Blast from the Past

dress from Langford Market, Gap cardigan,
Forever 21 earrings, Banana Republic heels

It's hard for me to wear red and black together without being reminded of high school. I was a Cardinal, which meant I wore red and black almost every Friday for football games, on my letterman jacket, at graduation, etc. Since I left high school, I consciously tried not to wear this color combination. I must be falling out of the habit because I put this outfit together earlier this week without even realizing I was wearing Cardinal colors. I guess I kind of miss being a care-free high school student.

Thinking about high school always reminds me of Matt. We've been together for over six years and it just keeps getting better. Sometimes, I can't believe how lucky I am.

Happy birthday, Matt! I love you!

A Slight Hiccup

Gap jeans, Forever 21 shirt and earrings, Banana Republic heels 

How come when everything in my life is going wonderfully, BAM, something messes it all up? I had a great (although exhausting) weekend, but then I noticed that my car was making a weird noise as I was driving home from work Sunday evening. It was a harsh, crunching sound coming from my front right tire. I even pulled over just to make sure I wasn't getting a flat. Of course, I had no idea what it was, but I knew I just couldn't ignore it. It was so loud! I ended up taking my car to Sears after work on Monday to have them take a look at it. Of course, I was that girl. The one who walks in and says, "My car is making a weird noise and I don't know what it is." I tried to throw in some car lingo like suspension and rotating, but the problem was something I never could have guessed. Apparently, I was missing a shock absorber, which didn't mean much to me except that I'd have to pay $100+ to fix it. It's all taken care of, but let's hope nothing else goes wrong this week!

First Day

vintage men's button up from Goodwill, Old Navy pants (zipper replaced by me),
Banana Republic heels, Forever 21 earrings, vintage bracelets

This was what I wore for my first day of work at Texas Monthly on Tuesday. I thrifted this top the day before, but didn't have any intention of wearing it the next day. I just thought it was a great top for $5, especially because it's vintage and such a great color. I guess I subconsciously reached for it when I was getting dressed and decided to go with it. Combined with basic black pants and color-blocked shoes, I thought the outfit looked put-together and professional without looking too prissy. Even better, I fit right in with the rest of the Texas Monthly crew. Like I mentioned before, everyone dresses really casual, so I need to remember to not overdress. I don't want to overshadow any of my co-workers...for now.

Camera Tricks

Forever 21 dress and earrings, jacket from Langford Market,
bracelet courtesy of InPink, Banana Republic heels

 

Do you like that close-up of my rosy face? I just got these earrings last week, so I really wanted to show them off. It's times like these that make me wish I had a good DSLR to capture all the details of my outfit. I've been getting so frustrated with my basic point-and-shoot camera lately. As most of you probably already know, I take my pictures using a tripod and the self-timer on my camera.  You think it would be relatively easy, but it can be pretty difficult trying to get the same focus and lighting in each shot.

I've found that taking photos in front of a wall is better because there isn't much for the camera to focus on other than me. If I take a picture with multiple things behind me, the camera focuses on all that other stuff because I'm out of the shot pressing the self-timer button. When I get in front of the camera as the timer is counting down, I'm unsure of where it's focused and there are only about three seconds between each shot. Sometimes, I'll take a series of eight pictures and delete them all because they're all out of focus.

I know this problem could be solved by getting Matt to take my photos, but we have completely different schedules. Getting a DSLR would be the ultimate solution but unfortunately, I should buy a new laptop before I even consider a new camera. I'll save the "how I killed three laptops in three months" story for next time. It's a good one.

New Shoes

thrifted skirt, Forever 21 blouse and earrings, Banana Republic heels

If you know me personally or have been following my blog for awhile, you might have noticed that I'm a fan of wedges. They're comfortable enough to wear for hours on end while still looking cute. But for some reason, I've been drawn to heels lately. I saw Krystal of This Time Tomorrow wearing color-blocked heels a few weeks ago and have been subconsciously searching for a version of them since. I saw these heels at Banana Republic while I was at the Madmen event last week and just couldn't say no. Could you?

Color Blocking 101

 

Sometimes, I surprise even myself. I found this skirt at Golden Fur Vintage on Etsy for only $10! What a steal! I think I'm still suffering from the shock of finding it.

You wouldn't think a red-orange maxi skirt would be so versatile, but it really is. I've already worn it twice since I got in in the mail last Thursday. I can definitely picture it with a lot of tops already in my closet, so get ready to see this skirt repeated many times.

On Friday, I wore a vintage skirt from Golden Fur Vintage, an Old Navy tank top and Bakers shoes.