Birthday Musings

With it being my birthday, one year older and all that jazz, I’ve been thinking a lot about this blog and what being in the world of fashion and blogging means to me and to others. So this post will generally be my musings and goals for this year.

I’m constantly excited to learn new information, tips and tricks and interact with other bloggers while sharing my sense of personal style. I have so many things I want to research and learn about, and so little time in the day. I’m just discovering sites like Chictopia and Lookbook.nu. Pair that with an Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and the glorious blog in itself and it’s a LOT of work. I’m learning about photography, different senses of style and new makeup tips and tricks galore. I’ve been working and learning for almost a year now and I voraciously attack any article or message board I can get my hands teaching how to improve while building readership. (Any advice on this end would be taken into thoughtful account and greatly appreciated!) I obsess over new magazines and trends, and especially (my weakness) what bag is that actress or super accomplished blogger sporting?  One day I want to share all of the advice I’ve garnered into a well-written, helpful blog post for new bloggers. But I’m just so excited about all of this that I wanted to share it with my readers.

I’m trying to find new, creative ways to incorporate history into my posts, though I’m not one to half-do anything so those are typically the most difficult posts because I put in legitimate research. I’m thinking perhaps of sharing a fun history fact related to the clothing or style I’m wearing in each post. I’m also incredibly interested in different designers, and coming from a very small town I never had the opportunity to learn about brands like Moschino or Tatanaka. I plan to research established and new designers, give my honest opinion of their lines, and try to incorporate either one of their pieces in the post or model after their style.

Ultimately, this started because I’ve always loved clothes and style and makeup and hair and I wanted to find some way to incorporate that love in my life more fully and I wanted to share it with others. Yes, of course it’s nice to get the hype and it can be an ego boost or a negative addiction for some, but that truly isn’t what blogging is about. It’s about pursuing your passion, whatever type of blogger you may be. Now one year older, I’m realizing that if you love something then why hold yourself back and not try to do/get involved with what you have passion for? People always stay at an arm’s length because they are scared of rejection, or getting told that’s a stupid idea, being judged, or that it’s just a pipe dream. But it isn’t, and you shouldn’t let what anyone else thinks affect how you conduct yourself. Be you, and go after what you love. That’s all for now, but have a great one!

| Top- Thrifted @ Buffalo Exchange | Shoes- Kathy Van Zeeland (out of stock)  Similar | Shorts- Loft (Just sold out!) Similar | Watch- Michael Kors | Bag- Kate Spade (similar) |

 

Distressed Dungarees

Overalls. Love them or hate them, they are making a comeback and I’m personally a huge fan. I vividly remember the Winnie The Pooh dungarees (a British-coined term) I lived in as a young tot and I say with total honesty that if someone recreated them for me I would rock that look like it was 1998. This is certainly a more “grown up” (whatever that means) manifestation, and I tried to keep it fresh and unique by pairing them with a polka dot button down that I adore from UNIQLO. I’ve noticed a lot of people have been pairing overalls with stripes, so if that is more your speed it’s also pretty easy to pull off. There is also the option of no shirt, which I have seen trending, but personally I think that’s a dangerously precarious option. Wikipedia (one of my favorite go-to sources) makes reference to “Shortalls” and “Skirtalls.” I’ve never heard an article of clothing referred to by those terms in my life, but it’s a pretty swell way of being more specific for other overall options. So what say you about the repeat trend- yea or nay?

| Overalls- Similar | Shoes- Steve Madden (Old)- Similar | Belt- Ann Taylor | Bag- Steve Madden | Watch- Michael Kors | Necklace- Century 21 | Nails- American Apparel| Top- UNIQLO |

Little Black Dress, Lotta Starbucks

 

When I put this outfit together, I had zero intentions of writing a post about it. My goal was to go to Georgetown, pick up some new foundation and lipstick and perhaps peruse some of my favorite stores (shoutout Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Barneys New York, Madewell) for birthday present options, surely to be a purse or watch. Sidenote- my birthday is next week and I am pretty stoked. I love birthdays, and I am going home to Florida for a week to spend time with my friends and parents, go to the beach, hit up my favorite coffee shop (shoutout Karma Cream– seriously if you’re ever in Gainesville, FL go there!) and watch the Gators have a hopefully-improved season opening game of football.

Moving on- Brett and I decided to go on an adventure to our favorite spot in DC, a hidden little place right near Georgetown to relax in nature and read books (we are cool, no shame in my nerd game). As evidenced by literally every photo, I also enjoyed a half-priced Iced Blackberry Mojito Tea Lemonade from Starbucks. Until the end of this very-nearly-ending summer you can get your own half priced beverage too, post 2 pm. Whilst on this adventure, I found lots of fun places to take photos, and the above are some fun ones.

| Dress- Incredibly Old (Similar) | Shoes- Article& Article& Article& (on sale!) | Bag- Kate Spade (similar)  | Nails- Nails Inc. Soho Place Gel Effect |

Nautical Maxi

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend my first event as a new member of the Junior League of Washington. They told us the attire was to be “summer casual” and I always stick with the thought process that it is better to be a bit over-dressed than to walk in and feel like an idiot because you are visibly too casual (unless that is your MO, then go ahead and rock that). So this is the look I came up with, and it fit in quite smashingly.

| Dress- Thrifted @ Buffalo Exchange | Sandals- Kathy Van Zeeland (out of stock)  Similar | Watch- Michael Kors  | Belt- Francesca’s |

Cinnamon Java

You may know this about me if you have followed along with my blog, Instagram or Twitter very much (Check it out, SK_Ontherun), I have a slight obsession with cinnamon iced coffee. Be it Dunkin, Starbucks or Caribou, that’s my jam. Here are two fun facts about getting more reasonably priced beverages. I used to only purchase iced cinnamon dolce lattes from Starbucks, until I recently discovered that you can purchase just a plain cinnamon iced coffee and it tastes exactly the same for literally half the price (I’m not sure why I didn’t realize you could get cinnamon dolce syrup in an iced coffee?) So if you love it as much as I, it’s a great money saving go-to. Also, if you love chai tea lattes, (this only works with hot) you can order a misto with a chai tea bag in it, also half the price. I’ll leave you with these glorious tips.

| Skirt– Ann Taylor | Top– Anthropologie | Bag– Tory Burch | Necklace– Vintage | Shoes– Julianne Hough | Beverage– Cinnamon Iced Coffee |

 

Surrounded By Florals

Growing up in Florida, I took advantage of year-long sunshine, and beautiful scenery everywhere I went- tropical beaches, rolling fields that were the brightest green, basically paradise. Well, moving to DC certainly provides one with beautiful sights as well, though in a much different format- museums, famous sights and beautiful architecture being the most prominent. I must say that I’m a fan of both, though I am a sucker for nature and trees. And the past 2 weeks I have realized that DC has something Florida never boasts quite so wildly- spring blooms.

After this incredibly long winter I thought the world was brown and cold forever and that everyone hated everything and that’s how eternity was going to be (dramatic, and illogical to be sure) But somehow, all of that started to change in the last few weeks. Daffodils are springing up everywhere, grass is actually growing, snow has stopped falling, legs are starting to creep out of pants and tights (yay!) and trees are blooming into fairy tale status beauties. I had the opportunity to spend some time strolling through some of the local parks in Foggy Bottom yesterday, and below are some pictures from my adventure.

For this look I went with crazy bright colors and kept it very blue. Thus, I didn’t overly accessorize because I didn’t want my outfit to go from wild and flashy to a little bit insane and gaudy. (It’s a fine line, that one 😉

I was a bit overly enchanted to come across this cutie. (Fun fact, I had a pet duck growing up!)

Top- Francescas / Jeans- Forever 21 / Shoes- Madewell / Watch- Michael Kors / Bracelet- Vintage Egyptian Piece

A Rainy Saturday Calls for the Brightest Colors… and Salvaging Damaged Goods

Brett is in the process of moving into his new apartment in the most gorgeous part of DC (in my opinion) DuPont. While I had hoped to take some pretty shots outside on Saturday, apparently America decided to flood and it’s been pouring nonstop. I actually had a mini freak out because I thought I had ruined my brand new bag from Madewell (see below) because the white parts turned all blue and the leather was stained all kinds of wet. It seems to be drying nicely though the leather is still in the stage of questionably stained (any advice?) So, instead of nature or monuments, you can get a glimpse into his bright, cheery new place.

 I always try to wear something colorful or exciting when it is raining. I’m not one of those people that loves cozy days spent snuggling in the rain, that’s not my jive. I like sunshine and joy and an utter lack of wetness, unless I am intentionally jumping into an ocean, spring or bathtub. So, to fit the theme, I chose this acid green top from Loft that I purchased last summer. It’s almost tissue-like, and has cute little polka dots. It’s also pretty sheer, so I had to pop an undershirt under it. The jeans are a dark wash from Nordstrom Rack, and my necklace is actually a great steal from Bealls Outlet! I’m not sure if any of my readers have every been there, but I bought a ton of statement necklaces there while I was home in Florida for Christmas, so if you have one, definitely peruse the jewelry section, very, very cheap.

The only time I will give you a bathroom selfie on the blog, considering it’s new and has a cool black and white pattern 😉

Here is a close up so you can see the lipstick I’m wearing, recently purchased and am obsessed with- Revlon Colorburst. This is a mix of two shades, the matte “Showy” and the shiny “Vivacious.” I highly recommend the lacquers they offer, though the matte seems to be a bit drying, so I always mix them.

The carpet is pristine, so of course I had to go barefoot since my shoes were all wet! Very nice view of rowhomes though.

This is the full outfit, including my Steve Madden oxfords which if you look closely at the laces you can see also got a bit drenched.

So friends, if any lesson is to be learned from the shoot, drape yourself in bright, cheery colors on rainy days, and never EVER bring your favorite new items out to play in the rain, you just might regret it! Check out my Insta and Pinterest for more photos of my life and times.

 

 

Loafing around

Let’s talk about loafers, the fabulously comfortable (always important for me as a permanently-injured-of-foot human) yet simultaneously stylish foot covers that are quite the trend currently.

It’s funny, though it appears in this sketch of crazy Henry VIII, famous for his ability to murder wives, that he is sporting loafers, according to good old Wikipiedia they were not officially fashioned in England until 1847 (Crazy Henry was around at the turn of the 16th century)

I found this nifty print at a local bookstore while I was perusing for information about loafers. Also spotted these beautiful books that probably have a reference to loafers in them somewhere.

While reading an article from the Christian Science Monitor from the 1980s I happened upon this quote that I love from “Preppy is trendy”author Phyllis Feldkamp:

“With its Fair Isle sweaters, cable-stitch cardigans, its penny loafers, oxford cloth button-downs, reversible wrap skirts, and Lacoste shirts, the prep-school look — or what designer Ralph Lauren calls “Brooksy Ivy” — has been doing just fine, thank you.”- Feldkamp

This isn’t the first time loafers are cool again guys. Fashion is on the mad repeat. She also references duck boots, down vests and monogrammed bags (though she refers to them as “button-on covers,” not sure what that means). Who are we trying to kid; we just aren’t that original… Nevertheless, this demonstrates the loafer look is a timeless classic. To give ourselves some credit, we have updated and modernized to the extreme. And added tassels. Tassels on everything is my motto right now.

This photo demonstrates a modern, updated twist on a pair of loafers I recently purchased from Madewell on super sale. I absolutely love the tassels and the easy ability to dress them up or down. Loafers have manifested in all sorts of styles these days, another popular style includes the slipper with prints on them (see below).

This photo is from the men’s Prada collection as displayed by @savvyslippers (check out their IG for some fantastic shoe posts, mostly menswear)

Loafers are so styling right now, one of my best blogger friends IGer @loafersoflondon’s entire premise is dedicated to them. (Check out her blog at londonloafers.com for edgy meets preppy meets fallinlovewithherstyle) This photo is from a recent post.

Whether you are powering out at the office, vigorously taking notes in class 😉 or just lounging in your slippers at home, loafers are one of those constantly recycling trends that are here to stay.