Fall Weather. . . and Fashion!!!

Hello Readers!

This week, fall weather made a spectacular appearance in St. Louis, and several of my favorite items were also able to make an appearance in St. Louis (okay, mostly at SLU- since that's where I spend most of my time).

Anyways, I wanted to share this outfit with you all because it was an outfit that I really liked putting together. One of the great parts of outerwear is that the story you tell has greater dimension- sometimes you can even tell two stories.

The first layer (dimension) of my story, as pictured above, demonstrates an enthusiasm for fall: brown boots, navy blue tights, a tan trench coat, and a white scarf. This may sound silly, but I felt very British in this outfit- I think it's the trench coat. . .

The second layer, in the picture below, follows the same color trends as the first layer: white, navy, and tan. But, there's a twist: a gold belt. While searching for costumes in my grandparents' basement, my Grandma found this belt and I liked it so much that she gave it to me to keep! (Thanks Grandma!). This part of the outfit isn't quite as "British," but I do see a New England vibe. What do you think?

I think these stories are worth repeating, and I'm positive that I will re-tell them another time or two this fall!

Have a great Halloween! Have fun, be safe, and enjoy the candy!!!

Retail Details:

Tan Trench Coat: Banana Republic (Tall!)

Off-White Scarf: Target

Navy Blue Opaque Tights: Hue (purchased at Macy's)

Pebble-Brown Boots: Anne Klein

Navy Blue Cardigan: Halogen (purchased on Nordstrom.com)

Off-White Tee: Deletta (purchased at Anthropologie)

Gold Belt: Vintage (given to my in my Grandma's basement)

Tan Draped Skirt: Anthropologie

Charcoal-Smoky-Quartz Necklace: Antique (purchased at an antique store in Greenville, IL)

Purple, Polka Dots, and Positive Feedback

Hello Readers!

As many of you may know, I love teaching Public Speaking- I absolutely love it. Friday, however, my enthusiasm and passion was weighed against my actual ability to teach- and it turns out that I am good at something that I love to do! My supervisor visited one of my classes and took notes on how I ran my class- and I received really positive feedback from her.

To calm my nerves before my evaluation, I decided to select an outfit that would (yet again), tell a story. A story about a confident, fun, and smart teacher, and this is what I came up with:

I think it turned out pretty well, because I felt those things (confidence, fun, intelligent) when I taught my class on Friday. My supervisor even gave me positive feedback on my outfit- which was also wonderful!

Here is a bigger picture of the outfit, along with my retail details:

Black Floral Headband: J. Crew

Heathered Grey Cardigan: Banana Republic (my classrooms are always so cold!)

Dunder Mifflin Mug: Target (The 1-Spot)

Black Short-Sleeve Tee- Banana Republic

Purple, Black and Ivory Silk Skirt: Anthropologie

Black (almost) Opaque Tights: J. Crew

Black Heels: Banana Republic

Borrowing Stories. . . Which one should I choose?

Hello Readers!

Recently, I was invited to a "decade" party for Halloween. Basically, what this means, is that the party attendants dress as a decade. I wasn't sure which decade to choose (I really wanted to dress like Betty Draper from Mad Men), but this past weekend I went home and raided my grandparents' basement for authentic, vintage clothing. Of the items I tried on, I narrowed down my options to three dresses. Each of these stories- I mean dresses- has a narrative of its own.

The dresses are amazing, but what is even more amazing are the stories that each dress tells. But, before I tell those stories (and show them), I need your help. Which of these dresses should I choose?

Dress 1:

This dress is my grandma's dress (she is standing next to me), but it is a dress that has never been worn before! Yes, the tags are still attached to the dress! I think this dress is from the 70s. . . but it has yet to see the light of day. Should I wear this dress?

Dress 2:

This lovely number was worn by my Aunt Teresa as a bridesmaid at my Aunt Shelly's wedding (Aunt Shelly is standing next to me). What I think is so amazing about this dress is how well it fits! The few vintage dresses that I've tried on have been too short in length- but this dress is long enough. I could even wear heels!!! Also, I really like the rad capelet and apricot color. This dress is rad, but is it rad enough to wear to the party?

Dress 3:

This dress was a crowd-pleaser at my grandparents' house. This dress was worn by my grandma while she was on a cruise with my grandpa and she said that she wore it to a dinner they shared with the captain of the cruiseliner. This dress screams Dynasty, and is a grand demonstration of 80s fashion. It is a lovely dress (the giant sleeves are especially lovely), but I tend to wear 80s fashion when occasions such as this party call for decade fashions. (side-note: I would NOT wear the purple tights seen in the picture, I would probably go with black tights and black pumps)

So, readers- which one is the winner? Post your votes below!

A Grand Weekend

Hello again Readers!!!

The past 4 days have been wonderful- quite marvelous actually!!! Every year, it seems like fall break happens at just the right time every semester. Since Friday afternoon, I've been on a relaxathon (a marathon of relaxation). On Friday, I had coffee with one of my mentors from college (Kathie- she is amazing) in Greenville and then went home to celebrate my littlest brother's 14th birthday. On Saturday, I did nothing except nap, read, and go on a date with my dad (we saw the Social Network). Then yesterday, my "home church" (Imago Dei) had its first service at its new location (wonderful), went to Grandview Drive, and spent the evening at my grandparents' house for fun and food. What a great weekend!!!

This week, you may recognize my skirt from a post from last week (Falling Into Neutrals). This weekend I was inspired to re-wear the skirt. I don't usually wear clothing multiple times in one week- but, it was clean and I packed it for my mini-vacation. Like last week's outfit, this one is grounded in neutrals, with a pop of color from a raspberry pair of opaque tights. Below (and above), in a picture taken by my mom on Grandview Drive, is a second "iteration" of the draped tan skirt from Anthropologie:

I love Grandview Drive, and this outfit!

Retail details:

Sunglasses: Coach (Rx)

White Scarf: Target

White Craft & Creation Top (in the first and last pictures): Deletta, from Anthropologie

Tan Creme Confection Jacket: Anthropologie

Tan draped skirt: Anthropologie

Raspberry tights: Hue

Brown-grey sliver-wedge boots: Anne Klein (from Macy's or Bergner's)

Also, when I went to church on Sunday; I saw my friend, fellow blogger, and fellow Greenville College alum Kristi! (check out her blog: www.yarcho365.blogspot.com). Kristi is also a fellow fan of Anthropologie, and when I saw her outfit in church, I thought "That would be a great outfit for my blog!" She graciously agreed to pose with me for a photo in her stylin' outfit!

Here we are at Imago Dei's new location on Arcadia:

Kristi's retail details:

Olive-green short-sleeved tee: Anthropologie

Olive-green striped skirt: Anthropologie (btw, I love this skirt!!!)

Gold Sandals: Target

Hoping for a chilly, rainy day. . .

Yes readers, you read the title of this post correctly- I am, indeed, hoping for a chilly, rainy day!

Now, before anyone jumps to conclusions (ie; this girl is crazy!), I should explain the reasons why I look forward to weather conditions such as the conditions described above.

1) In moderation, I enjoy rainy days- especially rainy days in the fall. I love how autumn leaves look in the rain; whether they are still hanging onto trees, falling to the ground, or resting in puddles. I love it!

2) I finally found THE perfect raincoat, a tan trench coat from Banana Republic. In 2008 I purchased my first trench coat (of a dark green hue) at the beginning of my semester abroad in Madrid and I fell in love with trench coats. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough room in my suitcases to bring the trench coat back with me to the US. Since then, I've searched high and low for a replacement.

Armed with a 30% off coupon, I found this item on bananarepublic.com a month ago. I actually tried on the trench coat at a Banana Republic store, but the sleeves were too short (this happens to me all the time). I went online that night, found the trench coat in tall sizes (thank you Banana!), and made my purchase.

Since its arrival, the trench coat has been sitting restlessly in my closet, waiting for a rainy day. Or- I should say- I have been waiting restlessly for a rainy day (or even a chilly, blustery day) to wear the trench coat. I am still waiting for such an occasion, so until then, posting a picture of the coat on this blog will have to suffice. Here is a picture of the front and back of the coat from the Banana Republic website. Enjoy!

(P.S. in addition to tall sizes, this coat also comes in petite and regular sizes)

Falling into Neutrals

Why Hello Readers!

Fall is here! Well, it's been here for a while officially- but the signs of fall are finally making their appearance in St. Louis. The leaves are changing, Starbucks has Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and the air is starting to adopt that wonderful crispness that I enjoy most about fall. (It's not the most popular thing to talk about, when talking about fall- but I love it!)

I have a tendency to wear neutrals- especially navy, grey, and white (a throwback to my days at Abercrombie), and I've tried to expand my palette of colors- but there are days where I go back to my comfort zone of colors that match almost everything and nearly anything. Monday was one of those days.

Silver, brown, khaki, charcoal, and tan- with a bit of blue to liven up the outfit. When I pick out items of clothing for an outfit I try to tell a story. (I even wrote a paper about narrative and fashion for a conference). The story of today's outfit is "an autumn amble at the beach." I see it- do you all see it? I imagine that this beach (upon which I would amble) would be a beach with rocks, dark sand, logs, and seashells. This is midterm week at SLU, so I've tried to put together outfits with soothing colors that tell relaxing stories (like this one).

So readers, what stories do you like to tell through your outfits?

PS- Here are the "retail details" of this outfit:

Silver bead necklace: American Eagle Outfitters (summer 2010)

Light blue pleated shirt: Banana Republic (at least 2 years ago)

Brown woven belt: Anthropologie (summer 2010)

Tan draped skirt: Anthropologie (summer 2010)

Charcoal tights: Macy's

Golden-tan almond-toed high heels: Calvin Klein, purchased on sale at Nieman Marcus

Ms. H. . . The Teacher

I. LOVE. TO. TEACH!

For those who already know me, you probably already know this- but I want to tell the rest of you how much I enjoy this endeavor. I spend many summers, including this past summer, teaching swim lessons- but this semester I get to teach Public Speaking to two sections of undergraduate students. I absolutely love the teaching process (lesson plans, office hours, providing feedback, etc), but my biggest surprise (so far) has been how awesome my students are.

While I am sure that many Teaching Assistants, during their first semester of teaching, think very highly of their students; I am convinced that I have the best bunch of students enrolled in Public Speaking at my university. But really, I do have the best. :) Over the past few weeks I've learned about their interests, hobbies, social lives, and even their goals and aspirations. For the most part, they are on time, participate in class discussions, greet me with smiles and sometimes waves when they see me on campus, and they care about each other. Each of my classes has created a feeling of community- this is probably what I love most about my students. I could talk about their wonderfulness for hours, but- since this IS a fashion blog, I will move on.

In addition to the awesomeness of my students, another part of my job that I enjoy is dressing, or learning how to dress, like a teacher. My previous roles as a teacher took place in aquatic centers, so I've come a long way from my days of a swim suit, flip flops, sunscreen, and sunglasses. It's been fun mixing and matching trousers, sweaters, blouses, shirts, skirts, dresses, tights, shoes, etc- but for the most part I've been rather conservative. This week, on Monday, I decided to try something a bit braver, and a bit bolder. This look is inspired by the equestrian look that I am beginning to see more and more often this season (I much prefer this look over the dreadful pirate-y look from a few falls ago).

Anyways, I am curious. . .

What do you all think of this outfit? Is it a hit or a miss? (Pictured above, without coat, and below, with coat).

Winter-white cropped coat: Old Navy (2 winters ago, but they have a similar one this fall)

White silk pleated blouse: Banana Republic (Summer 2007, from way back when)

Shamrock-green cashmere blend sweater: American Eagle Outfitters (thank you Mom!)

Chalkboard-grey lace-trim tank: American Eagle Outfitters

Black skinny dress pants: The Gap (this season)

Black sliver-wedge heel boots: Anne Klein (from Bergner's

**Extra Credit Question (in honor of upcoming Mid-Term exams on campus)

What would YOU do if you saw your instructor running down the halls like this:

Would you:

a) Avoid eye contact and keep moving, away

b) Capture the moment using the camera/videocamera on your phone

c) Call Campus Security

d) Join in on the fun, and also run down the hall

Thank you Margaret H. for taking these photos!

More Adventures: Parks, Art, and Cookies

Here are a few more pictures, and an additional outfit, from the week of Kellie's visit to St. Louis. These pictures are actually from Kellie's first day, when we explored Forest Park's Jewel Box and Art Museum. When Kellie and I studied abroad, in Madrid, one of the places we frequented on a regular basis was Retiro, a refreshing park located amidst the hustle and bustle of la ciudad. While St. Louis has less hustle and bustle than the metropolitan madness of Madrid, Forest Park is still offers a welcoming respite to its visitors. Since Kellie had an eventful morning before arriving in St. Louis (waking up early, landing in Atlanta, and navigating Lambert), I thought that Forest Park would provide a soothing introduction to this great city that I currently call home. (Don't worry Mom, St. Louis is just my sort of home).

The first picture (above) was taken in the art museum, through one of the interesting looking glasses in the basement of the museum. Just after this photo was taken, after a 2-3 minute interlude of trying to make creative poses, Kellie and I were caught off guard by a few museum workers who burst through the doors behind us. (Well, they didn't quite burst through, but their sudden arrival did surprise us).

Below is a picture of the first reunion of The Tres Amigas since May of 2008! After my night class, Rachel (center) and Kellie and I caught up and reminisced over giant peanut butter cookies from Great Harvest Bread Company. Here we are:

PS- I also wore this shirt, and belt, on a separate occasion when I went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens with my office roommate, Emily. Here is the ensemble that these items went with:

(George Washington Carver and I admiring a plant)

Emerald Green Silk/Cashmere Cardigan: Martin & Osa

Ivory Ruffled Button-Up ("Bits of Pearl") Blouse: Odille, purchased at Anthropologie (currently in the sale section)

Brown Furrowed Belt: Anthropologie

Charcoal-Grey Tank Top: Abercrombie & Fitch

Medium-Dark Rinse Straight-Fit Jeans: Abercrombie & Fitch

Silver Flats: American Eagle Outfitters (from last year, but currently available online)

Meet Me in St. Louie, Louie. . .

("Photo Opportunity"- Thank you Budweiser Brewery!)

Hello Bloggers!

It's been a while since my last post, the last few weeks have been a bit busy. As some of you may know, one of my dear friends, Kellie, came to St. Louis for a visit last week! She, along with my other dear friend Rachel, were my closest friends during the semester I spent at SLU Madrid. It's been nearly 2.5 years since the last adventure of the "Tres Amigas," so our reunion was well overdue.

Even though I've lived in St. Louis for over a year, there is still so much of the city that I still need to explore. During Kellie's visit, for example, we went to the top of the Arch. Of all the things to do in St. Louis, I can't believe that it's taken me this long to actually do!

Anyways, it was great to catch up with Kellie (and Rachel), and to explore St. Louis! Some of our favorite spots were: The Gateway Arch, The City Museum, The Missouri Botanical Gardens, Bailey's Chocolate Bar, and the Budweiser Brewery. If you ever visit St. Louis, or live in/near St. Louis, I highly recommend each of these attractions.

(Kellie and I with a friendly Park Ranger at the Arch)

During this time, I also got to put together some ensembles that I thought I should share with you, my readers. This particular post includes the outfit that I wore to the Arch, the Budweiser Brewery tour, and a brief tour of SLU. From head to toe, this outfit included:

Ivory Craft & Creation Cowl-neck: Deletta (from Anthro, this season)

Turquoise lace-trim tank top: American Eagle (from two years ago- one of my favs)

Greenish-Blue Glass Pendant: purchased on eBay

Purse: Marc by Marc Jacobs (from many seasons ago, also one of my favs)

SLR Camera Bag: Tamrac

Jeans: Martin & Osa (last season, RIP)

Shoes: American Eagle Outfitters (also from two years ago)

(SLU's mascot, the Billikin, and I)