Lovely Things 9.30.11

How awesome is this: I started the month of September with a Lovely Things post and now I'm ended it with another one. As an homage to this wonderful season (think crisp autumn air and the changing leaf colors), I'm sharing all of my favorite fall images. Enjoy these lovely images, dear readers, and have a wonderful weekend!

 

[all images from we♥it]

Awkward and Awesome 9.29.11

[image source]

Awkward:

• Mondays usually suck because I have really long break in between my two classes (12:45-5:30). It wasn't too awkward this week though, because I decided to go shopping.
• Trying on fascinators and birdcage veils is always great...except when there's a seven year old girl competing with you for mirror space. I'm not sure why, but little girls wearing birdcage veils really creep me out.
• As much as I love my romper from my last Style Post, having to strip just to use the restroom was a little weird.
• I completely spazzed out when I thought I had walked into a spider web. Turns out, it was just a single strand of hair on my face. And yes, people stared.
• Add this to the list of ways Starbucks baristas have misspelled my name: G-A-E-L.

Awesome:

• I found a gorgeous faux fur stole in the most amazing shade of burgundy at the mall. I can't wait until it gets cold enough to wear it.
• The best lunch I had all week: grilled cheese with tomato slices on dill rye bread, courtesy of Luke's brother.
• Simple pleasures: snuggling with my boyfriend while watching classic Looney Tunes cartoons.
• I'm super excited because it's almost time for knee high socks and leg warmers!
• My city's annual carnival is this weekend. I'm convinced that my old marching band's booth sells the best funnel cakes ever...not that I'm biased or anything. ;)

Style Post 9.28.11

Words just can't describe how happy, excited - elated, really - I am now that autumn is here. You wouldn't have known it yesterday though, with the temperature hovering at a steady 80 degrees. Of course, that didn't stop me from pairing this peacock feather print romper with these strawberry colored tights. It was a good thing too, because I had a 7:00-9:45pm class and these tights were perfect for the cool night air.

And don't worry, I wasn't crazy enough to wear 5 inch heels on campus. (But maybe I should have. After all, sore toes are a small price to pay to be 5'7" for a day.)

By the way, yes, this is the same park where my BestFriend and I took our anniversary photos. To really appreciate the beauty of this park, check out the last photo of this post.

Peacock Feather Romper: Forever 21 (buy it here). Tights: Nordstrom. Platform Mary Janes: Steve Madden. Purse: Louis Vuitton. Heart Necklace: gifted (from Lucas). Charm Bracelet: gifted (from Mom).

11 Years and Counting

I am lucky enough to have known Faustina, my BestFriend (No Spaces), for eleven whole years. We met back when we started 6th grade and have since then been inseparable. Since our monumental 10 year anniversary last year, we've decided to celebrate each subsequent year of friendship by taking pictures and having dinner. It was completely unintentional, but we took pictures in the same park and ate dinner at the same restaurant as last year. I love our traditions. ♥

Here's to 11+ more years of friendship and memories!

Awkward and Awesome 9.22.11

Today I discovered a fabulous blog meme called Awkward and Awesome Thursdays via Sydney of The Daybook. So what exactly is this? Well, just like the title implies, I will be documenting the amazingly awesome moments of each week...as well as the hilariously awkward ones. I'm sure it'll be fun to look back on all of these moments each passing week. :)

[image source]

Awkward:

• One of the highlights from last weekend's Las Vegas trip: being the only girl surrounded by guys who aren't shy about bodily functions.
• I put in $1.00 into the slot machines. I actually got really excited when that $1.00 turned into $3.00. When I finally decided to cash out, my grand total was $1.20. That's right, I won 20 cents in Las Vegas. Woot.
• Going back to school after an awesome weekend vacation = blah.
• I had the biggest craving for chocolate late last night...but I was too lazy to drive to the 24 hour supermarket close to my house.
• So today, my neighborhood is getting the asphalt fixed, meaning we aren't allowed to park inside the complex. What's more awkward than living in a gated community and not having the key to open the gate from the inside? Try climbing the gate in flip flops while carrying a huge purse and having random neighbors stare when you fall on your ass.

Awesome:

• I am obsessed with this gorgeous necklace that my boyfriend bought for me on our vacation. It's a little teddy bear studded with pink crystals. Me getting a present on his birthday weekend = awesome.
• Dan Haren pitched for the Angels last night and they won! I think it has to do with the fact that I wore my lucky shirt with his name and number. :)
• I made garlic mashed potatoes for lunch and they turned out great! I will admit though that it is pretty hard to screw up making mashed potatoes from a box.
• I love hybrid classes (half in person, half online). I didn't have to drive up to school on Tuesday or today. Saving gas is always awesome.
• My BestFriend and I are finally going to celebrate our 11 year anniversary tomorrow! We're thinking dinner and a photo shoot.

Style Post - Las Vegas Edition

I spent this past weekend in Las Vegas with my boyfriend, his older brother, and two of his friends as part of his 26th birthday celebration. Yup, that's right - two whole days of me being "the token girl" as Luke's mom put it. As I like to put it, I was "one of the guys," which is exactly what I'm calling this outfit on Chictopia. I say that facetiously of course, because I took great care in packing my wardrobe for the weekend, choosing only the most glamorous outfits to distinguish myself from the four dudes I was traveling with. This one was my favorite. I definitely have to wear this outfit again when I go clubbing with my girlfriends. :)

Note: Please excuse the cell phone pictures. I didn't have my camera with me.

Top: Forever 21. Shorts: Charlotte Russe. Necklace: gifted (from the boyfriend!). Headband: Icing by Claire's. Flats: Jeffrey Campbell. 

Baseball Cupcakes

My boyfriend Luke's 26th birthday was on the 15th and I wanted to do something special. I baked cupcakes last year, but the frosting melted under the hot sun. This year, - thankfully - it was only around 75 degrees or so. It was a good thing too, because instead of just plain frosting like last year, I wanted something a little more festive. I've mentioned several times that we're both really into baseball (and we're both sad that the season is almost over!), so I decided to try making my cupcakes look like baseballs.

This was the inspiration:

[image source: Martha Stewart]

This is how mine turned out:

[photo by Faustina Sung]

Not too shabby for a first try, if I do say so myself. Obviously, mine aren't quite as perfect as Martha Stewart's. She used licorice for the baseball stitches and I used gel icing, just because I wanted to be more precise with the 2 and the 6. I just noticed too that the thicker stitches look like little hearts. :)

My amazing BestFriend Faustina was kind enough to come over and help me bake and decorate these cupcakes. In fact, she did most of the stitches since my first attempt looked a little lopsided. She did a pretty amazing job, don't you think?

And in case you're wondering, yes, Luke loved these! Yay me for scoring some girlfriend points. ♥

Style Post 9.12.11

I didn't actually plan on doing a Style Post today. I woke up at 4:00am this morning for some inexplicable reason and wasn't able to fall back asleep...And I didn't have to leave for class until about 8:30. So what did I end up doing? After showering, eating breakfast, and wasting time on Facebook, I put together this entire outfit. It started with this gray dress that I wear way too often and therefore never considered Style Post material. At the spur of the moment, I decided to add this colorful feather necklace, and VOILA! I had a brand new outfit. It's amazing how a colorful necklace, bag and scrunchy (yes, a scrunchy!) can transform a seemingly boring outfit.

Kangaroo Pocket Dress: Lush. Leggings: Tart. Wedge Sandals: Steve Madden. Feather Necklace: unknown brand. Bracelets: thrifted. Bag: Steve Madden.

Style Post 9.9.11 - FBFF Edition

What I have today is a Style Post and an FBFF post combined into one. This week's theme is "Dressing to the Tune." This is my favorite Visual FBFF prompt by far and I was really excited to pick out an outfit based on a song. I chose to interpret "Who's to Say" by Vanessa Carlton.

 Stand up straight

Do your trick, turn on the stars

Jupiter shines so bright when you're around

They tell us to slow down

We're too young, you need to grow

Well speed's the key

And they don't know who we are

 Who's to say we're not good enough?

Who's to say that this is not our love?

Mother, don't tell me friends are the ones that I lose

'Cause they'd bleed before you

Sometimes family are the ones you choose

It's too late now, I hold on to this life I've found 

Who's to say we won't burn it out?

Who's to say we won't sink in doubt?

Who's to say we won't fade to gray?

Who are they anyway? They don't know 

And you say we're too young

But maybe you're too old to remember

And I try to pretend but I just feel it when we're together

And if you don't believe me you never really knew us

You never really knew 

You and I packing up my room

We feel alright

But we're not welcome, soon we'll be driving

'Cause they don't know who we are

Who's to say we won't stay together?

Who's to say were aren't getting stronger?

Who's to say I can't live without you?

Who are they anyway? They don't know 

And you say we're too young

But maybe you're too old to remember

And I try to pretend but I just feel it when we're together

Who's to say? Who's to say?

Who are they anyway?

Stand up boy, I shine so bright when you're around

Dress: Soprano.

Hair Flower: Claire's.

Bracelet: unknown brand.

Flats: Jeffrey Campbell.