Dare to be Better

A lot like yesterday's post, I'll have to settle for another Polyvore/inspired outfit type post today....and many other days for the time being. As I mentioned, I'm away from the camera and unable to do posts of my own outfits :( Obviously this one is relying heavily on Fall trends, which is one of my favorite times of the year! The nostalgia it brings just gets me every year -- so happy and lighthearted. As for the freezing temperatures and Fall fashion...those can be iffy for me. Last year's surge of grunge trends were not well suited to me, simply because a) I can not pull of grunge and b) grunge doesn't really go with my vision of Autumn as a happy, nostalgic time of year. But I think tons of people pulled it off well. As for this year, I'm happy with the 2014 trends so far. This post's particular 2014 Fall trend is kind of a simple one, but I guess that's part of why I love it! You can never go wrong with warm colors, plaid, and daring bordeaux Hunter boots. I just recently took a liking to the word "bordeaux", as I have always blindly called it maroon. Come to find out, there actually is a difference! Check it out below ;) So tell me, what's your favorite Fall 2014 trend?

Stay happy <3




Find & follow yours truly on polyvore here <3

Here is the maroon that we all know and love.... In a gorgeous outfit, in my opinion :) 

                                                    And here is bordeaux! 

The difference here is slight, in fact so minimal that maybe it's crazy I'm even going on to explain the difference. But oh well :) My biggest take on the difference between the two is that maroon has more of a brownish-reddish tone, whereas bordeaux has a slight bit of plum-red to it. I personally think of bordeaux as a better Autumn color and maroon as a better Winter/Christmas season color! 

On Reset

WOW! It has been forever since I last posted, and I'm really hating myself for that right now. It has been a busy past couple of months for me, and I have been away from my camera the entire time. So for now we'll have to settle for a Polyvore set I made (no, that model is not me... if only I could pull off that hat;)) This outfit is a little carefree, which is a topic I wanted to touch on today. I'm sure many of you have a similar problem of tending to over-think in situations, something I am often guilty of. Truth be told, I've learned the hard way that over-thinking can slowly destroy you. In most situations that lead to over-thinking, the problem is there because it is a conflict of desire. Especially for us women who know what we want, we have a hard time letting go of the emotional desire and assessing whether or not we're making the right decision for ourselves. So instead, we overthink to compensate for pursuing our want. It's time that we stop this. It's time to re-evaluate our morals, standards, and beliefs, prioritizing those over our wants. Keep self-respect in the forefront of your mind, and don't let overthinking your situations come in between you and your morals. It sure is easier said than done, but once you conquer it, you're the real MVP.... the true winner, and you can take on the world! One of my favorite quotes about overthinking is, "Give it to God and go to sleep."

Stay happy <3

Threads

Today I decided to play with textures. It's one of those parts of outfit-making that I often forget to do! So many times we worry about the color combos and incorporating trends into the look, but textures really make a huge impact on an outfit. I went to the extreme of possibly too many textures... but oh well ;) Denim is one of the most common clothing materials; fortunately, it can be dressed up or down, many times with a solid/rugged appearance. But with a light-wash aqua color fleshed onto the denim jacket, the appearance was still solid, but softened. Skin revealing shirts, such as this one, often have a bad rap, but I think when used in the right setting, they can be great! This feminine floral patterned crochet top certainly leaves enough to the imagination, but still adds a playful, flirty component to the outfit. And of course, the floral skirt brings it all together! What I found interesting about this skirt was the material used. Instead of a normal cotton skirt, this one has highly visible bumps on it. When you look up close, you can see that this texture actually softens the boldly colored flowers, almost like a watercolor painting. I hope you enjoyed this post! It was fun trying to cram as many different, strange materials that I could find:) Have a great Saturday!!

Stay happy <3

Minty

Of course one of my favorite colors (mint) had to make an appearance in this month of posts:) There's just something so summer-y about this color. Usually when I hear summer colors, I think pinks, corals, yellows, etc. But mint is such a spunky surprise of a summer color! It was overwhelmingly hot out, so I couldn't commit to full length jeans today, but rolled into capris they worked out fine. As you know, I can't let an outfit go by with solely solids. So I added a pop of leopard in my shoes! I'm thinking these loafer type flats are making a comeback... Express had some lovely pairs of them:) Have a great last day of July!!

Stay happy <3

Redefine

Hey everyone!  It may be hard to wrap our heads around it, but everyone has loads of insecurities. Yes, even Miranda Kerr and her fellow VS models. Anything from too tall to too stocky, we are all in the same boat -- we are insecure about our appearances. I certainly don't want to place all the blame on the media, but it does play a huge role in what we think about ourselves. We're expected to look a certain way (flip open to any page in Cosmo), and it's a really unfair expectation! I could easily write out a novel-size list of all of the things I'm insecure about. Instead, I'd rather be productive, stop envying others, and instead focus on what I like about myself. It's simple--look at your list of "hates" about yourself and redefine them. Turn them into assets!! Today I centered my outfit around this positive approach to body image. I decided to change my clothes to fit my body instead of changing my body to fit my clothes. To hide my stomach bulge, I placed the belt a little lower than a usual empire waist fit. To make my legs look more defined, I put on a nice pair of wedges. There is never a need to feel bad about your body... You're more beautiful than you could ever think. Don't forget to redefine your insecurities and make them into assets. These are the things that make you the person you are. And that is a wonderful thing. 

... Recent studies have found that if you were to see your exact self walking around town you wouldn't even recognize it as yourself! The way we view ourselves is so much different (and usually lesser) than how everyone else views us. Long story short, don't be too hard on yourself/your appearance. You're all amazing!

Stay happy <3

Timeless

Most things in life are timed. Whether with a long snooze button, or a very short one. Life itself is timed, which is a very scary thought. But one thing I've always been adamant about is to make the most out of the timed things, including life! I want to be able to look back on my life with no regrets, completely satisfied with how I used my time to accomplish things and affect others. Like life, most outfits are timed; trends go in and out for the most part. But this is one of those timeless outfits -- conservative/preppy is always acceptable :) It may not always be trending, but you can wear this type of outfit in almost any generation.. With a few variations of course. Next time you're shopping, pick out something timeless. We have too many timed things anyway; it's nice to know that there are still some things that don't end. They may be our back-up items, but we've gotta have back-ups of something, right? Have a great day. Try to make the most of today as if it were your last!

Stay happy <3

                                                                    Outfit::

Under-shirt: Forever21

Top shirt: Super Dry (from England)

Khakis: American Eagle Outfitters

Belt: Forever21

Bracelet: Charming Charlie

Riding Waves

Hey guys! I hope you had a great weekend. Have you been to the beach lately? If so, then you are pretty familiar with the feeling of the waves. There's really something to say about tranquility at the beach! Honestly, there's no way to be uncalm at the beach; you just have to ride the waves. It's hard to just ride life's waves constantly, especially when we're set on one way. I am truly guilty of that... I'm always trying to plan my life and be sure that I've accomplished all I possibly could in one day. I guess it's good in a way, because I'm a serious proponent of living life to the fullest (I better not have regrets down the road!!), but it's also bad in a way. Sometimes when you think/plan too much, you miss the beautiful things in life. So when I got dressed today, I just let the waves take me without planning how the outfit would look. This is one of those summer-y, sporty outfits that I love to wear in the hot July days! And in tribute to "riding waves", my shirt kind of resembles waves itself. Shirts like these are really great when you're in the mood to just let go! Or as Hamlet wisely said, "Let be." Would you look at that, life lessons, fashion, and theater all in one post! You can thank me later ;)

Stay happy <3

Outfit::

Top: Charming Charlie 

Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Shoes: Bealls 

All jewelry: Charming Charlie

Belt: Charlotte Russe