Southern Comfort

A few more photos from this weekend....

Walking in Savannah

Cathedral in Savannah

I just loved the painted shutters! (I wish I took more house pics, they were so amazing in this city)

Hilton Head Island, SC

Great place to start the day off with a Bloody Mary. YUM.

Beaufort, SC (Look, there's a sailboat!)

Grabbed some burgers and sweet potato fries (my favorite) to go from Plums and ate it right along the water! Beautiful day.

 

I'd never been to any of these places before! Luckily the weather was fantastic and I got to see little snippets of each place.

Funny thing about Beaufort is, when we decided to stop there, I couldn't remember why it sounded so familiar. I'd never been there before! Then I remembered that I was reading a Temperance Brennan novel (who doesn't love watching Bones?) book on my Barnes & Noble e-Reader on my iPod touch. I really love to read, and having easy access to books whenever and wherever I want is amazing to me. Death du Jour is the second book in the series by Kathy Reichs, and it takes place in both Montreal, Quebec and Beaufort, SC! Anyways I just thought that was interesting, and now as I continue reading the book I have a better idea of picturing where it takes place.

The weather in Maryland here is quite dreary today. =( I am trying to get some studying done but may head out in a bit to run some necessary (and not too exciting) errands. Oh well, not everyday can be the weekend! I had a lot of indulgences this weekend, and now it's back to reality.

Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil

What I'm wearing:
Ann Taylor LOFT Ruched Neck Shell in Dark Wine
grey Anthropologie drape sweater cardigan
Martin + Osa Slim denim in the Marine Rinse
Steve Madden Intyce boots in Cognac
blue Marc by Marc Jacobs Faridah pure

I adore this top from ATL. I've worn it several times already since I got it when the store was having their Friends & Family promotion. I love the color, I feel like the shape is very flattering. The grey cardigan has gotten a LOT of wear since I purchased it last winter (when I was still working at Anthropologie). It's just a great throw on piece over anything, and it's super cozy and soft. At this point it is also really pill-y, but it won't stop me from wearing it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I got to take a detour to Savannah after visiting family in Atlanta! Savannah was absolutely lovely and I had always wanted to go there, especially after reading "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" ages ago. I'll try to post some other photos. The houses and squares here are so interesting and gorgeous. I have an obsession with front porches and balconies, and I definitely got my fill of them in Savannah! Lots of yummy food too.

I've been pretty good about avoiding "Black Friday" shopping! I ordered a couple of items from anthropologie.com that were on sale that I had in my shopping cart for a few days. I decided if they were still in stock on Friday I'd pull the trigger, and I did. But I haven't really gotten sucked into any other shopping bargains.

I can't believe November is already drawing to a close. 2009 has gone by so fast! Only 1 more month, and it's going to be a crazy hectic one.

Happy Turkey Day! (a day early)

What I'm wearing:
J.Crew Ethereal Cardigan in Heathered Cypress
Ann Taylor LOFT Textured Sequin Tee
anthropologie Blueberry skirt
black Hue tights
black Frye Lisa t-straps
Marc by Marc Jacobs Faridah bag
black Martin + Osa cashmere shawl

Surprise, another rainy day! At least today it was only misting when I took a quick snap of what I was wearing.

Here is a close up of the tee.

I was lucky enough to hang out with the lovely Maria of Infinite Whimsy today! She is just as cute in person as she is on her blog. We just met for a quick shop around anthropologie and had fun browsing around in there. I swear she looks great in everything, I just wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home, too cute!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! I for one have so much to be thankful for this year, I feel truly blessed.

Shades of Grey

What I'm wearing:
grey Martin + Osa Oversized V-neck sweater
black Aerie ankle zip leggings
grey/black striped Gap jacket
taupe Bensimon Lacet sneakers
leopard Martin + Osa scarf
Martin + Osa double strap headband
blue Marc by Marc Jacobs Faridah bag

It's days like these that always make me want to stock up on my leggings. I found these adorable ankle zip leggings at aerie, they are almost as amazing as the Hue skinny leggings that I'm addicted to. I promise when it stops raining that I will put some real clothes on. =) This outfit is very similar to this one I've worn before. I love this slouchy oversized sweater that allows me to wear leggings as pants.

These Bensimon sneakers were hiding in my closet! I'd completely forgotten that I'd owned them. I am just not a sneaker person, as in the only time I wear sneakers is when I'm working out (which to be honest is not that often). But I think these Lacet ones are very cute, and look casual without looking too frumpy. They do say that these are a French girl's Converses! They were super comfortable all day. In this photo you can also see the ankle zip detail on the leggings.

I decided to add a splash of color with my bag! Thought the electric blue went nicely with the otherwise grey/black/taupe color scheme. I just wasn't drawn to any color this morning! Not to mention I was in a rush and it was much easier to throw this together than to coordinate any other colors.

Snow Bunny

Trying to stay warm on this grey, dreary day....

What I'm wearing:

Gap Navajo turtleneck sweater

Aerie leggings

American Eagle Sweater Boots in Chestnut

I love window seats. As a girl I always read about my heroines lounging about on theirs and I always wished I had one. I would take a couch cushion, lay it under one of my windows, and read by the window. Now that I actually am in close proximity to a window seat, I almost never take advantage of it. All too often I just toss my coats and scarves onto it. I discovered today it in fact a lovely area of the house and I should take advantage of it more often!

This is an outfit I can see myself wearing by the fire in a lovely ski lodge, sipping on some hot cocoa with marshmallows. I am a terrible skier/snowboarder, and I actually don't really like it that much. I haven't been to the mountains in ages, and my snowboard is gathering dust in my parents' garage. BUT if I were to go someday, I would definitely pack this sweater. It is super cozy, comfortable, and looks positively alpine. Yes, it does make me look like a big shapeless blob. But I love it so. Sometimes a girl just wants to be cozy and comfortable. The best part of this sweater is the kangaroo pocket in the front. This sweater is so big I betcha I could fit a baby kangaroo in there (random fact: all baby marsupials are called 'joeys'!)

I also am loving the Sweater boots I just picked up from AE with my AE rewards $$. I love my chocolate Uggs, but thought this chestnut pair would be a good alternative. The soles on these are pretty sturdy and I can't wait to rock them this winter.

Ugg and leggings haters beware! With my aerie Rewards $$ I picked up two pairs of AWESOME leggings. You will see them soon. Very, very soon.

*Sorry for the terrible indoor photos. The rain is putting a damper onto my posts!

**ETA: Do we like the new look? I was bored today and decided I needed a new header. I actually like the way it turned out, especially without the use of photoshop. I just used the pixlr editor! I love how the new colors match the background colors of my recent ootds.

Witchy Woman

What I'm wearing:

Martin + Osa High Button cardigan in Klimt Gold

Ann Taylor Loft printed knit dress

black Hue leggings

black Topshop ankle boots

vintage kissing mice belt

Guess how much my dress was? It was a STEAL at $3.05 after tax! I found it on the sale rack at ATL (I actually haven't been there in ages but noticed a lot of cute on the website recently) and I couldn't believe it! It was a petite dress, which made it a teensy bit short on me, but I loved the colors in the print. And you can't beat that price! I paired it with one of my favorite cardigans from M+O. The high button cardigan is super lightweight and I adore this olive-y gold-y color.

These ankle boots from Topshop were a treat to myself during my last trip to NYC! To be honest I was killing some time before meeting a friend, and decided that Topshop would be a great distraction. I was just wearing some ballet flats that were killing my feet, so I decided I would splurge on a new pair of shoes! What sold me on these ankle boots were the ruffle! These definitely give me a "witchy" vibe, which I actually love.

Like A Hole in the Head...

I need more clothes like I need.... well you read the title of this post. Lately I've been re-organizing my closet (am working on my dresser drawers today) and have rediscovered some old goodies that I completely forgot I owned. Yet this does not keep me from wanting more, more, more. It's a sickness I swear. But I've realized that my attitude of mass consumption has got to stop. After filling bag after bag with things to give away, donate, or sell, I realized that some of these items have only gotten one or two wears. How wasteful. I have pared down my closet a LOT (I've packed away tons of office business-casual clothing that is still in style but I have no use for it at the moment to take home with me over Thanksgiving to store in my old bedroom closet), organized it better (so things don't get overlooked and forgotten), and have told myself to think long and hard over my purchases (am trying to cut down on trendy impulse buys and sale goggle shopping). So we'll see how that helps!

But of course with the internet, it's hard not to "window shop" constantly. Even though I do not *need* any of these items.... these are currently what I'm lusting over.

J.Crew Merino Rose Corsage Cardigan

How darling is this cardigan? Of course it's a cardigan (because I'm obsessed), and of course it has ruffles! I saw this in store yesterday and now I want all of the colors! My favorite color is the Dijon Mustard. I seem to be extremely attracted to mustard yellow currently. I really want to add this to my J.Crew ruffle cardigan collection.

J.Crew Beaded Antler Tissue Tee

Ok so I have no idea what I'd actually wear this with. I find it adorable though! Several bloggers have reviewed it, like Shannon over at Wardrobe Review, and I love the beaded detail on the delicate tee. I think it would be a quirky layering piece.

As much as I love J.Crew I feel like those two items were the only things that caught my eye that I can see myself wearing. I absolutely enjoy flipping through the J.Crew catalog full of beautifully styled models, but the items that I'm drawn too, I feel like I have a version from a previous season. And a lot of it is a bit over the top for me to feel as if I'd get a lot of wear out of them, especially at their price points. Of course, I'm always much more likely to get a J.Crew item when it's marked down, but lately the sales have been disappointing. That never stops me from stopping by my local J.Crew frequently.

Now some of my Anthropologie wants....

Anthropologie Lacemaker Skirt

How lovely is this skirt? I really shouldn't even be looking in the skirt section since I just re-folded an entire drawerful of anthro skirts, but the detail and color of this skirt just drew me in.

Anthropologie Chrysalis Hoodie

I'm all about comfort, and think this cute knit hoodie combines comfort with cuteness! This would be a perfect topper for a casual weekend brunch outfit.

Anthropologie Diamond Dot Tights

I'm always a sucker for a cute pair of tights. I think these would be darling paired with a solid colored sweater dress. And they are on sale right now for only $14.95!

I'm surprised my wishlist isn't miles longer! But I guess that's a good thing... I feel like I've been on a shopping bender for the last 2 years and now I'm finally slowing down....

NOTD: Essie Mink Muffs

After having Essie's Mint Candy Apple on my nails for week or so, I felt that I needed something a little less cheerful on my tips. Mink Muffs was one of the colors I ordered from Essie.com when Mint Candy Apple was released (see photos @ this post). I've already tried MCA, loved it, and also loved Chinchilly.

Mink Muffs, from the Fall 2009 Collection, is described on the website as "Classy and refined, this smoky plush taupe is just as soft, silky, and chic as your favorite pair of mink muffs".

Ok, so I've never owned a pair of mink muffs (although those would be pretty sweet right now). Check out this pair from Etsy. But the description of a "smoky plush taupe" is pretty accurate. The polish went on really smoothly and it was very opaque after two coats. Although I do feel like it seems a bit darker on my nails than it does on the bottle. I do think this is a great alternative to the grey polish that I've enjoyed wearing lately. And of course I always top off whatever polish I'm wearing with Poshe quick dry top coat. This has been a godsend to me! I always do my nails at night, and am always impatient about waiting for them to dry before I go to bed, and always woke up the next morning with little marks on my nails. This top coat really works, I just have to wait a few minutes and then I'm good to go.

You can buy Mink Muffs at essie.com at this link!

I have the day off so I'm in cleaning/organizing/studying mode, which pretty much means I will be wearing sweatpants all day. I may decide to put on real clothes eventually, but we shall see. =) Happy Friday everyone!

Study Chic

What I'm wearing:

anthropologie Wind Rippled tee

dark grey American Eagle vest

taupe Old Navy tiered skirt

grey Target thigh high socks

cognac Steve Madden "Intyce" boots

Just a quick outfit post, I have lots of GRE-studying to do before my class tonight! The vest makes me feel very academic, not really sure why.

Honey Glaze

What I'm wearing:

yellow J.Crew tie cardigan

black Martin + Osa slouchy t-shirt

black/creme printed anthropologie zip skirt

black Hue tights

black Frye Lisa T-straps

gunmetal Martin + Osa Bubbles necklace

This gorgeous weather is making this Monday bearable. I love this skirt, it has a zipper that runs down the whole front of it, I wish I took a better photo! And the best part is, I scored it on sale for just under $30!! It was originally $128 so I'm really happy with this deal! I'm also currently obsessed with this necklace, I can't stop wearing it.

(Yes, I do know that our yard is covered in leaves, but for now I think it provides a nice backdrop.) I will be really sad when all the leaves are gone until spring.

Purple Rain...

What I'm wearing:

Forever 21 faux fur vest

Martin + Osa silk cashmere v-neck sweater in Sugar Plum

Martin + Osa Ponte Button Tab skirt in black

grey cable knit sweater leggings from American Apparel

black Steve Madden "Intyce" boots

black Handmaid by Michelle Frantz bag

Today is just one of those chilly damp days where you just want to stay home and snuggle in bed. Alas, I had to go to work. I was having some real tights issues today, for some reason I couldn't find a plain black pair, and once I did think I found a pair but in the light they looked navy, even though I don't think I've ever bought a navy pair. Anyway, I got frustrated and just went for my grey sweater leggings. I don't think I've ever worn these as leggings on their own, I have always just put on a pair of socks over them and tucked them into boots. (Today I'm wearing Halloween socks, I'm always behind in festive wear.)

This outfit was definitely warm and cozy. Maybe just a bit *too* warm and cozy. While I was working today, I spied the most adorable knit sweater on a customer. Of course I had to ask where she got it. She told me she got it from Forever 21, very recently, so I had to go check it out after work. Too bad F21 is waaaaay on the other side of the mall, and the mall was incredibly crowded. Also, the crowded F21 store was extremely hot. As I was waiting in the long, long line to check out, after successfully hunting down this sweater, I felt as though I was going to melt. The combination of faux fur vest, cashmere silk sweater, sweater leggings, and boots almost made me faint. At least I know this will keep me warm!

Rain, Rain, Come Again Another Day....

What I'm wearing:

cranberry J.Crew turtleneck

bow jumper (from my sister's closet)

grey striped Hue tights

grey patent Sofft mary janes

anthropologie Inverness trench

Sorry for the lack of outfit updates, the rainy weather had really put a damper on my photos! My indoor photos were all horrible. Today I was able to snap a few quick ones before it started drizzling again. With the nasty weather, I have gotten a *ton* of use out of my anthropologie Inverness trench. I absolutely love the full skirt and the bow detail. I've gotten compliments on it seriously every single time I wear it. And yes, I do look absolutely ridiculous in the coat photos, but I really just wanted to show the cute bow detail. The full skirt is fun to twirl in.

I do feel like this is a very doll or "little girl" kind of outfit, but I love it anyway. So glad I found this jumper randomly in my sister's closet when I was home. Hope she wasn't planning on wearing it soon! (Sorry S!) I just thought the bow and the trim at the bottom was darling. Paired with the turtleneck and the tights, it's a perfectly cozy outfit!

Quelqu'un M'a Dit

What I'm wearing:
charcoal J.Crew turtleneck sweater (looks black in these pics though)
floral silk Anthropologie skirt
mustard yellow socks from Target
Target Kamaria ankle boots
coat stolen from my sister's closet, Korean?

It's a rainy day in Atlanta.... it's been raining ALL DAY. Which is why I tried to take better photos of my outfit but the lighting is horrible all around. So you'll have to settle for this boring background again.

I love rainy days when I don't really have to do anything! Didn't have any plans for today, but this morning I took a practice GRE exam. (Bah, not so much fun). Then my mother and I went out for some yummy Korean food (soondooboo and naengmyun / spicy tofu stew and cold buckwheat noodles) which is always something I love to do. Then of course to delay being out in the rain some more we stopped by the bakery and enjoyed lattes, split a croissant, and snacked on some macaroons. Lovely. =)

Aren't these booties so fun?

I think that they don't look that bad for only being $30. Love the color too! I figured for such a trendy boot, I'd go for the save vs. splurge. Love that they are military inspired.

Leaving... On a Jet Plane

What I'm wearing:
Lululemon Gratitude wrap
H&M printed dress
Martin + Osa cashmere scarf/wrap
Hue leggings
pewter BC flats
F21 bow headband

I've had a loooong day today. Finally snapped a photo of my outfit tonight. Nothing super special, but I just wanted to share what kind of clothes I like to wear while I'm traveling (especially via airplane).

The Lululemon Gratitude wrap is fantastically comfortable. It is super soft, lightweight, and does double duty as a blanket. I also love the fact that it has slits in the sleeves so I can slip my thumbs through! Love it. You can do so much with it, and it looks much, much cuter than a plain old regular hoodie.

I decided to wear this H&M dress I snatched from my sister, because it is super comfortable, fit nicely under the wrap, and I could wear it on it's own without another layering piece. The cashmere scarf was the finishing touch, while walking around the airport I wore it like a normal scarf, but it is big enough that it is an ultra warm wrap.

I really liked this combination because it was warm, but full of layers that I could peel off when needed (I didn't really need too, it was freezing on the plane, but they are always so inconsistent), and comfortable (no jean grommets poking me in the back or the bum).

So what did I do today? I woke up at 5:30am, drove to the airport, flew to Atlanta, took a quick nap, went to the dentist (where I had a crown removed and had a temporary one put it) which took TWO hours, had a yummy meal of sashimi, sushi, and jjigae, grabbed a hot chocolate and a yummy slice of cake at a Korean bakery, and now am finally able to relax at home. New Gossip Girl on tonight! =)

ETA: I promise you tomorrow's OOTD will NOT include leggings.

Bloody Mary Sunday

Mmmm.... nothing makes a weekend more enjoyable than a delicious Bloody Mary. I really wish that it was sociably acceptable to drink these outside of weekend brunches. But I think I'd feel a bit silly if I were in a bar on a Saturday night and ordered a Bloody Mary.

Last night I got to spend some quality time with some of my college girlfriends! It was so great, I hadn't seen some of them in ages (far, far too long). But this morning, I was feeling not so hot, and decided what I needed was some hair of the dog. After eating a bagel with lox for breakfast, I decided a Bloody Mary was in order. I'd never made them at home, so I decided to try it out! There is a restaurant/bar in Annapolis that has a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar some Sundays, so I've put them together before, but never at home. Luckily, I had most of the ingredients available. After a quick nip to the grocery store I was ready for my BM building adventure.

Here are the ingredients:

From the left:
-Celery salt (to coat the rim of my glass)
-Worchestershire sauce (apparently I never pronounce this correctly)
-horseradish (yum, adds some kick!)
-Tabasco sauce (I went through a Spicy V8 phase, can't get enough of spicy)
-pickled green beans
-V8 tomato/veggie juice

Not shown:
-vodka
-ice cubes
-salt
-pepper

Now, you are probably saying, why green beans? I'm not a fan of celery, the traditional partner of the BM. But while I was in New Orleans earlier this year, at some great pirate bar, the bartender there made the best BMs I've ever had, and they included the green beans! The pickled spicy green beans are seriously addictive. I can definitely eat them on their own.

Here's the delicious end result:

The weather today is absolutely fantastic, I think the high is 70 degrees!!! This is crazy, especially in November. I decided to take advantage of the great weather and catch up on my celebrity gossip while drinking my favorite drink!


Sorry, didn't feel like putting on real clothes today!

This is T, reading something a little more respectable than People magazine.

What a great way to wind down the weekend....

Off-Duty Ballerina

This is the outfit I'd imagine an off-duty ballerina would wear. I think it's the combination of leggings + drapey top + ballet flats. I love it, every single item I am wearing is so comfortable.




What I'm wearing:
Martin + Osa Open cardigan in Mercer Burgundy
Martin + Osa Sheer layered tank in Galvanized Grey
Hue leggings (from Martin + Osa)
pewter Bloch ballet flats (from M+O)
Jane Tran for M+O hair pin
Martin + Osa cluster necklace
Martin + Osa Leopard scarf

Ok, I realized this is all M+O but hey, it's a work outfit! I usually like to mix up my brands more.

Aren't these hair pins adorable???? I couldn't resist them.

All accessories are on sale at Martin + Osa!! Women's boots (like my grey Dolce Vita Wiley boots) are 50% off, all full-priced bags are 50% off, jewelry (like the fabulous new cluster necklace I'm wearing right now) is 30% off, scarves are 30% off, and all hair accessories (like the hair pins and head bands) are 40% off!

I've been pretty busy lately (both fun & non-fun stuff) so I've been pretty bad with the posting! I feel like I am so behind on reading my favorite blogs!! I definitely need to catch up.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Some girlfriends are in town this weekend so I am super excited to see them tomorrow! =)