Ready for Fall

Tank, American Apparel; cardigan, J. Crew; skirt, fei at Anthropologie;
boots, Target; necklace, lenora dame; bag vintage.

I finally had the chance to take care of my really persistent roots. And maybe it's just me, but when I dye my hair, I feel like all of a sudden my color palette is slightly altered. "My" colors are different for clothes and makeup and it's really baffling.

To welcome the sudden brisk autumn weather, I pulled out some boots and worked up from there. I think this is my new color palette.

I got some positive feedback from the big rig drivers I passed on I-20 on the way back into town as well as from my lady friend Brit who even went so far as saying that this is her fave Jinah outfit ever. Thanks sweet lady!

Oh and this little bag (I know I have an overwhelming surplus of bags) is from Zoe's in Forest Park where everything was bananas.

Man Shops Globe

I just got this in my e-mail. According to other Anthro bloggers, screenings are being held around the country for this new show. Hope you can make it, I'll be sure to make it my business to be there!

For those of you who need a little background: Keith Johnson has the most dreamy job - he travels the world sourcing antiques and just plain good things for Anthropologie. He and CEO Glen Senk are the driving force behind Anthro, from what makes it to the store to how it will be tweaked for sale.

Glen Senk is basically my personal hero and I am thrilled to catch a glimpse into what his partner-in-crime (slash life) does in his day-to-day. Did anyone get to go to a screening in their hometown? I'm going to track down the Sundance channel on my cable box, stat.

For those of you unconvinced, this introspective from 1st dibs might convince you.

Bham babbys

Yummy treats at Urban Standard


A love letter from barista to a lovely lady


Milo and my biffle Lana.

So I finally collected enough continuous free time to take a trip to Alabama to visit one of my besties. After living in the city for so long and having it in my head that Atlanta compared to the rest of the South is on a different level, I had no idea what to expect.

But then I remembered that being friends with her is like having five different friends; and that undoubtedly she would know where to eat delish things, shop for jewels, drink iced lattes, meet bearded boys, and listen to the cool jams. There are amazing little pockets of laid back secretly hip boutiques and restaurants, and I saw so much in one day!

In addition to the local flavor of the city, the Greek festival and the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival were both going on. I was glad to see a lot of culture vultures and a surprising amount of diversity and not the "bro-deo" I had anticipated.

And Milo Beloved lives there. In addition to cupcakes, vintage, antiques, and beautiful people, what more can you ask for?

Turkish Rugs Dress

Dress, plenty by Tracy Reese; boots, Frye; headband, Anthropologie.

Sorry about the indoor shots. Atlanta has had these insane flash floods and I haven't really been able to take proper shots outside. That and I'm pretty sure the front and back porches are covered in dirt and plants from the overflow.

This is what I wore to work to promote rustic cuisine, fall merchandise, and good cheer. I missed layers even though they require cooler climates. Favorite fall dress, favorite fall boots, trusty headband, check. I might end up wearing a variation of this every day.

Minus presentation days for school. On which I have to wear a wool suit. I guess I can make that fashion-y too.

Edging it Out

Dress, Richard Chai for Target; blazer, Cartonnier at Anthropologie;
boots, Jeffrey Campbell; bag, Forever 21.

I've been leaning towards matching edgy with girly more and more lately. While these outfits don't work for class, I can mix and match for work which makes me very happy.

You might be seeing a lot of this blazer this season. While the shape is trendy, and that is daunting, the material is so comfortable! It is literally sweatshirt soft and I just want to wear it everyday.

Oh, and I splurged on those boots. But I guess I didn't splash out on the boots that they were inspired by so it's still recession friendly. If you are rich. Which I am not, ha.

Comments about the state of the economy and my finances aside, atleast they can double as a piece to a Halloween costume. I bought a Gaga wig last week, and I probably have all the pieces to dress up as Daria. Done and done.

I need my own Paparazzi...

Dress, Express; blazer, Anthropologie; flats, Jeffrey Campbell.

Papa-paparazzi. No, but really, I feel like my self-timer photos have declined in quality now that I have a live-in photographer. Besides that, whenever I take these I usually have 2 minutes from grabbing my tripod to getting out the door and end up rushing through the whole process.

This is what I wore to work on Friday and quickly regretted because this dress was crushing my ribcage. I felt like my upper body was being constricted in a corsets and fainting couch sort of way and cursed myself. How weird that that would be the part of my body making it so clothes don't fit me properly?

And yes, this is the Baby V dress I posted forever back. So A+ for cuteness, not so good for breathing.

Anna Sui for Target OMG

Dress, Anna Sui for Target; pumps, Liz Claiborne.

So I stalked the Buckhead Target over the weekend until Sunday morning when the Anna Sui dresses were finally placed on the floor. I was basically breathing on the glass doors at 8 AM with my best lady and my best mans in tow.

Originally, I went for this little number:

A la Blair. But then this jacquard houndstooth print dress caught my eye. Honestly the navy dress didn't excite me in the preview photos compared to the plethora of other options, but in person it was so unbelievably perfect.

Seriously, so perf. All fully lined and trimmed in quality materials, and isn't a little too out there. I was afraid that most of the dresses would feel too synthetic and cheap but I was not disappointed.

Truth be told I loved pretty much everything from this collection - the timing (released as Gossip Girl premiered), the fabrics, the colors, the cuts. I ended up cleaning out the Blair section and tried on everything they had (which was literally everything at 8:01).

I didn't totally blow my wad though and only got things that are somewhat practical. Everything I purchased was work appropriate or could be worn to a wedding/birthday party/out on the town/black tie affair.

My top three picks after seeing everything in person are:

1.

Houndstooth Jacquard Dress, $59.99

The perfect dress. I love this. I would wear this to just lounge around the house so I can feel a little more like Blair Waldorf while I watch TV.

2.

Seersucker Dress with Lace, $59.99

The picture for this didn't cover all the precious details of this dress. I loved the metallic buttons, the layers of lace, and that little buckle detail that all made it feel a lot more luxe than Tarjay. The pictures do not do it justice at all. The issues I had with it were that the dropwaist didn't hit me where I wanted, and neither did the hips. In fact, though I am not hippy by any means, the hips were way too small in this one.

Despite the fit issues for me, I think this is an easy little piece to throw on for multiple occasions for any girl. This can take you from class to a coffee date to dinner and out at night in a single day.

3.

Metallic Jacquard Dress, $59.99

This was another piece that didn't impress me in the preview photos. But in person it is so so fun! The metallic sheen looks a lot more expensive in person and it hangs better on a real woman's figure. A very fun little party dress or even a brunch dress if you are a classy lady like Miss Blair.

Did anyone else scope this out or am I just bananas in these hard economic times?

I heart hayden-harnett

Dress, hayden-harnett; sandals, Miss Trish of Capri for Target;
bag, Marc by Marc Jacobs.

I was absolutely dying for this dress ever since I received the Spring/Summer '09 lookbook from hayden-harnett earlier this year. And knowing that the dress section of my closet is overstuffed, I kept hoping and hoping that this little baby would go on sale. Because if I'm saving money, it's okay, right?

And the price kept jumping up and down (mostly when funds were tight). And then there was one left. In my size. For 75% off. I almost thought I made up the whole purchase in my head and was kind of shocked to see the box on the front step when it arrived.

I love the gingko print and the flirty ruffley layers. It complements my large selection of navy and grey outerwear and accessories nicely. Love.

And this is what happens when I have a photographer. I turn into a very silly girl. I am probably this weird in person. The end.

Meow or should I say, Ruff Ruff?

Romper and headband, Anthropologie; tights, Target; flats, Marc by Marc jacobs;
cardie, J. Crew; blazer, Urban Outfitters; clutch, Rebecca Minkoff.

I almost passed on this romper because it's summery and well, not B school or work appropriate. But it has scottie dogs and really fun pleated shorts. I just had to.

I ended up running all over town in this, first to work, then to Britney Spears (I got offered a ticket for free last minute), and then to wish my little sister happy birthday. It seemed versatile despite the fact that it would have been costumey in most settings.

I swapped the cardie for a blazer. Boyfriend blazers are like the new boyfriend cardigan in my book. Too bad I'm also into skinny jeans and big hair at the same time. Sometimes I wonder if I am just a caricature of myself.

Nurse Dress

Dress, Urban Outfitters; boots, Frye.

I realized I haven't posted in over a week! Labor Day weekend was a doozy at work and I'm still recovering. And still catching up on all of my social and school obligations that got deprioritized.

Apparently I did have time to put together outfits and take photos last week. Here's one -- I got the dress after watching it for a few weeks. I feel a little nurse-y in it, but overall it's a really sweet little throw on and go piece.

Oh and I am making a horrible face and thought you might appreciate more kittens in the blogosphere.

Walkaways in Peacock Blue

Dress, Anthropologie; flats, Nine West; headband, etsy; bag, Rebecca Minkoff.

When I bought the orange version of this, I kept saying to myself, "Man, wouldn't this be even better in blue?" And then it came in blue as well. So I have both. I think they feel very different and I have coordinating accessories for both colors. The blue goes perfectly with peacock themed things!

And I even jazzed up my hair to make up for the fact that I haven't gotten a proper cut and style in months now. Here's another secret: I hate washing my hair. Braids one of my sneaky ways of getting out of washing my hair.

I heart Rebecca Minkoff

Rebecca Minkoff 3-zip clutch in Dark Shimmer, $295

Anyone that knows me well enough will attest to how much of a handbag girl I am.

I forgo eating regular meals and make irrational decisions because of leather trims and special zipper pulls. I even built a new section of my closet for my bags.

And I've been trying to wean myself off of the obsession by casually avoiding all the purse blogs and feeling grateful I'm not into the slouchy edgy bags that the rest of the blogistas are into.

But this stopped me in my tracks. I posted the black leather version a little bit ago, but this shimmery number? I die. Gunmetal hardware. Dark grey so it's subtle enough for day and disco enough for night. Someone needs to sit me down and talk me out of splashing out this very second.

Is it Fall Yet?

Dress, H&M; boots, Steve Madden; bag, Rebecca Minkoff.

It's getting chilly out lately! I hate the cold but can't help but love all my cool weather clothes. These boots are so fun to prance around in. The soundtrack at work includes "These Boots" and this day involved some boot shakin' on the clock.

No wonder the B school people think I'm weird. Oh well.

This outfit was inspired by the gorgeous Anika, but the boot purchase was inspired by Agathe (of beloved Style Bytes). Have I mentioned how much I miss her blog?