spring – Page 7 – L'ensemble du jour

Saturday Musings + Coffee – Late Starts

Published on April 14, 2018 by lensembledujour2 Comments

Guys, I woke up at 2:30 pm today.

Part of me really loves late starts to the day, and another really part of me really hates the fact that it means I never get anything done. I’m probably going to wind up with a really late night now doing the work I didn’t do during this morning…but it’s fine. I work better late at night anyway!

Or at least…that’s what I like to tell myself.

It’s Moms’ Weekend currently for my dorm, but unfortunately, my mother’s not here. It’s okay — we both decided it wasn’t really going to work out for this weekend, especially with my schedule, and especially given the fact that she’s going to be on campus in a month to help me move out.

Besides, even though my mother’s not here, other people’s mothers are here, which means I’ve been treated to like three free meals in the last few days. I feel kind of badly continuously going out to eat and not paying but like…free food. I’m not going to say no to that ever.

In other news, the baby cactus I mentioned in my last Saturday Musings post is doing well! He grew his first a little spine, and I am a proud mother. I’ll keep you updated on his progress — probably less because anyone other than me is interested, and more because I’m just really excited about plants right now.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one! 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!

April 5, 2018 – Spider Plant, Spider Plant, Does Whatever a Spider Plant Does (OOTD #259)

Published on April 12, 2018August 13, 2019 by lensembledujour7 Comments

Look familiar?

Yes, you might remember, I’ve used this setup before as a background for my photos . It’s the painting studio in Riley, and I’m a fan of it in particular because of the spider plants that hang from the ceiling.

If you’ve been keeping up with this blog, you might know I’m very into plants now. In fact, I’m so into plants that I even decided to take a little clipping of one of the spider plantlet growths hanging from the tips of this (very overgrown) spider plant and take it home to try to propagate. I mentioned this in my last Saturday Musings post, so go check it out if you wanna see the progress of that project.

I realized the other day that I only have two and a half weeks left of classes — can you believe that? I definitely can’t. There’s no way my freshman year is almost over.

Furthermore, there’s no way finals are coming up soon because there’s no way I’m prepared for them!

I sat down and did some calculations and came to the conclusion that I have a little under 60 pages worth of writing due before the last day of school, May 11. So far, I have about 5 of those written — so I’m maybe 1/12 of the way done with my work. 75% of the way through the semester and 8% of the way done with the work — those aren’t concerning numbers at all!

I’m a little worried, but I figure it’ll all turn out in the end. With some of my classes, I think my grade is already pretty set, and some, I’m going to have to work pretty hard still if I want to get a grade that I’m happy with. I also have class scheduling still to worry about coming up in about a week — which will be fun, considering I am in the very last time slot for the whole sophomore class. Basically, I’m probably not going to be getting my ideal schedule for next year.

College is a nice little pressure cooker. Summer break should (hopefully) be a nice vacation from that.

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, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Jacket: thrifted

Sweater: thrifted

March 30, 2018 – This Isn’t Chicago (OOTD #258)

Published on April 11, 2018 by lensembledujour2 Comments

As much as I’ve complained about Catholic school’s somewhat restrictive practices, especially during gLent, I must say I do appreciate things like getting off for Easter Break.

I’ve always gone to public school, so Easter weekend or Good Friday have never warranted a break from school. Actually, I do have this vague memory of, back when I lived in Louisville, there being a vote in the school board about whether we should have off for Oaks Day (a big horse race at Churchill Downs right before the Derby) or Good Friday, and they chose Oaks.

So it was a treat to get off a few days for Easter. A lot of my friends went home, but it didn’t really seem like it was going to be worth the time and money for me to fly back to Kentucky, so I just hung out on campus.

My original plan was to try to go into Chicago — there’s a train that goes in every two hours from the South Bend Airport for only $12, and the trip is only about two hours (one hour if you account for the time difference!). I thought it would be a fun little weekend getaway to a real city and a way to get away from the Notre Dame bubble.

I didn’t want to go alone though, and I didn’t have any friends who were willing or able to join me. Sadly, it looks like I am not going to make it into Chicago until perhaps after the semester is over — so I’m looking at maybe trying to go for a day when my parents come in to help me move out. Parents: if you’re reading this, which I know you are, you should take note of that 😜

Instead of getting out of town for Easter Break, I had a friend suggest a trip to the Mishawaka Mall, only about 20 minutes by bus away from campus. It wasn’t Chicago like I’d hoped, but it was off campus — and that’s really what I was craving.

It turned into a little bit of an adventure when we wound up taking the wrong bus and going to downtown South Bend instead of Mishawka and getting stranded at the bus station for 30 minutes until another bus could take us the other direction. It was fun though because it was something other than Notre Dame.

I got my pictures done at the mall nearby the Easter Bunny setup. Why is there no Easter Bunny in these shots then? Because this is actually the opposite side of the setup — the Easter Bunny is sitting in a chair directly opposite where I’m standing here. I didn’t have the time to wait in line or the money to pay to get my picture done with a guy in a fur suit, so I figured I’d cheat a little and still use the same background.

Anyway, I’ve got an exam to study for for tomorrow, so it’s time for me to wrap this up. That’s 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, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Dress: Vintage (thrift)

Top: Target

Hat: Kohl’s (I think? I’ve had this guy for ages — since I was maybe 10. One of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe anyway!)

March 29, 2018 – Orange You Glad… (OOTD #257)

Published on April 10, 2018 by lensembledujour1 Comment

…I didn’t say “orange?”

Was that knock-knock joke as much a part of everyone else’s childhood as it was mine? I’m pretty sure I laughed for hours the first time I heard it — and every time I told it to someone else. My poor parents, they probably heard it over and over again for years, but they still tolerate me.

I’ve been making an effort to wear more outfits with strong color palettes lately to complement my new Instagram posting schedule that forms a rainbow effect, and this orange outfit is a part of that effort.

The tricky part of these new color-themed photos is not so much forming outfits that follow a color scheme (though I have been struggling a bit with purple — for some reason I just don’t own much of it, but in finding a background that also follows that color scheme. As you might know, I’m a bit limited in the colors I can find on Notre Dame’s campus, especially in the winter when all is grey and the ground’s covered in dirty snow half the time. That’s part of the reason why I’m so eager for spring to get here already — I want to take advantage of the colors of some of the beautiful flowers that bloom!

Sometimes though, I’ll find patches of color in unexpected places — like this collection of prints that are currently on display in the Riley art building. I don’t know what class they’re a part of, and I don’t know what they’re supposed to mean (though I think it may have to do with PSAs?), but they had a nice orange theme going on, so I jumped on the opportunity to get some shots when the building cleared out for the night.

I wonder if I’ll find any more hidden bits of color in Notre Dame’s various buildings while I’m here. Exploring empty classrooms at night has become like a new hobby for me, though it can be a bit isolating and creepy. One of these days I wonder if I might bump into the ghost of Father Sorin or something strange like that.

That’s 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, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Sweater: Target

Skirt: J. Crew (thrifted)

March 28, 2018 – Hire Me Please (OOTD #256)

Published on April 9, 2018 by lensembledujour2 Comments

Can you believe it was warm enough last week for me to wear a skirt with just my bare legs exposed?

Me neither — because today, like the day before it and the day before that, it is snowing. It’s April, and it’s snowing. It’s April, and I’m still wearing my heavy winter coat, two sweaters, and boots.

Forgive me for going on so much about the weather recently, but I’m just in awe of the fact that the winter sticks around for so long in this part of the Midwest. It almost makes me miss the South. At least, I miss the flowers we usually get around this time in Kentucky — I don’t know if I also miss the humidity that came with the flowers.

Still trying to get a job, annoyingly. I’ve had a few interviews, but nothing’s come of them yet. The fact that I can’t start work for another month, that I’ll have to take off two weeks in the middle of the summer to go to Nepal, and that I can only work for two-three months in the first place really doesn’t seem to impress any potential employers.

What on earth happened in the last 20 years that made it so a college kid can’t get a full time job at the mall for the summer flipping burgers or folding clothes? I’m finding those bitter Tumblr posts about being a broke Millennial (though I’m definitely more of a Gen Z person) more and more relatable. Seriously — all of my friends who are also looking for summer employment (you know…all three of them who aren’t from Notre Dame and rich) are coming across the same issue I am.

It’s enough to make me want to drop the history major and switch to something more job-friendly like engineering or business. I keep seeing all of these cool internships for business and science and engineering students — but of course, I am not one of those. The issue there, of course, is that those don’t interest me, and what does interest me — law — doesn’t seem to have any interest in undergraduate students who haven’t gotten into law school yet.

Ho, hum. Hopefully, my employment chances will go up each year as I get older and get closer to completing my $200,000 degree.

Dress: Vintage (thrift)

Sweater: Ralph Lauren (thrift)

March 27, 2018 – Vernal Yearnings (OOTD #255)

Published on April 8, 2018April 8, 2018 by lensembledujour3 Comments

Hey look! You can finally properly see the detail on this shirt!

I’ve worn this blouse before, but unfortunately, last time, the print wasn’t visible in the photographs. The outfit was still cute and all, but I think the line drawing detail really makes this shirt pop, so I’m glad I finally get to show it off.

I can’t wait until the spring flowers finally bloom here at Notre Dame because maybe then, I’ll actually have some colorful backgrounds to use that aren’t walls or doors or paint cabinets . Back in late summer, the flowers were truly lovely — so hopefully come spring (WHENEVER THAT FINALLY ARRIVES HERE IN THE FROZEN TUNDRA OF THE MIDWEST), they’ll be even lovelier.

I seriously can’t believe nothing has bloomed yet here. I expected to have to deal with a harsher winter than I had ever experienced in Kentucky when I moved north, but I didn’t expect tor the winter to last so stupidly long. It’s draining, honestly. I love the cold, but too much of a good thing isn’t good. I just wanna see the sun again.

I have seen a few buds here and there though, and the tulips and daffodils are beginning to sprout. Maybe the flowers are coming in the next few weeks.

Or at least, I hope they come in the next few weeks because I’ve only got a few more weeks left of school! I calculated it the other day, and I’m pretty sure I only have 3.5 more weeks of class, and 5 more weeks until the end of the semester (one week of finals and half a week of reading days making up the difference.) With the pace things have been going though, I’m afraid I’m going to be packing up to go home and there will still be snow on the ground.

Shirt: H&M

Jeans: American Eagle

Saturday Musings + Plants – No Coffee Today

Published on April 7, 2018April 7, 2018 by lensembledujour13 Comments

I’m a plant person now.

I started this Saturday Musings series with the intent of getting to post blogs with content other than outfits, and I’m definitely liking this format. Still, it gets tiresome posting photos of my laptop, planner, and a cup of coffee – sometimes, I want to switch it up, you know? So today, instead of my coffee, I thought I would photograph my plants.

I love my plants. I was not at all a plant person before I came to school, but my roommate, Mariana, was. Seeing her with all of her plants made me want to get into gardening, so over the last few months, I’ve been accumulating more and more.

This prickly pear cactus was my first plant. I’ve had him for at least a year now, since before I came to school. My mother mainly took care of him at home, and she did a good job. He’s a lot bigger now than when I first got him from Home Depot, and he’s grown a lot over the time I’ve had him at school too.

My next plant was this African violet. I got her just before spring break, when I went to the local farmers’ market with my dorm. She was struggling there for a while, but I think I’ve finally got her in a good place now that I’ve put her in a bigger, better-draining pot. She currently has three buds, so I’m hoping I might get some flowers soon.

My chicks-and-hens succulent is next. This little guy came first from my grandmother’s garden, and then my parents’. He’s a hearty little dude — he had no problem flying with me in a plastic bag on my way back to school after spring break. I’m wondering if he might sprout some baby succulents soon.

Then, I have some plants that I’ve been growing from seeds. First up are these tiny oregano seeds that I grew from a kit I got at Walmart. I’m not sure how long it’ll take for them to mature, but they’re looking very good for being only being a few weeks old.

I also have been trying to grow some cacti from seeds. So far, all I’ve got is this little red sprout. I also have a bunch of these weird little sprouts in the same pot where I planted my cactus seeds, but I don’t think they’re cacti. I don’t know what they are. Any ideas?

Then, I have some sunflower seedings. I didn’t really intent to throw these, but they accidentally got sowed along with my cactus seeds, and they started sprouting. I don’t really have any place for them at home, and I can’t keep growing them in this tiny teacup, but I’m not ready to throw them away yet.

These two succulents are new too. They were in the dining hall for decoration during the Easter buffet, so I snatched them up because I figured they were probably just going to be thrown away away after. I’m not sure what kinds of succulents they are, but they’re looking really good for being store bought.

This spider plant is my most recent acquisition. I took him as a clipping from a mature spider plant in the art building, and I’m trying to get him to root. I’ll let you know what goes on there.

And that’s all the plants I’ve got right now! They’re so much fun to care for and watch grow. Do you have any plants? If so, let me know what kind in the comments below!

March 26, 2018 – Neon Pink (OOTD #254)

Published on April 6, 2018 by lensembledujour5 Comments

Favorite hobby: writing these blogs under my notes class during boring lectures.

In my Philo class, there’s very little to do in class, especially when my professor gets going on a tangent. He’s an intelligent guy, but he likes to hear himself talk, and I don’t really.

It’s great, because I get to appear like I’m engaged and taking close notes, when in actuality, I’m only half paying attention and instead getting some other (still important) work done.

I’ve been developing a really nasty cold lately, which I’m kind of bitter about because I thought for certain I was done with being sick for this school year. I pretty much avoided falling ill all winter, and I figured that meant that I had successfully dodged the bullet. I was mistaken, as my cough and stuffy nose prove.

I was also wrong about thinking the winter was over — it’s never over in South Bend. Here we are in April (well, I’m writing and publishing this in April. The outfit here is from March), and just yesterday, it snowed. I love the snow, but I’m over it.

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: Hollister

Jacket: Vintage (thrift)

March 25, 2018 – Runway Ramblings (OOTD #253)

Published on April 5, 2018 by lensembledujour2 Comments

I really need to get better at not cutting off the tips of my feet when I take my own photos.

Or like, maybe I should just get better at asking people to take a few moments out of their lives and take photos for me. That would certainly be a lot easier than hiding out in the art building late at night waiting for it to clear out so I can set up my phone on a table and use my Apple Watch’s remote feature to take the pictures myself.

To be honest, I’m kind of surprised that I’ve managed to keep this blog going (almost) every day while I’ve been at school. I think it’s good I started it back in late high school and developed it over the summer; it almost certainly would not have been something I would have started out of pure personal interest while in college. It’s kind of hard to find the time to write sometimes, even now that I’ve been doing this for a year and and know (sorta) what I’m doing.

But it’s really rewarding to get a nice comment on a blog or get paid for a collaboration with a brand, so the motivation is still always there. I don’t think it’s really my dream or whatever to ever become one of those famous bloggers who turn this into a full-time career, but it’s cool to see that even as a relatively small fashion blog, there are still benefits I can take advantage of.

It’s also nice of course to get to talk about my love of fasion and share it with others. In some alternate universe, I think I went into fashion merchandising or design. It was always something that interested me, but I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to find decent work because of how competitive the field is. Maybe one day, when I’m a rich retired lady (so like, in 10 years, right?), I’ll take some sewing classes. Project Runway, here I come!

(Have I already made that point about wanting to take sewing classes as a retired old lady? It can be hard to remember everything I’ve ever written about on this blog)

Anyway, time for me to get back to schoolwork. Err…maybe more like to get started on it. I can’t go back to something I haven’t touched yet.

Jacket: H&M

Sweater: thrifted

Pants: The LOFT

March 22, 2018 – Untitled (OOTD #252)

Published on April 4, 2018April 8, 2018 by lensembledujourLeave a comment

I allllllllmost didn’t post this outfit as a blog.

I only have four photos, and one isn’t even very good, so it almost didn’t really feel worth it to post it as a full blog, you know?

I decided to go for it anyway though, because I really like this jacket. It reminds me of the most expensive item in my wardrobe, a similarly architectural jacket, except that I doubt this one is worth hundreds of dollars. Interestingly, though, I bought it at the same thrift shop from back home as I bought the super expensive one — coincidence?

I wore this jacket specifically for an interview I had at 9AM, and, considering I was accepted into the program I was interviewing for, I guess it worked out! While it’s not a paid job (that I’m still searching for), it is a almost-entirely grant-funded trip to Nepal to observe and aid in a research project, so I’m super excited.

You can bet that I’ll be posting a lot about my adventures in Nepal (assuming I have time), so stay tuned for that. Maybe I’ll actually be able to keep up with a regular schedule, unlike what happened to me in London, where one week in, I stopped posting at all.

Speaking of London, can you believe it’s been almost one whole year since I started L’ensemble du jour? I need to check my stats for the exact date, but I’m pretty sure I began this whole project sometime in mid-to-late April of 2017. I should do something special for the one year-anniversary. Any ideas? Leave me a comment below!

Jacket: thrifted

Shirt: Free People

Pants: The LOFT