Expect good things

C. demonstrates the hard sell







Cardiganland is not the bastion of culture, but there are a few shining spots, including today's short film festival! My coworker C. and I went together, and it was truly fantastic. We saw some great work. I pretty much panicked today looking at my closet and ended up recycling this outfit, but with the new wedges I ordered from Target's website. I was overdressed compared to most of the people there, but I still received a bunch of compliments! Yay. C. received a crash course in fashion blogging, mostly because we had a 2 hour dinner break and had 45 minutes to burn before the start of the second half of the festival, and I appreciate her humouring me. I also appreciate her dedicated effort to taking my picture.

A return

Top: J. Crew | Belt: Target | Skirt: Talbots | Heels: Urban Outfitters

Sorry for the unexpected hiatus. My remote was acting up, work was crazy, school was crazy, excuses excuses. I'm back, point being. I really missed taking outfit photos, oddly enough--it seems like the one time of day where I'm really just focusing on myself (literally and figuratively!) and not worrying about a patron, my parents, my horse, my homework, or anything like that. It's a zen moment. (By the way, I've started doing yoga. Yikes.)

My mom looks a lot shorter than me here, but she's actually an inch taller than I am. Just in case you were wondering.

Seashore

Necklace: J.Crew Outlet | Top: J. Crew | Skirt: Talbots | Flats: Toms



Greetings from the great white Northeast! E. and I are spending quality time with cheesesteaks, the ocean, and my uncle's cat. The above photos were taken in South Philly, and below in Cape May. Happiness is warm sand and cold water.

Excuses, excuses

If you have to take a break during 30x30, you better have a good excuse, right? Well, if excuses were dimes, I'd be a billionaire by now. But below, in photos and words, are some of the reasons why my 30x30 took so long to complete.



Necklace: gift from parents | Top: J.Crew | Shorts: Ann Taylor Factory Store | Shoes: probably Toms

You'll probably vaguely recall the pictures above and below from back in June. T. and I celebrated my birthday with delicious Italian food, crayons and The Avengers. T. was pretty unhappy with tromping through the weeds to get to where these pictures were shot but I'm sure the theater customers loved watching us jumping in the air and acting like fools :)





AC readers, meet E.! My RA my junior year, E. managed our hall but also managed to help me survive a survey class--my first upper level one--on Latin literature. She became an awesome friend in the process, and ever since we've talked at least once a week (a good sign, I've found, for maintaining long distance friendship) and I've seen her every time I visited VA and she's come to Cardiganland twice. She came down for fourth of July (!!!!) and we had a ton of fun.



My mom, E. and I took a road trip up to Charlotte one day to check out the Mint Museum Randolph, which I love. (The name comes from the fact that the art museum was the first American Mint.) And lucky for us, they had a great installation out on the front yard, so we took that opportunity and ran with it.









Top: J.Crew Outlet | Skirt: J.Crew Outlet | Shoes: Toms

Then we celebrated 'Merka with some EXPLOSIVES. Because there is no better way to celebrate your country.













And then there was the night where my parents and I went to see Marvin Hamlisch perform at the local cultural center (above). He was the perfect little old Jewish grandfather, and an amazing pianist.

Top: Target | Skirt: JCPenney | Heels: Urban Outfitters



At the end of June, my library bid a fond farewell to the head of security (he has been replaced by a nearly-as-awesome person, thankfully). Staff were encouraged to wear ties for his retirement party, since he was devoted to ties, and I embraced that.

Top: Target | Skirt: Target | Tie: Target | Shoes: Payless (I bet you thought I'd say Target!)





What I wore the night E., my parents and I went out for dinner.

Top: Ann Taylor Factory Store | Skirt: JCPenney | Sandals: Ross



Remember that awful tie dye incident at the beginning of the month? This past week we had a meeting and I wanted to wear the result for my coworkers to see. It turned out pretty amazingly, huh? Still never doing it again.



Necklace: J.Crew Outlet | Top: hand dyed; Hanes/Walmart | Belt: Walmart (way old, like high school old) | Jeans: American Eagle





My parents finally took me out for my birthday dinner, a month late but not a dollar short. Filet? Ok! and it was DELICIOUS. Thanks parents!

Necklaces: JCPenney and J.Crew Outlet | Top: J.Crew Outlet | Skirt: Gap Outlet | Wedges: Target



So those are my excuses. That and I am a lazy oaf with a lack of determination. And unfortunately I wasn't darting around in the dress below, but I did get a good fine look at it. All that beading! Glorious. I'll be back to regular outfit posts commencing Tuesday night (today's post will be dedicated to SIA) and I can't wait!

Hair of the horse

Necklace: gift | Top: Target | Belt: JCPenney | Skirt: Gap | Wedges: Payless | Nails: butter London Bossy Boots | Toes: butter London Blagger

The weather in Cardiganland has gone from "well this is nice" to "OH GOD TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONER" in about two days. Admittedly, spring lasts for about three weeks here, but this is worse than usual. As such, my horse hasn't quite caught up to the weather, and his thick winter coat, while speedily falling out, is still leaving him sweaty and hot all day. Since he's nearly 26 and doesn't operate at top speed anymore, I thought I'd help the process along with a shedding blade, combing out as much hair as possible. And I was rewarded with quite literally a bucket of hair. Tomorrow I am breaking out the big guns and clipping his coat so he isn't overheated during the day. So if you hear about a young woman living in the south who drowned in a sea of horsehair, you'll know it was me, and that I loved you all very dearly.


That's my mom!

The return of the jedi

Thaaaaat's right. What We Wore is BACK! K. and I ran across the street on our break for some fun quality time in front of the camera. So here we go!



I'm wearing:

Cardigan: Anthro
Dress: Anthro, shortened with safety pins for the day
Tights: Walmart?
Heels: thrifted (!!!!)
Red nails: Zoya Carmen
Green nails: butter London British Racing Green
Yellow nails: butter London Cheeky Chops
Blue nails: China Glaze First Mate
Gray nails: Zoya Dove



I thought maybe it would be a good idea to repaint my nails and do the skittle thing again. I'm not making this a permanent habit but I kind of love the effect.



K. is wearing:

Necklace: This and That
Top: Dots
Bracelets: Dots
Pants: Dots
Flats: Shoe Department
Button: Work



K. wears this necklace nearly daily. She's a big New Orleans Saints fan, which is good because otherwise I'd have to kick her out of my friends circle because she also likes the Washington Redskins. Just kidding, we both know our respective teams suck this year.



By the way, I tweeted a couple days ago that I thrifted a pair of shoes. HERE THEY ARE. $5, people. I got crazy lucky--I've been looking for duo toned shoes (exhibit a: this pin) for a few months now and haven't found anything in my price point that would be available after my shopping diet was over, but for $5 I'm willing to break said diet. I think it was worth it. And they've been worn maybe 3 times at most because the original tread is still on the sole!



This is one of the first pictures we took, and it was really morea practice shot than anything. As soon as I saw it I was like "whoa, K.! I look so much taller than you!" And then she looked up at me and said "well, you are." Touche, K. Touche.

See y'all tomorrow!


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