Simple Crochet

The weather in LA has been pretty strange, so I'm never quite sure how to dress on any given day. Ever since coming back from the freezing Irish weather, I figured I would be able to withstand the cold.  However, my body has quickly gotten used to the LA sunshine, and I get a cold chill anytime the weather hits below 70 degrees...what is wrong with me!?

 Luckily, this outfit was pretty versatile and worked for the sunny (but chilly) day we had yesterday. Even though I wasn't wearing a sweater, my denim vest and new crochet scarf kept me warm. I was so excited when this cute Etsy shop* offered to send me a handmade scarf. The one I chose is a great neutral color that will go with everything, and a perfect replacement for my old Forever 21 infinity scarf that I wore all throughout Europe.

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Outfit Details:

Striped Top—H&M

Denim Vest—Nordstrom BP (shop)

Crochet Scarf—c/o Momma and Sweet Pea Crochet

*P.S. enter the code "thecaffeinatedcloset" to receive 15% off until March 15!

Skirt—thrifted (similar)

Bag—Fossil (similar)

Flats—Anthropologie (similar)

Trouser Kick

Well, I'm at it again with those parking lot photos. But...I feel like this was the perfect location to shoot this outfit because of the colors, especially the grey tones on my new brocade trousers. I'm not really sure what possessed me to get these pants, but I think I might be on a trouser kick ever since I found these harem pants. It might also have something to do with the fact that Anthro has been promoting them like crazy, and its hard to walk past a pretty display of trousers everyday at work and not try some on :) I've actually been getting a ton of use out of these pants, and have been wearing them a lot with a simple white tee and denim jacket. Unfortunately, its always my quick go-to outfits that I never get around to documenting!

I wore this outfit for a closing shift at work this weekend. Other than my one work shift, my weekend was filled with tons of fun. On Saturday, I hung out with my roommates (we saw Safe Haven and it was wonderfully cheesy and great) and on Sunday, Andrew and I spent the whole day at Disneyland. I hadn't been for a few years, so it was so fun going back. It also happened to be Dapper Day, which we didn't know about until we got there. Next year, I definitely want to dress up and get those discounted tickets!

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Outfit Details:

Top—GAP | Sweater—Kaitlyn Clothing | Trousers—Anthropologie

"Brocade Charlie Trouser" (shop) | Ankle Booties—Target (shop)

Urban Muumuu

I found this floral dress on Urban's sale rack and tried it on just for fun. It's not something I would normally purchase (and I had promised myself a while back that I wouldn't buy any more floral prints!), but for some reason it just stood out to me. Although, I'll be honest, I was a little worried it would look like a muumuu when I tried it on :) Surprisingly though, it hung well and I didn't even feel the need to belt it, which I usually do with loose dresses. I have a feeling I will be wearing it out a lot, because its the perfect dress to quickly throw on for a busy day and could easily transition from day to night. 

I took these photos at one of my favorite spots in my LA neighborhood. It's just the quiet top level of a little parking garage near my apartment, but I love the city skyline in the background. Whenever I feel stuck in my school's bubble, it's nice to come up here and remember that the real city is only a few minutes away.

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Outfit Details:

Shift Dress—Urban Outfitters | Cardigan—H&M | Tights—HUE

Boots—Marks & Spencer (similar) | Bag—Fossil (shop)

Brentwood Brunch

This past weekend Andrew and I got brunch at a cute cafe in Brentwood. Even though I was swamped with midterm studying and papers, I decided to get dressed up for a few hours before I started working. I've worn this cardigan quite a bit since I got it over winter break, but never got around to blogging about it. You all know my love for polka dots, and this sweater is no exception!

P.S. As of yesterday I finished all my midterms and papers! Having nothing to do is a weird feeling, and I already feel myself getting antsy. I guess that's just how I am, though. I'm stressed when I have a lot going on, but the second I have free time I feel uneasy and want to dive into a new project to keep myself busy. However, for now, I think I'll just focus on catching up on The Bachelor, New Girl, and Modern Family :)

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Outfit Details:

Cardigan—Ruche (shop) | Camisole—LOFT | Skirt—Anthropologie

Flats—Anthropologie (similar) | Bag—Fossil (shop)

Lady Suit

I wore this outfit for an interview I had in Downtown LA last week. After searching for the perfect pair of trousers/harem pants for months, I finally found this pair for only fifteen dollars on Forever 21's website. I was a little worried they wouldn't fit correctly, but with some quick hemming they worked perfectly! I'm glad I was able to find a good pair of trousers, because there are times where I get sick of the typical pencil skirt + blazer combo for professional looks. In fact, I love this blazer + pant combo so much, I wore it with a different top the day before on Valentine's Day! Now that I've finally got my go-to lady suit...I'm going to wear it at any chance I get :)

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Outfit Details:

Blouse—Urban Outfitters | Blazer—Urban Outfitters (similar) | Harem Pants—Forever 21

(similar) | Ankle Booties—Urban Outfitters (similar) | Watch—Michael Kors (similar)

Holiday Delay

This outfit would have been perfect around Christmastime. But, even though it's about two months late, I still decided to wear it on a chilly February day last week. It was one of those mornings where my brain was only capable of "simple" color matching...I noticed the red in my plaid shirt and could only think to pair it with my bright red pants. I was too tired to care that I looked like Christmas, so that's how this wonderfully festive (belated) holiday look came to be :) 

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Outfit Details:

Plaid Shirt—Madewell (remixed) | Cardigan—Target (similar)

Jeans—AG Stevie Ankle (shop // remixed) | Flats—Anthropologie (similar)

I Heart You

I wore my new heart sweater this week to get into the Valentine's Day spirit. I had promised myself I would wait to wear it until the actual holiday, but I just couldn't resist. Rather than wearing it alone, I decided to layer it over my favorite chambray shirt for a bit of a preppy look. I seriously can't tell you how excited I was when I saw this sweater on Forever 21's website, after I had missed out on the Old Navy version and could never afford the J. Crew version :) I definitely want to remix this sweater and try it tucked into different skirts or layered over dresses. Even though it's festive for February, I think it will work well all year long.

Tonight, Andrew and I are going out to dinner and having a simple celebration together. I also have grand plans to eat an entire box of chocolate. Tomorrow is our four-year anniversary of dating (ahhh) and we are planning on going to Disneyland sometime in the next few weeks to celebrate, so we wanted to keep our V-Day plans more low key. I'm still debating on what to wear, but I'm set on wearing something pink (perhaps this or this skirt)!

Happy Valentine's Day ♥ 

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Outfit Details:

Heart Sweater—Forever 21 (shop) | Chambray—Urban Outfitters (shop)

Jeans—Holding Horses | Bag—Fossil (shop) | Shoes—Sperry Top-Sider (shop)

Cookbook: Nutella & Banana Stuffed French Toast

For some reason, I had an overwhelming desire to make french toast this weekend. But not just any french toast—Nutella and banana stuffed french toast. This breakfast dish was a big hit with Andrew (we both have a bit of a sweet tooth) and would also be perfect for a cute Valentine's Day brunch ♥

Nutella & Banana Stuffed French Toast 

(adapted from Just a Taste)

Ingredients:

8 thick slices of bread (I used Van de Camp's "French Toast")

about ¼ cup Nutella hazelnut spread

2 ripe bananas

¾ cup low-fat milk

4 brown eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons cinnamon

a dash of salt

butter, for frying

maple syrup (if desired) for serving

Directions:

Heat griddle/frying pan over medium heat, and melt butter for frying

Take two pieces of bread and lightly spread Nutella on each piece

Place sliced banana pieces on one piece of bread, and put the two pieces together to create a sandwich

(repeat this three more times until you have four french toast "sandwiches")

Beat four eggs in a large bowl and add milk, cinnamon, and salt

Place each sandwich in the batter and allow each side to soak for about 10 seconds

Place the batter-soaked sandwich on the griddle and cook each side for about 3 minutes, or until the egg batter is fully cooked. To reduce burning, flip the french toast occasionally!

Serve with extra banana slices and maple syrup if desired

Enjoy a delicious (and very sweet) breakfast :)

Hollywoodland

Last week, my friends joined me while I adventured into Hollywood again for another sociology assignment. We drove around the gorgeous Hollywood hills neighborhood and I almost had a panic attack driving up the winding roads that could only fit one car at a time. Afterwards, we at the local Beachwood Cafe and pretended to be tourists for a little bit while a nice local resident took pictures of us. He didn't see to mind the mini photo shoot and said that he took people's pictures with the Hollywood sign all the time. But, we made sure to remind him that we actually were from LA :)

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Outfits Details:

Sweater—Bloom (shop) | Boyfriend Jeans—AG Tomboy Crops (similar)

Boat Shoes—Sperry Top-Sider (shop) | Bag—Fossil (shop)

Peplum & Polka Dots

Here's a simple outfit I wore to class this week. I held out on the peplum trend for the longest time (not because I don't like it, but because I just couldn't seem to find anything that didn't give me weird proportions), so I figured if I was going to finally buy a peplum top...it might as well have my favorite print on it. I also love the little green piping on this top and I think its style is great to dress up or down. The next time I wear it, I might pair it with black jeans and a blazer for a dressier look.

And now I'm off to catch up on all the things I procrastinated on this week...Happy Sunday!

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Outfit Details:

Top—Anthropologie "Bloomfall Peplum Tank" (shop) | Cardigan—H&M

Boyfriend Jeans—AG Tomboy Crops (similar) | Boots—Marks & Spencer (similar)

Mix it Up

Before I added my little blue scarf to the mix, this outfit was in desperate need of some color. At first, I was a little worried that the print of the scarf would be too much over the polka dot print of my dress, but I think it worked out okay. Sometimes, unexpected prints can work really nicely together...you just have to take a risk and mix it up!

P.S. So weird how I wore this same dress (and very similar pops of color!) for my 19th birthday a year and a half ago...how time flies!

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Outfit Details:

Dress—Anthropologie (remixed) | Scarf—Madewell "Storyteller Scarf" (shop// remixed)

Knit Blazer—River Island (similar) | Tights—Target | Ankle Boots—Target (shop)