The weekend before Halloween, Bryan and I took a little road trip to Raleigh, NC to celebrate his 30th birthday. All he wanted was to eat amazing barbecue and sample beer from breweries along our journey, which is just what we did!
style
70s Throwback with TOBI
Lately I’ve been feeling a pull toward clean lines, minimal patterns, and stand out colors, which all remind me of the iconic styles of the 70’s.
Zara Jungle Blazer
Rainy Union Market Day[te]
Bryan and I have emphatically decided to spend holidays doing something fun together instead of exchanging gifts. Although he cheated on Vday with a bottle of bubbly and a box of Sugar Shack donuts [best boyfriend ever!], we had an awesome Valentines Day date the weekend before at Union Market, one of our go-to spots for a relaxing day close to home.
It was super grey and rainy, but Union Market has great indoor space and surrounding shops, so we plopped down at Rappahannock Oyster Co. for a delicious sampler platter before doing a little exploring. We visited our favorites, like TaKorean [snack #2 of the day], Salt & Sundry, and Peregrine Espresso, but we also discovered the new Cotton & Reed rum distillery around the corner. If you’re in the DC/VA area, you must check it out! Their cocktails are great, their bartenders are friendly, and the light-filled space is cozy and inviting.
Outfit Details:
GAP Brimmed Hat
GAP Chelsea Boots
Vintage Suede Coat
Vince Camuto Leggings
Fulla&Fayda Tote
Summer Style Recap
It’s that time of year again. Summer is winding down and everyone is wishing for cooler, more relaxed fall days that call for boots, scarves, and pumpkin spice lattes. The summer is always a whirlwind – I’m usually in denial when May rolls around that it will go so fast, but by the beginning of September I always ask myself, “where did summer go?!”. This summer in particular was especially significant with the amount of life changes I experienced (I am calling it my “quarter life crisis”), but I have recently realized that change is not necessarily a bad thing. As humans, we are naturally resistant to change – we get comfortable in our lives and each time we forget what it’s like to face change. Since most of the time we are forced into these times of transition, I have decided that I need to consciously try to be positive through it all. For me, mantras like “I am strong” and “everything happens for a reason” propel me forward in a deep murky sea of change, and I think it’s working this time.
Looking back on my wardrobe choices this summer, I incorporated a lot of my natural eclectic style into my style posts. I mainly started with a classically neutral base and added a flare of vintage or, conversely, a modern aesthetic. I’ve been playing with more modern looks in these past few weeks, trying to figure out the best combination of statement necklaces, bright tops, graphic tees, and different prints and patterns. It’s fun to see how separate pieces that when put together can create entirely different and unique looks – it’s almost like working on little puzzles. With new and old fall fashion styles quickly emerging, here are a couple tips to take with you into the new season:
1. Don’t be afraid to mix prints. Taking two pieces that have completely different patterns (polka dots + stripes, stripes + floral, tartan + leopard, the list goes on…) is a great way to transition your summer wardrobe to fall.
2. Be creative with what you have. It can be so tempting to forget about what you have in your closet (although sometimes it becomes very necessary to purge) and buy all the newest trends in fashion. Instead, try purchasing 2-3 key pieces for fall and incorporate some of your favorite things you already have, including those items that have been pushed to the depths of your closet…
3. Don’t forget to accessorize. A simple statement necklace or a silk scarf can jazz up a t-shirt and jeans if you’re looking for an easy and chic way to stay comfortable all day. This trick comes in handy for me at the office pretty regularly!
4. Take risks! This is a great time of year to play with layered looks (dresses, tights, boots, scarves, sweaters, oh my!), so don’t forget to have fun with what you have – you never know if something will work until you give it a try!
xo,
Jackietara
Graphic & Monochromatic
I’m back, lovelies, and just in time to catch the end of summer. August was a month of serious transition, which unfortunately didn’t allow me any time or energy to devote to my blog. But I’m back in full force and excited to look at life in a new light, which is why I thought a white monochromatic ensemble would be the perfect reentry blog post. All white reminds me of a clean canvas, fresh and ready for the first few swipes of paint. This is also the last time I could wear white jeans for a while (does everyone follow that Labor Day rule?!)…
I have joined the graphic tee craze and picked up this great black and white one from a recent Robyn and Royksopp concert (have you heard their latest single, “Do It Again“? I am obsessed) . The muted white shirt is a complete contrast to the colorful lights, over-the-top outfits, and loud trance-like beats during Robyn’s show, but it definitely fits into my current “back to basics” style. I hope to have more to share on that front in September. It’s full steam ahead into fall, and I welcome all the changes that come with it.
Outfit details:
Robyn Concert Tee
Madewell Sleeveless Denim Top
Similar White Denim on sale!
Similar Sunnies
Mrkt Pumps from DSW
Floppy Hat from TJ Maxx
Photography by Paul B. Jones
Straw-Haired Girl
Every adult dreams of being able to dress up like a whimsical character from a great movie, book, or musical, just as we innocently did in our backyards as kids. Well I don’t know if everyone does, but I sure do, and I was able to fulfill my child-like fantasy on a trying-oh-so-hard-to-be sunny day in May. My friend and photographer, Traci Medlock of Traci J. Brooks Photography, had a vision of recreating the Wizard of Oz story with her friends portraying the characters. I was “cast” to be the Scarecrow and couldn’t have been more excited.
The talent of Suzanne Minskey of Faces by SAM completely transformed my everyday look into the face of the Scarecrow. I was literally shocked when I looked in the mirror and it made playing the part all the more fun! This was a “use what you have in your inventory” type of shoot, so I brought my most neutral plaid shirt, conjured my memories of the brave and genuine Scarecrow, and ran with it. With straw in my hair, we spent a magical day recreating the timeless story of friends on a journey together. The sky spit on us all afternoon at Algonkian Regional Park, but Traci was able to take some gorgeous shots before the rain!
Outfit details: plaid button-down: Hollister similar // jean shorts: American Eagle similar // boho floppy hat: Anthropologie similar // cognac short leather boots: Frye similar
Photos by Traci J. Brooks Photography
Jackietara
Apple Picking
If you remember from a couple weeks ago, getting outside more was a must on my fall to-do list. Aside from my weekly runs in Shirlington, I had been having trouble checking this off my list, until two weekends ago… my friend Lizzy and I thankfully [in advance] penciled in a fun trip to go apple picking and, by golly, we made it happen!
We decided to visit Stribling Orchard in Markham, Virginia, just an hour south from D.C. Lizzy grew up picking apples at this particular orchard and hadn’t been back in years. We arrived an hour and a half before closing, which ended up being a blessing in disguise. The bustling orchard was beginning to quiet as young and old apple pickers alike rang up their spoils of the afternoon, and we almost had the place to ourselves. It was a gorgeous evening as we scoured the orchard for each different type of apple. We collected McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, and Lizzy’s all-time favorite, Stayman apples.
I have also been trying to find any reason to wear my navy blue floppy hat from Anthropologie that has been sitting on top of my wardrobe all year long. I feel like the perfect time of year [now] to wear a hat like this goes by in a flash and I usually forget to pull it down! Keeping with my button down + cardi go-to outfit, I wore a new darling polka dot and heart shirt that I got from Madewell a couple weeks ago [on sale!].
Wearing: button down: Madewell // camel cardigan: ModCloth // legging jeans: Express // black boots: DSW [old] // floppy hat: Anthro // turquoise butterfly necklace: family vintage
Photography also by Teddy Wolff
The best part about apple picking [aside from snacking on all of the delicious apples along the way] is all of the fun recipes we get to try!
Jackietara
Jackie Tara 
