Sweet and Sophisticated

 So I am not quite sure how but I managed to dress like Blair Waldorf somehow.  After seeing these pictures I noticed how much my outfit compared to hers in the show Gossip Girl.  Whoops!  I guess we all have an inner Blair somewhere within us.

           

I have been seeing plaid skirts and dresses EVERYWHERE lately.  Personally, I really love the little school girl skater dresses  with plaid and white collars but I don’t know if I would feel 100% confident, as it is out of my comfort zone, so I decided to take baby steps and purchase a skirt instead.  Most of the plaid skirts I have seen are a nice thick material which will work wonders for the colder months ahead.  Tights look adorable and add an extra flare as well.  One of the best parts is that I can dress this skirt up or make it more relaxed.

                

This time around I dressed the look up and the shirt is what screams Miss. Waldorf to me.  It has a ruffled collar and a tie that can be put into a bow, which is something I have seen many of the girls on the show sport.  It is sophisticated, classy, and goes with so much because it is the simple color of black.  I like to have blouses like this in my wardrobe because they can dress an outfit up in one fell swoop. Even with a pair of some ripped black jeans and booties this shirt is a beauty!

So if you want to rep the Upper East Sider look just add some curls and pearls to this outfit, along with some class and whole lot of sass! Xoxo…

Outfit:

Blouse: Forever 21

Skirt: Forever 21

Ballet Flats: New York and Company

Sunglasses: H&M

Watch: Armitron

Vintage Vibes

Sundays are great for lounging around with a bestseller and a nice cup of tea.  This is the one day of the week that is the calm before the storm.  I wake up every Sunday morning and look to my left where sunshine is pouring through my windows and think that tomorrow I will be getting up at the earliest hour in darkness for school.  If I do plan to go somewhere, a relaxed and comfortable outfit is always on the agenda.

As soon as I walked into Forever 21 I saw these shorts and scooped them up.  However, the whole time I was carrying them I kept debating whether I should buy them or not.  I ended up purchasing them without even trying them on and it was the best decision I had made all day.  They fit perfectly and are extremely soft.  Although while shopping I was not sure if I would keep the shorts I ended up buying a shirt to tuck into them anyway.  Creme and blue have always been two colors that are so pretty and delicate looking together.  When I got home I tried both pieces on and the look felt so simple yet so well put together.

It only takes some lace trim, high wasted shorts, and antique looking rings to create a very unique and vintage look.  This outfit is flowy and goes above and beyond comfort level.  Who wouldn't want to wear an outfit that is a fashion statement but also feels like pajamas?  This past Sunday I went to my favorite cafe for delicious blueberry pancakes with my friends, took a walk through the park, and got to visit some of my family.  Aside from trying not to spill syrup on my shirt, this outfit was so nice and convenient to throw on.

Outfit:

Top: Forever 21

Shorts: Forever 21

Rings: Forever 21

Shoes: H&M

Sunglasses: H&M

Draw the Line with Your Shine

  With school starting soon I knew I had to find a fairy godmother of a product to bippity boppity boo my oily skin away.  I often complain that I hate having an oily face.  I see my friends with similar skin but never feel like they have it as bad as I do.  Although I am probably wrong about that, I still get very self conscious; even if my Mom does tell me that I should be thanking the oil because it prevents getting wrinkles early in life.  I guess there is a plus!

However, I still do not wish to have a shiny face so I recently went to Target on a hunt for a new pressed powder.  Previously I was using the Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder and it did a pretty good job but I wanted to see if there was something even better. That is when I came across the Neutrogena Shine Control Powder.  It works wonders and guarantees what it states on the packaging.

It is a translucent, noncomedogenic powder for oily to combination skin types.  Built into the powder is a rice protein technology that acts as a sponge to eliminate excess oil.  Personally, this is the only type of face makeup I wear because foundations and other pressed powders easily irritate my skin.  Therefore, I often play it safe and only use a matte powder but for all you make up wearers, it has an amazing lightweight consistency that is great for layering over makeup.  

 
I have to say I am harsh makeup judger.  As soon as I bought this product I wanted to see just how good it was.  How did I test it out, you might ask?  I went with my friends to a nearby carnival on one of the most humid nights of the summer and did check ups while we ate, after we went on rides, before we watched fireworks, and of course when I got home . On the packaging it said that it worked for up to 8 hours so I took full advantage and put it on at 4pm and was out until 12am. Although my hair may have ended up looking like I got struck by lightening; my face remained matte and it did not feel like it had a layer of oil on it.  The Neutrogena Shine Control Powder definitely gets 2 thumbs up from me!

More Than Just a Room

 

My room serves for many purposes.  It is where I collapse after a long day and let sleep take me to another world, it is where I go to think, it is where I end up when I am upset, it is where I have laughed so hard I have cried with my friends, and it is where I can decorate and make all my own. I am someone who likes change quite often, so getting my room finally where I want it is a huge deal.

        

        One of my favorite parts of my room is the flowers.  They give life and color to my otherwise white room.  Every time I see them they make me happy and to be honest if I do not have time to go out and buy them, I just steal some from the garden!  That’s okay, right?  My desk is another thing I keep simple and sweet.  I used to hardly do work there but once I started designing it the way I wanted, it made doing homework less painful and it motivated me to write. 

       

        Bedrooms and houses should be inspired by what makes people happy.  Designing a room can be hard and it will not get done over night but when it is finished it will be well worth the wait.  I know that for me personally, I could have the worst day and feel super crummy but going upstairs, opening my door, and seeing the sunshine pour in through my windows and light up my room is one sight that instantly makes me feel better.  Now the only problem I have is trying not to redecorate within the next couple of days all over again!

Monochrome Monday

Well, another weekend has come and gone.  Where does the time go?  Soon I will be sitting in a classroom, listening to teachers lecture nonstop for 6 hours.  That sounds amazing, right?  I really wish I was not being sarcastic.

As usual, I went to the mall the other day and stopped into Forever 21 where I found this beauty of a top.  It is extremely comfortable since it is flowy and although it is a tank, it is the perfect shirt for layering under a blazer or cardigan in the colder months.  What I really love about this top is the material; it is soft, lightweight, and has an almost silky-like texture.

I am also going back to basics with my highly adored H&M black jeans.  I am very lucky if I go three days without wearing them.  They are one of my most prized clothing pieces and are still in amazing condition. I am always wearing jeans during the school year so finding comfortable as well as great quality are always a must and these encompass both.  Another basic are my black buckled booties from Pink & Pepper.  Finding an ankle boot without a killer heel was a task at first since I try to avoid looking like a giant, as I am already 5’8, but these work perfectly and can be worn with almost everything!

Outfit:

Top: Forever 21

Jeans: Division by H&M

Booties: Pink & Pepper

Purse: Forever 21

Earrings:

Long silver: Forever 21

Studs: Macy's

What's in My Bag

Happy Friday and I hope you all have a great weekend!  Today’s gloomy weather was definitely not  fashion worthy so instead I ran errands with my new purse. I NEVER buy purses and I have no clue why.  It makes more sense to spend money on purses rather than clothes, right?  People can use the same purse everyday and it will never get boring because the outfit they are wearing changes the character of the purse.  I wanted a new bag for the fall and school and this one stood out to me.  It is a burgundy red and the quilted stitching creates a very high class fashion statement even though it was extremely affordable.  It is medium sized and very structured which works for me because I like convenient bags that I can keep enough things in without looking like Mary Poppins and everything is easily assessable.  Most of the time I try to break away from the hottest trends to try new looks but I have to say the deep red color scheme for autumn is growing on me.

Items shown:

Bag: Forever 21

Wallet: Vera Bradley

iPhone 4 and J.Crew Case (Yikes, look at that screen!)
Camera: Canon PowerShot A2300 HD
Lotion: Bath and Body Works in Country Chic
Hand Sanitizer: Bath and Body Works in Farmstand Apple
Glasses: Ray Ban  
Sunglasses: H&M
Mirror Compact: Forever 21
Make up:
Estee Lauder lipstick in Rose Tea
NYX Lip Butter in Vanilla Creme Pie 
Kat Von D Lock it Tattoo Concealer 
Mac Eyeshadow in Star Violet
L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Black 

Collars and Cardigans

Hello! I hope you are all having a great day!  This is my first blog post and I could not be more excited.  I hesitated for a very long time whether to start my own blog but I finally did it!  I do have to give most of the credit to my older brother, Craig, who told me not to think about the "what ifs" and just do it.  Sometimes people need someone else to push them harder than they could have ever pushed themselves.

Today I wore a preppy look since the new school year is just around the corner.  It is such a bittersweet time because it only consists of dreaded work and waking up early but it also means that fall is on its way too.  Autumn is my favorite season; I love dressing up for Halloween parties, eating apple cider doughnuts, walking across the golden carpet that the falling leaves make, baking gooey cinnamon buns on a Sunday afternoon, and burning my pumpkin caramel latte candle.  This pin striped collared shirt is such a staple in my closet because I do like the preppy look at times and if anything makes an outfit look classy and sophisticated, it is a collared shirt.  High waisted shorts and flats are also always an elegant twist to the common flip flops and jean shorts.  Little accessories like my watch and cat eye sunglasses always make my outfits look more put together and are definitely conversation starters.  

- Emm

Outfit:

Collared Shirt: American Rag

Cardigan: New York and Company

Shorts: H&M

Watch: Armitron

Purse: R&M by Rebecca Minkoff

Flats: New York & Company 

Sunglasses: Forever 21