time change

{ What I Wore: J.Crew baseball tee (similar) & factory crinkle skirt // Cole Haan Leather sneakers (similar) & crossbody purse (similar) }

The days are longer, but my productivity couldn't be any less.

Not only have we Sprung forward, several other major events have come along to cause a "time change" in my life.

1. See those cute bags hanging out under my eyes, those are puppy-induced.

Early morning potty breaks, extra play time, learning to sleep through the night... 

I think we forgot what all of this was like with Doug the first time around.

2. Speaking of which, Doug was an only child for the first 3 & a half years of his life & a very spoiled one at that. So now that puppy #2 is around all the time, I try to take Doug out on long walks by himself. These Doug Dates are nice for the both of us & the adjustment is getting better everyday.

3. Ever since Ty & I got engaged my new favorite past time is a tie between staring at him & at my new ring... um, yea not the most productive activities!

4. Wedding season is upon us again, lots of seeing old friends but also many weekends out of town & away from my to-do list

So Spring has Sprung & so has my Spring fever.

I have been ignoring replying to your always wonderful comments, visiting my blog roll, commenting on your inspirational posts, & generally putting my all into this bloggy-blog of mine.

Thank you for your love on our engagement announcement & being the best readers ever (seriously, you bring a smile to my face daily!)... I am going to be back to my old self soon

Anyone else suffering from a case of Spring fever out there?

What are the causes of a "time change" in your life?

into the blur

Drumroll please.... these are the first outfit photos that have been taken with my new camera!

See that background blur in the first photo, oh yea buddy! 

I. Feel. So. Cool.

I literally have ZERO bad things to say about the Canon 50 mm f/1.4 lens - sure, I have MUCH left to learn about this new addition, but so far it has generated photos that look way better than my current skill level should be able to create. 

I think some of you might be considering this lens purchase for yourself, so I am just going to talk about it a little bit (I do NOT know all the appropriate photography words for the things I am about to discuss, if you know, or have any additional info, please share it in the comments, let's chat!)

This little f/1.4 lens is substantial! Made of metal, even though it is more squat than my 18-55 mm lens (f/3.5-5.6), it has much more heft, you can definitely feel the difference in your hands. 

There is no "zoom" capability - only your feet. With the 18-55 mm lens you can twist the lens to "zoom", but the 50 mm f/1.4 does not do this. I also feel as if I have to stand further back from my subject when using the 50 mm f/1.4 lens. 

Can we talk about bokeh for a second? Bokeh, or background blur, was something that my first 18-55 mm lens couldn't do, and was the main reason I desperately wanted to upgrade my lens. You see, I can't convince my neighbors to all wheel their trashcans out of the alley when I want to take pictures, so the next best thing is to blur them out. There is a fine balance of background blur and maintaining focus on the main focal point (one thing I am still working on), and these pictures were taken with a f-stop around f/2.0.

Light - the f/1.4 aperture lets in so much more light, so bright & crisp photos are possible even at low light, & all my photos have a more "true to life" look.

Ok, those are the 4 things I can think of right now. If you are looking to get this lens for yourself & have any additional questions, let me know and I will do my best to help you out in the comments!

{ What I Wore: ASOS leopard jacket // Forever21 striped tee // Cole Haan cross body purse // COH boyfriend jeans // Steve Madden pumps // Bobbi Brown creamy matte lippy in True Pink }

{ Get the Look }

leopard jacket {$55.00, exact one} + stripe tee {$14.80} + boyfriend jeans {$69.95} + nude pumps {$24.80} + gold cross body purse {$24.80, so cute with scallops!}

My new "Leo" necklace from Boutique Onze

What type of camera do you use?

What's your best outfit photo taking tip?

P.S. Don't forget to enter my $50 J.Crew giftcard giveaway { here } & the Because Shanna Said So group giveaway (for a prize package worth $200+!!!) { here }

c'est la vie

My second full day in Nice was beyond amazing. The mornings are a bit chilly there this time of year, so I dressed up my favorite blazer a bit, and went out for a cup of café (coffee) at a fancy bistro... trying my best to emulate the amazingly fashionable French women I had seen over the previous few days

{ What I Wore: J.Crew Factory Blazer // J.Crew Blythe Blouse // Genetic Denim skinny Jeans // Sole Society Heels // Cole Haan Purse (similar) }

After stuffing myself on delicious pastries, I (switched into flats) then walked along the fresh market vendors, up to the top of an old fortified look-out, down into the port, and then back along the Old Town shops... definitely burning off maybe one bite of croissant!

See the rest of my adventures after the break...

strapped in

Monday, Monday... off to work I go. So hard to say good-bye to the beautiful, relaxing weekend.

Day 22 of my 30X30 Remix Challenge is my version of business casual. I am so fortunate that I don't have to wear "dress-up" clothes to work everyday, I would probably be so lost in a world of suits and slips!

{ J.Crew sweater, button-down, skirt, ballet flats / Cole Haan purse (in black) / Michael Kors watch }

xx

Jessica

tennessee saturday night

Saturday was a perfect Southern Fall day here in Nashville. My boyfriend had two friends in town, and besides showing them the usual Nashville highlights, we also enjoyed beer and bourbon tasting at a festival in downtown on Saturday afternoon. 

In celebration of the beautiful day, I combined a Nashville staple, cowboys boots, with a "tribal" printed top. Later, when the warm day cooled into night, I threw on my denim button down to transition the look into going-out attire. I call this, bohemian cowgirl.

Fall Leaves + Cowboy boots. Nashville Fall

Can't think of a better combination on a gorgeous fall day

Denim is the Nashville uniform! Matching Ty at the festival