Twofer Tuesday: monochrome

Happy Tuesday! Continuing on with my "color series," I was trying to think of ways to incorporate even more color into my (mostly black and grey) wardrobe. And monochrome it is.

I think this could work in two ways:

1. use a color that you're comfortable with (for me, that'd be blue), then just litter your outfit with all different shades of that color

source: The Sartorialist

2. use a base color that's considered "neutral" and have it graduate to a non-neutral color

source: pinterest

When doing a monochrome outfit, it never hurts to layer, and texture variety is your friend.

The 90s reemerging

Over the last few months I've read in a few different places about how the 90s are back "in" (check it out here, here, and here). As a child of the 90s, this both excites and horrifies me. Usually when it comes to trends, I try to view them not as "this is what you should be wearing now" and more as "here's something to get you out of your comfort zone; take it or leave it." More times than not, I pass on a trend (at least in the beginning). But how could I do that to my childhood decade? I think the important thing here is knowing when to say yes. And more importantly, when to say no.

I'll be saying YES to:

printed leggings

Because, hey, you only live once, right?

Elephant Paisley LEGGINGS Urban Outfitters

knee-high and over-the-knee socks

Cher did it wonderfully then, but instead I think I'll pair mine with tights/legging and boots on a cold day.

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mood rings

Instead of getting mine out of the 25¢ jewelry machine at the skate rink, I'll look for a cocktail ring.

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solid tees with blazers

Formerly for men, I'll go with a boyfriend-style blazer and a more fitted shirt. Dance floor not required.

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middle part

I'll probably skip the bowl-cut.

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flannel

Seeing as how I'm from Kansas, flannel never really went "out" of style. But I do love the way Mary-Kate styled hers here. <insert obligatory Kurt Cobain reference>

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rollerblading

Best. Childhood. Pasttime. Ever. No swimsuit or boardwalk required.

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Clueless

I was unaware this was never not fashionable...?

Singlehandedly doing more to improve your vocabulary in 2 hours of film than 4 years of high school ever did.
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I'll be saying NO to:

scrunchies, especially plaid scrunchies

Between growing up in the 90s and being a gymnast, I've had enough of these to last me 100 lifetimes.

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overalls with one strap undone

Will Smith, I adore you, however I do not wish to re-live 2nd grade.

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 man tanks

Since I am not a man, technically this does not apply to me; however, I do have a pair of working eyes, and they do not agree with this look.

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turtlenecks

Even my mother could not force me into these when I was a young'un, so it's doubtful I'll be putting one on voluntarily anytime soon.

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hoop earrings

They come in all shapes, sizes, materials, and styles, yet they've never quite tickled my fancy.

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sweaters tied around the waist

I feel like this is really all it's good for:

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skorts

I'm never going there again.

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Sorry Kim, even a designer name attached to that won't save you.
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Trends with which I will PROCEED WITH CAUTION:

jelly shoes

They've updated the style, but I wonder if they still make your feet smell as bad...?

source RIGHT Steve Madden Swirly Flats

Doc Martens
I had a pair in 7th grade, but I'm feeling pretty "meh" about them.

The 90s are calling...

crimped hair
Because curling iron curls are getting kind of boring (no offense T. Swift). Plus it's a little rock 'n roll. And I can never say no to that.

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ripped jeans

Whether you go for a little ripped or a lot ripped (I like them all), make sure everything else is hole-free. You want to look devil-may-care, not homeless.

source source RIGHT American Eagle Jeggings

hair wraps
If you're feeling like you're in a hair rut, go for it! However, I would not take this to the day job...

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So how about you? Will you welcome the 90s back with open arms, or are you going to finally make use of those D.A.R.E. assemblies and "just say no"?

Hello, Halloween

As a kid, I always enjoyed Halloween. I mean, dressing up in awesome costumes, free candy, staying up late...what's not to like? Sadly, I believe as I've gotten older, the fun factor has decreased quite a bit. (And I honestly believe that the typical college Halloween party is highly overrated.) I've only celebrated Halloween twice since coming to university: 2007 (my freshman year), and 2009.

In 2007, I just went to the whole Party City store-bought costume route, which turned out to be fine, but totally boring. In 2009, I decided to get more creative. I wanted a cute costume, but I didn't want to go full, you know, Mean Girls-style (aka slutty). I also wanted something original. So I spent weeks (I got a little obsessive) searching online for interesting and unusual ideas for costumes. I finally ended up going with the White Witch from the Chronicles of Narnia series. Personally, I thought it was awesome; however I did have to tell almost everyone who I was supposed to be (everyone who cared, at least). I guess it wasn't as obvious as a nurse or a cop. But it was a lot of fun coming up with a costume!

I'm sure there's a picture out there (somewhere) of me and my amigos that Halloween, but I can't find it. I was never the person who always carried a camera around. Looks like it's finally coming back to bite me.
Anyways, I know there are some pretty good imitations of this look out there, but seeing as I was incredibly broke, I went for a looser (and cheaper) interpretation.
my outfit included: 
silver sequin pumps
silver leggings
white pillowcase (for the dress)
white sweater
white fake fur vest
lots of white frosty makeup
some silver and glass beads for the hair

Seriously, if you ever need a cheap dress that it going to be partly covered up, just buy a pillowcase and cut three holes (two for the arms, one for the head). It's inexpensive and fast and pretty much awesome.

So this year, my geology club (don't laugh, nerds like to get a little crazy too) is possibly getting a Halloween party together. Oh lordy I hope it works out, because I have a few ideas for some simple(ish) and unique costumes.

Kiss

Obviously, Gene Simmons' The Demon is the most recognizable, but any would be fun and totally doable. Check out their wikipedia page for all the different makeup styles of all the present/former band members (some are really cool!)

The clothing would be easy: lots of black and silver. And can't forget the 80s hair!

the Wicked Witch of the West

Green face paint, all-black clothing, and a hat and broom. Easy!

Seeing as how I'm from Kansas, the whole Dorothy thing gets done a lot. And it's fun and also a good potential costume to put together yourself, but the Wicked Witch would be just as fun, very recognizable, and quite a bit more original.

Cleopatra

Here's your chance to show off some killer makeup skills!

This one is a little more common, but it's still not one I see too often in real life. Plus, putting together your own costume is a good way to make it more interesting than just buying one. And heck, I'll use any excuse to do crazy stuff to my hair!

Disney Princess

Not incredibly original, but never a bad idea. There are so many choices! No need to wear a full ball gown to get the look; just go with the same color scheme.

So I like all these ideas, but I'm always looking for something new and seriously out-there. Halloween is the perfect time to get away with crazy hair and makeup, so might as well go all out. Any other costume ideas? If you're dressing up, what/who will you be going as?

More for fall

So the last time I posted about my autumn wish list here it was just the beginning of September. I think there are two phases of fall. The beginning phase is where you start to get excited about wearing cool-weather clothes again. The second phase, which I am fully immersed in at the moment, is when fall is in full swing. This kind of gives me a renewed interest in fall fashion, and of course I have updated my fall fashion list!

layers

I love the look of layers, and if there's anytime to really go all-out with them it's definitely in the fall (and winter). 

cargo jackets

A little long, preferably olive, and with lots of pockets. And men's jackets are a 100% viable option, of course.

metal belts

Would be just as cute over a dress as a big chunky knit sweater. Speaking of which...

cozy knits

Sweaters, shorts, skirts, tights, scarves...it doesn't matter, I just want some knits! Bonus points if you know how to crochet and/or knit, because then you can tailor-make it and no one will have exactly the same thing as you. Luckily I know how to crochet (thanks Grams!) so I guess I know what I'll be doing during my free time...

image sources:

layers metal-belts cargo1 cargo2 cargo3 knits1 knits2 knits3

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DIY fool's gold earrings

I was at Michaels looking for something totally unrelated to this post when I saw a wonderful little string of pyrite mini nuggets. Being the geology major that I am, I totally nerded out, then proceded to buy said nuggets and make them into some pretty wonderful earrings.

They are very long, very swingy, and all sorts of awesomeness.

Lunar nails, take two

Let me tell you a little story...when I was a sophomore in high school, I had a few flirtations with fashion. One of these times, I decided to paint my nails a dark-ish blue (something between cobalt and navy). I thought it was cute and fun and so much more interesting than the white French tips that where all the rage. So the next day at school one of my guy friends said something like, "Wow, blue nail polish...don't tell me you're going goth on me!" Okay, 1: how do you go from the color blue to goth? I mean, really? And 2: this totally shook my fragile teenage self-confidence and I'm pretty sure I didn't do any fun nails again for a few years.

The point of this (probably boring) story is that I absolutely love how fashion has evolved from, in the case of nail art, something that was really "in" being the only cool thing to do, to now doing whatever the hell you want and not being seen as weird.

So anyways, this little mani is kind of like a cross between a reverse-lunar mani (check it out here) and an Anna-style French mani (aka black tips instead of white). Enjoy!

1. pick your polish / gather your materials

COLORS Sinful Colors Rise and Shine, Petites Night   TOPCOAT Essie No Chips Ahead
ALSO nail polish remover, q-tips, large glass of diet Coke (optional)

>I realized this when I was about 3/4 of the way done that a remover pen would work a lot better/faster than q-tips, so if I do any more manis like this I'll definitely be picking one up beforehand.

2. paint the lower portion one color

No need to be exact, we'll tidy it up soon.

3. paint the upper portion a second color

I used two coats per color.

4. pour a bit of remover into the cap, and shape the polish on nails into a semi-circle shape

This can take awhile, so be patient! Or use a remover pen.

>If you accidentally take off a bit too much polish, use a toothpick dipped in the polish to get very precise color.

5. add topcoat, all done!

Twofer Tuesday and temporary leave of absence

Oh Express, where have you been all my life? Right there in the mall, I've just been walking right on by you this whole time. But not anymore!

Express is killing me with their super cute skirts, I just cannot get enough. I'm thinking one will make it on to my fall/winter buy list. The two miniskirts I'm coveting at the moment:

LEFT Art Deco Sequin Mini 59.90   RIGHT Sequin Embellished Mini 59.50

Even though this is a Twofer Tuesday, not Threefer Tuesday, I have to give an honorable mention to this little sassy pants:

Mixed Print Satin Pencil Skirt 59.90

And my clock just rung midnight, which means this is officially a Twofer Wednesday :( Oops.
In other news, I must take a short temporary leave of absence, because I'm currently experiencing death by school + work. Yay. I'm hoping to be back in a week or two. Salut!

I heart gold

I'm really loving gold right now, especially the idea of pairing a gold shirt with a gold skirt, especially two different tones of gold. I think pairing this with black booties (if in doubt, wear some black booties, right?) and some unique but still understated black earrings.

Stella McCartney long sleeve top, $1,000 / Loose shirt, $120 / Crop tank top, $24 / Fabergé short mini skirt, $640 / Calypso St. Barth tiered mini skirt / Gold pleated skirt, $160 / Skater skirt / Emilio Pucci black ankle booties, $1,245 / Black bootie / Eddie Borgo long drop earrings / Nickel free jewelry / Miso sparkly earrings, $8.12

Check out the set I made on Polyvore.

So what do you think...two-tone gold outfits...yay or nay?

PS-I swear a new mani tutorial and the Rodarte star hairpiece diy will be up in the next few days!

Star hairpiece DIY inspo

I bought all the stuff I need to make a very classy fake copy of the the Rodarte gold star hairpiece:

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I had to go to Hobby Lobby (bleh), and I still didn't find exactly what I was looking for, but hopefully what I bought will work. Mondays and Tuesdays are always the busiest for me, so I'll probably be making this Wednesday. I'll have some more awesome pics too! (as long as it's not a disaster)

Toodle-oo.

Now craving...

I've never been a scarf person, except for winter scarves, because when it drops to -10 F here, I mean, they're a necessity. But fashion scarves...they're cute, and a great way to add color or print or just something interesting to an outfit, but I've always felt kinda stupid wearing them. But I've decided to give them another go, because they are super cute.

My favorite place to (formerly) look at scarves and (hopefully) buy soon is definitely Nordstrom 3rd level (that's what my family calls it). I guess you could call it the "junior's" section at Nordstrom, but Nordstrom is just so amazing and "junior's section" just sounds so...crappy. Well, this is not crappy, definitely not. It's got all the style of the designer's section of Nordstrom (the 2nd level, as we also say), but at like 1/20th of the price. Sounds good to me!

scarf crazy by annabanana770 featuring printed scarves

LULU printed scarve / LULU floral scarve / David & Young printed scarve / David & Young printed scarve / David & Young david young / Sheer scarve

11 years

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