Long Time, No Blog

Hi, all! I have not, in fact, fallen off the face of the earth, I've just been in a funk. Not just a fashion funk, but a life funk. Fear not, I have every intention of pulling myself out of this funk by my boot wedge sandal straps. Step 1. Actually get dressed. Mission accomplished!

Jacket - Ecote (Urban Outfitters)
Dress - Banana Republic
Necklace - Coldwater Creek
Bracelet - Vintage
Sandals - Aerosoles (via TJ Maxx)

Oh la la!

With this outfit I was shooting for "I'm having lunch at a Parisian sidewalk cafe", when in reality I was on my way to have fried catfish with my parents at a barbecue restaurant. Ah, when my reality comes crashing into my fantasy.

Trench - Vertigo (via TJ Maxx)
Tee - BDG (Urban Outfitters)
Skinnies - BDG (Urban Outfitters)
Wedges - Jeffery Cambell


Okay. For those of you who have been following along, I had considered purchasing a classic trench as one of my pieces for my 5 Piece French Wardrobe. It is still a possibility for my fall purchases. The trench pictured above is the one I already own (obviously). I like it, but I don't think that it's classic enough. I want one with darker buttons, lighter fabric, slightly longer length, and with all the buckles. What do you think? Is it crazy to want a "classic trench" when this one is perfectly serviceable? Continuing with the theme of yesterday's post, do you find your self searching for the "perfect" version of something you already own, sometimes in multiples?

5 Piece French Wardrobe - #4

I did it. I took the plunge and purchased my fourth piece in my 5 Piece French Wardrobe for Spring. I have put careful thought and planning into this piece. That's the good thing about only buying a few new pieces each season, each must be thoughtfully considered.

I have been wanting a silky, creamy tie neck blouse for a while. I scouted all the usual sources and found one I liked at Urban. I stopped by the store twice, but they didn't have the exact on I wanted in the store. I'm the kind of person who likes to see items in person before I buy them. You just can't tell fit, fabric, or finish quality from an internet image. Sooo....when I saw this shirt from the Gap and received a 40% off coupon that pretty much sealed the deal.

Source: gap.com via Kara - Unusual Form on Pinterest

I have an idea of what I want for my last piece. I'm looking for a silky, creamy blazer (do you see a trend here?). The good thing about the French Wardrobe challenge is that it forces me to not settle. Previous Kara might have bought three creamy blazers, before I found the right one. That's why I have five black pencil skirts and six blue striped button-ups. With only five purchases for the season, you can't use them all on the same type item, you have to hold out for the perfect piece and in the long run that makes for a better wardrobe.

Paper Doll Project #2

I'm going to keep it short and sweet today.

A. This outfit was put together by Vanessa of the My Heart Blogged as part of the Paper Doll Project. The pants were the item that I asked her to style. Head over to Vanessa's blog to check out the outfit I picked for her.

B. This outfit is also one of my amazingly cheap ones. Under $30. Shoes: $20. Shirt and Pants: $2 each. Accesories: Thrifted. You get the drift.

C. Tomorrow begins the move of epic proportions. I may not post for a while, or ever, (just kidding). Hopefully, I'll get back to regularly scheduled programing soon.

Blouse - Chico's, Thrifted
Pants - Thrifted
Shoes - Gianni Bini
Necklace - Scarf, Knotted
Belt - Vintage, Thrifted

Caught in the Act

I was unsure if I would actually wear this outfit out in public. It's a whole lot of look. I thought that I might pull that old blogger trick. You know, where you photograph and post a fashiony outfit and then wear another, more practical one out of the house. I went out to grab my camera from the car and low and behold, one of my dad's farm customers drives up. There is no one else around, so I have to direct this guy to the other field, in my 1960's psychedelic dress. Probably not the exact attire your expect from someone on a farm in Arkansas. Oh, well. He didn't even blink an eye. I guess he's seen weirder things. By the way, I ended up wearing this outfit out and about town all afternoon.





Jacket - Urban Outfitters
Dress - Vintage
Necklace - Vintage
Sandals - Gianni Bini

The Girls are Back in Town

Hey, y'all! I'm back in action. Sort of. I've been out of town the last few days. Let's just say that no internet + rain + 43 degree weather + improper packing = no blogging.

It may not get much better in the next few weeks. Tomorrow is my final exam and then I'll be moving. Everyone knows that having all your clothes in boxes really puts a damper on style blogging. I am planning to participating in EBEW and the Paper Doll Project next week, so be sure to check back for those.

Now, some thrifting goodness to hold you over. My finds from this weekend: Coach, Vera, Liz, and a book, all for just over $10.00.

The Good Girl

Ever since I started the 5-Piece French Wardrobe, I've been a very good girl. I've only purchased the new pieces that I have mentioned. I've also tried to be very cautious in my second-hand purchases. However, since I'm moving to a different state in the next few weeks, I wanted to hit up all my favorite second-hand haunts one last time. Yesterday, I made a trip to the local "upscale resale" shop and hit the Anthro jackpot, three pieces for less than the cost of any one of them new.

All my new pieces have a bit of a nautical feel. I broke out the navy tank today for a casual day of running errands. I paired it with my poppy orange cardigan (5-Piece French Wardrobe item #3) and a pair of white shorts that I recently shortened.

Cardigan - Gap
Tank - Odille (via consignment)
Shorts - Gap
Belt - Gap
Flats - Naturalizer

Future Vintage

I'm doing full-on 70s today, even my students recognized my nod to the decade du jour. What's funny is that my 70s inspired outfit is comprised of all modern pieces (besides my jewelry). These jeans were my first purchase for my Spring 5 Piece French Wardrobe. Like the jacket from yesterday, I believe that these jeans were also a good investment. Although they have only been feature once before on my blog, I've worn them several times and always feel long, lean, and groovy when I do.

One of the comments from yesterday got me thinking about tomorrow's vintage, you know those pieces that your daughter will find in the back of your closet one day. In junior high, I loved to wear my mom's left over clothes from the 70s. With my current wardrobe, I have a tendency to filter things out pretty quickly once they no longer fit my style (or fit in general) but I have recently thought of purposely keeping some things as "future vintage". What are your thoughts on this? Is it silly to keep things back? For a daughter you may not even have?

Blouse - Banana Republic (via consignment)
Jeans - Gap
Heels - Gianni Bini
Belt - Coldwater Creek
Jewelry - Vintage

Weekend Update

Just no Chevy Chase. Does that show my age (or my parents' age)? He's the first person I thought of as doing the Weekend Update on SNL.

Okay, well this post doesn't have anything to do with SNL, but it does have everything to do with what I wore this weekend. I had a nice Easter weekend with the fam, aside from all the tornado scares. In fact, the tornado sirens are going off as I write this post.

The first outfit is from Saturday night. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what you wear for a night out on the (small) town in Arkansas. Observant readers may note that I am wearing the jacket which was my third purchase for my Spring 5-Piece French Wardrobe. I'm really glad that I made the plunge on this one. I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it, because it goes with everything.

Jacket - Ecote (Urban Outfiters)
Tank - Odille (Anthropologie)
Jeans - Gap
Heels - Gianni Bini (Dillards)
Jewelry - Vintage


The outfit below is from Easter Sunday. As a hold-over from childhood traditions, I like to have a new dress to wear to church on Easter Sunday. This dress, while not newly purchased, had not yet been worn. I thought the subdued pattern and lady-like shape would work nicely. I threw on a cardigan for modesty and to ward off those wicked air condition induced chills and then topped off my ensemble with a flower brooch for a touch of color.

Cardigan - J.Crew via eBay
Dress - Odille (Anthropologie)
Flower Brooch - Anthropologie
Heels - Antonio Melani (Dillards)
Glasses - Kate Spade

I hope everyone had a nice weekend, no matter how you celebrated.

Rule Breaker

Yes. I am wearing the same necklace two days in a row. I'm pretty sure that it's against the blogger code of conduct, but we've already established that I'm a bit of a fashion rebel. As long as I don't start wearing entire outfits two days in a row, I think I'll be okay.

As you've probably gathered by now, I'm a big proponent of second hand shopping. It's better for the environment, it's better for your wallet, and you can still dress well to boot (or even find boots). This skirt is second hand and I feel that is very on trend. It's hard to see from the photos, but it's sheer and pleated. Pleats are really big for Spring and I've seen similar skirts from Urban Outfitters and H&M. With enough patience I really think that you can find some version of every new trend second hand. It's actually a pretty good way to go. Trends come and go (the very definition of a trend) so why spend serious money on something that might not be in style next year? Thrift it!

Tee - Gap
Skirt - Liz Claiborne, via Consignment
Boots - BCBGeneration
Necklace - Consignment
Belt - Flea Market
Bracelet - Mom'd

Did I mention that this skirt is really pretty and flowy in the wind? It makes me feel very elegant, like a lady.