Cozy and Cost-Concious

Hello, dolls!

Is outfit-repeating truly a crime? Some days it's nice to wake up and just not have to think about what you're going to wear. I have an arsenal of go-to outfits for days when it's just a little bit harder to get out of bed. I applaud those of you who can wake up every day and piece together an outfit, but I am just not a morning person most days. If being an outfit-repeater is a serious fashion offense, then go ahead and lock me away for liking convenience.

GET THE LOOK

Top: H&M
Jeans: H&M

Boots: H&M

Hat: H&M

I'm known to be a fan of distressed denim, and I incorporate it throughout every season, regardless of how cold my knobby little knees may be. I've also just recently really gotten into turtle necks...? I never really used to care for them because I felt like it was uncomfortable or smothering, but I've come to find that I prefer turtle necks that are a bit bigger and slouchier as opposed to the slim, tight ones. This cropped sweater is super soft, which is a huge deal since I find a lot of sweaters to be scratchy and irritating.

I actually picked up these boots last spring from our Coachella line. I love pieces that I can still use in other seasons, and these booties are just the perfect shade of brown to keep them out year-round. I've always been a big fan of boots and so I try to find ones that I can get a lot of use out of. My hat collection has also been growing as I've been trying to incorporate other colors other than black. My most recent additions have been charcoal grey, navy blue (from my last post), and this tan one that you see here. My hair has really been on the mend due to incessant dryness out here, so the bad-hair days come more often than not. I am not truly Dani if I am not in a hat.

I am only just now realizing that my entire outfit is from work. I guess it's pretty clear what I do during my lunch breaks. The craziest thing is while I do quite a bit of damage at my store, more than half of the products in my wardrobe were purchased at sale price. I scored these jeans and this cropped turtle neck around this time last year, both at ridiculously low prices. The sweater was a whopping $3 and the jeans were only $7 (and that's not including my employee discount). The two have become little staples in my closet and I get tons of use out of them. It is possible to create an extensive wardrobe out of discounted items. Shop smart, dolls.

Until next time...

XOXO

Faux Fur and Bells

Hello, dolls!

As promised, I'm back with another outfit post for you all. Alex and I had the whole weekend off together for the first time in a long time, so we took full advantage and made sure to not only run all the errands that needed to be taken care of, but also to shoot and spend an afternoon in the mountains.

GET THE LOOK

Top: Pacsun

Vest: H&M

Pants: H&M

Boots: Tobi

Hat: H&M

As the weather is getting much, much colder, layering is everything. After years of never believing that anything faux-fur suited me, I've finally come around. A few weeks back, there were a few weekend deals going on at my store and the prices were too good to not give into temptation. I scored this faux fur vest for under $20. My only regret is that I didn't pick it up in another color, but honestly I know I'll end up scooping another one up before the season is over.

Everyone knows that I've had it bad for the 70s trend, and my collection of bell-bottoms just seems to get bigger and bigger by the week. I was recently working a truck shift when my manager showed me a new pair of printed bells that had come into the store. She called them "Dani pants," since everyone at work knows that if there's one thing I love... it's bell-bottoms. When discovering that they were only $15, I put them on hold immediately to try on later during my lunch break. The fit was perfect, which isn't easy to come by when you're as small as me, especially when it comes to the length. I was also happy to find that the fabric was much thicker than any of my other printed bells. An inexpensive and weather-appropriate score all in one pair of beautiful bells?! Could it be that I will carry this 70s trend into the winter months? Well, knowing me... probably.

Until next time...

XOXO

The Canadian Tuxedo, Dani-Style

My goodness, it's been quite some time now, hasn't it?!

I realize that saying I've been off my blogging game is a serious understatement, and I apologize for my unintentional hiatus... BUT HI, I'M BACK! Life, as it tends to do, got in the way of my blogging plans (as well as a few technical difficulties, which have officially been worked out) but seeing as things are finally a bit more stable, I'll be posting much, much more.

GET THE LOOK

Black Crop Top: Gypsy Warrior

Denim Tunic: H&M

Shorts: MINKPINK via Nasty Gal

Shoes: Forever 21

Hat: H&M

This is a look that I had shot way back in September when it was still warm enough outside for shorts – without tights or thigh-high socks, that is. I have a deep love for the denim-on-denim look (or the "Canadian Tuxedo" as some call it) and I'm always trying to find new ways to re-vamp it and make it a little bit different each time. So far, my favorite is breaking up the denim with just a hint of black. Denim on black is a match made in heaven if you were to ask me... something about it feels just a little bit sleeker than your classic blue jeans, white shirt go-to.

I wear this denim tunic in more ways than you could imagine. Being quite petite with a short torso, I often wore it belted as a dress with booties, although it appears my favorite option is paired with my black jeans, a black tee, and white sneakers. This tunic is a staple piece in my closet, and I truly get so much use out of it so if you don't already have that perfect denim shirt, I would absolutely recommend this one that I picked up from work.

These lace-ups have been my go-to shoe of the summer, and trust me, parting ways with them for the change of the season has been absolutely heartbreaking for me. I never thought a shoe like this would be comfortable given the laces on the front, but I was pleasantly surprised by these babies. I'm already looking forward to warmer weather so I can live in them again.

I'll be back again this week with another #ootd

Until next time...

XOXO

Back to Black / Rocksbox

Hello, loves!

I've had quite a crazy few weeks at work preparing for the back-to-school madness along with all of our Labor Day deals, so needless to say my free-time has been (for the most part) non-existent. Now that the craze has come to an end, I'll have more time to be shooting looks and writing posts and I am verrrry happy about that! I'm especially excited for all the fall clothes, so definitely be on the lookout for a lot more posts!

Alex and I did get a chance last weekend to head up to boulder for the day. It's a beautiful drive and one of my favorite places to be in Colorado, so I was happy to spend a gorgeous afternoon walking around with my love. He even treated me to gelato! I bopped around a few stores as we strolled along Pearl Street, watching all the street performers. Then we headed out to try and snap a few pictures before the dark clouds really started to roll in. We stopped somewhere on the side of the road along our drive back to Lakewood, and ended up finding a good spot that we hadn't been to before. It's very lucky that we live in a place where finding nice scenery is pretty much guaranteed.

GET THE LOOK

Bodysuit: American Apparel

Jeans: American Apparel

Zodiac Necklace: Gypsy Warrior

Gold Bar Necklace: Rocksbox

I was recently emailed by a representative for Rocksbox to be a sponsor/it-girl. Having never heard of Rocksbox before, I did some research and after reading up on the company, I couldn't say yes fast enough! Rocksbox is a great way to accessorize without having to commit to a specific piece. It's like Netflix for jewelry... you sign up and take a quick survey regarding your personal style preferences, and then you're asked to create a wishlist based off of a catalogue that has been selected specifically for you using the results of your survey. A Rocksbox stylist then curates a box of jewelry based of of your wishlist, sending you items from your wishlist, or similar items from a different jewelry designer. After you receive your box, you can wear the pieces as much as you like and you can then decide whether to purchase one (or all) of the pieces, or you simply ship them all back using the pre-paid package slip they send you. Then you're sent another box, and so on and so forth.

As someone who is quite picky about jewelry, it's nice to be able to try out the pieces before I have to buy them. I've made the mistake of impulse-buying before, so this is a great way to ensure that I will actually wear the items I buy. I definitely would recommend signing up and giving Rocksbox a try! So far I have really been enjoying the pieces I've been sent, and this particular minimalistic gold necklace I wore in these photos is probably going to be a purchase. It's great for stacking, which I like to do to optimize my use of jewelry, and it's also great on its own for a delicate and sophisticated look. I've already been planning more looks around this necklace!

Sign up for Rocksbox and use my promo code: daniellerosecastanoxoxo 

I'll be posting again this weekend, so stay tuned for more!

Until next time...
XOXO

Checking In

Hello, all!

I had the day off of work and figured that this would be a good opportunity to catch you guys up on what's been happening in my life.

Alex and I were in the process of moving out (which was beyond stressful, honestly) when we put everything on pause to fly back home to NJ for a brief trip. I had a pretty packed schedule... lots of shoots, a wedding, and some much-needed family time with my grandmother and my niece and nephew. I hardly slept but it was well worth it. I only wish I had more time back on the east coast as I've been missing it quite a bit. I did, however, have enough time to shoot with a very young, talented photographer, Jayson Cunha. He's a friend of a friend (hey, Liz) and we've been wanting to work with each other for awhile now, and while our time together was quite limited, we managed to make it work (and make an absolutely epic Sonic trip afterwards.) We unfortunately got kicked out of our location so our shoot was cut short, but we had just enough time to get a quick set. Despite the set-back of being kicked out for hopping the fence, this tennis court shoot has become a favorite of mine.

Thanks, Jayson, for a fun day of  hoodrat shit.

Be sure to check out Jayson's work and follow him on his social media accounts!
Website: jaysoncunha.com
Instagram: @jcvnha
Tumblr: jaysoncunha.tumblr.com

Since we last spoke, there have been quite a few changes... one of which being my hair. If you follow me on my other social media accounts, you've noticed I recently traded out my platinum blonde locks for a taste of grandma-grey. A friend of mine, Stephanie Aretakis, was kind enough to squeeze me in for a very last-minute hair appointment before I attended my boyfriend's cousin's wedding. I couldn't have been any happier with the result, and the fact that there was no bleach used on my head made me even happier. My hair is feeling healthier than ever since I've been religiously using coconut oil. I think that the grey will probably stick around for awhile...

Here are some photos of my new hair, and I've also included some photos from the wedding:

Thanks again, Steph, for my gorgeous granny locks!!

In other news: I was recently featured on Social Decay's blog. You can view the feature here. I was delighted to receive an email from these beauties, interviewing me about my life here in Colorado. My Social Decay babes have been nothing short of generous to me, I seriously cannot thank them enough for everything they've done for me. Thanks again, ladies, for taking such an interest in me and in my blog... it means more than you can imagine.

Photos for the feature were taken by my friend Mike Matos:

Thanks again, Mike, for these feature photos.
Be on the look-out for more posts from my trip back to NJ!

Until next time...
XOXO