the ugly button-up

This week has been rather record-breaking when it comes to skies-that-make-me-love-arizona. 

Big, never-ending, whimsical expanses of blue and puffy white. Several times this week I've had to pull over on my way home from work just to take a second and look at the sky, wide-eyed, without crashing the car. 

I'm sure the sky here has always been this humongous. I think I just treasure it a little more, it catches my attention a lot easier. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that jazz. 

It's definitely a main reason why I love Arizona, and specifically this hometown of mine. I don't think I'm meant for city life. I just love the sky too much. I love the space, the land, the desert wildlife. They're all my peeps. 

In other news, this entire outfit is from another batch of shopaholic gifting. 

We went up to her apartment this week for a night of fun-hopping. We went and saw What If with Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan, which was positively delightful, by the way. It's going on the rotation for sure. We then went out for sushi. But before all that, we were at the apartment, and she dives in to her room for a sec and emerges with a large pile of clothes for me. Including a dress she bought on her birthday weekend in May. I was there. 

I'm not kidding when I say this entire outfit, either. Shoes, skirt, blouse, sweater. 

When I pulled this denim top out of the pile, I wrinkled my nose a tad. The shirt is sleeveless, and it's so long I almost mistook it for a dress. I hopped up and put it on over my shirt, which revealed that the hem hits me right below my bum, and showcases quite an extensive amount of my underarm area. The armholes are excessive. 

My shopaholic friend burst out laughing. "Oh man, I don't know. I'm not sure what I was thinking with that one!"

I don't know what that means to you, but to me it was like, challenge accepted. I knew right then that I had to try and wear it and make it work. It'd an odd little reject of a shirt, but the patterned denim is really cute, and I can already imagine the sweaters I can layer over it in the winter with the collar peeking out. 

I feel like maybe there's a life lesson in here somewhere. People and things can always surprise you, don't throw out the baby with the bathwater, keep your mind open to potential, shoot for the moon, etc. I think it's really a gift to see things for what they could be. Like a rundown shack turned dream home. Live your life like the Property Brothers. 

Besides, no one has to know that if I yanked my skirt down in this outfit I'd be ready for a hoe-down version of a Risky Business dance number. 

Have to save that for a rainy day.

remix: floral and stripes

original posts: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

One of my top favorite outfit combos. Floral and stripes. I think it's irresistible, I constantly find myself drawn to the two patterns in stores and catalogs and fashion blogs.
Black and white stripes are the chic lady's neutral. Think Kate Spade.
Luckily for me, I just came across a whole new host of floral patterns to add to my wardrobe (the shopaholic has struck again). This will be a busy week at work, so I'm excited to have some fun with my office attire.

PS: listening like crazy to Ingrid Michaelson's CD Lights Out. I'm loving all of the duets! Have you listened to it? It's a great soundtrack to chase away the Monday blues.

first things first

As with any true and grand celebration, the first thing we did when Dustin finished the bar exam on Wednesday was say, "LET'S GO EAT!"

I love food. Everyone does, because basically, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it (mmmm, but sugarcoating...), you'd die without it. Sometimes I think it's only natural that obesity takes over so many people's lives, because you can't actually give up food. An addict has no escape. 

Your life will not be better without food. It's not like you can go to a rehab dedicated to removing you from situations where food may come near you. Training you to be a better person without food. Food WILL come near you. Food will always get you in the end. 

All that being said, the true story behind these photos is that we were mega sucking-it-in because we were halfway through a stuff-your-face marathon of Italian foodery. 

Maggiano's (if you've heard of it, you know) is the perfect celebration spot, because they have something called Family Style which is an all-you-can-eat option made of a handful of appetizers and pastas and lemon cookies from the goddess of baking. 

You get to try a little bit everything, and then try it all again and again and again.

I've been wearing some fabulous hand-me-downs every day this week. My best friend, God bless her, is a shopaholic of the most charming kind.
Charming because I get all of her clothes when she cleans out her closet, which is often, because who could ever fit all of that fabric in one closet? Nobody. Which is why she also has clothes at her parent's house, but still, exploding with clothing. It's an arrangement that I'm more than happy to keep, and she feels great knowing that her clothes live on in another completely unique and special life (which also gives her the gumption to keep shopping, because charity and giving are good qualities).

It has been a wonderful week, and we are spending this well-earned weekend in California with Dusty's brother and sister-in-law! We get to see family and friends and maybe even our alma mater, CBU.
We will eat and beach and be merry.

Cheers to a fabulous August!