{For Fashion's Sake} Saturday: Week Kaleidoscope

I was putting on my make-up in the bathroom when my dad walked by. He stopped and I could feel him looking at me. 

I figured he was momentarily baffled by my "wild" tights, and would get a good look and then continue on his way, but he kept his place in the doorway. 

Finally I turned to him, expecting him to ask me the meaning of my tights...but as I made eye contact, I could see him calculating, so I waited.

"That kaleidoscope of colors wouldn't work, except for the fact that your 

green is pretty solid."

My eyebrows raised as I knodded my head. 

He was correct. My 65 year old father, just calculated the piecings of my ensemble, and at first it did not make sense to him, but his inner fashionisto came out 

and the puzzle eventually fit. 

He's amazing. I love my dad, especially when he uses kaleidescope and me in the same sentence <3

The Breakdown:

Nerd Glasses: Buffalo Exchange $Christmas gift from Marcus

Bangly Necklace: Forever21 $6

Orange Cardigan: Anthropologie $borrowed from sister

Green Dress: Dillard's Outlet $Gift from Ma Nielson ($24)
Navy Undershirt: GAP sale rack $4

Patterned Tights: Urban Outfitters $Christmas Gift from Reachel

Grey MaddenGirl Heels: Macy's Sale $9

Overcoat: J.Crew Outlets $110 (best purchase of my life!)

{For Fashion's Sake} Saturday: Week Scarf

What I learned from this post:

This scarf may be slightly too big to wear like I did.

Scarfs, in general, are a bad idea during an Arizona summer.

Rolling your ankles doesn't look that cool in a photograph...

I want bangs.

Who knew outfit posts could be so educational?

Happy Saturday Everyone!

The Breakdown:

Nerd Glasses: Forever21 $5

Hairdo: Three-Twisted Buns

Vintage Scarf: Antique Plaza $8

Striped Top: H&M $12

Chinos: Forever21 $15

Braided Belt: Forever21 $3

Sperrys: Buffalo Exchange $20

Nautical Bag: H&M $30

{For Fashion's Sake} Saturday: Week Librarian

Attention Class.

Quiet Please.

Now I know most of you were probably expecting a lesson on 

all-things-costume, I have not taken pictures of the weekend events, so instead you get The Librarian Look. 

Which is sort of costumey, right?

Nerd Glasses: ForLove $6

Sweater w/ Built in Shirt: Anthropology Sale Rack $48

Vigoss Cigarette Jeans: Nordstrom’s Rack $29

Steve Madden Black Suede Heels: TJ Maxx $25

Rhinestone Flower Earrings: Charlotte Russe $6

Well Be Safe, Have Fun, 

Avoid Eating Candy That's Already Been Opened,

 and Don't You Dare Forget to Tell Me What You Were and What SpookyFun Things You Did!

Class Dismissed.

{For Fashion's Sake} Saturday: Week Trench

You need to own a trench. 

Not only because Say Anything is my favorite movie or because John Cusack is my idol, 

but because it's a classic, meaning, it's a timeless piece.

 When has the trench not been fashionable? 

Never. The answer is never. 

Buy yourself a good-fitting trench and love me forever.

Please excuse the mess...those are the scraps from Marcus's Mad Hatter Costume.

The Breakdown:

Nerd Glasses: Forever21 $6

Grey Gingham Button-Up: J.Crew Sale Rack $30

Three-Strand Necklace: Forever21 $6

Braided Leather Belt: Thrifted $1

Navy Pencil Skirt: (Jones of New York) Thrifted (and altered) $4

Mustard Tights: Anthropologie Friends & Family Sale $12

Leather RocketDog Mary-Janes: Nordstroms $Gift

Green Trench: H&M $50

Happy New Year! 

Did you get a New Years Kiss??? 

Or Do Anything Else Exciting?

Granny Ash.

I got this shirt from Buffalo exchange whilst in Arizona last week. 

I bought it with the intention of altering it before I wore it, but I just got too excited about the pattern and here I am today wearing the over-sized granny blouse. 

Someday I'll get around to making it fit me, until then I'll just embrace the flow.

When I walked into the school library just about everybody's head turned--these conservative kids still haven't gotten used to me...and since we're out of here in about a week, I'm pretty sure they never will.

In other news, this may be my favorite new do. 

I just invented it. 

This may or may not be true--I'm sure someone out there has done it already...but since I am ignorant to who that person is, I shall say that, yes, I just invented it.

While i was taking this picture, check out what i spotted:

they seek me out, i tell you!

The Breakdown:

Nerd Glasses: Forever21 $6

Feather Earrings: Forever21 $3

Polka Dot Blouse: Vintage $5

Leopard Skinny Belt: Forever21 $4

Orange Skirt: Anthropologie Sale $29

T-Strap Flats: Steve Madden via Ross $9ish

leopard belt

forever 21 feather earrings

orange like the summer sunset.

Sometimes, when you're really hating the city you live in because every morning you wake up and hear "extreme heat warnings" with cautions "to stay inside" on the radio, but you have things to do so you can't just stay inside, but in 111 degrees a ride in a black car equals sudden death, you really just need to sweat it out by sipping something cold and refreshing while watching an Arizona sunset with the neighborhood kids. At least for those last few minutes of the day, it's all good.

And if your skirt just so happens to capture that perfect shade of summer sunset orange, then you can be giddy if you want. I give you my permission.

outfit details:

pink polka dot top: crewcuts (with neck cut out) $10 on sale

belt & wedges: jcrew sale $24, $20

nerd glasses: forever21 $7

sunset maxi skirt: c/o Oasap (20% off your first order)

What are you doing to stay cool?

New Year

New Years is my favorite.

I love the idea of a fresh start, a time to contemplate and decide what's ready for improvement in one's life.

I've always been a goal oriented person--it was hard for me when I realized the man I fell in love with, was not someone highly motivated by goal setting, because part of what motivated me in my goal accomplishment was the idea that you're sort of proving someone wrong when you actually accomplish the thing you set out to do. Maybe that's not at all what goal setting is about, but it is, however, some of the satisfaction I personally got out of it. 

But as marriage is ever so often about, you must learn to adjust to each others quirks--I've learned that if I want to feel satisfied and fulfilled in my goal setting, I need to find the motivation within myself and compete against myself if I have to--to prove myself wrong, instead of looking to someone else for that.

This year I've made a rather simple list of various things in a few different categories I want to work on, that I may or may not share here on the blog, but the two physical one's I will share, are that I want to be able to do 100 pushups (so I do pushups about 5 times a week before I go to bed) and I want to go on a hike a week, so that I can get better at incline training and so that I can enjoy the beauties that Arizona has to offer. 

I've been doing really good so far...thirteen days in ;) and it feels amazing. I feel good about myself every time I take the time to do what I committed to myself to do. (And I've even noticed it's rubbing off a little onto that man I love...)

I'm excited for this year. I hope by the end of 2014, I find myself a better, stronger person, with more experience under my belt. That's what it's all about, right?

What do you have planned for yourself this year? 

What's going to be better in 2014?

What's motivating you to keep it up?

<<what i wore>>
drape blazer//c.o. persunmall (buy it here $44)
pocket tee//c.o. persunmall (buy it here $8)
giraffe necklace//j.crew (buy it here $12)
nerd glasses//forever21 (buy similar here $13)
high riser skinny skinny ankle jeans//madewell (buy here--favorite jeans, i wear them almost everyday) 
leather braided belt//thrifted (buy similar here $10)
fringe bag//stylelately (buy similar here $37)
wedged desert booties//old (buy similar here $89)
time sawyer//arvo (buy similar here DROOLING!)

chopped.

Nobody told me this before, but doing short hair is exponentially harder than doing long hair. Burning my fingers, my scalp and my neck have just become expected occurrences every morning. Somebody came over to pick something up that they bought from @shoptheunicorn, and I literally begged her to teach me how she did her cute short hairdo. Turns out going 14 years with long hair really stifles your hair skills development. 

I SHALL CONQUER YOU SHORT BOB, IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!

<<what i wore>>
nerd glasses//forever21 (similar here)
necklace//c.o. oasap (buy here)
floral sweater//c.o. persunmall (buy here)
army jacket//old navy (buy here)
time sawyer watch//arvo (buy here)
high-riser skinnies//madewell (buy here)
petty booties//sam edelman (buy here)

a quick hello and two takes on an outfit.

 Hi! Happy Sunday evening! 

I just got back from a delicious meal at Andrew and Reachel's house. 

Have you guys seen Parenthood (it's on Netflix)? They had mentioned liking it a few weeks ago, so I decided to check it out while Poppy took naps on my chest, and I am officially obsessed. It has inspired us all to just spend more time hanging out with our siblings. 

What are your thoughts on it, if you're a watcher?

Anyway, I've had such an eventful weekend with a lot to share, but for now I'm just going to do a quick outfit post because I missed my usual Saturday post.

To Church:

To Dinner:

 outfit details:

nerd glasses//forever21 $7

feather earrings//bought in New Mexico (gift from marcus)

arrow necklace//stella&dot (gift from marcus)

arizona necklace//nordstroms (gift from marcus)

pillars of paragon top//c.o. sugar lips

pleated skirt//thrifted $3

suede wedges//last chance $20

black cigarette jeans//express (really old)

+blowfish giveaway