tgif {frocktober, day 8 and 9}

Outfit 1: Dress (remixed): gifted

Outfit 2: Top: zulily, Dress: borrowed, 

Leggings (remixed 1, 2): Pink Blush Maternity

This weekend has already been speeding by. Any time we spend working on the house seems to eat away at our days. A full day seems less effective somehow. So many projects, so many minutes slipping away. It's hard to feel like real progress is being made until you take a peek at those "before" photos and realize how incredible the difference is already!

Yesterday we finished the wood floors (!!!!!) downstairs; the only room that still needs them is the front office, which will remain closed off for a while until after we move in. No rush to get that room finished. I'll confess, I took a little break from working on the house to have a little girls lunch to celebrate the return of Reign. Season 3 premiered this week, so we had a themed lunch with Scottish Potato Leek Soup, French Bread, Madame Macarons, and Nostradamus' Brew. It was a blast.

The last two outfits of this past week were for basic comfy layering. As you can tell, I've been on a stripes kick. I don't think I've ever worn stripes with stripes before, but I really wanted to wear this cozy striped maternity top my mom got me for my birthday. I love the orange sleeves. I didn't want to wait until after Frocktober to wear it, so I needed to dressify it somehow. It's so long that it might almost be considered leggings-appropriate, but not quite. I used one of my borrowed bodycon dresses to add length and continue the stripes all the way down.

Now, I'm getting ready to don a big t shirt and workout shorts to go work on the house some more. I'll be dressing up this evening for a little belated birthday gathering with friends. Have a beautiful Sunday, friends.

postcards from california

A quick look at our little Californian adventure.

We arrived late Friday night, as it took a couple more hours to get there than normal, due to some strange traffic and construction. We were staying with Dustin's brother and sister-in-law, who just moved to Long Beach from San Diego! Danny and Erin are expecting a baby boy this October, so they're currently living with her parents until their new house is ready. 

We went to Trump International, walking along the golf course and hiking down to the beach. It was a bit muggy and overcast, but beautiful. We grabbed fish tacos for lunch in the sketchiest of all neighborhoods, fearing for our lives when a set of firecrackers went off. I think they must play that trick a lot. Dustin ducked to the side like a pro, but I'll mention that he did not try to save me from the faux-bullets. 

After that we went back to the house to get ready! That evening we were renting a Duffy boat for a few hours, to eat out on the water and toast to Dustin finishing the bar exam. A few other couple friends of ours drove out to join us, which was so much fun. We ate our gourmet hand-chosen dinners from Gelson's supermarket and chatted. It had been a long time since we were able to visit all together! All three girls were bridesmaids in my wedding, so it's always fun to look back over the course of our marriage and see how much everything has changed for everyone. I'm so glad they're still in my life.

After the Duffy boat ride a few of us went back to the house and relaxed in the hot tub in the backyard, and then ate some ice cream in front of the fireplace! Our friends then had to drive back home, so the four of us got in our pjs and slept like babies. It was the perfect day.

Sunday morning they took us to The Hangout for brunch at Seal Beach, then took a few minutes to walk along the pier. We had a long drive ahead of us, so we said goodbye to Danny and Erin and headed towards Riverside! Dustin and I went to CBU for college, so we couldn't help stopping by for some quick reminiscing. We went by our old apartments, walking hand-in-hand as we took in everything that has changed since we went to school there. It was pretty overwhelming!

We actually got stopped by a campus policeman, who apparently thought we were pretty fishy, taking photos and laughing and sighing at everything. I think he thought we were dangerously emotional. 

We grabbed some much-needed Starbucks and hopped over to Redlands to see my cousins, who just moved into a gorgeous new home (actually, into a gorgeous old home). 

It was such a fantastic weekend. Even though it took us a freakish 8 hours to get there, and almost 9 to get home (more weird traffic/construction/storm damage), it was well worth the drive. We love California!

the tapestry bag

The tale of this tapestry bag probably begins a long time ago, way back when I first saw Anne of Green Gables. My desire for one has only increased over the years, and when I finally got around to reading Anne of Green Gables, it was settled.

Matthew, however, was spared the ordeal of speaking first, for as soon as she concluded that he was coming to her she stood up, grasping with one thin brown hand the handle of a shabby, old-fashioned carpet-bag; the other she held out to him....

"Oh, I can carry it," the child responded cheerfully. "It isn't heavy. I've got all my worldly goods in it, but it isn't heavy. And if it isn't carried in just a certain way the handle pulls out--so I'd better keep it because I know the exact knack of it. It's an extremely old carpet-bag. 

Sweater (shop!)/Tapestry Bag (sold out): Ruche, Bottoms: Thrifted, Necklace: Anthropologie, Shoes: Urbanog, 

Of course, this particular bag isn't extremely old and doesn't contain all of my worldly goods in it. But it certainly could, and the dreamer in me just has to close her eyes and grasp the handles to imagine the life-changing adventure that is about to occur -- just my tapestry bag and me.

There's something about having this tapestry bag that makes me feel really grown up.

I packed it up for our Thanksgiving weekend with friends, and I loved feeling put together for once. We've always survived on mismatched and hand me down suitcases, which have always done the trick just fine. Dusty and I have a random stack of bags under our bed, and we usually just cram everything into one bag whenever we travel.

But having something cute and folksy that's all mine is kind of lovely all on its own. A bag just for weekends, those special short trips reserved for close-by mini adventures or holiday getaways. 

This sweater is also one of my favorite new things from Ruche, and I have already worn it a little too often lately. The bows and pearls are so sweet! 

I guess I was feeling a little retro yesterday because I parted my hair down the middle for the first time in many years. I was overwhelmed with how much I look like my mom. I kept picturing a photo of her when she was around my age, with her long straight hair, parted down the middle and all. I couldn't ask for a more lovely look-alike, but it made me miss her something fierce.

We're basically twinsies, except for my chin and sense of humor which belong to my dad. 

I think I'll keep up the middle-part for a while longer. :)

color me in critters

Dress (remixed)(shop!): Ruche, Sweater (remixed)(shop!): JCPenney

Day 20: I realized when I was compiling this week's posts that my Sunday and Monday outfits consisted of a very similar color pattern!
I guess I was feeling cheerful after a brilliant Saturday night at the fair, and a Sunday spent at Chapel Hill with our friends. They showed us around their old college stomping grounds.
It was especially chilly, so we cozied up and went to a cute little breakfast place for coffee and waffles. Then we walked around the beautiful campus and enjoyed listening to their stories and memories.
Something about college days just resonates with me - maybe it's just that way for every graduate. But I loved hearing the details they remembered, like being able to make it to class at a sprint in 3 minutes flat, or where they spent their first date.
There's an odd sense of pride in being alumni, in having belonged to a specific community...one that continues to have a legacy that you're able to be a part of. There's a kind of nostalgia there that I can definitely relate to.

Day 21: I finally succumbed to Dusty's cold, and we have thus spent the week wanting nothing more than to be home, eating soup, in our pajamas.
But since that's not always an option, I stuck to my guns and still wore a dress. Layering with tights, a loose sweater-wannabe top and a scarf helped calm my pajama cravings, and we opted for going on a little double date night at Olive Garden for soup instead!
I pretty much always/only get soup at Olive Garden, so it totally hit the spot.

Dress (remixed): Ruche, Top: LOFT, scarf/earrings: gifted

I'm finding a renewed passion in scarves this fall. I don't think I've ever truly explored the many ways to use them, and I get lost on Pinterest looking at all the different ideas.
It's kind of like the time I realized you could knot and twist belts around your waist, rather than just buckling them. It brings a whole new dynamic to such a simple accessory.

Scarves are often one of those things I forget to use, style wise. I might wear them out of necessity, like in Paris or somewhere truly cold, but every time I see an outfit I really love with a great pop of color from a plaid or floral scarf I remember: oh right! I have a bunch of those. I should wear them.
And this one's extra great because it's a pop of color and a bit of sparkle.

the fairgrounds

There's something enchanting about a fair.
Especially a State Fair - it sounds so grand and invigorating, something that unites everyday locals by serving them junk food with twinkling music and bright lights and games that you know are rigged but you can't help but play anyway. It's competitive and recreational, playful and intoxicating.

We went to a State Fair this past Saturday and stood around various food booths for at least an hour straight when we first arrived.
Bloomin' onions, mini donuts, hot french fries with vinegar, corn on the cob with cajun and parmesan, fried cookie dough and frozen cheesecake dipped in chocolate. For some reason nothing at the fair actually fills your stomach - it all just makes you more hungry. It's bewitched.

It was a pretty busy night, and we arrived right at sunset so we got to enjoy the fair right at the beginning of its glorious night time glow. We didn't ride any rides because the lines were so long, but we did sing, dance, skip, eat, laugh, play, eat, eat, and eat.

Last year was my husband's first time going to a State Fair, so I'm glad we were able to go again this year -- and this time with friends, who grew up in the area and have gone every year since they were little! It's a fun tradition and it was even more fun to hear their favorite spots, and to see how quickly they could find their way in the maze of littered popcorn and bustling strangers. 

Last year was so warm, but this year it was slightly drizzly at first and stayed pretty cool throughout the evening. I love this dress for its endless versatility (see it remixed here), and I kept it pretty casual with an open plaid top (remixed here), tights and boots, and a coat for the rain and chilly breezes.

It was fun to experiment with a photo shoot at night --- I always try to avoid those, but there are so many lights and so many colors that the pictures turned out pretty cool. We also got to enjoy a fireworks show later that evening! 

It was the perfect way to pretend to be a kid again, road tripping and skipping around the fairgrounds on a dreary Saturday night.