At the Rolex

Sorry, no "Watcha Wearing" today; I was running ridiculously late this morning, which resulted in having no time for photos (not to mention I ended up in a fairly uninspired outfit). To make it up to you, I give you HORSIES!



















All in all, it was a perfect weekend: gorgeous weather, amazing competition, good food, and some of my favorite girls in the whole world. It doesn't get much better than that.

Home Again

My weekend in Lexington can only be described as blissful. More photos to come.

What I Wore Days Ago: In Neutral

Ack, my posting mojo seems to have flown off. I do promise that this is what I wore on Wednesday, although I'm not posting it until Friday.



Black skirt with pintucks: Gap, Hebron Gap Outlet
Light blue crochet top: Banana Republic, on loan from a friend
Ivory camisole: NY&Co, from a (different) friend's giveaway pile (this post is suddenly making me feel like a mooch)
Ivory cardigan: Gap, Hebron Gap Outlet
Belt: Old Navy, super clearance, altered to fit
Grey tights: TJ Maxx
Boots: TJ Maxx
Jewelry: Wedding rings, (faux) diamond studs

Nate might tell you that I own too many cream colored sweaters, and that buying this one is unnecessary. To that I respond with one word -

BUTTONS! You can't tell me that these beauties weren't worth the $5 I payed for the sweater. I'm completely infatuated with them.


I'm heading off this afternoon for a girl's weekend at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day event. There will be horses, wine, and the Twilight movie. It sounds like a good way to recharge to me - perhaps the creative energy that seems to have left me in the past couple of weeks will return!

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Spring Stitching

A backstitched bug (pattern from Complete Embellishing) crawling across a pretty floral hankie.



Have I mentioned how much I love these hankies? I pick them up at our neighborhood CVS, three for $1. It's hard to believe that something so prettily scalloped and printed could be so inexpensive. The weave could certainly be a bit finer for stitching, but I'm not complaining. I've recently noticed that my hankie collection is sadly bland (boring at best, ugly at worst). These add the perfect bit of femininity for spring, and there is something about the great big bug that makes me smile. It feels just *slightly* subversive. I like it.

What I'm Wearing: Brought to You by the Gap Outlet

Tan and cream wrap top: Gap, Hebron Gap Outlet
Orange cable-knit cardigan (with buttons on the cuffs and patch pockets - love!): Gap, Hebron Gap Outlet
Navy pencil skirt: Banana Republic, Hebron Gap Outlet
Maroon camisole with lace: American Eagle
Tights: TJ Maxx
Brown Pumps: Target (the twins of the black pumps I posted last week; I bought these when I started teaching, figuring that I could use some nondescript but cute shoes)
Jewelry: Wedding rings, (faux) diamond studs, antique silver bangle (from grandma Ellen), Necklace made from a pendant that I found mixed in with my mom's buttons





Yes, the Hebron Gap Outlet is the savior of the graduate student clothing budget. $2 for the top, $6 for the cardigan, and $6 for the skirt. It's tough to beat that!

Birthday Thai

My favorite person in the world turned twenty-six years old this weekend.










Happy Birthday, Nate - I love you.

Craft ADD?

I was just writing to a friend, and she very astutely asked, based on what I've been posting here and on Ravelry, if I've been suffering from crafty ADD. I hadn't realized it until just then, but she is absolutely right - I haven't been able to concentrate on any craft projects lately! Despite the fact that I have a list of spring projects that I could wrap all the way around my apartment, I've been completely ignoring it and jumping from one project to another (almost all of which, *ahem,* aren't on the list). Should I lay all my cards on the table?

Exhibit A:


Washcloths. In my defense, I needed something mindless to knit in the car this weekend. Socks aren't mindless (for me at least), and my mom's shawl is on temporary hold until I can get more yarn - one skein didn't end up cutting it. I had some Sugar&Cream in my stash, so I grabbed it on my way out the door and made one and 7/8ths of a washcloth on the way to the conference and back. My sister loves the handknit washcloths I gave her for Christmas, so I think these will be Mother's Day gifts for her.


Exhibit B:


Yes, it's a needle felting kit. No, I really don't need another new craft. Since I am apparently full of excuses today, I will say that I bought it intending to use the needles to fix some of Nate's sweaters, a la this tutorial. Unfortunately, his fine merino sweaters wouldn't felt, so I'll have to resort to stitching. Fortunately, I bought a kit that came with roving, so the needles won't go to waste - I have big plans to make some needle felted goodies. Someday. I hope.

Do any of you ever feel like you can't concentrate on your crafting? What do you think causes it? How do you get past it?



Oh, on a totally unrelated note, jump over to Girl Land and say hello to Sarah - she's got several great contests going on right now!

What I'm Wearing: Winter Makes a Comeback

Sometimes I think that Ohio is a rather sadistic state. It gives us weeks of spring, convinces us that we have nothing to worry about ("It will be blossoming trees and warm sunsets from here on out, folks!" "Go ahead and put those winter clothes away!" "No more need for a jacket in this state!"), then BAM, more winter. After nearly a month of springlike weather, it actually SNOWED yesterday. Ugh. Today I decided to let the weather dictate my black and grey outfit. I'm hoping to move onto brighter (and warmer!) things soon.




Dress: vintage, thrifted, hemmed and taken-in
Sweater: Ann Taylor, purchased ages ago on massive sale and starting to show its age (boo!)
Tights: TJ Maxx?
Pumps: Target
Jewelry: Wedding rings, vintage brooch (from grandma Ellen), dangly earrings (my wedding day earrings, purchased for less than five bucks at H&M; I thought this outfit could use a little extra sparkle).

What I'm Wearing: First Wednesday of the Quarter

Dress: Forever 21. Although I've had this grey shirtdress since last spring, I've almost never worn it. For some reason, it just never seemed to work. Last week I realized what the problem is - its bright brass buttons (alliteration alert!). I normally like metallics, but these were too much for me. I pulled them off, replaced them with vintage white plastic buttons, and now I'm totally loving this (almost) new dress!
Tights: TJ Maxx. I found these on massive clearance while looking (successfully) for new luggage this weekend. Perfect for spring!
Shoes: Charles David. The favorite shoes. I felt like I wanted a little more color in this outfit, so out they came.
Camisole: (not visible, but white with tiny blue flowers) - Gap, purchased (literally) at least ten years ago. One of the few high school items that still pops up in my wardrobe.
Necklace: Vintage, on semi-permanent loan from my friend Emily. I LOVE this necklace - from far away it looks like a double strand of pearls, but look closer and it's actually shell carved into roses. This one is a new favorite.
Other jewelry: Wedding rings, (faux) diamond studs.




I'm off to a conference tomorrow morning, and I won't be back until Sunday night. Have a great end of the week and weekend!