hiking, naturally

This photo shoot was spontaneous but the walk was premeditated. 

I don't know why, but the urge to dance like an Egyptian usually trumps any 'normal' poses at least once through out these shoots.

My eye catches shape and color.  Were I a photographer, my portfolio would probably contain a similar photo to this.  Reflection in the windows, stark rust against a wall of sandy hues; not to mention the historic edge.

When I bought this cardigan, I was not considering anything else in my wardrobe.  Believe it.

This architecturally sound bridge is also aesthetically pleasing. 

Wind is much easier tolerated with short hair.

 Nothing but a thin sole between me and mother nature.

A favorite skyline from afar.

What I'm Wearing:

Cardigan: Modcloth

T-shirt: 3-pack from Target or stolen from my brothers closet...or both ;)

Jeans: H&M

Shoes: Target

Nautica

I wish I was telling you that in this outfit, I went on a nice cruise in a yacht, ate fresh seafood and sunbathed in the middle of vast ocean air; however, aside from the Mississippi River, I didn't see any water while wearing these stripes.

I did, nevertheless, spend the afternoon at an art fair, indulging myself in fried pickles and walking tacos, unlimited root beer and vintage jewelry.

Believe it or not, but these shoes are comfortable.  

Nothing like a simple outfit to make you feel great inside and out.

What I'm Wearing:
Shirt: H&M - I went through a stripes faze, my closet can vouch for me.
Pants: H&M.  Don't you just love customer service that tells you there's a $10 jean sale...as you're handing them your card for the $30 pair?  Oooo, nothing boils my noodle faster.
Shoes: hand me downs.  Just a tad too big, but still comfortable.
Purse: thrifted

Grandpa Ito

My Grandpa Vicente Herrera -Valle.  

Born in Apulco, Jalisco, Mexico in 1930, he was a loving father and grandfather.  

He was also an accomplished painter, sculptor and carpenter.  While living in Mexico, he had his own carpentry shop and since moving to the States, he made many a side table and frame to beautify not only his own home, but mine and my aunts and uncles as well. 

I remember as a child, playing in his garage turned workshop, using his wooden sculptures to hide behind, and asking him to use those skills to build us a tree house...which he did.

More recently, my mother began buying him chili plants.  He would go through them so quickly, eating the chili's like candy.  

When we were kids, my sister and I challenged our younger brother to eat a jalapeno from grandpa's bowl.  He did, and he got so angry at us when we gave him a glass of water to wash it down with.

I remember my Grandpa as a cultured, serious man with a stern demeanor, but I'm learning now that he had a great sense of humor.  Something that is very apparent in pictures and stories shared - and it makes me wish I'd paid more attention.  We called him Ito, short for abuelito...probably his idea, come to think of it.

My grandpa Vicent Herrera-Valle, passed away one week before father's day at 81 years old, but our memories will keep him with us forever.  

R.I.P
April 1930-June 2011

Do the Fandango

John and I took a walk to downtown St.P for lunch and it was pretty much required that I wear the Iron and Wine tee I bought at the show.  Not only is it made from pre-washed, oh-so-soft cotton, but it has a sweet picture on it.

 Burning forests, huge peacocks, and perfect colors.  I'm just now realizing how many orange hued items I own.  I think I go on kicks when I shop, like, I'll go crazy for stripes, then natural tones, black and green.  Those four categories basically sum up my closet.

 I love these shoes!  They're super versatile and comfy.  Not to mention they don't give me blisters! (knock on wood...)

 "Get some detail. Detail."  Boob shot.  Boys... ;)

The following munchkins are the new additions to the apartment; because cats are part of your home decor, obvs.

Apple

Anette

Or, 'Adorable Cuteness Maximus' and 'Adorable Cuteness x 2'

So, anyway...

What I'm Wearing:
Cardigan: Thrifted So finely knit that it snags on all things jagged.
Jeans: Old Navy, I think.  My clothes are old!
Shoes: Payless
Purse: Garage sale!  Fiddy cents.

John pointed out that I'd forgotten to put earrings in...not gonna lie, I felt naked for a few minutes.  But I'm getting over things quickly these days.

Toods!

Iron and Wine!

So, I got to see one of my favorite bands last night in downtown Minneapolis.  I'm so glad I was on top of tickets this time!  Usually I don't realize they're here until it's already sold out.

It was super nice out during the day, so I opted for shorts (these are pretty much as short as I'll go) and a tank.

Funny story about my top.  I accidentally put it on backwards, but liked how it looked and so I made it work.  A little strange, but it also covered the scratches from my new kittens.  Apparently, they don't like being held when it's 100 degrees out. Who knew?

To keep it PG, I wore a strapless, elastic bra under the awkward razor back-turned-front.  I'm definitely going to wear this again.

Even though it was a folk concert, I still added a little metal to the mix because I'm badass, and I need to portray that all the time.  Obvs.  No, this necklace-turned-bracelet just works with my grape tomato earrings so why not.

Anywho, the gentle daytime breeze became a harsh nighttime hair tangling tragedy, and I was wishing I'd worn pants after the concert, but again.  OH well.  This is Minnesota and I should be used to the fickle weather by now.

What I'm Wearing:

Top: Old Navy

Shorts: Unfortunately, I did not make these myself.  They are Refuge brand, probably gotten at Target.

Shoes: Another hand me down!  I love being one of five kids :)

Earrings: SERRV - a wonderful handcrafting gift shop with various locations around the country.  I happened to get these particular earrings in Madison but they were made in Kenya.

Purse:  $.50 at a garage sale in Uptown.

Happy Wednesday! 

I'm lovin' it

This weekend was packed with friends and family.  John's best friend since childhood had a bbq send off, a frat friend from college got married, and we finally made it to the Northeast Social Club in Minneapolis.  I only wore this outfit for two out of the three, but I'm head over heels for this dress.  

 No need for a necklace since there is so much embroidery going on already.

 I know color blocking your outfit is super "in" right now, but I never base my wardrobe on trends.  This dress speaks for itself; anything more than a small color pop and I would have called the fashion police on myself.  Let's keep it simple.  Let's keep it safe.

 When I bought the accessories for the wedding, I had a moment of panic and asked the cashier "White accessories are ok for a wedding right?  As long as I'm not wearing a white dress??"  Poor lady had no idea.  Thankfully, the woman behind me had broken the taboo once before and put my fears to rest.

What I'm Wearing:
Sunglasses: John's Ray Bans.  We share like that :)
Earrings: Everyday People 
Dress: Everyday People.  One of my favorite finds!  Comfort and style wrapped into one beautiful piece.
Shoes: Payless Shoes. These shoes worked because of the similar pattern as the embroidery, but I think platforms would have gone with the outfit better.
Clutch: Payless Shoes. Again, the ruffles on the clutch with the ruffles on the hem...in hindsight I'm wishing I'd gotten a harder clutch with no design. OH well.


The wedding was held in caves, so this outfit was perfect with long sleeves.  The tour guide actually commented on the 20s look, since his history backstories took place around that decade.

As much fun as this weekend was, I'm glad it's over and I can get back to a regular eating schedule.  Too much greasy food and cheese, I'm telling you.

Hasta pasta!

Cashz Smashz

So, I went shopping the other day and can I just say, it was the most therapeutic session I've had in a while.  I spent just over $100 but I came out with eleven items of clothing/accessories.  Pretty sure that's FREAKING AWESOME. I'll let you know where I got the items as I wear them.

 This is a fountain near our apartment...it was windy out, but we managed to snag a few shots before the water found its way to the camera lens.

 Initially, when I saw this shirt at the store, I thought it would be an amazing DIY project.  I got it anyway, and figure if I want to DIY it, then I'll have two shirts that I love.  That's what I call a sweet deal.

 Love this ring.  My grandparents gave this to me years ago, during a time that I didn't wear rings.  Oh, how I love to find jewelry from my childhood that I can put into play now.  Just a little snug on my finger, but who cares?

Can I say that I love these pants without sounding repetitive? I love so many things about this outfit it's hard to find other adjectives.  This rip just happened a couple years back; I've been wanting to make these pants into cutoffs but something is holding me back.  Pasty legs?

What I'm Wearing:
Earrings: Target
Sunglasses: Target
Shirt: Everyday People Clothing Store (NEW)
Pants: Old Navy
Shoes: Payless Shoes.  I'll admit I watched these shoes online until the price dropped.  I got these babies for $9.99.  Mmmhmmm. (NEW)
Blue Bandaid: Compliments of my work.   Dang wedges and their tendency to be difficult.  Blisters on a busy night, how dare they. (BRAND SPANKIN' NEW)

Yay fashion. G'night!