Outfit Post: The Theatre

Last night we attended an amazing high school production of A View from the Bridge in which we knew the main actress who played Beatrice, as well as the head costume designer (our beautiful teenage girls!).  I was so impressed with everything about the play, and Q and I treated it as a little date night:  we got veggie burgers and fries and ate outside of the high school before the show.  Oh, to be that young again! (Though not really.)  Of course, no date night is complete without dressing up a bit.  This is what I wore:

Outfit details:  cardigan-thrifted, top-Juicy Couture (thrifted), belt-vintage, skinny jeans-H&M, heels-Michael Kors, bag-Vintage, jewelry-random/gifted

Aurora took a break from the camera for a while, but now she loves to pose (the above pic was candid).  I get to take photos of her in cowboy boots and pajamas and with my laundry (aka underwear) on her head, etc.  I hope to feature her here occasionally, now, in some of her sweet vintage duds!

We have an exciting weekend ahead--of which there will be lots of photos!

'Til next week!

xo,
Amanda

Outfit Post: Vintage-Free

It's pretty obvious how much I love vintage.  I love the history, the prints, the uniqueness (and the prices--most of the time).  But even though I adore old clothes and I sell them, I don't wear them every day! I know a lot of vintage sellers do...but I have such eclectic fashion tastes that some days I am feeling more modern...or I don't have the perfect vintage piece to complete a look or complement another outfit.  So I resort to (GASP!) modern clothes.

Of course, most of those are thrifted. What can I say? I'm addicted.  Here is what I wore for a typical day of errands yesterday: post office, coffee, a walk, and our first bit of Christmas shopping at Target. (I knooooow. But we had a coupon!):

jacket-Free People (via TJ Maxx), tank-Target, cardigan-Gap (thrifted), scarf-thrifted, skirt-I Heart Ronson (thrifted), tights-random, boots-UO (last fall)

Hot pink is not a color I wear often, but I loved the subtle print and 80s vibe of this skirt when I saw it the other day. I love the pink/gray color palette! I kept almost everything neutral, except my scarf. I felt so young and vibrant in this outfit--maybe I'll wear bright colors more often! New items coming to the shop from today throughout the weekend--some really great stuff--stay tuned for more sneak peeks too! xo, Amanda

Outfit Post: Modern Housewife

The print of this vintage top caught my eye at the thrift this week...I looked closer to see adorable buttons and POCKETS.  I looked even closer, and noticed the print wasn't random little dots, but fruit(!): apples, blueberries, and pears. So sweet! Literally.  Although it may go into the shop one fine day, it's mine for day.

The weather is finally cool enough for pants!  Which is fortunate, since my bike accident has left me with the most disgusting bruised and scraped legs, on top of about ten bug bites.  I also can't shave some of the scrapes, so you can imagine--it's a war zone. I'm hoping they clear up in the next few days for the beach!

I felt super cute in this outfit...even with my high platform wedges, the jeans are still pretty long, so I might have them hemmed an inch or so (thanks in advance, sis!) come fall.

headscarf-vintage, top-vintage, belt-H&M, jeans-Gap, shoes-Blowfish

The beach is so close, I can taste it!  I'm hoping to get in a couple blog updates while we're there (depending on the internet status), but I'm mostly hoping to unplug and relax!

Have a fantastic weekend, loves!

xo,
Amanda

Outfit Post: Pumpkin is the New Mustard

I am beyond ecstatic that fall is just around the corner. I'm tired of sweating, tired of mosquito bites, tired of not being able to wear some of my favorite clothes (boots and tights and blazers and cozy cardigans).  I found this perfect skirt while thrifting--the belt was included. It's 100% cotton and the most perfect shade of pumpkin orange.  It will be great for fall with some lace up wedges or even boots.  The shape is similar to the red skirt I wore last week, but it's a little bit longer, which I love.

For the hotter-than-hot Sunday that we took a daytrip to Richmond, I wore it with a little tie strap tank and some sandals.  (Also, notice my hair: the bangs are finally growing out and I did a modified version of the no-heat curls that are all the rage on Pinterest/bloggers right now.  I hate to be trendy, but damn, do they work! And they're so easy!)

tank-thrifted, skirt-vintage/thrifted, wedges-Nine West (thrifted), layered necklace-f21 (old), bangle-random

We happened to decide to try out Richmond on the day of their Watermelon Festival.  It sounds like a great fortune, but really, it was just loud, and crowded, and we didn't get to do the things we wanted to.  There are some great vegan places we couldn't find and I lost my list of thrift spots.  It was so hot that we basically went into the first restaurant we came to, which had only one vegan menu item and was unfortunately way overpriced.

We really liked the area, though, and hope to do another daytrip in the fall.  Maybe I'll even wear this skirt again...

So anyway, I'm calling it right here, right now:  mustard has been all the rage the past few years, and I still love it, but pumpkin is going to be this fall's hot new color.  If only because I say so. ;)

xo,
Amanda

Outfit Post: Upstaged

I have to say that sometimes when I look at my outfit photos, I don't want to post them.  I know that's my choice, and I could simply not blog them (like my friend Allie of Wardrobe Oxygen chose yesterday!)...except we aren't a blog that posts outfit posts everyday. And since I did the work for a new post, I figured I would need to brave it.

It was hot and I needed to change quickly to go to dinner and run errands, so this is what I put on.  We went to a pizza/pasta/salad place (I had a big salad and pasta with garlic/olive oil/parsely/hot pepper flakes) that gives the kids balloons...which just happens to be one of Aurora's favorite things EVER! She was in heaven...and we ate in relative peace!

Dress-vintage, Belt-vintage, Shoes-MIA

The outtakes of this outfit are way better than the originals! Aurora was obsessed with that purple 'boon'.

Sadly, Aurora let go of the balloon (we had it looped around her wrist, but it came unlooped) and it floated up into the sky.  So Aurora learned her first lesson about loss.  A jelly bean made it all better.

You can see more of Aurora over on the Miskabelly blog as well as little Lyla!  Even if you're not a mom or mom-to-be, there's a lot to read and see.

That's all for now...

xo,
Amanda

Outfit Post: Eighties Lady

I think I've mentioned the cropped pants you are about two see once or twice on Twitter.  They are not something I would usually wear, and I was going to put them in the shop (they may still end up there), but then I tried them on, and they were so comfortable and not as wild as I thought. 

I like to wear them more casually (with a tee and flat sandals), but for this actual "Street Style" post (Jayme took the photos in the street when she was here the other weekend), I dressed things up for fun.  I couldn't stop laughing as we took the shots:

Go ahead--you can laugh too.  But I still have a crush on these pants!

tee-random, necklace-gift, pants-thrifted (vintage), platforms-daniBlack

 So now you have evidence of my little walk on the fashion wild side.  Fashion risk-taking can be a good thing--even if the outfit doesn't turn into something you wear on a regular basis, it can be fun to experiment. After all, I think the best part about fashion, the part that keeps me so interested in it, is the element of creativity! I love putting outfits together and seeing how other people put them together.

So...would you wear these pants?  And if you did, how would you style them?

Let us know in the comments!

xo,
Amanda

Outfit Post: Bright and Neutral

I feel like this outfit post is most typically "me" on an average day. I wore this to go to the Farmer's Market and run some errands w/ Q and Aurora on Saturday.  Flat shoes are a must (I am living in these lace up gladiators!) when roaming about town.

I thrifted this bright Gap tee this week (on top of a fantastic haul of other stuff, including a whole biking wardrobe), quite excitedly.  I have been drawn to bright orange, peach, and red lately.  I paired it with neutrals and a simple necklace and some bangles.

tee-Gap (thrifted), belt-old/random, skirt-vintage, sandals-Steve Madden

bangles-gifted and Banana Republic, rings-Mexico (onyx) and eBay (turquoise)  nails-China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise

So if you see me on the street, I'm probably wearing something like this and pushing a stroller.  It's not glamorous, but it's fun and it's me!

xo,
Amanda

Outfit Post: April Showers, April Flowers

We've had both a lot of rain and sun here recently, so all of our bulbs are blooming! I also discovered the first dandelions in the yard...I can't tell you how excited that makes me!

Today's outfit is in honor of all of the beautiful things blooming. I wore this to thrifting/coffee--in the sunshine.

I love the scoop back on this tee!

jacket-Free People via TJ Maxx, top--Old Navy (thrifted), skirt- H&M, boots- vintage from the shop

Happy sunshiney spring day!  Plus:  it's almost the weekend.  I seriously could not be happier about that.

A ton of cute dresses, tops, skirts, shoes, and bags coming to the shop, slowly but surely.  Keep an eye out!

xo,

Amanda

Outfit Post: Back in Black

It's been too long since we updated the blog! I have been finishing up grading for a class, then we had a busy weekend together in Virginia, and now everything has finally settled down a bit.  More time to post, more time to photograph, more time to blog.

In other news, I dyed my hair:  twice.  At first, it was a red that I hated.  So I dyed it again with a brown and got a color I'm pretty happy with. (NOTE: I don't recommed this to everyone as it's horrible for your hair, but I have really thick, healthy hair--like a horse--and I did it once before, many years ago, so I knew I'd be okay.)

Damn this cold weather! That's all I have to say about that. I have a spring wardrobe I'm dying to wear, but here I am in more wintry duds:

floral blouse-vintage, sweater and belt-H&M (old), skirt-NY&Co. (thrifted), tights-Target, boots-Frye

 I wore this out to do our usual Tuesday grocery run. Booooo-ring.
Nothing too special:  I can't seem to get into an outfit groove thanks to this mercurial weather.

xo,

Amanda

Outfit Post: Kiss Me, I'm Not Irish

This is my St. Patrick's Day.  I will respond with what my husband said when I asked if he wore a green tie to work:  "I'm French Protestant--do the math."  I took that as a no.

It's not that I don't like St. Patrick, or Catholics, or Irish people--I just didn't have a reason to celebrate.  Nor do I own much green clothing.

Warning:  I busted out the pasty white, need-to-be-toned legs in a skirt that is shorter than I normally wear.  But it went perfectly with my new UO heels, that I've been wanting forever.  And my patience paid off because they were $10 (an online return to store.  Major score!).

Disclaimer:  I know the photo location isn't great, but I had to show our fully bloomed daffodils!

Levis denim jacket-vintage, striped tee-Old Navy, pocket skirt-AA via Loehmann's, cayenne heels-UO

me and my girl in stripes!

What a gorgeous day!  Aurora and I took a long walk to the park (no, I did not wear the heels and skirt for that part of the day). We took a little snooze afterwards.  Then we had a pizza dinner when Daddy got home, and now? We're looking forward to an awesome weekend with more sunshine!

xo,
Amanda

Outfit Post: Brown-y

Spring is so close I can taste it...the daffodils in our front yard have bloomed.  Some of the grass is actually going back to green.  And it's 7:00pm as I write this and still light out!

But there's still a chill in the air.  I have so many cute spring dresses and shoes that I want to wear, but I'm still not ready to bare my pasty white legs.  I decided to wear a spring-y outfit of a lightweight dress and peeptoe platform sandals today, adding tights and a sweater to stay warm.  Today was a day of errands: post office, coffee, dinner, groceries, office store.  And this is what I wore:

sweater coat-vintage, dress-Old Navy, tights-Target, belt-H&M (old), shoes- Blowfish via DSW

 I feel like I'm finally hitting my fashion stride:  I can tell an outfit is "right" if I'm comfortable in it immediately.  these new platforms are incredibly comfortable. I never thought of them with tights, but admittedly had some inspiration from Keiko Lynn wearing a similar pair.

I'll remix this outfit (dress and shoes) again when it's warm enough with a different belt and accessories. And painted toes!

Can't wait.

xo,
Amanda

Outfit Post: Blues and Grays

It's finally March! Like everyone else, the shortest month of the year felt like the longest (and I even partied my way through it).  Today there was sunshine, but it's still cold.

I got a little dressed up to run errands (post office, Starbucks) and get dinner with Q at our favorite pizza place (Ledo's), topped off by our weekly stop at Trader Joe's.  I looked cute and felt comfy. To me, that is the pinnacle of fashion as a mom.  I have to be able to slug a toddler, several packages, a purse, and my keys all at once.  I am the queen of heels, but some days, they're just not an option.  These boots have truly been a lifesaver this winter.

navy blazer-vintage, blue tee-BDG-thrifted, necklaces-random, skirt-Banana Republic-thrifted, tights-Target, boots UO

This is my absolute favorite blazer (I'm so glad it still fits me--and perfectly!) I think I paid $2 for it.  I think a navy blazer is a nice update from a black one for spring. A bit softer.  I wore a few different shades of gray on the bottom and two shades of blue on top, hence the title.  I like the brighter blue as a little pop of color to shades that are mostly neutrals.


I ate too much pizza, but it's all right:  I'm off to Zumba!  I'm keeping my curves because I'm growing to love them, but that doesn't mean I can't slim down a bit so I'm curvy in all the right places.  Q bought me the Zumba for PS3 (since I can't afford a gym membership right now) and I LOVE it!  It's so much fun that it definitely doesn't feel like a workout (except for the sweating and heavy breathing).  For once, I'm looking forward to ending my day with exercise!

xo,
Amanda

Outfit Post: Blown Away

If only I was less vain, you would be laughing out loud right now.  Today was that crazy, windy day on the East coast where a lot of trees and power lines went down.  Well, when I stepped outside to take some photos on our little back porch/patio, I almost went down too.  My facial expressions are pretty priceless (and now deleted from my computer).

I had to move to a corner of the porch more sheltered from the wild winds.  I wore this layered outfit to shop (thrifting and groceries) and for a little dinner party we had over here with a close friend and her husband:  lasagna, salad, and wine topped offf by coffee, double chocolate brownies, and electronic CatchPhrase, Bananagrams, and Euchre.  It was a fantastic Friday.

army jacket-UO, cardigan-vintage, tee-Old Navy (thrifted), skirt-NY&Co. (thrifted), tights-?, boots-vintage

I still look a little windblown, and in truth, I wore a big black scarf as I gallivanted around town.  I am also wearing really big coral-toned earrings that were a gift from Jayme for my birthday.  I love the color coral--it brings out the peachiness in my complexion and it's a great color for spring.  I thrifted this basic Old Navy tee the other day--what drew me to it besides the color was that is has not just a scoop front, but a scoop back.  I think showing a little back is sexy.  I can't wait until it's warm enough to do this! (Yes, my posts will probably continue to complain about the weather until there's nothing to complain about.)

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

xo,
Amanda

Outfit Post: Mama of the Birthday Girl

Aurora turned 1 on February 11th, and we celebrated with my family in Pennsylvania (that blog, coming soon--I swear--to Miskabelly).  This past weekend, we had a second little celebration with Q's family in Virginia.  It was a bright, sunny Saturday, not as warm as the two 70 degrees days we had, but warm enough that I didn't freeze my buns off while taking outfit shots.  This is what I wore to celebrate one year of being a mom--I mean, hot mama.

fire engine cardi-vintage, linen snap down dress-UO, tights-Target, oxford heels-Sam Edelman

me with Aurora, in her vintage senorita dress. She got a huge orange Koosh ball!

 

We have one last celebration of Aquarians this upcoming weekend, and then no family birthdays for a while! I am excited to share some awesome finds with you--I've been pretty lucky with sales and thrift finds lately.

xo,
Amanda