Pixel Me Pretty

This is a super late Instagram photos blog post, but never mind. I'm sure the large number of photos in this post will make up for it being two days late. :) Anyway, in addition to taking random pictures of my everyday life, I've also started taking part in fat mum slim's Photo Challenge and the FBFF Photo Challenge.

I did some Googling and I discovered one of two bakeries we have here in Orange County that sell French macarons. This photo is from the Layer Cake Bakery in Irvine. They have twelve regular flavors plus two seasonal flavors that I'm looking forward to trying come fall and winter. Just because of the macarons, this is now my favorite place to indulge myself with sweets.

Speaking of indulgence, yes, I did spoil myself quite a bit. Hehe. Don't worry though, I did share these with my boyfriend and his family. I'd have to say that my absolute, hands-down favorite flavor is...passion fruit (the purple one). The chocolate ganache and hazelnut ones are pretty good too. Lucas says these look like mini hamburgers, which reminded me of this picture. <--- Yes, I do have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to macarons. I may be just a little bit obsessed.

You know what they say about Southern Californians and flip flops. I love how my pale mint green nail polish and gold sequin flip flops looked together. To be honest, I don't even remember what outfit I wore on this day. Oh, and by the way, I took this photo on my way back to my car after my late afternoon class.

Speaking of mint green and gold sparkle, this is what my manicure looked like. This photo was for Day 1 of the FBFF photo-a-day challenge. The theme or subject was "mirror." I decided to not go the typical mirror picture route for this one. Reflected in my pocket mirror is the lighting fixture above the stairs in my house.

I love poetry and I have just recently discovered Pablo Neruda. His love poems are so emotional, evocative, and charged with passion and sensuality. Amazing, simply amazing. This little vignette also features two of my flower hair pins (as seen here) and my Valentine's Day present from Lucas this year. I know it's a little hard to see, but this pretty necklace has a rose gold heart and a heart shaped rhodolite garnet.

Day 1 of fat mum slim's photo-a-day challenge: peace. These are the last lines of Pablo Neruda's poem "Your Hands." He describes a a type of love that evokes comfort and fulfillment and the end of a lifelong search. What could be more peaceful than that? ♥

FBFF Day 2: accessory. I've been on the lookout for pretty bowls and trays to store my huge jewelry and miscellaneous accessories collection. This rabbit jewelry bowl from Anthropology is one of my favorites. Here she is silently watching my necklaces from the boyfriend. 

Day 2: skyline. I live right in the middle of suburban Orange County, so obviously true city skylines are few and far between. I will always prefer a smallish town over a big city though. There's something kind of magical about being able to see more of the sky without any tall buildings to obscure the view. And I can see some of the stars at night, which is also magical.

FBFF Day 3: blue. I've worn these shoes for two Style Posts now (here and here) and I knew that they'd be perfect for the blue theme. As much as I love pastel shades like pale blush and mint green, there's just something instantly happy-making about bright colors.

Day 3: something you wore today. This was my Valentine's Day present from Lucas last year. I wear this necklace all the time because it's simple and pretty enough to wear with most things in my closet. And I know what you're thinking: yes, I am aware that this man spoils me a lot. ;)

I suppose this photo would have been a better example of a skyline. Lucas and I took a drive though the Foothills one night and I snapped this photo of the Orange County night lights. I imagine this is what the title sequence would look like if "Gossip Girl" took place in Southern California. Hmmm, probably not since they'd more likely be in LA. No matter, it was still a gorgeous view. :)

FBFF Day 4: essential. I don't wear foundation everyday, but when I do, I really love MAC's studio fix. For night's out, liquid + powder gives such as pretty, almost flawless finish. For more everyday wear, the powder works just fine on its own.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker bobbleheads. For all you other nerds out there, I just couldn't resist posting something for Star War's Day (May 4th). These are pretty cute. Hehe.

Day 4: fun! I remember when I was little and I was obsessed with my jelly sandals. I remember always wanting to wear them all the time, even when my feet outgrew them and I started getting blisters. I found this cute, grown up version of jelly shoes recently and I wore them to an Angel's game on Cinco de Mayo. These are much more comfortable than the little girl versions I wore back then.

Day 5: bird. I love ducks. In fact, - I kid you not - one of life goals is to one day have several ducks as pets. Until then, I am perfectly content with following these birds around and occasionally taking pictures for Instagram. I like  how the female duck is looking back at me. She seems to be thinking, "Stop following us!"

FBFF Day 5: inspiration. I don't even remember what magazine this is from or what month it's from. I had this picture on my phone for a long time and I finally got around to posting it. All three of these outfits are PRETTY.