rust and bows

we live in a small town. and when we learned that one of our local little grocery stores was shutting down, we were more than a little sad. because nothing is cooler than unique local spots with old rusty trucks and vintage coke bottles and old-timey gas pumps. at least we got to snap a few pics before saying goodbye to garrett's groceries forever. 

top - kate spade new york (via ebay), skirt - hannah everly designs, earrings - loft, heels - seychelles

{having a ball}

we really are girly-girls at heart. we put bows on our christmas tree. sue us. we like sparkles and lace and dancing until our feet ache at balls full of beautiful people. at the end of the day, we like having a ball. seriously, what's not to love?

rachel: dress - vintage, glitter heart - ban.do

hannah: dress - j. crew, necklace - j. crew

{stripe} right there

sometimes i forget that not everyone thinks of stripes as a neutral, and i am shocked all over again. i mean, i wear stripes with color, polka dots, and, when i'm feeling especially risky... with other stripes! just a word of advice to all the ladies out there: don't fear stripes, befriend them! (actually, best friend them) and yes, i am wearing this necklace again. i live on the edge.

jacket - banana republic, jeans - j. crew, necklace - j. crew, boots - nordstrom

{chartreuse} kidding me?

colored pants are probably my most favorite thing in the world. because what's more fun than showing up at a party with chartreuse (or cerulean or poppy or  emerald) colored pants? nothing, people. nothing beats the joy of being the "crazy pants" girl. the kids love it.

 

pants - j. crew, shirt - j. crew (from the men's department!), heels - seychelles, belt - gap

as if i had an office

sometimes i wonder what it would be like to have an office job. not the boring "paper filing," "coffee fetching" stuff, but the part where you get to dress all professionally and whatnot. i just want to wear a pencil skirt and heels and not be stared at! is that too much to ask for? and in case anyone was wondering what i really wear while "working"... fuzzy pants and fuzzy socks are the usual uniform.

skirt - nanette lepore (thrifted), sweater - banana republic, necklace - j. crew, heels - old navy

a rose {by any other name}

i have the best piano students ever. because not only did they do a fantabulous job at their recital the other night, but they gave me roses. rose(s). as in plural. i'm so blessed by their love and i'm so proud of their absolutely fabulous taste.

skirt - hannah everly designs, sweater - gap, boots - j. crew

 

 



we love {weddings}

we love weddings. we love dressing up. we love eating food (especially cake). we love dancing until we have to kick our heels off. we love seeing love. and we really just love being with each other.

rachel: dress - vintage, belt - j. crew, heels - j. crew

hannah: dress - j. crew, earrings - local artist, bag - j. crew



lazy girl's dream

today we are going to talk about the importance of statement necklaces. believe it or not, i didn't own any statement necklaces until this summer. i don't know how i was living life... so naïve, so carefree. i didn't even realize that something incredibly important was missing from my own life!

okay, i'll tone it down a bit. this is sounding like a love letter to a necklace. (not that i would have any shame in writing one) but really, this is basically a lazy girl's dream! just throw on a sweater, jeans, and a statement necklace, and people think you're "so dressed up!" it's a win-win, people.

sweater - j. crew, jeans - thrifted, boots - nordstrom, necklace - j. crew

when it rains {it pours}

virginia weather be like, "it's december, but i know how much you love the sun, so i'm going to give you three straight days of seventy-degree temperatures just to make you happy. haha jk. now it's going to be really cold and i will heap down buckets of freezing rain. enjoy!"

so much for wanting to get out of bed in the morning...

sweater - gap, skirt - eshakti, belt - gap, boots - j. crew, umbrella - gap, earrings - kate spade

{party skirt}

in my humble opinion, every girl needs a party skirt. the kind of skirt that makes you feel confident walking into a crowded room. the kind of skirt that makes people turn their heads, and whisper to each other as you saunter by. the kind of skirt that makes everyone glare holes through the back of your head because they want your skirt so badly, and are willing to do anything to get it.

 

okay, maybe we should tone it down a few notches. you also want this skirt to be practical enough to wear to church on sunday, or classes on tuesday (or maybe i'm the only one that gets dressed up for class). either way, this skirt is sure to make you feel fantabulous whatever the occasion, season, or day! (and i'm not just saying that because i made it)

 

top - white house black market, skirt - hannah everly designs, tights - kate spade (borrowed from rachel), necklace - bcbg max azria (borrowed from rachel), shoes - thrifted

walking advertisement

i walked out of the house that morning and the realization hit me: i was basically dressed as a walking j. crew advertisement. and while i know that all the fashion experts tell you that you should never wear one designer--that you should always mix it up--i just can't help but wonder: when you find a store that just gets it right, is it okay to stick with that? i'm not sure what the answer is, but i do know that i love me some j. crew and that i'll be drooling over that holiday catalog for weeks, ya'll.

top - j. crew (from the men's department!), pants - j. crew, belt - j. crew, necklace - j. crew, flats - gap (aren't you shocked?)