Summer Fashion Week: Day 4

Today has me working in the morning (i.e. mowing lawns) and running down to Seattle for an evening meeting.

Because of a somewhat tight schedule, I planned ahead and took pictures of my outfit last night.  Then I watched the news and saw that it was actually going to be warm tomorrow, with a high of 80.

So if I end up going with a different outfit for the meeting, I'll post that as well.

And I don't know if I've mentioned this yet or not, but I'm a shoe addict.  In fact, most of my outfits I'm more worried about what I'm wearing with a certain pair of shoes than what clothes I'm wearing.  And accessories are really only an afterthought for me.

Thursday "Nice" Outfit, Version 1.0:

Try to see past the various shadows to the clothes; the sun was in full "set" mode when these pictures were taken.  (Shout out to my mom for playing photographer this week!)

This is an awkward pose all around.  I'm trying to show of the shoes a little and keep the squinting to a minimum.

Also, this is the end of the day so my hair is grungy and my makeup is nonexistent.  Tomorrow I will probably have my hair down.

The crowning glory of the outfit (in my opinion), my shoes.  I love these babies.  But I think I've said that about every pair you've seen.

And finally, the lone accessory, filagree tear drop earrings.

Thursday's line-up:
shirt - Calvin Klein, gift from Mom
pants - Banana Republic
shoes - Steve Madden
earrings - gift from Mom

Summer Fashion Week: Day 3

I had a super exciting morning...a visit to the doctor for an annual checkup.  Although I'm pretty sure it's been more like 2 years since I last week.

Because of that I wanted an outfit that was easy to get in and out of.  No unnecessary layers, zippers or buttons.

So I went with a dress I got last week in my spree at Banana Republic (unlike many of the ladies taking part in fashion week, I have not yet mastered the art of thrifting).  I'm pretty sure this dress falls in the beach/cover up category, but I'll definitely be using it for more than that.

Also, I have an obsession with heels, but don't often get a chance to wear.  What better than a visit to the doctor's to bust them out.

Wednesday's outfit:

The quintessential self portrait in the mirror.  I was struggling to find shots I actually liked today.  Lighting and I were locked in some sort of mortal battle.

The earrings for the day (which are a light green-hard to see, I know.) and the side detailing on my glasses, which I love, love, love!

View #1 of my shoes.

A shot of my shoes and purse together.  The prints are so fun.  The picture didn't make it into the full-length shot I went with, but I definitely used it throughout the day.  Try to ignore the fact that my legs are in desperate need of lotioning.

The line-up:
Dress - Banana Republic
Shoes - Reaction by Kenneth Cole (from DSW, my happy place)
Earrings - a gift from my mom, I think
Purse - Hold My Bag (off of Etsy), my mom got it for me in a place of a bag she couldn't figure out how to make me

Head here to see what everyone else is wearing today.  Thanks for the comments, too!  And the inspiration you all are giving me.

Summer Fashion Week: Day 2

Today saw me getting up at the crack of dawn.  My summer schedule is pretty laid back, except for today, when I had to get down for a shoot for a PSA in Seattle for a charity fundraiser I'm helping with.  (I'm sure I'll be talking more about that in coming months.)

Somehow, maybe because of the threat of fashion week, I was able to put together an outfit this morning, get makeup done and walk out the door with time to spare.

Some days I amaze even myself.

I'm back home already, having spent more time in the car than I did in the city.  And I've already visited Starbucks twice.

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

To be honest, I didn't actually wear the heels for my trip south.  That turned out to be a good thing, as I had to run (literally) to and from our car.

The only thing the picture doesn't quite capture is the color of the skirt.  It's just a slightly shimmery gold, silk-cotton blend, which I managed to spill on just minutes after taking the photo.  I'm smooth like that.

You also can't see my rings since I didn't take a close up, but they are family pieces.  I have the ever-present hair band on my wrist as well.  I didn't even think about it until it was too late.

I absolutely love these shoes.  They are by Seychelles, my all-time favorite shoe brand.  Adorable, super comfortable, and not ridiculously priced.

This necklace, which may actually be a little hard to see against the shirt was the only recent purchase on this outfit.  I got it last week at J Crew and am already in love with it.

The run down:
Tank - Old Navy clearance
Skirt - GAP
Wedges - Seychelles
Necklace - J Crew

You can check out the rest of summer fashion week here.

Summer Fashion Week: Day 1

I've been reading Emery Jo for a while now.  She's an amazing woman and blogger, and I admire her transparency in her writing.

As a part of her blog, she does seasonal fashion weeks.  And now is time for Summer Fashion Week. I thought I would delurk and join in on the fun.

Without further ado...my outfit for day #1:

The top I got at a local boutique; I love the detailing on the neckline, hem and sleeves. The shoes are grey suede Rampage flats.  The pants are Old Navy grey skinny jeans that I got super cheap on sale.

I didn't really accessorize, partly because I'm not good at it and partly because I thought the shirt provided a lot of interest on its own.

Summer Lovin'

Today is one I'm calling an ultimate summer break.  And I didn't even spend time laying in the sun/swimming in water.

But that didn't even matter.

I may have mentioned before that my uncle is visiting for a few weeks from Finland.  Which is kind of a long ways from here.

As a part of his trip to the states, he always tries to do a little shopping.  My dad (this uncle is his brother) comes from a family of large (giant) men.  At 6'7", my dad is the shortest brother.  Ridiculous.

Needless to say, it's always a little difficult for them to find clothing that fits well.

To "help" him with his shopping goals, my parents and I took him to the outlets just north of Seattle.  Today was supposed to be a record-breaker in terms of heat and I could imagine no better way of spending it than popping in and out of air conditioned stores.

Prior to shopping, we ensured high energy levels by taking a meal at a wonderful italian restaurant.  My mom and I shared a cranberry mimosa salad with pistachios, and a pizza.  I will definitely have to recreate that sometime.

At the outlets, I "helped" my uncle at Banana Republic.  All their dresses were 40% off.  I went a little crazy, but in a very cute way.

Plus, the new apparel was a motivator for getting me to the gym this evening when we made it home.  That and the fact that 90-ish degrees is a little too warm for an outdoor run.  I just had not consumed enough water for that kind of exertion.

Now I'm home, sweating and satisfied, sipping on a Corona with lime.

It's a good day.  In every way except in terms of my bank account.

And maybe if I get my act together I might even get some pictures of my dresses up on the blog in the coming days.

Don't count on it.

Obligatory Weather Post

I cannot even contain my excitement right now.

Even though summer officially started a couple weeks ago, it's been nothing like summer around here.

We've been bundled up in sweatshirts and socks.  My down comforter is still on my bed.  I kid you not.

I've heard rumors of summer in all other parts of the country.  And people have the nerve to complain about the heat.

But the sunshine is finally here!

You won't find me complaining about heat.  That's for sure.

The other bonus (at least I think so) of the sunny, dry summer weather is that the grass will stop growing so much.  That means I will actually have time for fun stuff. 

I plan to take full advantage of the sunshine.

4th of July

Let's get something out of the way...Happy Independence Day!!!

It feels like time is flying.  Somehow, a week has passed without me posting, but it doesn't feel that long at all.

Last weekend's basketball extravanganza was fun, but not as successful as a competitive person such as myself would hope.  Although, if I was playing basketball more often, I would feel a lot worse about it.

My uncle is currently visiting from FINLAND.  It's fun to have him here, especially for my grandpa who has been counting down the days.

Additionally, for the 4th of July (a mere 3 weeks from my birthday), my sister came home for the weekend.  It's fun to have her around.  She was also lucky enough to get to mow lawns with me yesterday.

And boy, did we have the time of our lives.  I spent the last hour weedeating.  So yeah, not so fun.

I'm currently dogsitting (just overnight) for a family friend.  I'm sitting at the computer and the dogs are out wandering around.  Last night they went for a bit of an adventure, but eventually meandered home on their own.  I was told that was normal.

Unfortunately, unlike most of the rest of the country, it hasn't really been summer here in the Northwest.  Today is overcast with a chance of rain and a high in the low 60s.  That's something to look forward to.

At least there is a small likelihood anything will burn down tonight.

I'm off (in a couple hours) to spend the day with family and eat a lot of food, just as soon as the dogs wander home again.