Winter scenes

Over the summer I joined the modern world and got a smartphone. I've become rather snap happy with it and am kind of blown away by the fact that the camera on my phone boasts more megapixels than the first digital camera I ever owned. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said a great many of the pictures on it are of my fluffy four-legged friends (they're just so amusingly photogenic). Today, though, I am sharing a few (unedited) winter scenes.

Scenes from Christmas

Here are some quiet little scenes from Christmas. I really liked my outfit and thought I'd share it here before the clock ran out on 2012. I wore pretty much the same thing on Thanksgiving as I have the same dress in navy blue and matched it with navy tights. The sweater (that buckle!), locket, and shoes were all the same. I guess it became my easy, go-to, pretty outfit for the latter part of the year.

The tree greens in tea cups served as a quasi-centerpiece for our Christmas dinner table. I am hesitant to disassemble them and will probably leave them out for a while longer. This will placate any longings to leave the actual Christmas tree up, I think :)

I hope the new year is good to all of you.

Out of practice

Vintage cardigan: thrifted, Blouse: Jason Wu for Target
Ring: hand-me-down, Shorts: H&M, Shoes: Steve Madden

I realized today that I hadn't set up the ol' tripod for an outfit shoot since December. "Might as well document this one," I thought. I'm not sure how much I like it, though. I think it looked better in my head than in reality, or, maybe it's just that it's rather spring-y and it's not quite spring yet...

Speaking of spring, I have a feeling that this blouse will be my go-to item when the temperatures start to climb. I was pleasantly surprised to get my little mitts on it as I had waited about four days to scope out the Jason Wu for Target collection in person. I wasn't expecting much to be left by the time I got there, but I still was holding on to some hope because the Target I frequent is out of the way and in a nearly run down shopping mall. Hope prevailed.

Shorter locks and Snow

There is a rare sight outside today: snow. It won't stay for long, as has been the case this winter, but I am resolved to revel in its prettiness while it lasts. Oh, and early last week I visited my favorite salon out-Albany-way and had my tresses trimmed. After sporting a side braid for most of January it was time for something new. I'm loving the fun that comes with a fresh haircut, but I know one of these days I'll absentmindedly reach back to braid it and won't find much to work with.

What else is new? Just the usual cycle of working, reading (The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Remains of the Day), and watching TV on DVD (mostly Downton Abbey and The Vicar of Dibley). I did take the train to Boston this past weekend to visit with my dear friend Erin. We had a marvelous time adventuring along both the south and north shores, namely shopping in Braintree and wandering around Salem (on quite possibly the coldest day this winter thus far, mind you). I did not, however, capture any of these moments on camera which was rather uncharacteristic of me, I know. It is good to note, though, that photographs aren't always necessary to remind us of the fun we have.

P.S. I am aware that all of my entertainment choices of late are of the British variety. Sometimes that just happens.

Hats off

Back in December when I did a guest post for Anna of Much Love I mentioned how she and I have been doing monthly film photo swaps. We choose a theme for each month and send each other our interpretations. Our swap themes can be anything and have varied greatly. ''Blue,'' ''flowers,'' ''looking down,'' and ''texture'' have been a few. The swap is a nice source of enjoyment for me and I love catching the first glimpses of Australian stamps poking out of my post office box! And of course, I love the photos. Our little swap is a year old now, so to celebrate here are the latest photos I sent to dear Anna. The theme we selected for February was ''hats.''

Camera: Nikon FM 10
Film: Fujicolor Superia X-tra 400

Snowy front stoop

Snowy days like these always result in ''Valley Winter Song'' by Fountains of Wayne being stuck in my head for hours. You know, ''the snow is coming down on our New England town and it's been falling all day long..." I love it, but it intensifies this New England complex I have. I'm so close to living in New England, but, alas, I do not. A stone's throw away from three bordering New England states is still not New England. Gah. Hey ancestors, why did you move from Massachusetts and Rhode Island to New York? Kidding... sort of.

Okay, so in regard to my post title I'm taking some big liberties at calling our small front porch a ''stoop.'' What can I say? I like the way it sounds. I'll even let go of my longings for New England momentarily and fill you in on some New York State history. Back in the 17th century before New York was captured and renamed by the British it was known as New Netherland. At that time there were many Dutch trading posts and forts scattered along the Hudson River. The region is still rich in words taken directly and derived from the Dutch language. ''Stoop'' meaning a small (though usually urban) porch is a derivative of the Dutch ''stoep.'' And there you have a quick history and etymology lesson for the day.

Ruffle collar cardigan: TJ Maxx, Skirt & belt: thrifted
Vintage brooch: thrifted, Bass loafers: gift

I snagged this darling vintage brooch the other day while poking around the Goodwill. Despite it being a flower, the scroll-like metalwork in the back reminds me of a snowflake. Very winter appropriate, no?

Morning sun

In the morning sun the most wonderful tree shadows are cast upon the ground of snow. Amid these shadows, evergreen needles rest atop a blanket of refracted light. I couldn't help but snap some film photos of this view the other day and, in fact, may do so again soon. I have a few rolls started in various cameras, so what better way to use them up? However, today I headed out with my digital camera and tripod in tow with the idea that this winter-y and woodsy scene would be a rather nice backdrop for some outfit photos. In addition to watching the shadows and brook water, I had to keep an eye on the pup who wandered down the embankment sniffing something out.

Hat: F21, Navy blue shirt: Target, Vintage houndstooth skirt: thrifted
Belt: thrifted, Sweater tights: TJ Maxx, Boots: L.L. Bean

The necklace I'm wearing is almost impossible to detect in the first photo, so here's a close-up. My good blogging friend Anna sent it over a while back. I wear this necklace often, but oddly enough I don't think it's ever made a proper blog appearance before now. So, on all those days when I don't blog my outfits and you're wondering (or not) what I'm wearing, this necklace is quite possibly in the mix. Isn't it sweet? I love the little ''tea time'' inscription.

Rockin' Robin

This outfit has been a favorite of mine this winter. After wearing it a few weeks ago, I was itching to do so again. So cozy! It's assemblage almost didn't happen, though. I've nearly given this skirt away on several occasions and was ready to again recently, but decided to let it stick around awhile longer. I'm glad I did. After not wearing it for the longest time, I've had a multitude of ideas floating around as to what to wear with it.

So, speaking of winter, we've certainly been having a white one! I can't remember it snowing so much or so frequently in recent years, but then again my memory is often faded and fuzzy when it comes to wintertime things. I go straight from autumn to spring leaving winter a sad and lonely blur. This one hasn't been that bad, though. Or, at least I'm trying not to let it get me down. Shoveling and removing all the snow off my car is good exercise, right? Right. But, I'm still yearning for spring. In American culture the robin is a, if not the, symbol of spring. So, I decided to speed things up a bit with this brooch I received for Christmas. Which, oddly enough, was rather appropriate as well since the robin is a Christmas symbol in Britain. And elsewhere around Europe? Does anyone have an answer to that?

Sweater: J.Crew (old), Skirt: Urban Outfitters, Tights: Hue
Bass loafers: gift, Vintage brooch: gift (via Etsy)

Color. Creativity. Cardigan.

Earlier this week I was inspired by a color scheme in one of Jan's ever-incredible ensembles: grey, yellow, maroon, and black. Grey and yellow is a combination I've always liked, but never considered with maroon. Now it seems so perfect and complimentary. There might be no going back! What really gave me one of those ''a-ha!'' moments though was the chance to get more creative with a cardigan I received for Christmas. Said cardigan is a grey and dual-pink argyle with several clusters of beads and military style buttons. Phew! While I probably would have passed right over this while shopping, my mother has quite the knack for spotting neat things (with heaps of potential) to give as gifts.

A few things I couldn't fully decide on with this outfit were: hat or no hat? hair pulled back or left down? both dress and cardigan belted or just the dress belted? It was semi-exhausting ;)

Hat and shoes: H&M, Cardigan: gift
Dress: TJ Maxx, Belt: thrifted, Tights: Hue

A seashell, snow and other random musings

My idea of a go-to ensemble for comfort and ease has been nearly the same for ten years. Cardigan? Check. Plaid shirt? Check. Jeans? Check. Moccasins? Check. Add them all up and you have a quintessential Emily uniform. At 15, I would have loved raiding my current closet. Instead, I happily made do with my sister's. Oh hey, sis. Remember that? ♥

Being outdoors in the falling snow without the proper gear prompts worried expressions! And daydreams of warm beverages.

My beloved Minnetonka moccasins are by far the best shoe purchase I've ever made. I bought them in the fall of 2004 and they've seen all sorts of weather and terrain since then. Perhaps they're not the best choice of footwear for wintertime, but after six years I haven't been deterred. With that said, my camera ended up capturing a little slip and slide action. Hehe. It could have been disastrous, but I remained vertical. We know how to navigate the slick snow.

Cardigan: Old Navy, Shirt: TJ Maxx, Jeans: Levi's ''Boyfriend Jean,''
Socks: J.Crew, Moccasins: Minnetonka, Ring: shop in Berlin, Maryland

The seashell ring in these photos is a little souvenir I brought back from my end of summer trip to Maryland. I was on the hunt for one of these babies for months and, well, living too far inland wasn't proving successful in the search. When Erin and I popped up to Portland, Maine in July I found some neat rings made out of shell & wood, but they didn't tempt me enough to buy one. Fast forward to September when my friends and I were strolling through Berlin, Maryland and stumbled upon a cute little shop full of handmade and vintage goodies. I was hemming and hawing over a vintage brooch when I zeroed in on a display of seashell rings. Yay! My attention immediately shifted from the brooch and I left the store the happy owner of a seashell ring. And let me tell you, this ring is such a fine piece of craftsmanship. It blows my mind that something so perfect was produced by the sea and then carved into a piece of jewelry. The artist has her own Etsy shop and I've been contemplating another ring...

Magic cape

Capes have been pretty big in blogland for a while now. I thought about actively pursuing one, but that idea eventually fizzled out. I didn't really need one as I have a couple of good capelets (one casual, one dressy) hanging up in my closet. So, I told myself I'd only let myself acquire one if it magically appeared in my presence (without the aide of Etsy or eBay). Magical things can happen in thrift stores, you know. And happen they did! One such thrifting trip from this past autumn resulted in the purchase of not one, but two vintage capes. I was a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of adding both to my wardrobe, so I resolved to gift one to my sister at Christmas. I wrapped up the one I thought she would like best and was excited over it for weeks. She kindly allowed me to share a picture of the one I gave her.

Her's is the most beautiful array of browns and orange while mine is its counterpart in browns and cream. The heft of the knit is perfectly cozy. Once it's on I detest the idea of taking it off, but I just remind myself that the weather will be cold for awhile longer yet.

I essentially have the same outfit going on under the cape as in this post. It's a pretty good basic outfit as far as I'm concerned, so I just go with it. Also, I think it's easier to see in these photos (as opposed to these) that this corduroy skirt is the nicest shade of navy blue. I've been big on navy blue for the past year and have been steadily injecting it into my wardrobe. A few basic shirts and a dress-tunic-blouse thing have also crept in. But, enough about that. Tuesday was a good day for walking around in the snow in a cape, so that's just what I did.

Vintage 1970s cape: thrifted, Shirt: Target, Skirt: J.Crew
Tights: Hue, Moccasins: Minnetonka

Tell me, have you had any recent magical secondhand finds?

Red Velvet Sunset

I hope you all enjoyed a very merry and delightful Christmas. My warmest and happiest sentiments are extended to you! How did you celebrate?

Before dinner on Friday I attended a candlelight Christmas Eve service with one of my dearest friends and her husband. I hadn't seen them in a while, so it was a real treat on top of it being Christmas! Toward the end of the service we both ended up spilling wax on ourselves. Oops! We were probably worse than half the children there! She let out a little yelp and then I had a hard time keeping my composure while we sang ''Silent Night" (which is a shame because it's one of my favorite carols to sing).

Christmas day was spent in the company of family. My sister and I exchanged gifts with our mother and grandmother in the morning, complete with leftover quiche for breakfast. Mm mmm. Then we trekked over to our dad's to have Christmas dinner with him and one of our (many) uncles. Our brother joined us in the evening after work which solidified it as a very lovely day.

This was my outfit for the day's festivities. I was excited to wear the dress since the day I bought it, but it needed some serious attention first. It was frightfully long and a friend of mine kindly hemmed it for free. I was all ready to pay her for her efforts, but she resisted and we enjoyed a nice visit while she pinned, snipped, and sewed.

Big Christmas grin!

With the few remaining minutes of daylight, my sister and I ran outside to take these photos. The warmth of the wood stove was greatly missed, but we endured. We both think the above photo funny, so that's worth the time spent out in the cold, right?

The lace collar and the buttoned sleeves are my favorite bits about this dress! I'm trying to scheme up other ways to wear it this winter that are less Christmas-y. I can't banish it to the closet just yet... Speaking of banishing things to the closet, here are my favorite heels that only see the outside world once or twice a year. I need to work on that, too.

Laura Ashley dress: thrifted, Tights: Target, Shoes: Nina, Ring: Papyrus