Monochrome + Aluminum Clubmasters

My new favorite color is black. Prior to August 2012, I probably didn't own a single article of clothing in black. I found it boring, mean, depressing, and stark. Instead, my wardrobe consisted of coral, purple, turquoise, lace, blue jeans, tights, and dresses. I was a girl's girl, always attracted to the cute-factor of a garment.

Nowadays, however, it's BLACK all the way, every day, all the time, in every outfit. I love black. It feels as if last year, I dressed as a girl, and now, I identify more as a grown woman. You can go back in time on this blog and see some of my colorful outfit posts! The contrast is quite startling actually.

There is no other color that is as flattering or as easy to build an outfit around. I throw on my black skinny jeans, and the world is my oyster. I can wear them with a graphic muscle tee and moto boots and look bad-ass, or pair them with a white blouse, gray blazer, and heels, and look super sophisticated. Black jeans to me are like water: beneficial to my well-being and necessary on a daily basis.

Can we talk about my new sunnies? Ever since starting work at a Sunglass Hut, I've suddenly felt the need to have expensive sunglasses in my life and adorning my face, and you can never go wrong with a good ol' pair of Ray Bans (my dream collection also includes a pair of mui mui and prada sunglasses...but that will never happen with this part-time income).

These are the black Aluminum Clubmasters: slightly larger than the normal Clubmasters, made with metal instead of plastic, and with sharper corners for an edgier look. They also come in bronze, silver, and gunmetal. Seriously, I throw these on and instantly I feel like my coolness factor increases by 100 imaginary cool points. The only downside is that they're quite heavy and leave red marks on my nose where the nose pads rest... but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. They also have a lot of gaps through which the sun peeks, so, their function as sunglasses is slightly negated, but... oh well! Style isn't always synonymous with functionality.





Final thoughts are, I need to work on my posing. Sometimes I can be so awkward!

Do you think expensive sunglasses are worth the cost in terms of quality or are we just paying for the brand name? Also, how do you feel about black?

Pants: BDG cigarette, Urban Outfitters
Tee: Tilly's
Boots: Éram (Paris)
Ray Bans: Sunglass Hut
Nekclace: Forever21/Grand Canyon souvenir shop
lipstick: Revlon Berry Haute





Instagram // Pinterest // Bloglovin // Society6

Simplicity of Spring

In honor of the coming spring, I've put together some botanical, natural history-type photographs of the most simple natural elements. Freshly fallen leaves, sprigs of lacy green in the grass, and tiny white wildflowers. Can't get any simpler than this. It makes me want to lie out a soft blanket in the grass, and bask in the sun all day long.















I am going to add some of these to my Etsy shop, but I need some feedback before I do. Which of these do you like the most?

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

Darla Dear on an iPhone

Okay guys, this has been the highlight of my day - scratch that - of my WEEK even. There's this site, Society6, where artists can post and sell their artwork. I already sell prints through Etsy, but what makes Society6 unique is that they produce iPhone cases with my photography on them! (not to mention they handle all the printing, packaging, and shipping, which is pretty cool)

This image is my favorite so far! It ended up fitting perfectly after I flipped it, and I'm super proud of it!



Feel free to check out my Society6 shop, and pin something if you like it! I don't invest much time into it, as it pretty much runs itself, but if you're in the market for an iPhone case... *wink, wink* There are also loose prints and framed prints of some of my work :)

PS: Happy First Day of March!

Treasury - Pattern, Shape, and Color

In class, we've been studying Henri Matisse and Fauvism of the very early 20th Century. The characteristics of their paintings are: the love of surface patterning using flat shapes, and the unashamed use of pure, bright color (perhaps my next art history post will be about these rad dudes). I was inspired by this mini art movement, but replaced their super-saturated color palettes for a more refined and soothing one.

I had to research color names, and these are the three I came up with to describe this Treasury: light azure, pale peach, and camel. It's fun to search color terms in Google images and see what pops up... or maybe that's just a weird quirk of mine!




If you click here, you can take a closer look at each fantastically minimalist/modernist item. :)

I Love You, Pink Peony Photography

It is time *drumroll* for the start of a wonderful tradition, a tradition that will live in the hearts of all, a tradition that will occur once every month, a tradition called: the "I love you,[insert name of artist]" series, where I choose an artist I swoon, drool, and otherwise ogle over, and feature some of their work!

To start off this grand and momentous tradition, I have chosen someone very special, and I must confess that I love you, Pink Peony Photography. You've described your images best in your shop, "fun and sweet." Your images are full of pastels, cute things, flowers, and more cute things. Your photographs are light, bright, and happy, without looking washed-out or over-processed. Bravo, Pink Peony Photography, for earning a spot on my favorites list.

Midi Skirt & Sailor Blouse

I love this ensemble. Not only is it extremely comfortable (LOTS of room in the pleated skirt), it's also my most creative outfit to date. I'm also really amazed that I found this midi skirt at a thrift store, it fit perfectly, there were no stains or rips, Midi skirts are in style right now, and it was only 7 bucks! I even got a deal on the sailor-inspired blouse, in the sale section of Anthropologie. It is possible to live up to your fashion visions while on a budget!

Also, I cut my own bangs yesterday, I'm liking them so far. I'm going for a kind of effortless, textured, cool look.

Skirt: Thrifted
Belt: Liz Claiborne, Thrifted
Top: Anthropologie
Flats: Old Navy
Heels: Forever 21

Some of my current favorites!