Florals & tweed

[Dress: H&M; Scarf: J.Crew factory (I love this one); Shoes: H&M (similar); Earrings: Francesca's; Nails:  Essie 'Sew Psyched']

I know it happened a million years ago, but this is what I wore for the Oscar party we attended. Not exactly an evening gown, but definitely more dressed up than I get on a regular basis. Oh, and this dress was definitely wayyyy more low cut than I typically prefer, so I remedied that with this bright scarf. Works every time. 

All photos by Mikhail Glabets

Out on the Town

[Dress: Target (last year, similar dress from Modcloth here); Necklace: J.Crew factory (I love these cool mint and turquoise ones from BaubleBar); Booties: Report; Ring: Forever 21] 

I wore this getup for an awesome night out during a recent bachelorette weekend in NYC. I know what you're thinking: "That's your apartment, Erin, NOT New York." Correct. There were way more important things to do than take outfit pictures that weekend! But I still loved the look and played a bit of dressup in my kitchen once I got settled in back here.

This also marks the official start of my love affair with these booties. I have them in the tan color and black and plan on wearing them with everything from dresses to skirts to skinnies to pajamas (kidding). This is me slowly embracing fall clothing.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets

Airline Chic

[Blazer: Forever 21; Top: J.Crew factory (old; last seen here); Shorts: DIY cutoffs from old J.Crew toothpick jeans; Flats: Old Navy; Necklace: Forever 21]

Gotta love some good ol' Pinterest inspiration. (I refuse to call it Pinspiration—it looks/sounds like perspiration.)

I always thought loose-fitting navy blazers were just a one neck tie shy of an airline counter attendant uniform. Then I saw this amazing shot of Style.com market director Marina Larroudè on Pinterest. Weeks later I somehow ended up in Forever 21 (shocking, I'm never there), saw this baby on the rack, and threw it on over my floral top and cutoff shorts.  A fabulous street style look replicated for fast-fashion and DIY prices. You can call it an impulse buy; I call it a classic piece on the cheap. And the perfect transition item: great with shorts and white jeans in the summer, and can totally work over long-sleeve tops, print blouses, and knit dresses in the fall and (no, please not yet) winter.

My most recent outfit was a transition from my stripes kick (or obsession), to a floral one. I think this one will be a bit more short lived than the last, though.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets 

A Floral Touch

[Dress: Forever 21 (earlier this year); Scarf: Forever 21 (old but cool options here); Rings: Forever 21 (different color left); Earrings: Forever 21; Sandals: Madewell]

This scarf has been my favorite last-minute chic accessory for the last four years. It transforms a basic white t-shirt and jeans, and spices up an already bold, bright dress.

[All photos by Mikhail Glabets] 

Tough Floral

[Cardigan: J.Crew factory (old); T-shirt: Two Arms Inc.; Jeans: James Jeans via Gilt, Necklace: J.Crew factory (old); Flats: Zara]

I've had this cardigan for two years now, before these big floral patterns became ubiquitous this season. I'm still not sure what to do with it at times, because it reminds me of a dress I'd wear when I was little to a fake tea party (yes, my friends and I had those). And there's my husband's cool grey Brooklyn T-shirt, which was too small for his gym-frequenting self. We popped it in the dryer to get it even smaller for me. Yay!

It's May and I'm almost completely burnt out on the pastels, neons, florals, and pattern mixing trends for spring and summer. I love color and I love all of those things on their own, but seeing them EVERYWHERE has made me retreat a little bit. That's what I get for packing 60 fashion blogs into my Google Reader. It's really my own fault.

I love discovering and following new trends, but I see them as a starting point. I think they should be tweaked and re-worked to reflect your own personality, not simply regurgitated from catalogues and style mavens (no matter how fabulous they are). So I decided to pair this pastel, floral, five-year-old-girl-inspired cardigan with a dude's grey T shirt to give it some edge, rather than going for the Easter egg look with more pastels. Oh, and my favorite turquoise necklace. I don't care if that color is in or out, I plan to wear it until I die. Like, paint my wheelchair that color when I'm old and senile.

You'll notice these photos are indoors and not sunlit. That's our kitchen and these were taken at 11 pm on Friday night. I'm a rebel, I tell you.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets 

Closet Remix: Floral and Lace

[Floral top: J.Crew factory store (last seen here); Brown Lace Dress: Modcloth (old, another similar one here); Scarf: Buffalo Exchange; Shoes: Ruche; Jewelry: Flea market; Belt: Topshop]

I have about three skirts that actually look good on me, so the recent realization that you can turn dresses into skirts by layering shirts over them has been a revelation. It's been an awesome fix for someone like myself, whose long-legs-to-short-torso proportions make skirt-wearing a challenge!

This particular outfit gave me the opportunity to bring back the brown lace dress I purchased on Modcloth two summers ago for a dear friend's wedding. I think the cocoa color tones down the punchy floral print.

This scenic photo shoot took place at the Tufts campus, just a few minutes walk from our house. We were happy to discover these little nooks for a fun change of scenery.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets

Floral and Stripe Brights

[Jeans: James Jeans via Gilt; Top: J.Crew factory store (old); Scarf: Target; Sweater: very old Diane Von Furstenberg via Buffalo Exchange, Earrings: Forever 21, Shoes: Report via DSW]

I am craving spring. It's been a warm winter by Boston standards, but it's still too chilly for full-on floaty fabrics and open-toed shoes. I faked it with some brights paired with jeans and a long, slouchy, grey sweater (very old Diane Von Furstenberg via Buffalo Exchange). Oh, and nice, naturally lit indoor shoot at our apartment. Then I threw my hair up and got crazy.