Photos and frames by Kumar! Thank you!

Blouse: Salvation Army in Dekalb, IL
Cardigan: vintage clothing clearout sale in North GA
Belt: thrift store around Athens
Skirt and purse: thrift stores around here
Tights: bought years ago (that might explain the baggy knees)
Shoes: thrift store in Rockford IL
Barrette: I made it from a funny tie thing that came on an old blouse

This weekend was the first one to really feel like Fall--it was in the 60s yesterday and today, and I had to wear cardigans and jackets, and for the first time tights were actually a necessity!  It's exciting to finally have cool weather here.  But in a way it makes me miss Illinois again--I miss all the apple orchards up there, though I guess I only really liked going to them for the apple donuts they sold.  I don't know if we have apple orchards here.  Oh well.  We're still trying to do Fall things, like drinking lots of apple cider and buying pumpkins and coming up with Halloween costume ideas that would shock my mother when we go stay with my parents for my sister's wedding. I think I want to go as a Rock City magical gnome who awkwardly follows people around.

Thanks again to Kumar for taking these photos today. He had the idea to take them in black and white, so I came up with an outfit that was a little bit Victorian gothic inspired, with ideas stolen from an editorial in Little Thing and also the latest issue of Lula, which finally found its way to Atlanta (the Borders on Ponce has stacks of copies, if you live around here!!) I have to admit that when I first heard that Lula was going a little dark and gothic this issue I got scared and didn't think I'd like it at all. But it's just as pretty and old-fashioned-in-a-good-way as usual, just with a bit of an edge . . .   If this month's Lula girl were a silent film character, she'd be the vamp in black lace and dark makeup, rather than the ingenue in white ruffles that she normally leans towards (sorry for that comparison--I just watched a collection of D.W. Griffith shorts and they made me more obsessed than usual with silent film style, especially the weird ones about drug addicts and the ones glorifying the Old South--they're as racist as anything, but the Southern belles have such great style).   
I've been wearing black tights and those funny '80s black ankle boots constantly lately, and I think I want to add even more dark pieces to my wardrobe.  Nothing too dramatic, of course--when I was a dark-haired, pale-skinned kid I'd get called Wednesday and Lydia all the time, and even though those two girls are celebrated in the new Lula I sort of don't want to end up looking like them.  Bad school bus memories, you know!
PS, here's the outfit in color .  . .