Nerd Swag

 
I used to be a Theatre major, and now, as an English major, it makes sense that some of my favorite parts of my studies would carry over. I am not ashamed to admit that I adore the works of Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare so much that I want to get a goldfish and name it Ophelia (joke in poor taste, but it's true.). Because of this love, I get excited in classes whenever my man Billy is on the syllabus. And it annoys me to no end when instead of reading the play, others use Sparknotes or Cliff's Notes. I can't even tell you. There are no words. That's why I had to treat myself to this hilarious totefor my birthday. I don't know how well you can see it, but the picture is Shakes ripping a Cliff's Notes in half. As well I think he would, were he alive today.

I nerded it up for this bag arriving today. My outfit falls along the lines of preppy geek. Said image is helped by this vintage argyle sweater, which Alex so thoughtfully put in the dryer one day and now it would fit a ten year old. Sigh, oh well. At least I still found a way to wear it. It's still probably going to end up in my shop when I opened it though. It's a turtleneck, and turtlenecks frighten me.

Ah, well. Back to the happy nerd day. I will be spending the rest of today in my glasses curled up with my homework, lamenting the fact that I don't have suspenders.

Outfit details

Argyle Sweater: Vintage (thrifted)

White Button Down Top: Thrifted

Skinny Jeans: No idea.

Brown Oxfords: Target

Read the Whole Book Tote: Shirt.woot.com

Feature: Girl and Closet

I think it's about time to pay homage to a few of my favorite blogs. Why? I look to these blogs for inspiration, and the authors behind them are amazing people too. Maybe it's an exercise in futility, but at least once a month giving a shout-out to these lovely ladies will make me a happier person.

My first of such shout-outs goes to Veronika of Girl and Closet. First and foremost, she's super sweet. And I don't just mean her style! The last year has been a big one for her, and I'm so happy for her, and honored to be her follower. She's such a warm and welcoming person, and it shines through in her blog. It also warms a little bit to see another blogger actually having to deal with winter weather - I feel like so many of my favorite blogs are based in places that didn't even see snow this year. I'll admit, I'm jealous of her seaside location, but it's a good jealously. There are two kinds, did you know?

Her style, too, is fantastic. From her use of color to the way she mixes patterns and prints, there's just so many good ideas there! She doesn't shy away from statement pieces, and she makes them work. She wears clothes comfortably and elegantly. Also, can I mention that I love the fact that she isn't afraid to wear a pair of jeans? So many bloggers are! Finally, you have to applaud her taste in shoes and hats. If there's one thing I cannot wear well, it's a hat.

It's nice, too, to tip my own hat to a fellow self-photographer. It can be a serious pain.

Please, if you haven't already, check out her wonderful, wonderful blog!

all pictures by veronika

The Gray Days of Winter

It seems that everywhere but where I live, winter took a vacation this year. In the wilds of the Great Michigan North, that's just not the case. Though you can't see it in these pictures, there's still inches of snow on the ground. And perhaps you can't tell from the way I huddle into myself, but it's a very cold, overcast day. Everyone else seems to be making their way towards spring though, so in my jealousy, I put on a very not weather appropriate dress and jacket. I can't help it. The gray days of winter are the worst. I tried so hard, but I just couldn't put down my warm and cozy scarf once I took my coat off. Taking my own pictures means a lot of running back and forth, and even that wasn't enough to keep me warm. At least the scarf is one of my favorites.

Outfit Details:

Coat: Vintage (Thrifted)

Teal Scarf: Thrifted

Polka Dot Dress: Ruche

Belt: Ruche

Argyle Tights: A Christmas gift, but I assume Target

Faux Pearl Necklace: Target

Suede Heels: Vintage Michael Kors (Thrifted - an awesome find, I can't wait to showcase them better!)

Shut the Doors and Hide Away

Wildflowers and Weeds thought about hibernating for the winter. It was all settled down to rest, all the words tucked away, and then suddenly, it didn't want to sleep anymore. So by the time winter was actually here to stay, it was time to wake up. You miss too much when you sleep too long.

 Because of my work schedule, I ran into this terrible problem of literally not having any daylight to take pictures in, and not being able to find appropriate lighting in my house to make up for it. I had a lucky, rare day where -while it was freezing outside- the sunlight was dancing on everything in sight.

And I spent every minute I had sitting in a room of our big empty house, soaking it up.

 

Outfit Details:

Mustard Sweater: Merona (Target)

Teal Skirt: Vintage (thrifted)

Belt: Thrifted

Socks: "Borrowed" from a Costume Shop 

during the run of a show we were doing.

Shoes: Target

Black Beaded Necklace: Thrifted

The Last Rays of Summer Sun

All this heat has me missing summer. Well, just a little. It's never quite warm enough all day for me to break the shorts back out. Not that that means much for me; I probably only own four pairs and never, ever wear them. So I thought, maybe, I'd break my personal mold and wear them in public maybe just once.

Really the only thing that resulted from it was me gaining the firm belief that if I'm ever going to wear shorts again, I have to work on the size and shape of my legs. Yikes.

I'm very disappointed in the sunlight, in a picture taking sense. Try as I might, the sun washed the beautiful color out of this delicate top. The purple is just a darling shade of lavender and I love the detailing at the collar. It's so sad when you have something so pretty, yet you can't quite capture it.

Which reminds me. I spent part of the day chasing butterflies. It really is the simple things.

Outfit Details:

Lavender Top: Old Navy (thrifted)

Shorts: (thrifted)

Woven Belt: (thrifted)

Brown Heels: Target

Autumn Hideaway

Although it's been beautifully warm and all I want to do is pile up leaves and jump in them, tragically, I still have to go to work. I know! It is in fact, very, very unfair. Who could ever desire to waste the precious hours of light when soon we're going to practically be drowning in darkness?

I can cut the melodrama now.

But honestly, I wanted to kill two bird with one stone today. First, I wanted to go to one of my favorite hideaways by one of the lakes near my house and climb trees and enjoy the falling leaves. Secondly, I wanted to attempt a work-appropriate outfit that avoided a ton of black.

I wear a lot of dark colors to work because my job involves handling inks, and they get everywhere. If I wear light colors, they'll stain for sure. So my normal work attire has been very dark and full of layers. It was so nice today I had to get away from the somber colors. Winter is coming, but it isn't here yet! I opted for colors that remind me of fall: a bright red, and a warm purple. I was actually kind of impressed after I put them on. It was definitely an outfit by accident. I can't say I'm complaining, though. I felt very classy at work today. And I got to play in the leaves. Although tree-climbing in heels before my timer went off on my camera was a feat, and never to be repeated. Ever.

Outfit details:

Red Peter Pan Collar Top: Vintage (thrifted)

Plum Cardigan: Mossimo

Belt: (thrifted)

Jeans: Wet Seal (thrifted)

Ribbon Heels: Work-Safe Payless

Necklace: Vintage (thrifted)

Trinity Bracelet: Present brought home from Ireland by a friend.

October Twilight

 The weather has been doing incredibly strange things lately. The last few days have been sweltering hot during the day, but perfect at twilight. Because of the unexpected return to summer heat, I had to take the opportunity to wear a light pencil skirt and this airy white top, which I love. As cliche as it is, when I think about it, I always get excited about wearing white after Labor Day. It must be a leftover from a oft heard dogma during childhood, but I always feel like I'm breaking rules and sticking it to the man.

I'll stop talking now.

I can only wear something like this on a day I don't have to work, because anything light will get destroyed at my job. So I was so excited to have a day off to enjoy this on a weekend.

River was excited to come out and have a bit of a walk too! She loves being outside and purrs constantly on the leash. We keep our cats indoors because it's so much safer than letting them roam, but she is very happy when we play outside together. Min prefers to watch from the window. The leash terrifies her.

The only problem with an outfit like this is that it never quite survives the bustle of the day, the way it looked when I put it on. The shirt managed to stay flat under the skirt until just before I went outside. I wanted to fix it, but when the light starts to fade here, you really have to play beat the clock before all is pitch black. Maybe I'll actually let Alex help next time.

Outfit details:

White Sleeve Button Top: (thrifted)

Belt: (thrifted)

Blue Pencil Skirt: Esprit (thrifted)

Bobby Socks

Brown Heels: Target

A Business Trip

Last week I ended up having to train in Marquette, MI for my new job. It was a very...hot and cold experience, if I may. While the weather was so beautiful I just about cried (high 80's? In October? Only in Michigan...), there were some things about the trip that left something to be desired. I'll keep the complaining to a minimum, because it was mostly a little bit of homesickness for my boy and my kittens. But, the training itself was terrible, and I lived for the moments I could be exploring the town instead. It's actually a city, complete with my shame of a shopping addiction: Target. The only one in the U.P., actually. My life is so hard. The city is the largest in the U.P., and one of the oldest in Michigan, and as such has a fun cultural atmosphere. Complete with one of the largest college campuses in the state, it's still a mining town, and the ore boats that dock daily are gigantic. I couldn't stay away from the water, and got my fair share of hypothermia dipping my feet in the beautiful blue waters of Lake Superior, the deepest freshwater lake on Earth. I love this lake, and miss it very greatly when I'm away from it, so pardon all the pictures of the water. Next time I'm there I'll be sure to take more pictures of the downtown area. It's a beautiful town with great architecture and some wonderful secondhand and consignment shops. I picked up some great finds! I'll be sure to show them to you as soon as the weather cools off. It seems the season has gone in reverse and back to summer. I'm not complaining, Indian Summer is truly the best.

Also, if you're ever in Marquette, make sure you stop by The Wild Rover for some truly great Irish food. Your taste buds will thank you for the Boxty, the Bangers and Champ, and the Guinness Beef Stew. But stay away from Casa Calabria if you're thinking Italian; it was a fancy place in '83 when it was built but the only thing ever updated was the price for truly mediocre food. It was outrageously expensive, loud, dark, and just... ugh.

I took what felt like a million photos; please enjoy! Especially look at the Stadium Dome. The people working on (or rappelling down it?!?) are so tiny!.