One Down, One to Go!

Dress: Urban Outfitters / Purple cardigan: Target (similar: $, if only -->$$$) / Faux leather jacket: Zara (similar: $, $$, $$) / Floral carf: Forever 21 (gorgeous one from Coldwater Creek, of all places!) / Chevron tights: Target (similar) / Boots: DSW (similar)

 

Whew! One midterm down, one to go. Upon finishing my midterm, I went to the library and photocopied readings hurried straight home and took some outfit photos. I really like keeping up with this blog and the blogging community and have missed it this past week! Its good to be able to say hi again. :)

In addition to my midterm, this past week I:
-threw a surprise birthday party for the Boyfriend, which featured friends driving
up from New York, and even flying in from Portland and Chicago!
-had an amazing time hanging out with friends from college
-made best friends with/dog-sat this little guy:

Hope you've all had a lovely week! Does it feel like fall yet, where you are?

Can't come quickly enough

I absolutely cannot wait for fall. I am so tired of it being a million degrees and being stuck in shorts and tank tops. I'm boring myself to death with 100 degree appropriate clothing; I long for some layers. That's probably the #1 reason I've been short on outfit posts lately; I don't think anyone out there would be that impressed by my jean shorts and thrifted tank tops!

I know fall will be followed shortly by winter, and then I'll be longing for summer again and cursing my current thoughts, but as of now, I just want to wear some dark colors, comfy knits, and all of the scarves in the world. Plus, I've never had an East-coast autumn and I'm pretty excited for the crisp winds, dropping temperatures, and changing leaves. You with me?

Fall by petiteonapenny featuring a silver necklace

What are you most looking forward to in the fall?

Academic/Professional

Sweater: H&M / Dress, worn as a skirt: Target / Scarf: Forever21 / Booties: H&M / Bag: Olivia + Joy / Glasses: Coach

   

 On the verge of beginning graduate school (ohmygoodness, I leave in less than a month), I've been thinking a bit about what maintaining this blog as a graduate student might look like. I'm still pretty embarrassed about the blog around anyone I know not-through-the-internet, mostly because fashion and style are, often, considered frivolous and vain--two things I hope not to be. As the fantastic-and-sadly-discontinued blog academichic put it: "[Academics] are suppose to be concerned with much more important things and I guess I assume professors and even colleagues would consider this a silly waste of time."

I know that many (if not most) fellow style bloggers out there are professional ladies, and my guess is a few of them/you deal with this issue as well.

So my questions are, do you talk about your blog in your personal life?

How do you think it fits in with your role as a professional woman?

$11 J-Brand Jeans

 Sweater: H&M sz xs ($15.00) / Top: Gap ($24.95, buy here) / Jeans: Jbrand sz 25 ($11, second hand!) / Booties: H&M ($24.95) / Bracelet: borrowed from mi madre

 

 I hope you all had a lovely Valentines Day! Mine was...crazy. So much sugar, so many 10 year olds, and so many cute notes with pieces of candy attached to them.

Ya man, that's a lot of candy.

 I wore this this past weekend and it was the first time I got to try out my....(drum-roll please?)...$11 JBrand jeans! I bought them secondhand, off of Elaine at Clothed Much, and I couldn't be happier with them. She billed the jeans as being super worn-in and possibly not even worthy of resale. I figured I'd take a chance at that price ($158 knocked down to $11??? Fine by me!), and all I can say is...my standards must be a helluva lot lower than hers. :) I think they're perfect, and now I have filled that black-jeans-shaped hole in my closet.

Happy Thursday!

49ers!!!!

Today, there will be football. So, so, so much football. I'm going to a San Fransisco themed bar here in LA and will be watching the playoff games with many, many rabid fans. Wish us luck!! :)

Go 49ers!

Faux Fur Part II

 Top: Banana Republic (thrifted for 68 cents) / Vest: LOFT (gift) / Pants: Gap 1969 Bootcut / Booties: H&M / Bracelt: bought in England for about $2 / Earrings: gift



This is the other faux fur collared vest that mi madre bought me as an early Hanukkah gift (first one seen here). Originally, I'm pretty sure she only meant to get me one, but I tried them both on, wasn't sure which I wanted to keep, and she generously told me to keep them both! Thanks, madre.

I wore this to a casual holiday party with the teachers at my school, for which I bought my very first ornament ever (ornament gift exchange) and learned more about Christmas characters than I ever knew (some other Christmas-themed game involving telling people they looked like Santa Claus).

I'll be doing a review on these two vests soon!

Hope you're having a great day!

Warm and Cozy

 Dress: from a local boutique / Vest: LOFT Petite faux fur collar sweater vest sz ??? ($79.99 $48.00 buy here) / Coat: Forever 21 (old) / Tights: H&M / Booties: DSW
 
 Finally, I am out of my backyard! I wish I lived in the small central coast town--and more specifically in the garden/bookstore--where I took these photos. Then you could see less of my backyard and more of this pretty staircase and green landscape.

I just got this faux fur collar vest as an early Hannukah present from my mom (review to follow shortly! And the vest is currently on super sale at $79.99 $48.00). I went shopping with mi madre a few weeks ago and convinced her to buy a gorgeous grey knit vest with a detachable collar to replace a slightly decaying old purple one from REI she'd had for years. Major improvement on her part, and major jealously on mine. Lucky for me, my mom is awesome, and returned the favor with this cute vest from LOFT. I've never owned faux fur before, being generally squicked out by the idea of even the suggestion of wearing an animal's fur, but this looks fake enough to make the cut, I think....

Thanks, Nana

Top: Gap sz s /  Sweater: inherited from my grandmother / Jeans: Gap 1969 skinny sz 0 / Boots: DSW sz 7/ Purse: vintage Coach (via ebay)

   

 I just inherited a few beautiful old cashmere sweaters from my grandmother (by way of my mom cleaning out her closet). They are all incredibly well made and of good quality, and definitely give off that vintage grandma-y vibe, on account of they were bought by my Nana 60ish years ago. I love them. And I love wearing them in small central coast towns, just after the rain, where I can take pictures on the street and not worry about embarrassing myself in front of neighbors.  

Can you really dye my shirt to match my wall?

("Uh-huh!" "Jolly old town!")

Sweater: H&M sz xs ($15.00) / Skirt: LOFT A-Line Eyelet Skirt sz 00 ($69.50,  $32.99 + waist alterations) / Belt: Madewell ($48.00, $12.00, buy here) / Tights: Target / Shoes: H&M  sz 7 ($24.95) / Necklace: homemade

 And it FINALLY feels like fall in LA. Grey skies, a light rain, a crisp breeze....mmmm. I couldn't be happier. What better way to celebrate the fall weather than with a new warm & cozy sweater, tights, and black booties on a business-casual day? I'll tell you what's better....exactly matching your outfit to your tool shed, that's what.

Petite Fashion Challenge #11: Vacation Vogue

This month's Petite Fashion Challenge is hosted by Ski Petite. She challenged us to work within the limitations of a vacation wardrobe and "put together an outfit made for sightseeing. It should be one that will be comfortable for walking around in and can last you from the early morning until dinner and drinks in the evening."

Compared to previous Petite Fashion Challenges, for which I've racked my brain for days and barely come up with something in time, this one was a cinch! Two summers ago I took a 3+ week-long backpacking trip around Europe after my semester abroad in England. I traveled with a small bag and two guys who could care less what I wore on a daily basis. My day-to-day staples were a simple dress (that could roll up in my suitcase and come out without wrinkles!) comfy flats (we walked SO much), sunglasses, and a bag large enough to carry a sweater, camera, notebook, water bottle, phone, and wallet.

For this challenge, I essentially recreated my summer look with a fall twist: a knit dress, comfy flats, and big bag for the day....

Dress: from a local boutique / Flats: Macy's / Messenger Bag: Fossil / Sunglasses: Target / Necklace: bought in Italy

 And then I switched in tights, suede booties (comfy enough for a few hours of walking, but not too much more!), and a cropped blazer for night:

 Cropped Blazer: H&M ($34.99) / Tights: Target / Booties: H&M

 Thanks for reading, and check out the other Petite Fashion Challenge entries (to be posted tonight) here!