family and hearts

This is a bit of a throwback post, which I suppose is fitting since it's a Thursday.
This isn't that far back, though. It's the simple and casual last day of Dusty's family being in town over Christmas break.
We went downtown, grabbed some coffee, flitted around the farmer's market, ate from a taco truck (which had the most amazing butternut squash tacos - yeah, that's a thing, and you should thank the Lord for them like I already have.)
It was a beautiful day, cold and clear. We ended up driving over to Bedford to visit the D-Day Memorial, which was really lovely and sombering, like most historical war ventures are.

Top: Ross, Sweater (remixed here): Old Navy, Jeans: Thrifted

This is possibly the most inexpensive outfit I have ever put together.

The plaid was a great find at Ross for $12, the sweater was an out-of-season purchase a year or two ago from Old Navy for $5, and the jeans I bought from a local yard sale site for, if I remember correctly, $2. 

The shoes were a gift, bringing the grand total to $19. Score.

I'm definitely not what you'd call a thrifter, but I do appreciate a good bargain and never shy away from friendly hand-me-downs. I've shopped my best friend Becky's closet dozens of times, but she's a shopaholic. Her problem benefits us both so I've never confronted her about it.

These jeans are one of my favorite pairs, because I nabbed them (for $2!) at a time when I was specifically searching for distressed jeans. I had recently watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother where Lily Aldrin was wearing a pair, and I was inspired. I often find my inspiration from characters I love, so this outfit is a tribute to her and her cuteness. 

print mixing and baby soft suede

I've found myself on my own a few times in the last few weeks, picture-taking wise.
I would never claim to be an expert, and am still quite unashamedly gobbling up every "self-portrait tutorial" tips I see on other fashion blogs.
Whenever I have to take my own pictures, when my dutiful husband is studying late or has some other commitment, I wander over to these treets to the side of our apartment complex. They're below our parking lot on a hill, and besides a passing car or two, no one is ever around.
I'm still pretty awkward-feeling when it comes to setting up my tripod and posing. I have an idea of how I want something to look like, but I find myself wandering into the same poses, unsure and startled any time I hear a noise.
On this particular venture I stepped up onto a log and the camera kept snapping as the log shifted and I nearly fell over.
I think it's definitely time I invested in a remote -- and hopefully soon, an even better lense.

I loved the way this dress and skirt went together. For you pattern-shy people, this might be like an explosion of pastel that totally repels you.
I think some print mixing can be a quite healthy endeavor. There are a few key tricks, and this outfit demonstrates one I haven't used very often. Pair a tight pattern with a more open one - in this case, the color schemes are pretty much identical, so they complement each other quite nicely.
If the dress was a tight bird print, it wouldn't work as well. Since the prints are different concentrations, I give it my stamp of approval. (Again, I'm much more liberal in patterns than most.) What do you think?

Dress (remixed)/Skirt (remixed): Ruche

On Tuesday I finally pulled out a heart sweater I got on super sale at Old Navy last year.

I almost forgot about it -- I bought it in the warmer months, so I knew I wouldn't be wearing it until it started getting cold again. I found it while I was rummaging through the things at the top of my closet, and was so excited!

It ended up being a part of a very colorful, playful ensemble. I wanted to remix this polka dot dress, and this sweater was the perfect solution. I kind of loved it. 

Dress (remixed)/Boots (remixed)(shop 1, 2) : Ruche, Sweater: Old Navy 

I've talked before about how much I love these boots, but now I almost just want to put them on a pedestal and stare at them instead of wear them because they're the soft suede that is so easily scuffed.
It's a part of boot-wearing life, so I need to just let them live out their life without fear. But I want them to live a very very long time.
Or maybe I'll just buy like 3 back-up pairs.
On that note, Ruche is almost sold out, but I found them a bit cheaper on Urbanog, if you're interested (in buying me back-up pairs)!