Delicious autumn

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."  - George Eliot

(Just some photos by me  from the last few weekends. )

Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild

Blouse: Forever 21; Skirt: Kensington Square, thrifted; Sandals: Miss Trish of Capri;

 Carpet saddle bag, brooch: thrifted. 

"O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall; Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild, Should waste them all. The crows above the forest call; Tomorrow they may form and go. O hushed October morning mild, Begin the hours of this day slow. Make the day seem to us less brief. Hearts not averse to being beguiled, Beguile us in the way you know. Release one leaf at break of day; At noon release another leaf; One from our trees, one far away. Retard the sun with gentle mist; Enchant the land with amethyst. Slow, slow! For the grapes' sake, if they were all, Whose leaves already are burnt with frost, Whose clustered fruit must else be lost-- For the grapes' sake along the wall."

- Robert Frost, "October"

Lately: Tallulah Gorge

These photos are from the road trip Jeremiah and I took to Tallulah Gorge, which is part of the small northeast Georgia town Tallulah Falls. The gorge is about two miles long and features a few beautiful waterfalls. Jeremiah and I enjoyed driving up and seeing the crunchy foliage, and had fun spending time in the Tallulah Point Overlook, a trading post that overlooks the gorge. The Overlook store had a combination of local mountain historical items and nostalgic toys, so I had fun taking photos of my favorite finds. 

Give me the splendid, silent sun

Dress: Sag Harbor, thrifted; Scarf: Burlington Coat Factory; 

Moccasins: Minnetonka; Belt: Loft; Hourglass necklace: gift from Sunira.

Wearing this dress felt like an act of defiance toward the weather and a last stab at keeping summer around. Since I'm not doing too much shopping these days, I've been trying to transition my summer pieces into colder  times. With its Hawaiian print, I think this may be the loudest summer item I own, but I think it can find new life with some dark tights and boots.

I spent a tiny part of the weekend at the park, watching the leaves change and documenting it with my camera. And I spent the majority of the weekend working on projects and papers for my research projects class. Fall break is just around the corner, and you can believe this girl is so excited to sleep in.

My hourglass necklace is a gift from my friend Sunira, and I adore it. Though I am powerless over the changing season or time moving forward, it does amuse me to play with the hourglass during class, and watch the sands pile neatly onto each other -- until I tip it over again ...

Driving up 441

 Dress: Spense; Moccasins: Minnetonka; Saddle bag: Thrift find. 

Photos of me by Jeremiah. 

Jeremiah and I spent some time driving through the north Georgia mountains on Sunday. I had been wanting to drive to see the beautiful autumn leaves change for quite a while, so we took a road trip up Highway 441, which extends from Rabun County into North Carolina. We made a stop in Tallulah to look at the gorge (and to get boiled peanuts and old-fashioned cream soda at the gorge overlook trading post) and then we drove up to the Dillard House, which is known for its family-style country food and its petting zoo. I spent some time up in this area of north Georgia when I worked at summer camp as a teen (read more about those adventures here), and so it was cool to see my old haunts and know that though the years have passed, very little has changed in these mountain towns. 

Here are some photos from the Dillard House zoo: 

The second year in pictures

So here it is, the second anniversary of this little blog. I had a difficult time stringing together the right photos and words this time around, because it was a bit daunting, to sum up a year of intense personal change. In 12 short months, I applied for graduate school, got accepted, quit my job and began another with the university. And I've realized how wonderful and valuable this style community has been to me in the last couple years with its support and friendship. 

I've also gotten more involved with my photography, and have come to appreciate my little town more. It's a wonderful thing to find overlooked places and document them. And, as I've mentioned before about self-portrait photography, there's something rewarding about creating a work that's all your own.

Without more sap or ado, here are some of my favorite style photos of the past year. Thank you all for reading, and for being a part of this with me: 

      

Chasing October

 Dress: Jennifer Moore, thrifted; Moccasins: Minnetonka, gift; 

Sweater: Loft; Saddle bag: thrifted. 

Pictures of me by my sister, Nikki. 

I had several things to celebrate this weekend. Midterms are finally, mercifully over, and I chose to commemorate my newfound free time in several ways: finishing up the first season of "Game of Thrones;" spending time with my sister who came to town for some thrift store shopping; visiting a fall festival with friends in the next county; and going on a day trip through the north Georgia mountains with Jeremiah to idly pass time and see the changing leaves. In other words, enjoy the very best bits of October without feeling guilty for skipping away from my books. 

These photos are from some downtown Athens time with my sister. I enjoy going to this particular wall because it's pretty secluded and easy to do some street snaps pretty quickly. We went to a few vintage stores together to look over accessories and Halloween costume ideas for her. I'm planning on going as Wonder Woman (again) -- I love my old costume's cape too much to keep repeating it every year. 

I also had one very big milestone this weekend: Sidewalk Chic's birthday. Yes, this blog is now a little more than two years old. I cannot believe how much this blog has changed and evolved in that amount of time, and how much I've really grown into photography and style since then. I've got a bigger post later today reflecting on the past year!

Autumn outfit inspiration

Here in Georgia, it's been cool in the mornings and humid in the afternoons, which has caused some seasonal sartorial confusion. I'm waiting for the day in October where I'll be able to wear tights all day, but for now, here are just some of my past favorite cool-weather outfits:

Lately: Freaks and geeks

This past weekend, Jeremiah, our friend V. and I went to see Donald Glover/Childish Gambino in concert. Donald Glover plays Troy on "Community," one of our favorite shows, but he's also a really talented comedian, rapper and writer too (he wrote for Tracy Morgan's character on "30 Rock" before he made the jump to "Community"). So we were so excited when we found out he'd be in Athens performing under his musician name, Childish Gambino. In honor of Donald Glover and his much-rapped-about nerd persona, we wore some 3D glasses (with the lenses popped out). We probably looked super-dorky/annoying to people who actually wear glasses, but it definitely made the concert more entertaining. 

  This is the first show I've ever been to at the Georgia Theatre, and it was such an incredible, intimate experience -- I felt like I was jumping up and down and singing with 1,000 of my closest friends. The theatre has been rebuilt after a horrible fire two years ago put it out of commission. I hope to go to more concerts there in the future -- it's a beautiful building as well as a local and historical institution.