Thursday, April 29

the aspiring adventurer

I think everyone, even the homebodies of the world, has a thirst for adventure. There's something about doing out-of-the-ordinary things that's deliciously appealing. Maybe it reminds us that if we so choose, we can be out-of-the-ordinary people, even if just for a few hours, days, or weeks.

When we were kids, adventures were all make-believe. We were pirates, doctors, astronauts, and even - as was the case in my childhood - dinosaurs. Now that I'm more grown up, I no longer think about how awesome it would be to be a triceratops and ram things with my face (okay, that's a lie, I still think about it sometimes but not as much as before). But I do still dream of adventure, as I'm sure all of you do too. These days, my idea of adventure is to explore new places and rediscover old ones. I want to see all that this little blue speck we live on has to offer.

This outfit reminds me of my desire for adventure. I think it's the boots and the cartography cardigan combined. The boots are a rich chestnutty brown color, which makes me think of leather suitcases covered in destination stickers. And of course, the cardigan is map print! The overall ensemble is part librarian, part Indiana Jones, and part maĆ®tre d’ (it's the big bow-ed white shirt).

bow neck top, ann taylor loft [x]
cartography cardigan, anthropologie [x]
skinny denim, joe's jeans
jane 14 stitch boots, frye [x] [x] [x]
classic leather belt, j.crew [x-ish] [x-ish]
duchess stone cocktail ring, j.crew [x]
stone bracelet, lucky brand



How about you lovely readers? Do any of you have fond recollections of childhood adventuring dreams?

26 comments:

  1. LOVE the outfit today! Seriously, it may be my favorite from you yet. I have got to get my hands on that cardigan!

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  2. Love this combo Amy! I seriously need to get the mango belt, you've proven how versatile it is.

    Cartography Cardi or Zebra Print??? hmmm

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  3. Another winner! I love the way you tie your belts!

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  4. yet again you make me totally love that cardigan- love the combo here, it might be my favorite!

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  5. Great outfit today! All you need is your fedora and you could be a modern-day Indy! And a lasso ...

    I think when you're a kid, everything is an adventure - partly because you can use your imagination. I was an adventurer all the time when I was little, even if I wasn't allowed to leave my block. Now things like playing "the floor is lava" isn't as much fun - you don't want to break the furniture because you actually bought it, you don't want to throw your back out, "this is stupid, the floor is hardwood, NOT lava ..."

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  6. love the pop of orange with the cardi!

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  7. I remember many adventures as a child. I would ride to my bike to libraries and parks in neighboring areas and thought it was the greatest thing. I would bike through neighborhoods and take windy routes to get to my destination. It was the greatest thing ever and I thought I was quite adventurous doing it. Nowadays, I'm not so sure a child would be given permission to ride around so freely like that, but back then, we were out from dawn to dusk.

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  8. Love the outfit Amy! That cardigan is awesome!!

    As a kid we left the house at sunrise and came back for lunch, out again and back for dinner. We had SO many adventures it was awesome! I wish it could still be like that today for kids!!

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  9. Not that I don't rush to my comp to see your outfits every day of every week, but you are on a roll this week, AmyK! Insane! I can't even tell you how long it seems like I've been waiting for that cardi to go on sale :( MONTHS, literally months. I have so many cardis that i cna no longer justify buying another one at full price, no matter how amazing. But I feel like if I miss out on this one, my life will be incomplete.

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  10. You look fantastic! I love the bow blouse with the map cardigan. What a great combo! And the belt? Ties it all together perfectly.

    I used to pretend that I was a vampire. Well, it's actually kind of cruel, because I'm the oldest. I convinced my siblings that I was there to suck out their blood. They wouldn't go near me for weeks. Of course, I thought it was hilarious, but they still tell me they had nightmare and that I would have to pay their therapist bills.

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  11. love your outfit, how fun and yes, adventurous!! your boot collection has me insanely jealous!!

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  12. Love your boots. It's nice to know that Frye boots are short stature-friendly. Are you wearing the Redwood shade?

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  13. Julianne - Thanks! I was surprised by how well it all just came together. And I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the cardigan!

    E Hayes - I love the belt! It's actually neon orange in person, though, haha! I don't know how versatile it REALLY is. I only know that I love wearing it, damned be sense or logic! And as for the debate between cartography or zebra, I'm going to have to vote for the cartography cardigan! Though I may be biased because I love maps...

    eek - Thanks! I never did it until I saw the J.Crew models do it in the catalogs, so THANKS J.Crew models! You'll never see me wearing high heels with ankle socks, though!

    Natalie - Thanks! I adore the cardigan! If I could, I'd wear it every single day, haha!

    Lisa - Well, I DO have a Fedora, but it's straw. So if I got a suede/leather one AND a lasso, I am IN! And man, I totally played that "the floor is lava" game. I admit I still do it sometimes, though I don't take it half as seriously as I did when I was a wee one!

    tam pham - Thanks!

    Pamela - That sounds like so much fun! Riding your bike to the library and parks is like an adventure and exploration in its own right. It's sad how much times have changed to where kiddos can't be given free reign like that anymore.

    Peggy - I agree, I wish it could still be like that for kids too! It's so different being a kid now!

    Tara B - Aww, thanks! Ugh, I hate how long it takes Anthro to put stuff on sale! I was stalking it online too, but then Boyfriend bought it for me. I guess he's not all that bad! Hahaha, joookes... I love your cardigan collection, though! It seems like you have a perfect one to complete every outfit! And I feel like different cardigans really have different looks/uses... at least, that's what I tell myself when I'm trying to decide whether or not to get another cardigan.

    Tien - Thanks! And I feel like it's a right for the oldest sibling to scare their younger ones sometimes! But a vampire Tien? I love it, haha! I used to tell my brother that if he annoyed me, I would throw him to the moon where he'd have to live forever. For whatever reason, he believed me and left me alone... for about 10 minutes!

    Mikaela - Aww, thanks! I don't have much of a boot collection, though -- just 3 pairs! Though I admit I do love those 3 pairs a whole lot...

    cindy - I was surprised myself that these boots didn't go up past my knees, haha! I believe the one I have IS the redwood shade. I have no idea why the shade looks so odd on the Zappos site -- it's not NEARLY that red!

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  14. I loooove this cardi. So much.

    I grew up in the woods (to be honest I still live in those same woods) and that lent itself to a lot of imaginary adventures. Sometimes we were runaways, sometimes we were Daniel Boone, sometimes we were sailors.

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  15. You look so cute! I adore the map print cardigan and looked longingly at it in the store the other day for an uncomfortable amount of time before sighing and forcing myself to move on for now.

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  16. you definitely look like an adventurer, those boots rock!!!

    p.s. i think you should totally get the espadrilles :)

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  17. wow that bow top goes amazingly well with the cartography cardigan! i freaking love this outfit on you!

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  18. I love how you belter over the bow tie, I am going to have to try that one out!

    I wanted to be a firetruck when I was younger. Yep, I typed it right. The actual truck not the person. Just think if we were kids together my firetruck could have raced your triceratops.....

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  19. LOVE this outfit, Amy! Every single thing about it. I NEED a bow-neck blouse with all this Glee I watch. Sigh. Seriously- your outfits have been out of control awesome lately!

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  20. A-dorable!
    When I was little I used to pretend to be Laura Ingalls Wilder and run around in my aunt's wedding crinoline.
    I also used to want to be Amish.
    Is that weird???

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  21. Oooh I totally get the Indiana Jones reference! You did it very femme and ladylike here.

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  22. Oh, I love this outfit, Amy! You're so adorable! Makes me wish I was 10 years younger, hahaha...

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  23. Hola!
    I think this is one of my favorite outfits that I have seen of yours. I feel like it's really whimsical. It makes me think of when I used to play in the hallway of my Nana's house trying to find Carmen San Diego or trailing through the big city. The cardigan is amazing. I always feel that map prints (like rustic looking ones?) have that earthly feel to them. I dig it.

    You really do look like your ready to go on an adventure! :)
    --Ciara<3

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  24. You look like a total ROCKSTAR in that outfit of the day look. You go girl!

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  25. ooooh, pirate! i love this outfit! definitely an adventure-magnet :)
    and the cardigan is so unusual, it goes really well with the total look x

    i have some ideas for the present, i think i'll be ready to put it up in the next couple of weeks :p

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