The State of Things

The good thing about a statement sweater dress is that you don't have to explain much of your outfit. I love it and I wear it often with black tights and black boots, mostly just changing the necklace I pair with it, but it's most often my beloved Kate Spade glasses.

Instead I can tell you about the state of the blog: it might be over. Erin and I, after some soul-searching/facebook-messaging have realized how costly it is to update a blog. It really wears on you and your bank account to feel the pressure to post new outfits. Neither of us can afford this indulgence and, honestly, we miss taking blog pictures together. And, you might agree lovely readers, the excitement over fashion blogs has waned. I am no longer as eager to read the ten I used to read on a daily basis. I no longer feel excited or inspired by other people's outfits the way I once was. You're probably assuming that the blog will no longer continue, and this is a pretty good prediction. There might be a catch: I've decided to stop shopping for Lent, and may find myself needing the inspiration to dress in interesting ways with old pieces. If that's the case, I might post again, but it would be a solo effort.

Dress: Old Navy

Necklace: Kate Spade, Kate Spade store, Vegas

Boots: Chinese Laundry, Zappo's

If this is the last post, then I just want to end it by saying how much I love this blog. I've never been a hobby person, but it was really a fantastic hobby. xoxo Anna Rae

Easy Being Green

Sweater dresses are awesome. You can wear them with tights and flats or leggings and boots and be as comfortable and warm as if you were wearing a bathrobe. The key is to avoid scratchy wool or cheap acrylics in favour of cashmere and merino wools.
While adding a cinch belt to this dress didn't up the comfort factor, it did help play up the graphic black and green stripes, the reason why I didn't add anything to the colour palate. My favourite feature of this dress (other than the colour, stripes, and soft cashmere) is the three-quarter length blouson sleeves. They are easy to type in, a cinch to pair bracelets with, and forgiving on long arms because they look intentionally rather than misfortionally too short. (I know that is not a word)
Dress: Juicy Couture, Ebay

Tights: Hue, The Bay

Belt: Mexx

Necklace: Le Chateau

Against the Grain

This outfit is not at all typical of my style, my go-to pairings, or my natural instincts about what works best on my body. Still, I felt great in it, loved the double stripes and the black, white, and gold color scheme, and thought the boots with the skirt was the sort of bohemian, Sienna Miller type of style 20-year-old me would have cried in delight over. So, I must say, it was a success. Sometimes, going against your instincts can be fun.
Skirt: Vintage, Garment District, Cambridge

Shirt: J. Crew Factory Outlet, Williamsburg, VA

Cardigan: Jacob

Boots: Gifted, Mom and Dad, Chinese Laundry, Zappo's
Look at that small braid in my hair. I'm very proud. xoxo Anna Rae

Blogger's Lunch

Sometimes, when Erin and I would meet for lunch in the middle of the work week, we'd call it a blogger's lunch, even before we were bloggers, because that's the kind of luxury you can allow yourself as a full-time blogger. Today I had a mid-week lunch with my long lost high school friend Megan who caught me up on her job and wedding plans and was one of the most enthusiastic blog photographers that I've had in a while.

While I really enjoy this outfit, I don't have much to say about it. Mixing stripes with this skirt is nothing new, and pulling out the coral seemed like a no-brainer for this summer of my slight coral obsession.

This straw Kate Spade bag, though, is something I could go on for hours about. I bought it about a month ago while visiting my friend in Virginia and I love it so, so much. It's the perfect summer accessory, and I feel like it really upgrades any casual outfit to something special.
Shirt: J.Crew Factory Outlet, Prime Outlets, Williamsburg, VA

Skirt: Gabes

Belt: H&M

Shoes: Target

Necklace: Gifted, Erin

Bag: Kate Spade Outlet, Prime Outlets, Williamsburg, VA
It's only August 3, but wearing this shirt made me excited for fall wardrobe possibilities. Are you also getting a little eager to pull out the cardigans again? xoxo Anna Rae

Playing Dress Up

Sometimes, when I get a new piece that I really, really love, I immediately want to create as many outfits for it as possible. I'm glad that I've adopted this sort of practical dress up as a hobby because it helps me to immediately visualize ways to remix my pieces instead of always pairing the same tops with the same skirts or pants.

After deciding how to wear this amazing J.Crew shirt to work tomorrow (look for that post very soon!), I thought it'd also make the perfect casual outfit with my newly revamped romper-shorts. My romper did not last through its most recent cycle in the laundry machine, but I'm loving the idea of casual cotton shorts with a small floral print. Also, how great is this sunhat? It''s the perfect size and shape!
My favorite thing about this outfit is the proportions. The shirt not only has the bolder print, but with its wide boat neck and longer sleeves, it also takes up more space on my body. My straw hat, sunglasses, and sandals are, of course, the perfect counterparts to this summer on the cape look.

Shorts (romper): Target

Shirt: J.Crew, J.Crew Outlet, Premium Outlets, Williamsburg, VA

Hat: H&M

Sunglasses: Giant Eagle

Shoes: Thrifted, Alabster's Attic Church Thrift Store, Greensburg

Not one to let a good outfit go to waste, I plan to wear this (probably sans the hat), during the drive and day portion of my friend Toni's bachelorette this weekend! Hopefully I won't be in too much of a celebration mode and I'll take pictures of the lovely dress I plan on wearing for our night on the town as single ladies! xoxo Anna Rae

Von Trapp Accessories

Although I've really only paired my red pants with bold colors, I wanted to try pairing them with paler pastels. I like the idea of balancing out the bright red with a pastel color, and I knew this adorable top was a great first try for the color pairing.
The sweet colors and adorable ruffles are so twee that the red pants work as a nice balance. With a relatively simple outfit, I felt like it was appropriate to pile on some accessories. These glasses reminded me of Edith Head, which meant that I immediately needed to buy them, but the real star is my whistle necklace. Not only is it amazingly nautical, but it actual works. Every time I wear it I feel like I'm in the middle of Sound of Music.
Shirt: Joe Fresh, Real Canadian Superstore, Prince George

Pants: the Limited

Sunglasses: Hills, Kerrisdale, Vancouver

Necklace: Front and Company, Main Street, Vancouver

Sandals: Gap
Thanks Mono for being such an artistic blog photographer. I'm sad to report that these are the last of my Vancouver pictures. xoxo Anna Rae

Stripes. Spectators. Sunshine!

Today's weather was so glorious the only appropriate way to welcome it was with spring green and stripes. Combined with the cropped pants and heeled oxfords I felt like hoofing it up in a kicky musical number all day. I even did my best improptu yoga interpretation to demonstate the mobility of the stretch knit blazer. My jovial mood was further enhanced by the fact that the small-scale pattern mixing of the dotted brooch on the striped blazer reminded me of the kind of water-squirting posy more commonly found on professional clowns.

And with that, the three ring circus of this semester came to a close.

Blazer: Tristan
Pants: Gap
Shoes: Bass, Shoebuy.com
Blouse: Nanette Lepore, Ebay
Brooch: Vintage, Etsy