2013. LWD.

late afternoon dress and boardwalk sandals by madewell. thrifted sash. rebecca minkoff bombe bag.

on saturday we worked in the yard— michael got two truckloads of mulch, and we spread it all over the front and side flower beds. then we decided to buy river rocks and made a nice pathway to our back porch. after being in the sun for hours, i cleaned up and put on a little white dress. we went on a fancy outing to… the grocery store.

but i kind of love that about a LWD. don’t save them for weddings or parties. don’t put them away after labor day. wear them whenever you want because they’re simply perfect.

the look | similar dress | sandals

2013. hometown favorite.

joie rancher tee. dorrie skirt by j.crew. necklace c/o LOFT. gloria wedges by bed stu. apolis market bag.

i wore this outfit earlier in the week before i came of (technology) age; i spilled riesling on my keyboard. my non-clumsy computer streak was bound to end. then our modem stopped working, and i took the events as a sign to relax. two harry potters, a school carnival, a class trip, and wishful catalog shopping later, i’m back online.

i featured the bag a few weeks ago as one of my maybe birthday presents. of course it ended up at our door as an ode to the city where we met and began our grand, silly, and best adventure.

i hope you have a great weekend! see you on monday.

the look | similar tee | similar skirt | wedges | bag

2013. crazy clutch lady.

vermont jacket by paige. ella moss dress. vintage clutch. nine west wedges.

i am unabashedly crazy about clutches. men will never understand why women carry purses with no straps or handles. sometimes i don’t understand myself when i take one to the grocery store and end up sticking it like a newspaper under my armpit because i lack free hands.

i bought my first clutch in college; it was an oversized lavender leather via spiga found on deep discount at tj maxx. then i got into thrifting beaded evening clutches and anything else that enchanted me. on saturday morning, i found the ombre-embroidered bag for five dollars and thanked my lucky stars. she’s the perfect spring and summer clutch, and i can’t wait to pass her on to my future daughter (way in the future, mind you).

i wish i could sew a similar clutch but i lack the tremendous patience and needlepoint skills. however i can do one thing— carry it.

the look | similar jacket | similar dress | similar shoes

2013. ugly duckling.

stitched cardigan by madewell. band of gypsies dress. tory burch reva flats. rebecca minkoff bombe bag.

i present my friday and saturday outfit. the dress is a “house dress” i.e. it’s too flouncy for school but it’s decent with shorts.

i like my big brown cardigan, but michael does not. i met him for happy hour on friday and he said, “are you really wearing that ugly sweater?” after his remark, i consoled the sweater by telling it that he had a bad day and felt like taking it out on someone. i bought the sweater ice cream. just kidding.

instead i wore the sweater two days straight. don’t mess with the way i dress.

the look | similar sweater | similar dress | similar flats

2013. with lemon.

henley blouse c/o LOFT. corey lynn calter muslin skirt. wanted sandals. pendleton canyonville tote.

in high school my friends and i frequented places like applebee’s for easy friday or saturday night dinners. a meal rang up at less than ten dollars, leaving extra money for a movie or a magazine at the bookstore.

in college i discovered hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop, and star-of-the-show kind of restaurants. these places had thick tablecloths, candlelights, and wine glasses. these places had water with lemon!

now you can get water with lemon almost anywhere. one of our favorite restaurants in town offers it with lime, orange, or grapefruit. in the back of my head, i remember that it’s just water, but i chuckle at how a very simple thing can appear quite posh.

this outfit was monday’s ensemble… with lemon. :o)

the look | blouse | similar skirt | similar sandals

2013. a walk outside.

denim jacket by billy blues (thrifted). silk dotty dress by madewell. wanted sandals. missibaba bag.

after several evenings in the 30’s, spring is here— for the moment, anyway. the weather treated us to a beautiful sunny day with legendary texas blue skies.

everyday we take turns walking sophie. michael walks her in the mornings, and i walk her after school. on cold days, we bundle up and scurry in and out. on warm days, we mosey around other people’s yards and scowl at loud airplanes (more her than me). i can’t help but giggle watching her trot-trot-trot back home.

a walk outside is good for the soul. it’s just a teensy bit better with a funny pug.

the look | similar jacket | similar dress | similar sandals

2013. blackout.

ralph lauren sweater dress. italian scarf. merona tights. pour la victoire boots. pendleton canyonville tote.

if you peruse the blog archive, you’ll notice that i rarely wear black. my wardrobe is mostly blues, neutrals, and brights here and there.

before christmas, i found myself craving a simple black sweater dress. it had to be dark black (not charcoal), long (not short), and cute (not un-cute). my dream came true a few weeks ago when i snagged this dress at tj maxx.

have you ever gotten a good deal on an item from your wish list?

the look | similar dress | similar scarf | similar boots | bag

2013. orange crush.

merino boyfriend sweater by j.crew. pintuck silk tunic by alice + olivia. paige verdugo leggings. lotta from stockholm clogs. pendleton canyonville tote.

if you asked me ten years ago, “do you like orange?” i would have said, “ew.” if you asked me five years ago, “do you like orange?” i would have said, “sure.” if you asked me now if i like orange i would say, “YES!” it’s definitely a color i wear more and more over time.

after i wore the blouse to work, i found ink smudges on the placket from the rubber stamps i use to check my kids’ assignments. fortunately the stains came out with woolite and a teeny dot of dawn soap. yes, i put dishwashing liquid on a silk blouse. orange makes me brave.

the look | similar sweater | similar blouse | similar jeans | shoes | bag

2013. first dates.

striped crochet jacket by zara. soft joie tank. verdugo leggings by paige. tory burch reva flats. allibelle mohawk clutch.

remember that old movie with drew barrymore called 50 first dates? i saw part of it on cable and quickly got the gist: woman loses memory but falls in love again each day on a date with her husband.

sometimes i can’t believe that michael and i have been together for over eight years. it doesn’t seem like a very long time, and from conversations we’ve had with friends (single and married), that’s a good thing. you want to find that person you can take on 50 or 100 or 500 first dates.

thank you M for being my first date on saturday and buying us sushi. i hope i see you again soon. :o)

the look | similar jacket | similar tank | similar jeans | similar flats

2013. brown hare.

stitched cardigan by madewell. joie rancher tee. verdugo leggings by paige. rebecca minkoff doll boots and bombe bag.

the older i get, the more comfortable i am wearing what i want and what i deem beautiful. i know this cardigan is sort of oversized and kind of shapeless; its color resembles beatrix potter’s bunny family. at some angles, it makes the upper half of my body look huge.

but i like it. at thirteen, i worshipped fashion magazines and wanted to resemble the models. at thirty-one, i understand there are rules and trends but you don’t have to follow or adopt any of them. if i wake up one morning and want to dress like a brown hare, more power and more carrots to me.

really— more carrots. this was my grocery shopping outfit.

the look | similar sweater | tee | similar jeans | similar boots

2013. bookworm.

express tricot sweater (thrifted). LOFT skirt (found on ebay). tory burch reva flats. pendleton canyonville tote.

remember my navy polka dot skirt that ripped? i snagged a lookalike on ebay. awwww yeah!

i always know my bangs are getting long when michael tells me, “you’ve got helmet hair.” it was a fitting observation for superbowl sunday. i wore the outfit to the grocery store for football food, and today i wore it to school.

over the weekend i bought two new lipsticks (the coral shade is sienna by boots) and one book (the fault in our stars by john green). after super bowl sunday comes bookworm monday with a glamorous grin.

the look | similar sweater | similar skirt | similar flats | bag

2013. spotify.

betsy sweater by j.crew. dalmation print skirt (found on ebay). lotta from stockholm clogs. pendleton canyonville tote.

can you tell i love my pendleton bag? it’s big enough for a house (a dollhouse) and an army (a fleet of clipboards and books). i’m so glad santa got it for me. he’s got a good eye, that santa. :o)

i wore this outfit earlier in the week to school. we’re experiencing a warm spell which means skirts and sandals for everyone (well, at least for me). i love boots and jeans but i’ve enjoyed picking out different clothes. you can’t go wrong with lots of dots.

hope you have a great weekend!

the look | similar sweater | similar skirt | shoes | bag

2013. collard blues.

soft joie tee. verdugo leggings by paige. tory burch reva flats. eclectic ornaments necklace. hervé chapelier mini bag.

whenever i have a wardrobe brain freeze, i put on jeans and a fancy tee— fancy meaning it doesn’t have any holes, my college logo, or food stains on it. soft joie tees are my favorite because they drape in a flattering way, and i can wear them with anything.

i bought the necklace from rae of eclectic ornaments last summer. i missed out on the original anthropologie necklace, but i loved the hydrangea version offered by rae. she also makes them in other colors like yellow, pink, and red. check out her shop if you’re craving a layered necklace of your own.

the look | similar tee | similar jeans | similar flats

2013. walcott.

thrifted sweater. corey lynn calter muslin skirt (found on ebay). lotta from stockholm clogs. missibaba tote.

there’s an old vampire weekend song called walcott that goes… “walcott, don’t you wanna get out of cape cod?” it contains other lyrics but those seem to be the only ones i remember. walcott is a very preppy name, and this is a very preppy outfit. i wore it on saturday to the grocery store, and i liked it so much i kept it on for our party (sans clogs). in michael’s words, i couldn’t tower over all our guests. in my words, he’s never been to a blogging conference.

my friends grechen and sharon love clogs; i hope they like my new ones! i bought them from amazon with christmas money, and they arrived in less than two weeks from england. i’ve been stomping around in them since. stomp, stomp, stomp… and stomp.

the look | similar sweater | similar skirt | shoes

2013. winter spring.

dolman sleeved sweatshirt by j.crew. james jeans high class skinnies. tory burch reva flats. missibaba tote.

i feel like i’ve been wearing the same things over and over since december: sweaters, pants or jeans, and boots. when the days are chilly, i’m drawn to easy pieces that require minimal thought in the mornings. sometimes i wish i threw things together in a different way (or wish i didn’t wake up so early), but that’s life.

on sunday the temperature rose to the seventies, and i thought, i’m going to wear flats! i’m going to wear jeans— white jeans! it’s funny how a bit of sunshine will put a little spring in my step.

do you like dressing for winter? or are you a warm weather girl like me?

the look | similar sweater | similar jeans | similar flats