Print Mixing

{cardigan: old navy | jeans: gap | scarf: h&m | shoes: payless}

I love the way the print in this scarf contrasts with the print in this cardigan. The mixing of black and white prints in one of my new favorite past times. OK, not really. I don't sit around at night mixing prints. (or do I?). 

Now I've got you thinking! Which is a pretty great accomplishment for a Monday. And now that we're thinking, I'm still not sure what I think of colored pants. I like them on other people, but I still question them on me. This is my second pair. But the first pair is blue, which could almost be a blue jean, so I'd say they're only half way to colored pants. These pants are full on colored and the jury is still out.

Merry Happy.

{sweater: F21 | skirt: h&m | scarf: F21 | shoes: payless}

You know how they say you learn something new every day? Well, the older I get, the more I know this to be true. I just learned that the 12 days of christmas start at christmas, and continue for 4 days AFTER. So therefore, I don't have to feel bad about being late in wishing you a merry christmas and happy holidays.

MERRY happy. I'm mixing my adjectives just like I'm mixing my patterns.

Something New

{Shirt: H&M | Shirt: H&M | Belt: Anthropologie | Shoes: Macys}

After many, many weeks of avoiding stores, I took the plunge yesterday and dipped into H&M. They got me with a 20% off coupon in the email.... I picked up a few shirts and this dalmatian skirt to try on. In the dressing room, I put on this skirt and then tried on all the shirts with it. Nothing jumped out at me until I put on this flannel, and kind of loved the combination. It's very different than anything I'd normally pair together, but I think it works? 

It was too late to go take pictures outside when I got home, so I snapped these indoors for a change (another something new!) What do you think? 

Yellow

{Shirt: Anthropologie | Cardigan: Old Navy | Skirt: Banana Republic (similar) | Belt: Anthropoligie | Shoes: Payless} 

Last night I thought it might be nice to watch a Netflix movie. I began browsing instant watch, and was immediately overwhelmed with movies that I've never heard of.  And when I stumbled upon something that sounded interesting, it was always a TV show. TV shows seem to have taken over Netflix. Don't get me wrong, I love a good TV show, but sometimes I just want to indulge in a story that can be wrapped up in 2 hours- instead of 30+ episodes. Call me a commitment-phobe, but I just can't always get involved in a WHOLE series. By the time I found a movie that sounded half way interesting, I had pretty much lost interest. 


So I did the only obvious thing, and switched over to online window shopping- no commitment involved. 

white ruffles

{Shirt: Loft  (similar) | Shorts: Loft (in stores and 40% off) | Shoes: Report | Cuff: F21}

It was a crazy weekend in DC. Record high heat and record strong thunderstorms. Trees are down, power is out, people are sweaty. Luckily, I only lost power for one night and none of the downed trees affected me too much. But there were some crazy sights: streets blocked, sidewalks ripped out of the ground with the roots of blown over trees, crushed cars, people still without power. I've never been more thankful for my AC after spending a 95 degree night without it. 

You know what else I am thankful for? Print Short. They are cool in so many ways. Perfect for styling up a 100 degree day. Also, can you believe it's July?? Where did the time go...

Too Hot

{Shirt: Anthropologie | Skirt: Banana Republic | Shoes: Target | Necklace: Target} 

I picked up this skirt on mega sale at Banana this weekend. Don't believe the price online. One thing I have learned in my ventures as a bargain shopper is that you can often find better discounts in store. And I sure do love a good deal!

Unfortunately, today was too hot for this skirt. It was too hot for any skirt. But the alternative wasn't an option. So I did the best I could by pairing this delectable skirt with a breezy top and made a day of it.

Happiness

{Shirt: Piperlime | Skirt: Zara (similar) | Watch: Michael Kors} 

The colors in this blouse make me feel HAPPY! and who doesn't like feeling happy? So in honor of happiness, I plan on wearing this blouse a lot. 

Another happy factor is that I wore this blouse to one of my favorite DC events- Jazz in the Sculpture Garden. Every Friday night during the summer, the National Gallery of Art hosts a free jazz concert and DCites come with their blankets and picnics to crowd the gardens. It's always a popular event and it gets so crowded that you can't get from point A to point B without walking on other people's blankets. So things get really cozy, especially as the pitchers of Sangria start flowing.  If you live in DC or plan on visiting, it should be a must do on your to-do-list! 

playground safari

{Tank: Loft | Skirt: Anthropologie (similar) | Shoes: Seychelles (similar) | Hat: Urban Outfitters | Purse: Lucky}

I've never been on a safari, but if I ever go, I am pretty sure I'll wear a hat like this. I picked this one up at Urban for a recent trip to New Orleans, and it is already one of my summer favorites (which is pretty impressive since it's not even summer yet). 

The material is flexible and holds its shape so that I can throw it in a suitcase or purse without worrying about crushing the structure. After recently buying a stiff sun hat that quickly creased and lost its wearability, I learned that a good hat should be made of soft, pliable material. And this one fits the bill!

ballgame

{Tank: F21 | Skirt: Urban Outfitters | Ring: Modcloth | Necklace: Loft | Shoes: Payless} 

I wore this outfit to a baseball game over the weekend. It was the perfect breezy skirt for a warm, humid evening. I also took these pictures on a baseball diamond. It was the perfect background for a baseball game outfit. Sometimes my coordination amazes me (other times, it doesn't go so well). 

Whenever I go to baseball games, I allow myself to eat my favorite "gut bomb" food: Shake Shack's deep fried portabella mushroom burger (also stuffed with cheese) and fries. Afterwords, I feel so full of heavy food that all I can do is sit and stare. It works out perfect since baseball isn't really my thing, and a few of my friends get annoyed when I keep trying to talk through the game. So I basically eat myself into a food coma, and then lounge back to recover until people around me start cheering, I cheer along, then repeat. This routine has quickly turned baseball games into one of my favorite warm weather outings. 

May Flowers

{Shirt: Anthro | Skirt: Zara (similar) | Shoes: JCrew (similar) | Clutch: Dooney and Bourke (via sweepstakes by GLAMOUR) } 

I need a suntan. The weather is getting hotter, my clothes are getting skimpier, but my skin is still pale, pale, pale. Back in my younger days, when all I had to worry about was not tripping while getting on the school bus in front that cute boy, I had plenty of time to lounge about in the sunshine. Now that I work a so called 9 to 5 (let's be honest, its more like 8 to 5:30- all this time I've been lied to) it's much more difficult to spend leisurely time basking in the sun.

And when I do catch a glimpse of rays on the weekend, my skin is probably slathered in chemical free, non-whitening, oil free, waterproof, natural, and environmentally friendly 50+ sun block that promises not to clog my pores. After all, I've got the future of my skin and the planet to worry about these days. So the harsh reality is that this skin will be staying pale for quite some time. If I'm lucky, I might tan a few shades by August.