Clueless-Inspired Plaid Jumper and White Sneaks

Head to Toe: Dress, Urban Outfitters // Sneakers, KOIO

Spring took a while to make its way to New England but it has been the most wonderful early summer (or late spring, if you're being technical). I scored this jumper for an extra 50% off of clearance at the end of the season last year and was excited to wear it for a warm morning on the town last week to meet my friend Sophia for coffee and to take some photos.

Funny thing is, we were supposed to meet in Darien but had to change plans when I locked myself out of my apartment for no apparent reason. (We've all been there, amiright?) She was happy to switch to Norwalk, and my dad took a ride on his motorcycle to let me in with a spare. That's the kind of thing that can derail your whole day, but I decided to let it roll off my shoulders. I still had a great morning and got a little visit with my dad out of it. I'm glad I was able to reframe the situation and not make a mountain out of a molehill. And still get some cute pics!

 Photos by Sophia Andersen

Vintage Mom Jeans and a Tied-Up Blouse

Head to Toe: Top, jeans and bag; vintage // Shoes, Melissa

I was in an outfit rut Monday, so I headed to my Pinterest to see what I had saved of my Outfit Inspo board. This look below was the answer: plain light-wash mom jeans and a crisp white button down. I had the goods to replicate this look, but it all rode on fitting into my snug vintage Levis—something that hasn't happened in quite a while. I took a deep breath and stepped into them and like Cinderella's slipper, perfect fit! I never weigh myself, but it's great to see progress when it comes to your clothes. I put my own twist on this look by tying up a vintage white blouse and pairing with these cool "plastic" Melissa slides. With that, I'm off to spin class! What do you do when you're in a clothing rut?

Source: The Style Panorama

Photos by Chris Loynd

5 Things I Learned About Board & Brush Norwalk

Last week, I had the opportunity to try out Board & Brush Norwalk. I made the cutest personalized coat rack for the casa and had the best time crafting it alongside my dearest Becca. While I've seen friends post DIY boards on Instagram, I didn't really know what to expect. Here are a few things that surprised me (in a good way) about the experience:

1. There is no sawing. I'm not too handy with electric tools, so I was relieved to find that my board was pre cut and assembled. But I did use a drill to attach my hooks!
2. There are lots of choices! I thought I would make the exact model I picked online, but it turns out you can personalize many aspects of your board with different distress marks (yup, that's a meat tenderizer I'm wielding), stains and finishing effects. 
3. It's long, so bring snacks. All in all, my board took almost three hours. Experienced crafters brought spreads of snacks, sandwiches and wine. (Helps with the creativity, no?) Board & Brush has water and soda on hand, but it's BYOB if you so choose. 
4. It's more forgiving than you think. I was nervous peeling off my stencil, but the pros at B&B have lots of tricks for touching up your board if a letter smudges or a piece of paint pulls off.
5. Everything is set with a wax finish. After you peel off your stencil, the last step is to lightly sand your work and then lightly rub with a wax finish. This really helped everything set and adds durability.

I learned I'm not that great at making choices, so you might want to mull over your colors ahead of time. In the end, I love what I picked, but game-time decisions are tough! The last choice I'm working on now is where to hang my sign. I'm dreaming of creating an entry vignette with it. Maybe with my newfound staining skills I can make a matching table? If you've ever been to Board & Brush, tell me about your experience in the comments! If not, would you try it?

This post is sponsored by Board & Brush Norwalk but all opinions are my own.

Green Gingham for Memorial Day Weekend

Head to Toe: Top and barrettes, Urban Outfitters (similar) // Jeans, Unpublished // Sneakers, Keds // Bag, thrifted

Happy freakin' Friday! I have never been so excited to say that. I got slammed with work this week (a good thing when you're a freelancer) and have been hustling hard so I can enjoy three glorious days off. I have a few things to punch out today, but I am ready...Monti is too, he got his summer cut the other day.

I'm heading to Ocean City for a bachelorette weekend and had to pack this cute gingham top (nabbed on clearance at UO, a similar steal is linked above) and fun barrettes. High waist bottoms and crop tops is definitely my summer formula, and I'm so excited it's finally here. What are you doing this weekend?

Photos by Chris Loynd

Future is Female Tee All Dressed Up

Head to Toe: T-shirt, Feel Great Goods // Slacks, thrifted // Jacket, Helmut Lang for Intermix (thrifted) // Bag, Brahmin // Flats, Delman // Necklace, Millianna (similar)

Hello, spring! Er, summer? Either way, some seasonable weather is finally here and I just want to soak it up. Last week started off with November-esque temps and ended like July, so I was completely thrown for a loop. Now, Memorial Day Weekend is just a few days away and I am so ready for it to be summer (skipping spring in traditional New England style).

Anywho, the sun finally came out last week and I decided to dress the part for a working lunch (white blazer, rules be damned). I'm heading to Ocean City this weekend to kick off the season with a bachelorette bash, and I'm packing all the summer looks. Bring it on! I plan on working my booty off to enjoy summer Fridays these next few months, because why else does anyone freelance? What are your goals for summer?

White Corduroys and a Shell Pin for Spring

Head to Toe: Blouse and corduroys, J. Crew (thrifted) // Sandals, Dr. Scholl's Originals (similar) // weekender bag, Lulu Dharma (similar)

Here we are, at the second week in May, and New England is expectedly brisk. We've gotten nice weather here and there, and the trees are in bloom, so I'm grateful. Still, I'm ready to be on the beach enjoying a sunny afternoon (and a margarita). In the meantime, I'm going to wear the beach in my hair. I used my handy glue gun to attach this pretty shell to a bobby pin, and there you go! Instant summer!

While we're at it, let's break all the rules and wear white before Memorial Day. Bring on summer and summer weekends and great weekend bags, like this Lulu Dharma tote. For now, I'm using it to carry my laptop and other work supplies, but I'm thinking it will see a few fun destinations these next few months. Time to get planning! Anyone else summer dreaming yet?

 Photos by Chris Loynd

Helmut Lang for Intermix Blazer with Embellished Jeans

Head to Toe: Top, Lilysilk // Blazer, Helmut Lang for Intermix (thrifted) // Jeans, thrifted // Bag, JMcLaughlin (similar) // Shoes, Seychelles

Last week, I had the pleasure of taking part in Anthropologie's summer fashion show to benefit Every Mother Counts. It was really fun to play model for a day (and even get my hair and makeup done) and see a lot of my favorite bloggers at the show. Check out my runway look on IG below.

Since I couldn't wear my #lewk all night, I decided to dress up these embroidered jeans for the evening by pairing them with low heels and this spectacular Helmut Lang for Intermix blazer. During our trip last week, my Grandmom and I had a blast shopping their local thrift stores, including Good Stuff, an upscale shop that runs entirely on donations, where we found this blazer. It was $50, which is steep for thrifting, but I tried it on anyway. It fit like a glove, and I did a quick Google to find similar styles going for hundreds on Ebay. My Grandmom said, "You aren't leaving without that jacket!" and got it for me. Now, it is a very stylish reminder of our fun shopping afternoon.

I also scored a ton of vintage from Goodwill, which you'll be seeing on here very soon. What's your most meaningful piece of clothing?

View this post on Instagram

Hey Friday, I’m still recovering from last night’s excitement 🥂 I had so much fun walking in the @anthro_westport summer fashion show for @everymomcounts 🎀 Thank you so much @sincerely.lucie for inviting me, @whipsalon for making me look fierce, and to @ctl59 and @rebeccagracecordero for cheering me on! I don’t think I’ll quit my day job, but it was a lot of fun! #fashun 📸📸 @sophia.cari

A post shared by Annie Loynd Burton (@style_me_annie) on May 3, 2019 at 6:37am PDT

Hair and makeup by Whip Salon

Don't forget to enter to win your own Killin It T-shirt from Feel Great Goods! Click here link to enter.

Killin' It in Jeans and Converse & A Giveaway

Enter here to win a Killin It T-shirt!

Head to Toe: T-shirt, Feel Great Goods //  Jeans and jacket, thrifted // Sneaker, Converse // Earrings, Clementine Richmond

The first week back from vacation is always a little brutal, but it's already hump day! We had a lovely week down south, and although I'm missing the summer weather, it's nice to be home. I worked with my dad in Stratford to kick the week off Monday, and he shot these photos on our daily dog walk.

Is there anything easier than a classic jeans-and-a-tee combo? I'm Killin' It in another t-shirt from Feel Great Goods (I talked a bit about the company in this post). Want to win one for yourself? Feel Great Goods is offering an exclusive giveaway for New England Romance followers. All you need to enter is your email!  Enter here!

I finished the look with some new thrifted jeans I found on a Goodwill trip with my Grandmom last weekend (more on that later), Converse and these tortoiseshell earrings from the cutest boutique in Richmond called Clementine.

 Photos by Chris Loynd // This post is sponsored by Feel Great Goods, but all opinions are my own.