Camera Tricks

Forever 21 dress and earrings, jacket from Langford Market,
bracelet courtesy of InPink, Banana Republic heels

 

Do you like that close-up of my rosy face? I just got these earrings last week, so I really wanted to show them off. It's times like these that make me wish I had a good DSLR to capture all the details of my outfit. I've been getting so frustrated with my basic point-and-shoot camera lately. As most of you probably already know, I take my pictures using a tripod and the self-timer on my camera.  You think it would be relatively easy, but it can be pretty difficult trying to get the same focus and lighting in each shot.

I've found that taking photos in front of a wall is better because there isn't much for the camera to focus on other than me. If I take a picture with multiple things behind me, the camera focuses on all that other stuff because I'm out of the shot pressing the self-timer button. When I get in front of the camera as the timer is counting down, I'm unsure of where it's focused and there are only about three seconds between each shot. Sometimes, I'll take a series of eight pictures and delete them all because they're all out of focus.

I know this problem could be solved by getting Matt to take my photos, but we have completely different schedules. Getting a DSLR would be the ultimate solution but unfortunately, I should buy a new laptop before I even consider a new camera. I'll save the "how I killed three laptops in three months" story for next time. It's a good one.

Medium Rare

Gap jacket, Old Navy dress, Zara flats, Forever 21 earrings

I've really got to stop wearing so much pink. I can only imagine how boring my outfits are getting for y'all. "Really? Pink again, Natalie?" It's the fourth post in a row I've worn something pink, but I'm putting a stop to this madness.

I think it's time to move on to another color obsession. Got any suggestions? I'm leaning towards sea foam green or bright blue. Really, anything that isn't pink will do. Here's my new rule of thumb when it comes to wearing pink: the amount I wear should be equivalent to how I like my steak --medium rare. Just enough pink, but not too much and certainly not everyday. With that being said, I'll still wear pink occasionally. And I could go for a steak about now.

Sorry for those of you who are vegetarians. I like love meat.

My Grass Skirt

Gap blouse, maxi skirt from Urban Outfitters, Montego Bay wedges from Payless,
Forever 21 earrings and leather jacket

I've been really into wearing bright colors together lately. My obsession with pink has flourished, so I bought this blouse last week as a way to cope. I justified it because I didn't have a pink top and it actually goes with a lot in my closet. I usually think of my outfits the evening before because I don't like to stress out about it in the morning, but I threw this together the morning of. I was so inspired by the brightness of the blouse that I wanted to pair it with an equally bright skirt. I really liked the end result. One of my co-workers told me it looked like I was wearing a grass skirt, which was definitely a compliment rather than an insult. In fact, it made me love this outfit that much more.

I Have a Job!

Gap corduroy pants, Gap leather jacket from Buffalo Exchange, thrifted striped shirt,
thrifted Nine West wedges, estate sale necklace gifted by my step-mom 

I'm a working woman again! I got my old job at Gap back and although it's not what I thought I'd be doing after graduating college, at least I'm making money. This outfit was what I wore for my first day back on the sales floor. I wanted to wear something from Gap for good luck and these pants were perfect to pull on when I was called in with less than 30 minutes to get ready and be at the store. Even though it's been about a year and half since I'd worked there, it's all coming back pretty quickly. It's a fun job because (duh) I love Gap and the store is in a great location right next to Central Market. I forgot how much I loved walking around there during my breaks. Free samples of fancy cheese and crusty bread? Yes, please!

I'm only working at Gap part-time, so I'm still looking for something else to fill my time and make enough money to pay my half of the rent and bills. I have another interview tomorrow, so wish me luck!

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.