Sweet or Spicy Whirligig?: Vote Now!

Dear Readers,

I need your help. After waiting patiently for Velvet's Whirligig Dress to move to the sale section at Anthropologie, last Tuesday my dreams came true! I quickly ordered the dress in dark pink and stalked its journey to my front porch with my tracking number. (Which proved to be annoying- the tracking window anticipated an 8/19 arrival but it came on 8/22). Before my package of joy arrived, I visited my friend Jessica in the Chicago suburbs and we found the orange version of my beloved dress in the Highland Park Anthro.

Orange?

I tried on the orange version and showed it to Jessica, who approved of the color and encouraged me to purchase the gown (she didn't need to twist my arm!), compare it to the dark pink color when it arrived, and return the least-winning garment.

Pink?

Here's the problem: I love both! But, as lovely as the Whirligig Dress is, I do not need two. Here are pictures of each dress taken in the fitting room. Which do you prefer? Both colors are versatile and mutli-seasonal, but I can only choose one.

Pink?

The pink is stunning. In real life, the color is closer to purple than pink, but stunning nonetheless. There is something very sweet about this version, but I wonder if the color is too sweet? I think it would look great with all of the navy blue and grey already in my wardrobe.

Orange?

This is the dark orange. In real life, it is a subtle-but-spicy sort of hue that may be just what I need to spice up my wardrobe (apparently I think this dress is spicy!!!) My major hesitation with this color is that it is so different than most of what I wear. My other hesitation is that my skin is so fair and orange isn't always so kind to my complexion.

So what do you think? Should I go with the sweet pink dress or the spicy orange one? Leave a comment below with your vote and any comments!!! Your input is much appreciated!!!

Thanks for reading!!!

An Unexpected Ceremony

Hello Readers!

This past Sunday, at my "home church" Imago Dei, I dressed for an occasion I did not even anticipate. What's that, you say? Let me explain. . .

1. Before church:
As I was getting ready for church, I glanced outside and saw blue skies seasoned with the white puffy clouds that always seem to indicate a sunny-with-a-slight-breeze sort of day. In other words- a great day to wear a dress! The dress I chose was a very lovely (see below) navy and black vintage number that was gifted to me by a friend/co-worker. Little did I know that I would wear this dress to a wedding ceremony later that day! Hooray for versatile outfitting!!!

Spinning

Spin Spin

Spin!

Dizzy

Love the detailing!

2. During church (part one):
The church service, at first, went by quite normally. We sang a few songs, greeted each other, and then sat down for announcements. There was just one, "we will be wrapping up our series today and- oh, there will be a wedding." No explanation. What? There will be a wedding?

While listening to my pastor's sermon I also wondered what he meant by his announcement. Did he mean that we would need to rush out of the church for the wedding? Or would the wedding take place during the service? Or after the service? Or was this a metaphor?

3. During church (part two- after the sermon):
The sermon ended and my pastor revisited his announcement and welcomed the bride and groom to the front of the church. Both were dressed in what you might expect people to wear to church, but maybe not to a wedding- which was really neat! While it wasn't what I expected, it worked. The groom wore jeans and a white button-up and the bride wore a floral print dress punctuated by a woven leather belt.

4. The ceremony
The ceremony began with a time of storytelling. The couple took turns telling the story of their relationship- how it began, how it ended, and how a journey of reconciliation, love, and redemption brought them back together again. A beautiful story.

My favorite part of the ceremony, next to hearing their story, was the couple's description of marriage. Putting each other first and serving God with their love for each other. Isn't that wonderful? I've heard similar descriptions, but never in the same exact way. Did my eyes tear up a bit? Perhaps, but in the best way possible!

5. Leaving church (afterthoughts):
Walking out of church, I thought a lot about the modern wedding industry. As some of you may know, I conducted a study of this industry for one of my graduate courses. What I learned from the study is that there is a lot of unnecessary pressure on brides (and grooms) to fulfill complicated and sometimes contradictory expectations. These expectations, at times, bring the focus away from what a wedding is really about- the commitment and relationship of the bride and the groom.  It was refreshing to attend a wedding wherein this focus was so clear.

Congratulations Bride and Groom! I pray and hope for the very best on your shared journey of love, life, and service!

Almost As Seen On TV: Lundin Links Sweater

Hello Readers.

How many of you are fans of Mad Men? I do! I do! Recently, however, I realized that I haven't seen Season 2 before- a realization that prompted me to re-watch Seasons 1, 2, and most of 3 on Netflix. As I was making up for this error, in an episode and season I cannot recall, I noticed that Peggy Olson was wearing a sweater very similar to a sweater from Anthropologie.

Take a look! Here is Peggy's sweater:

Here is the sweater (by Moth) from Anthropologie:

Lundin Links Sweater

Can you see the similarities? The original and an updated version- love them both!

Mompos Monday: Here's to You

Good Evening Readers!

When I woke up this morning, one of the first thoughts that ran through my mind (after "what time is it?") was that I wanted to wear a dress today. This thought coursed through the sort of determination that was more than simply wanting to wear a dress- I decided that I MUST wear a dress. As a declaration of the beautiful weather, in celebration of the delightful days spent with family, and in anticipation of the upcoming season and my new job. As I prepared myself for the day I thought "yes, self, I really must wear a dress."

Which dress did I choose? With the fresh breeze and lower temperatures (than previous days this summer), I decided that my Mompos Dress would be perfect. I didn't even try on any other dress or outfit. That was it. Perfect for the day ahead of me and perfect for the weather.

Retail Details:
Light Grey Headband: J. Crew
Shades: Coach (Rx)
Blue and White Mompos Dress: Plenty by Tracy Reese from Anthropologie (here)
Silver Locket: American Eagle Outfitters (modified by moi)
Off White and Tan Pumps: Seychelles

Later today I made my way out to my grandparents' house for a send off dinner in honor of my aunt, uncle, and cousins before their flight back home (after a very eventful and fun-filled visit, I must say!) I wish that their time in Central Illinois was longer, but I am thankful for the time that I and all of my family were able to spend with them.

We celebrated our time together with Beef Wellington (prepared by my Uncle Mike), Grilled Cheese (prepared by Grandma for me and others who don't eat Beef Wellington), Cheesy Potatoes, Ginger Sesame Salad, Watermelon, and Oreo Dirt Dessert (courtesy of Aunt Shelly), as well as a few other goodies here and there. The send off dinner was an occasion of no great formality, but the dress felt right for the time and the moment that, in many ways, represents the end of summer and the beginning of the annual ascent into Autumn.

My camera's battery died so my cousin Katie took this picture from my mobile! Thanks Katie!!!

Before I close tonight's post, I want to share a song with you all about lasting friendships from an artist I began listening to earlier this year. My family and extended family are a blessing to me in so many ways and this summer, especially the past two weeks, have brought a newfound awareness of the blessing of friendship that I find with my family.

So, without further adieu, I am dedicating this song (by the very talented Brooke Fraser) to my family, extended family, and friends I count as dear and near as family! Enjoy!

One of The Reasons I Love St. Louis. . .

Oh St. Louis!

Hello Readers,

Last month, before I officially moved out of St. Louis, I spent a few days saying goodbye to the city that took my heart by surprise. I knew that St. Louis, and graduate school, would be an adventure, but I never anticipated how much I would enjoy adventuring in St. Louis.

What the what?

In my time of goodbying, my friend Megan and I took a stroll around Maryland Plaza before meeting up with our mutual friend Deanne (yes, we all went to school together) for a movie at the Chase Park Plaza cinema. As we ambled along the sidewalk we came across the oddest spectacle. There, on the sidewalk, were two street performers. One, a man, was riding a giant stationary bicycle with an umbrella of spinning wine glasses and the other, a woman, was standing as a statue, dressed in a sequined gown in the middle of a fountain.

This is one of the reasons I love St. Louis. A familiar place, like Maryland Plaza, will sometimes yield unexpected experiences- like a man drying wine glasses on a stationary bicycle and a woman pretending to be a statue in a fountain. I'm still unsure as to why these performers were there, but I wonder if it was to benefit a nonprofit in the area. Did anyone else see this? Do you know?

I miss St. Louis, but fortunately I will be back there (briefly) today!!!

Delightfully confused

Megan is also delightfully confused

Retail Details (me):

Pink Tank: Abercrombie & Fitch

Silver Heart Necklace: Gift from my cousin (for singing in her wedding)

Navy Blue Printed Dress: American Eagle Outfitters

Black and Navy Blue Windmill Belt: Anthropologie

Charcoal Metallic Flip Flips: Ipanema

As Seen On TV. . . Expanding Horizons Tee

Hello Readers,

I don't know about you, but I love ABC Family Dramas. The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Make It or Break It- I love these shows! Why? I'm not really sure- but I continue to watch the melodrama even though I am as old as the protagonists' teachers (in some cases).

Anyways. . . I am currently hooked on one of ABC Family's newest shows, Switched At Birth. The show follows the (fictitious) story of two high school girls who were switched at birth. While watching the show, I noticed that its characters are styled wonderfully- I love their clothes! In a recent episode, I noticed that one of the characters, Daphne, and I have the same shirt! For those of you who frequent Anthro, you may also recognize this tank:

Daphne from Switched at Birth- wearing Deletta's Expanding Horizons Tank 

Here are a few pictures of me wearing the same shirt (the photos were taken before I watched the episode featuring the tank). My point and shoot camera seems to be producing poor quality shots, so I apologize for the lack of detail (ps- does anyone know of a great point and shoot camera?):

Woah man! No tan!

Turquoise Necklace: Handmade (by me!)
Coral Pink Tank: Gilly Hicks
White Expanding Horizons Tank: Deletta at Anthropologie
Light Violet Shorts: (Going Places Shorts- Paperboy by G-1) Anthro
Brown Flip Flops: Reef

Thanks for reading!!!