Into the Night.

Velvet Bodysuit with Mesh (very similar) | Thrifted

Velvet Skirt (similar for $35) | Thrifted

Black Heeled Booties | H&M

Lipstick in MAC's Rebel

Happy Halloween weekend!

I've been getting in the Halloween spirit lately with my outfits. I wore this outfit yesterday to look around at the Union Square market and to meet a friend for coffee later in the evening. I've been dying to wear this velvet bodysuit. Yes, you hear that right. Although this may look like a dress, this outfit comprises of two separate pieces. The top is this amazing velvet bodysuit  I thrifted back in Ohio for $1.99. Its sweetheart neckline and little covered buttons make it look like something you could find in H&M or Forever21 this season. But what goes around come back around and the tag suggests it's an 80s/90s piece. To me it is perfection! I paired it with a matching velvet skirt I thrifted a few years back that has been my go to for the spookiest month of the year. To top it all off, I needed a coquettish lipstick color. MAC's Rebel always does the trick for me. I don't use it as much as I use my Russian Red, but it's a great fall color to pull out to up the ante to outfits.

Sadly, there are no fun Halloween festivities for me this year. Partly because I've been sick with a sinus cold since Thursday and also because I'm a loser and don't go to parties lol. This is my first year in a LONG time I won't be dressing up--which does make me sad because I love doing DIY costumes every year. I do have one more themed outfit for tomorrow I'll be wearing + posting pictures in so stay tuned. It may not be a full blown costume, but it is a character I'm quite excited to emulate for a day :)

Hope you all had a great weekend! See ya tomorrow, spooks.

With much love,

Lauren.

Fall in Ohio.

Camel Sweater (very similar from Missguided)| Thrifted

Black Jeans (exact pair)| Target

Loafers (similar pair) | Walmart

Hat (very similar from Revolve)| Walmart

Blanket Scarf  (similar in style and color)| Forever21

Hello there ♥

These photos are from a few weeks back when I was home in Ohio for a little vacation. It felt so nice to be back. Really it was the first time coming home for any substantial amount of time since I moved to NYC. Things felt very much the same as they always have, and thankfully I found I haven't changed too much yet. I wasn't getting all huffy at slow walkers or longing for the subway over driving a car. It was almost like I'd never moved. It was easy to sink back into simple, mid-western life back home. Although it is so familiar and comforting to me, I know I can't live this way right now. Maybe at some point I'll come back to Ohio permanently and sink back into my old way of life. For now, I know I'm meant to be somewhere else (whether that be here in NYC or maybe even another city) so that I can use these early 20's as a period to really grow. As a senior in college I thought I was a grown up. I thought I was ready for working and living on my own completely. Life kicked me on my ass after graduation though and I was given a huge wake up call. I'm not done learning yet. A long way from it. x

With much love,

Lauren

Honorary Sanderson Sister.

Bell Sleeve Sweater (really, really similar!) | Thrifted

Printed Skirt (similar) | Thrifted

Silver Metal Belt (similar) | Thrifted

Rust Skinny Scarf (similar) | Thrifted

Knee Socks | Uniqlo

Black Riding Boots | JCP

I was talking to my boyfriend the other day about Halloween movies and he mentioned he has never seen Hocus Pocus...I was kinda like ARE YOU KIDDING ME. This movie was everything to me growing up. I remember curling up at my grandmother's house one fall evening and it was on tv. I couldn't have been more than 8 or so. I begged my parents to let me stay up late and finish this captivating movie. It took me years after to find out what the movie was actually called, and it brought back so much nostalgia when I found it again! It's been a few years even since then that I've watched it, so when my boyfriend said he had never seen it that had to change. We baked some homemade chocolate chip cookies on Saturday and sat down to watch it--so, so good! Even he had to admit it, too :)

The movie prompted me to dress as witchy as I could the next day. Witches are trending for Fall 2016, ya'll. I thrifted this amazing sweater last year and only wore it once...when I was back home in Ohio I snatched it up to bring back to NYC because it's the perfect October shirt! You can make me an honorary Sanderson Sister now.

Come, we fly!

With much love,

Lauren

Mustard Yellow Cardigan.

Checkered Dress (Similar from Kate Spade + on sale!) | Thrifted

Mustard Yellow Cardigan (amazingly cute one for $59) | Forever21 (so old!)

Silk Neck Scarf (love this rust one in the same style) | Thrifted

Black Booties | Thrifted

Mini Backpack (SO cute similar one) | Thrifted

Red Beret (buy one here)| Target (old)

Black Belt w/ Gold Buckle (similar from Nordstrom) | Thrifted

Hello there ♥

I've needed all things in my life to be mustard yellow this fall. I begged my parents to ship me fall clothes before my recent trip home. Not that I needed the clothes because it's cold (still 80 degrees here in NYC!) but mainly because it couldn't be October if I didn't bring out my favorite mustard yellow cardigan. I bought this sweater many moons ago at Forever21. So many I can't even remember how long I've had it, or really when I even bought it during the year. It's my favorite wardrobe piece to pull out when the air begins to grow crisp (although the air was just muggy in these photos lol). Since I've had such affection for this cardigan (the many pills and pulls are evidence), I've set out to accumulate more mustard yellow pieces for my life. I have a mustard beret from Target I love pairing with red; picked up a cozy knit blanket from Target for my bed here in NYC; and even a mini bowl for my air plant caught my eye at my fave NYC dish shop, Fishes Eddy. Oh, also a big proponent of gold eye shadow atm. Fellow brown eyed girls, I'm sure you can feel me on the magic sparkle it brings to the eye.

Mustard yellow, you have my heart forever!

With much love,

Lauren

Red Velvet Ribbon.

Denim Jacket (super similar from Mango) | Thrifted

Black Boat Neck Top (similar)| H&M

Printed Skirt (love this similar one with a larger print!) | Thrifted

Knee Socks | Uniqlo

Boots (similar with amazing lace detail!) | Thrifted

Red Velvet Ribbon (very similar from Express) | Paper Presentations

Hi guys!

So sorry I've been MIA. I just spent 5 days in Ohio with my family and got back to NYC last night. I have SO many photos to share with you all: both outfits from before my trip and many amongst the fall foliage back home. Cutting this short tonight to work on editing some pictures-- missed you all and glad to be back! Tell me what you've been up to. x

With much love,

Lauren

Chunky Fall Layers.

Chunky Knit Sweater (very similar!) | Thrifted
Jeans (similar from ASOS)| Thrifted
Plaid Scarf (similar from Kohl's) | Store in Florence
Boots (love these updated velvet for fall!) | Thrifted
Patent Purse (similar from JCP!) | Thrifted
Glasses (similar for $68)| Fore Greene Flea

I'm at that crossroad lately that every girl is approximately every six months where it seems like it would be a good idea to get bangs. 

I mean it's a nice way to change up your look, right? Easy. Subtle. Cheaper than a full hair cut. (hey, I just got out of college, don't judge me). Bangs always seem like a good idea in theory. Taylor Swift's perfectly toulsed. Zooey Deschanel's always cute blunt. Classics like adorably retro Audrey Hepburn mini bangs. Heck, even Harry Styles with his weirdly attractive botched bangs make me think they're a good idea.

But although bangs always seem to look good on Hollywood starlets and that girl on the subway with a basket of fresh vegetables and Fall 2016's Chloe bag tossed over her shoulder... it's important to realize that:

Yeah. Bangs are never a good idea. You end up looking 15 years younger than you were before you walked in and when you wake up there's always a weird cow lick on one side of 'em. You've got to blow dry them every time you wash your hair (wow, hello annoying), and they never look as good as when you got them done in the salon (and even then they didn't look good). Not to mention they give you mad acne on your forehead that takes you 6 months to clear up.

And at that next six month point when the final pimple is gone, you decide you're ready to try bangs again. They couldn't have been that bad last time, right?

With much love,

Lauren

NYC Chic.

White Blouse (very similar from Uniqlo) | Thrifted

Black Pants (similar style)| H&M

Faux Leather Jacket (this one is identical to mine!) | H&M

Black Flats (similar with grommets | Thrifted

Satin Bow | Paper Presentation

Hi guys!

This is an outfit I wore last week to work one day. I keep seeing these ridiculously chic women wearing satin bows...under collars, as chokers, hanging down from the neckline of dresses. I knew I had to get one! There's this adorable stationary store in NYC called Paper Presentations in the Flat Iron district that not only has decorative paper, but all sorts of colorful trims. I bought two yards of this black satin for $1.99 and picked up a skinny bit of red velvet, too. I've never been a huge necklace lover, so scarves and various types of trim fill that space marvelously!

It has been a very busy weekend here, so it feels nice to lay in bed with my tea to write this blog post. I had a roommate move out and another move in which set the apartment is a state of disarray all weekend. I've been about Brooklyn trying to thrift pieces little knick knacks we now need, and hauling it all back to the apartment. Then my OTHER roommate and I made the trip to IKEA today to buy furniture we're missing. Kinda odd when you have a dining room table with no chairs to sit in lol. Anyways, it was a long trip to get there, haul everything back, and then put it all together this evening. My wimpy little arms are crying! :'( I can't lie, it does feel nice to have these new things to make our apartment feel home-y again. I love spending time at this place! It's the perfect refuge at the end of a long day.

Will be back soon with another post: Happy October! Perhaps the greatest month of the year :)

With much love,

Lauren