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?
Disclaimer: I totally meant to get this post up after work yesterday, but first I had to take Perdita out for a test ride with her new battery, and then there was thunder, and as soon as I got home the tornado sirens went off. I'm absolutely petrified of tornadoes, so I kind of went into crisis-mode and started moving all our valuables and Spazzy (in her carrier) down to the basement. It turned out to be nothing, but by the time it was over all I could think about was unwinding with a giant glass of wine and a Game of Thrones mini-marathon. So, without further ado, here's the post I had started:
Random title, I know. But this rain, amiright? Sorry. I hate relying on weather for post fodder, but it's such a convenient thing to write about. Weather is literally ALWAYS happening. And lately it's been pretty intense around these parts. Columbus hasn't seen quite as much action as northern Ohio, which got some major flooding. I even saw a friend's Facebook post showing the interior of a Macy's that was six inches deep in flood water! It just so happens that one of my bridesmaids and most of my immediate family live up there, but everyone's doing okay so far, thank goodness.
blouse: The Limited via Discount Fashion Warehouse
blazer: Express via DFWh
skirt: Forever 21
flats: Target
I have to admit, I think I felt better about this outfit while I was wearing it than now that I'm seeing it in photos. I felt very polished and trendy -- mint, stripes, animal print -- but it kind of looks frumpy to me. Except for my butt. Case in point:
BAM! Seriously. Dat ass doe.
Okay but for real. Does that ever happen to you guys? An outfit seems great all day, then you see it in pictures and just kind of think ehhh....notsomuch. Please say I'm not alone!
Yes, warm weather is finally making a comeback here in Ohio, after what felt like the most brutal winter in my personal memory and what started out as the dreariest spring. Don't get me wrong, we're still getting plenty of those spring showers, but at least the temps are helping facilitate outdoor shoots again. Actually, I have three outfits hanging in my closet to re-shoot on days that don't involve copious amounts of rain, but I'm hoping to tackle those this weekend.
shirt: The Limited via Discount Fashion Warehouse
cardigan: thrifted
skinnies, flats: Target
So anyway, here I am back in the good ol' alley behind my house. Recycling bins and weird looks from neighbors included. I DGAF, I'm just happy for sunshine and days that are conducive to being outside, regardless of whether I'm shooting for the blog, riding Perdita, or just sitting on the porch eating dinner.
Are you experiencing similar joy at the better-late-than-never arrival of spring this year? How are you celebrating its return?
blazer and slacks: Express via Discount Fashion Warehouse
blouse: The Limited via DFW
heels: Target
Sorry for my absence yesterday; I had the day off for Columbus Day and used it to the fullest extent. My whole weekend was kind of jam-packed, in fact, but in the best way possible.
Friday night was date night. Matt and I went out to dinner and saw Gravity. Fantastic visuals and audio effects, great soundtrack, lousy script. Seriously, I think I could have written better dialogue. See it in 3D if you go; the effects are absolutely worth it. We had a Groupon, so both tickets, two bags of popcorn and two drinks only cost $21. Not bad for a 3D flick in Columbus.
Saturday we slept in a little, then I went down to Athens for Ohio University's Homecoming. Matt isn't a huge fan of crowds, so he opted to go camping instead. I crashed in my sister's dorm room (she's a freshman) and had a blast catching up with some friends while she was at work. Then I introduced my sis to Anchorman, because (BLASPHEMY!) she'd never seen it. Sunday we hung out some more, saw some folks, enjoyed campus, then I came home and tried to recover ;) ...Hey, it's OU. Always requires some recovery time.
But yesterday I was a whirlwind! I slept in till 8 or so, then started tackling my to-do list. I finally did something about all my purses living on my closet floor, hung a bunch of art in our living rooms, did four loads of laundry, did the dishes, got groceries, and attempted a delicious dinner. (I only say "attempted" because my slow-cooker and I have some issues we need to work out. It's getting to be a problem...) I also worked on a few freelance projects. By the time Matt got home from work, my to-do list was done and I was free to chill with him. Pretty awesome, I say.
So on a completely unrelated note, I'm about to switch over my closet from warm weather clothes to cold weather clothes. I'm thinking these white pants are done for the season. It's a shame, because they're lined and would probably be pretty warm for winter. Any idea how to style these for cold months?
blazer, blouse: Discount Fashion Warehouse
jeans: thrifted
flats: Target
So it only just occurred to me that I'm basically wearing this exact outfit again today, just with a different blazer. Weirdly enough, it looks different enough that I don't think anyone will call me out. We'll see, I guess?
But the "notice anything" in the title doesn't actually apply to that. (Well, how could it since you can't actually see what I'm wearing this second? Anyway.) It refers to my photos, which received a little extra editing attention today. Jess from Here & Now recently did a post on sharpening your photos before posting. I didn't do any of the metering tips, because these photos are from like two weeks ago, but I did use her Photoshop tips! I took them a step further and turned them into actions for more convenience. In retrospect, I think I went a little overboard on a few of these (I was excited, ok?) but overall I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. (Except for that backwards pose. It's awkward as hell but I wanted to show off that lace!)
And then I got lost in the link-dumps that Jess linked to (specifically this and this), and I got really inspired to try shooting in manual. I kind of derped around with the camera yesterday evening, but only took photos of my living room, my feet, the cat...I didn't use it for outfit shots yet because I was in my PJs by 6 pm yesterday. Don't judge. But shooting in manual is WAY easier than I thought it'd be, thanks to my having a little more experience with the camera itself and some great tutorials I dug up. I got pretty excited, though, and started babbling to Matt about how cool my camera is. Again. He has the patience of a saint and I'm pretty damn lucky for that :)
So. Would anyone out there be interested in some tips I picked up while playing with my manual settings? Or creating Photoshop actions? Or...I dunno, anything else I talked about today? Holla at ya girl :)
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.
Wearing: Minted by Revlon and Mink Muffs by Essie
I don't usually do posts that are just about my nails, because I rarely do more than just a solid color or a solid color with another solid color party nail...but I got a lot of compliments on this mani, and I didn't have another outfit post lined up, so here you go. I guess I was kind of craving mint chocolate chip ice cream when I did this style :)
In other news, I've been feeling kind of restless and weird lately, with a healthy dose of "life is awesome" thrown in to keep things from getting too depressing boring. It's been unseasonably cool around here lately, which is a welcome break from the hottest summer on record for our area, but it also kind of bums me out because that means fall, and then winter, is approaching. Winter is just the worst, if you ask me.
Anyway. I got off on a weird tangent today. I think it's because I shared a much-needed bottle of wine and some equally-needed tough love with my friend Allory tonight. Those three things — wine, tough love, Allory — in combination tend ot put me in weird, but good, introspective funks.
Well, not much time for chit-chat this morning. I just spent the last 15 minutes trying to fix my computer, instead of writing this post. It wouldn't connect to the internet, then it wouldn't shut down properly. But everything seems to be working now. Phew!
This jacket? Wound up not wearing it at all that day. Oops :) Oh and these heels? Bought them to wear in my sister's wedding in July. LOVE. Apparently they're from Fergie's line but I got them at DSW for $30. Epic score.
When I first saw Lady Gaga's "Marry the Night" video, part of the intro left me a little dubious. See, she talked about how mint was supposed to be a big trend come spring of 2012. And all I could think was, "I just don't know if I can get on board with this one."
Boy, was I wrong.
Turns out, I love this color on me. My nails have been mint-colored for weeks. And when Sydney sent me a box of clothes with this shirt in it, I was thrilled.
What about you? Has there ever been a trend that you initially wrote off, only to fall in love with later?
Also, don't forget to enter my today! It ends tonight, so the clock's a-tickin'! Winner announced tomorrow.
