L-O-V-E-E-E

Love

There are several pop culture references popping up in my head right now... 

First, 

I went to the McNay Art Museum for the first time with my sister and the name makes me think of that stupidly fun song "Drop that #NaeNae."  (much respect to the late Marion Koogler McNay) I might have been a little too energetic while touring the museum (to the chagrin of my sister), shimmying and dancing around the art.  What a shame that I did not think to drop that NaeNae. ☹  

Second, 

I don't wanna give you the wrong impression, I need love and affection.

And I hope I'm not sounding too desperate, I need love and affection.

Love, love, love, love and affection.

Love, love, L-O-V-E-E-E and affection

--Loveeee, Rihanna feat. Future

Thanks to Future for his seal-ish wails and half the inspiration for this blog post title.  To fully grasp the power (sweet desperation and awesome ridiculousness) of this song, you must have a listen if you haven't before.  The lyrics are just not enough. ☺

Third,

The Love Sculpture.  I knew I'd seen it somewhere (in a photo) and that somewhere was not San Antonio.  Philly and New York for sure, I thought.  The artwork by Robert Indiana was first created as a print image (on holiday cards and stamps) in 1964 and first made into a sculpture in 1970.  And apparently there are eighteen versions of Love in the United States, with the original sculpture in Indiana.  Thank you for fulfilling my curiosity, Wikipedia. And thank you for reading/skimming/browsing/glancing.

♥ Much love!

Mostly blue with a pop of red and a block of black

haphazard

Outfit Details

Cynthia Rowley tank // Forever 21 jacket // Kut by the Cloth shorts

Steve Madden red belt // Report oxfords // Rebecca Minkoff Mac bag

Can I get a source, please?

Love (Sculpture)

List of Love sculptures

The Happy Hatter

pretty and delicious

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Outfit Details

Aryeh dress (Ruche) // Antoniazzi Firenze leather belt (my mom) //Rebecca Minkoff Mac bag

Nine West heels (Ross) // The hat (World Market)

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Saturdays are for bakeries and breweries.  First Bakery Lorraine for some macarons (my new favorite dessert!) and then the Pearl Brewery (where there is no longer a brewery) to wander.  All the while wearing a floppy hat.  Inspired by this story of a hat, I have composed my own "story." 

Before I went to Nigeria last December, I decided I wanted a floppy hat because I would be going from chilly to hot weather (and because I saw an Instagram pic of some girl looking cool in one...).  I had searched the Internets but by the time I really wanted the hat, my departure date was too close.  Whatever I ordered online wouldn't arrive when I needed it (and I didn't need a hat so badly to justify expedited shipping; I didn't need a hat at all).  So I went to a few stores: Target, Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, and a peep at Walmart.

Do you know how hard it is to find what is basically a summer hat in the middle of winter?  I felt a little silly trying to find one until I stepped into World Market and saw this lone hat.  There was no price tag on it. 

Because it was way out of season, the sales clerk had to scroll through their inventory on the computer to find an item with a similar description and then find the price.  This took twenty minutes and I waited patiently.  Although I did say to myself "If this hat costs more than $15..."

The price was $10.  I happily paid and excitedly packed the hat in my suitcase for Nigeria.  And then it never left the suitcase for those three weeks abroad.  I never wore the hat that I went through all that trouble to find and buy.  Until this past Saturday when I tried to see if it could fit over my hair.  It did and all of a sudden my flat sandals had to go (according to my sister) in favor of heels.  And here I am, the happy hatter.

**taken by my lovely sister

Medio del Verano

Hey guys!!  I hope everyone's summer has been lovely so far.  When I stopped to think about it I couldn't believe it's already mid-July.  I remember someone asking me "How's your summer been?" and I was like "What?"  We're in the middle of summer and the sun hasn't lied yet, but the ads for back-to-school sales have started to play.  Hmmm....it's not too soon for that?

For the past two years the end of summer has only meant the end to no school zones and less traffic on my commute to work.  And now, the end of summer is not just the end of a season because I'll also be going back to school.  Aaahhh!  But until then, I'm gonna enjoy my "last" summer break...

By wearing a maxi dress in the middle of a weekday (when I'd usually be at work dressed acceptably casual or more office ready-- one extreme or the other).  I've worn this a couple of times when I felt too lazy to wear anything else because that's what no-nonsense dresses are for.  No-nonsense: no zippers, no clasps, no buttons, no inner lining, no layers to straighten.  

Photos courtesy of my sister. ♥♥♥

artistic liberty

Outfit Details

Soprano dress (TJ Maxx)

Nine West cardigan (TJ Maxx)

Sam Edelman sandals (Marshall's)

my overused Steve Madden crossbody (TJ Maxx)

JewelMint spiky gold bangle (JewelMint.com)

Rachel Roy gold teardrop hoops (Nordstrom Rack)

All of the Lights

soft shock

Fireworks are nothing special to me--once you've seen one display you've seen them all.  If I don't go to a firework show, I don't regret it.  But I think it's definitely more about the company you're with rather than the special effects lighting up the sky.  Every time I do go to a firework show I am reminded of that.  

This year I went to Woodlawn Lake Park to see the displays with a friend and a friend of a friend.  The park was FULL.  Full of people--families, children (with sparklers and glow sticks) and dogs (a couple not on leashes, yikes!).  It was like a mini-fair.  There was a stage with a band playing and booths selling giant turkey legs, funnel cakes, and sweet corn.  

We watched the display from this bridge a little ways from the lake.  The show was anti-climatic without a proper ending because of technical problems due to the light rain.  But still, against my usual behavior, I took photos of the works.  These two were the most unique and interesting to me.  And this tweet I saw on my timeline was so fitting and funny.  I absolutely agree (even as I hypocritically took photos).

whispers in the night

Jump for Joy

Hey hey hey!

Happy belated 4th of July!

Had on some red, black and specks of blue with silver as a stand-in for white for the eve of Independence Day.  Three days ago.  I don't know how some of these bloggers I follow put out actual outfit of the day posts...unless they write a few ahead of time for scheduled posts or somehow just create the time.  Does anyone have that...a time-creator machine?  I'd like very much to have that.   

I bought these pants a long time ago and once again left them in my closet for months before actually wearing them out.  Lately I've been wearing them often to work, usually with a blazer.  But on this holiday eve, the Thursday that felt like a Friday, I decided to put on my favorite vest instead (the dress code at my job is strangely variable).  Because vests are amazing.  When you feel like adding a jacket but not an entire jacket...there it is!  And that's all I've got.  Happy day!!!

off-side

Outfit Details
Femme by Tresics t-shirt
Ava vest (forever thrifted)
Halogen Taylor Fit pants
Dolce Vita flats
those silver bangles again