The Importance of Female Friends (+ road trip!)

From left to right: Me, Emma, Alysse, Betsy, and Ari

     With a lot of young women, it is tempting to dismiss being friends with other women. "Oh, I just don't get along with other girls," they'll say. I understand this tendency, being largely more comfortable with guys as well as exhibiting several personality traits that are traditionally seen as "masculine". However, I'm here to say that this sentiment is a mistake. The beautiful young women that you see in the picture above are my best friends. 

     The four of us on the right recently took a short trip to see my roommate from the last two years and one of my dearest friends, Ari. No topic is off limits with these girls, which made the sleepover that we had at Alysse's house the night before the drive to North Carolina that much more fun. Our personalities perfectly weave together to form a bond that is unshakeable and uplifting. Even if all of us could easily point out the flaws of the others, it is only because we know each other so well. Those flaws are what enable us to complete each other instead of tear each other down. And that's a beautiful thing.

     I'm the baby of the group by a few months and I love saying things to make everyone laugh. Alysse, the friend I've had the longest (8 years!), is the oldest and is almost a full year older than me. She's the mom of the group in so many ways, including her mad baking skills. Emma is the eternal sweetheart and although I've known her the shortest time, it feels like we've been friends for years. The sharp-witted and adorable Betsy always has us laughing with her perfect commentary and questions. Ari and I have known each other distantly for quite some time, but it wasn't until we decided to share a room at Maryville College that we really got to know each other. I'll never forget the nights we stayed up talking until 3 AM even if we had early classes the next day. 

      Each of these women deserve an entire blog post dedicated to how wonderful they are, but I hope that I've given you an idea of how much they mean to me. Being with them makes me feel giddy, unstoppable, fully supported and loved, and perfectly content. There really is something irreplaceable about being able to go from talking about nail polish to bodily functions in two seconds flat; that's something I couldn't do with my male friends. 

    Hopefully you can see the happy, silly, wonderful vibe of the day that we had in Asheville and Brevard. We are commemorating the trip with something extremely special before school starts and I am so excited to share the news with everyone when it happens. 

And I Will Go to Texas

     If you've been following my Instagram or Twitter (both @trippplethread), you might have noticed a certain theme in my last few posts. I am in fact writing this blog post from Texas, but I didn't just decide to drive halfway across the country for the sake of a road trip. My mom, stepdad, and little sister all moved from where I grew up to one of the cutest towns I've ever seen: Rockwall, Texas. It'll be rough to adjust to having them so far away because I'm remaining in school at Maryville; however, the rest of my extended family as well as my dad's family are all still nearby. I've been having a blast exploring over here and no, I'm still not over how flat it is in comparison to East Tennessee. But my parents and my style fit right in here and I can't wait to call this place my western home. 

Weekly Goals: 6/23/13-6/29/13

    I am apparently bad with commitment. That is what my previous weekly goals post has led me to believe, anyways. While I have made some progress on all of the goals that I listed, I nowhere near completed everything I had in mind. Summer is really a time of reflection and laziness for me right now, but I'm going to set myself some more goals to actually get my butt in gear.

     

     1. Update my blog store with more items. I have loads of items that deserve to be worn much more frequently. Being in the midst of a style revolution of sorts, I'm really looking forward to cleaning out my wardrobe to make room for pieces that fit my direction a bit more. Be on the lookout for lots of cute items for great prices.

     2. Actually write in my journal every day. On my last weekly goals list, I had this written down. While I did manage to write a list or a tidbit in my journal nearly every day that week, I felt as though my entries were lacking in the kind of reflection that I've been needing lately. I have kept a journal since fifth grade and always managed to fill the notebooks up; however, I'm needing a bit more discipline.

     3. Reach out and do something that might scare me. Whether this is being completely honest with people, reaching out to a brand that I admire, or signing up for something that I normally wouldn't try, I'd love to get out of my comfort zone this week.

     4. Write my first book review for Triple Thread. I have a lot of books. I've read most of them and am excited to delve into the rest. I have nonfiction books, classic novels, and current bestsellers. Why not share my experiences and hopefully inspire discussion on something that means so much to me?

     5. Set up at least two paid photo sessions. It's a great time of year for photographers: senior picture time! Some people like to wait for the school year, but I have some really great ideas for styled shoots that I'd love to do for clients. I'm also looking to work with local musicians to expand my portfolio. Now that I have a quantifiable goal, I'm much more likely to try to book something.

     I'll post a short update on my goal list in the next weekly goals post. If I make myself publicize my progress, I'm going to feel more accountable for making an attempt at every item. I hope you have a wonderfully productive, fun week and be sure to let me know about your own goals for the first full week of summer!

Weekly Goals: 6/9/13-6/15/13

    While I enjoy the jobs that I have (I second shoot for Sarah C. Photography as well as working as a shop girl/taking pictures for Style of Civilization), neither are quite regular enough to take a significant amount of my time during these long summer days. I'm living on campus this summer for reasons I'll talk about in an upcoming personal post. During the school year, I had plenty of work to keep me busy as well as Patrick to hang out with outside of classes. Now that he is working full time and I don't have any homework to zero in on, I definitely need to set some goals for myself and get motivated! I always find that if I commit to my goals in a very public place, I'm more likely to think about them regularly than if I wrote them down just for myself. 

     

     1. Write in my journal every day. I'm a pretty regular writer as it is, but often I forget to jot down events or write things that seem insignificant but that I wish I could read about in more detail. I won't be making that mistake for much longer.

     2. Get caught up on outfit posts as well as creating new content. The lovely Kailey of Mermaidens has requested that I create a photography tips post and I am happy to oblige! I also still have several outfit pictures to get up and can't wait to share what I've been wearing. I also have some personal things to share as well as discussing more interests outside of fashion (see next goal).

     3. Stick to my cross country work out more diligently.  While summer gives me the potential to be as lazy as I want to be, I still have my cross country summer workout program to follow. I've been running regularly for the past few weeks, but I know that it's important to actually do what our coach emails us. This means I'll be waking up to a fifty minute run Monday morning.

     4. Finish cleaning out my wardrobe and pack away/sell anything that isn't in heavy rotation. Style shifts are hard. They are only made harder by unnecessary clutter in my closet. I can't wait to have my wardrobe pared down to the things I'm wearing most right now. Having less makes getting dressed that much easier.

    5. Get together with more friends and have those important conversations that I've been putting off. You know those potentially lingering situations between friends that could determine how the relationship moves forward? Yeah, I have a few of those that I need to clear up before next school year. My Oak Ridge friends also deserve a bit more love than I've been showing them so I am making it a point to get together with some of the best people I know.

     Because these goals are weekly, there really isn't anything too challenging. But this list serves as a reminder for the little things that I've been neglecting since my schedule was cleared from a lot of obligations. I hope everyone has a great week and I'd love to hear what you're trying to accomplish this summer.

Waxing and Waning

Title Unknown La Lune foiled muscle tee, Urban Outfitters (Made in the USA!). White shirtdress, TJ Maxx (similar). Red patent belt, Forever 21 (similar). Deena & Ozzy heels, Urban Outfitters (sold out).  Rounded tortoiseshell sunglasses, Target. Timex watch. Vintage Dooney & Bourke purse. 

     If I had to choose one word to describe my fashion aesthetic, it would be "classic". While I despise complimentary or even self-depricating proclamations (I'm so weird! I'm such a nerd, OMG. I'd consider myself an intellectual.), I've found that I prefer basic pieces that will stand up to any fashion whims I may go through. But my favorite outfits are rarely a uniform of my classic pieces. Rather, they include some fun, trendier pieces to balance out my simpler tastes. 

     I first spotted this tee shirt at the Urban Outfitters in Atlanta over spring break. At the time, I really was focusing on rebuilding some classic aspects of my wardrobe, so I only left with my black high waisted jeans and a plain white oxford button up. I've worn both of those pieces countless times since then, but the thought of this moon emblazoned shirt never quite left my mind. When our local Urban Outfitters opened up on May 2nd, I went in looking for just one thing. I had seen online that it was supposedly an online exclusive, but I also saw the beautiful words "Made in the USA". Believe me, that label is hard to come by in large chain stores.

     Anyways, I left with both the shirt, which I wouldn't exactly call "classic", along with the most badass shoes in my wardrobe. Once again, you'd think something like half-boots/half-sandals wouldn't get the most wear, but I find them to be a perfect balance with my simple and minimal pieces. 

     All of these factors combined to make this one of my favorite outfits of all time. I definitely think the pictures show that. I get a bit sassy when I'm at my most confident (Ok. "A bit" is an understatement as anyone who is close to me will tell you), but it sure makes for a fun time taking pictures. 

     What outfit makes you feel like a million bucks?

Every Chorus Was Your Name- The Avett Brothers in Knoxville

     Way back in January, I was casually scrolling through Facebook and was delighted to see that The Avett Brothers, one of my all-time favorite bands, were going to play in Knoxville on May 16th. Fortunately, I was able to purchase tickets a week in advance because I'm on their email list. According to the women at the will call booth where we picked up our tickets, they sold 4,000 tickets for the show. My mom and I decided to buy the tickets as a birthday present for Patrick (who turned 23 on May 11th) despite it being months in advance. While the show wasn't exactly a surprise, we had the whole semester to look forward to the concert, which just so happened to fall on the last day of finals week. 

     As with most shows I've gone to, professional grade cameras weren't allowed. I don't actually own a point and shoot anymore, so I went with a more risky decision than just relying on my iPhone. Patrick and I stopped by Walgreens and I picked up a disposable camera dedicated to capturing our day. While the pictures from the show itself are pretty grainy (800 speed film will do that to ya), I love the snapshots of the great day we had downtown Knoxville. 

     The show itself was unforgettable. I've already seen The Avett Brothers once before, about a year and a half ago in a baseball field with my dad. That concert led to a great list of live music that I've now gotten to see: The Civil Wars, Beach House, Ingrid Michelson, and now I've come full circle to my favorite out of all of them. It was a really special treat to go to a live show with someone who I'm romantically involved with, especially because on the night we met, Patrick and I were in a car singing Avett songs at the top of our lungs with a few of our friends. Considering Patrick has said on numerous occasions how much my music taste intrigued him on that night, Avett Brothers songs will always hold a special place in our relationship. 

    There are many noteworthy moments from the set that they played, but I'd say without a doubt the most powerful for me was "Laundry Room". I went from crying tears of complete joy to jumping around like a madwoman when the tempo picks up. The crowd was pretty rowdy the whole night (in fact, Seth remarked on just how rowdy we were when playing "The Ballad of Love and Hate"), but we went completely crazy during that song (among others, to be sure). I have to admit I missed my favorites "November Blue",which I discovered when they performed it live in Townsend, and "A Father's First Spring", my favorite from their newest album, The Carpenter. 

     I love that their music appeals to such a wide demographic of people. We saw couples who had to be in their sixties alongside hipsters of every variety and good ol' boys in double denim and cowboy boots. I wouldn't have it any other way: the diverse crowd just attests to the staying power of one of the best bands in modern music.

Spring Cleaning- Blog Design

     Happy Friday, everyone! Today is the last day of classes in my sophomore year at Maryville College. There are still quite a few projects and tests standing between me and summer, but I'm not so worried because for the most part my classes are all subjects directly related to my major or just plain fun. I know I don't talk about my classwork too much, but it takes up a large portion of my time and ends up affecting my blog.

     In an effort to clean up my blog design a little bit before doing a complete overhaul this summer, I decided to make a logo for Triple Thread for my personal identity project in my Intro to Design class (as well as cleaning up some of the typeface placements). This is only one of many projects that I've done over the semester and if you'd like to see more, check out my course blog here. 

      These are the rough designs for potential logos. As you can see, I utilized two of the designs in updating my blog's look. I wanted to keep my main identity black and white so that if I decide to change the color scheme there are no conflicts. However, my banner design can easily be changed to match the color of the blog's background. 

     I'd love to hear what you think! If you'd like me to do a few roughs for personal logos, I'd love to talk to you about it as I'm working on expanding my design portfolio.

His & Hers: Big Fish

    This week, instead of doing our normal styling of a similar item to show, Patrick and I wanted to share something special. One of my favorite movies of all time is the Tim Burton directed film Big Fish. I can't believe the movie is already ten years old, as its release date was 2003. It's a visual feast, to be sure, but the story is also one of the greatest love stories of our time. That isn't just limited to romantic love, though. The weaving of the mythical with the beautiful creates a timeless tale that I could watch again and again.
     In particular, one of my favorite scenes in the film is when the protagonist, Edward Bloom (played perfectly by Ewan McGregor), finally finds the girl he's fallen in love with. Although he's only seen her once, he works to find out everything he can about her. This eventually leads to his proposal in the most expansive field of daffodils that I could imagine. Fortunately, Patrick and I were able to somewhat recreate some stills from this scene.

If the video doesn't play, click through to the YouTube link.

     There are a few still shots in particular that stick out to me. Edward Bloom standing in the field, grinning ridiculously. Sandra's face in front of the flowers. And of course, the two sitting in the field together.

     I didn't happen to have a floor length blue nightgown lying around, but I thought my vintage inspired Tommy Hilfiger dress that I bought last summer did the trick. Patrick helped pick out a modernized version of Edward Bloom's navy suit and black tie from his closet. I thought our interpretations went pretty well with the overall aesthetic without seeming like costumes. 

    What you don't see here is that this beautiful field of flowers is located on the side of one of the busier roads in the area. Luckily, several miles of Tennessee roads in this area are covered with this type of field on either side. It makes for some truly stunning photos, even if I was a little bit afraid that we would get called out by the cops. No authorities reprimanded us; however, we did get honked at quite a bit!

    I hope you've enjoyed our not-so-traditional approach to His & Hers this week. We had a blast shooting together and while the flowers are already gone, I'm so glad I could make the vision I had for this shoot a reality.

     Past His & Hers: Blazers and Grey Pants; White button up; Black V neck; Denim shirt; Flannel shirt; Mixed prints; Emerald; Gingham shirts; Blue oxfords

Thoughts on "Dressing Up"

     This past Friday was an annual tradition for my school: Spring Fling. Maryville College is small enough to be able to hold formal events for the entire student body, not just associated with one group or another. I know that a lot of Greek organizations host their own formals at larger universities, but we have neither Greek life nor that large of a population.

     Anyways, as you can tell, I dressed up with a few of my friends (two of my suite mates are in the middle of the group) and we all went out. Patrick was my date ,of course; and I regret not snapping a picture of his ensemble because he was dressed quite snazzily. I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to dance the night away with roughly 150-200 of my classmates; however, I had a pretty groundbreaking personal revelation that night.

     I hate getting dressed up.

     I know. I'm a fashion blogger. Getting dressed up on a daily basis is just what I do. But when it comes to getting all dolled up in a more formal nature, I am left feeling lost and uncomfortable. How am I ever supposed to feel "dressed up" if I would wear literally all of my dresses to class? It's not a huge problem to have. However, it is incredibly relevant to the direction that my personal style is heading.

     Glamor has never been something that I've been good at. In high school, I did my own hair and make up both years I went to prom. Both looked the same as they did every other day. I don't regret that decision, but it makes me wonder: am I missing something by sticking to my low maintenance and casual guns?

    I'm happy with my sartorial choices outside of these very specific semi-formal/formal situations. I buy things that I can see myself wearing day after day, which seems like a no brainer to me. There are those rare gems in my closet that feel too special to wear out too often, whether those are vintage pieces or other items of value. But in general, I prefer a casual, "effortless" (as my style has been called by many commenters, but that term is the subject for a different post) style to feeling overly coiffed. 

    In the end, I'd rather wear something that I can explore in. I want to be able to roam and drive and walk on cobblestone streets and be able to bend over to pick flowers. While my tagline is "Dressing for life's adventures", maybe formal adventures aren't going to be my cup of tea.

Six Months of Style

     Although our six month "anniversary" was technically last Friday, I wanted to do something special to celebrate the wonderful months that I've spent with my boyfriend, Patrick. We didn't get to do anything together because he is currently singing his heart out with the Maryville College choir on their annual choir tour, but I wanted to do a recap of our relationship and how much our style has grown since we met.

The Beginning:

     I think about half of these pictures were taken before we actually started dating. However, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't know we'd be together from the moment we met. But we got to know each other and through that process Patrick learned a lot about my style and my blog. The first picture you see in this set was the first picture of us together and the first time Patrick helped me out with outfit shots (see the post where he is still "mystery feet" here). I was so happy to hear that he was interested in learning about photography and therefore helping with my blog. It's made such a difference!

     His style was pretty much what you see on any average collegiate boy- plaid shorts and tee shirts for the warmer weather. He knew that I loved clothing, so there were days when I could tell he was definitely dressing to impress me. Apparently it worked pretty well because we started dating on September 15th, only about three weeks after we met. However, it is important to note that I knew I'd feel the same way about him no matter what he was wearing.

The middle:

     At this point, taking pictures and other things about my blog had become an integral part of our relationship. We were starting to feel more comfortable exploring the areas around us for pictures as well as with the way we both dressed. I was extremely glad to know that some of my less "mainstream" outfits didn't make Patrick uncomfortable. In Patrick, I found the perfect support and springboard for all of the ideas that I had- blogging related or otherwise. The conversations we had during this time really solidified the relationship we have today. 

     Because Patrick is always my stand in when I'm metering for outfit pictures, I have just as many "outfit" shots of him as I do of me. It's so fun to see the timeline of his style progressing. He started to wear patterned or plain v neck tee shirts on his casual days as opposed to graphic crew neck shirts. During this period, we began going to thrift stores more often and he started stocking up on some basics. I think the turning point was when we found a very nice pair of brown dress shoes for only a dollar. He started incorporating them into more outfits which I believe started his love of dressing professionally almost every day.

Currently:

     After Patrick got quite the clothing haul for Christmas (I happily obliged in buying him a few things he had spotted and my parents piled on even more), he started perfecting the little details of his outfits. Considering that Target has argyle dress socks for $3, he loves playing around with color and pattern when choosing his socks. His casual days usually mean that he isn't wearing a tie, not that he is wearing a tee shirt and jeans. 

     The lessons that I've learned while watching Patrick's style grow are many. First of all, it's fun to help someone go through a style transformation if they genuinely want to. I keep insisting that I had little to do with the shift in Patrick's wardrobe and for the most part that's true. I tell him what I know, but I hardly ever insert my opinion about what he chooses to wear. He'll always look nice to me, even if he's just finished a game of frisbee and is wearing a tee shirt and gym shorts. 

     We've both grown stronger and better as people since we met and I like to think that our clothing choices are just a way of expressing where we are in life. Our confidence is stroked by one another which in turn makes us more secure in the sartorial and life choices that we have to make every day. I'm not using this post as a way to say "Hey, look what I did for my boyfriend! It's a total makeover story!". Rather, I'm excited to show the world that the way we dress is more than just for appearance. It's a fun part of our relationship and our personalities and I can't wait to see how it develops further.