Well Hey, Remember Me?

Wow, long time, no post, huh.  Well, in case anyone was worried, I was not kidnapped in Europe or anything crazy like that.  While I would like to have a totally valid reason for not posting in forever, I really don't.  However, I do have a couple excuses; one is kind of valid, and the other is frankly just kind of sad.  I'm about to throw a wordy post at you here, so please bear with me.

Last I posted, I was about halfway through my Central Europe trip, which was amazing, by the way.  (I promise I'll share some random photos and tidbits coming up soon).  Posting to the blog from Europe became more and more difficult as the trip went on for a few reasons: the first was the internet.  The more we moved around, the worse the internet in our hostels became.  At our final hostel in Berlin, it took forever just to load any internet page, so uploading pictures was not happening.  Secondly, without my trusty, ever-patient photographer with me, I was forced to ask a couple people I was traveling with to take my pictures, and it didn't take long for the novelty of it to wear off for them, and soon, I felt like a burden asking, or when I did, they would tell me they didn't feel like it.  (Sure made me thankful for my photographer, Amber, who is always ready and willing to snap pics of me!)  Lastly, despite packing enough to remix a unique outfit for every day I was abroad, I started to gravitate toward the same few comfy or easy combinations, so I wasn't really blog-worthy every day.

Ok, so I'm using problems during the Europe trip as my first, semi-valid excuse.  My second, kinda sad excuse is that the first half of my summer was so exciting that the second half is making up for it by being really, really uneventful.  Some days, I don't even get dressed.  Yeah, it's that kind of summer.  Most days, I go from pajamas, to running clothes, then back into clean pajamas for just lounging around the house.  Though I must admit, I am really enjoying the down time.

The past two weekends, I've been off visiting friends from school in their respective towns.  Two weekends ago, I went to the mountains to visit my roommate.  We did some intense hiking, which was a lot of fun.  Here's a picture from one of said hikes:

I'm wearing a typical summer 2012 outfit consisting of a Walmart tee and Adidas running shorts.

Anyway, I'm going to attempt to wrap this up a little now.  I've still got a few outfits from Europe and some others to share in the coming days, but since I don't have too much more blog fodder, I'm going to be posting 2 or 3 times a week until I get back to school and start actually getting dressed again.  Also, while I've been sitting around the house, I've been working on an extra little venture that will go hand and hand with the blog, and I'm super excited about it.  I'll post all about it when I get it fully up and running!

If you are still reading this post, and especially if you are back here still reading this blog after my prolonged absence, I would like to sincerely thank you; that really means a lot to me.  It sure feels great to be back!

Upcycled: High-Low Skirt

One of my favorite things about thrifting and upcycling is the ability to try out trends without breaking the bank.  I've really been loving the high-low silhouette that's been all over the place this season, so I set out to create a more budget-friendly version.  I started with a skirt that I thrifted to $1.50.  Here's the before:

I felt like the length was a little odd as is; too long to be a flattering midi, but too short to work as a maxi, so it was definitely the perfect candidate for a change in hem.  The after:

Skirt, shirt, purse: thrifted. Shoes: Dansko Sandi via REI (great cute and comfortable walking sandals that I love). Sunglasses: Michael's (yes, as in the craft store).

There are so many pluses to a high-low skirt upcycle.  If you are unsure about this trend, it's a great way to give it a try without breaking the bank.  If it turns out you don't really like it, or you wear it for a while and get tired of it, it would be so simple to just take the skirt up to a single length.  Creating your own high-low skirt also puts you in complete control of the length and proportions.  You can go for a subtle look by varying the length just a little, or do a more extreme high-low look; this trend looks great either way.  I've also noticed that many of the high-low shirts in stores are very short in the front, so doing it yourself is a great way to get a modest look if that's what you are going for.  Plus, it's super easy to do!


This skirt, much like my previous upcycle, has quickly become one of my favorite new wardrobe pieces.  The movement when I walk is so amazing.  It kind of feels like I have a little cape flowing out behind me.  It's so fun and comfortable!


What are your thoughts on the high-low trend?  Would you upcycle your own high-low skirt?  Let me know! 

Enjoying the View

 Shirt: Walmart. Shorts: thrifted & DIYed. Shoes: Target.

I wore this simple, casual outfit for a day of exploring the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary.  We climbed up a huge hill to a castle/fortress complex and got some absolutely amazing views of both sides of the city at sunset.

Back in Time

Shirt: thrifted. Shorts: American Eagle via thrift (similar here). Belt, sunglasses: Walmart. Shoes: Eva and Zoe via Off Broadway Shoes. Watch: Target.

I haven't had a chance to snap outfit photos here in Europe the past couple days, so I figured I'd post an outfit that I've got backlogged.  I wore this one towards the very end of the school year, and all I remember about that day was that it was during a crazy hot spell.  Also, Amber told me she couldn't remember seeing me in 'normal' denim shorts, i.e. not the high waisted variety that love so much.  However, just because my photographer doesn't remember it doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

On Rain, Sunshine, and a Castle

Shirt: H&M via thrift. Jeans: Old Navy. Belt: vintage. Shoes: Target (here). Scarf: street vender in NYC. Earrings: Mark (old). 

This is what I wore to stroll around the beautiful city of Salzburg.  Checking the weather before leaving the States, I saw that there was supposed to be a lot of rain in the region, so I ran out to buy some small, packable rain boots.  The weather for this day was supposedly supposed to be a 70% chance of rain all day, so I went ahead and wore my boots.  And not a drop of ran fell.  It was sunny all day.  I felt kind of dumb walking around in the sunshine wearing rain boots.  The weather has called for rain every single day of the trip thus far, and it has only rained once, and only for a half an hour.  We've been so lucky.  So actually, I'd rather the weather be wrong and end up wearing boots in the sun rather than actually needing them.

 These pictures were taken in the courtyard of this castle:

That's right, castle.  This is the Hohensalzburg Castle, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.  We took a cool sky tram up the side of the mountain (you can see it on the far right) and then wandered around inside the complex for a good few hours.  The place is even bigger than it looks.  The views of Salzburg from up there were amazing:

Guten Tag aus Deutschland!

Dress, belt, shoes: thrifted. Sunglasses: Walmart.

Greetings from Germany!  

My study abroad trip has begun and I still can't believe how amazing it is over here!  There is so much that is different, but at the same time, it's not been too hard to get used to.  I've been here for 5 days and I can't believe how much I've already seen and experienced.  It's been so interesting being immersed in a new culture and new surroundings. 

I may have fudged the title of the post a little as I'm no longer in Germany, but the pictures were taken there.  After 4 days staying in Munich, we've just moved on today to Vienna, Austria.  Both cities are beautiful.  We've also made stops in Nuremberg and Dachau, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria.  We'll be here in Vienna for the next 4 days.  

The pictures above were taken in front of this lovely building:

Take a look at the band of stone that's above my head and where it at the base to get a sense of the massive scale.  That is the Theatinerkirche St. Kajetan, a church in Munich that was built in the late 1600's.  On just about every street or square, there is a church that is older than the United States.  It's crazy and amazing!

I Can Relate

It's getting down to the wire with packing and preparations for my trip, so I don't have time for an outfit post today, but I thought I'd share this lovely little picture that Amber sent me:

(via penelope-jolicoeur.com)

Does anyone else feel like this at the airport?  I know this will definitely be me in 2(!!!) days.