skating down the mountain, skyline in our rear view mirror.

Wednesday

inspiration.

Have you guys seen Madewell's Spring line yet? Many of you probably have - it was revealed back in December, I believe - but I wanted to share it because it's one of those series that I continually gather inspiration from, and mostly because of its simplicity. 
**

When putting together outfits in the morning (it's useless for me to plan ahead, as I always change my mind in the morning anyways), I often try to push my boundaries by choosing something unexpected to toss into the mix, but something that I'm still comfortable wearing. That's not easy, and sometimes when I look back on the photos from that day, I can't believe I actually thought that looked good when I put it on in the morning. It's when I receive catalogs from brands like Madewell and J.Crew that I'm forever pressing my palm to my forehead, realizing and re-realizing that 'unique' doesn't always mean 'complicated.'

None of the pieces in this line are outrageous, and none of the outfits are ones that I couldn't wear daily to work or for the weekend. So, if any of you out there are looking for it, my best advice for becoming inspired by the pairings of catalogs, bloggers, or even street style, is to recognize looks that include pieces similar to those in your own wardrobe (as much as I'd love to dress like Janis Joplin every day, I simply don't have the means to do it), and not be afraid to give someone else's idea a shot! After all, imitation is the greatest form of flattery, is it not?

Happy styling,
:) christen

**all images via Fabsugar.

Monday

what's up.

While you haven't seen us much over the past few days, it's been for no other reason than that we couldn't resist enjoying the first of the springy weather to it's fullest. Here's what we've been up to...
1. admiring the pretty flowers that are popping up all over.
2. the boys looking handsome before their hockey banquet.
3. piecing together this amazing star projector.
4. dancing our brains out to the tunes of our great friend, DJ MikekiM.
5. chilling water balloons in the freezer to 'refresh' unsuspecting passersby...this one's balloon popped, so we got an ice-balloon! You better believe we drank out of it.
6. 'walking' my pooch...he wanted to sit back and enjoy the breeze as much as the rest of us did!

What were the highlights of your weekend?

<3 from the woods.

Wednesday

stripes on stripes on stripes.

bb dakota jacket via modcloth (super sale), banana republic shirt (mum's), j.crew shorts, urban outfitters sneaks, great grandma's necklace, bracelet was gift from mum - from poland!
^^would ya say I need a new pose?!
For once in my life, I actually succeeded at taking a gander at stepping into my unorganized closet at leaving with a complete outfit. And that would be because when I tossed on these shorts, only one thing could possibly come to mind: this. To be completely honest, I'd never even heard the song until about 5 minutes ago, but Shane eats enough Pringles knock-offs for the song to exist in my world. And thus, an outfit was born. *Applause*
<3 christen


Photos taken by Julie O'Boyle of Orchid Grey.

Tuesday

experimental.

Last night as I was moaning and groaning about my lack of inspiration in the outfit department, Shane advised me to Get creative! and Experiment! It seems like that should be a given as a budding fashion blogger, but apparently it just needs to be said aloud sometimes, because I ended up wearing mink with a somewhat casual look, and tossing on a big ol' yellow bow that I've only ever worn to a Steelers Superbowl party before today. And they both felt pretty fun to wear - especially together!
j.crew cardi, vintage mink collar, j.crew trousers, j.crew heels, american apparel bow, anthropologie sunglasses
On another note...one thing that bloggers who regularly wear buns on top of their heads fail to mention is how frequently those hamburgers hit ceiling of their car. And given that I'm probably 3+ inches shorter than your average style blogger, I just know I can't be the only one who's going through this! 
Hope your Tuesday is terrific!
:) christen


Photos by Mandy of The Curvy Blogger.

Friday

critters.

Some of you may have seen a sneak preview of this outfit yesterday on ModCloth's instagram! In addition to the fact that I found day-long glee in wearing two duos of creatures as accessories today**, I can't think of any other time that I've worn an outfit that's felt as meaningful to me as this one did. The belt was given to me by my grandmother awhile back, and while it was undoubtedly an incredible gift while she was still living, now it's truly a treasure to me. The scarf is a vintage piece that Shane thrifted for me, and gave to me as a Christmas present this past year. I just thought that was so thoughtful of him, and I've been waiting for the perfect outfit/occasion to tie it onto...it felt really complete with this one.
h&m shirt, modcloth skirt, modcloth earrings, vintage scarf (gift from shane), grandmother's belt, ann taylor wedges

Yesterday at work, I had my first Walking Taco. We made our fair share of jokes about them, but when the time came to actually eat them, I couldn't find one thing to spoil the fact that they were mere perfection! Although, after downing two of them, I definitely felt like this ^^
 **All the animals marched onto Noah's ark in pairs - except for the worms...they came in apples.
Aaaaand on that note, have a great weekend!
<3 christen


Photos taken by Julie O'Boyle of Orchid Grey.

Thursday

flow.

On a borderline hot day, this top provided me with the illusion that the sun was sneaking through its sheer-ness and making me tan, while filtering out the burn - a rare phenomenon for my freckly skin. It was also a fantastic breeze-catcher, making itself seem pretty perfectly nonexistent when a small gust came by. There's not much else to say about it, other than the fact that it's awesome to dance in.**
**if you consider flailing penguin-wings dancing. Which I do.
shop sosie blouse (sale), old delia's jeans, 80%20 wedges via modclothmodcloth hat, modcloth stone necklace, banana republic belt, forever 21 white/gold bracelet
Anyways, it's got a nice flow to it...meanwhile, my hat's got a nice flop to it. Flow + flop = a life well-lived. That's my free piece of advice for the day, take it or leave it!
<3 christen


Photos by Mandy of The Curvy Blogger.

Monday

colored in.

I wear this skirt...mmm...all the time. It's rare that a week goes by without my tossing it on, because it's extremely comfortable and goes with pretty much everything! I was running a bit late for work when I got dressed on Friday morning, so I planned on taking a simple route - this skirt and shirt with what was initially a white belt, black tights, and black wedges. And then I looked in the mirror and yawned.
thrifted gap shirt, aa skirt, anthro belt (on sale), anthro tights, modcloth booties (christmas gift)
...so I grabbed the two most vibrant items in my closet - these chartreuse tights, and red booties - plus my trusty green belt to both tie the rest in and tone it down, and 'painted' my bottom half brightly. And man, was it fun! 
I hope this outfit brightens up your Monday a bit!


:) christen


Photos by Mandy of The Curvy Blogger.

Wednesday

lawfully unabiding.

After a mere three days away from my beloved steel town stomping grounds I managed to weave my way through some pretty swell spots including a beautiful strip of land along the Susquehanna River with my man Luke and his fresh piece, and a retirement community's pavement paradise with longboarding legend, Mythical Mike. Between these country-fried outings, mi madre introduced me to the greatest "salsa alternative" called Cowboy Caviar, and our young pooch Lacy undoubtedly got cuter and goofier since the last time we reunited.
The woods let us frolic in peace, but cement city's finest "campus" security unit was quick to give us the late night boot. Regardless, Lancaster County blew a fresh breath of air into my lungs and I can't wait to see what the rest of my final Spring Break holds.
 Keep it fun, keep it safe and only shoot at trees!!
-shane

Tuesday

spring break.

ignacio tores
While many of my peeps (including Shane) are either roaming the beach or their hometowns for spring break, I, being the working woman that I am, do not have one. It's sad. I hang around campus with my still-being-educated buddies so much that most people don't even realize I've graduated, and keep asking me what I'm doing for break, which is really just salt in the wounds :) However, I have decided to take a bit of a mental spring break - take some extra time spent with my family, some friends, and myself. Yesterday was my day off, and among the mostly-nothing I did, I took a hot yoga class, which was a much needed cleanse for my body and to release some things that were bugging me. Shane is taking this week at home also to spend time with his family, to work on some video projects he's been dying to get to, and also doing some hot yoga himself! 


So, we encourage you to take the few minutes that you would be reading our new posts (which we appreciate so, so much!) to close your eyes and find silence in your mind, and revel in its beauty for a bit before you continue on with your perhaps busy day.


Have a great week!


<3 christen & shane

Friday

etsy shops to adore.

If you're anything like me, you find it all to easy to click a button or two, and before ya know it, there's another box at your door. It's a bad impulsion that I need to kick...but it's much less bad if you know the right buttons to click! Here are a few of my favorite shop finds on etsy, all handmade, reasonably priced, and worth every penny.

 All purchases from this shop are made-to-order of handcrafted leather by shop owner Erandi, who resides in Mexico. Her products come in too many colors you'll want, and with the time it takes for each order to be made and shipped to the US, the pleasure delay is deliciously unbearable. Can't wait for my navy T-straps to arrive!


2. knobbly
 This awesome and unique jewelry comes all the way from a Capoeira-butt-kicking lady named Gittit, in Israel. She teaches this technique to pre-schoolers, claiming these wonderful interactions give her 'an excuse to think and feel like a child every day.' Awesome!


3. softspoken 
I discovered this shop when its owner, Rachael, became a follower of from the woods! Yay! She features pages upon pages of crocheted hats, scarves, and accessories (and not to mention, adorable models), that are made-to-order in many colors. I'm super excited to feature one of her pieces here as soon as it arrives!


What are your favorite etsy shops to support?


-christen

Thursday

11 things + 1.

Good day! Today, we're following suit and offering you some top secrets about ourselves (oooohhhh). We saw Julie and Jen give it a whirl, and couldn't help but jump on the wagon. So, here we go, 12 things you may not know about one or both of us (I added one to even things out)!

1. I've broken my nose twice.  Once in a motorcycle wreck and once because of Christen! -shane

2. I might be the only person on the planet who doesn't like ice cream! -christen

3. Bandanas and overalls made up 90% of my pre-teen apparel. -shane 

4. While some people always crack their knuckles, I am constantly cracking my elbows! It definitely throws people off, and I'll admit, it's kind of disgusting, but it just feels toooo good to quit doing!! -christen

5. Every one of my most prized Pokemon cards were stolen in 5th grade.  I never recovered and my collection is presently non-existent. -shane

6. Shane and I 'officially' met at a study session for a Neuroscience 101 course. It didn't dawn on me 'til just now how completely nerdy that is! -christen

7. I basically grew up at public auctions in fire halls.  Needless to say, hot dogs, potato chips and Mt. Dew were staple foods of most Saturday afternoons. -shane

8. Some guys in high school used to call me 'Scout' from To Kill a Mockingbird...although my style is usually pretty girly, I definitely have some...how do I put it...manly traits haha! -christen

9. A family friend blew the roof off of our shed with fireworks when I was 6.  His name was Sicky and he owned a chicken coup. Fireworks have been an absolute necessity in my life ever since. -shane

10. In my teenage attempts to be rebellious, I've never successfully snuck out of the house. I have, however, figured out how to explain to the police why I left in the first place. -christen

11. My left calf was ravaged by a black labrador/rottweiler mix while on a leisure mountain bike ride.  Somehow, later around the campfire, the beast transformed into a poof-tailed Alaskan Husky who ate spark plugs and drank Canadian beer for breakfast. -shane

12. My best advice is to travel alone and carry a notebook. You’ll meet a self you’ve never known and you’ll want to remember. -christen 

And now for some questions, a combination of some found on other blogs, plus others...

1. If money, schooling or time was no obstacle, what career would you choose?
I would be a stunt pilot without question! -christen
Underwater cave spelunker! -shane

2. What’s the one thing you look forward to every day?
Being able to hear the sounds of music! -shane
The potential of meeting new people, making new friends, and putting smiles on strangers' faces! -christen

3. What is your number one, all-time, favorite song?
4-way tie between: Degausser-Brand New, Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister-Minus the Bear, Teeth Like God's Shoeshine-Modest Mouse, Giving You Up-Papadosio

4. Biggest pet peeve?
When someone asks me a question and doesn't listen to the answer...although finding out people's pet peeves and then purposely doing them is a close second! -christen

5. What is your all-time favorite book?
Lolita. Nabokov is an untouchable writer, just brilliant. -christen
Shutter Island.  Dennis Lehane is unmatched in his authenticity and thrilling landscapes. -shane

6. What would your “last meal” be?
Chicken corn soup with eggs and celery chunks. Twice baked potato and a deer burger. -shane 
I imagine I won't have a huge appetite, so I'm just gonna go with one delicious baked potato with cheddar cheese and sour cream! -christen

7. The tree or the leaf?
The tree! Because then you can climb it (fun) to get a closer look at the leaves (lovely) - christen
The tree! Who doesn't love venturing up a gnarly knotted trunk and peering out, high above the rest!? -shane

8. What do you like to do on rainy days?
I find the occasional rainy day nice to use it as an excuse to kick back and slow down from a pretty action-packed life. Sometimes I/we need those rainy days to ever slow down! -christen
I like to coat-up, boot-up and hit the streets under a fat umbrella.  It's essential to learn the laws of nature on a personal level and the fluidity of rain is too entrancing to pass up. -shane

9. Where's the most beautiful place you've been to?
Garden of the Gods, Colorado. -shane
Oh man, that's a tough one! I might have to go with Berlin, Germany for beauty in its statues and structures set in nature, and the beauty of its culture! -christen

10. What do you love the texture of?
Rough cut stone. -shane
Shane's Moon Mat! -christen


11. If you had to choose one color to wear forever, what would you pick?
Undoubtedly olive green <3 -christen
Black. Cynical, maybe but it contrasts so well with my own skin tone I couldn't give it up. -shane