• top: H&M
• shorts: J.Crew [thrifted]
• sandals: Kelly & Katie
• earrings: vintage

These pictures are from last week, but I did wear this outfit out to dinner tonight! Just pretend I took these on our boardwalk with the ocean behind me and my skin significantly more tan :) I wish I could stay here indefinitely, just reading [halfway through my library stack of 8… should probably slow it down, ha] and soaking up all the sunshine I can. Best place in the world!

• top: super official school-issued coach shirt
• shorts: Old Navy
• sandals: Kelly & Katie [via DSW]
• earrings: gift

I know y’all have just been dying to see what I wear when we have volleyball games, so today is your lucky day [sort of.. if it was 100% accurate I’d be wearing pants instead of shorts]! We didn’t have a game today, but since it was homecoming I felt compelled to somewhat look the part. This is kind of a throwback to when we had to wear rep dress before games in high school, although I think I much prefer this to what we actually had to wear - that, my friends, is something you will not be seeing me wearing ever again… I did my time in that department :D

• top: Loft
• shorts: J.Crew
• flats: Minnetonka

My outfits are all out of order this week… I’m actually planning on wearing this one tomorrow, but I took pictures Wednesday so I could afford to be lazy and not take pictures this afternoon. So I’ll probably take pictures of what I wore today at some point tomorrow. I’m sure y’all really care about my rationalization… just show me the pictures and stop talking, right?! :D It’s been a long week… soooo happy for a couple of days off!

• top + shorts: Loft
• sandals: Seychelles
• earrings: vintage
• ring: VT class ring
• necklace: self-made

I’ve had this shirt for a while. It used to tie in the back, but I didn’t really like that feature so much… so I decided to break out the sewing machine late last night and remedy that situation. Score one for actually fixing a piece of clothing that I’ve been meaning to for a while! I think I may shorten the hem on this one too… it seems a little bit long. Guess this is what happens when you start altering stuff - just opens a whole other can of worms, huh?

• shirt: Forever 21 (thrifted)
• shorts: Gap (thrifted)
• shoes: J.Jill (thrifted)
• purse: Die Lederwerkstatt (thrifted)
• necklace: gift

• top: H&M
• shorts: Loft
• sandals: Marshalls

I was quite productive on my day off, for once [and yesterday, which I’ll tell y’all about sometime soon :D it was a fun but looong day]! Lots of cleaning/reorganizing and running errands and attempting to get my sad cracked windshield replaced [or the process started… too bad the auto glass place was closed]. My awesome friend from college/running buddy Deborah is here this weekend for a 5k mud run tomorrow, which should be lots of fun/super messy, aw yeahhh :D Slash totally just realized I wore this shirt twice this week… but it’s ok, I did laundry in the meantime… guess that just confirms the questionable-ness of my short-term memory, haha.

• top + shorts: Ann Taylor Loft
• sandals: Seychelles
• earrings: gift

I would be willing to bet that there have to be at least a couple of Hokies working in the design department of Ann Taylor Loft, because the average person probably doesn’t consider the maroon/orange color combo… it is kinda random. And they have a loooot of stuff in both colors [remember that skirt I linked to earlier with both?! Amazing.] Whatever the reason, props to them for giving me a nicer alternative to football tshirts when I want to rep my school :D

• top: H&M
• shorts: Gap [altered]
• sandals: Marshalls
• necklace: self-made
• earrings: gift
• watch: Target

I debuted my newly altered shorts today, hooray! Too bad I didn’t have this outfit about a month ago… so patriotic! Today was fairly uneventful… probably the most exciting thing was shopping for birthday cards for my parents [they’re 11 days apart!] :D Now I just gotta figure out the present situation…. time for me and my sister to start brainstorming.

While perusing various mall shops yesterday, I found a pair of white shorts in Gap, which I liked except for the fact that they were pretty much see-through. No bueno. Then I happened to notice that they still had the white jeans I got last time I was in there for about $5 cheaper than the shorts….. cue the lightbulbs. This was the easiest way I could think of to do this, since rolling the hem twice = no need to finish the cut edge. I like shortcuts :D

what you will need…

• pants
• tape measure
• straight edge
• pencil
• pins
• iron
• sewing machine

getting down to business…

Measure the desired inseam length + allowance for the hem to be turned under twice. I wanted the final length to be 4”, with a 1” rolled hem, so I marked 6”.

From the mark you made, draw a line perpendicular to the inseam, then cut along the line.

One leg cut successfully!

Flip your pants over to the other side, making sure the legs are lined up.

Align your straight edge to the cut leg, then draw a line on the non-cut leg so they’ll match up, then cut off the excess.

Line up your tape measure along the inseam and place a mark at 1” and 2” up from the edge. Repeat for the outside seam, then repeat on the other leg.

Use the markings as a guide; fold once at the 1” mark, then again at the 2” mark. Hooray for hiding that raggedy edge! Pin on either side to hold in place, then repeat for the three other seams.

Once your two seams are pinned in place, you’ll need to finagle the rest of the fold to match, then pin it in place. This is what it should look like when it’s done. Repeat for the other leg.

After everything’s pinned in place, use your iron to press the folds so they’re all nice and pretty :D

Here’s what it should look like when everything’s pinned and pressed!

Now, using your handy dandy sewing machine, sew down and back the middle of the outside seam [orange dotted line] a couple of times for security.

Repeat on the inseam, although for this one, I sewed along the outside of the seam [orange dotted line] because I thought it looked nicer :D Repeat this step and the last one for the other leg, then remove all the pins and press with the iron again.

And now you have a new pair of rolled-hem shorts!

• top: Marshalls
• shorts: J.Crew
• sandals: Kelly & Katie
• bracelet: Ann Taylor Loft

You know what a dangerous/glorious combination is? Tax-free weekend and outlet malls. My mom and I headed to one about an hour from home today and I may or may not have racked up a few purchases which you will probably be seeing soon, this bracelet for one… couldn’t wait to throw it on as soon as I paid for it :D That’ll be a good one for football games!