rainy weekend

 dress  / tote / umbrella 

Probably one of the worst things about shopping is finding out that you paid full price for something that is now deeply discounted (i.e. this dress is now under $50!). Ouch. Maybe my pain can be your gain! I had this dress in mind for a drizzly weekend stroll through the streets of Princeton, where I had to stop for some errands over the weekend. The campus is filled with such beautiful landscaping and with the trees in full bloom it was hard to resist snapping a few photos in front of all their pink magnificence!  A lot of people were out doing the same thing even through the fine mist and chilly temperatures.

I added a cheap belt (this was from an outfit from F21) to add some structure, but I love this dress without a belt too. It is supposed to be a sheath dress, and while constructed on the top with a ribbed tee fabric, it is drapey and elegant on the bottom. It adds just enough length and is lined on the inside.

 Most rainy days, I don't feel like dressing up - but when I have an awesome umbrella (old school with the wooden hook handle) I feel a little bit more classic Londoner and more inspired to dress the part.

what makes you feel happy on a rainy day? ciao! xo

lazy sunday

flats (similar)  / denim lucky  / blouse urban outfitters / tote / necklace loft  / hat brixton

The perfect lazy Sunday is actually not lazy at all! It would be dressing up in my sunday best, having breakfast or coffee or tea with my loves, and taking in all the joys of the season. And that was last sunday! I strolled around with my photog (aka my brother) after enjoying an amazing family breakfast and planning an upcoming mini-getaway to Long Island, NY for later this month. Lately I have been wanting to do so many things on the weekends but I am trying to restrict myself to budget-friendly activities (aka no shopping - or not a lot, at least. hehe). I want to be disciplined and cut out unnecessary spending over the next few weeks so I can really enjoy the cafes, maybe a cute B&B, and spontaneous stops along the way. I am dreaming of the early spring nautical delights of the Hamptons and cannot wait! So for now, I am really indulging the weekends with simple time for photography, exercising, painting, and getting ready for spring. Just this weekend I planted some ranunculus bulbs and other spring seeds to get in the spirit of warmth!

Right now it's chilly in these parts, but during this time of year I always feel like ditching my coat. While shooting, I was definitely cold, but it felt great walking through spurts of sunshine down the street and feeling the breeze in my hair!  For this chilly day look, I wore my favorite new ruffled blouse from Urban Outfitters.  I love the romantic, drapey ruffles on this shirt. It's actually very lightweight but pulls down in the right places. It was perfect to pair with my also romantic lacey flats, which I learned are properly called ghillies (they're named after old Scottish dancing shoes). I thought a half-up half-down wavy hairstyle would be a nice girlish touch to this finalize this look.

PS - these pics are edited in Lightroom and how awesome do they look!? I am amazed by the power of this program. It also makes me realize how just about every image that has ever been published or shared in this age has been retouched! While I definitely love my share of instagram filters, lightroom presets and other editing goodies, I know that over-editing and photoshopping can really take away from the beauty of raw images, and that's why I like to keep it pretty simple. I only like to edit or add to the mood of the image. For the above photos, I was feeling a light, bright and airy morning vibe. It adds a weird sense of authenticity to these pictures, in my head. No major edits go into my work (it is so time consuming!). The skill of taking the shot matters first, and when that's awesome quality, then editing is a breeze.

before and after in lightroom 

check out my photography portfolio! 

soft details

br necklace / primark sweater / br jeans / tote (old) / shoes (similar)

The first semblances of spring are what make me the absolute happiest. All I want to do is buy loads of tulips, eat Reese eggs, do some major spring de-cluttering, and of course wear feminine and light clothes that are perfect for warmer days. The first day it hits 60 degrees is the unofficial kickoff of spring in my head! This past Sunday was the day, and we made some time for a midmorning smoothie stop to get in some greens with our breakfast. There's an awesome smoothie place nearby and I always go for a berry smoothie made with greens and almond milk. 

For our smoothie outing, I decided to break in my new flats (called ghillies) with my favorite new ankle-length jeans. I love the heavy amounts of detail down by the ankles in this outfit - the cuffs from the jeans have an awesome dip-dye look which I love. I never buy jeans, and I just had to have these for spring.  The shoes are also really detailed, with the laces that go up the leg underneath the cuffs of my jeans. I honestly feel like I am hopping on such an obvious trend bandwagon here, but these were only $19 and I feel like that is a perfect amount to spend on a pair of shoes that a) I probably won't wear often and b) won't be in style forever. To lighten things up, I wore a really comfortable sweater from Primark (new obsession) with a pretty lace detail that ups the femininity of the whole outfit. There's a lot of stuff going on with this outfit, but it pretty much sums up springtime weekending to me.

What you can't see in the outfit is my new fitbit charge hr! S got it for me for Valentine's Day and I honestly LOVE it. I cannot believe how motivated it makes me to keep moving throughout the day. Today alone I had over 14,000 steps! I have been feeling great, which, to me, is the best advantage. It keeps me way more disciplined than I used to be without it, especially when it comes to food logging and making sure I drink enough water. I just feel healthy, light, and consistent with my habits.

ciao! xo

p.s. follow my new creative outlet, @ataylorstudio! 

pretending it's cold...

What is more bizarre than a warm Christmas?! It was a complete oxymoron, requiring an air conditioner and everything. Christmas Eve was 76 degrees! We always joke in my family that there is something wrong about a sunny Christmas; it goes against every carol, holiday card and Charles Dickens-esque picture. At least it was cloudy, and not sunny!

Despite that, our holiday has been wonderful. It's been filled with Star Wars everything, lots of PIE, homemade pasta (all the carbs!) and lots of wrapping paper. I received this lovely hat and scarf and immediately paired them together in my mind's eye for an outfit like this (above). I mean, ideally I would be wearing a nice black coat and boots, but a light dress is perfect for 60 degrees or so in December. My little bro is such a good sport for taking these pics!

How is everyone's Christmas weekend?

ciao! xo

jacket weather

jacket LOFT | tee shirt LOFT | jeans Lucky Brand | bag Coach | glasses Ray Ban | earrings LOFT | 

Good morning on this mild Tuesday! It is a real departure from our brisk and chilly weekend, perfect jacket weather. It's nice to really embrace "fall fashion" and wear layers, cozied up. These were taken in Princeton during our weekend drive.

Some things going on lately:

• grad school: it's going! Crazy to think we are almost mid-way through the semester. I have a system down for homework and making it to class on time, so all I have to do is continue chugging on for that.

• music: this might be weird...but the songs I just downloaded on my iPod are all classics! Rhapsody in Blue, Hoedown, Appalachian Spring, Four Seasons...a mix of nice tunes are in my queue.

• new tea obsession: cold brew! It's awesome to have these tea bags handy at work. All you do is pop them into a cold water bottle and voila! You have some awesome iced tea. I love drinking my iced tea unsweetened so this is pretty much perfect.

• in the market: for a new thermos. Speaking of tea...that's what I would use it for. I used to have this jumbo sized thermos from Dunkin Donuts that kept my tea hot ALL day long, and it died on me....I guess the insulation wore away from too much use. Haha, I know...this is interesting stuff...

• currently on repeat: Parks and Rec, Downton Abbey reruns...never gets old.

• upcoming resolutions: I am really excited because one of my old friends from high school is starting up Pilates classes...I admire the fact that she is just doing it! I am going to one of her classes this weekend, and I can't wait. So, in spirit of staying healthy (and preferably trim) I'd like to mix up Pilates and vinyasa classes this fall to keep busy. With grad school, plus work, I'd have to balance it...but we will see!

ciao! xo

el matador beach

Hello from El Matador Beach in Malibu! S and I embarked on a mini-road trip adventure to see the dramatic rocks and coves of El Matador. It wasn't like anything I had ever seen (or expected!). We didn't just stumble upon it - it is known in LA for being one of the most picturesque and romantic beaches with a killer view of the Pacific. And it did not disappoint! We had some snafus getting some parking, but all of that was quickly forgotten once we got up close to these massive rocks jutting out of the beach.

To get down to the beach there is this rickety, rusty and steep staircase that brings you down. Other than that it's just slopes of sand and hoping that your flip flops don't fail you! Actually, I was surprised there wasn't another - safer - way to get down to the beach, considering we're in LA. But that is what makes El Matador one of the lesser known, "hidden" beaches. We finished our time at El Matador by walking and examining each part of the beach -  which is quite small.  Each little segment of the sand is hidden by the expansive rocks obscuring your view, so I particularly enjoyed walking beyond each and every rock to see what sort of vista it offered. Every once in a while we were sprayed by an errant wave crashing against the rocks, and us :)

This spot is a favorite of photographers, too. I saw a mother and son doing a family portrait with a photographer in the shady coves of the less-crowded parts of the beach, and can only imagine how beautiful those portraits will turn out! The rocky background or smooth Pacific blues just complement each other so well. We didn't stay long, but you can definitely do a day trip here (parking is $8 or free on the PCH - unless you're me and put $20 into the machine that doesn't spit back change). 

I want the weekend back for more adventures with S!!

ciao, xo

my thoughts on style posts...and more

 bag calvin klein | tank free people (similar) | pants elan (similar) | shoes crown vintage | sunnies target (super old)

A couple of things before I get into the meat of this post:

- How I feel about style / outfit posts: Over the last year I have been increasingly resentful of fashion blogs and blogs that solely focus on fashion. I know I shouldn't be talking - because this is indeed an outfit post - but I miss when my favorite fashion blogs focused on actual style. It has become such a game of bragging and competition, and such a business and I find that so disenchanting. It seems that nowadays it is has become all about affiliate links, free swag from reviews and designer names. I won't name the blogs in question, because there's already enough hate on the internet, but I've chosen to unfollow and not read certain blogs (as best I can) because I am so sick of comparing myself to their perfectly edited, Photoshopped and accessorized looks. I used to try to be like them, but now I am realizing how ridiculous and unattainable (and NOT REAL!) it all is. On the other hand, I love reading real blogs with genuine people and posts about fashion - some of my favorites are in my blog roll. And I have to say, the people who shoot these (usually S, my brother or my sisters) are the BEST because they put up with me. Style posts are kinda ridiculous...and yet, here this one is.

- New lens and photography announcement: These photos (taken by S, love you!) were shot with my new 60mm macro lens! While it's not the go-to portrait lens I love how these photos came out! I used to question the idea of even buying a prime lens (it does not zoom, it is fixed) but I feel like this summer I have tried a lot through renting and experimenting...and I'm learning to love it! Not that I didn't love it before - but there is such an art and mechanics behind photography that one needs to appreciate! So...that being said...I have some big news. I have been playing with the idea for a while to start my own little "photography" business...something that I do on the side, more for casual shoots and fun portraits. I've done a newborn shoot already and I was overwhelmed, yet exhilarated, by the challenges of it. I've started a website where you can see my portfolio - I am so excited about it!  I'm really trying to continue to build my portfolio and gain more directing experience before I officially take clients. So if you're in the Philly area and are in need of some headshots or a portrait, let me know! :)

- - -

Okay...now onto the actual post! :) I wore this on a dinner date with S at our favorite LA seafood place - it's casually beachy, so I thought that these loose and super light pants would do the trick. Also: I biked 4.4 mi (each way!) in these pants and they were so breathable and flowy. I wish everything was bike accessible! I am becoming so used to riding Wilbury everywhere and locking him up at a bike rack - it's super easy and convenient. Plus we burned off a little of our dinner, right? My tank top is definitely not as cozy, but I love it for the super skinny straps and stretchy material. It felt a bit tight, but again it is so light and breathable so on the bikes it didn't really feel noticeable. California style is so sublime! I love the beachy vibes that extend far beyond summer. 

ciao! xo

all-american night

My blog! I've neglected you! I'll bore you with my reasons later, because I really want to get into this post - seriously, the perfect summer night! It felt so classically American; taking in baseball, amazing, cool weather, a spectacular sunrise, catching whiffs of sugary funnel cake. We're currently down in Maryland visiting my sister, and we're having the best time doing spontaneous and impromptu things...like showing up to a minor league baseball game to see the Bowie Baysox!

Turns out I kind of loved the game, which I wasn't expecting.  Our seats were amazing, and the best part was the really kind and generous people we met and shared the game with. My sister caught a ball at the end of the game, the Baysox won (new favorite thing to say: GOOOO Baysox!) and we got to chat with new acquaintances that brightened all of our days. There's something about the smell of freshly popped popcorn, hot dogs, and the brassy organ chimes of merry-go-rounds. The entire night felt low key and unkempt in a summery way, in a way, so I opted for a messy ponytail and a super comfortable outfit. Thanks to my sis for the borrowed vest! :)

This evening also marked the very last due date of my final grad assignment for the course I just finished - yess! 

I feel much freer, in a sense, and it feels like summer just unfolded. So many plans up in the air! I'll be spending a lot of my summer days in California with S, so I am really excited {follow along!}. We are hoping to make a few little trips out of the summer, but plans still need some shaping and organizing. I've been keeping super busy, so I am looking forward to the next few days without worrying about due dates and homework assignments. It's funny to be a student again, I secretly love it.

It's been a long day of car driving and baseball watching. Time to call it a night! :)

ciao, xo