Pockets

There are very few items of clothing I love more than a dress with pockets. I can throw my keys and phone in there and go on a walk without the hassle of carrying a purse. In the evenings after work Josh and I like to go on walks around our pretty neighborhood, where more often than not we end up stopping at Starbucks to get a caffeinated drink that will keep me awake well past midnight. (And then I need caffeine in the morning to get me going again...it's a vicious cycle.)

Sorry I haven't been stopping by any of your blogs to say hi lately! I spent too much time on the computer recently, and now get headaches whenever I'm on it for more than twenty minutes, so commenting on other blogs will have to wait. I really do appreciate the blog friendships I've struck up with some of you wonderful ladies, though!

Yellow dress: Anthropologie

Jean jacket: thrifted from Rerun

Brown scalloped hat: Asos

Brown heels: Macy's

The Rhododendron Garden

Yesterday the weather hit 80 degrees in Oregon! (Yes, here in the Northwest our lives revolve around the weather - that's why I mention it so much. I'd link to all the posts where I talk about the weather, but I'm pretty sure I'd have to link to nearly all my posts.) Josh and I are homebodies, so usually we love nothing more than spending the evening at home, lounging around on the couch and watching TV and reading. But 80-degree weather is one of the few things that gets us outside! We took a trip out to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in SE Portland last night, and had a picnic dinner on a bench next to the pond while watching the sunset.

Yellow tank top: Gap

Jean shorts: free from a family member

Blue and green wedges: Nine West from Nordstrom Rack
Sunglasses: Oscar de la Renta from TJ Maxx
Blue and green necklace: purchased in Florence, Italy
Butterfly bracelet: In Pink

Summer dresses

Every year when summer rolls around, I realize that my closet is lacking in two things: lightweight dresses and tank tops. Sure, I could subsist on the handful of dresses and tank tops I own that are comfortable in 80-degree weather and hotter, but I like to have variety in my clothing. So this year I decided to be proactive and search for those items before the hot weather actually hits. This past weekend I found this fun striped sleeveless dress from Marshall's and another sleeveless dress (with stripes and flowers!) from Anthropologie. Hopefully next weekend I can find some tank tops (and not just your basic variety - I'd like nice tank tops that can be dressed up or down), and then I'll be set for summer!

Striped dress: Marshall's

Blue sweater: Anthropologie

Black flats: Kathy flats from ShoeMint

Sunglasses: Oscar de la Renta from TJ Maxx

White flower necklace: gift shop on Oahu

Black belt: thrifted

Butterfly bracelet: In Pink

White bracelet: H&M

And, because I really appreciate it when people display official messages in cheeky ways, here's a funny sign from the park where we took these photos:

Shorts and a blazer

This was my first time wearing a shorts-and-blazer combo, and I loved it. I felt dressy and casual at the same time. I'm still amazed at the quality of this blazer. I got it at Forever 21, which as most of you know is notorious for producing garments that fall apart after a few wears. But I could tell when I picked it up in the store last fall that it was really well made, and that's why I was willing to spend $30 on it, which is a low price for a blazer but a high price for anything from Forever 21.

The top photo is a rare thing - a photo of me smiling with my teeth showing where I don't look like a huge dweeb. (Yes, I just used the word "dweeb." In my head, it's still the '90s.) I smile and laugh all the time (and have the wrinkles to prove it), but I'm never self-conscious about it unless I see a photo of myself flashing a toothy grin. Then I get all insecure and all I can think about are how gigantic my teeth look. It doesn't help that boys in elementary school made fun of my huge teeth, and that after Josh first met me he told his sister that I had really big teeth. (And then apparently he found it necessary to tell me that after we were married. I'd be offended, but he did, after all, marry me.) All that to say...it's actually kind of a big deal that I like the photo above. Now if only it didn't look like my eyebrows were missing...

Wrinkly boots! That's what I get for only paying $10 for them...

Striped sweater: H&M

High-waisted jean shorts: H&M, thrifted from Crossroads Trading Co.

Blazer: Forever 21

Tights: Forever 21

Brown shoes: TJ Maxx

Necklace: free from a family member

Bracelet: H&M

Trends

Sometimes I like trends, and sometimes I hate them. There are trends that I choose not to follow because I'm genuinely repulsed by them (like Twitter and Twilight mania). There are trends that I avoid just because there are too many people already interested in them (for example, I actually really wanted to watch the royal wedding last year, but didn't because too many people were obsessed with it). Then there are trends I adore and instantly embrace, like floral print pants. Now, I know floral prints have been around for centuries, but there's no denying that floral print pants are a big deal in fashion this year. I know there are some people who try to wear only classic clothes so they'll never look dated, but I think it'll be fun to look back on these photos in thirty years and say, "That must have been 2012, because that was the year I wore those floral pants at least once a week. I can't believe I wore something like that!" I don't mind the idea of this outfit looking ridiculous in a few decades, because I sure did have fun wearing it now, and I think that's the important thing.

Plus, I think the black lace top and black flats are pretty classic. I could see myself wearing them when I'm fifty. (Although honestly, I'll probably wear floral print pants when I'm fifty if they're back in style.)

Black lace top: Quincy top from StyleMint

Floral pants: H&M

Red coat: Calvin Klein from Costco

Black flats: Kathy flats from ShoeMint

Spider necklace: Bauble Bar

Black necklace: Urban Outfitters

Silver bracelet: In Pink

White bracelet: H&M

Bubblegum pink and rust red

I put together this cardigan and these pants a few weeks ago, but Josh told me they looked weird, so I ended up not wearing them at the time. But when I was searching for an outfit to wear the other day, I kept coming back to this combination, and decided to wear it anyway. After wearing and photographing it, I still don't know how I feel about bubblegum pink and rust red together. I like unusual color combinations on other people, but I rarely put them together myself, mostly because I honestly can't tell the difference between innovative and odd. But I like to share those on-the-fence outfits anyway. What do you guys think? Is this a strange color combination that works, or one that just looks "off"? (I should probably mention that I have really thick skin, so it wouldn't bother me in the slightest if you told me you hated it.)

Completely unrelated to my outfit...yesterday I bought plane tickets for us to go to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon in June! I'm so excited because Josh and I have never taken a real vacation together - our honeymoon was just a quick weekend trip to my family's beach house, because Josh had to get back to school right away. It'll be so fun to have nearly a whole week off work and to explore some new parts of the country!

Pink cardigan: gift from my grandma

Red corduroy pants: Anthropologie

Shoes: BCBGeneration from Macy's

Leopard print hat: Albertus Swanepoel for Target

Pearl necklace: gift from a friend

Leopard print belt: H&M

Bracelet: In Pink

Blue and teal

I wore this on Saturday to go out to dinner with Josh and my dad at Gustav's, a German restaurant just outside Portland. If you live in the area, I highly recommend visiting - we had amazing bratwurst, fish and chips, fondue, and beer. Afterwards Josh and I went to a music store to try out electronic keyboards. I've played the piano since I was eight years old, but haven't had one to practice on for years, and I miss it. I was somewhat horrified at the prices (over a thousand dollars for some of them!), so it may be a while before we're able to afford one.

Please excuse the severe wrinkles on my shirt! As much as I would like all my outfits to look pristine when photographed, the reality is that a lot of my clothes get wrinkly after a few hours of wear.

Also, while you're here, don't forget to enter my Go Chic or Go Home giveaway for a $50 gift card! Today is the last day to enter.

Blue sheer shirt: free from my aunt

Teal jeans: Urban Outfitters

Jean jacket: thrifted from Rerun
Wedges: Nine West from Nordstrom Rack

Necklace: purchased in Florence, Italy

Silver bracelets: H&M

White belt: Forever 21

Here's Josh drinking a beer the size of his head at Gustav's....Mmm.... (I am, of course, "mmm"-ing over both the beer and my husband.)