Frozen Fields

Sunnies: Downtown Threads, Sweater: Bought/Made in Ireland,  Button-Up: Goodwill, Belt: via Quarter Life Vintage, Leggings: Target, Boots: BlowfishThis past Saturday D and I spent the day in Orwell, Vermont visiting his parents and enjoying an unseasonably warm January day. I love the drive to D’s parent’s house; the further you get from Burlington the more rural and open the landscape becomes until it’s just rolling green hills on both sides of you with the mountains and lake in the distance.

I kept things comfortable and casual for our weekend adventure with the handmade sweater I picked up in Ireland, my favorite chambray shirt and leggings. I was surprised how well my boots did considering D and I spent the afternoon tromping through the woods before the sun magically came out and we ran for the nearest clearing, a neighbor’s corn field.

What comfortable/casual pieces do you swear by?

Wore Out’s Look of the Week

Every Friday I highlight one of my current fashion/blogging crushes in my Look of the Week series; this week I’m doing something a little different. Instead of gushing about perfectly color blocked outfits or expert pattern mixing, I wanted to share some of the beauty of my adopted home state with you.

Wore Out’s look of the week is… Vermont’s Natural BeautyFall foliage in Vermont is second to none and now more than ever we need visitors. So please, come visit Vermont and revel in the rugged natural beauty that has drawn people to the Green Mountain State for hundreds of years. While you’re here indulge the flavors of fall at a community run farmer’s market, unwind after a day of biking or hiking with a locally crafted seasonal micro brew, take in 360 degree vistas atop one of our mountain peaks and if you have the time, lend a helping hand.

So consider this an open invite to share in our state’s natural and enduring beauty. It would be our pleasure having you.All photos taken by me

For more information about planning your visit to Vermont please visit VermontVacation.com

Have specific questions? Want the local scoop? Drop me a line and I’d be share some of my favorite Vermont spots with you!

Cool Tone Color Blocking

Sunglasses: Downtown Threads, Blouse: Battery St Jeans, Belt: T.J Maxx, Skirt: Thrifted, Slip: Vintage (via Downtown Threads), Heels: Target, Bracelet: Gifted, Ring: Montreal St Vendor

I snapped these pictures yesterday when it wasn’t cold, rainy and grey outside (like it is today). I would be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous of the beautiful pink and orange color blocked outfits that I’ve seen virtually everywhere. You blondes and brunettes look stunning in such bright, warm colors; pale redheads like me… not so much.

For my first time playing around with color blocking I opted for cooler jewel tones and kept my accessories to a minimum so the colors were center stage. I wish I’d had a bright solid color heel in yellow, red or pink to pair with this outfit but I liked the texture the snakeskin pumps added to the look.

Have you played around with color blocking? Do you wear more cooler tones or warm tones?

Addison County Fair & Field Days

Last night D and I went to the Addison County Fair & Field Days, Vermont’s largest agriculture fair and a summer tradition. We filled up on delicious fried fair food, met some prize winning farm animals and I saw my very first demolition derby!My favorite part of the derby was the mini-van heat! Since only 5 mini-vans competed there was a lot more open space allowing the drivers to build up speed and cause some serious damage. I tried to take pictures of the mini-van carnage but unfortunately it was too dark. My second favorite part of the fair? The food! As soon as we arrived we hopped in the bloomin’ onion line. Nothing beats the crispy crunchy molten hot deliciousness of this fair treat. After walking off the bloomin’ onion I indulged in a traditional Vermont treat, sugar on snow. It’s basically a bowl of shaved ice covered in local Vermont maple syrup that’s been heated. When the hot syrup hits the ice it immediately forms a  hard, sweet, sticky shell; creating a little bowl of heaven. It’s even better in the winter when they use fresh snow instead of ice! The cutest baby mini donkey ever!How chic is this black and white pattern?! Outfit inspiration is everywhere!If you’re looking for a fun, family friendly activity this weekend I highly recommend you check out the Addison County Fair & Field Days. There’s more demo derby tonight and great events happening all weekend.

What are some of your favorite local summer events?

Singing in the Sun

Sunnies: Downtown Threads, Trench: Forever 21, Necklace: Dubs’ Duds, Button Up: The Children’s Place, Skirt: Forever 21, Belt: Forever 21, Pumps: T.J Maxx

I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen Singing in the Rain. My younger sister and I must have run around the living room recreating the dance sequences at least a hundred times when we were kids. So when given the opportunity to ham it up with an umbrella I don’t mess around.

Yesterday it alternated between sunny, sprinkling and pouring so I went the practical route and layered a lightweight trench over a button up that I bought almost 10 years ago at the Children’s Place. The children’s size fits everywhere but the sleeve length, so I cuffed the sleeves for a 3/4 length look and problem solved!

My friend Alicia graciously snapped these pictures at Perkins Pier on the waterfront. It’s crazy to think that just a couple of weeks ago this was all under water. While there is still a lot of clean up and repair to be done it hasn’t stop anyone from enjoying the lake or rivers this summer.

 

What creative solutions have you come up with to make pieces work for you? What movies did you love as a kid?

Snow, Socks & Citrus

Enjoying a cup of coffee before venturing out into the blizzard this morning.

Burlington got a serious dumping of snow today as March roared in like a lion! Burlington reportedly received upwards of 2 feet, making this the worst March blizzard on record! Since D had no school and my office opened late we got to have breakfast together before work (a rare treat during the week).

This outfit transitions from fruit salad prep to serious snow removal seamlessly

Hat: Forever 21

Flannel: Goodwill

Thermal: Wal-Mart

Leggings: Target

Socks: Kittery Trading Post

Poor D had the whole driveway shoveled before he got the call that school was canceled! I felt so bad, I knew that he would need a pick me up after all that early morning hard labor so I pulled together a bright and sweet fruit salad!

Mango, strawberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple and bananas!

Shaw’s had some amazing produce deals this week; BOGO on mango and 2 for $5 on strawberries and pineapple! I have been making an effort to keep my diet full of vitamin C as the snow piles up! Not only does it help me fight off seasonal flu viruses, but it makes me feel good.

 

 

 

 

This was only my second or third time cutting up a whole pineapple so I watched this quick, super helpful video as a refresher. Not only did it show me how to cut it but they also shed some light on how to pick a ripe pineapple, so helpful!

Did you Know… pineapples should be placed upside down in the fridge for 30 minutes prior to cutting it open? It allows the sugar that’s settled at the bottom of the fruit spread evenly through the rest of the fruit making your pineapple sweeter!

How did you spend your snow day? What are your favorite lazy day dishes?

Breakfast Pizza & Mardi Gras Recap

Firstly I must apologize for not having a Mardi Gras outfit post to share with you, the err… celebrating started much earlier than planned (and lasted equally late into the night). As a result of the early morning time crunch I had to choose between having an amazing outfit or an amazing breakfast; Fashion 0 – Food 1.

Earlier this week I came across a wonderful and delicious looking recipe/post about breakfast pizza on Smitten Kitchen (a source of not only amazing tasting recipes but posts that look so good they’re borderline food porn).

D’s favorite meal of the day is breakfast and he loves making (and eating) homemade pizza so I thought this would be the perfect breakfast to save us from our post Mardi Gras meltdown…

And boy was I right!

Using Smitten Kitchen‘s recipe as an outline we used what we had in the fridge and some of our favorite traditional breakfast tastes to make it our own.

We browned Canadian bacon (in lieu of regular bacon), topped the crust with a little Monterey jack cheese, three Shadow Cross Farm eggs and topped our BTV breakfast pizza with a drizzle of  hollandaise sauce in a spin off of my all time favorite breakfast meal; eggs Benedict… so good.

Love this picture of D, the shirt says it all.

Overall breakfast pizza was not only surprisingly easy/quick to make but it was wonderfully delicious. We will definitely be making this again (I’m already dreaming of an eggs Florentine version!) Breakfast pizza, an all around hit and the perfect way to recharge after my first Mardi Gras weekend!

This was my first Burlington Mardi Gras and not even the continuous drizzle & often blusterous winds could damp mine or any of the other 20,000 spectators’ spirits! Main St was packed with revelers of all ages but the ones who seemed most excited were the youngest.

This little boy must have collected all the beads that were thrown within 10 feet of where he was standing.

How did you celebrate Mardi Gras? What were the highlights of your weekend?

For more amazing pictures of the Burlington Mardi Gras Parade & Festivities check out the Burlington Free Press slideshow here.

 

 

 

 

 

In a Nutshell

Tonight is all about prep for tomorrow’s Mardi Gras festivities! I came home from work kicked off my minnetonka mocs, whipped the dirty dishes into shape, brewed some tea and can’t wait to get started on my to-do list(s)!

Even though I’ve lived in Burlington for 6 years this will be my first Mardi Gras parade! I’ve never been a big Mardi Gras celebrator but D’s been looking forward to this for months now and he’s got me all excited now too.

I’m still not sure what to wear as the forecast is calling for some serious rain; come on Burlington weather gods, cut us as break! I can’t decide which I’m more excited about the parade or the pre-parade party I’m throwing.

Can’t wait to share all my pictures and stories with you!

Happy Friday All!

Pop of Color

I got this amazing vintage mini at Old Gold, a great vintage store in Burlington, they always have the best window displays (be sure to check out their Mardi Gras display this weekend before the parade)! I’ve always been a little too self-conscious to wear mini skirts but when I saw the woven pattern on this one I couldn’t say no (and layering it with tights also helped!)

I wanted the skirt to the focal point of the outfit so I went with solid neutral colors for the rest of the look and added the red belt for a pop of color. Want to see more was to style belts? Check out Refinery 29’s 7 ways to wear a belt feature! I love the mango obi belt in the first slide, it would be amazing with a white linen shirt dress this spring/summer!

I think the next time I rock this skirt I’m going to try it with boots and a patterned or brightly colored top.  Who knows maybe that could be my first outfit remix!

What pieces do you find yourself wearing over and over again?

Cardigan: Target (about a million years ago)

Button up: LL Bean

Skirt: Old Gold

Belt: The Possibilities Shop

Tights: Target

Booties: Forever 21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I didn’t even notice this lace detailing along the bottom of the skirt’s lining until I got to home from work today! That’s one of my favorite things about vintage pieces, they have so much character!*

My First Wore Out Post!

Showing off my Spots!

I’ve been dreaming of this moment for months now, the day where I would put my first outfit post up on my very own style blog and now that it’s here I’m not quite sure what to say! I’m not sure if it’s the excitement or nerves so I’m going to bust this first post out before the adrenaline wares off and I loose my nerve.

Today was D’s last day of school vacation so we laid low and ran some errands. I was so sick of my heavy down winter jacket that I decided to go with the layered look instead, pairing my faux fur cheetah print jacket with one of my favorite chunky winter sweaters. It’s funny how I’ve had this sweater for over 5 years and I’m just now starting to incorporate it into my everyday wardrobe.

The sidewalks in Burlington are treacherous this time of year! With the snow starting to melt the sidewalks have become lakes during the day and ice rinks at night. I scored these simple black wellies at Dick’s Sporting Goods for $7.98 and when paired with my cozy wellie warmers they are perfect for navigating Burlington’s precarious sidewalks all year long. This time of year for me my outfits are a balancing act between form and function and having a few great pieces makes it a little easier to manage.

What items in your closet do you rely on this time of year?

Jacket: Christmas gift from Mom

Sweater: TJ Maxx

Leggings: Target

Wellies: Dick’s

Wellie Liners: LL Bean

Joe Camel Watch: Vintage