A Paper Arrow

Monday, February 29, 2016

The Thriftiest Wedding Find: Bridesmaids Dresses

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Well, fellas. I thought it was about time I shared some of my staples in my wardrobe. Truly, these are staples year-round. Now let me start off by saying that this is not a capsule wardrobe, under any circumstance, and I am not the type of girl that will ever have a capsule wardrobe. I'm sure of it. Don't get wrong, I think it's a great idea, but I generally feel pretty comfortable in most of my clothes, and I usually thrift off a bag or two each month either way.
These pieces fit into my casual wardrobe, as well as my work wardrobe. I don't generally have to pick between the two. I prefer a casual and comfy look, even when it comes to work wear. I do have a couple of pencil skirts and a blazer thrown into my closet for work, but a lot of what I wear can be switched out between both work and the weekend.
I do have heels in my closet, as well, but those are generally reserved for special occasions and/or presentations I have to do at work. I generally prefer little to no heel when it comes to my shoes.
So, without further adeiu, here are my wardrobe staples.

Dresses

I'm a big fan of a black maxi. I have two front Target that I wear all throughout Summer. Here are few similar styles: one, two, three, four

A comfy shirt dress is one of my favorite things. You can find a similar one here (same dress, different colors).

This comfy sheath dress is also from Old Navy, but from last year, and I can't find a similar one. It has zero stretch to it, but is so comfy, and also layers great.

I got this dress on a great sale. It's comfy and great for layering, or wearing as is. You can find it here (same dress, different color).

Another Old Navy favorite. Stretchy cottony comfort. This one is similar, but in a different color and wider straps. Still, you cannot beat a jersey swing dress from ON.

Tops & Sweaters

Seriously one of my favorite tops. I wear it regularly in the summer, but also tend to layer it under sweaters when it's cold out. I got this one from Ross or TJ Maxx probably 3 years ago. This shirt is a similar style, and would be a great layering tank!

One of my favorite, and comfiest shirts. It great with a pair of jeans on the weekend or a pencil skirt for work. You can find it here.

This is one of the comfiest shirts I've ever owned. I could really wear it every single day. You can find it here in a variety of colors. (The shirt is much darker in person than on the ON site.)

Once again, another great Old Navy find. I looks great with a pair of jeans, or structured work pants. You can find it here.

This one is the same as above in a different color. Once again, it can be found here. (The shirt is much darker in person than on the ON site.)

This sweater, from TJ Maxx, is so comfy and cozy. It's great with jeans or layer over a dress or romper. A similar one can be found here.

I could wear this sweater every single day. It's great over dresses, jeans, for work, at home, whatever. It's warm and chunky and so, so comfy. This one is a similar style, but patterned, instead of tan.

Pants & Shorts

I own these pants in this style in black and also in this style in navy. They are so comfy, and some the best pants possibly to wear to work!

Some of my favorite shorts are LC by Lauren Conrad. They are cute, comfy, and have pockets! This style isn't sold anymore, but you can find a similar (and super cute) style here!

Some of my go-to jeans can be found here, and also pretty much any pair from Old Navy.

Shoes

These, in particular, are Xhilaration from Target, but they don't sell these exact ones anymore. You can get similar styles from Target here, or you can get more splurge-y ones from Birkenstock.

The kilty hardsole moccasins from Minnetonka are some of my major go-to shoes. I have several pairs, in coral, teal, gray, and basic brown. You can find all of those here and sometimes for about half off at TJ Maxx!

I always love a good sneaker. I love to wear them on the weekends, with jeans or a dress. I just love that comfy feeling. You can find these exact ones here.

Ankle boots are always major go-tos. I almost always wear them through fall and winter. I always make sure to have a pair in tan and black. You can find the black ones here and the tan ones here.

I also keep a pair of leather ankle booties for rainy days. These are Clarks, and are some of the comfiest shoes ever. You can find a similar pair here.

Do you have your go-to pieces? What are your wardrobe staples that you wear over and over?

Monday, February 22, 2016

Book Review: The Vegetarian by Han Kang

So, apparently there's this book that's getting a lot of great reviews, so naturally, I read it. After reading some reviews, I was curious about reading this book as my "book about a culture you're unfamiliar with." I figured this book was going to be about a Korean woman who became a vegetarian and was ultimately shunned by her friends and family.

I guess, long story short, that is what the book is about, but it's on a deeper level than that. It is a haunting novel about mental illness, and the perspectives that those around a person with mental illness have of them. Or maybe I have it all wrong. I haven't seen any other review that refers to mental illness when discussing this book.

I'll go ahead and say I wasn't really a fan of this book, and I wouldn't actually recommend it to others. Every review I've read has been full of praise, but I was somewhat thrown here and there and back and forth.

The novel is a three-parter. It was originally published in Korea as three separate novellas, and was combined together as a full-length book for the English translation. The entire novel is about a woman struggling with who she is and the needs she has, or from my viewpoint - mental illness. The first part is told from the viewpoint of her husband, the second part is told from the viewpoint of her sister's husband, and the third part is told from the viewpoint of her sister.

While I think this could be an interesting method for another book, I didn't feel it was well-written in The Vegetarian. While it's not so much that the point of views are changing, but the tenses change back and forth, which is very confusing. Perhaps that could be some sort of issue with the translation.

During the first part, there are a few italicized sections that I believe were from the viewpoint of the main character, Yeong-hye, but you never actually hear very much from her point outside of those couple of paragraphs. I'm not sure that I've ever read a book where the main character isn't telling the story, or you aren't getting any kind of input about that character's thought or feelings. You're only reading from the perspectives of those around her, and I feel that doesn't give you the full story. I would have enjoyed at least getting one part from her point of view, so that I could have understood what was actually going on and what was happening. I really never fully understood all aspects of the story, and I felt as if it ended very abruptly.

I really was not impressed with this novel, as everyone else seemed to be. For a short 188 page book, it took my close to a full week to read. Truthfully, I feel like it could make an interesting thriller movie with proper edits.As a book, however, I was not feeling it.

Have you heard anything about this novel, or have you read it? What were your thoughts? I would truly love more input, as I was pretty confused once the book ended.

For more information on this novel and its author, visit the Penguin Random House website.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.