A blogging break

Hello! So... don't be alarmed. But I'm taking a bit of a blogging vacation. I virtually have no time in the next twelve days to blog. I've sort of hit a creative "slump" blogging and kind of wanted a break anyways to reorganize my thoughts. I feel like every month my blog has evolved and changed, and while there is nothing wrong with "keeping it up", when I don't feel passionate about it, that's when I feel it shows. So! While I study away for my two exams, two midterms, lab practical exam, and write two papers and a lab report, I'm going to rest my mind and come back fully vamped (I've already logged 10 hours of studying today. Sunday. Ew)! Plus, I'm also taking a mini-vacation so I'll be gone and away from internet. Yayyy! Some amazing bloggers have voluntarily offered to fill in, plus I'm letting Niklaas show you Mexico pictures and pictures not of me for a change, so you won't be at complete loss. Please, please come back and visit these AMAZING bloggers who have stepped up! I love them to pieces and it is an honor to share them here! I loveeee you all and this slump of mine stems from life and stress in general, so have no fear, I'll be back before you know it! 

begin to hope

For some apparent reason, this week has decided to shower me with loveliness and good days. I don't know why, for it should have every reason to do nothing but make me unhappy, but it might just be the best in college so far. On Monday, I opened my mailbox to see my new headphones, so I can finally, finally listen to my phone again when I'm walking to class. Yayy! Two hours later, I opened the mailbox to see THREE package slips! EEEE! I got a package from the dearest Jasmine and the swapping package from Hope! If this wasn't enough, my giant chair that I ordered with my new debit card came so now I have a cozy place in my room to sit that isn't an obnoxious desk chair or my bunk bed. Ah! It also rained Monday, so I got to wear my cozy sweater with a short dress and best of all, tights with boots! Seriously, wearing lots of layers makes me such a happy girl. They also served grilled cheese at lunch in the dining hall, a luxury I've experienced one since moving out. Monday was just a magical day!

Then, yesterday, I opened my mail box to find another package slipp!! And what was it? A package from Niklaas! Ahhh! He sent me a Disney princess snuggie which I immediately curled into and then fell onto my chair to read his letter, which, after not talking for 5 days and missing him lots, kind of made me tear up in places. Eeep. It was exciting. Today happens to be Wednesday, and guess what? I have another package slip in my pocket that I need to redeem for some more loveliness! Eee! I'm really hoping this streak of good days doesn't run out before my second chemistry test next week, which I'm trying not to freak out about, but I kind of am. I'm not afraid of doing badly in itself because I'm doing all I can, but I'm afraid of doing so badly that I have to drop it. If I get another 65 or under, then I have to drop it, and that would suck. Especially after all the hard work I'm doing! I have aced three quizzes out of five for the unit...so...that's good...right?

So this is a photoshoot from a while back. You can tell because I still have hair. Ha! I was totally inspired when I saw forever21's fall photoshoot appear online and observed a model with a denim vest, dress, and long scarf on. I had to imitate it and I completely love this! It feels so "me" to me, at least. I'm still trying to figure out what "me" style is, but this was definitely a "me" feeling kind of outfit. Hehe! Becca, if you're listening, I was very excited to look at these pictures and find Maggie elements ;). I bought this vest immediately after seeing the photoshoot at goodwill for 99 cents. And it's kind of perfect. I tweeted about forgetting it at home when I moved to college, and Niklaas sent it right over! What a boy! Snuggies and my long lost clothing!

I bet you're all sick of this dress...but, sorry, I'm not :). Sorrryyy! I like re-mixing. I do. Even though I haven't blogged for too long and this is my 41st outfit, I still have a lot of clothes I've never photographed so it makes me feel guilty when I pull out something old. But I LOVE this dress and it's turned into quite the conversation starter. I've had conversations with at least six girls who have told me they liked it. It's amazing! This scarf is one of my favorite purchases everrr. It's really fluffy and it's pink and matches everything. I love it! I find myself pulling on these shoes more and more lately. And here I ago again with mentioning him...he got me them, as you know. Add that to the list of wonderful things he does for me.

Well, I don't have too many pictures and I need to go write a lab report so I'm not up till two in the morning like I was last week working on it...so I'll leave you guys with some news and skeedaddle. I have a second sponsor as of yesterday and will be posting a giveaway here soon! When I get to 200 followers, I'm going to do a giveaway on my own too, so stay posted :)

Love,
Maggie

crazier

So I was looking through my pictures today cleaning out my harddrive....when I found this. My photoshoot from the summer with my darling best friend Omni! OOPS. I know it's "summer" and all...but it's better late than never. Plus, it was in the upper 80's this weekend in Montana, so I figure I can get away with it. Right? Right? I really didn't want to wait until next year to post them!

Some of these turned out beautifully. It makes me want to replicate it next summer with Niklaas with a different outfit. Dresses are my passion in life as you all know, so seeing these gorgeous pictures sans me in a dress kind of makes me sad. Hehe :) Omni did a marvelous job though, and I love her for taking pictures. I love anyone for being kind enough to take pictures of me! All hail blog-photographers! :)

All of these pictures make me miss home so, so much. The summer months are so pretty there and I miss those wheatfields! To this day I am still floored at how majestic my summer was. Next summer I'm going to have to get a job so it won't be as carefree, but just the fact that I got to live one summer free of most responsibility satisfies the rambunctious youth in me that craves complete freedom. Nah, I'm ready to work and fit all the fun stuff in around a schedule instead of the other way around. I guess I got all of that out already.

Niklaas has been gone for two days now. Two days of zero communication. It's weird. Definitely. The longest we have gone is two days, so we are officially breaking ground here, hahaha. Who knows? Maybe in some twisted way not talking will be good. Just seven more days! Yippeee! I'm actually pretty excited though because he staggered out some letters/packages and dodads, so I'll be getting mail throughout the week. Eeep! And it also worked out pretty nicely that I found this photoshoot because I'd hate to post one of his when he couldn't be around to read it. Yes, he reads all my posts and looks at his pictures displayed on my blog :). And reads comments!

This outfit was specifically themed as such for a chictopia contest a long time ago. I'm not too crazy about how it turned out but I didn't have a mirror so I couldn't adjust it. Ah, well. I do love this sweater with the button down and I love these shorts though! I borrowed the sweater, top, and shoes from my dear friend Taylor who I miss a lot! It's funny because these pictures were taken before I bought myself my own oxford heels when I used to borrow everyones! So glad I have my own now. 

I miss my nerd glasses so much!! I lost them on the gravel road here when I did this photoshoot. Ugh!! Honestly, if you found some at your mall and sent them to me, I would bow down to you and make you queen of my life. Ha! I keep trying to find some at Claire's like these but a little less geeky for the five dollars I bought these for, but I can't find them anywhere! Grrrrrr!!

These tights are my favoriteee! I can't wait to wear them this winter and all my lovely tights! I hung out with my Southern friend that I talked about in my last post this weekend and he helped me pick out some more tights! I decided to invest in some heavy duty knit tights because Montana isn't exactly known for it's friendly winters and they are the softest things ever. So excited. Hanging out with him was a blast! He actually helped me shop. It was so great. Hahaha. We also went to Grown Ups at the university theatre on campus next to my dorm and that was a blast too. I missed laughing!

TAYLOR'S NEW ALBUM COMES OUT IN 21 DAYS!!!!!! My new friend is going to take me at midnight to get it at Target. Yippeeeee!!

This is BY FAR my favorite picture of the day. The lighting couldn't be prettier! It's so soft and lovely!

\]

The one on the left is my darling Omni. She's a quarter inch shorter than me :) On the right is Jessica! She is a fashionista, for sure. I misssss them!

Well, I'm out of things to talk about (a first??). I hope you have a wonderful week and thank you always for your comments! They make my day. You all saved me last week with all your lovely comments. My mood is so much improved and I almost feel like printing all of those comments out and putting them on my mirror.. Thank you so much!!! Today has been an amazing day. I woke up to rain (which is my favorite!), put on a slouchy oversized cardigan, a short denim dress, my new sweater tights, and boots! I have gotten three one hundred percents on my chemistry quizzes in a row now...so I'm feeling awesome today! Thank you!

Love,
Maggie

Oh, and this is something I had to make for my photoshop class. It was an assignment requiring at least six layers including in-text quotes/lyrics. I think it's kind of corny and I don't know if I'm crazy about it, but it's still kind of cute...no? hahah:) Of course I was going to choose something Taylor Swift!

my missing puzzle piece.

Alright...this is a huge moment. Monumental. They say there's a first time for everything...and, well, here you go. This is the first time I am wearing pants on my blog. The first!! Here's my little secret: I hate pants. I honestly don't wear them hardly at all. Maybe twice a month. Maybe three. But no more than that. I guess it has a lot to do with the fact that I find them uncomfortable, but in all honesty, it's because being 4'11" and being so short, I hate the way my short legs look in them..which is...short!!! I envy all of you tall people or people with pretty lean legs that can make jeans look even more fabulous than dresses. 

This week...was kind of horrible. I had a major meltdown internally. It started with getting my chemistry test back and finding out I barely even passed. Like, by barely passed I mean, a D. And in chemistry, a 65 and under is technically an F, so technically, I did fail. Bahhh. I'm used to doing well and I'm used to hard work paying off when I study so this was kind of a huge deal. My self-doubt plummeted and literally, it was leaking into every aspect of my life! I started doubting my abilities in my biology class, my blog, my friendships, and everything. I felt like such a failure. I even started contemplating switching my major completely and second guessing my future goals. It was horrible! I cried. And that hasn't happened in so very long. Ughhh.

I guess on the bright side of things, if there is a bright side, two good things did happen this week. Firstly, I made a new friend. And a friend, friend. Not just someone I talk to so I can get by or someone to go to meals with me to eat alone, but a real friend that I found myself genuinely and completely laughing with! He's probably strangest person I've ever met being from the South and having an accent, wearing plaid flannel in 90 degree weather, being on the track team on a full scholarship, and choosing geology as a major. I may have found my gay-best friend I've always wanted minus the sexual orientation part, yes! He has a car, and we are going to the mall this weekend. Huzzah!

The second good thing? I am officially Wikipedia famous! Sort of, anyways ;). I got contacted by someone telling me that Wikipedia made a page for my blog. EEEEP!!! I was kind of excited, even if I'm not the only one with a page, obviously. It's cool! See my wikipedia page there!

My style stumps me. It's never the same, and this isn't really an exception. Ha!! I got this cardigan for my birthday because I had wanted a red one for so long, but they shipped me the wrong size, so it's a smidge large on me. And by a smidge, I mean, a lot. I'm too lazy to send it back, so instead I just wear it as is. I don't know if you can tell, but I'm wearing my oxford button down shirt I thrifted under it along with my oh-so-endearing scarf from the H&M garden collection I got in Seattle last April. With Niklaas! Yayy! No "Maggie" outfit would be complete without a bow or something floral, so of course, my white one is sitting atop my 59 inches on my head. Yay! These shoes are my favoriteee. I'm in the market for some brown ones currently:)

cardigan- delias jeans- forever21 scarf-H&M shoes-UO

It happens to be the first of October. I have five favorite days of the year: May first, October first, October 31st, December 25th, and May 14th. In that order. Meaning, October first is my second favorite day of the year! Yayy!! It kind of amazes me how Niklaas and I became "official" on the first of May, because I wear to you, it's been at the top of my list since I was a flower-child and danced around the May Pole every year. I LOVE MAY 1st! Oh, and yes, that does mean it's our "five month"! I feel silly calling anything an anniversary unless it's in a six month increment. To me, relationships start to become actually justifiably legit to the real world at six months. Which means...holy cow, we are almost "legit". Holy cow. Holy cow. It's kind of amazing :). And every day just gets better! Even if the being apart thing is sucking currently. Someone commented my blog and commented on how I mention him in every post. Oooops! I apologize! I guess it's because he's such a big part of this blog and, yes, my life. So, naturally, it happens. I just adore him a little!

In fact, a year ago to the day, Niklaas and I "began". A year ago to the day, we would be gathered around the commons talking Mexico-Trip strategies. We met on the "Turtle Trip", a trip to save sea turtles in Mexico, as founded by the Environmental Club. It was there that we became friends and that I fell asleep on his shoulder in the car and the plane and danced together all night so I didn't have to be groped by the guys there and took naps with and shared 3AM shifts on the beach together. It's amazing how much can change in a year and how much can change when you least expected it. It's cheesy, but everything hit a turning point after that when I absolutely had no idea it could. In every way! Not just with him. Words can't describe it and it kills me that I can't go this year!! This also means, a week without communication. We've gone two days in the past 10 months of not talking. Can I make it?? :)

Well, I guess I don't have a whole lot more to say except thank goodness it's Friday and thank goodness September is over!! I hate September. It's always a bad month for me :)

My roommate is leaving for the weekend....and...for that matter...all six friends I've obtained. I think I'm just going to kick back, watch a lot of movies, do some laundry, go to the mall with my new friend, and just....relax. Maybe write a little :)

Love,
Maggie

Divide Swapping's of a Blog Sisterhood: Part II

These posts always make me so excited to talk about! I just love our sisterhood so much. This time around, I think we did so well!! Hope's crochet lace vest is so feminine and darling. And! It was such a huge challenge for me to style! I'm really trying harder to play with layers in my everyday outfits for class and there is no one better at it than our very own Hope! :) I literally sat at my computer looking through her chictopia searching for ideas about how to make this work. I saw at one point she layered a sheer top over a romper and was like..bam! There we go! I grabbed my favorite romper I haven't blogged yet, put this vest over it, added a belt, slipped on some patterned tights and my favorite boots, and voila! And! To push it that much further, I added another layer through my royal blue cardigan in style of Hope. I love how this challenged me to step outside of my creative zone and although I took a lot of notes from Hope, this still feels so me! Yayy!

 

Hope styled her vest so chic-ly! I love her blazers and this hot pink one is no exception! I love how she wore this vest with jeans- this vest truly got such different looks from the three of us! Plus, the rolled jeans with her shoes are so dang cute! If you haven't, you should all go vote for her to win in the forever21 vlog contest! She made the final 10 :) Cheyne styled the vest with florals too! Hehe! Seeing that made me smile! We joke that we are soul sisters sometimes. I love her hat. She has the best hats. She always looks so put together, it makes me jealous. Actually, I'm jealous of both of these girls! Cheyne also has the best flats/boots everrr. It's my dream to go shopping with her (you too, Hope!).

It's so funny seeing how these different clothing items fit Cheyne and Hope in comparison to me! Haha. This vest was so long on me, it could have almost been a dress in itself but on them it looks like a regular old vest. In the last one, my dress went almost down to my knees but fit them perfectly! Not gonna lie, it kind of makes me wish I weren't so short so I could wear clothes like them ;)

Whenever I wear my bows, I feel like Jasmine :). Hehe! I actually have been doubting whether I should wear them like she just talked about because I've been getting such weird looks and at the movie the other day I got asked if I was a sibling visiting. What!?!? Bah!

Okay! What do you think....without the sweater...

or with?? I can't decide which I like more!

I realized that I have never, ever included my bags and purses in my shots. Mostly this is because I don't usually use them. I don't like them. But, I've been forced to in college and here is my baby! I kind of splurged on this bag from Urban and spent more money on a bag ($70) than I ever have. But I use it constantly so I guess it was a good splurge.

Gosh, I just can't get enough of these boots. Thank youuu Niklaas! I wear them a lot. Especially on campus. They're so comfy and they look so darn good with everything. I even get compliments on them! I love wearing them with tights:)

My friend took these picture (yes, I said friend! I have friends in college!). It was oh so scary to ask her to take pictures of me...but I think I've taken pictures with them about four times now and it's not quite as bad as it was. I told my roommate about my blog (sort of) but I don't think she really gets it. Which might be better? Hahaha. She took the picture (below) too, and unfortunately the camera wasn't in focus so some of my favorite "poses" came out blurry. Oh well. It's a learning experience, yeah? :)

I think you get the idea...hahaa:)

In a comment the other day (sorry, I don't remember who said it...), someone said I looked like Kirsten Bell! I've never gotten that before! In fact...I don't think I've ever been told I look like anyone. Haha! It made me laugh. But only because she's so incredibly pretty! So, I was like, whatt??!?!? Haha :) I have to say, looking at pictures of me with braces and now sans braces, I am so happy to have them off. I am much more proud of my smile hahaha.

Well, I think that's all :) I hope you're liking the DSBS (Divine Swappings of a Blog Sisterhood) as much as we are! It's probably the best thing that has happened in creating a blog- I love it!

Love,

Maggie

P.S. Also, does anyone else agree that Taylor Swift's fashionista outfit looks amazzing at the Milan Fashion Week Roberto Cavalli show?

My Fall Must-Haves

So, I found Polyvore for the first time in my life. And because I've never Poly-ied and I don't have an outfit for you today, I figured I'd show you guys my fall wardrobe and my shopping list. I have no idea how this is going to turn out and I have no idea if it will be of interest to you, but, alas, why not give it a shot?
The Basics:
Okay, to start, these are all things I personally think every one needs in their wardrobe come autumn time. Every single one of these items are in my closet!

Fall Basics by magpie13 featuring fold over boots

1) Floral Sleeved Dress: I might have taken this one from Teika, but there is truly no item in my closet that compares to my floral cap sleeved dress. I wear them constantly and they are the easiest thing in the world to style. Basically, anything in this set could be mixed with it. Layer with an oxford shirt, a patterned cardigan, a scarf, add tights, or a vest. A floral cap sleeved dress has endless possibilities!
2) Pea Coat: I think this is pretty self-explanatory. Everyone needs a jacket and why not be practical and cute? I bought this yellow coat from delias on sale and it'll be fun to wear with patterns!
3) Tops: Okay, the most crucial tops in my wardrobe are my: A) Striped V-Neck-striped v-neck tops are my favorite for layering. I most commonly will add a patterned scarf if I'm on the run, a patterned cardigan, or wear it with a patterned skirt/short. They are CRUCIAL! B) Floral Button Shirt- A floral button down is so easy to dress up and down. Numerous times I've worn floral button downs to various fancier events and they instantly add some class. But! For school, I wear them with shorts, a vest, tights, and jeans. C) Striped Oxford Shirt- I wear my oxfords with dresses, tops, tucked into shorts/skirts, and cardigans. They are also another one of those pieces that you can use for everyday use or dressed up for some class. Vests are also so fun with oxfords!! D) Flannel- If you don't have a plaid shirt, I think you've been living under a rock for the past year. Flannel is without a doubt a life-saver. You don't need to wear anything particularly interesting to make flannel stand out on its own and they are so warm. American Eagle and Abercrombie are my favorite!
4) Patterned Scarves (B&W): If you saw my scarf wall, I guess you wouldn't see a whole lot of "black and white printed scarves" but for those pattern mixing beginners (haha), black and white prints are the easiest to mix. You can virtually wear either of these two scarves with anything you want if your top/dress has white or black in it. So easy and so cute.
5) Lace-up Brown Boots: My dearest got me a pair of brown lace up boots in the summer and they are the best item in my closet!! They function perfectly as warm boots, but I wore them in the summer as well. They add so much to an outfit and work for any style. I anticipate tucking my jeans into them with my flannel and scarves soon!
6) Brown Oxfords: Last year, when oxfords were being introduced, black was the trend. However, to be a little more unique amidst the sea of black oxfords, brown is an amazing choice. They're more casual than black oxfords and still add so much to an outfit like black ones. I am in love with my brown oxfords.
7) Skinny Dark Jeans: It's an essential, obviously. Go get em! My obsession lately is to tuck in button down shirts or my vnecks and put on a vest. Sooo cute!
8)  Tights: Tights!!!!! My all time favorite! Next to floral dresses! Seriously, you all know I'm obsessed with scarves, but I can't stress how much I wear them and how good they always look. It's my greatest passion to mix tight patterns with dress patterns and skirts. Eeeep! Perfection! My suggestion is to go to the Urban Outfitter clearance section and pick up the black/white textured ones that are always on sale for $4.99-7.99!
9) Floral Shorts: Lately, I've kind of swapped out my floral skirts for floral shorts. You can just as easily wear them with tights and patterns, but they don't move in the wind or crawl up your back when you're walking to class with a backpack on.
10) Cardigans/Vests: Cardigans and vests are plain and simple, the best layering tools. I invested in this patterned Urban one and it's so warm. The pattern is so cute. I definitely suggest investing in at least one good, chunky, warm cardigan for fall. They're perfect! Vests are another one of those widely styled items I use all the time. Grey is such a neutral color that would work with everything (think black stripes and florals!).

Fall Closet Up-date! 
Okay, I've bored you with the essentials so now I'm going to show you some items I want to kind of add some more variety to my closet including more trendy items to incorporate with the basics. Yay!

Fall Shopping list by magpie13 featuring an opaque hosiery

1) Dresses: I am craving a sweater dress for fall! They are so cute and I would so wear this striped one with crazy tights, belts, and vests. I am also lusting for a simple black double scoop one like this one from UO. I would wear it tucked into pants, skirts, as a dress alone... there are so many options!
2) Crochet Lace Vest: Hope just swapped a crochet lace vest like this one and I fell in love. I would love to layer this with different patterned tees, dresses, and over skirts and leggings. So cute! Not to mention, I can totally wear it in the summer/spring!
3) Fur Trapper Hat: Warm! Cute!
4)Chunky/Loose Cardi: I love the print on this- it's definitely outside my realm. I can so see myself curling up to it all fall and winter long!!
5) Doc Martens: I've wanted a pair forever and these floral ones are so adorable. Tights! Dresses! Eeep.
6) Military Skirt: Green seems to be the trendy color of the season, and I'm so thankful that Military being "in" doesn't include camo. Yuckkk! This skirt is adorable! I bought one and I can't wait to style it up for you all!
7) Tights: I really want a pair of tights with bows on them! I have since last winter and it's a necessity for this fall/winter. Also, I want a pair of royal blue ones. Royal blue is such a classy color and I could wear them with practically everything!
8) Accessories: I desperately want an owl necklace- how precious are they?? And I love "cluster" necklaces. I'm not really a jewelry person, but I love both of these so much. And this belt would be perfect with dresses!!

Okay. So that's what's on my fall shopping list and what I have in  my closet that I wear constantly :)
Hope you have a fabulous Monday!

I'm off to..do whatever :)

Love,
Maggie