So much for my shopping ban :( I had time to kill one evening so I stopped by Forever 21 and walked out with rings and a necklace. The flowers on the necklace remind me of Chanel's camellias. The daintiness of the rings was a nice contrast to the statement rings I already have. Like always, F21's prices were too good to pass up. I knew I should have watched Green Lantern before shopping, not after!

I feel like the first half of this spring's 30x30 has zapped me of all my creative juices. So bear with me down this home stretch. There may be more head-scratchers (ie: boots + socks fiasco) or boring outfits to come :)

It was a beautiful day for picture taking along a "beach." Regardless of my better-suited-for-the-office-outfit, I wanted to take a jumping picture. Because sand = soft landing. Or so I thought. Not only did the self-timer not capture my jump, I lost a shoe! It did however, capture the moments after my spectacular fail.

From left -> right: (1) Err... just my luck, camera is still going and I lost a shoe. At least I didn't land on my butt (2) Huh, the shoe is a lot farther than I thought *scratches head*  (3) Uh duh, hop on one foot of course. So what if I'm flashing the world, one step at a time (4) Eww, there's bits of sand inside (5) Ahh well, lesson learned. The camera is still on?!

Do you have tips for a newbie jumper?

Usually I have about 5 good pictures to choose from at the end of the day. This is the best of today's :( Which is sad, because the top looks washed out. But hey -- at least there's a change in background scenery :)

This scarf is like my favorite child. Not that I would ever pick favorites if I have more than one child... or admit it ;) The print was love at first sight, and I still have not gotten sick of it yet. When in doubt, this is the first item I grab to put on.

Is there a piece you own that you feel this way about?

I walked down four flights of stairs only to see a sign that says the door is broken. Instead of finding my way back through another door to take pictures outside, I got lazy and propped up my tripod in this semi-dark-and-creepy alley below the staircase. Kind of fitting for an unintentional Halloween-themed outfit?

Every once in awhile, I'd Google map surrounding areas using the satellite view, just cuz I'm a dork with too much time on my hands. To my surprise, I saw this huge body of water near me, topped with a PIER. How very cool! But why did I not know about it until NOW? I'm stoked because the surrounding areas looked quite secluded, so it should be perfect for picture taking. How do you scout out potential photo spots?

Silver necklace, silver hardware on belt & bag, and... gold ornament on shoes? I think it's safe to say most people are fans of matching hardware, but it doesn't bother me when I mix and match. If it's something big and noticeable, I'd probably be more careful about matching, but otherwise, I feel it's another one of those "old" fashion rules (ie: don't mix browns and blacks) that everyone breaks. What are your thoughts on this?

The weather has gotten to me. I had forgotten how hot and humid summers are even if I'm "only" outside when walking to and from the car. This lace dress (worn as a top) is perfect for hot and humid days. The 3/4 sleeve is conservative enough for a casual work environment while the slip underneath allows for breathing room. Now if only I can remain inconspicuous, you bet I'd be wearing this every day for the rest of summer. How do you remain cool in this heat?

Here's a little secret: I had a hard time rounding out my thirty items for this challenge, so I stuck in a few pieces (Miu Miu flats, ASOS skirt) that haven't been getting much love prior to the challenge. Needless to say, there's a reason why these two have been put on the back burner -- I'm still not done obsessing over newer items. My goal is to wear each item at least twice, so here's to hoping this won't be the only time these two make an appearance!

In the past week, I've been taking outfit pictures in the mornings as opposed to after work. It's mainly due to weather (I seem to blab about this a lot) and because I've come to love the wonderful "glow" of the morning sunlight in pictures. The only downside is feeling more rushed because getting into work early = leaving early. Is it just me or do you feel like time passes by so much quicker in the mornings? After lunch is usually when I'm contemplating taking a nap. Just kidding.

Thank you to everyone who helped me with my tripod dilemma. I'm happy to say that I went with the Vista Explorer from Amazon. It took about 15 minutes to learn all the ins and outs... but days before I finally took it out for a spin (notice the change of scenery today?) I have a feeling I'll be reverting back to my lazy ways of using ledges to prop up the camera though, especially during work days :D

More photos with a semi-revealed face? Yup :) I did debate whether or not to include the second photo for the longest time. The outfit took a nosedive when I put on socks + boots. Don't know what I was thinking. Sigh. Chalk this one up to another learning experience where an outfit looked much better in my head :) But I do like the first image!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

Hosted by Gracie @ Radiator Sessions, Petite Fashion Challenge #8: Spinning the Favorite has us venturing out of our comfort zones to expand our styling skills. We are to take a “go-to” outfit, put a spin on it by styling it in a different way but still keeping a couple of essential components.

My go-to outfit (sweats and a tshirt doesn't count, right?) usually consists of a button-up, accessories, and flats. This suits my simple, laid-back, and preppy style.

What I have a hard time doing is dressing up. So for this challenge, I channeled my inner glamourazon with a slight vintage* feel. I kept the same dress but mixed up the accessories. Yes to over-sized sunglasses, up-do (hard to tell, but I swear I put effort into it!), red lips (I cheated in Photoshop though :( because I couldn't find my lip gloss), and high heels. Is this too much? Too little? Just right? Kudos to all you girls who take the time every morning to do your hair and makeup; I am at the top of the list for laziest bloggers :D

*I ran the photo through some Photoshop filters, so the colors are slightly off

A big, huge, gigantic thanks to the lovely Ms. Elle for practically giving this blouse away for free. I've now satisfied my polka dots craving :) On second thought, I should just dedicate this post to her, because along with the blouse, she also gifted me the scarf ring and the top (that you can't really see, but prevents the blouse from being see-through). So, THANK YOU THANK YOU, ELLE!

I'm wearing a few new items today. An ASOS top with beautiful draping, which I first saw on Tiffany @ I am Style-ish and fell instantly in love with. The only downside? It came with shoulder pads. When worn, I resembled and felt like a puny quarterback, so they were quickly cut off. No before pictures because I forgot, but the after felt and looked much better.

The pink and gold ring I'm wearing is actually a scarf ring courtesy of Elle (thank you so much for indulging me in my love of scarves!) But... instead of using the scarf ring looped through a scarf, I went and wore it as a ring, lol. I thought the three intertwined pieces looked super cute when worn on the hand a la Cartier Trinity ring, yeah? They're a bit clunky, but stacking a regular ring on the outside prevented any slippage. Or, instead of my brute force method, see Jean's post on other helpful ways of wearing a too-big ring.

To me, nothing screams classic more than wearing black and pearls. It's a tried and true timeless combo -- one that I like to wear on my "fat" days every month for that slimming effect, lol. Taking cues from Khatu's PFC #7, I paired a black top with a black skirt for a faux-LBD look. I would've kept the overall look simple with one strand of pearls, but that isn't a piece of jewelry I own... so on goes the multi-strand pile. What items do you turn to for a classic look?

Ok, so I'm a day early with the spring edition of 30x30, but I'm kicking off this round by doubling up with the next Bloggers Do it Better challenge. Yay for killing two birds with one stone :)

Today's preppy casual look is definitely me. Tee, scarf, and FLIP FLOPS --- not a fashion faux-pas in my book ;) I get funny looks sometimes when wearing a scarf in hot weather. It almost makes me want to wear a sign, "for decorative purposes only," but I'm sure that will just garner even more puzzled looks.

It's time for another round of Kendi's 30 for 30! After the last round, I wasn't sure if I would participate again... and definitely not so soon. But I've acquired some new pieces recently, and figured it's time to buckle down and mix the heck out of those items.

I am using some of the same items from the winter round (a lot of the same tops actually, lol), but I've added heels to the list as well as bright colored items. Crossing my fingers that I won't have too much trouble for the next month :)

9 tops:

2 sweaters, 1 jacket:

2 pairs of pants:

5 skirts, 2 pairs of shorts:

2 dresses:

7 pairs of shoes:

Bf and I took a trip to Charlottesville recently, home of our alma mater (go Hoos!) It was a reach school for me, a safety school for him, but once we stepped foot onto the Grounds, it was inevitable that we would meet. School was where we became friends, started dating, and spent the best four years of our lives. Sappy much? :) Whenever we return to visit, we make a point to stop by our old stomping grounds, to simply marvel at the changes over the years, but also to reminisce about the good times. Just to name a few, must-see places include our old dorms, the Corner, and the picturesque lawn that Thomas Jefferson designed.

While we hardly took the time to seek out new local food spots back then, we make a point to do so now. What was wrong with us in college, you wonder? We both enjoyed dining hall food. And still miss it sometimes, hahaha. It's too bad they're closed over the summer, or we would've definitely made a stop :) So instead, on our must-eat itinerary was Bodo's (best everything bagels ever), La Michoacana Deli (I'm still sad we missed tacos by 20 minutes!), Marco & Luca (mmm dumplings and sweet & spicy noodles), and The Flat (light and doughy, salty and sweet crepes).

Good day, good times. I miss Cville already.

What do you miss the most about your alma mater?

Picture overload ahead. Mouse over photos for descriptions.

The boho look, or as some people call it, the hobo look (lol) is one that I'm not too familiar with. When asked, I envision a mixture of lace, crochet, embroidery, ruffles, with loads of accessories. The color palette is mainly earth-tones with splashes of bright colors. This is perhaps too safe and cliché, but when stepping out of my comfort zone, I don't want to stick out too much until I'm comfortable.

There were a couple items in my closet that I could have used as the base layer (Ann Taylor crochet dress vs J.Crew ruffle dress), but ultimately I went with the more casual J.Crew dress. This dress is lightweight and a bit sheer, which made it perfect for adding multiple layers (because you know, when I start layering, I don't know when to stop). An embroidered top, cardigan, necklaces, belts, bracelets, rings, and boots rounded out my outfit.

Are there certain pieces you deem a "must" for boho looks?

How many blue shirts does a girl need? Apparently, I need three. A blue v-neck dress shirt, blue oxford shirt, and now a blue chambray shirt. This J.Crew Boy Shirt in Indian Voile in indigo, size 0 is lightweight, a bit sheer, and oh-so-comfortable. The fabric reminds me of linen. It's big and loose on me, but I plan on wearing it casually, so it'll do the job. Note: this top is not meant to be worn on hot, humid, and sweaty days. Yuck. Boy, did I learn my lesson.

The necklace I have on is from SewPetiteGal's guessing-the-baby-gender giveaway (congrats SPG on your girl bundle of joy!) I'm a huge fan of pearls, and like blue shirts, I can't seem to get enough of them :) The necklace closely resembles the Merona gray on black necklace I already own, but is longer, so it definitley has more accessorizing potential. When worn, I like how the ends of the ribbon hang down the back. I can also see it worn draped across the front.

Remember how I couldn't figure out how to tie a tie? No problemo when tied as a belt. I rather like this look myself, so raiding bf's closet may become the norm. Tie: 1, Cee: 1. HA!