Outfit: Leopard print cross & red flats.

leopard cross Dolman top - Urban Outfitters, cardigan & jeans - Old Navy, flats - Wet Seal, earrings - Primark, watch - Target

Apologizes for the dodgy webcam shots today, just felt like blogging!  This tee has been making it's rounds on Youtubers and when i saw it in the UO sale, i had to snatch it up.  I think it's different than the ones i've seen as it is one of those 'one size'/Dolman sleeve/super massive tops, and the other ones seem to be more of a tank top style & a bit more fitted.

The cool weather seems like it is finally here to stay and i couldn't be happier tbh!  I've been wearing a variation of this lately, a cardigan with a top underneath, jeans, and flats/boots.  I'm usually not too adventurous when it comes to jeans & pants - i like to stick to these dark wash skinnies (this is my third pair) and if i'm feeling daring, black jeans haha.  Last year, i would basically only wear leggings so whenever i try to wear them now, i feel like i'm just going back to that time and i cringe a little bit & change into jeans!  I don't know if it's only me, but i've actually gotten rid of so many clothes that remind me of my early (and very cringey) high school years because they just remind me of bad times!

Anyway.... haha.  Overall, this outfit kind of sums up everything i've been loving lately: leopard print, crosses, pops of red, black, watches, and cardigans.  I've been stocking up on sweaters & i can't wait to bring 'em out. :)

♥

Back in the swing of things.

top - H&M, necklace - Forever 21, earrings - Primark, rings - etsy & H&M, bracelets - Primark & various places

(these were taken when i got home so plz excuse my face & unpainted nails ;P)

Today was the first day back at school - a day i've been dreading for months now!  It's sad to think summer is over, it's so hard for me to let good things, like the feeling of complete bliss & freedom (minus work & summer hw) go.  Had so many good times this past summer!  It feels SO strange to be sitting in a classroom again, i did not miss it at all really!  It's so strange to think today was my last first day of high school.  Next year i'll (fingers crossed) be packing up & moving into college dorms.  So crazy to think about - wish time would slow down a bit :'(

We had a late start to school (freshmen had this orientation thing in the morn') so my friends & i went out to breakfast.  I had some super syrupy pancakes, crispy bacon, & some delish cinnamon raisin toast!  I do like a big breakfast :').  It was boiling out today so i just wore one of my new fave tops from H&M, which i tucked the front of into a pair of light wash denim cutoffs (also H&M), i carried around a bright red cardigan from my grandma to cover my shoulders/legs with as our AC system in the school is so dodgy - it's freezing in the morning & fluctuates between hot & cold the rest of the day.

As far as classes go, i'm taking a ton of really different classes in comparison to previous years since we had so many hours to fill each semester.  This semester i'm taking orchestra (if there's one thing i miss about high school, it'll be this class!), AP calculus, anatomy, approaches to critical reading, AP Spanish, world literature, and sociology.  My schedule is pretty good i think & i'm happy to have at least one friend in every class!

Hope everyone else who started school recently is doing okay!  Best of luck everyone, we can make it through this year. ;)

♥

Summer wardrobe.

Quite a while ago, i got a suggestion on Formspring to do a post on my favorite summer clothing items, i quickly got to making a little list, but never took the time to actually take photos.  (Sorry girly!)  Well, i finally got around to doing so.

I didn't exactly pick out my 'favorite summer clothing items' to show you guys, but i wanted to kind of give a little insight into what kind of clothes i've been wearing during these warmer months.  So i split this post into categories based on trends or types of pieces (ie. crop tops, sheer tops, etc.) and picked pieces that i thought did well reflecting each category.  I didn't include accessories or shoes, i might do accessories in a different post, but i didn't do shoes because i've literally been faithful to one or two pairs of shoes & i just wear flip flops by the pool/at the beach!  I did include bags though, because i view those as an essential, just like a shirt or bottoms. :)

My style is generally kind of 'effortless' & not incredibly dressy or anything, so this summer is no different.  I do like to dress up a bit don't get me wrong, but i don't like to look like i've tried too hard.  I also just feel more comfortable in generally more casual clothes.

With that being said, here is a little glimpse of what i've been wearing this summer. ♥

Crop tops

I've been quite liking wearing crop tops this summer, particularly with print or typography on them.  I generally wear longer crop tops as i don't think i can pull off shorter ones!  I typically wear a little cami or tank top under them, like if i'm going to work or something, so my belly's not hanging out (haha, problem area :P).

They look great thrown on with a pair of denim shorts & sandals or flats.

birdcage & 'weekend warrior' tops - Forever 21, triangle print top - thrifted

 Sheer tops

I like wearing sheer tops year round really, but i think they look particularly appropriate during the warmer months.  There's just a romantic and effortless feel to them, making them really easy & comfortable to wear.  For the summer, i like to stick to lighter shades - they just feel more summery & also don't absorb as much light/heat!  Again, these look great with shorts or even with dark wash jeans for cooler days or at night.

Peach long sleeve top - H&M, floral two-layer top - New Look, white pussybow blouse - H&M

Color & patterns

Summer is the one time of year i can wear super bright colors & bold patterns without making a spectacle of myself.  And with the sun shining & no clouds in the sky, who wants to wear dark or boring clothes anyway? ;)  If i'm wearing a top with a bold color or pattern, i like to keep everything else fairly neutral so that piece really gets the focus & it's not too overwhelming.

Bright yellow top - Primark, tribal print top - Forever 21, hot pink pussybow blouse - Primark

Dresses & rompers

If i'm going somewhere that i wouldn't be able to wear something casual (like jean shorts) to or if i just feel like it, i'll throw on a dress or romper like the ones above (they're all dresses, but rompers like the one in this post!).  I love anything floral, but mixing it up with tie-dye or another pattern is always nice & summery as well!  I typically like my dresses to be cotton dresses (one on the right) or a flowy material (one in middle), i find they're more suitable for the weather.  Again, they're something you can just throw on & go!

Both floral dresses - New Look, tie-dye dress - thrifted

Shorts

I'm definitely more of a shorts person than a skirt person as i feel more comfortable in them.  I ordered about four pairs of shorts from Forever 21 but have only really worn two pairs of them because i'm quite picky about the fit of them!  I think everyone needs a pair of denim shorts in her wardrobe, they're super versatile and always in style.  (I've been wanting a pair of studded ones for months now!  So edgy & 'cool').  Just as with skirts, it's fun to play with patterns & colors of shorts. :)

Jean boyfriend shorts - H&M, tribal print shorts & pinky/khaki shorts - Forever 21

Crochet/lace vests

If i feel a bit exposed & just want to cover up a bit or want to add a nice detail to an outfit, i'll throw on one of these.  I think they're really cute & add a bit of texture and interest to an outfit.  I've just realized within the past couple weeks how important texture is in an outfit - if you have a outfit where every piece is solid & flat, it's a bit boring really, and trust me, i've had plenty of outfits like this but just couldn't figure out why they were so uninteresting!  These offer a bit of coverage without compromising style and without making you really warm.

Crochet vest - Kohl's, lace vest - thrifted

Denim jackets

I love love love myself a denim jacket!  Something about them just shouts 'badass' to me.  They're perfect for summer nights as they aren't incredibly, incredibly thick & cozy, but they still offer a bit of warmth.  I've acquired four denim jackets just in the past few months in different washes, but the two above are my faves.  Love light to medium washed jackets, that are also a bit cropped, but not too much, and of course with the sleeves rolled up.  These look awesome over literally everything, and i think as long as the washes aren't too similar, you can pull off wearing them with jeans (for example, i'd wear one of these jackets with dark wash jeans).

Medium wash jacket - thrifted, light wash - Primark

 Cross-body bags

No one wants to lug around a big, heavy shoulder bag during the summer (at least i don't....), so a cross-body or messenger style bag is definitely suitable.  They'll hold all (or at least most ;) of your 'stuff' and are lightweight so they won't drag you down.  Most of them are smaller as well, so it'll force you to only take the essentials.  Most of the time i'll take the fringe bag on the left - definitely one of my favorite bags i own, but if i'm going to work or generally have to take more things & bigger things with me, i'll opt for the satchel on the right which has a much bigger capacity.  Both are fantastic!

Fringe bag - Primark, satchel - Target

♥

Crop tops & crosses.

crop top - Forever 21

tank underneath - American Eagle

jeggings - Old Navy

necklace - thrifted

rings - Charlotte Russe & etsy

bracelets - Primark & Summerfest

Please excuse the mess in the background and the mirror photo... you know i can't resist a little Myspace shot. ;)

I played around a bit with a tripod i found in my dad's closet (part of my interest in photography has come from him :) yesterday as i had some time before i had to go to work, so thought i'd share some of the photos i snapped.  This is one of my new favorite tops i got on my last trip to Forever 21, can't believe almost walked out not getting it.  It was cool enough yesterday to wear it with my trusty jeggings, which i rolled up a tad so i wouldn't be too warm.  I wore this top to Summerfest as well last Saturday to see The Flaming Lips, but with denim shorts.  The phrase 'weekend warrior', besides being my new mantra, also reminds me of the song Weekend Wars by MGMT (no idea why... hm) - i was obsessed with them last summer... Twisted diamond heart, I'M THE WEEKEND WARRIOR. ;D

Not too much to report other than that, i've just been enjoying my free time when i get it and trying to soak in summer as much as i can.  On a bit of a side note, i'm super jealous of all of you who went to see Deathly Hallows Pt. II already.... I had no one to go with for the midnight showing (majority of my friends aren't into HP... crazy, right?!) so i ended up just watching Half-Blood Prince by myself after i came home & changed into my pj's.  I'm quite busy for the rest of this month (senior pictures, trying to get some driving sessions in, work, etc.), but will try to make a trip to the movie theater asap.  Oh, and this video basically sums up my feelings on the subject of Harry Potter.

Let me know if you like these kinds of posts and i will try and keep them up! (:

xoxo

♥

London: Days One & Two

I'm going to first apologize for two things - 1) for this is incredibly late, i did leave for my trip on the 20th of April and it is now the 21st of June! and 2) for this post being hideously long!  Please keep in mind i took hundreds of photos each day, so narrowing them all down and deciding which ones to put in each blog post is so difficult.  So people suggested i just put it in a video format, but i just didn't want to do that tbh.

My trip last April to London & Paris was absolutely amazing.  London is my favorite city that i've been to and we were so, SO lucky to have such incredible weather - we're talking no rain (except for a tiny bit one night), temperatures in the 70s/80s Fahrenheit everyday, and the sun shining.  I took my camera out everyday, but i did leave it home when we went out most nights as it is super heavy and bulky.  It was a trip with school so there were about 15+ or so other people and chaperones, but when we had free time, we were really free to roam about the city on our own (in groups of three or more of course), armed with tube passes for the day, maps, and a list of suggested places to check out.  Most of our nights we had free time, but of course we had to be back in our rooms by midnight. ;)  The trip was really worth every penny and i'm absolutely dying to go back.  My heart is in England. ♥

So here are some of the highlights of day one and two.  Obviously i can't include everything and i didn't even take photos of every place we went to or every thing we did, so bear that in mind.

Day one we arrived at our hotel, went on an overview tour of the city and visited Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus (we were running a bit late so we didn't get to go to Covent Garden :( ), and went on the Jack the Ripper tour (to try and stay up late as to prevent jet lag).  We also had time to go shopping, i went to King's Mall in Hammersmith, which is when i spent loads at Primark and Superdrug (didn't have time for River Island or anything else :/).  And for dinner that night we had Turkish food, it was okay!

Day two we stopped at St. Paul's Cathedral and Hampton Court Palace, and went on a tour in a coach all around the city, and also saw Chicago the musical which i didn't like too much tbh.  For dinner we had Indian cuisine, super spicy!

Got my passport & ticket all ready to go.

*a day of waiting in the airport/flying/going through six time zones later* Baggage claim at Heathrow!

The beloved Primark, almost fell over seeing it (finally!) in person...  Taking a stroll down King Street.  We got some free time so i had a little stop at King's Mall in Hammersmith which was just one tube stop away on the tube or a five minute walk from our hotel.

A few hours of shopping later.. yep, i bought all of those nail paints in one go (+1 more a few days later :P)

Ravenscourt Park tube station, the one that was closest to our hotel. :)

Had another little stroll over the Queen's Jubilee Bridge.  I'm actually quite scared of bridges so i was quick to get off of this one!  Was quite nice though. :)

Trafalgar Square - probably one of my favorite places we went.  So lovely & full of people!

Second to last photo is a picture inside St. Martin in the Fields, located in Trafalgar Square.

I believe these were taken while we were walking through Leicester Square.  We didn't spend too much time there, but it looked like it has a lot of places to eat at and bars and such!  We were also walking through there around dinner time... haha

A little blurry view from our hotel room.  Hammersmith is so, so lovely in my opinion!

We went on a little drive around the touristy parts of London and saw a lot of things that were set up for the Royal Wedding, which took place literally three days after we left for Paris.  These are a bunch of Union Jack flags strung up if you didn't know that already. ;)

St. Paul's Cathedral - We didn't actually get to go inside as we visited it on Good Friday (you could only go in for the service), but it was such a nice day that chilling out on the steps in front of it was perfectly fine.  It was absolutely massive, the door to go in is probably taller than my house.... ha.  My friends & i also stopped at the little Marks & Spencer Simply Food and got some cookies and a berry drink.

Westminster Abbey - Of course we had to stop by here for a bit.  It was quite cool to see where Will and Kate were to be married. :)

A little shot of Big Ben (with the London Eye showing its face in the corner) from Westminster Abbey.

St. James's Park (which was full of people since the weather was amazing) & the walk to Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace in all its glory!

Fish & chips for lunch!  Hands down one of the best meals i had whilst there, could eat it everyyyyyyy day.  And yes, i finished that plate off, don't worry. ;)

Hampton Court Palace on a lovely, lovely day.

Let me know if you enjoyed this ladies!  I will try my best to keep getting the photos up from the rest of the trip.  Will try to make them a bit more brief. :)

♥