chocolate jeans

Jeans: DL 1961 Sweater, flats: Nordstrom Jacket: Gap Watch: Michael Kors Feather earrings: F21

Okay, so my jeans aren't actually made out of chocolate. They're just this deep, rich, dark brown hue that is the same color of my favorite sweet treat. They're by this brand called DL 1961, and what's great about them is that they have a four-way stretch so they'll stretch to fit, but won't get baggy over time. I got these jeans last Friday and have already worn them three times!

I pulled out my bronze glitter flats, which I haven't worn in ages! I love anything that sparkles, and it's nice to wear them with other brown pieces in my outfit. I kept the rest of the outfit pretty fall-casual with a beige sweater, cozy cotton jacket, and feather earrings (earring close-up attempt is above. Haha.) I also curled my hair, giving it a much-needed boost of volume.

I just got back to school after a very relaxing Thanksgiving break, and I am so busy! There are so many things to finish up before the semester is over. I was in such a "home" mode last week, just relaxing, watching TV, and going on runs. Now it's all go-go-go for the last couple weeks of the semester. It's crazy how fast time flies!

xo

$200 Brownies

Last weekend I made the $200 brownies found on Tasty Kitchen! They were delicious and super easy to make.

All you need is brownie mix, oil, an egg (or however many the mix calls for), and Symphony bars.

The recipe calls for two boxes of brownie mix and three Symphony bars, but I only had one box of brownie mix on hand. The brownies weren't as thick, and I only needed two Symphony bars to layer across my 9x9in pan.

When they were ready, I took them out of the oven to cool, ran upstairs for less than 5 minutes, and when I came back down my family had already gotten into them!

I was going to take a picture of a tray of perfectly cut up brownies, but this is what I was stuck with.

Overall, they were yummy treats and I'm sure I'll make them again!

xo

I've got travel on my mind...

There have been three places on my mind lately that I've been wanting to visit.

I've only been across the pond to Europe once, and over the border to Canada last weekend.

I love seeing things that are just completely new.

I love seeing how other people live their live so differently, yet are still so similar to me.

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People say that once you go abroad once, it sort of becomes an obsession. I wouldn't second-guess that theory! Here are the three places I've been thinking about lately, and they are a little out of the ordinary:

Reykjavik, Iceland

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Anywhere in Switzerland

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Cape Town, South Africa

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Has anyone else been to these places? What did you think?

xo



And the holiday season begins!

Today officially "marks" the beginning of the holiday season. I celebrate Christmas, and am so excited to see the touches of the holiday everywhere.

One of my favorite catalogs of the season is the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book:

It's exciting to see all the winter clothes, accessories, and especially the GIFTS! There are plenty of ideas for anyone, and makes for good gift-giving inspiration even if it's a little out of your price range.

xo



floral tights & ankle boots

Tank and skirt: Brandy Melville Tights: F21 Watch: Michael Kors Ankle boots: Me Too

Today I paired a creamy white tank and skirt with fall flower tights and boots. I feel like it is appropriate for Thanksgiving dinner with my family.

There is a lot of cooking going on at my house today! Since my extended family lives far across the country, my parents, brother, and I have just gone out to a nice dinner for the past few years. The house smells of turkey and mashed potatoes.

A friend told me about this brownie recipe that sounds amazing. I might give it shot today for dessert!

xo

a day of thanks

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My wonderful family. My friends. Life. College. Dancing. Chocolate. My favorite TV shows. My experience in Europe last summer. Rock climbing class.

Every sunny day.

And so much more. :)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xo

granville island

My photoshop isn't really cooperating with me right now. I wanted to put up more Vancouver pictures from my camera (the ones on Monday's post were from other girls' cameras). Instead, here are a few un-edited ones from Granville Island:

Walking to Granville Island

The architecture was pretty cool, in my opinion

Fruit section

Designs printed on chocolate

Mini Christmas cookies

Lots of pasta

xo

International Traveler

Today I'm on the final leg of my travels this weekend, and currently sitting in the Alaska Board Lounge.

It started Friday with a 15-hour bus/train ride to Vancouver, BC, Canada. Dance Team got invited to perform at the Gonzaga vs. Hawaii mens basketball BC Classic game, and it was great. We performed at Rogers Arena (where the Canucks play!) and did two dances. The audience seemed to enjoy it, and on the way out we got plenty of high-fives, "good jobs," and got asked to take photos with lots of people. Canada seemed to like us!

En route to Canada

After the first leg of the trip

Team with poms

Typical! I was also trying to do a "thumbs up" with my left hand...

Downtown Vancouver

Celebs ;)

DT4life

The next morning it was back on the bus all day until about 3:30, where we switched to a train back to school. About 12 hours later, I was on my way to the airport to fly home for Thanksgiving.

When we got back to Spokane, there was snow everywhere! According to a few sources (students), it was 9 degrees last Saturday. Glad I missed that! This is what my car looked like:

It has been a fun but long weekend and I'm ready to relax!

xo



Christmas List 2011

A few mornings ago my dad asked me to send him my Christmas list. It was very surprising news to me - I can't believe Christmas is just a little more than a month away! Seriously, where does time go?

With that being said, I thought about a few things I might want this year and decided to share them! What items are on your list?

Lilly Pulitzer Calendar -- I'm always organized!
Kate Spade Laptop Case -- My new laptop is super light so I take I've been taking it with me to so many places. A sleeve would ensure that it doesn't get scratched!
Sony Digital Camera -- I used to have a small digital camera, but it sadly got stolen this summer! I love love love my Nikon DSLR, but there are plenty of times where a smaller camera is more portable.
Brown Booties -- Well, just brown shoes in general. Other than my brown leather boots, I don't have any other brown fall/winter shoes. So basically any type of brown shoe is on my list!
How I Met Your Mother, Season 5 -- HIMYM is currently my all-time favorite show (next to Gossip Girl, of course). I have seasons 1-4 of the sitcom that I rewatch over and over again, so number 5 is on my list!

I'm also creating my very-first-ever Holiday Gift Guide! Keep checking back within the next few days for gift ideas!

xo

**EDIT** Oops! I wrote "Lily Pulitzer 2011 calendar" instead of "Lilly Pulitzer 2012 calendar" in the image above. Sorry about that!

Blogger Inspiration -- Bib Necklaces

I love to see how other people put together outfits. Everyone has such a cool, unique style that is different.

I've been loving bib necklaces lately, especially this one from Kate Spade:

Seeking inspiration on how to wear it, I looked to two of my favorite bloggers from Atlantic Pacific and The Daybook:

Atlantic Pacific

I am a sucker for checkers. I have been looking for a blue and white checkered button-up for ages! I think the necklace pulls this outift together and makes her casual shirt seem more sophisticated with the skirt. Love it.

The Daybook

I love Sydney's style! I really like this purple necklace as well...and I just realized she is also wearing a blue and white checkered button-up! Haha. The color contrast of the purple and blue make the outfit more fun.

While the outfit above isn't necessarily my personal style, I love the pop of color used in this Kate Spade photo.

Two other bib necklace options:

J. Crew

Banana Republic

Do you own a bib necklace? How do you wear it?

xo

On My Reading List

I really enjoy reading. I like relaxing and getting into a good book. But with classes, dance team, a bunch of other commitments, and a ton of textbook reading leaves me with little time to read for pleasure.

That is why I love breaks so much! Thanksgiving break, Christmas break, and Spring break are all the best times to start a book when there's no homework to do. Summer is my favorite time to read, because I go outside and read in the sun. It's the best.

This weekend I'm traveling with Dance Team to perform at a basketball game in Canada! This includes very long train rides (14 hours both there and back) and so I will have a lot downtime.

 

 

Two books I downloaded on my Kindle for the weekend:

Vengeance by Kate Brian

I've been reading the Private series since the beginning of high school and this is the very last one! It's slightly a guilty pleasure since I feel that I am getting a little old, but the series makes me nostalgic. The series is about a girl who goes to boarding school on the east coast and all of the bad things that seem to be happening - a lot of mystery. However, these books are definite page-turners and involve major suspense.

The Hunter Games by Suzanne Collins

I have heard all the hype about this book and it makes me want to read it. I'm not entirely sure what it's about, but after seeing the movie trailer before Breaking Dawn I am so excited to read it.

Any other good books that you recommend I read? I'd love to know!

Happy holiday season.

xo

simple black

Headband, Shirt, Jeans: Nordstrom Cardigan: Macy's Bracelets: F21 Watch: Michael Kors Boots: Corso Como Earrings: New Look (London)

Today I kept my outfit pretty casual, but added a black and gold hippie headband to keep things a little interesting. I threw my black leather jacket from Italy on over this before I went out to class for a little more warmth -- little did I know that it would snow today! (Should've worn some gloves!)

Speaking of class...or rather lack of class, I had a semi-productive day today. I went to my first class but the professor didn't show up so we all left. Then I did some homework waiting for my next class...and the professor didn't show up again. Instead we had a "substitute professor" (which almost always don't exist in college) to give us a writeup assignment. Five minutes later, we were out the door.

While I've had a lot of extra time today, it kept getting broken up by my non-classes today, so my studying hasn't been going as great as I thought it would - I have a big test tomorrow! I'm going to need a strong dose of caffeine tomorrow before I take it.

xo

crazy busy // mixing prints

Jacket: Vivid Collection Striped shirt and tank: Nordstrom Jeans: F21 Sneakers: American Eagle Butterfly ring and charm bracelets: Juicy Couture

This week is insanity with schoolwork, work, and dance team! I enjoy being busy, but still. I have a lot on my plate this week. Dance team practices are picking up as we prepare for games (AND performing at the one in Canada this weekend!) Also, this week is just busy with school - it is that typical point in fall semester where group projects, exams, and papers pile up to be done in time for finals. This is why I haven't posted in a couple of days -- I've been so busy that I've hardly been home!

That being said, I'm going to go work on a group project now. I'm staying pretty casual in ultra-comfy sneakers, jeans, and a tshirt with a cotton jacket. I mixed the polka dots on the shoes with the stripes on the shirt to make things a little more interesting and added a splash of gold jewelry for fun.

xo



playing with proportions

Shirt: H&M Jeans: F21 Ankle boots: F21

Closeup of the bracelets:

Circle and chain bracelets: Tiffany & Co. Love, flower, and heart bracelets: New Look (London)

Today I decided to wear a baggy tee with skinnies for comfort to study at a coffee shop. It's actually my first blog post away from my desk at home! I am bedazzled to the max with the butterfly on my shirt, stack of bracelets, and glittery eyeliner (though you probably can't see the eyeliner in the photo.)

I just ate a mini pulled pork panini with provalone and shared a peanut butter cookie with my friends. Now it's time to get back to actual work and study!

xo



monochrome

Shirt: Anthropologie Jeans: Rock & Republic Heels: F21 Silver bangles: New Look (London) Circle bracelet: Tiffany & Co.

I wore an all-black outfit today, which is relatively dark considering how many bright colors I usually pair with neutrals. I like the streamline effect of wearing all black. It feels more sophisticated than my typical pinks and purples. The white flowers on the shirt add some excitement and the silver bracelets accent it. I guess I do have some color, though - the pink polish on my toes!

xo



sperry boots and lace dress

Dress: Nordstrom Watch: Michael Kors Bow hair clip, Bracelets: F21 Tights: Express Boots: Sperry

Remember the Sperry boots I wrote about a little while back? Turns out that I ended up getting them! :)

Here's a photo of the boots close up:

I originally was wearing grey suede boots with this, but it didn't look right. Then I tried black flats and silver flats, and it still didn't look right. Then I tried these beautiful new boots of mine, and I think they work! Even though it isn't raining or snowing today I think I'll still wear these. They're the only tall black boots I have! I still have a few minutes to decide if rain boots on a sunny day is too ridiculous...maybe I'll try the flats again. (Indecisive, much?)

Happy Wednesday.

xo

PS - don't I look younger than usual in this picture? I have such a baby face...

garden nails

Yesterday I decided to do something completely new with my nails. While I've tried plenty of different colors ranging from pale pink to dark green, to greige, to neons, I've only done one single color. Sometimes I added glitter. :)

When I watched a Youtube video on how to get vintage rose nails, I had to try it!

My result:

My roses are a little messier than the ones in the video, but I think they still look good, considering it was my first time trying nail art!

Nail polish I used:

"Mermaid's Tears" by O.P.I., a jade green

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"Sparrow Me the Drama" by O.P.I., a pale, dusty-looking pink

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"Goldie" by Goldie, a shimmery red

 (I got the red polish in a mini-spa-kit-thing several years ago from Bath & Body Works, so my guess is that it's unavailable now.)

Here's the video tutorial I watched if you're interested in trying it out for yourself!

xo

scarf transformation

Scarf: from a market in Italy Jeans, tank, belt, bracelets: Nordstrom Yellow tank: F21 Watch: Michael Kors Heels: GUESS Earrings: New Look (London)

Today I thought I'd try something new with my scarf. It's your typical scarf, yet I wanted to make it into a long, circle scarf. I just tied the ends together and voila! Transformation. I put it over my belt and tank today, but I think it would look great underneath the belt as well. (Oh, and I wore a coat today, don't worry. It's just not photographed because I'm inside!)

You know my friend Abbie, who I go to lunch with on Thursdays? (She's been mentioned a couple times on my Thursday outfit posts.) It's her birthday today! Happy 22nd, Abbie!

xo