Blogger Tested, Puppy Approved

Hello Readers!

Many of you know that my family recently got a new puppy, a very lively and mostly sweet Alaskan Malamute who we named Sophie. For those of you who haven't met or heard about her yet, here is a picture:

Figure 1.1 Hello!

Over break I did a lot of Sophie-sitting, which was fun- but so much work! Her favorite activities include: chasing my brothers and parents and I, quietly sneaking up on us, learning new tricks (she learned "down" and "paw" over Thanksgiving break), going for walks, playing fetch and tug-of-war, and snuggling. Like, sit-in-your-lap-even-though-I'll-soon-be-a-big-dog-snuggling. Here's a picture of what I'm talking about:

Figure 2.1. sit-in-your-lap-even-though-I'll-soon-be-a-big-dog-snuggling

Cute right? She doesn't really fit, but somehow she makes it work. A year from now, however, I don't think this cute trick will be quite as cute. Speaking of cute... I really liked the outfit I wore on Sunday! I was always a bit afraid of pairing green and purple. Perhaps as a cautious measure of avoiding a Barney the Dinosaur look? Faded purple and olive green, I've learned, do not evoke a Barney-esque look. I like this combination, in fact! I think I might try it again.

Purple and Green... I've tested it and apparently Sophie approves! Who knew that a color-blind companion could know so much about fashion!

Retail Details:

Faded Purple Cardigan: Martin + Osa (via eBay)

Beneath the Surface Floral Silk Shell: Moulinette Soeurs from Anthropologie

Faded Purple Lace Boyfriend Tank: American Eagle Outfitters (Black Friday find!)

Olive Green AG Stevie Cords: Anthropologie

Gold and Pearl Necklace: gift

Sometimes Sophie has crazy eyes

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

Inspired by The Ocean (Yesterday's Outfit)

Hello Readers!

I hope everyone is having a good Tuesday! Here in St. Louis, it's been rainy almost all day, and I think as a result of this weather I've been moving at a snail's pace all day. Oh well! According to the weatherman St. Louis is supposed to have a sunny day tomorrow! Hooray!

Anyways. . .

Yesterday I decided to pick an outfit that reflected my source of inspiration from Sunday: The Ocean. Since most of my wardrobe consists of ocean-y tones (blues, greens, and greys), this wasn't a major challenge, but I made intentional selections that reflected the aspects of the ocean that I find so inspirational (Color Palette, Movement, and Fun).

Here is what I came up with:

Color Palette: As you can see, the color palette of this outfit mimics many of the colors found in the ocean. My charcoal trousers (also featured here) and belt, and light grey cardigan are the same colors as many of the rocks and pebbles found at many of the beaches I used to frequent when I lived in Vancouver (Eagle Harbor Beach!). My two tank tops are the colors of the waves, and my gold shoes are like the color of the sun and those tiny glimmers of gold that touch the tops of waves on a sunny day.

Movement: I see this feature most prominently in the ruffles of my cardigan and the otherwise streamlined profile of the outfit. I also wore a locket with a long chain, so when I walked while wearing it it swayed to and fro.

Fun: The fun starts with the colors of this outfit. I love wearing these colors, and the confidence that comes from wearing these colors, in a way, give me an extra capacity for fun- which is essential for Mondays! The other part of the "fun" element of this outfit come from the ruffles on my shirt. They look a bit silly at times, but don't they just make you want to smile?

Do you have any ocean-inspired outfits? If you do, feel free to send a picture to me- I would love to feature your outfit on my blog!

Until next time. . . here are my Retail Details:

Light Grey Cardigan: Banana Republic

Green Laser-Cut Tank: American Eagle Outfitters

Mint-Green/Ocean-Mist Green Tank: Anthropologie (for 10 dollars last year!)

Dark Charcoal Wool Trousers: J.Crew

Gold Ballet Flats: American Eagle Outfitters

Silvertone Locket: American Eagle Outfitters

Charcoal Patent Belt: Ann Taylor (I LOVE this belt!)

Loveliness on Valentine's Day

Hello Readers!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! My Valentine's Day was great! Yes, I am single, and yes I used to wear black on Valentine's Day- but this year I embraced my situation and gained a new appreciation for the abundance of love in my life. Love from God, love from my family, love from my friends- I am surrounded by love!

I've never had a real Valentine on Valentine's Day, and the occasion made me feel a bit left out of the festivities and honestly, a bit bitter. Hence the reason for donning black. I thought that by doing this, I was making a statement, rebelling against a commercialized representation of love. (Wow- I guess I was more bitter than I thought I was back then). Anyways, this year I thought "what's so bad about celebrating love?"

And so, that brings us to yesterday. I did not wear any black on Valentine's day. Instead, I wore an outfit that makes me feel lovely. Not just in an external way (although I love how the clothing looks), but also in more internal ways. The stories connected to each of these items are artifacts that remind me of the love in my life. Let me break it down:

My dress: This was my big Christmas gift last year from my parents. It was a dress out of my budget that I fell in love with when I tried it on as a whim. I don't know why (perhaps it was the stress of finals), but when I tried this dress on, I saw myself in a new way. Something about wearing this dress helped me see my potentials and made me feel beautiful. It's still difficult to articulate what this dress does to me- but after I tried it on I called my parents to tell them about this dress. I irrationally wanted this dress, and asked for it for Christmas. Every time I wear this dress, I feel the same things that I felt the first time I tried it on, and I am thankful for the way my parents understand me in ways that no one else ever has. Whether it means supporting my dreams, calling out bad decisions, or listening- my parents have always been there for me.

My cardigan: I used to work at Abercrombie & Fitch. In fact, it was my first job after college. When I accepted the job, I was flattered to be asked to work there (perhaps, an indulgence of my vanities and/or insecurities), but I thought it was a bit silly to work there for- oh, maybe the first two weeks. While working there, I was able to meet a variety of people. Maybe it's because I wear glasses, or perhaps it's because I'm a good listener- but during my time at A&F I heard a lot of people's stories. Coworker's stories, customer's stories- you name it. I don't work at A&F anymore, but I still shop there occasionally for two reasons (1) because their long sleeve tops are long enough for my arms and (2) because I like to remember the stories I heard while working at that store.

My tights: these are from Anthropologie. As you may recall from previous posts, this is my favorite store. I love how interactive the website is (customer reviews), I love the community of bloggers who gather around this store, and I love how so many different people with differing styles use their clothing, shoes, and accessories to tell their stories. Also, after a stressful week, a visit to this store always brings me a sense of peace and calm.

Yesterday was wonderful and I sincerely enjoyed celebrating the love that surrounds me. Before I go, I want to thank my friend Megan (the Queen of Scarves) for being my photog yesterday! I had so much fun on this photo shoot- thanks Meg-o!

*Also- Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the Vane & Joya solid perfume brooch!

Retail Details:

Off-White Lace Dress: Plenty by Tracy Reese (purchased at Anthropologie, "Spinning Lace Dress)

Grey Jeweled Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch

Charcoal Patent Leather Belt: Ann Taylor

Aubergine Cable Tights: Anthropologie

Charcoal Pumps: Cole Haan

Locket: American Eagle Outfitters

First Day of Classes!

Greetings Readers!

Today was the beginning of yet another journey of teaching Public Speaking. I wasn't as nervous today as I was at this time last semester- but I did have a few small fears. Last semester, both of my classes were filled with outstanding students- 36 amazing individuals who made me laugh, taught me interesting facts, and who touched my lives. As I prepared for this semester, I thought "Is it possible that I could have another batch of students like that again?"

Well, today was only day one- but I can already tell that the 40 students I met today in my classes were also a wonderful batch of students! Today we read the syllabus, went over the schedule, watched a youtube video of a kid with stage fright, AND did brief introductions. I learned my students names (okay, I'm still learning those), their hometowns, majors, year in school, interests, and interesting facts about each student.

While I wasn't very nervous, last night I still had a few butterflies in my stomach. So. . . I did what I (almost) always do before an important day- I planned my outfit. I think this outfit was one of my favorites so far- I couldn't stop smiling while I was wearing it! After teaching, my friend Megan took a picture of me in the hallway- but a few hours later I accidently dropped my camera (my little pink canon) and it broke. So. . . it may be a few days before I can get that picture up on this blog. So, to substitute the picture I've collected a few shots from the web to give you a sort of picture of this outfit.

Since this is an unusual format for my posts, I'll start these retail details from the bottom and move up

Here are my shoes:

(available here for $20 at bergners.com)

My tights were a color similar to the shoes, and I purchased them from the aerie store in Peoria, IL. I think the tights are available in some stores, but not available online. Here is a link to a similar pair in black, for just under $10

My dress (the leading cause for my unstoppable smile today) is from Anthropologie and it is from Tracy Reese's Plenty collection. I think we might see more of this dress in future posts!

My belt is also from Anthropologie. I'm not sure who made this belt, but on the website it was listed as the "Windmill Bow Belt." What I like most about this belt is that it is navy blue AND black- which means I can wear it with almost any color, including black and navy.

Since the weather outside is still rather frightful, and because I'm not sure if Public Speaking instructors should wear sleeveless, lacy dresses. . . I paired the dress with my favorite cardigan- a deep lavender cashmere delight that's nearing retirement. I've worn it so much that it has a small hole in one of the sleeves. This cardigan is from Martin & Osa (tear. . . if they were still around, I would buy more)

I also wore the necklace from Juicy Couture that I've worn in a few recent blog posts as well as a grey feathered headband from aerie.

I hope everyone had a very wonderful Wednesday!