Farewell, Sweet Autumn

Apparently if you blink, entire seasons disappear. Where did autumn go? Here is a November recap.

Jacket: Old Navy. Cardigan: LandsEnd. Dress: Target. Boots: LL Bean

My friend, Heyni, recently did another closet purge. Lucky me! Out of the heap I scored this classic grey cotton trench from Old Navy. The grey goes with everything and can dress things up or down. One of my students informed me that this outfit is very "Autumn in New York." I'll take it!

Autumn is not complete without a trip to the pumpkin patch and corn maze. I love how the playing field is leveled and everyone is "allowed" to act like a kid. Normally I don my flannel and grubby jeans but this year I decided to class it up. Partly because my pinched nerve is still giving me pain and there wasn't going to be any running around in the maze for me.

Sweater: Gift from Mom. Orange Shirt: Kohl's. Jeans: From a friend. Socks: Target. Boots: LL Bean. Purse: Thrifted. Scarf: Plato's Closet.

My lovely cousin. She is a master with her curling wand.

Picking out gourds and milking cows with my brothers and cousin.

And now....out with the orange and in with the red. In two weeks the two huge Christmas concerts with my high school kids will be over. Time to take a deep breath and hit the ground running. December is bittersweet for musicians seeing as this is our busiest month of the year. But soon the concerts will be over, I get to sneak in a quick trip to Chicago, and then I'll be relaxing with my family around the tree, watching White Christmas. 

After wearing black stretchy pants for the past 2 months (due to my back/leg injury), I'm looking forward to busting out some fancy and festive holiday attire. Farewell, Sweet Autumn, and Greetings, Winter Wonderland!

Indian Summer Part 2 (AKA Best Skirt Ever)

Some time ago, I found this perfect Ann Taylor PETITE(!) pencil skirt for $6 at a local thrift store. Ann Taylor. My size. Goes with EVERYTHING and is also a great piece for transitioning from summer to fall. Last week was cool with freezing temperatures and morning frost. Today was in the 70s. Go figure.

Left: Turquoise cardigan: Ann Taylor. Shirt: Target. Belt: Steve Madden (gift). Shoes: Old Navy

Middle: Scarf: thrifted. Shirt & Shoes: Old Navy

Right: Cardigan: Gap. Tank Top: Target. Shoes: Old Navy

Scarves: Wal-Mart. Shirts: Target. Belt: thrifted. Boots: Rack Room Shoes. Shoes: Toms.

I am loving these infinity scarves from Wal-Mart, of all places. They come in many colors (I also have green!) and are super soft. I got the idea to wear a graphic tea with a pencil skirt from Audrey over at Putting Me Together. Here is the link to her fun ideas for dressing down a pencil skirt.

Putting Me Together: Ways to Dress Down a Pencil Skirt

Orange Cousins & Simple Pleasures

Nothing like fall break from teaching to have a day out with my cousin. We don't require much. Just some time at Barnes and Nobles, Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks, and posing with oddities at TJ Maxx. We must have been in an autumn mood because we both wore orange.

I am currently dealing with a pinched nerve in my back that is sending constant pain down my leg. Not fun. I have been living in sweats for the past three weeks so I was determined to look a little bit put together for our outing. I wore athletic pants/tights because I had Physical Therapy earlier in the day but dressed them up with the shirt and boots.

Chambray Shirt: Target, Orange Shirt: From a friend, Tights: TJ Maxx, Boots: LLBean.

Thanks to all yesterday's walking and shopping, I'm spending today on the couch icing my leg. This whole experience has been very eye-opening. I have a whole new appreciation for those with back issues and chronic pain. Some days I'm positive and other days I feel like this pain will never go away. But amidst this ordeal, I have been forced to sit still and appreciate simple pleasures. Such as a savory cup of tea. Or a beautiful evening sky.

Indian Summer

Top: Wal-Mart (I HATE Wal-Mart but once in a while find something I can't pass up.) Cardigan: LandsEnd. Jeans: JC Penney. Shoes: TopSiders. Boots: LL Bean. Necklace: Self-made with materials from Michael's.

90 degrees one day. 50 degrees the next. I'm ready for some steady fall weather. In the meantime, here are some outfits I concocted to deal with the transition from summer to fall. I've tried to wear outfits that look like fall but are tolerable in the heat because I refuse to wear shorts or tank tops in OCTOBER.

Shirt: Target. Cardigan: Old Navy. Jeans: JC Penney. Boots: Macy's. Scarf: Wal-Mart (Like I said....I HATE Wal-Mart but they sure do have cute scarves.) Purse: Gift from Mom.

I suppose this next line-up could go from cool summer nights to cold winter days. But I just bought this versatile top from Target and the vest from LandsEnd and was DYING to wear them!

Top: Target. Turtleneck: Thrifted. Vest: LandsEnd. Jeans: JCPenney. Shoes: TopSiders. Brown Boots: LL Bean. Black Boots: Macy's. Necklace: Luray Caverns gift shop (they have some cute and cheap jewelry!)

Summer Recap

July, August, September, OCTOBER! My how the time does fly. Another summer gone. Another school year started. My thesis is not quite finished but I'm trying to stay positive and focused in spite of a exercise-related back injury that has me on muscle relaxants and physical therapy. Folks, when it rains it POURS. That being said, the road to regular blog posts is just around the corner.

Exhibit A: THE DRESS. I have become borderline obsessed with dresses because they require little to no thought and make one instantly polished. Here is a recap of dresses that kept me smiling throughout the summer months.  Dress: Ross. Shoes: Keds. Bracelets: H&M.

Okay, confession time....the dresses below are from....THE DOLLAR STORE. I could not believe it. These dresses served me well this summer when I wanted to look nice but not too fancy. Everything else (shoes, belts, purse) were thrifted for under $2 each.

I wore this versatile black dress to a symphony concert this summer. It was at night and a bit chilly out so I opted for a scarf instead of a sweater.

Dress: LandsEnd. Scarf: Target. Pearls: Luray Caverns gift shop :-). Belt: Vintage (gift). Shoes: H&M

I have been looking for a green dress for quite some time-particularly since I like to be festive during St. Patrick's Day season. Love how breezy this dress is and how I can class it up with a blazer.

Dress: Ross. Blazer: Gift from Mom. Shoes: Prada (gift). Purse: Thrifted.

Last is this dress which I love for its combination of retro and modern style. I can use any color of belt and add a cardigan and tights when the weather turns cold.

Dress: JC Penney. Belt: Vintage (my grandmother's). Shoes: Dress Barn. 

New Shoes

I have been looking everywhere for flat, dressy sandals. Heels are cute and all, but sometimes my feet just need a break. I finally found these very low wedge sandals on sale at Belk. T-strap sandals have always been a favorite of mine and these patent leather beauties make any dress instantly classy. Here is an outfit I wore for church this weekend. I played my violin so there was a lot of running on and off stage and I'm happy to report I didn't have to think about my feet.

 

Blazer & Top: Can't remember (Gift from Mom), Skirt: Calvin Klein (Gift from friend), Shoes: Belk

The cat seems to recognize and approve of this skirt. :-) (Second picture is from a year ago.)

OBX

I HATE the fact that I haven't had time to blog lately. Okay...since April. That is what the last semester of grad school does to a person. I'm not sure how many of you actually read this blog but be assured I will be posting VERY regularly as soon as my thesis is turned in. The good news is I passed my final oral exam and am now truly in the final stretch of this incredible journey. A journey I have been blessed to experience but one that I'm ready to be over!

Two weeks ago I went to the Outer Banks with my family for the first time. It was lovely. Here are some beach-friendly outfits. Very simple and classic. I'm looking forward to posting some fancier summer outfits soon. Target, Ross, and Marshalls have been good to me this summer!

 

I wore this during our day in the van headed to the beach. I wanted to experiment with pairing a graphic t-shirt with my new Ann Taylor cardigan I found on sale.

T-Shirt: Target (From a friend). Cardigan: Ann Taylor, Belt: Thrift Store (50 cents!), Capris: Can't remember. Sandals: Teva.

This is on the porch of our friends' beach house. I am very in to the Nautical theme this summer. Notice the anchor head wrap and sand dollar pendant. :-)

Head Scarf: Target (Dollar bin!), T-Shirt: Target, Cardigan: Ann Taylor, Shorts: Old Navy (from a friend).

 

Wore this for a quick trip to some local souvenir shops. 

Shirt & Bracelets: Forever 21, Shorts: Old Navy (from a friend), Shoes: TOMS, Purse: Thrift Shop (50 cents!), Watch: Timex (Target)

 

Winter/Spring/Whatever

It has been challenging to dress for this crazy winter/spring/whatever weather. Here are some attempts. One of my best friends, Jordan, visited me several weekends ago and we unintentionally sort-of matched for church. Loving our cool colors in chevron and stripes. It's a nice mix of classic and trendy. And...these dresses work great for both cool and weather. And....my dress was $17 at Ross. WIN!

Here's several other dressy outfits I've come up with lately. This one was for my brother's orchestra concert. I finally found a sweater dress that was long enough and doesn't look like an ill-fitting potato sack. Note the SNOW outside. I enjoyed the snowstorm but am sure ready for spring.

Dress: Dress Barn, Boots: Macy's, Shrug: Ross, Scarf, Target

Next was a work outfit. I wanted a funky look that was still work-appropriate. The skirt is actually a dress. The fun necklace is actually a watch. Couldn't resist the owl. 

Blazer: From my mom, Sweater: Plato's Closet, Dress: Target, Boots: Bjorn, Necklace: Street Festival in MD

This final outfit was for work. The belt from the 1960s. It belonged to my grandmother. :-)

Shirt: From a friend, Pants: JC Penney, Shoes: Old Navy, Belt: Vintage

One Word: BOOTS

It appears I made it through my year of no-new-clothes! This accomplishment calls for an official celebratory post and that is definitely in the near future, but I wanted to go ahead and show what my reward splurge was: brown leather boots. Those that know me well know I've had this on my wish list for about three years. Thanks to end-of-winter sales at L.L. Bean, that is one more thing crossed off the list.  I love the color and especially the adjustable calf option. My calves are so skinny and it has been torture looking for boots of this style that fit me. Here are other outfits featuring the boots. (And because if I don't post them now I probably never will!) Above Outfit. Jacket: Nordstram Rack, Sweater: From a friend, Pants: Ann Taylor

Jacket: Kenneth Cole, Shirt: Kohls, Belt: My mom's, Pants: Ann Taylor, Scarf: No idea, Leg Warmers: TJ Maxx

Turtleneck: Kohls, Scarf: Ross, Belt: Thrifted, Jeans: Hollister (Thrifted), Skirt: JC Penney

Wore this to my brother's high school baseball game and my students approved. :-)
Jacket: JC Penney, Sweatshirt: Kettering College, Scarf: Plato's Closet, Jeans: Ross, Leg Warmers: TJ Maxx

Kelly Green

First, apologies for not posting for almost two months. I am in my final semester of grad school and am ferociously writing my thesis and studying for the oral exit exam. I have no life. None. I can't wait to graduate and regularly post again. I miss it!

In spite of the hectic schedule, my family and I managed to take a road trip and visit my brother in college. The trip took place on my birthday and it was a blast. My family does road trips well and this was no exception. Eight hours in the car took us to Chattanooga where we picked up my brother and went out for my favorite dessert: key lime pie.

I chose this outfit based on the color: Kelly Green. I recently purchased this sweater from Old Navy and LOVE it. I chose the black stretchy pants since we were going to be in the car all day but then go out for dinner. And I wear this March necklace every year on my birthday.

Scarf: Plato's Closet, Sweater & Shirt: Old Navy, Belt: Thrift Shop, Pants: Ann Taylor, Boots: LL Bean

Casual Sunday

One week ago, the high school orchestra I direct had a Sunday rehearsal. I wanted to capture 3 looks: professional, casual, & MUSIC NERD!  This is what I came up with.

Blazer: H&M ($5 at Plato's Closet), Pin: Vintage, Shirt: American Eagle, Pants: Ann Taylor, Socks: My mom's, Boots: Macy's.

Work Week

Here are last week's work outfits.  It was a weird week weather-wise. That's why one day my ankles are exposed and next thing you know I've got snow boots back on. Typical east coast these days!

Dress: Lands End, Sweater: Old Navy, Scarf: Thrifted, Tights: Target, Boots: Bjorndal (Rack Room Shoes), Key Pin: Michael's Craft Store, Watch: Timex (Target)

Tuesday: Cardigan: Old Navy, Shirt: Kohl's, Belt: Thrifted, Pants: Can't remember, Shoes: TJ Maxx
Wednesday: Cardigan: Ross, Camisole: Old Navy, Necklace: Rugged Warehouse, Pants: New York & Co. (From a friend), Shoes: Aerosoles (From a friend), Watch: Timex (Target)
Thursday: Sweater: B.Moss, Belt: Gap, Pants: Belk, Shoes: Ross

The picture below goes with Thursday's outfit. I wanted to show the polished coordination of maroon/burgundy because this outfit is one of my go-tos when I have "nothing to wear."

Sweater: Tommy Hilfiger (Thrifted for $10!), Skirt: Ann Taylor (Thrifted for $2!!), Tights: Can't remember, Pants: Ann Taylor, Socks: My mom's, Leather Boots: Macy's, Snow Boots: Kohls, Scarf: Vintage-My mom's from the 70s. 

You'll notice lots of bargains and thrift store finds in this week's line-up. My favorite piece is this vintage scarf.  I love bringing the colorful 70s into my winter wardrobe.  Moral of the story: Winter does not have to be depressing. Scarves and tights and boots, oh my!

Welcome to Narnia!

This was one of the top memories made over Christmas break and the above picture of the outing was such a hit on Facebook that I decided to put up more pictures. We went up on Skyline Drive (part of the Shenandoah National Park) where the road was closed due to ice and snow and helped ourselves to the winter wonderland at hand. We hadn't done this since I was a little kid and it was like passing through the wardrobe and into Narnia. I miss the city but rural living has its perks!

 Setting out on our journey.

We went back a week later at night and could see planes circling Dulles from this overlook. WORD!

EPIC Icicles!

Arriving at the Tunnel. 

The other side of the tunnel. If you look carefully, you'll see some "mountain goats" right above the tunnel. ;-) It was harder to get up there than it looks. One slip on the ice and...well.....

We haven't had enough snow since to go back but I'm optimistic that one of these years it will happen again.