Spain Style

I'm still alive!  Sorry for the lack of updates (yes, mom, I am still alive), but crazy schedule + spotty internet does not lend itself to lots of blog updates.  But I am trying to get on top of it, I swear.

In terms of life updates, I am still getting mocked all around for speaking Spanish like a Mexican (apparently it's a problem in my grammar class) and I'm traveling all over!  So far I have trips planned to Cadiz, Granada, Ireland, London, Paris, Bologna, Germany, Portugal and Austria.  Busy busy busy but excited to get to go to some new places.  I start class next week, so that should be pretty interesting.

So, clothes.  I'm noticing that the trends in Spain (right now at least) are less colorful/floral and more neutral.  There are seems to be less structure/clean lines and more draping--which could be related to the fact that it's a million degrees here.  Today I wore an outfit just like this.  The tank was the same but a burnt pinkish-red instead of purple (the picture is evading me) and it was that exact skirt.  I saw 'Friends with Benefits' before I left and something about Mila Kunis' pencil/mini skirt-based daytime outfits stuck with me.  I'm running out of clean clothes so I decided to recreate one using a skirt I normally wear out at night (yay, repurposing).  So I had the black shirt and then the reddish tank on top and loose, but I tucked a tiny bit of the hem of the tank into the waist of the skirt (in just one spot).  It's hard to describe, but it highlights the high waist of the skirt and creates this pretty draping effect because the rest of the hem of the shirt hangs down.

Then I wore these Frye boots and a leather jacket I have that's pretty similar to the Veda one pictured here.  The leather jacket adds a little structure and some edge (you can never have too much edge!  Jk, you totally can, but I still love it).  I like the boots with this outfit because they make it a little more casual since they're basically gussied up cowboy boots, but the little heel keeps it all sassy.  I throw on some antique necklaces on top and overall was very happy with the look.  I'd do a photo for y'all, but I actually have no full length--or even remotely full-length--mirrors here.  Boo.

On a makeup related note, I've been dying to pick up some Spanish makeup here, but there don't seem to be any Spanish makeup brands, at least that I can find??  All I've seen here is marked up makeup from the UK and the States, like $16 CoverGirl mascara (that must be a joke).  So I've been loving my Coastal Scents Metal Mania palette.  It was about $20 on the Coastal Scents website, and has 88 metallic shadows, mostly neutrals.  I love it because the shadows are pretty high quality for the price and since there are so many it's keeping my cravings for new shadows at bay--for now.  Also, I've been living off Nutella.  Unrelated, I know, but I'm struggling with not eating in my dorm dining hall and not wanting to spend a lot of money on groceries to cook for myself.  It's been lots of cheese and bread and apples with Nutella (which I'm eating right now.  Shocker).  Someone force me to feed myself nutrients.

That's all for now.  Besos de Espana!

Images via stylehive.com, loveinpink88blogspot.com.

Hello from Spain!

I know it's been a while since I blogged, and I want to apologize for that.  I got so caught up in packing and getting ready to go abroad that I forgot to schedule some posts in advance, and then I had to travel and get to Spain and bounce around with no internet and move into my apartment and basically be all over the place.

But now I'm all moved in and starting classes tomorrow and so hopefully I should be back to blogging on a (semi) regular basis.  In the meantime, I thought I'd do a post on my experiences in Spain so far, with a little note on Spanish fashion tucked in too.


So, thoughts on Spain:


First off, this eating thing.  SO DIFFERENT.  Getting over jet lag was easy, getting used to the Spanish eating schedule was HARD.  As far as I've gathered the Spanish daily meal system goes something like this: a tiny piece of toasted baguette with jam/olive oil and coffee at 9 am.  A mini sandwich/pick-me-up snack at 11 am.  A big lunch with soup, meat, rice dishes (etc), coffee, and desert at 3 pm.  Another pick me up snack at about 7pm (more carbs) and then tapas for dinner at 10 (featuring, shocker, MORE CARBS and fried foods).


I do not understand how Spain isn't obese.  I haven't seen a fresh vegetable at a single meal here, let alone a meal that doesn't heavily feature carbs or starches.  And forget about vegetarian food--so not culturally understood in Spain.


Just for comparison, my daily diet at home is something along the lines of: breakfast of oatmeal cooked in almond milk with a dash of cinnamon.  Snack of fruit or cheese or some little protein a few hours later, then a big salad for lunch (love me some greek salad), another snack, and then a big bowl of sauteed spinach for dinner.  


Don't get me wrong, though, Spanish food isn't bad.  The baked goods and pastries--I die.  And the coffee!  So good!  Aside from the stubborn aversion to all forms of iced coffee (sob, it's 90 degrees here).


But even given all the baked goods and carbs, Spain seems to have less of a problem with obesity than the US.  I'm not saying everyone here is 100 pounds and in perfect shape--in fact, they seem to be more healthy/average across the board.  And the same goes for clothes.  Spaniards do not wear sweats or sweatshirts or gross college tees, etc, in public.  I don't think well-dressed Spaniards are any more fashionable or numerous than well-dressed Americans, but Spaniards in generally seem to be a little less casual than Americans.  It's refreshing.


Also, Spain is SO PRETTY.  My dorm is in the old center of Sevilla, and not in a particularly historical bit, but the little windy streets everywhere are the most adorable things.  I want to do a photoshoot all over this neighborhood.  Possibly in the new Spanish clothing I plan on acquiring.


Well, that's all for now!  I'd add some pictures butttt I haven't gotten a converter to charge my camera with so I actually have none.  Boo.


Besos de Espana!

Current Cravings

I've been packing and cleaning all day today.  I hate packing and cleaning.  I really, really do.  So, to make me feel better, here are some pretty things.


Melinda Maria Gwyneth Ring, $42 at shopbop.com, Rachel Zoe Zoe Tote, $450 at shopbop.com, Rachel Zoe Pamela Satchel, $495 at shopbop.com: How cute is that skinny ring?  It comes in turquoise and black, and it's got stones set in 18K (plated, not solid) gold.  That's pretty good for $42, no?  I love it because it's skinny and basic enough to wear every day, but the alternating stone sizes and geometric feel keep it interesting.  It would be cute and dainty with just one on the ring finger, and layered with a few other gold rings it could have a more rocker/Olsen twin vibe.  Apparently Rachel Zoe has a bag line now.  I think they're pretty cute, given the price point, even if they are a little heavy on the hardware.  I like the doctor/framed shape of this first bag.  It feels very ladylike, but all the black and the gold hardware and the little chain give it a bit of a rebellious vibe.  This would be a great work bag that transitions well to going out at night.  And how great is that shape of that tote?  It would be such a great school bag, big enough to fit some books and a laptop.  The buckles on the bottom have a bit of a biker feel, but the overall shape is simple enough to keep it all from being too busy.

Images via shopbop.com.

Burt's Bees Lip Tint and Pretty Clothes

So I was bumming around Target today picking up stuff for my next semester in Spain (apparently they don't have Tampax in Spain.  Um.  WHAT.) and I was meandering through the beauty aisles when I saw this little guy:


Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Honeysuckle, $7 at burtsbees.com: How cute is that packaging?  From the outside it looks like this giant, elegantly packaged lip balm and Target conveniently had no price tags up, so I bought it.

The cute packaging is much bigger than the actual lip balm (sob) which is normal tube of Chapstick-sized.  That said, the tube still looks pretty chic for a lip balm, and I love tinted lip balms that come in tubes instead of pots (so you don't have to germify them up with your fingers).  Here's what Burt's Bees has to say about them:

"Care for your lips with beautiful, sheer color. Our new tinted balms give you a hint of color with a soft, sweet flavor and natural ingredients that moisturize and condition your lips. Available in six flirty shades – Hibiscus, Honeysuckle, Tiger Lily, Pink Blossom, Red Dahlia and Rose." 

It's packed full of shea butter and lots of plant/flower oils too.  I wish these had SPF, but you can't have everything.  Honeysuckle is a brownish-peach nude, similar to my favorite lipstick, MAC Shy Girl. It has no shimmer, and the pigmentation is sheer but noticeable.  I have medium-light pigmented lips, and this tones down my natural lip color a bit for a hint of nude color, but it's still too sheer for me to swatch and get it to show it.

The balm goes on very easily, and manages to have that nice texture between oily and waxy--it doesn't sit up your lips like Vaseline and it doesn't go on all dry and waxy like the Burt's Bees chapsticks.  It's not as moisturizing as, say, Aquaphor, but it's moisturizing enough to be me through the day.  Since the color is sheer, it doesn't last too long, maybe an hour.  The moisture lasts 2-3 hours, which is standard for me.

All in all, I really like this lip balm.  I've tried a fair amount, and this is one of my favorites.  More moisturizing than my Kiehls and Korres lip balms for sure, and a prettier color than my clear Aquaphor.  The only downsides are the misleading packaging, slightly high price, and lack of SPF.  I'd give this a B+.  I'd really like to try Hibiscus, which seems like a medium warm pink (they also have sheer reds, which would be so, so pretty with this formula).


On a totally random note, look at these pretty things I found on Shopbop today:


ADAM Leather Aviator Jacket with Shearling Collar, $895 at shopbop.com, Chan Luu Key Earrings, $62 at shopbop.com: I love little leather motorcycle jackets.  I also love shearling collars.  A little black leather motorcycle jacket with a removable shearling collar?  YES PLEASE.  The cropped waist and long, tight sleeves of the jacket create a flattering, streamlined silhouette but still have the inherent edge of a moto jacket.  The shearling adds some warmth and a wild, impractical glamour that I find strangely endearing.  I want to wear this with fitted black jeans, sassy harness boots, and a fitted olive green tee.  Okay, y'all know that I'm a sucker for old-fashioned key-shaped anything.  I have those Tiffany's necklaces.  I even have random old-fashioned skeleton keys hanging out in my room.  But antique key-shaped earrings?  WHAT.  These are so cute!  They're small enough to not be too over the top, and the keys have such a dainty, elegant feel to them.  Plus they're plated in rose gold, which develops the prettiest patina over time.

Happy weekend!



Images via shopbop.com, burtsbees.com.

Anastasia Beverly Hills

I'm a little bit of an eyebrow freak.  I dye, tweeze, pencil, and trim my eyebrows so that they look normal and not like two dark blonde blobs above my eyes.  I've used half the eyebrow pencils at Sephora trying to find one that gives me color and hold but doesn't look too painted on, and so far, this one's my favorite (my mom's too!).  So when Anastasia Beverly Hills got in touch with me and asked if I wanted to review some of their products, I jumped at the opportunity.


Here's the Anastasia logo (isn't it cute? I love anything with crowns on it).  The brand started out with just brow products, but now they've got a whole range of makeup, as you can see from Blake Lively's look on the cover of Glamour--how adorable is that eyeshadow palette?

Hopefully sometime early next week I'll have this ILLUMIN8 With Youthful Synergy™ Complex Bronzer to review for y'all.  I may be pale, but I love my bronzer, and this one promises lots of skin enhancing benefits:

"Illumin8 Bronzer gives skin an instant sun-kissed glow without the sun. This clinically and consumer-tested bronzing powder hydrates the skin and helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Youthful Synergy™ Complex features: brown algae, a key ingredient that smoothes, firms, hydrates, and revitalizes the appearance of skin; diamond core powder, which diffuses shadows and minimizes the appearance of pores and wrinkles; sea whip extract that soothes skin; macadamia derivative, a natural hydrator capable of holding up to 300% more water; and vitamins A, B, C, E, and F. Balkan Botanical® Infusion, exclusive to Anastasia Beverly Hills, is an antioxidant-rich complex containing marshmallow leaf extract, lemon balm, bilberry extract, and green tea to soothe, soften, and hydrate skin."

Algae?  In bronzer?  I've never seen anything like it before.  So I'm pumped to swatch and review that for you all.  In the mean time, here's another Anastasia product I'm craving, the Youthful Synergy Complex Eye Shadow Palette.  My favorite eye shadow palettes are the ones that combine neutral and pastel shades, like this one here.  You have the neutrals to do a school/office appropriate look, and then you can add a little sass with the bright purple or cranberry red.

Tumblrrrr!

I'm playing with Tumblr today.  Here's mine: http://awkwardchic.tumblr.com/.  Come play on Tumblr with me!

Tribute to Hermione Granger

I'm freaking out a little about the last Harry Potter film.  But more on that in a bit.  First a piece of randomness.

I picked this up at Paper Source yesterday.  It's technically a piece of wrapping paper, but I got it to hang on my wall because it was wayyyy too cute to be ripped apart while someone opens a present.  It's an old school map of Paris, and it was about $4.  If you wanted to go all out with your affordable wall art, you could get a couple different ones of these and frame them (Paper Source also had some really adorable London-themed ones).

On another note, I'm seeing Harry Potter tomorrow night and I am SO PUMPED.  I know this sounds melodramatic, but that series was actually my childhood.  The first one came out when I was six, and I literally spent ages 6-16 reading the books, watching the movies, waiting for new books to come out every summer.  Plus Hermione was kind of my role model--the slightly awkward smarty pants who none-the-less still gets to be girly and kind of badass.  Also she has my awkward brownish-blonde natural hair color, so I have to love her for that.  I broke down and I'm rewatching a lot of the movies in preparation (since I left the books at home, sad face), and thought I'd share with y'all how I'd dress up as Hermione to go see the movie.


Now, my thing with dressing up for movies is that I like to interpret the character's looks, not go in a full-out costume.  So Hermione's uniform is the pleated skirt, flats, grey v-neck sweater, and then Gryffindor accessories.  


J. Crew Merino V-neck Sweater, $59.50 at jcrew.com, Miu Miu Pleated Wool-blend Mini Skirt, $565 at net-a-porter.com: The grey sweater is easy enough to work around.  I'd do this incarnation from J. Crew because it's nice and fitted, so it doesn't feel frumpy, and it's just the right length, not too long or too short.  I'd pair it with this Miu Miu mini skirt.  The pleated skirt is a little harder to work with.  You don't want to go too literal and have it actually look like a school uniform (high school flashback.  Ack), which is why I like that this one is black and short.  It has a little bit more of a grown-up vibe to it.  The fitted sweater and pleated mini combo has the same bones as Hermione's uniform, it's just a little sexier.

Forever 21 Asian Inspiration Necklace, $8.80 at forever21.com, Tory Burch Nappa Leather Reva Ballet Flats, $195 at shopbop.com: As for accessories, I like the gold and red Forever 21 necklace.  It has the Gryffindor colors, which is fab, and a bit of an exotic vibe that I think Hermione would appreciate.  Plus the pop of color helps take the outfit out of drab, school uniform territory and gives it a fun twist.  I'd do this simple pair of ballet flats to cap it all off.  Boots or heels with a skirt that short can be a little much, and I think Hermione would do a clean but cute shoe like this pair.

Have any of y'all seen the movie?  What did you think?


Images via shopbop.com, net-a-porter.com, jcrew.com, forever21.com.

Birthday Wants

It's my birthday next Monday!  I'm gonna be 20!  I feel old (I know that sounds dumb, but still).  Anyways, here's some random stuff that I've been eyeing for gifties (in my head.  Not for reality.  But still).


Los Angeles print by BirdAve, $20 at etsy.com, J. Crew Jenna's Cardigan, $70 at jcrew.com: This Etsy shop has the cutest, CUTEST prints.  There's a whole series on skylines of different cities, and I had to pick my hometown.  I love the retro, slightly faded classic skyline against the neon blue.  It feels very fresh but very old school at the same time, and I want to frame it and hang it up in my room.  And it's only $20!  That's why I love Etsy.  That such a great price for an original print.  I'm in a cardigan collecting phase right now, and I have my eye set on this little guy.  I've blogged it already like ten times, so I'll just say that it comes in a good range of neutral colors, the cropped body and 3/4 sleeves are very flattering and sweet, and it will go with everything.

Ray-Ban Modern Wayfarers, $139 at shopbop.com, Fallon Jewelry Loved ID Ring, $75 at shopbop.com: I have two pairs of Ray-Bans, and they're both broken.  Ugh.  It's definitely my fault, but it's still annoying.  I love oversized wayfarers, but this modern take on the shape is refreshing.  The shape of the glasses works for a lot of different face types, the gradient lenses have a slightly retro feel, and the dark brown is a great, less harsh alternative to black.  I know this ring looks giant, but it's much smaller in person.  I love how it looks relatively simple from afar, but up close it has the adorable writing across the band (this one says 'loved,' and there's another one that says 'adored').  It's just a fun, sweet little piece of jewelry that you can wear everyday, and it's gold-plated!  Gotta love the little luxuries.

Foley + Corinna Jet Set Bag, $495 at shopbop.com, Gondolier with the Wind Dress, $47.99 at modcloth.com: I have a Foley + Corinna bag.  I've had it since 8th grade (SEVEN YEARS Y'ALL) and it's in great shape.  It actually looks better, aside from the minor stains I may have made, so I trust the quality of their bags.  I want this one.  I like the shiny black leather, and I love the shape.  It fits so perfectly under your arm, but it's big enough to hold all my junk, and it has a slight equestrian vibe.  Plus, one of my favorite parts is that it looks like it has an open top, which I like, but it actually zippers beneath the straps, so nothing is falling out of this baby.  It's very chic and polished, so you could wear it to work, but it's also a little edgy, so you could wear it out and about.  I know I won't actually get this for my bday, but in theory I want it.  How adorable is this dress?  The shape is very flattering, with the fitted bodice and slightly flared skirt, and I love the zig-zag stripe pattern.  It's a little geometric, a little French girl, and a little retro.  I want to wear it with a cobalt blue belt, cute little boots, and a cropped cardigan (plus the price is great!).

Images via shopbop.com, etsy.com, jcrew.com, modcloth.com.

My Three Favorite Things Today

I went by Sephora today and grabbed a new liquid liner, which I am currently testing and will review tomorrow, but in the meantime, here are my two favorite things from today.


See by Chloe Embellished Velvet Sandals, $315 at net-a-porter.com, Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake Shower Gel, $16 at sephora.com: I love velvet.  I love glitter.  I love platform heels.  These shoes are the trifecta of happy for me.  They're cute and slightly retro, with the ankle strap, they're a little opulent with the velvet and a little glam with the crystal, and the price is decent.  Me want.  Since it's my birthday month, I got this free little gift at Sephora.  It's Vanilla Birthday Cake scented shower gel from Philosophy, and I got a six ounce one for free (the picture is 16 oz).  It smells like cake.  Like it actually smells like the birthday cake I got when I was little.  It's making me very happy.  It's also making me crave cake.  Really badly.  Kind of a problem.  It's actually a combo shower gel-shampoo-bubble bath, but since I have color treated hair I'm not using it as shampoo, and I don't really take baths, so it's a shower gel.  As for as being a shower gel, I really like it.  It lathers up really nicely, it moisturizes pretty well, and it leaves just enough of a yummy cake smell behind to make me happy.  All in all, I would buy a Philosophy shower gel if I liked it enough.  Maybe not this scent, since it's kind of sweet and not that exciting, but another scent definitely.

This is a little on the random side, but I made cookies the other day and I'm eating one now, and they're just so good that I had to share the recipe with y'all.  I know you're rolling your eyes at me, but SERIOUSLY.  MAKE THE COOKIES.

Recipe for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER:
-cream 1 stick softened butter with 2/3 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 granulated sugar until light and fluffy
-stir in 1 egg and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-in another bowl sift together 1-1/3 cups flour (I like whole wheat or unbleached), 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and 1 tsp. sea salt
-stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined
-stir in 1-1/3 dark/semi-sweet chocolate chips (and optional, 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped)
-chill (in the freezer is fastest) for at least 1 hour.  This prevents spreading and keeps the cookies fluffy.
-bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden brown (take them out right before you think they're done, since they'll still keep cooking for a minute or two).


No joke, these cookies are magical.  They will turn out perfectly every time, and they will make you new friends and make people fall in love with you.  You thin

Everyday Jewelry

First off, this dress is totally unrelated to the rest of the post.  It's the Honky Tonk dress by Lucy in Disguise, $230 at shopbop.com, and Lucy in Disguise is actually a brand done by Lily Allen.  Apparently she's had a clothing store for a while and just recently came out with a line of vintage-inspired dresses.  This has me written all over it.  I love the western, kitschy print on the simple, retro silhouette.  I'd do it with a masculine, brown leather belt, girly wedges, and a little cropped cardigan.  Adorbs.

What I'm actually going to talk about today is jewelry.  I know I talk about statement pieces all the time, because they're fun, but the pieces I actually end up wearing every day are little, versatile pieces, not big flashy things.  I've worn the same pair of earrings basically everyday for the last 18 months.  When you buy a piece that's wearable and easy to style around, so you can wear it a lot, the cost per wear goes down to virtually nothing.  The cost per wear of my earrings is like 15 cents.  That's awesome.  So here are some pieces that you can literally wear day after day that will go with everything.


Shashi One Row Original Bracelet, $62 at shopbop.com, Shashi Petit Indian Danna Earrings, $40 at shopbop.com: I wear the same Tiffany's bracelet all day, everyday.  It's one of the really cheesy, Return to Tiffany's bracelets that I got in like 10th grade.  I love it, but another (slightly more, ahem, on-trend) and affordable option is this Shashi bracelet.  The woven black cord has a nice, rustic feeling, the rose-gold beads add some understated glamour, and the crystals give it just the right amount of flash.  It gives a casual, spontaneous feel to a cocktail dress and a bit of polish to jeans and a tee.  You could actually not take it off.  These earrings are SUPER tiny in real life.  They're basically posts with the smallest little dangling charms.  I love that idea, because you get the lightness and delicateness of a post, but the fun movement of a dangling earring.  Even though the pearl is glass, the gold is real, so they have a really luxe feel to them.

Viv & Ingrid 14K Gold Posts with Ruby--July, $190 at vivandingrid.com, Juliet & Company Champagne Pearl Stud Earrings, $20 at shopbop.com: My birthstone is ruby!  That's why I picked these.  Viv & Ingrid makes birthstone post earrings for every month.  They make adorable birthday presents, and they have the real stones, but they are discrete enough to be worn every day.  I love jewelry with little personal connections like that.  Last but not least, if you're a pearl girl, these fake, oversized pearl studs are fab.  The pinkish hue is really flattering, and the fact that they're kind of giant (for pearls at least) make them a little ironic.  I can't bring myself to wear pearls without some sort of irony, and this is a really affordable and cute way to do that.

Images via shopbop.com, vivandingrid.com.

DIY Room Decorating!

Ha.  So I sat down on Friday and Thursday to blog...and I literally fell asleep on my computer.  Like lights out, Mike Tyson just gave me a right hook passed out.  Why?  Because I have an hour and a half (each way, haha) commute in the morning and I have to get up at 6AM so when I get home at 6ish I am like zombie-Megan.  Blah.  So that was totally my bad.  I'm sorry.  I really just wanted to sleep.  For like 100 years.  But on the plus side I did some productive things this weekend, some of which you'll see below.


Bop Basics The Fiance Blazer, $198 at shopbop.com, Nixon Oversized Chrono Watch, $500 at shopbop.com: In theory, I was going to buy a blazer for work.  In theory.  In reality I got lazy.  But in theory I want a blazer like this one.  I'm not the kind of person to wear a serious, fitted blazer (at least not till law school y'all), and boyfriend blazers are the cute alternative.  This is a great option because it has contrasting inner lining for a little sass, a high enough button to create a flattering shape, and the perfect mixture of slouchy and tailored.  I'd put it over a girly dress with some gladiator sandals.  I'm not a watch person, but OMGIWANTTHISWATCH.  I love that it's kind of masculine in shape, but the tortoiseshell is super girly and chic.  I love the giant, oversized face and the calendar faces, and IWANTITTTTTT.  It would be adorable with a really feminine outfit, like a little sundress and big sunglasses.

So I am stupid, and I didn't take a picture of my ugly nightstand before I prettified it this weekend.  But I did take a picture of the matching dresser.  Imagine that but shorter and skinnier, and voila (the dresser is getting a makeover this coming weekend).  Now, there was nothing wrong with the side table.  It didn't make snide comments at me or anything like that.  But it did clash with my room theme.  So I got a little DIY on it.  First I sanded it down with a medium-grade sandpaper to rough up the surface, since it's probably not real wood and it was covered in varnish.  Then I took off the previous knobs, and did 1 coat of black glossy spray paint.  I let that dry (it took about 24 hours, if you do it inside like I did, put something on the floor and open ALL THE WINDOWS.  For serious.) and then I put on the new knobs.  The top and bottom knobs were like $3 on sale at Anthropologie, the middle one is from eBay.  Long story short: spray paint and new hardware are great for pieces that you are okay with the general shape of, but hate the look and finish of.  I paid probably $30 for that dresser, $10 for the knobs and $10 for the spray paint and sand paper, so I basically got that for $50.  It looks SO much better, and I actually like it now, so success!

Also my mom sent me this shelving thing from my room at home.  I got it at the Container Store about 6 years ago, and it's still in great condition.  It's about 5 feet tall, with shelves over a foot deep and tall and four shelves (not including stuff you can put on top).  I highly recommend buying this shelving unit.  It's basic enough to go with a lot of different room themes, but it still has enough of a visual twist to not be boring.

Images via shopbop.com.

Room Pics!

I haven't slept in 3 days.  It's kind of a funny story.  The first day was totally my fault, I had to take a placement test for my study abroad program and it took wayyyyy longer than expected.  The second night I got food poisoning and ended up missing my morning flight back to Boston so I took a red eye and didn't sleep last night either.  I think I might be getting delirious.

So I missed blogging yesterday :( and I only have a tiny post today because I'm moving in my new apartment and I have a ridiculous amount of stuff.  Like insane.  Anyways, here's a snapshot of what I'm doing in my new room.  It's square with a little bay window area, and my bed fits into this like wall nook.  I didn't want to spend the cash to get a real headboard, so I got this $30 decal from Etsy.  I love it because it adds a lot of drama and glamour, but it's so cheap and easy to put up.  My color scheme is pink, black and white, and I'm painting the walls a light pink but leaving this little nook off-white.  I got the chandelier decal at Target a year ago and re-used it (totally still sticks!) and the poster is from Etsy.

And I got my chair from eBay!  It was just about $100 with shipping and totally worth it.  It goes with my theme and color scheme and it's so much cuter and more comfy than a computer chair or desk chair.  I got it to sit at my 'desk'.  I say 'desk' because it's really a table I'm going to use to watch movies at and do my makeup at. 

I'm painting my room and spray-painting some of my furniture tomorrow so hopefully I've have more pictures for y'all!

Outfit of the Day

This is kind of a lie, because I didn't wear real clothes today (I went to the gym but I don't think that counts), but this is what I would have worn today...if I had gone out in public and not just watched the Masterpiece Theater version of Sense & Sensibility all day.  What a crazy life I have.


The dress I picked up at H&M over the weekend for about $35, the belt is vintage, and so are the cardigan and the necklace, and the boots are Frye.  The dress is definitely on the girly, ruffly side for me, but I've been watching a ton of True Blood, and am totally craving ruffly, Southern sundresses.  The print is pink and red and white and a little '70s/'80s, and it has ruffles on the tank sleeves, and down the faux-wrap on the front.  The waist of the dress had an orange tie, which I took off, because the waist of the dress is higher than my natural waist.  So I did what I did with the last H&M dress and made the waist lower by belting it.  Easy solutions!  It's hard to see, but the belt is a woven leather, which goes with the beachy vibe of the dress, and it adds a nice weight to the ruffly, floatiness of the dress.  I added the navy cardigan for warmth and contrast, the vintage necklace for a bit of edge, and the boots for a little sassiness.  And yes, I do wear those boots with everything.  I should get another pair.  Hm.  I like that idea.  Also I gots me a haircut!  It totally looks the same.

Here's a close-up with the vintage necklace I'm wearing.  I got it from my late and very awesome great-aunt.  I think it's art deco, and it's completely epic.  I love statement necklaces.  They're so easy to wear, but they add a lot of visual impact.  Plus vintage statement necklaces don't generally look like anything else on the market, so you can get a really unique twist on an outfit.

On a totally unrelated side note, I made the best chai simple syrup today for my morning black tea.  You simmer 1 part sugar with 1 part water (I do 1 cup and 1 cup) until the sugar dissolves, and then I added a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, which has cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom and stirred until that dissolved.  Those aren't the exact spices used in chai, but when you add that syrup to black tea with some milk it tastes pretty darn close to a chai tea latte.

Up & Down

I got my bi-yearly traumatic haircut today.  The end result of the haircut is totally fine, I just really hate getting my haircut.  The problem with me is that since I have so much hair--literally enough for 3 people--that hairstylists feel like they can cut and cut and cut at my hair and then you turn around and I have no hair.  It happens all the time and I hate it.  So I just sit there during any haircut staring desperately into the mirror and monitoring every strand of hair that gets cut off and freaking out.  My hairstylist probably thinks I'm a sociopath.  


On the plus side though, she totally made my day by saying (literally) that I have "commercial hair that she would make into wigs for models to wear in shampoo commercials."  Um, AWESOME.  Except I like my hair too much to make it into a wig.  But still.


Anyways, right now I'm sitting on the couch watching Top Chef Masters and whitening my teeth.  Watching Top Chef always makes me hungry, so wearing white strips is a great solution because I can't eat while wearing them!  Haha.  I use Crest White Strips, which are currently $16.20 at amazon.com.  I've used these once before, in high school about 2 years ago, and since I drink a ridiculous amount of tea and coffee it was time for another round.  I think these are great.  They're affordable, and easy to use.  In this pack you get 10 sets of upper and lower strips.  You leave the strips on for half an hour each, so you put on one top and one bottom strip and leave them on while you watch the Office.  You can double up and do two sets in one day if you want faster results.  I find that the strips stay on pretty well and the overall result is noticeably brighter teeth that last a will.  You won't get blindingly white teeth, but they will be nice and bright.  I don't have particularly sensitive teeth, so I haven't had any issues with these, but I have heard that with sensitive teeth these can sting a bit.

On an unrelated note, I popped into J. Crew the other day to get a (blindingly) neon pink v-neck, and I saw these two adorable dresses.  Oleander Lace Shift Dress, $295 at jcrew.com, Eyelet Derby Dress, $158 at jcrew.com.  Aren't they both gorgeous?  I love the simplicity of the shape of this black sheath dress against the Old World opulence of the black lace.  It's textured and layered and intricate, but still wearable and easy to style.  Plus the shape is crazy flattering, with the defined waist and a-line skirt.  Y'all know I love me a sundress, and this eyelet one is so fresh and springy and fun.  The fitted bodice keeps the voluminous skirt from being overwhelming, and the eyelet detail gives such a sweetness to the minimalist white.

Jenna's Cardigan, $70 at jcrew.com, Notched Skinny Belt, $32.50 at jcrew.com: Now, the funny thing about these dresses is that I was thinking about how I would style them, and I would totally style them the same way.  This plum, fitted cardigan works with the black sheath because the jewel tone adds some richness to the black, and the retro, cropped shape works perfectly with the old school feel of the dress.  It works with the white sundress because the plum warms up the white, and the cropped waist would hit right at the waist of the dress, whereas a longer cardigan would get pushed out by the full skirt and hide your waist.  I'd do this menswear style belt with the black dress because it adds a fun, His Girl Friday twist to the lady-like sheath.  I'm all about contrast, and doing a casual belt with the cocktail dress dresses it down a bit while adding a little sass.  The same belt adds a much needed masculine element to the very girly white dress, and a little bit of visual weight as well.  It's just proof that investing in versatile wardrobe staples, like cardigans and belts, is a great idea because they can work with so many different pieces.

Images via jcrew.com, amazon.com.