“Blue was a quiet color”

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Diana

I have a confession to make: I love dresses. I’m beginning to feel like I could have a wardrobe of almost nothing but dresses, and I would be happy. When I discovered this gorgeous Tulle dress at a local boutique last week, I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous color and subtle print. It fits wonderfully. Since it’s a bit on the short side, I wore it as a tunic with leggings to work. I felt so comfortable all day, but I still felt nicely put together.

There’s quite a few little parks in my area that I love to visit. This one has a sidewalk that leads down to the river, and is basically a place for people to walk their dogs. But it has this nice little concrete thing (jetty?) that sticks out into the water, and makes for a great photo spot. This time of year gives me mixed feelings about being outside. The weather is gorgeous, the citrus trees are blooming and filling the air with beautiful scents. But along with that, the oak trees are also blooming, so I’m having to load up on allergy meds everyday in order to function. It’s still lovely though, and I’m trying to enjoy it while it lasts, because the sweltering temps of summer are just around the corner.

What’s the one type of item in your wardrobe that you can’t live without? Are you a diehard cardigan lover? Do you have an insane collection of skirts? Do you keep acquiring new dresses like me?

Dress: Tulle (via Penelope T Boutique)
Leggings: Target
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Shoes: Born Sokal (via eBay)
Purse: via Advintagous
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels

Quote: One, by Kathryn Otoshi

Shopping Plan: Week 9

Posted on April 4, 2010 by Diana

Week 9 of My Great Shopping Plan of 2010, where I attempt to stay on a budget and fill out my wardrobe

Since this week marked the beginning of a new month, I started off with $175 (my new budget amount since I got a new job) plus $3 left over from last month. Here’s what I got this week.

Born Sandals
$20 on eBay

Gap filled: Strappy flat sandals

Strappy flat sandals are a spring and summer must for me. Last year I wore my Born Savory sandals nearly everyday, to the point where the leather straps in the back got stretched out too much and started giving me blisters. They were great sandals, but when you wear something everyday for several months, it will start to wear out. So I was looking for a replacement and found these beautiful white sandals. When people talk about butter-soft leather, they’re talking about these sandals. I can’t see them ever giving me blisters. They don’t offer quite as much support as the Savory’s did, but I’m okay with that.

J Jill Slacks
$11 at The Spring Boutique

Gap filled: Casual slacks

I’ll start off by saying that The Spring Boutique is really a thrift store, not a boutique. That being said, they have some really nice formal wear, suits and a small room of vintage items. I ended up lucking out in their casual section with these slacks which fit fantastically. They have a small stain near the hem, which knocked a couple dollars off the price. It was still a bit more than I prefer to pay at thrift stores, but the money goes towards domestic violence shelters, so I don’t mind too much. I tried washing them several times to get the stain out, but I think it’s stuck there. I’m going to try taking them to my dry cleaners to see if they can get it out, and if they can’t, I’ll just turn them into capris.

Tulle Dress
$63 at Penelope T Boutique

Gap filled: Casual jersey dress/tunic

This was my find of the week. I was checking out a local boutique before going to yoga last week, and found this gorgeous dress. The color is vibrant, with a subtle green and white dot pattern. The fit is wonderful. It’s a bit on the short side, but the fact that it’s pretty modest on top helps to balance that out. I love, love, love it, and I’ve already planned several future outfits incorporating it.

So, I spent $20 + $11 + $63. Which makes $94 spent, $84 left. Okay, so I spent a good bit this week. I’ll have to be a bit more careful with my spending the rest of the month, but I’m still very happy with what I bought.

“I’m a daffodil dancing dizzily in the wind”

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Diana

This outfit was all about week-end comfort. My favorite comfy shoes, my favorite comfy (and flattering!) jeans, a nice soft, 3/4 sleeve cardigan. Absolutely perfect. And the weather was spectacularly gorgeous. Winter was fun and all, but I’m totally soaking in the 70 degree warmth of spring. In only a few weeks, I won’t be able to go outside in a outfit like this without sweating buckets, so I’m savoring it while it lasts.

I also wore my two lovely new gifts with this outfit. Isn’t that robot necklace freakin’ awesome? And I love how the rainbow bracelet that Kate gave me ties in the color of my shoes and my cardigan.

What’s your favorite comfy and stylish outfit to wear on Spring weekends?

Tank: Old Navy
Cardigan: New York & Co (via Classy Consignment)
Jeans: Gap Curvy (altered by me)
Shoes: Born Codders
Necklace: Love Spell Jewels
Bracelet: Accidental Artists

Quote: In My New Yellow Shirt, by Eileen Spinelli

“People only need people”

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Diana

Sorry if I seemed really stressed out the other day. I am actually feeling really happy overall, and I’m gradually learning how to arrange my new schedule in a way that meets my needs.

I’m learning that the most important thing to me is to have meaningful relationships with other people. This includes family, my boyfriend, my in-real-life friends and my blog friends. Reading blogs used to stress me out, because I felt like I was always behind and never able to keep up. I recently culled my Google Reader down to my absolute favorite blogs and to the blogs of those who stop by here frequently. This is allowing me to focus my blog reading time on a few people (well okay, it’s still about 50 blogs, but that’s a lot less than what I was reading before). Now, I feel able to actually comment and cultivate relationships with other bloggers. My stats may have suffered for it, but I really don’t care.

On to the outfit: I was trying to find a way to make too-short dresses work at my new job. Then I realized that if I simply view them as tunics and wear them with leggings, they work just fine. Since the weather has officially become too warm for tights, I’m thinking about getting some new leggings from We Love Colors to expand my options.

How do you remix not-quite-appropriate items in your wardrobe to make them work?

Cardigan: Fossil
Dress: Express
Belt: Anthropologie
Leggings: Target
Shoes: Born Sokal (via eBay)

Quote: The Rag Coat, by Lauren Mills

“Double-decker strawberry ice cream cone”

Posted on March 26, 2010 by Diana

Wow! Now that I’m working full time at a job where I actually have something to do eight hours a day, I’m finding myself with significantly less free time. I really love my new job though. I love what I’m doing, and the hours seem to fly by because I always have something to be working on. I’m just having to learn how to budget my time outside of work. It’s hard, because I have so many things that I love doing. I love to blog. I love to workout. I love to cook. I love to knit and watch movies with my boyfriend. And while I don’t love it, I also have to take care of everyday tasks like cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, etc. And fitting all of these things into the hours between 3:30 pm (when I get home from work) and 9:00 pm (when I go to bed) is no easy task.

I don’t want to give up doing the things I love, so I’m finding compromises. Some days, I’ll go to the gym and not have time to comment on blogs. Some nights, I’ll stay in and catch up on the blogosphere. I’m learning quicker recipes to cook during the work week, and saving the more complicated stuff for the weekend. I’m still wishing I had about five hours more in every day, but I’m learning to live with less free time. The fact that I love my job helps a lot.

In order to keep myself from stressing out, I’m changing up my blog posting schedule a bit. Starting this week, this is what I’ll be posting: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays will be daily outfits. These are my favorite posts to write, so I don’t want to cut back on them too much. Wednesdays are Etsy Love, because I love supporting handmade. Saturdays will just be Links a la Mode. On occasion I will post feature articles on Saturdays, but they won’t be regular. And Sunday’s will be Shopping Plan posts. Changing things up will let me still post daily, without feeling stressed out. I love this blog, I love the blogging community, and I do not want to stop. I just have to cut back a bit. I’m still visiting other blogs and commenting, but not as much as I used to. I still love and appreciate all my readers, and I try to visit your blogs as much as I can, but please understand that often I won’t have time to read blogs until the weekend.

How to you budget your free time to make room for all the things you love?

Blouse: Anthropologie
Cardigan: Fossil
Jeans: Gap Curvy (altered by me)
Shoes: Born Sokal (via eBay)
Necklace: Jorgensen Studio
Purse: Morelle Charlotte

Quote: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

“Merci, mon ami”

Posted on March 25, 2010 by Diana

I soon as I bought this breton-striped tee, I knew that I would have to create a French-inspired outfit with it eventually. The navy stripes look fantastic with pops of red, and the corduroy blazer helps it look polished. I loved wearing this so much. I’m very drawn to classic European styles.

The other thing I really love about this outfit is the necklace I’m wearing. It belonged to my grandfather. He was Catholic, and he wore this while fighting in World War II (I think he was at Guadalcanal, or one of the other Pacific battles). It’s a St. Christopher Medal; he’s the patron saint of travelers, and wearing this is supposed to protect you. I’m not Catholic, and I don’t really believe in the power of wearing objects to protect you, but I still think it’s a neat story.

I know a lot of people prefer to keep jewelry they have inherited tucked away in jewelry boxes, because they’re afraid of damaging them if they wear them out. But I see wearing items like this as a way of connecting with my past, with those I have lost. I was only nine when my grandfather died, but wearing this necklace helps me to feel like a part of him is still here.

How do you feel about wearing items that you have inherited from family members?

Blouse: J Crew (via eBay)
Jacket: Coyote (garage sale)
Jeans: Gap Curvy
Shoes: Born Codder
Purse: Morelle Truffle
Necklace: Belonged to my grandfather

Quote: Anatole over Paris, by Eve Titus

“I’m allergic to sitting still”

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Diana

Thank you so much for all your encouraging comments on yesterday’s post. I feel like such a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I’m starting to enjoy blogging again, now that I’ve realized that there’s no need to put so much pressure and stress on myself. By cutting back my Google Reader to a reasonable level, I’m feeling more free to go and comment on the blogs I love.

This shoot was from one of my last days at my old job (St Patrick’s Day) so I wanted to take advantage of my favorite park by work one more time.

eBay has been really good to me lately. I got this beautiful bright green J. Crew cardigan for an amazingly low price. While writing up this outfit, I began to realize that all of it is second-hand, or bought via eBay or Etsy. I love that! It makes me feel good to be able to put together unique outfits at an affordable rate. But sometimes I feel guilty for not supporting companies that I love. For instance, I adore Boden and J. Crew, but I have never bought anything directly from them. While I love their clothes, I can’t afford their prices at this time, so I always buy them second-hand on eBay. Eventually, I want to be able to buy direct, because I worry that buying second-hand all the time might actually hurt the companies I love.

Do you think that buying second-hand can ultimately hurt brands that you love? Do you balance your shopping between second-hand items and new items?

Blouse: Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Cardigan: J Crew (via eBay)
Capris: Erik Stewart (hand-me-down)
Shoes: Born Sokal (via eBay)
Purse: Morelle Charlotte
Necklace: Pixisette
Bangles: Jill Popowich Designs

Quote: Clementine, by Sara Pennypacker

“It’s not a make-believe day”

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Diana

I think that lately, I’ve been taking myself too seriously. I love blogging; I love the supportive community I’ve found in the style blogosphere; I love getting dressed up every day, taking pretty pictures, and sharing them with you. But lately, I’ve been worrying too much about aspects that don’t really matter. Like how my site statistics were doing. Or how many comments I got that day. Or, heaven forbid, seeing my Alexa rank go down. Or how I haven’t received offers from any potential sponsors that fit with the vibe of my blog.

I didn’t realize how much I was worrying about these things until reading this post at Fell 4 Fashion, where Danielle reflects on what blogging means to her, and how it was starting to stress her out. I love blogging, but it is a hobby. I do not make my living off of blogging, and really, I don’t ever plan to. I’m not opposed to making a little money through sponsorships, which can then be put back into the blog, but only if it doesn’t change the overall feel.

So I’m coming to a realization – I need to focus on what I love, and stop worrying about all these extra things that ultimately don’t really matter. It’s okay if I’m not able to comment on fifty blogs everyday. It’s okay if I don’t always get every outfit posted to Wardrobe Remix, Weardrobe and Chictopia. It’s okay if my site statistics aren’t always stellar. It’s okay if I cut back the number of blogs in my Google Reader to something that I can actually manage on a daily basis. It’s okay if my outfit isn’t always super-amazing and creative.

I love blogging, and I want it to be fun and enjoyable, not stressful. So I’m pledging right now to stop worrying about all these things. And I’m going to make sure that I have at least one photo in every outfit post that is just plain fun. Because really, if I can’t have fun, then what’s the point?

Have you ever had a point in time where blogging/blog reading became more of a chore than something you did for fun, because you loved it? What did you do to rekindle your love of the blogosphere?

Blouse: Target
Cardigan: J Crew (via eBay)
Jeans: Gap Curvy
Shoes: Born Sokal (via eBay)
Necklace: Thrifted
Purse: Morelle City Bag

Quote: Daughter’s Day Blues (Picture Puffins), by Laura Pegram

“Time to go back to school”

Posted on March 12, 2010 by Diana

I have some very exciting news to share: I got a job! Starting in a few weeks, I’m going to be working as a media specialist (school librarian). The position only goes until the end of the school year, but it puts me in a very good place to get a permanent position in the next school year. I’m so excited, and a bit nervous too! I’m not sure yet how it will affect my blogging. I plan to continue posting at the same rate, but I probably won’t be able to comment on other blogs as often as I have in the past. I’m going to be diligent in setting aside some specific time to devote solely to blogging, so hopefully I can stay on track. Also, I’m planning on buying a lap top, which will help me stay on top of things.

It was spring break at the college that I work at this week, so I got up the courage to take pictures in a semi-public place, this neat H2O sculpture (see how they look like atoms? or whatever the proper term is) by the science buildings. I got a few strange looks from professors, and one guy on a golf cart asked me what I was doing. I just said that I was working on a project, which is the easiest answer to give when on a college campus, and we got into a friendly discussion about cameras. It felt so empowering to take pictures where people could actually see me, as opposed to my usually habit of finding deserted and empty areas.

These are my new Gap curvy jeans, and I am in love. I altered the leg to make them into straight-legged jeans following my tutorial. I’m planning on nipping in the waist a bit too, just so they can fit without a belt. They’re so soft, and the dark premium denim wash is gorgeous. A word of warning though – the dye on washes like this will rub off on things like light colored purses. Usually it’s easy to clean off.

Do you feel awkward taking pictures of yourself where others can see you?

Blouse: Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Jeans: Gap Curvy (altered by me)
Shoes: Born Codder
Purse: Morelle Truffle
Short Pearls: Coryell Design
Long Pearls: Garage sale
Cuff: Via Classy Consignments

Quote: No Talking, by Andrew Clements

“Kiss after kiss after kiss after kiss”

Posted on February 19, 2010 by Diana

I generally tend to be about five days behind in posting outfits. This helps to keep putting posts together from being too stressful, because I don’t have to worry if there simply isn’t time to take a picture of an outfit one day. Thus, this is actually what I wore on Valentine’s Day.

To be honest, I don’t really take the holiday too seriously. My first job was working for Hallmark Cards, so I’m a bit disillusioned at the commercialization and pressure that tends to come with Valentine’s Day. My boyfriend and I kept it simple. He gave me some chocolate, and we relaxed and watched movies and cooked a really tasty dinner of mashed potatoes and gravy with turkey and brocolli. This outfit was the perfect compliment to a low-stress, relaxing day, and the floral pattern kept it a bit romantic.

When I picked up this blouse off the sale rack at Anthropologie last week, it was mostly on a whim, because I was attracted to the pattern. I didn’t really expect to get it, since I have so many sleeveless patterned blouses. But now, I absolutely love it, and I think it’s going to become a wardrobe staple for me in the coming months. It’s funny how you sometimes find your favorite items when you least expect to.

What’s one of your favorite wardrobe items that you stumbled onto without really looking for?

Blouse: Anthropologie
Salmon Layering Tank: The Limited (via Revolve)
Cardigan: J Crew (via Ebay)
Jeans: Express
Shoes: Born Codder
Necklace: garage sale
Ring: from my mom
Bangles: Jill Popowich

Quote: Anatole Over Paris, by Eve Titus