PAPER GOWN

2012-01-31T15:15:00.001-08:00

wdadatam

Hello Hello

2010-12-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

So... I've been gone for a long time...

I've been working (and working... and working...) and feeling crappy about life & all kinds of things, and I've come to the realization that I really need to start blogging again.

Inspired (as always) by Jessica's recent purse post and other blogger's makeup bag posts, I'm kicking off my return to blogging with a quick peek inside both my makeup bag AND my purse

I've had this makeup bag since I first started wearing makeup... maybe I was 14? So it's almost 10 years old. It's super grimy and I keep thinking I should get a new one, but I just can't part with it. When I bought the bag, it was the first time I had found something in a store that I had seen a celebrity use in a magazine. It was such a big deal...

Bag: St. Tropez Essentials

Makeup (Clockwise from left)

Bobbi Brown Face Touchup Stick in Sand

Chanel Eyeshadow Duo in Taupe

Sephora Black Collection Bronzer & Foundation Brushes

Clinique Shimmering Stripes Blush in Peony

Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Black/Brown

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen in Black

DiorShow Mascara in Black

Revlon Growluscious Mascara in Blackest Black

Not Pictured (because I left it in my bathroom) Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in Nude (BEST ever... you seriously need to try it.)

My purse is a little bit of a different story... As you can see, I definitely seem to be having a little overkill on the leopard print lately. I've been using leopard as a neutral and was THRILLED to finally find the most amazing leopard scarf that I've been throwing on with everything. Seriously. My guy friends are always asking why I'm wearing that "animal thing" again.

Anyway, I've been carrying this amazing Coach bag for a few years now and the leather has aged to this lovely deep brown color. It was given to me by my dad a few years ago, and when I received it, it came smelling SO awful that I had to air it out on the deck for a few days before it was carryable. According to Coach, the bag was made of vintage leather and that smell can be a side effect? Anyway, it's the perfect size for my iPad (which is perfect because I take my iPad everywhere...) and my pink Marc Jacobs pouch that holds everything I carry. I purchased the pouch when I started working at Nordstrom because my regular purse is too big to fit in my little box in the stockroom. The pouch is way more attractive than the clear plastic bags Nordstrom provides for employees. Plus it can double as a clutch when I go out on weekends!

In addition, I always have my (apparently discontinued) Smashbox Tinted Lip Treatment in place of lipstick, Laura Mercier concealer pencil, cuticle oil, La Source handcream, eye drops, and Ray Ban Wayfarers. My camera's usually thrown in there as well... Just in case.

(this is me at a recent event I attended... my camera was left behind in the car so I had to rely on friends for a few quick snapshots, and no full on outfit shots!)

tuesday market

2010-06-16T05:47:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday there's an outdoor market on Fountain Square... I'd never been, and I was super excited to look around at the booths - local artists, organic farmers... all the best stuff was there!

jewelry made by Joyce Signs and Barb Stonebraker of JoyStone Jewelry - their pieces are absolutely gorgeous. If you're in the Cincinnati area on a Tuesday afternoon, you should stop by their booth!

shirtdress: H&M

cropped tights: HUE

shoes: TOMS

Trains

2010-06-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

The quality of the pictures still isn't great - I'm crossing my fingers that after my first paycheck next week I'll be able to take my good camera to the shop to be fixed... if not, I'm going to have to save up for a replacement...

The office in the museum where I intern is REALLY cold, so I'm always trying to wear something bright but still kind of warm. This outfit is a thick jersey dress from H&M under an AMAZING sequined skirt I found in the back of my closet when I moved back home...

The skirt is all primary colors accented with silver sequins, and the print is an old-fashioned train station. I wish I could remember where I got it! I've definitely had it since high school, but I have no memory of buying it or ever wearing it... I guess it'll be a mystery! The tag says "Papillon Los Angeles," which is the same brand as a dress I love... but it still doesn't help any!

dress: H&M

skirt: mystery purchase by Papillon

shoes: forever 21

Mercurial

2010-06-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

it is HOT HOT HOT in Cincinnati right now... in between my TWO jobs (a summer internship at the Contemporary Art Center and a permanent job at the local Nordstrom) I was able to meet up with my friend Arielle for a few quick snapshots and an iced coffee...

my absolute FAVORITE summer cardigan (confession: i wear it in the winter, too...) - I got it at Anthropologie right before I went away to college FIVE years ago... I think I maybe wore it once until my junior year, but ever since then I've been wearing it with everything. The appliques are getting loose and it's getting a little dingy, but I'm hoping to get it fixed up a little sometime soon...

New dress, bought with my new discount... I really love the lacy detail

OMG sparkly gold TOMS... when they catch the sun, they're absolutely blinding. Super comfortable, but definitely not for the faint of heart (also purchased with my new discount...)

Arielle, my lovely photographer...

cardigan: moth for anthropologie

dress: soprano for nordstrom

shoes: TOMS

sunnies: men's dept. in urban outfitters

poppies will put them to sleep...

2010-06-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

soooo... a quick word about my new layout...

poppies are my favorite flower by a longshot. it sucks that you never see poppies in flower arrangements, because if they were easy to keep in vases, my room would be full of them all the time.

they're so delicate and papery, and fields of poppies look so gorgeous with the orangey red up against the green of the stems and the blue of the sky. i first fell in love with poppies as a tiny, tiny girl watching The Wizard of Oz - I always wanted to go curl up in that poppy field and fall asleep (not realizing how morbid that scene kind of was...). it was compounded by my first trip to europe, where my family took a train through the countryside and we flew through field after field of beautiful poppies in france...

someday, if i ever get married, i'm going to find a way to have a bouquet of poppies. then, if i have a daughter, i bet you can guess what my first choice of names would be...

when i move out of my parents' house, i want to have a whole wall of poppy prints - here are some of my favorites...

red poppy: georgia o'keefe

poppies: jean picton

red poppy abstract: margaret little

boys, take note: never send me roses, always send me poppies

scratch that, reverse it...

2010-06-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

soooo just kidding. i opened up my inbox today to find a wonderful notification from blogger about it's update template editing tool - i was able to customize WAYYYY more than i was before (which is great, because we all know i don't like to follow the crowd)

anyway, i'm going to try to get this whole blogging thing rolling FOR REAL, in a legit way. i have a friend helping me out with customizing the layout even more - i'm not going to give anything away, but hopefully in the next month or so i'll be all logo-ed out.

tomorrow is my first style "shoot" (and by shoot i mean my lovely photographer friend arielle, a digital camera, and embarrassing myself on a street downtown) in... MONTHS - i've got some great new goodies to show off.

also, i've JUST started working in the shoe department at a local Nordstrom as an in-between while i rack up arts admin experience interning at the Contemporary Art Center. in all likelihood i'm going to be living with my parents FOREVER since i'm surrounded by beautiful shoes all day long... i guess this summer will be an exercise in budgeting...

move!

2010-06-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

soooo i've decided to start blogging again... only... i'm not coming back to blogger (at least not for now)

i've decided to take tumblr for a spin... we'll see how long this lasts, so i may be back shortly if i can't figure out how tumblr works... yikes!

www.papergownfashion.tumblr.com

come visit me! ahhh!

Break

2010-03-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!

I'm taking a little break from blogging until I finish my thesis - it's due in a few weeks and I'm about 10 pages to the end!

In the meantime, I'm super excited to have been invited to Lookbook... check me out!

More Relaxing

2010-03-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

So, okay, I know I just wore this t-shirt the other day, but I have SERIOUSLY been freaking out lately, so it's only appropriate. Like... I went to visit a friend the other night & I'm pretty sure I totally wigged him out because I was so twitchy...

Anyway, today I had a meeting with one of my professors about the orchestra piece I've been working on for a class project, and then a piano lesson. I didn't sleep a whole lot last night, so I just kind of threw on the first few things I could find. You can tell by my hair that I've been a little disheveled all day. Also totally love my Barbie mug.

T-Shirt: Target

Skirt: H&M

Tights: Express

Mug: Thrifted in small-town PA

Mixing Patterns

2010-03-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

I've been admiring the way some of my favorite bloggers mix patterns. As a novice, I wanted to start mixing slowly. I've been REALLY loving these tights lately... I think I posted them a few days ago, but since I picked this skirt up at Target, I've been wanting to pair the two together. To keep the ensemble less busy but still work on the pattern mixing, I added this white T with very subtle grey stripes.

I really love the way this turned out!

plus, secret pockets!! I love skirt pockets...

T-Shirt: Gap

Skirt: Target

Tights: HUE

Nail Experiment

2010-03-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

I had a really awful afternoon - I totally blanked out on a French exam and I'm pretty sure I did NOT do well. My stress-reliever? Baking. I made a whole bunch of zucchini bread, some with chocolate chips & some without... It's SO GOOD but I'm trying to give it away now - I really don't need this much zucchini bread...

I also decided to try something new on my nails. I always have to have polish on them since I used to bite them like nobody's business, but I always try to mix it up a little.

The left hand looks fantastic since I have a really steady right hand, but I still have a little bit of a tremor in my left hand so the right nails are less professional looking. Not a complete mess, but just not as even... Still contemplating whether or not it just looks like I have a lot of dirt under my nails...

what do you think?

nail polish: Sinful Colors in 'What's Your Name" - black with green sparkles

I love this brand because it's only $1 a bottle and my drugstore stocks about 40 different colors... whenever I need a pick-me-up, I grab a new bottle!

Luckiest Girl in the World

2010-02-28T07:52:00.000-08:00

...or at least in the Target five minutes from my parents' house...

I went to Target last night to pick up my dad a birthday present and a card, and I always like to take a quick spin around the clearance rack in the women's department (I've been trying to buy everything but tights on sale lately)

I perused a few racks & mostly found weirdly made winter basics (you know, those long sleeved t-shirts that are extremely wide & short) BUT by the time I made it to the last rack, I stumbled across a treasure trove:

ALMOST THE ENTIRE RODARTE COLLECTION

it was as if no one had bought anything except for the lace cardigan & the skeleton tunic (the two pieces I really wanted - but I'd never seen them at my Target, so I'm not sure we ever got them in...) By far the most expensive piece was the leopard dress at a whopping $11.25. I picked up a navy tulle blouse, the lace t-shirt, and the leopard dress for under $25.

I don't think I'm going to get so lucky with Gaultier - the only Target near me carrying it is all the way on the other side of town. I'm not coveting as many of those pieces, though...

Snow Flower

2010-02-25T12:47:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I love minidresses, and this is one of my favorites. I bought it this summer to wear to a party that required something comfortable, cool, and very washable. Forever 21 is one of the best places to find a dress like this, and it's also very winterizeable (my spell check is telling me that's not a word, but I don't really care!)

Today I woke up (well, I couldn't really sleep last night so got up might be a more appropriate term) and it was snowy & dreary. I got these tights at a HUE sale a few days ago - and found out that the HUE store up here in Cleveland is one of only two actual stores. I feel lucky now because I loooooove their tights! Anyway, I've been hunting for a great pair of green tights & snatched these up before they sold out for St. Patrick's Day. They look a little more yellow in these pictures, but trust me - they're an extremely neon green. When I stopped for coffee this morning, a business man asked me if I needed batteries for them (haha)

I thought they'd go perfectly with this dress - they're close enough to the bright green that the go, but not so close that it's too matchy. With my boots & my big sweater (bought two sizes too big for optimal coziness) I'm feeling like a slightly glammed up version of 90's grunge...

Also, I think this umbrella is adorable. I'm super-fair skinned (you wouldn't know it from my pics because I'm always brightening the colors) and I'm always telling my mom I wish it was more acceptable to carry a parasol around in the summers. She found this at H&M and gave it to me for Valentine's Day. I might just have to bring back the parasol...

Dress: F21

Sweater: Silence & Noise (Urban Outfitters)

Tights: HUE

Boots: Steven, Steve Madden

Umbrella: H&M

Gloves: Ten Thousand Villages

Relax (Don't Do It)

2010-02-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

I'd been spoiled by the warmish weather we've been having & woke up absolutely freezing this morning! I dragged myself out of bed and didn't make it much further than my futon before I curled back up & turned on the TV instead of being motivated and working on my thesis before class like I'd planned...

The clothes I put on for the day are barely more than PJs - my little brother's old flannel, my Frankie tee, and some new HUE black denim leggings (I refuse to call them jeggings...)

My hair's getting long enough that I can style it a little - I tried a faux-hawk today & I think it looked pretty awesome. I'm kind of loving it!

This is also my faaaavorite mug. I always drink my coffee out of it in the morning & my tea out of it at night

I wish I'd had more time to do what Frankie says... too bad I have about 40 more pages to write in the next two weeks...

Flannel: American Eagle

Frankie Tee: Target

Leggings: HUE

Socks: Men's dept at Macys (men's socks are always so much warmer than women's!)

Monogrammed Mug: Anthropologie

i'll be your girl backstage at your show

2010-02-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

After going to a really fantastic folk night on Sunday night, I woke up feeling rock-starish. All I had all day was 3 hour French class (that's what I get for deciding to try for fluency in a second language)

I pulled out my shiniest skirt & mixed a couple prints (including this leopard cardigan - after leaving it at a friend's for a few days, I've been wearing it with EVERYTHING!)

I look a little washed out though... I need to remember not to forget the blush!

Black T: F21

Cardigan: INC, Macy's

Skirt: Express

Tights: HUE

Boots: Vintage

Salsa Night

2010-02-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I sat in on a friend's radio show and then went to Salsa & Meringue night at Oberlin & wore one of my favorite dresses. I bought this a few years at Target, but only in the past year or so I've been able to find ways to wear it that aren't too dressy. I thought the big ruffle at the neck & down the front would be perfect for salsa dancing!

I rolled the tops of my suede booties down because the mouth was so big that they flopped around when I walked. Rolling the tops reveals the silver lining & makes the booties fit a little more snugly. I wore my sheer silvery-purple tights over my deep purple ones to create an opaque effect with the same silvery shade as the boot linings!

You can't really tell (and I forgot to take a photo) but my earrings are tiny clusters of disco balls. Great for catching the light while dancing!

Ice Cold

2010-02-18T12:49:00.000-08:00

I got my new booties & my sunnies in the mail today! The boot color is PERFECT - you can't really tell in these pictures because of the overcast, but they're a wonderful deep indigo. The mouth of the shoe is a little wide for my taste, but they'll be great with skinny jeans or my deep blue tights. They'll make their actual debut this weekend when I'm visiting in Oberlin!

I love the sunnies, too - they have a great vintage feel and they were a steal at only $5! Actually, this whole outfit was a steal - other than the leggings, everything was bought WAY on sale. I'm trying to only buy new things on sale to keep my budget down...

Silk Top: H&M

Leggings: HUE

Sunnies: Urban Outfitters

Booties: Kimchi Blue for Urban Outfitters

Purple Mountains Majesty

2010-02-17T12:59:00.000-08:00

Adding a little spice to my standby grey cowl neck dress with some sheer purple tights - you can't tell very much in the photo, but they're kind of shimmer. I can't wait to get my new booties in the mail, these will be PERFECT with them!

Dress: H&M

Tights: H&M

Belt: Vintage from Grandma

I succumbed...

2010-02-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

So I finally succumbed to the online shopping snowstorm binge. I spent last night perusing Urban Outfitter's sales, and came across two things that I've had my eye on forEVER.

deep blue/purple suede booties - I know they're impractical in the snow, but I've been wanting a pair for the summer & I can't wait for them to come in the mail!

instead of the heart shape sunnies I mentioned in my last post, I sent out for a pair of these clear plastic round frames. I'm hoping they'll look ok on my face shape, but i LOVE clear frames and I think these will be amazing come springtime...

Heart Sunnies

2010-02-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

photo borrowed from www.theglamourai.com

After seeing The Glamourai sporting these sunnies on her blog, I've been eyeing them in black on Fred Flare. I like these better than the ones at Urban Outfitters because they're very subtly thicker on the outside rim instead of consistently the same width all the way around...

I've been sporting the same oversized cat's eye pair since my beloved purchased-in-Italy Wayfarers fell on the sidewalk & cracked in September, and I'm thinking maybe some hearts are just the thing to jazz up my sunnies a little bit. I'm already making the freshmen at my college a little uncomfortable with my cropped hair & faux-fur coat, so why not go all out, right?

So what do you all think? At $11, the price is DEFINITELY good, but Fred Flare's shipping is a little high - almost $8 unless you can pick up the purchase in the store (I'm not visiting New York anytime soon...)

Sale Sale Sale!

2010-02-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

Wow, I've been out of the loop! I've had bronchitis and was in the hospital on Tuesday, but now I'm back at my parents' house for the weekend and on the mend...

One of the best things about being home is shopping sales with my Mom - she always helps find the cutest things! Today we were at Macy's to find a few last minute accessories for her for a Gala we're attending tonight for my old high school, and stumbled across a 70% off sale in the INC department!

I'd been eyeing this cardigan for MONTHS and was sure by the time the sales hit it would be sold out or out of my size. Today was my lucky day, though, because there was one tucked waaaaaay back in the small section. I'm pretty sure someone was hiding it, but there's no getting past me. I always go for what looks like it's trying to be hidden - that's always the best! My #1 sale rule is start at the back first - the best things are always hidden deep!

I love the detail - combining two of my favorite things, rhinestones & leopard print.

This tunic has been out since the fall & I've always thought it was pretty, but never thought about purchasing it til it was only about $20. It's a size too big, but I think that might be OK since it's a tunic - better for wearing with tights & leggings!

again with the rhinestones... INC's fall stuff was FULL of rhinestones. My mom picked up this AMAZING grey top with puffy sleeves and a detachable rhinestone bib necklace, very similar to the bib on the cocktail dress I wore to the Opera Gala in November. I was so jealous! I'll post a picture if she'll let me...

My mom also got these for me at Sephora - she always remembers to use her rewards card (which I always forget to do...) and racks up TONS of points. This is the new 500 point reward, (r to l) Dear Diary..., I'm With Brad, and Personal Shopper. I'm wearing I'm With Brad to the Gala tonight with my red dress... I've been wanting to try it, and I was so excited when my mom passed these to me for V-Day. I'm kind of addicted to nail polish - I especially love dark colors with sparkle. Let me know if you guys think there are any I should try!!

Good Morning, America!

2010-02-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

I think the boxers I slept in last night are so awesome that I had to do a post about them. They're a map of the Paris Métro. When I graduated from high school, I went to Paris and London for a few weeks with a bunch of friends and bought these boxers for my little brothers. Immediately upon my return, I regretted not getting a pair for myself!

Luckily for me, my littlest brother went on a tour of Europe last summer with a vocal group, and was fantastic enough to remember and pick me up a pair! My littlest brother is a fashionisto in the making...

my favorite sleep t-shirt is a Charlie Brown shirt courtesy of the drama department at my old high school. When I was a sophomore or a junior, we did You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The promo shirts the cast wore around were yellow featuring the Charlie Brown stripe. For some reason, it's one of the best-fitting t-shirts I own!

on my toes: OPI for Sephora in Mermaid

Golden Girl

2010-02-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

I found this amazing gold skirt at a vintage store last summer. I try not to wear it very often because I love it and the gold cracks a little bit every time I wash it.

One of my favorite parts of the skirt (besides the gold part) is the fact that it has GIANT POCKETS! so amazing...

Gold Skirt: Vintage - tag says "The Emperor's New Clothes, NYC" (I love it!)

Embellished Tank: Abercrombie & Fitch (from high school)

Cardigan: Olivia & Grace

Boots: Vintage

Androgynous

2010-01-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

With my super short hair, I decided to do a little experimentation with an androgynous look tonight. I'm heading out in a bit for sushi with my fried Cory, and since I generally dress very femininely, I thought it would be kind of cool to play around with something I wouldn't usually wear! I had flats on at first, but thought that was a little TOO masculine, so I switched into these velvet-strapped heels I got a few months ago but haven't worn much yet...

I'd been lounging & studying all day in a Bonnaroo t-shirt my brother picked up for me this summer, so I just threw on some black jeans & a cropped tuxedo jacket for a suit-like look... I think I like the whole outfit!

Cropped Tuxedo Jacket: H&M

T-Shirt: Bonnaroo, gift

Jeans: BDG, urban outfitters

Shoes: BCBG Paris

Cleaning Day

2010-01-29T14:25:00.000-08:00

sooo... first of all, let me apologize for looking so awful! I'm having a little dinner party tonight & I never do my makeup in the morning if I know I'm going to be needing it to look extra nice that night (I always like to look fresh when I'm fancy, and I hate taking off makeup that I put on in the morning just to put more back on!)

Anyway, I wanted to post something I relax in, and also I wanted to post this because this sweater is one of my favorite things. I've had it for about 10 years, and it's aged very nicely. It was one of my first pieces of clothing from a "high school" store & I wore it constantly in 7th grade.

When I was a little kid, my mom dressed me VERY fashionably (I'll have to dig around & see what pictures I can find!) and I always got most of my clothes from the Limited Too & Gap Kids & places like that. It was a HUGE treat for my mom to FINALLY let me buy something at Abercrombie & Fitch when we went back-to-school shopping before 7th grade (my first year at my town's brand-new middle school). I picked this sweater and a pair of (I kid you not) army-green suede pants. I thought the pink on the top with green on the bottom made me look like a mermaid... or something...

Anyway, I still love this sweater, and I thank my mom for making me get it in a Large, even though the cool girls wore super-tight clothes. If I'd had my way, this sweater would be way too small now! The only thing I wish is that it was a little longer, instead of that awkward 90's not quite cropped but not long enough to wear with leggings length (optimal for showing an inch of belly with your low-rise flared jeans)

Do you guys have any pieces of clothing left over from childhood that you still love to wear??

I'm also loving this new nail polish... I need to take a better picture of it, but after I cleaned my kitchen & bathroom (in prep for the party) I manicured myself with this awesome new color I picked up at Sephora... It's called Blue Jean (I think... I'm too lazy to go get the bottle back out of my drawer) and it's deep navy with a lovely shimmer. I adore short nails with dark color, and this blue is great...

...awkward pose & weird eyes because my anti-redeye edit went a little bonkers...

Sweater: Abercrombie & Fitch (ca. 1999)

Jeans: BDG (urban outfitters)

Shoulder Pads

2010-01-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

I purchased my first sweater with shoulder pads yesterday... I need to replace them because they're too small, the sleeve keeps slipping under the pad & making me look deformed, but otherwise I LOVE the look. This sweater has a little bit of a military feel with the gold buttons and the shape around the bottom, but I really like that it's a cardigan and not a jacket. You can't really see, but under the gold buttons there's black lace. I'm really happy with it!

Military Cardigan: Forever 21

Tank: American Eagle

Black Jeans: Express

Boots: Steven, Steve Madden

Apartment, Sweet Apartment

2010-01-27T17:06:00.000-08:00

Sooo... today I didn't really get dressed for real. I wore a white T with jeans tucked into my new boots. Apparently, though, that made me look like a lesbian with my cropped hair. Oh, well...

Anyway, I'm FINALLY settled in and unpacked in my apartment, so I thought I'd post a few pics. Most of my furniture are hand-me-downs from my parents covered in black slipcovers, but my accent pieces are mostly in shades of teal and lime green. Cheerful!

Asian-inspired lamp purchased at a garage sale

silk flowers, Target

love pillow, gift

pink & black striped pillow, Target

shades of green pillow, vintage (part of a pair)

seaglass chimes, gift

black & white prints, Target

glass bowl, Target

handkerchief (as tablecloth), thrifted

Finally, someone in my building moved out and left a HUGE stack of really weird records in the laundry room. My friends & I went through them and there was nothing I wanted to listen to, but I did find some with really funny covers that I want to frame and hang up at some point...

Fishnets & Wool

2010-01-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

It was FREEZING today! But I wanted to show off my new boots, so I pulled out my trusty cowl-neck sweater dress (though it's so short some have argued it's just a sweater...) and some fishnets over sheer black hose.

I'd been eyeing these boots on the Steve Madden website for awhile... I love the look of a feminine outfit paired with heavy lace-up boots... I'd really love a pair of Frye Engineers, but they're a little out of my price range right now!

photo courtesy of Chictopia

Dress: H&M

Tights: Express

Belt: Vintage

Boots: Steven, Steve Madden

Casual Thursday

2010-01-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

I've been having a lot of insomnia, so today I woke up late & had to throw on something fast to get to a class and a bunch of meetings! I need to look somewhat professional, because my last meeting of the day was a review of my thesis outline with my advisor. I picked this silk blouse because I love the big floppy collar, and the cardigan is one of my favorites!

I picked up this little red flower at Trader Joe's the other day - I can't get another cat (since Winnie's staying with my parents) but I wanted something alive and colorful in my apartment...

Cardigan: American Eagle

Silk Blouse: Anthropologie

Jeans: Mika (purchased in Italy)

Earrings: Handmade (purchased at Summerfair)

Flower: Primrose, Trader Joe's

Shades of Gray

2010-01-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

It was cloudy & cold today, and I was inspired to dress in shades of gray. When I'd first bought these tights, I was afraid that they'd make my legs look bruised... Instead, I like them a lot!

I also really love the high-waisted zipper skirt. In the summer I pair it with a black tank top, but this is the first time I've worn it this winter. I like the look of long sleeves with a mini-skirt. I think it's sexy without being too slutty...

My friend Arielle came up to visit for the long weekend, and I really loved the bright sapphire color of her dress - her eyes are really blue, so the bright blue is a fantastic color on her!

On Me:

Turtleneck: Express

Skirt: H&M

Tights & Socks: HUE

Purple Wings

2010-01-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

I needed something comfy & flexible for piano class today - I love this sweater! I added a couple statement jewelry pieces to give a little excitement to what would be a pretty boring outfit & tried out my cowboy boots for the first time since coming back to the cold. I've been afraid to get them salt stained, but since I only had one class and no walking today, I figured they'd be safe!

Smurfette

2010-01-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

I was feeling a little blue this morning, so I was inspired to pull on these tights under the rainbow patterned minidress I hardly ever wear. Comfy and fun... Then when I stepped outside, it was super sunny and my mood instantly rose!

Blue Tights: Hue

Mini Dress: T-Bags (Anthropologie)

Shoes: BCBG Paris

Man's Shirt

2010-01-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it was only the second day of school and I was already running late. To make it to class on time, I threw on a pair of grey leggings & a lace tank under this man's dress shirt I found forever ago. A couple of quick accessories and some wool socks & I was ready to go!

Leggings: HUE

Lace Tank: Vintage Victoria's Secret from Mom

Shirt: Express, thrifted

Bracelet: local artist

Watch: Fossil, Barbie 35th Anniversary Ed.

First Day of School

2010-01-11T18:44:00.000-08:00

It was my first day back to classes, and the weather was horrendous. I needed something cozy to brave the snow, so I threw on this sweater dress (with a VERY generous cowl) and a pair of thick woolly tights I picked up in Chicago. For a quick pop of color to pull me out of my winter blues, I dug out this bright red Birkin knockoff - it's gorgeous and big enough to carry around a few notebooks... (although, I feel bad calling it a knockoff - I bought it when I was living in Florence, and it's handmade from real leather...)

Dress: H&M

Tights: unknown - picked up in Chicago

Boots: Steve Madden

Bag: Vera Pelle, purchased in Florence

Moving Day

2010-01-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

my room is a sea of dresses & jewelry... i really need a good clean out...

look forward to pictures of my lovely apartment come monday!

Yum-O

2010-01-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

in lieu of clothes, here's a sample of some of the fantastic food I've been eating lately...

pastrami...

reuben...

pickles...

(all consumed at the amazing Katz's Deli in NYC)

pineapple fried rice from Yum-Yum, 9th & 46th, NYC

sashimi at Wild Ginger, Hyde Park in Cincinnati

loaded nachos (a little blurry from my unsteady hand after a couple beers...)

delicious delicious Touch of Sunshine beer, brewed fresh at Rockbottom in Cincinnati (Fountain Square)

daily fashion shots will resume MONDAY, when I will be moving back out of my parents' house and into my apartment... I'm a little apprehensive about the move back out on my own, but I'll figure it out! Wish me luck!!!

Suburban Cowgirl

2010-01-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

I picked up these fantastic vintage leather & snakeskin boots at Universe of Clothes near NYU. I've been looking for the perfect pair of cowboy boots for YEARS - preferably vintage, because I think there's something unnatural about shiny new cowboy boots. I spotted these in the window, and dismissed them at first because the store tag said they were a size 7.5 (I'm an 8.5 at the smallest). The salesgirl was super nice, and brought out TONS of boots for me to try on from the storage room. However, none of them were quite right, so on a whim I stuck these on. They're a little tight, but I think after a few days of wear, the leather will stretch into perfection.

the stitching detail is what attracted me at first - feminine and subtle...

I think the snakeskin adds an exotic element that's not too crazy - I'm not a big fan of really "out there" cowboy boots... Plus, these hardly have ANY wear on them. Either someone took super good care of them, or they've hardly ever been used... I can't wait to start adding them to outfits and seeing what I can come up with...

"Fur" Coat

2010-01-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

My mom gave me this fantastic faux-fur coat for Christmas. She knew I'd been looking for one, and this one is fantastic because it's obviously fake. My philosophy on fur is if it's not real, it better be obviously fake. I'm not a big fan of fake fur that's trying to look real - it hardly ever works!

This outfit is from my night out to the Met Opera (to see Anna Netrebko in Tales of Hoffmann) - my black slip had already been worn a few time, so I layered the dress over a white tank. Bad plan, because the tank is obvious in the photo. Next time I travel with this dress, I'm going to be sure to bring more than one slip just in case...

these cone-stud fringe earrings are a fantastic purchase (50% off!) at a tiny accessory shop by NYU. I can't remember the name of the shop (Pretty Ladies, maybe?) but I'm in love with these earrings. I also got a two-finger angel wing ring that I'll show on here soon...

sporting my faux-fur with Peruvian accessories and looking a little like a crazy homeless lady at Rockefeller Center...

Faux Fur Coat: Kismet (Cincinnati)

Dress: Kismet

Belt: Abercrombie (old old old!)

Hat & Gloves: Ten Thousand Villages, handmade in Peru

Scarf: street stall, Hawaii (really a sarong)

Christmas Kittens

2009-12-28T14:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve...

Christmas Morning...

I got this sweatshirt at Goodwill last Halloween. You can't tell in the pictures, but it's edged in glittery puff paint...

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Sweatshirt: Goodwill

Red Dress: H&M

Hat: American Eagle

Boys Shirts: Target

Christmas Out Takes

2009-12-22T18:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some outtakes from my Mom's Christmas family photo shoot...

I'm happy to say that I styled my little brothers' outfits (although Brian, on the left, is very stylish on his own...)

Brian, Me, and Andrew - they're lifting me up off the ground...

I love the dress I'm wearing. It's hard to see in these pictures, but it's a 60's-style A-Line mini in a great thick wool. I got it a few years ago, but it never fit quite right until recently. The red tights with the black dress made me feel a little bit like a Christmas ad...

Andrew likes to goof around (we were making fun of him for not standing close enough...)

I love the pearl detail at the sleeves and neck of the dress. It adds a little bit of chic interest to an otherwise boring black dress...

On Me:

Dress: H&M

Tights: H&M

Pearl Earrings: Ten Thousand Villages (borrowed from Mom)

On Boys:

Pants, Sweater, and Shirts all from Express (they were having a great men's sale!)

Christmas Covet List pt. 5

2009-12-17T17:13:00.000-08:00

I am so loving animal inspired jewelry right now, and for Christmas I would love nothing more than a fantastic cocktail ring adorned with some sort of bejeweled exotic cat. The three photos below are all awesome examples I've found through Etsy (though I wish the second one was a little more clear - it looks gorgeous!)

I found this one a few weeks ago and, regrettably, forgot to copy down the seller's name... When I went back and did another search tonight, it was nowhere to be found. I'm assuming such an awesome piece was sold pretty quickly... I love the "diamond" accents on the fur and the "emerald" eyes. Sweeeeet...

However, my less-than-successful attempt to give credit to the seller of this ring did lead me to a couple more beautiful rings:

This piece is sold by ChezVous and is a vintage piece from the 80's - loving the 80's right now (who would have ever thought that I'd be craving a blazer with shoulderpads??? that's for another day...) It reminds me of the jewelry they would display at dig museums when I visited a few archaeological sites during my summer in Tuscany - Roman-era rings were very similar!

Finally, my absolute FAVORITE piece - a handmade knuckle duster by Fleathers... agh I even have the perfect outfit to wear this with. It would also be a perfect addition to a "Modern Dorothy" look - Lions, Tigers, and Bears indeed!

Grandma's Goodies (pt 2)

2009-12-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

So a little later than promised, here are the pictures of the BEAUTIFUL dress my Grandma sent me back in May. It's completely handmade by my Great-Grandmother, including the embroidery. The belt is alligator skin (alligator - not crocodile... is that even legal anymore?) and was included in the package. I don't know if Grandma wore the belt with the dress, but I thought it was a perfect combination!

These photos were taken pretty soon post-surgery (you can see my glued-together incision pretty clearly) and obviously pre-hair loss. Looking at these makes me want my hair back even more! I hope it comes back in red, but if not I guess there's always the bottle...

embroidery details - all hand done by Great-Grandma! I wish I had that skill...

Christmas Covet List pt. 4

2009-12-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm starting to get a (very) little bit of hair back, I've started scouring places like Target, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters for inexpensive, jeweled, elastic headbands (regular headbands give me terrible headaches!) A few days ago, I bought a bunch of hair accessories (to be posted ASAP!), and when I was perusing the Anthropologie website, I came across this lovely example. I can't wait to have enough hair to be able to start wearing accessories (I'm hoping by New Year's!) I keep thinking about Natalie Portman growing her hair back from V for Vendetta - her bejeweled Oscar has been serving as my short hair accessory inspiration... I've got a copy of it printed out and taped up in my bathroom!

and... my future hairstyle - as soon as it's long enough, I'm planning on getting it cut like Audrey Tautou's in this photo...

Accessories for the Fun of it

2009-12-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

This watercolor is hanging in my bathroom. I THINK it's a purchase my mom made at Summerfair (a huge art show in Cincinnati) a long time ago, but I may be wrong... Anyway, it sums up how I've been feeling lately. I'm trying not to buy any new clothes, only the occasional accessory to spice up what I already have. These are a few of my more recent purchases:

(clockwise from top left) Black Fur Hat: Target, Pink Knit Hat: Urban Outfitters, Nail Polish: Sephora (Blue Jean), Plaid Tights: Betsey Johnson, Tie-Dye Leopard Tights: Forever 21

I almost died when I saw these tights at Forever 21 - I actually had to dig around a LOT to find my size - I'm pretty sure someone was hiding them, because when I finally found some that would fit, they were buried in the wrong tub with a bunch of different headbands. What do you think - too much?

I love Betsey Johnson - everything she does is so fun! These tights are one of my favorite recent purchases. They're kind of a weird material (not very stretchy), but they look fantastic with my favorite long black t-shirt.

I've also been buying a lot of hats lately (obviously) - this pink one is super comfy!

Christmas Covet List pt. 3

2009-12-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

Barbie Fashion Print by Robert Best

I have two of these prints hanging in my apartment - I found them at a luxury baby store in Cincinnati when I was shopping for a shower gift for the older sister of a good friend. I LOVE Barbie, and obviously I love fashion, so I couldn't pass them up. I was disappointed that they only had two left, and since then I've been on a search to find a third. This one would go perfectly with the two I already have (Barbie in a black evening gown and Barbie in a pink sun dress with a parasol - this is a combo of the two and would be the perfect compliment!) Plus, not only are the prints fantastic, the gold frames are BEAUTIFUL!

This is how much I love Barbie - my grandma gave me this watch when I was really little (wayyyy to little to appreciate a Fossil watch with the original faceted face). My mom kept it for me until I was old enough to appreciate it, and now it's one of my favorite accessories. It also came with a scarf (which I featured with Winnie in my early scarf posting). I can't get enough of her!

Grandma's Goodies

2009-12-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

My mom's mom has always been super-stylish (she was voted Best-Dressed when she graduated from high school in 1950), and I'm always wishing she'd pass on some of her old costume jewelry or accessories. When I was in high school, she brought over her prom dress, and I was devastated when it was clear that I'd NEVER fit into it. I'm 5'8", and my grandma is 5'2" at the most. That's never going to work.

However, my dad's mom grew up in a tiny, tiny town in northern Ohio - on a farm no less! So, imagine my excitement a few months ago when she sends me an AMAZING handmade, hand-embroidered dress that my great-grandmother made for her in high school -- AND that it fits me perfectly! Pictures from my photo shoot back in May will be up soon (I recently stumbled upon them on my mom's camera) -- you'll get to see what my hair looked like pre-chemo, as well!

Anyway, these things accompanied the dress - I recently took them out of the freezer (placed there to ensure that any mothballs or other wool-loving critters disappeared) and was thrilled to find that the gloves fit me like, well, a glove! They'll be the perfect compliment to my favorite green scarf this winter! My grandma also told me that she has pins for the hat somewhere, and as soon as she finds them, she'll send them to me. I hope she can find them, because I'm thinking the little black hat will look lovely with a piece of lace when my hair grows out to a pixie length!

The jewelry comes from a jewelry box she sent me YEARS ago, when I was little. It was full of vintage costume jewelry, and I'm ashamed to say I didn't appreciate it for what it was worth at the time. These are the only pieces I can currently find, and I wear them all the time (well, with the exception of the barrette!) I'm hoping that I packed the jewelry box in with my old dress-ups when we moved a few years ago, because there are a few specific pieces I can't get out of my head that I'd love to wear!

Christmas Covet List pt. 2

2009-12-02T16:26:00.000-08:00

Koi Tassel Bracelet, by The Glamourai

I'm really into animal jewelry (this isn't the only creature piece on my list this year!) especially these Koi. The colors go with my favorite pair of earrings, and I've been in the market for a multi-tiered gold chain bracelet. Plus, I've been coveting almost everything Kelly makes since I discovered her blog earlier this year, and this piece is right within this year's Christmas budget...

Christmas Covet List pt. 1

2009-12-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

So, every day until Christmas, I've decided to post a different item that I'm coveting for Christmas. Most of them will be actual items I'd like to get as a gift, but occasionally I'll throw in something that's totally outrageous...

J. Crew Sequin Scarf Cardigan - on sale! (I wouldn't mind the blue denim shirt underneath, either!)

I really like the look of the sequined jackets I've been seeing around, but I really love that only the front/collar part of this cardigan is sequined. It makes it a little more practical for every day wear, plus this champagne color is really beautiful!

Stop & Smell the Flowers

2009-12-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

Today I had a meeting with my French professor, since I missed a big exam - She's EXTREMELY stylish (about 60, and a former designer for Victoria's Secret - I hope I'm that stylish when I'm her age) so I always try to look extra polished on days when I have her class. I found this skirt in the back of my closet the last time I visited my apartment, and I can't believe I forgot about it! I'd bought it about 3 years ago for a New Year's Eve party (after a VERY long search for a pencil skirt that was fitted enough for my skinny legs) and even though I'm still really skinny, I've gained a lot of weight in strange places because of the steroids I was on, so it barely fits... I can't wait to get back to Pilates to get toned up again!

The sweater is a great find from Urban Outfitters - I've been looking for a big grey sweater to replace my favorite one (it died a very noble death by overuse after many, many winters). Now I'm on a search to replace a couple of my solid colored turtlenecks (my winter go-to staple for under all kinds of dresses) - mainly a couple of black ones...

I love the buttons up the back of the skirt - sometimes I would unbutton the bottom one if it got too hard to walk around, especially in heels. This skirt is so hard to keep smooth - the material is very difficult to iron, and it picks up wrinkles at the drop of a hat...

Details from the purse - I bought this in Paris, from a tiny shop full of these hand-beaded purses made by a tiny old Frenchwoman. I wish I'd bought more than one! It's extremely roomy, and has a HUGE bone button to keep it closed. The handle is bamboo, and I couldn't get a picture of it because my camera died. The only thing I wish this purse had was an interesting shoulder strap - it's so big that it's a little hard to carry in my hand or on my elbow if it's got a lot of stuff in it! I've thought about adding one, but I don't want to ruin it!

Skirt: Bebe

Turtleneck: INC, Macy's

Sweater: Silence & Noise, Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Steve Madden
Purse: unknown shop, Paris
Earrings: American Eagle

Back in Action

2009-11-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

Wow, I've been gone a long time!

I kind of decided to take a little break while I finished up my treatments - chemotherapy does not generally mix well with looking cute every day. But now that I'm done, I'm looking forward to really getting this blog rolling!

As a welcome back post, I'm excited to put up a few pictures from the Cincinnati Opera Ball After-Party, which I went to last weekend with my friend Andrew. I found this dress a few weeks ago, and was SO excited to have a reason to buy it. I've been really loving the bib necklace trend, and this dress really, really plays that up. I'm kind of disappointed that the jeweled bib isn't detachable (but there's a good chance I'll change that in the near future and take it off & add a ribbon)

Anyway, I'm back for good now, and hopefully I'll start having some much cuter outfits to share in the future!

My grandparents gave me this crystal bracelet for my birthday, and I LOVE it - but I hardly ever wear it because I'm afraid of losing it! They had bought me the earrings at a craft fair we went to together right after I was diagnosed with cancer, and bought the bracelet later to match. Both are handmade by a close friend of theirs. She's having a sample sale in a few weeks and I can't wait to go - she makes beautiful jewelry out of vintage beads and crystals, but it's SO expensive, so I'm really looking forward to what I might be able to find at a discounted price!

Me with a couple of friends in a candid shot from the party...

Dress: INC, Macy's

Earrings & Bracelet: handmade by local artist

Shoes: thrifted

Mad For Plaid

2009-10-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

I was still feeling a little stuffy today, but I had a lot of work to get done. I decided to stay comfy in an old plaid shirt that I stole from my little brother, and spent the day studying for the GRE and practicing The Storm, a piano piece by Bergmuller, for my piano lessons. ...I'm not a very good piano player...

I love this shirt SO MUCH. My little (well, younger... he's 6'3") brother bought it a few years ago for a cowboy-themed dance at his high school, but never wore it after that. I swiped it when he went off to college and love to wear it as a jacket, especially over this green dress.

It was a beautiful day today - I spent most of it on the back porch, re-learning algebra and geometry while Winnie helped...

Flannel Shirt: American Eagle (stolen from brother)

Dress: American Apparel

Cat: Winnie

Cupcake Masters

2009-10-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Since I'm still housebound, there was no real "getting dressed" today, but James did come by for a visit (finally he didn't have to work ALL DAY!) and we made some master cupcakes for his family mine. We had originally planned on baking a pie, but obviously you can't split a pie in two (at least not easily) so I made the executive decision to bake cupcakes from scratch - icing and all! We found some awesome cupcake papers with glow-in-the-dark ghosts on them (ideal for finding them in the dark when sneaking into the kitchen for a late-night snack) but for some reason couldn't find Halloween sprinkles ANYWHERE! Maybe because Halloween's only a couple days away...

We used the recipe for white cake from the Joy of Cooking (my favorite go-to cookbook - the copy I have in my apartment is such a mess, full of spills & post-it notes from previous experiments) and the recipe for cream cheese frosting. Yum! They were PERFECT!

Finally, I can't believe I've never read Catcher in the Rye. I started reading it this afternoon, and I can't put it down. It's supposed to rain the next few days, so I'm glad I've found an amazing book to occupy myself...

Perfume!

2009-10-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhh! I'm sorry about the lack of posting for the past few days - the Pig Flu has hit my house! I (fortunately) haven't gotten a full-blown flu, but my brother was pretty sick. I have been taking Tamiflu, though, and the side effects from that suck pretty bad!

In lieu of outfit posts (since I haven't really put on anything other than yoga pants & tshirts), I decided to write a little bit about perfume today.

I'm a big believer in the "Signature Scent." I love the idea of wearing the same perfume every day, and having friends (and love interests) think of me when they smell that scent. I also generally like to stay away from "mainstream" perfumes or big, new releases - I tend to stick to the classics in my never-ending search for the perfect perfume.

I have an unusually large collection of perfumes, because over the years (since the beginning of college) I've been searching for the PERFECT scent for me. I've gone through a ton - I don't have pictures of my entire collection, though, because most of them are in my apartment and I'm living back with my parents until January. I think, though, I've finally found the perfect scent (more about that at the end)

When you're looking for the right scent, the most important thing (to me, at least) is to think about what your favorite smells are (even if it's something really weird). You don't have to go to the store armed with an actual list, but think about it ahead of time - it'll make it easier for you to narrow down the choices (and believe me, there are a LOT)

The next most important thing is to make sure that you go to the store as you normally are - if you wear a scented lotion every day, make sure you have it on. You want to know that the perfume you pick is going to mix well. I prefer to use unscented products, but I also have sensitive skin...

When you get to the store, you want to make sure you come with two things handy: baby wipes (to wipe off any samples that are definite "No's") and a neutral scent to smell between samples (big stores like Sephora will have little boxes of coffee beans for this purpose)

Once you start spraying samples, I always start by spraying them on the little cardboard pieces that the store provides. This will give you a basic idea of what the scent is like, but by no means buy based on this alone! ALWAYS spray a little bit on a pulse point first. Make sure you walk around with it for an hour or so before making your purchase - the scent will settle and change as it reacts with your skin, and I've had more than my fair share that start smelling pretty strange after I've had them on for awhile.

My favorite scents are clean and natural - I'm not a huge fan of very floral-y scents, because they can be very overwhelming and easy to overload on. I'm always afraid of giving people headaches! I also like fragrances that tend to be unisex or soapy smelling - for a long time I wore Clean's Shower Fresh, which is exactly what it sounds like - a little bit lemony and a little bit like Dove. After awhile though, I decided I wanted something a little more mature and started a new search. When my grandmother was in town, we visited this tiny little shop that sells only imported French goods, and I came across Roger & Gallet, a French brand that I've never heard of before! They sell AMAZING soaps and perfumes, and all the scents are very delicate and natural. I bought a bottle of The Vert (Green Tea) and I get so many compliments on it, plus I know that it's unlikely that anyone around me will have it, since it's only available at one store in Ohio - the next closest retailer is in Ann Arbor.

Houndstooth & Ripped Denim

2009-10-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

I was feeling extra tired when I woke up this morning (a terrible bout of insomnia kept me awake last night) so I kind of just threw on the most comfortable thing I could find. I've had these jeans for about 7 years - the holes are all natural wear, nothing man-made about them! I'll throw them away only when they become obscene...

I picked up this jacket last fall in a shop in Bloomington, IN while I was visiting my brother at IU. It's one of my favorite jackets because of the shape and the giant hood. The hood makes a big collar when it's down, but it's sooooo warm when I put it up. Usually I don't like hoods, but this is a definite exception.

Jacket: Yada

Jeans: Rock & Republic

T-Shirt: American Apparel

Boots: Steve Madden

Sunnies: Ralph Lauren

Comic Book Leggings

2009-10-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

I picked up these leggings a year or so ago, but never got much use out of them until recently - they're a little sheer to wear during the day with a dress this short, so sometimes I'll wear them over a colored pair (usually yellow so you can still see the comic...). I decided, though, that they'd be perfect for a Saturday night out...

I was super excited to have a reason to wear my new shoes - they'd felt comfortable walking around the store, but I was nervous for a whole evening... I was thrilled to NOT get any blisters or anything. I think I have a new favorite pair of shoes...

With such crazy tights, I wanted to keep the rest of my outfit simple, so I paired them with this plain black mini dress (although, it does have some really great slightly puffy sleeves - you can't really tell from the pictures) and a strand of pearls...

Tights: Hanky Panky

Dress: H&M

Shoes: BCBG

Necklace: Forever 21

New Shoes

2009-10-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

So I've Kind of told myself that I wouldn't buy anything new unless I really, really needed it. And then I went shopping with my mom today and came across these amazing heels.

I've been looking for a pair of winter strappy heels to wear with tights & thick socks.

I love these because they've got a little bit of velvet on them - different than the other bandage heels I've seen around. Plus, they're super comfortable, so I'm hoping to get lots of use out of them. I've been wearing my heeled oxfords nearly every day to class, and I'm thinking these will be a good pair to throw into the mix.

Shoes: BCBG

Bracelets: some H&M, some thrifted

Gold Scarf: Gap

Pearls: Forever 21

Watch: Fossil (Dad's)

Bloglovin'

2009-10-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

This is an old picture from the summer - James, the wigmaster & makeup artist for the Cincinnati Opera, was doing my makeup for a big party (it was my first day with a buzz haircut, and he made me feel super glam...) My friend Lauren took this photo through the mirror, so it didn't turn out so well, but I love having at least one shot of me getting my makeup done crazy by a professional!

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Scarves, Scarves, and More Scarves

2009-10-23T17:55:00.001-07:00

As many of you may have noticed, I'm currently bald. Because of this, I've been getting TONS of scarves as gifts and have amassed quite an impressive collection. I was never much of a scarf wearer, and even now I don't wear them on my head. However, after LOTS and LOTS of practice, I've finally started to be able to wear my scarves in a casual way that doesn't look too stupid (at least I hope not!)

In lieu of an outfit post today (because it was rainy and I never got around to taking a picture of what I was wearing) I decided that I wanted to showcase a few of my favorite scarves. I'd say I have about 50 in all shapes, sizes, and materials, and lots of them are extremely beautiful and handmade.

This scarf is one of my oldest and most favorite - it came in a box with the Barbie 35th Anniversary Fossil watch that my grandma gave me when I was a little girl (too little for such a fancy scarf & watch, so I'm glad my mom held on to them for me for a LONG time). It's an amazing accent piece for black dresses (I actually wore it today with a red dress, but I prefer the pop it has against black) and it's a great conversation piece. Unlike some of my other scarves, though, I never pin it - I'm too afraid of ruining the silk!

(Winnie likes Barbie, too...)

This is another favorite, purchased from a flea market when I visited Paris with friends in high school. It's got some AMAZING fringe as well - beaded with the little rosettes just dripping off the ends of the scarf. I bought my mom a matching one in lavender, and usually we just use them for decoration because they're so delicate, but I'm thinking I might need to actually wear it sometime soon...

This scarf came from Paris as well - courtesy of my little brother, who picked it up at the market at Mont Martre - he knows how I have a weakness for sequins & shimmer, and this scarf fit the bill. The best part about it is that it's SO huge that usually when I wear it, I fold it into a skirt and keep it in place with some vintage flower pins. It's a little hard to walk in (and get out of in the bathroom) but it's totally worth it because it's completely unique.

Winnie gets in on the action trying to steal my gold sequin scarf...

Finally, William and I had sushi at one of my favorite sushi restaurants yesterday, and he got the famous "Pizza Plate." We're unsure of why the restaurant serves on this plate (because it's a Japanese restaurant and most definitely does not serve pizza) but one of us will get it occasionally and we always get a little bit of amusement out of its incongruity...

Falling in Waterfalls

2009-10-22T10:57:00.001-07:00

Today it was another unseasonably warm day in the midwest, so I wanted to stick with layers (again, freezing in the morning but 70 by the afternoon)

I bought this dress on the super clearance rack at Target - for good reason... There's absolutely NO way to wear it without something underneath it - it's so sheer, I'd almost think it was supposed to be a slip!

My friend Jess makes thee BEAUTIFUL square scarves out of a super thick yarn with a really loose weave. They're pretty big (about 18"x18") and each has an antique button or pin as a fastener. They're meant to be folded however you want, and I'm not so great with mine - this morning when I put it on, it had a really cool high-collared look, but that kind of wilted into a big mess by the end of the day. The colors are really rich and the yarn is fabulous. She's not up on Etsy yet, but check out her facebook group HERE - everything is completely customizable and she makes them super fast (and ships!)

yummy grilled spinach & cheese sandwich on 7-grain bread for lunch :-)

Dress: Target

Top: Express

Tights: H&M

Scarf: Say It Ain't Sew (custom)

Shoes: Thrifted

Fall? Summer? Who Knows...

2009-10-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

So today LOOKED like fall, but it definitely FELT like summer. It was cold when I left this morning, but I knew it was going to heat up, so I threw on some sheer tights under this dress. The thing I like most about this dress is that it's so swingy and has the great detail on the chest/neckline

A nice sequined cranberry cardigan and my standby yellow cotton scarf helped keep away the morning chill...

sequin detail on cardigan, edging detail on dress...

Dress: BCBG

Cardigan: American Eagle

Tights: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: H&M

Scarf: Street stand, Florence, Italy

Necklace: DIY (from purse chains)

ching

2009-10-20T16:40:00.001-07:00

Lately I've been surfing Etsy to find the perfect necklace made with typewriter keys. In my head, I'm picturing a giant bib necklace made with an entire set, just a typewriter keyboard on your chest (at this point, I'm going to search for my own keys and make one!) I also like the idea of one spelling out "DIAMOND" in a loose choker...

Anyway, even though I'm on a budget and not really buying anything right now, I wanted to post my favorite typewriter jewelry finds. There are some really amazing creations (as always...)

I found this one at Reworkd - she has SO many pieces that I absolutely love that I need to start saving so I can get one in time for my New Year's trip. This watch necklace is absolutely my favorite - I love the death imagery, especially the skull & crossbones charm (which I'm totally into right now)

This next piece is by Metalembellisher. I am SO loving the plate that the charms are hanging from. Even though this necklace only has the one typewriter feature, I really like the juxtaposition of "love," "secret," and "shift"

I don't run, but I'm a big fan of typewriters and I'm a big fan of jewelry made out of antique flatware. So.... I present to you a wonderful combination of both, courtesy of Jennifer Perez Designs. Such a winner, especially with the double chain (you can't see it much in the photo, but it's there!)

Ok. Now, obviously this isn't a necklace, but the second I saw it I thought it would be an adorably amazing way to propose - a ring with a question mark built right in! Of course... a diamond would need to follow :-)

Finally, while this is neither a necklace nor made of typewriter keys, I think this is one of the most amazing rings I've ever seen. The gears of the antique watch make such a great texture, and the screws look like little jewels. I think I'm in love.

(both rings by Keys and Memories)

Around Ludlow

2009-10-18T11:22:00.001-07:00

I had a couple friends visiting from Cleveland, so we stopped down to Ludlow/Clifton and CCM's library. I LOVE this sweater that I'm wearing, and just recently decided to wear it OVER dresses as opposed to with pants or skirts (it's slightly cropped, so it always rides up with the pants & skirts)

You can sort of see that it has crystal buttons down the back - probably my favorite part of the sweater!

Dancing Girl fountain - I wanted to get in and dance with her, but her pedestal wasn't big enough for me to stand on it as well!

This leather jacket is one of my favorite/most expensive articles of clothing. I bought it while I was living in Florence two summers ago, and spent a TON of euros on it. Totally worth the money, though.

Does anyone else have amazing investment pieces that ALMOST didn't seem worth it at the time?

Sweater: Anthropologie

Dress (underneath): American Apparel

Tights: H&M

Jacket: Moda Italia (handmade in Florence)

Scarf: handmade by my little brother

Purse: thrifted, Coach

Shoes: Urban Outfitters

A Little Advice on Tall Boots

2009-10-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE over the knee boots. I got my pair four or five years ago on sale before they were popular. People were always giving me really strange looks when I'd wear them out, but now I'm getting TONS of compliments. The only problem with my boots is that since I got them on sale, my actual size wasn't available - I had to go a size up, which isn't too bad but it makes them a little difficult to walk in sometimes. I'm considering talking to my cobbler and seeing if there's any way the soles can be taken down a half size or so (not sure if that's even possible!)

I also think it's VERY difficult to wear over-the knee boots without looking like a hooker (hopefully I've pulled that off). My best advice is to keep the skirt short, but everything else long and NOT revealing. That's why I chose to pair them with this sweater dress - despite the short skirt, on one would ever accuse this dress of being too sexy on it's own! Finally, ALWAYS wear tights or something - don't show too much leg above the boots...

Sweater Dress: H&M

Boots: Steve Madden

Tights: Betsey Johnson

Belt: DIY out of gifted scarves

Night on the Town (in my Dreams!)

2009-10-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

so I started experimenting on polyvore for the first time today, and decided to create the ultimate going-out look for when my friends come down from Cleveland to visit this weekend. The items I picked are vaguely similar (but infinitely more amazing) than the ones I have in my closet.

Anyway, I'm totally digging the skull trend - especially when it's done unusually, without the regular chunky silver design. And I always like a clutch that's going to add a pop of color, so I'm pretty happy about my creation. Also a little bit jealous that I can't ACTUALLY pull these clothes out of the computer and wear them

Inspirations are Inspirations for a Reason...

2009-10-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

So, one of my favorite bloggers is Jessica from What I Wore. I like Jessica because she's a normal girl (well, very pretty, but normal other than that). She's not super wealthy and finds amazing ways to style affordable clothes. Plus she's an alum from the school my little brother goes to (and I'm hoping to go there for Grad school...) so that's always a plus.

I started a personal blog a few months ago to document my adventures with lymphoma (I got tired of telling the same stories over and over again) and soon got tired of posting ONLY about the hospital, etc. so I started posting little bits about fashion. I kind of realized that cancer and fashion don't always go together so well, and lots of times my immune system is too low for me to go out with my friends (even though mostly I feel fine). I still dress up a LOT for class or to hang around the house, so I made the executive decision to start a fashion blog. I started reading LOTS of them for inspiration, and kind of got an idea of what I wanted to do.

Anyway, Jessica posted an entry about starting a fashion blog, and I'm so happy to have the advice! I'm hoping to start posting better pictures soon and see where everything goes. But in the meantime, thanks to Jessica (among many, many others) for inspiring me to start posting on my own!

Key to America

2009-10-08T15:50:00.001-07:00

Apparently I was feeling patriotic today. I also was feeling a little sniffly, so I wanted something a little comfier than usual. This sweatshirt dress is really soft inside, plus it has pockets. I love dresses and skirts with pockets! I've really been wanting to wear these red tights. I had planned on wearing them with my red pumps (from an earlier post), but peep-toes and rain don't really mix... especially while walking all the way across campus!

I made this necklace out of a detachable purse chain (the purse looks much better as a clutch) and the key to the wardrobe in my bedroom. Gold + silver is always a winning combination!

These are some of my favorite shoes - they're a few years old, and they've gotten broken in perfectly. The only downside is that since they're copper, I can't polish them (unless someone knows where I can find some metallic shoe polish!)

Also, I just read about this blog: Photoshop Disasters. Now, if it's done well, I generally don't care that almost every magazine photo is photoshopped. However, I LOVE it when it's done badly - mainly because it's hilarious. Check this place out!

Sweatshirt Dress: Express

Tights: H&M

Necklace: Homemade

Shoes: Coach

Sephora Beauty Insider

2009-10-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I love Sephora's 500-point Beauty Insider policy? I was SO excited for their first gift (I have a weakness for giant makeup palettes) and I immediately went out to claim it. Definitely one of the best products I've ever gotten - it included a hot pink blush that I can't get enough of. I'd never done a bold cheek before, but now I'm doing it all the time!

Anyway, I'm super excited for this new gift. I'm hoping I can accumulate 500 points in time (who am I kidding? there's no way that's going to be a problem!) because I LOVE purple shadow - my eyes are on the green side of hazel, so I always play up the green with purple when I'm going out. Can't wait to get my hands on this.

ZIppers & Lace

2009-10-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

I picked this lace top up yesterday at Kismet - an amazing little store in O'Bryonville, near campus. One of my favorite skirts is black lace with a nude underlay, but it's getting really raggedy and the elastic is starting to pop out from the lace. It's really on it's last legs, so I was happy to pick up this top to replace the lace skirt. The entire shirt is lace, so I put a black tank underneath, but sometime if I'm feeling particularly racy, I might try it with just a bra underneath and a pair of high waisted jeans...

I wanted something that was going to offset the really feminine lace (I didn't want to be too girly today!) so I paired it with this skirt, which has a great zipper detail.

I bought these earrings at Summerfair (a HUGE art fair in Cincinnati). They're amazing because they're made out of the ends of vintage silverware. If I remember correctly, these were dated from the 1920's.

I found this purse in a tiny little vintage shop when I was living in Italy last summer. It was run by a tiny little old German lady and her daughter, but when I made this purchase, the daughter was out, and neither the old lady nor myself spoke very good Italian. Somehow, though, we managed to agree on a decent price. This is one of my all-time favorite purchases.

Top: Free People

Skirt: H&M

Earrings: Cincinnati Summerfair

Shoes: H&M

Purse: Vintage, thrifted

Rainy Day Comfort

2009-10-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

It's been super rainy all day (and cold!) so I wanted to make sure that I dressed warmly and relatively comfortably. Also I had a piano lesson and was going to be sitting in a freezing cold lecture hall for class... ugh.

The shirt I'm wearing is actually inside out - the "right" side is studded (which I like a lot) but I wasn't really in the mood for it today. Fortunately, the studs are small enough that they don't show through to the other side.

I absolutely LOVE animal print... adding small pieces with animal prints are the best way to jazz up an outfit. These shoes are great because they have a pretty high heel and a natural looking print...

Shirt: Express

Jeans: BDG

Shoes: Guess

Earrings: Forever 21

Necklace: Target

Back to School Again!

2009-10-05T14:33:00.001-07:00

I picked up this dress about a little over a week ago and I've really been looking forward to wearing it. I was at one of my favorite stores - Francesca's Collections - looking for some plain black dresses to replace the ones I've had for a few years (they're all starting to get stretched out and faded) and these colors really caught my eye, plus the leaf pattern is a really unusual take on the "Fall Florals" that are all over the place right now. The material is really interesting as well - it sort of feels like a mixture between jersey and velvet - a strange combination, but it's perfect for this fall weather.

The jacket I actually found last night on sale at Target. My original plan for this dress was to pair it with my black leather jacket, but I was so excited about this jacket (especially because I was eyeing it a few weeks ago and had decided against it - when I saw it on sale, I had to buy it...) The color is one of my favorites - a really rich peacock green/turquoise - and the satiny material makes it look a lot more expensive than it really was. I'm thinking it will pair nicely with a faux-fur stole I found in my closet once the weather starts getting a little colder

One of my favorite things is bold gold jewelry, and until recently, it was really hard to find! I'm SO thrilled that the 80's are making a serious comeback, because it's so much easier for me to find inexpensive gold accessories to pile on, and I've amassed a much bigger collection so I don't have to keep wearing the same pieces over and over again!

Dress: Myan (purchased at Francesca's Collections)

Jacket: Mossimo for Target

Shoes: Steve Madden

Bracelets: H&M

Earrings: Summerfair Cincinnati purchase

Vetements du Jour: Grandparent Brunch

2009-10-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

Today's outfit is pretty casual - my Grandparents came over for brunch, and my mom went all out (I probably should have taken pictures of the setup, but it slipped my mind...) My mom got out her good china and made mimosas... so delicious.

The picture's a little dark because of the lighting, but you get the idea. These are my absolute FAVORITE pants (yes, pants - not leggings!) They're a few years old and are starting to fade & get holes, which I am patching up religiously. I want these to last as long as possible. They're the only pants I've ever found like this - mostly spandex but with about 25% denim, they button & zip like jeans and have back pockets and fake front pockets, but they fit like leggings. Amazing. Pretty soon I'm going to get some RIT and see if I can re-dye them their original black...

Sweater Detail - purchased at Anthropologie a few years ago, I never really wore it much until I lived in Italy last summer. It's the perfect thing to pair with summer dresses, especially at night when it gets a little chilly. Plus I can't get enough of the appliqued flowers...

No wardrobe is complete without a pair of red pumps... Bonus points if they're peep-toe & patent leather...

A new twist on chandelier earrings. These reminded me of Monet's waterlilies, plus they're handmade by a local artist. I can't beat that.

Sephora OPI nail polish: Mermaid to Order & Curry Up Don't Be Late

Cardigan: Anthropologie

Pants: Express

Shoes: Steve Madden

Tunic Shirt: Forever 21

Earrings: purchased at Kismet, made by Julz

Fall Wishlist 2009

2009-10-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I think a good place to start off for a Fashion Blog is my wishlist. I'm not really in a position to be spending tons of money right now, but I'm always in a position to be coveting what I see in the magazines and on other blogs.

As always, Chanel is a good place to start. I finally broke down last fall and bought myself a bottle of the famous (or infamous) Le Vernis Vamp - still one of my favorite nail colors. I'd been buying imitations for a couple of years, but nothing really compares to the original. This fall, I'm considering buying the new Jade. I've been seeing it around the blogosphere, and I can't really find a comparable color by any other brand - even Sephora, where I can usually get great colors relatively cheaply.

I'm really, really wishing for a leather pencil skirt. I haven't been able to get out of the house much lately, but as soon as I can, I'm going to head out to Goodwill and see what I can find. I'm hoping H&M might carry a good one, because I'm feeling like this might be a great look for fall... I saw it on one of the Olson twins paired with a grey v-neck T and absolutely fell in love. Leather & cotton? Great combo.

Ohhhh, the band jacket. Could I pull this off in conservative Cincinnati? I'd probably get some stares, but I'd totally do it. I especially love the big shoulders. Can't wait for H&M to open here so I can try one of these babies out.
Last but absolutely not least are the Louboutins. I've been CRAVING a pair of royal blue suede booties, and these are just what I want. They had some similar ones at Nordstrom, but too bad they're most definitely out of my price range. DSW, anyone?

PAPER GOWN

Hello Hello

tuesday market

Trains

Mercurial

poppies will put them to sleep...

scratch that, reverse it...

move!

Break

More Relaxing

Mixing Patterns

Nail Experiment

Luckiest Girl in the World

Snow Flower

Relax (Don't Do It)

i'll be your girl backstage at your show

Salsa Night

Ice Cold

Purple Mountains Majesty

I succumbed...

Heart Sunnies

Sale Sale Sale!

Good Morning, America!

Golden Girl

Androgynous

Cleaning Day

Shoulder Pads

Apartment, Sweet Apartment

Fishnets & Wool

Casual Thursday

Shades of Gray

Purple Wings

Smurfette

Man's Shirt

First Day of School

Moving Day

Yum-O

Suburban Cowgirl

"Fur" Coat

Christmas Kittens

Christmas Out Takes

Christmas Covet List pt. 5

Grandma's Goodies (pt 2)

Christmas Covet List pt. 4

Accessories for the Fun of it

Christmas Covet List pt. 3

Grandma's Goodies

Christmas Covet List pt. 2

Christmas Covet List pt. 1

Stop & Smell the Flowers

Back in Action

Mad For Plaid

Cupcake Masters

Perfume!

Houndstooth & Ripped Denim

Comic Book Leggings

New Shoes

Bloglovin'

Scarves, Scarves, and More Scarves

Falling in Waterfalls

Fall? Summer? Who Knows...

*ching*

Around Ludlow

A Little Advice on Tall Boots

Night on the Town (in my Dreams!)

Inspirations are Inspirations for a Reason...

Key to America

Sephora Beauty Insider

ZIppers & Lace

Rainy Day Comfort

Back to School Again!

Vetements du Jour: Grandparent Brunch

Fall Wishlist 2009

ching