FORMAL ATTIRE

Dress: Forever 21 | Shoes: Ninewest | Bag: French Connection | Jacket: H&M

'Dressing up' for me typically means switching up my modus vivendi of sweats & sneakers to sweats, sneakers, & a statement necklace.  I've always been an advocate of comfort style which is really just a decorative way of saying I'm an advocate of dressing like a coach potato. This translates to me always wearing long dresses or skirts to formal occasions so no one can actually see the air force one's I'm wearing underneath.

Last night I attended the 2015 SOY (Shades of Yellow) Hmong New Year Event in Saint Paul with some family members, which celebrated the GBLT community here in the Twin Cities.  It was a beautiful night filled with beautiful people so I made the exception of pulling out the short dress & high heels (okay they were really only a 1/2 inch heel, but that's still progress!).  You'll see we got a little carried away with our selfie stick, but hey! We was feelin' ourselves!  Until security escorted us out...

Old School

There will never be a generation that grew up in a better time than mine. The 90's aeon, with its classic cartoons, TV shows & fashion frivolities, were nothing short of  amazing. Not to mention the heavy rise of pop culture during this time. Seeing this t-shirt brought back all sorts of memories of childhood, as TLC was (and still is) one of my favorite girl groups of all time. I can't even begin to explain how 'Waterfalls' got me through my tragicomic 1 week relationship with my 1st grade boyfriend. Mainly because the boy's name was Jason and I thought the lyrics sang "don't go Jason waterfalls".

Paired the over-sized tee with a bandanna print button up & I befittingly favored the leader of a blood gang (henceforth me taking the photos on my back porch opposed to the front one this time).  I'll be the first to admit this is a predictable outfit for me as beanies, tees & leather, are orthodox for my every day ensemble. I've vigorously tried to part ways with my past, but I just can't seem to get away from always wanting to emulate a homeless man #stayingtruetomyroots.  

Photography by: Tommy Ng

Tee, Button up, & Beanie: H&M
Jeans: Free People (Old)
Jacket: TJ Maxx (Old)
Booties: Ralph Lauren

School's Out!

Ah, another semester of good grades behind me.  It has been such a grueling few months juggling both a full time job and a full semester of credits.  I applaud all the individuals who take on both, and still come out on top.  It certainly isn't easy, but investing in your future is the best thing you could ever do for yourself!  

Okay - enough with the Confucius talk.  En route to my  last exam, I snapped some photos of my last-day-of-the-semester outfit.  Yes, that is snow on the ground but it was actually a luscious 30 degrees!  In Minnesota, that's considered beach weather.  This hat came with my Urban Outfitters order mentioned in the last post and I was extremely excited to wear it!  I got it on sale for only $12; an amazing investment considering you rarely see me without a hat of some sort on.  Cheers to an ENTIRE month of overdosing on: sleep, alcohol, Glee marathons, and eating at Popeye's.

Hat: Undefeated (Sold out at UO, but you can buy here)

Shirt: H&M

Jeans: Free People
Jacket: Marshalls (old)

Shoes: Converse

Necklace: H&M, F21

Backpack: The North Face

Winter Favorites

With winter in full swing, these staple repeats have been uninterrupted (and all budget-friendly finds as you will see below!).  I struggle with balancing staying warm & comfortable in the winter and these items keep me both! I could lie and say I've actually thrown these in the laundry after wearing them arduously for 24 straight days, but I'm not that insidious.  Speaking of insidious, after seeing the movie my roommate and I are convinced a ghost lives with us.  Yesterday it came home, turned on the microwave, and used the downstairs powder room.  Coincidentally enough it left remnants of food from my roommates restaurant in the microwave and my roommate's slippers in the powder room.  Wait a minute....?!

Anyway, hope everyone is staying warm for the holidays!

1. Gray Sweater - Uniqlo, $20 | 2. Handwarmers - H&M, $4 | 3. Trapper hat - A&E, $10 | 4. Plaid scarf, H&M, $7 | 5. Bomber vest, Gap, $30 | 6. Vaseline Lip Therapy, $4 | 7. Tory Burch Snow Boots - Nordstrom Rack, $99

Ode To Ice Cube

Shout out out to Ice Cube on this one.  Today was indeed a good day.  Stopped by Urban Outfitters annual fall sale, that featured an extra 50% off all their sale items.  Picked up these camo pants and this Ice Cube sweater for $15 each!  The boy and I had a full day planned so I wanted to show how I transitioned these pants from day to night.  In the morning we had some errands to run so I paired them with the sweater and some wedged boots for a more urban appeal.  I'm kind of a poser when it comes to being a BA, so this look helped solidify my pseudo Compton upbringing.  

In the later evening, we went out for dinner + a movie so I switched out the sweater for a blouse (also an extra 50% off at the Loft's fall sale!) & leather jacket.  I'm a firm believer that you can and should throw leather over everything.   The wedges were swapped for some steel-tipped boots.  I call them my Wolverines and yes - people should be afraid of me when I have them on.  Not because they present potential harm, but because the heel height is substantial enough that a fall is almost inevitable with every wear.     

Outfit 1: Sweater, Pants, Boots  - Urban Outfitters.

Outfit 2: Leather jacket: old | Boots: H&M | Blouse: Loft

Foolproof For Fall

Stocking up the essentials for fall: plaid, camo, boyfriend jeans, & boots.  The PR ladies of Silver Jeans were so sweet to send me these boyfriend-fit jeans along with a few other items.  These were Godsent, as they fit my petite frame perfectly!  They are seriously so comfortable, I have since substituted them as PJs.  The boots I picked up from H&M (for only $5)!  They're the perfect neutral color for the upcoming season.

This is my first post shooting with my new Canon EOS Rebel T3i and I am loving it so far!  Hope you all enjoyed your weekend :)

- A

  

Shirt, Shoes, Sunnies: H&M | Jeans: C/O Silver Jeans | Jacket: Vintage | Hat: 10Deep | Bag: Phillip Lim for Target