sunset: outfit 13

It was such a beautiful evening on Friday, and we got the chance to shoot some photos right as the sun began to shine through the trees before it set. It has been such a great week, but Friday couldn't come soon enough! I was looking forward to the farmer's market on Saturday, and walking along downtown and showing my friend some of my favorite spots.
Introducing outfit 13:

Top: LOFT, Vest: Kohl's (shop!), Pants: Old Navy, Shoes: Zulily

This spot is one of my favorites around our neighborhood.
We've done a couple photo shoots around here (like this one), and it's beautiful all year round. Probably my favorite is at the peak of Fall, when the largest trees turn a stunning shade of yellow and every time we drive down the street we're stunned by them.
I've always been a huge fan of sunset (being an Arizona girl, and also never being enough of a morning person for sunrises), and we had just met some friends for snow cones when we were heading home and decided to stop for our daily photos while it was still light enough.
It turned out to be the perfect time of day for photos!

It's moments like this that make me realize how much I love being outside. I'd love to take the opportunity to go on some local hikes, and use these cooler mornings for some of the gorgeous trails we have downtown.
We've talked a lot about trying to go out on a lake this summer, and also trying to get some friends together to go camping. Camping used to be an annual event for our family, and I haven't been in years and years.
I've never been camping with Dusty, and I think it'd be a blast! We'd both love to try and introduce camping into our regular summer activities.

double digits: outfit 10

Outfit 10 has really brought it home that my coworkers probably think I've gone crazy.
Or that I just really like this shirt.
Either way, there are just 3 days left of this mix and match challenge (I'm currently wearing outfit 12) and I'm starting to really itch to wear some of my ignored clothes!
As Holly says in P.S. I Love You, 

"I should get my [clothes]. They're all over the place. They're gonna think I don't love them."

Outfit 10 featured my cream top and cardigan, and my lovely purple lace skirt from LOFT. 

This week is overcast and rainy, and it's rather beautiful out. We've had a few storms come and go, but overall it has been mild and enjoyable.

I have a friend visiting this week, which has been so fun! There's nothing better than always having fun plans, and a tiny apartment full of laughter and good food and friends. 

Top/Skirt: LOFT, Shoes: Zulily

I wore this outfit on Tuesday, and that night we made pasta and had a grisly marathon of Hansel and Gretel, and Warm Bodies. It was an evening spent all bundled up on the couch and it was delightful.

Hansel and Gretel is just a typical kitschy horror flick, but it was enjoyable.

Warm Bodies, on the other hand, was definitely one I'd watch (and even buy) again. 

Having the inner dialogue of a zombie, and seeing life through his perspective, was definitely a refreshing twist on the classic horror trend. And that love was at the center of it all? Adorable.
Another bonus is that the soundtrack is awesome. 

I'd definitely recommend it to even the most squeamish of people, because while it is a movie in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, it's really a light-hearted story about how "love is what makes us human". Love is what unites us.

And keeps us from eating brains.

dress to vest: outfit 9

It's official, I invested in a vest and have been bested by the love of the vested. Wait...
Yeah. Anyway! Outfit 9 featured my new vest love with a dress!

I'm a big fan of small purses.

There are many reasons why, but first and foremost is that the more room I have in a bag, the more I put into it.

It's like a magnetic pull; if I have an adorable and giant bag, I turn all crazy-like and just start shoving things into it that have no business in a purse.

6 packs of gum, sachets of lavender potpourri, broken necklaces, batteries, 2 cameras, garbage. Just plain ol' garbage.

Obviously with so much gum, it was also filled with gum wrappers.

It got to the point where my husband would unwrap a piece of gum or candy or his McDouble (not really) and just throw the wrapper in my purse, because, well. That's where it went, wasn't it?

I'd ask someone to pass me my purse and they'd cry out in shock, hefting my Barney Bag across the room exclaiming, "What's in here, bricks!?"

Sometimes, yes. Why not? Why are you looking at me like that?

Dress: Ruche, Vest: Kohl's (shop!), Shoes: Zulily
Necklace: Francesca's

Cleaning out my bags became a really intense ritual.

"It's time," my husband would say and I would sigh. "Okay...okay. You're right."

Then I'd dump it all on the floor, make giant piles of "keep" and "toss" and then vacuum all of the loose lavender off of the floor.

Small bags are simple. And nice. And force me to make life-changing decisions about how many gum packets I have room for, and whether or not I really need 4 EOS lip balms in there at all times. 

Cheers to small purses. To not allowing the Barney inside of you to create a mass of nonsense in your giant purse. And if you have a giant purse and keep it organized and clean and attractive, with no old melted caramels in the pockets, then I nod respectively in your general direction while acknowledging that we have nothing in common. 

day of rest: outfit 8

I love Sundays.

Sleeping in, going to church, having a relaxed large lunch and skipping dinner in favor of relaxation and last minute weekend chores. 

We love our church - we're involved in the nursery and I absolutely love when we have the chance once a month to spend our morning with adorable munchkins. Our church is full of young families and it's so amazing to watch them grow. 

We almost always go out to eat on Sundays for lunch, and then the rest of the day is spent in leisure. 

Outfit 8 of my 15 day challenge was perfect for Sunday morning and transitioned well into our lunch with friends, although I honestly changed into my pajamas for the rest of the afternoon. This blog should be an honest blog.

Top: LOFT, Shoes: Zulily

More honest talk: real women iron their clothes.
I'm coming to this conclusion and I have to say, I don't like it.
While I cannot deny that this past week of posts has really hit home that I never iron my clothes and would look much better if I did, it's such a commitment! I think all clothes should be wrinkle free.
I hate grabbing something from my closet that I want to wear, and seeing it all wrinkled. Confession? I just put it back and reach for something slightly less wrinkled. I'm that lazy.
But at the age of 24, I think it's time to stop pretending like I can look like a hobo on a daily basis.
I need to iron my clothes, for the love of Pete.

happy saturday: outfit 7

Outfit number 7 was for a relaxed and fun-filled Saturday.
In the morning I had book club, and that evening we were heading out on the town with another couple for a double date night.

Top/Shorts: J. Crew, Shoes: Zulily, Sunglasses: Ruche

I cheated a little bit in these first few pictures and sported one of my very favorite pairs of sunglasses from Ruche. While they're not an official accessory, they just worked so well with my Saturday ensemble. It was a sunshiney day!

That morning I went to a spot downtown that I had never been to before, to have breakfast with my book club. We read The Poisonwood Bible this month, and are starting on Bread & Wine for next month, which I couldn't be more excited about!

Market at Main is a great spot downtown and I loved my sweet potato pancakes. I really look forward to going there again!
Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table by Shauna Niequist is a darling book filled with life excerpts and personal recipes. It's a quick and delightful read, and the book club is mixing things up a little this month by meeting at one of our houses, and having all of us make and bring one of the recipes from the book. I'm thrilled!
One of our book club members reached out to the author, and asked if the publisher could maybe provide our book club with free copies of the book so we could read it together, and review and blog about it. And they said yes! And sent us all copies.
Our book club is filled with students and stay-at-home moms, so having these books provided for us is such a treat. I normally just request the book from our library, so having my own copy of this one which I already love is really exciting.

That night we went out to The Dahlia to mark the first day of Restaurant Week.
I love Restaurant Week. It's one of my favorite parts of summer in Lynchburg!

My absolute favorite thing at The Dahlia is the beer cheese soup. It's creamy and flavorful and served with popcorn, and it's pretty much brilliant. Pub food at its finest and yummiest.
After dinner we drove around admiring the old money houses of the surrounding neighborhoods, and enjoyed having the windows down with such gorgeous weather.
It was a great Saturday.