Morning Ophelia

Madame Hawke.

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Does anyone even remember what I look like? No? That's okay. I don't blame you. My last outfit pictures took place many moons ago, and this will be another week in which you don't see my visage. I haven't been feeling the greatest for the past couple weeks, so yes, it's another lookbook post. Luckily, it's a really nice lookbook from Madame Hawke's Spring/Summer collection, so that should make up for my half-assed posting as of late. It's already 80 degrees here (yes. More weather discussion. I have the small talk abilities of a senile old lady waiting in a check-out queue), and all the simple silhouettes and color palettes are really appealing to me right now. For a collection that contains so many florals, pastels, and lace details, it's surprisingly un-prissy, which in my eyes is usually a good thing for spring. Too many ruffles and frills annoy me, but this is a perfect balance, and I really hope similar styles pop up in the shops over the next few months!

Fresh.

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

So I've been on a makeup binge lately. Between the spring cleaning of my makeup drawer, some cash I picked up thanks to a writing-type job-like thing, and another one of Elizabeth's legendary gift packages, my entire makeup collection has been completely overhauled. Aside from the massive ULTA package that is now on its way to me, filled with more NYX products than any reasonable human being needs and the infamous Urban Decay Naked palette, there are loads of other fancy new things fighting for space on my countertop. The Eye Wanna! Maggie palette from Benefit, seen right up there in all its stripey, line-y glory, is probably my new favorite thing so far, just because it's so fun and colorful, but these other acquisitions are pretty cool as well:

Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Tarnish. Elizabeth gave me this one in a bright fuchsia shade, so it matches perfectly with the Maggie palette. It's a pretty vivid color, but it's sheer enough for everyday, casual looks, sort of like a lip stain. I like it so much that I kind of want to try out all the other colors now, too!

Tarte EmphasEYES Clay Liner. This was a much-needed replacement for my dried-up drugstore cream liner, and after using Tarte's version for a week, I have already been permanently won over.

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense in Moulin Rouge. Best. Lipstick. Ever. Maybe I'm just a fool for branding, but damn, if this lipstick doesn't make me feel like an awesome French dancer. Possibly one named Satine. It probably has a lot to do with Moulin Rouge being my favorite movie of all time. But clever branding and name association aside, it's still the best lipstick I've ever worn.

And of course, if I'm going to become a lipstick junkie, lip liners come with the territory. These are from NXY in Copper and Plush Red, and they can work as a liner, a stain, or a lipstick all on their own depending on how you apply them. Plus, they're super-cheap, and that's always nice!

There are still more new things, namely eight eyeshadow duos and a handful of colorful eyeliner pencils (also from NYX. God, I just love NYX now), but I'll spare you all even more details. Well, until the Naked palette arrives. I won't be able to shut up about that.

The Uncertain Glory of an April Day.

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Dots

Guys, forget winter. Just forget it. I don't know if it's still cold in whatever corner of the globe you may reside, but here, we're skipping straight to spring. It's warm, it's sunny, and I've got imaginary spring outfit boards ready to go. I even considered, for a few brief terrifying moments, walking out of the house minus my trusty tights. Luckily, I came to my senses, and my knees remained un-naked, but still. It almost happened, and that means it is officially spring, even if it's only January. So to mourn the untimely passing of my favorite season and welcome the new one into my life, here are a few fantasy outfits that are keeping me optimistic about all this sunshine.

Twenty-Seven Names.

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy After-The-Holidays, everyone! For the billionth time in my life, I must apologize for being the world's laziest blogger. At least this time I had the excuse of Christmas and New Years keeping me busy, though, plus some proper writing jobs I'm working on. All in all, it's been a pretty nice winter break, but it's good to be back to blogging!

What isn't nice, however, is this awful weather. And by awful, I mean actually very pleasant by most people's standards. But I'm a miserable, cloudy weather sort of lady, and so I despise it with a passion. All those cardigans and jumpers I've been so excited to wear this season? Yeah. They're all wasting away in my closet, because it is 82 degrees and sunny- not exactly a winter wonderland. At least a few of you must be looking out the wind-rattled window at snow right now and thinking of how jealous you are that it's practically summer here, but I promise, I'm far more jealous of you. The only thing cheering me up about this stupid heatwave is the thought of spring clothing, and Twenty-Seven Names is my favorite right now. Their 2012 Spring/Summer lookbook is pretty and feminine without making me feel like I've just eaten a pastel-colored unicorn's weight in sugar, and the tiny polka dots are really just the best. Can you think of anything better? No. It's just a fact. They're the best. The socks-and-sandals combination is still kind of iffy in my book, though, since pulling it off without resembling a middle-aged tourist is near impossible, but the rest of the lookbook more than wins me over. Now if I could have that white lacy dress, I'd be perfectly fine with spring showing up a few months too early.

She Made A Cup Of Tea.

2011-12-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Only Slightly More Than A Week Left Until Christmas, fellow holiday folk! I hope you're all having a nice winter break...well, unless you go to my school, in which case I hope you're enjoying having finals week scheduled all the way through the fricking 21st. Is that mental? When I first started at this scumhole, the one pleasant aspect was having a month and a half off for the holidays, and I just assumed it to be the norm. Do any legitimate universities only get a two week window of unscheduled merriment? I'm one part genuinely curious, and one part seeking more points to use in my eternal bitching about community college. But it doesn't matter, because I have already mentally entered a winter break state of mind. We have gingerbread cookies, peppermint cookies, chocolate cookies...what I'm trying to say is that I've consumed an imperial ton of cookies this season, because nothing says "winter break" like sugar overload. But aside from that, I've been spending my free time doing a little of the following:

Watching makeup tutorials and making lengthy lists of new products I'd like to try. By the way, this Clinique Even Better foundation? I approve. (And speaking of new products, allow me to pimp out my best friend Elizabeth's blog Lilura Begiak for a moment. She's having a huge makeup giveaway this month, so if you like free things, I'd recommend entering. Pimping: complete.)

Admiring this swell new UO jumper. It was an early Christmas gift from my mom, and since raccoons are my favorite animals of all time, I can confirm that this jumper is going to have an exciting life of constant wear.

Thinking of how much this penguin from Modcloth resembles the Eleventh Doctor. Penguins. Cool. Bowtie. It all makes sense in my mind.

More jumper admiration. His tail wraps around the back. Do you understand how cute this is?

And more cookies. But I've also been quite productive in terms of baked goods, since I organized all my recipes in order of importance, easiness, and potential deliciousness, and now I'm prepared to make everything my heart desires. See? Productive.

Drinking more tea than anyone else alive. I can't stop. I drink it constantly, except for when I'm guzzling my weight in toffee-flavored coffee. My favorite tea variety at the moment is vanilla and cinnamon black tea, but god, if there were more hours in the day, I'd sample every flavor in existence. Every. Last. One.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone, and drink some tea for me!

Sretsis.

2011-12-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Has everyone already talked about Sretsis? I'm pretty sure they have, but whatever. I'm going to talk about Sretsis. Considering Christmas is only a couple weeks away, it feels a little odd to post such a summery lookbook, but I've been hoarding it on my computer for awhile now and just couldn't wait any longer. It's sort of like flipping through posters for a very classy 1990s teen movie, and I mean that in the best possible way. The lace-up boots, florals, and crop tops are hard not to love, and the denim patchwork dress is the kind of thing you'd scour a thrift shop hoping to find. The only thing I'm not crazy about are the giant sunflower glasses, but that's because I'm practical and boring and 115% sure that I could never wear them in real life without looking like a massive twat-nozzle. Their existence is appreciated, but that deer jumper is much more suited to my mostly animal-themed wardrobe.

You can check out the full lookbook here, but if you're not a winter-lover like me, be warned- it might make you despise the cold just a little bit more.

Of House and Home.

2011-12-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

As promised, I've got a solitary outfit shot for you today, plus some other filler shots to make up for the horrible indoor lighting and all that jazz. I'll be so happy when my old posing spot is open again. So, so happy. It's not looking great at the moment, though, so maybe we should all just get used to "awkwardly standing in my living room" pictures again. When will I rediscover the outside world? Much like the existence of the Loch Ness Monster and when a download of The Inbetweeners Movie will be available, it is a mystery.

Jumper: F21

Dress: H&M

Boots: UO

One Early Morn.

2011-12-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well, hello there! Is it December already? Have I forgotten to post for nearly a month now? That was a douche move, wasn't it? Sorry about that! Outfit pictures have been scarce for awhile now thanks to the (awful/horrible/unnecessary/life-ruining/headache-inducing) construction outside my apartment where I normally pose. I don't know about you guys, but I feel really odd taking shots of my clothes when fifteen sweaty construction workers are carrying on with their lives just a few feet away. It's a pretty weird situation. But despite all that, I will try my best to get back on schedule. Promise. Really! Surely there are still places in the world where construction workers aren't constantly making loud sounds. None of them are coming to mind right now, but it's noisy in here. My thinking ability is compromised. In the meantime, enjoy some more grainy pictures that'll give you insight into just how little I've done in the past few weeks!

No, I didn't go to London; these were in my sister's old book crate, and I decided to liberate them from their dusty prison. Postcards, I claim thee in the name of new desk decor!

Floppy hats have become a thing in my life now. I don't know how this love affair began, but it's not ending any time soon. Maybe I'll start a collection.

Bartholomew the Badger and I have become fast friends. He's a pretty cool bloke.

My new Modcloth dress is also quite cool, and even a bit Karen Gillan-y. I should introduce it to my floppy hats.

Aaaand that's all I've got. Thanks for sticking around during my sporadic bouts of laziness, and I'll see you all in a couple days with regular posting. No, really. I mean it. Regular posting! Huzzah!

Autumn Inspiration: Olive and Orange

2011-11-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Aaaand it's another inspiration post. Sorry about the lack of outfit posts lately. See, it's not that I haven't been...you know...wearing clothes, it's just that I forget to take pictures sometimes. Sometimes I really fail at blogging. But Olive and Orange's A/W collection is so amazing that I'm hoping it'll make up for all that. It's been all over Tumblr this week, and the more I see it, the more obsessed I become. The polka dot dresses are a particular weak spot for me, but the striped jumper dress and the coats are pretty major points of fixation, too. Just one more collection to join the Elite Club of Things I Can't Actually Afford But Which Might One Day Materialize In My Closet Once My Inevitable Magic Powers Come Into Existence.

Autumn Inspiration: Sea

2011-10-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what to say about Sea's A/W 2011 collection other than it's perfect, and I'd like to own every last piece. The jumpers and cardigans have stars on them, you guys. Stars. And there are navy and white polka dots, which everyone knows to be my one true weakness, although the camel polka dots are putting up quite the fight for the title of new favorite. But really, if you added a few more pairs of tights and some whimsically printed socks to these outfits, they'd all be my favorites.

You Have To Start With Hello.

2011-10-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Class was cancelled yesterday morning, and as you can see, it was a(n un)productive day filled with chalkboards, tea, raccoon mugs, and squirrel socks. Every cloudy autumn day should be this good.

For Your Review: Beauty Express Brow Kit

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

And now, for another enthralling session of a little thing I like to call "Listen While I Rave About Things I Enjoy Using!" I was offered the chance to review the Beauty Express Brow Kit from Anastasia of Beverly Hills, and I've been religiously testing and trying it every morning since it first arrived in my mailbox. Like I said in my first Anastasia post, the kit's been on my wishlist for a long time now, so finally getting to see it for myself has been exciting! At first the stencils and powders seemed a little intimidating since I've never been the most talented brow tamer in the world, but after a bit of practice, I came to a rather unsurprising conclusion. I really, really love this kit. I say that about most everything I review, I know, but it's honestly true. This kit is awesome.

If you've always wanted to try a brow kit but you're befuddled by all the bits and pieces, allow me to be your guide. There are two separate palettes available, one for blondes and one for brunettes, and they both come with a smoothing wax, two shades of brow powder for filling in, two brightening eye shadow colors (that looks gorgeous, by the way!), an angled brush, and five basic stencils to follow. All you have to do is match your natural brow arch to a stencil and stay in the lines as you pluck and fill. Keeping the stencil in place while you work can be a little tricky at times, but it's definitely worth the effort, and it's much simpler than trying to get perfectly symmetrical brows on your own! My favorite part of the kit, though, is the powder. After just a week, it's already permanently won my heart over pencils. It blends in perfectly, and the two different shades can be mixed and customized, so it never looks like your brows have been sketched on with a sharpie. Even better, it lets you have a second chance if you happen to overpluck, or just have naturally thin brows. Oh, and did I mention that it can moonlight as a nice, smudgy eyeliner as well? It's basically the handiest powder ever. I'm not saying it's magical or anything, but...yeah. It is.

And now for the big question: Do I recommend this brow kit? The answer is yes. It's already become a regular part of my morning makeup routine, and if I'd bought this for myself, I'd consider it money very well spent. If you've neglected your brows for a bit and need help taming them again, or you just want a little extra boost, it's seriously a great palette. Now this is traditionally the part of a review where I'm supposed to show you all my amazing/stunning/flawless results, and I wish I could, since I'm pretty impressed with how my brows turned out. Unfortunately, my camera went completely wonky last night while I was snapping pictures, as it's prone to do, so for now my glowing words of adoration will have to be proof. I can say, however, that my brows will be 100% groomed by Anastasia for the next few hundred outfit pictures. That'll probably be enough evidence of my new obsession, right?

Autumn Inspiration: Rachel Antonoff

2011-10-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

I know every other blogger in the known universe fangirled over this collection extensively many moons ago, but it's been sitting in my inspiration folder for months, patiently awaiting my formal addition to the Rachel Antonoff Obsessive Fan Club. Posting snow-covered stables and thick jumpers felt wrong when it was 90 degrees outside...and well, it's still too hot to feel properly autumnal. But the season is finally starting to change, and I've gone completely mental over this lookbook. Again. I'm even into the cat-shaped knee patches this time around, which initially seemed kind of weird, because...knee patches? Do they have a purpose? But they're cute and animal-y, and I'd wear them all day long. Basically, I'm just trying to say that I really want to live in a Rachel Antonoff A/W lookbook.

Maid Marian.

2011-10-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Fox-print bag: H&M

Dress: H&M

Cardi: F21

Moccasins: Buffalo Exchange

The post title is, of course, referring to the Disney version of Robin Hood, in which Maid Marian is a really adorable fox, as is the sleeping little creature on my new bag. We're up to three animal-themed outfits in a row now, which is probably a new personal record. Not that I keep track of how many woodland creature prints I've worn in the space of two weeks, but the number does seem to be increasing lately. Fascinating. And if you think the trend is ending soon, how very mistaken you are! As we speak, a badger knit hat, octopus necklace, and a fox ring are waiting for their day to come. Now I just need to tame the family of raccoons who live outside of my apartment, teach them to follow me around sidekick-style, and I'll be good to go.

The Primrose Path.

2011-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Do you guys see that cupcake? It is an espresso cupcake, and I created that with my bare hands (and a recipe book from Anthropologie). There's really no purpose behind this post other than to say how much I love this cookbook. Love it. It was a birthday present from my mom, and I can honestly say that the resulting baked goods were the best things to ever come out of my oven. The entire recipe is really long and involved, so I'm not going to post it on here, but if any of you would like to make them yourselves, just send me a message and I'll share!

Made By The Joiner Squirrel.

2011-10-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Cardi and V-Neck: F21

Skirt and Boots: UO

Acorn Necklace: Restless Hearts

First a cat print jumper, and now a squirrel print skirt. Something about autumn fills me with the sudden urge to cover myself exclusively in pictures of fluffy creatures. I'm totally succeeding at dressing like a 21 year old adult-type person. Today's post is a pretty short one; I just wanted to show off the finest in squirrel-themed autumnal outfits before the temperature spits on the hopes and dreams of those of us who want nothing more than to wear cardigans forever. Come Sunday, I'll be wearing nothing but a thick layer of sweat and self-loathing, but until then, just enjoy all the happy October squirreliness!

And The Pussycats.

2011-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Cat jumper: H&M

Peter-pan collar blouse: Buffalo Exchange

Skirt: F21

Shoes: UO

Clouds, you guys! There are clouds in the sky and it's not 90 degrees outside for once in my life! The Season of the Jumpers might finally be upon us, at least for a few days, and I am happy to the point where you may actually fear for my mental health. No human being should feel this good inside just because of a rain cloud or two, but in my mind it's like Christmas came early. I ordered a peppermint mocha at Starbucks yesterday just to make the world seem more winter-ish. I'm just really into cloudy days, okay?

In equally exciting on a nerdy level sort of news, will you look at my jumper? It has cats on it. Cats. Cats in bowties. There are cats wearing bowties knit into an article of clothing that currently resides on my body. How many times can I express general sentiments of excitement before it gets boring? But I am just drawn to cat-print things. Maybe it's because my nickname is Josie (fun fact!), or maybe it's just my inner grandmother letting her cat lady flag fly. And even though somebody sneered "Hello, Rachel Berry" at me in class, I'm going to keep on wearing it all the way through autumn and winter, because it is literally the coolest item to ever grace my closet. Do I need to stress cats in bowties again, or do you guys get the point by now?

The Stones of Rome.

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Button-up, v-neck, and skirt: F21

Moccasins: Buffalo Exchange

Satchel: UO

And now, for a belated birthday post that actually has very little to do with my birthday. Logical, yes? The night of my 21st took place at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, where no photography is allowed (a real shame, since it's gorgeous inside!), so these shots of 20.9999 year old me will have to do. The day before reaching total and complete (supposed) adulthoodiness was spent at the Getty Villa in Malibu, a museum which I might even love more than that other Getty. As a massive ancient history nerd, I basically wanted to move in and never leave. Not only is it filled with statues and artifacts from Greece and Rome, but the entire museum is modeled after a real Roman villa. Be warned, however, that if you are a Doctor Who fan, you may be scarred for life, since a few of the statues in the courtyard are one blink away from being Weeping Angels. Pictures of said terrifying stone women are not included, because as you know, the image of a Weeping Angel becomes a Weeping Angel, and I didn't want to doom us all. Luckily, there were plenty of other pretty things to photograph that were far less scary...well, except that one stone child. That thing is straight out of Moffat's nightmares. But aside from that, it's all lovely, right?

New World.

2011-09-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you've ever wished that fashion bloggers would feature more goats in seasonal scarves, I bet you're feeling really lucky right now.Other than barnyard creatures wearing Halloween-themed accessories, this post has literally nothing to do with fashion, but it does have to do with Disneyland, so that's cool, right? My mom and I used our new annual passes for a quick trip this weekend, and the result was eight kajillion new pictures. And yes, approximately two kajillion of them involved goats in scarves. They were all terrific models. Petting zoo portraits aside, I quite liked how quite a few of the shots turned out, so I thought I'd share them. Next time I'll try to get a decent outfit picture in between all the frolicking, queuing, and goat-hugging, but until then, enjoy some scenic things from a very scenic place.

You Can Lead Me Through The Streets.

2011-09-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Stockholm Street Style

In lieu of my own outfit pictures, I thought it would be a good time to break out a few of the street style pictures that have been hoarded away in my Tumblr drafts for some time now. Next week is my birthday, so there should be a couple decent posts coming up of me...you know...actually /doing/ things for once. It'll be really scandalous and exciting, I am sure, especially considering my gift request list included a cool raccoon mug and cupcake recipe book. Wild times await, my friends. But until then, enjoy these spiffy and simple outfits for pre-autumn/post-summer/transitional weeks/whatever the hell we're calling the annoying and undefinable bit of time between proper seasons now.

The Locals, Hoy Fashion

Street Style Aesthetic, SF Style

Streetgeist, The Sartorialist

Stockholm Street Style, Refinery29

Sydney Street Style, Modemedveten

Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang.

2011-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Cardigan: H&M

Dress: UO

Bag: Vintage

Boots: They're The Same Ones I Wear In Every Post Ever, But In Case You Don't Know, They're Dolce Vita for Target.

I told you guys that outfit posts would return once the weather stopped behaving like a twat, and lo and behold, clouds! Clouds everywhere! My trip to the Santa Barbara Zoo this weekend was even a bit drizzly, and supposedly there was a lightning storm a few miles away, though it never stopped by to visit . But for once, the heat didn't make me feel like death by melting was imminent, and my old professor cardigan with grand and wondrous elbow patches made its first appearance, as did this fine geometric mess of hipsterdom. Autumn, how I do love thee. And now, I present to you a collection of photos detailing the weekend adventures of me and my elbow patches in the obscurest ways possible. Enjoy.

Elbow patches, never leave me.

Autumn Inspiration: Sonia by Sonia Rykiel

2011-08-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Once again, my grand and noble plans of taking decent outfit pictures this weekend and last were foiled by the murderously hot weather and by the traumatic experience of returning to Le University de Community. I'll spare you all another woe-is-me tale; they're getting old, I know. Instead, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel can take the spotlight with more outfits that I will clumsily attempt to recreate when summer finally ends. And considering my collection of striped jumpers and rusty orange colors, it might actually be possible!

Autumn Inspiration: Patouf

2011-08-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'll skip the weather-themed whining this time and get straight to the point: Patouf's autumn collection is really, really cool. Despite the fact that fall is still a few dozen lightyears away (honestly, summer, are you done yet?...okay, so we're not skipping the weather-whining entirely.), it is literally all I can think about every time I open my closet to get dressed, and Patouf is not helping! Always a bit slow on the uptake, I just found this Swedish brand's lookbook around these here interwebs last week, and as you'd imagine, a few hundred potential outfits sprung to mind. The collection is proper, ladylike, and practically begging to be dirtied up with grungy old boots and a leather jacket. And what about the burgundy tights? Nifty, right? Yeah. I could go for a pair of those.

Wake me in October, okay?

Tea and Cake.

2011-08-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dress and Moccasins: Buffalo Exchange

Satchel: UO

Two outfit posts in a row! This must be some kind of (really unimpressive) record! There's not actually much to say about this particular outfit, but I like it, so there you go. And now let's move on to the real topic of discussion for the day: Crumbs Bake Shop. My mom and I just found this place in Calabasas yesterday, and my only regret is not knowing of its existence sooner in life. If I were the marrying kind and fist-sized cake products could legally enter into matrimony, I'd briefly contemplate it before succumbing to my hunger and just eating the damn thing. But honestly, look at this mound of bloody delicious cookie-encrusted frosting and tell me you didn't just die a little bit inside. I feel like I'm breaking some obscure law by posting this kind of crazy food porn, but I'm just that reckless when it comes to baked goods.

Apologies for increasing your hunger by 216%. My bad. Here, have a mostly unrelated, vaguely hipsterish, and out-of-focus photograph of a phone booth pendant on top of a bakery logo to take your mind off of your sudden insatiable craving for cupcakes.

Look at that smug face. I was probably thinking about all the frosting I was about to consume. Or there was something in my eye and I was desperately trying not to blink, which unfortunately resulted in Crazy Eye Syndrome. Or maybe there was just a Weeping Angel present. Definitely one of those options.

Summer's Lease.

2011-08-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Button-up: Velvet Heart via Buffalo Exchange

Dress: H&M

Tights and Boots: Target

Satchel: Urban Outfitters

At long last, it is an honest-to-goodness outfit post! Yes, it's a fairly short and mostly uneventful one, but I think credit is due just for being able to wear clothes at all in the summetime. I'm becoming nothing but a giant sack of Whine, but Zeus on Olympus, I am so ready for autumn. It's a fact that really can't be stressed enough. This dress is one of the things I picked up during a little pre-autumn activity affectionately known as "Consolation Shopping as a Means of Bribing Myself into Returning to the World's Worst Community College." So far, the shopping has only been semi-successful in boosting my spirits, especially since 90% of the clothes I so lovingly selected can't be worn for many moons. That was my bad, though, since all I ever want to buy are jumpers, cardigans, and things with elbow patches. There's a pile of unsummery things lying in my closet right now awaiting the first rainy days. If anyone is trained in the fine art of rain-dancing, please order up some clouds for me- there's a caravan-print jumper beside me that would really appreciate it. Until then, I'll just keep wearing my tights and deluding myself.

In The Twinkling Of An Eye.

2011-08-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Another week, another severe lack of outfit posts. Honestly, my blogging superiors need to give me a firm punch to the face region, because I have become nothing but a procrastinating, flaky internet hooligan. But let me introduce you to someone who is less of a slacker when it comes to blogging...well, hopefully Judging solely by her first three posts, she seems to be, as the kids say, legit. Yes, I am about to shamelessly promote my best friend Elizabeth's new makeup blog, Lilura Begiak. But I'm not only promoting her because of my obvious bias to her brilliance/awesomeness/general state of overall perfection- she is genuinely talented when it comes to makeup, and if you ever need advice on anything beauty-related, she's the person you should ask. Basically, what I'm trying to say is go follow Elizabeth and you will earn my eternal feelings of non-dislike! Money can't buy that kind of prize.

And now, allow me to make a smooth and classy transition into another beauty-related topic: this handy-dandy eyebrow kit from Anastasia of Beverly Hills that will soon be in my review-typing little hands. No lie, this kit has been on my wishlist since the dawn of time. Since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Since the fire and the wheel. Or since I realized that grooming my eyebrows is kind of a daily nightmare. It's definitely one of those options. But the point is, I'm going to be reviewing it and probably make a tutorial for it, and it's going to be brilliant. In the meantime, here's a video that is undoubtedly more helpful and informative than anything I may attempt to put together. Watch it, and learn the kit's mysterious ways.

"Beauty Express" brow-kit instructional video from Anastasia Beverly Hills on Vimeo.

And thus concludes another beauty-themed post. I swear I'll have some decent outfit pictures again at...you know....some point. And if I slack off on them again next week, I urge you all to send me strongly-worded letters until I do and accomplish things.

Morning Ophelia!

2011-08-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I've made some big changes to the blog! Most significant, of course, is the new name. Playing Dress-Up was starting to feel a little too generic, so I turned to one of my favorite literary characters for some inspiration. I hope you all like it, because I'm really quite excited! It feels like a fresh start, and it's reinvigorated my blogging. More new things are still to come, but for now I'm pretty content.

A simple autumn wishlist seemed like a good way to christen Morning Ophelia, which means it's time for a hastily-made collage. It's still nine thousand and a quarter degrees...well, everywhere in the entire country, and autumn feels a long way off, but my fall semester starts in about three weeks. Going back to class isn't such a big deal to me- I've only got two classes this semester, and it's not like there's much else to do anyway. Two hours of lectures will hardly put a dent in my Top Gear marathons and general loner geekiness, so I can't complain. And even at twenty, back-to-school shopping is still fun! All I really want for the next season is a slew of stripey jumpers, an army green jacket, a pair of comfy canvas flats to wear out, a couple sheer dresses and tops for layering, and maybe a nice knapsack. Oh, and flannel. Always flannel. We'll see what I can scrounge together before the first day of class, when it will undoubtedly still be hotter than Satan's microwave. My trusty jumpers and elbow-patches will remain on hold until a rainy day, but it can't hurt to plan ahead!

An Ordinary Morning.

2011-07-29T02:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, I've neglected the blog quite badly again for the past few weeks. Again. I'll add that straight to the top of my Things To Stop Doing One Day list, right before "procrastinating" and "wondering what the hell I even did today other than breathing and watching English programming." The reason I've been absent, however, is a decent one. (Again.) See, I'm planning to give the blog a complete makeover at the start of August: new title, new design, hopefully a new giveaway and a new crop of outfit pictures, and that Etsy store that I've mentioned before. It's just taken a bit longer than expected to decide exactly what I want to do with the change, but now my mind's been made up and it's going to be brilliant!...well, at least I hope so! So I'll see you all on Wednesday for Operation Morning!

Autumn Inspiration: Lauren Moffat

2011-07-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I'm back! Sorry for the mini-hiatus last week- I think my bad blogging tendencies get worse in the summertime. I've been meaning to do a few new outfit posts for some time now, but they keep getting postponed for two reasons: my never-ending cold of death, and the fact that I'm terrible at putting together interesting outfits when it's over 70 degrees. Every time the weather gets warm, you can look forward to my incessant whining about this problem, because it's true. Boring people with pictures of my shorts and nerdy t-shirts is not on my blogging agenda, but that's really all I can ever think to wear at this time of year! As you can tell, I'm already planning ahead for autumn, the best season of the year, and Lauren Moffat's 2011 collection is making me resent the sunshine and Southern California warmth even more.

Promise, I'll try to be more interesting this week when I get dressed, even if it is 90 degrees outside. My sister will be visiting, meaning we'll probably venture out of the air-conditioned Great Indoors to go do...well, stuff....and that should make for a few fun posts, even if I can't wear tights on our journeys.

Air-Dried.

2011-07-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

If any of you follow my Twitter, you may have caught a mention of a ridiculously cool package arriving at my door last week. So what did I receive that got me so excited? Oh, you know, just a box full of hair supply things from Misikko to review. It's not like it was the niftiest package to ever grace my doorstep or anything like that...except it was. It really was.

If you hang around the blogosphere, you've probably heard of Misikko before. Their ceramic straighteners have showed up on quite a few of the blogs I follow, and everyone always seemed to rave about them, so naturally I jumped at the chance when they asked me to review one of their ion hair dryers!

The specific dryer up for review is the HANA Air Professional Hair Dryer, the very best one Misikko has to offer. Before trying it out, I glanced at the customer reviews on their site, and every single one is essentially a love letter, so my hopes were pretty high as I stepped out of the shower. Luckily, the dryer did not disappoint! My hair naturally dries looking like Helena Bonham Carter after a hurricane, so it takes a lot of power to smooth and dry it out, something that no other dryer has ever been able to manage. Not only could the Hana Air handle it, but it was done and ready for styling in under 7 minutes. For someone who once had a stylist politely ask not to blow dry my hair because it would put a serious dent in the rest of her schedule, seven minutes is a miracle.

Since this is a proper review, I should morph into Jeremy Clarkson and share some of the more technical details about the dryer. It has the power of 2300 watts, a ceramic heater that uses infrared ionic heat, an unusually quiet motor, titanium oxide technology to promote healthy hair, a cool air setting to help lock in style and shine, and a pretty great Italian design. Really, that's all a fancy way of saying " it's a magic present from the Hair Gods." The bottom line: I'd recommend it to any of you in a microsecond. It is PERFECT.

Along with the magical dryer, Misikko was nice enough to send me their Shine Shield serum, a set of Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner, and a whole assortment of other fun odds and ends. I didn't stop smiling that entire day, and I kept smiling after I saw how my hair turned out! Forgive the Myspace-y snapshot- I had a bit of a cold this week, and I didn't get a chance to take a better picture for all of you, but you get the idea. My hair is shiny, smooth, and straight, and I couldn't be happier with it!

Thanks again, Misikko! You've got a new lifelong fan!

Dirty Diana.

2011-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Lookie here, I finally got another roll of Diana Mini film developed! Miracle of miracles! Since I did nothing extremely noteworthy for the Fourth of July (does anyone really want to see pictures of me watching another Top Gear marathon and drinking iced tea while sitting under the air conditioning vent? No? That's what I assumed), I figured I'd share a few favorites from this batch. As with any Diana Mini pictures, there are light leaks, unfocused shots, and all sorts of other weird problems. And that's exactly what makes them cool. My next roll is loaded and ready to go, so anticipate more summertime-y shots....eventually.

Shabby Apple Winner

2011-07-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my June giveaways! It's time to announce the winner of the Shabby Apple contest, and the victorious poster is.....Emily from Adelaide Stayed! Congratulations Emily! The Shabby Apple folks will be in touch with you soon!

As for this month's giveaways, I'm working on something fun for all of you that may or may not tie into my new Etsy store. Probably. Maybe. Assuming that I actually get my Etsy store running in a timely manner....this doesn't sound very encouraging so far, does it? But I promise it'll be much more exciting than I'm making it sound, or less terrible at the very least! ....Probably. Maybe. We'll see. While I work on sounding more reassuring, you should all go have a terrific weekend!

Shop Spotlight: Sarah's Suitcase

2011-06-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Time for another Shop Spotlight, this time featuring the lovely Sarah of one of my new favorite shops, Sarah's Suitcase! Not only is she ridiculously nice, but her store is filled with what can only be described as "my dream summertime wardrobe." I'm not joking when I say that nearly every dress is on my shopping wishlist. If anyone is contemplating what to get me for my birthday, money to spend at Sarah's Suitcase would be alright in my book. As always, this Shop Spotlight is in danger of turning into a massive love poem to pretty dresses, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

See?! Isn't it all perfect?! To take a look inside Sarah's suitcase, visit her shop here!

P.S. I'm bloggily obligated to remind you all to enter my Shabby Apple giveaway! The winner will be announced on Friday morning, so hurry!

Shabby Apple Giveaway

2011-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

As promised, it's time for another giveaway! This time, the awesome people at Shabby Apple are offering my readers the chance to win one of their dresses! They have a great selection of women's dresses at the Shabby Apple shop, including a section of summery white dresses I've been eyeing now that the weather has officially warmed up. Lucky for you guys, my favorite one, the Lighthouse, is up for grabs! It's basically my dream summertime outfit, so I envy whoever takes it home. To make it even better, they're offering all of you a 10% discount for the next 30 days- just use the code "playingdressup10off" with your next order.

To Enter:

All you have to do is leave a comment telling me how you'd style the Lighthouse dress! And don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you when you win!

Bonus Entries:

1.) Follow Playing Dress-Up through Google or Bloglovin'

2.) Like Shabby Apple on Facebook

3.) Tweet about the giveaway

4.) Reblog the giveaway post on Tumblr

Leave a comment for each extra entry so I can add them to the drawing. The contest is open to all US readers, and the winner will be chosen on July 1st! Good luck!

The Middle of Nowhere.

2011-06-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dress: I Heart Ronson, gift from Elizabeth

Satchel: UO

Boots: UO

First on the agenda today is announcing the Pocket Vintage giveaway winner! Congratulations to Cindy from Hellcat Vintage! I'll be in contact with you soon! And for everyone else who didn't win, don't be too sad- there's another contest starting up next week!

And now onto my thrifting adventures! Luther's Attic, my favorite thrift shop, has been woefully neglected by me for the past few months, so I took a break from my busy reading/movie-watching schedule yesterday to pay it a visit. No clothes came home with me on this trip, but I did add six new owls and a wooden raccoon to my collection of random animal knickknacks. I have a problem. Other highlights of the day included using my nifty-as-hell satchel and strolling the cute but dull streets of Moorpark. This particular street's claim to fame is an especially facepalm-inducing episode of Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares, in which the absolute suckage of this town was revealed for all the world to see. Moorpark REPRESENT!

I also want to say hi to my new followers and thank all of you guys! If I could give each of you a hug or a really enthusiastic high five, I totally would, but a virtual one will have to do for now. But really, you're all cool. Cooler than bowties, even. And trust me, bowties...well, they're pretty cool.

An Honest Con Man Any Day.

2011-06-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Jacket and Dress: UO

Boots: Dolce Vita for Target

Looks like I fell ever-so-slightly behind on my blogging again last week! Oops. I really need to stop doing that, right? It's alright, though, because it was, once again, an extremely uneventful summer week with very little to report on. 90% of my time has been spent reading (Franny and Zooey at the moment!), downloading movies (including Marie Antoinette, the pet of the blogosphere world. That recent viewing may be to blame for my overly-pastel outfit. I also watched Star Wars, thus ending my reign as the LAST PERSON ON EARTH to not have seen it. It was everything my nerdy heart had hoped for AND MORE), and watching even more Top Gear and forcing every single person I know (all 4 1/2 of them) to watch it with me. It's a terribly thrilling life that I lead. Oh, and I bought a new satchel from Urban Outfitters. So there's that!

Aaaand that's pretty much it. As I've said before and probably will say again 539 more times in the future, I'll try to make my next post a bit more exciting. While I work on that, you should probably go enter my Pocket Vintage Giveaway! The winner is being announced on Friday, so hurry!

Pocket Vintage Giveaway

2011-06-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the first giveaway of the summer! My new friend Meg from Pocket Vintage Clothing is offering a $25 giftcard to my readers to spend on anything in her shop, and trust me, there is plenty to choose from!

Entering is simple- just visit Pocket Vintage and leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite item!

For bonus entries, you can do any and all of the following:

1.) Follow Playing Dress-Up through Google or Bloglovin'

2.) Add Pocket Vintage to your favorite shops on Etsy

3.) Heart an item in the shop

4.) Reblog the giveaway post on Tumblr

5.) Tweet about the giveaway

Please leave a comment for each additional entry, and don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you if you win! You have until June 16th to enter, and the winner will be announced the next day. Good luck!

A Wishlist For All Seasons.

2011-06-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today's post is another (sort of) short one, but that's okay. I've been working all week on lining up exciting things for June, and so far there are two giveaways to look forward to, plus some other shenanigans! Before June Anti-Gloom kicks off, I thought a traditional, old-fashioned, hastily-made collage was in order. It's nothing terribly fancy- just a basic review of my summer shopping list. Oh, the thrill of it all.

It's a pretty simple wishlist, as far as my wishlists go, and it's a bit more logical than my usual "OH MY GOD I NEED 800 NEW CROPPED JUMPERS EVEN THOUGH IT'S 92 DEGREES OUTSIDE" lists. A satchel bag is my number one priority right now, not just because I've been dying for one since last autumn, but because all of my bags are either tiny or massive. Medium-sized would be a nice change. After that, jeans are a necessity. Fun Fact: I haven't worn jeans in public in about two years now. And no, my pilates jeggings don't count. Third in importance are moccasins. Yes, I'm a complete and total hipster now, and absolutely no one is surprised. To complete my metamorphosis into the hipster I was always born to be, I've even been looking at body jewelry online in contemplation of a new cartilage ear piercing, specifically the nifty lightning bolt one in the collage. I've always thought another ear piercing would look cool, and maybe toughen up my look a tiny bit even when I'm wearing peter pan collars and knee-highs. Truthfully, I'm probably way too lazy to actually go out and get it done, but it's a fun thought!

Aaaand that's about it for this week! Have a great weekend, everyone, and check back on Monday for the first big June surprise!

For Especially in the Month of June.

2011-06-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Floral blouse: I Heart Ronson, gift from Elizabeth

Dress: UO

Purse: Vintage

Heels: Target

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a good Memorial Day weekend, or if you're from anywhere other than America, a good perfectly ordinary weekend. Today's post is a short one, mainly because my weekend was pretty dull and left me with very little to talk about. The truth is, I've done nothing of interest this week aside from wearing clothes, buying rose-scented moisturizer, and watching Top Gear for two days straight, which has left me ending every conversation with "and on that bombshell." Really, that's about it. Being lazy is terrific. Anyway, the rest of the month should be much more exciting 'round these parts. I've got a few bloggy projects and posts in the work that I can't wait to share with you guys, so fingers crossed that they all work out!

And on that bombshell, it's time to end this post....see, I told you, I can't stop. Curse you, Jeremy Clarkson!

Designer Spotlight: Sarah Leora

2011-05-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today is an exciting day on Playing Dress-Up, because I've got an interview with an up-and-coming designer to share with you all! I'd like to start by saying that when I was seventeen, I could hardly dress myself decently, let alone make clothes that anyone else would want to wear. With that in mind, Sarah Silverman's accomplishments seem even more amazing (and even a little intimidating for those of us who can't even so much as sew a button). She hasn't even graduated high school yet, but Sarah already has her own clothing, Sarah Leora, line filled with summery rompers and adorable dresses, including the Princess Shine Dress that I've been drooling over for the past week. In addition to being super-talented and making cute clothes, Sarah has another useful skill: giving a really fun interview! Here's what Sarah had to say about fashion, summer trends, and the never-ending cupcake vs. macarons debate!

Q: If you could style any celebrity, who would it be and what would you design for them?

A: I would love to design a cute red carpet dress for Diane Kruger. She has great taste and it's very elegant and feminine. She has a very petite frame, so I think she should show off her legs and shoulders.

Q: What are your three summer essentials?

A: You have to have a romper. They're so much fun and playful, I love designing them! Ballet flats always work great with every outfit, they're so classy and cute. I also think the royal wedding brought hats back into fashion, you gotta love Holly Golightly's black hat!

Q: You're given a magic gift certificate with unlimited spending money, but you can only use it at one store. Which store do you choose, and what is your first purchase?

A: I've only been to Bergdorf Goodman once on 5th Ave . It was like walking into a fashion museum, I was so scared to put my hands on all of their designer clothing! I'd love to purchase this Proenza Schouler dress called the Guipure Lace Dress ! It's gorgeous!

Q: Which fashion era is your favorite?

A: The fifties were a great era for fashion, but I also love the Rococo Marie Antoinette era. Sometimes when I design clothing, I try to mesh them up together! I love the dresses during both time periods.

Q: Cupcakes, macarons, or cookies?

A: MACARONS are the reason why I want to move to Paris!

Q: If you could swap wardrobes with any movie, TV, or book character, who would it be?

A: Either Margot Tenenbaum or Cher Horowitz from Clueless!

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring designers?

A: Keep training your eye! Every day you should be looking at blogs, magazines, movies etc. Ideas will start popping in your head and it's the most exciting feeling!

To see more of her collection for yourself, visit Sarah Leora! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Little Darling.

2011-05-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dress: H&M

Denim Jacket: F21

Boots: Dolce Vita for Target

Bag: Mulberry for Target

Necklace: Vintage, Restless Hearts

I am officially making this park my new photo spot. Why I've never thought of it before, I don't know, but it beats my generic brick wall background by a mile and it's a pretty fun place to wander around for an hour or two. Now that it's sunshiney and warm out, the park seems like a nice place to spend an afternoon climbing on rocks and feeding ducks and squirrels. Speaking of squirrels, this park is completely overrun by them, and they are adorable. There are baby squirrels everywhere, and they will walk right up to you and sniff your shoes, and sometimes your camera lens. Maybe they liked my acorn necklace. I took an inordinate amount of fuzzy critter pictures in between uncomfortably posing while strange children and joggers looked on curiously, and this process will be repeated on a weekly basis from now until forever. By the end of the summer, I'll probably be known by the locals as "The Awkward Model Squirrel Queen." And I'm cool with that.

Instant Gratification.

2011-05-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from these grainy, hipsteriffic pictures, I got an Iphone! And yes, it has already been pumped full of the finest photo editing apps that nonexistent money spent in the free section of the Itunes App store can buy, specifically Instagram. At first I was torn on whether or not to use my Instagram-y snapshots on the blog, mainly because I've seen other bloggers turn their nose up at these sorts of things before. And I suppose they do have a valid point: the pictures are blurry, out-of-focus, grainy, and overall terrible quality. But I won't lie, I kind of love them. Nothing can beat a real analog camera, obviously, and my Diana Mini is still the reigning queen of my tiny photographer heart, but sometimes having a fake analog camera built into your phone is just so bloody convenient! Not to mention how addictive it is! Now I'm not saying that Iphone pictures are going to take over my blog, but the camera effects are so much fun to play around with and have such nifty results that I can't help myself from posting at least a few!

My jewellery collection is so high-class. Items as elegant as these can only be found at the fanciest of the schmanciest shops. Or I could've cleared out the $1.50 section at Forever21. It's definitely one of those options.

This little fellow came from my school's annual Multicultural Day craft fair. His name is Barty Crouch Jr., and he guards my desk with his fierce adorableness.

Also on my desk: a vintage vase from Restless Hearts and a friendly squirrel. How very wilderness-y.

And now for the most abstract outfit picture of all time. Elizabeth sent me a care package filled with plaid and floral goods this week, and this is one of the button-ups! Do I have the best friend in the world, or do I have the best friend in the world? Either way, the answer you're looking for is "yes."

And last but not least, here's my latest weekend purchase from UO. It's a cross between a moto jacket and a cardigan, and it is brilliant. I should probably just marry the sales rack at UO, because it's a love story for the ages.

And thus concludes the tour de Instagram! Now if you'll excuse me, a round of Angry Birds is calling my name.

Unseasonal Inspiration: Madewell Fall 2011

2011-05-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Summer has barely even started, and I'm already desperate for autumn to come back. Maybe it's the fact that rain and clouds have made Southern California feel less "end of May" and more "half a week before Thanksgiving" lately, or maybe I'm just not a summery person. But I am a Madewell-y person, and this new collection might be my favorite one yet. It's got all the things I like most about autumn- dark, rusty colors, boots, blazers, and satchels that make me think of back-to-school time. I can easily picture all of these items in my closet, mingling with my other favorite things and layering together like the best of friends. Even the trousers and jeans appeal to me, which is weird since I'm usually a strictly dress/shorts/skirts/tights fan. Maybe this is a sign that I should actually buy a new pair of the UO cigarette jeans I've been eyeing. We'll see. In the meantime, take a look at these Madewell outfits, and enjoy your short-term autumn nostalgia.

Most Peculiar.

2011-05-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dress and Cardigan: F21

Boots: UO

Bag: Vintage, Silverlake Arts, Crafts, and Vintage

Remember how I complained about the 90 degree heat two posts ago? Well, it's pouring outside right now, and it's 30 degrees cooler than before. Southern California is being weird lately, but I obviously don't mind as long as I get cloudy, cardigan-appropriate weather. Any excuse to postpone breaking out my summertime wardrobe is fine by me! Speaking of summertime, I feel the need to announce that I somehow got an A in Pilates class. That shouldn't seem hilarious, but considering how ridiculously bad I was at pilates, I think a good five minute's worth of laughter is appropriate.

And now, for some news that I actually care about- check out these nifty new boots! I've been waiting for them to go on sale since October (yeah, I know, I'm dedicated), and they finally did! Between these and those wooden platform sandals, you'd think my shoe shopping impulses would be gone for awhile. But no. There are a few pairs of flats that I'm already eyeing. Shoes have always been my least favorite thing to shop for until recently, though, so let's just consider it making up for lost time.

And just for fun, here's a picture of what my hair looks like after a sudden, extremely violent gust of wind barrels through my shot like a wild stampede of Mufasa-murdering wildebeests. Stunning and not at all messy, obviously. Or maybe I'm just going for the unbrushed hipster look. Yeah, that sounds cooler, let's go with that.

Roam If You Want To.

2011-05-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

As of Wednesday at 2:30, another not-so-glorious semester at community college will finally be over. While the other young whippersnappers in my class are busy planning their summer vacations to Narnia or wherever the hell kids these days go, I'm up to my eyeballs in planning a jampacked schedule of watching Doctor Who, sleeping, and mastering the art of the iPhone. Oh yeah, and I'll be doing that whole "online math class" thing, but I'm trying not to think about it too much.

In place of actual vacations, since my actual travel schedule is looking.....well, completely empty at the moment, I've once again resorted to that old blogger wanderlust stand-by: imaginary travel outfits. Enjoy the fabulous ensembles that I'll be pretending to wear while I explore these exotic locales on Google Earth.

Visiting Elizabeth in Minnesota:

She can't come out here, I probably can't go out there, and it all kind of sucks. But if I could go visit her, we'd spend our sunshine-y days going to craft fairs and camping in her backyard (and by camping, I mean building a blanket fort in her living room once we realize that sleeping outside in a tent is an awful idea). Can I just take a second to say how depressing it is to never see your best friend, especially on summer break when there's so many things you could be doing? Liveblogging movies together isn't quite the same as late-night movie marathon sleepovers, but it'll have to do for now.

Thrift Shopping in San Francisco:

Every summer, the urge to visit San Francisco overwhelms me, and yet I haven't been there since I was a year old. I reckon that doesn't really count, does it? One of these days I'll make it up to the bay, and the thrift shopping will be just as magnificent as I've dreamed. Also, I've heard there are a great many cupcake shops in the area that would make me weep with happiness, so that's another big plus.

Teatime in London:

Obviously the vacation that I most long for is an epic, never-ending trip to London. You all know by now how desperate I am to move to England one day, and every summer that I'm not there just gets more and more frustrating. Hopefully a study abroad program will become a possibility once I finally transfer to a real university, but until that happens, my summertime dreams will be filled with imaginary afternoons browsing Topshop and sipping tea at pretty cafes.

(Outfit details here)

Trudge Through Winter and Spring For This.

2011-05-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Crochet top: Buffalo Exchange

Shorts: F21

Shoes: Target

Oh look, my arms are bare and I'm not wearing a cardigan. This is weird. But you guys do not understand how hot it suddenly got here. It was over 90 degrees at my school this week, and I swear I was on the verge of death from the time I walked out the door to the time I collapsed at home beneath the air conditioning vent. Southern California, when I said I wanted spring weather, I did not mean to jump thirty degrees in the course of a week. No one appreciates that kind of behavior, weather. No one.

No matter how hot it gets, though, you'll never get me to put my trusty tights away, especially not while I'm in my nifty new shoes! Since my toes are prooobably my least favorite body part (they just gross me out. I'm not even sure why), I used to swear that I'd never buy a pair of sandals, but apparently wearing tights with open-toed shoes is totally acceptable now! Problem solved! We probably have other bloggers to thank for that trend, and I'd like to send them all fruit baskets in appreciation, because I'm in love with these shoes!

Other new loves of my life include these eyeshadows from my friends at Apothica. Now, I'm not saying that I spent two hours locked in the bathroom perfecting a billion variations of smokey eyes....but yeah. That's basically what I did. Studying for finals is so much less entertaining than mastering makeup techniques.

And in other news, my pilates class is finally over!!! Never again will I be forced to wear leggings as pants in public! Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be lounging around lazily for the rest of my non-exercising life.

Spring Inspiration: Thom Dolan

2011-04-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Time for another bad blogger apology! Sorry for breaking my posting routine again this week--I was doing so well for awhile, but the end of the semester is finally catching up with me! Thankfully, it'll be over soon, and summer has never seemed so exciting, if only because I won't be doing pilates twice a week anymore. The last pilates session is next Thursday, and I'm not even kidding when I say there may be tears of joy.

Anyway, while I sit here dying for summer to come, here's some inspiration for the warm weather from Thom Dolan's spring 2011 lookbook. The pictures make me think of foggy June mornings along the northwest coast, which is preeetty much my dream summer vacation. Once again, I find myself wanting to crawl into a lookbook and live there forever.

You can check out the rest of the outfits here! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Garden Gate.

2011-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dress: Vintage 1960s, Buffalo Exchange

Jacket: F21

Purse: Vintage, Goodwill

As promised on Wednesday, here are the second set of Getty pictures featuring the best vintage dress to ever grace my closet. I'd like to apologize in advance for cropping my face out of nearly all of these shots; somehow, I managed to blink, sneeze, cough, wheeze, or just plain durp in 90% of that day's pictures. That's a pretty impressive screw-up rate, even for a professional picture screwer-upper like me. But my face is far less interesting than this dress anyhow. Like I said, it's pretty cool, and it only cost me nine dollars! I was waiting for a perfect place to wear it, and when I found out that the Getty has a massive garden, it came out of the wardrobe for some vintage-style frolicking.

And thus concludes my first trip to the Getty. Apparently there's another, lesser known Getty Museum in Malibu, and it's filled with Greek and Roman art, so that will have to be my next daytrip! Oh museums, how I love thee.

P.S. Time is running out to enter my giveaway! It's closing tonight, so go check it out!

Take All Your Chances While You Can.

2011-04-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm about to say something that will shock my fellow Southern Californians- I've never been to the Getty Museum until now. Don't ask me how that's even possible, because I honestly have no idea; this week, however, I finally made it there after months and months of saying, "I'll go next weekend...well, maybe the next weekend...weeeell, maybe in the spring...weeeeell, maybe when they find a cure for procrastination..." And you know what? The Getty is a pretty nifty place. I have a feeling that I'll get quite friendly with this here museum now that we've been introduced.

The best part of the museum was obviously seeing Van Gogh's Irises. He's been my favorite painter since...oh, seventh grade? Naturally, I geeked out just a little bit (but not enough to pose for pictures with it like a group of tourists in front of me did. That seemed a little weird). My cliche geekiness extended right down into the handy-dandy gift shop, where I promptly bought a reproduction of the painting to frame above my desk, and Van Gogh stickers. Yes. Stickers. You know you've hit the big time when your art is popular enough to be sold in portable, stickable form. Congratulations, Vincent, your life's work is going to decorate my notebooks. Dreams do come true.

After spending an appropriate amount of time in front of Irises (where, while taking pictures with the flash off, a random woman rudely told me to turn off my camera flash...which was already off. Thank you, random woman, for not knowing the difference between a strobe flash and the power light that every digital camera has. Obviously, back in my photography major days, the one thing I never mastered was switching off the flash. /sarcasm), I proceeded to get lost once or twice or four times in the other equally cool exhibits. Along with the standard paintings and statues, there were some really gorgeous rooms set up to look like French manors in the 1700s. If the Getty would let me, I'd move right into those rooms, but I'm pretty sure that's frowned upon. Like, 92% sure.

If you're wondering where my outfit pictures for this post have gone, fear not- there's a whole other set of photos from the garden area at the museum. It was so pretty down there that it deserves its own post. On Friday, you'll see me awkwardly posing with a billion different flowers and waterfalls and rock gardens, so check back then for more Getty shenanigans!

Sponsor Spotlight: The1727

2011-04-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited for today's post, because I get to introduce you all to my fantastic new sponsor! Everyone, meet The1727! You probably haven't heard of them just yet, but when you fall in love, remember who set the two of you up! If you like lace, ruffles, vintage inspiration, or soft pastels, then you're going to have quite a few things to add to your wishlist once their shop officially opens.

The full website won't be unveiled until mid-May, but in the meantime, you can get ready for the grand opening by entering their contest! Just by registering at their site, you'll get a sequence number for the giveaway. If you're their lucky 1000th member, you get $500 to spend at The1727, plus free shipping for life! Even if you're not the 1000th member, you've still got a chance at winning a prize- if you tell your friends to enter and one of them takes home the cash, you could get $75 (and free shipping on your first orders) just for sharing! The money goes straight into your account on the site, so there's no hassle with cards or transfers, and you can use your spending money whenever you'd like, and for as many separate orders as you please. You've got until May 6th to enter, so there's plenty of time to spread the word!

To see a preview of their lookbook, check out their Flickr, and be sure to give their shop a look come May! Like I said earlier, this could be the beginning of a wonderful love affair...

White Collar Girl.

2011-04-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Jumper: F21

Lace Blouse: Equipment via Melrose Trading Post

Skirt: F21

Bag: Mulberry for Target

Oxfords: Vintage, thrifted

Bow ring: Melrose Trading Post

Look at that! Two outfit posts in a row! Miracle of miracles! See, I told you I'd start being a better blogger! This outfit is from earlier in the week, right before it started to warm up- it's supposed to be 90 degrees next week, but at least I got to wear my beloved jumpers a few more times before the inevitable complaining about the heat begins.

Anyway, this outfit was inspired by an unlikely combination, Karen Gillan and Wednesday Addams. The mini skirt, jumper, and Mulberry are obviously the Gillan-y components, but the white collar peeking out from underneath an all-black ensemble definitely made me feel like a creepy schoolgirl. I even thought about braiding my hair, just to really drive home the look, but I'm pretty terrible at braiding- no matter what I do, they always turn out lopsided and hilariously messy. Maybe I just wasn't born with the innate braiding gene or something.

That's all for now! Hopefully I'll get in some new outfit pictures over the weekend and keep up my amazing two post non-slacking streak! Wouldn't that be a feat?! Oh, and while you're all here, you should totally enter my giveaway. No, really. Do it. You can win a giftcard to spend on all sorts of beauty products. That's always fun!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

We'll Grow Old Together.

2011-04-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dress: UO

Boots: Dolce Vita for Target

I'm making good on my promise to take more outfit pictures, so here's the first set of the week! This dress was on the $10 sale rack at Urban Outfitters last weekend, and I just couldn't pass it up. All the stripes and ruffles reminded me of Ms.Lovett from Sweeney Todd (she's my favorite musical character ever, so that's definitely a good thing in my eyes!), and I spent the entire night pretending to be trapped in a Tim Burton movie. It would have looked even more appropriate if I'd left my hair unstraightened- it naturally curls into a crazy Helena Bonham Carter-style mess. Ah well, there's always next time.

This outfit accompanied me to "The Valley," a.k.a my least favorite part of Southern California, on Saturday night with Kristina to see her brother's band play at a small and occasionally unintentionally hilarious music center. The shows are always a mixed bag of really good, semi-good, mediocre, and "Oh god, my ears are bleeding!" bands, but this particular show was actually really fun! One band called The Film Noir especially caught my attention, though I think their outfits probably helped to win me over. These kids were straight out of an indie movie, and I spent half of their set trying to get a decent picture of their thrift-tastic clothes.

They probably thought I was a creeper, to be honest, because I took so many shots, but the lead singer's tights and zebra button-up were amazing, and most of the pictures were turning out blurry! I really want to try my hand at street style photography and things like that, which requires actually...you know...getting said photography of other people, so I had to keep trying! Not completely horrible for a first attempt, I guess.

In other People Who Aren't Me Wearing Clothes That I Would Like To Own News, here is a random close-up of Kristina's leather jacket. Seriously, I love this thing.

One last low-quality shot of the singer. I never got a decent one of the guy to her left, but his clothes were pretty spiffy, too. I wouldn't be surprised to run into either of them at Melrose Trading Post- it seems like their kind of place, and that makes them my kind of people.

And that concludes the first of many new outfit posts! Well, as long as I remember to take more pictures this week. If a second post shows up by Friday, you'll know I'm on a roll!

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway- you could win some fantastic beauty and skincare products!

Sponsor Giveaway: SkinCareRx Gift Card!

2011-04-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's been far too long since I've held a giveaway, but I've got a really great one for you guys this month courtesy of my new sponsors, SkinCareRx! This is a bit of a change from the types of giveaways normally found on fashion blogs; there are no sparkly rings or vintage purses in this post, nor is this even specifically related to fashion. But I do feel like a skincare prize is something that a lot of fellow bloggers might enjoy. I've had trouble with my skin for as long as I can remember, and I know firsthand how hard it can be to pose for pictures or even feel confident in an outfit if you're constantly worrying about how your face looks.

For that reason, I'm so excited to offer one of my readers a $25 giftcard to spend at SkinCareRx! If you've ever wanted to try a new product or brand, this is your chance- they carry dozens of brilliant, quality brands, including one that I've always wanted to try, Dermalogica! The UltraCalming Cleanser sounds especially nice if you've got ridiculously sensitive skin like I do, but no matter what your skin type or needs, I'm willing to bet they've got something perfect! Oh, and I should mention that SkinCareRx carries some lovely mineral makeup, too, if you need any more reasons to be excited.

CONTEST RULES AND INFO:

*The contest is open from now until Friday, April 22nd at midnight.

*Entries are open to everyone, including international entries, but please double-check that SkinCareRx ships to your country.

*Please add me and SkinCareRx to your email contact lists so your winning notification doesn't go to spam!

*Your $25 giftcard is redeemable at SkinCareRx and their sister shops, Apothica and SkinBotanica!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are three ways to enter, plus bonuses. You can complete as many as you'd like for one entry each. After finishing each one, leave a comment below saying what you did (and link to it, if possible!), plus your email address so I can contact you!

Option 1:

*Visit SkinCareRx.com, then stop by their Facebook page and comment on their wall telling them what you think.

BONUS: Sign up for their newsletter!

Option 2:

*Visit SkinCareRx and tweet about it.

BONUS: Visit their Twitter and retweet about this giveaway.

Option 3:

*Visit SkinCareRx and write something on your blog about what you think.

BONUS: Write something about Dermalogica and link to to SkinCareRx.

Good luck, everyone! :)

She Had To Roam The Streets

2011-04-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hoy Fashion, The SF Style

I've really been slacking on my own outfit pictures, haven't I? For a personal style blog, I really sort of fail at the whole...you know..."personal style" aspect sometimes. From now on, I'm going to make a serious effort to photograph what I wear more often, especially now that it's spring and I can get a little more creative with my clothes. But since my new "suck less at remembering to take pictures" goal has just started, I don't have any to share today. Next week will be much more promising, but in the meantime, will some inspirational street style pictures make fair replacements?

Refinery29, The Style Scout

Streetgeist, Stockholm StreetStyle

Hoy Fashion, Refinery29

Refinery29, I can't remember where I found this one. Oops.

Fun Fact: The background of the left picture is Intelligentsia, a.k.a that one coffee place in Silverlake that I never shut up about. From my time spent among the hipsters and lattes there, I can confirm that approximately 90% of its patrons are as stylish as this girl. It's true.

That's all the people-who-aren't-me-wearing-clothes-I-wish-I-owned goodness for now, but check back Friday for something far more exciting. I can't say what it is precisely, but it involves giving...and awaying...Oh, I'm so vague and mysterious.

Shop Spotlight: Ramona West

2011-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Another Friday, another Shop Spotlight! This week features another one of my all-time favorite online vintage shops (I know, I know. I have quite a lot of favorites!), Ramona West. Ever since finding this place months ago, I've been hooked on checking the new arrivals for inspiration. It's like they have a direct link to my mind- if I'm dying for leather skirts, they've got a new one. When navy and white polka dots are my obsession, something perfect shows up in the store. And if I'm feeling especially nerdy (which happens preeetty much every day of my life), they get in a UFO-print dress. As they say on Tumblr, this shop is my Spirit Animal, and oh, do I love it. Just look at these amazing finds and try to tell me they're not something straight out of my deepest, darkest wardrobe fantasies.

If you're at all interested in vintage and you haven't already fallen in love with Ramona West, definitely check them out. You won't be disappointed. Promise. Just don't buy that UFO dress, because I'm calling dibs! Now if I only had money...

Test Pattern

2011-03-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said last week that all of my new spring clothes were going to coordinate with my pre-planned color palettes? ..... Yeah. That didn't happen. Did I get any earthy browns or dusty pinks this weekend? Nope. But I did get some lovely shades of gray, black, and burgundy. I should really stop trying to plan things. But even though it's not brown or rust-colored, I still think I deserve cool points for this new UO leopard print jumper. It's so comfy, and the weather had better stay rainy and chilly long enough to get some use out of it before the temperature sky-rockets to 85.

My closet also got a bit more plaid-ified this week thanks to Elizabeth, who sent me a Hipster Care Package filled with two skirts and a lace cropped jacket. Why? Because she's the best friend in the world.

In return, I'm making her a Hipster Care Package filled with funny socks and a special surprise straight from the flea market. I'll be keeping these three pairs for myself, though, because honestly, can you ever have too many animal-themed footwear products? I think not.

Oh, and that rope-embroidered dress from Buffalo Exchange that I talked about last week? There it is in all of its semi-blurry, abstract glory. As soon as the weather does hit 85, this little lady is coming out to play. Basically, whatever the temperature does this week, my wardrobe is prepared. Bring it, spring!

Guest Blogging: Springtime Showers

2011-03-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! My post today is over on my sister's website, Weddzilla, where I'm blogging about ...well, wedding-y fashion. To be honest, I'm not sure why anyone would take my advice on anything even remotely related to weddings, since I admittedly have no experience or knowledge in that field, but I do like looking at pretty dresses. That makes me qualified, right? Anyway, this week's post isn't specific to weddings- it's basically just one of my typical outfit collage extravaganzas with a general bridal shower theme. But even if you're not interested in bridal showers, the outfits are nice and springy, and there's a random reference to The Great Gatsby thrown in there..soooo...yeah. If you'd like to check it out, you can find it here!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

(Color)Block Schedule

2011-03-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Rusty Oranges

This post is based on a weird pattern I noticed in my own shopping habits; apparently, I buy things in colorblocks. While attempting to reorganize my closet (that...didn't really work out...but that's another story for another day), I realized that most of my new spring clothes were in the same color families, and clothes that had been bought on the same day tended to match each other. Is this information useful? Well....not really. But it did get me thinking about what color palettes I'd like to add to my closet. Rusty oranges have been my latest shopping theme, but I wouldn't mind stocking up on the rest of these now that spring is here.

Earthy Browns

Dusty Pinks

Creamy Whites

Denim Blues

Now that I've actually planned ahead, just watch- I'll come home from Buffalo Exchange with a bag full of something totally unexpected like bright yellows or, more likely, a new crop of navy blue. Probably of the polka dot variety. What a predictable shopper I am.

(For item details, click here)

Spring Inspiration: The Loved One

2011-03-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about spring that makes me suddenly obsessed with pretty, lacy lingerie, but as soon as the weather warms up, I start wishing I had a wardrobe filled with pretty underwear.Weird. But maybe this lookbook from The Loved One has something to do with my new interest? All of their vintage-style lingerie ensembles are infinitely prettier than any of the actual clothes I own, and I'd have no complaints lounging around at home alone in them, pretending to be in a softly-lit photo spread. Anyway, I'll be stalking their online shop from now until the end of time. Apparently they had a pop-up shop in L.A last month, before I knew about them, so that's a bit of a shame- it probably would have made for some great pictures (and shopping, of course). But until next time, I'll just have to admire all the lace and general gorgeousness from afar, waiting for every last piece to magically materialize in my closet. Excuse me while I keep dreaming.

In The Wilderness Downtown

2011-03-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Denim Jacket: F21

Cropped Top: H&M

Velvet Dress: Vintage

Boots: Dolce Vita for Target

As of Saturday morning, I am officially on spring break! For every other person at my college, this means an entire week of partying in Mexico or some other supposedly exotic locale, but me? Nahhh. I'm just hanging out in Downtown Ventura, taking bags of clothes to Buffalo Exchange and trading them in for spiffy new things straight from my spring wishlists. Yesterday I got $45 worth of store credit there, and I was as happy as a nerd at a Star Trek convention (a.k.a myself at a Star Trek convention). I swear, that store is like a wonderland to me. Among my thrifted conquests were two sleeveless, lacy cardigans, a sheer Peter Pan collar blouse that buttons in the back, and a 1960s dress covered in embroidered ropes. Have you ever just loved your new clothes so much that you want to wear them all at once for days on end? That is how I feel at the moment. Anyway, after my shenanigans of the shopping variety, I wandered around Ventura for a bit and snapped a few pictures down by the Mission.

In other news, look what showed up in my mailbox recently! The amazing people at Pan Am sent me a passport cover to match my bag! I've been using it as my wallet, and it gets complimented every time I carry it into Starbucks. Thanks again, guys!

If any of you are on Spring Break now, have a great week! Go out and have an adventure for me, okay?

Shop Spotlight: Hoy Boutique

2011-03-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since I've done a Shop Spotlight! It's about time to bring back the tradition, yes? This week's featured store is Hoy Boutique, one of the newest additions to my long list of reasons to envy all of you lucky U.K girls. Hoy Fashion has been my favorite street style site since I first began blogging, and when I found out they were launching a vintage shop, I nearly died with excitement. And the entire shop is basically just an extension of Hoy Fashion's eye-candy, but with the added bonus of being able to buy the outfits! What I love best is how the models are allowed to choose and style their own looks, so it really does feel more like browsing a street style blog rather than a store. But of course, there is a downside to all of this magnificence- they only ship within the U.K. Cue Hoy Fashion fans all across America crying. Honestly, all the best things are across the pond. But just because I can't actually order any of these clothes, that doesn't mean I can't stare adoringly at them.

If you're not in the U.K and you want to join the "Excuse Me While I Stare Longingly At Things I Cannot Possess" Club, click on through to Hoy Boutique and prepare yourself to be overcome with desperation. If you do live in the lovely Kingdom of United...well...just think of me while you're ordering pretty things, okay? I'll be there in spirit.

Elizabethan Era

2011-03-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

Set 1: Silverlake

There have been very few things to get excited about for the past few months. Most of my time is spent going to class, grumbling about going to class, limping around with a new pilates-induced injury, or sitting in front of the computer. But there are two bright spots on the horizon at the moment: spring break is in less than a week, meaning no pilates for nine glorious days, aaand my best friend Lizzy is planning to come visit me at some point in the near future! Not in time for spring break, unfortunately, but still. Soon! Since most of my friends live far away (really far away. Like NARNIA far away), I hardly ever get the chance to go places with them, or have sleepovers, or even just go to get coffee and have a long talk. And it sucks. So I'm obviously crazy excited to have Lizzy stay out here for awhile! Being the ridiculous, slightly OCD person that I am, I've already planned all of the places I want to take her...well, when we're not having all-night Doctor Who and Torchwood marathons back at the hotel. And any time I'm excited about something, of course I have to make collages of the fantasy outfits I'd wear for such an occassion. Lizzy, get out here ASAP! We have thrift shopping and flea marketing to do in spectacularly hip outfits!

Set 2: Melrose

Set 3: Lunch Date

Into The Wild

2011-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Elbow patch jumper: H&M

Leather dress: H&M

Bag: Mulberry for Target

Boots: Dolce Vita for Target

Necklaces: Urban Outfitters and FleaMarketGirl

I might as well just rename this blog "Playing Wildlife Photographer," because what are we up to now, 812 zoo-themed posts? That's just a rough guesstimate, since I lost track back in the 200 range. But if you're not sick of seeing random critters going about their zoological lives, you're in luck! My biological anthropology class required a trip to the Los Angeles Zoo to observe primates and take notes on other species, and obviously, I had no complaints. Honestly, I can't think of a better thing to be graded on then spending a day taking pictures of animals. Oh, and I feel I should mention that I wore elbow patches during my excursion. That fact isn't relevant to my school project, but whatever. The dorky professor look excites me.

Watching baby komodo dragons while wearing elbow patches = my perfect day. It truly doesn't get nerdier than this.

Spring Inspiration: Limedrop

2011-03-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

My list of favorite spring collections is growing exponentially. It seems like every other day, I stumble across some brilliant new lookbook that I want to stare at for hours on end until all of the outfits magically materialize on my body. Far From Home, the new collection from the Australian label Limedrop, is the latest in my long line of spring 2011 obsessions, and can you blame me for falling in love with it?! Were I to dream up the perfect wardrobe for Spring Break, Far From Home would come pretty damn close to my fantasies. It's full of all the things I most want for this season- leather, cropped tops, and polka dots. And the bustier tops? I'll take five, please.

You can see the full collection here. And while you're there, check out their jewellery section- the windmill, fox, and bowtie necklaces are probably the cutest things you'll see this week. Unless you live in a house filled with puppies or something...but even so, you should still look at the necklaces. I'm telling you, they're adorable.

Mod Squad

2011-03-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I'm back from my mini-hiatus. Sorry again for the absence, but my blogging schedule will be back to normal from now on. Anyway, I have some exciting news- I'm going to be a part of the 2011 Mod Squad for Modcloth! If you've been following Playing Dress-Up for awhile, you'll know that I love Modcloth more than I love funny cat videos (and that is quite a lot of love), so you can imagine how happy I am to be on the team! One of the main reasons I started a blog in the first place was because of how much Modcloth inspired me, so it feels great to be a little bit more connected to them. As of right now, I'm not entirely sure what being a Mod Squad-er will entail, but I can't wait to start getting involved. And while we're on the subject, I made a little wishlist for spring...again. How it's already March, I have no idea- wasn't it January a few days ago? What happened?!- but new months always make me want to do some fantasy shopping, and Modcloth has approximately 2.5 billion things that belong in my closet as soon as possible.

So are any of you part of the Mod Squad this year, or have you ever been in it before? High fives all around! Let's get some virtual cupcakes and macarons for a digital party!

MTP: A Love Story

2011-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Denim Jacket: F21

Dress: UO

Necklaces: F21 and Flea Market Girl

Boots: Dolce Vita for Target

Hey everyone! Sorry about the sporadic posting schedule lately, I know I've been a very bad blogger for the past few weeks. School has just been sucking all the joy from my life lately. It's not that I don't have time to blog, but more like going to that awful community college every day and being surrounded by drug addicts and high school drop-outs leaves me feeling really uninspired. By the time I get home, all I want to do is sit passively in front of the computer with an episode of Torchwood and a bowl of ice cream. Thankfully, a much-needed trip to the Melrose Trading Post this weekend managed to cheer me up and convince me to pull out my old camera again. Flea Markets: Good for the apathetic college student's soul.

The first thing I picked up at MTP was this funny little ring that I'm pretty sure was made for five year olds with impossibly tiny hands. In other words, it fits my borderline-midget fingers perfectly. But the real selling point for me was the fact that it looks like a bowtie. That Doctor Who obsession is still going strong, obviously.

Of course, any time I go to MTP, I have to stop at Intelligentsia, the hippest hipster coffee shop to ever hip. Honestly, this place is like something straight out of an indie movie. The guy in front of me in line was talking to a girl in plaid and Ray-Bans about organic herbs and the benefits of being at one with nature. The sugar packets in this place aren't normal sugar packets- they're raw, unprocessed sugar. They have a wall dedicated to Death Cab for Cutie. And there are no seats in the actual building- everyone hangs out on the patio. It's the most amusing coffee bar you'll ever visit, and they make the most delicious sweet latte you'll ever drink. I essentially want to live there.

And now, back to my MTP scores. My favorite booth at the event is still FleaMarketGirl, and I can never escape from that table without buying at least two necklaces. This time around, Big Ben and a hedgehog followed me home.

One of the things I've been dying to get for spring is a sheer lace button-up, and a random sale rack at the market had exactly that. I've seen ones just like it at H&M for $40, but mine was only $5!

So to summarize, I'm still madly in love with MTP, and whenever school starts to eat away at me, I know this place will make everything suck a little bit less. I might not have a Valentine this year, but I have a new hedgehog necklace. That's good enough for me.

Spring Inspiration: Elkin

2011-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Once again, I'm really slow on the uptake, and have never been aware of Refinery29 until last month. Since finding it and ending the era of me being the last fashion blogger on Earth to not know of its wonders, I've gotten pretty obsessed with a whole new group of designers. I wish I could write a thank you note to Refinery29 for introducing me to some of these ridiculously amazing collections, especially Elkin! How have I lived without Elkin?! Again, I know I claim to have found a "new favorite designer" every other week, but seriously. I love this lookbook like I love coffee. And that is A LOT of love.

The looks range from sexy to "oh my god, cutest thing ever," which basically represents my dream wardrobe contents. I can't imagine where, when, or who for I'd wear that geometric bra ensemble, but that doesn't stop me from wanting it badly! Hey, I've worked hard in pilates lately and I want to show it off! On the other hand, the cute dresses and shorts-over-tights are closer to my daily uniform, and definitely easier to recreate for class! But really, can I just have the entire collection?

That's only about half of the collection, and every outfit is equally amazing. Be warned before clicking through to the rest, though - you might end up just as obsessed and crazed with lust as me! To see the full lookbook, head on over here!

Fabricated

2011-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

If you read Friday's post, you were probably expecting to see an outfit post right now. Obviously, this is not an outfit post. My bad. But I do have a decent excuse this time! See, I got up early Sunday morning all set to go on a terrific, antique-y, vintage-y adventure at the Melrose Trading Post flea market, and take a few snapshots in the process. But when I looked out the window, I wasn't greeted by any singing birds or cheery rays of sunshine. Only rain. Buckets and buckets of rain. The flea market apparently, no matter the weather, carries on (must be a British flea market, yes?), but I'm not nearly dedicated enough to the craft of shopping to schlep around in the mud and floodwaters for the sake of buying a cute dress from the 1970s. Melrose Trading Post will be on my to-do list next weekend, but this Sunday was all about the warm, dry, indoor mall.

Even though my Trading Post dreams were dashed, I'm still ridiculously pleased with my new things! Going to the most boring school in the world is way more fun when you can look forward to putting on a great new outfit in the morning. Today, I'm excited to wear the denim jacket I picked up at Forever 21. Yes, it's the one from Friday's wishlist! A turquoise ring also followed me home, because I can never walk into F21 and not buy at least one accessory.

And OH LOOK! I finally made it to Zara! I only got one shirt, a floral peter pan collar tee, because for some reason everything else I tried on was way too big or baggy or long. Maybe Zara is made for tall people? Anyway, it was still a nifty place, and I'll be keeping an eye out for when a certain elbow pad blazer goes on sale.

Urban Outfitters also got a significant amount of business from me. What else is new? But they were having one of their massive sales that I LIVE FOR, and I found a flannel dress and silk polka dot skirt for only $10 each! Victory!

Oh, and then I went back to Forever21 and got polka dot socks for 95 cents, because I'm cool like that. After that, a quick stop at H&M "just to look around" resulted in the purchasing of the single coolest leather dress of all time. I'm dying to wear it out somewhere and get pictures. I feel like a spy in it!

Long story short, it was a very successful weekend of wardrobe-enhancing.

Wishful Thinking

2011-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it happened again. I forgot to take outfit pictures before class this week, and you all know what that means! Yes, hastily-made collages are coming your way instead. I proooomise to snap some decent shots this weekend, and get back on my regular blogging schedule, but just humor me and put up with one more wishlisty post in the meantime.

My Top Five Spring Essentials Wishlist

#1 Denim Jacket

F21, Zara, Topshop

#2 New Sunglasses

F21, UO, Nordstrom

#3 Grungey Floral Dresses

Modcloth, UO, Topshop

#4 Statement Necklace

Topshop, Anthropologie, UO

#5 Non-Denim Shorts

Topshop, UO, F21

I'll be back Monday with a proper outfit post, maybe even wearing one or two of these items after a nice little shopping trip! Have a fantastic weekend! <3

Sweet Lovers Love The Spring

2011-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Miss Unkon

Well, spring came to Southern California extra-early this year! The snow might be falling on half of the country right now, but in my town, it's going to be in the mid-70s all week. On one hand, I definitely have nothing to complain about, since I know my friends from colder climates would gladly give their frostbitten toes to swap places with me. On the other hand, I'm a little disappointed that it's already so warm, since winter is my favorite season. But an early spring isn't a bad thing by any means! My wardrobe has been thrown into a complete tailspin by all these weather shenanigans, though- it usually takes me forever to sort out my transitional season outfits, but now I've had to start pulling warm weather clothes out of my closet with pretty much no warning. But honestly, I'm kind of excited to wear some of my lighter dresses and skirts again without tights! I don't think you guys understand just how thoroughly I shaved my legs tonight in preparation. SO thoroughly. And, of course, I've got more spring inspiration saved on my computer than you can shake a leafy branch at. Even if it's freezing cold wherever you are, hopefully these pictures will give you some nice ideas for when spring finally arrives in your corner of the universe!

Russh Magazine

Fuck Yeah Karen Gillan, Lookbook: Porcelain

Autilia

Pandora, Creatures of Comfort

Fashionising

TwentySevenNames, Carven

Topshop

Stolen From Grandma, Street Smart

Feaverish Photography

Topshop, Charlotte Ronson

I've Still Got Legs.

2011-01-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

T-Shirt: William Rast for Target

Cardigan: LoveCulture

Leggings: Aerie

Hair Scarf: Forever21

Boots: Dolce Vita For Target

As promised on Wednesday, I did indeed remember to take pictures of one of my pilates outfits. It's not the most exciting ensemble in the world, but I like it anyway. And guess what? I'm slowly getting over my phobia of leggings! That initial feeling of "OH DEAR GOD, I FORGOT TO PUT ON PANTS AND AM NOW LIVING IN A NIGHTMARE" still happens every time I walk out the door in them, and I've got constant "SWEET BABY ZEUS, IS MY ASS SUPER-VISIBLE RIGHT NOW AND OH MY LORD I HOPE THE FABRIC ISN'T CLINGING TO MY CROTCH" paranoia...but other than that, I'm starting to like leggings. By the end of the semester, I might even be able to wear them outside of an exercise setting. Stranger things have happened!

The one thing that always bothers me when dressing for pilates, though, is that jewellery isn't allowed. Obviously wearing loads of necklaces to work out would be sort of stupid and pointless, but it's still taken some getting used to. I'm an accessories junkie and I am PROUD. In an attempt to be less boring, I tied an old scarf turban-style in my hair today, but it ended up getting tangled with my ponytail twist within the first few minutes of class. Clearly, I have yet to master the art of the hair scarf.

Oh, and of course I'm not wearing plain old trainers to class. Never. Shiny buckle-up boots look way cooler with leggings.

In Those Hollywood Hills

2011-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Jayma Mays (Alberta Ferretti)

Today's post is admittedly a tiny bit lazy. I had plans to do a big post about all of clothes I bought during my back-to-school shopping spree, but I'm still getting used to working around my new class schedule, so taking outfit pictures kept getting put on the back burner. This week, I'll be sure to get around to it at some point before class, since I've come to realize that I never feel like taking them once I get home. Until then, however, let's just look at pretty dresses from the Golden Globes and wish there were reasons in everyday life to wear designer gowns.

Sarah Hyland (Max Azria Atelier), Olivia Wilde (Marchesa)

This year's Golden Globes dresses were only mildly interesting to me. I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm getting harder to impress, and on the other side of the coin, harder to disgust and repulse. My reaction to 90% of the gowns was "Oh. Well, she looks nice." The only ladies who really caught my eye are the ones featured in this post, with Olivia Wilde and Jayma Mays topping my Best Dressed List. Other than this small handful of girls, I can hardly remember what was worn down the red carpet. The entire time, I just kept wishing that Karen Gillan or Carey Mulligan would suddenly appear and give me something to really freak out over. Hopefully the Oscars will be more exciting!

Megan Fox (Armani Privé), Leighton Meester (Burberry)

Angelina Jolie (Atelier Versace), Amy Adams (Marchesa)

Okay, now I'll let everyone else play fashion police! What did all of you think of the Golden Globes? Did anyone in particular really impress or horrify you, and who was your absolute favorite?

It's A Metaphor

2011-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I don't really know how to explain these pictures. They're probably the most hipster shots I've ever taken, and it seems like there should be some kind of weird metaphor behind them. My empty bedframe should represent the bare necessities of life or something along those lines. But really, it's just me sitting on my empty bedframe while waiting to get a new mattress, since the old one just got too worn-down. But I thought the frame made an interesting backdrop for pictures...well, slightly more interesting than my stairway...so here I am, looking like an uber-hipster in my funny new jean leggings and oversized plaid on thin strips of metal. Fascinating.

Cardigan and Plaid Tunic: F21

Denim Leggings: Aerie

Boots: Dolce Vita for Target

Thank You For Shopping Pan Am: The Sequel

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

My brand-new Pan Am bag is here! It came in the mail last night, and this afternoon it'll be making its big debut as one of my two schoolbags. I can't even tell you how much this little accessory brightened my entire week! Maybe it's silly to be this excited, but this bag has been on my wishlist for so long, and I haven't stopped grinning since it arrived! Thanks again to CSN Stores, you guys are the best!

If you're wondering if this lovely carryall lived up to all my expectations, the answer is no. It exceeded them by a mile. Seriously, it's way cooler than even I could have anticipated. First of all, it's slightly bigger than I pictured, which is perfect. It's large enough to carry all of my school supplies and pilates gear, but not so massive that I feel like I'm hauling luggage around. If you want to use it as a travel carry-on, though, it'd be perfectly suited for that, too! It is a Pan Am product, after all!

Second of all, the amount of detailing is insane. From the luggage tag-inspired leather keychain to the Pan Am logos stamped into every metal bit and piece, it's obvious how much attention went into this item. Very impressive, especially considering it costs less than $50!

To summarize, I'm in love with my new bag. I want to carry it every hour of every day...well, when I'm not busy carrying my beloved Mulberry bags, that is! But this one is giving them a run for their money! Anyway, I'm already thinking about whether or not I should order a matching Pan Am wallet from CSN...I do like coordinating accessories...