Although I follow a handful of personal style blogs that I love and check frequently, I often have a hard time translating some of the outfits into real life. Maybe I’m getting old, but running errands in platforms doesn’t sound appealing. It could be that my own personal style is a bit more casual (think Madewell). Still, the outfits are either too skimpy (I can’t wear that to work) or way too dressy, but sometimes my favorites get it right.
Karla of Karla’s Closet, one of my favorite digital fashionistas, has a good many posts of dressy elements made completely casual. I’ve been following her blog for years and have never gotten bored. This particular outfit is absolutely perfect for everyday—effortless and stylish.
Happy weekend! I don’t know about you, but the weather has been absolutely dreadful in Georgia. Like most people who live anywhere in the south, I’m struggling to find ways to stay cool. One thing I’ve found is that wearing skirts and dresses do the trick when I know I’ll be outside for much of the day.
Last week, I had fun capturing another batch of self-portraits. Wearing a skirt I purchased from Anthropologie , I was happy that I didn’t melt during dinner. Leave it to the unexpected skirt to be the hero. I’ll give you a little history. A few years ago, I had a major breakup with skirts. You know the one. I couldn’t figure out what shirts looked right with them. Tucked in or out? Long or short? I even had trouble with accessories. I wondered what was wrong with me. My friends wondered why I was still buying skirts knowing that I wouldn’t wear them.
As of late, I’ve slowly been incorporating them back into my wardrobe. This particular skirt has been sitting in my closet with tags for a very long time. What’s my hesitation? I typically go for neutral colors and patterns versus bold prints like this one, however, things are changing. Having recently bought some pretty colorful items (orange shoes!), I think I’m good to go. Cheers to color!
On Easter morning, I decided to go on an early morning stroll with my two crazy dogs. Yes, I said crazy. My dogs aren’t the happy-go-lucky social butterflies you see at parks or in the movies that meet and greet others like it’s their job. My dogs are different—smart as hell, higher than high maintenance, hyper and anti-social. I got those dogs. The dogs you see barking at men and small children. The dogs taking you for a walk instead of the other way around.
A I piled them into the car, I second-guessed my decision. “Do I really want to do this?” A familiar voice chanted back, “You have to.” You see, walking is, at times, a chore. Because my dogs are special, preferring quieter places to busy neighborhoods and parks, I drive them to spots where we only see dogs and people sporadically. This way, I retain my sanity and they get the exercise and training they need. And they need it. A few years ago, walks were uncontrollable. You know the lady at the supermarket with the screaming kids? That’s how I felt on every single walk. Now, that I’ve begun the slow and grueling process of acceptance, I’m much calmer…sort of.
Anthropologie’s new magazine is so simple, yet it’s magical content fulfills an artist’s quest for daily inspiration. It’s everything you’d expect from a retailer that never disappoints.
This breathtaking video titled “Habour Island” is a short reel from the shoot for their May catalog in the Bahamas. Watch and learn the art of creating a beautiful day.
Summer is officially here! Although I’m partial to the cooler weather, I’ve enjoyed hours laying in the grass with a good magazine, lots of playtime with the dogs and a few painting sessions. Cheers to the best one yet.
I’ve been listening to this beautiful cover by Lera Lynn of TV on the Radio’s song “Wolf Like Me” for days. I actually found it by accident while looking up the original song, which I also love. I’d bookmarked it on Pandora, but heard it again on the show Rescue Me.
I actually almost think I like the cover better than the original, but I’m a sucker for anything acoustic. Isn’t her voice amazing? It makes me want to learn how to play the guitar and take voice lessons so I can carry a tune like she does. Her own music is equally as good. The best part is that she’s from Georgia.
Anthology magazine a few months ago, I knew I had to try it. What took me so long? The recipe called for mung beans. I searched high and low at multiple Whole Foods and very small traditional Asian markets near my house with absolutely no luck.
About to give up and order them online, a visit to the third Whole Foods proved successful. A very nice man discovered them hiding behind some “normal” beans. He was so excited to solve my problem that he threw his arms up in the air like he’d just won a very important race. I was so happy that I didn’t even notice that they were green instead of yellow. Apparently, the green beans have the skins on them while the yellow are hulled. This resulted in a gray (blah!) pudding instead of the pretty yellow pictured in the magazine. I wouldn’t call it a complete fail, but due to my ways, I plan to try again very soon.
The good news is that the pudding tasted great. If you haven’t tried an Asian dessert with sweet beans, do it! Seriously—they are surprisingly delicious.
Speaking of birthdays…I celebrated my 27th a few weeks ago. This officially puts me in my late 20s. I can’t decide how I feel about that, but I do know that I had a wonderful birthday with friends and family, which made my day really special.
Somebody had a birthday a few weeks ago! Yes, Ally (the dog) turned four on March 18th. Her birthday falls on an extra special day because it’s also my mom’s birthday. To celebrate, I baked some peanut butter and carrot pupcakes in lieu of store bought treats. Modified from this recipe from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen, the pupcakes contain all organic ingredients, including peanut butter, honey and carrots. I used organic cream cheese for the icing, though I’ve seen variations with cottage cheese. My dogs are small so they only got a half, but larger dogs could devour a whole pupcake.
Ally was in heaven and practically swallowed her cake whole. I also enjoyed them as they were more like a muffin and ended up taking a few of them to work with me during the week. I’ll definitely be making these more often.
Garance Doré celebrates women in her third video diary from the series “Pardon My French.” The talented blogger who is dating Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist is followed closely by thousands looking for stunning photography, simple advice on fashion, and classy illustrations.
In this episode of “Pardon My French,” Garance talks shoes, shopping with the girls, and the inspiration behind musicians and designers alike. Because being a girl is awesome.
Hi! I'm Barbara—a writer and wannabe free spirit inspired by simple, everyday things. From fashion to design to food, my hope is to inspire others to live a happy life full of smiles, inspiration and love.
Anthology magazine a few months ago, I knew I had to try it. What took me so long? The recipe called for 
