SO this post is going up much later than I expected. I had a whole bunch of posts planned and started for the end of April but the WiFi in Nebraska would not let me… More
Capsule Wardrobe Challenge
The last capsule wardrobe was so fun for me that I decided to do it again. I just love how it gets me to think about pieces in entirely different ways. It only took a little push to get me out of my comfort zone and start styling pieces differently.
This time I chose an entirely different color palette that is very pink and perfect for spring. For some reason I ended up with only five core pieces this time, although six is a lot easier. I also wore a pink and white scarf so much that I could probably include it in those pieces. The weather screwed me up a little this week since it rained almost the whole week. I ended up changing into better shoes a couple of times.
Pink Dress: A versatile dress seems to be an essential part of this challenge. I wore this one four out of five days for the challenge. It can be worn as a top, skirt or dress and can be changed up with other pieces.
White Button Down: This is the other piece that is crucial to this week’s wardrobe. I also used a button down in the last challenge and I have seen just how great they can be!
White Chinos: I white pant is essential to any closet, especially in the spring and summer. Including these let me veer from traditional jeans while still keeping in season and warm.
Jean Jacket: I debated on this one for a while because I really love trench coats and wanted to include one in this challenge as well but I thought I should switch it up. I do think, however, that a jean jacket is a great piece of outwear to have especially for the warmer seasons.
Blush Heels: Blush is obviously my go to color this year. I chose these shoes because the color made for another easy color palette (white and pink) and because they are great for both the work place and home. Mine are from Aldo and are the perfect color and height.
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
I hope you enjoyed this months capsule wardrobe challenge. It is such a fun way to update and switch up your wardrobe!
❤
Erin
Life Update No. 3
With a lovely trip to South Carolina, this month has been a pretty exciting one. I have been focusing a lot on working, reading and seeing friends. Side note: when I was young one of my favorite activities was visiting the library and I feel like I just re-discovered how much I enjoy that. I have spent lots of free time just browsing the shelf. It also makes reading so affordable! The trip to Myrtle Beach and Charleston broke the daily work routine up which really nice. I got to eat lots of seafood, hang out on the beach, enjoy great company and discover a new city.
Big exciting changes are happening for me this week. I made a last minute decision over the weekend to move back home to Boulder. The move was going to happen but I decided that I really wanted to be home for Easter so I moved everything up by about two weeks. There were lots of reasons that led to this decision but in short I have been feeling very torn between two places and unable to really give myself to starting a new chapter in life. The last minute decision has made everything this week very crazy. I have been going non stop since Saturday morning, working, catching up/saying goodbye to lots of people and packing. As crazy and stressful as it is, I know how much better it will be to have things here fully wrapped up. I will then be able to put myself fully into my goals for the next few months.
Watching: I have two shows that I have been watching over the past month, Altered Carbon and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Aiden and I started watching Altered Carbon together since we haven’t found a show we both liked since The Good Place. Altered Carbon is a futuristic show that grapples a lot with class differences and how the wealthy control the world in a whole new way. It can be pretty violent but overall I am really enjoying it. The other show I have been into lately is Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. This is actually one that I am getting back into after watching the first season last year. I love a good murder mystery and the female lead in this one just makes it for me. If you are looking for some great vintage style inspiration then this is your perfect show as well. I am also into the soundtrack (lots of jazzy music).
Listening: Siembra by Bomba Estéreo has been on my playlist for a little while now but I recently have started to listen to it on repeat. I love everything about it.
Reading: I have finished quite a few books since my last Life Update post but I am currently in the middle of The Tudors. This is the first historical non-fiction book I have read in a really long time. It recaps the whole reign of the Tudor family in England. For some reason I am finding it very intriguing and I like the writing style of G.J. Meyers (it is much more understandable). I realized how little I know about non-US history so I am trying to branch out. The role of religion has especially captured my attention throughout this book since it is historically has such a big presence and that presence has carried into the modern world. In short this book is very out of my comfort zone but I am really liking it.
Wearing: Recently button down shirts have captured my attention. They have always been a staple but I have recently discovered just how versatile they are. One project of mine is to find some button downs that fit well at thrift shops and alter them.
Thanks for reading and have a great week!
❤
Erin
A Day in Charleston
Charleston just might be my new favorite city. The buildings are beautiful and the narrow streets create a historical but picturesque vibe. I loved it so much that I am going to recap all the highlights in this Charleston in a day post. I realized very quickly that coming back is most definitely a must. I know there is so much more to see and do.
Magnolia Plantations: This was the very first stop on our way into Charleston. I highly recommend checking out one of the many gardens/halls/plantations just outside of the city. There is a lot of history associated with these places as well as beautiful grounds. It can be pricier depending on what you choose to do but we had a great time just walking around.
Brunch at Butcher & Bee: This is the perfect brunch spot. The food was amazing and reminded me of home. They have healthy, delicious food that is reasonably priced and the atmosphere is very homey but modern. Also a plus was parking, since it is not directly downtown.
South of Broad: This iconic Charleston neighborhood is filled with picturesque houses skirted by extensive gardens. Beautiful houses line the streets, many of which have much historical significance. The streets are narrow and make if feel much older. We were there during the Garden Tours which actually was useful because they had lots of very friendly people stationed throughout the streets, helping you.
White Point Garden: While wandering the streets, we ended up at this park right at the water’s edge. Historically this is a great area to visit.
Jeni’s Ice Cream: This is actually the best ice cream I have ever had. There service was great and I recommend trying lots of flavors (they are all so good!).
King’s Street: The shops are a great stop that is not too far from South of Broad. Of course I had to find a great bookstore, Blue Bicycle Books. Other than that I just enjoyed walking the street and exploring a bit.
Dinner at Leon’s: Seafood is a must for any coastal visit. We didn’t want to break the bank so I found Leon’s which has great food (especially seafood) for very reasonable prices.
Sullivan’s Island: Our last stop, on the way out of town, was the beach. I had heard the area is very beautiful and can never resist an excuse for the beach. It was very windy but that actually made for some incredible views.
It was such an amazing experience and I highly recommend a visit. I can’t wait for next time!
❤
Erin
Book Review: The Rules of Magic
Last week I read The Rules of Magic, by Alice Hoffman, while we were at the beach in South Carolina. I knew it would be good since it is the prequel to Practical Magic and it has been highly recommended. What I did not realize was just how much I would love it and how much it would impact me. Because it was so significant, I have decided to devote an entire post to my thoughts on it. I will not spoil the actual story or ending, but rather talk about the themes that I related to and that impacted me.
The story is entirely separate from Practical Magic, but is about the same family and has similar themes. It is the story of Jet and Franny (the aunts from Practical Magic) and their journeys in life. The family has been cursed in love for hundreds of years. Each generation has their own complex experience. In brief summary, three siblings Jet, Franny and Vincent struggle in their relationships with each other, their parents and their significant others, while also coming to terms with their family’s history and origins. There mother does not talk of her family or the secret’s that are held deep within her past, making the journey of discovery all the more difficult.
Despite the premise of magical roots, the story turned out to be very relatable. Much conflict within their stories are things that we all face throughout life. Finding yourself, family, love, relationships, death and grief.
This story helped me come to terms with so many things in ways I had not thought about. A major theme, especially in the beginning, is connection to family and how ignoring/denying where you come from will never end well. This is shown through the lens of witches denying who they are, in large part to find love and get away from the legendary curse, and the consequences that ensue. It struck a chord with me because I do believe that those who came before us make up a large part of who we are, although we may deny this at times in our lives. Embracing this could bring about great things and cherished relationships. The first part of the book takes place throughout the teenage years of the siblings and I found their experience and feelings to be very similar to my own in that time of life. This drew me in immediately.
The second element of this book that was important to me was that of grief and death. This is a very human subject that can be so difficult to deal with in reality. There are lots of books that involve death but this one brought out the grief process in a way I never experienced. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t go into detail, but the subject of death and grief are very prevalent and incredibly relatable. The loss of someone we love so dearly can feel like the whole world crashing in. It might feel like we lose a piece of ourself. The loss in this book brought that reality to fruition and really challenged me to think about how the losses in my life have effected me and how I deal with grief.
Loss goes along with the importance of love because death (and the potential for loss) creates a fear when it comes to love. Opening yourself up to love can be incredibly difficult when loss has been a big part of your life. The fear of loss and pain are so much more real when you have people that are so very important to you. The curse of the family in love brings the fear of losing someone into close proximity. Fear of loss is ever present and cannot be ignored or hidden. Through out the story I thought a lot about what it means to love others despite your own potential to experience great hurt.
As you might guess, I highly recommend this book. It is written beautifully and the characters are developed in a truly remarkable way. I would love to hear any thoughts you have had if you have read this book (or otherwise). I am also always looking for book recommendations!
❤
Erin
Bell Sleeve Floral
I found this dress along with one other on Shopbop last month and couldn’t wait to share. South Carolina was warm enough, so I took the opportunity. I love the floral pattern and the colors are perfect. The sleeves also add a really fun touch that is definitely from anything else I have. It is also very comfortable.
Dress Shopbop, Bag Everly Oak, Sunglasses Amazon, Shoes similar
❤
Erin
Around the Web
Last week was a whirlwind of adventure for me. We drove to South Carolina and spent the whole week on the beach. It was a little cooler than I expected but we had a couple great days for sun bathing and swimming (although the water was freezing). My highlight was definitely driving down to Charleston to explore the city. I am going to do a whole post on what we did because I loved it so much!
It is going to be difficult to get back to the daily work routine after so much fun in the sun. It should help that the temperature is getting warmer and spring is almost upon us. I rounded up some things I have been looking at for the past few weeks. This week is kind of a jumble, however I have been reading a ton lately, so I included a great booklist and a yearly checklist.
Hunter and Target Collaboration: This is one of the most exciting collaborations! It will debut in early April and will include lots of very affordably prices items. On Hunter’s part is a great way to make the brand more accessible to many more people.
Eartheasy: I just found this website through a podcast and it is a great way to fill your life with sustainable solutions. They sell some great products for more sustainable living and a blog with lots of great content. I have been eyeing this booklist from their blog right now.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Annual Letter: This year they use their letter to answer some pretty tough questions. I am including this because these are questions I often struggle with in my own way and I really liked reading their answers.
PopSugar Reading Challenge: This challenge caught my eye because it is a little more challenging and very specific. The challenge I have been using so far this year had more general book prompts and I like that this one is specific because it forces me to search more and get out of my comfort zone.
JooJoo Azad 5 Ethical Brands: I recently discovered JooJoo Azad and love how it ties fashion with some really important social issues. They have lots of exciting projects coming up so I will definitely be keeping an eye out. The article itself is older but I am always looking to grow my knowledge on eco friendly and ethical brands.
Have a wonderful week!
❤
Erin
Yellow Gingham
I am really loving being on the beach right now. We have been walking every single day, down the shore, and it is so refreshing. It has been a little chilly but we are expecting some warm days later in the week. This dress is absolutely perfect for this spring and summer. I love the length and style. It is also incredibly comfortable. I could not wait to wear it!
Dress ASOS, Sunglasses Amazon, Hat vintage
Have a great week!
❤
Erin
Spring Goals
Looking back on my goals for this past winter, I realized I need to prioritize my goals by actually scheduling them in an planning them out. While I did some of them from my last list, I wish I had done more. As much as I love being spontaneous I feel like I will be able to fit some of these in more if I give them some more thought and a place in my schedule. I think part of that for me will be doing a blog post that features each goal. This will help me hold myself accountable.
Processed with VSCO with fr4 preset
Pick my own bouquet: I actually have no idea how feasible this one is but I would really love to make my own bouquets of flowers this spring. I think it would be so fun to first go flower picking, then try my hand at some flower arranging.
Spend time at the beach: This one is kind of cheating because we are actually leaving for Myrtle Beach tomorrow. I am really excited because I have never been there before and I love the beach!
Track my carbon footprint: This goal is not really seasonal however I want to track my carbon footprint and figure out some ways I can offset it. I love travel and do not want to give it up but I also do not want to go against my own values of trying to have a lower impact on the world. The idea with this goal is that I will track my carbon footprint and then figure out what I want to do to offset the big things, like flying to Europe. It might mean planting some trees or other greenery during the spring.
Go on a picnic: I love getting together with friends for some delicious food and time outside. Last summer I actually did it quite a bit and want to continue that this year. I am hoping to do at least one picnic this spring with only seasonal foods. That will add a little challenge to it!
Go camping: I am really hoping to do this when I get home to Colorado. I miss being outside a lot right now and I want to prioritize a camping trip during the next few months.
Visit a farm: For some reason I have recently been wanting to go see farm animals. My parents always have had chickens and I went to boarding school on a farm so I am feeling a bit nostalgic about that life right now.
Thanks for reading, and let me know if you have any fun ideas/goals for this spring!
❤
Erin
Farewell to Winter
Although winter is not quite over yet, it is close and I wanted to do one last real ‘cold-weather’ post. This outfit also feels great for the transition into spring with these pink heels. They are the perfect height and a great color for the spring season. Because I have been working a lot but am still in a college setting amping up my wardrobe has been a big part of keeping myself focused and in the ‘work mindset’. I embody my version of business casual everyday and I really love how it is making me feel. Here is one of those outfits:
Jacket J. Crew Factory, Blouse similar, Jeans similar, Heels similar (also these), Belt Talbots
Have a wonderful week!
❤
Erin
Capsule Wardrobe Challenge
‘Capsule wardrobe’ has been thrown around a lot lately. I decided that I needed to figure out what it really means. Basically it is a collection of items that simplify your wardrobe. Here is an article with a little more information on the concept. The number of items seems to really vary but the lower the better. Many people seem to be doing seasonal capsule wardrobes, which is great but I wanted to try something a little different. I decided that a week long capsule wardrobe, with only six core items, would be the perfect challenge for me.
For my first time around I chose items that were more versatile and I intentionally chose a color palette to stick with that would allow me to wear any of the items together. It seems like the key to a capsule wardrobe is having pieces that all work together so you don’t have to think about your outfit as much.
Here are the six items I chose:
Black dress: Again, I chose a color palette and the crux of that was black. The great thing about a black dress is that is can easily be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.
Black jeans: This was one piece I chose mostly because it is still pretty chilly here and I needed something a bit warmer. They definitely can be worn in different ways though. I also think its essential to have a pair of black pants in general.
Light blue button down: I knew that a button down would be a must. This was the piece I worked with most and I just generally love button downs. They can be so comfortable but look fantastic.
Simple black shirt: I went with black as my ‘neutral color’ and a simple cotton shirt was a great go-to in several outfits. I also tied a knot in the bottom for one of the outfits to change it up a bit.
Floral booties: For my one pair of shoes I chose my floral heeled booties. For a simpler look I could have gone with white converse or black boots, but I wanted one piece that brought some life into my outfits and still went with everything.
Trench coat: This was almost entirely for practicality since it has been a little colder here. I thought is would go best with all the outfits I had in mind, of the jackets I have. And honestly a trench coat always brings some class to an outfit.
Accessories were not included in these core six items. I added certain jewelry or hats to outfits to really bring out the look I was going for. Here are my outfits from the week:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
In reflection, I think the reason I loved this challenge was that it made me think about the pieces of clothing I have in different ways. Just because something is advertised in a certain way, doesn’t mean you have to wear it like that. It is as simple as cuffing pants, rolling up sleeves or maybe even wearing a skirt as a shirt. It is amazing how many different ways you can wear single items. Realizing this and accepting it opens up your wardrobe to so many possibilities. I enjoyed this so much that hopefully I will do more in the future!
Have a good weekend!
❤
Erin
