shirt: The Limited
skirt, belt: Modcloth
flats: Target
A short post, that is, as I don't have much to say today and I only had two photos I liked from this shoot. Usually, I take five to nine photos of each outfit. Any more and I start to get bored. (Yes, I have the attention span of a five-year-old.) So sometimes, in those few I'm-not-bored-yet shots, I have like seven good photos to choose from. Sometimes, I can't even find three that I like.
Anyway, tomorrow I'm having lunch with a marketing rep from an online jewelry store startup that's based here in Columbus. The concept is a little like Groupon or Google deals, only substitute all the discounted food/haircuts/whatever with jewelry. CUTE jewelry. I'm really excited to be collaborating with this company...and I mean really excited, not oh-I-got-free-stuff-I'm-gonna-pretend-to-be-enthusiastic excited. I can't wait to introduce you guys to the site, and with any luck, do a little jewelry giveaway!
Huh. Look at that. Guess I did have something to talk about today :)
button-down: New York & Company
cropped slacks: The Limited
shoes: Target
necklace: InPink
bracelet: don't remember
If I were a superhero, I would be Captain Productive. I'd rush around the house, checking items off my to-do list and generally being awesome at getting things done. My arch nemeses? The television, distractions in general and lethargy.
This week, I've definitely been channeling Captain Productive. Going to the gym, experimenting with a recipe that's plagued me for ages, working on next week's Pin-spiration project, taking and editing outfit photos...I've been doing it all. Which is good, because my arch nemeses have been winning more often than not as of late.
Fun fact: This shirt has been sitting in my closet, unworn, for nearly two years. And I have no idea why. It fits perfectly, is flattering, and goes with just about everything I own. Funny how some parts of your wardrobe can be so neglected, isn't it?
Well, here are my first two actually-doing-the-things-I-pin-on-Pinterest projects! One was a satisfying success, but the other...well, let's just say there's a reason why sites like Pinterest Fail and (my personal favorite) Pintester.
So, without further ado, my epic Pinterest fail. Here's the Pin-spiration:
And here's my version:
Ah, ombre nails. It looked so effortless and the final effect was just so stinkin' cool. So where did I go wrong? I think a little of the problem stemmed from my color choices. The original pin had two similar hues, while my opaque glittery silver didn't really mix well with the deep, deep purple. Also, another version of this pin seemed to indicate that you should wiggle the sponge up and down along the length of your nail to blend a little better. Maybe I'll try it again when I'm feeling up for a possible disappointment :P
Now, to end on a more pleasant note. My old method of jewelry storage wasn't exactly attractive, to say the least. See?
Ick. So I decided to start my jewelry organization revamp with a few cute containers. I bought a couple small dishes from the thrift store (one of which I hit with a quick coat of white spray paint), and an adorable ceramic egg holder from the clearance room at Anthropologie :) For my earrings, I knew I had to get rid of that juvenile butterfly earring holder. That I've had since I was approximately 14. So here's my Pin-spiration for that:
My end result turned out pretty satisfactorily. I used some green floral wire from Lowe's, as I couldn't find a thin enough metal wire like what's used in the picture. After I hot-glued it to the frame, I spray-painted it. For the frame itself, I snagged this $3 plastic frame from Target. I just tossed the glass pane and the backing.
If I could redo it, I'd get a thicker frame so it could stand on its own, instead of having to be propped up against or hung on a wall. And for a little tangent, here's the overall look of that jewelry area so far:
I'm really loving this new look, and I think the white items play really nicely off of the cherry-ish stain of my jewelry box, which was given to me as a gift. I'm thinking about modge-podging the surface of my dresser (not sure what color/pattern yet), because the stain doesn't really make the jewelry box very well. I have a few ideas for how I might do the necklaces and bracelets, but they're untouched as of yet.
Alright! So project numbers 1 and 2 of my self-imposed Pinterest project-tackling challenge are complete. And I already have project number 3 picked out! Here's hoping I can actually stick to this challenge, haha :)
Lately I've been noticing a kind of trend among lifestyle bloggers, taking measures to improve their lives. From Sydney's self-love to Jess's living with intention, bloggers are showing the world how they're making their lives better. And lately, I've been thinking about my take on life lately. And how flawed it is.
See, I tend to get so focused on rushing to the next experience life has to offer that I forget to stop and enjoy the here and now. My whole life up until now has been a checklist, a constant parade of "what's next?" and "achievement reached." After finishing high school, I moved straight to college, and after college it was straight to finding a career. I got a major case of the wedding bug about six months after college, because when you're in a long-term relationship and graduate college, you're supposed to get married.
I've been unhappy lately because that marriage bug is back, but for all the wrong reasons (yet again). This time, I've fallen victim to a major case of "keeping up with the Joneses"-itis. It seems like everyone around me is getting engaged, and since I'm in the habit of constantly comparing my life to that of others around me, I've been feeling like Matt and I simply must get engaged, too.
And I've finally realized how unhealthy this whole mentality is. So I'm stopping it. I'm going to stop comparing myself to others, stop living my life like it's a checklist to be completed, and just enjoy it. I'm going to stop, and get a nice whiff of those roses everybody's always talking about.
Honestly, I'm not really even sure why I'm posting this, except for the fact that typing it all out is my own personal form of therapy, and it seems pointless to spend so much time typing something up and then not doing anything with it. Also, I think a lot of bloggers tend to only show one facet of themselves on a blog, and I don't really like that. This is my blog, and I'm going to be me on it. So, yeah. There you go?
blouse: old, don't remember
skirt:secondhand
heels, belt: Target
necklace: gifted
flower: H&M
I really love the simplicity of this outfit. The pencil-skirt-and-button-down-blouse is a classic, timeless combo, one that pretty much instantly makes me feel classy. Until I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, from behind.
This is the one and only item in my closet that actually makes it look like I have some badonk-a-donk. Because I definitely don't, in real life. But in this skirt...well, it's the only time that I feel like I can flaunt my assets. (Get it? Ha. I'm 24, going on 5.)
In other news, I've been thinking a lot lately about how I just don't utilize Pinterest as much as I should. I mean, I pin a million things, and never follow through on any of them. (Well, that's not entirely true. I did this and I attempted this. Guess which one was a major fail.) So anyway, I thought I'd take a page out of Young House Love's book and do my own Pinterest-project tackling challenge. I'm shooting for once a week. We'll see how well I do there ;)
The second wedding weekend was actually two weekends ago, but I wasn't able to stay at the reception long and wound up not taking many pictures. This past weekend, I was in the wedding and only got a few shots in between all the bridesmaid duties :)
Groom Josh, me, and bride Tiffany.
Me 'n my man. Isn't he handsome?
Tiff and me. We've been bffs since we were about 17 or so. She's pretty much the bee's knees. (My dress is from David's Bridal...not sure where Tiff's is from. My jewelry was my bridesmaid gift, and it was from Express.)
All in all, it was a really long weekend, since I headed up to northern Ohio Thursday night and stayed through Monday morning (the wedding itself was Sunday night). Today was pretty rough, after a weekend of mildly structured chaos, haha. But I suppose I might as well get back into the swing of things, no? Eh. Here goes nothing :)
Well, I'm up at my parents' house this weekend to attend/be in my bff's wedding, and I was planning to post an outfit post today during some of my down time. Except I of course failed to realize that all my outfit photos are on on my camera. Which I left at home in Columbus. Good bloggers forget their cameras all the time, right? Didn't think so :)
Fortunately, Matt isn't coming up to this part of the state until the actual day of the wedding, so he'll be able to bring my camera with him. Saved by the boyfriend :) Until then...iPhone photos galore!
