August Roundup: 19 Days Left of Summer

I've been really mentally preparing for fall, but as Angelo's mom and this incredibly humid holiday weekend reminded me, there's still about a month of summer left. Maybe that's why I've been running around and busy like a crazy person recently? Stuff seems to slow down in fall and winter.

Anyways, I know I've been pretty absent from this blog, so I took a page from some of my favorite blogs and decided to do a basic August catch up post.

Reading: Audio books count as reading, in my humble opinion. And I go through about an audio book a week at work. The one that really stuck with me this month was The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. One of the things I enjoy about Gaiman's audio books are that he tends to narrate them himself, and he's a great story teller. "Ocean" is a great, short story that Gaiman actually wrote for his wife. It's got strong female characters, and paints a poignant tale about growing up – with his classic elements of spooky fairy tales. I highly recommend.

Watching: Speaking of strong female woman, after lots of reading and overlapping disappointment concerning Steven Moffat, I've been searching for a new show to binge on that offers up female characters that aren't just there for show. I think I found this in "Elementary," which I’m currently watching the first season of and am now recommending to anyone who talks to me for longer than five minutes. It's a modern day take on Sherlock Holmes, with Lucy Liu in the role of Watson. It's a really great comparison to "Sherlock," which I also love but which has a complete lack of strong female characters. Lucy Liu's Watson is smart, independent and has a great relationship with Sherlock. I'm all about it.

Wearing: I'm cheating on my Capsule Wardrobe a little bit, since I ordered these overalls from American Eagle last week, I haven't really taken them off. I just want them to be perfectly broken in by fall! I've been searching all over for a great pair of overalls, and had my eyes on a pricey pair from Free People, until Lauren alerted me to a similar (on sale) pair at American Eagle. I absolutely love the wash of the denim, and that the overalls themselves are fitted. I sized down in these, since AE tends to run a little big. I've also noticed this pair from Target popping up on my Instagram and think that they are equally adorable and flattering.

Wanting: I've got my eye on this killer fringe coat from H&M, but I'm trying to save up a little bit each week for it. At $130, it doesn't exactly break the bank, but I'm trying to be more responsible and focus on bills (and student loans, ugh) before I run off any buy this amazing coat. Seriously though, it's perfect for fall so can the weather just cool off and I can go ahead and have a need for it?

Changing: Oh, and I guess it's a change to mention – I'm back to dark hair again! After getting tired of using special shampoo and frying my hair every four weeks with bleach, I went back to dark hair with the help of my cousin, Kristina. She does REALLY AMAZING THINGS with hair color, that makes me wish I didn't work an office job, and that I didn't live states away from her. With her helpful instructions and list of what to buy, I transformed from a tired bleach blonde with dark roots to a dark brown haired happy camper. Check out her work Instagram, and if you're in the St. Louis area – go to her and let her make you fancy.

What have you been keeping busy with this August?