Spring Fashion

With Spring approaching (or in the rest of the country's case with Spring already here), adding some brightness into your wardrobe is a must.  Here are some ways I have found to stretch my wardrobe with a small budget by adding a few versatile pieces.

Must #1: A white cardigan to brighten up all of your winter-toned tanks and tees.

Must #2: A bright spring dress.  Let's be honest!  We're all so sick of throwing on those winter jeans.

Must #3:  Bright-colored tanks.  If you can't put away those black wraps and cardigans without losing half your wardrobe, spice them up with some bright colors underneath, or pair these with your winter skinnies for an easy evening look.

Must #4:  Skinny Jeans in a colorful wash.  Spring is the perfect time to play with colors so go bold!

Must #5:  Loafers.  Let your feet recuperate after boot season.  They deserve it!

Becoming a Brand

I have been thinking a lot about how I am about to be shoved out of academia-land and into that Fire Swamp called the job hunt (hold the R.O.U.S's please) and I'm not going to lie...it terrifies me.  But somewhere underneath the noise in my mind, I had an idea.  Now hear me out, this is going to sound like your worst nightmare corporate robot idea (plus--it's in no way original), but I am convinced that there is a correlation between success and building a successful personal brand.

Here's how my brain-child was conceived.  Project Runway Allstars has been one of the worst shows I have ever seen on television which is ironic because the original Project Runway is one of my all time favorites.  But here's where Allstars goes wrong.  3 words: Fake Heidi Klum.  I don't even know her full name, Angela something, and I don't care.  I could have forgiven her for not being Heidi if she had just one quality that sold her as a personal brand.  She is by far the most dry television host I have ever seen.  She fails to sell herself, whereas Heidi makes you believe that Project Runway is the best show ever.

In Allstars defense, Isaac Mizrahi, Georgina Chapman and Joanna Coles are awesome as judges and mentors.  All three of them are very successful at selling their own personal brand.

Lastly, there is one designer on the show that I don't think is going anywhere and that's because he fails again and again to show any personality or integrity.  He doesn't seem to know who he is...(I may have to eat my words if he wins tomorrow, but then I'll just be watching to see if he can make anything out of his win.  I highly doubt it.)

Okay, enough about the Runway.  I have gotten a lot out of observing this twist on my favorite show and it has taught me a valuable lesson.  For the next month, I am not going to look at another job posting.  I am going to create my brand.  I want to interview well and part of that is successfully communicating my personal brand to potential employers.

Trying to be Seasonal

As per my obsession with de-cluttering (very New Year's-ish right?), I had a hankering to box and bag up my summer clothes and store them until the weather lightens up.  By doing so, all my winter clothes are visible and choosing an outfit has become less of a drudgery.  Seeing only the winter options cleared up why I've been getting so annoyed with my closet.  I was missing a few key pieces (i.e. skinny jeans!), but I've got a black pair and a denim pair now so don't panic.  The situation is rectified.

I can now see my winter style better which consists of boot-cut jeans, cords, skinny jeans, an assortment of long-sleeve tees and camisoles, a few sweaters and wraps, rain boots, walking tennis shoes, flats, a few jackets and scarves, and one very cute blazer.  I really don't stray too much further than this especially since every day from here on out will be a strategic battle against the rain.  December was amazing and so dry but I think the rain is finally upon us.

Here is a view from my walk up Hawthorne today.

Wedding Bliss

Today I bought my wedding dress.  I thought I would just go and look around but then I tried on the dress that felt and looked perfect.  Plus...it was a Vera Wang dress on clearance, and... Daniel's reaction when I came out in it was priceless, so I brought it home.  I only tried on four dresses:

...and the winner was #3!  The fourth dress was a Greek goddess look that I had seen online, and although I liked it a lot, it didn't feel right for a picnic wedding.  After trying on the fourth dress, I put dress number 3 on again and it felt so right.  It met all my criteria: sleeves, under $1000, and no poofy-foofy-ness.  I love it, and knowing what I will wear has helped set the tone for the other details.

(We had to use the Christmas tree as a background because all our walls are so white!)

I know there are a lot of pictures here for one dress and it might seem obsessive, but I missed having my mom and sister with me so this post is dedicated to you girls!!

All About the Scarf

A friend of mine posted this video on facebook the other day and it has transformed my fashion world.  I am a jeans and t-shirt girl when I am on the run doing school and nanny duty, but adding a scarf instantly dresses up a t-shirt.  So grab a scarf and try these out!  And if you don't have a scarf yet, go spoil yourself.  The cashmere and silk varieties can get crazy expensive, but there are many beautiful and very inexpensive scarves out there.  It's also a way to go pattern crazy and still keep your style.  Have fun!

Wedding Dress Drama

I am going to schedule an appointment for trying on wedding dresses in January, but I am having a hard time knowing what I want.  To me the day is less about my dress and more about family getting to see each other and eat good food.  Honestly, no one is really going to remember my dress... However, I don't want to just brush it off and get something I don't really like.  A big foofy dress would not make sense for such a family wedding, but most of the dresses are big, poofy, and a little snow queen.  I don't want anything too formal.  I love the style of this dress...

...but I haven't seen anything like it.  Plus, I refuse to spend very much money on a dress for one day.  Arrggh.  Below are some dresses that I kind of like and are on budget.  Maybe it will be magical when I try them on.

(hoping I can add cap sleeves to this one...)

An Early Birthday Present

Rule #1: Take your boyfriend shopping with you during your birthday week...you just might end up with a blazer.

I got my first blazer today!...which makes me feel mature, not old, but like I've finally earned the right to wear one.  I found it at a bargain price at a vintage store on Hawthorne and I couldn't pass up a perfect fitting sports-jacket.

Bill Cunningham has declared the sports-jacket "A Fall Staple", and who would dare argue with Bill?

New Shoes and a Project

I treated myself to some new school shoes!  But now I feel like I have created a conundrum of "one thing calls for another" because they aren't looking that amazing with any of my skinny jeans.  Maybe it's just because I'm not used to them yet.










Another paper crafting project...

I was in need of a bulletin board and I had this pretty printed paper.  I think it fits well into my new "office".

Bill Cunningham!

I watched an awesome documentary last night called Bill Cunningham New York.  Bill is so amazing!!  He is in his 80's and still an active player on the New York fashion scene, but in an odd way.  He seems to be involved in the fashion world out of a genuine love for clothes, and not for narcissism or for financial gain.

So, watch it!  And check out Bill's New York Times column called "On the Street" where he documents what's trending in fashion on New York's streets.

Battle of the Sexes

College football Saturday means I do a lot of reading, playing piano, and avoiding turning on the TV.  I just want to make sure all the boys know that we don't force them to watch runway shows or gilmore girls, so be a man...go to the game or go to a sports bar.

And to all the girls that pretend to like watching sports on television...you can go to the game too.

Homes are not for whistles or cheering crowds, so just buy a ticket!! Have a real experience.

Daniel is awesome about not watching sports when I am around.  Sports on TV wouldn't be so maddening except that there is no girlie equivalent.  We never get to say, "Sorry honey, the fashion shows are on for eight hours today so I am just going to sit here all day on the couch except for when I see something I really like.  Then I am going to jump up and down and scream and act like the TV can hear me.  Oh...and can you get me another cosmo?  Runway shows make me thirsty and incapacitated at the same time."

Gearing up for Rain

I am in a planning mode today.  After Daniel left for work this morning, I started thinking about how soon school is starting which of course led to thinking about how I can prepare for it.  As you know I have been in a fashion funk lately, so I went right to my closet to see if I could dig up some outfits for school.  Unfortunately, my wardrobe is not ready for school because I realized it is not ready for rain!

In the two winters that I have lived in Portland, I have gone through many pairs of shoes.  The problem is that I always think walking tennis shoes are going to cut it, but I always find myself begging for the rain to stop because my shoes are so worn out and painful.

So #1 on the list is to get some rainproof shoes!  I think I should get boots and flats because I can't do boots that often due to a high bone on my foot (thanks Grandpa Nielsen, I think...although you probably have someone else to thank for yours.)

I'm thinking these sperry flats and these sporto boots...??  But I probably will have to buy them from a department store so I can try them on.

Another funny thing is that I haven't had an umbrella for over a year!  Ridiculous, I know, but I lost mine somehow and never bought a new one.  So I'll have to buy an umbrella because it will make it so I can wear non-rainproof shoes on the lighter rainy days.

Couture Wednesday

I have decided today's sewing experiment is either an extreme avoidance of cleaning my kitchen, or my natural reaction to overdosing on Project Runway.  Either way, I sewed!!!  I bought this top because of its beautiful neckline detail, but after trying it on again, I realized I may have bought a maternity shirt (unless it's supposed to resemble a tent), so I decided to try to salvage it with needle and thread.

Here's before...

And after!

All good things must come to an end, so I'm off to snap out of my Project Runway contestant fantasy and clean that menacing kitchen.

August Bliss

I haven't posted in a few days so I figured today warranted two posts to share what I have been up to.  When I'm not romanticizing my wedding day (which I have justified since physics and statistics are about to take over my life), I have been spending much of my free time reading.

I am 1/3 of the way through Life of Pi by Yann Martel, and I am flying through its pages.  There have been a few noteworthy passages on religion and spirituality but the adventure story that it is races you past them, almost to the point that you forget.  Maybe it will require a second reading to digest the deeper parts.




Sometimes I feel like no one has more wardrobe breakdowns than me, so I am committing myself to be more fashionable.  I know this isn't true but this is one area I am prone to a pity-party.  As mentioned before, Crossroads on Hawthorne is my affordable fashion resource, and I did a little back to school shopping there today.  I limit myself to purchase only items under $10, which really helps boost my wardrobe.  I am trying to grow my hair out a little more before I go into a salon, but I hope my next haircut can be a little more fashionable than the last.  Last on my fashionista agenda is a make-up makeover, but that is a ways away.

Daniel's parents came into town to celebrate our engagement.  We had a wonderful dinner and got to show off our apartment.  It made me so excited to see my Mom here in June.  They gave me this infinity necklace as a "welcome to the family" gift.  I think it is so precious and so significant!  Not only does it symbolize what Daniel and I have decided to become, but also my love for Math.  I can't count how many times I have drawn this symbol.

Fashion Finds

This is my latest score from today's shopping trip to Crossroad's on Hawthorne.  It has been at least a year since I have taken home this much from that store.  I haven't had any luck for awhile (including the time I went there with my sister--sorry Whit!!) but today I came home with five fashionable items for a total of $35!  My main motive for shopping today was to enjoy some retail air conditioning, but it was great to add so much to my wardrobe. :)

A Vain Perspective

Today I caught up on my favorite fashion addiction -  Project Runway.  I can't believe it has already been four episodes!  Every season it feels like it passes by way too quickly.  Joanna Coles, Editor-In-Chief for Marie Claire was a guest judge on the show and she said two things that I hope will stick with me.  She said, "That's the point of fashion.  It's transformative." and "Clothes are emotional.  When you put them on, they make you feel something and they make other people feel something when they see you in them."



I loved this.  Sometimes I chastise myself for fussing so much over how I look and what I'm wearing, but sometimes the clothes I put on in the morning truly do dictate how I feel throughout the day.  Maybe I could start seeing my perceived vanity as a form of reverence.

Flipflops and Photography

I bought new flipflops today!  The straps on my old ones were coming apart so I went to get some new ones today.  Funny thing is...on the way home I thought that I could fix my old ones with a hot glue gun and it worked!  So now I have two pairs of flipflops. Amazing.






I thought it would be fun to post some of my favorite spots around the apartment.  Our style is a little accidental because we use what we have and what people want to give us, but as the apartment evolves, a definite style is pushing its way through.  I've decided to call it bohemian-nouveau.  Enjoy!

A Fashion Philosophy

Pearl earrings can be worn with anything and to anywhere
A good strapless bra solves quite a few wardrobe dilemmas
Black skinny jeans are a must
Cute shoes are worthless when you have to walk in the rain
No one remembers what you wore but they will remember how you smiled

Cheers to the end of a quarter!

Yesterday I took my last two final exams for the summer quarter at PSU...the end of eight weeks of mental exhaustion. Cheers to that!

 I thought it would be so nice to get all dressed up and meet Daniel downtown for dinner but plans started going south as soon as I opened my closet.  Being a student, I buy clothes only when I really need them and since I'm always at school I have recently only stocked up on t-shirts and jeans.  After coming up with some of the most bizarre outfits, I finally settled on a short black polyester skirt and a grey quarter-sleeve tee.  Awful... The only thing that saved it was a pair of red ballet flats.

Oh well.  I didn't feel "dressed up" enough to go downtown (kind of a contradiction in Portland terms) so we ate on Hawthorne.  Had a good time but then I must have mixed some things that don't mix because Daniel was up with me at 3am as I had the worst headache I have ever experienced and threw up everything.  Poor Daniel...I don't know what I would do without him!

Even if the celebration was short of fabulous...I am so glad summer quarter is over!