Tag: the loft

October 22, 2018 – Schooled (OOTD #395)

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After a pleasant, but tragically short, fall break, it was back to school.

No worries though, I’ll be back home again for Thanksgiving: the most underrated holiday.

You don’t know how many people I know who like to skip from celebrating Halloween straight to celebrating Christmas, forgetting Thanksgiving in between. How do you forget Thanksgiving? I get that it’s not as exciting as getting dressed up and trick-or-treating, and it’s not as exciting as decorating a tree and exchanging gifts, but you get food. Why would you forget food?

I’ve found that for me, what helps me get into the mood for holiday best is music. Why is Christmas such a big deal? Christmas music!

With the exception of the Adam Sandler turkey song (which remains the only bit by Adam Sandler that I find funny), I don’t feel like there are any Thanksgiving songs. Someone needs to get on that. Maybe if we had Thanksgiving songs, we’d like Thanksgiving more.

The second half of fall semester always feels shorter than the first, which means the worst part of the semester is over now for me. I just have to make it through a month before Thanksgiving, and then, after I’ve returned from that break, three weeks before Christmas.

Let’s get this bread, kiddos.

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 home. 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: Chaps (thrifted)

Sweater: The LOFT

Skirt: Abercrombie

October 18, 2018 – Autumnal (OOTD #394)

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And here comes my annual Boyd Orchard trip blog.

Every year, my dad and I go out to this particular farm in Central KY to pick pumpkins and do stereotypical American fall things. It’s always a great opportunity for photos — in part, because the location lends itself well to a fall Instagram aesthetic, and in part, because my dad’s there, and he always takes great photos.

This year, we also got my mother and dog to come along! It was a true family outing. The only member of the gang missing was my cat, Mushu.

(That’s my mother’s hand in the photo)

These photos turned out even better than last year’s, in my opinion. Last year, I got some good pictures, but my hair was the worst looking that I think it’s ever been. It was right before I decided to cut it and dye it grey (for the first time), and it was in a truly sorry state. A year and a half of bleaching it blonde did not leave my ends very intact-looking.

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i’ve been spotted

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This year, I was smart enough to get my fall break haircut in before I went out for my orchard adventure. Check out those intact hair strands.

We didn’t end up picking any pumpkins this time because we didn’t think we’d get the time to carve them, but we did get plenty of apples. We also did the hayride, got apple cider, caramel apples, took photos in the pumpkin patch (even if there were none left to pick) — all of the fall things.

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you’re the 🍎 of my 👁

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It’s little outings like this that I really miss when I’m stuck at school. I miss the outside world, even if it’s just a farm with some produce. Notre Dame is a great little compact world, but campus feels small without pumpkins or apple trees. All we’ve got are sycamores and oaks and the occasional ginkgo. Shoutout to my botany class for teaching me that.

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some quality fall moodboard content

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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 home. 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

Sweater:thrifted

Pants: The LOFT

October 4, 2018 – Oldie Goldies (OOTD #387)

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Here’s an outfit made of clothing I’ve owned for four years or more.

And no, it wasn’t on purpose — this wasn’t some kind of self-imposed challenge to make an outfit out of older clothing. In fact, I didn’t notice that this outfit was made of exclusively older clothing until I started writing this blog.

Let’s see, I think pretty much all of these pieces — with the exception of the leggings — were purchased sometime in my freshman or sophomore year of high school. The leggings might actually be older: perhaps from eighth grade. One of the few perks of having not grown an inch since middle school — I never throw away clothes because I outgrew them.

The downside of not growing since middle school is, of course, I still look sort of like a middle schooler.

It’s interesting though, because I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have put these pieces together in this way back in middle school/early high school when I first got them. For one, leggings were against dress code at my middle school, so that never would have happened unless I wanted to get yelled at by my 8th grade history teacher.

But more importantly, four-five years ago, my style was just different. I wore a lot of skater skirts, infinity scarves, and utility jackets. That’s not to say I don’t still wear those things, but not really together any more. Together, they make me look like I stepped right out of 2014 — this outfit is a pretty good example of that. I think I even recognized in the blog I wrote that I looked like a (short) Hot Topic model from 2014.

I’ve never really had this problem before, but I’m finding I have to be more and more careful that my outfits don’t look like something from 2014. The differences between 2014 and 2018 fashion are subtle — and many 2014 pieces can still be worn in 2018 — but I have be cognizant of what looks contemporary, and what looks ever-so-slightly dated.

Honestly, I think being slightly dated is even worse than being completely out of style. When you’re out of style, you’ve at least committed to a look. When you’re dated, you’re clearly trying to be contemporary, but you’ve missed the mark.

I’m excited for when 2014 fashion is old enough to look vintage. The day my child goes to decade day at school wearing an infinity scarf, leggings, and riding boots, I’ll know I’ve made it.

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 home 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

Turtleneck: Forever21

Leggings: The LOFT

September 26, 2018 – Oktoberfest (OOTD #382)

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I know close to nothing about Oktoberfest — I’ve never been to one in Germany, I’ve never been to one in the US, and I’ve never even done a basic Google search to figure out what it is.

But with all of the things I don’t know about Oktoberfest, I do know that women’s traditional dresses kinda look like this for it. Or at least, that’s what my roommate compared my outfit to when I came out that morning.

I was actually going for more of a vintage 60s look, but I guess traditional German villager works too.

I’m so far behind with these blogs, I’m afraid I don’t have any Halloween content to give you today, even though it’s Halloween the day I’m posting this. I hope a September Oktoberfest outfit will suffice. Don’t worry — the Halloween content is coming. It just might not being coming until like…Christmas.

If anyone has advice on how to make sure that festive content is posted at the appropriate time, I would love to hear it. I don’t like to force myself to write blogs the day I take pictures for them, so I couldn’t probably get the Halloween outfit blog out on Halloween day, but it does feel silly if it comes a month late. Should I post the Halloween content on Halloween even if it messes with the chronological order of the other blogs?

I mean, ideally I guess I’d just keep up with my daily blogs and not wind up a month behind…but…life happens, you know? Sometimes it’s Halloween and you’re writing about an unintentional Oktoberfest outfit you wore in September.

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 home 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!

White blouse: The LOFT

Red top: Express (thrifted)

Skirt: Abercrombie

September 24, 2018 – Beginnings, Ends, and Instagram Posts (OOTD #381)

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I can’t believe it’s 2018 and I’m just now learning how to link an Instagram post to a blog.

I guess I’m just a little basic for a blogger. I write some words, I add some pictures, I throw in some links. In that sense, I’m not very advanced. It’s not like this is my full-time job —  I can’t necessarily take the time to learn all the SEO and marketing strategies that would get me onto the coveted first page Google spot.

I’ve carved out my tiny corner of the Internet, my few bytes of space, and I guess there’s a small group of people who like to visit me here. Half of those views are probably my mom. The other half might be me viewing from mobile. In other words, I have a very loyal fanbase.

I don’t know if I’ll ever find fame or fortune on the Internet, but I suppose that’s what college is for. So I can not find fame or fortune in the real world, all while spending $70k a year for it.

It’s funny for me to think, but when I began this blog, I never imagined continuing it into college. I didn’t really imagine anything for it — I’d just heard suggestions for years that I should start a fashion blog, and eventually, I decided to go for it. Somehow, though, when I began this thing spring semester of my senior year of high school, I figured I’d get bored of it and give on it before my freshman year even began. Now, it seems all of my blog posts revolve around college life and my exciting adventures at Notre Dame (read: exploring weird buildings at night and complaining about the weather).

How much longer will it go? I don’t know. I remember back in middle school, there was this makeup blog I used to follow super closely, Nouveau Cheap. The blogger, Giana, had a pretty decent following. I’m not certain how big her blog was,  but I know she would always have a ton of comments on her posts. One day, Giana just stopped posting, with very little indication why. She still hasn’t broken the silence — she just left.

I know everything comes to an end eventually, and I’ll quite possibly move on from this blog one day, but it’s hard to conceptualize. It’s a far cry from when I began here, when I could conceptualize the end, but not the continuation.

Anyway, I don’t know how I got to talking about this from Instagram posts. Hope everyone out there’s having a good day, and happy almost Halloween!

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 home 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

Top: The LOFT (thrifted)

Pants: Thrifted

August 30, 2018 – Denim-Denim-Denim (OOTD #361)

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Hey, here’s a joke: what does Mario wear?

Denim-denim-denim…denim-denim-denim…get it? Like the tune of the Level 1-2 underground theme?

It’s okay if you don’t get it; it’s a joke that’s better suited to being told aloud.

For some reason, my blog has been full of Mario references recently. I’m not sure if there’s any meaning that can be derived from that — apparently I’m just super into mushrooms and denim outfits right now.

I do have a Luigi costume hat somewhere in my closet back home that I got back in 2013 during a Year of Luigi promotional event. One of these days, I’ve got to actually incorporate it into a Halloween costume. I’ve got all of the individual pieces — the hat, the overalls, the boots — I just need to put them together. Oh, and maybe find a friend who’d be willing to play Mario. That might be the more difficult part.

Today’s pictures were taken inside Bond Hall, which is notable in that I’ve only ever done the outside of Bond before. It actually took a surprising amount of effort to get these shots. I felt like every few seconds, someone was walking down the steps and getting in my way. Or rather, I was getting in theirs.

If there’s an alternate reality where I don’t feel awkward posing for photos in public, I’d sure like to discover the portal to it. I’m definitely getting better, and I’ve come a far way from where I was this time last year, when I felt anxious literally every time I had to take pictures for my blog. I’m still not quite shameless yet, though.

At least, in regards to photography. I am shameless with my jokes. Hey, you wanna hear another Mario one?

What did the green mushroom say to Mario? Get a life!

Top: The LOFT

Jeans: American Eagle

Scarf: American Eagle

August 29, 2018 – Back To Bond (OOTD #360)

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Back to Bond, and back to the best building on campus for photos.

Even though I’m not an architecture major and thus don’t have any classes in Bond Hall, I’ve got to appreciate it for being one of the most unique-looking buildings on campus. In the midst of dozens of golden-tan brick gothic buildings, it stands alone as the singular neoclassical-inspired structure.

Plus, it’s white, which makes it excellent for fashion photography. It’s a nice blank slate — not too showy as to detract from the subject, but not boring either. I’m a fan.

You know what I’m not a fan of? The pre-midterms exam boom. It seems that, for some ridiculous reason, professors feel the need to schedule a ton of exams and papers just a few weeks before midterms, when they schedule a ton more exams and papers. I’m pretty resigned to the idea of being stressed out during midterms and finals, but I’m a little more opposed to the concept of a “hell week” that’s separate from the designated midterms/finals sequence. I didn’t sign up for this, you know?

But yeah, if you can’t tell, it’s currently my pre-midterms “hell week.” It doesn’t help that we’ve literally had three football game weekends in a row (be on the lookout for those posts soon, plus a special post from a Chicago trip), which means that I haven’t been able to use my weekends to catch up on the work I was unable to get to during the week as usual.

I’ve also got study abroad and summer internship applications to do, which complicates matters. Not to be cliché, but it’d be nice if life could slow down a little, you know? Or, rather, if it could speed up and I could get to the part where I’m an old retired lady with a lot of cats who goes to farmers’ markets in the mornings and plays bridge with her old retired lady friends in the afternoons.

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 home 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

Dress: Kohl’s (remember when people still shopped there?)

Boots: Ralph Lauren

August 22, 2018 – Lake Pics Part Deux (OOTD #354)

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Sophomore day two, and I’m already busy doing stereotypical Notre Dame kid things like taking pictures with my friends by the lakes.

Notre Dame has several locations that lend themselves beautifully to great pictures — the Golden Dome, the basilica, and the lakes, just to name a few. That’s great and all, but these locations are so pretty that no one really takes pictures anywhere else. Last year, around graduation time, my Instagram feed was full of seniors in their caps and gowns taking pictures with the Dome.

Like, I like the Dome, but I wish people were a little more creative with where they took their group pics, you know? Notre Dame’s got some really pretty photo locations apart from the ones everyone always uses — Lord knows I spent a massive amount of last year trying to scout them out. Stairwells, empty classrooms, and Riley Hall were my best friends.

Naturally, since I was just criticizing the Notre Dame student body’s lack of creativity when it comes to taking pictures, here I am with some stereotypical Notre Dame lake pics.

I mean, the lakes are a very nice photo location, and they tend to have some really beautiful light come late afternoon-early evening. I mean, just look at these. The golden hour lighting really shines through.

I did say that it was my goal to get some more interesting photo locations for my OOTD pics this year so that I don’t just keep reusing the exact same areas around South Quad, but I guess I have to make exception occasionally for the occasional Dome/lakes/Touchdown Jesus pic. Can’t have people forgetting what school I go to, right?

(Hint: it rhymes with Potre Lame)

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 home at Potre Lame. 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

Pants: The LOFT

July 12, 2018 – Rained Out (OOTD #329)

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I guess I should be grateful that it took this long until the rain got in the way of our plans.

It’s monsoon season in Nepal, meaning of course that rain is a constant threat. Up until this point, though, the rain’s been no trouble — it comes while we’re in class, or while we’re still getting up in the morning, and then it goes. It always returns the next day, but that’s not really a problem as long as it doesn’t come in the afternoon when we want to go out.

Today though, it turned out to be a problem. It came at night, and it came hard. Two major roads that connect Dhulikhel to Kathmandu flooded, leaving us stuck at our hotel for the morning.

And part of the afternoon, actually — we ended up lazing around the lodge until quite late in the day. The roads ended up clearing though around mid-afternoon, and we finally made it into the city.

We went to a shopping district which specialized in fair trade stores and…really expensive saris? We went with the intent of checking out the fair trade stuff (some of which was made in the factory we’d toured the day before), but as it turned out, there were a ton of sari shops in the area too. I wish I could have bought something, but it was all way too expensive for my poor wallet.

From there, we wandered around the town  little bit — saw some monkeys, saw a river, choked on pollution — you know, local things. It was probably one of the most relaxed days I had in Kathmandu, or as relaxed as a day in Kathmandu could be. I was almost hit by a car like five separate times, rather than ten.

That’s about it for today. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one with more updates on my trip to Nepal. 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!

Skirt: The LOFT

top: some boutique in Kathmandu

July 9, 2018 – A Developing Building In A Developing Country (OOTD #326)

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Hey look, I’m back!

Whoops, looks like I accidentally took a three-day hiatus from this whole daily blogging thing (again). It’s like I’m flawed or something.

Anyway, let’s jump right back into the Nepal adventures — it’s day nine in Nepal, and I’m back in Dhulikhel after a day trip to Kathmandu. Dhulikhel, for as different as it is from suburban America, is beginning to grow old after having been here for a over a week. It’s in Nepal, which is exciting and exotic, but it’s still a small town in Nepal. Small towns only have so much to do.

So here’s what Dhulikhel had for me — a temple, momo’s, and an unfinished building.

First up, the temple. It was…a temple. I’m not sure what else there is to say about it — sure it’s totally different from anything I get to see in my normal life at Notre Dame or in Kentucky, but at this point, I’d seen dozens of Nepali temples. With the exception of some of the bigger ones in Kathmandu, the smaller ones like this were beginning to run together.

The South Asian students with me were also not terribly excited by the temples either, on account of them being pretty used to seeing them all the time around there own home towns. I got a few photos, and then we moved on.

After walking aimlessly as we so often do during these afternoon walks in Nepal, we ended up coming across a restaurant in a field.

Does that sound weird? A restaurant in a field? Well, that’s what it was. It was off the road a little bit, and just sitting there by itself in a field, no other buildings around.

With such a strange location for a restaurant, we of course had to go up and order something. My friend, Haya, was craving french fries, and I was interested in trying momo’s, a Nepali dish similar to Chinese dumplings (spoiler alert: Chinese dumplings are way better).

While sitting at the table waiting on our food, my friend, Elsa, spotted an unfinished building sitting nearby the field that looked abandoned. With nothing else to do, we decided to explore.

There wasn’t really much to explore, in truth. The building appeared to have been begun, but never finished, so there was little to see except the foundation and framework of what it was to be. We got a nice view of the sunset from the second floor — but I’m pretty sure I’ve wound up with a pretty view of the sunset almost every day I’ve been in Nepal from the various locations I’ve ventured to. Pretty views are pretty much just the normal, everyday views here.

That’s about it for today. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one with more updates on my trip to Nepal. 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

Pants: H&M