Month: November 2017

November 26, 2017 – Greyhound Adventures Part 3 (OOTD #168)

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Why, oh why, can’t I avoid the travesty that is the Greyhound bus system?

I fully understand that the bus drivers and workers for Greyhound are likely underpaid and have to deal with grumpy, frustrated people all day, so it’s very difficult for them to maintain the will to be friendly…but, my goodness, it certainly makes it difficult for me to enjoy bus trips.

On Sunday, it was time for me to head back to Notre Dame, so I grabbed breakfast with some friends, and then hitched a ride with my friend, Amanda, back up to Indianapolis, where she goes to school. From there, I took a Greyhound back to South Bend. Seems pretty simple, right?

Well…it was. Objectively, nothing went wrong. With the exception of my bus being about 30 minutes late dropping me off at South Bend, everything went as planned, and I made it back to school at a decent time.

That’s objectively speaking though – subjectively, it was a harrowing and stress ulcer-inducing experience.

I love Amanda, don’t get me wrong. We got trapped at the Atlanta airport for two days together; how could we not be friends? But her driving…I don’t know if she obeyed the speed limit once.

In one sense, who does? I’m probably consistently going five or ten over, depending on the road, which is pretty normal. Amanda, however, drives her Prius like she’s racing in the Indianapolis 5000. Her average speed while we were on the interstate might have been 100; I don’t actually know, I had to force myself to not look at the speedometer out of fear of what the number was.

But she got me to the Greyhound station, and no one died, and for that, I’m grateful. I mean, I‘ve totaled a car before myself, so in a sense, she’s a safer driver than me.

The Greyhound station was also one of the sketchiest places I’ve been in my entire life, which didn’t do much for my unhealthily high anxiety levels.

Like I said though, everything turned out alright in the end, so perhaps I was worried for nothing. I mean, if a lion suddenly jumped out from one of the overfilled trashcans at the Greyhound station and attacked me, my sympathetic nervous system would have been prepared, but there were no lions, as far as I know.

Unless the Detroit Lions were perhaps playing the Colts that day? I was right next to the football stadium; it’s possible.

Sweater: Forever21

Boots: Doc Marten

November 24, 2017 – A Shopping Day (OOTD #167)

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Once upon a time, my dad and I used to go out on Black Friday at 2 or 3 am in the morning to get to big stores like Target or Best Buy and stand in hour-long lines in the late November cold.

It doesn’t sound like much fun, but believe me: it was!

I used to love Black Friday, and truth be told, I still kind of do. I don’t know, I just really like crowds, (strange thing to like, I know), so even though the nature of Black Friday has changed drastically in the last few years, I can still enjoy it.

I may not be lining up at 5pm on Thursday evening to get to the stores right when they open (because honestly, what’s the fun of going to Target at 5pm? I could do that literally any other day of the year), but I still do like to go out with my family at some point in the day. My mother hates crowds, so we tend to avoid places like the malls, but we get to get out of the house and spend time together, and that’s what matters.

This year’s Black Friday shopping had the super-glamorous goals of finding a pair of winter gloves and boots for me, and a comb for my dad! As you might have guessed, we didn’t expect to find such rare items anywhere in the stores we looked in, but to our surprise, we stumbled upon what we were looking for. A Christmas miracle.

Speaking of Christmas, the day after Thanksgiving is officially the day I begin listening my Christmas playlists on Apple Music. Back when I used to do early morning Black Friday shopping with my dad, this meant listening to my iPod while I stood in line to check out or in line to get into the store, but now that tradition is gone and I don’t really have one in its place. I still enjoy that first Christmas song I play at some point during the day on Black Friday, but it’s not quite as magical.

I like the traditional Christmas classics – you know, your Perry Como and Frank Sinatra – and I like the traditional carols and hymns, but in particular, I’m a fan of bitter pop punk Christmas rants. Give “Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass” by All Time Low or “Yule Shoot Your Eye Out” by Fall Out Boy a listen – they’re a nice way to shake things up from your typical “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”

Anyway, it’s basically 1 AM here as I write this blog, and I’ve still got some homework I’d like to get done before I go to bed. What a concept.

November 23, 2017 – Thanksgiving Thriving (OOTD #166)

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh wait, you mean to tell me that Thanksgiving’s passed?

Yes, as I’ve discussed before, my blogs are on a few days’ delay (the delay varies quite a bit depending on if I’ve kept up with posting and if I’ve photographed my outfit every day or if I’ve skipped a few), which is all fine and dandy until a holiday rolls around and I don’t have an appropriate holiday-themed outfit to post on said holiday.

So here’s my Thanksgiving outfit, even though Thanksgiving was nearly a week ago and I have not relevant Thanksgiving-related things to say since I discussed my Thanksgiving thoughts on actual Thanksgiving.

It’s funny – the day before Thanksgiving, I stayed up fairly late hanging out with some friends, so on the morning of Thanksgiving, I slept in pretty late, like, until noon. I missed both the parade and the dog show, which was a little bit unfortunate, but I don’t usually watch those closely anyway so it wasn’t a big deal. Anyway, I woke up at noon to my dad telling that I needed to get downstairs because my grandmother was already in and everyone was getting ready for dinner, so I had very little time to pick out an appropriate festive outfit.

But despite these tremendous obstacles, I think I still managed to put together a pretty decent Thanksgiving-ready outfit. The skirt is reminiscent of both fall and Christmas, with a nondescript pattern of what might be fall leaves or Christmas poinsettia petals, and the sweater is just loose enough that I could eat basically whatever I wanted without feeling uncomfortable.

I think I’ll use this anecdote the next time an interviewer asks me about overcoming adversity.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one with more updates on my life here at Notre Dame. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Sweater: Unknown (thrifted)

Skirt: Vintage: (thrifted)

(Huh…my entire outfit was thrifted here. I didn’t even realize that until just now when I wrote where they were from. Interesting)

November 21, 2017 – Southern Soccer Mom Style (OOTD #165)

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Christmas in July? More like…July in Christmas.

Yesterday’s outfit was the sendoff to fall, so logically, it follows that today’s outfit should be a sendoff to summer. Since, obviously, summer comes after fall, and summer didn’t end like, three months ago.

No, the real reason behind why this outfit is so summery (and also kind of like a rich Southern PTA-attending mother) is because on this day, I was heading home for the Thanksgiving holiday, and I knew I wasn’t going to have much use of a neon Lilly Pulitzer jacket and a when it’s 20 below in South Bend, Indiana. So, to save space in my suitcase, I just wore them home, and then I left them there.

And in their place, I brought all 8000 of my Christmas sweaters.

Sure, it looked a little weird dressing so out of season, and sure, I looked more like I was going Memorial Day shopping than getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, but I don’t mind. It also looked a little weird to have my short grey hair and black Hot Topic earrings that I forgot to take out (and which you can’t see here – probably for the best) paired with such a preppy outfit, but when has that ever stopped me?

It’s uh…eclectic, not erratic, yeah?

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one with more updates on my life here at Notre Dame. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Jacket: Lilly Pulitzer

Dress: Vintage (thrifted)

November 20, 2017 – Sendoff to Fall (OOTD #164)

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Welp, it looks like this may be it – the final explicitly fall-themed outfit on LEDJ until next year.

I could be wrong – I know I still have a few sets of OOTDs from my Thanksgiving break, and one or two of those may have involved some fall colors, but I do believe this is the last grossly “fall” (I mean, really, look at the pattern on this dress – does that say “spring” to you?) outfit I’m going to post here for a while!

As far as I’m concerned, now that Thanksgiving is over (well, it is at the time of me writing this blog – it was still a few days away on November 20, the day these photos are from), it’s Christmas season! And that is definitely something I’m excited for.

I’ve already busted out the Christmas playlists and everything. I know it’s not likely that I’ll really be 100% onto the Christmas bandwagon until finals are over (because school and obligations are tragically more important than any festive cheer…), but I still like to start getting prepared early.

So start expecting the Christmas sweater outfits at any point from here on out. I’ve packed my bags full of them, and I’m taking several back with me to South Bend now that Thanksgiving break’s over. I’m a firm believer in the sanctity of Thanksgiving, but you could say I’m even more so for the sanctity of Christmas, literally and figuratively.

Anyway, I’ve been writing this blog from the inside of a dark Greyhound traveling from Indianapolis to South Bend, and people are starting to look annoyed that I’ve got my bright little phone screen out while they’re trying to sleep. Guess I should go.

Allow me to leave you with this cute photo that some of my friends and I took under the dome before we all left for break.

Saturday Musings + Coffee – Philadelphia Feelings

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I like…have no legitimate reason for that blog title…it just kind of came into my head to the tune of Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom” (fun song, by the way), and I thought I’d go for it.

I didn’t even intend originally for this blog to have a Philadelphia Eagles mug in it – I had wanted to go with my dad’s Notre Dame mug, in recognition of ND’s final regular season game tonight against Stanford. But that mug was dirty – I guess he used it this morning – so I thought I’d go for another one of my favorite football teams.

The Eagles are a team I’ve grown up rooting for, although it’s not one I have any particular connection to myself. I’ve never lived in Philly, I don’t know any of the players – all I know is that my parents like them, and so I do too.

In fairness, I never grew up in a place that cared much for professional football, so the only way it was ever a part of my life was through my parents – thus, it makes sense that I would root for the same team as they do. Kentucky is much more interested in college sports, and so I’ve developed an interest in those (have you seen how many times I talk about Notre Dame on this blog?), but as it comes to professional sports, all I know is the Eagles.

And until I move to a city and make friends who are all interested in professional sports, I think that’s the way it’ll stay. Which, for now, given the Eagles’ record as the best in the nation, is a great thing! Maybe I’ll finally see them in the Super Bowl.

Anyway, here’s a picture of my dog. That has nothing to do with coffee, or Saturdays, or the Eagles, but I like her and I thought I’d include her at the end here.

November 18, 2017 – Here Comes the Freezing Rain (OOTD #163)

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Why on earth can there not be a Notre Dame home game with decent weather?

Seriously – South Bend doesn’t necessarily have bad weather all the time. Maybe that’s the stereotype, and maybe I personally tend to complain about South Bend’s weather more than I ought, but in reality, it can be quite nice up here sometimes. In fact, I’m pretty sure the day just prior to November 18 was absolutely beautiful – high in the 50s or something like that – but of course, November 18 itself was horrid.

I don’t think you can fully understand how horrid it was. I mean, if you were just to walk outside for a few moments to go from one building to another or from your car to a building you would’ve been fine. It wasn’t even that cold – 40s maybe. But it was the wind, and the rain, and the 40 degree temperatures, and the fact that I forgot gloves, and the fact that I had to stand in one place not moving and totally exposed to the elements for hours that made the game day experience less than optimal.

Thankfully, I know there will be plenty more game day experiences in my future as a Notre Dame student, so I didn’t really feel badly about leaving after the halftime show, even though it was the last home game of the season. If I were a senior, maybe I would’ve stayed – no, I definitely would’ve stayed – but seeing as it was just a mediocre game, and it wasn’t even that big of a milestone experience for me, it was alright to leave.

I was a little sad that I didn’t get to wear a more exciting outfit for my final Notre Dame home game of this year – I mean, I’ve got a gorgeous blue and black plaid cape that I was really hoping I would get to wear before the season ended – but with the weather, it was just more practical to go for something that I wouldn’t freeze and die in.

I mean, I ended up kind of freezing and dying anyway, but it was all in good fun.

Afterwards, I went back to the dorm and changed into warm, dry pajamas and had a cup of cocoa, which was pretty much the best feeling ever.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one with more updates on my life here at Notre Dame. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Coat: The North Face

Blazer: Forever21

Sweater: Forever21

November 17, 2017 – Thanksgiving Aesthetic (OOTD #162)

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Just kidding, this outfit couldn’t possibly be a Thanksgiving outfit – this dress is way too fitted for any of the hardcore eating I do on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is such a weird holiday in terms of clothes – you want to look nice because you’re seeing all of your family, but you also want something big and comfy so no one can see your inevitable food baby.

That’s alright, though – I can still dress nicely in anticipation of Thanksgiving while still dressing in pajamas and lazing around the house on actual Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a truly spectacular holiday. I mean, the significance of the event is pretty nice – you know, the whole Native Americans and Pilgrims getting along for a day to feast, and to be thankful for what they have – but mainly, I just really like the eating part.

How many other holidays are so focused upon eating? I mean, Christmas and Easter and the Super Bowl tend to involve lots of cooking and feasts, but they don’t revolve around food like Thanksgiving. I mean, obviously, Thanksgiving also revolves around being thankful – which is important, don’t get me wrong – but second most important to its celebration is the food.

At my family’s Thanksgivings, we tend to have turkey and cheesy mashed potatoes and pecan pie, which are all lovely things that I don’t eat very often and that I adore to have for Thanksgiving. If I’m lucky, my mother will also do garlic green beans, some kind of rolls, and maybe an appetizer.

My point? I really like Thanksgiving. You could say I’m thankful for it.

(Just like I’m thankful for Internet platforms like WordPress where I can share my stupid word plays like that and no one cans stop me)

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one with more updates on my life here at Notre Dame. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Dress: The LOFT

Jacket: Forever21

November 16, 2017 – No Clever Title Today, Please Try Again Tomorrow (OOTD #161)

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Today’s blog is coming to you from the back of my friend’s car as I head into Chicago to catch a flight from Midway back to Lexington for Thanksgiving.

It’s been a long two days of class. Monday, I had to get up early to register myself for classes for next semester, and Tuesday, I had a huge term paper due in my history class. Admittedly, that’s less than I usually have to do, but for some reason, it just felt like a lot.

It’s all good though, because like I said, I’m heading home tonight. And this time, I’ve got a regular ticket, so there should be no chances of me getting caught in the Atlanta airport for two days because I flew standby.

I do rather like to fly, though. I hate how expensive everything is in airports, but otherwise, they’re really nice places as long as you’re not rushing about. I think 75% of my airport experiences have been highly positive – the only two distinctive times I can remember not enjoying myself in an airport were the ATL fiasco I just mentioned and once, when my family and I were flying through Orlando and we had like 10 minutes to sprint across the airport to catch a flight.

Hopefully though, everything goes smoothly with this one. I figure if I’ve managed to take the Greyhound by myself, flying through Midway should be a breeze.

Who knows, maybe I’ll even get lucky and get bumped to first class like what happened on my outgoing flight to London from Detroit this summer. Probably not since it’s Thanksgiving weekend and the airport is bound to be somewhat busy, even though it’s late, but I can dream.

Anyway, please enjoy this super glamorous shot of the wind catching my hair in an odd way as I try to push up my sunglasses. I’m a beauty.

Skirt: The LOFT

Sweater: H&M

November 15, 2017 – Notre Rain (OOTD #160)

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You know, my photographer made a very valid point as she was taking these photos – this is a very discordant outfit.

I’ve got the rainbow raincoat and yellow rain boots, but also a plaid scarf, and sunglasses. What am I dressed for? The rain, the cold, or the sun?

The rain and the cold are actually completely accurate answers – it was very rainy and drizzly that day. But in late November in South Bend, IN, what day isn’t rainy and drizzly? Who can escape the permacloud of the Northern Midwest?

In fairness, the sunglasses are only there to conceal the fact that I’m not wearing any eye makeup here. Let’s just say it’s quite obvious without sunglasses how much of a sleep-deprived college student I am.

Not to mention, I’ve got my short grey hair, which I’ve already discussed looks kind of strange with preppier pieces, like rainbow raincoats and plaid blanket scarf. I also wore my black gauge-like earrings, just to confuse people even more.

I like to keep people guessing with my outfit, but I don’t necessarily want them to be scratching their heads either. I personally feel like this outfit’s a little closer to that “head-scratching” territory than I would’ve liked, but you know – you win some, and you lose some. I do really like the colors going on here, regardless.

Just because the sky and the weather is going to be dreary and grey, that doesn’t mean my outfit has to be as well. I mean, part of it, sure – my hair, my earrings, and my personality will always be there to bring the melancholy – but some part of me gets to be cheery. Or at the very least, look that way.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one with more updates on my life here at Notre Dame. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Coat: Target

Pants: The LOFT

Scarf: Chinatown

Sweater: Kohl’s