Technicolor: AZ Look #3

Coincidence & Chance skirt - FC ($13)
Gap tee - FC ($6)
J. Crew belt - gift from Mom during AZ trip!
Vintage Dex boots - FC ($24)
Vintage Bags by Supreme clutch - FC ($10)



About my outfit:  This is similar to my Arizona Day 4 outfit (polyvore), although I had to make some minor adjustments because I gave the top I actually wore to my Mom while we were in Arizona!  Instead, I continued the blue with a turquoise tee and then accentuated my waist with my new mustard belt.  Finished everything off with my statement bib necklace, which combines colors beautifully through bead work and ties with a ribbon behind your neck.  Of course the colors are continued within the skirt's stripes and vintage boots!

Hope you enjoyed my AZ Looks!

(in case you missed it: Look #1; Look #2)

The Sweater-Vest: AZ Look #2

Delias jeans - gift from Mom, Uptown Cheapskate
J. Crew seersucker button-down - FC ($8)
Charlotte Eskildsen sweater-vest - gift fr Mom, consignment boutique, SC
Vintage Dex boots - FC ($24)
Anthropologie purse (old) - xmas gift, Mom
Picasso scarf - gift from Mom, Italy



About my outfit:  This is my Arizona Day 2 outfit (polyvore), which was determined by another day of shopping and general errand-running.  Again, I typically go for skinny jeans as a base when trying on clothes.  My button-down is easy to take on and off and the sweater-vest allows for a little extra warmth during the morning and night-time hours.  My red boots finished off this earth-toned look and my silk Picasso scarf tied it all together.

Do you wear sweater-vests?

1 more look to go - stay tuned!!



A Pop of Neon: AZ Look #1

I finally got around to snapping some pictures of what I wore during my trip to Arizona.  For the next few days, I'll be sharing them with you:

Delia's jeans - gift from Mom via Uptown Cheapskate
Rue 21 button-down - FC ($6)
J. Jill sweater - thrifted w/Mom
Boots - xmas gift from BF
Vintage Dooney & Bourke purse - FC ($40)

Buck snuck into this last one -
isn't he getting big??



About my outfit:  This is my Arizona Day 1 outfit (polyvore).  I wanted to be comfy for a day of shopping, so I wore my skinny jeans (which I love as a base to try on clothes with) and my flat boots.  I layered my peachy oversized sweater over my neon plaid button-down for a pop of bright color - I think it corresponds nicely with the embroidery on my boots!  I only brought 2 purses, so I carried my tan D&B across my shoulder (to keep hands free!)

Stay tuned for more travel-worthy, layered looks!

How I Packed for Arizona

A while ago I asked you guys to Help me Pack.  I received a lot of great feedback like "roll your clothes instead of folding" and to "think layers" or "utilize accessories to dress up basic outfits" and ended up bringing some great layered-up looks.  I used polyvore to help me visualize each outfit.


I also jotted down notes for myself, which greatly reduced my packing time!  (highly recommend this)

So...what did I end up with??

Travel Days - I wore my (first and only) leggings on the plane with an oversized sweater, my denim shirt which I sometimes wear as a jacket and my heaviest (Dex) boots.  On the way back I layered a button-down under my sweater but pretty much followed the same formula.

Day 1 - We did a fair amount of shopping the first the day, so I knew I wanted to be comfortable and have a good base to try clothes on.  I went with my polyvore Day 2 look which consisted of my comfy skinny jeans, plaid button down, and peach sweater layered over.  I originally planned on wearing my new statement bib-necklace, but decided against as I didn't want to pull it on and off every time I tried on something.  This went nicely with my embroidered (and comfortable) flat boots.

Day 2 - More shopping and errands warranted the same skinny jeans, another button-down and this time, a sweater-vest.  I wore my red Dex boots with this look since I knew I'd be on my feet less. (see polyvore Day 4)

Day 3 - Saturday, party day, I put off showering until closer to the party.  We went to this amazing art festival and the weather was absolutely amazing.  I threw on my alternate - gray stripe dress, cropped Free People sweater and comfortable flat boots (see here) for walking, then added a scarf, just in case it got cool.  For the party that night I went with my mesh material White House Black Market dress (a traveler's dream - it doesn't wrinkle when you pack it!) and kept it simple with black tights and booties, my diamond necklace (Xmas gift from BF) and added a pop of color with a funky scarf.

Day 4 - We went and had lunch with Mom's dad on the last full day of the trip.  For this outing I went with polyvore Day 3 - my Coincidence & Chance sweater-skirt, blue elegantees bow-tie blouse, and, of course, my red Dex boots.  Afterwards I gave my mom the elegantees shirt because I thought it fit her better, and let's face it - she gifts me things all the time!

In the end, I had packed just a few unnecessary items (but I'd rather have the option than not!).  For the most part, I got a lot of wear out of what I packed, and utilized layering as it was cooler in the mornings and warmed up during the day.  I'll try to snap some pictures soon of exactly what I wore so you can really visualize it!  ...Stay tuned...

How do you pack for a trip?
Do you tend to pack too much or too little??

Arizona Photo Diary (Long Overdue)

So, here are some quick pics from my recent Arizona trip.  I had so much fun visiting with my Grandma, celebrating my Great Aunt's 90th birthday party, shopping, walking, eating authentic Mexican food, and just soaking in all the wonderful weather and beautiful surroundings!

Mom, me, Grandma
(wearing F21 dress, Free People cropped sweater, gifted boots & scarf)

adobe-style houses

not a very fancy outfit
(walking clothes - comfy pants, Mellow Mushroom tee, Free People hoodie)

jumping cactus

Grandma, Mom, me

me & Grandma

"Twiggy" - the saguaro cactus skeleton

a very tall (and strange) cactus

I took a lot of scenery pictures to show the BF (he's never been to AZ) but included mostly pictures with people in them - those are always more fun, right?  Unfortunately I didn't really get any outfit pictures, but in the next day or so I'll show you what I packed (thanks to your advice!) and what little treasures I got while I was out there : ).

Where have you traveled recently??

Technical Difficulties

I am so so so sorry for the lack of posts these days.  I finally squeezed one in and then (thanks to Tracy from The Closet Shopper and Dawn of Suitcase Vignettes) realized none of my photos were visible.  So I took that one down and am starting fresh.

Hello again!  You were probably wondering if I ever made it back from my trip to Arizona...Well, I did, and when I returned, I came back to this:

Our little Buck (short for Buckwheat) is about 9 weeks old now and the cutest puppy in the whole entire world (in Mommy's opinion, right?).  His markings are so unique - like his polka-dot nose and his white-tipped tail.  He can already sit and shake and he loves greeting people with lots of kisses!  So, in addition to the stresses of daily life, this little bugger has been pretty much monopolizing my time.

we've taken him to beach already...

...he likes to help with laundry sometimes...

...and even surf the web!!!
(maybe one day I'll let him do a guest blog post)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do, and wish us luck in the puppy-raising days to come!  I have a few (not nearly enough) pictures from Arizona which I will be sharing with you all shortly (again, technical difficulties).  And, since I've been seriously slacking, here are a couple phone-taken outfit photos (and for that, I apologize - please excuse the lackluster quality) :

Despite technical difficulties and sleepless puppy-loving nights, I'll be back to regular programming soon, I promise!  Thank you so much to everyone for hanging in there with me, and be on the lookout for some long over-due comments.  XOXO

Help Me Pack!

I'm so excited that in a couple days I will be headed to Arizona to visit my grandmother, celebrate the 90th birthday of one my great aunts, and visit with family that I haven't seen in a few years.

But in the meantime, I've been falling asleep dreaming of layered-up looks and pack-able outfits.  The trip will be 6 days and 5 nights.  After checking the weather, the highs are 60s/70s and the lows mid 40s.  I will need a fancy outfit for the party, an outfit or two for the plane ride and, of course, many more in between.  My plan is to pack a lot of layered outfits so that no matter what the weather is like, I'll be prepared.

There are a variety of sources out there for help with packing for a trip.  I love this post by J's Everyday Fashion, and I've even done a packing for a (short) trip post of my own in part 1 & part 2, and of course Kendi's 30x30 challenge could serve as packing-inspiration (see Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer).  I found this photo-diagram on pinterest offering practical advice and tips:

Just a few layered-looks to serve as packing inspiration/get your creative juices flowing:

*all photos can be found and linked back to
original source on my pinterest board, Arizona

What do you guys think?

Do you have any advice for packing for a trip???

Are there any outfits I've posted that you think I just have to take with me?