The Fashion Tag

I am going to complete the "fashion tag" and answer fourteen questions about my style and my view of fashion.  I hope you enjoy and learn a little something about my personal style! 

1.  What 5 words describe your style?

classic, comfy, preppy, practical, quirky

2.  What are your favorite jeans?

American Eagle Hi-Rise Jegging

3.  What is your most worn piece?

My most worn pieces for fall are vests.  I love to layer them with long sleeve shirts or sweaters and scarves or statement necklaces.  I have 6 and wear them way to much!

4.  What are your favorite shoes?

Keds.  I know they aren't traditionally the most stylish shoes but I wear them all the time.  I like to mix them with a feminine outfit to make it a bit edgier.  They give off  a chill vibe and are super comfortable! 

5.  What is your favorite store?

I go to Marshalls,Tj Maxx, and thrift stores the most because they are affordable and have great finds!

6.  What was your last fashion purchase?

I bought a romper from Nordstrom Rack two days ago for my sorority's formal

7.  Spend or save?

SAVE!

8.  What is your favorite winter outfit?

My go to outfit for fall is a sweater, leggings, scarf, and boots.

9.  Who is your favorite Youtuber?

Casey Holmes

10.  Who is your fashion crush?

Lauren Conrad has been my fashion crush for years!  I love how she rocks looks from romantically sweet to masculine chic.  She always looks put together and powerful, which is my goal.  Her line at Kohls is amazing and I want to raid her closet so bad! 

11.  Heels or flats?

Flats

12.  What is your go to bag?

Vineyard Vines Classic Tote  or my polka dot black cross body from target.  Just depends on the occasion!

13.  What is one splurge item you are lusting after?

I am saving up for a Kate Spade bag and watch

14.  What is your favorite season to dress for?

Fall and winter are my favorite because I love layering!  Vest, scarves, fuzzy socks, sweaters, flannels, boots!  Ah, the BEST

I tag Danielle of Beautiful Disaster!

Top splurge makeup

Being pretty isn't cheap. 

I am on a broke college girl budget but I still splurge on a few beauty products.  It kills me sometimes spending 30 bucks on one item but for some things, you just need too.  I am a very big advocate for smart shopping at the drugstore for makeup but some things are worth the price tag. Here are a few of my favorite splurge items that I will continue to repurchase!

Lorac Pro Palette

This is my most used and favorite palette ever!  It has 8 matte shades (top row) and 8 shimmery shades (bottom row).  They are all very neutral shades that are easy to wear day to night. It is the most versatile palette that I found, and it is on the less expensive side.
Available at Ulta

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner

This is a brush tip liquid eyeliner that is opaque black.  I use this on my top lash line for a very clean, precise line.  I have tried many different liquid and pencil liners from the drugstore and none come close to this one!  My last one lasted at least six months!  Definitely worth $ 19!  

Available at Sephora

Too Faced Soleil Matte Bronzer

This bronzer is made with real cocoa powder. 'nuff said. 

I use this to contour my face because it is very blendable to create a natural, slim look.  Some bronzers can look orange or muddy on light skin but this shade is perfect to fair complexions.  

Available at Sephora

Sephora Collection Classic Multitasker Powder Brush

I have used this brush for three years straight.  I know it says it is for powder, but I use it for liquid foundation. You could use it for powder, bronzer, or blush.  It has super soft bristles in a dome shape that distributes product evenly.  Buff foundation in with circular swirling motions to create a natural look.

Available at Sephora

Stila Eye Shadow

The shade "kitten" is by far my most used eyeshadow ever.  It is a light, nude, shimmery shade that looks good on every skin tone.  I use this shade almost everyday as a base.  It pairs well with matte or shimmery shades and can go day to night.  It blends well to create a flawless eye look. 

Available at Sephora

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pen

Everyone wants eyebrows on fleek, right?  I use this brow pen to shape and fill in my brows in a natural way.  It comes in two universal shades; light and deep.  It is very blendable and looks like natural brow hair.

Available at Sephora

Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pot 

I use this product everyday.  Even when I'm not wearing a full face of makeup, this product is my go-to.  I apply this with my ring finger, all over my eyelids.  It primes the eyes and corrects discoloration. I have very veiny eyelids that make me look tired.  It is an immediate pick me up!

Available at Mac

Why white girls love fall

All of sudden, everyone and their dog has become white girl obsessed with fall.  Yeah, I am one of those coffee craving, flannel wearing, pumpkin carving white girls who drool over October.  And all for good reason!  Fall is hands down the best season.  

Why you ask? 

Well for one, fall fashion is the cutest, warmest, comfiest, and most versatile of all the seasons.  Sweaters and vests and scarves and boots and flannels and cardigans.  Layering is my favorite fall trend because here in Maryland, weather is bipolar.  In the morning, it can be 40 degrees but by lunch  time it is 75 degrees.  I like to pair vests or cardigans with my outfits to add warmth and when it gets warmer, you can take it off without ruining your outfit.  

Pumpkin Spice Latte, or PSL if you are super white, comes back to Starbucks and Starbucks wanna-bes every fall and all the white girls HAVE to get one.  Sorry to disappoint, but I think it tastes like a Bath and Body Works Candle (which are also a fall essential).  No thanks.  I prefer the cinnamon dulce latte from Starbucks.  But anyways, PSL.  

Another reason why fall is bae...pumpkins.  Everyone loves a pumpkin patch with overpriced pumpkins and snotty nosed children running in and out of the corn fields.  Even if you go just for an adorable photo shoot and the apple cider, (cough cough.  me.) everyone is obligated to go to a pumpkin patch at least once every fall.  Its only American. 

Happy Fall Y'all 

How to: Thrift Shop

A lot of people are afraid of shopping at thrift or second hand stores.  You may think it's gross, not worth it, chaotic, or just plain icky.  And yeah, some stores can be like that but not if you thrift shop smart, you can avoid all of that.  I have been an avid thrifter for eight months now and I have learned SO much!

Here are 6 guidelines on how to make your thrifting experience the best it can possibly be!

1.  know when the sales are
Most thrift chains have some sort of membership or club.  Join these and sign up for e-mail or test alerts for sales and promotions.  For Goodwill, the last saturday of each month is 50% off all clothing.  Goodwill also has color barb days (Sunday-Wednesday).  Remember that the color is based off of the plastic barb, not the paper tag.

2.  take your time
Thrift shopping is something where you can not be rushed.  I only go when I have no where to be in hours.  You need time to flip through all of the racks and search through the shelves.

3.  wear appropriate clothing
Some thrift stores do not have fitting rooms.  If they do not, find a body length mirror to try your items on.  I recommend wearing tight fitting pants and a top that easy to slip tops over.  I personally like wearing leggings and a simple top.  Even if the store does have fitting rooms, they are small and crowded.

4.  set a budget
Going thrift shopping is a very tempting thing because everything is very cheap, BUT it adds up.  I have learned to set a budget before I enter the store so I do not overbuy.  This is a smart guideline to follow when spending money anywhere!

5.  get creative
Being a thrifter takes a certain amount of imagination and creativity.  You are going to sift through thousands of pieces of clothing.  More than half will be old, dated, ugly, you get the picture BUT there are some good ones.  Think of multiple ways to style a piece.  Can you see yourself wearing it with clothing that you currently have?  My favorite thing to do is buy vintage pieces and style them into a current and trending look.  Don't automatically pass over the vintage or "weird" looking things.

6.  look everywhere
You can find the coolest pieces that no one else will have in sections other than womans!  I find some of the best flannels, vest, and T's in the mens section!  Workers also tend to misplace items in the wrong section so you never know!  If you are a petite woman, don't be afraid to look in the little boy's section for some perfect fitting jeans, hipster tanks, etc.

Hurricane Chic

So if you don't live under a rock, you know that the east coast was hit by Hurricane Joaquin last weekend.  Here in Maryland, we just got some rain and wind.  And we all know what happens when it rains... white girls whip out their rain boots.  If you are super basic like mwah, you whip out your Hunters, a flannel, a scarf, and call it a day.  So, thats exactly what me and Danielle (Imperfect Waitress) did!   

We trekked to Annapolis in the rain and hit as many consignment and thrift stores as we could.  Several cups of coffee and a bowl of pasta later, we scored some awesome finds.    I scored two striped shirts, a flask that I am going to DIY, a redneck wine glass.  Danielle managed to pick up some amazing winter finds including sweaters, tops, and a piece for her halloween costume!  

Being two bloggers in a beautiful city, we HAD to have a photo shoot so, we found a covered brick wall to snap some pics without getting soaked.  We don't let no hurricane rain on our parade! We have an amazing friendship full of thrifting, Mac Miller, cats, starbucks, venting, and booties.  Days like this remind me how fortunate I am to have amazing friends and family.  Stop every once in a while and realize how thankful you are.  Life can slip through your fingers at any minute. 

OOTD

scarf - old navy

flannel - thrifted club room

jeggings - american eagle

boots - hunters

watch - target

lippie - Bite's Gavi

Inspiration

So it's a month into my sophomore year of college and surprise, surprise... I've already lost all motivation and inspiration.  Every year I start with an optimistic mind set with a "strict" set of rules and goals for myself.

This year's are as follows:
1.  only wear work out clothes to the gym
2.  save money *cough cough* thrift shop
3.  eat healthier
4.  write regular blog posts
5.  make friends
6.  talk to boys

Guess who has wavered from everything on that list... me.
Yes I am guilty but admitting it is the first step right?  The past week or so I have been sick, which put me in a funk of fatigue and lack of motivation to frankly do anything.  I have been living in leggings and T's.  #sorrynotsorry

I have been saving a lot of money by buying clothes at discounted prices at thrift stores but I go so much that I end up spending a lot.... again #sorrynotsorry

Since my surgery, I haven't been able to work out at all so I gained a few pounds.  I have been conscious of my food and water intake to help counteract the lack of exercise though so... point 1 for Joanna!

Y'all, lets be honest.  School has been kicking my ass.  I have had so much work and studying that I have had absolutely no time to write blog posts.  I'm trying.

I did make a few new friends who are awesome and are defiantly going to stay in my life for a while. Not just those classic "one semester friendships" that I HATE.  But it is always a goal for me to meet new people and make lasting connections with people, so lets call this a work in progress.

And this brings me to my goal of all goals.  BOYS.  Well, lets just say, the first time I talked to a cutie in class i said "uh i like your shirt."  wow Joanna.  so original.  I know but he said he liked my shirt too! SWOON

On that note, ladies and gents if you are still reading, college is hard and I need to get back on my game.  Let's hope that I can snap out of my funk and return to being a sassy socialite of Towson.  Fingers crossed.

Closet Tour

My favorite room in my apartment is my closet.  I have a huge walk in closet that makes me smile just thinking about it.  When I moved into my apartment a year ago, I was so overwhelmed with all of the space and features of the space.  Trust me, I did NOT have issues filling it!  After a year, I  have finally organized everything in a convenient way that makes sense to me.  I thought I would share it with you so here we go!

This is the view from the doorway of my magical closet.  It has one large garment pole on the right wall and two rows of shelves on the front and right walls.  I will go more in depth with each feature below! 

On the top shelf, I have all of my heels and wedges organized by color and style.  This way, I can see all of my options and am able to pick my shoes.  I also have a few heavier sweaters on the left that are a bit too warm to wear now.  I have three bins storing socks, winter shoes/hats, and scarves.  I have a stack of solid color t's and tanks because I reach for these very often.  

Under the shelves, I have a garment pole where I hang the majority of my clothes.  I have them organized by style and by color.  From right to left, I have crop tops, tank tops, t's, three quarter length shirt, long sleeves, shorts, pants, skirts, dresses.  Each of these categories is organized by color as well.  Color coding works well for me because then I know where everything is and it is easy to match outfits. 

Right under the shelves and my clothing, I have a shoe rack from target that holds the rest of my shoes.  I organized my flats by occasion and color.  From bottom to top I have tennis shoes, fashion sneakers, black flats, brown flats, and sandals. In the winter, all I do is replace my sandal shelves with boots.  I love this rack because you can see all of your shoes so it is easy to grab them.

On the very left hand wall, I have all of my statement necklaces hung on command hooks.  I love this feature of my closet because not only does it look fancy and posh, it is easy to find what I am looking for.  I'm sure you've guessed it by now but yes, these are color coded as well with an exception of the top row.  The top are very large statement necklaces, the following rows are by color in no particular order.  Often, necklaces inspire an outfit I choose.  I will see a necklace I love and haven't worn in a while and design a look around it. 

I apologize for the bad photography in this blog post but the lighting is horrendous in my closet and it was hard to angle the camera correctly.  I promise I will work on photography for upcoming blog posts but I hope y'all enjoyed it and have been inspired to clean your closet too!

Designer Deals

I am a second year college student which automatically means that I am very broke.   Over the past four months, I have re-discovered thrifting for everything from clothes to home decor.  Baltimore has a thrift store every five miles pretty much so there is no shortage of thrifty deals!  Even though not every thrift trip results in bags of designer brands, I have found some party provoking, scalp tingling, jaw dropping deals.  

When I am shopping in a thrift or second-hand store, I search for gorgeous colors, patters, or textures since you only see a sliver of the side of the garment.  You never know what brand the piece is until you pull it from it's thrift tomb.  When I pull a top out and see the "way to expensive for my closet" brand name, I let out a little shriek of excitement.  Tip: ALWAYS check the sale/clearance rack in thrift and consignment stores.

This first piece is a J. Crew stretch mini skirt with an abstract floral pattern.  I was drawn to it for the striking colors and modern shape.  I found this at a Goodwill in Crofton, Maryland.  It was a sale day so I snagged this amazing piece for $2.00! I will style this skirt with a flowy black chiffon shirt and a pair of black heels.  

The second piece is a light pink button down dress from Loft.  I recently got this dress at a Goodwill thrifty thursday event in Annapolis, Maryland.  Dresses are usually $7.00 so with 50% off, this was $3.50!  I am an education major and have to wear professional clothing when I intern in elementary schools.  This dress screamed "I'm a teacher" to me so I snagged it.  I will wear this dress with a cream or gold cardigan sweater with some nude wedges.

This second dress is a blue and white striped t-shirt dress from J. Crew.  I found this gem at a consignment store in Annapolis, Maryland called New to You.  The original price at the store was $27 but I got it on clearance for $5.50!  I have been searching for a throw on shirt dress for a while and I am so excited that I found this J. Crew one for literally dollars!  I would pair this with a pair of white or brown sandals, my hair in a bun, and this silver belt pictured below.  

 

This last dress is a tan Vineyard Vines dress with intricate white embroidery.  I found this dress at a consignment store in Annapolis, Maryland called Navette.  The original price at this store was $25 but I found it on the clearance rack for $15.  I love this style of shift dress because they are effortless and comfortable.  I was drawn to this dress by the amazing embroidery and the neckline. I have bi-weekly formal meetings for my sorority where we have to wear business professional clothing.  Our shoulders have to be covered so this dress is perfect for meetings in the summer.  I will style this dress with curled hair and a pair of white heels.  

Thanks for letting me share my amazing finds and stay tuned for some more posts about thrift finds and "back to college" shenanigans!