PATTERNS





























I will be the first to admit that today I went a bit hog-wild on the patterns. Okay, a bit is an understatement. I went there. In my defense, though, this outfit is almost as crazy as today's weather: sunny one moment, absolutely pouring horizontal rain for the next 75 seconds, then back to a brisk spring day. So, my thought was that I would live up the sunshine with the maxi sun dress, while staying weather appropriate (and cutting down a bit on the wind chill) with a layered top underneath the dress. Perfectly reasonable. I couldn't just stop there, though. I also had to add a micro-mosaic, turn of the century brooch at my collar for purely practical reasons, as this shirt conveniently only has two buttons left hanging on, and they're both in the section covered by the dress. And I wanted to pull my hair back, so I used a really pretty pink and purple-printed handkerchief that I haven't worn in a long while. Topped it all off with my trusty black heeled sandals, and threw on a light blue suede coat to keep the chill away. Sort of felt like a really exuberant soviet first-grade teacher today. Does that impression read to other people or is it just me?

NECKERCHIEF








So here I am, giving a whole hell of a lot of face. My roommate went to New York over spring break and very generously brought back gifts for the whole house. Mine was a really beautiful silk neckerchief from the Met, printed with an image of Van Gogh's Irises. I am a true sucker for neck ties/scarves/anything of that nature. This outfit is a pretty wild time. Again, the green blouse on backwards makes an appearance, along with what is supposedly (according to the label and buttons) a vintage Dolce & Gabbana tapestry vest, a little mint-green ribbed corduroy skirt that I nabbed from the theater department's costume cast-offs, some herringbone tights, and little K-Swiss tennis shoes. And, lest you question whether this is an outfit suitable for everyday wear, I went out immediately after and did my grocery shopping at three different stores. How's that for practical. 

PRINCIPESSA



Okay, I've got to admit: I am super proud of this outfit and beauty look. First off, the outfit. I'm wearing on of my favorite shirts backwards (as I frequently do... this you will see again and again) and my classic blue men's Wranglers. Pro tip: I have two nearly identical pairs of Wranglers, but each has a slightly different fit. These ones are the "Relaxed" fit with a shorter leg, and my other pair is a "Regular fit" with a leg that's about two inches longer, and I always wear that pair with the cuffs rolled. Again, I'm back at it with my little black heels. Then, what really makes this outfit special for me is choker action. I'm wearing a black grosgrain ribbon tied around my neck with an owl brooch stuck through the center of the bow. Then, there's my collar, which is a bit of a statement in itself. Finally, above the collar, I'm wearing this crazy blinged-out rhinestone and velvet choker.

Then, there's the makeup. I'm gonna give this one up to the time of day and lighting (I took these pictures right around golden hour), because I really wasn't wearing anything different from my standard makeup routine: some lip/cheek/eye tint, coconut oil to moisturize, a little shimmering Clarins lotion as a gentle highlighter, some very subtle eye shadow to set the eye tint, and clear mascara/brow gel on my lashes and brows, respectively. Was SO happy with this glowy, glowy look.