BaK ToO SkOoL

This year is the first year in my six years of teaching that I have the same room from the year before; it is also the first year that I will not have any new class preps. I wish I could say that these two facts alone eased the anxiety of a new class, but as a senior English teacher, I feel such an intense pressure to increase my students' reading and writing abilities before they embark on that small journey called life {wherever it takes them: college, military, employment or a place I call WTF-land} that even the familiarity of my room and my lesson plans could not make that pressure go away. I find that nearly all of my thoughts go towards competing with the likes of a social media world that has captured {nearly} all of their hearts while working within the confines of a classroom with very limited technology; however, the beauty of a new school year exists in the hope of a new beginning. The frustrations of last year are shed and, in their place, optimism emerges. Back to school means my greatest dreams for these kids are not yet dashed by their over-interests in less lucrative ambitions, acceptance of apathy or premature beginnings of other sorts. They come on the first day with their new composition notebooks and un-sharpened pencils, and they all sit and write so delicately on the first page in response to my first question. Next week, a backpack will be lost. In a month, someone will have cut my class. In six months, the senior-itis will be suffocating every ounce of work ethic from their very beings. The first day, however, is an escape from all of the will-happens; it is the hope that all the negatives will, this year, fall into the didn't-happen category. And, maybe, just maybe, they will. Maybe they will learn where to place a comma when beginning a sentence with a subordinate clause. Maybe they will find a deep appreciation for Beowulf's alliterative verse. Maybe they will master the eloquence of a perfectly formulated thesis statement. Maybe {and, of course, hopefully} they will become better people. But, maybe, they won't.

The first day of school does leave a small twinge in my heart for a few summer specialties. One, I love sleeping in. A 7:30 AM start to school means I am {hopefully} waking up at 6:00 AM to get to my classroom with time to spare for mailbox-checking and photo-copying {I didn't even know people functioned this early until I started teaching}. Two, I love to start the day with a long run. I don't feel like a normal human being until I've met my daily sweat quota, and getting any type of workout before the school day begins is just an overzealous, unrealistic idea. Three, I am insanely jealous of people who get to "go out" for lunch. I often wish for a small semblance of lunch as a teacher, but by the time the bell rings, I'm lucky to have made it to the refrigerator to grab my sack of food, which generally contains leftovers from the night before {if I'm lucky}.

The first day of school, however, also brings an aura of positive energy. Friendships are reunited. Teams are brought back together. The hallways smell of coffee, new shoes and laughter {if one can get past the stench leaking from the boys' bathroom}. The new school year means new life and, more importantly, new clothes. Of course, I never miss an opportunity to buy a new outfit. This year, in the spirit of saving, I was coveting the striped Merona dress from Target. Nevermind that I already have an almost identical version from Madewell, the Merona dress is knee-length {a must for teaching} and heavier material, which makes it great for every season. More importantly, it has pockets {yes, multiply the cuteness of a dress by 10 when factoring in these gems}, and it cost me a mere $22 with my Carthweel app. Paired with a bow belt and some pretty pumps, this dress helped me usher in the class of 2014 with all smiles. Here, my friends, is to the maybes.

Back to School // Merona dress {local Target but similar here + here + here}, Rachel Roy pumps {1/2 size up}, Target bow belt, Zara pearls, Michael Kors Jet Set watch & Coach large Saffiano tote

Madewell {Take One} // J. Crew cardigan + Cece suede flats, Deux Lux handbag {from TJ Maxx, but similar here} & eBay jewelry

Madewell {Take Two} // J. Crew colorblock cardigan, MIA Limited Edition Elana captoe flats & Michael Kors Jet Set watch

Cobalt Crush

If you walked into my closet-of-old, you would have been confronted with four colors: black, white, gray and denim. Every shirt-in-awhile, you would have stumbled upon something yellow or red, but its presence would have felt entirely out of place. As a recent college graduate, my budget was limited, and I couldn't bare to spend my hard-earned teacher dollars {which didn't come easy} on something that {I thought} could only be worn once. I'm also nearly positive that I rotated five outfits through every five workdays for my first year as a working professional {classy}. My new-found appreciation for color-blocking, pattern-playing and monochrome-matching has led to a deep appreciation for anything not of the black-and-white family.

My husband and I enjoy playing random psyche games like "Would you rather...?" and "If you could only...?" to establish unrealistic parameters for our lives. Questions include: Would you rather be forced to eat your own toenails or have your eyebrows shaved off? If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what song would it be? Obviously {or hopefully}, we would never be forced to make these decisions, but the answers are so comically amusing - and most times, require such intense thought - that we get lost for hours in a sea of inquiry. I can recall one question, however, that required only a split second of decision: If you could only wear one color for the rest of your life, what color would it be?

Blue. Boom. Done.

From cerulean to navy, I haven't met a blue I didn't like {which very much bodes in my favor as a Kentucky resident}, and I'm currently crushing hard on cobalt. There is a certain radiance and richness to it that screams neon without the eye-piercing dazzle {although I also love me a good neon every now and again}. This bright blue is my new black.

Cobalt Bottoms // Gap 1969 always skinny jeans + butterfly blouse {similar style here and color here}, J. Crew Cece flats {similar color here} & Michael Kors Jet Set watch

Cobalt Top // Target Xhilaration tank, Joe's black skinny jeans, Madewell skimmer flats {print also available here}, Coach handbag {same color here}, Tory Burch aviator sunglasses, Michael Kors Jet Set watch & Cara NY jewelry

Cobalt Details // J. Crew yellow lace dress {similar here} + Cece flats {similar color here}, Coach Madison Lindsay crossbody {similar color here} + sunglasses {similar style here}, Michael Kors Bradshaw watch & cobalt flower earrings

Dog Days of Summer

I. Love. My. Dogs. And, I feel completely justified in saying it with such emphasis because I do not have kids {yet}. That motherly, nurturing gene that exists in women is fulfilled in me by a 17-pound male Puggle who continually poops in our basement and a 75-pound female Boxer-Pit Bull who takes up three-quarters of our king size bed. I spoil them so rotten that my husband may {or may not} have said once or twice in our nearly one year of marriage, "I wish you loved me as much as the dogs." What he can't possibly understand is that I do not love them more, just different.

First of all, my girl Roxy is just that, my girl {although she would probably choose my husband if given the choice because I am convinced that she has a crush on him}. She has traveled with me through three states, four houses and five jobs. In a time in my life when I packed up everything I had ever known and moved 1,500 miles away from Colorado to Portland, Oregon, she was sitting in the passenger seat next to me. Then, again, when I packed up everything from Portland to move 3,000 miles to Louisville, Kentucky, she was in the back seat. She was a very stable part of a very unstable time in my life. Frank, on the other hand, is my little prince. He prances around the house, following in every single one of my footsteps, and it is not possible for him to sit anywhere without human contact. He does not have the potential to hurt even a fly {although he tries}, and I recently discovered that he viciously attacks all of our mail when the poor delivery man slides it into our door mail slot. His personality is unparalleled, which is what made it so devastating when we came home from church on Sunday and he started yelping every time we went to pick him up. All we kept saying was, "Something is really wrong with him," and yet neither of us wanted to fork over the hundreds of dollars to go to an emergency clinic on a Sunday afternoon.

Time out. Before you go and call us bad pet owners, here's the down low on Roxy's life up to this point. She is approximately five. I rescued her at three-months-old. Two years ago, she got hit by a Land Rover going 40 MPH on a Friday night while visiting my future in-laws. We were forced to rush her to an emergency clinic where she stayed for a week while they performed surgery to reconstruct her pelvis {yes!}. I couldn't afford it, but I had nice parents and a decent credit card. Six months ago, she blew out her knee including a full tear of the ACL. My husband and I were faced with, yet again, a hurt {but relatively healthy} dog and a hefty bill. We just found out last week that she broke off a piece of the knee implant, which will inevitably mean another surgery {thank you, Roxy}. Time in.

So, as any 21st-century pet-owner would do, I Googled. I scoured for every possible reason that my little dog would not want to be picked up. I went from constipation to bulging disk and back to constipation. I resorted to feeding him wet food mixed with canned pumpkin since he refused to drink water and wouldn't go to the bathroom. I snuggled him all night {as any good mom would do} and got him to the vet first thing in the morning {after crappy sleep and a 6:30 AM run that had me in tears for fear that I'd be taking my dog to his death bed in a few hours}. My hope was restored when I grabbed his leash for the outing and he started running around me in circles like the Frank-of-old; the second miracle happened when he finally pooped on our way into the vet after going dormant for over 24 hours. Hallelujah. All was right with the world. His back is still bothering him, but the vet said it's nothing that a few doggie pain killers and muscle relaxers {mixed lovingly with canned pumpkin} can't fix. Compared to Roxy, it was a surprisingly cheap day. I don't know how much I would have spent to make his pain go away, but I can tell you one thing: the number in my head was probably {much} higher than the number in my husband's head. Thankfully, that battle was saved for another day.

Roxy in Her Prime {pre-surgeries}

My Traveling Co-Pilot

Roxy Post-Pelvis Surgery

My Little Prince

Frank's Water Bowl

Best Friends

She a Gold Digger

Once upon a time {in a land far, far away}, I hated gold jewelry. It distinctly reminded me of something that my grandmother {or any grandmother} would wear, and I couldn't help but stare at it in disgust. When I hit my mid-twenties, I started singing a {much different} tune. Now, if it's gold, I'm probably wearing it {or at least wishing that I was wearing it}. Something about gold pieces just screams sexy-chic, and they have the ability to make any outfit go from drab to fab. Gold. Bam. Insta-droolworthiness. I have five staple gold goodies that I rotate {rather religiously} through my wardrobe:

1. Gemvara Twine Wedding Band :: I am absolutely in love with my vintage, 100-year-old solitaire diamond engagement ring. When I started shopping for my wedding band, I knew that I wanted something simple that would take nothing away from the diamond's sheer wow-ness. Since the setting was platinum, I also knew that I wanted something gold. Yes, some people naysayed my optimism in mixing metals, but I could not be happier with the selection. The simplicity of the gold twine band next to the power of my stunning solitaire {truly} never gets old.

Gold + Navy + Nude // Francesca's striped dress {similar here}, J. Crew schoolboy blazer, Jessica Simpson Calie pumps, Target belt, Solitaire + Gemvara twine wedding band, Inga Creations earrings, Michael Kors Hamilton tote & Jet Set watch

Michael Kors Jet Set watch + Gemvara twine wedding band

2. Michael Kors Jet Set Watch :: This watch is the staple piece of my jewelry collection. You are hard-pressed to find me wearing anything else. My favorite part about it is, once again, its sheer simplicity. There are no numbers. There are no diamonds. It is just a perfect shade and finish of gold that compliments every possible outfit combination.

Monochrome Blue + Gold // BDG colorblock Chambray {similar here and here}, J. Crew Tippi sweater + Cece flats, Gap velvet skinny jeans & Michael Kors Jet Set watch

3. Inga Creations Tusk Necklace :: Aspen-designer Emily Gustafson loves gold just as much as I do, which means that I keep her jewelry line on heavy repeat. My newest favorite piece is an antler strung on a gold chain wrapped perfectly in gold wire {totally Colorado, right?}. Enter code "PUPSANDPUMPS" at checkout, and she'll treat you to 20% off your order {woohoo!}.

My recent haul from Inga Creations

Dressed Up.

{or} Dressed Down.

4. MIA Limited Edition Elana Flats :: I am semi-embarrassed to admit that I had to trade in my Tory Burch Reva flats a few months ago. The elastic backs were digging into my heels so badly that, by the end of the day, I was sporting them as clogs. Plus, I over-pronate ridiculously far {running lingo for "my ankles roll in"}, and anything with an elastic back just doesn't bode in my favor. I started a mad hunt for a pair of black flats with gold detail, and I found these gems. Love them. Plus, super comfortable {in 1/2 size up}.

Gap corduroy skinny jeans, J. Crew Factory herringbone tank, Zara pearl necklace, MIA Limited Edition Elana Flats, Michael Kors Hamilton tote & Jet Set watch

5. Madewell Skimmer Flats {similar here} :: Finally, my Dorothy shoes. While clicking these suckers together won't get me home after a long night out, the gold glitter stays perfectly in tact, and they are sure to garner plenty of compliments {trust}.

Jason Aldean Concert // Blank NYC coated denim + Tory Burch Amanda logo clutch + Madewell skimmer flats {similar here}

I'm a Sucker {for Chambray}.

I still remember my fourth grade yearbook picture. My hair was curled in tight tendrils {a product of the foam rollers my mom had used to cover my head the night before}. My tongue stuck out from a gaping hole on the side of my mouth where I had recently lost a tooth. More importantly, I was wearing a denim button-down tee with a bolo tie {yes, you read that correctly} strategically placed beneath my shirt collar. Little did I know that 20-some-odd years later my elementary look would be making a comeback. I spent hours scavenging for a replica of the photo {if not only to just prove my previous claim}, but when you've moved as many times as I have in the last ten years, these small things are no longer easily accessible {or, more likely, they no longer physically exist}. Fortunately for you, I was able to locate some oh-so-stylish, replica snapshots of the look.

Savage Bolo Tie

Susan Caplan Exclusive for ASOS Vintage 70s Bolo Bull Tie

I would probably swap the bolo for something a little {or a lot} more feminine {i.e. pearls}, but there is something about the denim shirt that makes my heart swoon {maybe because it pairs so perfectly with colored and printed bottoms}. I wear chambray {on average} 2-3 times a week, and I have absolutely no shame in admitting this stat. I have proudly organized an entire section of my closet in devotion to my growing chambray habit, and I have heard on more than one occasion from my husband, "I'm embarrassed to say this, but sometimes, I wish I could wear your clothes." Nothing to be embarrassed about, honey. The number of chambray button-downs and popovers grows exponentially in our household, so as of late, I had been jonesing for something a little different {enter the chambray dress}. While in London, I found exactly what I had in mind at a trendy chain called Uniqlo. It was love at first sight {and second and third}, and I could hardly wait to bring it home to explore all the possibilities. I recently decided to take it for a spin on a mid-week lunch date. I had six seniors on my basketball team last season, and all of them {minus one} are leaving for college in the next couple weeks. I treated them to a hearty {and not-so-healthy} throng of chicken wings and nachos. Apparently, during a "bathroom" break, they ran out to my car and covered my windows in obscure signage {including "Honk. It's my Birthday!" on the back windshield}. I spent my entire ride home feeling pleased with my chambray threads while waving thanks to those who honked so spiritedly.

Uniqlo chambray dress {similar here and here}, navy tights {love these}, Target belt, Zara pearl necklace, J. Crew Cece ballet flats, Michael Kors Hamilton tote & Jet Set watch

Lunch Date with My Girls

I got punked.

Chambray Love Affair // [top right] Gap polka dot chambray {similar here} + [bottom left] BDG colorblock chambray {similar here and here} + [bottom right] J. Crew chambray popover

My niece Maebyn rocking baby chambray // Gap long sleeve {0-12 months}

Chambray + Printed Denim // Gap chambray shirt, Gap 1969 camo skinny jeans {sold out but similar colors here} + bracelet {loving this}, J. Crew Janey neon flats, Coach boyfriend watch & Rebecca Minkoff navy mini mac

Chambray + Colored Denim // J. Crew chambray popover, 7 for All Mankind yellow skinny jeans {similar here}, Marc by Marc Jacobs ankle boots {similar here}, Tory Burch Amanda logo clutch crossbody & Michael Kors Jet Set watch

Summer Wedding Secrets

I am not a sappy wedding fan {by any means}. In fact, I am what you might call an anti-traditional wedding-ist. I appreciate tradition, but I have a hard time accepting tradition for tradition's sake; however, I am always touched by how people decide to vow themselves to each other before God - so much so that I have truly come to appreciate nuptials on a much deeper level than ever before. One, it reminds me of the commitment I have made to my own husband {which is always worth being reminded}. Two, I enjoy seeing couple's creativity lived out in a very finite period of time. Three, I love not only dressing for the occasion {obviously}, but I also love seeing how everyone else dresses for the occasion. Weddings are such a unique blend of fashion statements that I can't help but get lost evaluating ensembles {in the midst of making a fool of myself on the dance floor and eating entirely way too much wedding cake}.

Jordan and I had two weddings slated for this summer. The first was an outdoor event in a beautiful park. The second was in a gorgeous downtown church. Surprisingly, I have found that any summer wedding requires layers. Outdoor weddings always bring the possibility of rain, and indoor weddings in the southern state of Kentucky usually entail an {overly} abundant amount of air conditioning. My Forever 21 cotton blazer worked perfectly on both occasions.

I feel blessed to have shared in a special moment with two very dear sets of friends. More importantly, I witnessed the greatest father-daughter dance of all time {"Butterfly Kisses" gets dominated at the 1:40-mark}, and Jordan and I made insta-wedding friends who owned the photo booth with us like it had never been owned before {props rule!}.

Outdoor Wedding Wedges // INC International Concepts platform espadrilles {sold out but loving these}

Outdoor Wedding Threads // Kate Spade Robbie pencil skirt, Mossimo collared blouse {local Target but loving this}, Forever 21 blazer {similar here}, & Michael Kors Hamilton Bag + Jet Set Watch

Indoor Wedding Threads // Maison Jules dress {local Macy's but loving this}, Forever 21 blazer {similar here}, Tory Burch aviator sunglasses, Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac, Michael Kors Jet Set watch & Inga Creations pearl dangle earrings

Indoor Wedding Heels // Sole Society Sheila pumps {limited quantities here but also loving these}

Golden Details

Photo Booth Fun

The Art of Introversion

Sometimes, just sometimes, something on Facebook will catch my eye {aside from ridiculous commentary or an inappropriate photo from a long-lost "friend"}. As a high school teacher, I have been schooled by my students {no pun intended} on the de-evolution of Facebook, which is currently being taken over by Twitter and Instagram; however, I am not a high school student, and I still appreciate keeping up with old {genuine} friends from Christmas Past {I do live 1500-miles away from where I grew up} as well as those in Christmas Present. A couple days ago, my news feed informed me that two of my "friends" liked an article titled "6 Things You Thought Wrong About Introverts" {yes, I realize I am personifying my news feed}.

I have always pondered where to file myself in the introverted/extroverted conversation, so I happily opened the link for a quick read. My world was rocked. My husband is a total extrovert {like a-walking-poster-child, find-his-picture-in-the-dictionary kind of extrovert}. It is very clear that he feels most alive when being surrounded by as many people as humanly possible. He has never met a stranger, and if you need something fixed, he has a friend to do the job {I love this about him, by the way}. I, on the other hand, find {or did find} classifying myself in one of the two camps very difficult. I enjoy people. I mean, I am a teacher, so I interact with {on average} 120 students throughout the course of my day. But, this same job also offers a great deal of solo working time - lesson planning, grading, etc. I enjoy being at home, and I enjoy being alone {and when I say enjoy, I mean love to such an intense degree that I might even feel guilty about it}. Because my husband is so outgoing, I have spent the last few years trying to understand my own psychological makeup. I, too, would classify myself as outgoing - I am not timid around new people or when faced with a new experience, yet I have such a strong desire to recharge away from large crowds of people. I love running, and I love racing, but when people ask to go running with me, I hesitate for {probably} much longer than I should because it is such a sacred solo moment in my day {so sacred, in fact, that I leave my headphones at home}. For so long, I've been trying to fit myself into an extroverted box because I felt such a shame about being introverted; I thought that being an introvert meant that I was shy, awkward and, frankly, downright boring. God Bless the Huffington Post for opening my eyes to a long list of introverts who are, in fact, very sociable but also pensive and independent - Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, and Gandhi.  I can now walk through life as a proud introvert, relishing my quiet moments alone and being all the better for it.

Summer Picnic // Target racerback tank, 7 For all Mankind Roxanne skinny jeans {similar here}, gray polka dot Tom's, Coach Madison Lindsay crossbody {sold out color, but available style here} & Michael Kors Bradshaw watch

How Frank approaches boxes in the back of the car {sit on them}

Home, Sweet Home

Extensive traveling does two things: (1) allows you to see and appreciate other cultures and (2) allows you to yearn for and appreciate your own. I have such an intense fascination for learning that I was {almost} overwhelmed with going abroad. The history is unparalleled, and the nuances in lifestyle genuinely piqued my interest. In Prague, I fell in love with the wall graffiti. In Germany, it was the endless bike paths. Paris amazed me with the Arc de Triomph. As for London, I am still boggled why they chose to drive on the left side of the road, but their public transportation system more than makes up for it {plus, I have a small obsession with their style}. One of the other things that I loved about Europe was their abundance of fresh fruit stands. It's no wonder they are all so thin. They eat fruit like Americans eat Snickers bars and gas station hot dogs. 

While traveling, I quickly learned the priorities of my regular life's guilty pleasures. Aside from the standard yearning for my family and friends, my body craved some American specialties {most of which are comparable to Snickers and gas station hot dogs when it comes to caloric intake}:

1. Powerade Zero {orange}
2. Skyline Chili {4-way with beans}
3. Qdoba {naked vegetarian burrito with queso & guacamole}
4. Brookside Chocolate-Covered Pomegranate
5. Pizza {from one of the many locally owned shops in Louisville}
6. The Bachelorette {shhh, I know, I've been watching it since college}
7. My bed {for obvious reasons}
8. My closet {I made it 18 days on 4 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 skirts, 7 tops, and ONE purse}
9. My cell phone {wifi is awesome, but life without 4G gets a little ridiculous}
10. MY PUPS {oh. em. gee.}

Now that I've been able to get my grubby little hands on these goodies, I can {more deeply} sit back and appreciate the arduous adventure that has now come to a close. It is so easy to look at other countries and imagine an alternate universe, but the learning happens when one can recognize how similar we really are {as human beings}. Ultimately, we are all connected, and we grow when we see how other people of our same age, job or social status interact with their geography. Traveling only made me realize that Ponyboy knew his stuff oh-so-long ago: “It seemed funny that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two worlds we lived in weren’t so different. We saw the same sunset" (The Outsiders).

Prague's Graffiti // "Before I die I want to ________."

Germany's Bike Paths // view from one of my morning runs

France's Arc de Triomph // Paris

London's Hipster-Prep Style // Gap skimmer jeans {sold out, but loving these} + black tee {similar here}, Polo Ralph Lauren cardigan {similar here}, Inga Creations tusk necklace + leather wrap bracelet, Michael Kors jet set watch & Jessica Simpson captoe flats.

The Pups // they have staked claim on my side of the bed

Style Stats: London

If Urban Outfitters had a city in which to epitomize its very being, it would be London. While I found Paris to be somewhat anti-climactic, London far exceeded my expectations; I felt like I could relate to their vintage-hipster-prep style, which made shopping a real delight {plus, Jordan and I found an amazing street bizarre in Old Spitalfields Market with fabulous local goods}. At moments, I felt like I was reliving 1999 with all the cut-off Levi's and exposed bra straps floating around {think Saved by the Bell}. Any London fashionista willing to ask the tough questions learns that shopping at cliche stores in the city just isn't cool {despite the fact that they have the most amazing mall}. The "cool" kids frequent Brick Lane where there are rows upon rows of unique consignment shops. Jordan has more patience for this kind of shopping {I can browse online for hours, but I can hardly stand second-hand shopping for more than 10 minutes with the extreme patience it requires to thumb through row upon row of articles}; therefore, to please me, Jordan and I also hit up the most epic department store. Six stories and one entire city block are home to Harrods where private appointments are made on the top floor and a bellman holds the front doors open for you. The shoe department took my breath away: Jimmy Choo, Valentino, Tory Burch {and the list goes on}. At one point, I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing. Some rules for surviving in London:

1. Own a pair of cut-off denim shorts {or two or three}.
2. If it's vintage, rock it.
3. Bras are an accessory.
4. Preferably, show your midriff with baggier assymetrical tops.
5. Bring your Tom's for the walk to the tube {train}.
6. Use the word cue in place of line when shopping {it sounds much fancier}.

Aside from some super-trendy threads, London also gave me a new-found appreciation for public transportation. The logistics of their metro system are remarkable. Before we knew it, Jordan and I were cruising the Jubilee, Central and DLR lines as if we had been doing it our entire lives {after our driving fiasco, this was a comforting surprise}. In fact, we often times found ourselves knowing more than the locals who hardly leave their areas of the city. Because they don't have cars {for obvious reasons}, they hardly venture outside of their small sections of London {unless they are going to work, of course}. I was surprised by the number of people who did not know areas of town when we asked to get from one place to another. When we called our hotel upon arriving in London to ask for directions, the front desk girl's response was, "I'm sorry, let me transfer you to someone who drives." For a city built upon such a communal means of transportation, we were shocked at the isolation of those individuals. We traveled farther in 2.5 days than most of the locals had traveled in years. It made me think about how {un}well-traveled I am in my own country {let alone my own city!}. After seeing Buckingham Palace with my own eyes, I walked away with the feeling that a DC trip is in order. Bring on the White House!

Denim Shorts for Days

Vintage Shops // Brick Lane

Box Park // Transportable Boutique Shops made of Storage Boxes

Street Bizarre // Old Spitalfields Market

Street Vendor // XL Pocket Tees & Sweatshirts {loved this tiger!}

(left) red bow dress {similar style here for purchase here}, silver flats {here} & pearls // (middle) linen tee {here}, black skinny jeans, navy Tom's {here} & black tote {here} // (right) linen yellow skirt {here}, black tights, tank, patent flats {here} & nude tote {here}

London Hipster // dress, tights & neon pumps + denim & high-waisted shorts + bandanas & scarves

Loving this Brit's outfit! // white + navy dress {here}, navy blazer {here} & nude pumps {here}