Random Snapshots

animal prints

Animal prints are back in right now.  

Are you wearing any?  How and where?  :)

The giraffe print ballet flats are Dexter brand from Payless.

thank you mother nature

I'm glad the warm weather is back again.

I'm not in my best shape lately (working on it!) so it was nice to pull out the loose-fitting summer dresses this morning.  :)  Loose dresses always fit - even if your pants are a little tight!

I think I'll head to Target after work and see if can snag some deals.   

pattern on pattern

I was reading a blog (I can't remember which one now) the other day that talked about mixing patterns within an outfit.  Apparently that's "in" right now although it's really nothing new.  I took a look back through some of my daily outfit photos over the past year and realized that I don't venture into "pattern on pattern" outfits very much.

Do you mix patterns in your outfits?  If so, I'd love to see examples. 

I decided to try it today and I like the look.

 

Stripes on the top and glen plaid on the bottom.  I cut the patterns up a bit by layering a solid tank underneath my sweater.  I'm also wearing my new nude pumps which I love!

Here's a closer look:

  

I like the way this outfit turned out.  What do you think?

I think this works because of the difference in size of the patterns.  The stripes are wide and bold and the glen plaid is very small and subtle.  This was mentioned on the blog which had cited a fashion article on mixing bold and subtle patterns together in one outfit.    

Speaking of bold patterns...I picked up this cute bag at Target last weekend and decided to carry it today.  

  

I love the pattern!  It doesn't match my outfit or my winter coat, but I didn't care this morning.  I'm desperate for spring!  And I love big bags because I'm always carrying a lot of shit -- books, knitting, etc.

hurry up spring.

I'm really anxious for spring and a little break in this cold weather.  I'm tired of the frosty mornings and wearing a coat.  I hate wearing a coat!

When I was rifling through my closet this morning I came across a bright accessory that I bought on clearance at the end of the summer and hadn't worn yet.  It matched my new flats so I figured I'd wear it today.

 

This photo turned out really bad, but the sash/belt is spring green, teal, yellow and orange.  I got it in a clearance bin at Ann Taylor Loft for $1.00 last summer.  It worked out well this morning because I couldn't find the belt that came with this sweater since I've been trying to wear it with different pieces.    

The flats I got at Target on Saturday for $4.00 on clearance.  Great buy!

  

They are suprisingly comfortable too.  Can't beat that!

daily outfit

It has been so cold out lately and I really haven't felt like getting dressed in the morning, let alone trying to be creative with my outfits.  I've mentioned it before -- I'm not a fan of winter or winter dressing.  This weekend I picked up a few new pieces (on killer sales - bonus!) to wear.  I always find that to be a good way to renew my love for putting outfits together. 

Here's what I'm wearing today:

• Sweater - GAP (new)

• Tank - Old Navy

• Trousers - NY & Co

• Nude Pumps - Unisa (new)

• Pearls - the Limited

• Coat - Banana Republic

I'm showing my love of neutral colors here, but especially the color camel.  It's one of my most favorites.  I've had the coat for a couple of years, but it's a little big in the waist so I don't wear it that much.  I need to have it tailored, but haven't had the time to find a place around here.

I also got my hair cut over the weekend.  I had him re-cut my bangs and leave the length on the rest.  He trimmed it up across the bottom bluntly and I'm using a flat-iron on it now to get a nice blunt edge.  I still need some practice with the flat-iron.  Being that my hair is pin straight I'd never thought to use one before, but I like it so far.  He darkened the color as well.

If you're looking for a few new wardrobe pieces I suggest you get out to the mall ASAP - there are still so many sales!

Happy Monday.  Stay tuned for photos from our Forks, WA roadtrip tomrrow!

daily outfit

I wanted to share my outfit today -- particularly my great new-to-me accessory!

 

I'm wearing my new favorite belt.  My Grandma gave this to me when I saw her for Thanksgiving.  It came from her closet which makes me like even more.  My Gran is quite the dresser! 

Vintage Karl Lagerfeld!

 

Yum - isn't the color to die for?! 

WIP: Herringbone Rib Socks

I started these socks on Sunday night and they seem to be knitting up pretty quickly.  I had a hard time getting a good picture with my point & shoot this morning -- this one will have to do for now.

  

Can you see the herringbone pattern?  It shows up really well in person.

The pattern is from IK Winter 2008.  It's also in the new book that comes out next month about knitting socks with handpainted yarns.  I can't wait for that book!

I originally bought this yarn last week to use as the contrasting color for the Harika socks, but it didn't work out.  I thought it was long stripes by the looks of the skein, but once I got it wound up I realized it's kettle dyed.  The yarn is too gorgeous to sit around so I was happy to find this pattern in IK when I picked it up on Saturday.  The yarn is Firbranatura's Yummy Sock Yarn.  I like it a lot so far.

I'm still on the hunt for a long striping sock yarn to use for Harika.  I have my black solid (Cascade Heritage) all ready.  I'm thinking of trying to order some Vesper next time the site is updated and use that.  

And here's my outfit from today since I haven't posted a daily outfit in a while:

  

My Mom gave me the sweater when I was home last week.  Thanks Mom -- I love it!!  It's very soft and warm.  :)  I'm going to try and find a blue-ish undershirt to wear with it next time because there are slight spots of blue in the yarn.   

gray

gray morning:

 

grey outfit:

 

I'm not a fan of these dark, grey mornings we're getting in the Pacific NW.  It makes it so difficult for me to get out of bed.  I am not a morning person at all, but can really fake it when it's light out.  The dark mornings kill me though.  We're supposed to have a week of sunny afternoons, but I'm not sure if that makes up for it!  The mornings are still tough - dark and cold.  

I think I need some more color in my fall/winter wardrobe.  I don't get very excited about fall/winter dressing like I do in the summer.  I'm always cold so I find that function wins over form.  I find it hard to put outfits together when I'm only thinking about how cold I'm going to be at the office.  I think I need to find some warmer layering pieces that still have some shape.  Maybe I'll hit up the mall this weekend.  As always, suggestions are welcome.  :) 

Monday makeover. The hair edition.

Before:

After:

I mentioned on Friday that I was getting my hair cut this weekend.  Finally.  Prior to Saturday I hadn't had a cut since mid-May.  When I got it cut in May I was keeping it long-ish because Jules' wedding was right around the corner.  The wedding passed, the entire month of June and most of July passed as well and I kept meaning to make an appointment, but my weeks and months move quickly these days.

I went into the salon wanting something shorter, but didn't really have a style in mind.  I love and trust my stylist so I told him to make the decision for me.  My only rule was that I wanted him to "make it hot!"  And he did.  He's amazing and so good at his trade.  

I haven't had full bangs since I don't know when.  It's been a long time though and I think I was probably a kid.  Maybe I can dig up a photo.  My Mom might remember how long it's been...we'll see what she says!

Here's a photo in the car just before leaving the salon (taken with my iPhone).

And one I snapped this morning at my desk.

Here's some info on my stylist, Nihad, and his newly opened salo: Virtu Salon.

If you're in the Seattle area you should give him a call.  He's in North Seattle (Greenwood area) - it's quite a drive for me, but totally worth it. 

Have a great Monday!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!

Cherry by Anna Bell:  I bought this pattern on Wednesday night and started knitting right away.  I'm using the pink Debbie Bliss Cathay that I posted earlier in the week.  I will have a WIP photo/post soon.  I really like how it is turning out so far.  I'm just past the waist on the back panel (knitting from the bottom up).  Everyone who has knit this on Ravelry so far has nothing but good comments on their FO.  The pattern is good, but I'll warn that it's not at all for beginners.  It's not a difficult pattern, but the instructions aren't meant for beginners.  It's written similar to a Rowan pattern - clear directions, but everything isn't written out explicitly.  

Red and Pink together: This has always been one of my favorite color combos.  When I was looking for a tank top to wear with my t-shirt this morning (tank tops under almost everything is a staple for me) I decided to pull the red out of my shirt instead of the obvious pink.  I also wore my new red shoes and I love the whole outfit together.

Colour Lovers: Speaking of color combos, this is one of my favorite websites.  I could surf this website for hours looking at and making my own color palettes.  This site is especially useful for inspiration when creating art, decorating your home or creating interesting outfits.   

Photos: Style Recipes:  I picked this book up the other day at Michael's.  I realized after flipping through it that it's a Pottery Barn book - no wonder I loved the display examples so much!  (Mine is a softcover and doesn't say Pottery Barn on the front).  Most of the photo displays are very simple, but I'm glad to have them all in one book.  It's just what I've been looking for.  Now maybe I can get some photos on my bare walls and shelves.  My biggest problem is that I have too many ideas and can't commit to any of them.

I have a busy weekend ahead - pilates, a birthday party, hanging out with some friends and way too much homework to finish.  I am getting my hair cut too.  Finally.  It looks like total crap right now.  As seen in the above photo.  I'm still deciding on how to cut it, but it definitely needs to be above my shoulders right now.

Have a great weekend!