It's official: If I'm not at work or working on an assignment, I am in full-on hibernation mode. I had yesterday off for President's Day, but took today off as well thanks to either a stomach bug or something I ate yesterday. And with the frigid temps outside, all I want is to hide under 18 thousand layers of blankets and sleep until it's spring. Heck, I'd take temps in the 30s if I could get 'em; it's 17 right now (4 with the wind chill) and we're not supposed to see anything above freezing until the weekend...when we're supposed to get another dump of snow before the temps plummet down to highs in the 20s again. I don't know if this is winter's last dying gasps or if things are gonna stay this crappy until after Daylight Savings kicks back in, but I sure hope it's the first.
But enough about how much I hate the cold and the snow.
t-shirt: H&M
cardi: Forever 21
jeans and flats: Target
necklace: Jane.com
I'm fairly sure I've blogged an outfit like this before, but I have this lovely new, unshrunk mustard cardigan and I went to a trusty ol' standby for styling it. Honestly, I've been doing a lot of repeats lately; this weather just saps all the energy out of me and makes it hard to style an outfit creatively. But I said I was done complaining about the weather, right?
I guess it could be worse. Now I have an excuse to stay in and work on projects in the evenings and on weekends; I don't feel like such a recluse for spending my Friday nights with a hot glue gun when everyone else I know is doing the same with Netflix or what have you. And the central Ohio area has been spared a lot; we've received nothing compared to the feet of snow that's been dumped on New England this year. Still, I find myself daydreaming more and more about the Mexican beach where Matt and I will be spending our honeymoon. We're inside the three-month mark now, and I couldn't be more excited!
sweater: Forever 21
khakis: Old Navy
boots: Madden Girl via Famous Footwear
necklace: gifted
I had intended to make today's post my January clothes budget recap (to link up to Fran's Budgeting Bloggers series, but this week month kind of got away from me. Spoiler alert: This sweater is in the recap. Spoiler alert #2: I spent every penny of my clothes budget, and then some, at Forever 21 this month. I'm a little embarrassed about that fact, but also not at all embarrassed because I needed a lot of sweaters and now I have them :)
Anyway, I guess I'm adding "write a January budget recap post" to my already miles-long to-do list for this weekend. I'm doing two interviews for a Columbus Bride story, writing another story that I've finished interviewing for, going to the climbing gym with Matt and his aunt to show her the ropes (AAAAHH I'm sorry, I'm sorry, terrible puns are my kryptonite). I also have to start my taxes, work on some photos for said Columbus Bride stories, do some general wedding prep and go to a meeting on a photography project I'm involved in. And finally, I have plans to hang out with my friends Chasity and Kate; the three of us (and Matt) are going to a show on Saturday, and then just us girls are getting together Sunday to watch Super Bowl commercials and do some wedding crafting. Sheesh. It's gonna be one of those "I need a weekend after my weekend" situations, I think.
How are your weekend plans shaping up? Hopefully you'll have a little more downtime than I do!
P.S. I totally forgot to talk about my new backdrop! Here it is :) I love it. It's been such a boon to both my blog photography and my budding semi-professional shoots as well. This was my second outfit shoot with it, and clearly it's a lot harder to figure out if my feet will be cut off when I don't have a point of reference at the bottom of the frame. I wound up repositioning the camera to get my feet in the shots, but I ended up not liking any of them anyway. Womp womp.
Okay, yesterday things got a bit heavy and I was/am dealing with some triggers. I'd be lying if I said I'm feeling back to 100% normal, but my motto is "fake it till ya make it" so I'm just gonna do that. We now return to your regularly scheduled frivolity.
t-shirt: thrifted
jeans, flats: Target
belt: H&M
necklace: Jane
In other news, I am so so relieved to finally be showing some fairly sharp pics again on the blog. I think I've finally figured out the weirdness I was experiencing, namely that I had changed my focus area settings without realizing it and was messing around with pre-focusing my camera on a stationary object instead of letting the remote focus for me because apparently my cheapo remote does that. That noise you hear is me cheering, obvs. And okay, maybe these still aren't totally perfect but they're such a vast improvement from the entirely-out-of-focus-crap I've been shooting that I don't even care.
I don't usually tuck my t-shirts into my jeans because hello, nerd alert but honestly, the pearls kind of give it more of a ladylike vibe than a dorky one, I think. Plus, leopard print. Speaking of, this is an H&M belt so obviously it is falling apart after like a year of ownership, so I am in desperate need of a replacement. Never thought I'd be saying that about something with leopard print on it, but there you go. So, a call-out: Has anyone seen something like this belt recently, at a reasonable price?
T-shirt: Old Navy
skirt: JCPenney
heels: Target
necklace: Jane.com
Guys, can we just talk a second about how awesome T-shirts are? Seriously though. They're comfortable, versatile and basically the first item on every "closet staples" list ever made. I love T-shirts; I have more than I could count. A lot are stuffed in drawers--those are the shapeless participation shirts from races, the concert tees that cost $40 but somehow seem worth it, the annual show tops from my marching band and theatre and Greek life days. (Don't get any ideas; I wasn't in a sorority but I did join a couple co-ed scholastic fraternities in college.) Those tees are great, and I love them, but they're usually more sentimental than stylish and are worn more often as PJs or workout tops than as blog-worthy outfits. (Though one has made a couple of appearances around these parts; also, you're welcome for the linkback to the hilariously bad three-year-old post from the very early days of VM.)
But where the shapeless, unflattering T-shirts tend to flop, a nice fitted tee almost never fails. I have many 10 or 15 such tops in various colors and basic patterns, and of course I'm always snapping up "just one more." I think my favorite way to wear them is dressed up for work. It feels like of like cheating the dress code, while still looking professional. But seriously...comfort AND classy attire? Ultimate win.
The key to dressing up a tee for work, I think, is to make sure the rest of your outfit is ultra-polished. Find bottoms that you can tuck the tee into and that compliment the form-fitting-ness of the tee. If I were wearing this outfit with pants, I'd go for a wider leg or maybe some dress capris. If you can add a coordinating belt, you're good to go. (I didn't have any such belt for this outfit, unfortunately, but I think it works nonetheless.) Of course, heels and pearls or another classy statement necklace always lend a sophisticated air to an otherwise casual piece.
How do you like to style your T-shirts?
When I first started blogging, I tended to wear a lot of neutral colors. Black, gray, white, beige...that was my comfort zone. Every once in a while, I'd throw in a pop of red or yellow. Now, I'm mixing colors and patterns with the best of them. I might stick more to the "safe" zone of color-/pattern-mixing, but I still do it.
Usually.
sweater: New York & Company
blouse: Express via Discount Fashion Warehouse
khaki skinnies: Old Navy
boots: Target
necklace: Jane.com
Sometimes, it's kind of nice to go back to my roots, so to speak. Though even this outfit is a far cry from the black shirt/khaki pants combo I would have been wearing three years ago, when I first started brainstorming the idea of a style blog. The pearls! The stars-as-polka-dots sheer blouse! The layering! The khakis-as-skinnies-tucked-into-boots! I would have worn none of it, I tell you.
Except the sweater. That baby was purchased nearly three and a half years ago, when I first entered the professional world and needed a business casual wardrobe, stat. New York & Company, you've done well for me.
Oh, and if that last photo looks different, it's because it is. Slightly. I played around with sharpening the image in Photoshop's RAW editing mode before using the sharpening actions I've mentioned before. (My original post on sharpening photos is pretty poor; it's little more than a link to these three pages. I'm going to do some more research on sharpening in the RAW editor, then I'll come back and do a comprehensive post on the whole shebang. So...stay tuned!
blouse, skirt: secondhand
blazer: Express via Discount Fashion Warehouse
tights, heels: Target
necklace: gifted
Oh yeah, I went there. Does using words like "chillaxin'" make me cooly ironic, or just dorky? Wait, don't answer that; I've just realized that I don't actually care :)
So I thought this weekend would be a pretty busy one, but it actually turned out to be fairly chill. We went to a friend's housewarming-slash-football-viewing party (Go Bucks!) for most of the day Saturday, then Matt and I ordered in and watched movies the rest of the evening. (Apparently one's day-drinking skills go out the window a few years after college.) And Sunday I did some freelance work while Matt ran errands, and we settled in for some more do-nothing laziness. It was incredible, especially after the chaos of last weekend.
And of course, it's now Monday and I'm wishing for a third consecutive morning of lay-in-bed laziness. Ah, well. I guess I'll never be able to get enough of that :)
On a random note, after looking at these pictures, I've decided it's time to pull another RIT-in-the-washing-machine-dye-job. This blazer is decidedly less black than the tights and shoes. I've done it before, but dyeing clothes in the washer always makes me nervous. Have you ever tried it?
P.S. Hey Columbus-ites, don't forget to enter my giveaway! Ends a week from yesterday. Also, it's pretty damn epic.
dress, heels: Target
shrug thingy: thrifted
necklace: gifted
I'm not sure why I look so stern in that first photo. The weird faces we make when taking blog pics, amiright? Also, these pics are maybe the best I've ever taken on my point-and-shoot. The lighting was pure perfection.
So last year, I was a bridesmaid in the weddings of my sister (Abby) and of one of my dearest friends (Tiffany). Usually, as a bridesmaid, you just kind of accept the fact that whatever you are wearing will be banished to the back of your closet until you eventually decide to give it to a thrift shop for some thrift-happy girl to wear to prom. But this dress right here? That was my bridesmaid dress for Abby's wedding. It was $20 at Target. How awesome is that? I got so many compliments on it when I re-wore it last week. And my necklace was a gift that Tiffany gave all her bridesmaids for her wedding. So I was really channeling my former bridesmaid-ness with this outfit :)
The dress for Tiffany's wedding was a bit more like your average bridesmaid dress...satiny-y and fairly formal. Not something I could probably ever wear again. (As if I could even fit into it...I gained weight between ordering it and wearing it the day of, meaning I was gasping for air most of the day. And I've gained a couple more pounds since then, too, so...yeah.) But I have a pretty cool idea for re-using the dress later on, so it won't go to waste! I can't post it here, because it's going to be a surprise for Tiff, but when I do get the chance to do it, I'll post pics :)
Speaking of pics, I got some AHH-MAZING shots of fireworks last night! I'm going to try to upload them this evening/weekend, despite a full schedule. (My parents and some of my sibs are coming down to Columbus to visit today, I'm heading up to Cleveland to see Book of Mormon tomorrow, and on Sunday I'll be in Akron to see Abby and her husband, who are up visiting from South Carolina--busy weekend!) So keep your eyes peeled for a special weekend-edition post, maybe. (Oh and hey, if you're a robber thinking, "Sweet, the house will be empty all weekend," you might wanna think again. Matt will be home most of the time, as will our upstairs neighbors. Sorry, everyone else. You can't be too safe.)
What about y'all? Any fun weekend plans?
Hint: It's mine! And it's today! Things are still super crazy right now, what with filing insurance crap and tracking down receipts and making up for lost freelance work, but I made it a point to take this weekend off and just enjoy turning 25. Saturday we went climbing with a couple friends at the Audubon downtown for like four hours, and then we went to Dirty Frank's for a very late lunch. That night, we went out with some friends on to a new brewery in town called Seventh Son. There, I probably enjoyed myself a bit too much, because Sunday was a tad bit miserable ;)
Today, though. Today was pretty sweet. I slept in, then grabbed lunch at Panera and headed off to my spa day, courtesy Matt! I'd been trying to give myself a birthday spa day for a few years now, but something always came up to screw up my budget in April or May. This year, I had the appointments made and everything, and two days later my stuff got stolen. As I was lamenting the loss of my stuff and the cost to replace everything, I realized I would have to cancel my spa day yet again...but then Matt stepped in and made that my present! He's so awesome. I should mention too he spent all of yesterday taking care of my hungover self! I'm needy when I don't feel well. Like, really needy. Did I mention how awesome he is?
Anyway, here's what I wore out Saturday night. Casual but cute was my goal, and I think I achieved it pretty well!
shirt, shorts: thrifted
necklace: gifted
shoes: Target
belt: H&M
Now I'm off to meet my grandma for dinner. She's the sweetest :)
shirt, skirt, belt (came with skirt): JCPenney
heels, necklace: Target
So I had these photos all edited and ready to post last week. And then stuff happened. And kept happening. And, just as the weekend hit and I thought I'd finally have time to get my life back in order, MORE STUFF HAPPENED. Sorry to be vague, but some things just aren't blog-appropriate (or blog-worthy), I guess. Suffice to say: I'm still feeling a bit frazzled. But I'm cautiously optimistic about this week, and especially about this weekend, so I'm just going to shake off the dust of last week and try to start fresh.
Easier said than done, perhaps, but I know I can do it. Confidence! Empowerment! Blah blah blah etc!
In other news, this skirt is one of my favorite items in my closet, but it's also one of the least-worn items in my closet? Any ideas why? If you guessed, "Because it's white and Emma is a huge klutz and always spills things," DINGDINGDING you're a winner. Thankfully, I made it through yet another day without any stains. It's like a miracle, you guys.
Also, I totes didn't mean to create what is essentially an all-JCP outfit, but I wanted to pair this skirt with a lot of bold color and grabbed this shirt without really thinking about brand. In fact, it didn't even occur to me until I sat down to write this post. Anyone else ever accidentally become a real-life model for a certain brand or store?
cardi: H&M
T-shirt: JCPenney
skirt: Old Navy
heels, necklace: Target
Feeling much better since yesterday evening; thanks to those of you who asked :) Dunno what was up with that, all I really care about is that I'm feeling good, getting psyched and ready to take on the world!
Now, you may or may not have noticed that I'm more excitable than a two-month-old puppy. Only I usually manage not to pee all over the floor. But this week, I am super super crazy pumped for something I thought I'd never do again: see Fall Out Boy in concert. Laugh all you want (believe me, a part of me is laughing right along with you), but this was my absolute favorite band in high school and through a good portion of college. They went "on hiatus" a few years ago, which usually is PR-speak for "broke up forever." BUT NOW THEY'RE BACK AND THEY'RE PLAYING RIGHT HERE IN COLUMBUS ON FRIDAY.
Again, no one my age should be this jazzed over this band. I realize this. But the 16-year-old fangirl in me is still very much alive, and she's temporarily taking over my brain. So, that's been interesting.
And, as usual, I've gone on and on about something completely unrelated to this outfit. That's okay, I guess; I was feeling kind of blah the morning I threw this outfit together and just kept it simple. The texture on the shirt keeps it from being too boring, right?
chambray, jacket: thrifted
skinnies, flats: Target
belt, necklace, bracelet: H&M
You guys, I think spring has finally arrived. Today I got to experience a balmy 71 degrees and it. was. glorious. But here's the weird thing about Ohio. The lows on Friday night reached down to 29. Wednesday is looking like it'll see a high of 81...and then Friday, we're back to high 48/low 37. Seriously, Ohio? It's spring. Stop trying to pretend otherwise.
You wanna know how I know what Friday's low temp was? Well, I looked it up, but I also lived it, man. One of our friends' parents has some land outside of town, so Matt and I and about 20 of our friends camped out Friday night. There was a little pond, a campfire and lots of grilling/toasting. (And booze. There was quite a bit of booze as well.) But it was freeeeezing. I'm talking leggings under jeans under sweatpants. Two shirts, hoodie and a down jacket. Gloves and a hat. In other words, way too freakin' cold for April.
Sleeping actually wasn't too bad...for Matt and me. We had a nice, snug little tent, five layers of blankets, and super warm sleeping bags that were actually rated for that kind of weather, thankfully. Others weren't so fortunate...two people in a big four-person tent shivered all night because they only brought one comforter. For once, I was pretty glad to be one of those "just in case" types, haha.
Now that the weather is picking up a bit, our calendars are really filling up. We're planning a few fun trips in the coming weeks/months.(I don't really want to talk about them specifically until after the fact--not trying to broadcast to the world, Hey we're gonna be out of town on X days! Come rob us!) But I can't wait to blog them afterward!
blazer, button-up blouse: thrifted
cardi: The Limited
pants: really old, don't remember
flats, necklace: Target
Okay first, I'd like to address the elephant in the room/on this post: Holy crap these photos are freaking awful. I was in a rush, I was probably tired, and I'll be honest, this sweater mysteriously shrank and I was ready to get that straightjacket off. So, sorry for the terrible quality. Hopefully you can look past it and imagine this outfit in its IRL glory. Cause I liked it a lot, aside from the whole compressing-my-arms-and-torso-into-sausages thing.
So anyway, do y'all remember my Pin-spiration Monday posts that I was doing for a while late last year/early this year? No? That's okay, I pretty much forgot about them too. Until now... So anyway, I've seen a few bloggers do this look before, most recently Audrey over at Putting Me Together. Please note how much better it looks on her, probably because she doesn't decide to replicate this look at the last minute, realize the damn sweater doesn't fit but wear it anyway because she spent the last 10 minutes sitting in front of her closet pouting, unable to think of something blog-worthy to wear, and she has to put on some form of clothing RIGHT NOW or she'll miss the bus or worse, not get her coffee. Not like that's what happened to me or anything...
Also, this is the first time I've embedded a pin on the ol' blog since they updated the embed functions, and can I just say that I really hate it? Because I really hate it. I just want the image, not the description and the name of the board I pinned too... :/ Plus, now you have to embed the JavaScript on any page the embedded pin appears? Wtf?
shirt, tights: H&M
cardigan, flats, belt: Target
skirt: New York & Company
necklace: VeryJane
Last week I talked about my evolving sense of personal style, and how I find myself wearing things that I normally never would wear. Like purple skirts and lots of tights in various colors (not to mention colored pants), trendy colors like mint, and of course, different animal prints. Now, it's kind of funny to think that I once shied away from all those things. Especially animal print, which is one of my new favorite ways to accessorize.
So that ramble-tastic paragraph is really just my awkward introduction to my new leopard print shoes! I mentioned that my old flats died a noble death as a result of too much love, and I bought these at Target to replace them. Two years ago--hell, one year ago--I would have immediately dismissed these shoes because of the studs. Now? I think the studs are my favorite part about these guys. Prepare to see more studded items around here, as I find them.
So here's the link to the shoe on Target. You can't buy it online right now, but you might still be able to find it in stores. While I really love these guys (yes, apparently my flats are male), I do have a warning: The back of the heel is a bit high, so they take a while to break in. I had to wear bandaids on my heels for a few days, but it's totally worth it.
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.
