Investment Pieces Without the Investment

I love a good sale, I hunt them down with fervor (I've been stalking the Anthropologie Tag Sale for the past week and hoping the pieces I bought work out!) but no matter how deep the clearance cuts are, typically my best deals are found shopping secondhand. 

 

Earlier this winter I spotted a faux leather blazer at Abercrombie with a less than palatable price tag of $140 (and while the light brown is sold out, there are a handful of sizes still left in black clearanced to $67). However, I'd much rather have a genuine leather blazer, at half that clearance price, so I turned to eBay. 

eBay has been a long standing favorite of mine, the search refinements make it easy to narrow down the results, buy it now options eliminate the stress of the auction format, and when buying from the average person just hoping to clear out their closet, amazing deals can be found. (The resellers are their own breed, and I have mixed feelings about them.) 

If a leather blazer happens to be calling to you, avoid retail, and take a look at this option for under $30, or this one under $40, or 'splurge' on a vintage piece, this one listed at $60 and another at $80.

The Rundown
Knit Top Mango
Giraffe Print Silk Pants J.Crew
Leather Blazer Isabella Bird thrifted via eBay
Brown Croc Pumps "Everly" Naturalizer
Green Mini Trunk Bag c/o Italic
14k Gold Hoop Earrings thrifted via Shopgoodwill.com similar
Paperclip Chain Necklace Serefina via TJMaxx
Maya Bracelet Gorjana via TJMaxx
Blue Topaz Stacking Ring Hirajule via TJMaxx
Thin Gold Ring Etsy
Gold Croissant Ring Etsy
Sunglasses "State Street" Ray-Ban

August Light

How rapidly the daylight hours shrink the moment August ends. Sunlight past 6 p.m. feels like a dream. 

This is the last set of the true summer photos. I'm not sure why I held on to them for so long, though perhaps it's because I don't want to accept that summer is over.

The Rundown
Rust Floral Dress Mango similar
Sandals J.Crew similar
Caning Bucket Bag Tommy Bahama via TJMaxx
Earrings S.V. Decker
Necklace S.V. Decker
Gold Croissant Ring Etsy
Thin Gold Ring Etsy
Sunglasses Ray-Ban via TJMaxx

One Thing

I'm in slight disbelieve that October has arrived, and in my typical fashion, feeling overwhelmed by all the things I haven't yet done this year, I want to shrink into a tiny ball and do nothing while the guilt from unanswered emails and abandoned to-do lists gnaws away my insides. Time expands and contracts in whichever way isn't convenient - I wake up at 7:30 a.m. and have my coffee, thinking I'll get my blog post up soon. Then it's noon, my coffee is long cold, I'm still in pajamas, and the cursor on my screen blinks to an empty page. I'm not entirely sure where that time went, but clearly I'm not going to take responsibility when I can blame the internet.  

I just wanted to get one thing done today, even if it was just writing this post, yet once again, I feel that I'm at a loss for words, a trend which began at the start of the pandemic and has stretched out over all these months. Maybe just leave it at the photos then.

       
The Rundown
Knit Tank Mango
Leopard Skirt Gap similar

Espadrilles Soludos

Raffia Bag Cleobella via Marshalls
Ram Hoop Earrings Vintage via Goodwill 

Necklace S.V. Decker

Locket Necklace Gorjana via TJMaxx

 Blue Topaz Stacking Ring Hirajule via TJMaxx

Twist Ring Vintage via Etsy
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx

After Labor Day

It's already been September for a week, but somehow it didn't feel official until yesterday, Labor Day. When inexplicably the temperatures shift, the gradual shortening of the days become suddenly more pronounced, as if we'd lost the time all at once, and the leaves which insist on turning early come into sharp focus amidst the swaths of green.

 

The usual dilemma of hitting the breaks on summer fashion in favor of embracing all things autumnal arises, even though I know I'm planted firmly in camp summer and wont vacate until forced by something far colder than a morning chill.

 

Even though I know beautiful summer-like days can continue to crop up through mid October, once Labor Day has passed, the mindset changes, and little can be done to reverse it.

      

The Rundown

Poplin Square Neck Dress Banana Republic

Huarache Mules "Camila" Rebecca Minkoff similar

Raffia Ark Bag Mango similar

Loop Earrings Mejuri

Necklace S.V. Decker

Simple Pearl Necklace c/o AUrate 

Charm Necklace c/o Grand Avenue Jewelry 

Gold Croissant Ring Etsy

Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry

Sunglasses Ray-Ban via TJMaxx

 

 

Watching Street Lights Glow

Taking these photos was almost like a meditation. Just me and the camera, the setting sun, the cherry blossoms. A few people would pass by, but they would either distance themselves from me, or I them. I took my time, framing my shots, changing angles, doing my best to capture the glowing light and the magic of pink flowers.

This is an old, familiar spot. Some years I come nearly every day for photos while the trees are in bloom, and others, like this one, just once. One year stands out in my mind for a few reasons; I loved my outfit, the photos were taken in the evening after the street lamps came on, and the trees were blooming before my birthday. This is the first time since 2012 these trees were in full bloom before April 12th, so I felt compelled to come take these photos as the sun was setting.

Thinking back to 2012, that was a year I took some significant steps forward in my life, small, but positive changes. Clearly 2020 is going to be a year of changes, and I hope in the not too distant future I'll be able to look back and see lots of positive ones amidst the tumultuous ones.

       

The Rundown
Fringe Cardigan Anthropologie similar
Cowl Neck Camisole Mango
 Easy Straight Jeans Ann Taylor
Cream Booties Aerosoles
Round Rattan Bag Etsy similar
Circle Earrings c/o AUrate New York
Aries Pendant Necklace Mejuri
Midi Stackable Diamond Ring c/o AUrate New York
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry 
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Polish "Cold Brew Crew" Essie

Public Access

As you can likely tell by my woefully obvious farmer's tan, I haven't had too many beach days this summer, and most of my time in the sun has been on dog walks with my less than fashionable high neck, short sleeve Wag! tee.

While I've always considered myself lucky to live in a coastal town, the idea of paying $25 to park at a beach in my own state has always irked me. While I'm free to visit my own small town beach for the paltry fee of a $5 sticker every two years, that is not the case at my neighboring beaches. When I lived in Milford I thought about getting a beach sticker, but balked at the $150 price tag for the seasonal pass. Instead I just avoided the beaches I knew were strictly monitored and took my chances parking illegally.

A couple years ago Connecticut started charging an extra $10 vehicle registration fee to allow free parking at any state park, including several beaches. I thought this was wonderful. Other towns have been up in arms, upset at the influx of freeloading visitors. While I understand that beaches and their facilities need care and maintenance and lifeguards, it seems crazy to me that I shouldn't be able to enjoy a neighboring beach for free - especially when I just want to quickly snap a few photos.

On this evening I was in a very residential beach area, meaning homes blocked the water views, they were all private for those wealthy enough to afford a beach home. I walked along for about a half mile until I saw a spot between two homes that stated public access. Then I saw a private property sign. Not willing to give up my photo spot we snapped away while some people watched from their deck overlooking the water. I would have left if they'd said anything, but I was quick, and they were thankfully silent.

It seems crazy to me that the beaches in my state aren't free to all it's residents.

      

The Rundown
Black Eyelet Lace Jumpsuit Banana Republic similar
 Fringe Straw Bag Mango
Wedge Sandals Loft similar
Straw Hoop Earrings Loft
Gold Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box 
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Cat Eye Sunglasses H&M
Nail Color "Caviar Bar" Essie