My Latest Sewing Achievement

Forever 21 sweater and necklace, Gap jean jacket,
Old Navy pants, Banana Republic flats

I am so proud, y'all. I replaced the zipper on these black pants all by myself! The old zipper kept falling down and I was tired of flashing everyone, so I figured I should give it a shot. I briefly learned about zippers during my sewing lessons in October, but I wasn't sure I knew enough to do it myself. I've had these pants for over a year and they were only about $15, so I figured it wouldn't be that big a deal if I really screwed up. One of the things I've learned about sewing is to be confident and realize that it's not going to look absolutely perfect and factory made. It just needs to function. In this case, the zipper isn't perfectly aligned, but no one will ever notice. Now, it's like I have brand new pair of pants!

Stuck in a Holiday Rut

Urban Outfitters maxi skirt, shirt from Buffalo Exchange,
Gap jean jacket, Forever 21 earrings, Banana Republic flats

As I was leaving Buffalo Exchange yesterday, I ran into a friend who told me I looked like Christmas. I didn't realize it when I was picked out my outfit that morning, but I really was channeling some serious holiday spirit. How else can you explain wearing red, green, and gold all at the same time? I'm always so surprised at how quickly the holidays pass and this year was no exception. Before we know it, it'll be 2012! I'm not that worried about finding a job in the new year, but I hope it happens sooner rather than later.

Unlike all my friends, I can't really relax right now because I'm technically not on vacation. It hasn't quite sunk in that I'm no longer a student, but I'm fully aware I won't be receiving any more federal funds. Thankfully, I have another interview next week. Wish me luck because I need some dinero ASAP!

Happy Two Hundred!

vintage coat from an estate sale, vintage dress and hair scarf from Cream Vintage,
tights from Ross, DV Dolce Vita booties from Nordstrom, Forever 21 purse

This is officially my 200th post. Wooooooohoooooo!! I've been blogging about "what I wear" for almost a whole year and I'm still going strong. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't think anyone was actually reading it, but thankfully I know you are. I've learned so many things about myself through this blog. My style has evolved tremendously (anyone remember how I dressed in high school???) and my eyes have been opened to the endless possibilities offered by thrift stores. Thank you, readers of The Closet de Natalie, for helping me realize that I don't need to spend a lot of money on my clothes to feel good about myself.

The new year is almost here and I couldn't be more ready for it. I can do anything I want right now seeing as I'm unemployed without any pressing opportunities. The world is my oyster (what a strange expression) and I hope I don't screw it up. Wish me luck because I'll definitely be needing it.

Christmas Recap

White House Black Market cardigan, vintage skirt from Little Tin Soldier via Smashion,
Gap shirt, vintage pearl necklace from my step-mom, Zara shoes

I'm not much of a movie-watcher. Don't get me wrong; I love a good movie, but I never really choose to sit down and watch one myself. I'd rather spend that time reading a good book or writing a blog post. During Christmas, I was at my dad's house in San Antonio for a few days and there was way too much going on, so I ended up watching movies instead. I saw Midnight in Paris, which I'd heard good things about and I actually really liked. I've never not liked Rachel McAdams in a movie and I hated her character in this one. I like when actors can make you hate them in one movie but love them in another. I also saw The Abyss, which made me feel like hyperventilating. Anything underwater always makes me a little edgy, though. It was a good movie, but I'm pretty easy to entertain. If I'm not bored and I feel invested in how the story is going to end, it's a good movie in my book.

While we're on the subject of movies, Matt and I really want to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but just haven't found the time. We both read the trilogy two years ago and after having been disappointed with the Swedish movies, we're looking forward to this movie. Have any of y'all seen it yet? What did you think?

Yay or Nay?

sweater and earrings from Forever 21, Gap cordoury pants, Banana Republic flats,
Calvin Klein peacoat from Burlington Coat Factory

You know how sometimes you'll try something on and can't tell if you really like it? That's how I felt about this sweater. I haven't worn it since last winter, but I don't remember it being this oversized. It was so big that I didn't know what else to wear it with besides pants. Y'all know pants and jeans aren't my first choice, but I looked like a hobo when I wore it with a maxi skirt. After seeing these pictures, I think I've decided to get rid of it. If there's one thing (OK, I've learned many) about having this blog, it's that if I'm struggling with how to wear a certain clothing item, it probably isn't worth the trouble.

What do you think about this sweater? Is it a keeper or worth getting rid of?

Growing Up Sucks

Forever 21 dress, Target earrings, and Montego Bay wedges from Payless

After living in a fantasy land for the last five days, I'm really not looking forward to going back to real life. For the first time ever, I don't have a title. I'm no longer a student nor do I have a job. Therefore, I can only be considered unemployed. I'm trying not to let it get to me, but it's already affecting my mood in small ways. I had bad dreams all night, running to or from something in all of them. Maybe I read too many dream interpretation books when I was younger, but I'm pretty sure that means I'm feeling inadaquate and scared.

Whew! Now that I've gotten that out, I'm going to try and enjoy the last few days of my vacation. It's been hard to get outfit shots here because I'm mostly in a bathing suit during the day. I get dressed up for dinner and going to the bar, but that's always after dark. I've been feeling like a slacker on my blog recently, so I really need to step it up. Once I get back home, I really have no excuses for lack of posts. Really, what else do I have to do? Oh yeah, I still need a job.

HANA Flat Iron Review

I was recently contacted by Misikko to write a review about one of their best-selling products, the HANA Professional 1" Flat Iron. That meant I would have to test one out myself, so they sent me one for free! I thought I would just be getting a flat iron, but it actually arrived in a huge box with tons of other goodies and products. It was like getting an early Christmas present!

I kept pulling out more stuff from the box including makeup, a hair towel, a sleep mask, HANA styling serum and a lot more. I spent so much time checking out everything else, I completely forgot about the flat iron for a couple of minutes.

After oohing and ahhing at everything, I got down to business and began unwrapping the iron. It was inside another case in the metal box, which showed how well-protected they kept it. I was also sent a few other carrying cases and accessories including a silicone mat to set it on when using it.

Lo and behold, here's the flat iron in all it's glory. The first thing I noticed was how light it was. It has a nice grip and was very easy to use. I used to flat iron my hair all the time back in high school, but then I got lazy and started wearing my hair naturally in college. Even though it had been awhile, I remembered how important it is to use a protecting serum like the HANA Shine Shield Thermal Protectant I'd been sent.

The serum is similar to BioSilk, but less greasy. I used a nickel-size dollop and spread it first on the ends of my hair and then over the top part of my hair. I divided my hair into sections and started flat ironing from underneath and worked my way up. It took me about 10 minutes to flat iron all my hair, which is really fast for me. It was all thanks to this awesome flat iron!

The iron didn't pull at my hair at all and my hair glided through the plates smoothly. It heated up quickly, so I didn't have to waste any time in getting started. As you can see, the iron left my hair really smooth and it felt soft and silky. I highly recommend the HANA Professional Flat Iron for anyone looking to replace their old one or for someone who wants to buy their first flat iron. In fact, I'm giving my old one away and keeping this one because it's that much better.

Thanks Misikko and HANA for allowing me to test out such an awesome product. In addition to flat irons, Misikko sells a ton of professional level beauty products including hair dryers and curling irons. They even offer free shipping and returns on most of their products, which is always a plus.

Let's Talk Hair

Gap tank top, Urban Outfitters skirt,
estate sale necklace from my step-mom, Montego Bay wedges from Payless

You might have noticed I've been wearing my hair up like this a lot recently. It's super easy, looks really pretty and if you wear it overnight, you wake up with curls! I've had quite a few people compliment me on this hairstyle here in Mexico (which is not as easy to explain in Spanish as I thought it would be), so I wanted to share the video I learned it from. It's definitely become my new favorite hairstyle and I think it would work on many different hair types and lengths. I hope you try it after watching the video!

While we are on the subject of hair, tomorrow I'll be reviewing the Hana hair straightener I received from Misikko, a great website that sells the best professional beauty products. Stay tuned!

Hola Mexico

thrifted skirt, Forever 21 shirt, estate sale necklace from my step-mom,
DKNY trench coat, DV Dolce Vita wedges

Matt and I spent about eight hours traveling yesterday before we finally arrived at our hotel in the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Even though we were dead tired, we dropped our bags off in the room and immediately began vacationing. After setting up appointments throughout the week for fancy dinners, massages, haircuts, facials and mani/pedis, we grabbed some food and then went straight to the bar where we stayed for probably too long. We had a good time getting to know some of the other hotel guests at the bar including a couple from Canada with awesome accents. Then, we decided to go to a samba and capoeira show, where I was somehow dragged to the dance floor by one of the performers to take part in the dance. OK, so I wasn't dragged...it was more like she tapped me on the shoulder and I didn't even refuse, which gives you an indication of how long we'd been at the bar earlier. I can only imagine how the rest of the week is going to be.

Even if you aren't at an amazing resort in Mexico right now, there are still plenty of fun things to do this weekend in Austin. This Sunday, Beauty Bar is hosting a clothing swap from 12-6. If you've never been to a clothing swap before, I highly recommend checking it out. All you have to do is bring a bag of clothes you don't wear anymore (a great reason to clean out your closet) and you get to swap them out for other people's clothes. It's like shopping for free!

Check out the Facebook page for more details here. I wish I could go because I love clothing swaps!

Army Chic

thrifted skirt, Gap shirt, necklace from Buffalo Exchange,
vintage jacket from Cream Vintage, DV Dolce Vita booties

Holy moly, I haven't been this stressed out in awhile. There are a million other things I should be doing right now (getting ready for work, studying for my final in less than 24 hours, preparing for my upcoming interview, cleaning my apartment, buying an external hard drive, and packing for Mexico), but blogging has become sort of therapeutic for me. And I could really use some therapy right about now. I have so many things that need to get done before Thursday because I'll be gone for a whole week. I plan to continue blogging while I'm in Mexico, as well as getting my Etsy store up and running (yay!), writing a review about the Hana hair straightener I received as a gift from Misikko, working on a few posts for Broke and Chic, and of course, laying on the beach and drinking the days away. Oh and somehow I plan to squeeze in working out in the awesome hotel gym. OK seriously, I'm going to stop listing everything I need to do because I might start hyperventilating. Moving on to less stressful subjects...

Do you like my new hairstyle? I don't normally wear my hair up, but it was really dirty and I was in the mood for something different than the Big Bun. I'd remembered seeing this hair tutorial awhile back and thinking it looked pretty easy. Turns out, it really is! I threw a headband in my purse and put my hair up at work in less than five minutes. After I took out the headband that night, I had really nice curls that framed my face perfectly. I definitely recommend trying out this style if you're looking for an easy and pretty alternative to a ponytail.

Preppy Polka Dots

thrifted sweatshirt, Old Navy shirt, vintage skirt from
Little Tin Solider via Smashion, DV Dolce Vita booties

I know I just posted this skirt, but I really do love it that much. It's the perfect shade of red and the pleats make me feel so lady-like. Red is one of my favorite colors, so it's weird that I don't have more red in my closet. Fortunately, I thrifted a pair of red suede Franco Sarto heels this week and I can't wait to wear them. Now that I don't have to walk to class and around campus, I really don't need to wear flats anymore. OK, who am I kidding? Of course, I'll still wear flats, but it's nice to know it's not out of necessity. Obviously, I won't be wearing heels erryday, but it will definitely be more often than before. As I've mentioned before, I love being at least 5'5" and I can't do that without the magic of heels.