OOTD: Your Boyfriend's T-shirt

Jacket- Forever21

Tshirt- Boyfriend :p

Jeans- JBrand

Boots- Baker's

Necklace- Thrifted

Bracelet- Tiffany's

Bag- Thrifted

Now before anyone starts to go all crazy on me and I get hate mail and stalkers at my dorm building- this isn't YOUR boyfriend's t-shirt. It's MY boyfriend's t-shirt. But I wanted to show everyone how easy it can be to take something super comfy and turn it into a fashion statement. The day I wore this outfit a random woman on the bus stopped me to tell me I looked very glamorous. That was the first (and probably last) time anyone has told me that and, gosh. It really made my day.

I can't think of anything I'd rather be called than glamorous. Beautiful, pretty, stylish, and fashionable are all wonderful compliments, but there is just something quite special about the idea of glamor that makes me all happy and tingly inside. Maybe it's because that is one word that I really aim to embody with my clothing regardless of the genre of style. I can be grunge-y one day and then be wearing silk the next, but I always want to find a way to keep things on trend but still stylish, classy, and coherent. Is that the best way to define glamor? I'm not 100% sure, but it's the best I could come up with. How do you define it?

So I supposed the bottom line comes down to this: somehow I manage to take a t-shirt my boyfriend doesn't like anymore and turn it into a "glamor" piece? Fashion is so incredible. I love my 'job'.

xoxo, Katie

OOTD: Click Your Heels

Sweater- H&M

Jeans- Hollister

Heels- H&M

Necklace- Thrifted

Did you know that the actual "ruby slippers" from the Wizard of Oz were supposed to be silver. They changed them to red to make more of a cinematic impact as being one of the first movies in color back in 1939. The transition from black and white to full color would have been "less impressive" had the shoes stayed their literally accurate silver.

Regardless of whether or not Dorothy ended up with red shoes, I still feel more than fabulous wearing these heels. I'm staring to see why Marion from Marionberry wore her silver heels with every outfit. THERE IS NOTHING THEY DON'T MATCH. Literally. Even if i wanted to wear something gold I feel like it would just be a super chic metal-mixing outfit. Unfortunately I took them home over the weekend to try to clear out as much as I could before the "big move out" at the end of the semester. Who knew I'd accumulated so much crap?

And while I do love a good silver heel, my most serious obsession of the moment has been black and white. What could be more classic? Courtney from As We Stumble Along has also created a black and white outfit for you to take a look at. Make sure to check it out :)

xoxo, Katie

BEAUTY: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Lacey Lilac" Review

If you've ever visited my little corner of the internet before, you will know that I don't just use any kind of nail polish. In fact, the mere existence of this polish in my collection is something of a small miracle. This is literally the only non OPI or Essie polish I own. I'm not kidding.  And I don't say this to be snobbish. I very well could be missing out of many a nail polish color and formula by being so exclusive. However, my mom always only bought OPI polish while I was growing up, and I would rather spend $9 on a bottle I know I will use and love instead of $3 on something that might turn out terrible.

So now that that little rant is over, let's get to the heart of this post. In a package from a friend I received this nail polish along with a few other trinkets and baubles. Now you can imagine my contempt at opening this. "Oh I'll never use this, it's a Sally Hansen polish".

Or at least that is what I thought.

For months I have been on the hunt for the perfect lilac color. Something not too grey or dull, but also not too dark or vibrant. A happy middle ground. Somehow, Sally got this one right. This color is exactly what I was hoping for, and I wasn't as displeased with the formula as I thought I would be.

(In sunlight)

(In shade)

The application is a bit thick, but not in a clumpy sort of way. Just in a thick cream type of texture. There is minimal streaking, and any of that will be easily fixed with a second coat. 

As for longevity, I can say that I have worn it twice with two different results. The first time I went AT LEAST three days without a single chip. No exaggeration. However, the second wear proved much less hardy and I had a minor chip on the second day. That stayed consistently small though and no other chips appeared until the third day. 

So what can I say? Maybe I was wrong to write off all other brands of nail polish. While I will continue to use this color in the future, I am still not quite swayed enough to spend my own money on them. I'll stick to my tried and true.

But if there are any company's out there willing to send over a sample or two, I'm not going to turn you down ;)

xoxo, Katie

INSPIRATION: Home Dawg

Am I a little over the top? Possibly. Is it a good thing? Absolutely.

My love for puppies and kittens knows no bounds; I've been trying to get my boyfriend to steal his neighbor's cat's kittens for about two months now (to no avail, sadly). Since I won't be able to have pets in my apartment this fall and I'll be living away from my pets this summer, the next best thing is to fill the rooms with pet themed home items.

1.  2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Of course I wouldn't put all of these in the same room (or would I?), but a cute reminder of our furry friends placed here and there isn't all bad. Especially if they easily fit into the color scheme or design. Every loves to cuddle up to a pillow with the shape of their favorite breed on the front!

No? Just me? Eh, oh well.

xoxo, Katie

OOTD: Check Me Out

Dress- Forever21

Cardigan- H&M

Flats- Lucky Brand

Necklaces and Sunglasses- Thrifted

Nails- OPI "Tickle My France-y" and "Teenage Dream"

I've had these photos on my computer for over a week now, debating and flip flopping on whether or not to upload them. I like this outfit quite a lot, but the winter and laziness have created a monster in me that resulted in a little more weight than I'm used to. Personally, I can see it quite boldly in these. It would be a waste not to show off this dress, though, so I'm sucking it up (and in) and putting these online. Screw you, self-depreciating thoughts!

I went through a phase a few weeks back of being completely immersed in the Clueless world. I wanted anything and everything that was reminiscent of the good ol' 90's and particularly the Cher world of Beverly Hills. While I know that a "true" Beverly Hills kid wouldn't be caught dead in a dress from Forever21, I can at least pretend I'm fancy and driving a pretty white Jeep. The dress instead is super comfortable and a surprising quality for Forever21. At this point I never expect much from them, though, so my standards aren't exactly high. Still, I'd like to find this dress in the sunflower print I saw they had. Hello, reliving my kindergarden wardrobe!

PS- If you've noticed anything different lately, please bare with me. I'm still getting everything worked out. (and if you didn't notice anything, no worries. I didn't expect you to, haha) It's all rather minor and mostly on my end, but there will be a blog post explaining everything soon.

xoxo, Katie

BEAUTY: Maybelline "Baby Skin" Review

I'm probably just a little bit late on this bandwagon since I kept myself away from Walmart, Walgreens, and all forms of online makeup ordering for a few months, but about a month and a half ago I bought the Maybelline Baby Skin "Instant Pore Eraser" after seeing raving reviews on the Benefit Porefessional. What logic is that you might ask? The kind that is $26 cheaper.

So essentially it is a clear semi-liquid gel that you smooth over a clean face to minimize your pores. I didn't dig into the science of it all, but it would appear to essentially just fill those pores. Sounds scary, I know, but I have yet to break out or have any kind of reaction to this product so it must fill them without clogging. Don't ask me how that works.

For the $5.59 price tag, this is a pretty good little product. I've always had problems with large pores (thanks, genetics) and my mistreatment of my acne when I was younger certainly didn't help. My cheeks in particular are a problem area, especially around the front of my face. Below you actually can see a difference. This was without any foundation over the top, so you will have to excuse the redness of my one cheek. However if you zero in on the pores, I certainly think they are much less visible on the side with Baby Skin on it.

Overall, I wouldn't go as far as saying this is a miracle product. It does make foundation a little slippery, and I do think it makes it wear off a little quicker since the makeup is resting on top of the gel instead of the skin or a primer. As a stand-alone face product, though, I'm in love. Days "without makeup" are a little less rough now, and a repurchase isn't out of the question. Now to try and save up for the Benefit product to try a comparison! Those of you who have tried both- is it worth it?

xoxo, Katie

INSPIRATION: Spring Handbag Wishlist

Neon satchel bag

Rebecca Minkoff

Ted Baker Wallet

Blue/Pink Tote

Brown Shopper

If you can't tell, I have a slight obsession with totes at the moment. I love the look of carrying a bag on my elbow rather than my shoulder or a cross body bag. However, I can't completely rule out the cross body look, and this super bright neon satchel fits the perfect bill. Statement purses are a super easy way to add more personality to an outfit, especially since almost all of my outfits have been super minimalist and (usually) monochromatic as of late.

And can we just take a minute to appreciate this Rebecca Minkoff bag? Literal perfection. Structure, black and white, AND handles? It doesn't get much better. I would (almost) kill for this bag. What I would love even more to put IN the bag is this French Bulldog Ted Baker wallet. Ever since I got my Pollee bow flip flops from Ted Baker I've been obsessed with the brand. Throw in a collage of french bulldogs? I'm sold. So if anyone knows where to find it (I searched high and low!), please please please let me know. My boyfriend needs a Facebook message with the link very badly, haha

xoxo, Katie

OOTD: Livin' the Casual Life

If you are looking at these photos thinking "Why are you showing us old pictures from the fall?", you would be mistaken. Although it looks quite like November here, it is indeed mid-April and snowing as I type this post. Gosh, the Midwest is lovely.

Top- H&M

Cardigan- H&M

Jeans- Old Navy DIY

Necklaces- Thrifted

Rings- Forever21/eBay

Shoes- TOMS

There are a couple of things to be said about this outfit.

1- If you watched my Youtube video (which you totally should because not only do you see FIVE outfits not posted here, but there's some rockin' music) you will notice that this is the same outfit as the very last one in the video. I felt pretty crappy about the quality of that filming the last day so I decided to just take some pictures of it as well.

2- Having said that, I'm not sure it was worth taking pictures of. It is also painfully obvious to me that my eyebrows need some work STAT.

This outfit is super casual, and although it does feature my newest favorite necklace layering combination, I can't say I'm very fond of it. The crop length is slightly awkward (hence the absence of standing photographs) and I was having a peculiarly blasé day. Nothing bad happened, but nothing very wonderful happened either. I'm going to blame it on the perpetually grey skies at the moment. We had one fleeting day of beautiful 75 degree weather, and I would give anything to have that back. Thankfully I did get out that day for some pictures and girl time (aka coffee and ranting), so those should be up later this week with a special surprise.

In life news, I started training for my new position as the Opinions section editor for my college newspaper! I think I'll even write a lifestyle post on it. I'm all about those lately, and I can't stop watching people's daily vlogs on Youtube and reading little life snippets in their blogs. Do you have any favorite vloggers/bloggers? What are some of your favorite things they post? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo, Katie

OOTD: Transition to Spring x2!

Just like Marionberry has said before, there really are a few phrases that bloggers need to ban from their vocabulary. "Transition to spring" may be one of them, but I'll make it a point in my future posts not to use it :p

Does it get any easier than overalls? They combine the easy of a dress without the hassle of worrying about crossing your legs or your skirt flying up! They're more versatile than a romper since overalls can be combined with different shirts underneath, and don't even get me started on the possible shoe and jewelry combinations.

Can you tell I'm a fan of overalls coming back?

I can remember a pair of hot pink Rugrats overalls I had in first grade, and there may or may not be a home video stashed away somewhere of me doing a "ballerina routine" in the living room with those on...I digress.

I paired these with a crop top for an unexpected twist, and it helps to get some of that breeze in there! It's been beautifully warm the last couple of day (at least when the sun decides to come out) and I'm taking every chance I can get to feel the sun on my skin. I didn't quite soak up enough of it in California. For when the sun ISN'T shining, however, I threw on my white leather jacket from Forever21. I didn't get the chance to get any pictures with it, but trust me when I say it looks pretty darn cool.

Speaking of California, we have a little surprise in store with this post today! Out on the West Coast, the lovely Joyce of "Joyful Outfits"(yup, the same Joyce who designed my layout!) has so splendid come up with another way to move away from the chill, but in a different climate. Her bay area expertise might come in handy some day if I ever finally move my butt out there. Take a peek over at her blog for a little bit of inspiration as well. Maybe you'll find a clever way to combine the two!

OOTD: A Week of Class Outfits | March

Over the month of March I thought I would try something a little different. On the days that I didn't have time to find someone to help me take pictures, I just set up my camera in my room and filmed my outfit to compile them into one little video. I had some fun with this, and if this is well received I think I would like to keep it up! Be sure to let me know what you think of this either on here or on the comments of the Youtube video.

BEAUTY: The Work Lip

Do you ever just feel so excited about something that you can't keep from telling everyone you meet about it? Well for the last couple of weeks I've been keeping something quite secret that has been bubbling up, ready to burst, but now I can officially proclaim it to the world!

I'm going to be an intern! And not just any intern. An actual merchandising intern for the international company Lands' End! It's an incredible opportunity and I just found out that I clinched a spot this afternoon. I interviewed last week, and that is when I discovered this particular lipstick combination and I'm quite infatuated with it at the moment. Maybe it's a good luck combo?

First is MAC's Modesty. It's a perfect "your lips but better" color for me particularly and I believe is a Satin finish. Not glossy, not matte, just a happy medium. It was a gift for Valentine's Day from my boyfriend, and I do think he deserves a little brag for picking it out. Not many men can successfully do that! On top is L'oreal's Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain in "Rose On and On". The stain on it's own is pretty, although it doesn't stay "wet" long. It feels quite hydrating to apply, and I am a big fan of the super soft doe foot applicator they ingeniously used for it.

All in all, this seems like a professional yet young lip combination. Good for work or a subtle lip for a smokey eye perhaps? That might be next on the list to conquer. I look like something from a cheap strip club when I try to do a smokey eye. This lip combo might help with that? Eh, doubtful. But a girl can pretend.

Ps- try to pay no mind to my otherwise makeup-less face in this picture. One of the beauties of blogging is that some days require nothing more than a computer and sweats, but in the very last minutes of light I decided to get these pictures in and I didn't have time for an entire face of makeup. I think you all can deal with it just this once ;)

xoxo, Katie

LIFE: "Calories Don't Count In This Mug"

For Christmas this past year, my uncle gave me this mug from Starbucks and it's been sitting on my dresser waiting for me to draw on it. I have a love-hate relationship with these types of customizable things. On one hand I want to just go crazy and doodle all over it, though I know it will end up a mess. On the other hand, I see all these amazing drawings and inspirational ideas on Tumblr and Pinterest of these intricate designs and I think "I know I could do that. Why don't I?" So the end result of the internal conflict in the creative project sitting dormant for 4 months before I finally pick it up and let the perfectionist in me take a cleaver to the head.

This mug design came from a spoon I saw (maybe on Instagram? I can't quite remember) that said "Calories don't count on this spoon" and I fell in love with it. I searched around to try and find it, and I found a few versions on Etsy (although I particularly loved this shop the most. She sells the most inspirational food related items). They're a little more than I have at the moment so I thought "hmmmm...this could work" and let loose.

It's both a fun and personal little mug. It can be easy to get caught up in the calories and fat content and fiber content and vitamins and the list goes on. Sometimes we all need a little reminder that it's ok to enjoy an indulgent cup of coffee every once in a while. Drinkable calories are one thing that just get me every time (hence my usual non-Starbucks coffee order of black coffee with two Equal). This fun and lighthearted mug will help me keep things light when the season for hot chocolate rolls around again.

As for the actual mug/pen set itself, it was a bit tricky. The white pen would only work sporadically which is why some of the little coffee mugs are more visible than others. The black end worked well enough once I got it going, and I have yet to use it since I still need to bake this mug in the oven (450 degrees for 30 mins). I think this would work just as well with any old porcelain mug and a Sharpie, so give it a whirl! Feel free to email or tweet at me if you do the project :)

This little post has been refreshing from the usual fashion and beauty. Do lifestyle posts interest you all as readers? There is something about Sunday that lends itself to lifestyle posts, I think. Maybe I will start a new lifestyle set of posts on Sunday. I'll be participating in the #lbloggers chat this afternoon on Twitter from 1-2 pm CST if anyone is so inclined to join. Happy tweeting!

OOTD: What Is A Window?

Top- H&M

Jacket- H&M

Pants- Goodwill

Bracelet- Urban Outfitters

Shoes- Converse

Hat- Gift

Have I mentioned yet how much I love the track pants trend? I'm seriously hoping that this one is going to stick around for a little while because I want to jump for joy every time I remember that it's actually fashionable to wear elastic waist pants. Does life get any better than this?

This pair happens to be from Goodwill last summer when my best friend and I were searching for pieces for her to take to Israel with her. So not only do these pants allow me to eat as much as I want, but they've also been half way across the globe. Sisterhood of the traveling pants fashion blogger edition. 

Sadly, this is also the last time you will be seeing these Converse. They were officially trashed last weekend in a night involving far too much walking, a sprained ankle, and some mud. At least it was memorable. However, these have lasted me a solid 5 years and were ripped down the sides from refusing to undo the laces before putting them on. RIP, high school freshman Converse, you were a good pair of sneakers.

I also would like to share this hilarious photo of me from the photoshoot. I know it doesn't match the rest of the pictures in size, but it was just too funny not to share. Apparently I'm confused by windows and their panes. 

Spring Trend Favorite: Collarless Jackets

I'm not sure if it's the fake sense of sophistication or the fact that I snagged a really fantastic Michael Kors one over spring break (I promise I'll post it soon), but I am absolutely obsessed with collarless jackets at the moment. I was first introduced when Laura from Buy Now, Blog Later featured a super chic tweed version from ASOS- adorable AND professional. Now that I've really honed in on the internship and job search (a couple leads, but I'm not talking about them until anything is final. I'm quite superstitious about jinxing things like this) I have had the urge to add work appropriate and mature pieces to my closet.

Collarless jackets seem like a no-brainer for this type of criteria. They're easy to dress up with a pair of slacks and professional heels, but casual enough to wear with a plain t-shirt and boyfriend jeans. I've picked out one of my favorites floating around the blogger-sphere and styled it for professional use and casual use. Am I the greatest or what?

H&M jacket White House|Black Market Levity Jalone Charming Charlie

Target Charming Charlie Forever21

The top options is super simple, perfect for a conservative office while still maintaining a sense of style and individuality. Take that same jacket and throw it over a solid maxi dress for an evening dinner and it's the perfect way to cover up once the chill sets in. The navy is a great base for showing off other colors and can be worn with silver OR gold jewelry. I think I see a few more navy pieces taking a hold in my wardrobe this summer.