First Day Outfit

I talked about back to school shopping in part of the Back to School Essentials mini segment on the blog. If you saw that post, you know how excited I've been to wear these two new staples for a confident first day back to school!

The first day back is always one part nerves, one part excitement. I don't count the one hour for registration on Tuesday as my first day, but yesterday--the first day of classes, the real deal--requires an outfit to feel good and ease back into school. There's nothing a cute outfit can't handle! :)

 

Shirt: J.Crew
Skirt: J.Crew
Shoes: Sperry
Backpack: Lulu Lemon (old)
Jewelry: pearl studs

This outfit feels equally casual and relaxed but still put-together. The perfect blend of end-of-summer and beginning-of-school!

What did you wear your first day back?

Lizzie and the Modern Woman

My dearest Elizabeth Bennet has been popping up all over the place recently. The Lizzie trend has manifested itself in numerous ways.

Now, if I went on to talk abt all the P&P themed things I own (poster of the entire book in very small font, bag, tee shirt, etc.) it would never end... but here are the worldwide trends at the moment.

 Print - 1) In 2009, the first "comical" remake of the beloved book, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, came to disgrace our bookstores.... but I haven't been able to bring myself to read them.

2) The book I'm more interested in is one that a dear friend gave me, Miss Jane Austen's Guide to Modern Life's Dilemmas: Answers to Your Most Burning Questions about Life, Love, Happiness and What to Wear from the Great Jane Austen Herself. The title says it all--how perfect is this?! I adore it.

How cool is this cover--Jane with an iPad!

3) Earlier this summer there was a New York Times article about the Jane-craze that included a board game with paper dolls (!!!) and discussed the "Janeiac" and Lizzie.

On screen - 1) The Lizzie Bennet Diaries started over a year ago ended in March :( Luckily for fans, the awesome web series recently won an Emmy!  LBD is a vlog told by Lizzie Bennet, a grad student who still lives with her parents and sisters. It is a wonderful retelling of a classic story, by Hank Green and Bernie Su.
And guess what... they're making an Emma series next! I can't wait!

http://dftba.com/media/dynamic/image/pfi_24d1aff48a4473f479d4d98d96b9b537.png

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZRdfxfWcj7aeXuLA1PsHJCDxTzTbLqlYbtok-R1yVxBYelTO_rFFkOns8vWPWsFdN3oJj-r-x4nFB1yfKPnGZN0X8skOPKyqmrJGJVrdimAUqb2Z8Y1L4MsT1gJNd7CF4x-P6reKlo_c/s400/lbd05.jpg

2) Austenland is a wonderfully silly book that came out in 2007 -- I was so excited to hear that they were making a movie! It came out last month, and I haven't seen it yet, but I wouldn't expect much other than some laughs from what I've read in reviews.

3) Even better than that movie will be the BBC series coming to the UK in December (It'll be on PBS Masterpiece in the US, I'm just not sure about when yet... trust me, I'll let you know!) -- Death Comes to Pemberley. It is based on the book of the same name by P.D. James. I'm also super excited that Jenna Louise Coleman of Doctor Who is part of the cast (even if she is Lydia Wickham)!

http://samantaf2010.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/uktv-jenna-louise-colman-death-comes-to-pemberly-set-pics-5.jpg

So what does this mean, now that Lizzie is showing up in a seeming outburst of a trend? Elizabeth Bennet is not a passing character. She is here to stay. The amazing thing is how everyone connects to her, each century, and in new ways. People truly care about Lizzie, enough to give her new life in different forms of media, whether its Lizzie vlogging or living out her life with darcy in the midst of a  murder...

Lizzie Bennet and the Modern Woman have found multiple ways to connect, and I don't think that will ever stop.

Bonus link: have you seen the giant Colin Firth Darcy statue in London?

Back to School Essentials: Wardrobe

It's that time of year again... back to school once more. 

There are a few important things to go over before returning to the "real world" of September to June in my opinion, so I've divided all of my back to school thoughts into this miniseries of posts.

Let's start with the fun stuff, shall we? :)

J. Crew is my go-to store. Always has been and always will be. Their clothes are classic and modern and perfect as staples in your wardrobe. 

Back to school shopping doesn't have to be splurging every year and redesigning your whole look. If you have a sense of style that you like, you should stick to it. That's why J. Crew, for me, is perfect - the clothes I buy will be with me for a very long time, and I'll always like how I look. 

Obviously, it's nice to update a little, especially for a new school year. So instead of starting over, I look at September shopping as a time to add a few new pieces that will go well with my wardrobe and help to advance my personal style.

So here are a few things from J. Crew that I used to spruce up my Back-to-School Wardrobe!

1. New PJs

School can be pretty stressful, and sometimes it's scary how early in the year that feeling begins, so new pjs are a perfect September treat. They're great for the beginning of chillier weather (yay!!) and coming home after a long day and climbing into cute pjs might be just what you need. 

I was so torn with picking the color...but I went for the pink. See you next time, navy and hydrangea.

2. A Little Black Dress

I've been obsessed with the scallop dress and finally went for it. It's very flattering on everyone and I am not one to deny scallops-such a cute twist on the classic dress. Having this in my closet is a nice reminder to keep the balance between work and play-I can look forward to days when I can dress up and wear it and have some fun at a party or other event. This dress also really boosts your confidence.

The blue is also very cute.

3. Wool Scalloped Skirt

Oh, what do you know... more scallops! This skirt is absolutely adorable. I can tell it will be a serious fall and winter fashion staple for me. It looks very professional and still cute. 

Again, so hard to pick a color!  I got navy. I may have to come back for one more this winter...

4. Vest

Another piece I've had my eye on for quite some time. I think I might be glued to this vest for practically every month of the year.

I am clearly very indecisive. I got navy! One year I may go for another color.

5. I also bought two other staples: 

the short sleeved striped popover

and the flare skirt in red.

(You can see/read more about these when I post my OOTD for the first day of school. Stay tuned!)

What staples do you want to add to your back to school wardrobe?

love, emma

Here to Stay!

Hello there, lovelies!

I haven't exactly kept up my end of the bargain, dear readers. Eight posts in the just over eight months since I created Hello from Hartfield is pretty dismal. This year was very hectic, but at the end of the day I really missed this little place and I want to give it a fair chance. So, folks, I'm here to stay! (I even just started my own 101 in 1001). Let's see if I can figure out this blogging thing... 

To make this blogging thing a more pleasant and pretty experience, I used my (poor) photoshop skills to create my new header! 

(Three of my favorite things--hydrangeas, cute glasses, and stripes! See more on my new About page!)

{Credit for the photos used goes to Etsy, Warby Parker, and Caitlin McGauley}

love,

emma

Ps: more to come...