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.

i feel weird saying "booties"

I had this great moment of photographic courage last night.
I went to pick up my husband from a meeting, and as I was sitting in the car listening to music, I noticed the sun was setting. It was a beautiful sunset, but it also made me realize that he was running late, and that we might run out of light before I got a chance to have him snap a few outfit photos for me.

So I did the crazy move - I set the camera on self-timer and propped it on a giant trash can, and took pictures in the parking lot.
I got a lot of stares from passersby, and two girls on a nearby bench literally stopped mid-sentence and stared openly, food dangling from their mouths. (That might be an exaggeration). Even so, it felt kind of great to be openly weird for a second.
My bravery ran out really fast though, and luckily Dusty came out soon after. Maybe one of these days, when I've mastered manual focus and invested in a proper remote, I'll feel less awkward about traipsing around with my tripod in the middle of populated areas.
But chances are...I'll opt for the deserted barn, every time.

Dress (shop!)/Boots (shop!): Ruche

The fashion world: The only place where "booties" can refer to something other than a plethora of butts.

Am I the only one who feels really weird saying it?
Whenever I say it out loud I resist the urge to giggle a little. Maybe I'm not really 25 after all.
In any case, I love my new pink booties. 
Heh heh.
Now I'm laughing again.

But seriously, I could wear these every day.
They're soft and so perfect. I love the heel on them -- and the fact that they're pink, even though it's a soft baby pink (they're called rose!), is so much fun. I can't wait to wear them again.
(Thanks, mom!).

lumberjack

It's pretty stereotypical of me to associate a nice plaid print with a lumberjack - I certainly didn't feel like a lumberjack yesterday.

With my poofy skirt, clinking bangles and bright teal tights, I'd say I was more of a...fairy lumberjack.

Which I'm on board with.

On a side note, these are my very first tights of the season.
I feel rather happy that they're the crazy teal. Who knows what colored tights will show up this fall!

It's funny how the simplest things can really change the way you see yourself.
Small things that other people may not even see, but that seem like such a drastic change to you.
Things like changing which side you part your hair, or getting that small but significant trim that you feel sure people should notice.
Losing a few pounds, changing your makeup routine, using new hair product.

For me, it's when I don't use a bobby pin for my bangs.
Because the thing is, I don't even have bangs anymore. I've grown them completely out, and yet I still stick a bobby pin to the side every single day.
Yesterday, the bobby pin started slipping (which also happens multiple times a day...darn you, fine hair!) and I went to readjust it and clumsily dropped it in the car somewhere, where it shall remain forevermore.

Top: Ross, Skirt: J. Crew, Tights: Target, Boots: DSW, Bangles: Kate Spade

My husband and I went on a date night, bobby-pinless, and when we got home we went straight out to take some pictures before it got too dark.
When I look at these pictures, there's something odd and different about my appearance.
And all it took was the escape of a bobby pin.