It was SO NICE on Sunday. And SO WARM (mostly. Enough for me to not feel like I'm dying in this dress, which is WARM ENOUGH.)

This dress has pockets and is nice and swingy and breezy and I really love it.

Everyone has their "thing" that they look for when they're buying clothes. You're a cropped tee person or you like your tops longer. You like small back pockets, bigger back pockets, no back pockets. Wedges, stilettos, or flats.

I mean it's not really spring yet, but my mental winter ends once February does. Keep your historical accounts of ice storms in March, I'm still gonna start dressing like it's spring on days when I can stand it.

I bought a floral kimono from ASOS back in the depths of winter (the one I bought was in petite sizes, but it was on sale, so I just got the biggest one available because OBVIOUSLY I am not petite in the slightest.) Something about wearing florals in the winter makes it more bearable, I think. The exact one I bought is sold out, but here are a few that are super similar: one, two,  three

I got the top as a Valentine's gift from my handsome guy when we were in Free People in Nashville, because he gets me. I've worn it a bazillion times since then because it honestly goes with everything.  I treat all my Free People clothes like that - seriously, I wear them probably 3xs/week.

Also, the pine trees are still down in our backyard. We really need to take care of that. But they make a nice rest for a self-timer, if we're being real.

Winter Storm Octavia has arrived not with a bang, but a whimper.

If you are a northerner, you will laugh. But us Tennesseans are not used to this and we go a little nuts. Like hoard all the eggs and milk nuts. Don't drive nuts.

I haven't left the house in 2 days but I'm totally ok with it (Yay working from home!) Caleb worked Monday but got off early, and got to take off most of today, so we've had a kind of mini-vacation? I count working in my PJs in my bed as a vacation.

Happy snow days to you fellow Tennesseans!

These army green pants passed the ultimate test - I can do a karate kick in them.  Not that I actually know how to do a karate kick - but I can do my best impression in these.  And you never know when you'll need to karate kick someone. While looking really cute in army green pants.

Also they are very comfy, on-trend for fall, and go with just about everything.  Honestly, I think that army green counts as a neutral.  You can pair it with just about anything. So far, I've worn these pants with navy, white, and black and brown, and the army green color has complemented all of them.

I love boutique shopping. The things that you find at a boutique are unique - it's pretty unlikely that anyone else is going to have them.  Not only that, but the business model of a boutique is pretty awesome too - entrepreneurial people, supporting smaller clothing makers and sharing their style.  I think that's pretty cool, and it's definitely something I want to support.

The Mint Julep Boutique fits that business models.  Kylie and Ami were kind enough to reach out to me about collaborating with them, and once I checked out their shop, it was a no brainer.  What I love the most about Mint Julep is that it caters to all sorts of styles - their pieces are staples that fit into any wardrobe. Whatever your style - hippie, preppy, classic - you'll find something there that you're going to wear over and over again.

Plus, if you sign up for their mailing list, you get a $10 off coupon - what's not to love?

I'm a sucker for anything crochet. This crochet cardigan is officially my favorite transition piece for that awkward time between summer and fall - the open weave makes it breezy enough to wear during the day, but it adds an extra layer to take off the chill at night.  Plus, the crochet trend is on point right now, and cardigans happen to be one of my all-time favorite articles of clothing.

It was my birthday and our anniversary Sunday (yeah, we got married on my birthday), so to celebrate, we headed up to Nashville to eat at The Pharmacy.  We had never been before, but our cooler friends all said that it was great, and we're always up for trying new burger joints :)

It's my birthday next week!

And ever-so-loving Mom got me a gift card to Gap.  The beauty of a gift card to Gap is that it can also be used at Old Navy and Banana Republic.  As it stands, I used it at Old Navy.

I actually used most of it on clothes for Caleb, because the man needs them and Lord knows he isn't going to decide to go shopping on his own.

But I did find this army-inspired vest.  It has lots of pockets, which I'm a fan of because I always lose my phone in my giant purse, so keeping it in a pocket instead is ideal.    It's one of those things that I probably wouldn't have spent the money on if I didn't have the gift card, but I think I'm going to get a lot of use out of it.

So thanks, Mom. And thanks, Gap gift cards.

Way the first: necklace, romper (similar linked), vest

I got this kimono in a giveaway from Jess of Frolic Vintage, and it's been a lifesaver during the summer. I always get cold in restaurants (why do they keep them so cold?? Does it make us eat more?), and this is just light enough to wear over a dress without sweating through it outside.

I always thought that I wasn't the kind of person who could successfully wear hats, but I surprised myself this summer.  I bought this guy on a whim from Amazon, and I've worn it a surprising number of times.

ALSO! For the rest of the month, everything in my "favs around the web" widget on the left is on sale at ASOS! Pretty sure none of them are over 15 dollars :) There are some amazing rings in there check them out!

Oh, maxi skirts.   They are truly the mecca of summer clothing.  They're nice and breezy and you don't have to shave your legs and you still look like you have your life mostly together.  I am decidedly a fan.

This skirt was a replacement for one that I literally wore into the ground last year.  I'm a closet fan of tribal print, and the jewel tones in this one make me look less like a teenager than the more popular pastel ones.

And staying on the thrift train, here's a skirt I got in the same thrift haul as the dress from last week!  Honestly, I feel like at least 40% of my wardrobe is secondhand at this point.  I'm not hating it. Neither is my wallet.

Once again, I've been MIA and I apologize. There's been a whooole lot going on lately, and I haven't had the time or the energy to invest in this space like I should be.  I have big plans for the coming weeks, though! Hopefully as things settle down over here I can get back to a more regular posting schedule.

I thrifted this dress a few weeks ago, and it's my favorite. The color makes me look tan, which is a feat, let me tell you.  And it's incredibly comfy.

I'm not too pleased with you right now.

I used to be a pretty avid F21 shopper - as a wannabe-fashion-conscious teenager/young adult, I didn't have a bunch to spend on clothes, but I wanted to look trendy in what I did buy.  I remember when the Forever 21 in Huntsville opened and every single girl my age was buying bags of clothes there every weekend.  It was cheap enough that we could get a whole new outfit for under 30 dollars, and we were hooked.  On the surface, it seems like a great concept - cheap, trendy clothes that are so rock-bottom you don't feel bad when you give them away after the trend has run its course.

But the older I get, and the more I care about the impact my actions (including my buying habits) have on the world around me and on other people, and the more I learn about "fast fashion" business practices, the less I want to support your corporation, or any of the other myriad retailers who sacrifice integrity and humanity in favor of the bottom line.

Someone is paying for the manufacture of those clothes - and if you're only paying a tiny fraction at the cash register, the cost is probably coming from unfair labor practices and cutting corners when building facilities.  I completely understand the appeal of F21 and similar brands - I don't have a whole lot of disposable cash, but I can't morally justify supporting these systems.

Not only are these business practices bad for the laborers, they're bad for you too. Forever 21 doesn't require testing for toxins from their clothing and accessories manufacturers.  Though some of those manufacturers take it upon themselves to test for chemicals and harmful substances, its not required, so not all of them do - meaning that you're coming into very close contact with them whenever you wear that product.


Why is all this happening continuously, with most people unaware or not caring?  Because we let it.  Because we sacrifice our integrity for cheap clothes that we'll only wear for a season.

Inform yourself.  Research the brands you buy.  Look up conditions in sweatshops, learn about how toxins like formaldehyde can affect your body when you wear contaminated items.  And then spend your money accordingly.

I'm just one person, not even that influential of a person.  Withdrawing my support and money from a corporation as big as Forever 21 (and Urban Outfitters, and Charlotte Russe) won't make that much of a difference.  Unless a whole lot of people decide that they can no longer financially support these kinds of practices, they'll keep happening, because unfortunately money is the biggest decision maker in our world.

I would urge everyone who frequents these kinds of retailers to take a look at their priorities, and decide if its worth it. It's really not that expensive to make the change to more humane retailers - ASOS, even Target score fairly high on ethical practices.  It's a change, but it's not a change that would be catastrophic to your wallet.

So, F21, I would hope that as people become more informed, you would listen, and make some changes. Some drastic ones.  And until then, I won't be putting any money into you.

I have long stuck up my nose at the romper.  I was loud about my opinion that it looked like something a toddler would wear.  But really, who's more comfortable than a toddler? Nobody, that's who.
So I decided to try it.  And now there's no going back.
It's like a dress, but more current. Add cute shoes, a hat, and some jewelry, and you're good to go.

Something about summer makes me want to travel everywhere.  Road trips, weekend getaways, even day trips to Nashville seem like a great idea when it's warm and the sun is shining.

Here's to adventure planning in the next few weeks!