Wedding Wear

Faux Pearl Necklace, Lace Dress: TJ Maxx, Cougar Ring: Gilt, Steve Madden Heels, Nails: OPI Bogota Blackberry

This weekend my oldest cousin tied the knot in Boston. After a beautiful ceremony at the MIT chapel everyone headed to the Lenox Hotel for a night of dinner and dancing, a lot of dancing.

I normally wouldn’t wear black to a wedding but the dress’s silhouette and delicate lace overlay gave it a very soft and feminine quality. I tried to echo this softness with the faux pearl necklace and added classic pumps in an unexpected color for a modern twist. Not only did my bright heels provide the perfect pop of color but they kept me going on the dance floor for hours.

Congratulations and safe travels to the honeymooning couple!

Nautical Stripes & Boho Hair

Belt/headband: American Apparel, Striped Cardigan & Peep toes: TJ Maxx, Mullet Dress: Old NavyIt’s not often that I let my hair go au natural but every now and again I let my curls do what they want and embrace the outcome. I thought my big hair would lend a bit of boho romance to the olive green mullet dress I can’t get enough of and the newly purchased cardigan I can see myself wearing to death this fall. The asymmetrical cut of the cardigan played off the dress’s high-low hemline better than I could have hoped for and the peeptoes lent just the right amount of polish.

Something about the colors (olive, navy, camel, and oatmeal) and angled/sloping proportions in this outfit reminded me of the beach we camped on at Valcour Island this past weekend. The green of the island’s forest just sort of faded into the grainy beach sand before being swallowed up by the blue of the lake. It wasn’t until looking at these pictures that I was able to really make that connection either. I guess I came away more inspired than I realized.

What experiences have inspired your outfits?

Vaca Recap: My Traveling Pants

Sunglasses: Downtown Threads, Knit: TJ Maxx, Tank: Charlotte Russe, Paisley Pants: H&M, Sandals: Urban OutfittersI’m back from vacation and couldn’t be happier to be sleeping in my own bed again, though I already miss the beach. Traveling isn’t always comfortable when we set out on our week long vacation I made sure my outfit was.

These paisley print pants from H&M have become my go to comfort piece this summer and they were perfect for the long car ride. My light knit top (one of my favorite TJ Maxx purchases) was perfect for the freezing AC we encountered and the cream tank underneath proved to be the perfect layer. It felt like I was wearing pajamas but looked pulled together enough for an impromptu lunch date with friends at our midway point.

What pieces do you count on to keep you for comfortable summer travels?

Pure Moods

Dollar Store Sunnies, Blouse: H&M (via The Clothes Exchange), Linen Skirt: Banana Republic (via Goodwill), Rose Ring: Charlotte Russe, Assorted Bangles, Wedges: TJ MaxxIs it just me or does this slightly mused, monochromatic summer look remind you of the Pure Moods cd cover?

Are These Pockets?

Dollar Store Sunglasses, Blazer: Silence + Noise (via Urban Outfitters),  Silk Shirtdress: The Clothes Exchange, Belt: Forver 21, Heels: TJ Maxx Party Parot – Iris Apfel for MACI’m not sure what’s going on with the err… pockets. They’re drapey, right over my boobs, and with the vertical stripes look somewhat like eyes. I’m not sure how to explain them or their purpose but they’re growing on me… sort of.

While I’m still figuring out how to best accessorize these odd pockets I’m loving the night shirt type cut and comfort offered by this 100% silk shirtdress. I found it at the Clothes Exchange shop first event last month and decided to try it on just for laughs, but once I had it on I realized it didn’t look as bizarre as I’d expected. The boob pockets still don’t make sense to me but I like the fit of the dress so I’m willing to take a chance and figure it out as I go.

What pieces in your wardrobe are you still figuring out? How would address these particular pockets?

A Leopard in the Park

Dollar Store Sunnies, Leather Skirt & Silk Blouse: Downtown Threads, Gifted Necklace, Dollhouse Pumps: TJ Maxx, Ring: Montreal St VendorThis outfit looked better in my head than in real life. A trial run per say. I don’t think I’d mix the olive leather pencil skirt and leopard blouse again. The fabrics weighed each other down more than I expected. I think if I had worn a different skirt, maybe this mustard pencil skirt,  it would have given this look a brighter, more springy feel.

What spring time brights have you been playing with lately? 

Zig Zag Pleats and High Maintenance Hair

Sunglasses: Dollar Store, Belt worn as Ribbon: taken from H&M tunic, Tank: Charlotte Russe, Skirt: TJ Maxx, Ring: Michael’s, Sandals: Payless Bracelet: GiftedI can’t believe I’m saying this but Burlington is in the middle of a record breaking heatwave… in MARCH. While the New Englander in me is weary of what a record high spring temperatures mean for seasons to come I’ve been taking full advantage of the weather. I pulled my warm weather boxes out of the crawl space storage and this pleated black and white maxi skirt was begging to be worn. It’s simple but loud, which is exactly what I was going for.

Recently I’ve started using scarves and in this case belts to tie up my hair instead of elastics in an attempt to offset the awkward growing out stage my hair is in. I’ve been growing my hair out since I had a quarter life crisis on my 21st birthday (while living in Italy) and on a whim decided to get a bob. It looked amazing when the stylist did it but in real life it was a maintenance nightmare.*

How often do you change up your hairstyle? What pieces in your closet require the maintenance?

*Speaking of maintenance nightmares… a day of running around at the office left my pleats looking rather wilted. So if anyone out there has a trick to keeping dry clean only pieces with pleats fresh in between trips to the cleaners I would be forever grateful!

Smart Casual Sequins

Sunglasses: Downtown Threads, Blazer: Goodwill, Sequin Top: T.J Maxx Rose Necklace: Forever 21, Jeans: Hurley (via Plato’s), Sandals: Target Scarf: Gift Shop, Bag: ALDOOur first night on the ship dinner dress for the dining room was “smart casual. I’ve always struggled with translating smart casual into an outfit; half the time I feel over dressed while the other half of the time I look like a prep school student. Luckily when it came time to get dressed for dinner on the first night I was so bleary eyed from our morning travels that I didn’t have the energy to over-think my picks. I just grabbed what felt comfortable and wore my favorite glittery sandals.

The ruffly sequin top, a bon voyage gift from my mom, is jersey and was exactly what I wanted to wear after a morning of cramped travel. I wore the same jeans I’d traveled in and tossed my blazer on to keep it classic. This look fit the smart casual bill perfectly and I was ready to go it under 20 minutes.

What do you consider to be “smart casual” attire? What would you wear to a “smart casual” dinner?

Big Hair; Big Romance

Happy Valentine’s Day All!

I chuckled to myself a few weeks ago when Steffy left me a comment asking if my hair was naturally wavy… girl you have no idea. Thank goodness I have such cute hats! Speaking of cute hats this is one of my favorites. I spent months lusting after pricey ones and then on a whim I stopped into Dirt Chic, a local consignment shop, and there on one of the rounders was this hat. I know I could have saved myself a lot of time and longing if I’d just bought a similarly styled hat but I doubt I would love it as much as I love this hat.

What pieces have you spent months searching for? How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day?

About these pants…

Sunnies: Downtown Threads, Blazer: Saver’s, Tank & Necklace Target,  Blouse: From my mom, Jeans: H&M, Heels: Steve Madden (via T.J Maxx)I spent months searching for the perfect pair of dark wash, high-waisted flares and while D and I were in Montreal I found these at H&M. I thought they were the perfect pair of flares for me… but now that I have them I’m not so sure. They’re trickier to style than I thought and I’m not quite sure they’re flattering.

While I’m undecided about the silhouette the pants are cutting, I’m a big fan of the layers on top. I’ve been playing around with layering shirts and blazers with different lengths a lot since the temps started cooling off.  I liked how the teal blouse from my mom looked cuffed over the little boy’s blazer I scored for a dollar at Saver’s.

What layers and silhouettes are you playing around with this fall?