fall clothing

Turtleneck Body Suit (black) – grey, red, white | Flare Jeans – black | Booties (black) – tan

Sweater Coat (orange) – grey | Purse

In honor of my 27^th birthday yesterday, I decided to share 20+ random facts about me! I tried to share different info from that already on my about me page so I hope you find this at least somewhat new and entertaining! Some of these will seem pretty random, but I wanted to have fun with this and give you guys a bit of insight into who I am and how I grew up!

I’m also sharing one of my favorite outfits of late. This turtleneck bodysuit has become a recent outfit staple for me and is currently on sale for $20!! Bodysuits are so nice because they give that tucked-in look without all the bulkiness of extra fabric. It fits true to size and works for petite ladies! Also loving this “coatigan” (coat + cardigan). I wore it out when it was in the teens, and it kept me warm. It’s under $100 and extremely versatile (also comes in grey!). Definitely one of the best purchases I made this fall!

So let’s start with some basics…

1. The first thing you should know, I’m a cat lover and believe I was probably a cat in another life. I’m not saying I don’t like dogs, I just grew up with a cat, and, to be honest, dogs are literal mouth breathers. Can’t handle. (Disclaimer: Kevin is a dog lover, and we will eventually get a dog. No complaints from me as long as it’s a big dog and fluffy).
2. I grew up in a small city outside of Madison, WI and lived in Madison for most of my adult life. If you ever travel to Wisconsin, Madison is a must-see. It’s the state capitol and on an isthmus so surrounded by two gorgeous lakes!
3. I attended the University of Wisconsin for my undergrad and have a degree in English Lit with European Studies.
4. Why English? I saw Macbeth at American Player’s Theatre when I was 15 and was hooked on Shakespeare immediately (#nerdalert). He wrote 38 plays, and I’ve read over 30 of them, most multiple times. King Lear is my favorite. I took an entire class on different adaptations of King Lear while studying abroad.
5. On to point number 5! I studied abroad for about 6 months when I was 21 in Leeds, England. I LOVED IT. So many people wonder why I studied in Leeds v. London. One, London is crazy expensive. Two, I wanted to be surrounded by British people because, back then, I believed I was born not only in the wrong century, but in the wrong country. I got my wish and lived on a floor with 4 amazing British women!
6. I’ve traveled to 10 different countries and am counting down the days when I can take Kevin back to Europe to explore!

A bit about my family…

7. I come from a pretty small, close-knit family with a rather large extended family. I have one sister who is 8 years older than I am, and she’s married with 3 little ones! Being an aunt is the best thing! And with my sister’s family living outside of Minneapolis, we’re able to see them much more often which we’re really enjoying!
8. My parents have always been two of my biggest supporters and two of my biggest role models. They’re both retired but you would never know it. My dad is a chair for the American Library Association and still works closely with the federal government on various grants and committees (he’s in DC as I’m writing this!) My mom is a force to be reckoned with! She’s currently mayor of my hometown, and we can’t go anywhere in Madison without running into someone she knows (and then having a 20-minute conversation).
9. My biggest fashion influences growing up were my maternal grandma, my aunts on my dad’s side, and my sister. My grandma was very into sewing her own clothes when she was younger. I even have two of her purses from the 40’s! My aunts have always been the embodiment of fashion, and it’s likely where I get my obsession with shoes from. And my sister and I have very similar tastes and, more than once, have unknowingly bought the same clothes!
10. This is something I talk about quite frequently, but I have a serious love for shoes that goes back for as long as I can remember. I have a memory of getting to school in 8^th grade and remembering that I forgot the pair of heels I wanted to change into (in Wisconsin winters, you wear boots to school and change!). I actually called my mom and asked her to bring the shoes to school. She didn’t LOL. Also, I may have been the only person in my high school to wear snake skin heels…
11. In that same vein, back in high school I was religious about outfit planning. To the point where I kept an outfit journal so that I never repeated the same outfit in a 3-month period. To be honest, it amazes me that it took me 26 years to figure out I should be in the fashion industry!
12. A bit of a back story on the blog (which you can read more about here) – I originally started my Instagram account so I could post makeup and beauty shots. But realizing that was hard to juggle with a full-time office job, I started doing more natural beauty/outfit of the day posts. You can’t really walk into an office with a fully glammed out face, falsies on and everything! And my Instagram really organically evolved into the blog. I’m still very much a newbie and learning but I’m enjoying every second of it!
13. I’m a pretty short lady – I’m 5’2” but am built like my dad’s side so have a shorter torso and longer legs (relatively speaking). For the most part, I like this. I can usually get away with buying regular length pants but crop tops are another story!

A bit of random stuff about me…

14. I’m a sucker for a good novel, and I find the best way to relax is to curl up and read a really good book (English major, remember?). And, although I love Shakespeare, I’ve expanded my horizons into different genres like post-apocalyptic literature and suspense/mysteries. However, my favorite novels of all time are still Jane Eyre and Gone with the Wind. They are so timeless!
15. I typically listen to pop music or a mix of indie/pop/folk. My favorite artist is for sure Katy Perry. KatyCat since ’08 and haven’t looked back since! I’m going to see her in December for the 2^nd time and am beyond excited. I also love Taylor Swift and am completely over that whole feud! I actually remember sitting in a high school friend’s car in 2007 when TSwift’s “Our Song” came on the radio and her saying, “Yeah, this is a new singer, Taylor Swift, she’s pretty good” LOL – we had no idea how big she would become!
16. My favorite types of food are Mexican and Chinese. Although if I had to just choose one food that I love, it would probably be cheese. I KNOW that is horribly stereotypical of me coming from the cheese state and all, but it’s just so good! Knowing that dairy makes me break out horribly literally breaks my heart.
17. When I was younger, I was very into performing. I was an Irish Dancer for almost 10 years, was in a children’s play group and was even the lead in my high school’s musical. I still love to sing but now my audience is usually just Kevin and the boys (AKA my cats).
18. Which leads into my next topic, my boys! I get a ton of questions about my cats’ names since they have human names. We got George in fall of 2013 when I was still overly obsessed with British history so I named him after King George I. Technically, George was “my cat”. Kevin then got Frank and named him after “Frank the Tank” from Old School. Not even joking. I have a vivid memory of Kevin chanting “FRANK THE TANK” as we drove back from the humane society lol!
19. I have a HUGE sweet tooth and really have no control over my eating (I’ve been known to eat peanut butter by the spoonful). So, Kevin and I literally keep no snack food or sweets in the apartment besides pretzels LOL. I’ve founded my daily Vega One shakes are just sweet enough to trick me into thinking I’m having chocolate with breakfast.
20. I have a love/hate relationship with working out because I hate, HATE cardio. I can never get past the feeling like I’m gonna vomit/pass out to get that mythical “runner’s high” people talk about. But, I know how important it is for overall health, and I always feel great after working out. Lately, I’ve been loving PIYO, which is a Beach Body workout (no I’m not a coach). It’s the perfect mix of yoga, pilates and cardio for someone who hates cardio!
21. When I was 14, I got my first ipod that I still have. You know, the huge, white one with the black and white screen. I’m holding on to it as I’m convinced I’ll be able to sell it for millions someday.
22. I’ve been a certified Starbucks addict since I was 13 (they hooked me young!). One of the first drinks I tried was a caramel macchiato but hated it because it was too bitter for me LOL. In middle school, white chocolate mochas were my jam. My friends and I would get Starbucks, then walk to Noodles and have buttered noodles and parmesan.

If you couldn’t guess from this post (or all of my others), I was blessed with the “gift of gab” as my mom calls it and often am long-winded. I also like to write a lot (the English major in me!). So, although this was a bit longer than intended, per-usual, I hope you found it enlightening and that you learned a thing or two about me!

Have a great weekend everyone!

xoxo