I don’t care what people say: email can be emotional and show what you mean and be amazing. I love when people send lovely emails! 

We got our engagement pictures back and we couldn’t be happier! Derek is a great photographer and he really captured us as a couple! He also is great in the fact that he gives us rights to every photos so I can put these anywhere I want, he just asks that I give him credit when I can. You can view all the photos here, but here are a few of my favorites:

With all of the rain and dreariness (and my lack of sleep lately) I really needed something bright and refreshing (read: stolen from my roommate). This jacket was just the thing. I started by thinking I would wear it as a jacket and take it off when inside but it was really brightening my mood so my black top underneath never saw the light of day.

I love the little gold lining of the buttons:

Jacket: Roommate’s from Forever 21

Jeans: Forever 21

Boots: Steve Madden

Last week I met with Gwen over lunch to start an IRL friendship instead of just a Tumblr one! She’s such a sweetheart and I’m sure we’ll have lots of other great meetings in the future.

I also had an audition for Vagina Monologues, a play about empowering women and celebrating being a feminist (yes, I’m a feminist!) that morning so I wanted to do a little something extra.

This photo is of me in my office, somewhere I spend a lot of time but never really get pictures in. It’s hard to tell but the walls are a calm green with one purple wall in the back. We spent a lot of time painting it at the beginning of last January.

Dress: Target

Belt: Express ($4)

Leggings: bargained on the street in Paris, knocked him down to about 2 Euro

Peep-toe Wedges: Gianni Bini

Just turned in the 15 page research review that has been hanging over me for the past 3 weeks (hence being so MIA for the past week or so). A Blue Moon at 1 am never tasted so good!

I think I’m in the middle of a research-related breakdown. I found out today that the hours I spent in a computer lab this semester getting 95 people to take my experiment were all for naught because one of the girls working with me screwed up the file and so we have to start over next semester.

I’ve logged 20+ hours on this research paper and I’m not sure it’s going to get to a point where I feel okay putting my name on it by the time it’s due Wednesday.

My survey I’m running is plateauing in terms of participants and we only need like 50 more but I’m not sure we’re going to get there.

I need Thanksgiving. Bad.

Just realized I “went out” twice this weekend without taking any pictures. This paper is making me a failure as a blogger. Look for updates soon. Pray for me to get this horrendous thing cranked out by Wednesday.

I’m getting a tripod today! Next step: getting the courage to take pictures around town…

Be it global warming or something else, clearly something is messing with the atmosphere. I’m not complaining though! 65 in November? Yes, please! I grilled pork chops last night on my charcoal grill and today I’m in a t-shirt and a skirt with no jacket! Amazing!

T-shirt: Gap from like 8th grade (I love the very neutral beige and the seam down the front)

Skirt: JC Penney

Tights: Target

Flats: JC Penney

Necklace: Express

Sometimes mixing hard with soft elements can make an otherwise boring outfit intriguing. While I wouldn’t exactly call this plaid shirt “soft,” the ruffles and puff sleeves add a girly element. When I added the tough bomber-style jacket, I felt a little bit tough but still girly. 

Jacket: Volcom (a very rough brand)

Shirt: JC Penney

Jeans: Forever 21

Boots: Steve Madden

Why do shopping sites default to 48 items per page when there is the option of 100 per page or See All. Do people really prefer to click through twice as many pages?

I’m realizing I should rename by blog “How to include a million items from JC Penney into your wardrobe.” Maybe if they gave me free clothes! Ha. Until then, I’ll just keep wearing what I wear because I like it and I can afford it. 

I love all of the little details that make this outfit. I started the morning just wanting something easy and warm so I threw on jeans and a sweater with a tank underneath. Then as I was going to grab a jacket I decided to do a little something extra but throwing on this boxy blazer and the headband. All together it was a look I hadn’t done before and just that little extra oompf to keep the outfit from being boring.

Blazer: JC Penney

Sweater: ?

Tank: JC Penney (I swear by these!)

Jeans: Hydraulics from TJ Maxx

Flats: JC Penney

Headband: Redone, originally from Forever 21