Fall Go-To Shoe: Cutout Buckle Booties!

Hey hey, hump day friends! Today is my first career fair of the trip and it's bound to get super cray cray all up in here. But actually. UCSD's claim to fame is having the largest computer science department in the country. It's been overwhelming and awesome to see SO MANY students that are passionate about computer science. I'm trying to meet as many as I can before I have to leave tonight to catch Harvey Mudd's Career fair tomorrow.

Comfortable shoes are MANDATORY on career fair days. Well, they're mandatory in general for recruiting season but especially for those marathon meet and greet sessions where you're going to be on your feet for 4+ hours straight. For this trip, I've brought my trusty birks and my latest obsession, the Seychelles Haywire Bootie. Ever since I saw them on Katrina's blog, I KNEW I needed to have these. I also love how she styled them in her most recent post. In addition to being perfect for fall, they are delightfully comfortable! YAS YAS YAS. So many wins all around!

Alright y'all, it is GAME TIME. I'll see you in a few days! Good luck with whatever you have on your plates for the rest of the week!

Longline Linen Dress Forever 21, exact
Watercolor Floral Square Scarf Urban Outfitters, exact
Zippered Ankle Leggings Forever 21, similar
Haywire Bootie Seychelles, in black, in brown

Here are a couple more cute bootie options that are relatively wallet friendly!

$34.90 | $32.90 | $37.90 | $37.90

Wrapped in Fall

Hello, Friday Friends! This week went by a bit too quickly for me. I know, what am I saying?! The weekend got here lightning fast and I'm complaining? Well, this is it- the countdown to my crazy recruiting travel season is coming to an end and soon it's going to actually be HAPPENING. One thing I've been struggling with as I've been anticipating this time of the year is never feeling ready. No matter how well I've carefully prepared, there are so many balls up in the air that it feels like they're definitely going to come crashing down on me eventually. Now logically, these are irrational fears. Really the worst that can happen is Papa John's doesn't show up with pizza, my boxes full of cheap, plastic swag doesn't show up for a career fair or nobody shows up to my presentation. At the end of the day, nobody's life is going to be ruined and I just need to stop worrying, but that is much easier said than done, isn't it? PERSPECTIVE :) Don't get me wrong- I'm definitely obsessed with my job and I'm pretty sure I was born to be a tech recruiter, but a healthy amount of self doubt keeps a girl like me in check, you know? And seriously lucky for me that I have the best coworkers, the best bae and the best friends to keep me sane.

Another thing that's been keeping me grounded over these last couple of days is setting aside pockets of time to participate in activities that fuel my creativity outside of work aka fashion and blog things. On Wednesday I had lunch with a group of super fab bloggers who are also in technology. Dona and Beth, who run a ridiculously awesome blog called Fibonacci Sequins, gathered a group including Katrina, Hector, and Dara together to share our stories. You know that piece of advice, surround yourself with people that inspire you- that's a real thing y'all! I left that lunch feeling extra energized and excited. It's similar to when I meet up with Kat, Niky, Nini or Hector to take a break and do outfit shots. We're doing something productive but completely outside our day-to-day work activities. Not to mention, it feels wonderful to have a check-in with a friend that cares about you. Basically, free therapy session :) I always return to my desk ready to get back at it.

Lol, I didn't realize this would serve as a mini life update when I started writing it, but that's how these things go. How are you guys holding up? As I hit the road, I'm hoping to regularly check in here on the blog, but no promises! It's about go down :)

Faux Fur Vest Forever 21, exact (I think!!)
Wrap Cardigan Forever 21, similar
Best Black Pants Betabrand, exact
Haywire Bootie Seychelles, in black, in brown

Easy Combo: Faux Fur + Printed Long Sleeve Dress

Happy hump day :) I'm back today with my favorite faux fur combo! The first time I saw a fur vest paired with a pretty, printed, long-sleeved dress, I started seriously considering buying one of my own. Suddenly, faux fur seemed like the perfect way to top off any fall ensemble. If you get one in a neutral color, they're a great way to balance out a bold print. I know, faux fur anything being used to "tone down" an outfit? Seems counterintuitive, but it works!

I picked up this lovely dress in late August, just as fall items were hitting stores. The rich color and printed leaves scream fall to me, but the cut of the dress is still summer. Nothing a black turtleneck can't fix :) Adding dark, neutral turtlenecks underneath sleeveless dresses is my secret for transitioning half of my closet to fall and even winter.

Do I have you convinced on faux fur, yet?! :)

Now, to feed my online shopping addiction, here are eight pretty things that would pair well with any neutral faux fur piece. Enjoy!

$17.90 | $27.80 | $24.90 | $27.80


15.90 | $24.90 | $24.80 | $15.90

Bold Fall Basic: Faux Fur Vest

Hiiiiiii movers and shakers! Checking in from the comfort of my own couch today :) I'm taking a break from work to get my blog on. And yes- it is currently 8:30 PM in the evening. I've been at it for 12 hours now but I #cantstopwontstop because it's balls to the walls season. I've decided that I need to do a dedicated post about what it's like to do my job- my day-to-do over the course of the year, what I love, what I worry about, my survival strategy for staying sane, etc. I'll save it for when busy season is over but if you have anything that you're super curious about, please let me know! I'd love to roll it into my post.

Any. Who. I have dubbed this week faux fur vest week! Each post this week will feature a different outfit with the same vest. Something I've learned to sincerely appreciate over this past year and especially this season is the wearability of an article of clothing. You've paid good money for your clothing. You should claim the full value of it by wearing it as much as you can! I am the first to admit that I have been guilty of countless one-time-wear wonders. As someone who loves statement dresses and makes bold clothing choices, it's an easy trap to fall into. I'm not saying that I'm going to shy away from those crazy closet choices, but I want to be more thoughtful of how much use I can get out of something before I throw my hard earned cash down.

Which brings me to my case study of the week- the faux fur vest. Probably falls into the category of crazy closet choices, no? :) Real talk, I was NOT DOWN with this trend when it broke out on the scene two-ish years ago. I thought they were a bit tacky and I never found one that I thought came in a nice material. Eventually, I warmed to the idea when I came across this neutral piece last season. For my intro outfit, I've kept things very basic. My favorite chambray, some yoga leggings, lace up booties and a simple accessory makes for a very comfortable and effortlessly stylish early fall day! Are you finding yourself warming up to the idea of a faux fur vest too?

The vest I'm wearing is from last season. I'm pretty sure the second vest pictured below is the exact vest! I'm really digging these other three styles but I think 1 faux fur vest is enough for my closet...for now :) Each of these vests also comes in an additional color, so make sure to check 'em out!



$32.90 | $44.90 | $42.90 | $59.90

The Color of Friendship

A happy hello from home, my friends! I spent the first part of this week recruiting at Harvey Mudd and running around Disneyland with my bfferboo, Kasey. I got to meet some pretty stellar kids and enjoy the warm, California sunshine but I can't lie; it feels so good to be home. Being on the road is a core part of my job and I love meeting super awesome students in person, but it's hard being away from bae, my own bed, my whole closet and my friends. I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of this week and the next at home and in the office!

Today, I'm showing off one of the loveliest gifts I have ever received! Hector brought home this phenomenally gorgeous, hand crafted rainbow poncho from an artisan in his homeland of Mexico. Hector always goes out of his way to make time in his busy schedule to catch up with me when we're both home and the last time we met up, he surprised me with this! Typically, I'm the person in my relationships that schedules all of the meetups. It's just what you do when you're an ESFJ. I don't mind it, but it really means so much when that particular action is reciprocated. Basically what I'm saying is, I love you, Hector!

Back to the outfit :) The best part was the poncho perfectly complimented what I was already wearing and actually elevated the entire look altogether. This is something I would never think to buy for myself, but doesn't this just scream Kim?! Talk about some serious gift giving skillz. I can't wait to experiment with this piece more. It seems to have this unexpected way of going with just about everything, especially since I've been on such a basics vibe this season.

Alright, loves. That's what I got for you for now! See you soon!

Dolman Shift Dress Forever 21, exact
Haywire Bootie Seychelles, in black, in brown
Handmade Rainbow Poncho Gifted with love by Hector

The New Bodycon

Happy Friday, Downtown Lovers! WE MADE IT! YAS!!!!!! I'm getting a proper weekend this time around and am so stoked to be at the end of this week. One of my favorite friends is in town and bae and I are gearing up to hit the Seattle night life for a change of pace. We're more of a "FIFA/Netflix and chill" kind of couple, but it's fun to have an excuse to shake it up :) I'm also hitting up Fashion First Seattle with my girl Nini tonight. Thanks for the tickets, Sydney! It's my first fashion show so I'm pretty hyped :)

I wanted to kick off the weekend with one of my favorite Friday outfits. I've been emphasizing layering in my last couple of posts and although I will continue to build layer upon layer of epic fabric as temperatures drop, it's nice to take advantage of warmer fall days by keeping the layers light (or nonexistent in this case). Especially when you have fall staple pieces that can hold their own. I am obsessed with this tulip bodycon dress from my fall haul. I've already picked it up in the second color, maroon. For $17.90, I really couldn't resist. The fit is perfect. Fitted but not too snug. A hug rather than a squeeze :D Y'all know what I'm sayin'.

I've been super obsessed with layered necklaces since the end of summer. It'll be fun when statement pieces come back closer to the holiday season, but for now I'm really digging the simple, classic looks that are currently on trend. My favorite lace up platforms and a bag from Nepal that my mother gave me to me complete the look! That's all I got for you now, folks! Hope you guys have super rad weekends. I'll catch you next week!

Tulip Bodycon Dress Forever 21, exact
Lace Up Platform Booties DSW, similar (love these!)
Tassle Necklace Forever 21, similar
Layered Faux Stone Necklace Forever 21, exact, I like this one too

Summer to Fall Transition: The Long Line Layering Vest

Hello loves! I am currently in transit from Detroit to Seattle. I cannot properly express how excited I am to be on my way home. Although, I am going to fiercely miss Penn State for sure. This last week has been so ridiculously busy and so wildly wonderful at the same time. I spent Tuesday - Friday last week on campus (including travel days), and then flew home to be a photomaid in my best friend's wedding. Yea, you heard that right. Photomaid = Photographer + Bridesmaid. Headed back out on Sunday for events on Monday and Tuesday and now returning home for a few days before I head down to socal this weekend. We met hundreds of students during our week here, running through more than 50 large pizzas and consuming so many cups of boba. I pulled two all nighters to stay on top of email and ate a grilled sticky every single day. I had so much fun hanging with my team of alumni and am so grateful for all of their help getting through this week. I loved being able to spend so much time with students and even though I got a bit of a head cold at the end, it was totally worth it to be able to connect with so many individuals.

That's a bit of an update of what my life looks like right now. It doesn't leave a whole lot of time for blogging, but I'm stealing this time before I board for myself!! Today I'm sharing a combo courtesy of my fall haul. This long line vest has been unbelievably versatile. It's a great layering piece for EVERYTHING (thanks for the find, Niky!). My favorite pairing at the moment is with my forest green loose a-line. I feel so cool and casual moving around in these pieces. And the best part is, this outfit was truly effortless to throw together. I love those pieces that "top off" an outfit. This vest is able to turn simple pieces into a chic, pulled together look. It has been absolutely indispensable for me when I want to look a little extra amaze but am running low on time.

Ah, it looks like I'll be the very last to board this flight! Gotta run, but can't wait to catch you guys on the flip side.

Classic Fit & Flare Dress Forever 21, exact
Long Lined Vest Forever 21, in-stores only
Buckled Booties Forever 21, similar (love these!)

Here's a selection of long line vests to help you get started with that fall transition! I've picked up the black one in-stores and I can't wait to style it for the blog. Totally one of those, WTF on the hanger but OMG on my body pieces :)



$34.90 | $29.90 | $32.90 | $29.90