Ridiculous

Oh friends, so I have such a treat for you today! No, you don't  get one of those delicious cupcakes I showed in my last post. You get to see this picture of me in this ridiculous dress:

 You're welcome.

I got this dress from a neat thrift shop in Portland. Yes, it's kind of horrific as is, but I was really attracted to the print and couldn't pass it up (it was only $5, after all).

The problem with the print, though, is just that there's way to much of it. It's a busy, busy piece of fabric, and  an entire dress made of it is a nightmare. So I did the sensible thing and reduced the amount of the print by over 50%.

And voila:

Earrings and Ring: Handmade --- Top and Skirt: Thrifted --- Shoes: Seychelles via Amazon

 Now I have the fabulosity of the print in a pint-sized version of the original piece. It's a great, floral, summery piece that I can wear with a variety of tops and accessories...

... and all it took was a pair of scissors. Somewhere in the world, the old lady that owned this dress before me is rolling over in her grave.

Well, the time is drawing near for me to move out and on to the big cit of Portland! School starts on Monday, so I'm starting to get my stuff together. The only catch is that I don't actually have a place to live yet... I looked at a few places but they didn't work out. I have one more place to look at this Friday, so I'm super hoping it will work, or I may have to live in a box on campus. Hey, the rent would be a great deal, no?

I just hope wherever I end up living will have a semi-decent kitchen so I can keep up my new-found fascination with cupcakes. Look at what I made today:

Ghirardelli Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache.

Get. In. My. Belly.

F21

Dress: F21 --- Belt: Thrifted --- Shoes: Payless

So, this is the dress that I got from F21 with my gift card. Actually, this is the 2nd dress I got with that gift card. The first had to be returned because I ordered a Large and I was basically swimming in it. I really just do not understand Forever21 sizing... I have a long sleeve top from them that is pretty much skin tight and is a Large, yet I can get a Large dress and it feels 3 sizes too big? Anyhow, I learned my lesson (the lesson being that F21 is ridiculous) and got a Medium this time around and it fits much better.

I really like it, though. Hands down the nicest article of clothing I've ever got from F21. A lady at church said it looked like J. Crew. That's one compliment I can really appreciate. :)

Anyways, I've got some super happy fun-time news for you!

I'm going to college! 

Everything happened very last-minute, but long story short: I applied mid-August, and was accepted Sept. 7th, went to Orientation Sept. 8th, and am now in the process of looking for a place to live. I'm very excited, and very nervous, about starting school, but I think it'll be fun. Wish me luck!

Cascade

Top and Skirt: Thrifted --- Shoes: Payless --- Earrings: Handmade --- Belt: From my mother dearest :)

 I saw a girl walking today who was wearing tights under her skirt. Man, is that a depressing thought. Within a few weeks it's going to get really cold and the all the scarves, cowls, and tights that I stowed away so neatly and tightly on the top shelf of my closet are going to have to come out once again. Le sigh.

Anyhow, I kind of love this top even though it looks like I have a waterfall descending from my neck. Also, it's a touch too small, but I just have to be careful not to eat too many brownies while wearing it and everything will be fine.

This might get me in a bit of trouble, but I just have to say:

I do not like Goodwill. 

There, I said it. Please don't shoot me. 

Reason #1: The dressing rooms. They make you wait for someone to come unlock your door for you like it's some fancy department store. And then to make it even worse they only let you take 6 items in. SIX. Maybe that's fine for some people, but I'm more the sort that grabs anything and everything that I think has the remotest possibility of looking good and can end up with 20+ items to try on. Not so at the Goodwill, though.

Reason #2: They're expensive. I don't mind paying several dollars on a thrift store item if it's something cool and unique, but I don't want to be shelling out $10 for a used Old Navy top that probably only cost $10 to begin with. 

Reason #3: Speaking of Old Navy tops, I think they could just go ahead and change to name from Goodwill to the Old Navy Resale Shop. I'm sure it's different in each Goodwill, but seriously, I think think half the stuff I looked at in there was Old Navy. I go to thrift stores to find interesting, unique stuff, not last season's Old Navy styles.

So there you have it. 

Lacey

Top: UO --- Necklace: F21 --- Shorts: Target --- Wedges: Kohls --- Purse: Thrifted

Two outfit posts in a row consisting of me wearing shorts... what is the world coming to? Since I haven't been working I don't have as much cause to dress up quite so much, so shorts it is.

I got this pink lace top from UO when I went up to Portland to hang out with Lea. Have any of you bought anything in UO lately? Aren't their new shopping bags awesome? I feel like I need to buy something every time I go in now just so I can get another bag. I save them all. Good for you, Urban Outfitters, you have successfully figured out how to buy my love.

OK, so do any of you guys have Netflix? If so, what are you favorite movies on Instant Play? I'm looking for new, good movies to watch, but I think their navigation is kind of useless and I can never find anything good browsing the sections. Anyways, if you've got a favorite movie on IP, please let me know and I might love you forever! (I love documentaries, dramas, foreign movies, action, thrillers, and comedies. So pretty much anything. Except not really scary movies... unless it's a really good scary movie.)
And lest you think I'm all take and no give, I'll share some of my favorites for you to watch if you feel so led:

Paper Heart - It's got Michael Cera in it! What else do you need to know? Many thanks to Kira for recommending this one.
State of Mind - An excellent documentary about 2 North Korean girls training for the Mass Games.
Downton Abbey - Costumes and sets to die for, friends.
Arrested Developement - Pretty much the funniest TV show ever.

I mostly use Netflix to watch TV shows and documentaries, in case that wasn't apparent. :)

Earthies

Blazer: Thrifted --- Top and Shorts: Anne Taylor --- Earthies Heels: Piperlime --- Vintage Clutch: Etsy

It is entirely Joni James' fault that I have these shoes. I wasn't going to buy them. Really, I wasn't.  But then she had to go an send me an email when she found them on sale at Piperlime, and there was just no hope for me after that. I can't say I'm upset, though... they're certainly super comfy and cute to boot.

My mom and I went to Anne Taylor the other day, which is always fun because it's one of the few stores we can both go to and find things we like. I was happy to find myself this plain ivory top on sale because the other plain ivory top I have has holes in it. Classy, I know. Not on my list of things to get, but equally as exciting, were these shorts. You can't tell from the pictures (actually, all you can tell from the pictures is that they're wrinkly, but let's not talk about that...), but they're really shimmery. Shimmer shorts! Every girl needs a pair. I declare it to be so.

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Oh, and if you were wondering which of these two I ordered...

... I ended up caving and getting them both. How else was I supposed to get free shipping? Seriously, I hate paying for shipping.

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ALSO (I'm almost done, I swear), I am so bummed because I went to Nordstrom Rack on the way home from Portland today and tried on the cutest pair of bright red Miz Mooz platform sandals. They were $60, though, and one of them was scuffed up a bit so I decided against getting them, telling myself that certainly I'd be able to find them online. Well, no such luck. I've looked all over the internet and can't find that style anywhere... I guess it was last year's style and no longer sold. Boo! 

Reminisce

Scarf: Bosnia --- Top and Skirt: Thrifted --- Seychelles Heels: Amazon --- Earrings: Handmade

Well hello there, wind. Thank you for coming an making my hair look epic.

I really love this outfit because it combines several of my current favorite wardrobe pieces (mustard Seychelles, black lace tank, scarf from Mostar). I made it a point on my trip to Bosnia not to buy any 'keepsake souvenirs' like little figurines and things that sit on your shelf and collect dust (or more often end up in a box under the bed), but instead to get things that I can wear and be reminded of my trip that way instead. I got myself this scarf and some jewelry, and I'm not sad at all that I passed on the miniature Stari Most statues.
The street where I got my scarf:

Gosh oh golly do I miss that town...

And real quick before I go, I have an opinion question. If you happened to have a $25 Forever21 gift card in your possession and were trying to decide what to buy with it, would you get this dress or this bag?

This isn't related, but aren't those shoes the model is wearing awful with the dress? Completely wrong style.

Red Head

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Dress: Thrifted/Portland --- Belt: Thrifted/St. Vincent's --- Vintage Purse: Etsy/vintch --- Seychelles Flats: Amazon

My hair is back to a socially-acceptable color once again... I'm really quite in love with this dark red. I had been thinking for a while about doing something completely different (i.e. blond), but I've been thinking lately that my calling in life is to be a red head. Well, my true calling is to be a plain brown head, but that's no fun.

Really, though, I've never gotten so many compliments on a physical characteristic before as I have gotten on having red hair... I've had people walk up to me when I'm out shopping just to tell me they like my hair color. A few people have even asked if it's my natural color (one lady told me I was blessed to have such a naturally beautiful hair color - she was quite let down when I told her I dyed it.)

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I happened upon Lykke Li the other day in the same way that I happen upon basically all of my music nowadays... via my Florence + the Machine Pandora station. I downloaded her more recent CD, but I've been listening to the tracks from her debut album on YouTube and honestly I think I like those more. Also, she gets brownie points because I really like the covers she has for some of her singles.

Because album covers are the really important thing when it comes to music, you know.

Maxi

I'm baccckk! Well, I've actually been back for 3 weeks, but as you've probably noticed I've been posting the guest posts that didn't get up while I was on my trip. I've been out of blogging for so long that it'll probably take me a while to get back in the swing of things. I also have some big life changes coming up here pretty soon (i.e. moving, starting college, all that fun stuff...), so we'll see how this goes. Things may be kind of sporadic around here for a while.

Maxi: H&M --- Sandals: UO --- Necklace: Croatia

These pictures are from about 2 weeks ago when I first got back from Bosnia and my hair was a funky gold-ish color on top mixed with my overgrown roots. Needless to say, I got that taken care of very soon afterwords, so my hair is now back to red again. I still wanted to post this, though, because I love this dress. Only $15 at H&M (regularly priced!). I'm excited to move to the big city this fall, but I do fear I may go broke from shopping at H&M all the time...

Also, this is a necklace I got in Croatia (Europe is quite lovely for the fact you can drive 2 hours and be in a completely different country) and am quite enamored with it.

Shop Smarter, Not Harder

Reposted from My StyleLife Philosophy

What's in your closet? Seriously, what does your wardrobe look like? How do you feel about it as a whole? How do you feel about the clothes individually? How often do you wear every item you own? Do you have a quality, functional wardrobe or one where "I have nothing to wear..." is a daily saying? These are important questions to ask yourself and to honestly answer as you evaluate your wardrobe.

Prioritizing "quality over quantity" definitely should apply to your wardrobe. If you own many pieces that you don't wear, it's time to re-evaluate what's in your closet. If you don't wear what you own, then why is it still in your wardrobe? Try each item on and be honest with yourself. Do you like it? Does it fit and flatter your figure? Any unworn and/or unflattering items just clutter what could be a fabulous boutique-like closet (that is, if it doesn't already look like that, of course).

We want options so we may buy a large quantity of clothing, but how much of it actually fits and flatters? How many of those clothes are actually worn once purchased? It's time to "shop smarter, not harder." Changing it up is important so it's extremely important to shop smart and with a plan. If your wardrobe contains QUALITY pieces that fit and flatter AND mix and match and coordinate, then you will have many more outfit options with fewer items. I'm not saying not to fill your closet. I'm just saying to have more options and less of the "I-Have-Nothing-To-Wear" syndrome, it takes strategy and effort.

Basic wardrobe staples and accents, including trendy items, should be tracked so when shopping you know what's missing from your wardrobe and what will work well in and with your current wardrobe.

Below are some outfit "switch-ups" to illustrate how you can transform an outfit by simply switching up the accent pieces.

Day Look 1
Imagine: Lunch with the Mother-in-Law

Main Staple: Calvin Klein dress  

Accents: NY&Co. earrings, bracelets, belt and bag, Bakers heels, For Love headband

 Evening Look 1
Imagine: Cocktails with coworkers

Main Staple: Calvin Klein dress  

Accents: NY&Co. belt, Express earrings and clutch, Charlotte Russe heels

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Day Look 2
Imagine: Shopping about town

Main Staples: Max Studio dress, Forever 21 coverlet

Accents: Jessica Simpson bag, For Love earrings, Target flats

Evening Look 2
Imagine: Dinner with old friends

Main Staples: Max Studio dress, Forever 21 coverlet

Accents: Express clutch, Express earrings, Target heels

For even more of a switch-up here, 

I could have left off the coverlet for day or chosen a black cropped coverlet instead for evening. 

This dress could also look more casual and just as charming with a cute denim jacket. 

Add flats or wedges and voila, perfect fall weather carnival date outfit!

Of course, any switch-up has MANY options if you're creative. :) I just want to drive the point home that quality staples and switching up the accents are important in any functional wardrobe.

It's fun to take pieces and dress them up or down, for whatever the occasion calls. 

Styling outfits, just like applying makeup, is an art form because dressing often relies on your emotions/mood of the day. How do you feel today? Translate that into your outfit and see what happens.

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Day Look 3
Imagine: Brunch with girlfriends

Main Staple: Scarlett dress

Accents: Miztique bag, Bakers heels, For Love earrings, Belt (n/a)

Evening Look 3
Imagine: At a winery

Main Staple: Scarlett dress

Accents: Steve Madden booties, Tommy Hilfiger wallet as clutch, For Love earrings

You may have noticed that:
I used the turquoise Bakers peep-toe heels in 2 of the above outfits. I also used the smoke and pewter For Love earrings in 2 of the above outfits. Additionally, I used the black Express clutch and the Express earrings twice in the above outfits. The strategy of choosing outfits early and being able to mix/match and coordinate also makes packing for travel much easier and maybe even fun instead of stressful.

It's not about how many items you have... it's about the quality of each item and your confidence to style each outfit with the pieces that work for you. As always, have fun and have a fabulous day every day!

<3 Catherine

The Last Hurrah

I'm just going to tell you right now that I got a little crazy editing pics today. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Today I'm wearing my oh-so-glorious Kork-Ease, and let me tell you something: my feet are happy. Who knew that such clunky shoes could be so comfy? Also worthy of note is the skirt, which while strikingly similar to this skirt, is not the same. I decided that the other one was probably a little too yellow for my skin tone, so I went back to the fabric store and got a more neutral tone. It's a bit more easy on the eyes, I think.

Cardigan: Target --- Top: F21 --- Belt: Thrifted --- Skirt: Handmade --- Shoes: ShoeBuy.com --- Purse: Etsy/Bombshell Bettie's Vintage --- Rose Brooch: Etsy/Brydferth --- Ring and Earrings: Handmade

I wish I could report back to you guys that I stayed strong in the face of temptation and didn't buy any of the shoes in my previous post, but that simply would not be true. I did decide, however, that the pair I treated myself to would be my last. OK, so not forever, but at least for a while. I have practically every color and practically every style of shoe there is to own, so I'm biding farewell to shoe shopping. I've just added a little text box in the sidebar to keep track of how long I last. Wish me luck, and above all else, DO NOT send me links to any cute shoes. :)

PS. Don't forget to enter the Brydferth giveaway!

Bombshell

Top: Charlotte Russe --- Belt: Thrifted --- Skirt: Etsy/bomshellbettiesvint --- Shoes: GoJane --- Clutch: F21

I got this skirt a few days ago from Bombshell Bettie's Vintage on Etsy. That means I'm a bombshell, right?* It's super lovely and has the cutest purple and pink-ish floral design on it. My favorite part is that the background is gray, so I'll be able to wear this one year round because it fits into practically any season. I follow Nicole's blog, and I was lucky enough to spy her post on a 50% off sale, so I got it for a great price. 

*It's OK, you don't have to answer that and hurt my feelings. :)

If you haven't yet, check out the Brydferth bobby pin giveaway. 1 week left to enter!

It's Memorial Day weekend, which means there are sales out the wazoo right now. That darn Joni James found the Earthies I've been lusting after on Piperlime for nearly 50% off and just had to send me the link, so now I'm having a mental war waging in my head over whether or not to get them.

here

3. Then I was looking at Michelle's blog and she posted about some cute shoes at American Eagle that are already on sale, and American Eagle is having BOGO 50% off on shoes, PLUS they're having a 30% off everything and free shipping sale this weekend. So I could get 2 pairs of these cute shoes, which were originally $50 each, for $31.46 total. Normally I wouldn't be too tempted by American Eagle stuff, but the colors of these shoes are freaking adorable. I'm thinking about getting the red and mustard pairs:

here

Long story short: I am addicted to shoes. I'm really hoping I resist, but I'm not feeling particularly willful this morning. Pray for me, friends.

Frilly

When I picked out outfits to wear this week, I ended up picking out a bunch of rather girly and frilly tops. Yesterday I wore pink, today I'm wearing lace and poofy sleeves, and the next two outfits I have planned are both pink and one has frilly shoulders. What's happening to me? Next thing you know I'm going to start wearing curly pig tails and pink lip stick. Beware.

Even though it's more frou-frou than I'm used to wearing, I really do love this top. It was $7 at the thrift store, but it was a white tag sale day so it was 50% off. I know I use this word a lot when referring to thrift store finds, but I'm going to say it again anyways: score.

Top, Belt, and Skirt: Thrifted --- Necklace: F21

Shoes: GoJane --- Purse: Etsy/58bluebirds

Thank you to everyone who gave me eyeshadow suggestions yesterday... I made a list of the ones that were recommended and will be doing a bit of online shopping/price comparing today to decide what I'm going to get.

Tomorrow I'm not working, so in the absence of an outfit post I'm going to be hosting a giveaway! So far on on my blog I've only given away jewelry from my shop, but this time around a dear Etsy friend of mine was sweet enough to offer a piece from her shop. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see who/what is, but I just wanted to let you know to keep an eye out for it (especially if you were getting bored of jewelry giveaways).