Happy Halloween!

Boo! Happy Halloween! (: Hope your having a magical (or spooky, depending on your preference) day and will have a great night tonight, regardless of what you choose to do!

Halloween, at least from my perspective, is one of the most exciting holidays of the year and requires the most creativity. From a college girl's perspective, Halloween (while it is tons of fun) is also frustrating. I mean, c'mon, we don't have a lot of time to make something, so we are left with two options - either come up with something in our closets or buy/rent a costume. And the options to buy/rent are....slutty, to say the least. Skanky is another descriptor I would use.

Some of the most popular costumes I saw this past weekend were "sexy" firefighter, "sexy" police officer, "sexy" ... honestly, I saw a bit of everything from "sexy" cat to "sexy" Twister. Yes, Twister, like the game you played in middle school. Remind me again how mammals and children's games are sexy?

However, when college students put a little effort into the costume, there were some great ideas which come to life. Some of my favorites I saw this weekend were Frat Boy (yes, it was ironic and hilarious), Ke$ha (the girl looked EXACTLY like her), Katy Perry circa California Girls video (cupcake bra and all) and Woody & Buzz (two guys on my floor bought and wore these costumes...originally made for 4yo boys).

As for me:I'm in the middle of this pic and I went as a girl straight out of the eighties -- got my ideas from Footloose (the ORIGINAL, not the mediocre remake). I'm actually pretty proud of this costume -- built it all from my closet (with an exception from the grey top, which is courtesy of my roommate) and it was comfortable (and warm) all night long.

Hope you have a great (and safe!) Halloween! I know I will... (:

Let's Hit the Books!

Before I came to college, I did not pay as much attention to studying and how I study. However, ever since I've been on campus, not only have I refined my studying techniques (I quickly learned what works and what doesn't -- and let's just say, "studying" by skimming a textbook while watching TV and having a bonding sesh with my friends on the floor doesn't work), I also learned that what I wear really impacts my focus and the extent of my studying. Crazy, right?

First, I had to come to terms with what not to wear:

As much as I love my sweats and soffes, hoodies and tees, tanks and slippers...They are not for studying in. They are not for going to class in. They are not for eating dinner in the dining hall in. They are not for running around campus in. They are not...well, let's be honest, it is faster to say what they are acceptable for (at least, in my mind): Sleeping and relaxing. And by relaxing, I mean in your dorm room, alone or just with your roommate or a close group of friends. Not out in the lounge or in any other sort of public.

When I wear these things, I never get much studying done. I do, however, get a lot of watching Freinds and Gossip Girl while blogsurfing and reading magazines done. And, while I love love love doing these things, it really doesn't aid my understanding of the psychology and sociology behind Intimate Relationships and Marriage (a psych/sociology class I'm taking this semester).

And then to come to terms with what works for studying:

This outfit is both structured and comfy, the perfect study combination. The jeans are comfortable, but just structured enough that they aren't too comfy. Sweater and a tank top are layers so I feel put together and are still comfortable. Ballet flats and a tote bag are functional (because lets be honest, I don't really like to wear shoes while studying and ballet flats are easy to kick off inconspicuously) and some nail polish to give me something to look at while I write up too many notecards.

The keys to being able to study successfully is comfort and structure -- enough refinement to keep focused but enough comfort that I am not miserable. Jeans are perfect, sweats are not. Sweaters and Tees are great, an oversized sweatshirt and leggings are not.

Just a few things to consider when getting ready to study this week (: After all, I have two exams and three papers on the agenda for this week.

Wake up! Wake up! On a Saturday Night...

Besides the realms of academia (which is why I am at the University of Missouri in the first place), there is nothing wrong with going to a party or two on the weekend with some friends. (:

One of the best parts of going out with my girlies is getting ready. Picking out an outfit, Fixing your hair, Putting on a little make-up....and then helping all your friends get ready. This process is generally takes a while - anywhere between an hour and a half to three hours, and its a great opportunity to hang with friends, listen to music (Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift are all common voices throughout our preparties), and have some good girltime before we hit a party or two.

I've worn a lot of things out over the past ten weeks, but me and my friends tend to wear the same combination over and over because 1. it's cute, 2. it's simple and comfortable and 3. its attention grabbing but not too suggestive.

This is the combination which you can see over and over across almost all the girls on campus, but it's easy to change it up with some sequins and fun accessories/embellishments and makeup. It's pretty simple, but try it next time you go out -- I know I will! (:

--oh yes, and the post title is song lyrics from Hilary Duff's "Wake Up" ... who else loved her back in the day? I know I did! --

10 Introductions and some Inspiration

via http://notetosarah.tumblr.com/

Ten facts to introduce myself to all of you, with some of my favorite images I have found over the past week or so.

via http://stylebyme.net/

Basic Info
1. Hello! My name is Emily. I am a college freshman at the University of Missouri.

2. I'm double majoring in Textile and Apparel Management (Apparel Marketing and Merchandising) and Journalism (Magazine or Photo, haven't decided yet) with a Business minor.

3. I love fashion, literature, music, film and photography.

via http://kendieveryday.blogspot.com/

My Fashion Inspiration (of the moment)
4. The magazines I'm reading now are InStyle, Marie Claire, Nylon, Vogue and Elle.

5. The stores I love to shop at and look in are J Crew, Free People, Anthropologie, Gap and Bloomingdales.

6. The designers and brands I am lusting over are Marc by Marc Jacobs, Alice + Olivia, BCBGMaxAzria, DKNY and Nicole Miller.

7. My bloggers inspiring me are Casey of The Classic Case, Kendi of Kendi Everyday, Tania of What Would A Nerd Wear, Tessa of Totally Tessa, and Kelly of The Glamourai.

via http://www.pinterest.com/

Some Random Facts

8. I love eighties movies (particularly of the John Hughes variety) and nineties-early'00s romantic comedies.

9. I dream of living and working in NYC -- and by dream of, I mean that's where I plan on being after I graduate (even though I know its a ways a way).

10. I'm on Pinterest, Polyvore and Twitter. (: Check them out to see what inspires me and what goes on in my day-to-day life.