Tag Archives: Style Challenge

Day 14: Searching for a sign

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For day 14 of the Style Inspires Poetry Challenge, I wore my leggings with a comfy tee for a chill early afternoon working on a story. It was just a comfy look for staying inside on a cold, wet day.

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I love this vibrant blue top! It’s so unbelievably comfortably and can be styled up or down for a night or a chill day at home. It’s the perfect basic tee.

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On another note, I can’t wait until the weather warms up, so I can bust out that vibrant yellow dress! I don’t know about you, but I’m praying for some sunshine, people!

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For the NaPoWriMo challenge today, I am sharing a snippet of a little poem I’m working on.

It seems I’m always searching for some kind of clue,
Something that will tell me where to go or what to do.
I’m not looking for advice or asking for a hand.
More like a chalk arrow or a letter in the sand
Some supernatural sign to show me where I’m supposed to be.
Instead of second-guessing, there’d be some guarantee.

Day 8: A hopeless fight to save the shoes

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For day 8 of the Style Inspires Poetry Challenge, I wore my green and blue striped sweater from Forever 21 paired with a blue tank, jeans and my cream oxfords.

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I love this casual look for hanging around the house and cleaning, which is exactly what I did today. Since I’ll be moving out in about a week and a half, I’ve been trying get rid of some old junk and pack up little things every day.

DAY8

Today, I tackled the closet. Robert and I both had some old stuff that needed to be thrown. Unfortunately, one of the things that needed to be thrown were my absolute favorite pair of shoes: my little cork wedges with the beautiful delicate white flowers.

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Since our writing prompt in poetry today had to do with shoes, I decided to share the sad story of these lovelies in my NaPoWriMo story for today.

Delicate white flowers,
skinny leather straps
and a comfy cork wedge.

I anxiously waited weeks for them to arrive.
Summer was nearly over
when they finally came in the mail –
a cute little box I quickly tore open.

When my toes nearly froze and fell off,
I finally put them to rest, pulling them out again
the day grass peaked through the snow.

I’ll always regret wearing them
to the park that day and
climbing the mini rock wall
just for the sake of a photo.

The next day, walking into work,
I felt one falling off my foot,
looked down and wanted to cry.

The little leather strap
had snuck out from the cork.
I tucked it back in and hoped for the best.

Later, I tried Gorilla glue.
They lasted another day.
Then, I tried a hot glue gun.
They lasted one more day.

Finally, a nail held the strap
inside the cork bottom …

until the nail poked through
and stabbed my foot.

Day 5 & Day 6: Weekend Recap

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I decided to combine days 5 & 6 of the Style Inspires Poetry Challenge into one post because my weekend has been a bit crazy.

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Yesterday I worked from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then rushed to Grand Forks to sign the lease and get the keys to my new apartment. I brought a few suitcases full of clothes and some dishes to start moving in and decided to hang out for awhile, working on my magazine writing story. Although I didn’t finish the story, I made good progress and decided to head home to Fargo.

Day5

I had plans to go downtown with some friends, so I quickly changed tops and was ready to go.

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Day 5 & 6 were technically the same day, but, hey, for the sake of the challenge, let’s count them as two since I wore two different outfits! (Plus, I didn’t get a chance to take photos today).

Day6

It was the first night in a long time that I’ve been able to go out and not worry about getting up early in the morning. We enjoyed a few drinks and then danced the night away.

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I haven’t had the chance to write a new poem for the NaPoWriMo challenge, so I decided to share an older one inspired by my favorite ballet.

The Nutcracker

Dancing delicately on the stage.
Their pointed toes,
Porcelain skin, glistens in the spot light.

I sit in awe, watching a fairytale.
My eyes locked on the little dancer, twirling
Around and around and around.
I hold my breath, so she won’t fall.

The music grows faster, her face transforms,
From peaceful to frightened.
My heart freezes for her.

Spinning around and around and around,
With strong and fierce movements,
The escapes his hold across the stage.
And at last, I am free.

Other dancers enter the stage,
Dressed in colorful costumes from foreign lands.
The Sugar Plum Fairy from the land of sweets,
Then the Spanish, Russian, Arabian, Chinese.

The little dancer in white with her prince,
Watch in awe,
As the others put on a show
With ribbons and hoops.

She awakes from a dream,
Embracing her wooden prince
No longer full of life.

Diving in again: Mixing style & poetry

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Hey guys! It’s about that time again: Time for another 30-30 Style Challenge! You know the one … I pick 30 items from my closet and create 30 unique outfits. But this time, we’re going to throw in another 30 – 30 poems! Yes, that’s right, 30 lovely (or not so lovely) little poems!

This semester I am taking Creative Writing Poetry and have absolutely loved the class. It’s brought out my creative side again and got me writing more, which is great! So, when I got an email from WordPress.com about the 30 Poems, 30 Days: NaPoWriMo Challenge, I knew I had to do it! But because this is my “style” blog, I decided to mix the poem challenge with a style challenge!

Today I picked out my 30 items, photographed them and got everything ready for the challenge. Tomorrow, we will kick off the challenge with the first poem and outfit! Aren’t you excited? I know I am.

But until then, here are my 30 items for the 30-30-30 Challenge:
30Items

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Jasmine

Day 29: The final stretch

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For day 29 of the 30-30 Style Challenge, I had to pull out my gray tights. I love how thick and warm they are, and I really didn’t wear them as much as I should have during this challenge.

I took a risk pairing the tights with this skirt since the grays didn’t really match, but I think it worked well. And the shoes just add an extra pop of color to my feet! I love it!

There’s only one day left in the challenge, and I have to be honest, I’m super excited to be done! Although I’ve loved the challenge of mixing and restyling to find new looks every day, I can only wear the same 30 items for so long before I start to get bored. But, I’ll definitely be revisiting some of my favorite looks from the challenge in the future! Ahh! Almost done!

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Jasmine

Day 8: When plans change, go with the flow

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“I don’t do fashion. I am fashion.” -Coco Chanel

 

For day 8 of the 30-30 style challenge, I wore the black body-con skirt with the dark fuchsia tank top and cream cardigan. It was a casual outfit for school, but dressy enough for some interviews. I love how the cream and fuchsia compliment each other! I think it’s the perfect color combo!

My photographer and I went to the women’s center to do a feature story for Campus News. Things didn’t go as we had planned (it seems like they never do), but we made it work. I’ve realized lately how often plans change in my daily life. I’ve learned that the best thing I can do is to make brief plans and then go with the flow because I never know what will come up. And it’s never worth it to get upset about a change of plans because things will eventually work themselves out.

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Fitness Challenge Update:
For day 7 of the Fitness Challenge, I decided to bust out my Julianne Hough Just Dance video. It’s a great way to get a good workout and have fun and a lot of laughs at the same time. She goes so fast and makes bird noises, which makes it difficult to stay with her, but I  plan to keep doing the workout until I learn all the dances.

Have you tried any dance workouts? What are your favorites?

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Jasmine
Photos by Robert Swansen

Day 7: Playing dress-up defines your style

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For day 7 of the 30-30 Style Challenge, I wanted to try a new look with my bright red pants.  I usually go for a comfy or girly look with these jeans, but I wanted to create a different style this time. I decided to pair them with this chiffon top. I like the contrast of colors and fabrics created in this look. And I love how the black trim compliments the black boots and really completes the look.

When I was home this weekend, I told Cody to remind me to have Robert take my photos when he got back and Cody said, “Oh, your dress-up clothes?” I thought it was funny at first, but then I saw this quote from Kate Spade.

“Playing dress-up begins at 5 and truly never ends.” -Kate Spade

I remember being embarrassed to wear certain things when I went home because I knew my brother would “make fun” of them, but now I realize I’d much rather “play dress-up” than wear ordinary jeans and a t-shirt everyday.

Your clothes should tell people something about your personality, not make you look like everyone else. I hope my choice of clothes or my style shows people my bright personality, that I’m happy, outgoing and positive and that I’m not afraid to try new things.

What does your style say about you?

Fitness Challenge Update:
Day 6 – 30 minutes cardio

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Jasmine

Day 3: Touches of teal

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“So soon as a fashion is Universal, it is out of date.” Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach

For day 3 of the style challenge, I decided to go with another casual, comfy look. I started with these flare jeans from Express and the cardigan. Then, I decided I wanted a little color so the teal Express tank and striped Steve Madden flats fit perfectly, and the belt tied it all together.

That makes two days in a row with teal, but you can never go wrong with your favorite color!

With classes, homework, interviews and a soccer game to watch, it was a busy day. But no matter how busy I get, I’m making a strong effort to stay active on the blog and active in my life!

Fitness challenge update:
Day 2 – 30 minutes cardio – 15 treadmill/15 elliptical

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Jasmine
Photos by Robert Swansen

Day 2: Scandinavian style

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“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” -Rachel Zoe

For day 2 of the style challenge, I decided to wear a completely new look. I just recently bought this sweater skirt at Target. I love that it is so warm and has hints of turquoise/teal in it. It matches almost perfectly with my teal body-con dress from Forever 21. The look pairs two of my favorite pieces for winter – body-con dresses and tights – with one of my favorite colors – turquoise/teal!

I love how the outfit came together, and I can’t wait to pair this lovely skirt with other items. With the fun print and thick knit, it reminds me of Scandinavian fashion. If you pair it with the right items, it could make the perfect look for a Christmas get-together.

What is your favorite color for fall/winter fashion?

Fitness challenge update:
Day 1 – Ran 20 minutes, did abdominal workout for 10 minutes

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Jasmine
Photos by Robert Swansen

Day 1: Black and white

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“Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” – Coco Chanel

For Day 1 of the 30-30 Winter Style Challenge, I chose a casual look for school. I wore my dark skinny jeans with a white & black striped sweater, a white tank and black boots.

We got our first real snow (that stuck) this past weekend, and it was my first time walking in the snow with these boots. It was a little tough and slippery, so I’m hoping I can last through winter (or at least the 30-30 challenge) with them.

Along with the 30-30 Winter Style Challenge, I decided to start a 30-30 Winter Fitness Challenge, which I will include in my daily 30-30 posts.

The challenge: Exercise for (at least) 30 minutes for 30 days.

The purpose: To get in shape and build muscle and stay motivated.

My goals: Try a group fitness class, get in my best running shape and have fun!

For day one of the fitness challenge, I plan to run for 20 minutes and then do 10 minutes of abs. I will update you tomorrow to let you know what I actually end up doing, so stayed tuned!

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Jasmine
Outfit photos by Robert Swansen

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