Where Else You Could Be

Sweater: H&M * Pants: Old Navy * Shoes: Target * Morgan Necklace: Tree & Kimball * Belt: Akira

It's Friday! I'm heading out of town this afternoon, and in addition to all my normal weekend stuff, I'm also going to spend some time getting ready for a super secret summer surprise (alliteration and excitement? Sign me up!). So I'm keeping this post short; on words, on photos, on deep thoughts.

I'm borderline obsessed with this outfit, I'll have you know. The olive accessories play so perfectly off of the tan slacks and pink sweater, and it was all incredibly comfortable, too. I'm only sorry I didn't wear it on a day when I had time to get better photos, but this is definitely one of those outfits that I'll wear again and again. It was perfect for a cool summery day in the office.

Oh, and these are the last pictures you'll see of the old apartment. Empty of furniture, boxes, and people, I thought it made a quite lovely backdrop for these photos. Apartments are always so strange when they're empty, as if no one had ever lived there at all. The moving process is all kinds of sucky for lots of reasons, but one of the main ones for me is the mental starting-over process you have to go through each time. It can be therapeutic, for sure, but doing it too much causes a sense of life vertigo. I hope there aren't too many more of these shifts of space in the next few years. I think I'm ready to settle down.

Title song: Death Cab for Cutie, "Your Heart is an Empty Room"

I Toured the Light

Me and Emily ~ Outfit details: Sweatshirt: Gap * Skirt: H&M * Red bead necklace: World Market * Serpentine necklace: Tree & Kimball * Shoes: Sperry Topsiders * Bag: Target

Bad news, folks. The ultimate Chicago blogging commune, also known as Emily and my apartment, is no more. Our year-long lease ends tomorrow, and though the awesomeness of two bloggers living together is almost too awesome, it made the most sense to everyone to move out. She and K, our other roomie, have new apartments all their own, and I'm happily subletting a wonderful apartment from a good friend. So although we knew it was the most practical solution to the end-of-lease dilemma, and although we're still practically spitting distance from each other, it's still a bit bittersweet to not have such a fabulous, hilarious, super-smart, utterly stylish woman as my roommate.

As a final farewell photoshoot, the two of us gathered at the lake on an immensely stormy day, and snapped away. It was only kind of sad, since even though it was our last photoshoot as roomies, I'm sure we'll be meeting up on the regular to gossip, eat, take photos, watch True Blood, and generally be awesome. 'Cause really, that's what bloggers do. Be awesome.

Emily, you da bomb. I'm so glad we got to live together, and I just love this very tangible, in-real-life effect that blogging has had on our worlds. Despite running in similar, and sometimes overlapping circles in real life, I'm certain that Emily and I never would have met, and probably wouldn't have become friends or roommates, without the introduction that our blogs created. It has been a hard year for each of us in many ways, but I can confidently say that it was a much easier year having someone around to share some of it with. I'm so grateful for the connection that we've made, and for the experience we shared this past year.

It is consistently amazing to me that every single style/fashion/lifestyle/vintage blogger I've met has, without fail, defied the stereotype of a "fashion blogger". Each is a bright, funny, multidimensional woman, articulate and motivated and fascinating. I am so happy, and surprised, to have found this pocket of women and friends. It's like the hidden secret of blogging, something perhaps not readily apparent on the surface, but something that strengthens and deepens the utter awesomeness of this community.

So I am looking forward to the next stage in Emily and my blog-lationship, not as roommates, and not just as bloggers, but as friends. It shall be lovely. And I'm sure this coming year will have just as many changes to adjust to, and transitions and challenges to meet, for both of us. I have a feeling, though, that these changes and challenges will be exciting, exhilarating, and enriching. This is the first time in awhile that I've been so excited, so scared, and so ready for the next year. Bring it on, life!

Title song: Bon Iver, "For Emma"

Make a Home Down There

Sweater: H&M * Skirt: thrifted, shortened by me * Boots: Frye * Belt: thrifted

This weekend, I: Shoveled dirt, for hours, in our community garden. Got a righteous blister and three rad bruises. Felt awesome about working hard on a cool Saturday morning. Ate bagels. Drank hot coffee with a sleepy boyfriend. Went $1 bowling. Got a couple of spares, no strikes, and a handful of gutterballs. Went to the mall. Remembered why I hate the mall. Stalked a guy who had tried on a nice suit in the mall in the hopes that I could find that same suit for Joe. Ended up looking like a creeper and did not find the suit.

Made delicious macaroni and cheese, with green onions and mushrooms. Drank craft breweries on the back patio/porch/stoop while eating grapes. Ate the juiciest melon ever. Ate the first carrots and green onions from our garden. Marveled at how we have grown food. Found a new place to do yoga on Saturday mornings. Planned my summer weekends. Pondered my summer vacation.

Thought about the big things in life. Had conversations about my fears, excitements, plans, strengths, and shortcomings. Expressed frustrations, twirled in excitement, giggled unapologetically. Appreciated time to myself. Appreciated time together. Started counting down to a few big things. Wore sneakers, and cut-off shorts, and felt awesome.

Listened to Cake, and Adele, and Mumford & Sons, and Grizzly Bear. Vowed to buy audiobooks for my summer drives. Settled into the old routine. Started preparing for the new one. Committed to spending my time more slowly, being more resolute, more appreciative of the moment. Pledged to soak up the best of each day, to immerse myself in the sunshine and coffee and priorities of the day, to listen to my body, to respond and react to the world in a measured and kind way, to return to the me I want to be and the me I have been before, only this time the me of now.

Smiled. Loved. Laughed. Cried. Walked. Breathed. Closed. Opened. Stopped. Started.

What did you do this weekend?

Title song: Adele, "Rolling in the Deep" (I know I just used this song in my last post, but it's been on repeat in my head, so I just can't help it!)

Reaching a Fever Pitch

Dress: Target * Wedges: Bass * Belt: thrifted * Necklace: Noble Town Vintage

The heat has officially broken! After three days of the sweatiest, sweltering-est, stickiest summer weather, Chicago is currently in the midst of a pretty massive thunderstorm. I've been listening to the rolling thunder for hours now. It's that amazing kind of thunder, the kind that just goes on forever. There's hardly any distinction between the beginning and end of each thunderclap, and the deafening, rattling, somehow calming white noise is peppered every so often with a burst of white lightning. I adore storms like this. I would like nothing more than to stay in my living room all morning, sipping my coffee and absorbing the sounds of the storm.

While I actually didn't wear this outfit this week, it is what I wore a couple of weeks ago, during another brief early summer heatwave. This is pretty much my hot-weather uniform. Light, loose dress (confession: I usually take the belt off while I'm outside, because I can't stand having fabric cinched against my body when it's 98 degrees and humid), easy slip-on shoes or sandals, and minimal jewelry. I grew up in an area that never got this hot, and definitely never got this humid, so it's been an adjustment during the past four years to accumulate the right kinds of weather-resistant work appropriate clothes. Dresses like these fit the bill perfectly.

And while I do love me a good sandal in the hot summer months, I definitely wear lots of close-toed shoes as well when it's hot. These platform wedges have proved to be incredibly versatile. I wear them in every season, with almost every type of outfit, and I can easily walk to and from work in them, which is a feat for a three-inch heel. From what I can remember, they were on sale for something like $15 on 6pm a couple of years ago, and they have easily whittled down their cost-per-wear to under $0.50. Done and done.

Enjoy the storm, all you Chicago/Wisconsin/Midwesterners! And for those of you on the east coast getting hit by the brutal heat: stay cool, stay classy.

Title song: Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"

That's Why I Hold

Dress: Industry * Sweater: thrifted * Boots: Rockport * Belt: Target

This is my favorite outfit. I'm not much of one for picking favorites, but if I were, this would be it. I've worn it once before (here, though because of my Flickr problem, you can't see the pictures...boo...but this might work), and it was my favorite then, too. There's just something totally lovely, trendy, flattering, and funky about it, and I can't help but fall head over heels for it. This outfit is definitely responsible for my recent need to layer sweaters over blouses (here - picture here...and here) this season. I'm glad I got to wear it one more time before it starts getting too warm for layered sweaters.

I kind of feel like this week has beaten the crap out of me. I've slowly, each day, gotten more and more exhausted, and I'm frustrated that I didn't get as much done yesterday as I'd hoped. I'm going to go ahead and blame it all on the weather, since that's the best scapegoat there is. It's been cold, and stormy, and dark, and I just can't seem to get a jump start on things. Hopefully the long weekend will remedy some of my slow-to-come spring blues.

So today, I'm planning to cozy up in my office with a mug of tea and the radiators churning. I'm going to tackle that do-to list, again, and hope that I can make more progress on it than I did yesterday. I have a little gathering to go to tonight, and then I'll officially start transitioning into weekend mode. Ready? In 3...2...1...

Title song: Mumford & Sons, "After the Storm"

In Our Little Hideaway Beneath the Waves

Dress: UO * Blazer: Target * Boots: Steve Madden * Belt: thrifted * Necklace: Noble Town Vintage

Would it be lame to tell you all that I'm actually sore this morning, after having spent much of yesterday pulling weeds in our garden? It was about the least strenuous activity I could have done, and yet my poor shoulders are just aching. But it's a very accomplished kind of ache, since we managed to pull all of the weeds in our 20'x25' plot, thinned the beets, carrots, and swiss chard, and planted eight new tomato plants and four baby basils. I also fought, and won, an epic battle with some thistles (at one point I had dug almost two feet down in an effort to find and pull the roots...it was kind of ridiculous). So I feel a bit justified in my aches and pains.

This weekend was just lovely overall, though it went by super fast. I wasn't able to get out of Chicago until a bit later on Friday, and combined with the heavier traffic and infuriating construction, I didn't get to Joe's until much later than usual, which made the start of the weekend feel quite delayed. Joe will be coming to Chicago this weekend, and while I'm thrilled to see him I'm really much more excited about the prospect of not having to drive for a weekend. I don't mind the long-distance thing, for the most part, but between construction, summery storms, and heavy weekend traffic, I'm starting to wear thin on the whole thing.

We had a lovely day on Saturday, though. After getting loads done at my favorite coffeeshop, we went home, made a delicious salad (with roasted beets, goat cheese, and perfectly-ripe pears) and watched Benny and Joon. I'm looking forward to having more evenings together, and more weekends that don't end with me leaving.

How did you spend your weekend? For you state-siders, do you have any big plans for the upcoming holiday weekend?

Title song: The Beatles, "Octopus's Garden"

She's Made of Glass

Sweater: vintage * Pants: The Mexican Shop * Flats: Target * Earrings: thrifted * Ring: heirloom from my grandma

I think the total cost of this outfit is $15. I bought these pants for a measly Alex Hamilton (little-known fact about me: I once did a school presentation about Alexander Hamilton and brought in a $10 bill as a prop), and my mom and I found the sweater and earrings at a thrift store in Arizona. It was half-off women's clothing day, so the sweater was $0.98, and I think the earrings were dollar or two. And as I boasted yesterday, my Target flats rung in at $3. I'm pretty okay with how that worked out.

I just loved the vivid colors in this outfit, too. The sweater is so vibrantly teal, and I love how the orange from my earrings and nails played off of the boldness of the sweater. I usually pick gray or brown to temper brighter colors, but I loved the way that the stark black pants carried the rest of the pieces in the outfit.

I'm a woman of few words again today (notice how that always seems to happen right around Thursday of every week? I'm definitely wearing down by this point). But first, I have two thank-yous to give: one, to all you lovely readers who have commented on my hair recently. I feel like it's getting more and more unruly by the day, so it's nice, and a bit relieving, to hear that it still looks halfway decent. And second, to the cashier at my grocery store who wished me a belated happy birthday last week and said I had a nice blog: thanks, dude. You made my day. :)

Title song: Donovan, "Turquoise"

Silver Clouds Surround Her

Blouse: Anthropologie, birthday gift from Emily * Pants: Old Navy * Cardigan: hand-me-down from Emily * Flats: Target

Emily gave me this shirt for my birthday last month. I was not previously an owner of anything sequined, so she clearly identified a major gap in my wardrobe and set out to fill it. I adore the shirt. The pattern and color of the sequins is so lovely, and I kind of love the weighty feel that a sequined shirt has. I may have just become a convert.

I decided to play around a bit with the color pairings for the sequins' first outing. These pants and cardigan (also from Emily, as a hand-me-down last summer) provide complimentary shades of brown to the soft taupe of the shirt. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but in the end I loved how the warm browns played off of each other and completed the look. And I love how perfectly my new $3 Target flats match the row of teal sequins in the shirt.

See how pretty? Anyway, today is no day for open-toed shoes or short sleeves. May has decided to relapse a bit this week, and it has been windy and cold for the past few days. Today it looks like it might rain, too. I'm sorry to complain about the weather on here, but this is becoming downright ridiculous. Spring is just taunting us at this point, and I don't really appreciate it. Time for summer to bust down the door and teach spring a thing or two about nice weather.

What do you all have planned for this rainy, chilly Wednesday? I have a long day at work, so I'm making sure to savor my morning coffee a little bit extra today.

Title song: Steve Earle, "Sparkle and Shine"