Remember a few weeks ago on Facebook when I mentioned having the most amazing thrifting day ever? (If you missed that status update, you're clearly missing out on all the thrilling excitement in my life.) Well, its been almost three weeks and I'm still pinching myself over all the amazing goodies I scored. My favorite thrift store, Savers, was having a 50% sale, and since I'm never one to miss a good sale, I got up early to beat the crowds. (For those of you non-thrifters, I am not kidding; there are crowds on thrift store sale days.) I walked away with 4 skirts, 2 dresses, 2 scarves, and 1 sweater. And all of the pieces were things I had been looking to add to my wardrobe for fall. But enough babbling, here are a few quick morning snaps of some of my recent thrift scores...
I snagged this navy and white mid-length striped skirt for $3. Yes, you read that right, $3. The length might be awkward for some people, but given my height and love for heels, the skirt hits mid-calf and is a nice change for fall. I also love the white rope belt, a fun nautical nod for sure!
I also scored this leopard scarf, which is totally different from the other 4 leopard scarves I already own. Seriously, way different :) And I finally figured out how to turn standard scarves into infinity scaves, which is making this an even more versatile piece.
I have been loving the bright floral trend for fall, and I've had my eye out for an oh-so-floral dress. So when I saw this dress, I couldn't believe my thrifting luck. It was a bit too 80's frilly, but when I paired it with a black blazer, leopard belt, and some big bling, it was just what I'd hoped for.
My scarf collection is always growing, and I loved the bold color and print in this scarf. It added something extra to an otherwise simple chambray + purple corduroy combo.
This 100% pure silk dress from Talbots was another fabulous find. The sublte gold and black print is right up my alley, and of course, I added a black blazer, because well, I'm addicted to black blazers. This dress is actually several sizes too big for me, so I know I always have to wear a belt and blazer with it or get it altered.
So this is obviously not a work outfit (though I do wish oversized sweaters, lounge leggings, and ponytails were allowed at work). Me and oversized sweaters, well, we kind of have a thing. So when I saw this dark gray lovely hanging on a rack on the way out, she called to me and the rest was history. This almost-snuggie ran a whopping $5. It doesn't get much better than that.
Now might be a good time to mention, I'm already obsessed with the scarf. I wear it two or three times a week and have to keep myself from wearing it more often. The skirt is another mid-length skirt. I think this silhouette works well for me, and though I love me a good pencil skirt, I'm embracing fuller skirts for fall.
And this thrift find is actually from last year, but I scored it during another one of Saver's 50% days. The plaid is of course classic, and I tried to sass it up with black skinny pants, my beloved Levi's jacket, and oversized gold jewelry. Oh, and of course, my nerd glasses. Several people at work asked, "Oh are those new glasses?" to which I replied, "No, I just wear them once in a while." Translation: they have no prescription and are purely for style purposes. I may have 20/20 vision, but I don't like to be left out of any accessories :)
So there you have it, the thrift trip of the year! I'm still working some of the items into my fall wardrobe, and I'll post more pics as I wear things. I typically have good thrifting karma, but this trip was over the top awesome. My thrift bar has now been upped. Bring it, thrifting, bring it.
After the six hour drive from Memphis to New Orleans, Ryan and I had one thing on our minds...food! We quickly dropped our bags at our hotel and headed out in search of some good old New Orleans cuisine.
First stop, Bourbon Street for some oh-so-tasty shrimp po' boys and hurricanes. I had literally been dreaming of this sandwich the entire trip.
My roadtrip navigator and little bestie. Isn't he adorable? 
With full bellies, we headed out to explore the city, taking a quick stroll down Bourbon Street. During our short time in New Orleans, I couldn't help but notice the city's mix of high/low, old/new, touristy/authentic, remembered/forgotten. Normally, I am drawn to this kind of diversity, but for some reason, I found the city slightly unsettling in this way. I think it was this last pairing, remembered/forgotten that struck me most, and I couldn't help but think of how much this city has gone through the past several years.
Outfit of the day...
How sad is it that this is the only picture I have of us on this entire roadtrip?!
After lunch (and perhaps a quick nap) we headed out to explore a different area of New Orleans, Magazine Street. The area is known for it's local shops and boutiques, as well as its uber-cool vibe.
We made a stop at 
Sucre was one of those places where you can't help but squeal upon arrival. It was adorable, delicious, and just the right amount of prissy. And the staff was really sweet, letting us sample various things, answering my million questions, and putting up with my incessant photo snapping.
Funny enough, Matt's sister and her family were in New Orleans the same time as Ryan and me. We hadn't realized our overlap until just a few days before when I posted on Facebook about packing for the roadtrip. So we met up for a bit, chatting over milkshakes and macarons. And I have to give Julie a big shout out, as she treated me to an extra sweet graduation present while at Sucre; thank you, Julie!
These treats were almost too pretty to eat...almost :) Ryan and I were afraid the box wouldn't make it back to Texas with anything left inside, but thankfully, we managed to have some self-control, and were able to share with our family when we arrived in Houston.
After Sucre, Ryan and I headed to Frenchmen's Street, known as the local's choice spot for good jazz. We read in a travel article that the locals invented Bourbon Steet to corral all the tourists and keep them away from their beloved Frenchmen's Street. Ryan and I enjoyed a low key night, wandering in and out of bars, letting our ears and good jazz guide our wandering. I'm so thankful several of you suggested this to me, as it was a great way to experience a more authentic side of New Orleans nightlife.
The next morning, we got up bright and early, ready to hit the road. But of course, a trip to New Orleans is not complete without a stop at the legendary, Cafe Du Monde.
Those little powdered treats were even better than I imagined! Little did we know that while we were chowing down and dusting powdered sugar off our fingers, my car was being towed! Apparently, there is some secret parking rule about not parking on the street before 9:00 am, blah...blah...blah, and in short, Ryan and I spent our last two hours in New Orleans navigating the ridiculous ins and outs of New Orleans towing. But after some stress, several deep breaths, and even a few laughs, we were eager to say goodbye to New Orleans and get back on the road! Those beignets may have been the most expensive powdered puffs we've ever eaten, but at least they were good :)
*Wedding dress shopping at Nicole Miller with my friend Christa. She looked so pretty!
*An oh-so-sweet graduation gift from my fabulous NYC brothers in law.
*Matt and I discovered a fabulous Mediterranean resturant by our house.
*The week before I started my new job, I spent the day wandering around downtown Chicago, popping in and out of shops, stopping for coffee midday. It was the perfect way to end my "summer break" and kickoff the start of my new job.
*So happy to host Ryan and Makenna when they were in town for Lollapalooza, taking them to our favorite Neapolitan pizza place.
*Saturday picnic in the park.
*My BFF Jordan was in town for work, which meant we got to sneak in some quality lunch, pool, and cocktail time.
*Impromptu picnic with work friends.
*Raspberries are my favorite way to jazz up my water, and I'm soaking up the last few of the season!
Here we are right before the big moment. It's pretty crazy how long my hair had gotten, and to be honest, I think it needed to go. Though I'm digging the ombre :)
My stylist, Stephanie, decided to do a quick, first round chop before she did the color. Bye bye long hair!
And with that...I was ten pounds lighter. But of course, we still had quite a bit more to go :)
After a good bit of color and a good shampoo/conditioner, we got back to cutting.
At this point in the afternoon, I started to realize there was no turning back. I was mostly excited, but I won't lie, about 5% of me was freaking out :)
Drumroll please...the final product! It wasn't quite as short as I had imagined, but I think that ended up being a better fit for me.
Days later, I was still getting used to it, particularly learning how to styler shorter hair.
I was most nervous to see how my new hair would go with my favorite hat, and thankfully, a day at the pool with friends gave me a good excuse to test the combo out. And to be honest, I think I like my hat even better with short hair!