Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Polkadot Daisy

Occasions other than school a bright outfit is good for:
1. A Date
2. Afternoon out with the girlfriends
3. Strolls in the park
5. Semi-Casual Parties

Pink Blouse: I.N.C (found at Curio for $3) 

There is an adorable swing tucked away at our school, it is so cute!

Black Knotted Wedges: Old Navy (sale $10)

Shorts: Forever 21 

I have been trying to incorporate more brights into my wardrobe and I have to say that I am really enjoying the move from the 'dark side.'

**It started to get a wee bit brisk outside around 5:30pm today 
so I put on some black knitted tights under this ensemble to make it a little more warm. 









Monday, January 30, 2012

Dash of Orange

Twas the first day of the semester and with it being 73 and sunny in So-Cal
 I opted for a dress and sheer tights. 

Papaya Dress - Thrifted at Savers 
Mothers old scarf/necklace

Franco Sarto heels: Thrifted at Goodwill 
I absolutely love the stitching and the large buckle! It gives an outfit a 'retro kick'


I am feeling much better & am looking forward to the healthy days to come!


ps: Next Monday will be the first 'Mens Wear' feature!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

The Fashionista Lounge

So sorry for the lack of posting, with moving back into my dorm I have been swamped.
I also got food poisoning so I have not been getting ready in the morning.

So I lived in a dorm of 3 girls and one is no longer living with us. So with all the 3 person furniture my roommate Maddie and I have rearranged our room.

We both love fashion. 


The Closets:
 
Mine! :)

Maddie's


Skirt, Dress and Shoe Combo Closet
(both our clothes combined for a closet of divine outfit possibilities)

(I will be doing a DIY post on how to make this necklace holder)

(Will be doing a DIY on this refurbished door)

Some Extra Decor:

Hats with Bows

Old Vintage Hats 

(Will be doing a DIY post on these)

We will greatly miss our roommate Jaz, 
but we are welcoming our new storage space with open arms.

First day of the semester tomorrow! Can't wait to share my outfit with you all.
Any other suggestions on room decor? Leave it in the comments!


   



Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Driving Poncho

So yesterday I packed up all my goods and headed south!

I took a detour and am living it up in Bakersfield with my two friends from Biola until Friday!



 My trek involved a 3.5 hour drive so I wore a comfortable pair of Cello jeans
and a thrifted knitted Ann Taylor poncho that I purchased at Savers for 3 dollars!

 To block the beaming sun I wore some Ray-ban wanna-be's
 that I bought at Kmart in Hawaii when I realized I forgot sunglasses.

Monday, January 23, 2012

New Name!!!!

Here  & Wow!

So after a lot of thought I decided to change the name of my blog. 
I realized that:
 1. Moda Élan was not exactly what I wanted to 'brand' myself after. I wanted something more spunky and that mirrored my personality a little better
2. Many people were having a difficult time pronouncing the name of it; I wanted a name easy to have a conversation about. 
3. I want the content in my blog to evolve over time with its content; always revolving around fashion but also dabbling in other things as well.

All in all I am very happy with this decision and will be changing all the links very soon but for now you can follow on bloglovin here 

I hope that this isn't confusing for you all!






Sunday, January 22, 2012

The Search

Hey everyone!
I made this video to share all of my thrift store finds from the last few days!

I now realize how often I use the word 'chunky' to describe my items.
No need to worry I am learning new adjectives.

(I have also been a wee bit under the weather so excuse the occasional sniffle)




Today I am packing up to head back to school 
and I am questioning my sanity due to the amount of clothes I am coming back with. 

Considering half of my wardrobe is still at school -- 
I am not sure where all of this is going to go.

Finds that didn't make it:
When I was at the thrift store, there were a few items I did not fit in that I wish I had.

An awesome color blocked Kasper Jacket -- It was rad. Only $3 ( Med/Large)

This Nordstrom 'Rubbish' brand blazer. Only $3! (medium)


 These adorable Rocketdog heels! They were only $5! (size 6)

    


Saturday, January 21, 2012

Coconut Choco Boppers


Today I made cookies!

Not just any cookies! I made,  Grain Free, Soy Free, Dairy, and Nut free cookies!

I do not count butter as dairy.

These are my Coconut Choco Boppers! 

Hoo wants some?!



Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour (I used the self serve coconut flour at Whole Foods)
1/4 Cup Melted Butter
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/16 tsp Salt (I just eyed half of a 1/8 tsp)
2 Tbs  Enjoy Life™ Mini Chips
(feel free to add pecans, berries, or whatever your taste buds desire)


How to make (very simple):
Mix the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt together.

Add in the coconut flour, chocolate chips,
and if you are using coconut shavings add that as well.

Grab a normal spoon and dollop a little into the palm of your hand and roll each spoonful into a ball (this is important or it gets really flaky.)

Bake at 375F (190 Degree C) got 10 minutes.

Cool them just little bit. I like to eat them while they are still warm inside!

Makes ~12 Choco Boppers!


It has been a while since I had sweets and this definitely hit the spot -- maybe a little too well. 
I may or may not have already eaten five...


     


Friday, January 20, 2012

Lovers In Spain

Check out this new music video from Riley and the Roxies 'Lovers in Spain.'
I got to be one of the Lovers in Spain girls! *pew pew*



This was by far one of the best days in my first semester at Biola!
We woke up at 5am so we could get shots at Newport Beach with no one there; 
it was absolutely freezing in my skirt!


 My roommate Maddie also got to come with me and 
we always dabble into each other's wardrobes!
In this video she is wearing my skirt and shoes, and I am wearing her shirt and heels!

I got this skirt for 3 dollars at Savers a day before the video! I was so pleased with how it looked on camera and I cannot wait to wear it on a sunny LA day this year.



This shot makes me feel like we are Charlie's Angeles. 
We dubbed ourselves 'The Lovers in Spain Girls'

I had so much fun participating and putting outfits together for this video! 
Such an amazing way to spend a morning with some great people!

Check out Riley & The Roxies on Youtube, Itunes, or Spotify!


    
  

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Knitted Rain Drops


 Today sun was nonexistent but there was an abundance of rain and chill. 

I thankfully got a quick pic before the rain came down!



Hat: Vintage Betmar - found at Curio
Sweater: Liz Claiborne (given a second chance from my mothers closet)
Shoes: Pink Duchess 

I love this sweater, its my 'go-to' grab in the winter.
 I pair it with tights, jeans, and various hats (of course.. only one hat at a time).
 It is very versatile and I am glad I snagged it before it got sent to Goodwill.
  (where I would have ended up buying it)

Out of the box option: I actually got really hot in this sweater once (not today, today my body is like ice) 
and ended up taking my arms out of the sleeves 
and strategically tying it in the back so it was a strapless knit top. 








Wednesday, January 18, 2012

French Tie

Seeing as I go back to school in less than a week
I decided to take advantage of the fact that I have my mother's closet here. 

Today I went into her closet and saw in the way back corner this old French Laundry sheer blouse, tags still attached. 

Seeing as it has probably been there a couple years I gave myself the okay to wear it. 
It was  a little big on me so I only buttoned 3 buttons and then tied up the rest of the shirt. 




Blouse - French Laundry
Boots - Kensie
Leather Clutch - Thrifted
Bracelet - Old Pocket Watch Chain wrapped twice



Something I live by - Sizes don't matter. 
I try on shirts that are all sizes -- I recommend you give it a try, you might be surprised how sometimes a bigger size looks better and makes the top more versatile!


Challenge: Go out of your comfort zone!  I have always wanted to tie my blouses up and do little things that could be seen as 'different' and then I start seeing them in other peoples pictures and realize it is okay to do whatever I want with fashion. So with that being said, when you have an idea give it try and you might love the outcome. 
I will definitely be doing this again with other tops of mine. 

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

New Features

Hey everyone!

So today I woke up with a horrible headache and a bad case of the shivers. So I decided that instead of putting an outfit together and taking pictures of my sickly self to share, I would organize my thoughts for what is to come with 'Moda Élan.'

Some ideas:

Men's Wear Monday
The first Monday of every month will be a collection of men's wear that I have found online or have come across 
(aka I would take pictures of the fashion forward fellas that parade my school.)

Do- It- Yourself
I'm still unsure how I will accomplish do-it-yourself projects in my dorm room,
but I love to do crafts and have been thinking of trying to
 share recipes, make-up tutorials, and other little projects. 

I think there is more to fashion than just the outfit; it is a package deal. 

Pull the outfit together with hair, make-up and a healthy body :)
That is what I plan to show in my DIY posts to come.

Inspiration Days
Days where I might not post an outfit, but rather some looks that have inspired me. 
Either from websites, runways, magazines, or even scenery. 

Possibly an uplifting quote here and there



This was inspiring to me:
 the colors and patterns and all the different textures 
coming together to create a beautiful piece. 



Let me know what you think of these ideas in the comment section below