necessary illusions

Rebecca Taylor silk top, thrifted

Coldwater Creek scarf, gift

Beau jeggings, Ross

    

    Whenever I wear one of these long, loose-fitting tops paired with a slim bottom, I float through the day, feeling long, lean and elegant. Then I look at the photos and realize ... I still look like a five-foot-tall person wearing a looong shirt and loong scarf. But that's OK. I felt good wearing it, and that's what counts right? And on the first day back in the classroom with the students, feeling good matters.

    The little details of this shirt delight me, such as the ruffle-like tiered placket and pintucking at the shoulder. There are even tiny gold buttons at the cuffs!

     I am having an odd fascination with pastels lately, which is intriguing, as I've always believed that vivid, saturated shades work best with my coloring. But first I picked up this shirt at Goodwill (I have to admit that I bought it partly because the hue reminded me of Eeyore), and then I picked up an interestingly draped blush pink top at Saks Off Fifth on my annual pilgrimage to the outlet mall, and then I had a "oooh ... pretty!" moment when I spotted Aya wearing soft pink with her amazing navy coat. 

  

  Fossil key necklace, Nordstrom Rack

bubble necklace, InPink

     I've been wearing these necklaces a lot lately, as I've realized that they layer gorgeously together. Of course, I only realized this after owning (and passing over) these pieces for a good amount of time. 

   What colors are catching your eye lately?   

Blue Nile giveaway! {CLOSED}

Velvet Heart chambray tunic and Beau jeggings, Ross

infinity bracelet, c/o Blue Nile

ribbon earrings, Claire's

    Thanks to a comment on Gracey's recent Blue Nile giveaway, the company contacted me and asked whether I'd like to participate in their "Get One, Give One" campaign. That means one pretty thing for me and one pretty thing for a reader! I chose the infinity chain bracelet in sterling silver.

       It's the little details that make this bracelet special. For instance, I like how the curved infinity symbol allows the bracelet to drape nicely, and the dainty double chains add interest. The one thing I would change about the bracelet? I wish it came in a shorter length! I have a smaller than average wrist, which means this bracelet is rather big. Nonetheless, it makes a subtle, simple addition to my daily bracelet-and-watch stack, and I think it will join my regular rotation. 
      I accessorized with my fun yet delicate ribbon earrings (I'll definitely be sporting the silver glitter ornaments tomorrow, though).  ;)

        Would you like to win the second bracelet? Just leave me a comment with:

• your e-mail
• how do you follow me: bloglovin or GFC?
• and a comment: how would you style this bracelet? 

     Good luck! This giveaway is open worldwide. Entries will be accepted until midnight PST on Christmas Eve.
      If you want to pick out your own sparkle, get 10% off with code BNHH10. :)

**The fine print: This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog does not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, I will and do accept and keep free products and other forms of compensation from companies and organizations. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog.  I was compensated to provide an opinion on this product. Even though I receive compensation, I always give my honest opinion on the product.. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

unlikely summer revelations

top, Calvin Klein Outlet

Coldwater Creek scarf, gift

Beau jeggings, Ross

cardigan, Forever 21

     Up to this point I've treated this top as workwear, which means it's always been paired with trousers or a pencil skirt. It was fun to style it more casually with jeggings, a scarf, and light slouchy
cardigan.
    It may sound strange, but it wasn't until last week that I've realized how perfect a scarf is for layering. It's lightweight and can be folded away into a bag, doesn't add bulk when worn with a cardigan or blazer, and adds color, pattern and warmth.

   It's been years since I wore a watch regularly, but last year I decided that since I was turning 35, a classic watch would be a good accessory. I'm retraining myself to wear a watch everyday and use it to check the time. One motivating factor is that it's fun to mix and match with bracelets! I'm really glad I chose a two-tone watch - it's so easy to wear with all kinds of jewelry.

the new normal

embellished linen tunic, hand-me-down from Mom

D&Y animal-print scarf and Beau skinnies, Ross 

         We had a spate of windy, rainy and cool weather last week, which meant this scarf was in heavy rotation. I really like this scarf with a slim-fitting bottom, and the contrast with the tunic's embellishment is fun but not over the top. 

          I feel like I've been out of the blogging loop for a while, what with school and wedding stuff eating up much of my time in March. Now I'm making the (lovely) adjustment to living with the husband full-time, which means we spent the day after our wedding shopping for some necessary furnishings, like a desk for my laptop, a chair to go with the desk, and some shelving.

          I think people are a little puzzled (or taken aback) by the fact that I am not changing my name. (They are too polite to say so, but they've made previous snarky comments in the past about women who don't change their names, so I figure the snark applies to me, too.) Just about everyone I know has taken their husband's name. There are a variety of ways to go about this. Some people drop their original middle name and make their maiden name their new middle name. But I like my middle name, so that was not an option. Some people simply take on a second last name, with or without the hyphen, but either way, there's a lot of paperwork involved. Not to mention that a two-part first name, a middle name, and a two-part last name is a lot of moniker for someone who's just a little taller than 5 feet. ; )

             I do like the husband's last name - it's unique and people like the way it sounds. I figure that if later on I'd really like to add his name, I'll pay the fee to do so, but for now, I'm happy to keep my name. :) 

on the rocks

     Velvet Heart chambray tunic and Beau skinnies, Ross

Countess Mara tie, thrifted

     On Saturday I sprained my left ankle. My ankle tends to buckle unexpectedly, but so far I've managed to stumble vs. fall on the sidewalk, which is what happened on Saturday. I can walk on it, but it's swollen and a bit painful.  This is the outfit I wore to see the doctor yesterday (so glad they were able to squeeze me in on short notice). While the sprain was deemed mild, doctor's advice is to elevate it, ice it, and avoid any unnecessary walking - so no exercise. :( 
       I didn't tear anything in my ankle, but she warned me that a similar incident could end in me breaking my ankle or suffering a severe sprain. Yikes. She also said not to wear heels, but since I have yet to figure out how to wear heels gracefully, that's not a problem. ;)

 
      Wearing a tie as a sash/belt with one end hanging down always makes me feel dashing and piratical ... which is nice on a day when I'm feeling gimpy.

February Freeze: peacock feathers, cloud 9

Matthew Williamson for H&M top (2009)

Michael Michael Kors zipper detail sweater, Macy's

White House Black Market blazer, thrifted

necklace, Forever 21

Sarah Coventry ring, random little kiosk

Beau jeggings, Ross

     This is what I wore to drop off the payment for the wedding officiant. The office does lunchtime weddings on site, and as I paid for the officiant, a wedding was going on behind the wooden partition. As  I listened to the judge lead a couple through the ceremony, I realized that I'm going to be doing the same thing in just about a month. It was an amazing moment for me - while I've been planning the wedding for a bit, it didn't seem real until right then. 

    This top is a February Freeze item, but I do like the colors (yes, I probably have said this about every February Freeze item so far). The ring is also another February Freeze item - the stone (it might be a watermelon rhinestone) is gorgeous, but the ring is so heavy duty that it's not quite adjustable, and tends to slide around on my finger. I used to refer to it as my cocktail ring, but I just don't get out for cocktails much, so I've decided to wear it anytime I feel like it.
    I think I'll be adding to my wardrobe wish list a pair of black skinny or straight leg jeans. Looking at the photos, I realized that a black pair of skinnies would have really pulled this look together. Honestly can't remember the last time I owned a pair of black jeans ... 

     

     Have a wonderful and relaxing weekend! :)

February Freeze: orange

  Splendid top and Carole quartz necklace, Nordstrom Rack

Beau skinnies, Ross

cardigan and necklace, Forever 21

     My second February Freeze item is this orange top. It's cute, but like my first February Freeze  choice, the strange neckline means it hardly gets worn. It appears that the lesson for me when shopping is to not buy it if it has a strange neckline ... 

     Using Susannah Conway's Unravelling the Year Ahead planner, I picked a theme for each month. January's was "laying the foundation," when I focused on getting on track with healthy habits. So, basically, I  ate a lot of oatmeal (which I love) and resumed my regular schedule for physical activity.

     The theme for February is "acts of love, big and small." The focus is on taking care of myself and others better. To that end, I attended my first meditation class on Saturday,  because I've realized that establishing this as a daily practice is something I need to move forward in my life. Also, any $5 bill that comes my way is corralled in an envelope and headed to the bank to build up my savings.
      In terms of taking care of others, I'm trying to look more carefully to see what small things might need doing, and doing them without being asked. I think one of the things I love about having a little extra money is spending it on others, whether it's mochi ice cream for the Mr., pastries for the family, or little care packages mailed to friends or family. But since I'm not working regularly (I've been playing an economical grad student for the last two years), I've had to shift my mindset. What can I give? My full attention, careful listening, and thinking ahead about what needs to be done, and just doing it. I also enjoy cooking for my family because it makes me happy to see them enjoying a home-cooked meal.
     What do you like to do to show others you care?

February Freeze, vol. 5: chambray + a splash of animal print

     I'm enjoying this dress-simply kick I've been on for the last few days. While I really love creative pattern mixing, I'm still too new at it and end up looking like a mess instead of marvelous. I don't wear this chambray tunic much, but I'm starting to see its possibilities. :) I was inspired by Linda of Little Tin Soldier's outfit here.

 Velvet Heart tunic, Ross (old)

Beau skinnies, Ross (old)

snake print fabric belt (from dress)

hoop earrings, Old Navy (old)

Micro-ruffles and subtle yet sparkly earrings

     Speaking of simple, the Mr. and I had a quiet Valentine's night. I had planned to pick up some mochi ice cream on the way to his house, but when I drove past the ice cream place, there was a line spilling out the door onto the sidewalk. We have a mutual dislike of crowds, so he's just going to have to wait until the weekend for his treat. ...
     Luckily, he had picked up a chocolate cheesecake. We traded Valentine's Day cards, watched some Stephen Colbert, and spent some quality time with each other (and the cheesecake, of course). :)