Houston, Here We Come

thrifted skirt, Gap tank top and denim jacket,
Seychelles wedges from PB&J (giveaway win), gifted necklace from Matt

This is our last official weekend as Austinites. It feels weird knowing that next weekend, we'll be Houstonians. When I was about 18 years old, I used to think I'd move anywhere other than Houston. I'm not sure why I felt that way. All I knew about Houston was that it was big and my mom used to live there when she was younger. I had only been to Houston a few times before Matt started interning for ExxonMobil and I spent every other weekend there. Here are the few things I've learned/realized about Houston:

1. Driving in Houston makes me want to crap my pants. Six lanes = scary.

2. There are more jobs in Houston than in Austin. But, there are also a lot more people vying for those jobs.

3. Thrifting is waaaaay better in Houston.

4. No allergies in Houston. I hope.

5. We'll be close to a beach again!

6. There are food options other than Tex-Mex. Say what?!

7. Our neighborhood will not be overrun with college students. In fact, it's very quiet and quaint.

8. Austin definitely influenced my style for the better and I'm excited to see what Houston does for me.

9. There's an H&M in Houston. Enough said.

10. Starting a new life in a new city is always exciting.

Now that I think about it, I listed more good than bad things about Houston. That's definitely a good sign!

Puppy Love

thrifted blouse, Urban Outfitters skirt, Sam Edelman sandals, Target earrings

We took Charles for his first walk earlier this week. He still doesn't have his last vaccine, so we're not potty training him yet. We just want him to get used to being outside and having distractions other than his squeaky toys and Angus. We only walked him to the corner store near our apartment, but you could tell he was tired by the end. We took him about three times that distance the next day and he was so happy. I think he just really likes being with us, rather then him being left alone at home.

Having a puppy is too much fun.

Limbo

thrifted top, Urban Outfitters skirt, Forever 21 earrings, Bakers sandals,

This outfit makes me feel like I should be riding a magic carpet. I don't know if it's the print of my top or my flowy skirt, but I like it either way.

My project at Texas Monthly will be over soon, probably by the end of this week. Both my boyfriend and my best friend are graduating this Friday, so if I'm not done with my work at the end of Thursday, my project might run over into next week. I work both Saturday and Sunday at the bridal salon, so I'll have to squeeze in celebrating somehow.

Even though I graduated over five months ago, it seems like it was just yesterday. It feels weird to not call myself a "student". If I'm not a student, what am I? Maybe I'll feel differently when I find a job that I actually consider a career. Which reminds me, I should start checking the Houston job market again since I'll be moving in July. It's going to be like I just graduated all over again, applying for any job that seems applicable to my work experience. I'm definitely not looking forward to writing a ton of cover letters and never hearing back from possible employers. Searching for a new job is never enjoyable unless you know the right people. So...does anyone know who's hiring in Houston?

MIA

thrifted skirt, denim jacket and shirt from Gap,
Forever 21 earrings, Bakers sandals

Please excuse my recent absence. I'm not sure what's been keeping me away, but I seriously haven't taken an outfit photo or posted anything in at least five days. In fact, I barely even remember wearing this outfit, but I do know that I wore it to work sometime last week. At the end of last week and throughout the weekend, instead of channeling my energy into documenting my outfits, I tackled a few DIY projects. Although they were all successful, I'm really proud of one particular project. Allow me to elaborate.

I stumbled upon KTRstyle last week and I immediatly fell in love with her homemade tulle ballerina skirt. Without even pausing to think about how difficult it might be, I decided I needed a skirt like that in my life. Since I've banned myself from shopping (I caved once last week, shhhh), I figure it doesn't count if I make the clothing item myself. So, I spent two days making a mint ballerina skirt that turned out way better than I expected. I haven't taken outfit photos with it yet because I still need a plain white slip to wear underneath, but here's a preview via Instagram:

I'll be posting a how-to this week, so you can make your own! I don't know about you, but I want one in every color. I'll also be sure to post outfit pictures wearing my homemade skirt later this week when it finally stops raining.

Free Time

thrifted dress, Old Navy sleeveless trench coat,
vintage necklace from Buffalo Exchange, Banana Republic wedges

I've already seen a huge difference in the amount of time I have to myself with this new job. I'm done by 5 p.m. four times out of the week, which leaves me with plenty of time to run errands and get things done. I've been really wanting to update my Etsy store, but I didn't have time when I was working retail hours. With all my free time, I should be able to get a couple of items posted over the next few days.

I have a decent pile of vintage clothes in really good condition (mostly thrifted) and I wasn't sure if I should just try to sell them to Buffalo Exchange or a local vintage store for quick cash. I've been making pretty steady money on Etsy, so I think it's worth the extra effort to sell them on my own. After I get the store up-to-date, I'll start working on all the other things I haven't had time for. I have a huge pile of clothes that need to be hemmed or mended, not to mention that I haven't worked out since 2011. One thing at a time...

Stripes & Florals

Gap tank top, thrifted skirt, Bakers sandals, Forever 21 necklace

This outfit is my second attempt at dressing in patterns rather than my usual solids. The tank top was one of my final purchases with my Gap discount and I can definitely see myself remixing it a lot this summer. It's a basic and neutral piece, but the stripes make it a little more interesting. This was the perfect, comfortable outfit for a day off before I started my new job.

My first day at Texas Monthly was awesome. It was pretty short, but I spent the few hours that I was there organizing and getting ready to actually start fact-checking today. I was so excited to find out that I have my own office with a desk, computer and phone. I'm super pumped to decorate! I'm taking a couple of things to spruce up my office and I'll be sure to post pictures soon. In the meantime, here's a quick peek at the project I'll be working on for the next two months.

 I'll be sure to post outfit photos from my first day of work tomorrow!

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.

My Day Off

vintage dress from Cream Vintage, Forever 21 lace bolero,
Montego Bay wedges from Payless 

Finally, a day off! I didn't do anything too exciting, just ran the usual errands I haven't had the time to do while working everyday. I've been slowly pulling things out of my closet to sell to Buffalo Exchange, so that was my first errand of the day. I made $32, which I then used for gas. Don't you hate that? It's all part of a being an adult, I guess.

Then, I went to Old Navy to return a sweater that I didn't need since it's been 80 degrees lately. Of course, instead of returning it, I ended up exchanging it for a sleeveless trench coat. I've been looking for something similar since I saw Krystal from This Time Tomorrow wearing hers here and here. I mean, can you get any more chic? I can't wait to wear it!

After that, I stopped back home for lunch and to hang out with Matt for a bit. I dropped him off on campus and then went to the post office to send my fifth Esty sale (yay!). Then, I did some laundry and bought some cat food.

It was a really exciting day.

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!

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.

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!