East Nashville Adventures in Cactus

For Labor Day weekend, I decided to venture up to Nashville to hang out with a couple of my gal pals. Friday night I stayed with Libby, and we watched The Great Gatsby. I know it had its fair share of bad reviews, but I LOVED it. I wish I had seen it in the theater, because I know I would have enjoyed it even more on the big screen. Saturday morning I got up early to hit up some yard sales with Alanna, but we didn't end up finding any. Instead we just drove around this East Nashville neighborhood gawking at the gorgeous houses. Rhett doesn't care for the bright, crazy one, but I adore it.

They aren't massive houses, but just look at those gorgeous details! The windows are what really kill me. I would just stand in that bay window with coffee in my hand, creeping on the people walking by. That's how I roll.

After we stalked the beautiful houses, we did a little shopping at some places that I can't remember the names of. It was this cute little cluster of local places all together. There was a book store featuring all local writers and artists, a gallery with a tomato festival exhibit (literally every piece of art was tomato themed, and it was amazing), and a swanky antique store. It was a swell little place to look around! We also hit up some other antique stores and Trader Joe's while we were out. It was an awesome day! As you can see from the pictures, I was dressed WAY down. I'm a pretty big fan of those shorts, even though they are really nothing special. Since I lost weight a while back, they might as well have an elastic waist band because I can pull them on and off without unbuttoning them, and it rocks. The cactus shirt was from Forever 21, I just couldn't resist that print! The earrings were made by my super talented friend, Lauren of Jerseymaids. Everything I've ever gotten from her has been amazing, so I highly recommend her!

details:

tank- Target

cactus top- Forever 21

shorts/necklace- Express

shoes- Kohl's (forever ago)

earrings- Jerseymaids

Spectating in a Plain V

I realized the other day that I haven't done an outfit post in a hot minute! Part of the reason is because I haven't been buying clothes much lately, but I also just haven't been able to see my outfit photo taking buddy as much (sad). I wanted to take some today though because I'm wearing my wedding shoes! When I was picking them out, I knew I wanted something I could wear again and again. I didn't want them to be used once and never touched again like my dress. As you could probably guess, they were my something blue, so it's just sort of special to be able to wear them in my everyday life. They are honestly not the most comfortable shoes in the world, but I sit at a desk all day so I manage. If I could have a pair of spectator shoes in every color, that would be fantastic! Who do I talk to to get that going?

I paired the shoes with my simple mustard skirt and grey v-neck. I have been all about the plain v-necks lately! How very boring of me. Maybe I can break out of that rut soon! Though honestly I just love them so much for their comfort...and because I can get one in every color. Also I've had this JCrew v-neck for years, and it's still in perfect condition. The ones I get at Target usually get holes in them or start wearing out within 6 months, so that's just something to think about. As I'm getting older I'm realizing that the stuff that costs more usually is a lot better quality!

This heart necklace came from an antique store in town. It's basically just a gold setting with a purple glittery background and lace and a floral applique. It's so weird, and I absolutely adore it!

Check out those sexy mosquito bites! I love to sit out on my back deck with my dog, but I always regret it the next day when my legs are covered in bites. I guess it's just the price you pay! Other than mosquitos and humidity, this summer has been fantastic. I am so grateful for the few little heat breaks we've had. It's going to be interesting to see how cold it gets this winter!

Details:

top- JCrew

skirt- F21

shoes- Mod Cloth

necklace- vintage

Lime Remix

For the past few weeks, I have been trying my best not to spend any unnecessary money. This basically means that I am buying only gas and groceries. I will have to go a little further this week and buy kitty food and liter, but definitely no clothes lately! I've never been one to buy a lot of clothes anyway, but this spending freeze has been a nice time for me to mix and match some things. I previously wore this lime Goodwill skirt with black and zebra print because I thought it looked really funky. I decided to make it a little more business-like with a white button down this time. I rather like it!

I have been wearing those tan wedges a ton lately, because they almost literally go with everything. I always enjoy wearing a belt over skirts and dresses when it looks right, and I thought this braided belt went perfectly! Skirts are always really fun to remix (blog term for styling an older item of clothing in a new way) because you can always make them more dressy or more casual. You can also make them appropriate for both summer and winter!

So, one of the reasons for my spending freeze (besides over-spending my budget in April and May) is that Rhett and I decided to go back to Disney World for our anniversary! We'll be there on the actual day of our anniversary, so I'm hoping to get a nice photo of us to frame next to one from when we were there for our honeymoon. I'm so excited! I also signed up for the Tower of Terror 10 Miler while we're there. I haven't been able to run for over a month because of an IT band issue, so I'm just really hoping I'm ok enough by then to do the race. Crossing fingers!

Come Spring and Hurry

As I write this today, it is actually finally warm again. But the last few weeks have been so back and forth weather-wise that I've been in a glass case of emotion (bonus points if you get that reference). I shouldn't be surprised since Fall was so back and forth as well, but seriously, get warm and stay that way! These photos were taken on a particularly chilly day recently. Margaret and I met up to take the pictures, and we basically just complained about the temperature the entire time. We're such beacons of positivity.

I was actually kind of thankful for the opportunity to wear this jacket one more time. I bought it from Express one year when I had a pretty massive coupon (they have THE BEST coupons with their credit card). I wanted to get something that was unlike anything else I had, and this definitely fit the bill. I usually stay far away from white since (a) I'm clumsy and (b) white gets dingy, but I just really liked the contrast on this jacket. The black faux leather details around the zippers and the fabric on the front  panels just kind of drew me in. I personally think this jacket is a perfect match for my favorite Levi's. If I wasn't worried about getting a million stains on this thing, I would probably wear it a lot more often! Maybe someday I'll be brave enough to get white pants...but I doubt it.

details:

jacket- Express

earrings - gift

jeans- Levi's

boots- Madden Girl from Marshall's (similar)

Guidance Needed: Leg Warmers

Sorry for the odd photos in this post. It is ridiculously cold and windy outside today, and I was just not having it! I chose instead to utilize this gorgeous motif in my office building. These disciples (there are several more) were donated to the university, and somehow they ended up in our area. They look utterly ridiculous in the setting, but they are actually really neat. They used to be in a church, and I think they fit in a little better there :) When they first arrived we had visions of placing them in each other's offices, bathroom stalls, the top of the stairs, the elevator, etc., but we found out quickly that we couldn't do that as each one weighs about 50 KAGILLION POUNDS. I mean seriously, I have no idea how they got them up to our office in the first place. 

That is my "Oh no, Peter, look. I knocked some leaves off this fake tree. My apologies." look.

details:

dress- Etsy (Jennifer Lilly)

shirt- Walmart

belt- Etsy (Mouse Trap Vintage)

necklace- Etsy (Laura Lombardi)

leggings- Target

leg warmers- gift

shoes- Old Navy

Now let's talk about these leg warmers. I have NEVER worn leg warmers. Never had a desire to, never really understood the point. Just wear pants, am I right? I still kind of don't get it, but I got these for Christmas and I figured I would try. Am I doing this right? The jury is still out. I know that as a whole this outfit is OOC (out of control), but I kind of like the busy-ness. Check out the Etsy stores I linked to in the details! All three are excellent sellers with some amazing pieces. I'm a huge fan of this dress even though you can see straight through it and the slightest breeze sends it floating up. I wish I knew enough about sewing to make a lining for it. I actually bought it to see if I liked it for possible bridesmaids dresses. It didn't pass thank goodness since it ended up being so cold. I didn't think my girls would like how short it was. 

So, can any of you give me advice on how to wear these leg warmers? Any other 80s trends you can advise me on? Side ponytails? Yes? How many questions can I ask in one paragraph?

Professional Patterns

Last Thursday I got together with Margaret to do some outfit pictures at work. It's really just turned into an excuse for us to get together and hang out. I happened to be dressed a little nicer than I normally do for work, so it was perfect. I wear dresses to work only occasionally since I sit down most of the day. Pants are better for me to sit in because I tend to sit crossed-legged (a.k.a. Indian style for the politically incorrect) in my desk chair. I do like to get fancy sometimes though! This particular dress was in my very first StitchFix order (post about it here). I've actually worn it quite a bit, and I love pairing it with this fun jacket, another StitchFix score!

details:

Dress- Many Belles Down (via Stitch Fix)

Jacket- Ark & Co (via Stitch Fix)

Tights- Express, forever ago. These tights are resilient, y'all!

Booties- Target

Leaf Earrings- Etsy (shop no longer open, unfortunately)

Did I mention that this dress has pockets? It does, which makes it pretty perfect in my opinion. Margaret also took a photo of me in this outfit to use for her column in the local paper. She does a "style watch" kind of thing, and I'm so honored to be in it! I just cancelled my paper subscription though, so I probably won't see it unless my mom saves it. Actually, I'm sure I'll see it because every other time I've been in the paper, I've gotten a couple of copies from friends. If I do get it, I'll add it to this post later! 

I hope you're all having a fantastic weekend. I got to cheer my friends on at the zoo run yesterday, which was so much fun! They dressed up as penguins for the race (don't worry, I got pictures and I WILL be posting them). I also just enjoyed spending a lot of time with my closest friends. Alanna tried to take me to a vintage store she found, but it didn't open at the time it was supposed to so we missed it. So sad! But it gives me an excuse to go back to Nashville soon :)

Stitch Fix #7

I've posted a couple of my StitchFix boxes in the past, so you're probably already familiar with how it works. If not check out my older posts. This particular box has been my favorite so far! I feel like they really got my style right this time, and the prices were much more reasonable. If you have any doubts about whether they are hand-picking these things, this should prove that they are. I am pretty specific in my feedback, and I can totally tell they are listening to me. Here are the things I got in my box this time around (thanks to Rhett for taking my pictures so I didn't have to set up a tripod!)

 Dylan and Rose, Florian Overlap Tulip Pocket Skirt

While I think this skirt is really adorable, I just don't think it's for me. If it were a different cut and a little longer, I would probably go for it. It was just flashing a little too much leg under that overlap for my comfort :) I do work at a Baptist university after all! But you really can't beat a skirt with pockets, am I right?

Ladakh, Indre Holey Sweater Tunic (necklace by Laura Lombardi)

I really love the color of this tunic! I think I would wear this, but I'm not crazy about how it looks on me. I don't know why, but I'm not digging the holes all over. I usually like that kind of thing! I am glad I got this though because I checked out the rest of Ladakh's stuff and there are some great things! I will definitely be shopping there in the future.

Everly, Katherina Sheer Stripe Blouse

I love the keyhole back of this blouse, but the sleeves were sadly too tight. It was mainly the shoulder area, where I'm apparently a little more broad than most! I was also disappointed that you couldn't really see the stripe at all when you put the shirt on. It's got this really cool texture, which you can see in the right image, but that basically goes away when you have a shirt under it. 

Now for the two pieces I kept!

BB Dakota, Lincoln Stripe Colorblock Tank

I LOVE THIS TOP! I don't have a lot of stripes and I've been wanting to get some more striped shirts, so this is perfect. I like the material a lot, and the blue on the sides is a great detail. I just love this! I probably won't wear it until the Spring or Summer, but I'm still keeping it. I think it'll be a cute top to wear to Rhett's business trip this year. It's going to be in Marco Island (woot woot!)

Blu Pepper, Granada 3/4 Sleeve Open Cardigan

I can definitely see myself wearing this cardigan a lot! I don't really have a good brown cardigan. I have an open weave one, but if it's windy at all that one is useless. I think this will be one I can wear when it's cold or when it's mild out. I don't need heavy sweaters except for maybe 2 months out of the year here in Tennessee, so lighter ones like this are much more practical.

If you haven't checked out StitchFix yet, you can see their new and improved website and maybe even sign up for your first Fix here!

I hope you're all having a pleasant weekend. It's been a fairly quiet day around here for me. I went for a run this morning, then met with a bride and groom and their moms. I also finished up watching Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, which was great! Predictable, but great. I recommend it.

Very Merrily Maxi

I don't normally like to pair red and green because I feel like it SCREAMS Christmas. But there's a reason these two colors are used together, they look good! They aren't complementary colors for no reason, you know. During the winter I wear mostly the same outfits as in the summer, but with a cardigan.  The last time I wore this skirt, it was for the 4th of July and I burned up all day. I don't really understand why the maxi length is so popular for summer because it can be hot! It feels much nicer today, when the temps are in the low 50s than it did when we were busting into the 100s.

details:

skirt- Max Studio (in oatmeal)

top- estate sale

cardigan- Merona at Target

necklace- What's In Store via StitchFix 

The more I look at it, the more I like this pairing. The green is so dark and the red is almost pink, so it doesn't seem quite as festive. I'll be honest though, I stinking LOVE Christmas...I wish the halls could be decked in red and green all year round. Maybe as we get closer to the holiday, I will wear more of this color combo. Do you guys ever pair red and green? Does it make you feel jolly and bright?

Shooting Attire

I feel like it would be a fair statement to say that nobody ever notices what I'm wearing when I'm shooting a wedding. Well, that's actually perfect! When I first started shooting weddings, all I cared about was wearing flats, because one time I didn't...and it was awful. Eventually the topic came up in a conversation, and the general consensus was that the photographer should always be toned down and blend into the background as well as possible. Since I tend to dress on the eccentric  side, I figured I better start being more selective about what I wear to weddings!

I think most photographers lean toward the all-black approach, which I can totally dig. It's easier to distinguish yourself as a hired worker rather than just a guest with an SLR. Black is kind of a worker's uniform for formal events. I hate being boring though, so I always try to throw in at least a little hint of color or sparkle (or both).  The outfit I'm wearing in the picture is pretty typical for me nowadays.

Of course my bag doesn't match AT ALL, but I don't have the money for the bag I want, so this is a vintage satchel with some custom inserts in it. I always try to carry something to drink with me, and I just happened to have a moment to swing by Sonic between portraits and ceremony time. Of course this wedding was two friends, so I wasn't worried as much about appearances :) I've got two lenses in the bag, but one of them is hiding. I know it's not much, but I'm kind of a minimalist when it comes to shooting weddings. I don't do lights or anything fancy because 1. I don't have an assistant and 2. I want to be able to keep my prices low enough that my friends can afford me! I don't really know what my point is with this post...I guess it's just a little insight into how my mind works when it comes to shooting weddings. Hopefully it's helpful if any of you are photographers and need ideas for how to dress or carry your lenses around!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. Mine was mostly good! I had some family time Wednesday and Thursday, a lot of being lazy Friday and Saturday, and some quality shopping time with my mom yesterday. The only bad side of my break was realizing that my knee is still in bad shape, and I'm running a half marathon in 5 days. Fun! If I can make it through the race, I'm giving my knee a good month off. I don't like running in the cold anyway :)

Pastel Striped Birthday Cake

Confession: I turned 25 today. My last two birthdays have been pretty horrible...and that's only because I am a big baby and I hate getting older. This year has been slightly better. At my office we've been celebrating birthdays by getting together and doing an activity. For mine we "roasted" s'mores at the student commons. The grill didn't flame up like we thought it would, but the s'mores were still delicious! It was really just nice to get out in the sunshine for a bit and chat with my coworkers. I'm pretty lucky to work with a group of people that I actually like! I know a lot of people don't like their coworkers, but I consider all of mine my friends.

That's my "it's my birthday and I'm trying to be excited!" picture. I'm glad at least that we are having such nice weather today. It's been cold and rainy most of the week, but it's sunny and warm in the 70s today. Mother nature is making up for giving me a cold and rainy wedding day, I guess. Despite the warm temps, I wore a cardigan with my Toi et Moi tunic. And I had to wear my thick leggings because this tunic is definitely not long enough to be a dress. My bum doesn't show or anything, but I would be uncomfortable wearing this with regular tights or *gasp* nothing underneath.

details:

tunic - Toi et Moi via Stitch Fix

leggings - Express (old)

cardigan - Kohl's (old)

earrings - Etsy, Stranded Treasures

flats - UO

I've been searching for something to replace my worn out nude flats forEVER. I wanted to just get the same ones I had, but they were almost $40 and I knew I would just wear them out in no time. I came across these on Urban Outfitters for only $15 (with a coupon) and so far I'm loving them! I love when I stumble across good deals like that.

So aside from a general gloom I've been feeling because I'm getting older, I have had a good day. I'm thankful for my wonderful friends for all of their sweet well wishes and gifts. My former roommate brought me these really cool vintage shoe molds that I was eyeing at the flea market last weekend. I am so excited about them! And when Margaret came by to take outfit photos today, she bought me coffee. I'm excited about tonight as well. Rhett is taking me out for sushi. We just went to see Wreck it Ralph on Tuesday (highly recommended, by the way) so I'm counting that as a birthday outing.

I hope the rest of you have a splendid night and weekend! I've got a couple of photo shoots this weekend that I'm looking forward to. The trees are going to be so pretty for them!

Mustard, Plum and Midnight

I believe the cold is here to stay around these parts. We had a little heat wave last week where it got back up in the high 80s, but temps are back down in the 50s now. As much as I hate being cold, I have actually started enjoying bundling up these past few winters. I am planning to pull out my heavier jackets and sweaters this week, and put away my thin tops. I also love wearing scarves! I got a few new ones at the end of last winter that I'm excited to start wearing.

I wore this color blocked dress the other day, and it is pretty perfect for Fall! Looking at it now, I'd probably wear it differently. The gray jacket was an attempt to make the shoes work with the dress, but they really just don't. I just really wanted to wear these shoes that I got from Modcloth :) I bought them (A). because they were cute and not overly expensive and (B). the heel was thicker than my wedding shoes and I could possibly sub them if needed...which I didn't. They aren't super high quality, but they are pretty comfortable for the minimum walking around that I do during the day!

I like it much better without the jacket, and since this was one of the hotter days, I didn't wear it most of the day. I'm still carrying around a belly pooch from all the eating I did at Disney World, so it was a little tight around the middle! I need to get back into better eating habits now that Rhett and I have settled in. I have been cooking for him, but I don't cook near as healthy as I did for just me. I don't know what my deal is, but I've been going crazy with the carbs in our meals...bread bread bread breaded stuff bread bread potatoes....etc. I'm making an attempt to add more green to our meals this week, so we'll see. I hope to post some about recipes I try! I made some roasted potatoes last week that I am going to post on here, and I think you guys will enjoy that one. It was really easy and REALLY tasty.

details:

dress- Forever 21

tights- Marshalls, several years ago

jacket- Target

shoes- ModCloth

necklace- Express

Box-O-Crayons Embroidery

I posted a few days ago about my trip to Nashville to see Karen Elson, but I didn't post my outfit for that day! I wore a dress that I originally planned to wear in my engagement photos. I decided to just stick with the lace dress for the pictures, but I have worn this black dress a couple of times since then. I love it! It's very loose and comfortable, and I love the neckline. We stopped at this florist on the way to eat dinner because we thought the pink exterior was cute. It was a fun place for photos!

details:

dress- Free People

belt- thrift store

sandals- Marshall's (Madden Girl)

purse- Pangea in Nashville

Luckily I had the forethought to wear some shorts under this dress because the wind blew it up in my face several times. You're welcome, Nashville! I need to find a different belt to wear with this...maybe just a black fabric one that doesn't show. I like the neckline so much that I don't want to take away from it. The colors remind me of a box of crayons! 

I really love wearing dresses, but I don't have very many casual ones like this. Perhaps I should work on that :) I love Free People, but I can't really afford them most of the time (this one was waaaay on sale). Do you all have suggestions for other places to get good everyday-wear dresses? I'm thinking of getting one from ModCloth soon!