Fixing Fall's School Uniform

With the temperature dropping to glorious, chilly lows, I find it only appropriate to post a warning about cold weather clothing. Although this trend hasn't reached epidemic-like levels yet, I know it will. After all, it isn't that cold in St. Louis yet.

But eventually, it will be, and eventually, this will happen. Sigggghh. Because this always happens.

The North Face Jacket + Expensive Leggings + UGG boots. It's expensive, it's ugly, and it's way too common. I understand each piece separately, kind of.. Leggings are good when worn under things; they're warm and more comfortable than tights. North Face Jackets and UGG boots are made to be practical, warm, and durable. Alright, that's fine. I get it.

But seriously, this is just trashy and wrong. It doesn't look good. You don't look hot. How did this become the university uniform of the majority of campuses between October and March?

I have four guesses, and I think they're all sort of right.

1. These girls are "too tired" to put together a real outfit
2. These girls "want to be comfortable"
3. These girls want to look identical
4. These girls want to show off how foolishly they spend money

Now let's break this down, piece by piece. Being "too tired" every day is the same as being lazy. I have no sympathy for you. "Wanting to be comfortable" is a cheap shot made by damn near half of everyone. It's an okay line when you're explaining why you don't want to rock stiletos on a walking tour. It's not an excuse for never getting dressed. The vast majority of clothing can be comfortable if you find the right fabric and the right fit. As it turns out, oversized fleece is neither of those things. I don't have much of an explanation for the last two reasons, as I think they stand alone pretty well. Sad, right?

To add to the humor, I see this look often worn with a bed hair bun (I assume to combat the static caused by the fleece), impeccable make-up, and fancy earrings. I would have added all of that in, but I think this is funny/awful enough as it is.

You know what's coming now. It's the second part of the glorious this-or-that. As it turns out, there is a whole lot more you can buy with $400. Go fucking figure.

Wanna bitch that this isn't as good as your craptastic outfit? Bring it.

The Gap coat is wool (ahem, warmmm) and done in a timeless shape, making it appropriate for every occasion. The scarf/glove set is warm and cute (notice the bow detail!), but practically priced at $7.50 from Forever 21, as gloves tend to go missing. Next we have the peachy-colored sweater dress by Silence & Noise, found at Urban Outfitters, which more likely than not would feel like being wrapped in a blanket. The dress can be belted with this adorable Top Shop belt, which adds a touch a whimsy. Underneath there are leggings that are $12 for a 2-pack paired with slouchy boots, both from Target. And, because $400 is so much money, there was leftover cash for designer accessories. The Betsey Johnson earrings play off the shiny hardware of the belt and the color of dress, while the Fossil bag adds another neutral to round off the look.

Oh yeah, and everything I found was regular price, so clearly I could have done better if I had wanted to.

Way to fail, rich girls.

Boo! Ahhhhh! Eek!

I love holidays. No seriously, I looove them. I love them so much I use italics to explain the swoon-ey voice I'm using in my head when I think 'I love holidays.' I love themes and themed parties and themed baking and themed décor. Oh, and costumes, but we'll save that post for closer to HobGob.

As this Halloween is my first decorating opportunity in my new apartment, I found it only fitting to take full advantage of the season. It might be more eclectic + seasonal than spooky + deathly, but hey, this place is too pretty to turn into a graveyard.

My extra long living room triple window sill is perfect for decorating (and the landlord removed my window AC unit just in time!) Yogurt isn't thrilled that his sunning spot is covered, but he still has the bathroom sink, which he enjoys way too much.

Above this is my rad-tastic collection of 90s McNuggets. I couldn't take a proper picture, though; my windows are east facing, and it was too sunny to have them show up. I just wanted to share that I love Halloween McNuggets, even if I've never eaten the real things, because I find them that adorable.

Halloween vignette atop my kitchen display shelf/room divider. My spray roses from the Soulard Market two weekends ago are perfectly dead, making them ideal decorations. And my adorable black bird pie vent fits right in as a scary (okay, not really scary) crow.

Here's hoping everyone else is in the spooky mood! Hip hip, Halloween!

Thanks, Target.

Have you checked the date? It’s the 20th of October. I know. Take a minute to panic. I can’t believe it’s that late in the year either.

Don’t worry, though; lots of good comes with the new season. The best holidays are almost here, which means good cooking (and, if we’re friends in real life, it means pumpkin cookies!) and decorating. It’s time to start wearing boots and leggings and sweaters and layers. I get to see my boyfriend soon-ish. Okay, so maybe those are all just good things for me. BUT WAIT. It also means the Mulberry for Target collection is out.



In case you’re not a Target addict (or, heaven forbid, you don’t live near a Target) here is what the display looks like. I decided against buying one, at least at full price, but they’re still pretty damn cute. Almost all of them are sold out online, so if you wanted one, you better get to gettin’.

No Excuses.

A few weekends ago, while at the STL Galleria, I noticed there was something different—something not quite right. Near that weird, pond-like thing in the middle of the mall was a kiosk-turned-store I hadn’t noticed before.

Yes, that’s right. There is a Crocs store. Because those giant, double-wide kiosks weren’t enough. Unless you’re gardening, swimming, at a job that requires slip resistant shoes, and so on, Crocs are not okay. I’m not going to explain why, because it should be given. I don’t care how comfortable they are. Crocs are on the same list as Ed Hardy, the vast majority of everything made of velour, and the word “jegging”; they’re just wrong.

Benet by Crocs, $99

I do have to admit that the YOU by Crocs line is decent. Judging by the pictures online, they are basic shoes—simple, normal, women’s shoes at stupid prices. $89.99 for leather thong sandals? You’re joking, right?

Julia—1, Crocs—0.

Get Excited.

Midterms are done. I would have blogged during, but, y’know, my brain was fucking exploding. And I can’t mock much during exam weeks; if your head is too full of chemistry or anatomy or something equally terrible that you can’t remember to put on shoes, whatever. I spent more money on caffeine than cigarettes and food combined.

Apparently the combination of exam stress and lack of sleep is rather intense, as I am now sitting in my pajamas at home, sick and pathetic and chugging juice. Lucky for you, I have plenty of things I’ve been waiting to write (cough, rant, cough) about. Funnnn.

Who needs lipgloss?

So if you happen to know me in real life, you know I wear very red lipstick every day. I am a woman of routine, and one of my most favorite routines is making my lips redredred.

It used to be a three-step process: lipstain, lipstick, and tinted balm. However, there were flaws in that routine, the first and foremost being this awful ring of red around the outside of my lips. It looked very 90s, like perhaps I'd lined my lips a few shades too dark. Also, the process of using all of those products takes a lot of time. I suppose that's why most women save red lips for fancy occasions. I would put on the stain, wait for it to dry, put on the lipstick, dab it, put on more lipstick, dab it, put on more lipstick, wait for it to dry, and put on balm. I don't always have time for the dabbing and waiting, which leads to it fading away or leaving marks on my cigarettes and coffee cups. If I was in a real hurry, I would skip the middle step. However, most lip balms seem to rub the lip stain off my lips, making it fade even quicker.

But now, I have found the solution: Smith's Rosebud Salve.

Smith's Rosebud Salve, $6 at Sephora

For a mere $6, this amazing balm makes me lips super soft (no seriously, they were icky chapped on Saturday and perfectly smooth Sunday morning) and keeps the stain on all day. I colored my lips at eight this morning and they still look great. There was no mark left on my coffee, nor is there a ring around the outside. The color survived food, drinks, a nap, and 15+ hours.



It smells like a mix between flowers and baby powder. It isn't sticky; my (very) long hair hasn't stuck to it at all. And I can't stop using it. Sorry Burt's Bees.. You've been replaced.

FOUND.

Hey, so guess what. I found myself a lovely camel bag.

It's not exactly what I thought it would be.. There is only one strap, it's not really leather, and it's kind of small by my fucked up standards. However, it was something like $27 at H&M and I love it. I was shopping with a friend from class when I saw a girl grab this lovely handbag. Tragically, it was the last one. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her set it down. It became mine before she had the chance to change her mind.



Hello, new purse. Siiigghh.


Clearly, the size isn't a huge issue, as I can still fit a ton of stuff in there.

What's all inside? Well.. Keys, Vera Bradley ID holder, Jacobs by Marc Jacobs key fob, Moleskine planner, Liz Claiborne checkbook wallet, UO sunglasses, BIC highlighters, Five Star notebook, Marie Claire magazine, Baekgaard leather envelope (full of coupons, because I'm a crazy coupon lady at twenty), LeSportSac cosmetics bag, SLU parking passes, Double Bubble bubble gum, Stride chewing gum, Marlboro Reds, "Show Me Yours & I'll Show You Mine" lighter, vintage gold bracelet, Timex watch, Smyth's Rosebud Salve (amazing new addiction.. post to come), Blackberry Bold, giant headphones I just found at TJ Maxx.

Call me crazy, but I find it fascinating what people carry with them. Maybe it's the taboo that you never look inside a woman's purse. Maybe it's me being overly curious. Maybe it's the same reason I like house tours on design blogs, House Hunters on HGTV, and the last page of Marie Claire magazine. And maybe, since you clearly are reading this, you find it interesting, too.

Because adorable things make a happy Julia.

I promise, I'm not forgetting my blog yet again. Blogger has been acting funny, and I am exhausted and way too busy.

A quick and simple way to cheer myself up is by looking at pretty things on the internet. Virtual shopping is a wonderful, mood-lifting hobby, even if I don't ever go for my credit card or add anything to my cart.

What kind of internet eyecandy can possibly do the job when I'm this stressed out? Happy, silly, kitsch-ish items. For example, cartoon jewelry.

I am as picky with cartoons as I am with purses. Really, I think I'm just picky about a lot of things, but there's no need to go into that (yet.) There is a fine line between cute/sweet/fun and tacky/cheap/unfortunate. I've noticed most of the cartoon jewelry I adore is enamel, or something similar (cough, rarely plastic) and a bit muted in color. Simple charms with a single, cheeky icon make me as happy as Saturday morning cartoons.

Tarina Tarantino Large Crystal Barbie Medallion

Tarina Tarantino does a great job of making characters look more like pop art and less like quarter machine finds (although, I have found a few great quarter machine deals.. I'm personally a fan of the ridiculous, attachable mustaches.) Her Barbie, Alice in Wonderland, and Hello Kitty lines are adorable, excluding a few waaayy too over the top pieces and the hippy-inspired crap. I love the necklaces and earrings, but seem to be let down by the bracelets. For that price, I feel more comfortable with chains and clasps, as opposed to elastic bands and slip-ons. But back to the positive.. Who doesn't love Barbie? Especially retro Barbie? She's a doctor, she's a teacher, she's a princess, she's an astronaut, she's on the beach looking modest yet seductive. She's Barbie, c'mon!

MBMJ Miss Marc Large Pendant Necklace

Do I talk about Marc Jacobs enough? Probably not. I am sort of kind of madly in love with his Miss Marc character.

Juicy Couture Ice Cream Dish Charm

Although technically not a cartoon, Juicy Couture's sweet charms add the same level of holyshitthatscute. I have a thing for charm bracelets, and would love to start collecting theirs, starting with this ice cream dish. You can't beat the little details.

Speaking of the little details, I have a handful of itty bitty assignments due soon. Back to work (for now!)

Oh, Project Runway.

Oh, so, funny story, while watching Project Runway the other day (I'm super behind.. I have class on Thursdays and have to watch repeats) I realized A.J. himself and his sort-of weird/totally awesome designs looked familiar.

So I Google'd him. Because what the fuck else do you do? (I also realized I say Google'd too often.)

Turns out, he's from St. Louis, and was part of the Trashbiscuit line I saw at last year's STL Fashion Week. I also think Michael D. looks really familiar, both face and fashion. He's also from St. Louis, but I haven't found anything about collections he's done.

On a side note with Project Runway, I think half of the designers are loving the highschool, let's gang up on someone, mindset and they're kind of awful people. Go Michael C.!

That's enough T.V. rants for Julia.

Reason #9072172818273 To Love Target

It's is finally the weekend, sort of. I'm nauseatingly busy between school and work, but I get to go to a show this weekend and have a few good magazines to catch up on. Oh yeah, and a new mattress topper that makes my bed so comfy I'm contemplating never getting out of it again.

Last night, in an attempt to relax, I read Marie Claire. It was an all-around good issue, I suppose. I thought it lacked some real meat, but it was the beauty issue, which I always dislike.

In it, though, there was an advertisement. For purses.

Mulberry Oversized Alexa, $1250

For Mulberry purses, in fact. The above bag is the first Mulberry bag I ever noticed and is why I am currently hunting for the perfect multi-strap camel bag. I love this one. However, I don't joke around with prices like that. In my world, that's a car payment, that's a few months rent. That's not a satchel, no matter how buttery the leather is.

Mulmerry for Target Ad

But then everything changed when I read the fine print. Holy crap, Mulberry is doing a line for Target. Yes. Will the leather be as buttery or the details as grand? I'm sure not. Is it a much more affordable option, and will I more than likely have to get one? It's looking that way.

Thanks for kicking so much ass, Target.

Yogurt in Marc.

And I thought I was crazy about handbags.

This is Yogurt, my 4.5 month gray tabby. He is slowly turning me into a crazed cat lady with his cuteness, and I'm pretty okay with that. Other than his need to sleep wrapped around my neck like a scarf, he's a pretty rad roommate.

Awful, ankle-biting dog in your purse or adorable, sleepy kitten in your purse? NO QUESTION.

"We'll All Sleep When We're Dead"

I may or may not have mentioned on here that I have a little bit of a purse problem.

While grabbing lunch with an old work friend/new school friend (apparently us Borders girls are actually huge school nerds... Who would have guessed?) on Friday, the topic of handbags came up. Thankfully, she too is a purse addict. Neither of us could explain why they, of all fashion accessories and articles, were the most alluring. Here's hoping someone else agrees.

I am unbelievably picky with handbags. I am a firm believer in the bigger-is-better bag rule (my excuse is I need to carry textbooks, a sweater, a drink, and possibly my laptop to and from classes.. In reality, I just like giant bags.) I pay a weird amount of attention to the hardware, strap length, stitching, and feet. And most importantly, they must go with my everyday pair of black boots.

So that means they need to be black bags, right? Or colored, or maybe white? Possibly gray? Kind of.

I'm slowly warming up to brown. It's taken me long enough, but I'm starting to like it. Maybe it's because of the absolutely wonderful and comfortable camel semi-perforated, cut out oxfords from Bakers I just found on clearance that I can't stop wearing. Maybe it's my "Old Man Hat" that I bought off Tomas for 50 cents in 2005, which Yogurt (another fan of accessories) is currently asleep in. Who fucking knows. All I know is, I'm on the hunt for a multi-strap camel carryall on the cheap(ish.)

Top Shop, $170

Top Shop, $80

Hmm. I'll be on the look for a while. On an unrelated note, I can't stop listening to the Star Fucking Hipsters album, Until We're Dead. I can't tell if the Naked juice or loud music or lovely bags or cigarettes that have me so half-asleep+wired. Perhaps now, since it is 2 AM, I should be sleeping. Maybe.

Triumphant return, or something.

Hello, Blogger! So much has changed since I last logged on! I'm no longer a sophomore at SWIC with a hamster living in the Metro East. I'm now a junior at SLU with a cat in St. Louis. I'm loving my new apartment, new school, and new pet (RIP, Tort) but have definitely found a few issues thus far.

Living in St. Louis is genuinely cheaper than Illinois except for one minor thing: groceries. The price difference from store to store and item to item is staggering, and has lead me to start shopping at multiple locations. I think I was spoiled by the ungodly cheap 24-hour Super Walmart in Collinsville. Thankfully, there is a Target/Schnucks/Walgreens intersection that makes my three-stop bargain hunting doable.

The stadium-like classrooms with 200 students and a mic'd professor are also a new concept. Weirdly enough, I also have classes with possible 11 others. It's a mind-boggling combination after two years of 35-ish per room.

And finally, it seems as though I missed the memo on what to wear to school. Maybe it's because I commute, or maybe it's because I think good skinny jeans are comfortable, but apparently there is a uniform. The very popular decorative hoodie + running shorts + flip flops + stretchy headband combination is so common, I'm sure I see 5 girls in it for every 1 who got dressed. I understand you want to be comfortable, I understand you probably live a few buildings down from class, I understand you might be hungover, I understand you're still half-asleep, and I understand that sometimes you just don't give a shit. But every day?!

College is meant to prepare us for the real world, yeah? Well here is the truth of it: before you leave the house, you should be wearing real-world appropriate clothing. You want to slack off and wear "loungewear"? Fine. I get it. But c'mon, not every single day. We're three weeks into classes and I'm starting to doubt some of you own pants.

The worst of it is I don't think it's just that ladies are wearing their pajamas out and about. I honestly think some people got up, showered, and decided this counted as an option Monday-Friday.

And so, to prove my point that wearing real clothing isn't so bad, I've prepared a little This-Or-That segment. For the price of your fancy workout clothing you could have a comfortable and appropriate outfit. It's just as easy to wear, it's just as easy to put together, and it will leave you with enough money for some lovely accessory (or three scrumptious espresso drinks, or a handful iPhone apps, as those seem to be more popular on campus as well.)

See? Not so hard.

Speaking of university, I should get back to my newspaper articles before Mad Men starts. But I'll be back on you, Blogger. I've been missing my rants and rambles on clothing and the like. And clearly I need more tools of procrastination.