Dots and Rainbows

You know those outfits that you just feel like yourself in? This is one of those. It just feels so classic "me." It actually has been a while since I've worn polka dots on the blog, which strange for me. Obviously that needed to be fixed. I've actually had quite the struggle to find the perfect polka dot skirt, despite the fact that I've bought plenty. They've all either been to short, too small, or just plain not quite right. It has been much harder than I would have expected to find the right one. Luckily, Kristina of The Eyre Effect recently recommended a brand on Amazon in a blogging Facebook group that we're in, and it turns out that there were perfect A-line skirts for cheap with my name on them this whole time. This one is everything I've been looking for so I may have to buy it in multiple colors and patterns. This outfit also featured my new pastel rainbow wedges that I scored for $10 at the BAIT warehouse sale. Talk about beautiful. I don't think I'll ever take them off.

This week is weirdly busy for me, but that mostly consists of getting dinner with friends. Other than that, it's just my same old watching TV and falling asleep early every day. I did watch all of Girlboss even though I thought it was terrible. Funny how I still ended up binging it all. It was definitely interesting considering I've been following along with Nasty Gal since its birth, but I straight up hated almost every single character. I also didn't appreciate how it made fun of the vintage community. But alas, addicting TV is addicting TV. 

On-Trend Parisian

I am fully aware that this outfit is very un-creative, but I still love it. Despite the fact that I feel like I've seen a million different bloggers wearing essentially this same exact look, I hadn't worn this on the blog yet and I couldn't resist. This was actually my first time trying out the bandana scarf look, and I'm pretty pumped with how I managed to pull it off. Naturally, I couldn't help but look to blogger babes Devinne and Nicole for inspiration. Those two have been rocking the neck scarf since before it was trendy. In all honesty, I look to both of them for inspiration on a daily basis so if I can look even half as flawless as they do, I'm happy.

I took these photos with my friend Hanna again, and even though scheduling forced us to take them during the brightest point of the day, we still managed to get some great shots out of the afternoon. The Orange Circle is forever one of my favorite places in Orange County (you've surely seen me share photos taken in the area before), and the backdrop of Old Towne antique stores never fails. As for the rest of the weekend, my family got together on Saturday evening to celebrate my mom's birthday, and Jon and I stopped by our friend's apartment to hang out for a little bit after. We're trying to make exploring new places a regular thing, so we took a little drive to Laguna to visit Crystal Cove for a bit on Sunday. I complain about living in Orange County often, but the multitude of gorgeous beaches in the area is hard to dislike. Living 20 minutes away from my hometown isn't so bad when I live in a place like this. 

Blue Door

I had to travel pretty far to get photos in front of this door.

Okay, not really. I've been driving by this apartment complex every day for a while now, and I just recently noticed how photo-worthy this door is. I was hoping to take pictures in front of it last week, but when it rained, I had to postpone. Luckily, I planned ahead this weekend and when I saw that it was supposed to rain on Sunday, I convinced Jon to help me on Saturday instead. He normally works Saturdays, but as luck would have it, he happened to have part of the day off this weekend. The photo gods were on my side. We actually went on a nice little walk to get here (read: I misjudged how far it was), and there happened to be a nice little walkway in front of it and zero people coming in and out. Like I said, the photo gods showed mercy. I may not be religious or be a big believer of fate, but come on. Good blog photo circumstances aren't always easy to come by. 

I scored this dress in the Ruche sale recently, and while I'm bummed that I didn't put on a belt before taking these, I'm really excited to add this to my wardrobe. I may or may not be impulsively shopping more than usual lately. Don't tell my mom. I'm not sure what's gotten into me, but I can't help myself. There are too many cute things on the Internet, too many sales, and too little time. ...seriously, don't tell my mom. If she asks, tell her that I'm being a responsible adult and putting all of my money in savings that's not going toward my rent or student loans. It's kind of true, I promise.

Also, a big congrats to Taylor and Maggie for winning the Feminist Resistance Giveaway! We raised over $600, mostly for Planned Parenthood, and many people set up monthly donations. It's so wonderful to see how many people are making a difference. 

Palm Spring Neutrals

Oh look, for once I'm trying something new! I've been eyeing off the shoulder tops since they started becoming trendy recently, but I wasn't sure if I had the body type to pull it off. Being pretty busty, I tend to shy away from things that require me to wear a strapless bra. That said, I was perusing Unique Vintage during their 20% off sale and noticed that this ruffled off the shoulder top actually looked fairly flattering AND was affordable. So I figured why not? As luck would have it, I absolutely love it. I'll definitely get more use out of it in the summer, but I can't wait to bust it out on those sweltering days when the mere thought of putting on clothes makes you sweat. For once, I will be a little prepared. 

I'm leaving for Palm Springs today for a conference, and while I'll be wearing work-appropriate clothes while I'm there, I thought it might be fun to do an outfit based on what I wish I could wear. If I were just going for vacation, you better believe I'd be packing this top and skirt combo. Regardless, I'm still excited. This will be my first big e-commerce conference with my current company, and there will be speakers from some huge companies. Plus, one of my closest friends happens to be attending with her work as well, so I know it'll be fun. 

P.S. Don't forget - today's the last day to enter the Feminist Resistance Giveaway! Don't miss out.

White Sweater + Gingham Skirt

These photos were just taken over the weekend, but it already feels way too warm to wear sweaters again. See? The world is truly ending.

I kid.

It's not ending, but there still is work to do. Things still feel difficult to process and it still feels like the right time to stand up and do something. That said, I've taken a couple of days to be distracted, and I'm ready to get back to focusing on the things I love. Some of those things include blogging and cute clothes, which are nice distractions from the real world. It feels frivolous and arbitrary to be posting outfit photos, but it's also fun and a little bit silly. It means nothing other than the fact that I enjoy it, and that's enough. I feel good about myself when I put on something pretty, and I feel even better about myself when that something pretty is this skirt. If there is ever a time to do things that make us happy, as silly as they may be, it's now. So here's a comfy sweater, my favorite skirt, a kick ass pair of oxfords, and a necklace made by a dear friend. That's enough for me to feel good in this moment. 

Floral Dress + Mustard Button Down

This is one of those outfits that I can't help but feel didn't photograph well. I absolutely loved wearing it and got compliments all day, but looking at the photos now, it's not my favorite. I suppose that's one of the dangers of looking at photos of your outfits every day. It becomes impossible not to be critical and overthink each one. Is this really the content I want to put out into the world? Am I okay with calling putting this out there for likes and comments when I so obviously would have gotten more if I had just worn a belt? It's all ridiculous, of course, since no one is as critical of myself as I am, but it's impossible not to think that way every so often. I obviously don't think this with everything I share. For every one outfit or blog post or Instagram photo that I get self conscious about, there are five that give me a huge ego. Trust me, I am usually too much of a fan of my content.

Looking back at it again, I do like this outfit more and more. A floral dress with a mustard button down underneath? That's my jam. I've been a little impulsive with my clothes buying lately, but I just decided to let go of my second source of income in order to save my sanity. I need to start buckling down again, and that's forced me to take a look at my closet and sell what I don't need/remix the items I do wear. This happens probably every other month so it's nothing new. If you're interested at all, I do have some things listed on my Poshmark, so take a look!

Old Navy Gingham Dess + Denim Jacket

Can you tell how sweaty I am in these photos? Changing three times in a park for multiple sets of outfit photos and wearing a denim jacket in the middle of summer were not two of my finest ideas, but I stand by them. I love the classic look of a denim jacket and gingham sundress, and I especially love having a place to put some of my favorite pins. Sure, the heat was unbearable, but sometimes clothes are worth it.

I'm still on a high from my wonderful weekend, but I'm lucky to actually enjoy my job. My work has taken on some new clients that are exciting, so I've been keeping busy. I'm also starting to do a bit of work on the side for my old company. I'm mostly doing it for the little bit of extra money to put toward a new apartment, but I also really missed my old coworkers so I'm excited to have an excuse to chat with them online again. 

Ruche Lavender Dress + BAIT Flats

Hello, hello. Let's skip the formalities and discuss how excited I am about these photos. A couple of months ago, I met Lory at a birthday party for my best friend's boyfriend. We hit it off and followed each other on Instagram, as one does upon making a new friend. Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I noticed a post Lory put up asking for models to take photos of with her new camera. Despite the fact that I had only met her once, I went out on a limb and asked if she'd be interested in taking some fashion-y pictures. Fortunately for me, Lory is awesome and was just excited as I was to work together. We had such a great time taking this set and a couple of others at a beautiful park, that we're going to make it a regular thing. So far she's been the only one to be able to capture the lovely color of this Ruche dress, which is pretty amazing if you ask me. (Side note: let's talk about how wonderful it is to have Ruche back. Thank the shopping gods.)

I spent the weekend in San Diego with Jon, which was perfect. It was Comic-Con weekend, but we pretty much spent most of it away from the convention center, snacking at the farmer's market, and marathoning movies. We did plan one SDCC-related event, which was attending a live taping of The Nerdist, one of my favorite podcasts. Seeing Chris Hardwick, Jonah Ray, and Matt Mira riff together in person would have been enough for me, but it was surreal seeing Joel Hodgson (of Mystery Science Theater 3000) and the king himself, Bruce Campbell. It was totally worth the accident of planning a relaxing vacation during San Diego's craziest weekend of the year.

White Grid Crop Top + Red Skirt

Happy day after the 4th of July! My holiday was fairly uneventful, but nice nonetheless. Jon and I hung out at our friend Adam's all day, and other than some time eating burgers by the pool, it was a pretty typical day for us. By that, I mean that we watched a lot of Arrested Development and browsed Reddit. There were also a few dogs hanging out at the house, so it was pretty wonderful. The 4th isn't exactly my favorite holiday (outdoor activities aren't usually my thing), but it was nice. The entire weekend was pretty much spent having movie marathons with Jon, which is pretty much my dream weekend with my dream guy. I'll take being cozy and watching movies all weekend over actually doing things any day.

I did make him go outside a couple of time to take photos, but the times that were most convenient to go ended up being the worst lighting. These pictures aren't my favorite because of that, but I do really like this outfit. Before vegging on the couch, I wore this to go to breakfast with my mom and visit with my brother's family. This crop top is actually part of a matching set, and you can see how I wore the skirt in my post here. I've been searching everywhere for a skirt this color for longer than I'd like to admit, but when I recently sold something on Poshmark, I found that I had credit in my account from when I signed up that I completely forgotten about. I used it to get this dream of skirt, which I haggled to $10. It's perfection. Thank you, free Poshmark credit. I am eternally grateful.

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!

Thrifted Red Striped Tank Top + Polka Dot Skirt

It's that time again. I'm once again bored with everything I own and have caught the shopping bug. It is...not good. I got some extra money from my leftover PTO when I left my job, and I've been awful about using it to justify some purchases. I really haven't spent much, but I keep popping into thrift stores here and there whenever I have a free moment to feed the shopping hunger, but avoid spending too much. I picked up this skirt recently, and I don't regret it one bit. I've bought many a polka dot skirt over the years, but they've never been quite right. They always end up being to small or too short, but this one? Just right. 

I have many on countless things from online stores, but I'm making myself wait. I have some things listed on eBay and Poshmark to sell, and I won't allow myself to click the "checkout" button on any website until they're gone. That said, help a sister out? I have plenty listed on Poshmark that beg to be purchased. If you can live with the fact that you are single-handedly fueling my shopping addiction, then there's really nothing stopping you.

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.

Mustard Scalloped Top + Teal Skirt

No matter how hard I try, I cannot seem to get the wrinkles out of this shirt. I've ironed it plenty of times, but I think it has it out for me. I've considered giving it away because of the issue, but every time I go to take it off the hanger and throw it my pile of clothes that need new homes, I can't bring myself to do it. Those scallops! That mustard color! I can handle a few wrinkles, right? And so, every few months, I put it on and face the consequences. Eternally wrinkled I shall be. ...but I mean, it's still cute, right? Right.

My life right now is just counting down the days until I get to leave customer service forever. I can't wait until I don't have to be yelled at by rude people for mistakes I didn't make. It's brutal, to say the least. On the bright side, I will forever be overly kind to anyone working in customer service for the rest of my life. So there's that.

Modcloth Collared Dress + Gingham Skirt

I'm going to be honest with you; I'm really, really excited about this skirt. When I hear that Ruche was closing, I was devastated. I was less devastated when I realized that meant a closing sale. Okay, the sale could never really make up for the loss of my favorite store, but it sure helped. I had been eyeing this skirt for some time, and the sale finally gave me the push I needed to justify it. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I took it out for its first spin while I was in New York, but I finally got to take some proper outfit photos in it over the weekend. It's the most perfect addition to my wardrobe, and I loved how it paired with this red dress worn as a top. Dresses worn as tops are always a good idea.

This weekend was nice and relaxing, filled with plenty of food and family. I went to an adorable donut shop with my friend Nicolette on Saturday before hanging out with Jon and our friend Adam and having dinner with Jon's family later. My family met up for Mexican food for dinner on Mother's Day, which is really just the best way to celebrate any holiday. Now, if only the weekend could last forever. 

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...

Ruche White and Black Skirt + Polka Dot Top

They should just rename tax return season "shopping excuse season." For the first time in months, I indulged my shopping addiction. I've been good; I really have. I've been putting aside money each pay check and only spending on food and gas for a while in an effort to save for a new apartment. I even put most of my tax return into savings. However, I think I can get away with spending some of it on new clothes, right? Right. This is my way of saying: meet my new Ruche skirt. I bought a few sale things, including this skirt, which is actually part of a set with a matching crop top. There was only one size left and it turned out to be a bit big, but you know me, I'm a problem solver. I put the top in my hamper in hopes that it will shrink when I wash it next, and I grabbed this belt to pair with the skirt. Psh, fits like a glove. I pulled out this black dress to wear as a top, and voila! I make it all work, ya'll. 

Speaking of shopping addictions, I wore this outfit to go thrifting on Saturday with my best friend. I've been itching for new clothes, but mostly, I've been desperate for a thrifting trip. After coffee at Ink & Bean (one of my absolute favorite coffee shops) and wandering through a flea market with no cash, we browsed through Savers and one other store. I always have the best luck in Savers, which is why it's my first go-to. The entire day, I spent under $50 and got three dresses, five shirts, and two pairs of shoes. I would call that success, but that's just me.

Striped Tank Top + Pleated Midi Skirt

I should apologize in advance. I'm doing that thing again where the only time I have to write this is late at night, and I'm half asleep. In fact, I just wrote "assleep," but I have enough dignity to correct my typos as I deliriously move along. I'm sure I'll find that to be untrue when I go back and read this in the morning, though. Keeping a full-time job, a freelance job, a blog, and remnants of a social life is tough work. By that I also just mean that I'm an old lady trapped in a 23-year-old's body and just want to be in bed watching Frasier and falling asleep before 9 p.m. Is that too much to ask for?

This is another one of my "casual Sunday" looks that I threw on this past weekend before grabbing breakfast with my friend Nicolette. We ate this cute place in Costa Mesa where you can still feel the ocean breeze. A comfy tank top and midi skirt were perfect for stuffing my face with an omelette and coffee until I could eat no more. Both of these pieces are two of my all-time favorite thift finds. The top is Madewell, which I scored for $2, and the skirt was one of the last things I thrifted while I lived in a small town in Illinois. Ah, memories.

Beach Day

Ah, we meet again, Monday. This weekend was wonderful, as usual. On Saturday I went to Ruche's event, Sip N' Shop Holiday, at their warehouse with my friend Casey, and it was fantastic. I got to see their first retail space, The Shop at 131, which meant seeing a selection of gorgeous Ruche and Threadsence pieces in person. There was also pizza and beer from some of my favorite local places (Two Saucy Broads Pizza and Bootleggers Brewery), plus booths full of beautiful clothes and accessories from other local stores and brands. I resisted the urge to buy a million things, but I did end up picking up a sweet little leather pouch from Share And Do Good. As much as I like to complain about living in Orange County sometimes, I can't deny that I live by some amazing businesses.

The rest of the day was mostly spent watching Master of None with my friend Adam. I am in love with that show now and already finished the season last night. When I wasn't binge watching yesterday, I was getting breakfast and spending the afternoon at the beach with Jon. We're always looking for free things to do (since we're both broke as hell) and it finally cooled down enough to sit by the water and read together. I wore this lovely vintage dress that I picked up while I was in Portland a few months ago and this new (to me) cardigan that I got from Schoola, my new obsession. If you're unfamiliar, Schoola is an online thrift store that donates money to schools. When you request a bag to be sent to you to fill with clothes, you can choose which school to donate 40% of the sales. Cute clothes and supporting a good cause? It's a win-win for everyone. P.S. If you use my referral link, we each get $20 in credit. 

Margot

I don't have too much time to write, but here's one of my new favorite outfits that I wore to work yesterday. I don't think I've owned anything with a turtleneck since I was a kid, but I couldn't resist this sweet lavender dress. I love that it fits right in with my wardrobe, but is still a tad different from anything I own. My favorite part of this outfit, though, is the Margot Tenenbaum pin from Andsmile Studio. I've been wanting to buy a pin from this shop for a while now, ever since I discovered it on Etsy, and I finally caved and let my love for Wes Anderson dictate my purchases. I got this one and a Steve Zissou one, and I'm probably going to have to buy the X-Files ones soon as well. They're too perfect.

There's a lot of exciting stuff going on right now at work and outside of work, and I can't wait to tell you more when I have more time. I'm finally starting to feel like my post-college funk is going away a little (a year and a half later), and I couldn't be happier.

Favorites

The ratio of the amount of times I've worn this dress to the amount of times I've posted pictures of it on the blog is a little ridiculous. I think I've only posted it once, yet it gets worn almost weekly. I'd wear it every day if that were socially acceptable. Actually, maybe I should just do that...

I'll be daydreaming about wearing this dress around a park and just a great weekend in general while I'm back at work today. I had a ton of fun getting ice cream and antiquing with my best friend and then bonding with my co-workers at Oktoberfest and brunch. Let's just say the mimosas were truly bottomless this weekend. Jon and I also watched Beasts of No Nation on Netflix, which I...did not enjoy. I was so focused on watching a Netflix originally movie that will most likely be nominated for Oscars, that I didn't really think about the fact that it was going to be about children brutally murdering people. Not really my thing.