Finding Your Own True Style


     This post has sort of been brewing in my head for a very long time, and I guess I've sort of been adding to it slowly and slowly. And with the new year coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to finally put it down and up on the blog. This post will be about my views on achieving personal style.

     Let me first start off by apologizing if this is some long ramble. But I think that finding personal style can sometimes be really hard and take a very long time. There's a million factors that go into it. There's money, there's weather, there's values, there's dress codes, there's location. There's everything! And amidst all of that, you're kind of stuck there with your closet and what you have in your wallet trying to perfect your outfits and attempting to create this image of yourself and what you'll wear. As a high school student, I see this every single day. I won't even lie, I spend most of my school days in sweatpants. I feel like some people are afraid to wear sweatpants. It's like this thing where they say "OMG if I wear sweapants i'll look like this or people will think of me as this", and trust me that goes through my head everytime I pull them on. And to say I don't care would be an absolute lie. I go to school with girls who put their books in Michael Kors bags and wear $200 boots and do their makeup between classes.

     You'd think I would be perfectly accustomed to that because of my blog......and to some degree I actually may be. But the 16 year old inside of me rationalizes that a) there's no way I'd get away with buying $200 boots, and I'd have to save my checks for a month to buy them and b) my IB books would absolutely kill that poor Michael Kors bag, even though they choose to carry their's by hand. And when i'm in those situations, that's really when I start to debate everything. I almost feel horrible, because every other day and on the weekends I dress to the nines and I pick out my favorite belts and do all these things, but during the school days i'll maybe dress up 2/5 days and the rest I just dress like a regular student.

     I start to question. I start to ask myself "well.....since you own a fashion blog....shouldn't you be the one in the expensive boots? Shouldn't you be the one wearing makeup? Shouldn't you be the one taking all the risks and wearing cutouts shirts?" and I always end in the same conclusion. Maybe I should. All those feelings really started to bring me down. I literally stopped shopping. Whenever I would go into a store, say H&M or Forever21, I just wouldn't buy anything. I'd find something I like, then leave it because I'd be thinking what if that doesn't look good on my blog or what if other people don't like it?

     But I feel like even now I don't have a personal style set in stone. I know what I like. I know my favorite color is blue, I know I like wearing long socks with boots, and I know that I like being comfortable. I feel like sometimes I pressure myself to wear things just because I might be expected to, or to wear them because "thats what everyone else wears" so I have to too.And thankfully, sometimes those things just don't look good nor do they work out on me. My goal for 2013 is to finally find my personal style and to love it. No more buying things because someone else has them. No more trying to wear things to fit into one label, and no more trying to wear things because they're a "requirement in a fashion blogger's closet" and they're "things every blogger should have". And yes, those two things in quotes are real things I have read.

I started blogging because I wanted to show you all what my style was, to make an impact, and to express myself. And I feel like that's slowly starting to slip away because I try to fit certain molds or I try to hold up to certain standards because I think others will like it instead of me knowing I myself will like it.

So, as I spend the next week in New Orleans (wedding woohooo!), I hope I come back with a fresh perspective and the preparation to really begin to be myself. And I hope you all do too. Stick to who you are and love what you love! Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to you all, and thank you for always supporting my blog!<3

Holiday Prep With Alexis



     I'm pretty much always on Tumblr. I love seeing all the pretty pictures, getting outfit inspiration, and sometimes even discovering new music. While looking through a few tags a while ago, I came across Sensibly Elegant, a preppy style blog, and I instantly fell in love! Sensibly Elegant is run by Alexis, and she posts her outfits and inspirations daily. I knew that I wanted to share her blog with my lovely readers, so without further ado, I present to you this awesome guest post by Alexis of Sensibly Elegant! Be sure to visit her blog and follow her too!



     Hi, Everyone! I’m Alexis from sensibly-elegant.tumblr.com.  I’ve been given the great opportunity to guest post today! The holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year. The festive decorations, delicious desserts, and of course, the many different celebrations are all aspects that I enjoy most about it. The holiday season contains many different days to dress up or down and enjoy the company of family and friends. Here is a casual outfit idea to wear on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or any other time! The plaid scarf is one of my favorites, and I love to wear it as many times as I can during this part of the year.  In addition, the braided pearl necklace puts a modern touch on a preppy classic!




{Oxford: Brooks Brothers, Skirt: Nordstroms, Scarf & Necklace: F21, Boots: Ralph Lauren}


    

Chocolate Sleighs, Oh My!


     I spent last Saturday night spending time with family, and it was a much-needed reunion between my cousin and I. We helped make dinner while catching up on what was happening at school and in our lives, we took Instagram pictures, and just tried to make up for the little lost time that had passed. Once we'd cleaned up the dishes, she showed me the bags of candy she'd bought to give to her friends, but explained to me that she wasn't really sure how to put them together though she knew she wanted to do something really cute and creative.

     We spent the next half hour trying things, putting pieces of candy together, tying them, and just seeing what we could work out. She had a picture of the idea she wanted to do, which was to make candy sleighs, and we decided that might be the best route to go with a little modification. So, here are the candy sleighs we  ended up making! It was actually really fun, and we both thought they came out insanely adorable! We changed up the styles of each one a little, sometimes adding the tape-on bows and other times tying the bows ourselves. I think this was a really great way to show her friends she cared and wanted them to have a great holiday, and hopefully they liked them! Oh.....and of course I walked away with sleigh in hand! ;)




{We used: Candycanes, Hershey Bars, Miniature Hershey Bars, Different Ribbons, and lots of love! And that up there would be our candy stash, though some was eaten in the process and some bigger bars were still in their bags}




Pastel Pretty


     Helloooo everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't had a new post in a few days, but i've been so busy wrapping things up with school and sports. I tried out for a club lacrosse team (which was a semi-huge deal for me, I was so nervous!), and guess what? I made it! So I will be playing year-round lacrosse outside of school, and it's definitely something I really wanted to do and worked so hard to achieve!

     I can't wait for winter break along with Christmas, and the chance to take a step back, breathe, put away the sweatpants, and kind of refresh my mind! I'll definitely be posting even more as well, I have lots of new things to share with you all! Here's a new Polyvore set I recently made. I've been loving pastels and pale colors a lot recently so I liked the thought of putting it in set form.


Some Girl Will Love A Boy

JoJo Loves You's Holiday Bling Sale


     I am a huge fan of JoJo Loves You. They sell some of the prettiest earrings I have ever seen, and there's so many different choices and colors to choose from! A while back, I posted about one of their biggest online sales, but if you missed it I have good news! There's another big sale (the holiday bling sale) on their bling earrings, and as someone who has a pair, I have to say they're absolutely gorgeous! The sale runs from today through Sunday, so hopefully can you pop over to their online store, look around, and maybe by some bling or two. I think they would make the perfect Christmas present for any girl you know who doesn't mind a little sparkle.


     I got my pair of blings during the summertime, and they became a big staple in my outfits. They were the perfect bright addition to my day, and even now I still wear them often and get tons of compliments.

{My beautiful pair of Aqua Mini Party Blings & one of my frequent summer hangouts}



Window Shopping at H&M


         I decided to break my normal weekend routine of homework, TV, texting, tweeting, and lacrosse by doing something I hadn't done in a while. I went to the movies!! And it was awesome! I saw Skyfall, which was really good. I've seen almost every James Bond movie, and I loved them all so I definitely knew exactly what I wanted to watch when I walked into the theater.
     While waiting for the movie time, I went over to the new H&M that opened in our area just to browse around and see if there was anything I wanted to buy. I must say, I was very impressed! I fell for the decor of the store, and I couldn't help but be in awe of the displays and the mannequins. I'd never had a chance to really go through the store and look around extensively, but i'm glad I took the chance to today! Though I didn't walk out with any new things in hand, i'll definitely go back and look around. I found a few sweaters and dresses I wouldn't mind adding to my closet!

{Mesh dress + sheer sparkly tights}

{I didn't mind seeing spots!}

{Sequin skater dresses, oh yes!}

{A popsicle green pretty blazer}

{I even found some pretty sports leggings and sports tops}

{This shirt also had a half-lace back, which was gorgeous}

{I'm getting more and more obsessed with belts, and I couldn't help snapping these colorful ones}

Though I ended up going into the store, I stared at the window displays first. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Hands On The Wheel


     This is the first official outfit post using the new Canon! I'm so excited and so happy, I think the pictures came out great! I'd love for you all to comment and let me know if you think these pictures are better quality and of course what you think about the outfit. I used a tripod, and getting a full body shot turned out to be a little complicated! Haha. So please excuse the graininess of the third picture. Hopefully i'll get the hang of it all very soon, but for my first time using it on a tripod I think it went pretty well! Multiple buttons we pressed, self-timer became my best friend, and I can't help but feel very excited to publish the post!

     I decided to dress up just a little to school today, but chose to go the leggings route so I would still feel comfortable. I'm usually partial to wearing leggings to school, but I chose to wear a long knitted cardigan over them to give them a little more of a classic look. I paired the two with a striped long-sleeve underneath to add some patterning, then wrapped a scarf around my neck to keep myself a little warmer. To brave the cold, I wore one of my favorite peacoats. I had to leave the house once again, so I picked up a simple bag to put a book I was read in, my keys, and my phone. It also added a nice deep purple color and complemented the neutrals and navys in my outfit.








{Bag: Thrift Store, Scarf: Lands' End, Coat: H&M, Top: Forever21, Leggings: Energie, Black wool socks, Boots: Prima Royale}

     I also wore the trend I wrote about in my previous post, having socks over my leggings but above my boots. Oh, can you tell I had fun with the closeups?

Sock It To The Boot


     It's getting colder and colder each day, but surprisingly I'm starting to like it! I think it's only because I got cuter coats for this year, and I own a lot more comfy longsleeves and sweatpants for the lazy days which makes it all better. I've also been wearing boots almost everyday, may they be riding boots, Uggs, or rain boots. I wear thicker socks with the riding boots and the rain boots, and I've been pulling out all my long socks that are either colorful or have cool patterns, specifically my favorite pair of Jack Wills riding boots.

     So, that's what inspired today's post! It's almost a staple for late fall/early winter, wearing boot socks under your boots and sometimes having them go past your boots. I love it! And you can go either way, crazy socks or even simple socks. It's your choice. And also, Hunters have specific socks you can wear them with that fold right over them. How would you wear it?

Sock It To The Boot
And for some visuals, here are some of my favorite takes on the boot socks + boots trend. 

{Both the boots and socks are from Free People, and I love the style of the boots and the simple high socks}

{I love the print of these socks from Urban Outfitters, and I like that they go up to the knees!}




Snap This, Snap That


     I've been testing out our new camera and trying to figure out what settings take the best pictures and just messing around with it. I decided to take pictures of some things I'd wanted to post about before but didn't have a chance to, and I thought I could get a little artistic while doing so! So here are some pictures, combined with the thoughts behind them, and the outcome of me clicking around. My sister comes home from school on Thursday, and I cannot wait to have a little thanksgiving photoshoot! Wooohoooo!

{I miss summer so much! Here's my favorite skirt, favorite shirt (it says "Follow Me To The Sun), and bikini top. Isn't it so pretty?}

{I got the pair in the middle at a yard sale for $3, and I love them! I've also been wearing my slouchy boots c/o MyHotShoes a lot lately, and I tell ya they go with everything!}

 
{I couldn't wait to show you all this! I love the idea of having a clothing rack or that sort of thing that just has all the pieces that inspire you for the season, but I decided to take it easy and I've been hooking some of my favorites right on my closet doors. I love how it looks in my room, and seeing whatever I hang up just makes me smile!}

{The stacks are forever a work in progress. Friendship bracelets, beaded bracelets, etc}

 
{Peacoat season is finally here!! This is one of my two favorites from Tommy Hilfiger}

 
{When I put together the red sweater and the sequin skirt.....a match made in heaven}

 
{Hmmmm....it was a hard choice between the two}

     I'm so excited because the quality of the photos will improve, and I can't wait to get outfit postin'! I hope you all have a fantastic day.

You can read all about how I started blogging, who inspires me, and what's on my current wishlist.

Outfits, Revisited


     I really love doing outfit posts. I wish I could do more of them, but with sports and school sometimes it's a little hard to get pictures of the outfits I wear, which makes me even sadder on days that I look insanely stylish ;)
     But, my dad recently purchased a new camera.......and my sister and I are allowed to use the camera with his permission. I feel like this camera is gonna motivate me to get more pictures of my outfits, so in celebration of that here are some of my favorite outfits from the past that I've blogged about. I hope you all enjoy this little lookback, and the outfits to come!








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