Zeta Day

me & Cat. love love love.

Chelsea. you know her!

I'm a bit behind on a few outfit posts, especially this one. My Zeta Tau Alpha alumni group recently hosted Zeta Day/State Day/ Colorado & Wyoming Zeta State Day (whatever you want to call it - I call it Zeta Day). All of the Zetas in the great state of Colorado + Wyoming get together for brunch/lunch and celebrate being zisters.

This year's theme was "Zeta Carnival." Unfortunately, I was a bit too busy manning corn hole to take pictures of the rest of the decor, but trust me when I say that my fellow alum did a bang-up job with the decor. We had a photo booth, carnival games, raffle tickets, popcorn buckets, oversized lollipops, and lots of Zeta, everywhere (no clowns, though).

This year's event was held where I live, so my commute was about 10 minutes, which is a nice change from driving to Denver and beyond. I know a few current collegiate members, so got to catch up with them, and reminisce about living in the house (triple room. 2 years in a row).

The attire for these types of events is always "pin attire" - business casual to professional to brunch to what you'd wear to see your classy grandmother. I chose a Lilly (after much discussion and trying on of outfits) and some shoes that don't get out much. They're a fun t-strap with tweed & faux-croc on the toes (I never know what to wear them with!).

My bestie helped me come up with the idea to wear my pretty white Lilly (that can lean a little Stepford, depending on the accessories and styling) with some darker shoes and a distressed fish tail braid. I'm often guilty of taking a look a little too far (tweed + pearls + kitten heels + nylons + Stepford wife/Martha Stewart extraordinarie/Suzy Homemaker). Not that that look is bad, but I tend to take it a little bit too far, so I am really trying to tone it down and go with more "mixed" looks: classy Lilly meet dark shoes and casual hair + accessories (or another look you'll see in a few weeks for another Zeta brunch - scholarly meets a young, fun, maybe a little funky, professional).  Or sometimes it's preppy meets studs, or casual meets business professional. Follow?

All of that to say, I think I hit the nail on the head with this look - appropriate, age-appropiate (I'm not 21 anymore *sigh*), comfortable, pretty, and the receiver of lots of compliments :) 

What's your best trick to styling, or juxtaposing looks in one outfit?

And, I'm still alive after yesterday's race. Look for an update in a hot minute...

white dress: Lilly Pulitzer

shoes: Mudd via DSW

linking up with A Touch of Tartan

Itty Bitty Strawberries

Hope you noticed all of my little strawberry details - I try to sneak 'em in there. Strawberries are just one of Zeta Tau Alpha's symbols, and I try to show my ZTA alum pride without being TOO over the top. I don't wear these shoes often, so with every closet clean out I "hem" & "haw" over them, but when it comes down to it, I can't toss my sweet little strawberry Keds!

Sad story about this vest: I found it at a thrift store this past summer, and was thrilled to have found a denim vest (and in off-white, so it's not the same as everyone else's). I brought it with me to go visit my parents one weekend, and my mom and I went to get pedicures, a favorite activity of ours. While I was picking out my color (SO. MANY. CHOICES.), I dropped a bottle of hot pink OPI nail polish. 

Onto the tile floor. 

It shattered. 

Pink nail polish splashed all over the floor. 

All over my sandals, my legs, my shorts, my tank top.

And onto my new (to me) vest. 

However, after much application of acetone with cotton swabs, I was able to get out most of the pink from my vest. 

Whew. 

Now you can sleep peacefully tonight knowing I got the pink nail polish out 

of my new (to me) cream-ish colored vest.

I just know you were on the edge of your seat. 

The end.

;)

Hey, smile! It's Thursday, which means it's almost Friday!

shirt: Target

vest: thrifted (Levi's)

pants: thrifted

shoes: TJ Maxx