forget me knot.

Everyone has weird pet peeves. Some people hate wearing socks (me), other people hate when people scrape their fork against their teeth when they eat (seriously, that noise). My major one was that I always, always hated wearing my hair up. In fact, I would refuse with every fiber of my being to wear a ponytail or bun in public. I would, however, wear a side braid. How does that figure? But anyway, my friends always looked at me like I was a complete nut job. How could I survive without wearing a bun in public? Aren't you hot dancing in this overly crowded bar? Yes, I was. No, I would not give in.

Now, I've never minded the look on anyone else. In fact, I always feel insanely jealous when I see girls that can pull it off. Hello, Jessica Hart? Miley Cyrus (pre-haircut), Demi Lovato, any girl that twirls their wrist and has the perfect, messy knot? Despite having so many examples of how awesome the up do could be, I just refused to let anyone but my bathroom mirror see me that way. Until I started graduate school. Something about the sweating/panic/anxiety attacks that comes every single time I enter a classroom makes me want to pile all of my hair on top of my head. As if by getting my hair out of my face, I'll suddenly feel less overwhelmed. Spoiler alert: I don't. But I still find myself throwing my hair up into a bun every. single. day. For hours. In public. And I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of loving it. Even if I'm sure I actually do look like a hot mess. But then I look around the room and see that 99% of the girls have done the same thing.

EMBRACE THE BUN. FORGET THE HAIRBRUSH. No, just kidding. Sort of.

a girl's got style, legs for miles..

I'm in lust, an intense lust, that has been consuming my every thought, dream and being. In fact, this infatuation has brought life back into me; it has revived all the inspiration I need in my style world. I have been admiring the object of my fashion affection for years, but only recently has it struck me that I should be spending my free, exhausted time before bed staring at this girl's thread(s) on The Fashion Spot. It's been hard getting dressed for me lately. Impossible really. Not because I don't have enough clothes (but really, who ever has enough clothes?), but because I've been worn out and uninspired to pick out anything more than a t-shirt and jeans to school. And flats. Which have been a) killing my feet since I wore them in the city last Saturday and b) making my feet unexplainably sweaty and a bit stinky all of a sudden. Yet I keep wearing them. Yes, I needed this intervention. And the person hosting it was Jessica Hart. Like I said, I have been following Jessica Hart for years. When people would point out the gap between her front teeth and wonder why she was a model, I would defend her with all of my being (plus, I used to have a gap of my own, and so I appreciate any and all models that still sport it). But back then, I was more concerned with her print and runway work because model candids were so hard to find. These days, in my almost-daily checks to Love VS Models or TFS, I get new ones of this girl constantly. The prints, the canvas sneakers, the dog?! I'm always overwhelmed with something so simple yet so awesome that I end up making a list of things I positively need for the season. This time around, what I take away from the above looks is that it's completely and utterly necessary to embrace all that is lace/crochet. And prints. So many prints. In fact, I almost included a photo of Jessica wearing a leopard print tank over a different leopard print skirt. But I'm just not sure that is a look I could pull off. I'm definitely not that brave. But a pair of printed trousers with a nice lace shirt? Absolutely. And you can't forget the big, everyday black bag or the comfortable shoes. I love the fact that Jessica wears sandals or sneakers in her daily life more than crazy pumps. Although, I guess she is tall enough already.. Although I dig her looks where she is simply being herself and throwing her hair up in that signature bun, I do also love her more polished, refined looks. Even while wearing denim shorts, she can throw on a crisp shirt and blazer and change her look from casual to chic. The above has also made me realize that I'm crazy for not owning a classic, khaki trench coat. And I have to admit, these pictures are also making me beg my hair to grow a little longer… and causing me to wish that it was blonde. A trip to the hair dresser in my future? I love the idea of pairing a straight-laced dress, equipped with a high collar, with a boyfriend blazer. It's fitted enough that it wouldn't overwhelm the dress' shape, but also loose enough to keep that I-just-threw-this-on look. Lately, Jessica has been embracing metallic heels a bit, so these pointed toe pumps were perfect. They don't completely match, which keeps the look from being too boring. And, like in the above photos, I included a 'book clutch.' I have seen this style of bag a few times, first on the Cherry Blossom Girl, but now on Jessica. The ones I found on Polyvore were a bit pricey, but something tells me that there are hidden gems on Etsy just waiting to be discovered.

This is probably only the first of many posts featuring Ms. Hart, but until next time, make sure to follow her Tumblr tag and see all of the different looks she has been sporting recently.

Final note: I just got notified that I have been viewed over 500 times on Polyvore! It may seem like a small number, but it means so much to me. Thank you for following!

she said, "i'm going to school, and i can't be late."

Going back to school can be both exciting and daunting. I know I get anxious the night before classes begin, which usually means I get little sleep and have bags the size of Louis Vuitton luggage under my eyes the next morning. Luckily for me, this first week of classes I don't have to get up early for work, so I could sleep in as long as I wanted. But sleep wasn't my only issue! The weather was horrid all day, pouring buckets of rain and thundering. I had an outfit all planned, involving a white button down almost exactly like the one below, but we all know that looking like a wet t-shirt contest contestant isn't the appropriate first impression to make. I had to think fast. And ultimately choose the default outfit I have been sporting lately due to my obsession with my new Free People top.

So here is what I dreamed of wearing: This look is classic and makes a good impression, both on classmates and professors. You are dressed well but with a twist, the colored denim and shirt tied at the waist giving you a more on-trend look. And since syllabus week is the only one where I can ever seem to get away using a regular, small purse, I would have loved to take advantage of it! (The only upside of this weather is that it made me realize I do not own any nice bags in the tan/brown realm and remedied that immediately by purchasing the messenger bag in my 'must haves for school' post.) What this look would have screamed: I'm chic and ready to jump into some feminist theory! Or, you know, whatever class you happened to have that day. That was mine yesterday.

And now here is what I ended up wearing: The photos on this one aren't as great, and I could have simply posted the picture my mother insisted on taking of me while I was out the door (ugh!), but I'm afraid to know what I looked like in the anxious and frazzled state I was in. The baby doll tee screams 90s comeback, and I love that the shade is just slightly darker than mint in real life (it makes it early fall appropriate!). It also hides any and all stomach bloat that you may get after stress-eating spaghetti before class. I have been living in these jeans, or maybe you can call them jeggings, since they are skin tight but still the most comfortable pair of jeans I've ever put on my body. Old Navy never disappoints with their Rockstar design! I topped off the look with sneaker wedges from Aldo, which were perfect because if I stepped in any puddles, my delicate jeans weren't getting wet -- and of course I used my go-to backpack. And I can't forget, my giant bubble umbrella! It's a lifesaver. Not one bit of me got wet on the long walk from the parking lot to my class!

So even though the fashion of my day didn't go as planned, I still managed to have a good class and got through the dreaded first day. Now everyone cross your fingers that the weather clears up and I can wear my favorite white shirt tomorrow! After all, a new class means I can still make a successful first (fashion) impression.

the end of summer.

Happy Labor Day, everyone! I wasn't quite sure the significance of this day, besides the fact that it obviously had to do with work, and so I looked it up, naturally on Wikipedia. It turns out I was pretty much correct, but there is so much more history to it than I expected. Check it out here if you want more information! For a lot of us though, we mostly embrace Labor Day as the end of summer and beginning of fall.

This year, the weather has unfortunately fit that perfectly. It's been cloudy, and yesterday it down poured, which meant that it wasn't much of a beach weekend for us here on the Jersey Shore. Yet, it wasn't a total bust, because this means the bennys are leaving the beaches and the locals can finally have them to ourselves! I'm crossing my fingers for some sunny days to make up for the constant traffic and crowded beaches we've had to endure since Memorial Day.

I think my ideal Labor Day would play out like this: an entire day in the sun, specially on the beach, with a bunch of friends. We'd read magazines, flip our bodies every fifteen minutes and take dips in the water. Once the sun went down, we'd build a bon fire, drink beer and roast marshmallows. I'll admit, I was semi-influence by The OC when I thought up this idea. The best episodes of that show were on the beach, weren't they? Since Labor Day signifies the end of summer, I chose some cooler colors to highlight. These burgundy hot pants are epic. I chose a bikini that matches the color scheme, plus a simple white crop top that will end up being covered with sand. If the summer wasn't practically over, I'd be snatching these sandals up immediately, they look extremely comfortable but still stylish, which is something that most of my sandals cannot be described as. A big tote bag, classic round sunglasses and a stack of bracelets complete the day look. To move this look into night, and knowing how breezy the shore can get, toss on an oversized flannel and instantly warm up. The integration of flannel into my wardrobe may be my favorite part about fall!

Since Labor Day is rather dreary here, chances are I'll simply be preparing for the school year to start tomorrow, reading and perhaps roasting a marshmallow or two on the blog. My wardrobe? Jeans, a tank top, and a hoodie. It's safe to say I'm jealous of whoever gets to enjoy the beach today!