Mint + Cobalt

I did follow through and get that hair cut, which I know isn't anything too drastic, but it is nice to have a little shape and movement again.

The Rundown

Printed Top c/o JC Penney

Mint Shorts J.Crew Thrifted similar
Silver Sandals Guess
"Stormy Sea" Necklace Kie & Kate
Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Ring Home D'Jour Consignment
Nail Color Sally Hansen The Real Teal

Everything is in bloom

I haven't been in the Center for outfit photos in a couple weeks, but with all the trees in bloom now, I simply could not stay away any longer. This week promises warmer weather, so I'm crossing my fingers that my pale legs will see the light of day again.

I also breathed a little sigh of relief when I got an email from Turbo Tax saying my tax return had been accepted - becuase lets face it, I have no idea how to do my taxes. I just follow the prompts and blindly trust that I'm doing it right. But my refund is on it's way, so I just ordered some leopard pumps...

The Rundown

Navy Top Gap - White Blazer Cynthia Rowley - Mustard Cords Gap - Boots Madden Girl Virtual - Bag Big Buddha - Chain Link Bracelet Macy's Similar - Turquoise Bracelets Towne & Reese Avery - Necklace Kie & Kate "Stormy Sea" - Ring The Cavernous Jewelry Box - Ring Home D'Jour Consignment - Sunnies Halston

Summer shades

Believe it or not, I'm being rained on in these photos. Only a little, but still. Summer days, which once seemed so endless, now have an expiration date rapidly approaching, and I can't stand to think of any more of them being lost to the gloom of the rain.

I was listening to the NPR the other night (more happenstance than choice) and a narrator was telling about her favorite sound of the summer, a wooden roller coaster.

I love roller coasters. I haven't been on one in two years, and now I want to go to Lake Compounce in the worst way. I can still remember the day that I stopped being afraid of roller coasters and started loving them; it was on a wooden roller coaster at Lake Compounce. That feeling of weightlessness during that first big plunge, the speed and the wind, remembering to throw your hands up above your head when you pass by the camera, so you are sure to get a good photo....Connecticut blogger trip to Lake Compounce, anyone?

The Rundown

Dress Gap - Scalloped Hem Blazer H&M - Necklace Kie & Kate Stormy Sea - Sandals Holly via DSW - Sunnies Betsey Johnson - Ring Gift - Watch The Cavernous Jewelry Box

Blowin' in

A huge storm was passing by, but fortunately on the tiniest bit reached me. Some huge winds, dark clouds, a few minutes of rain, and now I'm watching a pretty sunset.

Sometimes I like to look at all the previous ways I've worn a certain article, and I happened to notice I wore this dress on July 14th last year. I styled it pretty much the same too, haha.

The Rundown

Dress Gap - Sandals Dive & Co. from Italy - Necklace c/o Kie & Kate "Stormy Sea" - Cuff Max & Chloe via Style Symmetry Giveaway - Sunnies Aldo

Retail therapy

This weekend I was a little bad and broke my budget. I blame PMS; because for me, it means I get really sad. About everything. I can watch 27 Dresses and start bawling.

After I took these photos, it started to downpour. The rain was so heavy I could barely see the roads, which started flooding in no time at all, and when I ran from the car into the house my sandals got drenched, which made me start crying, and then I went to take off my new Towne and Reese bracelets and noticed one had broken somehow and I was done for. I wallowed all night and into Saturday.

On Saturday, I went to the Mall. Probably not the best choice for someone who's already spent their budget, but there is absolute truth to retail therapy. I walked into H&M and started pulling things off the clearance racks. By the time I had an arm full of clothes I was genuinely starting to feel better.
I tried everything on and decided on one pair of creamsickle orange shorts, marked down to $7.

Then I went to the Starbucks in Target to buy a very budget-friendly cafe misto (drip coffee + steamed milk) but got distracted by the nail polishes and decided that I also needed one of the Essie summer shades, Super Bossa Nova. Which actually cost more than the shorts. Haha.

The Rundown

Dress Avon Paint the Town - Sandals Frye Gerry - Necklace c/o Kie & Kate "Stormy Sea" - Bag Charm and Luck - Bracelets Towne & Reese Avery - Belt TJMaxx

[Insert pun about orange here]

Based on the blogs I've been reading, orange is pretty much the most happening color this spring; and I was happy to welcome this ruffled linen mini into my closet. It was a birthday gift from my Brother and his Wife (hehe, I can say wife now) and today was a great day to be wearing it. So sunny and warm!
Also, based on the other blogs I've been reading, I should have given this post some kind of title involving a clever re-purposing of the word orange.  There are at least half a dozen "Orange You Glads" and "Orange Crushes" out there, and no one can seem think of anything else.

Yup, I'm wearing the MRKT sandals again. If I'm not careful all my other shoes might start a mutiny against me.

The Rundown

Orange Ruffled Skirt Tinley Road - Paint Splatter Top Lauren Conrad for Kohls - Cork Sandals MRKT Holly via DSW - Necklace "Stormy Sea" Kie & Kate - Ring The Cavernous Jewelry Box - Wristlet Coach - Sunnies Old Navy

Be sure and enter to win $100 to Shopbop!

Stormy Weather

Today was a pretty happy day, made so mostly by the fact that I finally have a pretty close version of the Stormy Sea in my possession.
The Stormy Sea Obsession has been going on for a long time now. Since I first saw it on April 17th, 2009. And If I had a time machine, I'd probably go back to that day, grab myself by the shoulders and say "Save yourself from years of aggravation, buy the damn necklace!"
You might think that if I had a time machine, it would be a waste to use it on something so insignificant, but really, it's not a good idea to go back in time and start fussing with the big events in your life.

So, jump ahead to last week, when Suze of Miss Vinyl Ahoy suddenly has her self a brand new pink Stormy Sea, that she got from Kie & Kate Couture, and the need that I'd been working so hard to repress resurfaced. A half a dozen emails later and guess what was in my mail box this morning?

It's not quite the same as the original, the beads are opaque and not translucent, the spacers are silver and not bronze and the tie is green and not grey. But still, it looks like a Stormy Sea. I'll take it. And wear it. A lot. Fair warning.

Yesterday I mentioned that it was raining, and today it was raining again. And just look at the forecast for the rest of the week:

Fantastic. I've officially reached the point in this spring where I am over outfit photos in the rain. Over them. See this face? This the face of a girl who has had enough. 

I'm going to keep my bright coral fingers crossed and hope that the weather men are wrong. They usually are, anyway.

The Rundown

Top TJMaxx - Jeans TJMaxx - Sandals Frye - Necklace Kie & Kate - Ring Lia Sophia - Nail Color Avon Coral Bikini 

PS. I know there are only about .5 people who read this blog who will have any idea what I'm talking about, but wasn't the season finally of Chuck amazing?! And aren't you pretty ecstatic that it was the season finally and not the series? Can't wait for next Fall!

The girl behind the cake

It has become very clear that all you need for a great birthday, is good cake, and best friends.
(and what is up with that crazy green lens flare?)

Getting a free drink at Starbucks and a free ice cream at Ben and Jerry's doesn't hurt either.

Last year on my birthday, I was in Rome, standing in front of the Coliseum. Having a seven course meal, five of which courses were pasta (haha), and endless amounts of wine punch.  That was an amazing trip, and an amazing birthday. This year, I'm simply wearing the skirt I bought while I was there, and crossing my fingers that I'll be able to get back someday soon.

The Rundown

Top Thrifted Ann Taylor Loft - Skirt Desigual - Shoes Jeffrey Campbell Splendid - Bag Lucky Brand Bella - Ring nOir Jewelry Pete the Porcupine - Necklace Made by Me "Stormy Sea"