Summer's greatest hits

Lost at sea | Running, returning

Remember when I said I was coming down with a slight cold? Well, it turns out there was nothing "slight" about it. I suppose I you could say I was able to be productive this week, if resting and watching Sherlock counts...somehow I get the feeling that it doesn't, though. But today it seems I'm getting my strength back (yay!), so I'm enjoying a little boost in productivity.

Now that fall is establishing itself here in Michigan, I thought I'd say goodbye to summer by taking a look back at some of my favorite summer looks from this year. Summer isn't exactly my favorite season clothing-wise; I'm one of those that prefers layers and tends to melt in the humidity. But this year I tried to have a bit of fun with my wardrobe, and even though most of the season was nearly unbearable, I think I came out the other side with some nice summer looks.

These are in chronological order, though I do think it's funny how well some of them pair up: the whites, the reds, the blue-with-neck-bows, and the dark-with-patterns.

More adventurous | Free pie

Red was definitely one of the breakout colors of the season for me. Never underestimate the power of a good red dress and the right shade of lipstick! (Make sure your shoes are comfortable, though - a lesson I failed to learn...)

Le temps de l'amour | Don't watch me dancing

As you can see, I couldn't quite hide my affinity for tights, even in the 80-degree weather. But I really do think I wore them less often this summer than last! In my defense, too, my office can be freezing sometimes. So I'm not totally crazy. Also, I've come to learn this year that I really do gravitate towards neckbows before just about anything else.

Oh, be joyful | Step out for a while

 I know these are both really recent (my last two posts, actually) but I just felt so amazing in both of these outfits. And that's what style should be about, really - not impressing other people, but rather impressing yourself.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like I'm in a total wardrobe rut. I get completely sick of my closet and think I have nothing to wear, that my clothes are so boring...but looking back at these outfits, I realize that that's really not the case at all! I may not have thousands or even hundreds of dollars in my clothing budget each month (not even remotely close)...but I don't need to. Every time I get bored with my closet, I force myself to look back through my outfit history - and in so doing, I come back around again to getting excited about all the things I do have.

And now? As much as I love how I wore these pieces in summer...I can't to layer them up for cooler temperatures! What were your favorite outfits you wore this summer? Were they new favorites or old staples?

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Step out for a while

dress: Navy Pointillism dress c/o Sugarlips | hat: vintage | belt: Forever 21 | shoes: Charlotte Russe | tights: Target

I'm a firm believer that every girl should own at least one dress that is as comfortable as pajamas, and I am happy to say that I have found such a dress for myself! It's feminine but not fussy, comfortable yet dressy enough for work. And it really does remind me of my favorite blue silky pajamas - in the best possible way. I've already worn it several times since I got it, and it hasn't even been a week and a half! I can't help it...it's like I have my own little secret. To the world, I look classy and well-put-together - but inside, I feel cozy enough to crawl into bed with a mug of hot chocolate. It really is the best of both worlds.

And speaking of hot chocolate - it's finally getting cool enough that I can have hot drinks without feeling awful and sweaty! We're getting a gorgeous little taste of autumn here in Michigan and I couldn't be happier. When Chris and I took these photos at the end of last week, it was at least 80 degrees even though it was late evening, but when we did some photos today, I was actually shivering. I love it. 

Unfortunately, I seem to have come down with a slight cold, and I know who the adorable little culprit is - my niece! My family and I went down to Pittsburgh for the weekend for my new baby niece's baptism, and her older sister was a little bit sick...but I really don't mind. I was just so happy to see them. I got to spend time with them and my little nephew, my brother and sister-in-law, and many dear friends I hadn't seen in far too long...my brother and I even got to squeeze in a couple of (very quiet, very dark) games of Dominion while my niece and nephew slept. Nerdy, I know, but it was super fun.

The trip went by far too quickly, of course. Every time we go to Pittsburgh, we drive past so many things I would like to see, but we're always busy! I never feel like I have enough time in that city. Grand Rapids is definitely first in my heart, but if there's one other place I could ever consider home, it would be the 'burgh. We're thinking of spending Thanksgiving there this year, and I can't wait.

Well, my mind is a little bit hazy from the lack of sleep and the pressure on my sinuses, so I think I'm going to watch some Sherlock and call it a day! I've got a busy couple weeks ahead (lots of website design + blog redesign work) so I'm going to enjoy rest while I can. Do you have any fun plans for the week?

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Oh, be joyful

dress: Sugarhill Boutique (via Modcloth) | belt: vintage | tights: Target | shoes: thrifted

Well, ladies and gentlemen (mostly ladies, I'm guessing) - I've done it. I've found the perfect dress for me. When I saw this on Modcloth, my initial instinct was to buy it right away...but I'm always hesitant about spending more than $50 on any item of clothing. So I waited. And I waffled. And finally I decided to go for it. I mean, how often do you find a dress that 1) has a print of your favorite animal on it 2) has your favorite kind of collar 3) is versatile enough that you can wear it with just about anything? No regrets. You'll probably be seeing this dress an awful lot, so I hope you like foxes and Peter Pan collars as much as I do.

The first time I wore this dress out, a ton of people who know about this blog remarked on how amazing it was that I actually found a dress with foxes on it. One guy even called it my superhero costume. And you know what? I love that. By day, I'm Laura, mild-mannered writer/graphic designer. But by night? I'm the Joyful Fox, spreading cheer all throughout the internet. Or at least trying to!

It's been a busy week here at Joyful Fox headquarters. (Makes it sound so official, doesn't it?) September is always that way, even though I'm not in school anymore. It's crazy busy even with birthdays alone. It used to be that my dad was the only one in the family with a September birthday, but then we adopted my sisters, and they both have September birthdays, and my brother's wife has the same birthday as my sister, and Chris's dad has the same birthday as my dad...craziness! I'm trying to be a little bit more creative with gifts this year, and I'm hoping to work my way up to getting all handmade or DIY gifts for everyone for Christmas. We'll see how that goes!

Speaking of resolutions of sorts, I'm going to try to be better about getting back to people who ask questions in the comments. There's no great way to do that, since as far as I know, Blogger doesn't let you know when someone has replied to one of your comments. So if you ask a question, check back in the next couple of days and I should have a response up! (As a side note, I also now have an email address set up for this blog, so you can also contact me directly at thejoyfulfox [at] gmail dot com.)

I hope you're all having a beautiful start to your autumn! As mentioned above, mine has been rather hectic so far, but I'm loving it. It's good to stay busy. Like so many other bloggers, I've been trying to convince myself that it's cooler outside than it really is - drinking hot tea and pumpkin spice lattes (is that a cliche now? I don't care, it's delicious), wearing tights and cardigans, and bundling up in blankets. Unfortunately, the highs are still in the 80's here, but it's only a matter of time! Are you trying to squeeze in as many summer activities as possible, or are you (like me) ushering in fall with eagerness and open arms?

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It was all yellow

top, belt: Forever 21 | skirt: vintage | shoes: Payless

If the point of Labor Day weekend is that you not labor, then I'm pretty sure I missed the point! Instead of doing anything particularly end-of-summer-y, once Saturday rolled around, I took the opportunity to do all sorts of productive things I had been putting off for ages. Maybe it's from reading all of the organization tips in the ADHD book I'm designing at work. Whatever the reason, lately I've been feeling super motivated to get organized this autumn - so I actually spent a couple hours putting together a budget. And what's more, I actually kind of enjoyed it!

I'm also trying to spend less time on time-wasting websites (hello, Reddit) and instead spend time on websites that have the potential to be useful. So far, I've found some awesome tutorials on Stumbleupon. I feel like Stumbleupon is one of those sites people were talking about three years ago, so I'm a little bit late to the party - but I can't wait to try out some of the DIYs I've found. I think Sharpie mugs are first on my list...I'll definitely have to share my results.

Another thing I spent a lot of time working on this weekend - and I know I've been mentioning this for months - is the new layout for this blog! I'm actually glad that I put it off so much, because I adore the layout I've come up with now. It's not up yet (obviously), but once I get a few little pieces of art from Chris, it should be good to go.

You know, I feel like my little blog is growing up...and crazily enough, this fall I'll have had it for a whole year. It's really fun to look back at my post history. Sometimes I look into my closet and feel like I'm stuck in a rut...and then I see all the different outfits I've put together over the past 10-or-so months, and remember that there's always something new I can come up with. (Even if I always do return to yellow and blue.)

So while my Labor Day weekend probably wouldn't make anyone's top-10 list for "most relaxing vacations ever," I was still really happy with it - and believe it or not, I was actually kind of eager to get back to work, too. What's happening to me?!

Did any of you do anything awesome this holiday weekend? I hope yours was wonderful!

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Don't watch me dancing

dress: vintage | shoes & headband: ModCloth

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the beautiful wedding of my friends Sam and Brittany. The day was almost unbearably sweltering, but even though I was a little bit under the weather, it was impossible to be too miserable because there was so much joy everywhere! Part of that, I think, had to do with the setting of the reception. Sam's aunt owns a bed-and-breakfast in a rural area of town I had never been to, and it was idyllic beyond words. I must have commented on the beauty about a hundred times. But really: there were old barns, rolling hills, an orchard...more picturesque spots than I could possibly count. It was such a joyful day!

I was happy, too, for an opportunity to wear this dress; it's too fancy for everyday wear, so I have to snag every chance I get. About halfway through the reception, I turned to Chris all dreamily, and said "I'm pretty sure this is my favorite vintage dress." Although he loves this dress too, he looked at me a little bit skeptically. Perhaps because I've said the exact same thing to him about three other vintage dresses...

Life has been moving so fast lately; would you believe that I actually forgot that this is a holiday weekend? What a lovely surprise...I've been so busy at work. Not that I'm complaining. The project I'm working on is actually really awesome, and the old adage "time flies when you're having fun" is really proving to be true. I'm doing all the photography and graphic design for a book our company is getting published, and I've never enjoyed anything at work more than this. It's funny; I decided not to study graphic design in college because I knew the market was flooded, and then I fell into a graphic design job anyway. Now I just need to stop neglecting the design of my poor little blog!

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty psyched for fall. Have I said that ten times already? I don't care. I'm going to enjoy this weekend - basically, the last weekend of summer - and then I want everything to taste like apples and pumpkins...

Have a great Labor Day weekend, everyone!

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