Sunday, September 30, 2012

October Native Button Ring Giveaway


Hello! Hope you all are having a fabulous end to your weekend. Today, I have a cool giveaway for you. Beckie from October Native generously offered up one of her button rings for a giveaway, specifically the "large metal button ring" (shown in the photo above). October Native is full of vintage and handmade goodies. You can find anything from adorable button jewelry to cute vintage keepsakes to luggage stickers. You can check out October Native HERE.

Now, onto the giveaway! You must enter through the rafflecopter app below. This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents. To enter, you must follow my blog with GFC, like "October Native" on facebook and leave a comment telling me your favorite item from October Native. Now, go ahead and enter! :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, September 28, 2012

Lulu's Part 4: Burgundy Lace







Hello! Today I wore the last item that Lulu's sent to me. It is a beautiful, burgundy lace dress entitled "....And Everything Nice Burgundy Lace Dress". The dress sells for $41 and you can check it out HERE if you would like.

My favorite thing about this dress would have to be the color. Call it oxblood, call it burgundy, call it maroon, call it whatever as long as I can call it mine! This color was one of the most significant colors in the fall runway shows and I am delighted that it was. The color screams autumn and conjures up images of rainy days spent reading or jumping in piles of colorful leaves.

I also love that this dress is made of lace. From a distance, it looks like it is just a plain dress but upon closer inspection you can see the gorgeous lace detail. It gives the dress an elegant almost vintage vibe. This dress also has a studded leather belt attached to it.

For a casual Friday look, I styled this dress with a slick of lip gloss, western boots and a statement ring. This dress would also be perfect to wear to a school dance, to go out shopping in or to wear for an informal interview.

Dress: c/o Lulu's
Boots: Charlotte Russe
Ring: Jennifer Elizabeth jewelry

P.S. Craving some Lulu's? Use code FASHIONTRENDS to get 15% off any purchase made between now and 9/30! Broke but yearning over Lulu's fab pieces? Enter THIS giveaway for a chance to win any piece of jewelry your heart desires from Lulu's.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Lulu's Part Three: Lucky Dog






Hello! Today I wore a new dress that Lulu's sent to me for free to review. It is the most adorable dress ever- it has little terriers printed all over it. This dress is entitled the Everyone Loves a Terrier Cream Print Dress and sells for $39 +shipping. However, from now until 9/30, use the code FASHIONTRENDS for 15% off your entire purchase!

I styled this dog print dress with a vintage gold sweater, black knee high socks, gold glitter loafers, elegant Giant Vintage sunglasses, a beta club pin, a gold watch and gold bracelets for casual chic look. My dog also chose to wear some Giant Vintage sunglasses to keep the sun out of his eyes.

Dress: c/o Lulu's
Sweater: Vintage
Socks: CVS
Loafers: Target
Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage Sunglasses
Bracelets & watch: vintage
Pin: c/o Beta Club

P.S. Don't forget to check out my Lulu's giveaway HERE!



Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Lulu's Part Two: Boho Luxe




Hello! Today I wore a very bohemian- luxe look perfect for fall. Lulu's recently sent me a few items in the mail to review on my blog and this fabulous scarf is one of them. This is Lulu's Hayride Beige Fringe Scarf. As its name suggests, this scarf conjures up images of hayrides, apple picking, football games and basically any other outdoor fall activity. I am not exaggerating when I say that this may be my favorite knit scarf of all time. To begin with, it is extremely soft and comfortable. I would say that this is the fashionable alternative to a sweatshirt for those chilly fall and winter days.

Another thing that I love about it is the size. This scarf is a lot larger than it appears in the photo on Lulu's.com. I consider that a plus because there are so many ways to style longer/wider scarves. I wore the scarf today in an unusual fashion. I wore it over a tank top so that in the front it looked kind of like a vest or a shirt but from the back you could tell that it was a scarf. All I did was hang the scarf around my neck and then belt it in around my waistline.

A third thing that I adore about this scarf is the beige color- talk about the perfect, versatile color for fall! It would look great with maroon, forest green, orange, red and pretty much any other fall color.

Another sweet thing about this scarf is that it works with pretty much any wardrobe. You could totally see this scarf on your fashionable best friend or sporty best friend. This scarf unlike body-con dresses or booty shorts leaves a good impression on the adults around you. My assistant principal at Godwin even said that she thought the scarf was beautiful and appreciated how I draped it.

The last main thing that I loved about this scarf was the fringe trim. It adds such a boho-cool vibe!

Now, onto how I styled this gem. I wanted to keep kind of a relaxed, bohemian feel to this look so I added a quirky maxi skirt, plain tank top and a vintage belt. To amp up the luxe factor of this look, I added sky-high flatforms, dream catcher earrings and feather earrings. I wore my hair down and natural with just a little bit of makeup- mascara, lip gloss and eyeliner.

Jumping onto an entirely different subject, I have a job interview at Justice tomorrow! Justice, previously know as Limited Too, sells fun girls clothing. They also carry accessories and jewelry for little girls. I have been looking for a job in a retail store as a salesperson for a while now and would be delighted if I got the job. Anyone have any tips or tricks for getting a job there?

Skirt: c/o Chictopia via Doris Apparel
Flatforms: Steve Madden
Scarf: c/o Lulu's.com
Belt: Vintage
Dream catcher earrings: Charlotte Russe
Feather earrings: Pier One
Tank top: Forever 21

P.S. Want to buy this scarf? Lulu's has generously offered 15% off your total purchase from 9/25-9/30 with code FASHIONTRENDS (the code is case sensitive so just copy and paste it into the section for a promo/ coupon code). Broke but desperately craving some Lulu's? Enter my giveaway for any piece of Lulu's jewelry HERE. 

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Philadelphia University Scholarship Day


Hello! This is what I wore yesterday for Philadelphia University's Scholarship Day. I really, really want to attend Philadelphia University next year. PhilaU is pretty much my dream school. It is located in the city of Philadelphia. And even though the school is in the city, the actual campus is beautiful and you can't really tell that you are in the city. This is shown in the photo above. However, it is a bit expensive and I have to pay for college entirely by myself. That is why I decided to attend Philadelphia University's Scholarship Day. Basically what it is is a day where prospective students visit Philadelphia University and complete a task related to their future major. About 50 students attended and we were assigned into teams of four. The teams had to create a product and then pitch it to the judges. However, that is not what determines who gets the scholarship. That is determined by a follow-up assignment that the students turn into PhilaU. I am crossing my fingers that my follow-up assignment will earn me the full scholarship.

Dress: Marshall's
Faux leather jacket: Marshall's
Boots: Target
Tights: Delia's
Earrings: Forever 21

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Fall Foliage


Hey! I know that I haven't done many outfits posts recently. I have just had so many other types of posts that I wanted to share- DIY's, giveaways & an article about my article in Girl's Life Magazine. Didn't see that one? Check it out HERE. But anyways, I have an outfit post for you guys today! My look was inspired by the fall foliage. I absolutely love the colors of autumn- the browns, creams, reds and oranges. To get a look that encompassed all of those colors, I paired a creamy, vintage skirt with a light brown cardigan, red/brown/tan/orange heels, fun statement earrings and bold red lipstick.

Skirt: vintage
Cardigan: thrifted Target
Heels: Steve Madden
Earrings: Vintage Avon
Lipstick: Wet 'n Wild

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Girl's Life Magazine Feature



Hello! I have some exciting news to share with you guys: I was featured in the "Real Life Style" Girl's Life Magazine! I went up to Baltimore, Maryland earlier this year (in July) for a photoshoot. I wore two different outfits. My first outfit consisted of a fabulous, leopard print coat, vintage lace top, fall shorts, tights, flatforms and jewelry. My second outfit consisted of a pretty pink dress, denim shirt, leopard print belt, leopard print bag, tights, lace up boots and jewelry.

Being in this magazine has been such a good experience for me and I am glad that I managed to get featured. Because I hope to work in fashion one day, this is a perfect way to get my name out there. It will also help my blog grow. And being featured in a magazine is also a lot of fun! A professional hair stylist/ makeup artist even did my hair and makeup! It was also great being photographed by a professional photographer. How exciting! I never thought that when I started my blog that my name or photos of me would ever appear in a national magazine. I am just so pleased that I was featured. Does anyone who gets Girl's Life see my feature?

 Thanks to everyone who follows and supports my blog! You guys mean so much to me :)

Monday, September 17, 2012

Lulu's Part One: A Giveaway


 Such a trendy bracelet! Costs $17 Check it out HERE.
Adorable earrings! Only $9 HERE.

Love this thunder bird ring! Available for $21 HERE.

Hello! Today I have an utterly fabulous giveaway for all of my readers! Lulu's and I have teamed up to provide one reader with one piece of Lulu's jewelry. And the best part is that you get to choose what piece that you win! Lulu's has the cutest, on-trend jewelry (they also sell stylish clothing & accessories). They sell chic rings, statement necklaces, boho bracelets and super cool fringe earrings. This giveaway will run until 10/1 and is open only to readers in US and Canada. All that you have to do to enter is to follow my blog with google AND leave a comment stating your three favorite pieces of jewelry from Lulu's. For additional entries, you can "like" Lulu's and myself on facebook. Be sure to check out Lulu's HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, September 16, 2012

DIY Kitty Sweatshirt


DIY Kitty Sweatshirt Inspiration



Hello! Today I have the most adorable DIY for you- a DIY Kitty Sweatshirt. I can't wait to wear this DIY! It is great for fall- the perfect combination of cozy yet stylish. Typically, I shy away from sweatshirts but I don't think that I will be able to resist this sweatshirt!

           

Level of difficulty: Easy- medium. If you can hand sew then you are able to complete this DIY! This DIY isn't difficult but it is very tedious and time consuming.

Supplies: Three different colors of embroidery thread, a needle, pencil, scissors and a basic Hanes sweatshirt. 

Cost: This DIY only cost me time. I used an old sweatshirt I had lying around and leftover embroidery thread from a different DIY so this DIY cost me no money. If you don't have the supplies, you can purchase this type of sweatshirt for around $5-$10 at Walmart or Target. THIS is a good one to use and it only costs $6. You can buy the embroidery thread at any local craft store for between $1-$4.


Steps:
1. Gather supplies.
2. Draw the outline of the eyes, nose and whiskers in pencil on the sweatshirt. 
3. Cut out the embroidery thread for the nose of the cat. If you are thinking of colors to use, I would suggest pink. Although you can't see it very well in the photo, I used light pink and really like how it turned out. Then thread the needle. Next, knot the end of the thread. After that, sew along the outline in pencil and then sew inside the outline until you have filled it in entirely. 
4. Repeat step 3 for the whiskers and eyes. I would advise using black or perhaps white (if you are using a darker colored sweatshirt) for the whiskers. As for the eyes, I think that green or blue look the best.
5. Voila! You are done and now have an adorable, new, cozy addition to your wardrobe.

If any of that doesn't make sense, please feel free to email me or leave a comment with your question! Also, if you try this DIY out and post a photo of yourself wearing it on your blog, I would absolutely LOVE to see it :)

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Time Flies





Hello! This is what I wore last Thursday to school. I styled my outfit around this simple, vintage, black velvet dress. I thrifted it during the summer at a flea market for just $1. The versatility of this dress, the texture and the shape/style of the dress all had me falling in love with it. And for just one dollar? I couldn't resist! Anyways, I paired it with a funky, leopard print top, open weave tights, faux Doc Martens, dark lipstick and a beautiful necklace. Recently, I won this necklace in a giveaway on facebook. This necklace is actually a Kay Adams necklace. Kay Adams runs a wonderful shop, Anthill Antiques, in Carytown which is relatively close to where I live. She sells stunning jewelry and statement necklaces that shes designs and creates herself. I have actually been into her shop and even own another small necklace that she created. My mom especially adores the store and owns more than five Kay Adams necklaces. I was delighted when I won because this necklace is gorgeous. It is on a clear crystal chain and has delicate, old parts of watches hanging off of it. If you live in RVA, you should definitely check out Kay's shop. The address is 3439 West Cary Street   Richmond, VA 23221. If you don't live in RVA, you can always check her pieces out online HERE. Thanks for the necklace Kay!

Oh and exciting news- I was featured in Girl's Life Magazine! A full post about my feature and what the photoshoot was like will be posted later this weekend or on Monday!

Top: Forever 21
Dress: Vintage
Boots: Target
Necklace: Kay Adams
Tights: unknown

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Styled Simplicity Earrings Giveaway



Hello! I know that I haven't had a giveaway in quite some time which is one of the reasons that I am delighted to bring you this giveaway, sponsored by Styled Simplicity. Styled Simplicity is a lovely etsy shop that sells earrings, clips, headbands, necklaces and bow ties. And everything is super adorable! All of the pieces are in such fun colors and patterns that it would be impossible to be unhappy while wearing them. Another thing that I like about Styled Simplicity is that the shop's owner, Jennifer, makes sure to reasonably price her items so you don't end up paying an arm and a leg for a cute, handmade accessory. All of her items cost less than $20 and most of them cost less than $10. You can check out her shop HERE.


Now, onto the giveaway. Jennifer has generously offered up a pair of rose earrings in the winner's choice of color for this giveaway. I wish I could enter! You must enter through the rafflecopter app below. Giveaway ends 9/23 so get on entering! :) Winner will be emailed once the contest has ended.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Twiggy Inspired



Hello! Today, my look was inspired by the fashion of the sixties. I paired my favorite pair of flatforms with a mod, sixties-esque style dress. As you all probably know or maybe don't know, sixties prints and patterns were a major hit on the runway for this upcoming fall winter. If you want to read more about that trend movement and some of the designers behind it, you can check out my trend report on the style HERE. Anyways, to get the complete sixties look I channeled my inner Twiggy (one of the best supermodels of the sixties) when putting on my makeup. I copied her signature style by painting false eyelashes under my eyes. I tried to get a few photographs of just my face so I could show you the makeup better but unfortunately none of the photos turned out that well. Anyways, I really love the retro/mod look that I was able to create with this outfit! Hope you all are enjoying your week!

Flatforms: Steve Madden

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Fantastic Mr. Fox



 Hello! This is what I wore yesterday to a William and Mary football game. I paired my new favorite, wine-colored button down with fall shorts, knee high socks, oxfords, a simple bag and an adorable fox brooch. I love the preppy/schoolgirl look that was created and how this fox brooch added a touch of quirkiness to the look. I actually won this fox brooch in a giveaway on tumblr. I am so glad that I won! This fox brooch is literally the cutest accessory that I own and it is also perfect for fall. It was created by a Texas college student, Amanda. She has her own etsy shop, Abstract Amanda, and sells such cute needlework pieces like this fox for great prices. This fox brooch is sold for $5+shipping. You should definitely check out her shop HERE or her tumblr HERE. Hope that you all enjoyed your weekend!

Shorts: Forever 21
Knee high socks: American Eagle tights that I cut into socks
Oxford flats: Forever 21
Bag: Vintage
Button down: Vintage Express
Fox Brooch: Abstract Amanda

Saturday, September 8, 2012

DIY Sweater Clips


Hello! I have a great fall/winter DIY for you- DIY sweater clips. These are perfect for wearing with button down shirts or with cardigans. I love how they are similar to necklaces but will never get caught up in your hair! Another thing I love about this DIY is how easy it is. In fact, I think that it took me more time to photograph this DIY than actually create it!


Level of difficulty: Super easy. This is probably the easiest DIY that I have ever done! 

Supplies: A pair of large, clip-on earrings, hot glue gun & glue and a gold chain

Cost: This DIY cost me $2. I used a chain from an old necklace so that didn't cost me anything and purchased big, bold clip-on earrings from a thrift store for only $2. I already had a hot glue gun and glue so that also didn't cost me anything.

Steps: 
1. Gather all of your supplies.
2. Plug in the hot glue gun.
3. Glue the end of the chain onto the first earring. Then glue the other end of the chain onto the same earring.
4. You should have a loop/fold in the chain at the other end of the chain because both ends were attached to the first earring. Glue that fold/ loop down to the second earring. 
5. Voila! You are done! Super easy right?


If any of that doesn't make sense, please feel free to email me or leave a comment with your question! Also, if you try this DIY out and post a photo of yourself wearing it on your blog, I would absolutely LOVE to see it :) Hope you all enjoyed this DIY.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Fall Inspiration









Hello! Here is some of my fall inspiration. All images were taken from tumblr. I have been really inspired lately by vintage photographs and pretty much anything vintage related in general. I hope you all have a good weekend!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

On Cloud Nine




Hello! This is what I wore for my third day of senior year! My post is entitled "On Cloud Nine" because I was finally able to wear my Jeffrey Campbell's. So exciting! They are five inches tall and even though I am already 5 foot 8 inches, I adore the extra height boost. I paired them with a pair of dark rinse, high waisted skinny jeans for a "my legs go on for miles" illusion. Accompanying my jeans is a black and white striped tank top that I tucked into the jeans. I then threw on a pearl collar and added some vampy lipstick to complete the look. For these photos, I posed with my AP environmental textbook and The King Must Die by Mary Renault.

Anyways, I promised that I would share more about my senior year in a later post and might as well tell you about it now! I really like being a senior. We have so many privileges that the underclassmen don't have- parking in the senior lot, dressing up for senior Halloween, having the option to leave early (I however stay the whole day), having top lockers, etc. My favorite thing about senior year so far is that I can drive to and from school. It is so much easier and less embarrassing than riding the bus.

My classes so far are okay. I really like my AP environmental class. The teacher is also in charge of ecology club which I have been a member of for four years so we kind of already know each other. I am also pretty excited about my AP art history class because even though I really like art, I am not the greatest at creating it. So a class where instead I can learn about it is the perfect class for me. My art two class is also one of my favorite classes. I mean how can you not like taking art? Both my art classes (AP art history and art 2) also have a large window in them which at my school is pretty rare. So I am stoked about that. Two of my other classes also have windows- AP stats and AP environmental. This is the first year at Godwin that I have actually had more than one class with a window. My least favorite class, believe it or not, is study hall. We are not permitted to go to our lockers or to the restrooms during the class. And to go see a teacher for extra help or to go to guidance, we need to have a pass. These rules I find to be unfair and don't really think they make much sense. But other than that, I have a feeling that this is going to be a good year!

Jeans: Urban Outfitters
Top: Vintage
Collar: c/o Oasap
Lipstick: Wet 'N Wild
Heels: Jeffrey Campbell

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Fall Trend Report: Sixties Inspired Prints

Fall Trend 2012

Fall Trend 2012 by toriraddayyahoocom featuring short skirts

This season, brands like Prada/Miu Miu looked back into the past, or more specifically the sixties, for fashion inspiration. Bold sixties inspired patterns printed on everything from pants to blazers to sky high heels are "in" this fall/ winter season. 

One thing that I love about this retro trend is that those who didn't get to experience the sixties (oh how we envy you, Twiggy!), can now relive it in the once again trendy, playful prints. Personally, I am a fan of all things vintage and vintage inspired and am ecstatic about seeing this mod trend recreated at places like H&M and Forever 21. Why so? It is pretty hard to thrift sixties treasures and the price is not right (for me) to purchase these stylish, printed pieces on etsy so I adore that I will soon have affordable, accessible sixties inspired prints available within a mere few miles. 

Anyone else planning on trying out this fun new trend?

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

First Day of School





Hello! Today was my first day of senior year at Godwin. I am so glad to be a senior! I chose to wear a simple yet chic outfit. Almost everything I am wearing is new which is pretty exciting. I purchased this maroon horse print dress at Marshall's sometime in late July and am so pleased that I did so! The maroon color? Swoon! The quirky horse print? Precious. The price of only $15? Incredible. The fact that this dress fits my school's dress code? Relieving- it is hard for me to find school-appropriate dresses. I know that may sound weird but my school's policy on skirts and dresses is that they must be fingertip length. For some people, that's fine. But not for me! My arms practically touch my knees so I am always happy to find a dress that fits my school's dress code while still looking adorable. 

I purchased this open-knit cream-colored sweater at Forever 21. It was quite the steal- only about $6 or $7 on the sale rack! One thing that I just don't understand about Forever 21 is their sale section (although, I absolutely LOVE it). To begin with, it takes up one whole room! Yes, one whole room! True, the Forever 21 near me is huge- some compare it to a department store- we even have a men's and plus size section. But one whole room? Crazy! Especially considering the fact that the room is quite large itself. Secondly, I used to think that items placed on the sale rack were items that we going out of season/ style. For example, bathing suits going on sale in September or winter coats going on sale in March. But not in Forever 21. Their sales rack features some of that "expiring" merchandise but it also contains a lot of trendy or in-season pieces. Like the sweater I bought. I bought it in July right when Forever 21 was starting to get sweaters in. However, they already had sweaters on clearance! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Forever 21 rocks and this is yet another reason why I love to shop there but it just seems wild.

Another new thing that I am wearing are these gold, glitter flats. I bought these in late June at Target. They  cost me $20 which is a pretty reasonable price for a new pair of shoes. These shoes are a knock off of the trendy Jimmy Choo flats that retail at about $500. I really like them but they don't like me! They gave my feet a few blisters and it looks like I will only be able to wear these with a pair of tights or socks. Which is a shame because they are so darn cute!

I accessorized this look with gold Giant Vintage Sunglasses- love them!-, bunches of gold statement rings and an elegant pearl and gold chain necklace. Overall, this look was one of my favorite first day looks ever. What did you wear for your first day of school? 

This post ended up being rather lengthy (kudos to all who read it all!) and I am about to have dinner so I will post more details about senior year later.

Dress: Marshall's
Flats: Target
Sweater: Forever 21
Necklace: Vintage Givenchy
Rings: Assorted- vintage, High Gloss Fashions, Urban Outfitters and etsy
Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage Sunglasses

Monday, September 3, 2012

Summer Fun









Hi! This is what my sister, Missi,  and I wore yesterday. We both chose easy, care-free looks for one of the last days of summer. I paired a nautical, striped shirt with a navy, pleated skirt for a simple base and added accessories- flatforms, sunglasses, a pearl collar and a playful bag- to add fun to the look. This colorful bag has been in my wardrobe for years but I haven't worn it in a while because I have a harder time styling it but I love how it adds a little quirkiness to this look. My sister wore a more vibrant outfit than mine consisting of a cool graphic tee, pink shorts, gold bangles and nude heels. Hope that you all are enjoying your last day of summer!

On me:
Skirt: Vintage
Shirt: The Limited
Bag: Forever 21
Flatforms: Steve Madden
Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage Sunglasses
Necklace: c/o Oasap

On my sister, Missi:
Shorts: Vintage
Shirt: Delia's
Heels: Forever 21
Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage Sunglasses
Bracelets: H&M