Halloween 2016: Ursula and Ariel

I started thinking about what to wear for Halloween in August. I wanted to take advantage of my silver hair, so choosing a silver-haired character was a priority. I came up with quite a few options: Storm from X-Men, Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle, and Cruella DeVil to name a few. I chose Ursula because it's a costume I could easily manage to DIY.
The tentacles are made of a black maxi skirt, which I cut into eight pieces. I then cut out purple tentacles, which I glued on the under-side of each of the pieces of my skirt. The only pieces I had to buy were the bodysuit (to be honest, I was just looking for an excuse to buy a black bodysuit) and these red velvet nails I bought on a whim during a trip to the pharmacy.
Luxe was, of course, the Little Mermaid herself. She even had a red wig but refused to wear it long enough for us to take a picture.

Behind the Lens Pt 1

Anyone who's seen the front page of my site knows that I'm more broke than your average fashion blogger. As such, I can't afford professional photography to feature on my blog. But, while I'm broke, I'm also fabulous, and I don't let this lack of resources stand in my way of doing what I love. So, I make do with the resources I do have: namely, a bunch of super supportive and often artistic friends. Most of my friends have taken OOTD pictures for me on at least one occasion. Now, it's their turn to hop in front of the camera so that you can read about and get to know the people behind the lens.

Lauren
Behind the lens of: Too Hot
Find her on: Twitter
Lauren is my little sister and a professional photographer. She takes most of my pictures when I'm back in Bend. Street style photography is not nearly as artistically inspiring as her usual work, but she does it anyways for me. She's always been incredibly supportive, and I definitely wouldn't be where I am today without her cooperation.

Emily
Behind the lens of: Kiss, Kiss
Find her on: Instagram and Twitter
As the person I have historically spent the most time with outside of class, Emily has taken most of the pictures on my blog. She's always the first to like my Instagram posts and offer to venture outside for a quick photo shoot when I'm wearing something cute.

Carolyn
Behind the lens of: Urban Safari
Find her on: Instagram
Carolyn and I have been roommates since last October. We quickly bonded while watching Legally Blonde and eating candy on Friday nights in. As my roommate, she's the first person I ask about my outfit every day before I leave the house. She's also the first to offer to let me borrow a cute scarf or lipstick that'll make my outfit that much better.

Kathleen
Behind the scenes of: Greenhouse
Find her on: Instagram
Kathleen and I met behind-the-scenes of the Seattle University Fashion Club fashion show my sophomore year. She's an aesthetic princess who inspires my sense of style with every Snapchat she sends me.

OOTD: Lake Union

This summer, I made a Seattle bucket list full of places I wanted to see before I graduate and leave in December. I only hit a couple places over the summer, but I'm working on prioritizing going on more adventures this quarter. When my parents came to visit and asked what I wanted to do, I immediately said that I wanted to see Lake Union and the Ballard Locks. Luckily, my parents are always up for an adventure, and my mom booked us seats on a boat tour of the area. It was one of the last nice days of the year, so I relished the opportunity to wear my favorite romper for what will probably be the last time of 2016. I bought this romper a couple years ago at Last Chance. Nordstrom sends all its repaired and out-of-season returned items to Last Chance in Arizona, where the items are resold for 75-90% off. I bought every Topshop piece that I own at Last Chance, because it's the only place where I can afford one of my favorite brands.
Check out this video by Sazan Hendrix to see how I did this super cute crown braid in under five minutes!

Seattle Bucket List

In June, I realized that I don't have long left in the city I've called home for the last three years. If I'm going to do everything I want to in Seattle, I have to get on it, because I don't have much time left. So, I asked all my Seattle friends places that they recommend I go before I leave. The result is my Seattle Bucket List.

I've actually been to quite a few places on my bucket list since June. I'll continue to keep track of which boxes I've ticked off as I continue to explore.
Volunteer Park Conservatory
Woodland Zoo
South-Lake Union
Golden Gardens park
Ballard farmer's market
Gasworks park & Kerry park
West Point Lighthouse

OOTD: 3 Piece

This is my favorite work outfit. I've already outfit-repeated it twice in the last month– oops! The Nordstrom dress code is pretty basic: appropriate skirt length, no showing undergarments, nothing offensive, etc. They do, however, place emphasis on something called the "three piece outfit." The three pieces are a shirt (or dress), something worn over it, and something worn around your neck. I love the look of the three piece outfit, and do my best to wear three pieces at work every day. One of the best outcomes of this practice is that I've been wearing my favorite jacket, this H&M faux leather jacket that I got when I was 16, at least twice a week.

Depressed Cake Shop

This Saturday, I attended NAMI's Depressed Cake Shop to buy treats to benefit NAMI and to help raise awareness about mental health issues. Anyone who knows me knows I'm always down for cupcakes; especially when they're for a cause.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is dedicated to promoting awareness of mental health issues and providing support for those living with mental illness. They have chapters all over America, including in Seattle. This was their fourth annual Depressed Cake Shop, an event which gathers together members of the community to become more informed on mental health issues and to help raise money for the programs that NAMI puts on.

The theme of the treats was simple: gray on the outside, colorful on the inside, to show that everyone has the strength and sheer capacity inside them to make it through anything life throws their way. Personally, I thought this was a brilliant approach, as it promoted hope alongside awareness. This is a perspective that, I feel, more appropriately includes members of the population this movement is looking to help. It can be difficult to read articles and attend events that distance those with mental health disorders from the rest of the population by talking about us as our disorders instead of as people. As important as it is to know more about mental health conditions, the dialogue is so much stronger when it doesn't have to dehumanize us.

I was so impressed with how many people showed up: when Evelyn and I got there, the line wrapped around the building and was almost out the door. This made sense, considering the 800+ people who RSVP'd to the Facebook event. Even so, it was amazing seeing members of my community come together in support of mental health.

Of course, you don't have to wait in line for an hour to show your support for those with mental health disorders. Taking as little as 15 minutes to read a little bit more about mental health can do so much. Offer support to the people in your life who struggle with mental health issues: whether it's picking up groceries for them or giving a shoulder to cry on, even the motion of offering to be there for someone can do so much. Think critically about how your choices affect those with mental health disorders. This is especially important in light of the upcoming presidential election. Your vote can go a long way to provide the necessary medical, psychological, and social support so needed by so many people with mental health disorders.

OOTD: Down the Street

Don't mind me... I'm just wishing it was still summer. I found this top at my last Nordstrom Rack during my last Nordstrom employee discount shopping spree. I've been looking for a button-up shirt dress for at least a year. Unfortunately, having larger-than-average boobs can make buying certain items extremely difficult, and button-ups are one of these items. One of these days, I'll find a button-up that doesn't pull across my chest, leaving a weird gap between the middle two buttons. Until then, I'll just have to keep being savvy about the button-ups I do wear on the rare occasion I choose to wear them.