I was feeling pretty casual my last day of class, so I opted for a my favorite cardigan, skinny jean, and flats pairing. This outfit was also perfect for Scott and I’s lunch date to Windsor and Churn.
Cardigan: Gap; Vneck: Gap; Ring: vintage/gift from Scott; Bag: Coach; City flats: Gap
It was so bright out this afternoon, but it was too beautiful of a day not to take photos. I felt so happy to finally be done with my undergraduate studies. I felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off my shoulders, and all I could do is smile.
I love the pretty detail of this sweater. I plan on wearing it through summer and fall.
Well, today is the day I’m getting my wisdom teeth out. I am especially nervous, and just want it to be over already. I went through years of preparing for braces, wearing braces, and wearing retainers, so I know getting them out is the right choice, as they could possible mess up the current positioning of my teeth, but I am just flat out nervous about it.
I know I am going to be fine though, as I have an excellent dentist/oral surgeon, and a wonderful boyfriend to take care of me. They’re not putting me out for the surgery, so I will be wide awake through the whole thing. Scott told me that hearing your teeth break/being taken out of your mouth can be scary, so I’m just going to try and keep my mind someplace during the surgery.
What is on your agenda today? Anything going on that you’re especially nervous about?
Last week after Scott and I finished our last day of classes, so we decided to celebrate with a nice lunch together. Per my friend Carrie’s suggestion, we checked out Windsor, a new restaurant from the owners of Postinos (for all your PHX residents). Scott and I were both really excited to try out the food, and see the restaurant ( I heard it was super chic and cute).
Blueberry lemonade! It was amazing!
Scott had a crab cake BLT and a side of mac and cheese. Both were delicious.
I had a veggie wrap with a side of coleslaw. Both were seriously good!
The restaurant itself is full of quirks, like this cassette tape wall:
Connected to Windsor is Churn, a sweet, old school style bakery and ice cream shop. Even though we were both pretty full, I insisted that we try something from Churn (ya know, for good measure).
Scott got a “everything but the kitchen sink” cookie, and I got a oatmeal and apricot cookie. Scott also tried their peanut butter ice cream, something I heard they are known for.
Not gonna lie, their bathroom was super cute.
All in all Scott and I really enjoyed Windsor and Churn and will definitely be going back in the future. Both places were moderately priced, and I just love the atmosphere of both places.
Have you checked out Windsor or Churn yet? What’s your favorite restaurant in your town?
Now that school is over for a few months I’m excited to dedicate more time to blogging. Right now I am foreseeing lots of outfit posts, cute peeks at the towns I will be visiting, and stories of adventures I hope to go on.
Cardigan: from my mom; Blouse: Target; Camera necklace: gift from Le Mode Accessories; Clutch: Hobo International; Dot ring: gift from Vivi Dot; Jeans: Levi’s; Shoes: Wanted
Before I head out of the state I am spending some quality time with Scott, and loving every minute of it might I add. We have already been going on adventures to some of our favorite places, and also checking out some new restaurants we didn’t have the chance to check out while still in school.
On one of our recent adventures we headed down to Phoenix to go to Last Chance, a discount store that sells items from Nordstroms for a fraction of the original price. The store isn’t the nicest, and some of the items can be very used, but every once and awhile you can find some real treasures in there. When we went I picked up this amazing Hobo International clutch for dirt cheap. I’ve been wanting an oversized clutch for awhile now, so I was so excited when I spotted this one for a great price.
This little camera was a sweet surprise birthday gift from Adrianna of Le Mode Accessories. It’s really darling! Thanks Adrianna!
Today I’m enjoying more time exploring with Scott. I’m hoping to go on a breakfast date, and maybe on a walk as well. Wednesday I’m having all four wisdom teeth taken out, so I’m trying to do as many enjoyable things as I can before then.
What are your plans for the day? Have you had your wisdom teeth out? If so, what was your experience like? I’m nervous to get mine out!
During the Blogger melt-down a few days ago I lost one post and a few comments from another. So I’m re-blogging these photos and story, and also hoping my comments come back to my other post one day.
Anyways, it’s safe to say that I am obsessed with classic, simple looks. I love how wearing a lovely cardigan paired with a cream blouse, dark skinny jeans, and oxfords can make me feel so classic, feminine, and put together.
Growing up I was taught an important lesson about clothing. My parents always told me that when it came to quality vs. quantity in clothing, quality always won. Well, during my teen years I have say that I really didn’t find myself sticking to this rule, but as I got older I realized the importance of quality clothing and now find myself only purchasing items that meet my quality standards. Every once and awhile, though, I will find myself purchasing something that isn’t necessarily up to par, but that’s life.
I recently received this beautiful Reese cardigan from 81 Poppies, an independent clothing brand based out of Austin, Texas that is the brainchild of Michelle Weisman, a Pratt Institute graduate (very impressive). Michelle told me that for her summer/fall collections she found inspiration in the 1970’s, mainly from style icons Lauren Hutton and Ali McGraw. She also found inspiration in the idea of mixing African Tribal patterns with the American classics. I always love finding out the inspiration behind a designers collection, so I loved learning what Michelle had in my while creating each garment in her shop.
This Reese cardigan absolutely meets my standards for a quality garment. It is made out of French terry cloth, and has the prettiest ruffled detail. It’s also the perfect weight to wear on a chilly spring morning, or on a cool summer evening. I foresee it making many appearances in my spring/summer wardrobe.
I just love the ruffle detail that goes along the collar. It reminds me of the Victorian era, which I love.
So if you haven’t check out 81 Poppies yet, I highly suggest you do. They have some lovely spring/summer pieces in their shop right now. I’m thinking that my next 81 Poppies garment needs to be this amazing dress, it would be perfect for summer and fall. 81 Poppies is also offering you, all my lovely readers, a discount code to her online store, just use the code storenvy for 20 percent off your purchase.
Today I am coming off of my graduate cloud and getting back to the real world. I have lots of emails and blog posts to catch up with, but I’m so excited to share with you all what I’ve been up to lately!
What are you up to today? What are your thoughts on quality vs quantity?
I just wanted to stop in and say hello to everyone. These past few days have been a whirlwind of excitement. Yesterday I walked the line and was awarded a bachelor’s in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Today I will be spending some time with my family before they head out of the state, so expect a new post from me either tonight or tomorrow.
It’s safe to say that the weather in Phoenix has been absolutely amazing lately. 80 degrees in May? This is unreal. Now, I know it’s supposed to warm up fairly soon, but for now I’m going to enjoy the cool breeze and will be outside as much as I can. It’s been perfect to take a walk around the city, and that is exactly what Scott and I have been doing lately.
Jean jacket: Levi’s; Feather hair pins: gift from Vivi Dot; Tank top: Gap; Swirly dot ring: gift from Vivi Dot; Jeans: Levi’s: Oxfords: Wanted
On Monday Scott and I finished up our last day of the semester and decided to celebrate with lunch and a shopping date (more on that later). Yesterday we continued our celebration with a trip to Bosa Donuts for breakfast donuts, a little more shopping, a coffee date with our good friend Courtney (Open Houses at Coffee Bean are the best // The Espresso Cream drink was my favorite), and then topped off the evening with going to a free preview screening of the movie Brides Maids (which was too funny).
All in all, it has been a great week so far!
On another note, I recently received the sweetest package from Molly of Vivi Dot. She sent me some of her amazing dot products in the prettiest package. Scott and I were both so impressed with how Molly put together the package (cardboard grass, tissue paper and a pretty sticker), and also with how most of the products were placed on a faux playing card (such a cute, and unique idea). I absolutely adore everything Molly sent me, and I can’t wait to wear all of my new pretty Vivi Dot hair goodies. Thank you, Molly!
These feather hair pins are my favorite. They kept my hair pulled back great, and they are oh so cute.
This swirly ring is also among my favorites. It has a movable, metal band so you can change it to fit any finger.
Aren’t these roses just gorgeous? Scott and I spotted them while on a walk in downtown Mesa. I just love that all of the flowers are in full bloom right now!
Today Scott and I are going to Taliesin West, the Frank Lloyd Wright school in Scottsdale. We’re going on a one-hour tour and Scott and I are both so excited. We have been talking about going on this tour for over a year now. Promise to share photos and a story about our experience soon.
Today we have a lovely interview with Veronika of Girl and Closet. Veronika is the sweetest lady, and such a classic style. She is known for mixing patterns, and is always thinking about other ways her outfits could be styled up.
Meet Veronika:
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
-I would love to. I’m a Canadian gal living in Vancouver, BC… but originally from the Czech Republic. I’m happily married to my best friend and still SO in love! We’ve been together for 13 years… no babies yet, but we are proud animal parents to an adorable dog (Scout) and our chubby orange cat (Pumpkin). I work as a freelance photographer and I’m just in the midst of developing my own online store. I also keep busy with my personal style blog, which is such a huge passion of mine. I’m a pretty busy gal, which is exactly how I like it. Life is such an adventure and I never like to take it for granted!!
2. What got you interested in blogging, and how long have you been blogging for?
-I’ve been blogging for about 4 months, so it’s still just a baby blog. As for the motivation behind it all? Well, I had just spent a year working from home. Fashion translation? I was living in a pair of tights, a tank and a cardy. I was needing more fashion in my life, a reason to get dressed, and found myself craving a sense of fun & adventure -voila, a blog was born! I love doing all the photo-shoots, picking locations, styling outfits… it’s a great excuse to be creative and have fun!
3. Can you tell us about your style?
-Lately, I’ve been loving clothes that have a vintage vibe, and I’m currently crushing on anything floral. My current fashion uniform seems to be… a cardy, floral print dress, belt, patterned tights, and ballet flats. I love adding textures to my outfits and mixing patterns. I’m a huge fan of modcloth, ruche, j.crew, anthropologie, and I love thrifting! And as for style inspirations? I always favour personal style bloggers over shiny magazines -it’s so much more relatable.
4. In all of your daily outfit posts you give a remix option, explaining another way yourself or someone else can style the outfit. How did you come up with the idea to start giving remix options?
-I’m not even sure how it happened. I’ve been doing it from the beginning. It just popped into my head one day. My mind always seems to be buzzing with ideas, usually when I’m trying to sleep -haha. But I’m a big fan of remixing and it’s something that I do a lot of in my own life. I’m always amazed at how many different ways I can style a dress and I find it really challenging & creative. I also have a new remix project that I’m working on for my blog and can’t wait to share it with my readers.
5. What are your favorite trends for spring?
-Vintage inspired florals prints. Love of my life! I’m also smitten with skinny belts. I usually wear mine knotted with skinny jeans or a dress. I’m also stocking up on wooden platforms and wedges, totally loving the retro vibe. And I also can’t get enough of lace, wide stripes, and rompers… for both spring & summer!
6. When you’re not busy blogging, what can you be found doing?
-Oh my goodness, this sounds so bad… but I spend most of my time working. However, when I do sneak away for a few hours, then my fave things usually include being curled up on the couch with my hubby at the end of a long day; we check our emails or chat about our day. I also love making dinner with friends and enjoying a fantastic bottle of red wine. I definitely love the simple things in life.
7. With regards to fashion, what do you draw inspiration from?
-Hands down, other bloggers. I also adore Liv Tyler, Zooey Deschanel, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. And I’m inspired by everyday street style, music, and art.
8. If you had to pick one outfit to wear the rest of your life, what would it look like?
-ooh, that’s a tough one. But I would have to pick a vintage cable cardy, satin floral print a-line dress, wide belt, textured tights, and vintage knee boots. And I’d throw in a few bangles for good measure.
9. You seem to have a great love for mixing prints. What are your favorite prints to mix, and what do you think they add to an outfit?
-I do! I adore mixing prints. I love it because it’s quite daring and can add a certain edge to an outfit. It’s something that I love to experiment with especially since I’ve started blogging. I’m glad to know that my love for prints is apparent! I’m also planning on doing a “how to guide” in the next month, which will be SO fun and hopefully informative.
10. Do you have any advice for aspiring fashion bloggers? What about someone interested in wearing and mixing prints, but doesn’t know where to start?
-Well firstly… I think it’s important to start a blog that is aligned with your true passions. Focus on original and quality content. I also think aesthetics are really important; things such as great photography, blog design, and over all presentation. I would also tell aspiring fashion bloggers to not be afraid to connect with other bloggers. It’s such a warm & friendly community and I so appreciate all of the wonderful connections that I’ve made since starting my blog.
And as for mixing prints? I have a few rules I abide by… 1) Use one colour to tie it all in 2) Pair a bold print, with a smaller, finer print 3) Experiment 4) If you are starting out, a fool-proof way to mix patterns is to pair hues from one main colour family. Happy mixing!!
Thank you so much Veronika for doing this interview! Don’t forget to check out Veronika’s blog for some daily mixing inspiration and a peek at her always pretty photographs.
Oh my, the weekend sure seem to come and go quickly. Scott and I did get the chance to do a few fun things, though. On Saturday we went to see Something Borrowed (which I loved), and had dinner at Lucille’s BBQ beforehand. We also took my grandma to Liberty Market for Mother’s Day dinner. So even though it went by fast, it was still lovely. I’m ready for a new week though, full of adventures and doctors appointments (oh, well those aren’t fun), and by the end of the week I will be a college graduate! Oh my!
Cardigan: Gift from my mom; Blouse: Urban Outfitters; Tatum purse: c/o Made by Hank; Leather bracelet: Gift from Scott/J Crew; Rust cigarette ankle jeans: Urban Outfitters; Moccs: Minnetonka
Before the weekend hit Scott and I took a trip downtown to run a few errands and pick up some iced coffee from Lola. The outside of Lola is painted the prettiest yellow, and they have a row of orange, vintage school chairs lined up along the front wall. My outfit for the day yet again felt very fall like, but I just loved how it matched my surroundings.
Recently I received the prettiest package from Katie of Made by Hank. For years now I have been admiring her beautiful, handmade ruffled pouches, and I am so excited to finally own my own Made by Hank piece. My new Tatum purse was handmade with the prettiest fabric and is the perfect bag for when I’m on-the-go and don’t want to fuss with a large bag. It fits my DSLR camera, and all purse essentials quite nicely. I am absolutely impressed with the quality of the purse, and highly suggest any Made by Hank handmade good (did I mention that Katie is the biggest sweetheart ever? Well, she most certainly is!).
I just love the leather signature. Such a pretty touch!
This pretty little coin pouch was tucked inside my package from Katie. It was such a sweet surprise!
Next on my list of wanted Made by Hank products is one of her signature roundybottomed tough ruffles zipper purses. I also dream about owning one of her large tough ruffles shoulder bags. Katie’s work consistently amazes me, and it’s safe to say that I’m one of her biggest cheerleaders. She does such great work, and has the biggest heart! YAY for amazing handmade business owners!
Today Scott and I have a few school related things to work on, and then after that the day is pretty open. I’m thinking that maybe some window shopping is in order, and most likely a coffee date as well. Since I have deemed this week “super exciting graduation week” I want every day to be just wonderful. Here’s to good times and the happiest of moments!
What are you up to today? What exciting things do you have going on this week?
I just wanted to stop in to say Happy Mother’s Day to the woman that loved me first, my momma. She has been there with me through thick and thin, and has always been the voice of encouragement and love for myself. I sure wish I could spend today with her, but I will just have to send her my love via calls and text messages for now (I get to see her next week during graduation).
Happy Mother’s Day momma, I love you with all my heart and soul.
The past week has kind of been a whirlwind. I turned 23, got accepted into grad school and program of choice, helped Scott get things ready for his final portfolio for school that was due yesterday, and also made numerous doctors appointments to take care of wisdom teeth, stomach issues, etc.
Blouse: Roxy; Jeans: Levi’s; Leather bracelet: J Crew; Black bangle: Kate Spade; Flats: Ruby & Bloom
Today I thought I would share a little bit about my grad school story. Going into college I had it in my mind already that I would go to grad school, even though at the time I had no idea what for. So throughout my time at community college and early on at ASU I thought long and hard about it. The thought of not knowing what I was going to do after college terrified me, and I knew that I needed to figure things out for myself, whether I was going to actually go to grad school, or just go straight into the work force. So during my junior year I met with my then advisor to talk with her about grad school. Well, for some reason my advisor and I never seem to really see eye-to-eye, which made things difficult, and because of this it did not make my grad school talk with her very easy. I remember leaving from her office that day crying, not knowing what I was going to do with my life. She told me that since I am in the journalism program now, I couldn’t go into the grad school program there and my only option was out-of-state (not an option for myself). It wouldn’t be until the next year that I would meet someone that would put everything into perspective for myself.
My senior year I found out I had a new advisor. After finding out I promptly made an appointment with her, and the moment I stepped into her office I felt relieved. She had music playing, a cute gnome/forrest garden on her desk, and a sign that said crying is ok here. This lady was seriously the answer to all my prayers.
Over the next few months she helped me pin down a great grad school program at ASU that fit perfectly with that I enjoy, and a field that I could see myself working in. So I sent my application in during the beginning of February, and impatiently waited until the cut-off date in early April. Every time I would log into my ASU account I would look at the little box that always said my application was in review, hoping it would change to accepted.
Two or so weeks went by after the application deadline and I still hadn’t heard back, so I made a call to the school and they told me it would be another three weeks or so. My stomach sank a little, but I knew it would be fine.
So on Tuesday, May 3rd I was sitting in one of the design buildings on the ASU Tempe campus when I saw my phone blinking bright green, letting me know I had an email. I turned the phone on, opened the email, and felt a sigh of relief and a rush of happiness when I read that I, Ms. Chelsea Brown, was accepted into the Communication Studies (MA) program at ASU (which has a strong emphasis in advocacy, something that is near, and dear to my heart).
It’s safe to say that if I wouldn’t have been in such a public, with a presentation going on nonetheless, I would have been jumping up and down for joy. I was so happy that Scott was there with me at the moment I found out though, we both smiled at each other and he rubbed my back. That was all I needed. It felt like fireworks were going off inside of me, and then I knew that things would truly be good for Scott and myself in the future. We’re going to have a great life, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for us.
So I did it, and I couldn’t be any happier with my decision! I will see you grad school in the fall, you better be ready for me!
Are you going to go (or already in) to grad school? For what, and why did you decide it was the right decision for yourself?
