RED all over!!

Typically I cannot handle the holidays without going shopping for cute holiday clothes. This year shopping is clearly not an option....but it feels SO GOOD. Last Christmas I wore these red jeans with the same shirt but had never tried adding the boots and beret. I recently went with my parents to the local Christmas parade and wanted to be festive while staying warm. This ensemble worked perfectly.

Wool Beret & Scarf: Wal-Mart, Coat: Kenneth Cole (Gift from my cousin), Shirt: Kohls, Pants: Old Navy (Thrifted), Boots: Macy's, Gloves: Isotoner (from JC Penney), Purse: No idea. I've had it for years and dug it out of my closet for another try!

Fall for All (Seasons)

I know we are deep into the Christmas season but I wanted to share this outfit I wore Thanksgiving weekend because I think it works all throughout winter.  My younger brother just bought himself a unicycle which made for a humorous photo opportunity. Then I took the chance to pose with my grandmother, a classy and stylish woman whom I have inherited quite a few vintage pieces from.

Blazer: Thrifted, Sweater & Belt: Kohl's, Skirt: B. Moss, Tights: JC Penney, 

Shoes: Thrifted, Pin: Irish Shop just outside Chicago

Purple gets Professional

Yesterday I was in the mood to wear something really professional to work. My students noticed and responded with "Wow, you look nice today." "Thanks kids...so what do I look like the rest of the week?" :-)

The pictures aren't the greatest quality this week. I took them with my phone which apparently doesn't turn out so smashing indoors at night. But nevertheless I didn't want another week to go by without posting. Stay tuned for some holiday outfits that I put together from clothes I've owned for a long time and yet never thought to combine. It can truly be fun shopping from one's own closet!

Headband & Scarf: Target, Shirt, Skirt, & Purse: JC Penney, Tights: Can't remember, Shoes: Thrifted

The Space Between

Lately we have had some "Indian Summer" weather; welcome warmth after the initial cold snap. Even though I appreciate the sunshine I am so ready for cold weather clothes but on warm days, how do you find balance?

Exhibit A: Purple Haze.

Sweater: Old Navy. Belt: Thrifted. Shirt: Converse (Target). Skirt: Old Navy. Knee Socks: Can't Remember. Boots: Macy's.

This was my first time trying boots with knee socks instead of tights. I am a fan but it definitely only works with certain kind of weather.

Exhibit B: Preppy with a Splash of Red.

Shirt: Ralph Lauren (Thrifted for $1!!). Pants: Limited (Hand-me-over from a friend). Shoes: Thrifted for $1!! Purse: Boutique on Chincoteague Island, VA.

I wasn't sure about these shoes with cropped pants but I'd seem this look on a few fashion blogs and decided to give it a try. I LOVE this classic Oxford shirt and it's my new go-to shirt when I want to look sharp and don't have time to be creative. Even though I fought my mother's advice for years, it pays to have more classic then trendy in the closet!

From Fashionista to Farm Girl

As much as I love embracing my urban side and dressing to the nines, it's nice to just throw on some  flannel and fleece once in a while!  Here are two occasions requiring two very different outfits.

For church this weekend I wanted something comfortable, modest since I was up front playing piano, and also able to keep me warm on my way to church but not be hot after church. This worked perfectly.
Scarf: Gift (from Target), Shirt: Gap, Skirt & Belt: Kohl's, Tights: JC Penney, Shoes: TJ Maxx
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Recently, my brother was home from college and we took the chance to have some fall fun at the local corn maze and pumpkin patch. It was the perfect day. The pictures speak for themselves.

Picture clockwise from top right: Entrance to corn maze, flannel-clad siblings in the corn maze, free pumpkins upon completing the corn maze, DUCK RACES! You haven't lived until you've had to pump water and propel rubber duckies down a track. Quite the rush.

Jeans: Arizona from JC Penney, Flannel Shirt: Vintage from either my mom or dad? Not sure. :-) Fleece Jacket: Thrift Store, Shoes: Timberland, Purse: Thrift Store

This year I've been learning that simple ways are sometimes the most rewarding. The trip to the pumpkin patch was no exception. Yes, folks, heaven does exist. It's called Shenandoah Valley in the fall.

All Aboard the Autumn Train

Fall is my favorite season with spring as a close second. I love the transitional seasons when change is in the air. Somehow this fall, I've found myself doing very traditional "old-school" activities: riding a train, going on a hay ride, wandering through a corn maze, visiting a pumpkin patch, baking from scratch, throwing a party complete with a backyard campfire. Over the next few posts you will get a glimpse of each...and the style to match.

In September, my parents and I took a scenic train ride aboard the Potomac Eagle in Romney, West Virginia. The colors weren't quite out but it was beautiful nevertheless. There were closed cars with traditional seating and an open air "gondola" car to get a 360 view of the scenery. Shown above is a little store that we stopped at on our way home. It was the quintessential country store and felt like a museum (which made it easier NOT to buy anything!)

This purple shirt is one I like to save for family outings. It's cute, comfortable, and yet modest. I bought it (and one in turquoise) at JC Penney over a year ago. The jeans are GLO from Kohls. Shoes are my trusted Sperry Topsiders (I've had them since high school!). The brown leather purse was a 50 cents thrift store find and the scarf is from Plato's Closet. The bracelets are special-one is from Bead for Life and the other is made from Acai beads and was a gift from a student. The chambray shirt actually doubles as a jacket. It is my mom's from the 70s! The picture doesn't do it justice so more on this piece in upcoming posts. 

Coffee, Tea, or Stravinsky??

Scarf: Greece, Shoes: Wal-mart (and yet they're real leather!), Skirt: JC Penney, Shirt: Thrift Store (Aeropostale), Belt: My mom's, Sunglasses: Ross (Nine West)

Yes, I feel like an airline stewardess in this outfit...and yet I'm headed to my orchestra classroom and not some exotic weekend destination. Oh well.

I've had this skirt for years but never knew just how to pull it off. High-waisted pants and skirts tend to scare me. They cause flashbacks of my childhood of glasses, braces, and....high waisted jeans. *shudder* But I'm willing to give this skirt another chance. The chambray shirt from Aeropostale was a thrift store find that I'd never worn before. The scarf is extra special. I bought it at an open air market in Athens, Greece while on a college music tour. My first time to Europe while making music with my best friends was one of my favorite tours to date. I love having clothes with special memories attached.

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for flying with us today!

From Teacher to Student

Recently I was asked by one of my professors to present a paper I wrote for his class last school year. It was a research paper on Heitor Villa-Lobos and his influence on music education in Brazil. I was honored to be a featured speaker at my university's Brazil Music Day and had a blast. It was a bit intimidating to be speaking about Brazil with Brazilians in the audience but turns out we had plenty to teach each other. Here is what I wore, both in the morning to teach and in the afternoon to speak.  I chose green as my accent color in honor of Brazil. One quick wardrobe change later, I went from teacher to student. This could also be a office to dinner with friends/day to night look.  I love these types of versatile looks that can work for so many occasions!
Jacket: Forever 21, Belt: Vintage-my grandmother's, Shirt: Kohl's, Cropped Pants: New York & Company-from a friend, Shoes: Old Navy, Watch: Target, Necklace: From my friend Liz. It's from Africa and she bought it in Portland, Oregon. 

Black & White & GREAT all over...CHICAGO!!

OR....how I spent a long weekend in Chicago for $70.  "Not possible!" you say. Well keep reading...

I spent 3 years teaching music in the suburbs of Chicago. Thanks to my Southwest air miles, I was able to cash in and take a long weekend getaway to visit former coworkers and students. It was a cheap trip since most of the meals were provided at my friends' homes and Saturday lunch was a potluck at my former church. Nothing like some great home-cooked food with friends!

Now for the FASHION.  Chicago is an interesting place fashion-wise. People wear lots of solid colors, particularly neutrals. (Hence, the title of today's post.) People are also, for the most part, very put together even when dressed casually. I suppose these elements are both often the case in major cities however having spent much time in Washington D.C. I can say that their residents wear a lot more color (which is the case the further south you go) and lots of prints with global influences. 

It was hard to pack in a carry-on for the weekend but I actually pulled it off thanks to a mostly neutral wardrobe. Here I am, soon after landing in Chicago, at the local Whole Foods, Pumpkin Spice Latte in hand. Tank top: Old Navy, Jeans: GLO from Kohls, Purse: Etienne Aigner from Belk, Scarf: Ross, Sandals: H&M (gift)

My friend and former coworker Tabby picked me up from the airport and we walked around downtown Hinsdale enjoying the cool fall weather. Tabby always looks classy in black (her favorite store is White House Black Market) and she looked great in a black dress, wedge sandals, and a black hat.  We enjoyed lunch at Cosi's right by the train tracks. It was chilly inside so I threw my scarf around me like a shawl to keep warm. After lunch we walked through up the street to Toni's, a local bakery that always has a lovely window display. That's Toni herself working on an autumn arrangement.

On Saturday, my friend (and former teaching colleague) Andrea and I donned our dresses and did a small photo shoot on her apartment balcony. On me: Dress: JC Penney, Blazer: Belk, Pin: Vintage, Shoes: Prada. On Andrea: Dress: Macy's, Shoes: Payless. I'm loving this dress on Andrea and how she can use it in whatever weather for whatever occasion with only a few accessory changes. The off-centered neck line creates a point of interest and updates this classic style.

This is another former colleague, Olga. She always has fabulous shoes and knows just how to pair them with the right dress. I love this dress on her and the yellow contrasts nicely.

 

  When I first arrived at my old school, Andrea was wearing this great outfit and I loved it so much I made her put it back on and pose! Thankfully this red car got the memo about our photo shoot.

Dress & Belt: Target, Shoes: Payless

Saturday night was a fabulous night on the town with fabulous friends. In a nutshell (from left to right): the gorgeous drive into the city, Greek Islands Restaurant in Greek Town complete with gyro salad, a quick walk around Buckingham Fountain, and dessert at Molly's Cupcakes in Lincoln Park.

Sunday morning before I flew back to DC, I had brunch with friends at Egg Harbor Cafe in Hinsdale. Their spinach, tomato, and turkey bacon scrambler and blueberry pancakes are to die for! I basically wore the same outfit as when I flew in, but this time with this white shirt I happened to find at Wal-Mart , of all places. Love the lacing in the back.

Thanks for the great memories, Chicago....my kind of town! Looking forward to the next visit!

Labor Day on the Bay

This past Labor Day weekend two of my friends tied the knot (or as they like to say "tied the sailing knot") in a lovely ceremony on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. I was fortunate enough to contribute to the music by playing in a double string quartet consisting of the couple's friends and relatives. Typically us musicians wear black but given the rather hot weekend and the festive outdoor venue, we were granted permission by the groom to wear whatever we wanted. Woohoo! I have been dying to debut this dress that I purchased last summer at Ross for $30. I saw a similar dress at Macy's for 3 times as much so I was pretty excited with my find. All I needed was the perfect occasion.

I felt very comfortable in this dress and it is long enough to still cover my knee when sitting down. If I had been in the audience this wouldn't have mattered to me but since I was up front in the string group I wanted to up the modest factor a bit. I love this quote by designer Edith Head which sums up this dress.  "Your dresses should be tight enough to show you're a woman and loose enough to show you're a lady."  (Preach it, Edith!)

Dress: Ross, Shoes: David's Bridal (from my friend's wedding a year ago), Purse: Thrift Store, Ring: Beachside market in Rio, Brazil, Watch: Timex.

For the ceremony my hair was down with a festive headband (pictured below) but by the end of the wedding the humidity had poofed my hair out into something entirely different. So I used the fancy elastic (also pictured below) to pull my hair back. A quick change that was easy to prepare for.

Check out the detail in this lovely vintage purse that I bought for fifty cents at a thrift store. 

One final outfit...this was what I wore to the music rehearsal for the wedding. I LOVE shirt dresses because they make me feel instantly sophisticated and polished. Not to mention that it can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. I've had this dress for a while (from Target) and these "new" H&M shoes (compliments of my friend, Heyni) were the perfect touch. I'm not gonna' lie....I felt like I should be toting a passport and introducing myself as Annie Walker in this outfit. If you missed the reference, catch up on episodes of Covert Affairs. :-)

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

So...it's been a while! Between summer school, starting a new job while keeping a previous job, and being told I have to start my thesis now while taking two other time consuming grad classes....it's going to be an interesting school year. The plus side is that I'll be done with my masters sooner than expected and actually get to have a summer. Woohoo!  In other news, people apparently actually read my blog and I've been told I must update so here it goes! :-)

Something Old: white tank top from Gap, Timex watch from Target

Something New: hand-me-over Calvin Klein skirt and Prada shoes from a friend

Something Borrowed: my parent's backyard complete with cat

Something Blue: cardigan from Gap

This look was inspired by the recent color-blocking trend and was also my attempt to find a dressy outfit that does not involve black. As a musician I wear dressy black all the time so it's nice to have a change of scenery. 

Weekend Getaway: Williamsburg, VA

As one weekend begins, I'm remembering moments from last weekend. My dear friend Kathleen (aka Cassie) and her family visited my family at our grandmother's house. We are both into thrifting and had a mini-photo shoot with our outfits which are 100% thrifted/gifted.  Cassie's signature item is skinny jeans. These are Hollister and she paid less than $5 for them. My outfit: Shirt & pants: Hand-me-down, Belt: Thrifted, Shoes: Prada/Gift from a friend.

On Sunday, we took the ferry from Surry to Jamestown which directly leads to the always lovely downtown Williamsburg. Our favorite place to hang out is Merchant Square which is right in the midst of Colonial Williamsburg and the College of William & Mary. The square was alive with shops, restaurants, arts and craft vendors, live music, and a car show. We could have spent hours just walking around, soaking in the sights and sounds.

It was pretty hot so we planned ahead by wearing cool dresses, comfortable shoes, lightweight cross-body bags, and sunglasses.

Nothing like some tasty frozen yogurt and green tea fraps to complete a near-perfect afternoon!