One Down, One to Go!

Dress: Urban Outfitters / Purple cardigan: Target (similar: $, if only -->$$$) / Faux leather jacket: Zara (similar: $, $$, $$) / Floral carf: Forever 21 (gorgeous one from Coldwater Creek, of all places!) / Chevron tights: Target (similar) / Boots: DSW (similar)

 

Whew! One midterm down, one to go. Upon finishing my midterm, I went to the library and photocopied readings hurried straight home and took some outfit photos. I really like keeping up with this blog and the blogging community and have missed it this past week! Its good to be able to say hi again. :)

In addition to my midterm, this past week I:
-threw a surprise birthday party for the Boyfriend, which featured friends driving
up from New York, and even flying in from Portland and Chicago!
-had an amazing time hanging out with friends from college
-made best friends with/dog-sat this little guy:

Hope you've all had a lovely week! Does it feel like fall yet, where you are?

Polka Dots and Review of Crocs Adrina Flat

Top: PacSun (similar, similar) / Tank: Target / Shorts: Urban Outfitters (similar) / Shoes: Crocs Adrina flat ($40, buy here) / Bag: from Unique LA / Necklace: from a farmer's market (same, from Modcloth)

 

I was heading outside today to take my photos when I realized that the light in the staircase was awesome...so I never made it out and took photos here instead. Also, I clearly need to take more pictures in stairwells, if this is how tall it makes me look! Fellow petite ladies, are you with me? :)

* * * * * * * *

As for the shoes:
These are the flats I decided to keep, after pondering whether or not I could bear to be the owner of a pair of Crocs. Verdict is, these are not your typical Crocs! They have a sleek low profile, a whimsical cut-out dot design, and come in a few great colors like this awesome aqua/celery combination. And, most importantly, OH MY GOODNESS THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE. In that respect, these ARE your average Crocs. I have worn these trekking across Boston, playing tour-guide to visiting friends (which is a strange thing to do when you're new to the city yourself), moving boxes and suitcases, and generally running about town, and my feet have never once felt sore.

I will say I got two small blisters on my pinkies the first few times wearing them, but now that they're a bit broken in, I'm having no trouble. I realized early on that they don't exactly match with everything, but then decided just as quickly that I just didn't care. Aqua-and-celery shoes every day? Why not?

I bought a size 7 from Zappos and am usually a 7 or 7 1/2. These shoes, I think, run a teensy bit large as there is a bit of wiggle-room for me. So, if you're between sizes, I'd recommend going with the lower of your sizes. Right now they're $40.00 at Zappos.

So, I hereby promise to stop hating on Crocs. :) Has anyone else put aside their stereotypes to try a new brand?

Hope you all had a great week!

Designer Backpacks and Other Oddities

Top: Gap / Skirt: Thrifted Urban Outfitters ($13.00, down from $58) / Bracelet: passed down from my mom / Necklace: bought in Italy / Sandals: Gap / Backpack: Coach ($70, down from about $270!) / Glasses: Coach

Please pardon the pouty face! 

Sometimes, you find what you're looking for in the strangest of places. In this case, in the Coach Men's outlet store.

My mom and I went outlet shopping a few weeks ago, before I left for Boston. We wandered about the Camarillo Outlets north of LA for hours, finding a few things we needed and, the oddest purchase of all, this backpack.

I wanted a backpack because I knew I'd be biking a fair amount over the next two years, and I've finally realized how bad a cross-body bag laden with books is for my back. Yes, I'm going to grad school and not middle school, but c'est la vie, I thought it was for the best. :) Enter: this Coach backpack. (I know, it sounds weird to me, too.)

The sturdy canvas and leather, the idea of Coach quality, the simplicity, and the classiness all made it feel like so much more than a middle-school backpack. Also, it was $70, down from a completely crazy $270-ish! So, I now own a Coach backpack? Strange to say, but awesome to have around. My back already thanks me!

p.s., I waterproofed the canvas and leather with a camping-and-outdoors spray a lot like this one,
  (the Sales Assistant said it was already weather-treated, but I wanted to make super-sure) to prepare for the MA rain and snow, and so far it has held up fantastically in the summer storms.

p.p.s. Your comments on my recent post were so so sweet. The Boyfriend was very proud of his pictures and the reaction they received. :)

Hope you're having a great start to your week!

Too Darn Hot

 

 Dress: Urban Outfitters ($10; similar, similar) / Belt: came with a top bought in England (similar) / Sandals: Gap (similar) / Bracelets: gift (similar) / Glasses: Coach

 

There has been a massive heat wave in Boston over the past few days; I'm talking 98 degrees and humid as can be. It has been far too hot to wear anything except for a dress. And some bracelets.

I'm used to the heat, but the humidity is completely new. As are the 5pm torrential downpours, which have been happening for the past few days as well. Luckily, I like thunderstorms. But I do need some rain boots...

Hope you had a great weekend!

From the Boys

Top: Urban Outfitters / Skirt: Urban Outfitters, Thrifted (was $58 in-store, thrifted for $13) / Sandals: Gap, very old / Necklace: Bought at a Farmer's Market / Jade Koi ring: vintage, from Japan, inherited from my Nana / Silver rings: gifts

 

I've been doing a lot of people-watching this past week. People-watching is, in general, something I love to do, but people-watching in a brand-new city is even better. I've been paying specific attention to style, trying to parse the differences between So Cal and Boston, counting the number of Longchamp totes I see in a day (honestly, I stopped somewhere around 40...), and noticing, for one reason another, a lot about the style of men's clothing.

I've always loved menswear. I'm jealous of how easy it is for a man to look put together, but also guess that their wardrobe possibilities might sometimes feel restrictive. Men on the east coast, I've noticed, seem far more put-together/dressed up than their So Cal counterparts (women, too, but I'll save that for another post). The preppy look runs strong, replacing the surfer/skater/hipster look in terms of on-the-street prevalence, and it seems you're more likely to see a young man in sporting a summer look of walking shorts (often colorful), a button-up, and loafers than anything else.

I've noticed more than a few men wearing pink/salmon colored shorts, to which I tip my hat. However, every single one of them has paired their shorts with a navy blue button down. Truly, the combination works, but it started to seem almost like a uniform around the 6th or 7th time I saw it!

So, here's a nod to you, east coast boys. My version of the pink-and-navy summer combo. Thanks for the inspiration!

Peach and Navy

 Top: Urban Outfitters / Shorts: Gap / Sandals: Gap / Bag: Vintage Coach via eBay / Necklace: Asos ($20.87, buy here) / Sunglasses: Target / Rings: gifts, from local boutiques

  

I hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day and a relaxing weekend!

Mine was chock-full, with a trip to Unique LA, hanging out with my family, going to a birthday party for a friend I've known for two decades (!), gardening (more weeding, really), having Mother's Day breakfast, and seeing the Avengers (awesome movie). Now, it's back to work, and helping my students stay sane through the second week of the California State Test.

Hope you're all having a good start to the week!

Going Green

 

Dress: Urban Outfitters ($10!) / Sweater: H&M / Sandals: Gap / Bag: vintage Coach, via eBay / Necklace: bought in Italy / Blue ring: gift from the boyfriend / Green ring: Amrita Singh, via Hautelook ($12)

 

 
Things I'm really going to miss about LA:

-tacos, and great Mexican food in general

-amazing fresh and local produce, all year 'round

-being 15 minutes away from my family

-the pacific ocean and the LA skyline

-my dogs and cat

Things I will not miss about LA:

-traffic

-smog

-(more) traffic

-having to drive everywhere

-the amazing weather that lets me wear something like this for 85% of the year.

* * * * * * *

I swear this is my last short-blue-dress-and-green-sweater combination. It's out of my system (for now...). And, more importantly, I've finally ran out of short blue dresses.

Do you ever get set on a style and stick with it many days in a row? Sometimes, when it works, it works!

Wondering What

 Top, skirt, and boots: Urban Outfitters / Bag: Alice + Olivia / Tights: H&M

Ah, look. A perfectly in-focus palm tree trunk.... Grr. Out of focus photos (that I thought were in-focus until I uploaded them) are the worst! Especially when I'm pretty happy about my outfit.

Speaking of the outfit: I've had this grey skirt for years and bought it because I was sure it would quickly become a wardrobe staple. An easy color, a simple shape, something that would pair with many shirts without too much effort. However, I always find myself stumped when I reach for it...something about how tight it is makes me unsure how loose the top should be, and a little self-conscious to wear it without tights underneath.

Anyone have a suggestion as to what to pair with this grey jersey skirt?

Uniform

 

Top: Gap / Cashmere sweater: bought in Scotland / Jacket: Urban Outfitters / Jeans: JBrand (second hand, $11.00) / Boots: Ralph Lauren / Bag: Alice + Olivia

 

When I lived in Cambridge for my semester abroad, I pretty much had a uniform. Jeans, these leather boots (the only pair of water-proof shoes I own. That's going to have to change, soon...), a sweater, the only coat I brought, and a colored scarf.

I wore a variation of that uniform almost every single day throughout the English winter. Until it got to be June and I broke out the sun dresses along with the rest of the British, celebrating the 65 degree spring. :)

Given this post and the last (yes, these outfits are 50% exactly the same). I seem to be back to my old habits. Got to work on that...

H&M Burgundy Blouse + Jean Shorts (yes, this is winter)

 Top: H&M ($17.99) / Shorts: Urban Outfitters / Sandals: Gap / Bag: BCBG / Belt: came with a shirt bought in England / Bracelets: from England / Sunglasses: Target



I finally got a camera remote and am slowly figuring out how to use it effectively. I love having the remote because not only do I no longer have to do the "set-the-timer-and-frantically-run" move for every single photo, but I can also finally play with focus. The single, simplest thing that makes so many bloggers' outfit photos look beautiful is a blurry, out of focus background that highlights everything in the foreground. Getting that effect when photographing yourself is a bit tricky, so I was very happy to have achieved it in 1/2 of my pictures here. :)

In addition to the creativity I'm trying to discover in putting together outfits, I'm also enjoying the creativity of taking photos. Yes, I have to awkwardly dodge my neighbors and pretend I'm taking pictures of a really interesting tree when someone walks by, but realizing that I've gotten a few beautiful or well-shot photographs makes it worth it.

P.S. This burgundy "mullet hem" blouse (I hate that phrase, but that's kind of what it is...), is one of the three clothing items I bought in January. I love it and can't wait to style it more! Anyone have any suggestions?

Red Jacket & Striped Tee

 Top: Gap ($24.95, buy here) / Jacket: Forever 21 (old) / Jeans: Gap 1969 skinnies sz 0 / Boots: Urban Outfitters / Necklace: homemade

I found these photos on my camera (that had been left at the Boyfriend's house for a few weeks...) from way back at Christmastime. Christmas with my Unitarian side of the family is awesome. For the past few years we've gathered in a restaurant my cousin manages in Santa Barbara, cooked up a lovely feast for dinner, watched the Lakers game on TV, and played tons of board games together. This year my 8 year-old cousin got a Kinect, and I had more fun playing kid's videogames than I ever thought possible.

Oh, and I wore these clothes. :)

Motorcycle Jacket & Black Boots

 Top: Gap / Cardigan: Forever 21 / Jacket: Urban Outfitters / Skirt: UO / Shoes: UO / Necklace: Gift / Bracelets: bought in England

 Today, I was forced to momentarily overcome my fear of people watching me take photos of myself in an effort to not lose the fading light. (But only momentarily. It's still awkward.)

A few more things that fell victim to my light-losing-induced hastiness: my absurdly messy hair, the paint that is still on my hands from a day of painting the walls of a middle school for MLK day, the fact that there is a metric ton of pug hair on my black jacket.

Happy Monday!

Cream & Lavender

 Top: Target / Sweater: Gap body / Jeans: Gap 1969 Always Skinny sz 00 / Boots: Urban Outfitters / Bag: BCBG / Necklace: gift / Blue ring: gift from the boyfriend / Green ring: inherited from my Nana

I wore this while Christmas/Hanukkah shopping over the weekend (4 gifts down, 4 to go!), and for a very specific reason. These boots are really hard to take on and off, ever since the pieces of leather that used to make the zippers easy to pull up and down fell off. Now, they're really hard to unzip, and thus (I hoped) would discourage me from trying on clothes for myself. Seriously, this was my thought process.

It kind of worked. I got lots of shopping for other people done, and only bought a shirt for myself because my mother made me. It's her fault. I swear. :)

Hope you all had a great weekend!

From the Boyfriend

 Top: Urban Outfitters ($12.00) / Sweater: Gap / Jeans: Gap 1969 sz 0 / Shoes:

Target Leopard Print Flats sz 7.5 ($12.99) / Bag: BCBG / Earrings: Gift

 
 

I felt all of today like I'd stolen my boyfriend's outfit. A good deal of his daily "uniform" is a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a cozy sweater, and comfy jeans. Ok, he probably wouldn't wear the leopard print flats though. Or carry a purse. So at least there's that...

This comfy button-up is one of my favorites. I got it in the sale section at Urban Outfitters (my #1 stop when walking into that store, where everything is stupidly overpriced unless it's on sale). Petite sizes seem to often be hanging on sale racks, so I get lucky more often than not. I would recommend that petites don't dismiss non-petite-specialty stores out of hand; most of the items in my closet come from the regular ol' stores (as in, not the Petites section of LOFT, Banana Republic, etc.), and, of course, they also mostly come from the sale sections! Granted, at 5'4", I am a taller "petite" than most, but if you're feeling like there isn't enough variety in those specialty sections, don't give up on everything else!