Back To School; Organizing Edition

Yes, it's 'the most wonderful time of the year' again (thank you Staples for that connotation), bringing with it the cries of schoolgirls and boys in the 10 cent paper aisle of Target, the mournful teenagers relishing their final days of nocturnal routine, and the ever-present question - where has the summer gone? Now, I can't answer that question for you, but I hope that you had a great time 'losing the summer'. I am very grateful for everything that happened to me this wonderful season, from traveling to my 15th birthday. I don't know about you, but I have mixed feelings about back to school. Of course, I don't want the summer fun to end, but I am seriously thinking that any more of my Netflix and chocolate days might be lethal. I enjoy school, and I love working hard, whether on projects, helping others, sports, or finding the perfect matching bottoms for my gorgeous new top. 

Since this is the case, I think I am about ready to get back into the somehow soothing hecticity (not a word, I am aware) of school life. So, I thought that I might make the hecticity of your school life a little bit calmer. I have thought up some tips to incorporate into your room. Your room? Why? You may ask. Well, if you wake up in your room in the morning, that means its where you start your day. By starting your day with a room full of some of my tips, it might de-hectify (yup, I know) your life a bit more, which is always a useful thing.

Tip #1: Make A Moodboard!

I used a photo frame I found in my house with a back made of glass to make this moodboard, but it doesn't matter what you use. I cut out magazine clippings that A. were inspiring me at the moment, or B. just looked plain cool. I cut out scraps and pieced them together to make quotes that sometimes have two the's in them (whoopsies). I wanted to do this to brighten up my room and keep me motivated for school. If I look at this in the morning, I can start my day with a positive mind.

Tip #2: DIY Your Journals!

I don't know how to use these journals yet, but I was feeling crafty the other day and decided they needed spicing up. So, I used some scrapbook paper from my overflowing collection, added some fun details and favourite quotes, and slapped a whole load of white glue over the top to keep it together and add sheen. Being the notebook queen, I needed to make these personalized, but the question of whether I will ever use these (I'm terrible, I know) still hangs in the air. I will probably keep one in my backpack in case blogspiration strikes or if I ever come up with a genius novel idea.

Tip #3: To-Do Yourself!

from Target

I am a list maker. Packing for camp? Make a list. Shopping trip? Make a list. Homework overload? Make a list. I don't know if they help organize my life, but they sure are therapeutic. I was watching Aspyn Ovard's Get Ready With Me school edition, and she suggested making a to do list right before you leave your house, so you can remember what to do for the day. I love this idea! I think I will honestly use this tip, and I thought it was so great that I would share it with you. Thanks, Aspyn!

And so, that marks the end of this post. I hope this has given you inspiration to de-hectify your life. To end this post off, I have one quote to share with you to bring some light into the often gloomy BTS season.

"A negative mind will never give you a positive life"

Stay positive.

xoxo, G.

London Lusting

A train ride to the awe-inspiring city of London led to the internationally renowned monuments of the London Eye, Big Ben & Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham palace, and of course a chic but suitable outfit.

 

Sweater / River Island

Lace edged top / New Look

Booties / Primark

I could picture the Royal Wedding in my star-glazed eyes

White jeans / Hollister

Necklaces / Primark

WW1 Memorial at London Tower

Monstrous meringues

Purse / the well known Fossil bag

I was ecstatic to visit London for the first time, and had been excitedly planning an outfit worthy enough for this gorgeous city. But unfortunately, the weather did not prevail, and I instead had to wear an outfit that I believe, is still a pretty nice second. My River Island loose-fit sweater was perfect, because it didn't cling to my body when it was too warm but was thick enough to face the winds on the open top double decker. I thought it would be nice to add a hint of girly to an otherwise bland outfit, so put on my New Look lace bottomed camisole. I quite like the look of those lace edged sweaters, and by pairing this top with the sweater I needn't buy one! I made sure the lace stayed subtle by sporting my white jeans. They where comfy, stylish, and (surprisingly) STAIN-FREE THE WHOLE DAY! I wore my simple black boots since they were nice and comfy (again, limited shoe supply here!). Finally, I accessorized with a simple circle pendant and five pearls on necklaces, and of course, the ever-useful Fossil bag (the Primark one broke :(). London was gorgeous and 10x better than anything I could have ever hoped for, and my experience was improved by this ensemble.

 

 

xoxo, G.

Summer to Fall Wishlist

summer to fall wishlist by graciemfashion featuring birkenstock shoes

Fall is my favourite season, and to get into the back-to-school/fall festivities, I figured I should put together a wishlist of some sort, addressing the issue of how to transition your wardrobe from summer to fall.

#1: Plaid Dresses
If you keep to lighter shades of plaid, these dresses can go from beach parties to leaf-strewn sidewalks. I really should invest in a plaid dress, I love the pattern and the versatility.

#2: Plum Lips
This shade can transition to fall perfectly, as it is a classic shade for the season. It also can tone down a bright, summery outfit.

#3: White Sandals
I first fell in love with these whilst reading www.afashionation.blogspot.co.uk. They add such a nice, modern touch to outfits.

#4: Light Perfumes
Heavy, rich, and intense perfumes are not appropriate until the wintertime, really. Keep the transition into the fall happy and light with perfumes to match!

I hope you all enjoyed this kind of post, please tell me on my social media if you want to see more Polyvore posts. Don't forget to follow my polyvore at graciemfashion for more of these sets! I figured I would quickly put this post up to give you a break from the outfit posts. Hope you liked it!

xoxo, G.
 

Duchess For A Day

Venturing out to one of the nations most renowned stately homes called for a pretty spectacular outfit, one might even say duchess-worthy (okay, you know what I mean).

Every house needs some gold windows, right?

Grey top / Gap

Bag / Primark

Envelope skort / New Look

Necklace / Freedom Collection @ Topshop

Booties / Primark
Later ruined by a sprightly mission to find the centre of the
hardest (and muddiest) hedge maze ever

The wind made me look like I have some sort of flat mullet??

Bought this for my room #Iwish

For a day trip out to the home of a very important duke and duchess, I figured I should dress it up a bit. So I kept it simple and classy with a grey top (replacing a white one that had an unfortunate OJ incident), a black skort - it was hitched up higher but then decided to slouch down for picture time, looking REALLY awkward - , some classic heeled booties, and an ornate necklace to add some interest (and relate to that lovely chandelier). I also brought my long cardi for walking around outside, as it was rather windy (hence the strange hair situations). This outfit allowed me to move with both comfort and style around one of the most stylish (but likely not comfortable) stately homes in England.

A Day In The Heights

 The other day we decided to take a little road trip out to Matlock, the town of the Heights of Abraham. Here, we took a cable car up to a spectacular view with stunning caves. I decided that I needed to put some of my new purchases to use, and sported a bohemian dress (but of course added metal and leather - you should know me by now!!), perfect for adventuring in the heights.



Dress / Topshop



 

Purse / Primark



Cuddle with my 2nd favourite pup



Necklaces / Primark



Shoes / Converse (I know, they look bad with the outfit.
Unfortunately I couldn't bring my army of shoes with me traveling)



Strawberry water
Sunnies / Primark (which the annoying cousin in last post broke)
Lipstick / Primark



Sweater / Hollister





My hair decided to do something very interesting today I guess??

For this excursion, I decided to wear my new Topshop dress (found it in the final sale section (no sale), it was the last one and was in my size - it was fate), which is multi patterned and has these cute little pompoms (didn't really think I was one for frilly girly things, but I liked it on this dress). It was rather windy and venturing into the caves got very chilly, so I brought my grey Hollister cardi to keep me warm without it suffocating me. I layered necklaces to get into the boho vibe, but made sure they added some variation of style. And of course, I had to add a little leather and more gold with my new bag, which I've fallen in love with. For shoes (as aforementioned), I decided to not wear the Birks and wore my old Converse, which I know, looks VERY bad. But oh well, you win some you lose some. Overall, the trip was beautiful and I was happy to have experienced it in this ensemble.