Holland, 1945

Are you ready for this, world? I'm wearing a T-shirt. Not only that, but I willingly bought the T-shirt, AND I was excited about it. I wasn't even still sick. I honestly don't remember the last time I wore a T-shirt that wasn't for work or to bed, but since last week's concert was most likely the only time I'll ever see Neutral Milk Hotel live, I figured that I had to get a shirt to commemorate the event. I thought about getting a tote bag, but I have a million and one of those, and I couldn't get over how awesome this shirt was. Plus, if I've learned anything from Jessica of Midwest Muse (among other things), it's that band T-shirts can, in fact, be stylish.

I swear after this post I'll stop talking about Neutral Milk Hotel, but I'm still on a high after the concert. It doesn't help that my weekend wasn't extremely eventful so it's not like I have anything else very exciting to talk about. Other than re-watching "30 Rock" for far too many hours, I got lunch with my friend Christian, watched some episodes of "Party Down" with my friend Jon, and had great pizza and beer with my family. So basically, my weekend (like most of my life) just consisted of food and TV. It's really all that matters in life.

Fan Favorite

Meet another new (to me) dress that I'll be wearing all summer. I just got this dress in from a Facebook swap, and it's such a great, easy piece to throw on. And guys, it's covered in fans, which is probably, like, the third cutest print I could find behind little animals and bicycles. Okay, not really, but I'm in love with it regardless. My only regret is that I didn't think to wear my fan necklace with it, but we all make mistakes sometimes. Mine are just limited to forgetting to match my accessories to my outfits. Other than that, I'm perfect.

I actually wore this dress for the first time to Balboa Island with my friend Jon on Saturday, but I didn't get any pictures. Fortunately, my friend Alena was kind enough to spend yesterday afternoon traipsing through Orange County with me to find spots for outfit photos. I got a new lens, which I'm very excited about, but taking pictures in my backyard with a tripod can only stay interesting for so long. We ended up taking a couple of sets, and I'm especially smitten with this set taken at a park not too far from us. I had only been there once a long time ago, so I was hoping it was just as pretty as I remembered when I suggested it. As much as I'm hoping to not stay in Orange County for too long, I'm definitely starting to realize just how little of it I've actually seen. It really is a cool place to grow up, and I'm hoping to explore my hometown even more while I'm here, for however long that may be.

While you're here, make sure to enter my two-year anniversary giveaway for a chance to win prizes from seven amazing small businesses! 

Splurge vs. Save

I've always thought that a good introduction for myself would be "Hi, my name is Elana, and I'm a shopping addict." However, I'm starting to think that it's more along the lines of "Hi, my name is Elana, and I'm a bargain addict." I do have a shopping problem, but I'm mostly guilty of not being able to pass up a good bargain. Well, that and not having any self-control. Because of that, I was pretty intrigued when Credit Card Insider contacted me about being part of the website's "Splurge vs. Save" campaign. I used to spend hours upon hours in high school drooling over Net-a-Porter, reading high-fashion magazines, and researching designers. Because I was never anywhere near being able to afford any of those items, I got into the habit of finding similar items on sale racks and at thrift stores. I usually don't take part in websites' campaigns like this, but I loved that this one is geared toward encouraging people to spend responsibly. I may not be good at saving my money (which is partly why I'm interested in working with a website that could help break this bad habit of mine), but I'm at least good at bargain hunting. 

Back in high school, when I went through my designer phase, my absolute favorite designer was Lanvin. Even though my favorite has since changed (that spot is reserved for Proenza Schouler now and forever), I'll never get over how Alber Elbaz crafts such luxurious pieces. I doubt I'll ever be able to afford a Lanvin piece, but I can definitely afford $10 from the clearance rack at Urban Outfitters. My brother actually bought this for as part of a birthday present while we were in the store last summer, but I remember being drawn to it immediately because of how feminine and versatile it was. I can't remember the last time I bought something for full-price at Urban, but I've scored some absolute gems in the sale section. I thought I ruined it for a while after I accidentally washed it with a red dress, but I'm happy that it was able to be saved. I can't say that it's as expensive-looking as this gorgeous Lanvin top, but it also didn't cost me more than $1,000. 

Things I could do with $1,122:

• Make a dent in my student loans
• Put it toward car insurance
• Pay for a few months rent
• Buy my family really good birthday presents this year
• Buy 224 hazelnut lattes from Starbucks
• See 124 movies
• Eat a lot of dinners with friends
• Be able to buy (maybe) 11 Madewell dresses
• Buy 112 of these tops

T-shirts and Totes

Just a quick post for today since I'm writing this at 1 a.m., and I have a 9 a.m. class in the morning. My body clock is all confused, so I'm having issues sleeping, waking up in the morning, and basically functioning during the day. I left my creamer in my brother's fridge (where I stayed for a few days after I flew back), so I haven't been able to make coffee. I know, I know. Poor Elana. 

I've never been a T-shirt person, but I couldn't resist this cat print one. It was necessary. I almost wore my cat ring with it, but I decided to overload on foxes instead. I mentioned before that my brother and sister-in-law got me this tote that was on my wishlist for Christmas, and I've been using it nonstop ever since. It's pretty darn adorable, isn't it?

I still haven't finished unpacking, so my outfits this week are mostly just what's sitting on top in my suitcases. Fortunately, I have Mary back in my life to make me look good, and Katie and I have another class together this semester, which plenty more outfit shots with her (and Lexi on our coffee dates) as well. 

Fare Thee Well

Well, apparently this is my first outfit post of 2014. I think I've told myself every day this week that I would take outfit photos, but somehow it just hasn't happened. It's really just because I'm lazy in the mornings and don't actually get in the shower until noon, and then I'm busy doing something with friends until it gets too dark to take photos. I'm pretty bummed that I haven't been able to make much time for blogging, but I guess that means that I actually have a life/friends who are willing to spend time with me, so at least that's something. As for the outfit though, something about it feels a little different for me, but I love it. I've been looking for a new utility jacket for a while now, and my good friend Alena bought this one for me as a Christmas present while we were out shopping. I love it that it's slightly more unique than most of the other ones I see due to the multiple shades of green. Plus, this cropped sweater is kind of the best.

Enough about my clothes though (what is this? A fashion blog?), I want to talk about entertainment. I've been spending most of time seeing movies, and they've dominated most of my conversations as well. Last week, I saw American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street, both of which I enjoyed (More so American Hustle, though). This week, however, my friends and I went to a theater a little out of the way that shows limited release movies, where I saw possibly my two favorite films of the year (since they both technically came out in 2013) — Inside Llewyn Davis and Her. I'm a big fan of the directors of each (the Coen brothers and Spike Jonze, respectively), and both were like breaths of fresh air after what felt like a lackluster year of movies. I can't stop listening to the soundtrack from Inside Llewyn Davis, and Her just blew me away. I can't recommend either of them enough. 

While I'm on the subject of entertainment, I should also mention the important matter of Community returning last night with Dan Harmon finally at the helm again. My life is complete again.

December in California

From first glance, it probably looks like these photos were taken over the summer. For starters, they're taken in the un-creative spot of my backyard, where all of my photos over the summer were taken. Most importantly, though, is the very obvious detail that my legs are bare. Forgive me for talking about the weather again, but I didn't just go from snow to palm trees; I went from snow to 80 degrees. I have to admit that I wasn't all that prepared. I packed tights and boots, figuring I could just forgo a coat, but bare legs? It's getting a little more difficult to remember that it's Christmas time here in Orange County.

Obviously I can't complain too much, seeing as I'm in beautiful weather with next to no responsibilities for the next few weeks. It was a busy semester (aren't they all?), which makes sleeping in and bumming around all day even sweeter. I wish I had more to write about other than weather, laziness, and Christmas shopping, but that's basically my life right now. I'm supposed to attend a special screening of a movie in L.A. today with my best friend who works for a marketing firm, but I'll wait until after to fill you all in. I'm still convinced that it's too good to be true, and there's no way I'm actually that lucky to get to see one of my favorite actors in person. We shall see. 

Factory Girl

You could technically say this outfit fits into my fall uniform of late (dress, cardigan, scarf, booties), but something about this one feels different. It's like my fall outfit, new and improved. Fall outfit 2.0? I can't decide. Either way, it's obviously the dress that's making me love this outfit so much. A gingham dress like this has been on my wish list for a long time now (in fact, I've debated putting the same Modcloth one in my shopping cart too many times to count), but it took me a while to find one that was more in my price range. So even though I always hate myself for shopping at Forever 21, when this one popped up in their "50% off sale items" recently for about $7, I just had to get it. I really am a sucker for those sales, but can you blame me?

I've taken pictures at this abandoned factory before, but never in this exact location, and I love how these turned out. There's something about feminine outfits against harsh backdrops that I can't resist. Plus, I'm constantly impressed with how photogenic this town is. It seems that behind every corner is hidden gem, perfect for photographing. I also think that with so little time left here, I'm starting to appreciate this place much more than I ever have. I complain about you a lot, Macomb, and I still resent you for your lack of Starbucks, but you can be pretty damn charming.

Blue-niform

If you can't tell by now, I've accidentally given myself a fall uniform lately. This consists of: circle scarf + dress + tights + booties + cardigan, and repeat. I can't say this is my most exciting outfit, but it's a good example of what I've been wearing lately. I scored this dress for less than $10 during Urban's 50% sale items promotion last month, and I like that while it's a typical silhouette for me, the print is completely different than anything I own. It's also extremely comfortable, so I'm looking forward to getting plenty of wear out of it. 

These photos were taken the week before last in the alley next to my favorite coffee shop in town (which is also where most of my money goes). I've mentioned my friend Katie before, who transferred to my school this semester and has a lovely blog, The Style Duckling. Katie and I have become good friends, and we got excited when we learned that another girl on campus has a blog as well. We met up with Lexi, who blogs at Red Bows and Vintage Rose, and had a wonderful afternoon chatting about blogs and school over coffee. Naturally, we had to follow it up with taking photos, and I can't tell you how nice it is having other people here who truly understand my desire to photos of myself all the time. 

Well, Okay Then

I still have no idea where I'll be going after I graduate in May, but I'm starting to realize that this might very possibly be my last Midwest fall. So when the leaves started turning unbelievably beauitful shades or red, yellow, and orange, and cardigans were in full force, I couldn't help but soak it all up...for about three days. Apparently, the Midwest decided that my last Illinois fall can look pretty, but is going to feel like winter. All of a sudden, it's freezing, and my heavy jackets are still in storage at my brother's house, and I feel like I'm going to die if I don't get them soon. Okay, I'm exaggerating a little (which I know I'll regret by the time it's actually winter), but what I'm trying to say is, if it looks like I'm cold in these photos – I am. Wasn't I just sans tights just two outfit posts ago?

Weather aside, I was excited to wear this outfit yesterday. Persunmall sent me this lace dress this week, but unfortunately it fit a little smaller around my waist than I would like. Luckily, it worked perfectly under this light gray skirt, and I think I might like it even better as a top. I've been searching for more things this color, and I love the sweetheart neckline and sheer sleeves. I'm definitely going to be layering this one up all season. 

Felina

Well, that weekend was exhausting. So much happened that I'm not really sure where to begin. I suppose I could just get talk of this outfit out of the way (what is this, a fashion blog?), not that I have much to say about it. This dress has become one of my absolute favorites and I just want to live in it. This was a typical class/work outfit last week — all I need is a dress, a cardigan, and a pair of oxfords and I'm set.

As for the weekend, I spent Sunday and Monday in Chicago for an event held by the National Retail Federation. I was really lucky to be one of 15 students chosen by department to go. I'm not planning on going into retail, but it was a really great experience getting to listen to extremely successful people at big companies talk about e-commerce and the changing industry. We also had multiple opportunities to network, and the most surreal part for me was getting to talk to the social media director for Anthropologie. She created the position, and she said her first day of work was literally creating the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the entire company five years ago. Crazy, right?

Besides the event, we also got to spend a good amount of free time in the city. We got there early Sunday afternoon, and we pretty much had the whole day to do whatever we wanted. Naturally, I spent most of the time shopping with my friend, Ginny. So much retail therapy, so little time. The only bad part (and the second important thing to happen this weekend) was that our hotel didn't have AMC, which meant that I missed the Breaking Bad finale. I avoided social media like the plague until Monday night, when I watched it the moment I got home. Did you see it? Because we need to talk about the end of this era. Personally, I was really happy with it. I know better than to spoil anything, but I couldn't imagine it ending any other way. Side note: the title of this post was the title of the episode. Keeping the obsession alive.

Back to Work

I've only been back in Illinois for about a week, but things are already pretty busy. I'm loving having things to do and projects to work on again, but I can't help but be a little envious of the majorly relaxed version of me in these pictures that were taken before I left. It's really just the sleep that I miss the most though, as I'm very much enjoying being back at the paper and with my family and friends who are here. Since I've been back, I've put together one issue of the paper, moved in and unpacked, saw my new niece who was born a week before I got here, got a potential internship (more on that later, though), seen most of my best friends, and watched a new Breaking Bad episode. In case you were wondering, I was most excited about the new Breaking Bad episode. Or my new niece, I guess. I mean, you have to pretty adorable to be important than Breaking Bad, which she is.

As I mentioned, this outfit was worn during my last week of summer for a nice day of hanging out with family. This is one of my most worn dresses and it doesn't make appearances on the blog nearly as much as it does in real life. It's one of those dresses that' just easy to throw on whenever I'm lazy, but never looks boring. I honestly don't think I'll ever get enough of that back detail. Also, I should mention that I probably wear this ring every day. Can you blame me?

Don't forget to enter my Two Tickets giveaway to win an amazing wood grain print tote bag!

Being a Lady

Sometimes I find it funny that I dress so femininely. Don't get me wrong, I'm most definitely a feminine person. I live for girly clothing and think that make-up is pretty rad. That said, I spend most of my time around guys. I usually mention my girlier activities, like shopping, in my posts since they're more relevant, but in reality, I've spent at least 80 percent of my time this summer having overly-vulgar conversations and cussing up a storm with my best friends — most of whom are dudes. It most likely has to do with growing up with brothers, but I just get along with guys better. I have a good amount of female friends as well, but almost all of them are like me in that sense as well. It's why I had such a horrible freshman year college when I was living on an all girls floor and surrounded by 18-year-old girls who I had nothing in common with. It's also why I love blogging. It's introduced me to so many women who share my love of feminine clothing, nerdy interests, and same sense of humor. If you can slip multiple f-bombs into one sentence while wearing a lace dress, we'll get along just great. Not that I'd do that on the Internet. A girl has to know when to keep it classy after all. ...this is totally the post that potential employers are going to find when I'm applying for jobs next year. I just know it.

That was really just a long way of saying that this is what I wore on Tuesday. I spent the afternoon at my friend Jon's house, watching The Wire, one of the greatest shows of all time. I got sidetracked from watching it a while ago, but I'm on season four now and will finally finish it this time around. Later at night, I crammed in a car with six other dudes to go to a bar in Huntington where my best friend, Adam, was doing stand-up. He was great, and even though a few of the comics were terrible, it was a ton of fun. I honestly wish I could go to stand-up shows every week. 

Forgotten

Dear dress,

I can't apologize enough for how I've neglected you over the past six months. It wasn't you, it was me. You see, somehow I had forgotten about you, tucked away, waiting patiently to be worn in my closet. It's no excuse, really. How could I have ignored how flattering you are? How was I so blind to to what a standout piece you are? I'm obviously not worthy of your beauty, as I've proved with the way I left you untouched for so long. 

That said, I hope you'll accept my apology and that we can turn over a new leaf together. I'm ready to start giving you the use you deserve. I'm looking forward to pairing you with just about everything, and these peach oxfords seem like a good place to start. They too are versatile, yet unique, and I think you're hitting it off splendidly so far. Mark my words, dress, this won't be the last we see of you for quite some time.

White, Coral, and Growing Up

I don't know what it is about summer that makes me crave white dresses, but they're all I want to wear right now. I think summer does that most of us, but it also might have something to do with my strong desire to create a more classic, mature style. I'll never stop loving Peter Pan collars and polka dots, but with a year left of college until I'm out in the real world, I think it's time to start dressing like a grown up occasionally. A white dress, a statement necklace, and nude flats is exactly the type of style I'm going for — classic, but not boring. I love the idea of mixing timeless clothes with fun accessories like this coral collar necklace from Fifth & Mae. I've always loved the coral, but it's never looked right with my hair color and skin tone. Fortunately, I'm finally figuring out that I can actually get away with it as accessories. Thank goodness.

Of course, part of building a more mature wardrobe may have a little bit to do with turning 21 next week (July 17!). It's my last milestone birthday for a while, and one of the last "Oh, crap. I'm an adult now, aren't I?" birthdays. Side note: I'm not really big on the whole drinking thing, so I'm not expecting to get super crazy on my 21st. I'll go out with my friends and let them buy me drinks, but nothing too crazy. I'm less of a "go to parties and get blackout drunk" kind of girl and more of the "let's go to a trendy bar so I can get a drink named after a Pulp Fiction character" kind. Seriously, there's a drink called the Marsellus Wallace at a nearby restaurant that I fully intend on getting, regardless of what's in it. 

Fountain

Welcome to Friday's outfit, which I wore to visit my aunt and uncle. My brother and I always make a trip to their house whenever he's in town and we stop at this awesome outdoor mall right by their place on the way. Since it's such a cool place, I had Lucas help me take some outfit photos while we were there. It was a bright day and most of the spots didn't work out very well, but I loved this fountain. I'm finally starting to become more comfortable taking pictures in public places, which I'm pretty proud of. 

This cropped crochet top from Threadsence is fairly new and it's perfect for throwing on over dresses for summer. I bought on clearance and they were out of my size, so I had to size up and it's definitely bigger than I would like. It's still a fun piece though and one that I'm sure will get plenty of wear over the next few months. If it seems like you've never actually seen this floral dress on its own, it's because I always insist on layering it. You see, this dress has become my go-to, comfortable piece for flights and lazy days. It's difficult not to have that feeling of being gross or on a plane when I wear it now, so I turn to layers to make it wearable for days when I actually feel like trying. This was one of those days.

Arboretum

This post is very photo heavy so I'll try to keep this relatively short. I spent Thursday afternoon with Nataly and had a wonderful time — well, minus a minor car accident with a pole, which I'll explain next time. We had lunch (or rather, breakfast at lunch time) at a cute little place in downtown Fullerton and then headed to the Fullerton Arboretum for plenty of nature and photo taking. It was an awesome day, as expected.

My brother, Lucas, came into town last week for a short visit and he and I spent the day together last Wednesday. After getting breakfast at our dad's restaurant, we went to an outdoor mall close-by and ended up in Urban since it was one of the only stores that carried both men's and women's clothes. I found myself coming back to a pair of coral oxfords and this top in the sale section, but kept talking myself out of getting them to save money. I'm not sure if he was just tired of hearing me go back and forth about buying them or if he really is just that nice (he really is just that nice), but Lucas insisted on buying them for me. Apparently he forgot to get me a birthday present last year, and with my birthday only a couple weeks away, he wouldn't take no for an answer. If any of you thought your brothers were cool, think again.

One Piece, Four Ways: Cooperative Black Dress

Like most bloggers, I'm a big fan of remixing. Being on the always exciting broke college student budget, I often have to make do with what I already own rather than buying new pieces. As I'm sure you all can relate, this usually means getting creative and reworking items so that they feel new each time they're worn. While I love seeing remix posts of different ways bloggers have worn an item, I wanted to do something a little bit different and show you four new ways to wear something. I'm hoping that this will not only inspire me to get more creative with my clothes and my wallet, but help some of you as well. For today' post, I thought it only made sense to start with a little black dress.

Item: Button down black dress

Where: The brand is Cooperative from Urban Outfitters

Cost: Free, I received it in a swap

First Day

I've loved all of the items I've borrowed from the Flock Together girls, but there have been a few that just immediately get me excited after opening them. It's swaps like these that only take me the next day or so to wear. I got this dress in the mail only a couple of days ago, but couldn't wait to wear it. This is the third dress I've borrowed from Ashley, and I swear I've fallen more and more in love with each one as I've received them. I was completely smitten with this one the moment I saw her wearing it on her blog and was beyond thrilled when I saw that she had to put it up to be swapped. Don't be surprised if you see this one being remixed again.

In fact, I loved this dress so much that I actually wore it for my first day of my internship, which was yesterday. I don't think I'm allowed to talk about it on the Internet too much, but it went well! The environment is a little intimidating, but I think I'll get the hang of it. I'm only going in two times a week because it's so far though. Two hours in LA traffic is just as bad as it sounds. 

Cooperative

I can't gush enough about this dress. I've been in love with this dress ever since I first spotted it, in multiple colors, at Urban ages ago. They must have started stocking it at least a couple of years ago, because I can't even remember how many times I've tried it on, only to pass it up due to the price. It's a simple piece, really, but for some reason I've just always been enamored the flattering shape and the simplicity of it. Imagine my delight when someone in the swap group I'm in agreed to send me this in exchange for a dress that's been sitting in my closet for forever. The funny thing is, the brand of the dress is Cooperative, and the same exact day this dress came in the mail, I nabbed these Cooperative sandals at a thrift store for a few bucks. Being dressed by Urban for close to nothing is a talent of mine, I guess.

I'm not sure how obvious it is, but I'm actually wearing lipstick in these photos. I usually despise having anything on my lips, but I've been wanting to step outside my comfort zone and try a red lip for a while. I borrowed this one from my mom, and I figured a photo shoot was the perfect time to see if I liked it. Turns out, I really like how it looks. I may become a full-on lipstick convert soon, watch out.

Busy Bee

I know I say this every time, but this really IS going to be a quick post. It helps that I honestly don't have much to say about this outfit, although I do really love this dress. These photos are a couple weeks old, but I'm still back to wearing tights just about every other day. Mother Nature can't seem to ever make up her mind.

I'm keeping busy with end-of-semester projects and tests, plus a big feature I'm writing for the paper, but I"m glad that I still keep finding time to blog. I will have internship information to share soon, but as I said before, I'm just waiting for everything to be set in stone. I got offered one that I'm really excited about, but I still have a couple interviews lined up with places a little closer to my house. If I do take the one I want though, I'll be traveling into LA a few times a week, which is why I'm really trying to sell some of my clothes so I can pay for gas. I'm going to add more things soon, but if you feel like helping me out, you can shop my closet here. I appreciate all the help I can get!