Dressing in Grayscale

(Annual Kite Festival top from ModCloth, Restricted "Carley" mary jane wedges)

Happy Friday!

How are you, lovelies? I'm so happy the weekend is here. I have a few projects I want to finish in the next few days, so I'm looking forward to the time off. Hopefully I will have a couple of things to share with you next week :)

I actually added both of these gray pieces to my closet over the past week. I think the wedges will be the perfect shoe with the two dresses I got for Spring. I'm not a fan of heels, but these aren't high and the wedge is substantial. I just love the shape and the peep toe; perfect for bright pedicures!

I'm really excited about the top, too. I love the roomy cut and bright little pops of color. Don't the ribbon pieces around the collar look like bunting? I can't wait to wear this piece with some skinny jeans and bright flats. It's a fun, artsy warm weather look :)

I'm usually drawn to brightly colored clothing, but I think these pieces will be really versatile staples. What is catching your eye for Spring?

Sweet Confection of a Dress

This shift from Asos reminds me of a cupcake. How wonderful is the scalloped edging? To me, it looks like frosting :) I'm dying over the little surprise in the back, too! Perhaps that's why I bought this little dress (in cream, left) the minute I saw it over at Oh Joy!

I'm much shorter than the model (I'm 5'5" on a "tall" day, haha). I think the length will be a bit more modest on my body, which I like. I can't wait for this sweet treat to arrive in the mail!

On the Seashore

(Marimekko Pixie dress, Seascape print from Sadly Harmless)

Happy Monday!

I'm really wanting this sweet Marimekko dress. I can't get enough of scalloped edges and Peter Pan collars these days. This particular design has a nautical feel, without being too literal; the perfect dress for summer. 

Isn't this adorable sea-inspired print so fun? The boat, the sharks, the "wavy" beard - I love it all. I want this print for my bathroom, immediately.

Saturday Style File: Week Eight

Happy Saturday!

I think lots of people struggle with the month of February; Winter seems never ending and spirits are generally a bit low. Have you noticed this?

Last week I mentioned that I've been in a bit of a rut, style-wise. For someone who loves clothes, I have a pretty small wardrobe. There are only so many things in my closet that are appropriate for bitter cold and many feet of snow on the ground (we just got another six inches or so yesterday)! I've been relying on a few pieces pretty heavily, just waiting for the weather to warm up enough to begin incorporating some of my more Spring-like items into the mix.

So, this week I will spare you the details of most of my outfit (blue turtleneck, skinny jeans, black ankle booties, blah blah..) and focus on the new piece in my closet - the Spring blouse I purchased from Express! The blouse is fairly sheer and lightweight, with a vibrant floral pattern. I wanted to inject some color into my look this week, so I decided to pair the blouse with my warmer Winter items.

I'm dying to get some bright cropped skinnies to pair with the blouse, along with my favorite pair of yellow flats. I will say, thought, that pairing the cheerful blouse with my Winter staples really did lift my mood on Monday :)

How has your weekend been so far? I'm off to run errands this afternoon, but I think I'll be able to talk A. into having Chinese tonight at the quiet little restaurant we love :)

For those of you who liked this, the card is now listed in the shop!

Neutral Ground

(Satomi Kawakita yellow gold ring, Fabric & Handle tote, Coclico Outro bootie)

I absolutely love color. If given the choice between a cheerful bright and a more subdued hue, I'll choose cheerful 99% of the time. That said, I still appreciate the role neutral tones play in grounding an outfit. Black, gray and brown tones mix effortlessly with the more "exuberant" pieces a girl's closet.  I'm sure I could find a way to work these cheerful, neutral pieces into my otherwise colorful wardrobe!

Saturday Style File: Week Seven (On Sunday)

Happy Sunday :)

So, I slipped a bit for week seven of Saturday Style File. It's Sunday evening, but better late than never, right?

The highlight of this week's outfit is my new haircut! I decided that I'm going to rock a blunt bang again for a bit. That is, until I get bored and cut it again ;)

This week's look is more of the same from previous weeks. My standard winter uniform applies here (black turtleneck, skirt, warm opaque tights and boots). However, I did mix it up a bit with a summer top I love and some metallic booties.

Favorite outfit this week:

- Black turtleneck from H&M.

- Black skirt from Old Navy, many seasons ago.

- Blue summer blouse from Gap, five-ish years ago.

- Belt from Kohl's.

- Booties from Born.

Tonight A and I had a homemade pizza topped with sun dried tomatoes and basil. What a fantastic combination! If you haven't tried this, I would highly recommend it. 

Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

Mixing Patterns and Catching Up

Everything about this look is so, so right. The mixing of patterns makes this chic monochromatic look so much more interesting, don't you think? The hair, the glasses, the glittery flecks - I'm a bit obsessed :)

Tonight I grabbed dinner with an old friend from High School who was in town for work. Wonderful conversation and great food with really fun gal; A very nice Tuesday evening, indeed..

Saturday Style File: Week Six

Happy Saturday!

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend so far. A and I went out for a lovely early Valentine's day dinner last night, which was wonderful. We hit a small local restaurant for some chicken picatta, haddock, cheese cake (for me) and Guinness (for him). Tonight we are celebrating a friend's birthday at an Italian restaurant we really enjoy, so I'm looking forward to that..

The outfit I chose for this week's installment of Saturday Style File is what I wore on Friday. The dress is one of the quirkier items in my closet, and I absolutely love it! I purchased the piece a couple of years ago from a local boutique, Bella Luna. I really like this particular store because the owner only carries one of each item in a few different sizes; you are sure to get a unique piece that few others will have. 

Because the dress is quite short, I paired with with skinny jeans and boots. Since I wear the same pants and boots almost every day in the winter, I chose not to include them this time :) I also wore a black turtleneck for added warmth. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Loving - Emmadime Knitted

Excuse me, but could Emma and her knit accessories be any more adorable? I didn't think so. I'm seriously wanting the bow scarf (and her blouse)! The sweet mustard headband makes me wish I had long hair, just for a day, so I could wear it. Lovely images, and adorable branding. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Mixing it Up

Lately I've been on the hunt for wardrobe items that will mix up my look a bit. I tend to gravitate towards cute, colorful and feminine items. I'm not very adventurous when it comes to juxtaposing styles in a fun, interesting way. 

My recent boot purchase got me thinking; A pretty simple way to play with different styles is to mix a few smaller items in with my favorite looks. Shoes and accessories are a great way to play with different aesthetics, without fully committing to a new overall "look". 

I really love this season's bright trousers from Zara, and these tough brown boots from Free People are catching my eye. Mixing a bit of salty with sweet, the tailored pants could be tucked into the slouchy boots; The perfect look for the wet Spring days ahead, no?

Saturday Style File: Week Five

Happy Saturday :)

This is week five of my little Saturday Style feature! The look I chose to sketch this week is the outfit I wore on Monday. The look was centered around a thrifted pair of ankle boots I scored for $8 on a Sunday trip with friends to Bar Harbor last weekend. 

The boots remind me a bit of the Frye Engineer Boot, without the hefty price tag. Their look is a little bit tougher than my usual taste, but when I put them on I instantly loved them. I am going to try them with a dress next week, I think.

Favorite outfit this week:

- The blue turtleneck is from H&M.

- The military-style short sweater is from Target. I love the stretchy, incredibly warm material this piece is made of. 

- The skinny jeans are from Gap.

- The ankle boots are thrifted.

See you back here on  Monday! 

Pretty Little Pinwheels from Stone & Honey

.................................................................penny                   ......................                              chiquita

I'm swooning over the graphic simplicity of these pinwheel designs from Stone & Honey. Geometric shapes are really popular right now, and I just love their interpretation of the trend. I think the mixing of the yellow and white gold tones would look amazing against bare skin. Be still, my heart!  

Saturday Style File: Week Four

Happy Saturday!

This is Week Four of Saturday Style File. I'm finding that I really look forward to sitting down and doing these little sketches on the weekend. It's a great way to keep the creative juices flowing, without stressing too much about how "perfect" the final product is. I limit myself to an hour with my sketchbook, so it's a fun little challenge. By the end of the exercise, I have so many ideas for other projects! This is an hour well-spent each weekend, for sure.

Back to the outfit; I wore this yesterday for a casual Friday in the office and a dinner date with the boy that evening. You probably see a pattern forming with my clothing choices for the lower half of my body. If I choose to wear pants, they are ALWAYS cuffed and paired with a pair of tall boots. This is the only really practical choice with several feet of snow outside, and lots of slush. I hate to wear clunky boots, making it necessary to pack an extra pair of shoes and change when I arrive at the office. So, I find cuffed pants with cute boots is a really practical option during the winter months.

Favorite outfit this week:
- The black turtle neck is from H&M. It's a cold weather staple, for sure. Perfect for layering.
- The little jacket is part of a suit by Willi Smith. Suits don't really excite me, but I liked this short sleeve style. I purchased only the top from TJ Maxx.
- The jeans are from Gap.
- The scarf was thrifted, and a gift from my mother. I have received so many compliments on this piece! I thought the brightness of the scarf would liven up the neutral colors of the outfit.
- The suede zip boots are old, and extremely comfortable. Unfortunately, I don't remember where I got them.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Saturday Style File: Week Three

Happy Saturday!

I was lucky enough to have an extra day off this weekend, because yet another blizzard rolled through the Northeast on Friday. Since I didn't get out of my pajamas yesterday, I had one less day to choose my outfit from this week :) 

I wore this somewhat casual, monochromatic outfit to work on Wednesday. It was lucky I was comfortable, because the work day itself was dreadfully stressful! 

Favorite outfit this week:

- The blue bird print blouse is from H&M. I am completely in love with the sweet print, and it makes a great layering piece over turtlenecks. 

- The blue turtleneck is also from H&M.

- Blue skinny jeans are from Gap.

- Black boots are by BareTraps.

What are you up to this weekend? The boy and I are planning to get Chinese food at our favorite local spot, browse the bookstore and catch a film (most likely The Fighter). 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend :)

Saturday Style File: Week Two

I hope you are enjoying your (long) weekend so far :)

This week's featured outfit is actually what I wore to work on Monday. Dresses with turtle necks, opaque tights and tall boots have sort of become my unofficial uniform this season. It's a really great way to get more use out of warmer-weather dresses that would otherwise sit in my closet during the winter months.

I felt really put-together and professional, yet still fresh and fun; that's my ultimate goal when I dress for work :)

Favorite outfit this week:

- The gray jersey dress is from TJ Maxx. I always have great luck finding deals on simple dresses there. 

- The turtle neck is a plain dark gray style from Target. It's a favorite of mine for winter layering.

- The stretchy belt I found at Kohl's. It's perfect for giving shape to flowy dresses. I used it to cinch this dress for a wedding, and I LOVED the look.

- The locket is from Verabel. This fun piece dressed up the monochromatic outfit.

- Tall black boots are by BareTraps.  

This look was a warm, cozy and comfortable outfit to start the week!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend :)

A Little Thing I'm Trying..

The beginning of the new year has a lot of the creative community talking about ways to incorporate more right-brained goodness into our everyday lives. The Storque article is just one of many places I have seen this conversation going on. 

Although I try to do something creative each day, I know that I could be doing a better job of it. I find myself making excuses; "I had a long day at work, I'm just too tired", or "I don't want to make a mess of the living room with all of my supplies". The fact of the matter is, though, that when I find the time to "make" something I'm a lot happier for it. Once I take that first step, grabbing a pencil and paper, pulling out my paints, I feel calmer and happier almost immediately.

In the spirit of living more creatively each day, I thought I would try a new little feature here on A Random Walk. Each Saturday I am going to share a little sketch of a favorite outfit of mine from the week. My hope is that through sharing a weekly "fashion" self portrait with you, I will sketch more consistently and be more adventurous with the clothes that are already in my closet. I can't have repeat outfits, after all!

So, I'm going to call this little feature "Saturday Style File". If you want to play along, or already have a similar feature on your blog, I would love to see!

Favorite outfit this week:

- Blue turtleneck by H&M

- Cream cardigan by H&M

- Jeans from Gap

- Suede zip boots are old. I'm not sure where I got them

- Chunky bauble ring from Pier 1

- Large pink felt broach was a gift from my mother

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Seeing Floral and Taking Chances

Hello Friends :)

I hope the new year finds you happy, healthy, recharged and inspired! I had a wonderful weekend in Boston with family, and a relaxing week-long break from my day job (despite being ill for a few days). I have to say, though, that it is a bit of a relief for things to return to normal after all the holiday bustle; I love it, but I do find some comfort in routine.

After the holidays are over, in my mind Spring can't come soon enough! I'm ready for sunshine, mild temperatures and green grass. My current obsession with floral prints and all things "Spring-like" is evidence enough of my craving for the new season.

The adorable bird print blouse and pink floral scarf (with pom-poms, which I adore) in the photo are both from a weekend shopping trip to H&M. It was my first time shopping there (seriously!), and I'm in love. It's so sad you can't shop their store online in the United States! The beautiful white floral scarf was a Christmas gift from my mother. I'm excited to wear it with a navy top, matching skinnies and yellow flats (not that I thought about it much..).

Even though it's still the dead of winter, I just might have to wear the bird blouse to work tomorrow. It may be cold outside, but I can still pretend it's Spring in the office, right?

How are your New Year's Resolutions coming along? One of my goals for 2011 is to more aggressively pursue my career goals. I stepped out of my comfort zone today, putting myself and my work out there, and it felt great! So far, so good :)

Whimsical Warmers

Aren't these slouchy winter hats by Dahlia Soleil adorable? I'm daydreaming about wearing one of them with a pretty dress, colorful tights and boots this winter. The yellow one with the sweet owl makes me want to dye my hair red again!

Bubble Umbrellas

It can get really windy where I live. I notice it especially on rainy days, during the winter season and when I have to do a lot of walking around campus. In the past seven years, since moving to the area, the wind has broken every SINGLE umbrella I have owned. I have averaged about one per year, allowing myself to experience the embarrassing moment when my umbrella flipped inside out (always with people around) only once before swearing them off again for many months.

I really want to try one of these cute bubble umbrellas. I think the shape makes for a sturdier design, and I'm all for protecting my short hair, which can end up looking particularly terrible on windy, wet days. I love that these are clear so you can pull the canopy down over your head, protecting your face while still being able to see where you are going :) The neon version is just so darn cute, too.

{found here and here}

Dainty Jewelry

I'm always surprised by how varied my taste in certain things can be. Take jewelry, for instance; some days I want to wear the biggest, brightest, most "costumey" pieces I can find, and other days I crave the simplicity of dainty, feminine pieces. I definitely have multiple personalities when it comes to accessorizing!

These beautiful pieces by Upper Metal Class really appeal to me because they are so simple, feminine and classic. Pieces like these look beautiful against bare skin, and work amazingly well as accessories against bolder fabrics; a great choice when you want your jewelry to complement, but not complicate your overall look.

The warm tones of the metal really make these pieces so soft. LOVE!

{designer found here}