A Little Diversity

thrifted pants, Old Navy blouse and trench vest,
Forever 21 necklace, Banana Republic heels

Yesterday, one of my favorite bloggers, Eli from Thrifteye, was nice enough to include me on her list of favorite Hispanic/Latina bloggers. I completely agree with her introduction about how people with similar heritages are not all the same. It sucks being thrown into one category because of your background. I like to think I don't really fit into any certain stereotypes though. I'm just me.

Reading Eli's post made me realize that some of my favorite bloggers aren't even from the United States. Here's a collection of some of my favorite foreign bloggers:

-Her Waise Choice: I'm in love with this Canadian blogger's classic, feminine style.
-Garance Doré: She is the epitome of French chic.
-Raspberry and Red: This blogger from Poland is super young with an amazing sense of style.
-High Street Cardigans: Ana, a personal shopper from Romania, is sassy and sexy and I love it.
-A Pair & A Spare: This Australian blogger living in Hong Kong is a DIY genius.

Classy & Sassy

thrifted blouse, vintage skirt from Cream Vintage, Banana Republic heels (6 years old!)

This skirt makes me feel so ladylike. It's kind of a pain to wear because it has an itchy crinoline (petticoat) built in and I have to wear a slip. It's also heavy, so it's not the best choice for hanging around outside in the 90 degree weather. I wanted to wear it to work the other day, but didn't want to look too Betty Draper. I decided to pair it with a leopard blouse to tone down the vintage feel. I received tons of compliments from my coworkers and customers, which made me love this retro outfit that much more.

As for today's plans, here's to driving to Houston and back!

Our New Addition

thrifted blouse and skirt, Banana Republic heels

The past week and half have been a total blur. After my fact-checking project at Texas Monthly ended, I spent a week at Canyon Lake celebrating my best friend's graduation. When I got back from my much-needed vacation, I started my 38-hour-workweek at the bridal salon. It's great for my finances, but not so great for spending time with our new puppy. Yes, we got a puppy!

Our lives have been turned upside down (in a good way) since getting Charles, our 8 week old Cockapoo. He needs a lot of attention because he's so young, but we're training him so he's not needy and whiny. He's already making a lot of progress. It's definitely taking a lot of patience and time, but it's going to be worth it. I mean, just look at this face!

I seriously hadn't been on my computer for longer than 10 minutes since before all this happened. Now that everything has settled down, I finally have time to get back to blogging. I have to admit that it was a nice break, not having to make time to take pictures outside or come up with something to say about my outfits. I was able to get dressed without thinking about whether it was a good enough outfit for my blog or if I'd worn something too similar recently. I'm happy to be back, but it's definitely made me think about why I blog and if it's all worth it. Hopefully, I'll figure it out soon.

Clothing & Body Type

Urban Outfitters lace top, Forever 21 tank top and earrings,
thrifted pants, Banana Republic heels

I unintentionally decided to participate in Kyla's 31 Blogging Days of May. After writing my post yesterday about my updated college outfit, I stumbled upon her proposal for this month's posts. Yesterday's post just happened to fit the topic (style retrospective), so I decided to go along with it for the rest of the month.

I met Kyla of Blue Collar Catwalk briefly during the 2012 Texas Style Council. It definitely wasn't enough time to get to know this fabulous gal. For starters, she's into roller derby AND has a fabulous sense of style. Even better, she is 100% comfortable with her body. Which brings me into today's topic...

Clothing & Body Type!

Surely, this is everyone's least favorite topic. It's definitely forced me think about a subject that I usually avoid. I've gained about 10 lbs since I started college, but I don't really feel any heavier. In fact, I still wear the same size I always have. I started jogging recently, but my goal isn't to lose weight. I just want to be healthy. 

As far as dressing for my body type, I always have to be conscious of my larger-than-average chest. I can't wear anything with too high of a neckline or else I look HUGE. At the same time, I also can't wear anything too low or I'll look like a hoochie mama. Don't even get me started on bathing suits and bras. It's a pain, but I'm grateful the only thing I have to worry about is looking too boobalicious. 

New Routine

Forever 21 dress and earrings, Banana Republic heels

I'm making some big changes in my life right now. Along with not shopping, I've decided to start exercising again. I even went on my first jog with Matt yesterday after work. I'm not going to lie; it was tough. It's been awhile since I did any form of exercise and running is pretty much my least favorite thing to do. I'd pick up yoga again if I had the funds, but I really shouldn't be spending any extra money. Running around the neighborhood for 30 minutes three times a week seems like the easiest, cheapest way to be healthy right now. I'm hoping that I'll even start to like running. Everyone always talks about how great it makes them feel, but all I felt last night was tired. I'm going to stick with it, though!

Blast from the Past

dress from Langford Market, Gap cardigan,
Forever 21 earrings, Banana Republic heels

It's hard for me to wear red and black together without being reminded of high school. I was a Cardinal, which meant I wore red and black almost every Friday for football games, on my letterman jacket, at graduation, etc. Since I left high school, I consciously tried not to wear this color combination. I must be falling out of the habit because I put this outfit together earlier this week without even realizing I was wearing Cardinal colors. I guess I kind of miss being a care-free high school student.

Thinking about high school always reminds me of Matt. We've been together for over six years and it just keeps getting better. Sometimes, I can't believe how lucky I am.

Happy birthday, Matt! I love you!

A Slight Hiccup

Gap jeans, Forever 21 shirt and earrings, Banana Republic heels 

How come when everything in my life is going wonderfully, BAM, something messes it all up? I had a great (although exhausting) weekend, but then I noticed that my car was making a weird noise as I was driving home from work Sunday evening. It was a harsh, crunching sound coming from my front right tire. I even pulled over just to make sure I wasn't getting a flat. Of course, I had no idea what it was, but I knew I just couldn't ignore it. It was so loud! I ended up taking my car to Sears after work on Monday to have them take a look at it. Of course, I was that girl. The one who walks in and says, "My car is making a weird noise and I don't know what it is." I tried to throw in some car lingo like suspension and rotating, but the problem was something I never could have guessed. Apparently, I was missing a shock absorber, which didn't mean much to me except that I'd have to pay $100+ to fix it. It's all taken care of, but let's hope nothing else goes wrong this week!

First Day

vintage men's button up from Goodwill, Old Navy pants (zipper replaced by me),
Banana Republic heels, Forever 21 earrings, vintage bracelets

This was what I wore for my first day of work at Texas Monthly on Tuesday. I thrifted this top the day before, but didn't have any intention of wearing it the next day. I just thought it was a great top for $5, especially because it's vintage and such a great color. I guess I subconsciously reached for it when I was getting dressed and decided to go with it. Combined with basic black pants and color-blocked shoes, I thought the outfit looked put-together and professional without looking too prissy. Even better, I fit right in with the rest of the Texas Monthly crew. Like I mentioned before, everyone dresses really casual, so I need to remember to not overdress. I don't want to overshadow any of my co-workers...for now.

Modern Dorothy

Forever 21 earrings, thrifted blouse from Goodwill, thrifted pants and shoes from Savers

I didn't actually wear these red heels with this outfit. Instead, I was wearing a pair of red leather flats that I bought on Saturday during the Texas Style Council thrifting session at Savers. I've been wearing them for the last two days because they're so comfortable and hello, they're RED! Here's an Instagram of what they look like...followed by the reason why they aren't in my outfit photos.

I was at work when I realized the bottom part of the heel was breaking off. It didn't affect my walking that much, but I was very aware that one of my legs was about a half-inch shorter than the other. I'm really in love with these flats, so I decided to take them to the Austin Shoe Hospital. I had a pair of vintage boots from Ebay fixed up there about a year ago and they came back looking brand-spanking-new. In the end, I'll be paying $30 to improve these flats that only cost me $4. It might sound silly, but I think it's going to be worth it. Once the whole bottom part of the show is reinforced, they'll be as good as new.

By the way, I've been getting really into Instagram lately. Follow me @nataliebgarza to stay up-to-date on the not-so-exciting things that happen in my life. You never know when another one of my shoes might break down on me.

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.

New Shoes

thrifted skirt, Forever 21 blouse and earrings, Banana Republic heels

If you know me personally or have been following my blog for awhile, you might have noticed that I'm a fan of wedges. They're comfortable enough to wear for hours on end while still looking cute. But for some reason, I've been drawn to heels lately. I saw Krystal of This Time Tomorrow wearing color-blocked heels a few weeks ago and have been subconsciously searching for a version of them since. I saw these heels at Banana Republic while I was at the Madmen event last week and just couldn't say no. Could you?

Homemade Dress

thrifted homemade dress, heels from Banana Republic,
belt from Wish (closed), vintage pearl necklace from my step-mom

The fact that someone actually made this dress at home blows me away. It fits perfectly and flows so beautifully that I could never imagine making it myself. I bought it at a thrift store in Harlingen while I was visiting my mom for Christmas. I was really excited to go to this particular thrift store because it didn't exist when I lived there. I ended up finding this amazing dress was only $5!

I haven't been thrifting as much lately because I've been working all the time, but believe me, I've been thinking about it. There are some great President's Day sales today that I wish I had time to go to. Definitely check out Savers or Thrift Town if you get the chance!