four of thirty.

vintage sweater (this mod cloth sweater is quite similar!) and gold ring; h&m jeans (destroyed them myself); forever 21 earrings; low luv x erin wasson silver ring; asos watch; thrifted pumps.

what a find, this fred flintstone mohair sweater. ok ok, so it really doesn't resemble fred flintstone's "tunic", but i just use that as a term of endearment. i love this sweater. i've actually had someone try to buy it off of me (back off sister, it's mine).

this look is from a recent weekend shopping excursion; the heels being thrifted during said excursion. i wore them right out of the store and suffered from frozen feet and a few sideways glances, but whatever. they make this outfit, and a lot of others as well. if you can't tell, i could live in a thrift store. i make thrifted a verb that i use so often, my iPhone no longer autocorrects to "thrusted".

& now that i can laugh about the fact that, seven years ago, my abercrombie/hollister clad self was voted best dressed in high school, destroyed denim no longer turns me off. in fact, it holds a special place in my heart. again. always.

look five of thirty days of outfits coming tomorrow ;)

you guys are awesome.

XX

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three of thirty.

thrifted coat and loafers (identical pair in pretty patent leather here); h&m denim shirt (try a light wash or dark wash) and scarf; bdg jeans (different color here); forever 21 earrings; asos large watch; low luv x erin wasson silver ring; vintage coach willis bag, small watch, gold ring, and belt.
hanging out my loafers. my $4.14 loafers, to be exact. thank you chicago thrift stores, i <3 you. more high rise denim hiding under my softest and most favorite shirt i own (may i suggest these jeans in ALL colors? - gray isn't available anymore, but the next closest is this rad faded black pair; i have them), and isn't the puff sleeve detail on this coat charming? it also cost me only....$4.14 (!). i'm a total repeat outfit offender here too. quite possibly worn these exact pieces together more than you'd like to know. at least i'm only documenting it once, for your sake :P

i'm really into playing around with different pieces atop my living room bookcase - how do you guys feel about this configuration? i don't think one can ever have too many gold accents or white roses (these are fake!).
see you tomorrow for look four of thirtyyyyyXX___________________________
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two of thirty.

thrifted sweater; h&m faux leather skirt; vintage faux fur bag and gold ring; low luv x erin wasson silver scarab ring; forever 21 earrings; asos watch and heels.

everyone should know that it was 53 degrees in chicago yesterday. no tights necessary with this outfit.
everyone should own a leather pencil skirt. one of life's necessities.
everyone should also know that i just purchased my first macbook pro. another life necessity.

see ya tomorrow for look three of thirtyyyyy.
XX

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one of thirty.

h&m blouse and jeans; vintage coach willis bag; vintage belt, small watch and gold ring; low luv x erin wasson silver scarab ring (love this similar evil eye one); asos large watch and ankle boots.


30 days, 30 outfits starts nowwwww, with a silhouette that you've seen many times before: button down shirt, skinny jeans, ankle boots. classic caylee if there ever was such a thing. i feel very vintage and western inspired in this outfit - a perfect match for my (unstaged!) guitar in the background. this specific blouse has the perfect pajama-y feel and begs to be buttoned all the way up. the "slim" style jeans from h&m have a super flattering mid-rise. all my denim are now high-and mid-rise; i'll never go back to low rise. and the ankle boots that are pushing three years old just keep getting better with age. there is an exact mold of my foot in the cushioned sole, making them as comfortable as slippers.

i know, i know, my 30 days, 30 outfits should've happened a while ago, but since moving to chicago last june, things haven't been all rainbows and butterflies, and i have been busy sorting out my life in the midst of personal struggles. and working. i push myself so hard at work that when i get home, i crash. all i want to do is watch a movie, read, listen to music and sketch....sleep. or i get busy thrift shopping or having dinner with friends that i don't have the time. this project will force me to put all my excuses to rest. i love a good challenge.
and things are much much better for me now. optimism and faith work wonders. let go of expecatations, regrets, outcomes, and the past, and just go with it. free your mind. live. and love yourself. everything will work out just as it's supposed to :)

something i'm super stoked about is that a week of my outfits will come from austin, texas. that's right, SXSW music festival is my next adventure. music, street style, warm weather, travelling - i live for this kind of stuff. but today i'm going to enjoy the rest of my sunday off, chillin' in my apartment. full of contradictions i am - a homebody who wants to see the world.


(huge dork above)

are you guys ready for these next 29 days? i am. let's go!
XX

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insta-NYC.

1. all smiles at brunch (cue the mimosas).
2. empire state building from a rainy cab window.
3. MBFW.
4. christina's view of manhattan from her bedroom window. no instagram filter needed for that blue sky.
5. sitting at my first show ever, monique lhuillier!
6. christina pre-pizza and beer in williamsburg. #badassbeauty
7. walked past sofia coppola's new west village townhouse.
8. liz looking gorgeous in pastels amid a sea of black.
9. christina and i in the tents.
10. outfit details (see the full look here).
11. cranberry pecan french toast with caramel glaze + bananas from LIC market in queens.
12. outside the lincoln center.
13. strolling through central park.
14. brewskis at the charleston in williamsburg.
15. dancing at the darby // rebecca minkoff after party.
16. hot chocolate and carrot cake from cafe angelique in west village. doesn't get much better.
17. NYC.
18. brunch at aria in west village with the lovelyyychristina, jennie and jackie (not pictured but also in attendance: lydia and eliot!).


i wanted to share my instagram pics from new york fashion week on the blog, in case you don't follow me there or on twitter. it's so fun seeing all of these together; it's like a mini time capsule of special moments from the three very short days i spent in the big city. enjoyyy!

30 days, 30 outfits starts this weekend. editing my first look as we speak :D
XX

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partyyy.

photos 1, 2, 5 and 6 via profreshstyle; photos 3, 4 and 7 via bfanyc.com

here are some shots from the rebecca minkoff after party, the friday before last during NYFW!
i wore an h&m trend dress that i got on sale last summer, three year old nine west black heels that you cannot see (hopefully i can get some full outfit shots of this look), and a vintage coach willis bag. i've started quite the willis collection; i have this one, a black one, and a cognac colored one. the classic, vintage shape makes this my ideal purse that i carry pretty much everyday. i LOVE that coach has relaunched this style in stores, but i can't beat the thrill of finding all of mine for 10 bucks a piece at a thrift store.

back to the rebecca minkoff party at the darby - it was insanelyyyy crowded, but i saw coco rocha (!); got to meet aimee, jules, chantal, and andy, even if only for a second; squished into a photobooth with DJ theophilus london; and danced and sang for hours with christina, natalie, dylana, and bonnie, while ignoring the rest of the madness around us. i live for nights spent dancing. and oh how i love those girls. afterwards, christina insisted on taking my tired, complaining self to the meatball shop around 1am, and i am still thanking her. i had spicy meatballs with provologne on a pretzel bun. best sandwich i have ever had. period, end of story.

prior to this, i hit up the lulu's styling event and then bloggers night out with christina for drinks + mingling. i had a lot of fun at both, and even met a reader who has followed my blog since the very beginning; she remembered when i became a chictopia style icon, and she mentioned her favorite heels of mine, the aldo tumlin wedges (see them here). so cool. if you are reading this, leave a comment so i can remember who you are!

a few more fashion week posts coming your way, then my 30 days, 30 outfits will finally begin.
pinky promise :)
XX__________________________________
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lincoln center.

photos by profeshstyle

asos coat (love this similar style); h&m sweater, belt and skirt (try a metallic or red version); target tights (layered two pairs); forever 21 earrings; vintage, lowluv x erin wasson, and la dama rings; vintage bag (just like the PS1!); aldo boots; essie nail polish in fifth avenue; ELF lipstick in posh (my $1 go-to color!).

it was exactly one week ago when i wore this on my first full day in NYC during NYFW. i knew i'd be in a sea of either brightly colored or all black ensembles at the lincoln center, so i chose to do what i do best: neutrals. mixing different textures is the way i make my simple outfits more interesting. i live for no-fuss, effortless, and simple, so it's all in the details. a chunky knit, pleats, faux fur, leather...love them all, even more when they're paired together. the midi skirt is a fun break from my usual skinny jeans (wouldn't wear it any other way than high on my waist with a belt), and i toughened it up with the addition of my favorite black ankle boots, the aldo crisson. cannot say enough about these. they're comfortable and look just like the acne pistol boots that cost 7x as much as these do. the bag, oh this bag. i did a little dance inside when i saw it at a thrift store, as it's identical to the coveted PS1, and cost me, ohhh, $3. score. the coat has a hood that's perfect for when the wind picks up (seriously, i think i brought a little bit of chicago with me, what a windy day in NYC), and you guys have seen this old sweater on my blog before, most notably here.


photo by lateafternoon

my gracious and beautiful NYC host christina and i started off the day last saturday with brunch at the cutest little cafe in queens, LIC market, where we treated outselves to a delicious carb loaded meal (read: cranberry pecan french toast with a caramel banana glaze). we then headed to the lincoln center, where i took these photos, scoped out street style, chugged free diet pepsi, got yelled at by security for leaning against a glass-encased bajillion dollar necklace, had a star struck moment when kate lanphear looked me in the eye as she passed by after exiting a show, and finally met up with my long time internet friend and fellow blogger, the impossibly chic liz from late afternoon. cannot say enough good things about her :)




after a bit, christina asked me if i wanted to walk over to central park. as a first timer in NYC, the tourist in me couldn't pass this opportunity up. of course it was beautiful, just as i'd imagined, yet all i could think about is how it must be in the summertime, and immediately my mind starting thinking ahead and planning my next trip, to see it in all of its glory.

it kind of seems like i'm going backward in time, which i am, so to see what i wore on this saturday night, check out my last post here.
happy weekend!
XX
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cobalt.

photos by profreshstyle

asos faux fur coat(similar style here); blouse (similar here and here) and purse (similar here) from thrift store; h&m faux leather pants (similar here and here); wedge ankle boots from tj maxx (similar here); forever 21 earrings; essie nail polish in fifth avenue.

here's the rest of the pics of the outfit from my preview post yesterday, all taken at the lincoln center in NYC during NYFW! i scored this pretty cobalt blue blouse and sparkly purse a few weeks ago at a chicago suburb thrift store for 90 cents each, and was thrilled to find this pair of pointy toed ankle boots sitting randomly amongst a rack of rejects at a tj maxx on that same lucky day. they were on my wishlist, and now they are on my feet. these earrings are something i now wear daily; they add the perfect girly vintage touch to all my looks, especially ideal when i dress like a boy (which is a lot, haha). you guys know my affinity for this leopard coat that i've had since last winter (seen here and here), and every season, i whatever pair of faux leather pants h&m puts out - this year, they happen to have side panels, which i adore.

my saturday night in NYC involved three of my favorite things: fashion, food, and friends. first, i caught the monique lhuillier show at the lincoln center (thanks a million to the generous christina for giving me her ticket!). actually attending a show was not in my initial plans, nor did i expect to get to go to one, but the opportunity arose and i couldn't NOT attend. another thing crossed off my bucket list. the combination of the people, the setting, the music, the models, and the designs comes together into a surreal experience - you get lost in the show. it's a work of art. i still have an adrenaline rush from seeing clothes come down the runway. a small town indiana girl like me thought such things and events would exist for my viewing pleasure solely on the internet. this time, i like admitting i'm wrong :)

after the show, christina and i headed to the charleston in williamsburg for pizza and beer. it was my kinda bar (read: vintage, divey, rock n roll), and you can buy a beer, get a pizza for $1 - couldn't be more perfect. finally, we danced the night away at the woods with natalie, dylana, bonnie, and tanya. i already miss those girls. and brooklyn. what a memorable saturday.

hope you enjoyed the post!
more to come, can't wait to tell you about my other adventures in NYC and everyone else i met :)
XX______________________________
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beginnings.

photo by profreshstyle

oh heyyy there! i just got back from new york city and new york fashion week. that's right kids...new york fucking city! new york fashion week! both of these necessaries can now be crossed off my bucket list, and my getaway has left me feeling inspired and ready to start blogging again. i'll kick off my thirty days of outfits with a big NYFW post, as i try to describe to you in words and a few pictures what an incredible time i had.

enjoy this little preview pic of me at the lincoln center, chilling after catching the monique lhuillier show, wearing an asos faux fur coat, vintage blouse and purse, h&m faux leather pants, and wedge ankle boots from tj maxx.
until tomorrow :)
XX ____________________________
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