reporter

My aunt is an optometrist in Germany and she generously made me a new pair of glasses since my old pair were "awful". I'm still getting used to these as they are quite a bit bigger than my last pair, but I've been told they are more flattering than my old pair was.

I think between the glasses and then blazer, I look like a news reporter. Maybe if this whole medical school thing doesn't work out (which it may not after receiving some disappointing news today) I'll go into journalism...

Blazer: H&M  {similar}

Top: Forever 21  {similar}

Jeans: American Eagle  {exact, on sale}

Belt: Madewell  {similar}

Purse: Kate Spade  {similar}

Tassle: DIY by my mom!

Watch: Target

Shoes: Tory Burch  {exact}









Linking up with the Pleated Poppy

Tightening

How cute is that little one? He's one of my three new second cousins that I met this weekend.

We made it home safe and sound last night. I wish I could say the same for my luggage, which did not arrive as expected. I was pretty nervous about my luggage not arriving because I have some irreplaceable family keepsakes in that luggage but luckily I got it all back safe and sound. My camera, makeup, and toiletries were all packed in the suitcase as well, so pictures weren't an option this morning.

It's probably better that way, because I am not feeling up to par physically right now. I don't get to go to Germany often, so when I do, I gorge on all of the food. I definitely am not feeling too great about physical appearances at the moment. My family is traveling to Gulf Shores for Christmas, so I have 5 weeks to "tighten" it up.

To say I've been trying to lose weight most of the last 15 years wouldn't be an exaggeration. I can't really think of a time where I was content with how my body looked. It mostly doesn't bother me too much because I know that physically I'm healthy. I ran a half marathon a few months ago, I can run up stairs without feeling like I'm dying, I don't eat a lot of fast food. In high school I ran cross country and when I was still in college, marching band kept me really really active. Since then, I've somewhat lost the motivation, especially since I no longer have the scariest 75 year old yelling at me to push myself.

I think beyond the exercise aspect, food is really what does me in. It's not necessarily what I'm eating, but how much. I hate the feeling of being hungry. If you asked Chris what he disliked the most about me, I bet you he would say that I get really grumpy when I'm hungry. I get really possesive about my portions, and more is always better in my stomach's opinion. 

To be successful in a quest to feel good about myself physically, I need to change things. The first part is exercising. I like to sweat, I like to "feel the burn", but I'm also lazy and will look for any excuse to not work out. Exercise needs to be a part of my routine, something that I can't back out of. My plan is to do Jillian Micheal's 30 Day Shred Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings before work. It only requires getting up 35 minutes earlier, and then it's done. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm going to either go to the gym or to pilates (thanks Groupon!). Devoting 150 minutes a week to exercise is 1% of the week. I think I can handle that.

As far as food goes, in the past calorie tracking has really worked for me. I use the Calorie Counter and stick between 1500 -1800 calories. I always think how much that is, but when I total everything I eat, I see how easily the calories add up. Like clothing budgetting, when I have a set amount I'm supposed to stick to, I think more about what I'm about to eat. When I look at my meal calorie amounts, snacks and lunch (which is often times purchased at the work cafeteria) add the most to my daily caloric intake. I make the same 300 calorie breakfast sandwich every morning, and Chris and I make pretty healthy dinners (lots of fish, chicken and vegetables) so snacks and lunch need an overhaul. I plan on bringing more lunches to work (sandwiches, veggies, leftovers from dinner) and having more yogurts, fruits and nuts as snacks. I need to retrain my stomach to not yell at me when I haven't had anything to eat in 2 hours. 

So that's the plan. Hopefully by the time Christmas rolls around, I won't be rolling around as much.

Guide to Preppy Dressing by the Preppy Leopard

You guys may remember reading about Tierney from Behind the Blog a few weeks ago. Tierney has that classic style when it comes to dressing, so I asked her to put together a little post about what constitues preppy dressing.

Just to clarify, my family doesn’t have a boat.  We don’t belong to a country club, and we are hardly American royalty.  (Although, we do have a castle in Ireland…or had a castle in Ireland…Long story.)

Really, I’m not sure from where my obsession with the stereotypically “preppy” look came.  I’ve always gravitated towards prep-school staples in nautical hues.  (I attended a private Christian school, but sadly, no uniforms.  I was probably the only person who wished we had uniforms.)

I think maybe I can point to a combination of Gossip Girl and J.Crew as the catalysts that pushed me over the preppy loving edge.  As an aspiring YA author, I devoured the entire Gossip Girl series and waited with baited breath for the television show.  Blair Waldorf quickly cemented her spot as the Queen B of my style loving heart.  I loved her school girl inspired pieces in classic colors.  (And, I also loved that when I re-watched the first season years later, she still looked stylish.) 

Then, I started working at J.Crew to make some extra money during college, and I learned the art of layering from dressing countless mannequins.  Now, I possess a closet that is 50% navy, 25% red, and 25% black.  Everything I own can be mixed and matched and will always look pulled together.  I’ve fixated more on quality and staying power of my clothing, versus freaking out over every new trend.  (And, when there’s a trend I kind of like, I buy it in a classic color that I can wear for the next few years.)

Interested in pulling together your own classic wardrobe, but not sure where to start?  Let me be your guide!

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).

Behind the Blog: Putting Me Together

If you've spent any time on Pinterest, you have seen Audrey from Putting Me Together. She blogs about her experiences in learning how to, well, put her self together. She talks about the process of putting an outfit together, and how little changes can make all the difference. I'm so glad she agreed to participate in Behind the Blog!

Tell us what motivate you to start blogging. Were you following a lot of personal style/fashion blogs before you started blogging?

To the Fatherland

Hello! I'm currently sitting in my Oma's living room in a food coma from all of the German food I am stuffing into my mouth. I'm here for the week to celebrate my cousin's 30th birthday. We're all really excited to get together - I only see my family every few years, and we've recently added some new members to our small extended family so this trip was needed! Here's what we've been up to the last few days...

Cuddling with my favorite aunt's pets. This is my sister Viktoria and my aunt's new kitten...

...and here I am with her dog. Doesn't she look good in her glasses?

Yesterday we drove up to the city my parents studied at, where they married and where I was born. My dad was in a fraternity there, so we went for a vist. We brought over a beer pong table from the States that we gave to the house.

Then shenanigans ensued.

I found new clothes to wear...

....my dad and his fraternity brother showed the youngins how it's done...

...we practiced our dance moves (please note my sister on the floor)...

...and I found a car plate that combines my two homes.

The next couple of days will include shopping, picking out new glasses,  more eating, and family! I also will be posting pictures on instagram (@fhasselhof) if you want to follow along :)

I'm wearing:

Shirt: H&M  {similar}
Jacket: Forever 21  {similar}
Scarf: Scarf Obsession (the one I won!)
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact on sale}
Hat: Forever 21  {similar}
Shoes: Tory Burch  {exact}

Advice for Shopping at Forever 21

I mentioned on Monday that I think I've figured out how to shop in Forever 21, and several people asked for tips, so I've been thinking about how I figured out how to shop there. Hopefully these help you in the land of inexpensive clothes and accessories.

1. Take your time getting to know the layout of the store. When F21 first came to our mall, I did not set foot in it for at least a year. It's huge, and has so much in it that I always felt overwhelmed. I slowly worked my way through the store and figured out the layout of the sections - the boho, the glam, the girly, the sale, the basic, the "kinda for the office" section.

2. Once you know what is found in each section , you'll slowly figure out what sections resonate with your style. I generally stick to the girly and the "office" section.

3. Take your time and walk around. I'm a big "toucher" when I shop. It drives Chris crazy but I like to walk around and just feel the clothes. I usually do 2 loops around the store and pick up anything that catches my attention. Don't feel that you have to look at every single piece in the store.

4. Try on anything that caught your attention. I generally try on 6-10 items when I shop at F21, and tend to buy maybe 1 of them. Which leads to #5...

5. Figure out what pieces work and which don't. Many items are cut similarly at F21 (and most stores). At Forever 21, I can't buy blazers because they are too tight on my arms, dresses because they are too short, and jeans because they too short. That limits me to tops. I basically eliminated a majority of the store, but that also means I skip over a lot when I'm looking for things. By knowing what pieces won't fit me, I don't bother trying them on, thereby bypassing any feelings of annoyance while in the dressing room.

6. Don't be afraid to size up. I'm generally a size medium in tops in other stores, but am almost exclusively a large at Forever 21.

7. Don't forget the accessories department. I like the jewelry at Forever 21 more than the jewelry at H&M and you really can't beat the prices. When people ask me where my jewelry is from in real life, they are always surprised to hear Forever 21. They also have inexpensive scarves, bags and hair accessories.

8. Don't buy something just because it's inexpensive. What's the point if you aren't actually going to wear/love it?

I hope that helped! What advice do you have for shopping at Forever 21?

Blouse: Forever 21  {exact}

Scarf: H&M

Jeans: American Eagle  {exact on sale}

Belt: Target  {similar}

Shoes: Tory Burch {20% off with code FANDF}

Watch: Kate Spade {exact}

Bracelet: DIY, J. Crew via eBay

Linking up with Real Girl Style and Work it Wednesday.