Category Archives: STYLE

Friday Floral

By maggiebj | Published: March 29, 2013

I hope you’re having a GOOD FRIDAY! ha…ha.

Spring (weather) is FINALLY here, so of course I had to wear floral to celebrate! This skirt is actually a dress. Ive seen this little trick done before, but I’ve never really had a dress that it would work with. This one actually has enough volume to it to work. I just folded down the top half (it’s sleeveless) under the skirt part. Paired with a striped tee (stripes and floral is a favorite combo of mine), a chambray shirt, and my white chucks, it’s the perfect cool spring day outfit.

I hope you have a great Easter weekend! I’ve got a Cadbury Creme Egg waiting for me. Basically pure sugar…I think my love of them is mostly a nostalgic thing. A single Cadbury Creme Egg is how I celebrated Easter when I was studying abroad in London three years ago, and I’ve gotten myself one every Easter since.

Haha…this is my, “stop distracting me” face. My brother was making faces and thumbs-up gestures at me.

Chambray: J. Crew Factory
Tee: secondhand Old Navy
Dress as skirt: secondhand Delia’s
Shoes: secondhand Converse
Bracelet and earrings: secondhand

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, dress as skirt, fashion, J. Crew, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift, WIWT | 7 Responses

Glimmer of Spring

By maggiebj | Published: March 26, 2013

I braved the 46˚F spring weather, coatless, to take these pictures. Why is it still so cold?!

Do you ever plan an outfit in your head…only to have it totally fail when you actually try it out? I had planned to wear a green sweater with these jeans for a monochromatic look, but I didn’t check and see if the greens actually matched before planning it. They were the same value, but not exactly the same hue, to get all artist-y on you. The pants are more yellow, while the sweater was more of a mint.

But I love my bird-print shirt, anyway, and I haven’t worn it in a long time. My bird-print shirt and green pants are my attempt to add a glimmer of spring into my life, since the weather is failing to do so.
shirt: secondhand J. Crew
pants: secondhand American Eagle Outfitters
belt: Target
shoes: Minnetonka moccasins
bracelets: one is handmade, the other I bought at a market in London

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, fashion, J. Crew, Minnetonka, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift, WIWT | 12 Responses

From the Archives: Minnetonka Moccasins

By maggiebj | Published: March 25, 2013

I was looking back at my archives, and I’m quite sure my three pairs of Minnetonkas win the most-worn-shoes award. I’ve collected all of the outfits I’ve featured here so you can see how versatile they truly are. Dresses, jeans, summer, winter, I’ve worn them with everything, everywhere, in all sorts of weather.

The moccasins I own are the Thunderbird, the Skimmer, and the Back Zipper Boot.

minnetonka_fall

And from the older, college days archives:

Do you have a particular pair of shoes (or multiple) that you get a ton of use out of?

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Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, fashion, Minnetonka, moccasins, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift, thunderbird, WIWT | Leave a comment

Patterns x 3

By maggiebj | Published: March 22, 2013

Today I had a nice long lunch with one of my best friends, then a little later I had a three hour Skype date with another of my best friends. I was not the least bit productive today, but time spent with amazing friends is time well spent. I don’t get to see either of them (or any of my other friends) enough. I spend so much time alone in my room doing freelance design, and I know it’s not good for me mentally. I think about all the friends I had in college and how there was always someone around to talk to, and I just miss it so much. I really need to put more effort into getting out more with friends nearby and Skyping/calling those that are far away. I’ve turned into a recluse – someone help!

I went a bit crazy with the pattern mixing in this outfit. I had planned to wear this sweater with the gingham top, but the floral sash was a last minute addition. I saw it hanging in my closet, and it “matched” so well I couldn’t resist. I almost wore it on my head, but opted to use it as a belt instead.

See how else I’ve styled this versatile top here and here, and see the sash worn a different way here.

top: secondhand Gap
sweater: secondhand Gap
jeans: secondhand Gap
sash: from secondhand American Eagle Outfitters skirt
boots: secondhand Minnetonka
earrings: secondhand J. Crew

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, fashion, Gap, Minnetonka, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift, WIWT | 1 Response

Speed Walking

By maggiebj | Published: March 19, 2013

I saw someone else wearing a similar outfit a few months ago and I loved it, so I jotted a note to myself because I knew I could recreate it. I was happy that today was actually warn enough for me to expose my ankles, though the wind made it a bit chilly (and is also the reason my slightly damp hair looks crazy in these photos).

See how I styled this sweater last time right here.

Yup, I walk that fast in real life.

top: secondhand J. Crew
pants: secondhand Loft
shoes: Crown Vintage via DSW
bone bracelet: (fair trade) Original Good
gold bracelelts: free gift from a conference
earrings: secondhand

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Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, fashion, J. Crew, OOTD, polka dots, secondhand, style, thrift, WIWT | 4 Responses

The Passersby Effect

By maggiebj | Published: March 15, 2013

So these photos are kinda hectic because right as my sister started taking them, I noticed some people walking down the street. Being that I still feel awkward taking pictures of myself (or even having my sister take pictures of me, for that matter), I started panicking and insisting that we wait until they pass. My sister just kept on snapping. BUT…they turned out pretty good, I think. Thanks, Marion, for ignoring my plea to wait.

I’ve worn almost this exact same outfit before. The only difference is the jacket, earrings, and hair length. I think looking back, though, this is a great example of how adding just one more layer, whether it be a jacket, scarf, necklace, or even a belt, can really make an outfit look more fun or pulled-together. I like the details (buttons, pockets) of the shirt on its own, but the jacket really makes it feel more “me.”

top: secondhand Express
jacket: secondhand Old Navy
jeans: secondhand J. Crew
shoes: secondhand Missoni for Target
earrings: Sedona, Arizona

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, fashion, J. Crew, military jacket, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift | 2 Responses

Park Adventure

By maggiebj | Published: March 12, 2013

My sister Marion is on spring break this week and the weather is beautiful, so we went to the park for a while. The below pictures are at the veteran’s memorial, baseball field, and river walk trail. I was supposed to be working (freelance), but I had just gotten an email from the Architecture department at the University of Oregon letting me know I’ve been admitted into the master’s program for Interior Architecture! I was really excited and couldn’t force myself to sit at the computer and write/fill out a bunch of forms and contracts for projects I’m working on, so I gladly agreed when my sister suggested going to the park. I need to suppress the excitement though, because I can’t actually afford to go unless I get a graduate teaching fellow position (tuition waved + stipend). I’ve got to do a lot of emailing in the coming days/weeks.

My sister’s outfit was really cute today. The sun is reflecting off her shirt so badly, though, you can’t really tell that it has neon yellow stripes – so now you know.

To see how I’ve styled my skirt in the past, check out this post.

parkday2 parkday1 parkday3 parkday4 parkday5 parkday7 parkday8 parkday9 parkday10 parkday12 parkday11 parkday13

Marion’s outfit:
all secondhand, not sure about brands.

My outfit:
shirt: secondhand Hollister
skirt: secondhand Gap
belt: DIY
tights: Target
shoes: secondhand Minnetonka thunderbirds

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, diy, fashion, Minnetonka, OOTD, river trail, secondhand, style, thrift, University of Oregon | 4 Responses

Liebster Award

By maggiebj | Published: March 8, 2013

I’ve been nominated for a Liebster Award by Miss Hannah Marie! Thank you, Hannah! This is an award that’s passed around the small/new blogger community. Every blogger who receives the award nominates 11 more bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Interesting fact: Liebster is German for “beloved.”

The rules:

Post 11 things about yourself.
Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
Nominate 11 more bloggers.
Ask 11 questions for your nominees.

I think this is a great way to learn about other bloggers as well as discover new great blogs!

11 things about me: (1) I love musicals (movies and live performances) – Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins were childhood favorites, and I’m a big Fred Astaire fan. (2) I interned with Discovery in 2011 and got to work on web content for Shark Week! (3) I prefer to eat organic, local, and/or fair trade. (4) I love trying weird foods (yup, I tried the haggis in Scotland and the black pudding in Ireland). (5) When flared pants first became popular when I was in middle school, I hated them – I wore “carpenter” jeans. (6) My musical preferences mostly fall under the genres indie rock, indie folk, and vocal jazz. (7) I have a not-so-secret desire to move to the Pacific Northwest (anyone know a company in need of a graphic/web designer? ). (8) I used to be terrified of dogs (even tiny ones), but now I adore them. (9) I’ve loved art all my life. My profession is graphic design, but I love painting, drawing, and pretty much everything else creative as well. (10) I love to write and was one class away from having a creative writing minor in college. (11) I enjoy hiking (one advantage of living in the foothills of the the Appalachian Mountains)…and climbing trees.

Answers to Hannah’s 11 questions:

If you could take a vacation anywhere, where would you go and who would you take with you? – Right now I’m dreaming of Switzerland. I’d take either my sister, my mom, or my friend Hannah because I’ve traveled with them before and know they’re great travel companions.
What is your dream job? – If I were to choose a job outside of my current field, I think I’d go with interior design. I love upcycling, renovating, organizing…and HGTV.
What is your favorite book? – To Kill a Mockingbird. And the Harry Potter series. And everything F. Scott Fitzgerald. I could name books all day. I love to read.
Favorite movie or TV show? – Doctor Who! I may be a fanatic.
Favorite blog? – Delightfully Tacky for fashion, Design*Sponge for home/interiors, A Beautiful Mess for DIY, and DesignLoveFest for design.
What did you want to be when you grew up? – When I was REALLY young, I wanted to be a hair stylist. Throughout most of elementary school, I wanted to be a travel agent. In high school, I got really into video production and wanted to be a post production editor.
What is your favorite article of clothing? I have a purple and blue tie dye skirt that’s super comfy, yet really cute. It was my go-to Saturday piece in college, and I still love it.
If you could have lunch with anybody, who would it be and why? – Because “famous” wasn’t specified, I’m going to say my closest friends from college because I miss them DESPERATELY!
Favorite food? – avocados, mmmm (one of my favorite recipes is coming to the blog soon!)
Favorite childhood memory? – My family went to Germany and Italy to visit my uncle in the Army when I was 9, and we went to Sandpoint, Idaho and Canada when I was 11 to visit my great grandparents. Both were amazing trips and are probably part of the reason I love traveling so much now.
How did you get started blogging? – Check out my Q&A and About Me!

My 11 nominations (some probably have over 200 followers, but I tried to choose blogs that are smaller – under 1000 I guess – that may have not had as much exposure as some of the better known fashion blogs around. I also wanted to choose blogs I actually enjoy myself):

My 11 questions for you:

What is your favorite color to wear?
How would you spend your ideal day?
What is your weirdest favorite food?
What is the coolest thing that has ever happened to you or that you’ve done?
mini, knee-length, midi, or maxi skirt – choose one.
How/when did you develop an interest in fashion?
Name three musicians/bands on your playlist.
Do you have a funny childhood memory?
Biggest pet peeve?
Favorite animal?
Where would you go for your dream vacation and what is one activity you’d like to do while there?

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Also posted in FUN | Tagged blogger award, fashion, fashion blogs, liebster award, style | 4 Responses

Breaking the Rules

By maggiebj | Published: March 7, 2013

Yes, I’m wearing navy AND black AND brown.

I didn’t want to wear black shoes because I’m wearing navy tights…and that looked awkward. I don’t have any navy shoes that would work with this outfit. So what do I do? I just throw another color in the mix – brown. I like that these shoes make the outfit a bit more casual (as does the hat). I haven’t worn this dress yet because I always feel like a structured silk dress is too formal for my everyday life. I really love the way this outfit turned out, though, and I think it’s perfectly acceptable attire for sitting at a computer all day doing graphic design.

I love these shoes! See also how I wore them here, here, and here.

dress: secondhand Diane Von Furstenberg
tights: Target
belt: secondhand
shoes: secondhand Miss Sixty
hat: secondhand Gap
earrings that you can’t see…I always forget to take detail pics: secondhand

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, Diane Von Furstenberg, fashion, Gap, OOTD, secondhand, silk, style, thrift | 7 Responses

Versatile Grays

By maggiebj | Published: March 5, 2013

I took these pictures just in time because it’s pouring outside now. I think it was supposed to be snow, but it ended up being too warm (hooray!).

This skirt and this gingham shirt are both such versatile pieces. They’re neutral colors (gray), and the patterns are subtle/simple enough to where I’m willing to mix them with pretty much any other pattern, including each other (and the zebra shoes).

See how I’ve worn this skirt in the past here and here. See how I’ve worn this shirt here. AND get some purple inspiration here.

sweatshirt: secondhand J. Crew
shirt: secondhand Gap
skirt: secondhand xhilaration
tights: secondhand
shoes: secondhand American Eagle Outfitters
flower post earrings you can’t see: secondhand J. Crew

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, fashion, Gap, gray, grey, J. Crew, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift | 6 Responses

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Hey! I'm Maggie, a graphic designer, crafter, devoted secondhand shopper, Doctor Who fanatic, and dog-lover. Stick around and explore!
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