Monday, November 29, 2010

Christmas Gift Guide: Part 1

Okay, as promised, my first ever Christmas gift guide. I realized as it got rather long that it made sense to break it up into two parts. Part 1 is for the ladies (and little girls) in your life. Part 2 will be for the boys and is coming soon.

So, here's some things that I thought would make nice gifts for...

Your mom, who loves tea and (secretly) Brad Pitt:

Here for $45

Your older (or just taller than you) sister, who will always participate with you in photo shoots and bike rides:
Both pairs of earrings from this shop, which has tons of adorable and oddly specific earrings, most under $10!


The friend who always has her nose in a book
, and can now have her body in one too (sorta):

Both availabe at Out of Print Clothing for about $30 and $40, respectively

Your roomie, who's obsessed with hats and making lists:

$15 at Fred Flare

$13 at Fred Flare

The new baby girl, who couldn't possibly be cuter but it can't hurt to try:
$28 at Topshop

Your best friend, who loves a good striped sweater (or two):

$25 at Forever21

$14 at Forever21

The boss whose interests you know nothing about:

$32 at Topshop

Your co-worker, who's a movie junkie and is as excited as you to see Black Swan:

$15 at Topshop

Your little sister/daughter/niece, who loves a good laugh and a little scare (and an awesome little heroine, to boot):

Available on Amazon or pretty much anywhere else for about 20 bucks.

Your grandmother, who'd probably rather be in Florida but would also accept a warm scarf:
$15 at Forever21

Your favorite crazy aunt, who will surely appreciate alligator earrings:
$4 at Forever21

Your friend who just got a new place and needs to spice it up with some wall art:

Available at this Etsy shop for $10

For your fashionable cousin who loves dancing and NYC:

$7 at Amazon

$8 at Amazon

For your girlfriend, who loves books and adorable nicknames (like Goldfish):

$42 goldfish bookholders at Target


And there you go! I hope you liked some of the gifts I found, or at least found some inspiration. Coming up soon: Gift Guide Part 2, for all the lovely boys in your life.

What I Wore: Thanksgiving Break

For Thanksgiving day, I wore a simple black shirt and grey skirt, which wasn't really worth taking a picture of. However, I did get this quick snapshot of my accessories: purple tights and nail polish, a flowery scarf, rings, a studded bag, and striped gloves.


Also, I got a new coat for twenty bucks at Ross over the break. Here it is:
I love that it ties at the waist and actually covers my butt. And that it's, you know, warm (and cheap!).

Worn with lace-up ankle booties and a hug from my sister :)



I hope you liked our fierce poses, haha.

What did you wear this Thanksgiving?

My Christmas Wish List

Now that Thanksgiving is over, my mind has inevitably turned to the next holiday: Christmas. It's going to be here before we know it, so I've been trying to get my shopping done in time. I'll be whipping up a little gift guide soon, because I love seeing those on other blogs, but for now I'll leave you with the items that I've had my eye on for myself for awhile now.

1. This chic (but expensive) backpack from Urban Outfitters, $70:

2. An iPhone cover, because I'm always dropping mine. This adorable one is $35 at Nordstrom, which is way more than I'd usually spend on a phone cover, but... it is pretty darn cute.

3. This bookish sweater, which is about $40 at Out of Print Clothing (which donates some of the proceeds to communities in need of books):

4. The Selby and Sartorialist books, which my parents have offered to get me this year (only after totally dropping the ball on that same promise for my birthday... We'll see if they come through this time):


5. Lilac-scented perfume (I found this on Amazon for about $11, and am probably going to get it for myself soon.)

and 6. Lots of movies, one being Breathless, a great French film. Jean Seberg is adorable.


How about you? Any presents you're asking for or just getting yourself this year? Did you get some inspiration for gifts from this list?

Check back soon for my official gift guide!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

What I Wore: Then and Now

Earlier today I was looking through old family photos and realized something: My fashion sense has evolved a LOT over the years. Up until I started college and cut my hair after my freshman year, I was never very interested in fashion (and now, obviously, I'm very interested). I realized I just had to share some of the very worst outfits--and haircuts--of my past on here. Enjoy!

This was when I was probably around eleven or twelve. (I'm Godzilla, by the way.) As you can see, I was quite the tomboy. Dresses and skirts were not for me.

This was me and my other younger sister (who is now actually taller than me), probably around middle school or junior high. That is a terrible, terrible shirt, but the skirt isn't bad at all. The sad thing is, I was way more proud of the shirt.

This one is from early high school, probably freshman or sophomore year. Slacks, bulky sweaters, and ponytails were a daily thing. I was all about the studies, okay? (Seriously, I was working on a research paper in that picture. This was before I found out that the Internet could be used for fun and not just information.)
This is from the beginning of my senior year. I wore that t-shirt the majority of the time as a proud memento of this summer program that I had just attended. Also, holy crap my hair was long.


And this is the end of senior year. I remember it because it was prom weekend, and I'd spent that Saturday/Sunday at my grandparent's lake cottage with my then-boyfriend/prom date. Obviously my interest in my appearance had taken a nosedive along with my studies. Or perhaps I wanted to appear badass (notice the dangerous placements of rips). I wore that grey hoodie all year long, too, along with the Govie t-shirt. Still rocking the ponytail.

This was taken in Ikea with my bestie before the start of freshman year of college. I think I did a pretty good job here, with the dark wash jeans and the cute vest. Unfortunately, that was the summer I decided to give myself bangs.

Ahh, freshman year of college. Still wasn't very interested in fashion, as you can tell by the hoodie/sweatpants combination that I rocked pretty much all year. Just getting worse and worse, I know. At least I traded in the ol' ponytail for a messy bun. Progress. Also, I'm wearing cute flats rather than men's shoes. Yes, I'm pretty sure I wore a pair of men's shoes through most of high school.

And this is still freshman year, after I'd cut my hair a bit shorter. That was a bad hair day. I had no idea how to style it because it was the wrong length for my kind of hair. Also, I'd like to point out that we were rock climbing, so of course I wasn't particularly dressed up, okay?

And this is just last year, sophomore year of college. I had cut my hair into its current pixie (and dyed it to an unfortunate orange tinge at the time, which was just starting to fade in this picture) and was wearing things like cardigans and black tights and prints. It was a magical time, and has continued to this day. Sometimes I even wear makeup!

Well, I hope you enjoyed a good laugh at my expense. I know I'd like to see a lot of other people (bloggers or not) do this as well. It's a lot of fun, and satisfying to see how far you've come. Well, in the fashion department, at least. I still haven't really figured out math or how to be social.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

What I Wore

It took me forever to get dressed this morning, but eventually this is what I came up with:

Sorry for the grumpy face. It also took forever to get a good picture.

Modcloth necklace.

Pinstriped blazer that I stole from my younger brother.

Modcloth dress that I wore as a shirt.



Jeans and sneakers from Target.

It was perfect for a casual, rainy day of classes and work.

Oh, and I also wore my glasses all day for once, which is rare:

As well as my brand new Panasonic headphones, which I just got for about 30 bucks and love:


And here I am with both glasses and headphones, looking EXTRA dorky. Enjoy.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Fashion Inspiration: How to Dress Like...

... A ballerina.

Not in the obvious, "I'm being a ballerina for Halloween" kind of way. When taking inspiration from something that can easily turn costumey, be it Padme from Star Wars or flowers, you have to take care not to let your outfit become too literal an interpretation. My advice would be to take key elements, colors, and moods from the source of inspiration and let that influence your outfit.

So for today's outfit inspiration--ballet--I made up three Polyvore sets that demonstrate how to get a ballerina-feel without looking like you're about to prance onto the stage.

Also note that none of the items I've used go above $50. I'm a college girl on a budget, and by a budget, I don't mean I can spend $80 on a blouse (yes, I'm talking to you, millions of misleading "Outfits for Girls on a Budget" articles). So rest assured that everything here is pretty darn affordable.

Now, the first one is, admittedly, the most literal:


This is a girly outfit for all you ballerinas-at-heart on the go. The cardigan and scrunchy socks will you keep you warm, while the cute tote will be handy for dragging all your stuff around. I like the mix of patterns between the leotard and cardigan, but also the matchy-matchiness provided by the heart-shaped stud earrings (which won't get in the way). Almost every girl has a pair of ballet flats (or should!) and leggings these days, so that part is easy. I would say the flirty skirt is the most ballet-inspired piece here, as it's very similar to a tutu, but the cool grey color keeps the drama toned back. Finally, keep your makeup soft and natural and throw your hair in a messy topknot, and you're good to go!

As for the second one, I took my inspiration from these promotional posters for the upcoming movie Black Swan:

They're very visually striking, using a lot of interesting contrast and a color scheme of red, white and black. So for this second look, I went for a more aggressive look to go with the powerfulness of the posters:

This is much less girly than the first outfit, and not as obviously ballet-inspired. Simple black jeggings (although skinny jeans would work too) help keep the slim silhouette of a dancer's legs while the contrasting prints of the cropped tee and cardigan mimic the intense details of the posters. I kept the color scheme of red, white and black, using black as the main color and adding pops of white and red. I love the pointy-toed red flats with the fantastic black laces. As for the details, some striking jewelry, a bold red lip, and a slouchy beanie complete the look. Also, note the small touch of including something literal (the feathered pin) in a small way.


For the final outfit, I decided to use a dress since I had used a skirt and pants already. This would be a good choice for a special night out (perhaps to the ballet?):


Here, I picked a dress that was fitted on top and flowy on the bottom, as is often seen on dancers. The nude-toned heels (which you can find anywhere for almost any price), paired with the sheer tights, will keep your graceful legs going on for miles. I also played with the mixture of gold and silver with the bangles and the gorgeous clutch. Finally, I added another small literal touch with feathers again in the form of earrings. This is more of a Black Swan-inspired detail rather than ballet-inspired in general, so you could exchange that for small ballet slipper earrings or tiny ballerina necklace.

And there you have it, my three takes on ballet-inspired style. What do you think? Would you wear any of the above outfits? Are you inspired by ballet, fashion-wise or in any other way? Share in the comments, and feel free to check out other outfits I've made on Polyvore for more fashion inspiration here.