Just a ride

"Patience is more than just waiting… it is persisting."

You might laugh to hear about all the hassle I caused myself and a few Toys"R"Us employees to get this bike, and of course it all turned out to be completely unnecessary.

To make a long story short, the bike wasn't available on the website to ship to home, or to ship to a store in Connecticut. I called Toys"R"Us and spoke to a person who said that the bike was going out of stock, and that if another store had the bike, they could transfer it to my store. That turned out to not be true on both accounts, and I went through a great deal of begging and pleading to get a store in South Carolina to ship the bike directly to me. Eight weeks went by, still no bike, and every time I called the store asking for a tracking number no one could give it to me. Then the bike came back in stock online. Thinking the first bike was never coming, I ordered another one. They both arrived on the same day.

After all that it was December before I had the bike, so this was my very first opportunity to ride it. Now that Sean and I both have bikes (I was against keeping one bike in our apartment and now there are two) we can go for rides to the beach and around the less busy parts of town. I'm really excited to ride to a park and have a picnic on the first nice weekend Sean doesn't have to work, and of course take more photos of my pretty new bike, preferably with flowers in the basket ;)

       

The Rundown
White Silk Button Down J.Crew similar
Field Jacket Old Navy similar
Yoga Jeans Second Denim via Coco & Vera's Giveaway
White Sneakers "Dainty" Converse
Hexagon Threader Earrings c/o Metrix Jewelry
Hammered Gold Ring Thrifted
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Color "Marshmallow" Essie
Bicycle Columbia
Basket Nantucket Bike Basket Co.

Linking up with Jeans and a Teacup's Flashback Friday (one year ago today)

Swing dress

I'm happy to see some of July's heat clinging to August; so often we lose our warm nights just as soon as we got them. Plus I still have lots of dresses to cycle through. This swing dress is a favorite to pull on during the heat of the summer; thin silk, cute neutral print, not clingy. I picked it up at TJMaxx a few years ago, altered it ever so slightly, and haven't wavered in my adoration for it. It's by Joie, and was one of those pieces that I originally spotted on another blogger, and only by some serendipitous chance did it cross my path. Of course I believe in serendipity, when it comes to clothes.

The Rundown
Cloudburst Dress Joie via TJMaxx similar
Shoes Me Too via TJMaxx similar
Micro Perry Satchel Rebecca Minkoff c/o Shopbop
Hexagon Earrings c/o Metrix Jewelry
Chevron Pendant Necklace Loft Outlet similar
Hexagon Cuff Bracelet Line and Label similar
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Sweet Olive Jewelry
Chevron Ring Etsy via Silver Canyon Jewelry
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Color "Bikini So Teeny" Essie

Linking up with I Do deClaire's Confident Twosday
and
Cute and Little's on Trend Tuesday

Welcome to spring

Some grey mornings it's tough to get out of bed. The change of the seasons can often leave me in the doldrums, and I allow the looming of Monday morning to put a damper on my Sunday.

With more than half the day already wasted to my despair, I knew I had to rally. Sick of my endless cycle of denim I remembered this gem of a maxi dress tucked away in the back of my closet. As comfortable as pajamas, as easy as denim, but the appearance that I was really trying. And I suppose I was, I was really trying not to ruin the rest of my day with my negative thoughts.

Spring is here, the time to bloom is coming, if I could enable myself to embrace change.

The Rundown
Scarf Print Maxi Dress c/o eShakti
White Blazer Cynthia Rowley via TJMaxx similar
Lace up Flats "Ottila" AK Anne Klein via DSW
Leopard Clutch Clare V. c/o Shopbop
Pavé Disc Pendant Avon
Hexagon Cuff Bracelet Line and Label similar
Stacked Rings Gorjana via TJMaxx similar
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx

Linking up with Pink Sole's How I Fall

and

Fizz & Frosting's Mix it Monday

and

Monday Mingle

Alterations needed

I love this leather pencil skirt. It's buttery soft, fits perfectly at the waist, and it only set me back $7. However I feel like it could be serving me better if it were either hemmed above the knee, or more tapered at the bottom.

Typically I opt to do my own alterations, but this isn't a project I feel I can take on right now when my current to-do list seems unending. I think if I can find a seamstress who isn't going to charge me the cost of buying a new leather skirt to make the changes I'll go for it; tis the season for leather pencil skirts after all.

The Rundown
Cowl Neck Sweater Gap similar
Leather Pencil Skirt Lord & Taylor thrifted similar
Black Loafer Pumps Ferragamo via Roundabout similar
Bag Vintage Coach thrifted
Pave Hexagon Earrings Thrifted
Watch "Classic Sheffield" c/o Daniel Wellington
Pave Toggle Bracelet Banana Republic similar
Gold Ring Thrifted similar
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx

Linking up with Mix and Match Fashion's What I Wore to Work

and

Happiness At Midlife's Throwback Thursday (last time I wore this skirt)

Use it or lose it

I am quite familiar with the closet cleaning rule "If you haven't worn it in a year, then it can go." I have never applied this to any of my purges.

There are many things I might only wear once a year... or less. Does that make them unworthy of occupying space in my closet? To the best of my recollection (and my search of my blog archives) I've not worn this blouse since 2012. Still I have no desire to let it go.

I love having a lot of my older and thrifted pieces. I love feeling like my wardrobe is unique, especially in this little world of blogging where it's not uncommon to see half a dozen bloggers in the same dress because it's cute and trendy, and you saw it on someone else and had to have it. Admittedly I've done this, and while I don't regret occasionally indulging on the trendy blogger items, I don't want to homogenize my closet.

If it came down to it, what pieces would I wear to save? What pieces would ultimately fall by the wayside, no matter how emotionally attached I might feel?

The Rundown
Purple Sleeveless Blouse Gap similar
Denim Pencil Skirt Lux thrifted similar
Sandals MRKT via DSW similar
Grayson Bar Bag Linea Pelle
Hexagon Necklace c/o Metrix Jewelry
Earrings Taken for Granite
Hexagon Cuff Bracelet Line and Label similar
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Sweet Olive Jewelry
Sunglasses "Caravan" Ray-Ban via Ditto
Nail Color "Lion Around" Essie

Lilly for all

Earlier this year I was really excited about the Lilly Pulitzer diffusion line for Target, and was woefully disappointed when my Target was wiped out at 8:15 a.m. and never managed to get my hands on one of the pieces on my wish list.

Rather than shell out above retail prices to get a coveted shift dress on eBay, I decided to be on the lookout for a genuine Lilly Pulitzer piece secondhand. As luck would have it, I found the perfect Lilly piece to add to my closet during Coco's on the Green's half off sale. I picked up this adorable scalloped hem honey bee print skirt in perfect condition for a mere $14!

Have you entered to win a piece of jewelry from Serendipity & Grace yet?

The Rundown
White Tee Loft similar

Scalloped Skirt Lilly Pulitzer via Coco's similar
Sandals Ferragamo thrifted similar
White Mini Satchel Tignanello via TJMaxx similar
Earrings Market in Italy
Monogram Necklace oNecklace via Good Girl Style Giveaway
Hexagon Cuff Bracelet Line and Label similar
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Color "Find Me An Oasis" Essie

Linking up with Mix and Match Fashion's What I wore to work

and

Happiness At Midlife's Throwback Thursday (last time I wore this necklace)