After all of the snow last week, which I’m blaming for my absence, it’s finally starting to warm up. I’m glad, too, because I’ve had enough snow, rain, wind, and cold; I’m ready for sunshine and warm breezes! I went to my best friend’s baby shower this weekend so this is what I wore. Also, you may or may not have noticed that I chopped all of my hair off. I had no intention of going this short (which I realize isn’t THAT much shorter but it sure feels like it) but I went to a new hair dresser and she butchered it! The cut is really difficult to work with and I find myself using three different hair-styling tools to get it too look decent. Oh well, it’ll grow.

I’m loving this floral blouse because it goes with every cardigan and blazer in my closet, meaning it’ll to get so much wear this spring and summer. I love pairing this plum-y cardigan with my turquoise flats and when you put it all together, it’s so Springy that it makes me happy! And the weather was just warm enough on Saturday that I didn’t have to wear my big red wool coat and there was so much sunshine that I just couldn’t help but smile.

Here’s the fun one: a little gust of cool wind made me laugh!

Blouse: ModCloth | Cardigan: Banana Republic | Pants: Karen Kane via Stitch Fix | Flats: Gap | Jewelry: Old Navy

It’s time for this week’s Friday Four, a fun survey I’m doing so that my readers can get to know me a little better.

Four books I’d recommend: This is a really tough one because I don’t know if I can pick just four! I really enjoy reading but I don’t feel like I have enough time to read for fun (grad school life) and I don’t really read any of the best sellers, I just read what sounds interesting. I also like reading books before they become movies; I’ve read the Sookie Stakehouse Southern Vampire Mystery novels (the books that True Blood was based on) and the Stephanie Plum series (the books that One For the Money – the movie with Katherine Heigl was based on). So, anywhere, here are four books that I’ve really enjoyed.

1. Yes Please by Amy Poehler. “In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy, Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice. With chapters like “Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend,” “Plain Girl Versus the Demon” and “The Robots Will Kill Us All” Yes Please will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Honest, personal, real, and righteous,Yes Please is full of words to live by.”

Technically I’m still reading this one but I love Amy Poehler and will support anything she does. So far this one has been very inspiring so I would definitely recommend it to any and everyone.

2. Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters by Jessica Valenti. Feminism isn’t dead. It just isn’t very cool anymore. Enter Full Frontal Feminism, a book that embodies the forward-looking messages that author Jessica Valenti propagated as founder of the popular website, Feministing.com.

This book is terrific for anyone who is interest in learning the basic foundation of feminism or for any seasoned feminist who wants to have a reference guide. I love this book because it explains the bad-ass principals of feminism for all of us bad-ass feminists. It’s definitely worth a read!

3. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty. “Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty—a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre—took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both living and very dead), Caitlin learned to navigate the secretive culture of those who care for the deceased.”

This is one of the most informative and thought-provoking books I’ve ever read. It made me reconsider death and how I would want to be cared for after it happens to me. Doughty has the ability to navigate this difficult subject in a way that makes it interesting and fun. It’s definitely worth a read.

4. Blindness by José Saramago. “A city is hit by an epidemic of “white blindness” which spares no one. Authorities confine the blind to an empty mental hospital, but there the criminal element holds everyone captive, stealing food rations and raping women. There is one eyewitness to this nightmare who guides seven strangers—among them a boy with no mother, a girl with dark glasses, a dog of tears—through the barren streets, and the procession becomes as uncanny as the surroundings are harrowing. A magnificent parable of loss and disorientation and a vivid evocation of the horrors of the twentieth century, Blindness has swept the reading public with its powerful portrayal of man’s worst appetites and weaknesses-and man’s ultimately exhilarating spirit. The stunningly powerful novel of man’s will to survive against all odds, by the winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature.”

This is another though-provoking read because throughout the book, I found myself wondering if humanity would really react the way they do in the book, how I would react if this situation were to happen in real life, and the chances of this situation happening in real life. I will also say that you should see the movie because it is really good! It’s as close to the book as any movie I’ve ever seen.

Bonus: The Sookie Stakehouse Southern Vampire Mystery novels

*All photos by me.

What do you wear when you only leave your house to run a quick errand? A sweater, distressed skinnies, and to pull it all together, you throw a scarf on it. I love to keep it simple. In fact, it seems as though my wardrobe is slowly creeping toward more minimalistic than anything else. But, I love the pop of pink from this scarf and it’s really warm. I wore this outfit a few weeks ago before the snow and ice came, when the sun was still warm. Can it please be spring now?

Sweater & Scarf: Banana Republic | Jeans & Shoes: Old Navy

I woke up to snow this morning. A few weeks ago, the sun was shining and there was a warm breeze and it almost *almost* felt like spring. Nick and I decided to venture out and finally made our way into Nordstrom Rack for the first time. I have no idea how I haven’t been in a Nordstrom Rack before, especially with one so close to me, but I definitely think I’ve found my new favorite store! I bought this shirt on super sale and it is now my favorite. It fits like a dream, which I wasn’t expecting, and has the perfect amount of looseness without looking too big. I also love the the peak of lace at the bottom; it’s such a pretty little detail. After wearing this outfit to lunch and to run some errands (because, other than class, that’s about the only thing I leave the house for these days), I was looking forward to wearing it for days on end but then the chill set in, so I’ve been left dreaming of warm sunshine.

I paired it with more delicate jewelry so as not to overpower the perfection of the shirt.

When spring comes, I plan to switch to flats. These are a nice beige-y suede, so I plan to wear them with everything!

Blouse: Joie via Nordstrom Rack | Jeans: Old Navy | Booties: BP Trolley via Nordstrom | Flats: Old Navy | Necklace: Walmart | Bracelet: Old Navy

Linking up with More Pieces of Me | InDUFFinitely Me |

Brrrr, you guys. Brr. It’s been ridiculously cold here this past week. We got snow and ice, and schools closed, and North Carolina was just out of order. Which is fine with me because ice is no joke. I grew up in the mountains so I’m used to driving in the snow but I don’t mess around with ice because NO ONE can drive on ice, I don’t care what they say! So, with the miserable chill, I needed to keep all of my skin as covered as possible to avoid frostbite. I really like the look of wearing tights with socks and ankle boots so I decided to try that look with my skinny jeans; I think it turned out really well. I went with gray socks to match the gray/blue in the scarf. I still had to throw on my red coat and gloves but I stayed fairly warm.

I’m still loving the boots; I wear them almost every day!

And here’s the blooper: Seriously, I’m tired of the cold and the wind!

Sweater & Vest: Old Navy | Jeans: kensie via Stitch Fix | Scarves & Socks: Target | Booties: BP Trolley via Nordstom | Necklace: gift from my MIL

Linking up with More Pieces of Me | InDUFFinitely Me