OOTD: Sophisticated Graphics

Tank- Nordstrom

Pants- H&M

Vest- Bill Blass

Heels- H&M

So this summer, CollegeFashionista assigned me to style MYSELF for my posts each week. I thought, "this is great! It's going to be a piece of cake considering I do that already!" Wrong. So wrong. Taking pictures by myself with my tripod is much more difficult than I anticipated. The focus is almost always off, the lighting is hard to set, and running back and forth to check the angles and set the timer just get annoying after two shots. I really should invest in a camera remote. Any suggestions?

On another note, this outfit was inspired by Burberry's s/s 2014 runway shows where they paired graphic t-shirts with dress pants. Fancy, huh? Well considering I really own very few graphic t-shirts (I had to dig through my closet to even find this one), I threw on a denim vest to dress it down even more. So what's the verdict- are we feeling it? I'm a fan, I think. I'm probably going to at least actually buy a shirt that doesn't look like it was attacked by wolverine after this.

xo, Katie

OOTD: All Blogs Post the Same Stuff

(That "tie" is actually my lanyard, haha I'm not weird and just carry ties in my hand)

Tshirt- American Apparel

Vest- Thrifted

Jeans- 'Q

Shoes- Nike

To say that this week has been stressful would be an understatement. Without boring you with all the details, a quick overview would include officially taking over my editor position, multiple projects being due, finals week quickly approaching, and dealing with more than a few things that I had thought would stay buried in my skeleton closet.

And when all of these things bubble up and take over all at once, the pressure to handle it all perfectly can be a bit overwhelming. As a first born child (and then later being thrust into the middle child spot) it's in my nature to be a perfectionist. Sometimes it feels like the world will end if you're not 110% what everyone expects from you- and sometimes most importantly what you expect from yourself.

So this time around I decided to include photos that would usually be considered "bloopers". Mess-ups. Short of perfect. However, in reality, there is nothing wrong with them. They're showing me being my goofy, loud, sometimes obnoxious self. A lot of the pictures I post on here are the "serious" photos. The ones that make me look all brooding and moody, but make for a good shot. But 80% of the time, that's just not how I am, and I'm letting these slightly more real pictures do the talking.

In a blogging world full of pressures to have the "perfect" picture (ie, all white walls, wooden flooring, solid monochrome furniture, and perfect minimalist yet beautiful decorations- bonus points for being able to fake natural lighting), sometimes it's nice to take a step back and realize that pictures (and people) don't have to fit a mold to be perfect. 

ps- if anyone noticed that I didn't make an "Inspiration" or "Beauty" post this week, I apologize! The key to everything really is planning and it just slipped away from me this week. Don't worry, though, next week is already in the works :)

xoxo, Katie

Thrown Together

Shorts, Vest, & Necklace - Thrifted

Top - Shop Q

Shoes- Urban Outfitters

This is one of those outfits that went like this "oh, I think I want to wear this today...oh and this...oh and this...ok well I guess this all kind of goes together. Let's see what happens" and in the end you're not all that happy with the result, but you're already 10 minutes late so you're stuck. I do wish I'd gotten a picture of the back of this shirt though. It has dolman sleeves and a cute zipper that runs to about the middle of the back. It's simple, but there is still a bit of interest. 

As the week wages on, I've officially registered for my classes for next semester and my (new :p) boyfriend kicked my butt at the gym today. It's both a blessing and a curse to have a certified personal trainer at your disposal...pray for me.

xx

Jeepers, Creepers!

Dress- Forever21

Vest- Goodwill

Necklace- Thrifted

Sunglasses- Avalon Exchange

Creepers- Urban Outfitters

Socks- American Apparel

The day has finally arrived! After months of lusting after the shoes I swore up and down I would never wear, I finally have my very own pair and they haven't left my feet. They're perfect for my style I've had as of late- a mix between girly and British grunge. Why I think it's particularly British, I have no idea, but for some reason I always just feel like I need to be in London when I'm getting dressed. I sprung for the original low sole TUK pair, even though there are tons of dupes on eBay. I just had heard too many times that the cheaper pairs kill your feet, and I didn't want to waste my time after waiting so long.

I'm just amazed that I actually love these as much as I do. Is there an item that you love now that you once swore you'd never own? What changed your mind?