Gold Eppaulettes

This is one of those perfect summer outfits; light, airy, simple and uncomplicated. I needed a light sweater in the morning, but by the time I took these pictures, I was sweating the moment I put it back on. I've mentioned before that I have a backlog of photographs that go back quite a few months, so I'm trying to pump them out to finally catch up to this modern era ;). It's only a few months back though, promise. I'm wearing my favorite top again! That thing goes with everything, I swear. Black and white plaid?gingham? is a neutral for me. I can wear it with almost everything. I wish the fabric pattern itself was more popular, so I could find more dresses and skirts with it, but for now, I'll take what I can get. I am eyeing a certain dress on Modcloth that is entirely black and white gingham, but I'm also trying to not spend any money on clothes this year! We'll see how long that lasts, haha. If only there was a good sale to sway my mind...

Aside from the fitted shirt, the skirt is a bit reminiscent of my high school days, but it's shorter and less uniformey (is that even a word?) than my real school uniforms were, so I felt okay wearing it. I added light blue accents with my earrings and statement necklace and the gold shoulder designs on the sweater, and summed it up with my sleek (and comfy!) gold sandals. I love those things. This outfit is pretty minimalist for me, and I'm proud that I was able to create something with sleeker lines. My natural inclination is towards outfits that are more elaborate, but there's only so much you want to wear in the summertime. I'm hoping to experiment more with cleaner proportions and lines while still staying true to my style. I'll be sure to let you all know of any successful enterprises.

Shirt, sweater, skirt, bag - thrifted

Earrings, necklace - gift

Sandals - DSW

<3 The Magpie

Orchids and Storms

One day I saw a bank of dark clouds and I raced it down to the edge of the storm. The sky was about to burst with rain, the last vestiges of sunlight were gold, and I was wearing a crazy mixed print and had a cloud umbrella. If only every day could end like that. Do you like my umbrella? I got it on a Modcloth sale and I keep it in my car for surprise rainy days. Not much to say on this one. I love how these photos turned out, and the mix of orchids with a polka dot skirt was one of my favorite pattern mixes yet. I added a hint of green with my earrings to contrast with the purple in the shirt. Oh, and long black socks were just because. It's the kind of outfit I can run wild in through a storm-combed day.

 Shirt, skirt, shoes - thrifted

Sweater - Vivi's

Earrings - Asian market

Umbrella - Modcloth

<3 The Magpie

Outland

These pictures of from a trip I went on with a friend to collect pretty pictures and have an adventure of sorts. It was so beautiful there, and all the hues of blue were incredibly surreal. The trip turned into a long and hot dusty walk.. but the scenery and company made up for it. I wish my life was made up of more of this - exploring interesting places and experiencing beauty. I do what I can, but I definitely hope this year that I will push myself to go do more. Looking back upon these pics makes me want to sink into blue skies and surround myself with the wild wind that only flies over open plains and water. It's the kind of place that makes you itch to spread wings and fly.

This outfit was pretty simple; just a throw-on dress and go. I tried to spice it up with interesting jewelry and cute little socks. I wasn't so sure about the dress when I originally found it, but I wanted a easy dress (for once); something to slip on and be out the door with no fuss, and this dress definitely fit the bill. I usually wear complicated and layered outfits, so something this simple was a new thing for me, but I enjoyed the concept  of it.

I've been struggling with a recent nasty shock from work; apparently my co-workers hate me and I'm not doing a good enough job at what I do. It's been sticking with me over the last week, keeping me up at night and spinning through my head throughout the day. I am trying to be pragmatic about it, and tell myself that it's an inevitable result in life; not everybody will like you, nor will you ever be perfect. The only thing I can do is just do better, and I am already trying to make attempts to do so. It's such a blow because I already try to do a good job and work really hard, to the best of my knowledge, but you know what? It's a good learning experience. Just gotta roll with the punches and all. I can usually get over things pretty quickly, but this one has been burning holes of pain inside for longer than expected... all I can do is wait it out, and in the meantime, do better. I want this year to be a year of growth and development for me, so it's as good as any a place to start.

 

 

Dress, shoes, backpack, necklace - thrifted

Cardigan, socks - Target

Earrings - outlet store

Lion ring - gift

Camera ring - museum gift store

 

<3 The Magpie

Safari

New Year, new life. This shoot is from a few months ago, where even in fall, it's eternally warm. I was trying on a dress I liked in the dressing room at a thrift, but didn't like it much after wearing it. It's not as fitted as I like, and it felt a bit baggy on me. It actually looks a lot better in these pictures than how it felt on my body though, and I paired it with turquoise liner on my bottom lids and a weird green and gold necklace I found at another thrift. I'm a sucker for tribal prints and good colors, so in the end, I liked how the outfit turned out.

As for the new year, I didn't do much of anything. Stayed up on my computer, and listened to the booms of our neighbors celebrating. I'm not really a New Years celebrator, but I do like to use it as a post mark for my goals in the upcoming year. Keeping track of time is not really my forte, so any time marker for me is progress. Really, I just have a list of things I need to get done and want to do, and although I don't have a resolutions list, I do hope to accomplish my goals and work closer to my dreams in the upcoming year. There is so much I want from life, and the only thing holding me back really, is me. So here's to a new year, and a renewed determination to push on.

Dress, necklace, bag - thrifted

Bracelet, earrings - Target

Shoes - DSW

<3 The Magpie