Friday, December 30, 2011

Big Green Fuzzy Monster

The weather today was disgusting. It was so misty and foggy that it was pretty much like it was raining, except instead of it falling straight down to the ground, it hangs out in your face. I'm not a fan. I haven't been able to break out this coat due to the unusually drier and warmer Fall/Winter we have been having, but I'd like to introduce you to my big green fuzzy monster coat. This thing is my go to all weather coat. It's ridiculously warm, and it is surprisingly water proof. The best part, and my favorite part, is that it has a giant hood. It's perfect for feeling snuggly on a particularly dreary day.

Coat: Anthropologie. Sweater: Anthropologie. Tank: Wet Seal. Jeans: Gap. Socks: H&M. Shoes: Rachel Comey. Belt: Vintage. Bag: Anthropologie.





I'll be in Lake Tahoe for New Year's Eve, and for a day or two after, and although there is no snow, I'm looking forward to the quick getaway. I'm wishing you all a happy, safe, and fun New Year's! And if you're stumped on what to wear, check out this post for some inspiration :) Pin It

Thursday, December 29, 2011

New Year's Outfit Ideas

I don't know about you guys, but I'm super excited about New Year's Eve this year. My favorite part is that it gives you the perfect excuse to be all out festive with your attire, and what is more glam, and festive than sequins? You may have gotten a quick preview due to blogger error, but below I have three outfit sets that I have created all featuring one sequined item. I hope it inspires you to wear sequins no matter where and how you end up celebrating :)

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This is the most casual outfit of the three. If I were to go out to dinner with friends, and end up at someone's house party to celebrate the coming of the new year, this is what I would wear. The chambray shirt keeps things casual even though the skirt, jewelry and shoes scream party. A pop of leopard is always festive, and I would tie in this look by throwing my hair up in a messy pony, and swiping on some red or hot pink matte lipstick.


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This is something I would wear to a fancy bar/lounge, like Bourbon & Branch here in San Francisco. I love the tuxedo inspiration behind it. The bows on the platform shoes help play up the tux look, while keeping things feminine at the same time. I added a bright clutch for a pop of color. I would either pull my hair up into a ballerina bun and wear plum or burgundy lipstick with this look, or wear my hair in loose waves and swipe on some bright red lipstick.


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This final set is the most glam, and something you could wear to a more upscale event. The sequined dress is loose fitted and short so I added opaque black tights for modesty, and a blazer to help add a waistline. The color scheme is similar to the tux look above, so I added earrings in a similar shade as the clutch for a pop of color. I would wear my hair half up with this look, and add a smoky eye and nude lip to pull it all together.
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Deep Thoughts and a New Year's Resolution ( This is text HEAVY)


Before you continue reading this post, I'd like to warn you that it's a whole lot of writing about thoughts buzzing around in my head. I'll post something fashion related later on tonight, but for now, it's just a bunch of writing.

You see, when I started this blog I thought that I would never bring super personal things into it. I don't even have pictures of my home, not that it's anything special, because I thought it best to compartmentalize. This blog, however, is a creative outlet, and sometimes a little writing about something that's bugging you helps alleviate anxiety that is building up. So this is some of that, and maybe you kind readers may have an opinion about what I will discuss, or maybe you are having the same issue as me and this will help you out as much as it is helping me out to write this down.

I've decided that my biggest New Year's resolution is to give my friendship to those who truly deserve it. It may seem simple enough, but I've been thinking a lot lately, and I have been stretching myself thin to those who are underserving. 2012 will be the year that I begin to take care of myself again, and put myself first. A little selfishness isn't a terrible thing.

No single incident caused this resolution to form. I believe it has been a long time coming, and my eyes are finally opening. I've ended two friendships this year, one more difficult than the other. Both are completely different situations. The first one was easy. Though I considered this person a very close friend, her ultimately blatant, and quite intimate betrayal, was a clear sign that she no longer valued me. When someone openly hurts you in that manner, it's easy to get them out of your life, because you care about yourself and you realize they are not worth your care. Letting go of that friendship had no heartbreak, and no regrets.

The other friendship was more difficult to see as problematic because there was no one big incident that proved them undeserving. There are situations in which you give and give to someone because you see how much they need it, and you don't have a problem with it. You want to be a good friend to them, because you expect no less in return. There is a loyalty there for them, but you don't actually ever see the reciprocity. This is the kind of person that throws out the line so you see it, but as soon as you go to grab at it when you need it, they pull it away because it's too much effort for them to give you what you have been giving to them.

I haven't been in any kind of situation with this person in particular where I have needed extra support or attention because of life changing incidences and the like. I've seen that lack of reciprocity in the little things, that after 5+ years of friendship, it's built up into this huge mountain of evidence. The most simple example is the lack of support she has shown to this blog. Not only have negative comments been left on posts that other readers seem to enjoy and support, but criticisms have been made of the photography of this blog, and of the person who takes them, Kyle. Yes, Kyle is not a professional photographer, nor are he or I very knowledgeable of photography. The fact that he takes my pictures everyday, and supports my interest, should be reason enough for this friend to support the both of us and this blog, not criticize it.

This person has on several occasions discussed how she is learning to be accountable, but never once has she practiced it. Looking up a Webster's definition of accountability doesn't mean you understand the concept. Accountability is beyond being held responsible for yourself; it's also holding responsibility towards everyone and everything you encounter.

I'm not a perfect person. This entry may even be considered passive. But I know there are a lot of good people out there who suffer from similar relationships. I am friends with a lot of people that, like me, feel very responsible towards those who only take. From the outside it's easy to see how wrong it is, and how easy it should be to let go of those relationships, but when you confront yourself, there is so much loyalty and emotion clouding your judgement to do the right thing. The right thing is to take care of yourself, which means surrounding yourself with people who can take care of you when you are incapable of doing so. It's a hard lesson to learn, but it's something I have learned this year. It's a lesson I wanted to share with all of you, because I wish happiness upon everyone, and a large part of that is being happy with the people you keep close to you. This is why in the new year, my friendship will be given when deserved.
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Fancy Pants

Look, I'm wearing crazy pants! It's completely out of my comfort zone, but I was totally drawn to the pattern, and taking a cue from Krystal, from This Time Tomorrow, I thought this would be a fun addition to my wardrobe. Another fun addition, as you'll notice, is my Rachel Comey Bernard platforms. I've been hunting them down since this post, and finally found a pair at a price reasonable to me. I don't know why I need to add 4 more inches to my 5'7" frame, but apparently I do. So there you have it, new shoes and new crazy pants. I'm pretty happy :)

Jacket: Gap. Sweater: Anthropologie. Pants: Anthropologie. Shoes: Rachel Comey. Sunglasses: Ray Ban. Scarf: Gifted. Bag: Anthropologie. Belt: Forever 21.




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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Dress Up: Blue Jeans & White T

I've been getting a few e-mails as of late asking me how I go about dressing up my casual looks so I don't look too fancy, or too casual/sloppy. First off, I'd like to thank you all for those e-mails, because it's mighty flattering. Secondly, I thought this would turn into a rather fun post, so if there are any other inquiries, shoot them my way because I'd love to turn this into a series!

So here we go; how to dress up your basics. I decided a white t-shirt and blue jeans would be the best base. We all have them, and we all love them. You just want to make sure the fit is there. If you're wearing a baggy shirt, like me, make sure the jeans counter that and are fitted. If your shirt is fitted, experiment with a boyfriend cut, or flare. Or go fitted both ways, to each their own :)


Outfit 1- Base:
T-shirt: Forever 21. Jeans: Zara. Shoes: TOM'S.

The easiest way to dress something up is to add some nicer accessories. I thought a bold necklace, some bracelets, and comfy yet chic flats were the way to go. I love the chain detailing on the flats around my ankle; it adds just a little bit of uniqueness to the look.

Sunglasses: Ray Ban. Necklace: Banana Republic. Bracelets: Vintage. Shoes: Gap.

The next step you could take is to add some color to the look. A patterned scarf, and bright purple cardigan are light and easy layers you can throw on. They still add visual interest with the fun pops of color.

Scarf: World Market. Cardigan: Anthropologie.

You could also go the edgier route with little effort as well. Throwing on a leather jacket, or any moto inspired jacket of your choice, and funky booties will immediately transform your jeans and tee. I added a hat, funky sunnies, and a scarf for my own personal taste/touch.

Hat: Pendleton. Sunglasses: Vintage. Scarf: World Market. Booties: Rachel Comey.

Jeans and a white tee are so versatile, you could even dress them up to meet friends for happy hour drinks and appetizers. A boyfriend style blazer, fun necklace, sleek clutch, and cute heels can transform your basics into a flirty/fun outfit. I put my hair up in a messy pony tail, and added some red lipstick to pull the look together.

Necklace: World Market. Blazer: Anthropologie. Clutch: Gifted. Shoes: Miss Albright.

And if you want to take the extra step; I'm a fan of belting my blazer just to add a little more to the look.

Belt: Vintage.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed doing it. It was the ultimate dress up day, and I also learned how far jeans and a white t-shirt can go, because I could have added at least 10 more looks. So go out there looking great and being comfy at the same time!! And if you want to see similar posts just contact me and I'd love to do another post!
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Monday, December 26, 2011

Celebrity Style: Rachel Bilson

Happy Monday! I hope the weekend went by smoothly. Did anyone go shopping today? It was crazy by Union Square, and there were deals galore!
Here is a new series I've decided would be fun to add to PostGradChic. I think celebrity style is is an inspiration for most people, and at the top of that inspiration list for me is Rachel Bilson. Her street style is just as cool as her red carpet style, and no one mixes high and low quite like her. Here is some Rachel Bilson eye candy, to maybe inspire you in the near future.



Picutres 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Holiday Outfit

Hi everyone! I am wishing you all a holiday weekend filled with love, family, and fun! To all who celebrate, Merry Christmas! I've left you with a cute outfit I would wear to a Christmas Eve dinner with family and friends. Leather and Lace


Miss Selfridge shirts blouse, £35
Tailored jacket, $70
Sheer hosiery, $18
TIBI leather shorts, $330
Mid heel shoes, $298
Zara buckle bag, $9.99
Chan Luu cord jewelry, $215
Forever21 bangles jewelry, $6.80
Lucky Brand peacock jewelry, $35
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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Flannel

Flannel is probably one of the least luxurious, yet most comfortable fabrics out there, so how could you say no to a flannel dress? The key to not looking like you just got out of bed is to accessorize, as with most anything else. A leather jacket, bold necklace, and heeled boots tie in the look so you're still comfortable, and casual, but not a slob- at least, if you are in fact a slob, no one will think you are ;)

Jacket: Gap. Dress: Banana Republic. Tights: Forever 21. Boots: Rachel Comey. Sunglasses: Ray Ban. Necklace: Banana Republic. Bag: Anthropologie.

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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Las Vegas

Hi everyone! I hope your week is going by smoothly. I finally am back in LA after a whirlwind trip in Vegas, and I'm glad I'm back. Tomorrow I'll be on the road headed back to SF, and while I'm excited to be going back (I'm so homesick), I'm not looking forward to a 6 hour drive right after today's 5 hour drive. I didn't take a lot of pictures in Vegas, but here are a few.

In front of the Aria hotel at City Center.
Scarf: World Market. Blouse: Anthropologie. Jacket: Michael Kors. Short: Sanctuary. Tights: H&M.

In front of the waterfalls of the Wynn.
Blouse: Anthropologie. Suede Leggings: H&M. Coat: Target. Boots: Corso Como. Bag: Anthropologie.

Wynn Waterfalls and The Encore hotel.

Ice Skating at the Venetian.

Gondola Rides in the Ventian.

New York New York hotel.
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