Transitioning into Fall with Shorts

I’m lucky that Seattle weather has been mostly nice this September. It’s a perfect time for shorts and boots–and if it does rain, my feet are covered. My boots are pleather, which makes them almost rainwear.

boots and shorts

Shorts: Ross Dress for Less
Shorts: Calvin Klein via Marshall’s
Boots: MIA
Cuff: Lauren Harkness

Until now, I’d only worn my sheer black and red snakeskin print shirt with black pants. So I thought I’d try a more multicolored look this time. I paired the normally dressy shirt with faded denim shorts and my caramel-colored boots. And since I didn’t wear this to the office, I went bold and ditched the cami.

sheer shirt and denim

I don’t wear shorts and boots a lot but I had fun with this outfit. It’s perfect for errands, a casual lunch, or whatever else the day throws at me.

red, blue and caramel

Do you wear boots and shorts? What’s your go-to seasonal transition look?

I’m joining Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet and Monday Bloom at DC in Style. Have a look at all the other posts!

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Head in the Clouds

I have an astronomical theme going on today. I learned that if you wear tall enough shoes, your head will be in the clouds. Mine looks to be flirting with the morning fog.

blue and yellow

Sweater: JC Penney
Skirt: Forever 21
Jacket: Thrifted
Shoes: Payless
Purse: Forever 21
Belt: Steve Madden via Ross

And what goes with clouds? The sun and the moon and the stars–and stars are on my sweater! I liked this top when I saw it in the clearance section of JCP. Partly because of the great color combo (and stars) but especially because it’s reversible! Don’t be fooled if you see me wearing a blue sweater with yellow stars. It’s this ol’ thing.

stars and denim

I really wish (upon my starry shirt) that all clothes were reversible. Imagine the options? My wardrobe would double.

pencil skirt

I lucked out this spring when I visited Payless and found thse faux suede platform wedges. I’d gone in looking for flats but all the flats I tried on were uncomfortable. I tried these on, just for fun, and wouldn’t you know it: they were comfortable! No, I won’t be walking all day in them, but for a tall shoe, I’m impressed! No pinching or rubbing.

blue skirt

Do you wear heels and flats or do you gravitate toward one type of shoe?

This is my first time linking up with Lena B Actually (another Canadian blogger-yay!) I’m really happy to get the chance to discover even more amazing bloggers. I’m also linking up with Style Elixir again. Won’t you see what everyone else is up to?

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Breaking the Rules with Blue and Green

“Blue and green should never been seen except in the washing machine.”

That’s what someone rattled off to me when I wore these two colors together a few years ago. Luckily I don’t follow rules. I’ll wear white after Labor Day too–just watch me!

blue and green

Top: Marshall’s
Jeans: Macy’s
Belt: Truth
Shoes: Flexx
Ring: One-eyed Collie

Some color combinations have often been considered no-nos: black and brown, blue and black, and apparently blue and green. But I disagree. It’s more about the shades. Too dark a blue or brown might not stand out against the black but I’d hardly say they clash. And sometimes clashing colors work. Fuchsia and orange anyone?

green cropped skinnies

Do you have and favorite outfits that break fashion rules? Or any rules that you absolutely won’t break?

striped top

I’m linking up with The Pleated Poppy and Transatlantic Blonde today. Have a look at what everyone else is wearing!

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Casual Denim Dress

Hubby and I went out for brunch at the Blue Star Café in Wallingford. I love their hearty meals, and especially that they can veganize any of them. I had a tofu scramble with non-dairy “cheese” and toast and home fries. Delicious! And of course a mimosa is a brunch must-have.

tofu scramble

I wore a denim dress that I picked up recently. It’s a simple shirtdress style that I can cinch with a belt. Today I chose a skinny white one but it would be fun with a wide belt or sash too. I’ll try this in the cooler weather with tights.

denim dress

Dress: Old Navy
Pleather belt: Steve Madden
Faux suede boots: Novacas
Bag: Flea market in Harlem
Cuff: B.O.R.N Fashion
Sunglasses: Target

I love going sockless in the warm weather–sandals are a favorite–but I find boots take a summer dress into fall even before the weather is cool. It’s still relatively nice out but sandals are starting to seem less appropriate. Swapping in a bootie grounds the outfit and is a nice fall transition.

dress and booties

These booties proved to be invaluable on this occasion. After brunch, I got an invitation to meet up with friends. So hubby took my car and ran errands and I walked to the University District. I have to say, these boots are made for walking!

outfit details

I’m also incorporating some of recent finds from my New York trip. The bag, from a flea market, is made of upcycled upholstery fabric. My cuff is from a great store on 125th called B.O.R.N (borrowed, old, refurbished, new). I’ll write about all the wonderful things I found at that store real soon!

I’ve joined Monday Bloom and Style Elixir for linkups – have a look at what everyone else is wearing!

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Mint Green Scooter Dress

I’m so happy with my new minty green mini dress. I love mod, 60s-inspired designs and fell in love with the Mondrian-esque color-blocking on this number.

scooter dress

Dress: Lois Eastlund
Shoes: Adrienne Vitadini
Bag: Forever 21

I was lucky to stumble into a pop-up shop when I spent the day in Chelsea last month and when I saw the dresses in the Lois Eastlund display, I had a hard time deciding.

stewardess dress

So I picked two: this summer sale number and a blue and black shift from her fall line.

minty dress

Even though this is a summery style, I plan on wearing it with a cardi and knee-high boots when the weather cools. For today though, I paired this shift with my polypropylene wedges–they’re stretchy like a Body Glove swimsuit!

back view

Luckily Seattle is experiencing one last heat wave before fall hits so I can continue enjoying my summer clothes. Are you clinging to summer or have you switched into autumn wear?

Oh, I’m linking up with the Style Informant today. Check out what everyone else is wearing!

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Visiting Chelsea

During the recent New York trip I took with my parents, we visited the Chelsea neighborhood. We spent the morning in the Chelsea Market, a multi-story building that used to be occupied by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) commercial bakery. When production methods changes required a single-floor layout, the bakery moved out. It’s here, where the Oreo was first created.

Chelsea Market

Inside the market, we found One Lucky Duck. They offer all-vegan, raw organic juices and take-away, and happen to have amazing desserts. It’s part of the Pure Food and Wine establishment so you know you’re going to be wowed.

lemon bar

Next door, Beyond Sushi truly satisfied. This all plant-based sushi establishment incorporated flavor, color and presentation like no other sushi place I’ve seen. Their rolls were scrumptious and fueled us as well.

vegan sushi

I was thrilled to stumble into a pop-up shop in the market, where several vendors had set up their wares. One of them was designer Lois Eastlund.

Lois Eastlund

While I was trying on a dress, my mom and Lois struck up a conversation and they discovered they’re both vegan! Lois even shared some of her home-baked vegan cookies with us! (And yes, I bought that amazing blue and black zigzag dress.)

Lois and Jean

I liked the shop across from Lois’ store too. My mom was sweet enough to buy me one of their screen-printed tops.

screen printed wear

There’s more to Chelsea than just the market. One evening we met my friend Shannon, a recent New York transplant, at Blossom vegan restaurant.

Chelsea girls

We ate delicious food and even had authentic (and dairy-free) New York Cheesecake!

vegan cheesecake

Another Chelsea gem is the popular High Line, an elevated former rail line that was transformed into a greenway. The rail line used to bring animals into the city for slaughter. I prefer its use as a park!

Mom and Jean on the High Line

New York is such a fun place. Have you ever been to Chelsea?

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Doors of New York

When I wandered the streets of New York a couple of weeks ago with my parents, I took a lot of pictures. We all did. Between the three of us, we had five devices–one DSLR, two point-and-shoots, a smartphone and an iPad! We didn’t set out to capture a series of doors, but there’s something about doors that drew us in. And when I looked through the photos, I saw a theme.

Maybe you can’t judge a book by its cover, but my dad said you can tell a lot by the interior of a house by what the front door looks like. He should know–he’s a painter and decorator and I bet he’s painted a lot of doors!

I hope you enjoy a few of the doors we captured in pixels.

Here’s a beautiful building a block away from the place we stayed at in Harlem. Warm, inviting wooden doors and pretty flower boxes drew me to this scene.

twin doors

A red door is classic and the black shutters and brass mail slot and kicker add elegance to this doorway in Chelsea.

red and black

I liked the arched doorway, the combination of dark wood and light stone, and the flowers flanking the steps.

arched wooden door

Carved faces and grapes, and lions guarding the stairs makes this entry special. The black door with half window is very inviting.

lions

Another red door, this one with great ironwork and crisp, white shutters.

red and white

The entry to this cathedral in Morningside Heights had a heavy, strong door.

brass handle

Nothing beats a fire station for style. I really liked this one in Little Italy.

fire station

I like the greenery growing around this door’s arch. The iron gate is a nice touch that adds privacy without being obtrusive.

black door

I can’t stop looking at the warm tones of this wooden door in Greenwich Village. The forest green trim works well with the wood and bricks.

green and wood

Here’s the detail of the door knocker–lovely!

knocker

How does a building or house draw you in? Is it the doors, the garden, windows, something else? Have you done something special to your entry?

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Spending the Morning in Morningside Park

During my trip to NYC, my parents and I had the chance to visit a famous landmark: The restaurant from Seinfeld.

Tom's restaurant

Of course the show used only the exterior shot; the inside scenes were shot in a Hollywood studio. Still, it was fun to stand in such a famous place, and the location of so many funny scenes from my favorite show.

We popped in to Tom’s (or Monk’s as it was called on the show) for a New York bagel, and walked through the Columbia University campus and watch new students moving in.

walikng outfit

olive and black

Top: Charlotte Russe
Skirt: Target
Shoes: Target
Purse: Flea market in Harlem
Sunglasses: Shop in Santa Fe
Necklace: Herbivore Clothing

 I also walked through Morningside park, a long, treed strip of land that runs between Morningside Heights and Harlem. From the top of the park you can see a great view of Harlem.

morningside park

My stroll took a serious turn when I happened upon the cathedral St. John the Divine. I don’t normally stop in cathedrals but this one was having a photo exhibit called Hidden Lives: The Untold Stories of Urban Refugees. I read about people who endured terrible hardships, such as war, violence, natural disasters and how they moved to safer places. I learned that across the globe, over 40 million people are displaced and that half of them are living in urban centers. The exhibit challenged my perception of what it means to be a refugee. It’s not just “someone else” in “another place.” They are our neighbors too, and often we walk by without knowing their stories.

The exhibit is over but you can read the featured stories online.

St. John the Divine

I’ve joined The Pleated Poppy, Transatlantic Blonde and Style Elixir today for a blog link-up. See what everyone else is writing about!

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Two of a Kind: Matching Pink Tops

When I was a kid, my mom would dress me in outfits that matched hers. I was her Mini Me. Well, I’ve since developed my own sense of style and prefer a unique look, but we do still like some of the same things. So when my aunt sent us a care package all the way from Germany, you can imagine my mom’s delight when she saw two matching tops.

matching pink tops

Tops: Clockhouse via gifted
Bottoms: Thrifted
Shoes: Target and Old Navy
Cuffs: Wrecords by Monkey

My mom brought the tops to New York and we had an impromptu photo shoot. Thanks to my Tante Marion for the pretty tops! She always manages to find things that I really like!

I paired my top with dark denim Bermuda shorts. They were perfect for my trip and went with the flats and wedges I’d packed.

Jean, seated

Jean, standing

My mom wore her top with lighter denim capris. We both have on metallic ballet flats. Hers are pewter; mine are gold.

mom seated

Mom, standing

We even have coordinating cuffs. When we were at the Brooklyn flea market, we met a local designer who was selling bracelets made from upcycled records. My mom’s has a peach-colored NYC skyline on hers. I went a little grittier and chose one with pigeons, rats, coffee cups and trash bags. I like to keep it real!

record cuff

After the shoot, I changed into a different outfit. Don’t get me wrong–I love the top, with its Grecian styling. I just don’t want to match anyone else! We went to Harlem Tavern and treated our photographer (aka my dad) to a delicious peach hefewiesen and sweet potato fries.

harlem_tavern_collage

Do you prefer a unique look or do you sometimes coordinate with a sister, spouse or friend?

I’ve joined Style Elixir for a group link-up. See what everyone else is wearing!

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New York, New York!

I just got back from New York City! I had a fantastic time with my parents. We stayed in a condo in Harlem by night and explored the city by day. It truly is the city that never sleeps–and neither did we!

Jean, Dad, Mom

We visited quaint neighborhoods, modern museums, and delicious vegan restaurants. We walked through Central Park, shopped in Midtown, scavenged flea markets in Brooklyn, and met with friends who live in the city.

Jean in NYC

Looking through my pictures is a bit overwhelming; I’m not sure where to start! I have ideas for style posts, restaurant reviews, and I want to show you the art I saw (on the street and in galleries). I met business owners, friendly locals, and even had a celebrity sighting (or two).

Crossing the line

I’m inviting you to explore the city with me, virtually. I hope you have fun looking at the next set of posts, as I relive my trip to the Big Apple!

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Filed under Events, Travel