Too Hot for this Nonsense

Can I tell you guys a secret? Sometimes I'm super not into taking photos for this blog. This was one of those days. It was hot and I was miserably pale after that never-ending winter. On the agenda for this weekend: 1. Get a tan. 2. Figure out how to not be such a wimp when it comes to warm weather.

A Uniform of Sorts

Dressing for work is a challenge for me. When I got my first "big girl" job at a TV station, I felt the need to dress like a news anchor. I would squeeze myself into shapely dresses and torture my feet with sky-high stilettos. I then realized how unbelievably unnecessary that all was and began mixing casual blouses with jeans and flats, after which I realized that I function much better when I'm at least a little dressed up. What happened then was some sort of phenomenon: after a few months of documenting my clothing choices, I realized that without even trying, all of my work clothes were a monochromatic blend of black, white, and the occasional grey. (It's true. So, so true.)

Portraits, 001

"A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” - Edward Steichen

I really love photographing people. It's not that landscapes and other various inanimate objects aren't interesting to me, it's just that nothing pulls my heart strings quite like the sentiment of immortalizing a moment. As human beings, we are capable of such an astonishing range of emotions and once we're felt one, we can never feel exactly the same way ever again. A properly-executed portrait captures that fleeting moment and keeps it for eternity. Photographs reveal so much about the subject and the photographer. I've gotten to know my friends so much better through my 30mm lens.

Rose + Cayenne Pepper Iced Coffee

Guys, I have a problem. While I tend to drink a lot of coffee in the fall and winter, as soon as the warm weather settles in and iced coffee is plentiful, my caffeine consumption quadruples. I went to Menagerie twice yesterday. I have no shame. Sometimes it's a cold brew with a splash of heavy cream, sometimes it's an iced americano (black, of course.) I like to change it up because I get bored easily. Having said that, I've gone kind of crazy conjuring up new iced coffee creations at home. As the weather gets warmer, I can only imagine how this little hobby of mine will intensify to gargantuan proportions. The combination du jour has been rose and cayenne pepper. It's zesty with dainty floral notes and the perfect way to kick start your morning.

Bow Tie

Ah, Springtime in Philadelphia. You are so fickle. You make fashion so difficult. You're already so humid and yet I love you. Welcome.

Lady Date in Nashville: What We Wore

A lot has changed since our last photographed lady date in New York this past February. Instead of freezing our booties off, we were soaking up the warm, humid Tennessee sunshine. If we look a little tired in these photos, it's because we were. Twelve hours of driving is a lot! We were up by 7AM every morning and in bed before 9:30 every night. Wild and crazy twenty-something behavior, am I right? We even made a Lowe's trip. (Wait-- that's not normal?)

Camping

If you're been following along on Instagram then you know that Danielle and I took a road trip to Nashville last week. We decided that escaping city life was an absolute necessity so we stopped at Cherokee National Forest on the way home for a night in the wilderness. Camping isn't as bad as it's cracked up to be; I'm a huge fan of roasting veggies over an open fire, exploring, and settling down to enjoy the soft breeze with a good book. My phone died, which was the best thing that could have happened. No email, no texts, no distractions. It was as if the "reset" button was pressed, which I've found is an important thing to do every once in a while. 

Trapeze

Trapeze may be the most unflattering shape for tops and dresses but do I look like I care? NAHHH. I've been on this "if it feels good, go for it" kick lately. If you've never done so, I highly recommend it.

Remixed, pt. 1

I've been trying to trim the fat off of my wardrobe because I'm going to be moving a smaller (and yet somehow still more expensive?) apartment soon and I neither need nor want distracting clutter to ruin my creative space. As I've been deciding what gets to stay in my dresser and what goes in the donation bin, I've seen a pattern: BLACK. Countless band tees. Crop tops galore. Stripes on stripes on stripes. I clearly have "a thing" and stick to it. I don't think that's bad though. There are certain recurring items in my wardrobe that get a lot of use and I try my best each item uniquely. I've decided to start a new series on here to give you some examples and to show you just how versatile your own closet may be. The pieces I chose for today are a graphic tee, boyfriend jeans, wide-leg trousers, a cardigan, and a duster.

Spring Sweater

If I look really tired in these photos, it's because I was. Something about early April is just exhausting in every way. (Yet also strangely energizing?) It's been rainy and kinda cold here in Philadelphia but I try to have no strong feelings on the weather whatsoever. I just layer up and keep it neutral. I keep a hat handy to save my hair and I'm good.

Pieces of Life, pt. 2

Marriage Musings: Single Lady Checklist

You probably thought that you could somehow escape my random thoughts on marriage and such this week. No dice, pal. I figured that after a few very heavy posts, I'd lighten it up a little bit. I'm getting married in November (YIKES!) which is less than 31 weeks away at this point. (I know, super short engagement. We're crazy. We get it. We're tired of hearing it.) Despite being only a few months away, I think I have time to cross off some items from my bachelorette bucket list. Since we're foregoing the "traditional" wedding and semi-eloping to another country, I don't have to spend as much time on trivial details and have more opportunities to live out my last days as a single lady.

Soft & Loud

When I take photos like this, I usually have a hard time posting them. (Yeah, basically all the time.) I can't help but think "goodness, I hate my thighs" or "what are the arm equivalent of cankels? Because I definitely have them." Lately though, I've been using cognitive behavioral therapy to turn those ugly thoughts into positive ones. Instead of taking my body too seriously, I've just been seeing it as a blank slate on which to create a work of art. I've been mixing patterns, textures, and colors in a way I never would have before and today's look is another example of just that. I love the juxtaposition of the soft lace top with the ripped jeans.

Stripes, etc.

There's been a lot of pattern-mixing going on around the interwebs. Some are fantastic, a few alright, others cringeworthy. I figured I'd give it a try and I have to say that it's a lot of fun.