Beginning and an End

I'm not so arrogant as to believe this announcement will impact you in some monumental way, and I don't think a long-winded explanation is warranted or necessary. But I want you to know that I've decided to end this blog. I am so grateful to those of you who took an interest in this little space of mine. Some of you have even become real life friends, and for you I am especially thankful.

I always told myself that I'd keep fashion blogging until it wasn't fun anymore. Until it started to feel like a chore. Recently, that's how I've started to feel.

Between school and two internships, I have little free time, and it's important to me that I spend that free time doing things I'm passionate about. In that vein, I have started a new blog, one that's more in line with my budding interest in photography and my love for travel.

I hope that some of you will follow along on my new adventure at Some Beautiful Things.

Foodie Friday: Crock-Pot Quinoa

I love quinoa. And I love anything I can cook in the Crock-Pot. So this recipe, from A Year of Slow Cooking, is a match made in food heaven. [In the future, though, I think I'll make this sans tomatoes. I don't think they added anything to the dish.]

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quinoa 
3 cups vegetable stock 
1 T olive oil 
1/2 t cinnamon 
1/4 cup sliced almonds 
1/3 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries 
Handful of baby spinach 
1 cup baby tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size 
1/2 block feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:
1. Dump quinoa into the crockpot. [Some quinoa needs to be washed before use, so be mindful of this.] Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and mix it around. Add vegetable stock and cinnamon. Stir in almonds and cranberries. 
2. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4. The quinoa is done when you can fluff The liquid should be pretty well absorbed and quinoa should be kind of "fluffy." 
3. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and add baby tomatoes [or not] and feta cheese. Stir gingerly to mix. Add a handful of baby spinach to the top, and close the lid. Cook on high for another 20 minutes.
4. Stir again to distribute the spinach and serve.

Jackets

Jacket: Calvin Klein (thrifted)

Button-down: Lands' End Canvas

Bracelets: Madewell

Purse: Fossil (Macy's)

Pants: Urban Outfitters:

Flats: Gap

Several times on the blog I've declared, "I need to wear such-and-such more often!" I've said it about t-shirts. I've said it about pants. I've said it about jewelry. Well, now I'm declaring that I need to wear my jackets more often.

Often I will bundle up or layer underneath a chunky sweater when I need to add warmth to an outfit. In the process, I neglect my [actually rather large] jacket, blazer, and coat collection.

So here I am wearing my denim jacket. Okay, I admit I'm kind of cheating here, as this is the one jacket I do wear with regularity. But I'm hoping it's a step in the right direction!

Rainy Day

Scarf: Gap

T-shirt: Gap

Cardigan: thrifted

Jeans: American Eagle

Shoes: Steve Madden (6PM.com)

Purse: vintage Dooney and Bourke (thrifted)

Ring: thrifted

Bracelets: American Eagle, Madewell

I don't normally pose with my Starbucks—I feel like it's a little douchey—but hear me out. 

Ben and I were done with work by noon last Friday, and we decided to take advantage of our afternoon off by going out to eat and going for a walk. We had lobster soup for lunch at New England Soup Factory and then headed to Starbucks for our post-meal caffeine. As we left Starbucks, it started to rain, so we ducked under an overhang to snap a few photos, Starbucks cup and all. I couldn't let a perfectly good outfit go to waste! As it was pouring, a walk was out of the question, so we took a leisurely drive through neighboring Marblehead instead. It ended up being a wonderful day in spite of the rain. 

How do you like to spend your rainy days?

Puppysitting

Sweater: Forever 21

Dress: Urban Outfitters

Leggings: Forever 21

Shoes: Target 

If it's true that the world is divided into two categories—cat people and dog people—then I would have to be a cat person. 

But I do love dogs too! So when a friend told me he was puppysitting, another friend and I promptly skipped out on our last class of the day and headed over to meet Oliver the puppy.  We spent the remainder of the absolutely beautiful afternoon walking Oliver and playing with him in the Boston Common. 

Oliver is adorable, and I know he's the real star of this post. But my new sweater is pretty cute too, right?

Indoors

Glasses: Glasses USA

Sweater: thrifted

Button-down: American Eagle

Belt: thrifted

Pants: Marshall's

Shoes: Steve Madden (6PM.com)  

Full disclosure: I wasn't going to blog this outfit. I really do like it, but by the time Ben got out of work it was dark, and outdoor photos were out of the question. Booo. But then Ben came home and liked the outfit so much that we decided to snap a few indoor photos before heading out to dinner. I'm glad we did!

I'm having a major love affair with these pants right now, and finding ways to style them is a fun challenge. I'm a big fan of blue and gold together, so pairing them with this button-down was a logical choice. I was in the mood for some preppy androgyny, so I rolled up my pant legs and opted for these great Steve Madden brogues.

I was also in the mood for Mexican food, so..

Get Your StyleFixx

Mark your calendars, ladies! The StyleFixx Premier Shopping Event is October 24th & 25th, 2012 in Boston. Join us for two nights of shopping, featuring over 55 cutting-edge designers and brands. We will also indulge in complimentary makeovers, hair treatments, cocktails, manicures, massages, Swag Bags and more.
You can:

• Meet independent designers and shop their Fall 2012 lines

• Sip complimentary champagne, cocktails, beer, and wine

• Enjoy complimentary hair treatments by Hairo and Jose Eber

• Pamper yourself with a free makeover from Dermalogica and massages by Massage Envy

• Score a Swag Bag stuffed with goodies

Purchase your tickets here. And hurry! Only advance ticket holders are guaranteed a StyleFixx Swag Bag!

An October Walk

Scarf: J Crew (gift from BFF)

Blouse: H&M

Bracelets: In Pink, H&M

Purse: Vieta (Marshall's)

Pants: Marshall's

Shoes: Target

I grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania, where a contentious rivalry rages between fans of Pittsburgh-area sports teams (BOO) and fans of Cleveland-area sports teams (YAY). I grew up a Cleveland fan (obviously), so wearing black and gold was a no-no, as it represented the enemy.

Now that I live in the Boston area, where black and gold instead represents the Bruins, I feel that it is acceptable to wear black and gold together—which is exciting because I quite like the color combination.

So I wore this black and gold ensemble for a walk with B through the McIntire District, a beautiful historical neighborhood and one of my favorite parts of Salem. It's especially gorgeous in the fall, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorite photos from our walk.

Birthday Girl

Tunic: Two Girls Shop

Belt: Old Navy

Fox ring: Phoenix & Co.

Turquoise ring: vintage

Skinnies: LC Lauren Conrad (Kohl's)

Boots: Gabriel Brothers 

I posted about this top a couple of weeks ago because I was so excited to have found it on sale for more than 50% off at Two Girls Shop in Salem. There was only one left, an extra large, which was actually perfect because I wanted to wear it as a big tunic anyway.

I had been saving this top for a special occasion, so I wore it last week on my birthday / our last night in PA. I felt cute & comfy for a somewhat casual dinner out with B and my in-laws.

We ate and drank at a newish restaurant in our hometown. I'm so pleased and encouraged to see Erie getting a bit more creative with its dining options. I drank a few Boulder Sweaty Betty drafts, and B and I shared a veggie pizza and ahi tuna flatbread. A happy birthday, indeed!

A Mustard Scarf, Finally

Glasses: Glasses USA

Scarf: H&M

Dress: vintage, thrifted

Socks: Hue (Macy's)
Boots: Charlotte Russe

To those of you who are aware of how many scarves I own, this will probably come as a shock: Until a couple of weeks ago, I didn't own a mustard scarf. I know, I know—that's practically unbelievable, isn't it?

I finally added this beautiful baby to my collection after spotting it for less that $10 at H&M. I knew it would be the perfect way to accessorize one of my favorite vintage dresses, which I wore for breakfast with a dear friend followed by lunch with another while I was still in PA last week. It was a busy but wonderful day!

Skulls and a Scarf

Glasses: Glasses USA

Scarf: Two Girls Shop

Blouse: Gap

Purse: Fossil (Macy's)

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Target 

This scarf is a recent acquisition from Two Girls Shop, one of my favorite Salem boutiques. I'd been crushing on it for awhile, so I finally purchased it when I saw that it was the last one in stock. I paired it with my new favorite shoes (I mean, seriously, how great are these loafers? And they were only $10!) and one of my favorite blouses for a double date with my best friend back home at one of our favorite local bars.



It was great to be reunited with my BFF. But it was almost as great to be reunited with my favorite beer, Yuengling, which isn't sold in Massachusetts. I also enjoyed my all-time favorite appetizer, deep-fried ravioli. It was probably the highlight of my trip home.



In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably tell you that Ben and I had our first "date" at this very bar five years ago. So it seemed fitting to snap a quick photo in front of the beloved popcorn machine, especially as our anniversary was upcoming. Oh, the memories..