whales!

J. Crew sweater (similar sweater, solid) (similar print, tee) | Nordstrom sunglasses | Sanctuary jeans | Tory Burch sandals (similar, great year-round option) | Michael Kors watch | J. Crew yellow bracelet (similar) | Swank silver bracelets | Color Club "Disco Dress" nail polish

How adorable are these little whales?! It was a chilly Seattle morning, so I threw on my new critter sweater I've been wanting to wear :) Pairing it with white skinnies and metallic sandals made it still feel like summer despite the cool breeze. The sweater is a little sheer due to its lightweight feel, so I'd recommend a navy cami (like this one from Nordstrom) if you wouldn't want a different color to show through (I wore a white cami underneath).

To bring this look into fall I'd swap the bright white denim for a pair of off-white cords or tuck the sweater into distressed skinny jeans with a classic, brown leather belt.

xo-ally

friday's fancies - style crush

This week's Friday's Fancies theme with Long Distance Loving is style crush. I'm actually going to link to a vintage FF post ("outfit crush") because I absolutely LOVE just about every single one the outfits of Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf, and because I can't get enough of the summer-y colors and happiness in this photo collage :)

link to original post

xo-ally

red, white, and blue in the garden

Ray-Ban sunglasses| J. Crew top (not available, loving this one) | Aldo sandals | J. Crew skirt (similar) | Max & Chloe necklace | Michael Kors watch | Swank bracelets, silver | Nordstrom faux pearl earrings | Nordstrom bracelet, navy | Nail polish: Color Club "Disco Dress" | Lips: Mally Lip Magnifier

Today's outfit is a repeat of what I wore on the Fourth of July -- I didn't have a chance to photograph it then, so I decided to pull it back out. If you can't tell, I've been gravitating toward stripes lately :) as well as red and white! Haha, I just can't get enough of it I guess. If my next job had a professional dress code like my last one, I'd even consider this red and white skirt from J. Crew factory. Yeah, okay, maybe I should hold off on the stripes.

I got my nails done today and chose this bright but deep purple. At first I was afraid it would be a little too "teen punk rock princess" but liked the shade so stuck with it. Now I'm regretting not doing a different color (baby blue or bright pink)! I know, I know it's a major #firstworldproblem...

On another note, I was browsing around online and came across this photo of Disney Princess-inspired engagement rings! How adorable.

My favorite is Ariel's, followed by Cinderella's. Which one is your favorite?

xo-ally

peplum + prints

J. Crew top | J. Crew pants | Chanel sunglasses | Muses & Rebels necklace | Report flats | Longchamp bag | Michael Kors watch | Swank bracelets

It was a slightly chilly, summer day in Seattle, so trading shorts for pants was in order. This particular pair was picked up from a recent J. Crew sale (scored them for $24, originally $128). Due to the busy print of the pants, I pulled the look together with a classic, white peplum top, sparkly bow flats, and accessories. I even did my hair for once - a loosely curled side pony made the look more fun, in my opinion. :)

More ways to wear it....what I love about these pieces are the versatility: I can envision this peplum top looking lovely over this bright blue pencil skirt or even a crisp pair of skinnies with mini wedges. As for the pants, a silk-y button-down tucked in with a belt would look effortlessly fabulous, as would this oversize sweater for early fall days.

xo-ally

the BIG NEWS!

I'm so excited to finally share with you all what's next in life for me. I hinted that I would announce something soon, and now the time has come. My summer job in DC is over and I am preparing for my next job that begins in a few weeks...in Italy.

I'm moving to Italy!

Summer 2011 in Florence, my first time in Europe

I'll be working for a student travel company doing marketing and guiding until next spring. So technically I'm not moving to Italy permanently, just temporarily. O.M.G. I'm so nervous. But excited. This will be so fun to blog about not only because I'll be based in Florence but also because I will get to travel around Europe for my job. 

All throughout my senior year of college I was trying to plan my future, to see where I wanted to settle down, until I realized that I don't quite want to settle down yet. I want to travel and see the world and just do what I want to do. You can always settle down later, but right after college is the time to just do what you want to do.

At the end of my study abroad experience in Italy two years ago I wrote in my last blog post, "Can't wait to go back to Florence one day." And I can't believe it's going to happen again, and so soon. (You can read vintage posts about my study abroad experience here, here, here, here, here, and here.)

In the meantime, if you have any travel tips, must-sees, etc., please share!

xo-ally

photo diary: we love ny, we love dc

Here are a ton of photos from my summer job working at GYLC in Washington, DC and New York. I had a great time and will miss the great people, experiences, and beautiful cities dearly!

 

The first day of summer :)

The day it rained at the memorials.....

I think I accidentally got someone else's drink

Global Summit at the United Nations in New York

The day the giant escalator going up stopped working at dupont....

s

Student reflection after the Holocaust museum

 

Can't wait to see what's next!

xo-ally