The Last Friday

Necklace - thrifted, bracelets - various, tshirt - Interpunk.com, skirt - Lulus.com, shoes - Target

Oh, look, another Friday I'm wearing a band tshirt with a printed skirt. Today was pretty uneventful - didn't get the variety show thing, went down to the art rooms for most of my classes because I have no finals, etc. I just want school to be over with! Two more days... it's really pointless to go, since I plan on finishing my art project over the weekend, but maybe I'll pretend I have people to say goodbye to. Ha. Like I won't see people I like over the summer!

My last-Friday-night-of-the-school-year might consist of walking to my favorite empty field and/or going to a hookah bar. But alas, I don't know.

Have a great weekend! xox Catherine

PS: this photo with the weird composition shows why I need photography lessons.

Rainy daze

Necklace - made by me, shirt - Olive and Olivia via Ideeli, skirt - Forever 21, fork bracelet - antique Tiffany and Co., cuff - grandma's, boots - Doc Martens

Nevermind this sole awkward photo of me... it's raining and cold here. 66 degree weather in June? Ludicrous. Luckily, the sun/warmth is returning tomorrow so I'll be able to wear whatever I want, which lately happens to be skirts and tshirts. I'm unsure about my plans for tomorrow, but today has tired me out - school+callbacks for the variety show thing (which I'm not too confident about) resulted in the desire to take a nap, so naturally, I did.

I want to get more creative with my "photography," if you'd like to call it that. I want lessons in composition and basic camera functions - f-stop? Aperture? I'm clueless. Basically - anyone have any tips you'd be kind enough to share?

That is all for now, xox Catherine

Making Believe

Cardigan - H&M, dress - vintage, cuff - grandma's, belt - from a dress, shoes - Aldo

I suppose I'm a little notorious for never using an iron (unless I'm sewing). So this dress ending up wrinkled is hardly a surprise to me. However, I'm still a little in love with this dress... wish I could have worn it without a cardigan, but my school is freezing and it's been strangely chilly lately.




This almost reminds me of something Zooey Deschanel would wear (minus the shoes) in another color palette. But I'm probably just flattering myself. Either way, I have a new affection towards 1960's mini dresses.

I just found out that I have absolutely no finals to take - there was a tossup for one, but I've managed to get an A average for the year, which sometimes constitutes exemptions.

Don't know what I shall eat for dinner, but I'm thinking that I'm going to force myself to be more creative with my meals. It's been so long that I've made a stir fry, and that has to change. And I want veggie kebabs. Oh, summer.

xox Catherine

Almost-Nautical

Cardigan - vintage via my mom, tank - Anthropologie, necklace - thrifted, bracelets - (fork) Tiffany and Co. / (cuff) flea market, jeans - Levi's via Chictopia, shoes - Aldo

I like the almost-nautical vibe I tried to channel in this. But I feel that I look ridiculously/disproportionately tall (see photo #2). Today was not a good photo day for me. It's whatever, I'm not too worried. A bit of a chill this morning led me to putting on pants instead of my new 60's dress... expect to see it tomorrow. I've probably said this a million times but I'm so glad school is winding down.

Anyway, I'll try to rack my brain for some new and exciting tidbits - I have a giveaway with CSN Stores, my friend Tracey has started a blog, and there were no tornadoes. Satisfactory Monday? Sure.

xox Catherine

Silhouette Girl's First Giveaway!

(via Weheartit)

So, my followers on Google Friend Connect have surpassed 100... and a day or two after hitting the mark, I was contacted by CSN Stores. I had reviewed an item for them before, but this time around, it's a giveaway! CSN Stores is host to a variety of online shops, including everything from cool shoes to platform beds. There's something so fascinating about high beds - they're so uninviting based on their height, but once you're in one, you feel like you're sleeping on a cloud. Just me? Okay.

Anyway, the prize? A $50 gift card to purchase whatever you please on CSN Stores. Perhaps you need something practical, or perhaps a "free" pair of shoes wouldn't hurt.

Rules: enter by leaving a comment with your name and email address by 11:59pm EST on Sunday 6/13 to win. I will select a winner using a random number generator shortly after! Only one entry per person.

xox Catherine

PS I'm really glad that I'm finally having my first giveaway!

The Real Adventure

Necklace - thrifted (Monet), dress - Billabong, bracelets - various, shoes - Dolce Vita

Wasn't planning on posting today until I remembered I had photos from yesterday's excursion(s). First, I headed back to the vintage shop I went to during the week, and purchased a 1960's shift dress (I'll probably debut it tomorrow!) and an unknown era floral shirt dress. $42 for two dresses in a well-curated vintage shop is a bargain in my mind, considering every boutique I've been to in the city has simple sundresses for nearly $60 each.




After the brief shopping, I went to a friend's graduation party... sort of tried to jump in on a game of volleyball. Let's just say I'm the opposite of athletic! Afterward, I went to another friend's grad party where I frolicked in soft grass and asked friends to make shapes with their cell phones.



The party was followed by an adventure to one of my favorite spots (even though I've only been there twice) with two friends. It's a huge empty space with tall grass and sporadic trees. Basically, I want every summer night to end up similarly.

Hope all is well, xox Catherine

Daily

Tshirt - old, bracelets - antique/flea market/grandma, belt - thrifted, dress (worn as skirt) - H&M, shoes - Dolce Vita

I feel like this is something I would wear while walking around in the city during summer. Basically, I can't stop thinking of summer. Fortunately, I have no more than seven days left!

Tomorrow is going to be very busy - SATs in the morning, followed by two graduation parties. One of them is near the vintage store I went to Tuesday, and I'm dying to go back... but I'll refrain, most likely.

I planned to catch up on reading blogs and commenting all of you back, but instead I took a nap. Probably not good for my sleep tonight... but it was necessary.

Hope you're all well, and in case I don't have the opportunity to post, have a nice weekend! xox Catherine

PS I've been tagged by Maggie at lifesize paperdoll to answer these questions, write 8 more, and tag 8 bloggers. So here it is!

1) What is your favorite month of the year?
I really love May - it's just so good. The weather is awesome, and it hasn't gotten to that point of bleak going-nowhere summer. It's my fresh air.

2) What is your favorite physical feature about yourself?
I don't have one in particular, though I'm pretty content with my appearance... as of late, I like my arms/shoulders. It changes frequently, but I've been fond of them recently.

3) Music or movies?
Music - I have difficulty watching movies and paying full attention. While I love visual stimulation that movies offer, there's something so mood-changing about music that's too powerful to ignore/not enjoy.

4) Favorite Disney princess?
I've always been partial to Belle from Beauty and the Beast... probably because my sister was the blonde Cinderella, and I'm brunette, so naturally, I "was" Belle.

5) What has surprised you this year, this month, and today?
I'll answer these three separately. This year, I've been surprised at myself and how I've been able to let some of my walls down. It's not necessarily that I've gotten very close to many people, but in general, my personality is more free. This month, I've been delightfully surprised to discover that fun comes in all shapes, with different people. As for today - I'm surprised I woke up on time. Guilty of waking up late pretty much everyday this week! Oops.

6) Do you believe in the phrase: once a cheater, always a cheater?
Honestly, I have no idea. I think that even if someone changes his or her ways, there are still traits that linger. I've never been cheated on, let alone been in a relationship of any sort (I'm in high school!)... so I don't know that I can answer.

7) Favorite item in your closet?
It's very difficult to decide - I have a few lovely vintage pieces my aunt gave me, but aren't very appropriate for everyday wear. Besides that, I love wearing the tie-dye bodice dress I bought last summer - it's been crossing my mind lately, so I'll probably wear it again soon. It's just so cool!

8) Greatest accomplishment?
All of my "great accomplishments" are relative. I'm very hard on myself, so I'm reluctant to give myself praise. I end up being pretty proud when I complete some sort of art/craft project - my metal pendant, articles of clothing, ceramic pieces, etc. I really don't get any pleasure out of doing well in school.

My questions:
1) What is your favorite city?
2) What did you do today?
3) What article of clothing would you wear everyday if you could?
4) What is your favorite way to spend your time?
5) Do you have any special talents?

And I tag... YOU!

Top - H&M, necklace - made by me, shorts - DIY, cuff - grandma's, shoes - Target, sunglasses - H&M

Feel like this top is perfectly large enough for a beach cover-up. Then I imagine wearing it for a night out after a long day on the beach. I think it's pretty clear where my mind is.

It's getting late so I'll cut it short again. I don't think I've fallen asleep before 12am at all this week... yeah, not so good. Sleep will do me well.

xox Catherine

Short story.

Cardigan - Lux, tank - Macy's, skirt - Target, necklace - my mom's, bracelets - my mom's/antique, shoes - Dolce Vita

I feel that this almost has a sporty vibe to it... I've had this tank for three years and I decided to re-release it from my closet. I guess there isn't really a good detail shot of these bracelets, but the cuff I borrowed from my mom is so cool - there's a little palm tree on it surrounded by shell pieces.

Going to cut this short - it's later than I'd like to admit. In my defense, my city's hockey team is participating in the finals, and I'm half-watching it.

xox Catherine

PS I've been published on Teen Ugly on Chictopia. See my article here.

An Expedition?

Top - Victoria's Secret, necklace - made by me, bracelet - grandma's, skirt - Retrospect, shoes - Sweet Life by Dolce Vita

I'm going to tell you something that is generally not the opinion among fashion/style blogs - I despise shopping. I hate trying items on, I hate florescent lights, I hate when the sales girl stares me down while I'm wearing sneakers. Chain stores are too generic, but most boutiques I've been in tend to be a little snobby and uninviting.




Anyway, I went to a semi-nearby town today, only to discover shopping can be fun. It's a quirky little college town, but I wasn't expecting much when my sister asked me to accompany her. Through this outing, I encountered two shops in particular that I'm still thinking about - Green Eyed Lady and Malena's Vintage. The first is a cute mix of vintage accessories with some new clothing items, while the latter wasn't even spotted at first. However, I met some pretty 1950's dresses that made me swoon - and they weren't super expensive! Granted, I have no income, but I could deposit my tax return check... basically, I fell in love.

I love browsing little shops in the city, but items are overpriced and the selections tend to be pretty monotonous. Basically, don't be surprised if I show up on here wearing a pretty little 50's dress.



Oh, and I've made another pendant. This time I used nut beads - the color is more magenta in real life. While in town, I also came across a bead store... so yeah, don't be surprised by what may ensue.

That is all, hope you're well, xox Catherine

PS I'd like to thank you all - I've reached 100+ followers! Expect a little surprise (or maybe more than one) in the near future ;)

Tales of a Wanderer

Dress - Volcom, belt - thrifted, bracelet - Amrita Signh via Ideeli, bag - old from Pacsun, shoes - Keds via Chictopia

This isn't exactly a confession, but there's probably nothing that makes me feel more free than an "adventure." I suppose everyone has a different definition of adventure... but mine includes something as simple as sitting beneath a tall tree in an otherwise open field. I'm hardly in touch with nature - I'm not so far away from trees and such that I take deliberate trips to "the middle of nowhere," but then again, the suburbs are hardly known for vast woods. I've been in the so-called woods around here, and they're small and often trash filled... sometimes even including a trampoline that some friends of mine would dub Brigadoon. (In case you were wondering, yes, I did just mention the destination of some past adventures.)

Listen: I'm a nerd. I look forward to things way too easily and I obsess over mere ideas. With that being said, I intended to go on an adventure today - through a few trees to reveal an overgrown field with sporadic trees to provide shade for visitors. Never mind that it's probably trespassing... I'm a teenager. I'm obligated to make memories.

After numerous sets of plans fell through, I settled for taking my dog for a walk. But upon my arrival at my neighborhood park, it hardly felt like I was settling. Naturally, it was empty, considering the dangers that lurk every suburban corner these days. (I don't know what's with it - there's a ton of children in my neighborhood that only seem to leave their front doors for extravagant birthday parties complete with moon bounces, but apparently, playing outside involves too much of a risk.) It was almost sad - the same playground at which I had spent nearly every summer night of my early childhood had been spray painted and overgrown with weeds.

I suppose the vandalism is just a result of the angst that we suburban teenagers posses, and I suppose the weeds are just as natural as the grass I walked through. Perhaps it was just my past oasis, and any flaws were overlooked.

I'll leave my story at that. I won't over-analyze a simple "walk in the park." I didn't come to any shattering conclusions while pondering my thoughts in the park, so I won't come to any conclusions here, either. Though I'm almost inspired to revive the playground, for now, it will just be a destination of my aimless wandering, when I desire to aimlessly reflect.

xox Catherine

PS Please overlook any spelling or grammatical errors. It's past 1AM. I am tired, but I often think best when I am in this certain ratio of tiredness/energy. However, my words are often unclear, etc. So pardon me.

Cardigan - Lux, necklace - made by me, tshirt - H&M, belt - thrifted, jeans - Levi's via Chictopia, shoes - Aldo

Had off from school today so the first half/portion of my day was spent in a tank top and shorts while napping. Wore this for a trip into the city to see a friend's piece at an art opening. Ended up walking nearly fifteen blocks in these shoes... only to find the restaurant we planned to eat at was closed. So we walked back up and ate at Govinda's. Surprisingly, my feet are not screaming in pain. I love these shoes. I love these shoes. I love these shoes.

Decided to wear the jeans I redeemed Chic points for on Chictopia - they're so cool. Attached a chain to my necklace and decided to keep the rest simple so attention would be drawn to it. So it goes.

Hope you all have a nice weekend!
xox Catherine

PS Interested in this necklace? Leave your comments and you may see similar ones in the future!

What I've Been Doing

Cardigan - thrifted, dress - Billabong, necklace - DIY, bracelet - antique, shoes - Aldo

Oh, look, I'm wearing my favorite dress and my favorite-as-of-late shoes. So it goes. I don't have school tomorrow and I'm so glad about that and there's less than fourteen days I have to wake up. Let's see, I haven't posted much about my life lately, so I'll just mention that I tried out to be a presenter at next year's talent show... it's sort of a big deal at my school. To be honest, the presenters last year weren't that funny, but I hope that I do well at call-backs and that I can provide some ideas.

Other than that, I've pretty much been just napping. Oh, and working on this:



It's a first-time beading project, so of course it's not "perfect." But I just have to find a chain and then it's good to go! I must say, I like how it's geometric but just earthy enough. Which brings me to a question: if I made more pieces like this, would you be interested in buying?

Happy Thursday to all,
xox Catherine

Cardigan - my mom, necklace - DIY, dress - LA Made, bracelet - grandma, belt - thrifted, shoes - Sweet Life by Dolce Vita

Finally got around to fixing/super gluing these shoes back together. So, I'm going to take a second to complain about the heat here - it's hot. And if you're wondering why I'm wearing a cardigan, that would be because my school enforces a no shoulders rule. So naturally, I must respond with angst. Most of the time, I don't think shoulders are distracting - but with flowery things? Perhaps.

I love this dress, though I've only worn it once. I like to think this outfit would work well for a dinner somewhere nice in the city. Because restaurants around here are either franchises or crappy diners with absolutely no vegan options. So it goes.

Today is a mock Thursday for me, 'cause I have off on Friday. I have minimal homework and then I'll be free to work on the necklace I started! Which, by the way, I'll get a picture of soon - but I might make some with the intent of selling them. 'Cause you know, I'm broke, but I will have access to metal and ceramic studios this summer... Perhaps some commission pieces in the future?

Hope you're well, xox Catherine

Tshirt - Forever 21, necklace - DIY, bracelet - flea market, skirt - H&M, sandals - Target

Keeping this very brief since I spent a little too much time working a necklace project I decided to try. It's coming along... yeah, I'll just say that.

This past weekend was good, but it left me exhausted so I allowed myself to take a day off. So today is pretty much like a Monday for me - but since we have off on Friday, it's also like a Wednesday I guess. Cool.

Didn't feel like wearing anything too intricate today. Just wanted to wear this skirt!

xox Catherine