20th Birthday Wish list

It's officially my favorite time of year: the week before my birthday! I am someone who loves being celebrated, and I absolutely enforce that on my birthday. Part of being celebrated, of course, is getting presents. So, what's on my wish list this year?

This has been my favorite color in fashion for quite some time, and my discovery of this cobalt blue Céline bag has only enhanced that.

I've recently realized that I onlyhave one pair of non-heeled shoes (my rain boots) that I can still wear in the rain. So, I need some booties without a heel, and I'm all about leopard print right now.

When I feel like my outfit is boring or uninspired but I'm too comfortable to change, I turn to makeup to step up my look. Cream eyeliner, nail stickers, hair chalk, colored mascara, and other interesting makeup makes it easy to look like I made an effort.

This is another way to make a boring outfit interesting, and having a variety to choose from is nice.

I never went through a t-shirt phase as a child or middle schooler, so I guess it makes sense that I'm now all about graphic slogan items. I love slogans on things other than t-shirts, like sweaters and hats.

As rainy as it is in Seattle, I've never actually owned an umbrella before. I recently realized that it's essential if I'm wearing a cute outfit that I don't want to ruin with a bulky rain jacket.

As much as I love my Coach wallet, I think it's time for me to retire the trifold after 7 years. I'm ready for something a little bigger that can make more of a statement.

Destination Wedding: Versailles

I have a confession to make: I'm one of those cliche girls who's been thinking about her wedding since childhood. I've known the day (September 27), place (Palace of Versailles), maid of honor (my sister), and cake flavor (vanilla) since I was in elementary school. Don't worry– I'm still too young (19 still qualifies as a kid, right?) to associate weddings with marriage. To me, a wedding is just the epitome of a dream event. So, I was thrilled when the wedding site I see all over Pinterest– Lover.ly– asked me what my dream Parisian wedding would look like.

Though the Palace of Versailles is a bit outside of Paris, I couldn't miss an opportunity to create an inspiration board for my dream wedding; Parisian or otherwise. I channeled two of my style icons– Marie Antoinette, a resident of Versailles prior to the French Revolution and Kim Kardashian, who held one of her wedding celebrations at Versailles– in developing the atmosphere of my dream event. I went with a neutral and elegant color scheme of gold, blush, and navy blue and drew inspiration from the baroque decor in the palace when choosing place settings and jewelry. The final product is what you see above, but you can see more of my inspiration on my Pinterest board dedicated to this project.

Follow Hannah Goldstein's board Lover.ly Parisian Wedding on Pinterest.

Lover.ly provided me with everything I needed to plan my "wedding": the dress, stationary, place settings, shoes, jewelry, makeup, everything. It was like a wedding binder but collaborative and much more compact. I had so much fun going through all the dresses they have available; I'm a dress girl through and through and the sheer elegance of these dresses really spoke to me! Don't worry: I've made all my selections available on my Shopcade.

Autumn 2014 Essentials

Since I've been back at school, I've had to physically stop myself from going shopping or online shopping. What can I say; there are so many amazing pieces I want for this fall! And, with help from Raise.com, I can shop my favorite stores for less by buying gift cards at a discounted price. Spending $13 for a $15 gift card? I'm all about getting money whenever I spend it-- especially when it goes to buying more of my autumn 2014 essentials.

A la classic Chanel, I'm totally all about quilted leather (or faux/vegan leather) pieces this fall. You can stick to the classic quilted purse, or go for a twist with a quilted leather jacket. If you find a quilted skirt, let me know-- I'm on the prowl!
Which Raise gift card to buy: Lord & Taylor 

I know I've already talked about how much I love cheetah print accessories, but I can't help myself: this mix of classy and classic prints warms my fashionista heart. I'd stick with stripes in black, white, gray, or navy, but you can feel free to rock stripes however you'd like.

Which Raise gift card to buy: an Options gift card for stores like Gap and Old Navy

Duh: knits are always an autumn essential. Step up your game for 2014 by going with oversize knitwear. My favorite is knits made with really thick yarn-- it makes the piece even bigger.

Which Raise gift card to buy: Forever 21

This summer, I was all about statement necklaces. This fall, however, I'm taking my jewelry obsession just a bit north with statement earrings. I love wearing these earrings with braids of any kind-- french braids, cornrows, or a simple side braid.

Which Raise gift card to buy: Francesca's

Leather (or faux/vegan leather) truly makes any outfit stand out in a crowd. For days when you want to be a little more subtle with your sense of style, go with just a touch of leather as a lining on whatever piece you're wearing. I'm personally totally all about pieces that mix wool and leather this fall.
Which Raise gift card to buy: Zara

Serious in Stripes

Shoes: Similar from GoJane
Dress: Old Navy, similar from Mango
Necklace: Similar from Stella & Dot
Earrings: Similar from Charlotte Russe
Bag: Bark n Bag, similar from Lulu's
Nail polish: Similar from OASAP (color #71)

This outfit combines a little bit from this post about wearing whatever the hell you want and yesterday's post on being comfortable in your own skin. I wore this super-flattering horizontal striped dress and felt confident all day! I found myself standing up straighter, smiling more, and walking with more purpose. It's really amazing to find an outfit/look that makes you feel like conquering the world-- and it's certainly something to strive for in one's style.

Much thanks to Lauren Goldstein for the photos-- see more of her work here.

What's in my bag?

What's in my brand new Steve Madden bag? Let's check it out!

1. iPhone 4
Of course I carry my phone around with me-- that thing is, like, $300 worth of memories and important information. I got my first iPhone about 11 months ago, and I take very good care of it to prevent ever having to actually buy one. They don't even make this model anymore... But to me, it's still nice and new.

2. iPhone 4 charger
I'm very fortunate to live in a household where each family member has an iPhone in addition to a variety of other Mac products. However, it gets pretty annoying pretty quickly never being able to find a charger as a result of family members using the first one they see; which, most often, isn't theirs. I painted mine pink and gold to prevent charger snatching, but there are simpler ways to distinguish your chargers from those around you. For instance, you could buy a pink phone charger instead of using acrylic paint to messily color the charger you already own.

3. Coin purse
Confession: my wallet doesn't actually fit everything I need it to. I have quite a few gift cards and punch cards that I was used to stuffing into my poor wallet that about three months ago I decided to make a change. I use this cute little coin purse for all my gift cards, punch cards, and, of course, my change. Added bonus: I only need to bring it with me if I'm going somewhere I'll need punch cards and/or gift cards.

4. Lifesavers
They are mints! Mints that have the texture of candy! And I just so happen to get them as stocking stuffers and random birthday presents every year for some reason... So I've just grown accustomed to having them with me at all times.

5. Leather pouch

I got this at a Native American reservation on a field trip when I was nine years old. I used to use it to hold beads from my favorite broken necklaces, but now I use it to store my daily prescription medication. This is an issue to be addressed separately, but I've been harassed for my prescription on several occasions, and have found it to be better to keep it hidden. It's a really cute little pouch, and could hypothetically be used for a number of things other than protecting myself from theft.

6. My Little Black Book

This might sound exaggerated, but I kid you not; this book is my everything. It holds my schedule, my hopes and dreams, my ideas, my to-do list, and everything in between. I love that it's travel-sized, and I love that I get to call it my "little black book"... it makes my whole life seem a little more mysterious and a hell of a lot more cool.

7. Ball Point Pen

As I'm so reliant on my notebook, I also consistently carry around a pen with which to write in it. I borrowed this specific pen from my boyfriend over a month ago, and currently have no plans to return it. It's always a little bit easier to make time for writing when it's done with a nice pen. 

8. Lip stain

One of these days, you guys are going to get sick of my love of this e.l.f. lipstain... In the meantime, I'm going to keep talking about it. I literally use this lipstain in any of the three colors I have every day. It is such an easy way to make a look just that much more interesting, and serves as a nice personal pick-me-up on those days when you're feeling not-so-hot.

9. Pomegranate hard candies

I bought these on a whim with leftover money on my food card at school, and boy am I glad I did. They taste just like real pomegranates, something I can't say about all pomegranate candies. Maybe that's because they use real pomegranate juice in the process!

10. Tea Tree lip balm

I probably own hundreds of these lip balms... No exaggerating. I get it every time I go to Great Clips to get my hair cut, and it's done wonders for my poor constantly-chapped lips. It has a mild minty taste, but not strong enough that you'll be tempted to lick your lips when you're wearing it.

11. Facial tissue

Even if I don't have a cold, having a tissue handy is always helpful... Especially if they have a cute design.

12. Energy bar

I'm hesitant about motherhood, but one thing I know I'll be good at is carrying around snacks all the time. That's something I already do, and this energy bar is my go-to. I also like to snack on almonds, pita chips, fruit leathers, and granola bars.

13. Wallet

Okay, so my wallet is Coach, but that's not exactly an affordable example of a cute wallet... So, here is a similar trifold wallet. I trade out my wallet every couple months, and I found this one in the back of my closet and decided it's not doing any good just sitting back there. I must say that I'm not a huge fan of the trifold wallet, which means it might be time for a trade out.

14. Hand sanitizer

I'm not particularly a germaphobe, but I do find myself needing hand sanitizer every now and then. These situations come up especially when I'm living in Seattle and using public transportation on a daily basis.

So All About That: Wristlet

Ok, I've officially found my new favorite summer purchase-- this phone wristlet from Target. It reminds me of something I'd buy from Kate Spade; my current fave brand, by the way. Besides its cute pattern and easiness to carry around, I love that it can go with any outfit. Here's a couple of my favorite ways to wear a preppy wristlet this summer.

My suggestions:

My suggestions:

My suggestions:

My suggestions:

So All About That: Stella & Dot

Now, I know I could talk for hours about how much I love jewelry, but I promise I'll try to make this post short and to the point. A friend recently introduced me to Stella & Dot, and since then I've been trying to decide what I can buy with the tips I get from the restaurant over the summer.

I'm obsessed with everything they have-- earrings, necklaces, scarves, bags, bracelets, phone cases, rings, everything!

Luckily, my friend is a stylist for Stella & Dot herself, so I was able to get a good look at everything before I decided what I was going to get (more on that later!). For those of you who aren't so lucky, you can either order online or contact my friend directly to order something.

 Personally, I love that each and every piece of Stella & Dot jewelry is versatile and can be worn at least two or three different ways. That's why I chose the necklace I did, because it can be worn 5 different ways!

I tried each of the five ways and found I liked them all! It was a bit of a splurge but I'm so excited about it-- it's like I bought five different necklaces. Stay tuned to see me wear it all 5 different ways!