Month: March 2019

February 25, 2019 – Classic Meilin (OOTD #461)

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Time is passing, and I think my signature outfit is beginning to change.

A year or two ago, I would have told you that my go-to outfit is a jacket, a sweater, leggings/skinny jeans, and my black ankle boots. That was basically what I lived in in high school — in fact, I even have a tag on this blog called “the formula” where I sorted all of the examples of outfits that fit this pattern. I wasn’t always very good at keeping up with all of my outfits that actually fit the formula and tagging them, but you can get an idea of what they looked like.

But I’m getting older and styles are changing. I think the formula is changing too — we’ll call it the formula 2.0, I guess. More and more often, I’m finding that my go-to outfit is a skirt and a blouse — maybe with a jacket thrown on top for good measure. You can see a prime example of this kind of outfit here.

It’s just so easy to pair a skirt and a blouse — and with the weather warming up (ever so slightly), it makes it an even more appealing option. Plus, wearing a skirt looks dressier than my old leggings/skinny jeans vibe — and I like looking dressy.

I think I’m going to keep an eye out for more skirts soon. I haven’t really been huge into skirts since middle school, so I don’t really have that many (at least, in compared to my other categories of clothing).

Back in my Justice/Abercrombie Kids phases, I was huge into skirts. I think it goes way back to third grade, when we had a pioneer school history unit where we had to come to school dressed like it was the 19th century for a month. Okay, we didn’t have to do it for a whole month — only the first and last days of the unit — but I chose to do it for the whole month because I loved wearing dresses and skirts and pretending I lived in Little House on the Prairie times.

Hm, history and fashion — I wonder when those two things would pop up again in my life?

Anyway, for a few years after my Apple Valley School days, I continued wearing skirts a lot — first, in the form of sequin-covered tutus from Justice, and then, in the form of floral skirts with those elastic waistbands (remember when those were huge?) from Abercrombie and Hollister. Then, I kind-of got bored of them. Wearing skirts from ages 8-12 will exhaust you. By the time high school hit, I was ready to embrace Victoria’s Secret yoga leggings along with the rest of young women from 2014.

But I think I’m ready to go back to wearing skirts more often again. It’s been a long time.

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

Top: Zara

Skirt: Zara

 

Saturday Musings – March 2019 Bullet Journal Spread!

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One of my favorite things about sharing my bullet journal spreads on this blog is that I don’t have to come up with a creative blog titles — I can just announce that I’m writing about my bullet journal spread and be done with it.

Anyway, this blog will be about my March spread. Please don’t pay attention to how this is being posted on March 30, also known as the second-to-last day of the month.

As I see it, though, people can still be inspired by my bullet journal drawings regardless of when in the month it is — it’s not like I’m a bullet journal influencer, so I don’t see any reason to post my spreads at any particular time. Besides, I’m new to bullet journaling myself, so I don’t see myself as anything worth copying at the moment. In fact, I’m still copying the layouts of some of my favorite artists, like AmandaRachLee.

I’m kind-of surprised with myself for managing to keep up with bullet journaling for so long (that is, if you ignore the three-month hiatus I took from October-December where I basically didn’t write/draw anything at all). I really like it as a way to force myself to draw a little every day — since I’m not in art classes really anymore, it’s a great way to try to exercise my skills.

I honestly wish I had more time to devote to it, though — I sometimes find that I end up rushing through a design/spread because I know I have limited time each day realistically to work on my journal. I wish I could do elaborate, time-intensive, and detailed drawings each month, but they usually end up pretty simplistic.

And simplistic isn’t a bad thing! But a lot of my artwork in the past was very detail-oriented, and there’s nothing really I’m doing right now to practice that kind of artwork. It’s looking like I’ll have a month at home in between my various travels, so maybe that’s something I’ll work on then.

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

Bullet Journal Supplies (with Amazon links)

Bullet journal: The Scribbles that Matter Pro, A5, 

Pens: Pilot Frixion 

Markers: Prismacolor Brush Tip  and Copic Brush Tip

 

February 21, 2019 — Solid Ground (OOTD #460)

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The snow is finally beginning to melt, which is actually a really big deal here.

The snow literally lasts months. It comes in December, which is great because it’s new and white and Christmas-y, but then it sticks around until April, which is not okay.

That’s not to say it snows every day from December to April. We’ll get a few inches every day for several days in a row, until it’s piled up and you can’t walk anywhere except where it’s been plowed. Then, it stays.

For weeks and weeks.

Since it doesn’t get warm enough (and the sun doesn’t come out from behind the clouds for weeks at a time) the snow never melts. It melts slightly, then it freezes, then it melts, then it freezes again, then new snow comes on top of it, then it melts, and the cycle repeats. The worst part is that because of how long the snow lasts, it normally gets brown and dirty. Then the dirt freezes too, and you learn to resent the snow.

Thankfully, though, I think it’s about to all be over. The snow has melted, revealing the brown, nearly-dead grass underneath. I’m sure we’ll get flurries for the next few weeks still (at least until mid-April), but my hope is that the real snow is done now.

I even got to wear a skirt with only sheer (sheer!) tights underneath for this outfit, if that gives you an indication of how warm it’s getting. By warm, of course, I mean thirty degrees instead of three — but after it’s been three degrees for three months straight, below freezing at thirty is a welcome temperature.

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

Top: The LOFT (thrifted)

Skirt: Forever21 (thrifted)

February 20, 2019 – Complementary Colors (OOTD #459)

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I can’t remember if I’ve said this before, but blue and orange is my favorite complementary color combination.

I mean, it’s not that hard of a decision to make, if you ask me — red and green look too much like Christmas, and purple and yellow look too much like a jester. That leaves you with blue and orange — the color of a sunset. What’s there not to like?

I’ve taken to wearing this turquoise jacket a lot recently (though I think this may be its appearance on my blog). It’s bright, spring-like, and looks professional without being boring.

After spending a decent portion of my high school years wearing only neutrals (thanks emo phase), I’ve been trying to incorporate more color into my wardrobe, especially as spring comes. I don’t think you’ll ever catch me making a full preppy Lilly Pulitzer transition (though I have gone for that look many times before — including in my very first blog post here!), but I would like to be a little more adventurous with my color palette.

Spring still hasn’t come in South Bend yet, despite the fact that it’s come to other parts of the United States. I’m just a little bit bitter. I just want the flowers to come out so that I can take cute pictures with them and stop haunting the hallways of the math building. I would also like the giant pile of brown snow that’s leftover from January in the parking lot at work to finally melt. Is that too much to ask?

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

Jacket: Banana Republic

Top: Forever21

Trousers: Banana Republic

February 19, 2019 – Take Me to Church (OOTD #458)

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Is it a sin to take fashion blog pictures in a chapel?

I’m going to give myself a pass this time because these photos were taken in a space in the engineering building that was not, at the time, actively being used for worship. It was just me, chilling alone in the chapel, and so I wasn’t getting in the way or distracting from  anyone’s prayer.

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take me to church

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That’s actually one of the reasons why I’ve never taken pictures inside the basilica, even though the basilica is ostensibly one of the most beautiful locations on campus. I don’t want to bother the people who are actually using it for worship, you know?  It seems disrespectful. Maybe if I can go during sometime when I know it’ll be empty…

Churches in general also tend to have pretty low lighting, with all of the stained glass and stuff. I had to edit these pictures quite a bit so that they didn’t look washed out and orange.

You’d think a place of worship should have some better natural lighting, no? I’m pretty sure God himself was a big fan of light — I heard it was the first thing he made on the first day. Pretty sure he even said it was “good.”

Anyway, all I’m saying is that whoever designs chapels and churches should really get on the lighting issue. So that I can not take pictures in chapels and churches except for when they’re empty, because otherwise that would be rude.

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

Sweater: Aeropostale

Trousers: Thrifted (Salvation Army)

February 18, 2019 – Twinning (OOTD #457)

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I got so desperate for outfit ideas, I dressed up like my dorm building.

Okay, that’s a bit of a lie — I didn’t dress up like my dorm building on purpose. I didn’t even realize I that I had until I stood in front of it in order to take pictures. The friend who took these pictures said something along the lines of “oh wow, you blend right in” and that’s when I realized — I look like a brick building.

As they say, inspiration can come from anywhere — and I guess sometimes your dorm is it. If we ever have a dorm spirit day or something, you can bet this is what I’m wearing.

Apart from the fact that I literally look like a building here, I do actually really like the outfit. I’ve taken to wearing berets ever since my roommate, Anna, lent me hers for my friend group’s Christmas photoshoot. I know I’m a little late to the trend, but I legitimately feel like a good beret can class up almost any outfit. It makes me feel intellectual and artsy.

No pretentious college student look is complete if you don’t match with your dorm building and top it all off with a black beret, right?

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

Top: Zara

Dress: Unknown

Hat: Amazon (NYFASHION101 French Style Lightweight Casual Classic Solid Color Wool Beret)

 

February 16, 2019 – Galentine’s Day (OOTD #456)

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I’m glad Galentine’s Day has become a thing.

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come to me, children

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In case you’re unaware, Galentine’s Day is the trend where instead of (or in addition to!) a traditional date with a significant other, you go out with your friends. The cynic in me sees is as just another way for restaurants to get us to spend money on Valentine’s Day. The optimist in me appreciates that Valentine’s Day is now becoming more inclusive for people who aren’t in relationships.

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🍳 🥞 ☕️

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So the weekend after Valentine’s Day, my friends and I all piled into a car and headed out to a brunch place. Going out to eat when you’re a poor college student is always such an event, at least for those us who live in the middle of nowhere and don’t have a car. I imagine it’s rather different if you go to school in a city, where there are restaurants everywhere. When you go to school in South Bend, Indiana and there are restaurants nowhere, it’s a different thing.

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wax on, wax off

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I feel like I should mention that our Galentine’s Day actually included two guys as well — Dylan and Jackson, the boyfriends of two of my friends. Galentine’s Day should be for everyone, not just women. It’s like Friendsgiving, but the Valentine’s Day version.

Turns out, the brunch place we went to had some spectacular lighting, which made for some great photos, as you can see here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuWimnvAs6B/

And nothing says “Valentine’s Day” quite like an outfit that makes you look like a priest (bishop? cardinal? Sorry, I don’t know my Catholic hierarchy well) from the Spanish Inquisition!

I got this cape from a vintage shop near my home called Street Scene, and to be honest, I’m not convinced it wasn’t actually once owned by a member of the clergy. It looks eerily similar to some of the capes that bishops wear.

I’m not sure if there are rules about wearing old clergy clothes. Are they like American flags, which are supposed to be burned after they’re decommissioned? Do I need to wash it in holy water along with my Tide Pods? Leave me a comment below if you have advice.

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

Cape: Vintage (thrifted — Street Scene Vintage)

Top: ASOS

 

February 14, 2019 – Valentine Times (OOTD #455)

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This is my twentieth Valentine’s Day as a human being on this planet, and allow me to say: it’s a rather overrated holiday.

For adults, at least. As a kid, Valentine’s Day is great: you get to decorate your shoebox for all of your friends to place their cards into, you get candy, and if you’re lucky, maybe your dad takes you out to eat somewhere or your mom makes heart-shaped cookies. As classroom parties go, Valentine’s Day is up there with Christmas and Halloween.

But as an adult, what do you even do? Go out to dinner? You can do that any day of the year — and in fact, it’s almost worse going out on Valentine’s Day due to how busy it is. Regardless of if you have a significant other or not, I feel like Valentine’s Day as an adult is just an excuse to spend more money — not that all holidays aren’t like that in some shape or form, but I think Valentine’s Day is worse.

People generally want to buy Christmas decorations or Easter Bunny chocolates. Does anyone really want to buy candy hearts or overpriced Hallmark cards?

What’s the most strange to me is that adults do not exchange Valentines on Valentine’s Day — something I think they should do. It’s cute, and fun, and cheap. You don’t even have to buy them if you don’t want to; they’re easy to make and probably even nicer when they’re homemade. If exchanging Valentines became a custom for adults like it is for children, I think people would enjoy Valentines Day a lot more.

I don’t hate Valentine’s Day, though, I’d like to make that clear. I don’t like the “I hate Valentine’s Day” mentality, especially when it comes from bitter single people. I’m a single person too. But I like to support my friends who are in healthy and committed relationships and those who aren’t but are currently looking for one. It’s cute and harmless.

Since I generally don’t do anything on Valentine’s Day, one of the things I do like to do is get dressed up. I mean, I get dressed up a lot — but I like to use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to get dressed up a little extra.

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thanks for the stuff @trueandco

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Today’s outfit features a lace bodysuit from True&Co. They were kind enough to send me one complimentary to style for my blog, and I’m really surprised with how much I like it!  At first, I wasn’t really sure how I could make a collaboration with a lingerie company work, as LEDJ is more about outerwear than underwear, but I think this makes for a really fun, layered outfit.

They also sent me a bra and panties — which I will not be styling for this blog, unfortunately — but I did still very much like them.

To top it all off, I found some roses in the trashcan of my dorm (I’m sure there’s a really fascinating story there) that I decided to take back with me and set up in a vase in my room. I’ve never gotten flowers for Valentine’s Day before, so it was a pretty exciting find — even if they weren’t met for me. Trashcan roses are still roses.

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

Jacket: Forever21

Shirt: Banana Republic

Lace Bodysuit: True&Co. Lingerie Stripe and Lace Bodysuit

Jeans: American Eagle

February 10, 2019 – Excuse Me, Professor (OOTD #454)

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These are new glasses, in case you didn’t notice.

You probably didn’t notice because they look almost exactly like the pair of old glasses in my last post. I personally think these new glasses are way more flattering than the old glasses (hence buying new glasses), but I know, it’s hard to tell.

On the top half of this outfit, with the green blazer and glasses, I look like a professor. Not like, a real professor — like, a person who has a PhD and gets paid to do research and corrupt students or whatever — but a professor from a mystery novel. Basically, I look like Professor Plum from CLUE if he wore green. Professor Granny Smith?

On the bottom half, however, with the jeans and the hiking boots, I look more like a mountain man or a lumberjack. I wasn’t really aiming to mix the two aesthetics, but it happened, mainly because it had snowed and I needed to wear the boots in order to not break my ankle as I walked around campus. It’s like people who mix pastel and grunge  and wear tutus with leather jackets.

Will professor/lumberjack be the next big mixed aesthetic fashion trend in 2019? Stay tuned to find out.

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

Jacket: Thrifted (Goodwill I think? Or maybe Salvation Army)

Jeans: Abercrombie

Boots: LL Bean

February 9, 2019 – Next Best Thing (OOTD #453)

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I think every kid who grew up in the early 2000s reading Harry Potter was a little disappointed when they didn’t receive their Hogwarts acceptance letter when they turned 11.

I mean, I knew Harry Potter and Hogwarts and magic weren’t real — but I still kind-of held onto an irrational hope that I was wrong. Harry didn’t know magic was a thing when he received his letter to Hogwarts. I figured the same could happen to me.

I read the books for the first time when I was 8 or 9, and so I had a few years to believe that Hogwarts was potentially in my foreseeable future. My best friend, Erin, and I used to play pretend a lot, and we would pretend we went to Hogwarts. Back then, I used to think I’d be a Ravenclaw (which, to be fair, I still think is a decent fit) because I liked blue, and Erin would be a Slytherin because she liked green.

Now, of course, I know Slytherin is a better place for me — in case you couldn’t tell from the Slytherin scarf, hat, and sweater I now own.

Erin and I would find sticks in the woods behind my house  to use as wands and get dressed up in grey sweaters and pretend to cast spells at each other. I ended up memorizing quite a few spells — beyond your typical Expelliarmus and Expecto Patronum — because of our game. We would also make up a lot of spells, which, given the way most spells sound like nonsense, was pretty easy. Making potions out of random rocks and mud from the creek was also a common pastime.

I turned 11 in November, so I wasn’t sure if I’d get my letter on my actual birthday, midway through my fifth grade year, or if would come the summer before I entered sixth grade, but I figured that was something for Hogwarts administration to deal with. The day I turned 11, I kept an eye out of owls that might have been hidden in the trees or flying above the clouds.

Unfortunately, none came.

Flash forward seven years, and I did however, get my acceptance letter to Notre Dame — and I guess that’s not a bad substitute. There is, after all, a magic in the sound of her name…

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

Sweater: Hot Topic

Hat: Harry Potter shop

Trousers: Thrifted (Salvation Army)