square shouldered

i often struggle with having a wardrobe that is conservative enough for my professional needs, yet still playful and representative of my personal style. i want to be taken seriously, but i still want to be myself. {my girl kindredly and i were just talking about this the other day, actually.} it is often a difficult line to find, but a challenge that i have enjoyed facing, none the less. it's actually part of the reason that i started this blog...

the combination of a high-waisted skirt and a structured top always makes me feel more professional and put together. i usually try to stick to neutrals like black and gray for a more polished look, especially when including an item with studs or grommets.

when it comes to accessories, i tend to wear one larger statement type piece with basic hoops or pearls {though i wouldn't call my menswear watch a "statement" piece, you get the idea.} i also usually like to have my nails painted a fun but neutral color, so today i went with a neutral pink.

top, f21; skirt, h&m; pumps, nine west (old); watch, target (men's section); essie van d'go polish

what are your secrets for maintaining your style yet conforming to a conservative profession/dress code?

xoxo

ps. stay tuned for an exciting announcement later this week!
it may or may not involve winning something. <3


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i'm in love...

... with this painting.


it's me and husband.
it's inspiring & beautiful.
it would be so lovely over our bed.
it's simply perfect.

and i've been thinking about it for at least three weeks straight.
sigh.


but we don't dance by casey oconnell
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adventure no. 95: colorado road trip {part 1}

a few weeks before christmas, husband and i set out on a road trip from georgia across the country to colorado. the plan was to ski for three days, then spend three to four more days in various small mountain towns.... durango, silverton, ouray, wherever the wind took us. everyone kind of thought it was weird that we chose to drive, but being on the road together was part of the fun.


i have to admit that kansas and oklahoma almost made me regret driving. not to say that there aren't lovely parts of kansas and oklahoma, but the regions within view of interstate 40 and 70 don't provide much to look at except tumbleweeds. {and i did see a few of those.} it was during this portion of the trip that husband convinced me that jackalopes are real, so i spent about an hour looking for one until i realized he was pulling my leg.... gullible much?

new mexico was lovely.... complete with wildlife and sunny skies, and we stopped at the rest area for a picnic. unfortunately {for me}, new mexico is also home to quite a significant snake population.


the drive through colorado itself was breathtakingly beautiful. blue skies, snowy mountain tops, an open landscape as far as you can see.

we skied at wolf creek, a smaller resort that was mostly locals and pseudo-locals from texas on school breaks. skiing is one of our favorite sports to do together because we're at the same level {actually i am the slightly better skier, but husband won't admit it}. the runs at wolf creek are really fun. some are wide and long with intermittent steep parts, some are short and steep, and others criss-cross through the woods with varying levels of technicality. these last are my favorites {and husband's too}, so we had a blast traversing through the trees into the knee deep snow.

the second and final leg of the trip took us through durango, silverton, and ouray up to colorado springs. stay tuned for those pictures soon!
{see the second part here}

xoxo


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happy weekend

we have a friend coming in town today

i will spend tomorrow stuyding this

i will also continue revamping our office {pictures soon!}

and i will probably bake some of these

the little bit, loveology, tim walker photography, la joie de vivre

what does your weekend include?

xoxo

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tick tock tick tock

i love wearing a watch. it makes me feel more grown up and in control. like if i know what time it is, then i will be more productive, make better grades, appear more professional. although i get quite a few comments on how my watch is "almost as big as i am," i especially love wearing this guy.

 {i love that it is both gold and silver. i feel like it coordinates my beautiful silver wedding ring with my funky gold earrings.}

it seems like this is the only piece of jewelry i wear lately...this menswear watch with a gold bangle and pearl stud earrings. sometimes i switch the pearls out for a pair of pink & gold drop earrings.

what is/are your go-to pieces when it comes to jewelry?

and for you males, what do you like to see your ladies in?

xoxo

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mad hatter's ball

this past friday evening husband and i joined my fellow pharmacy school ladies for a wonderful night of well-mannered, alice-inspired frivolities. a very merry unformal, if you will.

given the short notice of our attendance, i tried to throw together somewhat appropriate attire.
my original idea for a hairpiece included both feathers and playing cards, but it didn't work with the dress, so i just used the feathers. {my sweet friend kayleigh, however, had a most incredible display of cards and feathers in her hair. unfortunately, i did not get a picture of it...}

although we didn't get any pictures together, husband looked quite handsome in his shirt & tie, dashing even. unfortunately, when your husband is the photographer & you forget the tripod, it is quite difficult to get pictures of you as a couple.

the evening was full of delicious food and desserts, quite a bit of dancing, over-sized top hats, lovely red roses, and some really incredible friends. given our rather large stress level at school, it was quite wonderful to talk, drink, eat, and dance the night away ensemble...

i had an enormous amount of fun just dancing and being silly with husband. so much in fact, that my cheeks were hurting from all of the laughing we were doing {one of the reasons i married the man...} as i attempted to teach him some of the dances that i learned at sickle cell camp, and he good-naturedly tried to keep up.

i do hope that you had a very merry weekend as well.
xoxo


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spring peeks out to say hello

happy first day of spring!
xoxo


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garden party

inspired by chlorophyll-green gardens, sun-drenched landscapes and 70s hippie chic flower-power, the looks in the h&m garden collection are exactly what i want to spend my spring and summer days wearing. i absolutely adore the florals and the laid-back 70s vibe. so perfect for all of those hot southern summer days!

the feminine, romantic garments not only make a great addition to a summer wardrobe, but they promote sustainability in their eco-friendly production. all of the items in this collection are made entirely from environmentally adapted or recycled materials -- organic cotton & linen, grown without the use of chemicals, recycled polyester made from textile waste.

the collection will be available beginning march 25th. let me know if you pick up any of these lovely and renewable items! i will definitely be doing the same.
xoxo

images courtesy of h&m
laforce + stevens

today i stopped on the side of the road...

... to pick some lovely daffodils.

they were hiding in a shallow ditch where no one could really see or enjoy them,
so i decided it was my duty to bring them home and place them on the kitchen table.
they have made my day brighter and serve as a constant reminder that spring is finally here!

so hooray for daffodils on the side of the road, hooray for their delicious flowery scent, and hooray for spring!


oh, and happy st patrick's day!
xoxo


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{kara's} orzo salad

my sweet friend kara makes the most scrumptious rice and pasta salads -- always choc full of delicious veggies with rich feta and a hint of citrus olive oil or balsamic vinegar.

inspired by one of her creations, i made an orzo salad yesterday, and i must say that it is quite delicious. it's perfect for lunch because it's light but filling, and the vegetables are so flavorful!


the recipe:
1 cup orzo pasta, cooked & drained
1 bunch of asparagus, roasted & diced
1 orange bell pepper, roasted & diced
1 package sun-dried tomato feta
1/2 can of large black olives, sliced in half
approx 2 tbl spoons extra virgin olive oil
a splash or two of balsamic vinegar

i roasted my asparagus & bell pepper with just a little olive oil coating at 400 degrees for 20 and 30 minutes, respectively. after cooled, the skin on the pepper should easily peel away.


i love this salad for its simplicity and fresh flavor. the roasted pepper and asparagus are so flavorful, and the sun-dried tomato feta adds its own bit of kick. this is the perfect lunch for those hectic work/school days.

what is your favorite dish for a quick and easy lunch?
xoxo


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golden oldie

when i bought this dress, my friend told me that it was a grandma pattern.. in a good way. i love it. you know how i feel about vintage everything, so a dress inspired by a vintage pattern was a no brainer. although it is sleeveless, the fabric is a light flannel blend, so it is perfect for these cool march mornings.

i paired it with nude fishnets and vintage earrings to further play up the vintage charm. these earrings are also quite special... i bought them to wear in my wedding. it turned out that small pearls were best, and i wore these to the rehearsal dinner instead, but i still love them dearly. {they remind me of that wonderful weekend when i married my best friend.}

one of my favorite things about this dress is that it is work appropriate, especially when styled with a sweater, nude tights, and heels, and still fun.

dress & sweater, UO; tights, simply vera; heels, lizard thicket boutique; earrings, vintage

what about you? would you wear a "grandma" dress?
xoxo


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happy friday

a few things i plan on doing this weekend:

painting the furniture in the office & reorganizing
attending a couples shower for our lovely friends, jake & rachel
baking some chocolate chip peanut-butter oatmeal cookies
taking a trip to ikea for the above office project
bopping and catching up with my bestie
making homemade pimento cheese for sandwiches
watching a few eipsodse of lost


what will you be doing this weekend?
i do hope your plans include checking out my guest post over at be in style!
xoxo


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husband knows best*

*when it comes to sprint exercises.

i love running. i love the feeling of finally meeting a goal, the simultaneous euphoria and exhaustion after a long distance run, the exhilaration of finishing a race. yeah, running is good exercise and all, but it's more than that for me. it's stress relief, a pick-me-up on a bad day, a way to enjoy the lovely weather, a feeling of power.

when it comes to actual training, however, i tend to drop the ball. i would much rather run for 45 minutes to an hour outside on wooded trails and have to do a bit of walking than run sprints or get on a treadmill. this is especially the case in winter. it's too cold for me to run outside {because apparently i'm a wimp *EDIT: as pointed out by the lovely sarah, i am not a wimp. i am just southern through and through.}, but i just can't handle treadmills for very long. i know that i need to work on speed if i want to actually become a better runner {faster, better endurance and all}, but i just don't enjoy it.

the girl's on the run, originally uploaded by Kelly Angard - kreativekell

enter in the wisdom {read: persistent reminding} of husband. he swore to me that running sprints in the morning last summer greatly increased his speed and endurance on longer trail runs. he's also been doing them on and off over the past two months in this dreadfully cold weather. i'm not going to say that i didn't believe him, because i could tell that he'd gotten better, but i didn't really want to believe him.

imagine my surprise when he absolutely smoked me on our trail run last weekend. neither of us have really run distance since october, so i expected him to be just as slow as i was. um, no. not the case.

so guess what my new workout regimen includes? you got it, sprints. i have to say that it's really not as bad as i expected. on the bright side, you're done after like ten minutes. i will let you know how it affects my distance running, but i have a feeling it will be a positive change.


what do you do to train/workout/stay fit during the winter?
xoxo


{click here for the sprint workouts i am doing.}

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scratch & dent saturday

a few times each year, husband and i wake up embarrassingly early and trek into the city for rei's member's only scratch & dent sale. all the gear and clothing are items that were returned for various reasons and are sold for a vastly lower price. it's a really great way to find incredible deals on camping, hiking, biking, and kayaking equipment... the only thing is that you really need to be among the first people in the store to get the best stuff, and people start to line up outside around 6 or 7 am.

despite the early morning and the bitter cold, there is a sense of camaraderie among the individuals standing in line. most everyone has thermoses full of coffee, some people cook breakfast over camp stoves, some send a spouse to get bagels or chick-fil-a {mine & husband's plan}. pretty soon everyone is sharing stories of travels abroad, favorite camping spots, the best local hikes, and the most memorable summit views.

this year we took camp chairs and blankets to augment our coffee and books, and the sun was a welcome addition to the cold morning air. this was definitely a step up from standing in line for two hours in the drizzling rain last time.

in the end, it was definitely worth the effort. i found a mountain hardware monkey woman jacket for a mere $30 {original retail, $150} that i absolutely adore. it's so bright pink that it's almost red, and it will keep me quite warm on all of our upcoming outdoor adventures.

the perfect end to our early morning was lunch at my favorite cuban place in the city. they have the best salsa in atlanta, hands down, and the black bean quesadillas are simple, but delicious.

overall, it was quite a lovely day. scratch & dent is one of our favorite pastimes not only because we get great deals on camping & hiking gear, but also because we have been going every year since we started dating. it's kind of our little tradition now.

do you have any saturday or weekend traditions?

xoxo

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3. 08. 10

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

~ e e cummings, i carry your heart with me

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send in the clowns

things i love: red lipstick, stripes, and bright florals.

when i was a kid i was deathly afraid of clowns. as in, run-and-hide-under-my-mom's-skirt terrified. there was just something about that huge, painted on smile that really bothered me. my fear wasn't limited to circuses and fairs, though. i was also terrified of ronald mcdonald. 

although my aversion to clowns still lingers today, i was thinking about them when husband was taking these pictures. here is why...

sometimes people give me bizarre looks in public. i live in a pretty small town outside of the city, and i am certain that the general population here thinks that i dress weirdly. i'm not really used to being thought of as the quirky girl who thinks she's fashionable. i'm used to seeing people dress the way they want to dress, fashion forward or not. i lived in the city for six years and was surrounded by music, art, and quite a bit of self-expression {i went to a liberal arts school}, so this concept of being the "weirdo" on the street is new to me. but you know what? i don't mind.

blazer & cigarettes, urban; tank, f21; watch, nordstrom; bangle, vintage; shoes, nine west

so here's to bright colors, mixing patterns, and wearing bright red lipstick. besides, if all else fails in my academic endeavors, i can always join the circus.

xoxo

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