The Longest Week Ever Ends

I don’t know about y’all but this week took FOREVER. It was torturous. And because of that, I found myself being especially wacky in order to entertain myself and survive each day. There were high highs and low lows. I’m glad to see the week go, I think.
Here are a few pictures from this past week.

The time we found a little Caiman creature wandering around a quiet neighborhood and had to call the Game Commission.

The time we baked and cooked and mixed and created Buffalo Chicken pizza and blue cheese dressing until 10:30 PM on Monday.

The time we celebrated Brad’s 26th birthday eating hibachi dinners.

The time it wouldn’t stop raining all week.

This weekend is busy, busy, busy. I’ll be leaving work early to head to a wedding (my first paid photo gig, so I’m nervous, natch) all night. Then, I get a small amount of sleep until I wake up and head to Seneca Lake for wine tasting all weekend. Pretty sure I’ll end the weekend just as exhausted as I’ve been all week…but it will be satisfying all the same.

This song has been in my head all week.

Have a great weekend!!!!

Tagged

As I was unpacking my weekend bag last night (I stayed at Brad’s a little longer than the weekend…), I noticed the cutest tag inside of one of my thrifted sweaters (seen here). Then it dawned on me that most of my thrift store finds have adorable vintage clothing tags. So I rounded up several of my favorites and snapped some shots to share with you!

Just a few, for now…

Victorian Fashion Show and Tea

I mentioned yesterday that Brad and I had an unofficial “photography” job in a beautiful location in Scranton taking photos for a Victorian fashion show. It’s literally what you think it would be. Women, young and old, modeled authentic Edwardian and Victorian dresses for high class ladies and the Red Hat Society while they drank tea and admired stunning pieces of fashion history. I was super nervous, but it was an excellent time, and I got to see some beautiful clothes for free and get some photo experience. Win-Win.

Outfit: Something Blue

Despite the fact that it was the first weekend of fall, we had some pretty hot and humid weather in NEPA. As much as I love sunshine and warmth, I had begun to mentally prepare myself for cooler weather. Since I spend my weekends away with Brad living out of a bag, I am lucky I prepared for both heat and chill. This outfit kind of complimented both.

On Sunday, Brad and I had an unofficial, unpaid photography job for a Victorian Fashion Show/Tea Party. Interesting, right? Expect pictures in the next few days…I have so many to go through! Anyway, I had yet to do a sort of important photo job…I was so nervous. Imagine my fear for this coming Friday, when Brad and I actually do a paid wedding photography gig. I also have an engagement shoot (for a friend) and family photo lined up in the near future…NERVES. Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Anyway, this was my outfit compromisation, as I didn’t know what to expect. This top is one of my favorites ever. It’s more like a tunic, and the frilly collar is to die for. I got the corduroy shorts from Old Navy for a steal…probably about 3-4 dollars. I also own a pair in hunter green. They are excellent for tucking tops in, are the perfect length, and will transition well in the coming cooler months. Not gonna lie, I felt a bit like a fool, surrounded by Red Hat Society ladies and woman in full Edwardian/Victorian/Titanic-era dresses and skirts with bare legs, knees, ankles…the whole gambit. I felt like everyone was staring at me, but it turns out most of them loved my shoes. And so do I!
So, I’m cool with that.

Cardigan – Target/Shirt – Forever 21/Shorts – Old Navy/Shoes- Bass

Photos of a Friday Night

I do not like working on Saturday mornings. It might only be for 4 hours, but it kind of kills the weekend. No Friday night fun. No sleeping in. Boo. At the same time, though, I try and make the best of the Friday nights I have to myself. I usually like to order takeout, listen to music, and get a little productive with chores or creative endeavors. I was all set to give you readers a sneak peek into my lazy, lonely Friday nights, but fate stepped in and my house was without power for 7 hours. I only had to experience 4 of those, but it was maddening. I realized how blessed I was, considering I wasn’t affected by the NEPA flood. It is a truly upsetting and annoying experience.

As I mentioned, I was bummed out and frustrated that my plans were foiled. But then I realized…this is actually better! It’s my usual Friday night, only heightened by my boredom and insanity due to lack of electricity. Time to get creative.

Dinner by candlelight.
Candles everywhere.
Little lights.
Painting my nails using only a flashlight.
Success!
Cute cap on Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale
Power comes back = Music
While organzing my closet, I ended up finding/wearing this blue wig.

It was so frustrating, after a long day at work, to come home to a blackout. But I made the best of it, and it ended up being a productive, relaxing, and interesting night.

Friday

The week is over already! I feel like Oktoberfest was yesterday…God, that was an amazing weekend. And I’m also glad I have this picture to always remember some of the good times had within that 48 hour period.

Is it possible to not like photo booths? I mean, seriously. If you don’t, I’m quite sure you don’t have a soul. This was my first experience in one of those new-fangled photo booths you see about in the blogs. Sort of a bigger space, with props to play with. We had an excellent time.
I love my friends. Shocking, right?

This weekend will be a lot more low-key. Right now, it’s lookin’ like some beer and board games with my boyfriend Brad. All the good Bs.

Whatever you do, have tons of fun!!!!

Autumn Arrival

This is it! Fall is officially here. My sister, who loves being festive (see here and here) went ahead and baked some extremely tasty pumpkin spice cupcakes. I knew she would be baking, but once I walked into the kitchen, there were so many photo opportunities.
Pretty much everything she does is adorable with plenty of attention to detail.

Welcome, Fall! It’s time for pumpkin patches and Halloween costume planning and apple cider and cuddling in flannels.
I love this time of year.

Outfit: Cozy Up

Sweater – Thrifted/Shirt – Thrifted/Jeans – Pac Sun/Boots – Forever 21/Necklace – Fred Flare, forever ago

For round two of Oktoberfest, I wanted to make sure I was nice and warm. Friday night was so chilly, and holding ice cold beers all night certainly didn’t help. This outfit was perfect for the cooling temperatures. And it’s a really great beginning-of-fall outfit as well.

I am obsessed with both my sweater and my shirt. I bought them at some point last year from the Salvation Army, and they are amazing. I believe the button-down is from Abercrombie and Fitch? It’s in excellent condition none the less. The cardigan fits in with my love of “Mansard Roof” style (see here) and is a classic look that will never go out of style.

These brown boots were one of the best shoe purchases of my life. They are from Forever 21 but I’ve worn them to death already. I can’t wait to break them out more often now that the weather is cooling down. I positively love the crocheted sides. And as for the necklace, this is a really old piece I bought during an obsessive Fred Flare phase. I don’t even remember the last time I bought something from the site, but I always adored their super-cute items. I will always love this necklace. When you ordered it, you had no idea what shape or picture you’d get. On the back, mine says Love is Caring. Cutest thing ever.

Bass Shoes

This past Sunday, Brad and I decided to skip the final day of Oktoberfest and head to Tannersville for some outlet shopping. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for wandering around the outdoor shops. Besides, we were a little ale-d out. For some reason, I was drawn to the Bass shoe store. I don’t own a single pair of Bass shoes. Most of my shoes, in fact, are from Payless, Target, and Forever 21 (i.e., they usually never cost more than 25 bucks). But there I was, standing in the store, when I noticed the signs. Buy 1, get 2 free.

You’re reading that correctly, I swear! When does that ever happen? I’ve seen Buy 1, Get 1 1/2 off. I’ve seen Buy 2, Get 1 free.
But Buy 1, get 2 Free? I didn’t believe my eyes. Thank God, they were right. I got these 3 beautiful, classic pairs of shoes for a steal!

The Weejuns sealed the deal. These classic penny loafers are currently celebrating their 75th anniversary, and rightfully so. I bought them in Burgundy, but it’s such a beautiful, understated color that will go with anything.

I’ve been daydreaming about a pair of duck boots for a while now. They are both incredibly functional and incredibly cute. They were the final choice I made when hunting down my 3 pairs, but I’m so glad I did. The lining is insanely soft, and I know they will keep my toesies warm on cold, rainy, snowy, icky days.

You can bet your bottom dollar these grey lace-up wedge booties will be a staple in my wardrobe. I am so in love with them. I’ve been daydreaming about them all week. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been slowly adding height to my shoes. And these are comfortable and easy to walk in, so…YES PLEASE.

I didn’t intend to spend my money on shoes (I actually went in search of fall sweaters), but how could I not? Each pair is a classic, especially the penny loafers. I can’t wait to break them in and wear them for years to come.

Dinner Last Night: Steak with Tarragon/Lemon Butter and Asparagus

(Technically this is dinner two nights ago…)

Don’t you DARE try and tell me you had a better dinner than me on Monday night. Brad and I actually did teamwork on this one. I must admit, he’s often doing all the dirty work. And, fine, I only cooked the asparagus…but we did a damn good job.

The original idea was that we would broil some salmon filets and put this butter on top. We found the recipe here. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the grocery store, the seafood section was closed. So we settled for steaks, and decided to make the butter compound anyway. At first, I was nervous that the butter (originally intended for seafood) wouldn’t mix well with the beef. But oh goodness, it was FANTASTIC.

To try something different, I recommended asparagus as our veggie and found this recipe. I ended up tweaking half of it, and it turned out much better than I could’ve hoped for! I stuck with the shallots and EVOO, but substituted balsamic vinegar and a crushed nut mixture Brad made for a separate recipe a little while ago. The asparagus itself took 3 minutes to cook. Boil for 2, sit for 1, and drain.
Then mix the oil/vinegar/nut mixture and you have yourself one tasty side dish, my friends.

I topped off my meal with a baked potato…I had such a hankering. And no steak dinner is incomplete without a glass of wine!
I definitely couldn’t eat the whole meal in one sitting, so it made for an excellent lunch the next day.

I’m so lucky to date a man who is an excellent cook (among other wonderful things, of course)!