on the lake.

well dear friends, i am off to the lake until next week.  this will be the longest time i have gone without a computer in a long long while.  i have to say that it is much needed.  i am so looking forward to reading a pile of books, floating in an intertube and spending time with people i love.

i hope you'll stay tuned for recaps of our trip next week.

the trek.

wiley wears:

tunic: jovovich-hawk

skirt: ben sherman

flats: jeffrey campbell

     tonight was quite the adventure for jeb and i.  we decided to take a walk after dinner to find a good spot for photos.  we found the perfect setting for shots in front of a building about six blocks away and....the camera battery dies.  so we walked all the way home and found a spot closer to our place to shoot some photos.  this interesting wall ended up being the perfect spot to match my outfit for the day.  

     i love this tunic, but the length doesn't lend well to anything but leggings or wearing it as a shirt.  today, tucked into this high-waisted ben sherman skirt, i think it worked just perfectly.  i really liked the natural earthy color scheme of this outfit.  and look folks, my nude flats are actually taking on a lighter shade than my feet!  i think i might have a bit of a tan happening.

if you haven't already, go check out my guest post at poppy and leo.

 and one last photo of me as a painting.

c'mon over.

i will be guest-blogging today on poppy and leo.

stop over and check out her fabulous blog and have a look at some of the ensembles i created for the two of us to do brilliant bestfriend things together.

{image via weheartit}

full speed ahead.

wiley wears:

tank: uo

skirt: gap

belt: f21

scarf: shepard fairey

sunnies: rayban

     we spent the day on ryan's boat on the boston harbor and had such a great day of cooking out and hanging on the docks.  the evalyn ruth is really coming along and jeb and i look forward to a sea voyage at the end of august to the cape.  i stuck with the basics; my gray bubble skirt, a black tank, woven belt and my scarf for the cool ocean breezes.  

      this coming week is bound to be good for two reasons.  #1 - jeb and i head to lake winnipesaukee with family on wednesday for a super extended weekend and #2- shark week on discovery is only a few days away!  good thing it starts after i wade around the lake for five days! 

so gear up kids, another week begins.

weekending.

i am going to take the weekend off and stay far away from the computer.

spending tonight in the neighborhood, spending all day and night tomorrow harborside for various activities and helping caroline, of poppy and leo, move on sunday.  a mixture of relaxation, dancing and friends.  nothing better.

i hope you all have a lovely weekend with the ones you love.


{image via weheartit}

a shout out. to my blog.

wiley wears:

top: target

skirt: nomad

necklace: on loan from poppy and leo

wedges: macy's

sunnies: rayban

     i don't feel as though i can ever go wrong with this skirt.  i love every outfit i put together with it and i think it adds a kind of organic patriotic feel to any ensemble.  today i wore it with this ruffled blouse to keep a balance between casual and elegant.  the red beaded necklace was a great pop of color...also a great way to distinguish my neck from the white ruffles of the top.  white can be hard when your skin is literally the same shade.  but using a bright accessory around your face or neck can help bring the focus back to your face. 

   i am thinking a lot about where i want to take this blog in the coming months and am really looking forward to a new job that will allow for some extra time to work on my passions.  this is my first love....well after jeb, ernst and ted.  i love the way my blog gives me something to focus on each day and to motivate me each morning.  so, i guess what i am trying to say is 'thank you, blog.  you've done a lot for me.'  in all honestly though, i do love the community that is built around blogging and i love reading about the lives of others, told mostly through what they wore.  how fun is that?

in the zone.

wiley wears:

black tank: uo

patterned tank: free people

gauchos: l.a.made

gladiators: jeffrey campbell

     so instead of my work outfit, i thought i would photograph what i wore tonight.  i went to my favorite dive with some of my best girlfriends to celebrate a new beginning for me.   in a few weeks i will leave my current job and start at a university in the city.  a dream of mine for a long time, this has been a very exciting and stomach-churning week for me.  but change is good my friends.  it is about time.

    to the bus stop pub i decided on something loose and cool.  this pair of gauchos, which made it through the gaucho trend of 2005, have made a reappearance in my wardrobe as of late.  my old roommate in college wore gauchos and made them look like the classiest pants around.  i often try to channel kayla's way of wearing these pants with such ease.  i thought they would be perfect tonight with a blousey top and sandals.  this free people tank is one of my favorite summer pieces.  bright colors and vibrant patterns.  overall,  loved the way it all worked and i felt like i was walking around town in pajamas. (without looking like it.) 

big thanks to jill.  for taking my photos....again.

times they are a changin'.

it's a celebration ya'll!

off to spend an evening with friends celebrating big changes.

favorite hole-in-the-wall pub?  yes please!

{image via weheartit}

perspective.

wiley wears:

tee: michael stars with screenprinting by rachel stack

shorts: f21

necklace: anthropologie

sunglasses: rayban

gladiators: jeffrey campbell

     so more on the weekend.  i lost my beloved michael kors watch in a cab.  i have spent the last three days trying to track it down through the cab company and the boston police department to no avail.  my watch, dear friends, is officially lost.  it really destroyed me this weekend because it was supposed to be my very adult watch.  once i wore this, i officially became an adult.  so, my friends, looks like it's back to square one.  poor choices, sleeping til' noon and goodwill, i'll need that denim mini skirt from abercrombie back.  in all honestly though, i worked so hard to be able to buy the watch i loved so much and i dealing with losing it was really really difficult for me.  i know, i know, there are worse things that could have happened or been lost, but my wrist will feel naked until that beautiful piece of gold and tortoise shell comes back into my life.

   but now my outfit.  jeb took these photos for me when we visited his old college town.  we made a short stop to horseneck beach which was calming and beautiful.  i wore a new tee i bought at nateva and i have to say, this is the softest and coolest tee i've owned in awhile.  stack does amazing work and uses only the best materials....aka michael stars tees.  with comfy shorts, a statment necklace and some gladiators with bling it was a great outfit for walking around jeb's old stomping grounds.

taking time.

wiley wears:

dress: uo

vest: uo

belt: h&m

wedges: old navy

     this weekend was so full in so many different ways.  i had terrible things happen and had wonderful things happen.  a strange weekend to come to grasp with.  so i will not try to do that here.  

      i wore this outfit to work on friday and rewore it today to see a movie with jill so i could get some photographs.  a simple outfit for a friday spent in the office and on our friend's boat.  

be back tomrorow, with more to say.

also, go check out my gorgeous friend taylor's equally gorgeous photographs on poppy and leo today.

dockside.

well my friends, we are off to spend the evening bbq'ing and hanging on our dear friend's boat.  very excited to relax and kick back with my very own lost boys.  tomorrow jeb and i head out for a daytime adventure and then i look forward to spending the rest of the weekend doing absolutely nothing. 

complete bliss.

wishing everyone a beautiful weekend.

my interpretation.

wily wears:

tee: splendid

trousers: madewell

vest: uo

belt: h&m

dexters: vintage

boater: f21

      today i wanted to channel a fabulously chic blogger; calivintage.  she does an impeccable job of making menswear pieces modern and feminine.  i thought throwing on a boater at the last minute would be the ultimate way to interpet her style and make it work with my own.  high-waisted trousers and a swingy vest kept my outfit balanced and ready for the office.  i think the caramel-colored dexters and braided belt added a vintage vibe.  overall, very happy with how it all came out.  still feeling a bit under the weather and thinking tonight will be early to bed.  

    i hope that everyone is having a fantastic end to the week.  i feel so optimistic about everything and ready to take on the world.  bring on the weekend!

wily wiley reads.

1. the girl who played with fire by stieg larsson - once you have read the first book of this series, the girl with the dragon tattoo, you are done for.  each book previews about twenty pages of the next book at the end, so you are pulled into the story before you even crack the next book open.  i found the second book to be even more exciting than the first and finished it in about three days.  larsson is an incredible story teller and does an awesome job of weaving multiple story lines together.  lisbeth salander is such an unexpected heroine and despite the fact that i find little in common with her character, i cannot help but root for her the whole way through.

2. eat, pray, love by elizabeth gilbert - this was my second round with this book and i have to say, the second time was so much better.  i initially read it when it first came out about four years ago and loved it, but didn't find quite the connection i did this time around.  gilbert is such a truthful and self-deprecating writer that you immediately feel like you are reading the words of a close friend.  split into three sections, italy, india and indonesia, my favorite were the middle stories about her time at an ashram in india.  i felt such a sense of peace reading about her experiences there and it pushed me to take a renewed interest in my yoga practice.  the book has recently been turned into a film and i have to admit, i fear it won't do the book the justice it deserves.

3. promises to keep by jane green - total beach read and guilty pleasure.  jane green has been my guilty pleasure writer for the last ten years.  my childhood bestfriend and i started reading her novels in high school and i just have not stopped.  they are always cheesy and lighthearted, but quick and fun reads.  this one took a totally new direction, as it was neither cheesy nor lighthearted.  it was sad.  green has a great perspective on relationships of all kinds and i always love the way she analyzes each of her characters.  pick this one up if you have a box of tissues and are headed to a very private beach.  (i found myself crying on the subway. never good.)

4. the girl who kicked the hornet's nest by stieg larsson - shortly after i finished the second book of this series i was forced to go out and purchase a hardback copy of the last one.  i just could not wait!  this one lived up to all my expectations and was a great finale to the series.  i was really sad to finish and tried to extend the last fifty pages for a few days so that i could look forward to reading those last few pages.  i don't want to say too much about these books, because once you read the first almost any mention of the book can give something away. but if you haven't read these yet, please go out and buy them all.  you won't regret it.

so now it's your turn.  what have you read recently?  what do i need to read? 
i am expecting imperial ballrooms by bret easton ellis (top-five favorite writer) in the mail shortly and have a few others, but am always looking to add to my bedside pile.

nateva wrap-up.

i was not feeling super hot last night and did not have time for a 'wiley wears' shoot, so i decided to wrap up my ramblings about nateva with a few pictures from our trip.  these pictures are all courtesy of my friends jill and christina, since i have yet to go through a single photo i took at the festival.  

1. jeb and i hanging at our beautiful at our perfect campsite

2. my home for the weekend, taken from christina's home

3. flaming lips show on saturday night

4. julia and i taking in some mclovins (seriously, check these kids out)

5. the disaster our campsite became after four days of endless fun

so to all my friends who made this such an incredible memory, thank you.

keep it loose. keep it tight.

wiley wears:

dress: j.crew

espadrilles: old navy

earrings: gift from ebi

     in the words of my beloved amos lee, "sometimes we forget what we got. who we are. oh, and who are not."  today felt like a day that revolved around those lyrics.  i find it difficult to figure out how to deal with the past, situate myself in the present, and mostly, how to stress less about the future.  i guess the important thing is to remember that we can't be focused on all three at the same time, which i so often find myself trying to do.  most importantly i try to remind myself that i can only be who i am and that is always enough.  needless to say, it was a day with lots of thinking and some thought-provoking inner dialogue.  so for today, i am enough.  writing it makes it true, right?

   in less obnoxious blabbering, onto my outfit.  my simple j.crew dress that has been loved as much as any one dress can be, was once again worn in a new way.  today i wanted to show the dress in a more summery and casual light.  wearing the dress with these striped espadrilles gave it a lighter feeling and using the cloth tie the dress came with rather than one of my larger statement belts kept with that idea.  i love taking a simple dress and finding so many ways to wear it.  

     the man outside dunkin donuts this morning told me i looked like a goddess.  i have decided it was less of being hit on and more that he appreciated the way the fabric falls in a grecian like way and the sandals laced up my ankles.  but lets be honest, if he was 'hollerin' at me,' i can accept that with gratitude as well.

special thanks to caroline for taking these photos.

oh, and for being an incredible person and friend.

gingham.

i will eternally love gingham.  it is the the perfect fabric for balmy summer days and there is something awfully feminine and soft about it when worn with denim, or even leather.  after perusing lots of images of gingham dresses, tablecloths, and accessories i will be keeping my eyes peeled on my thrifting adventures.

(and how about a gingham wall?  brilliant!)

{images via weheartit}