Downtown coffee

Let me just say... I'm loving all the contest entries so far! Everyone has been so creative and inspiring! The giveaway is open 'til Tuesday, so if you have yet to enter, please do! I'm looking forward to reading about your favorite fall ensemble and choosing a winner! Judging from all the entires so far, it's going to be a tough call...

Well, it's a no brainer, but I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Emily is visiting like she does each summer (every New York gal needs a New England getaway, right?), and when two fashion bloggers get together... lots of exploration happens, artsy photos are taken, and no coffee shop and/or thrift store is left unturned! Originally, we had planned to meet up in NYC, hitting up some free concerts in Brooklyn and Central Park. Plans changed due to some hecticness at my work, so we'll just have to go exploring some place else.... Pretty sure we're up for it.

I did get to travel to New York a few weeks ago to visit family and snapped a few pictures in my hometown. I would love to move back, someday, but for now I'll have to settle for being a frequent visitor...



Every time I'm in town, I stop by my favorite coffee shop, troll the farmer's market, hang out at the waterfront, and admire the local arts scene, evidenced in urbran-themed murals all over downtown...





Like I said, these photos are a few weeks old... I have since gone and cut my hair (bangs included!). After all the positive responses I received following my "bangs" post, I decided to just go for it (ok, so I probably would've anyway!). I do agree, by the way, that haircolor doesn't matter, and that both blondes and brunettes (and, of course, redheads!) can look divine with bangs... my hair is just this funky in-between color, since I dyed it dark last year and have been slowly, slowly getting back to my natural blonde. But I have to say, I'm very pleased with my cut, and color doesn't matter if you've got the right cut! I promise to post some fun pictures soon.

I also feel the need to share that this shirt dress was found and purchased by my mother for a mere... $3. Yes. Once again, a wallet-friendly find that cost less than the coffee I'm holding. Cheer with me, friends! Gimme an "S." Gimme a "C." Gimme an "O." Gimme a... yeah, you get it.

With that... I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Can you believe we're in the final days of July, already? How do you plan to usher in August?

Flower child

Maybe it's the dwindling down of summer (or are we at the peak?). Maybe it's the light, whimsical sensations drifting through the air. Or maybe it's because I'm just really pleased with my garden and can't help showing it off... whatever it is, I'm currently obsessed with all things floral. If I were doing some in-house decorating right now, everything, from the bedspread to the curtains and wallpaper, would turn out very quaint, dainty, and decidedly English. Perhaps one day I'll have my own picturesque little cottage to doll up as I please.

For now, I'll just bedeck myself in all the florals I can stand!



Fun fact: I snatched this maxi from Gap a few weeks back (yup, it's the same as my white one) for a mere $4.99 (latte money!) with a promotional coupon-- it was already marked down with an additional 40% off, and I used a $10 off coupon on top of that. Score!



You know I love to shop, but lately I won't bite unless it's an insanely good deal. Nifty-thrifty finds fit in perfectly with my newfound shabby-chic aesthetic... This dress is not only cute, but super-soft and comfy. If it weren't so pretty, it might just get converted into a nightie. At that price, I should have bought two!



So tell me... What's been your biggest shopping score this summer?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Contest ends next Tuesday at midnight. Leave me a creative comment to win a $50 CSN Stores gift card!

CSN Stores Giveaway!

Hooray! Our friends over at CSNStores.com have been kind enough to offer another giveaway here at Ip & Audrey. Whether you're shopping for shoes, handbags, some nifty wall-art or Corelle dinnerware, this online superstore has got you covered! (I totally dig the Corelle set with little green clovers. My mom has those!)

Last time, my contest prize was a party-worthy clutch. This time around you'll be vying for a $50 gift card, so you can choose anything you want from the site's massive collection of stores! Eee!

Now what kind of style blogger would I be if I didn't scope out the site and do a little pre-shopping for you? I can't share the images here, but I found a Dakine plaid tote bag that would be perfect for fall, bronze "Audrey" flats by Easy Street that go with everything (naturally, I gotta love those), and even one of fall's most coveted footware trends: clogs! You really can find anything and everything on there!

To enter my sweet little giveaway, simply leave me a comment (with your return email address) describing your perfect "fall back into autumn" ensemble. Yes, it's a little early, but fall fashion previews are everywhere right now, and the September issues of all the major 'zines will start hitting store shelves any day! So, use your awesome imagination. My favorite comment wins!



Please note: this contest is open to U.S. residents only. Sorry, international chicas. :( You have until Tuesday, August 3rd at midnight, east coast time, to enter. Finally, you will be notified via email if you are the winnah!

Didn't feel like sharing any outfit photos today (blech); instead, I offer pictures of my garden... pretty flowers! After all, it is summer, still. :)

Summer breeze

I hate to say it, but it's nearly the end of July and summer is just breezing on by. Oops, I didn't mean to rhyme (or maybe I did).

Lately I've been sad about it. I miss being a little kid, and spending all summer barefoot in the grass or at the beach, slurping on popsicles and smoothies and not having anywhere to be. Man... being an adult is a bummer!



So I squeeze in mini-moments on the beach, dreaming of days where I can just soak up the sun and be lazy. Sitting in my cube, that sure sounds appealing. Ahhhh.



My laptop is currently broken, so the next few "outfit posts" I share are a few days... or weeks... old. I'm getting my haircut tomorrow but probably won't be able to share any pictures of that for a while. How will it turn out? We'll have to wait and see!



Not that you don't have better things to do. I mean, really. It's summer! Go be all summer-y. I'll be sitting here, slaving away, living vicariously...

Be-banged and bewildered

Dorky confession ahead. A few weeks ago, I found out pretty last-minute that She & Him were playing a gig in Boston. So after work I hopped on the T and raced to queue in a pretty long line. Guys and gals alike were emerging, tickets in hand, so I just hope-hope-hoped there'd be one left for me. But alas, when I reached the "finish line," if you will, the SOLD OUT sign had just gone up.

Uh-huh, mmm-hmm, Gonna get along without you now...

Turns out, missing a cool-girl indie band is a great excuse to go wandering about the Back Bay, window shopping and snapping photos. And also ogling some pretty spectacular looks on the street... 99% of the girls queueing up to see Zooey D. and co. were sporting her identical "indie ingenue" bangs.

I, too, once possessed a dark shock of hair topped with straight-across bangs. And I loved it. The only reason I went back to my natural hair color and texture is because it's, well, easier. Less maintenance. I hated watching my blonde roots seep back in and ruin my dark, shiny tresses; made me look like Rogue in X-Men. Anyway, I digress.

This month I came across a great feature in Elle about possessing "rock and roll bangs." It's true, there's something both tough and alluring about sporting full-on fringe. And when many of us take to the scissors, we're taking a page from one of our favorite singers. My bangs were inspired both by Zooey and Marit Larsen; Larsen claims hers were inspired by Feist. And every gal sporting boho-chic fringe is heavily indebted to the one, the only Jane Birkin. Just what is it with songstresses and bangs?

Marit Larsen, singer/songwriter. Doesn't she look so cool and seventies?

Jane Birkin's too-cool-for-school daughter, the lovely Charlotte Gainsbourg.

After major contemplation, I don't think there's any one real answer. Bangs are just cool. Plain and simple. And I miss mine!

Hmm... should I pick up the scissors once again? D'ya think bangs go well with blonde?

And what about you? Was your hairstyle ever inspired by a singer/actress/other cool chick?

On the Quarterdeck

If you've seen the 1987 movie "The Witches of Eastwick," you might recognize this spot. Cher's character ran a quaint shop on the waterfront of their idyllic seaport village... This is The Quarterdeck, a former bait shop turned quirky trinket trove, located smack dab on the Scituate Harbor.

In it, you'll find vintage military buttons, beaded jewelry, nautical decor and other assorted odds and ends. So if you're itching to decorate with an oceanic theme (or just need a cute spot to dock your boat), this is the seaside stop for you! Or you could do like me, and just spend a little time hanging out on the deck...

Broad stripes & bright stars

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave...



Fact or fiction? Betsy Ross sewed the very first American flag (making her an early American designer, methinks). Some doubt the truth behind the legend, labeling it a mere folk tale from days of yore, questioning the existence of Betsy Ross herself. But I'd like to point out that Ms. Ross is on my family tree-- otherwise I couldn't call myself a card-carrying member of the D.A.R. ;)



So I'm paying tribute to dear great-great-great.... great... oh, it goes on... Aunt Betsy with a flag-inspired ensemble. This sweet striped sundress was an $8 thrift store find... paired with some $5 Gap flats purchased last summer, it's the perfect choice for a laid-back July 4th. My red Neon, Layla, and guitar, Big Red (yes, I'm rather fond of naming inanimate objects), provide the obligatory pop of color... and make the look utterly all-American.

Happy Independence Day!

After berry-picking

summer 10 045, originally uploaded by erincathleen.

After a quiet summer evening spent picking blackberries in my own backyard,I feel like quite the New Englander.

Normally I wouldn't post photos of myself makeup-less and wearing just a t-shirt and workout leggings, but my mom decided to trail me with my camera... and there you have it. Au natural, in nature. I must admit, I rather like the results...

Attempting to post photos from my Flickr account. What do you think... how's the image quality? It's good to try something new.

Speaking of which, these blackberries are delicious... :)