How do you feel about Marsala as the color of the year?
1.30.2015
Fashion Forward Fridays: Pantone Color of 2015
Well I figured that it was about time that I talk about the Pantone Color of the Year. So for today's Fashion Forward Fridays, here are three ways to wear the color of 2015; Marsala. I'm in love with this color, mostly because it's in the red family, which is one of my favorite colors to wear. This isn't my favorite "color of the year" ever but I'm certainly loving it way more than last year's.
1.28.2015
Chels Wears: Winter Romper
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| Scarf & Leg Warmers: WalMart | Cardigan: Old Navy | Boots: UrbanOG | Romper: Forever 21 | Tights: Target |
I have been on the hunt for a romper for what feels like forever. It's not an easy thing to come by when I'm slightly taller than the average female and have curves for days. My friend Theresa (Hi, Tiny T!) has the perfect frame for rompers and I always get so jealous around spring/summer time when I see her in one. They just seem so care free and can easily be casual or dressy that I have wanted one forever.
Then, without warning, here comes Forever 21 Plus to the rescue. I honestly should have known better and looked here first but just recently found this little number at the Millcreek Mall and am so excited. Obviously, too excited to wait until spring to wear it, so thank you, tights and leg warmers! I probably should have gone a size down because the top half is too big (like show everyone my goods, too big) but nothing a safety pin can't fix, and wearing a scarf over it all day helped keep everything in check. And I'm certain that my butt will always be too big to properly fit into any kind of shorts, so the fact that I actually stayed covered in this is a win for me.
Also, for anyone wondering what is going on with this hat...it's actually Eric's. Which means it's much too big and the wind wasn't helping. Needless to say, I did not end up wearing the hat all day even though I love it so much. I was handmade by my friend Kait. And these pictures were taken a week ago, so by now we have about twice as much snow...joy.
1.27.2015
Learn to Love Me: Part I
There has been a string of bloggers recently filling out "The 36 Questions That Lead to Love" and I thought I would follow along so you all can get to know me even more. Sometimes I like to keep my life private but as a blogger, I feel like the more open I am, the more people realize there is a real person behind the screen. These questions come from the study that says if you answer these questions with another person, you can fall in love with anyone. The questions are in three parts and then the fourth part is that you're supposed to stare into the other person's eyes for four whole minutes! Intense!
Obviously we cannot do the fourth part but over the next week or so, I'll be breaking up the questions for posts. When I worked at Jumonville, we did a similar exercise during staff training and I have to say that the partners I had still hold a special place in my heart, because of the closeness this activity really makes you feel. So let's dive in!
Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
My Seton Hill girls. I've been missing them so much lately and I would give anything to be sitting around a huge circle table in Lowe Dining Hall with all of them again.
Would you like to be famous? In what way?
I don't like how much we pry into the lives of famous people, so no, not really. But I wouldn't mind being remembered for my writing and/or designing.
Before making a telephone call, do you rehearse what you are going to say? Why?
Sometimes, depending on who I'm about to talk to or what needs to be said. Most definitely with phone interviews but not if it's just a casual conversation.
What would constitute the "perfect" day for you?
Oh, man. My favorite kind of days are the ones that I can truly enjoy because I don't have to do anything the next day, so I can just relax and not stress out about what needs done soon. So I guess I need a perfect weekend haha! But the perfect day right now would be one that involves warm weather! Preferably on a boat just lazy river style, with a good book and/or great company.
When did you last sing to yourself? To anyone else?
Myself? All the time. I sing while getting ready, while cooking, when I'm bored, always. To other people? Sort of by accident in a boot camp class last week. Sometimes the music just moves you!
If you were to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you chose?
This probably sounds conceited and shallow, but body. I like the maturity and wit that comes with age, so I'd be okay with being a bit more forgetful but I hate that an aging body slows down even the feistiest people.
Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
Not really. But I (unfortunately) feel like it will be untimely. Hopefully that's just because I'm paranoid.
Name three things you and your partner have in common.
(I'm assuming this means the partner of the activity, but we'll say they mean life partner.) MJ and I are both fiercely independent, introverted-extroverts (yeah, that's a thing) and great judges of character.
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
My education. I'm especially grateful that my mom worked for a college for so long that it allowed me to go to undergrad basically for free, which allowed me to go right into grad school. I wouldn't trade those six years of higher education for anything in the world.
If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
Honestly, nothing. When I was younger, I used to wish that Eric and I had more siblings, but now that we're grown up, I wouldn't change a thing. I think other kids in the family would have kept us from being as close as we were which would be sad.
Tell your life story in as much detail as possible, in four sentences.
I was born and raised in a small town outside of Pittsburgh and led a very active life. I went off to college at Seton Hill University where I earned my BA in New Media Journalism and Communication and where I met my boyfriend, MJ, whom I've been with since 2009. After graduation, I continued my education at Point Park University where I earned my Masters in Public Relations and Advertising, also during that time I was living right in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh and started this blog! In 2014 I started my own greeting card business, Marion Claire Stationery, which has always been a lifelong goal and is named after my grandmothers. (Queen of the run-on sentence right here.)
If you could wake up tomorrow with one quality or ability, what would it be?
Patience with myself. I honestly am so patient with other people (seriously, I'm told almost every day how patient I am), but I wish I could give myself that same patience. I'll give other people way more time than they deserve but then expect me to get results and get things done, like, right now.
Stay tuned for part two!
Fill out these questions yourself in the comments - I'd love to read them!
1.21.2015
5 Reasons Why Your Friend in a LDR is the Perfect Wing-Woman
I've been meaning to write this post for a while now but just recently came up with all the reasons this is true. Every time I'm out with my girls, I feel like I can do no wrong by them and I'm sure other girls in "long distance relationships" will agree with me. So here are five reasons not to leave out your LDR friend, because trust me, she is far different from any of your other friends who are in relationships and certainly will play wing-woman much better than your fellow single friends.
She has free time
This one is obvious. But relationships usually take a lot of face time, that people in long distance relationships are not giving/getting. Not a bad thing, just means that your friend is more accessible to you than others might be. She's able to go out without first seeing if her boyfriend had plans or wanted to do something that night.
You are her priority
This friend is set. She is not (if she's a loyal girlfriend) looking to go out and hook up with someone. She can focus on the guys you are checking out and work that wing-woman magic. She's not there to see how many phone numbers she can get, because there is already one in her phone that is most important to her. You're never competing against this friend for a man's attention while you're out.
She can handle the wing-man
Because she is not there looking for a guy, when you decide on one and his wing-man is there as well, she can divert his attention away from the two of you. (Obviously the point of the "wing-person" anyway.) Although, some guy friends don't realize they are the wing-man, which she can handle as well.
She won't let you be unsafe
Girl knows what's up. She will be there to help make good decisions. She's in a stable relationship, she wants to see you get to that point at some time too. She's going to keep your standards high and not going to let you go home with just anyone, if anyone at all. She's going to keep you safe like your mom would, if your mom were a cool 20-something that liked to go out in the wee hours. This is a good thing. We all need a gentle, mom-like, reminder when we're about to head off into uncharted territory. However, if the guy you've decided on that night happens to be the same guy you've been crushing on for the last three years and she knows he's felt the same about you, she'll live vicariously through you and make future plans happen.
She's happy if you're happy
A night out with a friend, whether it ends in heading home alone or with you to gossip about everyone you met that night, she's happy to have been with you. Life in a long distance relationship is not always easy and you getting her out of the house always helps. Although she'd (secretly) rather have you crash at her place for the night instead of a guy's, if you're happy, she's happy. And she'll make you dish about it all morning over brunch.
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| 50% of the girls in this picture were in a LDR when this photo was taken. Appropriate. |
This one is obvious. But relationships usually take a lot of face time, that people in long distance relationships are not giving/getting. Not a bad thing, just means that your friend is more accessible to you than others might be. She's able to go out without first seeing if her boyfriend had plans or wanted to do something that night.
You are her priority
This friend is set. She is not (if she's a loyal girlfriend) looking to go out and hook up with someone. She can focus on the guys you are checking out and work that wing-woman magic. She's not there to see how many phone numbers she can get, because there is already one in her phone that is most important to her. You're never competing against this friend for a man's attention while you're out.
She can handle the wing-man
Because she is not there looking for a guy, when you decide on one and his wing-man is there as well, she can divert his attention away from the two of you. (Obviously the point of the "wing-person" anyway.) Although, some guy friends don't realize they are the wing-man, which she can handle as well.
She won't let you be unsafe
Girl knows what's up. She will be there to help make good decisions. She's in a stable relationship, she wants to see you get to that point at some time too. She's going to keep your standards high and not going to let you go home with just anyone, if anyone at all. She's going to keep you safe like your mom would, if your mom were a cool 20-something that liked to go out in the wee hours. This is a good thing. We all need a gentle, mom-like, reminder when we're about to head off into uncharted territory. However, if the guy you've decided on that night happens to be the same guy you've been crushing on for the last three years and she knows he's felt the same about you, she'll live vicariously through you and make future plans happen.
She's happy if you're happy
A night out with a friend, whether it ends in heading home alone or with you to gossip about everyone you met that night, she's happy to have been with you. Life in a long distance relationship is not always easy and you getting her out of the house always helps. Although she'd (secretly) rather have you crash at her place for the night instead of a guy's, if you're happy, she's happy. And she'll make you dish about it all morning over brunch.
Where are my fellow LDR ladies?
Anything you have to add to this list?
1.16.2015
Fashion Forward Fridays: Wearing Leggings As Pants
Alright, alright, I know there is much debate on whether or not women should wear leggings as pants. Blah, blah, blah. Personally, I don't care what you're wearing as long as they are not sweat pants or GOD FORBID pajama pants in public. I also know that people are busy (and lazy) and I have been guilty of wearing yoga pants to work just so I could force myself to actually go to the gym afterwards too. So yoga pants, leggings, workout pants, whatever you call them (they are all basically the same) as long as the rest of your outfit is golden, they are all okay in my book.
For today's Fashion Forward Fridays, I've styled the same pair of workout pants in three different ways that you could "get away" with wearing them to places other than the gym. The typical argument about these usually comes down to keeping your butt covered, which with leggings (typically made out of thinner fabric than yoga or workout pants) I get that. But the other two (usually) have a decent kind of fabric that won't let everyone see your whole booty if you bent over. I'm not even going to get into the discussion about whether or not you should wear these for "modesty" reasons either, because I get dressed for me and if my cute butt is too distracting, that is not my issue. I'm distracted by guys who wear nice, fitted suits to work but you don't see me complaining that I cannot get my work done because of it.
I have literally worn these exact outfits before, which is why I know they work and look good. On a side note, if you're going to do the workout pants to work look, proceed with caution. There is a serious debate about these pants even if you haven't heard it, trust me, it's going on. I have worn this exact work look (shown last) to a corporate office before and no one thought twice about it because of the way it was styled. Your nicest workout pants should be the ONLY ones that you consider wearing to work. They should also be plain, no logos or visible patchwork to them and the rest of your look, including hair and makeup, should be polished. Otherwise, be comfortable! That's why we're wearing these pants after all, isn't it!?
For today's Fashion Forward Fridays, I've styled the same pair of workout pants in three different ways that you could "get away" with wearing them to places other than the gym. The typical argument about these usually comes down to keeping your butt covered, which with leggings (typically made out of thinner fabric than yoga or workout pants) I get that. But the other two (usually) have a decent kind of fabric that won't let everyone see your whole booty if you bent over. I'm not even going to get into the discussion about whether or not you should wear these for "modesty" reasons either, because I get dressed for me and if my cute butt is too distracting, that is not my issue. I'm distracted by guys who wear nice, fitted suits to work but you don't see me complaining that I cannot get my work done because of it.
I have literally worn these exact outfits before, which is why I know they work and look good. On a side note, if you're going to do the workout pants to work look, proceed with caution. There is a serious debate about these pants even if you haven't heard it, trust me, it's going on. I have worn this exact work look (shown last) to a corporate office before and no one thought twice about it because of the way it was styled. Your nicest workout pants should be the ONLY ones that you consider wearing to work. They should also be plain, no logos or visible patchwork to them and the rest of your look, including hair and makeup, should be polished. Otherwise, be comfortable! That's why we're wearing these pants after all, isn't it!?
Which look is your favorite?
1.14.2015
Chels Wears: Skirts in the Snow
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| Skirt: Thrift Shop | Shoes: Kmart | Shirt: JCPenney | Jacket: Deb | Scarf: WalMart |
This is the first time this skirt has ever made an appearance. Well, that's not totally true. I got it at a thrift shop back home over a year ago and it (along with one other) have been hanging in my closet waiting to be worn by me since. I'm just not normally a midi skirt kind of person. I'm usually maxi or mini so this length has been a weird one for me to decide to wear. But I'm thinking I like it! I'll have to pull out that other thrift shop skirt that I got with this one because I'm really liking this look and I really am surprised by that. I wore this on Sunday to church. I really only decided to go with this skirt at the last minute because I didn't feel like wearing tights and didn't want to wear a maxi. (I always wear a skirt or dress to church, I feel weird when I don't.) So this skirt was the winner...long enough to not really need tights and short enough to not be considered a maxi. Maybe it's time to embrace the midi?
What's your favorite skirt length?
1.13.2015
Workin' On My Fitness Playlist
MJ and I have decided this year we are getting our shit together! We have both put on those "relationship pounds" and now that we are both out of grad school and have pretty normal routines, we have no excuses. We both joined gyms, are drinking more water (I gave up pop completely) and are paying attention to what we eat. I would never say to lose weight for a man, but if your man is going to be losing weight...you better be beating him at that game. So, MJ...try to keep up ;) Here's a list of my favorite work out songs and some new ones I've fallen in love with. Hoping they motivate you and get you moving too!
Old Favorites
New Loves
What songs get you moving?
1.07.2015
Chels Wears: Summer Favorites In Winter
Don't try this out of home...I've been working from home a lot recently, which means that I tend to not worry about the weather and dress how I feel like it. Which explains why yesterday I thought this outfit would be a great idea. All of these pieces are very thin and wouldn't be considered winter attire, but I really liked the combo together so I ventured out in the snow to take these pictures. This would be the perfect outfit for early fall, but middle of winter? No sir! And since my brother is my photographer and he (although properly dressed for winter) did not want to be standing outside, we had to be quick about these. Certainly not the coldest we've done outfit photos in, but this is the least amount of layers I've worn before. Things you do to get back into the blog groove.
1.06.2015
Chelsea Lately: So This Is The New Year
I really dropped the ball on blogging in December and I'm trying not to let that roll into the new year, so let's get all caught up! I have a lot of big plans for my business and this blog this year and there is no time like the present, right?
Listening: 1000 forms of fear by Sia on vinyl! Because my brother is awesome and got it for me for Christmas!
Eating: Leftovers. Yuck, I'm over having leftovers from the holidays in our fridge. Someone please come over and eat the rest of this ham.
Wanting to buy: At the moment, I'm all shopped out. Holidays do that to you!
Reading: Nothing at the moment, which is weird, but I've just been in a funk recently with getting into books. Recommend me a good one so I can get back in the grove!
Watching: The Walking Dead. I am obsessed. I said that I would never watch this show because I'm not a fan of zombies but so many friends have talked me into watching it. Around Thanksgiving I started (thanks to Family Video having seasons 1-4 on DVD) and just finished up watching the first half of season five online so I am all caught up and pumped for it to be back on TV in February. I have a total crush on Daryl Dixon (mostly because I love Norman Reedus already) he's such a badass and if he even gets killed off, I quit.
Drinking: No pop! (Or soda for those of you who are reading from somewhere other than Pittsburgh.) Eric and I gave up drinking pop and we've been doing pretty good at it since the beginning of November.
Wearing: Christmas presents! I love getting gift cards for presents. I know a lot of people hate it because they think it's a cop-out gift, but there is no greater gift to me than a shopping trip.
Losing Sleep Over: What my next step needs to be. I've been in Erie for a year now and I feel like it's time to either strive for something really great here or move again (which I actually don't feel like doing just yet). But I've been trying to leave it up to God, not stress about it and just roll with the opportunities in front of me. We'll see what happens!
Loving: Life. Even when it's not ideal.
Excited About: The possibilities that 2015 brings.
Thankful For: Memories of a sweet friend. Wishing she knew how precious she was.
Listening: 1000 forms of fear by Sia on vinyl! Because my brother is awesome and got it for me for Christmas!
Eating: Leftovers. Yuck, I'm over having leftovers from the holidays in our fridge. Someone please come over and eat the rest of this ham.
Wanting to buy: At the moment, I'm all shopped out. Holidays do that to you!
Reading: Nothing at the moment, which is weird, but I've just been in a funk recently with getting into books. Recommend me a good one so I can get back in the grove!
Watching: The Walking Dead. I am obsessed. I said that I would never watch this show because I'm not a fan of zombies but so many friends have talked me into watching it. Around Thanksgiving I started (thanks to Family Video having seasons 1-4 on DVD) and just finished up watching the first half of season five online so I am all caught up and pumped for it to be back on TV in February. I have a total crush on Daryl Dixon (mostly because I love Norman Reedus already) he's such a badass and if he even gets killed off, I quit.
Drinking: No pop! (Or soda for those of you who are reading from somewhere other than Pittsburgh.) Eric and I gave up drinking pop and we've been doing pretty good at it since the beginning of November.
Wearing: Christmas presents! I love getting gift cards for presents. I know a lot of people hate it because they think it's a cop-out gift, but there is no greater gift to me than a shopping trip.
Losing Sleep Over: What my next step needs to be. I've been in Erie for a year now and I feel like it's time to either strive for something really great here or move again (which I actually don't feel like doing just yet). But I've been trying to leave it up to God, not stress about it and just roll with the opportunities in front of me. We'll see what happens!
Loving: Life. Even when it's not ideal.
Excited About: The possibilities that 2015 brings.
Thankful For: Memories of a sweet friend. Wishing she knew how precious she was.
What have you been up to recently?
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