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.

polka cats

Last week was all about the polka dots.
I wore my polka dot dress, and these same polka-dot loafers with a blue dress.

On Thursday I opted for more casual workday attire, and sported my fanciest cat top (I can say "fanciest" because I have more than one...) with my purple pants and the aforementioned polka-dot loafers.
This week will be a little different, because I lent out my camera to some friends who were having issues with theirs right on the brink of their departure for an Alaskan Cruise.
I gave in, acquiescing that their reasons for taking quality pictures were much better than mine.

Thus, my picture quality will be significantly lessened this week, as it shall be only my quick-fix iPhone on hand.
My nifty little device that serves as my camera, my social media connection and my pizza-orderer all in one.

Top: Ruche, Pants: Old Navy, Shoes: Gap, Ring: (similar on Etsy)

I love my back porch.
I take a lot of pictures back there because it's deceptively private, except in the winter when all the houses on the other side of the shallow forest become visible again.

It's a shared porch with countless other apartment tenants, but whenever I go out there it's a ghost town.
There was one time I walked out to take photos and was accosted by a tiny white yapping dog (which nearly caused me to scream-choke in fright), and one other time when a little boy was sitting on our patio furniture staring at me.
I simply backed away.

Despite those little bits of crazy, for the most part, it's just me. 

Enjoying the summertime with the weather, the patio furniture and my husband working at the grill.

in good company

This past week has been a dream.
Whenever my parents/family/friends come into town, it always feels a little like we're just playing house. Our life here goes on pause for a little while, and everything is off kilter in a fun and happy way.
We go out to eat almost every night, showcasing our favorite local eats, we drive around town, we go see movies and have breakfast and drink coffee... and our mini apartment becomes a fort with spare beds and dishes and suitcases. It's chaotic and wonderful.

Dress: Ruche (similar), Blazer: LOFT, Shoes: Blowfish,
Ring: Vintage, Bangle: Cookie Lee

It definitely makes it really hard on us when they leave, though. Everything is quiet and clean and we sit around going, okay...so how does this go again?



























I wore this outfit to work last week. I love this dress. It's beachy, or maybe carnival-y, and I always tend to reach for it when I'm feeling happy and colorful. It's definitely a summertime dress (although I did wear it for my October birthday this past year, because I was feeling happy and colorful then, too.)
The ring is one I stumbled upon in my little ring box; my mom gave it to me a while ago, along with some other jewelry she's had for a while. I enjoy wearing jewelry that used to be hers, because it feels like it still is hers and I'm just borrowing it, and maybe someday I'll let my daughter borrow it, too.



This may be the hardest year we've had to face in Virginia and being away from home, but there's also so much to look forward to. I have a pretty good feeling that when we move back to Arizona after Dusty graduates and takes the bar, all of this will feel like a dream. A really wonderful dream that we'll never get to return to -- so every day is going to be wonderful.

I wish there was a way to know you're in the good ol days,

before you've actually left them.

-Andy Bernard, The Office

Tonight we're off to another great dinner spot, The Dahlia, and then we're off to Cleveland for the weekend.

I'll continue living in a dream until Monday - but I'll try and find some way to feel happy and colorful once they leave, too.

5to5: weekday remix

I've seen several fashion blogs do remix posts to showcase a particular item of clothing in multiple outfits.
Remixing is a great way to challenge yourself to draw inspiration from the items in your closet!

Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky has some great "Remixology" posts that have served as my inspiration for this "5to5" project.
I reference her blog often, because it's one of the only blogs I check on an almost daily basis. I love her unique style and her thoughtful posts.

In any case, I decided to grab 5 standard items from my closet and see how I could create 5 different outfits out of those items.
I've learned a lot over the past year or so about how to utilize one item for many purposes, and I'm always intrigued by new challenges.

Yesterday my barista at Starbucks said, "Okay, I have a question for you: do you ever wear the same thing twice? I've served you for a while now, and I don't think I've ever seen you in the same outfit."

I took this as a pretty great compliment, because I've tried my best to keep my wardrobe fresh!

The Five: 
1. A neutral blazer
2. A maxi skirt
3. Colored denim
4. Lace top
5. Polka-dot dress

I chose items that I feel like everyone has (or maybe should invest in, if not!) in their basic closet collection.
These items are great staples for the spring, and are easily transitioned into other seasons as well.

Accessories: classic sunglasses (similar!) from Ruche / bow belt from LOFT / white bow flats / lavender crossbody bag (similar) from Target / mint crossbody bag (similar) from Primark in London / Cookie Lee necklace + bracelet / Noon earrings (shop!)

Outfit 1:
Dress (shop!) / Blazer (similar) : LOFT

This is classic workday attire.
It completely slipped my mind until I started working on this post that this entire first outfit is from LOFT!
While I bought/received all of the items at separate times, they work pretty well together!
I love this new polka-dotted dress, it reminds me of 101 Dalmatians. The dots are imperfect, with a smudged quality that reminds me of the art throughout one of my favorite Disney movies!

Outfit 2:
Dress: LOFT (shop!), Top: Ruche

I love the idea of layering a lace top over a dress.
It's so feminine, and adds a lot of opportunity to dress up a few casual dresses for a more elaborate look. Add a belt at the waist for some more silhouette definition and you're good to go!

Outfit 3:
Skirt: Primark in London, Top: Ruche

I also used a solid navy tank to wear under the lace top.
I'm still unsure how I feel about maxi skirts/dresses. They always feel a bit too dressy for me, and that's possibly because my work is so casual.
I picked this skirt up on our trip to London because I'm a sucker for stripes, and I also am eager for more touches of navy in my wardrobe. I look forward to experimenting with more remixes of this one!

Outfit 4:
Skirt: Primark in London

I absolutely love the idea of using a longer skirt as a dress!
It may not work for every long skirt (and I'm not a huge fan of strapless anyway) but I think playing around with colored cardigans and big necklaces would be so fun with this striped pattern.
It would be so easy to transition this look from workday to date night out with just a few accessories. So many options!

Outfit 5:
Colored denim: Ruche, Top: Ruche

Outfits 1 and 5 are probably my favorite out of them all, and seem to be the most "me".

I really love my coral pants. They were my first pair of colored denim, and every time I put them on I remember how much I love them. They're so comfortable and bright. I look forward to wearing them more and more this spring!

This was my first attempt at taking my own pictures via tripod, and I was too scared to venture outside of our apartment (these were taken on the strip of balcony behind our row of apartments).
I'll hopefully be attempting 5to5 posts every couple of weeks, so until then:
What are your thoughts on some of these outfit ideas?

pretty lenses

This past week, we received a new camera lens in the mail!!

I'm looking forward to experimenting with a lens that is well suited for blogging, and Etsy posts.
Or rather, my husband is looking forward to experimenting with his photography skills. :)

Top: Forever 21 (similar), Cardigan: J. Crew, Pants: New York and Company
Watch: Fossil

I realized yesterday that I have completely left the heels-wearing genre of my life.
I think I might need to revisit it.
Wearing a pair yesterday felt like a whole new world, and not the pleasant Aladdin carpet-riding kind.
Has it really been that long since I've donned a couple of heels?
Apparently it has! I wear boots and flats daily. There's no denying that my job is not a vortex of fashion or dressy-ness, so I suppose I haven't felt the need or desire to wear heels this year.
I've also realized that I really don't like any of my dress pants...I want fitted, smart-looking dress pants, not balloon bell-bottoms or circus clothes. I've always had trouble finding dress pants that are the right length, or the right fit...but going through my closet, I've realized I've outgrown (style-wise) a lot of my old "business/professional" type clothing. Not to say there's anything fundamentally wrong with them, but my style has just gone in a different direction over the last year or so.
I think one of the reasons I've so readily reached for dresses on a daily basis is that I'm more comfortable in them...and I hate all of my dress pants. Subconsciously.
If I do wear pants to work, I usually cheat a little and wear my bright colored denim, like my bright coral or pineapple yellow pants. Or, let's be honest, I just wear dark jeans.

That being said, I'm enjoying the style transition. I just went through my closet last night and did a clean sweep, taking out items and bidding them a fond farewell.
Sometimes it's necessary to get rid of things, to make room for more things.

Right? :)

coral + apples

I am really drawn to whimsy.
Perhaps it's the animal-lover in me, or my sensitive side, or too many episodes of New Girl, but whenever I see a cutesie print I smile and have a deeply rooted need to own it.
This has followed me into my adult style, and I'm proud to say I think I've avoided being tacky with my whimsical cravings. Maybe. Sometimes.

I saw this apple-print dress at Ruche a few months ago, and immediately began imagining how I'd wear it. 

I finally got up the gumption to buy it (I've dictated that I can only buy things after appropriate lengths of waiting and saving and gumption, to avoid impulse buying) and couldn't wait to wear it!

Coat: Gifted/Target, Cardigan: Ireland, Dress: Ruche (shop), 
Tights: Target, Shoes: Target, Necklace: Gifted

If you can't tell already, it was an absolutely gorgeous evening. It was so cold and crisp, and this part of campus looks like a page out of a Sherlock Holmes novel.

This dress was the perfect transitional piece from work outfit, to date night outfit. 

With the cardigan, belt, and statement necklace it was a fun and office-appropriate ensemble. 

Without those things, it becomes effortless evening wear with dynamite sleeves.
It's such a cool dress.
The sleeves are near medieval, with a soft and loose fit that flows with your movement.

I love this print.
It's so vibrant and detailed, covered from seam to seam in tiny polka dots.
Ruche has two other items in this print that are also really sweet, a Curvy Plus Dress and a Blouse.

All I needed was this stud to complete the daydream.

Bond, James Bond.

Or rather, Holmes. Sherlock Holmes.

What a lovely spot.
I'm sure we'll be visiting there again soon!

Covered in apples,
Cait

Sherlock Holmes: "There's one odor I can't put my finger on. 

Is it candy floss, molasses... Ah! Barley sugar."

(Watson turns around to see two goons enter, one holding a...)

Dr. John Watson: "...Toffee apple."