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Stripes That Flatter

Published on June 13, 2017June 13, 2017 by PeculiarPorter19 Comments

Hello darling! How is your day going? It is finally h-o-t in Connecticut. It is about time! The past month has been wishy-washy from low 50’s to low 70’s so you bet I’m ready for some nice 80° weather.

Earlier this spring, I interned with Saratoga Living Magazine. I wore this stripe J.Crew dress on one of my days in the office. I definitely have a love hate relationship with stripes and I have a few tips up my sleeve on how I pick the perfect stripe dress.

Tip: Look for pieces that incorporate vertical stripes alongside the horizontal stripes.

If you find a piece that has vertical stripes on your sleeves, near your legs, or on your waist line it will automatically make your silhouette look slimmer and leaner. One of the main reasons I love this dress so much is because the vertical stripes on my waist make my petite torso look so much longer than it actually is. The wide pleats below my waist line also elongate my hips making my waist look even smaller. So when you’re looking for a stripe dress find one that incorporates vertical stripes in your “trouble areas.”

Tip: don’t go overboard with stripes.

Stripes are a busy pattern. It might be wise to try and keep stripes as minimal as possible. If your want more stripes in your outfit try for a bigger pattern so that it doesn’t overwhelm the eye. Since this dress has very tiny stripes it was good that it was at a shorter length compared to a midi or maxi dress. The stripes would have been overwhelming with that amount of fabric.

Tip: Include a bold color in your outfit to break up the busy pattern.

My polo cardigan is the perfect addition to this outfit to break up the thin stripes. If you want to experiment with stripes in this warmer weather definitely try out a bright colored shoe, earrings, or necklace… maybe even a hat! They are all great additions that will incorporate not only your personality but some fun in your outfit.

Other than rocking some stripes I’ve been hunting down jobs. Some of you may be curious how I’m handling my post college life. I’m in this bittersweet faze where I’m happy that my four years are done but also sad that I’m not returning to my “home” this upcoming fall. I’ve been applying to jobs left and right on LinkedIn and Ziprecruiter. I’ve had a few bites here and there and I have a big interview today (fingers crossed that it goes well). My dreams and moral are high so it’s just up to the big guy to send me in the direction I’m needed.

Do I have any recent college graduates reading my blog? Let me know in the comments down below how you’re handling the post college life.

As always,

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Photo Credit: Blogger friend Alicia Bryan. Her blog.

How to Spice Up a Graphic Tee

Published on May 30, 2017May 30, 2017 by PeculiarPorter13 Comments

Hello darlings! Are you being hit by this miserable cold wave? I’m back in Connecticut and it has been in the low 50°’s all week AND it has been raining. Talk about a double-edge-sword.

On the brighter side, this outfit is always my go-to mood booster. This is something about a quirky, graphic tee and a bold, print skirt that puts on one of those feel good smiles on my face. (Speaking of which, my cacti obsession has not ended… I may have just received this cacti print shirt! I’m in love!)

Graphic tees can sometimes be tricky to style. Trust me, I went through a weird phase in middle school where I loved buying graphic tees but would only style them with dark wash skinny jeans. What is the fun in that?

Tip: Spice up that sassy tee with some equally sassy elements.

By adding more patterns and textures in your outfit, you automatically make it so that your outfit is more eye catching. The trick to adding either color or sassy bottoms into your graphic tee is looking at what the pieces have in common. Now, obviously white and black go with everything. Sorry, you caught me… I went for the easy way out. However, if this shirt was in same green the skirt has and still said this fun saying, it would still go perfectly. I love picking a color that is barely represented in a wild pattern like that green and wearing that color as a top. This makes the little color representation stand out and make it more alluring.

Tip: Tie the graphic tee in a knot to give the outfit more dimension. By doing this you automatically make your outfit look more flattering on your body.

The majority of this outfit (tee and skirt) is from Banana Republic. I admit, I rarely ever shop at Banana Republic. I might need to lurk their graphic tee section more because this tee has been on my body nonstop lately. I currently am dreaming about this shirt on sale and this shirt that would look great with high waisted green pants. I usually style this En Blanc En Noir shirt with a knot because it breaks down the material bulk. Plus, it gives my outfit even more sass.

What does your favorite graphic tee say/look? How do you normally style it? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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Photo Credit

Senior Cruise

Published on May 16, 2017 by PeculiarPorter7 Comments

Hello darling! I wanted to highlight all of the fun I participated in during my last week at Siena College (tears falling quickly down the side of my face). After a jam packed day of bar hopping in Saratoga, the senior class of 2017 hopped on 9 buses to go on a Captain JP Cruise Line boat. The three-hour experience let us sight see Troy to Albany and then back again. We ate, danced, and slightly froze our butts off. Regardless of how cold it was, it was probably one of the most rememberable trips I had during my senior week.

The cruise ship consisted of three different floors. The third and second floors served food and the top floor had an opening to see the dance floor and exit outside the boat. There were also bars on each floor, which made many seniors very happy. During the cruise, we were given a buffet styled dinner that consisted of salted potatoes, salad, eggplant parmesan, bread rolls, and fried chicken. After people finished eating dinner, everyone gained enough courage to take pictures in the cold outdoors. We tried our hardest not to look as if we were freezing out butts off.

Everyone was dressed to the nines but not dressed for the weather. Oh, well! Despite being cold, I was super happy wearing this dress. I’m actually slightly obsessed… I cannot wait to wear it again. The little cutouts made this soft floral pattern so edgy and unique. Plus, the cap sleeves were another reason I was sold. My dress is currently on sale if you want to check that out! It also comes in black.

After the cruise, Siena hosted a “late night dinner” at the dining hall. We blasted music and danced on tables. If you remember High School Musical then you know exactly how the scene looked. One of my friends danced so hard he ripped his pants. If that isn’t rememberable, I don’t know what is.

Looking at these pictures and writing this post is making me sad beyond belief. But I’ll get to that in my upcoming graduation post. Keep your eyes and ears peeled because it may be a tear jerker… or nah.

As always,

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The Fall of Instagram?

Published on April 25, 2017 by PeculiarPorter4 Comments

Hey darlings! A little bit different a post than normal. I wanted to open up a little bit of a discussion to see what you guys are thinking about this new Instagram change.

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but for the past few weeks Instagram has been changing slowly. It seems as if every time I scroll on Instagram I’m seeing more and more advertisements and less content that I actually want to see.

I intern for Aubrey at The Coastal Confidence and she was explaining to me that since Instagram is owned by Facebook, that they’re trying to make the app more sponsor based. That means we’ll see more people promoting their pictures in order for them to be seen and less of your friend’s content.

My opinion…

To me, it has been very frustrating seeing this big change. Instagram is something that has always been more of an intimate experience than other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. I’m someone who does follow a significant amount of well-known bloggers, but I really enjoy seeing my friend’s content as well as less known bloggers. When I log onto Instagram now, it seems to be more of just the well-known bloggers instead of my friend’s and less known bloggers. I almost am getting to the point where I need to go through an insta-purge and really see who’s content I still enjoy.

However, one thing that makes me not stray far from Instagram is the newly added InstaStories. This addition seems like a more artsy version of snapchat. Plus, I find it really amusing seeing what some of my favorite bloggers are doing in the weekend. It’s a great way to hear their voices and see the way they react to things. Plus, I adore when they do big hauls. It’s something that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to do on Instagram but if this app stays relevant we’ll never know!

What do you think?

Have you noticed this Instagram change? Does it make you want to rethink who you’re actually following? Do you think there will be a new groundbreaking social media app? Let me know in the comments down below. I’d love to hear your opinions about this.

As always,

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I Guess We Clean Up Nicely

Published on April 18, 2017April 18, 2017 by PeculiarPorter13 Comments

Helly darling! This post is a little bit different from my typical blog post. I love when bloggers give me a little glimpse into their lives, so I figured I’d do the same for you guys. The other week my college put on a little shindig for English major, members of our college magazine and newspaper, and the online publication Her Campus. Since I’m an English major and part of Her Campus I decided to go with my lovely friends.

Sadly, the only details I have on dresses are my friend Courtney’s dress and my dress (pictured above). Courtney’s dress and shoes were found at Nordstrom Rack a day prior to this event. I’m obsessed with the beautiful floral pattern on her dress.

My bright red dress was found at Urban Outfitters in September. Sadly they do not sell it anymore. It has this funky strappy back that I feel head over heels for. I might be super annoying for even saying that because I don’t actually have a picture of that detail. The necklace is a J.Crew Factory classic. It is currently on sale for $24.50 so buy it while it is on sale! I’m also obsessed with this similar necklace that is also on sale. Last but not least, my adorable, eye-catching shoes are from Off Broadway. I ended up getting a size up (I’m normally a 7.5 but I got an 8) because they were a little snug. You’ll be seeing these shoes more as the senior events progress (I have a senior formal next week! Eeek. How time flies).

I hope you have a great rest of your day! What is your favorite semi-formal look?

As always,

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What to Do and See in Fort Lauderdale

Published on February 28, 2017 by PeculiarPorter7 Comments

Hello darling! If you follow me on Instagram you might know that this past weekend two of my friends and I visited Fort Lauderdale. Before arranging the trip I looked high and low on Pinterest to see if there was anything that we should venture out to do, see, or eat. I admit, Fort Lauderdale is definitely a very low key spring break location. It is the perfect location if you want to catch some sun, shop around, and catch amazing happy hour deals.

Monday: Pool and Surf Shops

We stayed three nights and four days. It felt as if it was the perfect amount of time to stay in Fort Lauderdale. Monday, we arrived and spent as much time as we could at our hotel’s outdoor pool. We stayed at the Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale a doubletree by Hilton. It was definitely a perfect location for us because we really just wanted to catch some sun rays and lay by the pool/beach. There was also a market/deli connected to the hotel that had sandwiches. We must have purchased those sandwiches three different times. You can never go wrong with boar’s head! Later that day, we walked around the little surf shops on the beach.

Tuesday: Vegan Food, Sangria, and Shopping on Las Olas Boulevard

We decided to wake up and catch some of the sun during the on and off cloudy day. We tanned until lunch time where we decided to venture out to a vegan place a few blogs had recommended. Boy, am I glad we went. Green Bar Kitchen’s Instagram alone should give you enough motivation to travel to Fort Lauderdale. Even if you’re a total meat head, I think you’ll fall hard for this adorable little restaurant.

We then ventured to Las Olas and shopped around. There were cute little shops to explore on a cloudy day. Once we were shopped out we stumbled upon Vinos on Las Olas, which is a cute little wine bar decorated like a little escape. They had a fantastic happy hour and a great selection for apertivo meats and cheeses. You can take us out of Italy but it is certainly hard to take away the memories!

Wednesday: Happy Hour at Bubba Gumps

After going to the gym, we looked outside and it was raining cats and dogs. When it rains in Florida… it really rains. So we decided to take our sweet old time getting ready for the day. Eventually, we made it out the little surf shops on Fort Lauderdale Boulevard. We ended up spending happy hour at bubba gumps and getting a bunch of appetizers. We bopped from restaurant to restaurant and eventually we made it back to our hotel. The rain eventually cleared up and we just sat by the pool.

Thursday: Sunrise and Coconuts

In order to get the most out of the sunny day, we decided to wake up early and see the sunrise. It was definitely something worth seeing and wake up to especially because we wanted every last drop of sunlight before we headed North. I ended up purchasing a coconut and was a gross amount of excited. Such a funky, paradise taste! Later that day we flew home to a surprisingly warm New England. It was about 50° when we landed.

Have you ever visited Fort Lauderdale or thinking about visited Fort Lauderdale? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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The Ultimate Styling Trick to Stay Warm

Published on February 7, 2017February 13, 2017 by PeculiarPorter40 Comments

Hello darling! This past weekend, I went to Chowderfest in Saratoga. It is the magical day where multiple restaurants (85 to be exact) all make chowder. The chowder is $1 for a cup and you feel like you’re melting into a puddle of happiness when you eat it. I ended up getting 8 different chowders. I was so full that I felt as if my friends needed to roll me to the car. Obviously, it was a magical experience.

The day of Chowderfest was pretty cold out and you usually stand outside in the cold waiting for the chowder. So, that got me thinking. How do you stay warm when you’re trying to stay outside in 20° weather? Layer, layer, layer. In this outfit, I have a tank top on, a button down, my sweater, and my jacket. Boy, was I ready to endure the cold. The key to making sure that you don’t look super bulky with this many layers is to make sure they’re different sizes. The tank top that you cannot see is super form fitting so it won’t add that much bulk to this outfit. My striped button down hits just below the sweater making the eye drawn to the little to the extra fabric. Also, it helps when you cuff the sleeves and make sure the collar stands out over the sweater.

When you’re dressing for warm weather, make sure you wear a wool sweater. This sweater will ensure that you stay super toasty. Plus, I love this beading on this J.Crew sweater because makes the look that much more playful.

As for shoes and pants, I wore different ones for Chowederfest. I actually wore these jeans on top of a pair of thick leggings. I then threw on my over the knee boots from this post and was incredibly warm. The extra shoe material on my legs really helped me stay warm.

For gloves, I really love these black leather ones because they are lined with fleece. You can get very similar ones at Marshall’s or T.J.Maxx.

Here are pictures of my favorite chowders from 7 Horse, Sweet Mimi’s, and Graffney’s. Boy, were they delicious!

What are your tricks for staying warm for winter? Do you hide hand warmers in your shoes and gloves? Do you double up on hats or scarves? Let me know in the comments down below. Also, if you have any fun food events that you stay outside for like Chowderfest let me know… I would definitely put that on my list of places to go.

As always,

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P.S. What do you think about Christmas decorations that are still up? These photos were taken two weeks ago and Christmas stuff is still up! Personally, I love it.