Wednesday, October 9, 2013

over-thinking it

DSC09079 
Navy. A color that should be so easy to wear, but I always have a problem with.  Back when I got to wear jeans every day (THE GOOD OLD DAYS), wearing blue was easy because what doesn't go with jeans? My schoolboy blazer (which is currently on sale for less than $120, down from $200) was worn at least once a week. Now that I have to wear dress pants/skirts/dresses, I'm always a bit confused about what to wear with the few navy tops I have. Navy doesn't go with black, but can I wear it with other blues? What about red? Do I always have to wear my cognac shoes/belts since my black ones would clash?

Is this the dumbest blog post you've ever read or what? Just wear your clothes Fran! I know, I know. I tend to over-think getting dressed. I want to improve my style while sticking true to what I like while re-wearing all the pieces I have, but in different ways. Oh, and then take pictures of it, and put it on the internet. Writing this blog has definitely helped me do those things - figure out what my style actually is and work on building a wardrobe that is composed of pieces I love but can re-wear, and if I go back to even a year ago I can see the improvement (OMG. I just went to look what I wore exactly a year ago, and it's this same shirt. Promise I did not plan that). At the same time, it makes me hyper-aware of things that are just so dumb: 

"My buttons are gold, but the metal on my belt is silver!"

"The watch band is dark brown, but my shoes are cognac!"

"WHY DOES THIS SKIRT WRINKLE SO EASILY"

Looking for a friend here. Anyone else over-think it?
DSC09085
Skirt: Anthro via eBay [similar]
Blouse: H&M
Scarf: H&M [similar]
Belt: H&M Mens
Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]
Shoes: BR c/o Chippmunk [exact]
DSC09070
linking up with wiww.

Monday, July 22, 2013

staple on sale: j.crew schoolboy blazer

If you guys read my blog through last fall and winter, you'll know how much I love my J.Crew Navy Schoolboy blazer. I felt I wore it at least once a week, every week, and I don't really intend on changing that pattern this fall. I purchased mine last year as a birthday present to myself, and it still is the most expensive piece of clothing I own. These babies rarely go on sale, but they are currently on SUPER sale for $99. If you have ever debated buying this blazer, now is the time because in the year and a half I've been watching it, the price has never been this low and I don't anticipate it ever being this on sale again. It seems almost all sizes are still available - mine is a 10 Tall and you can see more of a review between the regular and tall sizes here.

Thank you to reader Abigail and Gigi's Gone Shopping for pointing out this great steal!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

the joy of moving

DSC05697 
This weekend I flew with my parents out to the city I'm going to live in to find housing for next year. I met up with my future roommate and I think we found a place to live (fingers crossed we get it!). Because I will be moving by myself in July with only my little hatchback and a small trailer, I packed a few boxes up to store in a family friend's basement for the coming months. I packed up most of my winter clothes, which means my current closet feels so empty...but in a good way. Like I've mentioned, I'm trying to narrow down what I actually keep in my closet and plan on only taking clothes with me that I actually like and wear. I still have a bit of work to do, but man, it's so much easier to get dressed when the only pieces in there are seasonally appropriate (...it was 37 degrees this morning) and pieces I like. My new-ish blouse, favorite blazer (seen here), and so worn jeans they now have holes in the thigh just felt right together.

If it weren't such a hassle, I should move more often!
DSC05668
DSC05699
Blouse: Gap [exact]
Blazer: J.Crew [save for <$20 | exact]
Jeans: Joe's Jeans [same style]
Necklace: Groopdealz [similar]
Earrings: Tiffany & Co. [exact]
Watch: Fossil [very similar]
Shoes: Tory Burch [exact]
DSC05660
linking up with the pleated poppy.

Linking up with what I wore to work!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

stripes | leopard

DSC04596 
So the weather this week is um...shitty. Rain or snow all week! Eek. Well I attempted to take a few pictures quickly after work today during a break in the rain, but I only got one picture where I didn't look like I was trying to fly away. But this is what I wore! TA DA.

Blazer: J.Crew [exact]
Shirt: Banana Republic [exact]
Jeans: American Eagle [exact]
Necklace: gift from Kimmie :)
Shoes: Rocket Dog via DSW
Watch: Target


 I have two things to say about items worn.

1. I'm wearing my new Banana Republic engineered striped top. I ordered this color and the blue one last week during a 30% off promotion and then had a 10% off coupon on top of that from a Gap order that went wrong, which brought the price down to less than $14 each. I like this shirt a lot - the material is pretty thick, it is long enough on my torso, and I like the somewhat not traditional neckline. As far as negatives, on me the sleeves are just a tiny bit too short, but I never have my sleeves not pushed up so that doesn't matter to me. I think I will probably sew in little bra strap holders as the neckline is a bit wide and I don't want my straps to show, but for $14 I will accept those few minutes of sewing. I think I'm going to return the blue one just because I'm not big into having duplicates, and the blue isn't the right color blue I was looking for. If you are interested in trying them out for yourself, it looks like they have restocked many of the sizes online that weren't available last week!


2. I think it's time to update these leopard flats. I've worn them a ton over the past year, but they are fabric shoes and have become wet one too many times. Since I know that I would wear a similar style a lot I'm willing to maybe spend a bit more than I normally would on "fun" shoes. I would like a pair that is calf hair or suede, either smoking or ballet flat, and under $100. The current remaining budget for the month is $185 (I sold $100 worth of clothes, but purchased this skirt and this tee) but I don't plan on spending all of it (unless I decide that I can't live without this Zara blazer, which it's looking like that may be true). The more I think about it, I think a ballet flat would get more use, especially next year. Which one would you choose?







Friday, February 8, 2013

slip & slide

blazer, tee, gingham
First of all, thank you SO MUCH for all of your kind words yesterday - I am so excited!! To answer a few questions, I do intend to continue blogging as long as it still is fun for me. Medical school is a crazy time, and I always regret not documenting college better (other than lots of facebook albums haha) so I'm hoping to document this new chapter. There are many ladies out there blogging through med school/residency (find some here under Dr. Blogger) that have really inspired me so I hope to follow their lead.There will be lots of changes, of course - I'll need a somewhat different wardrobe (more skirts, less ripped jeans), I probably won't blog daily, I'll be wearing a white coat instead of a lab coat (just kidding, that'll pretty much be the same). I'll take it all one day at a time, but there are several more months until anything really changes.



Second of all, don't let what looks like a clear road here fool you. While there isn't any snow, the road was covered in some fun black ice. Which I didn't realize until I started sliding all over the place, which included accidently taking this:
DSC02391








Feel free to laugh because I laughed for about 5 minutes when I saw it on my camera.
















blazer, tee, gingham!


























gingham, tee, blazer
Blazer: J. Crew  {exact}
Tee: Forever 21*  {exact}
Gingham: J. Crew Factory  {very similar}
Jeans: Gap  {similar}
Boots: Frye  {exact}
Watch: gift from my Oma {similar}
Earrings: Tiffany & Co. {exact}



* Thank you to Audrey for finding this gem. It's actually a t-shirt but it worked so well for layering as long as I kept the blazer on - otherwise it looks kind of funny












wrap watch with blazer












schoolboyblazer
ok so not the most innovative take one pass it on...but I loved it so much the first time I wanted to wear something similar!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

thrice

Layer button up, v-neck, blazer
When I was playing around with what item from Monday to wear today (I didn't go to work yesterday so no pass it on for Tuesday!), Kelly from Alterations Needed (one of my favorite petite/overall bloggers) shared a video on vine on layering...and I realized I had all of those pieces! Ta-da, outfit made. I think this is one of my favorite outfits yet - it was comfortable yet polished.

Plus my spiffy new camera lens makes everything look so fresh and so clean.

Layer button up, v-neck, blazer 2












Layer button up, v-neck, blazer 3
Blazer: J. Crew  {exact}
Sweater: Gap  {save | splurge}
Button-up: H&M
Jeans: Joe's Jeans  {similar}
Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington  {exact}
Shoes: Nine West via DSW ($18 in stores!) {similar}






Layer button up, v-neck, blazer 4












Layer button up, v-neck, blazer 5


























day2

Monday, January 14, 2013

the jennifer

DSC01793
I really like Jennifer Aniston's "off duty" style - she's mostly found in jeans, blazers, a big belt, and a scarf and I think she always look so chic.

So instead of attributing my plain outfit to my impending sickness and the fact that my hair wasn't doing what I wanted it to this morning, let's all pretend that I'm channeling Jennifer and applaud me for my efforts on not going to work in sweatpants.












DSC01810
Blazer: J. Crew  {exact}
T-shirt: Target
Scarf: Forever 21  {exact}
Belt: Target  {save / splurge}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact}
Shoes: Tory Burch  {exact}
Watch: Fossil  {similar}
Nails: China Glaze Red Pearl*




*that I got for free this weekend during a deal at Sally Beauty...but I hate it because within 12 hours (8 of which were slept) there were 3 chips! This was my first bottle of China Glaze and needless to say it did not impress.






DSC01805











Have you entered the Posh'mina giveaway yet?

Linking up with work clothes I suppose!




I'm doing a little guest posting on Oh, She Dabbles today about 3 ways I'm going to wear my mustard cardigan this winter. You can see all of the looks here!








Monday, December 31, 2012

like a diamond

DSC01543
Happy New Year's Eve! We're being awesome and staying in to eat homemade tiramisu and watch movies instead of going out, so I wore my sparkles to work instead. I've been wanting to try the sparkly tank/collared shirt/blazer look ever since I pinned this look when I first joined Pinterest. I was double inspired when Jessica instagrammed a dressing room picture with a similar look. Although I've had this tank for over a year, I've only worn it a few select times because really, how often can you get away with a sequin covered torso?















DSC01560
I just received this polka dot popover from J. Crew Factory and I'm really excited about it - I think it'll quickly become a favorite in my closet. I ordered it in 2 different sizes and have decided to keep the large. If you are interested, I also have a medium and would be willing to sell it to you for the price I paid ($32 which includes shipping). It is currently $48.50 online. If not, I'll return it back to our nearest factory store but thought I would put it out there since it's currently $20 more expensive than what I got it for. Just send me an email at fhasselhof (at) gmail (dot) com if you're interested!  Sold!













DSC01545
Blazer: J. Crew  {exact}
Popover: J. Crew Factory  {exact}
Tank: Express  {save, splurge}
Jeans: American Eagle  {similar}
Shoes: Tory Burch  {exact}
Bead Necklace: Wal-Mart  {similar}
Gem Necklace: Forever 21  {similar}
Watch: Fossil  {very similar}
Nails: seen here


















via Instagram

















DSC01561
Happy New Year! Can't wait to see what 2013 brings for all of us :). Linking up with the pleated poppy.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

6 months of 2012: a review


Well, all the cool kids are doing it, so I felt obligated to do it too. Don't worry, I won't show you every.single.outfit of the year because if you cared that much, you know where the archives are ;) I only started blogging this year, and spent a good 2 months of that time as a "hiding in the bathroom faceless blogger" (my first real world post is here! such a baby) so it's really only a "best of the last 6 months" kind of roundup. Either way, here's a list of the best, worst, and wtf was I thinking of the year:

Favorite Outfit of the Year: This outfit is my favorite for several reasons. It has my new favorite purse in it, I really like this (new to me) color combination, and it has the perfect feminine/masculine vibe going on that I've realized is what I tend to gravitate towards. Plus the photography gods were on my side that day so overall, favorite.

Biggest WTF of the Year: This pattern-on-pattern monstrosity. In theory, not too bad since pattern mixing is all about staying in the same color family. Unfortunately, this is just too much, too bright, too overwhelming. You live, you learn. I'll stick to little pattern mixing instead.

Biggest Regret Purchase: Although these pants were only $20, I've only worn them one time. I don't really love drawing that much attention to my legs so bright green pants weren't the smartest purchase for me. I think this was one of those "everyone has colored jeans, I NEED THEM TOO" purchases. I've definitely learned my lesson.

Favorite Manicure of the Year: Although extremely simple in design and execution, I love this manicure and hold myself back from recreating it every week.

Biggest Learning Experience: I'm a huge fan of and participant on GOMI. There are some really smart and sassy ladies on there, and I love going to place that allows me to feel sane when looking at some of the more out there blogs. I've met some of my favorite bloggers on there as well. That being said, being on an anonymous site doesn't always mean you're anonymous. I've learned that as unoffensive as you try to be on the internet in general, you aren't going to please everyone but for every 1 person who dislikes you, there are in general 10 that do like you. My face and thighs aren't those of a supermodel, but I think I can add a little bit of value to "fashion" blogging as a whole in a normal girl kind of way.

Most Pageviews of the Year: This post about a little trick Bri taught me has 3 times as many views as the next highest viewed post. I hope all of the repins on pinterest have helped a lot of other women with the art of layering ;)

Favorite Thrifted Item: I'm pretty new to thrifting. My mother, literally the most stylish woman I know, is a huge thrift store person, so it's almost embarrassing to admit that reading blogs motivated me to finally go to a thrift store. I haven't purchased that much, but this mustard cardigan is my favorite. I'm unsure what the original brand is, or how old it is, but I love the color and fit, so I don't even care.

Favorite DIY of the Year: My tube bracelets are my favorite thing I've made this year, with my flannel scarf coming in as a close second. I made them in gold and silver, and reach for them almost every single day. Plus the materials cost less than $10 and are super easy to make - cheap and easy: sounds good to me!

Most Worn/Favorite Purchase: My favorite purchase of the year is also my most worn (makes sense, huh?). My J. Crew Schoolboy blazer, which was a birthday present to myself, is the most expensive piece of clothing I own, but I know the cost per wear will eventually be less than a lot of my cheaper pieces of clothing.

So that's it! I hope 2013 brings me the foresight to make smarter purchases to fill the holes in my closet, to still expirement with my clothes, and to continue to have fun with this little hobby.

Friday, December 7, 2012

messy hair, don't care

DSC00964
Since my bangs are finally long enough, I haven't been wearing my hair up much ... but this morning I had no intention of washing and drying and attempting to style my hair, so bun (and dry shampoo) it is. Good thing I didn't waste any time doing my hair because I ended up look like this for a while. Cute, huh?













DSC00968




















DSC00967
Blazer: J. Crew  {save / exact}
Sweater: Forever 21  {save / splurge}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact}
Scarf: Victoria's Secret  {similar}
Shoes: Tory Burch  {exact}
Earrings: Tiffany & Co.  {save / exact}
Watch: Fossil {save / similar}
Nails: seen here


















DSC00981

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

One Item, Four Ways: Loft Sequin Striped Top


I purchased this Loft top as a part of my November Budget. After finding out that Whitney also just purchased the same top, we decided it would be fun to show multiple ways of wearing the same top using pieces in our own closets. Although I maintain that my blog is not about dressing up (but rather actually showing what I wear every day), I had a great time playing around in my closet coming up with these outfits. It made me realize what I'm lacking (skirts, heels, evening bags) but also made me think of future outfits I can wear with my new shirt. Our four categories are work, date night, girls night and party. Make sure you check out her post as well! Girlfriend has a great collection of skirts :)

DSC00653

Work

At work, my legs have to be covered and my shoes have to be flat. I went with some of my favorite pieces - a classic blazer, dark wash skinny jeans, and cap-toed flats. It allows a fun and sparkly top to pop out without being overbearing in a work environment.

Blazer: J. Crew  {exact}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact}
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs  {exact on sale}
Earrings: Tiffany & Co. {exact}
Watch: Fossil  {very similar}
Bag: Kate Spade  {similar}
Purse Tassel: DIY by my mom (win one here!)







DSC00651

Date Night

Between Chris's long rotation hours and loans, and how much money I've had to put into school applications, most our our date nights are very casual and inexpensive. We like to go to movies (usually a matinee) or just going on walks with our dogs. For this outfit I choose comfy shoes, a crossbody bag, and my new cargo jacket I purchased in Germany. It allows a dressier top to seem a bit more casual.

Jacket: Hof Germany  {similar}
Bag: Gift from my BFF Hannah {similar}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact}
Shoes: Rocket Dog via DSW  {exact}
Watch: Target
Bracelet: DIY
Nails: seen here




DSC00714

Girls Night

I think this top was made for girls nights. It's cute, sparkly and can stand alone without too many accessories- everything you need in a top! I paired it with my beloved black skinny jeans, a black trench for the treks between events (read: bars), a simple clutch and a pop of red.

Trench: Banana Republic  {very similar}
Jeans: Urban Outfitters  {exact}
Shoes: Unlisted  {similar}
Clutch: Forever 21  {similar}
Bangles: Forever 21









DSC00681

Party

I'm in love with this outfit and wish that I had somewhere to wear it to. Subtle pattern mixing and classic pieces allow the top to take center stage. Sequins were made for the holidays!

Skirt: Target  {similar}
Belt: Old Navy  {similar}
Heels: Nine West via Marshalls  {similar}
Clutch: Charming Charlies  {similar}
Bracelet: InPink

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Deutschland x Zwei

DSC00076
Guten Tag! Another little update from Germany (see the first update here). Since leaving my grandma's, we've been in the city where my aunt and uncle live. I lived here in 8th grade when I went to school here for a year, and it's interesting to see how much, and at the same time how little, has changed. Here are a few snapshots...





The pharmacies are always so fancy here, especially the signs...











DSC00091
...and so are the jewelry stores.

























DSC00089
Enjoying a mid day beer down on the river with my uncle.
























DSC00100
My aunt makes amazing quilts. She made me one back in 8th grade, and I still use it all the time. She made this one for my cousin, her stepson, for his 30th birthday.






















DSC00112
Out in the city with my aunt's dog, Hermione. She's the most playful dog I've ever met. She looks like such a little teddy bear!

Blazer: J. Crew  {exact}
Scarf: DIY
Shirt: H&M
Bag: Mountain Stone via Boston Store  {similar}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact, on sale}
Boots: Steve Madden  {similar}













DSC00114
We went shopping at Hof - of course we had to go in and look around (and buy a few things)!






















DSC00262
Yesterday was my cousin Johann's 30 birthday. Family members, co-workers, and childhood friends all came together to celebrate.






















DSC00270
He was thrilled that his uncle, my father, was there.
























DSC00293
At 82, my grandma was the first up to dance! Ok, just kidding, but she was having a great time.


Now my second cousins (I consider them first cousins because we're close in age and because our family is so small) are here with their babies. Tomorrow we leave to fly back already. I'm sad to leave, but at the time same I'm happy to going back to my own bed, my own schedule, and not eating all the time (ok, I will miss that).