More Beautifull than You Believe // Daily Outfit

It feels like I haven't written in forever and a day. I've been in a weird place, emotionally, but I feel like I finally have a sense of clarity about what I want to do with my life.

For as long as I can remember I've wanted to help girls. Every single time one of my friends was going though a hard time I wanted to be the one to help her. I've learned so much about eating disorders, sexual abuse, and the like in trying to be there for my friends.

I used to feel guilty because I had never been through anything like that. I guess you would call what I was feeling "survivor's guilt." I wondered why God had given me such an "easy" life. It wasn't fair while my friends were going through so much, but it makes sense to me, now. Those issues just aren't who I am - not that someone is less than me for having them, those just aren't my battles to face.

I used to want to be a councilor, but then I thought that I got too emotionally invested to do something like that. I had to take a big step back to realize that I think that's what I'm supposed to do.

I love girls. I love being around little girls, I love hanging out with girls younger than myself. I love feeling like I'm making a difference in someone's life. Because even though I'm not the wisest person in the world, I have been around the block once or twice, and I do have some knowledge I can pass on to girls younger than myself.

I used to be so scared, nervous and so insecure, but I've come a long way. I'm doing things now that I still can't believe. Things I know I wouldn't have had the nerve to do two years ago. I don't think that coincidence. I don't think it's an accident. I think that God has a plan for it. I want to teach

♥ ♥ ♥       

shorts: Top Shop via the Buffalo Exchange

blouse: Maurice's

cardigan: c/o Conversation Pieces

necklace: flea market

stockings: Forever 21
shoes: c/o Blowfish Shoes

necklace: flea market

title: More Beautiful than You Believe by Summertime's End

Wildwood Flower // Trollied Dolly Review + Daily Outfit

While I was on vacation in Missouri I did a bit of online shopping, and this dress was the one of the pieces I picked up. It's from Trollied Dolly, and I've been wanting to try one of their dresses ever since I saw their brand on ModCloth, and when I saw they were having a 25% off all dresses, and the dress I loved was already on sale - well, let's be honest, who would pass that up!?

So, since I'd been wanting to try this brand out for a while, I thought I would go ahead and give it a short review. Spoiler! I love it!

The quality is fantastic. The dress feels super well made, and it's actually long enough to be worn without tights! What!? What is this even!? It's also super adorable, and though Trollied Dolly never responded when I contacted them about forgetting to specify that my address is in the United States and not the United Kingdom (I've got a dream!*) the dress still manged to get to me within two weeks!

I love this dress so much and I cannot wait for the weather to warm up so I can wear it without tights! I also can't wait for March 15th, when Trollied Dolly released their summer 2013 line! ♥

xo,

Katie

*Tangled reference

♥ ♥ ♥       

dress: Trollied Dolly

shirt: ModCloth

shoes: Forest Bootery

tights: Target

necklace: ModCloth

bag: Little Black Bag
jacket: Top Shop
lipstick: MAC in Lickable
title: Wildwood Flower by June Carter

Disclosure: This post was not sponsored, I bought the dress with my own, hard earned cash and though it contain some ModCloth affiliate links, all opinions are my own. I just really wanted to share my positive experience with Trollied Dolly with you all!

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. 

Flowers of the Field // Daily Outfit

Sometimes life is weird, and sometimes - right when you think it's starting to make sense - it sends you a curve ball and leaves you wondering what on New Earth you're doing. But sometimes - just sometimes - you feel free.

I have no idea where my life is going right now, and to be honest %99 of everything that's happened to me in the past four months makes absolutely no sense to me, but I know who I am, and that's a comfort. And when I'm driving into work listening to Owl City and Sky Sailing I feel free - like I could fly anywhere and do anything. And that's a great comfort. ♥

"We were 17, longing to live in between
The earth and the stars
So I suggested we’d grow up fast and not be the last"

 ~ I Live Alone by Sky Sailing

 ♥ ♥ ♥       

dress: thrifted
jacket: Top Shop
belt: Windsor

tights: Target

boots: DSW

sunglasses: ModCloth

Betsy Johnson bracelet: Little Black Bag

bag: Francesca's Collections

lipstick: MAC in Lickable
Title: Flowers of the Field by Sky Sailing

Mountains in the Midwest // Daily Outfit

Over the weekend my family and I went to our regular pumpkin far to get pumpkins to make jack-o-lanterns (you can see mine here!), and I just knew I had to wear my new plaid dress! Plaid and a farm just seem to go hand in hand.

Is there something about growing up in the Midwest and plaid? Do they just go together like peanut butter and jelly or something? It seems like Adam Young wears it lots, Jessica from Midwest Muse just did a post about her thoughts on plaid, and I've always had a bit of a love affair with it. I really hope my future husband will love plaid and have lots of flannel plaid shirts that I can steal from him. ♥

In other news We Love Colors were kind enough to send me these tights several months ago, but this is my first time wearing them! First it was too hot, but then I just had no idea what to wear them with! When I got this dress (from the thrift store for $5 with Target tags still on it, I might add!) I knew I just had to pair them together! I really love the sort of "country-rocker" look of this outfit.

 ♥ ♥ ♥       

dress: thriftstore
jacket: Topshop
belt: Windsor

boots: DSW

bracelet: gift from my parents

ring: Target

tights: c/o We Love Colors

sunglasses: ModCloth

lipstick: Kat Von D in Underage Red
Title: Designer Skyline by Owl City

Bombshell Brunette // Daily Outfit

On Saturday my uncle tied the knot with his lovely girlfriend (now wife)!

It was a really interesting experiance considering it was the first wedding I've been two in over a year where I didn't have to work (although I still did!), and the first time a sort of "childhood friend" has gotten married. My uncle I have never been super close, but I remember playing with him when I was four or five (we're only seven years apart), and it was so weird to see him getting married! I think the weird thing about growing up is that you don't realize you're doing it until suddenly you're like "holy cow! I'm only a year younger than my dad was when he got married!"

On an entirely different subject, I feel I should inform you all that these pictures were not taking in an as out-of-the-way place as they appear. That road was actually the road 110% of the wedding guests had to drive down to get to the church and I was literally right in front of the church driveway so I'm pretty sure I was known as the "weirdo who was standing in the middle of the road taking pictures of herself" for the rest of the night but I don't care because these pictures turned out so well they are totally worth having almost got run over for. ♥

 ♥ ♥ ♥       

dress: thrifted
jacket: Topshop
belt: Francesca’s Collections
tights: c/o We Love Colors
pumps: The Forest Bootery
clutch: H&M

necklace: thrifted

bangles: H&M
title: based on Bombshell Blonde by Owl City

La La Land // Daily Outfit

No, the title of this post has nothing to do with those Lalaloopsy dolls (although, now that I think of it, this outfit does slightly resemble something they would wear...). It's the title of one of my favorite songs by Demi Lovato, and whenever I wear a leather jacket I always think of her, since she was a huge style icon for me when she was working with Disney. (Am I the only one who misses Sonny with a Chance??) I still draw inspiration from her style back then.

Speaking of stylish ladies, I actually bought this dress for the lovely Kaelah of Little Chief Honeybee. I fell in love with it the minute I saw it on her Instagram closet sale and I am so glad I snapped it up! It fits like a dream and is the most perfect party dress ever - and I just love how awesome it looks with my matching Lita knock offs! I wore this outfit when I went shopping with my girl friend, Emily and her boy friend and I got so many compliments on my shoes/outfit. One really nice employee at TopShop even told me that "the Litas made the outfit." Is it vain of me to love getting compliments on my outfit when I go out? I just love putting together outfits so much! Someday I want to own my own indie clothing boutique where I'll sell gorgeous party dresses and serve tea all day long. ♥

♥ ♥ ♥

dress: Kaelah Bee's Instagram closet sale

JC knock offs (one day I will own the real thing!): UrbanOg

necklace: ModCloth

tights: c/o We Love Colors

jacket: TopShop

 bag: ModCloth 

sun glasses: Modcloth

Time And Relative Dimension in Space // Daily Outfit

 

I wore this to work last Sunday. The tee shirt is new from Hot Topic. I really shouldn't have been spending money, but it's a nerd tee I can wear to work (we're not allowed to tees with writing on them) and there was a new Who episode on later that night, so I just couldn't resist! And then the bows matched, so I just couldn't leave them alone in the shop!! What can I say? I love being able to parade my geekiness around town! ♥

♥ ♥ ♥       
cardigan: Francesca's Collection

tee shirt: Hot Topic

jeans: Forever 21

jacket: Top Shop

shoes: garage sale via Miss Jack

hair bows: Hot Topic

bag: ModCloth