I'm Not Catching On Fire Today

Oof, I'm a bit blah today. I'm back on campus, but the four hour drive tends to take a bit out of me, and I'm really overwhelmed with the thought of doing all the work I have to do. I only have six days on campus but now that seems like a lot of days for spring break to make me wait. I need to muster some positive energy stat.

When I'm not being overwhelmed today, I'm contemplating white jeans. They're considered a pretty standard denim wash to have of late, though they still seem a bit 90s to me. This is not a bad thing; many people could tell you about my love for lame 90s movie and anything that screams classic 90210. I figured I could find a decent pair of white skinnies anywhere when I do my spring shopping, so I was just browsing the interwebs for kicks. Such bad choices. As Shania once sang, love gets me every time.





I've never owned a pair of Hudson jeans. In fact, I've never owned any pair of designer jeans. You see, for years jeans and I had a toxic, destructive relationship. I hated them and they hated me, but as an average American teenager, I needed several pairs of them. I've tried a lot of jeans, A LOT of jeans, but not the designer kind. When you and jeans fight like cats and dogs, you don't spend a ton of money on them. In the past year or so, I've been spending even less on jeans because I was shrinking several sizes at a fair pace, and couldn't afford to spend too much on transitional jeans.

I highly doubt, even as I think I've reached what may be my ideal size, that I'll have the money for these jeans any time soon, but I love them. I looked at levi's skinnies but the fit just doesn't seem to hug the body like these. I even really like the flap pockets in the back. I can just see myself wearing them throughout the spring and on cooler summer nights, and I don't want to settle for any other pair!

Oh well, I know I'll have to.

What Doesn't Kill You Is Still Annoying.

Oh goodness, what a week and a half. I got the nucleosis my friends, mononucleosis, as I told you. The funny thing about mono is that it's a very tyrannical virus that wants to take over every major organ system of the body, just like Napoleon wanted to take over the world. It's the little things that get the angriest. Aimeenucleosis happened to attack a system of mine that already has difficulty behaving normally in the first place, and life was all blood tests, ultrasounds, dehydration, good pills, bad pills, organic remedies, and just not a lot of fun. Today I can happily say that I return to campus tomorrow for the week before spring break, where I will be working with my professors and the library to get as caught up as possible.

Unfortunately, nucleosis meant that I was not very fashion conscious while I've been away. And if you saw what I looked like right now...well you'd just never visit again. I apologize for leaving you for so long, and I'm going to attempt to juggle all of my academic catch up with blogging, just give me just a wee bit more slack.

As I've been home, my parents, concerned for the well-being of their child turned green skinned skeletor, bought me the newest Elle and Vogue; since I've cut back on magazines since the great frugality of 2010 I just don't buy them myself. Just the past few days I've been interested enough to peruse them, and I'm so incredibly excited about spring fashion this year. My spring wardrobe is basically gone; just about everything is too big and I'm going to have to start from scratch, which I think is going to be fun. But darlings, there is one thing that will not be on my shopping list.


image via style.com

The clog. My god, who decided to bring back the clog!? Since my very beginnings as a youngster interested in style, the clog has plagued me. There were those ugly flat, birkenstock-esq clogs that everyone wore in high school (some still do), that I never wore, never even considered. There were countless conversations with my mother about how clogs belonged in the hospital, not on her feet. (My mother had quite a clog stage, it pains me to recall.) The heavily heeled black lacquer fake leather dress up clogs of the middle school years...I cringe! For me, clogs have been all bad, all the time. And now, a year when I can say I have really started to come into my own as far as my style and my vision for my future style, what do the runways and the fashion gods throw at me? Clogs. CLOGSCLOGSCLOGS. If only you could hear my death keen.

Naturally, everyone loves them. When I say everyone, I say the bloggers that I read every day because they inspire me, the people at Elle and Vogue, and Alexa Chung (apparently). I just can't do it. I can't! I have a visceral response to clogs, one of putrefaction. Tell me I'm not the only one! Oh non commenting masses, comment and tell me that I have an ally in this world falling for the charm of these clogs!

Don't Give Up on Me!

Oh my goodness! My dears, I am off campus, back home, recovering from a so not fun bout of mono. Have faith in me, I will be back to blogging as soon as physically possible. I need some of your slack though, I've already missed a week of school work! I hope your lives are much less infected than mine right now! Cheers!

How Do You Call Your Loverboy?

My weekend was thoroughly enjoyable, thanks to my super-wonderful and adorable boyfriend. Aside from wearing his sweats a lot when we hung out in his room, I did manage to put on some respectable outfits here and there.


Express cardigan. Mandee tank top. Zara jeans. Hot Kiss Booties. Random tree necklace.

Friday night we hung out with some of boyfriend's friends watching the opening ceremony for the Olympics. My favorite parts? That giant sparkly polar bear and the jackets that looked like they had built in Christmas lights. (Couldn't get a picture of the jackets though.)






Victoria's Secret soft and sexy wrap. Banana Republic dress. Hot Kiss booties. Random grey and black patterned tights (can't see the pattern, boo). Random tree necklace, again.

I decided to be cute for our Valentine's dinner on Saturday night. I hemmed and hawed about adding the wrap to the mix, but we ended up being seated not far from the back where someone must've left a door open, so I was more protected from the draft. We also had to wait outside a bit before we got a table. We ate at a little family owned Italian restaurant in Bethlehem that had the most delicious food. The spinach ravioli that I had for dinner were heart shaped! And absolutely delicious. (Why didn't I take pictures?) Dessert was an excellent cannoli for boyfriend and and coffee gelato sundae for me. Yum!

We spent our actual Valentine's Day watching tv and cuddling before I had to drive back to campus. It was quite nice. I hope your Valentine's weekends were equally lovely.

It's Gonna Be Hard When I'm Gone.

Here's giving you a heads up, I will be visiting boyfriend until Sunday sans macbook. I'm bringing my camera so hopefully I'll have some cute shots of what I wear for our Vday dinner and general hanging out together and with boyfriend's friends. Don't expect posts until Monday though. I hope you all have a lovely relaxing weekend, and a romantic (or at least inoffensive) Valentine's Day. Kisses!

Do I Love This?

I do love the maxi trend. At first I was wary; I have disproportionately short legs and I just figured that maxi anything would never work on me. However, I learned that if you buy something the right length, and with very little volume so you don't get swallowed up in it, short people can wear maxi dresses too! Despite intense searches I really only ended up buying one last summer, which I love a lot, but which I fear may not fit anymore. I'd like to jump on the bandwagon of maxi in winter, but I don't have the funds (or the resilience to the cold!!). So I'm looking ahead to spring/summer shopping, and contemplating this.


Photo via Newportnews.com.

I apologize for the poor quality of the picture, apparently getting a picture of this skirt at a reasonable size is just not possible. In any case, it's an ankle length shantung skirt. Shantung, which I had to look up, and in case you don't know, is a fabric with a bit of heft made from silk fibers or synthetic fibers imitating silk. I like the bit of sheen of the skirt and I like the way it falls. I know that it most definitely will not be "ankle length" on me, but I think it would not be so long that I'm dragging it. If you check it out at Newport News you can see that there are a variety of colors; I personally am partial to the bright purple. And of course, I would not wear this skirt all matchy matchy like the website styles it. I shudder to think.

Bottom line, I'm torn. I have a concern that it might be a bit cheap looking in person, but it has been featured several times by Lucky Magazine, and it's currently on sale for $29. So my question to you guys is the one I pose to shopping partners (Mom, Kim) when I just don't know: Do I love this?

rip Mr. McQueen

Caio.




You were magic.

The LBD

I think little girls just grow up learning the mantra "everyone needs a Little Black Dress". We hear it from our mothers, aunts, older sisters...all the most influential woman in our life, those on the television included. My mother is a very classic woman, and from her I learned that to have these kinds of staples in your closet was to be prepared for anything. I wish I could montage the little black dresses I've owned over the years (some of which I borrowed from my mother), I think it would tell an interesting tale.

The only two I can give you is one I dug up from the high school albums, and one I wore to a semi formal event last year.


Do you know what this is my friends? This is me, my junior year of high school, after being inducted into the National Honor's Society. Here I'm hamming it up with friend Tasha. I wish I wasn't leaning over in all of these shots, but I always seemed to have shorter friends with me in the pictures. This dress was actually bought for my eighth grade dance, and I had been working out hard of late and fit into it for this occasion. Bangs! Long Hair! (sob, I miss the length. grow faster!) This dress was simple and flattering, off the shoulder boat neckline (depending on how I wore it), ruched bodice, flared skirt, made of who knows what polyester. It has since been retired. I'm also wearing Nina peep toes, earrings my cousin made, old silver rings, a bracelet I lost, and my favorite necklace that I recently snapped the chain of.


Erin is going to KILL ME, for this picture, but it's the best I got. For Snow Ball last year I wore this velvet bubble dress, which actually has a beautiful draped back, and which naturally I took zero pictures of. I'm wearing like three years ago Prada-esq style heels, and a necklace from Charlotte Russe that I still wear. This dress no longer fits, thank god.

What I want now, is something figure hugging but not slutty, different but not over the top. And I found a simple dress that I think would just be amazing with a huge statement necklace, bracelets, and some sexy heels.


Photo via shopbob.com

This is a Torn by Robby Kobo dress and yes, it comes in black, but no where I could find it today. Everywhere is apparently sold out of black. It's on Gilt today, but it could be sold out there by now too. (And is it just me, or do you want this model to eat a sandwich or five?) During my search for this dress somewhere other than Gilt, I found this:



The dress, for 19.95, from Chic Star. Score!

Falling for VPL

After popping some Advil and trying to nap, I feel...well, a bit more normal. Still feverish though. So I've been relaxing to shake off the sick, perusing my usual websites, and as I clicked through Gilt's VPL sale just now, I fell in love.






Their clothing, which is a unique look at underwear and sportswear, has the most fantastic draping and shapes that I've ever seen, not to mention every piece looks ridiculously soft and comfortable. These pieces are from Shopbop.com which has about 34 pieces from VPL. I also did an ebay search and am currently watching a few pieces...but the prices really aren't doable for me.

I would just love to get my hands on some of their pieces for summer, I've never seen modal look so chic and sexy, but laid back at the same time. You would think that all the words that come to mind when talking about their clothing, sexy, chic, comfortable, laid-back, would all contradict, but they come together in the vision of VPL! I'm absolutely smitten.

I'm Dreaming of a White Valentine's Day

Oh my darlings, I know I promised outfits and didn't deliver, but you must understand! My campus was already covered in snow from "snowpocalypse" over the weekend, so I needed lots of layers and snow boots daily. And then, yesterday afternoon, blizzard #2 began, and it's still going on. This is what our parking lot (without any cars, because they made us dig them out and move them...I don't want to talk about it) looks like:



To be honest, it's really not a good representation, but I cannot move past my doorway. Two days ago, I was hit with a strange sickness that ebbs and flows as it chooses. Unhappy tummy, sometimes having hot flashes like I'm entering menopause, sometimes chills like I'm experiencing right now. This is not the face of a happy blogger.



Because even though all of my classes were canceled, it's a BLIZZARD outside, and I still have mounds of work to attack anyway. Super.

There is one thing that does make me happy, the 12 white roses that boyfriend sent me yesterday! So pretty and sweet. I fully believe that a guy can't go wrong by finding out his girl's favorite flowers and holding onto that piece of information for Valentine's Day and random days alike. Can't get your guy to figure that out? Be less than subtle. Boyfriend and I are watching tv, and someone gives a bouquet of red roses. I jump on the opportunity. "I prefer white roses actually. And flowers are so sweet for Valentine's Day." Boyfriend knew I was being obvious, and who's to say he didn't already plan this way in advance? Still, if he's not getting it, just let him know sweetheart. You've heard it a million times, he's not going to read your mind.

As you're looking forward to this romantic day with your sweetheart (and I'm not shy, I totally am!) do me a favor, and remember two things.

1. No gift standards. - If you expect diamond encrusted jewelry, you will be severely disappointed. (Especially if you're part of the college crowd.) Trust that your boyfriend or girlfriend will do a good job finding something sweet and special that shows that they really care. Do you really want your relationship measured by how much you spend on each other?

2. Find gifts for the person you significant other actually is! - Boyfriend has the body type to wear all of the latest male fashion trends, but that's not his thing. He dresses well by sticking to his own simple aesthetic, and I love and respect that. That's why I didn't go to Express and buy him clothes he wouldn't wear. Like on Christmas, when I gave him headphones because he loves music, I try to cater to his actual personality.

I hope I can return with some more fashiony posts soon enough! If you're snowed in like me, godspeed! And if you're not...I'll keep my words to myself.

In My Mind, I am Poolside

Found: the cutest beach bag made out of terry cloth, and which I very much want to stuff with my books, magazines, lots of spf, wallet and phone this summer. At least I could say that it would be a useful purchase in this case. I'm a full time nanny and the family I work for is joining a pool this summer, so I'll often be shuttling my charges there and having the oh so difficult task of lounging in my bikini and making sure they stay out of trouble.





The only problem is that these are Pratesi bags, very expensive Italian bags. I found them at this website where you can get the two bags shown for 40% off. 90 dollars still isn't in my price range, and maybe not yours, but if you're a gilt member they have the small beach bag on sale today for a bit cheaper.

Perhaps I'll search for some look alike bags, but I know they won't be the same. Unfortunately, you can't carry an Italian bag on the salary of a nanny.

Edit: How could I not mention the fact that THE SAINTS WON THE SUPERBOWL YESTERDAY!!! I didn't post my outfit because it was really just for functionality. I went to a frat and ate chicken nuggets, oven pizza, and pizza rolls and yelled and screamed at a television with a hole in it when the game winner interception occurred. It was no time for fashion, it was FOOTBALL.

Where are You Summer?: Miami Beach Edition

Posting is so not what I should be doing right now. I have a short philosophy paper that I have written an introduction for that needs to be finished pre super bowl party, but I'm easily distracted. I clicked over to ModCloth REAL QUICK just to check out their new arrivals, and found a dress, a muse, if you will.



Orange is my favorite color, so I loved it right away. This dress not only has that beautiful vibrant color going for it, but it's also in a preferred shape of mine for a relaxed summer dress. Thinking of how I would wear this dress if I owned it, I was struck by a vision.

It's a hot, super sunny day in Miami, and I'm lazily attending to my errands about town before I meet boyfriend for lunch on my day off. I sit at a table right outside the doors of a local coffee shop, occasionally sipping iced green tea through a straw. I ward the sun away from my sensitive blue eyes with some large, seventies cool inspired sunglasses.


Courtesy of Urban Outfitters.

I gently tuck my tousled blond hair behind my ears, which bear bold gold hoops, which makes the chain link bangles on my right wrist jingle.



Both pieces from CCSkye.

I fidget as I sit, playing with the statement ring on my finger and tapping my sandaled feet against the the foot of the table.



Ring via CCSkye, Gladiator sandals from Urban Original.

Finally, I fish around for my phone in my bag, something chic and classy and big enough to hold my life.


Via coach.com.


Well, a girl can dream.

Forever 21 Doesn't Want me to Save my Money

Forever 21's website is having a Valentine's Day sale. And look what I found. OH WOW THREE THINGS I'VE WANTED A LOT AND HAVE BEEN POSTING ABOUT.



Shoes that I thought would complete this outfit. 16.99.




A super cute vest. Love the flirty back. 10.99.




A PONCHO. A Poncho that's on sale for 7.99!

Do I have bad karma or something?

Buried.

We got SO MUCH snow last night! I'm talking feet people! Don't believe me?






Michael by Michael Kohrs coat. H&M hat. JCrew gloves. Unseen: North Face Boots

This is an exact sequence of events. I posed in the snow (up to my knees). I decided I wanted a cute throwing snow up in the air shot. Christine caught me about to throw the snow at first (ridiculous facial expression). Then we set the camera to kidsandpets (my favorite setting), and we got the shot, but I'm making a stupid face yet again. Then I cried over my very cold fingers that had just held the snow. And then I smiled for a picture.

Love this coat, it saves my life since I hate the cold so much. Hat is a favorite and so are the gloves, which are about two or three years old now.

Facets of Cool

I don't just think that you have to be able to work deconstructed denim and a western inspired look as far as my new cool wardrobe goes. I'm also all in for the "new neutrals" that we saw in so many of the collections. I love white, but funnily enough I usually gravitate toward black and end up with way too much of it in my wardrobe, and really not enough white/cream/ivory etc.



Chloe was very neutral, but totally awesome. I want short white shorts RIGHT NOW, and I just want to own that top and wear it everywhere. Gorgeous, love the shape.



CHLOE PONCHO. PONCHO PONCHO PONCHO. I want it! (See this post if you don't understand.)



I just love this whole look from Acne. I'm a sucker for some tie dye done right, which was the central point of the entire collection. I think what strikes me about this is the casual nature of it. The loose pants, the open vest, the simple tank...I want to wear it to a chill get together with friends on a summer night.



Alexander Wang, I love the braids. To die for. My hair needs to start growing a lot faster. I also want this see through mini dress. YES, I would put something underneath it..I love the sportswear pieces showing through but I just don't think that works for my everday life. Ideally I'd just want to put a thin cotton tank dress that clings to the body so you could still see the shape of the dress, and still get the illusion of "I have x ray vision". Love your work Mr. Wang. Call Me.

That Would Be...Cool?

I have a confession to make everyone. I'm not cool. I know, you're shocked, unless you know me, in which case you're laughing and wondering why I thought I needed to tell people. However, the other day when I was talking about how I've never been effortless, I realized that I very much want to try and inject some cool into my wardrobe for the upcoming spring. Generally when I feel at a loss for inspiration or ideas, I turn to style.com and the designer collections. And then I looked at D&G's collection. And then I died.






Blah! A-MA-ZING. Obviously heavily western influenced. That's cool, because I love leather and denim. I want every pair of distressed denim from their collection, especially the pair on Chanel Iman (killer!). She's so pretty by the way, and currently one of my favorite models out there. Back to the topic at hand. I love the slim cut western shirts, much like the one I wanted here. I also MUST HAVE SOME CHEAPER VERSION OF THOSE SUEDE FRINGED KNEE HIGH BOOTS. They are, so beautiful, to meeeee. Can't you seeeeee?

Short lace dresses, all the actually cool girls are wearing them, like Karen Blanchard and Rumi Neely. All I need to do to get one is to go to the Forever 21 website though, so I guess that's not a real challenge.

Luckily, I think I have an old but super soft Levi's western style denim shirt still lurking in my closet at home (Ma, if you could let me know if that's true that'd be awesome). So I'll have to pull it out, check the fit, and wear it to death.

Finally, that gorgeous tiered skirt. I want it. Enough said.

I wanna wash my hair my face my hands in snow

I don't, actually, but Rosemary Clooney did back in the day. Here's the thing lovelies, I'm feeling guilty about the lack of outfits for this week and I was totally planning on providing one today and you know what happened? The threat of a huge snowstorm made it so that my only class was canceled. That's awesome, I mean, all I did today was go to the gym and nap. However, that meant that the most dressed up I got all day was to put on my shorts, sports bra, and t shirt for the gym. This storm is going to last through tomorrow but I PROMISE that in the upcoming week you will get lots of outfits, I will do my very best.



If it makes you feel any better to see it, this is what I look like right now, and what I look like most of the time that I spend in my room.

If you're wondering, the headphones are Sennheiser and they're AMAZING. I love mine so much that I bought boyfriend a different style for Christmas because he's a music addict, I definitely recommend it if you're still scrambling around for a present for your male counterpart and he's an audiophile/music snob. Mine are the HD 555's and boyfriend's are HD 448's. The difference? Mine have major sound leakage and it doesn't bother me but it bothers my roommates, it's because they're open headphones. Boyfriend's are closed ear. Just know that these phones are a little pricey, but definitely worth the money.

In any case, forgive me for being unfashionable lately! Unless you think I'm always unfashionable, in which case I just apologize in general. Kisses!