Congratulations!

From Pinterest

To Steph and Phill on their Engagement last Wednesday August 17th! (I feel really blessed to have been able to witness your joy, thank you.)

To Sam and Emma on their Engagement last Wednesday (was there something in the water that day? or just on the water, these guys got engaged on a boat!)

To Maya and Rohit on their Marriage on Saturday August 20th! (May your happiness be as joyous as the dancing this weekend and abundant as the boozing!)

Book Review: Girls from Ames

Last week I had a bit of a book reading spree, this week proves to be no better (worse? I do like reading). It started with finishing The Distant Hours, then I moved on to the Girls from Ames by Jeffery Zaslow.

I'd heard good things about this book a few years ago when it first came out and man is it good. Not only is it a good story, it is a good reminder to be a good friend.
I have lots of lovely female friends, and I think I've expressed on this blog before how much they mean to me and how lucky I am to have them and how great I feel when I'm with them. Reading this book made me think about those friendships, how important they are to me and what I can do to strengthen them, maintain them and keep them for ever.

The girls from Ames are 11 girls who grew up in the same town and are still friends 40 years later. The book looks at them now and recounts the difficulties they've seen each other through recently and in the past. But it also looks at times they've been mean, or haven't been there for each other, or have been too involved. Its hard to talk about the book in such vague terms without giving anything away. But it is a really good (and true!) story of women growing up together and developing into individuals and a group. It also makes note of the importance of female friendships.

I highly recommend this book. It made me cry, it made me laugh, and it made me want to give all my friends a hug and tell them that I love them.

Sleepy Kitty of the Week

Happy Monday! 

Parsley was sleeping, minding her own business splayed out on her back-- like she does-- and Sage comes up, tucks her head under Parsley's chin, so Parsley licks her head for a while. So sweet. Almost like they love each other... almost.

Have a happy Monday!

Barnyard Pic of the Week

My really good friends are getting married this weekend! Wooooo! There will be a horse, but I think that's it for barnyard animals... too bad.

From Pinterest

Happy Weekend Ya'll!

Anthropologie Dress Spree

Do you ever go into a store find lots of lovely things, try them on and look horrible in all of them? This happens to me. But Wednesday I went into Anthropologie and I figured I'd kill some time and try to find a back up dress to my friend Maya's wedding (its a multi-day indian wedding with lots of outfit changes for all, bride, bridal party, men, women, children). So I went through the store and snatched up any dress that might be even a little bit appropriate for the wedding. No black, no white, nothing too short, and nothing too casual. I ended up with maybe 10 dresses.
Folks, let me tell you, I was not having a particularly gorgeous day, but when I stepped into that fitting room it was like entering Narnia. Not only did I have to get nearly all the dresses in smaller sizes, the dresses looked amazing on. AMAZING. So I did the only sane thing imaginable. I bought four.

Yes, I'm poor and jobless. But they were so pretty!

Avon Bloom Dress from Anthropologie

I like this one, it fits where it should, has pockets, and is a bit longer than I normally wear things so its visually interesting in that respect.

Ajisai Dress

This dress is cut very similarly to a few dresses I already have (I like them because they're flattering) but it is more casual, and the background is olive with coral and lime and navy flowers/stems which sounds hideous but its very pretty.

Whirligig Dress

I got this last one in Lavender and Navy. I wore the Navy one last night to Maya's Mehndi (where we put henna on). They're really soft and comfortable, but because of the draping they look dressy. Awesome!

Do you ever buy more than you intend because you can't resist how gorgeous you look? Is that narcissism?

Do I like this bag?

Honestly. I just can't tell. I think I might?

Making the Seasonal Transition

Think/Scroll back to this morning's blog post about Jcrew Shoes. Remember how I said that I was on polyvore and had another blog post about these sandals in mind. Well this is that blog post.

Reese Back Zip Sandals

I like these sandals, that are now out of stock at JCrew. What I love even more are all the posts on Polyvore showing how to use them in outfits. I love them because together they show how to make a smooth transition in your wardrobe from summer to fall, while remaining comfortable. Here, lets go on a photo journey.

Madras Shorts by mamamerkat featuring gladiator sandals

Reese Witherspoon by kelliebean featuring a braided belt

These styles all would be good for summer days or warm summer nights. I like the play of comfort and dressy making the outfits so universal.

Untitled by kelley23 featuring shirts & blouses

The white jeans make this outfit so summery and crisp.

Bermudas by tjmcd featuring a boho belt

The cashmere sweatshirt with the shorts makes me picture the cooling nights of summer turning into fall.

Inspired by tjmcd featuring cross body handbags

Cool Spring by tjmcd featuring a water resistant jacket

03.22.11 by tjmcd featuring diamond stud earrings

Heather Agate by tjmcd featuring j crew shoes

04.30.11 by tjmcd featuring indigo jeans

I love these final outfits the way the tops are warm and cozy but still allow the feet to be in summer mode. Also, love the way these series of outfits use accessories and color to make similar outfits seem more and less dressy.
Hope you enjoyed this journey from summer to fall. I did.