2013. miss sunshine.

cardigan by halogen. scatter dot dress by j.crew. vintage belt. gloria wedges by bed stu. william rast sunglasses.

the classic, breezy dress means a lot to me— at age 6, my favorite frock had dozens of navy dots, and twenty-odd years later, i got engaged in the grown-up version. i’ve worn it with several cardigans and my jean jacket.

on monday, i paired it with a yellow sweater and clogs (probably my favorite combo yet). while he snapped pictures, michael said, “make a pensive face… make a giggle face… make a madewell face.” this is it.

get styled by miss sunshine on saturday, march 9th from 5 to 7. details here.

the look | similar sweater | similar dress | wedges

2013. billy jean.

denim jacket by billy blues (thrifted). silk dawnlight dress by madewell. vintage dotty smith kissing frogs belt (from hunt.gather.style). gloria wedges by bed stu.

i bought the jacket last year for a few dollars. when i saw it on the rack, it looked tiny, and i almost put it back. good thing i kept it— it fits like a glove. usually jean jackets look boxy or oversized, but this jacket is tailored in the right places. i love wearing it with dresses.

on the radio today, the deejays commented that more people will shop at thrift stores because of macklemore. so if we meet each other thrifting, i’ll let you have the leather jackets and broken keyboards. don’t touch my cart!

the look | similar jacket | similar dress | similar belt | wedges

2012. shining sea.

tommy hilfiger cardigan. polka dot tie-neck dress by j.crew. vintage judith lieber belt. gloria wedges by bed stu.

i wore this patriotic outfit to school a couple of weeks ago during one of our warm spells (which linger and languish at their own whim). the other day angela (of notes from the dressing room) told me, “i can’t believe you’re wearing open-toed shoes in november!” i can’t believe it either. but when it turns cold in texas, it will turn cold and stay cold. it hasn’t made it around the bend yet.

this weekend, M and i plan on decorating the house a bit. our pre-lit tree has served us for many years. we’re considering a new tradition of having a real fir tree. M and i both work, and i feel wary shopping for trees at night. is that strange? i want to see them in the sun, fluff their branches and needles, and check how nicely they stand. do you have any tree buying tips for us?

p.s. if we find a great tree, we will donate the old one to a preschool.

the look | similar cardigan | similar dress | similar wedges

2012. make light.

silk dotty dress by madewell. vintage dotty smith horse head belt (from hunt.gather.style). wanted sandals. addison shades c/o tortoise & blonde. rebecca minkoff cupid satchel.

the weather in texas changes its mind as often as pugs beg for snacks (meaning a lot). on sunday, i planned on wearing the dress with my jean jacket, but the mild temperature dissed the idea of an overcoat. i added the dress to my wishlist over the summer, and it finally came true thanks to a 30% off promo and recent freelance work. i love-love-love it.

a cold front came through the area on sunday night. i’ve spent most of my week in boots, corduroys, sweaters, and scarves. it’s finally beginning to feel like autumn and it’s about darn tootin’ time. next week, M’s aunt and uncle will visit for thanksgiving, and M and i are excited to show them our house (and texas). i’ll post some photos for you, too.

the look | dress | similar belt | sandals

2012. port of call.

cardigan by halogen. striped villa dress by j.crew. vintage embellished nautical belt. nine west wedges.

whenever i go thrifting, i check out dresses and skirts first and bags and belts second. i spotted the belt from the end of the rack and patiently waited for two teenagers to move down the line before quickly claiming it. be gone, young thrifters… this belt is mine.

i wore the belt on thursday as a subtle layering of stripes on stripes (one of my beloved combinations). i’ve said it before, but the villa dress is just plain fantastic! i hope mickey and jenna bring it back in tons of colors (daffodil yellow please) and patterns (foxes or giant dots). they can send my royalty check to texas. :o)

the look | similar cardigan | dress | wedges

2012. friends forever.

dotted songbird dress by madewell. giant friendship bracelet belt (thrifted). cameleon satchel c/o olivia + joy. dolce vita sandals.

on saturday, two things happened: i wore this awesome belt, and after two years of living in our house, we bought a kitchen table.

the story of the belt is more interesting than the tale of the table. the belt looks like a humongous friendship bracelet; i can’t describe it in any other way. somewhere in a parallel dimension, a giant girl dropped her bracelet in a magical vortex. it ended up at a thrift store for a dollar. i am crossing my fingers that i find a similar belt in the future so i can give it to my best friend. it’s not quite dana’s style so she will allow me to borrow it often.

maybe i can convince indiana or holly to weave giant belts with me… what do you say, crafty ladies?

the look | similar dress | similar belt | bag | similar sandals

2012. mostly sunny.

lauren moffatt dress. vintage guatemalan belt. weaver platforms by MIA.

back in 2008, we were living in dallas (i.e. the shopping mecca of texas), and i discovered an up and coming designer. i grabbed my favorite pieces and counted them as wardrobe treasures. do you ever listen to indie bands and think, one day they’ll take over the world? that’s how i felt about her— lauren moffatt. today you can find lauren’s line at anthropologie, modcloth, and tons of independent boutiques around the world.

if there’s a fresh designer that you love, support him or her! i love this dress even more now because i’ve seen how far she’s gone. plus, it has pockets.

the look | similar dress | similar belt | shoes

2012. villanelle.

striped villa dress by j.crew. vintage braided belt. gloria wedges by bed stu.

when i first spotted the dress in the j.crew catalog, i thought, that would be a cute school dress. to me “school dress” or “school skirt” or “school pants” means work clothes, and work clothes with stripes are even better. i also like the dress because it’s easy to style; i’ve worn it with a mustard cardigan, jean jacket, and alone. that’s already three birds in my hand. or three pigs in a blanket. you know what i mean.

it’s teacher appreciation week at school. today one of my little girls brought me a bag full of haribo gummy bears. i don’t give grades in kindergarten (besides excellent, satisfactory, etc.) but i think she deserves an A+, don’t you?

the look | dress | wedges

2012. white out.

late afternoon dress by madewell. vintage dotty smith horse head belt (from hunt.gather.style). acrobatic wedges from anthropologie. vintage straw clutch.

last week, i told terra that i wanted a basic black or white dress. she sent good karma my way— i found the dress at madewell and fell in love with it. it even has hidden pockets; as indiana said, that’s the decision maker! i wore it on saturday night to dinner with M and his mom, and i paired it with a giant clutch.

you can turn many vintage purses into clutches by tucking the straps inside the bag. that’s what i did to this one. a straw handbag never goes out of style… unless you live in antarctica. :o)

the look | similar dress | similar wedges | similar clutch

2012. jonquil.

michael kors dress. western style belt (thrifted). leanne wedges by ugg australia.

i wore this outfit on monday, and my children told me, “you look like the sun.” i thought that was a pretty good compliment.

i’ll keep the post short and sweet because i’m finishing a project tonight for me and holly’s clutch party! if you’re participating, please send me an email or link to share your handbag.

the look | similar dress | similar wedges

2012. pollywog.

cardigan by halogen. anna sui dress. vintage dotty smith kissing frogs belt (from hunt.gather.style). gloria wedges by bed stu.

we’ve been studying life cycles at school, and one of our frog books called tadpoles pollywogs, a funny word that amused my children.

if a princess kisses a frog, he turns into a price. what happens when a frog smooches another frog? you get a belt, duh.

the look | similar cardigan | similar dress | similar wedges

2012. horse show.

ralph lauren cardigan. silk tunic by DVF. vintage dotty smith horse head belt (from hunt.gather.style). verdugo leggings by paige. pointed toe leopard loafers by brigitte bailey.

after a mostly rainy week, M and i return to semi-regular outfit posts! i liked my green and blue outfit from thursday so much that i recreated it on saturday. i’m still thanking sydney for finding such a beautiful blouse for me.

if you’re going to be in austin during the texas style council conference, sydney, sharon, and grechen will offer more vintage and contemporary wares through hunt.gather.style, their seasonal pop-up shop. etcetera is playing host to the ladies on march 10th from 2-5 p.m. mark your calendar!

the look | similar cardigan | similar blouse | jeans | similar flats