Fall Fashion Week: Until We Meet Again

This is it.  The end.  Finito.  It has been a fun fashion-filled week.  And I loved all the encouragement, compliments, and love floating around.

It's been lovely.  Uplifting.  Wonderful.

On the other hand, I am excited about having a little more free time.  There were a lot of blogs to keep up with.

This outfit is actually similar to what I wore on the ultimately fateful (but fun) trip wine tasting last week.  The shirt and shoes are the same, with a different pair of pants.

A word about the shoes--I purchased them this summer on my grand European adventure, and I can walk in them forever.  Seriously.  Love!

Thanks again for an amazing week!  Can't wait to see you all again next time.  Head over to Emery's blog to check everyone else out and thank our lovely host!

Outfit Details:

shirt: Nordstrom, jeans: Gap (straight leg, my new fave)

shoes: York, London, watch: Anne Klein, 

bracelet: gift from Finnish cousins

Fall Fashion Week: In a Rush

Lucky for you all, it's time for a sneak peak of the apartment (I've been here long enough I can't even call it new anymore).  It's the sidewalk out front.  Yay!

As you may or may not be able to tell, I'm a little loopy right now.  I woke up late this morning and haven't really been able to relax since.  There was work, driving, school, more work, and now a blog post.

And the blog post is definitely taking the smallest chunk of time.  And now that I think about it, that's a good thing.

It should be noted that today was a little warm for tights, except for walking to my car this morning and after class tonight.  Also not pictured is the cardigan worn during those brief periods.  You'll have to get over my omission.

Don't forget to visit Emery's blog (I'm a terrible person for not including the cool button this whole time) and check out all the beautiful women.  I'll be back tomorrow to actually look at some outfit posts.  Today was a big of a lost cause for that.

Thanks again for all your wonderful comments!

(Something really weird is going on with my chin/neck here.)

Outfit Details:

dress: no clue, maybe a gift, Mom?

tights: Hue, boots: Steve Madden

As you can see I went light on the accessories.  I had my white watch on, but the battery died a little before 2pm.  Oh well.

Also, these photos were taken in about 30 seconds by my sister.  Not picture: my curtsy.  I did it too quickly for her to catch on camera.  I'm a ninja.  A curtsy ninja.

On that note, I really, really should go to bed.  Happy Thursday!

Fall Fashion Week: Magenta

I don't have many words today.  There's been some frustration to deal with and I don't really want that to spill out here.

And tomorrow's going to be a long day, that includes my very first grad school class.  6-10pm.

So I'll just leave you with my outfit for today.

And a reminder to head over to the fabulous Emery's blog to see what everyone else is wearing!

(Guest starring our springer spaniel, Jamaica.)

Outfit details:

cardigan & shirt: Gap, skirt: J. Crew 

tights: Hue (Macy's), shoes: Rocket Dog 

purse: (thrifted and gifted by my cousin)

necklace: purchased at Portobello Market in London

glasses: SpexClub

Ten on Tuesday: Doubling Up

I'll keep the intro short and sweet, since you are getting so much posting from me this week.  Here's the Ten on Tuesday questions for the week, all about traveling.  Head on over to Chelsea's blog to join in.


1. What is your dream vacation?
I'll let you know when I experience it.  I love the idea of going to a tropical destination and staying in a hut over the water.  I want to jump off the deck into the water and lounge around reading.  

2. What has been your favorite trip so far in your life?  
Europe this summer, hands down, was the best ever.  Costa Rica might come in at second.  A trip across the Canadian Rockies, through Calgary, and down to Glacier in Montana was another good one.  I've had a lot of pretty awesome opportunities in my life.

3. If you and one of your best friends could go anywhere in the world for one week, where would it be and why? All expenses paid? 
Honestly, one week doesn't sound like long enough.

4. Have you ever booked a trip using an online deal? How did it go?
I've used websites to book flights or hotels, but I've never booked a whole vacation that way.  Sometimes I'm tempted by deals, but part of me wonders if they would really be as good as they seem.

5. What’s your favorite thing to do while you’re on vacation?  
Depends on where I'm visiting.  Sometimes I like to relax, sometimes I like to take in as many sites as possible.

6. Have you ever missed an opportunity to take a trip that you regret?  
I'm not one to let an opportunity to travel slip through my fingers.  In fact, if there are any offers out there, I'm available.  (Not really, but I could make it happen.)

7. You travel far away from home and get stranded with no way to buy anything, what’s the one thing you can’t live without? 
Clean underwear or a toothbrush.

8. What’s one of your favorite traveling memories? 
Using old receipts to play hangman while on the day cruise from Helsinki to Tallinn this summer with my aunt and cousins.  We might have gone crazy otherwise.  It was a long 4 hours of sitting around.

9. All included resort or backpacking? Why?
I'd probably go with the resort, but only because it seems way beyond my means.  Well, it doesn't just seem beyond my means.  It is beyond my means.  That said, there are some places it would be really cool to backpack.

10. Are you more of a lie on the beach kind of person on vacation, or do you prefer to see the sights? 
Haha...see question five.  That totally depends on where I'm vacationing.

Fall Fashion Week: Finally Fall

Before I get started with my outfit, here's my life post, I just wanted to say I love the community happening this week.

I love that all these bloggers, from all over, who cover all different topics, are sharing and supporting each other.  I feel truly blessed to be meeting you all and receiving your encouragement.  Thank you to everyone who has stopped by, commented, or joined in on Emery's page.

I've mentioned this before, but in my neck of the woods autumn means rain.  And today it meant a lot of wind.  I was lucky enough to never lose power, but other people did.

Add to this weather scenario the fact that I didn't pack a raincoat when I headed north from my apartment to stay with parents before working today (Monday), and, well, there's the potential for a weather-related mishap.  (Worst sentence construction ever, I know.)

Luckily my mom cleared up my coatless quandry by conferring on me her completely cute raincoat.  (That was to make up for the previous sentence and was helped by thesaurus.)  And it went with the outfit I had packed.  Double win.

(As a side note, my mom's blog is a great daily devotional type read.  If you like that type of thing.)

(Also, try to forgive me my hair, which has successfully avoided shampoo for a third day.  I don't do early morning showers.  Sleep always wins.)

So a day that started with the possibility of disaster ended up pretty darn good.

Feel free to join in Fashion Week over at Emery's blog.  It's not too late!

Here's what I wore:

 (see, super cute--thanks Mom!)

 And a close shot of the earrings for your enjoyment:

Outfit Details:

shirt: purchased on my trip to Finland, 

cardigan: a gift from Mom a couple years ago,

jeans: Nordstrom (gift from Mom), 

boots: Steve Madden (via DSW),

earrings: Silpada

Fall Fashion Week: Not so lazy. At all.

Today (Sunday) was a full day of orientation.  On Wednesday I started classes to get my Master's of Communication in Digital Media.  After this weekend I'm excited and ready to work my butt off.

My cohort had a bit of a bootcamp today, and by the time we reached the last presentation, we were more than a little brain dead and ready for the ice cream truck that followed.

All the food was a little behind schedule for the day.  Between a visit from the President (yes, that one), a home football game, and end of the season construction, traffic was weirdly an issue.  But when the food and dessert did come, it was worth the wait.

Unlike so many of you lucky ladies, I didn't get to wear comfy clothes and have a lazy day.  I wouldn't have changed my day, but I was more than a little jealous of so many of you.

On a weather-related note, it was supposed to be rainy today, but the sun came out at the dessert reception and I was a little warm in a cardigan and tights.

Also, sorry for the poor picture quality.  But at least the LED lights are energy efficient.

Here's what I wore:

Outfit details:

cardigan: Nordstrom (gift), dress: Banana Republic (thrifted)

belt: cannot remember, tights: old, flats: Rocket Dog

earrings: Silpada (not really visible), watch: Fossil

Fall Fashion Week: Getting Oriented

(Head on over to Emery's blog to join in!)

I know this is Fall Fashion Week, but the past few days have been warm, muggy, and quite summer-like. And we in the PNW haven't been complaining as our summer was little lackluster.

Never fear though, the temperature is supposed to be cool and accompanied by rain.  That's what fall means here.

Saturday was half full of orientation for school.  We were having our cohort picture taken, so I wanted to look nice, but I also biked to campus to avoid football game traffic, so it had to be bike appropriate.  I should add that I biked longer today than I have in the past decade combined.

And thanks to the summer weather, I was a sweaty mess.  I actually walked my bike up one hill on the way there to keep from being a complete disaster.

And with that long and convoluted intro, here's the actual outfit.  (More to come on grad school later, when I have caught my breath and gotten through the second day of orientation.)

Oh, and to plantmyappletree, who commented about my hair...thanks!  I claim the curl as my own (and love it!), but the color is sadly not natural. :)

Outfit Details:

top: Old Navy, belt: unknown

skirt and shoes: Gap, watch: Fossil, 

earrings: from Costa Rica (not really pictured)

Isn't the lighting in our apartment lovely?!

Fall Fashion Week: Slow Start

Wearing:

sunnies: Sketchers, tank top: Marshalls, 

jeans: Old Navy, shoes: Seychelles, 

bag: Lucky Brand

My plans this week have already been derailed a little.

I went wine tasting yesterday with good friends (more on that later) and hoped to get a picture of my outfit, but then I came home and spent the even sick. I was sleeping in between bouts of sickness starting at 7pm.

So pictures of that outfit aren't going to show up today.

Instead, I'm falling back on this shot from Fashion Night Out from much earlier in the month.  But I could have been wearing this yesterday as well.  It did get up to 80, as it's supposed to today as well.  The rest of the week should seem much more fall-like, as the rain is supposed to start up on Sunday.

I do find it somewhat fitting to be using a picture from Fashion Week for our Fashion Week.  And hopefully tomorrow I'll come back ready for the next six days.

Head over to Emery's blog to join in the fun!

Awkward and Awesome: Heavy on the Wednesday

I'm going to work hard to not let the Wednesday I had not to overpower this list, but it won't be easy.  Sometimes there are just days full of stuff.  You know?

(I actually just briefly flirted with the idea of giving you a Wednesday run down, but decided to stick with the same old Thursday format.  I like things to go expected...always have.  Seriously, it's in my baby book.)

Awkward:
- having a nail in my tire in such a place that the tire has to be replaced.
- taking my car to the dealership and not hearing from them for over 3 hours.  We also played a couple exciting rounds of phone tag before I even dropped it off.
- having a computer die during lecture in class.  While the professor is speaking and my teammate was supposed to be typing.  Professional.
- receiving an email asking you a question you've answered previously.  I feel like a jerk pointing out that I already told the person.

Awesome:
- going back to work. The money alone is enough to get me excited.  But I actually really enjoy the challenge work brings me.  Ask me if I feel the same come November with school on top of it.
- having my tire still covered by warranty and not being charged for the labor.  Thank you Honda dealership.
- downloading a free copy of Microsoft Office 2011 because I'm in school.  There better be some perks for the tuition I'm paying.
- coming back home every week.  I'm not paying to do laundry if it kills me.  Never have, never will.  (Knock on wood.)
- really delicious pad thai at a whole in the wall restaurant here in Seattle.  (Although I may order a little less spice next time.)
- cookie dough.

Ten on Tuesday: Jumping on the bandwagon.

These questions were provided by Christine at Being Brinkman, who stole them from some traveling meme.  There aren't actually 10 questions this week.  Rebellion! But this is a good "All About You" questionnaire.

As Ten on Tuesday approaches the 100 week mark, you have a chance to win a prize by linking up over at Roots and Rings.  So do it!

A. Age: 26

B. Bed Size: Full at my apartment, queen at my parent's house.

C. Chore that you hate: Scooping dog poop.  I don't think anyone could enjoy that though.

D. Dogs: My parents have two, an English Springer Spaniel and a Lab/White German Shepard mix.  My roommate also has a toy poodle.  I'm surrounded!

E. Essential start to your day: Caffeine of some sort, time to wake up and get ready for the day.  I don't like to talk right away, so give me my space.

F. Favorite Color: I love jewel tones, especially teal, emerald, magenta, and burgundy.

G. Gold or Silver: I love rose gold.  My fave!

H. Height: 5'7 1/2"  (That 1/2" is very important.)

I. Instruments you play: I had brief flirtations with the clarinet and piano growing up, but haven't had any serious relationships.

J. Job Title: Transcriber

K. Kids: None that I know of.  Maybe someday if I meet a man whose children I want to have.

L. Live: Seattle, WA (mostly)

M. Mother’s Name: Mom...just kidding, Carolyn.

N. Nicknames: E, Liz, Lizard, Ebeth, Eli, and Beth or Bethie when I was little.

O. Overnight hospital stays: None.

P. Pet peeve: People who don't use their blinkers.

Q. Quote from a movie: For real, I couldn't think of one.  I was going to do some Google work, but was too lazy to handle it.

R. Right or left handed: Mostly right handed.

S. Siblings: a younger brother, Jonathan, and younger sister, Stephanie.

T. Time you wake up: Depends on the day.

U. Underwear: Yes, I own them.  And I wash them regularly.  Thanks for asking.

V. Vegetable you hate: I'm not a big fan of peas.

W. What makes you run late: Getting behind.  Having to pack.

X. X-Rays you’ve had:  Back, teeth, hand...though I've never actually broken a bone.

Y. Yummy food that you make: Homemade alfredo sauce, cinnamon rolls, chicken stuffed with deliciousness.

Z. Zoo Animal: I like the ones that are easy to see.  Those animals that hide in their caves or away from prying eyes, it's like they don't enjoy captivity and people tapping on glass at them.  It's just rude.

Summer's Over

Sunday was, for all intent and purposes, my last day of summer, which is pretty weird to think about.  Today I had a staff meeting, classes at work start Wednesday, this weekend is my orientation for school, and then next week grad school officially begins.

I'm excited, nervous, and a little bit unsure about how the next three months will go.  Just the reading and writing potentially involved in grad school is enough to make me quiver.  But I'm sure it's all like riding a bike, and even though it's been more than three years, it will all come back to me in a flash.

And now I'm in the process of buying books for one of my classes.  There are a few required readings, and some suggested readings in different categories.  My problem, I want to learn it all.  Seriously.

I'm sure I'll feel very differently about it come three weeks from now when I have a huge pile of books, tons of work to do, and I'm dealing with my commute in the midst of everything else.  For now though, I eager to get going.

Weird.  It seems like just a couple years ago I couldn't wait to finish school.

Oh wait, that was just a couple years ago.  I'm sure I'll remember what that's like quickly.  For now, I'll revel in the excitement though.

(And enjoy a lazy day tomorrow before things really get going.)

Awkward and Awesome: And so it begins

Awkward:
- the transition to fall always feels a little abrupt to me.  Last week it was in the 80s.  Today it was windy, rainy, and fall-like.  I fought it by wearing a t-shirt without any short of long sleeved anything.  It's just so hard to give up summer for me.
- while my dad and I were out mowing today, we encountered a bat trapped in a garage.  I tried to encourage it to leave by swinging my dad's flannel shirt at it.  No success.  I probably just wound it up more.
- not being able to fall asleep.  I was, unfortunately, awake until after 2am this morning.  Then I was awake less than six hours later.  That's not okay with me.  Also, twitter is very boring at two in the morning.  It's like everyone's sleeping or something.
- I worked from home all week transcribing videos.  I was often still in my pjs at 4pm.  I'm not proud, but I wouldn't change the comfort level for the world.
- Forgetting my computer charger at my parent's house last weekend.  Luckily my roommate also has a Mac.  Bullet dodged.

Awesome:
- making some fun online purchases.  I got chai so my roomy CC can make up Starbuck's Dirty Chai Lattes (she was a barista).  I also got a few art pieces for the apartment.  Finally I got a bottle of wine, for about $5 out of pocket.  I feel so victorious.
- finally feeling settled (besides some decorating) in the apartment.  That also means pictures will be forthcoming.  I swear.
- fun plans for the weekend with some friends I've been trying to connect with for a while.  I can't wait for some good catching up.
- having our hot water heater fixed quickly last week.  We'd be resetting it over and over to get hot water.  Then the water was so hot it would burn our skin.  It was set to 190 degrees.  Perfect.  But it's fixed.  Yay!
- my roommate got a grill!  And our patio is covered.  That means BBQing can happen all year long.

Fall Lusting

Fall Lusting by lizard22w featuring a long wool skirt

I don't have much of a clothing budget at the moment.  Moving to a new apartment, starting grad school in the next two weeks, and not working much will do that to a person.

However, that hasn't stopped me from drooling over a few different items.  I thought to satisfy the craving just a little, I'd turn to Polyvore and my blog to share.

A few items high on my lust list are long term items, for when I have lots of spare moneys: Frye boots and a colorful J. Crew #2 pencil skirt.

Other items are more attainable: a chambray shirt, suede wedges, and a touch of leopard print.

What are you lusting after?

Ten on Tuesday: Would you rather?

It's Tuesday, which should be really clear.  Join in this week over at Roots and Rings and answer the questions from Rachel Heather.

(Also, Ten on Tuesday is approaching it's 100th week--crazy!--so if you link up between now and then, you are entered to win a fun giveaway.  Think about it.)

Before I get started, let me just say that I find the game Would You Rather intriguing and frustrating all at the same time.  I don't really like absolutes, like when people ask "what is your favorite X?" so that aspect of the game is endlessly frustrating.  But, it can spark really interesting conversation and cause you to think about things in a different way based on others answers.  Also, it can be hilarious and disgusting (both pluses for a game in my book).

Here's the Ten on Tuesday version:

WOULD YOU RATHER:
1. eat chocolate covered grasshoppers or this freaky squid thing?
Definitely the grasshopperes.  Just watch the video and you'll understand.

2. never see another movie or never watch TV again?
I'd probably never watch TV again.  I love movies even if I don't watch them that often.

3. be a superhero with a lame power or a supervillain with an awesome power?
If I'm a supervillian does that mean I do bad things compulsively, like without control.  I don't like losing control.  I'll go for the superhero thing.  That's more power than I have now.

4. eat only salty snacks for the rest of you life, or only sweet snacks?
Only salty, too much sweet and I start to overdoes.  Also, I'm not counting dessert as a snack.

5. never read another book or never hear another song?
I. Don't. Even. Know.  Seriously, hardest would you rather here of the lot.  I love reading and can't imagine not being able to.  I guess that's what I choose.  But I love music.  Still, reading.  Okay, I'll give up music.

6. be a whale carcass remover or a sewer inspector?
I think I'll go for the whale carcass removal.  There's just something about the sewer...

7. have no electricity or no running water?
No electricity for sure.  I love showers too much.  I can't boy scout my way without electricity.  Having said that, our family cabin on Whidbey didn't have running water when I was growing up, but there was a hand pump well.  As kids, that was awesome.

8. be a dog or a cat?
I don't know.  Do I get to choose my owners?  That's a pretty important factor.  I'll get back to you.

9. always be hot or always be cold?
Cold, I guess.  My hands and feet are often cold anyway.  And I like tea and soup and I'd always have an excuse to consume them.

10. be forced to watch all 3 High School Musicals on an endless loop, or the Twilight movies?
I'd probably choose the high school musical, even if having those songs stuck in my head would suck.  I just can't handle Twilight.

Awkward and Awesome: From a new city

This week's line up of awkward and awesome is going to be good.  I've been moving and traveling, and if you have done either, you know how crazy things can get.

And I have feeling things aren't going to settle down anytime soon.  What with real life starting back up, including the addition of school.  *gulp*  I mean, I'm excited, but that last time I wrote a real research paper...let's just say I don't remember it very clearly.

Anyways, on to this week's awkward and awesome.

Awkward:
- having a completely blank hard drive--no pictures, no music (except the one CD I added this weekend), and none of the programs I use so regularly (Word and Photoshop, for example).
- a hawk killed a pigeon on our patio the other night, and then sat there and feasted on it.  We still have feathers scattered around as a reminder.
- trying to fit all our stuff into our apartment, but also realizing how many things I am missing.
- not being able to work the intercom system for our apartment.  It's kind of like the way Christine and I had trouble with electronics all across Great Britain.
- having to reset our hot water heater to take hot showers.

Awesome:
- getting a new hot water heater installed tomorrow, hopefully.  Loving how prompt the landlord is.
- Fashion Night Out, which my sister and I attended, at UVillage here in Seattle.  We got swag bags (so fun!) and entered some fun giveaways.  We also might have made a few purchases.
- the fact that my hard drive replacement was covered by my warranty, of which there were ten days left.  Thank you Apple.
- feeling mostly settled in the new apartment.  I promise pictures are coming once we get some of the moving rubble cleared out.
- getting to help, just a little, with harvest over the weekend.  I drove the truck affectionately called BW (for Beats Walking) and was teased that I wouldn't want to drive anything else after that.
- finally getting our summer weather here in the PNW, you know, in September.  It's been over 80 degrees all week and I'm loving it.  Even if everyone else is ready for fall.

Awkward and Awesome:
- getting to keep my job back home, but having to make the 2.5+ hour round trip drive twice a week all quarter.  The money is totally worth it, but it will still be exhausting.  Another perk, I'll be able to do laundry at my parent's house every week instead of paying for it at the apartment.  And see the dogs.  (Okay, and see my parents. SF)

Fall Fashion Week!!!

Emery over at moms are for everyone is hosting another fashion week.  If you're new to my blog, or in the case, haven't been around more than a year, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about.

That's okay.

I'll be taking pictures of my outfits, posting them for a week this September, and linking up over at Emery's blog.  And you can join in the fun, too!

To review my previous fashion week attempts, Fall Fashion Week and Summer Fashion Week.

The timing of this is perfect for me.  That's the week I have my orientation for grad school and then class starts up.  Now I'll be motivated to look nice on two fronts.

Are you going to play along?

Ten on Tuesday: Keeping it simple

It's Ten on Tuesday time, and I'm back on the wagon.  I kept it pretty simple this week since I was a little exhausted by my fantasy football draft (more on that later).

1. What temperature do you keep your thermostat on during the day?
Currently, we have no heat on.  The beauty of living in the (almost) basement of an apartment building in the summer.  It doesn't get cold, but it doesn't get hot either.  Who knows what will happen as it gets colder though.

2. What temperature do you keep your thermostat on at night?
See above.

3. In a canister of mixed nuts, do you pick out certain varieties and leave the others?
I love cashews.  Yummy.  I also like pistachios, not that they come in the canister.

4. What is your favorite kind of M&M?

Peanut butter, or the fancy dark chocolate almond kind (did I just make that up?).

5. How do you buy books? (Amazon, bookstore, new, used, electronic, etc)
A combo of sale books, books for Kindle, and a splurge every now and then.

6. How do you like your eggs cooked?
Well, I love eggs benedict, but if it's just eggs, I'd probably choose over easy or sunny side up.

7. Can you whistle?
Yes.

8. What common word do you always misspell?
I find zucchini difficult.  Is that common?

9. Are you afraid of flying?
Nope, it can be exhausting, but it doesn't scare me.

10. How often do you go shopping?
Um, right now a lot as I just moved into a new apartment.  It's like I need something every other second.

Along Came Life

I thought I'd be absent, you know, because I was moving and didn't have internet.

Then my computer had to get a new hard drive, which luckily was covered by my warranty, but still resulted in all my data being stuck on a small piece of hardware beyond my reach.  I just don't have those skills.

And someday, when I'm not traveling cross-state in an uninsured car, moving harvest vehicles, carrying millions of boxes to the recycling, trying to fit all my stuff in a space that's too small, and generally not getting enough sleep, I'll get the data transferred.

But for now, you get posts with words, just like it used to be in the olden days, before I had a fancy camera and when I didn't really have a plan or any real direction for this thing called a blog.

And yes, you're right.  I still don't have a plan or a direction for the blog.

But I do have a nice camera.  And occasionally I remember to take pictures.  You've probably even spotted a few.  (Or, as was the case with Europe, a lot of pictures.)

For now, though, I'm going to enjoy the second half of a long weekend, the fact that I do have a fully functioning, much cleaner than I left it computer back (and yes, there probably should be a few dozen dashes in that last sentence).

See I have plans, for BBQ lunches, movies, more unpacking (*sigh*), continuing to drive an uninsured car (very safely), and other shenanigans.

Plus I have a fantasy draft to study up for.  I have the second pick, so I feel some pressure.

I hope you all are enjoying a natural disaster free, gorgeous weather filled, generally fun long weekend.

As someone who spent an hour this morning eating dust from three combines, a tractor pulling a grain bin, one semi, and a Ford pick-up, I know I am.

And, as should be obvious by this post, I'm also writing very concise, clear sentences.  (Was that redundant?)

As I once told my mom, "it's not that I'm uncapable."