August 2015 / Organized Mess

VMA's: Top 10 Red Carpet Looks

8.31.2015

The VMA's were, as usual, filled with plenty of drama (Nicki's call-out to Miley, Kanye announcing he's running for president in 2020, Miley pulling a Beyonce and dropping an album suddenly and so much more) and crazy looks. Taylor Swift continued to be queen of the evening, bringing her ultimate girl squad out with her and winning Video of the Year for "Bad Blood." So many outfits were more reminiscent of costumes than regular runway looks which seemed very appropriate for the VMA's. Below are my top 10 favorite looks from the night.

10. Demi Lovato in Nicola Jebran

I'm so jealous of anyone who can successfully wear this color. The nude pumps were the perfect accessory without taking away the focus of the skin-tight silhouette.

9. Cara Delevingne in Saint Laurent

First, I love love love the fringe (always a sucker for fringe). This simple but beautifully detailed dress was perfect with a pair of strappy heels.

8. Hailee Steinfeld in Stella McCartney

This clean, crisp high-fashion red carpet choice stands out between so many other looks from the night. The necklace adds a futuristic vibe as well.

7. Tori Kelly

This high-waisted shorts, romper vibe is my current obsession so it's no surprise that this ended up being one of my favorite looks from the night. With minimal accessories and pointed toe heels this look is so chic.

6. Vanessa Hudgens in Naeem Khan

She looks like a magic, fairytale princess in this gown. I love the additional boho vibes the necklace and hair accessories give this look, keeping it very "Vanessa Hudgens" esque.

5. Taylor Swift in Ashish

This red carpet look is 100% on trend between the joggers, crop top and cheeky throwback pattern. The heavy eye-makeup also gives a nod towards "Catastrophe" in the Bad Blood video.

4. Gigi Hadid in Emilia Wickstead

Kind of obsessed with this yellow number. This is such a fun red carpet look without looking tacky or distasteful. The simple sandals, dainty jewelry and natural make-up keep it from being over the top.

3. Chrissy Teigen in Marcheasa

This is such a great red carpet representation of the sheer trend that's been all over runways and magazines the last year. The high-neck also adds a sense of elegance for the edgy trend.

2. Lily Aldridge in Alexandre Vauthier

Lily looks so elegenat and classic. This isn't the usual look you see for the VMA's but she looks so timeless it's impossible for this look not to be at the top of the best dressed list. Also, her eye-makeup is 100% on point.

1. Martha Hunt in Georges Chakra

This ended up being my favorite! I love a sparkly mini, and the sheer sleeve panels add a whole other level of chicness.

What were your favorite looks from the night?

8.27.2015

Dates by the water are the best. Dates by the water that involve ice cream are even better. Last weekend Derek and I finally left our apartment after spending the entire day watching Friends on Netflix (this is why living with your boyfriend is basically the best thing ever) and went to Spruce Street Harbor. Franklin Fountain is set up there so we went for ice cream and strolled by the water (my pick was 2 scoops - vanilla bean & blueberry).

I got these adorable shorts from Old Navy and haven't worn them nearly enough this summer. They are actually super high-waisted so they look adorable with tanks tucked in and crop tops as well. I've always tried to be that girl who tries to look super chic in all neutral colors but I'll always be obsessed with color and bright pieces. These orange shorts fit into my wardrobe almost too perfectly. We're finally getting a chill to the air (usually once every few days) so I was able to actually wear a sweater while we were out. Oxfords instead of sandals added another fall-ish vibe to keep the look transitional.

SWEATER | GAP (similar)

SHORTS | OLD NAVY (On Sale Now!)

PURSE | T.k Maxx (similar)

SUNGLASSES | Steve Madden (similar)

SHOES | BAIT

NECKLACE | Ruche (Old)

8.26.2015

New season, new shoes! Am I right? Fall is full of my biggest weaknesses: pumpkin spice lattes, baked goods made from cinnamon and nutmeg, boots, sweaters and tights (oh my!). There are so many cute options this season and while I definitely want to make getting new booties my first priority (my favorite pair pictures above bit the dust in London), I'm loving the idea of new loafers/oxfords! All of the pairs on my wednesday wishlist are neutrals which I love for Fall (I'm all for lots of color during the summer too!) What's on your wishlist this week?

1. The Jess Oxford, Madewell. ~~$148~~ $110

2. MIDNIGHT Leather Zip-Back Boots, Topshop. $140

3. MICAH stacked heel bootie, Sole Society. $99.95

4. JUDY Bow Shoes, Topshop. $80

5. Cammila Pointy Toe Loafer, Sole Society. $69.95

6. Block-Heel Loafer, Old Navy. $30

8.25.2015

Budapest, Hungary in late January/early February is very very rainy, snowy and frigidly cold. But I loved every second of it. Even when my oxfords filled with water and my feet froze and I was forced to buy a pair of fleece-lined ankle boots, or when I went to the pharmacy because I started to get really sick and everything was in Hungarian and I couldn't find anyone who spoke English so I just bought some random medicine with oranges on the front hoping it was Vitamin C (the people at my hostel confirmed that it was) or when I went to go brush my teeth in the hostel bathroom and two people were, um, getting busy in the shower and it was super obvious. I still loved this trip and Budapest is a city I will forever hold fondly in my heart.

First, the architecture was absolutely magnificent. The country itself has had so many influences throughout the year so there was everything from Roman amphitheaters to Gothic-style Cathedrals, to Classic, Baroque, and Romantic styled buildings and then there's the Turkish-inspired baths as well (and so so much more). There are two sides of the city, the buda (think rolling hills, quiet and settled) and the pest (bustling, busy with restaurants and shops and flat) sides but were mostly stayed on the pest side since that's where most of the main shopping was and where our hostel was located. I tried so many delicious things from some type of ox meat (who knows what was even in it), to lamb with mushrooms, to goulash, to a very alcoholic trifle dessert and to stuffed cabbage and more!

The best part of the trip was definitely the thermal baths. The day that we got to the Szechenyi thermal baths (pictured below) it was snowing off and on and there was something so surreal about standing outside in a bathing suit while snow is coming down on you and swimming in a hot thermal spring. The whole spa day seems like a dream and was one of the best days I've ever had. Even if that is when I started to get horribly sick with a cold that lasted me for weeks afterwards. Worth it.

We did a lot of shopping at Zara during this trip because it was significantly cheaper than shopping in London. We sort of felt like queens after spending so many weeks in London where everything is so insanely expensive. The last day we went to the Great Market where there were soooooo many food options it was absolutely overwhelming. I had heard a lot about stuffed cabbage on our walking tour so I tried that but was absolutely obsessed with Langos (one of my newfound favorite foods). I obviously got a hungarian pancake as well, which ended up essentially being a rolled up crepe which means I loved it. I don't discriminate against crepe-like desserts.The very last thing we ended up doing before heading to the airport was checking out Szimpla Kert, a famous ruin bar in the city. Ruin bars were usually more than one floor and filled with cheeky, mismatched furniture and old pieces including antique-ish carnival ride pieces and bar stands.

Below are a few bits from my trip to Budapest.

How the people of Budapest are protesting a monument that they feel is "rewriting history." The hand made monuments are for people who were victims during the holocaust. On the state, the eagle is supposed to be Germany swooping down on a Hungarian symbol. Many people are aware that Hungary was once allied with Germany and don't like how the statue is portraying them as "innocent" and makes it seem like the Hungarian government is in denial. But you can read more about that here.

Looking across the river at the Buda side of the city.

Lamb with potatoes and mushrooms at Koleves.

Hungarian Parliament Building

Szechenyi Thermal Baths

Hungarian Goulash and then a traditional Hungarian trifle dessert and espresso for dinner and dessert on the last night.

View of the "Pest" side from the "Buda" side.

Stuffed Cabbage and Hot Wine at the Great Market Hall

Szimpla Kert, a ruin bar.

8.24.2015

Summer days are getting shorter and cooler. I've already started to put together transitional outfits. Wearing a button down top with a summer skirt is one of my favorite things to wear between seasons. This raspberry colored skirt is from the summer collection from LOFT and the speckled polka dot is part of their early fall collection so it's fun to combine the two. I have so many plans for this speckled top this fall and can't wait to style it in more than one way. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy mixing summer and fall styles whether it's a button down with a summer skirt, or a tank with jeans and booties.