I went on a very serious shopping trip for fall clothes yesterday. I didn't do this last fall, and regretted it very much as the weather got cooler and I found huge gaps in my winter wardrobe. This year I'm determined to start early and keep at it until I've got everything ticked off my list! The above picture is some images I clipped from magazines in an effort to focus my mind on what exactly I was looking for; the overall feel I wanted for my fall wardrobe. You see, though I absolutely love fashion, I have a hard time focusing on styles I really want for myself. Factor in having to rifle through overcrowded racks at H&M and other stores, and you get a very confused Casey that is (as my dear mother put it) "exciting to go shopping with". Besides using visuals to get some firm ideas about how I wanted to look, I also wrote up a list. This included not only the garments I wanted/needed, but the accessories as well as stores I normally frequent. Guess what?! This was the most productive shopping trip I've been on in awhile, and I think it was due to making a list and sticking to it. Of course, I didn't find everything (we simply ran out of time), but I got some great pieces. My favorites are the grey wide-leg, wool flannel slacks (they remind me of men's trousers from the 1930s) and the ultra-high waist black tulip skirt (both from H&M). They're both amazing pieces to spice up my wardrobe a bit. I'm so in love with wide leg pants right now--I think I really must buy another pair or two as the weather cools off more. :)

I also updated my website today with the addition of a bunch of vintage photos in the study. They range from the 1910s to 1940s; take a look at them here. I still have a bunch more stuff to get scanned and online; its just going to be in fits and starts since I squeeze it in between homework!!

Ugh. I have not had enough caffiene today (in the form of tea)! The parents are painting the kitchen, so its all taped up and off-limits. I'm feeling so sleepy at the moment... *yawn* I really should try to get some more homework done before the afternoon is totally wasted... *lesigh* But all I want to do is play dress up or snooze! :D Oh, and speaking of school, I downloaded the 30-day trial version of Adobe Photoshop CS2. We use that at school in the computer labs, and I've been having such a frustrating time figuring out what PS can do when I'm on campus, so I thought having it on my own little computer would help. I was right--I'm starting to catch on now!! I think I may have to eventually break down and buy PS, as that and Illustrator are the two programs we use most heavily with projects. I can see certain advantages to having access to PS at home since the labs aren't open during the weekends... :p Now if I could only get used to using Macs at school... *grin*

above left: click on image for a larger view.