Deja Vu

Shirt: Thrifted, $1 // Pants: Old Navy, $7 // Necklace & Glasses: Shop in Madison, $6 & $4 // Shoes: RJ Girl via Piperlime, $55

Clearly I didn't get very creative with Tuesday's work outfit; it's basically the same look from the last post. To make it more work-appropriate, I swapped out the see-through lace tank for a more conservative blouse and the jeans for trousers. Don't worry... the glasses won't be making very frequent appearances!

Shirt: Urban Outfitters, $10 // Jeans: Forme, $30 // Earrings: Gift // Shoes: Plato's Closet, $6

And here's the shirt again! I wore this ensemble for a night out in Madison.

I Can See Clearly Now

Top: Forever 21, $14 // Necklace & Glasses: Shop on State Street in Madison, $6 & $4 // Jeans; Courtesy of Fossil // Shoes: RJ Girl via Piperlime, $55

All that driving made my vision deteriorate dramatically, so I had to get some stylish eyeglasses on my trip! Just kidding... the frames are 100% fake. They do have as much UV protection as sunglasses, so I guess they're not completely impractical. The truth is, I've wanted glasses since I was a kid, but I've always had pesky perfect vision. I've tried on many a pair of "geek chic" frames, but these are the first that didn't look ridiculous on me. While I've never had a problem with people wearing glasses for style reasons, I can see why it's sometimes frowned upon. When it comes down to it, I like them too much to not wear them! Besides, aren't writers required to wear glasses? What are your thoughts on the matter?

Anyway, here's one of my beautiful besties and I having way too much fun after a kick-ass tour of Ale Asylum.

Roadtrip!

Top: Urban Outfitters, $10 // Skirt: Target, $10 // Earrings: Gift // Shoes: Steven by Steve Madden via 6pm.com, $50

Sorry it's been so quiet around here this week! Yesterday some friends and I drove 500 miles to Madison, Wisconsin for a "beer-cation" -- a weekend full of brewery tours and delicious cheese of course. I just love roadtrips, such a classic American pastime. Comfort and keeping cool were my outfit priorities, so I wore only jersey and as little of it as possible. Okay, back to World Cup. Cheers!

The One That Got Away

Dress: Old Navy, thrifted, $5 // Scarf: Vintage, gift // Earrings: Claire's, $8 // Shoes: RJ Girl via Piperlime, $55 // Bracelet: Courtesy of Lucky and LOFT

Up until a couple of years ago, I had a denim dress that fit me like a glove. Though I'm definitely one to hang onto clothes (usually for way too long), I gave it away because it wasn't very stylish at the time, and I never wore it. Now that denim is all the rage, I'm kicking myself! It doesn't look like the old one at all, but when I spied this old Old Navy frock, I knew I had to snatch it up. I'm not sure what I learned from this little scenario... never get rid of something that fits you like a glove? Trends come and go, and that's what thrift stores are for? Maybe there is no moral to the story. We'll see how long this one survives in my closet before it goes back where it came from. 

Quintessential Kansas

Top: Old Navy, $6 // Shorts: Vintage, thrifted, $4 // Belt: Vintage, thrifted, $1 // Sandals: Vince Camuto, thrifted, $4 // Hat: Payless

Well, it's officially summer, and this weekend truly felt like it. On Friday evening, I watched a baseball game with co-workers. I'm not really into sports, but it still felt good to sit in the stadium and take in the sights and sounds. Saturday was spent floating on a pond and drinking wheat beer with friends. Then we went bowling, and I scored 120 -- I believe my highest ever! It's not that high, but I was excited nonetheless. For some reason I love bowling despite not being very good at it. A cook-out complete with s'mores rounded out the wonderfully summery weekend on Sunday.

Night Owl

Shirt: Urban Outfitters, $10 // Shorts: Lucky Brand jeans cut off by me, thrifted, $5 // Necklace: Gift // Hat: Payless // Shoes: Ciao Bella via TJMaxx, $30

Sorry for the extremely short post... I'm up way past my bedtime! A quick pic is better than nothing, right? Good night, all!

Take Two

Top: Urban Outfitters, $10 // Cardigan: Poof via TJMaxx, $10 // Pants: GAP via Goodwill, $4 // Shoes: Lucky Brand, courtesy of Lucky Magazine // Ring: Courtesy of Accessorize // Earrings: Gift

I love my new top so much that I couldn't help but don it again today. Since I wore it to the office this time, I went with a more conservative spin. How will I wear it next? I envision some high-waist denim cut-offs. The only problem is I haven't procured the perfect pair! All of my old jeans (that could potentially be chopped) no longer fit me. Perhaps I'll scour some thrift stores this weekend. I can't make it through summer without just-right jean shorts.

Taking it to the Streets

Top: Urban Outfitters, $10 // Skirt: H&M, $10 // Shoes: RJ Girl via Piperlime, $55 // Clutch: Payless // Earrings: Vintage, $1

What a fun weekend! The West 18th Street Fashion Show was Saturday in Kansas City. I attended with one of my best girlfriends (who was kind enough to snap the picture above), and we were both thoroughly impressed by the show! On Sunday, my brother, sister-in-law, boyfriend and I had a little True Blood premiere party complete with delicious Bloody Marys. How was your weekend?

The Brady Bunch

Dress: Vintage, clothing swap with Little Boat // Neckace: Chain - Forever 21, $1 Pin (as pendant) - Vintage, gift // Ring: Gift // Shoes: Target, $15

Awhile back, Lexie of Little Boat sent me this retro floral dress as a part of a clothing swap. It was actually full-length originally. While I'm into the maxi look, I thought the bold print would look better on me with a shorter hemline. I love the way it turned out! I wore it to the office today but can totally see myself donning it for summer cook-outs and such.

A couple of people have asked how I alter clothing. Truth is, I'm not much of a seamstress, and my sewing machine has been on the fritz for awhile. Thanks to a tip from Kelly of Lions, Tigers & Fashion Oh My, I've been using hem tape. There's a kind that doesn't even require ironing. You just stick it on, peel off the backing, fold your hem up and... voila! A hem for the lazy or sewing-impaired.

For the Birds

Dress: Audrey via Therapy, $50 // Jacket: yesstyle.com, purchased with gift certificate courtesy of weardrobe // Flats: Plato's Closet, $6

At last, here is my final San Francisco outfit photo, featuring my favorite find: this Miu Miu-esque flock frock! I always fall for anything with birds, and the versatility of the black and white palette made it all the more appealing.

Oh, Zooey

Shirt: Vintage, thrifted, $2 // Blazer: H&M, $20 // Jeans: Urban Outfitters, purchased with gift certificate // Scarf: Courtesy of LOFT // Shoes: Steven by Steve Madden via 6pm.com, $50

I'm eager to get back to real time, so you get a two-for-one today! This is what I wore for a casual day in the city. I love white on white. And, yes, I wore that hat and those shoes nearly every day...

Shirt: Old Navy, $6 // Skirt: Forever 21 via Plato's Closet, $8 // Shoes: RJ Girl via Piperlime, $55 // Clutch: Courtesy of Accessorize // Earrings: Vintage, thrifted, $1

This is what I wore to a totally unplanned She & Him show at the Fox Theater in Oakland. We didn't find out about the show till we arrived. It was sold out, but we managed to finagle some tickets on craigslist. As I mentioned before, I packed light and with little planning, so I wasn't exactly prepared to dress for an event with Zooey Deschanel present! I probably wouldn't have otherwise chosen this combination -- plain tee, party skirt, chunky heels and sequined clutch -- but I'm hoping it came together in some sort of quirky harmony. For the record, they were phenomenal live, and she is unimaginably (but not surprisingly) charming in real life.

Blooming Bloomers

Tee: Urban Outfitters, $10 // Shorts: Final Touch via a store called Therapy // Necklace: Vintage, gift // Belt: Thrifted, $1 // Shoes: Steven by Steve Madden via 6pm.com, $50

This is not a San Francisco outfit, but it does feature a San Francisco find: these darling floral shorts! I got them at a boutique in Mission, but I think I spotted the same pair on ModCloth. They are such an easy breezy summer staple. I couldn't stop wearing them this weekend -- first on Friday night for bowling and then again on Sunday to go out to lunch.

It's A Small World After All

Top: Vintage, thrifted, $6 // Jeans: Urban Outfitters, $30 // Shoes: Steven by Steve Madden via 6pm.com, $50 // Shades: Local shop, $10 // Hat: Payless

The weather was absolutely perfect on our first full day in San Francisco. In fact, I felt a bit over-dressed in my jeans and long-sleeved blouse. We took full advantage by walking around, eating outside and doing a bit of shopping. To top it off,  I randomly ran into my friend Krystal of This Time Tomorrow. What a pleasant surprise! Then I got an email from a reader who spotted me on the street this same day. Small world!

On an unrelated note, I'm going to start linking to items I'm wearing whenever possible. The main reason being that I so often wear stuff that isn't current. I hate to send you down a fruitless path!

Traveling Light

Sweatshirt: Goodwill, $3 // Jeans: Courtesy of Fossil // Trench: Target girls' section, $15 // Shoes: Steven by Steve Madden via 6pm.com, $50 // Bag: Vintage, $14

This is what I threw on after arriving in California. Don't you always want to change after a plane ride? It's sort of boring, but quick and easy was the name of the game for this trip.

Not surprisingly, I tend to over-pack. This time around, I made a concerted effort not to. I packed the night before, didn't plan any outfits and took far fewer options than usual. This resulted in somewhat basic ensembles that repeat several key items. I ended up totally pleased with what I brought along. I didn't waste time fussing over what to wear, and, though I wasn't always dressed to the nines, I felt comfortable and pulled together each day. 

Someone suggested sharing packing tips, which I would be happy to do. Only trouble is, I don't consider myself a pro! If you're curious, here is a rough list of what I brought for this five-day trip:

Clothes: Light wash jeans, dark wash jeans, trousers (which I didn't wear), light trench, cropped moto jacket, a few tees, a blouse, a dress (which I didn't wear), a skirt.

Accessories: A couple of hats, some jewelry, a messenger bag, a clutch.

Shoes: Flats, oxfords, wedge sandals.

I did buy a few things that I wore on the trip, but that was more out of desire than necessity. I don't like to waste any time before showing off new goods! Speaking of new stuff, these oxfords are the $50 shoes I mentioned awhile back. They run really small, so I had to exchange for a larger size. Other than that, they're amazing! They look great and are quite comfortable.

San Fran Sneak Peek

I don't have my outfit photos from the trip uploaded yet, but here's a little teaser from my sister's iPhone. More to come soon!

Dessert

Here is the final leftover photo. It's probably my favorite outfit of the bunch, but I didn't like the icky night shot. I'll be back to regular posting soon!