life savers

Last week was my first week back in classes after Spring Break and I was already over it the minute my alarm rang on Monday morning. The only things that kept me present that day were a chai latte before class and the attitude boost I got from wearing a punchy pair of kicks. This might come off as a little bit dramatic, but hear me out, okay? These shoes saved my life.

 I bought them at H&M on my lunch break during a painfully long shift at work and before I left the store they were on my feet. I could not have been more grateful for the instantaneous relief. I didn't expect to wear them beyond that day, let alone to be wearing them purposefully with one of my favorite dresses.   

I've worn this dress so many times, in so many ways, all last winter. It's absolutely perfect. It's easily layerable, it stretches in the right places and has pockets. Hello, it's the best. I was starting to think it was all worn out. But, for a second time, these sneakers came through like a champ and gave my dress a new breath of life. 

 

shop this look

#fbf

I'm getting closer to my 23 birthday, and as it always happens, I'm getting a little bit nostalgic. As I mentioned before, I've had another blog before this one. I started it my first year of college to keep me away from the evils of being a freshman. You know, away from partying, drinking and a generally leading a life of crime. Instead, I decided to document what I wore, sometimes amazing, sometimes questionable, for the world to see. Let's get nostalgic together, shall we?

This is fabulous. I was 18 here and so excited about this one leg against the wall pose.

I went through a major high-low skirt phase when it first came out. I still have them all! I just don't know what to do with them though...

This one time, I cut my hair into a bob. It was impulsive, but I didn't totally hate it.

I can proudly say that I would still wear this. My judgement was getting clearer around this time -- 20 I think.

late girl's guide | makeup bag essentials

Here's the thing: I'm late a lot. It's something I'm working on, okay. One day I will join the elite club of those who are on time (and sometimes even early), but until then I'll be sharing the little tricks I've learned to make being late less awful. Today's lesson is one on building a make-up bag. Those select few items that you carry around with you to save your life, and your face, in an emergency. 

The first thing to acknowledge here is that you are late. You don't have your full hour of prep time so you won't look the same as if you did, no matter what. It sucks, I know, but you have to accept that. 

The next thing you have to accept is that you can never, ever, use powders. No powder blush, bronzer, eyeshadow. None of it. Especially not loose powder. Even pressed powders can break on the go-- and that just sucks. I know that pain first hand. It makes a terrible mess and worst of all, it's a waste of your money. Leave the the powder at home. Stick to creams, pencils and gels instead. 

1. I have hellish dark circles, and when I'm late, I don't have time to perfect concealer application & blending. Instead, I use Benefit's Watt's Up where I would use concealer to wake me up. It's great for under the brow and above the cheekbones, too. 

2. Eyebrows frame your face, so make sure they're filled in. Get a pencil -- it's easier to control than a gel. Find one with a spoolie on the end for combing brows & eyelashes. Luckily, I'm a brunette, so my eyebrow pencil can double as eyeliner. 

3.Lip balm is a given. No one wants chapped lips and a balm with a little color looks more polished. You could easily swap this out for a tinted gloss, though. 

4. Like I said, no powder blush. This tinted gel is amazing and it blends so easily. Bonus is that you can use it on your lips too. 

5. When you're late, any mascara will do. As long as it isn't messy or goopy, you're in the clear. I'm currently just using a mini version that I got with my Sephora points. Here's a tip: whenever you can, get mini or trial versions of products. They're easier to keep in your bag. 

slightly southern

This look is one of many in my Rolodex of outfits. I've seen this slightly southern lace and denim combo floating around and I planned to put my own spin on it this summer -- perhaps sitting on some antebellum porch sippin' a mint julep and fannin' away the swelterin' summer heat?  Or not. 

I pulled it out months earlier this past week when I was drawing a blank on what to wear to a spontaneous late lunch. Some days outfits jump out at me and other days it's like "what are clothes, even?" Do you ever get that feeling? You're lying if you say no. 

denim shirt - thrifted DIY | lace skirt - Marshall's (similar) |  purse - similar | necklace - fiore boutique | boots - similar 

opposite of spring

It's the first day of Spring and ain't it grand! Excuse this non-celebratory outfit, you see, my wardrobe didn't get the memo. No florals here. No neons, either. I did manage to squeeze a pastel in there, though. If you look real closely, my finger tips are a lovely pale blue. Can I make that count as a gesture of welcome to spring?

I'm enjoying living the life of a student on spring break (who was too broke to hit up some overcrowded sandy beach) and I've been experimenting in the staycation. Basically, I've been visiting and lunching at local downtown and old town square-ish places. I also made some brownies. So yeah, I'm pretty wild.

On one such excursion, I donned this fall appropriate look: the casual-est of all black outfits with my utility jacket and some seriously comfy single soled sandals. Oh, and we cannot forget to mention the opulent layering of necklaces. I feat that I am proud of. Finding two necklaces that fit together this beautifully has taken a while. It's no wonder that they're both from J.Crew. 

 

utility jacket - F21 | shirt - thrifted | pants - tj maxx | shoes - lulu's | purse - similar | necklaces - J. Crew

jeans & a sweatshirt

In my ongoing scientific research to figure out how I can make jeans less boring, I came upon this hypothesis: perhaps taking denim and adding an even more casual piece, a sweatshirt at that, could work if elevated by some serious accessorizing. My discovery? I was so right. 

Like sprinkles on ice cream or glitter on just about anything, good accessories make everything better. But, you already knew that, didn't you? 

Here's something that maybe you didn't know, though. My search for perfect denim has taken me years. Frustrating hours spent in fitting rooms wiggling around, finally finding a pair that were great except for something. There's always something. And then, I found these, the most perfect pair at Old Navy for just $19. The clouds parted, angels sang and I slipped them effortlessly without so much as a wince. 

jeans - old navy | sweatshirt - F21 |  crochet tank - old | shoes - sole society | purse - similar |

thrift must haves

I live for a Goodwill or Value Village shopping day -- live for it! I am a huntress and severely discounted old clothes are my prey. I love when I find those amazing, one-of-a-kind, funky items, but more often than not I end up grabbing what I consider thrift must haves. These are items that you'll always find at thrift stores that are easy to throw into your closet's rotation. They're also great items to hone in on if you're new to thrifting or just haven't developed "the eye" for hunting.

Blazers: Just about all of my blazers are thrifted. Most older blazer styles have padded shoulders which I don't love. I usually take them out unless I intend to wear to it as an overcoat. I found some great patterned blazers, too! Not for the timid, though. 

Button Ups: I go to straight to the men's sections when I want over-sized button ups for grungy or casual looks. Their denim shirts are better than women's to me. DIY tip: Cut the sleeves and roll them for a more feminine look.

Crossbody Bags: It's amazing how similar the expensive crossbodies sold at mainstream stores are to the ones at thrift stores. I've found some amazing crossbodies for only $4! 

Silken Scarves: I love how classic a good silken scarf looks tied onto one of my purses. I also use them as hair accessories, but the possibilities are endless. 

Midi Skirts: Here's the thing: what we consider a midi-skirt is what ladies back in the day considered regular skirts. That length of skirt is easy to find. All you have to do is find a pattern you like. Keep in mind if it's too big, you can always cinch it with a belt and make it high-waist. 

Denim Cutoffs: I live in these during the summer. They're just so cool and effortless. I usually look for light wash shorts and cuff them a few times. If you cant find a good pair of shorts, regular length jeans can be cut and cuffed. 

Trouser Shorts: I wear these similarly to the cutoffs, but I go for ones that are brightly colored -- coral, royal blue, pink. They are more fun and can be dressed up or down -- especially patterned ones. I have a great houndstooth pair that I wear with tights during Fall. 

put together

Working in retail will open your eyes to the bounty of the style world and its trends. One style I've recently fallen in love with is the clean, classic look of the All-American Modern Prep. Minus the logo ridden polos. Never any polos. Think more J.Crew meets Audrey Hepburn relaxing at home with a good book and a cup of tea.  

On this particular day, I was trying to squeeze in a celebratory birthday breakfast for my boy before class, so I didn't have my usual 40 hours to get ready. I pulled out my basics, threw on a trench for the lingering winter air and slapped on red lipstick for instant polish. 

The ingredients -- stripes, neutrals and a dash of color here and there -- are fun to work with. They also happen to be very easy to work with. The careful pairing of simple items help you look very put together, which you realize is important when you don't actually have it together. 

And by not having it together, I mean that after breakfast my day went like this: speed to class from a longer than anticipated breakfast. Remember that I forgot to print off an essay. Print essay at school which makes me late to class. Receive death glare from professor. From class speed to work so I'm not late for that either. Work. Go home. Die. 

So you see, this is why I at least need to look put together. 

shirt - F21 (similar) | pants - j.crew (similar) | trench coat - mossimo via thrift (similar) | shoes - nine west | purse - thrifted

love list #1

Some weeks are a real bitch to get through, but I can always count on the universe to send some karmic goodness my way. Here's what made me smile this past week.

(clockwise)

1. THIS WhoWhatWear article pokes fun at the ever popular "fashion girl Instagram" trends. We're all guilty of these cliches, okay? 

2. I finally SUBSCRIBED to Glamour magazine and I couldn't have chosen a better time. To celebrate their 75th year, they have special pricing of $7.50/yr + a digital copy. I love that I can flip through on my Kindle and the bonus content is ace. 

3. Ru Paul's muthaeffin' Drag Race is back on and I am liiiiiiiivvvvvvviiiiiiing. This show makes any bad day better. I put $20 on that. I really do. It airs Monday nights on Logo, but I usually catch it online in between classes. Peep the last episode below!

4. Here's a fun fact about me: I'm a born New Yorker. When I lived in Brooklyn, it wasn't quite the trendy, hipster-friendly borough that it is now. Even though I'm in the south now, I'm still interested in the goings-on of my old 'hood (I intend to move back). And what's going on is some serious gentrification. Some serious Brooklyn takeover. From the home of the Notorious B.I.G. to the location of the newest vegan bake shop. What an evolution? But, is it good or bad? HERE'S a great article on Spike Lee's opinion on the situation.

5. Okay, so I know Coldplay has been made fun of for being too moody or boring or whatever, but I love them. This week I rediscovered their song, "Strawberry Swing," and it was the most perfect song for putting me in a spring mood. It's calming and airy and just happy. Do yourself a favor. Press play and enjoy the feeling.

give a twirl

Pink has not always been an easy color for me to wear. I think at some point during the early-to-mid 2000's Paris Hilton had a monopoly on the color which sent me running in the opposite direction.

Now that I'm confident that I can wear pink without it being related back to a spoiled heiress or other similar stereotype, I wear it a lot more. 

I'm especially attached to the softer shades of pink -- blush to be specific. The paler the pink, the easier it is to blend with the rest of my closet. I can think of 50 ways to wear this dress right now (chambray shirt, sweater over, sweater under, tied patterned button up, crop top, leather jacket, etc.)! 

And besides the versatility of it, there is the fact that it is pink. And how can you feel anything but fabulous when wearing pink? Fabulous enough to twirl, perhaps?

shirt - thrifted (similar) | dress - F21 | glitter flats - faded glory | purse - h&m | jewelry - fiore boutique (similar)

head check

If I'm not mistaken, the only requirement for wearing a hat is that you have a head. Despite the fact that about 100% of us posses that body part, I've heard a lot of people (self included) say "I'm not a hat person."

So, let's take a quick quiz. Check your body. Do you have a head? Well, ding-ding-ding! You're a hat person! Now, all you have to do is find the right one. 

I'm partial to the instant luxury of a 70's inspired floppy hat. It's perfect for that weird fall-to-spring-to-fall in between weather Atlanta's been having *insert heavy eyeroll* which is why I've been living in layers this past February. I feel like a Russian nesting doll when I get dressed these days *even heavier eyeroll followed by disgusted grunt*. 

hat (similar) | overcoat - goodwill (inspired by similar) | booties - cathy jean | dress - h&m