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. 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. 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. 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

2012. olive jar.

silk dotty sunshade top by madewell. verdugo leggings by paige. leanne wedges by ugg australia. tory burch alice mini bag.

i don’t wear olive often, but i like the color very much. it reminds me of acorns, grey squirrels that aren’t quite grey or brown, and my aunt and uncle in maryland who keep olive jars in the refrigerator. one summer when i was seven or eight, we visited them and she deftly ate green olives stuffed with pimentos while talking to my mom. i thought, olives must be really good. later, the grown-ups retreated to the living room, and i snuck in the kitchen, ate two olives, and promptly spit them out. now that i’m older, i don’t mind olives, and i really don’t mind olives and polka dots.

i hope you had a great labor day weekend! M and i spent time with his mom, and i wore this outfit on saturday and sunday. she asked me, “why are you wearing that again?” and i said, “because it’s clean and cute.” am i right?

the look | blouse | similar jeans | similar wedges

2012. the old switcharoo.

equipment signature blouse. clover shorts by madewell. quinella wedges by kelsi dagger. tory burch alice mini bag.

saturday’s outfit was the opposite of this outfit. to me, they’re the same yet different. to M, they’re the same yet same. men! as the temperature rises, i love simple blouse + shorts + sandals combinations because they require little brain power. i conserve my thinking skills for other activities like drawing pictures, trying to teach patience to a pug (sophie demands supper at 4:30 on the dot), and rationing my gummy bear intake for the week.

teachers are notorious for “taking things home over the summer” and forgetting to work on them. but not this year! i dragged all of my curriculum binders, unfiled papers, and unread books into our guest room— what a mess. i’m signing off to rifle through it. wish me luck!

the look | blouse | similar shorts | wedges

2012. red hots.

blythe blouse by j.crew. tory burch achima shorts. william rast sunglasses. missibaba tote from etcetera, etc. splendid sandals.

hello! i’m back (and i mean it this time). the past few days whizzed by— the school year ended on thursday, i packed up my room on friday, and i took a two-hour power nap on saturday. i’ll miss my munchkins, but summer is officially here.

on saturday night, M and i drove out to the hill country and ate dinner at one of our favorite low-key restaurants. i wore red, white, and blue because most of my hot weather wardrobe happens to be those colors. our high-school-age host called me “m’aam”, an exchange that tickled M.

then he called M “an old fogey.” alright, i made that part up, but it would have been awesome.

the look | similar blouse | similar shorts | similar sunglasses | sandals

2012. tanned.

merino boyfriend sweater by j.crew. tory burch achima shorts. splendid sandals. rebecca minkoff cupid satchel.

on friday afternoons, i look forward to three things: playing with my dog, cooking dinner with M, and relaxing all weekend. a super slouchy sweater and simple shorts fit the bill.

to my fellow JCAs (j.crew aficionadas), this sweater isn’t for everyone. i’m wearing an extra small, and it’s huge. but i love the nonchalant, draped look, and i think it looks great layered over a camisole or blouse. if you own the same sweater, let me know! we either have great taste or like extra fabric.

the look | sweater | similar shorts | sandals | similar bag

2012. mochi.

striped dress by jason wu for target. tory burch alice mini bag. corso como sandals.

jason wu is my current best friend (sorry jenna lyons). when his collection debuted, i bought this dress after waking up late and leisurely driving to target. the navy poplin dress wasn’t stocked at my store. fast forward, a few weeks later— i found the navy dress in my size tucked amongst a meek selection of leftovers.

to celebrate, i wore one of my jason wu frocks to the grocery store on sunday. for some odd reason, i don most of my cute dresses while buying food. i’m certain “design for all” means “design for aisle.”

and on to more exciting news… tomorrow i’m getting a haircut! someone else is cutting it! thank goodness.

the look | dress | similar bag | similar sandals

2012. big bang theory. 

ralph lauren cardigan. polka dot tank by j.crew. verdugo leggings by paige. tory burch reva flats. andé clutch (thrifted).

look, ma! i did it! i gave myself a haircut, albeit a small haircut. in several calculated snips, i transformed my long bangs into cute, hip ones. i’m surprised by how much i love them. i’ve had sideswept bangs for more years than i’ve had this blog. sometimes a little change is all you need— but not too much change. that’s why i wore this outfit on saturday and sunday. 

thank you to everyone who entered my blog birthday giveaway! i’ll announce the winner tomorrow. stay tuned!

the look | similar cardigan | similar top | jeans | similar flats

2011. snap peas. 

shortcut sweater by j.crew. green twill pants from tj maxx. pointed toe leopard loafers by brigitte bailey. tory burch alice mini bag.

tuesday’s outfit. in middle school and high school, teachers often suggested i play basketball or volleyball, not because i excelled in gym class. i was always one of the tallest girls in my grade (with no interest in basketball or volleyball). i never turned out to be an athlete unless leisurely bike riding and baseball-ish tennis playing qualify as sports. but i am a jolly green giant.

i love these pants. next time, i’ll style them with a blouse and wedges. it might be easy being green…

the look | similar sweater | similar pants | flats

2011. ribbon holder. 

tuxedo jacket by j.crew. striped blouse from old navy. verdugo leggings by paige. cowlneck scarf by calvin klein. tory burch reva flats.

i’m back with a pre-holiday outfit! the candy cane stripes pulled their weight; i wore the ensemble last monday (scoping out the 50% off sale at anthropologie) and traded the blazer for a red sweater later in the week.

i hope santa claus treated you kindly this year. i don’t know anyone who’s received a “december to remember” i.e. a lexus with a big bow. but i do know that the little things— like waking up from a dream, terrified of a burglar and finding out it’s just your small dog snoring like a pirate from her christmas treats— make december a difficult month to forget.

the look | similar blazer | blouse | jeans | similar scarf | similar flats

2011. off the record. 

tory burch ikat print blouse. j brand straight leg jeans. steve madden selena wedges. donna dixon clutch.

off the record— don’t tell tory— sydney (of basic cravings) thrifted this blouse! seriously. then she handed it to me. double seriously. today i layered the outfit underneath my green j.crew coat and chunky cowlneck scarf. brisk weather has arrived, just in time for st. nick.

thank you to sydney, grechen, sharon, laurel, elissa, and indiana for sharing their gift ideas throughout the week, and merry christmas!

the look | similar blouse | jeans | wedges

2011. bandit. 

striped tee by j.crew. madewell high riser jeans. cowlneck scarf by calvin klein. hunter boots.

on saturday, indiana, sydney, and i went thrifting, an activity i often describe to M as “hustlin’ clothes.” i wore an oversized tee, comfy jeans, and wellies for the rainy weather. sydney showed up in wellies, too, and we playfully teased indi for not receiving the memo.

we found lilly pulitzer dresses, awesome sweaters, and silk blouses. i can’t wait to style my share of the loot!

the look | similar tee | jeans | similar scarf | boots

2011. bookish. 

elizabeth blouse and flair skirt by j.crew. vintage belt. tory burch reva flats.

i love the length of my dorrie skirt, and the new flair skirt didn’t fall quite right. so i waved my magic wand and behold! perfection. okay, i bought the skirt in a petite size instead of regular. but thinking of a spell like accio magnificent skirt is just more fun.

p.s. i’m carrying four of my favorite books in honor of reading week: i like you (a very cute story), harriet the spy (i loved notebooks as a child), charlotte’s web (a classic), and an awesome book (an inspiring book i read to my kids on the last day of school).

the look | similar blouse | skirt | similar flats