The Crown Jewel

Pumpkin, Spice, and Everything Nice

2016-10-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

Cheesin'.

Oh hey, it's been awhile! I've been thinking about blogging again (mostly because I want to post about how obsessed I am with the Konmari method), but I wasn't sure if it'd be a one-off or not. Buuuut I really loved today's outfit, so skipped running in favor of taking outfit photos instead ~~oops~~. I had to use the self-timer on my phone though, so running back and forth counts, right? Right.

While today wasn't Halloween, we still had a Halloween-inspired theme Friday at work. Unfortunately, I didn't win the prize jar, but I did have the cutest outfit, so I think that probably means I'm still the real winner.

Mostly I'm just obsessed with my skirt. I bought it over a year ago and just wore it for the first time a couple weeks ago. I don't know what took me so long, but I think it's one of my favorite items of clothing at the moment.

Shirt: Target. Skirt: Purpose Boutique (old). Tights: Target (old). Shoes: Target. Lily's Shirt: Target (old).

I think I just got into a rut where I got really lazy with what I was wearing. I've recently cleaned out my closet and am getting rid of a toooon of clothes (see: aforementioned Konmari method), so hopefully I'll stop being such a slacker. And maybe by the time I'm done with my entire apartment, I'll actually have a clean place to take photos instead of a mostly-clean space in front of my closet door. We can only dream.

Of course, Lily also had to dress up for Theme Friday. What kind of mom would I be if I didn't dress her in a matching pumpkin shirt? A horrible one. I think taking outfit photos of my dog also puts me into a new level of crazy dog mom, but I'm okay with that.

Twinning with my dog.

That's all the Halloween fun for one post. I'll try to remember to post pictures of my Halloween costume too-- I'm going as a very loosely interpreted Ariel this year. I don't think anything will ever beat my Bellatrix from last year, though. I should post that, too.

In the meantime, do you have any fun Halloween plans? I have a Disney-themed party to go to, but that's it.

Final Hurrah

2015-09-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken last Friday, but it already feels like so long ago. Washington has very much decided that it's fall now and it's been chilly and overcast since my birthday. Not a fan. But at least I got to wear this shirt first!

I bought it on clearance the weekend before at Target for $4 something. I actually tried it on closer to the start of the summer, but had already spent a ton of money ~~and never really stopped spending~~ so I decided against spending the $20 or so to buy this at full price. Needless to say, I was psyched to find it on the clearance rack.

I've also recently purchased a large shoe rack for my entry hall, so soon I can get rid off my rows of shoes for something a little bit more organized. I also got an over-the-door organizer for scarves, gloves, and other small miscellaneous things.

I have a few other plans for (finally) getting organized, so I'm hoping it all works as well in reality as it does in my head. In the mean time, I've just got to work on cleaning and getting rid of all the random stuff (for example, I've recently realized I'm a receipt hoarder).

If it does end up turning out well, I'll be sure to post some pictures!

Top: Target. Jeans: Old Navy. Sandals: Fred Meyer. Ring: Old Navy.

In the meantime, one of my friends from college is coming to visit! I'm so, SO excited! I haven't seen her since we graduated from college over two years ago (side note: I'm feeling so old right now). She's been teaching English for the past two years in South Korea, and finally returned stateside last month, so this been a long time coming.

24

2015-09-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Just popping in to let you know that today's my birthday! I turned 24 today, and I'm not entirely sure how that happened. Since when am I a real twentysomething, in my mid-twenties??!

Today the only plans I have are dinner with my family, but yesterday I went whale watching up in the San Juan Islands! That's getting it's own post though, because it really was an amazing experience. In the meantime, you can check out a few of the pictures on Instagram.

Hope you all have a great Sunday!

Such a Girl

2015-09-09T20:06:00.001-07:00

As pretty as I think jewelry is, I've never actually been big on wearing it. I would periodically buy a necklace or two, wear them once or twice, then forget about them. But today I wore both a necklace and a ring, and I felt like such a girl. ~~I also had earrings on but they don't count.~~

I bought a few rings this weekend on sale, so I was hoping to work them into my outfits. Yesterday I forgot they existed, but I remembered today! This necklace is the perfect example of forgetting though. I bought it in, like, May and this is the first time I'm wearing it.

Overall, I felt really pulled together today. Jewelry aside, my outfit was pretty simple, but it's one of my favorites in awhile. I don't know if it's just because I'm bored of my summer clothes or if it's just because I've been so tired in the mornings, but most days I've been feeling very meh about my outfits. But today was different, and it actually prompted me to take pictures for the first time in a month.

It's pretty frustrating, but with fall coming, I should have more variety soon. Though it can't come until after my birthday this Sunday or I will be very upset.

I really should work more on actually getting up on time, so I'm not as rushed in the mornings. Lately I've just been hitting snooze again and again and getting out of bed entirely too late. Today I woke up with my workout alarm ~~for once~~ and went on a run this morning. I have it timed so I get back around when my normal alarm is set, which meant I had way more time to get ready today. It was such a nice change!

Cardigan: Target. Top: Old Navy. Jeans: Target. Sandals: Target. Ring: Old Navy. Necklace: Forever 21.

This outfit is funny though, in that a couple of weeks ago at work we had fun awards, and mine was "Most Likely to Blow Her Entire Paycheck at Target." So, so true. My cardigan, jeans, and sandals are all from Target, and all have been purchased within the last couple weeks. Along with a couple other shirts. And a skirt. And jeans. And pretty much everything else under the sun. Such a dangerous store.

Unrelated, but since construction has ended, I'm attempting to put my apartment back together. Which mostly means alllll the stuff that was previously shoved into my closet is now out in my apartment looking like an explosion of random bags and boxes. My entry hall is pretty much the only clean spot in my entire apartment, which means photos will be taken here until further notice.

Time Flies

2015-09-03T19:03:00.002-07:00

These pictures were originally taken a month and a half (or so) ago. And I meant to post them at least a month ago (oops!), but life got a little bit crazy and then when it wasn't I just got lazy. So sorry about that unintended hiatus! I have plans for the next few weekends, but then absolutely nothing after that.

This outfit is pretty much what you can find me in on any given weekend-- a loose tank and shorts. And then, once colder weather comes around, it becomes a t-shirt and leggings (or jeans, when I want to look like I put slightly more effort in). Basically, clothes that are super comfy for doing absolutely nothing other than lounging around and maybe a trip to Target.

Please ignore the fact I blinked.

It was considerably warmer when I took these photos than it has been for the past week or so. While I'm not a big fan, we desperately need it. Most of the state has had a huge wildfire problem all summer. We had a big windstorm last weekend though. It was crazy! It felt more like November than the end of August. Fortunately it's been tamer than that since, just a little cooler than I'd like. Especially with my birthday coming up, I want to enjoy the last couple weeks of summer.

Tank: Target. Shorts: Forever 21. Sandals: Fred Meyer.

In other news, I was having a great hair day the day I took these pictures.

Happy Day

2015-08-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

This outfit is pretty simple, but it was just what I needed to deal with the heat last week. Fortunately, the weather seems to finally be getting back to normal for Washington. The forecast is mostly high 70s, low 80s for the next week or so, so I should stop complaining about it for at least awhile.

I'm glad I'm able to post these pictures tonight! These next two weeks are going to be a bit crazy, I think. There's a lot going on at work and (much more exciting/important), one of my best friends is on a plane headed my way right now. It's been entirely too long since I've seen her, and this time I get her for a whole week! While I can't take the whole week off, I definitely plan to make the most of my time with her.

Then next week/weekend, I'll be at a show for work, so I'll be working pretty much nonstop. But. I am (semi) prepared for this! I took outfit photos both days this weekend, so I'll theoretically be able to schedule those for some point in the next two weeks, if I have enough time to edit them. Unfortunately, taking pictures is usually the quick part. Narrowing things down and making sure the lighting looks okay takes way longer.

Top: Old Navy. Shorts: Target. Sandals: Payless.

I'd also like to note that originally the excitement was because these photos were taken Friday after work, but I thought it worked just as well today, since today was really good at work and my friend will be here in a couple hours. Hope your Monday was as good as mine is/will be!

Throwback Thursday

2015-07-30T22:09:00.002-07:00

While these pictures are only actually from yesterday, this dress is what I was wearing in my very first outfit I posted to the blog. Allll the way back in 2013. Granted I haven't been blogging consistently since then, but I thought it'd make a good throwback.

While not much has changed, there is one very exciting change coming-- I just bought my first dslr camera!! I'm so, so, so excited! I've wanted one for so long, and I finally took the plunge and ordered it last night. Obviously there's going to be a bit of a learning curve while I figure out how to use it, but I'm so excited to start playing with it. I haven't had a (real) camera in so long-- let alone a nice one-- so it's going to be such a nice change.

In other news, sorry about how quiet it's been around here lately! While construction's been going on, I've been mostly living out of a suitcase, so there's been a whole lot of outfit repeating going on. That, combined with excessive heat, has made for a boring blog. Unfortunately, construction has been extended, but there is an end in sight! ~~I hope.~~

Dress: Fred Meyer. Sandals: Fred Meyer.

In the meantime, I've got a couple friends coming into town (including one I haven't seen in WAY too long) and a Taylor Swift concert coming up, so I'm pretty psyched. Things may continue to be quiet for a bit with everything going on, but once things calm down a bit, posts should ramp up a bit. I'd also like to start branching out from outfit photos again too, to add in a bit more variety.

Leavenworth, WA

2015-07-22T22:09:00.001-07:00

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I went to Leavenworth with my family. For those of you who don't know, Leavenworth is a picture perfect Bavarian-themed town located in the mountains in Central Washington.

We spent the weekend alternating between exploring the shops and trying not to melt from the 100 degree temperatures. Instead of rambling about the specifics of what we did, I thought I'd just share the pictures I took while we were exploring.

Their flower game is on point.

The prettiest sign.

My favorite series of shops.

Note: We didn't actually stay here, they just had a pretty sign.

Isn't Leavenworth gorgeous? I highly recommend visiting if you're ever in the area.

Feeling indecisive.

Crop Top: Target. Shorts: Old Navy. Shoes: Toms (via Nordstrom)

As a side note, the outfit above is what I actually wore on the Fourth. It took me over an hour to decide. There was a lot of bugging my mom, and consulting with friends (which would be when I took the photo of my options above). Fortunately, I have very patient family and friends, who put up with how indecisive I am.

Not a Bag

2015-07-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

Day two of my sunburn called for another loose shirt, so I'm wearing my other new one from Old Navy. I love this shirt, but when I first tried it on, I wasn't sure if it was oversized in a cute way or in an 'it looks like a bag' way. I texted McKenna a picture, and she assured me it was former. I had been leaning that way too, so I gladly bought it. It's not often I find oversized anything that looks cute.

This shirt didn't get quite as much visibility as I'd have liked today, since it was actually cool out so I ended up wearing a zip up jacket over it most of the day. I'll wear it to death, though, so soon everyone will be sick of it.

And I'm not complaining because it was actually cool. It only got to 73 or so today, and it even sprinkled a little this morning. I don't love the rain, but considering we've only gotten 1/16th of our average rainfall or something this summer and brush fires are a problem, it's needed.

I had today off from work today, which was so nice. I've been doing so much lately, it was nice to have a break. I was still gone for most of the day, visiting with my great aunt, but that was a lot of sitting and talking and not a lot of go, go, go.

It was weird, though. We went to a mall I used to frequent growing up, and it's changed so much! Even by the time I graduated, it had changed a lot, but half the stores are new there. Like, I'm a little bit jealous because there are quite of few new ones that look really cool and another few others have been remodeled so they look much nicer. It's always so weird going somewhere that used to be so familiar.

Shirt: Old Navy. Jeans; Old Navy. Flats: Payless.

Just a head's up, tomorrow I plan on posting the Leavenworth recap that I mentioned a couple weeks ago. It's just a tad late... But it's such a pretty town, it's worth the wait.

Back At It

2015-07-20T21:30:00.002-07:00

So, I took an unintentional blog break last week... My bad! I actually had plans more nights than not, which is super weird for me. I usually have zero plans. I apparently don't know how to deal, so I didn't post anything. Sorry about that!

My great aunt has been in town from England, so I've been pretty busy trying to spend as much time with her as possible (she's sassy and British, what more could you want?). We went to Bite of Seattle Saturday and yesterday we went to a pow wow at Discovery Park. Saturday was around 90, and yesterday was around 95. And I spent the majority of both days outside. While I had a lot of shade and sunscreen Saturday, I spent 5-6 hours outside Sunday without either of those. Needless to say, I'm a little crispy today.

Fortunately for me, I had just bought this shirt on Saturday. It's loose and flowy and exactly what I needed to avoid agitating my sunburn today at work. The worst of it is on my back, so I didn't want anything too close fitting (or anything that showed how much of a lobster I am). Fun fact but this shirt is also like a suede-y material. I love it. I do wish I had added a necklace, though, but I didn't have that thought until I had already left for work.

It's funny, I actually had gone to Old Navy looking for shorts because they were 50% off. But out of the four things I bought, only one was shorts, and not even denim like I had hoped. They were out of all of the ones I liked in my size. But I got two cute shirts and a purse I've liked for awhile now, all for 30% off, so I can't complain. And I picked up two pairs of shorts at Forever 21.

idk what my face was doing.

Top: Old Navy. Jeans: Target. Shoes: Payless. Not Pictured: Killer Sunburn.

As you can see by the lack of furniture, the construction has started again in my apartment. It's handy for picture taking (wasn't a fan of that last set up), but not so handy for the rest of my life. I'm too lazy to keep moving my tv stand, so it means that I'm without tv again until they finish (I hate watching things on my laptop. With a passion). So until then, I'm pretty much listening to Spotify nonstop. I'm awful at figuring out what to listening to, though. I actually took a Buzzfeed quiz with the hopes of it helping. Needless to say, if you have suggestions, send them my way.

The quiz totally did help, though. "War Paint" by FLETCHER is totally my jam now.

Patriotic Railroad Worker

2015-07-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

So, when I first tried these shortalls (shorteralls?) on, I texted my friend McKenna a picture for her opinion. Accompanying the picture, I said something along the lines of, "I feel like a patriotic railroad worker." She assured me they were cute. Still undecided, I took it to Twitter and Instagram. I didn't get many comments but I didn't get any nos either, so I bought them.

I wore them for the first time last Sunday for the drive back from Leavenworth. I also paired them with a crop top that I bought a few months ago, but haven't gotten a chance to wear yet. I love it, but I don't actually own much that goes with it. Gotta love those pesky details.

Unfortunately, I had to change out of them almost as soon as I got done taking these pictures. I'd only been home for half an hour (I hadn't even really sat down yet) and they were already covered in cat hair. It appears that I need to get better at dehairing my life whenever white denim is involved.

As a sidenote, I did take a few pictures while we were in Leavenworth-- I plan on posting them sometime next week, so stay tuned! The whole town is so photogenic and picturesque, it just looks like one big postcard.

I did also plan on showing you the outfit I wore on Friday for the drive out and our first day there, but unfortunately the photos turned out too dark for editing to salvage. I have no doubt I'll wear the same outfit again (it's so comfy, it's basically like pajamas) so I'll have to be sure to get better pictures next time I wear it.

Shortalls: Target. Crop Top: Target. Sandals: Fred Meyer.

That's about it for now! Now that the weather is cooling down a few degrees and getting closer to normal Washington summer weather, I should start posting more outfits again. We either tied or broke the record for most days over 90 in a row (it was five) which is insane ~~and way too hot~~. I've pretty much been wearing the same few outfits over and over again, so posting them wouldn't have been too terribly exciting. With cooler weather should hopefully come a bit of variety, though.

Review: Garnier Color Styler in Purple Mania

2015-07-07T20:33:00.001-07:00

So, I want to preface this by saying that I am the biggest chicken when it comes to dying my hair. Like, I'm 23 (almost 24 ~~yikes~~) and I've never actually dyed it, aside from that spray on color you can get at party stores for Halloween. I've talked about it ~~extensively~~ for years, but I've always been too afraid to bite the bullet and do it.

That's where Garnier Color Styler comes in. As I've mentioned, I have been OBSESSED with having colorful ends lately. Particularly, I've wanted purple ends. I was talking to a friend, and she recommended trying out that spray on stuff from party stores to try it out before I committed. I didn't see that when I was at Target, but I did find Garnier Color Styler which seemed like a classier version.

I tried it out the next morning, before the Pride Parade. Putting it in was super easy, even for someone as inexperienced as me. It came with some gloves, and all I had to do was shake the bottle for a few seconds, squeeze out the dye, and apply it where I wanted. Then, once it was dry, I had to brush it out.

From the instructions, it seemed like I only needed a little bit, but I kept adding more and more to make it brighter (likely because my hair is so dark). But I can't complain, because it actually did show up! My hair is obviously pretty dark, so I didn't really believe that it would. But it did!

I do want to add a quick note that the dye gives your hair a weird chalky texture, but I was willing to deal with that because my hair was purple and I was obsessed.

Unfortunately, by the end of the day it became hard to see in my hair when I wasn't in natural light. The picture below was taken at the end of the day, after I had spent like twenty minutes trying to figure out if the purple was even still there or not. The next day it was still there, but it was impossible to see except when I was outside under the sun. That night I took a shower, and it was gone for real.

The dye supposedly lasts 2-3 shampoos, but didn't even make it to one with my hair. I imagine it was probably still there, just faded enough you couldn't see it with my dark hair. That's all I can think off, because it was true to promise in that it didn't rub off at all overnight.

I imagine that it would last longer for those with lighter hair, since it won't blend in as quickly when it fades. It does also say it lasts longer on damaged hair, and mine is about as healthy as it can get-- I don't have split ends, I don't dye it, and I don't use heat-- so that probably factored in quite a bit as well.

Overall though, I would absolutely recommend it to someone (and I think I told like three of my friends they should). I have more left, so next time I want to try adding more to see if it shows up brighter or lasts longer.

Either way, my trial run was definitely a success and I want to do it for real. I do still want my hair to be longer first, but I don't know that I want to wait that long. Good thing I've got this to tide me over now.

I was also having an amazing hair day, btw.

Happy Fourth of July!

2015-07-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Just popping in to wish you all a happy Fourth of July! There won't be any fireworks where I'm at due to the wildfire hazard, so I wanted to share some of the pictures I took last year at the big Seattle fireworks show over Lake Union.

I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Stars and Stripes

2015-07-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

I felt kiiind of like an American flag today, but we decided celebrate Theme Friday a day early and obviously the theme had to be America. So I put on my best stars and stripes, and called it good. This scene came to mind.

I really like this outfit, but this shirt is super silky and it kept slipping down. Unfortunately the tank top under slipped a lot too, so there was a lot of adjusting and making sure I was fully covered going on today at work.

I'm still not totally sure what I want to wear on the Fourth, but I figured I'll just pack all my red, white, and blue (and stars and stripes) and I'd figure it out from there. Maybe not the most efficient way to pack.

That being said, I should probably pack. In twelve hours we'll be on our way east, and I haven't even started.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Tank Top: Alley Kat. Skirt: Fred Meyer. Toms: Nordstrom.

Sorry about how dark the pictures are! I tried to lighten them as much as possible without making them looked too washed out, but they're definitely still on the dark side.

Artsy

2015-07-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

Interesting lighting makes any picture look artsy, right? That's what I'm going with, anyways. It sounds better than, "The blinds were shut and it didn't occur to me that it would result in the sun coming in like stripes."

Mostly, I was just concerned with keeping the heat out. These pictures were taken Saturday morning. Around 7:30 I opened my blinds, and I shut them within ten minutes because the heat from the sun was already so intense. It ended up being about 92 that day, which is absolutely INSANE. So I needed an easy, lightweight dress to wear while I freaked out and packed.

I suppose it was good preparation for this weekend though, since the highs will around 100 where I'll be. I'll be a melted puddle of red, white, and blue by the end of the weekend.

Dress: JcPenney. Sandals: Fred Meyer.

In other news, I've rearranged my apartment and I really like it! The way it is now has created a little living room area (as opposed to being one open room), and I think the separation of space is helpful in a studio. I might try to post a little tour, but that's still a loooong way off since construction is currently on hold until further notice and I can't fully clean/organize/put my stuff away until it's done. Even where my stuff is now is only temporary, since I'll need it six feet away from exterior walls again once it restarts.

Much Ado About Nothing

2015-06-30T19:29:00.002-07:00

Note: This'll be long. Feel free to skip to the rest of the pictures.

Ugh. This weekend was STRESSFUL. Friday night when I came home from work, I saw a notice posted at the building entrance. Someone was right behind me though, so I didn't want to block the entrance and figured I'd read it later. I also noticed it outside some of the apartments on my floor, though I didn't have one, so I figured it was just about construction and I'd get it when they got to my unit again. It wasn't until I was taking my dog out before bed that I saw that it was an emergency order to vacate the building, due to lead exposure. Um. WHAT?

Needless to say, I started freaking out. I called my mom, started crying from stress, and emailed my landlord, the city contact, and an apartment. I had no clue if it was permanent or temporary, and it said we needed to be out by noon Tuesday.

Saturday was mostly spent trying to call people, looking for apartments, freaking out, and attempting to pack. My landlord called in the afternoon and assured me it was only temporary but I was allowed to break the lease if I wanted. But I still didn't know if my furniture needed to be out, and he wouldn't know until his meeting on Monday.

Yesterday I heard back from the city and my landlord also called back, and let me know I had three options: move, go to a hotel, or sign a waiver and stay. He also asked that I let him know by about 5. Unfortunately, I suck at making decisions (especially big ones!), so I spent most of Monday freaking out. Then, when I called my landlord at 4:15 to let him know I had decided on a hotel, he said the city jumped the gun, they've lifted the vacate order, and our building was actually fine.

Tl;dr: I spent all weekend having a minor panic attack (and losing about 5 years off my life in the process) for absolutely no weekend. Hope your weekend was better than mine!

So, this outfit. Not my best idea. Fitted jeans and flats aren't a very good idea when it's about 86 out. I was a little bit convinced I was going to get heat stroke just walking home from the bus stop, it was so hot. I'm from Washington, guys-- I don't do heat! Once I hits 82-83, I want to do nothing other than sit in front of a fan.

Tank Top: Target. Jeans: Target. Flats: Payless. Shorts: Forever 21.

Needless to say, the first thing I did when I was done taking pictures was change into shorts. Luckily, I have learned since then and have been wearing dresses and shorts nonstop (with sandals, of course).

These were the pictures I was originally going to post last Thursday, before my computer decided to hate me.

Hat Day

2015-06-26T22:06:00.001-07:00

Theme Fridays are back at work, and I could not be happier! We haven't had them regularly since last summer, but one girl just decided we were gonna do it, and so today was hat day. I got this hat in Daytona Beach when I was there last spring for work, but it mostly just decorates my apartment. I've probably only worn it three times total (today included), which is a shame because I love it.

I had to do this a lot today, it was a little breezy out.

Pockets are the best.

Know what else I love? The fact that love won. It was such great news to see before leaving for work this morning, and it's such perfect timing because the Seattle Pride Parade is this weekend. It was already going to be fun, but now there's just going to be so much happiness and joy and celebrating-- I can't wait!

I've had this dress for a couple of years now, but I've only worn it a handful of times since it's super thin and unlined so I need a slip. I don't know why, but slips just drive me crazy. I suspect the problem is the slip that I own rather than slips themselves, but it still results in this dress getting overlooked more than it deserves.

Dress: Target. Sandals: Payless. Hat: Touristy shop in Daytona Beach

In other news, I'm melting. I made the mistake of wearing fitted jeans and flats yesterday, which was quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever done. It's been in the 80s this week, and it's supposed to get to 90 tomorrow or something insane like that. This is Seattle. We normally only hit the 90s two or three times a year, and it's usually in August.

I'm going to Leavenworth with my family for the Fourth of July, and it's probably going to be around 100. Thank God for air conditioning and a pool.

Edit: The local news actually just posted that this is the sixth day where we've had 85+ temperatures this month, and normally we only get ten days over 85 the entire year.

P.S. I did take photos yesterday, but unfortunately I spent most of the night fighting with my computer so I didn't get a chance to post them. They'll likely go up sometime next week.

Four For You

2015-06-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

Four for you, Glen Coco. You go, Glen Coco! Though I think I'd only give this outfit a two-- it was one of those that worked out better in my head, but I didn't have time to get back into my closet and figure something else out. I got told I looked twelve, which was ~~not~~ fun (it's been awhile). At least the outfit looks okay in pictures.

Fun fact: My "On Wednesdays We Wear Pink" shirt that I almost didn't get? It's because I decided to buy this one instead.

I'm getting sick of this construction, though. They tell me some days they'll be in my apartment, but then they come in other days they don't warn me. I've just been keeping my bed out of the way so I don't have to move it, but this puts it in the way of the closet. Unfortunately, I have no clue how long this entire process is supposed to take. They gave us a timeline a month or so ago, but then they got started late so it's anybody's guess as to when they'll actually finish. I don't think they've been in my apartment at all this week, though, so I may move my bed at least a little further out.

Tank Top: Target. Skirt: American Eagle. Shoes: Toms (via Nordstrom).

Other than that, there's not much going on here. There usually never is ~~I'm boring like that~~. Today at work seemed to drag on a bit, but the week is officially half over and next week's a short week because of the 4th of July. That reminds me, I've got to start planning. I love nothing quite like a good theme, and I could probably figure out enough patriotic outfits to last me all week.

Portland, OR

2015-06-22T20:59:00.002-07:00

Coming Into the City

Since I spent the weekend down in Oregon, I thought I'd give you a little recap of my visit. I left work early on Friday so that I could catch the Bolt Bus down. The trip took an hour longer than it was supposed to, thanks to US Open traffic, but it was a pretty drive so I can't complain too much.

The downside of the bus being late is that my friend had to leave to get our other friend from the airport, so I ended up having half an hour to kill before she could get me. I wandered around for a couple of blocks (snapping the above picture), before I headed to the Starbucks right beside the bus stop.

Side note: Mini Frappuccinos are the cutest.

Hibiscus 75

The next morning we headed to the Radio Room for brunch, before we headed down to Powell's.

For those of you who don't know, it is MASSIVE. Like, a whole city block and several floors tall. It's apparently the largest independent new and used book store in the world (I believe it-- look at those facts!) If I had been alone with nothing else to do, I probably could have spent all day in there ~~or all weekend~~. In the end, we just spent an hour or so in there, but I did pick up two new books.

Afterwards, we made a quick pit stop at Starbucks, before heading to Voodoo Doughnuts. Because nobody likes waiting and my friend didn't want to have to find parking, we headed to their second location Voodoo Too. While there was still a line, it was way shorter than it would have been otherwise and we were able to get through it in less than ten minutes.

We each got two donuts-- one normal, and one fun. And guys. They are SO CHEAP. For two, I think my total was $2.70 or something insane like that, and one of mine was big. Since we were all still full from brunch, we decided to save them until later.

ED SHEERAN

I am so in love with Ed Sheeran. This was my second time seeing him perform live and he's so talented, I don't actually think my brain can comprehend it. While the picture above is one of the few times he didn't have his guitar in hand (he was rapping at the time), he would record his own backing track live on stage. He had this handy little contraption thing with a whole bunch of pedals, that let him record different guitar parts and any harmonies he may need, before he'd begin singing the main part. It's so cool watching him do it.

If you ever get the chance to see Ed Sheeran in concert, do it.

So much yum.

We ate our donuts after we got home, because what else should you do at midnight?

More yum.

The next morning we headed to breakfast with my friend's dad, before heading back to relax for a bit before my friend and I had to leave.

It was so much fun seeing them both. It had been way too long. We should get better at getting together. But in the mean time, I'm happy to be back home with my animals.

Dip Dye

2015-06-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

For the past couple months or so, I've been OBSESSED with the idea of colorful ends. I think when/if I get it done, I'd got with a purple but I keep seeing other colors that I like too. It's a good thing I've got a bit of time. I want my hair to be a little longer first, so that I can get more color done. And I also want to be able to chop it all off if I hate it and/or want to do something else (to start with fresh, undamaged hair). I have a habit of obsessing over dying my hair and not following through (I've never actually dyed it), so we'll see.

Just a head's up, this is heavily focused on dark hair with colorful tips, mostly since I'm trying to find things that would look good with my own hair. But I'm pretty convinced anything looks good with blonde hair, so any of these colors would probably be fine if you've got lighter hair.

In no particular order, here are some of the pictures I've been loving:

Source.

Sorry so many of them link back to Pinterest! I try to find the original source, but most of these have been repinned so many times it's hard to find the original source (even with a reverse image search). Especially since a lot of these are probably photoshopped. *sigh* It's a struggle.

Look at me scheduling posts! I'm pretty proud of myself.

P.S. By the time this posts, I'll already be on my to Portland.

Easy Breezy

2015-06-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day because I got free ice cream, courtesy of Ben & Jerry's. But now I'm home and I feel like I have a ton to do before I leave tomorrow. I'm also starting to get super stressed because of transportation.

It doesn't matter how I'm getting somewhere, I will stress like crazy until I'm actually on the bus/train/plane. And then I'll stress a little bit more because what if I got on the wrong bus? But then after a little bit I can fiiiinally relax. And by this time tomorrow I'll be with my friends in Portland, and this time in two days I'll be waiting to hear Ed Sheeran. So I guess I'll put up with the stress for now.

I'm going to try to take enough pictures that I can do a little recap post of my trip next week, but if I don't, just know Ed Sheeran is amazing. I went to his concert last summer with the same friends, and I didn't think I could love him anymore, but then I did. I imagine Saturday will have a similar effect.

This outfit is pretty simple, but it was easy and I liked the way it ended up looking. It's funny, because I have a love hate relationship with this shirt. Sometimes I absolutely love the way it looks, and other times I'm just like, 'Remind me why I like this again?' Today obviously fell into the first category.

Top: Aeropostale. Cami: Forever 21. Jeans: Old Navy. Shoes: TOMS (via Nordstrom)

Procrastinating aside, it's time to figure out what to pack. I think it's supposed to be pretty nice out while I'm there, but I need to check. I have my concert outfit picked out, but that's about it. If I don't get pictures, I'll have to recreate it at some point for you because if it looks anything like it does in my head, it's going to be adorable.

Hello, Sailor!

2015-06-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

I love this outfit because it makes me feel a little bit like a sailor, and I'm a little obsessed with the thought. Now I just need to find a friend with a sailboat. I really wanted to take sailing as one of my P.E. credits in college, but I couldn't afford the extra cost. One day. Until then, I'll continue wearing stripes and boat shoes and dreaming of the sea.

I fell in love with this shirt when I first saw it at Forever 21, but unfortunately I only saw one shirt and it was the wrong size. Determined, I searched the entire vicinity (which is no small feat), but nothing. Then I saw more striped shirts on the other side of the floor, and they had the right size! It was so exciting. At Forever 21, if you find something out of place, you'll probably never see where it came from. The employees aren't even always sure-- I asked a girl who worked there about a skirt, and the closest I got was the collection she thought it might be and the floor. For the record, it wasn't up there but there was a similar one. Anyways, all of this to say, I was super lucky I found this shirt, and I'm glad I did, because I love it.

I still can't get over how much I love my little remote. It's made taking pictures so much easier, and quicker. I'm still working on figuring out where exactly to stand (these are cropped), but they're just going to keep getting better. There's already such a huge improvement with the pictures from today and yesterday over the ones last week.

Top: Forever 21. Jeans: Targer. Shoes: Sperry's (via Nordstrom Rack)

P.S. This is one of the pairs of jeans that I mentioned I got this weekend at Target.

All The Compliments

2015-06-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

Guys. I got my remote today. It was revolutionary. So fun. Like. Omg. If you don't believe me, you can just look at the pictures below. Never again will I use a self-timer.

I should have titled this "All the Cheesy Faces."

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about this dress. I got so many compliments today, it was great. Can you believe I've owned it for over a year and only worn it once? I can't. You'll find that this is a running theme of mine (that and buying things than waiting months to wear them). It's why it's so hard to clean out my closet. All of the tips say, "If you haven't worn it in X months, donate it." But then I wouldn't still have this dress now, would I? This is also why I could never be a minimalist and/or have a capsule wardrobe. I'm actually just a hoarder.

Though I will say it is a little annoying wearing this dress, since I feel like I always have to sit up super straight or else I'm showing too much cleavage. It's hard to tell how much I'm seeing just because I'm looking down from straight above versus how much everyone else can see.

It's hard to tell in the rest of the pictures, but it's actually just a plain polka dot dress. It photographs looking kind of pixel-y, which is interesting. But just polka dots.With a fun cut out detail in the front. And the back. And you know how I love those fun backs.

Dress: Macy's. Flats: Payless.

On a side note, can it be Friday? I'm headed down to Portland this weekend to spend some time with friends and see Ed Sheeran perform (he's SO GOOD live) and time is going by way too slowly.

Geo Love

2015-06-15T20:59:00.001-07:00

Getting dressed in the morning is so much easier when I pick my outfit out the night before. Since I still have very limited access to my closet (my bed blocks the door), I grabbed this out last night before blocking it off. Today was about 81, so I wanted to stay cool and thought this tank top would be perfect.

I almost didn't buy this tank top, believe it or not, because I wasn't sold on the front. I loved the back button detail, but I wasn't sure how I felt about the rest. (I love interesting backs.) Ultimately, the back won out though, so I bought it, and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite shirts to wear this summer (and my most complimented). Obviously the front's grown on me a bit. Go figure, huh?

I know you're probably sick of these jeans, but I really do love them. And when I find a pair of jeans I love, I wear them to death. I was going to say one of the main reasons I'm wearing them so much is because I can't get to the rest of my pants right now, but I bought two new pairs at Target this weekend (I seriously need to stop shopping) and I'm still wearing these. A good pair of jeans is hard to find!

Target should actually just take all of my money. I used to be so good at resisting temptation, but then summer clothes happened and I realized there just wasn't temptation to resist before. Summer clothes are my favorite. I'm planning on doing a roundup on all of cute things I've bought over the past two (ish) months, and it's probably going to be embarrassing how much of it is from Target.

Tank Top: Target. Jeans: Old Navy. Flats: Payless.

As for the pictures themselves, I bought a new remote that I can sync to my phone, which should hopefully make taking pictures a lot easier than using the self-timer + burst. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow, so we'll see! Ideally I'll also get a nice camera at some point, but that's unlikely to happen soon (especially the way I keep shopping).

I also think I know where in my apartment is best for photos, but unfortunately I suspect it's where my bed currently is since it's the furthest away from my windows. They're normally great, but they make photos hard. I want to rearrange my apartment a bit once they're done with construction, and I think it'll free up that wall, which will be nice. In the meantime, I'll just have all the sun in my pictures.

Plain Jane

2015-06-12T20:30:00.001-07:00

I look like I'm twelve in these pictures.

I'll be honest, this outfit isn't the most exciting one in the world. The best part about it is easily the shoes. But when moving all of my stuff last night, I realized I should probably pull out an outfit before I filled my closet with too much stuff. Of course, I should have pulled more stuff out, because I refuse to move my stuff until they're done with construction. I will have to move my bed at some point, because it's right up against my closet door, but I'm only pulling it out enough for me to squeeze in.

I don't have too much to say about the actual outfit itself. I almost didn't bother taking pictures at all, but I figured why not? I've been on a roll lately, and I don't want to lose momentum. Because skipping one night will quickly lead to skipping every night. I know from experience that the minute I break my routine, it's gone ~~like how I haven't run in a month in a half~~.

I am SO GLAD it's Friday. Today was super busy and stressful. Within half an hour of arriving to work, I already felt like I needed a break. And on top of everything, my brain was definitely in Friday mode. It took me three separate tries to dial the right number calling one person, and two tries calling a second person. And my typing skills were non-existent by the end of the day. I was definitely on the struggle bus.

Shirt: American Eagle (old). Jeans: American Eagle. Shoes: Sperry's (via Nordstrom Rack).

I also apparently don't have a face. I need to be more careful with the sun coming in the window. My bad.

I'm obsessed with exposed brick, and would love it in my apartment, but this wasn't quite what I had in mind. It's kinda cool though, open ceiling aside...