deep in the [he]art of texas

Hard to believe we've been back for two weeks and this is only the first post from Texas!  Things have been such a whirlwind what with travel and moving and all, but as you may be able to tell from these pictures we are so incredibly happy to finally be back home (heat, humidity and all).  I returned from New Mexico on Saturday, we spent Sunday visiting my grandmother and yesterday running errands so today was really the first chance we had to do something fun.  Tuesday is late-opening at the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) with free admission from 4 to 9 so we decided to head over and check out the Ancient Near-East Galleries (and take some pictures, naturally).  The Gary Sweeney piece above is actually out in the museum parking lot, and it's one of my favorite of their assorted installations (the other being a Chihuly ceiling of which I was unable to get a good picture) because it simultaneously spreads the museum beyond its physical limits and contextualizes it in the architectural era of the surrounding neighborhood.  Plus I just like it. 

I hope you won't mind the excessive goofiness of these pictures ~ like I said, I'm really happy to be home.  Ordinarily we're diametrically opposed to jumping pictures (as p has stated previously) but since I hit this heel-click I kind of have to share it.  My outfit came together a little unexpectedly right at the point where I was about to give up and call the night off; it's a reprise of what I wore to have dim sum last week with my mother (but didn't get a chance to photograph) and I threw it on this time just as a demonstration but P said go with it, so there you are.  The whole thing ~ dress, scarf and shoes ~ cost me less than $20 and I've worn each piece at least twice in the week I've had them, even though P dislikes the shoes (they're leopard print with gold-glitter polka-dots, go figure).  The scarf is a relative of the green and blue ones I've posted previously with same wonderful, saturated color (and it was on sale).  

Apparently people leave their entry stickers on the post of the pedestrian-crossing sign outside the museum.  I love how it's sort of a community-art-collaboration-replaces-trash-bin thing (people also leave their gum, among other things).

Anyhow, welcome [to our] home!

(Target dress, flats and scarf, Hobo clutch and heirloom jewelry) 

modern love

All apologies for the absence of posts ~ in the past two weeks we've packed up our studio and moved from London back to San Antonio, whereupon I immediately skipped over to Albuquerque to attend the wedding of one of my dearest high school friends, leaving P behind to clean and tidy. Suffice it to say, outfits and photos haven't been all too much of a priority for either of us, at least until now, but a wedding is obviously something special and naturally should be treated as such. 

  The outfits in this post are actually out of order, as I wore this one to the Day-After-The-Wedding Brunch, but I was able to get more pictures of it so it goes first.  I threw this on in the fifteen minutes between waking up and leaving my parents' house to have a pre-brunch coffee with one of the bridesmaids ~ a timeline that included feeding my mother's dogs (that's Monty gazing adoringly at me) and cleaning up one of their overnight accidents.  It's the kind of outfit that I felt very glad to have pieces in place that I could just grab and go (two of which I acquired the day before the wedding after being stood up by said bridesmaid ~ thanks Amy!).

 Which two, you ask?  Why, the shoes above and the shirt below, of course!  (The key pieces, naturally.)  I cannot adequately communicate to you the limitations of shopping in Albuquerque, so I was more than a little nervous when I set out to find a top to go with one of the skirts I brought to potentially wear to the wedding.  I did find a top (though I ended up going with a different outfit) but I also found quite a bit more, largely due to the spectacular sale going on at Ann Taylor Loft (40% off regular priced merchandise and 50% off sale items ~ INSANE).  To be honest I haven't been inside an Ann Taylor in over ten years, and this was my first trip to Loft, but I ended up taking about a million things into the dressing room and having to rationally talk myself down on the number of things to purchase.  I've had my eye out for a summery wedge to help ease me back into the world of heels, and these shoes fit the bill perfectly (in more ways than one).  They're also a shoe that would never have made it out of the box if P had been there (partly because he doesn't like gladiator-styles and mostly because he hates gold) but his absence allowed me to indulge myself, which paid off in compliments from my friends at brunch.

 Between the beautiful print and folded neckline this top was a no-brainer.  The material is cotton and silk, and while I normally avoid the latter during summer for reasons of being a sweaty mess, the mix here is lightweight, slightly slinky and very breathable, plus the elasticized bubble hem keeps it breezy and comfortable for the high desert.  I'm a little less optimistic about wearing it in Texas' super-humid heat, but we'll see ~ I may have found my new summer fabric.

Now the accessories (please forgive my self-indulgent tableau ~ I have a lot of time on my hands here).  The sunglasses I wear pretty much all the time, and the bag I grabbed on sale in Heathrow because I had two suitcases as carry-ons for the flight home and wanted something to stash my book and lip balm in at my seat.  I'm liking it far more than I planned to, which doesn't bode well for future purchases.

Finally, a quick snap of what I wore to the wedding, taken in the bathroom at the reception.  Not ideal, I know, but I was kind of in a rush on the way out.  I had no idea ahead of time what I would end up wearing so I brought five pairs of shoes, two skirts, two dresses and a couple tops, then went out shopping for more when I landed, but this was actually the outfit I had in mind all along and I'm really glad I went with it.  Pretty and comfortable and great for a few hours of intense dancing with some of my favorite friends.  The wedding was amazing, the bride was beautiful (the norm for her) and so much palpable love you couldn't cut it with a knife.  Also the requisite wedding-party hook-up to make us all proud.  I'm not usually a wedding person, but this was far and away the best I've ever been to.  And I am so excited for the lovely couple (who should be off to Cancun any minute now).

(Outfit #1-Brunch: vintage Sunglasses, Loft tank, Seven stretch straight-leg jeans, Loft wedges, Longchamp bag, heirloom jewelry; Outfit #2-the Wedding: old Tahari top, Diane Von Furstenberg skirt, old Marc by Marc Jacobs flats, Hobo International clutch, pashmina from Istanbul, Frank Gehry for Tiffany Torque ring and earrings, James Avery bangle and Pianegonda ring)

ain't no sunshine

The weather today was not so nice as it has been, but the cooler temperature gave me an excuse to layer up plaid and stripes so I can't complain.

This jacket is another piece from the Paul Smith sample sale that I am really excited about.  I loved the style so much (tails! epaulets! a mandarin collar!) that I snagged a heavier one in navy~they were the only two in the whole place and so well cut that I couldn't resist.  This blast of cold weather has only served to confirm that decision. 

P and I keep trying to figure out if we think it's a hybrid military-equestrian cut or what, but so far none of my google searches has turned up any promising cavalry uniforms.  We'll keep looking though (we're both pretty nerdy like that).

These shoes were a bit of a trip as I haven't worn heels since maybe October.  It definitely took a little while for me to adjust to being tall.  Also walking in wet grass.  Hopefully I'll do better next time.  

(Paul Smith jacket, Vince cardigan, Target tee, Current/Elliott jeans, Sam Edelman shoes & Coach bag, heirloom jewelry)

exam week

Sometimes an encouraging shirt and sentimental jewelry can make all the difference.

(Gap for Whitney Biennial shirt designed by Kerry James Marshall, Seven for All Mankind straight leg stretch jeans, heirloom jewelry)