I Heart the Outlets

Do you want to know one of the greatest things ever invented? Outlet malls. The more I blog and keep track of what I'm wearing every day, I realize how much my wardrobe relies on them. Luckily, there is an outlet mall almost directly between my home in Cincinnati and my university, so it has become a frequent stop on trips to and from school. It was practically a holiday the day the J.Crew outlet opened there. Since then, almost all of my J.Crew pieces have been bought there at awesome bargain prices, including the jeans I wore today.

What I'm wearing: Old Navy jacket, H&M flower pin, Gap outlet sweater, J.Crew outlet jeans, Kelly and Katie flats via DSW, Forever 21 necklace, Kate Spade outlet tote

Three of the things I'm wearing today were from the outlets: my sweater, jeans, and tote. I got the sweater for $20, jeans for $30, and tote for $100. Some may think $100 is a lot for a purse, but for Kate Spade, it's a damn good price. Also these jeans regularly retail at around $90-$100, so they were quite a steal. So moral of the story: I love the outlets. If you don't have one near you, I don't know how you live without!

30 for 30, Round 2: Sneak Peek

As I mentioned Monday, I will be participating in Kendi Everyday's 30 f0r 30 Fall challenge. For this challenge, I will have to chose 30 items of clothing (including shoes but not coats), and remix these items (and these items only!) for 30 days. The other kicker: no shopping for these 30 days. I'm going to allow myself to shop on Black Friday because I consider that day more of a holiday than Thanksgiving itself, but besides that, I'm sticking to the rules. For more information or to join in on the challenge, check out Kendi's post. I participated in a previous 30 for 30 in August (check it out here), and I'm excited and a little nervous to be joining in again. I thought I would give you a sneak peek of 5 of the items I've chosen so far; my final 30 will be posted on Sunday.

For those of you who are participating in the challenge, how are you going about choosing your 30 items? Is there a method to your madness? Are there any items of mine you would like to see included in my 30 picks? And does anyone else feel a desperate compulsion to go out and buy a bunch of new clothes to fill the "holes" in their wardrobe? Because I know I do. Friday may end in a shopping trip to H&M and F21 to find some seasonally appropriate skirts and dresses and possibly a new leather jacket. I guess I can try and justify it by saying I won't be shopping for at least another 30 days?

November, already?!?

Time is flying...I can't believe its already November! My countdown until Winter break has begun; 39 days until exams are over! I'm expecting a super-hectic end of the quarter, but I guess it will make going home for break that much more enjoyable. I can't wait to have abundant free time to do whatever I wish, like maybe finish the book I started in August?!

What I'm wearing: Forever 21 cardigan (2007), Gap long-sleeved tee, Scarf via NYC street vendor, Banana Republic outlet jeans, Nine West boots, Mondani bag via Steinmart, Vintage earrings via Talk of the Town

Today was a gorgeous Fall day, that is, until the sun went away. This outfit was the perfect amount of layers for the early afternoon while the sun was still out, but by the time I walked home from class at 5, it was pretty darn chilly. I've been trying to avoid my winter coats for as long as possible, because I know once they come out, I'm going to be stuck with them until about April. This chunky knit was a great alternative; I can't believe I'm still getting good use out of it four years after I bought it!

High Ball Halloween- Couture Fashion Show

On Saturday, I attended my first ever High Ball Halloween. Its sort of like a Halloween festival where everyone gets super dressed up and goes all-out with their costumes. One of the main events of the night was the Costume Couture Fashion Show. Of course, this part was my favorite. It was a fashion show featuring 11 local designers. Each designer got to show 3 looks as well as a "couture" Halloween costume. Some of the designs were truly amazing; I never realized there was so much talent right here in Ohio.

My personal favorite (She won 3rd place)

Kevin Kerr, being announced the Couture Challenge winner

I wish the pictures had turned out a little better, but it was dark and foggy. I took a ton of pictures, but a lot them weren't able to capture how awesome the designs really were. This show made me want to get more involved in fashion locally. Whenever I think of the fashion industry, I automatically think New York, but maybe there are more opportunities around here than I know. I definitely need to look into that...

On a completely unrelated note, I'm thinking about participating in another one of Kendi Everyday's 30 f0r 30 challenges. I feel like it's going to be much harder this time of year than it was over summer, but I think I need something that forces me to spice up my wardrobe a little bit. Are you planning on participating?

What Do Pebbles and Cleopatra Have In Common?

They were my two Halloween costumes this weekend! Friday night I went to a party, and Saturday I went to a Halloween fashion show (look for those pictures tomorrow!). So of course, I needed two costumes. They were both were pretty easy to make, and I liked how they turned out. I'm a big fan of putting together the whole look myself and not just buying some pre-made costume from a store.

Pebbles from the Flintstones

Kat Von D from LA Ink, Cleopatra (she didn't have a costume so I lent her my extra), and Pebbles

Cleopatra

I never get to wear winged eyeliner, lipstick,
or a wig,which made this SUPER fun!

Scarecrow, Peacock, Mother Nature, Cleopatra, and a Fairy


Mother Nature with her turtle

As I've mentioned previously, I usually get much more excited about Christmas than Halloween, but this year was actually really fun. I love using this holiday as an excuse to dress a little crazy or wear makeup you normally wouldn't (check out my roommate Jillian's Mother Nature makeup...isn't it awesome?! She also has a bird in her hair!) Next year I definitely want to pick a costume that allows me to wear really wacky makeup. Until then, I'm ready to start putting away the Halloween decorations and busting out the Christmas tunes. Yes, I'm that girl. I will be listening to the Christmas Pandora station long before Thanksgiving rolls around. Ha ha what can I say...I get in the spirit a little early. Well I'm off to do some studying (writing this blog post may have been part of my procrastination...) Happy Halloween everyone!

College Days: From Then to Now

I'm currently taking a 20th century fashion history course, and one of our recent projects involved analyzing old family pictures and comparing them to the trends of that time period. It was kind of a hassle finding old pictures, but once I did, I really enjoyed the project. It was really interesting looking at old pictures of my grandparents and realizing how much things have changed since they were my age. I wanted to share with you this picture of my grandma (my dad's mom) with what I assume are her college girlfriends.

My grandma is the one sitting down in the front right. It's funny to think she is probably around my age in this picture; I think they all look so much more mature than being in their early 20s. This picture makes me want to know more about these women and what their college experience was like. Unfortunately, I never really got to know my grandma because she was diagnosed with Alzheimers right around the time I was born. I'm fortunate to have access to these pictures because even though I never got to sit down and talk with her, these pictures allow me to get a little glimpse of what my grandma's life was like.

This is a picture of me and some of my college friends (and roommates). 70 years makes quite a difference, doesn't it?

I Said Brrrrrr, Its Cold Out Here

Bring It On reference, anyone? I cannot get over how quickly the weather has shifted here. It went from pretty and sunny to very cold and windy. Brrrrrr. I think its about time to start bringing out the heavy coats and scarves. Although I hate being cold, I can't wait to bust out my chunky knit scarves. Also, I have my eye on some cute suede gloves from Target...gotta love Target! I cannot wait for the day after Thanksgiving. My mom and I go shopping at Target at like 5 AM when they open the doors. SO FUN! Is anyone else this crazy?!

What I'm wearing: Gap blazer, Forever 21 sweatshirt, Gap Always Skinny, Aldo boots, Forever 21 pearl and gold leaf necklace

If my face looks frozen in this second picture, it's because it was. I seriously underestimated how cold it was today. I was also eating some serious hair from how windy it was. I think I definitely need to invest in a trusty tripod because my camera keeps falling over from the strong gusts of wind. I bought this sweatshirt this weekend at F21, and I love it! So comfy and I can see it being really versatile with my wardrobe. I loved my outfit today; it made me feel put together and ready to face my busy day.