Making the Big Switch!

Hi everyone! As most of you probably know, Google Reader is shutting down...tomorrow!! So, if you follow The Caffeinated Closet on Google Reader, feel free to make the big switch over to Bloglovin'!

Click here to follow me!

and here too :)

Have a great rest of the weekend! Mine will be filled with laundry (if my landlord decides to fix our dryer), grocery shopping, and trying to not melt in this heat...

Evening Glow

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Since my neighborhood is a college town, it feels deserted during the summer. Surprisingly, these photos were taken Saturday night...and the parking lot was practically empty (which was very conducive to good blog photos)! I know I alwaaaays talk about this, but this is my favorite little spot in the city! I love the view of the Fox Theater, and the light hits the buildings perfectly before sunset.

We took these photos on our way to a simple date night of dinner and a movie. I was pretty excited, so I wore one of my favorite old dresses that I haven't worn in ages! Unfortunately our date ended after the sushi dinner because it put me into an uncomfortable food coma and I fell asleep at 9. Yes, NINE P.M. I know...20 going on 65. Regardless, my food was delicious and we now have plans to see This Is The End this weekend to make up for my less-than-ideal sleeping habits :)

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Outfit Details:

Dress—Anthropologie (remixed | similar)

Denim Jacket—Heritage 1981 (similar)

Earrings—Target (similar)

Sunglasses—Ray-Ban (shop)

Bag—Fossil (shop)

Flats—Anthropologie (similar)

Backyard BBQ

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On Friday night, my friends and I had a little BBQ in the backyard of our apartment complex. It's a really cute space (unusual for an LA apartment building) and is perfect for hanging out on warm summer nights. I decided to change out of my work wear and put on my comfy lace shorts and tank that I thought were a little more BBQ-appropriate. I've actually worn these lace shorts over five times in the past week and a half, but only just got around to blogging about them. They were kind of a random purchase, but have already proven to be super versatile. I've dressed them up with a blazer and heels for work, and down with a chambray and Sperry's for running errands on the weekends.

The BBQ was a success and it was a great way to start the weekend after my first full week at work. I'm still getting used to working full-time, so it's nice to have real weekends for a change. Being in college, my weekends usually consist of working part time and studying, so its weird (and amazing!) to be able to completely relax starting Friday night.

P.S. Happy Monday! Who else is excited for The Bachelorette tonight...!?

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Outfit Details:

Tank—Forever 21 (similar)

Lace Shorts—Anthropologie "Rose Point Shorts" (shop)

Belt—Nordstrom BP (similar)

Sunglasses—Ray-Ban (shop)

Sandals—Target (similar)

Fancy Pants (Part Deux?)

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I bought these pants on a whim while I was home this weekend. I mean, c'mon, they were only 15 dollars...how could I resist!? If the price were ever right for a pair of crazy-loud-over-the-top pants that I probably shouldn't wear in public, I'd say these fit the bill. Believe it or not, not only did I wear my fancy pants to work on Monday, but I also I kept them on through dinner with friends later that night. Crazy print aside, these pants actually just feel like really stretchy pajamas. And if I can get away with wearing pajamas with heels to work...I'm all for it.

P.S. I was silly and already named a blog post Fancy Pants...hence the "part deux." The sad thing is, my last post didn't even have crazy bottoms!! If there ever was a blog post title I regret, it would be that one...and that's saying a lot (there are some pretty weird ones out there).

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Outfit Details:

Tee—Nordstrom (similar)

Cardigan—Urban Outfitters (similar)

Floral Pants—Heavenly Couture (similar)

Sunglasses—Ray-Ban (shop)

Wishbone Necklace—Etsy (similar)

Heels—Zara Mid Heel Sandals (shop)

Skylines

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hey, who's that scruffy, I mean devilishly handsome redhead?

I took a trip back home this weekend to relax after the craziness of finals and starting my new job. Luckily, Andrew and I were able to make time for a date night at one of our favorite spots and I decided to wear my new city skylines maxi skirt. I blogged about this skirt over on Beso a month or so ago, and convinced myself to get it because I had never seen a maxi skirt like it before! Plus, I have a thing for city/map prints, so this was the perfect addition to my growing collection of eclectic prints.

I was very limited on clothing options this weekend (finals week = waiting to do allll my laundry at home), but thankfully I had a clean white tank to pair with my skirt for a monochrome look. Since it was a little chilly by the water, I brought along my new chambray that I picked up this weekend at GUESS. Speaking of GUESS, you'll probably be hearing me talking about them from time to time since I'm interning at their corporate office this summer in the Social Media department. I seriously could not be more excited, and can't wait to get some valuable hands-on experience. If you're interested in seeing what I'll be up to, you can follow GUESS here:

Facebook - Twitter - Google+ - Pinterest

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Outfit Details:

Chambray Shirt—GUESS (shop)

Tank—Anthropologie (similar)

Maxi Skirt—Lulu*s (same)

Sunglasses—Ray-Ban (shop)

Bag—Fossil "Explorer Tote" (shop)

June Gloom

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June gloom is in full swing here in LA! To make the best of it, I've been mixing some fall styles in with new summer pieces like my chambray skirt. I wore this simple outfit to a day of classes and studying last week and it was comfy enough to wear all day long. I probably won't be dressing up too much for the next few days since I'm finishing up final projects and papers. It's going to be a hectic 48 hours, and even though I know I will get it all done, the doing it part is always the hardest!!!

This past week was also filled with a lot of different emotions. There's a lot about this quarter I wish I could have done differently, but there's no use in fretting over the past now (I know, easier said than done). I'm excited for a new beginning this summer. It's going to be my first summer living in LA, and my first summer with a 40-hour work week...more details on that soon! It's definitely going to be interesting and there will probably be a lot of this going on—just swap The Bachelor for The Bachelorette ;)

P.S. This post is eerily similar to one I wrote at almost the same time last year. So weird how quickly time flies, and just how much can change in one year! Good thing I've still got this little blog to document it all :)

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Outfit Details:

Sweater—Anthropologie "Swoop and Glide Pullover" (remixed | similar)

Skirt: Anthropologie "Holding Horses Denim A-Line Skirt" (shop)

Bag—Fossil "Explorer Tote"(shop)

Watch—Michael Kors (similar)

Boots—Target "Kaelyn Ankle Boot" (shop)

Birthday Boy

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Even though Andrew's 21st was two weeks ago, we only finally got around to celebrating his birthday this weekend since he unexpectedly came down with a fever on his actual birthday :( We got dinner and cocktails at Upper West and it was nice to dress up and go out even though finals are right around the corner. I wore this breezy summer dress because it was both comfy (perfect for post-meal food babies), but still a little fancy when paired with my new favorite ZARA heels. It's also paisley and polka dot—two of my absoulte favorite prints that, when paired together, make an unexpectedly good combo!

Overall it was a great night with delicious food—I highly recommend their veggie burger! I can't believe the first birthday Andrew and I celebrated together was his 17th...my oh my how time flies! Happy (belated) birthday my love ♥ 

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Outfit Details:

Dress—Anthropologie "Top Dot Mini Dress" (shop)

Earrings—Nordstrom (similar)

Bag—Fossil "Explorer Tote" (shop)

Shoes—Zara Mid-Heel Sandals (shop)

That Time I Went to Sasquatch...

unintentional twinsies..woops! :)

Our road trip to Sasquatch! was amazing and a much-needed break from school/LA. It was nice to just get away from everything for a week and relax. There was hardly any cell service and no good place to charge my phone, so I spent most of the weekend phone-less and loving it. I maybe used my phone for like 30 minutes each day to Instagram some cool photos and tell my parents I was still alive :) Hygiene also kind of went out the window (which I was surprisingly kind-of-maybe okay with). However, Sam and I did manage to wait an hour and a half to take a 3 minute freezing cold shower, but that was it for the weekend...wahooo!

And of course, the music was amazing. My absolute favorites were Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers, but The Tallest Man On Earth, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis came in a close second. There were also a few smaller bands like Bear Mountain, Youngblood Hawke and Telekinesis that I really liked and plan on buying their albums after seeing them live!

Now, that's not to say our adventure didn't go off without a hitch. We had our fair share of untimely illnesses, bad weather, and yes...a dead car battery the night we planned to leave. But HEY it wouldn't be a road trip without a few little hiccups along the way, right? :)

On The Road

The drive up to Washington was so beautiful that we couldn't help but make a few stops along the way and snap some pictures. The first set of pictures are from Central Oregon. Being from Southern California, I couldn't believe how much open space there was! Seriously, almost our entire drive through the state looked like this. The signs on the road read "Journey Through Time Scenic Byway" and all I could think about was the Oregon Trail game I played in elementary school on ancient Mac computers (anyone!?).

We also made a quick stop at the Oregon-Washington border, since Sam was determined to take pictures with the "Welcome To Washington" sign after we missed the Oregon one. We pulled off above the Columbia river and there were amazing views all around. It even reminded me a bit of Ireland...

P.S. More photos from Sasquatch! coming soon :)