OOTD: A Fun Flowy Dress ft. A Word on Catcalling & the Bigger Picture

  This dress is probably my favorite item in my closet right now. Hands down. There was a time when I was super into maxi dresses, and there was also a time when I got… More

OOTD: Year-Round Fall Tones

  Happy New Year!! I hope that wherever you are in the world that your holidays have been spectacular. I’m starting off the year with new experiences, new perspectives, and new tastes. I’m both ecstatic… More

A Word: On Insatiable & Bandwagon Hate on Social Media

[Before I start, a quick note: in all honesty, I don’t particularly care about this show – it’s not one I would usually follow in the first place. This post isn’t about the show alone,… More

25 Random Facts About Me

 

Hey there! My name is Emma — a seventeen year old girl trying to make her way through college while harvesting her love for fashion and photography. So many blogs have given me inspiration for my current style, and I want to try and do that for other as well. Here and there I also want to share my lifestyle experiences as well, just to show a couple of snippets from my life.

Here are 25 things about me that I think will help you as a reader to get to know me just a little bit better:

1. I’m studying chemical engineering at Vanderbilt University.
2. My favorite color is blue.
3. I prefer tea over coffee. Lemongrass is my favorite!
4. I LOVE baking! Cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, whatever I can get a recipe for. Bonus points if it’s vegan.
5. My favorite song is Sticks and Stones by Jonsi. Not gonna lie, it’s from the How To Train Your Dragon soundtrack. It’s just such a soothing song!
6. I love dancing! I’ve been dancing ballet since I was 4, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
7. Slightly K-Pop obsessed. And by slightly I mean very.
8. Most of my playlists include songs from movie soundtracks and scores. FYI, Danny Elfman is a musical genius.
9. Lately, I’ve become a little shoe obsessed.
10.   San Pellegrinos are my absolute favorite drink. The blood orange flavor, to be more specific.
11. My ultimate life goal is to be able to travel across the world, whether it be for pleasure or for work. There are so many places I’ve yet to see and, I dream of being able to explore them all.
12. I absolutely hate wearing jeans! Something about them is just always uncomfortable to me.
13. I prefer cats over dogs. Ironically, I’m also allergic to cats.
14. I can’t understand football to save my life. Or most other sports for that matter.
15. Fall is my favorite season.
16. I love cake/cupcakes, but I’m not a huge fan of frosting.
17. I have a Finding Nemo poster from when I was 3 in my room. And it’s never leaving my room.
18. I used to be a pescetarian, but now I just don’t eat red meat.
19. I’m a total believer of the quote “Everything happens for a reason.” It gives life a more optimistic outlook in my opinion.
20. I always sleep with a comforter or blanket, no matter the weather.
21. I’d like to dye my hair a dark red or pastel color, but I’m too afraid of it damaging my hair.
22. My black leather jacket is my favorite article of clothing out of everything I own.
23. I really would like to learn aerial, or at least take an aerial silks class. Someday….
24. Painting is one of my favorite pasttimes. I love creating abstract or impressionist versions of nature scenery. I usually end up abandoning my paintbrush for my fingers and Q-tips by the time I’m halfway through the painting.
25. Before I decided I wanted to be a chemical engineer,  I wanted to be a marine biologist. Even now I’m drawn to oceanic sciences, but I prefer to study them on a microscopic level.

 

That’s just a snippet of me! I’m SUPER excited to start this blog, and I hope you’ll like it! ❤

 

 

Why I Love Studying

I love studying. I love learning. From the minute we’re born we’re learning new things, interacting with objects we’ve never seen before, finding new experiences. Through elementary school, there was always a spark of wonder from learning about space, or mythology. Each day we learn something new about the world or ourselves. I love learning. Even more, I love my major. I love learning about chemistry, about how the world works. Chemistry explains how tiny molecules can form something huge, and that fascinates me. Our clothes? Chemistry. The lotion you use to moisturize everyday? Chemistry. The water we need to survive? Chemistry. I love chemistry and I love learning about the world around me. I love studying engineering and finding out how things we use everyday are made on a large scale. I love studying chemical engineering.

What I don’t love is feeling so pressured by grades and my GPA to cram information into my brain. I don’t love the anxiety I get from studying because I feel like if I don’t do well on this next exam, I won’t get the job I want, or I’ll get farther away from my goals. I don’t love feeling like everyone in my class is doing infinitely better than I am, or finding myself feeling alone in a class full of people. I don’t love losing my passion for chemistry and chemical engineering. I don’t love feeling burdened by learning.

I love studying. I just don’t love the way college seems to pressure me to do so.

Until next time,

Emma ^_^

🌸 thecouturechemist.wordpress.com 🌸

Ushering in 2018 Spring Fashion with Warby Parker

Hey everyone!

As we get further into the year, we get closer to seeing all the fashion trends 2018 has to offer. 2017 brought us slogan tees, oversized shirts, flatforms, and tons of other trends that may or may not stick with us into 2018. But if you’re looking to reinvent your look for the new year or maybe just try a new trend, Warby Parker’s Spring Collection is here. TODAY, they’re releasing nineteen new, chic frame styles as their 2018 Spring Collection.

If you’ve never heard of Warby Parker, I’d definitely say they’re worth a search. Shop online and try 5 of their designer frames of your choice for free! You receive 5 frames for 5 days, so you can choose which one you think looks the best on you and makes you feel the most confident. My favorite thing – for every pair of glasses sold, they give one to pair to someone in need. If you’ve noticed from my constant, shameless promotion of The Elephant Pants, I’m a fan of the buy one, give one concept. I think the fact that they help distribute glasses to those who need them is a great way to give back.

 

If you’re looking for a new look for yourself or are just getting tired of your old frames, give these a try! I personally love the two-tone frames – the mix of prints and colors is so bold and unique! They all contain different mixes of fun and elegance, providing a classy, polished look. With frames in metal, acetate, and combination and colors varying from warm, earthy tones to cool, crystal shades, I’m sure you can find at least one pair that speaks to you.

Here are some of my favorite frames from the spring collection!

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Thanks for reading! Remember, don’t be afraid of trying something new this year! Be proud of who you are. Wear what makes you happy and confident. Love and respect yourself. Create your own trends. Don’t forget how amazing you are. I hope your new year is off to a positive start! See you soon! ❤

–  Emma ^_^

 

Where I’ve Been

Hey there!

Remember when I said I’d be updating once a week? Haha yeah, good times.

So where have I been the past 3-4 months? In a word, stressed. Anxious. Unmotivated. First semester of my sophomore year of college was a lot rougher than expected, and it took quite a toll on me and my mental health. I’m FINALLY on winter break and getting back into my own mind, but can’t help but feel sorry that I neglected this blog for so long. I had been so excited going into it, but stress and other priorities came crashing down on me far too quickly for me to imagine. I’m here again now simply to get this post out there, officially restarting my journey with this blog. The last thing I want to do is give up on something I was so passionate about to begin with. Though it’s been a while, I’m not quitting so easily with this blog. I won’t promise anything, since I clearly couldn’t before, but I’m going to make it a personal goal of mine – a new year’s resolution if you will – to be consistent with this blog and to view it as a thought release during the school year. I hope anyone reading this will follow me in my journey through school as well as life and be willing to connect with me along the way.

Until next time!

Emma, The Couture Chemist

Instagram: @thecouturechemist

A Guide to Being Sick in College

When you have three midterms, two quizzes, and a bunch of homework assignments due, getting sick isn’t an option. Yet somehow, sickness seems to jump onto us at the worst of times. When that happens, you have to be fully prepared to combat the cold, flu, fever, stomach bug – whatever it may be. What you don’t want is to let sickness slow you down.

1. Liquids not Pills

Whenever I start to feel sick, I immediately go drink some Theraflu. Theraflu has this amazing Lipton tea flavored medicine that doesn’t taste completely awful whenever you drink it! It’s hot, so it soothes my throat while I’m drinking it, and in the morning, I can already feel the sore throat fading. So often I talk to my other friends who get sick during the year, and they’re only taking pills and cough drops throughout the day, and don’t get better for nearly a week. In my personal experience and compared to the results of my peers, liquid medicines like NyQuil, Alka-Seltzer, and Theraflu tend to work much faster than three types of pills everyday.

2. Here’s the Tea

DRINK LIQUIDS. In general when you’re sick, your body tends to lose more fluids than usual, so it’s important to stay hydrated so your fluid levels can stay balanced and your immune system can fight illness more effectively. Drinks like tea and water will help the pH balance in your stomach while soothing your throat. Avoid coffee and high caffeine teas, as well as carbonated or sugary drinks. Hot water with honey is also great for sore throats. I drank 16 oz of tea every other hour, between the times I switched for class. If I was out of tea, I would drink some room temperature water whenever my throat felt slightly scratchy or if it started to feel painful to swallow.

3. Be nice to your stomach

Whether you have a stomach bug or a cold, simplifying your diet will be beneficial to you and your stomach. While on most days it’s good to eat foods with a lot of fiber and protein, it’s better to take it easy on your digestive system when you’re sick. It allows for the body to focus less on digesting tough foods and more on getting better. The BRAT diet is a go-to, particularly if you have a stomach illness. During this diet, you only eat bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These foods are very easy to digest and will give your digestive system a nice break. Personally, I didn’t stick exactly to this when I was sick with the flu, but I opted to eat more carbs like bread and rice over high-protein and high-fiber foods. Stay away from spicy and sugary foods as well. A small amount of spice is always good to clear your sinuses, but excess spice can cause a lot of stomach pain.

4. Rest

If you need to rest, rest. Don’t force yourself to go to lecture if you know you won’t pay attention in it anyway. If you feel dizzy just standing or walking, REST. If you’re too busy focusing on your stomach pain to focus on your homework or your teacher, REST. A nap will make you feel 100 times better than merely attempting to get work done.

5. Prioritize and Organize Your Mind

If you are indeed like me and get sick days before a busy exam/homework week, one of the best things you can do is to sit down and figure out exactly what you need to do and when. Being sick already tends to make your head feel heavy. Adding stress  from the impending exams on top of that will only make you feel worse. If you take a little time to think about what exactly you have to get done, it should relieve at least a little of the stress and hopefully ease your mind.

 

I hope these tips helped even a little bit! Getting sick in college can be rough, but if you know how to deal with it, it can be easily overcome. Good luck to everyone, in college or otherwise! ❤

– Emma ^_^

 

 

OOTD – Purple Lace

Hey Everyone! I’m back with another OOTD! 💜
As classes get harder and exams grow closer in college, it becomes more and more tempting to just throw on something random and call it a day. But dressing up and looking out together makes going to classes and getting your day started feel a lot better, and can provide a boost in confidence as well. A fancy top like the one I’m wearing in this outfit can make a simple outfit seem thought-out or planned ahead, while still keeping the outfit comfortable.

But no matter what you wear to go out, know that you’re going out with a goal and a plan for the day, and know that you can get through it. 💜

Denim Jacket: H&M

Shirt: Target

Pants: H&M

Necklace: Forever 21

Watch: Michael Kors
Peace,✌

Emma

OOTD – #LOVE_YOURSELF

How to be a fashion blogger in 3 steps:

1. Be confident in your own personal style.
2. Be comfortable with your body and mind.
3. Love yourself. ❤

“Life is a fashion show and the world is your runway.”

Often I find myself using fashion as a base for self-confidence. When I dress up or put in an effort to look nice, I get this overall feeling of happiness and confidence, like I’m going out to conquer the world (or at least conquer the day ahead). Putting on a nice outfit is one of the most empowering things I can think of doing in the morning. I can look in the mirror and know that I look and feel good, and no one is going to tell me otherwise. Plus the compliments from friends are always a nice self-esteem boost too. ^_^

Here’s a couple photos of me being  my semi-awkward, smiley self.

 

On the topic of the outfit: If you’re ever in a rush, overall dresses are the way to go. Just throw on a shirt or crop top and slip on the dress over it and you’re on your way! I find it one of the easiest ways to look nice and put together even if you’re stressed for time.

What are your opinions? Do you ever relate fashion and self-love? Leave a comment, and I’ll talk to you guys next week! ^_^

Outfit details: 

Plaid Overall Dress: Forever 21

Gray Shirt: Target

Shoes: Marshall’s

Bag: Steve Madden

P.S. Yes, my title #Love_Yourself is taken from BTS. I highly recommend watching BTS’s Love Yourself Highlight series if you haven’t yet. KPop fan or not, it’s pretty cinematically and artistically cool.

11 Things I Learned My Freshman Year of College

As the first day of my sophomore year grows closer and closer, I can’t help but reflect on how I felt at this time last year before starting freshman year. Freshman year had a huge effect on my attitude towards college and life in general. The lessons I learned in high school weren’t nearly enough to prepare me for college. And despite the multiple ‘Things I Learned In College’ posts I read before entering school, I was still in for a wild ride. That being said, I felt that I should share some of the most significant things that I learned throughout my first year. This list merely skims the list of lessons I learned, but I thought that it would be good to go a bit in depth on a couple of important lessons that either helped me the most, or would’ve helped me the most if I’d used them.

1. Always stay open-minded. College opens so many new opportunities in so many fields. Limiting yourself will do nothing but hold you back. Try new things. I found a couple of new passions my freshman year of college, and I wouldn’t have discovered them if I hadn’t opened my mind to them.
2. If you have a midterm next week, don’t wait until that week to start studying. Starting a week earlier will decrease your stress SO much, and you won’t stay up all night the night before trying to cram information you don’t fully understand into your head. All-nighters don’t help when you’re studying for a test. They only deprive you of sleep and make you numb when test time finally rolls around. In general, do not procrastinate. Manage your time. It’ll save you a LOT of stress.
3. The Freshman 15 IS real. You may think you won’t be affected by it, but you will. Watch what you’re eating in the dining hall, get the healthier options more often than the greasy pizzas or carb-loaded pastas. Always remember to drink lots of water. Try to get in exercise when you can, it can be a great stress reliever. And DO NOT binge eat. You may get bored in you dorm room while doing homework and decide that you want to eat ramen despite it being midnight, but you don’t need it. If you really want to eat something, find a healthier option, or drink tea. I always find that a nice cup of tea is enough to satisfy me when I feel like stuffing my face with food.
4. SAVE MONEY SAVE MONEY SAVE MONEY This needs to be repeated, for both you and myself. After a couple of months at school, I grew tired of dining hall food, which will probably happen to you as well. Then I decided that UBER Eats was my best friend. I spent far too much money on food than I needed to, not to mention it added to my habit of overeating. Keep a budget tracker if you, like me, have awful spending habits. I think this is one of the most important tips to keep in mind. You’re going to look at your bank account a couple months later and just wonder where all your money went if you don’t.
5. Call your family. I didn’t do this nearly enough my freshman year of college, then getting back home I felt really guilty. They’re your parents, they want to hear your voice every once in a while.
6. Make your resume! Go to job fairs! Just because you’re a freshman doesn’t mean that you won’t find internship opportunities. A lot of people say that freshmen rarely get hired at job or research fairs. While freshmen aren’t hired often, it doesn’t hurt to visit them. For one, you’ll gain experience talking to employers and won’t be surprised next time you go. Plus, giving your resume out never hurts. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the freshman to prove everyone wrong.
7. Make connections with your teachers. I’m not saying to kiss up to every one of your teachers, but if you have a question, don’t be afraid to ask them. If they have office hours, go to them. If they happen to be in charge of a research project you’re genuinely interested in, ask them about it.  They’re the ones who you’ll go to for a recommendation or if you need help with a resume/portfolio. Plus, it tends to make the class more enjoyable when you have a good teacher who you legitimately enjoy listening to.
8. Go to lecture. I almost always went to lecture during my freshman year, so I can’t say that I know what it’s like to not go to lecture consecutively. I do know that majority of the time, lecture provided me with my basis of knowledge for the class. I had a couple of classes where the teachers simply could not properly teach the material, and only then did I find it fit to skip class. Even so, I rarely did. If the teacher was bad, I took the time in class to take notes from the textbook while the teacher was talking. That way if the teacher did end up mentioning something that would potentially be on a test, I didn’t miss it. For the rest of my classes, lecture was a must.  The material read from the textbook won’t always be as thorough as the professor’s description of the material. Also, depending on what type of learner you are, it may help more to hear the information being said aloud instead of simply read from the text. Plus, if your teacher makes the tests for your class, there is a 75% chance that he/she will mention a specific topic that will be on the test.
9. Take notes before lecture. You may have to experiment with this and see if it fits you personally, but I find that, for me, taking notes before class works better for some classes over others. I didn’t do this for a while because I found that I stopped paying attention when I realized that the material that was being discussed in lecture was something I had already read(this was really just a me getting distracted thing). However, when I didn’t take notes before class, I often got lost if I didn’t fully understand a concept being explained. This becomes a huge problem in a large lecture class with 100-200 people where you can’t stop the class to ask a question about something you don’t comprehend. Then the teacher will continue on with class and you’ll just be sitting there utterly confused. Take notes before class. It’ll help more than you think.
10. RateMyProfessor is essential. When choosing classes, you’re going to want the best teacher. Look up professors on RateMyProfessor to know what to expect or which teacher to choose during class registration. You do not want to be stuck with a terrible teacher. I can promise this from personal experience.
11. Stay optimistic. Freshman year of college can be super rough. It may be your first time away from home for an extended period of time, or first taste of independence. Classes are a whole new level of challenging – you think you’re ready for those midterms, but you may not even be close. Nevertheless, keep going. Freshman year is one big learning experience. If you fail a midterm, learn from your mistakes, figure out what you did wrong and how to improve yourself for next time. Anxiety can hit especially hard during college, but you’ve got to overcome it to the best of your abilities. Find friends who you can go to for help when you need it, and look for the positive of every situation. You may not be able to see the positive at times, but it’s there. Everything happens for a reason. Believe in that, and believe in yourself and your abilities. You are on your way to getting your degree and forging your path in society. Just making the step to start freshman year is a milestone many people never take. Make it count. Make yourself proud. ^_^

 

 These are just a few things I learned last year. If you’re reading this and you’re starting college this year, I wish you the best of luck and hope that everything goes well! I believe in you! 😊

Exploring San Francisco

Hey everyone!

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been in working in California and got the chance to explore the city of San Francisco for a while. Needless to say, it was a refreshing break from the 90 degree weather of the South. Here are a couple of places I visited during my time in SF:

Clarion Alley Mural Project, San Francisco

My Nike beanie was an essential, keeping my head warm when it got particularly windy during the evening. During the day, a denim jacket was enough to keep me satisfied in the lukewarm weather.

Of course, I had to take a trip to the infamous Mr. Holmes’ Bakehouse SF and take a picture next to the ‘I Got Baked In San Francisco’ sign. I got to the bakehouse a little after 10 in the morning, and there was already a line out the door. It is a small shop however, so a line out the door isn’t as long as you’d think. And yes, there were cruffins. Thankfully, the pastries were well worth the wait. The matcha croissants and churro croissants were my personal favorites.

 

I also made sure to check out Clarion Alley in the Mission District, known for its beautiful, intricate murals. Clarion Alley had my favorite murals by far, full of political and social statements that rang loud and clear. I was beyond amazed.

That’s all the photos for now! I’ll see you in my next post! ^_^

Rainy Day in Atlanta

A peek at my time wandering around Emory University on this humid, drizzly day.

 

These pants are my absolute FAVORITE pair to wear during the summer. If you don’t own a pair of elephant pants yet, I highly recommend investing in a pair. They are super lightweight and perfect for Southern temperatures during spring through fall. I promise I don’t have a more comfortable pair of pants in my closet. Better yet, 10% of their profits goes towards funding towards saving the elephants. Fun Fact: I used to work at Zoo Atlanta, so I’ve been a huge advocate for 96 Elephants for a while now. That being said, I support any effort to help elephants from becoming endangered or critically endangered.  I’m not trying to make this post too much of a PSA for elephant endangerment (if you do want to learn more, here‘s a link to an article about the matter), but I can’t recommend these pants enough. Plus, I just really love elephants.

My jacket and tank top are both from H&M and are basic essentials in my closet. The denim jacket is perfect for the cooler, rainy times of the day, but still light enough for me to feel comfortable despite the humidity of Atlanta.

My Keds are – believe it or not- from TJ Maxx. They’re the orthopedic pair – great support for the balls and arches of your feet, essential for walking. I actually got the same pair from a department store a little more than a year ago for about $60. I got these recently from TJ Maxx for only about $25! Note: Always check Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshall’s for shoes first. They may surprise you!

How I Pack for 5 Weeks in San Francisco

Hey! I’m actually on a plane to San Francisco as I write this blog post. I’ll be staying there for 5 weeks, so I figured I would share with you how I packed for my trip.

Although I’m going for 5 weeks, I only packed 10 days worth of clothes into my bag. I have laundry facilities at the place that I’m staying, so I’ll be able to wash my clothes when I need to.

San Francisco is known for being pretty windy and foggy almost year round, rarely reaching temperatures above 70 (at least according to my research via Google). To prepare for the windy weather, I packed three jackets – a thick, brown, leather jacket, a light denim jacket, and a light rain jacket (although in retrospect, the rain jacket might not have been necessary). I packed 3 pairs of pants/jeans, 3 pairs of light, rayon pants, a pair of leggings, and two pairs of sweatpants. As for tops, I packed mostly graphic t-shirts and two long sleeve shirts, plus one sweatshirt.

My main reason for being able to pack all of these clothes into a carry-on sized suitcase is packing cubes. They organized my suitcase SO much more than my normal packing technique used to. I bought mine from Amazon here. The set came with three mesh cubes and three laundry bags. At first glance, the cubes didn’t look like they would do much, but after packing the clothes in them, they seemed to keep their shape pretty well despite being overpacked, which made it easy to fit in the suitcase. My clothes can be properly sorted and separated that way, and it makes finding a certain article of clothing a lot easier. The only con, however, is that if your suitcase width or length is smaller than the width or length of the packing cube, then the cube might not be able to fit in your suitcase when completely filled. The laundry bags – though  I didn’t put any clothes in them for the trip – compressed very well when stuffed with clothes. It reminded me a bit of space bags, but they don’t stay compressed if pressure isn’t put on them.

While I only had to bring 10 days worth of clothes, I did have to bring 5 weeks worth of skincare. So no, my suitcase wasn’t a carry-on, it did have to be checked because I had containers with waaayyy more than 2 fl oz. of liquid. I just used a suitcase that I usually used as a carry on. Anyway, I packed all my skincare items in this bag I bought as well. It has many compartments to keep everything I need in one place. It’s also waterproof, so I can keep it in the shower with me as well.

My suitcase has two separate compartments in the top part of it also, so I put two pairs of shoes I was bringing with me in them. Around the shoes, I just stuffed a couple of random things I had to bring – jewelry boxes, pillowcase, feminine products, lotion, etc. I also had to bring a bath towel, so I simply folded it in fourths and placed it on top of everything packed in the suitcase. It is important to note that, while vertical packing/rolling your clothes is very space effective, thicker items like a towel are usually easier to pack when folded flatly.

I brought a backpack with me as my carry on, with my laptop, a hat and scarf (because I know it’s going to be cold as soon as I get there), my DSLR camera,  my makeup bag, and all of my chargers. I actually packed the chargers in one of the laundry bags from the set.

That’s how I packed! It’s nothing particularly mind-boggling, but I wanted to share with you a bit of my packing experience. I have to say, the packing cubes were a definite game-changer for me. If you don’t already have them and travel frequently, I recommend them whole-heartedly.

Hope you enjoyed this post, see you next time!