With this snow storm that has just hit Cincinnati over the weekend, I find myself craving spring more than ever! To help keep myself from going insane with spring fever, I’ve decided to channel some of my longing into  a set that I can imagine myself wearing on a warm spring day; possibly while on a picnic with friends or for a walk in the park. What do you think? What outfit can you not wait to take out of your (imaginary or real) closet this spring?

Items in this set:
Brunch Date Dress : Adore Vintage Clothing Store, Vintage Dresses,…, $38
Green Ribbed Top Cardigan, 9 GBP
Oxfords, $100
East Weekend Across Body Bag, Chocolate, 65 GBP
Gilded Goldfinch Necklace, $18

I know things have been quiet here lately. So, here are two lovely items I’ve bought
on Etsy lately that I’m completely in love with! That will have to tide you over for now.

{Bag by TippiThai / Calendar by Letter C Design}

I start a new job tomorrow! For those of you that weren’t already aware, I’m a recently graduated education major with an emphasis in Secondary Education English/ Language Arts. In other words, I went to school to be a high school English teacher. I finished up my teaching internship right before Christmas & have been actively seeking a position ever since. Well, good news! I just got a job as a middle school (!!) English teacher at a local charter school. I start tomorrow & I’m terrified beyond belief. I don’t know what to expect which is what scares me most of all. I can only go into it “expecting the unexpected.” That’s essentially the best advice I’ve received on the subject thus far.

As a result of these recent events, I’ve decided to compile a list of things I tend to do when I’m stressed. Perhaps, if nothing else, it will help keep my mind off of tomorrow for a few minutes & maybe be something pretty for you all to look at. So, without any further ado…

Things I tend to do to avoid freaking out:

1. Watch cute Youtube videos. Some of my favorites at the moment include…

Kitty Maru is so determined to get in that dang box! It inspires me to keep trying! Hah.

I love this video because the little boy is just too cute for words. I love how he starts to nod his head & get into the music before … raging. Hahaha.

I love this video because it’s cute too but in a different way. There’s also that added supsense — are they going to make it? Watch & find out

Continue reading Things I tend to do to avoid freaking out.

It’s warming up outside (& by “warming up” I mean it’s 31 degrees farenheit). But, more importantly, the sun is finally shining again! This change in the weather has inspired me to put on a skirt for the first time in a long, long while. And, I’ve decided to photograph the outfit in order to pull it up as proof that I do in fact own a skirt– if I should ever have to plead my case in the future. The boyfriend, my friend Jennifer & I have a date to go see the movie Avatar (in 3D IMAX!) later today. So, I thought I’d wear something a little different rather than opting for my typical jeans/hoodie combo that I seem to have been living in lately.

Cargidan & layering tanks: Gap
Denim skirt: Target
Gray Tights & knee-high navy socks: Target?
Brown leather boots: DSW (Brand is Diba)
Bird House Charm Necklace: Urban Outfitters (Click here for detailed pictures)

Hope you enjoy the sunshine today as much as I intend to!

Why is it that adding balloons to any photograph seems to create instant magic?

{Credit: 1. Untitled, 2. untitled, 3. Day 98 - balloon happiness?, 4. love balloon, 5. serenity, 6. learn to fly, 7. you stole my heart away, 8. Returning to the same ocean., 9. I’ll Give You All I Can…}

{credit: photo by Gabriela Camerotti | quote by myself}

(P.S. Argh! It was brought to my attention that there was a typo in my first quote! I’ve since fixed it. That’s what I get for creating these things so quickly without proof reading. I hate when that sort of thing happens. Anyway, sorry about that!)

The buttons! The ruffles! I’m tempted. Oh so tempted. What say you?
[Dogwood Ruffle bag from SweetgumHandbags for $55]

{Follow my blog with bloglovin}

My life has been essentially put on hold for the past two days as a result of the “white death” that has visited Cincinnati. I don’t mind at all. Personally, I think it’s quite nice. I am taking it as a sort of vacation from reality. My cat Atlas (pictured above) & myself have been busy cleaning & organizing the apartment. Alright, mostly I’ve been doing the cleaning. Atlas has been supervising the situation closely though. Yesterday I did all my laundry & have been attempting to clean out my closet & organize it in some manner. I was kind of stumped because I couldn’t figure out how to go about organizing. Should I organize by color? Type? I had no idea! I decided upon organizing by type (sweaters, button-ups, cardigans) & then by color as much as possible. This is what it ended up looking like after I was done:

What I have come to realize about my wardrobe after cleaning/organizing my closet:

1. I wear A LOT of stripes & cardigans. I need to stop buying these items.
2. I need more pants/trousers for work. I haven’t bought any proper pants for a long, long time.
3. I need more shoes. I also need to get rid of some of my shoes that I’ve been holding onto for too long.
4. I have a lot of different pieces that don’t work together. As you can see above, a lot of my closet is comprised of colors, stripes, & patterns. It makes it difficult to figure out what to wear.
5. I need to start simplifying things & working on building up my professional wardrobe by adding pieces that will work together & be versatile.

Looking for some more closet inspiration? Below are some links to some excellent sources for maintaining & organizing your wardrobe:

• The 80/20 Rule…Sartorialized from AmandaLee.org: “Pare down. Get rid of anything that doesn’t fit your body, your lifestyle, or the climate where you live. Get rid of duplicates. Get rid of anything you haven’t worn in over a year, no matter how sentimental it might be or how much you want to fit into it again.”
• Build Your Wardrobe: Let’s Start at the Very Beginning from What I Wore: The perfect advice on what essential items to buy when you are attempting to begin building your wardrobe. This post is practical & offers a breakdown that newbies like myself can really appreciate.
• Do it Yourself Closet Organization Video: This video, although seemingly simplistic, really helps break down the steps necessary into organizing a closet. Watch it.
• How to Organize your Closet from Real Simple: Three easy steps, including creating a “grab & go” section of the clothing that you wear the most often. Smart. Why didn’t I think of that?

Hopefully now when I go shopping, I know what to buy & what not to buy. What about yourself? What do you find yourself being drawn to as far as clothing is concerned?

These new prints by Catherine Campell of My Folk Lover are so delightful it makes my heart ache just a little.
Yes, I realize that’s a touch melodramatic, but how much closer to perfection could these be?

Love the Alice in Wonderland theme she’s got going on.
You can see all the other new prints for sale on her Etsy or on her blog.

{via weheartit}

Like so many others around me seem to be expressing, I am more than happy to see 2009 go. Although many wonderful things have happened to me in the past year (graduating from college, finishing my internship, meeting my wonderful boyfriend), it all seemed to come along with a lot of– for lack of a better way to describe it– bad stuff. Certainly, I am not naive enough to assume that the coming year won’t bring its fair share of bad stuff, but I just love New Years for the fact that we can all start fresh with the idea that anything is possible. It’s like the perfect “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” analogy.

So, here are my obligatory 2010 New Year’s Resolutions. Some of them are specific. Some are more broad; all I believe are absolutely doable.

1. {Feel better about myself.} This doesn’t necessarily mean one particular thing about myself needs to be changed. I’m not going to say “Lose 10-15 pounds” or “Work out 4 times a week” or “Eat healthier” because my physical appearance is not the only thing I need to work on in order to feel better about who I am as a person. I need to work on making myself feel better about all facets of who I am– from my personality to my spirituality as well as my physical characteristics. My resolution is to do whatever it takes to make myself feel better about myself — inside & out.
2. {Take more photographs.} I have this nice camera that needs to be used. My resolution is to actually use it. Easy enough.
3. {Read more books.} Another rather self-explanatory one. I love to read, but I haven’t been reading for pleasure lately.  I want to change that.
4. {Take care of the people I love.} Start nurturing relationships of friends & family members. Stop focusing on the relationships that make me feel bad about myself.
5. {Do what I love.} I resolve to find a way to live a life that I love & sustain myself while doing so. As a recent college graduate with a Bachelor’s degree now in tow, I feel such pressure to do something with my degree. I have been constantly stressing myself out about finding a job. My hope for 2010 is that I find a job that allows me to thrive!

I like that I only have five. That feels manageable to me. Now, what about yourself? What goals are you trying to reach in 2010?