nailed it!

 galaxy nail tutorial from MissJenFABULOUS

dress: H&M

button up: JCrew

tights: Kohl's 

heels: Lela Rose for Payless

I have been having a hard time reconciling the temperature when I wake up and get dressed with what I know the temperature will be by 1 or 2 pm. It's so cold in the morning that I reach for as many layers as possible. And I need them. I need them all morning long. But then after noon the sun starts shining and it gets warm and I regret wearing a long sleeve button up under my dress. 

 I have to say, I nailed it with this combo. It's not for everyone I'm sure but I loved the mix of prints and colors. 

la di da

dress: Lauren Conrad for Kohl's clearance

cardigan: Target

shoes: Lela Rose for Payless

necklace: [un]possible cuts

Do you ever put on an outfit and just feel fancy? Dresses and heels are the norm for me, but something about this dress just feels extra special. It's got this vintage vibe to it that I love. You can almost forget the drab exterior of the buildings behind me. Let's just pretend I'm sashaying down a much prettier, much more picturesque street. As a side note, this dress is not to be worn on windy days...I pulled a Marilyn a couple times trying to avoid the wind blowing this full skirt straight up, causing me to flash the world.

crazy folk

skirt: Lauren Conrad for Kohl's clearance

top: Target

cardigan: GAP clearance

cupcake necklace: [un]possible cuts

sandals: Lela Rose for Payless sale

I am one week into my summer vacation and already I am struggling with the great amount of free time I have. This happens every summer and I spend more time trying to convince myself to enjoy it than actually enjoying it. sigh. What's wrong with me? Who has to tell themselves to enjoy doing nothing???? Crazy folk. That's who.

Luckily, tomorrow my annual Peace Corps reunion unofficially begins. This our sixth summer to get together over a super long weekend and this year it is in my neck of the woods. Let the fun begin!

guess whose back?

dress: Target clearance 

tights: Old Navy

heels: Lela Rose for Payless

necklace: [un]possible cuts

belt: H&M

So, like a broken record, I again have to apologize for my long absence. It was a combination of factors. My computer died and getting a new one took a while. Getting it all set up took even longer. In addition, I took an 8 week online graduate class that ate up a ton of my time. I've been busy but I'm back.

ps I have bangs again

pps I've missed you!

what started it all

dress: H&M clearance

cardigan: Target (so old)

belt: Target

shoes: Lela Rose for Payless sale

mustache necklace: [un]possible cuts 

It has been totally feeling like spring lately. The days have been seriously validating why I live in California, so far away from my family. It has been in the 60's, sunny and gorgeous. Of course, at night the temp drops at night so I have to make sure I have a jacket and scarf with me but the days...so nice out!

I can't even believe that I was able to walk around and sit by the lake in this outfit and not get cold. I scurried home as the sun was setting but for a few hours I could pretend it was spring.

I am such a dork. I was in Walgreen's today and I ran into the very first blogger I ever followed. I got into blogging when one day I was fed up with fashion magazines and air brushed models and designers clothes that I could never afford. I thought that there must be something else out there for real people who shop clearance sections and like food. So I started googling and the first blog that I found was calivintage. Ironically, I found out much later, when I recognized her surroundings, that she lives in my neighborhood. So, her blog is what put me on the path that led to me starting my own blog. A year later, I did just that and while blogging is just a hobby for me, it has changed my life in many ways. Soooooo, this afternoon, I turned around in Walgreen's and found myself staring (open mouthed in surprise) at the blogger who started it all for me. She's a pretty much one of the B.F.D bloggers so I definitely wasn't going to gush to her about all of this or creep her out, but it was a pleasant surprise for sure.

worth the wait

 

 

 

 

 skirt: Nordstrom Rack

top: Kohl's sale

wedges: Lela Rose for Payless

flag pendant necklace: [un]possible cuts

Buying a long flowy, pleated skirt like this has been a long time coming. I have been talked out of and talked myself out of purchasing one multiple times. They never fit quite right...the fit, material, length, quality was always off. Apparently it was because this gorgeous number was out there waiting for me to scoop it up from the clearance rack at Nordstrom Rack. I was actually in the fitting room trying this skirt on last month. I was standing in front of the mirror debating whether to bypass it as I had many similar skirts. As I turned this way and that, another woman walked up to the the mirror and complemented me on the skirt. We got into a discussion about whether I should buy it and chatted for a few minutes. As I turned to go back to my fitting room she offhandedly asked how much it was. I kind of frowned as I told her "$30" implying I thought it might not be worth it (mind you it was originally almost $200). She rolled her eyes and told me I was crazy and to buy it immediately.
DONE!

whether you're a brother or whether you're mother

Now this is more like it

dress: vintage

belt: Target

earrings: H&M

wedges: Lela Rose for Target sale

Octo Love

 dress: resale

turtleneck: GAP clearance 

tights: Kohl's 

heels: Lela Rose for Payless clearance

necklace: Unpossible Cuts

Happy Dance! The weather cleared up this morning. I swear it was raining 5 minutes before I walked out the door to head to yoga. So I layered up with leg warmers and rain boots, got my umbrella. I was a block down the street before I realized that not only was it not raining but the skies were blue.
I never go to yoga at actual yoga studios. I have always gone to the classes at gyms I have belonged to. Today was my first foray into the studio yoga world. Holy monkey! It was amazing! probably TMI but I was all sorts of drenched in sweat (ewwww) and walked out feeling like a sweaty beast, albeit an amazing one!!! So long YMCA, hello expensive yoga classes.
This dress is one of the best resale purchases ever. Very versatile and how adorable is the heart cut out in the back. It is great in the summer worn alone. I layered a cardigan over it last winter. This turtleneck is a first for me. Me and turtlenecks go way back as sworn enemies. I had always insisted that I looked like a giant wiener in them. I stand corrected, I look awesome in turtlenecks.
I am so darn modest tonight :)

Miss Car Washer

 

skirt: Banana Republic resale

top: JCrew resale

heels: Lela Rose for Payless clearance

tights: Sway (you can't tell but they are green)

necklace: Unpossible Cuts

Outfits like this one feel super teach-librarian like. Is it the glasses, the bun, the top buttoned all the way up, or perhaps the pencil skirt? I am thinking it is all of the above. Regardless, I am loving this kind of look even more than my go-to uber girly dresses and heels. I like the way this gorgeous, bib-style, lotus necklace (from Unpossible Cuts) looks over a buttoned up, button up. Even against a pattern like this plaid, to me, it's all about the necklace.
It is hard to believe how many of the shots I take end up with my eyes closed. I have a special talent there. And notice the 2nd photo. I had no idea that I could make a joker face. I don't think I could recreate that magic on command if I tried. Just wow. :)
On a completely unrelated note, this is NOT the ideal outfit to wear to the self service car wash. Not conducive to scrubbing and vacuuming my car at all. It did get lots of whistles though. Apparently, other people love the teacher-librarian look ;)

scenic route to Burnet

I had been back in Texas and have tons and tons of catching up to do. While I was not posting for the past two weeks, I have been taking outfit photos. I am pretty excited about the two places I took my photos at. Since I have sooooo much catching up to do, I am just going to work my way backwards.

I drove all over central Texas in the 5 days I was there, visiting as many relatives as I could. On Friday I drove from my grandma's house in San Antonio to my stepmom's family in Burnet, Tx. Along 281 I past the most awesome building. I made a u turn and doubled back just to take some outfit photos. You have to agree that it was worth it.

  jacket: Target sale

sweater: Target Sale

button up: Old Navy resale

skirt: H&M gift (Thanks Beth)

tights: Anthropologie clearance

heels: Lele Rose for Payless sale

necklace: unpossible cuts