Uninspired

I don't take blog photos very often these days. To be honest, I don't have an excuse. I just don't feel motivated by it like I used to. I still enjoy reading blogs, and I still love shopping, but I just haven't been feeling inspired to step out of the box with my outfits. No crazy color combos or pattern mixing for this lady as of late.

In short, I've been feeling uninspired. Maybe I need to seek out some new blogs to read, or maybe I need to hit up pinterest again. I'm not sure.

I'm reaching out to you for help. Who/ what inspires you? Help me break out of my rut! 

Outfit: Shirt- Old Navy; Pants- Target; Flats- Target; bracelets- various

Jumping for Joy

Wednesday was an awesome day. I woke up to news that State Senator Wendy Davis's filibuster against an egregious antiabortion bill in the Texas Senate actually worked. Feeling cheery and optimistic, I decided to wear this crazy Asos neon shirt dress I got from Gwynnie Bee.

I'd slept with my hair in buns Tuesday nights with the hopes I'd acheive beachy waves, and it actually worked! 

Outfit: Dress- Asos Curve via Gwynnie Bee; Sandals- old Payless similar; Belt- thrifted

A women's rights victory, a bright dress, and beachy wavy hair Could this day get any better?

Well, yes. Before I'd even finished my morning coffee the Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA, is unconstitutional. DOMA kept legally married same-sex spouses from getting federal benefits allotted to other married couples. The federal government has finally recognized that love is love. and that makes me want to jump for joy. 

While that decision, and the decision regarding California's Prop 8 don't make same sex marriage a constitutional right, they are certainly a step in the right direction. Hopefully we'll see more states join Massachusetts, Maryland, and co. in recognizing that love is love, no matter your gender. 

A Little Old, a Little New

For the most part, I've stuck to my one in one out policy regarding my wardrobe. Having a membership to Gwynnie Bee has certainly helped, a well as having a nice collection of garments that were purchased last year that I'm not bored of yet.

Lately I've been trying to mix newer items in with older items. When I buy something new I try to envision all the items in my wardrobe I can mix and match it with, and what old or ill-fitting item it will replace. 

For instance, this cardigan replaced a similarly colored cardigan that had seem better days. This scarf was purchased because I knew it would add some fun to a lot of existing  items in my closet and that it could be worn in the spring, summer and fall. This skirt and these sandals are both from last summer.

Outfit: Skirt- OldNavy similar from asos; Tank and Scarf- H&M; Shoes- B.O.C similar; Cardigan- Gap Outlet similar

Now if I would just take the giant bag of clothes I'm getting rid of to be sold/ donated... 

PS: If you live in Massachusetts, don't forget to vote in the US Senate Special Election today!!
Learn where to vote HERE.

Boho Dreams

Do you ever have problems with outfit execution? I often find that outfits just don't look the way I'd imagined them in my head. 

When I bought this flowy, hi/low hemmed, sleeveless blouse (which I loved so much I bought in two prints) I imagined I'd style it in the kind of bohemian street style you'd expect to see from Nicole Richie:

I've always loved the boho look. As a 13-15 year old I mimicked and idolized the style of Kate Hudson's Penny Lane character in Almost Famous. On my curvy frame those loose, flowy styles don't always have the same effect. I wind up looking more frumpy than free spirited.  In the hopes of balancing out the volume of the shirt, I paired it with some fitted skinny jeans and brown flat sandals. 

The result was sadly a little more frumpy than boho, but at least the shirt was comfy and breezy on a warm day. 

I'm not ready to give up on this shirt, or it's black feather print cousin. I think I'll play around with the styling a little bit more. 

Outfit: Shirt: H&M similar from Evans; Jeans: Old Navy Rockstar; Sandals- ? via Marshalls similar from DSW

Help me! How would you style this shirt? 

In My Backyard

I love where I live. Sure, my apartment is small, and my closet smaller, but you can't beat the location. The only way I could have a shorter commute would be to work from home. I can walk to just about anywhere in the Back Bay or South End in 20-30 minutes, and I live within two blocks of a great coffee shop, a Marshall's and a plethora of restaurants. What more could a girl want (besides a bigger closet)?

Well, since you asked, I do miss having outdoor space. A yard, a deck, or a porch would be amazing. Especially when temps over 90 degrees+ no AC = hotter temperatures in my apartment than outside. Thankfully my fantastic location also means I have a variety of parks and gardens at my disposal.

On Sunday Mike and I got some frozen yogurt and went for a walk in the Fenway Victory Gardens. It's really cool to see what people grow in their little plots. Some were filled with flowers, others with the starts of a vegetable garden.

It was a hot day, and super windy. I'll spare y'all the photo where I had to hold my dress down, Marilyn Monroe style.Thankfully, I always wear shorts of some sort under my dresses. Despite the wind, this Dorothy Perkins dress really is perfect for a hot day. It's light and airy, the perfect length, and it's striped!

After our little walk we retreated to the crisp air conditioning of the movie theater for a matinee showing of the new Star Trek movie. There is seriously nothing better than a frigid movie theatre when it's over 90 degrees outside and you don't have air conditioning. 

Outfit: Dress- Dorothy Perkins last summer; Sandals- Payless old; Braceet- vintage (either my mo;m's or thrifted, not sure); Sunnies- Target

What do you like to do/ wear on a hot day? 

Busy Lady

I had my three month review at work last week. I can't believe I've been there three months already. Lately I feel like I blink and another week has passed. I am definitely not complaining. I'm lucky to have a job that I love, a man that I adore spending time with, great friends, and lots of activities and social ventures to keep me busy. 

I'm also lucky to have some fun trips and activities planned for the coming weeks. I'll be spending Memorial Day weekend in New York, and then two weeks after that Mike and I are doing a little weekend getaway to the Cape.

I'm hoping I'll find plenty of time on those trips to take some outfit photos, so that I can stop posting photos 2-3 weeks after I take them!

Outfit: Skirt- ? Marshalls 2008; Tank and belt- H&M; Blazer- ? TJ Maxx; Shoes- Lucky Brand via Marshalls

I want to thank all of you that still read and comment despite my blogging negligence. I may not always respond to comments, but I assure you, I read and love all of them. I also love reading your blogs while I unwind in the evenings, or on my phone in the elevator at work. Y'all are awesome! 

Insta-Birthday Weekend-gram

This was a big birthday weekend for me! Yesterday was my birthday, and Friday was Mike's birthday. Unfortunately Mike is in the middle of law school finals so we had to keep the celebrations pretty low key. Regardless we had a great weekend including dinner and a movie Friday, some much needed lady time for me on Sunday (brunch and shopping!), sushi, desserts, and presents.

Here are some pictures from the weekend. (Did I mention I am on instagram now?)

I gave myself a pretty awesome funfetti cake inspired manicure. 

The city is totally in bloom right now. Clearly just for my birthday. 

Outfit: Dress- Cynthia Rowley via Marshalls; Flats- ? via Marshalls; Jacket- Jcrew thrifted; Scarf - H&M; Shades- F21 

Myles kitty decided to be super adorable just for me. 

Fancy birthday cake and ice-cream after a delicious sushi dinner. 

The birthday celebrations are going to continue after Mike's finals are over. I got him NY Mets tickets for our trip to NY Memorial Day weekend, and he got me a weekend getaway to a bed and breakfast in Cape Cod. 

Mint Chocolate Chip

The chilly New England spring has me turning to cozy pieces in brights and pastels. This sweater was an awesome find for less than $10 at H&M!

Did I mention that up close it looks like mint chocolate chip ice cream? 

Maybe with the mint flats, mint heart earrings, and gingham it's a little too 1950s ice cream parlor?

I'll take two scoops of mint chocolate chip, please! 

Outfit: Sweater- H&M; Shirt- Old Navy; Pants- Torrid; Flats- Lucky Brand via Marshall's; Earrings- F21 

 What colors are you attracted to this spring?

Reluctant Bostonian

I don't think I can consider myself a blogger any more. I haven't posted on a regular schedule since last summer! Sometimes I'm just not into it. I get busy doing other things- my volunteer and organizing work, spending time with my man, diy manicures, watching marathons of The L Word on netflix... 

..and then I realize that it's been two weeks since I posted even though I have several outfit photos ready to go. These were actually taken about three weeks ago.

Outfit: Shirt and Jeans- Old Navy; Shoes- H&M

I want to thank everyone that has showed support for this amazing city I live in. It has been one hell of a few weeks. I know there are more horrific things going on all around the world all the time. I'm incredibly thankful to live somewhere where explosions and wild police chases are not the norm.

I didn't love this city when I moved here in December 2009. I figured I'd stay for 6 months, maybe a year, and then I'd move back to Austin, TX. Then I met Mike and made some awesome friends. I discovered the beauty of New England summers and autumns, and I fell in love. I stopped thinking about where I wanted to move next, and started thinking about which neighborhood I'd want to settle down in some day.

I'm proud to live here, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.

Emerald and Teal for Spring

Teal has long been one of my favorite colors to wear. It's appropriate for every season and it pairs well with all the neutrals- navy, black, brown, white, and leopard. Plus it looks good with most skin tones and hair colors. When I found this scarf for $5 at H&M a few months ago, I was stocked. Not only did it have teal in it, but two shades of the "color of the year" emerald.

From the lack of greenery in these pictures, you'd probably guess they were taken a few weeks ago right? Wrong! I took these photos yesterday. 

We're slowly getting some buds on the tress and some green sprigs poking through the dead leaves, but for the most part it's still pretty gray in Boston. 

Today it warmed up to a balmy 65 degrees, and tomorrow it's supposed to be even warmer!

Outfit: Pants- Seven Jeans via Marshall's; Cardi- Gap Outlet; Tank and Scarf- H&M; Flats- Target

Here's hoping that spring is here to stay! I'm looking forward to sunshine, tulips, daffodils, iced coffee, and farmer's markets.

What are you looking forward to as the weather warms up?

Black, white and purple

I took these pictures after work last week, before daylight savings. The light was low and they didn't turn out very well. I'm really looking forward to taking photos after work in the coming weeks and months. The days are only going to get longer from here and I couldn't be more thrilled!

My blog related goal for this spring and summer is to get more comfortable taking photos on my own in public. There are some beautiful parks and spots near my apartment that I hope to take advantage of, especially when the spring flowers start coming in.

Because otherwise, you're just going to get more sketchy looking photos from the alley behind my apartment building. And nobody wants that!

Outfit: Jeans- Old Navy; Blouse- DKNY via Gwynniebee; Shoes- Marshalls similar; Cardigan- Marshalls 

I've been wearing flats a lot lately. Having a two block commute I feel like it's easier to get away with footwear that is impractical for the weather. Regardless I can't wait to pack away my boots and enter flats/ sandals season!

What are you looking forward to wearing this spring?

Urban CowGirl

There's something about chambray, fringe, and a wide brown leather belt that screams western wear. Yet somehow when I chose to wear all of those items at one time I didn't realize that would be the result.

Do I care that the outfit I wore for brunch/ errands looked like a costume from a bad western? Not really because these Minnetonka trampers are the most comfortable non-sandal shoes I've ever owned  I got them with the shopbop credit I won in a giveaway, so a big thanks to Lyddie at Chic on the Cheap for providing my toesies with warmth and comfort.

Outfit: Chambray Dress- Buffalo Exchange; Belt - ?; Leggings- Marshalls; Booties- Minnetonka via shopbop 

Have you ever looked back at pictures of an outfit and realized you looked totally ridiculous?

Really Business Casual

I got some really great news! Really casual business casual is awesome.

I found these eggplant colored jeans at buffalo exchange. They're a little long, but otherwise I love them. I wore them last Friday to test the waters with colored denim at the office. My coworker told me I can wear them any day of the week. Hooray!

Outfit: Jeans- boomboom via buffalo exchange; Shirt - Old Navy; 

Cardigan - Old Navy similar; Shoes- Minnetonka

Now to find a pair of mint jeans, and a pair of coral  jeans, and...

An outfit, but mostly just cat pics

I finally got a new camera! It's my new job/ tax return present to myself. I decided a DSLR just wasn't realistic for me right now, so I upgraded to a nice point and click instead. I settled on the Nikon CoolPix L610. It might not be a DSLR, but with 16mp and multiple shooting modes and ISO settings, it is definitely a huge step up from my bare bones 10pm camera. My only complaint thus far is that it uses AA batteries and doesn't have the best battery life. 

Blouse- Evans via Gwynnie Bee; Cardi-Target, Jeans- Old Navy, booties- Minnetonka

Would you believe this picture was taken outside at 8pm? Amazing! It turned out a little more grainy than I expected. If anyone has tips for taking less grainy photos, let me know! Of course to practice with my new camera I've been taking pictures of my cat.

...Lots and lots of pictures of my cat.

Buttons and Cameras

This outfit is pretty representative of what I've been wearing to work lately. With temperatures mostly below freezing I've been choosing warmth over style. 

I've really discovered the beauty of button down shirts this winter. In the past I've had trouble with fit on button downs. It's hard to find one that fits over my hips and boobs, but isn't too baggy in the shoulders or waist. Thankfully, I've  found two flannel shirts and this chambray shirt that fit pretty well, and I've been wearing them constantly.

Outfit:  Pants- Forever 21; Shirt- Old Navy similar at Macy's; Boots- Me too; Cardigan- Target  similar at Old Navy

I've about had it with my camera. I've been thinking about/ lusting after a DSLR. However, I really don't want to invest a ridiculous amount of money in a camera right now and I don't actually know very much about photography. I'm leaning towards skipping the DSLR for now and upgrading to a nicer point and shoot.

Before I make the purchase, I wanted to reach out to y'all for suggestions. What type of camera do you use? Any suggestions for a user friendly camera that takes beautiful pictures?

Spring in My Step

I almost titled this post LBD with a side of frog legs, but I didn't want to box myself into only talking about my outfit.

Outfit: Dress- NY&Co. similar at Old Navy; Scarf and tights- H&M; Shoes- Target

I've got a lot of spring in my step these days, and it's not just from finding the perfect shade of emerald tights to match my emerald ballet flats purchased on super clearance at Target ($6ish in stores, y'all!). After a few weeks of being extremely busy, and anxious, the stress cloud I was sitting in has dissipated. I start a new job in less than two weeks!

I've been unhappy at my current job for quite a while. I don't want to divulge a whole lot of detail because I pride myself on keeping my professional life separate from my personal life/ blog life. Long story short, I decided to start looking back in September, but after being told I was overqualified for a job I thought for sure I had landed back in October I was feeling really discouraged. Recruitment is a major part of my job, but I had forgotten how stressful it is to be on the other side of things!

When job searching patience is definitely a virtue. Lots of carefully crafted cover-letters a few less than stellar phone interviews, and some heart break finally led to a job that is the perfect next step in building my career in nonprofit human resources/ administration.

The best part? I'll be able to walk to work! I'll get one and a half to two hours of my day back. That means more time for blogging, going to the gym, snuggling with my cat, or whatever.

...Oh, and more money for shopping!