Vegas, Baby!

Last year I spent Halloween in New York, which was crazy hectic and absolutely fascinating. There's nothing like roaming those city streets on Halloween night. It was as if there was this ginormous party and all you had to do was walk out your front door and you were invited.

This year I spent Halloween at home with friends and family, and though it wasn't as wild and crazy of a night, we had so much fun.



I originally wasn't going to dress up this year, but as the day went on I decided I couldn't resist. I went to my closet and started searching. I figured it would have to be something simple, since I didn't plan for it and I didn't have much time, but I also wanted it to be fun. I found this dress I bought last year with the tags still on it and thought, why not! As I put it on I immediately thought of this headband I made a few years ago with a little girl I babysit. I decided that the combination of the tiered dress and sequin headband would be totally flapper-esque.



It took a little persuading, but I finally got Taylor to agree to wear one of Robbie Knievel's vintage leather stunt suits that his dad collects. It fit him perfectly.

Obviously our costumes didn't exactly go together, but with some creative thinking we came up with a Vegas theme. He is a stunt man/entertainer and I'm a show girl/dancer. :P

Floral Decorations

Vintage tunic, tights by Hue, Chinese Laundry heels.



This tunic is one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe. It's super sheer and flowy, which makes it perfect for warm weather. Today I decided it would have to work for cold weather, too.



This weekend I went to see Rebelution, which is probably my favorite reggae band of all time. I'll post some pictures tomorrow, maybe a video if you would like to listen.

Out with the old, in with the new!

Hellooo ladies! And gents, perhaps? How was your weekend? Mine was not very productive, but I did have a lot of fun. Being too young to participate in Oktoberfest, I swapped the beer for a soda and the partying for a movie night. I saw The Invention of Lying, which was cute. However, if you drag your man to this one hoping to teach him a lesson about lying, don't count on it. There is no moral value and infact, the only thing I got out of it is that lying is okay and Jennifer Garner gets better with age.

Moving on...

The leapord dress and "leatherette" jacket are both from Forever 21. Stud detailing, leather essentials, and animal prints are in full fashion force this season, so be prepared to embrace these trends!



Photography:

Breathtaking, right? Taylor and I enjoyed a nice evening on the dock last weekend. I could be wrong, but I think I actually took this picture. Who knows! We take turns with the camera. I'm in love with the simplicity this photo represents. What else could you possibly need in life?

Stole Yo Style

This was a project I did a few weeks ago where I tried to replicate my best friend's style. His look is increadibly simple, but he always looks nice and put together. I worked from the shoes, up. And once I chose the shoes it was easy. Skinny jeans. Check. Understated, funky t-shirt. Check. Ray bans. Check.
Anyways, less about me, more about him. He is my life-saving best friend and secret blog-loving photographer. He's undeniably the sweetest person I know. Back to the whole 'secret blog-loving photographer' thing. Yeah, he does all the photography you see on this blog. (stop for applause) And even though he pretends to not be into this whole blog thing, he totally is. I catch him quoting nice comments I've received and he's always checking in on followers. :)
So anyways, I finally persuaded him to start his own blog. He's started a little bit, but I think with a little encouragement, he may start getting more into it and posting more often.

So without further ado, meet Taylor.


(Yes, I made him pose for this)

Forever Monday

Forever 21 top and skirt, Kenneth Cole wedges



I can't believe it's already Monday. This weekend flew by and even though I accomplished a lot, I still feel like I have a million things to do. I finally got around to cleaning my room. I went through my closet and filled a few garbage bags full of clothes to take to Goodwill. I erased and replaced my entire iTunes library (on purpose). I went to one of my friend's birthday, which is where I wore this outfit to. Kind of simple, but totally comfortable.

Right now I'm catching up on last weeks Gossip Girl. Still can't believe I completely forgot about it...it's Gossip Girl for crying out loud! :) I just watched Blair bitch out some Abercrombie model for touching her man. Man, I missed this show!

Kourtney & Khloe: Take Miami (my guilty pleasure) wasn't as good as I was expecting, but I'm super excited to find out more about Kourt's pregnancy next week.

Disco Inferno

Urban Outfitters blazer, dress from TJ Maxx, Joan & David booties, Ray Ban sunnies

I've been excited to debut this dress ever since I got it. I found it on the sale rack at TJ Maxx, so I don't feel guilty that I'll probably only wear it once or twice. Sequins are making a come-back this season and they're bigger than ever. Leggings, dresses, hats, blazers... you name it! I feel like a Spice Girl. And I like it.



Senior pictures are today. Woo. Can you tell how unenthusiastic I am about that? If they're not too embarassing (which I'm sure they will be), I'll consider posting them when they come in the mail.



Speaking of mail, I got a little box of goodies I've been waiting on from Urban Outfitters. They're pretty much my go-to store, especially when they're having a sale. You should definitely check out their website, if you haven't already. Shirts for $9 and $14, cardigans for $19, and dresses for $29. Today I got this blazer, a fedora, a pair of sandals and two shirts, which I can't wait to show ya! Their fall shoe selection is very, very tempting.

XYZ: examine your zipper

Silence & Noise tank, BDG jeans, Olivia Harris leather satchel, Dolce Vita sandals, Michael Kors watch.



Woke up late. Forgot breakfast. Way late to class. Traffic sucks. Need food. Sound familiar?

I quickly found my favorite Italian joint. They have the most amazing chive fries. It's not the healthiest choice on the menu, but they sure are worth it.



I got this shirt in the mail last week and I've been dying to wear it. It's hot pink, oversized, increadibly soft and has an exposed zipper down the front. Perfect for a casual day like this.



Meet bag #2 from the yard sale. If you missed that post, you can find it here.

Guess what? I was featured on Look 10 yesterday. I'm Look 587 and unbelievably flattered!

ILL

Hello beautifuls! Today may not be the first official day of fall, but it is the first chilly day since winter and that's something to celebrate. Okay, so it's 75°, but that is pretty chilly where I live. Considering that's probably hot to some of you, let's just call it a 'semi-chilly' day.

I've noticed that a lot of you fashionistas (for lack of a better word) are consistantly serious in your photo shoots. And when you look as smokin' hot as you guys do there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I encourage you to try an ILL (I Love Life) shoot. Even if the pictures don't come out to your standards, atleast you had a blast taking them. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. This is the most fun I've had taking pictures - so goofy and carefree.

PS. I got you a gift!

;)

Tour de France in training!

Who wouldn't want to be Lance Armstrong on a bright blue beach cruiser wearing some strappy wedges?


On second thought...maybe not.
;)

If you're wondering... I got the skirt, necklace and flower belt from Urban Outfitters, the shirt is from 5/48 via Saks Fifth Avenue, and the t-straps are from Ann Taylor.

Mellow Yellow

Shirt- Lux, Jeans- home made, Shoes- Steve Madden, Bag- American Eagle

It was to my understanding that fences were used to enclose things, but not this fence. It's in the middle of the woods with nothing on either side. It's been there for as long as I can remember, but it was recently painted with this soft yellow paint. Since I was using such a subtle background, I wanted my outfit to pop. I went with these jeans I made a few weeks ago. As you all know acid wash is a pretty big trend right now, but I didn't want to invest in it, so I followed Christen's DIY. It was really simple and they turned out better than I could have hoped for. The bag isn't a typo. It found it here and as you can imagine I was extremely skeptical. But because it was on sale for $19 with free shipping and return, I ordered it anyways. It came in the mail about a week later and I've been carrying it for about a month. And yes, I am "dancing" in the sixth picture. ;)



Oh, and I know it's just a fence, but I think it's the simplicity of it that really made this photo shoot work.

Rain, rain go away...(so I can post a blog today!)

Meet Buster.

Trying to get him to sit. Not easy.

That's a good boy. Doggie treats!

Wrapping me up with his leash.

Jacket- H&M, Shirt- Gap, Jeans- BDG, Boots- Marc Jacobs, Arm Candy- Buster

Today was a particularly gloomy day. During class, I kept gazing at the window watching the rain pour down, completely blocking out everything else around me. I couldn't stop myself from daydreaming about what my next post should be about. Since I'm new to blogging, it's all very exciting. I started thinking of random tutorials and things I could do inside, but then it hit me... Instead of working against the rain, why not work with it? And that's what Lucky Umbrella is all about; learning how to make the most of every opportunity. You know? Grab an umbrella and tough it out.

By the time I got home the monsoon had turned into a mere sprinkle. I grabbed my best friend, his leash, my metaphorical umbrella, and some rain boots. We headed out the door and didn't look back once.

Sitting on the dock of the bay

Top- Elena Solano, Jeans- Hudsons, Shoes- Chinese Laundry

I found this ruffle blouse at TJ Maxx and paired it with my never failing black straight-leg jeans. Oh, and these pretty little black pumps that I'm kind of in love with. I'm thinking the top would look great with a high waisted skirt, blazer and tights for winter. Any thoughts or suggestions?