Happy Hearts

I haven't always been the biggest fan of Valentine's Day; a very painful break up on the "most romantic" day of the year left me smarting and nauseated by the sight of candy hearts for quite awhile.  However, as time has passed and my wounds have healed, I've started to remember that there are an awful lot of good things about the holidays - any excuse for excessive amounts of pink and chocolate is a good excuse!

In the spirit of the season, here are a few ideas for Valentine's Day gifts - for loved ones or for you to splurge on yourself!

Fun plates for if your plans involve eating in.

For the music love or for listening to romantic jams, these Marc Jacobs earbuds.

Perfume for Valentine's Day isn't cliche if it smells as good as Chloe.

Prints subtle enough you could have them on your wall all year 'round.

 Classic J.Crew flats in the color of the season.

Cards to give from PaperSource and Sugar Paper.

For flirty eyelashes you can bat all day long, Urban Decay has you covered.

The cuddliest sweatshirt for cuddling.

This Royal Apothic candle will make your whole house smell like a dozen roses.  

Maybe you won't wear pink, but you can still get in the spirit with this Bauble Bar necklace.   

Deborah Lippman does it again.

Lacy lingerie done right with this American Eagle bra.

A trinket dish to remind you that Coco Chanel is the wisest of all.

Put them in your heart, wear them as a broach, ban.do has you covered, and with sequins, no less. 

Learn how to make your own macaroons!

Sweet Tory Burch studs.

Back to Blogging

Things that stress me out and make blogging next to impossible:

- moving
- graduate school
- inconsistent Internet
- not knowing where my camera is

Also, the reasons why I have been MIA for what feels like forever.  The move is complete, but it's been a very slow and stressful process.  Luckily, I love my new place and my new roommates, so that has made it bearable.  I started graduate school three weeks ago, which has been overwhelming, but my schedule is starting to even out, and I'm starting to adjust.  In the tech world, I found my camera, and I will finally have Internet tomorrow, which means no more driving around for Wi-Fi access or using the neighbor's spotty connection.  Yay!

A few snapshots of a little bit of fun that happened recently in spite of all the chaos:

Dress - Anthropologie.  Heels - Steve Madden.  Necklace - Francesca's Collection.  Ring - The Little Dress Shop.

What I wore to a friend's wedding this past Saturday.

 

My super cute wedding date.  

The couple's wedding cake.  So beautiful and delicious!

Celebrating my brother's 21st birthday at The Red Room in Santa Cruz.

PS, check out my PInterest account and follow me if you feel so inclined!

A Little Bit Country

Top - Anthropologie.  Jeans - American Eagle.  Boots - Nordstrom BP.  Earrings - Lucky Brand.  Hat - from stall at the Salinas Rodeo.

Today was my first experience attending a rodeo!  I was lucky enough to have box seat tickets, so the experience was upfront and personal.  We had a huge lunch in the sponsor tent before hand, and then spent the afternoon watching the final events, including a bullfighting competition!  I was a little apprehensive going into the afternoon - I'm an animal rights activist - and I have to admit, though I was assured the animals are treated very humanely, I'm not sure if I'll attend another rodeo.  Still, it was a good experience and a real taste of Salinas, which is the city where I've been working since graduation.

The hat and boots - even though they aren't cowboy boots - obviously make the outfit, but I added the turquoise earrings for a little rodeo-esque flair.  I actually bought the corset top last December to wear for New Year's Eve, so I'm surprised and pleased that it worked out for this outfit, since I have very few rodeo appropriate clothing in my closet!

Just as a reminder, please consider learning about and contributing to the Anderson Relief Fund, which is for my friend Petra Anderson, a victim of the recent Aurora Colorado The Dark Knight Rises premiere.  You can find the information at the following link: Anderson Relief Fund.  Additional information can be found in my post from yesterday: For Petra.  

The Village

Top - loan from a friend.  Bandeau - Francesca's Collection.  Jeans - Nordstrom.  Sandals - American Eagle.  Earrings - The Little Dress Shop boutique

Currently listening to: Landslide, Fleetwood Mac


A very casual outfit for today, probably not my most stylish, but perfect for walking around the Village in downtown Claremont - my hometown - with both of my parents today.  I'm loving, loving, loving being on vacation; getting plenty of sleep, eating so much good food, enjoying some of the best weather in the world, and spending time with my family.


My dad took the photos I posted today - one of his many talents is photography, and he's doing me a favor by taking pictures for me while I'm at home.  You can see more of his work here: http://365project.org/webfoot (he's taken some pictures of me in the past for his photo project) or check out his blog that includes much of his photography at http://www.aphotoortwoaday.blogspot.com.


Also, wishing my wonderful boyfriend a very happy 23rd birthday today! 

Stripes and a Scarf

Top - Urban Outfitters.  Jeans - American Eagle.  Boots - Nordstrom.  Scarf- gift from Morocco.  Watch - Fossil.

I got my wish for warmer weekend weather, which makes for a very happy Kathryn!  My roommates and I drove to Carmel and Monterey for the afternoon today.  We did some shopping at Anthropologie (and got some sweet deals!), stopped into some little photo galleries, drove through Pebble Beach and gawked at the homes, and were a little touristy in Monterey, looking at the ocean, sea lions, and pelicans. 

Even with the sun shining today, it was, as usual, breezy, especially near the ocean, so I was glad I had decided on adding scarf since my sweater is pretty thin.