Monday Cravings

School is less than a month away (Yikes! Where did this summer go?) but fortunately that also means back-to-school clothes, aka a perfectly good excuse to go shopping! So of course, I headed to Forever21.com and used my favorite method of online window shopping - placing everything I liked at first glance into the shopping cart and then sifting through it to find what works together and what I truly liked. It's a pretty easy way to see what inspires you right now and helps you recognize the color trends you are currently following. Plus it's just plain fun.

Sandals Stripes Bows V-Neck Beads Button-Down

(Ok, yes, the sandals are from American Eagle - but I am in love with AE sandals!)

Button-Down Sandals Coral Belt Black Necklace Scarf

It seems as though I really like yellow and coral right now - which is strange, because yellow is my second least favorite color (orange holds the infamous title) and apparently I am, subconsciously, very concerned that it will be cold in my studio class this coming fall. Or I am just tired of hot humid weather and wishing my way into autumn.

I am hoping that these pieces have a more sophisticated but laid-back, stylish but modest vibe - perfect for a grad student!

30 for 30

Ok, so, I have to admit that the reason I even became interested in blogging was because I randomly found Kendi Everyday and her 30 for 30 challenge. She's actually on her second round, and this time she asked her readers to join in! The idea is still fascinating to me - using only 30 items from your closet (shirts, shorts, dresses, pants, shoes, etc) except for accessories, to create 30 outfits. Essentially one month of remixing your closet, making the most out of what you already have, forcing yourself to be creative with what is available to you, and hopefully coming up with some fantastic results. Just thinking about how I would remix my own outfits is not only exciting, but it makes me think about how mindful I should be when I am shopping in the first place. Because if one piece can only be worn one way, what's the point? I hate feeling like I've worn the same thing too many times around the same people, so I'm making a mental note that when I go shopping, I will think of at least 3 ways to wear something new (3 sounds like a good number, right?) before purchasing it.

I would love to attempt the 30 for 30 challenge, but unfortunately, being a camp counselor makes it difficult to wear cute skirts and sandals, and instead, everyday, I look like this:

But hey, at least the kids are fun to work with.

Scrapbooking Mania

Scrapbooking has to be one of my favorite hobbies of all time - it is essentially a bunch of little bursts of creativity that you can become completely immersed in, and then you put them all together and have a tactile result of all the effort you put into it. And what's not great about that?

To be honest, I am not sure if what I consider 'scrapbooking' is what other people consider 'scrapbooking' because I don't buy all the embellishments, stickers, sequins, etc.. Instead I buy scrapbooking paper and ribbons, and cut out everything to decorate my pages (hence the 'scraps'). This way, not only is it a whole lot cheaper, but I can make exactly what I want (perfect for someone who is OCD about crafting..)

I haven't actually done any scrapbooking yet this summer, because I have misplaced the pile of pictures I already had printed out (if you were a bunch of senior year pictures, where would you be?) However, tonight I dragged out my album of completed pages, and looked through it to be re-inspired. These are some of my favorites:










It's hard to believe that some of these pictures are from 2007 - where did the past three years go?

I was about to get all sentimental about how before we know it we'll all be college grads, have real jobs, and be married with kids... and then my brother started yelling at his XBox 360 from three rooms away, and the moment was ruined. Which was probably for the best, because as a 20 year old, I am not nearly old enough to be saying things like "time flies" and "back in the day" without sounding ridiculous.

I Put A Flower In Your Hair

Ok, we all know headbands with huge flowers and bows are incredibly popular right now - and on the right head of hair, they are fantastic. But unfortunately, my severe lack of voluptuous waves and curls makes those particular headbands appear overwhelming and clown-like on my head. I have been disappointed multiple times when trying those headbands on, because instead of looking fabulous, I looked ridiculous. I had all but resolved myself to wearing thin, basic headbands, destined for a lifetime of boring hair accessories, and then I found these amazing hair pins at (of course) Ross and decided to give them a try!







I just love them! And since I adore them so much, I have been looking for more pins as well! Some favorites from Forever21:

One, Two, and Three!

This is perhaps one of my favorite things about fashion - being able to adapt current trends to suit you makes it less about copying what you see around you, and more about creating your own sense of style. What other trends that you have been able to adapt in a way that fits you better?

Happy Wednesday!

The Perfect Summer Purse

Although I have said summertime usually means more summer projects, it also means summer clothes and summer accessories - possibly two of my favorite things, due to my laid-back, small-beach-town upbringing. Tank tops and short shorts, sandals and bathing suits - all things that make me want to tan by the waves and eat watermelon - these are the essentials of summer. But my most anticipated, and perhaps most thought-out, purchase of the summer will always be that of the summer purse. It is to be casual yet multi-purpose, adorable yet practical, and inexpensive yet durable (with the experience of previous summers and previous purses, it must also be not too white, because stains and scuff marks are inevitable).

And here is this summer's solution:



It is from Urban Outfitters, a store with numerous fabulous items I often wish I could afford without feeling guilty. But fortunately, I found this one in time to be included in my birthday wish list! Wish lists hold a special place in my heart, and creating them for either my birthday or Christmas has become a tradition that not only is helpful for my parents and relatives, but also just plain gets me more excited for the actual holiday (materialistic, yes, I know). Plus, if an item passes the Wish List Test (surviving on the list for an extended period of time), it also reduces the chances of wasting money on items that I might like for a few days, but then decide a week later that it wouldn't be worth the cost. And we could all live with a little less buyers remorse in these rather sad economic times, don't you agree? Anyways, back to the purse. I love love love it, and have received numerous compliments on it. It meets all of my requirements and I am certain it will continue to be used in the fall.

There is, however, another purse that I am pining for (it is patiently waiting in my Forever21 online shopping bag) and although it does not meet a few of the crucial requirements, its cuteness factor makes those seem irrelevant (I'd say Einstein knew a thing or two about shopping, considering his Theory of Relativity...) But all joking aside, this purse is ADORABLE!



As you will see, I am ever the advocate of bargain shopping - Forever 21, Traffic, Ross, and TJ Maxx are my secrets for success on a college budget, and I delight in telling people that "Oh, this? It only cost $13!" and watching their jaws drop. However, I do recall reading an article about bargain shoppers who love bragging about purchases as a manner of proving what a savvy shopper they are to anyone who will listen... but I prefer to think of it as understanding that great style does not require a massive cash flow. This purse from Forever21, at $30, proves that... at least to me! In any case, I only hope that I don't have to wait too long to buy it!

New Beginnings!

Hi, I'm Hannah :) I am an architecture student, but I have a passion for creativity in general, and enjoy a variety of creative outlets -- top two of the moment: sewing and scrapbooking. I am also, perhaps unfortunately, addicted to online shopping, and would love to talk, for hours on end, about the adorable dresses I've found, the sandals I'm dying to have, the hair pins that I adore, outfits that simply need to be put together, and the trends that I feel are worthwhile pursuing. Of course, no one in their right mind would want to listen to me talk for that long, and I most certainly don't blame them (although my mother, bless her heart, does try). The answer to my problem? I stumbled upon various blogs where young women, just like me, were doing just that! So even if this just becomes a place where I organize my thoughts, I figured it was worth a try :)

Summertime, as relaxing as it may be, often leaves me feeling unproductive and downright lazy, and thus I typically embark on summer projects... which I usually leave unfinished when I return to school in the fall. I am determined to not feel like I wasted this summer, and I am looking to this blog for inspiration to finish my projects and continue on to the next one (although if you were to examine this closer, you would realize that this in itself is a new project, begun while others are still half-finished...) In the works currently are gameday dresses and finishing my high school senior year scrapbook. I am hopeful that I will also start, if not complete, my college freshman and sophomore year scrapbooks, and will thus be caught up on scrapbooking my life before the madness of architecture grad school begins in the fall!

Here's to hoping :)