GROWN-UP LESSONS

WALKING ON SUNSHINE

Today was the second day in a row with spring-like temperatures and sunshine, and rain this morning washed away all but a few lonely remnants of snow. I finally feel like I can say that spring has sprung, without having to knock on wood.

After work today I slipped out of my heavy flannel shirt, black jeans and rain boots and put on boyfriend jeans and this little silk camisole, grabbed the dog leash and wandered around campus with my dog for nearly an hour. I grabbed the hat just as I ran out the door but intentionally forgot shoes. My feet were pleasantly muddy when I got home.

Hat, camisole and earrings: Forever 21.

HIPPIE SENSIBILITY

These are old photos, from one of the last big snows, but I thought I’d post them anyway since there’s been a dearth of outfit posts lately.

Jeans and camisole, Gap; sweater, Anthropologie; headband, Urban Outfitters; fringed booties, Éram.

Last weekend Mama and I went thrifting on a whim. We hadn’t been in ages, and luckily we both made some really phenomenal finds!

We bickered over who would have the honor of being the new owner of this hideous vintage dress (I say “hideous” now that I look at the photo I took after winning the battle and bringing it home in my goody bag, but obviously we both saw something more that made it worth rescuing off the rack).

I decided that ditching the belt and shortening it significantly would make it really wearable. Boy, hemming polyester cut on the bias sure is tricky, but I think I did alright and I even got to use my new baby sewing machine I got for Christmas!

I ended up with something that looked like it had just been pulled off the rack at Urban Outfitters, not a dingy thrift store. Maybe it’s the sexy deep-v back, or the sweet little collar the buttons in the back, or the funky 80’s pattern? I’m still not sure what we saw in it, but I sure am glad we did!

The Oxford boots were also among my thrift store loot, and after polishing them a bit and replacing the laces, they looked super cool and were very cozy with their knit lining. The funniest thing about them? Mama says she used to own a pair exactly like them. Maybe even this exact pair. How weird/cool is that?

Dress, boots and belt, thrifted; tights, Express via Gabriel Brothers; cardigan, Gap.

HEARTS AND SNOWFLAKES

First of all, I’ve received plenty of requests for photos of my bangs. I didn’t think they looked particularly special today, but I do love that they inject a bit of style into a ponytail. You’ll all just have to wait and form your opinion as I post more outfits over the next couple of weeks! I did think to throw in a close-up for those of you who were especially curious but prompty removed it when I noticed that my total lack of photogenuity (I’d like to see you come up with the noun I’m looking for), you could totally see a hugely obvious gray hair hanging down right in the middle, just in case you didn’t believe me when I told you I was going gray.

We got a lot of snow this weekend. There’s really no other way to put it. I know, I know, southwest Ohio’s no Washington DC and I really have nothing to complain about. Which is why I’m not going to complain. Au contraire, my friends, I’m elated! Sure, I can smile and try to relate to those who complain about shoveling sidewalks and poor driving conditions, but I’ll never truly be able to commiserate. I just don’t get it. I love snow. Living in such a small town doesn’t hurt, for nowhere else is there so much of a communal blizzard mentality, that sort of “Oh, well. We’ll just have to take the sled down to Tom’s and hope they’re not out of milk.” Really, it’s the fact that I don’t have to drive anywhere, that we have one really good sledding hill in the village, and that I have high-quality food and entertainment within a quarter mile of my house, these are the reasons I’m able to appreciate a good, heavy snow. That, and my line of work also happens to support the childlike dreaming I so love to indulge in.

There’s really nothing fashion-forward about what I threw on this morning, but I really loved it and felt so comfy and perfect in the snow that I just had to document. I love pairing light, flowing silks like this heart print tank top with chunky knits like this cape sweater. The tank top is perfect for layering to take the heaviness away from a winter look, but I’m also really looking forward to tucking it into a mini skirt with a wide belt come summertime.

I’ve also discovered these wedge booties, which are pretty much perfect for wearing to work and for bopping around town without looking pretentious in heels, and they also have a wide sweater-like knit band around the top that makes them cozy tucked into jeans.

We’re expecting another 3”-8” of snow by tomorrow evening, and frankly I’m pulling for as much as possible. Little could make me as happy as a cozy day at home with my family, good movies and a bottomless pot of tea. To help my little wish along, I’m falling back on the old superstition that wearing one’s pajamas inside out and backwards brings a snow day. Call me childish for believing, but know that my family came by this tradition honestly: We heard it on NPR. Which really isn’t childish at all, nope. I’m just an informed citizen.

Sweater and tee, Anthropologie; heart print camisole, Forever 21; jeans, Gap; suede booties, Urban Outfitters; watch necklace, eBay.

TWO WAYS: NEUTRALS GALORE

When I was living in France I couldn’t help but notice the amazing ability of French girls to wear tons of neutral shades in one outfit without a single splash of color. Admirable though this feat may have been, it always inspired in me a certain gloom. I occasionally find myself falling prey to this bland outfit recipe. Today is a perfect example. This sweater, which I bought during the seasonal sales in Bordeaux, is actually the same shade as this skirt, which I picked off a rack in my favorite secondhand store this summer, even though the picture makes them look different. I think the near exact pairing of these shades is the only reason this outfit even comes close to working. I’m still not sure if it does.

I also couldn’t decide whether I liked the cardigan tucked in and buttoned or open and not tucked in. What do you think?

Sweater, Kookaï; cardigan, Gap; belt, Forever 21; skirt, thrifted Liz Claiborne; tights, Express; headband, drugstore.

THE OCCASION: ERRANDS, WORK, BRAVING COLD AND DEPRESSING WEATHER

I recently bought my very first trench coat, and I already adore all of the fun outfits I can make with it! This morning all of the roads were covered in a thin sheet of ice. I had to take my car to be serviced and didn’t have time to wash my hair, so I resorted to an old high school standby - the ponytail. I always wrap several strands of hair around the ponytail holder to hide it, making it a slightly-more-chic-than-average ponytail. Or at least, that’s how I justify the lack of effort.

I really love this outfit because it’s a little bit gamine because of the striped shirt, a little bit beatnik (this picture doesn’t show my cowboy boots tucked into cuffed jeans), and the high ponytail and neckerchief make it just a little bit 1960’s mod. It’s also undeniably comfy and laid back.

On a weather-related note (I know, fashion bloggers are always on about the weather, but it does have a lot to do with how we dress), I’m so sick of this rainy/sleety cold without snow. I don’t even care whether we get spring or more winter because I’d be just as happy to pull out skirts and dresses and pretty ballerina flats as I would be to squeeze my multiple pairs of socks back into snow boots. I just want something more inspiring than this dull, wet gray and brown landscape.

Trench and jeans, Gap; striped tee, borrowed from Mama’s closet; neckerchief, secondhand.

Even nannies get a snow day every now and then!

Normally snow days would mean extra hours at work, but today I scored a bonus afternoon off when the snow caused plumbing to freeze at one of my employers’ offices. Having left the kids in the care of their parents, I’m looking forward to a productive afternoon of the very grown-up sort: paying bills, re-organizing various spaces in my bedroom, reading my new French poetry book (thanks, Micah!), and maybe even working on a DIY project.

On a brief fashion note, would you believe I found this amazing silver and turquoise pendant in the trash in Bordeaux?! Best cheap jewelry find ever. Also, this sweet little top has woodland creatures on it, which feels especially cute and perfect on a magical snowy day like today.

Stay cozy!

Top, Anthropologie; cardigan, Free People via Gabriel Brothers; necklace, secondhand; earrings, Forever 21; jeans, Gap.

THE OCCASION: COZY DAY AT WORK

This post is way overdue, especially considering how many adorable outfits I put together over the holidays but failed to photograph. One of my favorites, worn to a family holiday party, was a remix of today’s outfit, with the same black jumper and tights, but paired with a wool blazer and brown suede booties.

This little black cotton jumper, which I thrifted with Jessica last fall, is a perfect example of a really versatile piece that will survive the great wardrobe clean-up. For the Christmas party in December, I dressed it up a lot, but today it feels really comfy for this snowy day. It’s best features are its Madeline-esque bell shape and pockets, which are perfect for keeping my hands toasty, or for storing bobby pins of tiny things the kids hand me throughout the day, like gum wrappers and Playmobile pistols.

Black jumper, American Eagle via Plato’s Closet; sweater, Anthropologie; beret, United Colors of Benetton; scarf, TJ Maxx via Mama’s closet; tights, Express via Gabriel Brothers; black booties, Texto.

THE OCCASION: HAIRCUT, WORK, AND THE LAST HALF OF FINALS WEEK

The end of finals week is always a good incentive for me to pull myself together by putting a little bit of thought into my outfit. It seems silly, but it really is amazing what good clothes and a bit of lipstick can do for my motivation and confidence level, which are usually rock-bottom by this time each semester. Also, somehow I’m finding time to write this post between studying. Staying on top of my blog gives me a sense that I’ve not completely lost my marbles.

There was a really penetrating cold in my bedroom last night, and when I woke up this morning I was in the mood for bright colors and florals to chase away the winter chill. I also bought some velvet leggings recently, which are too fun and add a sort of specialness to the quotidian.

I got my hair cut this morning! What do you think? It always looks funny right after it’s been cut, and it’s styled super straight today, which isn’t usually something I love. Still, I hardly lost any length but got some really amazing layers, which stop me feeling like a fourth grader. And just in case my new layers don’t make me feel grown-up enough, my stylist agreed that I have more gray hairs than I did eight weeks ago!

Top and leggings, Forever 21; skirt, The Limited; gold bangle, Kismet; boots, handed down.

Photo credit: Hannah Brown