Bright Ideas

This was another one of my “networking” outfits, where I dressed like I was going to work so that I would blend in with the people I met with, who were (of course) wearing jeans.

I went kinda matchy matchy with the shoes, which isn’t usually my style. But when a dress already makes a big statement, I figure I don’t need to do a contrasting shoe. As long as I’m still living in the real world and not on Planet Fashun, this approach seems appropriate. But as you can see below, I can’t seem to NOT wear colorful accessories with this dress! Next time, I think I’ll wear it with a black leather jacket and black pumps.

similar Dress // another similar Dress // similar Shoes (on sale) // similar Bag // Sunglasses // Lips “Whimsical”

Bright ideas: It’s the Real Life Remix…

First in Flight

I think I made it pretty clear to everyone that I was at the beach last week (in this post and this one and in a lot of Instagrams), but I don’t know if I made it clear which beach. We were at Nags Head in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I grew up in North Carolina, so to me, “beach” can only mean the Outer Banks. I’ve heard Florida also has a few beaches, but I see no need to check.

Nags Head is just down the road from the spot where the Wright brothers took their first successful airplane flights in 1903. There’s a memorial and visitor center there now, so we stopped to check it out before heading to the airport for our flight home. When you’re about to get on a plane in a few hours, what better time to see where it all started, right?

So this outfit was my nerdy tourist/goodbye beach/travel look.

Do you see that? It’s aviation…reflected in my aviator sunglasses. Is your mind blown? Because it should be.

Top // Jeans (on sale) // Watch* // Sunglasses // Shoes* // Nails // Lips

*Watch provided courtesy of Dainty Wrist Jewelry; shoes purchased with gift card provided courtesy of Shopbop.

#FriendsGettingMarried

This was the last outfit I wore before heading out to the beach – my friends Christie and Amy got married on Saturday, so I delayed my vacation by a day so I could be there. That’s how much I like them. (Take note, ladies.)

It only seems appropriate I tell you the story of how I met Christie and Amy, and I’ll try to do it in a way that is less embarrassing for Christie. So they moved to the Indianapolis area last spring, and they went to the Pride Parade. It just so happens that I was there too, and being the Instagram addict that I am, I posted a couple photos using the #indypride hashtag. Christie looked through that hashtag and saw my photos, which led her to my profile, which led her to my blog. From there she figured out that (a) I live in Indianapolis, and (b) I’m obviously super awesome.

Running the strong risk of coming off as a total creepster, Christie emailed me (she told me later that she read the email over and over and made Amy read it too before sending). I guess I was feeling nice that day, because I emailed her back. Not long after, the 4 of us met up for brunch, and the rest is history!

So if I get nothing else worthwhile out of this little adventure that is blogging, at least I have 2 great new friends. You can make fun of hashtags all you want, but without them, I probably never would have met Christie and Amy. They’re both fantastic people, and they make a fantastic couple. A million congratulations to the newlyweds, and thanks for stalking me!

Top (on sale) // similar Skirt // similar Shoes (on sale) // Sunglasses // similar Bag // similar Ring // Nails // Lips “Whimsical”

Freedom

What you’re looking at here is my first day of freedom outfit. After the Bar Exam was all over, I had a couple drinks and some nachos, then slept for 12 glorious hours. The next day, after my shower, I used these new fangled electric hair instruments. One blows hot air so your hair dries faster, and the other one clamps down on your hair so it doesn’t look like a frizzy mess. Technology is amazing, you guys.

Sometimes during Bar prep when I was sitting on my couch in sweats and wet, unstyled hair, I would think about all the cute outfits I would wear to do fun non-studying things once I had my life back. This was one of those outfits. I felt very Audrey Hepburn, and that is never not a good thing.

For the most part, post-Bar life has been lovely. I did discover, however, that it’s easy to build up your first day of freedom in your head a little too much. I guess I imagined double rainbows bursting spontaneously through the sky and a marching band following me everywhere I went while I performed “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and it would be so amazing that people would be like “oh my gosh, her voice sounds like Barbra Streisand and Idina Menzel had a baby, and she has the legs of Cyd Charisse!” In reality, the world is exactly how I left it, and I still have a crappy singing voice and short legs.

But at least my outfit was cute (this will be the title of my memoir one day).

Top // similar Skirt // Sunglasses // Bag // Shoes // Lips

Planning Ahead

I just got this dress a few days ago. I’d been eyeing it in Target over and over and I decided it would be a great option for Test Day! Both test days, actually (yep, the Bar Exam takes 2 whole days – joy). I really don’t like to wear jeans for long periods of sitting because the waist band can get uncomfortable and make me very conscious of how much I have to pee. I don’t have any medical evidence to prove it, but I think my bladder is the size of a lima bean. Point is: Dresses are way more comfortable and convenient.  More reasons this dress is perfect: (1) It feels like a nightgown but looks stylish, (2) it has stripes – my favorite print, (3) the maxi length will keep my legs from getting goosebumps if it’s drafty in the testing room, and (4) it was only $30. As you can see, I thought this purchase through. Here’s hoping I can use this same logical brain power on July 29 and 30!

Dress // similar Bag // similar Hat (on sale) // Sunglasses // similar Belt* // Shoes (on sale) // Lips “Plushest Punch”

*Belt provided courtesy of H&M.

Definitely Keepers

If you missed my last post, you should un-miss it right now. It only seems appropriate that right after giving you beaucoup reasons to get stuff out of your closet, I show you an outfit full of keepers. I mean it would just never enter my mind to toss this jacket, skirt, or shoes. I’ve already worn them multiple times (see below), but there’s no end in sight. If someone tried to take any of these babies from me, I’d probably do something to land myself in prison. And as much as I love watching Orange is the New Black, I really don’t want to go to prison. Because then I wouldn’t be able to watch Orange is the New Black.

Jacket (on sale) // similar Skirt (on sale) // Shoes // similar Bag (on sale) // Sunglasses // similar Necklace // Lips “Corail in Touch”

To Not Repeat Would be Criminal…It’s the Real Life Remix:

Backstreet’s Back

What did I do while wearing this outfit? Oh, you know, the usual. Went to bar review lecture. Got some coffee. Saw the Backstreet Boys live and partied like it was 1999. Yeah, that happened.

And my weekend got even cooler the next day when my wife and I walked in the Indianapolis Pride Parade dressed as the cast of the Rocky Horror Show. Yeah, that also happened. Proof of all of this is on Instagram.

On a related note, people often think one of the perks of being married to another woman is that you can share clothes. In theory, yes. But in my reality, not so much. If you’ve ever seen Kristin, you know she’s sort of an Amazon woman. She’s 8 inches taller than I am, which means she also has a few sizes on me. Her bra could eat my bra as a snack. And if she tried to wear my shoes, we’d have a Cinderella/step-sister situation. So basically, the only thing we can share is jewelry. When Kristin was taking these pictures, she couldn’t shut her mouth (which is also huge) about how cool this necklace is. So I have a feeling she’ll be helping herself to this bauble before too long! And if she doesn’t give it back, I’ll take one of her t-shirts and wear it as a maxi dress. With a belt, it might work.

similar Top // Necklace // similar Shoes // Sunglasses // similar Bag // Lips “Unapologetic”

Pin to Real Life: Chambray & White Skirt

Left image source: Crazy Style Love (used with permission under Creative Commons license)

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I love doing these “Pin to Real Life” posts because I feel like they go to the essence of what this blog is about. Yes, my blog has an essence. Take a deep breath and you might get a whiff. But seriously…the essence is about how I find styling inspiration (sometimes from my own head, sometimes from other people) and then adapt it to fit my real life. [cue epiphany sound effect – it all makes sense now, doesn’t it?!]

This inspiration for this outfit came from Jenny at Crazy Style Love, and she is crazy fabulous pretty much all the time. She wears things I would never have the lady balls to wear. But then again, she lives in Toronto, and I get the impression that’s a more fashion-forward city than Indianapolis. No offense to my city, but its style is very much sports-based. So if Jenny had come to brunch with me on Saturday in her outfit, she would have looked way overdressed (but still awesome, obviously).

My shorter, less voluminous, skirt is more practical for me, and flats instead of heels seemed more appropriate for the occasion. Finally, I tied my shirt in the front instead of tucking it in because I felt like that added an extra casual touch.

A million thanks to Jenny for inspiring this outfit – I loved it! If you want to see more of the people and outfits that inspire me, follow me on Pinterest!

similar Shirt // similar Skirt // Sunglasses // similar Shoes (on sale) // Bag (on sale)

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