12.06.2011

Apologies

Sorry I haven't posted in a few. I'm computer-less for a couple days. I've also been enjoying views like this from my cozy fireplace and faux-fur blanket :) do you blame me?

12.03.2011

ysl

Polyvore: Winter Trends

a little shine


Silk shirt, $230
Party pants, $148
Yves Saint Laurent platform pumps, £519
Noemi Klein butterfly stud earrings, £85
Jigsaw brass jewelry, £39
Ring, $20
butter LONDON Nail Lacquer - Various Colors Available - Nail Polish -..., $15
Amazon.com: Maybelline ColorSensational Lipcolor, Wine & Dine #939:..., $4.25



This winter there is one trend I am in love with - some shine! I'm surprised with this because I'm usually not a glitter/sequin type but lately I've been in touch with my girly side. I designed this outfit because these pants are kick-ass. I would rock the sh** out of these! I'm short so these would probably hit right on my ankle, so I paired them with some pumps. I'm obviously obsessed with lipstick so I chose this beautiful wine lipstick (check link up above). I also have a habit of matching my lipstick with my nail polish. 

I would buy this outfit in a heartbeat, but I can barely afford the ring right now let alone $148 pants or a $230 shirt. I'll have to stick to the more affordable version until that magic day happens when I win the lotto. (Yeah, I wish for it.)

12.02.2011

All I Want For Christmas...



I'm pretty practical when it comes to Christmas gifts, both giving and on my wish list.  This year, I really couldn't think of anything that I truly wanted other than a new camera or a trip to Europe and only one of those is potentially possible.

On my list this year:
1. I would love a gift card to iTunes, because I love tunes.
2. I would give a limb for this lip palette that Bobbi Brown made for her 20th anniversary. Come to momma.
3. What couldn't be more perfect? I book of lists. My Listography Book from Paper Source.
4. A Barnes and Noble gift card would be greatly appreciated.
5. These earrings made my heart stop. Merriment Earrings from Anthropologie
6. This ring also cause a few palpitations. Dirillo ring from Anthropologie
7. Vintage Map Journals from Paper Source.
8. The most beautiful calendar ever from Paper Source
9. Canon EOS 70D National Camera Exchange

Thanks, Santa :)

Leopard Love

Python

12.01.2011

Listography: If You Have 5 Minutes ...

Last year, I saw a list in the magazine, Real Simple called "If You Have 5 Minutes." Now, I need to go on a small tangent here. I'm a list-aholic. I make lists for every thing whether it's for a specific reason or not.  I'm not sure what it is but it helps my anxiety. I like everything to be organized and planned. Basically, I'm a controlling Aries. (Sounds fun, right?) Annnyways, this list caught my eye because a. it's a list and b. I'm constantly wasting time and need to start being more wise. So, if you're like me this might be just as helpful.

1. Call your dad. (For me, I sometimes need more than 5 minutes. We're talkers.)
2. Check your voice mail.
3. Move some random files on your computer desktop to correct folders. (or delete old ones).
4. Refold your sweaters and stack them by color. (Or, your dresser drawers. Mine get so messy sometimes).
5. Floss your teeth.
6. Water the plants and wipe dusty leaves with a damp paper towel.
7. Sew on a button.
8. Put to-be-donated clothes in a big by the door. (Just make sure it doesn't STAY be the door. I know you're guilty of this).
9. Untangle a necklace. (slightly fun to me. Yeah, I'm weird)
10. Cancel one appointment you just really don't want to keep. Or, make an appointment you really need to make but don't want to.
11. Find evening bag, scarf, or top that got lost in closet. (My closet is a chronic sweater-eater).
12. Test pens or markers and toss the dead ones. (Guilty. I'll never understand why I don't toss it into the trash instead of back into the bin. They're both bins? And in the same vicinity?)
13. Arrange your hangers so they all face the same way.
14. Pick up five things and put them where they belong.
15. Wash the dog's bowl.
16. Brush the cat, or dog.
17. Clear out the refrigerator.
18. Remove gum wrappers, receipts, and ATM slips from your purse. (AH, messy purses are the worst but inevitable).
19. Get rid of one pair of shoes that kill your feet.
20. Scan your medicine cabinet and throw out any expired prescriptions, sunscreens, and vitamins.
21. Test your smoke alarms. (Note: don't do it if your dog is in the house....unless you want to spend hours trying to calm him (and then eventually yourself) down).
22. Shred something - anything. (This suggestion is really demanding...)
23. Write thank-you notes that you've been putting off.
24. Walk around your home with a small can of white paint; do touch-ups.
25. Create an emergency kit with bottled water, batteries, a flashlight and canned foods.
26. Download the pictures in your digital camera to your computer.
27. Paint your toenails.
28. Throw out all expired coupons.
29. Look through old box of photos; frame some.
30. Empty the bathroom wastebaskets.
31. Open your file cabinet and get rid of five old files.
32. Transfer dates from invitations and school flyers to the calendar.
33. Return that Netflix movie. (It's like they know me).
34. Check your stack of magazines and eliminate half. (Uh.... I'm embarrassed by the amount of magazines I hoard at a time).
35. Organize your tupper ware. (F***, tupper ware).
36. Look in your shower stall. Ditch any old shampoos or body washes.
37. Neaten up the freezer. (How old is too old?)
38. Do two yoga poses. (Ommmm)
39. Answer three emails. (Or in my case delete, delete, delete. My inbox currently has like 1,500 "unread" messages).
40. Charge your portable devices.
41. Sweep the kitchen floor.


Now, go do a chore and then pat yourself on the back.

Thanksgiving Weekend


So, I have been super busy the past week. I moved out of my house in Mankato and moved back into my parents basement (yay). I actually have a pretty nice set up down there. It's just funny because when I was little I ALWAYS begged my parents to let me move down there. My mom continuously said no because she didn't want to have to walk all the way down there to wake me up every morning. (Guilty). Well, wishes do come true because here I am, almost 23 and living the American dream.
Thanksgiving weekend was great for me. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Thanksgiving. It's a little over-rated to me. I make turkey a lot so it's not really something I "CAN'T WAIT TO EAT!" I have a list of things I'd rather be eating than these foods. What I do love about Thanksgiving is the fact that I get to see all my family and friends. I love being home and visiting with those dearest to me.

Above pictures are Instagram photos from my phone. They are (from left to right, top to bottom):
1. We had a celebratory lunch at Lion's Tap in Eden Prairie after moving. My dad grew up in EP and has a not-so-secret obsession with this city and all the places he enjoyed as a kid, Lions Tap being one of them.
2. I love my mom's home decor. An old camera that sits on a bookcase.
3. My grandma is a china painter and every Christmas she paints each grandchild an ornament. One year, she painted us flying clowns.
4. I use the china that my grandma has painted as small dishes for jewelry.
5. An appetizer my mom put together. It was a tasty treat.
6. Packing up rubber maids of books.
7. Boyd and Alvi took many naps over the weekend.
8. Claire, my friends new Lab-Pit (we think) mix came to visit. Isn't she adorable?
9. Boyd likes to be the guard dog at my parent's house. I like the natural light :)

Case of the... Thursdays?


I've just had one of those days today. It could have been the fact that when I woke up this morning there was a thin layer of snow covering the ground but I immediately crawled back into bed and called it a day. Don't get me wrong, I was productive.... but indoors. I seriously have yet to leave the house today. Tomorrow is a new day but until then, I'm going to cuddle on the couch with a blanket, a christmas scented candle burning and a good book.

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,



Dear Santa,
These six items would make me so, so happy. Have I told you lately how slim you've been looking?
Love,
  Consistently Good

Chicago Trip




Like I said in my previous post, my Chicago trip was so much fun that it was necessary to have an entire post about it. I know, I know, it was almost a year ago but I still cannot get over it. Alvi and I drove there which took about 6 hours for us. We went over New Years weekend so there was a lot of traffic in the city, but that was half the fun. We didn't hold back when it came to indulging so we took many cab rides and went out to eat all day, every day. We did the usual tourist-y stuff: shopping on Michigan Ave, Aquarium, saw the Bean, the pier, etc. We even went to a Blackhawks game when they played the Sharks. Those Hawks fans put Wild fans TO SHAME. Damn, they love to party. For NYE, we went out to a delicious Italian restaurant and spoiled ourselves with fantastic food and wine and then we walked downtown and then to the pier to watch the fireworks. From there we went to some bars and enjoyed some tequila (me) and whiskey (him). Nothing wild, but perfect. SO perfect.

Above pictures (from left to right, top to bottom) are random photos I still had on my computer from the trip:
1. View from our hotel (Sheraton on the river).   2. cheersing to the new year.  3. our tickets - we were so excited.  4. The bean!  5. View of the river.  6. The fog over the city when we first drove in.  7. Fireworks on the pier.  8. Another bean view.  9. Pretty sunset, pretty buildings.

Road Trip to Chicago Polyvore

Road Trip to Chicago



This polyvore outfit was inspired by a trip that Alvi and I took last year. We went to Chicago for New Years and it was one of the best trips I've ever been on. It was so fantastic that I think I'll dedicate my next post to it. 















11.30.2011

Listography: My Life Would Be Incomplete Without...


I saw a quote the other day that made me think about all the little things in life that make me happy. Sometimes I get so caught up that I need to step back and think about how blessed I am. There are some things that I truly value. Not because they all hold memories, but because they make me happy and that's really what's important in life, right? My life would truly be incomplete without these 17 things.

1. Lipstick  - It's such a fantastic, fantastic thing.
2. My puggle, Boyd and our cuddles in the morning.
3. My family, both immediate and extended.
4. My hometown friends.  - I have yet to meet anyone who can compare to them.
5. Beautiful art that inspires me to no end.
6. Leather Jackets.
7. Netflix (Streaming may not have the best choices all the time but it has all LOST seasons and that's good enough for me.)
8. My Itunes library.
9. The feeling I get when I see Alvi.
10. H2O. I love me some water.
11. Books, books and more books.
12. Dreaming.
13. Pen and Paper - I would die without the ability to make notes.
14. Nature/Landscapes. - I could stare all day long. My biggest inspiration.
15. Nostalgic Movies.
16. Watermelon - all day long.
17. Belly Laughs (Hate the name, but you know you love them, too).


You thought I was going to get away with out adding Harry Potter to my list? Well, it's because my life IS actually incomplete right now. I need new books. Queen Rowling, if you are somehow reading this PLEASE listen: You must write a book from Tom Riddle's point-of-view up until the rise and fall of Lord Voldemort. I would die a happy girl. Or at least about the Order of Phoenix.

Wow, am I really this nerdy? (not too ashamed).









Florence Obsession

I love my girl Florence Welch and when I heard her cover of Drake's Take Care I fell in even more love. She's fantastic and I think that she needs to let me borrow that adorable hat.


11.29.2011

Etsy Favorites: AfricanGrey

ARE YOU SERIOUS?! this needs to be blown up in my house
I couldn't help myself. There's no way I could talk about my favorite Etsy shops and NOT discuss AfricanGrey! I'm obsessed with dogs and so you can imagine that when I stumbled across this shop that my heart jumped a little. They are so adorable and funny. I'll take one of each!

she does more than just dogs



THIS is brilliant


Dino- Boyd!!

cutest bath ever
Check out her shop here

11.28.2011

Etsy Favorites: Yellena

Yellena is SO TALENTED! I feel like I don't even need to give an introduction and just let her amazing work speak for itself. Do yourself a favor and check out her shop here




these colorsssss

I feel like I'm melting

11.25.2011

Etsy Favorites: inkylivie


This shop inspired me like no other. This woman has some serious, serious talent. It's shops like this that confirm that this is where I belong - making beautiful designs that take people's breath away. I mean, what? I would buy every single one of these, whether I was getting married or not. Just to stare at them.







Check out her shop here
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