urban tease

Video FAQ: Curly Hair

2012-01-27T13:37:00.003-06:00

I made a video to answer my most frequently asked question: How do I do my hair? Sorry for all the awkwardness & stumbling on my words. Also, my lisp is picked up stronger in video recordings, so it may be difficult to understand some of what I say, when my "s" gets too slushy. Anyways, I'll quit apologising over it & let everyone watch or not watch or however you wish to make of it.

I could get on stilts and walk under a daschund

2012-01-24T22:15:00.004-06:00

Map Photo Frame DIY

2012-01-15T19:33:00.003-06:00

This is a quick tutorial on decoupaging photo frames! In this case, I used some maps of European coountries. You can use any type of paper you'd like!

Start with your photo frame. Wipe it clean and take it apart. In this example, I bought a cheap frame from the dollar store. Don't do this! The glass did not come out, which made the process slightly more messy, but since all the glues were water-based, they were easy to clean off the glass.

I used tacky glue and painted it onto the frame, laying the paper down as I went along. I left torn edges on purpose, but you can always cut the edges straight if you'd prefer.

I did, however, cut one straight edge and align it with the glass of the frame. Even if you didn't go cheap and bought an actual frame from a reputable source (aka not the dollar store), I would still align a straight edge. Too much bulk folded over the edge might mean that the glass won't fit back into the frame.

I covered the whole entire frame with map pieces, now comes the decoupage!

I was using Mod Podge for this. I haven't tried any other brands of decoupage, but this is really great. You can also use puzzle glue or any type of glue which will dry clear. Even tacky glue is fine, but decoupage glue will probably yield best results.

Paint the decoupage on in an even layer, smoothing down any pieces of the paper that might've come up. Let it dry and do another layer. After all is dry, clean the glass and pop everything back into place!

Here was my finished piece, which I gave as a present to my best friend! I'll definitely be decoupaging more frames, but I do not recommend skimping and buying dollar store frames.

My Valentino

2012-01-10T14:08:00.004-06:00

My little goldfish Valentino (pictured on the lefthand side) died today. This post is in commemoration to him, since he was very dear to me and Ted (pictured on the right) as well. May you rest in peace in little fishy heaven.

The weather was absolutely fantastic and I have the day off. I haven't done much with it yet (finding Valentino floating in the tank was quite a shock and I'm still recovering - I spent the morning crafting him a casket) but I do plan on taking a walk later and then snuggling down to watch Andy Griffith with the boyfriend! Both of those things can usually cheer me up quite a bit! Now, speaking of the boyfriend....

He took all the photos for my blog today! He's such a sweet, I'm lucky to have him.

On Sunday, the boy and I went to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to catch the Edo Pop exhibit that was closing. On the way out, we ran over to Blacklist Vintage, which is an absolutely lovely little store located just a few blocks from the museum. If you live in the area, check it out! Their prices are reasonable and they have a nice selection of clothing, accessories, and even some home decor. I found this lovely skirt there, which the boyfriend fell in love with even more than me. He's a sucker for a girl in a skirt and I suppose this one completes all of his school teacher fantasies. Either way, it's super lovely, great for winter, and the best part is that I don't have to hem it! When it comes to vintage (or, well, anything) I usually end up hemming several inches. This one needs no hemming and is beautifully hand constructed!

I also bought this too cute parrot pin! I had been eyeing it the last time I was at Blacklist and luckily for me, it was still there! I love this little guy, I named him Loulou after the parrot in "Un Coeur Simple" by Flaubert, which I read last semester in the French Lit class where I met my boyfriend. We collaborated for a speech over the chapter where Loulou flies away.

Oh! I almost forgot - this jacket! I found this yesterday (booo, I do too much shopping on my days off!) at a consignment shop in Highland Village. It was slightly overpriced, but my size, faux fur, and ridiculously soft and Teddy Bear-like. I bought it and decided to give it a try...I always have 7 days to return it. What do you guys think? Should I keep it?

I do quite like it for its vintage appeal, without it being real fur. Real fur is too much for me, even if it's vintage! I think it reflects the 1950's-winter look that I was going for, even if the weather isn't quite in style with the look...

It also makes me feel sort of superior and movie-star-like... So what do you guys all think about the jacket? To keep, or not to keep? Input, please!

I have another DIY project coming up soon (I'm the next Martha Stewart, or so I'd like to think). School starts next week, and the textbooks slowly trickling onto my front step is a constant reminder. I also now need to decide whether to return the 20 gallon tank that I bought for the fish (Ted doesn't need that much to himself!) or if I should buy a Valentino II? Hmmm big decisions are ahead, for 2012!

My New Year's Resolution: 2012 Edition, Part One

2012-01-06T21:36:00.004-06:00

2011 started off great. I was feeling confident and happy. I had just gotten out of a relationship that had gone sour and the whole world was mine. It was an exciting time (I secretly love being single!) but it was also marked with 40 hour work weeks, full time schooling, 5:30am wake ups, and mono. I found myself a wonderful new companion, went on a trip to New Mexico, graduated high school, and backpacked across Europe. When I came home from Europe, I was 10 pounds heavier than when I left. But I felt great! I was healthy. My hips had gotten wider, my thighs more muscular, but I cheerfully donated all of my now too-small jeans.

Since all of this happened, I started yet another semester at college, and most certainly my most unhappy semester. It was plagued with loneliness, sadness, extreme tiredness, and stress. My weight has been up and down and I've often been feeling fat, unhealthy, and out of shape. This is, of course, ridiculous. I'm less than 100 pounds (keep in mind that I'm only 5 feet tall, but this is still very light!) and I should absolutely not be feeling this way. I've never been stick skinny, I've always had chubby legs and babyface. But I'm upset with myself for letting it ever get so far as putting myself down for how I look.

So here is my New Year's Resolution, Part One. I will try to surround myself with photos of "real" women. No more starving, stick thin models, but rather people who eat and are merry, not giving too much consideration as to how many calories they're consuming. So here I am to start off 2012 with a collection of photos to demonstrate the type of women who will represent my 2012!

NO MORE girls who look like this, with chicken legs, skeleton hands, and a great deal of Photoshop!

Clara Bow is a wonderful example of a woman with a beautiful body. Her weight went up & down her entire life (as well as her mentality), but she never let it take away from her sex appeal.

Raquel Torres: no collar bones sticking out and her thighs touch...but she's not letting it stop her!

Dorothy Dickinson showing off the hips of a real woman.

Marilyn Monroe, one of my favourite icons, who was blessed with a fantastic body.

Alice White, looking cute as ever, but not worrying about sucking in her stomach or making herself look overly "sexy."

This is only part one of my resolution to feel 100% better about my body image. There's much more to come, but I won't bore everyone with what I have to say. More will come soon, and in the meantime, I'd love to hear your guys' own resolutions, or how you keep your self esteem soaring!

A Night at the Ordway + Glitter Shoes DIY

2012-01-01T21:46:00.004-06:00

Hello folks, and happy New Year! I've decided to start 2012 off right and do a two-in-one: an outfit I wore AND a DIY post!

On Wednesday night, my boyfriend brought me to see "Cinderella" at the Ordway in downtown St. Paul. It was absolutely lovely! Going to the theater is one of my favourites. Dressing up is such fun, and being in the swim with all the other fish...what excitement! I had only a day to decide what to wear for the show, so I threw this look together at the last minute. I had been wearing my hair up and my boyfriend told me that I looked like Audrey Hepburn. So bam, I decided to do a Holly Golightly look. The finishing touch, and maybe the "Chloe" aspect of the look, are the shoes....which I "made" by myself. Here's how:

I started with a pair of black pumps that I bought at Payless some time ago. Just cheapie shoes that I don't care for. In addition to the shoes, you also need: masking tape, a bowl, a paintbrush, craft glue (I'm using tacky glue), and craft glitter. Make sure that you cover your entire work area with newspaper. You will regret it otherwise!

Clean off the shoes and then mark the areas that you don't want to get glittery with masking tape.

Paint glue over the area where you want glitter. Make sure it's painted on very evenly, or else the glitter will be noticeably uneven.

Hold the shoe over the bowl and sprinkle glitter over it. Wiggle the shoe around to spread the glitter. Gently pat it in place and then shake off all excess.

Continue with the rest of the shoe. After I used the baby pink glitter, I taped around the inside of the shoe and then continued to glitter the rest of the shoe.

After I was done with black, and the pink had fully dried, I went ahead and did two more layers of pink glitter. It is very important that you let the glue dry entirely!

And here is my finished product!

They turned out pretty well, except the glitter does make an awful mess! I've always wanted glitter-y shoes but I'm not in the financial state to buy new ones, and since these were lying around anyways, I thought I'd try out a fun craft. I love DIY!

In addition to the shoes, I wore this dress that I found a few years ago in the Macy's sale section for $6. My boyfriend at the time said that he really loved the dress, so I bought it and then never wore it for him! "Cinderella" was the first time! I'm also wearing gloves from Jessica Mclintock, a black wait belt, and jewelry that was my grandmothers (the double strand and also stud diamond earrings, though they're probably not apparent...). I've been getting quite into jewelry as of late and I'd like to continue experimenting with it more.

So, with the start of the New Year comes such great new events and resolutions. Expect to see more very soon, as well as a complete list of my resolutions. 2011 was such a great year, I didn't possibly want to see it end. But it has, and we'll just have to try to make 2012 just as great!

Merry Christmas, Baby!

2011-12-25T21:53:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas, Babies! I hope everyone had a fantastic day filled with lots of love, joy, laughter, good company, and good food. The holidays are such a fantastic time of year and a wonderful celebration of the coming of the Christian saviour. Even if you don't celebrate the traditional Christmas holiday, or even if you don't celebrate Christmas at all, it's still a wonderful time of year to be with family and friends.

Fitz & the Tantrums - Santa Stole My Lady

This was my Santa Girl outfit! I made the skirt last spring to wear to the opera, and decided to re-hem it this weekend because the hem was crooked and very badly sewn. The number one issue with the crushed velvet fabric is that it's curly! So the hem ended up rolling and, though it's even & discreet, it's much much much too short to be comfortably worn. Bah, humbug! It ends up flashing my garters far too much and in the wind it's an absolute catastrophe & very reminiscent of Marilyn.

So we didn't get a white Christmas, but it was lovely anyways! I'll hopefully do a better round up of it later, but I wanted to get out these photos of what I wore before the Holiday was too far past. This outfit was inspired by an Harley Davidson Santa that my father used to own. I wore this leather vest and black booties to toughen it all up and make is more me-ish. Hmmm, me-ish, Chloe-ish, those are terms I tend to use a lot! But I really don't have a better way of describing it...it's my personality in the outfit! I wore this today, for Christmas with my family, and also last night for the Christmas Eve service at church and for a party at my boyfriend's auntie's house. One of my favourite parts of the Holiday season is all parties and the family, and being welcomed no matter who you are. Another favourite part (besides the birth and blessed miracle of the Baby Jesus) would be Santa Claus!

I was babysitting(!) three kids the other weekend. We hunkered down to watch Christmas movies and make cards, and while the two youngest were changing into their pajamas, the 11-year-old and I had an heart to heart about Old Saint Nick. He confided in me that he stilled pretended to believe in Santa, which is such a wonderful thing. I do, too. I believe in the spirit of Santa and in the wonderful symbol of Christmas that he is. I believe in the hope and cheer he inspires in young children and adults alike. I expressed this to the older boy I was "babysitting," much to his agreeance and we both kept it a little secret as the true believers stumbled back downstairs in their footie pajamas.

I hope that everyone reading this, no matter what faith you are, have a wonderful holiday season and that peace and warmth are with you and your loved ones.

rain rain go away!

2011-12-16T11:26:00.002-06:00

Let me start this post out with: Right now, I hate Texans. If you're a Texan, beware!! Yes, all of our beautiful, lovely, Winterland snow is gone! All those Texans pushed their warm air and rain up to Minnesota and because of this, we warmed up above freezing and got loads of rain which washed away all our snow. And though it's back below freezing now, there isn't snow in the forecast before Christmas. I've never muched cared for Texas (mostly because they gave us the Bush administration) but now I care for them even less! For all I care, they can just leave the US. Christmas in Minnesota just isn't Christmas without white fluffy ice crunching under your boots and icicles dripping from rain gutters. How will Santa's sleigh land on my roof now? Huh, Texans? Explain that to me!!

Ok now that I'm over that rage (just kidding, I'll never be over it...) here is a "winter" outfit post for ya'll. It was inspired by '20s flapper drop waist dresses. The dress I'm wearing underneath (which I bought a couple years ago from UO) is actually drop waist, but it's short sleeved and the top is mesh, so I layered my knit turtleneck over it to warm it up. The tights are to give it some colour and to intensify the pinks in my turtleneck by means of "colour seperation." (Ooooh big vocab words from colour theory class)

You see this face? Yupp, that's how pissed I am about the snow going away. Ok ok ok, I know I said I'd leave that behind... Anyways, the lack of snow is making it even harder for me to get into the Christmas spirit! Finals have taken precedence over my first couple weeks of December (I have one more test and one more final project) so I haven't even had time to decorate the tree or get Christmas cards out! Hopefully I can catch up on that before work today and during my day off on Sunday.

In the meantime, I did do one Christmas-y thing! My boyfriend and I went to go watch the Holidazzle parade in downtown Minneapolis last weekend! We followed it up with checking out Macy's Santaland display and then writing letters to Santa! Ooooh I do so hope that he'll bring me the puppy, the snow, and the world peace that I asked him for!

I also just realised that I'm wearing my hair up in the photos. Even the one of me posting my letter to Santa. And in fact, I have my hair up right now! I'm not sure what it is, but I've been wearing it up lately. Okay, I know what it is...my boyfriend really likes it! But I sort of like it too, especially when I'm having a bad hairday or haven't been able to wash my hair. I also like wearing headbands, like this one, which I bought from UO a couple years back now. It's super cute and reminded me of the '20s (hence why I'm wearing it with my flapper inspired outfit).

Anyways, I'm off to go work on my Christmas cards! I have a list of about 40 people...let's see if I can get this done! Here's hoping for some snow xx

Better Off Dead

2011-12-08T16:50:00.005-06:00

Hello! It's snowed! It snowed over the weekend (hmmm I took these photos a week ago, now you know...). It was so lush and beautiful. I hope we get more soon. Anyways, as I said, I took these photos a week ago, about the time that it was just started to snow, in the evening, and since then it has gotten so cold out! I don't know how many outfit posts I'll be doing this winter...

But here, I am wearing Cheap Monday acid wash skinnies, a sweater I found in the H&M sale section ($4!!), my winter boots from Khombu, and a new jacket that a co-worker gave me as a gift! It had been her's when she was younger, but she wanted to pass it on to someone who would wear it more. It is also the most wrinkly jacket that I own, now...

This outfit was inspired (entirely) by the '80s movie "Better Off Dead" starring my true love, John Cusack. It's such an off the wall movie and I definitely recommend it to all who have not seen it. You won't regret it! And whether you have or have not seen it, I've included some screencaps to aid with my demonstration of outfit inspiration:

Charles De Mar's hat is reminiscent of George Harrison's getup in "Help!" during the scene where they went skiing. I love Beth's matching jacket & hat, and Lane's down vest over the sweater is so lovely! Definitely something that I would wear....

Red ski pants!! I also love the teal jackets with the red-orange ski boots, and Lane's orange boots. If I knew skiing was such a fashionable sport, I would've gotten in on it long ago!

Red cardigan! Maybe I like this movie because it's set in the winter, so there're tons of chunky sweaters. It speaks to my frozen Minnesotan heart.

Monique's curly hair is so cute! I wish my curls were more kinky. I love the headband with her curls sticking out. I've never seen anyone look cute in one of these headbands...

And if you're wondering what to wear for Christmas...! Ricky's outfits in this movie are ridiculous. So many crazy patterned pants and tops! I love it so much! His wack-o mom is the same way... (All screencaps from here because my DVD wasn't working for some reason)

Anyways, back to the outfit! A couple of weeks ago I asked what you guys thought about the evolution of my style. Surprisingly, I got really great responses (I honestly didn't think that people usually read what I wrote...now I'll be more careful about what I ramble on about)! As I got dressed the other day when I wore this outfit, I was thinking to myself about how I used to wear acid wash a lot a lot a lot, which reminded me that I hadn't yet responded to the lovely comments I'd gotten.

So, I'm here to say thanks for all the feedback to my question. It was great to hear that you guys thought that it was totally normal to have such style evolution. When I started this blog in 2008 (as a sophmore in high school, I believe), the purpose was to "find" my style. I've experimented with some much: menswear, neon, colour blocking, skinny jeans, graphic tees, suspenders, ugly sweaters, the list is never-ending and, at times, extremely embarassing, but I documented it all and it's here forever now. It's been in the past year or so that I've really grown comfortable with my style and have had a strong feeling for what is "me" and what isn't. This is a good thing...I've grown a lot since I started the blog. I started college, I got a job, I've gone through numerous boyfriends and have developed friendships with great people, and lost friendships with others. It's all a part of growing up, isn't it? And if I still wore the same things as I did at 15, that would not be good! As one person commented, she'd be concerned if my style had not matured with me.

But, to grow on this, someone also commented on the fact that my style was more varied back in the day, and that they really liked it when I mixed it up more. So, as the new year is about to start and whatnot, my new style resolution is to mix it up more! I know what I like and what I don't like, but there's a lot out there that I like, but just haven't tried. So there's my style resolution, and let's see what I make of it!

In the meantime, as I said, it's really awfully cold outside and I don't know how long I can stand around taking photos in it for. So no more outfit posts are planned, but don't worry, I still have a lot to come for December! Hang in there babies and stay warm!

Sweetheart of the Rodeo

2011-12-04T09:50:00.003-06:00

Isn't it funny how you can be prepared to blog and know exactly what to say and have all the photos together, and then just never find the time to? That's been happening to me! I took these photos last Tuesday (since then we've had lots of snow!) and just never found the time to post them. Here they are, though! This outfit was inspired by The Byrd's album "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." I grew up listening to it on vinyl and just staring at the cover of the album, which is so interesting! I decided to do my own take of it, maybe a take which is a bit more Chloe-ish.

The Byrds' "You Ain't Going Nowhere"

This medicine pouch necklace was one of my favourites growing up. I've probably had it since I was 4 or thereabouts. I love feeling the beads in my hands. It's just so cool and intricate.

The top I'm wearing is from Everyday People on Snelling & Selby in St. Paul. I found it for $10 and thought it was the coolest thing ever! It's really sheer and has this psychadelic print all over it with tigers and elephants and people and rivers. The brand listed on it was called "Campus Casuals" which really only adds to my list of reasons to love this shirt.

The vest is from Lula, also on Snelling & Selby. The skirt is from Heritaage 1981. I found it a few years ago now in the sale section for $5. I really don't like the skirt, but oh well. It's structured funny and really short.

Anyways, I took some outfit photos the other night, just as the snow began falling! Expect those soon. The snow is so so so beautiful. I'm hopeful that we'll have a white Christmas afterall! xx

The Beatles

2011-11-29T23:58:00.004-06:00

Howdy! I hope everyone's weekend went well, especially to all you Americans out there who had an extended holiday weekend to celebrate the short-lived friendship between pilgrims & the natives before we gave them small pox and forced them onto reservations. At least we now get to celebrate it by taking an entire day off from work and school, and just eating pumpkin pie instead! I had a really excellent Thanksgiving spent watching the Macy's parade, spending time with my family and a few friends, and being with my boyfriend, who is the greatest ever (teenage girl moment over.....almost....)

Here's a photo of us that I'm posting just to stare at while I write this. No, I'm kidding (a bit)! I actually ripped this from his sister's Facebook because I wanted to show off what I made...! And that would be the vest and tie, sillies, not the boy! Yupp, I made the vest for him as a present, and then Thanksgiving morning as I put on my orange dress, I thought to myself, "Hmmm...I had a lot of excess orange fabric from hemming this dress...maybe enough to make a neck tie!" And I sure did. So I made him this tie and we matched all day and probably made people have to run off and vomit from our cuteness. So that was my Thanksgiving!

Anyways, back to the original reason of posting and that reason would be...that this is a fashion blog!!!! Sillies. So here is what I wore some time ago. I was channelling a grunge look here, mostly because I wanted to wear this old olive green coloured hoodie. This is probably one of the most loved articles of clothing that I own. It's soft and worn in and the comfiest. Before it became mine, it belonged to my older sister. Before it was her's, it was her 9th grade boyfriend's. And before it was in his posession, it was probably some skateboarder friend's of his.

Despite the fact that I was wearing this super duper awesome (there's some skaterboy terminology in there for ya!) hoodie, I still wasn't feeling the outfit. To compensate, I've spent the next few days wearing frilly, girly outfits.

After the hoodie, my favourite part of this outfit was the accessories! I have a pretty good pin collection going, I can't even choose which my favourite is. A lot of them have little stories behind them, which is great. Like the camel...I found him in a dusty little antique store in Nantes after I got into a fight with my friend and we parted ways by the castle. And the owl...my ex boyfriend got him for me (oh, and the Beatles shirts I'm wearing here) when we were up in Duluth. We couldn't decide between several pieces, but he picked me up the owl for some month anniversary.

I also chose a collection of rings to wear. I enjoy wearing accessories, I just always seem to forget! Even despite this, I'm still not a mega-fan of this outfit. It's just too bland and is missing a bit of the Chloe-ness that's usually in what I wear... To sum it up, this is how I feel about this outfit:

Hope you all are hanging in there & getting anxious for the holiday season! xx

but I can live & breathe and see the sun in wintertime

2011-11-21T20:42:00.004-06:00

Here is another segment of my 6-items-for-25-days experiment, which I've now ended. I took these photos a while ago and simply forgot to blog! I'm falling behind, it seems. Since these photos, it has now snowed and Minnesota is a lovely heaven of white and ice. I'm so happy, even if most people are not. Snow is a guarantee in Minnesota, I don't think we've ever had a winter without snow. But even so, with each new snowfall, people act like it's never snowed before and like winter is this entirely new concept which they've never heard of before. It's extremely bizarre to overhear conversations like this, but a certainty soon after the first snow.

This outfit was inspired by one of Rory's outfits in the first episode of Gilmore Girls. I cannot find a single screencap from this scene, but in it she's wearing a huge white sweater (her muumuu), black tights, and Doc Martens. I love some of the late '90s grunge fashions during the first season or two of the series, and this particular outfit I've always really liked. I watch this show a lot, and have probably seen it all the way through about 5 times at least, so yeah...you get the picture...

I love this turtleneck, which I stole from my sister's closet, because it is so warm and the most ultimately cozy sweater I own. It doesn't quite live up to Rory's muumuu, but it's pretty comfortable and makes me feel safe, so it has the same idea to it, I guess. And of course these shorts are a staple and these boots are a new favourite, which I bought from DSW last month.

So I have a quick question for any of you who actually read this and don't just look at the photos (I know you're out there!!); do you think my style has dramatically changed since you began reading my blog? I had a comment on my last post that my style used to be so much better, and more original, but now I just look like all the other girls. I take everything that you guys write to heart, and I've been mulling this over for a while...just thinking about how my style has changed, and how I feel about it. I'll touch base with this more later but, doesn't everyone's style change over the years? And aren't we all influenced by what we see around us, including what other girls are wearing? It's never been my wish to look like everyone else, but maybe the commenter was right. How do you guys feel about your own style changes through the years?

Anyways, since I've now given you something to think about, and myself too, it's time to go! I don't have classes tomorrow, and only one on Wednesday, so I'll finally have time to relax and get some stuff checked off my to-do list. It's Thanksgiving on Thursday and then the mad rush of Christmas shopping begins! Anyone else working in a mall or in retail can feel my pain, I'm sure....But in the meantime, I can relax with my boy and watch movies. I think tonight might be "Pretty Woman" while he studies, hmmm. I can never get enough of Julia Roberts or the ninties!

starry night

2011-11-16T16:06:00.004-06:00

For the past 16 days, I've been wearing the same 6 items (undergarments, jackets, and accesories not included). This is supposed to continue into the next 9 days. (I've already cheated a number of times...remember the orange dress??) I'm doing this for my fashion ethics class, where we're experimenting to see if you really can wear only 6 base items and still function, professionally and socially. It's been fun, but I already did this when I backpacked Europe over the summer for 5 weeks. Yes, it works, but it's not fun! Time to quit this and start spreading some love to other clothes in my wardrobe.

For a better idea, these shorts & this shirt are two of my six items. I also included the shirt and shorts that I wore here, a turtleneck sweater, and a blue skirt (for church and dignified events).

I'm so glad we can wear different coats, shoes, and accesories! This wasn't the case while in Europe, so I consider myself even more hardcore back then. For the assignment, we're also not supposed to shop for apparel for 25 days. There're several people in the class who refused to do the assignment, which is really silly and closed-minded. I feel like you learn a lot about yourself, your consumption, and how much excess you have in your life, by doing this. When I got back from Europe, I cleaned out my room, donating things which I never thought about or needed while away from home. It took loads of clutter out of my life and has me buying less and less. Would you guys do this experiment, too?

Anyways, getting off my soap box now! I was channeling a Minnesotan art student in this outfit. Wait...isn't that what I already am?? Ha, the irony! The Van Gogh bag is from Amsterdam. There was this sketchy knock off tent next to the Van Gogh museum which, mind you, wasn't better priced, they just had better stuff than the real museum gift shop. So that is where the bag is from - the sketchy tent shop.

These shoes are a gift from Wanted Shoes and I love them for the Molly Ringwald aspect of them. The white and the crochet detailing...I know she'd be jealous of me, if this was 30 years ago and if this was Pretty in Pink (unfortunately it's not...)

Oh and this jacket! I love the teal colour and the Minnesota-feel of it. It's by the brand BB Dakota and if I'm not mistaken, it's the one worn by Kristen Stewart in the first Twilight movie. So I guess it's a bit more Forks-ish than Minnesota-ish?? (Yes, I've read the books/seen the movie...don't let this affect your opinion of me, please!)

I suppose this outfit makes it seem a lot warmer out than it is... But boy, it's getting cold out! There're red noses and huge down, puffy jackets galore on campus, and I'm still anxiously awaiting our first real snowfall, where it all sticks and doesn't melt.

In the meantime, I'm keeping warm indoors and doing a lot of DIY stuff! I've been sewing, making greeting cards (the holidays are upon us!), and painting. I made these frames for by boyfriend a couple of weeks ago. It was his 22nd and I wanted to make him something sweet and homemade. I went to Walgreens and bought a couple of frames. Then I painted them a base colour (pink and orange), waited for that to dry, then laid stickers down. I followed that with a layer of blue paint, then pulled up the stickets once it all had dried. And voila! I don't think it's such a bad effect, but I definitely should've sanded the varnish off the frames first.

Hope everyone is keeping warm and enjoying the onset of the holiday season!

well I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray

2011-11-11T23:38:00.006-06:00

On Thursday night, my boyfriend and I attended a special event at the MNOpera - the world premiere of "Silent Night"! This was our third outing hosted by MNOpera and, funny enough, it landed on the anniversary of our first date...which was to see Die Fledermaus at the opera, also! For that date, I had strep throat and mononucleosis. I have no idea why he still wanted to take me out. I'm happy to say that, for this anniversary, I was in much better health!

Anyways, as I said this was the world premiere of the opera "Silent Night" based on the 2005 film picture of the same title, or "Joyeux Noel." For those unfamiliar with it, the story is a fictionalized account of one of the truces which took place in the trenches of WWI in 1914, on Christmas Eve. When I first saw the dates on this opera, I thought to myself, "Hmmm...a bit early to be releasing Christmas to the public." (I say this, but my own workplace put $58,000 tress up the day after Halloween.) Interestingly enough, the director commented on this before the show, noting that they tried to make it less focused on the Christian aspect of the holiday. Instead they focused on the idea of "home" and what it means around the holiday times. The show reflected this greatly and in such a beautiful, heartbreaking way.

This here is the French general and dang, check out that uniform and the combed back hair! Everything I want in a man. Whenever I think of men in uniform, I think about some of the decorations they wear. I don't wear much jewelry, but brooches are one thing I'm more than happy to buy into. For the performance I wore my little camel pin:

This little guy came from a closet-of-an-antique-store in Nantes, France. I adore his little face and bejeweled saddle.

Back to the opera, because it really was just that amazing! We saw Wuthering Heights last April at MNOpera, and the staging made it really feel more like a movie than a live-performance (in the best way possible!). The use of different screens, visual effects, and lighting were just so exciting. This performance featured some battle scenes as well, which were beautifully executed and almost like a sad, battlefield dance. It was all really heartbreaking, as WWI was. The destruction and the uselessness and the deaths...it's all such a pity, even nearly 100 years later.

The performance came back from intermission with a very grim ending. I left the theater with anguish in my heart, as war tends to leave me, and with heavy thoughts circling my head. Such power and emotion an opera can cause! My boyfriend and I walked back to the car in near complete silence, just out of emotional exhaustion. I never entered into the theater expected to be so emotionally struck.

Besides the jawdropping visual effects, the music was incredibley beautiful. It had a Christmas-y undertone but was, at times, very sad and hopeless, at others frightening, and even further, joyous and exciting. See what I mean about an emotional rollercoaster? The singing was all in German, French, and English. This was the first opera I'd seen which used French, which was great, because I was able to understand most of what they sang! Yessss, my education is paying off!

All of these beautiful photos are credit to Michal Daniel of MNOpera.

If any Minnesota locals are interested in seeing this opera (as you should be! Don't let the word "opera" hold you back from this performance), MNOpera is offering a special promotion for Tuesday night's performance on the 15th. Just enter "blog20" as a coupon when checking out online at MNOpera.org to save on up to 4 seats! This performance is at the Ordway theater in downtown St. Paul, which is probably one of the most romantic theaters left in MN.

Anyways, as a quick word about this outfit that I wore! I found this dress last spring at the Selby Ave. vintage store, "Go Vintage." It was on sale for maybe around $10 because of small tears, a stain or two, and the general fact that it was atrocious and looked more like a circus tent than a dress. I wish I took a photo of it when I first bought it...I probably cut off a good 4 feet of length. Yes, it was long! Well past my feet (okay, okay, okay, I'm only 5' tall). I cut all that off and hemmed up the lining and the tulle. I mended the little tears, gave it a thorough ironing (this is the most wrinkle-prone dress I've ever owned!) and voila! Not such a bad outcome, huh?

It has such a '70s vibe to it, but I sweetened it up (and maybe threw in some '60s?) by hemming it. It still makes me think of Mama Cass whenever I wear it, though. I mentioned this to my boy last night, to which he hmmmmphed and took it as me feeling bad for myself. Though Mama Cass was often seen in unfitted, tent-like outfits, I meant that I felt more like I should be singing in quartet of hippies and wearing flowers in my hair. Oh, if only I could sing half as well as Mama Cass!

I'm not expecting to grow flowers in the desert

2011-11-01T16:22:00.002-05:00

Say hi & welcome to my beautiful new boots! What glorious little babes these are, they've hardly been off my feet since I bought them two Saturdays ago! I have this problem where I buy something new and then wear it constantly for a few weeks, eventually forgetting completely about it once it's replaced, re-finding it years later and deciding it no longer reflects my style at the moment. It's an extremely complex problem. Hopefully these new boots won't fall victim.

Oh, I'd also like to introduce my wonderful exotic bird shirt! I found it at Blacklist Vintage last month during MN Fashion Week. (I even blogged about it here.) It's another one of those things that I wear constantly. The shorts are from H&M, the socks from Target, and the belt is secondhand. But these boots!!!!

They make me feel like such a bad ass. I even asked my friend, who teaches self-defense, to help me review...so I can be as bad ass as these boots make me feel. Ok, that's all I should say...but let this photo be a reminder to you to watch your step!!

Anyways, maybe I'm a totaly ninny but I'm so excited that Halloween is behind us finally & I can almost fully embrace the holiday spirit! I'm already thinking about how I want to design my Christmas cards this year, and I've been buying cute holiday fabric to make into vests and skirts and whatnot. Of course we have Thanksgiving first, but all the same...I'm so excited, I can barely contain all my holiday excitement!

One last shot that Moses wanted to get on! Well...he didn't want to, but I wanted him to. See ya'll soon!!

Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you

2011-10-27T22:40:00.003-05:00

Have you noticed how talented I am at going on a regular blogging spree and then all of a sudden dropping off the face of the Earth for 2 weeks? Yupp, takes true talent and learned skill. But here I am and with an outfit post of photos that I took last Friday (yes, a week ago!) and am just now getting around to posting. Shows how behind I am...but I'm on a caffeine kick! After this I'm baking cupcakes and sewing a Halloween vest out of spooky black cat fabric....and it's nearly 11pm!

I spent tonight at a Retail Connect event on campus where there was free coffee and imported cheese. I don't usually drink coffee but I was falling asleep and it was free, so I figured why not? I sat next to this lovely girl in my major who dresses 90s-granny-grunge and makes me want to watch "My So-Called Life" so badly. Everytime I see her. But enough about this nonsense!

I wore this last Friday. I took last & this weekend off from work and last Friday was spent eating German food with my father & my boy. I'm such a spaetzel fanatic and I never say no to rahmen puten schnitzel, even though I can hardly say it all in one breath. It must be all that German blood in me....

Here I am swearing a Marilyn Monroe cardigan that I found from a little shop/closet tucked away in Camden Town. The shop girl decided to give me 20% off everything I bought because she thought it was all overpriced. Ha! I scarcely wear white but if it has Marilyn's faced splashed across it, I'll make an exception. I guess this means Marilyn will have to be on my wedding dress too then, hmmm....

The skirt is from Target, the buckle boots are Steve Madden, the purse is Nine West, and the shirt is my absolute favourite from Macy's a couple summers ago.

I went vintage shopping last Saturday and found a pair of super amazing sequin hot pants. I left the store without them but then whined throughout the next two stores we went to, so I had to go back and get them.... I'm going to wear them as part of my Halloween costume as a circus girl! I don't know what I'm up to for Halloween yet, but as long as I look cute, everything else will come together alright....right?

old boy, you've still got it!

2011-10-16T14:57:00.003-05:00

The autumn decided to finally come, and come it has! The colour seems to have come and gone within a couple weeks and I was scarcely outside to enjoy it, spending most of my time in class, on the bus, or at work. Autumn is my favourite season to be out in, so it's definitely a bit sad but...here comes winter! I keep forgetting that we still have Halloween and Thanksgiving, I'm already so excited to break out the Christmas decorations! To draw me back to the present...what's everyone being for Halloween?

I wore this outfit on Friday to French class. I bought this sweater a couple of years ago at an annual church sale, where missionaries come back and bring good from the countries they were aiding in. This sweater was made by women in India and it's positively beautiful and cozy. I rarely wear it though because it's too hot to wear for the 70 & above weather and too cold for the 55 or below weather...so there's a very small temperature margin in which I can comfortably wear the sweater without layers. I'm sure everyone has articles of clothing like this, especially if you live in a 4-season climate. It's just a pity that it must happen to such a beautiful piece!

I'm really into funky, statement jewelry right now. I mean, I wear my Tinkerbell necklaces to work almost everyday! I'm trying to make myself seem younger while at work in an attempt to ward off creepy men from thinking that I'm legal and therefore fair game. I wish I was still 17...

Anyways, this brooch was given to me as a gift from...I think my mum? [correction: It was from my auntie! Thanks auntie :-) ] It's so silly, I love it. And since the colour palette matched the rest of my outfit, it was the perfect touch. It probably repells men pretty good too, except I can't wear it at work! Oh well!

I should definitely get onto my colour theory homework! I'm going to a dance show at the Ordway theater in St. Paul tonight. It's choreographed by Twyla Tharp and it's all Frank Sinatra music so, ya know, right up my alley.

On a last note, heeeeere's Moses! He's difficult to get in front of the camera anymore. When he was a pup, he'd sit in front of it for hours just making faces and being a goof. Now he runs under the table whenever I pull it out...I think he's afraid of his aging being caught on camera... All I have to say to that is, Old boy, you've still got it!

crawl with me

2011-10-12T19:04:00.004-05:00

Finally an outfit post, yeah! Design school is keeping me killer busy. I skipped my 3 classes today in order to stay home and do homework (ok, and watch '90s movies...). When I say homework I mean painting the green value scale, assembling a hue triangle, and sewing two zippers and a skirt waistband. I haven't even finished it all yet! Stress levels are through the roof. I took some time from my painting to run outside and take a few photos, but almost immediately it started pouring rain and hailing!

I've been wearing stuff like this a lot lately. Docs have re-become a wardrobe staple. This cheetah print belt is also popular amongst myself these days (see what I did there? wordplay.) I also love this Prague Pub Crawl t-shirt. I found it on my bed one morning in the hostel. We never went on the *official* pub crawl, but since we did crawl many a pub while in Prague, and since it was my size and didn't smell too bad, I decided to keep it.

For my sewing class I recently completed a pair of super cute aquamarine shorts (which I screwed up the elastic for >__>). Next we're making a little girl's sundress. Both items are going to be donated to an orphanage in Haiti, which is such a cute idea!

I went to the fabric shop yesterday to pick out some fabric for an upcoming skirt project. I also ended up purchasing several yards of other fabrics for not-yet-decided projects which I don't have time for. Hmmm.... Maybe it's still the summer in me, but I don't remember university being such a hardass!

I bought a couple little pin-up girl brooches from Strawberry Fields Jewellery (using money that I don't have, mind you). They were too cute to be true and since I'm a pin up girl at heart, it only seemed appropriate.

Anyways, it's sewing time! Wish me luck. My goal is to get all my homework done tonight, so that I can enjoy tomorrow (when I say enjoy I mean spend my day in class, then tutoring French, then returning home to do more French). p.s. Remember how I keep saying that I have loads of stuff to sell on eBay (including Doc Martens & Cheap Mondays)? Well I swear I'll be getting that up! My life is feeling cluttered and un-organized right now...I need to get this stuff out of it!

MN Fashion Week: Vintage Did It First @ Blacklist Vintage

2011-10-06T19:09:00.004-05:00

This week in Minnesota is Fashion Week, which involves a number of local designers and boutiques putting on shows and having sales! I was invited to one at Minneapolis vintage store Blacklist Vintage on Tuesday and was able (miraculously!) to make it between my busy schedule. Being up till 1am doing homework was totally okay since I came out with some lovely goods and a new shop to add to my favourites list.

They sent out the cutest invites ever! Definitely one for the fridge.

The theme for the fashion show was "Vintage Did It First" which was about modern runway taking inspiration from vintage. The two owners selected pieces from the store and styled them à la fashion designer giants of today. (Please excuse the horrible photos! My 5 foot self got shuffled behind a few rows of people, mostly with cameras larger than my head.)

They obviously made some good calls with current trends. '70s wide legged trousers (here styled after a Derek Lamb runway creation) are such a huge trend right now. Even I've bought into it, as I documented last week.

Orange dresses (as seen on the Lanvin runway)! I love the one they used in the show, and one of the shop co-owners was wearing the cutest orange dress as well. Come to think of it, several orange dresses were in & out of the store throughout the evening. Definitely a popular trend!

This cape (styled after Azzaro) got several oohs & aahs as the model swept down the runway. I'm such a sucker for capes and the romanticism of them. This is definitely a style I want to play with this autumn/winter.

After the show some shopping happened! Blacklist has a great collection of both men's and women's clothing (which is good, since I brought a boy who isn't so keen on dresses). I found this incredible shirt (above) featuring a print of 19th century women on Christmas. I love button downs with fun prints...I'm also a dork for Christmas. Argh, why couldn't you be my size, you wondrous, silky button down?! I would be the most popular kid in class!

I did, however, walk away with this beautiful pink button down, complete with sunrays, clouds, and birds in flight! I also bought a brown velour v-neck for my boy (who doesn't want a man covered in velour?) and a couple of old patterns for cute 60s/70s dresses!

I saved the best for last...Okay, I didn't actually BUY this lamp, but it's now at the top of my To Buy list. It is the most glorious lamp I've ever seen in my life. I stared at it for several minutes in complete awe. In fact, I don't know how my boy pulled me away from it. Now...I'm absolutely NOT blogging about this lamp to inspire fellow Minnesotans to rush off to Blacklist and be the first to buy it. This will only lead to me crying, and no one wants that. But this is a true piece of art, which will (hopefully soon) be in my own house. Life as a die-hard Charlie fan cannot be complete without this gem.

I also had my eye on a beautiful parrot brooch, so I know I will most certainly be heading back there soon! I just have to get back to the time clock a few times before I return (financial resposibility and whatnot), but keep your eyes out for more goodies from here and if you live in the metro area, definitely check the shop out, visit their website, "like" them on Facebook, etc. They're located at 25 E 26th Street in Mpls, near MCAD, the MIA, and a fabulous German restaurant called Black Forest Inn (go there, too).

Love's a bitch, Duck.

2011-09-29T00:40:00.002-05:00

Sometime last April or May I got together with a local boy named David Mendolina and shot some photos around town. (Do you like how I call him a "local boy"? It makes my life sound so quaint, like something out of Mark Twain.) We started out tromping around my neighbourhood under umbrellas, stalking into people's driveways and balancing on street curbs. After a quick pizza run, we headed downtown Minneapolis.

There was some sort of marathon going on in the Nicollet Mall area, which we stood and watched in confusion for a while before I hopped into the planters and began curtsying around. One of the runners huffed at me, "I like your outfit!" as he stumbled on by, then nearly passed out in exhaustion and from lack of breath. Poor kid!

Since this, the colours have changed a lot. The trees are starting to turn orange and crimson. This weekend I'll be heading up north to take a break from school and do some hiking. I'm sure the colours will be stunning and I'm sure I'll take loads of photos to share!

my father, the original hipster.

2011-09-20T16:36:00.006-05:00

I wore this outfit this weekend when I went a few hours up north for my Great Uncle Basil's 85th Birthday! It's such a blessing everytime I get to see him and his wife, Astrid. They live in the most beautiful little stone house tucked away in a tiny town of 400-some people. Their backyard has a pond & beaver dam and they own several acres of sprawling Minnesota forest. The weather was a bit chilly, so I dressed for autumn! I drew some inspiration from my father circa late '70s, early '80s. I was going through some photos the other day and the autumnal flannel was really getting to me. Add to that, my father is a bell bottoms aficionado.

Ah, the puffy vest on top of flannel. Typical Minnesota classic!

"Nice ride, pops!"

Some pretty cool polaroid for all your hipsters...I know you eat that shit up.

My father is addicted to these fleece headbands so that he won't disrupt the volumious state of his hair.

My dad: the original hipster. Complete with the flannel, worn out jeans, oversized glasses, ironic facial hair, and film camera!

I'm still trying to decide whether or not to keep these jeans. I just bought them the other day, since I recently gave away all my jeans since I couldn't get a single pair over my butt. My father (we should just refer to him as The Bell Bottoms Master, as he did wear them to his wedding) is convinced that they're slightly too long for me. Perhaps some hemming will be in order, as I do like the rise and wash quite a lot, and they were only $20. Bells remind me of Jamie Lee Curtis in the original Halloween, 1987.

Somehow this is the only full-body shot I could find of her, but you get the picture. I'm such a dork for this movie, it's easily one of my favourites & I love the fashion in it! When I was around 8 or 9 my sister told me that Jamie Lee Curtis was born both man & woman. As a young, impressionable girl, I believed her and to this day, can not get that out of my head!

I'm horribly behind on all my homework at the moment. On Sunday I did most of my Tuesday-class homework, only to realise (around 11:30pm) that the next day was Monday & I should've been doing homework for those classes! Then yesterday I came down with the most horrible migraine to the point that I was so nauseous that I went to bed immediately upon getting home from classes & ended up sleeping for 13 hours. So you can imagine, no homework was done last night! Let's see how tonight comes along....!

Die She Must, the Autumn Winds Blow Chilly & Cold

2011-09-14T20:34:00.005-05:00

I've been completely worn out from school (and it's only the 2nd week!) so I decided to keep everything pretty simplistic today. Plus, it suddenly turned very chilly overnight and layers were needed. I probably should've worn a coat. It's supposed to freeze tonight! I get so excited when autumn starts blowing in.

I channelled a bit of '90s grunge into the look, with the Doc Martens and this deliciously comfortable Ralph Lauren sweater which I scooped up from the little boy's section. If you've visited the blog on & off for the past few years, you'll have noticed that I used to wear Docs almost everyday and then virtually stopped. I found these guys in the back of my closet recently (I think I bought them for a few bucks at a second hand shop in Stillwater, MN) and they fit like a glove! I'm going on a weekend of hiking in October and these guys will definitely be accompanying me.

In addition to the top and the boots, I wore these really really old cut off shorts. I found the jeans at Goodwill a couple of years ago. These guys used to fit to perfection, but this summer I went to put them on and they split up the sides. You can probably tell in this photo, actually. I guess they weren't really made to fit the legs of a real woman! To be 100% honest with you guys, I've gained a bit of weight over the past few months, especially in the hips and thighs. In fact, I gained 10 pounds while in Europe, due to all the walking we did (with 20 pound backpacks!). And even furthermore, I'm completely okay with it! So okay with it, that I'm telling you all right now in a plea for girls (and boys) to accept themselves for who they are.

Just the other day I was standing outside waiting for my sewing class to start. For whatever reason, they were giving out free pizza downstairs and a boy came up carrying two pieces. He proceeded to eat the toppings off, throw the crust & breading out, and then complain about how he "probably just gained 10 pounds" by eating the toppings alone. A chorus of girls chimed in in agreement. I was both completely disgusted and deeply saddened by the exchange. It's important to eat healthy and to move & get exercise. I wanted to chime in with my own opinion, happily saying, "Yeah I actually gained 10 pounds in one month while I backpacked in Europe! I feel great!" But I feel like most kids don't want to be preached to, especially by their new classmates. But yet, I post it here as a simple story of encouragement - be healthy and love your body for being healthy, and not for being small enough to fit into a 00.

Anyways, now that I'm down off my soap box, we can get back to other, more mundane stuff. I'm going shopping on Friday for my back to school stuff! I thought I could skip it, but found out not...a few weeks ago I decided to do a thorough closet cleaning. This also involved trying all old clothes on. I couldn't get my jeans over my hips, save for 2 pairs. So now I have some jean shopping to get done, in addition to a couple new tops and a pair of boots for winter. We'll see what I can dig up! In addition to the closet cleaning, I've collected some stuff (boots and some vintage wear, mostly) that I plan to sell online and I'll put that up as soon as I get it all together!

I don't wear many accessories, mostly because I don't think too. But I did slip these rings on before running out to French class. They were a gift to me from a friend. I believe they're authentic Native turquoise jewelry, but I didn't ever think to ask, silly me!

Anyways, keep your eyes out for some more autumn outfits from me, as well as those postings on eBay!

I Love Presents: Straight Hair Edition

2011-09-08T20:20:00.004-05:00

It's a well known fact that the best thing after a hard day at work is to come home and find a package on your doorstep. Especially when the package contains silk flowers and pretty little gifts with which to pamper yourself with! And so I was in such a good mood when I found this Flat Iron from Misikko awaiting me after another day of endless 9 to 5's.

As should be known if anyone visits this blog with regularity, I have fairly curly hair. The photo above is good reference if you don't visit often. Or maybe it's just because I like taking photos of myself. Either one. Also, note the dark under-eye circles - first week back at university is always a tough adjustment!

They sent me their Best Flat Iron in a 1.5" width. It has both ceramic & tourmaline plates (which are in a pretty blue colour!) so that your hair gets super shiny & silky, and heats up to 450 degrees. My hair is pretty coarse and some of my curls don't flatten so easily, so this is a major bonus!

They also sent me this Shine Shield style protector from HANA Salon. It's formulated with jojoba oil, which is one of my favourite beauty ingredients. I often condition my hair and take my makeup off with jojoba, so I'm perfectly happy to find that this protector contains it. It goes on to leave a healthy sheen and made my curls look bouncy. It soaks in and made my hair all silky. Even after straightening, after the next washing my curls were bouncier and fuller. Ah, jojoba oil & your masterful healing powers.

And after the straightening! I seperated my hair into 3 parts (it's thick!) and it only took maybe 15 minutes or so to straighten. I'm in the process of growing my hair out and haven't gotten it cut since May. I'm a bit behind on that, so my hair isn't in the best condition. I like the look though, and I look forward to my hair getting longer so I can see it then. Also, the iron has a 360-degree cord, so you can do flips and create wide-barrel curls with it! I look forward to trying that out. As one last before & after shot, I did a bit of a misery-to-glamour strike for ya'll:

Prague!

2011-08-28T12:47:00.003-05:00

I still have so many photos from Europe, but I don't know how many more I'll share. I have bigger & better things to get to! But for now, I present Prague! This was our first stop, arriving on the 29th of June and then spending 6 glorious days there. Looking back, Prague grabbed me so much. It's one of the most beautiful cities we saw and it was such great fun. It was also cheap as dirt compared to everything else.

The hostel we stayed in (Downtown Hostel, for those curious) was probably the best one that we stayed in all of Europe. It was comfy and felt like home. There was also a really nice lounge where we met tons of people and made great friends (who also knew where the best pubs were - yay!).

The colours and art of Prague is so wonderful. The architecture is amazing and unlike anything in America. I was so inspired by the weather and the architecture. I put together a quick outfit based on the moods and colours of Prague.

'Butternot Forget Me Dress' via Modcloth, Dual Time Zone watch from Guess (so you never have to do math to figure out what time it is back home!), Orange Skinny belt via TopShop, Leopard Print Skirt at Nasty Gal, Knitted Cape from Zara, Jeffrey Campbell Lita via Solestruck, Animal Print belt from Macy's, Slouch Cardigan by Insight via KarmaLoop, Cheap Monday Luna dress via I Don't Like Mondays, Magic Stone Ring from Nasty Gal, 'Listen to the Warm' by Rod McKuen via Amazon (better found at rummage sales and used book stores), and Pendleton Messenger Bag via Urban Outfitters.

As you can see, Prague is very rustic. I was inspired to use a lot of natural colours, patterns, and textures - reds, oranges, etc. It was also really chilly and dark in Prague, so bright colours are important! They warm you up. Also, the Rod McKuen is essential.

We snuck away from Prague for a day to visit nearby city Kutna Hora. It was only an hour's train ride, and we were able to visit the bone church. It's a church decorated entirely of bones! We also visited another church (the first of the last three photos), which ended up being the most beautiful church we saw in all of Europe. It was situated up a hill in the quaint little town with a breathtaking view. The inside was awesome (the word being used in the sense of causing great awe, and not some skaterboy dude saying "woah awesome shirt, man") and absolutely divine. Even from the outside, it was just so immense.

If you plan to visit just one city in Europe, then I'd recommend Prague first and foremost. There was so much culture there, I could've been kept busy for over a week. Just plan ahead and know when stuff is open and is not! We wasted a lot of time in Europe because we'd get to a museum and find out it was closed, and by the time we got to the next, it'd be closed too! I suppose that as you travel, you learn more and more. I suppose that's true of all things though, isn't it?

Back to French Class

2011-08-20T10:27:00.005-05:00

The more hours that I put in at work, the more I find myself missing Europe - mostly Paris! It also probably doesn't help that I just re-watched Midnight in Paris, which I'll admit was actually my first Woody Allen film! It's a charming little tale of Owen Wilson visiting Paris with fiancee. At night, he wanders off and time travels back to the '20s, where he meets the Fitzgeralds, Picasso, Hemingway, T.S. Elliot, Josephine Baker, and so many other pop culture figures of the Jazz Age. The film is also beautifully interrupted with shots of Paris in the rain, at dusk, and in night. Watching it gives me the most terrible yearning to return!

Being a slave to the punch in clock is actually making me looking forward to pouring over textbooks and hurriedly scribbling notes at university, which awaits me in just under a month! The only thing I'm worried about is the tuition and other little supply & student bills, which are already stacking up. This semester I'll be taking 3 different design classes and also a French composition class. I just got my supply list for my colour theory class, and it's $200 for supplies, not including books! It'll be fun trying to find a way to scrape that money together, I'm sure! In the meantime, I'm not thinking too hard about school. I'm just trying to enjoy the end of summer! We have the state fair coming up soon, and on top of that I'm going to a Twins baseball game & hopefully the drive-in!

I have to admit that I'm a sucker for high-waisted anything! Especially shorts and skirts, though. They're so good for shorties like me, because they make legs look miles longer. The Guess jeans, which I cut up earlier this summer, have a bit of a '70s vibe to them. I'm really into this trend right now, and I'm actually looking to try the bell bottoms! I haven't worn jeans, or even full length pants, in such a long time. If I do end up finding a pair I like, it'll be such a dramatic change of style for me. But with my hair getting longer, I'm feeling a lot more boho than flapper.

Remember those many months ago, when snow was still on the ground, that I made the resolution to start running again? Well, after I think 3 of 4 runs around the neighbourhood, I learned a thing or two about exercising and healthy living, and how it's different for everyone. Running is clearly just not for me. I have weak lungs and have severe trouble breathing when running. At first I tried pushing myself, figuring I was just out of shape. But running isn't for everyone and my small lungs just couldn't handle it. I've been eating healthier lately and finding new ways to get fit. Biking is the best option for me. It gives me incredible energy to go on bike rides, and the best part is getting back in and gobbling down loads of fresh fruit. I've also been really into yoga, weight lifting, crunches, and jumps. I'm not beating myself up, I'm just trying to stay active amongst my heavy work schedule. I think it's important for everyone to find out what works for them and balance their lives. I'm still working on that with my own. And for now, this balance will remain in the USA, but my heart is Paris.

Some DIY from France!

2011-08-16T14:45:00.007-05:00

Hello everyone! I arrived back from my trip 2 weeks ago, and it's been a whirlwind of catching up with friends (it's amazing that people can actually miss me after only a month), working 40 hours a week (against my will), and preparing for school (aka figuring out how I'm going to pay for it), as well as sleeping and eating, which I didn't do enough of in Europe. I took an overwhelming number of photos during my month abroad, and I wasn't quite sure how to present my trip on the blog. I'm still not entirely sure. But....I spent almost 2 weeks in France, and while there I realised how much I really do love the culture, the people, and the country. It inspired me to get back into French class and actually devote some time and effort towards it (it's also my minor but yeah, you know...). So when I got back home I went into my DIY box and started on a new project!

I'm sure you've all seen magnetic poetry before. It's basically a box of words that you can stick on your kitchen fridge and arrange into sentences. They make them for a number of different languages, and I've always wanted the French ones, but they run about $30 a box. I won't even bother telling you how many hours I'd have to work in order to pay that off. So I decided to make some myself. Here's what you need:

In my DIY box was a number of magnets that I'd collected for free at parades, fairs, and different businesses. I suppose this isn't just DIY, but also recycling, in a way! If you don't have a substantial collection of free magnets, you can also buy magnetic sheets.

Glue stick & scissors. Pretty easy. Next comes the words. Make a new word document and, in an easy to read, bold font, start making a list of words. Keep it a good mix of articles, verbs, nouns, adverbs, and adjectives. Make sure it's a language you have a firm grasp of. With French, it took some putzing about before I decided how to handle some of the conjugations and fem/masc issues.

After printing out your words, glue them onto the magnets. Make sure that the magnets are thoroughly covered in glue so you won't have any loose corners. When the glue is dry, cut the words out and arrage them on the fridge!

This is me in Pornic, a city in the Bretagne region. It was so chilly out and definitely not swimming weather, but the ocean was beautiful all the same!

We also stayed in Nantes for 3 days. This city stole my heart and I am already yearning to go back.

Here's some poetry for you. This beautiful fountain in Lyon (near the border of Switzerland) reads "Permets m'amour penser quelque folie..." Yeah, the French are pretty good with words. (Also, thanks for the correction on that eabha!)

We also enjoyed the French baking! Fresh baguettes every day, a different pastry for breakfast, and even these adorable little cupcakes!

Hope you enjoyed the mini post. I have so much more to show from my month backpacking across Europe!

allons-y!

2011-06-28T11:16:00.002-05:00

And now, I leave for 32 days. Lots of goodies on my return from Europe! I'll be in Prague, Munich, Geneva, Lyon, Paris, Nantes, London, and Amsterdam. Keep your eyes out for a small, confused girl with curly hair!

lay in bed with you and not have to worry about tomorrow

2011-06-18T01:05:00.005-05:00

Outfit post! It seems like it's been a while, no? I've been super busy working, catching up with old friends, going on dates with a lovely boy, and getting ready for my 32 day excursion to Europe! Summer's a great time, isn't it? The only problem has been that the weather has been either chilly or very humid and sticky. It turns this whole clothing thing into a very difficult procedure.

Here, I wear an outfit that I wore when I went on a date to the aquarium and then the malt shop. All of my tights have huge runs in them and are absolutely trashed, so I went for thigh highs from American Apparel. I don't regularly shop at AA, but their socks are super warm and cozy, and fairly priced. In the winter, they're actually warmer than pants!

It's been such ever a long time since I wore suspenders! It felt great to strap them back on. I've distanced myself from menswear so much in the past year or so. My last boyfriend had an opinion on what I wore, and so I altered my style to appease him. Now that I'm back in the throws of singlehood and wearing whatever the Hell I want, I've been resorting to menswear accents.

I've also become addicted to hairbows! I went to H&M during break at work and bought every colour of hairbows from the kid's section. They get lost in my curly hair, so I usually wear them with my hair up. When I have late nights and not enough time to do my hair in the mornings, I've been putting my hair up into two buns on the top of my head, and then clipping in little bows. I thought it was sort of a childish style, but turns out the boys love it! My coworker was laughing at me the other day because she knew that that was exactly what I DIDN'T want to happen!

Speaking of curly hair and childish things....I went to the Taylor Swift concert on Tuesday! I am a huge Taylor Swift fan and my sister got tickets the Friday before the show. Despite the fact that my sister is 21, she was acting even more like a kid about it than I was! We made t-shirts with sparkly fabric markers and rhinestones, and she also made a poster and suggested that I wear my pink, light-up cowboy hat (a suggestion which I happily went along with).

Taylor played a great show. She is absolutely the most darling little creature imaginable.

Her outfits were also absolutely incredible! This girl has such an wonderful sense of style. Plus she has gorgeous curls, a killer voice, and comes off as a well-rounded, hard-headed person. I could keep gushing about Taylor, but I'll just end it with this: she's a total knockout.

My favourite flapper-esque little dress of the night. Ok, now back to the outfit since this is, apparently a fashion blog, although a poor excuse for one at that.

My sister borrowed this cardigan a few weeks ago and finally got it back to me the other day. Even though I hadn't worn it in months, I had sudden cardigan withdrawl as soon as it left my closet. So when she placed it back in my hands, I put it on immediately. It's so wrong when it's June, but still chilly enough to wear a sweater!

I'm also wearing Steve Madden wedges, which are too wide for my feet. I need to find a solution for this problem, so that I can wear them more comfortably! Hmmm.....

Anyways, I'll finish this up so that you last few who stuck it out can get on with your lives. I have a busy week ahead of me, of grad parties, museums, art festivals, dinner with parents, and movie nights. I have only two more shifts to work until August, and my birthday is on the 22nd, followed by a slew of rushed farewells and packing for my trip on the 28th. I've begun a new game among my coworkers called "My birthday is on Wednesday, guess how old I'll be!" I look older in my work uniform, so I've been getting a lot of 23s...to which I burst into giggles like the immature 18 year old I actually will be.

New Mexico (lots o' photos)

2011-06-08T22:16:00.002-05:00

Since it's been almost a month since I went to New Mexico, I thought it was about time to post some photos from my trip and show off a few goodies I purchased. We were primarily in Santa Fe, but we wandered over to Albuquerque and Taos for a few days. New Mexico is so beautiful! Despite it being in the southwest, the weather was pretty chilly and I found myself a bit unprepared, having brought only shorts and short sleeved tops.

The flight over was great and as we were passing Colorado I looked out and saw snow covered mountains! In humble little Minnesota, we don't have any mountains so it was a new sight for me to see.

New Mexico is almost an entirely different culture from the Upper Midwest. The art, food, and general atmosphere are influenced by Native culture as well as Mexican and Spanish traditions.

The history museum in Old Town Albuquerque had a magnificent sculpture garden.

Adobe walls were everywhere!

On our way up to the mountains, we stopped at Chimayo, an old church which attracts thousands of tourists because of the miracles performed there. Speaking of miracles, this little restaurant on-site has miraculously good tamales! I devoured a chicken and chile one.

This little guy was living outside Chimayo :)

Up in the mountains, it was super windy and chilly. I definitely could've used a sweatshirt (and hey, this IS a Minnesotan talking!). The forests were almost Minnesotan, even if the elevations were not.

At the top of one of the mountains, in a tired little run-down artists' town. It was so secluded and desolate, all the buildings were run down and the only businesses were a sleepy general store and a few galleries scattered throughout.

After driving through the mountains, we headed into Taos (Julia Roberts lives here!) and ate some pizza and subs. I also wandered into a leather store and bought myself a vest from the kid's section. Ah, to fit into children's wear!

Also in Taos was this lovely little sculpture garden. Doesn't everything look so grand with the mountains in the background?

The people of Taos laying down the law.

I broke down and got this Taos sweatshirt. I knew that another trek through the mountains would warrant such! I also bought many pairs of New Mexico socks ;)

Next stop was at Bandelier National Monument. I'd been there many years before and had a terrible experience in the hot weather. I figured that it wouldn't be so bad in the fair weather...and I was right! A slight sunburn proved nothing to some of the magnificent ruins.

Bandelier National Monument's history extends some 10,000 years back to nomadic hunter-gatherers. Many of the structures dated to 1150 CE when the pueblo peoples began building more permanent homes.

They built their home in ridiculously high elevations. Skinny pathways and crumbling stairs would lead them higher and higher up the steep rock.

This remaining structure is the base of a 4 story building. You can see pegs where ceiling and floor joists were set in, and holes in the rock served as cool storage.

Ladders allowed you to climb into some ancient rooms. Once inside you were free of the sun's harsh rays and the temperature would drop dramatically. The last part of the monument is a 140ft climb to the alcove house. The ladders seem never ending and the narrow pathways make traversing even more difficult. It's amazing to think of all the people who originally built these pathways...and would walk them daily!

At the top of the Alcove House is a ceremonial kiva. You can climb down there and feel the temperature drop dramatically. Scientists think the kivas were used for ceremonial or political purposes.

After Bandelier, we dropped into Los Alamos, New Mexico where the first atomic bombs were created. It continues to be used as testing grounds for atomic and nuclear sciences. In Los Alamos is the Bradbury Museum, all about atomic bombs. Above is a replica of the Little Boy bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

A replica of the Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki. It was difficult to go through the museum, given my opinions on such violent and destructive war tactics. The museum celebrated all the efforts that went into the bombs, as well as all the death which led to America's win.

Our last day was spent in Santa Fe, traipsing through downtown for some last-minute shopping as well as checking out Jackalope, an outdoor mercado which sells some amazing art. The handpainting on the sculptures is so remarkable and alien to Minnesota!

I didn't actually buy anything for myself from here, but the colours are so brilliant! I can't say it'd all fit into the decor of my house, but it's beautiful to look at.

In downtown Santa Fe I picked up this kitschy little t-shirt.

I also picked up this sun dress. That being said, the sun hasn't made much of an appearance so far this year! We had a couple days 100°F days in a row, and now Minnesota has sunk back to 60 - 70°F with a chilly breeze and no sun. Where are you, summer?!

Of course I couldn't leave the Southwest without a cowboy hat!

A mirrored jewelry box I picked up at The Rainbow Man in downtown Santa Fe.

Day of the Dead mirror also from The Rainbow Man

A dreamcatcher, wooden feather earrings, and a pin of the Thunderbird. When you're buying Native art, you have to be careful. A lot of dealers will sell you knock off pieces which were not Native made. It's important to go to trustworthy dealers, check for inscriptions, and get a note of authenticity.

And flying back to Minnesota! I'll be back on an airplane on June 28th, when I'm flying into Amsterdam to spend 32 days in Europe! We'll be hitting Prague, Munich, Geneva, Lyon, Paris, Nantes, London, and Amsterdam! Please give me suggestions of where to go, shop, and eat. It'll be my first time in Europe and I want to do it right!

Bettie Page & the Jazz Summer

2011-06-03T18:11:00.004-05:00

Great news folks! I've graduated! (Hence the expression of joy and hope and new beginnings - yeah, there's a lot packed into that smile!) Anyways, to celebrate, I bought myself this pair of shorts. I went to the dreaded Mall of America on Thursday and wandered across (read: purposefully guided our shopping trip towards) the new Bettie Page Store. The clothes are so sweet - '50s sun dresses, lazy day beach rompers, and wiggle skirts, and all in sizes xs to 4x. The girls working there are like darling little cupcakes with victory rolls and hoop skirts. I fell in love with these shorts immediately (who wouldn't?) and snatched them up with graduation in mind.

It has to be said that I've always wanted more curves. As an extremely petite, slim person, even the raindrops miss me. I feel the need to highlight the following to everyone - no one is ever completely happy with their bodies. It's an entirely normal thing and it shouldn't make you (or me) a bad person. I don't put myself down about being naturally slim and I hope that girls with curves don't put themselves down about it either. Embrace what you have and remember that it's entirely normal to feel insecure, as long as, in the end, you love yourself for who you are. Ok, preaching over, let's get back to the shorts. They make me feel like a little pin up girl from an Elvgren painting! The sizes run small, but the xs still fit me fine, with an inch or two of room around the waist (I told you I'm petite!). I've only worn them once and have already been raking in the compliments, which only makes me feel better in them. They're my new feel good shorts and I'm sure they'll get plently of wear throughout the summer...and into fall...and winter.

But enough about the shorts, since I could write a novel about them. Let's talk hats! I was sporting this cloche hat to throw some flapper into the midst and also to tame my curls a bit. I usually detest the flatness of hat hair but it was necessary for the grad cap!

I don't know who invented the grad cap, but he and I need to have a serious chat about how to wear such a contraption with curly hair! The elastic causes curls to stick out like you got electrocuted, and if you have bangs, well...there's really no way to work that. After having both my roomate and mother try to yank it onto my noggin and arrange my bangs and curls, without success, I folded in the sides and pinned it in. Not such a bad technique!

To finish up this outfit and get on with graduation...I'm wearing a blouse from H&M, Madden Girl ruffle pumps, a vintage bracelet from Bohemien Bisoux, Lime Crime's Retrofuturist lipstick, and a new cloche hat which I picked up from a hat shop in Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico! Oh and of course a brand new pair of un-ran stockings. I was saving this pair just for an occasion in which rips and runs certainly would not do! Unfortunately my legs aren't in great shape what with bruises and bug bites galore, but it's just another sign of summer! And now, a quick run-through of graduation:

Before the ceremony I was literally all over the place with anxiety! I was taking a photo everytime I caught my reflection and was waving my lint brush around like a mad woman! It's surprising that I was so excited to graduate - I haven't technically been in high school for 2 years! I've been doing full-time college classes since junior year.

My high school is very small (like me!). There were only 12 other kids in my class. Being back made me a bit sad that I hadn't been around for the past 2 years - these kids had been like a big family to me! It felt great to be back in the swim with the other fish.

I also graduated with honours, and got to wear this cool gold sash!

Photos! I actually didn't take many photos with people, but I got a few. This is my father! I was the first one out the door after graduating (it helps that my last name begins with A) and the weather last night was so fantastic!

This boy graduated last year. We used to be best friends & it was so great to be able to see him again! I think he's grown. I was wearing 4 inch heels and he's still slouching!

My sister and I have identical smiles! I've never really thought that we looked the same, but we do have the same mouth. She's much taller than me - her being 5'7" and me being barely 5'1"!

And finally, with both my parents! Overall it was a great ceremony and I cannot wait to start the summer! On the 22nd I'm having my 18th birthday and on the 28th of June I'm leaving for Europe for 32 days. Hopefully a bit of summer love will follow me, as well! Maybe a nice French boy, hmm?

enjoy

2011-05-25T14:20:00.004-05:00

I'm back from New Mexico! I have load of little goodies and photos to show off, but I'll do this outfit post first. Well actually, I picked this shirt up at the Target down in Santa Fe, so it sort of counts, ehhh?

No, not really.

I do love Coca Cola, though. I'm obsessive about it, actually. We have had, at times, 8 cases of Coke in the basement. All of which were mine. In fact, I'm going to quit talking about it now while I'm still ahead.

So besides the shirt (which was $9 in the men's section, and I cut to semi-flatter a smaller frame like mine), I'm also wearing old cut offs from last summer, a leopard print belt I bought at the second hand store a couple weeks ago, and new boots courtesy of the folks over at Wanted Shoes.

The style is the "Brave." I just loved them because of the off-white colour and the crochet cut outs. They remind me of Molly Ringwald as Andie in Pretty in Pink. I can see her wearing these with a calf-length floral skirt, jean vest, and bowler hat, smack talking Steff and all the other prep rich kids.

I chose the belt as my bit of whimsy for the outfit. Plus, I was going to the zoo so it seemed like the perfect occasion for such. It's still pretty chilly in Minnesota so I'm wearing tights with all my shorts and jackets over all my shirts. Come on, Mr. Sunshine! Shine on our little midwestern town.

I'll end this with a few "reading materials" for you good folks. The first is this little interview I did for an Indonesian fashion blog. The second is my university's annual literary magazine. I had a short story and a poem published in the 2011 issue & I'd be ever so thankful if you'd read it (via the link). My section starts on pae 31 and spans in page 34 if you take the time.

Okay, now into bed I go! It was back to work today and I forgot how much my job gives me headaches! Isn't that always the case, though?

In which I create shorts from skaterboy days relic

2011-05-17T00:28:00.001-05:00

I made these shorts a few weeks ago using an old pair of jeans and studs taken from an old belt from back in my skater days. Below I map out the exciting process!

Step 1: The Pants. Yes, you can say that you're extremely disappointed that I didn't stone wash these myself. I'm not that cool, don't worry, I know.

Step 2: Cut & Destroy. I cut these into shorts and then grabbed a seam ripper, pulling on all edges, undoing some stitching, and creating a couple holes.

Step 3: Unconvering the studs. I cut the end off the belt and pulled the top layer from the bottom layer of the belt. This was a very old belt, probably 6 or more years old, so the glue allowed it to pull apart very easily.

Step 4: Attaining the studs. From here, I pulled all the studs off with a needle nose pliers. Not easy or enjoyable.

Step 5: Being frustrated with how few studs you've managed to pull, yet how many cuts and calluses you're getting on your hands.

Step 6: Setting the studs. The most fun you'll have with a needle nose pliers! The studs just popped in and then I pressed their backs in.

Final: Front with stud details on pocket and some seam ripper wear & tear.

Final: Back! With more studs and even more seam ripper wear & tear!

And here they are! In these photos, I'm also wearing an old sweatshirt from UO, AA socks, and Wanted oxfords in the Jag style. I won't be updating till next week, as I want to focus on enjoying the New Mexican sun and sand. Till then, lovelies!

the feeling you bring

2011-05-13T23:25:00.004-05:00

At approximately 11:20am today, I completed my last final exam and headed off campus for the last time till September. When I got home I was literally jumping all over the place. Actually, I just headed out to practice my jumping after being scolded by David Mendolina yesterday for not knowing how to do so. The weather was blustery and overcast, and I was headed into work in a couple hours, so not many smiles were coming from me!

Photos like this don't really encourage you to come back to a blog, do they? (Faux) leather jackets make me angsty, what can I say?

For my final today I wore my favourite bengal striped button down from Macy's, sailor shorts by H&M, grey knee highs (scrunched down) from DSW, and oxfords by Wanted. I swear when I scooped these shoes up from the DSW clearance section a few weeks ago ($14!), they were a black/grey colour. Now they're a brown/grey colour. Maybe I'm going crazy....yes, that must be it. Shoes don't usually magically change colours on their own.

I've been going pantless for a few weeks now and it feels great! The warm weather (okay, so today was only 50°F, but I live in Minnesota & we take what we get, amirighh?) is such a treat. I'm hoping that New Mexico next week will be even better! I plan on basking in the sun without any jackets or stockings, sporting my SPF 60. Don't disappoint me, Santa Fe!

Giving the camera another one of my withering stares. See you on the flipside!

akward...reposted?

2011-05-13T12:32:00.004-05:00

Maybe it's just me being silly, but I think blogspot hit a glitch & my last post along with many recent comments got deleted. But maybe not. Maybe this will just be a duplicate of the same thing. Who knows? It's Friday the 13th...!

Anyways, in case you did miss it, I posted this makeup tutorial type video of me being an awkward ass & mumbling on about nothing. Watch it if you please.

Ricky Nelson is my lover

2011-05-06T10:54:00.007-05:00

Wow look! A new photo-taking location! After much grumbling and whining, the sun has finally made an appearance. Welcome, spring! The only downfall is that my old location has too much glare & awkward shadows, so I've had to seek out a new spot. In front of my garage door. I'm okay with it....in my old location, the garbage man would always inevitably drive by & smile and wave as I stood there like an idiot giving the tripod my best America's Next Top Model pout.

"And here we have a top-of-the-line cross-body bag by R&Em, in a gorgeous gold finish and gold stud detailing!" How's my Vanna White impression? I snatched this purse up at Macy's earlier this week for something crazy like 50% off. In the end I paid about $30 and then ran out of the store like a bandit. The designer is this super cute new brand called R&Em which I believe is only carried via Macy's. I originally went in looking for the Gig bag (I never thought I'd be saying this, but I really like the mustard colour!) but, alas, they did not carry that one. They also didn't have any Material Girl merchandise, grumble grumble. Whenever I go into a store looking for a specific something, I always come out with something completely different. In this case, I'm not complaining!

Whenever I go out to take photos, Moses likes to follow me. In my new location, he can amble on over & say hey whenever he wants (his leash didn't quite stretch to my old one). He was having a good time about it until I snatched him up lovingly and made him give a kiss or two for the camera. I'm always sticking the camera into his cute little face, and he totally resents me for it. I'm going to have to start giving him rewards (kisses? biscuits? peanut butter?) for putting up with the camera.

I haven't conditioned my hair in a while so it's crazy curly lately. I found this little sequin bow headband which I bought for Halloween 2009 when I was a kitty cat. It almost gets lost in all my hair, but it adds to the '80s-'90s look I was attempting to achieve. Plus, last night, I was told on 3 different occasions that I have cool hair. After the 3rd time, it was declared a fact. Apparently it's not even subjective now. I should've told them that it hadn't been washed proper for a couple weeks. Maybe they would've changed their minds....

These shorts are by the brand Minkpink via Modcloth. I scooped them up in an end-of-the-season sale and they're absolutely the best. I wish to wear them everyday! I love this designer like crazy & their new summer collection is amazing. The blouse is American Apparel with a mesh H&M lingerie top underneath. And I'm sorry that I'm constantly wearing these booties! They're my new favourites - from Steve Madden. Plus they work great with the new sock & heel trend which I've embraced. Ok, so it's an old trend...but it's only been recently that I caught onto it.
The lipstick I'm wearing is Lime Crime's "My Beautiful Rocket" with a thin layer of "Retrofuturist" over it.

Today I have my French grammar final. Next Friday I have my globalization final and then I'm done with school until the autumn! For the third week of May I'll be in New Mexico (!) and when I get back I'll be receiving my high school diploma. A lot of exciting stuff going on, huh? Does anyone live in New Mexico? I need to know where to go shopping! I'll be in the Santa Fe area.

Tonight I'm going to the launch of my university's literary magazine. I have a short story and a poem published in the annual issue, so I'm reading the poem and hopefully making a few connections with publishers. I'll post more about this later, when I plan on doing a catch-up post for all I've been up to lately. Until then, enjoy the spring and this Ricky Nelson song. Because there is nothing lovelier than Ricky Nelson.

lipstick & other vices

2011-05-02T21:12:00.004-05:00

I recently bought six new lipsticks, and since I love playing dress up and making faces for the camera, I thought, "Why not post about them?" There's also the fact that it's May 2nd and there're little snowflakes in the air, so I've been choosing to stay indoors wearing thigh high socks and hoodies (except for an escape to the Mayday Festival yesterday, in which I froze my toes and fingers off, and ate a gyro [and as a side note for any locals - if you see me out & about, please say 'hey!' and introduce yourself!]).

I was super excited to try out Lime Crime lipsticks! I got three colours - Retrofuturist, My Beautiful Rocket, and Centrifuchsia, as pictured above. I'm now obsessed with these - they're super opaque, vibrant, and pigmented. They blend & layer well, as well. But the best part? The bright, glittery packaging (complete with unicorns!) and the fact that they smell like powdered sugar (and I love sugar).

My Beautiful Rocket is a tangerine-orange colour. It's super opaque, which is the best part, and I love wearing it with a thin layer of red on top. That being said, it looks brilliant on it's own. The idea of orange lipstick never really occured to me, but it's definitely a lot of fun and a nice pop.

Retrofuturist is a very true, all-skin-tone-friendly red colour. Reds are definitely difficult to find in the perfect shade (matching skin tones is such a hassle), so I must say this is probably the ideal red! It's got a great flapper-vibe to it because of how opaque it is.

Centrifuchsia is the last of the 3 I sampled from Lime Crime. It's a very deep neon pink which, due to its pigmentation, is hard to come by in drugstore quality make up. I feel like this one is particularly long-lasting and the colour is the perfect pop of girly-ness.

Next up, I gave the new Bite line at Sephora a whirl. Because I'm horrible at making decisions, I went for the pre-selected Crème Trio Set with Rhône, Pepper, and Bouquet, as pictured above. These lipsticks are definitely a lot more sheer than the Lime Crime one. They're very moisturizing, which is possibly my favourite part and they claim to contain antioxidant resveratrol. My favourite part is that they're free of synthetics and made with food-grade inredients that are safe enough to eat. The cases are super sleek and modern, however I feel like they could've highlighted a better selection, maybe with shades that would better compliment a wider range of skin tones.

The Pepper shade was very slightly darker than my natural shade - a dusty rose colour, a little bit on the browner side. This one is most certainly natural enough for daytime wear when I'm not feeling too bold. It accentuates my natural colour, but that's about it.

The Bouquet colour ended up being a lot brighter than the "soft pink" colour as described on the website. It's still very pretty but in order to wear it without my skin looking too washed up, I need to layer it with something a tad bit darker. It's a very lovely colour though, and I look forward to playing with it more.

Rhône was definitely the most pigmented of the trio. The others were a lot more glossy than this shade. It's a nice pink-berry colour and tame enough to wear for a casual day at work or on campus. I'm not sure how much I like this shade for my skin tone though, so I'm playing with layering it with other colours. It's like when you're painting and mixing a million colours together in order to find the perfect shade!

Anyways, there you go for if you're in the market for some new lipstick (and you should be!). Now, the cold weather is irritating-ly exhausting, so I must curl up in bed with my Domo plush and fall asleep. Let there be warmer days ahead!

I drank the river, swallowing her every tear

2011-04-19T20:16:00.005-05:00

You may be looking at this photo & thinking, "SPRING IS HERE, HOLLA!" But just hold your little springtime horses!! The fact that I am indeed wearing cut off shorts is not to say it's springtime, but rather to say that I am so eager for the sun's warm rays & to not have to wear pants, that I will indeed suffer the cold in order to do so. As I was leaving the movie theater tonight (where I saw "Jane Eyre" - excellently depressing), little white snowflakes were drifting down to tickle my nose and tangle themselves through my hair. Oh! how I adore thee, Minnesota.

Anyways, I wore this yesterday to class. It was cold. I won't bother saying anything more about the weather as I'm sure many people clicked away after my very obnoxious opening sentence.

These shorts are from pants that were my sister's. They don't fit me in the waist (they're a size 5), but with a belt, they'll suffice. I don't believe I actually asked my sister before cutting them, so hopefully she's okay with it/doesn't notice.

Moses sighting! My clumsy little puppy was getting up to no good in the "garden" (read: the muddy part of the yard which is too dead & cold for even weeds to grow in) so I pulled him aside for some photos. He was actually feeling obedient today & was very nicely "sitting" and "staying" for a good 4 minutes before running off into the neighbour's yard. He does this because he knows I'll yell at him like crazy, finally give up, and give him a biscuit to go back inside. And furthermore, he knows I won't be angry at him because he's just too damned cute.

I snagged this belt from my pop's closet. I'm pretty sure he's had it since I was 5 & surprisingly this is the first time I've worn it. It wraps around my body nearly twice, but look! There's a weird bird/swan/goose/egret thing within the tribal print! Obviously juxtaposes with the sword-through-the-skull quite nicely.

This jacket is from my mum's closet. She's had it since she was pregnant with either me or my older sister, meaning it's possibly 22 years old. I know how much you kids dig vintage, so I threw this in to please the masses. Both of my 'rents are big fans of the whole "tribal print" trend.

I've just realised that this outfit is very family oriented. The pants were my sister's, the belt is my father's, the jacket is my mother's. Even my precious puppy made an appearance today. If I had made this connection before, I would've worn my cat as a very furry hat.

And since I know all you hipsters are dying to know about my cool new moccasins, they were a product of shopping with my father. Not only do my parents love tribal print, but they're also borderline obsessed with moccasins and anything "native." I've pretty much always owned a pair of moccasins growing up, so it was only natural that my pops snatched these from the sale section of DSW and demanded I buy them for myself (yeah, he didn't even offer to pay).

I will end this with another photo of my number one boy. Don't you just want to pinch those chubby little cheeks?!

Yeah, Moses is completely unamused by me. As are most men.

a night at the opera

2011-04-16T13:17:00.007-05:00

My brief absence here was a cause of the arts - the operatic arts, to be exact. I don't know if going to the opera is what the "cool kids" are up to these days, but my new opera habit just goes to show what kind of kid I am! On Sunday I saw "Die Fledermaus" at my university, and then spent a lovely Thursday evening with fellow Minnesotan art bloggers at the Ordway Theater in downtown St. Paul, watching the Minnesota Opera's production of "Wuthering Heights."

I hadn't read "Wuthering Heights" beforehand and now I don't think I'd like to! The story is so dark, so dreary and hopeless...and so, only naturally, I adored every second of it.

I've never been to a theater production quite so much like a movie before! They used a special type of screen effect which allowed for eery lighting overlays and a whole ton of creepiness. The entire production was breathtaking, as was all the music and singing (which was composed by Bernard Herrmann of Psycho, Citizen Cane, & Taxi Driver fame). I was suprised to learn that this was the first time in 30 years that this particular opera has been performed!

Photo credit to Michal Daniel & the Minnesota Opera

Also at the event was a girl named Caitlin who is the editor of the up & coming Crooked Teeth Magazine which you definitely should take a look at! There might be a surprise in store related for the next issue....!

Anyways, since this is a fashion blog, I should stop dorking out about the opera and instead discuss what I wore to it! After I got home from class and a Target shopping trip on Wednesday, I began this skirt! I'd bought the fabric a few months ago and just never got around to actually making the garment. I spent the entire night and part of Thursday working on it. The fabric liked to curl up around the edges, so setting the waistband in and hemming the bottom ended up being a nightmare! In the end, since time was running out, I decided to forego a "professional" look and settled for semi-shoddy craftsmanship.

I paired the skirt with a vintage blouse, my new-ish belt from Motel Rocks, my faux leather H&M jacket, and a black lace slip. I actually wore black booties to the event. I let my date choose & he went for the booties, but now I wish I'd worn these gold ones! They make the belt pop better. The purse is Nine West from Macy's, which I got for something ridiculously cheap like $16. Sales are my best friend and also my worst enemy.

Ever since that incredibly dark production, the weather has taken a turn for the worst. I woke up this morning to snow on the ground (welcome to Minnesota) and today is horribly drizzly and gusty. I should have predicted this. I took the entire week off from work, and the weather always gets absolutely horrid when it knows I'll have a chance to be out in it!

Furthermore, last week I woke up with my throat absolutely swollen up and I couldn't swallow or talk. I skipped class and opted for the doctor, which ended up being a good choice because I was diagnosed with both strep throat and mono/glandular fever. They had to take a blood test to determine the mono, which left me lying in the office bawling my eyes out like a little baby. I'm so terrified of needles and blood! Anyways, needless to say, my energy is absolutely spent & I wish I could spend the days lying in bed sleeping, not running all over the Twin Cities. But if I must be running around, at least let it be to the opera!

it's gotta be rock'n'roll music

2011-04-06T16:02:00.006-05:00

I wore this last Sunday when traipsing up and down Lake Street, Minneapolis with my best friend. It's a largely latino part of the city, so we chowed down some pretty good food and I got my favourite Jarritos grapefruit pop - or soda, if you're weird (& in my opinion, non-midwestern folk are very strange indeed).

This outfit also attracted quite a few catcalls and guys rolling down their windows (as if they cannot see perfectly well through glass, as it is). Boys are silly.

As you can see (though are probably not as thrilled as I am), the snow has vanished! It's terrific and I actually walked home after class today. The springtime is invigorating, once you get past all that muddy, melting snow shit. Now I can begin with my resolution to start running (yeah, remember that?)! I'm nervous about it, considering I was quite worn out after my half mile walk home today. It might have to do with lack of sleep and food (Wednesdays!) but it is probably because I've been a big, sleepy bear all winter.

As for the details of this outfit, which I'm sure you're absolutely dying to know, the skirt is from Heritage 1981. I snagged it from the sale rack for $5 last spring. I just love the shape and structure of it! I could dork out about it more, but I won't. But I will say, it is also mega short, much like me. The button down is from Macy's. The belt from my great-aunt, the socks from DSW, and the booties are Steve Madden. Oh, and if you refer to the photo below, the faux leather jacket is H&M. I haven't been shopping in ages, but I feel like I need to. The spring lines are already selling out and I don't need any more clothes, so it seems like the perfect time for some shopping.

Oh oh! Before I forget now, the lipstick I'm wearing in these photos is Centrifuchsia from the ever-so-amazing Lime Crime Makeup! I was also wearing their lipstick in my last outfit post, babydoll. There I was wearing My Beautiful Rocket and Retrofuturist. I'll do a more formal post on this all later, as I'm now addicted to their sugary sweet lipsticks.

I've been 3 weeks behind in all my classes, but today I had a few exams (on stuff I'd never seen before, isn't that a great feeling?!) so I can move on and catch back up (theoretically). Part of me feels like I should be more concerned with my classes & grades. Another part of me is glad I don't let the little things get me down!

So now, nap time can commence! I've been trying to decide what movie to watch. There're so many good nap time movies - Bridget Jones, When Harry Met Sally, Harry Potter...but part of me really just wants to watch Disney! I've spent the past week listening exclusively to Disney songs. Yes, that's what I use YouTube for, now. For watching "Colours of the Wind" and "Be Our Guest" and "A Whole New World" on repeat over and over and over again. It's too bad I don't actually own any of the Disney movies! But then again, if I did, none of my other DVDs would get any play....!

babydoll

2011-03-31T14:54:00.003-05:00

Minnesota's spring weather is one of the biggest bothers in the world. Some days it will be 52°F and absolutely lovely. The next day it will be below freezing and 6 inches of snow! I think Minnesota needs to see a therapist, to be honest. Today, though, it's been pretty nice (that is to say, we're supposed to get rain and snow tonight) so I went outside to take some photos. It's my day off from school and work, so I didn't wear pants as usual.

I don't even know what this outfit can be categorized as. "Quirky" I guess? It's just a total hodgepodge of different things and makes no sense and probably shouldn't be worn out in public.

Unfortunately however, my naughty puppy was crawling around out in the garden. He got tied up and started crying his darling little eyes out, so I went to let him off his leash and bring him inside to wash off his muddy paws. Instead, he made a run for it and I ended up chasing him around the yard and several grown men looking at the house for sale next door cast me disapproving looks. Ho-hum, to be a teenage girl!

You can't tell very well, but the shirt I'm wearing is a peach coloured silk shirt with a bunch of little villages and men in top hats and beautifully dressed women printed on it. I found it a few weeks ago at St. Paul Vintage Mall for $6. I paired it with a skirt I sewed last year, a black slip from H&M, a gold belt from my great aunt, really old stay ups that should be in the garbage instead of on my legs, socks from Target, and a pair of heels I found at my local second hand store.

I always buy into trends really late in the game. Here's my version of socks with heels! I've always really liked this look. I've noticed that the always lovely Emily Browning wears this a lot. I suppose you could say that she was my inspiration for this. But really, I'll just take any excuse to show off my socks.

I've been working like crazy lately (40 hours a week, plus school) and only managed to get this day off by pleading with my supervisor. I have a school orientation tonight, so I suppose it isn't entirely a day of leisure! Thursdays are supposed to be my day away from campus, but I'm going there tonight anyways, grumble grumble. It will be differrent though, as I asked my pops to go to the orientation with me. I've never been to college with a parent before, of course!

Closet Rehab

2011-03-26T17:46:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday on my day off, my closet underwent a much-needed rehab session. I have 2 closets - one with only jackets & cardigans, the other with my pants and tops. I also have two dressers - one with tops, shorts & underwear, the other with belts & legwear. I thought I'd take a photographic account of cleaning out my bigger closet. I got rid of a lot, which feels great, and made room for some new spring pieces, as well!

BEFORE:

The first thing I did was take absolutely everything out of my closet. It was scattered all over my tiny room and an awful mess. I then vaccuumed out my closet and began. I was separating my clothes into 4 piles, initially, and then condensing them into 3, like so:

The "Give Away" pile was to be sold or donated. The "Keep" pile is, obviously, what I still hung on to. The "DIY/Alter" pile was for clothes which needed to be hemmed, patched, dyed, re-fitted, etc. I also made a "Maybe" pile for things I was uncertain about. To decide upon which piles each belonged in, I tried on every single thing. If I hadn't worn anything in the past 6 or so months (weather permitting), it went in the "Give Away" or "Maybe" pile. If I forgot I had it, but still liked it, then I put it in the "Keep" pile. It's easy to forgat about clothes when your closet is such a mess!
Here're my tallies for jeans:Keep: 13Give Away: 9Alter/DIY: 6
Blouses/Shirts/SweatersKeep: 24Give Away: 11Alter/DIY: 2

DressesKeep: 10Give Away: 2Alter/DIY: 4

Shoes (in my room alone)Keep: 6Give Away: 6Alter/DIY: 0

SkirtsKeep: 10Give Away: 2Alter/DIY: 1

Vests/CardigansKeep: 5Give Away: 3Alter/DIY: 0
Scarves & TiesKeep: 8Give Away: 1Alter/DIY: 3

I also had a lot of baby dolls and stuffed animals in boxes on the top shelf of my closet. And some calendars going as far back as 1995...! I went through that stuff as well. Some of the toys I didn't even remember ever having, so I packed those up to be donated. I ended up only keeping a box's worth.

I put the clothes to be altered or DIY-ed in my sewing room. Some need to be hemmed, some dyed, some cut into shorts, some used as scrap fabric. The clothes which I'm getting rid of, I ironed and seperated into what will be donated, what will be brought to second hand, and what I will be trying to sell on eBay. As for the clothes I'm keeping, I ironed and put back in my closet, choosing hangers that all matched eachother. I organized them much better and hopefully, with the smaller volume of clothing, will be able to keep them this way.
AFTER:

TOP SHELF:

BOTTOM SHELF:
This was most certainly a very productive task! It's so much easier to grab things from my closet, and I look forward to doing my other closet and both my dressers...soon!

pray for japan. and libya.

2011-03-19T21:53:00.006-05:00

Although I mentioned it only recently, it's extremely important to continue to pray and hope for the people of Japan. Everyday more people turn up dead, higher levels of radiation are found in the land, and people continue to struggle with the sudden change that this disaster has brought them.
At the same time, earlier today French military jets began patrolling the air over Libya, even bombing several tanks. As the US & Britain move troops into the country as well, it's extremely important to pray for a peaceful outcome. It's so heartbreaking to see the world torn in so many directions - by war and natural disaster, by hate and inequality. I'm praying for peace in all these regions, for less bloodshed, for comfort and love during these horrible times, and I hope you'll lend support in praying for the best, as well.

FAQ: Hair, Makeup, Style, & Me

2011-03-16T11:41:00.004-05:00

I get so many questions about my hair & makeup, so I decided to do a video about it, showing which products I use, etc. But mostly I just felt like talking (as I could've written everything).

And because I like to talk, and I talk a lot, I did the questions about style and about me on a seperate video...

In my second video I jabbered on for a while about this magazine article I was featured in. To read it for yourself, head on over to Vita.mn. If you'd rather, you can just check out the blogs featured. The Minneapolis Affair is the MN street style blog, who also shot the photos for the article. Dirty Hair Halo is ran by a super stylish Minneapolis girl. The personal style blog Kitty Cotten is written by a girl of the same name. And last but not least, Fashionasty is written by a boy who was actually a production assistant on the show Ugly Betty! It's such an honour to be featured next to these amazing, stylish people. All the same, I'm happy for the next issue to come out, so my co-workers can quit giving me crap. My supervisor called me up to his office & full out mocked me, doing some poses and pretending to be a model. My most frequently asked questions were "how did they find you?" or "what was it for?" Just goes to show how much people actually read.

pray for japan. / FAQ

2011-03-14T17:06:00.003-05:00

I've been paying close attention to the disaster overseas in Japan, breathing in every bit of heartbreak, loss, destruction, fear, and desperation. As someone who believes in the power of prayer, I ask for everyone to pray to their Gods, spirits or creators to send strength, protection, and comfort to all displaced by this horrible disaster.

On an unrelated note, I get a lot of questions about my hair, makeup (of which I'm wearing none at the moment), and other things. On Wednesday I'll answer them all in a video, so I figured I'd give you guys the opportunity to ask anything else. I'm happy to answer almost whatever you guys throw at me!

she's all by herself but she's never alone

2011-03-08T19:03:00.004-06:00

Happy almost spring everyone! Minnesotan weather is so bipolar, today was above freezing and the 7 foot snowbanks in the alley were melting away. Tomorrow? We're supposed to get snow!I didn't realise how warm (35°F!) it is was out today, so I went outside expecting the worst and dressed like this...

Nice and warm for a mild winter day - but spring! No way! So I stripped off this deliciously oversized jacket, down to my jean jacket.
I was definitely going for a '90s look today. For those who like math, here is an equation for you (and even if you do not like math, such as me, you might find this problem to be pretty elementary): floral + fishnets + cheetah print + chunky platforms + pastels + jean jacket = 1990s

I was your token '90s child. I wore leggings and velvet turtle necks everyday. I cried the day that my 101 Dalmatians sweatshirt got acrylic paint on it in first grade. I still have my sunflower print dress and my button down with pastel sunglasses printed on it. I know my shit.

I just got these shorts last week. I'm not a huge fan of floral in dresses and blouses - it's just too flouncy and girly for me! But these shorts have edge and are a great statement piece. They underplay the other statement pieces in this look (diamond fishnets, blue wedges, cheetah print beret).

I've always been too shy to wear these tights alone. I find that fishnets are difficult pull off without looking trashy (which, Hell, I am, but I don't like to go around promoting it). However, I was feeling bold today and figured that a) I needed some black, and b) what's one more pattern thrown into the mix?

I've decided that I'm going to start running. That is my springtime resolution (yes, apparently I make seasonal resolutions now!). I will start by going to Target and buying myself some workout clothes with my next paycheck - this is the most exciting prospect of my entire resolution. Since I'm not one for physical activity, I will run a little bit at a time and hopefully gain some endurance and boost my energy and appetite. I look forward to getting all dressed up in my gear and looking like I actually know what I'm doing. If anyone runs, please give me tips! I don't want to look like the sort of amateur person who goes running just for the cute gear. Even if I am.

This photo shows my tough-girl-interior. I think it says, "I will kick yo ass, punk!" Well, that or something like, "Look ma! I can stand on one foot in 5 inch wedges!"
wedges - Madden Girl; thigh highs - American Apparel; tights - Modcloth; shorts - Mink Pink via Modcloth; belt - from my great aunt; jean jacket - Guess; oversized jacket - thrifted; button down - Macy's something; drawstring bag - Modcloth; beret - H&M

yeah yeah yeah!

2011-03-03T19:28:00.003-06:00

I'm in high spirits and eating again! Hardly eating anything for 3 days has definitely taken it's toll on my body, but not my attitude and I even made it out in the warm weather (read: 25°F) today for some photos. Unfortunately my beautiful Pentax had run out of batteries and it'd completely slipped my mind to buy new ones, so I had to pull out my baby point & shoot Canon. I think he did alright.

I feel like I haven't dressed like this for a while. I certainly haven't worn Docs for a long time and even the proportions and legwear seem oh so last year. Maybe it's all in my head. A lot of stuff goes on up there and most of it is crazy nonsense.

This outfit definitely brought out the kid in me. I spent the day baking cookies & a flourless chocolate cake while watching Skins with my friend Adam. I've just got a bit of French Literature homework to get done, and then I'm going to watch 101 Dalmatians, which I got in the mail from Netflix today!

You probably cannot tell just how much weight I lost this week, but my waist is a couple inches smaller and I lost a bit in my legs and hips. I'm extremely small already and cannot afford to lose anymore. Hopefully that cake will put it back in me!

Apologies for the major case of bedhead. I never realise just how bad it is until I see the photos I take. My curls are so unpredictable!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. Hopefully spring is right around the corner, but until then, keep warm! shorts - H&M; sweater - H&M; tights - Hue; stay ups - unknown; boots - Doc Martens

wine for the woman who made the rain come

2011-03-02T19:18:00.014-06:00

1. Unknown / 2. Unknown / 3. Ruth St Denis / 4. Alexa Chung / 5. Unknown / 6. Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman / 7. Liz Hamm (via Gala Darling) / 8. Charlie Chaplin & friends / 9. Beautiful room / 10. Clara Bow
I'm recovering from a bad bout of food poisoning & eagerly awaiting an end to old man winter's reign over Minnesota.

good things to come

2011-02-22T17:26:00.003-06:00

I've been busy reading Moliere's "Le Tartuffe", watching snow storms from my bedroom window, and behaving like a love struck schoolgirl.

I hear that good things come in 3's. So now I wait for the third to come along.

love among the millionaires

2011-02-08T16:20:00.005-06:00

I tried so hard to find a spot in my house where I could take these photos, but alas, nothing! So I braved the outside, where it was 3°F/-16°C & also super windy (I had to hold the slip down - I have a few photos where it looks like a balloon!). Let's just say, I'm greatly anticipating springtime and the above freezing temperatures it brings. In the end, I was probably outside for 5 minutes at most, took a few photos then scurried on in and put on my froggy mittens to warm my fingers. Ah ! the sacrifices which we make for our arts.

Today is "no school, no work, no pants" day. I'm wearing a black slip from Heritage 1981 which I got last year and an American Apparel lace blouse which I got with a giftcard from my sister. It's super pretty and a wonderful piece! I'm also wearing a vintage 1920's bracelet which I got a few months ago from Bohemian Bisoux. It's so beautiful, but extremely delicate & many of the rhinestones are missing. I'd like to bring it to a jeweler's & have it restored.I do wish I had a closer up picture so you could see my makeup. I lined my eyes with black liner, smudged that, and then put bright blue eyeshadow on the inner corners of my eyes. It's definitely a new look for me, as I usually go with browns & greens.
My boyfriend & I broke up a few weeks ago. It was a mutual split and we're still on great terms (in fact, we're going thrifting on Thursday because my mum threw out my old army jacket & now I must find a replacement!), and I've now decided that I will not commit to a serious relationship until August. By August, I will have graduated high school, turned 18, just gotten back from my month in Europe, be starting design school, and finding a place of my own. It'll be a new phase of my life and I don't want to try to transition a relationship through all of that. In the meantime, I've been enjoying dating and meeting new people!

Anyways, I must go write a paper on a Baudelaire poem for my French Literature class. I'll end this with a link to a recent interview I did with Fashion Paparazzis. Please check it out here!slip - Heritage 1981; lace top - American Apparel; tights - Hue; heels - Madden Girl

little red

2011-01-25T15:41:00.005-06:00

Excuse the awful awful hair! It's my day off from life (no work or class!) & I didn't have any reason to be overly concerned about the state of it. Or anything else.

I finished sewing this cape this morning. I designed it myself because I couldn't find a pattern I liked. The arm slits were the finishing touch and now I can wear it all I want. Being new to sewing & pattern making, I'm still learning as I go and so, next time I make something similar, I will: make the hood slightly bigger, choose either a drawstring or a collar (this is simply gathered), and add a lining. I was so silly not to put a lining in!

Now that the cape is done, I'm not sure what to do next! I think I'll make my dog a coat. Yes, I know, I'm such a nice puppy owner. Especially since he puts runs in all my tights & never lets me eat in peace!

Underneath, I'm wearing my black work sweater with a black slip over it. The slip has the most pretty hem to it, I wish I'd thought to take a picture of it.

As far as school goes, I'm not enjoying it. School is dumb, I'd rather be watching Cary Grant movies! But I guess it has to be done. Hopefully I'll reach a mid-semester-zen. I've found that I've reached a calming zen-mode about work, in which I don't care where I'm placed, when I get break, or any of the such. I'll just go to work, finish my shift, and be completely calm and happy about the whole ordeal. I hope this isn't one of those temporary zens. I like it, I want it to stay! Ooooh, I got a package just now! Two new pairs of shoes. I can't wait to introduce these babies to the rest of my wardobe. But first, I should be responsible and do my classwork. shoes - vintage Donald J Pliner; socks - DSW; tights - ModCloth; slip - Heritage 1981; sweater - second hand; belt - H&M; cape - made by me

stuff I want on my body

2011-01-23T19:31:00.004-06:00

It's really super cold out lately (Friday was -13°F/-25°C without windchill) and I've taken ill and lost my voice completely! All in all not a great week and I'm so darn cold and tired of wearing the same thing, I thought it was about time for a post of stuff I want on my body right now.

Asos. This looks super warm, especially the boots & socks and cardigan!

Emily Browning is such a doll, and the whole '70s school-girl-vintage trend is causing my hippie upbringing (which I've been supressing since middle school) to resurface.

Maybe it's the bright colours, maybe it's the fat little crayon shape, maybe it's the word "moisturzing", but something about the new Clinique chubby stick has my cold winter heart yearning for every colour of this new product.

Vogue UK December '10 issue, "Star Signs"

Marc by Marc Jacobs (f/w 2009, I think?)I've never needed a pair of boots so bad in my life. Those burgundy lace ups are wonderful, and the rubber bottom is definitely eye catching.

Cheap Monday cardigan, photo from Asos.

Unknown source (if you know, tell me!) I want to go tumble around in the snow (& possibly go ice skating) in that anorak and pretty little dress.
Lillian Gish

Marc by Marc Jacobs f/w 2010.The furry hat? Yes please!

Generra f/w 2010.I need a bit of colour in my wardrobe so badly right now! I loved all the sweaters and skirts in this collection.

Taylor Momsen shoes shoes shoes shoes shoes

Marc by Marc Jacobs f/w 2010.I want an anorak with a faux fur collar so badly right now! The only anorak I own is huge.

Generra f/w 2010.The bright blue anorak with the fur vest looks super super warm. Again, I love the colours and the flouncy little skirt.
Frida Gustavsson.The colour and patterns and textures are just perfect. Plus, her hair is marvelous! I would wear all of this without question...but right now Downton Abbey is on! Has anyone else been watching this? It's such a wonderful miniseries (as most PBS Masterpiece Theater shows are) and the clothes are beautiful.

Photos: style.com, Altamira, Asos

who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

2011-01-18T14:21:00.004-06:00

Part of my agreement (with myself) for 2011 fashion is to try new things (fearlessly) & pull out some stuff from my wardrobe that I bought but never or rarely wear. Let's call it a fashion resolution. One of those things is this grey poncho. I bought it in autumn at Forever 21. I never ever go in that store when I'm out shopping - it's just too big, loud, and cluttered. But I was shopping with a friend who's addicted to F21, so we went in. I found this poncho & fell absolutely in love with it! It's super duper soft and comfy. I happily bought it, but then never wore it.

I'm really into capes & ponchos right now though, and have been loving all the fellow bloggers sporting them, so I decided to give it a go. I felt a bit like Little Red Riding Hood, if she was sort of a dark little emo girl. I felt like the red lipstick & rose pendant made it almost gothic-like. I like it a lot. A bit vamp-y, a bit '20s-ish (think Theda Bara).

The rose pendant necklace is actually my mum's. I own hardly any jewelry at all. I wish I had a larger collection. My mum has some nice pieces though, such as this one, which added a nice woodsy, outdoors touch.

My boyfriend saw me in this today & referred to it as a number of things, including "dark", "witch-y", & "trashy." Hmmmm... He's always had a great distate for a lot of the clothes & makeup I wear. In all honesty, I just wanted to be comfortable today, as I'm spending the day in getting stuff done before classes start tomorrow!

This semester I'm only taking 12 credits: two French classes, geography, and self defense. I'll also be working about 30 hours a week & sewing intensively (or so I plan to). Right now I'm working on a red cape. Obviously I've been drawing a lot of inspiration from fairytales.

Thanks to everyone for the book & author recommendations! I'll write them down & look around the next time I'm in a book store. Yesterday I read "What Would Audrey Do?" for an hour or so & I'm almost done! Hmmm what will I move to next?

molly ringwald, I love you

2011-01-13T15:26:00.004-06:00

When I woke up this morning, there were big, wet snowflakes swirling all over and it looked like a winter wonderland. I squealed with joy and texted my boyfriend to say that when he got out of class we must go play in the snow!! But he has a work meeting & it's stopped snowing now. Oh well, it was pretty while it lasted!After lunch, I went out to take photos of my outfit for today. However, it was 11°F (which is something like -12°C) and so I only lasted about 15 minutes before my hands went so numb that I couldn't feel my fingers.

I recieved an American Apparel gift card from my sister for Christmas. I went to the shop in the Mall of America the other night after work and picked up a lace shirt, 3 bottles of nail polish, and these socks. They looked so warm & I wanted one of every colour, but I ended up just getting navy blue (they're so expensive!). Everything in AA is super costly, and for the most part it's all stuff that one can sew pretty easily for only a few bucks. Also the girl working there...I guess she was nice & helpful, but she was super unfriendly! I don't understand why unfriendly people work in retail.
The dress is by a brand called Motel Rocks & I just got it in the mail today from one of my favourite online shops, Fred Flare. I also ordered a couple of books with the dress. I've had the overwhelming need to just read & consume knowledge lately. So I'm reading "What Would Audrey Do?" which my mum got me for my birthday last June (or maybe the June before that?). What has everybody been reading lately? Any recommendations?Anyways, underneath the dress I put on a slip er...lingerie top so that there was some lace peaking out from underneath. I was channeling the '80s here, so I added the hat (which always makes me feel either like Molly Ringwald or Charlie Chaplin, depending) & my name necklace!

I think this is enough!! I've wrote so much for this outfit & don't want to bore everyone with my rambling. Till next time friends, stay warm! p.s. Thanks to the readers who let me know about Pond's animal testing. I read more about it on their website & have decided to find a new rich moisturizer for the winter months!

stuff I like

2011-01-07T14:42:00.003-06:00

Very Hollywood by Michael Kors / Sweet Lips sugar scrub by Lush / Revlon nail polish in Silver Screen / bra from Victoria's Secret / Dark Kiss body lotion from Bath & Body Works / mixed CD from my friend / Princess by Vera Wang / Nicole by OPI in Show You Care

I love good smelling stuff, & I recently got this Michael Kors perfume from my sister. The bottle & packaging is so pretty. I love Lush's sugar lip scrubs! It tastes so good & is great for chapped winter lips. I'm also obsessed with silver nail polish right now. It's perfect for winter (which is never ending in Minnesota).

The Dark Kiss collection from Bath & Body Works is so brilliant. I recieved the set for Christmas from my boyfriend. It's a very sexy scent of berries and vanilla and musk. My best friend Rachael made me a mixed CD, which is so lovely. Chris Fox, who I also love, made me a couple of compilations recently, too. Thanks to him I'm now listening to the same 4 or 5 songs on repeat.
Victoria's Secret was having their semi-annual sale so I got this beautiful purple, pink, & blue lace bra. I love very dark, girly colours. And lace. And rhinestones. In addition to all the yummy smelling stuff I already featured above, Vera Wang Princess is my absolute favourite scent. I love vanilla everything, & the original ads featuring Camilla Belle are so pretty. The dark purple nail polish is a colour called "Show You Care" which is so gothic and sexy. A very old man who I helped at work the other day asked "Is your nail polish black or purple?" And when I told him it was sort of both, he called it "cool" and then gave me knucks before leaving on his way. Keep in mind, he was probably about 90 years old.

Bûche De Noël by Lush / The Brothers Grimm / When Harry Met Sally / Pin Up 2011 Day Book / coin purse from Brazil / Charity Pot lotion from Lush / Pond's face cream / hair pins from H&M and Goody / R&B by Lush
If you haven't seen "The Brothers Grimm" yet (it came out in 2005 -__-) then please do! It's so wonderful, an extremely creative, enchanting movie with handsome men, witty comments, and a great story to it. "When Harry Met Sally" is also another current favourite of mine. It has wonderful quotes & the dialogue between the characters is so relateable.My 2011 day planner is full of pin up girls! I love pin ups, they're so sexy and cute. Maybe it's a little weird that I like them so much, but I don't mind that people know. I don't believe in hiding parts of your personality from people, & my interest in lingerie, pin ups, etc. is therefore nothing to hide.The little coin purse was brought back from Brazil for me from a friend who backpacked South America for half a year. It's so cute & painted on a coconut shell.

During harsh winter months, skin & hair needs a bit of TLC! I love Lush's Charity Pot lotion because proceeds go to charity. They had a special limited edition mini-pot in which you could choose where the full $5 was sent to. I chose Beauty's Haven Farm & Equine Rescue because I hold animals so very close to my heart & am flat out against animal abuse. It disgusts me. Charities like this one give sanctuary & love to animals who haven't been able to feel that before.Pond's makes my favourite face cream. Very gentle and basic with no smell. I lather it on every night after the shower, before I tuck into bed. For my hair, I love Lush's R&B. It smells like a tropical cocktail and moisturizes dried out locks like no other. Good bye static! I'm also pinning my hair up a lot. It's now long enough to pull back into a ponytail, but I still need to pin a lot of the shorter sections back. I can't wait for long hair again!

Lush's Bûche De Noël cleanser, a Christmas special (unfortunately), is my new favourite face cleanser. It's super moisturizing but also exfoliates so my skin feels so smooth and refreshed when I jump out of the shower. It smells really rich and booze-y, which I love. I wish they had this year round! Anyways, those are a few of my favourite things at the moment! What are you guys into at the moment? What kind of stuff might I like? I'm also looking for new beauty products to try out, new movies to watch, etc.

prep school cowboys

2010-12-31T15:02:00.004-06:00

New Years Eve post! This is my last hurrah for 2010. I feel like I should do a year end post, but I don't have much to say about 2010. It was amazing. It was one of the best years of my life because so much happened and I grew so much. Mentally. I'm still only 5 feet tall. My hair grew, though. Okay, enough about growing. I've accomplished a lot this year and am a much stronger individual. I have so many hopes and goals for 2011. Fresh start, new adventures, new beginnings, auld lang syne, my friends!

Anyways, these photos were taken on Tuesday & since then it's gotten very warm here and rained a lot. Not so much snow anymore. The new varsity jacket is from Urban Outfitters after-Christmas sale. I found it for $25 - not bad! The pants are probably my new favourites. I bought them a while ago for $5 in the H&M kid's section. I love being able to shop in kids - less expensive, fits better (sometimes), and often times cuter. The boots are from DSW. They're a brand called Kensie. I'd like some better dressy winter boots. These are cute but not very dressy. My snow boots are cute but very clunky & not dressy. I spent so much money over the holidays though, so I'll probably just buy better winter boots in the end of season sales.

Yeah, hi, a lot of snow. But I'm a snow bunny & there's very few things that I like more than playing in the snow!

I guess this is all for 2010! I'm off to bake cookies, change out of these dirty clothes, and then go to my friend's house to ring in the new year! Happy New Years everyone & I hope 2011 brings even better things!

in Minnesota

2010-12-27T16:58:00.002-06:00

I imagine that winter in Minnesota is a lot different than winter in most places. There's snow and bitter cold for months and months, so we spend a lot of time drinking hot chocolate and playing in the snow. And so, that is what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks!

Whaaa hot chocolate with Christmas marshmallows! I went on a huge Target shopping trip in which I spent loads of money. The bag of marshmallows was the cheapest thing I bought, at only $0.99

Cookie making with friends is a must! I spent 3 hours on Christmas Eve frosting & decorating cookies, followed by making fudge, while watching Frosty the Snowman, The Little Drummer Boy, and It's a Wonderful Life!

Decorating the tree took Jingle All the Way, Miracle on 34th Street, and many many Christmas songs! It could either be that we're lazy tree trimmers, or it could be that we have hundreds of ornaments!

I got this dorky sweater from my mum for Christmas! It's great, it has "mockets" (mitten-pockets, as named by Chris Fox).

Sledding!! My boyfriend and I got back together (we missed eachother too much!!). His parents own a lot of property up north so I went sledding down the sand dunes.

The snow is over a foot deep! At some parts it was well over my knees! Climbing up the sledding hill was no treat, and I forgot that there was a pit at the top of the dune, so when I got to the top I fell into thigh deep snow. As you can see, I got very very wet and snowy. But totally worth it!

We also went snowmobiling again. Snowmobiling is one of my boyfriend's favourite things in the world, but I don't like it! I always get really hurt and end up with huge bruises all over.

And all the helmets are too big for my head!

After long days in the snow, the best option is to peel off all your clothes, throw them on the radiator or in the dryer, and snuggle into your pajamas! Ordering pizza and drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate is also a great idea. I got my own personal pizza (everyone else wanted Meat Lovers. I did not.) and watched Ernest Saves Christmas! Never again will I watch that.

When I wasn't working, I was usually at the Mall of America for some reason or another (which is funny, because I work at the mall). It's decorated so pretty for the holidays, though. The trees are incredible and have ornaments bigger than my face! Everyday they'd have Christmas concerts - acapella groups, high school bands, choirs, etc. - which was really nice. I ended up watching quite a few.

Moses loves Christmas! He also has gotten into the (bad!) habit of licking the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, when the door is down. It's so cute! As long as they aren't clean plates, that is...

I painted my nails for Christmas! I got a trio of ELF nail polishes, just for fun! I love having fun nails but nail polish is so expensive! I figured $3 for some festive nail polish wasn't too bad.

After reading Rebecca's posts about the '60s, featuring photos froom a recent Lisa Eldridge shoot, I've become obsessed with the hair & makeup from that decade. We went ice skating last night and I took that as an opportunity to try a poufy(ish?) half-up 'do.

I think I need more practice.

My boyfriend is so cute. Please tell him that it's not fruity to wear a scarf & that hat!

Ice skating! I'm so bad. I didn't fall at all, but I wasn't exactly speeding along. I was all shaky and my legs and feet ached so badly by the end. Rental skates! I need to find my own pair of figure skates. I want white. Hmmmm.....

This was taken after Mike accidentally dumped his hot chocolate all over my coat & hands!

Happy holidays everyone!! I hope your Christmases were fantastic, and New Years too, if I don't have the opportunity to update before 2011!

happy christmas!

2010-12-25T00:38:00.002-06:00

Happy Christmas everyone, I hope the holidays bring peace and friends and good cheer! I've spent the evening singing carols, making fudge, decorating cookies, and watching It's a Wonderful Life. As a last dose of vintage Christmas fun, here's *N Sync singing what is (legitimately) one of my favourite songs of the holiday season:

Photos from fuckyeahclarabow and google

finals & excessive amounts of snow

2010-12-14T19:56:00.005-06:00

Finals week is approaching, or rather it has approached, and I'm completely stressed in every way possible (I do not recommend going through a huge dramatic break up right before finals - I appreciate your guys' nice comments :3). And so, I'm de-stressing in the most realistic way possible - shopping! After biology lecture today, I ran over to the University of Minnesota store for a pair of mittens. The adult mittens were too big for my baby hands so I scurried on over to the kids section for identical mittens in a smaller size.
I also ran across this sweatshirt, which I really liked. I love kids sized sweatshirts (not hoodies) because they're so cozy and warm without looking bulky. I hate drowning in my clothes, which happens so much because I'm insanely petite!

After I had chosen my sweatshirt and mittens, I turned around and BAM! Socks. How could I help myself? I loved these knee high ones, with the gophers on them. The U of MN has this really ugly footballing gopher for their mascot. I have a million t-shirts with that guy on them. Anyways, knee highs aren't convenient in every situation, so I also went on to pick out a pair of ankle socks. What can I say? I love socks.

As a side note: I am literally wearing a pair of wooly tights, a sweatshirt, and knee high socks. I apologize for this hot mess look (especially the awful slept-on hair). This was my stay-home-and-intend-to-study-but-actually-watch-Dr-Phil-and-eat-ice-cream outfit.

On Friday night, the snow hit. This is the view from the highway on the way to work (don't worry I wasn't driving). Visibility was nearly zero, you couldn't even see the Mall of America, even when you were right up to it. The Mall closed 4 hours early that day, after city buses, hotel shuttles, & taxis quit running. All in all, we got something like 17" of snow and the Vikings metrodome roof fell in.

After work, still in my work uniform, I took my puppy for a walk. I ended up having to carry him through the snow, which varied between knee height and waist deep. At one point I fell down and got covered with snow while holding Moses. He won't let me take him out on winter walks now. Trust shattered.

Now we're suffering from below zero temperatures, however I've found that I'm fully adapted to winter and am hardly even cold in sub-zero temperatures. That said, I wear 3+ layers wherever I go, so that may have something to do with it.

As a last note before I actually do begin my final paper which is due tomorrow, Chris Fox drew this wonderful doodle of me chilling in the waist deep snow.

icicle eyelashes

2010-12-05T14:48:00.003-06:00

It's gotten super cold here the past week and we finally have some decent snow on the ground!! In fact, it's been snowing a bit almost every day. I love it. I love Minnesota. And my new boots. I'm super excited for Christmas, as well. I haven't decorated at all yet, or sent out cards, but after finals are done with, hopefully I will be able to cool off and de-stress a bit. Finals are murder!

The past few days have not been so good. My boyfriend broke up with me and so I've just been real upset lately. It's difficult to lose both your boyfriend and your best friend at the same time, and I'm afraid I really screwed up. Hopefully everything will blow over, but my friends have been buying me chocolate and hot chocolate and giving me extra hugs to help out. I think I'll spend the week just watching movies. (:

I really wanted a pair of those tights that are made to look like you're wearing garters. I think they're so cute. But they were not sold anywhere in Minnesota & I'm too cheap to pay for shipping, so instead I just wear real stay ups & garters over my tights. Much more warm for the winter anyways. I'm afraid the trend of those tights, as well as the dotted ones, has come full circle already.

New signature pose? Anyways, I'm going to watch some Christmas movies now, instead of doing evil biology homework. I think I'll watch "Eloise at Christmastime"! Always makes me feel a little happier, a little warmer.

snow bunny

2010-11-24T17:08:00.003-06:00

Hmmm so I must have lied when I said it would be another week or so until I get back into the blogosphere, because here I am! There will still be one more guest blogger, a friend of mine who I know via Lookbook, and maybe a few more... (;

I was locked out of my house for an hour the other day. It was, supposedly, the coldest day since Febuary (just my luck!) and my little toes nearly froze off in my cowboy boots. After that incident, I used a good chunk of my paycheck to invest in some Minnesota-proof winter boots. I bought these furry guys at Macy's from a brand called Khombu. They're so cute and make my feet feel like I'm walking on a toasty cloud! Supposedly they protect your feet even at -20°F...which I'll need, come January.

Haha, my hair was so bedhead-y and awful today. Apologies. I'm still wearing half my PJ's, actually, but that's all you really want to wear when it's cold & snowy out! The frilly shorts are from Target. I believe they're pajama shorts, but I think they're too damn cute to save just for the bedroom! I've begun quite the collection of knit thigh highs. I like to wear them to bed in place of pants, because pants ride up and get all twisted. Plus, your feet are always cold! These ones, with the pom poms, are from Target!
I've also started a decent mitten collection. They're nearly as good as socks!! My boyfriend bought me these little guys last July-ish time. They're not warm or soft at all, haha. The cold air goes straight through, but they're festive and the money went to cancer research!
After I took these photos the snow picked up and we've got quite a bit on the ground now, with more on the way! Snow is one of the most magical, glorious, beautiful things on earth. I hope that everyone gets to see it at least sometime in life. Trust me, it's even better than in the movies!

My boyfriend also bought me these froggy mittens! He's very concerned about keeping my hands warm (; These guys are sooooo toasty warm and super cute, if not a little child-ish. We bought them from a kiosk in the mall. I haggled the price down with the worker, to the amazement of my boyfriend. I just have my way with some people...Anyways, I hope everyone is staying warm in the snow & cold! And to all you Americans, have a great Thanksgiving and stay safe on Black Friday! I work allll day that day (at the Mall of America!!) so I won't have time to do any shopping. Do some for me, though!

what I've been up to

2010-11-16T18:44:00.006-06:00

Obviously I've been very busy the past couple of weeks. There's still another guest blogger before I get back into the blogosphere, but in the meantime here's what I've been up to (besides school, biology, work, biology, school, and oh...biology):

I rode rides over at Nickelodeon Universe (aka work!) This is me on the Backyardigans Swing-a-long, which is my second favourite ride at Nick (my first is the Avatar Airbender ride). If you ever go to Nick Universe, go on those two!

For Halloween I was a flapper and my boyfriend was a sailor. I don't have any photos (besides this), but maybe I can find some the next time I go up north. It was pretty fun being a flapper for a day. I wish I could've been one back in the '20s!

The first snowfall!! I woke up at 3am to watch it fall (actually my sister's drunk boyfriend called me and it woke me up). We got 6" but it was so wet out, and hardly below freezing, so most of it has melted. It was still pretty while it lasted! I got to watch it from work, and then I got out from work and it began to rain. Just my luck!

Basshunter! I went with a bunch of friends to see Basshunter perform at Epic nightclub in Minneapolis. It was pretty awesome, I had loads of fun (except I had had no sleep the night before & worked all day) and I danced like crazy! By the time Basshunter actually got on I was wiped out. He only played for hardly an hour, and he kept replaying his famous songs! Kind of a let down.

Playing in the snow! My favourite part of winter. I'm obsessed with stockings right now. I was wearing three different pairs on this particular day!

guest blogger: Rebecca from See You in Sweden!

2010-11-02T13:53:00.003-05:00

While my laptop is in for repairs, I'm having a series of my favourite fashion bloggers do some guest posts here on Urban Tease about fall/winter fashion! The first girl to be featured is the absolutely lovely Rebecca from See You In Sweden(!):

Hi guys! I'm Rebecca from See You in Sweden filling in for the irreplaceable Chloe while Godfrey is undergoing some R&R. Chloe asked me what my one fashion staple would be and how would I style it. My mind went straight to plaid shirts.

Plaid shirts may be more Canadian than Paris or New York but I think Canada is on the right track with these instant chic makers. They are my go-to item in any season, but in autumn and winter there's nothing like the warmth and style a plaid shirt can give you. I have many plaid shirts and here's just a few things I like to do with them:

This is casual but dressy and the flannel fabric keeps my breezy dress warm and weather-appropriate.
Shirt, dress- Target, Belt, tights- H&M, Shoes- Zara, Lipstick- NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil in 728 Iris
................

When I want to go casual but still look taller than my petite frame I grab opaque black tights and a black wedge.
Shirt- Target, Shorts- Delia's, Tights- H&M, Shoes- Bamboo, Lipstick- NYC Jumbo Lip Pencil in 723 Narcisse
........................

I like to have fun with my plaid shirts and this is a subtle way to mix patterns. When it's really cold I'll throw a comfy sweater cardigan over this.
Shirt- American Eagle, Skirt- Target, Tights- H&M, Shoes- Forever XXI, Lipstick- NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil in 723 Narcisse
..............................

You don't always need to wear tights with shorts in the winter. These are a fun pair of thigh-highs I picked up for $2. I love pom-poms!
Shirt- American Eagle, Belt- H&M, Shorts- Delia's, Socks- Target, Shoes- Zara, Lipstick- Avon's Poppy Love
............................

This is the most dressed up I have been able to get a plaid shirt! With a plaid shirt in a sateen-like fabric I would definitely wear this combination to some fancy places :)
Shirt- American Eagle, Dress as skirt, belt- H&M, Shoes- Forever XXI, Lipstick- Mark's Cha-Cha
.......................

When I want a plaid shirt to look smart and take it from lumberjack to Parisian chic, I play with a solid colored scarf to add volume and spice :)
Shirt- American Eagle, Scarf, pants- H&M, Shoes- Forever XXI, Belt Delia's, Lipstick- Avon's Poppy Love
............................

If you see me on a casual day, running errands, etc. I'm wearing a version of this. Guaranteed. A comfy plaid shirt so I don't look sloppy, black or knit pants and my leather boots. Depending on what I'm doing I can easily switch up the shoes to wellies, wedges, etc. I call this my "uniform." I think every girl and guy should have a flattering but comfy go-to outfit when they're in a rush or can't think that day.
Shirt- American Eagle, Pants- Delia's, Shoes- Katie&Kelly, Lipstick- Avon's Poppy Love
..............................

And don't even get me started on plaid anything else! OK, fine, here's a plaid dress that I wear casually chic like this and to a "comfy work" day with black tights and flats.
Dress- H&M, Socks-Target, Shoes- American Eagle, Ring- Forever XXI, Lipstick- Mark's Cha-Cha
....................

Thanks for reading guys and hope this has given you a few new ideas for your plaid shirts. If you want to come check out my little bloggity, See You in Sweden, I promise I don't wear plaid shirts all the time!

P.S. American Eagle has the best plaid shirts, especially in Autumn. All bows and ribbons are from the Dollar section at the craft store :)

love,rebecca

inspiration / computer broken

2010-10-27T20:11:00.003-05:00

Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't been able to update for the past couple of weeks. My beloved laptop, Godfrey, broke and it will be a few weeks until he's back up & running! I'm not even sure if I'll be able to recover all my photos, music, documents, etc. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!! I miss my little Godfrey already )=

In the meantime, I'll be uploading photos, videos, etc. which I find inspiration in. Today I have recent photos of 3 fabulous ladies who I greatly admire.

You may remember Emily Browning, the darling Aussie actress, from A Series of Unfortunate Events all those years back! She's in a new movie called Sucker Punch with Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, and some other very famous young female actresses.

She looks like such a doll with the short hair and bright eyes! Em is so lucky because she has great natural beauty. I also adore her current hair colour. I'm thinking of dying my hair something like this... It offsets her pale skin beautifully.

Emma Stone! I saw Easy A, which was so great. Emma is ridiculously funny and so amazingly pretty. I love her hair and her eyes. And well, everything about her. Major girl crush.

I loved her Nylon magazine photoshoot, too. I want her hair colour, it's so lovely!

Emma Watson! She's getting a lot of hate for her new pixie, but I think she looks bloody amazing. It was such a great move - a fresh look for a new era!

She's set to be in a new movie about Marilyn Monroe, which I'm already excited for and I don't think they've even begun filming.

Okay, this photo doesn't really fit in with the rest, but Em looks incredible. I love the dress and the earrings. It proves that ladies with short hair can still look fabulous. My boyfriend absolutely denies that girls look good with short hair - but so does his mum! Okay, so maybe it's a very boyish cut...but who cares?? Emma looks sexy and cute in it, even if it is boyish.

This here must be the absolutely most beautiful photo of Emma that I've ever seen. She looks so delicate and beautiful. I could stare at this forever and still be amazed.
Hopefully I'll be back up and running soon. The man from Hewlitt-Packard said it will take a lot of time & dedication to recover all of my files. I'm not excited about that, but anything to keep all those memories and get Godfrey back in the game.

Photos from: iheartwatson.net, emily-browning.com, and emmastoneweb.com

when you found me I was running wild

2010-10-12T11:08:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's been a very long time since I've updated....just like the old days, ehhh? Apologies, I've had no time! And the time I have had has been spent with my wonderful boyfriend :3 But I'm home sick today, so here's one huuuuge post to satisfy. I spent $3.21 on a Naked juice yesterday because it had 760% of my daily Vitamin C dose in it....but I'm even more sick today than yesterday!! Oh well, Tuesday is my always my blog/homework/TV day, so here goes....

The first thing I'd like to say is that I was lucky enough to do an interview with Mariska Deasy for her blog, which you can read right here!! Goodness, isn't she the absolute cutest thing??

Second, I got new boots!! Aren't they lovely? I feel like this outfit is a reversion back to my old style...It must be the autumn. I snagged them from the DSW sale section a few weeks ago. I cannot afford them but I thought I'd splurge.

Third, I also got this lovely new headband from Urban Outfitters the other day. On sale!! It reminded me of Lillian Gish and the lovely pale colour contrasts with my hair nicely. Usually headpieces get lost in my dark hair! When I put it on, my mum saw me and said, "You look positively like Clara Bow" or something along those lines. Aw, isn't that lovely? But she knows that Clara is my favourite and was probably saying it to please me. All the same, I love my mum.

My boyfriend also came over while I was taking photos. Thursday & Sunday are date days for us, so on this day we were going to ride rides at Nickelodeon Universe & then see Easy A! I really liked that movie, Emma Stone is sooo wonderful and super freakin' pretty.

Oh, and since everyone loves him so much & because he's soooo hilarious...my puppy dropped by, too (:

His tongue is magnificent, no?

This is an older outfit. I took photos & posted it on Lookbook, so I thought it'd only be fair if I posted it here. It's sort of a mashup of my style from over the past year, which I can prove with this:

1. The motorcycle boots, which I wore everyday last spring.
2. The tights are necessary when faking longer legs, so I wear them all the time, especially in colder weather.
3. The bodycon does the same with the legs, and makes me feel really curvy and great. I love deep colours, so the purple is perfect.
4. The red flannel is, of course, my favourite shirt ever, as it's so toasty warm & delicious and all over Minnesotan.
5. And this vest, which is a new peice from the second hand store, is sooo soft and incredibly warm! Plus, I'm really getting into animal print lately...this is a newer touch to my style.

Anyhow, time to start homework though! I hope everyone is enjoying the lovely autumn!! Or I suppose spring, if you're in Australia. (:

but I'm just a raindrop in a river

2010-09-28T17:34:00.008-05:00

Update: Sorry about all the bandwidth issues! I have it temporarily sorted out for this post & will get the photos from previous posts back up tomorrow. My blog isn't used to this much traffic, I'm afraid....
precursor: this post will include a week of happenings...and is also quite photo-heavy (that's nice that I warn you, right??)

I've been in a shopping frenzy and have, in the past week or two, bought: two new jackets, two pairs of heels, a pair of boots, and I think something else....furthermore, I have a dress, a bracelet, and a purse picked out, which I believe will all be in my hands very soon. Oh! And on top of that, I'm going shopping on Thursday. Ah, life is great, shopping is theraputic.In addition to all this shopping, I came home the other day and found a sparkly new package waiting for me. I love getting packages in the mail so much! Especially if they're from exotic, far away places like Tel Aviv, Israel (:

The lovely Don had arranged for a necklace to be custom made for me. It's so beautiful!! I love the '90s and very few things say nineties more than name necklaces. It's extremely classy and I wear it a lot more than I would've ever suspected. Plus it comes in this darling little box that looks like it belongs in a bakery shop window.

I got it on a 16" chain, so it's a lot shorter than most of my pendant necklaces, but I love the length, it works well. This is such a cute little necklace, I'm sure you'll see me wearing it a lot more! So thanks again, to the lovely people over at My Name Necklace for the present (:

Lately I've been feeling very lazy with how I look....but not lazy enough to go out without putting on makeup and stringing a few necklaces around my neck. (Okay, maybe laid back is a better word than lazy?) I've been waking up in the morning and just knowing how I want to look or what I want to wear. I wore this on Friday and I believe that I was subconciously emulating Alexa Chung when I got dressed. I don't really know who she is...but she has amazing style! It's so laid back and borrowed-from-the-boyfriend-chic. I woke up on Friday and immediately knew that I wanted to wear these baggy shorts with tights....but half of me still wanted to be in bed, so I threw on this stripey shirt which reminds me of PJs. I just haven't been feeling like wearing fitted clothes lately, so I wanted everything to be slightly oversized and slept in. That's just how I've been feeling lately, I suppose. I think it has to do with waking up at 6:30 everyday to get to class, when it's still dark and damp out and when I'm struggling with the bed Gods to get out of their evil clutches.

This jacket is from the second hand store and it's just lovely. I guess it's from Victoria's Secret originally...it's just a shame that it doesn't fit great. The sleeves are too short for my long monkey arms and I'm too skinny for the waist. But the velvet buttons and other detailing were too precious to pass up.

When I wore this on Friday, a boy in my creative writing discussion told me that he "really likes my style" which was a wonderful compliment but I was so flattered that I didn't know what to say...so I just gave an awkward laugh and said thanks. I get so shy sometimes...it's not that I'm unfriendly or stuck up, I just get really really shy. So if you ever encounter me & I don't say much, you know why!! So on that note, sorry to the girl in the H&M lingerie section....
Today my mum called me and informed me that she saved an injured pigeon from getting hit by a bus, and had it in her bike basket to bring home and take to wildlife rehab. If this doesn't explain why I am the way I am about animals, I don't know what else possibly can. My hippie upbringing has definitely left a strong impact on me. He was a cute little guy though! Hopefully the people over at Wildlife Rehab can make him better (:
Anyways, the Britney Spears episode of Glee is on! Cannot miss this, I love Britney :D

the gossip

2010-09-24T14:05:00.004-05:00

Right now I'm sitting here eating Swiss chocolates & thinking about how ridiculous it is that I wore this outfit exactly a week ago & I haven't gotten around to blogging it until now. I'm also thinking about how ridiculously bad I need a haircut and how ridiculously expensive my current lifestyle is. To put it simply, I'm thinking about a lot of ridiculous things right now.

Yes, so you read that right, I wore this outfit exactly a week ago - last Friday. It was inspired by flapper porportions - longer torso, stay ups, etc. - except much more modern and Chloe-ish. I bought these new thigh-high socks from Target a few weeks ago for $5 and they're ever so lovely. I like the light pattern...I love all patterns, as long as they're not overbearing.

I also got this skirt at Target. I saw it and I knew right away it would be great for fall, for layering. The lace is fantastic, I'm a big fan of lace. It's incredibley sexy in a way than transcends time. Maybe thigh high boots won't stay in, but you know that lace is one of those things that will always be perfect. I think there may be plans in the works to head to Target tomorrow after work, but in my current skint state, I am so afraid to enter those hallowed aisles! Spending large sums of money there is a certainty. Large sums of money which I do not have! I'm currently looking for a second job and I've set my sights at Lush. I'm in the midst of working on a (I'd like to hope) fantastic cover letter which is to make up for my spotty resume.

I got this shirt at Urban Outfitters a few months ago. On sale, thank goodness. It's a product of my attempts to add some colour into my wardrobe. I just like how thin and flowy it is, even if it does make me look pregnant at times. I also like the long sleeves. Cold weather is creeping up on Minnesota (finally!). Very gloomy weather seems to be the precursor to it. It's been overcast and raining since last week. I feel like I live off a coastal region, not in the heart of the midwest.

This weekend I'll be up in Hicksville, er...rather....northern Minnesota. I'll admit though, I am excited to see the leaves up there. I hope they're in the midst of changing and not already dead and soggy on the ground! I also hope I do not get wrangled into watching the Vikings game on Sunday. Oh! That is not how I'd like to spend my day off. Anyways, tonight I'm going out for dinner for an old friend's birthday. I have 3 birthday dinners to attend in 2 weeks! Phew! That is a lot of money. I also need a haircut and have a shopping extravaganza planned with an old friend from middle school. I do not know where I'll be getting money to pay for all this, but I'm hoping the tooth fairy will leave some under my pillow in return for...well, nothing.

black scarab heart

2010-09-21T15:34:00.004-05:00

Autumn weather was finally hitting Minnesota! Keyword being was. It'd been real blustery and chilly out, but then last night we got this crazy storm and now it's quite warm out. I'm not a fan. I want autumn...now!! The storm hit my neighbourhood really hard. I woke up around 1:30am last night because it sounded like a herd of horses were stampeding across my rooftop. Nope. Hail. I've never heard such strong hail in my life, I was seriously yelling at the top of my lungs and my voice was drowned out.... It's crazy what type of damage a storm can do. Trees were split in half, huge branches had fallen and obliterated other trees, crushing porches. Thankfully, my house was undamaged.

Now, about this outfit....these boots are new, and so lovely. They're Michael Kors & I found them in Marshall's for $30. They're kids shoes! sometimes I'm happy with my tiny feet (: I love the red & gold accents in them. Red is one of my favourite accent colours. I added the knee high socks underneath for an added punch of colour. I'm always iffy with wearing brown & black together, but tying in grey as a medium works wonderfully and red keeps it from all getting too drab. That is my personal philosophy.

I'm really into fur right now. Faux fur, I should say. I could never ever ever bring myself to wear real fur. Ever. Even if it's "vintage." I do wear leather, though....it's just very different to me. Don't argue with me about it, it's just how I feel. I found this vest at Macy's and at first was sort of embarassed because it is super over the top & nothing like I already owned...but my mum really liked it and I think my boyfriend did too (It's difficult to tell from a comment like, "This would be soooo sexy with nothing else on"), but it was soft and super duper warm and well, heck, I really wanted it. So I went for it. I don't care if others look at me and think, "Look at that girl....she thinks she's better than everyone else with her haughty-taughty fur vest." Afterall, I dress for myself, not for others.

I'm sorry my dog is in so many photos lately. Moses overkill? No such thing :p

Right now I really want a Spirit Hood. I think the wolf one. I may have to splurge on that....It seems like a pretty decent company, as they donate a portion of their profits to wildlife conservation, which is extremely important to me. Which hood is your guys' favourite?

The premiere of Glee is on tonight!! Who else is as excited as I am?! Plus, it seems like the perfect excuse to procrastinate on revising for my French exam tomorrow.

Σ 'αγαπώ, μιϰρός πρίγκιπας

2010-09-16T20:00:00.005-05:00

I can't believe that I actually wore this outfit exactly a week ago, but I haven't had time to blog about it until today! School is so stressful, it only took a week until 18 credits caught up to me - and thus, I've dropped Modern Spoken Greek (after only one class!). The title of this post was in honour of my precious pup, Moses (it means "I love you, Little Prince") but I guess now it is in honour of my one-night stand with Greek.

Other than dropping Greek, school has been going well. Ridiculously stressful, but I'm enjoying classes and I feel extremely relieved after deciding to drop a 4 credit class. Now Thursday nights will be my party night! er, I mean...homework night.

The fall weather has already struck Minnesota, and I'm loving every minute of it! Moses is, too. I swear, he gets cuter every day.

Remember those boots I posted about during my Target love affair post? Well, here they are! I love them, beautiful buckle boots in distressed leather. The problem with most boots this day is that they alll feature very impractical heels, which make running from class to class near impossible. I love these little boots because I can run in them!

Moses really never finds me very amusing. Don't worry, I'm accustomed to it.

I'm still addicted to my Material Girl zipper jeans. I think that they're a huge guy magnet, too. I've gotten so many guys telling me they like my jeans! Oh Madonna, you cougar! I now possess your secret power.

Remember this old sweater? I posted a look last spring incorporating it. It's one of my favourite sweatshirts that I own, considering that I've owned it since I was 4! Duluth, MN has this wonderful store called "Monkey Business" which sells loads of monkey stuff. I've always been very obsessed with monkeys, so my parents bought me this sweater when I was little. I still fit into it, isn't that pathetic?

I'll have to keep this short, as I have loads of writing homework to catch up on. It's poetry time! I'm horrid at writing poems, but I actually wrote a couple with potential which I'm excited about. In lecture the other day I met an ex-marine who wrote a poem in class about me. He then complimented these pants and asked to exchange numbers. I politely refused. ;) Also, as people may have noticed, I went over my bandwidth on Photobucket. I've made a new account for now, and hopefully sometime in early October those old photos will pop back up! Sorry for the inconvenience, stylish folks!

you've got to live for today, then let it go

2010-09-08T17:30:00.003-05:00

I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge fan of leopard print, correct? Well, if I haven't, there it is: leopard print has never been my thaang. I'm not sure why, I've always just found it very trashy and tastless (now and then it's done alright, I'll admit, but even in the pages of Vogue it's usually a turn off). But when I saw this cardigan in the Target sales rack I ran over immediately and grabbed it. Ever since it became my goal in life to emulate every character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I've been looking everywhere for a good animal print vest...then I decided that even a cardigan would do.....

....And as you kids can tell, Ferris approves.

I wore this on the first day back to classes yesterday. It was very blustery, rainy, and cold out (hence the amazing, windblown hairstyle I'm sporting). I'm back to wearing my wedge boots now that autumn has arrived. I've missed these babies, but now I'll have to retrain my feet to walk in wedge boots. I swear, wedges are the most awkward type of heel to walk in. Yesterday I almost faceplanted on the bus while tipsily getting off. However, I am blaming this near-accident on the weight of my backpack mixed with the inertia of the bus when it stops. I'm also sporting my trusty flannel (I'm sorry for wearing this in EVERY look. But I honestly do wear it 4 days a week. Someone! Please send me new tops!!) and jeans from the Material Girl line for Macy's, designed by Madonna and her daughter. They are such a dream (the pants, not the design team) and do not stretch out the slightest. New favourite jeans, found.
For luck on my first day back to campus, I wore my owl pin. My boyfriend bought this for me on our three month anniversary while we were up in Duluth. It's absolutely lovely, and I adore owls. I know they're some hipster trend right now, but honestly I've always been fascinated with owls ever since I can remember. My hippie mother adores birds so I've grown up with the creatures all over: in wallpaper, in candles, lights, bath towels, lifesize paintings, pillows, lightswitch plates....
I also painted my nails silver. I usually never paint my nails, but I woke up the other morning with the ever growing need to paint my nails metallic. Right now I'm in search for the perfect deep red & plum colours. Any suggestions?

moooaaar currrls

2010-09-03T13:09:00.005-05:00

I love curly hair so much, I've always wished my hair was much curlier.

Susan Sarandon. I have such a lady crush on her! There's something about her that is just so strong, she seems very sure of herself.

Lily Cole! I watched St. Trinians the other night.
Susan Sarandon again.
Juno Temple. I would do a lot to have hair like her's. Photo from jt.org. I think I may need to devote an entire post to her, she's so angelic and earthy.
Mae West! I love her platinum blonde pin curls. I'd like to successfully pin curl my hair.
Shirley Temple! She was the cutest, I love her movies. She was one of my idols growing up.
Delightfully Tacky. I love her hair. I would love it if my hair curled like this when it was long!

Lily Cole. I love photoshoots with crazy afro curls.

Lillian Gish, one of my favourites. Watching her act gives me chills, she's such a little ball of fire, in the most angelic, soft, doe eyed kind of way.
Jennifer Grey. I love her so much, especially in Dirty Dancing. She's so sexy, even though she has very peculiar features and hair like a poodle. Susan Sarandon. Again. Can you tell how much I look up to this woman?
I've heard that Lillian Gish did not cut her hair at all throughout her life. I don't know if this is true or not, but I love it either way. It's very 1910's and beautiful. I love the fuzziness of hair during this time.

Tayla Swift! I have the biggest girl crush on her (yes, it's true) Photo from TSW, all others (unless specified) from Google

accent, or lack thereof

2010-08-24T01:09:00.004-05:00

On Lookbook.nu forums, there is a thread where people post videos of themselves saying a silly story that is supposedly made to show off your accent. You can see some of them here . I made one myself and I thought I'd post it, since I haven't had much time to blog lately with working almost everyday and being out of town on days I'm not working.

I wanted to do it after I had a sale the other day and I asked the lady "Would you like a bag?" and she said, "What?" So I repeated, "Would you like a bag?" And she said yes, and as I bent down to get the bag she whispered to her friend, "This girl has the thickest Minnesotan accent, I hardly have any idea what she's saying." Which, naturally, made me laugh like crazy as I barely have any type of accent. I do however, have a lisp on my "s."

Bullseye!

2010-08-08T16:18:00.005-05:00

Last week as my boyfriend & I were driving up to his parent's house, we made a pit stop at a Target along the way to buy some gum and Vitaminwater. Target is an extremely, extremely dangerous place for me. I love it. A lot. I spent almost a third of my paycheck there on my last trip. There is so much stuff there that you never knew you needed. Disney Princess toothpaste? Yes, please! Boxers with little Jack Russell Terriers all over them? How whimsical! Posters of James Dean featuring inspiring quotes? What did my walls do before this?

Dolce Vita for Target, 3 buckle boots. I bought these. They are gorgeous. I didn't know that Target even made very good shoes until I was wandering down the aisle and my eyes landed on these black beauties. They'll look great with skinnys as well as with tights.

I also bought these. I swear, Target gets more and more fashion forward every season. These feel amazing, the leather upper is so smooth and the boot is beautifully distressed. These work great for the summer and will also be beautiful in fall.

This is so so so darling! I would wear this for sure. It's from the girl's section. Just one of the many benefits of fitting into kid's clothes. (p.s. I'm a large in little girl's :D) The skirt with the lace and tulle is lovely.

This is also from the girl's section. This is sexy! I love the lace. Someone buy this for me, please (:

Speaking of sexy.....

I own a couple of Shaun White for Target flannels already. They're perfect for every season and the flannel gets soooo cozy and soft. A lot of stores (*ahem* Urban Outfitters) try to market super chintzy flannel that is obviously just for the look. I wear flannel because I love the toasty feeling it gives me, so I need it to be quality and able to withstand Minnesota winters.

I love Betty Boop. I want this bathrobe! Isn't Betty the cutest?

I wear a 32A. I have small boobs, so they don't need much support. For this, Target makes the best bras. They're super soft and lightweight. It doesn't even feel like I'm wearing a bra, most of the time. Plus, they're usually between $8 - $15. Double smile. I love the one above, plum is one of my favourite colours to wear, and the style of this one is super cute.

Toy Story!! Target has the best collection of Toy Story home decor ever! I have a Woody toothbrush holder, a Buzz Lightyear soap dish, Mr. Potatoe Head cotton ball holder whatists, a hooded towel, a waste basket, and a Woody hand towel. I just need these washclothes to add to my collection.

This is the cutest makeup case. I love the lace! Right now I keep all my makeup scattered in my bathroom cabinet. I really need to organize!

Target has some really good beauty collections: Sonia Kashuk, Jemma Kidd, Boots No. 7, Soap & Glory. I love Soap & Glory beacuse of the cute packaging. I mean, how does Sexy Motherpucker not make you smile? I need to try this stuff, asap. I'm sort of addicted to makeup.

This messenger bag is soooo cute. I love the colours. See, Target actually has some quality stuff in it's aisles! What do you guys think about Target? What are some of your favourites?

by the shores of the gitche gumee

2010-07-27T22:47:00.005-05:00

I've had a busy July! I've been traveling all over Minnesota and the Twin Cities - up north, out east, into Wisconsin. It's been fun, but I'm back to working now and not before long school will be back in session. (To those wondering - I'm still enrolled in high school, I'm a senior now, but I take all my classes at the university.)

I spent a couple of days in Duluth, MN, one of my favourite places on Earth. Or at least in Minnesota. It takes about 3 - 4 hours to drive up, so I only go a few times a year. There's lots to do - shopping in tiny boutiques, eating sandwiches as big as your head, staying the night in log cabins, making s'mores by bonfires, watching ship lights dance in the water's reflection, cutting your knees up on rocks, hiking with the moose and bears.... I stayed in the cities (Canal Park) for my adventures, but hopefully in the autumn I'll head up again for some serious hiking and cabin cozy-ing.

I blurred the background out for Lookbook, but here is a photo of me smiling. People always tell me I should smile for these photos! So here it is. I look like a chipmunk :3

This is my friend Jojo! He's back in Switzerland now, I miss him dearly. My friends are constantly leaving, but I guess I knew he'd have to go back one day or another. Don't you hate that feeling though? I adored this boy, I could tell him anything.

A seagull. These things are beasts.

Classic Minnesota. I love this state. It has my heart like no other can. I'm sure any other Minnesotan can tell you similar.

Rain is inevitable, especially when up north. I love the rain, but only when I'm fully prepared for its arrival. If I'm mentally prepared, I can go out in my rainboots and raincoat and dance around like a little kid for hours.

My boyfriend Mike. The water in Lake Superior is usually freezing cold (as in, painful to leave your hand in for too long) but this year it's about 20 degrees warmer. I waded out into it and Mike went swimming completely.

At a rest stop, looking out into Duluth.

Beautiful orange sign signaling construction work.

My boyfriend has trouble with focusing the camera lens, so in most of the photos I'm just a big blur. And in the ones where I'm in focus, I'm looking at the ground or making a horrid face.

The American Century passing under the lift bridge!

The Lake Superior lift bridge.

I love Lake Superior for two reasons. 1) It's nicknamed the Gitche Gumee. Awesome. 2) You cannot see where it ends. It seems endless, just like the ocean. But without the sharks and surfers.

One of the many reasons why I love this kid like crazy.

This sandwich was as big as my face. But I ate it all. Which is why I look so contemplative and sad. ):

Whenever I leave Duluth I wish I could've stayed longer. But I also know that I'll always come back and it will always be different but also the same. I have photos of me hiking the same trails when I was three as I hike now, climbing over the same rocks, staring at my reflection in the same water. But at the same time, it's all changing...the people, the clothes, the seasons, the faces....but one thing about Duluth and Lake Superior is this: it's always lovely.

more hair

2010-07-17T13:20:00.005-05:00

I'm going through another hair obsession phase right now. I miss my longer hair. A lot. I keep seeing girls with long hair and having extreme hair envy. It's funny because I used to have thick, coarse, wavy hair that went all the way down my back. My sister constantly belittled me, telling me that my hair was gross and I could only be pretty if it was stick straight. So I would spend hours every week pulling a flat iron through every strand of hair till I looked exactly like my sister. In an act to defy society's definition of pretty hair, I cut it all off into a boyish pixie. Now as my hair gets longer I feel more and more beautiful everyday, even when my hair is a mess of wavy bedhead curls.

Right now, as my hair is an awkward length, my biggest inspiration are curly bobs and pincurl waves.

Mae West, the sex bomb of the '20s - '30s, with her tight platinum blonde curls. The way Mae's hair frames her face is just lovely, and when she's wrapped in furs and diamonds, she is the epitome of glamour.

Demi Lovato looks so beautiful with '40s-esque curls. The fringe is perfect, I'm a huge fringe nerd as I find my forehead to be quite awkward and mismatched with the rest of my face.

Marilyn was so perfect. Her hair here, slightly more messy than the usually brushed out pin curls, is so beautiful and sexy. Marilyn can always look glamourous.

And what is a post without Clara Bow? Her crazy red curls sculpted her sex icon image and made her the quintessential flapper. As someone who has no control over the natural texture of her hair, Clara's mess of tangles makes me wish I had more confidence to wear my hair in it's natural texture.

Kristen Dunst as a flapper. The pin curls are so glamourous, especially with the headpiece. She is so lovely.

Little known fact: I have a major girlcrush on Kelly Osbourne. She rocks the short hair and can change the colour and pull it off, even when it's tinted purple! I love the pulled out pin curls, they look so fluffy and frame her face beautifully. It's very Marilyn-esque. Not to mention, I'm totally envious of the Sue Wong dress. This photo has me drooling.

Kelly again, in a photo taken by Vogue. Her hair looks terrific. The volume and crooked part are perfect for this style.

thanks Julia, p.s. I'm 17 now (:

2010-06-22T23:30:00.002-05:00

Today was my 17th birthday. I also got this from a reader named Julia. This is one of the best presents I've recieved in a long time. I celebrated my birthday over the course of 3 days, and now I'm exhausted. I also work almost everyday for the next two weeks. I am very tired, but I'm taking time off in July for when a friend is visiting. I hope everyone is having an awesome week, I know I am already (:

flapper inspiration

2010-06-13T21:43:00.002-05:00

Mabel Normand in an ankle length lace dress, pendant necklace, and headscarf.

Modcloth dresses

Billie Dove and friends. I love the mixture of fashions here. Billie looks sort of pirate-y, while the girl on the right has a flower child (50 years early) look to her, and the girl on the left has a beachy princess style going on.

Gwen Lee and a giant dog, looking cas.

Dress from Modcloth. I love the drop waist and the layers of fabric at the bottom. It reminds me of a tennis dress, but it is also a bit mermaid-ish. The jersey material makes it very casual. It looks great for layering.

Lace and tulle dress from Urban Outfitters. Also with a drop waist, similar to the above dress but much more dressy and romantic.

Alice Prin, aka Kiki de Montparnasse.

It was the worst. But it's supposed to be. But you have to go, right?

2010-06-07T23:38:00.002-05:00

Okay so prom really wasn't the worst. But...what's a post about prom without a good Pretty in Pink quote thrown in? It's difficult for something to be the worst when you love dressing up and dancing to really shitty music. Honestly I only ever went to a few school dances during high school, and they sucked, but prom was loads of fun and it's practically a requirement for life.

My date got tails and I got to wear this pretty little Modcloth dress which I blogged about months ago. Even though I was all gross and exhausted from washing my sister's car twenty minutes ago, I still felt all elegant and perfect. It wasn't quite Clara Bow at the Ritz, but it was pretty dang close.

Wearing the tailcoat! Putting on my top hat, tying up my white tie, brushing off my taaaiillls! (I'm so tiny!)

Taking off the shoes to go dance to some Basshunter or Cascada. I requested "If You Leave" by OMD. My date and I were the only ones on the dancefloor for that song, but I hardly cared. Gosh, I need more dignity. You can practically see up my skirt.

We're a classy bunch.

My sister and I hardly look a thing alike. But it was really nice of her to come over and see me all dressed up. Even if she did make me wash her car beforehand.

shake down, you make me break

2010-05-17T15:09:00.006-05:00

Summer has started! I had my last final on Tuesday (French), and I had prom on Saturday night (It was a blast - I'll post photos as soon as my boyfriend puts them on FB!), and now I begin summer. Two great things happened to ring in the new season; first, the Twins beat the Yankees' ass. Second, Something Corporate announced their summer reunion tour. I've been listening to Something Corporate since I was 9 or 10, but never got to see them play live. It's been one of my biggest dreams. I almost fell off the couch when I saw the announcement. I was prepared to drive to a different state to see them play live but surprise - the first show for their tour is in Minneapolis! August 2nd, I'm so pumped already!

This is what I wore today. And the day of prom, before I changed into my dress. I got all ready, showered, did my hair and makeup and everything, and then my dear (and recently unemployed) sister came over. My parents decided to take her out for lunch, and as they were leaving she says to me, "Oh by the way, here're my keys, my car is in the back. If you could clean it out and wash it for me, that'd be great. 'Kay thanks, love you, bye!" So I cleaned all the trash out of her car (there was a lot!!) and then washed the entire thing. I was so grimy and exhausted by the end - not a great way to go to prom, but I didn't have much time to clean up. Oh, and then my date couldn't do anything for himself, so I ended up getting him all dressed, putting on his socks and everything. Silly boy.

The weather is also getting summer-y. I can wear shorts, walk barefoot, soak up the sun rays on the back deck...it may even be warm enough to eat DQ outside. But, as my boy and I found out, it's not warm enough yet to sleep under the stars.

I've been wearing my Hamsa necklace almost everyday. Same with my bracelet from Greece. I'm Greek and it's a huge part of my identity. I love being able to represent it. I'm not even a jewelry person, but I suppose if you have a piece that really means something significant to you, it means much more when you wear it.

Today is my last day off before going back to work - and waking up at 6:30am to get there on time. But I need the money (I've taken almost 3 weeks off!) and I should be thankful that I'm even given hours. Nickelodeon Universe is dead and all my co-workers are scrambling for shifts.

Also, did anyone utilize Starbucks' frappuccino happy hour? I did. Double chocolate chip with a shot of expresso - yummmm.

For goodness sake, I think I'm on the edge of something new with you
Shout out, don't drown the sound, I'll drown you out
You'll never scream so loud, as I want to scream with you

home

2010-05-09T14:54:00.001-05:00

I met a new boy. We have lots of plans for the summer, which is right around the corner (despite the fact that it snowed a couple of nights ago).

the wind's in my face, but I can't breathe in, breathe out

2010-04-23T22:41:00.005-05:00

There's only a couple weeks more of classes left! I'm so excited for the summer and bike riding, bonfires, shorts, and carefree nights under the stars. I haven't gotten into the summer-dressing vibe yet (as you can tell?). The mornings, when I'm out on campus and at the bus stop, are just too cold for shorts and tee shirts. But then by midday when I'm at work, it heats up to 60 degrees!

These pants are really, really strange. They're purple/grey/brown (aka not a real colour) and also not a real fabric. But they're good for wearing deep colours and for when I just want to be all slouchy. They were also only like $7 on the Forever 21 sales rack. And I can never give up a good deal. I bought some jeans at H&M for $5 today. And a Twins jersey for 50% (don't hate on my team!!).

I did some weird layering here, with a long cardigan and a cropped blazer. It made me feel like I was in the Revolutionary War. Legitimately. It's the colours and gold buttons and skinny(ish) legs with big old boots, I believe. I felt like I was off to shoot down some lobsterbacks.

Also as the school year comes to a close, I have prom! On the last day of finals (though technically my last final is 4 days previous to it). I got my dress and I found a date and all I need now are shoes. Anyone know a good place to buy size US4 heels? I'll post more about this later, right now I'm going to go eat some homemade apple sauce!

hair

2010-04-11T13:37:00.004-05:00

My hair is getting really thick and long. And not in a good way...in a half helmet, half mullet type way. I'm going to get my hair cut sometime in the next couple of weeks, and I need input.

Yes, I'm a Kingdom Hearts nerd. Favourite video game ever. Kairi is the cutest, and I love her hair. I want this colour, and this cut (which is, admittedly, pretty close to what I have now).

This is also super rad. I've been wanting to dye my hair a reddish colour for a while now (not this bright though, more brownish). I think I will this summer. But her hair is so cool. Do you think I could pull it off or am I not hipster enough? Haha...

Those are the only two cuts I found. Yes, even after Googling "cool short haircuts." Google, you failed me. Any suggestions for cuts, colours, etc ? And photos would be great! I also have prom coming up in early May so I have to have good hair for that. (:

Also, thanks for the super lovely comments in the last post. They were so sweet and made me smile. Big. :D

watch what you feel, they'll say it's not real

2010-03-28T10:47:00.004-05:00

So it's kind of funny that I say "Oh yes, I'm loving the flowy layers and neutrel colours for spring" and then I show up wearing a motorcycle jacket and Mickey Mouse sweater. Though I guess because it's still that awkward phase between winter and spring, it shouldn't really count, now should it?

The jacket is from H&M's $15 off all jackets & blazers sale. I'd been wanting a motorcycle jacket for a very, very, very long time so this seemed like a perfect excuse to get one. Of course it's almost summer and a jacket won't be needed. I love when I buy clothing out of season.

However, these shoes are coompletely in season!! I bought these saddle shoes at Payless last weekend for $10 (with a coupon). They're a size 2.5 kids, I think the shoes run a bit big there...? Saddle shoes are awesome. I used to wear them when I was just a little kid. That being said, I also wore Doc Martens, jelly sandals (with socks, duh), and clogs. Obviously I was a very fashionable little kid.

The red hoodie is the only thing that I own from American Apparel. I got it for $0.67 at the second hand store. I think there's this whole idea that hoodies aren't "fashionable" or whatever, but even if they aren't, they're still "stylish" and great for layering. It's still a bit too cold out for the jacket, so throwing a hoodie on underneath makes it appropriate for bus stop lingering and class-to-class campus scurrying. Plus it adds a nice dose of colour. Black & red together are lovely. Always.

I don't have another day off until Easter, and even after Easter I don't have a day off. Paychecks will be huge, but I'll be worn thin. Anyways, got to go do some writing class work before leaving for work!

new breed

2010-03-21T12:13:00.003-05:00

My biggest inspiration for spring is the flapper look of the Roaring Twenties. Colenimo's spring/summer 2010 collection is a lovely, modernized rendition of this trend which started nearly a century ago.

I love so much about the flapper influence. The hair, the hair accessories. The flowly layers, menswear inspiration. I'll admit it's a step away from my usual high-waisted style, but it's still refreshing and I look forward to playing around with hemlines, layers, and a new colour palette this spring!

legoland

2010-03-08T16:29:00.004-06:00

Work was apparently being very nice yesterday, as they gave us all an extra 10 minutes on our breaks. So I went shopping! I had seen a fella walking through Nickelodeon Universe with this way awesome Lego messenger bag, so I wandered on over to Legoland (which is, conveniently, located by the entrace of the theme park) and bought one for myself.

You may not like it, but I think this is pretty much the coolest bag. Ever. It's square, the lining is red with lego print, and the zipper pull is a lego. Oh, and I used my mall employee discount (10%) which I've never been able to use before. And thus, I felt way cool. I highly recommend heading on over to your local Legoland and buying one for yourself.

On a sidenote: I'm thinking I'll start collecting messenger bags. They're highly convenient for work, and school, and life in general. Next up is a Pan Am one, I believe. Send me links for other cool bags! (:

as our hearts started beating faster, I recalled your laughter from long ago

2010-02-24T16:46:00.007-06:00

'Sup? This is unusual, to have two outfit posts only a few days from each other. Oh well, I haven't worked since Sunday and I've not been procrastinating with school, so I've had time to do other things. Also, I'm kind of friend-less right now (not that I mind too much) so I've had a lot of free time.

I wore this yesterday when I went shopping. The trip resulted in two skirts, but that is all. I found a really cute sweater at Forever 21 (a shop which I normally avoid) but I noticed that it was 10% angora rabbit hair. I thought to myself a) why does this sweater need rabbit hair? It's just a grey v-neck with a zipper and b) where did this hair come from? So I went to the front of the shop and asked the shop girl if the rabbits which the hair came from are humanely treated. She was dumbfounded (as she gave me washing instructions?) and appeared to not care or even think about whether or not the clothes which she wears comes from rabbits that live their lives in crammed cages, undernourished and sleeping in their own urine, only to have human contact once a month when they're shaved of their coat...and then immediately put back into their cold, metal cells. The store manager was the same way. He called the company or whatever, but they didn't know either!! Oh, mankind! You disappoint me!

Anyways, this outfit was originally inspired by Fred Astaire (if he, say, drove a motorcycle) but then I also incorporated Charlie Chaplin into it with the bowler hat, as well as the proportions and fit of the vest, shirt, and full shorts. I've been wearing this hat quite a bit lately, as the back of my hair is growing out. Whenever I wear it I think of that part in Sixteen Candles when Farmer Ted says, "I love a girl in a hat. It's just....so....VOGUE." I also like to wear this hat while I'm on break from work 'cause I like to be incognito. But one of the Italian kiosk workers told me I looked like Charlie Chaplin and I was like, "Ouch...I'll take that as a compliment?"

My favourite Charlie Chaplin film (among the few which I've seen) is The Kid. It's very funny and has the most amazing dream sequence. Plus, the kid is darn adorable! I wonder what happened to him?
Hello there, Charlie. I like your hat! The proportions of his outfits are great - baggy pants, fitted blazer, long, skinny shoes. He created the classy hobo look (which I wasn't actually trying to duplicate this day....).

I never really wear lipstick all that much. I wear it when I'm sitting at home alone & bored and just want to play dress up. But otherwise, never in public. I should. I layered like 4 different lip products to get this look. I wish it was darker. I want to try a really super deep red/plum colour. Any suggestions for brands/colours?

a million lights are dancing and there you are, a shooting star

2010-02-21T11:28:00.005-06:00

I told you I'd have an outfit post! For once, I am not a liar. I had Wednesday through Friday off from work - my first Friday off since I began the job over a month ago! My old high school was having a dance, so we thought we'd hit it up and then go get ice cream afterwards (cause that's what the cool kids do on Friday nights). Well, the dance sucked. I think I only danced to like 4 - 6 songs. The DJs were awful, they just played like 30 second remixes of songs. So we left, but I was so tired and exhausted from work/school, that I just went home. So I got 10 hours of sleep (but then worked 10 hours the next day, deep frying food)!

These tights are Betsey Johnson. If you've read my blog before, you probably know that Betsey Johnson is one of my biggest fashion inspirations. I grew up with a very eclectic, funky mother (she's part hippie, part disco queen), and so I was introduced to Betsey at a young age. Her bright colours are great (believe it or not, but I love love love hot pink) and she's got the perfect balance of funk & class. These pink leopard print tights added the perfect twist to an otherwise plain(ish) dress.

The dress was from the sale rack ($10!) of H&M. It's got a really nice, full skirt, and then a fitted, lace bodice with a heart shaped bust. It's really lovely and princess-y, but it can be a little too much. I thought the tights added a lot of fun, and the shoes made the dress more mature (because, you know, 5 inch platforms can do that).

More on Betsey? I love the whole socks-with-heels-look. I've yet to try it for myself, but I think spring will present the perfect opportunity! These sheer, polka-dot ones are fantastic! The belt really toughens the dress up, and that guy is dressed beautifully! Cut off most of his hair, and I'll take him to prom.

Heeeere's Betsey! She's so....out there! I mean, in the best way. She seems so unique and she always looks like she's having loads of fun. She's one of those designers who you can always depend on - who won't change the look of their label every season, but still come off with really unique, new looks. Also, that sweater is fab! Especially with the leopard print (which Betsey manages to not look trashy in). The dog adds a nice touch, too.

This dress reminds me of this fantastic outfit which Sushi wore not long ago. I'm totally a sucker for huge, poufy skirts, and any shades of blue! Also, that guy is so adorable.

On a last note, thanks for all the wonderful comments & emails about my last post. The advice helped a lot! I've been eating loads - hummus sandwiches, quesadillas, ice cream, veggie burgers - and my skin is back under control with the help of egg white masks and tea tree oil! Thanks guys!

2010-02-18T14:52:00.005-06:00

I've been so stressed with work and school lately. I worked 30 hours this weekend and have had no time for school. So instead I do work when I get home from work and then am up very late and get no sleep, only to fall asleep in class the next day. I have no time to eat or exercise, sleep, or even shower! I've lost 5 pounds and this weekend had a huge acne breakout on my cheeks. Does anyone have any tips for quick acne treatment? And also, does anyone have any good vegetarian recipes or recipes for food on the go which I could eat on breaks? I'm starving!! Any advice/help would be appreciated.

In other news, it's 36° F out today! That's so warm!! I only wore a long sleeved shirt, a hoodie, and a blazer today. I didn't even need my coat! I hope it stays like this. I want summer. Soon.

And as a very last piece of news, I was featured on Tommy Hilfiger's facebook page as a "Digital Fashionista to Watch For." I was chosen as the youngest one to watch for. Thanks guys! It's super appreciated (:

I believe I'll have an outfit post in the next couple of days - but please don't hold me to that! Otherwise, I work all weekend but will soon have a big fat paycheck (which will be good reason for a shopping trip!)

blue-eyed sky shines on me, can't help but feel a little cold

2010-02-09T18:09:00.006-06:00

I didn't have class or work today! It was a nice day off. I went to the chiropractor and then to Walgreens because I wanted to get Valentines for my work/classmates, for my best friends, and for the kids in the second grade sunday school class which I teach. I ended up with Spider-Man ones for the boys (with pencils!) and Disney Princess ones fro the girls (with glitter tattoos!). Valentines are so much cooler than they ever were when I was little.

Tomorrow I have my first statistics test of the semester, I'm kind of nervous! And on Thursday I work 1 - 9, and on Friday 12 - 9 (I have to skip writing for this. Haha, time to change my availability). Friday is also payday. Hmmm, I wonder what I will buy ;)

Also, the lovely Sara Lynn gave me this award for Urban Tease, and now I'm supposed to list 10 things which make me happy. Here I go:

1. My "smile" folder. I keep a folder on my computer where I save things that make me smile. Photos, word documents, screenshots, etc. Most of them are cat photos with silly captions, such as...

2. The kiosk workers in the mall. They are the best kind of friends to have. All they do is pour compliments on you and give you free samples. I seriously stalk the kiosks on work breaks, trying to make friends with the workers. So far, my plan has been a success.

3. Staying in during the winter. I love spending winter nights indoors snuggled under blankets with mugs of hot chocolate. It's also a plus if friends or Fred Astaire stop by.

4. Disney Princess movies. I was never allowed to watch them growing up, save for Mulan (and thus, I know it by heart). I finally watched them all when I was about 12 or 14, and they're amazing! All of the princesses are so inspirational and strong (irony: I wasn't allowed to watch them growing up because my mum thought they were bad examples of women), not to mention beautiful. I could watch them all a million times and still be enchanted. (P.S. has anyone read that article in the latest Vanity Fair about the young women who coloured in all the frames for the original movies? It's on my to-read list!)

5. Working. I really like work. I like the people and I like having something to do. I like making money. I like paying taxes. (However, I worked an 11 hour shift on Saturday, spent deep drying food. I got burnt on my wrist and my face!!)

6. Carbs!! I adore carbohydrates. Bagels are probably my favourite form, though I cannot say for certain.

7. Gilmore Girls. That show just makes me laugh and feel pretty darn good inside. I miss it.

8. My friends. They're good to me and I think I'd get pretty lonely without them.

9. Old movies. They're just better than the ones today. Especially if they're romances. And especially if they contain Fred Astaire.

10. My music. Honestly, I probably have a pretty bad taste in music (sorry, I don't listen to all those hipster indie bands that the kids like these days), but I like it. I like my *N Sync, my Blink 182 and Something Corporate. Sam Cooke and Charles Trenet.

the wants and needs of February

2010-02-02T15:54:00.002-06:00

I haven't been shopping since the beginning of the month. Or, I've been shopping, I simply haven't bought anything. And now that shopping bug is biting and there's loads of stuff that I'm lusting after. Here's my mostly complete list.

Pink patent Doc Martens! I think these will be perfect for spring. So cute & very versatile. I think they'd look great with my grey Cheap Mondays. They're on sale (the youth size/my size) for $56. Maybe I'll have to get them? (dmusastore.com)

I love purple and this dress is so pretty! It reminds me of Clara Bow's dress in "It" when she's off to the Ritz. It'd look really great with a lace slip underneath. (modcloth.com)

I love Vespas. I would really really really like to get one/learn to drive one. How does someone go about doing that? Well, either way this bag is adorable! It's the same size/shape of my Beatles bag which is way over-used and getting all worn out. (modcloth.com)

I really really need a wallet. I just use a coin purse, which means my bills are all wadded up and paying for things is a big hassle which includes flashing all of my money to the world. This wallet is super super adorable. I love polar bears, they're quite possibly my favourite animal and all the stars in the sky around him are awesome. (modcloth.com)

In addition to a wallet I need something to hold all of my cards - my bus card, university card, insurance card, work badge, business card of dreamy kiosk worker Anthony. Right now I have them all shoved in my coat pocket, which means everytime I need one I have to retrieve them all and sort through them one by one. The Pan Am bit is so cool and the inside is incredibley cute. Oh, back in the days of Pan Am!! (modcloth.com)

PROM DRESS ALERT. This is my absolutely dream dress! The tulle, the colour, the little sparkles. So so so pretty. It reminds me of Clara Bow and I want it so badly for prom. I am desperate for this dress!! Unfortunately it is out of stock in XS & Modcloth will not be getting it back in. If anyone knows the designer of this dress, please let me know. I will go to extreme measures to get my hands on this little beauty. (modcloth.com)

I lost my leather gloves, and my black mittens are getting threadbare & worn. These shark mittens are adorable beyond words, and look like the perfect protection for my little hands against the Minnesotan winters. brrrrr (modcloth.com)

This colour is beautiful and I love bags with longer straps like this. In the winter, my coat is too bulky for short little straps so I can't get them around my shoulder. (fredflare.com)

I love these shoes!!!! The colour is perfect. Can you imagine all the things you could pair these little gems with? They're a bit Alice-in-Wonderland-esque, too. *Added bonus* (urbanoutfitters.com)

I went to three different Targets in seach of a plain grey hoodie with a kangaroo pouch pocket, so that I could cut the hood off and have a sweater like this. No luck. Oh well, this sweater is adorable. I think it would be perfect for spring (which, er, doesn't come in MN for 3 - 4 more months) and it looks really comfy and slouchy. (urbanoutfitters.com)

guess where I worrrkkkk!!!!

2010-01-26T20:57:00.008-06:00

Do you know what/who that is?! No? Well, I don't blame you because I thought it was Homer Simpson. But it is actually Spongebob! Still confused? Well, remember how I was saying I got a job a few weeks back, and I officially start (after 10 hours of intensive training) this week? Well the job is at Nickelodeon Universe, selling ice cream, popcorn, etc. to the good folks who come to visit. Nickelodeon Universe is the amusement park inside the Mall of America. It's actually pretty fun and worth a visit if you're up in that neck of the woods.

On Sunday night, at the pestering of my dear mother, I watched PBS's Masterpiece Theater rendition of Jane Austen's Emma. It was bloody amazing! I cannot express how beautiful the male characters are. I've never seen such a lovely collection of handsome englishmen in tights, ascots, and riding boots, romancing women with posh British accents and oh, je ne sais quoi. Part two is on next week. WATCH IT!

On a last note, to the person inquiring about the existence of my "waist" - haha! I know, I have the body of a 12 year old boy (thanks father!). I don't have much of a waist, or hips, or boobs. I'm completely lacking. The only womanly feature I possess are my legs (thanks mum!). But other than that, I'm pretty much the exact replica of your little brother. But it helps me work the androgynous look beautifully. (And I would like to add that I love my body shape and I wouldn't trade it for any other one!!)

Miluji tě, Fred Astaire

2010-01-20T22:50:00.004-06:00

First off, even though internet arguments are a silly waste of time, I would like to thank Taylor for his/her lovely comment on my previous post. Yes, I know I wear acid wash & flannel a lot. I also know that it's disgusting that I wear the same clothes over & over again! You complained that I always wear jeans. Hello, I live in Minnesota and it is winter! Sorry, but I'd rather be warm than freeze to death walking across campus in a skirt, thanks. In defense of my beloved boots, I wear a size 4US shoe, so it's extremely difficult to find stylish shoes in my size. Boots are easy to find however, so I usually wear those or tennis shoes. However, I'm quite pleased that even if you find my sense of style absolutely appalling, that you still like my runway & Clara Bow posts....I think the following one may please you as well, as I'm not wearing flannel. Or acid wash. Or even boots!

H&M was/is having a massive sale so I got this dress (along with one other & a skirt...and some legwarmers...and shorts). I don't really have many occasions which to wear fancy dresses to, but my friend's birthday party seemed like an appropriate occasion. The dress wasn't completely form fitting, so to emphasize my middle, I strapped a black belt around the little of my waist.

(I apologize for the ultra fake model-y look of this photo. I was just trying to move my arms so they weren't covering the dress.)

I bought those striped tights from Modcloth sometime last year, before they were the "trendy" thing to wear. I thought that the tulle-ish horizontal stripes of the dress would juxtapose nicely with the vertical stripes of the tights. Of course, the tights got a couple runs in them right away, so my mum suggested I coat them with clear nail polish to keep them from running any further. Do you guys do this? Well you should, because it works.

I love wearing dresses, it's so fun and flirty (but cold in the winter!!). I played some awesome games of ping pong and danced to bad music (uhm, Cascada, anyone?) with my friends at the party. The dress really added to the effect. Even though it is just a casual party, dressing up is still a lot of fun, and it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed. (;

This week has been hectic! I had Czech lessons on Monday (to those wondering - no, I'm not Czech. I'm just learning the language. I've been involved with the Czech/Slovak Minnesotan community for many many years now, however). I then had first day of semester on Tuesday, followed by work orientation. Today I had class, then sewing. Tomorrow I have class then more work training, and the same for Friday! Plus homework on top of all of that. I'm so exhausted, so I'm going to go to bed now. Good night everyone! (:

I'll love you tomorrow, if you love me today

2010-01-17T11:57:00.007-06:00

I didn't think I'd do another post before Tuesday, but here I am! I managed to nip outside yesterday and take a handful of photos of what I was wearing. I'm actually surprised any of them turned out, I was crunched for time and just took a few then ran (to the library!). Oh, I also wore this to the mall a couple days ago (er, yes, I re-wear outfits when I'm getting REALLY LAZY). Speaking of lazy, I've just thrown my flannel shirt in the wash this morning for the first time in weeks, oh and those jeans, too. I'm also wearing suspenders and some cheap boots from DSW which I think make my feet look HUGE, oh aaannnddd.....

I was at Macy's (remind me to write about how much I LOVE THIS STORE sometime, kay?) and ran across this amazing Betsey Johnson spider necklace. I love Betsey Johnson. Her mix of funky & classy is awe-inspiring, and she fits my sense of style perfectly. Anyways, I've been looking for some good jewelry and this captured me immediately so I just had to buy it even though I'm completely skint.

I wish I had a photo of my socks. They're pretty cool - fuzzy, striped, red/orange/pink socks. My special man friend (who is actually just my boyfriend, but special man friend has much more intrigue to it) bought them for me after he realized that the quickest way to my heart is through a pair of socks.

Anyways, I sense that I'm being really annoying today with my caps lock and "hmm kay?!"-ing so I'll leave it at this before I turn away everyone. I'll just throw in that I joined Chictopia, which is pretty cool but also pretty confusing. And I'll also leave you with my blogging to do list. Here are some things I will be posting about in the next couple of weeks: work, recently purchased items, my wishlist, jewelry. If there's anything you'd like me to blog about then you may email me & let me know. My email is on the sidebar. I've recieved some lovely mail from readers, thanks guys! :)

monkey business

2010-01-14T17:01:00.007-06:00

I've been getting extremely lazy as of recent - it's the marking of too much time off from school. I wear the same shirts day & night for weeks in a row. I'm pretty sure I've gone 2 weeks without washing this flannel, wearing it both during the day & to bed (but er, isn't that the point of flannel?). I wear this sweatshirt all the time, as well. And those Cheap Monday jeans I will wear for 4 or 5 days straight without washing. It's gross, but I shower daily so I still have a bit of dignity.

Speaking of all these articles of clothing - here is my lazy day outfit. I got that sweatshirt around the age of 4 from this crazy store in Duluth, MN called Monkey Business, which exclusively sells monkey merchandise. It's super cool & if you're ever up that way, check it out (and all of downtown Duluth, which is possibly my favourite part of Minnesota)! My sweatshirt has the "see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil" (or in some order like that) monkeys on it. Uhm yeah, it was way too big for me when I was 4. And since I promised these Docs that I'd wear them more often, I try to wear them a couple of times a week. They still need some breaking it, so I wear them with legwarmers to protect my feetsies from blisters. It was 28°F out today, which is pretty warm this time of year, so I'm not wearing a coat. I did however throw a coat on after taking these photos....

The Beatles bag (seen better below) is from my sister. She bought it for me off eBay a few years ago when she was going through an eBay craze (she also bought a number of shirts and trucker hats, and sold a bunch of my CDs - I still miss that Justin Timberlake one!). I love this bag. I get so so so many compliments on it and it's the perfect size & shape! The other day I was in the bookstore with it strapped around my shoulder and some bloke pops up from nowhere and says with a really thick accent, "I like your bag." I wasn't prepared for a short little mustached man to approach me, so I say, "Sorry?" And he says, "I like your bag. The Beatles. I'm from Liverpool." And instead of asking him, "Well what the heck are you doing in dingey Minnesota then!?!?!" I just smiled and said thanks, then walked away. What?! I'm so slow when I'm thrown off guard.

I got a haircut yesterday, for the new semester! I really like it, it's nice not to have all that hair as I did. Also, my hair had been getting too helmet-y. So now I can start the new semester with a fresh haircut. Semester starts on Tuesday. I also start my new job on Tuesday. I'll fill you in about that soon. ;)