3 Parties, 2 Outfits

Last week was wonderful, really and truly wonderful. Why? Well- I finished my first year of graduate school AND since I was free of papers I was able to spend time with people from my grad program, friends from church, and family.

The first outfit featured in this post (on the left) was what I wore to an open house/reception for the graduating second years in my department. There was no dress code on the invitation, but it seemed like an appropriate occasion for a dress. Pictured above is me with one of my dear friends from grad school (Charlotte-in the brown and light blue dress) Speaking of dresses, I found this blue-speckled number at Anthropologie. This dress, by Plenty by Tracy Reese, comes in three different colors (speckled blue, grey, and lavender), and is a perfect summer wardrobe addition. What I love about this dress is that it is flattering, feminine, and extremely comfortable. I paired the dress with my favorite pumps from Victor Alfaro (featured in my last post), and a pair of cubic zirconia posts from Target.

The second outfit (on the right) was worn to two parties- another end of the year party for the department and then a cookout/potluck/kickball get-together with people from my small group. I wanted to wear a dress- but since I knew that I would be outside in a park at the end of the day, jeans were a clear solution for my duo of parties. I am wearing a purple silk-cashmere cardigan from Martin & Osa's Fall '09 collection (sale), a brown and white printed tunic tank from Banana Republic layered over a green tank from American Eagle. The jeans are a slim-fit, dark wash from Martin & Osa, my necklace is from Target, and my silver metallic sandals are by Victor Alfaro. I've never paired these pieces together, but I liked how the combination came together.

The season of graduation (ceremonies, open houses, etc.) is upon us, a time with many opportunities to offer congratulations, eat cake, and wear clothing. How many parties/outfitting opportunities await you in this season of celebration?