The Pacific Northwet

What I Wore: [Shirt: Urban Outfitters (similar), Jeans: Madewell, Jacket: Gap, Shoes: Lucky (similar), Hat: Target (similar), Bag: Longchamp]

I seems as though our bought of sunny days in Portland has come to somewhat of a halt as it's been rainy and miserable all weekend long. When the weather goes from beautiful and sunny to wet and dreary I'm very prone to feeling lethargic and not wanting to do anything other than lay in my bed and read all day, so when I woke up on Saturday and the sun was no where to be seen I made it point to force myself out of bed and into the world. The day included brunch at Tasty & Sons with some friends and then heading to the Living Room Theaters to see Ballet 422 (hence why my bag looks so lumpy, it was full of snacks), which are my perfect alternatives to spending a rainy day curled up in bed.

Turtlenecks & Tartan

"Time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees" - Emily Bronte

What I Wore: [Top: Gap, Skirt: Vintage (similar), Boots: Franco Sarto (similar), Earrings: J. Crew (similar), Lipstick: Bite Beauty "Cranberry"] 

I can't believe Christmas is already here, it seems like the weeks leading up to the holidays are always  such a blur, making it so that once break finally begins and I get to lay around watching Love, Actually with my dog for three days straight even better than usual. Since I go to school so far away from home being able to come home and be around my entire family at Christmastime is very special to me and something I look forward to all year. For my family, Christmas means food, movies, moon-lit walks through our woods, board games, and more food - AND I LOVE IT. 

Since Christmas day is usually spent in my footie pajamas, or some other comfy equivalent, I try to be a bit more festive on Christmas Eve. Granted, in my family all holidays are extremely casual so this is an outfit that I would just wear to class or any day of the week really, but I thought the tartan print wool skirt and cozy turtle neck made it feel a bit more Christmas-y than my usual "warm dress and black tights" option that I've been known to go for in the past. 

I hope you all have a lovely holiday season, are surrounded by those you love, are perpetually stuffed with delicious food and drink, and get some time to relax before gearing up to take on the new year! 

xo

My "Back To School" Stack

Since it is basically the middle of August and my countdown to my return to Portland has begun I have decided it is finally time to start talking about one of my favorite subjects.....back to school shopping. Unlike when I was 10 and would purchase the entirety of Limited Too in preparation to take on the new school year my current "back to school wardrobe" shopping strategy is usually just to get a few key pieces to refresh what I already have. Although it should probably be noted that I still do the whole "I'm not even going to touch this or take the tags off of it until school starts" thing to make things feel even more exciting and special. I don't know what it is, but even at 20 years old there is nothing that excites me quite the same way going back to school and the beginning of autumn does. 

Alright, let's talk about clothes. Like I said, my shopping strategy is to get things that will work well with the rest of my wardrobe so I gravitate towards classic styles and patterns that are still current and somewhat trendy. Let's take a peek and what I've collected.....

Tops: I snagged this striped top with fluttery sleeves from Anthropologie (currently on sale!), a light-weight striped popover from Old Navy, a chambray top with an embellished collar from LOFT, and a neutral crew neck sweater from The Gap outlet, similar. None of these tops were purchased for any particular reasons other than "this is cute and I want it", because sometimes you just have to live life that way. 

Dresses: The only dress I've picked up for the up-coming season is a chambray (I really can't get enough of chambray) shirt/shift dress from J. Crew Factory Store. I had been eyeing it online for quite some time and when it went on sale I thought it was as good as time as ever to replace the chambray dress I had been previously wearing to death. Said moment of weakness brought to you by trying to stretch out my lunch break at work. 

Bottoms:  I am not a big pants wearer in general but when I do they either have to be dark dark dark blue or black and I for some reason didn't have a pair of plain black skinny jeans, so to remedy that issue I picked up a pair of super comfortable ones from Old Navy. The one new skirt that I did get (my skirt collection is getting a little out of hand these days) is from J. Crew. I got it on sale for only $20 and I really cannot wait to wear it, it's probably one of the most flattering pieces of clothing I own - it's still available in a few colors and sizes! 

Outerwear: My two outerwear purchases are very "Portland Friendly" i.e. one has a hood and one is a fleece pull over. My reasons behind getting both of them were fairly practical - the fleece, from Mountain Hardware, is intended to be worn during runs/hikes when the weather gets cooler and pretty much any other day I want to wear bright turquoise fleece, and the sage colored utility jacket will be perfect for layering over everything I wear during the majority of those low 50's, dreary, overcast Portland days that I have become so fond of.

Shoes: I'm at a point in my life wear it is just not physically possible for me to house all of the shoes I want to own, so for back to school this year I just got one new pair of shoes because that was honestly all I knew I'd be able to fit in my suitcase/tiny apartment. They are part of black D'Orsay flats from Lucky Brand and they are perfect. Just trendy enough to make me feel cool but still very classic and I know I'll be getting my money's worth out of them. 

And that's about it! It's more than likely I'll be picking up a few new things here and there before I leave but I'm already worried about packing all of my stuff up to take back to Portland, it's always so overwhelming.

Let me know if you liked this style of post, it was a fun one for me to write (i.e. finding a way to justify all of my purchases). Until next time,

Eva

Work and Play: A Day to Night look

Day

Night

What I Wore: [Dress: Lucky Brand, Chambray Top: Gap - similar, Flats: Lucky Brand, Wedges: White Mountain (old), Earrings: Forever 21 (old), Bag: H&M (old)]

When I picked up this dress up a few weeks ago to wear to a family event I had no idea it was going to be such a versatile piece in my wardrobe - to be honest I thought it was going to be one of those "buy it for a specific occasion and then leave it at home while I am away at school" pieces. But now, after wearing it a few times and seeing the many ways it can be worn, that will definitely not be happening come September. The dress itself is ridiculously comfortable and easy to wear so pairing it with some of my favorite basics to create different looks didn't require much thought (but then again, what doesn't look better with a chambray shirt over it?). 

I wore the top look to work earlier this week - it's perfect for the warm weather, makes sitting at a desk all day comfortable, and it is still put together and modest enough for my work environment (this is going to be won a ton this fall once I go back to school, perfect for a long day of classes). By taking off my button up, throwing up my hair, and putting on some wedges, lipstick, and fun earrings I was quickly ready for an evening out after work. Unfortunately, I didn't actually end up wearing the evening look anywhere that night as my evening plans included 3.5 hours of rehearsal for the musical I am in which required a leotard and jazz shoes instead of a cute dress and heels. Alas, this outfit will have to be saved for a future occasion! 

Hope you all are having a wonderful Tuesday, or whatever day it is that you are reading this, thanks for stopping by!

Eva

Polka Dot Mini Dress

What I Wore: [Dress - Gap, Shoes - Franco Sarto, Necklace - Nordstrom Rack, Lips - Revlon Matte Balm Stain in “Sultry”]

My first outfit post from London! Sorry it’s a been a while, but there has been a lot to do in the process of adjusting to my new life across the pond! Today, Kaylie and I did a bit of exploring and spent some time in the V&A museum drooling over the displays in the fashion hall (vintage Dior and Chanel, need I say more?). We then stumbled across an adorable residential area (one of many in Kensington) and thought it would be a the perfect place to take some outfit photos.

I picked up this dress from Gap on black friday (for an amazing price) because of:

1. the polka dots (they are my favorite)

2. the cut, color combo, and ‘mod’ fit of it all felt very London to me

I’ve packed a lot of dark colors for this semester, which can get to feel kind of dreary and sad after a while, but I love that this dress has a cute pattern that makes it feel a bit less serious. I’ve also been wearing these ankle boots with EVERYTHING! They’re perfect.

Happy Friday, everyone!

until next time,

-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: 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 

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

Saturday Style

What I Wore [Sweater: Forever 21, Button Up: T.J. Maxx, Jeans: Gap, Flats: Michael by Michael Kors, Earrings: Betsey Johnson, Lipstick: Revlon “Raspberry Bite”]

On Saturday Morgan and I wandered through the entire Pearl District in search of a coffee shop to do homework in, this polka dot sweater was the perfect thing to wear for walking around in the cool air and curling up to do homework and sip hot drinks.

Hope all your weekends were wonderful :)

-Eva

OOTD: Pearls and Leopard

What I Wore [Button Up: Gap, Cardigan: American Eagle, Pants: J. Crew, Shoes: MIA, Cuff: Betsey Johnson, Earrings: Gift]

-Eva

Top Ten of 2012

1. Too Faced blush in “Cocoa Rose”, this is a matte warm browny-rose color that I used throughout all of 2012. I’m not one to wear bronzer very much because of how pale I am but this browny blush works as kind of a bronzer impostor for me.

2. I bought these Ruff Hewn combat boots on sale at the end of 2011 for around $50 and have never looked back, they go with basically anything I wear and I really like their somewhat “dressier” look.

3. I received this NARS Danmari blush palette as a gift at the end of 2011 and used it non-stop through 2012. The blushes are all highly pigmented and pretty much make you look like a glowing goddess, my personal favorites are “sin” and “orgasm”.

4. I feel like everybody and their mother already knows about/has at least one of the NAKED palettes (which makes sense because they’re awesome), but I thought I would put it on this list anyways because I really like it too! Just go buy it because you’ll love it!

5. As a person with crazy oily, acne prone, and pale skin, finding a foundation that matched my skin tone, kept me from looking like a butter ball, and covered up all the bad things, was unbelievably cool. So, thanks, Clinique! 

6. These korres lip butters are pretty much the best thing to happen to me ever, they give beautiful sheer color while moisturizing your lips and smelling like a dream. I simply can’t ask for more!

7. The NYX lipstick in “Tea Rose” is my ultimate go to lip color. I feel like I always have to have some kind of color on my lips so that I don’t look dead and this is a nice alternative to brighter colors. It’s also an extremely versatile color, I wore it to prom, my first day of college, and just about every day in between. 

8. I got ahold of the j.crew pixi pants a few months ago and they are already my favorite thing to wear. I have never been one to wear leggings as pants but these are so thick and opaque that they are more like really really tight/comfortable pants. Plus, they are the best for the many plane rides I’ve been taking going back and forth between Portland and MN.

9. The Rimmel Stay Matte Powder is another essential in my daily face makeup because it’s pale enough for me, cheap, and keeps me matte! 

10. My ultimate favorite of the year, this Denim Gap Button Up is now an essential in my wardrobe. I wear it all the time and it never gets old because it can be worn so many different ways! Buttoned up or open, tucked in or hanging out, sleeves rolled up or down, the possibilities and combinations are endless. It’s like a great pair of jeans but for your top half! 

And those are my top 10 favorite makeup and fashion items of 2012, I hope you enjoyed reading about/seeing them and I’ll talk to you all in my next post :)

-Eva