Dress: Thrift Store, Hat: Forever 21, Bag: Target, Wedges: Target, Bracelets: random places
xoxo, Leanne
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Abandoned Carnival Adventures
Back in the beginning of the summer, I stumbled upon a carnival that was set up in the church parking lot of my town. Naturally, I had to go exploring the empty rides and cotton candy stands because it was totally vacant, probably because it wasn't supposed to open up for business until 9pm. This traveling carnival turned out to be the perfect little backdrop for an outfit of the day.
The Sounds of My Summer
I went to a concert last night so naturally I'm now inspired to write this blog post even though I wanted to wait until the end of August. This is gonna be a list of the quintessential songs of my summer, basically everything that I have had on repeat for the past few months. This in no way represents my 'favorite songs' because a lot of my most beloved songs won't be making the list since I didn't really listen to them this summer and therefore they won't remind me of this time in my life.
So here it goes- in no particular order.....
Country Grown- FM Radio
Crown on the Ground- Sleigh Bells
I Can Lift a Car- Walk the Moon
I Drive Your Truck- Lee Brice
Crash My Party- Luke Bryan
Alive- Empire of the Sun
Southern Girl- Tim McGraw
All Over the Road- Easton Corbin
Superman- Eminem
Going Through Changes- Eminem
Lose Yourself- Eminem
No Love- Eminem ft. Lil Wayne
I Want Crazy- Hunter Hayes
Southern Comfort Zone- Brad Paisley
Red Cup Hands Up Long Brown Hair- Boys Like Girls
Burn it All- The Dean's List
I Need a Doctor- Dr. Dre ft. Eminem and Skylar Grey
Amarillo Sky- Jason Aldean
All Summer Long- Kid Rock
Point at You- Justin Moore
Lucky Man- Hoodie Allen
No Faith in Brooklyn- Hoodie Allen ft. Jhameel
Fame is for Assholes- Hoodie Allen ft. Chiddy
Tom Ford- Jay Z
Pursuit of Happiness- Kid Cudi (Steve Aoki Remix)
Bad Girls- M.I.A.
We Can't Stop- Miley Cyrus
Mayberry- Rascal Flatts
Redneck Crazy- Tyler Farr
Fashion Killa- A$AP Rocky
Over- Drake
HYFR- Drake
No New Friends- DJ Khaled, Drake, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross
Step- Vampire Weekend
Oh My- The Partysquad and Boaz
Do or Die- Flux Pavillion ft. Childish Gambino (Flosstradamus Remix)
So there you have it, the way my life has sounded this summer. I obviously listened almost exclusively to rap and country which is fine because I'm obsessed with both now (I have to thank Gwen for getting me a bit more into rap, although I can't really say I'm all the way there yet). If I had to summarize my musical loves into three words for these past few months it would be: Eminem, Hoodie Allen, and Luke Bryan.
Country Grown- FM Radio
Crown on the Ground- Sleigh Bells
I Can Lift a Car- Walk the Moon
I Drive Your Truck- Lee Brice
Crash My Party- Luke Bryan
Alive- Empire of the Sun
Southern Girl- Tim McGraw
All Over the Road- Easton Corbin
Superman- Eminem
Going Through Changes- Eminem
Lose Yourself- Eminem
No Love- Eminem ft. Lil Wayne
I Want Crazy- Hunter Hayes
Southern Comfort Zone- Brad Paisley
Red Cup Hands Up Long Brown Hair- Boys Like Girls
Burn it All- The Dean's List
I Need a Doctor- Dr. Dre ft. Eminem and Skylar Grey
Amarillo Sky- Jason Aldean
All Summer Long- Kid Rock
Point at You- Justin Moore
Lucky Man- Hoodie Allen
No Faith in Brooklyn- Hoodie Allen ft. Jhameel
Fame is for Assholes- Hoodie Allen ft. Chiddy
Tom Ford- Jay Z
Pursuit of Happiness- Kid Cudi (Steve Aoki Remix)
Bad Girls- M.I.A.
We Can't Stop- Miley Cyrus
Mayberry- Rascal Flatts
Redneck Crazy- Tyler Farr
Fashion Killa- A$AP Rocky
Over- Drake
HYFR- Drake
No New Friends- DJ Khaled, Drake, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross
Step- Vampire Weekend
Oh My- The Partysquad and Boaz
Do or Die- Flux Pavillion ft. Childish Gambino (Flosstradamus Remix)
So there you have it, the way my life has sounded this summer. I obviously listened almost exclusively to rap and country which is fine because I'm obsessed with both now (I have to thank Gwen for getting me a bit more into rap, although I can't really say I'm all the way there yet). If I had to summarize my musical loves into three words for these past few months it would be: Eminem, Hoodie Allen, and Luke Bryan.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Summer Loves 2013
I know that summer hasn't quite ended yet but I'm going back to school soon and am already getting nostalgic about all the stuff that I loved while being at home in Texas this summer so I've composed a list of all my top obsessions that occurred this summer!
Sonic Drinks: okay this sounds really cliche and standard, but this was seriously one of my go to places this summer because of how cheap it is (espec during happy hour) there is always something that you can find to order with the extra spare change you find in your car. My top recommendations have to be- 1. Mint Slush (just try it, I promise it's delish) 2. Grilled Cheese (for some reason wayyy better than any other grilled cheese out there) 3. Mozz Sticks during Happy Hour (when you can get 2 for a mere 99 cents)
Hair Bandanas: been wearing these daily and seriously cannot get enough of them. Due to the fact that I NEVER do my hair in the summer, these are actually a lifesaver. You can buy them in a huge variety of colors and patterns for 99 cents at Hobby Lobby so I stocked up a couple of months ago and have been wearing them ever since.
Friday Night Lights: basically 99 percent of my summer is spent by lounging on my porch swing (that I miraculously built myself!!) and watching shows on Netflix. While there have been a few shows that I've gotten pretty into this summer, I have to say that HANDS DOWN this one has been the best. I can now officially say that Friday Night Lights and Gossip Girl are the two shows closest to my heart and I think that is because each of them relates to my life in a way that no other movie or tv show has captured. Growing up in Texas, this show naturally drew me in and I was hooked from the very beginning. I fell in love with each character and then became ultimately obsessed around season 3 when the plot in Dillon started showing staggering similarities to the town that I grew up in.
Exploring Texas: not having a steady income this summer severely limited my options for finding fun things to do. I think that you should all take the time to explore your state because it pretty much costs nothing except a little gas money and you can honestly find so much to do. I've lived in Texas for my whole life and somehow managed to discover so many new things to do here this summer. The picture above I took on the seven hour drive from Dallas to Lubbock. Seeing more of West Texas was amazing and I completely fell in love. Even in my very own Dallas (only 40 mins away from my town) I found events and attractions that I never knew existed before. Also turns out Fort Worth also has a lot to offer in the summer. One of my favorite days consisted of floating the river for a few hours and the proceeding to get froyo in downtown Ft. Worth before heading over to a free outdoor movie. There are still many more places I want to travel within Texas but considering how big this place is, I think I covered a pretty good amount.
Bellum & Rogue: this is a small boutique based out of Texas and since I haven't really been able to go to the mall and shop due to no income, I've spent much of my time browsing online boutiques. I really love the idea of supporting small businesses and I also believe that these places typically have garments and accessories that are unique and not something that you will find on everybody which is a constant struggle because I go to fashion school and there is not a store out there that these people don't know about. So when I shop at smaller places like this I can pretty much assume that I can wear the stuff to school without seeing seven look-a-likes on the way to class. I like this boutique because it's pretty moderately priced for a boutique and they get new merchandise frequently. **Warning: as with most clothing stores today, this one currently stocks mass amounts of chevron print things and if you are like me, you are over it. Keep looking though because you can find some pretty good pieces.
So I think that pretty much wraps up my list of favorites. Obviously this is an extremely short and pretty standard list but that is mainly because I honestly lead a real simple life in the summer and nothing groundbreaking generally happens. Let's be real, most days I don't wear anything except my swimsuit and I consider a day extremely productive if I get a shade darker while tanning...
Also, I purposely left anything music related off the list because then I would have spent 20 hours writing this post. A whole separate post is going to be dedicated exclusively to my music favorites of the summer!
xoxo
Monday, June 10, 2013
Style 911: How To Style a Confusing Shirt
Look #1: Dressed Up
Look #2: Loungy Day
Look #3: Casual Fun
Hope this provides some inspiration and help!
xoxo, Leanne
Friday, June 7, 2013
A Broke Girl's Guide to Thrifting
One of my favorite hobbies when I come back to Texas for the summer is going on full day thrift store adventures and seeing what new treasures I can find. I seriously love the thrill of finding new things to add to my closet that are literally under 5 dollars. After many trials and failures along the way, I personally think that I have composed the best guide to all the tips and tricks you need to have a successful thrift store day!
Tip #1: Yelp is your Best Friend
The night before I plan to go thrifting, I sit with two tabs up on my computer- Yelp on one of them and Google on the other. After typing various different versions of "best thrift stores in Dallas" several times into Google, I gather usually the top 10 or 15 stores that come up. After that I make sure to check each one of them on Yelp and read over all the comments and look at all the pictures to make sure that I am liking the vibe that I get from the store. Sometimes other local thrift stores that didn't show up in the Google searches will show up in the right side bar on Yelp and I always make sure to explore those as well. After this "researching" phase I make a list of the top 5 that look like the best viable options. (Hint: once you start thrifting more often, you will gain a sense of which stores you love and just go to those while occasionally throwing a new one into the mix)
Tip #2: Question Anything Over $5
The entire point of thrifting is to get unique and individual items at a miniscule cost. If you aren't getting a good deal I personally feel like there's no reward in what you are doing. Yes, the hunt is fun and so is finding an incredible garment that a real store would never stock- but let's be honest, you're still trying to save money here. A good thrift store should make you feel like anything over $3.99 is outrageously priced. Most pieces will start at 50 cents and go up to about 5 dollars. Anything over that, and it is not worth it. After hunting a little longer, you are going to come across something that you love just as much (maybe more?) and the price tag will say something like $1.99, this is a MUCH better investment. The cheaper your purchases, the more satisfied you be at the end of the day.
Tip #3: Keep on the Lookout for 'Secret Sales'
The majority of stores will feature extra ways you can save money, usually you have to do NOTHING in order to get these sales so you have to take advantage of this. On the outside of the store is where they will post what the deal is for each day of the week so be sure to check out what type of items are going for less or what day has the best sales. Additionally, all clothing will be marked with a certain color of tag that has the price recorded on it. These colored tags coordinate with extra sales and offers. Sometimes there will be a sign stating "all green tagged items 50% off" or "buy one get one free on all pink tags". These offers help you save even more money than originally planned.
Tip #4: BRING SNACKS!!!!!!!
This is HANDS DOWN the most important rule on the list. I'm warning you that your thrifting day will not end successfully without proper nourishment throughout the day. It takes a while to hit every single store on the list and hunt through thousands of duds to find your special items and trust me you are going to get hungry after about the second stop on your itinerary. Since thrifting is all about saving money, buying food makes virtually no sense (especially considering the fact that the $6.99 combo meal that you will devour in minutes could have easily been a pair of vintage Doc Martens and a shirt that identically resembles something from the Oscar de la Renta resort collection). You will be soooo thankful that you decided to bring along some granola bars and a bottle of water during your thrifting extravaganza.
Tip #5: "I'm Sorry, We Don't Have Fitting Rooms"
You will here this phrase uttered to you at every single location you go to so make sure to dress in clothing that you can either conspicuously slip on and off; or tight/form fitting clothing that other clothes will easily fit over. I typically find myself hoarding all of my options in the corner of the store (mirrors are located there in most cases) and quickly trying on everything to see what is a keeper and what is going back on the shelves. (Hint: don't ever look at sizes when you go thrifting- it really doesn't matter as much as it does in regular stores. Things that are a few sizes up or down may still flatter your body so be open to trying everything)
Tip #6: You Will Need Approximately 6 Copies of the Directions
Literally cannot even explain the amount of times that I have gotten lost while thrifting. I actually associate going thrift shopping with driving up and down the same road multiple times going back and forth on it for about 45 minutes before deciding to pull over and reevaluate life. Because thrift stores are located in obscure parts of town that I am not familiar with AND the fact that I have to get from one strange place to the next just accounts for many miles of confusion. Also somehow the directions I print out always end up blowing out of the car or somehow getting lost in the sea of newly purchased items. Getting lost is part of the adventure but make sure to have a back up of the directions and the GPS set up on your phone or you will be roaming the sames roads until midnight and never find out how to get home. In my experience, it is also common to accidentally circle around to the same exact place you have already been to after driving for 20 minutes thinking that you have made a lot of progress. (Hint: recently decided to invest in a compass because for some reason Google Maps refers to things as North, South, East, and West and I actually can not differentiate what directions I'm supposed to go in when it says that so the compass comes in handy)
So.... there you have it! All of my advice combined into one post to help you have the most triumphant day of thrift shopping possible!!
Tip #1: Yelp is your Best Friend
The night before I plan to go thrifting, I sit with two tabs up on my computer- Yelp on one of them and Google on the other. After typing various different versions of "best thrift stores in Dallas" several times into Google, I gather usually the top 10 or 15 stores that come up. After that I make sure to check each one of them on Yelp and read over all the comments and look at all the pictures to make sure that I am liking the vibe that I get from the store. Sometimes other local thrift stores that didn't show up in the Google searches will show up in the right side bar on Yelp and I always make sure to explore those as well. After this "researching" phase I make a list of the top 5 that look like the best viable options. (Hint: once you start thrifting more often, you will gain a sense of which stores you love and just go to those while occasionally throwing a new one into the mix)
Tip #2: Question Anything Over $5
The entire point of thrifting is to get unique and individual items at a miniscule cost. If you aren't getting a good deal I personally feel like there's no reward in what you are doing. Yes, the hunt is fun and so is finding an incredible garment that a real store would never stock- but let's be honest, you're still trying to save money here. A good thrift store should make you feel like anything over $3.99 is outrageously priced. Most pieces will start at 50 cents and go up to about 5 dollars. Anything over that, and it is not worth it. After hunting a little longer, you are going to come across something that you love just as much (maybe more?) and the price tag will say something like $1.99, this is a MUCH better investment. The cheaper your purchases, the more satisfied you be at the end of the day.
Tip #3: Keep on the Lookout for 'Secret Sales'
The majority of stores will feature extra ways you can save money, usually you have to do NOTHING in order to get these sales so you have to take advantage of this. On the outside of the store is where they will post what the deal is for each day of the week so be sure to check out what type of items are going for less or what day has the best sales. Additionally, all clothing will be marked with a certain color of tag that has the price recorded on it. These colored tags coordinate with extra sales and offers. Sometimes there will be a sign stating "all green tagged items 50% off" or "buy one get one free on all pink tags". These offers help you save even more money than originally planned.
Tip #4: BRING SNACKS!!!!!!!
This is HANDS DOWN the most important rule on the list. I'm warning you that your thrifting day will not end successfully without proper nourishment throughout the day. It takes a while to hit every single store on the list and hunt through thousands of duds to find your special items and trust me you are going to get hungry after about the second stop on your itinerary. Since thrifting is all about saving money, buying food makes virtually no sense (especially considering the fact that the $6.99 combo meal that you will devour in minutes could have easily been a pair of vintage Doc Martens and a shirt that identically resembles something from the Oscar de la Renta resort collection). You will be soooo thankful that you decided to bring along some granola bars and a bottle of water during your thrifting extravaganza.
Tip #5: "I'm Sorry, We Don't Have Fitting Rooms"
You will here this phrase uttered to you at every single location you go to so make sure to dress in clothing that you can either conspicuously slip on and off; or tight/form fitting clothing that other clothes will easily fit over. I typically find myself hoarding all of my options in the corner of the store (mirrors are located there in most cases) and quickly trying on everything to see what is a keeper and what is going back on the shelves. (Hint: don't ever look at sizes when you go thrifting- it really doesn't matter as much as it does in regular stores. Things that are a few sizes up or down may still flatter your body so be open to trying everything)
Tip #6: You Will Need Approximately 6 Copies of the Directions
Literally cannot even explain the amount of times that I have gotten lost while thrifting. I actually associate going thrift shopping with driving up and down the same road multiple times going back and forth on it for about 45 minutes before deciding to pull over and reevaluate life. Because thrift stores are located in obscure parts of town that I am not familiar with AND the fact that I have to get from one strange place to the next just accounts for many miles of confusion. Also somehow the directions I print out always end up blowing out of the car or somehow getting lost in the sea of newly purchased items. Getting lost is part of the adventure but make sure to have a back up of the directions and the GPS set up on your phone or you will be roaming the sames roads until midnight and never find out how to get home. In my experience, it is also common to accidentally circle around to the same exact place you have already been to after driving for 20 minutes thinking that you have made a lot of progress. (Hint: recently decided to invest in a compass because for some reason Google Maps refers to things as North, South, East, and West and I actually can not differentiate what directions I'm supposed to go in when it says that so the compass comes in handy)
So.... there you have it! All of my advice combined into one post to help you have the most triumphant day of thrift shopping possible!!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Mr. Raindrop
Typically I hate rain. But.... decided that today I didn't want to dress for the weather (never do anyways) so my outfit was inspired by trying to make the best of the clouds and humidity and includes bright colors but also some practicality. Best part of the day though by far was the photo shoot in the rain which was one of the most fun things I've done all summer.
Where I Found Each Component:
Headband: J. Crew, Necklace: Forever 21, Tank Top: J. Crew, Denim Shirt: given to by a friend (originally from Urban Outfitters), Shorts: Express, Belt: forgot where purchased, Sandals: Target
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Summer 2013 Bucket List!!!
To start out this new endeavor of creating and maintaining a lifestyle blog I want to concoct a list of things I wish to accomplish on my first summer break back from college. Leaving fashion school and the excitement of New York City was difficult and I was a little upset to be home but I have decided that I'm making this my best summer yet. So here's to hoping that it happens...
1. Go on a roadtrip!! (must include dance parties in the car)
2. DIY EVERYTHING. Literally have a million Pinterest ideas that I need to try
3. Learn to cook. Due to the fact that I have my own kitchen next year, this is kind of mandatory.
4. Volunteer at the animal shelter- have been wanting to go back for a while now
5. Have an UNFORGETTABLE 4th of July!
6. Go horesback riding- this can only occur after I buy my cowboy boots
7. Buy cowboy boots- that way I can actually be a true Texas girl
8. Go line dancing- love anything that involves dancing so I think this is appropriate
9. Paint Something (or at least attempt it)- find a beautiful but underrated place, set up a canvas, and paint
10. Have a million summer photoshoots :))
11. Find a secret summer spot and spend hours there with my closest friends
12. Go to as many concerts as I can afford- this is seriously my favorite life activity
13. Do Karaoke!!!!
14. Go Peach Picking- sounds sooo cute
15. Explore more of Downtown Dallas- there are probably some undiscovered hidden gems in there
16. Go Camping- I'm talking about staying out all night with nothing but a tent. This is completely out of my comfort zone, therefore I need to try it
17. Float the River- quintessential Texas activity
18. Go to Rodeo and Visit the Stockyards again
19. Find a perfect summer book series to read by the pool
20. Flea Markets allllll the time
21. Bling Ring Midnight Premiere
22. A summer romance would always be nice......
I think its safe to say that completing everything on this list would make for a memorable summer full of new experiences and perfect memories.
xoxo, Leanne
1. Go on a roadtrip!! (must include dance parties in the car)
2. DIY EVERYTHING. Literally have a million Pinterest ideas that I need to try
3. Learn to cook. Due to the fact that I have my own kitchen next year, this is kind of mandatory.
4. Volunteer at the animal shelter- have been wanting to go back for a while now
5. Have an UNFORGETTABLE 4th of July!
6. Go horesback riding- this can only occur after I buy my cowboy boots
7. Buy cowboy boots- that way I can actually be a true Texas girl
8. Go line dancing- love anything that involves dancing so I think this is appropriate
9. Paint Something (or at least attempt it)- find a beautiful but underrated place, set up a canvas, and paint
10. Have a million summer photoshoots :))
11. Find a secret summer spot and spend hours there with my closest friends
12. Go to as many concerts as I can afford- this is seriously my favorite life activity
13. Do Karaoke!!!!
14. Go Peach Picking- sounds sooo cute
15. Explore more of Downtown Dallas- there are probably some undiscovered hidden gems in there
16. Go Camping- I'm talking about staying out all night with nothing but a tent. This is completely out of my comfort zone, therefore I need to try it
17. Float the River- quintessential Texas activity
18. Go to Rodeo and Visit the Stockyards again
19. Find a perfect summer book series to read by the pool
20. Flea Markets allllll the time
21. Bling Ring Midnight Premiere
22. A summer romance would always be nice......
I think its safe to say that completing everything on this list would make for a memorable summer full of new experiences and perfect memories.
xoxo, Leanne
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