the other emily

time flies

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:46:00 +0000

scarf - homemade / jean jacket - LOFT, thrifted / purse - Athens tourist shop / bracelets - vintage, gifts / dress - UO / tights - Target / boots - DV by Dolce Vita

It's hard to believe these photos were only taken a month ago, it feels like in no time at all we've gone from perfect fall weather to real winter. I remember being so in love with this outfit that I refused to take off my chunky scarf, even though I was way too hot!

A lot's been going on here over the last few weeks - we're still working away on making our apartment feel like home (it's coming together.... slowly), made restorative visits to family over the holidays, and even hosted a little get-together on New Year's Eve. I've also changed jobs, and am now working on a competition for an office I've admired for years. It's really exciting and I absolutely love the work, but the 50 hour work weeks (which are now creeping up past 60 as our deadline approaches) have certainly put a damper on my plans to get back to blogging regularly. Still, I'm hopeful that once the competition is over in a week or so that I'll be able to settle in to a more reasonable schedule.

While I was off eating Christmas cookies and tamales (we always have Mexican food on Christmas Eve, family tradition) in Virginia, this little blog turned a year old. I know, *technically* if you go through my archives you'll find posts from as far back as April of 2009 (I really don't recommend you bother reading that far back), but it took quite a while for me to decide just what I wanted to do with this blog, and for me the other emily was really born in its current form with this post.

So much has happened in the last year, from the living fantasy of The Trip to reuniting with our big yellow dog, moving to New York and seeing some great friends get married (we built them a huppah!) and have adorable babies, to now feeling newly energized and focused in my professional life - and blogging through it all. Over the next year, I hope my blog keeps evolving (up next - a long-overdue redesign!) but that writing it remains every bit as fun and rewarding as it has been so far. There is simply no non-cheesy way to say it, so here goes: Thank you - for your comments, emails, and just plain reading. Over the last year, the other emily has enabled some amazing new friendships (both in real life and in blog life) and has introduced me to such an incredible community of smart and deeply funny women. I never expected my blog to grow the way that it has, and it means so much to me that you enjoy it. Thank you all so, so much.

tweedy

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 21:34:00 +0000

scarf - import shop in Copenhagen / tweed wool blazer - vintage, mom's / striped shirt - thrifted / overdyed skinnies - Zara / purse - custom, valhallabrooklyn via etsy / woven flats - UO

Just a few photos from a lovely fall walk in our new neighborhood. We got the keys to our new place just over three weeks ago, and since then we have been working on it non-stop - from fixing broken doors to caulking windows, replacing our refrigerator, painting our six (six! seven if you count the vestibule! but of course, they're all tiny) rooms to putting up shelves and negotiating turn-of-the-century closets that aren't even deep enough to put a hanger in straight. I haven't bothered with nail polish or makeup in weeks, and it isn't unusual these days for me to find paint on my elbows in the middle of the workday.

Still, it's been fun rediscovering some old favorites as I slooooowly unpack my clothes. Case in point, this herringbone tweed blazer, definitely one of the nicest vintage pieces I own. It was part of a suit my Mom wore as she was just beginning her professional career, and I now love pairing it with more casual outfits to give them some classic texture and shape. It's also been the perfect outer layer for the fabulous weather we've been having lately, and I've been trying to get out and enjoy it as much as I can in between our many home improvement projects.

rusty

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:20:00 +0000

jacket - Forever 21 / striped sweater - Madewell / necklace - Clyde's Rebirth / bracelets - vintage, gift from boyfriend / purse - Athens tourist shop / skirt - Zara / boots - vintage Nine West via etsy

Well, once again, it's been a little while since I blogged. My apologies if this post seems a little rusty (har har). I hadn't planned to go on this little blogging hiatus, but these last few weeks have been absolutely packed - and while I have been wearing clothes every day (which, I'll admit, sometimes feels like an accomplishment), between the limited number of work-appropriate options currently stuffed in my suitcase and the inevitable Sophie's choice of weekday mornings ('Brush my hair, or wolf down some cereal?'), regular photos have lately faded to a fond memory. We managed to snap these on Saturday after checking out the Halloween Dog Parade in the East Village - there were some pretty terrific costumes (Lady Gaga dog! Shark Taco dog!), but I think my favorite was the couple that came dressed as Paul Bunyan, with their pug dyed blue as Babe the Blue Ox!

While the change of season has made my limited wardrobe feel even smaller, I have definitely been enjoying the opportunity to piles on lots of comfy layers. I picked up this oversized striped sweater a couple of weeks ago and it's become a fast favorite. It gives my lightweight jackets just the right amount of warmth, and I love how perfectly it matches my rust-colored skirt.

detail-oriented

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:40:00 +0000

striped shirt - thrifted / braided yellow belt - H&M / wool pencil skirt - vintage, thrifted / tights - Target / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / purse - birthday gift from mom, Banana Republic / brogues - Primark

Oh hello there! I know, it's been ages since I posted anything here on the blog (even my mom chided me on my slow posting), but things have been pretty hectic around here these last few weeks. While my poor blog's been collecting internet-dust, I've been off starting a new job, moving to another sublet here in Brooklyn, going to birthday parties and housewarmings, apartment-hunting (and finding!), and generally giving my unlimited Metrocard a run for its money. We really haven't found a way to integrate taking photos for the blog into our new routine, but I decided to give it a shot yesterday morning in the three minutes before we ran out the door to a meeting with a real estate broker. Of course, it turned out that our adorable studio sublet isn't actually big enough to take a full-length photo, so you'll have to use a little imagination to picture this outfit in its entirety. Hopefully things will settle down a bit soon and I'll be able to get back to blogging with a bit more regularity.

thoughtless

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:03:00 +0000

jean jacket - LOFT, thrifted / necklace - clyde's rebirth / striped dress - Old Navy / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / purse - Athens tourist shop / woven flats - UO

It will probably come as no particular surprise to regular readers of this blog that, if I had my druthers, I'd be happy to just wear this outfit every single day. In fact, up until these last few days,* I'd been creeping dangerously close to doing just that. Although we've only been here a week, I've somehow already grown bored with everything in my suitcase (didn't I used to have a lot of clothes in there?), but fortunately this dress and jacket combo still manages to make me feel great on days when I'm not up for thinking about what to wear.

*When New York decided to belatedly welcome us by approximating the interior climate of a steam room.

birthday suit

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:06:00 +0000

brass whistle necklace - vintage via etsy / fox-print tank - Forever 21 / belt - vintage, thrifted / wood & brass bangle - vintage, thrifted / linen skirt - vintage, thrifted / purse - Athens tourist shop / woven flats - UO

Thank you all for the well-wishes on my birthday, both here and on Twitter, I had a great, fairly low-key day. Chris and I have been scoping out potential neighborhoods all week (we're in a short-term place for now), so we spent most of the day on a long walk all the way up to Williamsburg and back. We decided we're definitely too old and uncool to live there, but we'll still visit for the abundant taco trucks and flea markets. On our way I got an extra-lovely birthday surprise - a job! I hadn't expected to get something so quickly, so I'm absolutely thrilled - and now we can actually start apartment-shopping in earnest. We went out for a double-celebration dinner in Park Slope, then ended the night drinking wine on this lady's fire escape.

black magic

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 23:34:00 +0000

jean jacket - LOFT, thrifted / necklace - clyde's rebirth / v-neck - Old Navy / friendship bracelet - gift from high school boyfriend / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / pleated skirt - vintage Liz Claiborne, thrifted / clogs - Target

Both this jacket and skirt were scored on an incredibly fruitful thrifting trip with Tania last week. I've worn the jacket nearly every day since, but this pleated skirt felt like the real 'find' of the day. I've been itching for a longer sheer black skirt for a long time, and for just $2.50, this one really fit the bill. The pleated chiffon feels so dreamy and perfectly floaty, I'm afraid these photos really don't do this magic skirt justice. For a day spent birthday shopping with my mom (tomorrow I'll hit the big 2-7), I loved it with high platforms and this amazing wood and brass necklace I recently bought from Merl, and I'm looking forward to pairing it with tights and cozy sweaters as the weather continues to cool off.

And just in case you haven't seen it yet, yesterday Elaine of Clothed Much featured me in her 'Blog Crush' series! Hers was one of the very first style blogs I ever read, so I'm quite flattered. You can read the whole interview here.

hello handsome

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:20:00 +0000

necklace - Anthropologie / jacket - Forever 21 / striped shirt - thrifted / overdyed skinnies - Zara / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / loafers - vintage Bass, thrifted / yellow dog - American Lab Rescue

I'm sorry for the major photo-overload today - but can you blame me with this handsome guy by my side? We're spending the next few weeks in a temporary sublet in New York, and unfortunately we can't bring Winston up to join us until we find a more permanent home. Since we knew it'd be a few weeks 'til we saw him again, I thought I'd bring him out to co-star in some outfit pictures we took over the weekend, and he was a total champ! I think he was honestly pretty bored by the whole procedure, but I did manage to encourage some goofy faces out of him (and, ahem, myself) with a little ear-scratching.

long shadows

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:21:00 +0000

dress - vintage, thrifted & hemmed / belt - vintage, thrifted / shoes - Target

I hope you'll forgive me the slightly melancholy tone of this post; in many ways, these photos feel to me like a lament for the summer that's nearly past. While I'm sure the season of heat and humidity is far from well and truly over here on the East Coast, the days of simple dresses, sandals, and long shadows seem to be rapidly disappearing. Today there's very nearly a chill in the air, and with it the anticipation of change. We move to New York this weekend and begin in earnest the search for jobs and apartments, setting out on an entirely new chapter in our lives. While I am excited about these changes (and particularly about seeing the end of suitcase-living on the horizon), I will miss the last nine privileged months of wholly unstructured time.

repeat offender

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:19:00 +0000

graphic top - totem via Topshop / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / purple jeans - Uniqlo, thrifted / woven flats - UO

Remember these pants? I loved them so much that I couldn't help borrowing them from my mom to wear to dinner over the weekend... and then again to the aquarium yesterday. I love the bright plum color and the slightly cropped length. They also proved the perfect complement for this colorful top, I picked up on a trip to London four years ago and have never really figured out how to wear, as it seems to somehow fall in between work-wear and casual-wear. Somehow these purple pants (magically?) make it feel infinitely wearable. For dinner out (with dear friends S. and her husband), I dressed this outfit up with a black blazer and studded flats, but a quick shoe-change made it feel equally appropriate for a fun day-trip with Chris.

Be sure to head over to Everybody Everywear today to see how other bloggers styled up their favorite colored pants!

P.S. Thank you all so much for all your sweet comments on my new haircut!

alexalike

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 03:24:00 +0000

brass whistle necklace - vintage via etsy / fox-print tank - Forever 21 / braided belt - vintage, thrifted / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / wide leg jeans - Gap

After months of inertia and indecision, last week I finally printed out a handful of my hair-pins from Pinterest (Alexa Chung and La Klum featured prominently in my ersatz collage) and headed in for my first proper haircut in two years. In some ways, what one chooses to wear to a haircut seems pretty important to me, as it's one of the best ways you can give a new hairdresser some sense of your personal style. I like to think of my style as generally rather 'cute, but low-key,' so I went with a fun printed top, wide leg jeans, and my favorite go-to accessories. I didn't end up going for anything too revolutionary, just a long-ish bob, but my hair feels so much nicer now without all my old straggly ends. Now I'm looking forward to experimenting more with styling it - and of course, if all else fails, it's still long enough for a sock-bun.

bestriped

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 04:54:00 +0000

trench - H&M / striped shirt - H&M / braided belt - vintage, thrifted / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / red jeans - thrifted / brogues - Primark

Some photos from yesterday, offered (almost) without comment. I wore this for a rainy day of thrifting with Tania, who is completely awesome and has successfully made me just the teensiest bit sad that I'm leaving DC soon. (I mean, honestly, anyone who sends you home with amazing homemade cookies is a true friend.)

secondhander

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 03:45:00 +0000

jacket - thrifted / dress - vintage via etsy / belt - vintage, thrifted / wood & brass bangle - vintage, thrifted / boots - Peter Kaiser, vintage via rummage sale

I didn't realize until putting together this post that everything I wore today is second-hand. It's silly, but wearing outfits that are entirely made up of items that are homemade or second-hand always gives me a little sense of satisfaction.

Today it was lovely and cool (and, ahem, seriously rainy - hence the porch photos), so I jumped at the chance to bring my favorite boots out of storage. I went to a rummage sale in Princeton* last summer with the way-too-specific-to-ever-work-out hope of finding a pair of vintage, cognac leather boots with a low heel and some kind of detail at the ankle, and immediately fished this pair of mint-condition boots made in West (!) Germany out of a rubber bin filled with shoes. They were my size, and they were.... $2. This is what dreams are made of, my friends.

*For any NJ readers, it was the annual White Elephant sale at the hospital - seriously, do not miss it!

before the rain

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:40:00 +0000

earrings - Topshop / top - thrifted / wrap watch - La Mer / overdyed skinnies - Zara / woven flats - UO

My apologies for the crickets that have taken up residence around here this last week, taking and posting photos had to take a bit of a backseat to 'real life' for a few days. In that time we spent a long day on the bus to get my parents' house, had a whirlwind visit with some of my relatives from Texas, and have been chipping away at the miles-long to-do list that comes with trying to get jobs and move to a new city.

Unfortunately we had to hustle through these photos today, as a serious storm was brewing and the rain was just starting as we went outside. This outfit is dead simple, but it's exactly the kind of thing I'll miss once the weather gets cooler and I'm dressing for work. I love that a messy updo, bright top and statement earrings feel like just enough on these muggy summer days, and while I love layers (and boots! and tights!), getting dressed for fall (or an office) seems at the moment like an awful lot of work.

tee sea be

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:17:00 +0000

brass whistle necklace - vintage via etsy / striped shirt - thrifted / belt - vintage, thrifted / skirt - homemade from a dress, Old Navy (tutorial here!) / sandals - Stockholm tourist shop

After a long night of uploading trouble, template snafus, and the usual last-minute-before-a-deadline frustrations, my stinkin' portfolio is done! Nothing to do but wait for it to be printed and delivered. Now, let us never speak of this again.

Yesterday's outfit was entirely made up of the tried-and-true - I'm still loving my new black floral skirt and my Hasbeens-esque sandals from Sweden, and just added a recently thrifted shirt to the mix. I never met a striped, bateau-neck, 3/4 sleeve shirt I didn't like, and I'm reasonably certain one can never have too many of them. (My boyfriend might contest this last claim.) Now if you'll excuse me, I have a little celebratory breakfast-and-thrifting to do.

lakeside

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:19:00 +0000

necklace - Anthropologie / striped sweater - Gap, thrifted / jeans - Old Navy / woven flats - UO

This isn't the most exciting outfit I've ever blogged, but to be honest, it's hard to feel inspired to 'dress-up' when I'm spending so much time indoors, metaphorically chained to my desk! Fortunately I am nearing the finish line on my portfolio, and I should finally be done working on it (and complaining about it) tomorrow.

We did take a little break from working this afternoon to walk down to this little lake. I'm a definite city-kid, so it's still a little mind-blowing to me to find places like this just down the road from Chris' house. The weather was just gorgeous, and I love that it's actually cool enough to wear a light sweater again. I love the long days and cicada-songs of summer, but fall is by far my favorite season so I'm glad to feel it slowly creeping up on us.

weekend project: from dress to skirt

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:14:00 +0000

Whew! My apologies for my recent absence here on the blog, but it's been a crazy few days. On top of working around the clock to try and get my portfolio finished early this week, we took a trip out to Amherst yesterday to help Chris' brother move into a new apartment, and, like many others on the East Coast, spent the last twenty-four hours in full-on hurricane brouhaha. Fortunately we only wound up experiencing a five hour power outage and some really minor flooding in the basement today.

Anyway, here is the dress-to-skirt tutorial I alluded to earlier this week - what better time than a day of rotten weather to finally transform an underutilized dress into a skirt you'll love? While it has been sad to see our travels wind down these last few weeks, one of the things I've most looked forward to about coming back to the US is getting back to making things. I get a lot of questions here about how I've made or altered many of the clothes I wear, and now I'm excited to post a lot more sewing and DIY projects here on the blog. This tutorial is the first installment of a new feature I'm calling 'Weekend Projects' - every week or so, I'll post a tutorial for a new project with step-by-step photos, instructions, and answers to any questions you guys might have in the comments. The type of projects will vary week-to-week, including sewing projects (both constructing new garments and altering existing clothes), jewelry-making, some home improvement/decorating projects (once we have a home of our own, ha!) and probably even a bit of cooking here and there - but will generally be of a scale that can be accomplished in the course of a Sunday afternoon. AND, should any of you try out these tutorials, please send me a photo and/or a link to your blog, as I would love to feature your handiwork here the following week!

So, all that business out of the way, let's get to making a skirt, shall we? You'll need:

An unloved dress with a fairly full skirt; thread that matches your fabric color; lots of pins (including one safety pin); a seam-ripper (or small scissors, good eyes, and a steady hand); a measuring tape or yardstick; 1-1.5" wide elastic, at least long enough to go around your waist; scissors; an iron and ironing board; and a sewing machine (or a hand-sewing needle and an enormous amount of patience).

Step 1: Measure another skirt whose length you like to determine how long you want your new finished skirt to be. I decided I wanted my skirt to be 18.5" from the top of the waistband to the hem. Now measure from the bottom of the dress hem to the existing waistband - you'll need it be at least the desired length of your skirt plus the width of your elastic plus another half inch or so. In my case, I needed 18.5" skirt length + 1" elastic + .75", or 20.25", and my dress was 21" from hem to waistband - perfect!

Step 2: Separate the top half of the dress from the bottom/skirt half. If after measuring, you found that the skirt of your existing dress is a great deal longer than what you need, you can just carefully snip along the underside of the existing waistband with scissors to separate the two halves; if, like me, you find that the current length is pretty close to what you'll need for your skirt, pick out the stitches along the existing waistband with your seam ripper. You just want to remove any existing elastic and separate the 'skirt' half from the top half of the dress - be sure not to rip open the side seams, or you'll just need to re-sew them. If your dress doesn't have a waistband per se, you'll need to mark a place to cut it in half with scissors; measure up from the hem and mark your desired length from Step 1 (plus maybe an inch or so, just in case) with pins or chalk, then carefully snip off the top half. Err on the safe side - you can always trim off any extra fabric later, but it's much harder to put back what you've already cut off.

Step 3: Once you've separated the two halves of your dress, slip your 'skirt' half onto your ironing board, wrong-side out, and iron it all the way around to get out any wrinkles or gathers from the old waistband. Leave it on the board for the next few steps.

Step 4: Now you're going to fold over the top, unfinished edge of your skirt to make your new waistband. Measure straight up from the existing hem and fold over the top edge until you meet your desired length (in my case, 18.5"). Work your way all the way around the top edge, re-checking your measurement every 1.5" or so, and pinning as you go, until the top edge is folded and pinned all the way around at your desired length. Go over the folded edge with your iron (watching out for pins and moving them as needed) to make a nice, firm crease all the way around. We'll call this 'Crease A.'

Step 5*: Cut a strip of paper or cardstock the width of your elastic plus 1/4" - in my case, I cut a folded sheet of heavy paper to make a strip 1.25" wide. Unpin the folded edge of your skirt, and gently unfold Crease A. Place your paper strip just above the crease line, between the crease and the rough, unfinished edge at the top. Holding your paper guide so that the lower edge is right at Crease A, fold the top edge of the fabric over the guide, so that you create a new fold line ('Crease B') 1.25" above Crease A. Carefully iron the new fold (do your best not to iron over the original crease line, you'll need it again), then remove the paper guide and pin the folded edge. Working your way around the entire circumference of the skirt, repeat this step every few inches, until you have a new pinned crease all the way around.

Step 6: Once you've got your second crease ironed in, you can trim off any excess fabric at the top edge. Snip off the rough edge all the way around, about 3/8" - 1/2" from Crease B. Unpin all the way around, and fold the fabric back over at Crease B, then Crease A, and repin it all the way around. You should now have two nice folded edges showing, with the cut edge of the fabric hidden inside. This will become the casing for your new elastic waistband.

Step 7: Now you're going to carefully sew along the edge of Crease B, about 1/8" or less inside the fold. Mark your starting point with a prominent pin and add another pin 2" above the first to mark your stopping point. Sew almost all the way around, stopping at your second pin to leave a 2" gap. Pull your threads through to the 'wrong side' of the skirt fabric and tie off your thread at the beginning and end of your seam. You now have a casing for your elastic running all the way around the top of your skirt.

Step 8: Measure your natural waist comfortably with your measuring tape. Without stretching it, cut your elastic to the same measurement - when you sew the two ends together later, you'll get a little stretch, which will help keep the skirt in place while wearing. Put a safety pin through one end of the elastic to help thread it through your waistband. Insert that end into your 2" opening, and start working it through the casing, being careful not to twist the elastic inside the casing. Allow the fabric to bunch up as you go, taking care not to pull in the tail end of the elastic, and eventually you should have both ends of the elastic sticking out of your opening.

Step 9: Double check that your elastic is smooth and not twisted all the way around your waistband, then overlap the two ends and pin them together. Carefully stitch over the overlapped section a few times to make sure your stitches won't come out when stretched (my machine was skipping stitches like none other, so my elastic looks pretty sloppy here - fortunately none of that will show in the finished product!).

Step 10: Release the stitched-together section of elastic and give the whole waistband a little stretch - this should pull the ends in through the opening in the casing and smooth everything out a bit. Pin the 2" section you left open, and sew it closed exactly as you did the rest of the casing. Optional: I also like to add a little stitching at the two side seams to ensure the elastic doesn't twist inside the waistband with wearing/washing. Work the fabric of the waistband around until the side seams of the skirt are equidistant (i.e. when you press the skirt down flat on a table, unstretched, the side seams should align with the outside folded edges of the unstretched elastic), then pin right through the elastic at the side seams. At both sides, sew a short seam on top of the existing side seams, right across the elastic, and tie off the ends on the inside of the skirt.

Enjoy your new skirt! You can see how I wore mine here. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to help - this is my first attempt at writing a sewing tutorial, and I am sure there are lots of ways I could make things clearer. And if any of you try this tutorial out, please feel free to email me - I'd love to share your handiwork here next week!

*This step is probably needlessly complicated, but I really hate measuring and came up with the paper guide system as a way to avoid doing it a second time. If this seems overly complicated to you, you can always skip it by opening up your first crease and essentially repeating the previous step, just adding the width of your elastic plus 1/4" to your measurement from Step 4 to create a new 'Crease B.' Be careful not to iron out the crease from Step 4 as you go, you'll need it again.

color therapy

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:33:00 +0000

necklace - vintage, thrifted / silk blouse - Express, thrifted / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / jeans - Uniqlo / suede heels - UO / lipstick - Revlon Moon Drops in Orange Flip / polish - Essie Meet Me at Sunset (red-orange) & Super Bossa Nova (fuscia)

Since getting back from our trip, I have spent almost all of my waking hours sitting at a desk, staring at a laptop and working on a portfolio to bring to job interviews. It is stressful, time-consuming work, made all the more frustrating by my discovery of just how bad I've been about documenting my professional work over the years. This morning I found myself feeling totally overwhelmed by my growing to-do list - on top of this portfolio, I owe a former professor some copy for a book, need to finish a few guest posts I promised to write ages ago, am itching to do a some design work here on the blog, and have a whole heap of emails and comments to respond to (something I am pathetically slow about in even the best of times) - and I realized I badly needed to step back and re-center myself.

Tania talked in her post today about the influence getting 'dressed' can have on our professional performance, and she couldn't be more right; I made myself take a break, swapped my yoga pants for jeans and a new-to-me silk button-down (admittedly a very wrinkly one, as I have yet to wash it - gross, I know), and even took a minute to paint my nails. These heels were conveniently sitting next to my desk (I just ordered their colorful cousins and needed to check the size), so I added them for an extra 'fancy' touch. I felt miles better after spending just a few minutes on myself, and while I still have quite lot still to do on my list, at least my nails are brightening up my keyboard a bit.

chopped

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:47:00 +0000

purse - Athens tourist shop / chambray shirt - Banana Republic, thrifted / belt - vintage, thrifted / skirt - altered from a dress, Old Navy / clog sandals - Stockholm tourist shop

This skirt used to be dress; I bought it on clearance years ago because I loved the airy, printed cotton and the fact that it had pockets, but the fit just never worked for me as a dress. It had an always-on-the-verge-of-wardrobe-malfunction surplice bodice and an un-beltable empire waist, and it wasn't long until I found myself folding in the top half and just wearing it as a skirt every time. I unpacked it over the weekend and started wearing it that way on Saturday morning, but by lunchtime I was so fed up with fussing with my improvised skirt that I finally cut the top half off and put in a proper waistband. I can tell I'm going to get a lot more wear out of it now - in fact, I've already worn it three times since chopping it! I even remembered to take the time to photograph the transformation (a rare feat when I get the instant gratification sewing itch!), so I'll be posting a simple dress-to-skirt sewing tutorial later this week.

technicolor

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:20:00 +0000

necklace - vintage, Brooklyn flea market / striped shirt - Gap / braided belt - vintage, thrifted / red jeans - thrifted / woven flats - UO

I mentioned on Friday that I'd had an incredibly fruitful thrifting trip. I went to two of my favorite thrifts, looking for colored jeans, an olive blazer, work-appropriate t-shirt alternatives, a mustard pencil skirt, a Fairisle sweater, the perfect jean jacket, and, of course, stripes of any kind - and I came away with these red jeans, an olive-y military blazer, two bright silk tops, a cobalt silk button-down, a cobalt wool pencil skirt, a navy breton-striped sweater, and a kilim and leather belt. I couldn't believe my luck! I was especially thrilled to find these bright, bright jeans; I love the colored denim trend, and I've already got at least a dozen different outfits in mind to wear them with. However, I just happened to be wearing this necklace, shirt, belt and shoes on my thrifting trip, and they went so well with these pants in the dressing room on Friday that I immediately reached for the exact same pieces this morning.

last minute

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:08:00 +0000

necklace - Forever 21 / striped sweater - H&M / olive tank - Target / tote - Forever 21 / maxi skirt - Target / wood & brass bangle - vintage, thrifted / sandals - Target, thrifted

Oh boy, did I ever underestimate how long it would take me to recover from our flights on Wednesday! I have never been this thrown by a time-change in my life - last night I went upstairs to take a 'nap' at 6:30, slept straight through dinner, and finally woke up this morning at 5! There are at least some benefits to becoming an uncharacteristically early-riser; this morning I had plenty of time to get dressed, have a leisurely breakfast and do some reading, all before my favorite thrift store opened up at 8am. I found a ton of good stuff (I went with a 'fall wardrobe wishlist' in mind and managed to snag about half of what I was looking for), and now I'm itching to get it all to the dry-cleaners so I can really start playing dress-up.

These photos are from our very last day in Sweden. I started off with this tank and my beaded necklace because I love the colors together, but it was a little chilly so I threw on a sweater as we headed out the door. I was a little skeptical about how this shortish, boxy sweater would look paired with a long skirt and nary a waist-defining belt in sight, but I wound up liking this outfit much more than I'd expected - and it's hard to argue with a pairing this comfortable!

transitions

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:22:00 +0000

Haha, is it really necessary to include a photo of these flats in every post? Apparently it is.

scarf - import shop, Copenhagen / scoop-neck tee - UO / dress - UO / belt - vintage, thrifted / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / woven flats - UO

Well, today was our last full day in Sweden. Tonight we pack up, and tomorrow we make our piecemeal journey back across the Atlantic and back to the 'real world.' These next few weeks (and months) will hold some major transitions for me - a new city, a new job (hopefully), and a new (and sure to feel strange!) more stable lifestyle - as well as for this blog. I am excited to start transitioning my wardrobe not only for a new season (and who isn't? Boots and scarves are the greatest!), but to accommodate these new big changes in my life. I'm looking forward to taking many of my favorite casual pieces and reinterpreting them in more work-appropriate looks - fortunately for me, most architecture offices have a pretty loose dress code. I also have at least another month of living out of my suitcase ahead of me, so I suppose in some way that will ease my transition back into regular life.

I'll be spending tomorrow doing my best to stay entertained during multiple flights (we're flying a super-cheap airline, so the odds of even having bad movies available to stave off boredom are low), but I'll be back with photos from our last few days of traveling on Thursday. It's hard to believe our seemingly-endless trip is really coming to an end! *sniff*

the essentials

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:00:00 +0000

earrings - handmade by Carie of Pretty Little Mountains, won in giveaway / pink silk button-down - thrifted / tote - Forever 21 / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / braided chain bracelet - homemade using this tutorial / overdyed skinnies - Zara / woven flats - UO

From time to time I get emails from readers asking what they should pack for a trip, and I've always hesitated to be particularly specific in my replies. After eight months of living out of a suitcase, I have a pretty clear idea of what I like to pack for myself, but the trouble with my offering any kind of definitive packing list is that it will without a doubt fail to take into account all relevant factors. What do you like to wear the most? What time of year are you traveling, and to where? Will you be pounding the pavement in big cities? Lounging on a beach? Or hiking rugged trails? I can't tell you what to pack, because at this point I am only just beginning to get a handle on what I need while traveling - at this particular time and in this very particular set of places. Any travel brings with it an incredibly specific and idiosyncratic set of requirements, so to create a definitive and universally applicable packing list is an impossible task.

That said...

...here are a few things I think almost any traveler will find useful in their bag.
These are my essentials.

1. A button-down shirt : As has been documented, I brought a lot of button-down shirts with me on this trip. Button-downs are infinitely versatile - they can be worn tucked in or untucked (or half-tucked), buttoned all the way to the collar or open, over a dress or top as a jacket, under another layer for a hint of color, tied up or belted. In nicer fabrics like silk (widely available at thrift stores), they can be worn casually or easily be dressed up should the occasion call for it. This oversized coral one is a blend of linen and silk which feels lovely and doesn't get too wrinkly in the suitcase - and cost me $2.98 secondhand.

2. A tote bag : Or, ideally, several tote bags, so that you can easily cart home your groceries (You weren't planning to eat out for every meal, were you? Eating in can make a huge difference in your traveling budget!). Not only is it good environmental karma to bring your own shopping bags, in many non-US countries bags are not free with your grocery purchases and must be paid for individually - not something you want to learn at the end of the checkout process! You'll also find lots of other uses for a lightweight bag while traveling - this one is packed with a water bottle, tupperware full of snacks (Pack lunches! Save your money for shoes!), a small notebook and pen, an extra grocery bag, and a scarf. However, please do not carry your wallet or passport in a bag like this - it is far too easy for pickpockets to just pluck your valuables out of the top in a crowded area with you none the wiser! Keep them in a securely zipped bag or money belt, or better yet, a safe or locked cabinet at home!

3. A watch : Or a cell phone, if you must, although beware of theft, and of potential roaming/data charges when you're far from home. You will be amazed at how often you will need to know the time while traveling - the time the metro stops running, the museum closes, your flight leaves, or that incredible bakery opens. With an eye towards safety, I'd recommend against anything too expensive or flashy. I wore a leather wrap watch from La Mer for the first part of our trip, and since then I picked up this 'gold' watch at a flea market in Berlin for €3.50.

4. Dark wash jeans : I feel like this staple hardly needs to be explained. Choose something comfortable enough for airplane rides - I like mine skinny with a lot of stretch. They'll go with everything in your suitcase, can probably go longer without laundering than you'd think, and the dark wash will allow you to dress them up or down as needed. I picked these up at a Zara in Barcelona and they've since become one of the most-worn items on my blog!

5. Flat shoes : I talked about the importance of your choice of shoes in this guest post over on sartoriography, but it cannot be stressed enough - you must. Bring. Flat. Shoes. If you are going to be doing any amount of walking or taking public transportation, you are going to want a pair of flat shoes that are truly comfortable. Comfortable means they should stand up to at least two hours of wandering/sightseeing at a time without pinching, rubbing, blistering, or making the balls and heels of your feet ache - at all. You will probably be on your feet a lot more while traveling than you are in your day-to-day routine, so soreness is to be expected, but your feet shouldn't feel ready to quit after only a few hours. Even if you're a devoted 'heels only' girl, try to give yourself a couple of flat options that you really like and will actually wear - personally I reach for these woven flats on a near-daily basis, and my brogues have proven a cute but practical option for rainy days.

I can't tell you how much use I've gotten out of all of these items over the last eight months, but I do know they've all more than earned their spot in my increasingly overstuffed suitcase. Do you all have any must-bring staples for traveling?

again

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:34:00 +0000

brass whistle necklace - vintage via etsy / cat print blouse - Zara / wide leg jeans - Gap / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / ring - Amsterdam shop / brogues - Primark

Stockholm waterfront again (as seen from a different island), hair down again (which, BTW, thank you all so much for your sweet comments about the hair yesterday! I am already feeling more comfortable with it.), and what is essentially the same outfit as this one, again. I am getting to that stage of traveling where I'm feeling a little uninspired by everything in my suitcase - I may have petulantly cried, 'I don't know how to get dressed anymore!' this morning (talk about your first world problems). Fortunately, this favorite image seems to be making the rounds on Pinterest again, and since both this blouse and my wide leg jeans were clean, I decided to pair them up and call it an outfit (again). I think I prefer the earlier version just slightly due to the darker denim, but for another day of walking (and more walking), this look proved highly adequate.

Happy weekend!

maritime

noreply@blogger.com (the other emily) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:20:00 +0000

brass whistle necklace - vintage via etsy / jacket - Forever 21 / striped dress - Old Navy / braided belt - vintage, thrifted / watch - Arkanoplatz flea market, Berlin / tote - Forever 21 / woven flats - UO

Woah, who is that? I've gotten so accustomed to wearing my hair up every day that I now think I look like a completely different person with it down! However, since I'm planning to get it cut soon (yes, still a lot of planning, not a lot of doing) I am trying to get used to wearing it loose a bit more. I'm still pretty self-conscious letting it just 'do it's thing' uncontrolled ('what is it doing? does it look weird? what's going on up there?'), but I did manage to make it the whole day without breaking out the emergency hair elastic I kept in my pocket.

This was one of my favorite go-to outfits during my last year of grad school, particularly through fall and winter with tights and boots, and this summer version worked well for our first day exploring our new (and last!) temporary home - Stockholm! Our new apartment is right on the water (an accomplishment not at all cheapened by the fact that everyone's home here is right on the water), so I couldn't help but pay tribute to our surroundings with a very nautically-inspired outfit. We packed up my tote bag with lots of snacks (granola bars, apples, Coke Light & kettle chips - we're at least half-healthy!) and walked all the way from our place on Nacka through Södermalm and all over Gamla Stan and Riddarholmen... and all the way back! At this point I think my right foot is about ready to quit my leg entirely - hopefully I can find a local craftsman to carve me a replacement.