Sunday, February 27, 2011

Glowing where the sky meets with the trees

(ModCloth dress, Target tights, Tulle trench, vintage shoes)

Today was another quiet Sunday. My brother and I went to lunch. Then I spent a bit outside enjoying the sunshine. It's been a rather uneventful weekend altogether.

But I love when I get to pull my green trench out! It's very light and perfect for springy days. I tend to wear it as a raincoat as well, though, which it is definitely not made for. I've never found a raincoat I've been particularly fond of so I'll keep searching for now.

(Target cardigan)

This is the forest green version of my favourite mustard-coloured cardigan. Yup. Had to have it in multiple colours.

I actually got a wee bit spooked while taking these shots. I was only at the edge of the woods in my backyard but the neighbors were being extremely loud doing who knows what, and I swear I kept hearing strange whispering and gasping sounds. So I rushed back up to the house to take the photo above.


I don't wear these shoes as often as I would like. They're quite narrow so my toes begin to hurt after a bit. I do love the colour, the wee laces, and the bells, though.

(The title of this post is from the song "Love Letter Typewriter" by Mineral.)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Playing favourites


October, originally uploaded by thedictioncanary.
(ModCloth from my shoulders to my toes)

This is one of my favourite work outfits. The colours look rather rich together, and I feel a bit like a doll. Unfortunately the skirt clings to my stockings and bunches up. When I don't feel like constantly fixing my skirt I switch it out for a grey pencil skirt. I'll have to remember to take a photo of that version the next time I wear it.

This photo is actually from last October. The weather has not been very accommodating since last week but I'm hoping it'll warm up a bit again soon. I've decided that there's not much point to snow if it doesn't get me out of work (I'd much rather play in it than drive in it). So here's to an early spring!

I am going to try to get a photo of my outfit tomorrow, though. I'm not sure if I like it, and I just keep thinking that it's going to look as if Rainbow Brite dipped herself in sherbet. Maybe it will work? We'll see!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Under the weather


Under the weather, originally uploaded by thedictioncanary.
(ModCloth dress and shoes, Target cardigan, random tights)

I stayed home sick today, and this is the outfit I almost always wind up throwing on when I need to be comfortable.

It's seventy degrees and breezy outside right now. I can not wait for the trees to start budding and the flowers to start coming up. And for everything to turn green and vibrant. I try to attend the Philadelphia Flower Show every year to sort of tide me over until spring really begins. I missed the show last year so I'm pretty excited for it this year!

I'm sitting on the back porch and listening to old episodes of This American Life. It's lovely to be able to enjoy the fresh air even if I'm not feeling all that well.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Down by the river


Down by the river, originally uploaded by thedictioncanary.

It was over sixty degrees today so naturally I decided to go for my first bike ride of the year. So liberating! I went down to the river, and this is how windy it was! Ridiculous. It was so warm that I laid out on the boards and closed my eyes. A woman with a cute little dog walked by and she probably thought I was a bit batty. Ah well.

This is a slightly strange section of the river/marsh area where they tore out some of the reeds and trees. I believe the initial intention was to create a mini harbor of sorts. That never came to fruition so they've turned it into a little "nature walk" which makes no sense to me. It was obviously much more of an actual walk through nature before they ripped it up. It's still a relaxing little spot, though.

The wind, the wind is blowing
(Target cardigan, TJ MAXX top, Ruche shorts, Kohl's stockings, UO flats, Wonder Woman pin from the comic shop)

I rode my bike home to try to take a better photo. This was my errand-running (book store, Target, grocery story, CVS, liquor store), bike-riding outfit for the day. Mustard, burgundy, and grey make for a wonderful combination. As you can see, even in the protection of my beloved clearing I couldn't escape the wind. But this will do!

Now I'm relaxing with a beer (Sam Adams Irish Red. Yum!) and mentally preparing for the work day tomorrow (Uhm, this means I'm zoning out completely while watching rubbish on the television. My favourite rubbish? HGTV. Yup).

Sunday, February 13, 2011

A quiet Sunday


, originally uploaded by thedictioncanary.
(ModCloth dress, cardigan, and heels, Kohl's(?) stockings)

Today was rather quiet (READ: boring). I did a lot of dull but necessary cleaning (car, kitchen, etc.). The wind made for quite a chilly day but it was nice to get out and get some fresh air after all that cleaning.

Something exciting did happen earlier in the week, though! One of my prints has been featured in the current issue of Literacyhead! Literacyhead, if you've not heard of it, is a wonderfully creative and inspirational e-zine for educators. Each issue is filled with book recommendations, clever teaching tools, and fantastic artwork. Please take a moment to peruse their current issue (especially if you're a teacher or you have friends who teach)!

I was thrilled when they contacted me to see if I was interested in having one of my prints featured. This is the second time they have used one of my pieces, and I couldn't be more flattered! You can see my We Fancy Poppies print in the Visual Vocabulary section.

In other news, I went to see the Levon Helm Band again. They were incredible, of course, but I'm definitely swearing off casino shows from now on. The audiences are always so ill-behaved at the casinos. But this year is already shaping up to be a good year for shows. I've ordered tickets to see Justin Townes Earle in April and Elvis Costello in May! My goal for this year, as far as shows go, is to get up to Woodstock, NY for a Midnight Ramble! Fingers crossed on that one.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Winter dreams the same dream every time...


Almost looks like spring, originally uploaded by thedictioncanary.
(ModCloth dress, Tulle cardigan, Kohl's tights)

This photo is actually from our last real snow a few weeks ago. But I've been wearing this outfit constantly because it's so comfy and springy. I have always told myself that if I dress like the season I want then perhaps the weather will switch sooner? I'm perfectly aware that I'm crazy.

My favourite bits of this outfit aren't shown here. My shoes. They are lovely cognac-coloured oxford flats from UO. I bought them out of desperation that last time I was in Boston (I always forget to pack more than one pair of shoes) and I wear them with EVERYTHING. Shoe. Love.

Right now the wind is howling outside. The trees are creaking and wailing in protest. The weather is extremely spring-like even though it's still quite cold. If I can't have a winter filled to the brim with snow then I think spring should get here as quickly as it can.



PS

Technically I have already failed part of my to-do list for February by not blogging every day. It's only the eighth. So I'm just going to take it to mean I have twenty more days to make up for slacking. Meh.


The title of this post is from "You Can Never Hold Back Spring" by Tom Waits

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Monday, February 7, 2011

Shorts, stockings, and summer solstice!


, originally uploaded by thedictioncanary.
(Tulle shorts, TJ Maxx floral tank, Express cardigan, random tights, Chinese Laundry flats)

I get really excited when I get to wear shorts and stockings together. It's such a comfortable combination! This is what I wore for spending most of a very spring-ish February day outside. No coat required for a good bit of the day! Refreshing.

This is completely unrelated but one of my goals for this year is to spend the longest day of the year in some place where it stays light out into the wee hours of the night. It might be too expensive to fly to Ireland, Scotland, or Alaska but I'm determined to find some place I can afford. We'll see!