Arte da Jú

Remix Roundup: Valentine's Day Outfits

2014-02-05T06:23:00.000-08:00

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

I still can't believe we're already in the second month of the year! If you're like most girls, you've probably already started planning your outfit for February 14th (guilty). I don't really do anything to celebrate Valentine's Day, but I've always enjoyed having another excuse to dress up! I, like most people, usually go for something pink or red, but I also like to throw in a black & white print such as polka dots, houndstooth, or even stripes! Only one of these outfits I've listed was actually worn on V Day (the one with the red coat), but the others could work just as well!

What are you planning to wear this year? Red? Pink? Some other random color? All black? Do you not care? No judgement here.

January through Instagram

2014-01-31T06:04:00.000-08:00

I kicked off January (and the new year) in Cambridge, Massachusetts at a concert to see a "funk rock" band called Bad Rabbits! It definitely topped every previous NYE I ever had!
This was during the northeast snow storm that hit early January! I was so excited to venture out into the fresh fallen snow for the first time.
Lots of days in Massachusetts were spent like this. Just hanging out inside, watching the snow, and keeping cozy.
My first time sledding! It was actually kind of scary, or maybe I'm just a wuss haha. It was still fun though!
Back in Austin. Back to warmer temperatures. It was good to be home!
This was at my friend's bridal shower! Her wedding is next week, and I'm a bridesmaid! I'm so excited for her big day (as you can tell from my facial expression ;) haha)!
A quick snapshot on a lazy Sunday. Pretty sure I spent this whole day watching Game of Thrones. A day well spent, obviously.
Snow in Austin! It was barely anything at all, but it was enough to make the entire city basically shut down. Oh, Texans...
The best part of January: I got a job!! I now work full-time for a digital marketing company, and I couldn't be happier! Seriously, after months of nothing but interviews, this was the biggest weight off my shoulders.

According to the Chinese Zodiac calendar, 2014 is the Year of the Horse (which is my zodiac sign)! I think it really will be a good year for me, and judging from all the luck I had in January, it's already off to a great start! Bring it on, February.

Pale is the New Tan

2014-01-25T06:54:00.000-08:00

{ f21 sweater, plaid shirt & skirt; mom's coat; Marshall's tights; ModCloth shoes }

During my two week stay in Massachusetts, I must have dropped at least ten shades of whatever skin color I am. I even wore red lipstick basically everyday just to keep myself from blending into the snow completely, ha!

I have two liquid foundations I like to use (one for the warmer months & one for the colder months), and I accidentally put on the wrong one the other night making my face look like an actual orange compared to the rest of my pale self. No one said anything about it, so either it was too dark to notice or people were just being polite. I'll pretend it was the first one.

Donuts

2014-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

{ f21 sweatshirt, coat, jeans, & hat; thrifted gingham shirt; DSW boots }

A few months ago I blogged about how I was really into clothing/accessories with donuts on them, and then I received this awesome sweatshirt for my birthday! Ahhh I love it so much! I also love all the weird looks I get when I wear it in public. And of course, wearing this gave me a craving for an actual donut! The carbs and sugar were totally worth it for these pics.

I've had these boots for years, but I never realized just how destroyed they were until looking through these photos. I kept hanging on to them because they were so comfy, and I used to always get compliments on them. Alas, I finally decided it was time to say goodbye to them for good. Hopefully someone at Goodwill can find a use for them (or they might have just gone in the trash... depending on what my mom decided to do with them, haha).

This post was brought to you by Dunkin Donuts. Okay, no it wasn't. I just really enjoy their donuts.

Chill Out

2014-01-14T07:30:00.000-08:00

{ f21 sweater, plaid, jeans, & hat; mom's coat; borrowed snow boots; Target earmuffs, scarf & gloves }

It's funny how these photos look so easygoing and carefree when in reality, I'm just trying to look presentable and not freeze to death at the same time. We were right next to this giant frozen river which made the wind chill even more unbearable! Like my face literally hurt, you guys. I'm only laughing in these pics because I was on the brink of going insane from the cold, ha!

Seriously, every other frame looked exactly like this:

That is the face of pure agony.

2014 Goals

2014-01-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

I'm horrible at coming up with a new years resolution (which is probably why this post is coming to you mid-January). I used to try and think of one every year and then by February I would completely forget about it! So this year instead of trying to commit to one resolution, I thought I would list some goals I hope to accomplish in 2014. I read somewhere that writing things down makes you more likely to stick to what you said you would do, so I'm going to give it a try!

1. Post more consistently. I know I joked about this in a previous post, but I really would like to make it happen. In 2013, I lost my motivation for blogging which led me to go on a hiatus for about 4 months during the summer. I had just graduated college and was taking the time to enjoy my last carefree summer with friends while also dating someone new, so the blog was just put on the back burner. This year, I don't want there to be any unnecessarily long breaks where I forget to blog completely. Right now I try to post every 3 to 4 days, but I eventually want to get to a point where I blog 4 times a week. We shall see!

2. Find a job you actually enjoy. This one probably takes priority over the others because it's so important to me to find something I love to do and make a career out of it. Why bother spending your life doing something you hate? I know I'm not alone in this goal since so many of my friends who graduated with me last year are still looking for a job where they feel like they belong as well. It's tough, but I'm going to try my absolute hardest to make it happen this year.

3. Make healthy choices. This isn't to say I'm going on a diet or I'm gonna start going to the gym (those are usually just empty promises that last less than a month for me). I'm keeping it simple with this one. Like opting for water instead of soda or resisting to eat right before bedtime. Maybe even go out on a walk every now again. These are little things that don't require a huge sacrifice, and hopefully I can turn them into everyday habits!

4. Read more. I love to read, but last year I think I only read one book (the 4th book to the Game of Thrones series, A Feast for Crows) which bums me out. I'm not in school anymore, so I can't use the time I had to commit to "assigned reading" as an excuse. Right now I'm reading the 5th book to the GoT series, A Dance with Dragons, and it is HUGE. But if I can get through it, I want to read other books I've heard were good like Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, The Hobbit, and lots more! What are y'all reading this year (suggestions are welcome!)?

5. Ease off social media. When I wake up, I can spend up to 30 minutes or more on my phone just going back and forth between my social media apps before I even get out of bed. I check them before I go to sleep, at work, while eating, and even while watching tv or in between reading a book. I've always enjoyed social media, but it was during the latter half of 2013 where I noticed I was starting to rely on it a little too much. It's ridiculous, and my boyfriend has called me out on it numerous times. This year I'm going to try and put the phone down and learn to live in the moment more often!

6. Make more time for friends. Spending time with friends was so effortless back in college! We all lived semi-close to each other, and I got to to see them pretty much everyday whether it be in class or for a quick lunch break. Now that we're all exploring different parts of our lives, it's hard to find time to hang out. I partly blame myself though because when I actually do find some down time, I'm too lazy to want to drive across town to see them (I know, shame on me). To any of my friends reading right now, you better hold me to this!

7. Travel to a new place. Last year, I got to visit Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine - three states I had never been to before! I even got to spend a night in Nashville, Tennessee (another place I had never been) and see the Grand Ole Opry! I feel like these opportunities to travel made my year so much more perfect, and I adore the sense of adventure and wonder I get from exploring a whole new place. As of now I have no plans to travel anytime soon, but hopefully something unexpected will come about during the year!

Do you have any goals this year? Or are you going all out with one big resolution?

Menswear

2014-01-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

{ f21 coat, jeans, scarf & hat; Old Navy shirt; Target vest, goves & bag; GoJane boots }

Can we just talk about how in love I am with this scarf? I found it in the men's section at Forever 21 and immediately knew I had to have it. It's HUGE which is absolutely perfect for this weather! "But it's made for men!" Um, no, it's made for me (and any other boy/girl who enjoys a cozy scarf).

I don't know who spoke on behalf of all women that we only enjoy small, lightweight scarves that won't keep us warm, but they've got it all wrong! Guess my only option now is to make the switch over to men's clothing for good. Who's with me?

Winter Wonderland

2014-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

{ f21 coat & plaid; Old Navy sweater; Target pants, vest, & gloves; Cotton On scarf; GoJane boots }

I'm normally just a "5 or 6 photos per post" kinda blogger, but I couldn't help myself with this one. It snowed so much these past couple of days, and everything just looked so gorgeous outside! I'm trying to take advantage of these snowy backgrounds before I head back to Texas (where it's usually hard to tell exactly what season we're in).

Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to stay out in the snow wearing this for much longer otherwise I might have froze to death, which would have been a sucky way to end a vacation. So awhile later I put on some borrowed clothing made especially for snow that I have never had a need for in my life and finally went outside to play! And by "play" I mean I made one snow angel and then ran back inside for some hot chocolate. What a day!

Let It Snow

2014-01-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

{ f21 plaid shirt & jeans; Old Navy sweater; Target vest, scarf & bag; ModCloth shoes }

Can you believe it?? Actual snow!! I know this means nothing to most of y'all, but this Texas girl was freaking out earlier. "What is this magical white stuff falling from the sky?" I mean, the most snow I've ever seen in my life (not counting when I was an infant) happened a couple years ago in Austin, but it melted within hours. This Massachusetts snow is here to stay, and I love it!!

The cold weather still takes some getting used to. My faux-fur vest has definitely come in handy up here, along with plenty of chai lattes from Starbucks, of course. I can pair it with almost anything! I'm glad I put it at the top of my Christmas list ~~this~~ last year. Most people ask for a new iPad, I ask for a faux-fur vest (thanks mom!).

Goodbye 2013

2013-12-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year (well, almost)!! I can't believe this year is already coming to a close! 2013 was such a great year for me. I graduated from the best university in the world, went on a cross-country road trip (something that has always been on my bucket list) and got to travel to the city I had only dreamed of exploring one day, Boston! Time flew by this year, but I can't wait to see what awaits me in 2014!

I put together this compilation of a few of my favorite outfit shots taken throughout the year, what do you think? I took a long break from blogging over the summer, so the majority of these are from the later half of the year. But! I'm going to try and be more consistent with my posting for 2014. Maybe that can be my new years resolution?

Ah who am I kidding, no one ever keeps their new years resolution, and I have the abandoned gym membership to prove it. ;)

All is Merry and Bright

2013-12-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

{ f21 top, skirt, & boots; Marshall's tights; mom's cardigan; bow c/o Shop Pretty Lovely }

So this is what I wore for Christmas! I wanted something that screamed "HOLLY JOLLY", and I think I nailed it with gold and plaid. I love this color combo for the holidays! I was reluctant to take outfit pics indoors, but I really wanted some photos with my parents' Christmas tree. And also, it was way too hot/sunny to be outside, but that's Texas for ya. "White Christmas"? What's that? :P

So This is Christmas

2013-12-24T11:53:00.000-08:00

{ Agaci sweater; Target vest & bag; F21 jeans; Payless boots; Icing necklace }

So this morning I woke up with my left eye burning/swollen (it's pretty much blind now) along with a huge pimple on each cheek, but on the bright side, IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE!! Therefore, nothing will bring me down today! I love the day before Christmas because it's the day when my extended family comes over to hang out and open gifts! I'm excited to eat, drink, and (you guessed it) be merry!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! Tomorrow while you're opening gifts, I'll be on a plane along with the other crazy people who decided to fly on Christmas morning, haha! I can't wait to be in Boston again!! Merry Christmas! :o)

Last Day of Autumn

2013-12-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

{ f21 plaid shirt, vest, hat & coat; Marshall's tights; gifted gloves; GoJane boots }

Sad to say, but my favorite season has finally come to an end this year. No more making crunchy noises with the leaves, no more relevant use for pumpkins... sigh. I wouldn't mind winter as much if we got some snow here in Austin, but that pretty much never happens so all we're left with are the lame parts of the season (like freezing inside your own apartment because you're too cheap to turn on the heat).

Thankfully, I will get to experience lots of snow for the next couple of weeks during my visit in Massachusetts! No matter how cold it gets, I told myself I have to build a snowman and (if I'm brave enough) get in a snowball fight! They're on my "things most normal people have done that you should probably do before you die" list. It's a work in progress.

Boston Common

2013-12-15T08:46:00.000-08:00

{ Target sweatshirt, leg warmers & scarf; f21 cardigan & pants; GoJane boots; thrifted Fossil bag }

During my stay in Massachusetts, Matthew and I got to go on a day trip to Boston! I just couldn't wait to see how fall had transformed the Boston Common (which is one of my favorite places ever). Instead of the gorgeous flowers I saw when I came to visit in the summer, fallen leaves of red and yellow covered the place. We walked around the Common while staying warm with our chai lattes and just enjoyed the sights & sounds. It was pure bliss.

p.s. This may be unrelated, but on the right side of the second photo above, you can see a hawk that just demolished a pigeon and some random drunk guy passed out in the back on the grass. Boston is so magical.

Sweater (Dress) Weather

2013-12-11T18:34:00.000-08:00

{ f21 sweater dress & hat; Target scarf; Marshall's tights; GoJane boots }

Whoever invented sweater dresses is seriously my hero. "What? You wanna be able to look cute and wear a dress in cold weather without freezing to death? Sure thing." Bam. Suddenly winter got a little bit more enjoyable. So thank you, mystery fashion genius.

I'm super excited for Christmas this year because I'm heading back to Massachusetts! I fly out Christmas morning and am staying until a few days after New Years Eve. I can't wait! I'm actually going to be in real snow for the first time (I'm not counting that ONE time we got a smidgen of snow flurries in Austin)! I don't think I own a single article of clothing to prepare me for snow, and I'm pretty sure my sweater dress won't be able to help me out either... Should be an interesting two weeks!

Birthday Bundled

2013-12-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

{ ASOS dress; f21 shirt & cardigan; DSW boots; Marshall's tights; Target belt & leg warmers }

This is what I wore when I turned 23 last month! Every year my birthday falls on a cold day, so I basically have to decide if I want to either wear a cute dress and freeze or pile on layers of clothes until I'm unrecognizable (which is no fun on your birthday). Girl problems, amiright?

This year I decided to brave the cold and wear one of my favorite dresses ever! It has no sleeves, so I put on a plaid shirt before covering up with my cozy chunky cardigan (which I practically lived in during my stay in Massachusetts, and I'm not exaggerating). I'm surprised I was still able to stay warm! The leg warmers helped a lot. Maybe the 80's taught us something after all...

Fox and the Hound

2013-12-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

{ Target sweater dress; f21 plaid shirt; Marshall's tights; GoJane boots }

Say hello to Copper, my boyfriend's dog! How cute is he? I really wanted him to be in this post with me, but getting him to sit still proved to be pretty difficult since he has so much energy! He was basically pulling me around, haha! So please appreciate the first photo because it's basically a miracle that we got one that didn't come out blurry ;)

On my first day visiting Massachusetts, we took Copper for a walk and let him out in the backyard to play. I was mesmerized by all the fallen leaves around us, they were so pretty! We don't get leaves like that here in Texas. I must have took over 50 photos of just the leaves alone! I couldn't help myself. I've got four more outfit posts from Massachusetts coming up, and I can't wait to share them with y'all! Copper won't be in them though. Fashion blogging wasn't really his thing.

p.s. Special thanks to my boyfriend's mom for naming this post. I wish I was as clever as she is! xo

November through Instagram

2013-12-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

A day late as usual. December really snuck up on me this year! Probably because November was such a fun month! These were a few of my favorite moments:

Most of my mornings looked just like this. Cozy sweater, chai tea latte in hand, and plenty of Netflix.
This is what Austin looked like the day before I left for Boston. Such a gorgeous day! Glad I got to spend some of it outside before packing for the trip!
I think this one speaks for itself, haha. I was so happy to be back!
This is Copper, he loves going on walks and playing in the leaves! We have that in common.
Boston is such an awesome city, I never get sick of it! Plus it was nice being in actual cold weather and finally getting to wear my sweaters/boots!
The warm colors in the Boston Common were breathtaking. I wish Texas got to experience an autumn like this!
My birthday! I ended the day with a slice of blueberry cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory (of course). Sooo good.
I have so many pictures in my phone of the fallen leaves. It's kind of ridiculous, but I just couldn't help myself!
I had two Thanksgiving meals this year, one at my mom's and one with my dad. I probably ate way too much, but isn't that what the holidays are all about? ;)

You can follow me on Instagram @RachelEmmaTX!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2013-11-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving today! I just got back into Texas last night from Massachusetts, and I'm so glad to be home! It's going to be great seeing my family again. So many people told me that the day before Thanksgiving is the worst time of year to travel, but it actually wasn't bad at all! No lines, not many crowds, and all my flights were fairly on time! It must have been a Thanksgiving miracle, ha!

The above photo is a little sneak peak into an outfit post I have coming up. I can't wait to share the photos I took in Massachusetts with y'all! Stay tuned ;)

Nobody Likes You When You're 23

2013-11-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

At least that's what Blink 182 told me. Hopefully it's not true...

Geez, another year older! Time sure flies. I'm currently writing this in Massachusetts bundled up in as many sweaters and blankets I can possibly stand. It's freezing outside! But I'm cozy in here, so I'm good. This morning I had apple whole-wheat pancakes made for me with bacon, later I'm going to see Catching Fire at the IMAX, and tonight I'm going out and totally eating my weight in cheesecake. So far, 23 is starting out pretty swell. :)

Off Guard

2013-11-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

{ f21 dress; Target belt; boots c/o DUO; scarf c/o Charlotte Russe; Fredflare tights }

It has been absolutely freezing lately. I've basically been wearing the same knit sweater everyday because it's just so cozy and warm. I even planned on wearing it with this outfit today, but I stepped outside and BAM. Sunny and 77 degrees?? Completely caught me off guard, but at least it gave me a reason to finally change clothes. (That sounded bad.)

I'm trying to enjoy as much of this sun as I can today because tomorrow I'm heading up to Boston! I hope I'm prepared. Although, stuffing as many sweaters/coats as I can into one carry-on bag is proving to be more difficult than I thought. Maybe I'll just bring my go-to sweater that I've been wearing everyday... No one has to know.

Remix Roundup: White Tee

2013-11-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

1. Petal Pusher
2. Pin Drop
3. Sneaky Sneaky
4. Scarf Love

Everyone should own a white tee. In fact, wouldn't that be awesome if everyone was just given a white tee when they're born? "Welcome to life, here's your white tee. It will help you through many style crises. Use it wisely." I would have saved so much time wondering what to wear.

Birthday Wishlist

2013-11-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

1. Outer Bank on It Sandal in Yellow

2. Sweet Dreams Pillowcase Set

3. Hooray Sports tank

4. Poise and Click Dress

5. Know a Trick or Two Tights

6. Doll Over Town Flats in Red

7. Owl I Need Shoulder Bag

8. My Kind of Pie Dress

9. See You Round Polka Dot Skirt

10. Cards Against Humanity Game

11. Southwestern Style Scarf

It's probably no surprise that November is my favorite month of the year! Colder weather, Thanksgiving, everyone starts getting more cheery because Christmas is right around the corner, and my birthday! This wishlist is mainly just a bunch of stuff I've had my eye on for awhile. Most of it is from ModCloth so it probably will never happen, but a girl can dream, right?? This year I'll be flying up to Boston for my birthday, and I can't wait! Should be a great month :)

Trick or Treat

2013-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

{ f21 top, skirt & ring; Target cardigan; Francesca's heels; hand-me-down bag }

Happy Halloween! You may be wondering why I'm not wearing a costume for this post as other (and smarter) bloggers are doing today. Truth is, my "costume" is so lame this year that I didn't bother. But if you're dying to know, just picture some cat ears on me in these photos. Anti-climactic, I know!

One thing I really miss about Halloween from the ol' days is trick-or-treating! I can't even remember when I stopped. It's like suddenly I felt like a creep dressing up and asking strangers for candy. I don't think trick-or-treating will be socially acceptable for me until I have my own kids someday! For now I'll just have to stick to trick-or-treating at Walmart... and then paying them for the candy.

October through Instagram

2013-10-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

I had one goal for the month of October: make my apartment spell like a pumpkin. Mission accomplished.
This was my attempt at fall decor on a poor girl's budget. I love candy skulls! I'd put them all over my place if I could, but that would probably worry some people.
My boyfriend Matt came to visit Austin for a week! We spent his first full day visiting our Alma Mater and hanging out on the front lawn enjoying the weather. :)
I went to the Texas State Fair a couple weeks ago for the first time, and it was so much fun! My college football team won the game that day which made it even better!
I haven't had Instagram-worthy food in a long time, but this was definitely one of those moments. Sooo good!
I hope this isn't too weird, but I love creepy Halloween decor. It always makes me laugh! I wanna decorate my future house full of Halloween stuff. Be one of those people in the neighborhood, haha.
Visiting the pumpkin patch this month was so fun! I usually just buy one from my grocery store, but getting one from a patch felt more authentic, y'know?
I found this Twiggy painting etched on the wall at Austin's local graffiti park! I'm kind of in love with it. I never get tired of that place!
I went to a Halloween party last week and got to see lots of old friends! I dressed up as a cat because I already had the ears and didn't feel like spending money. Hopefully next year I'll try something not-so-lame!