Franish

Thursday, March 7, 2013

behind the blog: marionberry style

This week's Behind the Blog is Marion from Marionberry Style. If you haven't, you really need to check out her blog - she has impeccable style but also always keeps it hilariously real on her blog. Her style is definitely something I try to emulate - she was even one of my 25 style inspiration pictures! She just recently gave birth to her first child - we're all so excited for us to learn more about the little guy. Marion also holds a monthly trend link-up that I always try to participate in.

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

blog worthy?

Well I since I've been feeling chatty lately, I figured I might as well continue with that.

In the past 5 days I've taken pictures of 3 different outfits and have not been happy enough with any of them to post them. They're all fine outfits, but really nothing that I feel deserves to be blogged. And that's how I feel now - that everything I wear now should be worthy of standing in the cold, taking pictures, editing, uploading, writing a post, tagging, and pushing publish. Truth is, sometimes pictures don't turn out the way I want (oh hey puppy butts in all of these pictures) or it's snowing too much, or I'm not really feeling the outfit, and so then I feel that I shouldn't put them on the internet for all of you to read since...it is not blog worthy.

But...that defeats what I want my blog to be. The outfits I wear on my blog are actual outfits I wear. I don't have someone to take my pictures during "the magic hour" - I take them myself with a tripod set up in the trunk of my car before I have to be at work by 7:30, and I don't have an endless supply of money to buy new things (or buy things, wear for the blog, and return). That's fine that that's how some people run their blogs/lives, but that sounds exhausting. Not everything (anything?) I wear is pinterest-worthy, but it is what a real girl wears in the real world and if nothing else, I learn something about myself and my closet every day, and that's what matters in the end.

So here are three of the outfits I felt weren't blog-worthy but will blog about anyway because like I've said, this is real life and not just dress up.

Outfit 1:

Shirt: J. Crew Factory [save | exact]

Sweater: Gap [save]

Scarf: H&M

Jeans: Urban Outfitters [exact]

Shoes: Tory Burch [exact]

Watch: Fossil [similar]

Bracelets: Tiffany & Co. [exact], J. Crew

Outfit 2:
Shirt: H&M [save | splurge but on sale!]
Cardigan: Ann Taylor Outlet
Jeans: American Eagle [exact]
Belt: Gap
Shoes: Tory Burch, thrifted by my mom!
Watch: Kate Spade [exact]
Glasses: c/o Firmoo

Outfit 3:
Blazer: Christian Dior, thrifted [save | splurge]
Jeans: Urban Outfitters [exact]
Boots: Nicole via DSW [exact]
Scarf: H&M
Watch: Target

Linking up with Mix and Match fashion!

away forever

...just kidding. just for this morning. you can find me here talking all about budgeting. IT'S THRILLING, I PROMISE.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

on investments

I've mentioned my old shopping habits many times before. My previous shopping "plan" was the following: walk into store, buy everything I like. TA DA! Finished. That was how I purchased clothing and that is also how I ended up with a closet where I don't like and or wear many items. I don't have three closets full of unworn clothes, but I do have enough clothes accumulated over the last 6 years that I often times ask myself why I ever even considered buying something that. Many times I purchased something because it was the only thing I found that shopping day that fit me, so I purchased it just to have something go home with me, or I saw someone else wearing something similar and thought it looked cute so obviously it belonged in my closet as well. My closet a year ago (and still currently during the clean out) was full of pants I felt uncomfortable in, shirts that were either too short or too long or too tight, and a shoe collection that no one would consider a collection. It's not that I bought a bunch of ridiculous clothing, or came home with 30 bags a shopping trip, or went into serious debt because of it, but I had no direction and no limits. There would be many times where I said "gosh, I wish I had that to actually make this outfit work" but I never actively looked for that piece. It was just easier to buy another flimsy cardigan at Forever 21 than to think about what pieces I'd really like in my closet.

It was really blogging that made me take a look at my shopping habits and the clothes in my closet. Read any blog or article about shopping, and they hammer in the point of buying "investment pieces". I've read so much about "investment pieces" that it honestly gives me anxiety now when I shop. I feel like I should set an example for you guys, and for myself really, about being selective of what I buy. I shouldn't buy a bunch of clothes from Old Navy or Forever 21 because guys! it's fast fashion and cheap and you won't be wearing that in 3 months! Bad blogger, go buy that at J.Crew, that's an investment.

Is buying that Old Navy chambray popover, something I know I will really wear a lot, not an "investment" for my wardrobe anymore because I got it for $12.50 on sale? Should I have purchased the J.Crew version instead at full price although the Old Navy version may fit me better just because it says J.Crew and we consider J.Crew an investment store? Is J.Crew now considered an investment because it costs so damn much? Is it because bloggers insist of owning everything from the catalog, and therefore : investment.

I have a list of items I would like to add to my closet, but are those investments? Can a red sweater really be considered an investment or is that just something you'd like to have in your closet? How much are you supposed to spend on an "investment piece"? Does the price define how significant it is? Is the price what indicates an investment or is it the number of times you wear it, or is it the cost per wear? What makes something investment worthy? Is anything you buy from the mall NOT an investment because they are "mall clothes" and everyone has the same piece? What about something thrifted from Goodwill - is a $400 jacket purchased for $8 an investment now, even though you paid next to nothing for it and weren't exactly looking for it, but this extravagantly expensive item happened to cross your thrifting path? What about that leather tote you bought because you fell in love with it on a different blogger - is it not longer considered as much as an investment because one of the most popular blogger also has it? Are no-name thrift store finds not an acceptable "investment", but something of a similar quality from Banana Republic is now an investment, something you'll cherish because you got it brand new from the mall?

I was thinking about this on Saturday when I walked into the Gap and wanted EVERYTHING. It was all so pretty and bright and cheerful and look at that beautiful dress and those fun shorts! But do we consider the Gap to be investment worthy? Is buying a $60 dress an investment or is it more "I want, go put yourself in my closet please". What if I buy it when it finally goes on sale, or with a coupon? Does that cheapen it? Even if I wear it every other day this coming summer, the only summer I have where I get to wear shorts for a full 6 weeks?

I think the struggle for me is having to categorize it. I tell myself that everything should be an "investment" into my closet, not just filling needs or wants. At the same time, maybe not everything I buy has to be an "investment" for the next 15-50 years of my life. If I buy a pair of coral shorts and wear them a ton for two summers, would we consider that an investment? A fun, bright, cheerful investment. I think at this point in my life and income I probably can't make true "life long" investments - everything will have a shelf life, and I think for now I have to be okay with making "investments" for my current life. Maybe I should just do Kimmie a favor and not call it an investment because as she says, what's the financial return? Besides joy and something to cover my ass with, those shorts aren't going to give anything back.

Maybe I just need to think of them as smart purchases. Smart purchases that I'll enjoy and actually wear.

Linking up with the pleated poppy and random wednesday.

Monday, March 4, 2013

face lift

So I got a hair cut.

and I like it a lot.

My blog also got a mini facelift thanks to Modern Buttercup. I also like it a lot :)

Shirt: Ralph Lauren, thrifted {save | spend}

Jeans: Urban Outfitters {exact}

Belt: H&M Mens

Boots: Frye {exact}

Watch: Kate Spade {exact}

Shoutout to my Frye boots - they had to go to the cobbler to have the heel re-enforced and to be cleaned and moisturized. They feel brand new again, and all that for only $18 (for those of you in Madison: I went to Cecil's West).

1 | 2
3 | 4

Linking up with Style Elixir.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

daily make up routine

I'm a big make-up person. I like to really present my best 'face' and so I spend about 12 minutes every morning putting on make-up. This is my daily routine! All the products I use are listed below. Almost all of my make-up is from Sephora as I'm very indecisive when it comes to makeup, so I choose to purchase them there rather than at a drugstore because I know I can always return something if I don't love it. In the end this saves me from purchasing a bunch of products I'm meh about, therefore saving space and money. I am kind of cheap when it comes to brushes though - all but one are from Target and were no more than $3. Sure I'd like more expensive brushes, but the ones I have are working fine for now.

Do you have any tips or product suggestions for me? Let me know in the comments please (and please don't tell me I look like a 12 year old boy without any make up on, I already know this haha)

Skin
Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm (Cream Glow)
BareMinerals Concealer (Light 2)
Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder (Light)
Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer (Original Chocolate)
Smashbox Blush Rush (Radiance)

Eyes
Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette
Stila All Day Waterproof Eyeliner (intense black)
Smashbox Brow Tech (Taupe/Soft Brown)
Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara (Jet Black)

Friday, March 1, 2013

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.

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