DESERT GETUP:

Dressing for the desert in the middle of winter

is actually not as hard as it seems...

Can you spot the photobomber?

I expected the weather in the desert during Christmas time to be, well, quite cold. However, it was completely the opposite--I mean the sun was out and it was peaking over 80 degrees! As I checked the weather app on my phone (as I always do when packing for trips out of town) I realized it would be easy to pack since I did not require many of articles of clothing to layer. It would be like summer all over again. Of course, I would be lying if I didn't say the heat was a bit disappointing. It's winter! I think SoCal deserved some cold, hand-rubbing, coat-wearing weather, no?

With the weather forecast in mind, I decided to wear this outfit to the national park: I added the denim shirt around my waist as an ode to the winter weather that could have been. Also, it would have come in handy if, IF, the weather decided to change and drop in temperature.

Oh, and Happy New Year! 

OUTFIT:

-Striped Shirt--American Apparel

-Denim Shirt--Secondhand

-Shorts--Korea

-Boots--Dr. Martens 1460

-Sunglasses--Forever21

-Earrings--Forever21

Writing up those resolutions, 

Rachel

FEELIN' PUGGY:

I didn't choose the pug life, the pug life chose me...

hannah banana

lizzy's beautiful head/hair/back

The weather this past week has been so, so lovely--just the right amount of sun and chill. The winters in Southern California don't experience much snowfall (actually none at all), but we do get a crisp atmosphere and an opportunity to head over to the beach without fear of freezing--and that's exactly what I did.

Being the poor, broke college students that we are, my friends and I decided to visit one of our favorite stores, Heavenly Couture, to see if there were any good articles of clothing on sale. Everything inside costs $16 and under--hence, the reason it is one of our favorite places to shop. (Perfect for those on a budget!) I didn't end up buying anything, but my friend, Hannah, purchased two items she thought would be good additions to her closet.

We then visited the beach and took some pictures of the scenery and each other before driving to Rita's Italian Ice to get some delish dessert--the custard ice cream is amazing!

Moving on to the meaning of today's title... Now, some of you readers may be thinking, "is this girl for real? that is one ridiculous shirt" but this only means you have underestimated the immense cuteness that the pug face entails. If you need some persuading, watch this pug video:

Don't tell me that didn't make you smile or say, "awww.."

Because of the sunny, yet slightly breezy weather near the beach, I paired this pug shirt (which I bought for only $5 at Urban Outfitters--talk about a steal) with a skirt and a belt for some structure, as well as a knitted, short-sleeved cardigan to give that "wintery" look. Of course, I wore my barely broken in Dr. Martens to pull the entire look together. 

I hope ya'll have been having a great winter break so far! Stay warm and keep it real.

Outfit:

-Pug Shirt--Urban Outfitters

-Knit Cardigan--Forever21

-Circle Skirt--Cotton On

-Boots--Dr. Martens 1460

-Belt--Anthropologie

-Necklace--Mom's Closet

-Sunglasses--Vendor Fair @ UCSD

Getting ready for Christmas day,

Rachel

3 SKIRTS, 3 DAYS:

I'm a skirt rather than jeans type of gal...

The weather has become increasingly chilly these days and living next to the beach has only amplified any form of cold in the atmosphere (ie- the air is extremely frosty and the wind is like ice on my face). Of course, it's probably not as bad as it is in the East Coast where thick, fur-lined coats and gloves are a necessity. Thus, it was only natural for me to gravitate towards my section of skirts in my ever-so-tiny dorm closet--if anyone knows me, I'm a girl who would wear skirts and dresses 24/7 rather than jeans. 

As I am slowly gaining that Freshman 15 (myth/fact that claims students in college gain 15+ lbs in their first year), my jeans are becoming more tight and the struggle to pull and close them around my waist has become a battle far too exasperating to participate in, especially when I am running late for class.

With that being said, I've compiled three different looks with three of some of my favorite skirts that I have actually worn on three consecutive days (Whew! That was a mouthful). Seriously, if there is any opportunity for me not to wear jeans, I will take it. Keeping the weather in mind, I layered each skirt with toasty long-sleeves, scarves, and jackets as well as a pair of leggings and tights to preserve the heat in my legs and protect them from the wind. My mom always taught me that in order to stay warm, I should always cover up my neck, so I've been using scarves and turtlenecks to my advantage--thanks mom! 

Each outfit was paired with a variety of accessories and my new boots (that still need breaking in T.T). 

I hope this gives you some inspiration for future days in the fall/winter weather! Remember, you can always change up these outfits to fit your style-- add a beanie, wear flats or sneakers, add more layers, etc...

Have a great holiday season and good luck to all taking finals! 

May the curve be ever in your favor~

Outfit #1:

-Studded shirt--PacSun

-Plaid coat--Hand me down

-Black circle skirt--CottonOn

-Tights--Old Navy

-Shoes--Dr. Marten's 1460

Outfit #2:

-Black turtleneck--Forever 21

-Mesh cardigan--Hand me down

-Green tartan skirt--Mom's closet

-Leggings--Cotton On

-Boots--Urban Outfit

Outfit #3:

-Cat Sweater--Choies

-Scarf--Yard Sale (H&M tag)

-Coat--H&M

-Printed skirt--Ann Taylor Loft

-Tights--Old Navy

-Riding boots--Forever 21

Waiting for winter break, 

Rachel 

BLACK SUMMER

The weather here in SoCal is seriously turning bipolar. Just last week, temperatures reached into the 90s, yet the winds have kicked in for an unprecedented chill for the past couple days. What's up with that? Summer is right at our heels and the sun barely manages to keep us warm and sustaining our "California" tan...

So, I've created this outfit set that manages to fit in to the cool, yet somehow sunny weather. This predominately black style allows the such as neon yellow and pastel pink to pop. Plus, the cropped top and the high-waisted skirt flaunts your curves (that may or may not be there; in my case: NOT). The flatforms keep you an inch or two off the ground and the clear-framed sunnies pull the entire ensemble together.

All in all, this look is very easy to pull off even in cooler weathers. Just throw on a black or even white cardigan if you can't embrace the lower temperatures or add on some black tights. 

Happy summer waiting!

Yours truly,

Rachel

BLUE HUES



The weather here in SoCal has been so good to me so far this week. It's cold enough so that I can wear simply a dress and sweater paired with some sneakers and not feel as if my body is going to freeze to death. It also doesn't get so hot that functioning is impossible. The weather is quite...perfect. Which, aside from the stereotypes of Californian weather, is a big surprise especially during the winter season.
On another very different note, I am so, SO glad that I am finally a 2nd-semester SENIOR! I can feel senioritis slowly creeping up on me. But that's ok, since college acceptance letters are coming soon...along with my trip to China this spring! More on that trip later though...

WIWT:

- Dress: H&M

- Sweater: Thrifted

-Necklace: Mom's

- Tights: Old Navy

- Shoes: Jack Parcell for Old Navy

Take some time to visit my other networks~

- Instagram: @rarachel_

- Tumblr
- Pinterest
- Twitter: @rarachel_

Love,

Rachel