Blue velvet.

Well, that was quite an extended absence! Life has been busy, the weather has been uncooperative, I got sick for a bit (hopefully got that out of the way for the winter), and I was feeling a bit uninspired/unmotivated. Meh, it happens! 

I took these on a frigid, windy day (as has been the norm around here) and had to add more layers later on, but I loved this outfit! I'd been knocking around ideas for these socks for a while and quite randomly came up with this. After much reluctance, I've finally accepted that outfit planning never quite works out for me and that my favourite outfits are almost always the last minute throw togethers. I guess dressing on a whim is the way to go!

(Threadsence top, ModCloth skirt and heels, Target socks

Hoping to get back to regular posting now! Have a lovely weekend, doves!

Doll parts...

(Ruche cardigan and top (both old), Knitted Dove shorts, Target socks, CL by Laundry wedges)

Hi, doves! I'm still adjusting to the end of Daylight Saving Time, so it's been a bit difficult to shoot lately. I still haven't gotten any good shots of my Halloween costume, but I will throw that in a post soon. 

My long lost seafoam cardigan that had gone missing during my last move reappeared in my closet over the weekend (... I'm thinking it might actually be a magic wardrobe...),  and I pretty much had to wear it immediately. I've been trying to shoot some version of this outfit for quite a while now, but this is definitely my favourite reincarnation. I realize now that the socks make it.

I did feel a bit doll-like, but I think that has more to do with my bangs than the outfit itself. I cut them for Halloween (if you follow me on IG you may have seen that I was Daria), and they've definitely taken some getting used to. I'm really starting to like them though! I think I was around thirteen years old the last time I had full, straight across bangs. Geesh!

Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you all next week. Have a great weekend!

I put a spell on you...

(Vintage cardigan, two string jane tank top, H&M skirt, vintage boots)

Hi, doves! So, here's my final Halloween post before I post my actual costume (next week!). I was trying to decide how I would describe this look when I realized it was more of a casual witchy outfit... "Witching for the Weekend?" Ahaha. Ugh. I have no control over the cheesy things my brain comes up with. If I hadn't been able to come up with a Halloween costume, I would have tweaked this outfit a little bit (black jacket, heavier makeup, and maybe a crown of thorns?) and gone as a witch. But I loved this outfit! It was cozy, but I also felt a little out of my element which was a nice change for me.

Also, I almost did this post in black and white, but I felt the ethereal lighting got lost in the transition and decided against it.

This amazing journal is from Oberon Design. They make the most gorgeous handmade leather covers. The boy got me this giant one and a smaller one for my birthday last year. They're almost too pretty to use! But I think they'd be perfect for keeping track of your most beloved spells... I'm sorry; is my Ravenclaw showing?

Are you partaking in any Halloween festivities this year? My brother and his girlfriend are having a housewarming/Halloween shindig. I'm pretty excited! Have a happy Halloween if you celebrate and a great weekend either way!

The blue fox.

(ModCloth top and cardigan, UO skirt, Target tights, shoes!)

Ok, well, I had intended to do another Halloween inspired post with this top. On its own, it's the perfect shade of Halloween orange! But then I became a smidge obsessed with the idea of pairing it with blue (read: by "a smidge obsessed" I mean I ripped apart my room in search of this damn skirt for over an hour. So, yeh...). The foxes are blueish grey (greyish blue?)! How could I resist? Oy.

Fun fact: One of the reasons I love foxes is that I have a paw print birth mark on the back of my neck. I don't know if I've ever pointed it out here before, but I figured shooting the lovely back of this top would be as fine a time as any to show it off. Do you have any secret marks or traits that you're oddly proud of? I have a lot of freckles, but love my paw print!

Next time I'll actually have another Halloween look to share. I'm thinking of something a bit witchy, perhaps? We'll see! 

Thrillseeker...

 
Hi, doves! This outfit got me in the mood to talk a bit about my love of horror. I still remember the exact moment I got hooked! One night when I was but a wee one, I was up past my bed time (on a school night, gasp!) reading "The Pit and the Pendulum" by flashlight. I can still remember my heart pounding, flashlight shaking, holding my breath as I made myself press on. Poe was the beginning of my love of horror and mystery. And I have spent the rest of my life seeking out that thrill in the pages of countless novels and stories. 

 (Volcom dress, Target cardigan, vintage belt, ModCloth socks, those shoes I need to replace, Stephen King triple whammy book purse)
 

From Poe, I made the next logical step to short story compilations such as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (possibly responsible for a slight and very irrational fear of iguanas...) and 100 Creepy Little Creature Stories ("A Birthday Present for Tommy" sticks out in my head to this day. Yeesh). I quickly devoured every book in the beloved Goosebumps series. 

Fast forward to college (high school was filled with existentialism and absurdism which can be just as terrifying as horror, but that's another discussion for another time) when I found King and never turned back. The Shining! Alas! There was that heart pounding terror I knew and loved! Also, if you're wondering, movies have never cut it for me; I'm too difficult to scare. I need to get lost in a good book while my imagination quietly sneaks off and runs away with me.
 

I realize this post could end up a novel in itself, so I'm cutting myself off here to talk about the outfit. I have been saving this bag and dress combination since this spring. I randomly snagged this motorcycle print dress at a surf shop on an outing with my aunt. And this bag! One of my best buds got it for my for my birthday last year, and it's basically the coolest thing ever... Which is what I kept yelling when he gave it to me. Heheh.

Do you gravitate towards any particular genre? Are you a fellow horror fan?? What's your favourite horror novel/story? Seriously, I want to know. Give me more! Rawrawrawr! Ahem, okay, that's enough out of me for now.

A belated Plaidurday...

Hi, doves! I've been dealing with sinus and asthma issues since late last week (it's that time of year!) and haven't felt up to much more than reading in bed and binge watching old Supernatural episodes (yep) whilst whining about my wicked sinus pressure. Boy, I'm fun! So, I'm quite behind on, well, everything. 

Anyway, these photos are from last weekend, and I meant to post earlier in the week. Quite conveniently, yesterday was Plaidurday! Ah yes, what would I do without the interwebz to remind me me of fun, fake holidays?? This adorable shirt is probably way too young for me (whatever that means), but I found it while I was switching out summer clothes for my warmer digs this weekend and couldn't resist it. I also dug out my oversized olive green jacket which looks so much like the one I basically lived in when I was an extra moody thirteen-year-old nightmare. A bit of late 90s - early 00s nostalgia always makes me feel better!

 (Shirt.Woot tee, thrifted skirt, Sock Dreams socks, ModCloth heels, random jacket from a shop in Asbury Park)

 

For the rest of the month of October, I'm planning on posting Halloween inspired outfits. I have no idea what to be this year yet, but I always have fun coming up with every day outfits for the season!

Purple plaid.

Happy autumn, doves! While it's been decidedly autumnal the past few days, we had a hot and humid weekend. I didn't want to give in to the heat completely, so I quietly rebelled with a bit of plaid. I'm so over it I couldn't even think of a decent post title! 

Are you sick of seeing these shorts yet?! I am! I'm ready for tights all the time! And layering! I get bored with my summer outfits fairly quickly as I find it more difficult to be creative. I don't deal with the heat very well and wind up in a bit of a slump, wearing the same things over and over because I know I'll be comfortable. But it wouldn't be Jersey without a bit of back and forth after the end of summer, now would it?

 (Target flannel, old F21 bodysuit, favourite Tulle shorts, vintage belt, trusty ol' shoes)

A bit rusty...

(Old TJ Maxx top and skirt, belt, Blowfish wedges)

I've been meaning to shoot this top and skirt together for a while. I didn't have much light left when I took these the other night which is quite frustrating to me. My backyard is super shady, so this weekend I'm going to head back over to my parents' house to shoot again. Their yard is big and open, and the light is so much easier to work with. Anyway! I think this rusty top is so pretty. I don't usually like poufy sleeves, but the pouf is actually quite minimal. What a ridiculous sentence! I'm just going to leave it there.

You know, now that I'm thinking about the word, I can't remember ever being called Rusty (any Venture Bros. fans out there?). That's probably one of the only ginger kid names I've managed to avoid! My daddio still calls me copper/carrot top and headuh-reduh (He made that one up, so I figured spelling it the way he pronounces it would be best). Random people call me Red when they don't know my name. I have amassed quite an assortment of nicknames over the years. Do you guys have any nicknames that seem to follow you everywhere you go? Any that you love or hate?

Shine all the buttons on your green shirt...

Hi, doves! How's September going for you guys so far? Last week was the hottest week of the entire summer here! I finally went to the beach on Saturday (it was almost a hundred degrees inland. Bah!). Sunday it cooled off significantly, and after a short bike ride and bumming around a local art walk, I went to take photos. Can you tell I'm ready for autumn?? It was actually still a bit warm for these tights, but I couldn't resist.

This owl bag makes an awesome camera bag! I ditched it for the rest of the photos (I feel like props make me even more awkward), but it's adorable and my new camera fits perfectly.

(Old ModCloth top, F21 shorts, random belt, ModCloth tights, Adrienne Vittadini heels, Sheinside bag)

 

I hope you're all having a great week! 

Post title from "Green Shirt" by Elvis Costello.

The long and short of it...

Excuse me for just a second while I get this out of my system... Aaaah, new camera, aaaah! I'm pretty happy with it so far, and I had fun playing with it for these photos! Please bear with me while I figure everything out, though. This camera has a flip up screen, so it's already proven to be a huge improvement.

This post seems to be a testament to how little sun I got this summer. I even turned down the exposure! Oy. Even though I've been outside a lot, I haven't actually sat out in the sun at all. My freckles are usually much more prominent by now. Ah well. We've been having our usual summer weather over the past few days (hot, humid, gross, bleh), so I took the opportunity to throw on an outfit it really hadn't been hot enough to wear until now. 

A while back, I went on a hunt for a couple of maxi skirts and found this one on sale at H&M for something like ten bucks?! I figured it'd be perfect to wear with one of my crop tops, and I do have to say that I like this outfit! And yes, even with these ridiculous wedges on, I was still stepping on the hem of this skirt. Ha.

(H&M skirt, old ModCloth crop top, Michael Antonio wedges from HauteLook)

All right, that's it for now. Hope you're having a great week!