Eat, Drink, and Be Scary!

Happy Halloween!  I hope everyone had a fabulous Halloween weekend full of sweets and delights!  In August, I made my Halloween cards to send to my family (sorry friends, most of you were left out this year due to time, but hold on for the ultimate Christmas card!) but I didn't want to post it until now so people could see it IRL before viewing it online.
First, I will share last year's card:

Now, here is this year's treat:

Both cards use the Dark and Dreary stamp set as well as the Spider Web Textured Impressions Embossing Folder for the Big Shot.  For the second card, I used a brayer to apply white ink over the embossed web and I used the In-Color glitter brads to give this card a bit of sparkle.

Want to buy Stampin' Up supplies so you can make your own cards?  Click HERE to start shopping!  Happy Halloween!

Kissing Friday

Last year at this time, there is nothing I wanted more than Bailey 44's Kissing Friday dress from Anthropologie. However, I was trying to be a good girl and not buy things I don't need, and I definitely didn't need another dark, sleeveless, knee-length dress.  So, in the winter when it went on sale for a mere $60, I was determined to have it.  unfortunately, so were many other women in America.  I called customer service and found a few stores that had the dress in stock in purple in my size- in theory.  The first one I called only had it left in brown. To be safe, I completed a charge-send to get the brown. Next, I called a store in NYC, and they only had it left in blue.  Decided to order that too, in case the purple was a lost cause.  A few hours and few phone calls later and the purple dress was mine, on it's way from sunny California.  All 3 dresses arrived within a few days of each other and I loved them all.  So I took them all home with me over Christmas to decide which to keep.  Each color was unique and I could see wearing each one!  While I really liked all the shades, I decided to go with purple since that was the color I was initially infatuated with.  My youngest sister had a crush on Kissing Friday, too, so I gave her the blue one as an early birthday present, and she wore it out on her 21st birthday last spring!

 

Dress: Kissing Friday, Anthropologie Fall 2010
Cardigan: Whirl and Wind, Anthropologie Fall 2010
Necklace: Anthropologie Winter/Spring 2011
Boots: Nine West

Here's Erin in the blue version from last March!

What's a must-have Anthro purchase for you?

I Had a Picture Of You In My Mind. Never Knew It Could Be So Wrong.

I decided it was high time I get more wear out of this vintage skirt I purchased in the summer. Remember when I wrote about it HERE?  I've only worn it once, and I love it because it is so unique.  I wore this on Monday; I usually have fairly easy Monday mornings at work (a few meetings here and there, and time to catch up on work emails from the weekend) followed by a presentation in the afternoon.  Because of my Monday schedule, I tend to wear big shoes since I sit all morning and can then look taller while presenting without ending the day with achy feet!

This time around, I needed more of a fall look (previously it was all summer with a white polo and sandals) so I paired the skirt with a sheer pink blouse, black cardigan, black tights, and thick, tall gray heels.  What do you think?  Is this a skirt I can manage to wear year-round?

Clearly, I cannot resist the urge to hold this skirt out for photos.

Skirt: Vintage, Craftycorwvitage, Etsy
Blouse and Tank: The Limited circa 2005
Cardigan: The Limited circa 2006
Shoes: Banana Republic, 2010
Tights: unknown (all my black tights are hodge-podge)

 I wore this shirt years ago on The Rock Boat when I met a musician I love, Justin Moore, lead singer of the band Ingram Hill.  Swoon.  Sigh. Every time I wear this shirt, I think of Justin Moore who is sadly (for me) married, and I listen to boybands, specifically Ingram Hill if I am in the mood for some southern pop.  Don't believe me?  here is a picture to prove it.  I love boys with curly hair and nerd glasses.

PS When I went to look up The Rock Boat to link to it, I noticed Ingram Hill is coming BACK this year.  I went on the Rock Boat 4 years straight and it was a blast but I sort of outgrew it. Perhaps I should consider going back?  Swoon again.

"But It's Buck Season. Not- Not Kill The Baby Deer Season!!"

Good morning, Readers!  Just a head's up- you may want to stop reading today's post, well, now.  I am writing a story that can crack me up for hours anytime I think of it, but it is not very funny.  It is one of those you-had-to-be-there-to-enjoy-it moments that will forever cause me to giggle and no one else will be amused.  Well, that's not true.   2 other people will find it funny (because they were there), but neither one of them reads my blog regularly so truly, no one reading will enjoy it. However, it's my blog and I feel like telling it so here goes.  Feel free to stop reading whenever you like, I won't be mad.

About 12 years ago I went to a party with a bunch of friends. We were all young and foolish. Additionally, everyone aside from myself had his/her fair share of alcohol (I didn't drink at the time, so I was the designated driver.)  A dear friend of mine (who has been pictured on this blog occasionally) had a few too many drinks and was not feeling stellar upon arriving home from the party. This friend tends to be an over-talker when she's had too much to drink (arent' we all?). We were in Pennsylvania (the greatest state of the 50!) where Buck Season is a huge event. In fact, children do not go to school the Monday following Thanksgiving because it is the first day of hunting season, and therefore, a holiday.  My friend couldn't stop talking about hunting (I don't remember why) and she was adamant about expressing her beliefs against hunting.  She was talking about a mutual friend who went hunting and somehow shot a fawn.  Or maybe didn't shoot the fawn but stumbled upon a dead fawn.  Either way the deer was dead and she continued to shout, furiously "But It's buck season!  Not-not, um, kill the baby deer season!!" She was so angry that we all cracked up.  Every time I see a deer out of place, all I can think of is "But it's buck season, not kill the baby deer season!"

What is making me tell this story now, you might ask?  Simple.   This morning I went outside to snap a picture of the outfit of the day and LOOK what was just outside of my back yard:

A buck! Not a baby deer!!  And that, my friends, is the connection.  All day all I could think of was buck season.  Sorry the picture is so dark- this guy was solid west and the sun was just barely rising so it was pretty dark back there for my little camera.

Oh, by the way, here is the outfit of the day:

 

Jacket and Shirt: Ann Taylor Loft
Skirt: Pitter Patter, Anthropologie 2011
Belt: Anthropologie, 2010
Boots: Nine West

Happy Hump Day! Be cautious around any deer you encounter.

There Were Hours That Just Went On For Days

Well, the splash of color didn't last long.  I went back to boring with all black to make my owl necklace stand out.  Yes, this is a different owl necklace than the one I wore last week.  I got this one as a birthday present from my sisters a few years ago and I adore all the details on it.

I wore this to a conference I had for work and recieved many compliments on it!  I also wore my snakeskin heels and a skinny snakeskin belt.  The conference room was freezing, though, so for the most part, all people saw was my red pansy corset trench coat!

Pants: Banana Republic Petite
Mock Turtleneck: The Limited circa 2002 (love this shirt!)
Shrug: Anthropologie circa 2008
Shoes: Jenna pumps, Banana Republic Fall 2011
Belt: Banana Republic Fall 2011
Necklace: Anthropologie 2009

After work, I went to Anthro to check out the Dulcie Dress from Weston Wear.  It was love at first sight, although, I may like the black better than the neurtal color after seeing it IRL.  The neutral color came home with me in the meantime until I decide which one I "need."  Time will tell...

A Splash of Color

YIKES!  I've been noticing my past few posted outfits of the day have been very drab in terms of color.  It's time to spice things up a little bit. Two weeks ago, I purchased the Pansy Corset Trench (still available, if you want it!) when it went on sale at Anthro. I love this coat!  The pop of bold color works well with everything and I love the laced up corset on the back.

After I returned from the Bahamas, I threw on these brown pants and turquoise top (the pants have a turquoise stripe in them as well) to hustle into work, but the true star of the outfit is coat!

For Christmas, I bought my niece this cute baby trench so she can rock it this spring! :)

Octobercation

It is time, once again, for an Octobercation. Octobercation is just that- vacation in October.  Simple enough. This year, the girls and I headed to the Bahamas for a long weekend stay in Atlantis.  The trip was very relaxing; I caught up on quite a bit of reading, got to view a few sharks, and had a lot of laughs with some of my favorite girls. The saddest parts of the trip were: 1. the trip was too short!  We got in late in the afternoon on Saturday and left around lunchtime on Tuesday. 2. The weather was not stellar.  We didn't have any clear, sunny days, although one afternoon we had a little beach time before the rain rolled back in. We did eat at Bobby Flay's restaurant, Mesa, where I had the most fabulous goat cheese fondue.


With Atlantis behind us... check out the dark storm clouds looming in the background!



Dress: Banana Republic Petite, circa 2006
Shoes: J. Crew, 2010

Bobby Flay's Goat Cheese Fondue (after we ate half of it!!)

Strike a pose! (quick, before the sun goes back behind a cloud!)
Bathing Suit: J. Crew, circa 2006



New friends... and a few cocktails

Already beginning to think about next year's Octobercation... Suggestions for where we should go?

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

My outfit of the day!  Okay, maybe it's not red "all over" but it is definitely red in the legs!  These are one pair of tights I bought a few weeks ago from J Crew.  They look maroon here, but they are really a dark red.  You can read all about them here.  They are really thick and comfortable... almost a little too warm for today but will definitely be perfect for winter.

I got this awesome, HUGE owl necklace for my birthday from my cousin Emily.  She bought it in Abingdon, Virginia at a little shop called Serendipity.  Since the necklace is rather loud, I decided to pair it with a simple black dress.

I also got these owl earrings for my birthday from another cousin, Ally!  I know it is a lot of "owl" all at once, but I felt with the red tights and red, beady eyes in these earrings it worked.

I had a big meeting for work the morning that I wore this and I received a ton of compliments on all of my owl accessories- who would have guessed it?  I'll have to wear my fine feathered friends much more often now that I've debuted them!

Dress: Banana Republic Petite, circa 2006ish
Tights: J Crew, fall 2011
Shoes: Ann Taylor Loft, Fall 2010
Necklace: Serendipity, 2011
Earrings: Gift!

It Was an Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny Black Polka Dot... Headband?

Yeah... that title doesn't exactly work.  I tried, though.

Hello, Readers!  I am just returning from vacation... more on that later in the week.  I hope everyone is having a great week and enjoyed reading about my sisters.  There is still one more sister to meet- we'll save her for later. (Hint: She is coming to visit this weekend.)

Usually I wear this black and white flower in my hair, but I decided to wear it as a pin so I could pair it with this black and white polka dot headband- I've had the headband for ages and I rarely wear it.  I was excited to be extremely matchy-matchy though (at least accessories wise!).  The black earrings were a birthday present from my friend, Raechel, when she came to visit a few weeks ago.



Dress and Pin: Ann Taylor Loft
Headband: ?  I think it's Gap?
Boots: Nine West
Earrings: Macy's

 Confession: I did not wear this today.  I wore this last week before my vacation.  I am going to need a few days to catch up on life and get back into the swing of things.  Thanks for your patience!

Fun with Photobooth

Happy Tuesday, Readers!  I hope you enjoyed reading about my sister, Molly, in yesterday's post.  Today you'll get to meet another sister- Enjoy!

Hello.

Glad to meet you.  Amy has a guest blogger today:  I am her littlest sister, Erin!  I will be posting about my outfit-of-the-day while Amy is off vacationing in the sunny Caribbean.  A bit about me – I am a senior at Penn State who works part-time at the J.Crew outlet (not at school, at home).  The J.Crew outlet is the special feature of my post today!  I make occasional appearances on this blog in pictures or in the descriptions, but today I get the whole post all to me.  Hooray!

While Amy posts high quality glamour shots of her outfits, I am not so well situated in my teensy apartment.  Please forgive my subpar setup in my kitchen… it has the best lighting in the place.  I needed bright lighting because as you will see, I took my pictures with Photobooth.  Neither my roommate nor I could rustle up a camera, so my computer it was!

This outfit has become a favorite of mine since I bought the tunic over Labor Day.  I haven’t been much of a long-shirt-plus-leggings person, but I’m a fan of the simple button-down tunic with window-pane teal plaid.  Add in basic black leggings, a silver belt, and flat silver shoes, and I feel put-together but not overdone!

And there are my favorite silver flats!  Couldn’t fit everything into one shot on my poor laptop camera, so I made do.

In State College, I won’t be able to wear this outfit for too much longer – it’s already turning colder.  Fall is officially here!

Tunic:  J.Crew Outlet Fall 2011

Leggings:  Access Fall 2011

Belt:  J.Crew Outlet Summer 2011

Shoes:  Gap Outlet Fall 2011

Real Athletes Run, Others Just Play Games

While I am off basking in the Caribbean sunshine, I have some guest posters.  My darling sister Molly, from Running in Wisconsin, is posting today.  After reading her post here, hop on over to her blog!

Hello readers of Lost in the Details!  This is Amy's little sister, but not littlest sister, Molly, from Running In Wisconsin.  Amy is lucky enough to go away on vacay this week and asked me to guest post!  She said "It's super easy! Just wear something cute and chic and write about it."  Cute and chic?  Cute and CHEAP is my outlook.  When you are a runner, most of your extra cash goes to quality running clothes.

I came across this LOFT skirt a few weekends ago when I made a trek across the farmlands to a mall.  I am on a NO SHOPPING rule right now, but I saw this and thought it would be a SIN to not buy it.  It was $3.50.  Yes, you read that right.  $3.50.  This skirt is originally $69.50 from LOFT this fall.  My top is also from LOFT, but last year.  I think they sold it again this year.

I am a band director and you got a first class look of what I look like after a long day of conducting on the podium!  I load my arms down with bracelets but take them off when I conduct.  One set is from LOFT and the other set is from Nordstroms and from Amy when she was on another fabulous vacation.  The pearl necklace is from my oldest sister's wedding. 

Anyway, I wore super high heels today because some days, I like to be taller than my students.  I tend to wear pants and flats but got really dressed up for you readers.  I mean, if you were constantly fixing instruments and getting oil and grease on your clothes, would you wear your fanciest to work?

Don't you just love my mint green couch?  I do too, that's why I collapsed on it as soon as I got home!

Now, a fashion blog wouldn't be complete without some runners bling!  Check out my medals from my races!  From left to right-Pittsburgh Marathon Relay 2009, Columbus Half Marathon 2009, Pittsburgh Half Marathon 2010 and Wisconsin Half Marathon 2011.  Next weekend, Columbus Half Marathon will join the ranks. When you are looking for some running or motivation, hop on over to my blog and check out my latest running adventures!

Still In the Dress She Used to Wear, Faded Feathers In Her Hair

After the Columbus Day holiday, I decided to break out some new fall threads for work.  In the summer, I purchased the Houndstooth Collage Pencil Skirt, which, as many reviewers have already described, is much more of an A-line.  I was worried about finding something to wear with this skirt, when, low and behold, over Labor Day weekend when I was shopping with my older sister, I spotted this mustard-colored top at Banana Republic Factory Store.  Best part? The top comes in petite sizing AND is machine washable.  That is a crazy double-score.

Skirt: Houndstooth Collage Pencil skirt, Anthropologie 2011
Blouse: Banana Republic Factory Store, Fall 2011
Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft, Circa 2008
Tights: Brown, unknown
Boots: Nine West, circa 2008
Hair Accessory: Ann Taylor Loft, Fall 2011
Necklace: 1luckysoul, Fall 2011

I wore feathers in my hair again. The same ones I wore with the Sugared Dress.  To you, it seems like I wore them back to back but really there were a few days in-between so don't fret.  These feathers really blend in with my hair- unless I do a close up, you can barely notice they are there!

Finally I broke out my new necklace.  My friend Nena sent me this for my birthday.  It is another design from 1luckysoul.  I love that it pops open and has a functioning pocket watch inside!

I'm leaving on a jet plane for a little Octobercation with some of my best girl friends.  Don't worry, though, I have some blog posts all lined up for you while I am away.  Happy Weekend!

Sugar Shock

The other day I met up with some colleagues for an early dinner.  It's been a few months since we've seen each other and we decided it was high time to catch up and visit.  The day was unseasonably warm so I decided to get a little more wear out of my summer threads before completely tucking them away.

Last month when the Sugared Dress finally wormed its way to the sale section on Anthropologie's webpage, I called a few stores to snag it.  Luckily, a store in NYC had 10 left in my size, so I was able to complete a charge-send and have it within a few days.  This is only the second time I've worn it, but I love the cut, colors, and pattern of this dress!  It's a little loose in the top, but when paired with a cardigan it works well.

Dress: Sugared, Anthropologie, Summer 2011
Cardi: Banana Republic, Summer 2011
Shoes: Nine West, circa 2008
Hair clip: Ann Taylor Loft, Fall 2011

Oh, did I mention I wore feathers in my hair?  Because I did.  I snagged this feathery clip on sale at Ann Taylor Loft a few weeks ago.

I'm thinking if I pair it with the right shoes and cardigan (maybe brown boots and a mustard cardi?) I could get by with wearing the Sugared Dress in the fall. What do you think?