paisley summer

Most of my outfits these days seem to receive the label "teacher outfit", but with the end of the school year approaching quickly, I thought it high time to start sporting some summer weekend ware! 

Wearing:
Paisley granny shorts from a thrift store
Black crop top from China, tucked in
Ribbon for a belt

These shorts were from a little thrift store in East Point kind of near the East Point Marta station. I just stumbled in there one day and beheld a sparkling promised land of patterned high-waisted granny shorts for about a dollar apiece. I'm wearing a crop top kind of messily tucked in. This was the perfect outfit for sunny bike rides and margaritas with someone special!

Roxy Habana sandals

Thanks to everyone who keeps up with my blog, even when I don't; somehow, having a smart phone and instagram has brought about a kind of instant-gratification laziness. I won't let it win.

put a sock in it.

Your hair, that is. 

A friend told me about this super easy trick to get a perfect ballerina bun and easy curls. Wear the bun all day then take it down to have lustrous curls for the evening. Or wear the bun out at night, sleep in it, and enjoy bouncing curls the next day! 

1. Cut off the tube part of a tube sock and roll up into a donut shape. 

2. Place sock around end of pony tail and slowly roll it up towards your head.

3. Fold hair into sock as you roll, creating the same donut shape with your hair.

4. Voila! You have a perfect bun! 

5. Take the bun out many hours later to enjoy cascading curls.

I prefer putting the bun near the crown of my head, so I start with a very high pony tail and slightly damp hair. I wore the bun at work all day and slept in it, which is surprisingly comfortable. 

Once in the hair-down phase, I actually found my curls a little too 80s full (I have very thick hair, this might not happen with all hair types), so I pulled them back with a ribbon for a tamer feel. I am so full of ideas now for different ways to use this trick; Like using multiple child's socks for tighter curls, or starting with a side pony or pigtails!

I hope you will try out the sock bun and let me know how it goes.

festive, or how another sunhat came into my life

The school I work at was silver for the local neighborhood festival and parade that took place. I took the theme seriously from tiptop to toenail. 

It's magical to wake up one morning and walk out your front door to find your quiet sunny neighborhood transformed into a bustling market. When not participating in school fun and painting the faces of adorable youngsters, I wandered around the booths. My favorites were one selling raw crystals and gems for about a dollar apiece, and another boasting "packable" sun hats located directly outside my yard. 

On the first day, the packable hat lady wouldn't bargain with me, but I was not discouraged. I lay patiently in wait, my floppy be-ribboned prey in sight. As she was packing up on Sunday, I ran across my yard and asked for a last minute end-of-festival deal; One more wide-brimmed sunhat became mine. 

Hope you wake up to a little magic in your front yard!

Silver nails with a sparkle accent.

The cutest Power Ranger.

Lovely packable hats.

Crystals

Gems

Gourd face.

New hat <3

Instant gratitude

Lately my heart feels like it's overflowing with all my good fortune and blessings.

The most generous birthday present I have ever received, the iPhone 4S is completely changing my relationship with media. The last two weeks have almost been tiring with the onslaught of notifications and all my different internet personas coming to a head.

If you follow me on tumblr or flickr, you've probably noticed that one of my favorite features of my new toy is the camera; and the ease with wich the pictures are shared! I've loved being able to take quick pics of my outfits and accessories and share them right away. Even more than that, I've loved putting them on Instagram, where I can also see what other people are looking at and doing and the beautiful ways in which they compose their images.

Here are a few of the images from early on in my iPhone and Instagram career. Enjoy!

Wearing
Deer poncho from china
F21 jeans
boots from ??? 

Outfit for Holeman and Finch (a fancy restaurant for cocktails and snacks).
Wearing
Rainbow puff pocket pants
F21 sequin top
Wedges from Underground Atlanta

Holeman and Finch details: Bee ring from boutique in Florida, vintage clutch, sequin top from F21

Goofing off in my grandmother's old wig and some lens-less glasses.

Braids for days.

Fried green tomato glory at One Eared Stag

A Minnetonka kinda day.

<3 Tate <3

Do any of you have Instagram accounts? If so, please share your username; I would love to follow you!