Spring Refresh

Striped Cardigan Spring Outfit | Shades of Sarah3

It’s been a long time since I have devoted any time to my little space on the Internet.

By all accounts, 2018 was a ~year~ and 2019 has been flying by so far. This is what I shared on my personal Facebook after the New Year:

Last winter was rough, with a broken heart and broken bones (unrelated) and a life-changing medical diagnosis. (At one point, I was seeing a physical therapist, therapist and psychiatrist all at the same time.) By December, I was settled into my first house (my first mortgage payment was due January 1st, which is some subtle symbolism). In between, I reconnected with old friends and made new ones, started a new job, went to four concerts and who-even-knows-how-many sporting events, went on two great trips to Florida, got my first tattoo, snuggled with a lot of precious dogs and turned 28. For the first time in a really long time, I feel like my life is moving in a positive direction. Who knows what 2019 has in store, but hopefully it includes some more sleep and less emotional whiplash.

I can now report that my sleeping habits are no better this year than last. To review what may have been buried in those ramblings (and is relevant to my blogging career):

  • I started a new job last summer (and bought a great dress to celebrate). I’m a staff writer at Luxury Daily, which means that yes, I get paid to write for a living. We’re a small staff, so we all write a lot. I also work remotely in Philadelphia most of the week, which means I’m spending a lot more time in hoodies and leggings.
  • I bought a house! Many thanks to my parents for helping me out with the down payment and their support over the years. I closed in November and moved in later that month. I’m pretty much done unpacking, but still have a ways to go when it comes organizing and painting.

I think those are the main reasons why this blog has been super quiet for awhile. I’ve missed blogging though, and I’m brainstorming new things to write about! Any suggestions? Do you want to hear more about WFH, or house hunting or having dogs as a twenty-something?

Watch this space! But in the meantime, here is one of my favorite early spring outfits (and yes, we’re still having chilly 50-degree days):

Striped Cardigan Spring Outfit

Striped Cardigan Spring Outfit

Striped Cardigan Spring Outfit

I shot this look with Audrey in Old City last month. Thank you, Audrey! Tell me about your spring go-tos! You can never trust spring weather in Philly!

Thank you to anyone and everyone who reads here!

~ Sarah

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Cardigan: LOFT | Sweater: LOFT | Jeans: Old Navy | Boots: Kohls | Beanie: Five Below | Bag: Century 21

Love Birds

Love Birds Sweater & Beret | Shades of Sarah
Love Birds Sweater & Beret | Shades of Sarah
Love Birds Sweater & Beret | Shades of Sarah
I would like to use my first blog post in a month as an opportunity to thank hats and novelty sweaters for existing. Just when I think spring is here to stay, we get another bout of dreary weather. At least fun sweaters and hats keep outfits interesting and a little less gloomy.

Hats are having a moment, and thank goodness for that. They are the perfect accessory this time of year. They keep you warm and add make you feel a bit put together, especially on days when you’re decidedly not having a good hair day. (And really, you can have good hair days when it’s this windy and rainy?) This beret (which I found new-with-tags at And We Evolve), my newsboy cap and baseball caps have all been in heavy rotation this month.

Also remember when “critter sweaters” were a thing? (Clare had the best collection.) Sure, this isn’t the trendiest thing I’ve worn on the blog, but I’m still all about a graphic sweater. There’s a time and a place for fun and sass in the things we wear, don’t you think? At least these love birds remind me of warmer weather…which will hopefully stay here long enough that I can pack away these sweaters. 😉

~ Sarah
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Sweater: Kohl’s
Jeans: Old Navy
Boots: Primark (similar)
Beret: And We Evolve (similar)

Bell Sleeves for Spring

Bell Sleeves, Newsboy Cap
Bell Sleeves, Newsboy Cap

Bell Sleeves, Newsboy Cap
Bell Sleeves, Newsboy Cap

Happy first day of spring! If you’ve checked the weather at all, you know that it is decidedly not springlike outside. Luckily, I got a taste of some of the greenery to come (eventually) during a trip to Terrain last weekend. Plants, brunch, girl talk — what else could you want? (Answer: warm weather.)

I wanted to dress up a bit for our day trip, but I also wanted to be comfortable. Inspiration struck, and I wore this dress (you may recognize as my NYE dress) as a top. Bell sleeves may be a tad impractical, but this trend has had some staying power — I snagged this dress from a Target clearance rack years ago. To keep up the seventies vibes, I wore my new button front jeans and newsboy cap. Aside from my Fossil bag (a graduation gift from many moons ago), this one of the most affordable outfits I’ve ever blogged. (You’d tell me if it’d look that way though, right?)

It looks like I’ll be wearing sweaters for a few more weeks, but I can’t wait to wear some of my more fun clothes this spring. Don’t be surprised if this isn’t the only seventies-inspired outfit I share on here!

~ Sarah

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Dress (worn as top): Target (similar)
Jeans: Walmart
Cap: Primark (similar)
Boots: Target (similar)
Bag: Fossil