Wild Thing

After a morning of chaos and worry, a day spent soaking up the peacefulness of nature was greatly appreciated. As a newbie to the Austin scene, I hadn't yet been to the Barton Creek Wilderness Park. It did not take long to fall in love with the place, though. Within moments of walking onto the roughly beaten path a sense of comforting isolation swept over me. The dense trees, roots rippling through the dry dirt, offered me privacy and quiet from the urban noise just outside the parks border. I decided to abandon the path for a little adventure, and after a few near slips and falls (this was an impromptu trip and my ballet flats weren't exactly traction-friendly) I reached a perfect wading area of the creek. Sunlight was flirting with me from behind its leafy branch lashes, peeking through and out coyly to kiss my cheeks and nose. It was absolute perfection. 

The beauty, and often the humor, of being a fashion fiend is that no matter the setting or the circumstances, you are always thinking of outfits. As I sat at the edge of a rapid little waterfall and dipped my hot pink pedicured toes into the cool stream, all I could think of was how great it would be to go back there when the weather cooled down and cozy layers would be appropriate. As my surroundings so often do, this wild wooded park began to flicker a spark of creative fire in me. Visions of rugged, fuzzy flannels and chunky knit sweaters began to prance around my imagination. I started thinking of driving out to my family's farm to snag my hiking boots stashed in the drawer under the bed upstairs. Though I'd only ever worn them for practicality's sake while hunting, suddenly they sounded so trendy and desirable. Backpacks that hold a load and serve a look were etched onto my need-to-buy-when-I-get-a-few-bucks list! And in order to better fit the organic persuasion of my forest, I figured a watch would be a step closer to natural than my iPhone for the purpose of telling time. So now I will wait for the air to chill and the leaves to crackle so that I may run back to my new sanctuary. The coquette sun and the majestic trees will keep me company as I break in my newly inspired aesthetic.

Take a peek after the jump!

S.

I Heart NY

There was a certain topsy turvy feeling I had earlier today when my mom (happy birthday, mommy!) was talking about her paper due tomorrow and her upcoming test. I'm the 21 year old! Shouldn't I be the one testing and papering?? Honestly, at this point I feel a good deal of nostalgia for my academic days. Being a grown up is so terrifically overrated... aside from the ability to order the frozen margarita -- no salt -- that I did this afternoon at Spider House. If I weren't trying to settle in and find a job here I would probably take this phase of freedom to hop on up to New York for a tick. There are so many Manhattan itches that my dear friend, Austin, just cannot scratch. Just to name a few....

Bittersweet

WOW! What a weekend! After a long three weeks spent in Austin, I returned to Dallas to empty my apartment. Apparently though, the new tenants had already moved in. There were about a million new residents-- a million tiny, brown, buggy residents. Yes, ants. These little critters had decided to invade Delilah's bin of dog food and trail off in a perfect assembly line through my entryway, into my bathroom, around the corner to the bedroom, behind my headboard and my dresser, under the door and into my closet, finally exiting through a small corner in the back of my walk-in. Needless to say, I was livid and terrified and disgusted all at once. A quick trip to Walgreen's and two cans of super-charged Raid later, not a single live ant remained. Unfortunately, my vacuum cleaner was broken, leaving me no way to suck up the dead insects. Instead, my apartment looked like a gruesome battlefield scattered with Formicidaen casualties. 

This weekend, I boxed up my life and stuck it in storage. Foolishly, I put off the packing part of the process until less than 24 hours before the movers were to arrive. The final strip of tape was slapped across the last box around 6.15 a.m. on Sunday. The movers showed up at my apartment at 8.30 a.m.... not the best scheduling. After the three hour drive to Austin from Dallas, my things were crammed into the storage unit and I was left, once again, to live out of a suitcase. You see, that's the disappointment of this particular move. Normally, the hassle of scraping away at the tape dispenser when I accidentally let the tape stick to itself or the monotony of wrapping each dish in newspaper is compensated for by the excitement of getting into a new place I can start making my own. This time around I am deprived of the opportunity to nest just yet. And, to add insult to injury, I better not need anything from my storage unit before I move into an apartment because it is stuffed to the brim and there is no way I will be able to find or reach anything. 

So things may have been crazy, but now that I have adequately whined and vented I can admit that not everything has been all bad lately. See after the jump for the good stuff! 

Hobo Chic?

This is what I'd be wearing today if...
a.) I weren't living out of a suitcase, and
b.) it wasn't 90 degrees outside.

Wishful by slindig05 featuring lace jewelry

sequin racerback vest, 425 GBP
James Perse Knitted merino wool sweater, $325
Mid-rise bleached skinny jeans, $98
Surface To Air 'Buckle Ankle Boot' Mastic, 233 GBP
botkier Brooklyn Cross-Body Hobo, $348
Muriel Grateau 18k Blackened white gold lace ring, 1,085 GBP
Original Aviator Sunglasses, $140

S.

Jet-setter Jitters

As mentioned previously, I have been scanning the glossy pages of my newfound bibles that capture the street style in cities like New York and London and Stockholm. Now that I've completed a run through of both books about three times already, I'm feeling a little antsy. It's as though a little seed has sprouted inside the pit of my stomach and is growing larger and stronger every hour, inciting within me the desire to pack a bag and run away without a moment's notice. I want to buy a one way ticket to Europe and run around exploring the culture and history and life that a new and vibrant city has to offer. I want to hop on a plane to JFK tonight and make my way to Manhattan and never look back. One thing I noticed about the people of NYC through the comments they made is that no one is just one thing. Everyone in New York City is a dreamer. He's a philosopher and a DJ and a waiter. She's a model and a writer and a student. I am dying to get back to my city of freedom and ambition! Will someone please buy me a plane ticket?!

S.

*Courtesy of Virgin Media.

Bookworm

I just picked up The Sartorialist, by Scott Schuman, and NYLON magazine's Street View, at Barnes & Noble! I am so excited to dig into these. I've always wanted to do something like this. Maybe that will be my new pet project for my Canon. Austin is undoubtedly a great place to be to spot crazy and unique fashion. I'll report back after I've done a little more skimming and maybe a bit of shutterbugging... Oh and if you don't already have these fabulous books (honestly, I'm surprised I am just now making the purchase), you can get them at Barnes & Noble online. Both books are discounted by 28% online from the in-store listed price! And free shipping if you spend just $25! I wish I had known this before I impulsively bought them during one of my entirely uncontrollable bookstore adventures. But hey, can you blame me? It was raining outside on a Sunday afternoon and the cozy inside of a Barnes & Noble, paired with a yummy cup of chai tea, was all too appropriate!

S.

So Frocking Cute!

One closet staple I will never grow tired of is a classic girly frock. I've been perusing the stops in retail cyberspace and have fallen in love. These styles are the greatest and so so versatile! Wear them alone with flats or a pair of demure heels during the summer, and keep things going strong into fall and winter by layering up and adding cozy tights or leg warmers under some boots! ModCloth is a great place to start for this kind of dress. They have a wide selection and constantly get new things in (even some vintage finds everyone once in a while, though they don't last long). Their prices are deliciously reasonable too, so no buyer's remorse! And the precious names don't hurt either.

     

*From the top: Red-y and Rarin' to Go Dress, $69.99; You Were Mint for Me Dress, $49.99; Lipstick Labyrinth Dress, $64.99; Fan the Fire Dress, $94.99; Starlet of Style Dress, $94.99; Pirouette in Pink Dress, $79.99. All available at ModCloth.com. 

One other dress, a little more on the fancy side, I have been DYING to own. So so adorable....

 

It's available online at Forever Unique for 125 pounds. It reminds me of a vintage bedspread I used to own (Delilah made a snack of the lace overlay...).

I'm off to grab a bite to eat; I'm absolutely famished! Buona sera, bellisime. 

S.

For Us Broke Babies

I had always thought the corny idioms my mother used as I was growing up were entirely old-fashioned. Somehow though, I have recently fallen prey to the kitschy sayings I so deeply loathed before. My phrase of choice these days is "When it rains it pours." I figure my last blog post was so chunky that it bought me this week or so that I have been absent! After the relaxation over Labor Day weekend in NY, life hit me square between the eyes with a responsibility-packed punch. I don't think I much care for these transition phases. This in between summer/fall time (summall? sumtumn?) is too confused. So I will dream of chunky knit sweaters, supple, leather boots and cozy flannels until the 90 degree weather down here in Austin chooses to cooperate! One of my favorite stores is Free People. I used to be able to afford their clothes and accessories more, but even now I still shell out some cash for particularly exquisite pieces. FP has some great looks for this fall in their September lookbook on their website! I've done some digging around to try and find similar looks for less- check them out after the jump!

S. 

 

 

*Above pictures are courtesy of Freepeople.com!