Flowers in her hair

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Diana

Inspired by my new ultra cropped red cardigan, I decided to put together an outfit that was part flamenco dancer, part librarian chic, and all fun. The outfit (minus the flower) came together in the morning. I kept my hair down, because wearing it up made the librarian effect a little too severe. But it felt like it was missing something, and I couldn’t figure out what I needed at home. A colorful brooch would have been nice, but I didn’t have anything to fit the ticket.

Then at school, I found the perfect finishing touch. Our Culinary Arts students were selling cupcakes and carnations in the cafeteria for Valentine’s Day, so I bought a red one, cut it short, and put it in my hair. This gave the outfit exactly what it needed

White shirt: Sandra Ingrish (via Nordstrom Rack)
Cardigan: Target (via Revolve)
Skirt: Thrifted
Shoes: Merrell Brios
Watch: Fossil
Earrings: Gifted by my cousin

New York, New York

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Diana

No, unfortunately this post is not written from NYC. Nor do I have any plans in the immediate future to go there (although if the chance came up, believe me I would go!). But, I am wearing a little piece of NYC today in the form of my new favorite vintage scarf. I found this one while shopping at a local vintage shop a few weeks ago and found this scarf while digging around there. I immediately fell in love with it, and even though I sometimes have trouble styling vintage scarves, I went for it. And I’m so glad I did.

The simple black, white and yellow color scheme is so “me”, and it goes with pretty much everything. I styled it as a sort of handkerchief tie this time (tutorial up soon) and I really like how it looked. Plus, the silk provided just enough warmth for a balmy 65 degree winter day (seriously, this winter is way too warm this year).

This is what the scarf looks like unfolded. It has nine different panels, each with a different scene from 1960′s NYC. The World’s Fair was held in NYC in 1964, and the location is show on the subway map panel. Other panels include the Rockfeller Center, the Empire State building, Central Park, the United Nations, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the public library It also shows lower Manhattan pre-construction of the World Trade Center, which started in the late 1960′s. Kind of sad since that’s now how Lower Manhattan looks once again.

I’ve included thumbnails of several of the panels below. Click on them to get a larger view.

Tee: Ann Taylor LOFT (via Revolve)

Cardigan: Bobeau (via Nordstrom Rack)
Capris: Erik Stewart (thrifted)
Shoes: Merrell Brio
Scarf: Vintage (via Sherry’s Yesterdaze)
Purse: Morelle

New uses for old things

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Diana

I’ve had this cardigan for a long time, but it never occurred to me until this week that it could work great tied up as well as loose. I like how the layering allowed the sleeve cuffs of the dress to peek out. The overall look here is really simple, but I was going for something a little more minimal this day, so I was really pleased with how it turned out.

Sometimes I find that dresses which work great on their own can be some of the most difficult pieces to style originally. It feels like there’s only so many combinations of cardigans and belts I can come up with. So I’m always really happy when inspiration strikes and I come up with something new. I’d put together a look like this with one of my longer drapey cardigans before, but never my short one.

Dress: V Fish (via Why Not Boutique)
Cardigan: Anthropologie (via eBay)
Shoes: Merrell Brios
Watch: Fossil
Earrings: Gifted

Outfit: 9-17-11

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Diana

This outfit’s from over a week ago, but hey, who’s counting? There are so many things about this outfit that made me smile, I’m not sure which to talk about first. I guess we’ll start with the skirt, since it’s the oldest. I bought this way, way back during my shopping ban (almost two years ago!) and have worn it maybe once since then (didn’t blog it though). I always struggled with figuring out how to wear it and thought about tossing it, but I couldn’t bear to get rid of something so gorgeous. Finally, I realized that it just needed simple black and white to be perfect. Adding some dressy black flats (new!) and red accents, and I was all set.

That moves me onto the shoes. I’ve been looking for a comfortable, stylish pair of black flats FOREVER. I tried all my favorite brands, bought and returned shoes many times, but somehow could never seem to find anything.

I went shoe shopping with my boyfriend last week (not usually the best idea). And stumbled up a pair of Merrell Brios on sale. For once, we actually both agreed that they were cute and would be perfect for me. Unfortunately, the store didn’t have my size, but I was able to try on a larger pair to get an idea of their sizing. A few eBay searches later, and these babies arrived at my doorstep. It’s LOVE people. I’ve never had a pair of shoes this comfortable out of the box before. Buttery soft leather, a soft back of heel thing that doesn’t dig in (don’t know the right term). Lots of support and comfort (with room for an orthopedic insert, too). Amazing.