elizabeth and james

After about a year hiatus, I’ve come back! Some of the pictures that I will be sharing are old, but I think these in particular capture how I feel about this summer. Three weeks ago, I graduated from law school. With that accomplished, I feel like the world is mine again. Even with everyday bar prep, I cannot summon the anxiety or stress to feel worried. The sun is radiant right now in South Bend, and I feel like everyday is a new opportunity to explore what’s out there. For instance, the Lightner Museum.

Charles Lighter acquired the front half of the Alcazar Hotel (described with other St. Augustine history here) as a showroom for his personal collection in the 1940s. Reading between the lines, it looks like Lightener was rich during the Depression and bought up the old money possessions of hapless Northerners before carpetbagging down to St. Augustine and buying the closed Alcazar. He also managed to amass a beautiful group of Tiffany glass windows (Louis Tiffany actually started his company with the help of Flagler in order to outfit the windows of the Ponce de Leon, now Flagler University). Even though fashion blogs usually fixate around showing clothes, I couldn’t help but choose darkness of the light seeping through the panes over a clear shot of the fabric of my jeans. There’s a “light at the end of the tunnel,” and sometimes it’s just breathtaking.

Outfit: Hat: Ralph Lauren | Scarf in hair (questionable decision in hindsight): Liberty London | Tunic: Elizabeth and James | Jacket: Rag & Bone | Purse: Rebecca Minkoff (laptop case)

The Collection

Here are a few bits of the actual collection that I thought were worth note: This is the most extensive toaster collection

Happy Friday! Here’s a burst of color to make your day pop. I’ve been surprised that Florida is a bit more conservative than originally expected, so I’ll have to share my more ostentatious looks here, rather than stunning the office with my odes-to-Grecian-bygones shirts. I’m often scared to do the pencil skirt look, because I think unless you’re a waif, you always end up looking like you’re carrying your lunch in a front hamper. But I love my new Tabitha Simmons shoes, and they are so hard to match that I have decided to take them as inspiration and step forward boldly today (in the skirt- waif or not!). I hope in every situation you can do the same (and if not, at least look forward to the weekend..).