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.

Yep, this outfit definitely made me happy. It made me feel more “me” outfit-wise than I’ve felt in a long time.

Tank: Target
Cardigan: NY & Co (thrifted)
Skirt: Mix Noveau (via Revolve)
Shoes: Merrell Brio (via eBay)
Purse: Morelle
Earrings: Wear-thou

Customize Everything

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Diana

OMG, it’s an honest-to-goodness outfit post! I was very uninspired outfit-wise all summer, but I feel like I’m finally coming out of my slump, and it feels so good. With a few recent key purchases (you’ll see them soon) I’m starting to get back into putting together interesting outfits that aren’t just a repeat of something I already wore.

This dress fits in completely with my philosophy that pretty much everything I wear should be customized in some way. I bought this dress on super sale at a local boutique. I normally shy away from all black, but the material was so fantastic, and the fit so flattering, that I went for it.

Originally, there was no blue band at the bottom. The sleeves were rolled up and secured with button tabs. To make this dress my own, I first removed the button tabs. Elbow length sleeves are considerably more flattering for me, and having all that extra fabric was not. Then, I had the issue of it being too short for work, and too dark overall. I didn’t want to wear it as a tunic, because all my leggings are dark. Then I looked through my fabric stash and found a blue dress that I had wanted to alter but couldn’t figure out how. I took both dresses to my tailor, explained what I wanted, and ended up with the above dress. And I love it!!

Buy little, but buy quality as much as possible. Tailor and customize everything to make it work for you. And then you’ll have a wardrobe that you love, and that is uniquely “you”.

Dress: V Fish (via Why Not Boutique)
Belt: Anthropologie
Shoes: Dansko Sallys
Earrings: Wear-thou
Bracelet: Vintage

My California Dress

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Diana

Personally, I’m not a big fan of knick-knack souvenirs. They usually end up gathering dust on a shelf, only to be taken to Goodwill after a few years. When I travel, I like to buy an article of clothing to remind me of where I went. Then you actually get to use it! In California, it seemed like a surfer-chic dress was the perfect thing. I’d never really noticed Element brand clothes before, but when stopping in a shop in Oceanside (the items weren’t second-hand, but they were name brands severely discounted) I discovered that every item I liked there was Element. I’ll have to keep my eyes out for more items from this brand.

This jersey dress is super comfortable. The green tie on the side help to cinch in the waist, and I love the print! I’ve been trying to add more kelly green items to my wardrobe, so this was perfect.

And check out the new sunglasses! I got these beautes with my store credit at Revolve. It truly does pay to clean out your closet – these Roberto Cavalli’s can retail for over $100, but I got mine for a mere $40 in store credit. Awesome!

Dress: Element
Leggings: Target
Sandals: Clarks (via 6pm)
Necklace: Wendy Brandes Little Woolf
Earrings: Wear-thou
Sunglasses: Roberto Cavalli (via Revolve Clothing Exchange)

“Of Yellow Leaves and Gossamer”

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Diana

Well, one of my New Year’s Resolutions to take better pictures is off to a decent start. I decided to try shooting with a lower aperture and taking lots of shots. I ended up with quite a few that came out horribly, but I got a few gems. After adjusting the exposure and contrast, I ended up with some images that I’m pretty happy with.

I’ve also found a better solution for post titles. Goodreads has a quote search feature which is pretty handy, so I can search for keywords related to my post and then find appropriate quotes to go with them. This is much easier than what I was doing before, which was trying to keep a word doc of quotes from books I was reading.

And may I take a moment to lament the fact that Morelle closed her shop? I know it’s been months, but I still feel at a loss when considering getting a new purse that isn’t from her shop. Over half of my bags come from her shop.

Top: Anthropologie
Cardigan: August Silk
Slacks: Gap
Shoes: Dansko Sally
Purse: Morelle Slouch
Headband: Target?
Earrings: Wear-thou

Quote: J.R.R. Tolkien

“Some fun things are hard”

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Diana

Whew! My first week back at work was exhausting. My school was having the a/c replaced over the summer, and the construction isn’t quite finished yet, so it’s been very challenging getting ready for the beginning of the school year. I love being back at work, but it will take a few weeks for me to get used to the schedule again. I missed posting yesterday because I simply didn’t budget my weekend time well. I might be missing a couple posts here and there as I’m re-adjusting, but hopefully I’ll get back in the rhythm of things before too long.

I discovered this tiny little park about three years ago. I’ve been meaning to take photos down here ever since then, yet somehow, I’d never gotten around to it. Since I really liked this outfit, and since it was my first day back at work, I decided to finally get down here and take some pictures. The park has a little tiny bridge right on the Hillsborough River, and it’s just gorgeous. I hope I can start getting down here more often.

This photo is my shout out to S. of Simply Bike, who recently wrote about panda shots, which are photos you take of yourself while riding your bike. This was also my first time riding a bike in a dress and heels. It was only for a few blocks, and it wasn’t hard at all. Maybe next time I’ll trek out a little farther.

Dress: Soprano (via Li da la)
Belt: Vintage (via Sherry’s)
Cardigan: J Crew (via eBay)
Shoes: Fluevog Malibrans
Bracelet: Vintage (via garage sale)
Earrings: wear+thou

Quote: It’s Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel, by Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell

“Tweetily-tweet”

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Diana

I think it’s true what they say about haircuts, that they usually look better about two weeks after you get them. I was feeling a bit frustrated with my new hair cut when I first got it, but now it’s really starting to grow on me (no pun intended).

My jewelry was quasi bird-themed with this outfit. The cuff has engravings of birds on it, and the earrings are shaped somewhat like feathers. And I even found a blue jay feather on the ground while taking these pictures. I used to love collecting feathers like this when I was a kid, and I fancied myself quite the birdwatcher. I even made a “camouflage” cover out of an old green wool blanket, thinking that the birds wouldn’t notice me if I cut holes in it and watched them from underneath. Needless to say, that idea didn’t work very well, especially in the Florida heat.

Tank: Soma (thrifted)
Cardigan: J Crew (via eBay)
Shorts: Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Sandals: Clarks Rime
Earrings: wear+thou
Cuff: Vintage via Sherry’s Yesterdaze
Purse: Morelle Charlotte

Quote: Jazzmatazz! by Stephanie Calmenson

“If you go on vacation”

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Diana

Well, today is Day One of my nine week long summer vacation. I have mixed feelings about this break. I really love my job, and the prospect of not going to it for nine weeks gives me a bit of anxiety. I like having structure to my weekdays, and having a completely open schedule everyday makes me worried that I won’t make the best use of my time. That’s why I’m working on putting together a plan for my summer. I’ll go into greater detail tomorrow, but it involves several elements: getting organized, catching up on crafting, making my life more green, keeping my mind sharp, and working on preparations for the next school year.

Most of my plans also involve spending as little money as possible. I have to really minimize my extraneous spending this summer, so having a lot of projects planned that don’t involve extra money is good for me. I may be buying a little fabric for some projects, I may buy a few new plants and supplies for my garden, but I want to keep my spending to a minimum. Between groceries, rent, bills and student loan payments, I’m not going to have much in the way of discretionary funds. Still, I’m excited to see what I can get done when I discipline my free time!

What do you do with long stretches of free time? Or what would you do if you suddenly had some?

Tunic: Hilo’s (via Triage)
Jeans: Express (re-conned by me)
Sandals: Clarks Rime
Earrings: Wear-thou
Cuff: via Classy Consignment

Don’t Take Your Snake for a Stroll, by Karin Ireland

“Love is a handful of honey”

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Diana

Welcome to the return of headbands! While I was wearing a bob, headbands looked kind of odd. Now that I have a pixie, they look fantastic, so expect to see me wearing them often (and maybe to see some new ones on my Shopping posts!) This one has just been sitting around in my studio for ages, and now I think I’ll be wearing it quite regularly.

I felt so “me” in this outfit. It felt fresh and new and stylish. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt that way. I think having a completely new hair cut is really helping. I just love how all my clothes look different somehow with my new pixie hair. That, and I’ve also been very conscious about eating lots of good foods and fresh fruits and veggies lately, and I think it’s helping my overall mood.

It’s been a long time since I last wore this tunic, because I was never crazy about the length. It was too short to wear with leggings, but I didn’t like the length with jeans either. I chopped off about two inches and left a raw hem, and now I think it’s much more flattering. Less “maternity blouse” and more “urban bohemian” (Note: this is note a maternity blouse and I am not preggo.)

What changes to you make to break out of a style slump or just a dull mood in general?

Tunic: Target (thrifted)
Capris: Express (massively altered by me)
Sandals: Dansko Sela
Purse: Easy Spirit Outlet
Headband: Revolve Clothing Exchange
Earrings: Wear-thou
Necklace: Kira Ferrer

Quote: Love Is a Handful of Honey, by Giles Andreae

“I have my own heart”

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Diana

Hello folks! My week off was wonderful and refreshing, and I feel like I’ve got a lot of great new ideas for Smiles Go With Everything. As you may have noticed, I spent part of my time last week re-vamping the look of the blog, and I am so incredibly happy with it! It feels great to actually be able to apply what I learned in my web design class last year, and I have to say that I felt quite pleasantly nerdy spending two hours last week playing with CSS, HTML and Photoshop.

You may have also noticed that my blog’s tagline has changed to read “style and sustainability for the optimistic soul”. As I mentioned last week, I want to shift my focus slightly. Sustainability is an issue that is near and dear to my heart, and I am fascinated by the way that it intersects with personal style. I want to spend more time digging into that issue, and in particular I want to talk even more than before about shopping second-hand, hand-made and local. As always, I will be talking about these issues with an optimistic perspective. It can be easy to get depressed when talking about how much humans have screwed up the environment, but I would rather focus on the positive side of what we can do to make things better, as opposed to dwelling on the negative side.

This is still a style blog, and I will continue to post Daily Outfits, Etsy Love posts and tell you about how I shop in my weekly Shopping Plan posts. I’ll still talk about how I alter clothes to work for my figure.

For now though, there probably will be fewer outfit posts than before. With my current schedule at my job (which I love!), it’s hard to get four outfit photos every week. It was getting to the point where it was becoming a chore for me, as opposed to something I enjoyed doing. For right now, I’m only going to post outfits twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. If I can get to a point where I can take more outfit photos every week without it feeling like an obligation, then I may increase the number of outfit posts. At this time, it’s just about figuring out what kind of a schedule works best for me.

Outfit posts will definitely always be around, though. I think that they are a vital part of this blog, and they fit in perfectly with my new focus on sustainability. I put a great emphasis of shopping second-hand and hand-made in my personal life, and outfit posts are a a great way to demonstrate that it is completely possible to be stylish in a way that is not detrimental to the environment.

I’m very excited about all the great new things to come, and I hope that you are too!

Cardigan: J Crew (via eBay)
Blouse: Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Skirt: Semantiks
Shoes: Clarks Apple Sky
Necklace: Coryell Design
Earrings: Wear-thou
Watch: Target

Quote: It’s Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel, Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell

“Chic (that is French for fashionable)”

Posted on May 3, 2010 by Diana

This outfit is more or less a repeat. Except for one element that wasn’t there before (or was there, if you like). My hair! This is the first time I have ever cut my hair this short, and I love it! I’m still getting used to it. I keep thinking that it’s up in a ponytail or something, because this is the first time that it actually stays out of my face. I really, really like this cut, and I think that it’s going to be perfect for the hot summer months.

I know I said I was going to talk about my new plans for the blog today, but this weekend went by super fast, and I haven’t had any time to write up posts or flesh out the ideas that are milling around in my head. So, I’ve decided to take a week off of blogging. I think having a short break will help me to determine my focus for the new direction I would like my blog to take. And it will help me to catch up on my blog reading, since I got way behind this week. So you’ll see me again next Monday, with some awesome new posts lined up!