Dance the Night Away: Esperanza

My university celebrated its centennial this past weekend (that's 100 years of us being awesome!), and what better way to close out the festivities than with a huge party?

The dance was in a special tent outside the Sallyport (above). Basically, the administration commissioned this million dollar party tent just for us! (So that's where my tuition money is going...)

The night started out pretty rockily, actually. As soon as I got into line for the dance, I noticed that the other girls were all mostly wearing short cocktail dresses, which made me nervous. I started wondering if I should've worn a sparkly cocktail dress...

Maybe I should've been wearing something like this?

1:// Lauren Ralph Lauren boatneck dress  2:// Forever 21 metallic dress  3:// Tadashi Shoji lace overlay dress

I also noticed people turning to look at me, which made me even more anxious. I panicked and pulled on my date's hand, saying,

"I don't want to go to the dance anymore."

I know this might be an overreaction, but I didn't realize how much it would bother me to have everyone look me up and down, judge me, and poke their neighbor to stare at me also. It brought back bad memories of high school when some girls would laugh and make fun of what I was wearing.

Cupcakes, however, will always love me no matter what I'm wearing

I tried to convince myself that these other students in line weren't making fun of me, but I was still embarrassed at the attention---until my date told me that I looked beautiful and that I shouldn't worry. So we soldiered on and entered the tent.

And I'm so glad I did!

The Centennial Committee had done an amazing job planning and executing the event. There was an overhead camera roving around that projected scenes of the party to four giant screens on the walls. These screens even had a section dedicated to twitter updates about the party.

When you got hungry, you could snack on some dumplings in these cute take-out boxes. There were also food trucks outside for people who needed cheese fries (me).

And of course, one of the biggest draws of the night was the fact that Samantha Ronson was DJ-ing for us!

I had a great time meeting up with friends. There were also a few alumni at the party that I hadn't seen in a while, and I was glad they came back to visit. After all, this event only happens once a century...

I'm so thankful I had an understanding date who made sure I had a good time and talked me out of skipping the dance. Ultimately, I'm proud that I could pull off this dress and overcome any bad memories of high school dances and the drama that went with them.

Thanks for reading!

Brittney

Daily Inspiration 10/12/12

When I first decided to start blogging, I asked myself: what would make my blog stand out? What new perspective could I bring to the blogosphere? It seems like nowadays, everyone has a website. I needed to add my personal touch, somehow. So I decided to follow my life mantra...

"Be inspired and inspire others."

So every Friday, I'm going to show you what's inspiring me and give you a glimpse into the items and ideas that light a spark in my current state of mind.

1: Asos Spider Jewel & Spike Necklace // 2: Topshop Deco Clamp Bracelet // 3: Alexander McQueen Unicorn Skull Clutch // 4: Zara statement collar // 5: Topshop peplum blouse (sold out, similar here) // 6: Forever 21 metallic trim booties

Current Fashion Inspiration

Items of Note:

1: Asos Spider Jewel & Spike Necklace

This is the only piece of jewelry you will need this season. It has everything: spiders, jewels, spikes, beads, gold, glam, kitchen sink. Good thing it's so versatile and eye-catching, because the price tag is one month of food for a hungry college student like me.

4: Zara statement collar

The statement collar trend is still going strong and it's easy to see why. There are so many ways to wear a collar---just throw it on over a sweater or t-shirt and you have a whole new look. I'll be posting about this trend later on, so look out for that!

5: Topshop peplum blouse (sold out, similar here)

Peplum is perfect for fall---the flare of the hem will make you look skinny and curvy in all the right places. There are plenty of inexpensive peplum tops at H&M (click to shop) and ZARA (click to shop) as well.

1: Book: Outliers // 2: Music: Take You Higher (Radio Edit) by Goodwill Hook n Sling // 3: Jasmine Tea // 4: Starbucks pumpkin spice latte // 5: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 // 6: (bottom picture) The Secret of Kells

Daily Life Inspiration
Items of Note:

1: Book: Outliers

How high of an IQ do you really need? Why are Asians so good at math? This book explores why geniuses find success, how "outliers" (aka really awesome people) get that way. An eye-opener.

2: Music: Take You Higher (Radio Edit) by Goodwill Hook n Sling

I listen to this as my airplane takes off (very fittingly, I like to think). Equal parts mellow, pop, and gorgeousness.

6: The Secret of Kells

I watched this movie last night and it is beautiful. This animated movie was apparently nominated for an Academy Award in 2010. There were some moments when I gasped at how wonderful the animation was. The story is also heart-warming and haunting. You should watch this if you're in the mood for something different and enchanting.

Hopefully these items will also inspire you as you wrap up your work week and move into the weekend!

Thanks for reading,
<3 Brittney 

DIY Isabel Marant Silver Wedge Sneakers

Hey guys! Check out my new shoes!

Ever since I saw a picture of the walking disco-balls that are the Isabel Marant silver wedge sneakers, I knew I had to have a pair just like them. I knew that I couldn't possibly afford the original $600+ shoes, not without eating ramen for the rest of my college career.

Look upon me and despair... Isabel Marant Fall 2012

Enter...Love Culture!

Love Culture Velcro Wedge Sneakers

While perusing LoveCulture one day, a pair of these wedge sneakers caught my attention. While they are not the most attractive of color combinations, I suddenly had a burst of inspiration: I would DIY my way to mirrored heeled sneakers and get Isabel Marant sneaker wedges for cheap. These Love Culture kicks only cost $30, and after buying a few cans of spray paint at Walmart, I got to work making my own version of the high-end shoes.

I grabbed a pile of campus newspapers and spread them around the porch to protect the floor. It's not like anyone reads our campus newspaper anyway...and I say that out of love, because I used to write for it.

I recommend using gloves so that the particles from the spray don't stain your fingers. If you do get some on your hands, however, you can use make-up remover and cooking oil to get the paint off.

Using masking tape, I taped the edges of the shoe near the sole, and the top of the sneaker where my feet would go (I didn't want spray paint inside the shoe, basically). I also used some tape to cover the velcro parts so they wouldn't get unsticky.

I didn't think to take pics of this DIY before I painted...so I'm showing you on the completed shoe, but you should get the idea.

Then I sprayed two layers of the silver paint and finished with the clear paint. I let the shoes dry for 48 hours, and added another clear coating for good measure.

And voila! Here are the shoes after a day of wear. You can see a little crease on the left where the paint has rubbed off, which devastated me until I read this blog post. Apparently, all spray-painted shoes are prone to creasing.

Overall, I think this DIY went well; they don't look exactly like the inspiration piece, but they are quite similar to the Isabel Marant sneakers. I might repaint the corner later, but for ~$35 dollars, I made a wicked-looking pair of shoes that I can't wait to wear again! I got so many compliments and stares today, and I can't wait to do another creative project soon.

Thanks for reading,

Don't forget to check me out on Lookbook!

Best,
Brittney

A Day of Firsts

Welcome to my blog! Not only did I finally venture into the world of personal blogging today, I also submitted a look to the awesome mecca of fashion inspiration---Lookbook.nu! So you can say it has already been an exciting day.

But there were also lots more "firsts" today...

It was the first time I had taken photos in the park! I don't know why I didn't do this before, since fashion bloggers are always interacting with nature in their outfit posts, staring off into the waves, looking forlornly at a tree, staring off into the woods, looking forlornly down at the grass etc...

So I took their cue and recruited a friend to help me take some outfit of the day (OOTD) photos. I thought this process would take no more than 10 minutes, especially since I don't have a fancy camera to mess with.

Long story short, there is more to this fashion blogging thing than what meets the eye and it took several rounds of bad photos (above) and adjustments to satisfy me.

My friend T was nice enough to model a few times so I could get the settings right. 

And the above is an accidental and very unflattering picture of me.

Another "first" that I'm not proud of is that today was the first time I stole another fashion blogger's prop. There was another couple posing in the park near us, and they had noticed a big rock that they wanted to get a picture with. Well, I also thought the rock was very visually interesting, so when they started walking toward it, I dashed over and planted myself on it.

The couple left the area, leaving me to wallow in my shame...and to top it off, the pics we got on the rock weren't that good, so I didn't include them in my lookbook post.

How are you supposed to sit on this thing?

After a long afternoon of experimenting with my first fashion shoot, I have new respect for fashion bloggers who do this every day. I leave you with one more photo, of me staring off forlornly into the distance....

Best,

Brittney <3