Friday, May 28, 2010

Master of the Universe, probably

My graduation was so tragically rainy that these post grad pictures had to be taken indoors. One last reading room post, I guess.
This dress, cardigan, and purse were all same-day Value Village finds. I couldn't believe my luck. I had a different dress picked out for grad, but it was so summery and bright that it just didn't seem to fit in with the day or season or occasion. This dress seemed perfect, though, and the cardigan made it seem extra Miss Emily Post-y.
I didn't have the headband or purse during the ceremony, obviously.
The jewelry - some of my fanciest pieces - were gifts from my parents. My mom gave me the earrings before I moved here and my dad gave me the necklace the day I left for Etown. Hopefully I'll have a new fancy piece to add to the collection, a prettier representation of my MA than this hat.
Dress: Thrifted, Value Village
Cardigan: Thrifted, Value Village
Purse: Thrifted, Value Village
Earrings and Necklace: Gifted, Mom and Dad
Headband: Walmart
Shoes: Target

The days in Vancouver are running out -- hopefully it'll stop raining long enough for some more scenic posts. xoxo Anna Rae

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Congratulations!!!

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS is in order for our very own Anna Rae. She has accomplished so much in the past couple of days worth noting:

1. Getting on WIW!!!!
2. Graduating Graduate School!!!!!!!!!
3. Having her hair so nicely done for a photo shoot (Believe me, I grew up with Anna Rae, this IS a big deal)

So Annie, we're all so proud of your accomplishments - Can't wait for your return to western PA.

Rodarte! (for Target)

Look at that smug face, the face of a girl who just got her hair cut and just saw her photo on What I Wore. All very big deals.

Tonight, the night before I graduate, was a night of celebrating and potlucking and karaoking -- all of which are marvelous and completely worthy of my Rodarte for Target dress, well worth the hassel and disappointment of trying to find a Target carrying the line in Western PA.
Because the dress has an incredible bow tie (yes! I love it!), I thought it would be appropriate to pair it with a blazer. Don't you love how I shameless wear the same articles of clothing over and over and over again? No wonder my last yellow blazer completely disintegrated.
Since my hair is a little crazy and the dress is so amazing and the blazer is yellow and the lipstick red (phew), I thought it would be best to keep the tights and flats a simple black.Jude left the party momentarily tonight to take my pictures by the shed in Martin and Derek's yard. The wonders of photography -- how easy it is to play up the lovely blue and ignore the couch, mere feet away, that has set through 12 months of Vancouver rain.

And a close-up of the dress, of course, because it's just so lovely.
Dress: Rodarte for Target
Blazer: Thrifted, Value Village
Tights: Target
Shoes: AE
Now time for sleep before I'm tempted to review every song we sang at Karaoke tonight. xoxo Anna Rae

Sunday, May 23, 2010

As Edgy as Possible


On Friday, Jessica from What I Wore posted a blogger challenge to wear your best Sweet and Rough outfits -- romantic and feminine with a definite edge. Have I, devoted readers, succeeded?

Something that probably won't surprise you about me is that, when deciding to wear a sweet floral dress with edgy accessories, I had piles upon piles of the sweet, the romantic, and the feminine to choose from and then sat around thinking, edge, edge edge...nope. Little to none, my friends, little to none.

Before discussing just how I pulled this edginess out of almost thin air, let's talk about this beach. How can you not love school when it's on a beach? Since I might be gracing the pages of What I Wore, the big times, Erin decided that the pictures must be beautiful and special. Beautiful and special like this beach, but unlike the trek to and from the beach on the billion and one stairs, which left me older, wiser, sadder, and sorer.
I thought of these tights immediately because I wore them as an homage to Joan Jett when we saw the Runaways and Little J, an avid floral fishnet wearer, thinks she's pretty edgy. The Doc Martens were an almost out the door inspiration, but they really, really completed the look.
Like I mentioned, the feminine pieces were a no-brainer. I liked the idea of a black floral dress to complement the tights, and the sweater and belt -- two recent VV finds -- are just so lovely and perfect that they practically flung themselves onto the outfit

Look at me climbing those rocks. I'm a tough cookie.

Dress: C'est le Vie consignment
Sweater: Thrifted, Value Village, Tommy Hilfiger
Belt: Thrifted, Value Village
Shoes: Gifted, Doc Martens
Tights: Kohl's

I love fashion challenges. Suggest some more! xoxo Anna Rae

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Remember Me?

Oh hai...I know it seems that I apologize alot for not posting often, but this last stretch of time in between has been too long. Then again, who am I kidding? You probably haven't even noticed I've been gone.
But I've been doing things...honest. Don't believe me? Well, pfft, I'll show you. I've been busy finishing a year of grad school, reading books for fun, bbq'ing, becoming an aunt (she's precious and so well dressed already...believe me, her duck onesie is too cute for words), mourning the loss of the Penguins (Which, by the way, Canadians, I'm not very happy with you and your Habs....), and trying to throw my support towards the Pirates (before you get mad, I know Jason Bay isn't a Pirate anymore, but how could I pass that link up? Srsly!) Listen, liking the Pirates is a lot harder than you all think and takes a lot of time. For reals!

So tonight was my cousin's birthday - she's turning 40! - and so we celebrated with a little party. I love parties because they provide a lot of good food and this one did not disappoint. Why is it that hamburger sliders are so much better than regular sized hamburgers? I think that's an unsolvable question like what the hell happened to Lindsay Lohan and why is Ke$ha popular?

This time around I really am going to try to make a more conscious effort to post more - I'm just so forgetful with a camera. And I'm not making any promises because well, I promised last time that I would post more and here we are, about 5,873 days later with a post at last. And besides, you guys couldn't possibly have missed my ramblings that have everything to do with nothing about fashion.

Until tomorrow (next time). Libby

Dress: Target
Shoes: Old Navy
Facial Expression: Unimpressed with Something

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Kids Cutting School

Today Will Best and I played hookey, which some may find challenging when you lack actual day-to-day commitments, but don't worry we preserved. Unlike the rest of the 9-to-5-ers, we saw the matinee of The Trotsky, but met on 4th about an hour before the movie because, well, we had the time, allowing for a fantastic candy shop photo shoot.
I think my absolute favorite look may be full skirts with top-buttoned cardigans and backcombed hair. To really add to the Mad Men-ness, I also wore clip on earrings.
This cardigan was a recent Value Village find, which I love so, so much because of the sort of ugly flower pin that came with it and the fact that it's pink and red -- a great, often underused color combination. Pairing the skirt with the cardigan made me realize that the skirt, too, mixes pink with red.
I'm also particularly proud of my backcombing today. Practice (and hairspray and bobby pins) really does make perfect.
Cardigan: Thrifted, Value Village
Skirt: Thrifted by Erin, Salvation Army, Kerrisdale
Shirt: Hand-me-down from Mom
Earrings: Gifted, Erin
Shoes: Old Navy

And remember kids, cigarettes are only cool when they're actually bubble gum. xoxo Anna Rae

Monday, May 17, 2010

What Would Seth Cohen Wear?

Today I went to Jericho Beach with my friend Neale and assumed that, since beaches are pretty, I would take my blog pictures there. This plan was immediately changed when, on the way to the beach, we can across this duck pond with some terrifyingly over-protective Momma ducks and their babies.
I told Neale that since we were hanging out, I thought and try to dress like he would as a girl, but it really turned into me dressing like Seth Cohen might if he were a girl -- fitting, since Neale and I spent most of our time at the beach discussing sad series finales and sad series that didn't have finales soon enough.
The outfit, a printed tee with patterned skirt, is pretty close to my go-to college days outfits, except those skirts were usually floral and with elastic waist-bands, which allowed me to dress the night before class and wake up and go, if I thought I'd have trouble waking up and getting ready on time. Great fashion habits.
Overall, I'm pretty pleased with this casual, beach appropriate outfit. White skirts and white flats and white flowers. Summer, I've missed you old friend.
Also, how appropriate that I wore this nautical skirt to watch sailboats on the water.

Skirt: Gifted, Erin, H&M Paris
Shirt: Arcade Fire Neon Bible Tour merch table
Shoes: Old Navy
Necklace: Gifted, Erin

Now off to prepare myself for the season finale of Gossip Girl. Little J, what are you doing? xoxo Anna Rae

Party Down

On Saturday, my friend Andrew was celebrating his 25th birthday with drinks and karaoke, but I decided to celebrate by wearing my new favorite blazer in a delightfully mixed pattern outfit.
The true inspiration for the outfit were the tights. I found them in a ball on the bottom of my linen closet behind a crate of shoes during the epic "Anna cleans her apartment for the first time in ages and cries about it a lot" Friday I had. Since they weren't around for the many days that I wanted to wear them, I knew I had to sneak them in at least once more this season, even if they are wintery. How perfect, then, that I wanted to wear this jean dress - I also found it in a similar ball-ed up discarded state while cleaning - but thought it looked a little too summery for the evening.
Winter tights with a summer dress, polka dots with plaid -- this outfit is all kinds of madness.
These pictures were taken in the park across the street from my basement by my friend Jane, who visited me for the weekend. Since our visits are usually dominated by eating and sleeping in and trashy magazines and romantic comedies, this nighttime outing was really a rarity. I thought I should wear some red lipstick to mark the occasion.

Dress: Charlotte Russe
Blazer: Thrifted, Value Village
Tights: Kohl's
Belt: Gifted, Erin
Shoes: AE
And a parting shot of me awkwardly posed on the slide. Jane, slightly disappointed, later explained that if I was to look like I had just slid down the slide, I should have gripped the sides with my hands. I guess that ANTM marathon hasn't improved my posing just yet. xoxo Anna Rae


Thursday, May 13, 2010

the Replacements

A is for Anna and all of her Amazing thrifted finds.
Initially, I wanted to first wear this amazing blazer in a fun mixed-pattern outfit, but I was just too excited by all of my VV finds. These shorts, while I don't talk much about being practical, are super practical. I think I'll wear them all the time in the summer.
Also, how amazing is this blazer? I can't really ever throw away clothes, even if they're disintegrating, until I have a replacement that I love just as much. And that's exactly what this is -- my replacement yellow blazer (I know, who always needs a yellow blazer?).
Yep. This statue exists. Just thought the readers should know.

Blazer: Thrifted, Value Village
Shorts: Thrifted, Value Village, Dockers
Shoes: AE
Necklace: Jewelry shop in Malaga, Spain
Look at that plaid again. It's just so beautiful. I love this jacket so much, I might not even cry when I throw away my other yellow one. Okay, no, I probably will. xoxo Anna Rae

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Vice President of the Fashion Club

Today, May 11, is practically a holiday: Daria (all 5 seasons and the two movies) has been released on DVD. I was unaware of the remarkable event when getting dressed this morning, so I resemble my second favorite Morgendorffer child, but another time I"ll dress like Daria, in my Doc Martens, glasses, and an oversized blazer.
This outfit, however, is pretty much adorable. I bought this jean jacket at Value Village on Saturday after being so jealous of everyone else's jean jacket-floral print combos. I think I'm going to wear it every single day this summer.
I bought this dress for Emily's wedding shower in June, but it certainly won't look like this when I wear it then -- I'll have to dress it up a bit, probably with a cardigan and tights and maybe some pearls.
The straps of the dress tie, which I think makes it look just a little bit like the beach, a small detail that I love.

Dress: C'est la Vie consignment, Main Street
Jacket: Thrifted, Value Village
Neckalce: Gifted from NZ
Shoes: Old Navy

Are you impressed with my bubble-gum skills? It's a defense mechanism from being one of the oldest cousins in a large family -- now I can entertain children while watching TV or reading. xoxo Anna Rae

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Dress codes? Of course not.

One of the great things about being a student that I'll miss is the free dress code. Yesterday, I wore this to campus to start the great job search of 2010 and was dressed completely appropriately, some might even say I was well-dressed for the occasion. In what other field will this be acceptable? None, I suppose.
Because it felt like the first day of summer -- warm and relaxing -- and because my hair straightener was at Erin's apartment, leaving my hair destined for its hip top bun, I decided to dress as bohemian as possible. My mom bought me this scarf last summer during my Wear-a-Scarf-Absolutely-Everyday fashion phase, but lately I've been bringing it back as a head scarf.

My grandfather gave me this sunglasses as a graduation present a couple of years ago because he couldn't tell what colors the stoplights wear with the amber tint. Basically, my family members keep furthering the fashion cause.
This dress is one of my absolute summer essentials. It's completely comfortable and looks great with just a pair of flip-flops and it has big pockets for the summer purse-less look.
My mother bought me this bag in Rome and it's completely amazing. I can't believe I don't brag about it on this blog more often.
Dress: Store in Notting Hill, London
Belt: Thrifted, Value Village
Earrings: Store in Kingston, Ontario
Scarf: Gifted by Mom
Sunglasses: Gifted by G-pa
Shoes: AE
Bag: Gifted by Mom, from fancy fancy Rome
Over the weekend, I went to Value Village with Erin and totally made out. So many great finds and I can't wait to wear all of them on here! Look out for some new great clothes in the very near future (I can say this with confidence because I'm posting the outfit that I wore yesterday, already sitting in a great VV find). xoxo Anna Rae


Saturday, May 8, 2010

Summer of Jean (skirt)

It's okay if these pictures are so pretty that you're too distracted to notice my outfit, at first. I completely understand.
When I was in middle school and high school, I was always had last day of school anxiety. What would I wear? What would I do after? Would I be invited to do what the cool kids were doing, establishing my position as a kid that does what the cool kids were doing for the rest of the summer? Clearly, this was a sign that the end of school was not hard enough.

Wednesday was my last day of school for an indefinite amount of time (aside from when I use school as an office to write out resumes and find applications), and although I, as always, thought about what I'd wear, my only other thoughts were: Edits! Conclusion! What office do I turn this paper into? Edits! Coffee!

Then I came home, curled up in bed, watched the fifth season of the Gilmore Girls and fell asleep.
Since I was working on my paper, I wanted a pretty comfortable and casual outfit. I'm also not embarrassed to admit that the next day I wore the same outfit, but traded the vest and scarf for a cardigan, and today I wore the same skirt and shoes with a different pair of tights and cardigan.

The outfit was pretty simple, color added by tights and a scarf -- I wish I wore scarves as much as I used to, so simple and so classic and so comfortable -- and gold earrings to match the gold shoes. I'm trying to be calm about my clothes, I promise.
Shirt: Gifted by Ashley, from NZ
Vest: Old Navy
Skirt: Thrifted by Erin, Salvation Army in Kerrisdale
Scarf: Gifted by Elana, from London
Tights: We Love Colors
Shoes: Target

Sorry for the recent lack of posting -- just enjoying the sunshine and summertime freedom. xoxo Anna Rae