The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Photo taken on the drive moving back to school

Sometimes you have to remember to look for the light at the end of the tunnel, the rainbow in between the gray clouds. Its been a rough week, made complete by the fact that I am now getting sick. No outfit pictures today because I will be attending class in yoga pants and a sweatshirt. This goes against everything I preach about looking nice for class, but sometimes you just have to focus on making it through the day, stylish or not. The first few weeks of school are always a difficult adjustment for me, so the stress of classes, work, extracurriculars, and a social life + the drastically changing temperatures have me feeling a little under the weather. I also just realized I left my camera charger in Cincinnati, and the battery is about to die. I'm trying to remind myself to stay positive and think of things I have to look forward to instead of dwelling on my stress. Here are some things I'm looking forward to in the upcoming weeks:
-This Friday's girls night out to celebrate my roommate's birthday
-Next weekend's trip home to celebrate my dad's birthday and spend time with family
-Hopefully getting a haircut (just a trim) while I'm home
-Celebrating my boyfriend's 21st birthday
-Starting to figure out my Halloween costume(s)
-Decorating for Halloween!

Some of these things may be small, but they are all little rainbows in the midst of gray clouds. They are what is keeping me sane right now. What are you focusing on to stay positive this week?

Comfy and College-y

What I'm wearing: J.Crew wrap sweatshirt, Victoria's Secret PINK tee, J.Crew "hipslung" jeans (Outlets, 2008), Sperrys boat shoes, Thrifted scarf (worn as headband, item #3 of forgotten five), Vintage clock necklace, Steinmart bag

Am I in love with today's outfit? No. But hey, that happens sometimes. I had an interview this morning where I had to dress like a grown-up, and when it was over, I really just wanted to put on some comfy, college-esque clothing. I've had these jeans for awhile, so they are the kind of jeans that are nicely broken-in and faded. Perfect for a day like today. I also realize that Sperrys aren't the most fashionable things in the world, but they are perfectly suited for long walks to class. On a completely separate note, I'm proud to share I took some of these pictures in front of other people today using a self-timer and didn't get totally embarrassed. I'm making progress!

These Boots Weren't Made For Walking

Lesson of the week: be careful what you wish for. Last week, I whined and whined about how hot it was outside. Now it won't stop raining, and the temperature has dropped 30 degrees. Yiiiikes. Where is the Fall I was envisioning, the one with sunshine and pretty falling leaves? Granted, this chilly weather did give me an excuse to layer up with the cardigan from my Forgotten Five.

What I'm wearing: The Limited cardigan (item #2 from forgotten five), Old Navy long-sleeved tee, Old Navy jeans, Ciao Bella boots, Forever 21 belt, Kate Spade outlet tote

Yes, I'm wearing the same jeans I wore yesterday. This will probably happen a lot now that school is back in; don't judge. I never thought I liked Old Navy jeans, but I tried these on while I was in New York, and they are surprisingly comfortable and fit pretty well. The best part? A $15 price tag. These boots on the other hand? Not as comfortable as I remember. My school's campus is rather large, so a typical day of class involves a lot of walking, which resulted in a blister on the back of my right foot. Next time I wear these, I will remember to load up on the band-aids first. Well time for homework so I can watch Glee tonight. Who else is super pumped for the Britney episode?

The Weird Girl on Campus

I normally don't post this early in the day, but I have lots and lots of school-related things to do today so I figured I would just finish this up now. Today's little photo shoot was quite frustrating. It was raining, my camera fell off the wall I was using for a makeshift tripod (resulting in some dents/scuffs in the camera but no real damage, thank goodness), and people kept walking through the area I was using. How do you other bloggers keep from feeling awkward when people see you taking your outfit pictures? Because I'm still not used to it, and it makes me feel like the weird girl on campus who is way overdressed and takes pictures of herself.

What I'm wearing: Forever 21 blouse (item #1 of the forgotten five), Gap blazer, Old Navy jeans, Nine West boots, Vintage bracelet and earrings, Bag via Steinmart

So today I finally wore this Forever 21 blouse for the first time. I really don't like sheer tops and the hassle of trying to find something to wear underneath, which is probably why this top has been sitting in my closet untouched for two years. I liked it styled with the blazer, but I'm not crazy about the fit. For now, I'm going to keep it, but there is a good chance it will end up in the donate pile come Spring. Okay well its time for me to go teach myself some accounting so I can ace my quiz later this week. Is it really necessary for a fashion major to take accounting? The university seems to think so. Lame.

The Forgotten Five

As I mentioned on Friday, I'm starting a new style challenge today. I just finished Kendi Everyday's 30 for 30 challenge, and it made me realize that when I limit myself to a small number of clothing items, its much easier to be creative and think outside my comfort zone. Now that I am done with the challenge and have full use of my closet again, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I'm starting to realize that when its hard to pick out an outfit in the morning, it's not because I don't have enough clothes; the problem is that I have TOO MANY clothes. When faced with so many options and combinations, I freeze up. To remedy this problem, every Sunday I am going to pick out five items from my closet that I have to wear in the following week. They can be worn together or seperate, but over the next week I have to wear each of the items at least once. This challenge will offer me a starting point for making outfits and hopefully force me to get creative. For the first week of the challenge, I specifically chose items that have been forgotten and need a little love. Some of them have been sitting in my closet for over a year and have never been worn!

The items: Thrifted silk scarf, The Limited cardigan, Forever 21 necklace (never worn), Forever 21 top (tags still on, and I bought it in 2009!), Thrifted belt (never worn)

I've decided that if I don't wear these items within the next week, I will be giving them away to charity. Its important to have a well-edited closet of things I actually wear, so if I can't find a way to make these items work with what I already have, it will be time for us to part ways. This challenge isn't nearly as difficult as the 30 for 30 was, but I just really wanted to do something that would force me to look at my closet in new ways. Let's see what combinations I can come up with!

Dreaming of Fall

There is something about Friday that just makes me want to put on my most casual, comfy outfit. And today was no exception. I stayed up late last night chatting with my girlfriends, so this morning I was not in the mood to get fancy for class.

What I'm wearing: Target shirt, J.Crew boyfriend jeans, Merona sandals via Target, Vintage pocketwatch necklace, Vintage earrings, Bag via Steinmart

I desperately need cooler weather to come our way because 1. I'm sick of sweating while walking to class and 2. these sandals REALLY need to be retired for the season. They seem to have not left my feet since I bought them, and it's about time they got a break. Plus, my new gray cowboy boots are calling my name from the closet. Rumor has it that next week the temperature is supposed to get down into the 60s which is great news. So excited for Fall! Well I'm headed off to dinner and a movie with the boyfriend. We are seeing The Town which I'm excited for because I love me some Ben Affleck. I hope everyone has a good weekend! Make sure to check back in on Sunday because I'm starting a new little challenge, and I can't wait to tell you all about it!

My Apartment and Fall Inspiration

Due to the fact that I am still adjusting to my class schedule and losing my personal photographer (aka Mom...who I now live 2 hours away from), there are no outfit photos today. Instead, I thought I'd show you my new place. Its my third year of school, so I moved off campus into an apartment. I have four other roommates, but I was lucky enough to get one of the big rooms which means I have two closets! Sadly (or not so sadly), I completely filled them and a 10-drawer dresser. I definitely have way too many clothes.

The top of my HUGE dresser. I finally found a good use for my Liberty of London hatbox!

My bookshelf and adorable piggy bank from Target. Can you tell I'm a fashion major from these titles?

My desk, complete with more Liberty of London and my shoe calendar!

My nightstand. Don't you love that vase? It cost me a dollar!

My Fall inspiration board which hangs right next to my closet

I used to keep all of my inspiration images in a folder on my computer, but I never actually looked at it when I needed outfit ideas. Now that I have a lot of wall space, I decided to hang this bulletin board so I can constantly change it when I get new ideas. Can you tell that I've really been in a scarf mood lately? I have been collecting different images of ways to wear them. Unfortunately, it was 90 degrees today so I think it might be awhile before I get to bust out the cold weather gear.

The First Day of School

Today I was forced to switch back to using the self-timer on my camera, and whewwww was it rough. Kudos to all of you bloggers who do it this way everyday. It took me forever to find a spot secluded enough that I didn't feel super awkward taking pictures of myself (I go to a huge school where there is pretty much no such thing), and once I did, I ended up with pictures that cut off my head, feet, or half my body. But I stuck with it and ended up with some okay shots. Every Monday and Wednesday I only have one class, so I think on those days I'm going to make an effort to find cool places around campus for my little photo shoots.

Occasion: Class and On-Campus Job Fair
What I'm wearing: Gap dress, Old Navy cardigan, Target sandals, Thrifted belt, Vintage earrings, Bag via Steinmart, Hint of Mint nailpolish (Nicole by OPI)

Today was my first day of classes, as well as the day of the on-campus job fair. I wasn't quite sure what to wear to the job fair, so I went with this dress/cardigan combo since I figured it was a good mix of professional yet youthful. Normally, I wouldn't dress up this much for class, but for today, it worked. It was kind of nice getting to wear something other than the 30 items from the challenge, although I still chose my trusty Target sandals. If only it was boot weather! I'm hoping it will be chilly enough in the next few weeks to start bringing out my scarves, jackets, and boots. I love Fall!

The 30 For 30 Finish Line

Phewwww, I'm finally finished with my 30 for 30 challenge! Here is a little breakdown for you:
Most worn item: Gap jeans, followed by my American Apparel navy skirt
Items not worn at all: THREE! What was I thinking?
Favorite outfits: Days 6, 10, 12, 15, 19
Least favorite outfits: 5, 7, 26

Do you have a favorite? I would love to get some reader feedback from this challenge. You guys have been absolutely awesome, and I can't thank Kendi enough for mentioning me on her blog and getting a lot of you to follow me and see me complete this challenge. This challenge has made me realize that sometimes its easier to limit yourself to just a few items to let your creativity truly come through. I would never have come up with an outfit like days 12 or 17 without this challenge forcing me to think outside the box. Mostly, I'm just really glad I got up the courage to try this challenge When Kendi did her first 30 for 30 challenge, I thought it was so cool but something I could never do. Now I'm proud to call myself an accomplished 30-for-30er! Thanks for following me and supporting this little blog :)