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. 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. easy does it.

james perse tee. parisienne storyteller scarf by madewell. max studio skirt. gloria wedges by bed stu. rebecca minkoff cupid satchel.

back in 2010, i owned two striped knit skirts (one in black, one in navy) but they somehow got misplaced when we moved into our house along with several pairs of pants. i probably took the bag to goodwill by mistake. however striped skirts are omnipresent, and i made a new friend in no time.

i wore this outfit to the grocery store on sunday, and michael remarked that i was too dressed up. i replied, “but i might meet a cute guy and he might buy groceries for me.” and you know what? i did. but here’s the weird thing: we have the same address.

the look | similar tee | scarf | similar skirt | similar wedges

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. rose red.

express tricot sweater (thrifted). joe’s skinny jeans. rebecca minkoff doll boots. missibaba tote.

hello again! i didn’t mean to take a small break from the blog; last week was one of those weeks where i planned outfits but changed them at the last minute. then i didn’t like anything and changed again— oy vey. on the brightside, i earned an extra jean day every week because a coworker and i run a school club. i was so excited! nothing can make a teacher smile quite like the promise of denim.

on saturday, i wore this snow white and rose red (or rose red-orange) combination to dinner for a friend’s birthday. happy birthday dina! it was my first time pairing the booties with colored pants, and i liked it. i thought michael would give me the deer in the headlights look i.e. you’re wearing that? but he didn’t.

you won’t catch him wearing red pants though. our j.crew shopper already tried.

the look | similar sweater | similar jeans | similar boots

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. 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. 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

2012. boot scoot.

merona sweatshirt. verdugo leggings by paige. rebecca minkoff doll boots. missibaba tote from etcetera, etc.

summer never officially ends in texas until late autumn. we get a few cold days and a slew of warm ones. on sunday, the temperature dipped down to fifty degrees, and i knew, i just knew, i’d put on my booties.

M had a photo shoot, and i went along in a warm sweatshirt and wool socks, enjoying the click click click of my shoes. right before the client showed up, i scuffed my right boot on some stairs, scuffed meaning scratched the beautiful color off the toe. i didn’t want to be the girl who cried wolf boots, so i pretended like nothing happened.

as soon as we got home, i rubbed leather conditioner onto the scuff and treated both pairs with a little mink oil. my quick thinking camouflaged the scuff, and the leather transformed into a slightly deeper shade of caramel.

now i can keep boot scootin’ to my heart’s content. how do you take care of your boots?

*this post is my contribution to the IFB project. for more information, click here.

the look | similar sweatshirt | similar jeans | similar boots

2012. blue eyes.

striped crochet jacket by zara. ruffled tank by j.crew. verdugo jeans by paige. furla heels (thrifted). rebecca minkoff cupid satchel.

on saturday, we went out to dinner, and i came home feeling sick. i slept most of the day on sunday, and by monday, i seemed a bit better. we’ve been dealing with a stomach bug at school, but fortunately for me, i’m just tired with a small appetite and restless mind. i’m not quite 100% myself, but i’m getting there.

i hate admitting that i’m tired. i grew up with a workaholic dad who spent his days building furniture, taking extra jobs fixing carpentry work, and making things just for fun on the weekend. if anyone should be tired, he should be tired! so the good child in myself has always recognized that no matter how bad you feel or how terrible you think things are, there’s someone else who keeps on keepin’ on.

so now instead of whining to M, i can think about my dad being awesome, and instead of a doodle, i can share a peek of my necklace.

the look | similar jacket | similar blouse | similar jeans | similar heels

2012. blue plate special.

crinkle jersey shirt by boden. verdugo leggings by paige. dolce vita sandals. rebecca minkoff cupid satchel.

this outfit worked double shifts on the weekend— i wore it on saturday night to a friend’s art show, and i sported it on sunday on a photo shoot scout with M. going scouting with M is fun because it usually involves snacks, directions to “stand here”, “look this way”, and “don’t look this way”, and the small chance of a decent outfit photo.

i bought the blouse from boden because i’m big on two things: navy blue and prints. it was my first boden order, and it arrived quickly with a note from johnnie, a matching bag for the blouse, and a cute little notebook filled with fashion did-you-knows? and ramblings. with such great service, i’m expecting prince harry to personally deliver the next package from boden (don’t tell M).

hope you had a fun weekend!

the look | blouse | similar jeans | similar sandals