On The Road: from Austin, TX, to Anchorage, AK.

It's barely been a month since I've said so long to my life in Austin, and already so much has happened! John and I have both started working again, and we already have a house on base to move into next month. Slowly but surely, John and I are adjusting to life in Anchorage, and soon, we'll be ready for the winter...I hope! To help myself along, I recently splurged on a new peacoat.

Double Breasted Pleated Peacoat from Steve Madden.

I told John that it's the first new winter coat of the season--not the last! He scoffed at this, asking, "How many coats does a girl need?"

I have yet to determine the exact number, but I'm thinking four, at least. I want one with a vibrant and loud pattern, as well as a black one...and red! I've always wanted a red winter coat. I think the contrast with the snow will make it stand out. And of course, I will also need a coat with double-lining, for when the weather is severely cold out. 

What type of winter wear do you prefer? The coat I am wearing is a short wool, and it's very cozy. In Austin, however I could get away with just wearing a sweater or light jacket all winter long.  

Speaking of Austin, I finalized my photos from the Great North American Adventure I took last month. What I have posted are just a sample of what I saw, and I hope y'all enjoy them!

Goodbye, Austin.

Between Austin & Amarillo: "Anyone home?"

Wind Power: we saw fields of windmills in every state we crossed.

A wind propellor, at the Amtrak Station in Lamar, CO.

Back to the state where John & I first met...awww!

Couldn't resist this photo, as John is a long-distance relative of General George Custer.

General George Custer died at Battle of the Little Bighorn, in 1876.

With Biscuit in Garryowen, MT, edge of where Battle of the Little Bighorn took place.

In Bozeman, home of the Montana State Bobcats.

At the Clark Fork River in downtown Missoula, MT.

The "M" on the hillside is for "University of Montana".

With my sister/actress/singer/songwriter, Alyssa.

Wildlife Land Bridge--I wonder if the woodland creatures know of its existence.

Flathead Lake: the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River.

The resort town of Bigfork, on Flathead Lake, where John & I met in high-school.

The goofiest brother-sister portrait, ever!

(Everything I'm wearing is from Target.)

On our way through Canada, with our trusty Milespost & prayer quilt.

Leaving Edmonton, Alberta; home of the world's 5th largest shopping mall.

Enjoying ice-cream in my new H&M sweater & Simply Vera Vera Wang jeans, in British Columbia.

Headband & Sunglasses: Target. Crossover Bag: ModCloth.

At Mile O of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek, B.C.

So close, and yet so far away! from our destination.

Buffalo, napping, in the Yukon.

Lunch/Construction Break in the Yukon.

Finally in Alaska!

The only moose John & I saw the entire trip, outside of Anchorage.

Come back later this week for my post on West Edmonton Mall, North America's largest mall!

P.S. Are we still not following one another on Pinterest or Instagram?
If so, my handle on both is thatchelseagirl--leave yours in the comments!

From Anchorage, With Love...

Hi, everyone! I deserve a slap on the hand for not keeping y'all informed with my adventures since leaving Austin, but to be honest...I haven't had too many. Well, too many that were fashionable, anyway.

Let me begin by telling you how I arrived to Anchorage:

The day after I resigned from my position at Liquidation Channel, John and I hit the road. The trip took us from the heart of Texas to the panhandle of Oklahoma, then through Colorado and up to Montana by way of Wyoming. From Montana, my home state, we passed through Alberta, where we stayed in Edmonton for two nights. 

Edmonton is home of the world's 5th largest shopping mall. It was the world's largest mall until 2004--having grown up in Montana, my family used to frequent it in the nineties. The West Edmonton Mall is still the largest in North America, and while I didn't shop at the WEM like one would expect me to, John and I did cover a lot of ground in our 8-hour visit (I smell a blog post dedicated to the WEM). 

From Edmonton, John and I made our way through British Columbia and into the Yukon Territory, and onward to our Alaskan destination of Anchorage. 

We've been in temporary housing on base for two weeks, and I am not sure when we will have a housing offer. But don't fret for me, as I am making friends and having fun, as well as applying for jobs. Wish me luck?

Actually, I don't need your luck--I saw a double rainbow on my FIRST ALASKAN HIKE EVER.

Taken on Labor Day, 2012, from Flattop Mountain Trail.

Double rainbows are lucky, right?

I digress. By the end of this week, I should have all of my photos edited. Perhaps a post will pop out from them. I wish you all a fab & fashionable weekend!

Just below the summit on Flattop Mountain.

P.S. What do ya think of the new look?! 

Something Old, Something New...

I finally have a legitimate reason for why I have not been updating...
I GOT MARRIED!

Dress: Wet Seal, circa 2009.

Peep-Toe Heels: Worthington, circa 2010.

You read that right, readers; John and I eloped last month! Crazy bananas, right? How is a long-distance marriage supposed to work, anyway? Don't fret--my thoughts were along those same lines. I was mentally preparing myself to only see my husband, the love of my life, once a month...and then a bigger announcement came...

Image Credit: Google Maps.

We are moving to Anchorage, Alaska, next month! In a few weeks, I am trading in my flip-flops for a pair of snow boots, y'all! Okay, so the weather change won't be that dramatic...at first. But going from subtropic to subarctic is going to be an adjustment. I can say that I'm ready to buy winter accessories without looking completely ridiculous. I am not ready to leave behind this amazing city, this place that I have called home for the past four years. And my awesome job at Liquidation Channel...I've learned an overwhelming amount in such a short time; I wish I could stay longer.

To be honest, I am terrible with good-byes, and it's been hard to find time to even say a proper farewell to friends. 

New wedding band & an old fortune.

But I don't want to think about that now. I want to think about this opportunity that will allow me to (1. experience all four seasons again, (2. learn about a new place, and (3. live with my husband, rather than being 6 hours apart. Anchorage is not known for its fashion sense, but for its outdoor activities, natural beauties, and is in close proximity to Denali National Park. I've been to Anchorage several times, and I have this bubbling excitement about my future there. 

B.V. will, naturally, document my Alaskan adventures, as well as my last moments in Austin. 

Until then...

  "Mawwage is what bwings us here togwether today." -- Princess Bride.

I'm Back!

It's been four months since my laptop broke and two months since my last update. Man, how time flies! So much has happened since South By Southwest. I don't even know where to begin.

I guess I'll begin in chronological order:

A week after SXSW, I started my new job at Liquidation Channel (LC). It's a home shopping network that specializes in jewelry. My job there as a scheduler is to basically to schedule the flow of product for live broadcast. I feel so incredibly lucky to have found such a wonderful job right after graduation, let alone within my field of study. If you've never heard of LC, I suggest checking them out: their assortment of product is amazing. I am always so tempted to buy everything!

One of the beautiful bangles LC carries.

Moving on: a month ago, in April, I turned 23. Maybe it's not really much of a milestone, but I always think of Bridget Fonda in the movie Singles: 

"Remember how old 23 felt when you were little? I mean, I thought people would be traveling in air locks and I'd have five kids. Here I am, 23. Things are...they're basically the same. I think time's running out to do something bizarre. Somewhere around 23, bizarre becomes immature."

 Bridget Fonda & Matt Dillon in Singles.

I could not have said it better myself, so thank you Cameron Crowe for that. Have I done anything bizarre as a 23-year-old yet?
Well, I did cut off about 15 inches of my hair two weeks ago...

It's so much easier to maintain, and it's perfect for summer.

I also got back together with the one-and-only guy I've ever blogged about. If you're a regular reader or close friend, you're probably thinking, "What?!" It is still very new, and one of those things that I can't really explain. It just sort of happened. It's also long-distance, due to the fact John's in the Air Force now, both of which I don't have any experience with. At all.
But the important thing is I'm happy, and we're making it work.

Speaking of making things work, I still don't have a car. I've determined that this affects how much I can actually blog about, at least in terms of street style. So expect some changes around Bella Vogue--more on personal style and trends in general. I've been doing a lot of DIY projects, thanks to Pinterest, so maybe I'll post a tutorial or two.

Are you on Pinterest? If so, leave your handle in the comments!
Mine is--what else?--thatchelseagirl.
If you want to keep in touch on Facebook, Bella Vogue is on there, too.

Until next time, which I promise won't be two months from now.

Photo Credit: Liquidation Channel and Warner Bros. Pictures, respectively.

SXSW Street Style: Texas Style Council.

I've been putting off this post in hopes of getting my laptop, but I've had no such luck! So here it is, via Blogger for iPhone. Hope y'all enjoy these photos from South By and Texas Style Council.