Top 5 fashion Rules

I read an article on Thought Catalog the other day, called the 5 Fashion Rules You'll Ever Need to Know. While I thought some of them were accurate, most weren't super applicable to me, and it got me thinking about what I would consider my top 5 fashion rules!
So here goes:

Number 1: Fit Over Fashion
A flattering fit always reins supreme over a fashionable item. I went into a Target the other day and tried on maybe 5 pairs of the same bright teal skinny jeans in various sizes. Each one of them fit wrong in some area and just generally whaled me out. So guess what? Even though colored jeans are the 'trend' and I reallyreallyreally wanted them, I put them back! The most fashionable trend in the world will still look horrendous on you if the fit is wrong. This is a big one for me, because for yeeaarrs I would ignore this rule and feel uncomfortable and waste tons of money on things I would only wear once.

Number 2: Trend Within Reason
This is along the same lines. Trends are fun. Trust me, I've been through my fair share of them. Some of them stick, like fitted jeans, polka dots, flats. I chose to follow these because I feel they are flattering on my body type, not just to fit in! But the highwaisted denim shorts, crop tops, and religiously satirical jewelry trends are just not for me and that's okay :) Find what you like the best and carve out your own style instead of being pulled every which way by the current trends and pinterest boards! 

Number 3: Recycle and Restyle
This is probably the rule I follow the very least. I love getting new things and amping up my wardrobe when it's financially viable, but something I've noticed a lot of bloggers do that I really admire is to recycle and restyle staple pieces to get new, interesting, and affordable outfits! By just putting in a little bit more effort and creativity, you can save some cash, and still feel fresh and great every day. A fantastic post on this is this one by Delightfully Tacky. She's just the best at layering, pattern mixing, and wardrobe remixing! (Plus she's beautiful, sweet, and hers was very first blog I ever began following!)

Number 4: Know thyself.
The biggest rule I follow on a day to day basis, is just to be myself. I know what I like, what looks good on my body type, and what image I want to portray when I get dressed in the morning. Knowing who you are and what you want to exude is a pretty huge part of your personal style and one that I think gets overlooked too often. If that hi-low dress in navajo print is just not you, then guess what? You don't have to wear it. You don't have to try to make it work with your style if it just doesn't fit! I'm all about expanding and trying new things, but if you try them and just get a wonky vibe about it, or feel you aren't being true to yourself when you're wearing it, then do yourself and your personal identity a favor and put it back on the rack!

Personally, I like clothing with a little edge, a little weird, and a little retro. Combine those and I'm in heaven. Sweet dresses, leather jackets, bright clogs, statement jewelry. I'm not a huge fan of clothing that's too clingy, too bright, or too trendy.

But at the end of the day, clothing ain't no thang, it's the smile and heart behind it that matters and that's the most important 'rule' to remember. We're people, beautiful people, and all deserve equal respect no matter our appearance.

Have a beautiful day.

All the best,

Grace Elizabeth.

Wu is Me

In the midst of the Jason Wu for Target craze, or Wunami if you will, I saw this gorgeous and slightly weird dress hanging. I ran up and it was my size, the last one. I immediately purchased it of course, but once I got home and tried it on I realized it was not super flattering on my short and stubby with boyish hair frame. 

But alas, a slave to fashion, I tried every combination of belts and tights and shoes until I found this one. Still slightly conjures images of bowling shirts and cowboys, but I kind of like its weirdness :)

And at the end of the day, whatevs.

Hope you've been well, awesome lovely readers of this blog.

I'd love to hear from you, if you have time.

All the best,

Grace Elizabeth.

Cinema Saturday

Hey everyone :) Just wanted to share our lovely day with ya! 

Lately I've been completely incapable of sleeping in late, so I woke up around 8:00 and annoyed Calvin :P He never gets up when I do this but I do it anyway haha. Eventually I got up and made a boss breakfast of biscuits, scrambled eggs with cheese and chives, coffee and hot cocoa and organic grapefruit with sugar :P Plus check out our little vintage seasoning men below! I love those guys heh :D

Then we nommed it in bed and watched cartoons :P Well, Bleach, but it's animated so that counts haha. Afterwards, we snuggled a bunch and randomly fell back asleep for like 5 hours XD When we finally got up we decided to go see a movie using the Cinemark gift card I got from my brothers lovely girlfriend. I wore a new Target chevron printed dress with crazy tights and Indian sandals haha. Calvin wore an anchor t-shirt I got him for Valentine's that happened to match my dress awesomely :) And looked so darn handsome in it might I add! :D If you can't tell, I'm having so much fun taking pictures with a legit camera again! Finally I can post with more than Instagram photos haha!

Then we got a super tasty lunch at Panera Bread, snapped some quick extremely windy pictures, and saw Ghostrider 2. Which was weird and very unlike the first, but still good. It's the hand holding and snuggling and the 'laughing at the same parts' that matters most anyways.

So there you go. Dates don't have to be magical to be magical :P

We see movies all the time, but I really freaking love each one! It's awesome having a best friend to see them with, whom you can also smoosh your face on XD

I hope you had a great sunny Saturday, too.

I hope someone made you smile and know you're not alone.

<3

All the best, 

Grace Elizabeth.

Same Old

Hey guys :) I haven't posted in a few days because not much has changed around here!
I'm still obsessing over Wuthering Heights:

I may have even bought an audiobook. Oh boy -____-

This is my favorite quote from it which I may need to get tattooed very soon XD:

Click img for source.

Still Loving my Keurig and hanging out in my spare room:

But I did finally get some new boots! Seen in this outfit from yesterday:

And a new insane cute backpack for school (cause I'm five):

It's from Target by the way. You know you want one :P

And just in time too! It snowed like, a few feet here haha. But it's pretty so that's okay :) I hope everyone has been well. And happy weekend!


All the best,
Grace Elizabeth.

What's in a name?

Ever since I was a kid, I've had a love/hate relationship with the name my parents gave me. Growing up hanging out with my older brother and nearly constantly being outside, I was a bit of a tom-boy. I preferred bike riding and running in fields and playing imaginary games with my neighbor than playing dolls or dress up. Games with Indians and wolves and amazonian jungles. This has been a huge factor in my definition. So when it came to my name: Grace Elizabeth- I always thought it sounded a little sissy. I tried to appreciate the meaning behind it, but the title always sounded a little like someone who belongs in a royal court, not fighting crime in the mean streets, or exploring long lost Egyptian tombs.

When I got older, this feeling only grew. My teen years were not unlike the middle ages- dark and smelly. Haha, okay maybe not smelly but I did wear a lot of dark clothing and always tried to project this tough confidence. I was so awkward around people I didn't know, and so afraid of getting hurt that I always felt like I had to defend myself. It was my thing. In our group of friends there was the pretty one, the smart one, the funny one and I tried my hardest to be the tough one. Not to mention at this time I was a motorcycle/ dirtbike aficionado (and have the scars to prove it :P). And my fancy shmancy name never really fit that image. No matter what I did, "Grace" still conjured images of ballerinas and glittery
floating angels to people, and I hated it. 

It wasn't until I got married and truly feel safe that I've begun let go of this outlook. I've always chose cool over pretty. Which of course is not a bad thing in and of itself, but once me and Calvin got together I've finally been able to relax about what other people think of me. I realized I had been projecting that image out of fear and anger over being hurt in the past. Fake bravery is only leather jacket clad skin deep. I still love tattoos and rad hair (even though mine has become long and boring now heh) but now I finally feel comfortable wearing cutsey vintage dresses and working with a more saturated color scheme. No longer do I have to constantly be on edge, ready to defend myself. I'm part of a team now. And with that, I've also realized that you can have both. You can fight zombies by day and wear ball gowns by night- you can be both tough and feminine. Armed with this knowledge, I hope to carve out a whole new definition for 'brutal'. It doesn't have to be a bunch of hurt kids hurting, but a bunch of people, aware of the beauty in their design and the flaws of their heart and out to make a difference all the same.

In letting go of that self consciousness, I've also really come to appreciate my name.

What a gift I've been given, to be named after something so beautiful. 

What an amazing reminder everyday of why I am alive. I hope and aim to be a reminder to others as well- it isn't always easy though (especially when you get cut off in traffic, flipped off by the driver, and spat on like I did this morning D:) but it is always worth it. Kindness and graciousness may work in mysterious, quiet ways, but like the butterfly effect dictates, it may have huge life changing results to someone else.

So I urge you today, like I urge myself daily- be kind today, live up to your name.

Whether you be a friendly Emily, a loving Amanda, a lively Chloe-

or in the case your name means bald man, or he who smells like butt, 

you can borrow my meaning if you'd like :P

All the best,

Grace Elizabeth.

Mix and enjoy! :D

Not the only way to have a lovely Saturday night of course, but one of our favorites hehe. 

The shoes I was wearing (though you can't really see them in these photos) were these: Kloe Wedge Booties and my new freaking favorites! Oh my gosh, I die :D

Have a good one, readers :)

All the best,

Grace Elizabeth.

Cinematic

Well, it happened- our first snow here in Colorado! 

We woke up Saturday morning to a winter white world! I was so excited :D We spent the rest of that day inside- reading books and sipping chai tea and staying cozy warm. Of course, with it being Colorado, the sun came out later that afternoon and melted it all away before I could take outfit pictures in it! 

Today the snow was all gone, but it was definitely still chilly and crisp outside.

As a result of the new layout- these pictures have to be a little small.
Just click it to see the full image! :)

I got a chance to break out my new Modcloth dress and my favorite punky looking high laced boots from Target :D I freaking love these things. I also added a little silver bee pin to my belt as a homage to Summer- see you next year :) 

I was surprised to see these gorgeous flowers still a 'bloomin despite the cold! What a lovely juxtaposition :)

And of course, no movie date day would be complete without some smooching under the tree leaves :P

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf's a flower."
- Albert Camus

We had such a nice day! I even feel almost prepared for another whole long work week. Almost :( *sigh*

Calvin also wanted me to included these two slightly ridiculous pictures haha:

In the right picture, I was talking to some hipster girl that was laughing at us cause we were taking pictures apparently? And the left I was tryin not to giggle when Yeti sat in a thorny rose bush and was freaking out a little :P Tehe. I hope you too had a weekend full of kishes and warmth and crisp fall/winter air. If not, I hope it's on it's way, cause there's nothing greater <3

All the best,

Grace.

Tiny Sparrows

“It doesn't hurt. Nothing hurts except the small smiles and blushes

that flash across the room like tiny sparrows.”

It has been a new dress even though it's too cold, hanging with friends until too late, sneaking photos in the bathroom before my camera dies, new favorite starbucks drink sipping, cuddle on my Yeti kind of night :)

All the best,

Grace.

Top quote― Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak

Happiness is Everywhere.

This weekend, I got a chance to go thrifting with my Momma and sister, Emily!

We had a blast, and found tons of awesome things :)

One of them being this gorgeous navy blue skirt which I wore Sunday.

It is just the perfect length for the brisk weather on it's way!

I paired it with some tan wedges, navy and mustard floral shirt, and mustard and gold belt.

I absolutely love the weather this time of year, with it's sunny mornings, crisp afternoons, and chilly cuddle up and watch netflix while listening to the wind nights :)

I also found, among other things, a new little owl topped bell to marry my other one, my very first enamel flower brooch, an adorable teeny silver teapot clock, 

and the freaking sweetest little book I've ever seen.

It's called Happiness is Everywhere, and seriously, sappy sweeter little illustrations have never been made! Ah! I die :D

I hope this day finds you well, readers.

Let me know how you've been! It's been a little quiet around here lately.

As always, have a beautiful day.

Treasure Jar Giveaway!

Well my lovely readers, the time has finally come! You can now officially enter to win this

Treasure Jar:

"Do you remember as a kid that shoebox, or jar, or windowsill that you
lined up your most prized possessions?

Your figurines and dirty river stones and lucky items of the marble, penny, and rock variety?

This is a way to get that back.

This Treasure Jar has been lovingly collected and created,

wished into and compiled with the greatest care.

It holds envelopes of secret notes, glass vials, river stones and your sisters earrings

(you borrowed a few weeks ago but forgot to give back.)

The tickets you won from the carnival last summer.

The letter from your best friend.

I wanted to create something that let you know how wonderful and treasured

you are, and we are.

I wanted you to remember what we knew as kids,

but have forgotten as adults."

To Enter:

Leave a comment below telling me your favorite childhood item 

as well as your email adress. :)

To get extra votes: 
Follow Mason Jar Memories then spread the word about this giveaway through your own blog or facebook page and leave proof in a seperate comment.

Entries close 11:59pm Tuesday the 6th of September (Mountain time)

A winner will be announced next Wednesday the 7th! 

Also, in these pictures I am wearing my new/old dress just purchased from Vintch. I completely love it. She was such a sweet seller, and has an amazing heartfelt blog as well!

I styled it to look a little like the blue dress Skeeter wears in the movie The Help, haha.

And yes, I was rocking the jedi braid ^__^

Have a beautiful day.

TILTF

But really Friday, Sorry! DX

So sorry this feature is a day late!

Help me become a stay at home blogger and I will stop sucking at posting on time :D

1. These Derek Cardigan Eyeglasses.

Cause as it turns out, I may need some :(

My favorite colors! Which is your favorite? And don't you just LOVE
the geeky multiplication, division, and equals signs! Ahh, I die :D

2. This crazyadorable Fair and Lemon Square Dress from Modcloth



Spimow! I want this so frankin' bad!



3. This sweet print by another one of my favorite artists, the lovely and talented (and beautifully inked) Ambird.

4. This adorable note that breaks my heart and fills it up at the same time.

Gawww, reminds me so much of young Calvin ^___^

5. This amazing Rosie/ Leia Artwork

 The coolest, nerdiest combination of my interests ever!

We've been planning today for our little spur of the moment trip this weekend!

Just to a close little town to stay in a cabin by a creek, it looks darn lovely. I can't wait :)) I hope your weekend is as wonderful, readers. You genuinely are on my thoughts all the time! I wish I could meet you all and have tea and braid your hair, haha.

Whether it is in your outlook on life, your observations, your intellect or surroundings,

have a beautiful day today, readers. You deserve it.