Wish I Was There

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I'm pretty sure I'm melting. It hit 93 degrees here today, which I is entirely too hot for anywhere without air conditioning or easy access to a body of water.  

At least I got a little bit of a tan yesterday?

I guess this is a "be careful what you wish for" moment. I wanted sun, I got it. It's supposed to be just as hot (if not hotter) tomorrow. At least I'll be in an air conditioned office then...

Lace

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Everyone has specific things that they're drawn to in clothes. There are some things that I'm extremely aware of that I like (i.e. open and/or interesting backs), but others take me by surprise. Lace is one thing that falls into this category. I've never really thought of myself as a lace person, but there's just something about a lace dress that I love. (I apparently also love red dresses.)

These dresses are two prime examples of how lace works itself into my wardrobe. The dress on the right is one of my most worn pieces of clothing and, once I get the one on the left altered, I don't know that I'll ever want to take it off.

Just today, I tried on a lace dress (I made myself try a different color). I didn't end up buying it, but I was instantly drawn. It seems these days I'm always finding myself lusting after lace dresses! I almost bought one a couple weeks ago from Forever 21 too, but I ended up deciding against it. Shoot, even last night I thought about ordering one, but I hadn't heard of the website before and it had some bad reviews...

So I am finally admitting it to myself, and to the world: I love lace dresses. They look good on me, and I feel so classy when I wear them, and they're just so pretty! 

Do you have find yourself surprised by certain styles of clothing that you're drawn too?

I did end up buying a chambray shirt with a lace back today.

Stay Silly

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I feel like sometimes people get so caught up in life that they forget about the fun that comes along with being silly and ridiculous. But sometimes you just need to let loose and laugh a little and possibly act like a giant five year-old, to help give you an escape from everyday life. 

I know that I could never imagine a life where I'm serious all the time. I think, deep down, there will always be a part of me that gets silly and ridiculous especially when I'm tired. 

So I say, as the weekend nears, take a little time for yourself. Disney movies are good. Coloring is too. But do you know what's even better? Being silly and ridiculous with someone else. So you should get together with a friend and have a blast for me, since my friends are all too far away for me to do that in person.

Though I have a fun friend date in the works! We've had this day planned (ish) for awhile, we just never set an actual date. Then we both kind of forgot, but I've texted her, so hopefully soon! 

Liquid Sunshine

Today the weather has been crazy (gotta love Washington summers), so in honor of the rain, I thought I'd look at some trench coats. Trench coats are classic and, while they may not be as practical as a raincoat, they're definitely a whole lot cuter...

Here are some of my favorite looks:

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1. Bold. I love how she makes a plain trench coat more interesting by pairing it with a leopard print scarf and  bright red pants. It's the perfect way to stand out from the crowd, and brighten up a gloomy day. 

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2. Neutral. Who said neutral had to be boring? I love how clean this look is. It's chic and stylish. I love the pops of metallic, with the necklace and shoes. It's a great way of making an otherwise simple outfit more interesting.

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3. Pastels. Rather than standing out from the crowd by pairing a classic trench with more bold pieces, I like the idea of wearing a trench in a more unique color. This mint trench is a great way of freshening up the look, making it more appropriate for the spring and summer (where, at least in Washington, you still need to keep a jacket handy).

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4. Unstructured. Rather than a more structured, look, I like this twist on a trench. It's a little looser, and a little more casual, which I love. It makes the overall outfit look more effortless-- it's more casual cool, if you will. Anyways, I'm kind of obsessed with this jacket and this picture and everything.

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5. Layered. This layered look is adorable. I love everything about it! The dress is adorable, and layering the cardigan under the coat is a good gay of staying warm when it's a little colder outside. I also love the rainboots, because they're both cute and practical. And then the hair and accessories dress it all up. It's just an amazing outfit. (I'm a little obsessed with this picture too, if you couldn't tell.)

I've decided I want to try going back to doing these in list format, since it gives me something to focus on and makes it easier. And who doesn't love lists? I mean, really. Lists are the best. Virgo

Magical Monday

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Not much has been going on around here lately. My mom's been out of town, so I've been babysitting my brother all week, but she's getting back tonight. I love my brother and he's been good for me, but it'll definitely be nice not to have to worry about getting him dinner every night.

The list:

1. Harry Potter. My brother and I have had a mini-Harry Potter marathon this weekend. He's nine, so we had to pace it for his attention span. Our plan was going to be two movies a day, but we ended up watching the first three on Saturday and two more on Sunday. I was really impressed, since he got through five, which is five more than I thought he'd get through. But even if he hadn't watched them, I would have, because I'm just a tad obsessed with Harry Potter.

2. Bunnies. I've seen two unexpected bunnies this past week. I saw one hopping into someone's yard on the way to work and another when I was on a run in the park. They were both so cute, and seeing them instantly made my day.

3. Holding my own. We had a meeting at work where we set our goals for the next quarter. My boss was out today so it was just me and one other person that we work with coming up with the goals and objectives. I think I was able to contribute to the conversation, and considering I've been interning there for less than a month, I think I held my own. It definitely made me feel good.

4. Magazines. I bought two magazines the on Friday, and I think this is probably my first time buying and reading magazines in almost a year. I love magazines, but I haven't had any extra cash to buy them with. So I decided to treat myself and pick up a couple. It's so nice to just relax with a magazine in hand.

5. Kanye West. I found this article with life lessons from Kanye earlier tonight, and it's the most hilarious and ridiculous thing you will ever read in your life. My two favorite lines: "all I want is dopeness" and "fresh kids win."

Chalk It Up

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Lately, I've been obsessed with the idea of hair chalk. I love that's it's a non-permanent way to add some color to your hair. I've always wanted to dye my hair (still do), but I know my ideal hair color would look horrible, and I could never find a color I thought would look decent that I would like any more than my natural color. 

This fear of dying my hair and not liking it also applies to more fun colors. Which is where hair chalk comes in. I've been looking it up, and it seems like a relatively easy (if a bit messy) way of adding a pop of color to your hair. I also love that it just washes out, so if I don't like it, I can just get rid of it. I was initially wary of whether or not it would show up on my hair, because it's so dark, but supposedly, all I would need to do is dampen my hair first (which is a step that is apparently optional for those with lighter hair). 

So anyways, I've been really intrigued by hair chalk. I'm thinking I might have to go pick some up to try it out one weekend, to see if it's worth the effort. It could be fun to try it out for holidays too. Maybe I'll try it out for the 4th of July? Nothing like red and blue tips to show your pride. And I do love a good theme...

For the record, my ideal hair color is (light) blonde, but I've accepted that it would probably look horrible with my skin tone.

Looking Forward

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I didn't use this photo in the stripes feature yesterday, but I love everything about it too much to ignore it. The dress is adorable. Her hair looks flawless. I love the bright lips. She's really doing everything right in this picture. So I just thought I'd share it.

In other news, I want to start making a plan for the next few years, so that I can start working to make my life more like how I want it to be. Something fabulous and glamorous (where I dress like this everyday) would be lovely, but I also want something more realistic, so I don't constantly beat myself up over not attaining The Dream. Whatever that is. I don't even know what I want anymore. 

So I'm hoping that over the next week or so I can start writing out a more rough outline, just of things I need to do, i.e. find a permanent job, for after I'm not longer an intern, getting an apartment; thing I'd like to do, like moving to another city and traveling; and things I want, like getting another dog (who, for the record, will wear a bandana around their neck and look adorable).

I'm the kind of person who likes having a plan, but I'm not so good at making them realistic. I'm hoping to get that figured out, since I feel like aside from what I need to do, I don't know what I want out of life anymore. It doesn't help that I feel like my mind changes every few months, so by the time I finally think I've figured it out, I decide that I want to do something else instead.

Stripes on the Brain

Warning: There are a lot of pictures.

I have an obsession with stripes. Like, it's one of my all-time favorite patterns. After all, it's a classic for a reason. I've always liked them, but it got worse after I got obsessed with the idea of sailing though I've never actually been on a sailboat...

I love stripes of all kinds. I love:

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1. Layered stripes. I love this look. It's classic, preppy, and cute. I love how these two looks are similar, but have a completely different feel because of the pieces used.

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2. Bold stripes. These stripes are big, and their even bolder because their paired with other bold pieces. The green pants definitely draw your attention, and the big stripes complement it nicely. Then the other picture is mixing prints (with leopard, another favorite of mine), which always takes confidence.

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3. Casual stripes. These outfits look stylish, but effortless. They would be perfect for hanging out during the weekend, no?

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4. Cozy stripes. Simple, cute, and cozy can make for some of the best outfits.Also, I accidentally cropped the boots out of the second picture, but they're cute and simple, which I like.

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5. French stripes. I'm really just making this up. But the girl in the first picture looks like she could be a chic Parisian girl, ready for a cold winter day. And the sweater in the second picture says, "Bonjour." So clearly these are now French stripes. Just go with it.

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6. Simple stripes. Just simple black and white stripes. 

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7. Colorful stripes. I love both of these dresses, and I'm kind of convinced I need them both. Shame I have no clue where they're from, and probably couldn't afford them anyways.

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8. Nautical stripes. Because what list about stripes, would be complete with the nautical theme being mentioned. And really, this is what I love about stripes. And I love both these outfits. The blue stripes give it a nautical feel, but the skirts make it more wearable. And they're adorable. And I love these outfits.

Can you tell I love stripes? I promise this is the narrowed down version, I had way more that I was deciding between...

Sadly I don't know where the last two pictures are really from, since I saved them to my computer ages ago, and uploaded them to Pinterest over a year ago... I've even drawn the first one of the two badly. I kind of love that picture.

Girl Crush: Leighton Meester

Recently, something brought Gossip Girl to my mind earlier today, and naturally, I thought of Blair. Because this is fresh in my mind, I thought that I'd feature Leighton Meester for this girl crush.

If I'm being honest, a big part of this girl crush comes from her portrayal of Blair Waldorf. If I'm being honest a lot of my opinions about actors are shaped by the characters they play...  But I digress. In reality, Leighton Meester seems nothing like her fictional alter ego. 

Unlike Blair, Leighton seems far more laidback. She seems to take herself far less seriously. Not too mention she seems really grounded, which I love about her. There are some celebrities that I don't like, just because it feels like that know how famous they are and they expect to be treated differently because of it. Even if that's not the case, I get that vibe from them, and while she may play a very high-maintenance character, Leighton herself doesn't have that vibe at all.

I also think that Leighton is absolutely gorgeous. I'm kind of convinced that she can kind of just do anything, style-wise, and look fantastic. I mean look at this picture. It is absolute perfection. It's probably my all-time favorite picture of her. She looks stunning.

Also, did you know that she sings? Aside from her role in Country Strong, that is. I know her from her song with Cobra Starship "Good Girls Go Bad," but she actually prefers music that's more folk. Apparently she started working with a band called Check in the Dark after Country Strong, and went on a five day tour with them. 

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She just seems so cool.

Leighton, can we please be friends?

These photos are from a photoshoot with Marie Claire UK in 2010. The photographer is Christophe Meimoon. 

Too Little Time

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It's hard to believe that it's been a few weeks since I've graduated lately. I really do need to figure out a schedule for everything. Ever since graduation, I've been kind of failing at doing anything other than working and sleeping. It's hard, since I have to sit on a bus for nearly an hour and half (sometimes more, if traffic is bad on the way home) to get to and from work, so I don't get home until 6:30 or 6:45. By which time I'm starving and don't want to do anything. 

I know that this blog has suffered because of it, and I want to work on it. I still don't have a tripod, and I don't have a good place to take pictures with somewhere to set a camera at the moment, but I really want to get back to that. I'm not the most trendy person in the world, but I think it's probably more interesting for you guys to see what I'm wearing rather than seeing posts about inspiration and trends and whatnot. Ideally, I would be doing a healthy balance, if anything leaning towards more outfit photos.

I've also been slacking (a lot) on working out. I haven't worked out at all since I graduated, which is absolutely horrible. I need to just suck it up and go run at the park when I get home from work. Or, at the very least, on the weekends.

Anyways, I really do want to start getting this sorted out in the next couple weeks, so sorry things have been a little rocky here this month. I don't like it any more than you probably do, so hopefully I can figure out a good schedule or system or something.                  

Find Your Center

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The other night Rise of the Guardians was on, and they were talking about finding you center. In the movie, each guardian had a "center," that was essentially the essence of who they are (in the movie, they two I remember are 'wonder' and 'fun.'). To illustrate the point, the used Russian dolls, each with a different emotion, but the smallest one-- the center-- showed who they really were.

I kind of love this idea. I feel like, essentially, this is what we're all searching for in life. We all want to know who we are. It's only the lucky few that know what their center is, and the rest of us are all still looking. While we may have an idea of what their center is, I don't think that a lot of people really give it a lot of thought.

I think that the notion of finding my "center" is something that I've been trying to do for awhile now. While I may not have thought of it in these specific terms, I feel like I know what I like, but not what I love. I feel like I'm still searching for the things that make me me, if that makes sense. I need to find my center.

Do you know what your center is?

Rise of the Guardians is a cute movie, by the way. 

Magical Monday

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It's Monday again. This week will definitely be needing a little bit of magic. But hey, I got by for three days when my boss was at a conference, so that's something.

1. Seeing old friends. This Saturday I went to a friend's baby shower. She used to be one of my best friends, and it'd been so long since I'd seen her, so it was really nice seeing her again. And then I had a graduation party for a friend to go to on Sunday, so it was nice to see her. And I'm so excited for her, because she'll be starting college at my alma mater, which is super exciting!

2. ABC Family. All of my shows are officially back for the summer. I am seriously obsessed with pretty much every show they put out. It's kind of a problem. But I'm kind of completely okay with it. But just their dramas. I have zero interest in their comedies.

3. Twitter. I get really bored on the bus, so it's been keeping me occupied. It's also so much more fun that it used to be, now that all of my close friends are on it. 

4. Shopping. I'm obsessed with my new scarf, though it's been too warm to wear it yet. But soon! I'm also still looking for a new coat. I think I've decided against the two I was choosing between before, but the website isn't working properly, so I have to wait to order it (and my new shoes...).

5. Pay day. Friday was the first pay day of my internship, so that was definitely a nice way to end the week. Contrary to what it may seem, I really am trying to save most of it. I have too many costly things I want (or have to pay) in the near future.

I Want a Pony

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Ponytails are one of those hairstyles that is so simple, yet so effective. Just put your hair up, and go. It's something that can be classic and chic or laidback and a little messy. Even though ponytails should be effortless, sometimes it's fun to add a little twist on a classic to make you stand out a little bit and to make it more fun. 

Unfortunately, like with braids, my hair hates me and it often refuses to cooperate with me. But just occasionally, it decides to do what I want, and I get a really nice ponytail. Of course, it's usually when I have no plans other than hanging out at home, but that's usually how it works out.

Anyways, while my hair doesn't always cooperate, I think all these ponytails look pretty perfect to me.

Go figure, my last hair post was all extremely blonde girls, and this one is predominately brunettes. It balances out, right?

Obsessed: Star Infinity Scarf

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I went to Target today (a dangerous thing, especially on pay day) and I saw this scarf and fell in love. Stars are one of my favorite prints, so I was instantly drawn to this scarf. I'm not big on scarves, since I love how they look but I feel like I never tie them right, but I got a lot better at them last fall. And it's an infinity scarf, so I don't need to worry about tying it.

Anyways, I tried it on (in red, but I couldn't find a picture of the red one on the website), and it took a good five or ten minutes for me to even take it off. I didn't want to buy it, since I'm planning on spending quite a bit on Forever 21's website soon, but I couldn't not have it. I'm just a little obsessed with it.

Golden Star

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I found stumbled across some pictures from this photoshoot the other day. Today, I looked at the rest of the pictures from the shoot and fell in love. To me, this evokes such the perfect summer vibe.I love how sun-soaked all the pictures are, so that the subjects are more silhouettes than anything. I really just love all of these photos. I'm kind of obsessed with the last photo.

"Golden Star"

Photographer: Josh Hedge

On the Hunt

... for a new coat. I don't have a good lightweight coat for spring and summer, so I was browsing online today and found a few good options. Unfortunately, one I really liked didn't have my size in any color, but I found two other very strong contenders.

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Option 1: Hooded Utility Jacket from Forever 21. This is the first coat. I love the look and I like that even though it's a peach color, it's subtle, so it'll go with a lot. Versatility is always nice, especially when it comes to a jacket. The only really downside I found when looking through the reviews is that it's a little too lightweight, so it might not actually keep me very warm.

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Option 2: Lightweight Silk Anorak Jacket from Charlotte Russe. I like that this jacket looks a little thicker (and therefore warmer), so it should protect me a little more from wind. I also like the length, since I'm afraid that the one from Forever 21 might be longer than I want. I'm short, so this will probably hit me in a good spot. The only thing I don't like is the fact there's not a hood. I live in Washington, so rain is kind of a given real Washingtonians don't use umbrellas. I also wish there were some reviews I could read.

Any opinions?

Either way, I'm glad I'm finding affordable options. This style of jack has been on my fashion wish list since September.

Magical Monday

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It's hard to believe that this is already my third week at my internship! It's so crazy. My boss is going to be out of town at a conference most of the week, so it'll be interesting to see how it goes. Wish me luck!

The list:

1. Sleep. For some reason, this weekend, I was absolutely exhausted. I literally felt like a zombie. I even fell asleep at one point on the couch during the day and I never take naps. I have never looked forward to going to bed that much, but oh man, sleep was nice, even if I didn't actually sleep in much.

2. My new dress. I got that a dress that I've wanted for a couple weeks. I saw it when I went to Target a couple weeks ago, but they didn't have it in my size. I wasn't able to get to the one by my house until this weekend, so I spent the rest of a gift card on the dress. I was so excited it was there! And then I found some awesome orange skinny jeans on the clearance rack for just under $9. I mean, I can't really argue that!

3. No rain. It hasn't rained in a week or two *knock on wood*, and I'd really, really like it to stay that way for awhile.

4. Clean laundry. It's been well over a month since I'd done laundry, and can I just say, it is so, so nice having options to choose from when getting dressed in the morning!

5. Pike Place. Going to Pike Place Market is always fun. There's this one bakery that I always have to go to-- it's so goooood. Normally I get one of their Texas-sized donuts, and they are literally the size of my head. Bigger, really. Soooo much donut, but so delicious! We got their too late in the day this weekend for them to still have those, so I branched out and tried something different. I got a chocolate chip cream cheese cinnamon roll and had it for breakfast the next morning. It was delicious, but I was so full afterwards!

Shine Bright

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I love wearing bright colors, and summer is the perfect time to rock these colors. I love reflecting the brightness of the sun outside in my clothes (or wishfully hoping for it to reappear), not to mention bright colors can make a tan pop (always a plus in my book).

With this outfit, I think it's the perfect way to be bright, without going over the top. She's making one color the focus. Even though her pants are pink, the shade is pale enough that I don't think it competes with the yellow for your eye's attention.

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This is a bolder look, for the more brave among us, since it involves colorblocking with three eye-catching colors. But I think she does a really good job of choosing colors that compliment each other. I admit, I don't know if I would feel totally comfortable wearing this outfit, but I think that's more my lack of confidence in my colorblocking abilities than anything. But if you've got the confidence, I'd say go for it!

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This is another more understated outfit. Obviously the shorts are the (very bright) focal point, however the rest of the outfit is all black or white, which I think definitely balances out the shorts. I really like this outfit, though. I like that it's definitely more sleek and simple, but the shorts make it more fun.

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I think that this is the most wearable outfit for those that aren't used to color, since it's a simple dress. All you have to do is throw it on, and go. You can also tone it down even more, if you really wanted, with a neutral cardigan/blazer/jacket. I think it works fine on it's own though, and I would love a similar dress for my closet.

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While the previous outfit was more wearable, this isn't for the faint of heart. This skirt is bright, guys. Like, really bright. Add that to the fact that the top is both a crop top and sheer (it's more noticeable from the front), and that's a lot going on. I think the girl in the photo absolutely rocks it, but I know that I definitely don't think that I could. But I still completely love this outfit.

I think my favorite way to wear brights is usually in the form of a tank top. That's the way that's the most versatile for my own wardrobe, but I'm by no means opposed to incorporating the trend in other ways.

Do you have a favorite way to wear bright or neon colors?

I swear, the list of blogs I need to read grows so much each time I do one of these posts. I'm already so behind on the ones I do read, though...