can focus on me! Bahahaha! You can see peeks of the apartment on Sundays.

And here are two old-school ridiculous gems for you, just because.





I'm not sorry that you won't be able to get that last one out of your head.

Read more...