So some stuff has happened...

Since my last post, a BIG HUGE LIFE CHANGING EVENT occurred. On August 16th, my boyfriend returned home after living in Dallas all summer for work. Well, on that same day, he asked me to marry him!

After I got home from work, he asked if I wanted to go eat at a nice Italian restaurant in town. He was wearing a blazer, so I had a feeling something was up, but when he just started driving home after dinner I just assumed he wanted to look nice for a date after not seeing me for 3 months. On the way home, he started driving towards the north of town turned into the parking lot of a local archaeological center. When he said he wanted to go sit at one of the picnic tables in the field, I definitely knew something was up. We sat there for about 15 minutes watching the sun set before he finally got down on one knee. It felt so special and romantic because we were the only ones around, and it was so quiet outside except for the sound of the breeze and the birds. Of course, I said yes. It was probably one of the most emotional moments of my life. I started sobbing, which in turn made him start crying, and it was just really a really sweet and special moment between the two of us.

The bench where we were sitting. 

And here's the ring! He did such a good job of picking it out. It helps that he knew exactly what I wanted. ;) I wanted a solitaire because I knew it would never go out of style. In 5 years or 50 years, a diamond solitaire will still be the "classic" engagement ring. 

So... now I need to start planning my wedding! Since we both love October and old things, we want to have a "Victorian Halloween" wedding. Not sure if that makes any sense, but essentially we want to have a vintage, Halloween themed wedding with elegant touches. Mainly, we picked that theme because we want it to be FUN! Neither one of us is into the "hearts and doves" mushy romantic weddings, and since we don't plan on having a big wedding we wanted to keep the theme interesting and informal. It will be a majorly DIY affair, since I can't justify spending tons of money on one day. Expect lots of posts about wedding planning over the next year! Pinterest is my best friend right now. 

Anyway, even though this happened over a week ago, I'm super excited! We are going to look at our first venues in Dallas in a week. Even though I'd rather put off the planning for a while, you unfortunately need to book venues early if you want to get the date you like. Wish me luck!

Show Your Stripes... And Spots

I'm back! I took about a month-long hiatus from blog posting, partly because I went to Florida for a while and when I came back I was busy with work and a crafting project I wanted to finish. I wore this outfit a couple of weeks ago, but I kind of fell in love with it. Turquoise, stripes, and leopard print? Bring it on.

Cardigan: J.Crew Factory Classic Crewneck Cardigan -I've said it before and I'll say it again- this is almost exactly the same as the classic Jackie cardigan, but it comes in different colors and is cheaper. The quality is just as good in my opinion. 

Pants: American Eagle

Watch: Target

Bracelet: J.Crew Factory

Shoes: Academy? I can't remember. They're old. 

I'll post pictures from my Miami/ Key West trip soon. It was amazing and so much fun. I think I liked Key West better than Miami, but just being able to sit on the beach all day made the whole trip worth it. Sadly, despite my Mediterranean ancestry I managed to get sunburned and I am now peeling all over the place. Super gross.

From Work to Play

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I went out for dinner and drinks after work. I didn't have much time to get ready before we went out, so I just changed out of my work dress but stuck with the same colors and accessories so I didn't have to think too much. 

Here's what I wore to work. I love love love the Elinor Dress. It has a sash attached that you can tie in front or back. Since I wear cardigans to work, I tied it into a cute bow in front. This dress has a very classy, vintage look to it. 

Dress: J.Crew Elinor Dress (size 0)

Cardigan: J.Crew Factory Classic Crewneck Cardigan in Extravagant Green (size S) Essentially... this is the Jackie cardigan. I can't tell the difference between these cardigans from the factory stores and the ones from the regular stores. 

Shoes: MIA (from T.J. Maxx)

Watch: Target

Pearl bracelet: J.Crew Factory

Ring: LC Lauren Condrad

And here's what I wore to the bar. I traded the dress out for a pair of shorts and a shirt. It was still dressy because of the heels, but not as "in your face," if that makes any sense. 

Shorts: J.Crew Factory 5" Chino Short (size 2)

Shirt: J.Crew Factory (old... size XS)

Belt: J.Crew

I wasn't done with the dress yet though. A few days later I wore it to a friend's wedding. I actually did my hair for once, and wore a floral headband from J.Crew. 

I added lipstick and jewelry later... but you get the general idea. 

A Very J.Crew Day

I went to Dallas to visit the boyfriend this weekend. I spent way way way too much money at J.Crew when I was there. Oh well. Everything was on sale. 30% off of sale items at J.Crew, and 30% off of almost everything at J.Crew Factory. J.Crew Factory has really stepped it up recently. A lot of their clothes are just as good as the ones you'd find in the normal stores. I can barely tell the difference between the Jackie cardigans at the two stores. Also, how fun are these pants? I've made it a goal this year to add more "statement" pieces to my wardrobe. I've been building up my basics for a long time, so now I can branch out and get things that are more interesting. 

Shirt: J.Crew

Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in Navy

Pants: J.Crew Cafe Capri

Shoes: Nine West

Watch: Target

Bracelet: J.Crew Factory

I booked my hotel for Miami today. We were able to find a cute little art-deco boutique hotel in Miami Beach for only $86 a night with the AAA discount. If you don't have a AAA membership, I highly recommend one. It definitely comes in handy when you travel. I also qualify for government rates at hotels since I'm a state employee. Usually that's cheaper than the AAA rate, but not all hotels offer government rates. Our hotel is about 2 miles from South Beach, but that's fine because my mom and I didn't want to be close to the party scene anyway. We just wanted to be able to walk to the beach. Hopefully the good reviews online were telling the truth! Now I just need to book a hotel for Key West, and all the major stuff for my trip will be planned! Gahhh I can't wait!

The Better Half: Chronic Interns and Standing Out

Advice for interns and Average Joes- my next column for men is up on Electrogent.com!

Red, White, and Blue

I had such a hard time this morning trying to decide what to wear. I knew I wanted to wear my J.Crew jersey dress (it looks black in this picture but it's navy), and my new white summer wedge heels. I tried it with a white cardigan at first, but I wasn't feeling it. A tied button down shirt was the perfect solution. It adds texture to the flat navy, and it gives off a cute 1940's vibe, especially when paired with bright red lipstick. These heels are crazy high (I'm 6'1" tall when I wear them), but they are super comfortable and I wore them all day without my feet hurting. 

Navy dress: J.Crew

Shirt: Kohl's

Shoes: MIA (from T.J. Maxx)

Watch: Target

Lipstick: MAC- MAC Red

(I'm obsessed with this lipstick. So much so that I'm going to write a whole post about it later.)

I don't know if anyone else does this, but when I can't decide on something in a store, I take a picture of it. I can usually get a good idea of whether or not something looks good on me if I look at a photograph, rather than in the mirror. Anyways, here's a picture of my wedges from when I tried them on in the store:

My HG Lilly Skirt and Summer Vacation

After waiting months for this skirt to go on sale, I finally found it for 50% off at my local Dillards! The colors in this skirt are bright and happy, and it's fun to find all the little details in each of the state patches. It's definitely my holy-grail Lilly skirt. 

Skirt: Lilly Pulitzer Roslyn skirt in Lilly's State of Mind

Shirt: Lilly Pulitzer Lana Top in Lagoon Green

Sandals: Tommy Hilfiger

And of course, the best accessory for any Lilly outfit is a pair of pearls! ;) 

I saw Snow White and the Huntsman this weekend. Visually, the movie was absolutely gorgeous. I'm not sure I buy the fact that Kristen Stewart is "fairer" than Charlize Theron, but at least her acting was much better in this film than it was in Twilight. I felt the plot left a little to be desired, but that's ok- I can overlook the plot issues because of Chris Hemsworth. Enough said. Watching Thor kick ass and take names as a grungy, drunk, Scotsman redeems almost any problems I had with the movie. I mean helloooo, look at this man. Does your movie suck? Just add Chris Hemsworth! Instant box-office success. 

In other news, I booked my flight to Miami today! My mom and I are flying to Miami in July for a girls-only vacation. I can't remember the last time I went on vacation, and I'm so excited I get to see my mom for a whole week! We're going to do Miami for a couple of days, and then we'll drive down and visit Key Largo, Islamorada, and Key West. I've already started packing in my mind...