new acquisition: canvas backpack

i never thought i'd be lusting after.... a backpack. especially since i've finally just now finished my schooling career. i should not be wanting corduroys, new clicky pens, pretty agendas, and backpacks! i'm getting too old for silly things like that.... ha :).

regardless, i still have been wanting one ever since i saw the one in the urban outfitters' summer catalog:

kimchi blue backpack, $68

but $68? for something as trendy as a backpack? definitely not. i usually don't spend more than $30 on anything, much less on something that may be totally dorky in a couple months. 

so what i ended up doing was typing in "canvas backpack" on ebay, and found this amazing bag!

you can wear it as a messenger bag, which is pretty darn cute:

or you can fasten the straps at different places and wear it as a backpack!

isn't that a perfect solution? so when the whole military thing gets passe, i can just wear it as a cute, functional messenger bag! or i can wear it to go hiking, camping, whatever! i'm so glad i bought this for right at $30 on ebay, instead of $68 from uo! yikes.

so when i get sick of the whole utilitarian look, i'm thinking about pinning on tons of sparkly brooches. fun, right?

inspiration: kenzo fall 2010

holy moly, this collection is definitely my favorite for fall. stunning.

all photos: style.com

suddenly i have a new wishlist for fall:

1. an indiana jones hat. won't my dad be proud. he loves both indiana jones and women in hats.

2. a floral maxi skirt. an elegant one, of course, at the risk of looking too little house on the prairie.... 

3. a classy silk scarf. what kind of grown woman am i? i don't even have a silk scarf. shame on me.

i would pair these new items with my cognac cross-body bag, and my structured brown blazer.

outfit post: hot red

i should probably call this my "estate sale" look. i'm wearing the belt and shoes from my last post, and a crazy bright shirt that we all had to wear at the estate sale one weekend.

shirt: uhh, my cousin said, "wear this!"

white jeans: walmart (2009)

belt: estate sale

shoes: estate sale

silver coin necklace: the "pirates of the carribean ride" from tokyo disneyland :)

gold watch necklace: disney for walmart

why didn't i think to put these 2 necklaces together sooner? duh. they're perfect. i like mixing metals in an outfit, because then i can wear either gold or silver shoes. 

as for this crazy shirt, i'm not sure i've ever worn a color like this before.... i avoid hot pink like it's the devil, but this isn't exactly hot pink.... it's like those "red" florescent highlighters.... hot red, maybe? hot coral? i don't know, i've kind of warmed up to it a bit. i even wore it one day this week when i didn't have to for work!

estate sale finds

last weekend i worked at another estate sale and totally hit the jackpot. this 80-year-old lady had the most awesome collection of some 50+ pairs of shoes. these wrap sandals looked like they'd never been worn, with a price sticker still on the inside. My cousin called them fancy Jesus sandals, but I'm not sure that's entirely appropriate :P....

thrifted, via payless

western belt.... which is awesome because i don't have a non-skinny belt that i can actually wear with pants!

gold & ruby ring- $5!

new acquisition: bright cobalt bag

oh, you thought those new york inspiration pics were colorless and drab? well i didn't mention the best part: my new awesome cross-body bag! (thanks, honey!)

forever 21, $34.80

my husband bought this for me for our 2nd anniversary! awwwww..... i think i'm gonna wait until our trip to bust it out, though, so it'll be even that much more exciting :). i'll always think of it as my new york bag. silly, i know.

so i wanted this bag sooo much because i thought it would be easy to wear neutral (but interesting) pieces in nyc and use the same bag every day for a pop of color. wanna know my inspiration for this color scheme?

roxy olin from "the city"

did you see that episode? i know there was a lot of drama going on (when is there not??), but all i could think about was her awesome blueness against her black clothes. and check it out, she's even in a very picturesque new york scene- in front of a yellow taxi cab! how appropriate.

oh, and did i mention that it's a cross-body bag? perfect for traipsing around town. and for keeping my junk from getting stolen :S....

new york outfit inspiration

my husband and i are going to nyc next month! i couldn't possibly be more excited. we're gonna do some sight-seeing, but most importantly see a broadway show! i had a fun (and pretty easy) time picking out a fancy outfit for "phantom of the opera", but packing all of the other outfits fills me with a frightening number of questions. for example, is it true that all new yorkers wear black all the time? i don't really wear a lot of black, so will i look silly wearing colored clothing? where do i find shoes that make a statement but will still hold up to trekking all over the city? will my sight-seeing outfits be too casual if daniel and i stop somewhere nice to eat for supper? will the weather in nyc be a lot different than in nashville? these are all of the important questions in life.

i've collected tons of pictures from various websites that might make it easier. street style pics have been the most inspirational.

for the plane ride:

photo: college fashion

white henley + dark jeans + flat riding boots + pretty scarf

this is perfect for a plane ride, because you wanna wear your bulkiest shoes while traveling so you don't have to pack them. the white shirt is clean but still comfy, and the scarf keeps you warm and keeps your outfit from being boring. 

photo: fabsugar.com

crochet shirt + cargo shorts + tan sandals + cognac bag

looove this outfit! i would probably swap the heels for a flat version, but i love how it looks casual without looking schlumpy. i'm thinking it needs some hippie beaded earrings....

photo: luckymag.com

long tunic + shorts + gladiator sandals + hat + fringed bag

i'm not really into leopard print (or any animal print, for that matter), but i have other printed tunics that would work great. i like this outfit because i have all of these elements, i just have never worn them together!

photo: camp comfort

long-sleeved T + khaki paper bag shorts

i've always loved the contrast of a long-sleeved shirt with shorts. i also really like mixing different colored neutrals these days (gray and khaki). although you can't see the shoes in this photo, i'm thinking either brown oxfords or gladiator sandals. it's also kind of plain, so i would layer on some eclectic rings and bangles.

photo: luckymag.com

plain T + maxi skirt + hat

this is my favorite! she's got the right idea with the random bangles and rings. plus it looks so comfy but still city-cool!