teeny tiny trench coat

Fashionable small children just kill me! from Face Hunter.

quick trip home

I really love Bellingham, but home is always home.

an even more fun way to eat s'mores

I got this recipe for "S'mores Cupcakes" from Bridget's blog and couldn't wait to try it when I went home this weekend. They take a while to make but seriously, SO worth it - they're so yum. Get the recipe from the link and try them yourself! But a word of advice - make the graham cracker crumbs without the sugar. These babies are pleeenty sweet without an extra 1/2 cup of suga. Eat one right out of the oven, and in the next couple days pop one in the microwave for about 20 seconds right before you eat it. Melty and chocolately and delish.

ps - I'm getting more into cooking, so there will probably be several food-related posts coming up. It is such a good stress reliever!

I got sunshine on a cloudy day

I really want to develop my photo skills, so I made my boyfriend let me practice on him. I know I could be alot better, but I'm pretty happy with how these turned out:

quite the catch, no?

une fille amusante

those of you that have crazy, unruly hair comme moi, or those of you with calm hair who want to understand how we feel - read this blog post by Garance Dore. So great. I love witty and classy women, especially ones with wild hair.

http://www.garancedore.fr/en/2010/10/18/etre-soi/

1/ Vive the pony-tail.

2/ Vive men who love you for who you are.

3/ Always do the things you dream of, because that way, you can move on to other things. Short hair: check. Straight hair: check. Platinum blond hair… Hmmmmm...

...is another man's treasure

This blog is dedicated to one of my favorite past-times: bargain hunting. Whether it be a thrift store, an antique shop, a flea market, a garage sale, or just a really good sale at a department store, finding something you love for a fraction of the original price is an amazing feeling! Now, in order to go out bargain hunting you usually have to be in a positive frame of mind, with a lot of energy (I usually stop by Starbucks on the way and order anything with an extra shot in it) so you have to have the right timing. This is especially important because if you're really bargain hunting, you usually have to go through a lot of junk in order to fish out some treasure. My mom was always really thrifty so she taught me some great tricks, which come in handy as a college student - especially one who constantly lusts after what's on the couture runways. So here is a small gallery of my favorite thrifty finds I've made lately:

I absolutely love these studs I found a couple weeks ago on clearance at Fred Meyer (of all places). They were originally $32, I got them for about $5.

This bird cage jewelry hanger I found at Claire's for $5, again it was originally $32. I bought one, my mom bought one, and we got an extra to have on hand for a last-minute gift. I was so happy to find this, because I'd been looking at ones on urbanoutfitters.com almost identical to this, but waay too expensive.

both of these frames were found at Value Village in Bremerton, WA for $2 each! They're on my desk, I love the colors in them.

This purse has become one of my favorites for fall, and I found it at a little thrift shop in downtown Bellingham, WA last summer for $4.

The Van Gogh prints I have above my bed I got in a collection from Barnes & Noble this summer. I got them for $10, I think the original price was around $20.

This adorable little outfit for my cousin's newborn baby Scarlet Evangeline (seriously, how chic is that name?) I found at Fred Meyer - everything on clearance was an extra 60% off, so I got it for $5 which is a nice difference from it's original price of $18. Isn't it adorable? The back has a big bow around the waist. I can't wait to see pictures of her in it!

This blue sweater I found at Urban Outfitters at the Alderwood Mall for $10, I believe it was originally around $45. The brand is Luxe, which is one of my favorites. It is unbelievably soft and has the cutest little brown buttons down the front. It was perfect to throw on over a dress for breezy nights this summer.

Okay, this biker jacket from Urban Outfitters is one of my favorite purchases this year. I'd been eyeing it on the UO website for a month or two, so when it went on sale from $58 to $25 I ordered it ASAP. It literally goes with EVERYTHING, I wear it all the time.

This Ralph Lauren petites jacket is another one of my favorite bargains. I bought it at a consignment store in Chandler, AZ this summer (which is kind of ironic, because its a wool coat that I bought while it was 106 degrees out). I don't know what the original price was, but I'm guessing at least $100 and I got it for $17! It fits me like a glove, and the anticipation of wearing it is making me even more excited for Christmas time!

I found this lace top at Goodwill in Bremerton, WA for $3. It looks great with a pencil skirt.

This is another Luxe brand article. I got this dress from Buffalo Exchange in downtown Bellingham, Wa last year for $15 - not sure of the original price, but I'm guessing it sold for around $50 at Urban Outfitters. It's so versatile - I wore it with fishnets, heels, and a black blazer for a dance last year, but also paired it with leggings, boots, and a sweater on a casual day. One of my favorite dresses.

Now, don't get me wrong - I definitely think its perfectly fine to splurge on an item you can't live without. Usually, my outfits are a mix of more expensive articles as well as a few bargains (I also wear normal-priced items, just to be clear!) and my room/apartment is that way as well. But looking for great deals is not only financially beneficial, it makes shopping a little more fun - we all need a challenge every once in a while, right? Shop on.

Baked goodness

when life gives you extra ripe bananas...make delicious banana chocolate chip muffins!

One more -

at a Chanel show in Paris. I DIE, too presh.

coming down the streets like a parade, MACYS

Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton. Two amazing fashion forces being put together...need I say more?

if you can't walk the walk, don't wear the stilettos

Last weekend, I went with some friends to a hip-hop show on campus (Macklemore & The Physics, both were great, check them out if you've never heard of them). Now, we were all dressed pretty casually, as were most of the people in the crowd - tank tops, skinny jeans, boots, a few skirts and shorts. While we were in line for the show, the two girls above walked by. I noticed them right away, because they were showing alot more skin than the rest of the line - tight & short dresses, one strapless, mixed with pretty high heels. Now, don't get me wrong, I am all about having fun getting dressed up for nights out - but these ensembles were just a little much, especially compared to the casual attire of the crowd. Then later, I saw them in the crowd, with their shoes off. So this is my point: if you can't walk the walk, don't wear the stilettos. I'm sure all of us girls have had times where it feels amazing to slip those heels off, perhaps after a nice dinner out, a formal dance, a wedding, or any other fun occasion. I love to wear heels and support our rights as women to add a few inches to our height. But this is my theory: if you're going to get all blinged out and show that much skin, be able to back it up and keep your shoes on until the car ride home. Besides, I know my feet were stepped on several times on the concert...protect those toes, if nothing else!

birds of a feather, pt 2.

So, when I was out shopping for my apartment this summer, I came upon this decal:

For the record, when I bought it, I thought it was much larger. As in, twice the size of this tiny tree. But I've come to terms with it's size since then - it's more of a Charlie Brown tree. But anyway! so it came with the tree, and then several birds that you could stick anywhere on the tree. However, perhaps to make up for it's tiny stature, it came with TONS of birds. Enough birds to make the tree topple over if they all sat on it. So, I stuck a couple birds on the tree and decide to put the rest in little places around my room (in pairs, so they don't get lonely):

There is actually one more pair hiding under some scarves, and one pair on the mirror of our smaller bathroom - but I forgot to take pictures of those ones. Anyway, just something fun and silly to share - I had fun with it.

a room of my own

I still have a few more touches to put on my room, but it's been nice to start fresh with new, white walls, and fill them however I want to. I always have my window open, letting fresh air in, and it has really become a peaceful place to be for me. I love my whole apartment...it is always filled with baked goods, laughter, and trashy TV. What more could a girl ask for?

*sidenote: yes, I love Kanye West & owls. May as well establish that now.