Style Transition: Skater Skirt

 Listening to Cinema (Skrillex Remix) by Benny Benassi
Feeling overwhelmed. Already.
    So I recently went shopping with my friends Suz and Natalia. We hit up the mall looking for a few particular things for Natalia and Suzanne, but I had only one thing in mind: a skater skirt. See this style is cut so that it flares out right at the natural waist. It's super complimentary, can be dressed up or down, and it's very casually girly, so I don't feel like I'm suffocating in ruffles. I got very good at shopping when I moved out and had to save all my money for rent. Now I'm saving for mine and Corey's wedding, and I'm even better at it. I found one that I loved at Urban Outfitters, which was forty dollars, right when we walked into the mall. So we went to every other store that I thought may have a similar style at a lower price. I searched high and low, but I couldn't find a single other one that was cut at the right length for my long legs, and that was cute. (I found one at Forever 21, but it was cut just a bit too short, and the pattern wasn't my style.) So I went back to UO and that one skirt was the only thing I bought.*
    The great thing about this particular one is that it's a great transition piece. It can be worn in every season with the right top and accessories, and look great every time. Plus I already had a lot of colors to match it in my wardrobe. 

• Summer: To keep it light, I paired it with my rose gold sandals from Target, along with a sheer blouse and bandeau underneath. You can tuck in the blouse and wear a cute belt, or if you're feeling sassy, knot it and bare a little skin!
• Fall: As it starts getting cooler, I like to do long sleeves, but rolled up, since fall afternoons can still get plenty hot, especially in the South. A chambray works well here, with a cami or bandeau underneath, then throw on some nude ballet flats and you're good to go. As a bonus, floral prints are still hot as anything this fall.
• Winter: Some people might argue that you can't do floral in the winter, but I say, if it's dark and a smaller print, you can totally still get away with it. Ideally, I would wear tights in the winter, but the ones that would've matched this had a bad hole in them that I wasn't aware of, so bare legs it is! A tank, slouchy sweater, and scarf keep this look layered and warm. Combat boots will keep your toes toasty and also give the outfit a little edge.

What styles do you think transition well through the seasons?

___________________________________________________________________________

*I lied, I bought the flats I'm wearing in the fall outfit - the heels I was wearing were giving me vicious blisters.*



Style Wishlist: Fall 2013

Listening to Take Back the Night (I swear I'll get over him as soon as Part 2 of The 20/20 Experience is released. I hope.)
Ready to be feeling 100% again.
    So I'm not a big magazine reader. I don't like wasting my time flipping through ad after ad searching for the one article that caught my eye in the first place. I'd rather find the same article online and read it there. But somehow we've started getting InStyle. My mom plopped the hefty thing in front of me the other night when I was slumped over the kitchen table half-dead. I flipped through about ten pages for her benefit, but I wasn't about to go deep when I could barely hold my head up. Today, though, I did a bit of flipping through, mostly looking at what's hot for fall. And it got me thinking of a few things I'm looking to get.



Express $79.90

 Black Skater Dress. I desperately want one of these. Not this exact one, as I don't have eighty bucks to spare. But this style for sure. I have but one little black dress, and it's just a little too "little girl" for me. It's adorable, don't get me wrong, just not quite as versatile as I'd like. This cut is the kind that can be dressed up or dressed down, and it's highly flattering.

ModCloth $29.99

Pink Ballet Flats. I just bought a cute pair of faux leather quilted nude ballet flats from Forever 21, but I can't turn down a pair in ballet pink with bows. (bows!) They also come in a caramel color.

Old Navy $39.94

Mustard Peacoat. I have two peacoats. One in charcoal grey that flares out a bit that I will wear day in and day out, and another in black that's cut more like this but needs its buttons sewn back on. Last year I was thisclose to buying either a mustard one or an olive green one at Old Navy when they were having a sale, but I didn't. I've regretted it ever since. This year I will get one. Preferably in a more mustard yellow, but this one will suffice as an example.

ModCoth $59.99

 Oxford Heels. I have a pair of faux suede oxford wedges, but they aren't a high enough heel, and frankly, they've seen better days. I would love a pair of actual oxford heels like these, although cheaper would be nice.

GAP $51.97

Oxblood Coated Skinnies. Coated jeans started to make their presence known at the very end of this past winter. At least, that's when I started seeing them advertised. I hadn't seen anyone wearing them yet. This year, they're already showing themselves and it's not even September yet. I love this oxblood color and, aside from black, I think it's the best way to wear them.

Which fall trends are you excited about? Tell me in the comments!

What's in my Bag? Backpack Edition!

Listening to Blood by The Middle East (You may recognize it from the end of Crazy Stupid Love)
Subsisting on tea and cough drops
    So. I start classes in a week. It's only fitting that I get sick, right? It started off as a stomach bug, but it's turned into a killer cold, complete with cough, congestion, and hot nails in my throat. My room is a hot zone, I sound like a man, and I keep finding tissues wedged in all manner of weird places. And yet I'm blogging. For you special seven people.
    I even went out Saturday - even though I was so sick I had to call out of work (I had a fever and was throwing up; they wouldn't have wanted me anyways) - to buy school supplies for a back to school post. It was also the last day of tax-free weekend, and since I just spent 237 smackaroos on twenty books for school, there was no way I was paying sales tax on my school supplies, dangit.
    I don't know about y'all, but I have a special place in my heart for school supplies. Having gone to a private Christian school for half my life where we wore uniforms, the primary way we (at my school anyway) expressed ourselves was through our school supplies (and tennis shoes). We bought the biggest pencil boxes available and filled them with every pencil, pen, eraser, gel pen, sticky note, highlighter and mini stapler we could find. Bonus points if they were Lisa Frank or rainbow colored. By fifth grade we discovered the world of trading. "I'll give you my cloudy patterned sticky notes for your sparkly blue gel pen and scented eraser set." It was insanity. It actually got banned in seventh grade because it was distracting us from class and making kids who couldn't afford to buy the entire stock of Staples feel bad. So we would trade "on the black market" during recess behind closed doors. It was super sketch.
    Weird as it is, I still feel an adrenaline rush when I see a cool pen or squishy pencil grip. I did have to stay on the cheaper end of the scale as far as my school purchases this weekend. Also I was in a drug-induced fog so I didn't stand looking at things for too long before chucking 'em in the basket and coughing into my sleeve. (I'm pretty sure a middle eastern family thought I was racist 'cause I kept avoiding them in the store, but truthfully they had three little girls under the age of ten and I didn't wanna get them sick.)
     Anyways, here are some of the things I got that I thought were neat, and not too expensive. I know some people have already gone back to school, but us college kids have another week. Ish. Prices and links at the end of the post.

1. Post-it Flags. Since I'm an English nerd, and I'm taking three English classes this semester, I'm gonna be writing papers left and right. My favorite way to keep track of important quotes is with these little boogers. I like the wider ones so I can jot down on the flag which point in my paper the quote on that page coincides with. Bonus points for color-coordinating the color of the flag with a certain character.
2. Starbucks Cool Lime Refresher Instant Drink Mix. No, it's not as incredible as buying the drink at Starbucks. It's close, though. In my opinion, even though the packet is for 16 ounces, it's too strong. I usually use only half a packet, so the package lasts even longer than five drinks. I have yet to try the orange one, but with my love of everything citrus, I'm sure I'll love it.
3. Cool Gear Thermos. Y'all. It looks like a can. How freaking cute is that? My mom bought it when she was at WalMart (one for me and one for Maggs), and I just think it's the coolest thing ever. She said it was supposed to come with a straw, but I don't mind using it as is. You push back the faux tab and it slides the covering back from the little opening. My work friends made fun of it, but I'm pretty pleased with it. Plus, it's water tight when it's shut, so if I need to give my refresher a little shake before drinking, it won't make a mess!
4. Bic Erasers With Grips. I'm weird, y'all already know that, but there are a few things whose textures I don't like. The feeling of newspaper is one. Erasers are another. I don't know why. I just don't like it. When I buy erasers for school, I always get the clicky ones (where you click it up and down?) so I don't have to actually touch the erasers. Those, however, were twice as expensive as these, with their little grips. So I'm trying something new. Wish me luck!
5. Pentel EnerGel-X Express Roller Gel Pens. Long name, but I'll let it go because these are the greatest pens on the planet. Because I do so much writing, I have very specific preferences on my writing utensils. I stole a pen from Maggs a few months ago and freaking loved it. But within a few weeks it was already out of ink. I scoured Target, Walmart, and CVS for the pen to buy more, but couldn't find any. I found the InkJoys at WalMart and decided they were a fair enough substitute, until I visited Staples with Suzanne a few weeks ago. I found them, you guys. And not only in black, but in super bright awesome happy colors. You know how much I love bright colors. So you better believe when I went looking for school supplies I zeroed in on these babies and snatched them like a crazed bargain shopper at a store closing sale. I don't have a problem. Anymore.
6. Pilot Frixion Erasable Highlighters. Who here gets overexcited with the highlighter and colors a whole page neon orange? *raises hand* These, my friends, are for us over-eager highlighters. They're erasable. I have no clue if they actually work. I haven't opened them yet. But the back of the package says, "Unique Thermo-Sensitive Ink formula disappears with erasing friction." Sounds legit, right? I'll keep you updated.

There you have it. My Backpack Essentials. Some of which may or may not be as awesome as they claim. Which makes it exciting.

And I'm going back to bed.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Supplies and Stuffs

• Post-it Flags $6.99
• Starbucks Cool Lime Refresher Instant Drink Mix (Available at Starbucks and SuperTarget for about $6.00)
• Cool Gear Thermos (No longer available. I'm sorry. I suck. I know.)
• Bic Erasers With Grips $2.99
• Pentel EnerGel-X Express Roller Gel Pens $7.29
• Pilot Frixion Erasable Highlighters $5.29

5 Things I'm Loving

Listening to Crazy by Britney Spears
Loving ALL THE THINGS (They probably have a meme for that already)
    So I realize I don't normally post listy-type posts. And I'm not saying that's good or bad - I really love all the listy posts from the blogs I follow - I'm just saying this is out of the ordinary for me. I just got this fabulous package from e.l.f. last night and had to share my loot.

Thing #1: e.l.f. Mineral Moisturizing Lip Tint (SPF 8) in Guava. 

So the first time I bought this, I looked at Guava, but I went with Natural. It has the color and opacity of a lipstick, but the lightweight feel of  gloss without being sticky at all. It goes on super smooth and feels great on. The problem was that Natural was pretty much nude, and at the time in January, I desperately needed color. I thought about Guava again, but it just seemed too coral-y, too bright for winter. These babies are only $3 a pop, so next time I ordered make-up a few weeks later, I got Rose. Unfortunately it turned out almost fuchsia, which on my mother and I (because of our weird undertones) just looks way wrong. I had to wait a bit to order more make-up because I got sick and my paychecks were small from missing work, but when I ordered again last week, I finally caved and got Guava, and I totally should have gotten it from the beginning. It's absolutely perfect. Thing is, though, with the right make-up, I can make the other two work, so I highly recommend this to anyone. 

Thing #2: e.l.f. Mineral Foundation (SPF 15) in Fair

I cannot believe the incredible deal this stuff is. First off, it's super cheap for how awesome it is - mineral foundation for only $5. I've bought the same stuff from many other cosmetic companies, and it's normally three or four times more than that price. Albeit the e.l.f. is only .1 oz. and the competitors are about twice that, but if I buy two of the e.l.f. foundations, it's still half the price of the competitors! They even have a set that has the same foundation here, and a foundation powder brush for the same price - only $5! Plus the coverage is perfect, and it blends so well. I'm in absolute love. How do you do it??

Thing #3: e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow in Elegant

 Now I've already told y'all how much I love this stuff. I even wrote a letter to it. But I still love it, so I thought I should just talk it up a little more. First off, it's only $3, for mineral eyeshadow, which is just awesome. e.l.f. is always having great sales on it, too. Because it's awesome, so why wouldn't they? I really love all the colors I have - which is almost half of the 28 shades - and I'm sure if I bought more, I'd love them, too. The color is so rich and eye-catching (see what I did there?). Just, please. Buy one and see for yourself. Elegant is a great champagne color, and Smoldering is a nice smokey gray with a little shimmer. They're probably my favorites and would look great with any eye color. 

Thing #4: Honey Mangoes

About four years ago I had the Summer of the Mango. Through a series of events involving a bicycle and the owner of an Asian restaurant near the square, my mom ended up with a huge box of mangoes. Like twenty-five of them. And I ate one every day for like about a month. I discovered that mangoes are the greatest things on earth (except for people who are allergic to them - I pity you folks). So this summer, mangoes are my thing. Specifically honey mangoes. Because I can't tell when the other ones are ripe since their colors are different. Me and honey mangoes - we get each other. They may be messy and sticky, and juicy, but I could eat eight in one sitting. I just can't afford to buy that many. 

Thing #5: Britney Spears (old school)

Blame my sister, Maggs. She's been listening to some serious B.Spears lately, and got me feeling it again. It happens every summer. Not Britney specifically, but old nineties stuff I used to listen to when I was a kid. *NSync, Backstreet Boys, you know what I'm talking about. Nineties Pop. I never had any Britney CDs, but that doesn't mean I didn't know every word to the vast majority of her songs. And may have wished my school would erupt into a music video of Baby One More Time. We already wore uniforms, we were halfway there. 

What are you guys feeling this summer?

Why Positivity Doesn't Pay Off

from HunHunHoney on iconator.com

Listening to Alligator Sky by Owl City (Feat. Shawn Chrystopher) Check it out - it's a pleasant surprise!
Avoiding editing my book. I can't handle the ugly.
    I woke up today and (despite having a really weird dream involving zombies and tattooing dead zombie skin) decided that today would be a good day. I rarely do this. It's not that I'm a negative person; I just don't consciously think, "Today will be a good day."
    At first, it seemed like it was working. I was only a few minutes late to class. (Being late for me is normal; my internal clock is perpetually slow. Yesterday I thought for some stupid reason that my class didn't start until 11:30. Where I got this idea, I couldn't say. Italian has been at 11:00 a.m. since January. The day before I almost drove away with the gas thing still in my car at the gas station. I'm losing it, I swear.) I got an A on my research proposal. And I had a lovely plan in my head to get a new pair of (better fitting) shorts and a soft off-the-shoulder tee that I'd seen was on sale. 
    I have two pairs of shorts from last summer that are now too big, so I thought I'd sell them back to one of those stores that buy new and gently used clothing. I knew that denim shorties were on sale at American Eagle for under 25 (convenient, right?), and I also had a 15% off coupon. I figured with the money from two pairs of shorts and the discount, I'd get those shorts at a steal. 
    I went to American Eagle first to be sure that the shorts looked okay on me, and to find the tee that was on sale. Unfortunately the tee wasn't on the floor, so I asked an employee for help. She brought out three in my size from the back - black, white, and hot pink. None of those three colors really look good on me, so I asked if she'd be able to find any of the pastel tees. She went to look and there weren't any in my size, but there was one in a Medium, so I took it. I figured, it's on sale, sure, right? Well, I brought all of it up to the counter and asked if she'd hold it there so I could go sell my shorts and get the money for it. She seemed happy to oblige, but I felt that she was probably irritated with me having her do so much for me. 
    Cut to the new and gently used store. Zoom in on a super cute navy blue white polka-dot romper by the counter. Eight bucks. What. A. Bargain. So I bought that, and when I did, they told me they couldn't buy back either of my shorts. Way to ruin my whole set up. They did give me a 10% discount on the romper, but still, $7.64 from $8... Anyways, I got into my car eight bucks poorer and Little Red (my car) took that opportunity to say "Low Fuel." Perfect.
    Back at American Eagle (now bereft of $28), I couldn't possibly come back and tell the poor girl who'd gone through all that trouble for me that I didn't have the money to buy that shirt I made her dig for and the shorts. So I bought them. For forty freaking dollars. 
    Can you hear that? It's the few pennies I have left echoing as they clatter to the floor of my bank account.