So sunny, but a little on the cool side... what to wear?

It's a little below 70 degrees today, and super sunny... so I wanted an outfit that would be the perfect blend my usual summer AND fall looks...

Apologies for the picture quality, unfortunately this slightly blurry one came out the best of all of them...

T-shirt is from Target, but I don't remember the brand or price
The vest is from Hot Topic and cost me around $25, also don't remember the brand
Jolt "City Skinny" jeans, $20 from Nordstrom Rack
Converse around $40 at Famous Footwear
I'm loving the way the "paint splash" detail on the shirt just peeks out from underneath the vest
I'm also totally in love with this vest... I saw it on a mannequin when I went in to grab a t-shirt, and had to buy it... the blend of tailored menswear piece + super feminine sheer ruffles is pretty much everything I love in one...
Interesting tidbit about my Converse... I love Chucks... as I've gushed about before, they're the only flat shoes I can wear comfortably. I even EXERCISE in them... nutty, I know, but they're like a glove for my feet, and I adore them... I used to wear only basic black with white trim, the standard Chuck Taylors, and went through like 3 pairs of those before getting unbearably bored and making the transition into colorful Converse... I don't like the super bright "these are more of a focal point than my actual outfit" colors they offer, but I do currently own these charcoal ones, and a pair in pine green, which is a very dark, muted green that looks great with everything... they're less obnoxious than the brightly colored pairs you see a lot of people wearing, but still have more character to them than the basic black.
I'm currently considering a pair in cranberry red, which are also quite nice

Also, anyone want to see my new purse?

It's... wait for it... Converse! (Anyone noticing a trend here? I swear, I live in the tiny little Converse section of Target...)... it was $25, but I had a nice little coupon for $5 off any purse at Target
I'm not usually a fan of big bags, but this one still screams "purse" to me, while having enough room to comfortably throw in my planner and still be able to take my camera and a book along... biggest bag I could ever feasibly call a purse, but it works for now.

Ah, it's that time of year

I officially get to roll out my fall layers, enjoy my pumpkin spice coffee (today was the official start date, for anyone who enjoys Starbucks/B&N... soooo good), and wait for the leaves to change color.
Buuuut one tiny little problem: fall is my favorite time of year fashion wise, but I'm so not rich enough to take advantage this year. Sooo, I thought I'd feature a few "turning my summer purchases into fall wear" posts for the next couple of weeks.

Here's a dress I bought for summer use, $20 at Nordstrom Rack. The brand is Nicolette:

The shoes were borrowed from Lara, the necklace is from Hot Topic.
I love it, because it's casual, laid back, lightweight, and and the two in one look is awesome, because I love the contrasting look of a skirt and shirt, but hate how skirt waistbands can dig into my stomach and make me look heavier than I really am. It's served me well this summer, everywhere from a "it's too hot to think of what to wear" dress, to a lovely "easy to wear to the pool" dress.

But, because of the plaid which always makes me think of fall, and how easy/effortless it is to wear, I decided it would make the perfect first example for a summer to fall transitional piece. Here's how to make a simple summer dress perfect for the colder months:



I'm a huge fan of cardigans... they can do so much for an outfit, and just throwing it over this dress created the illusion of a very "back to school" plaid skirt look. This one was around $17 at Target.
The tights are Hue, available at Nordstrom rack in two packs (one colored pair, one black pair) for $10. I love bright colors, but I also love them to be rich. That's why a deep but noticeable purple makes for a great contrast to the black and gray look of this outfit.
Throw in the boots, and it's good to go. The dress no longer looks a summery but dark sundress, and while it may not be up to this year's fall trends, the plaid schoolgirl look is a tried and true classic for every fall.

So, any readers out there, what are you go to transition looks when the weather starts to cool down?

Fall fashions? For once, no thanks

I'm usually a HUGE fan of fall trends
I go nuts for jackets, tights, boots, rich colors, etc.
But this year, I'm noticing a disappointing amount of things that are flat out no goes for me: camel colored everything (of all the neutrals out there, this season's just has to be the one that makes me look washed out and monochrome? Well, I did dye my hair this year, so not so bad, but still.. just... no), the shapeless look is back (I don't do shapeless. I've got curves, so I'm going to flaunt my curves...), flat boots (as I've complained about before, I'm pretty limited on what I can do with flats... despite the minimal arch support, Converse are the ONLY flat shoes I can wear, because what little arch support they do have hits in exactly the right spot, and they feel sort of like going barefoot but not to me... anything else flat, and my arches go "I HATE YOU", followed my heels throwing an epic temper tantrum... I'll stick with my 3 inch heeled boots, thanks...), and... floral? Really? I don't even like floral in the spring/summer, but the fall colors with floral patterns looks like a bad attempt to be retro.

My fall favorites?
Button ups
Tall boots
Jackets, jackets, jackets... preferably black
Richly colored scarves
Pumps with a bit of a menswear look to them
Rich colored tights (think burgundy, brown, forest green, etc.) under a black or neutral skirt/dress
And like all year round, DRESSES!!!! Lots and lots of dresses

I'm still working on making the transition from pants being my wardrobe staple to having enough skirts and dresses to wear them about half the time. I don't mind jeans, but more than 3 or 4 days a week, and I'm feeling annoyingly modern...

A change for fall

Not my best picture day, but I'd like to show off my amazing new hair, and a lovely new shirt...

As of today, Kathryn is once again a (artificial) redhead!


And in other news, I'm really liking my outfit from today:



Most of the items seen here have been featured before, with the exception of the lovely black overshirt... available at Target for I think around $17, and it also came in green and pink. I really wanted the green, but I picked black so I could have more options for work, and on the bright side, it means I can pair it with more colors.

Here's me using the same shirt for one of my work outfits (somehow, I manage to stay creative, even with the black/white dress code! I don't wear white, so...):


In the coming weeks, I have some plans to start trying to channel more movie inspiration into my clothing, so we'll see what happens with that.

A cheap, effective hair straightener

Well, quite sadly, my lovely salon quality straightener that my sister had given to me years ago finally died... blades won't stay put, other bits were falling off... I was therefore stuck with a crappy Vidal Sassoon straightener I bought in 10th grade on vacation... which fills my bathroom with the smell of burning hair whenever I use it.
I really did not have much money for a top quality straightener right now, so I want to Target and grabbed one that looked just decent.

I just did the first test run (usually I only straighten my bangs, but for curiosity's sake, I did the whole thing), and my hair feels AMAZING! I hadn't even noticed 'til now just how much having a broken straightener was frying my hair... (even before falling apart, that super expensive one had blades that would slide out and dangle by their wiring... not really safe, but I used it anyway... result? Lots of frizzy, staticy hair that felt kinda brittle)... my hair feels just as smooth as it did before I straightened it, and it kinda looks like something out of a shampoo commercial.

So, here's the straightener everyone can afford to get right now, that really does do the job (and hey, guess what, it's on sale now! Sale price shown on website, but it was NOT posted at the store, so I got a happy surprise at checkout):
http://www.target.com/Remington-Extra-Plate-Ceramic-Straightener/dp/B003521CAW/ref=br_1_16?ie=UTF8&id=Remington%20Extra%20Plate%20Ceramic%20Straightener&node=13828331&searchSize=90&searchView=grid5&searchPage=1&sr=1-16&qid=1281742592&rh=&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchRank=price&frombrowse=1

Have I mentioned I love Target? A lot?

Tip of the week: dress how you WANT to feel

I don't understand why people dress their worst when they don't feel.
I'm not pointing fingers or intending to cause offense to anyone who does this, but as I'm sure you yourself are well aware, all it does is draw attention to how you feel.
I remember this particularly from the high school days: there would be the girls who would get sick and show up in baggy sweats sniffling and wiping their noses on their sleeves. While you obviously feel awful and don't want to deal with much, something I've learned the years that holds very, very true is this: putting in the slight extra effort to look nice will actually help you feel marginally better.

We all (or, at least most of us), have "fat days"... when nothing you own seems to flatter you, you notice your tummy sticking out in every single shirt you try on, your jeans don't seem to want to button... you just feel "bleh" about every possible outfit.
The thing not to do: reach for your baggiest, most ill fitting clothes in hopes of drowning yourself in fabric and hiding your problem spots.
The solution: have go to outfits that you KNOW flatter and still mask problem areas (for me, fat days tend to involve that dreaded thing... the stomach... I have large thighs, but for some reason, that just doesn't bug me). A cute dress with an empire waist that's short enough to wear for every day use. That pair of jeans that's just a LITTLE on the roomy side but still make your butt look great, paired with a nice flowy top that doesn't cling where you don't want it to. A skirt with an elastic waistband plus a pretty cardigan. And definitely give yourself a pretty hairstyle and wear your favorite jewelry. There's no excuse to look like you're ashamed of your body, "fat day" or not.

And when you're too sick to really care about anything, but not sick enough to stay in bed all day?
The thing not do: go about your day in pajamas, or throw on something wrinkly and unkempt looking from your laundry basket
The solution: have nice basics that look good on their own (jeans and a flattering t-shirt), or if you have to work, always be aware what your most comfortable thing that fits your company's dress code is. Another really important thing: makeup and hair. This is a biggie for me when I feel like crap... those tend to be the only days I go heavy on the makeup, and trust me, those concealer sticks I recommend like crazy work wonders on the chapped red area underneath your nose (just don't put them right ON your nose... keep 'em clean). Be generous with powder, use light colors on your eyes (chances are your eyelids look pretty heavy, and dark colors will only add to that problem), and take the time to wash, brush, and pull your hair back.

Rainy days

The rain is back in Seattle!!!!!!!!!
Here's the deal: I hate those days when it's so rainy you can't do anything. But I love overcast days, light rain, breezes, and just anything that reminds me of FALL! So once summer turns to fall, I get freaking excited. And even this weekend's mini glimpse of fall weather is totally my thing.
So here's me and my featured model Lara looking quite adorable in the rain:



I don't know all the details of her outfit, but the shirt she's wearing underneath her raincoat is Converse (check out their button ups at Target... $25, endless color choices, SO COMFY AND FLATTERING!!!!), and the raincoat itself is Arden B... and a hand me down from MY closet (Lara's skinny. I used to be that skinny. She gets me pre weight gain cast offs). Originally found at my favorite secondhand store, Buffalo Exchange (check their website to find one near you), for probably around 20 bucks. Doesn't she look adorable?

And my lovely outfit (Thank you, Lara, for being my photographer for the day):


Scarf: Sovereign Code, from Macy's, around $30 (purchased last year, but they generally have a great scarf selection)
Shirt: H&M, around $10 bucks (I purchased it in Dublin for 7 Euro, so that's a REALLY rough guess)
Hoodie: Tripp, secondhand for about $15 (also Buffalo Exchange... I'll need some closeups on this one later, because it's VERY lovely... it has lace trim around the hood, and ribbon lace-up on the back... I love it)
Jeans: Jolt, the usual
Boots: Born (pardon the lack of correct symbol), featured previously
Bag: Converse, Target, $25 (will also be featured in close ups in the near future... it's the daily replacement bag for my DKNY from last post)

Feeling a little like fall today

The weather has dropped from the mid 80s to low 90s of the past few days to a whopping 64 today... and I celebrated with a break from boring hot weather clothing by switching to my a tried and true set of clothes... the individual pieces in question have all been displayed on here before, but I'd never tried wearing this shirt with a cardigan before... LOVING how it came out
And, my apologies, playing my own photographer again, so I can't guarantee I look in any way photogenic...






Last picture of those is definitely my favorite! I think I'm getting the hang of hitting the button and jumping back before the flash goes off! Go me!
As a refresher:
Shirt and cardigan are Mossimo, cami is Vol. 1, jeans are Jolt, shoes are Predictions

How about a little peek at my chosen accessories for the day?




Headband was about $7 at Target... I love the mesh detail, and burgundy/wine is one of my preferred colors for accessories or low key color.
Earrings are Brighton, purchased from United Airlines with mileage points.
The necklace was about $12 at Target, but I've had it for ages... love how it looks a little bit old fashioned, and therefore is just so me...

And, because I've been starting to show off my purse collections, I wanted to show off my much loved DKNY bag before I retire it from being my go to purse for everything. It's getting a little tattered plus I've used it for over a year now... a year and a half is the average life span of my purses before they go from "everyday bag" to "I feel like yanking this one out of the closet for an occasion" (And no, I never get rid of purses unless they fall apart or are the plastic-y ones I used to get at Claire's in junior high!
This bag was one of my airline mile treasures, and has been super usable the whole time I've had it... I bought a brand new bag today, and I fear that my DKNY might not be making out of the closet quite as often these days... but I LOVE this purse. It fits everything I need to take with me (clearly, I'm a pretty simple girl), it's so cute, and it goes with everything... so let's hear it for my wonderful purse.

Isn't it beautiful?

Wondering what I keep INSIDE my purse?


Fossil wallet- airline miles. Super useful, nice fun color, a pocket for everything.
Coach wallet- a birthday present. I was a little worried about what to do with it since I'd just gotten the Fossil one before my friend gave this to me, AND I'm used to having plenty of pockets and organizing everything... but, I've used it to clean up the inside of my purse a bit and not have everything falling all over the place. I can stick extra cards that won't quite fit in my regular wallet, the notepad I use for to-do lists, scribbling down books/movies/CDs I want (I work in a bookstore... I get inspired pretty regularly), and keeping track of my budget, my iPod, and a pack of gum... all that would be stuff normally making a mess of my purse and making it twice as hard to unearth my car keys or my phone!

'Til next time!

The Kathryn approved diet

So I mentioned the other day I'm working hard on losing some weight, but MOSTLY just on staying fit... feeling and looking my best, and exercise + eating healthy ALWAYS helps with that. This isn't exactly a health blog, but it IS a fashion and beauty blog, and too often, weight/health gets lumped into the fashion category, so it bears mentioning.
I said before I don't condone low calorie diets... I will stick to that statement forever. It's not healthy, and it screws up your body so badly.
Right now, I'm on a one month kick to give myself an "eating habits makeover" and get in the best shape possible, with the BEST incentive possible: Pumpkin Spice syrup from Starbucks. I swear, September 1st, when that syrup comes out, I'm going to be all over it. I live for fall treats: anything that reminds me of pumpkin pie being number one on my list. Since August 1st, I've been making every effort to eat waaaay healthier than I already do. The rules?
I must exercise every single day (as you may have seen from my pictures, I have an exercise trampoline in my bedroom... the lazy person's excuse to actually work out!)
The ONLY item containing sugar I'm allowing myself to order from my work or any other coffee shop is Chai. Other than, I'm sticking to plain coffee and tea.
I am not allowed to buy/eat any premade cakes, cookies, or pastries of any sort from the grocery store or restaurants.
I will allow myself to eat homemade desserts courtesy of people like Lara and my mother (hell, sugar isn't evil, I just need to stop eating the bad stuff!)
I will allow myself to eat dark chocolate of reasonably good quality ONLY.
NO movie theater snacks
NO fast food (although I do as a general rule tend to exempt Wendy's and Taco Time from that list, but I don't eat at either of those places very often)
Each time I break one of the rules on this list, I push back my first pumpkin spice drink by one day. Sounds like a really lame incentive, but actually, it's working! 5 days straight of exercising/eating healthy... I'm feeling really good already, and I'd love to start fall off by looking/feeling my best... just in time for my favorite clothing season/general season of the year!

Work today, but back to cute outfits tomorrow

Two updates in a row? O_O

I'm trying, I swear!
My outfit is pretty similar to some others I've shown, so I'll skip the boring details and just show off the final products.
I'll admit: I haven't been my most photogenic OR creative lately. Lots of work, little to no sleep, and hotter weather than is conducive to my creativity= not looking my best or wearing terribly original outfits.
Today, I was just trying to look a little elegant and still go with the the fact that it was HOT outside... so I unearthed the bermuda shorts I bought about 5 years ago (yep, 5 years ago... I never get rid of good pieces if they still fit! Probably my number one fashion rule is to always find a way to make it work unless it just looks plain atrocious on me or doesn't fit at all). The brand is Hydraulic, and you can still find their jeans at Nordstrom, but I'd be willing to bet NOT these same shorts.
I went with a super natural look for my hair again, and the bare minimum with my makeup.







And I nearly forget! The earrings are Betsey Johnson, and were only $12 at Nordstrom Rack... talk about a good deal! The metal rose thing is kind of my signature statement piece, which I'll talk more about later.
The necklace was an amazing, amazing birthday present, which I will DEFINITELY get a better picture of next time I wear it.

More beach fun

Headed to the beach again today, and broke out something I haven't worn in a while: the capris I bought 3 years ago! (And much experimenting led to an outfit I can't WAIT to wear once it gets a little chillier)



I love the way this tank top looks with the gray cardigan... I actually pair them up quite often. The capris (Wet Seal) may be a tad outdated, but I feel like they really flatter my figure, and went well with the outfit... plus, perfect thing to walk around on a beach in on a sort of warm but not too hot day! The shoes were also bought about 3 years ago, the brand is B.U.M... not very comfy, but very functional for summer. I'm not much of a sandal person, and they're one of the few pairs of flats I can wear without aggravating my knee problems... plus, they still had sand in them from my friend's birthday party at the beach, so... no worries about getting more!
Here's my favorite thing about the capris:

Looove the lace up back. When I bought them originally, they had black ribbon... for a while, I used burgundy, but I had this awesome white left over from a Halloween sewing project. I love the ribbon's look, and I love the contrast. It definitely makes them more interesting to wear than some plain ol' not too flattering pants.

By the way, this is a rare opportunity... seeing me with my hair down and TOTALLY UNSTYLED! (No scrunching, no gel, no straightening AT ALL, just air dried and brushed... I suppose you could say the part counts as styling it, but I've worn it parted to the side for like 6 years, so that just counts as brushing it for me):

Whaddya think? I switched back to L'Oreal shampoo recently after years of trying unsuccessfully to combat my allergy to coconut/SLS... all the SLS free shampoos I found made my hair super frizzy, but still had other (albeit less allergenic) coconut byproducts... I'm doing better with the SLS now than I did before (mild irritation only!), and my hair dries sooooo sleek and smooth! My boyfriend actually thought I'd put waves in with a curling iron last night (though the humidity at the beach kinda killed that awesomeness today)

And finally, I'd like to introduce you to one of the many bags I've acquired over the years... this one is from Japan. I don't recall the brand, I bought it at a supermarket clothing store (the closest example I can think of in the US is Fred Meyer) for about 1500 yen ($15, or a little less). I don't carry it often because it's a bit bulky and doesn't have the easiest to hold handles, but I sure do think it's cute, and it helps when I need to take extra stuff with me! (Which I did today):


That's all for now!

Just checking in

I realize my blog doesn't really have a following yet, but if I let it go, it never will... so despite the lack of readership, I'd like to check in anyway.
I've been super busy lately, mostly with work, running errands for my family, and whipping my room into shape. The general excuse brought about by all of this is that I've been decidedly lacking in the cute outfit department as of late. I expect all of that to change, plus I've really got to get people on board with taking photos for me.
I'm really quite excited about some new finds (a fantastic ruffle edged vest that somehow manages to look girly and professional all at once, and a Cry-Baby T-shirt... best movie ever), as well as finding some new ways to wear clothes I THOUGHT I had outgrown (maybe the weight loss is working? Regardless, I am experimenting with new ways to wear two favorite button up shirts that look just a tad too strained when I wear them... buttoned up). My room reorganization will also hopefully clear up space for clothing, which should accomplish two things: making everything easier to find, and giving me room to bring in new stuff without having to put other stuff into storage.
Also, as far as weight loss goes, I'm all for promoting body confidence, but this is something I've been needing to do for a while. Without going into the horrific details of what I went through 2 years ago, I would like to sum up my "getting into shape" goals for potential future readers of my blog...
In a long story short, illness induced starvation diets, depression, and a 50% discount on fattening pastries all make for one HORRID combination on the waistline... about 2 years ago, I got very, very sick... pertussis, a.k.a whooping cough (or the 100 day cough). It's actually very strange for me to realize that in a month, it will have been 2 years since my nightmareish illness began. The cough brought about by pertussis makes it very difficult, and sometimes impossible to eat... this is not an eating disorder, and I hate the fact that a few worthless losers have accused me of using being sick as a cover up for anorexia. I lost a lot of weight being sick. Unfortunately, for anyone else who's ever been on a starvation diet (whether on accident or on purpose), you've probably figured out that it slows your metabolism waaaaaaay down, and when you get better and get hungry, you gain weight. A lot of weight. I was also in a pretty bad situation that put me into a deep state of depression at the time. I'm a food therapy sort of girl, and as soon as I'd gotten better, I get the job that I still have today (Barnes & Noble ^_^), and a fantastic discount on food I shouldn't have been eating. I promptly gained 25 pounds and have been stuck at that weight for over a year now, the heaviest I've been my whole life. I can partially blame it on junk food and depression, and also partially on health complications brought about by pertussis, including my tendency towards ovarian cysts rearing it's ugly head when my body was too sick to deal with it. The hormones that promote ovarian cysts are also linked to weight gain.
I don't have any unrealistic goals. I want to weigh somewhere between 125-135, and I think that's perfectly healthy for someone of my height and my curves. I don't think there's anything horrible or un-beautiful about my current weight (which has recently dropped from 150 t0 147!). I'm a big proponent of people being able to look beautiful at ANY weight, and I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression simply because I'm trying to take care of myself. What I want to get across is that the reasons behind my weight gain concern me. When I see the extra flab in the mirror, it's a painful reminder of what I went through, and I need to be able to move on and be healthy, both emotionally and physically. And if I lost 3 pounds already, I sure as heck should be able to lose 10 or so more over the course of a few months! I don't do crash diets or freakish amounts of exercise (hell, with all the internal scarring on my lungs, I CAN'T do freakish amounts of exercise). I do a healthy amount of daily exercise, and I'm trying to remind myself that I should eat only when I'm hungry, not out of habit. That's a big problem for me: eating because I'm watching a movie, eating because my friends are, eating because there's food in front of me, eating because I'm reading a book and I always wanted snacks with books when I was kid... stuck like that. There's nothing wrong with snacking, as far as I'm concerned: you just shouldn't do it if you don't genuinely need the food. I'm also trying to listen to what my body tells me... there's a difference between giving into cravings for junk food, and eating what feels right... for instance, some days I'll feel like eating a practically vegetarian diet, other days I'm dying for protein! I've been feeling healthier and more energetic since I've started eating this way. On top of that, my number one "healthy eating tip" would have to be this:
Every time I crave sweets, or just want to eat purely out of habit instead of hunger, I make a cup of tea. Tea has zero calories. Tea can be naturally sweet. Tea can satisfy the need to be consuming something for any activity I'd eat habitually during. Tea can make for a fantastic dessert after a nice filling meal. I'm a big, big fan of tea. Endless flavor choices, totally healthy if you pick your brands right (I recommend Numi for bagged teas, though really, everyone should be going straight to loose leaf teas), can be hot or cold, there's really no limit to how you can take your tea, and hey, if it keeps me away from overeating, it works for me!
(Unfortunately, the past few weeks, I've been on a mini sugar binge, and I'm not feeling too hot...)

Way longer rant than I intended, but there you have it. Clothing pictures should be back up soon. Hopefully, a new and improved, much more fit and healthy Kathryn will be modeling them in the posts to come.