Sweaters & diamond rings.

So the other day my friend and I made a very unplanned stop at the mall.  We stopped for lunch at Noodles & Co. since a brand new one had just opened up in our college town and thought it wouldn't hurt to swing through DSW to find some winter boots.  Well three stores later we ended up in Old Navy.  Old Navy is a swing store for me.  Sometimes you can find entirely cute staples there for very cheap, and other times everything seems very tacky and odd.  Well, my roommate found a great denim blazer and I found a light v-neck sweater in a great coral color.  I wore it that night to my sorority meeting!

The next day, I repurposed it with a different outfit and remembered how much I liked that simple pieces can always be used in a multitude of ways.

On the left:  I've paired the sweater with medium-blue denim skinnies, Sporto low-cut duck boots, my khaki blazer & a white and blue striped scarf.  On the right: I dressed my sweater over a matching gingham button-down, dark blue boot-cut jeans and my Sperrys along with my Vera Bradley hipster.

I personally prefer the look on the left, but my outfit for my sorority function was a little more appropriate for the occasion!  Here's a photo of my sister, Javi, & I at meeting!  Don't you just love her leopard print loafers?

In personal news, I'm so happy to announce that my roommate and good friend Meghann got engaged tonight!  I love this picture because it was taken only a few minutes afterwards - her eyes are wide with adrenaline and mine are squinty with happy tears!

 

For those wondering, Meghann is the one who always takes photos of my outfits out in front of our house!  She's also wearing my OPI color "Did it on 'em" from the Nicki Minaj collection.  Congratulations to you, Meg & Cub!

Hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend!

CK

Cords on cords.

As I mentioned in my last post, I picked up two new pairs of cords when I was home for the weekend.  The hard part now is working them into outfits with clothes I already have!  One of my friends cracked a joke the other day that sometimes I dress more scholarly than our professor.  I told her that I accepted the challenge.  Today I paired my medium muddy-brown cords with low-cut duck boots (for lack of a better shoe), a gingham button-up and a maroon blazer.  I accessorized with my pearls and watch and a braid down my shoulder.

I'm not really sure how I feel about mixing cords, but I kind of like the way it turned out.  Ignore my silly face, I was mid-giggle when my roommate snapped the one on the left.  Anyway, this is my professor look.  I can't wait to incorporate my new pieces into more 'every day' looking outfits.

What are fall pieces you're excited about?

My current feelings.

My current feelings about school, football, hockey, sorority, student government, newspaper.

But on the other hand, I bought 2 new pairs of chords and a new pair of jeans this weekend.  New outfits(!) to come.

CK

The shoes that almost were.

We all have the one that got away.  Well, the pair of shoes, at least.  If you follow my tumblr you know that I have been craving a pair of leopard print loafers since about last April.  I was dying over the Steve Madden Madee leopard print slipper but was ready to settle for the Valantine or Eazzy.  After a quick trip to TJ Maxx a few days ago with a sorority sister (to scope out cheap nail polish), I found them.  They were illuminated and calling to me as I passed them.  I instantly kicked off my Sperry's and  slipped them on.  They were too. small.  Half a size.  I could have braved it and broken them in for only $30, but the more I carried them around the store, the more I knew I couldn't buy them.

The more I think about them, the more I wish I would have bought them.  I might swing back at TJ Maxx and if they are still there, it's obviously fate, but I keep telling myself that I made the right choice.

In other news, this transition from August to fall is killing me, especially when it's maxing out at 40 degrees outside of my classrooms are topping off at 80.

So I've just been layering like a madwoman.

Here I'm wearing my J. Crew chambray button up & grey Ralph Lauren v-neck sweater.

That way I can wear as little or as much as I like throughout the day.  I'll be going home this weekend to do a little golfing with my stepdad and taking in a Gopher football game with the family!

Do you have anything you're looking forward to this weekend?

Dressing up a graphic tee.

Like most college girls, I have a crazy amount of screen-printed tees.  From shirseys, to sorority tees, to school spirit tees, I have 3 dresser drawers full of them!  It's hard to justify throwing on jeans and a tee as an outfit, so I try to dress them up a bit with different bottoms, a jacket, accessories, etc.  Lily over at It's Official did a great post on how to dress up a plain white tee.  I recently ordered a new shirt from one of my favorite hockey clothing vendors, Sauce Hockey.  They were having a great labor day sale, and I had been eyeing up one of their men's tees for a while now.  Their shirts are super soft and while they are not exactly "hit the town with the girls material," I like to wear them on game days before hitting the arena or hanging out at home to watch the Blackhawks.  The shirt I ordered is pictured below!

I was super excited when I finally got it in the mail about a week after placing my order and it came with a free koozie for ordering during their Labor day sale!

To dress up this tee a bit, I paired it with a pair of seersucker pants that I cuffed into capris and my trusty khaki blazer.

I am also slowly realizing how often I just toss on a blazer as an afterthought, but with this weather, It's easier to wear a light blazer than my jean jacket.  Ideally I would have worn a navy one, but as you all know, I'm still in the hunting stages of the perfect navy blazer.

How do you wear your favorite graphic tee?

Quote of the day.

CK

Blazers & braids.

If you have your own blog, or twitter, or tumblr, or instagram, you've noticed by now that blazers are super trendy right now (and have been for a few months).  Being back on campus as well as going out on weekends for birthdays or girls night out, blazers are seriously everywhere.  It's also reminding me to pick up a few more in darker colors seeing as of now, I only have a maroon blazer and a khaki one.  This weekend I went out for dinner and drinks for one of my good friends birthday's, and because we're in this up-and-down transitioning phase between seasons, I threw my light khaki blazer over a colorful sheer top for the occasion.

Personally, I've been pining for a navy or black blazer.  I've found some cute ones here, here, and & here in a wide variety of styles and prices!  I'd also love to pick up this great yellow blazer from H&M! This is how I would dress it up for this transition period between summer & autumn.

Blazer: H&M

Nailpolish: "Bahama Mama" by Essie

Purse: Lonchamp Le Pliage tote in Fir

Shoes: J.Crew leopard print flats

Jeans: Marc by Marc Jacobs Lou Skinny Wash Jeans

& pearl studs.

I'm super lucky that my roommate is an actual hair guru and while you cannot see it in the photos above, I have an amazing "waterfall braid" all around the back of my head.

As I've mentioned before, I work for my university's hockey team and they needed help training in the football interns this weekend, so they asked me to come in.  My roommate worked her magic and I got to channel my inner Katniss Everdeen with this braid:

Braiding my hair is my go-to on mornings I may not have time to blow-dry my hair, but I feel as though braids have gotten very popular over the summer and hopefully into the fall!  I think braids are just so classic and simple looking with minimal effort.  In my opinion, nothing looks better than a clean braid paired with pearl studs.

What's your go-to hairstyle in the morning?  Have you picked up a blazer for fall?

- CK

Senior status.

Welp, as well all suspected it would, school has started, and I am a senior in college!  Eep!  The past four days have been absolutely crazy between moving up, unpacking, working & getting ready for recruitment!  So this post is going to be very short and sweet.  Campus is so warm, so I had to switch outfits in the middle of the day!

I wore my favorite jean jacket, dark jean capris & a screen-print anchor tee.  I had planned and planned for a cute first day outfit for so long and never had time to actually lay it out, so I was floundering around at 7:30 looking for just anything to throw on.  I knew campus was going to be hot (hence the bun) but I didn't know it was going to be scorching!  I came home on a break between classes for lunch and changed tops.

I changed into my favorite polka-dot tee and headed back for my afternoon class.  Being on campus from eight in the morning until five in the afternoon was enough.  I've been working and doing homework ever since, and I've got to hit the ground running tomorrow at seven again.

How was your first day back?

Back to school.

By the end of August I'm usually itching to leave home and get back to campus.  This year, it's different.  Yes, I'm excited to be back in my college house with my space and regiment, but now that I'm a senior, I'm constantly thinking about what I'll be doing post-grad.  To try to quell my anxiety, the first thing I do when I get back to my house is square all my things away and clean up.  A clean living space means a focused mind.

Yes, I have pink carpet.  No, there's nothing I can do about it.

I've also hit the ground running working for my sorority creating posters, banners, t-shirts, handouts, and videos for our recruitment.  Today I spent 4 hours cutely packaging 70 of our recruitment shirts.  

I'm pooped.  I've also been informed that I will be running a workshop for 200+ freshmen this monday for athletics.  I can do this.

I'm ready for recruitment and welcome week to be finished so I can finally get back into my swing of things.  Right now I'm all jumbled with my outfits, work out schedule & grocery planning.

Let the senioritis begin?