Ring in the New Year with a Fling before the Ring

Sometimes when I feel like fantasizing about my dream wedding or looking at beautiful photos of other's big day, I immediately go to Style Me Pretty. It is one of the prettiest websites I've ever laid eyes upon. There are so many fantastic photographers, creative planners, and beautiful weddings and bridal parties. I just sit in awe the entire time I surf their page. Earlier this week I was reading about a New Year's Eve inspired bachelorette party. It was SO cute! All the glitter and glitz was so perfect for the theme. I thought I would share with you guys some of the pictures. To read more about it and to see the full gallery of images go here.

10 Most Played Artists in 2011

I went through a lot of musical phases in 2011. I had a moment where I listened to nothing but female powerhouses like Adele and Florence and then I went through a hip-hop phase where I listened to local MN rappers, like Prof and Atmosphere. Below is a list of the top ten artists that had the most plays in my Itunes, next to each artist is a link to a song of theirs.

1. Adele ( just shy of 300 plays actually, yikes). Her on Letterman performing: Make You Feel My Love
2. Florence and the Machine (almost 200 plays). My Boy Builds Coffins
3. Prof. Anomaly
4. Incubus (They'll always be on this list, I'm sure). Zee Deveel
5.  Mumford & Sons. Roll Away Your Stone
6. Atmosphere. The Number None
7. The Black Keys. Your Touch
8. Lissie. Worried About
9. The Beatles. The Fool On The Hill
10. The xx. Heart Skipped A Beat

Boyd

Ok, I HAD to make this post from my phone. I don't necessarily like posting from my iPhone but this is worth it. So anyway, Boyd dreams every night, seriously. I'm talking barking in his sleep, legs "running", nose twitching dreams. But last night was something new: He was licking something! He was asleep and a little bit of his tongue was hanging out. He would randomly wave it around like he was licking something. Probably the fridge, his favorite thing to do. I had to snap a picture (and maybe a couple thousand videos) because it was so damn cute!

Don't you love him? I do.... Maybe a little too much.

Statement Necklaces

statement necklaces by stellacharlie featuring geometric jewelry

Coral jewelry
Dannijo jewelry, £328
Venessa Arizaga lime green jewelry, $495
Fiona Paxton geometric jewelry, $350
Kenneth Jay Lane enamel jewelry, $275
Amrita Singh antique gold jewelry, $250
Amrita Singh gold tone jewelry, $250
ASOS cotton jewelry, $27




I've been loving statement necklaces lately. Above are some necklaces that are being used in sets on Polyvore lately. 

tulips

tulips by stellacharlie featuring a pleated skirt

Joseph button shirt, $306
Megan Park sequin jacket, $795
Calvin Klein Collection pleated skirt, $151
Kat Maconie ballet shoes, $140
Textile Tulips by Louise Cunningham, £40

Bloglovin'

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5 Songs On Repeat This December

I realized that I haven't done a "5 Things" in a while sooo..... Here is a playlist of 5 songs that have been on repeat all December. As you can tell, I've been having a Florence + the Machine obsession so I kept it done to one song off of her new album ... and a remixed version (by xx, who I also love) of an old song. I can't wait to see what music catches my attention in 2012. 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I went to go see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on Monday with a group of friends. I was pretty nervous to see this movie because I have read the entire Millennium series and am ALWAYS a book-over-movies type-a gal. My expectations were completely surpassed! Mara Rooney is such a fantastic Lisbeth. I even think it's safe to say that she did a better job than the actress in the Swedish version.

I won't give away any spoilers incase you haven't read the book or seen the Swedish movie BUT I will warn you that it is very graphic. Not, Saw movies graphic, but ..... graphic. If you haven't read the book, I don't think you'll be too confused during the movie. They did a pretty good job giving you all the details you need to know. But, because they do this, it is a long movie. Worth it! So, so worth it. Seriously... at least go see it to see Daniel Craig looking fine as hell.

I won't say any more, in case I give something away. These lips are sealed.

Kitchenspiration

I often find myself envious of every blog I come across. I mean, some of you have the coolest lives EVER. It's boring being an almost 23 year-old unemployed, college graduate, living in her parent's basement. Can I just fast-forward a couple years so I can have a fabulous blog like most that I come across. (There is actually a list of blogs I frequently visit on the lower left side of the page).

So, I was just visiting A Beautiful Mess and just about died when I saw the tour of her kitchen seen here. My two favorite things would be the chalkboard cupboards and beautiful collage of her "1st year of marriage" memories. Such a cute idea.

2011: A Look Back

I cannot believe that 2011 is already over! I know I probably say this ever year but, THAT was the fastest year ever. I mean, it seriously feels like I just went to Chicago to ring in 2011 and now here I am, in boring-ass Minnesota trying to decide how to appropriately celebrate the beginning of 2012...and the end of the world. (Anyone believe the Mayans?) 2011 was a strange year for me. I had a lot of "endings" and it is not until just now that things are starting to begin again for me. I ended major friendships,  graduated college, left a city that I had been living in for over four years and so much more. But, I cannot forget some great memories that I made this year. I decided to write a post looking back on some of those:

In March, I went to Puerto Vallarta with my cousin Vinnie, his girlfriend, Britni, and his parents. We spent the entire week poolside enjoying the sun and relaxation. We had stayed at the resort before, so we know all the ins and outs. I would go back in a heart beat.

I went to many concerts in 2011. Some that I attended were: Soundset in Shakopee, MN; Mike Posner in Minneapolis, MN;Atmosphere at Target Field Stadium; Atmosphere's Welcome to MN Tour in Mankato, MN; Prof in Mankato, MN, and Heiruspecs in Minneapolis, MN.

I hope to attend a LOT more in 2012.

Of course, living in Minnesota means that you live at cabins and on the lake all summer long. I'm fortunate enough to have a great family cabin, as well as plenty of friends with cabins.

Some friends and I drove to Lawrence, Kansas to visit one of my greatest friends in the world.

The first couple out of our friends finally got hitched! I'm so happy for them :)

I live in Minnesota. OF COURSE, I went to the State Fair. It's a sin not to.








And what year wouldn't be complete without a college graduation and big move home? This will be quite the adjustment but for now, it's what needs to be done. Can't wait to save some money.

I hope that 2012 brings every thing you guys wish for! Anyone do a new year's resolution? Or better yet, anyone actually STICK to their new year's resolution? I hope to this year.

Clothing to Celebrate In

NYE by stellacharlie featuring a sequin blouse

Deciding on a New Years outfit is always such a process. This year, I'll probably just rely on some great lipstick to complete my outfit (As if I don't already do that).

DIY Cork Bottle Stoppers

I was reading ModCloth's Blog today and they posted the most adorable crafting idea ever: DIY Cork Bottle Stoppers! Are they not the cutest? I would make these in a second...

I'm sure you all have a million little trinkets around your home that you could use as a cute little stopper. I could easily name about 5 right now off of the top of my head. I just might have to make some for my parents since they have more than enough wine bottles that could use these.

To read the original post go HERE!

MOA Mayhem

This is just embarrassing, Minnesota. Apparently, there was a rumor that Drake and Lil' Wayne were at the Mall of America yesterday. Young adults and "juveniles", as CNN put it, started a fight in the food-court around 4 p.m. causing other brawls to break out around MOA. Now, I have to ask, what the hell is so important about the presence of Drake and/or Wayne that would cause fights? Keep in mind, these kids didn't actually SEE these two they just simply heard that they were somewhere in the mall. I can only imagine the chaos that ensued. The day-after-Christmas crowds were probably outrageous, and then to have a shit-ton of teenagers throwing bows (and apparently chairs in the food court)? Hell no. I would be out of there so fast. I don't deal with the crowds at the Mall of American, anyway but this would just piss me off. I'm pissed off and I wasn't even there. Get your act together, young America.

Star Struck

Heiruspecs @ the Cabooze, Mpls, MN

I decided that I should probably share this border-line embarrassing story with you guys. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about Prof before but as a refresher he's a local Minnesota rapper that I have well-known obsession with. The other weekend, a group of good guy friends and I decided to go a Heiruspecs show at the Cabooze in Minneapolis. We had been at the show for a few hours and the boys had enjoyed one-too-many adult beverages so we were slowly making our way to the door. At this point, we were standing on the side of the stage (As you can tell by the above picture) and about 5 feet to my left was an exit door. People were coming in and out of it, from what I assume was a smoke-break. For some reason, I felt like turning around to see who was coming and going. At that exact moment  I turned around to PROF LITERALLY RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

My natural instinct was to grab him by the arms (slightly creepy, I know) and scream at full volume "OH MY GOD! I'M OBSESSED WITH YOU!" right into his face. He was extremely nice and didn't throw me off, like most people probably would so I asked to take a picture with him. He said yes (I died) but said he was in hurry so I quickly whipped out my phone and shoved it into Alvi's hands telling him to snap a picture of us. Now, I should quickly add that Alvi at this point was three-sheets to the wind and could barely even stand, let alone hold a camera steady to take our picture. Alvi, unaware that that was mother-f***ing Prof in front of us, dilly-dallies trying to figure out how to use the camera on the phone. (He also has an iPhone, I should add so he has full knowledge of how to use one)

Alvi was holding the phone in a way that the back of his hand was covering the little camera hole. (When I later went to look at photos from the night, I had about 8 pictures of the back of Alv's hand). Prof peeled away his fingers so now the camera was exposed and ready to take our beautiful picture (I'm sure we looked fantastic together ;)). But at this exact moment, another friend of ours, Chris, who also consumed numerous cocktails, came stumbling up to help with the picture. His form of help, though was to slap at the phone, causing it to fall out of Alvi's hands and onto the floor of the club. I screamed "NOOOOO!" and Alvi and Chris both threw their hands up in the air and simultaneously said "It wasn't me!" Worst of all? Prof had to leave and walked AWAY!

So now, the depression started to set in as a picked up my now cracked iPhone and realized that I never even got the picture of Prof and I! I didn't talk to Alvi and Chris for a good 20 minutes, but then I got over it. But hey, now when I look at my scratched phone, I think of Prof :)

Prof just announced today on his Twitter page, that he is going on tour to promote his most recent album King Gampo (which is also available to download for free here). So, since I plan on going to at least the Mankato show and potentially the Duluth show I hope that somehow, someway the opportunity to meet Prof will happen once more.

So, Prof, if you're reading this, let's try that again :)

Curly Complications

curls and cat-eyes are my go-to.

My hair is so, so bipolar. It's actually curly... extremely curly BUT I used to hate my curls. From about grade 4 - 8, I straightened my hair almost every day. I know, 4th grade seems a little young to begin straightening your hair, but my mom is a cosmetologist so I was exposed to beauty and fashion at a very early age. Now, you can imagine the damage... it was not pretty. One day in 9th grade I decided to throw some mousse in my hair and call it a day. I went to school that day and people barely even recognized me. I hadn't worn my hair in it's natural state for so long that people didn't even know I had curly hair. From then on, I've embraced my curls. All through high school and college, I would straighten my hair every once and awhile just for a little change but I can proudly say that I have not even taken my straightener out of my drawer in almost two years!

The funny thing is, though, that I've straightened my hair so much, for so long that my hair started to think that it was actually straight. Now, not only can I blow dry it "straight" but I can also just throw in some conditioner and let it air-dry wavy/straight. This used to frustrate me SO much because I lost a lot of curl but now I have learned to love it. I had to remind myself that most people would kill for curly hair and the others would kill for straight hair but for me, I kind of have the best of both worlds!

I recently went for a soft two-tone look that has been pretty popular this year. You can see this look on people like Jessica Biel and Rachel Bilson. Here is a little photo gallery of different celebrities with this look: Two-Tone Trend.

from imgfave.com

Merry (belated) Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! I've been quite busy lately with the holidays so I haven't had much of a chance to blog. Holidays are always so hectic because I celebrate with both sides of my family, as well as both sides of Alvi's family. I'm so disappointed in myself because I forgot to bring my camera to EVERY single Christmas gathering this year, but luckily I had my handy iPhone so I snapped a couple pics.

I love being Italian around Christmas time because we have so many fun and tasty traditions! Christmas Eve dinner always consists of two different types of pastas. The original pasta dish is what we simply call "white pasta" which has an anchovy sauce. (Sounds gross? It's actually not so bad) This pasta has been around forever in my family. It wasn't until my brother was born that they finally started making penne or mostaccioli with my grandpa's homemade sauce. There is always an abundance of fish, sausage, meatballs, and bread, as well. My Great-Aunt. Mary Jane, always makes a traditional dessert pizzafrite (pictured above) which is basically like a sugary donut and pizzelle, which is an Italian cookie.

My Aunt Gina always comes up with some games to play on Christmas Eve night. This year we played her rendition of "Somewhere Around a Minute to Win It!" (like the game show). It was HILARIOUS. One of the games we had to place a cookie on our forehead, and had to wiggle the cookie down into our mouths using only our face. I have a couple videos that I'll debate posting.

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday with family and friends :)

Aspiring Traveler

I can't stress enough how much I love maps and globes. It might have something to do with my life goal of traveling. Of course, I want to visit Europe and explore other parts of the world but I also have a bucket list about the United States. I would love to visit every state and make at least ONE memory there. Whether it's stopping to by some peaches while driving through Georgia, or spending a weekend skiing in Utah. I'm aware if possible, this will probably take the majority of my life but so worth it. There is so much to see out there! Adventures await for me.



I even have a Pinterest Board dedicated to just globes and maps. Ah, I love the world.

hello there

hello there by stellacharlie featuring amrita singh jewelry

Cotton shirt, $30
Opening Ceremony short skirt, $259
Tulle Clothing checkered tight, $15
Amrita singh jewelry, $250
Amazon.com: Hollywood Road Sign Cutouts (4 count): Toys & Games, $3.52

J. Crew Love

 

Ah, J. Crew, how you steal my heart every time. There's nothing better than classic pieces that you can use for any outfit. P.s. those jade pants literally made my swoon ...especially paired with a leopard blouse and burnt orange heels. Exactly how I would style them.

blue/beige

blue/beige by stellacharlie featuring a fedora hat

Denim shirt, $60
Vero Moda chino pants, €40
Betsey Johnson kitten heels, $130
Yves Saint Laurent glass ring, $250
Boccia gold watch, £90
Rag bone fedora hat, $150

Stripes and Dots

My wallet doesn't allow for me to shop right now so instead I'm stuck online window shopping. Sounds fun, right? No... it's not. It's depressing. Anyway... I favorite of mine is Nasty Gal. Go check them out and be prepared to spend thousands because almost every thing is cute. They also have a fun blog that I enjoy.

Music Spotlight: Karmin

I'm sure you've heard of this couple already. They've been making covers for a while now but it just dawned on me to post a video of them on here! Basically, they're a couple who sing covers (and a few originals) and upload them to YouTube. <-- go check their page.

This video is their cover of Chris Brown's Look At Me Now. Um, and yes she raps Busta's part. Just check it out for yourself!

Beauty

Sometimes there is nothing better than taking a drive in the country during a beautiful sunset. Of course, you MUST have Arcade Fire or RHCP playing. For some reason those are my go-to sunset bands.

A Floral Affair

My love for nature, especially flowers, began when I was younger. My mom always has such amazing flowers in all  of her gardens (yes, ALL... she has at least 6 separate gardens, not including pots or hanging baskets that are scattered throughout our entire lot). I would admire them all day long, constantly asking her which flower was which and what fun facts she had. Still to this day I find myself admiring her gardens, and others. When it comes to art, I always draw or paint flowers. Bottom line, I love them. They're gorgeous... every single one of them. My favorites: sunflowers, peonies, and poppys (um, Wizard of Oz).

True. You must remember to see the beauty in everything!

My Angel, Reece

In 9th grade, one of my close friends, Reece Meikle passed away. There are truly not enough adjectives to describe Reece. I have never met any one like him. Reece's death was quite a shock. In fact, it's still a mystery to this day. If you care to know more about his story (or if you're from Woodbury and haven't read the article in awhile) then I suggest you check out the Star Tribune article: What Killed Reece Meikle? 

As a 15 year old, I didn't know how to handle the grief. Not only was I so young, but Reece was the first loved one of mine that had passed away before. Being with my friends helped a lot but I still carried around a deep sadness that no hug, or "I'm sorry" could fix. My mom bought be a couple of books. One book told to me to write notes to Reece. The notes could be anything - just to say hello, or to tell him what I miss about him. I thought I'd give it a try...

Some notes were simple:

"Are you happy?"
"I miss you."
" I often wonder where you would be if you were here still. Would you be at college? Would you have a girlfriend? Would you be the same?"
" Do you still look the same? Are you still 15, shaggy-haired?"

Or they were more complex. Here's one I wrote when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"A psychic once told me that you were happy up in heaven. In fact, she told me you even play baseball with friends! When she said this, I knew she had to be correct. You and your love for baseball. Sometimes when I think about you happy,  I cry. Not because I'm sad that you're happy but because I'm so happy for you. It must be so great up there, not a care in the world, nothing to hurt you. I could really use that positive attitude of yours down here. There is nothing your smile and humor cannot fix. My mom just got diagnosed with cancer... again. This is a whole different kind of pain. When you died, I felt empty. But this.... this is anxiety. What if I lose her? That's just one more person that God will take. Knowing you, you're probably best friends with Jesus... maybe even running the place yourself so please, do what ever you can do. Pull some strings, have some chats. I need my mom. I love you, forever. I love that you taught me life-changing lessons in both life and death. Thank you for that. I will never, ever, forget the person you were then or the person you still are in my heart. I miss you. "

...... Well, I'm going to be completely honest when I say that I bawled my eyes out this entire post. I've become strong enough to not cry when I talk about Reece but sometimes reliving it all can be emotional. I can still replay every single minute of that week he become sick leading up to the Friday that he passed.

If you are from Woodbury and/or experienced this tragedy (besides Tom Plesha - yes I'm still bitter) with me, please know that I love you. You will always have a special place in my heart. Because of you, I survived this. Whether you knew it or not, but you held my hand while I healed my heart. I will be forever grateful for each and every one of you. To my friends, I owe you a lifetime of thank  yous.

R.I.P. REECE HOY MEIKLE

JANUARY 24th, 1989 - APRIL 30th, 2004.

Childhood

I recently went through some old photos and came across some GEMS. I love looking at old memories.

Isn't this fantastic? I'm not sure if my brother was actually crabby or just playing the part.

We're twins.

My favorite picture. My daddy and I at my Uncle's Halloween wedding

I told you I've been Dorothy before!

A Song That Hits Home

I've stated before my love for Florence. This woman is phenomenal and truly needs no introduction. I'm enjoying her newest album, Ceremonials. This song is called Only If For A Night. I'm loving it because not only is is beyond beautiful but because it hits home to me.

And the grass was so green against my new clothes,

And I did cartwheels in your honor.

Dancing on tiptoes, 

My own secret ceremonials,

Before the service began.

In the graveyard, doing handstands. 

And I heard your voice, as clear as day

And you told me I should concentrate

 It was all so strange and so surreal

That a ghost should be so practical

 Only for a night.

I've read a few times that this song is about Florence's grandmother who passed away (suicide, actually). This song is about seeing her Grandmother's ghost coming back for a night. It's a bittersweet moment, causing Florence to celebrate that she has her back "only if for a night".

The reason I have such a meaningful connection to this is because I have many loved ones that have left me too early that I would do anything to see them again.... only if for a night.

Winter Wonderland

This has been the strangest winter ever. It's the middle of December and it has only snowed twice (barely) and in fact has been raining the past two days. I'm not sure if I should be upset about this or not. All I know, is that a white Christmas is a MUST. I always secretly hope for a blizzard on Christmas (and sometimes it comes true). What is more fun than being locked up with your family? Playing games, eating great food, drinking, making memories... and all by a crackling fire. Ideal.

There's are a few pictures from my Pinterest. I made a winter board because I'm from Minnesota and that is just what we do. These are some pictures that make me love winter, especially the ice on the hockey net. Minnesota is the State of Hockey, don'tcha know? (Go Wild!)