Texas love, y'all

vintage blouse: thrifted (pink, love-but pricey)

skirt: thrifted (more patchwork)

belt: Fossil, thrifted (similar)

oxfords: Steve Madden (similar- on sale!)

sunglasses: Betsey Johnson, via TJ Maxx (similar)

I would like to clarify one thing: I often lament Texas' bipolar weather patterns here on this little ol' blog of mine, but I love Texas.  I'm proud to live in Cow Town, as Fort Worth is lovingly nicknamed, and I love that I live in a large metropolitan area but have the sense of community that makes you feel like you live in a small town.  I wouldn't trade my life in Texas for the world...although I do love a great vacation.

I also owe some thanks to Texas for my outfit.  First and foremost, thank you Texas for fostering a the kind of community where a Texan housewife could hand sew this fine little skirt of mine.  Also, thank you Texan housewife for then donating it to a thrift store where I could purchase and enjoy it.  Additionally, in general, thank you Texas for providing a plethora of thrift stores for my shopping pleasure.  This outfit truly would not be the same without you.  (...seriously.  Most of it is secondhand.)

And, just one more clarification: I did not ride a horse to this photo location.  We do, indeed, drive cars in Texas.

Do you love your state?  Share your thoughts!



Sunshine and clouds

Howdy, howdy!  Hope your Veteran's Day is going fabulously well!

I'm enjoying the beautiful weather we've been blessed with in Fort Worth - upper 60s with a breeze, and lots of sunshine!  It's gorgeous!

I took these photos over a week ago on a more cloudy day.  A dress, tights, and a cardigan is so my go-to outfit for fall - so much so that I recreated this exact same outfit earlier this week, but I exchanged the mustard tights for some olive green ones and my oxfords for some boots.  The rest stayed the same!  I wore the green tights version for one of my testing days earlier this week.  I knew that I'd be sitting in front of a computer typing for hours for my comprehensive exams, and this outfit is beyond comfortable.  I always prefer dresses and tights to jeans!

Now that my written exams are completed, I'm just trying to prepare for my oral exams.  I test next Friday, and I'm feeling pretty confident.  I can't believe I'm almost done with grad school!

Any recommendations on what I should wear for my oral exams?  I don't want to look overly professional, but I don't want to look too much like a student either!  After all, I do want to teach college students when this is all over with!  Please leave any suggestions in the comments!

  



Forever 21 dress (love this silhouette)

Target tights (similar)

Jessica Simpson cardigan, via Ross (similar)

GoMax oxfords (similar)

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Impromptu date night

I've been donning this boring hairstyle for several days a week lately.  I now work at a coffee shop, so I like to pin my bangs back and pull my hair up in a ponytail to keep my hair out of my face.  With hair on the shorter side, it's difficult to do anything overly creative when wearing my hair up, so this style is usually what ends up happening.  On the bright side, although I'm less than happy with my hair, I love my job.  I'll call that a win.

Guest post: My mother...seriously

My mom's been visiting me for about a week now, and when she saw me playing on Polyvore the other day, she decided she wanted some of the action.  Here is her creation (she's quite proud of herself)...

She dubbed it "Uniquely Mom."

How'd she do?!

Take me out to the ball game...

I'll be honest - I have very little athletic ability, and I have even less knowledge of baseball.  However, I have always enjoyed the movie The Sandlot, and so does my niece, Keira.  (Benny is one of her imaginary friends, in fact.)

Feminine and fresh

I'm a sucker for anything feminine, so I love this fresh, flirty look.  Summer is definitely going strong here in Texas, so you'll catch me wearing pretty, light dresses in girly colors up until the very end of the season!

Unconventional nautical

I love a nautical-inspired look, but sometimes it can get a little boring and repetitive - we've all seen the anchors and the red, white, and blue color-blocking.  So why not mix it up?!

Here, I did a bit of pattern mixing with a traditionally nautical red/white striped skirt and a blue floral shirt.  For an unexpected pop of color, I added some fun yellow wedges.  Instead of the typical anchor jewelry, I accessorized with knotted rope earrings and a seahorse ring - each nautically-inspired, but out of the ordinary.  Of course, no nautical look is complete without the perfect shade or red lipstick.

What do you think?  Would you wear this out-of-the-box nautical look?

And comfort was its name-o

You might not be able to tell by my outfit posts, but I am an avid pajama lover.  Homework, cooking, cleaning, and general lounging around the house usually call for big t-shirts and a pair of cotton undies - pajama pants if I'm in the mood.  Comfort always takes the cake when I'm in the privacy of my own home.

Scarf swap

I'm officially back from vacation, and what better way to get back into the swing of things than with a swap?!

I participated in a blogger scarf swap put together by the ladies of The Concrete Catwalk, Kendi Everyday, My Edit, and Kansas Couture.  I was paired up with the lovely Meggy of Chasing Davies.  See which scarf I sent her and how she styled it here!

Happy Independence Day everyone!  (And happy birthday to my niece Keira and my husband Caleb!  I'm enjoying time with them at Disney World right now!)

Independence Day at Disney World

I am so excited to be spending Independence Day at Disney World!  We're going for my niece's birthday Golden Birthday - she'll be four on the fourth.  (Little bit of trivia: Caleb's birthday is also July 4, so he'll get to celebrate his birthday at the happiest place on earth, too!)

Independence Day at Disney World by jessicamarie626 featuring canvas slip on shoes

Sometimes I'm cheesy

I wore this outfit on a date night with my husband, but let's cut to the chase.  There are few things I love more than date nights with my husband...especially date nights that involve chips and queso.

There.  I've admitted my weakness.  

A charming blogger meetup

This past Saturday I attended a DFW blogger meetup put together by Julie of Rosy+Tart.  We started off at Charming Charlie for some accessories shopping, and the store was kind enough to provide us with drinks, snacks, and, best of all, a 20% discount!  (You know I love to save!)

Last full day in Riviera Maya

Like every other day on our Riviera Maya trip, our last day was full of fun and excitement.  It was definitely Caleb's favorite day because we got to visit the ruins in the old Mayan city of Coba.  It's in the thick of the jungle, so it included a lot of walking (and, ahem, sweating), but it was so cool to visit what was once a thriving city.

Reader request: Child's birthday party

Child's Party Attire by jessicamarie626 featuring gold plated jewelry



Lindsay from Delighted Momma told me that she is going to attend a child's birthday party, and she asked for outfit suggestions that would be appropriate yet stylish.  Here are a few tips...