More Pink, More Green

 My Threads: Sweater: J.Crew, Shorts: H&M, Clutch: Nordstrom Rack, Necklace: J.Crew (ebay version), Sandals: Target, Watch: Fossil

Okay, so apparently I sort of like pink and green together. By sort of, I mean kind of a lot (evidence, more evidence). I think it's because the combination subconsciously reminds me of fruit. Which reminds me of summer. And I'm trying to squeeze every last day out of summer before the leaves start to turn. Well, leaves don't really turn much in Southern California, but you know what I mean.

Also, I don't know where I'm looking in all these pictures. I think Marc was snapping one after another, and I didn't realize it. Or maybe there was a weird bird flying around? I'm not really sure. I'm just going to pretend I was deep in thought. Probably thinking about what I was going to eat for dinner. Or something really important like that.

Happy Thursday!

DIY: Polka Dot Jeans

It's time to get crafty! Not in an evil, conniving way. Just in a paint and old jeans kind of way. A couple weeks ago, I saw a pair of adorable polka dotted jeans while out shopping, but I couldn't justify spending $50 on a pair of pants I didn't need. Then I thought, maybe I could just make some! And so I did. 

This was a surprisingly easy project. 

This is what you'll need:

• Jeans
• Fabric paint (I used white)
• A cork (You could use something else for different sized dots. A pencil eraser would be good for smaller dots.)
• A plate covered in plastic wrap
• A ruler
• An old towel

Here's what to do:

Step 1: Find a pair of jeans you don't care too much about. You know, just in case something goes wrong. I used an old pair of skinnies that was a little worn in the knees, but not too bad. 

Step 2: Fence off the area you are working in. This step is only necessary if you have pets. That eat everything. And lie down on your clothes. Mine do all of this, so they hung out in the dining room/kitchen for a bit. 

Step 3: Lay out your jeans on a towel (to prevent paint spills). Pour some paint onto the plastic-covered plate, and dip the cork into it dabbing off any excess paint. Line up your ruler, and start dotting away! You can space out your dots as much as you want. I actually gave up on the ruler half way through because I was afraid of smudging the dots. I'm unlucky like that. And clumsy. 

Step 4: Let your pants dry for four hours (or as long as the bottle says), and flip over to do the back. I forgot to take a picture of the back side. I let my pants dry flat, then hung them (just to make sure they were completely done drying).

Step 5: Wear and style your newly repurposed pants! This project only cost me about $5 total (the cost of the paint), and I gave new life to an old pair of jeans. This, my friends, is recycling at its best. Okay, it would probably be at it's best if I had used jeans made out of recycled fabric or something. But the point is I didn't buy new pants. And I saved some dough. Win win! 

Here's the back, since I forgot to take a picture of them flat. I tried to continue the pattern from the front, but that got sort of hard. So the dots on the sides look a little weirdly spaced. Oh well.

I wore these today, and several people had no idea I did them myself. A couple people didn't even believe me when I told them. Until I pointed out some smudgy spots...

I'd love to hear about your own DIY projects! Have you had any success repurposing old clothes?

Sunshine

My Threads: Dress & Flower: H&M, Jacket: American Eagle Outfitters, Wedges: Kohl's, Belt & Necklace: Forever  21, Bag: street market in Florence, Watch: Fossil

Yellow is my favorite color. I think it is, at least. I seem to change my mind about it often since blue, teal, pink, purple, and green are also amazing. So I guess I like all colors. Except orange, that one isn't my favorite. 

Anyway, whatever my favorite color is on any particular day, I'm always drawn to yellow. You just can't be sad when you're looking at the color yellow. In fact, this might be the second time I've rambled about the sunny hue. 

Hope you had a happy weekend! 

A Printed Party

My Threads: Top: Old Navy, Skirt: Forever 21, Pumps: Target, Clutch: Nordstrom Rack, Necklace: Francesca's Collections, Watch: Fossil

I'm mixing prints again! And this time it's by choice. Not that someone came into my house and forced me to do it last time, but it was for a link-up. So I sort of forced myself to do it. 

The trend is definitely growing on me, yet I can't help but feel like my five-year-old self snuck in and picked out my outfit. The heels help a bit. My five-year-old self wouldn't have been wearing heels unless she was scooting around in some broken ones that were 100 times too big. Pretending to be a princess on an adventure, obviously. 

And in case you were worried, I did not rip this shirt when I took it off. You're probably wondering why I'm even wearing sleeves again. I can explain. Everywhere in LA (at least further east) over air conditions like crazy. Including where I work. As a result, I drag a jacket or sweater with me everywhere. It's a mad, mad world we live in.

How are you doing with this whole print mixing thing? Do you have a formula that works? 

Liebster

Ok, so I passed along the Liebster a while back, but since it has changed now and a couple bloggers have awarded it to me, I'll go ahead and do it again! A big thanks to Sean (my awesome cousin) at Rantings and Ashy at The Zing of My Life for choosing my little blog for the Liebster! If you love movies or sports, definitely go check out Sean's blog. For fashion and travel, Ashy's blog is great! 

Here are the rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves

2.  Answer the 11 questions the person giving you the award has asked you.

3. Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award too.

4. Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post.

5. Go to their page and tell them.

6. No tag backs.

11 things about me:

1. I'm obsessed with artichokes. I could eat them every day if Marc would let me. Admitting it is the first step, right? Maybe I should join Artichoke-eaters Anonymous.

2. I have two dogs and two guinea pigs. I promise I'm not an animal hoarder. 

3. I'm lactose intolerant. It's a HUGE bummer.

4. I'm a total movie junkie. Marc and I collectively own more than 200 DVDs. And have a subscription to Netflix. 

5. I went to four different colleges/universities and changed my major twice before graduating from college. Music Therapy to General Music to Journalism, in case you were wondering. 

6. I sing in a choir. No, not like on Glee. 

7. If I ever got to meet Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, or Kristin Wiig, I would probably explode with excitement. Even more than I did when I met Tom Selleck's mustache. 

8. I would visit a different city (or country) in Europe every year if I could. 

9. I've never dyed my hair. I'm not sure if it's because I'm afraid it will fall out or I will get addicting to changing the color, but I figure I'm better off just leaving it alone. 

10. My life goal is to recreate Jamba Juice's Peanut Butter Moo'd smoothie. 

11. I have one younger sister. She's pretty cool. 

My answers to Sean's questions:

1. What is your favorite comic book film?

A: This is a tough one, but I'm going to go with Chris Nolan's Batman movies, particularly The Dark Knight. The Avengers would be a close second, though. 

2. Star Wars trilogy or Lord of The Rings trilogy?

A: Lord of the Rings. Don't judge me. Star Wars is amazing, but I'm a huge LOTR nerd.

3. What film are you most looking forward to in the next or upcoming years?

A: Just to continue with my total nerdiness, I'm probably most excited for The Hobbit. I'm definitely looking forward to Catching Fire next year too, though. 

4. What was the first movie that made you love movies?

A: Good question! I'm not sure I have a good answer. I've loved movies for as long as I can remember. 

5. What sports movie do you like to watch again and again?

A: Sports movies aren't usually my favorite genre, but Remember the Titans, Miracle, and The Fighter were all great movies. I have to admit, I haven't seen all the classics, though!

6. If you could just watch one Spielberg movie for the rest of your life, which movie would you choose?

A: Probably Indiana Jones or Back to the Future. That's a hard one though! 

7. Hitchcock or Tarantino?

A: Another tough one! I'd probably have to say Tarantino though. 

8. Post an image that most reminds you of film

A: My dad! He loves movies...and works on them. 

9: Freddy or Jason...?

A: Horror movies aren't my favorite...but I guess Freddy. 

10. What is your favorite documentary?

A: I wish I could say I've seen a bunch of documentaries, but I haven't seen as many as I would like. A few that really stick out in my mind, though, are Bowling for Columbine and An Inconvenient Truth. 

11. Have you ever met or have a story about a celebrity?

A: Before I had my driver's license, I almost hit Shaq with my car. I've also met Bill Engvall, Tom Selleck, Jo Koy, George and Geoff Stults, and some other people. I've definitely seen or run into a lot more celebrities than I've actually met or had a conversation with. 

Phew, that was a marathon. 

My questions for you:

1. What made you start blogging?

2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

3. If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

4. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? I know, it's mean to make you choose. 

5. What's your favorite current trend?

6. What's the best concert or show you've ever seen live?

7. What's your favorite 90s or childhood TV show?

8. Cake or pie?

9. What's your favorite season and why?

10. What blogger(s) inspires you the most?

11. What's at the top of your bucket list? 

My Nominees:

1. Bri Marie at Work Clothes, I Suppose

2. Nikol at Who's Austin?

3. Morgan at The Social Boutique

4. Jess at Jess Cause

5. Nini at A Fine Balance

6. Andi at Just Another Smith

7. Franziska at Franishh

8. Ambular Logic

9. Kellie at Elephants and Owls

10. Jackie B. at Made with Love

11. Lindsay at Lipstick and Lollies

Turn Down the Heat

My Threads: Top: Francesca's Collections, Shorts: Gap, Pumps & Belt: Target, Jewelry: No idea...Watch: Fossil

Okay, so I do not do well in extreme heat. Or cold. I grew up in a beach town where the climate range was about 60-75 degrees year round. Maybe a little warmer or cooler during the more 'extreme' weather weeks. 

But now we're having a heat wave here in Southern California. 108 degrees a few days last week. Ugh. 

Anyway, taking pictures outside last weekend was an interesting experience. I usually do outfit pictures in the evening when it has cooled off a bit, so I hadn't yet experienced the discomfort of 'hot' outfit shoots. At least not too badly. 

We took these pictures in the afternoon after I had been running around all morning. My hair was sticking to my face, my shirt was sticking to my back...not pleasant. 

Needless to say, I got out of this shirt and into a tank pretty quickly after taking these. But I paid the price for my speed change. My shirt was so stuck to me, I ripped it when I was taking it off. It's along a bust seem, so I'm hoping my awesome mom (who can sew) will try and fix it for me. 

Lesson learned. Don't wear shirts with skinny sleeves for outfit posts in the heat. Better yet, don't wear anything at all. 

I kid, don't do that. Clothes are good.

Please tell me I'm not alone in uncomfortable summer outfit shoots. Or clothing mishaps. Have you had any strange moments thanks to this heat? 

Testing 1-2-3

 My Threads: Top: Old Navy, Jeans: Abercrombie & Fitch, Blazer: H&M, Pumps: Target, Clutch & Belt: Forever 21, Watch: Fossil

Finally, a better camera! As great as my little point-and-shoot is for traveling, it just wasn't cutting it for blog pictures. So I hijacked my dad's old Nikon. Don't worry, he gave me permission first.

Just bare with me while I get used to using it. Or I guess while Marc gets used to using it. It has a lot more buttons and settings than we're used to. Plus an actual lens.

Here's the thing about good pictures though: they capture every detail. Hello frizzy hair, freckles, and eye wrinkles! I guess this just means I'll actually have to get a brush out once and a while...

Anyway, it's really still too hot in LA for jeans, so I will probably be freeing my legs again for the rest of the week. Or the rest of the month. It's jeans and a blazer today, though, for a theme day at work. Thank goodness for air conditioning and holy denim.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Outfit Deja Vu

 My Threads: Top, Clutch, Bracelets: Forever 21, Skirt: H&M, Booties: Target, Watch: Fossil

I've never worn this outfit before, but I totally feel like I have. In fact, Marc even asked "Haven't you worn that?" before taking pictures. I wore this top with a pink blazer once, and I've worn this skirt with a black top, but never this duo. 

Do you ever get outfit deja vu? It sort of makes discovering a new outfit feel anti-climactic. 

Sorry about the odd lighting in these photos. Taking pictures at 7 p.m. with clouds isn't the best. Especially for my little point and shoot camera...

But on that note, I think I'll be getting a hand-me-down 'real' camera this weekend! My dad got a new one recently, and I think he's going to let me use the old one. Hopefully that means better quality outfit posts to look forward to. Maybe this will motivate me to actually take pictures in more interesting locations...

Happy Thursday!

Monochromatic

My Threads: Top: H&M, Skirt: J.Crew Outlet, Wedges: Me Too via Nordstrom, Necklace: J.Crew (ebay), Belt: Target, Bag: Kenneth Cole Reaction, Watch: Fossil

For some reason, all I can think of when someone mentions monochromatic is sweat jumpsuits and zoot suits. I know, loads of people have been rocking this trend in adorable ways. But this here is my first attempt. And I think I like it. 

Although this outfit looks really blue here, it's actually mint green and teal. I was going for a shades of green theme I guess. (No, not 50 shades.) My camera must have decided it preferred blue though, because it distorted the actual color quite a bit. 

Anyway, today I'm linking up with Everybody, Everywhere for their monthly challenge. You can probably guess what it is...

Have you tried the monochromatic trend? 

A Red Dress

My Threads: Dress: J.Crew Factory, Wedges: Me Too via Nordstrom, Jewelry: H&M, Watch: Fossil

I'm sad to say, it's really starting to feel like the end of summer. I know, I know, how could it feel like the end of summer when it's over 100 degrees outside? Well, Marc starts school again tomorrow. The malls are full of fall clothes. I've been getting 'back-to-school' email coupons. And work is getting super busy (apparently people wear more clothes when it's cold). 

Plus, it's Monday. I'm not sure how that's related, but Mondays just make things seem more depressing. Oh, and my puppies have fleas, which means I can't cuddle them. Extra sad! (Don't worry, they got meds.) AND the olympics are over. Also sad. 

On another note, I have to confess my love for the J.Crew Factory store. I love J.Crew, but let's be real. I can't afford $250 sweaters. When I moved last summer, I discovered an enormous outlet mall nearby that has a factory store. I once came out of there with four or five things for under $50. That's my kind of shopping!

Since the end of summer and shopping are clearly on my mind, what trends are you most looking for this fall?