Tag: may

May 19, 2017 – My Last Day of High School

Published on by lensembledujourLeave a comment

It’s exactly as the title says folks: today was my last day of high school!

…good riddance. 


No, I’m kidding. Sort of. Like everything in life, high school has had its ups and its downs for me, but on the whole, I think it was a positive experience. I made a lot of friends, learned plenty of new things, and found that I can push myself harder than ever. It had its painful moments, and I am ready to go, but there are without question some things I’ll miss – Cultural Society, the band hallway, 3rd period AP World Histoey with Mrs. Williams…


Today, we actually were only in the actual school building until 11:30. They made us run through some graduation practice, served us some cheap breakfast (bagels and donuts from Kroger sort of a thing), and then kicked us out. There was no crying, no nostalgic reminiscing – they just shooed everyone out and locked the door.


Welcome to the real world, I guess?


Speaking of school, my outfit was based around my Notre Dame football jersey again. Normally, I don’t like to wear the same piece so quickly after it had recently been worn, but I had to this time – the senior class decided that for the last day of school, we’d all wear shirts for our colleges. I do think I managed to get it styled in a completely different way though – with white and gold shorts that just barely peeked over the jerseys, calf-high socks, and a simple choker, I channeled a sporty chic vibe.


After graduation practice, two friends and I headed to down town Lex to get lunch, do some shopping, and walk around. We headed to the Woodland Triangle area, and lemme tell you – I made out like a bandit. For under $50, I wound up with a coat, gloves, shoes, and pants! 


How did I do it, you ask? Carefully scanning for sales and hitting up thrift stores!
It was a ton of fun. My friends and I couldn’t help but marveling every few minutes at the fact that we had actually finished high school. That we didn’t have to go back. That, except for graduation on Wednesday, it was finally all over.


And that evening, my parents and I hit up the Living Arts and Sciences Center where I had a piece in display for Gallery Hop. Like I’ve said before, I don’t consider myself a good enough artist to ever do it professionally, but I’m happy to do it as a hobby in my free time. We only stuck around for a few minutes because it quickly got pretty crowded, but I did manage to get a picture with my piece.


After that, we visited the Maserati Mingle, an annual car show that my dad absolutely loves. This is me next to a Porsche Boxter, my favorite car in the show. It just has such a sexy design – I would love to own one one day, or at least, get to ride with someone who did.


That’s it for today. It was super-busy, but all in a good way. I can’t wait to get some sleep though!

Shirt: Notre Dame Store

Shorts: Abercrombie

May 18, 2017 – I Probably Wear Too Much Black

Published on by lensembledujour3 Comments

I feel like it was just yesterday I was writing a blog yapping about how I was kind of stupid for wearing all black in mid-May, but apparently, I didn’t learn my lesson, because here I am again.

 

I just can’t help it! Black is such a cool and confident color. Plus, it’s one of the only colors that you can even wear all by itself, monotone, without looking stupid.

 

Today I was significantly less hot though, as I had my arms and legs bare. Hooray for my school’s lax dress code that lets me wear practical clothing in the summer!

 

The focus of today’s outfit is definitely the jacket. Can you believe I actually got this at a thrift shop? I adore thrift shops – there was once a time in my life, back when I was a self-entitled, snot-nosed middle schooler, when I believed I was much above second-hand clothes, but those days are long gone. I’m a poor high school/college kid now, and there’s no room for pride when you want cool clothes but you have no money! 

Back to the jacket though – I’m not familiar with the brand myself, but I would definitely buy from them again. It’s such a fabulous concept – the structure of the large bow and the architectural collar definitely makes it something you’re not just going to happen upon at your local Forever21. Unique clothes that you can tell a designer put genuine thought behind are my favorite.

 

As for a bottom, I definitely didn’t want to upstage my wonderful swing jacket, but I still knew I needed something that wasn’t totally basic to compliment it. Luckily, I had the perfect piece already in mind – this layered Zara skirt, which also came to me second-hand. I bought it off of a vendor on Poshmark for an outfit for the second day of this school year, and I have not regretted it. I wear it so much because it’s a basic black skirt that goes with everything, yet its clever design makes it so much more interesting than that. In this outfit, I found that it perfectly accompanied my jacket, peeking just underneath it to add to the architectural flair.

 

Also, today was my last full day of school. I kinda expected it to be bittersweet, but mostly, it was just boring, since a lot of my friends have just been skipping. Tomorrow, it’s all over though! At least until graduation, one week later.

 

That’s it for today! See you in the next one!

Jacket: LelaRose

Skirt: Zara

May 17, 2017 – Hunger Games Style

Published on by lensembledujour7 Comments

Good evening my friends!What a dull day it’s been. I guess that’s rather to be expected, as it’s the end of the year, and none of my teachers have anything else to teach. 


In previous years, the end of school meant getting whole classes to cram for other finals or play card games with friends, but now, as a senior, I’ve exempted most of my finals and half of my friends are just skipping. My senior year is going out, not so much with a bang, but with a quiet cough.


Still working at getting a summer job. I’ve applied to way too many places to count – so far with little success – but that’s the way it is when you’re a kid with little more than a high school diploma and a year of experience working in an office to her name. Something will come up though, I’m sure of it!


Actually, I tried to work more at applying for jobs today while I was in class doing nothing, but the stupid school WiFi was acting up. Not that it isn’t usually acting up – but it was being particularly ornery as there were so many kids trying to use it all at once, as we all sat in class bored with nothing to do but play on our phones.


But you know me, and a boring day doesn’t not equal a boring outfit! I rather like this one, mostly because I simply adore each piece I’m wearing individually. My top I got as a gift from my parents for Christmas gift last year, and it is quite possibly my favorite piece in my entire wardrobe – and that’s saying something. I call it my dragon slayer shirt, as it has these super cool leather scales that go up the right sleeve. I always get so many compliments on it, and I love it for how unique it is. On top of that, I layered this fun, steampunk-like scarf shawl – not necessarily the most practical thing ever, but very necessary when you’re trying to look like a dragon-slaying, abandoned city-wandering Katniss. And on bottom, I wore distressed motorcycle leggings – again, definitely more fashion than utilitarian, but I’m into aestheticism. 


All in all, I definitely was feeling a post-apocolyptic, steampunk, Hunger Games vibe. How fitting for high school.

Shirt: I wish I knew! It was a gift, and it has no tag 😕

Leggings and scarf: Altar’d State

May 16, 2017 – It’s Always Smart To Wear All-Black in Mid-May

Published on by lensembledujourLeave a comment

Look, I personally only consider the seasons to be a general guideline in terms of fashion.


Sure, it’s not wise to wear flip flops in the winter, and sure, burgundy is more of a fall color than a spring, but you should never let a season restrict you from wearing what you want, as long as you’re willing to handle the consequences. Want to wear a long-sleeve turtleneck black knit dress with black tights and black booties in early summer, like me? Go for it.


…just be prepared to be hot and uncomfortable when you’re outside.


Now for me, it’s not a big deal. In fact, I’m inside in a classroom for the majority of the day anyway, so I have a lot of freedom in terms of wearing what I want. But still, I’m wary of the temperature and the weather for when I do go outside, because walking to the car – even if it’s only a two minute walk – can be hell in the winter if you’re in a short skirt.


All in the name of fashion, right?


The way I see it, it’s kinda like wearing heels – wearing them makes you look taller and feel more confident, but they can also give you nasty blisters. It’s up to you to decide whether you value style or comfort more. There’s no right or wrong answer: it all depends on how you’re feeling that day, and what you’re willing to handle.


And for me today, I was willing to handle a bit of heat in order to wear this dress the way I wanted to. 


What do you think? How willing are you to forego comfort in favor of fashion? Leave me a comment below, and as always, thanks so much for reading!
Dress: Pitaya

May 15, 2017 – This Outfit Is A Luxury Sedan

Published on by lensembledujour3 Comments

T-minus four days until the end of my high school career!


I feel like that’s all I’ve been able to talk about these last few blogs, but it’s one of the only things on my mind. I can’t believe that after four years of hard work and a fair share of crying, it’s finally all over.


Today, I went out with the other Senior class officers to check out the location of our graduation ceremony – Rupp Arena. It’s pretty sweet to be able to graduate in this huge venue where concerts and sports events take place, but it can really make you feel small. I have no idea how I’m going to deliver my speech to 5,000 people without vommitting – fingers crossed for the best, though?


I’ve also been pretty busy today working on finding a summer job. The job I thought I was pretty much guaranteed to have didn’t pan out, and now I’m in an awkward position trying to find full-time work within the next few weeks so I can start earning money to pay if Notre Dame. I’m thinking retail, maybe? 


I don’t know, honestly I’ll take about anything.


But on to more positive topics – like today’s outfit! Again, my ensemble was inspired by something I came across on Pinterest – black pants, black shirt, and a camel colored faux suade nacket. I absolutely adore the contrast between camel and black, it reminds me of the interior of a nice car, like a BMW. In a way, you could say today’s outfit was inspired by a luxury sedan?


Welp, thats all I’ve got for today. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Jacket: Forever21

Top: Target

Pants: Altar’d State

No bonus mirror selfie for today.  I may just end up dropping this portion of the blog altogether – I figure there are already enough pictures of me throughout each blog, and it doesn’t really need another one, lol.

May 12, 2017 – Digging Myself

Published on by lensembledujour4 Comments

I’ve gotta admit – I’m a huge fan of today’s outfit.
And it’s a pretty simple one – just a blue military jacket over an orange sweater – but somehow, it just turned out really nice. Maybe it was the way I styled my hair (there were definitely some Daenerys vibes going on there), or maybe it was the contrast of the blue and orange, but whatever it was, I was feeling it today.


It happens that way sometimes. Some of the nicest outfits can be the simplest, and some of the most complex outfits can fall flat on their face and look gaudy. On the flip side, sometimes simple outfits are boring and the complex outfits are the real eye-catchers. It can be hard to tell.


Today, I got to go check out one of my art pieces that was featured in a show. I was in AP Studio Art this year, and while it was definitely stressful and miserable at times, it was also one of the most rewarding classes I got to take. I had to push myself pretty hard to meet the deadlines, and I always wished l had more time to perfect my pieces, but sometimes, that’s what you need as an artist to improve.


Here’s the piece I submitted, as well as me posing next to it. I know I’m not good enough to ever do it professionally, but I certainly am thankful to have this talent that I can use to express myself though. It’s a nice hobby.


Since the show I was at was downtown, I got a few pics around the neighborhood. Most of the pictures I take for this blog come from around my home, so any chance I get to take pictures in a different location, I take.

That’s it for today. See you in the next one!
Dress: Forever21

Jacket: Abercrombie

Bonus mirror selfie:

May 11, 2017 – It Was Too Hot For This Jacket Today

Published on by lensembledujourLeave a comment

After a slight delay, the outfit from May 11, 2017 is ready for publication!
Sorry it’s a bit late, but I’ve been really busy as this second-to-last week of school draws to a close. I’m drilling my graduation speech pretty much every day at this point, and honestly, I just can’t wait for it all to be done.


Seriously, high school was cool for like, the first few days of freshman year, but the gimmick has definitely worn old.


I’m kidding, of course. Mostly. I know I shouldn’t be ungrateful. High school has allowed me to make a lot of great friends, take a some really challenging classes, and helped me get into Notre Dame, so it’s not all bad.


On to my outfit for today though, it was kinda hard trying to figure out what to wear with the weather. It was warm and pretty muggy, but the breeze felt cold and rainy. Overall, just a rather bleak day. In the end, I chose to put together a little something that I found inspiration for on Pinterest – something I do quite often. I pin a lot of my outfit ideas on Pinterest, and on days like this, where I don’t know what to wear, I pull from my fashion board.


So the outfit ended up being based around this oversized suede jacket that I salvaged from my mother’s closet when she was about to give it to Goodwill. It’s from Coldwater Creek, back during the days when they had their own brick and mortar stores in just about every mall. Underneath, I wore a long black sweater tucked into some denim shorts. It was all about the contrast between the oversized, baggy tops and the short, fitted shorts.
I don’t know who posted the original image that I based my outfit off of, otherwise I would credit her, but that’s one of the risks of putting your content on the Internet I guess. Speaking of which, maybe I should start putting my stuff on Pinterest. Anything to get my content out there, right?


Thanks for being patient with me as I figure out my schedule for posting these blogs, and I’ll see you in the next one:
Jacket: Coldwater Creek

Sweater: PacSun

Shorts: Hollister
Bonus mirror selfie:

May 10, 2017 – It’s Vintage

Published on by lensembledujour2 Comments

I feel like I’m the sort of person to, when asked where I got a particular article of clothing is from, to respond in some sort of super pretentious tone, “It’s vintage.”


As much as I’m not a fan or pretentiousness, I am a huge fan of vintage. I love Goodwill and other thrift shops, but my favorites are those that specialize in vintage clothes. The dress I’m wearing today comes from Street Scene, an adorable little vintage shop filled to the brim with all things 70s. It’s also right next to Coffee Times, which happens to be the best coffee shop I’ve found in all of Lexington.


I feel like people are sometimes intimidated by vintage clothes because they’re afraid that they’ll look dated, but in truth, it’s just a matter of styling. Vintage clothes need to be worn with more modern pieces and accessories, but if they are, they’ll look perfectly trendy and unique. After all, past trends are often recycled into contemporary fashion, meaning vintage clothes can sometimes be just as cutting edge as the things you buy at the mall.


Today’s outfit includes this vintage, 70s era jumper with fun buckles layered over top of a woolen short sleeve turtleneck sweater (lol, it was actually super hot with the turtleneck today; it was like 80 degrees out). In order to stay modern and prevent myself from looking like I walked out of my mother’s closet, I wore heeled black booties. Also, I’m pretty short, and wearing heels makes me feel better about myself.

Dress: Unknown (purchased at Street Scene)

Sweater: Ann Taylor LOFT

And  that’s it for today, guys! Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to give my new Instagram a follow for updates and sneak peaks of blog posts!
Bonus mirror selfie:

May 9, 2017 – How To Wear Your Tourist-y Shirt From Chinatown

Published on by lensembledujour2 Comments

What an absolutely exhausting day it’s been.


First, I had to take my AP Calculus BC exam this morning, which absolutely kicked my butt, but honestly, could have been much worse. Then, I had to take my AP French exam in the afternoon, which absolutely kicked my butt and honestly, was about as bad as it possibly could’ve been.


But it’s fine! Because now all my AP exams are over and I never have to deal with that stressful crap again! Thank goodness.
It was a long, stressful, ugly day, but now it’s done, and it’s basically smooth sailing from here on out until the end of senior year. I have no finals that jeopardize my grades, I have no big projects, and most of my classes have stopped giving actual instruction.


Today’s outfit was, I admit, on the lazy side. But what else was I supposed to wear – I spent my entire day sitting at a desk in a room by myself taking tests and scratching my head nervously when I didn’t know the answer. Comfort was key. So I took this opportunity to not be seen today to wear my corny NYPD shirt I got in Chinatown while in New York. I layered it under a grey utility jacket so things weren’t too boring, and wore it with plain black leggings (with fleece lining!) so things weren’t too uncomfortable.


Along with my police shirt, I wore my mirrored sunglasses, just to keep with the theme, lol.



See you next time!
Shirt: A dinky little tourist shop in Chinatown

Jacket: Forever21
Bonus mirror selfie:

 

May 8, 2017 – Don’t Wear Green Hiking

Published on by lensembledujour1 Comment

Hey again!


Though I almost always look at the end of the weekend with sadness, I’ve begun to look at start of the week more positively. Why?


This blog, actually. I’m not really a preachy, advice-giving sort of a person, so I’m not going to go on too long here, but since I’ve started writing this blog, I find I actually look forward to getting to pick out my outfits for the week and photograph them for you to see. I’ve gotten such lovely feedback from people, in particular on Instagram, and I’d just like to say thanks. It makes getting through school and work a much more pleasant experience.


So blogging makes Mondays less painful, but let’s be honest – Mondays still kinda suck. This Monday in particular though, was actually kinda sweet.


Today was “Senior Shadow Day” – AKA Senior Skip Day. Unfortunately, as the Vice President of my class, I got left behind st school this morning so I could meet with the other class officers for a mandatory meeting about graduation speeches. No, it wasn’t fun, and I was a little bitter I didn’t get to miss the whole day, but it’s kinda hard to complain when you still get to leave at 11:30.


So once my graduation speech work was done, I headed out with three of my good friends for lunch and then hiking at some trails near a local university.


And what does one wear hiking? Not green, I can tell you that! Unfortunately, I didn’t really think things through when I picked out my outfit for today, as I failed to realize that wearing a green vest with a grey shirt would make me rather blend in to the trees and rocks around me. Regardless, even if my photos weren’t the greatest I’ve ever taken, I was very comfortable!


Here’s some pictures from our adventures today:


I love hiking, but this trail definitely wore me out at the end. It wasn’t long, but it was super steep, making it so I was panting and out of breath by the time we got to the car. Still beat going to school though!
Vest: Anthropolgie

Shirt: Abercrombie

Leggings: Forever21

Necklace: Hot Topic
Bonus mirror selfie: