This is that very magical time of year where the trees take on a certain sparkle and tinsel starts to grace shop windows. Autumnal tones start to give way to winter whites, forest greens, and cranberry reds. So, I do as any normal vintage-loving girl would do: Fight back hard with the brightest hues I can find in my closet…
As most of you know by now, I’m a planner. But I can’t help it when life (a little more than) occasionally goes awry. A short while back, I was set to give a rather important presentation to my Department. This was but one task on the long winding road to tenure. And I’d planned the day out oh-so-carefully. My talk was polished, but not over-rehearsed. I planned a time buffer to get to the room early to check out the IT setup. I packed adapters, and power cords, and even a backup laser pointer (should the first one fail).…
More and more lately, I’ve been seeing posts about the capsule wardrobe, which is essentially a small collection of items made up of versatile, interchangeable garments that you can mix and match and create 3,765 outfits. I attribute its resurgence to the Marie-Kondo-style trimming of the fashion fat and parring down your closet to the joy-giving essentials – black pants, a pencil skirt, well worn jeans, the neutral pump. It’s your closet, cut back to a simple shell of clothing that can be worn every day and every season with a few minor changes. Hmmm… an excellent idea in theory. However,…
I have a semi-regular dinner with my closest girlfriends here in NC – although it can ebb and flow depending on our collective schedules, we generally converge once every two weeks or so. It’s the kind of get together that’s very low pressure – we have some insanely amazing chefs in the group who can always be counted on to cook something mouth-watering. And then there are others who very capable of instigating the imbibing. Needless to say, I’m usually in charge of wine (I’m okay with that – it’s all about embracing your strengths people!). But, we’re always looking…
The changing of the seasons is always such an interesting time of year. Here in NC, it’s almost like a constant stop and start. Ohhh, yay, it’s Autumn! Nope, just kidding, Summer…. Hello Fall! Well, that was a nice hour, but let’s go back to a sweltering 90 degrees. As crazy as the to and fro can be, I’ve decided to just roll with the punches and revel in the fact that my summer sundresses get another few weeks of freedom. I mean, if NC wants to be in bloom in October, who am I to argue?
Well, the rumors are true: Kara’s Annual Closet Cleanout has come around the mountain again! Now that we’re starting to see summer in our rear view, I decided it was time to give the ol’ closet a refresh. This meant it was the perfect time to go through my wardrobe and find the beauties that need new homes.
Greetings, dear readers! About once a year, the unthinkable happens. I reach into the depths of my wardrobe and collect pieces that should find their way to new homes. In case you didn’t see my announcement on Instagram, I wanted to let everyone know that my annual closet clearout is happening tomorrow over at @shopdressedappscloset. It’s going to be a mix of true vintage and vintage-inspired garments in a range of sizes, as well as some shoes and bags. Things will start at 11:00am EST Sunday and go until my fingers drop! To help with people who are on the…
In times of crisis, I think we tend to go on auto pilot. We tamp down feelings of fear and insecurity, and then slip into a mode of Get It Done. At least I know I do. This past week we had to deal with a hurricane bearing down on us. And you could almost feel the shift. Fight or Flight. Stay or Evacuate. Stock up on supplies, secure any outdoor furniture, cover the vintage with plastic (oh, just me?). After the crisis has passed, there’s usually a period of euphoria. Where the flowers smell sweeter and we are so…
I’ve been thinking a lot about love recently, as I slipped this stunning one-of-a-kind dress from Stinky Vintage over my head. Mr. Dressed and I just celebrated our 9 year anniversary and it can’t help but bring up all kinds of loved-up thoughts as we ring in another year of awesome. But, it also has the habit of making me reflect on the past seasons of love that I’ve weathered – because love is nothing if not a journey. Sometimes sunny, sometimes cold and rainy, but always an adventure…
When I’m in full-blown teaching mode, I spend a fair bit of my semester lecturing about sensory biology. About the mechanisms behind how we can see, smell, touch. About the tiny senses that give us insight into the world around us. That alert us of danger. That point us towards things that might get us rewards. And every semester it’s always one of my favorite sections to teach, because it finally starts to feel relatable to my students. Teaching about neurons and neurotransmitters and cellular processes is so microscopic it almost seems unreal. But, understanding how we can run our…