outfits - Natalie Wise Blog

A Little Bit Ivy League

I love a good collegiate style.

A little bit Ivy League with the (fake)Ostrich purse, the stripes, plaid, and pearls.

This time of year makes me really miss school. I just adore the architecture, the libraries, the tradition and the activity on a crisp fall day on campus.

It’s filled with a feeling of beginning again and excitement mixed with purpose.

Wow.

That sounds like exactly what I’m going for in life right now.

What’s better for Back to School than Pumpkin Spice Lattes? In the spirit of saving money, I made this do-it-at-home version and it is yummy, cheap, and easy. If you love Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I recommend you try this (and please, for my sake, try the whipped cream, since I didn’t have any handy).

And it matches my ’70s Norwegian mug. So it’s win-win.

PS. Shorts under skirt + fingertip rule, promise 🙂

Rainy Day Outfits

Hey guys!

It’s been raining.

I’ve had a cold.

I packed a few boxes, watched a few seasons of The Office, took some Nyquil. I like to think of this week as, “Getting my money’s worth out of Netflix”-week.

Things have been reaaaaaaaaaalllllllyyyyy exciting over here.

So I’m just sharing some old news—a few outfits I haven’t gotten around to sharing lately.

Oh wait! I do have new news to share!
The always-lovely Patti K. won the Dayspring cards in the random drawing!

YAY!
I know Patti will put these to good use encouraging 🙂

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Mistakes

Let’s talk about some mistakes I’ve made lately.

Namely, wearing white after Labor Day.

But it was the fair! I just had to wear a white polka-dot dress to the FAIR!

Secondly, wearing white on a rainy day.

{see I had to switch into rain boots}

Thirdly, wearing white while drinking coffee.

When I stopped into the gas station for a coffee, the guy who always works there said, “Um, I don’t know how to say this, but…you’re wearing a really nice dress. With rain boots.”

Hehe. Yes, yes I am.

“But you look nice!” he quickly corrected himself, in case his ambiguous comment was taken poorly.

It made me giggle.

So those are the ‘mistakes’ I’m willing to admit on my blog, because they are the ‘funny’ sanitized little mistakes, but I can’t say the weekend was without other foibles. I am imperfect. Oh, oh, I am the first to admit: I am imperfect. Sometimes I get to feeling a little too self-assured and end up stumbling a bit to keep me humble. Humility is good for the soul, however embarrassing. Sometimes, it’s mighty embarrassing!

🙂

Check, Please!

This was such a happy day.

One of the summer days where you can say with relish, “Check, please!” at the diner of life, having enjoyed the day fully, every moment of it, soaked up deeply for safekeeping. You stretch backwards a bit, full of happiness, and say, “That was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time,” as if Sunday afternoon adventuring were the blue plate special.

Can you believe this dress is vintage? Looks like it’s brand-spankin’-new. So many people commented on this dress! I think it’s just fun, fun, fun. I adore it’s yellow bows and kick pleats.

Perfect for late-summer adventuring.

You can tell this is the dress I was wearing in my photobooth pictures (that I used in my new blog design! What do you think?).

yellow daisy earrings and yellow fingernail polish

{and pure sugar lemonade from Wendy’s, which I actually totally love}

I’m feeling quiet of spirit tonight–feeling a little bit ill, exhausted, and drained. Not the best way to start the week. But my best friend’s little boy told her out of the blue, “I want to take Natalie to Seattle!” (they were visiting there a week ago). She asked him, “Why?” and he said, “I want to show her around!”

Well, I tell you, who needs a boyfriend when you can be Auntie to such a sweetie-pie?!?!

Melted my heart.

Have a great week!

Happy Repeats

There has been wonderful light in my eyes lately.

{have you noticed?}

But it makes me feel bittersweet, too.

My heart leaped inside me, saying, Oh, I see what was missing.

And the realization that I was missing something, something that came and went and will remain gone…

it’s utterly bittersweet.

Now you have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m sure. But no matter. I’m hoping you can relate somehow, in a poetic way. I’m hoping you might say, “Yes, Natalie, I have been there. I have had light in my eyes that shone with bittersweet tears, too.”

And maybe you have a royal blue skirt that makes you happy. So happy that you have worn it three days in a row the first week you got it. It may not be a royal blue skirt…but I bet you know what I mean.

Sometimes a happy repeat outfit that we know makes us feel good is just what we need to sift out the bittersweet and keep only the beautiful light.

And when that fails, drive North in the rain to get a hot chocolate.

‘Cause, speaking from experience, that works, too.

🙂

Happy Blues

Hello.

🙂

These are happy blues.

No sad blues.

Just blue-sky blues.

Honest-blue blues.

Saltwater vacation blues.

All the good kinds of blues.

A feeling of contentment is starting to reside deep down in my heart. If feels more whole and capable of holding on to good things and letting go of bad; of beating through difficult situations. My emotional-heart-muscles feel stronger. I think that’s a good thing, so long as it isn’t scar tissue.

The skirt was getting to be a bit long for the office, so I tied it up in a knot. No biggie 🙂

And now, the sky is pink.

There are always little blessings, my friends. Always.

Find some, and take in the full measure of their blessing to your heart.

xo!

Country Girl Natalie

It’s so funny. Today my friend sent over this picture, and said, “If you go fishing, this is how I envision you’ll look.” I just had to laugh and say, “I was playing country girl yesterday and I wore a very similar outfit.” See:

We were experiencing the remnants of Hurricane Isaac, so it was rain & fog on and off all day. This outfit took me from the office to the farm perfectly well!

I’m telling you: A farm bathed in fog, wrapped in love, warmed with the happiness of old friends…it was wonderful. It was just what I needed: a tour of the lush vegetable garden, a good romp with the new little baby cow, and collecting eggs in a red pail. We enjoyed a dinner composed of everything fresh from the farm, served in cast iron, with linen napkins and monogrammed silver. In the quiet after dinner, we started to catch up on life. Old friends need to do that, you know? To sit, and stare at the last of the beeswax candles burning down into the silver candlesticks, and to say to each other, “So, how are you?” in a voice that begs the real answer.

The night ended with a round of hugs from some of the best hug-givers I know, and the most precious gift of a beautiful, beautiful cake plate. I will cherish it.

{manicure}

See how the dress has little gold polka-dots? So cute.

Just because I happen to like fashion doesn’t mean I don’t LOVE a good “country girl” day. Oh yes, I love a good Country Girl Day. And I absolutely adore this certain family who occasionally takes me in as one of their own, lets me play country girl, feeds me, encourages me, and sends me on my way, bearing the most beautiful gifts and a heart full of inspiration and happiness.

Thank you.

Friendship

I’m feeling so happy and blessed today. It was a wonderful weekend–it was sweaty and hard work to throw a 2-day tag sale (alllllllllllll day both days), but such a blessing, too. I met some great people, had wonderful conversations, gathered so many ideas, drank a lot of coffee, enjoyed fellowship & company of friends, and was thrilled to make some gas money for my move.

I ended the weekend with a cookout and several toasted marshmallows, with more good friends!

This darling little dress? Well it is bound to become a great friend in my closet, too. I’ve worn it twice since I got it last week!

{Details}

Friday morning, my french press broke. Not even the glass! I was washing it and the plunger just snapped off. Crazy. Anyway, one of my best friends is such a dear and she gifted me this HOT PINK french press.

The best.

Friendship is oh so dear.

I’m already loath to leave, and start over on that front.

Enjoy your Monday! I hope you have the day off…but if not, put a smile on and enjoy the day anyway. Why not, right?

xo!

Late Summer

Back to sundress weather, with a sweater! I love this weather, and can’t get enough.

In Minnesota, I call it “Shorts & Sweatshirt” weather.

I wish you could see the darling detail on this dress better. It has “apron” style pockets, and little bows on the shoulders. So fun and cheerful! It’s a garden-party of a dress.

I’m working hard on fitting in lots of wonderful summer adventures before fall arrives, and before I move.
That means ice cream after work, hanging laundry on the line, going to tag sales, picnics, going to the drive-in (gah I haven’t been this year! I MUST go!), hiking, etc.

And BAKING, of course! There are oodles and oodles of farmer’s market inspirations…have you guys discovered the late-summer raspberries that are amazing right now? I can’t get enough.

Have a great weekend, friends!

Make the most of every moment…but don’t forget that relaxing counts, too!

xo!

Fall Textures

It felt like Autumn today.

So I broke out my new little fall sweater (new = 25 cents from tag sale!) and paired it with some classy patent pumps for a texture swtich. These pumps have a rattan heel, which I thought matched the texture of the sweater nicely.

And I don’t really have much else to say except I’m tired.

So I’m going to have some coffee and get to work on business plans.

Sounds good-ish, right?

{trying to pep-talk myself, ha}

Have a good one!