Chambray + Leather + Polka Dots | North Market

H&M chambray denim shirt // H&M polka dot shirt //

H&M faux leather pants // Forever 21 cat eye glasses //

Target suede black ankle booties // Black leather purse (gifted) //

Photography: JJ

Throwing back some more to last fall (9/22/12), when JJ and I explored one of my local Columbus favourites: North Market. It's an indoors farmers market that features diverse eats from around the world like Vietnamese pho noodles, Belgian waffles, a hot sauce corner, and Ohio based Jeni's gourmet ice cream. Cut sunflowers next to farm fresh veggies and next to things as eccentric as bison and pheasant give the place a rustic feel. I knotted my chambray top over a bold polka dot top for contrast, and threw on my chilly weather staple: leather pants. These babies keep my legs toasty for sunny-yet-frigid days and post-exam night festivities. Lastly, donned these huge cat eye frames for extra hipster effect. JJ and I unintentionally coordinated with an inverse outfit of leather jacket and denim jeans.

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Starbucksian

H&M chambray denim button down shirt // Forever 21 french toast print tee //

Forever 21 circle scarf // H&M bird print skirt // Forever 21 black sweater tights //

DIY/Converse checkered Chucks sneakers //

Photography: Kristin

Okay, letsbehonest I have been marathoning The Walking Dead the past few days and really needed to get down to business (cue Mulan ballad). It was surprisingly balmy and sunny today so I threw on my cozy casuals and avoided pushing it too far into Hipsterland with my cat eye frames. My friend Kristin and I headed to a Starbucks to grab holiday drinks and listen to Michael Buble piping his heart out overhead while stuffing our brains with more deets about muscles and nerves. Ironically we had to snap photos in front of a mattress store because Starbucks was too bathed in sunlight and overexposed xD Thanks for picking out the "grungy urban" backdrop and playing photographer! Now back to waving my arms around like a looney trying to figure out where all my shoulder anatomy is (if you've ever seen a roomful of students staring quizzically at their thumb, pointer, and middle finger during a physics test, it's the same concept - look up at the ceiling, squint, and flail around your limbs until you understand where A attaches to B). Happy weekending!

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Polka Dot Mod Squad

Forever 21 chambray button down shirt (S) // Pitaya polka dot asymmetrical hem skirt (worn as hi lo skirt) (S) //

H&M black bow flats (5) // Covergirl LipPerfection lipstick in Rapture // OPI teal and red nail polish //

Photography: JJ

Remember my chambray top + polka dot asymmetrical skirt combo from the summer? With a twist (literally), I turned this exactly combination into something fun for the spring (4/4). Instead of tucking in my top, I tied a "90s knot" at the bottom and swiveled the skirt around so that it's an instant hi-lo skirt instead of asymmetrical to the side. Yay for reworking pieces that are already happily living in my wardrobe!

Working on catching up on all these fun outfits to show you. Life is moving so fast, blogging keeps eating the dust haha. Snapshots of this week: Sitting outside under the gingko trees, suffering allergies, sharing poetry. Relaxing at Starbucks on the Loop and idly browsing clothes at a local boutique. Screaming for joy at my bike gears/chain finally working smoothly after a free tune-up thanks to BigShark (going to ride EVERYWHERE now). Updating my research poster, learning about the crazy cool things animal brains do. Watching Mission Impossible IV (first one I've seen) and long calls back home. Life has been chucking lemons at me for the past two months and oftentimes I get hit. But you get up the next day and try again and again. You try for the people who can't try anymore. You try to save up those second chances for your future self. No matter how much your day sucks, and if your lemonade tastes unbearably sour, just dump some sugar into that shi*.

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Left My Cowboy Hat Hanging on a Cactus

Forever 21 ruched shoulder chambray shirt (S) // Forever 21 black and white floral skirt with tulle lining (S) // 

H&M yellow lace cami (Euro 4) // American Eagle for Payless brown peep toe cork wedges with bow (5) // 

Photography: Self-timer and tripod

This was my outfit for my first 9 to 5 Friday (6/3). I did unfortunately have a mishap with the alarm clock, but still put forth the effort to tame my Einsteinian mane and throw on something nice. Luckily I tried this on the night before or I would have been running there in exercise shorts and a college tee. Our lab meetings are now becoming full on professional presentations, and I'm up to bat this Friday (nerve-wracking!) I wish my battery didn't die after a few shots so I could show details and my lip colour. I was using a super bright orange Revlon one over Soft Nude and it screamed LOUDMOUTH. Of course I didn't wear that to work, same with the wedges - still transitioning. Meanwhile yesterday I tried out Dr. Scholl's heel liners and they seem to improve heel comfort at least a little. Now that I know size 5's are too big for me and no wonder there's always a gap in the back, heel liners seem like a BFF option if only they weren't at least $5 a pop. Have you petite feet ladies found any cheaper solutions to shoes that are half a size too large? I'm considering padding with paper but that'd probably get ugly real fast.

This chambray shirt is quite versatile, but the material isn't really chambray. I'm considering getting a better one without the funky poofy sleeves, which made me look kind of ridiculous in the lab, but the poofy A-line of the skirt helped balance it out into an exaggerated hourglass shape, creating the illusion of a smaller waist.

Still hitting Kayak's coffeeshop as much as possible for endless internet (btw you HAVE to try their Durango wrap - I'm in BBQ heaven). Tuesday couldn't arrive any sooner, could it? I'll get back to all comments and catch up on reading your blogs as soon as I can. Meanwhile, all free time is spent organizing my room and unpacking. I have no recollection of where I hid my shampoo ... 

In the summer heat (it was 102 Saturday and I stayed out all afternoon for an awesome barbeque - so tanned!) and scorching blazing flames that curl towards earth at the speed of light, I still somehow manage to layer. The shadows come out to play so fiercely at 5 PM. It feels like I'm back in Oklahoma, or wandering across a Texan desert. Does Texas even have desert? A cowboy hat, companion horse, and some cacti would be a more fitting backdrop to explain how it feels when I'm stubbornly shooting these photos after work. Thank God for skirts. Can I get an amen?

In case you missed these outfits/reads:

• Soda pop-inspired bright shirt & skirt
• Sponsor interview with twentythree handmade jewelry
• Romper as a top - summer wardrobe becomes work-friendly

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Suburban Southern Belle

Yay! The first outfit post of pandaphilia.com *toots a melody out of my own horn* jk xD I'm just so pumped because never in my life would I have thought that I could have my own website or blog or all you wonderful supporters. I am so grateful that so many of you read my posts so closely and write comments that absolutely make my day. Giant panda hugs for my lovelies! ♥

Yesterday I woke up terribly late, even for a habitually nocturnal person. I had promised an outfit post so I wasn't going to let myself or you guys down! I ran outside with my equipment and tried shooting in the sunlight while avoiding nasty shadows. The usual shady spot in front of my garage is too dark at around 6 PM so I tried many different places along my street for lighting. This explains all the different backdrops.

I wanted to do a cute Western look inspired by all the kawaii models in Popteen magazine earlier this summer. Chambray/denim shirt, white skirt with brown belt, cowboy boots, curly hair, cowboy hat. Unfortunately I had only half of the materials so I decided to revamp the look into more of an "urban cowgirl" outfit. Instead of ankle cowboy boots, I had brown peeptoe wedges (that fit like true 5's) from my outlet mall Payless stop. No cowboy hat but I recycled my big white floppy sunhat from my sailor dress outfit. The chambray-ish shirt I purchased at Forever 21 this weekend for $17.80 (is it just me or are they getting SO much more expensive!?) and the skirt at rue21 in the outlet mall for $21.99. The sales associate helped me grab this last Medium off the top hook after giving me a look that said "Girl, how you gonna wear a Medium..." Fortunately this belt is very, very adjustable and I tightened it a lot for the perfect fit : ) Since I didn't try out this chambray-ish shirt inside the store, I felt a little uneasy. I think it could work for casual wear because it's super long and has a tie attached that I can bring around to the front. I would wear this top with chunky accessories and black leggings or skinny jeans. Remix, remix! I like the ruched shoulder detail because it makes such a masculine style more feminine and gives my frame a little more "oomph" to balance things out.

The only thing I'm missing is a giant red beat-up pickup truck. I'm trying to break this bad habit of fashioning an outfit in my head and then going to buy pieces - I feel like my life has become a daily dose of costume party haha. For makeup I curled bits of my hair and tried to curl others pieces with my straightener but both failed. I spritzed in some 4-year-old Garnier Fructis shake effect gel (gross, I know) and scrunched my ends and flipped my hair around like a rockstar until I got a nice volumized crazy curl going on. I was sweating so much I'm pretty sure half my foundation melted. A bronze eyeshadow and bronzer instead of blush created a kind of dirty look that I liked. It feels like I just went out and drove a tractor or chased some tumbleweed. It's so funny because even when I lived in Oklahoma for 5 years, I never embraced the suburban cowgirl look. In my town, most of the kids were very prep but broke out the cowboy boots and oftentimes owned family ranches.

An interesting challenge: I have been waiting for ELF to restock a lot of items I've been wanting to try for a long time and I placed an order last night for $23 worth of makeup. I nabbed a Lilac and Mint Polish, several of the new shimmer eyeliners, and all the new $1 lipsticks to try, along with the long-awaited hot pink Studio blush (not even the full list). I realize that though each item is cheap, I have shoeboxes and shoeboxes full of ELF things and I actually probably use 0-7 of those items on a daily basis. My dad still is paranoid about anything technology related so he won't give me bank info to set up a Paypal account so I think I'm going to have to get rid of my makeup the hard way - any suggestions? Would you be comfortable mailing money in an envelope and receiving a big box of goodies in return? I wonder how blog sales get by without Paypal xD

Point is, I am going on a makeup-up ban UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR. Yes! Until January 1, 2011! I figure I have wayyy too many things already and I simply don't use them as much as I should. Eye makeup actually severely bothers my eyes during the day because I tear up and get bloodshot awesomeness going on with too much shadow on (and can't rub my eyes in fear of becoming the shimmer fairy). I love pandas, but the ring of death (aka your eyeliner melted and now you look like an emo kid during training) is not hot in any shape or form. So why do I keep spending money on it!? This is going to be crazy hard. I'm going to allow myself a trip to Walgreens to pick up some Wet n Wild items I have been wanting all summer and some gifts for lovely girls and that's it. The main challenge is avoiding the hype. I almost fell prey to the UD Naked Palette but in all honesty I wouldn't even use it that often and $44 is better spent on food and clothes xD

Wearing:

Chambray-ish ruched shoulder top, F21 (size S)

White doily skirt w/ brown belt, rue 21 (size M)

Brown peeptoe wedge, American Eagle for Payless (size 5)

White floppy sunhat, H&M

Little House on the Prairie Suburbia

Do you do-si-do?

This is my "look" every day living in Oklahoma - true windswept blown halfway across the parking lot

Am I smizing? Nah I just look like an angry cowgirl that just found out someone tipped all her cows hahaha

Camera facing the bright sunlight darkens everything :(

Love lens flare!

The shadows crawl, they prowl and prey

All over the still frames, devouring the day

Near the doggy "rest area" haha

And here's where I turn into a vampire ... these are completely unedited. My eyes turned red too! Camera must have an auto-vampire setting ... turn you super pale and then give you flaming red hair and eyes o_o At least I can still see myself in mirrors? Whew :D

These are back in the shade now. The first two are unedited and pretty dark so I brightened them up in Picnik (auto fix saturation, 25 saturation 20 temperature). It may look too reddish but I like how my chambray shirt brightened up a lot

Details!

I love these wedges! They're quite small for 5's so it's perfect for my narrow and teeny tiny feet. I might have to break them in with some baggy socks - I spy a future outfit coming up! They were originally $25 at Payless but since they had a BOGOHO deal, I got these babies for $12.50! They're really easy to walk in so I can strut in style without looking crazy in class. Love!

FOTD: Revlon Photo Ready Foundation in 04 Nude, ELF Studio Blush/Bronzer Duo (bronzer as blush), Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash, Wet n Wild Vanity E/S Palette (shimmery bronze shade), ELF Studio Creme Eyeliner in Black, Geo Nudy Brown contacts, Hair: Garnier Fructis shake effect gel

After sweating off half my makeup during the shoot xD This is my natural lip colour - absolutely nothing on them right now. Crazy pale, right?

I'm really sad thinking about this summer ending so quickly, but I'm ready to be back in the game and see all my friends at school again. I'm flying back to St. Louis Thursday morning so I will be packing like crazy. I have no idea how to fit my entire closet into a few suitcases! 95% of my luggage is always clothes - symptoms of the fashion-obsessed. I probably won't have the luxury to blog this thoroughly but I will try to keep taking outfit pictures : ) I will probably continue self-timing but also have my boyfriend spruce up his photography skills. That means ... playing with an SLR! xD I plan on making a lightbox and practicing taking photos of things other than my eye hahaha. Seize the day, pandalicious lovelies ♥