Friday, April 30, 2010

anyone for a springtime tea party?

Hey there, lovely people who might have noticed our recent lack of posts. Remember that ugly time at the end of every college semester when every student has tons of work/papers/exams, all sorts of final events are happening, and (consequently) everyone is cranky? Add the fact that many of our dearest friends (and us too) are trying finalize post-graduation plans and that my dance show is tonight and tomorrow so I have been practically living in the theatre this week. It's a little crazy, to say the least.

Needless to say, my outfits haven't felt very "blog-able" this week, and I haven't had time to take pictures anyway. I did just discover this beautiful Etsy site full of flower-y things that I would love to wear to spring tea party or wedding! (Anyone want to host?)



All from: http://www.etsy.com/shop/whichgoose

Thursday, April 22, 2010

just a sunny, spring day

It's always sunny on Thursday this spring. I'm serious - I give campus tours on Thursday and it hasn't rained once. These pictures are from last Thursday when it was gorgeous and it was supposed to thunderstorm today, but its a perfect spring day again:-)









Now put your sandals on and go outside!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

fun, sun, and spreeeee!

Our school has this one fabulous day every year where they surprise everyone, cancel classes, and have a mini-carnival, music and free food on the green. In reality everyone knows ahead of time, but it is still a delightful "Spree Day" with our favorite people!









Happy Tuesday everyone:-)

Sunday, April 18, 2010

blue jean baby

This is what happens when my roommate Anna (who has made guest appearances before) takes my picture. I laugh! And cause the picture to be out of focus. But Anna's a great photographer, so I even like a blurry shot.


Anna's also a great roommate because I can borrow scarves from her! The above scarf is hers. And it's gorgeous. And I wanna steal it! But I won't. That outfit is what I wore on Friday to a party for Clark's photo department at my professor's house. It was casual, but not too casual and cold, but not too cold. Jeans were my solution.

And guess what?



I love these jeans! They are from target and pretty perfect. So I wore them again today. And Anna took my picture again, causing me to be really silly again. I feel kind of like a cowgirl in this shirt, thus the pigtails.


Have a great week everyone!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

if i keep posting spring-y pictures, will it stay warm?

These pictures are from another spring-y, warm, sunny day. It's supposed to rain this weekend and I just want it to be spring forever...


I give tours of my school and a mother left a comment that I was "well-groomed and articulate." 
Too bad she didn't tell me directly, so I could direct her to this blog!

This is my "erm, I guess crouching under the trees would end up with trees in my hair..." face.

Also, we have some new lovely followers, thanks!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

i wish it was this warm again

This is what I wore for Easter - I know, I'm far behind in posting. It was a gorgeous day and I want it to be that warm again!





Enjoy your Tuesday!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

spring is so fickle

Happy Spring! Bloggers everywhere are delighting in the onslaught of warmer weather and blossoming trees, and we are no exception. Last Wednesday (when we took these, which seems like a million years ago) temperatures reached the high 80s here! It was just a little ridiculous, but welcomed nonetheless.


Sasha and I both had inexpensive bag success last weekend too! She got this amazing, real-leather, handmade in Spain tote at the Salvation army, and I got this light teal faux leather cutie at Forever 21. And they look so nice together, don't they?



It's back down to the 50s and 60s, but spring is still here, and we just love it. Tuesday is Spree Day, a big event at our college where everyone takes the day off to play in the sunshine. Can't wait!!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

belated

Last week was Sasha's 22nd birthday! So on Friday night we went out for drinks at this place Dive Bar, mostly because it has a great terrace area, so we could sit outside and avoid all the usual too-loud problems of talking in a bar. Plus, we found this great red wall to pose with!


Sasha looks so classy and gorgeous with her thrifted white pumps! I am a little jealous of them.



And I broke out my patterned Forever 21 skirt for the millionth time because it's so comfy and cute. Also, this ring from Target that I forgot I had was a nice girly touch with my pink nails.


It was a great night, though kind of cold by the end. Luckily there was a hot dog cart right outside the bar to warm us and satiate our late night hunger.

Happy Birthday Sasha!

almost-old outfit photos

As promised, I have been taking a few outfit photos in the past couple of overly busy weeks. Here's a couple of styles I wore:
The gramma sweater, favorite vintage belt, and rainboots return. 

New, cheap Old Navy dress - I wanted something comfy, casual, and long enough to wear anywhere.
It's kind of a sack, but I think it's a nice sack.
This is the beautiful necklace my sister gave me for my birthday! 

Thursday, April 8, 2010

glasses!

So I'm not exactly sure what The Girls With Glasses are all about, but The Clothes Horse posted this video and I am in love! Possibly too cute. And as a girl with glasses myself, I appreciate them just a little bit more.


ALSO, there are outfit posts to be made once Sasha has a moment to breathe.


Tuesday, April 6, 2010

what would a nerd wear? find out!



I recently got to interview the lovely Tania of one of Sasha and my favorite blogs What Would a Nerd Wear. The interview was for my magazine writing class, but I thought I'd share it here so everyone could read all of Tania's interesting and insightful thoughts! She was a pleasure to interview, and it was lots of fun :) So here it is! Along with some of my recent favorite "nerd" outfits.

What would a nerd wear? What probably comes to mind is some variation of Steve Urkel, but Tania of the blog What Would a Nerd Wear begs to differ. She is a PhD student in English Literature, and definitely considers herself a nerd, but what Tania wears evokes her classic, feminine and thoughtful sensibilities through clothing. She proves smart women can care about fashion and nerds can look good too.


Tania: It is funny that people actually read my blog, because I think of my wardrobe as pretty boring. But then again, I like to read people who dress more simply also.


Me: I found your blog through Clothed Much, which is another blog I really like. It's nice to see people doing interesting things with "normal" clothes.


Tania: I love Elaine's blog too. I totally agree. It really helps the morning writer's block with getting dressed, I find. And whenever I am indecisive I always end up changing into the first thing I put on.


Me: So why did you decide to start a style blog?


Tania: Well I'd been reading them for a little while and I thought, "Hey, I could totally do this, too!" Plus, I needed a hobby. Grad school is really all-consuming; I needed something outside of academics, and so What Would a Nerd Wear was born.




Me: What is the focus of your PhD?


Tania: I primarily study 20th Century British fiction, if you couldn't tell from the obsessive Virginia Woolf references.


Me: I saw that you went to the Bloomsbury district in London where Virginia Woolf lived!


Tania: Yes, that's where my sister is living! It was incredible. I really geeked out. And get this – I went to Foyles, this giant bookstore on Charing Cross road – and I bumped into Ian McEwan! He's a really amazing contemporary British author, I practically had an aneurysm but I held it together enough to get him to sign a copy of his new book (which weirdly enough I was there buying.)


Me: Do you get any wardrobe inspiration from literature?


Tania: In some ways, yes. I wrote a post about teaching The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot and wearing a bright color in the hopes that there is some hope in the text. I would say I am inspired indirectly by literature. I'm interested in various ways to narrate personality and clothing is clearly one of those ways we narrate ourselves. There is some kind of relation between dressing a character in words and dressing yourself in the morning. It's part of the story you tell about yourself. It is, as Mrs. Dalloway says, how she "drew the parts together, she alone knew how different, how incompatible and composed so for the world only into one centre, one diamond." So you're drawing a dispersed self into one whole, at least momentarily.


Me: Have you always been this aware of your personal style?


Tania: Ha! No, actually this is maybe funny, and speaks to your last question. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with historical fiction – I read Laura Ingalls Wilder, various British children's books, and things about pilgrims and early settlers. As a result, I wore a pinafore over my dresses every day and often a kerchief on my head. I would say I've always been aware of my own style, but not necessarily interested in fine-tuning it (i.e. during the pilgrim period). But I'd say since I've been an adult, I've cared more about looking like a grown up. As a college student, I wore yoga pants pretty often.




Me: Are your blog outfits put together simply for the sake of the blog, or do you dress that way whether you are putting the outfit in the blog or not?


Tania: Well, the blog definitely changes how I dress because if I know I am going to post, I am inclined to put a little more effort in. On the weekends, I still dress similarly but I like giving myself a few days off. When I'm not posting, I'm probably dressing more boring: Hanes tee shirts, jeans and flats usually. Which would be kind of boring to see all the time! But things aren't only for the sake of the blog. In London I still dressed cute (I hope) but I was too busy to take pictures! And I do wear everything I put up on the blog in real life, even when it pushes my comfort zone a bit.


Me: Have you found that there is a strong community of bloggers that you feel a part of? Do the same people frequently leave comments?


Tania: Yes, definitely. I mean, it is a virtual community so it is a very different type of community, but yes, I have a very regular group of commenters, which is wonderful. And there are certain bloggers I feel "closer" to for whatever reason. Like Elaine from Clothed Much. She and I very steadily comment and read each other's sites and have traded clothes and inspiration, so I feel closer to her than some of the other people on my blogroll, for instance.




Me: Do your friends and family know about your blog and the connections you have made through it?


Tania: My family knows, and my boyfriend and roommate know, but no one else in the department or other friends. I'm not trying to be super sneaky about it, but I like having my own space with it. My family loves knowing about it! But part of me I think feels like it is sort of a silly endeavor, something I definitely don't want my colleagues and advisers knowing about.


Me: I understand that, in academia there seems to be some frowning upon things that aren't serious enough.


Tania: Yes, for sure. That is the main motivation for the relative anonymity with it. I probably wouldn't be too bothered if a colleague or friend found out about it – I stand behind it and I'm not embarrassed of it – but I like a little privacy, you know?


Me: Finally, what is your favorite place to shop for new clothes? Do you have a favorite item of clothing?


Tania: My favorite place to shop for new clothes is definitely J Crew (even though it's a bit pricy for full price items), but goodwill is my all time favorite shopping locale. I always find something great there. I'd say my current favorite item is my little black belt, it goes with everything.





Sunday, April 4, 2010

enjoy it now

dear readers,

life lately has been full of lovely things: spring & warm weather, passover & matzo ball soup, my birthday & lots of celebrating with wonderful friends, easter & eggs hunts. i've been busy enjoying all of these things and not taking too many pictures or uploading the few i have taken. here's a few links that caught my attention in the midst of wonderful spring things:
  • United States of Pop 2009 - just listen to it, if nothing else, you'll laugh
  • The Sartorialist's A Year in Fashion video
  • The quote in this Urban Weeds post:
    "I treat my body as a canvas. Fashion is a way to express yourself as a piece of art." - Alison Nicole, Wardrobe Stylist
  • IT'S OVER: Why I Broke Up With The Sartorialist from Male Pattern Boldness - don't get me wrong, i love the Sartorialist and plan to continue reading his blog frequently. this post sums up why i like to read a mix of blogs (from the Sartorialist to Uber Chic for Cheap) and read them for fun, because i like pretty things, and because i appreciate good photography. i do not let blogs dictate what i wear (although i certainly get some inspiration). 
  • this post, also from Male Pattern Boldness, discussing age appropriate dressing. seems fitting as i figure out what to wear from college studying and dance rehearsal to job interviews.
When I do get around to posting outfit pictures, I have some great new things to show off. Most important, my darling sister got me a beautiful necklace from Beads Story for my birthday and a found a great (seriously, real leather handmade in Spain) bag for $6 dollars at the thrift store yesterday. To top it off, my parents are getting me a GorillaPod for my birthday, which should improve my photo quality dramatically and generally be lots of fun to play with. 

Happy Spring, now go outside! (Ok, if you're reading this shortly after I post this at 9pm, you can wait until tomorrow to go outside.)