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.

Feminine, Classic, and Fuss Free

The further I get into my 20s, the more developed my personal style becomes. I like simple, classic prints like polka dots and stripes. I love dresses, skirts, flowy blouses, and strappy sandals. I shy away from fussy or complicated. I don't wear a lot accessories. I wouldn't dare call myself sophisticated.

This outfit feels very me. Feminie, classic, and fuss free.

I bet you'll be seeing a lot of this dress this summer. The navy and white stripes are so versatile.

Outfit: Dress- EvanPicone via Marshalls; Cardigan- Old Navy; Shoes - Payless; Sunnies - F21

Spring is definitely here to say. Look at this little bunny that decided to crash my photo shoot!

And the flowers are gorgeous right now!

How would you describe your personal style?

Calm Before the Storm

The nonprofit I work for told all nonessential employees to stay home until noon Tuesday,  so I am enjoying a lovely, lazy hurrication. As I sit in my apartment on Monday night listening to the winds of Sandy/ Frankenstorm howl outside, I can't help but feel thankful that I am warm, dry and still have power. I know many others on the eastern seaboard are not as lucky this evening. Stay safe y'all!

I keep thinking about how beautiful and calm the weather was on the days leading up to this storm. Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. I spent the day having some Halloween fun in Salem with my friend Kelly and two of her friends. Although the whole town is pretty cute, the Derby Wharf is my favorite part of Salem. I love this little walk on the waterfront.

Kelly and I took a ton of pictures by this cute little light house.

It was my third trip to Salem. I had a decent time people watching and walking around, but I learned that I enjoy the city better without the Halloween weekend crowds. I think if I decide to visit in the fall next year, I'll visit earlier in October.

Outfit: Shirt and Jeans- Old Navy; Cardigan- Target; Boots- Rampage via Marshalls; Bag- H&M

For this Marylander no trip to Salem is complete without a trip to the only Ritas in Massachusetts. 

Come Sail Away

Coming into the fall and winter shopping season I decided to focus on two things- basics and interesting accessories. When I saw this scarf at Old Navy about two months ago I knew I had to have it. But since I never pay full price at Old Navy, I also knew I had to wait. Eventually I had some extra cash coupons and the scarf came home with me.

                             

I don't sail, and I get motion sickness on boats, but I love sailboats. I went to a top sailing school for undergrad and have lived in several places where sailing was one of the primary recreational activities. I've been planning a tattoo of a sailboat for years, but I keep chickening out because I pass out when I get shots or blood drawn. 

Outfit: pants- Target (old); shirt and cami- H&M; denim jacket- JCrew thrifted; flats- Target;  scarf: Old Navy

I am not loving these pants any more. I've had them for over a year, but they just don't fit that great and the fabric doesn't maintain it's shape very well. If I could just find some charcoal colored, straight legged slacks to replace them, I would gladly let them go. Any suggestions?

My Vacation Style

One side effect of moving and travelling lots over the past three years is that I have learned to pack a lot of stuff into a small space. Summer trips are especially easy to pack for because summer clothes don't take up a lot of room. I managed to fit 3 swimsuits, 2 pairs of shorts, 5 shirts, 5 dresses, 3 belts plus under garments, sleepwear and a beach towel into a carry on sized suitcase. 

I never take enough pictures when I'm on vacation. I left my camera at the hotel a few times, and forgot to take pictures other times. As a result, I only got a few outfit photos and none of them captured the jean shorts and tshirts I was wearing 60% of the time. What I did capture were the sundresses I wore on the nights we went out for a nice dinner. 

Outfit: Dress-Old Navy; Sandals-b.o.c.

This picture is from the first night of our vacation. We met Mike's uncle for dinner after taking a little walk around the Westport, CT waterfront. Unfortunately, our time in Westport was mostly rainy. Between storms we managed to get in a short beach day at Sherwood Island, enjoy a barbecue with some of Mike's family and play some evening mini-golf on the Norwalk waterfront.

Outfit: Dress and Belt- H&M; Sandals- Payless

Thankfully, our time in the Mystic, CT area was storm free. We were able to enjoy a nice day at the aquarium, some Mystic Pizza, and a day at Napatree Point Beach in Westerly,RI. This picture is from our last night when we went for a walk along the Mystic waterfront before meeting Mike's friend for dinner. 

We had a great vacation full of sand, sun, seafood and ice cream! As much as I would have liked a few more days, it was nice to get back and sleep in my own bed. I'll share some beach/ bikini photos with you next week!

Striped Shoes!

I found these flats at Marshall's  on the same day I had to return an adorable pair of too narrow hot pink flats to Aldo. They definitely softened the blow. I look forward to wearing them with black tights in the fall, but summer can take her sweet time and stick around for a while. 

Outfit:

Shirt: Old Navy
Pants: Target
Flats: Marshall's
Bracelet: So Good!
Earrings: Gift  

I still love these pants (also seen here and here and here). I've thought about ordering them in additional colors to the extent that I've added them to my cart on Target.com. If they weren't crops I would have ordered a black pair and a green pair a long time ago, but since it's too chilly for crops about 5 months out of the year here, I just can't justify it. The search for similar straight leg, but full length pants continues. If you have any suggestions let me know!

Strike a Pose

I am so happy it is Friday. I thought this week would never end. Does anyone else feel like the short weeks are the longest ones?  I feel like I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to veg out, so I am making it a point to veg out this weekend. I'm also making it a point to do laundry, because I'm nearing the bottom of my very deep barrel of clothing, hence this very lackluster look.

I was looking back at my outfit posts for the last month or two and I've noticed that I'm posed the same way in most of my outfit photos. I assure you it's not for lack of trying different positions! I am just really bad/ awkward at posing.

I took a break from the dresses and skirts to wear some pants. In my head this outfit looked a little more nautical and a little less frumpy. I think I need to invest in some higher quality straight leg pants for work since I'm no longer interested in wearing my collection of semi-expensive wide leg trousers.

Outfit:
Shirt: Old Navy
Pants: Target
Flats: Old Navy
Earrings: Gift
Belt: thrifted

What are your plans for the weekend?

Weekend recap: Newport, RI

On Saturday my beau, Mike, and I celebrated the end of his first year of law school with a little day-trip. First we went to Ikea to get some ideas for our apartment. We got some new bedding and some kitchen items and we made a list of furniture pieces we might like to get when we're finally in our first place together in September. 

After the quick Ikea walk through (Mike is not a shopper) we headed down to Newport, RI for some sunshine, sand and seafood! 

Mike and I on Easton's Beach

The view from our table at dinner

Best lobster roll ever!

First we got some sunshine and dipped our feet in the water at Easton's beach, and we took a walk on the Cliff Walk. We wrapped up our day trip with dinner at the Marina Cafe and Pub. It is a cute little seafood restaurant a little off the beaten path. Dinner was delicious, but the best part was our amazing view of the harbor. 

How was your weekend?

Nautical Adventures

Sorry for the lack of posts! My staycation didn't go quite as I'd planned, but I still had a great birthday and a nice, long relaxing weekend. I had this post ready to go yesterday, but it turns out I had put the wrong date for this month's Everybody, Everywear in my calendar.

Friday I slept in a bit and then headed to my local Goodwill store. Since I'm usually working weekday mornings, I wanted to relish the rare opportunity to catch the new merchandise when the store opened. I chose to wear something nautical for EBEW, since I wouldn't be able to the rest of the weekend, or Monday.

In my opinion, nothing says nautical quite like navy and white stripes. I paired my trusty striped cardigan with my red polka dot sundress. I was really excited to pull this sun dress out of storage, so I wore it even though it was a little cloudy and chilly outside. I was also really excited to tie my recently thrifted sailboat scarf to my bag. 

Outfit:

Dress: H&M

Cardigan: Urban Outfitters clearance (men's)

Shoes: Aldo (thrifted)

Scarf: thrifted

bag: H&M