what I won't be wearing this weekend

photo by Sarah Culver

chambray: American Eagle, colored jeans: Old Navy, sandals: Target (suuuuper old) 

photo by Sarah Culver

photo by Sarah Culver

Alright, y'all.  It's been too long, and it's time I got back on this horse.  So here I am.

And nope...I won't be wearing this outfit this weekend.  Why?  It's pretty cute, I know, but it's just going to be too dang hot out for pants.  If it wasn't going to be nearing 100*, you'd bet I'd throw this on.  My boyfriend is probably sick of seeing me pair these items together, but I just can't get over how comfy it all is. None of it needs to be ironed (hooray!).  It's a throw-it-on-to-go-eat-at-the-diner kind of outfit, and you just can't go wrong with that...especially considering how often I actually do go to the diner.

If you'd asked me a year ago about wearing a denim (ahem...chambray) shirt, I'd have laughed in your face.  Something about shirts of this sort takes me back to a time in the sixth grade when wearing my mom's denim shirts with oversized khaki pants was cool (or at least I convinced myself it was...).  But this version, with it's feminine shape and pearl buttons (TEXAS GIRL ALERT), is certainly something I can get behind.  The colored jeans are actually jeggings (I know, I know...), but I love their flattering shape and the fact that I can wear them tucked into boots or with flat sandals.

I should mention that all of the photos in this post were taken by Sarah Culver, an extremely talented photographer and friend of mine.  She shoots the loveliest engagement and wedding photos, in addition to doing photography like what you see here.  I hope you'll take a moment to swing by her site!  

questions.

It's been a long month, folks.  The combination of graduation and parents in town and settling into summer has left me with little time to take outfit photos, although I assure you I've been getting dressed.  I've spent some time recently thinking about how I don't necessarily want to put outfits together for the sole benefit of this blog but also because I find some small bit of joy in it.  So often what I wear reflects how I feel that day or how I want to feel, and sometimes that just doesn't make for interesting outfit photos.

What I'm wondering is this: do I blog what I actually wear everyday (or 3-4 days a week), even if that means I repeat outfits?  Or should I take this platform as a challenge to ensure that I don't wear the same things over and over?  

muted.

This spring for me so far has meant bright pops of color and fun prints.  I decided to take things down a notch today with this outfit.  I like the subdued tones together, and feel like the black actually pops here because of how stark it is against the other colors.

shirt: LOFT, skirt: J.Crew, belt: F21, wedges: Target

I feel like I learn something new every time I post outfit photos.  Slowly, I'm beginning to figure out which silhouettes work best for my shape, and I'm not quite sure I hit the mark here.  A sleeker shape on bottom would be something to try next time.

Anyone else out there struggle with finding what suits their shape?

"Everything is a diary."

"Your handwriting. The way you walk. Which china pattern you choose. It’s all giving you away. Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self portrait. Everything is a diary."

- Chuck Palahniuk

This sort of thinking seems to me to also extend to how you choose to dress yourself.  Sydney's post yesterday really got me thinking about why and how I clothe my body.  There will always be societal and professional considerations to make, but I strive to mesh those things with what makes me feel like ME.  When people meet me, I don't want for them to merely see the outfit I put together but instead hope that they see some outward expression of my personality.  After all, if it is a self portrait, why not make it as accurate an expression as possible?     

two-fer...Wednesday?

Two days worth of outfits in one post?  Why not?  I realize that I'm just getting warmed up here, but the end of April is hellishly busy.  Working in higher education in the capacity that I do means that there are three times of the year where things are truly moving at a breakneck pace: April - June, August - September, and December - January.  I'm getting less sleep these days, and I actually don't mind it because the weather is nice enough to put me in a cheerful mood.

Well.....the weather is nice enough most days.  As you can see, I had to pull out my tights for this outfit, and despite the smiles you see here, I was none too pleased about that fact.  Who wants to wake up to a 46 degree morning when you've already tasted the sweetness of 70 degrees at 8am?  Not me.

In an effort to fight against the black tights and boots, I tried to go for a pop of color and a subtle pattern mixture.  It might not show up well in these photographs, but the coral top has a burnt-out polka dot pattern which I opted to pair with a charcoal grey striped cardigan.  I don't know that it works so well, but I can say that having that color close to my face all day did help soothe my desire for breezy skirts and wedge sandals.

cardigan: hand-me-down Old Navy, top: F21, skirt: Michael Kors via TJ Maxx, boots: Via Spiga via eBay

 Today, the weather was a bit more aligned with my notions of "spring".  There was still a bit of a chill this morning, so I opted for pants.  These are the pink cousin to the khaki pants I wore in an earlier outfit. 

I have to say, I felt so confident today wearing these, which was a bit of a surprise given my neutral loving ways.  The shape is classic and flattering and the color really punches up the outfit.  I'm not quite sure about the shoe choice here (despite my deep and abiding love for those heels), but I'm quite pleased with everything else from the ankle up.

cardigan: Lands End Canvas, striped tee: old F21, hot pink pants: H&M, heels: Seychelles

rain can't get me down

top: J. Crew Factory, colored jeans: H&M, boots: Hunter via Gilt

just being my gangly, awkward self...

I actually found it difficult to muster the willpower to get dressed today, as we've suffered a return to cold, rainy weather here in Annapolis.  My tendency on days like this is to roll on the leggings and sweatshirt and call it good.  I fought that urge by pulling out these cornflower blue jeans and one of my favorite breton striped shirts (I have three...!) and added the purple Hunters for venturing out onto the rain-drenched bricks of the historic district.  Here's hoping I only get to wear them once more this week!

shirt: thrifted, pants: H&M, shoes: Seychelles via DSW

This is one of those outfits that started with the pants, which is not something that happens all that often given my penchant for dresses and skirts.  We had a bit of a cold spell after a really warm start to the week, so I had to plan accordingly.  I had originally intended on wearing them with something a bit more feminine and demure, but the outfit seemed forced.  So I did a 180 and decided to go with an oxford and sweater vest for a menswear vibe.  This happens quite a bit for me in the mornings.  I start out with an idea and inevitably go with the complete opposite of it.  And I have to say...it really works out most of the time.  Maybe when I'm planning my outfits I should just go in with that mindset...

Anyhow, you might see photos from this location for the next few weeks.  A roommate of mine moved out recently, leaving a wide open space with lots of natural light.  Enter: me and my camera.  I guess I'll have to start planning ahead for when we welcome her replacement...