I Finally Did It

I have never had a clean room, not even when I clean it. It always, immediately, descends into pure chaos midway through, and I give up and sit on the internet. However, this past week (before I got sick, obviously), I finally managed it. What's more stunning, though, is that (once I started feeling better and dealt with some accumulated mess) it's still clean, a week later. How'd I do that? Oh, right, I'm cleaning every weekend. That's how the whole 'clean' thing works. I'm also not throwing stuff on the floor, and I'm putting things back where I grabbed them from when I'm done using them. You know, everything my mom told me to do as a kid that I didn't believe her about... Don't let her know, though.

My roommate's side doesn't show in this, for the record. She and I both tend to be very messy, so I didn't think I'd let you have a glimpse of what my side is normally like. ;)

The Totoro occupying my desk chair was a birthday present from my ex (a post-breakup one, so no awkward memories attached, luckily, because I could never give up a Totoro), and it's one of four plushes in my room - you can see the other three, though you may not spot the fourth (he's hiding on the shelves in my window that you can only partially see). That green sign you see next to the photos on my desk says "Keep Calm and Buy Shoes", which is kind of the motto of my life. (No, really, the only thing that got me through my Econ homework last night was that I couldn't look at shoes until after I'd done it... I'm reeeeeaally easy). The pictures on my wall are a mix of Homestuck and Pinterest-spotted things, mostly Homestuck. Homestuck is...a highly interesting sci-fi webcomic that has characters who usually look like they don't have arms. But they do. That's only one of the multitude of odd things about it, but we'll leave out the fun and interesting alien romance system that I, personally, adore. Basically it's my fictional obsession of the moment (my floormate keeps telling me I need to read Small Gods and that I'll instantly have a new one, but I haven't managed to actually finish it yet and I feel guilty, because I keep getting distracted from it). The program taped to my desk is from The Last Five Years, which you should go see if you have the opportunity, because it's a fantastic musical, even if it is really sad! Just make lots of noises and flail afterwards, I promise it helps to handle the emotions evoked by the musical. Lastly, my to-do list is in post-it notes on that whiteboard and OH MY GOODNESS does it work. I have been so much more productive in these first weeks than I was all of last semester, not to mention, pretty much my entire high school career.

Now, aside from the decor, my dorm organization tips:

• STACKABLE SHELVES EVERYWHERE

I promise you, even if they're ugly (my window ones are soooo ugly, they're white plastic), the function of them is completely worth it. I have my stereo (that I stupidly decided to bring along - I used it once, before I got my computer in), plastic bottle vases holding various things, some figurines, one of my plushes, all my dishware and utensils, and a giant arm-chair pillow on those shelves. I have another shelf that keeps all my "office" supplies organized, which is hidden, in the pictures, by the stack of Deltora Quest books (sidenote, you should read those, if you haven't, because they're a fantastic kids' fantasy series - and surprisingly dark for one, too, refreshingly so, I think).

• hooks, hooks everywhere

I'm also not kidding. I forgot to take pictures of the other side of my wardrobe, but there are hooks on it holding bags and a windbreaker, and there are hooks inside of it to hold jackets (you see the hoodie hanging? Yeah!) and my purses. There are hooks on the wall holding my jewelry and other things. 3M was brilliant when they made those.

• remember that in dorms, function trumps form

I know, I shouldn't be advocating that, because ~fashion~ and ~pretty~, right? Unfortunately, much as I adore things looking lovely, unless you have a lot of money, you have to sacrifice that in most residence halls, because everything is in short supply. If it doesn't look lovely, but it works, learn to live with it until you can come up with an idea that makes it lovely.

• see if you can repurpose things

Repurposing things is really, really helpful, sometimes. My roommate burned out my lamp (the one on the fridge is the replacement she bought). How on earth do you dispose of a LAMP? I think you're supposed to take it somewhere or something? I didn't - I took all the burst bulbs out, got rid of the melted shades, and turned it into a hat rack. I needed storage for my colored pencils after the thing holding them broke, so I chopped the top off a water bottle and used that. Anything can be useful, even when it seems it's outlived its purpose, you just have to look to see it. (But not actual trash - I mean recyclable things, in general).

I hope this helps you with something in your life, or, at least, entertains you. Feel free to give any suggestions on dealing with res. hall life or cleaning (or both!) in the comments.

don't get sick

I did not spend most of the past week having fun with outfits, doing homework, or hanging out with friends, or anything remotely good, or even anything bad that still involved moving. I spent Wednesday night/Thursday morning throwing up everything I'd eaten until I only had stomach acid left, and that too, for a grand total of about twelve hours of constant vomiting. I then proceeded to sleep for about thirty-six hours (seriously, I passed out on the couch at six am, and got up at six pm to announce I was going to bed, and...yeah). I think it's the Sydney Strain you've seen people talking about on online news sites, so be careful! My floor has had three people with this now, but there have also been outbreaks of neurovirus and flu around campus, so please be careful with your health! Be sensible, you should know all the stuff by now: blow your nose into tissue, not your hand PLEASE, wash your hands a lot (and moisturize - I know I hate to moisturize but it's good for you even though it feels weird at first), make sure you're eating good food and sleeping decently. If you do get sick, also be careful and mindful of others. Please, don't be like me and fall asleep on a communal couch. One of my floormates slept on it two days after me when he got locked out, and he spent yesterday with the same thing. (Of course, that's not wholly certain it came from it, since some other people have been around the other girl and I who had this much more than he has, including on the couch, who haven't had it, but just in case, I'm being super careful now).

All that said, I do have a few of the outfits I wore while I was feeling ok, so I'll show 'em off.

Shirt - Macy's | Belt/pants - F21 | Skirt - Wet Seal (I think?) | Boots - Charlotte Russe | Necklace - present

 

I wore this on Monday (I think - my memory of the week is very hazy...), which was fairly uneventful, and I think that was the first day of the snow? I really don't remember much of what happened this week, seriously, even though I was conscious for at least half of it.

Shirt/pants/boots - F21

 

This was Wednesday, before I realized I was getting sick (and unwisely tried to sleep it off... If you feel you're going to vomit, get something to throw up in or get in the bathroom, depending on how likely it is). Other than the whole being sick thing, I think Wednesday was a nice day. I hung out a bit with someone I'm interested in, I do remember that.

Dress (as shirt) - Charlotte Russe | Belt/skirt - F21 | Necklace - "purse strap" from JoAnn's

 

Fast-forward to Sunday, when I finally was conscious and feeling better, and therefore decided to experiment with clothes that weren't leggings and jeans and giant t-shirts. I still can't eat more than like three bites of anything without being uncomfortably full, but I certainly had more energy. Though, writing this today, I am still extremely tired, though I've only walked a mile and a half as opposed to my usual two to three and a half or more miles.

tl;dr: BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR HEALTH

A Prettier Coat

On Monday, you might have noticed that my coat featured some interesting - and shiny - decorations not typically found on coats, especially not typically on a Forever 21 cheapie coat.  (Well, relatively cheap...  I considered it expensive, but as we all know, I am frighteningly frugal...)  However, getting this look is really simple, cheap, and might even be free if you have something workable in your jewelry closet already.  You see, those shinies on my coat aren't identical brooches - they're earrings.  All you need is a coat with lapels and some earrings that you think will look cool.  I got mine at Forever 21 from one of the sale bins, but if you have pierced ears (unlike me), you might not even need to bother with that.

Have fun and enjoy!

The Caliber Collection

I'll be the first to admit that I don't actually pay much attention to brands of any sort - I like the clothes I like, and it doesn't matter what's what if I can't afford it, personally.  A few weeks ago, perusing Yahoo! in an attempt to stop feeling useless, I stumbled upon an article about The Caliber Collection, a line of jewelry made from guns turned in to or confiscated by the Newark Police Department.  Each piece is engraved with the serial number of the gun it was made from and where the gun comes from, and they come in steel and brass. They're beautiful, and bound to a good purpose, which is allowing a gun buyback program to continue to flourish.  Take a look at their site, read their story, and share them with people!  Hopefully, the people who can afford will buy.

brass bangle

steel cuff

Enjoy!

ps: I forgot what days were what and set the wrong publishing time for this. Go me?

and this is my life

On Friday the 11th, I moved back into my residence hall after a break primarily spent crying or staring at walls.  Yeah, not a good break.  My style at home reflected that mood - I don't think I wore a single, genuinely interesting outfit the entire time I was there.  Coming back to school has, oddly enough, brought me back to life.  I'm still two seconds away from tears at almost all times, but I'm interested in things again, and it shows.  I also dyed my hair black, and cut it some more.

On Saturday, I went into downtown Cleveland with one of my friends for a meeting.  While the dress code was business casual, which was easy for my friend, who wears lots of menswear, it wasn't so easy for me.  Luckily, I found a solution - and also managed to get use out of a shirt I thought I was going to have to give up on wearing.

Shirt - Deb | Sweater - present | Skirt/belt/shoes - F21

Sunday saw a rather similar look, as I wasn't feeling too creative quite yet.  The only rule was it had to be warm, since I was heading to Target, which involved an hour-and-a-half journey using significant amounts of walking, train, and bus.  It worked!

Shirt - school uniform | Sweater - present | Pants - Windsor | Boots/headband - F21

I forgot to document Monday, but Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday all saw a pretty much identical outfit - skinny jeans, some shirt that didn't even matter, my Homestuck hoodie, and my coat. Basically, I looked like this...

Coat/pants - F21 | Boots - Charlotte Russe | Purse - Target | Hoodie - WhatPumpkin

Friday saw some variation.  And by "some variation", I mean...  Just look at those pants.  Also, check out that shirt, dyed by me, in my washing machine!  And that vest, which was actually the top to some old bridesmaid dress I picked up for $10 at a Goodwill in Chicago.  (The one good part of my break was going to Chicago for my friend's funeral.  Weird that it's a good part, right?  I guess it was, though, because I was with some of our friends, so I had people who didn't just expect me to not be upset and on edge, and so... Yeah).

Shirt - swiped from Mom | Vest/necklace - thrifted | Pants - Wet Seal | Shoes - Target

Saturday was a repeat of Tuesday-Thursday, but Sunday looked much better.  Despite the ridiculously low temperatures, I decided to go for a short skirt.  At least the only time I left the res hall was to eat, or it would have been a much less fun day...  I was super productive, and it was awesome!

Shirt - JC Penny's | Belt - Papaya | Skirt (actually a jumper/dress) - school uniform | Tights/shoes - Target | Headband - F21

  

There we go, my first week of back-at-college outfits. Go me.

Well Helloooo There~

It's been a rough month since you last saw a post from me.  Not that I was particularly prolific before that, but I had intended to post over break.  Unfortunately, on the 21st of December, the Apocalypse happened.  No, fire and brimstone didn't rain on my house (pretty sure that would have made the news), but one my close friends died that day.  It's literally a day away from being a full month that she's been gone, and yet, just her name is almost enough to reduce me to a sobbing wreck.  Her death clarified some things for me, though they were things that were already coalescing, and I wish they had been allowed a slower genesis rather than the horrible event that clarified them.  As a result, here I sit, typing this.  I can't tell you all my future plans with perfect clarity, but I can say this: I'm majoring in Business Management, officially, and I plan to get into the fashion industry somehow.  I have plans related to that, but I need to do my homework and learn how things work before I will feel confident acting on them.  I wound up laying out a blog schedule recently, too, and barring a solid mental breakdown/really terrible procrastination, I should keep to it.

We're starting this new schedule tomorrow.  I'm trying to actually show more of my creativity on here, not just pictures of what I wear.  There will still be that element, but it will be decreasing to one post of outfits per week.  It'll be all the outfits of that week, sure, but it'll be just one post.  Other days will get other themes.  Hopefully you'll like it! I've been so hesitant to do anything other than my outfit posts for so long,  but I'm trying to be less fearful of risk now.

Speaking of which... My New Years' resolutions.

• be more open about my thoughts and feelings with the people I trust (ie: I will stop pretending to not experience anger or annoyance and start allowing myself to express them a little bit)
• leap before I look. I know, wrong way around, but when I look, I second-guess myself and that just screws me up. My instincts are nearly always dead-on, and I need to learn to trust myself.
• exercise. (I know the specifics of this, but it mostly involves taking the greenies less and walking more...once I get over my sprained ankle, though, because I am not voluntarily subjecting myself to multiple miles of pure agony).
• talk to people besides my teeny-tiny close-knit friends group and super insular floor. There are a LOT of people on this campus, a lot of whom I know, and it is patently absurd that I only talk to about the same fifteen people per day. Also, it's not okay. I need lots of social time, and while my friends' group and floor are highly diverse, ultimately, the people I associate with the most are a certain type, and it bugs me that this is a thing.
• One craft a week, and one short story a week. Simple, and this time, I'm posting each of them so that there's a bit of accountability.

That's all.  I hope you like what's going to be happening around here! (Also, I intend to make a new banner and do some redesign soon-ish, because it's been too long!)

Dat Belt

About a month ago, I received my favorite article of clothing - my cummerbund style belt - in the mail from my mother. I'd left it behind while packing, by accident, and spent about two months missing it terribly before asking for her to find it and send it up. She did, and I'm not sure that I've taken it off since. I also bought a shirt a while back, which has become one of my key pieces. It's versatile - black, slightly transparent, and incredibly comfortable. These two pieces were practically made for each other and long flowy skirts.

Shirt/belt - F21 | Skirt - Wet Seal (?) | Shoes - PayLess

 


Shirt/skirt/belt - F21 | Shoes - PayLess

 

I know it's not really the most modern of looks, but I've always loved the look of long skirts with very defined waists. It's just one of those things that I'd absolutely love to wear all the time (and probably would, if I weren't generally succumbing to choosing sleep over looking nice, meaning I wind up in jeans and a sweater most days. (Granted, I get infinitely more creative with my wardrobe when I procrastinate, so I tend to look nicer when I'm running out of clothing...laziness functions in the most intriguing ways).

The next few days should see another few updates, and I'll definitely be more active over break, but until then, to anyone who still reads despite my infrequency, thank you.

Something Old

I've got a few old outfit images that have been hanging around collecting dust from the summer, so I figured I'd dust them off, show them off, and explain to you just how bloody hard I find dressing for warmth.

First outfit is from June. Yeah, June. Should've showed up ages ago, right? Yes, you are completely correct. Instead, it just lurked on my camera, got uploaded to this computer when I got to college, and has languished since. No more! (Also, guys, I have FINALLY mastered iPhoto, be proud of me! ...also that's why these pictures got kind of weird, because I messed around with them trying to figure out how things worked. The red-eye leaves a lot to be desired/is useless, but the coloration effects are interesting).

Dress - F21 | Shoes - Payless | Necklace - thrifted

This next outfit has been around since July. Yeah... Not as bad as June, right? Well. Not quite as bad. Almost. But less awful by a month, however that quantifies.

Top - DEB | Necklace/shoes - thrifted | Pants - Macy's? | Bow/bracelet - F21 | Scarf - The Meadows Museum

 

Now, I said I'd talk about my problems dressing for cold weather. Weeeeeell, they're easily summed up by this: I have no idea how to layer, it's 32°F outside, and my warmest coats are already starting to not be warm enough, and it's only November! I mean, I've been doing better since I had my parents ship up all my long skirts - more on that later - but it's still kind of difficult to figure it out. I'm used to dressing to look nice while not burning up, so while I've actually always kind of dreamed of this freezing weather, it's proving to be a little bit difficult to live with in actuality. If anyone who reads this has tips to share, I'd love to hear them, because, unfortunately, I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that I don't follow very many people who have to deal with legitimate cold. Or...actually, let me rephrase that. I'm not following many transported southerners who have to deal with legitimate cold that also know how to deal with it! Qualifiers there... Yeah.

I'm slowly working towards resuming a semblance of normal blogging, as I'm learning better how to balance my schoolwork with friends, my online social life/responsibilities to friends, a sleep schedule, and that all wasn't enough so let's try to add blogging back into it! So I'm going to try to. I also want to start being less of a constant outfit spam kind of blogger so that I can feel allowed to have days where I sit around in a tee and shorts and don't touch my hair and put up some tutorials or art or something. I like to feel like I'm creating and producing things that are worthwhile, and really, I haven't felt like I've been producing anything in quite a while. (Which is part of the reason I'm hitting blogging back up - I like to think that maybe I'll start trying out the things I want to do if I keep seeing people who are also doing them...) I don't honestly know. I want to do something with this blog. It's been meandering around kind of aimlessly since I first made it, and so...we'll see.

Also, Fantabulously Pinteresting is totally resuming (finally) next week, y'all.