Burgundy Blazer at La Maison Rose

Two days ago, my best friend arrived in Paris to spend an entire two weeks with me! It's finally the Christmas vacation, so we've been hitting the metros and streets HARD. But more on that later.

Today I have an outfit of the day for you, set against a delightfully pink wall in Montmartre. I've been wearing black far more than I used to in California, and I am embracing this ever-so-slightly edgier side of me wholeheartedly. And speaking of embracing things, I let my hair go wild today. It's slept-on, tangled, wavy, and a bit frizzy, but that's French! and I love it.

It's been raining on and off for the past week, so I wore my vintage boots to keep water out of my socks and brought my floral umbrella along. To keep my legs warm, I layered two pairs of leggings and tall wool socks. The temperature has been slightly warmer lately, and as long as I kept moving I didn't feel cold.



Dress: F21
Blazer: Vintage
Socks/Leggings: H&M
Umbrella: H&M
Boots: Vintage Dèsir
Scarf: TJ Maxx
Bag: F21
Nails: OPI Got the Blues for Red



And here's a random image I found on Pinterest for your enjoyment:

Source: designcollector.net via Free People on Pinterest

Stripes, Stripes, and more Stripes.

I have been drawn to stripes lately - they're just so versatile. Stripes can be bold, edgy, and modern, or classy, elegant, and chic, depending on the weight and color of the stripes, and of course, what you pair them with. I plan to buy oodles and oodles of striped tops while in France... okay, okay, I'll restrain myself to two striped garments! Here are a few of my favorites from Pinterest:

Thicker stripes + oxfords = charmingly modern and boyish.



Thinner stripes + belt = classy and elegant.




Wear stripes today!

Airport Outfit & One Top, Two Ways

The best thing to wear on long flights is something comfortable and simple. It's also good to wear a few thin layers, including one quite bulky item such as a trench coat, to save space in your luggage. This is especially helpful for me, as I'll be packing just ONE suitcase and ONE carry-on for a 5 month trip, and I don't want to pay the extra fee for overweight luggage! I've decided to put all my shoes and my laptop into my carry-on bag, since those are items that weigh quite a bit.

I plan on wearing my new flat oxfords and some comfortable, rolled-to-the-ankle pants. This outfit is a contender, but I don't think it'll take the Airport Outfit Gold Medal (Olympic pun?!).


I scored this great backpack at TJ Maxx. I was resisting buying a backpack at first, afraid it would look juvenile in Paris. But the leather paneling brings it up a notch in sophistication, I think. Plus, it'll save my back a lot of aches and pains when I go to class everyday. For the flight, I'll put a few choice beauty products, my camera, important documents, and a scarf inside. Perhaps I'll do a post on packing soon.




Here's this top styled in a different way! Sheer cream tops are the best wardrobe staple I've come across so far, in addition to a neutral trench coat. I may do a post on basic essentials soon, having purchased so many for Paris lately.

Pants: Urban Outfitters BDG cigarette high rise jean // Top: TJ Maxx // Shoes: Born // Backpack: TJ Maxx // Skirt: Forever21 // Belt: Thrifted

Outfit of the Day - Wedding Shower

One of my oldest and best friends is getting married to a fantastic man, and last weekend was her wedding shower! My other best friend organized it, and it turned out so beautiful! This is what I wore. It was a hot, muggy day, so I wore the thinnest, lightest dress I own. By the way, this is my room back home at my parent's house. These curtains from Ikea act as our closet doors.

I paired the turquoise dress with my new coral lip color, which I am now obsessed with for summer. It's one of the new Revlon Lip Butters, and they're amazing. The one I'm wearing is Tutti Frutti. The color looks shockingly orange at first, but it goes on slightly sheer, yet expertly pigmented, and feels like a lip balm.

I went for relaxed waves, although I could have used a bit more volume, or perhaps a braid along the front. I also wanted to paint my nails, but working in a restaurant again, I'm not allowed :(

Dress: Heritage, Forever21
Shoes: Novela
Lip color: Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

How do you guys feel about coral lips? have you tried any other shades of the Revlon Lip Butter? I'm thinking about trying the Peach Parfait shade next.

Retro Mini Dress

After painting my nails a bright red, I was in the retro mood, so cinched myself into this (really short) dress. On a hot, NOT windy day, this dress is wonderful, and makes me feel so breezy.

I love this bag. Every time I wear it I feel instantly cooler and more interesting, probably because I got it at a thrift store for about $5, and that makes me feel great. Great deals are great!

I curled my hair, parted it to the side, and pinned my bangs into a subtle twist, which is sorta like a very tiny victory roll.

I've realized I need to start buying more accessories. All I own are earrings! I've been wanting to wear bangles or stacked bracelets, but I don't own any! My plan is to find some cool gold-colored ones at thrift or vintage stores. I think I used to feel intimidated by any non-earring jewelry, but I'm ready to be adventurous!

Dress: F21
Flats: F21
Bag: Thrifted
Nail Polish: Sephora

Redo: Red Pants and Vintage Top

Okay guys - I feel like I wear these red pants CONSTANTLY, but the more I wear them, the more they mold to my body, and the more comfortably they fit! Plus, who knows how long (or short) this colored pants trend will last? I want to take full advantage of the trend before it's considered to be old news.

I featured this same outfit a couple months ago, but I feel this time around I've improved. Plus, I've gained many new followers since then, who may not have seen the original post anyway. So, why is this outfit better, you ask? I'll tell ya:

{ONE}
I caved, and bought some heels, despite the fact that for as long as I can remember, I've held an unspoken vow to never wear heels, except at formal events. This is partially because they can be painful, and partially because I feel self-conscious and conspicuous when I wear them. This self-consciousness is merely a result of my overactive imagination convincing me that everyone is staring at my feet thinking how ridiculous they look, when really they don't give a crap. Sometimes I just don't understand my brain.

In fact, I look about 10 pounds lighter when I put on these heels. WHO KNEW?! Combine that with really good posture, and I'll never have to go to the gym again. I take that back... exercising is healthy, and I gotta be healthy!

{TWO}
Better photography. I changed my normal physical location, which changed the direction of the light, which actually makes a world of difference. Light is paramount to photography. Crappy light = crappy photo. If you're a frugal person like me, use cheap white poster boards as light reflectors.


{THREE}
More liberated posing. The more I take pictures of myself, the more comfortable I become, and I'm starting to learn what angles and poses are the most flattering, or at least more fun.


Pants: F21
Top: BearCat Vintage
Shoes: TJ Maxx
Shades: Aldo
Belt: Target

H&M Dressing Room

My best friend informed me about the dressing room on the H&M website, and I can't believe I'm just now discovering it! It has sucked up more than an hour of my evening so far, and I'm pretty much okay with that. You can change the model's face and hair, but I was a bit disappointed that you couldn't change the body type. I want to see how these clothes would look on my short curvy body! But anyway, here are a few outfits I built.

To Tuck or Not To Tuck?

I've decided to do my outfit post slightly differently today, partially because I didn't get any good full-length shots, and partially because I couldn't decide whether to tuck in my shirt or not. What do you think? Should I tuck, or leave it flying free?

I got this top at forever21 the other day. After trying it on, I noticed there was a hole in the shoulder and I was immediately disappointed, as you rarely can find the exact top in the same size in such a large store. In the end, we couldn't find a duplicate, so I got a discount, and sewed up the hole at home! It was actually much easier than I expected, mending a hole.
Is it just me, or do my eyes look oddly glazed-over in this photo?

In other news, I got a new lamp for my bedside dresser from target. I love the color of the base and the texture of the shade! It goes really well with my Paris map, and it makes my room feel so much warmer and cozier in the evenings.

Tell me about your fashion dilemmas or new purchases!

Black, White, and Color all Over

I've had this scarf for years now, but I never wear it. I don't really know why though, because I really love the colors! I paired it with this lovely dress, and if you look closely, you can see that the polka dots are square, which I think is really quite unique! I wore some opaque tights for a wee bit of extra warmth, as the days are flip-flopping between sunny and warm one day to chilly with an icy breeze the next. I didn't like how any of my cardigans looked with it, so I just left my arms bare.



My favorite thing about this outfit is the mixing of patterns. I love pairing florals with either stripes or polka dots, you can never really go wrong, as long as the patterns don't compete for attention.



I wish I would have tied my scarf differently, it looks a bit too limp. I should have took some advice from this video, all about the nearly infinite ways to tie a scarf.





Dress: Marshall's
Tights: HUE
Scarf: Forever21
Flats: Old Navy
Belt: Thrifted

Party Like a Lady

You know those days where your hair does exactly what you want it to without even trying? Last Saturday was one of those days, and it was glorious! I rocked my new bangs, was struck by a sudden urge to wear this uber-girly outfit, saw a ballet based on Cinderella, and ate some really delicious food. As far as weekends go, I'd call this one a success, and as far as dates go, I'd say this one was excellent. I felt like such a lady, going to the theatre (said in a fancy accent). The great thing is, the cheapest tickets were less than $20, and when we arrived, they offered seat upgrades for free! I'd say dinner-and-a-performance is a great date idea, as well as being a slightly more interesting variation on the classic dinner-and-a-movie date.

I'm usually not one to be overly romantic and sappy when it comes to this holiday, and I certainly have never formally celebrated it to the degree I did this year. I must say, however, that it was really lovely, and I shall plan more things like this for future minor holidays. The next holiday is Presidents Day, so in accordance with my new-found interest in such holidays, I plan to eat lots of... vanilla pudding. I realize this has nothing to do with Presidents Day, but I'll take any excuse to eat gratuitous amounts of vanilla pudding. :D







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Also, this bag is awesome. I use it for everything, even carrying books around school. Why is it awesome, you ask? Because of the two strap options. You have shorter shoulder straps, as well as a longer, adjustable cross-body strap. It's a really helpful feature! If you're looking for a versatile bag, look for double strap/handle types.







Dress: Forever 21
Tights: HUE
Cardi: Target
Belt: Liz Claiborne Thrifted
Scarf: Walgreens
Flats: Old Navy
Bag: Forever 21
Earrings: Forever 21


Follow @DarlaDearPhoto

Red Pants & Vintage Floral Top

This season, I think colored pants are they best thing to ever happen, ever. Because of this, I got myself a pair of skinny red pants from forever 21 (around 25 bucks). Just wearing colored pants with any old tee makes your outfit instantaneously cool. Add a scarf, some sandals, and a pair of shades, and you'll look like a real California/Long Beach native.

Today, however, I wanted to showcase this adorable vintage floral top I bought from - you'll never guess - my school campus. There's one part of campus where vendors set up stalls and sell their goods, and when Bear Cat vintage set up shop, I was pleasantly surprised! They are by far the coolest stall to ever be on campus. I got this top for only $12 and had a great time browsing through their other stuff. They have an Etsy, but you can also find them in Long Beach.

I'm SO envious of people with long hair who are capable of throwing their hair into a high hipster bun. My hair is just short and thin and sad! So, I attempted a tiny little bun with bangs, inspired by Brigitte Bardot(sort of) and this video tutorial: Short Hair Ballerina Bun
















Top: Thrifted from BearCat on school campus
Pants: Forever 21
Cardi: Target
Flats: Forever 21
Belt: Forever 21

Want to visit Bear Cat? Here's their address:
bear cat l.a.
2225 East Broadway
Long Beach, CA, 90803
562 437-3709