tonight jeb took some photos of me on our way to dinner. today i stuck with a very basic and classic outfit. my tank, though difficult to see here, is beige with black polka-dots and some cute buttons at the top. paired with some dark skinny jeans and a black blazer i was put together enough for work, but ready for a night on the town. i added the scarf in my hair as a last minute addition and i loved the way it so quickly put a 50s housewife spin on my outfit. i loved this last photo, mostly because i am shooting rainbows out of my eyes...yes my friends, just one of my many super powers.
this weekend is jeb and i's anniversary. so in true 'us' fashion we are starting the weekend out with a "romantic" feast at our favorite neighborhood dive and ending our weekend with a much anticipated trip to a new england amusement park.
who ever thought i would be this lucky?
(well i guess my mom always did say i'd find someone just like him...curls and all.)
so as most of you know, one of my very best friends, caroline, happens to run a gorgeous and inspiring blog called poppy and leo. care was a bit nervous to take on a list of questions at this magnitude, but i think she did a magnificent job. i really wanted this project to spotlight some of my very favorite blogging ladies, and i thought caroline would be the perfect person to start with. so here it is ladies and gents...a look inside the mind of a gorgeous person, inside and out...
1. your most marked characteristic?
curiosity - i'm always wanting to ask questions, learn and try new things. creative.
2. the quality you most like in a man?
humor, sense of adventure
3. the quality you most like in a woman?
independence, strength
4. what do you most value in your friends?
honesty - tell it like it is.
5. what is your principle defect?
i can be over sensitive. i don't think it's "normal" to tear up at liberty mutual commercials.
6. what is your favorite occupation?
floral & stationery designer:)
7. what is your dream of happiness?
being proud of the person i am inside and out.
8. what to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
i'd like to think this already happened when losing my brother.
9. what you would like to be?
happy, loved, wise.
10. in what country would you like to live?
united states, australia
11. what is your favorite color?
white, black, gray, green
12. what is your favorite flower?
oh man, being a floral designer this one is tough. maybe peonies, maybe ranunculus.
13. what is your favorite bird?
blue bird.
14. who are your favorite prose writers?
howard zinn
15. who are your favorite poets?
eh, i've never really been into poetry.
16. who is your favorite hero of fiction?
da na na na na BATMAN!
17. who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
sonora webster from wild hearts cant be broken. my favorite movie as a child.
18. who are your favorite composers?
jeff buckley, james taylor
19. who are your favorite painters?
jasper johns
20. who are you heroes in real life?
wendy, my mom. we don't agree on most things, but she is the strongest woman i know! And she is goofy :)
21. what is it you most dislike?
laziness,mean spirited people, bullshit
22. what natural gift would you most like to possess?
well it's no secret i'm dying to be a rock star, so great singing voice might be helpful.
23. how would you like to die?
just make it quick!
24. what is your present state of mind?
motivated, adventurous
25. to what faults do you feel most indulgent?
i need to learn how to shop on the sale rack. i indulge in clothing more than i should.
26. what is your motto?
i have three -but your soul you must keep totally free. our hearts are kind our hearts are strong. you cannot base your life on other peoples reactions.
today i decided to add a bit of an antique tone to my photographs. i felt it went well with my play on some more masculine items. some days i feel almost out of place when i am not dressed in more girly pieces. i think it goes back to those days when my mom kept my hair in a short, and i mean really short, bowl-cut. i always felt i needed to compensate for the boyish cut with some really feminine choices in clothing. but even now, years later, when my hair is down to my behind, i feel a bit lost without a ruffle, a bow, or a sweet shade of pink. i try to challenge myself a little and these navy trousers always make me feel chic and j.crew, but it's hard to not pair them with something extra feminine. (although, i do have a ruffled linen shirt peeking out of my cardigan.) a perfect blustery day ensemble...my anorak has added such a needed touch of outdoor ruggedness to my spring wardrobe. with some pearls, a pretty horse necklace and a thin spring scarf, i think the outfit came together well. i find with these wide-legged trousers that is important to balance them with a tighter silhouette on top. and as usual, one of my j.crew cardigans hug my curves in all the right places. too much information? probably.
today's outfit is very soft and feminine. lot's of quiet and delicate colors and textures combined to create a girly ensemble. this last photo is nothing spectacular, but i thought it did a good job of showing the ruffled detailing on my cardigan. i thought my hair pulled back in a tight bun would complete the look. ernst wanted to make an appearance...so, i guess i'll allow it. but seriously, how cute is he?
i was thrilled with the way today's outfit turned out. i felt preppy with a tad of fun thrown in there. my gray dotted-swiss bubble skirt has been coming out of my closet a lot lately. it's funny that both my button-up and my skirt are pieces i have had since high school. some things just never go out of style. my black tights and ballet flats gave the outfit a partially mod look. i really enjoy when an outfit can't be easily categorized. probably one of the brightest outfits i have worn in awhile on a monday morning.
annie, over at little ocean annie, was kind enough to fill out my proust questionnaire. her's is posted on her blog. so go check her out! annie's style is completely adorable and she has an incredible eye for vintage fashion. she has become one of my very favorite friends on twitter and i hope one day i will be able to meet this gorgeous lady and have a cup of tea and a chat. i am envious of all of the amazing treasures she has posted in her vintage etsy shop. and, wow, i have fallen completely in love with that vintage boater hat! it would look perfect with just about all of my summer ensembles.
thanks so much annie! i hope it wasn't as painful as a myspace quiz...haha...
unfortunately the boat is still on land and i forgot my flippy-floppys and nautical themed pashmina afghan. jeb and i spent our saturday working on our friend's new boat. ryan is completely insane and recently purchased a 50 ft. yacht on which is is doing a complete overhaul. you can follow ryan's adventures in boat ownership on his blog, motor my boat. it was a really fun day; some hard labor and the best subs on the planet. i couldn't spend my day on a boat without the appropriate outfit for the job. i recently saw that maria, from lulu letty, had diy'ed a pair of overalls into shortalls. i thought i would channel rosie the riveter and go with a bandana and my take on a construction oufit with these shortalls. half of my outfit was stolen from jeb, partly because he had the basics i needed and partly because i knew i would get dirty and i didn't want to harm any of my own things. i am such a selfish girlfriend. i managed to keep my clothing relatively clean throughout the day and i used a power tool! this is very exciting event for me. look mom!! the last of my photos is me stripping decades of paint off of some gorgeous bronze portholes. (just some proof that i actually did some work.) all in all a great day with great friends. looking forward to lying on the bow of that ship all summer long with the beach boys blasting over the stereo.
another short post. no quips for tonight. watching 'an education' and then heading to bed for an early saturday morning wake-up call. off to put in my work on a friend's boat. but don't you worry, i have a special outfit picked out for the occasion.
today's post will be a short one. lots of stuff going on in my personal life that needs dealing with, but i loved this outfit and took these photos this morning and didn't want to go without posting. this cotton jumpsuit, which cost less than twenty dollars, was so easy to make dressy for my day at work. with a belt and a fitted blazer it went from beachy to chic. beyond my outfit i look quite a mess. my apologies. i hope everyone is looking forward to friday. more to come then.
i am in love love love with today's outfit. i began layering and just didn't stop. recently in an anthropologie catalog i loved the way in which the model wore both a scarf tied in the back with a long necklace overlapping. layering accessories has been one of my favorite things to do since childhood. i was always the one wearing bangles up to my elbows with multiple pairs of clip-on earrings and a few plastic barrettes in my hair. my mom, who lovingly referred to me as 'the bag lady, ' because, don't worry, purses were also utilized to the extreme, was always there to tell me when a lot of accessories became too many. the opportunity to allow a similar overdoing of accessories still brings a huge smile to my face, because now no one can stop me. i even threw on an extra bangle this morning, just as a reminder to myself about those days of old. and of course, the trousers are back. i think i'll settle on these being a once a week article. this shirt was one of my favorite finds when my sister, peach, lived abroad in argentina. the poor girl was dragged behind me on days of shopping as i had to find every piece that was trendy in argentina at the time; super pointy canvas flats, slouchy boyfriend jeans and funky european-inspired tops. this top has an amazing detail at the bottom which i tucked in, so you can't see it, but believe you me, it's pretty incredible. my scarf and red necklace were my little attempt at color in a black and gray outfit and i think they worked to set this apart in an office setting.
before my blabbering ends, i have a few bloggers signed on to fill out the proust questionnaire, but would love to get some more girls (or boys) on board. feel free to shoot me an email if you're in. cause come on, honestly, who doesn't love to answer questions about themselves?
here's to thursday rolling around and putting us one day closer to the weekend.
today i wanted to work on mixing some patterns. i really love this trend, but knew i had to start out slowly. i paired this floral top in blacks and neutrals with my hounds tooth blazer. i really liked the combination and wanted to wear my fitted cigarette pants and flats to keep the look office-appropriate and classic. these clustered rose earrings gave the perfect touch of glam to my black and white ensemble.
today presented itself as my typical tuesday....wondering about the greater questions of my life. after my dreaded mondays (something that needs to cease), tuesdays usually leave me thinking about all of the things i love, hate and wish i could change about the life i lead. this quote from alice in wonderland always is most representative of my tuesday state of mind:
"One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a
tree. "Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to go?"
was his response. "I don't know," Alice answered. "Then," said the
cat, "it doesn't matter."
sometimes i feel this lost, but then i remember that it doesn't matter where i am, because this is where i am supposed to be. i am slowly working towards all of my greater goals and i just have to keep reminding myself of this. recently i have become entranced with the proust questionnaire; a list of questions about ones' personality created by french writer marcel proust. i have decided to start a new segment on my blog to get to know some of my favorite bloggers through proust's questions. i have a few of my blogger friends lined up and this friday i will fill out the questionnaire myself and post it for all to read. i think it's great to get to know more about the bloggers we are inspired by. if you are a blogger interested in being a part of this little experiment please feel free to leave a comment below or shoot me an email.
currently getting caroline addicted to 'glee.' it is working!
the combination of pink and gray is one of my favorites. and this floral pin adds the perfect touch of pink to my, otherwise, black and gray outfit. dressing for the office everyday can get kind of tough, so i am in the process of working on some new ensembles that incorporate more of my personal style. lot's of mixing of textures and patterns and a lot more color for the spring weather. i hope all of my boston readers had a great marathon monday and that those outside of boston just had an all-around great day!
rain jacket: killer coat thanks to jeb's mom, ginnie
my weekend in new hampshire was amazing. so relaxing and such a great time to reflect on all of the things that make me happy; family, jeb, chocolate peanut butter fudge, calamari and molly the beagle. this weekend was also my best friend margo's birthday. sadly, i missed the opportunity to fly to chicago and spend it with her, but i was able to send her some gorgeous irises so she can think of me for the next two weeks (my own selfish longing to be there). on a side note, margo, i am so incredibly proud of you. congratulations on almost finishing your first year of law school! you are amazing! i know this post is photo-heavy, but there were too many great pictures to choose from. as a tradition, jeb and i always go to the arcade by the beach and take a few shots in the photobooth. these may be some of my favorite so far. not sure how pleased he is to have his 'special' moments broadcast to the interwebs, but alas, the life of a blogger's boyfriend. my outfit was influenced mainly by a rainy weekend on the coast. this sailboat belt was the perfect addition to my flannel, jeans and sneaker look.
i hope everyone had an incredibly relaxing weekend. now i am off to make a home-cooked pasta dinner with jeb and my bestie. see ya monday, folks!
well my lovely readers, i will have no access to the internet over the weekend because i am spending a relaxing weekend at the beach in new hampshire celebrating jeb's dad's birthday. lots of reading and puzzle-doing for me. i hope that everyone has a splendid weekend and for those of you in new england take this rainy opportunity to stay inside, relax and catch up on all those things you've been meaning to do.
today's outfit was inspired by my everlasting love for all things patriotic. who doesn't love the good ole' combination of red, white and blue? beyond the color scheme feeling very american, the outfit itself is as american as apple pie. some sweet braids, a plaid tank, wide-legged jeans and my best pair of chucks made this outfit come together perfectly. but today, in all honesty, i felt the outfit was completely about the braids. i found this amazing updo via cupcakes and cashmere. click here for a link for emily's perfectly simple how-to. i rarely step out of my comfort zone in regards to my hairstyles. nothing beyond a messy bun for weekday early mornings or some crazy wild waves for my weekend outtings, but this braided updo just seemed to be perfectly fitting for a day in the office. it is simple and chic, but still a bit messy....perfectly representative of me.
jeb took these photos for me right by the charles river in harvard square. i have so many great memories along this river over the past eight years i have been in boston. although it might not be swimable it sure does serve as the perfect setting for picnics, weekend reading and late night beach boys concerts.
a few days ago i read a quote in a heartbreaking work of staggering genius that i thought was incredibly relevant to the way i have been feeling of late. a character in the novel says, "Every day we start with a fresh world--or, better yet, each day we start with this world, the one we know, and by nine, ten a.m., we've destroyed it." lately i wake up feeling positive and ready to take on my 'fresh world' and by early afternoon my spirits are broken by one thing or another. after reading this i found myself more aware of how i was letting the attitudes and words of others change the way i feel about myself and my world. so my new goal is to stay in my own little bubble. does this all sound really silly? probably. but i am okay with that because it has really been working. a positive mindset really does overpower the negativity of the world around you. just a hint.
onto more relevant things like my outfit today. after i mentioned that i felt very preppy yesterday i was reminded of, quite possibly, my preppiest piece of clothing; these seersucker wide-legged trousers. i felt ready to jump on a sail boat and float off into the harbor. i wanted to add a feminine touch, and thought this basic black tee with ruffled shoulders was a great compliment to the pants. this silk scarf was my great grandmothers and i am enamored with the pattern and the colors. who knew lime green was being worn way back in the day?
sorry if i went off on a tangent. i just want everyone to be reminded how important it is to surround yourself with positive people. i am so thankful to have amazing friends, family and the best boyfriend in the whole world. so thanks guys.
recently i have been thinking a lot about the hours i spent endlessly dressing my sets of vintage paper dolls. decided to do some research, remembering some old collages i saw years ago that incorporated my favorite little toys. the above pieces all use paper dolls as their inspiration. i think they are are incredibly inspired and i especially love that tattooed man. (and his legs move! how killer is that!?)
