Simplicity

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I'm saving my words for some long New Year's post I have yet to draft. So, in the mean time, here's a simple outfit in black and white. (Okay, my skirt is actually colorful in real life.)

Enjoy the last day of 2013 :)

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Outfit Details:

Top—Zara (similar)

Cardigan—H&M (similar)

Earrings—JewelMint (similar)

Scarf—Forever 21 (similar)

Skirt—H&M (similar)

Watch—GUESS (shop)

Bag—Fossil (shop)

Boots—Target (similar)

Christmas Cub

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We had a bigger Christmas get-together than usual this year and it was a great holiday. I decided to keep my outfit simple, so I opted for this comfy LBD and dressed it up with a glitzy vintage necklace my grandma gave to me when I was younger. Not that it really matters, since Lucy obviously stole the show in these pictures. However, judging from her quizzical look, she probably wasn't as big of a fan of this Christmas photoshoot as I was.

Happy about it or not, she's still the cutest little bear and a wonderful addition to my family. It's crazy to think my parent got her almost exactly a year ago, since it feels like she has been part of the family forever.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! ♥ 

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Outfit Details:

Dress—Madewell (shop)

Necklace—Vintage (similar)

Watch—GUESS (shop)

Heels—Zara (similar)

Pseudo-Holiday

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I found this dress at a recent trip to Wasteland and convinced myself it could work as a holiday dress, even though I'm pretty sure it's just a summer dress that happens to be black. Keeping my promise to myself, I have now worn this pseudo-holiday dress to not one, but two holiday parties—the last being a little office "holiday jubilee" my department threw on Friday. The only thing I can really recall from our party is that I probably ate my weight in peppermint brownies and then got rice krispy treat marshmallow goop all over the front of my dress...

In other news, I'm finally back home for the holidays and going to face the malls today since I just love the drama of leaving all my Christmas shopping until the last minute. For once in my life, I'm genuinely not excited about going to the mall. Happy American Consumerism Week Christmas Eve (Eve)!

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Outfit Details:

Denim Vest—Nordstrom BP (similar)

Dress—Tibi New York via Wasteland (similar)

Infinity Scarf—Nordstrom BP (similar)

Watch—GUESS (shop)

Bag—Fossil (shop)

Boots—Madewell (shop)

Work Wear

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I wore this simple outfit to work this week. It was inspired from a ton of pins mixing dressy and casual elements together. When it comes to my style, I love having balance, so pairing a casual tee and jeans with a blazer and strappy heels is the perfect combo. Plus, it's an easy look to transition from work to happy hour.

Today marks the first day of my "winter break." I put this in quotes, only because technically it's no longer a break from school since I start work full-time again after New Year's! Anyway, I'm currently blogging in one of my favorite neighborhood cafes and just relaxing after a long week at work. My college town has been essentially deserted since last Friday, so it's been oddly quiet around my apartment. Funny how an entire neighborhood can pretty much shutdown based on the college calendar. I guess you never really notice these things until you're no longer part of the majority.

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Outfit Details:

Blazer—Urban Outfitters (similar)

Tee—Madewell (shop)

Necklace—Dogeared (shop)

Watch—GUESS (shop)

Jeans—GUESS (similar)

Bag—Fossil (shop)

Heels—ZARA (similar)

'Tis The Season

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I wore this dress over the weekend when I went to see the Nutcracker and had a little "end of college" celebration with my roomie. Normally I don't buy anything this fitted, but I loved the unique print on this so much I decided to make an exception. Plus, it's super comfy and perfect to throw on for a holiday party or night out. On this particular night I dressed it up with my black blazer, but I could have easily paired it with my denim vest to dress it down a little.

Anyway, speaking of holiday parties/really just the holidays in general—this article is going to get me through it all. Thanks Refinery 29, you always seem to put exactly what I need on my Facebook newsfeed.

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Outfit Details:
Printed Dress—GUESS (shop)
Belt—Vintage (similar)
Watch—GUESS (shop)
Tights—Anthropologie (similar)
Booties—Urban Outfitters (similar)

Shadow

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Well, say hello to me and my shadow. I decided to switch up my picture-taking spot, and was left with the harsh lighting of this empty parking lot. But somehow, I think it kind of works with this black and white ensemble. I was going back into my blog archives, and saw I wore some version of this outfit almost exactly two years ago. However, I think I like this dress a little better with a denim vest so you can see the sleeves.

In other news, this weekend was great and felt like it lasted forever. There was lots of celebrating with good friends and it was just what I needed after a stressful couple of weeks. And now...happy Monday!

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Outfit Details:

Polka Dot Dress—Urban Outfitters (similar)

Denim Vest—Nordstrom BP (similar)

Belt—Thrifted (similar)

Watch—GUESS (shop)

Bag—Fossil (shop)

Tights—Anthropologie (similar)

Boots—Madewell (shop)

The Big Chill

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The rumors are true..."winter" decided to visit LA for a couple days. Don't worry though...it's gone now and back to the usual 75 degrees. While it was still chilly, I decided to pull out my favorite sweatercoat from the back of my closet. I wanted to keep the rest of my outfit simple, and liked the monochrome look that my top and scarf created. I really like the idea of wearing whites during the winter, so I think I'll probably try to recreate a similar combo again soon. 

In other news...HI, I'M DONE WITH COLLEGE. It still feels a little surreal and probably won't hit me until January, but yeah...that's where I'm at. And if I could, I would do it all over again. Kidding. Freshman year does not ever need to be repeated—only "fondly" remembered through embarrassing and slightly unrecognizable photos.

Anyway...WoOoHoOo!

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Outfit Details:

Top—Gap (similar)

Scarf—c/o Momma and Sweatpea Crochet (shop)

Sweatercoat—Anthropologie (similar)

Watch—Nixon (shop)

Jeans—AG Stevie (shop)

Ankle Boots—Madewell (shop)

A Very Velvet Holiday

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Working in Downtown LA has exposed me to the wonderful world of sample sales. A couple weeks ago, my coworkers and I made a quick stop at a couple sales in the Cooper Design Space during our lunch break. I wasn't planning on buying anything until I found this unique velvet jacket from Gypsy Junkies and knew I "had" to get it for the holidays. It's kind of funky and definitely not something I can wear everyday, but it's the perfect piece to dress up a casual t-shirt and jeans. Next time, I think I'll pair it with a simple black dress or a skirt and tights.

I don't know what it is...but there's just something about December that makes me want to dress up everyday and wear shiny velvet jackets out in public. Ever since we put up our apartment Christmas tree, I've really been getting into the holiday spirit. This "holiday spirit" mainly includes eating chocolates from my Advent calendar and buying peppermint pretzels from Trader Joe's. Also, my friends and I are having an apartment holiday party at the end of this week before everyone goes home and I can't wait. Let the Pinterest-ing of fun holiday cocktails begin...

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Outfit Details:

Velvet Jacket—Gypsy Junkies (similar)

Tee—Nordstrom (similar)

Chunky Scarf—Urban Outfitters (similar)

Watch—GUESS (shop)

Boyfriend Jeans—Marciano (shop)

Ankle Boots—Target (similar)

Homebody

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If I'm going to be completely honest, I only ventured out of my house a few times over Thanksgiving break...mainly to shop and eat. (Oh, and that one time I felt like exercising.) That's the funny thing about holiday breaks back home. The longer I've been in college, the more LA feels like home to me, rather than my actual hometown. While it will of course always be home, it's just not quite the same anymore. Everything feels a little different, and my chances of running into people I know has dramatically decreased (thank goodness—sorry the introvert in me needed to say it).

I wore this outfit on a quick shopping trip I took with my mom. I snagged this plaid shirt on sale at J.Crew on Black Friday and decided to pair it with my new destroyed jeans for a simple, casual look. I've found myself reaching for button-down shirts a ton lately, so I'm sure I'll be wearing this combo (or one just like it) a lot more this season.

P.S. Happy December! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eat a chocolate (or 10) from my TJ's Advent calendar—AKA the best part of December.

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Outfit Details:

Plaid Shirt—J.Crew (shop)

Watch—GUESS (shop)

Jeans—GUESS (shop)

Ankle Boots—Madewell (shop)

Regular Friday

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Waking up today was weird, because it was the first Black Friday in three years that I wasn't working retail. If I really wanted to, I could have woken up at the crack of dawn to score some "amazing deals," but I figured my time would be better spent sleeping and taking advantage of my day off. Instead of being a crazed sleepless shopper, I enjoyed a relaxing brunch with one of my close friends from home. I did venture to the mall later in the afternoon to pick up a few things, but by that point the crowds had died down. I also made sure to be extra (extra) nice to everyone helping me, because I have been in their shoes one too many times and, well, working retail on Black Friday is enough to make even the nicest, most patient salesperson go a little mad.

Anyway, I wore this outfit last week on a very regular Friday. I felt like dressing up a little and figured a velvety dress would do the trick. Initially, I bought this dress as a costume for a Great Gatsby themed date party that I never actually attended. But, I liked it so much that I kept it anyways. I just have this thing for shift dresses...mainly because they are essentially nightgowns that you can get away with wearing in public.

Happy Black Friday!

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Outfit Details:

Denim Jacket—Anthropologie (similar)

Cardigan—H&M (similar)

Dress—Ruche (similar)

Scarf—Nordstrom BP (similar)

Watch—GUESS (shop)

Tights—Anthropologie (similar)

Ankle Boots—Target (similar)

That Day With The Turkey

{a snapshot from our Friendsgiving a couple weeks ago}

You know, I really wasn't planning on doing a Thanksgiving post. But, here I am, taking a 20-minute break hiding from my kitchen duties and I just felt like writing. As with most Thanksgiving Day posts, it's kind of hard to not sound like a broken record. I do have a lot to be thankful for in my life right now, and I am by no means trying to undermine that. Good health, my wonderful family, true friends (new and old), and the great opportunities I've had so far. But this year, I wanted to take the time to be thankful for something that I often don't appreciate or acknowledge. In fact...it's something I often resent.

Today, I'm thankful for the time I'm at in my life right now...I'm thankful for my twenties. Maybe I sound straight out of an episode of GIRLS (in which case I call being Marnie...terrible, I know.) but that isn't my intention. I just wanted to take a step back and acknowledge that I'm at the beginning of an exciting time in my life, and while it may feel a little tumultuous/emotional/confusing now, it also feels like one of those times I'll look back on in five, ten, or even 50 years and want to relive—wishing I had appreciated it more at the time. So with that, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a wonderful day with family, friends, and good food.

P.S. If you've had enough of my reflections...it's okay, I kind of have too. You've got a break until New Year's, but after that all convoluted essay-length posts are fair game :)

Lost Summer

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Even though I wore these printed pants a ton this summer, I somehow never managed to photograph any outfits with me wearing them. Although...considering this was the "lost summer" in terms of blogging, it's actually not that surprising. Luckily for this lovely pair, I wasn't ready to retire them after summer, so they are making their big blog debut about three months late! To make them more season-appropriate, I decided to style them with a light sweater to offset their summery feel. The next time I recreate this outfit, I think I'll throw on my denim vest as another layer for good measure.

Anyway...clothing aside, I officially have three weeks left as an undergrad. It's kind of a strange feeling, but it also hasn't really hit me yet. I know I'm going to miss certain aspects of school, but as of right now I'm not looking forward to studying for finals or any of that fun stuff. On a more positive note, I am really looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving this week and just taking some time to relax before the craziness of the quarter ensues.

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Outfit Details:

Crochet Sweater—Loehmann's (similar)

Printed Pants—ANGL (similar)

Watch—GUESS (shop)

Belt—Nordstrom (similar)

Bag—Fossil (similar)

Wedges—Cathy Jean (similar)

Metropolitan

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I've been wearing this faux leather jacket a ton since I bought it for Halloween. It's been perfect for chilly fall days and helped make this dress feel a little less feminine. Also, as much as I've been complaining about taking photos at night, I do love seeing the city lights after work. Makes me feel all metropolitan...or something like that.

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Outfit Details:

Faux Leather Jacket—Target (shop)

Dress—Madewell (shop)

Cameo Necklace—vintage (similar)

Belt—thrifted (similar)

Bag—Fossil (similar)

Boots—Madewell (shop)