Wearing: Wish You Were Here

I am ecstatic! My mom (who is a fabulous seamstress) came across a bunch of old patterns from back in the day.

She brought the whole box to me and said, sorta apologetically,

"I know these patterns are from the 80's and 90's, but maybe you'll find something in there you like."

Are you kidding me??? I LOVE! What's cooler than the dolman sleeve and maxi dress right now, I ask you?

I've never been the girl who just feels like I can't possibly re-wear a silhouette I wore in high school...quite the opposite.

I'm fascinated by how trends re-emerge with just the right amount of tweaking to make them feel fresh again.

I mean, the fabric is always a bit more sophisticated, right?

But, maybe I'm weird, or something. I can't wait to rework these patterns into some major freshness.

Do you find it difficult to wear old styles that come back around?

(Anthropologie Wish You Were Here cardi, Anthro Circle the Globe skirt, J.Crew stripe tee, Target stud belt,

Crown Vintage oxfords, Charlotte Russe fedora, American Eagle triple wrap watch)

Wearing: French Twist

I've only been to Paris, France, one time,

but the I will never forget the magic of being

in a city so old and rich in history.

Everything is larger than life, yet minimalist in its presentation...

the small, intriguing details lending themselves to

the power of the overall landscape.

I generally pay more attention to color combinations

than the texture of things when

deciding what to wear each morning.

I sorta have a color monster within...

so wearing an outfit without a single punch of color is

not exactly normal for me.

But having said that,

I have to admit I felt just as great in these

monochromatic pieces as I normally do in colorful ones.

(LOFT sweater--similar, Kristina J. Megan skirt--similar, UO leather belt--similar, Crown Vintage oxfords--similar,

Nine & Co. bag--similar, Korean Trench--similar)

Wearing: Maxi

Aahh...the maxi.

I thrifted this navy, Karen Kane skirt at the local mission

a few weeks ago and I'm sure it was the

best that Macy's had to offer in 1993. =)

These skirts are just all over the place again

and that really makes me wish I'd

saved the nine other maxi skirts

I owned when I was 14!

(Thrifted maxi skirt, LOFT blouse and scarf, Crown Vintage oxfords, Nine & Co. bag, UO leather belt, Anthro umbrella)

My family and I enjoyed an amazing

Easter weekend...in spite of the rain.

No matter how much I think about it,

I'm always overwhelmed at

the price Christ paid so that I

could stand before Him completely

blameless and fully pleasing.

What a challenge...living my life

with such gratitude to God

for His astounding love.

Wearing: French Braid

"The sun did not shine, it was too wet to play,

So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day."

Cat in the Hat

--Dr. Seuss

(Gap dress, J.Crew Wool Cardi, Crown Vintage oxfords, HUE tights, Anthro Modern Master Watch, Trench from Korea)

So you know how they say, "Do something to occupy your time and the snow will go away"?

It's not working. We've

1) played sudoku

2) baked cookies

3) made shadow puppets with a flashlight on the wall

4) drawn (very poor) pictures for relatives

5) gone to the library

6) made paper airplanes

7) made monkey puppets out of brown lunch bags

8) had the cousins over

9) played Chutes and Ladders 574,489 times

The kids have even tried to teach Mom how to play video games and that took some time, lemme tell ya

(and I still can't complete a level without some sudden demise into the lake of lava).

The foul weather just isn't going anywhere.

Apparently, Dr. Seuss had never visited Indiana in February when he wrote,

"From there to here, from here to there,

funny things are everywhere",

'cuz honestly, four inches of ice under six inches of snow just isn't funny anymore.

Oh, yeah...and this is what it STILL looks like where I live...

so those of you frolicking on the beach (ahem, TIEN),

feel free to send some warmth this way...=)

Photos courtesy of Kristina Cipolla Photography

Wearing: Creams

Time flies, doesn't it?

I keep thinking, "Really? It's February in 2011 already?"

Life gives me time and space, but what really matters is how I choose to fill it...

And while I'm beyond stoked to see what goes down in 2011,

I find myself grasping for the elusive intangibles of yesterday--

to find a balance between appreciating the magic and mystery of days gone by

and getting so caught up in life right now that I block those days out all together.

I want to live in such a way that when I'm gone, I leave behind some reason to be missed.

I want to laugh more, cry more--stop to appreciate the distance I've come, yet push myself to learn new things--

to run another mile, to face the next obstacle with courage and grace.

There are thousands to tell me my dreams are too big, thousands who might sit back and scoff.

I don't care.

I want to be in the middle of things--

getting my hands dirty while striving valiantly to make my dreams a reality--

though I might err and come short again and again.

Because even if I fail while daring greatly, I'll never be that poor, pathetic soul

who knows neither success nor failure.

I've been given this one, tiny moment in time--this one chance to contribute in some significant way--

to dare something great for God, to be real and enjoy life.

It isn't in my power to change everything, but I can change something.

I can be unafraid to be happy, to enjoy the beautiful and believe the best,

because no matter my end, I want it to be said that I lived.

(Anthro In A Twinkling Dress, Wish You Were Here cardi, and Lost Glasses Tights, Target Merona belt, Crown Vintage Oxfords)

Third sneak peek at the pure creation I've been puttin' down...

Hint: Dum-Dum-Dah-Dum...

Wearing: Enchanting Eyes

I don't know how the husbie stands living with me.

I would hate living with someone who's head is in the clouds all the time.

My mind will be bouncin' all over the place and he'll say,

"Kristina? Are you still among us?"

I mean, it would be one thing if my thoughts actually went somewhere, but they really just twist and tumble in all sorts of random circles. Seriously, I can't even follow my own thoughts, so I'm sure I come off as completely disoriented most the time.

And actually, I'm ok with that. Might as well like yourself, right?

But fo' sho', I'd have a hard time living with someone like me.

Hmm...where was I? Maybe I should erase everything and start over?

I mean, my mind has already moved on to something else, so it's sure to be different...

I know exactly how this horse feels...I could just kiss these shoes, too!

(Anthro In a Twinkling dress, Shine Through top, and Enchanting Eyes belt, Crown Vintage Hudson Oxfords)

Photos Courtesy of Janelle's LookNook

I'm designing an extra special giveaway dress right now, so if you wanna chance at a free dress, make sure to check back! Here's a picture of Meredith (so adorable) wearing the dress she won from my last giveaway. You can check out her blog--Yours, Mine and Ours...

Wearing: Crown Vintage

My husband is normally very understanding about new trends, but the first time I wore these oxfords, he remarked, "Seriously, Kristina, those look just like the shoes sitting in my closet."

And I was like, "Well then, husband, you've got some seriously awesome shoes in there!" =)

But, of course, they aren't for everyone.

Which is the greatest thing about getting dressed...because no one works it exactly the same way, and THAT makes the world a more interesting place!

(Anthro In a Twinkling Dress and Mystery Watch, AE plaid shirt, Target Stud Belt, Crown Vintage Hudson Oxfords)