Mini Break

I'm coming off of a short but sweet weekend visiting my handsome man and was busy spending time with him rather than write posts for this blog. Just trying to be honest here :) That being said, I'm taking just a couple days' break from blogging so I can get back into the swing of things post-project. (I went full-fledged grocery shopping after class today! It's been too long...) I'll be back very soon, just taking a little blog detox.

In the mean time, catch up on a few of my favorite fall inspired posts from last year...

My DIY Fall Wreath, a fun & colorful Inspired Style post, a muted lilac outfit, and one of my go-to's, a classic black and white ensemble. 

I hope you're having a great fall!

--Caroline

400th Post

Today marks my 400th post on This Styled Life! How exciting! So in a celebration of sorts, I thought I'd do a wrap-up and share some of my favorite posts from 2015 thus far...

I shared some great winter looks, including this Jewel Toned ensemble, and a dressed-up Olive look.

To help you figure out what your style is, I wrote the post Defining Your Personal Style and walked you through the process.

This spring, I had fun with pastels in the posts Pastel & Short Hair and Denim Dreams. (The haircut in that post is the last haircut I had, and I am going next week to get one and cannot wait. My hair is ridiculous right now, because in addition to the shortness she cut it to, it's also a bob and I am dying without layers!)

I have received two Stitch Fix's and shared the contents with you... Stitch Fix Haul #2 and Stitch Fix Haul #3. (Speaking of, I have my 4th Fix coming later this month, so get excited for another post!)

I've shared some details of Kyle's and I becoming engaged in the posts Marry Your Best Friend and Wedding Wednesday: Proposal Pictures. I still cannot believe sometimes that we are getting married in less than a year! I'm excited for the next step we are taking in our lives as a couple.

When I went on my study abroad to Italy, I shared some details of my travels. Some of my favorite places in Italy were Cinque Terre and Lake Como!

I shared some tips on Wedding Venue Hunting, in celebration of Kyle & I getting some wedding planning done.

And most recently, you've read some more decor and design related posts, like this Inspired Style: Tropical Punch post, my collaboration Decorating 101:Starting From Scratch With Invaluable, and the details from my Studio 3 Office Design Project from last semester. 

I'm looking forward to moving forward with some fun content this fall, and continuing to share my crazy life with y'all! I hope you've enjoyed the past 400 posts, and I hope you have a great Thursday.

--Caroline

Back To School

Today is the first day of my final year of college... Man it's been a long & fun ride! Between transferring, taking time off, and now being engaged and ready to start my post-grad life with Kyle {and ending this whole long-distance thing} I am excited to be done! But at the same time I don't want it to go by too fast; I still want to enjoy every last bit of college I can. That being said, I've so enjoyed this past summer, between my study abroad, my wedding planning festivities, and spending some quality time with Kyle. I know I've spent a lot of time away from the blog this summer, but I'm excited to get back into the swing of things and get some new posts up.

Some things to look forward to here on TSL this fall:

-- A tour of my new apartment, along with some tips on how I downsized into a much smaller space!

-- Some great fall outfits... I think I've determined that fall is one of my favorite seasons to style, and I've got some great ideas. Now if only this Florida weather would get with the program and fall came a little sooner! 

-- More recipes; now that I'm an Alpha Phi alum I no longer have a meal plan at the sorority house, which means I'm all on my own with cooking and trying out new recipes. I'm excited! As I write this I just finished a yummy dinner of stuffed bell peppers, and a post about that will be up on the blog the first week of September.

Also, a note about my Wedding Wednesday posts: They will continue, but I've decided to leave out a lot of the details that way Kyle and I can enjoy the process ourselves. Next fall, after the wedding, I'll dive into more of the details. Sound good? I hope so! :)

I'm looking forward to this fall & sharing it with y'all! 

Do you have anything you're looking forward to this season?

--Caroline

Busy, Busy, Busy!

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably noticed that I went on a family trip to Yellowstone this past week. Ever since I got back from my travels in Europe, it seems as though I just keep going, I just keep traveling! I love it, but at the same time living out of a suitcase and a minimal closet is getting old!

Yesterday, Kyle made his way to Colorado for a little vacation, and we have a full week planned of wedding planning! It's hard when we both live in different cities in Florida, but are trying to plan a wedding in Colorado. The mission for this trip is to nail down a venue, date, and make as many decisions as possible while we are both in Colorado.

So I'll be taking a week off from blogging (I know, this is a trend that I don't like) so we can focus on the things we need to do. When I come back, I'll share some of the wedding planning details, tips, my trip to Yellowstone, and more cute outfits! 

See you soon!

--Caroline 

Behind the #OOTD

Today I'm sharing a little Behind-The-Scenes look at a couple of my latest #OOTD's on Instagram, because these outfits were too cute not to go into more detail on! If you don't already follow me on Instagram, then you are missing out my friend. Trust me :)

#OOTD Number 1

This is the outfit I wore to meet my friend for coffee and studying (don't worry, I had a chai tea latte since I gave up coffee for Lent!). The poncho actually didn't make it out the door, because the second I stepped outside I realized I needed a heavier coat, and this poncho didn't quite fit underneath it. Oh well, it happens!

Outfit Details: Old Navy Tee / Kelly & Katie via DSW Poncho / iT! Jeans (similar)

Sperry Topsider Boat Shoes / Premier Designs Jewelry

#OOTD Number 2

I am so in love with this sweater and this outfit that it was the first thing I packed in my suitcase for Colorado! Another reason why Stitch Fix is the best--I probably wouldn't have purchased this on my own, but when it's sent right to you by a personal stylist, it's easier to try something new. Also, the background of this first picture makes me laugh! Berlioz had had a field day the night before, so all his favorite pens & toys are all over my floor. You can also see his tail hiding under a piece of packing paper that came in something I ordered... Gotta love animals!

Outfit Details: Skies Are Blue via Sitch Fix Sweater / Kim & Cami Tunic via Marshalls 

iT! Jeans (similar) / Soft Style Flats / Premier Designs Jewelry

Ready to meet your new personal stylist? Schedule your Stitch Fix today!

I hope you enjoyed this little behind the scenes look, and I hope you have a happy Thursday :)

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

Even though we didn't have class Monday for MLK Day (although being at Cooper Lighting was basically another day of school!) it has been a long week. It feels like I am just eating, sleeping, and breathing design right now, because of how busy this semester is! I actually am out of cotton squares, but have not had time to get any more at the store, so thus my makeup is being removed each night with toilet paper, which falls apart far too easily. Ahh, the life of a design student.... But here is a glimpse into my week!

1. I wore this outfit to stay comfortable while working for long hours doing homework.

2. In my Computer Aided Design class, I built this fun lighting fixture! When things come together like this it's always  so much fun.

3. For a beautiful sunny Florida day, I wore this came-pants look. (It was morning when I took the picture and not yet fully sunny!). 

4. Some of my recent LOFT purchases have made their way to me, and I'm having fun brainstorming for several Valentines-Day inspired looks. I know many people aren't a fan of Valentines Day, but with this year's V-Day marking Kyle's and my 6 year anniversaryI can't help but get a little excited! 

5. On the last day of my studio class this week we had a Peer Critique, to get input from everyone on our projects thus far. I know I hinted to you a couple weeks ago with what my concept was for my space... Inspired by the way the Ancient Egyptians embraced lavish jewels, my concept for our retail design project is the Temple of the Goddess Isis on the island of Philae. The architecture of this beautiful temple is a huge driving factor in my design, and I'm having a lot of fun with this project! First of all it's a jewelry store (need I say more?!) and then I've always been intrigued by the Ancient Egyptian culture. While I'm up to my eyeballs in work, I'm happily up to my eyeballs in work!

Hope you all had a great week! See you back here on Monday! :)

--Caroline

Merry & Bright

I want to extend to you, my beloved readers, wishes of joy, happiness, and love on this beautiful Christmas Day, and for the rest of the holiday season. Thank you for your love and support, and I hope that you and your families have a Merry Christmas!

--Caroline

Like New

As you can tell, my blog got a little makeover yesterday! Adrien over at Adrien Designs has a great eye for style, and if you're a blogger you should definitely check her out. Great service too! :)

In addition to wanting to change up my blog design, there are some other things on my mind right now... 

1) I'm actually kinda sorta really homesick for fall in Colorado. It might be a short season (especially because they've already gotten snow!) but it's still a beautiful time of year to go on a hike. The aspen trees are my favorite part... they light up the skyline like nothing you've ever seen before! Absolutely gorgeous. If you are in Colorado or heading that way soon, check out this list of great fall hikes. (Photo Credit) 2) After coming across this picture of the lovely Carrie Underwood, I think I want a fun floppy fall hat like everyone seems to be rocking! 3) Remember last fall when I dyed my hair darker with red undertones? I'm ready to do it again! Inspired by this photo, changing up my hair color is definitely in the cards very very soon. 

Now, in a perfect world, I'd be wandering around Colorado, with a cute fall hat on my darker red hair. 

Hey, a girl can dream, right?! 

--Caroline

Happy One Year!

I didn't even realize it, but on the 7th of June This Styled Life turned 1! 

It's so crazy to think that a year ago I decided I wanted to join the blogosphere and be a part of fashion-blogger culture. 

While some things haven't quite gone how I've imagined they would, I am so thankful for all my readers! 

Without you I wouldn't have the drive to keep going.

In honor of my blog's birthday, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite posts in the past year...

This post outlines what is still one of my favorite outfits.

My first ever link-up post featured a black maxi dress. 

Love at first... romper! My obsession began here. 

I reflected on turning 21 in this post. 

Reese Witherspoon will always be one of my style icons!

I styled suede booties 3 ways in this post, with photography help from my bro.

I shared some of my picks for healthy beauty products. 

I shared a little love story in this Valentine's Day post. 

Tahitian dreams & casual island style were shared here. 

A minimalistic approach to cleaning out my closet led to this post. 

I wrote about reading & my furniture design project. 

This post was the first in a new series called Inspired Style.

--Caroline

Unrealistic "Beauty" Goals

I'd like to take a break from the fashion & fun part of my blog to talk about something a little more serious: the increasing role the media plays in women judging not only the bodies of others but the bodies of themselves. 

Graphic artist Barbara Kruger was a huge feminist artist of the 1970's and 80's. This is one of her most famous pieces, and one that always sticks out to me when talking about stuff like this. 

Read more about her here. 

This is, by any means, not a new phenomena. The media has been influencing our behaviors and thoughts since the moment it became into existence. I could go on and on about how it affected our perceptions of various immigrant groups to America (I learned all about that last semester in one of my classes!), how it affects our view of gender roles (think 1950's housewife in the kitchen), and many more. But today I will stick to just a couple new things affecting women today: thigh gaps and hand lifts.

THIGH GAPS

(Pinterest)

This is just an absurd and unrealistic fad! To those who aren't familiar with what a thigh gap is, it refers to having a space between your inner thighs near your crotch when you stand with your feet or knees touching. (Wikipedia page & source for my definition here). After becoming famous, it spread like fire on the internet, promoting workouts that would help women attain one, men speaking out about their attractiveness, even the phrase Thinspo, or "Thin-Inspiration". Several things are sad about the thigh gap craze. 1) That women are crazy enough to follow such a self-degrading trend, and 2) that they follow something that is so unattainable for many women. I'm no expert on the structure of the body, but I'm pretty sure that the ability for a thigh gap to occur has many factors involved. What about those with narrow hips? Their thighs are naturally going to be close together! What about athletes or gym junkies? They workout so much that their thighs are larger, and they probably won't have one! 

One day I was having a conversation with a girl and thigh gaps came up. I said something along the lines of that I think they are an unrealistic goal and that I didn't have one and I didn't care to have one, and the girl responded with, "But you're so skinny, you could totally get on really easily!" Yeah, maybe I could. But then again, I am one of those with narrow hips, and I used to be a dancer so my thighs are not huge but they aren't sticks either. Regardless, I have no desire for one! And you shouldn't either. 

My sister Kelly wrote a phenomenal post on her blog Where in the World Is KP Schwan about thigh gaps, and I highly suggest you read it here. She speaks from the heart, and if you like to travel she has tons of tips on her blog as well!

HAND LIFTS

(Pinterest)

When an article about this popped up on my facebook newsfeed, I clicked the link thinking, is this real?! Yes, sadly, it is. According to the article I first read (from Cosmopolitan Magazine) and the follow up article I read (from FOX 4- Ft. Myers) there appears to be trend among brides and brides-to-be that involves getting plastic surgery in your hand so that in engagement pictures or engagement announcement "selfies" their hands don't look old, or wrinkly. WOW. Really? It is known that hands are one of the first places to show age, and apparently that is more important to some women than the excitement of saying yes to your soulmate and the idea of being able to spend the rest of your life with them! Again I'm no expert on this subject (I'm not married or engaged) but I think that marriage is not about the material aspects but instead about the health of the strong bond between you and your partner. When I get engaged, I'm not going to be thinking about if my hands look old, or even if I have a fresh manicure... because I might not! After all I am a real person, not a Barbie doll. I will instead be overcome with joy and excitement; how it should be. 

There are plenty of other goals to work towards in life, other than achieving a thigh gap or getting a hand lift: following your passions, working hard at work for a promotion, eating healthy and working out to feel better, and spending more time with friends and loved ones. Phenomenons like this will only continue if us women continue to allow ourselves to obsess about them and try to achieve perfection. 

--Caroline

Linking Up With: Random Wednesdays with Because Shanna Said So

Welcome Back & Changes!

While I still have one more final to complete, I just couldn't stay away from blogging any longer. A lot has happened in the past couple weeks (final projects, fun times with friends, a visit from the boyfriend), and I love y'all but I think I will keep those memories to myself :). Plus I feel like I've been gone for so long it would be hard to catch y'all up!

What I will share are some new changes you are going to see on the blog...

* In an effort to tie in more interior design into my blog, and thanks to the brilliant mind of my dear friend Lauren, I am going to start a permanent series called Inspired Style. As a designer & overall creative person, I draw inspiration from a lot of things, but this series will focus on me crafting an outfit based on an interior, exterior, art, and more! I'm incredibly excited because I have been struggling to figure out how to bring in more interior design related notions into my blog, something that I wasn't expecting to be a struggle but that has been. 

* In keeping with my newfound drive, expect more pictures of me in real outfits from my closet, not just dream picks!

* You might have noticed I've removed the link to my Instagram feed. I made the executive decision to keep that private, but you shouldn't notice a change because I share the highlights on This Styled Life anyway! Thank you in andante for your understanding. 

* I'm toying with the idea of turning some of my "Shopping Picks" posts into "Lux Lust Lists"-- my shopping picks from more high-end home & clothing sites. Again, in an effort to bring in more interior design related material. Plus, it's fun to dream :)

* Look for a mini-portfolio tab showcasing some of my design work, hopefully coming soon!

I'm happy to be back and am excited for what is to come! Check back tomorrow for my first Inspired Style Post!

--Caroline

TGIF

I have a lot going on in my brain right now. To keep things simple, here are a mere 3 of those things!

1. The semester is over in about 2 weeks. All of my projects for interior design are due next week, and that means stress/crunch/try to sleep as much as I can while still accomplishing everything time!

2. My Big and honorary Big are graduating, along with a slew of other people who have made a difference in my life in some way. So there are emotions related to that going on... (tear fest, anyone?)

3. Kyle is coming into town today, so I get some boyfriend time amidst all the craziness that is my life right now!

Just trying to keep things simple as I have a lot on my plate right now! I love all my readers but don't expect a post from me for another two weeks or so, as I will be focusing on school and the relationships with people I might not see for awhile. Thank you for your understanding and your ears!

--Caroline

Sorry I've Been MIA...

Hello lovely readers!

I just wanted to apologize for being MIA recently. My weekend got super busy, and then I've been sick... no fun! I'm still recovering, but my goal is to resume on Friday with Five Friday Favorites--I have a lot to share with you! Hopefully the rest of this week isn't too taxing on my weakened energy level.

Thanks for understanding my break y'all! :)

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

It's been kind of a long week, but at the same time a very short week. In my classes, we've all been assigned our next projects, but either we can't quite start on them yet or we are just in the early stages of idea development. Because of this, we all feel a little tired, not motivated, and really just ready for another break. For me personally, it also doesn't help that I haven't quite gotten back on the working out horse, which always gives me more energy. I've just had a lot of errands to run or meetings to attend recently which has made it hard. But regardless, here are my Five Favorites things about this past week...

1. My furniture design class turned in our cardboard chairs to the local elementary school this week, and it was so much fun! (Look for a more detailed post next week!)

2. This Styled Life reached a milestone on Bloglovin'! I'm so happy with how this little idea of mine has grown since I started last June. 

3. I sported this cute ensemble on Wednesday for a little mid-week style!

4. I've made some progress on my closet clean out, check back next week for the update on this post!

5. I'm wanting to get my hair cut, thinking something along the lines of this...

Have a lovely weekend!

--Caroline

Lighthearted

I'm feeling like just sending some laughs and fun your way after yesterday's wordy post... So enjoy and have a fantastic day!

Hee Hee Hee "crotchless yoga pants"... SO TRUE!

--Caroline

Beach Bound for Spring Break

I'm taking a break from blogging for several days while I finish up here in Tally, and make my way to the coast for a much-needed break & time spent with Kyle. I hope you all have a wonderful (less than a) week and I'll be back soon!

--Caroline

(6) Five Friday Favorites

Keeping it simple today, here are my five favorite things that happened this week:

1. My friend Kelsey and I determined we are going to England to become Kate Middleton's new BFF's. It's happening. 

2. Berlioz ran around my room acting like a crazy kitty after I gave him some catnip. It was too too funny and cute! These are what I call the faces of catnip addiction...

3. I sported this mixed neutrals and mixed metals ensemble this week.

4. Mid week, I got a wonderful care package from my friends back home! It totally brightened my day, and I love my new studio workout top from Karma Wear! Thanks Rach & Jess :)

5. I survived my large amount of homework's, essays, and midterms to study for this week. On top of it, I made fantastic progress on the chair I'm building in furniture design. A+ to me for managing to get it all done while still sleeping this week!

6. Yesterday was my 100th blog post! I've so enjoyed sharing my thoughts with y'all, thank you for listening and reading and letting me share with you my process as I explore style in all areas!

Hope y'all had a great week! Enjoy your weekend!

--Caroline

Tech Thursday: Favorite Apps

There are a couple apps on my phone that I just really really love, and I thought I'd share them with you today!

ENVELOPES 2

This is my favorite by far. If you've heard about the envelope system for financial management, this is the modern-day version! You can set up your envelopes with whatever name you'd like, and then put however much money you want in them (you can also have the app automatically set monthly budgets, but I haven't used that myself). Why this is so perfect is, if you are not a 100% cash carrier, you can take out money from your envelope after every debit card purchase. The Envelopes app has really helped me to track my spending, and know exactly what I have in my accounts (rather "envelopes") at any given time! Plus, it's secure and doesn't actually like to your checking or savings accounts because it's all manually entered. Even better? It's FREE! Check it out here, via iTunes. 

AFTERLIGHT

A great photo editing app, it's like having photoshop on your iPhone (with a little bit of Instagram thrown in there). With high-quality photo editing and lots of cool filters to choose from, I definitely recommend this app for anyone who loves having editing photos. Doesn't Berlioz look so much cuter when the lighting issue is fixed? Only 99 cents on the iTunes app store. 

RED STAMP

I heard about this app through some of my Premier Designs Jewelry ladies, who use it to make cards to either message virtually or print and send out to jewelry lovers. There are a variety of designs, occasions, and messages to choose from, all of which are customizable! You can, like I said, save it digitally to your phone to text or email out, or you can send it to Red Stamp and they will print them for you and mail them to you. How cool! I used this app to send my mom a virtual card on her birthday, and the other day played around with it to write a cheeky message to go with a photo of me crossing the finish line at a 5K (I might have been a little bored, okay?!). Free on the iTunes app store. 

WATERLOUGE

My graphics professor told me about this one... It's an app that turns your pictures into watercolor images! So cool! Makes your Instagram posts a little more French, and brings out the artist in everyone. I tested it out with the beautiful flowers Kyle gave me for Valentines Day. $2.99 on the iTunes app store. 

SIMPLY BEING--GUIDED MEDITATION FOR RELAXATION AND PRESENCE

I read about this app, I believe in a magazine (don't remember which one, honestly could be making that up even!), and decided to try it out. I usually listen while I'm going to sleep, and I've noticed the nights I use it I tend to sleep much better! Always a plus. The app has lots of customization options, and I've found it to be a soothing asset to stress-relief. Definitely worth the mere 99 cents on the iTunes app store. 

What do you think of these apps? Do you have any favorite apps to share? Share in the comments!

--Caroline 

Linking Up with: What I'm Loving Friday's

Liebster Award

I've only been blogging since June 2013, so it was such an honor to be nominated by Hazel from Hazel Hearts for the Liebster Award the other day!

If you haven't heard about the Liebster Award before, here's the low-down...

1. You must link back to the person who nominated you.

2. You must answer the 11 questions given by the person who nominated you.

3. You pick 11 nominees with under 200 followers to answer your questions.

4. You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.

5. You must tell the nominees that they have been nominated by you.

Hazel had the following questions for me:

What is your favourite shop? This is a hard choice between Marshalls/TJMaxx and Target... Target has literally everything one could need. But Marshalls/TJMaxx are my go-to when I want to take a shopping break but am not looking for anything specific. I've found many a great find from Marshalls/TJMaxx!

If you had to choose between lipstick and mascara, which would you pick? Mascara. I don't love my lips, so I don't highlight them often.

Do you prefer to dress casually or dress up? Depends. I consider myself a chameleon of sorts... You want to go on a hike? Cool. You want to casually shop around town? Cool. You want to go to a black tie dinner? Really cool. I love dressing up, but I also like being casual and fun. So both? lol!

What is your beauty bad habit? Not flossing every day. This is something I've been struggling to do, and I go through phases where I'm good at it and then phases when I'm not so good at it. 

What is your favourite perfume? I don't wear perfume daily because I'm mildly allergic to scents, but on special occasions I love any perfume by Tocca. I got a sampler from Sephora one time and fell in love! (Similar here!)

What is your earliest beauty-related memory? Probably having my mom do my hair and makeup for dance recitals! Although I quickly picked up doing parts of it myself... I'd rather stab myself in the eye with eyeliner than have someone else accidentally do it!

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? I love the Southern U.S., but I also love Colorado... Ultimately I don't care as long as I am with those I love! I am of the mindset that home is the people you are with, not the place itself. 

Do you prefer winter or summer beauty and fashion? Summer! Everything is so laid-back and carefree in the summer. Plus I think summer tans make everything a little sweeter :).

Is there anything you would love to do but haven't yet? Travel! I've barely left the United States, but I can't wait for my European Cruise this summer with my family. I also would love to go to Australian and train through the interior, as well as go on a spa vacation in Tahiti. Or Fiji. Oh what the heck, let's be honest I want to go to both!

Would you prefer to go out or have a quiet night in? Quiet night in. I'm all for going out to dinner with girlfriends or on a date with my man, but staying out until the wee hours of the morning is not my thing. I'll do it every once in awhile, but on the daily I like to relax at home.

What is your favourite beauty or clothing brand? I like to shop a variety of places, so I have quite a mix but most of my closet comes from LOFT, J. Crew, and Gap/Banana Republic. 

Without further ado, I would like to nominate the following bloggers for the Liebster Award! Go check out their blogs!

Lauren from Bold & Blonde

Christina from The Quarter Life Closet 

Kate from For The Love Of Fancy

Melody from Sweet Like A Song

Dana from Pink Champagne Problems

Kristin from Crumbs & Curls

Ashley from History In High Heels

Chantel from A Glitter Affair

Bre from Baubles & Bubbly

Danielle from A Little Bit Of WoWe

Heather from The Heathered Life

My questions for these lovely ladies are...

1. Do you have a favorite outfit memory? (ex: I can remember the outfit I was wearing when I asked out my boyfriend!)

2. What has been your favorite fashion "score"?

3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

4. Why did you start your blog?

5. If you had to pick your favorite clothing/accessory item, what would it be and why?

6. What is your favorite thing to cook/eat?

7. What do you like to do when you aren't blogging?

8. Is there anything you haven't done yet in life but want to?

9. Where do you find yourself shopping the most?

10. Do you prefer to dress casually or dress up?

11. Which season is your favorite for fashion & beauty purposes?

Thanks again to Hazel for the nomination, and congratulations to the ladies I've nominated! Spread the blogger love! :) 

Happy Thursday, 

--Caroline