a hint of summer

Last weekend was a mini-vacation stuck between my 2 summer sessions. Cabin on the Snake River, Yellowstone, and fireworks for the 4th. The West is so weird, our Yellowstone day was 55 and f-f-freezing, and the next day way sunny and 90, perfect for floating on the river. I am hoping this doesn't turn out to be my only trip away from Utah this summer but it was so good to get away.

hair scare

While doing my usual (obsessive) Etsy browsing (this time for cute hair goods), I came across this:

Although cute, this little barrette sent a shiver down my spine. It brought back one of my most frightening experiences ever. While in Idaho, I was taking a shower with a towel wrapped turban-style around my head to keep my hair dry. When I finished, I stepped out and looked in the mirror to see a huge hobo spider crawling down my towel, quickly making its way towards my face. I am deathly afraid of spiders, especially large, dangerous-to-humans, biting spiders. I had a near heart attack, couldn't sleep that night, and this little barrette brought back memories of that spider being so close to my hair...no thanks.


I'd much rather take one of these, these, these, these, or these. Cuter and much less nightmare-inducing.

au revoir!

I'm going out of town for a few days, and part of the time will be spent in a cabin with limited resources. I am going to be in the bitter cold of the Mountain West, so hopefully my wimpy little Florida-acclimated body won't die! I will take pictures and see you all soon.

p.s.- I bought the shoes, and they are coming with me!

finding inspiration

Fashion inspiration is hard to find around here. During tax season I am in the office 10 hours a day with some of the most unstylish people on earth. Employee A is a lady who, on a daily basis, wears carpenter style chinos about 2 inches too short, white crew socks and skechers or hiking boots. The only other twenty-something girl in the office, Employee B, also wears skechers daily but adds polarfleece on the top. An otherwise cute Employee C has a great body but covers it with calf-length denim skirts, white opaque tights with an ankle bracelet over the top, and the ever present skechers. And today Employee D wore a strange, tapered incarnation of purple Hammer Pants with a purple sweater. Maybe this is why I go into withdrawal if I don't log onto a fashion website every hour at work.

This is not the only way the internet has saved my sanity; if I could not shop online, I'd be decked out in Vanity and Sears.

I have lived here in Idaho for about 8 months now, and I have to admit that moving here has sparked my deep love of fashion. I have always been interested in clothes, and even considered design school because I love making clothes & accessories. But being in this fashion vacuum has really made me realize how much I love the art of clothing & styling. I try to find inspiration everywhere...well, everywhere except my office.

things you will and won't find in mid daho

things you won't find:
a decent pair of black heels
vegetarians
a dog park
independent movies
frozen yogurt
any stylish clothes for men
newscasters that have any idea what they're doing
people who have lived outside of idaho/utah


things you will find:
people who have never used the internet
cowboy hats & bolero ties
an enormous wait at olive garden, the newest and most popular restaurant in town
people who find it acceptable to go out to eat in pajamas
the coldest wind on earth
a large selection of proenza schouler at target, because no one cares about it
diesel pickup trucks making up 70% of traffic at any given time
one girl who misses living in a city.

first

While many of you are out enjoying your new spring dresses, flats, sandals, and flowy tops, I am stuck in a sub-zero office watching SNOW fall in the middle of April. I have been wearing the same sweaters over and over for the past few months, because a Florida girl like me just hasn't invested much in wool (or anything long-sleeved for that matter). I shop online whenever I have downtime at work, because the mall here just doesn't cut it. The most chic store they have is the Gap, and they are hyping up the grand opening of their newest store...Wet Seal (ummm...?) Needless to say, I don't go there often. At work, I was mourning the loss of my shopping trips to Sephora, only to hear the 2 other secretaries say "Sephora? What's that?"

Where am I!?