change in wind

I wish that I was here to say that I GOT A DOG. But I'm not. I'm here to say I'M DOGSITTING A DOG! She's a little yorkie named Olive Oyl and is absolutely sweet. She loves cuddling up and giving kisses, so obviously my favoruite type. The other night I even snuck her into the grocery store because she fits right under my arm and happily stays there. She sleeps with me every night and does this cute little army crawl up to my face to give me kisses periodically throughout the night. Anyways enough about Olive Oyl (though isn't she the cutest?!) - this blog is about my personal style (or something) right??
It's suddenly gotten very cold out. Yesterday & today were something like 34° and it was even snowing as I headed into work yesterday - wonderfully fresh little flakes of pre-winter bliss. The point of saying all of this? It is officially sweater weather. And jacket weather. Be prepared!

I am rather excited for sweater weather because I've recently gotten quite a few rather fab sweaters. This animal silhouette print being one of them. It was my aunt's and I scooped it up at the garage sale last May. It's totally amazing and super warm, which is always a massive plus when functionality is just as good as physicality. (If you live somewhere like California or Texas or Florida where this is never a issue, then please find yourself very lucky and never complain about having to wear light sweaters or jackets - YOU WILL NEVER KNOW.) Unfortunately, when sweaters are very warm they are usually very scratchy because they tend to be 100% wool or something awful like that (are you beginning to understand the trade-offs of sweaters?). I layered this really old bengal striped button down underneath. It's old and faded, tattered and stained, but you'd never know with only the collar showing. Or at least that's what I tell myself every time I clean out my closet & cannot bear to part with it.


I'm also wearing my BB Dakota jacket which is pretty much the best thing about the change in seasons. It's not quite winter-appropriate, but it's great for transitioning, has a hood for rainy days, and is fleece lined to keep you nice & toasty. It's also, coincidentally, the one that Bella wore in Twilight. Is Twilight still a thing? Like do people care about that anymore? I think I did for about 5 days when I was 14 - I remember because I was off to Florida to meet my cousins for the second time in my life and my cousin Millie and I bonded over reading them. But this jacket is awesome. Don't let the Twilight connotation ruin it for you. Just think about me wearing it from now on, since I am ah-mazing.






I'm off to cuddle with this little pup, eat ice cream and brownies, and make some cards for my friends who are hurting. Something must be going around lately - there's been a lot of people sick, losing loved ones, struggling deeply with depression and substance abuse issues... I mean, there usually are, but it seems like it's all come to surface for several people in my life all at once. Either way, I'm going to make some cards for all of them. It's the least I can do to ease the pain, and help the United States Post Service while at it. I hear they're suffering pretty hard these days, too.

senior semester

Whaaaa what's this?? A real actual legitimate outfit post? It's been an awful long time and I have a pocket full of excuses - weather in the upper 90s, the first week of class, the first week of my new internship - but none of them are actually very good. It sort of just comes down to me being lazy. But here I am at last!
Two weeks ago I began my final - last forever and ever - semester of my undergrad degree. What happy days! I have a pretty relaxed schedule - just 3 classes - but I am also interning 3 days a week. Now that I have a better grip on my schedule though, I will be updating more! Promise and promise forever.
This was a simple rainy day outfit. The bell bottoms (I am OBSESSED with bell bottoms) are vintage from Up Six and absolutely beautiful. I've lost about an inch in my hips though and they're a tad baggy. Time to gain back that weight! I love these pants too much. I'm also wearing an old jacket that I plucked up from my aunt at a garage sale earlier this year. It's all worn out and moth-eaten and beautiful.
ALSO, I'm pretty excited about this shirt! It's vintage from Tunnel Vision and has this super cool seaside print of a forest and people off in the water fishing and boating. I'm a dweeb for rad prints so this fits me perfect.
Also, moccasins from ZiGIny which I love and are my go-to, a gift from my pops.


How has everyone been in my absence? I've missed blogging. I'm still hanging around on my social media though - Twitter and Facebook - trying to keep them updating and reply to comments & messages!
It just got done pouring rain. My gig for tonight got canceled so it's time for a good old fashioned movie night! I spent all of today trying to find professional wear for my new internship (which is an office setting & requires me to go to court) but then I started panicking about money & being an unpaid intern so I think a movie night is well deserved! I hope that everyone is having a great weekend xx

Big Star

Summer can start! I finished up my web design class yesterday and am all amped up to have three weeks of fun. I kicked Friday off with spending several hours at my internship, getting pissed off, buying school supplies at Walgreens, discovering that my laptop Godfrey is broken, researching new laptops, and then cleaning the fish tank. Cool. This better not be what my summer is like. Okay, it isn't all bad. My friend Tyler stopped over and I adore him so that was nice. I had corn on the cob and ate on the back deck with my parents. I got a call back for an internship I really want. I signed up to attend a political summit in a few weeks. I get to see my best friend of 16 years tomorrow (after not seeing her for months!) and my boyfriend is taking me to dinner at the restaurant that we had our first date. Life is great.   I'm glad that I tend to have a good outlook on things. I was contemplating this today. Are people born naturally optimistic or pessimistic? Or is it entirely a choice? I go through phases where I get myself worked up, thinking that my life is horrid and completely hopeless and nothing is good. But then I give it a day or two to cool off and am able to think clearer. Today as I left my internship in a huff after pretty much being called incompetent about typefaces (!!!!!!) I wandered the aisles of Walgreen's and just thought things over. Then I took a long walk home in the sun and worked to convince myself that things aren't really that bad and people who put you down really don't matter. Why are people rude & petty anyways? I don't understand it. This outfit is to counter all of that unhappiness - bright and colourful and optimistic!   I've been sick with an infection from bad allergies (dang it, I love my cats too much). My doctor prescribed me a nasal spray so my boyfriend brought me to pick it up. While we were waiting I was looking at the hair stuff. There's been a box of Goody hairclips there for years and every time I go to pharmacy, I look at it and want it so bad. I mentioned this to my boyfriend and he bought them for me. And an ice cream cone. The small things that make my life so wonderful - Goody hairclips like I wore in pre-K and mint chip ice cream.   I found this shirt in some little store in Montmartre when I was in Paris in June. I liked the bright colours and the '70s vibes. I think it's deadstock from the '70s actually, given how (badly) the fabric breathes. I wasn't sure what to wear with these acid wash Cheap Mondays so I thought, "I might as well go all out with colour!" and threw on this top, immediately knowing that these orange sneakers from yeswalker were necessary. And of course the heart shaped shades. I couldn't resist. And do you know what? Wearing this outfit actually made me happy.   My boyfriend shot these photos for me and I was so happy about everything that I got a bit silly (keep your eyes peeled for a ridiculous outtake in the next few days). Being light of heart at the right times is such a good feeling. Who knew that silliness could heal the heart so well?  


Keeping this blog is also something that frees my heart and brings me great joy. I don't care how many people read it or how many people like my outfits. I only care that some people hear my words and some people think about them and have something to say. Although some people have nasty things to say to me on my blog, for the most part it's a supportive community of young people all wanting to make the world more beautiful. I was pretty elated when I found out that over 900 people visited my blog yesterday. This is more than double the average. Maybe these people weren't reading my words, but I'd like to think that they were. And I'd like to think that, even if you don't take them to heart, they're at least considered as viable and true. It's hard being someone who, ever since she was a toddler and had to go to speech therapy with a mouth full of lisps, has been told that she talks wrong. That she doesn't articulate well. That her feelings don't matter, her opinion doesn't matter, what she has to say doesn't matter. All I care is that one person thinks that my words matter. So what I'm really getting to is this: I'm super emotional today and just want to give a huge THANKS and a huge hug to all the sweet words that have been coming my way lately. I wish that I could individually get to know every reader. I wish that I could hear about your life and your troubles and your joys, the way that you hear about mine. So here's what I'm asking of you: leave a comment telling me something about yourself, something that's been troubling you, and something that you feel positive or joyful about.   For me, well you know about me, but I'll share my one trouble and my one optimism for today. My trouble is that a former co-worker's son was badly beaten by a gang in Saint Paul. He was just walking down the street and they attacked him. This man, the father, was the nicest guy, always with a giant smile on his face and with a love for silent films. Please keep the son & his family in your prayers & thoughts.   My optimism is this: mean people don't matter. I have so much love and friendship in my life, and thus I have so much to be thankful for. Even if today had its downs, I was also able to realise its ups. And I'm thankful for that.   Stay optimistic, my friends xx

Golden Hour

Today I became the crazy neighbour lady. I ran outside in my pajamas, yelling my lungs out, and batting the hostas with a pink yard stick. I've been trying to get a cat out of my yard. For weeks now. It's this sneaky little black one that hides in the bushes underneath the bird feeders, waiting for an unsuspecting critter to come by. Now, I adore my critters. My birds, my chipmunks, my squirrels, my mice. They're all friendly to me and I spend evenings and mornings sitting and watching them, feeling absolutely at peace. They are my friends. I feel very protective of them and yes, I will do anything to keep the neighbourhood cats away. I don't care what type of reputation I get among my neighbours.   My boyfriend went out with me the other night to take these photos. I realised that I haven't once taken my own photos this summer (save for Paris). In my neighbourhood, I have received the reputation as that-one-girl-who-dresses-weird-and-takes-photos-of-herself-with-a-tripod-in-the-alley-regardless-of-sub-zero-temps (phew, that's lengthy, perhaps crazy-critter-protector wouldn't be so bad!). While I've been taking blog photos, so many people have come down my alley, driving, biking, walking their dogs. One time someone was making cement steps and watched the whole process for about 15 minutes before I even saw him! These people always just stare. No one has ever asked me what I was up to, which maybe concerns me a bit, or maybe it's a good thing. I read Elizabeth's new article on taking blog photos (excellent, by the way!) and am feeling a bit more empowered to get out and take some photos by myself. I always feel a bit more at peace, and less rushed, when doing it by myself. Besides, who cares what type of reputation I get amongst the neighbour-folk.   That said, my boyfriend took these beautiful photos and I'm very happy! I've been teaching him well. (Yeah, I will take credit for this....)  It was golden hour - the sunlight was coming through the trees just right, there was a soft, cool breeze coming through the trees, and everything was perfect and calm.   I was wearing one of my new favourite tee shirts - another one from my Auntie! I was wearing it a few weeks ago and my boyfriend comes into the room and says, "Hey, it's Susan BANTHONY!" Ugh. No, it's Susan B. Anthony! I've developed great respect for the Suffragettes, now that I'm older. When you're little and your mum is trying to encourage female role models (Marie Curie, Eleanor Roosevelt, etc.) they all just seem so stuffy and whatever. You take all that stuff for granted when you're young. Now that I'm 20 and practically a boring old lady, I'm understanding and grateful enough to wear her on my shirt. LOUD AND PROUD!   Speaking of clothes from my Auntie, I also snagged this hoodie from her. I was wearing it to class the other day and put my iPod in the right pocket...and it fell right out due to a massive moth-eaten hole. So I put it in the left pocket (after awkwardly maneuvering it out since I had the earbuds in, oops) only to have the same thing happen! I gave up at that point and just carried it. Still a quality, comfy hoodie. Something about it says crisp autumn days hiking Lake Superior to me.   This whole outfit is reminiscent of my time spent along the North Shore as a kid, wearing old hand-me-downs, beat up shoes, and just getting cool and comfy along the shores. I dream of that feeling almost everyday.   My boyfriend was also wearing his own pro-feminism shirt! We decided to take a photo of us together wearing our shirts and being happy feminists together. His says "Get Some...Consent Under Your Belt" and then gives the definition of consent on the back. Yeah, I gave it to him. YAY CONSENT. YAY FEMINISM.   This was just a short post for today. I have so much to do and so little to say - it's summer, after all! I am trying to feel more and talk less. Feel more and just be in the feeling, basking in it, enjoying it thoroughly.   Don't forget to enter the giveaway with Sole Provisions and that I'm looking for sponsors! I'm in the process of getting a few set up but am always looking for more.

That Seventies Look

I know what you're thinking right now - "Chloe, naming this post That Seventies Look is so stupid and cliché!" And yes, it is....but when else am I gonna get to use it? I went to a '70s themed party last night and it was pretty much just a room full of 20-somethings wearing bell bottoms, leisure suits, and floor length lace dresses, dancing to bad disco and creating our own living room version of Soul Train.   It'd been way too long since going to a themed party. Back in middle school, every month someone would throw a themed party of some sort and all of us would fill a room in our best '80s garb or poodle skirts or grunged up jeans and Nirvana tees. I was excited when, a few weeks ago, my friend David told me he was having a '70s themed. I probably wouldn't have bothered even making it out otherwise, but I'll do anything to dress up and dance to clichéd music from that decade. And any excuse to wear my purple bell bottoms is a good excuse.   I got these pants from Up Six Vintage in Saint Paul last spring while they were having an annual sale. I was so excited and have since been wanting to sew myself another pair, especially after seeing this pair over at Esther-fromthesticks.   The halter top is one sent over in a bag of old clothes from my auntie. So cool! That bag was just full of gems from the late '60s, early '70s that she'd been holding onto all these years. Bonus - she was just my size. I'm also wearing a belt I picked up in Guatemala and my favourite old Rocket Dog sneakers. They're absolutely in pieces but I love them and simply cannot part with them.   I kind of adored dressing all '70s-esque and am already excited to do it again! Definitely gonna need to invest in another pair of bell bottoms after how much fun these ones are... Plus I did the whole sparkly-eye-makeup-overdone-blush look. It's been way too long since I've done anything fun with my makeup, despite having a drawer full of it.   This was actually the first party I've gone to this summer (in America) and I forgot how fun they can be! Even if they're not seventies themed, they're always so fun to dress up for and do crazy makeup for, just because it's the one time that you can get away with it without having people question you or judge you. Thumbs up for not judging other people! Unless if you're reading this blog right now, judging me. Then...leave. Please. There's enough hate and anger on the internet as there is, this blog is a place of peace and kindness.     And to finish with a smile! Someone commented about how different it was to see candid photos of me (via Tori's post), so I'll try to post some more of me just having a good time and not trying to be too model-y or pose-y. Ick, no one looks good if they have a stick up their butt all the time!   I have started about a billion craft projects all of a sudden and they're all scattered across my living room. Time to sort out everything and decide what to dive into first! xx

flea market

 And the horrid quality photos continue! I paused over bringing my good camera along but decided against it. My Pentax is so bulky, and then I'd want to bring multiple lenses and horrible things would happen and ugghhh. So instead I have my point and shoot which I know the photos it takes are awful, but maybe it's better than nothing? Maybe.

So as of yesterday I only have one more week left in Paris! That is crazy to think about. I leave for Geneva on Saturday morning and kiss Paris goodbye for a while. Who knows when I will come next? One of my group mates and I decided to go to the flea markets today. Someone had told us that the one at the end of the metro line 4 (Porte de Clignancourt) was a good one once when you got past all the black market stuff, and it was! I wish that I was rich and could afford all of the beautiful 1920s prints and absolutely stunning ball gowns. But I cannot. Oh well, I did make off with a few Charlie Chaplin prints and a Buster Keaton one, as well as a '60s dress, a '20s dress, and two new pairs of shoes from the '40s, which I wear in these photos however you can barely see them! Oops.

I wish that flea markets existed in Minnesota. We have art fairs and garage sales and vintage/antique shops, but no flea markets. They would be fun to have in Minnesota! Maybe I will have to get one started, eh? Any fellow Minnesotans want to join me?

 It was fairly chilly today (after getting sunburn yesterday!) and so I got to wear a sweater. After I went out a bought sweaters, it got too warm and I was left to switch between my two tee-shirts. This red sweater is from the Zara on the Champs-Elysees which I got the Sunday after we got here, when I had realised that Paris was freezing and I would soon because a French popsicle if I didn't find warm clothes fast. This one is all swingy and nice, I like it. And I love red - love it! My favourite colour.

Shorts are H&M and the blouse underneath is vintage. And then of course, the shoes:

 They are so beautiful! Since I wear very small shoes (a 4 or a 5), it is difficult to find them in my size outside of the kid's section where everything is sparkly and lights up. So I ran for these when I saw them and the shopkeeper was delighted when I told her how small my feet were. She gave me a deal on buying two pairs and so I did because they were both gorgeous. Plus, she and I spoke in French the whole time and it was wonderful! I've been able to use my French a bit and it makes me feel like I've accomplished something in my 8 years as an on-and-off-again student of French.

I don't know why I'm making such a snarky face in this photo. I am dead tired and about ready to hit the hay. It's only a bit after 10 here, but spending money that I shouldn't is really exhausting! Phew!

I'll be back with another update soon, I promise. I love blogging so much and I get sad when I can't! So I will make special time for it. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter as well, where I'm updating with my snarky comments on Paris, my funny anecdotes, and a photo or two when the wifi connection is good. A bientot, mes petits!

thirteen.

I decided to take up Minnesota on the weather it's given me the past few days...and wear a halter top and cut offs. Without tights. Yes, sometimes my dangerous behaviour frightens me. But with an 80 degree day and these beautiful new kicks laying around, I knew I needed to throw together something good.   I've been excited about these shoes ever since yeswalker emailed me about trying out a pair of their shoes. I immediately started browsing, adding so so many to my wishlist, and then the tough process of deciding on just one pair. Right after ordering them, I texted my boyfriend to say, "I just got the most ridiculous pair of shoes yet...!" They're beautiful though, aren't they? And super comfy! I love the platform. It's so funky and like walking on rolls of toilet paper. That's the best analogy I could come up with. I couldn't think of anything else that was, essentially, a bouncy cylinder. You can find these shoes over at yeswalker here, or search through their other stock because they have so many beautiful shoes! I guess they have bags & accessories too, but SHOES. Also, free ship. I don't think anything makes me happier than a company with free shipping.   Okay, okay, that's enough now. But seriously, SHOES.   Something about the colour orange always makes me think of the 1970s, so I decided to play up that era a bit more. My aunt gave me this halter top last year so this is my first time wearing it. She sent it over with a bunch of clothes (e.g. this blouse, this other blouse, this other other blouse, this skirt, another blouse, and of course these shorts) however there was way too much for me to get to it all. So I'm going to make another attempt to this summer! All the stuff she sent over is '70s-era hippie, a lot of it is handmade, and all of it fits me like a glove. I love hand-me-downs   So, after that recent 15 year French study came out about how stupid and pointless (and possibly ageing) bras are, I've pretty much quit wearing mine. My breasts are hardly big enough for it to matter. I used to get all paranoid about nipping out, but who the Hell cares about nipples? The feminist in me predicts that this (a bra) is just another plot cooked up by some patriarchal white man who wanted to control women. So, screw him. I'm wearing a halter top! And no bra. Ha ha ha ha ha. (Also, guess who will save about $5 a year not buying bras now? Yupp, that's right - me.)   Besides the vintage top and the yeswalker sneakers, I'm wearing my favourite Guess cut offs and sunnies from here. I'm also rockin' the side pony again. Since it sort of almost mostly failed at taking on last summer, I'll try it again this summer. Everyone put your hair up in a side pony! Rock those ponies to the side!   When I put these shorts on today, after not wearing them for several months, I realised that I've lost a remarkable amount of weight since last summer/autumn. It was funny for me to realise this, too, after being told that I'm fat and need to lose weight in response to my last outfit post. I'm not sure where a girl who weighs 90 pounds and has a 23" waist is supposed to even lose weight from, so needless to say, I laughed away that ridiculous comment. Who even cares what my figure is like? I'm still gonna be wearing whatever I like.   So anyways, my main point was: for the past almost two years now I've been trying to gain ten pounds. I've been entirely unsuccessful and instead have lost about 15. Does anyone have tips on how to gain weight? I work out three to four times a week to keep my energy and appetite up, but it also seems to make my metabolism go crazy. Do protein shakes work? I need tips! I need to fit into my favourite clothes again!   Summer is here and I'm taking it back with a vengeance! Last summer was such a drag, this summer will be so much more productive. I already feel it. Thanks again to yeswalker for the sweet new kicks - expect to see a lot more of these bad boys - and everyone keep cool, stay strong, and be sweet xx   p.s. follow me on Twitter! I'm just starting out!