Stormchaser + Crash & Burn Giveaway!

Outfit Details:   Dress: c/o Crash & Burn   Necklace: Macys   Bag: Rue 21   Ring: Forever 21   Beanie: Claires   Boots: Target

I've shown you a couple of Crash and Burn's items here and here. But I'm pretty sure out of all the items, this Rosemont dress has got to be my favorite. It's tie-dyed, long sleeved, of a light material, and has gorgeous shades of blue and grey in it.
Although I'm sorry to my international readers, right now this giveaway is only for US residents right now.
You like it? Well read on, because you have a chance to win it for yourself!

This dress comes from Crash and Burn's spring 2012 line, which is filled with some more amazing options. I've got to say, tie dye is their trade mark. And the best part? All of their tie-dye and washes are distinct novelty washes, meaning not one dress comes out the same! They have gorgeous blouses, dresses, and bottoms that have a pattern like this. And it's not in-your-face-70's style tie-dye. No, its got a subtle edge to it that I love! In their about section, they describe their clothes as: "crafted on basic but specific principles: clean lines, edgy designs, and high quality fabrics."

And I can personally tell you their description is accurate!

So now that I have free reign to dress the way I want for college, I'm already mentally making outfits that I'd wear. This is one of them! I love that the dress is beautiful but can still work for a casual setting.
Well...in my mind it does at least.

Although for my small town, this is way too dressed up.
But in case you can't tell, I've pretty much ignored the silent rule of our town that says the dress code is: jeans + t-shirt + sneakers.
I just hope others don't think I'm dressing this way for attention. The honest truth is that I like these clothes and I want to wear them. Not to attract stares! I'm doing this for myself.
One of the sites I visit regularly has a fantastic post called 25 Reasons Why You Should Dress Up Everyday and it's what inspired me to break these unwritten social rules. Check it out!

So last weekend, my friend Sadie graduated and afterwards we went in a small group to watch a late movie and eat out. Guess what we saw?
The Avengers!
Haha, I was so excited. I've been wanting to see that for forever!
Now that I finally have, there was only one problem...

Deciding which superhero is hottest!
I finally came to the conclusion that a mix of Thor and Iron Man would be perfect. Because I'm very attracted to Thor's build, but hello, Iron Man's attitude and wit are just as sexy!
Haha, what did you think of the movie and which superhero was your favorite? :)

So, from seeing it in these photos, did you fall in love with this dress as well?

 Enter below for a chance to win it for yourself!
And for those who entered the Dark Horse giveaway, I will be announcing the winner in the next post. So stay tuned!

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Anjolee Jewelery Review

 Anjolee was kind enough to send me their Gemstone Diamond Oval Hoop Earrings to review, and they arrived last week. I've been wearing them a lot recently, and I'm quite pleased with them. Above is my garnet stone version, and below is the website picture with the sapphire stone.

 

The wonderful thing about Anjolee is they allow you to customize your own jewelry! So if you're looking for those perfect stud earrings, diamond bracelets, or hoop earrings, this is the site to go. 

I'm loving my simple yet elegant hoop earrings. As a girl who often rocks loud, statement jewelry, these are a nice break. Plus, they go with a lot of my silver necklaces without being too obnoxious. 

Sorry the photo isn't more clear! Sadly my camera isn't quite up to par on taking high quality close up photos -_-

 Here's the rest of this outfit below!

Outfit Details:   Top: American Rag   Skirt: thrifted + DIY   Bag: vintage   Sandals: Forever 21

Kirsten and I got to hang out again and spent some serious shopping time at the mall. Haha, she found a perfect floral dress, and I...well I found some irresistible clearances and some items I've had on my wishlist for the longest time! Soooooo, my wallet is much lighter now than before, but my closet is certainly happier!

Isn't this fringe and crochet top just amazing? I got it at Macys with that giftcard I told you about last time, and this was my first time wearing it out. I love how carefree it is and the strong bohemian theme it carries. 

Also, while we were shopping, it become apparent that I have a serious obsession with fringe. Oh, and feathers. Seriously, everything I picked up and exclaimed that I loved either had fringe on it (sandals, bags, shirts) or some form of feathers (feather print tops, feather earrings, etc.). Haha, I guess I really am a hippie at heart!

 So I originally wasn't going to use this floral bag, but my nude vintage one (seen here). However, on my way out the door, it snagged on the knob and next thing I know my purse has become a clutch! Aha, the strap just tore out. So mom's going to try sewing it back on.

Oh, so my funny story of the day. After several hours of walking around, trying on clothes, and just general window shopping, Kirsten and I headed over to a store with couches and chairs in it to rest. We grabbed some of the magazines on display and kicked back to rest our sore feet. As we flipped through our reading material, a couple of teenage boys flopped down in the couch next to us. They were with some other friends, so we kept quiet and just continued reading. Then suddenly one of them said, (and I kid you not): "Heeeeyyyy ladies."
Oh boy...

And in case you're wondering, no, they were not cute.
So we politely smiled and said "Hey" back.
"Whatcha reading there?"
Kirsten at this point was acting totally engrossed in her magazine and her eyes did not waver from the pages. It was up to me to carry on this conversation apparently.
"Just some magazines"
Then his friend chimed in and said, "You can slap him if you want. I do it all the time."
Okay, is it just my socially awkward self, or does anyone else wonder how in the world to keep up a conversation like this??
Aw well, after a couple minutes of them sniggering and glancing at us, they got up to go.

Anyone else have a funny moment like this they'd like to share? I'd love to hear it!

♥

Downtown Girl

Outfit Details:   Tank: vintage   Vest: Forever 21   Shorts: thrifted   Oxfords: PacSun   Ring: Fred Meyer   Necklace: Macys   Bag: c/o Wholesale Dress

For today, I decided to leave the crazy heeled shoes at home. I had to run some errands and relied on my cute, leopard oxfords to get me through the day.
The weather was totally bipolar too! It started off nice and sunny (hence the shorts) but then suddenly started switching between cloudy and sprinkling to sunshine. Craziness.
And as a side note, I just want to tell everyone thank you for your wonderful comments on my last post! The  positive response was so kind and I appreciated reading each one. :)

I'm wearing some new items I've bought recently. After graduation, I got a $50 giftcard to Macys and decided it was the perfect excuse to go shopping. This dreamcatcher necklace is one of the items I bought from there, and I'm thinking it will be my new, favorite, statement jewelry piece. It's perfect!

I've never been certain if I should wear these leopard oxfords with shorts. My legs are quite muscular and aren't all that long, so sometimes I think it looks funny if I've got bare legs that suddenly end in enclosed shoes like sneakers or oxfords. At times I wonder: "Are my legs too short to pull this off?" But then I remember how much I like the shoe and go ahead and wear them anyway.

So, funny little story about this vest. I popped into Forever 21 after Macys, and found this beautiful little basic on a sales rack. I wasn't planning on buying anything but when I looked at the price tag, it said $3.49! I could not pass that up. I took it up to the sales counter, and guess what?

It was $13.49.

I misread the tag. So a little surprising, but what could I do? I dug out a $20 from my wallet and bought the thing. Ah well. I know most of you are probably thinking "What's she complaining about? Its only $13!" but see, I'm a total cheapskate. Not gonna lie. I'm used to thrift store and garage sale prices.

However, I'm thinking it was a good choice, because it goes with so much!

Once again I braved taking photos in a more public place, and I loved how these turned out! There weren't too many people out like last time (probably because most of them have enough sense to stay out of the rain), but it still feels like an accomplishment to me. Haha, to be posing in public takes some guts, let me tell you!  

Pastels and a Pole

Outfit Details:   Shirt: Rue 21   Shorts: thrifted   Bag: Rue 21   Earrings: vintage   Belt: garage sale   Sunglasses: garage sale   Heels: c/o My Hot Shoes

I live in a small town. Its pretty decent though. I mean, we've got a grocery store, some thrift shops, auto repair shops, and oh yeah, a big cause for recent excitement, McDonalds!
So in small towns...you don't dress like this.
Unless you're crazy like me.

When I got these sweet, mint colored Lita look-alikes from My Hot Shoes, I could not resist wearing them to go into town.

So Kirsten and I went into a thrift shop, and I had these babies on. Man, did I attract a lot of stares...
It makes me uncomfortable but at the same time I know I need to brush it off. This is honestly what I like to wear, and I don't find these heels uncomfortable, so why not wear them?

After we made our purchase (you'll see evenutally...I found two really sweet blouses!) we saw this pole and immediately knew it would make for a fun prop. Cars kept passing by, but instead of shying away from posing, I thought "Oh what the hell. Let them stare if they want!"

Aha, so I actually overcame my fear of taking outfit photos in public. It's easy to feel intimidated by other's stares, but if you feel confident in what you're wearing it's easier to not care as much.

I finally tried tucking in my blouse into a belted pair of shorts, and I love how it turned out looking! Of course, with my mint Lita look-alikes and soft-pink chiffon top, I also managed to work the pastel trend into the outfit.

Then as we got into my car and were laughing over some of the goofy looks we'd gotten, a couple of guys walked out of the store and I happened to look up as I was laughing. Aaaaaand just so happened to catch the eye of the cutest guy in the group. He smiled back at me, and I ducked my head. When I peeked up again, he was still smiling at me!
Haha, Kirsten told me he'd kept looking even as I backed up the car to go.
Hmmmm....we'll have to go thrifting again soon ;)


PS: Don't forget about the Dark Horse Jewelry still going on here!
 I have another sweet giveaway coming up soon, so enter this one while it's still going on.

Here Comes the Sun

Outfit Details:   Blouse: c/o Oasap   Shorts: thrifted   Bag: thrifted   Sandals: Philippines   Necklace: Vanity   Sunglasses: vintage

These photos were taken over the weekend with Kirsten when we got to finally hang out!
It's been a crazy time recently, what with graduation and the end of school. But now that we're both free, it was the perfect opportunity to catch up.

This blouse from Oasap arrived in the morning and I knew right away I had to wear it for our day out. Its so soft and flowy. Plus, the doily-like piping going down the arms is so adorable! This will definitely be my favorite white blouse for the upcoming summer.

When I arrived at Kirsten's to pick her up, her mom was there and we chatted for a bit. She made me laugh and feel happy yet flustered when she exclaimed over how skinny I was. Aha, it's true I've lost some weight, but she was saying "You're as skinny as a stick! Have you lost 20 pounds or something? Because you look incredible."
Ummm...I lost five pounds. :)
But it's nice to know it makes such a huge difference!
Now to keep that weight off...

So anyway, afterwards Kirsten and I made it to the downtown area and walked around looking through thrift stores. I found some really cute things, but didn't buy anything since I didn't have much money on me anyway. Afterwards, we went to an early showing (so it was much cheaper - only $5!) of the Hunger Games. We'd already seen it before, but since Kirsten had read the book, she wanted to see it again.

And man, it was just as good as the first time! I am so buying it on DVD when it comes out...

Then after that we went to Panda Express and split some chow mein and orange chicken. Mmmm, it was fresh too, so it was extra good! Plus, some really cute guys came in so we had some eye candy to look at while we ate. ;)

Haha, in the photo above, that would be my "Where is my dream boy?" pose.

The downtown area is so pretty. We'll have to go back and take more pictures during the summer there!

Outfit Details:   Dress: (worn as skirt) Vanity   Shirt: thrifted   Bag: mom's   Sandals: Fred Meyer

This is what Kirsten wore. Isn't she just too adorable? I love how perfectly the shirt tucked into that belt. I'm convincing her she needs to start her own blog. Anyone else like to see that happen?

So anyway, about graduation...
It went very smoothly, and thankfully not too many tears were shed. I was surprised to receive a scholarship for sports from my school! They take into account the attitude, effort, and academics when handing out this award, and it's a real honor that they gave it to me. It made my night!
I'll have to post pictures from the night next chance I get.

Plus, I was a valedictorian! Usually there's only one valedictorian and a salutatorian, but things went differently this year...
Because we're just a bunch of smarties apparently. Haha, see Kevin, Jesse, and I practically had the same GPA so we were all given the honor of being valedictorians. Kevin gave the speech though, since he was just 0.7% points higher than Jesse and I. But then we presented what our Senior gift was to the school. So it all worked out.

And then....we pulled of an amazing Senior prank performance. Since we've all loved our years at our school, we decided to do something different from Senior classes in the past. Instead of trashing the school, we came up with a signature performance.
A light show, to be precise.
Yes, we did a light show. Haha, I have a faint recording my mom took on my camera that I'll try getting up here eventually, because it's difficult to tell you. It's just easier if you saw. Basically, it consisted of strobe lights, LOTS of glow sticks, confetti poppers, and glow-in-the-dark stars.
It was awesome.

♥

Prisms of Plumes

Outfit Details:    Dress: c/o Sugarlips   Sandals: Target   Bag: vintage

 Today's post is all about this dress I received from Sugarlips Apparel. 

The colorful feather print all over it has completely won my heart! I just love how cute it is. 

As the sun set, we managed to snap a few pictures, and I apologize for these turning out with a reddish hue. Ah well, it was fun playing chicken in the road. Haha, I'm certain quite a few people were wondering what the heck we were doing.

Good thing it was mostly deserted while we took photos! I'm thinking taking pictures on a road will be a must for more outfit shoots. They just look so cool!

So not much to share in this post, except that I'll be graduating tomorrow!

Its so exciting yet bittersweet. If you read the last post, you'll know why.

I'm just so glad I had the opportunity to join a class and school that I've loved so much. This is why it's difficult for me to think I'm leaving them behind.

But the future is always something to look forward to!

PS: Check out the Dark Horse Jewelry giveaway going on here!

♥

Dreaming With A Broken Heart

 So this is a new top from Stylezi, and I really love the lightness and colorfulness of it. Perfect for summer!
I'm quite excited over the glitter pocket. Haha, I don't own anything with sequins in it, and I'm thinking I need to add more to my closet.

Anyway...today was my last, official, full day of high school. On Monday, I'll be graduating and moving on to the next chapter of my life.

Outfit Details:    Blouse: c/o Stylezi    Jeggings: Debs   Heels: c/o Style Recognized

As per tradition, the Seniors got out of the first half of school to get breakfast together. We chose IHOP and had a fun time talking and eating away the periods we normally spent in English and Government. Haha, a couple of our teachers were with us too and took pictures. I'll have to get those when I can.

Many jokes and laughs were exchanged. I'm seriously going to miss those conversations...

Anyway, I held up just fine the entire day.
But at the end, Kelsie came out of Mrs. Wiest's room and told me Amarius was crying! I walk in, and sure enough, stoic little Amarius has red and wet eyes. She'd gotten a hug from Mrs. Wiest, who then turned to me and offered me one. I shouldn't have accepted it...because as she gathered me close, it finally hit me. We were done here. After today, I would no longer be a student here.
 I stayed that way for a while, just hugging this woman who has dedicated so much love and time to each one of us. 

Now if there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I absolutely hate crying. In public especially! So I did just about everything to suck the tears back up.

But honestly? When you need to, you should just cry.

Then when we all met in homeroom for the last time, we took pictures and had a lingering group hug with everyone in our class (remember, there's only 8 of us, so it's possibly haha).

Jesse was holding back tears as he gathered us all close in our hug and told us how much he loved us. Yup, you can bet the tears burst through then. I'm a quiet crier, but Kelsie looked up and caught me. "Oh Linda, don't cry!" 

Ugh. The waterworks wouldn't stop then.When we broke apart, I turned my head away to try and stop and wipe away the evidence. But my red eyes gave me away.

So Kevin and Rueben sandwiched me in a big hug and even more spilled out. Aha, but then they started making funny jokes to help me out so I could laugh. 

We really are a little family of our own. I'm so glad I met them. I couldn't have asked for a better class to go through high school with!

So here's to us graduates of 2012. 

We made it!

PS: For those of you who didn't see it, here's the widget for the giveaway in the post below.


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♥