when you have an excess of glitter

when you have an excess of glitter--well, you might as well display it somewhere that the world can see it. Glitter isn't meant to be stored away, you know. It has to be kept out, open, ready for extremely important projects at any given time. So if you find yourself in possession of a large amount of silver sparkles (perhaps even accidentally, like I did): pour them into a pretty jar, stick some cute somethings in it, and place it on your desk so you remember not to be so serious while you work. It will help, I promise. 

xo, Charity

my little corner of the world

I just found these photos of my room, taken last September & forgotten about. Though my internship and my life keep me constantly running around & therefore not home very often, my room is my small sanctuary--few things feel better than curling up in my bed with my Kindle & a hot chai at the end of a crazy day. I had just moved in when these were taken, so it's a little more cluttered now, a little messier, a little more me, a little more lived in. There are some knick-knacks added, several new books stacked about, winter coats and hats hung on bedposts, and two mason jars full of silver glitter sitting on my desk that are serving as decor until I decide on something fabulous to do with allll that glitz. It's my little corner of the world, and I love it. 

home is where you are happy

I thought I would take a ton of photos while visiting my sister in San Diego--photos of us together, outfit photos, perhaps even some street style shots--I was really excited to get some good "blog material". However, while there I mostly left my camera in its case. I love photographing good times, but sometimes it's most important to just live those good times instead. I decided not to worry about blogging and instead wore what I wanted, left my camera at home & explored California with only the lenses my eyes provide. And I loved it. That being said, the one thing I did photograph is my sister's home--it is so sweet and so her that I couldn't help capturing some details. Lots of photos after the jump! 

a day in the city

Last week, Raleigh and I both had the day off so we decided on a day trip to Seattle to hang out with my brother and his girlfriend. I've been dying to take a few photos of their apartment on Capitol Hill--it is too boho chic!


She has an art degree and paints beautiful, colorful pieces--she promised me a few for when we move into our new house in September & I cannot wait! So she paints and my brother is a musician, so their apartment is full of art supples, instruments, books, and cats. I didn't get a photo of the whole living room, but they have two big windows that overlook the Seattle skyline and they each have their own workspace in front of a window: easel on one side, mini recording studio on the other.


I love how cozy their apartment is. It is pretty small, but filled to the brim with their different outlets of creativity. How cool is that?


The rest of the day was spent strolling around Lake Washington, drinking iced coffee, and having Thai food on Capitol Hill. A great summer day!

Spring Cleaning

When our apartment was flooded in December, the people working on our apartment took everything off the walls. So, when we were finally able to move back in a weeks ago (hallelujah!) I decided to re-do my room. Unfortunately, we're not allowed to paint the walls, so I wanted to add something to add some spice to the room. I thought about getting a tapestry from Urban Outfitters, but they are so expensive and would only cover a square of the wall. So, I decided to go with fabric. My mom and I spent about an hour at Joann's looking at bolt after bolt, and finally decided on this brown and white print. The frames and mirrors on the cloth are things my mom found at second-hand stores, and the photos are all my own. The roses are on their deathbed, unfortunately...I loved them! And the darling little bunny ring-holder was a gift from my friend Michael, which he found on my Urban Outfitters wishlist...I adore it. I think it is so important for everyone to have a safe, comfortable, lovely place to escape to and my bedroom is that for me!

...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.

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.