Tag: spring

May 10, 2019 – Baby’s Got The Bends (OOTD #499)

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Blog title courtesy of: “The Bends,” by Radiohead, a song that I haven’t listened to in months and that I had to Google to ensure that it actually existed and I wasn’t remembering the lyrics wrong.

At the beginning of my sophomore year, I told myself that I would make an effort to go out and see South Bend more. I’ve talked about the so-called “Notre Dame bubble” on this blog countless times before, so I won’t go into it deeply, but Notre Dame is a whole world apart from South Bend, the city where it’s located. Most students hardly leave campus at all, except for parties.

It’s my least-favorite part of ND life, and so I made an effort all this year to get off campus more — a feat that’s rather difficult without a car. I started volunteering at the South Bend Center for the Homeless once a week with a class on nonviolence, and in the spring semester, I interned at the Special Victims Unit of the St. Joseph County Prosecutor. 

Having a set schedule and people who relied on me to show up for work at a designated time each week was perfect for actually forcing me to haul myself out to the bus stop at the far end of campus and ride it out to the terminal downtown. I would have never convinced myself to go off campus nearly as much had I just wanted to go for fun; I needed something concrete to do. If I were just going for fun — say, to get coffee — I would never do it because I’d convince myself that I could just do that on-campus.

So as you could probably tell, I didn’t often go out into South Bend for fun. I went to the farmer’s market once or twice and went out to brunch with my friends on Valentine’s Day, but otherwise, I mostly stuck to the areas where I worked. So when, at the very end of the year, my parents came to move me out from my dorm, it was still exciting to get to go out to eat in Downtown South Bend.

And it was still exciting to take pictures in the city, even though I’ve done it several times before. I know Notre Dame’s photo locations inside and out, so it’s always exciting to see something new, even if it’s just some artwork outside of a pottery shop in South Bend.

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: (thrifted)

Jeans: Hollister

May 5, 2019 – Golden Days and Golden Domes (OOTD #498)

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Ironically, these shots were actually taken at quite the opposite of “golden hour” — it was late morning, meaning that the sun was almost but not yet directly overhead. Aside from high noon lighting, late morning and early afternoon lighting are both some of my least-favorite to work with.

Luckily, these shots turned out great anyway! I owe that more to a pretty dress, a pretty background, pretty makeup, and pretty friends than the light, though. They go a long way, especially together.

As has become tradition among my friends and me, before the last week of school (and the associated final exams), we headed to the golden dome for a photoshoot. I’m not sure exactly how we got to doing this — or how much longer we’ll continue to do it — but since freshman year, we’ve commemorated the end of a year with a friendship photo session. We also did it at the end of last semester, around Christmastime.

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see you losers in 15 months

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Maybe we’re a bunch of self-obsessed young adults addicted to social media (I mean, I can’t speak for my friends, but I know that’s how I’d self-identify), but it’s nice to have some good group shots with your friends. Not only is it perfect for the obligatory end-of-the-year sentimental retrospect Instagram post, but it’s the sort of thing you can put into a picture frame or hang up on your photo board.

Are candid shots probably more authentic and a better representation of how you and your friends behave together on a daily basis? Sure. But a semi-staged photoshoot where you all get dressed up and recruit someone’s boyfriend to take your picture in front of iconic campus imagery is a good way to capture the group at its most poised — even if it’s not a very poised group.

So this is my last blog post of sophomore year! There’s one still to come that was taken in South Bend before I had fully moved out, but this is the last one from while classes were still going on. I didn’t bother with pictures during finals week, especially since I knew I already so behind with posting these things.

Thanks so much for sticking with me throughout this whole year — from ND’s undefeated football season to study abroad applications to Qatar to France to the Women’s March to the Polar Vortex. I can’t wait to share my summer adventures with you!

Up next: Rome, Italy!

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.

Dress: Francesca’s

 

April 25, 2019 – Closing Walls and Ticking Clocks (OOTD #497)

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Blog title courtesy of Coldplay’s classic 2003 piano bop, “Clocks.”

My new favorite late-night building seems to be Jenkins-Nanovic, the location of several of the social science departments, including one of my personal favorites — the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.

After my 24-hour card access got revoked from Riley, the art building, on account of not being in an art class anymore, I went on the hunt for a new late-night haunt. I wanted somewhere that I could hang out and feel relatively confident that I had privacy, which is not really the case in the more popular buildings like Hesburgh Library or LaFun. Sometimes it’s nice to have other people around suffering late at night — but sometimes it’s better to be alone to wallow in self-pity.

I’ve always liked J-N during the daytime because of this beautiful foyer room (featured here more prominently), but until spring semester sophomore year, I never spent time in the building after 5pm. As it turns out, it empties out rather early, leaving me alone to study and do work in peace.

And, of course, to wander around and take pictures for my fashion blog when I get distracted.

I also love that this foyer room features those lightbulbs that mimic natural sunlight. When it’s 2AM and you’re struggling to finish a paper that’s due the next day, you use whatever tricks you can in order to stay up. Circadian rhythms be damned — if I can fool my body with some caffeine and fake lightbulbs, I’ll do it.

(That’s horrible life advice, by the way. Please take care of yourselves).

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.

Blazer: Banana Republic

Blouse: ASOS

Trousers: Banana Republic

Earrings: A street vendor in Kathmandu, Nepal

April 18, 2019 – Sprung (OOTD #496)

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“Spring is sprung” is one of my least-favorite spring-related sayings.

Not that I’m an expert on all of them, or anything like that. There’s “April showers bring may flowers” and “In like a lion and out like a lamb” and “spring in your step.” But I find that “spring is sprung” is the most overused of the vernal quips.

Which is all just my way of saying I couldn’t think of a better title for this blog — and so I resorted to using a portion of an expression that I don’t even like. Creativity is hard. One might say it doesn’t always spring on me easily.

Can you believe that this gorgeous spring jacket was a thrifted find?

Actually, I can believe it. You can’t tell in these photos (or at least, I hope you can’t), but it’s actually not that nice of a quality. It’s made from thin polyester, and the stitching, especially at the buttons, is clearly not very well-done. I’m pretty sure whoever donated it to the thrift shop just bought it online on some Chinese website.

But that’s okay, since I only bought it thrifted. That’s the remarkable fun about thrifted clothing — since you’re buying so cheap, you can afford to take risks on crazy patterned spring coats that are more about the statement than the substance. If it falls apart after a few washes, it’s no skin off my back.

It’s the perfect kind of purchase to just spring into without deliberation.

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.

Coat: Thrifted (Clothes Mentor)

Top: Forever21

Skirt: J. Crew

April 16, 2019 – Not My Library (OOTD #495)

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I’ve always been a library person.

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kresge beats hesburgh any day of the week

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I have fond memories of visiting both the local public library and my school library as a kid. I loved reading, and so any opportunity I got to get more books, I took eagerly.

The library near my house was tiny — literally two rooms and then an upstairs floor. I’m not certain of its history, but I think it may have originally been an old house that was converted into a library. If you go and visit today, you can still see a picture of three year-old me in the brochures for their children’s nature club programming.

Now that I’m older, libraries have a completely different meaning. I rarely ever check out books for fun anymore; I just don’t read like I did as a kid. Even so, I think I’ve spent more time in libraries since beginning university than I ever did when I was younger.

Now, the library is my go-to place for studying. Notre Dame has several, but one of my favorites is the law library. It’s easily the most beautiful of the libraries (Hesburgh, though the most famous and iconic, is actually kind-of ugly on the inside), and there’s plenty of light and space to spread out.

It’s not common for ND undergrads to spend time in the law school though, so I try not to draw much attention to myself when I go. It’s not like I’d get thrown out if anyone knew I’m not a law student, but I like for people to think I’m supposed to be there.

Because one day, I’d like to be someone who’s supposed to be there. Maybe not at Notre Dame’s law school building, but someone’s. It seems fitting to try to get some experience acting like a law student.

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.

 

 

Turtleneck: The LOFT (thrifted, Goodwill)

Skirt: Target

April 15, 2019 – Catwoman (OOTD #494)

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I’m a little ashamed to admit this, but as a kid, I loved the Halle Berry Catwoman movie.

It was one of the first PG-13 films my parents let me watch (after Sam Rami’s Spider-Man 2 — the superior Spider-Man movie, by the way), which might be part of the reason why I enjoyed it so much. I had the film on DVD, I had the Halle Berry Catwoman Barbie doll, and I even dressed up like her for Halloween that year. I thought she looked so cool. It didn’t matter to me that her leather pants would have been impractical for climbing or that her bra was so tight her boobs looked like they’d spill out any second; she was a female superhero (villain?), and that’s what counted.

I also didn’t know that there was a better version of Catwoman who existed in the comic books. I was never really into comic books, so I never knew that the character’s name was supposed to be Selina Kyle and not Patience Phillips, and that she was supposed to have learned her martial arts skills from her time as a prostitute rather than from a literal magic cat lady.

I’ve seen the Halle Berry Catwoman film since then, and I see why it was hated so much by critics and audiences. It’s pretty bad. There’s a scene where Halle Berry rubs catnip on her face. Like an actual cat. That’s how silly it is.

If anything good came of my Catwoman phase as a kid, it’s that I revisited Catwoman when I was older, and I learned that she’s actually a really fascinating character in the comic books and video games when she’s portrayed accurately. I even dressed up as her again junior year of high school — this time more in the vein of the Anne Hathaway version.

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Well…I tried to be Catwoman 🐱

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I’m jealous of kids who get to grow up with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. That was such a cool movie — and her costume wasn’t nearly as ridiculous-looking.

I’d be down for a new live-action Catwoman film, though. As I understand from what I’ve read online, DC’s been putting out some decent films lately, like Shazam and Aquaman. Maybe it’s time to give Selina Kyle a chance.

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.

Hoodie: Adidas (thrift)

Jacket: Hollister

Jeans: Hot Topic

April 13, 2019 – Everything Was Red (OOTD #493)

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I don’t know the right occasion to wear this dress.

It’s too dressy for everyday wear, but it’s not a dressy enough fabric for an actual dressy occasion. Maybe it’d be appropriate for everyday life in the 50s…but it’s not the 50s.

But I’ve never really paid attention to “the right occasion to wear things”, so it doesn’t really matter to me! I like to dress nicely; it makes me feel more productive. Half of the time, I think it actually works, and looking good gives me the focus to get my work done. The other half of the time…I just sit there and spend an hour on my makeup and then do nothing all day.

So just wore the dress to Hesburgh Library for a day of studying and slaving away at an essay for 9 hours. My goal was to finish my essay in one sitting.

I failed at my goal, but at least I looked good while failing.

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.

Dress: Dokotoo

April 11, 2019 – A Very Blustery Day (OOTD #492)

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You’ll have to excuse me if this outfit looks familiar; I seem to have developed an affinity for wearing this scarf and this coat a lot recently.

Mid-April in South Bend can still get pretty chilly, but thankfully; it’s not so cold that I need to wear my full formal winter coat (or my even warmer parka). I have a nice selection of lightweight spring jackets; but this one seems to be my favorite. Maybe it’s because it looks so similar to my camel winter coat?

I’ve actually had this jacket for several years, but only recently have I begun to wear it more frequently. It was a Forever21 purchase that I got for style rather than function back in high school — but recently, I’ve been choosing it because it is so perfectly functional. It’s just the right weight for spring in South Bend — warm, but not too warm.

And this scarf is one of my favorites to pair with it. As you can tell from these pictures, it can get pretty windy — which, paired with the colder temperatures we often get in the mornings, makes a scarf necessary. I like this one because of its heaviness — it’s both warm and functional, and structural and stylish. It’s great for tossing over my shoulders or piling up around my neck.

Plus, it’s yellow and if you’ve been reading this blog lately, you’ll know that mustard yellow is one of my favorite colors to wear. I’m still on the lookout for some yellow gloves to pair with it, and then my transformation info a duckling will be complete.

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.

Coat: Forever21

Dress: Brandy Melville

April 9, 2019 – Architectural (OOTD #491)

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In other news, we’re back to straight hair after four days of having it curly. I guess nothing lasts forever.

I don’t know how I feel about this blouse. I love the design — it’s architectural (which is funny because I also happen to be standing in front of the old architecture building here) and unique, and very much unlike your typical H&M find. What gets me though is the weird line drawing face. Like…why?

In one sense, I actually really like how weird it is. Nothing about the blouse’s design calls for half of a lady’s face to cover my left boob, and yet there she is. You’d think the blouse already has enough going on with the off-the-shoulder, structured-yet-billowy thing it has going on. There’s no reason to add a print; prints are for simpler designs.

But like I said. I actually kind-of enjoy how cheeky and bizarre it is from a design standpoint. I actually got it at H&M for super cheap, maybe $6, thinking that it probably wouldn’t get much wear but that I was okay with that for the price. In reality, though, it’s gotten way more weartime (get it? like airtime) than I ever thought it would — in fact, I can think of at least three outfits (here and here and here) from the last year that featured this top.

I think this blog’s interpretation of the blouse is my favorite of the four, though. I’d never thought to pair a jacket with it before because I thought it would detract from the blouse’s design, but as it turns out, it’s quite friendly to layering. I’m thinking I’ll try a bralette under it next. Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions!

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

Blouse: H&M

Skirt: Express (thrifted, Goodwill)

April 8, 2019 – Arts and Crafts (OOTD #490)

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I don’t know what this room is.

Sometimes, I wind up wandering around classroom buildings at night. Normally, it’s because I happened to be in the building before night fell, and then by the time it starts to get dark and empty, I just decide to hang around. Maybe it’s too cold outside to justify walking all the way back to my dorm. Maybe I know my roommates will be around, and I just want some silence to do some work.

Regardless of what the reason is for me being there, once the building in question clears, I like to wander around. There’s no one to tell me I can’t and no one to judge me when I try to open a locked door.

Sometimes, I bump into weird rooms like this. Like…what is this? An elementary school art studio?

You can’t see everything here, but this was a truly bizarre room. It had standard classroom fare — tables, chairs, computers. It also had slightly unconventional classroom fare — bean bags and white boards on wheels. Then, it had really unconventional classroom fare —  like enough Play-Dough, Post-It notes, and Legos to supply an army.

And I have no idea what they’re for! It’s not like it’s a classroom meant for aspiring elementary school teachers, it’s not an art studio, and it’s not even for engineers who are trying to think creatively with Play-Dough and Legos. It’s just…there.

I’m not convinced I didn’t stumble into the Room of Requirement. It gave me what I required, right? I got a place to take some pictures, which is all I really want in life.

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: AMIClubwear

Dress: Urban Outfitters

Turtleneck: Free People