The month of May in outfits

This month has flown by quicker than I wanted it to, but I'm looking forward to the summer ahead. I've got some exciting things planned for June, including a giveaway and more photography posts, so don't touch that dial!

In May, I: 

- Watched the earth come up.

- Ruminated on witnessing history.

- Wrote about how to take outfit photos in harsh sunlight (perfect for summer daylight patterns!)

- Listened to my mom.

- Crashed a carnival.

- Copied some of my favorite bloggers' outfits.

- Did some EBEW time.

- Tested out a bridesmaid dress for everyday wear.

- Played with patterns.

- Experimented with locations.

- Got up with the birds, saw cool light.

- Celebrated an anniversary.

- Saw my sister graduate. 

Don't you forget about me (don't, don't, don't, don't)

I (along with Jeremiah, my extended family and a few thousand other hometown folks) braved the summer heat to witness my sister and 440 of her classmates graduate from high school. Sitting in the bleachers under the castle (home to the Knights football team) made me reminisce about my own graduation on the same field a few years before. It's odd to think about my 18-year-old self, and how limited my goals were then before I knew of a life (and its possibilities) outside of my hometown. It's exciting to think that my little sister, of whom I've shared a room with for years, is suddenly diverging on her own little journey into the world. For now, all this big sister can do is stand back and be proud. 

In a white sea of eyes

I see one pair I recognize

And I know that I am

the luckiest. 

- Ben Folds

Happy two-year anniversary to you and me, Jeremiah.

Forest for the trees

 Dress: Spenser Jeremy, thrifted; Shoes: Zigi Soho; 

Belt: Fossil; Bracelet: from Mexico, gift.

Here is one of my new thrift finds -- I'm really excited to be wearing this shade all summer. I experimented a little bit with doing photos during midday and have been trying new spots around my park. 

Today is my two-year anniversary with Jeremiah, so I'll keep this brief.  Hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day!

In the limelight

 Dress: Spenser Jeremy, thrifted; Sweater: Old Navy; 

Headband: from Marilou; Shoes: Zigi Soho; Bag: from India, gift. 

I'm really enjoying wearing citrus-inspired outfits now that all the parks are in bloom. Matching my surroundings is one of my favorite things. 

I love wearing this Spenser Jeremy vintage dress so much, that I've tried to find more items from this brand at the thrift store and Etsy. When I find a style I like, it's fun to repeat, and in this case, I love the draping on this dress. It hasn't been easy to find much of this brand, but I lucked out the other day when I found one dress in green at the thrift store and snapped it up, along with four other dresses and a sweater for $13. It was one of my more epic hauls to be sure. Because of some agreement that my thrift store seems to have with Target, there were a ton of new Merona dresses there, so much so that I feel like I have to make a public service announcement about it: Ladies of Athens, do not buy Target items full price. It's always at a thrift store somewhere in decent condition.

What are your plans this weekend? I'm going to watch my baby sister graduate from high school -- my goodness, I feel old!

Early bird special

Sweater: Faded Glory; Dress: Marvin Richards/Calvin Klein; 

Shoes: Zigi Soho; Tiger pin: vintage, thrifted. 

Anytime I complain about waking up early this summer, I should look at these photos more often. I really should make more of an effort to take photos in the mornings, because those few moments after sunrise are pretty awesome for lighting. I spent at least 20 minutes just on the dock because the water reflections were neat to capture. I wasn't the only early bird -- several birdwatchers were up and about when I got to the park. I talked to one of the walkers (a researcher at the university museum) and he said the area was pretty well-known among ornithologists because it's a refuge for lots of bird species. I've seen lots of egrets at the park, but one day maybe I'll come with binoculars and try to take photos of more wildlife. 

Here is my blue polka dot dress again. It's so funny that it's going to be a bridesmaid dress this summer, because I've already worn it in some casual looks, which is usually the reverse of what happens with special occasion dresses. At least I know it's remix-worthy and I love it :)

The dog days are gone

 Dress: Liz Roberts, vintage; Shoes: Zigi Soho; Scarf: gift; Sunglasses: BR, from Marilou.

I don't really consider myself an indoor or blank wall photographer, like many style bloggers are, because both settings tend to utterly befuddle me. There's a reason why you won't see very many photos of blank walls or other apartment interiors here:  Artificial lighting or confined spaces are hard for me to manipulate into decent photos. But today, I really just wanted to do something very simple outside, and challenged myself to stay in just one spot and strip it down to just a couple points of view, just like I might for a future indoor post. As my usual photo spots are getting more and more occupied with the warm weather, I have been reconsidering places that I usually skip for photos because of convenience and solitude. It's not the end of landscape photos, but maybe before summer's end my humble abode will make an appearance here.

I had one of the best weekends in recent memory. One of our close friends V came to stay for the weekend and  Jeremiah and I showed him around Athens, which included going to a 90s-themed bar and walking around the college campus. In addition, we surprised another close friend T at her law school graduation and celebrated with her later that day. T and I became friends during our mock trial  days in high school (in our two competitions together, she was my lawyer, and I was the defendant), and seeing her complete her formal education was like watching a story come full circle.

How was your weekend? I have 10 million photos to wade through from the last few days that I can't wait to share with you.

Maiden voyages

 Dress: Suzy Chin; Sweater: Old Navy, currently on loan from sister;

Bag: Fossil, thrifted; Shoes: Zigi Soho.

I spent a significant portion of my weekend in this outfit as I juggled two bridal showers (at the same time) across town on Saturday. While I'm not usually one for having a full social calendar especially in one weekend, I did have a lot of fun at both, playing fun games and eating my fair share of petit fours. 

I really loved the combination of neon stripes and florals in this outfit -- it just felt festive for both bridal occasions. 

When I took these photos at the park, I saw a couple of girls clad in stilettos and short dresses taking jumping photos of themselves on the bridge (graduation photos, perhaps?). Though I stood in awe of their bravery for wearing tall footwear on such treacherous footing, I realize I found a couple of kindred spirits, because I've done the same. 

Thoughts from the Sidewalk

A little inspiration from Mumford and Sons' "The Cave." I get excited every time I hear this song on the radio or Pandora.

Feelin' dotty

 Dress: Marvin Richards/Calvin Klein; Purse: Calvin Klein; Shoes: Bongo. 

Photos by Jeremiah.

The best-laid schemes oft go awry, and this case it was my outfit posts. I've been really sick from allergies the last week and have only seen a reprieve with the coming rains. I'm hoping this will all subside soon, but for the last couple days, I've been very sniffly and prone to wearing sweatpants (shhh).

I wore this outfit about a week ago. I had been stalking this Calvin Klein dress for awhile for a wedding I'll be in this summer, but wanted to find a cheaper alternative. I went into Stein Mart of all places and found it under a different label -- Marvin Richards -- at a 1/3rd of the retail price. Exact same dress (right down to the clear size label CK uses), but a different label. It turns out Calvin Klein allows Stein Mart to market some of their items under the other label name. But for now, I love my bridesmaid dress, and the fact that my friend let us pick our own bridesmaid dresses, because I will wear this for a long time to come.

What good deals have you found recently?