the time and place

Happy Friday!!

Head on over to Ruche's Blog this afternoon for a fun Frocktober feature!

Two of my outfits from last week are featured, as well as some other lovely ensembles from other adorable bloggers out there!

Also, this dress from Ruche is now on sale for $14.50. Kind of amazing. There are only a couple left, so polka-dot it up!

I'm thrilled it's the weekend.

A bunch of us are playing volleyball tonight (clinging to summer, obviously) and this weekend the hubs and I are heading to Richmond to see my favorite band, Needtobreathe, in concert.

I won a contest for free tickets, a meet & greet with the band, and some signed merchandise - so even though this entire entry isn't in all caps like I secretly want it to be, I'm about to jump out of my skin with excitement. 

Frocktober has been happening happily - I love dresses, and I'm somewhat embarrassed to say I've pretty much only invested in dresses for a long time now. They're my favorite thing to wear. It doesn't matter the temperature or the event or the time of day, I'm all about frocks. 

This is my Frocktober, day 9:

There's something about putting stripes and florals together that just speaks to me.

I think I was born to pattern mix - I think if you went back to my earliest journals, I was throwing stripes, polka dots, flowers...all in the same composition. 

I think there's a time and place for the truly classic - a black dress with sparkly jewelry, a standard button-up and pencil skirt. I'm just hardly ever in those times and places. 

Dress: Zulily, Sweater (similar, similar): Forever21, Jewelry (similar, similar): Ruche

lumberjack

It's pretty stereotypical of me to associate a nice plaid print with a lumberjack - I certainly didn't feel like a lumberjack yesterday.

With my poofy skirt, clinking bangles and bright teal tights, I'd say I was more of a...fairy lumberjack.

Which I'm on board with.

On a side note, these are my very first tights of the season.
I feel rather happy that they're the crazy teal. Who knows what colored tights will show up this fall!

It's funny how the simplest things can really change the way you see yourself.
Small things that other people may not even see, but that seem like such a drastic change to you.
Things like changing which side you part your hair, or getting that small but significant trim that you feel sure people should notice.
Losing a few pounds, changing your makeup routine, using new hair product.

For me, it's when I don't use a bobby pin for my bangs.
Because the thing is, I don't even have bangs anymore. I've grown them completely out, and yet I still stick a bobby pin to the side every single day.
Yesterday, the bobby pin started slipping (which also happens multiple times a day...darn you, fine hair!) and I went to readjust it and clumsily dropped it in the car somewhere, where it shall remain forevermore.

Top: Ross, Skirt: J. Crew, Tights: Target, Boots: DSW, Bangles: Kate Spade

My husband and I went on a date night, bobby-pinless, and when we got home we went straight out to take some pictures before it got too dark.
When I look at these pictures, there's something odd and different about my appearance.
And all it took was the escape of a bobby pin.

dalmatian plantation

Sometimes I love an outfit enough to wear it more than once!
My husband and I went to Richmond a couple weekends ago for a mini vacation, and this was my last-day outfit. We went to a fancy Sunday brunch, shopped a little, and had a lovely drive back home.

I wore this ensemble because I knew it'd be kind of fun for a day date, but also extremely comfortable.
This polka-dot dress has the perfect amount of bounce to it, and is wrinkle resistant so obviously it's the best for travel (and just for my everyday life since I generally oppose ironing).
I've been staring at this dress hanging on my closet door this week, and I tried to avoid putting together the exact same outfit but I finally decided to just accept that I love it and reject any outfit repeat shame.
The only person who would judge me for the repeat is myself, and maybe some Richmond strangers who may stumble on my blog and be shocked that I would dare wear my mall strolling outfit to work in the same month.

Dress: LOFT (shop!), Top: Old Navy (shop! Only $5.97!), Boots: Urbanog, Earrings: Cookie Lee

I also wore this dress in a little remix series I did, called "5to5".
I mentioned that this dress reminds me of 101 Dalmatians, which it totally does.
The dots are a little hazy and smudgy, and while my husband likes to refer to this as my "cow dress" or "cowgirl" outfit, I tend to focus on the cute puppy dot comparison.

cowgirls and vera wang

I have found them, guys.
The most comfortable leg coverings of all time.
Actually, to be fair, my mother found them and sent them to me as a rather delightful gift.
And they're Vera Wang, so, you know what they say.

You don't alter Vera to fit you,
you alter yourself to fit Vera!

But in this case, it doesn't matter, because these are stretchy and form fitting on purpose!

Dress: Ruche, Jacket: LOFT, Pants: Kohl's, Vera Wang (shop!)
Boots: DSW, Scarf: Gifted

Since the riding boot style has become so wildly popular, it was only a matter of time before riding pants became fashionable. They're delightful, in every way. Grab yourself a pair and thank me later.
(Plus they're crazy on sale!)

I can't remember the last time I was that comfortable throughout my desk-job day.
The dress is one of my first Ruce purchases, and one of my favorites. I've often worn it as a long blouse, with my light yellow skinny jeans or with tights and flats.
(See remixes here and here on my other blog!).

I also love the gold flecks in this Christmas-gift scarf, from my mother-in-law. It's one of my favorite scarves this winter! The infinity scarf trend is a total treasure.

Enjoy your Tuesday!
Cait

pink tights: challenge accepted

First things first:
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!! :)
For those of you who hate this day, shame on you. It tickles me pink that there's a day set aside for love - no matter what that may look like. A lunch date with your mom, a pajama-clad night watching chick flicks, giving candy to your best friends, going out on the town...celebrate love today.

This blog post is about celebrating love. And celebrating pink.

About yesterday's outfit: I really love challenges.

I think it speaks volumes about my childhood. Surrounded by three brothers, I somehow had to make up for being a girl by trying to be tough and never, ever turning down a dare.
It was like the magic word. Dare.
Whenever someone dared me to do something, everyone knew it would happen. And don't even get me started on Double Dog Dares.
I drank toilet water, ate horse poop, asked the cute neighbor for a cup of sugar for no reason other than to get him to come outside...
I'd like to think I've matured since then, but I definitely still perk up a little at the mention of a challenge or a dare. And since there was no unsanitary meals involved, I felt like I could definitely manage this one.
My friend Allison told me to try and make pink tights work.
So, I bought the most obnoxious color pink tights I could think of (they were the only ones I could find) and pulled them on yesterday, and am presenting them to you today for a very Happy Valentine's Day. :)

My husband only gave me one piece of advice, as I showed him my various concepts for pink-tightedness.
(He was absolutely baffled at how I was going to fit into the tiny new pair of tights. Apparently he's never seen tights before.)
"Just...try to avoid looking like a little girl. Okay?"
So I guess pigtails were out of the question.

Dress: Ruche, Cardigan: Gifted, Tights: Target, 
Boots: Gifted via DSW, Earrings: Noon (shop!)

It was the coolest evening.
It had been raining most of the day, in soft drizzles and cloudy moroseness.
By the time we left, fog had settled contentedly on the hills beyond and the lights from the surrounding buildings and apartments were glowing warmly.

I'm definitely not comfortable with pink tights.
I think these high brown boots were mostly to keep them from being too intimidating.
Overall, I think I would much rather have a darker pink - maybe even hot pink, or a patterned/textured tight.
The more I tried stuff on, the more I realized it was better to try and blend them into a look (like this watercolor floral print dress), rather than wear, say, a black outfit with them as the kicker. They're too light of a pink to be an effective statement color, so they need to just fit dreamily in the rest of the outfit so they don't look too strange.
Having said all that, I'm not sure I'm done trying them out yet.
Overall I was happy with the completed challenge, and who knows -- they might reappear around here again someday.

Now go enjoy your Valentine's Day, darlings. :)

all the king's horses

I'm currently wearing pink tights.
I've spent the entire morning doubting myself and telling myself that no, the janitor wasn't judging me, he was just doing his job.
In my pink tights search, I ran into some serious problems. As in, I couldn't find any.
I searched 4 or 5 stores, and since there are no Forever 21s in Lynchburg (what kind of college town is this?), I felt kind of desolate.
I even almost went into Hot Topic, but save for the few adolescently turmoiled years in junior high, I'm never quite willing to be at a Hot-Topic-level in my life. No judgment here, though, for those of you who did go in there yesterday. You looked happy, kind of.

Target was the only choice, and the only choice they had was Pepto-Bismol.
It didn't actually say Pepto-Bismol on the label, but I went ahead and added it.
I almost grabbed the "wine" colored dark purpleish tights instead, but I knew in my soul I would never be satisfied accepting a challenge by skirting off into the purple zone. Nay, I had to bismol-it-up.

Please come by and ridicule me. The photos will be up tomorrow.

For now, enjoy yesterday's outfit! Devoid of any upset-stomache-medicine hues.

Dress: Ruche (similar)(remixed), Top: Modcloth, Belt: Gifted via LOFT (shop!)
Boots: Gifted via Zulily, Tights: Target

For those of you who don't know, my mom is a super amazing horse trainer.
My parent's house is located in Arizona, sitting on a good handful of acres and housing happy horses and other small animals. It was a joy to grow up there. It's still a joy to go back!
She built a business at home, calling it Grianna Stables. It has blessed countless people, including me!
She's a hard worker, a brilliant friend, a fantastic teacher and a wicked wit.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't buy this top just because it reminded me of her.

Somehow, my siblings and I weren't bitten by the horse bug.
We all split into various trails of passions and interests, and I think my mom was left a little bit baffled.
I'm kind of baffled, too, looking back. It makes me wonder and worry, a little, about what my kids will love and not love. It's easy to think about sharing my favorite books and music interests with my future daughter, but what if she hates the Beatles and wants nothing to do with leopard print and spicy food!?
My mom has been so gracious. And in turn, she has been blessed with a business that is overflowing with passionate women who love horses, love to ride, and love her. 
And I'm pretty confident that she will be followed around by little cowboy and cowgirl grandchildren who think she's the best thing in the world.

This weird little garden is hidden away on campus, across from the big house.
I find it both charming and strange, the home of stone sheep and cement benches and various shrubbery.

These pictures continually cause me to slap myself over that impulsive bang-cutting of 2012.
They can't grow out soon enough.

The Kiss of the Sun for Pardon
The Song of the Birds for Mirth
One is Nearer God's Heart in a
Garden than Anywhere Else on Earth

Until the next pink-tights-time we meet,

Cait