outfitted:: casual saturday

Quick outfit post today. And for once, it's actually what I'm wearing today (at least for the morning/afternoon). Today is Mr. DU's birthday and we're heading to one of our favorite restaurants tonight where ratty, cutoff jean shorts are not appropriate attire.

But this morning, we just grabbed a quick breakfast at a local cafe, so really all I needed to be was semi-presentable. I think I succeeded, no?

Happy weekend!


{What I'm Wearing}:: denim shorts, Forever21 from last year, I think; t-shirt: j.crew outlet; hoodie, alternative apparel (bought from local shop tellus360); shoes and bracelet, target; sunglasses, lc lauren conrad

outfitted:: raindrops on roses

I'm not generally one to use my blog as a whine (yes, whine) and cheese sounding board, but seriously, the past week has not been good and I don't have much good to say at the moment. So, allow me to vent. In the past week:

1. I got laid off from my job (just a few months after buying a house- nice, right?). It wasn't the perfect job (is there such a thing?), but it paid the bills and I was building my portfolio. Not to mention, the job market here is horrendous and the last time I tried to find a job outside of this zip code, I got zero responses because, you know, it's bad out there in general and why would they hire someone from 3000 miles away when they can hire someone from next door?
2. My iPhone freaked out, froze up, and crapped out, forcing me to wipe it out and reload it with the most recent backup (which was from February - my bad, I know). I lost tons of pictures and a ton of songs and television shows that I had purchased on my phone and hadn't backed up yet (again, my bad, but still annoying).
3. Said house from point number one? Sprung a leak during yesterday's torrential downpour and our basement had nearly a foot of water in it.
4. Said flooding? Ruined our hot water heater. No shower for me today (I guess it's good I didn't have to haul it into an office. It's the little things.)
5. It's still pouring today and I absolutely had to go out it in. As in walking around town in it, not driving around in the dryness of my car. Tuesday is market day (which we live a few blocks away from) and we are completely out of food, so yeah...
6. Blogger freaked out and messed up my blog. Posts went missing, comments were lost, the custom url went down. And that resulted in a loss of functionality for Friend Connect, subscriptions, and apparently the like and send buttons over there in the side bar. So if you liked my blog before, you've got to relike it because it's been reset. Let the good times roll.
   

And so it is. Raindrops on Roses. Because it's been that kind of week (month? year???). Also, doesn't my hair look awesome? Don't be jealous. And those shorts? They're older than dirt. Seriously. I've had them since my freshman year of college. Older. Than. Dirt. They also have paint stains on them and they fall down because I've now lost 20 pounds since January (and apparently, 20 pounds since my freshman year of college, but whatever).

So anyway, I'm off to send some resumes. Thanks for listening. /rant

what i wore:: anthropologie incorporated dress

dress: anthropologie incorporated dress, tights: spanx, scarf: target, shoes: modcloth, jewelry: made by me, charlotte russe
It took me all of two seconds between the time I first spotted Anthropologie's Incorporated Dress to the time I was clicking and buying. It was definitely a good purchase- so freaking comfortable, and cute, too. And warm. Since PA clearly did not get the memo that it's now spring. There are snow flurries in the forecast tomorrow. Really?

Also, I'm still working on the self-portrait, artificial light, manual mode, photography thing. Bear with me here. Better pictures coming soon.

Speaking of manual mode, do you guys use automatic on your DSLRs for self-portraits or do you use manual? I'm so used to manual because of my other adventures in photography, but maybe that's my problem with the self-portraits.

shopping list:: weekend casual from american eagle

So earlier this week, we discussed how I fail at weekend casual looks but I managed find a super cute ruffled sweatshirt and actually look pulled together for once. I went out with a blaze of glory in that one because this weekend, I'm back to my total fail of a hoodie and pj pants. Hey, the only things I have to do today involve thesis proposals and taxes. Don't be jealous.

Besides, this week was so horrendously horrible, I don't think I even have the energy to do more than lift the coffee cup to my mouth at the moment. Totally wiped out. I hate weeks like that. So really, big fat YAY for the weekend. Too bad I'm already dreading Monday and it's barely even Saturday afternoon.

But enough of the pity party and back to a much more important topic- finding decently cute but casual weekend gear.

I'm often leery of American Eagle because I fear if I wear their clothes I'll look like a sorority girl trying way too hard to relive the glory days, but D and I stopped in at the store last weekend because he needed some pants (because apparently guys can shop there at any age and be just fine) and I found myself oddly drawn to a lot of the womens clothing.

Never mind that the sales associate (who probably is currently in her glory days as a sorority girl) called me "ma'am." (Does anyone else who is clearly not in "ma'am" territory despise being called that? I know it's not just me here, people.)

Thankfully, I can avoid the store and the whole "ma'am" experience by happily pointing and clicking my mouse (apparently, I've also got the energy right now to do that). A few of my picks below:


top row: aerie slouchy slub cardi, ae floaty print cami
middle row: ae boyfriend plaid shirt, ae casual cropped popover
bottom row: ae dot tunic, ae floral tunic


top row: ae utility midi short, ae slouchy skinny military pant
bottom row: ae boyfriend fit chino, ae peasant skirt

So really, who else hates "ma'am"? And does anyone over the age of 25 ever stop in at AE and buy clothes?

what i wore:: ruffled sweatshirt

{ sweatshirt: target, scoop neck top: gap, jeans: american eagle, boots: random department store, scarf: target }

I pretty much fail at uber-casual weekend wear. I can do business casual. I can do going out casual. But I'm a big. giant. fail. at just bumming around on the weekends in something presentable yet comfy.

Then I found this sweatshirt.

And I shall live in it henceforth for every weekend for the rest of the winter. Until laundry day. Which is this Saturday, so that pretty much blows my plan out of the water. Hey, at least I looked cute last weekend, right?

Happy Valentine's Weekend!

A few of my favorite Valentine's Day heart Flickr photos:


Megan Troyer


kiwi gal


Kimberly Clark


Photo Jennix


Just Ree


Vicker Monkee

Don't forget to tell someone you love them this weekend! See you Monday!