2013. neon signs.

linen studio sweater by madewell. zara shorts. kaysa clogs by loeffler randall.

the first day i wore this sweater, michael said, “wow, that’s a pink sweater.” i said, “a pink i-hate-it sweater or a pink i-like-it sweater?” he replied, “i like it.” two weeks ago i styled it to school with a polka dot skirt, and last sunday i wore it to lowe’s. school, gardening stores, and cheeseburger places… that’s how i roll.

the look | sweater | similar shorts | shoes

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. polly pocket.

stitchview cardigan by madewell. la la leaves dress by marc jacobs. thrifted sash. gloria wedges by bed stu.

i’ve owned this dress almost as long as i’ve been blogging. it’s a quintessential “linda” dress (navy blue, quirky print, pockets) and it compliments most of the cardigans in my closet. i wore it to school last week with a hot pink sweater and a 99¢ belt.

our intermittent internet (say that three times fast) of the last few weeks appears to be back to normal; michael thinks our network had a glitch or two. i spent our downtime gardening, doodling, cleaning, and excercising! i’m excited about posting regularly (again) and sharing some new designs in my etsy shop. i hope the sun is shining wherever you are.

the look | similar sweater | similar dress | wedges

2013. perfect vision.

joie rancher tee. LOFT skirt. boardwalk sandals by madewell. william rast sunglasses.

if i could wear this outfit everyday, i would. the classic colors, fun sunnies, and sensible sandals go from work to errands to weekend dates.

when i bought the skirt from ebay, i didn’t realize the slight darts in the front would create a “pouch” effect, making me feel self-conscious. it kind of looks like i have a kangaroo pocket, a food baby, or a real baby. the first time i wore the skirt, i paired it with an oversized sweater.

but last week i tucked my blouse in. who sees a kangaroo pouch? not me in my shades.

the look | similar top | similar skirt | sandals | similar glasses

2013. pink mochi.

stitchview cardigan by madewell. j.crew dress. vintage judith lieber belt. swedish hasbeens super high clogs. hand printed grocery tote.

i wore this ladylike outfit several weeks ago but never got around to posting it (until now). if you’re new to blogging, save all of your photos! they can help you out during busy times.

rosa (of rosa loves…) and angela (of notes from the dressing room) might remember the dress. last summer, michael and i walked around DC all day and the summery white frock kept me cool and polished. i didn’t even spill gelato on it while meeting them. it was a christmas— in july— miracle.

the look | similar cardigan | similar dress | 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. gingham style.

silk gingham boyshirt c/o austin madewell. dalmation print skirt (found on ebay). pour la victoire wedges.

michael calls this shirt my picnic shirt for obvious reasons. he likes muted plaids and i like megaphone ones.

somehow i received birthday dates two nights in a row. we went out for sushi on tuesday and cheeseburgers on wednesday. if it wasn’t supposed to rain this weekend, i would aim for a picnic on saturday. but i’ll settle for extra cake.

the look | blouse | similar skirt | shoes

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. 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. 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. 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. 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

2013. cross my heart.

cynthia rowley cardigan. silk dotty sunshade top by madewell. joe’s ponte skinnies. pour la victoire boots. pendleton canyonville tote.

i wore this outfit twice before winter break, and i wore it again on monday because it matched my bag perfectly. i like the cheerful pop of red against the grey, black, and brown. i could even swap out the red sweater for a yellow one. a good outfit lives on and on and on… at least until laundry day.

a lot of my friends have been asking about our wedding plans. they’re coming along (albeit tortoise-ly rather than hare-ly). i have my dress (it’s from j.crew of course), and we will likely pick out michael’s suit from there, too. i’m designing our wedding paper. the other details are up in the air, but i’ll share more soon. cross my heart.

the look | similar sweater | similar top | similar pants | similar boots | bag