Some Green Among the Trees

Outfit Details: 

Green Jacket: TJ Maxx

Lace Shirt: Bodycentral

Skirt: made by me

Belt: Kohl's 

Scarf: Target

Necklace: Vintage

 Shoes; Macy's

Purse: H&M

Shopping trip outfits are always the worst. You want something that's easy to change out of and something layer-able, especially since stores tend to range differently temperature wise. Another thing to take into account is having the right pieces for whatever you're going to be trying on. As far as such outfits go, this wasn't a bad choice, but I'm sure there is a better choice, somewhere.

I don't know that I've ever talk about the location these photos are taken at. It's the apple orchard in front of my house. It lays beside the ruins of our barn and right next to the corn fields. (Well, this year they're soy beans.) The trees that have taken root are the best climbing trees we have; and so much of my childhood can be brought back to that little bit of land. In the fall it smells like apples, as so much of the fruit has fallen to the ground. In the spring it's so beautiful when the blossoms peek out from the branches-like in this outfit post. It's places like these that anything can seem possible and almost like nothing could touch you. Forgive me, but I'm a romantic when it comes to my trees and the outdoor world that surrounds them.

The Curve of Technology

It's funny how attached we can get to inanimate objects. For instance, I'm typing this out on my laptop. She has a name and stickers that I put on when she arrived at my house on July 2010. She has a few scratches and a funny mark on the screen where once I spilled tea on her. Her name is Octavia, in case you're curious. In the three years I've owned her I've learned to accept her quirks, like how, sometimes, the mouse won't work when I first sign in or how the task bar won't disappear on occasion, and the scary noise she makes when she's trying to read a disc. It's silly though, you know, to feel this attached to a piece of metal that sits on my lap from time to time. 

Sometimes, much of the time, I find it necessary to get far away from technology. Ask almost anyone, I have a bad habit of forgetting that I have a phone people try to contact me on. I prefer the quiet wind on a shady day to the hum of electronics. But far too often, I forget to step away and turn off all these battery sucking bugs. It might seem strange but taking outfit pictures, where I use a five year old camera (she feels older than that), takes me out of the modern day. Often enough, to take these pictures, I wander into scarcely habituated areas and sit for a moment, soaking in the lighting and the breath of the wind. 

As I get older and wiser, as we all know that at twenty a girl is as wise as can be, I have to wonder what these little gadgets really give us. They might simplify some things, but don't they make others more complicated? Isn't it that much harder to enjoy a night out when it seems that your company is sucked into the world evolving on these little things. Believe me, I get the irony that I'm writing about this on my blog. But sometimes the thoughts stuck inside one's head must be tossed to be heard by those that are willing to listen.

Outfit Details:

Shirt: my mom's

Tank: Kohl's

Shorts: Thrifted

Shoes: Macy's

Necklace: Hottopic

I think this (long) post matches this outfit. Its Indiana Jones theme-hopefully by now you've realized that I like to dress in themes-speaks of a character who tends to stick more to his wits and his hat, than technology-granted he is from the 30's so they didn't have cell phones back then., but still.

I think I need a hat like his, it would complete the outfit. I had wanted to take these pictures in a park close by, where there would have rocks to climb and a more Indiana Jones feel, however it rained that day and the lighting was awful. So, instead, I settled for the pack of trees by our pond and I think they worked nicely in the end.

Creativity and Things

Outfit Details:

Coat: Kmart

Cartigan: Jennyfer in Belgium

Scarf: Street Market in Belgium

Shirt: Forever21

Skirt: Made by me

Belt: Kohl's

Tights: Thrifted

Shoes: Macy's

Necklace: Charming Charlie

I used to play with eyeshadows and eyeliners, but for the longest time I kept to the more simple things. However, more recently I've started playing around with is again. This makeup look got a lot of good reviews the day I wore this. The best thing about photographing it, is that it makes it easy to reproduce later.

It's always fun to be a little different. To change what people can expect of you. I think we often just so stuck in our basics that we forget to experiment some. It can be awkward and make you self-conscious as first, but it's strangely liberating. After you get over your initial fear of what people will think, you just breathe and wonder why you hadn't done this before. What are your favorite crazy fashion statements?

Book Review: The Treachery of Beautiful Things

 

Outfit Details:
Cardigan & Jeggings: Kohl's
Shirt: Forever21
Necklace: Made by me
Shoes: Macy's

Book: The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

Published: August 2012

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Length: 363 pages

I spotted this book at Barnes and Noble and it was the title that first caught my attention. Almost immediately, I sought it out at my local library, adding it to the pile of books I've been meaning to read. It's the first book by Ruth Frances Long that I've read or even seen. But her writing and weaving of a faerie land into a beautiful story has made me a fan of her work.

The story is about Jenny whose brother, some seven years ago, was stolen into a forest by trees. She goes to the spot that claimed her brother to finally say goodbye and gets pulled into the magical forest herself. Whilst seeking to find the piper, who she believes must be her brother, encounters the deadly dangers of the forest and, of course, meets a handsome, mysterious young man.

I really like the beginning where the focus is on the sibling's relationship. Maybe it's because I'm so close with my family, but that, more than any enticing ofantasy, romance, or my love of all these forest-y could offer, is what led me to this book. The story is the kind that just fills me with inspiration and longing for lands and stories such as these. Ruth pulls together her words into an easy read, while managing the feel of sheer poetry.

Predictability? It's in the middle ground, but sincerely enjoyable. It gives you that feel good ending, while still giving you a few twists along the way. I won't give up any spoilers, but I definitely suggest giving this book a try if you like fantasy romances at all. I could hardly put it down, well I did, but just for a coffee break.

Tell me what you thought of the book; and if you having any reading suggests lay it out there in a comment.