Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Happy Holidays!

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Have a happy and safe holiday! xoxo - Julie

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Life Lately...

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We're having a bit of a rough week over here. Tuesday was not kind to our little household: after leaving my broken-down car on the side of the road, I arrived home to a sick kitty who had to be whisked off to the emergency vet.

The cat was sent home with some antibiotics and pain relievers and seems to be doing ok (the car is yet to be determined and still on the side of the road, let's hope that's ok too); a rough night for sure, but one made immensely better by friends who rescue you off the side of the road (and bring you a slice of pizza while they're at it), and who offer to drive you and your cat to the emergency vet, in the snow, 30 minutes away, at 10:30 at night, because your car is dead on the side of the road. That's like a giant bomb of kindness, and a reminder, not just of how amazing the people we've come to know here in Pittsburgh are, but how far we've come from our early, incredibly cynical days in this city.

When we first moved here it was a shock to the system, our move was so quick that the focus was purely on finding a place to live, getting our stuff in a truck, and spending as much time with our friends and family as possible. I know I've talked a lot about this before -- are we entering broken record territory yet? -- but I'm not sure I've ever quite owned up the the fact that well, we hated it here at first, and were kind of jerks about it. I don't care to look back on them, but it's pretty clear from my early Pittsburgh blog posts that I was having a tough time getting comfortable and finding my stride (i.e. I was bummed out and a bummer to be around). Hindsight is 20/20, right? Looking back, there are so many things that I would have done differently, approached differently. And the knowledge of that is something that I want to make sure I hold on to, or at least document. So that if I'm ever in the position of being in a new city again, I can learn from past mistakes.

This is quickly slipping into saccharine-sweet territory, but just something I wanted to put out there between supervising a drowsy, drugged-up cat and renewing my AAA subscription so I can get my car towed.

On the upside, I think I have enough fodder for a pretty solid country western song.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Through Snow and Sleet

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Despite the fact that it's been snowing consistantly for four or five days straight, we have nothing to show for it but cold weather and a slick of thin sheer ice covering the sidewalks. I'm not complaining. While I wouldn't turn down a snow day from work, seeing the snow falling from my window is lovely. A small reminder of what time of year it is. I rid myself of a number of sweaters at the start of fall, and while the mountain is still staggering, I've been enjoying a more pared-down selection of favorites, which includes this fuzzy, olive-colored one.

I'm not going to lie -- I'm having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit this year. It's not for lack of trying, I've made ornaments, made cookies, listened to Christmas songs, eaten my weight in seasonal treats, but I'm not feeling too inspired. I've bought precisely one Christmas present... back in October. I'm hoping things change this weekend, when we'll actually have time to do some shopping and strolling, and relaxing.

What I wore:
Jacket: J.Crew 2010
Sweater: H&M
Skirt: Talbots kids/Thrifted
Boots: Thrifted
Hat: Vintage
Tights: American Apparel
Ring c/o Dixi

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Throwback to Fall

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Evidence of how scatterbrained I've been when it comes to anything outside of work: these photos, which were taken, oh, a couple of days after I returned from St. Louis Fashion Week. About two months ago. Long hair, leaves on the trees instead of the ground, how things have changed. On the upside, I think I'm officially caught up with all my random old outfit photo sets, bring on winter, layers, and snow! There is actually ice on the inside of our kitchen window this morning. It's cold.

I thrifted this dress over the summer, and while I loved the colors and pattern, the baggy 90s silhouette left a little to be desired. Nothing a jacket and knotted hem can't improve. I've long since switched to tights and long-sleeve dresses, but these ideas can certainly be translated to winter wear.

What I wore:
Dress: Thrifted
Jacket: old F21 (similar)
Boots: Frye/swapped (similar)
Hat: K2
Bracelets: Thrifted
Necklaces: Gifts/swapped/Moorea Seal

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Fisherman

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What I wore to fight my way through the crowds at Handmade Arcade this past weekend. No dice. After 30 minutes of struggling to see vendor's wares over people's shoulders, we were completely overwhelmed and decided to leave, opting instead to browse online the few shops we had grabbed cards from. I really want to enjoy Christmas shopping, but so far it's been a bit of a nightmare this year.

I picked up this vintage Greek fisherman's cap from Eons recently (a PGH vintage shop), after popping in while in the midst of doing my laundry across the street. It reminds me of the hat from the Isabel Marant for H&M collection, except way better because it was A. cheaper and B. authentic. and, hell, C. vintage. I've been wearing it non-stop lately. A nice change of pace from the usual beanie atop my head.

This post is probably full of typos that will be glaringly obvious tomorrow morning. Forgive me. It's now past midnight and my eyes are crossing from exhaustion.

What I wore:
Jacket: Vintage/Thrifted
Sweater: Vintage/Thrifted (similar)
Hat: Vintage Greek fisherman's cap/ Eons (similar)
Jeans: Urban Outfitters (similar or similar)
 

Monday, December 9, 2013

Currently

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A big man with a little tree on a very cold Thanksgiving

Reading >> Old Readymade and Domino magazines. In hopes of finding some 2014 inspiration. Slowly making my way through an old copy of The Witches of Eastwick.
Watching >> National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. A few too many times. Craving more old movies.
Making >> Lots of treats for work. Fun because it's baking, work because it's work, though. Also, lots of ornaments. Which is just fun.
Feeling >> Exhausted and like it's time for a vacation. I've been moving at a mile-a-minute pace lately, and am finding it difficult to slow down.
Searching >> For the perfect Christmas gifts.
Wanting >> To slow the pace and enjoy this season.
Anticipating >> New England, family, Christmas shopping in Portland with my mom. No internet. Catching up with friends.
Loving >> Snow on the ground. Ridiculously cold temperatures. A very snuggly cat.
Thinking >> About how I'll be thirty soon. And what that means, and what I want. And of course, how I'll celebrate.
Craving >> More weekends. More snow. More sleep. More time for inspiration. More time to make. More time in general.
Working on >> Finishing our office. Mustering the energy to have a 'Shop my Closet' sale. Downsizing. Forever downsizing.
Baking >> Gingerbread cookies for work, lots of paleo muffins for the week's breakfasts, roasting lots of root vegetables.
Struggling >> With striking the right balance between work and life. I don't like to use the term 'balance' in this regard, but there's no better word for it right now. My life has felt out of whack lately and I have the bags beneath my eyes to prove it.
Wearing >> Lots of plaids and wool, layers, pullover sweaters. Hats. It's pretty darn cold (or at least it was this weekend)
Catching up >> On outfit posts. I discovered a set of photos that were taken in late-October that I never edited. So expect a bit of time travel later this week.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Final Days of Fall

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This foliage is long gone, replaced with grey skies and bare trees. Foliage season in Pittsburgh is short, but lovely, though I have to admit to liking this time of year just as much. On this particular day, Chris and I walked down to the East End Book Exchange for our friend Bess' pop-up shop (a Red Pop Shop Pop-Up Shop?). I love living in proximity to stuff again, to be able to walk places again after living in a fairly removed neighborhood, something I completely took for granted when we were living in Massachusetts.

I've been wearing this sweater non-stop lately. It's so warm! Pullovers, beanies, and boots -- those are my wardrobe staples these days. Big surprise, right?

What I wore:
Coat: J.Crew (2011)
Sweater: Thrifted
Shorts: Thrifted & chopped Levi's
Tights: AA Super Opaque
Hat: Target
Bag: Thrifted/ Vintage Coach
Bracelet & midi ring c/o Lulu's

Monday, December 2, 2013

A Few Small Goals For December

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Happy December! I'm so excited to be welcoming a new month. I love this time of year -- people are generally in good spirits, everything looks festive, and the cold weather still feels exciting. Chris and I had a wonderful, low-key Thanksgiving: we jumped the gun and bought our Christmas tree (early, but I want to enjoy it), had dinner with a friend, and then went out for beers and a movie (Catching Fire -- it was good!).

Even though I didn't technically accomplish all of my goals for November, I'm really happy with the way things went down: I went to yoga every weekend, but after a couple of classes I realized that I like the Sunday instructor and class time much better, so I've been enjoying starting my week off with Sunday evening yoga. While I'm not sure if I technically broke out of the style rut I felt I was in, I did have a couple of really good thrift dates with Chris, which helped solidify the direction I'd like to steer my closet and style in. I did not run the Turkey Trot. And I do not feel bad about it. Anyway, it was 20 degrees the morning of the race, ha! We took a leisurely Thanksgiving walk instead. And I got to work early -- at times abysmally early -- nearly every day this month. As much as I hate going in early, I love getting a jump start on my day.

It didn't take me long to figure out my goals for December, they're things that have been on my mind lately as it is:

// Volunteer at least once
My real goal here is to find two volunteer opportunities before Christmas. I really want to make volunteering a year-long thing, and I think finding something this time of year is a good place to start.

// Eat as clean as possible ... while still enjoying the holidays
I haven't been feeling too well lately, and I know this is in direct correlation to the amount of cheese I've been consuming. And wine. And treats. And cheese. It's time to get back on the horse, sort of. I'm still going to enjoy the social opportunities that spring up this time of year, but maybe just cut down on the stress eating at work.

// Make Christmas gifts & send out cards
i.e. dont procrastinate. I started making gifts and ornaments this weekend, and it felt so good to make something with my hands. I didn't realize how long it had been since I did a project expressly on my own accord, rather than for work. I absolutely have to make this a habit again.

// Try a new exercise routine
Lately my exercise routine has felt stale, save for the addition of yoga, it's been sort of the same for a long time. My goal this month? To try a spin class. I used to bike a lot so I'm thinking I'll like it? I hope I'll like it, because running kills me and the ARC machine is getting boring, and I need some sort of cardio to balance out the weights.

// Clean out my inbox
My email is a nightmare, a nightmare filled with sale messaging and newsletters that I don't delete. I've got to tackle this beast.

How about you? Any big plans this month?