the wonderful Alyson!

For my second school newspaper column about ~Cool Teenz~ I got to chat with my friend Alyson Zetta Williams! She's incredible and does it all. I conducted her interview via google docs, so all of the answers are her actual words, and I thought she had a million little pieces of wisdom tucked in. Last column, when I interviewed Eliza Rubin, I published the finished article on here, but this time I'm switching it up a bit so you can hear directly from Alyson.

She's a high school senior in California, and she's worked her butt off to write for Rookie, Clover, and her own collective. I got to know Alyson last year when I wrote for Zine Club Mag, which you'll read more about, and she's seriously one of the Coolest Girls Ever. Read this and become her biggest fan!

What all are you involved in?

Oh dear . . . WELL, I guess I would be most known for Zine Club/ Zine Club Mag, although it’s now stowed away. Currently, Zetta Mag (a newsletter), ROOKIE, Obsessee, Clover, Adolescent Content, my own painting and writing, being a functional member of society, all that good stuff. I just became a certified yoga teacher, too, aaagh!

How did you get Zine Club started at your school?

There was just no inclusive way for students (me) to do their creative thang without having to submit to certain guidelines or aesthetics. Which is ridiculous. With the lovely platforms out now that are candid about creative success and showcase many different styles, I was on the verge of learning that I was okay in my path and don’t need mimicry to find my way to the clearing. I was passionate about it; that’s everything. Passion is magic, and it drove the whole dang Zine Club bus. I hustled, yo! Show people how great your idea is and show that your passion exists and it becomes a trend to have that same reaction.

Tell me a little bit about how Zine Club grew.

I don’t think anyone had known that a club/ platform like this could exist, so it kind of blew their minds, lol. For me, I was already immersed in the online community of places like ROOKIE where sharing art was already “a thing”. But these kids . . . no one was caring, or saying that it was important for these worlds they had inside of them to be known. A LOT of people were shocked at the acceptance of work and how many times I said “Yes!” and “Okay!” to their requests and submissions. If I had to say, I think it’s the uniquity of the platform/publication and the sheer inclusion that drew people to the idea.

What are you doing with Clover and Zetta mag right now?

Clover is so beautiful. It can be so saddening when you are 124% behind a pitch and it gets rejected; with Clover, they (Liza and Casey) are really willing to explore all avenues with the Ambassadors. It’s very real, is how I would describe it, and not afraid to acknowledge that it’s growing, learning.

Zetta Mag is what I’m living for right now. It’s my own art/beauty/fashion/music-focused newsletter where I’m doing whatever I want in the process of vomiting onto the world everything amazingly crazy-cool thing I love in the planet. It is set to launch at the end of the month, so look out! It will be sent every Saturday, for your weekend reading convenience. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but I have some ideas that I can’t wait to get out there.

How did you start writing for rookie?

Ah, Rookie. Well, I had been obsessed. You could say it was my first real obsession, which was relieving, because I was becoming quite concerned over my status as a late-bloomer when it came to those crazed things. Boy bands just didn’t do it for me. But Rookie . .  . that changed me. I NEVER EVER thought I would write for them; I idolized it too much. But the thing I did right was I kept trying every so often, emailing the submissions email whenever I felt it was right. It was after Zine Club began and I was running a very informal, very quirky blog to keep web folks up to date on our doings. I linked it in my latest email to Rookie and, low and behold, that was the key for Amy Rose, who replied to my email with a “Welcome aboard!”. I couldn’t believe it. That whole situation is pure evidence that when you start following/accepting the path that is right for you, and doing what you want to, you will be rewarded for not fighting the freakin universe. It already has enough work to do, so go easy on it and do what your ~thang~ is.

What’s next for you? Possibilities for college, area of study, or even projects

Oh gee, yeah, college. Unpopular opinion (maybe): I LOVE being a student. It’s almost like being a baby. Everyone is there to teach you and it’s okay to make mistakes, but there is also pressure to, like, crawl, which I guess is a metaphor for writing essays, etc? I am full-on enchanted with learning about things that I know aren’t wasting my time. I haven’t met a better feeling than that utter inspiration and awe that kind of sweeps you up off the ground and makes you forget how to come back down. So yeah, college, lol. Ideally, New York (original, I know), because the amount of people and things is literally soothing to me. I love California, where I live now, but I think I need to go. For a bit.

What’s your favorite thing that you do?

PAINTTTT!!! It’s my secret love. I’m not known for it, which is ironic, because I seem to identify as an artist first and a writer second even though my entire media presence is based on my writing (still confused on how this happened, haha). Like, if I was a celebrity and had one of those secret boyfriends that you only see half their face in all instagram posts to keep their identity secret . . . that would be me and my painting. It’s so natural. I could never stop.

Movies, too. If I was immortal I would be on that director train so fast.

Lesser known, but I really enjoy modelling/acting for my friends in their amazing projects. When it happens, it’s so fun. You are becoming part of art in a whole new way that many people take for granted.

How has doing all of this impacted your high school experience?

What a great question, honestly. I think about this pretty much everyday. I’m SO GRATEFUL. If I didn’t live in a time where youth were somewhat more of a priority in terms of art/media and the internet wasn’t alive . . . I would not have had any of these ideas. It’s crazy just to think how easily I could have been a different person without this online telescope that allowed me to discover ANOTHER ME.

I really got schooled in life, too. I had gotten one B, the rest As, in all my life and up through freshman year. Sophomore year, when I started Zine Club, I got not one but TWO Cs!! It was tough to swallow but when I looked at the project I had started that had grown to include so many people who were growing through the platform in their own ways, the grief dissolved. I got the chance to look at my life from above and tell myself “Hey, what you are doing there, that is what’s important.” I still cared about my grades, but I saw so clearly for the first time how ridiculously ridiculous it is to identify as your grades. They are nothing. Sorry, Mom. I still do care, and I still try, but there’s no going back: I have my priorities; I know what I need to do.

much love,

claire

outfitsandobservations@gmail.com

worth reading part two

The other day, one of my friends was trying to explain to me how much someone loved something, and she said "like almost as much as you love books." So basically, if you know me, you know I'm in love with literature, and I'm always reading something. Two summers ago, I published a post about five of my favorite books. Many of those are still at the top of my list, like Lolita and Infinite Jest, but I have some new ones to add as well.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides is the novel my favorite movie is based upon, and it retains all of the aesthetic beauty within its pages. It's about the short lives of the five Lisbon sisters, from the distorted lens of obsessive neighborhood boys. They fixate on the girls, trying to piece together the mystery of their life and overbearing parents.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath chronicles the breakdown of its main character, Esther. She begins at an exciting summer magazine internship in New York City, but she's already losing interest. Once she returns home, Esther learns she's been rejected from an important writing program. This sparks her depressive spiral, and Plath makes Esther so real that all thoughts seem rational and real.

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace is the best essay collection I've read. The whole thing, particularly the title essay, is hilarious; I was laughing out loud throughout the narrative of his cruise experience and trip to the Illinois state fair. He also writes about David Lynch and literary theory. Like always, Wallace uses his control of language and brilliance to make anything interesting.

After reading Kate Zambreno's Heroines, I became obsessed with Zelda Fitzgerald. Save Me the Waltz is Zelda's only novel, and she wrote it in a frenzied six weeks. After discovering her husband was vampirizing her and her psychiatric experiences for Tender is the Night, while he was blocking her from publishing, Zelda took it upon herself to claim her own experiences. She depicts young femininity with honest and tragic truth. It's been criticized for being too autobiographical, but I think that is part of its strength.

You've probably seen photos of Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur on Instagram, the place where Kaur began sharing her poetry. Her pieces are emotional and moving, with themes of femininity, love, loss,  and survival. It's a journey of her healing from a destructive relationship. Girls are adoring it, which I love because I think it's inspiring a resurgence of poetry appreciation.

Check these out and share your favorites with me also!

much love, 

claire

outfitsandobservations@gmail.com

Eliza Starting

Last month, I started writing a column for my school newspaper where I spotlight teenagers who use their passion to pursue awesome things and make change in the world. For my first column, I got the chance to interview Eliza Rubin of the Eliza Starting podcast that I've mentioned before. She's the sweetest and the coolest, and I was so lucky to get to chat with her! She's going to continue to do awesome things.

Eliza Rubin is the force behind “Eliza Starting at 16,” a weekly podcast in which she “explains what’s going on in the big, wild world of teenagers these days.” She’s also a high school senior living in New York City.

Rubin publishes 10-15 minute episodes on iTunes each Sunday. She uses this time to candidly discuss her life and interests, the way she navigates the city and what’s going on with her generation. She presents her ideas in an articulate and insightful way that illuminates the matters.

One of Rubin’s frequent topics is the complexity of being a teenager today; she attempts to explain the things that often go unnoticed or misinterpreted by other generations. This can range from social media to selfies to the college application process to celebrities.

Lately it’s been comforting to hear Rubin’s thoughts on the college application process and how that differs at her school. Even though she attends a private high school on the Upper East Side and her life is considerably different than mine, we still face many of the same daily issues. It’s a gentle reminder about the universality of parts of the high school experience.

Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project and Rubin’s mother, has her own podcast called “Happier with Gretchen Rubin.” Rubin said she was inspired to start “Eliza Starting at 16” after she was featured on a few of her mom’s episodes and said she loved how easily talking came to her once she was in front of the microphone. As suggested by the title, she posted her first episode when she was 16; Rubin is now 17.

“It’s easier than blogging because you’re able to say what you feel, and it doesn’t feel forced,” Rubin said.

Rubin said all one needs to start a podcast is a microphone and ideas to share. As the market for podcasts grows, there’s a chance for everybody to get out there, and Rubin is encouraging of everybody who wants to give it a try.

much love,

claire

outfitsandobservations@gmail.com

a poem

Today is National Poetry Day, and I'm celebrating it by reading Sylvia Plath and sharing one of my own poems! This is something I've never done because it seems like such a vulnerable and scary act, but I'm going for it.

This poem is constructed out of various fragments I wrote in the spring, when I was in the process of overcoming mental blocks and taking ownership of myself. I hope you enjoy.

Ownership

I used to revel in the signs you showed me

Now I find solace in Becoming

Cool and Collected

you don’t have a say

in me

you don’t get to hold me

or have a Hold on me

It’s magnificent to Bloom

to stretch out arms and legs

Reaching in the soft lush grass

my fingers out, the sun Drenching me

I think it just rained

I’m becoming a force

Larger than one life, a whole garden

it doesn’t involve you

I won’t wither and die when you forget to water me

It could just be that it never was

but I want to possess it all, to

not forget

the roses of my prolonged Adoration

to not toss them in the dumpster without a

second thought

I gave a lot of second thoughts

to you

To experience evolution is not to erase,

but to Shift and to Grow and to

Kill

what once was, to aid the future’s painful Birth

to focus on Cultivation instead of tending to

dead crops-- planting new seeds and

cooing in Awe!

a crystal bridges sunday

American Eagle vest, Target tee, Brandy Melville skirt, Steve Madden booties (similar)

I was blessed with a much-needed four-day week, so I started the weekend early road tripping to visit Westminster College and Mizzou on Friday. We also spent time exploring downtown Columbia, a cute town that reminded me of Fayetteville.

Today, my friend Jenna and I made the little trip to Crystal Bridges. Fall has officially started, and I wanted to dress for it, but it's still summer weather! I was definitely sweating when Jenna was taking these pics so we had to take some breaks in the air-conditioning. After pictures, we treated ourselves with brunch at Pressroom-- so good!

Suede is one of my favorite trends for fall, especially in maroon and tan hues, so I wore this button-front skirt. I added my army vest because I would have worn my coat version if the weather was cool enough. I've had these tan booties for forever, but I always forget about them! Whenever I do pull them out, they're the perfect addition to an easy outfit. 

much love,

claire

outfitsandobservations@gmail.com

stripes and sweaters

Brandy Melville dress (similar), Urban Outfitters cardigan, Frye boots

These photos are actually from March or April, but I forgot I had them, and it's an outfit that also works for early fall. As most of you know, Brandy Melville's t-shirt dresses are my go-to item for an easy day. They're so soft and can be styled any way you can imagine. My current favorite cardigan is a grayish-purple that works as an unexpected neutral and pairs well with the navy. To add a little more character, I wore my embellished Frye boots, one of the coolest pieces in my closet! Tights would work really well with this outfit when the temperatures actually start dropping.

Georgia took the photos for this post.

much love,

claire

outfitsandobservations@gmail.com

it's all happening now

"Remember the moment you realized your life was happening? That actually, your life was the things you were doing every day and the things you were thinking and feeling and all of it wasn't some preamble to your actual life? The moment that hits is like a punch to the gut. It's like ripping the mask off reality."
-How to Live in the Present Without Annoying Yourself by Haley Nahman

I read this in a post on Man Repeller yesterday, and it hit me SO. HARD. All the "live in the present" stuff has never really reached me before, I'm not sure why. I get it when it's a moment like a concert you know you want to remember and be part of because you know the rest of your life doesn't shine as bright as that moment. But when it's all the everyday stuff like going to school and going to cross country practice and taking a shower and eating dinner, it's kind of just, "Eh? This is what I did yesterday, and I'll do it tomorrow and next week and next month." It doesn't feel special. It doesn't feel like something you need to be "in the moment" for because that's when it's so easy to coast on autopilot.

That feeling also has to do with the fact that so many of these things aren't necessarily actions I'm choosing for myself. It all just feels like it's leading up to what's next. I've always been so adamant about what I want to do-- go to Columbia so I can move to New York City and write for a major magazine-- and how I want to get there.

Now I'm at the terrifying and exciting point where I'm actually applying for all of this to happen. And it's not distant; it's next year.

So I'm in this track of mind where it's like everything I do is completely for that. All of the work in school and on the ACT is for colleges, and writing for the newspaper and keeping this blog is so I'll be prepared for the magazine world. It's not like I don't love these things, minus the ACT, but when I examine it, it feels like it's all ultimately to benefit the Future.

I'm not even sure if that's good or bad. But I'm almost never fully present. I'm always looking forward, and it's becoming even more difficult because everything I'm looking forward to is SO CLOSE. I need to acknowledge how real and present all of this is because I only have one more year of high school, one more year in Fayetteville, one more year with my friends, one more year with my life the way it is now because no matter where I go everything is going to change. And honestly I'm so happy with where I am right now. I'm ready to absorb the morning drives to school and the trips to Braums for ice cream and the way I see a friend every time I go to a coffee shop while it's my life.

much love,

claire

outfitsandobservations@gmail.com

#maudewall

{Brandy Melville top, American Eagle Jeans- on sale!, Fringe Fayetteville choker, Sam Edelman boots via Masons, Fitbit Alta}

Maude, one of Fayetteville's best boutiques, just painted their building's back wall in multicolored panels, and it's the perfect spot for pictures! All of the Fayetteville girls have been making frequent trips there to get perfect Instagram pictures with their friends.

I wore one of my recent favorite outfits, which luckily contrasted well with the wall colors. I've been obsessed with this black off the shoulder top all summer, and I've been wearing it with denim skirts and high waisted shorts. This weekend the weather has been in the the glorious 70s, so I actually got to pull my favorite jeans back out. If you're looking for some high waisted skinnies, check out American Eagle. They have the perfect amount of stretch and fit like a dream, and this is coming from someone who typically hates pants.

All pictures done by Georgia

 much love,

claire

outfitsandobservations@gmail.com

Waves

This is a completely new kind of post for me, but today I'm sharing a short story that I wrote. It's included in the latest edition of my school's literary magazine, and it's dear to my heart. I hope you enjoy!

The waves always repeated; they always came back to reach for her toes. Throughout the entire day the waves hadn’t paused their repetitive motion for even one second. By now, her feet had sunk into the sand, and the waves brushed new layers of it and broken shells over her feet with each ceaseless cycle of the foamy, white tendrils reaching for the shore before retreating back to the safety of the Pacific. It would always clean off the top of her feet for a brief moment, but then it washed more back on her.

She had been standing, overlooking the water, for almost the entirety of this day christened “the most beautiful day of the year” by the town’s weatherman that morning. You don’t ever picture your first heartbreak, but if you did, then it would most definitely not be on a day where the sky declares its vastness by removing all clouds and the weather warms your skin without the intensity of making your clothes stick. You may picture grey skies and thunderclouds on the day your heart breaks, but not “the most beautiful day of the year.”

She hadn’t been expecting it, of course. All she could do was stare now, fixated on the ocean’s repeating waves, struggling to decipher what had been genuine about their time together. The body of water seemed to be a fresh tint that desired to be turquoise but was forced to be much more clear.

They hadn’t been together for long, but their lives had been consumed by each other since the April day a mutual friend introduced them. Due to her mother’s tendencies to let sad records blare in the house and engage in broken, toxic relationships, she had allowed her heart to grow heavily guarded. Maybe, probably definitely, he wasn’t the solution she needed, but the timing was right. He appeared right when she was ready to be vulnerable.

Everything he was embodied a calmness her soul thirsted for; her life had always been an unpredictable cycle of chaos, and he was something solid to cling to. He spoke with gentle kindness and careful attention.

She first believed she loved him the Sunday they met for breakfast at a coffee shop and stayed the whole day discussing favorite bands, plans to escape their small California town, and the dogs they had owned. Whenever he grabbed her hand and she would tilt her head up to his magnetic green eyes. Him playing his favorite song and her closing her eyes as they drove down the highway. So many moments building to this conviction.

She even loved him while she watched him smoke, a habit she had previously detested; her father had smoked, and many of their armchairs served as reminders of when he was too lazy to use an ashtray. They would sit in his car, and she would watch him exhale the ribbon of cigarette smoke, tainting the clean coastal air. This simple ritual caused her heart to beat faster. He was so calm and careful about it, qualities she had never seen as synonymous with the habit before.

He hadn’t loved her for one minute, though he may have thought he did. He had loved the way she looked at him when he spoke about his passions, and he had loved the poems she would sometimes leave neatly folded in the passenger seat. He was used to admiration and got caught up in any new form of it. But he hadn’t loved her, and now her heart was shattered on “the most beautiful day of the year.”

People aren’t like the ocean, she considered. They don’t have an obligation to clean you or return to you. By now the sky had shifted from the pure blue it had been all day to a rosy pink to a magnificent blend of blue and purple, reflecting into the water and destroying the consistency her day had revolved around. She turned and made her way through the sand.

right now

This summer sped by, and I was at a 6 week program without computers so I didn't make any blog progress, but I'm full of ideas now. I'm planning on committing to the changes I announced in my last post and only posting content that feels completely authentic. Additionally, I'm not using @outfitsandobservations on Instagram anymore, so if you want blog updates or to see what's going on in my life, follow @coffee.claire !

I want to put a spotlight on some of the little things I'm loving at the moment. Here are some items that make my world seem more special. I hope you enjoy them and comment some of your favorites. Also, no books on here because I'm planning a separate, books-only post for soon!

Eliza Starting
This podcast is done by a 17 year old girl named Eliza who lives on the Upper East Side. She's the cutest and talks about all of the things she loves, her favorite parts of the city, and what it's like to be a teenager today-- how it's more complicated than older generations give us credit for-- in ten minute weekly episodes. She's extremely articulate and smart without seeming pretentious. It's cool to listen to her talk about things I can directly relate to, like the college process and how much she loves BORNS.

Gossip Girl
Not to be on an Upper East Side streak, but this is another one of my loves lately. I watched it all freshman year and was completely obsessed, and now I'm rewatching it and loving it all the same. I'm not typically a dramatic tv girl, but all of the characters and the craziness they create are impossible to look away from. I'm currently on season 5 and fully immersed in the lives of Serena and Blair.

Depression Cherry
Beach House's 2015 album has been getting me lately. Listening to it feels like some combination of a dream and a low budget movie. It's the perfect album to write or read or drive to, and it flows together perfectly.

Tusk
It's my favorite Fleetwood Mac album and has been on my record player consistently for the past year. "Storms" is one of the most beautiful and emotionally strong and dear-to-my-heart songs of all time. Tusk is potentially the purest example of the band's stunningly crafted lyrics. It also houses "Sara," "What Makes You Think You're The One," "Angel," and all the rest. Listen to it all the way through!

Tarte's Liquid Eyeliner
I've been using the "lights, camera, lashes" precision longwear liquid eyeliner, and I'm so impressed by it. The felt tip pen allows for such a smooth line, and it stays the entire day. My favorite makeup is winged liner, so this has been a huge help with that.

21c's Pop Stars Exhibit
When I visited 21c in early June I was completely unprepared for this exhibit. There's a piece that took Britney's "Baby One More Time" and gave light to how elegant, how emotional, how raw those lyrics are. There's focus on the beauty of a pop song and how it can be a catalyst to fame. There's a mirror with Paris Hilton carved/ marked into it via thousands of words said and written about her by friends, tabloids, herself. There's an image of Lady Gaga as a Renaissance-esque beauty. The whole collection is fabulous, and I'm not sure how much longer it will be on display.

much love,

claire

outfitsandobservations@gmail.com

changes

Lately I've been going through the archives of style rookie, and Tavi's feelings and aesthetic obsessions are so present in those posts, they're leaking out of her. It's truly her diary, and it's incredible and pure. There are so many mood boards of stills from Sophia Coppola films, references to favorite albums, couture pieces that floor her, this whole stream of consciousness that's so unique to this time in adolescence.

I've also been devouring Kate Zambreno's Heroine, in which she draws a stunning portrait of the wives of modernism and other influential women writers who are so often used as muses and dismissed as real artists. She examines the female writer and the way she's perceived-- as emotional and impulsive and of less literary merit in most cases. She empowers this feminine experience, screams for young girls to begin sharing their voice in whatever way they choose, however raw, it has value.

"A diary as a way for girls to be kept safe, to feel free to write her emotions and nascent ideas without being disciplined. This is often the mode that allows her to come to writing-- perhaps this is why it's so widely decided as not literary or seen as raw material. Yet the diary is part of the girl's process-- a way to do the work." Kate Zambreno in Heroines

That being said, I've been embracing this diary style of writing. It's not new for me; in a way I'm reclaiming my preferred method of writing-- expressive, rambling, the unashamed portrayal of self. I feel most comfortable with this style and like it's the best work I produce. But often it's been things I'm afraid to share so they remain in my journal-- or worse, as bits of inspiration or repeated in my head until they're forgotten.

Even though I've made a conscious effort to portray myself, I feel like the me on this blog is so suppressed, so contrived, even though I'm the one in charge of it. I do love the things I write about, but I feel like I'm more concerned with displaying these things rather than depicting their importance with my writing. I'm not displaying my authentic self, my authentic passion. I'm not satisfied with a lot of my words on this blog because I feel like so much of it doesn't actually mean anything. And also, I've changed and evolved a lot as a person even in the past 18 months of this blog, but I feel trapped by the structure that I began with.

I'm going to start sharing these things that I was scared to post before. I don't have to be polished because I'm not polished. I've been so afraid this past year because I used to think I had this crystal-clear idea of where I was going, and then I realized I have no idea. That ambiguous fear has distracted me from exploring all of these things that I'm truly passionate about. There's so much potential if I explore these things, so that's going to be a main part of this blog. Expect things to be more personal, to have that diary-esque feel, more mood boards!

I want to sort of redesign the way I view and treat the whole blogging process this summer. It's probably going to be messy, but that's the point. I'm seventeen, and I've had a fashion blog since I was fourteen, and now I want things to be different.

much love as always,
claire

may playlist

Today marks the middle of the AP testing craze, and everything seems to be happening at once. Recently there's been AP testing, the end of the school year approaching, the state track meet, two proms, Dallas for my cousin's wedding, the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association Conference, and a million other things.

I've felt my best in months because of spring taking over and all of this going on, but I'm so ready for summer and unstructured days. Here are some songs for anticipating those times:

Juicy by Radiation City (the band I saw in Portland! check them out!)

10,000 Emerald Pools by Borns (ready to see them with the Lumineers in October!)

Space Song by Beach House (if you want to feel like you're in a dream)

Turn to Sand by Musique Le Pop (for dancing in the car on a bright day)

Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles) by Arcade Fire

Flesh Without Blood by Grimes (completely obsessed with this song as of late)

Cool Party by Mal Blum (really digging this song, sometimes it makes me cry a lil tho)

No Love Like Yours by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes (their new album is so dynamic & cool)

Lovers in the Parking Lot by Solange (a true anthem)

Swingin Party by the Replacements (so summery, I love Lorde's cover as well)

it's not legible due to my excitement, but I won runner up for Newspaper Writer of the Year at Arkansas' High School Journalism convention!

current inspiration via the pages of Teen Vogue and Nylon

when in Dallas, I got to meet up with the lovely Jen of Modern Ensemble. she was so sweet & gave me a ton of tips on blogging

prom #1 with my pretty cell group girls

Braums means so much to me

this book has been taking over my life lately; it's about the wives of modernism & their genius that was so often dismissed 

sunny days call for iced lattes at the new Arsagas

the best parts of track meets are taking pictures of it

Fayetteville is so magical!

prom #2 (to see more)

much love,
claire
outfitsandobservations@gmail.com
@outfitsandobservations on instagram