An ode to long weekends

blouse: thrifted
skirt, tights, heels: Target
necklace: VeryJane
I know I say this every time a three-day weekend rolls around, but America really needs to align itself to a four-day workweek. (Not really, I know how disastrous that would be for business/government, but let me dream.) I had Presidents' Day off yesterday, which was pretty rad for my weekend in general.

Saturday was spent doing some cleaning and whatnot, then that evening Matt and I celebrated Valentine's with a delicious homemade dinner and a movie. If you follow me on Instagram (@elfrankart) you might have noticed pics of the dinner...surf & turf with filets, crab legs, balsamic brown butter asparagus, a delicious salad that our friend makes all the time, and a great bottle of wine. Plus, chocolate coffee meringues for dessert. (I'll post the recipe for the meringues after I perfect it...I kinda made them too big, so they were a little underdone in the middle.) We saw Warm Bodies, which was a pretty good movie, and then met up with Matt's sister and her husband and friends, who were all in town to see a local band play at this great little bar by our house.

Sunday, I did absolutely nothing except watch several hours of Cougar Town. I randomly decided to start watching the show, so natch I had to watch all the old episodes to catch up. That shiz is hilarious.

To make up for such a lazy Sunday, I went to the gym and ran a bunch of errands on Monday. And I finally got a rug to cover the splintery hardwood in our bedroom. My feet are thanking me already.

So, conclusion. Three-day weekends are the absolute best because I can be productive, then super lazy, then productive again. Win, win, win.

Gettin' fancy

So New Year's Eve is one of my top favorite holidays because it's the perfect excuse to get super fancy. And even if you wind up being the most dressed-up person at the party, no one's going to make fun of you because hey, IT'S NEW YEAR'S EVE. Also, there's champagne and/or sparkling sweet wines.


Yup, NYE is one of the few times that I spend more than seven minutes on makeup (truth) and more than three minutes on my hair (ok, that's a lie...usually it's under a minute). This year, I completely forgot decided not to buy a new dress, so I remixed an old one. This is actually somewhat similar to the outfit I wore to ring in 2011, but I didn't have a blog back then and everyone knows that if you don't post it on the internet, it doesn't count.






dress: appx. four to five years old...no idea
sleeveless oxford: New York & Company
tights, booties, headband: Target
necklaces: both gifted
bracelet: H&M
The only problem with this dress compared to two years ago is, well...what went into it. As in, a few more pounds. Zipping this dress took some major work on my part and Matt's. And once it was on, it was far too skimpy for my taste (and the subfreezing temps), so I layered that sucker right up. Bam!

The evening itself went by in a blur, as NYE nights tend to do, but it was a lot of fun! We hung out at a friend's house...no expensive covers, cheap BYO drinks and no getting kicked out to drive home tipsy at 2 am. Win, win, win.

(Oh hey, by the way. Ignore all the mess on the table...Matt was outside warming up the car, so I had no time to shoot these. Instead, here's a pic of us, before things got sloppy. Isn't he cute?)

Potential

sweater: thrifted
short-sleeve Oxford: New York & Company
skirt: The Limited
necklace: InPink
tights, shoes: Target
Well, yet again, it's hard to believe that a new year has arrived. 2012 held so many changes for me and those close to me. New jobs, weddings, relocations, breakups, graduations...it's been such a whirlwind, no wonder I'm having a hard time believing it's already over.

And while I'm a little sad to think about some of the changes — particularly those that took my sister and new brother-in-law, and swept them away to a new home — I'm also very, very excited to see what 2013 has in store for me and my loved ones. I already know of a few who will change their marital and/or parental status this year, and there are some who I really hope find new jobs and new homes. What more will the year bring?

I'm not a fan of winter. I hate the cold and I'm terrified of (and terrible at) driving in snow/ice. But there's always something about the first week or so in January that has so much hope, so much promise, I can't help but enjoy it. Anyone else like that, or am I just a weird one? (Well, I am a weird one in many other ways...don't hold that against me.)

*looks around in bewilderment*

Oh, hello there. I seem to have forgotten that I have a little blog going here. I guess a little break was necessary, given all the chaos of the holiday and the wretched cold/flu hybrid I'm just now recovering from. Anyway, I'm still here! And I still have outfits to post! Hooray for having a little stockpile of postable outfits :)







dress: H&M
cardi, booties, tights, belt: Target
necklace: sidewalk sale

So I decided to do the whole "year-end outfit review roundup" post, but because I am the queen of a nation called Procrastia (see what I did there?), I'll be doing two posts tomorrow. Making up for lost time in December, I suppose?

In other news, I got a TON of kitchen stuff for Christmas this year. You know what that means? More food posts in 2013!! Woop woop! Better dust off that ol' gym membership now, haha...

Outfit win.

dress, necklace: The Limited
blazer, wedges, belt, tights: Target
This outfit features several of the items I bought during my previously mentioned shopping spree. The dress, the tights and the shoes are all new, and let me tell how much I am loving these shoes: A LOT. Seriously, they're my new favorites. They're closed, so I can wear socks and keep my feet warm. They add height, so they give me the appearance of being classy. And they're wedges, so I can actually walk in them without wobbling. Ladies and gentlemen, it's the trifecta.

The dress is pretty great, too. This photo is of an outfit I wore to work; I wore almost the exact same thing to Thanksgiving festivities. (The Thanksgiving version featured black tights and no blazer or belt...gotta love Indian summer days!) Anyway, I got a lot of compliments on this dress from my family. And the best part? I bought it on clearance, when The Limited was having a 40% off storewide sale, so it only cost me $20. Ultimate win.

Don't judge!

sweater, skirt: thrifted
tank top: Old Navy
boots, tights, socks: Target
necklace: InPink
I can't believe I've never said this before, but please don't judge the occupants of my house by the contents of our backyard. I promise, we're not hillbillies or white trash. We just happen to be four grown-ass adults...who enjoy hanging out in kiddie pools during the summer and can't be bothered to put them in the garage in the winter. Totes normal.

Anyway, enjoy these outdoor pics while you can. Last winter, I could sometimes get before-work shots outside if it wasn't too cold. This year, I leave for work much earlier (and I'm not willing to get up half an hour earlier than I already do!) but by the time I get home, it's already dark. Sooo...indoor photos will be the theme for this winter. Unfortunately.

In other words, this sweater might just be my New Favorite Thing. It's so comfy. And warm. And pretty. Swoon...

Yay photos, boo allergies

dress: H&M (thrifted)
cardi, belt, tights: Target
shoes: Payless
necklace: Banana Republic, I think?
This week, I've been going out with my friend Chasity (one of the girls who live upstairs that I've mentioned) to take outfit photos. At first, it was a little awkward, of course, but today we went down to the park at the end of our street and got some really awesome shots. I can't wait to show them to you guys! (She's even editing them for me, so I might actually have some professional-blog-quality photos on here soon. I'm a little excited.)

This outfit really makes me feel like fall is pretty much in full swing. It's been getting steadily chillier (until a weird warm day today), but it's definitely tights season. In other news, allergies are kicking my tail. Things have been a little rough the last few mornings, and as I type I have to pause every so often to sniffle a bit. Ugh. I'm just gonna curl up in my sweats and watch me some Grey's Anatomy with those upstairs girls :)

May your past be the sound of your feet on the ground.

I bought Fun.'s new album, "Some Nights" last night (that's what the title of this post comes from), and I am so completely in love with it! It's so positive and upbeat, it was great background music as I was getting ready this morning. If you haven't heard of Fun., it's the side project of The Format's lead singer, and it's amazing. There's a commercial floating around out there (for a credit card maybe?) that features a single from the new album. It's the one that goes "Tonight we are young / So we set this world on fire / We go higher than the sun"

Anyway. Enough gushing about semi-obscure indieish music. But seriously...go have a listen if you get a chance.




sweater: old, maybe from Express?
black shirt and orange tights: Target
skinnies: Burlington Coat Factory
boots: Old Navy, gifted from my momma
black shorts: The Limited
If these outfits look familiar, it's because Kelly featured them on her blog, Enter Kelly a while back. It was a post about wearing an outfit from day to night. I wore the top outfit to work on a Friday, then switched it up a bit and restyled my hair for a drinks and a show with some friends that evening.

I talked about this last time, but these tights really are more rust-colored than orange in real life. But because I took the nighttime photos, well, at night...they turned out super orange. Oh, well. Still looks pretty good, if you ask me :)

The sniffles

When I get a cold, I don't get just a little case of the sniffles. I get a full-blown foggy head, sneezing constantly, chills, aches, fatigue, runny nose, people-are-afraid-to-be-around-me-cause-I-look-like-death cold. And wouldn't you know it...that's what's going on this week.

But since I took so much time off the ol' blog at the beginning of the month, I didn't want to leave you guys hanging without an outfit post. So I dug up this one from a week or two ago, when the weather was a little more pleasant and I was feeling a little more human.






button down: New York & Company
coverup: Figleaf boutique in Athens
skirt: H&M, thrifted
tights, boots: Target
necklace, bracelet: so old, I don't even remember
I think this definitely ranks as one of my favorite outfits of 2012 thus far. And even though these tights look pretty orange in the pics, I assure you all they are more of a rust color. Guess I'm still hanging on to that autumn palate, even though we're far closer to spring than fall (and thank god for it, too!).

Holy cow, a nighttime post!

This might be the first time I ever posted at night, haha. But I need a break from cranking out all my freelance writing...between today and Friday at 7 pm, I have to crank out about 8,000 words. I have about 2,000 down. Not bad. But I wanted to write about something other than Mac external hard drives for a little bit, and I still have New Year's Eve photos to post, so...




dress: New York & Company, last year
tights: Target
pumps, clutch: thrifted
broach: came with a NY&Co shirt
bracelets: don't remember
hoop earrings: gift from Emily


Matt and I, just before midnight.
I look nervous in that first picture because, well, I was. Turquoise tights. TURQUOISE tights, people!! This is unprecedented. I know it's a bit lame, since I've been doing the style blogging thing for nine months now, but I truly never would have worn an outfit like this one in December of 2010. In fact, I bought this dress for NYE 2010, couldn't figure out how I wanted to wear it, and promptly forgot to return it. This dress sat in my closet, tags on, for a full year! The fashion sacrilege. Now, I think it might be one of my favorite dresses. (It's kind of hard to tell, but it's got this chiffon-like fabric ruffled all down the front. Very pretty.)

In fact, this outfit throws into sharp focus just how much has changed for me in the past year. Some of the big things have remained the same, of course—Matt, and my job—but so many other details have changed. We moved into our first house (okay, we're still renting, but it's a house!) and got a spastic kitty. (Who I love dearly.) I went on a Financial Diet, saved more than $1,000, and got on a solid plan to get out of debt. I worked three jobs for a time; something I never thought I'd have the determination or energy to do, but somehow managed anyway. And I started this blog.

I'm not one for resolutions, but I've been trying to improve my life, health and well-being in general these past few months, so I'm going to continue with that. I'd like to go down to just working one job, but I'll do what I have to do, to get where I want to get. And I'm going to keep up with this blog; something I wasn't really sure I'd be able to do when I first started it.

Sorry for the rather long post. I get this way when I start reflecting and whatnot. Anyway, here's to a bright, productive, blessed and happy 2012...for all of us.

Phew!

Well. The holidays are just about over for Matt and I. We have one more family gathering this evening, but it's here in Columbus so we won't be adding to the 450 miles we've already driven this weekend. It was absolutely exhausting, but I love both of our families and we were happy to be able to see everyone. And can I just say that Matt has to be one of my favorite car-travel-partners ever? He doesn't mind if I sleep or read, or sometimes we just sit in comfortable silence. But sometimes we have these amazing, long conversations about anything and everything. I love that.

Okay, okay. Done gushing. I'm sure you're all just dying to see an outfit, since I didn't post any at all last week. I'm terrible, I know. Send me to style blogger jail, where we dress in sweatpants and t-shirts and sneakers and aren't allowed accessories privileges.






cardi, tights, boots: Target
dress: H&M
socks: probably Target too, but I'm not sure
I'm still trying to figure out how to maximize my camera for indoor shots. I've started playing with white balances and ISO settings, but as far as I know, I can't control the f-stop on my point-and-shoot. Which is a bummer, because I'm pretty sure that's a key way to make indoor shots better. Looks like I'll need to cozy up to my manual, which is PDF-only (no physical book) and therefore pretty annoying. Though I did get a Kindle for Christmas (thanks, Mom and Dad!) so I can put the PDF on that to read a little more conveniently. Awesome.

Speaking of presents, this was actually a pretty rad year. My mom was spot-on with the Kindle and a great pair of gray boots (don't worry, you'll see them soon!), and my dad made me a beautiful cutting board. It is absolutely gorgeous. In our sibling exchange, my sister got me Where the Sidewalk Ends and The Giving Tree. She's so thoughtful. All my family and friends were very thoughtful this year, in fact. I don't really want to be one of those people who lists every single item, though. Suffice to say that I'm very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life :)

(But I have to ask. Did you guys get anything really rad this year? Do tell!)

I don't copy other bloggers, I channel them.

First off, welcome to my new followers! Noticed there are a couple more of you...thanks for reading about my randomness and the clothes I wear :)

Oh, what a weekend. Between the restaurant, freelancing and the hasn't-been-properly-cleaned-in-weeks state of my house, I practically didn't stop working on one thing or another. And in true procrastinator fashion, I reorganized my closet. I'll probably do a post on that at some point...but you all know how long it took me to doing that curtain tutorial, so we'll see, haha.

The restaurant wound up keeping me until nearly midnight—a full hour later than I am technically available to be there on Sunday nights—so I'm exhausted. But financially, Saturday and Sunday were great nights, so I guess I can't complain. Looks like Matt will get his Christmas present this year after all...and I won't even have to charge it! Hooray!






dress: Artifacts Gallery in Athens
turtleneck: no idea...Target, probably
tights and boots: Target
necklace: New York and Company
ring: Modcloth, giveaway win from Sydney
knot earrings: The Limited
For some reason, I feel very much like Tania in this outfit. I think it's the combination of top knot, colored tights, dress and boots. Either way, I loved channeling my inner nerd in this outfit, haha. By the way...best bun I've ever done. I don't think I could ever recreate this perfect knot. Oh well...at least I got it on camera!

Also, these boots? They're the exact same as the brown boots I recently bought, only in black. Am I going to eventually buy the cognac versions too? You bet! I got a little discount on these because they were the last pair in my size, and they were scuffed just a tiny bit. You really can't see it unless you look for it. Awesome!

This is the outfit I wore to the opening of The Limited's new store at Easton last week. You know, the one where they gave me two $50 gift cards? One of which I get to give away to one of you guys? Giveaway is still open, click here to enter!

Update: Linked this up to the Everybody, Everywear challenge!