black and brown

Blue Plate dress, Ross

chambray top, passed down from mom

belt, ?

Dansko sandals, 6pm.com

bracelets, gifted and DIY

Fossil key necklace, Nordstrom Rack clearance

     I've never felt comfortable mixing black and brown, but I think this is a good first attempt. I'm trying to wear these sandals more, so going with the brown belt made the shoe choice appear less random.

    With great surprise, I've realized my exam is in a week. Yikes!  I'm daydreaming already about walking out of there in triumph late Friday morning, and about how great it will feel to successfully wrap up almost 4 years of rigorous study. But to make that daydream come true, a little more study is required ... which totally explains why I already made plans to go out on Saturday night. Throw in the fact that I'm planning to go out and enjoy some high-calorie appetizers during a week when I'm avoiding all physical activity thanks to the sprained ankle and the whole thing makes perfect sense, right?  Good thing I'm not someone who obsesses over calories ... I do strive to eat a balanced diet, but there always is some wiggle room for something decadent. :)
     I hope your weekend includes a little decadence!

echoes

 Blue Plate dress, Ross, old

Michael Michael Kors sweater and Style & Co. studded sandals, Macy's

earrings, Thai market in Seattle, gift

     The elastic in the sleeves and neckline of this dress has let go over the years, which means it can't be worn as is, but I like the print so much that  I'm hanging onto it for now as a layering piece. I love black, white and red, and now I'm starting to appreciate its cousin hot pink, black, and white - it's feminine but not fussy, cute but not saccharine. 
    These sandals also need replacing - I like that they're studded and have a small wedge, but unfortunately, they lack any kind of support (how do so many people wear shoes without a padded footbed?). Also, I never use the back zip closure since it cuts into my left ankle (but not the right, oddly enough). Now the sole is starting to fall apart, which means I need to save my pennies to get an equally cute, more comfortable replacement (I'd be happy to add these or these to my closet.) 
 

      Random news: I was texting a friend the other day to see what she wanted me to bake for our get-together, and she suggested "your brownies with choco chip cookies." Hmm. They sounded vaguely familiar ... I checked the Pinterest board I use to document recipes I've tried. Not there. This must have been baked before I started using Pinterest. At this moment, I'm kind of impressed that she remembers them years later, and anxious to find the recipe. If you type "brownie with chocolate chip cookie" into Google, you get, oh, a mere 3.15 million results, so I'll have to look through my paper recipe file to see if I kept a copy. My mom swears she had the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe years and years ago, and then she lost it ... I hope my brownie-chocolate chip cookie has not met the same fate!
      p.s.:There are two types of echoes in this outfit: first,  the earrings are similar to the dress pattern, and second, I was inspired by Jen of Librarian for Life and Style, who paired black with her gorgeous pink dress.

denial & a remix

     Why yes, I do plan to wear this dress every week, now that it's summertime. ...

  side-zip chambray pullover, via Mom

oia jules bracelet, giveaway win

seed bead bracelet, DIY

Blue Plate dress, Ross

Dansko "Sakura" sandals, Nordstrom Rack

     It's in the mid-80s degrees here, and while there's a breeze, it's undeniably sunny and warm. Somehow, I managed to ignore this when I layered this chambray top over the dress. Upon getting outside I promptly rolled the sleeves all the way past my elbows -- stretch fabric to the rescue. :)
     When I first received this top, I had no clue that it would work well with just about everything. It balances out a floaty or fancy dress or makes a strapless or low-cut dress work-appropriate. 
      I won this gorgeous oia jules bracelet from a giveaway generously hosted by Hayley of The Weekend File. Blogging has definitely changed my taste in jewelry! I've always considered myself a devotee of dainty, understated pieces, and while I still love them, I've made room in my heart for chunky chains and bold stones. :)

 Dainty and chunky bracelets and a fuzzy hedgehog for good measure

     ** Want to see other ways I've worn my chambray top? I wore it in February to dress down a poofy dress and with a wide belt to pull off a monochrome look.

a dash of silk, or, why thrift a silk tie?

     I wore this last week to make a library run. What, you don't think running to the library to pick up your requested books is a special occasion? It is around here, especially when there's free time to read them ... :D

 Blue Plate dress, Ross

Andrade silk tie, thrifted 

Awkward pose #1017, c/o me

        Things I love about this dress: 1) it has wonderful memories attached to it, as I wore this for my storytelling presentation two semesters ago; 2) it's 100% cotton, which is perfect for this climate;  3) it's printed -- I love a bold print; and 4) it's comfortable.
       While unearthing my long-neglected craft project, I came across this tie. Sadly, the silk seems to be deteriorating, but I figure I can eke some use out of it as a belt. I think it would look best against a solid dress, but I don't own one of those. :\ So, I think this is a nice addition to my pattern-mixing explorations. Like a necklace, a tie worn as a belt is a nice way to add an understated dose of pattern fun to an outfit.
    Here are some other great ways to wear a tie as a belt ...

Source: eringirard.blogspot.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Doubled-up stripes and a pin? :) Beautiful.

via 
Too bad wearing the tie-as-a-belt doesn't bestow the power to dance like Fred Astaire ...

 via

Source: hkstylejourney.blogspot.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Belted under a blazer - got to try this sometime!

Source: james1542.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Such a pretty, restrained use of color on a slouchily casual outfit.