be mine

Happy Valentine's day, everyone!

I'm currently all fancied up and getting ready for Dustin and I's date night. We're seeing Kingsman: The Secret Service and going out to a new restaurant, Olive and Ivy! I can't wait.

Yesterday's outfit was definitely due to my novel dress series. This dress was inspired by The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, and once I posted about it I couldn't help but buy it. That series has been so much fun to read and even though I'm the one that named it a Lamora dress, I needed to own it anyway. I'm really glad I took the leap, because I love it. It's much silkier and brighter than I originally thought, which is totally fine by me!

Overall, this post is just a quick note in honor of one of my favorite holidays. There are plenty of valentine naysayers out there, but I think it's beautiful that there's a day set aside for love every year. Of course, we should always show our loved ones we cherish and appreciate them, but Valentine's Day brings with it sweets and chocolate-shaped hearts, little cartoons of cherubs and Disney characters, Galentine's Day (cutesie term for honoring besties), and so many other fun ways to celebrate. Whether you're dating someone and dressing up for romance or simply dressed in pink and red to go out with your best friends, it's a day worth celebrating. We are lucky to have so much love.

Dress (shop!): Ruche

this time last year

spider lady of shalott

Looking back on my style posts around this time last year has brought on a very acute sadness for the lack of changing leaves here in AZ. Part of me absolutely loves the gorgeous Fall weather here (gorgeous meaning sunny: a tad nippy in the evenings but bright and almost warm during the days). The other part misses my collection of boots and tights and scarves and gloves and hats. I've kept them in boxes, more content to keep them out of my sight than to remind myself how beautiful they all are.

This morning I did break open one box labeled "Caitlin Winter" (can that be my alter ego? because I dig it) and clutched all of the beautiful sweaters to my chest. Oh, how I have missed them. It felt like an early Christmas gift.

In looking back on last year's style, I grabbed a few photos of my favorite looks from the end of October through November for this wintry recollection post. More for me than you, but even so, I hope you enjoy.
This was around the time I started getting restless with my hair, and began curling it every day and going rogue by parting it down the center. I then dyed the tips red in an act of uncharacteristic edginess. It was also a rather glorious time of friendship, afternoon dates, road trip adventures, sleeping in, discovering new things, and loving life. Great memories swirling among those Autumn leaves.

frocktober: the end

afternoon dates

the tapestry bag

the vintage slip

living in sunshine

Top (on ebay): Anthropologie, Skirt (remixed): LOFT, 
Earrings (remixed): Ruche, Booties: Urbanog, Ring (similar): Ebay

It's amazing how working in a space of sunshiney natural light can quite literally illuminate you.
Your soul, your well-being, your general happiness.
It seems like a small thing, but there's a certain power to the sun that gives me a whole new respect for like...coal miners. And Alaskans. And subway workers. And sunshine-less people, like me, up until last month.

My office used to be a windowless closet that sapped me of my energy and it was such a huge surprise to me when I moved into the new building and sat staring out my window for hours, feeling like -- I'm alive. 
I felt a renewed sense of self, like I could do anything, go anywhere. I felt productive and excited.
There's a new heartbeat to this building, and I can feel it!
There are terraces and windows galore, so much light and activity and newness.

It has been really easy for me to get used to, but I will try my best not to take it for granted. 

It makes me realize what a difference joy can make in the midst of the daily grind. Having pride in your work and feeling like you're a part of something special.

Where do you find your joy? 

It's a conscious effort, but it shouldn't be easily shaken. I hope I'm always able to find joy in my work, whatever it may be. Whether it's becoming an author like I sometimes (always) dream about, or working at a cafe. 

All I know right now is that I hope there's sunshine there.

frocktober: the end

Halloween dawned drizzly and melancholy, which I suppose was fitting for the holiday.

We actually took these pictures in the light rain that afternoon, but the beautiful tree above me blocked almost all of it.

I was imagining all the kids praying for clear skies before nightfall so they could trick or treat in good weather!

Our Halloween was simple. Candy, apple cider, pumpkin carving, and Children of the Corn. Can't get more Halloweeny than that!

I must say, I enjoy scary movies. But I'm very, very picky, because I'm very easily scared. So if I'm going to spend the night in total terror, I want it to be worth it. It needs to be a great movie. (Secret Window, The Orphanage, Signs...ok, ok, I know. Signs isn't that scary. But when I saw it in theaters at 14, it was scary enough.)

Or, as was the case with Children of the Corn, it needs to be so old and so cheesy that I can still sleep at night. 

Dress: Lauren Conrad/Kohl's, Top: Ruche, Booties: Urbanog

I've always enjoyed a little bit of creepiness. I enjoy cozying up with Dustin, anticipating the strange and terrible, plugging my ears and squinting my eyes if it's particularly intense. 

Even better is watching a great scary movie (or show -- have you watched Sleepy Hollow? One of my favorite new shows this Fall!) with a group of friends.

I don't celebrate Halloween, really -- I just like candy, and cider, and carving pumpkins. I love Fall, and that's all Halloween really is to me. It's wearing orange tights and binge-eating almond Snickers. It signifies the last big bash of my birthday month, my lovely October. It's the beginning of Thanksgiving time. It's a time to sit in the living room, jumping up whenever the doorbell rings, to see the cute groups of kids running around like I used to do, asking for candy. It's not evil, it's just imagination. I'm a lover of imagination, stories, magic, beauty, fairytales. 

October (and, in effect, Frocktober) was a beautiful month. A little sad to bid farewell.

But very excited for all the treasures of November! Even if the leaves aren't quite as bright, I'll just have to burn more candles and hang some glitter to make up for it. 

in the woods

I love gifted clothes. I love the thought of picking something out specifically for someone else to wear. 

Likewise, I love when people pick out things specifically for me to wear!

Clothes and accessories, like jewelry, are somewhat personal - so when someone takes the time (or happens to have a flash of ohmygosh they would love that! while shopping), I really appreciate it and tend to treasure it. 

Occasionally I even do so if I don't even like the item that much...which probably isn't the greatest thing to do, but I can't help but be grateful and appreciative of such a sweet gift, even if it isn't necessarily my style or something I would have picked out for myself. 

That is not the case with this Anthropologie fox top, however!

I would have absolutely picked this out for myself, and I couldn't even wait to wear it until after Frocktober.
My husband's brother and sister-in-law saw it in Anthropologie and knew I would love it!
I built a dress outfit specifically around this shirt, and it happened to also include the fabulous orange tights my best friend got for me, too!

Top (shop!): Anthropologie, Dress: old/gifted, Earrings (shop on sale!): Ruche

I love the scoop/button-up back, and it comes in some really cute alternative critter-themed prints and colors!
But of course, foxes are my favorite. :)