Category Archives: STYLE

Inspiration: Everyday Adventure

I don’t know about you, but with spring on the horizon, I’m itching for adventure. A little bit of change is exciting, whether it be changing seasons or a change of location. And of course, I’m probably not the only one who associates warmer weather with vacations and travel.

…But then again, I’m always itching for adventure. I adore traveling, and though my last big adventure (Ireland) was only eight months ago, I’m ready for another. Hopefully I’ll be able to afford regular travel one day, but for now, I’ll just have to live the dream vicariously through Pinterest.

I gathered some photos of outfits that have a bit of adventurous, outdoorsy tinge to them. Even if you have nowhere to go, you can at least dress as if you do! All images are linked to their source.

1. Cargo pants – so you can keep your compass, map, or spare euros handy . A skinny fit makes them feminine, and a sparkly or flowy top makes them a bit more glamorous.

2. Insect prints – if you can’t go out into the wilderness, just wear it on your dress. I have a mild obsession with insect prints. I even designed and bought my own insect-covered iphone case.

3. Desert/chukka boots – inspired by the boots worn by British officers in WWII. The real, crepe sole desert boots (Clarks) are intended to be super comfortable. They’re great for adventures that require lots of walking…or just causal everyday wear.

4. Souvenir tees – show off where you’ve been or just where you want to go. Wear your travel tee with a skirt, or wear it with jeans (just add some fun jewelry to dress it up).

5. Panama or safari hat – you don’t have to go on a safari to justify wearing a safari hat. Feeling really adventurous? Wear a safari helmet (see here or here).

6. Waxed canvas bag – rugged-looking and sturdy. Swap your patent leather purse for a waxed canvas rucksack or shell bag.

What items of clothing or accessories make you feel adventure-ready?

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Evening Shadows

Harsh shadows still exist at 5pm! That’s exciting because it means the sun is still above the trees…which means the days are getting longer…which means SPRING IS COMING!

See how I styled this necklace last time here. My outfit was inspired by this outfit Sydney of The Daybook wore (third picture down). I love the orange and grey combo!

orangegrey2 orangegrey3 orangegrey4 orangegrey5 orangegrey6

Look at this adorable face: orangegrey1

sweater: secondhand Liz Claiborne
shirt: secondhand J. Crew
jeans: secondhand New York & Company
shoes: secondhand Toms
necklace: secondhand

 

 

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Spring? Is That You?

Spring is teasing me. I went outside with bare legs today and didn’t freeze, and daffodils are blooming in front of my house. I sure hope the not-freezing weather sticks around!

See how I styled this dress another time here, and check out how I styled this sweater last winter here.

turqnolive1 turqnolive3 turqnolive2 turqnolive4 turqnolive6 turqnolive5

sweater: secondhand Madison Studio
dress: secondhand Tory Burch
jacket: secondhand Old Navy
belt: secondhand
necklace: secondhand
shoes: Toms

 

 

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Get the Look: Oscars Everyday

Did you watch the Oscars last night? I watch not because I’m rooting for particular actors or movies, but because I want to find out what movies & documentaries might be worth my time to watch. I don’t really keep up with the latest and greatest movies.

I thought it would be fun to show you some fabulous dresses from the ceremony and how you can use those dresses as inspiration in your everyday outfits. So here are 5 glamorous looks transformed into causal outfits. Click each image to go to the original source.

oscarstitle

1. Jessica Chastain in Armani Privé – Pair sequin or beaded pieces with more casual pieces like chambray or jeans for some daytime glamour.

2. Kerry Washington in Miu Miu – Wear gold accessories with coral. They make a beautiful combo.

3. Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji – Tulle skirts are really fun and girly, and they can easily be made less formal when paired with a more casual top.

4. Charlize Theron in Christian Dior – Peplum tops are very trendy right now. A white peplum would look great with a pencil skirt or, for a really casual look, a pair of boyfriend jeans.

5. Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior – Try some light-colored jacquard pieces or a low high skirt for a look that subtly takes inspiration from this embossed, blush-colored, show-stopping gown.

Check out this article to see more pictures of the dresses from the red carpet.

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Olives and Mint

I opened my dresser drawer to find my black tights, and these lovely olive ones greeted me. So much better than the black ones would have been! I like the way they look paired with this mint green sweater.

I almost got rid of this skirt a few months ago.Then I happened upon this post Kinsey did where she wore this same skirt. Her outfit was so cute I decided to keep it.

See a few other ways I’ve styled the pieces in this outfit here, here, and here.
green1 green2 green3 green4 green5 green6
sweater: secondhand Gap
skirt: secondhand 21
boots: Star Ling via Nordstrom (over 3 years ago)
belt: DIY
tights: target
hat: secondhand San Diego Hat Co.

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Month of Purple

My birthday is on Saturday. I turn 23 on the 23rd :D . In honor of my birthday, the month of amethyst (birthstone) and violet (birth flower), I put together a light purple style collage. African Violet also happens to be one of the colors in the Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring 2013.

Purple/lavender is a color I’ve always been told looks good on me, and I think that’s true of most brunettes. Purple is also one of the school colors of my alma mater, so all the more reason to love it.

Click the collage for a larger view.

lavcollage lavender blazer; white lace shorts; purple hair and yellow cardigan; sweater with navy skirt and red tights; purple oxfords; purple skirt with chambray top; skinny jeans and black coat; leopard peplum; neon pink skirt with purple shoes; striped skirt and floral scarf;lying in the grass; purple Minnetonkas;purple, khaki, and camel.

I really love the way light purple looks with that neon pink! I also think it’s lovely paired with mustard yellow or camel. The leopard print looks amazing with the purple, but the black and white stripes are much more my style. I really love the idea of lavender shoes, so I’ll have to be on the look-out next time I’m in a consignment store. BUT that first photo of the lavender blazer might just be my favorite!

Which is your favorite look from the collage? Are there any colors or patterns you particularly like paired with purple that aren’t shown above? Tell me about it in the comments!

 

 

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An Engaging Discussion

Oy. I don’t really have anything to say today…

…aaaand I’ve been sitting here for 5 minutes and still have nothing to say. I guess it happens to all of us sometimes. I promise I’ll try to be more engaging next time. :)

Check out a couple other ways I’ve styled this skirt here and here. See this same scarf and shoes in another outfit here. maxistripes maxistripes2 maxistripes3 maxistripes4 mazistripes5 maxistripes6
sweater: secondhand Gap
skirt: secondhand New York and Company
scarf: secondhand
shoes: secondhand American Eagle Outfitters
hat: fair trade
belt: secondhand

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Valentines Day Shoes

Sometimes the hardest part of putting together an outfit is deciding what shoes to wear…at least for me. Today I had that problem. I’m still not sure which shoes I like best with this outfit, so I just took pictures in every pair I considered. My verdict was on the cowgirl boots, but after looking at these pictures, I’m not sure! Which do YOU like best?

To see how I styled this skirt last time, click here. To see these red tights styled another way, click here. To make a belt like the one I’m wearing, check out this DIY. And to see some inspiration for wearing sneakers, click here.

1. Red Converse (secondhand) valentine1 valentine2

2. Desert Boots (secondhand Miss Sixty) valentine3

3. Ballet Flats (very old, very loved Nine West) valentine4 valentine5

4. Cowgirl Boots (secondhand Steve Madden) valentine6 valentine7 polka dot sweater: secondhand J. Crew
pleated skirt: secondhand J. Crew
tights: secondhand Hue
belt: DIY
necklace: DIY

I hope you had a lovely Valentines Day! I’m off to go bake myself some chocolate peanut butter cookies.

 

 

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Crazy Tea Villain

My plan was to wear this wool skirt with this blazer and top, but when I put it on…it just didn’t work. I can’t really put my finger on exactly what it was that I didn’t like – I liked the colors together, I liked the texture/pattern combo – I just didn’t like it. Maybe I just needed something a bit more fitted on bottom to balance out the bulkiness of the blazer. I like how the outfit looks with the pants. Do you ever envision an outfit in your head, then put it on and it just doesn’t look as good as it did in your head?

Last time I wore this blazer I was still in college. I wore it to give a presentation on a MMOG (massively multiplayer online game) I devised (research, storyboard, mockup, proposal etc.) for a class. The game revolved around a crazy villain who was attempting to use tea concoctions to control people’s minds and take over the world. I chose to wear this blazer because Augustus (crazy tea man) wore a purple trench in my concept art. I included some of my concept art below for your entertainment!

Check out this post for some more blazer inspiration! velvet1 velvet2 velvet3 velvet4 velvet5 velvet6 augustusART

velvet blazer: secondhand Madison
top: secondhand Merona
pants: secondhand Lauren Conrad
boots: secondhand Mossimo
headband: DIY

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Midi Me

I’m not tall. 5’3″, that’s me. I love this skirt, but I was concerned that the midi length would’t be flattering on me. After wearing it, I’m happy to say that I like the length. It’s just short enough, hitting right below the knee rather than mid-calf. A few other things that I think make this skirt okay on my kinda short figure are the vertical pattern on the skirt (vertical lengthens, horizontal widens), wearing the skirt high on the waist with a belt (a midi skirt is not one to be worn on the hips), and the little bit of a heel on my boots.

Browse through Pinterest for some more midi skirt inspiration!

Also, see this post to see how else I’ve styled this top.

Lastly check out my weekend links from yesterday if you missed them.
midi1 midi3 midi4 midi5 midi2

sweater skirt: secondhand Lapis (Anthropologie)
top: secondhand Kim Rogers
belt: secondhand
boots: secoondhand Soda
necklace: secondhand Bestsey Johnson
earrings: secondhand

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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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