Last weekend I attended an event hosted by the New England Blogger Babes, and it was the first time I got to go to a blogging event with my sister Anna, now that she has officially launched her blog, In a City Night! It's still a work in progress, but in a way, I suppose all our blogs are. We always love to tweak, change, and improve them; after helping her get set up I was starting to feel like things have gotten a bit dusty around here!
It's certainly been great to have someone to shoot with, and I hope we can plan even more adventurous shoots in the future. She wants travel to be a big part of her blog, so naturally I'd more than happy to join her, where ever that may lead.
I hope you will visit her blog and say hi, and don't be surprised if a lot of her clothes look familiar ;)
Shopping used to be a lot harder. I had to make a conscious decision to shop; drive to a store, hunt for my size, try something on, and then decide in that moment if I wanted to make a purchase. It was all very tangible.
Now I open up Instagram and am fed a bombardment of images, both from other bloggers and from targeted ads. Facebook is tracking my every keystroke, and I'm convinced listening in as well. It does not take much to lure me into making a purchase, it's so simple and hypothetical. I can make these purchases and I don't have to commit to them. I will have the small excitement of a package arriving at my door, then I can make my decisions. The money spent seems less real when I'm always rationalizing I'll return things.
I do swear I'm trying to be better. It does not seem like it or feel like it, but the thought process is there, telling me to be more discerning, to make returns, to act as if I'm shopping in a real store instead of a virtual one.
A couple weeks ago I followed a predictable route. I opened Instagram, started scrolling, and was immediately served an ad for Banana Republic. Naturally, I shop there a lot, and the carousel of products typically includes whatever I was last looking at. I should know better than to peruse the images, but I couldn't help myself, and I spotted this skirt, which is normally $128 on a flash sale for $45. My interest was peaked and it wasn't long before the skirt along with two other pieces were in my cart and the order was placed.
The package arrived, I tried everything on, I shared on Instagram, and made the decision to just keep this skirt. I felt pleased when I returned the other items and believed I'd gotten a good deal. However, I was not looking for a green pleated skirt. It was not on my radar nor is it filling a gaping hole in my wardrobe.
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The Rundown Floral Pleated SkirtBanana Republic Off The Shoulder Tee Express similar White SlidesBanana Republic Round Rattan Bag Etsy similar Pearl Hoop Earrings Thrifted similar Gold Bracelets The Cavernous Jewelry Box Thin Gold RingEtsyvia Ellyn Blue Jewelry Sunglasses "Meteor"Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
When I started packing for California I knew I didn't want to have to check a bag. Not just for the added cost, but also for the inconvenience of hauling around multiple bags, and my propensity for over packing. I wish I had ten outfits to post, but of course life always gets in the way and I only ended up getting five of them photographed. However, I did manage to cram far more than ten outfits into my single carry on, with my laptop, camera, two purses, snacks, and a novel tetrised into a beach bag serving as my personal item. Oh and a giant straw hat, just to prove how nuts I am.
Considering that shoes take up the most room, I packed a lot of flat sandals, one pair of heels, and my converse sneakers, which I never wore. In my mind, sneakers felt like a logical choice, but I hardly ever wear them at home, so what made me think they'd suddenly become my go-to while I was away?
Other things I packed and didn't need included two pairs of jeans (though if I'm being honest I did need them, just only when I got back to the east coast, but more on that another day), more than one pair of statement earrings, more than one pair of sunglasses, more than one swimsuit (I packed three), and if I'm being honest, more than one purse. I was convinced I'd be wanting with only one, but I ended up carrying this straw bag most of the trip, and there was one day I borrowed a bag from my sister, but more for the sake of mixing things up for outfit posts than actual necessity.
I'm quite pleased that I was able to prove to myself, my sister, and the world that I could pack for ten days in just a carry on, but I'll admit it was only made possible because my sister has a steamer. (Anyone who tells you rolling clothes leaves them less wrinkled clearly isn't then jamming them into my carry on.)
The Rundown Black off the Shoulder Tee Express similar Button Fly Denim ShortsGap Black Slides c/o Soak Round Rattan BagEtsy
Last August there was a fill-a-bag sale at Coco's on the Green. It was only $10, and while I arrived pretty late in the sale, I was delighted to find this wrap skirt, and even more so when I saw the 'Milly' tag. I'm not sure why, but I've been on a quest to thrift a Milly dress for years. It was probably something that I saw Atlantic Pacific wearing, but it's been so long I don't even remember.
While this skirt was not the dress of my dreams (if I could even recall what that dress might be), for $10 I wasn't going to let it go. As it was fill a bag, I also added a J.Crew white peplum top, a coral cardigan, which had no tags, but was likely from Old Navy or something similar, and a J.Crew white cotton square scarf.
Over the last year, I never wore the sweater and donated it. I haven't worn the peplum top, and this is the very first time the Milly skirt is being worn. The square scarf I use as a lining for my bamboo bag and is apparently the only item I should have left with that day.
I love secondhand shopping, I really do. I've gotten some amazing pieces I never would have otherwise, however I often fall into the trap of buying something just because it's too good a deal to pass up on, and then all that happens is they sit in my closet and take up space.
The Rundown Striped Ruffle BodysuitJ.Crew Factory Wrap Skirt Milly via Coco's on the Green similar Huarache Mules"Camila" Rebecca Minkoff Round Rattan BagEtsy Earrings Vintage similar Gold BraceletThe Cavernous Jewelry Box Thin Gold RingEtsyvia Ellyn Blue Jewelry Sunglasses "Cinque Terre"Kam Dhillonc/o Coastal
Last Sunday I joined three other bloggers for a fun meal at Luna Pizza in West Hartford. The family owned restaurant has been around since 1997 and have done their best to keep all the ingredients and methods unchanged over the last 21 years. They are a very family friendly restaurant, but offer plenty of options for anyone who enjoys a more adventurous pie. I loved the briny, tangy, kalamata olive and goat cheese pie, along with the white honey garlic, and the bacon avocado reminded me of a BLT in pizza form.
Since I don't go to the Hartford area too often, I took advantage of an otherwise open Sunday afternoon and stopped at the Westfarms Mall. In a world where it feels like malls are dying, this one was surprisingly bustling. Every store I stopped in had a line for the dressing rooms and checkout, and at least three strangers stopped to compliment my cherry shoes. They have been around since nearly the inception of this blog, and are probably the most 'whimsical' shoe I own. They don't come out as often as they once did, but it's nice to know they are still as eye catching as ever.
Jeans"Tomboy" M.I.H. via The Outnet Cherry PumpsCha Cha Oh...Deer! pair on ebay Straw Clutch Rodo Italy via Goodwill similar Versailles EarringsJulie Vos Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box Chevron Ring Etsy via Silver Canyon Jewelry
Oh these sleeves. I got this top well over a year ago, and aside from styling it for outfit photos, I never really wore it. The sleeves are just massive, begging to dip into food, get wet in sinks, and gather up dirt. Fear of the sleeves getting stained or otherwise just making a mess kept this top relegated to the closet. I considered perhaps I should just get rid of it, if I was too afraid to wear it. Then suddenly things made sense, if I'd be willing to let it go, then shouldn't I also be willing to risk it getting dirty? What is the shelf life on an off the shoulder, bell sleeved, pearl embellished top anyway? It was so fun to wear, and once I stopped considering it as precious, I just let myself enjoy wearing it.
The Rundown Off The Shoulder Bell Sleeve Blouse c/o Irisie High Rise Button Fly JeansGap
