One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Hey guys! I can't believe it's only Wednesday. The week before spring break always seems so long! I was about to take out my summer clothes on Monday, but this ugly gray haze made me want to cozy up in a sweater and boots.

I always have some difficulty styling this dress because it has a strange drop-waist. I'm sure it looks great on models, but at 5'5'' it makes me look a little stubby. I love the plum color though, so I've experimented with different accessories. This long, drapey sweater was actually a gift along with the dress, but being my rebellious teenager self, I never paired them together. The tan definitely lightens up the look, especially with dark, heavy tights and boots. As a finishing touch, I added a funky Silpada necklace made out of leather, silver, and pearls. I love the mix of textures and the lack of pattern in the beads.

{dress-H&M; sweater-H&M; tights-Hue; boots-Nordstrom; necklace-Silpada}

Sunny Day

Hey guys! Everyone seems happier and more energetic on these sunny days. Plus, it's almost spring break, so I can't help being excited! I wore this outfit on Friday and literally just threw it together. I was rushed, coming home from my lacrosse game and "eager"(aka stressed, not like I was looking forward to it) to start my homework, so I just picked some random pieces. I've watched my fair share of What Not to Wear, so even though I was in a rush, I made sure to include some color and shine.

Can I also just say that this skirt shrunk. Or I got taller....but that's pretty unlikely so I'm gonna say the skirt shrunk. Either way, it complimented my Primark blouse nicely. I usually wear the frilly blouse with more girly pieces, but I liked the ultra neutral look of the cream and blues. The necklaces are my favorite part of the outfit because they're remixed.

I know what you're thinking: jewelry can't be remixed, right? Wrong, my friend. I've tried a few jewelry DIY projects and ended up with some pre-school level craftsmanship, so I'm sticking to remixing. For the mostly pearl necklace, I attached each end of a strand of pearls to the clasps of a thin gold chain. I originally did it because the clasps of the pearl necklace broke, but it's a cool way to either lengthen the pearl chain or have this half gold/half pearl look. The other one is just a clip-on earring attached to a thicker gold chain. The combination of gold and pearl in both necklaces made them a perfect pair.

{blouse-Primark; skirt-Daffy's; shoes-Spain; necklaces-remixed}

Ode to Rachel Berry

Hey guys! To all you Gleeks out there, this outfit is an homage to the wonderfully ridiculous Rachel Berry. Anyone else really excited they won regionals?! If I just spoiled last night's episode, then you're not a true Glee fan.

I was inspired by these cute star earrings from Silpada which totally reminded me of the star necklace Rachel has. Since I wasn't feeling the plaid skirt/argyle sweater combo, I chose to go with her other statement piece: the vintage polka-dot dress. The one above is the most similar to mine, but she's worn a bunch of different styles. The weird thing is that she is supposed to look like a fashion-challenged geek, but random outfits are really cute! Is that just me? Oh...embarassing.


Anyways, hopefully I won't be wearing annoying tights anymore because it's absolutely beautiful out today. Knowing Chicago, it'll probably snow like next week, but I'll enjoy it while I can. It's an exciting week in my household because tomorrow is my first lacrosse game of the season (against our rivals!) and it's also my sister's opening night for "Once Upon A Mattress". Wish us good luck!

The inspiration. Find these and similar pairs at www.mysilpada.com/julie.charrette

{dress-H&M; sweater-Loft; tights-Loft; earrings-Silpada}

Fade to the Blackness

Hey guys! Is anyone else totally thrown by the time change? Everyone's been walking around like they're half-asleep. I guess I'm weird cause I'm always somewhat revitalized by Mondays because it's a fresh start to a new week. That's probably why it's easiest to get dressed up on Mondays but come Thursday I can barely drag myself out of bed. I haven't worn this skirt in a while but the sneak peaks of spring inspired me to get one final use out of my winter favorites. As you can see in other posts, this skirt has a huge bow in the front which I just wasn't feeling today so I pulled my sweater over it and threw on a belt. I've been on the prowl for some knee-high socks and I finally found some cheapie ones at Target yesterday ($2!). They also had some over-the-knee ones but I'm not confident I can rock that look. What do you guys think? My younger sister would like everyone to know that she thoughtfully picked out these earrings for my birthday. She's been mad at me for not wearing them because apparently "silver matches everything!" but I was waiting for the right outfit. Thanks Olivia!

{sweater-Loft; skirt-Wet Seal; belt-Anne Klein; earrings-Claire's; socks-Target; boots-Nordstrom}

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}