Best Tee.

{tee: loft | pants: paige | scarf: nordstrom | watch: marc jacobs | shoes: banana | sunnies: F21}

I'ts official. This is the most comfortable tee that I own. Good thing, because I now have it in 4 colors. The Loft just keeps having 40% off sales, and I keep remembering that this is the most comfortable tee I own. I guess it's meant to be. 

And now a story about the best tee ever. 

I've been packing for a big 2 and a half week trip that's coming up, and I'm packing light. For tops, my goal is 2 tanks, 3 tees, and 2 long sleeves. After I narrowed down my selection, I realized that all 3 tees were different colors of this LOFT tee. Like I said, best tee ever. 

I might have to throw in a 4th tee for some variety. I'll do my best not to pick the 4th color that I own in this LOFT tee, but there are no guarantees. 

The New Neutral

(shirt: loft | cardigan: old navy | pants: loft | shoes: banana | scarf: h&m}

A few days ago I told you about my love for pastels, and especially, these shoes. They are the perfect mint. And believe it or not, mint seems to go with just about everything. I think I'll start calling it "the new neutral".  

Ok, so this theory might not be so obvious from my outfit above, since it's only black,white, and mint. Sometimes my outfit and my thinking don't quite connect. But use your imagination, will ya? 

mint and pink? yep. 

mint and yellow? yep. 

mint and hunter green? yep. 

mint and light, medium, or dark blue? yep. 

You see my point? And, in case you were wondering, both my shoes and my shirt are in mint condition. (za-zing!)

Also, that last photo is my squinty face. I save it for special, sunny occasions. In case you were wondering... 

Minty

{blazer: Express (similar) | tee: Jcrew | skirt: Jcrew | scarf: F21 | boots: Steven via DSW}

I'm thankful for Friday and four day work weeks. After taking a few weeks off to be with family, it's been an adjustment to join the working world again. But finding things to be thankful for always helps pull me through.  

 Oh, and I'm thankful for scarves. brrrr. We've been on a cold streak here in the NW. The kind of cold streak where I wear my down coat like a sweatshirt and only take it off for outfit photos. 

Practical Dressing

{cardigan: Old Navy | tee: Urban | skirt: h&m | bag: foley and corinna | scarf: Jcrew}

Ok, you caught me. This isn't a skirt after all. It's a summer sun dress! Since it's WAY to cold to be wearing my summer dresses, I decided to layer this one up and turn it into a skirt. I used to box up my summer clothes for the winter, but not any more- my summer dresses are back in my closet. It's like two pieces for the price of one. Don't call me cheap, just call me practical. 

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.

Red Shoes

{Blazer: Loft | Tee: J Crew | Jeans: Paige | Shoes: Banana | Scarf: gift}

There is something about wearing red shoes that just makes life feel a little more fun. I've been known to say the same thing about scarves and stripes. So that means we are dealing with triple the fun on this outfit.

And now for my public service announcement, go VOTE! Inform yourself and know what you are voting for, or against, but by all means, get out the vote!! I voted via a mail-in ballot this weekend and it's a great feeling to be able to make choices to support what you believe in. You could even wear red shoes while you go vote and then you'll really be feeling grand!

Hot Little Coat.

{Jacket: Zara | Scarf: H&M | Shirt: Urban | Pants: Urban (similar) | Shoes: Payless} 

I love it when I buy a coat in the spring, and it turns out to be absolutely perfect for fall.  This special little black leather number from Zara has turned out to be just the right balance of warmth and style as the fall days begin to set in. It might be hard to believe it's fall when we've recently seen 80 here in DC...but that can't fool me. The color of the trees and the crisp smell of the air don't lie. Plus, the best part about this coat is that when I get warm, I can take it off and throw it over my shoulder like a rock star.   

Put A Bird On It

{Shirt: Urban Outfitters | Skirt: Target (similar) | Bracelet: NOLA Souvenir | Bird Scarf: Nordstrom (similar) | Shoes: Seychelles (similar) | Watch: Michael Kors} 

When people find out that I call Portland, Oregon my hometown, nine times out of ten they ask me if I watch Portlandia. I always had to say no, because I didn't, but as this kept happening, I started to feel like I was missing something. So thanks to Netflix, I started watching Portlandia. 

My thoughts are mixed. It's funny, weird, truthful, exaggerated, ridiculous, hilarious, and nostalgic all at the same time. But it has some GREAT one-liners. So for that reason alone, I think I'll continue to watch. Because who doesn't like a good one-liner?

Souvenirs

{Shirt: NOLA boutique | Jeans: thrifted | Scarf: Zara (similar) | Bracelet: NOLA boutique | Shoes: Payless}

One of my favorite parts of traveling is the fun souvenirs that you get to bring home. When I was younger, I filled my suitcase with all sorts of knick-knacks that I didn't need, but that proudly boasted the name of the place I had just visited- bottles of sand, figurines, cheesy t-shirts, and the like. These items always ended up collecting dust on the back of a shelf until I finally decided to give them away. 

Now, when I buy a souvenir, I look for things that are a personal and useful reminder of where I've traveled. My souvenirs from my last trip to New Orleans are this blouse and cuff bracelet. I picked these up from two different boutiques- one in the french quarter and one in the garden district. To a passerby, they might just look like something I could have picked up in any city, but when I wear them, they will always remind me of the place I visited. And I don't think they will be collecting dust anytime soon!

Striped Attitude

{shirt: Jcrew (similar) | Pants: Urban Outfitters | Shoes: Payless | Scarf: Halogen  | Hat: H&M}

I went on a coffee run yesterday with a coworker. When at Starbucks, we always pay with our Starbucks card iPhone apps.  When we got there, my coworker realized he forgot his phone. My alarmed remark was "how will you pay for your coffee?" He looked at me strangely and reminded me that he had a wallet. Come to find out, Starbucks still takes cash and cards. Phew.  

This outfit has nothing to do with my coffee run. In fact, I wasn't even wearing this while at Starbucks. Ha. But I do love coffee, and stripes, so technically, it all relates. 

Hat Girl

{Tee: Loft | Jeans: Citizens | Shoes: Payless | Hat: H&M | Scarf: Zara | Necklace: DIY (via Dismount Creative)}

Usually, my favorite outfits are the simple ones. Jeans, t-shirt, and a few accessories to add some flare. I wore this to an evening BBQ and it turned out to be a perfect DC evening. It wasn't perfect because of my outfit (although looking good can't hurt). It was perfect because the weather was 70 degrees, I was on a roof top, and I was eating a smart dog.  What is a smart dog you might ask? Well, it's a meat-free, hot dog shaped, soy substance that vegetarians sometimes eat at BBQs. Add some ketchup, mustard, and sauerkraut and people might even mistake you for a meat-eater. Now that's what I call smart.