Sunday Brunch

One of my last sets of Summer 2009 pictures (maybe I should save a set for the bleak days of January?), these are pictures from a brunch I went to with my parents and sister, plus lattes later with my friend Mel, who is a make-up artist for MAC. Oh, for those hot summer days. Weather.com has generously given me the temperature at 41F. Brr. Sadly it isn’t supposed to be much warmer in California! Sad day.

Dress: Maggie London, Shoes: Michael by Michael Kors,  Necklace: : Cancer Charity Shop

Tunic: Nordstrom BP, Jean Shorts: My Sister’s, Necklace: Cancer Charity Shop

Christmas in July (July in Christmas?)

Unfortunately, my tiny closet of a room, despite having a small built-in shelf, has defeated me in all my attempts to take pictures of my outfits in any semblance of attractiveness or photographic merit. So I am resigned to waiting till I go back to California next week and get my tripod. Until then, enjoy this outfit from July/August of this year. I’m really excited to get those shoes back on my feet, as I foolishly did not bring them to England!

Top: Nordstrom BP, Cardi: H&M, Jean Leggings: H&M, Shoes: Charles by Charles David, Necklace: Cancer Charity Shop

Black Eyes and Broken Hearts

I currently have a lingering black eye from two weekends ago, so I haven’t been taking many pictures of myself. Ergo, I am going to post some backlogs of old pictures from this summer that I never got around to posting.

I thought these would be apt because I dressed up as Lady Gaga for Halloween (my friend’s camera died, so I’m not sure if there are any pictures) and these were the shoes I wore. This isn’t really a summery outfit, but I was test driving my then-new jacket for fall. I do not regret buying a leather jacket AT ALL. I wear it pretty much daily when it isn’t rainy, which hasn’t been very often lately, even in London!

Wearing: H&M Headband, Nordstrom White Button-Down, Nordstrom Leather Jacket, H&M Acid Wash Legging Jeans, Michael by Michael Kors Heels, H&M Necklaces, Essie Nail Polish.

Booted Out

I will confess: I own a lot of boots. Well, sort of. As an equestrian, it’s sort of a given that you’ll have 2-3 pairs of boots lying around by your back door or in a coat closet in your house, dirty and a bit smelly. Which is part of the reason I just can’t get on the riding boot trend: I own the real thing and it’s just somehow not cool or interesting to me. My boots are expensive, crusty with mud and horse sweat, and, in the summer, torture devices that stick to your calves and refuse to come off (I refuse to buy zip-on riding boots; I am a traditionalist and wear pull-on ones that require boot hooks and boot jacks). Ditto paddock boots, only they’re often even grimier because you never wear them to a horse show or a clinic, so cleaning them becomes a very very very low priority.

Left: Ariat Challenger Field Boots, Right: Ariat Heritage II Paddock Boots

That being said, I have recently become fixated on acquiring a boot that I have seen recently. I don’t know what exactly it’s being called (work boots? I found them in the motorcycle boots section of Nordstrom.com, so I am unsure) but they’re a sort of hybrid between work boots, Doc Martins, paddock-style short riding boots, and hiking boots. But where the former two and latter are bulkier shoes, these boots are more streamlined like a riding boot. In fact, I have been pondering appropriating an old pair of paddock boots to use as a test-drive for the style. Unfortunately, I am in London and my boots are in California, so I will either continue to lust until Christmas Break or I will have to go on a hunt for the perfect hybrid. Here are some I like:

Left to right from top: Diesel Vintage Flat Lace-Up Boot, H by Hudson May Washed Laced Brogue Flat Boot, Steve Madden “Corley” Boot, Solea Samira Frill Detail Ankle Boots, Top Shop Albert Fringe Lace-Up Boot