big sky

I've noticed a definite trend in my taste toward all things western, native american, and "country." It's a style that I saw a lot of as a child, and until now I always hated it. I suppose I see less of it now that I live in a larger town, but when I lived in Fremont it was all over the place. My mom has always loved native american jewelry and art. I suppose some of her taste has rubbed off on me. 

Yesterday I went shopping with my mom and finally spent that Forever21 voucher I had. There were so many amazing things in that store--it was impossible to choose! I ended up getting a scarf, a poncho, and a couple necklaces. My mom also bought me a new winter coat, but they didn't have my size so we had to order it online. I can't wait for it to come in the mail! I'm incredibly picky when it comes to winter coats, and even more so now that I'm more conscious of my appearance. It must be comfortable, stylish, and versatile enough not to get boring after five or six months of wearing it every day. I feel I found the perfect coat this time around. 

Anyways, on to today's outfit. I am of course wearing my new poncho from F21. I'm excited to come up with millions of different ways to wear it this winter. I've already discovered that it's amazing for lounging around the house. It's soft and surprisingly warm. Naturally I'm in love with the pattern.

This necklace is one of the ones I got yesterday as well. I noticed that Ashlei at Faltering Bird is wearing the same one in one of her recent posts. I can't imagine anyone seeing this in the shop and not buying it. Forever21's jewelry is always wonderful--they have such a wide selection, and it's always so affordable. This necklace was around $9, but the other one I got was only $3. 

Let's have some photos now!

poncho:forever21 --- jeans:urbanoutfitters --- boots:wal-mart --- necklace:forever21 --- belt:forever21 --- earrings:gift

autumn beds

This is one of those ambiguous dress/shirts from Wet Seal. I usually wear it as a shirt over jeans because it's just too dang short, but the last time I washed it I made sure to hang dry it and stretch it out a little. I think it's alright now as long as I wear it over some thick sweater tights. 

Speaking of sweater tights, these are a lifesaver in the colder seasons. I can't stand the thought of wearing jeans every day but I also can't stand freezing my butt off in skirts. Enter sweater tights, the adorable cozy alternative! I love the way they look and I love how warm they are. How do you stay stylish and warm at the same time?

shirt/scarf:forever21 --- dress/boots:wet seal --- tights:urban outfitters --- sunnies:sunglass warehouse

My goodness do I need a haircut something awful.

peace out ladybirds!

EDIT: Don't forget I'm looking for blogs to swap ads with! We can help each other out, yo! Check the advertising tab up top for more info.

comfy cords

I want to talk to you about hair. I cut mine! I'm so broke right now I can't even afford food, let alone a hair cut. But my hair has been getting unruly--the last time I had it cut, I got a mohawk. So it's all over the place. I've cut my own bangs before and it's a great way to get a new look without either breaking the bank or going to a cost cutters, both of which are painful. Of course my hair doesn't look as rad as it will when I can finally afford to visit my favorite stylist, but most people won't notice that I did it myself. 

Things to remember when cutting your own bangs:

• Spend loads of time sectioning off the part to be trimmed. You can't be too careful. Get a second opinion on this part.
• Make sure your bangs will be centered. I trace a line from the bride of my nose all the way to the back of my head to make sure the part is centered, and then use that line as the center of your "bangs triangle."
• Use hair scissors. They're cheap and they make a difference, and they haven't been used to cut the rest of the potentially nasty shit in your house.
• Cut vertically, on a slight diagonal. I'll admit, this is something I figured out from watching other people cut hair. I'm not a hair scientist, I don't know why they do it, but it certainly turns out better than when I hack it all off horizontally. 

Now as I said, I'm not claiming to be a hair scientist. You'd be much better off listening to some professional advice from someone who studied this stuff. This is just what I've learned from cutting my own bangs for approximately the last 6 years. 

So don't be afraid to take your hair into your own hands every once in a while! Take some risks ladies!

Anyways this is supposed to be a fashion blog so let's get in on this fashion. I always feel sort of dumpy when I wear pants nowadays. I'm just too comfortable to be cute! And these cords are way comfy. Once again, they're men's pants from Hot Topic. The perfect amount of skinny, and deep pockets to boot! Paired with this midriff-revealing sweater, I feel like something out of the 90s. 

jacket:urban outfitters --- sweater:wet seal --- corduroys:hot topic --- boots:thrifted --- belt:forever21 --- bracelet:thrifted --- necklace:forever21

Looking at these pictures now, I realize they are perhaps not the best of my new bangs. The good news is that the bangs aren't going anywhere and will surely make an appearance in future posts.

bye lovelies!

I've learned the meaning of the sun

I know I wore these tights yesterday, so sue me. They are rad. But sad news! There is now a run in them! Oh well, I'll live. Maybe I can get a new pair sometime soon. In the meantime, I will wear them with the run because who cares if I have a little run in my stockings!

This fur collar was one of my amazing clearance finds while I worked at Hot Topic. That store has way better stuff than most people give it credit for. The closure is magnetic so it's amazingly comfortable. The inside is lined with hot pink satin! 

I got this jacket years ago, probably the first time I ever visited Urban Outfitters. It's been sitting in my closet for years not being worn, but this season I decided to give it new life by replacing the buttons. It used to have plain black buttons and was frankly kind of dull. I'm not a skilled seamstress, but replacing buttons is something I've learned out of necessity. It's a great way to liven up old clothing!

I'm wearing these lovely heels again... never underestimate shoes and accessories you get for Halloween. I got these a few years ago for an Alice in Wonderland costume and they're actually the most comfortable pair of heels I own. I'm also wearing a petticoat under my dress that I got for Halloween a long time ago. Those petticoats are a lovely way to poof out your every day skirts. I have zillions of them in so many colors and lengths that I ought to be able to wear one every day. 

Anyway, let's get to the photos:

dress-urban outfitters; jacket-urban outfitters; rings-thrifted/pendragon jewelry; fur collar-hot topic; shoes-spirit halloween; tights-charlotte russe

some business: if any of you fellow bloggers are interested in swapping ad space in my "friends of gph" section on the right, email me at zakiue@gmail.com. Thanks to Sarah at Almost Delightful for the idea and the first button. The idea is that I will display your button in exchange for you displaying my button on your site. Any buttons I get before November 28th will be displayed until the end of December.

We can help each other build traffic!

Bye for now my dears!

the things we can't give away

Today was super freaking windy, but I think if it weren't for that these pictures would be my best so far on the blog. They might be anyway. I took a jog down to the storage shed where my mom shoved all my stuff when I went to college, and while I was there I took advantage of the setting for some photo time. It was mostly deserted which meant not a lot of stares from strangers.

I suppose some of my problems with my self-portraits might come from the fact that I'm not a model and have never been particularly photogenic. I need to figure out how to make my face and neck and hands not look so awkward. This blog is a great way for me to improve my photography and to develop some modeling skills. I by no means want to be a professional model, but it wouldn't hurt for me to stop looking awkward all the time.

So let's talk about the clothes.

These tights! I bought them on accident, thinking they were solid black. I was so happy when I realized they were the faux-socks kind that I've been seeing around so much lately. I've been wearing them to work a lot, so it's nice to finally wear them with something a little more colorful than my uniform.

I didn't realize until I got dressed that everything but the tights came from Forever21. I love that store and I did a lot of shopping there this summer, so it's bound to happen occasionally. In fact, I have a F21 voucher I need to spend... I could spend it online, but that store is so much fun to visit I might have to make the drive to Omaha.

HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS NOW

shoes/skirt/belt/blouse/shirt/necklace-forever21; tights-charlotte russe; ring-Pendragon Jewelry

pistol dreams

I love love love this dress. It's super short, but that's part of the charm I guess. The bell sleeves are the best part. It's actually a pretty warm material, too, so it's great for brisk fall days like today. 

I'm trying to incorporate these boots into more looks. I originally got them as part of a Nana O cosplay so it hasn't occurred to me to wear them often, but they definitely add a nice edge to some of my more feminine looks.

Today I went out again with my self-timer. I'm still pretty ashamed of my photos, but practice is what I need. That and a remote. I've been wanting one for years, and it's ridiculous that I don't have one because they are like $15.

Anywho, here are some photos:

dress-forever21; boots-Na*Na; rings-thrifted/claire's/Pendragon Jewelry; sunglasses-sunglass warehouse

some updates

Just a heads up, I changed my name on blogger/google/everywhere from Maggie to Madeline. They are both my name and I am the same person I was before. I just think Madeline looks a little better typed, and I'm trying to embrace it as my true name. Maybe next time I get bored with my name, I'll add the middle one. Madeline Opal, anyone?

I added some tabs just under the blog header. Right now it's just an about me page and a contact page, but I  will hopefully be adding some more content there soon.

I have been making a lot of small changes to the blog lately, but those alone aren't worth a post. I mainly wanted to mention that I'm on bloglovin' now and as of yesterday I have a twitter account! (you can find links on the sidebar). I have never used twitter before in my life so I will almost definitely do it wrong, but I thought it would be a good way to keep up with some of my favorite bloggers out there and maybe let a little more of my personality out into the innnernets. I'm always thinking of witty remarks about my surroundings and until now I had no way to share them with the world!

What do you think? Twitter sucks--yay/nay? How can I avoid "doing it wrong"? I'm kind of not sure how people actually communicate with each other via twitter. I'm still in the "shouting things to an empty room" phase.

I'll leave you with this crappy mirrorpic of me from I don't know, like two years ago? Lots of things have changed. It's embarrassing but my hair was glorious.