Neutrals

Hi guys!

Today I thought I would share some recent Polyvore creations I have made. Now that we are moving towards winter, I've been seeing a lot of neutrals lately.

This outfit is super simple, yet comfy and stylish. I noticed these boots while deciding what kind of outfit to make and decided to make an outfit with them!

This is another simple/comfy outfit. I feel like shorter and ankle boots are making a comeback this year- I remember they were popular two years ago, but last year was all riding boots and taller boots.

While browsing the clothes on Polyvore, I decided to include a hi-lo skirt! I personally am not sure if I could pull one off. I think they look best with a crop top or sweater like the one in the picture. I thought these J. Crew flats tied the look together perfectly!

Lastly, I created an outfit with yet another pair of ankle boots. I feel like they match perfectly with the crochet sweater. The fun sunglasses and bright purse add a pop to the otherwise muted outfit. 

Current Playlist #2

I'll be honest- I've mostly been listening to Taylor Swift lately because Red just came out! State Of Grace, Sad Beautiful Tragic, and Treacherous are my top three favorites on the album. But besides that, these are the other songs I've been listening to lately! If you haven't heard Ed Sheeran yet, you NEED to hear his song The A Team and also his duet with Taylor Swift. It's Time by Imagine Dragons and Merry Go Round by Kacey Musgraves are also some great songs I have discovered. If I Didn't Know Better, sung by the two people off the cast of the new show Nashville (which is quite good, by the way), and Poison and Wine by the Civil Wars are some slower ballads. We Owned The Night by Lady Antebellum and More Like Her by Miranda Lambert are old favorites. :)

What have you been listening to lately?

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, but this year I didn't do much. I didn't think I was going dress up for the party I usually go to, but my friends were so I decided to just be a cat at the last minute. (The party was quite boring so we left after an hour.)

 I just wore cat ears, a black hoodie, black leggings, black flats, and Halloween socks with cats on them.

Here are some costumes from past years... 

Me in 2nd grade: Pippi Longstocking!

^^ My favorite movie at age 7. 

7th grade- peacocks!

8th grade- black and white swans!

Did you dress up for Halloween?

EDIT: After I was wondering why I was the only person who did a Halloween post, I realized it's because it's not actually Halloween....it felt like Halloween though cause trick-or-treating in my neighborhood was today. :)

Cute Hats

Tomorrow is hat day tomorrow at my school and I'm deciding whether or not I should wear one. It's a bit easier for boys since they wear hats whenever they get the chance- girls have to search for a cute hat that's actually acceptable to wear indoors.

In my opinion, Forever 21 or H&M are the places to go when looking for a hat!

1) I have a red floppy beret quite similar to this although not so heavily knit. This is probably my favorite type of hat.
2) This is kind of like a floppy hat for winter! I definitely wouldn't wear this to school, but I like the style of it.
3) I LOVE this hat so much. It's more of an outdoor accessory, however. I love pom poms. :)
4) I really like this beret also. The pearls are a nice detail!
5) I also like beanies, but it depends on what it looks like. I personally like this beanie.

I wouldn't consider myself a hat person but sometimes it's fun to wear one! Do you ever wear hats?

Pitch Perfect and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Reviews

I have recently seen two great movies. Last weekend I saw Pitch Perfect with my friend and yesterday I saw The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. I thought this would be a great opportunity to write up a few reviews!

First, Pitch Perfect.

This movie was about a girl named Beca, whose dad is making her go to college although she really wants to go to California and become a DJ. She doesn't think of herself as a singer until 2 girls persuade her into joining their a cappella group, the Bellas. Because of the annoying girl running the group, they are pretty bad and aren't getting very far in competition. But once they listen to Beca and her "alternative" ways they realize they can get a lot farther. 

This movie would DEFINITELY be considered a comedy because basically its whole point was to be funny. (Some of the jokes were a bit "dirty", however, thus rated PG-13.) Not only that, it had great music. The plot was pretty predictable though, but nonetheless it was still enjoyable. Overall it was a great movie and I would definitely reccommend it!

Second, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. 

So I have to say, I think I liked this better than Pitch Perfect. It was really funny, sad, and inspirational all at the same time. The movie starts out when Charlie, a lonely 15 year old boy, starts high school. (It takes place in 1991 by the way.) He doesn't have any friends, and the only friend he ever had committed suicide the previous spring. So after having depression issues he starts high school. At a football game, he meets Sam and her stepbrother Patrick. They are the first people who really understand him and let him into their circle of friends. Throughout the story, Charlie falls in love with Sam and develops special relationships with his friends. Meanwhile, he is still struggling with family issues and his trauma resulting from his dead aunt. By the end of the movie he has learned to figure out himself and achieve a state of happiness. 

This movie was excellent and definitely a must-see. It was based off the book, which I just started reading yesterday. The book includes some things that the movie doesn't, but it follows the plot pretty closely. I would actually suggest watching the movie first in this case, however. I feel like if I had read the book first then I would be like "they didn't include this, they didn't include that" and it wouldn't follow what I had in my head, so I wouldn't appreciate the movie as much, which would be sad because I absolutely loved the movie! 

Have you seen either of these? What did you think?

Taylor Swift:: RED

This album is supposed to come out Monday. But some store in Ireland sold it early and now it's all over tumblr. I felt bad for Taylor that it leaked, but was too excited and had to listen anyway!!!

Overall I really love the whole thing. I feel like it's the perfect blend of musical genres and songwriting styles to satisfy all her fans. I think it is her most well-written album because it is so diverse and combines elements from her other 3 albums. It also has a duet with Ed Sheeran and a duet with Snow Patrol! 

You can hear all the songs on my tumblr.

This is the tracklist:

1. State Of Grace

2. Red

3. Treacherous

4. I Knew You Were Trouble

5. All Too Well

6. 22

7. I Almost Do

8. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

9. Stay Stay Stay

10. The Last Time

11. Holy Ground

12. Sad Beautiful Tragic

13. The Lucky One

14. Everything Has Changed

15. Starlight

16. Begin Again

Now for my commentary...

1. State Of Grace- I immediately loved this song when it was released as a single because of all the reverb and guitar in it. It is more instrumental than Taylor's usual songs, which I really like. Rolling Stone described this as a "U2-style epic", and I'd have to agree. Taylor wrote this one by herself. 

2. Red- Overall this really sums up the album. Taylor decided to use this song as the album name because all the emotions you go through in love are "definitely not beige....they are red." This song is really catchy and has great imagery and lyrics. Like State of Grace, Taylor wrote it by herself. 

3. Treacherous- I think I'd like this song more if she built up the chorus as much as I was expecting she would. I thought this song would be really dark and about a breakup, but it's not- it's a slower yet positive song. It is definitely not my favorite on the album though. Maybe it will grow on me. 

4. I Knew You Were Trouble- This is the song with the dubstep in it that Rolling Stone told everyone about! I think it's ok. Along with treacherous, it's one of my lesser favorites. Although it's catchy and I know it's going to be a big hit. Like WANEGBT, it's a Max Martin collaboration. 

5. All Too Well- This song is probably my favorite on the whole album. Taylor co-wrote it with Liz Rose, which I was ecstatic about hearing! (Liz helped Taylor write You Belong With Me, Picture To Burn, Tim Mcgraw, Teardrops On My Guitar...) Since Taylor wrote her last album, Speak Now, completely by herself, I was so happy to hear Liz was coming back. I love this instruments in this song and the chorus.

6. 22- I find this song pretty funny. I thought it was going to be all reflective about her life and stuff, but it's about partying...she says, "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22!" There are also lines like "tonight seems like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters" and "we're gonna ignore all the cool kids" (while she says in the backround: "Who is Taylor Swift anyway? Like, ew."  If you liked WANEGBT, you will like this song. 

7. I Almost Do- This is a super sad song that almost everyone will be able to relate to in some way. It is one of those songs that will apply to everyone's life and make people say, "Taylor Swift describes my life." 

8. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together- Umm this is self-explanatory since everyone has already heard this song...haha. Go look at this post if you want to know what I think of it. 

9. Stay Stay Stay- At first I thought this was a really lame song name, but I really like the song! It's one of those cute, upbeat, easy-to-listen-to songs. This will definitely be a favorite!

10. The Last Time- This is the Snow Patrol collaboration and, I must say, I REALLY like it. Maybe more than the Ed Sheeran one! It's kind of slow at first, but the chorus is REALLY good. 

11. Holy Ground- I think I'm going to have to listen to this song again to get a bigger perspective of it, but so far I like it. It's about looking back on landmarks or places that were important to a relationship after it's over and thinking, "that was holy ground."

12. Sad Beautiful Tragic- This is a very sad and slow song. (Think Last Kiss from Speak Now.) Taylor sings it in a very hushed voice as she describes her "sad, beautiful, tragic love affair/sad, beautiful, magic love affair". 

13. The Lucky One- This song may be the most interesting off the album. It's about another famous person that Taylor observed before she was famous and how they felt lucky at first, but then not so lucky anymore. I can't help but wonder who it is. Taylor sounds like a bit Katy Perry in this song!

14. Everything Has Changed- This is the much anticipated duet with Ed Sheeran. It pretty much lives up to what everyone was hoping and is definitely going to be a hit! It's catchy, acoustic sounding, and their voices sound great together. 

15. Starlight- I was VERY surprised by this song. I was assuming it was going to be a slow lullaby (I have no clue why) but it's actually quite upbeat. It has a great beat and sounds like it would be good to dance to. 

16. Begin Again- I like how this song is last, because it's kind of like a clue to begin the album again! I think I mentioned something about it when it first came out as a single that I absolutely love this song. It's pretty country and sounds like her older music, which is why I like it so much. 

Well that was long but only took me about 15 minutes to type. Although the album leaked, definitely still go buy it Monday! I will be at Walgreens!

I thought I'd add some fun pictures of Taylor I've been loving lately....

"Maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much...maybe this thing was a masterpiece before you tore it all up. You called me up again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest. Running scared, I was there, I remember it all too well. Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it. I'd like to be my old self again but I'm still trying to find it."

Turtlenecks

I really do not mind turtlenecks that much- I never have. I feel like turtlenecks are usually associated with unstylish people and I don't want to be judged for wearing one! But I have a few turtlenecks that I really like- they just have to be worn in the right way.

A great way to accessorize a turtleneck is to add a fun statement necklace. Instead of having a bland neckline, an ensemble like the one above is more complete.

Since this turtleneck is a heavier fabric and has more detailing on the front, I added only a pearl necklace to tie it together. I then added a fun, bright skirt and cheetah print flats.

For my last look, I paired this teal turtleneck from J. Crew with some bright accessories. One of my favorite things to do is pair bright colored solids!

As you can see, turtlenecks are quite stylish- also quite warm and cozy!

What's your opinion on turtlenecks? Do you wear them often?

All-Time Favorites: Books

I read a LOT when I was younger-- I remember I never went to bed without reading. I think I stopped that in 6th or 7th grade, partly because I was getting more homework, but mostly because I had to read books for school and was "pressured" to read books "in my reading level." And most things in my reading level did not interest me at all. I took my lexile range and put it into lexile.com, and it was mostly historical fiction/action stuff.... I would prefer to read kids' chapter books. I like MOST of the stuff just in the young adult section, but most of it is actually quite depressing!

I actually read a lot of non-fiction....I can spend like 2 hours on Wikipedia or Google, just reading about stuff. I also love reading those "A Smart Girl's Guide" series from American Girl! I still have all those books, haha.

Anyways...today I thought I would share with you my all-time favorite books!

I know that you are thinking that this is quite a random assortment, but these are my favorite books for a reason!

1) Emily Windsnap and the Castle In The Mist
This book was by far the best out of the Emily Windsnap series. Despite the cover being pink and sparkly, this book was ACTUALLY kind of scary. "Haunting" is a better word for it...it's about a mermaid who discovers a castle in the mist. She tries to swim to it, but can't get there, then realizes she needs to stay still to get there, which is like a metaphor that ties in with her life, then she discovers all this "haunting" stuff in the castle....anyway, I haven't read it in a while so I kind of forgot how the plot goes! I just remember how intriguing it was and the overall feel it gave off. The person who wrote that series is an excellent author.

2) Philippa Fisher and the Dream Maker's Daughter/The Fairy's Promise
As you can tell, I love fairies and mermaids. These are by the same author! The first book in the series was Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister. The second two topped the first by far, though. The series is about a girl who discovers she has a fairy godsister. In the first book, she gets three wishes but really just becomes best friends with the fairy. But in the second and third books, it gets really deep and complex. The Dream Maker's Daughter goes into the background of the outer fairy "world" (this takes place in England by the way) after Philippa is being contacted through her dreams, and in the third Philippa and her fairy, Daisy, have to use their relationship to keep the worlds from becoming separated, at the same time kind of symbolizing the connection betweens humans and an outer force. This is like my favorite books series, ever. You'd think these books would be geared at younger kids cause it's about a fairy, but I really think anyone at any age could appreciate this.

(Side note: the third book revolved around a stone circle, so I was pretty psyched when I visited one in Ireland.)

3) Finally
I really don't have too much to say about this- it's probably pretty self-explanatory! It was just one of those books that you couldn't put down, was relatable, and really amusing. It's about a girl turning 12 (I read it when I was 11 ok) and is now allowed to do a bunch of things (get her ears pierced, sit in the front seat, get a pet, get a phone, stay home alone....) you can see where it's going.

4) Miles To Go
Don't judge me here people!!! This was actually an amazing book!! (All my favorite books are quite underrated.) You would be surprised at how good this is- it's surprisingly well-written. Of course, the things Miley claims in this book are a bit irrelevant now....

5) Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning
This book doesn't actually have a huge purpose...it's about a girl in the south and how an annoying rich girl comes and steals her best friend. It's a really easy read. I've read this book like 5 times. If you read it, I promise you will enjoy yourself.

6) Ghost Town (Beacon Street Girls)
Like the Emily Windsnap book, this is all complex and scary!!! It's about 5 girls who go on vacation to Montana. 2 of them get to the hotel and the other 3 end up in an abandoned town. The reason I got such a kick out of the book was I read it RIGHT after I went on vacation to the same exact location. It was really funny, cause they mentioned shopping and going out to eat at the same places I did. They even stayed at the same ski resort!

7) 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny
I don't know why, but I have just always loved this book. I think it is pretty cool that I first read this when I was 8 and could totally relate to and enjoy all the stories in this book when it was meant to be written for adults. It's written about a teacher, telling his life experiences teaching third grade. It was really interesting seeing the things my third grade class went through at the time from a whole different perspective.

I hope I have convinced you to start reading some new books!!! What are your favorite books?

Significantly Styled Gets A Makeover

As you may have noticed, I gave my blog I new design today!

What do you think?? Do you like it??

I thought it was DEFINITELY time for a change since I've had my old design since I first started my blog!

Before....

After!

It looks so different!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

So I'm doing this again!!!

#1
The songs Red and I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift.

Ok I'll be honest...I like Red a little bit more...but I'm just excited Taylor came out with two new songs nonetheless!

#2

These shoes from J. Crew!!! I LOVE these!! Not sure if I could pull them off...but I think they are pretty awesome.

#3

Silver Lining Decor on Etsy

Their jewelry is too cute! You can enter to win one of their pieces at The Preppy Diaries' recent giveaway post!

#4

The Dropbox app.

Ok I know this is a lame addition, but I LOVE this app so much. It seriously saves my life. Instead of having to search for my camera cord, plug it into the computer, open my camera files etc etc I can just upload pictures and videos right from the phone on my gallery into this app. Then I can get on the computer, go to dropbox.com and they are all there! I highly recommend it! (Ok, so it's kind of like emailing a picture to yourself...but this stores them in folders and stuff.)

#5

Bath and Body Works Body Cream.

Now that it's getting colder and colder, my skin is getting so dry! The solution is to keep Bath and Body Works Body Cream on hand. I really like the cream/body butter because it's a bit thicker than the regular lotion and keeps your hands smoother for a longer period of time.

What are you loving today?

Throwback Monday.

...because I don't care if it's not Thursday!

Anyway,  I haven't been posting much lately and really felt I should be doing a post today. However, I have nothing to post about. I was thinking about doing a TBT post in the style of Instagram, so I thought I would just do it today!

I thought I would maybe do a few from each year of middle school, because those will be the most entertaining. :)

Summer going into 6th grade. This is my sister and I in South Dakota. 

6th grade- an EXTREMELY awkward stage! This picture cracks me up!  But for some reason, my sister always looked fine....

Oh my god. Look at my outfit. Hahahahahahahha!

4th of July, going into 7th grade. As you can see I lost the glasses, however I am still awkward.

This was my first day of 7th grade. In case you were wondering why my hair is having an explosion on the right side, it is because I accidentally got a curling brush stuck in half of my hair over the summer and had to cut it out- leaving that side short and sticking up when pushed back with a headband.

Halloween in 7th grade! My friend E and I were peacocks! 

Oh my gosh, my face in this picture....I had the WEIRDEST smile.....I think it's hilarious how my sister looked fine then and now, cause she is in 7th grade currently! I also went through a weird style phase in 7th grade. I wore black often and tried to dress fancy like every day. (I most likely wore that outfit to school.)

This is me on spring break in 7th grade. My family went to Nashville, TN and Hilton Head Island SC. It was one of my favorite trips ever! I had begged my parents to go to Nashville because I wanted to see Taylor Swift's apartment, record label, high school, favorite coffee shop, etc...that was when I had a SUPER obsession with Taylor Swift! It has gotten a lot better now. 

In the summer going into 8th grade, we went to Ireland. I had to add a picture cause I love the pictures from this trip! As you can see, the awkwardness is slowly subsiding. 

This was me last summer after a musical. Probably my favorite musical I have ever done!

Me and E last Halloween as the white and black swan!

This is me and my sister on the first day of 8th grade. So much has changed in a year! (Yes, she was starting 6th grade. Where was her awkward stage?...)

Here is my in Colorado, over spring break in 8th grade. 

Well, that was quite a trip down memory lane! I had so much fun going through these pictures and I hope you had fun having a peek into my middle school life. I have changed so much over the past three years it's insane! 

I thought it would be appropriate to end this post with a picture of me, now. :)

Now I challenge you all to do a throwback post, from whatever era in your life you wish!