Reston Style: September 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

the one good thing...

The change in seasons has me totally bummed out. I mean, it's rained in Reston nearly every day this month! The one good things about this cloudy, mess of a month is that the temperatures have been nicely mild. Just perfect for corduroy and tank tops! I am re-obsessed with my gap cords from last year and can't wait to wear them all fall and winter this year. They're just as comfortable as jeans and both a little nicer and a little more casual, depending on how you style them. Plus, they make that cool sound when you walk!

I'm still a little sad that some summery things have ended, but I am trying to keep my chin up! I mean, sure, I can't go wakeboarding, but cooler temps make for easier runs. Plus, I just bought a package to bikram yoga, so I can heat up in there. And before you know it, I'll be able to snowboard and ski! There's a bright side to everything ;)

When and Where:

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
to work

What I'm Wearing:

top - eightsixty via Loehmann's
cords, sandals - Gap
pendant - gift from Erin (2004)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

trend to try: fishtail braid

I love that The Beauty Department has brought back their hair tutorial videos! When I saw the one for the fishtail braid I just knew I had to do it! I have known how to do a fishtail braid since I was a kid, I just didn't know how to get it done without a rubber band at the top. I love that Kristin shared her little secret about the clear rubberband with us. It made all the difference!

I am also wearing one of my favorite borrow items from Annie! I have borrowed this shirt before (it was either pre-blog or I just did take pictures that night) and LOVED it! Though, I have had a hard time styling it. I think it just works alone, and unfortunately that doesn't really work for work... I would freeze in a tank top!

Tonight I get to have dinner with my bestie, Erin, and her family (husband Jeff and baby James). It's kinda weird that her family no longer means her parents (though I will spend time with them later this week!), but her own little family! I am so excited!

Trend to Try: Fishtail Braid from the Beauty Department

When and Where:

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
to work

What I'm Wearing:

green tank - Banana Republic
printed top - borrowed from Annie
shorts - JCrew
socks - Target
sweater - Express (old)

boots - NineWest via DSW

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

this little piggy

I have some wonderful news to share, my roommate Tracy, is moving in with her boyfriend! Co-habitation is definitely on my list of things that I want out of the next 5 years. It comes right after "be able to afford to live on my own if I choose" and just before "get a dog (cause doggies need two parents)." But that means that my roommate (also Liz) and I have to find a new roommate (fingers crossed that it works with one we found!). This has also had me taking a look at my budget. I know I mentioned that I am working on not shopping, have been borrowing things from friends to freshen up my wardrobe, and have been trying to save a little extra here and there using my SmartyPig. Well, because of my vocal love for SmartyPig on twitter, I now have this super cute SmartyPig tee!!!

SmartyPig is an online savings account with a great interest rate. They're FDIC insured, just like a regular bank - which means your money is safe. And they have a cute website. BUT they are also so much more than a regular bank too! They let you divide your money up into smaller savings goals (that look like little piggies) within your account. Then when you have saved for what you want, you can either take the cash OR get some bonus money by getting a retailer gift card instead! It's kinda amazing! They're running a promotion if you invite friends to sign up, so if you're interested in a SmartyPig account of your own, email me and I'll get you the hook-up!

And just so you know, I asked for this shirt because of my love for SmartyPig (aka they're not paying me to say this stuff, it's just the truth). They will however pay me (and any other account holder) $10 per friend that opens an account up to $1000 a person, so that's why I keep saying "email me" for an invite!

When and Where:

Sunday, September 25th, 2011
to Starbucks to work on my own and then on a photo walk with Reid

What I'm Wearing:

top - c/o SmartyPig
tank - Express (old)
jean, sandals - Gap
arm party - Target, Tiffany, LouLou

Monday, September 26, 2011

trend to try: waterfall braid

Trying to get as much wear as I can out of my borrowed items (which I am going to return to Annie this weekend) I decided to wear this great Jcrew bubble skirt and somewhat re-create this outfit. I am also totally rocking a fishtail braid, as seen recently on the beauty department. Doing this braid was actually harder than I thought, so I think I am going to do a video tutorial, since I think that will help!

I wish I could remember what I did the day I wore this outfit, but I'm pretty sure I just coached and worked, so instead I'll tell you about my run over the weekend! Jenny and I ran 29.1 miles! Yeah, it was a little nuts, but kinda awesome too! We actually only ran 26.3 miles and walked the rest of it to make 29 miles for Jenny's upcoming 29th birthday (on the 29th! it's her golden birthday! Do you remember that from being a kid? Well, that's what we called turning the age of your birth date). So that, and going to bikram yoga with Manda (yes, there is a fit style: bikram coming at some point!) yesterday was my weekend. It was pretty nice to relax and not do too much. Did you do anything fun?

Trend to Try: Waterfall Braid from the Beauty Department

When and Where:

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
to work

What I'm Wearing:

tank - Target
sweater - gap
belt - Steve Madden via TJ Maxx
skirt - Jcrew, borrowed from Annie
boots - NineWest via DSW

Friday, September 23, 2011

apple you glad

...I'm wearing this shirt again! I love when you teach a little kid a joke and then they just make up whatever they want and laugh at it. But I also love that I am wearing this shirt again before giving it back to Annie. Also, I have missed my red cords so much! Its the one good thing about the weather turning, cords.... well cords and cardigans!! I also got ready at the pool after my swim practice and my 7, 8, and 9 year old girls were drooling over my outfit. I'm not sure if I should take that they like the way I dress as a compliment, or take it to mean that I dress like a preteen.... I guess it doesn't matter either way :)

I'm pretty happy that it's Friday! I'm running 29 miles tomorrow morning with Jenny and Amanda for our marathon training AND in honor of Jenny's 29th birthday. After that, I'm gonna spend the weekend relaxing and getting ready for Erin's visit! She'll be here next week for Ben and Lisa's wedding (which is going to be AWESOME). I can't even tell you how excited I am for some Lizzy/Erin time!

When and Where:

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
to work

What I'm Wearing:

top - Francesca's Collections, borrowed from Annie
sweater, cords - Gap
shoes - Target

Thursday, September 22, 2011

fit style: wakeboarding

As promised, here is my super cool post from Lisa's bachelorette weekend. We went wakeboarding!! Now to be fair, this is the third time that I have tried wakeboarding and the second time I have actually managed to stand up, but it was the first time that I actually felt like I did a good job at it! You'll notice that in most of the pictures I'm goofy footed, that's my natural inclination - but because I'm slightly ambidexterious, I was able to switch and do it regular too!

Maybe you can tell from the pictures, but it really wasn't a nice day out. The air probably didn't get about 70 all day. Lucky for us, Lake Anna is super warm, even on the cold side. I would guess that the water was probably 86 degrees (to put that in perspective, most indoor pools have air temperature of 80 degrees and water temperature of 83 degrees), so it was super warm to be in the water or up on the wakeboard.

Jen arranged for us to have a super adorable (and awesome) wakeboard instructor, Kyle, for half a day that ended up being more like 6 hours! Kyle was such a great instructor that everyone was able to get up by the end of the day! I included a video of all of the girls, plus some of Kyle's cool tricks at the bottom of this post. Wakeboarding really doesn't require any special clothes, but because the air was a little chilly, some of us wore running tops/pants at the beginning, but by the end, we were all just in our bathing suits. I highly suggest trying wakeboarding if ever given the chance. It's fun, easy if you relax and listen to your instructor, and wiping out doesn't hurt very much at all (at least not as bad as it looks)!