Photo Diary: Bath & Stonehenge

This is a little overdue, but here are some photos from a day trip to Bath (and Stonehenge, even though it was closed due to the weather) from a couple weeks ago! Bath is not what I expected it to be. Well, I don't really know what I was expecting, but it exceeded those non-existent expectations. The architecture has Italian influences, as they have those lovely Roman baths. This trip was my first time getting out of London, so it was honestly (and perhaps literally), a breath of fresh air. 

My friend Elyse and I joked that we would absolutely get a flat here, raise our kids together, walk our puppies-- but literally I wouldn't mind if that happened. There really were young, attractive couples, walking their dogs in the snow that day. So cute! The sights were amazing, with literally rolling hills of beautiful british/italian buildings. Take a peek:

Photo Diary: London Bus Tour

I've been in London for about five days now (already??) And it's really been a whirlwind. Jet lag, tiredness and a dose of homesickness has dampened some days, but I'm finally beginning to take in this city for what it is. Amazing. What helped is a bus tour I took yesterday around the main areas of the city. What I did not realize is how big London is. It's HUGE. The tour took over three hours. 

I love the style of the city. All the girls wear black, which I totally love. They wear black ankle boots and leather jackets, fur coats and lipstick. It's glam and rock 'n roll and so very British. The boys are killer-- cardigans, denim jackets and they all, without fail, have styled hair and stylish sneakers or loafers. It's a dream. I'll hopefully get some snapshots of the streetstyle sometime soon. 

To hold you all over, here is a photo diary of the bus tour taken with my new Nikon! Hope you all enjoy... Cheers!

DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING IN LONDON

Where I was slowly eating breakfast and chillin this
morning, watching some British morning telly.

Since I don't count our first day in London our ACTUAL first day (because we were jet lagged, cranky, tired as hell and hating our lives) today was a beautiful first day.

I'll give you an abridged version of our day. We woke up at a semi-respectable time (10:30) and went for breakfast. We had only bought bread, peanut butter and jelly and some fruit last night at Sainsbury's (an awesome British grocery store we live across from) so we all ate that. Apparently a group was meeting in the lobby of our building to go to the CAPA headquarters at 11:30, but we were busy leisurely eating food since our bodies are still out of wack.

We rushed down at 11:30 to find everyone gone. So we had to get to CAPA in Kensington from Camden. We had never been on the tube before, forgot our Oyster cards, and didn't know the exact address. Long story short we pretty much rocked it. Apparently we took a roundabout way to get there, but we got there, only 30 minutes late.

LONDON 2013 -- MEET THE CREW

Let me tell you why I haven't blogged in what seems like years. I have no life! It's been none stop classes, work, meetings and other boring things. Then, I've been getting my stuff together for my trip to London! Guys, I'm leaving so soon. January 8th I'll be departing from Kansas City >> Atlanta >> London. Literally, one of my biggest life dreams is about to come true. I can't believe it's happening to me. Don't worry, when I get there I'll be blogging. I'll be too excited not to! Plus, I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a very nice DSLR Nikon camera for Christmas... which means pretty pictures for you all.

BACK TO BASICS: EVERLANE

(Originally from my other blog, Inspiration, Defined)

 This is for the girl or guy who is either in need of some high quality wardrobe essentials, or someone with a minimalist style. I've recently discovered Everlane, an online-only company that creates designer quality wardrobe staples without traditional retail markup.

PATTERNS ON PATTERNS

Another post from Inspiration, Defined. Check it out if you have the time, my friends have put up some really awesome posts these past few weeks! Jackie O. inspired looks, fun with braids and some leather lovin'. 

Patterns are a great way to create tons of interest in an outfit without really doing anything at all! Patterns have been a big trend these past few seasons, from classic spots, stripes and florals, to chevron, watercolors, Navajo prints and plaid. The list goes on. While fall usually brings in a sea of black and navy clothes, don’t forget about those patterns tucked in your closet. Vogue UK has noticed the trend, while Refinery29 is loving the tech prints.

Mixing patterns is another thing, and can be quite tricky. The general rule I follow is: mix a big pattern with a small pattern. And make sure they are not too similar in nature or color, otherwise you’ll get some serious clashing. Below are a couple of examples of outfits that combine different prints. Don’t be afraid to try it out and have fun!

DARK FLORALSDress: Forever 21 // Tights: JCP // Shoes: Von Maur

If you’re a dress person but the cold weather forces you to shelf ‘em, tights (or stockings) will be your new best friend. Here we have a pretty busy-patterned dress with some diamond-patterned tights. It’s a little hard to see, but it’s the subtlety that makes it work.

Menswear Moment

Hi all! I hope classes/work are going well for everyone. I've become busier than ever, especially trying to figure out finances for my study abroad trip to London in January. Apparently spending three months across an ocean, taking classes/having an internship doesn't come cheap...

Luckily, for my textile and apparel management class this semester we have to keep a fashion-related blog. So, that pretty much forces me to make time to post. It's a group project, so I'll be doing three posts over the course of the semester, and my first one is up! Our blog is called Inspiration, Defined-- feel free to check it out!

The blog is all about defining inspired looks, like "parisian chic," or a color or celebrity. Then giving outfit options and inspirational photos. My first one is menswear-inspired, naturally. 

Here is the opening graphic for it-- check out Inspiration, Defined to read more!

opening graphic links: 1/2/3

OH, YOU DON'T KNOW WALK THE MOON?

THE NEW AND OLD

I thought I might share some of my recent shopping feats with you all. Well, not exactly recent, just a few things I picked up over this past summer, which is quickly waning away. This has had to be one of the quickest summers of my life, but that's not necessarily a bad thing-- I'm going to London in a mere 5 months! January could not come sooner.

One of my more expensive shoe purchases from Aldo, but totally worth it. I had been looking for a pair of black combat boots since last fall, and these fit the bill perfectly. They're badas-- exactly the style I was wanting.

US VERSUS UK: MAGAZINE COVERS, JULY 2012

1. VOGUE

Vogue US: I love Emma Stone. I want to be Emma Stone. I want her wardrobe, her husky voice, her sense of humor and her boyfriend, obvs. (Hello Andrew Garfield!) I creep myself out... I actually have this magazine, and it is gorgeous. The editorial flips between sexy Emma and silly Emma, with girly and menswear clothing. Such a fresh cover.

Vogue UK: I like how natural this cover is, along with the bold print background. The orange is a little hard to read however, but I like it paired with the navy blue of Rachel Weisz's sweater. 

WINNER: Vogue US.