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Being an unpaid intern working in an office and within the court system requires me to dress a certain (boring) way. Gone are my days of ripped tights, cut off jeans, old flannel, and beat up boots. Now, these are the days of pencil skirts and loafers and freaking out that every small snag in my stocking will lead to an unsightly run that will ruin my credibility as a capable working girl.
When I started my first internship, working as an advocate for victims of domestic abuse, I found myself in court with a bunch of attorneys and judges and feeling rather unprofessional and childish in my full skirts and bad shoes. Both my mother and my sister work at Nordstrom and so they took me out shopping for some new clothes to wear! I love all of my new blazers and skirts and tailored pants, but I am starting to get the itch to wear fun things again.
When ANTHOM contacted me about being a blog sponsor, I looked through their collections and immediately said yes - they carry so many stunning pieces! I started perusing with the intention of seeing what they had in stock that would be office appropriate, but quickly snapped out of that mindset, realising that I am too quickly becoming boring career lady who stays in the office after 5 every day. So, with a clear mind, I thought about buying this dress (because it's beautiful, duh) but ended up with this hat. I know it will sound totally lame (and it is), but I saw that it was wool and that swayed me. The coming winter months are guaranteed to be chilly - Minnesota has a pretty good history of that - and so a wool hat that probably won't give me hat hair seemed like the perfect fit. (As a side note, I can attest that this hat indeed does not lend itself to unsightly hat hair - hooray!) I look freaking bad ass in it and have already gotten loads of compliments on it, including from the guy in class who always comes late and never says anything. The hat's style is also called The John Wayne so, you know, bad ass.
Besides my beautiful new hat courtesy of ANTHOM, I'm also wearing an H&M shirt from the second hand store, a Halogen brand skirt from Nordstrom (which is dry clean only, so, you know, THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE), and my new fave The Loft brand cardigan from the second hand shop.
I'm also wearing Cinderella of Boston shoes and Nordstrom brand tights. Lemme talk for a minute about Cinderella of Boston, though. Every time I say that I wear kid's size shoes, I am met with a room full of snickers. It's a bit irritating and it's like, "I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE NORMAL PEOPLE FEET" but seriously, it's really difficult to find normal shoes that look professional. Most shoes in my size (a 2 and a half kids) light up or have Dora the Explorer on them. They're often pink and foam or animal print. Sometimes they squeak. Often they're adorned with little satin or velvet bows. None of these are things which I want on my precious baby feet, and even more so, none of these are things that I want to be wearing around an office where I'm trying to get people to take me seriously (which is already really difficult when you're only 20, are 5 feet tall, and have youthfully curly locks). Enter Cinderella of Boston. They're a shoe company that stocks quality, totally professional and chic shoes in small sizes. Here I'm wearing the Julie style which is totally beautiful and which, now that I own this hat, I wish I had in the purple colour, too.
Sorry about the clenched fists! It was freezing, damp, and windy out. Winter is just around the corner and the only thing making me tolerate the impending weather, besides the fact that it's impossible for me to move out of state right now, is the thought of snow. Beautiful, lush, heavenly snow!
p.s. There's no snow in the forecast for the next two weeks so that's lame, but, you know, this is Minnesota.
p.p.s. Even though I just hinted about Minnesota being lame, check out this awesome Buzzfeed article of 38 Things Minnesotans Are Too Nice To Brag About. (Hint: it includes Prince, Bob Dylan, Lucky Charms, Scotch Tape, Fitzgerald, and Betty Crocker. Did I tell you guys about the dream I had where I was the new Betty Crocker spokeswoman?)
I'm trying to grow my bangs out gracefully. I'm sort of trying to make them look like Elizabeth's. In fact, I'm trying to make my ENTIRE LIFE look like Elizabeth's. Starting with my kitchen and a fluffy puppy with a clever name.
Okay friends I'm off for the night! The Paradise is on in a little bit and it's the finale so I'm very anxious and also very sad. That show has been sustaining me through the week for more than a month now. It's my Sunday night tradition, that last little bit of uplifting entertainment before the 9 to 5 grind and homework. Gah, I love period pieces. xx
Hello beautiful friends! I'm in such a good mood today - it's sunny and warm, The Lovin' Spoonful is on the radio, and I spent the morning looking through photos from my Europe trip last summer (and had lots of good laughs over some of them!). I don't know what is better for the soul than sunshine, good music, and great memories. Maybe tropical shirts?
Introducing my newest shirt fresh from the second hand store. I felt like it must've been my lucky day, as I snatched this little guy up for less than $3 (Tommy Bahama, too - aren't their shirts usually about $100?)
I knotted the shirt to increase the "tropical vibes" even though I actually live in the middle of the big city paved with black top and not one tropical flower anywhere. I played up the pink and green tones in the shirt with a pink belt and green faux-jade jewelry from my great aunt.
On top of that, since I don't own any obnoxiously large flower hair pins, I draped a seashell necklace over my head and pinned it in place. A little Flapper-esque? My hair is getting so long, I can actually feel its weight on my back now (definitely a weird feeling...it's been 3 or 4 years since my hair has been this long)!
This outfit is also giving me vibes of Baby's creepy sister in "Dirty Dancing"... Isn't there a scene where she's singing and wearing a Hawaiian shirt or seashell bra or something? I don't know, maybe the sunshine is going to my head. Or maybe I just need to re-watch "Dirty Dancing." (Yes, I think the second one.)
This weather is getting me so excited for summer and everything that comes with it. In commemoration, I went barefoot (read: I was too lazy to lace up my tennies). My winter-weary feet are used to being bundled up in layers of socks and furry boots. As a result from this brief barefoot alley walking, my feet are cut up and stinging. Time to rub some antiseptic on them and keep beating them up. Summer is here! 
Last but not least, my puppy is finally through at the vet (for a few days) and is feeling much better! I'm so happy! I hope that the meds fix him up alright and they can diagnose the issue. Thanks so much for everyone who sent their thoughts over for little Moses. He's thankful for them too but would like to ask that next time you just send biscuits. xx
Good afternoon! I finally have a new outfit post...it's been a while, hasn't it been? Boy, I've been busy with school but also trying to balance it with some fun and some money making here and there. This weekend will have me awfully busy but somehow I'm still enjoying myself. I suppose the thought of summer is keeping me going. Summer means staying out late and the sun on my face. Summer brings lovers together again and makes kids out of winter-weary adults. But in the meantime, it's still winter and horribly cold out today. I barely managed any photos today because I was simply uncomfortable and shivering like mad!
This outfit all came together from the bowler hat. I put it on and everything else just fell together. Inspiration came from that funny little guy...the Little Tramp...Charlie Chaplin...that man on my leg! Yes, I got a tattoo....of Sir Chaplin himself!
I got this done on a bit of a whim last month. Ha! That makes me sound like such a flake...I'd been thinking about this tattoo idea for about a year and what I mean by "on a whim" is that I thought I'd do it in a couple years...but I was bored and wanted to do something spontaneous. So I went into the tattoo shop with my best friend (she's the flake, who didn't get one!) and the guy inside drew it up and inked my skin the next week. For lack of more charismatic words, it's fucking awesome. I get loads of compliments on it (and occasionally truck loads of guys rolling down their windows in below freezing weather to ask me if it's real) and I'm still so shocked that it's there! A good way to start out 2012, I think?
For those in the Twin Cities, MN who're wondering where I got it done, it was at 7th Street Tattoo by a boy named Spencer (who's obviously very good at what he does)!
Anyways, so back to this outfit....inspired by Charlie himself! I put the bowler on and from there threw this together. It's sort of reminiscent of this outfit from over two years ago (boy, time flies!) which was also was inspired by Charlie Chaplin, but also Fred Astaire.
In today's outfit, I also incorporated a bow tie and a fitted blazer. To make it more feminine and to not make the clip on bow tie look so odd, I added this double strand which was my grandmother's.
Anyways, that is all! I'm off to a sale with an old friend who I haven't seen since autumn, so that should be fun! I still have some items up for sale (and more to come...if I quit being so lazy!) over at the subsite Buy My Stuff! Keep warm and take care little ones! More soon xx
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!
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
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
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?
