May 5, 2017 – Derby Fashion

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Happy Derby weekend!


Here in Kentucky, the Derby’s a pretty big deal. There are two weeks worth of festivals and celebrations in preparation of it, schools are closed the day before, and you had better not plan on going out the day of unless you’re willing to spend a long time sitting in traffic. I have a lot of fond memories as a kid of the Kentucky Derby Festival – the Thunder over Lousville fireworks show, the bed races, the balloon glow…there were some fun times.


I’ve moved from Louisville since then, and while I’m no longer in the same area as Churchill Downs, you can still feel the excitement of the Derby here in Lexington.


So what am I doing here today as a Kentuckian celebrating the Kentucky Derby? Going to a party? Betting at Keeneland? Attending the Derby itself?


Why none of those, of course. I’m sitting at home studying for my AP Calculus and AP French exams on Tuesday.


But that doesn’t mean I can’t celebrate the Derby here at home with my choices in clothing! I wanted something distinctively equine-looking for today, something totally different from the ripped jeans with fishnets I did yesterday. With my navy Chaps blazer, blue striped button down, red silk scarf, and white skinny jeans, I definitely felt like I could’ve walked out of a Polo ad.


Even though I’m mostly too poor to afford anything by Polo.


As for horses, I’m betting on Hence. Not because I’ve actually read the statistics and know what I’m talking about – I just like the name. Not all of us Kentuckians can be horse experts 😅
Jacket: Chaps

Shirt and jeans: Abercrombie

Bonus mirror selfie:

May 4, 2017 – Something Edgier

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May the fourth be with you.

Yeah, okay, I’m not really a Star Wars type, but I can still make a reference every once in a while…even if that reference is one everyone knows and has heard a thousand times. Actually, I haven’t even seen the most recent movie – just never had the chance this holiday season.


To be honest, I’m definitely more of a Harry Potter type, but maybe that’s just because of the generation I was born into.


Speaking of Harry Potter, I’m definitely getting a brave, adventurous Gryffindor vibe from today’s outfit. Maybe it’s just the red scarf. Like I said yesterday, I was feeling like my oufits have been getting a little too safe recently, so I wanted to shake it up with something a little more dark and edgy.


And it doesn’t get much edgier than ripped black skinny jeans from Hot Topic. Call me a cringe-worthy emo who can’t get her head out of the early 2000s, but amid the corny nerd culture dresses and overpriced band tees, Hot Topic does have some fun pieces. Case in point – these jeans. I admit, they’re a little over the top with the rips and the fishnets, but that’s what makes them fun. There’s almost a dark humor to how excessive they are and how hard they’re trying. On top, I went for an off-white sweater (also from Hot Topic, funnily enough) with some rips and tears along the sleeves and torso, adding to the grungey feel And to finish it all off, black Converse – go big or go home, am I right?


It was absolutely miserable trying to take pictures outdoors today. Of course, it decided to rain just when I got home and needed to take my pictures for this blog – but on the plus side, it made for some cute umbrella pics.


Thanks for reading, and see you tomorrow!
Sweater and jeans: Hot Topic

Shoes: Converse


Bonus mirror selfie:

May 3, 2017

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You know, I think I’m gonna stick with the pattern of uploading these blogs a day after the outfit is worn.

I don’t know how other fashion bloggers do it, but it seems like the easier thing to me. It’s kinda difficult to take photos of the outfit AND type up the blog about it in the same day – it’s much easier to take the pictures the day before and then write the blog in my spare time as the day goes on. Plus, this way, I have more time to process what I want to write about each outfit instead of just spitting it out as quickly as possible.


Today was a pretty quiet day. Most are, anymore, here at the end of the school year, but this one was especially. There’s just not a lot left to do for us seniors: some finals, AP exams, and graduation preparation. Otherwise, school has devolved to babysitting.

I’m very grateful for the education I’ve received here in this high school, but it’s definitely grown tiresome after four years. Am I really ready to move on? I certainly feel that way, but it’s possibly just fhe senioritis talking. The prospect of moving out still terrifies me.


But on to brighter topics, today was a fun day, outfit-wise. I actually bought this fun dress with an earth-toned print way back at the beginning of junior year, and if I remember correctly, I wore it on the second or third day of school. The hat is also nothing new – if you’ve been following this blog within the last few days, you’ll notice I also wore it out while in New York! As today was much like yesterday – rainy in the morning and sunny in the afternoon – a hat made for a perfect compromise to shield me from the rain and the sun.

Finally, I matched the print of the dress with this lovely necklace that my mother got years ago when Coldwater Creek sold clothes in actual stores, and they catered to people other than old ladies.

As much fun as this outfit was, I’m feeling it was a little tame. Tomorrow, I’m definitely going to go for something a little edgier – it’s been too long since I’ve worn my ripped black skinny jeans.
See you then!
Dress: Forever21

Hat: Target

Necklace: Coldwater Creek


No bonus mirror selfie today. It’s not that I didn’t take one – but by the time I did, it was so late in the day that the lighting was horrible, so you probably wouldn’t want to see it anyway.

May 2, 2017

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Day 2 back from New York, and I think I’m finally beginning to not feel exhausted for once.


Seriously, I never realized, but that trip wore me out. I’ve fallen asleep at 8 or before for the last two nights, and I wake up at like 7 for school. That’s more sleep in one night than I usually get in a week.


All this sleep is actually probably not a great thing, as I’ve got three AP exams coming in the next week or two, and I should probably actually study for once.


Oh well…maybe the sleep will help me remember things better? That’s a thing, right?


For today’s outfit, I was mostly catering to the weather – which was super weird. It was pouring rain this morning and 50 degrees, and within an hour, it was sunny and 70. I didn’t really know how to dress for that, so I basically just went for something that would be tolerable in the hot or cold. I absolutely love this brightly colored crop top that I got on sale from Pitaya, so much so that I thought it was best to keep the rest of the outfit simple. Just some leggings and flats – nothing that would upstage the shirt. That’s not to say they’re boring pieces: the leggings have a fun velvet print up the side, and the flats are a bright neon that pull from the colors of the shirt. Plus, just for the heck of it, I had to add a small, barely noticeable necklace, just to make myself feel a little fancier.


And that’s it for today. A huge thanks to everyone who’s been reading my blog or following my Instagram, and I’ll see you in the next one!
Shirt: Pitaya

Jeans: Abercrombie

Shoes: Target


Bonus mirror selfie:

May 1, 2017

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I’m back!


I don’t know if I’d really call what I took as a hiatus, as it only lasted one day, but after New York, I felt like I needed one day off from blogging. I still took my pictures for the day and everything, but I held off on making the post.


So here we are, with the outfit for Monday, May 1.


So yesterday being College Decision Day, I wore the shirt from the college I will be attending this Fall – Notre Dame! I actually was accepted back in December, but it took me until April to actually choose that that was where I wanted to go. I’m admittedly a pretty indecisive person, so it was a huge relief to finally get the decision made, and it felt great to get to show off to my high school what I am going to be doing with my life.

 

But just because it was a college shirt doesn’t mean I couldn’t still make it a fashionable outfit. I wore my Notre Dame football jersey with leggings and a loose black cotton jacket, and to dress it up, I threw on my layered Francesca’s choker with rhinestones that I like so much. It’s not the most unique outfit I’ve ever worn, admittedly, but it’s kinda hard to work with a football jersey. 


Otherwise, it was a pretty lowkey day. I was exhausted from having arrived back at home from New York at 1 AM that morning, but thankfully, none of my class work was too hard. AP exams are coming up, so most of my teachers have cut back slightly on the homework. Thank goodness.


That’s it for today. Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one!
Shirt: Notre Dame University Store

Jacket: Anthropologie

Choker: Francesca’s 


Bonus mirror selfie:

Also, be sure to check out my new Instagram!

April 30, 2017 – Until Next Time (OOTD #10)

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New York City: Day 4.

I’m gonna keep this one short because it’s getting late and I’m about to catch my plane home. In truth, I’m glad to go. I’ve been raving about how much I love New York, and trust me, that hasn’t changed, but what I love is the city, and I don’t want to leave – but that’s not necessarily true for the people I’m with.

That’s not really anything against these kids – I can’t think of any group of 40 people who I could tolerate spending 24 hours a day with for 4 days. We’ve had a ton of fun together, but I’m ready to get away from them for a while.

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Today was a pretty-low key day. We went to the 9/11 museum, went back to Little Italy for lunch, and then did some shopping around Chinatown and Times Square. The 9/11 museum was easily one of the highlights of the trip. It was such a moving experience, but I didn’t take any photos there – it didn’t seem appropriate.


Outfit-wise, things were pretty low key as well. I went for all black – not for any particular reason, but sometimes I just feel a little edgy. You really can’t go wrong with black.

And that’s it for today. I should be home before too long, and then it’s back to school tonorrow. Goodnight for now.

Top and shorts: H&M

Choker: Francesca’s

Bonus mirror selfie:

Also, be sure to check out my new Instagram! I just started it a day or two ago, and I’d really appreciate a follow! I follow back 😀

April 29, 2017 – On Top of the World (OOTD #9)

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New York City: Day 3

Here we are, with our third and second-to-last Day in New York winding down to a close. In the entire time I’ve been here, the most prominent emotion I’ve felt is exhaustion.

But after exhaustion, what I’ve felt is joy.

I love New York. In fact, it always surprises me when I hear the other kids in my tour group say that they could never stand to live here – for me, it’s more like how could I not live here?

Yes, it’s dirty and crowded and the people are rude, but it’s just the kind of dirty, crowded, rudeness I adore.

Today was spend doing mostly tourist-y things (okay, this entire trip has been pretty tourist-y). We hit St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Top of the Rockefeller Center in the morning and then the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the afternoon.

The outfit for that part of the day was a pair of loose, colorful shorts and a denim top. It was simple, but practical for the day’s purpose – which was a hell of a lot of walking. To make things a little more interesting, I layered a simple gold necklace   on top for something of a boho look.

That evening, we took a dinner cruise on the Spirit of New York.

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新年快乐 / happy chinese new year !🏮

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I changed into something a little fancier – a traditional Chinese silk qipao dress.

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boom boom (qi)pao

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There aren’t many occasions where I can wear this out (in fact, Chinese New Year is probably one of the only occasions I ever wear it) but I decided to make an exception this time. It looked sad and dejected sitting there in my closet unworn, so I packed it because it’s a crime to not wear a dress like this that fits so well.The boat itself was nothing special, but, with the sun setting and the water sparkling, the marina it was docked on made for some beautiful photos with my friends.

 

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Concrete jungle wet dream TOMOATOOOOOOOO 🍅

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That’s it for now. I’m exhausted, and I fly home tomorrow.
Outfit 1 –

Shorts: Francesca’s

Top: Ann Taylor LOFT
Outfit 2 –

Dress: eBay
Bonus mirror selfies:

Also, be sure to check out my new Instagram! I just started it a day or two ago, and I’d really appreciate a follow! I follow back 😀

April 28, 2017- Springtime in New York (OOTD #8)

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New York City: Day 2

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An oldie but a goodie #throwbackthursday

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Another long day has passed, and lemme tell you – I am exhausted.
Today’s agenda has included a visit to the The Today Show, The Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Little Italy, Chinatown, a Yankees game, and the Empire State Building.

If that sounds like a long day to you, believe me it was.

It was a ton of fun though!

The best parts were when me and a small group of friends were able to split off from the main group and explore the city in our own, such as our excursion to Little Italy.

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Street art is cool! (New York edition)

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I had the best food at a restaurant there called La Bella Vita. The pasta almost brought tears to my eyes, it was so delicious. Another bonus: our waiter had beautiful hair and an even more beautiful accent.
The outfit for today was built for both style and comfort. A high neck bralette layered under a lightweight canvas jacket meant I was prepared whether it was a sunny afternoon or a chilly morning (we experienced both). High waisted jeans meant I had more skin protected from the dirty New York surfaces, and my old black booties with a squat heel was comfortable to walk in.

That doesn’t mean my feet didn’t still feel like lead at the end of the day.

Jacket:

Bralette: Aerie

Jeans: Hollister

Also, be sure to check out my new Instagram! I just started it a day or two ago, and I’d really appreciate a follow! I follow back 😀

April 27, 2017

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New York City, Day 1:

Greetings from New York! What a long day it’s been. And I don’t just mean that figuratively – I have been up since 3 AM. It is now 11 PM in the evening, and we’re still going.
It’s been a great day though! Our flight left from Kentucky at a bright and early 6 AM and landed in NYC at around 8. Not bad, right?

Not quite. Our school group was split into two groups, and the second group didn’t arrive until 10ish, meaning I had two hours to sit around LaGuardia and drink coffee, play cards, and *attempt* to take chic airport photos.


Once we finally got our entire group together, we loaded up our luggage into a tour bus and sat. And sat and sat and sat. I’m gonna be honest, it kinda sucked.

Don’t get me wrong, I adore New York. But a tour bus with a broken air conditioner is NOT the way to do it.


The best part of the afternoon was stopping in Central Park for hotdogs and a brief stroll.


My friend and I might have gotten a bit lost, and we might have separated from our group just to realize we couldn’t remember the rendezvous point, but it turned out okay in the end! Plus, I got some killer photos of the city.

So what does one wear for a day of flights, tour buses, and walking around the city? For me, the answer was simple black leggings, a basic white tee, and an oversized grey jacket. The fun wasn’t in the outfit itself here – it was in the accessories. I love this big floppy black sun hat – it makes every outfit a little more chic.

That evening, we headed out to a Broadway production of A Bronx Tale. A Broadway production, of course, requires something a little more fancy than leggings and a t-shirt, so after freshening up at the hotel, I had to change.

 

This outfit involved a eyelash lace red dress with sheer mesh at the chest layered under a bedazzled cardigan, all tied together with some black tights.

Fun fact: I wore that red dress to the Sadie Hawkin’s Dance my sophomore year, and I got the sweater at an H&M when I visited NYC in fifth grade!

The nice thing about Broadway musicals is, no matter how little you like the plot, the characters, or the songs, you can always be assured that the talent and the production value will be top notch.

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here’s an old one

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I’m no theatre critic, but I found A Bronx Tale quite enjoyable!

That’s all for tonight. I’m exhausted. See you in Day 2.

Outfit 1 –

Jacket: Forever21

Shirt and leggings and hat: Target

Outfit 2 –

Dress: MissGuided

Jacket: H&M

Tights: Ann Taylor LOFT

No mirror selfies today. Also, if you’re wondering why some photos have the usual brick background of my house, it’s because I took them in advance in case I didn’t have time to get photos while I was out!

April 26, 2017

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In twelve hours from the time I write this, I will be in New York City.


I must admit, when they announced that this year’s senior class trip would be to NYC, I was a little disappointed. Even though I’m such a sucker for New York, and even though I’ve been a fan since I first visited in fifth grade, and every time since, I had hoped we would go somewhere I haven’t been before.


But now, as the trip is just hours away, my disappointment has turned into excitement.


I just really love big cities – their energy and movement is so captivating. I guess it’s pretty cliché, but I do have a bit of a girlish fantasy about owning one of those multimullion dollar apartments in Manhattan. It’s also something of a dream of mine to attend grad school at Columbia University.


But for now, and for the next twelve hours at least, I am still a Kentucky girl living in a small suburban college town.

That doesn’t mean I can’t dress like an edgy hipster from New York though! Today’s outfit features an oversized, acid wash jacket that used to be my dad’s in the 80s. Talk about vintage. Under that, I layered an oversized cardigan I found at Goodwill and a high neck lace blouse from ASOS. Complete with black shorts and sheer black tights, and I felt like quite the artsy grungy type as I went about probably failing not one but two tests in AP Calc and Gov (it was awful…let’s not talk about it…)


But who cares? Tomorrow I’ll be in New York 🙂
Blouse: ASOS

Cardigan: Goodwill

Jacket: My father’s closet circa 1980

Shorts: Hollister

Bonus mirror selfie:

Also, be sure to check out my new Instagram! I just started it a day or two ago, and I’d really appreciate a follow! I follow back 😀