the end: outfit 15!

This is the end!
15 items to 15 outfits.
Here's a quick review of the past 14 days!

And now, last but not least...outfit 15!
This last outfit features a buttoned-up cardigan underneath a vest, with a floral skirt and wedges.
Sunday ended up bursting into a rainy day in the evening, which was quite fitting since I was holed up in the apartment all day, sick and miserable.
Both my friend and I have a terrible cold/flu virus and have been completely lazy all weekend, which ended up being really great. We watched a lot of TV (I personally slept off and on until 3pm), and even pulled out an old childhood favorite, The Labyrinth. Don't judge.

I threw on the last outfit, what I would have worn if I wasn't dreary and pajama-clad all day long. While it may be cheating a little bit, because I only had it on for 15 minutes, I think it's the thought that counts.
Challenge complete!

My friend was impressed that I was able to un-sickify myself for these photos, but all it really took was a brush through my hair and a lot of blush and some lipstick. I definitely sank right back into my blanket pile on the couch as soon as this shoot was over!

I hope you all had a better weekend than I did, and I definitely can't wait to be back to 100% for the long holiday weekend!!
Thanks for joining me for this fun 15 day challenge. :)

dress to vest: outfit 9

It's official, I invested in a vest and have been bested by the love of the vested. Wait...
Yeah. Anyway! Outfit 9 featured my new vest love with a dress!

I'm a big fan of small purses.

There are many reasons why, but first and foremost is that the more room I have in a bag, the more I put into it.

It's like a magnetic pull; if I have an adorable and giant bag, I turn all crazy-like and just start shoving things into it that have no business in a purse.

6 packs of gum, sachets of lavender potpourri, broken necklaces, batteries, 2 cameras, garbage. Just plain ol' garbage.

Obviously with so much gum, it was also filled with gum wrappers.

It got to the point where my husband would unwrap a piece of gum or candy or his McDouble (not really) and just throw the wrapper in my purse, because, well. That's where it went, wasn't it?

I'd ask someone to pass me my purse and they'd cry out in shock, hefting my Barney Bag across the room exclaiming, "What's in here, bricks!?"

Sometimes, yes. Why not? Why are you looking at me like that?

Dress: Ruche, Vest: Kohl's (shop!), Shoes: Zulily
Necklace: Francesca's

Cleaning out my bags became a really intense ritual.

"It's time," my husband would say and I would sigh. "Okay...okay. You're right."

Then I'd dump it all on the floor, make giant piles of "keep" and "toss" and then vacuum all of the loose lavender off of the floor.

Small bags are simple. And nice. And force me to make life-changing decisions about how many gum packets I have room for, and whether or not I really need 4 EOS lip balms in there at all times. 

Cheers to small purses. To not allowing the Barney inside of you to create a mass of nonsense in your giant purse. And if you have a giant purse and keep it organized and clean and attractive, with no old melted caramels in the pockets, then I nod respectively in your general direction while acknowledging that we have nothing in common. 

day of rest: outfit 8

I love Sundays.

Sleeping in, going to church, having a relaxed large lunch and skipping dinner in favor of relaxation and last minute weekend chores. 

We love our church - we're involved in the nursery and I absolutely love when we have the chance once a month to spend our morning with adorable munchkins. Our church is full of young families and it's so amazing to watch them grow. 

We almost always go out to eat on Sundays for lunch, and then the rest of the day is spent in leisure. 

Outfit 8 of my 15 day challenge was perfect for Sunday morning and transitioned well into our lunch with friends, although I honestly changed into my pajamas for the rest of the afternoon. This blog should be an honest blog.

Top: LOFT, Shoes: Zulily

More honest talk: real women iron their clothes.
I'm coming to this conclusion and I have to say, I don't like it.
While I cannot deny that this past week of posts has really hit home that I never iron my clothes and would look much better if I did, it's such a commitment! I think all clothes should be wrinkle free.
I hate grabbing something from my closet that I want to wear, and seeing it all wrinkled. Confession? I just put it back and reach for something slightly less wrinkled. I'm that lazy.
But at the age of 24, I think it's time to stop pretending like I can look like a hobo on a daily basis.
I need to iron my clothes, for the love of Pete.

a taste of revenge

Revenge is one of my favorite shows - what started out as a silly guilty pleasure has turned into a brilliant show of crazy twists and turns that I absolutely love.
We lagged behind throughout this season, and catching up to the season finale is at the top of my summer to-do list.

This past weekend we attended a wedding at Smith Mountain Lake, and before it got too dark we snuck away for some pictures on the dock.
It was a beautiful venue, and both Dusty and I were pretty excited at the prospect of returning as soon as possible to rent out some jet skis and boats to get out on the water.

I felt like I was walking past The Amanda, after a few hours spent eating and drinking at the Stowaway.

Dress: Ruche, Shoes: Victoria's Secret

I bought these shoes for a wedding, and I've found that I've worn heels/wedges less and less in the last few years. Although this outfit made me want to pull them all out of my closet and give them another chance.

Feeling Revenge-y?