...and a Happy New Year!

As this is my first post since Christmas, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I know mine was quite fantastic, and I'm so grateful for everything I received and all the people I was able to spend time with. My boyfriend is in town (and we have a sneaky little post for you all soon!) and I'm currently spending my New Year's Eve celebration with lots of friends after going out to dinner. I thought I'd put up a few snaps of my dinner outfit. I hope everyone else is ringing in the New Year happily, be that at home and cozy or out partying (but always safely!)

Dress- Kohl's, clearance for $8

Bracelet- Claire's, old

Ring- Kohl's, old

Boots- Baker's, clearance, $12.50

Lipstick- Clinique Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

As some of you may know, my boyfriend and I are in a long distance relationship, and so for the last week I've been visiting him and his family. Thankfully, I brought along my camera. Unfortunately, it wasn't used for it's intended purposes of outfit pictures. Instead, a snow storm, that I would never have experienced further south at home, hit today and we've been locked inside all day! It's been a lovely day inside all warm and toasty, though, so I thought I'd show you a few snippets from the day.

His cat, Mojo, was very into being a kitty model today.

Sammy, however, was too busy sleeping by the fire to be very bothered with posing nicely.

6 inches of snow later, it's finally slowed down, I think. Although its hard to tell since the wind is blowing everything around. Hope you all had as nice a Thursday as mine was, and tomorrow is Friday! The last weekend for Christmas shopping! It is sure to be a mad house. Hopefully you've been more responsible than I have and finished shopping before now ;) Happy Holidays!

Holiday Outfit Inspiration

I should be studying for my last final right about now. What am I doing instead? Playing around on Polyvore, of course!

I've recently been inspired to come up with some holiday outfits. I know that everyone celebrates differently, so I tried my best to come up with outfits for all sorts of occasions. Enjoy!

Outfit #1 - In A One-Horse Open Sleigh 

Emilio Pucci | J. Crew | Burberry | Banana Republic | Sheinisde
While creating this outfit I was envisioning riding through Central Park in a horse drawn carriage with sun shining on a freshly fallen blanket of snow...idealistic and slightly un-realistic, I know, but it made for some nice inspiration!

Outfit #2- To Grandmother's House We Go

Madewell | Gap | Jeffrey Campbell | Stephen Dweck
Perfect for the evening with a boyfriend's family to impress all the relatives, especially with interesting pieces like the fox ring and stone/chain earrings. Oh and of course the fur snood!

Outfit #3- Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

Miss Selfridge | Gap | Marc by Marc Jacobs
Just a comfy outfit to have on for a casual day of family, fun, and food while still keeping warm and looking great!

Welcome to Suburbia

Hello all! I've received my American Apparel riding pants in the mail and I am blown away. I didn't know it was possible to surpass my disco pants as my favorite pair of pants, but these have. They're so comfortable and warm that I'm not sure when anyone might see me in anything else from this point forward!

Now, I've decided to post these photos, but with a disclaimer. My camera has been a jerky little piece of crap lately. It's always had issues focusing, but for some reason almost NONE of the photos are in focus. And you can't tell until you load them on the computer! Thankfully I'm upgrading to an AMAZING Nikon d3000 for Christmas. I even got it on a Black Friday special with a 55mm lens! I'm beyond excited. So after Christmas be prepared for some photos that are actually worth their salt.

(My lovely photographer for the day! These photos were taken at her lovely subdivision home, hence the title!)

Top: Forever21, hand-me down

Pants: Riding pants, American Apprel

Shoes: Suede flats, HotKiss

Earrings: Jeweled metal feathers, H&M

Bracelet: Gold chain with leather accent, c/o Reese and Taylor

Later this week I'll be posting photos of my bracelet for the LOVELY Reese&Taylor Etsy shop! It is beyond perfect with just about any outfit, but I'll save my praise for it's own special post. And there might be a little surprise for you all in there too ;)

Happy Holidays everyone! 

Recommended Reading (and watching!)

My my, what a bad blogger I've been. It's been so long :( I honestly have no other excuse except that I haven't made time for this like I should be. Admittedly it's been busy with the holidays and my birthday (I turned....20 *shudder* OLD) and now finals are quickly approaching. But tons of other bloggers manage so why shouldn't I?!

So since I know I won't be making another post until finals are over (next week, thank the Lord), I've been inspired by all my professors who continue to give us "recommended break reading" even though we all know none of us will do it. So I'm here to recommend some of my favorite bloggers in hopes that you might pay them a visit in my absence.

shewearsfashion

author: Kavita

style: embelished grunge

She is actually the first blogger I really started to follow a while back. In the last 6 months her career has really taken off, and she owns an *incredible* eBay shop called YouWearFashion where she handpicks vintage items and remakes them. She had a great sense of style and frequently updates. Definitely worth adding to your frequently visited tab!

flattery

author: Breanne

style: sweet and cozy

This lady is a Canadian gem I stumbled upon by sheer circumstance and I'm glad I did because she's one of my favorites now. She also owns a shop, but her's is on Etsy. She makes the sweetest skirts and especially cute leggings with little leather heart patches on the knees *squee*! Many of her posts include inspirations and other bobbles besides her outfits so it's great if you're not into strictly outfit-post blogs.


Suburban Faux-Pas
author: Krystin
style: trendy chic

Yet another Canadian author, but with a completely different twist. In her 'about' page she says that she followed her husband to the suburbs, and that her blog is a collection of outfits that have shocked the neighbors. Love it!


Youtubers

I know that these aren't blogs, but both of these lovely ladies run blogs in addition to Youtube channels, and every time I rediscover them I just cannot get enough! Zoe (or Zoella) and Louise (or Sprinkle of Glitter) are best friends (courtesy of the blogging world!) and both run similar beauty and lifestyle blogs and Youtube channels. I've purchased many a product thanks to these two ladies.

 Louise is married with the most darling baby, so her videos and blogs do include things like that, but I still enjoy them even as a non-mother watcher. Both are hilarious, lovable women and deserve a check out! (If you haven't already. Both are widely popular)

Zoella (Youtube link)
Zoella (blog link)



Sprinkle of Glitter (Youtube link)
Sprinkle of Glitter (Blog link)

"This or That" Challenge Days 7-15

Here's the second installment! It was slightly exhausting having to create a collage for each day, and since this is another bulk day I will only be making a collage for the days/choices that I really enjoy or feel are relevant. But once I get all of this backlog out of the way I'll make a collage for each day again :) Here we go! (PS- Make sure to click on my eBay button on the side! I have tons of items for sale and I'll be putting more up soon! I'm saving up to afford a new and better camera :) )

7-Midi or Maxi?

Maxi

I honestly wouldn't know how to wear a midi skirt/dress (if I even know what they are for sure?). I've always adored the retro 1950's style skirts I see all the girls wearing in era movies, but in practicality I just wouldn't know how to pull it off without it looking like a costume. Having said that, I'm mostly too tall for most average length maxi-items so this was kind of a lame 'this or that' for me :(

8-Dots or Stripes?

Dots

Dorothy Perkins | MadeWell | Topshop | JCrew | Yumi

As a general rule I tend to lean towards polka dots just because I don't have to stress out about if they are making me look larger than I actually am, haha.

9-Black or Color?

Black

Anyone who knows me also knows my love for neutrals. I generally construct my outfits with all neutral pieces and then add a splash of color in an accessory or pair of shoes. I've even looked at my closest before and thought "wow...this is boring" haha but black is a staple in my wardrobe and I wouldn't give it up for anything.

10-Hippie or Punk?

Punk

Romwe | Jeffrey Campbell | Topshop | Sheinside | Fashion Union | D&G

Though I think my style usually leans more in the girly direction, I know that I couldn't live with free flowing fabrics and peace signs forever. I definitely have a love affair with metals and black, both of which seem like big no-no's for a hippie style, and with studs and leather being so popular right now, I couldn't pass that up! Plus, I am forever fighting the urge to chop all my hair off in a choppy pixie cut, and that is definitely not a hippie vibe!

11-Hair up or hair down?

Hair up

It's not that I don't love to wear my hair down, because I do, but it is such a hassle to tame that most of the time I end up throwing it into a ballerina bun or a messy bun with a scarf around it. It's so curly and wild if I don't gel it (and still is even when I do), and if I happen to have the energy to straighten it then that is a whole different mess.

12-Day or night?

Day

While I love staying up late and having all kinds of misadventures at night, I have a natural alarm clock that usually wakes me up around 8am. This usually keeps me from staying up too late unless I make an effort to stay up for an event or party.

13- H&M or F21?

Both

This is tough...a year ago I would have said F21 hands down, but as of late I have not been very impressed with anything they've put in stores. It never seems to fit right or the designs just aren't my cup of tea. It still is a great place for cheap shoes and jewelry though. So I guess I'll have to say H&M for clothes (right now) and F21 for shoes, jewelry, and other accessories.

14-Minimalist or Over the Top?

Minimalist

This was a no-brainer. While I love to make statement with a singular article of clothing or pair of shoes, I usually don't accessorize too extravagantly. I would rather wear a great fitting black dress and a killer pair of red heels than a fluffy hot pink dress with neon blue shoes and load myself up with jewelry. It's just not my thing.

15-Big purse or small purse?

Big Purse

YSL | Michael Kors | Marc Jacobs | Jack Wills | Proenza

Except for when I'm carrying my things around school, I really don't have that much that I carry around with me on a regular basis. Sometimes I don't even carry a purse! It's usually just my little Vera Bradley wallet/wristlet that I can slip my phone into as well and just let hang on my wrist. However, if I'm going to match an outfit with a purse I would rather have a medium to large sized bag instead of a teeny-tiny one.

"This or That" Challenge Days 1-6

Alright so here's the deal! I now have a reason to blog every. single. day.

After reading through almost all of Amber's blog of Amberlee Tea (which is fantastic, by the way. Definitely give it a look!), I found a list of all these challenges she has listed for bloggers. And while I know it's already the 13th of the month, I've decided to go for the "This or That" challenge. Basically I chose which of the two options I prefer, and there is one for each day of the month. From there it is up to me what to do with it and I've decided I'll find items to match, put together an outfit to go with the day, or something else along those lines. I'll include the entire list at the end of this post, but I'll go ahead and start!

Day 1: Solid brights or bold prints?

Bold prints

Sweater: newlook.com | Leggings: Yesstyle.com | Backpack: Asos| Hat: Topshop | Socks: newlook.com

A print that I'm loving currently is the aztec and nordic print, especially in the winter varieties. I can't wait to get my hands on a pair of these leggings. or a sweater. or that backpack...

Day 2: Heels or flats?

Flats

YSL | Tory Burch | Aldo | Topshop | New Balance

While I adore heels, and own more than my fair share, I am quite tall and do not enjoy being 6' 2" when I slip on a pair of heels for every day wear. Therefor I did chose flats, only because I wear them most often. These are a few I'm lusting after currently.

I've also decided to be quite daring and include a pair of New Balance sneakers on this list. It's a very strange trend I'm seeing. Full blog post on that later...

Day 3: Tribal or floral?

Floral

Haute Hippie | Rare | Diba Lake | Jeffrey Campbell | debamhams.com

I guess I kind of chose tribal prints in my "bold print" section...oops! But between these two options, I definitely have to go for floral. So girly and feminine. It never fails to make me feel dolled up when I wear a floral print.

Day 4: Colored or printed bottoms?

Printed

Topshop | Mango | Oasis | Lipsy | Romwe

As a general rule I shy away from anything other than solids and neutrals on the bottom. I'm forever trying to keep my hips from looking too rounded. Having said that I do own a couple of printed skirts and one pair of American flag printed shorts so I guess I'll have to go with printed.

Day 5: Pastel or neon?

Pastel

Aldo | Topshop | Charlotte Russe | Oasis | Acne

This goes along with my love for florals. Pastels just always give an air of class and feminism to an outfit, and I see neon go so wrong so often that I'm just not sold on it. Occasionally it's cute (I have a neon yellow track jacket) but beyond touches, I just am not a huge fan.

Day 6: Striped or Leopard?
Striped

JCrew | Topshop | Romwe | Eugina | Forte Forte

All summer I was obsessed with finding the perfect striped top, so this is a no brainer, haha. Last fall I almost bought a pair of leopard print wedges, and I own a leopard sweater, but I just find it hard to style without looking elderly or trashy.

So to try and keep things a little more organized I've split this into two posts, and I'm going to post the rest of the previous days tonight or tomorrow. 

Entire list:

1-Solid brights or bold prints?

2-Heels or flats?

3-Tribal or floral?

4-Colored or printed bottoms?

5-Pastel or neon?

6-Striped or Leopard?

7-Midi or Maxi?

8-Dots or Stripes?

9-Black or Color?

10-Hippie or Punk?

11-Hair up or hair down?

12-Day or night?

13- H&M or F21?

14-Minimalist or Over the Top?

15-Big purse or small purse?

16-Tights or legs?

17-Glasses or contacts?

18-Boots or booties?

19-Leather or denim?

20-Dress up or dress down?

21-Neat or messy?

22-Retro or futuristic?

23-Cool or warm?

24-Colorblocked or monochrome?

25-Arms or legs?

26-Curly or straight?

27-Girly or sporty?

28-Hat or scarf?

29-Homemade or store bought?

30-Cardigan or sweater?

31-Classic or trendy?

NYPD

Happy Veterans Day everyone! In honor of this day dedicated to everyone who has served or is serving in our Armed Forces, I have a bit of a patriotic post today. This was an outfit from yesterday when I went and took photos of my friend, Becky, and her sister and boyfriend. It was a blast, and I had the amazing privilege of using my dad's Nikon that is 1000x better than my camera. I was beyond thrilled. Anywho, we were able to sneak in a few pictures of my outfit and also my straightened hair! I don't know that you all have seen it down and straight yet, plus I have new bangs now. Let me know what you think :)

 It was super windy, yesterday! My hair was all over the place.

 Darn you, freckles!

Please excuse the lack of makeup in this post. I didn't really think of doing outfit pictures until we were already there!

Just me being silly :)

NYPD t-shirt, Goodwill - $2

American flag shorts, DIY

Vans, $55

Essie nail polish in "Watermelon"

Come Over

It's been officially one month since my last post...and it doesn't even seem like it's been that long! Really! Everything has been a crazy whirlwind of activity with school and friends and what seems like so much else. Never fear, however, because you always come back to the things you love and I have to say that blogging and fashion will forever remain a true love.

Apt9 sweater, thrifted - $6

American Rag jeans, Macy's - old

Equestrian style boots, Payless - $40

Scarf, FashionBug - $6

White stone ring, Forever21 - $3

Horse wallet, gift

This was just a casual school outfit that I wore to class the other day. Nothing fancy to really report about it other than I just needed to jump back into posting. It seems that if I wait for an "event" then it'll never get done! It's too bad that I don't have more pictures for you guys, but I've been quite busy with the mini photography business that I do on the side and my poor camera has been run ragged. Consequently it is very often out of battery and my sister was only able to get one shot in before it died. I promise that I'll have a better selection of photos next time.

You also probably noticed that I have my glasses on here. I usually have my contacts in but they just weren't cooperating so I opted to stop fighting it and just wear them. Oh! And my hair is straight! I'm not sure if you all have seen that yet. Someone just commented on my Lookbook about it and I had completely forgotten. Let me know what you think, even though it's up and you can't see much.

Well without much else to say, I think I'll leave it at that. Tata for now, everyone, hopefully you'll hear from me soon!

One Last Summer Fling

(sorry for the poopy photos. my camera has been acting up. it really is time to upgrade :/)

The first pair is finished! A while back I bought a pair of these vintage Levi's a few months back and decided I was going to make them over. And they are finally finished! Sadly, it's now too cold to wear them where I live and I've lost weight to where they are too big for me :( If you or someone you know is a size 33 in Levi's, email me! I'd love to sell them to a happy home :) 

Now that I have them all ready to go, I really want to work on seeing what else I can do. Especially with stuff I already own. I'm going to try and not buy too many items this fall/winter except for a few little pieces I already have picked out. My wallet just can't afford anything too expensive! So I'll be updating my eBay shop very soon. Please keep a look out for that as I save up for a new camera!

Cat Lady...Meow

Edgy, risky, possibly something you've seen your great-aunt wear...yes, the animal shirt.

(all photos found on tumblr)

I've been contemplating buying one for a while now. Anyone who knows me knows my love for kittens and cats. My boyfriend sends me pictures of them on a daily basis. It's probably in my destiny to become a cat lady, and I'm okay with that. So it seems fitting for me to own a cat shirt. I've not taken the leap yet, mostly because I'm worried about being able to pull it off and instead looking like a granny. So tell me: should I take the plunge? Would you dare to wear an animal shirt (wolf, cat, horse, etc)?

Looking Nice for School...Made Easy: Sweaters

So many times I scroll through my newsfeed on Facebook or my timeline on Twitter and I think "That's what you're wearing to school? It looks...painful." 

It seems like every day I'll wake up and check Twitter to find girls tweeted one after another "I was going to look nice today but couldn't find anything to wear. Sweats it is!". Then when I do happen across someone who has decided to dress up, it's always so complicated and dressy that it could be worn to a fancy restaurant or worse...clubbing. I find myself looking at the screen wondering why girls put themselves through the torture of wearing those outfits (because we all know they aren't comfortable) or the equally torturous process of trying to find something to wear and just giving up. The only reason I could come up with is they just haven't been able to find anything that's comfortable and easy, but also fashionable and flattering. So I thought I would put together a few collages of fashionable fall essentials that are easy to mix and match and don't require a ton of effort in the morning. 

sheinside.com - $43 | target - $18 | gap - $36 | h&m - $32 | jcrew - $40 | romwe.com - $48

There are endless sweater possibilities, which really just means there are endless ways to flatter anyone's body type. Tight, loose, oversized, however you want to wear it, there is a sweater out there for you. These really are a girl's best friend in the fall and winter. Oversized fits can be worn over leggings or skinny jeans, and anything too short to cover your bum can be worn with skinny jeans or even disco pants if you are so inclined ;) More fitted sweaters can be worn very chic-ly with a dark wash loose fit trouser or denim if you don't want to have your pants clinging to your bottom half, and all of these different options can be matched up with a scarf and long necklace for extra flare.

Some of my favorite fall/winter colors this year are maroon and mustard yellow, so I included examples of those. However, when it comes to sweaters a great color is cream or oatmeal. Often times we get so bogged down in the colder months with dark heavy colors and a light cream or oatmeal colored thick knit sweater is a great way to incorporate lighter colors into your winter wardrobe.

When I first started to write this, I really thought I would be able to fit all of the stuff I wanted to into one post, but after having started I've realized this is going to have to be a series of posts, haha. I really just want to give quality information and the best way to do that is to spread it out instead of squishing everything into one giant post. So, next time I'll cover the scarves and necklaces I talked about! I'm quite excited about this actually. It'll really give me something to write about when I get stuck :)

BIG FAT DISCLAIMER: I don't want anyone to get offended by this. If you really enjoy wearing those clothes, by all means, continue to rock it and do what makes you happy. I just thought I would offer my advice in case it really was a lack of knowledge keeping people from looking their best. I hope I didn't put a thorn in anyone's side!

"How Much Is Your Face Worth?" Tag

As a general rule I try to keep this blog mostly about fashion because, well, that's what most interests me, and also what I really feel like I know best. However, lately I've been obsessed with watching beauty tutorials on Youtube and reading all of these beauty blogs. I'm not going to stick my neck out there and say this is going to turn into a beauty blog (I don't have the makeup skills for that!) but I really would like to incorporate all aspects that I'm interested in. This is, after all, my blog!

With that said, I've seen so so many people doing the "How Much Is Your Face Worth?" tag. Basically, you add up all of the products that you put on your face for a singular look and then gape at how much your face actually costs to put on. Strange concept, I know, but it sounded fun!

Maybelline Cover Stick Corrector/Concealer - Green - $6.29

Covergirl Invisibile Concealer - Light - $6.49

Neutrogena Skin Clearing Oil Free Foundation - Nude - $14.49

Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder Oil Control - Buff Beige - $7.99

Maybelline Ultra Brow Brush-On Powder Color - Dark Brown - $6.79

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil - Yeyo - $19.00

Wet 'n' Wild Mega Liquid Eyeliner - Black - $2.99

Maybelline Great Last "Lots of Lashes" - Very Black - $5.19

Ulta brand lipstick - Chili Pepper 203 - $8.00

Total: $77.23

Honestly, I was expecting a lot worse. When I've seen them on the YouTubes or on other blogs, some of these girls were getting up into the $300, $400, $500 range! They do have wonderful makeup though...(and it wasn't bought at the local Walgreens).

I would have to say I really do recommend all of these products, except for the liquid concealer. It's cakey, does not last very long, and on my skin tone it is very hard to make the right color with the rest of my foundation. It's almost gone thankfully, and I'm really just trying to use it up. I'll be making a different purchase next time. Maybe I'll actually buy some luxury makeup this time after watching all of the wonderful YouTube girls use their fancy-pants makeup. That's all for now! I have the week from hell coming up in school with two exams and two papers, so I've meticulously planned my next week and a half. Cross your fingers that I can find time to update!