My kingdom for a brooch

Brooches: my mom's | Sweater: Kohl's | Skirt: Talbots | Tights: Target, no doubt | Flats: Target

Salazar always has amazing brooches, which makes me want to put a lot more effort into developing a bigger collection of my own. As it stands, almost all of my brooches--including the six (six!) in today's outfit--are direct hand-me-downs from my mom, which she wore quite often at her office job. One, a white fish, came all the way from my grandmother. The only "brooches" I've contributed to my own collection are Cape May beach tags, which is pathetic. (Not that I don't love my beach tags, because I do!) I made a huge mistake by going on Etsy, because now there are star shaped brooches in my eyes and I want to dump a pile of cash on everything from octopi and birds to bows (Salazar this seems very you!) and a station wagon with a canoe on top because why the hell not. Someone get me away from Etsy before I fritter away my entire massive public servant salary.

Valentine

Locket: heirloom | Sweater: JCPenney | Skirt: Belk | Tights: Target | Flats: Banana Republic

It took me a LONG TIME to post my Valentine's Day outfit, y'all. I'll explain why in my next post, but for now, let me tell you what I did for Valentine's Day.

I spent Valentine's Day at work, and then I went food shopping, came home and fed the horses, made dinner, let the horses out, and cleaned my room. You read that right: I cleaned my room. My boyfriend has, until very recently, been working nights, and he had to work Saturday night, while I had to work all day, so there was no overlap in free time. (I got to see him Sunday though!) I am currently on call at home 24/7 because my parents, those jerks, are on vacation in the Florida Keys right now--they've been away since Friday (2/13) and won't be back until Sunday evening (2/22)! So to get home at 7pm and feed the horses, and then cram down a plate of food and be back out at the barn by 9...I was exhausted. I had bold plans to go to the gym and maybe watch Clueless, but I ended up looking at my bedroom and noticing a giant pile of clothing in the corner, which was screaming to be PUT AWAY ALREADY.

So happy Valentine's Day to me: nothing screams romance quite like cleaning.

Downgrade

Sweater: Boden | Skirt: Boden | Boots: Target

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know why these pictures look differently than my standard fare. My 50mm f/1.8 lens (the "nifty fifty", as it were) officially moved on to the great camera body in the sky, and I am back to using my kit lens for the time being. I've rented a lens until I can figure out my next step, but it won't arrive until Christmas eve. So for now: back to basics. It certainly makes me appreciate my 50mm a looooot more.

Also, an FYI: Style Imitating Art is taking a break for the holidays, and we will return in full force on January 5th, 2015!

The return

Necklace: JCPenney | Sweater: Ann Taylor | Skirt: Target | Wedges: Target | Lips: Sonia Kashuk Poppy Nude

I'm baaaaaaaack! Today marks my very first outfit photos since surgery (not including the outfit I managed to pull on specifically for SIA a few weeks ago), and it feels good, even if my lens is busted and my remote is dying and my tripod crushed my finger. And perfect timing, too, since today is an SIA based on Parade, by Charles and Ray Eames. Jen is hosting SIA this week, so definitely check out her blog tomorrow to see all the inspired outfits!

American flamingo

Necklace: Target | Sweater: J. Crew Factory | Belt: Target | Dress as skirt: Target | Tights: Target | Shoes: Urban Outfitters | Nails: butter London Ladybird

I mean...I feel like I nailed it.

For more SIA interpretations, check out Jen's blog!

Brr

Hat: Target | Sweater: Boden | Mittens: Target | Jeans: Target | Boots: Target

I'm not wearing these mittens and covering my face to be cute. I am wearing mittens and covering my face because I am cold.

Death by Martha

Pink scarf: JCPenney | Blue scarf: Target | Sweater: Target | Dress as skirt: Target | Tights: Target | Flats: DSW

I have taken more of an interest in cooking in the last six months or so. I'm getting better at it and feel capable of making a LOT more than I used to be able to make. (I am also the primary cooker in my family now!) I read food blogs and Google recipes and my recipe pinboard is the second largest one I have (clothes, of course, still hold first place). And my parents did get me the god of mixers, so my baking can go to an even higher level. (I've always been a good baker.) But since I want to inch forward with my cooking, I checked this out from work. And I have received no short variety of comments about Martha. But to be entirely fair to Martha, looking through the book, it's actually really easy to follow. She explains damn near everything about cooking, along with the basics of baking. So I raise my glass to you, Martha, for enabling me to make my friends even more jealous with my cooking skills.

Indian-Arctic

Sweater: from a friend | Skirt: Talbots | Boots: Target | Shades: Target

This outfit made me feel a lot like Atlantic-Pacific today. Except I'm probably 3 times her size. And everything I'm wearing was $25 or less. And I live on a farm. And there's a cat behind me. And I can't get my hair to behave.

So really I'm not like Atlantic-Pacific at all, but at least I can kind of pose like her. (I don't think she often leaps into the air, though.)

Lessons learned

Sweater: J.Crew | Skirt: Talbots | Tights: Target | Flats: DSW | Nails: Lynnderella Glass Houses over butter London Union Jack Black | Book: Queen of the Dark Things by C. Robert Cargill, out May 13, 2014

I am currently running through mild school withdrawal. I still check my school email daily and find myself slipping into Blackboard despite the fact that I have no homework. I admit that I am nervous: this is, ideally, the end of my education, and this is after spending 20 years total embracing some educational institute. Preschool at JCC, elementary school, one failed middle school, a slightly better middle school, high school, college, and grad school have essentially guided my brain, my body and my spirit over the last two decades of life, and now it's all over. Very abruptly, might I add. Grad school weaned me, slightly, from the dedication of 24/7 education, because I had to dedicate my life to other things too. But I'm still uncertain what comes next: I'm mildly aimless. I know this is only temporary, but jeez, I need to get over it already and move on. At least I have a book to keep me warm.

Space case

Sweater: JCPenney | Skirt: Boden | Boots: Off Broadway

Now that Neil deGrasse Tyson is all over the news for his Gravity tweets, can we talk about what a jerk he is? On one hand, I appreciate the fact that he's brought a lot of topics in science to the forefront and made society a lot more aware of what is happening in the world--and universe--around him. I really thank him for that. But does he have to be so pompous? I'm surprised he doesn't wear an ascot. And the Gravity thing...I think that if all you can do is nitpick the orbit of debris and why Sandra Bullock's very short hair doesn't flail away from her head, then you need to shut up, turn off your phone (don't be That Guy in the theatre, Neil! DON'T BE THAT GUY!) and enjoy the film. Someone sit this man down with a bucket of popcorn and a DVD of Gladiator. Also: Pluto. you ruined my childhood, Tyson. I hope you know that.

Drippy

Necklace: Target | Sweater: Old Navy | Skirt: Kohl's | Tights: Target | Boots: Target

It was pouring rain when I took these pictures. To be quite honest, it rained from Friday to Sunday night, which has been the weather pattern for the last month or so. I'm sick of it.

But beyond that, I'm on day four of my book-a-day challenge! Things have gone well so far, though I am generally up late at night finishing each book. Today's book is The Teleportation Accident by Ned Beauman, who in a perfect world would be my husband. Yeah, well. The world isn't perfect, but I'll do the best with what I have, which generally means admiring from afar.