OOTD: Tweed-ily Dee

What I Wore: [Sweater: Forever 21, Skirt: Nordstrom, Fleece Tights: Nordstrom Rack, Necklace: Forever 21, Booties: Sam Edelman]

I snagged this amazing, slightly sparkly, tweed skirt a few weeks ago during Nordstrom’s half-yearly sale, and I am so glad I did! The length is perfect, the shape is flattering and comfortable, and because of the colors in the weave it literally goes with ANYTHING. This skirt is going to be the first thing I pack to take with me to London because I know I will be getting so much use out it. I am equally as obsessed with else little booties. The color and height is perfect and I’ve been loving pairing them with just about everything this fall. Plus, the little rose gold zippers on the back are just the perfect finishing touch. Overall, this outfit made me very happy when wearing it and I thought I would share a happy thing with you all. 

Enjoy your day!

-Eva

OOTD: Thanksgiving In The City

What I Wore: [Coat: Calvin Klein (old), Top: Gap, Skirt: Tory Burch by way of Buffalo Exchange, Necklace: Nordstrom Rack, Shoes: Born, Hair: Curled with a 1 inch curling iron]

I wasn’t able to go back to Minnesota for Thanksgiving this year so instead my sister came out to visit me in Portland for the weekend. She had never been before so it was a great chance to get a to be a tourist around the city and show her some of my favorite restaurants and shops, along with seeing lots of new places. Whenever people come to visit me it just reminds me of how much there is still to see in Portland! 

I ended up being really pleased with how this outfit turned out, it’s a combination of some of my favorite pieces and worked out really well for everything we did on Thanksgiving day (aka walking around, movie watching, eating eating and more eating).

Not being at home for Thanksgiving this year felt a bit strange, having turkey and pumpkin pie in a restaurant filled with people you don’t know is definitely not the same as sitting at a long table with family and friends on either side of you. That being said, I am so incredibly thankful to have had the weekend that I did. I had an amazing time with my sister, I got time to relax, explore, eat, and shop, what more can you ask for? I feel very fortunate, plus I’ll be seeing the rest of my family in only 18 days!

Now, time to tackle my huge mountain of homework, good luck to everyone with finals!

-Eva

OOTD: If It's Not Baroque Don't Fix It

What I Wore: [Sweater: J. Crew, Pants: Seven, Shoes: Born, Lips: Revlon “Raspberry Bite”]

My mom came to visit me in Portland this weekend and I was able to rope her into taking a few quick shots of the outfit I wore for our day of shopping. This ensemble features a few of my favorite things (bright lipstick and bows) but mainly, these pants! They were found on one of my therapeutic trips to TJ Maxx last year and I get so many compliments on them every time I pull them out. Personally, I find patterned pants quite difficult to wear, but these are immensely flattering and super comfortable, so they get an A+ in my book.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend, happy Monday!

-Eva

OOTD: Florescent Adolescent

What I Wore [Top: J. Crew, Skirt: American Apparel, Flats: Lucky Brand, Necklace: ASOS, Lips: Clinique “Curviest Caramel”]

These last few days the weather in Portland has been unbelievably beautiful every single day so I’ve had to put off wearing many of my sweaters and jackets and instead come up with some new combos for my warmer weather clothes. I love the mix of color and texture in this outfit, it gives lots of visual interest without being overbearing. I know I’ll be wearing this skirt for months to come seeing as I can pair it with just about anything. Hoping you’re all having a beautiful Saturday!

Until next time

-Eva 

Had to include these photos (only 2 of many) because staying serious when your best friend is taking your photo is hard! 

Quick Combo: On Wednesdays We Wear.....Mauve?

What I Wore [Button Up: this J. Crew x Liberty shirt, Cardigan: Urban Outfitters, old, similar, Pants: J. Crew Pixi Pant, Nails: OPI “You Don’t Know Jaques”]

Because who doesn’t love a bit of lovely floral print mixed with the perfect button up? Pair it with a cardigan, comfy black skinny pants, and some ankle booties and you’ve got the perfect outfit for class! 

How To: Look Put Together Fast

I feel most confident when I feel put together, everything I try to do just usually goes a little bit better when I’ve got some lipstick and a cute dress on. And although I generally don’t mind getting up early in the morning so that I can take my time to prepare for the day, sometimes hitting the snooze button happens and before I know it there are only 20 minutes before class starts! Here are three tips that help me (and could help you) get the best result with the least amount of work on those rushed mornings.

1. Wear red lipstick and little else
People always assume that if you are wearing lipstick you must have taken a long time to get ready, when in reality putting on lipstick takes about the same amount of time as putting on Chapstick does. In fives minutes you can throw on some concealer in the necessary places, quickly set it all with a powder foundation, lightly fill in your eyebrows to frame your face, put on a quick swipe of mascara to open your eyes, and slap on some lipstick. It’s fresh, it’s simple, and it’s fast! 

2. Have a “go-to” outfit 

Among the many things I love about dresses are their simplicity. It’s one piece that covers the top and bottom bases of an outfit and you never have to worry about matching things or tucking things in or anything like that, you just zip it up and you are good. My go-to outfit on many mornings is a dress, a belt, and some flats (or boots with tights if it’s colder out!). I especially like this combination for a rushed morning because the belt and shoes eliminate the need to add any jewelry or accessories to the outfit. It already looks and feels complete because has a good amount of visual interest in the detail on the shoes, the buckle of the belt, and the (not pictured) low back of the dress. 

3. Skip the shower, embrace the dry shampooBack when I used to have long hair I was notorious for constantly just throwing it up in a topknot at any point of any given day, but now, since my hair is short and I can’t do anything with it anymore I have learned to love bed head and dry shampoo. Since wearing a dress and red lipstick already has me looking pretty sophisticated, I like to tell myself that messier hair is acceptable. So in those last few minutes before I have to dash off to class I use an ample amount of dry shampoo, tousle my hair around, put on some super strength deodorant, spritz myself with some perfume, and voilà, I am now the only person who knows I woke up late! 

The Complete Look:

I hope that these few simple tips can help you to save a bit of time when rushing out the door in the morning or at least can help motivate the lazy girl that lives inside us all at 7 am.

Until next time,

-Eva

OOTN: My Favorite Dress

What I Wore: [Dress: Vintage, Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Belt: Forever 21, Bag: Dooney & Bourke, Lips: M.A.C lipglass “Just Add Colour”]

You know that piece of clothing you have that just instantly makes you feel like a superstar whenever you put it on? It fits perfectly, encapsulates your personal style, and gives you the confidence to take on just about any situation? Well, this is that dress for me. I found this piece hanging on a rack in the most fabulous vintage store in San Francisco’s Haight a few summers ago when I was visiting my brother and sister-in-law. Right away I knew that if this dress fit than I would pay whatever it cost, a big statement for a bargain hunter like myself, to have it in my wardrobe. Luckily for me, it fits like a glove and since it’s induction into my closet has become somewhat of a signature piece for me. I know I will be wearing this dress for years to come because of it’s classic cut, pattern, and color scheme that makes it timeless and able to be paired with just about any bag, shoe, or other accessory. 

Hope you all are enjoying your last few weeks/days of summer, I know I can’t wait to break out my sweaters, boots, and tights for the soon approaching fall weather! 

Until next time,

-Eva

OOTD: Orange Is The New Black

What I Wore: [Dress: Gap Outlet, Shirt: H&M, Earrings: Betsey Johnson, Shoes: DSW]

Orange is quickly becoming my new favorite color to wear, it seems as though almost half of my new back to school wardrobe is some shade of it! I’ve had this little mod-inspired dress for a while now but with my new fondness for it’s vibrant hue I’ve been trying to find new ways to wear it more often. My favorite combinations have been wearing any kind of button up blouse underneath or pairing it with some kind of nautical striped top or cardigan and I’m sure I will be working both of those looks into my daily school outfits this fall!

Until next time,

-Eva 

Summer In The City

What I Wore [Dress: Self sewn, fabric and pattern from Hancock Fabrics, Belt: Francesca’s Collections, Shoes: White Mountain, Bow Pin: Antique Shop, Sunglasses: Nordstrom BP, Lipgloss: Butter London Lippy in “Snog”]

My summer goal this year (I am a big fan of goal setting because I like to feel like I accomplish things) was to sew my very own, wearable, dress. And I did it! All be it not without a good amount of help from my very sewing-knowledgable mother, but I cut and pinned and sewed and ripped seams and pressed and now I have a very pretty dress! I wore this outfit for a wonderful day of shopping while I was in Chicago with my mom for a long weekend, and I must say I got quite a few compliments, which truly made my day!

Hopefully I can continue sewing clothes in the future, perhaps I’ll try and make myself a skirt next, we shall see!

Hope you all are having a great Wednesday :)

-Eva

OOTD: Chambray Everyday

What I wore [Top: Gap, Skirt: J Crew, Bag: Target, Shoes: Target, Necklace: vintage, Nails: Essie’s “Coat Azure”]

Long time no post! My family has recently gotten a new puppy so I have been a bit preoccupied for the past few weeks (and have not been wearing anything cute or notable). Recently though I did get the chance to get a bit more dressed up than usual and go out to eat and be with the real world again. One of my go to outfits, aside from a dress and tights, is to pair my beloved chambray shirt with some kind of colored or patterned bottoms. Since it is July and it is warm out I chose this obnoxious orange skirt, which in my opinion is a good representation of the “right” kind of neon (leave it to J Crew to do everything perfectly). Anyway, all I did to complete the outfit was to put on some metallic sandals and an interesting necklace and I was quickly out the door!

I’m heading to Chicago next this weekend for a short little vacation, so look out for some up coming outfit posts from there, you can also see more of my everyday life updates via my Instagram (@evagoellner). Thank you all for reading, and have a beautiful Monday!

- Eva

"You Look Like Liberace!"

What I Wore: [Jacket: Duro Olowu for JCPenny, Top: Mango, Skirt: Forever 21, Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Lips: Mac “Vegas Volt”]

So when I was shopping the other day and just wandering around JC Penny, not expecting to purchase anything, I saw a glimmer of gold and turquoise….and being the magpie that I am I ran over and fell instantly in love with this ridiculous jacket. The jacket was on sale for less than half the original price and even though it’s not practical in the slightest way I somehow justified buying it. Why be subtle, right? 

I paired the jacket with a simple outfit underneath, a pleated skirt and dressier sleeveless top and then kept my shoes nice and classic by opting for a patent black slingback. Hopefully, I’ll find more opportunities to wear this in the future because there is nothing like metallic gold to make one feel ultimately fabulous :)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

-Eva

A Few Of My Favorite Things

Here is a post dedicated to my favorite beauty/other things as of recently, enjoy!

Nail Polish:Essie: First Timer and Orly: Basket Case make it onto this list because they are 1. season appropriate 2. opaque in 1-2 coats (!!) 3. the kind of colors that just make me stare at my hands lovingly whilst wearing them, so they are win win win in my book. 

Eyeshadow:The combination of the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze and Stila “Kitten” Eyeshadow  has been one that I have been loving wearing on the summer days in which I actually wear make-up (aka days I have to go to work), the pairing of a darker bronzy brown under the light champagne color creates a really beautiful rose gold eye-catching color. 

Mascara:I have been a huge fan of the original L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara for years but I recently went out on a limb a bought a different variation of my all time favorite. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, I love how separating and lengthening this mascara is. Generally, I wear it with another, more volumizing, mascara over top to make my lashes a bit more bold, but overall I love this product! 

Foundation:About a month ago I made the switch from liquid foundation to mineral powder foundation, and after a good deal of research I decided on the Korres Wild Rose Mineral Foundation (I have the color porcelain). This powder gives medium yet build-able coverage that is so light and breathable that I commonly forget I am wearing face makeup. As for staying power it’s good, not fantastic, but then again nothing really holds up all day long on my oily skin. I generally have to blot 1-2 times a day depending on how long I’m wearing it and how hot it is outside. But seriously, this powder is awesome for people who want coverage, want it to look natural, and want it to feel natural.

Lips:

So the next 3 products have taken the roles of my go-to lip colors. The first two are sheer and light and perfect to slap on for a daytime occasion that is not exactly neon lipstick appropriate. First is the Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in the color Rhubarb and next is the L’Oreal Colour Riche Caresse Aqua Lip Lacquer (world’s longest name) in the color Rose On And On, love them both and highly recommend them! My favorite statement lip has been the Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Big Bang. These came to the U.K. many months ago and I have been DYING for them to be released in the US, and finally they have been and I could not be any happier. Plus, with them only being $5 each I might just have to buy every color. 

Scents:For me, summer and spring are times meant for smelling like a bouquet of flowers all the time, to achieve that I have been loving the, sadly almost empty, bath&bodyworks body splash in sheer freesia and a tiny sample of the Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb perfume (I am definitely buying this in the full size when I’m done with the sample). I can only explain these both as being really really floral and just beautiful and would recommend giving them a smell if you’re into that! 

Accessory: This polka dot wristlet from Target has been the most perfect item for me to use instead of a huge handbag this summer. I can fit my phone, cards, cash, and some gum inside and then clip my keys to the outside and I am out the door. Plus, who doesn’t love polka dots? They are the happiest of prints :)

Music:Vampire Weekend has been my favorite band since probably 2008 so the arrival of their third album Modern Vampires Of The City was highly anticipated for me. This album does not disappoint in any which way and I can honestly say it is pretty much all I have been listening to since it was released. This will definitely be the soundtrack to my summer, and probably fall and winter as well. If you like good music, just listen to it or buy it or something because this album is GREAT! 

What have you all been loving recently? I’d love to hear! 

Until next time,

-Eva