blogger of the month: Jamie of Petite Panoply

Today I am super excited to introduce to you October's blogger of the month, Jamie from Petite Panoply! What first drew me to her blog was her infectious smile, and it was her awesome sense of style that kept me coming back for more. I swear she is a woman after my own heart with such a colorful wardrobe. I think I would die if I had access to so many fun colors! She kindly let me interview her for the month of October, so be sure to read on to get a peek into this awesome lady's life!



1. First things first, can you tell everyone just a little bit about yourself?

Sure! I’m Jamie: a mass communications graduate student at the University of Georgia (though I’m sick of defining myself by my eternal student status). My creative outlet is putting together non-boring outfits, playing with makeup, and blogging. I’m a Disney animated movie aficionado, nail polish hoarder, donut-lover, ex-theatre & band geek. I live in Georgia but I’m not a southerner. I enjoy tasty craft beer and going to nostalgic concerts. I have way too many shoes for my own good. Halloween is my favorite holiday. I’m a bit of a nerd (books! science!). My idea of an excellent fall evening is binge watching TV shows with my sister while drinking boozy coffee and reading blogs. In reality, most of my fall evenings are spent reading academic articles, writing papers, and quickly scheduling blog posts.



2. What was the inspiration behind your blog name?

I was really feeling unique vocabulary words around the time I made my blog. I came across “panoply” which means “an array” and liked how odd it sounded. (I’ve always enjoyed funny-sounding words. And making up my own words too.) My blog name kind of has a dual meaning because it’s both talking about a small array of things and referencing my short height. Plus alliteration is king in the blog name world, right?



3. How would you describe the perfect outfit?

This question is so hard for me! I like wearing and mixing a lot of different styles depending on my mood that day. Usually the perfect outfit for me is: 1. full of color, 2: includes a vintage/retro-looking piece, 3. has polka dots or leopard print, and lately 4. Has a slight edgy factor. I’m happy in any colorful retro outfit but lately I’ve been enjoying darker edgier looks too. Mixing those two styles is always great in my book!



4. The tagline for your blog is "short girl style". Have you had any struggles with finding pieces to fit your height?

Oh always. My struggles were really prominent in my middle school and high school days when I wore jeans all the time. I had to search for stores that carried a short inseam because bell bottoms and boot cuts were in style then and the flare would start at such an awkwardly wrong place if they weren’t jeans made for short people. I still end up with 6-10 inches of extra fabric beyond my foot when shopping for pants in regular sizes. Lately I have problems with the bodices of dresses being way too long for my short torso. My red lace graduation dress had to have the bodice shortened (which was not easy). I also have issues with tops being too long. They usually hit at an unflattering place so I tuck most of my shirts in. The crop top trend is my friend! At least I can buy some things in the kids’ section. Basic tights are much cheaper there and even seem more durable.



5. How do you overcome the fashion industry's inclination towards taller girls?

I figure the majority of the fashion industry styles clothes for 2% of women. These are the tall, super skinny model types, which is a valid body type, but not at all the norm. I make do with the body I have just like any other woman who is outside that 2%. I get inspiration from the industry trends and adjust them to fit my style and body. Luckily there are stores that carry petite sizes and shorter inseams. Plus there’s always tailoring which is a short girl’s best friend. There are some styles that probably won’t ever be flattering on me though (like drop waist dresses). They just weren’t designed for a short frame and it sucks, but that’s life. There are plenty of other styles I can try out instead!



6. What's one style you wish you could emulate?

I really love Zooey Deschanel’s style. Her girly, retro style is exactly how I’d love to dress for work each day when I actually get out of grad school. I really like Emma Watson’s style too. I like that she takes chances with her look.



7. If you were to give one piece of advice to your readers, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to smile in your pictures (if you have a blog, that is)! It’s okay to look happy.



Thank you so much Jamie for letting me get to know you just a little bit. Be sure to check out her blog, Petite Panoply, for even more awesome colors (and a fun Halloween post for today!). I hope you all have a great day, and happy Halloween!

to the pumpkin patch

A couple weekends ago, my friends and I woke up bright and early and hopped in the car to spend the day at the pumpkin patch! This year we headed out to Bauman Farms, which is in Gervais, Oregon. It was a perfect day, with gorgeous fog the entire drive, until we finally broke free of it when the farm came in sight. Going early in the morning is really the way to go if you want to attend Bauman Farms, because when we left around 2 pm, there was a long line of cars in both directions waiting to turn into the grassy parking lot.





Not only can you pick the perfect pumpkin there (I got a cute warty one which I turned into a kitty cat), but there's also a corn maze, a dark hay maze (which is pitch black and has tunnels as well as pathways. My friends and I were probably in there for at least half an hour trying to find our way out), a hay obstacle course, apple cannons and apple slingshots and apple tasting, tons of food, tractor rides, a petting zoo, giant slides, and beautiful gardens. It really feels like a fair while you're there. There are so many fun things to do, and a person can easily spend all day there.






p.s. you can check out last year's pumpkin patch adventures here!

new traditions

shirt/skirt: thrifted // cardigan/coat: from a friend // leggings: forever 21 // shoes: target // scarf: asos // photos taken by Matt




In wanting to wear some my hardly-worn items more often, I put together this outfit feauturing a skirt that I've never worn for the blog (because I never really liked how the outfits turned out) and a shirt that I only wore for a 365 photo, as well as a cardigan that I never quite know how to wear. I guess putting a whole bunch of these kinds of items together turns into a very successful outfit!





This weekend was a pretty good one. First of all, I got caught up on all my favorite tv shows. Still mad about the latest Top Model. New girl was perfection as always. Modern Family made me cry as always. And Legend of Korra was too fantastic for me to handle. Ugh. Still fangirling over it. I'm also super excited for the beginning of 2014, because the new season of Community and Sherlock are coming out! *swoon* My heart cannot handle all of these fantastic shows.

Also my friends and the guys on our floor + Matt all played this super awesome game that we made up for three or four hours Saturday night (well, Sunday morning if you're getting technical). We had bought two giant glowsticks from Target, and decided we had to play with them in some way, so we brainstormed and came up with a game where two people went and hid the glowsticks somewhere in the apartment. They were then blindfolded and all the lights were turned off, and the remaining people had to go out and find the glowsticks. It was such a hard, scary, and hilarious game, and well beyond worth the two dollars we spent on the glowsticks. I'm hoping it will become a new weekend tradition!




Hope you have a great week!

my week in instagram #61

1 + 2 // It has been super foggy these past few mornings, and I've been in love with (if not completely cold in) them.

3 // Went on a coffee date with Matt. It was nice to walk around town a little bit and see autumn in full swing.

4 // Have been and still am geeking out over the two latest Korra episodes. Ugh. They are seriously so good I can't even stand it. I need someone to freak out with me about how freaking awesome they were. I've already watched both of them multiple times, that's how good they are.

5 // Le drawing from my drawing class. Not one of my favorite drawings, but definitely one of my favorite classes.

Other things that happened this week:

A. Getting zero rest because I finished two graphic design projects that were due on the same day.
B. Eating Thai food for dinner and accidentally eating octopus.
C. Playing spy games in the dark with the guys on our floor until two in the morning--best way to spend two dollars (for glowsticks) and a Saturday night.

Hope you had a great week!

and the world spins madly on

dress: thrifted // cardigan: borrowed // leggings/boots: forever 21




Some days (most days) I look into my closet and think, "Man, I have nothing to wear!" or "I have so few clothes." I'm sure you have thought the same thing too. For me at least, it's really not the fact that I don't have enough clothes, but too many pieces that I'm not completely in love with. When I first started blogging my outfits on tumblr, I would buy every quirky piece I could find at thrift stores, and now pieces that I've never worn are still in my closet. This dress was one of those pieces, though it's not as outlandish as some of the things peaking out from inside my dresser. It makes me sad to say it, but this is only the second time I've worn this dress since purchasing it. The first time was when I was into my second month of blogging on here (oh just look at Lauren trying to be all model-y and serious looking for the camera, haha), and I forgot how great of a piece it actually is! It inspired me to go through and look for other pieces that I haven't actually worn in a long time, and hopefully they will get to come into the lime light once more.




Man, this week has been so so busy. I've been running on about four hours of sleep nearly every night, waking up early, and running nonstop throughout the day just barely getting all my work turned in on time. Who ever said being an art major was easy has never done it, because it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, sheer luck, and really really good time management--which I'm not very good at as of yet. But the thing is, now that I'm beginning to take more classes that I'm interested in, the more I want to do the projects for them instead of putting off something that I don't like until the last minute. It's a really great feeling. But feeling tired and hungry from not sleeping and skipping meals to work--not so great. Time management is key. (And don't worry, Mom, I'm getting plenty of rest and macaroni and cheese now!)




Hope you have a great weekend!

p.s. I haven't redyed my hair for a while, which is why it's currently this interesting dark brown/purple/gray color. I like it, but I need more purple in my life!

bellarive + digital age concert

bellarive + the digital age

There's just something about going to a concert, being surrounded by other people, and feeling completely washed over by the music. It's a little bit different to run around as the photographer, like you're looking on the outside of a department store window set up, only you can still hear the music and feel the energy. You even dance around a little bit as you run from one end of the stage to the other, snapping away photos and being so energized you don't even look to see if they're coming out or not. You just look through the viewfinder and you know the picture is perfect. Concerts are always a strange way of escapism. All the world's problems can't break into the throng of people jumping up and down, and your own thoughts are drowned out by music and bass notes. And even when it's over, the energy still lingers on like a haze, giving you courage to talk to strangers and strength to stay up late and process photos.

Ah yes, the photographer life. It's a good one.

my week in instagram #60

My face after learning that my time as an intern has paid off ... a cell phone company purchased a stock photo of me laughing on a cell phone. Gotta love stock photos. //

A trip to the Portland Art Museum. I could spend all day in that place. There were so many beautiful and interesting pieces. //

A foggy Oregon morning. Even when covered in clouds, this place is still absolutely gorgeous. //

The woes of being left handed. I get charcoal all over my hand. //

Got to pet animals! Matt and I went to a friend's house for dinner and I finally got my furry fix. //

Late night fast food runs, which usually includes some fun music to sing to, a sun roof, and a pretty moon. //

Goats at the Pumpkin Patch! They were soo cuuute! //

Cows during the drive. It took everything in me to refrain from playing the cow game. //

This has been a very good week.

film friday: adventure is calling

Adventure Is Calling from Shane Black on Vimeo.

I had the privilege of meeting Shane about a year ago, and this year he set out on an adventure to create some really fantastic art. On his vimeo page:

"This summer, two friends and myself all left our comfortable jobs of six years to spend two months traveling across the country and teaching photography workshops along the way. We all felt that it was time to take a risk and get out of our comfort zones... adventure was calling us. It was a trip filled with endless hours cooped up in a van, exploring breathtaking landscapes, sharing stories and laughs, meeting some of the nicest people, making new friends, getting to meet old friends from around the country, and sharing our love of photography with others.
This trip was a constant test for me, as we had such short and limited time in nearly all of the spots we visited. In most cases, I'd have to hurry out of the van with all of my gear and find a decent composition in a very short amount of time as soon as we would arrive at the location. It was a constant race against the light.
During those 2 months, we traveled across 32 states , visited 13 national and state parks, and drove nearly 13,000 miles in a (somewhat) trusty old Dodge Caravan... with no cruise control. It was an adventure that gave us many memories that we will all hold onto for many years to come. I think that everybody needs to take a trip and have their eyes opened to just how beautiful this world is and how much is really out there."

Ever since I was little I've wanted to explore like this. Just hop in a car and not know where I'm going and spend months and months on the road. Thankfully my family has been able to do that a couple of times, traveling across America and Canada, but I would love to do it again, just driving along back roads and couch surfing and creating beautiful art and exploring my country. It's videos like this and stories like Shane's that give me hope that that is possible and that I can do whatever I set myself to do.

Hope you have a wonderful Friday!

blog update

You may or may not have noticed by now, but I updated the look of my blog a little bit. Not that I didn't like the old design scheme, but I want a more seamless transition from this blog to my photography website, which meant incorporating the paper crane and crisp whiteness. I may or may not keep the background, we'll see. At this point in time I'm too busy to mess with the HTML (or learn HTML5 and responsive web pages), but for now, this will do quite nicely. Plus I just felt like I needed a bit of a change of scenery, since I've been feeling a bit bleh about blogging recently. In the past I've tried to focus a lot on sponsors and generating some sort of income, and while that sort of thing is always nice, it's something I can't control, so I'm not going to stress about it. For all intents and purposes, sponsorship and advertising are done, at least my advertizing of accepting it (except for the Modcloth ad because I'm part of their affiliate program and plus I just love the company a lot ... so click on the ad and buy something to support me and them!).

Not to say that I haven't done this in the past, but from here on out I want to focus more on the quality of my content rather than quantity. At one point I was posting every day and it was great, but now I don't have time for that and pushing myself to do it no longer makes it fun. Don't worry though, I'm not going to disappear or anything, the whole "diary" idea of a blog is too tempting for me to stay away from for very long. Even now I'm just writing what comes to my mind and hoping for the best.

Love you all so much. Hope you have a great day!

it's a lucky day

dress: Someone like you // shirt/shoes: borrowed // tights: forever 21





This post could also be titled, "The anti-hipster" or something with a similar connotation since I'm the last person in the world to jump on the grand bandwagon that is the Three Wolf Moon Shirt. Matt was all too kind in making fun of me for being such a flaming hipster, he's probably scared that my life will soon be overrun with mason jars, tacky sweaters, and weird music (too late, that's already happened. But in my defence, I was doing the whole mason jar thing long before it became a thing because my parents love to can--easy access--and I love random jars with which to put random crap inside. I can't say anything for the music and fashion choices though ...) But needless to say, the moment I put this shirt on, it truly did become the luckiest day ever. First of all, my class got canceled leaving me with a free evening. That was normal enough, but then I got an email saying I won the European lottery and was immediately given money by a guy who came to my door in a fancy black suit. Then during dinner, the kitchen staff came out and brought me a giant plate of macaroni and cheese and garlic mashed potatoes, a starchy heaven. Then a wizard came to me in a vision, which granted me powers to call upon ancient dragons and harness not only their powers, but themselves. So with my love beside me, I flew into the sunset on the back of a golden dragon. All while wearing the Three Wolf Moon shirt.






So next time you need a really fantastic day, just wear this shirt, and all your dreams will come true.