2013. upper hand me down.

soft joie tee. vintage shawl (worn as scarf). skinny skinny jeans c/o austin madewell. swedish hasbeens super high clogs. hand printed grocery tote.

this shawl has been passed back and forth. i wore it often in the early days of my blog until michael’s mom asked for it back (it originally belonged to her). last weekend, she cleaned out her closet and i found the scarf in the donation pile. now it’s mine again!

i like the crochet texture of the shawl— it’s pretty and bohemian, and it adds an intriguing touch to a simple outfit. one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure… especially the second time around.

the look | similar tee | similar scarf | jeans | shoes

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. not so neutral.

maison scotch sweater. splendid sweatshirt. verdugo leggings by paige. sidewalk wedges by madewell.

usually when i engage in “tone dressing”, i wear blue from head to toe because blue is my favorite color. on sunday i broke out my best beiges and they all happened to match.

michael calls this sweater “that sweater” i.e. he isn’t a big fan of it. sometimes i wish he would refer to our candy bowl as “those candies”— consequently i could have them to myself. until then, at least this sweater that sweater is mine for keeps.

the look | sweater | similar sweatshirt | similar jeans | similar shoes

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. 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. bistro girl.

express tricot sweater (thrifted). high rise jeggings by paige. zara heels. allibelle mohawk clutch.

on friday night, we went to a french restaurant for michael’s birthday. the weather wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold either— i opted for a boxy sweater instead of a blouse and coat. nothing beats a cheap sweater made chic!

the magical heels are making their first blog appearance. i bought them on a shopping date with tanvi last year. their names are fred and george weasley. okay, maybe not fred and george… more like padma and parvati patil. either way, they’re super cute, and i should take them out more often.

the look | similar sweater | similar jeans | similar heels | similar bag

2013. joie de vivre.

soft joie tee. high rise jeggings by paige. pour la victoire boots. pendleton canyonville tote.

oh, hello! welcome back to our regular scheduled programming (or blogramming). after spending most of my vacation using all the tissues in our house, i was ready to take on the world. i got a haircut, sang along to my favorite pandora stations, cleaned the house, and felt great. i wore this outfit yesterday to the grocery store.

santa brought me a B.A.B. (big awesome bag). you know i love pendleton and patterns. i guess he does, too. :o)

the look | similar tee | similar jeans | similar boots | bag

2012. gold toes.

cardigan by halogen. pintuck silk tunic by alice + olivia. high-rise jeggings by paige. metallic flats c/o wanted. earrings from adelante boutique. missibaba tote from etcetera, etc.

my taste in jewelry is bipolar— i like simple, elegant sort of pieces and things i call “intriguing” that others may label as glitzy or strange. i bought these earrings over the summer because i loved the colors, shapes, and mixed materials. the good thing is that michael likes them, too. the bad thing is that my hair usually hides them.

i’ve been a busy bumblebee this week preparing for our winter break. today my kids and i made hot cocoa with marshmallows and watched the polar express. tomorrow we’ll host our families for a little craft and a lot of finger foods. send some napkins and wet wipes our way!

the look | similar sweater | similar blouse | similar jeans | similar flats

2012. pep in my step.

polka dot peplum tee from target. high-rise jeggings by paige. pour la victoire boots. rebecca minkoff bombe bag.

i usually stay away from peplum tops because they look awkward on my body (height + long torso + shortened blouse = odd), but as you can see, i haven’t given up on the trend altogether. i found the adorable shirt while shopping for advent calendar goodies for michael. a cute fiancée counts as a present, right?

when michael was little, his mom bought him advent calendars with chocolates behind the doors. i came home from target and told him that he could not, better not, under any circumstances come into the dining room while i assembled his calendar. after i packed up everything, i realized that i created a countdown (numbers backwards) instead of a traditional advent. that’s what i get for being bossy.

the look | tee | similar jeans | similar boots

2012. raspberry rush.

stitchview cardigan by madewell. soft joie tank. verdugo leggings by paige. miz mooz clogs.

on saturday, M and i finally went to see ben affleck’s new film argo, and we loved it. the movie has great, suspenseful cuts— you feel terrified one minute and relaxed the next. if you haven’t seen it, we highly recommend it!

i usually wear jeans and cardigans to the movies because of the chilly temperatures. i paired the cheerful sweater with an equally bright top and reluctantly shared a bucket of popcorn with M as big as both our heads. all in all, we had a perfect afternoon.

the look | cardigan | similar tee | similar jeans | similar shoes

2012. ode, canada.

chambray perfect shirt by j.crew. verdugo leggings by paige. tanner belt (thrifted). miz mooz clogs.

this is a very blogger-ish outfit. but i liked it and wore it twice over the weekend (saturday and sunday, boom). M’s grandpa loved jean shirts; every christmas he asked for a new one from wal-mart. pop wore them with shorts or matching jeans and white sneakers. if pop were still here, i’d show him chambray boards on pinterest and he’d marvel at all the “young” people styling up his favorite shirt.

when the denim on denim trend dies down, some of us will discard these shirts as relics of a bygone season. but i’ll keep mine as a symbol of an important person, family holidays, and fond memories. besides, the canadians are onto something—- chambray goes with everything.

the look | similar blouse | similar jeans | similar shoes

2012. melloween.

plaid shirt by DVF. verdugo leggings by paige. vintage coach belt. rebecca minkoff doll boots.

M and i don’t usually dress up for halloween, but our house does. i like putting pumpkins and mums on the porch and votives in glass jars on the table.

this year, we decided to go out instead of hand out candy. the constant doorbell ringing and appearance of strangers turns our sweet pug into a rowdy monster. we scheduled a double date with tanvi and her husband, closed the blinds, and turned off the living room lights.

when we left the house, we drove by trick-or-treating princesses, robots, and super heroes, and i felt a little guilty. but by the time dinner ended, i was happy and full (with spicy food and good conversation). there’s nothing wrong with having a very mellow halloween.

p.s. thanks to hunt.gather.style for the plaid shirt!

the look | similar blouse | similar jeans | similar boots

2012. hot hot pink.

pink chiffon blouse from tj maxx. high-rise jeggings by paige. calvin klein scarf. rebecca minkoff doll boots.

every monday, i want to write, i’m back! i haven’t been neglecting the blog on purpose or going through that dreaded “blogger burnout.” i love little tin soldier, and i have grand plans to make it a lifestyle blog. my sporadic posts can be attributed to school; it really keeps me on my toes this time of year. sometimes i’m on my toes so much that i come home, eat popcorn, and put up my little piggies. i know i’m not the only one who’s guilty of eating an entire bag… oops!

over the weekend, this little piggy wore a barbie pink shirt, this little piggy snuggled with M, this little piggy chased a pug, this little piggy donned boots, and this little piggy felt well rested. i’m ready to take on a new week; hope you are, too.

p.s. don’t forget to enter my southward giveaway! it ends wednesday.

the look | similar blouse | similar jeans | similar scarf | similar boots

2012. southern hospitality.

southern belle tee by southward. verdugo leggings by paige. rebecca minkoff doll boots. allibelle mohawk clutch.

i grew up and went to college in virginia, making me an official east coaster by texas standards but a southern girl by east coast standards. my cousins from philadelphia referred to our house as “the country”— once i wore overalls to visit them at christmas time and never heard the end of it.

when i got older, i realized that being “southern” involved more than saying “y’all” or living near rustic farms or old plantations. southern-ness meant being polite to strangers, friendly to friends, and overly adoring to your family. that’s not so much country as it is simply hospitality.

speaking of hospitality, would you be interested in seeing more home/food/garden/life posts on the blog? an inquiring pug wants to know. :o)

the look | tee | similar jeans | similar boots