New 'do

Hey guys! It's basically the end of my week and I couldn't be happier. We have Friday off for a "non-attendance day" which is such a stupid reason I can't help but laugh. Tomorrow I have a field trip to the Museum of Surgical Sciences and I'm really excited to see if I'd like working in that field. If you didn't know, I'm debating between going pre-med and working in fashion. Quite a decision, right? Everyone says I should try to mesh my interests but I can't see that happening. The only overlap is that my sewing skills should help when I'm stitching people up.

I've worn a similar outfit here but my shoes, jewelry, and, most importantly, my hair was different. Ok I wouldn't recommend you do this at home, but Monday I just took some scissors to my hair. It wasn't even super long, but it's my pet peeve for hair to be an awkward medium length. I like it super long like I had it this summer or at least as short as it is now. It's so much faster to style it and it lightens up to not have a huge, puffy (in my case) ponytail.

On a side note- I love these new earrings from my aunt. They're from Silpada Jewelry, where she's a representative. I would definitely recommend checking out their website at www.mysilpada.com/julie.charrette. They have a huge selection and variety of pieces that I keep falling in love with. These earrings look like a tangled silver wire in a cool way. Can't wait to show you guys more Silpada gems!

{shirt-Target; skirt-Target; earrings-Silapada; boots-Nordstrom Rack}

Bedazzled

Hey guys! I've enjoyed wearing all my birthday jewels for the past few days. This is by far my favorite necklace I've ever owned. I've always adored those collar-type super bedazzled necklaces but never found one with the perfect color scheme and textures. This one from Loft has a cool mix of black prizm beads, golden glass beads, and grey pearls. It's awesome!! Since this was the first time around at styling, I wanted the necklace to stand alone against neutrals. I have a bunch more ideas for this baby. What I really like about it is the mix of hard and soft. If I had to stick with one style the rest of my life (torture!) it would be an ultrafeminine/edgy look. Lovely gift, Mom!

{sweater-Loft; jeans-AEO; boots-Steve Madden; necklace-Loft}

Valentine's Baby

Hey guys! I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day. Mine was awesome because it was my 17th birthday! I love having my birthday on a minor holiday because everyone is all excited but it doesn't completely overshadow my birthday like Christmas would. My day started with a test before school even started so it could only get better from there. My friends were so sweet and made me some adorable cards. To celebrate we just had a nice family dinner with ice cream sundaes (I love ice cream more than life itself). Since most of my presents are wearable, you'll be seeing them in upcoming outfit posts. Thanks to everyone for making it a special day :)

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions or dwell on the past, but as I was lying in bed on my birthday I thought of all the wonderful experiences I've had since my last birthday. I got my license, worked on houses in Kentucky through the Appalachian Service Project, had a great family trip to Maine, and started my dreaded junior year of high school. Most importantly (okay, just to you guys) I kept improving my blog and developing my personal style. This summer I looked over my wardrobe and only a few pieces were actually purchased in the last year, but I've added many unique, personal pieces. I want to continue connecting with other bloggers and fashion enthusiasts before my 18th birthday. Oh my god, in 364 days I will be an adult. Too scary.

{top-Zara; jeans-Target; cami-Costco; earrings-Nordstrom Rack; boots-Nordstrom Rack}We have a family tradition of taking awkward birthday pictures.

Paradox

Hey guys! So I'm having trouble deciding if this is a "spring" skirt. It doesn't really matter because I would wear it any season anyway, I'm definitely the person that never puts away their summer clothes and just piles on sweaters. But that would give me an excuse for why it doesn't match many of my winter clothes. I'm sitting here in my coat (yes, inside), yearning for the days when I can wear this with just a tank and my little pink sandals. Ahhh summer.

I found that a nice way to winterize the skirt was to pair it with dark neutrals and lots of cozy textures. I'm in love with these knitted tights from Hue. They match everything, just like regular tights, but they're like a coat for my legs. I'm tempted to say they're warmer than jeans...This black cardigan is one of the only black tops I own, so I hit up a sale at The Loft today and bought a black sweater. Check back tomorrow for a special jewelry post!

More Laceful than Graceful

Hey guys! I have no idea why, but I'm suddenly in the mood to wear really girly (summery?)outfits. I feel like all winter I'm wearing jeans and boring tops because it's freakin' FREEZING. Not exaggerating, it hasn't been above 32 degrees for weeks. Anywhoo, I love this outfit I wore today. My sister thought it needed a pop of color, but neutrals in interesting textures can be enough. In a perfect world I would wear this with kick-butt heels. However, I'm in high school and I live in Chicago.....so boots it is. Either way, I love the way it turned out and the added sparkle from my bracelet and earrings. Happy Monday!

{top-Primark; skirt-Target; bracelet and earrings-Tiffany & Co.; tights-Loft; boots-Nordstrom rack}

Ocean Blues

Hey guys! I wore this yesterday, and it's a total friday outfit. My go-to casual/cute outfit is a tank, boyfriend sweater, jeans and some jewelry or shoes (or both!) with pizzazz. I don't think there are words for how happy I was when I found my three gold necklaces earlier this week. I lost them back in the fall because I would always shove my clothes in random bags before field hockey practice. We had two snow days this week so I had some time to clean out my closet and I found them!! So in the next few days I might be wearing them with everything. Including pajamas and sweats. Brace yourself.

P.S. I feel like I haven't worn flats for months! Considering there's 20 inches of snow on the ground, boots have really been the only option. I'm not asking for flip-flop weather, but I miss my colorful flats! Happy weekend! I'm off to cross-country ski and then we're going to a neighbor's for a Chinese New Year dinner.

{sweater-H&M; tank-liz claiborne; jeans-AEO; key necklace-F21; locket-H&M; stone necklace-my grandmother's}

Dark Floral

Hey guys! As you've probably noticed, I rarely take this grey boyfriend sweater off. It can actually go with anything from ripped jeans to a nice dress. Also, it streamlines outfits and is just plain cozy. I like the colors and textures in this outfit a lot. Sometimes I wear this skirt with plain white shirts, but the embroidered cream tank looks more interesting. I needed a little sparkle so I added this pretty circle necklace. Stacey and Clinton would be proud of my "color, pattern, texture, shine"!

{sweater-Costco; tank-F21; skirt-Loft; necklace-gift; tights-Loft; shoes-thrifted}

Classy Lady

Hey guys! I wore this outfit to my friend's holiday party. This was one of those outfits that actually came to me in a dream. A daydream that is. Has that ever happened to you? I was just staring into space and I thought of a perfect outfit for the party. I like how at first glance it looks very WASPy, but there are edgy details like the zipper in the back, the chain necklace, and the fact that it's a tight strapless dress, not a pencil skirt. I always love finding new go-to outfits and this one will definitely work for many occasions. As a teenager, I don't have many clothes that are fancy in a business-like way and this solves that issue by combining pieces that can be worn separately in more casual outfits.

{dress-Target; sweater-Banana Republic; necklaces-Claire's; heels-thrifted}

CopyCat

Hey guys! So this is similar to an outfit I wore last month, with different tights, boots, and jewelry. The black dress and grey boyfriend sweater fill my need to look pulled together but relaxed, because after all, it's just high school. This beautiful turquoise necklace was a gift from my aunt and cousin. I love the shape and the color it adds to any neutral outfit. I instinctively wanted to wear black flats with this look, but they seemed too sweet and matchy.

{dress-Loft; sweater-Costco; tights-unknown; necklace-gift; boots-Steve Madden}

Big Comfy Sweater

Hey guys! This H&M sweater is the comfiest thing I have ever owned. It's the perfect combination of slouchy, soft, and big. As if that wasn't enough, it has this cool soft striped effect that reminds me of the '70s. I played off the relaxed vibe with ripped jeans and grey Steve Madden boots. This outfit makes me wish I looked relaxed and vintage everyday. I recently bought a patterned blouse at Zara that fits that look, but I love my preppy getups!

{sweater-H&M; jeans-AEO; boots-Steve Madden}

Ringin' in the New Year

Hey guys! I'm posting my favorite looks from January 2011 and what better place to start than New Years? I wore this little number on New Years Eve so it was the very first thing I wore in 2011. I have a few variations on the classic LBD, but this one is definitely my favorite. I have to admit I was a few inches shorter when I bought it so it looks a little leggy with heels. That's exactly why I wore it on New Years'. It's one of my favorite holidays fashionwise because you can pull anything off. Full sequin dress? Bring it. Ridiculous glitter makeup? No problem. I usually go for something shiny or shimmery, but I decided to stay true to my "classic with a twist" style.


For hair, I did my very best trick. Nothing. I simply stepped out of the shower and pulled my unruly curls into a low bun, leaving some loose strands. I pinned my bangs over my ear to look like more pulled together. My makeup is just purple eyeshadow from L'Oreale, Maybelline black mascara, and Covergirl black crayon liner.

{dress-Windsor; heels-thrifted}

Blizzard!

Hey guys! School was just cancelled for tomorrow because of a blizzard and I am too excited. Since I can't exactly get anywhere, I thought of the perfect pastime: recapping the cutest outfits of January 2011. I'm doubly (word?) excited because it's February, which means I'll be seventeen in two short weeks!

This is what I wore today and it kind of came together by fate. This morning I was wearing a gold headband, but that broke during school so I ditched it. Also, I thought my hair was going to spazz out but thanks to the dry, cold weather, it fell into some decently cute waves. Most importantly, I finally got this vest that I made back from my sewing teacher! It's the first official piece of clothing I've sewn all by myself and I'm really proud of it. I wanted to do something fitted because it's awesome to have something perfectly tailored to fit your every curve. I'll post the specifics on the "Original Creations" page.

Also by fate, the vest matched what I was wearing today. I was planning on making an outfit around it and I was kind of struggling with the menswear look, but it went with this sweater perfectly. I know I defied that crazy fashion rule about not mixing brown and black, I just think sometimes contrast is better than matching. This definitely would have looked weird with brown boots. Not that I have any. Not that I'm bitter about that. Feel free to mail these to me.

closeup of my crafstwomanship--I'm really proud of the buttonholes!!

{sweater-Target; necklace-F21; vest-homemade; jeans-AEO; boots-Nordstrom Rack}