What I Wore… Because I Attempted the Sock Bun Hairstyle

• When: Sunday, January 22nd
• Where: Visiting my grandmother at the nursing home and watching the Pats beat the Ravens (Yay!!!)
• What: Purple striped long sleeve t-shirt (Madewell), black sweater (Banana Republic), faded black denim leggings (American Eagle outlet), black rain boots (Hunter), black and green glass earrings (Disney World)

I really like the look of the sock bun hairstyle, but I need to practice to make it a little neater. It’s difficult to wrap the “sock donut” around my ponytail and there are 10 bobby pins to attempt to tidy the messy strands of hair.

My mom didn’t believe that there was really a sock in my hair. I made her watch when let my hair down and sure enough, there was one of Jared’s old navy blue socks.

Yesterday’s rain and today’s warm temperatures have caused all of the snow to melt away. So I’m very glad I took photos to capture the fun and excitement of Saturday’s snow day.

Miles anxiously waited for my mom to come play in the yard.

Do you enjoy adventures and exercise in the snow?!?

What I Wore… Because there was a Frigid Forecast

• When: Friday, January 20th
• Where: Dinner and game night with friends while we waited for the snow to start
• What: Navy 3/4 sleeve shirt (J. Crew outlet), grey vest (Eddie Bauer), khaki cords (J. Crew outlet), red plaid scarf (Old Navy), “cormorant” rubber slip on (Sperry), red plaid headband (J. Crew outlet), single silver bracelet on each wrist (David Yurman and ???)

Cozy down vest! What what!!!

Elbow patches are so Old Man. So College Professor. I love them! Very sad that I only own one sweater with a glorious suede patch on each elbow.

What I Wore… Elbow Patches

• When: Thursday, January 19th
• Where: Boston for a day filled with back to back to back wedding meetings
• What: Gingham flannel shirt (Eddie Bauer), pink sweater (Rugby), cropped toothpick jeans (J. Crew outlet), brown boots (Frye)

There’s something so magical and exciting about the first snow of the season. This winter, Mother Nature has kept us waiting for quite a long time. On Thursday night, we finally received a substantial storm.

Miles and I headed outside to explore the Winter Wonderland.

Several inches of fresh powdery snow, such a beautiful sight!

Miles immediately transformed from a crazy corgi into a playful snow bunny.

Look at that bunny hop!

I snapped photos and admired the snow on the trees. Miles had more fun hopping and sprinting in circles in the snowy backyard.

Cold winter weather is often dreary and gets my spirits down. But I always enjoy the first few snowstorms of the season when the world is covered in a blanket of clean, white snow.

What I Wore… Lunch Date with my Bridesmaid

• When: Monday, January 16th
• Where: Lunch at the Yard House at Legacy Place and shopping
• What: Striped top (Anthropologie), waffle knot cardigan (Banana Republic), denim leggings (American Eagle outlet), boots (Madewell), gold necklace with pearls (J. Crew outlet)

Cranky face!

I really admire real fashion bloggers. Outfit photos are always taken while wandering down empty train tracks or in front of the coolest graffitied walls. The clothing is trendy but unique and always inspiring. The photography is top notch, unique angles and fashionable poses. When I think of fashion bloggers, I also think of heels. Sky high platforms or the skinniest stilettos.

I’m not a fashion blogger. I post pictures of what I wore because it’s fun to see everyday outfit photos. I’m lazy; I’m usually really casual. My feet hurt after 5 minutes of walking in heels so I stick with boots or flats. My fiancé is a lousy and often reluctant photographer so I have to take whatever photos I can get. But my outfits are real.

What you see is what you get.

What I Wore… Because I Wasn’t Willing to Be Anything Else Besides Casual

• When: Sunday, January 15th
• Where: Watching the Golden Globes with friends in Boston
• What: Plaid flannel shirt (inherited from my mom, prob J. Crew outlet), grey zip up sweater (J. Crew), toothpick jeans (J. Crew outlet), grey slipons (Sanuk)

Oh what a nice little Saturday, complete with a family trip to Foxwoods Casino.

Growing up, my grandparents were always at Foxwoods. Bingo games, video poker, and lots of free gifts from the casino! I counted down until the day I turned 18 when I could join them in the bingo hall. Casino bingo is intimidating! Huge papers covered with bingo cards, stampers to dab your spaces, numbers on the screen, numbers being shouted, ahh! I’ve only played a few times and I’ve never won, but each experience has still been memorable.

This trip to Foxwoods wasn’t for bingo. We were there for the final weekend of the Princess Diana exhibit, Diana: A Celebration.

My grandparents were able to get 4 free tickets and they gave them to my parents and me. After Princess Diana was killed, I became fascinated with her life and legacy. I read books and watched documentaries. It was so interesting to see items from Diana’s childhood and I spent 10 minutes admiring her wedding dress. The dress is VERY different from the one I’ll be wearing on 8.10.12. A few less ruffles and a much shorter train.

Diana: A Celebration was a really nice tribute celebrating Diana’s life and work, and if it comes to your area, I’d highly recommend it.

Since Foxwoods is an hour away, we had to make the most of our visit. We didn’t want to leave after the Diana exhibit so walked through the casino and introduced Jared to a place that has been part of my family’s daily conversation for as long as I can remember.

We made it through lunch before we were all bit by the gambling bug.

My grandparents headed off to the Rainmaker Casino to play video poker. My dad was on the hunt for penny slots. Jared was looking for a spot at a Black Jack table.

Jared didn’t find a Black Jack table that struck his fancy so he decided to join a game of roulette. He put $20 on the table and received his chips. He spread them around the table, placing one or two chips on various numbers. All bets were placed and the ball when set in motion. When it stopped, it had landed in #12. Jared had placed 2 chips on #12! He won $70!

Lucky #12! My brother has always been number 12 throughout his entire hockey career, from a tiny mite through high school and college. My family’s love for the number 12 finally paid off. Thanks Matt!

Jared was ready to take the money and run. We cashed out, collected the losers (bad day for penny slots and video poker), and decided to hit the road.

I think everyone had a really nice family day at Foxwoods. Miles seemed like he had a good Saturday too, except when I got a little too close while he was trying to chomp on his bone. Apparently corgis need their space.

What I Wore… Draped in Fabric

• When: Saturday, January 14th
• Where: Foxwoods Casino
• What: Olive green draped top (Anthropologie), toggle cardigan (J. Crew), cropped toothpick jeans (J. Crew outlet), brown boots (Frye), blue bracelet (???)

This outfit was comfy and cozy for an afternoon spent visiting Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. I added extra draped fabric by wrapping myself in a scarf for extra warmth.

Last time Miles and I took a walk down the wooded path near my house, we only lasted 15 minutes. It started raining so we were forced to turn back. Once we were indoors, I realized that both the dog and I were covered in ticks. Gross! I spent the afternoon giving the dog a bath, vacuuming the entire apartment, and washing my entire outfit to make sure everything was tick-free.

After waiting a few months, I was ready to grab the dog and try to walk the path again. This time I picked a sunny but cold day. Plus I wore jeans tucked inside my rain boots so I wouldn’t have to worry about ticks and other nasty bugs.

Once we were a safe distance on the path, I unhooked the leash so Miles could walk on his own. My little corgi was so happy, trit-trotting along and sniffing piles of leaves.

Quiet and peaceful, it was wonderful to feel like the dog and I had escaped from the rest of the world. I love taking walks in the woods. You’re free from distractions and you’re free to think about whatever is on your mind, or in my case during this walk, not even think at all. I simply enjoyed my time with Miles and admired the trees that surrounded me.