I think Abbi Would Approve of This Outfit

Hello my Lovelies!  I am so excited to be helping Abbi out with some blog posts while she is having her vacation in Spain--some folks just have all the luck.  Matt (my beloved) was away all last week for work and a bit of fun, so my sweet friends took turns entertaining me while he was out of town.  Wednesday night was Jenna's turn, and we went to Barnes and Noble to read gossip and bridal mags, and drink coffee.
It's no secret that Abbi is the fashion-forward sister, and so when I manage to put together an outfit that's pretty cute, I always think to myself, "Abbi would approve of this outfit."  This particular outfit, which features my BRAND NEW J.Crew shorts (which I got on sale!) and my favorite pink shoes, was perfect for a girly night of Katie Holmes drama and elaborate wedding dress dreams. 

These shorts are perfect for the "tied-shirt" look; they have a slightly higher rise, so it didn't show too much stomach. 

Two of these little bracelets were only a dollar, and I love them for layering for a splash of color. The pink one was a gift from Abbi!  

As you can see, I got some very important reading done.  I love adding colored shoes for unexpected color in an outfit, and these pink suede flats definitely deliver. 

Shirt: Old Navy

Shorts: J.Crew Outlet

Belt: GAP

Bracelets: Cotton On and Abbi

Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Earrings: Tiffany's (gift from Mommi and Brent) 

(love, haley)

Date Night

Button-down and earrings: H&M

Skirt: F21

Sandals: Target

Bag: ? (somewhere in Europe)

Sunglasses: Gap

I took JP on a date last Friday night.  The weather in DC has been absolutely lovely, so we stopped by Dean and Deluca in Georgetown to grab some food to go, ate it by the waterfront, then headed to see The Avengers.  I seriously enjoyed every aspect of the evening!  Dinner was delicious, it was perfectly breezy on the water, and the film was incredibly fun to watch (hard to go wrong with a bunch of good-looking guys and cheesy dialogue).  

JP deemed this outfit sophisticated and sultry; that's exactly the look I go for during May date nights. 

The sun was so bright, we had a hard time with lighting.  Eh, you can still see me.

Disco Dog Park

Shirt: Stylemint
Shorts: Levi's
Sunglasses and Shoes: Gap (my wedding shoes!)
Earrings: Vintage

When the weather is beautiful, you can bet that JP and I are spending some time at the dog park with Mia.  I love this top: light and breezy enough to breathe, but the color gives it some punch.  These shoes were seriously a great purchase; at only $13, I plan on wearing them till they go out of style!

I love my new haircut!  I'm playing around with it way more than the longer style: lots of pomade, some curling iron, even a bit of faux-hawking.  Change is always a good thing.

Androgynous streetwear?

Tee: H&M

Hoodie: American Eagle 

Blazer: J.Crew

Jeans: Levi's

Scarf: Vintage

Shoes: Toms

Purse: Fossil

Sunglasses: Gap

We got back from the honeymoon on a Friday, and by 5 the following day, my hair was chopped off!  It's quite short, but I'm really happy with the length and ease of my new style.  I used Ginnifer Goodwin as my hair muse; she's totally adorable, which is exactly what I'm going for in my daily life.

Except when I'm meeting JP for lunch on a day off and am dressing way down.  We had some Thai Chef in Dupont, then I spent the rest of the day writing thank-you cards and looking at wedding photos.  That sounds about normal, right?

Foxy

Sweater: Forever 21
Dress: Madewell
Belt: H&M
Shoes: Cooperative via Urban Outfitters

I've been planning this outfit for a while, and am so glad it came together well.  I love the muted color scheme, and think the Peter Pan collar sticking out of the sweater is sweet without being too cutesy.
Also, can we please acknowledge that there are some cute animal sweaters out there?  There's no need for kitten sweaters, but I think this one is pretty well done.

Hearts Galore

Dress: Forever 21
Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Cardigan: J.Crew
Cross-body bag (my new favorite!): Fossil

I bought this dress knowing I would wear it for something wedding-related; honestly, how could I not?  The hearts are pretty darn cute, but keeping the pattern to navy blue and kelly green keeps it looking fresh and not overly adorable.  Rather than going super-girly, I let my bright orange oxfords do the talking.

Goodness, if nothing else, these photos should serve as a reminder to us all to use self-tanner!  I've got to get on that bandwagon before the honeymoon!

Red Shoes

Peacoat and sweater: J. Crew

Pants: Gap

Scarf: Ann Taylor

Shoes: Shoemint

Purse: Fossil

I had the most delightful Sunday morning: got up and enjoyed a tasty breakfast at home with my man, saw a matinee of The Descendants (George Clooney was phenomenal in it; I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up), and had a really great vegetarian lunch in Georgetown at Bangkok Joe's.  If I may say, this is my ideal outfit for a day like that. 

It was a bit chilly out (low 40s), but I was very comfortable with a warm sweater and coat.  Warm enough to wear these amazing new shoes without socks.  Seriously, these are the funnest flats to grace my closet: red dalmatian calf hair smoking shoes.  They even have tassels!  I love them. 

P.S. How do you like my crazy Sunday morning hair?  Messy buns have never looked so....messy.

Sister Act

Button down: H&M
Dress: Gap
Earrings: birthday gift (from April Daze/ my mom!)
Shoes: Mia
Belt: J.Crew

I came out of the bedroom this morning and asked John Paul if I looked like a nun-in-training.  He assured me that yes, I did.  I added these shoes, and he changed his mind.

I know, I know, I'm doing a lot of button-down layering lately.  Can I confess something?  My iron broke months ago, and I haven't bothered to replace it.  Call it laziness, call it indifference to wrinkles, but I have no way of getting the creases out of my blouses.  It's winter, though, and I have to layer pieces to stay warm.  Thus, rather than ironing, I layer.  No one can tell if the hem is wrinkled, and I can straighten the collar with my flat iron.  That's called thinking outside the box.

No shoes

Sweater: J.Crew

Button-down and pants: Gap

Necklace: Jewelmint

Barrette: F21 (v. old)

This is my "going back to work after a 12-day vacation" look.  It's comfortable, but still conveys a willingness to check e-mails and schedule events/meetings for my department.  The sweater is an old birthday gift, but I get so much wear out of it!  It has a great boatneck, so isn't constricting and pairs nicely with a patterned silk blouse.

 I just tied my hair in a ponytail, then pinned the barrette in underneath the rubber band, giving it volume.  An idea from Sex and the City!

There's something so easy but chic about wearing a necklace beneath your collar and over your sweater.  I love this layered look.

Brown Wedges

Tee: J.Crew
Pants: J.Crew Factory Store
Shoes: Cooperative via Urban Outfitters
I've been eyeing these fabulous wedges for months, waiting for them to go on sale.  I've been in the market for some brown wedges I can dress up for winter (yes, I realize they've got an open toe, but I can cover that up with some opaque tights), and these totally fit the bill.  Would you believe me if I said they were also comfortable? 

I'm loving how this look plays with details: woven leather, small print on the pants, heathered shirt.  It keeps the whole thing from being too put-together, the death wish for any outfit.  Don't we all strive for that 'just threw this on' look?

Orange Oxfords

Sweater vest and pants: Gap
Button down: H&M
Oxfords: Urban Outfitters
Belt: J. Crew
Oh man.  When I saw these shoes on sale at Urban, I bought them asap.  How amazing are they?!  Love the bold color, especially when worn with a relatively conservative outfit like this one.

Gah, I love them!  I did wear argyle socks, which peeked out a bit and looked nerdy-cute.  At least, I hope that's how the look turned out.

I met JP for an event at his job on Tuesday night, which means free wine and crackers.  Really, I was just looking for an excuse to continue wearing this outfit.  It'll be hard to not wear it on a weekly basis!

Stripes

Sweater: J. Crew
Button-down: H&M
Skirt: Gap
Moccasins: Nine West
Necklace: Jewelmint
JP gave me the ultimate compliment on this outfit; I got home from work and he said, "Baby, you look like you stepped out of a J. Crew ad."  He knows the way to my heart!

I didn't really realize that I was into a preppy tomboyish look until reviewing at my iPhoto.  Lately, I feel most comfortable in a slouchy top with something tailored on the bottom, perhaps with some awesome jewelry or heels.  Things are pretty minimalist in my closet as of late, much to the ease of getting dressed in the morning.

 Mia gets all up on me during photo shoots.  I can't really say no to those adorable eyes!

Pink pencil skirt

T-shirt: Madewell
Cami: Zara
Skirt: Anthropologie
Shoes: Mia
Earrings: F21
This was an all-around great day for me.  Great hair, great outfit, great weather.

I love both of these pieces, and just felt like the colors were perfect together.  The top is unbelievably soft, and, though the skirt doesn't offer much stretch, it fits pretty well.  With the wedges, my legs look a bit longer than usual, so what more could I possibly ask for?

Good start to the autumn!  I've got my bright pencil skirt and sparkly nail polish. Life is good.

Long and Slinky

Dress: Gap
Shoes: Nine West
Earrings: April Daze
Y'all, this dress was less than $20!  I've been on the lookout for dresses I can wear for wedding-related events, and this one fits the bill (and budget) perfectly: wonderfully soft, white and dove gray print, interesting cutout back.  I absolutely love it, and wore it to dinner with John Paul on Tuesday night (his birthday tends to spread out over a few days.  What can I say; I'm glad he was born.), even though it's crazy long and needs to be hemmed before I wear it for real.

Even though I would generally say black wedges are too heavy for a floaty white dress, the black trim around the collar helps it feel cohesive, and the hem is so long you can barely see the shoes.  The cutout design on the wedges make them feel a bit more late-summery, so I went with it.

Such a great buy!  Is there anything better than finding a great piece on a serious discount?

Newsies

 Scarf and cardigan: Gap
Belt: H&M
Pants: Anthropologie
Oxfords: Aldo
These pants do strange things to me; they are the most unflattering things I own.  They're all the things short people should stay away from: cuffed, flood-length, pleated.  Yet it never fails that I get compliments every time I put them on!

 John Paul doesn't quite understand this phenomenon, but I know that it's a girl thing.  We understand that the best pieces of clothing doesn't always make the most sense.  We know that if pants are comfortable, if they fit with a certain aesthetic, if they're $20 at Anthropologie, we have to buy them. 

Wearing these pants is basically saying, "I don't have to wear a skirt and super-high heels to be feminine."  Wasn't it Marilyn Monroe who said, "Your clothes should be tight enough to show you're a woman, but loose enough to show you're a lady"?  I'll take my fashion cues from her every once in a while. 

Parking Garage Model

Shirt: Gap (birthday gift from Katrina!)
Belt: J.Crew
Skirt: H&M
Shoes: Nine West
Bracelets: random gifts from Grandma in North Carolina, Brent, and Mom!
I wore this outfit to start of my work week, and got so many compliments!  I love the color of this top, the pinky nudish mauve-iness of it.  It's a great compliment to the dotty textured gray skirt, which is a little big now and has more of a paper bag waist than usual.

Man, look at that hair!  It's getting so long, I can barely stand it.  At least it finally got trimmed this weekend, and is shiny, healthy and split-end-free!

Watch out, world!  I've got a great outfit, a great haircut, and an alien green manicure- this girl is unstoppable.

Birds and...studs?

Dress and clutch: H&M
Belt: J.Crew
Shoes: Michael Stars (I think?) via TJ Maxx
Well, I didn't take a picture of my actual birthday outfit.  No, no, not my birthday suit, but what I wore to dinner at Vidalia, where JP treated me to a feast.  This, what I wore to dessert and a drink at Blue Duck Tavern the day after the big 2-5, will have to do.  And honestly, I'm more glad I caught this outfit on film (even though it didn't come out perfectly).  This dress has such a quirky print on it, and I thought it would look cool toughened up with the studs on the heels of these heels.

Which I have had longer than I've been dating JP.  They were a little pricey for TJ Maxx, but I couldn't resist the gunmetal finish with pyramid studs on one strap and along the sides and heels.  Fabulous purchase.

Um, I was pretty psyched about my drink (a very fruit-filled sangria) with flambe molten chocolate cake.  Yes, chocolate cake that was soaked in whiskey and lit on fire when it got to the table.  Man, what a birthday!