Guest Post from Hannah of the Girl in the White Dress

Hello there amazing readers of Beautifully Pure! My name is Hannah and I'm a Youtuber under the username HeroInsideMe22 and the founder of the organization the I'm Still Here Campaign. I love fashion, makeup, cooking (I make a mean chicken curry), French, old book stores, glitter and all things vintage! I had jokingly mentioned to Katie on twitter that she should let me guest post on her blog (never thinking she'd actually want me to) and she surprisingly thought it would be a great idea.

Cape: Gift from Great Aunt

Scarf: Chanel

Top: Thrifted

Jeans:  New York and Co.

Shoes: Madden Girl

Nail Color: Essie, Leading Lady

So let's talk a little about this outfit. Though I love fashion, my every day style tends to be a bit more casual. I love this outfit, even though purple is my favorite color, red is a close second. This cape is so soft and warm, which was perfect considering how cold it was today! These jeans are also amazing! They're called the 'skinny kick' jeans from New York and Co. I've never felt comfortable in skinny jeans until I found these. They're loose enough around the thighs, but come in at the bottom to give the same look as skinny jeans.This is a go to outfit for me, whether it be braving the great white outdoors or inside snuggling with a cup of tea, a Katharine Hepburn movie and a cute boy (if I had a cute boy... instead I have my puppy and a seriously amazing fuzzy blanket).

Just Sittin' in the Sun

Sorry for the silence on le blog all week! If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know that I was super busy cleaning/painting my room/getting ready for my trip/on my trip. But a couple awesome guest posts from some lovely ladies next week so stay tuned for that!

In mean time, enjoy these pictures of my aunt and uncle’s adorable kitties! I had so much fun playing with them yesterday!

xo,

Katie

We Left That Change Somewhere Behind

A week from today I'll be back there, and I can't really explain to you how exciting and terrifying that is.

I feel like a lot of times you guys only see half of me - the girly, clothes loving, hipster-like girl.

There's more to me than that.

I love shooting my dad's handgun and can't wait to own my own.

Country music will always hold a dear place in my heart.

I prefer flannels and boot cut jeans on guys more than any other outfit.

I love old cars and want to learn about them.

I'll be using Mason jars long after the hipsters have moved on.

I'm not a city girl, and I don't want to be pegged as one again.

I don't want other people's ideas of me to define who I am anymore.

xo,

Katie

Owlsom Dress // Daily Outfit

I loved this dress from eShakti so much I just had to wear it twice in a week! This outfit is what I wore to work. I pinned the dress up because I can't stand wearing knee length dresses with tights - it's a major peeve of mine. Also, look how cute my new hair cut looks when worn curly! I seriously love it.

One of my favorite parts of this dress is the owls on the skirt. If you've read my blog for more than two seconds you'll know that Owl City is my favorite band ever, and since I love having clothes that very obviously reflect my personality this dress was a perfect fit! I'm still trying to decide if I want to wear it to the concert, though... Usually I like to wear clothes that are more "cool" - as Lauren put it - but a dress with owls on it just might be too much to pass up..

xo,

Katie

♥ ♥ ♥       

dress: c/o Eshakti
shoes: Forever 21

tights: c/o We Love Colors

belt: Windsor

hair bow: gift from Emily

blazer: H&M

necklace: fleamarket

purse: Jo Totes

Betsy Johnson sunglasses: via Little Black Bag

lipstick: Kat Von D Painted Love in Underage Red

2013 Photography Goals

I know I said that today I was going to post my list of five things to do each season, but since I haven't completely finalized my list/finished the graphic, you get to see my list of eight photography goals for this year! It's part of my 19 Before 20 goal to learn and practice photography.

1 - Already done! I am on top of this list!
2 - Working on it - definitely working on it.
3 - Molly and I are planning on taking Bella Pops photography class this spring and I'm so excited!
4 - Already did this one last week! So far I hate it, but I know that's just because I'm not used to it yet.
5 - Adobe is definitely going to help with this one. I'm also thinking about taking a college class this year.
6 - My camera fell off the seat while I was driving last month and now the auto focus is broken.
7 - My 50mm lens is great, but taking food/close up shots with it is really hard since you have to be so far back, so I want to get a second, multi purpose lens. I'm thinking maybe a wide angle lens.
8 - I've got into a bad habit of rushing through my photography because I need to do it, but don't want to take the time to do it well and enjoy it and that has to change
9 - The reason for this whole list. I still love photography, but I'm not in love with it - if that makes sense.

Have any of you made goals this season? What are they?

Wah Wah Watusi // Daily Outfit + Eshakti Review

Being the tallish gal that I am makes it difficult to find dresses that are actually, you know - long enough! So when Lauren posted Eshakti, I knew I wanted to try it! Of course, wanting to and doing are two different things, and I just never got around to it. So of course I jumped at the chance when Jane from Eshakti contacted me about doing a review.

Selection

There were so many lovely dresses that at first I wasn't sure how in the world I was going to pick just one, but in the end I realized that I kept coming back to this same, swingy, 1950's inspired frock with the embroidered owls on the skirt. Very Owl City, amirite?

Sizing

I went with Eshakti's standard sizing because I'm terribly picky about the fitting of my dresses, and I chose a knee length because there is nothing worse than ordering a dress you think will be long enough, only to find out that it is - in all actuality - too short. So I figured I'd better be on the safe side. The dress is actually a little longer than I expected (I probably could have chosen the "above knee length option since they take your height with the order - duh!), and when I first tried it on I was actually worried that I would be uncomfortable in it since I usually wear shorter dresses, but I ended up loving it! I felt like such a doo wop babe all day.

Quality

And the dress itself is really good quality. The fabric is really nice - you can tell it's good quality, but it's thin enough that it won't be too hot in the summer - and even with picking a custom dress and ordering it the day before Christmas eve, I still received it within two weeks (with Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Years Eve and Day I wasn't expecting it to come for several more days).

Odds and Ends

I think that's everything I wanted to to cover - oh, except that it has a lovely cut out in the back. It's really nice and not too low that I'd be uncomfortable with it, but I didn't get a photo of it because my bra strap showed and I'm not sure what to do about that so I just wore a black tank top under it. If any of you have any suggestions as to how to hide the unsightly band I'd love to hear them, because I'd love to wear it without a tank in the summer - it's just so pretty! ♥

Have any of you tried Eshakti before? What did you think of it?

P.S. Can you believe I'm wearing a dress without tights in the middle of January!? We had a sudden "heat" wave on Friday and it was nearly 50 degrees!

♥ ♥ ♥       

dress: c/o Eshakti
shoes: Urbanog

belt: Thrifted

jacket: Top Shop

necklace: Stitch Fix

purse: Jo Totes

lipstick: Kat Von D Painted Love in Underage Red

title: Wah Wah Watusi by The Orlons

Disclosure: the dress featured in this post was provided to me from Eshakti for review. All thoughts + opinions are my own. 

Lately {Walmart + Doo wop music}

1. One of the the things on my 19 Before 20 list is to get my own car/truck, and I'm really hoping I'll be able to get a cool older Ford car!

2. Couldn't decide which mug to get at Target (I ended up with blue).

3. Wore my faux JC Litas with my matching camera bag and a new dress to Jiffy Lube. One of the ladies also waiting for her car asked if had bought the bag + shoes together or if it was just a happy coincidence. ;)

4. My makeup on Friday.

5. Look who was all productive while watching the Bourne Legacy on Friday!

6. My dad bought me an awesome calendar full of Ford pickups!

7. Maddie made the most delicious cake pops!

8. Biggest bag of cereal. Ever!

9. Don't get down on my Walmart love! I mean, where else can you buy food, tires/car batteries, ball jars and washi tape all in the same place!?

1. Wah Wah Watusi // The Orlons

2. The Twist // Chubby Checker

1. My newest obsession is doo wop music, and Wah Wah Watusi is def one of my new favorites!
2. Another fun doo wop song. This one is so much fun to dance to!

1. Once Upon a Time season 2

2. Downton Abbey season 3

3. The Help

1. You guys! I just love this show so, so much! Especially the whole Bell/Rumpelstiltskin thing, and I actually feel bad for Regina!
2. This season is really good so far, and I love some of the happy stuff going on, but - unfortunately - I know some of the stuff coming up, and I am not looking forward to it!
3. This is one of my favorite movies! The fashions are great, the music is great, the cars are amazing, and the story is so inspiring! If you haven't seen it yet I definitely recommend popping it in!

The Milly Dress // Remix Archives

I got this dress a long, long time ago - just a few months after I started this blog, in fact - and since then I've wore it countless times. There are so many colors in it that it pretty much goes with anything. It's definitely a favorite to remix.

Posts with this dress:

In An English Country Garden

Ghost of a Rose

Romance and Comfort(ability)

When in Nashville Wear Florals

I'd Run with You Through Space and Time

One Year

Deer in the Headlights

Last Time without Tights

And Think of Me

A Girl and her Car Dreams

Red Hot Love

Be Happy

Wallflower

I Knew You Once Upon a Dream

Old Friends

Sister Gypsy

Lit Up the World as I Fall Asleep

Caledonia, You're Calling Me // Daily Outfit

 If I hadn't known it was January when I was taking these photos, I would have sworn it was early spring! It was freezing cold, but the birds twittering in the trees + the smell of the fresh earth and vegetation could have easily had me thinking it was March - and I really wish it was. To be completely honest I didn't have the best of autumns/winters in 2012, and I am more than ready to get back to the warmth and fun of spring and summer.

Later this month I'm taking a trip to visit my aunt and uncle in Missouri, and I am so, so excited! My aunt and uncle are like my third set of grandparents, and I used to spend a week with them every summer, but I haven't been down to their ranch in nearly three years, and I miss it so much! It'll be really good to get back to my roots and spend some quality time with + reconnect with some really special people.

On another subject, ta da!!! What do you all think of my new dress?? My lovely cousin, Molly made it for me as a birthday/Christmas gift, and I couldn't be more thrilled with it!  It's called the Caledonia dress after a cute little town near my aunt and uncle's ranch and will be available on Molly's Etsy shoppe later this spring!

I've also hired her to make me another dress out of this gorgeous fabric. I can't wait to wear it with my Litas/Dolce Vitas shoes! I really don't think Molly realizes what she's gotten herself into! Lol. *winks*

P.S. Everyone should go wish Molly a happy birthday on her blog! She's such a dear. ♥

♥ ♥ ♥       

Dress: gift from Molly
shoes: Charlotte Russe

tights: Forever 21

belt: Thrifted

cardigan: Maurice's

purse: Jo Totes

lipstick: Kat Von D Painted Love in Underage Red

title: Caledonia by Celtic Woman

Nineteen Before Twenty

Finally got my nineteen before twenty list finished, and of course I wanted to share it with you all! Next week I'll share my list of five things to do each season. *winks*

What are your goals for this year?

The Daleks Must Survive // Daily Outfit

Confession #1: This outfit is actually from last year. It's what I wore out to dinner on my birthday.

Confession #2: My nerd tee collection has grown to an embarrassing size - or it would be, if I was less proud of it. This tee shirt was one of two more Doctor Who tees I received for my birthday. This one is from my youngest sister and - for those of you unfortunate enough to not watch Doctor Who - features the most famous (if most cheesy) of all the Doctor Who villains.

Confession #3: Due to improper fitting this will be the last time you see these lovely boots here on the blog. I've learned a lot about shoes/shoe fitting at my new job, and one of the things I've learned is the fact that in most shoes I'm actually an 8.5 - not a 9. But I didn't know that when I bought these boots so I got a 9, which caused the toe box to cave in. Now there's a nasty dent in the top of the left boot that's extremely uncomfortable. Boo. I love these boots and I'm sorry to see them go. Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on a pair of 8.5 grey wool ones somday. ;)

Hope everyone's year is going well so far!

♥ ♥ ♥       

tee shirt: birthday gift
skirt: The Kelly King Collective
boots: Blowfish Shoes

ring: the Forest Bootery

necklace: Francesca's Collection

belt: Francesca's Collection

lipstick: Kat Von D Foiled Love in Valentine

Lately {Holidays + New Things}

1. Playing draw something with Maddie. My drawing skills are out of this world, y'all!

2. Designed a template for Molly's new blog, the Dahl House.

3. My NYE outfit

4. New Years Day feast.

5. I think I could live on bread and cheese.

6. I stumbled onto the mother load of sales at Maurice's last week!

7. Dreaming of summer + loving my new candle.

8. These are the coolest socks I have ever seen in my life! Thanks to my mum for buying them for me!

9. And finally, my new Dahl Clothes dress! It was a Christmas gift from Molly and I'm so excited to style it up!

1. Brave // Josh Groban

2. Part of Me // Katy Perry

3. I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift dubstep version.

4. Did I Make the Most of Loving You // Mary Jess

1. A new favorite from Josh Groban. The style of the song reminds me a lot of You Are Loved, and the lyrics/message is so moving!
2. What can I say? Sometimes Katy Perry speaks to me...
3. I'm not ususually a Taylor Swift fan, but I can't seem to get enough of the dubstep remixes of I Knew You Were Trouble! It's so unlike me!
4. For those of you that don't know, this is the theme song for Downton Abbey. The premier of season three was last night. SO. EXCITED.

1. Downton Abbey Season Three

2. Duck Dynasty

1. Like I said, the premier of season three was last night and I am more than ready to get back into that drama-filled goodness of a turn-of-the-century-soap-opera!
2. I don't really remember how my family started watching this show this week, but we did, and I have to say that it's actually really good! I just love country people!