Independence Day

Sun Hat – Publix; Tank – Target; Pencil Skirt – Conway; Wedges – Payless.

Happy 4th of July, fellow ¡Americanos!

After Halloween and Christmas, the 4th of July is my favorite holiday. Which is a bit weird because I’ve never had an awesome/incredible/once-in-a-lifetime moment celebrating it, but I love the nostalgia of it. Lemonade, corn on the cob, burgers, beer, fireworks – that’s summer and America today. Of course, in my head, America = food. (How Liz Lemon of me.)

No fireworks for me this year, unfortunately, but my roommate Jillian and I got our barbecue fix at Dallas BBQ. SO GOOD.

I also decided my holiday outfit would be super girly – and another excuse to wear my new hat. (I guess it’s because it’s I used my point-and-shoot, but my navy skirt photographed as black.) It’s certainly a departure from last year’s 4th of July, which I spent in this dress before switching into shorts and my U.S. soccer jersey for a barbecue. And guys, I’m mixing prints. A woman at the restaurant even told me my “look” worked – sweet. Plus, I had a go at patriotic nail art:

Yeah, I call that a successful Independence Day. Enjoy the food and fireworks, everyone!

~ Sarah

“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.” Bill Clinton

O’ Sailor

Shirt – Target; Skirt – Target; Headband – street vendor; Clock Necklace – H&M; Ring – hand me down; Watch – Fossil; Skinny Belt – borrowed; Sandals – Claire’s.

Who knew taking outfit photos could be so much … effort? But hey, it only took me until mid-July (a whole two months after my finals ended) for me to figure out how to take outfit pictures without a tripod (it’s on my wishlist). Now if only I could make myself take them in the morning — every photographer knows natural light is your best friend. And hey, check out that exposed brick. Who said the Bronx couldn’t be classy? You pay big bucks for that in Chelsea.

This outfit kind of came to me last night. It’s been nothing short of sweltering here in New York, so I’ve been thinking of ways to re-work my few skirts for work, because you can only wear a dress so many times, especially when avoiding layers. I bought both the skirt and anchor headband last summer, but I don’t get much wear out of either.

Then I had the, may I say, brilliant idea to wear my skirt closer to my natural waist (as opposed to my hips) and belt it (skinny belts really do work wonders). I wanted to wear a simple top, because I’d just feel wearing a printed shirt and my headband together. I went for silver accessories to match my belt and sandals — a watch, a cocktail ring, the necklace I bought with Elle. I like to think it has a subtle nautical vibe, with the anchors and bright white.For a Monday, today was a pretty good one. I went to the Lovelyish office for a few hours, then I met an old friend from high school for coffee iced tea. I hadn’t seen him since he graduated, four years ago, so it was pretty awesome to catch up. Then I made the trip back home, and went a bit crazy on my layout (ok, not too crazy, but I’m really indecisive!). I also updated my blogroll yesterday, so check some of them out and do a bit exploring. Oh, and I went grocery shopping, which I always find relaxing, and Tropicana orange juice was on sale. That’s nothing short of great.

Hope you all had a lovely day as well!

☀ Sarah

P.S. We will not be discussing what happened … yesterday … but if you want a snippet of my depressed thoughts, you can read this article I was quoted in. That’s right, I was emotional enough in Times Square yesterday that I got interviewed. Softens the blow a bit.

P.P.S. Happy, happy birthday to my friend Juliane!

So the Women’s World Cup is Happening…

 

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I’m sure by now you have heard about this amazing group of athletes, the new comeback kids: the U.S. Women’s National Team. At least I hope so — after stunning victories against Brazil and France in the quarters and semis, the ladies landed a photograph on the front page of the New York Times. Take that, men’s side (and thanks for blowing it against Mexico in the Gold Cup — that was fun to watch).

Now everyone and their mother is on the USWNT bandwagon (except my roomie Christine, who is completely oblivious to sports, in a good way), and for once, I don’t mind. Keeper Hope Solo (and my newest girl crush) even tweeted: “Go ahead, jump on the bandwagon and let’s do this together.” And you should: moments like this are hard to come by.

I’ve been looking forward to this tournament since the men’s World Cup ended last summer, but I didn’t expect to get so caught up in it. I’ve even watched the replays of matches with my favorite teams on ESPN3, since I don’t have cable and all. And even though the Americans have stumbled along the way (2-1 loss to Sweden, what up), I’m excited (and nervous!!) beyond belief now that they’ve made it to the final.

Are you going to be watching the final? I’m heading to Times Square to watch it, and while it’s not the same as watching at home like I did in ’99, it’s still pretty epic. Go U.S.A.!

This American attitude of pulling everything together and bringing out the best performance in each other is contagious. ~ Coach Pia Sundhage

☆ Sarah

 

Link Love

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Alright, so maybe Link Love is becoming a Tuesday thing, but never fear, I’ve saved up some good (and really random) links…

From the Huffington Post, some of the best iPhone photography out there.

I kinda love this: reasons to be a college newspaper editor.

5 must-have experiences before college graduation, according to Internship.com.

I thought this was fascinating: from the New York Times, how the news of Osama bin Laden’s death was leaked.

In case you missed it (which is actually really likely), the roster for the U.S. Women’s soccer team was announced. The quest for the World Cup starts this June.

Johnny Depp wants to reshape the portrayal of Native Americans in film – go Johnny go!

Also super cool – social media services, translated into Manhattan neighborhoods.

Lovelyish tells which items to buy, keep, or store this summer, but I have to admit I’m not ready to put my oxfords away!

Which links are you loving this week?

~ Sarah

P.S. I also caved and started a Tumblr – check it out.

Fashion Inspiration: Chrysler Building

View from the Empire State Building observation desk, Nov. 2010.

For this style inspiration post, I’m trying to do something different. Last spring, CF ran a series of articles with outfits inspired by one intern’s trips across Europe. She found inspiration everywhere, from art to food, and I loved that idea. So for this post, I wanted to create a look based on my favorite building in New York – the Chrysler Building. Loving the Chrysler Building is probably a cliche, but I don’t care – this Art Deco skyscraper is absolutely stunning. The Chrysler Building is an American icon, and it’s known especially for its crown – doesn’t it just take your breath away? This is how I would style an outfit inspired by the Chrysler Building:

Dress – Modcloth; Pumps – Payless; Earrings – Forever 21 (Canada); Clutch – Topshop; Ring – Nordstrom.

It’s no surprise that the most important part of this look is the dress. It took forever to find, but the silhouette of this lovely charcoal dress is both structured and flirty. I love how the tiers mimic the building’s crown, and the dress has a very sophisticated look. For the accessories, wear Art Deco-inspired teardrop earrings and an edgy cocktail ring. Art Deco was all about glamour, so it made sense to add a few pieces with rich color, like this retro clutch in wine and matching peep-toe pumps. This fun outfit would definitely help you stand out at your next cocktail party or formal. What do you think? Do you see the inspiration? Let me know in the comments!