Sidewalk Chic

Refresh, refresh

2012-01-29T18:43:00.000-05:00

I have tried writing this post three different times this week and every time I've stopped short. I've no doubt been really quiet on the blog the last couple weeks, and there have been several small reasons why -- school started back up, and my birthday came up, and generally everything schedule-wise has been very chaotic.

And there's been one bigger reason why too, I suppose. My longtime professor and mentor passed away a couple weeks ago, and it's been really difficult losing the person who's helped guide me through my career and graduate school ambitions. And I'm not the only one. In his long, long career, my professor affected thousands of students as a trusted teacher, mentor, friend (and to some, a surrogate father), and it has not been easy to walk by his office and know that he'll never be in there again. He was a true gentleman, and a person of deep consequence.

I suppose with everything that's happened the last couple weeks, I've been especially pensive about what I write, and whether I've been doing it effectively, and well. Of course that is all up to how I define those terms, and for a while I didn't think I was going anywhere with this blog, and wasn't sure where to continue, or if I should. I had this weird impulse to make things with my hands, and so I've spent the last week painting sketchpads and fixing broken things around the house.

It's been deeply satisfying. And doing those things have made me realize how much I do enjoy having this creative space, and how I want to get back into the blogging grind. I'll be back here, slowly and surely, and I may expand the things I post here beyond outfits -- drawings, art, more photography, etc.

So I guess what I am saying is thank you for your emails and comments around here and on twitter. They've meant the world to me, and have made me feel very lucky and grateful to be a part of this community. It's good to be back.

*photo from my cruise -- somewhere around Mexico.

Back to school, ring the bell

2012-01-10T09:00:00.059-05:00

Sweater: Target; Silk blouse: Jones New York, thrifted; Skinny jeans: Kohls;

Black shoes: Ipanema, thrifted; Scarf, bag: thrifted.

Yesterday was a day of firsts: first day of school, first day of outfit photography after a three-week hiatus, and the first time I've ever worn skinny jeans. I haven't given up on my beloved dresses, but with a new season it seemed like a great time to shake up my style a little bit. With some leftover holiday money, I've added a few more blouses and pants to my closet to spice things up. There's already a waiting list of blouses to be paired with these jeans.

I'm looking forward to my new schedule, though it's a full plate: four classes, work and a panel session every week. As for my photography, I'm hoping I'll be back in rhythm with the park soon once I adjust to a new sleep pattern. This night owl is morphing into an early bird.

Goodbye, vacation

2012-01-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

Dress: Liz Claiborne, thrifted; Shoes: Born Crown; Belt: Loft.

Today's the last day before winter vacation ends and graduate school resumes, so it seemed appropriate to wrap up the warm-weather outfit photos. It's been a busy winter, but I feel invigorated for school and whatever comes in the next few months. Spring semester, bring it.

The Yucatan peninsula

2012-01-07T21:19:00.000-05:00

Dress Target; Shoes: Born Crown; Hair wreath: Self-made; Bag: Thrifted.

During our cruise, we explored a good bit of the Yucatan peninsula. On the first day, we went to Progreso and Merida, Mexico. Jeremiah's family hosted an exchange student from Mexico several years ago, so we met up with her and she showed us around her town. We visited Dzibilchaltun, and walked through the ancient Mayan ruins and cooled off in the cenote, a natural sinkhole for swimming. On the second day, Jeremiah and I explored Cozumel on our own and hung out at Ocean Beach for a few hours. My favorite part of the beach? Finding beautiful shells and rocks for my collection at home.

2011 in outfits

2012-01-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Déjà vu

2012-01-02T13:00:00.008-05:00

Dress: Connected Apparel;

Watch: c/o The Trendy Boutique; Shoes: Born Crown.

I took a long break from blogging, but I'm back now regularly. Jeremiah and I headed out of town before Christmas to go on a cruise with his family to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico. His family liked the idea of our Thanksgiving cruise so much, they invited us on their winter break one. Jeremiah and I never go on vacation so frequently, so we felt pretty lucky and very, very spoiled to spend December on the high seas so soon.

These photos were from around the ship we were on. I'll be sharing some photos from this trip, and catching up on my regular posts from around Georgia here soon. Can't wait to see what 2012 brings in!

When the year grows old

2011-12-19T09:00:00.020-05:00

Dress: Sangria; Jacket: Aeropostale, thrifted;
Boots: Target; Tights: Vera Wang;

Skeleton key necklace: vintage, from Minx.

I cannot but remember

When the year grows old --

October -- November --

How she disliked the cold!

She used to watch the swallows

Go down across the sky,

And turn from the window

With a little sharp sigh.

And often when the brown leaves

Were brittle on the ground,

And the wind in the chimney

Made a melancholy sound ...

I cannot but remember

When the year grows old --

October -- November --

How she disliked the cold!

- Edna St. Vincent Millay, "When the Year Grows Old"

Ship scraps

2011-12-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

Just a few photos left over from the cruise ...

Suitcase livin'

2011-12-16T09:00:00.024-05:00

Dress: Club Monaco, thrifted; Jacket: Aeropostale, thrifted;

Bracelet: Loft; Shoes: Born Crown.

Final exams are over, which can only mean one thing: suitcase living. For the next couple weeks, Jeremiah and I will be visiting family for the holidays, so I'll be relying on a bag of simple basics to get me through parties, get-togethers and maybe even a trip to the beach (!). The weather's been fantastically warm here and I'm hoping it'll just stay that way through the rest of the year -- I've never been a huge fan of snow.

After a semester of not shopping and keeping a budget on priorities (like books and groceries and sometimes candy to power through finals), these shoes were a little early Christmas gift to myself.

Have fur, will travel

2011-12-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Longtime readers of this blog will remember my blue teddy bear, Sprinkle, and my penchant for posing her in random spots for my own amusement. Jeremiah and I decided to take her on our cruise, and she got into some adventures of her own. From climbing Mayan ruins, visiting port cities and hanging out with her pet ladybug on the ship, photo evidence suggests she had more fun than we humans did ...

There you are, old faithfuls

2011-12-14T10:50:00.000-05:00

Sweater: Banana Republic; Shirt: Arizona Jeans Co., thrifted;

Pants: J. McLaughlin, salvaged from Aunt P.; Boots: Target; Bracelet: Loft;

Bow tie: vintage, from Minx; Bag: Thrift find.

After Thanksgiving vacation, I took a long, two-week break from photography. My retreat was simple: After taking so many photos during our trip, camera fatigue set in, to the point where I wasn't sure if I'd ever want to take another photo again.

But after visiting the park in the morning, I felt a little rejuvenated in knowing that even though most of the leaves have fallen, it is still the same beautiful landscape. And in my trusty sweater and old boots, I felt a little more like myself, and began to explore again, with my lens and feet.

The glory in the details

2011-12-11T09:00:00.003-05:00

Dress: c/o Eshakti; Shoes: Clarks.

I suppose getting ready is more than half the fun before a big event, and in this case it was true during formal night on the ship. I didn't pack anything too fancy, but a lot of my fellow shipmates wore glamorous gowns and suits for the night. I'm glad I packed this dress -- it left more than enough room for dessert.

Roatan Island

2011-12-09T17:00:00.006-05:00

Some more photos from Honduras. How I wish I could spend every winter near the ocean: laying out in the sun, sampling local drinks, and ruminating on the origins of nearby sunken ships ...

Beyond the sea

2011-12-09T09:00:00.006-05:00

Dress: Ariella; Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri.

Visiting Roatan Island, Honduras on Thanksgiving Day was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. The island is a big stopping point for a lot of cruise lines, so the part of the island we were sequestered to had a very kitschy atmosphere, but it was very nice and beautiful nonetheless. Jeremiah and I slept on beach chairs close to the ocean for most of the morning and splashed around in puddles when it began to rain...

Belize

2011-12-08T17:00:00.008-05:00

When Jeremiah and I visited Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, we took a cross-country bus tour of Belize, which only took a few hours. How do I even begin to sum up Belize? I can only feebly attempt to with my pictures, which come up short to the beauty of the real thing. We saw many different ways to live in this beautiful developing country, as the bus tour drove by multi-colored homes, churches and through the countryside. It was a strange juxtaposition, to see a country with seven traffic lights, and then to go back onto a luxurious cruise ship that offered a 24-hour buffet. I felt broken-hearted that I could only capture a day's worth of photos, and most of them from my bus window. I want to go back soon.

Xunantunich Mayan Ruins

2011-12-08T09:00:00.017-05:00

Shirt: Old Navy; Moccasins: Minnetonka;

Sunglases, bag, scarf: thrifted; Shorts: Walmart.

Photos of me by Jeremiah.

As history lovers, Jeremiah and I both have been giddy for months to visit Xunantunich ('zhoo-nan-too-nick') ruins in Belize. We used several kinds of travel to get to and through Belize in one day: Cruise ship, tender boat, charter bus, ferry, van, and by feet. The trip required a cross-country bus tour from Belize City to Xunantunich, which is just a few minutes from Guatamala. The view from the top of the ruins was beautiful, and it was interesting to ponder what happened to such an advanced civilization. To top off our visit, we had lunch with our tour group at a Belizean restaurant: chicken, plantains, coleslaw, and spicy coconut rice and beans.

The valor of a vessel

2011-12-07T17:00:00.003-05:00

Besides the different countries we got to visit, one of the biggest highlights of our cruise was our ship itself. Carnival ships all have a different theme that help inspire their interior design. Our ship was devoted to 'valor,' and certain real and fictional figures from history who embodied some kind of heroism. While the ship had a patriotic theme by including figures such as Rosie the Riveter, Charles Lindbergh, Scarlett O'Hara, and Neil Armstrong, whole rooms were devoted to the contributions of others such as Josephine Baker and Winston Churchill. It was fun to explore the ship with Jeremiah, and find all these intricate details in just about every corner of the vessel. I think it'd be a pretty awesome job to be a cruise interior decorator ...

Cozumel

2011-12-07T09:00:00.009-05:00

Dress: Spense; Scarf, bag: thrifted; Shoes: Clarks.

Photos of me by Jeremiah.

Here are some photos from our trip to Cozumel. We kept to the Puerto Maya end of the city and despite some of the cheesy American tunes blasting out of Jimmy Buffet's and other tourist-centric stores, Jeremiah and I had a good time exploring the area. We hope to go back soon and visit some of the nearby parks and beaches.

Fluttering in the sea breeze

2011-12-06T09:00:00.006-05:00

Dress: In Roads, from Agora, vintage; Bag: Calvin Klein; Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri.

Photos of me by Jeremiah.

One of the things I learned during the cruise trip was just how strong the winds were on the main decks. If you weren't careful, a strong breeze could mean inadvertently flashing the entire pool area (which may or may not have been the reason I had to quit a round of mini-golf early -- wind is the ultimate handicap). I packed a few medium-length dresses like this one, and spent many afternoons keeping a hand at my side just in case my hemline went flying. Still, it's a small price to pay for the scenic views ...

Just to make this dock my home

2011-12-05T17:00:00.035-05:00

Perhaps one of my favorite things about our Thanksgiving cruise was waking up every morning to watch the sunrise. It's not hard to get excited about practicing photography on such worthy and in-depth subjects like a ship and its ocean. Here are some of my favorite photos from my early-morning sojourns:

Sailor, your home is the sea

2011-12-05T09:00:00.008-05:00

Dress: Donna Ricco; Scarf, bag: thrifted; Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri.

Instead of having a traditional turkey day, our Thanksgiving travels took us to Roatan Island, Honduras, which is a secluded island for cruise ship tourists. Jeremiah and I got to do some exploring on the beach and shops around the area. Behind me in one of these photos is a shipwreck in the Roatan cove. We didn't get a chance to explore it closer but I'd bet it would be worth a snorkeling adventure one day.

I tried to keep to a minimum of dresses on this trip, because I hate packing too much, especially on warm-weather trips. Still, I couldn't resist matching my surroundings (in this case, the Carnival whale-tail) by going red, white and blue on Thanksgiving day.

The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds strewn across a blue blanket

2011-12-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

Top: Old Navy; Moccasins: Minnetonka;

Scarf: Thrifted; Pants: Loft; Watch: c/o Trendy Boutique.
Photos of me by Jeremiah.

It's been like 10 million years (okay, a week) since I've updated, but I've had pretty darn good reasons. In lieu of a traditional Thanksgiving during the break, Jeremiah and I decided to skip out on the bad weather and head on a one-week Caribbean cruise through Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Grand Cayman. We haven't been on a vacation since our honeymoon almost three years ago, so we had spent the better part of this year so excited for this trip. It was so great to get away from school work, bad weather and visit a different part of the world (and yes, take about 1,200 photos in the process). I'll be sharing more of our adventures here pretty soon...

But for now, I thought I'd leave you some pretty photos of Miami. Our cruise ship through Carnival was docked at Miami, and before we boarded, we got to see a little bit of downtown and South Beach. I almost went to school in Miami, so it was great to finally get to explore the city a little more leisurely. The Art Deco district was a real feast for the eyes (and the camera).

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T09:00:00.006-05:00

Wishing all of my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving. I wish for you a belly full of good food, a warm home, and most of all, that you are in arm's reach of the ones you love.

Keeping it real: finding my voice in blogging

2011-11-22T17:00:00.000-05:00

Throughout most of college and in some of my work experiences, I've spent a lot of time writing news and pr-related pieces. It worked well for my analytical, observer personality -- I'm not shy, but a wallflower often by choice. Some of my past writing was based in unbiased, dispassionate stone-cold facts; some of it, on the public relations side, was based on other people's quotes and events. But with the clamor of all these voices wanting to be heard through ink and online, the hardest voice to find in it all was my own.

Writing this blog has been one of the most rewarding yet challenging experiences I've ever had. I started it shortly after my undergraduate years so that I could still have a place to experiment with my personal writing and style. I had done opinion writing before, at school and at internships, but never really focused on what I, singular little me, thought.

It has not been easy. As much as I have written about photography advice, perhaps the hardest part of blogging for me is how to do reflective, personal writing. I have struggled with what I've wanted this blog to become, and I oscillate on what features to keep doing, what parts of my personality I want to funnel through. Can I be funny? Serious? Is this too weird/awkward/vain/morose to talk about? Should I consider using this as a career-building vehicle? How much of my life do I share and how much of it should be kept under wraps? These are things I think about every day when I write.

I know this is primarily a style blog, but I find personal writing inextricably linked to it. For me, it's impossible to write about my clothes without examining the life lived in them. As much as I sometimes would rather have the photos speak for themselves, I know that doing so, on a personal level, is allowing my fear of public speaking to come through.

Why am I writing this? I guess this is meant to be a thank you to all of you, for continuing to read this blog through the changes I've put it through over the last several months, through tone and aesthetics.

Sometimes it is easier for me to go back into observer mode and clam up whenever I blog. I still daily struggle with what my writing voice is, but I know that the practice of continued writing is further chipping away the banalities and trepidations and getting closer to me being more genuine. I don't really plan on anything new and shiny to add yet to this blog, except for the promise of trying to be more comfortable with sharing my voice here in this space.

Lately: ... Must come down

2011-11-21T17:00:00.008-05:00

If last week was all about looking up, this week's photography is more grounded, keeping in mind the little details that are often underfoot and overlooked. What stories are left behind in the ground, the road, the park bench?