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.