Chelsea Lately: A Much Needed Update

Hi everyone! Wow. It has been quite the long break from blogging. So sorry to leave you guys hanging, but sometimes you just have to put your "real life" first, and since my last post, that was much needed. Since my last post, I was a bridesmaid in my two best friends' wedding, ran a sports camp at Jumonville for a week with my brother, I turned 25 (!!!) and went to my first craft show for Marion Claire Stationery and opened shop online! So a lot of great stuff has happened, but a lot of great stuff is making it's way onto the blog too. So here's a little catch-up!

Listening: Sylvan Esso. My brother introduced me to them a while ago and now I cannot get enough.

Eating: Nothing inspiring. I need to get back on my cooking game.

Wanting to buy: A new bike! This cruiser to be exact.

Reading: Catching Fire. I promised myself (and others who peer pressured me) to finish the Hunger Games series this summer and it's been taking me a while to actually dig into this second book but I'm truckin' through.

Watching: Every movie on the Family Video new release list. Last night it was Under the Skin...which still has me thinking about it.

Admiring: Samantha, the owner of Broke Little Rich Girl. I'm so excited to hear about her success with the fashion truck and now she's opening a boutique in Lawrenceville and I'm so so happy for her for making her dreams come true and wish her all the best!

Drinking: Coffee and water. I'm trying to let go of pop and mom got me a Keurig for my birthday so more coffee than normal is in my diet.

Wearing: Shorts!! I am usually not a fan, but somehow my legs got tan this summer and I found some really cute ones at Walmart that aren't totally annoying with my chubby thighs. 

Losing sleep over: Nothing. 

Loving: Seeing my kitten chase a fly around the house right now. I hope she catches it though...and kills it.

Excited about: MJ to move north for good! He recently got a job at Edinboro and will be moving to Erie soon and I really cannot wait to live so close to him again! 

Thankful for: Summer living.

What have you all been up to!?

Fashion Forward Fridays: Wearing the Mocking Jay

So since wearing my Mocking Jay & Pop of Red outfit, I've become obsessed with styling other outfits around the mocking jay pin. It just so easily brings an outfit together and adds just enough of that special something to each look. Here are three looks I created in Polyvore for how you could style the mocking jay pin. And whether you're a die-hard Hunger Games fan, or just like the look of this pin (like me), I'm sure you can appreciate how this little piece can bring an outfit to life.

This first look, the Casual Mocking Jay, is probably the one that someone would most likely wear. With this look you could either put the pin on a top layer of your scarf or near your shoulder on you actual sweater. With this look, while it is simple, I think the pin brings just the right amount of bling to an otherwise jewel-less outfit.

The Dressy Mocking Jay look is very minimalistic so that the pin could be a center piece so to speak. I love when I see women in just a plain dress and let their accessories do the talking, and this is what I wanted to accomplish with designing this dressy look. I love the way that pin is out on display and really, no other jewelry is needed to complete this outfit.

The final look, my Capitol Inspired look, is probably not likely to be seen in an everyday occurrence. But I love color and couldn't keep myself from creating a look inspired by the fabulous fashion from the movies. While I went without a headpiece, (which seems to be a priority for the women in the movies) I looked for one that wouldn't look too weird, it just didn't happen. Instead, I went with interestingly structured pieces with bold colors. I actually really love this look and just wish I had something fun to wear it to without looking too fashion forward.

Which is your favorite mocking jay pin look? How would you style this versatile pin?

Chels Wears: Mockingjay & Pop of Red

Mockingjay pin: WalMart | Ring: Charlotte Russe | White blouse & wedges: Kmart | Red skinny jeans: delia's

Versions of this outfit are my go-to looks for winter. I got this sweater freshman year of college for Christmas (so I don't have a clue where it's from) and didn't really consider liking it until about a year later. See, sometimes it's okay to let things you're not sure about sit in your closet for a little bit! I now love this sweater and probably wear it during the winter months more than I should, but now that the Aztec prints are on trend, why not!?

Also, these are currently my favorite shoes, in case you haven't noticed me wearing them in my last outfit post as well - sorry not sorry in advance for how much you'll probably be seeing them in future outfit posts. They are just the perfect wedges and are so comfortable and versatile. And while I usually opt for just a plain t-shirt under this sweater, I thought I'd dress it up a little more by pairing it with this flowy blouse that I scooped up from Kmart. By the way, surprisingly, Kmart has a lot of great clothes right now. I kind of wrote this store off for awhile, but if you haven't been there recently, I suggest you get to your nearest one for some great clothes at seriously low prices. I got these shoes there too!

Oh, and this mocking jay pin. Shut. Up. I love it. I'm not a die-hard Hunger Games fan, I have yet to read the books and I've only seen the first movie, but I do like the story so far (don't ruin it for me!) and think the fashion in the movie is so inspiring and honestly innovative. It's also refreshing to see a young female character kicking some serious butt and not letting people control her, and of course...Jennifer Lawrence. Anyway, when I saw this pin in WalMart and on sale for only a dollar (!!!) I had to have it. And yes, look forward to seeing more mocking jay inspired looks on Friday for Fashion Forward Fridays. What are your go-to items to wear in the winter?

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