Teal Dress + Gray Cardigan

Excuse me while I cough all over this keyboard as I write this post. Yes, it is true. Like practically everyone else you know at the moment, I am sick. It would be a bit more bearable if it didn't happen right before I left for Vegas though. I lost my voice from coughing the day we got there and I had to stay in and go to bed on Saturday night while my brother, his fiance, and my boyfriend all went out. I'm usually pretty lame when it comes to these kind of things, but never this lame. Still, I managed to have a really good time, despite barely being able to talk. I still drank what I could without overdoing it and walked the strip with them. We also saw Love before I passed out on Saturday, and it was one of the most enjoyable shows I've ever seen. Mostly though, it was nice to get to spend time with my favorite people and to see Jon bond with my brother. Oh yes, I'm that kind of sap.

Needless to say, these photos were taken about a week ago when I was healthy and able to speak. Ah, those were the days. I got this dress from Schoola recently, and while it's a little on the short side, it's the perfect layering piece with tights. It was of course made for putting a collared shirt underneath it. Well, at least that's what I tell myself.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway with Copious Fashions for your chance to win an adorable sweatshirt with floral elbow pads!

Collared Dress + Yellow Cardigan

In both good and bad news, this will be my last set of photos taken at my parents' house. It's always beautiful vising them at the lake, but the drive is at least an hour long, and it's tough to see them as much my siblings and I would all like. Fortunately, they're moving back to Orange County in a few weeks so the drive will be much easier. I'm a little bummed to be losing one of my favorite photo locations, but I'll manage.

I put this outfit on in a hurry before Jon and I left to have breakfast at our friend Adam's place. We were running late and I knew I'd be taking outfit pictures, so I grabbed what I knew would work well. I wear this dress pretty often so I was convinced I had taken pictures in this exact combination before, but I think I actually haven't somehow. It feels familiar, though, right? I guess I can't be surprised. Any combination of a collared dress and cardigan feels like something I've worn before. Or pretty much every day.

eShakti Dress + Beaded Collar

Ever since I started blogging four years ago (has it really been that long?), I've been lucky enough to work with eShakti. They sent me my very first item for a product review back in the day, and since then, I've gotten some of my best dresses from their site. Naturally, I was beyond excited when the opportunity to work with eShakti came up again, and I think I may have chosen the best piece yet.

As I'm sure you're all aware by now, eShakti offers a beautiful range of clothing, all customizable by size and style. Being able to input custom measurements is one thing, but the chance to change that one detail you can't stop thinking about and get your ideal piece as a result? It's the best. I immediately fell in love with the Windowpane Check Buttoned A-Line dress because it seemed perfect for fall. However, as someone who lives in a place that's warm essentially all year, I find it hard to justify owning too many pieces with longer sleeves. I end up gravitating more toward sleeveless pieces that can work well under cardigans when the weather does drop below 70 degrees. And so, I stuck with this perfect fall color and pattern, but I removed the sleeves and chose a boat neckline so that I could easily wear collars underneath it - which is exactly what I did right when I received it. This dress could not be any more perfect, but how it could it not? It's as if I designed it myself. I know this all sounds so hokey and too much like a paid advertisement, but eShakti in no way told me what to write, and I really do mean what I'm saying. I'm pretty pumped about this dress.

Tan Dress + Old Navy Lavender Sandals

I definitely forgot to take photos this weekend, so this outfit is the result of me forcing Jon to get out of bed and walk outside in his pajamas to help me take this set before I left for work this morning. I know, I know. I'm terrible. I would have been okay without any posts this week, but I like my routine. Even as blog readership dies out, it's still my favorite hobby and I feel lost without it. Fortunately, I not only have a very supportive boyfriend, I also have a live-in photographer now. He knew what he was getting himself into when he agreed to live with me. 

I picked up this dress at a thrift store recently, and even though the color possibly washes me out, it's so comfy and lovely that I don't mind. The faux lace collar was hard to resist, but then again, all fit and flare dresses are hard to resist. The Old Navy sandals have become my go-to pair of shoes lately. While I'm bummed that I won't get much of a chance to dress for fall, I'm okay with making these shoes last all year round. I'm also happy to get any chance to throw some pins on a jacket, and this time I pulled out the one I got from the Wilco concert I attended a couple of weeks ago and this donut pin from Honey and the Hive. 

Black Collared Top + Gingham Skirt

This week is...not my week. You might remember that I recently had to pay to get my car's rear window replaced when I found it shattered. That was only two weeks ago, but I now find myself having to pay even more for my car. It had been making some weird noises and when two different lights went on indicating that something was wrong with my brakes, I took it in to get checked out yesterday. Turned out some wire had broken (possibly "chewed by a small animal" they tell me) and two tires need to be changed, which means that I'm out another $500. So that's fun. That also means that all of the money I've been saving for an apartment is gone and all the money I made from selling clothes is, well, not going toward new clothes.

This all a very long way of saying that I'll be seriously remixing my wardrobe going forward as buying new is definitely not an option. Luckily, I could wear this skirt every day until I die and I'd be happy. The same goes for this top. Maybe I've actually done a better job at buying versatile pieces than I've been giving myself credit for? We're about to find out. Stay tuned. Also, if you'd like to send me money and/or clothes, I'm just saying that I wouldn't be opposed to it. Not that I'm desperate or whining. Me? Never.

On a much brighter note, have you seen my latest giveaway? Luella is an absolutely adorable store that's giving away a pin and T-shirt of your choice. Don't forget to enter!

Pinstriped Collared Dress + Polka Dot Headband

So I'm officially unemployed.

Okay, that's misleading. It's only temporary and not exactly true. I start my new job next week, but my last day at my current job was Tuesday and I'm taking a few days off in between. Actually, with Memorial Day on Monday, I technically have a six day weekend. I'm staying at my parents' house for a couple of days this week just to relax and get away from everything for a bit before I get into full work mode again. Since my parents live in a lake house, it's basically a vacation. A vacation where I should be doing productive things, but a vacation nonetheless. I already miss my co-workers like crazy, so a distraction is much-needed.

This dress is one of my all-time favorites, but it's a reminder that Ruche no longer exists. It's one of those pieces that always makes me feel good in it, and I suppose that's enough to mend the pain of losing my favorite store. I'm also still enjoying my new found love of headbands, even if I can't get them to stay on. Is there a special trick to this that I'm missing? I'm still a newbie to the headband life.

Patterned Collared Dress + Tan Thrifted Skirt

In just seven business days, I'll have worked my last day at my current job and will be done with customer service forever. I almost can't believe that I get to say that. It's true, I'm moving on to bigger and better things, and even though I'm incredibly be sad to be leaving the people I've worked with for the past year, and I can hardly wait for the opportunity that is coming next. In the meantime, I'm still getting up at 4 am to work a 6 am shift and doing my usual routine. I also got to see two different friends from college who were in town last week, visit with family, and eat Costco samples with Jon. It's honestly the best thing to do when you're broke and bored. 

I'm pretty happy that I finally decided to wear this collared dress as a top because it's one of my favorite pieces, and I love the idea of doubling its wear. I paired with these darling donut collar clips from Femme De Bloom. They might be the most adorable thing I've ever owned, and I'm even exaggerating. I'm always happy (as you all know) to support local shops and brands, and seeing Melanie's items when I scroll through Instagram is always a delight. I think putting on these collar clips means a guaranteed a good mood.

Yellow Cardigan + Plaid Collared Dress

Hello again from the west coast! My impromptu business trip eventually came to an end, and I'm back to the real world. My trip was truly wonderful, though, and a nice change of pace. I was in Connecticut most of the week, where I worked out of our office there and bonded with my co-workers. I also got to go into New York City a couple of times, which was a real treat. I went in once on "business," which meant visiting the boutiques of the stores I do customer service for and feeling the clothes in person. I then went in on my own over the weekend, where I met up with my friend Callie. Callie came in from Washington DC, and we spent the weekend wandering around without a plan. It turned out to be perfect, as we had a blast walking the Highline, visiting an SNL exhibit full of costumes and props from the show, and eating delicious Italian food. Callie and I only get to see each other every few months or so, and it was wonderful getting to spend the weekend catching up. I also had the pleasure of meeting up with Jen of JennifHsieh, who was seriously the best. I've never had a bad experience meeting a blogging friend in person, and this was no exception. If I lived in New York, I would force her to hang out with me all the time. She's that cool.

Beaded Collared Top + Mustard Skirt

You know what's great about this outfit? The beaded detail on the collared top, the gorgeous color of the skirt, and how perfectly the cat eye sunglasses pair with both pieces. You know what's not great about this outfit? How the shirt got stuck in the zipper of the skirt and then the zipper broke the night I wore it. I want to say that I'm surprised, but this is a pretty typical thing in my life. I'm often getting stuck in clothes and breaking zippers without trying. One time I got stuck in a dress in the dressing room in H&M, and I had to have the dressing room attendant get me out. Classic Elana.

Other than that, I had a nice, relaxing weekend. I wore this on Saturday for a Target trip, an afternoon with friends, and then a wild night of babysitting my niece and nephew. I love getting super dressed up for casual days. It always makes them feel a bit more special. I actually got to get dressed up for real last night though, as two of my parents' friends had a 40th anniversary party. I was way more excited about putting on heels for a special occasion than I should have been. But alas, it had to end. Back to work today. Sigh...

Collared Patterned Dress + Gray Sweater

When I die, I want to be buried in a collar. Okay, full disclosure: I've said that sentence about many items that I own. I'm just that passionate about my Peter Pan collars and dresses. Full disclosure #2: I wore a very similar outfit to this almost a year ago. It goes to show you that I like a routine. Oh, it's under 60 degrees, you say? Better put my sweater over a dress and slip on tights and boots. Is there even another option? No. No, there is not.

When I'm not figuring out how to be on autopilot while planning my outfits, I'm spending this week attempting to be productive. I finally called one of my student loan providers to get my monthly payment lowered, and I actually unpacked a few boxes in my new place. Every time I think I'm finished, I find a new box with more DVDs and comic books. It's seriously all I have, and I don't know where to put them. I'm contemplating selling my bed and sleeping on a pile of DVDs. 

Rose Gardens

It's hard to believe that it's already been a week since I was in Portland. My trip ended last Tuesday, and I've been dreaming of going back ever since. I have a post planned for Wednesday with more photos of my trip and a longer recap, but for now, let's just say that I fell completely head over heels for the city. I loved the culture and how every single business seemed straight out of my dreams, and I loved that all the "touristy souvenirs" that I bought felt like things I would look for on Etsy. I was up there visiting my friends (and up in Washington for a couple of days as well), and it was just the best vacation I could ask for. Sure, I can't say that there was much relaxation or even sleep, but it was worth it. 

I only snapped a few outfit shots along the way, but I did manage to get one full posts worth of photos while at the Rose Gardens. My friend Kyle ended up grabbing my camera half of the time we were there, and he was nice enough to help me take these. This dress is from Apricity, which you should familiarize yourself with immediately if you haven't already done so. I was heartbroken when I heard that Fleet Collections, one of my all-time favorite brands, was ending, so it was such a relief to see that co-founder Eileen Chai immediately had another line in the works. To kick off Apricity months ago, Chai offered Fleet Collection customers a $50 credit for creating an account with Apricity, and I jumped at the chance to get the Sunday dress for cheap. Unfortunately, my height means that often sleeveless dresses end up having straps that are way too long on me, and this dress sat in my closet for longer than I wanted it to. I finally decided that something had to be done, and I took it to get altered (i.e. get the straps to fit my vertically challenged needs) right before trip so I could flaunt it around Portland. My goodness is it perfection. It's just beautiful, and I got so many compliments on it. I even ended up getting to tell a woman who worked in a boutique selling Fleet Collection about Apricity when she commented on it. There's nothing I love more than getting to support independent brands (especially those out of Los Angeles) and getting to make someone's day with a recommendation.

Aggie Again

This outfit is pretty typical for me, which is probably why I love it so much. I'm assuming that most of my readers and people in my life are probably a bit tired of seeing this Fleet Collection Aggie skirt all the time, but I can't help it. There's never a time when I don't want to wear it. I picked up this collared top from Buffalo Exchange a little while ago when I sold some clothes there, and it felt like something that belonged in my wardrobe. Like most shirts, it works perfectly with this skirt. The outfit also paired well against my favorite backdrop: this ridiculously beautiful house down the street from me. I hope the owners don't mind that I like to post photos of their home all over the Internet sometimes. Can they blame me?

Everything has been busy and lovely lately. The CEO of my tiny company (who is wonderful) was in town last week, and she took my office out for dinner and drinks after work one night. She's the best. I started taking calls (if you don't remember, I work in customer service) for one of my favorite designers last week, so that's also exciting. Other than that, I've been hanging out my best friends, spending time with my boyfriend (which I'm still getting used to saying), and catching up on TV. I only kind of was so exhausted that I feel asleep during Game of Thrones last night. 

Pinstriped Pure Joy

If I could design a dream dress for myself, it probably wouldn't be too far off from this one from Shop Ruche. I've been trying so hard to save up for an apartment, but I can't lie. Right after I got my job, I might have done some perusing on Ruche with thoughts that I deserved to treat myself with adulthood finally on the horizon. From the moment I laid eyes on this dress, I couldn't get it out of my mind. I put it in my cart, left it there, took it out of my cart, put it back in, and dreamed about it. Then I came back it to it the next day, promotional code for a discount on all dresses in "hand." And, well, somehow I magically found this dress in my room two days later. I told myself that it was really an excuse to support a local business (Ruche is based out of the city I currently live in), but we all know I'm just weak. So, so weak. 

I wanted to save this dress for a time when I knew I'd get good use out of it and a time when I'd be able to take outfit pictures. I waited until I went to Venice over the weekend with my friend Caitlin, and did that embarrassing thing most of us bloggers do of asking someone I don't see often to take photos of my outfit. Fortunately, Caitlin was game, and she took some great photos for me. I remembered this sidewalk and green house from back when I took photos with Kelsey, and it proved to be perfect and secluded once again. Venice is just too damn photogenic in general if you ask me, and it's the perfect place to highlight a perfect dress. 

Happiness Through Striped Dresses

If I've learned one thing recently, it's that a cute outfit is an easy cure for feeling down and dealing with change. While I'm freaking out about my childhood home being sold and moving to a new place while I struggle with starting my career and whatnot, at the very least I can put on a striped dress, a collar, and a cardigan, and I can feel like myself. I suppose that's the beauty of fashion, isn't it? I'm sure everyone is tired of me moping (and trust me, I appreciate the kind comments of encouragement I've gotten), but I can't lie, things have pretty rough for me lately. I think I may write an honest post soon to give you some more insight into what I've been feeling, more for myself than for anyone reading it. The point that I'm trying to make today, though, is that I'm more appreciative now more than ever to put on clothes that make me feel good. It's hard to be in a mad mood in a fun dress and fun colors, and this outfit in particular makes me happier than most. I'm a sucker for a good striped dress, and I just adore how this collared top looks layered under pieces.

Nothing helps more than having a group of fiercely loyal friends, though. As 22-24 year olds, we've all been struggling with adulthood and post-grad life in different ways, and we've all been there to distract each other, support each other, and to make each other laugh. This week has mostly been filled with us all doing our part to be there for each other, whether it be driving to LA on a moment's notice to offer comfort, going shopping for retail therapy, or watching funny TV shows and eating ice cream as a distraction. This outfit makes me really happy, but nothing compares to making an impromptu trip to the grocery store at 9 p.m. to get Ben & Jerry's with three guys. If it's sickening to hear me talk about how in love I am with the people in my life, well, deal with it. 

Skeletor

What's this? Indoor photos? I don't love how they look, but the only time I had to take pictures last week was when it was super bright outside, so I had to improvise. I had had this dress that I borrowed from Jessica (AKA my blogging/life soul mate) sitting in my room for far too long, so I decided it was time to take it out for a spin before sending it on to the next Flock Together girl. Well, this was actually the second time that I put it on. The first time, I wore it to hang out at my brother and sister-in-law's house, and I actually took photos in it. Because I'm overly critical of myself, I decided that I hated how I styled it, and wore it one more time before mailing it out. This time, I went simpler, and I like it much better. When in doubt, this trusted jacket and blue wedges never fail.

Despite my weird struggle with it, I can't get over this dress. The fit is to die for, and the skeleton print is the best. Who knew that skeletons and collars would be such a match made in heaven?

Louie

If there's any outfit that's a good example of my uniform over the past couple of months, it's this. This jacket and top have become the true MVP's of my closet. The collared top has proven to work with just about anything, and the jacket has been my go-to piece for those California "winter" days. It's not too heavy, it looks good with most things, and the hood makes it perfect the rainy days we've been having lately. The most special part of this outfit, however, is the ring. As you probably know, I recently spent four years in Illinois for college and have had a hard time being so far away from my friends and family there ever since I moved back to California. For Christmas, my brother and sister-in-law (who were visiting from there) surprised me with this adorable Illinois ring, with heart over the town I lived in, to remind me of my time there. It's thoughtful and perfect, and I can't thank them enough for it.

But enough of the sentimental junk. This is what I wore to see Louis CK perform last Sunday, which was just as amazing as I had hoped it would be. I consider Louis CK to be the best current comedian and a true genius, but he doesn't tour very often. I was fortunate to see him headline at Oddball Comedy Fest in the fall, but when my friends and I saw that Los Angeles was on his list of three cities he was performing in this month, we jumped at the chance. He actually came straight from the Golden Globes to the show, which was kind of a fun thing to figure out when I got a text that said "Louis CK is definitely at the Globes" from a friend who was watching while I was already at the theater. He made one joke about it at the end of his set about how he lost at the awards and then immediately changed out of his tux into a T-shirt before he went onstage. Everything about him is perfect. It's normal to have to wait for a comedian to leave an awards show before the show you're at can start, right?

Go With the Flow

There are a couple of items that I'm sending out to some of the Flock Together girls for them to borrow that I realized I hadn't worn in a while, so I decided that I should take pictures in them one more time before they're out on loan. This top was one of them, and while I realized later that this is not at the first time I've paired it with a polka dot skirt (ahem), I couldn't help but be reminded of how well they work together. I'm not exactly sure why I haven't busted out this shirt in so long, but I think I need to start giving it some more love soon. Of course, let's just not mention the fact that I've been so busy that I've yet to mail out this top or the other items. Oops. 

It's kind of funny to me how busy I've been, and I'm very happy about it. One of the hardest parts of post-grad life for me has been not having everything planned all the time, so I've been going into each week like I'm traveling into the unknown. I also assume I'll have no plans and tons of relaxing time, but that's barely been the case at all so far. My internship has been taking up a lot of time (I got to spend yesterday in Santa Monica working with my boss at a coffee shop and then exploring some of the shops in the area), and somehow I always find myself with plans with a friends. (Last night was spent watching the seriously fantastic Jenny Slate movie "Obvious Child," which I cannot recommend enough.) Adding my restaurant job to that, and it's been great keeping unexpectedly busy. It's weird not being a walking to-do list, but it's a welcome change of pace. I've never been the "go with the flow" kind of gal, so here's to hoping I get the hang of it. 

The Lannisters Send Their Regards

All cards on the table, I'm having a hard time concentrating on this post. For one, I'm beyond exhausted and running off of three hours of sleep as I write this on Sunday night. The biggest reason, though, is because I just finished the "Game of Thrones" finale, which, in all its glory, is very distracting. So I'm going to be very proud of myself if I actually make it through this entire post. Bonus points if I actually make sense during it. I hung out with a bunch of friends on Saturday night for my good friend Greg's birthday, and even though I played designated driver for the night, I still ended up home and exhausted past 1 a.m. and in bed by 2 a.m. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but work the next morning required me to be up around 5 a.m. Father's Day is one of the busiest days of the year at the restaurant I work at, so it would have been tiring even if I had gotten a full night's sleep. After eating lunch and showering really quickly, I went straight to my brother's house to celebrate Father's Day, and was only home for about 20 minutes before my friends were picking me up to go to Downtown Disney for a late dessert. There was no time for napping or blogging, hence why I'm writing this at almost 1 a.m., attempting to stay awake.

I do at least have enough energy to talk about this dress that I'm wearing as a top. I borrowed from the extremely lovely Jana via Flock Together, and it's one of those pieces that has been on my wishlist for a while. I'm glad I got to try it out, though, because I ended up not really liking how it looked on me as a dress. I struggled with how to style it for longer than I should have, but I knew that I needed to find a way to make it work somehow since that collar was just too great to pass up. I ended up wearing it as a top and pairing it with this skirt (which looks more turquoise in person), and I quite like the results. Add to that a simple cardigan and little wedge sandals, and this is the kind of look I can get behind.

The Katz' Meow

It really hasn't been that long, but I miss blogging. I know I've been able to post a couple of times over the past few weeks, but it's hardly been enough. Dead week and finals week consumed my life, and I've barely had a chance to take photos or comment on my favorite blogs. Fortunately, I had my last "final" (it wasn't a test; I just had to show up, but the professor wasn't even there) this morning, and break is about to begin, so I'll have more time from now on. A few of my good friends are graduating, and I'll be gone from all of my Illinois friends for a month, so any time not doing homework or studying has been spent with them. This whole being at home for a month thing is pretty bittersweet. On one hand, I'm sad to be away from all of my friends here, but on the other...it is freezing here. California weather cannot come soon enough.

I took these photos yesterday while on a coffee date with Katie and Lexi, and we all almost froze to death taking them. I'm so happy to have them here since they're two of the only people on campus who would stand outside sans coats for a few minutes just to take pictures of our outfits. I decided it was time to break out the cat dress again, and when I realized that it had been forever since I donned a feminine collar, I knew I needed to fix that. This dress really is a great layering piece, which means that I'm going to have to see what else I can do with it soon. Side note: since just about every blogger on the planet owns this dress, does anyone else think it's time for some sort of link-up? 

P.S. Please shop my closet for some cheap clothes so I can afford to buy all of the Christmas presents I need to get!

Bygone

Well, I definitely stuck out like a sore thumb on campus in this one. This was my second Persunmall piece, and it's a beauty, isn't it? I'm not very good at hiding my obsession with white dresses and things with collars, so getting out of my comfort zone wasn't really an option when I saw this one on the site. I'll admit that it fits a little weird, but not enough to make me dislike it. I think I'll wear it as a top tucked into a skirt next time I wear it, which I'm pretty sure will be immediately. It should be noted that I managed to make it almost the whole day without spilling anything on it. It was a Dairy Queen run that eventually got me though.

As for real life things, I had an eventful weekend attending the wedding of two of my close friends, Steve and Liz. I know both of them from college, but weirdly enough met them separately from each other. Liz was a fashion major (who graduated last semester) and Steve is an editor at my paper. They're two of the most wonderful people I know — not to mention one of the most genuinely happiest couples I know — so I couldn't be happier for them. The wedding was lovely, and I apologize to anyone who follows me on Instagram for the overload of photos. Worth it. 

Also, it goes with saying that my friend Mary took these photos, right? I don't know how I got so lucky to know such great photographers who accept payment in the form of friendship.