The Sardoreialist: the dog days are (not quite) over

Greetings loved ones,

It should go without saying, but since I like to be redundant: welcome back to the The Sardoreialist! I hope that you're ready for a new school year filled with fun street style shots, posts featuring fellow bloggers, and... well, I don't want to give too much away but let's just say that The Sardoreialist has some other surprises for you, our cherished readers.

I should mention that this is Diana writing. You've probably seen me around The Sardoreialist before. I'm that one girl with a strange penchant for all things overtly floral and of course, blazers. Last year, I even approached a few people for photos as a Sardoreialist street photographer (anyone remember black and gold stars?). Anyhow, let's just say that I'm no stranger to this blog. So when Jenn (the creative genius behind The Sardoreialist) asked me to write the first real post of this season, I was deeply honored and highly ecstatic. But then the gravity of the situation hit me as I realized that I need to take some hiney-kickin' photos for the first post.

Anyone who knows me decently well knows that in addition to my passion for vibrant florals and the ever-reliable blazer that I am also a fan of red lipstick (brave red by MAC is my go-to shade, in case you were wondering), sunglasses (if I resided anywhere less sunny than Nashville my addiction to sunglasses might be considered an issue, but for now I'm safe), my faux leather jacket (a random Black Friday purchase that's perfect for many an occasion), and forever 21 (this store used to be my down-fall but I'm slowly learning to resist the siren's call). These favorites quickly became the four corner stones of my photo shoot idea. As I continued to plot, I decided that I wanted to take photos at night because I have never actually done a night-time shoot before (and for good reason, I later on discovered... but I'm getting ahead of myself). My friend Mak was soon dragged into all of my scheming and HUGE props go to her for being an awesome photographer who was willing to deal with my amateur posing and lack of true planning.

On Thursday night ---two hours before the premiere of Awkward. (the only show that I actually follow)---, Mak and I drove to the town playground and set up shop by a little pathway near the swings. It didn't take too long for me to realize that that my dreams of participating in America's Next Top Model would remain just that. Modeling and I don't mix very well. I'm not too great with angles and for some reason my face (consistently) looked like I was trying to wake myself from a chocolate coma. Now I know why I spend the majority of my time behind the camera. Alas, the photo shoot had to go on so Mak and I braved pesky mosquitoes (West Nile is rampant currently?), the heckling calls of obnoxious middle/high schoolers (can I get some middle fingers up in the air like I just don't care?), broken tripods (another one bites the dust), and torn high heels (I guess that's what 9 euro heels do). By the end of the evening though, we had moved around the entire playground area and the flowing cream blouse with crazy sleeves and my bright red lipstick had me channeling Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine.

And so, "the dog days are (not quite) over" was born. I know, I know. I'm a clever one. Anyhow, this series of photos is a dedication to the transition period between summer and fall when it's still warm enough for shorts but cool enough in the evenings to throw on some sleeves and maybe even a jacket. Sunglasses, red lipstick, and glittery gold heels were added for a kick of extra evening fun. Let me know how you what kinds of outfits you like to rock when those dogs days aren't quite over yet. Drop a line in the comments or better yet, show me in person if you ever see me around.