30x30 ITEMS

Dress: Shade, $10

Red tank top: Forever 21 brand (secondhand), $7

Boots: Laredo brand (thrifted), $1

ACCESSORIES REPORT

Shell necklaces: gifts

Right-hand ring: gift from mom

Slip (under dress): thrifted, $2

Tights: Betsey Johnson brand via TJ Maxx, $6 for 2-pack

Socks: TJ Maxx, $5 for 2-pack

This is the what I look like on the day I'm turning 24. Happy birthday to me! I'm basking in a day that is mostly normal (still gotta work, still gotta eat), but also a little bit special in the best of ways. For one thing, my husband has the day off, so we get to spend buckets of time together, and for another, that same wonderful husband gave me a wonderful present.

Slick city. Craig has been so supportive and enthusiastic as I've started this blog and worked to get it off the ground, and he thought a camera upgrade was in order. This should result in higher-quality pictures for you to enjoy, though I'm sure I'll have to play around with settings and such to really find out what this bad boy is capable of.

FYI: he actually bought the camera secondhand, at the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Alabama (during a cross-country road trip with his brother). A secondhand camera? Same product, better price? He's a man after my own heart. And today, he indulged me by taking all of the pictures himself (instead of leaving me to work with the tripod). I've said "thank you" about a thousand times already, but one more can't hurt.

Thank you, Craig. I love you. And I'll get you something good for your birthday. Promise promise.

As for my outfit today: I thought I'd indulge in the color-blocking concept that's gaining traction out in the land of fashion design. If you're keeping track, you'll notice the same blue dress that made a double-appearance yesterday. Laundry is not a birthday-appropriate activity. That's my motto.

30x30: Double Up

30x30 ITEMS

Blue dress: Shade, $10

Skirt: New York & Company brand (secondhand), $12

Boots: vintage Marc Alpert brand (via Etsy), $38

ACCESSORIES REPORT

Hat: found it

Shorter necklace: made it (secondhand chain from sister-in-law, rings from years of gumball machines)

Longer necklace: Family Dollar, $3

Belt: found it

Knee socks: TJ Maxx, $4

This dress (which I'm wearing here as a shirt) is the final unworn item in my 30x30 picks, so from here on out, it's all deja vu. And that sense of "haven't I seen this before?" is off to an early start:

30x30 ITEMS

Blue dress: Shade, $10

Boots: vintage Marc Alpert brand (via Etsy), $38

ACCESSORIES REPORT

Lace necklace: local vendor, $10

Knee socks: TJ Maxx, $4

Messy hat hair: all me

This is what I wore to church on Sunday, when I was too absorbed with family to take pictures. I love this dress for (a) having pockets, (b) its flattering shade of blue, and (c) being one of the rare pieces in my closet that doesn't need anything extra. It's a complete outfit in itself, so I figured I may as well honor that fact and just keep it simple.

LOVE WEEK: Relationship History Playlist

It's LOVE WEEK! Read more here.

While I was at home for Christmas, I cleaned out my old bedroom (at the request of my dad) and came across a serious collection of CDs from high school and the early college days. That's the good thing about cleaning one's room: one always comes across a valuable distraction. Reminiscing to music might be the best accidental activity out there. Lots of the reminiscing I did revolved around old relationships, and the idea of the Relationship History Playlist was born.

These are the songs that take me back to the first crushes and the seriously-sucky break-ups. In here, you've got all the good stuff: sappy pop, summer romance, opposites attracting, long-distance love, over-the-top emotion, and - finally - the real thing. In the interest of my ex-boyfriends' privacy, I won't elaborate on what each song means. Make up your own story; pretend this is a movie soundtrack and now you've gotta write the movie to go with it. It'll be a fun exercise, promise.

What songs remind you of the ones you've loved and lost (or kept)?

30x30: Pink Shoeboxes Galore

30x30 ITEMS

Denim jacket: Divided brand by H&M (thrifted), $7

Blouse: thrifted, $0.56

Khakis: Gap, $20

Wedges: Ross, $7

ACCESSORIES REPORT

Headband: found it

Necklace: Forever 21, $5

Socks: TJ Maxx, $5 for 2-pack

I learned something new about blogging this weekend: if I haven't seen my mom in two months and she's visiting for the weekend, I'm not gonna want to spend my time reading or writing blogs. So fine, I skipped Sunday, but I loved what I was wearing and will recreate it tomorrow.

By the way, these pictures were taken at a local boutique, Cherry Lane Keepsakes. My mom and I were just biding time until she had to leave today (yep, she's already hit the road - sad), and we found some really fun and reasonably priced jewelry. Didn't walk away with anything, but I'm positive that I'll go back once this self-imposed shopping ban is over (which should sometime in the first week of March). We also stopped by Maddux Couture Boutique. They're both located on University Avenue in Provo.

If I owned a little boutique or shop like the ones we visited today, I imagine I'd take it kind of personally when people came in and didn't buy anything. Like, what, my wares aren't good enough for you?! But I really appreciate it when storekeepers are friendly to me regardless of whether I whip out my credit card, and it definitely makes me want to stop in again and do a little spending. These two shops might not have made any money from me today, but they did make a new customer. Successful morning, right?

30x30: Matchy-Matchy

30x30 ITEMS

Lace tee: Beautifully Modest brand (secondhand), $4

Cardigan: Norma Kamali brand (secondhand), $11

Skirt: thrifted, $0.56

Boots: gift

ACCESSORIES REPORT

Headband: can't remember

Necklace: Wal-Mart, $8

Belt: consignment store, $12

Knee socks: TJ Maxx, $5 for 2-pack

Cheery'o, everybody! I felt a little overdressed today, but this is what I wanted to wear, so I went with it. Skirts aren't just for church, right? In my mind, the shirt and skirt were different colors, but it turns out that I was just imagining it and they match perfectly. Happy accident.

This was a jam-packed Saturday. It started out with a date to Einstein's Bagels, a weekly tradition for my husband and me. To sum up: the lemonade was too sour and my bagel was too cold. Blech.

The next chunk was spent at a book club meeting -- so good. You know how it is when you meet people that you think are incredibly cool, and you just really hope they'll think you're cool too? I love that feeling, and it was definitely present today. The four other ladies and one fellow were good to chat with and learn from. Lots of respect and knowledge in that room.

And finally (confetti and fanfare cue), my mom is in town! She came to visit for the weekend, as a pre-birthday treat (I'll turn 24 this Wednesday), and we spent the day driving, shopping, and talk-talk-talking. We never stop once we get going. The slightly tricky thing about today was that I couldn't actually buy anything, considering that I'm only halfway through this self-imposed purchasing ban. A loophole: my mom bought a few (very reasonable) things for me as a birthday present. Don't tell me I was breaking the rules, because I just won't care. I'll look away and pretend I didn't hear you. Like this: