Black and Blues

After a much needed backpacking trip in Northern Minnesota, I have finally begun to make my peace with autumn. Yes, it is officially here as of September 21st.

I really do enjoy dressing for fall weather. After all, Summer weather is great for sun bathing, beach time, and generally enjoying the outdoors, but it's also sweaty and gross, and as an especially sweaty girl, my summer style generally consists of being as close to naked as possible while still looking somewhat presentable.


But fall is all about the layers, and being from the Bay where it's 45 degrees when you wake up, 75 by mid-afternoon, and back down to 50 by the end of happy hour, I know how to do layers. (Winter layers are an entirely different story, but there will be plenty of time to discuss that in the coming months...)


This Saturday, after an especially nasty spill on my bike (think: GIANT BRUISES and ripped jeans), and a futile attempt to find a new pair of jeans at my favorite local clothing exchanges (Everyday People and Buffalo), I was feeling pretty down. Luckily, Justen and I were treated to a night of blues, pizza, and beer by Justen's awesome mom whose husband was playing sax for the band (Detroit Don King).


In honor of the music genre and my bruises, I decided to dress for the occasion by layering blacks, blues, and a little purple, along with my go-to fall boots:

Outfit deets: Gap cardigan (swapped), H&M tank top and mini skirt, black sweater tights from Target, clutch thrifted from Goodwill Outlet, belt thrifted from The Lost and Found, boots from some store in the mall two years ago.

Clearly, I am of the opinion that it is ok to mix black and dark blue, as long as you do it purposefully and tastefully, by using either blue as the accent to a black outfit (or vice versa) for example.

Anyway, I hope you're embracing the season change in your own way.

Thanks for reading! <3- hallee

Be Here Now

So I managed to accidentally take a month-long vacation from the blog, but if you're a California girl living in Minnesota, August really seems like the best month to take a vacation from everything. The humidity has broken, but the weather is still amazing: the late summer sunshine casting beautiful long afternoon shadows on everything, the lakes are still warm enough to swim in, and everyone is still pretty much sun-kissed and blissed out. I've been enjoying the fuck out of the summer despite finding myself once again especially impoverished due to my current lack of a grown-up job.

But that was kind of the point. I made the conscious decision to be poor, tan, and happy this summer. Something about working in an air-conditioned cubicle during the summer makes me suicidal, even more so than the entire experience of another season in Minnesota, which will remain nameless, as I am currently in denial about the impending doom of its inevitable arrival.

It might sound a little hippie magic of me, but I've been trying really hard lately to just live in the moment while it lasts. That's what summer is all about, in my opinion.

I know, I know. You're thinking "Great, bitch. You're all fucking zen-ed out and tanorexic. Good for you. But this is a FASHION BLOG and I am poor and pissed off and I don't really care about your personal seasonal philosophy. You leave your readers for a month and come back with all this kumbaya bullshit? WHERE ARE THE FUCKING SHOES??!!"

I know. I was totally getting to that part. Geeez.

With all this being in the moment crap, I got to thinking about fashion and how the fashion industry is always obsessing about the Next Big Thing: parkas in July issues of fashion magazines, bikinis in Victoria's Secret winter catalogues, Fall collections on runways in the Spring and Spring collections in the Fall. I understand why. It's the nature of the fashion industry. It's about being on the cutting edge, the cusp of trends, ahead of the curve, and all those other cliche phrases.

And that's great and all for rich bitches who can afford to constantly be buying that Next Big Thing for the Next Season, but us poor girls often have to just take what we can get on the sale racks, in the thrift stores, and even (gasp) our own closets. Of course, this obsession with what's next in style is just part of the whole scam that is the American Dream. It keeps us wanting bigger houses, newer cars, faster gadgets, and the latest Manolos, and it makes those of us who can't afford to "upgrade" all our shit all the fucking time feel inadequate and stressed out.

So that's what being here now is really about. It's about appreciating what you have and working with it and not feeling like crap because you can't afford to go to Banana Republic and buy their Mad Men inspired line to "spruce up" your fall work wardrobe. It's about rejecting the idea that you need to be worried about a new winter jacket before the Autumn Equinox.

So it is in that spirit, of being in the moment, squeezing out every last ounce of sunshine, and not mentioning that five-letter "w" word until at least December that I present to you five summery things I am still enjoying right now:

1. Showing Some Skin and a Solution to Pit Stains

Ok, so you might be grossed out by my mention of "pit stains" but get over it. Anyone who sweats or has obtained clothing from a previous owner who sweats has had to deal with pit stains. I myself am an exceptionally sweaty girl and one night this summer when I was getting ready to go get drinks with my man, I found myself having a fashion crisis. After deciding to just go with a classic white tee and jeans look, I discovered that the pit stains on my favorite white tee had gone from borderline passable in dim light to just plain gross. But instead of throwing it out, I made it into a cute tank top:

I'd been noticing a lot of slouchy tank tops with abnormally large armholes and also lots of undergarment-showing on clothing racks and magazines, so I decided to go all out and combine both. I think it worked out pretty well. What do you think?

2. Riding My Bike

It's great exercise, it gets me outdoors more, and it's both cheap and environmentally-friendly. 'Nuff said.

3. The State Fair and Food on a Stick

Justen's mom was kind enough to take our indigent asses to the Minnesota State Fair this weekend, and I am so glad I got to experience it. Amazing people-watching, everything you could ever want to eat fried or covered in chocolate (or both!) on a stick, and great live music.

 

This is pretty much the best thing that has ever happened to me. 

4. DIY Headbands

Since I'm growing my bangs out, I have been looking for creative solutions to keep them out of my face. I decided to take some extra scraps of fabric I had laying around to make a couple headbands. If I can do this, ANYONE can. Seriously. I am absolutely terrible at sewing. 

 

5. Art Deco Nail Polish

Summer is a time to have fun with your pedicure. I've been doing bright, diagonal color swatches. Check me out:

Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the hell out of summer and appreciating whatever kind of fashion moment you are in right now. Thanks for reading this extra long post!

<3-hallee

Shades of Sherbert

Summer is at it's glorious peak here in Minneapolis, and I am trying to enjoy every second of sunlight and warmth that I can eke out before Old Man Winter rears his ugly head again, which, judging by last year, will be sometime in September. 

In the meantime, I have been wearing colors to match my sunny mood: mixing bright reds, oranges, corals, and pinks with neutral accessories. Observe:

I have discovered how short girls can wear the midi skirt trend: nude heels or platforms! They make your legs look miles longer. Almost like someone of average height! Almost...

This necklace was an amazing gift: handmade by my lovely friend Bekah.

Outfit deets: American Apparel Shirt (Buffalo Exchange), Thrifted Vintage Skirt, Thrifted Platforms and Belt. 

I just love this belt, as you can see. I think it is a great way to create a bit of a waist and add a neutral accent to all the bright colored craziness. 

Got these earrings from Sway on my vacation home. BTW, Sway is one of my favorite stores of all time, and now you can shop them online here. 

I love this skirt. It is so comfy and lovely. Also, I got glasses. Whaddya think?

Outfit deets: Shirt from a hipster garage sale for $2, Skirt (Swapped), Same thrifted belt as above, and earrings from Sway. 

I hope you're all having a lovely summer and getting in some quality outdoor time! I have been very busy procrastinating on grad school applications with Important Fashion Experiments, and hope to share the results with you next week.

Thanks so much for reading!

<3- hallee

Californicated: The Thrifty Wedding Edition

I know I have been away from the blog for far too long, but sometimes life just gets in the way of important things like fashion and writing. I simply couldn't find the time to write during my amazing, action-packed trip to California, and when I got back to dear old Minnesota, things like finding a job and dealing with some major life drama kept rising to the top of my priority list. Also, the fact that our computer imploded has made it a bit more difficult to do things like check my email and update the blog.


Although the entire point of this blog is to prove how you don't have to sacrifice fashion and personal style just because you are poor, there are times when Real Life Problems are more important than figuring out what you're going to wear that day or how to keep your hair from frizzing out in the humidity. Rich people can pay other people (lawyers, chefs, personal assistants, accountants) to deal with their Real Life Problems, so they can focus on the newest gladiator sandal styles to update their summer wardrobe, but poor chicks have to deal with their own problems, and sometimes that shit takes time.


Enough whining. Let's talk about the two most amazing fashion discoveries I made on my vacation:


Number One: Super Cheap Wedding Attire


The main reason for my journey back to the homeland was for one of my bestest friend's wedding in San Diego. While trying to decide WTF to wear to the wedding before we left, I began leafing through my closet with dismay. Sure, I have lots of cute dresses, but most of them are either too casual for a wedding or the kind of fancy-but-dingy that I find very charming in thrifted clothes, but may be a little too quirky to be wedding-appropriate. Then, I stumbled upon an old bridesmaids' dress that my friend Meagan had given me last time I was in San Diego. While I thought the dress was cute, I had no idea when I would have an opportunity to wear it, but as you know, I'm not one to pass up free clothing, so I took it home with me and it sat in my closet ever since, until Nikki's wedding:

Pretty cute, right? Of course, not all bridesmaids' dresses are this cute, but I like the idea of recycling the ones that are, and wearing them to another wedding. I added my thrifted pink pumps from the Goodwill Outlet that have been featured on the blog many times before, and a couple flowers from my friend Adam's yard, and voila!: a wedding outfit for a total cost of $1.50.

As you can see, the boyfriend looked pretty adorable as well. His entire outfit is also thrifted and probably cost less than $30.

I was also very impressed with my friend Adam and his boyfriend Robbie's ability to put together an adorable look with pieces from Marshall's and Walmart that was not only awesome and thrifty, but also matchy and 4th of July weekend appropriate:

Dude, they are so cute. I want to vomit a little.

Nowadays, even being a guest at a wedding can cost a fortune, but a combination of thrifting and recycling (non-hideous) bridesmaids' dresses can at least keep your outfit costs to minimum without having to sacrifice style.

And for tips on how to save money on wedding gifts, I found this LearnVest article to be very helpful. Check it out!

Number Two: My New Online Shopping Obsession

After admiring (and threatening to steal) several items of clothing from her, my perenially adorable friend Bekah turned me onto a new online shopping obsession (like I need another one) while I was in Oakland: Go Jane.

Here are couple of Bekah's looks from Go Jane that I was begging to borrow:

The print of this top is awesome, and the style is incredibly flattering on any figure.

I love the girly dress with zipper-happy accessories!

I highly recommend checking out Go Jane. Their prices are reasonable, and while there are quite a few ugly items, there are so many that are super cute and flattering on curvy frames. They also have super cute shoes, which is always a good thing.

I will make a Polyvore set with some of my favorite items from Go Jane soon, but the public library computer won't let me right now...

Speaking of which, time to go computer shopping.

Thanks for reading! And I promise I will start posting with more regularity again.
<3-hallee



DIY Spa Day

Vacations are supposed to be an escape from the daily realities of work, bills, grocery shopping, cleaning up dog poop, more bills, grocery shopping, rent paying, and everything else that is patently "grown-up" and "not fun."

However, for those of us living paycheck to paycheck, vacations can actually be really fucking stressful. You are taking time off work, so you're not making any money, but it's not like your landlord or bill collectors go on vacation. Plus, being on vacation--even the kind where you are fortunate enough to have friends and family lend you their couches and kitchens-- inevitably COSTS money. So really it's a financial double whammy.

Anyway, while I am very excited to be going home for a couple of weeks, I have also been really stressed out, especially about money, since I will be returning from said vacation to Government Shutdown Unemployment Land.

I have this idea of what rich people do when they're stressed: they go to the spa, get a massage, buy themselves a nice bottle of wine, bang the pool boy.... 

Not being a rich person myself, I'm not sure if this is accurate, but I know I would love a motherfucking spa day right about now. Exercising like a maniac has definitely been helping me with the stress, but sometimes a bitch just needs to be pampered.

And that, my stressed-out, impoverished friends, is why I  have decided to share with you some of my favorite drugstore items that will allow you to give yourself the royal treatment in your very own home because you deserve a little luxury and relaxation in your frenzied, frazzled, debt-ridden existence, and besides, it's kind of awkward to have strangers touching you with Enya on in the background anyway.

FYI, everything pictured above is less than $10 at pretty much any drugstore, and most of the items are less than $5. 

1. Tub of St. Ives Apricot scrub

    I love this shit!! It smells amazing and gets your skin really smooth. Plus a big old tub of it is only like $6 and will last for hella long. I use it on my face every night and on my entire body usually once a week in the shower.

2. Queen Helene's Face Masks (in Mud Pack and Mint Julep)

     If you have never heard about Queen Helene's, I am so sorry! I love almost every Queen Helene's product on the   shelves! These masks are both fantastic--great for leaving on while soaking in the tub--AND they're usually under $4.

3. Tea Light Candles

    To set the mood, these are little, cute and SUPER cheap. And they're unscented, which I like. I feel like scented candles are for women who name their cats after Greek goddesses and wear lots of clothes with wolves on them. If you want to get extra fancy, paint a Mason jar some pretty color and stick one of these inside.

4. Revlon Manicure Kit

   For about $8, this kit comes with nail clippers, an AWESOME file, and cuticle trimmers. All you need is one of those 3-sided files and you can do your mani-pedis for DAYS. Way cheaper than $30 plus tip.

5. Cucumbers

    For your tired eyes. Everyone knows about this, right? Ok. 

6. Neutrogena Triple Moisture Hair Mask

    If you have long and/or damaged hair, this mask is really great at making your follicles feel all silky smooth. About $7.

7. Dr. Teal's Lavender Bath Salts

    If you have a tub and want to get all fancy with your bath salts, these are great. But I usually just use plain old epsom salts because they're a bit more cost effective. 

8. Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel

    I recently discovered that witch hazel is great astringent/toner for my oily skin/adult acne. You can buy this formula, but I usually just go with a generic brand from whatever store I am at. It's usually under $2.

9. Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap

   Dr. Bronner's can be a little pricy, but I think it's worth it. I use this daily on my face and body. The peppermint is my favorite, especially in the summer, because it has a cooling, tingly effect that feels like it is tightening your skin and waking it up all at once. Plus, many local grocery stores (usually the hippy co-op kinds) will let you refill your old bottle at a discounted price. That way you do good for yourself, and for the environment.

 

The last spa-type thing I've been really into lately is making my own face/hair mist. I bought a couple small bottles of essential oils put a few drops of each in an old hair product spray bottle, added water, and VOILA! Fancy face and hair mist! It's very refreshing and moisturizing, and it's also great for spraying down my stinky yoga mat after class. Essential oils can be rather pricy, but a little goes a long way when mixing with water. I've found that tea tree and rosemary oil are good for my skin type (oily, acne prone), but you might want to do a little research and see what would be best for your skin type and price range.

 

I hope this gives you some ideas for ways to find a little R&R alone time amidst the stress of vacation planning or whatever it is you're going through. 

Thanks so much for reading!

<3- hallee

California Daydreaming

With a record-breaking heat wave here in Minneapolis, I am definitely NOT complaining about the weather, but with less than two weeks to go before my California vacation, I have been daydreaming heavily about all the lovely amazing people I will get to see, food I will eat, coffee and cocktails I will drink, and of course, all the amazing California sights I will see. 

I am absolutely loving summer in Minneapolis, but part of me will always long for California. Having lived there for over 10 years, I seem to have the equivalent of phantom limb syndrome: I swear I can sometimes feel the air, the topography, the lifestyle, coursing through my veins.

I am also looking forward to being inspired by some real California style. Most other places in America (and maybe even the world) are constantly trying to emulate the "California cool" style that has become iconic. California girls really know how to do casual without looking boring. There is an ease to a lot of the fashion in California that I absolutely love. 

Unfortunately, it's not an easy place to be poor in your twenties (or any age really). With sky-high housing prices, a failing social system, and an economy based on entertainment, technological innovations, and the prison-industrial complex,  I was simply never able to get my footing there financially. And while life has been hard here, and I am still pretty damn poor, it's a lot easier to be poor in Minnesota.

But I am and always will be a California girl at heart. And for all you haters out there, I will break a fucking bottle and shiv you because "I'm from Oakland, bitch!"

And with that, I give you a pictorial translation of my California daydreamin':

                                                                             The iconic Oakland cranes at sunset

Taco trucks, quality sushi, and Peet's coffee: all of which I will be putting in my face throughout my vacation.

  While I am hoping there will not be widespread rioting with the release of the BART officer who murdered Oscar Grant, hating cops and breaking shit is one of the things Oakland does best.

Minnesota may have ten thousand lakes, but I still love Lake Merritt best. Also, strawberry mimosas at the Lake Merritt Cafe are the shit on a Sunday morning.

Pretty dresses at sunset, the Golden Gate Bridge and prison overcrowding. Get ready California, with the new Supreme Court ruling these friendly gents might soon be your new neighbors. 

Big Sur is my favorite place in the world. Hopefully, we'll be able to make a quick stop on the way to my friend's wedding in San Diego. 

This is what I think So Cal looks like.

 

The second half of our trip will be spent in San Diego for my amazing friend Nikki's wedding in Balboa Park.

I also get to see a bunch of other BFFs as a bonus.

I hope you enjoyed the pretty pictures. Unfortunately, I can't do the DIY segment this week because I am so poor that I don't even have enough $$ to purchase the materials for the DIY projects, but I promise I will do a DIY summer trends post next week after I get paid. However, there will be a post on how to decorate your apartment or house for almost no monies later this week. 

Thanks for reading!

<3- hallee