on trends

Looking at fashion from previous decades, it's easy to nail down certain time periods.

+ Full skirts, pulled in waists, perfectly coiffed hair? 50's.

+ Flowing skirts, hippie jewelry, long straight hair? 70's.

+ Neon, shoulder pads, big hair? 80s/early 90s.

They say because our decade (the 20teens? the 2010s? what do we call it?) lives and breathes fast fashion that our "style" will be harder to nail down. I always thought that since what we do nowadays is a lot more natural (more neutrals, no crazy clothing pieces or hair styles) that we will be considered pretty timeless but I probably only think that because that's what we're living right now and maybe everyone in 1994 thought the same thing (although please, I disagree - this is not cute).

I was thinking about current trends - chambray, print mixing, neon (which I'm still refusing to participate in), skinny jeans - and I wonder if we'll look back at our blogs/yearbooks/facebooks/family photo albums and wonder what in the world we were ever thinking. Are we going to have to explain to our children that mixing stripes and florals (or ya know, plaids because Wisconsin is still firmly in winter) was the cool thing to do in 2013 and it was totally on trend? That wearing a denim shirt with denim pants was completely socially acceptable and not just in Canada (I kid!)? That neon made a resurgence and we (you...) welcomed it back with open arms?

What do you think - are there any trends you think we'll regret or is what we are wearing now timeless and not year-definable?

Shirt: Gap  [exact on sale]
Chambray: Old Navy  [exact]
Jeans: American Eagle  [exact]
Scarf: DIY
Boots: Steve Madden
Watch: Fossil  [similar]
Rings: Galisfly

On a side note, with daylights savings time I now have to take pictures after work again, which means there is more traffic. I take pictures on a little side road, but three cars specifically drove over to me to see if I need help - apparently a girl standing behind her car while it's snowing is a girl in need. That's what you get for living in the Midwest. Here's my reaction after I heard the third car pulling up to me. I just politely declined their help as they awkwardly stared at me and my tripod trunk. That things I do for you...

on the end of TOPIO

We are officially at the end of a month of Take One, Pass It On, started by our fearless leader Sarah. I really appreciate that Sarah started this challenge because as I mentioned on the my first post, I'm already fairly limited in what I can wear to work, so a 30x30 doesn't really work for my current lifestyle. TOPIO allows me to have closet challenge and work on my "remixing" skills (or as I like to call it, wearing the clothes I already own in different ways....)

I started reading personal style blogs as a way to be inspired to re-wear clothes I own. There's a lot of pressure to always buybuybuy more, especially when you read blogs about all the amazing clothes available, but I think it's really important that as real women actually buying and wearing our clothes in the real world that we show different ways to wear clothes. I never ever want to buy something and only wear it once. I want the clothes I buy and wear to be versatile and re-wearable and loved. I want to love the clothes I own, and wear them as much as possible. With that in mind, Whitney and I are going to have a fun little challenge coming up later this month - more details to come!

Thank you for indulging me in this little experiment. I had a great time planning on my outfits (I should do that more often, huh?) and seeing how all of the other ladies re-wore their clothes. You are all remixing queens.

Blazer: H&M  | save | spend | splurge |
Blouse: Forever 21
Tank: Old Navy  | similar |
Jeans: Gap  | similar |
Boots: Steve Madden
Necklace: Forever 21  | similar |
Watch: Fossil  | similar |
Bracelet: souvenir

18 Frans, all in a row.

One | Two | Three | Four
Eight | Seven | Six | Five
Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve
Sixteen | Fifteen | Fourteen | Thirteen
Seventeen | Eighteen | TOPIO!

taxed

Are you guys sick of me talking about school starting in 5 months? Me either...

But...with school starting and only working for another 4.5 months, I am really working on tucking money away. I'm putting my entire work bonus, a certain percentage of each paycheck, and the money I make from this blog into savings. I am also putting all but $250 of my tax return into savings. With those $250 I was planning on purchasing a few items from "the list". Last Friday I ordered this blazer as it was a color I was looking for, I wear my blue version all the time, and I knew what size I thought I needed. Well I received it today and it just didn't work - it was a little too tight in the shoulders and it felt too short. I think the 2% spandex in my blue version makes enough of a difference in fit that it just wasn't worth the money to keep.

So while I was returning the blazer, the sales associate convinced me I needed to look at the sale section (it took a bunch of convincing...). Another one of my items on my list is a pencil skirt. They had a lot of the black #2 pencil skirts on sale, so I tried a few on. I tried on my normal skirt/pants size, but it didn't even close. I went up one size, and it still didn't look right. Several ladies said that they sometimes have to size up two sizes. I think that's important to remember - it's not about the number on the tag but how it fits. I walked away without a skirt even though the price was good because the size they had in store wasn't going to work. I don't think I'm ready to put a bunch of money down on something I can't wear right now anyway.

What I can wear right now and in the future is this cute striped shirt, so it did come home with me :)

Shirt: Gap*

Blouse: J. Crew Factory {save | exact}

Jeans: Gap  {similar}

Scarf: c/o The Posh'mina

Boots: Steve Madden  {save | splurge}

Watch: Boccia

*I found this shirt hiding in my closet this weekend. I'm certain the last time I wore this shirt was in this picture, taken at a house party my sophomore year of college. so classy.

Linking up with wiww and Bri's Third Thursday Threads (POLKA DOTS!)

20ish days in, and no one has realized that I'm re-wearing something every day. Either I'm really good at TOPIO (not as likely) or people at work aren't paying attention (most likely).

booted

After our little snow storm yesterday I felt it was necessary to give the hussy ankles a break and actually wear boots. These boots are about 3 years old and now are definitely starting to show their wear - as I was playing around in the snow this afternoon with the pups I felt one foot getting wet...because there's a tiny hole in the boot.

Dang it. I have worn these pretty much to the ground though (it seems to be a theme in my current closet) so finding a new pair of boots is pretty important. I think instead of just brown boots I'm going to look for some two-tone boots (like this or this pair). My mom just bought a pair of gorgeous Frye two-tones shoes so I'm hoping to find something similar in my price range. 

Shirt: J. Crew Factory  {save | exact}
Vest: J. Crew  {similar}
Scarf: H&M
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact on sale}
Boots: Steve Madden  {save | splurge}
Earrings: Tiffany & Co.  {exact}
Watch: Fossil  {similar}

linking up with Plane Pretty's Sunday Style!

dschungel

In case you are wondering what that title is, it's the German word for jungle. If you have ever wondered why my name is spelled so weird, it's because it's the German way of spelling Franchesca...because I'm an (permanent) alien in this country and originally from Germany. And jungle in German is dschungel. 

maybe I'll start giving you a random German word a day that someone describes my outfit. Today it's dschungel because I felt like I was going on a safari. A cold, Midwest safari, but a safari nonetheless.

Chambray: Old Navy  {exact}
Vest: Old Navy  {similar}
Jeans: Urban Outfitters  {exact}
Boots: Steve Madden  {save / splurge}
Scarf: borrowed from Emily, originally Target*
Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington  {exact}
Bracelets: Forever 21


*a few weeks ago when I was debating between this scarf and the blue one, I choose the blue one. I then told Emily about all the amazing scarves on clearance, so she went and bought the one I didn't get...and then let me borrow it. What a good friend huh?

...and this is what I look like when I'm trying to figure out why my camera is taking such shoddy pictures.















linking up to mix & match fashion.

thundersnow

...is a real thing apparently.

We've been hit with about 18 inches of snow (so far) so it's been an adventure (and by adventure I mean nightmare). I had to go to work today (for 3 hours...) so it was fun having the streets alllll to myself. But then I got to come home and nap. After said napping, Chris and I went out to explore. We hiked around in the snow for about 4 miles. Kind of dumb since trees were literally being pulled out of the ground from the heavy weight of the snow, but also kind of awesome.

"Take a picture of my gloves!"
"Why?"
"Because they're cute!"
"You are so weird"

But they are cute, right?

Jacket: purchased in Germany  {similar}

Hat: Gap  {similar that I want too}

Scarf: Forever 21  {similar}

Gloves: also from Germany  {similar, similar}

Pants: Urban Outfitters  {exact}

Boots: Steve Madden  {similar}

dresses at work?

Wearing pants is something that I thought was mandatory at work. I re-read our safety regulations recently and it specifies that legs need to be covered - nothing specifically about wearing pants! For most people, dresses/skirts with tights is a no brainer, but after 14 years of dance recitals, I was certain I would never make myself do that again. After watching girls like Kimmie and Whitney rock cute tights with their dresses and skirts, I was willing to give it another try. I was offered the opportunity to try out some No nonsense tights and leggings, so what's a better way to test out if I liked the dress/tights look than with free tights? 

I'm also unsure how I feel about Louboutin shoes and Chanel bags...

Kidding! Back to the tights. I received these cute purple patterned tights and red corduroy leggings.  The tights were a no brainer. I wanted as much of my legs "double covered" so I wore my old beat up boots (future post to come about upgrading to a nicer pair). Because I am fairly tall (5'9''), most regular dresses tend to be a bit short on me, so wearing tights actually helped me feel less exposed in the thighs. The tights held up very well throughout the day. They were long enough for me so there was no awkward gapping, and the control top meant I didn't have to suck in as much. Now that I know I can actually wear skirts and dresses (as long as my legs are still covered) to work, I'm excited to expand those parts of my closet.

Dress: Old Navy  {very similar}

Tights: No nonsense (c/o)

Scarf: gift from my mom

Belt: The Limited  {save / splurge}

Socks: Urban Outfitters  {very similar}

Boots: Steve Madden  {similar}

Watch: Boccia

I found bright red leggings a little harder to fit into my normal day-to-day wear. I maintain that leggings are not pants to be worn with a short shirt, so a tunic was necessary for me. I wore my leggings with a sweater tunic, scarf and jacket for a walk out with the dogs. The nice thing about these leggings is that they are corduroy so they kept me warmer than some of my other cotton leggings. I would recommend sizing down though, as my pair were a little too large for me. I've been wearing my pair around the house a lot as they are so comfortable!

Jacket: Souvenir from Germany  {save / splurge}
Leggings: No nonsense (c/o)
Boots: Steve Madden {similar}
Hat: Forever 21
Scarf: DIY

Dog: not for sale ;)

Disclosure: Find your pair of affordable No nonsense tights and leggings here. I was sponsored by No nonsense for this opportunity. All opinions are my own.

Weekend: Vests and Puppies

Look at that face. Seriously, his puppy dog face (even though he's no longer a puppy) gets me every time.

Today I did some cleaning (ok, napping), going to the outlet mall with my friend Emily (I didn't even buy anything!), and catching up with college friends. Tomorrow involves baking cookies and visiting the dog park. I hope you are enjoying the best days of the week :)

Vest: J. Crew  {exact}

Sweater: H&M  {save / splurge}

Jeans: Gap  {very similar}

Boots: Steve Madden  {save / splurge}

Scarf: DIY

Purse: gift from my friend Hannah

P.S. I participated in At the Pink of Perfection's  Stocking Stuffer Swap. I was partnered with The Mayor's Wife and loved getting her a few girly treats before her baby is born. I completely forgot to take a picture of my gift before tearing in, but she sent me great gifts including a great water mug, nail polish, chap stick and homemade treats. Thanks girl, I loved them!

Deutschland x Zwei

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...

...and so are the jewelry stores.

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

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.

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}

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

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

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

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).

Heart On My Sleeves

I've been obsessing over elbow patches for months now. I love how they look on a blazer and collared shirts, which is why I've been waiting until it has been chilly enough to do this DIY. I think the heart shaped elbow patch is a cute little take on what would normal be considered grandpa-sweater only territory.

I used the step by step instructions by Honestly, WTF. The process is very easy and she lays out the steps very clearly. My only suggestion if you recreate this is to not buy the cheapest felting needles. I stabbed around for about 45 minutes until I realized the needles were just not up to par. The middle grade needles only cost about $2 more and allow you to finish a patch in ~10 minutes.

Shirt: Old Navy  {exact}
Jeans: Urban Outfitters
Boots: Steve Madden  {similar}
Watch: Fossil





What's been your favorite DIY? I have so many more things I want to try!