Lucky Shot

These photos were originally from Monday, but because of Magical Monday, I decided to save them for a rainy day. Or, more accurately, a day when I wore an outfit that's really similar to one already on the blog (this, sans belt, only with a cardigan instead). 

It's kind of ridiculous, though. I'm pretty sure this was the day that I had approximately 5 minutes to take outfit photos, so I took a few sets of ten, and hoped I like them. Go figure, two of the three sets turned out really good, and I liked so many it was hard to narrow them down! Though, I must say, that's definitely not a bad problem to have. I didn't need to edit the lighting at all to brighten it up or anything. I even remembered to take a close-up shot of the print, though I didn't end up needing it, since it showed up well enough in the full-body shots. You're getting it anyways, though.

What happens to my face when I see a spider web.

Anyways, this is one of the new shirts I got this weekend. I really like it! It's super comfy, but it still looks nice, which makes it perfect for work. I also love that it doesn't require an iron... I was originally gonna wear a different new shirt, but it was suuuuper wrinkled and I'm super lazy about ironing (read: I don't), but this was too bad, even for me. So it's yet to be worn. I think I'm going to iron it tonight so that I can wear it tomorrow though, because I really like it. Worst case scenario, I'll wear my other new shirt. Either way, you'll get pictures. :)

It was cold.

Hopefully the weather is better tomorrow, though. It's been cold and cloudy in the mornings. It usually clears up by the afternoon, but today the clouds didn't ever really go away. Though I liked it this morning, cuz it was super foggy, so when the bus went through downtown, the tops of the taller buildings disappeared in the fog. It felt like being in the clouds or something.

Shirt: Marshalls. Jeans: Forever 21. Flats: Target.

Well, the week's halfway over! Today was weird, since this morning it felt like Thursday, and then it felt like Friday. I don't really know why, other than it seemed a little quiet at work, but I liked the research that I was doing today, so it went by pretty quickly. And tomorrow really is Thursday, so that's a plus. Sometimes I feel like it's Thursday or Friday on a Monday, and that realization that, no, it's really just Monday is quite possibly the worst feeling ever.

The One That Started It All

When I think back to my obsession with interesting backs, I think it probably all began with this shirt. I saw it about four years ago and instantly fell in love with the back. I had to have it. Unfortunately, while I absolutely love the back, this shirt doesn't get much wear.

It has a nasty habit of showing every little thing, which made taking photos frustrating and choosing which ones to use even worse. My tank top, my jeans, my stomach, it shows it all. This can make it a little uncomfortable to wear because I get so preoccupied with trying to prevent this shirt from clinging too much. It's a losing battle. I contemplated not even posting these photos and instead just posting the ones from yesterday, but I had already gone through the effort of taking and editing pictures. It's just not the most flattering shirt, which is really disappointing.

When I was taking pictures this morning, I was getting kind of bored. All I could think of were the same couple poses over and over again. Towards the end, I started thinking about the blogs I read and the poses that they do, but naturally, the one in the picture right above this is the only one I could think of (aside from the looking at my feet pose that I get stuck in). I've gotta start paying more attention to the poses other bloggers use so that I can get out of my pose rut, since it can't be terribly exciting for you.

Though I love making faces. Those are my favorite pictures. I had to nix a few of the ones that I was going to use, because they were literally the same face and pose. Woops! My bad. 

Top: Charlotte Russe. Jeans: Forever 21. Sandals: Fred Meyer.

In other news, a guy on the bus told me that I should be a model. First he asked me for gum, then a few minutes later he said that I should be a model, "No, seriously." I'm not entirely sure how he decided this, since he only saw the back of my head and the side of my face, but he seemed pretty convinced. It was just a tad awkward. The bus is the cause of so many awkward moments. And ridiculous ones. I'm pretty convinced 90% of my tweets are about ridiculous things I see on the bus.

Magical Monday

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I swear, it always feels like the week goes by so fast. It's Monday, and then all of a sudden, the weekend is here, and all too soon it's Monday again. Today went by pretty quickly. This week will be busy with lots of meetings, since my boss and someone else in our team just got back from a business team, so we've got a normal week's worth of meetings, and then some.

Anyways, enough about that. The list:

1. Marshalls. I've been needing some nicer shirts to wear to work. We don't really have any dress code, and theoretically I could wear t-shirts if I wanted to, but I try to dress a tad nicer. But I'm kind of to a point where I hate everything I own, so I was glad when I found three cute shirts there this weekend. You'll definitely be seeing them on the blog soon! :)

2. Snoqualmie Falls. I had a whole post devoted to this yesterday, so I won't ramble about it too much, but I definitely think it deserves a spot on the list this Monday. So stunning.

3. Outfit photos. It feels so good taking outfit photos again! I'm definitely trying to get back into the groove of things when it comes to taking outfit photos. I still need to switch up the poses a bit, though. I'm trying, but I always find myself doing the same few poses. I suppose that comes with practice.

4. Spice Girls Pandora Station. Listening to the Spice Girls station on Pandora was easily one of the best decisions I ever made. It was pretty much my childhood in a nutshell. Britney, Christina, NSync, the Backstreet Boys, and, of course, the Spice Girls.

5. Five. Five miles, that is. 5.05, if you want to get super specific. That's how far I jogged on my run this Sunday. Just a couple of months ago, I would never have imagined that I could actually go for five miles without stopping. I mean, yeah, I wanted to be able to go that far, but I could barely run a mile when I started. Sometimes I couldn't even do that. Anyways, I was so proud of myself for doing that!

Beauty of Nature

Today, we went up to Snoqualmie Falls. I hadn't been since I was really little, so I didn't remember much, but I definitely wasn't disappointed. Just thought I'd share a few pictures with you all, in lieu of outfit photos and talking about clothes. Not that my outfit was worth photos today, since I just had on a t-shirt and jeans. Though it was a Harry Potter t-shirt, so that makes it 1,000 times better.

I'm definitely not what I consider an "outdoorsy" person. I don't like bugs, my idea of camping is a staying in a bad motel, and I'm pretty sure I once told my mom that all the trees should be replaced with malls when I was, like, seven. For the record, I think that sounds like an absolutely horrid idea now. 

But there are some places that I love. I've mentioned before that places with spectacular views rank high on this list. Snoqualmie Falls is definitely one of those places. The falls are absolutely breathtaking-- so large and powerful! The water hits with such force that when you stand near them, it comes back up and falls, creating a sort of misty rain. I love it. And it was such a beautiful day too! Perfect.

We were supposed to hike a trail to the bottom, but apparently it's still closed for renovations, so we ended up going to Tiger Mountain and wandering around some of the trails there. I was tired, and really not dressed for it (Toms don't make the best hiking shoes), but we stumbled across this old bus on one of the trails (aptly named the Bus Trail). I had just been wondering how the trail got its name when I saw this bus. It's definitely odd seeing an old, rusting, overgrown bus in the middle of the woods.

Anyways, I hope you all had a great weekend! Did you do anything exciting?

Subtle Peplum

I have finally succumbed to the peplum trend today. This is one trend that I had previously had no interest in. I figured it was one of those things that you need a very specific body to pull it off (one which I don't have), and even then I wasn't so sure I like it. Instead, I think I like when it's more subtle, and looks less like you have an odd triangle at your waist.

These three interpretations of the peplum trend embody this concept:

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1. Fun. This way the peplum is still there, but it's done in a more fun, less harsh looking way. It's looks more like structured ruffles along the bottom of the coat. I also love that this is a slightly more unexpected way of wearing peplum. It's usually something that is associated with skirts and dresses, not leather jackets. 

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2. Structured, but small. This skirt is definitely more structured, but it's kept small enough that it doesn't draw too much unwanted attention. It's kind of like, "Look how cute I am," instead of, "Look at me, look at me, look at me!" Because, y'know, there's a big difference I'm tired, just go with it. It's there, but it's not too much or overwhelming. 

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3. Loose. Rather than a super structured peplum top (or dress), I think that it looks better (and more wearable) when the peplum is a little looser. I suspect it also might be more flattering, though I haven't tested this out to compare. 

Anyways, the shirt that I got is more of the loose variety, though I do think the peplum is a little more noticeable than it is in the shirt that the girl is wearing in the picture above. Hopefully I'll have outfit photos of it up soon!

Funny Face

This morning I didn't have very much time to take outfit photos (they were done in four minutes...), so I'm surprised that I liked as many of the pictures that I did. The first batch was blurry, but I really liked a lot of the pictures in the second batch. I think they feel more me than a lot of other pictures that I take. 

I'm not really the kind of person who feels natural posing in front of a camera, which you can probably tell from the fact I have approximately 3 poses I do over and over again. I think it's so odd, since when I was little, my mom had my pictures done professionally a lot. Our wall used to be covered in them. I was even on the mall calendar. Twice. I was that legit :P

Anyways, about halfway through the second batch I started making silly faces, and kind of didn't stop. Making faces is a habit of mine, and it's one that's ruined many a good picture because I'm incapable of smiling like a normal person. But I liked it this morning, because it made taking pictures less serious, which meant I was more relaxed. 

On a completely unrelated note, I was having a good hair day today. It was wonderful! I've been using Organix (Bartell's had a really good deal on it a couple weeks ago) and I've been liking it, but my hair has been refusing to dry when I sleep. This means I'm stuck with it air drying while I'm on the and weather does bad things to my hair.

But last night I took my shower early, and it was mostly dry when I went to bed, which helped down on so much frizz today. I'll have to remember to keep taking my showers early, because it's been so nice not totally hating my hair. 

Dress: Target. Shoes: TOMS.

Also, my "signature pose" is back! 

And I've apparently been on a Target kick? It's odd, since I don't actually think I own that much from Target? But the past three days I've worn stuff from Target, all of which I bought this summer. 

I really do need to remember to take detail shots, since this dress is actually striped! There are little gray strips on it. I'll try to remember next time, I promise! 

Retro Mint

The other day, I was reading a magazine, and one of the ads was about how "retro mint" was a popular color right now. I happened to be wearing this dress at the time, and I just had to laugh, since it matched everything on the page. Guess this means I'm trendy.

Anyways, I've mentioned this dress a few times, ages ago. I saw it when shopping, but the only sizes they had in stock were way too big. I was drawn to the color and pattern (a cute arrow print), and I actually didn't even notice these little cut-outs on the back until I was trying it on. It was definitely a pleasant surprise, since I think everybody and their mom knows that I like interesting backs at this point... Anyways, I tried a different Target a few weeks later and luckily it was there. I was so excited!

I discovered the first time I wore it that it's a little see-through when I'm standing in sunlight (oops!), so I couldn't wear it for awhile, since I needed to buy a slip. And, of course, the first one I bought was too big so I had to exchange it. But now I have one, and it's there for this dress, and anything else I may unknowingly buy that's unlined and just a tad too thin. It's a handy thing to have around, I suppose.

Dress: Target. Shoes: Fred Meyer.

I think I like taking photos in the morning. Eventually, I'd like to transition to more exciting locations than my driveway and my backyard (or, at least, locations that are slightly more visually pleasing, like the park). But for now, it's definitely better than nothing. And I'd say quite a bit better than against the empty wall in my dorm. 

Now I've got to start dressing nicer... I've been in a rut since I started my internship since it's casual, but I still want to look somewhat nice. That, the fact I need to do laundry, and trying to balance the weather outside and the crazy air-conditioning inside, means I've pretty much been wearing the same couple of outfits. Not the most exciting look for a blog, but I need to do laundry this weekend finally, so I'm hoping that will inspire me to become a little more creative.

Ants in Your Pants

I think all my complaining about the weather yesterday worked, since this morning it was gorgeous out. I had a few minutes to kill before I had to leave for the bus this morning, so I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and take outfit photos.

This is the shirt I bought this weekend, bringing my chambray collection up to three now. I'll have to try and photograph the other one soon, I love the back. Anyways, I really like this shirt. It's super comfy, and the fact it's sleeveless makes it perfect for summer.

I mentioned these jeans a little while back (though I was wrong, they were only $8!), but this is their first appearance on the blog. I love them so much!  Though, the first time I wore them it was with a black tank top, which was a bad idea, since I felt like I was dressed for Halloween. The only thing that's kind of sad about these jeans is the fact that they're supposed to be ankle jeans, but I'm so short, they're normal jeans.

Unfortunately, halfway through taking pictures, I looked down and found my foot covered in ants. I had apparently stepped on top of an ant hill burrowed in the driveway. I tried not to freak out but shaking my foot didn't work and there were so many of them, that I kind of gave up and just wanted to get them off my foot.

Clearly, I would be a horrible model, since I can't model through anything. But I think they were biting me, though there weren't any marks later, and I just wanted them off. I kept feeling them on my foot long after they were gone too, which was awful.

Top: Fred Meyer. Jeans: Target.

I kind of like the shots my camera got while I was trying to de-ant my foot (and then while I was fleeing), though. I love the lighting in this last one. I accidentally still had my camera set to be a little darker, so I had to brighten a lot of the pictures, but I think this last one ended up perfect. Especially considering I thought I was out of shots, so I didn't actually know it was still taking pictures. 

Magical Monday

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How was everyone's weekends? Good, I hope. Mine was fun. I actually got out of the house for once, which was a nice change. The weather's still being weird, though which is frustrating. For the past week or so, it's been really cold and cloudy in the mornings, but then around sometime in the afternoon it gets to 80. It's hard to dress for.

Anyways, here's the list:

1. Brunch. We've been trying to figure out when to go out for a belated Father's Day and birthday meal for both my grandpa and uncle, we couldn't get together in June and they both had birthdays around then too. We were all finally get together for brunch this past Sunday though, and it was really fun. And they had dessert, and it was delicious. That always helps.

2. Small town parades. We also went to the Strawberry Festival on Vashon Island this weekend. Vashon Island is pretty small (most of the shops were closed for the festival), and it had a quirky parade to match. This parade featured the mandatory fire trucks (I don't think small towns are allowed to have parades without them), the Old Tractor Club, and the Vashon Island Ukulele Club. Not only that, but both the gardening club and the grocery store had drill teams in the parade. I must say, the Thrifway Drill Team did a pretty good job with their shopping carts.

3. Chambray. I said this yesterday, but I may be obsessed. I can't wait to wear my new shirt tomorrow!

4. Fun graffiti. Yesterday when we were headed home, I saw some graffiti near one of the houses we passed. But when I looked closer, I saw that it said, "Hello" and had a cute smiley face. I also pass a pretty hummingbird on the bus every morning.

5. Technology. Tonight I Skyped my friend while she Face Timed one of our other friends on her phone, so that we could all talk. It was a little ridiculous, but really fun. It was great talking to both of them! The entire time, my friend just kept saying how much her mind was blown and she loved technology. 

Chambray

Chambray is by far one of my favorite trends. It started out when I saw a shirt in a shop in Barcelona, and obsessed over it for a week, before finally going back and buying it. This shirt quickly became my favorite. It's cute and comfy, which is always a win. Then, a couple weeks ago, I saw a chambray shirt at Fred Meyer with a lace back. So naturally, I had to have it. And tonight, I saw a chambray tank that was 40% off... So now I've got three chambray shirts, and I think it's clear that I'm just a tad obsessed.

Here are some of my favorite ways to wear chambray:

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1. Ladylike. Both of these looks are very pulled together. Whether you're the kind of person who loves her pearls or you simply want to look a little nicer, this is a good way of dressing up a very casual shirt. Also, the polka dots were a complete coincidence, but I like it.

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2. Tied. Tying the ends of a shirt is an easy way to instantly make something more summery. I love the look on the left, because it feels casual, and I think it embodies breezy summer style. Dianna Agron's look reminds me of something a little more country, but I like it.

Side note: the flamingo skirt was totally on my short list when I was looking at the sale section of Asos, and this picture is definitely making me regret not buying it...

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3. Girly. Like the ladylike looks, these outfits are very pulled together. These looks seem a little bit more playful to me. A little more fun. The outfit on the left uses fun accessories, like the chevron clutch, and I love the lace shorts on the right. I think they help make the looks a little more youthful, and they show a little more personality.

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4. Clean. These outfits are very clean, and very simple. I feel like sometimes people get so concerned with layering and accessorizing, they forget about the power of a more minimalist look. I could never pull off this kind of look on a regular basis, but I think it can definitely be refreshing. Then, if you do choose to accessorize with one or two key pieces, they really pop.

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5. Oversized. An oversized chambray shirt can be worn with so many different things! The first chambray shirt I bought is oversized, and I've found my favorite way to wear it is belted over a dress (like this) or a t-shirt and leggings. It's definitely a casual look, but it's great for days where you don't have much going on, but still want to look cute.

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6. Open. Wearing a chambray shirt open, in place of a jacket or cardigan, is a great way of getting more use out of your shirt. I think this is a great way to wear chambray (and it's one of the ways that I wear my shirt most often). I find it so easy to throw on, and since chambray is so basic, it can go over pretty much anything. Gotta love versatility.

You can check out some more chambray styles, and my attempts to recreate them with things in my closet here.

Animal Inside

I absolutely love leopard print. I think it's amazing, much to the annoyance of one of my best friends (she can't stand it). I like it so much some of what I like could probably be considered a little tacky, but I don't even care. I think it's fabulous (and I don't actually wear any of the tacky looking stuff...).

Here are some easy way to incorporate leopard into your style (in a classier way):

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1. Dresses. I like dresses, since you just need to throw them on and go. You don't have to worry as much about what to pair it with. Though I still like how these two photos show dresses in two different lights. The first look is a little tougher because of the leather jacket, and the purse in the second makes it look more ladylike.

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2. Tops. These take a little more effort than dresses, since you need to figure out what to pair them with, but it gives them more versatility. Jeans, skirts, shorts, you can really make it work for any season or occasion, you just need to pair it with the right things. These looks are proof leopard can look classy, since they both show a stylish, work-appropriate take on leopard print.

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3. Scarves. I have a leopard print scarf, and I absolutely love it. It's a great way to look a little more put together while keeping warm. One thing I also noticed about my scarf is that I'm less concerned about mixing prints (something I wouldn't do normally). A leopard print scarf could be an easy way to dip your toes in and get started mixing prints, especially since it gives you the flexibility to take it off halfway through the day if you change your mind.

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4. Accessories. I also have leopard print flats that I absolutely love, though they hurt my feet, so I don't wear them often. I'm hoping that one day they'll get broken in enough that they stop doing that, but so far, it's yet to happen. Regardless, leopard print accessories are a good way of sporting the print for those who want to add a little interest to their outfit, but aren't quite as crazy about it as I am.

How do you like to wear leopard?

Sometimes when I tag things as being trends I wonder if I'm making it up, but whatever. It's a trend to me, and that's all that matters. Obviously. ;)

Chop It Off

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I'm kind of getting to a point where I just want to chop all of my hair off. I get to this point a lot once my hair starts to get longer (I've already donated my hair twice). It always takes me forever to decide whether or not I actually want to do it. I'm still in the process of deciding, but if I do, I think I would want it similar to one of these haircuts. I don't think I could ever cut my hair any shorter-- I need to be able to pull it back, or I think I'd go insane.

The only problem with getting my hair cut and bringing in a picture is my hair never looks as good as the picture. If only I could have my own personal hairstylist to do my hair every morning...