Hey Red

American Apparel collared blouse, Gap sweater (similar), Akira skirt (similar), JC Penney belt (similar), Gap sequin clutch (similar), Old Navy cuffs (similar), Nine West leopard sandals

Spring Break

Outfit #1 | XOXO jumpsuit, Nine West heels (similar), Kohl's necklace (similar), Stella & Dot earrings, bracelet, and ring
Outfit #2 | Allen B. dress, Worthington blazer (similar), Francesca's earrings (similar), Charming Charlie purse
Outfit #3 | Equipment blouse (similar here and here), Simply Vera skirt, Francesca's necklace (similar), Baccio 6 sandals (similar here and here)

Pink

This is one of those outfits where I don't have much to say about it, other than: I loved it, it was comfortable, and it was weather-appropriate (a combination that doesn't always happen with my outfits - usually one of those components is missing).

Pink shirt: Old Navy

Pink skirt: Zara

Gold sandals: Asos

Sunglasses: Oscar de la Renta from TJ Maxx

White necklace: H&M

Pink bracelet: H&M

Vivid hues

I don't mean to brag, but here in Portland we've been having superb weather lately. The temperatures have been ascending into the 70's and 80's, the skies have been clear, and the evenings are slightly warm and full of beautiful, soft light. Some days I spend hours outside, wandering around the streets and taking photos of the flowers. (Like the photo at the very bottom - I took that yesterday in Northwest Portland.)

I loved this outfit - color-blocking is still one of my favorite things to do with my clothes. It always surprises me how much attention these vivid hues draw when I walk outside. In the fashion blogging world this color combination would be considered fun but not out of place; but Portland, which is known for its weirdness, is not known for having people dress in neon colors. So even though the cut of this outfit was tame, the colors were unusual for the streets of Portland.

At first I liked this photo, but now I'm starting to think I look bug-eyed in it. Oh well, I'm keeping it because it's the only one that shows my purse.

 

Purple top: thrifted from Crossroads Trading Co.

Pink pleated skirt: H&M

White wedges: Sam Edelman (Kendall wedges) from Piperlime

White purse: free from my aunt

White pearl necklace: gift from a friend

Silver bracelet: won in a giveaway

White bracelet: H&M

Bubblegum pink and rust red

I put together this cardigan and these pants a few weeks ago, but Josh told me they looked weird, so I ended up not wearing them at the time. But when I was searching for an outfit to wear the other day, I kept coming back to this combination, and decided to wear it anyway. After wearing and photographing it, I still don't know how I feel about bubblegum pink and rust red together. I like unusual color combinations on other people, but I rarely put them together myself, mostly because I honestly can't tell the difference between innovative and odd. But I like to share those on-the-fence outfits anyway. What do you guys think? Is this a strange color combination that works, or one that just looks "off"? (I should probably mention that I have really thick skin, so it wouldn't bother me in the slightest if you told me you hated it.)

Completely unrelated to my outfit...yesterday I bought plane tickets for us to go to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon in June! I'm so excited because Josh and I have never taken a real vacation together - our honeymoon was just a quick weekend trip to my family's beach house, because Josh had to get back to school right away. It'll be so fun to have nearly a whole week off work and to explore some new parts of the country!

Pink cardigan: gift from my grandma

Red corduroy pants: Anthropologie

Shoes: BCBGeneration from Macy's

Leopard print hat: Albertus Swanepoel for Target

Pearl necklace: gift from a friend

Leopard print belt: H&M

Bracelet: In Pink

Blue and teal

I wore this on Saturday to go out to dinner with Josh and my dad at Gustav's, a German restaurant just outside Portland. If you live in the area, I highly recommend visiting - we had amazing bratwurst, fish and chips, fondue, and beer. Afterwards Josh and I went to a music store to try out electronic keyboards. I've played the piano since I was eight years old, but haven't had one to practice on for years, and I miss it. I was somewhat horrified at the prices (over a thousand dollars for some of them!), so it may be a while before we're able to afford one.

Please excuse the severe wrinkles on my shirt! As much as I would like all my outfits to look pristine when photographed, the reality is that a lot of my clothes get wrinkly after a few hours of wear.

Also, while you're here, don't forget to enter my Go Chic or Go Home giveaway for a $50 gift card! Today is the last day to enter.

Blue sheer shirt: free from my aunt

Teal jeans: Urban Outfitters

Jean jacket: thrifted from Rerun
Wedges: Nine West from Nordstrom Rack

Necklace: purchased in Florence, Italy

Silver bracelets: H&M

White belt: Forever 21

Here's Josh drinking a beer the size of his head at Gustav's....Mmm.... (I am, of course, "mmm"-ing over both the beer and my husband.)

Gray day

Sometimes when it's a dreary, gray, blah day outside, wearing bright colors is just the thing I need to cheer myself up. Although honestly, what usually cheers me up on those kinds of days is a gigantic bowl of popcorn and a full season of Arrested Development, but I couldn't have that on Sunday, so I settled for bright colors instead. How do you guys cope with gray skies? (Books? Chocolate? Magazines? Those are other coping mechanisms of mine!)

This skirt is the only thing I've ever purchased from Zara, last summer when I was in California. We don't have one in Oregon, and none of the clothes on their website have appealed to me yet (even though they always look fantastic when I see bloggers wearing them). I feel like I wear it all the time, but when I went back and checked I only found it styled for winter a handful of times on my blog (here, here, here, and here).

Neon yellow sweater: Gap

Jean jacket: Gap (like ten years old)

Hot pink skirt: Zara

Black tights: Fred Meyer

Black suede boots: Urban Outfitters

Sunglasses: Oscar de la Renta from TJ Maxx

Silver earrings: free from aunt

Spider necklace: Bauble Bar

Ring: In Pink

Carbon copy

This outfit is practically identical to one I wore back in September, except my bangs look better now and I'm wearing different jewelry. These earrings were a gift from my mom last weekend. They're crazy and awesome and exactly what my jewelry collection was missing. I suspect that people really enjoy giving me gifts, because I always react so enthusiastically - gasping, wide eyes, exclamations of "This is awesome!" Getting these earrings was no different - I'm pretty sure I looked like a kid on Christmas morning when I was opening the package they were in.

I've been trying to get more comfortable wearing outfits that don't define my waist. Just because a defined waist is flattering on me doesn't mean it should be the only style I wear. It looks odd to not see a belt cinched at my waist in this photo, but I don't hate it, and I know it's good for me to step outside of my sartorial comfort zone.

Blue sweater: Anthropologie

Blue sheer blouse: free from my aunt

Hot pink skirt: Zara

Black tights: American Apparel

Black flats: Target

Silver earrings: gift from my mom

Bring on the black

I find that I wear a lot more black in fall and winter than I do in summer. I think it's because black doesn't feel appropriate or cheerful enough for hot, languid summer days; but when the weather turns cold and the skies get gray, my tastes turn more towards darker colors that allow me to embrace the dreariness of the season. Of course, I can't get rid of bright colors entirely! Thus the cheerful color blocked skirt (also worn here, here and here), which stands out quite well against all this black.

Turtleneck: Old Navy
Skirt: Forever 21 brand, thrifted from Crossroads Trading Co.
Jacket: Forever 21 brand, from Jen Loves Kev's closet sale
Tights and necklace: Forever 21
Shoes: Lulu's
Hat: H&M
Scarf: Fred Meyer
Earrings: free from aunt

The clash

One day back in high school I wore brown pants and a purple sweater to school. As far as I can recall, they looked good together, but a friend of mine came up to me and said, "You can't wear brown and purple together!" I felt so embarrassed that ever since then, I haven't worn those colors together.

Then over the summer I tried to wear a red and pink outfit, and Josh said those colors don't go together. So I didn't wear them. But then the other day I saw Catherine seriously rocking the red and pink combo, and I thought, "Why not? Fashion rules are for wimps." So I put on my brightest red and pink, and felt quite delighted with the combo. And sure, Josh still didn't like it (and I'm still not sure if it clashes or not), but I felt very happy and Valentines Day-ish, and a lot of people on the street stared at me, which is a sure sign that I'm doing something interesting :)

Top: free from a friend of my aunt
Skirt: H&M
Tights: Forever 21
Boots: Lulu's
Earrings: free from aunt
Necklace: vintage, from my mom
Bag: thrifted

It's all in your head

These boots make me look a little bit like a dominatrix. Maybe it's all in my head, but there's just something about all those buckles that seems hardcore. So of course I tried very hard to make the rest of my outfit look un-dominatrix-ish. In every outfit I try to wear at least one really interesting, eye-catching piece, and in this case I felt like there were three: the boots, the skirt (also worn here and here), and the spider pendant.

I'm thrilled that Portland has been having 70 degree weather lately! Tuesday was magnificent outside - it was the kind of balmy weather everyone wanted back in June (but didn't get until August). I made sure to spend hours outside, on a run and then on a photo walk through the West Hills, because it may be the last warm day of the year. (And no, I didn't wear these shoes on my walk. I changed into them afterwards. I do love my heels, but there's no way I can hike for miles through the city in them!)

Top: Forever 21
Skirt: Forever 21 brand, thrifted from Crossroads Trading Co.
Shoes: Lulu's
Sunglasses: Oscar de la Renta from TJ Maxx
Necklace: Bauble Bar
Bracelets: H&M (bangles), InPink, and won in a giveaway
Bag: thrifted from The William Temple House

And here are some lovely fall photos from my walk yesterday:

Neon autumn

Sunday morning was just one of "those" days. Everything I did took longer than I thought it would, and before I knew it, we were supposed to be out the door on our way to a birthday lunch. And of course I wasn't dressed yet, so I spent a good fifteen minutes pulling clothes out of the closet, trying them on, hating them, and flinging them to the floor. Eventually I remembered (and yes, this is majorly dorky) that I had a notebook where I wrote down good outfit ideas for just such an occasion. I pulled out the notebook, chose the most appealing outfit from the list, and was finally out the door.

Sweater: Target
Skirt: Zara
Boots: Urban Outfitters
Sunglasses: Oscar de la Renta from TJ Maxx
Scarf and tights: Fred Meyer
Necklace: vintage, from my mom
Belt: Ann Taylor Loft, thrifted