straight steppin'.

You know pretty quickly when you find the 'real deal.' That real deal could be an awesome band or painting that struck you so genuinely that not an ounce of doubt says otherwise. I'm going to go ahead and just say it. I love graffiti. Not every scratch and scribble but nearly everything. It brightens the otherwise bleak grey slabs of our concrete jungle and embeds a hidden language beneath the urban fabric visible to all--translatable to only a few. I've witnessed all kinds of graffiti. Big bombs, tiny tags, black and whites, and throw-ups with 10+ colors. On this ordinary Sunday afternoon we stumbled on an even more permanent and creative form of human hand on landscape. The pieces were subtle, timeless, and inspiring. The tagging crew NSF (Not Strictly Freights) were responsible for the tedious stair side "TRY." Loads of other drifters shared their passing thoughts in paint, ink and chalk.  

         

You're probably wondering where all the authenticity is in a centuries old tradition of writing on walls with pigment. So what if Pittsburgh has some paint? See below for Exhibit A. This playful little steel creation is pin-slammed to the concrete guarding the Hollow below and showing the glorious stages of rust.

This crafty spindling street piece held old coins and a few can tabs in its basin while a simple metal THOR is pinned in place on the telephone pole--wonders of the undergrowth.

Moving along our trek to the Hollow and back, we scored a glimpse of an antique version of BESOS who has a bunch of colorful pieces in sly spots all around the city. Next time you're oot n aboot in this lovely urban expanse, look a little closer near those fascinating graffiti spots and maybe you'll find signs of the oddballs who dug their steel teeth right in the ground for a piece of stair-front property where they'll likely live forever.


Here's a helpful guide to discovering the hundreds of Pittsburgh steps that we explored in the photos above. Check a few out and go monkey around on 'em if you feel so obliged. Too many have grown closed or crumbled apart to wait much longer...
http://www.frontiernet.net/~rochballparks2/towns/pgh_steps.htm


To all our friendlies out there,
We Love you ALL!


-shane

one day at a time.

Well, hello there! It's been a bit, hasn't it? Here are some photos from a super-sunny day!

anthro dress (sale), target tights, jeffrey campbell booties via modcloth, anthro necklace (sale), martin + osa bracelet

I've never been too huge on blog apologies - as much as I miss my favorite bloggers when they can't find the time to post for a few days, it's almost refreshing as well, to realize that sometimes they're too busy with their lives or families, or sometimes they need to take the time to be re-inspired, or sometimes they just plain old don't feel like posting. And that's okay. In a community where people you've never met feel like your friends, it's a nice reminder that they're actually real people.

For me, I'm simply trying to figure out how to juggle this outlet with a full-time job and an action-oriented state of mind/set of friends; Shane, with a full slate of classes, an internship, and the overwhelming endeavor of finding a post-grad job (which can be a job in and of itself). Soon you'll start to see photos of some of the adventures we've been on in our free time, and hopefully before long we'll pick up with the projects that come along with a spring/summer attitude, which we'll document for you, of course!

And don't forget - if there's something or someone you would like to see more of on from the woods., drop by our facebook page and let us know!

<3 christen

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 modcloth, modcloth 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.

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.

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

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

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.

1. golden ponies

 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