Gruene and red rain boots (again)

The other day I headed out to meet my mother-in-law in Gruene, a super cute little town nestled in between San Antonio and Austin.  It was POURING rain that day, but we were not deterred!  Walking into lunch was a sloshy, rainy mess, but by the time we finished our meal, the sun was back out, and if it weren’t for the puddles, you’d never know it’d been down-pouring torrentially just an hour before. Gotta love Texas.

Here’s a few outfit shots from our time in Gruene… sure looks nice and sunny, but I assure you those wellies were needed just an hour before! :)

Shirt: Madewell (on sale here!), jeans: J.Crew, Boots: Hunter, Necklace: Stella & Dot, Ring: Charming Charlie

 

And HOW CUTE is my MIL?!

Happy Wednesday!

May Showers

I love stormy days. LOVE THEM. Maybe it’s because rain is scarce here in Texas, and when we do have thunderstorms, they tend to be in the middle of the night when you can’t really enjoy them so much… especially when your 55 lb pitbulls attempt to directly adhere themselves to your sleeping body, as if actually being on top of Mommy will protect them from the thunder.

(Ok, what am I saying here? I love that. Thunderstorm cuddles are the best.)

Point is, this week we’ve had some really excellent stormy days and nights, though they always leave me yearning for more. I think I’d be right at home in a place like Seattle. Rain, to me, always feels like release.

Plus I get to wear my red wellies. Winning all around.

Dress and clutch: c/o Kiki La’Rue, rainboots: Hunter (red here, more colors here), Necklace: Sora Designs, Bracelet: Madewell

I know. I am clear. (the stage that comes right after white.)  Also, that adorable dress I’m wearing above came courtesy of a new online shop called Kiki La’Rue, which is definitely worth checking out!  They have a great variety of adorable and affordable dress options (like this one and this one and this one!), as well as super cute tops and handbags.  I love to support smaller shops that are dedicated to quality and customer service, as this one clearly is. This dress is comfy and looks super cute paired with bright pops of color in a necklace or, in this case, red rain boots. :)

Be sure and check out Kiki La’Rue before spending more money on the same products at a department store!

Have a great Thursday…

Yellow

 Dress: Ruche, Shoes: Aldo, (camera)Bag: Theit

Yellow is one of my favorite colors.  Probably in the top two.  Just something about the sunniness of it, I guess… I’m drawn to yellow clothing and accessories, and yellow is one of “the colors” of my kitchen. 

It’s funny, I’ll always remember trying on a yellow t-shirt at good ol’ Abercrombie and Fitch back in the day when that was the thing to wear, and I came out of the dressing room to show the boyfriend at the time, who promptly informed me that yellow definitely isn’t my color.  I didn’t wear it for years after that (silly how negative things people say stick in our mind, isn’t it?), but recently I decided to ditch the idea and wear it proudly anyway.  What did he know?

On another note, if you happened to notice my eye makeup in the first photo is a little smokier than normal, well, you’re right!  Check back tomorrow for a post on a fun little event with Radiant Cosmetics that I had the pleasure of attending!  Champagne, cupcakes, and cosmetics, anyone?  Yes, please!

Happy Monday…

My Canon has style.

How incredibly cute is this camera strap?!  Sort of makes me happy just looking at it.  I’m the proud new owner of a Gussy Sews “eclectic whatnot,” and I just wanted to spread the love. Gussy is a really inspiring small business owner with a great blog and lots and lots of cute handmade goodness in her shop, so check it out if you’re interested! 

I’ve been falling more and more in love with this photography thing, and I know it because all the “work” part of it doesn’t feel like work.  I’m learning Lightroom and CS5 right now, and it. is. so. fun. 

Of course, cute lil’ camera straps don’t hurt either (they’re 10% off til May 4th with the coupon code STORYOFMYLIFE).  I really adore this yellow one too…  

Have a great evening!

An outfit and… A free pair of Blowfish shoes, anyone?

 Shirt: Gap, Pants: Madewell, Bag: Theit, Shoes: c/o Blowfish—the “Gelines”, Necklace: Stella & Dot

The incredibly awesome folks at Blowfish are offering up another free pair of shoes (your choice!) to one lucky SOML reader, and I would just like to say that the ones I’m wearing in the photos above are ridiculously comfortable for having high heels.  I am exceedingly awkward in heels (ask my husband—I’m a liability) and usually have blisters and/or am limping within a half hour of spending any time in shoes that aren’t slippers, but these are so comfy that it’s weird. 

Anyway, enter below for your chance to win!

View Full Album

To enter:
(only mandatory entry)

+ “Like” Blowfish on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me know you did! Please leave your email address if it’s not on your profile.

For extra entries:
(all represented by separate comments, please)

+ Browse the shoe selection at Blowfish and leave a comment here with one of your favorite pairs
+ Follow Blowfish on Twitter
+ Follow Blowfish on Pinterest
+ “Like” Story of My Life on Facebook

Good luck!

* * * * *

And the winner of last week’s Dave Owens music giveaway is…

Thanks for the support, Margaret… we’ll be in touch! :)

They can’t all be winners…

I’ve been in a glass case of emotion this week, y’all.  Allergies? Check. A relentless stomach bug? Check. Accidently dying my hair black? Check. Falling down the stairs yesterday and almost dying and/or becoming paralyzed from the waist down? CHECK. 

Seriously, you should see the bruise on my tailbone.  It’s downright scary looking. I feel lucky I (hopefully) didn’t do any permanent damage, and it also occurred to me that it’s sort of a miracle it took me over two years to fall down our stairs, given my track record of supreme awkwardness.

But today!  Today is Thursday, and a brand new day.  I can hardly believe we’re already almost to the weekend, but I guess time really flies when you’re having fun (not).  Today I’ll be editing pictures, visiting the oral surgeon to make sure my friend the cyst isn’t taking over my face again, and other miscellaneous tasks I needn’t bore you with.  What I will bore you with is another outfit, cause I thought this one was pretty cute. 

Happy Thursday!

Dress: Ruche, Shoes: c/o Blowfish, Belt: J.Crew, Bag: Theit, Necklace: c/o Shabby Apple, Bracelet: vintage, Ring: Premier Designs, Nailpolish: Essie

Floral Print + report on last month’s spending freeze

Skirt and shirt: Fabrik, Shoes: Target, Bracelet: by Jenna

Do you all remember this post about my goal to give up shopping for a month?  Well, I thought I’d give you a brief update on how that went and my thoughts on all of it, for any of you who may be interested in doing the same. 

In short, I did, indeed, give up shopping for the month of March.  I didn’t buy myself one darn thing. Not nailpolish. Not a single piece of cheap jewelry. Not a crappy pair of $1.85 sunglasses from Forever 21. Nothing!   It’s funny, I even tried to cheat one time—I found an inexpensive dress online that I HAD to have, and since I’d given myself an allowance in case such a circumstance arose, I decided to buy it.  It was towards the end of March, but still within the month.

So I made that purchase and never looked back, but then guess what happened? I got an email from the company two days later saying how sorry they were but someone had purchased the last dress in my size just seconds before I did, and their computers didn’t catch it. CURSES! They even offered me a discount code in case I wanted a different item, but I considered it all an ill-omen and made it through the rest of the month without cheating. 

And honestly, it felt good. Freeing up that part of my mind that I spend focusing on my next purchase was an interesting exercise, as was working with the items already in my closet.    I realized that I absolutely do not need to shop to be happy, and in fact, I dare say I was even happier with that option taken off the table, because I saw the money I make being saved instead of spent, and I realized that there’s nothing I really need.  Sometimes I think I convince myself that I need things, but a month of surviving and thriving without making a single unnecessary purchase really helped me to see otherwise. 

Now, this is just my story. I realize that everyone is in a different position and some folks can’t afford to shop much at all.  Some might call me materialistic for even devoting this much attention to the topic, but hey.  This is the story of my life, and I happen to have a love affair with shopping and a bit of disposable income (sort of).   I just like to write about things I experience for those who can relate and possibly benefit from it. 

Anywho, hope you fine people have a great Wednesday!  Let’s meet again tomorrow, shall we? Same time, same place? :)

Don’t forget your feet

When it comes to shopping for outfits, I tend to grossly overlook the shoes. I love the clothes and accessories part of the deal, but I often find that when I’m putting outfits together at home, I almost always lack the appropriate/matching footwear.  Does anyone else have this problem?!  

Anyway, earlier today I was browsing the shoe department at Target and found about a zillion pairs of shoes I loved… which doesn’t happen very often for me at such a reasonable price point!   I bought a couple since I badly needed them, and then I did even a bit more poking around online when I got home.  Here are a few little gems I thought some of you might like, all from Target!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

PS – Have you entered today’s giveaway yet?

An outfit and some words

 
Shirt: Forever21 (recent, but not online), Pants: J.Crew, Boots: Franco Sarto (similar here), Bag: Theit, Necklace: Sora Designs: Bracelet: Madewell. Earrings: c/o Acute Designs

I’m not feeling particularly loquacious today.

Really, I just wanted to say loquacious.  It’s a good word.

But no, seriously, I don’t have much to say on this fine Thursday.  If you must know, I desperately need to go grocery shopping (all that’s left in the house is bread, cheese, crackers, and frozen veggies) and I’m also determined to finish that damn gallery wall we started in our bedroom.  Finishing projects is not my strong suit. 

Also, my mom and I go pick up Edd’s ashes at 1:00 PM today. I can’t even wrap my mind around that, and the fact that I just said what I did so flippantly.  It seems wrong. But it’s the truth…

And you thought this was going to be a light-hearted outfit post?

Life feels sad right now.  Showers and long car rides are the worst.  My counselor got an earful yesterday.  He said I should write about this more.  And maybe I will.  But for now, pictures of how I dress myself will have to do.

* * * * *

Side note: can we talk about those cute Chevron earrings in the pictures above?  They’re from the amazing (and incredibly kind and patient) Gina of Acute Designs.  She has both a fabulous blog AND shop! Everything is so affordable and pretty over there.  Here’s a few more of my favorites…

1, 2, 3, 4

By the lake

Do not confuse this bun with the “blogger topknot.” This is what I call the “it’s-humid-and-I’m-lazy-messy-Jenni-bun.”

{ Shirt and shoes: J.Crew, pants: Madewell (on sale!), necklace: Sora Designs, Bracelet: c/o LeeLaLa—25% off discount with code LOVEJENNI }

I reconnected with an old friend recently… we hadn’t seen each other in about 11 years, and when we finally met back up (thanks to Facebook and the wonderful world of blogging), you'd of thought that not even a month had passed.  I love that about technology, don’t you?  How it brings people together. What in the WORLD did people do before the Internet?! It boggles me, truly.

Anyway, thanks again to Brittany for taking my outfit pictures yesterday! She’s just starting up her own life and style blog, and I feel a very symbiotic relationship coming on… one which could eliminate the need for husband-photographers altogether, ya feel me?  ;)

Also, I’d like to point out that pretty little custom bracelet in the photos above! It was handmade by my dear friend Lindsay over at Lee La La—she runs a shop full of fab wrap bracelets, which you should probably check out.  This was my favorite color combo, but there are lots of other good ones too. (especially this one… I die!) 

The good news is that Lindsay is offering up SOML readers a 25% discount to the shop using the code LOVEJENNI (yessss), so take advantage of it!  And have a great Tuesday!

great advice for bloggers + a few more txsc photos

Good morning everyone (or afternoon, or evening)!  This is my last Texas Style Council post before we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming. :) I have a few more photos to share, as well as a few notes I took during the panels on Sunday.  There were some great speakers, and though most of the advice I’ve already heard and processed in the past, it was all great reminders and I wanted to share it with you here! 

Some of my favorite quotes from the weekend came from Kendi, a blogger most of you have probably heard of or read, even if you’re not too involved with fashion blogs.  She was the keynote speaker before the panels on Sunday, and here are a few great lines from her speech:

On how easy it is to compare your life/clothes/husband/friends/family/house to everyone else’s:

“The danger comes when you look around and see everyone else’s best and think it’s their always.” (Jenni’s note: This is so, so, so important to grasp.  Many, if not most, of us blog a highly edited version of our lives, and we should all keep that in mind as we read and enjoy other’s blogs!)

On blogging:

“Your purpose is much bigger than your blog.  Your blog will amplify your purpose, but it is not your purpose… let your blog be what drives your purpose, not what IS your purpose.”

On the difference between being “big” and being “great,” both in regards to blogging and your life in general:

“Live a great life—not big—and be inspired to share it with others.” –All quotes above by Kendi.

On creating compelling content on your blog:

“It’s not about telling the same story that’s been told before.” –Matt, fashionweekaustin.com

On curating vs. creating your own content:

“People respond to original content.” –Camille, Camille Styles (Jenni’s note: this is one of the #1 most important things to understand if you want to grow your blog!  Curating content is gathering pictures/inspiration from around the web and compiling it on your blog, but people truly do respond best to original content, created by YOU, photographed by you, and with your own personality inserted!)

On writing in your own unique “voice”:

“If your blog title and byline were removed, and someone just read the body of your post, would they know it was from your site? Recognize your voice?”  --Caroline, Lucky Magazine (Jenni’s note: the point here was that your goal should be to write in a voice that is uniquely you and that anyone who reads you could recogize, even if all they read were your words but didn’t know where they came from!  That’s a difficult thing to achieve, but definitely worth striving for!)

Hope you enjoyed those little nuggets as much as I did.  And without further ado, here are the rest of my pictures from the weekend…

thanks again to Another Broken Egg for hosting our delicious breakfast on Sunday!

Elise, me, Maria, and Elizabeth

Lauren, Roxy, and Amy

So happy to meet Veronika!

Wore my Hunters all weekend. Yay for rain!

And that’s all folks! Happy Wednesday!

Texas Style Council Recap (Part 2)

Ok, let’s talk a bit more about Texas Style Coucil, shall we? One of the highlights of the conference was the Poshmark Party on Saturday night… there was eye candy everywhere you looked—from the gorgeous 2nd Street district venue itself, to all the fabulously dressed women, to the food and wine and sponsor booths arranged with every pretty thing you can think of!

We were packed in tight like sardines, and when I left that party, I swear I had a ring in my ears and my voice was two octaves deeper.  But it was really fun nonetheless, and I’m glad I went.  It really couldn’t have been a yuckier weekend here in Austin though, and I was sorry that out of towners had such a poor first impression of what our weather here is actually like.  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning it was super cold (by TX standards) and raining, and Saturday afternoon Matthew even tried to bribe me to stay home by offering up pizza and movies and puppy cuddles, which would have been perfect on such a cold and stormy evening.  I nearly couldn’t resist, but in the end I did.  And it was a good thing, because I met lots of awesome ladies and had a great time at the event. Here are some pictures from the evening!

  from my favorite cupcakery in town, Delish

by Lulu’s

 had the pleasure of meeting lovely miss Whitney, a Stella and Dot stylist here in Austin

by BonBon

by Radiant Cosmetics

Elissa, Sara, Julie, and Alta

 Britt, Maria, and me

 

Stay tuned for more fun photos from the weekend! :)

And PS – Did you enter today’s giveaway yet? Check it out!