You can usually see me in some variation of this outfit. These days I'm going for comfort, especially because it's gotten harder over my college career to wake up in time to make an informed decision about my outfit before groggily stumbling into class. So it's usually black pants, some shirt (when I wore this I figured lace would offset the army green jacket nicely--wow a coherent thought by Lauren before 9am!), and this jacket. A long time ago I heard or read someone say that the shoes make or break an outfit, or shoes pull the outfit together, so I try to wear fancy shoes to elevate the outfit. Plus, it probably wakes me up while I try to walk in heels for my ten minute walk to class. And also I am usually wearing last night's hair, as seen here. Yes, I am the height of fashion.
I guess I'm also in some variation of this outfit because it's not quite cold enough for tights yet but cold in the mornings but hot in the afternoon so I never know how to dress. Oregon is doing this weird thing where it's really cold one day and then really hot the next, and we haven't gotten much rain yet so I'm just perpetually confused. Okay sorry I always talk about the weather, I grew up doing that, haha.
Yesterday Matt and I went to see Elliot Moss in concert and it was magical. We got to see him in February for our anniversay and told ourselves if he ever came back to Portland we would have to see him again. And we did. And it was incredible. Seriously one of my favorite artists. As for today, I've been nursing my ringing ears and drawing cartoon cats and putting my face in online old people generators, for art of course.
Uuuuh hey guys? Is this an outfit post? I don't know what it is, but I've really felt the itch to document my outfits again. I seriously don't know. I know I don't necessarily want this to be a daily occurance, mostly because I know I physically can't do that with my school schedule, but for some reason I really have been wanting to get back into it. Consider this a soft blog revival. I'm just testing the waters now. So go easy on me. I mean, my last proper-ish outfit post was almost a year ago, so I'm really rusty. I think part of the reason I've wanted to get back into it is because my life is about to enter another season of change, and maybe the outfits are my conscious way of my subconsious saying, "Hey Lauren, you'll really want to document this closely, so we're gonna use outfits as an excuse!" (It might also be because I should be writing a paper right now and I've run out of other ways to distract myself. I even wasted time by changing the blog layout, so bear with me while I add things over the next few weeks.)
I honestly don't know what this "coming back" means. I don't know if it even is a coming back. Who knows? I could get bored or lazy or busy with it. Haha I really don't know and it's kind of annoying because I usually know.
Anyways, I guess now I need to do typical "outfit post" things. Also I should mention that I'm starting to become interested in ethical fashion, not because I can change the world by changing my lifestyle (we need people to change policies for that), but just because I feel morally bad about being a part of the problem. I'm trying not to be too harsh on myself though because it's actually impossible for a person like me to live within their means + buy ethical food and clothing + eat vegetarian / be aware of the treatment of animals because that's just unrealistic for the culture that I live in. But it's small steps. Anyways, being all round about because while a lot of my clothes aren't ethically made, I haven't bought any new clothes in a long time and this outfit consists of old pieces (except for the shoes). The dress magically appeared in our apartment and it didn't belong to me or any of my roommates so I claimed it, the jean jacket is from my mom's closet (sorry Mommy, I promise I accidentally packed it and didn't do it on purpose!), the leggings are from forever21 and the boots are from target.
Sorry this post is so sporadic, but I also shaved part of my head (haha this part is mostly for my parents, if they're still alive after seeing the photo of it). I shaved it 1. Because it's super cool and I've always wanted to do it, and 2. To hopefully make my hair less hermoine-esque? A giant ball of poof? A tangled rats nest of terror and nightmares? Well believe it or not, it didn't actually reduce the poof whatsoever? Everything I thought I knew about hair is apparently untrue, or my hair is literally insane and has a life of its own and it does what it wants. And unless my hair is in a bun, you can't see it, and you can only barely see it when it's in a ponytail. Yes, my hair is so poofy that sometimes a ponytail covers it. Anyways, this might be the last crazy thing I do with my hair. We'll see. Like I said, I have no idea.
Okay, so hi. Hey. What's up? I've missed everyone! Except I've still been religiously keeping up with everyone's blogs and I'm just the worst at commenting. Yes, I Lauren was that creepy blog reader that made you wonder why you were getting a billion views on your post. It was me. I can't promise I'll be better at that, but you should follow me on instagram because I'm way better there anyways. Okay, I'm gonna stop rambling because it's actually past my bedtime now. So I'll write soon? Maybe? ;D
Wait, is this really an outfit post? Sorry, don't get too used to it. I felt very out of my element taking non-creative photos of myself in a somewhat busy part of campus (and all the smiling photos ended up being out of focus, haha). But I had a sudden burst of wanting to document my outfit, mostly out of the fact that my style has changed a bit from quitting personal style blogging and I want at least one representation of that change.
I wear these shoes/pants/jacket almost constantly, and really should invest in pieces similar to them. The necklace is a gift from Matt's mom for my twenty-first birthday, which I love. I've been pretty drawn to the minimalist, Portland-hipster fashion that everyone's doing, but I think it looks really clean and professional and adult-like, which is something I'm trying to do (except for my pink-ish hair, haha) with my appearance. In a perfect world, I think I would have a completely monochromatic wardrobe, which might sound crazy to 2012-2013 Lauren, but it's true. And honestly, I think it allows for a lot of creativity. Maybe not in constructing my outfits, but definitely in wearing pieces that are art in and of themselves. I should say though that I'm kind of speaking from a what-if standpoint, since I don't actually have that many pieces that are unique and can stand on their own. But at this point in my life it's not really a priority to actually change my wardrobe--I've only consolidated and put some things in storage and sometimes borrow appropriate clothes from my roommates. Give it a few years though and I will have the most glorious black and white wardrobe ever. ;)
But anyways, if you really want to keep up with my life, it's best to follow me on instagram for mostly personal things, and my facebook page for mostly professional things, though I do have a couple other social media platforms (like twitter, august, ello, etc. Yeah, I'm crazy).
Hope you have a very wonderful day!
undershirt/shorts: forever 21 // striped shirt: thrifted
Okay, the title is a little misleading because my "studio" was actually me momentarily taking over my roommate's room to take these photos ... but guys, I am so excited about this. My photo department at my university got brand new lighting equipment, and I finally got to try it out! I was beginning to feel like I was stuck with progressing in my photography, but now with actual lights to play with, I'm finally learning something new! With that in mind, these photos certainly aren't the best lighting in the world. But it was my first try, and it was sort of like seeing your favorite celebrity in real life--I was just a little starstruck with beautiful, glorious softboxes in front of me. Man, I am just so excited!
As for my outfit, I think I had three different people make some sort of referee comment, but whatever. Over spring break I found this shirt at a thrift store, and I've already worn it too many times to count. It's such a versatile piece and I'm starting to get an obsession for stripes, so this might not come off of my body for a while.
Happy Thursday everyone!
dress/tights: forever 21 // weird short things: borrowed from my housemate // shoes: target // photos by Matt
Oh look, an outfit post! We Oregonians have had a bout of of sunshine and it's like a switch has been turned. You know those quintessential college photos that colleges use for advertisement? Well when the sun appears, the campus literally looks like that. Professors teaching their class on the quad, people laughing while laying on the grass, people playing frisbee ... it's pretty laughable how everyone flocks to the light. And you can bet that I was one of those people, braving the slight breeze in only a tank top (but chickening out with tights--which ended up being a good thing as Matt and I snapped these photos before our night classes and that walk home in the dark was cold!).
In other news:
1. I got a new backpack, which is a momentous occasion considering I've had the same backpack for like three years. My breaking point in purchasing a new one? A. I spilled hot chocolate all over the inside of my old one and didn't notice until it had dried up and was gross and I didn't want to wash it. B. I got an amazon giftcard and really wanted to waste three hours of my life reading countless backpack reviews on the internet.
2. Two of my pieces made it into the Student Art Show! One was this photo, and the other is yet to be released to the public (but will be shortly. And by shortly I actually mean next month. Maybe.)
3. I booked my first wedding of the summer! I'm so excited to be shooting another wedding. On top of that it is with an adorable and gorgeous couple, and on top of that I get to fly down and experience a taste of the Oregon summer. I'm so thankful that the couple is taking a chance on me, and I seriously cannot wait to spend the day documenting their big event!
4. Other than that, school is chugging along as usual. Spring break is in a mere week and a half, I'm getting my schedule for next year nailed down, and life is pretty cool.
dress: thrifted // skirt: modcloth // hat: forever 21
Honestly, I think January is my favorite month of the year. New beginnings, fresh snow, a chance to start again. It's the time to go back to school and work harder than ever, a time to look back on the past and look forward to future possibilities. Plus it's my birthday month, leaving it the ultimate nostalgic and contemplative month of the year. Beginnings are so beautiful to me, and January is a month filled with my love. Quiet snowfall, fresh snow, snow twinkling with what's to come. Wind blowing through trees and our bones, making the warmth of home ever sweeter. Then the magic of warm sun on a beach, a chance to be a kid again, sand twinkling with what's to come. Yes, I live for January. Here is a song for you.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
dress: borrowed // tights: walmart // socks: target // shoes/gloves: forever 21 // photos by Matt
Today is the big day, people! I have one more final this morning, and then it's off to the airport to fly home for Christmas. This semester has been so jam packed, I'll be thankful for a little snowy break. (My friend Amy wants me to put the word "Potato" in here somewhere, so there's that. Oh, I just received word that it has to be in context, so ... I like potatoes. Happy now, Amy?)
But anyways, it's so interesting to look back on this post to see just how much I've grown in a year. I'm definitely more confident, more secure in who I am as a person and who I want to become, and a lot more focused than I once was. Of course, I'm a firm believer in the ability to always improve, and I know there are a lot of areas for me to grow into. I've been thinking just a bit about new year's resolutions, and even though I'm a failure at completing them, I still like the idea of self-improvement. There are just a couple things I really want to focus on in the upcoming year, such as being more organized (to include organizing my schedule), being more focused on my art, and continuing to be more diligent in school. It's been pretty good this semester, but I want it to be even better. As for the art, I've sort of taken a small break, in part because of school, but I hope to create a few photos over the break. Next semester will also be helpful as I'm taking Intermediate Photography and Intermediate Ceramics AND Writing Fiction, so I will be producing a lot of art!
And here is my wonderful photographer and the most handsome guy in the world. I won't make this paragraph too mushy gushy, but I am so so thankful he is in my life (and has been closer to me this semester), and for all the things he's helped me through this semester. It's nice to be close to your best friend and I love him so much.
So in just a few hours, it will officially be Christmas break and I will be surrounded by beautiful Alaskan mountains and my wonderful family and pets. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday season. I probably will take a few days off of blogging, so I'll see you next year! (that joke is still funny, right?)
shirt: borrowed // belt: forever 21 // skirt: thrifted // tights: mom's closet // shoes: target // brooches: antique store/gift
Well, these photos were obviously taken before it got super cold and consequently snowed. This morning when I woke up, I just had a feeling that there was snow, and when I looked outside, it was a beautiful winter wonderland! Snow falling is seriously one of the best things in the world. I just love being able to lay down in the snow and look up at the sky or the tops of trees and listen to the silence. It's so calming and peaceful and really rejuvenating. I hope it stays on the ground, at least long enough to hold me over until Christmas break. Just two more weeks! If only things were winding down at school though. I think I have more projects to do this weekend than ever before. A ten page paper, five art projects (yes, you read that right), a science presentation, 100 pages of reading, and I won't even get into the tests. We're so close!
Since I've been getting into wearing lipstick for the past few months, I wanted to experiment on them a little bit. Thankfully, the Mini Penny blog had an awesome post on two-toned lips, and I really liked the result! She also had a very cool ombre lip tutorial which I've been doing as well.
Well, off to work on research papers and get covered in paint!
