the other girl

Charmed

2012-02-17T15:36:00.000-06:00

{Target lace cami, sweater, and skirt, unknown tights, Famous Footwear boots, unknown belt, Forever21 necklace with charm from local market}

Happy Friday, everyone! I thought I'd share some outfit photos from Wednesday (I know, I'm way behind!) with you all. It was actually warm enough to take these without freezing on Wednesday, and as of right now, our snow is melting, and spring is in the air. I did not realize that my black-on-black tights and skirt didn't work so well in the photos...sorry about that!

I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend. We have Monday off as well, so I'm hoping to get some relaxation in before heading up to the state swim meet next weekend. I'm going to stick to my resolution of healthier weekends and cook, bake, and take plenty of walks in this beautiful weather. Although I have a lot of homework and planning to do for next week, I think this weekend should be fun. I hope you all have wonderful plans and fun for the weekend! :)

{Joey decided he wanted in on the photo session}


{obsessed with my adorable new "believe in love charm," I'm experimenting with putting it on different necklaces, including this elephant one}

Valentine's Day 2012

2012-02-15T17:26:00.000-06:00

{Forever21 shirt+unknown belt}

{picture-perfect snow}

{a heart necklace from my grandparents a little while back}

{delicious red velvet cake from Costco}

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Even if you are not in a relationship, it's about taking time to let your loved ones know just how much you love them. And to eat lots of yummy sweets...;)

This Week on Pinterest

2012-02-10T22:28:00.000-06:00

{hahaha}

And so the Pinterest obsession continues...here are some of my favorites from this week!


{adorable earring holder}


{healthy chocolate pudding--tested and approved by my family!}

Blondie

2012-02-08T18:08:00.000-06:00

{Ragstock "Blondie" shirt, Ragstock skirt, Target tights, Old Navy sweater, ? leg warmers, Famous Footwear ballet flats, Forever21 necklace, gifted bracelet}

Three things can be concluded from this outfit:
1. I need to stop wearing this skirt so much and discover the other skirts in my closet.
2. I need to find some new necklaces out of my collection to wear--this one is seriously becoming my "signature necklace." I wear it at least once a week.
3. I am addicted to leg warmers.

This week is going along very fast, and I hope it continues to do so! I have some exciting things coming up this week/weekend, so I'm in a very, very good mood right now! Have a wonderful night, everyone. :)

A New Month-February 2012

2012-02-05T17:00:00.000-06:00

The month of January seems to have flown by. It was a good month, filled with resolutions for the new year. My month was filled with finals, time with friends and family, lots of swimming, and baking and cooking. I learned many new things in January, from little things, like recipes for cakes and other treats, and big things, like to thank God for what I have, and make the most of what I have while I still have it.

This month, I took my first set of real high school finals (better than I expected), had a swim meet (not good), dealt with the extremely sad suicides of two high school students in a nearby school district, faced my first sickness (and hopefully last!) of the year (a cold), and enjoyed unseasonably warm weather for January (in the 50s and 60s!).

Now that February has started, I am looking forward to an even better month. My resolution for last month was to spend 45 minutes or less on the computer every day. I stuck to this resolution fairly well, except for on weekends. I plan to continue that resolution this month, and add these to the mix:
February's Resolutions:
-Make weekends healthier, more productive, and more fun: I tend to eat and exercise well during the week, and then let it go down the drain during the weekend. This month, I want to learn how to balance out my weekends so that I still get to enjoy some treats and fun, but also get workouts, healthy eating, and studying in.
-Get more sleep: I have gotten into a bad habit of only getting 7 hours of sleep a night. I want to revamp my sleeping habits this month, and get at least 7 and a half or 8 hours a night. I feel like this would make a big difference in my performance at school, swimming, and in how my day goes.
-Balance school, swimming, music, and fashion better: I plan on giving more effort to every one of these things this month. I'll do my homework and studying with more focus and less rushing, focus on every little thing in swimming, practice violin and piano almost every day, and spend more time on blog posts. I want to bring my grades up, do well in swimming, perfect my current pieces in violin and piano, and better my blog this month.

This month, I will live by the word "strength." (thank you, Emily for the amazing idea!). I will put effort and strength into everything I do.

What this month holds in store for me:
I have the state meet at the end of this month, and with that comes taper (yay!), a healthy regimen, and a regional meet next weekend to focus on. I also have auditions for violin coming up in March, so I'll need to focus on my current concerto this month. Who knows what else is coming my way this month? All that I know is that I will do my best to make sure everything that comes my way is good. :)

5 Things

2012-02-04T19:51:00.000-06:00

{the gorgeous Audrey Hepburn framed poster in my room}

{why is my dog so adorable?}

{I started picking out my outfits for the week on Sundays recently--this is my Friday outfit next to the last four days}

{Delicious and healthy Huevos Rancheros for breakfast}

{healthy and yummy dinner of tofu marinated in soy sauce+broccoli+couscous+homemade chocolate pudding for dessert}

With the end of a productive, successful week, I decided to do a variation on Emily's weekly "5 things" posts. I'm ready to bring in a new, even better week. This week will be fairly hectic, so I am getting some relaxation, planning, and fun in right now. I'm planning on finishing up a few blog projects, maybe baking some pumpkin muffins, and ending the night with a full DIY manicure and pedicure and some good TV.

By The Window

2012-02-03T21:56:00.000-06:00

{Old Navy sweater, Target tank top and skirt, Hue (?) tights, thrifted Kenneth Cole flats, Ragstock hair bow, Forever21 necklace, American Eagle bracelets}

It is finally the weekend, and I'm so thankful. This week went by pretty fast, and it was actually a very good week, but I'm still glad that it is time for a break. I came down with a little bit of a cold a few days ago, and I'm feeling a lot better now, but I'm excited to recover completely this weekend. I'm going to fill my weekend with healthy food, fun workouts, family time, and some pampering and fun. Superbowl? Nahhh...;)

I wore this outfit today, the skirt is from the Liberty of London collection at Target a few years back, and I haven't worn it for a long time, because I didn't like the blue tulle that used to stick out on the end of the skirt. I cut it out, and now I love this skirt so much! I paired it with my new glitter flats and some cute accessories, like the adorable hair bow from Ragstock!

Have a wonderful Friday night! :)

Glitter Shoes

2012-02-01T15:22:00.000-06:00

{Kenneth Cole ballet flats}

My mom seems to be becoming a frequent topic on my blog...first the butterfly shirt, now glitter shoes! My mom found this brand new Kenneth Cole ballet flats at a Goodwill last weekend, and thought of me. I absolutely love them, because they're super girly, and even a bit little-girly, without being too crazy. I'm excited to style them, so expect to see them plenty more in the next few posts. I snapped a few quick photos (sorry for the quality) a few days ago when I wore them with my H&M black and white striped dress. In case the photos aren't clear enough, I'll give you a little description: they are completely covered in bronze-colored gold, with a little black velvet bow on front.

I apologize for the lack of posts recently, I have a lot of homework and studying to do right now, and swimming is taking up some time too, since the state meet is coming up soon. Also, the weather is absolutely beautiful right now, so I have been trying to get out more often for bike rides, hikes, and runs. I hope to get back on track with regular posting soon!

I had an idea for a post the other day, and I wanted to see if there would be any interest, so here's what I was thinking: A magazine-type post with pictures added. It would be on balancing my basically double life of school, my blog, and playing violin (my academic and artistic side) and swimming and being an athlete (my sporty side). I don't know if anyone would be interested, but I think it would be a fun post to do! Let me know if you have any other requests!

Thanks for reading, and thank you for sticking with me through these irregular posts! I hope to catch up on all of your blogs soon! :)

No-Bake Energy Bites

2012-01-28T22:08:00.000-06:00

I've looking for healthy snack ideas, and this recipe for granola bar balls fits my criteria. It has healthy ingredients and is delicious. I tried it out today, and it was ridiculously easy and yummy. I definitely recommend it. My only suggestion would be to add less chocolate chips, because the amount in the recipe was a little too much. The coconut in these balls makes them even more delicious as well. Try it out this weekend if you have just a few minutes! :)

Do you have any go-to healthy snacks?

Butterfly

2012-01-25T17:03:00.000-06:00


{gifted shirt, Heritage 1981 jeans, Famous Footwear ballet flats, Forever21 necklace, gifted bracelet, Target earrings}

My mom gave me this adorable shirt for Christmas this year. I don't really wear things like it usually, but I really like the loose cut and look. As you can tell, I was having way too much fun lifting my arms in it. ;) I styled it fairly simply, but I want to find some other fun ways to wear the shirt.

My week is already turning out much better than last week, school has been better, swimming has been better, and I've just been in a better mood! I wanted to thank you all for your sweet comments, especially the ones on my last "This Week" post, they were all so sweet! I haven't gotten a chance to read your blogs and reply to comments for a while, but I hope to soon! Thank you for all of the support. :)

Current Favorite Songs

2012-01-24T17:46:00.000-06:00

I'll admit it, I'm not a Twilight fan. I haven't read the books, except small excerpts, but somehow, vampires fighting werewolves for love doesn't appeal to me. However, I am obsessed with this song that goes along with the second movie. It's so pretty!

Yes, I know this song came out a few years ago, but I have been loving it lately! It's also great for getting pumped up for working out or swim practice, actually.

I have a few slow, slightly depressing songs that I listen to a lot, and this is definitely one of them. I love the lyrics and it's just a sweet song.

Thank you for reading! What are your favorite songs right now?

ps. I've had a lot of requests for only outfit posts lately, and as much as I love all of your feedback and am thankful for every single one of you, this is my blog, and I enjoy posting other things as well. I said before that this blog is not just fashion, but also, food, fitness, and whatever else I am loving lately! Thanks for understanding! :)

This Week

2012-01-21T20:12:00.000-06:00

{Friday's yummy lunch--frozen berries (rasberries, blueberries, and blackberries), a homemade granola bar, and homemade granola with raisons}

{Our first actual snow came this week! Along with freezing temperatures...}

After a long, long week, it's almost time for a new beginning again. This week has been somewhat stressful/not fun for me, due to lots of homework, converting to icy temperatures, and a bad, bad start to my swim meet today. I'm excited for a new start tomorrow, both for the swim meet and for school. My week wasn't so bad, but I'm going to make this week better by earlier bedtimes, more productivity, healthier foods and lunches like my lunch on Friday, and more workouts and swimming. Hopefully doing this will get me ready for all my tests at school, and for the state swim meet, which comes up in a little over a month.

Here's to a new tomorrow and week!

Business Casual (or schoolteacher-chic?)

2012-01-20T23:43:00.000-06:00

{Old Navy shirt, Ragstock skirt, Hue tights, Target boots, ? headband and pearls, gifted earrings,Old Navy fuzzy socks, hehe}

After what seemed like a long week, it's finally the weekend once more! I will be spending it at a swim meet (yay!) and doing homework (not so yay!), but it is still the weekend. I wore this outfit today, and I think two things can be concluded: I need to learn to dress for the weather, especially since it was in the single digits of temperature today with there a negative wind chill, I walked to and from school, and it is freezing even in my school! Also, it can be concluded that I wear this skirt way too much for my own good. It goes well with pretty much everything!

{sorry about the quality of this one!}

After taking all of these photos, I realized that my fuzzy socks were sticking out of my ankle boots...oops! It made my outfit a little warmer though.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, no matter what you all are doing! :)

You've Got Your Head In The Clouds

2012-01-18T21:51:00.000-06:00

{Banana Republic shirt, American Eagle jeans, TJ Maxx belt, ? leg warmers, Old Navy headband, Claire's earrings, American Eagle bracelets}

It finally snowed here in Iowa, so even though I wasn't in one of my favorite outfits, I wanted to experiment with pictures in the snow! I could barely stand the cold, so sorry that there are not very many photos! And yes, I did wear "fuggs." I don't think that Uggs or fake Uggs are very cute, but they are very comfortable and since I had to walk to school on the fresh snow, I settled on them. I did spice them up a little though, with leg warmers! I want riding boots to try this look with as well, I think big socks/leg warmers are adorable with boots. I also love the color of the belt I'm wearing, it isn't as visible as I would like in these photos, but it is bright blue and skinny.

Well, we've jumped right into second semester with plenty of work already! I am already getting a lot of homework, reading, and tests to study for. I hope everyone else in school has a wonderful second semester of school!

A New Tradition: Weekly "Kid's Night" Homemade Dinners

2012-01-14T21:42:00.000-06:00

bread+butter+garlic salt+Italian spices+rosemary=garlic bread apetizer

fresh spinach

blackened chicken+corn+walnuts sauteed in olive oil, a little soy sauce, parmesan cheese, and rosemary

spinach+sauteed mixture=salad main dish

homemade sugar cookie bowl+organic chocolate ice cream+frozen raspberries=dessert

popcorn+chocolate sauce of chocolate chips, butter, and milk=movie treat

blurry outfit of the night picture--Old Navy sweater, Ragstock skirt, ? heels, ? headband.

This year, I started a new "tradition." Once a week, usually on Saturday, my siblings and I make dinner for the whole family. We started this on New Year's Eve, as a "date" for my mom and dad. This not only is a small way to give back to my parents, but also a fun way to try out new recipes and widen my experience in baking, cooking, and the "real" world. This week, I tried out a new, made-up salad recipe that included blackened chicken, corn, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. I made the sugar cookie bowls earlier today, and they didn't turn out well, the one showed above is one of the few that didn't fall apart or come out deformed!

This tradition also gets me out of my weekend workout clothes as well! We "serve" my parents, so we dress up a little bit. I may do a post like this occasionally just to show you everything I make for dinner (my siblings are younger and less patient, but still fun to work together with!) and the outfit I wear. I apologize for the blurriness and tired face in the last picture, the skin on the right side of my face is irritated again, probably due to chlorine, and I'm still tired from all my finals, swimming, and workouts today! I had a wonderful day today, and I hope all of you did too! :)

2012-01-13T21:12:00.000-06:00

Recently, I heard about a new website called Pinterest. It is a website full of everything from fitness to architecture, in pictures! It is my new obsession, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone into anything crafty. It combines great motivational quotes, the latest photo shoots, the best tasting brownies, and so much more all into one, amazing site! You have to request an invite, and once you are on the waiting list, it takes from a week to a month to receive your invitation! While you are waiting, you can look through some "pins" as they call the pictures. Another fun thing about Pinterest is that you can install the "pin it" button on your computer, which allows you to pin pictures that you like onto the boards, which are collections of pictures that you pinned relating to a certain topic like "baking" or "fashion." With the "pin it" button, you can take any pictures you like from a website or blog that you are on, and pin it onto one of your boards. The site is kind of hard to explain, but it is so easy to use! It's basically an online community of creative people, sharing things they love. Here are some of the pins, or pictures, I have been loving recently:


In my "dream home" board.


Inspirational board.


Inspirational board.


Inspirational board.


DIY board.

Style board.

Nails board.

Treats board.


Fitness board.

Mini Outfit/Update

2012-01-12T22:36:00.000-06:00

{Forever21 shirt/necklace}

{Target boots, Target (?) tights}


{all Forever21 but the sweater, which is from a small boutique in New York}

After a long week of late nights, tons of studying, and plenty of stressful tests, I am finally finished with finals. *thank goodness.* It was a long week, with filled with "lazy" outfits as well, I wore sweatpants to school on Tuesday, just because I was so tired! :/ Anyways, I'm finally back with a quick half-outfit post and update. I was trying to take photos with my new tripod in my room, but the lighting and background just wasn't working, so here are the little elements of my outfit in pieces. It was absolutely freezing outside today, and after my windy, snowy, and miserable trek to school today, I did not want to step outside the door. I'm still very excited it finally snowed though!

I spared you all from my face today, not enough sleep and careless hair styling don't do me much justice, haha. I'll be posting again tomorrow and Saturday, in order to keep my resolution to post three times a week. I have a fun outfit planned for tomorrow as well, it should be a good day! I only have to go to school for one period, and from 9:30 to 10:30 or so, and then I'm done for the day, and we have Monday off! I'm very excited for some relaxation time. I hope you all have wonderful sleep tonight, I'm sure I will, since I finally get to sleep in a bit.

Fall/Winter Photography

2012-01-07T20:56:00.000-06:00

{One of the beautiful days at the beginning of fall}

{I don't normally talk about or show pictures of my siblings, but I loved the way this picture turned out}

{From the haystack in the backyard}

{Late fall, and this marigold was still alive}

{Dark day}

Since my life is basically consumed by finals currently, and I haven't shared any photography for a while, I thought I should post some of the pictures I've taken recently. I haven't taken much lately however, and I want to get back into nature photos and other, original, different photography sessions.

I'm busy studying, reading, writing, and worrying about all my finals right now, so I hope all of you don't mind my absences lately! My new year's resolutions have been slacking lately also, I have to get back into it! Have a lovely Sunday (and rest of Saturday) everyone! :)

Black White Black White

2012-01-04T21:45:00.000-06:00

{H&M dress, ? tights, Target sweater, Famous Footwear boots, gifted necklace, Forever21 cupcake earrings, American Eagle bracelets, Target headband}

I can not believe that I have not posted this dress in pictures before now. I am in love with the pattern, cut, just everything! I bought it in Chicago over the summer, and I have gotten plenty of wear out of it. Although it may not seem like it, this dress is very versatile. I wore it today for the first time in a while, and I got a lot of compliments at school, which was nice as well.

I am SO excited to announce that I finally own a tripod (actually, two tripods!). My mom was rummaging around while cleaning, and found two tall, adjustable tripods. I was so excited, and this means that all of you don't have to see the same scenery over and over again. Before I got the tripods, I had to prop up my camera on the few places around my yard that could hold a camera. I liked how my photos turned out in front of the tree, like the last picture. I am going to experiment with the scenery a lot now!

I'm sorry that my posting has been so irregular lately, I am preparing for finals next week, and even while writing this, I am thinking of all the studying I still have to do. I promise I will try as hard as I can to keep posting a lot, and to get back to more posts after finals are over!

I hope all of you are enjoying the new year!

"This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change."

2012-01-01T11:12:00.001-06:00

Happy new year, everyone! I'm going to share some of my resolutions/goals with you for this year. Instead of trying to cram all these new resolutions into my life right now, I'm going to make monthly resolutions and goals, and I'll share those with you every month. I may also make little weekly resolutions, like learning to make a new food or something like that. I am still making a few general resolutions though:
Resolutions:
-Live fearlessly. I want to live by the saying "you only live one life." I need to remember that you only live once, so make it worth it. Too many times, I've passed up amazing opportunities and invitations out of fear of trying something new, or because I think it's not worth it, or I can do something like it some other time. I'm going to say yes if I want to do something, rather than debating over it and wondering "what if?"
-Be more outgoing and friendly. My shyness has kept me from meeting people that could have been very good friends, and more than just that. When I get older, if I am still this shy, it could prevent me from getting into colleges, getting the jobs I want, and more. I am going to try to be more outgoing and friendly with new people this year. I'm going to make this resolution a habit by saying more nice things to more people I don't know. Just taking a small step like this is a good start for me.
-Be happier. I want to enjoy every single day of my life. It doesn't matter if I'm taking finals, sick, or on vacation. I want to make every day fun. I'm going to do this by spending more time with friends and family; trying new things, and doing things I love.
-Try new things. I have been doing the same activities for so long. I have swum, gone to school, played violin and piano, and posted on my fashion blog. I want to try new things, and keep the old. I am fulfilling this resolution already by relearning to play soccer. I played soccer when I was younger, and I am going to start again soon. I will probably play on my high school's team this spring.

Fashion/Beauty Resolutions
-Take better care of myself. This means washing my face more often, remembering to wash off makeup every day, and getting plenty of sleep. It also means using the right products on both my skin and hair, and being more gentle with my hair, using less heat and styling products.
-Stop throwing together outfits. I need to stop waking up in the morning and just basically tossing together outfits. I want every single outfit I wear to be something I love, and pick out carefully.
-Start shopping at thrift stores again. As much as I love going shopping in malls and commercial stores, I miss shopping at Goodwill and other places. I could build up a bigger closet as well, with the cheaper clothes!
-Try out new styles in clothing, hair, and makeup. I stick to the same thing almost every day. I want to try out different styles, and have more fun with it. I'm going to achieve this by having one day a week where I try out something completely new, with either hair, makeup, and clothing, or all of them.

Health/Fitness Resolutions
-Learn to cook and bake lots of things. I already love cooking and baking, and I would love to learn tons of new recipes, and try some new, harder things to make. I'm going to achieve this by cooking for my family at least once a week, and baking something at least once a week.
-Try out new workouts. I have gotten in a slump of only swimming and occasionally strength training. I received a lot of new, fun equipment for working out on Christmas, and I want to put it to use. In addition to my workouts right now, I want to try one new, fun, out of the ordinary workout a week. This could be something like trying yoga, or just going to the park to workout.
-Gain more muscle. I want to be strong, not just skinny. I would MUCH rather have a six pack stomach than a gross, sunken in stomach. I want to be healthier than ever this year.

School Resolutions
-Study 30 minutes at night. This is in addition to the studying I already do, and the homework I already do. I'm going to use this time on whatever subject needs a little more attention at the time.
-Be more organized. I need to keep all of my homework up to date, all of my assignments and notes in place, and more. I'm going to do this by reorganizing and going over my assignments and notes every weekend.

Blog Resolutions
-Get at least three posts up a week. This year, I have not posted nearly as much. I want to start posting at least three times a week, even if it is just a little update post. This includes during finals week, or any other busy weeks.
-Post new things. The past year, I began posting more recipes, photography, and other topics. I want to continue on this, and start posting things on fitness, swimming, and other topics that interest me. I could even post a clip of my violin or piano pieces if anyone was interested.
-Talk to my readers more. I want to start reading more of your blogs, and comment more.

Those were pretty much all of my resolutions for this year! It's a lot, but I'm excited to fulfill them. My resolution for this month is to spend less time on the computer. I spend way too much time messing around. I'm going to limit myself from now on, and spend more time on my blog than on Facebook. This goal will also help me have more time, since I won't waste as much time.

Thank you for reading! What are your resolutions?

So Long, 2011

2011-12-31T23:36:00.000-06:00

Looking back at this year, it has definitely had its ups and downs for me. When I look back to where I was last year at this time, I realize how much I've changed, and how lucky I really am. Last year at this time, I was a little more shy, and I didn't have nearly as many friends as I do now. Although I've always been a happy person, I am much happier this year than I was last year.

This year, 2011, I went through some difficult times, like going through a plateau in swimming that lasted from last February to late summer, or even longer, taking finals for the first time, lots of late nights of studying and homework, and many other more personal issues. Even though all of these bad things happened, when I look back, this year may have been one of my best: I finally broke the swimming plateau during high school season, and came out stronger and faster, I learned to manage my time better, which has helped me so much in school this year, I have met so many amazing people, reconnected with old friends, and I have become really close with a few amazing people this year. I have also learned so much about myself, and grown more mature this year in every way. Here is a little rundown of some of the most memorable things in my life this year:

January

I took my first finals in math, physics, government, Spanish, and English.
I focused a lot on swimming.

February

I went to swim meets, including the state swim meet. I was in a huge plateau and these swim meets were very frustrating since I had worked so hard, and put so much time and effort into swimming.
I ice skated, sledded, and relaxed with my family.

March

During spring break, my family and I traveled to the Ozarks, and hiked, shopped, swam, played tennis, and just relaxed. It was a very fun trip.

April

My family and I enjoyed Easter with all of our family. We had Easter baskets, yummy food, and great church services to help us celebrate.
I got really into photography, I enjoyed snapping pictures of beautiful, spring flowers and new life outdoors.

May

I took the second semester of finals, with less stressing.
I enjoyed the beautiful weather outside, and took lots of walks and runs in the park with my dog, Joey.
I finished up my eighth grade year, and graduated from middle school.

June

I celebrated my birthday in Chicago, with my sister and dad. I went shopping the whole day. :)
My sister, dad, and I spent an amazing few days in Chicago, we stayed at a beautiful hotel, went shopping at my favorite stores, went sightseeing, took a boat ride with beautiful architecture views, ate delicious food, and just had an overall fun, fun trip.
I swam in a freezing cold pool every morning at 7:00!

July

I spent tons of time in the pool, for both practice and fun.
I visited extended family.
I went on bike rides, hikes, adventures...anything outside!
I went to the state swim meet, and finally broke my plateau! I just had a lot of fun on the trip to state as well, eating out, shopping, and sightseeing was so much fun.

August

I enjoyed the very last of summer, and began high school swimming.
I organized all of my school supplies, and when I say organized, I mean VERY organized.

September

I had lots of fun in my first month of high school, from high school swimming training and meets, to fun with lots of new, amazing friends.
I attended my first football game, the homecoming game for my school.
I went to my first homecoming, and bought my first "dance" dress and heels!
I met so many new people, and became close with many more.

October

I got very, very into my training for swimming, and it paid off in the late, more competitive meets!
I took lots of pictures of leaves, colors outside, and anything I could set my eyes on basically.
I tried out for the All State Music Festival on violin, after much practice and work, and made it!

November

I attended the All State Music Festival, and got to stay with some of my good friends in a hotel, go swimming together, eat at yummy restaurants together, and experience All State together. It was overall an amazing experience.
I enjoyed a great Thanksgiving with my family, delicious food, and relaxing.
I started getting in the holiday spirit, having holiday parties with friends and family, tuning into wonderful Christmas music, and shopping.

December

This past month, I had so much fun with Christmas festivities, I baked a lot, spent time with family and friends, shopped, and everything else wonderful that goes along with the holiday.
I got even closer with some of my friends, and I am so excited to spend this new year with them, and meet even more new, amazing people!

So overall, it's been a wonderful year! I'm sorry that a lot of these things aren't very specific, my mind was kind of drawing a blank. This year has also been so lovely in the blogging world as well, I've met a few new, wonderful bloggers, and enjoyed a few of my all-time favorite's posts all year. I finally started using a real camera, not *cough photo booth cough cough* haha. My style has changed, my writing has gotten a little bit better, and I have explored other topics to blog on. I am so excited for this new year, and all it brings in both the life I live off of the internet, and on my blog! Happy New Year everyone, make it the absolute best yet! Now is the time to change for the better, create yourself, and be happy! :)

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T22:13:00.001-06:00

{hehe, sorry if this picture scarred you for life, I dressed up as an elf on Christmas Eve ;), an yes, my dress is stuffed haha}

I'm sorry for not posting in almost a week, although it's winter break, I have long, two-a-day practices for swimming. They were fun, but very tiring and time-consuming! Anyway, I'm back with a super-sized post, with little bits of my Christmas and a few of the presents I received.

{this candle smells amazing, I burned it in the days leading up to Christmas}

{I love the festive wreath hanging on our door}

{presents waiting to be opened on Christmas morning}

{Stockings filled with little gifts}

{I got these leopard-print fuzzy slippers from Santa, they have gel packets that you warm up in the microwave and then stick in the slippers--so warm and amazing}

{I received this adorable little charm from Santa as well}

{I found this charm at the Christmas market I posted about a while ago--it's adorable!}

{lots and lots of warm, fuzzy, wonderful things--hat, fuzzy socks, matching hat/scarf/glove set, scarf, fake fur lined gloves}

{One of my friends gave me these adorable cupcake-shaped earrings! I love them.}

These pictures showed just a few of the wonderful, perfect gifts I received this Christmas--I am so lucky. I don't take any of this for granted, and the presents were not even the best part of Christmas. I just love the holiday spirit, spending time with family, and the true meaning of Christmas. I'll show you guys one more present, this one may be of particular interest to you!

My parents had a book made of my whole blog! I was SO excited when I opened it, it's something you might not understand unless you actually received it, it was so cool to see my posts on paper. It came with a table of contents, and all the pictures and words that you see on my actual blog. The only thing missing was all of your wonderful comments to go along with the posts. This book is also a great way for me to look back to a few years ago, and how different, and um...I don't know how to say it...a little interesting, haha! I also like looking through to see how I can improve my posts...as you can see on the cover, is my first "outfit post." I was so excited, and I thought the Photo Booth photos and night light worked well, haha. I can say that I have come a long way since then!

I apologize for how long this post ended up being, I crammed a lot in! If you're still reading, thank you, and congratulations, haha. I'll do my best to post tomorrow with a New Year's Eve themed post.

Countdown to Christmas: Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:06:00.001-06:00

{'twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature stirred, not even a mouse (or dog)}

{lovely Christmas lotions in place}

{cozy flannel snowflake sheets, fuzzy blankets, and a fluffy comforter await me right now...}


{Christmas lights spread on the tree, my room, and the floor}

Our house is ready for the arrival of Santa tonight. The stockings are hung, the tree looks beautiful, the house is decorated, the siblings are fast asleep in bed, and now all that's left to do is finish up some last-minute wrapping, cozy up in some warm pajamas, and relax in the final hour before Christmas. Have a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas, all you beautiful people. :)

{Christmas is less than one hour away for me, for some of you, it's already here. Enjoy!}

Countdown to Christmas: Holiday Baking

2011-12-23T22:14:00.000-06:00


{brownie batter cooking}

As my countdown post today, I'm sharing a few holiday baking recipes that I have tried and love. The pictures I am posting are from a mint chocolate brownie recipe I tried about a week ago. It took a lot of work, but it was delicious and a lot like fudge. It had a thick layer of brownie, then a layer of mint frosting, and then a chocolate glaze. I added some festive sprinkles and ground up candy cane. It turned out yummy and cute for the holidays, but I must say it took a lot of time and work because of the refrigerator cooling after pretty much every step! It was worth it though.

{right out of the oven}

{the yummy mint frosting spread over the brownies}

{the finished brownies, complete with festive toppings}


{the three layers: brownie, mint frosting, and chocolate glaze}

There are a few other recipes that I have either tried, or want to try:
Mint Brownies
Oatmeal Chip Cookies
Rolled Sugar Cookies
Snickerdoodles

These are just a few recipes to try! They can be spiced up a bit for the holidays with sprinkles, frosting, and peppermint candy, just experiment. For more holiday recipes, All Recipes is my go-to site when I'm searching for something specific to try, and there's tons of holiday recipes that are delicious. Also, Chelsea at Organized Mess has posted plenty of holiday baking pictures and recipes, all of which make my mouth water! Check them out.
Happy holidays! 2 days to go. :)

Countdown to Christmas: Present DIY Ideas

2011-12-22T21:40:00.000-06:00

If you're like me, you probably enjoy giving homemade presents. I love buying presents for family and friends, but I also love making gifts that are a little more personal and meaningful. I've been searching around in books and the internet for some ideas for Christmas presents, and here are a few of my favorites:

Jar of __________
This gift idea is fairly simple. It is just a jar, like this one or this one, filled up with little pieces of paper containing quotes, memories, or basically anything you want! You can name it something like "Jar of Memories," and write memories about the receiver of the jar, or "jar of winter," and write quotes about winter, suggestions of what to do during the winter, and other things relating to winter. These are just some ideas and examples, the jar can contain whatever you want. These are great for whimsical people, or close friends and family. Some more ideas for these: jar of hope (inspirational, motivational, and kind quotes and sweet sayings), jar of happiness (funny quotes and jokes, happy memories from throughout the years, ideas for fun activities to do), and pretty much anything else. All you need to make these is some paper, writing utensils, a small jar (or even a Pringles can or something like that would work!), scissors to cut out each quote/memory/saying/etc. and lots of imagination and memories. I am making several of these for presents, and I will post about them after Christmas if you would like!

Cookie Recipe Jar
It would seem I have an obsession with presents in jars this year! I think this idea is so cute and simple. All you have to do is layer the dry ingredients of cookies or brownies in a jar and add a cute tag with the instructions of what to add and how to make the treats. You can find recipes for this present on baking and craft websites, but I think this one sounds delicious and adorable! This gift idea is not only delicious, but also adorable looking!


{this photo does not belong to me, all copyright to respectful owners}

The two above ideas are probably my favorites this year, but some other ideas include:
-homemade bookmarks (card stock, pens/crayons/markers, ribbons, dried flowers for decoration, etc)
-"coupons" for anything from free babysitting to a free massage from you, sappy but fun, and you can make them for parents, siblings, and friends. (paper, writing utensils, and free time to fulfill the coupon's requirements)
-homemade cookies, bars, peppermint bark, anything (baking ingredients and patience)
-hot chocolate in a jar (hot chocolate mix, cinnamon/peppermint sticks, marshmallows)
-scrapbook of memories of family and years passed (scrapbook, pictures, writing utensils, tape/glue, decorating tools)
-decorated picture frames (plain, basic picture frame, writing utensils, ribbon, beads, and anything else desired)
-Christmas tree ornaments (fabric, pine cones, string, paper, any other materials you choose)

I hope this post helped you if you're behind in Christmas presents! These ideas would probably work for almost anyone on your list. Happy holidays!

Countdown to Christmas: White Christmas OOTD + Christmas Movies

2011-12-21T22:03:00.000-06:00

{Old Navy sweater, Ragstock skirt, unknown tights, Target boots, gifted bracelet/earrings}

Since today was the last day of school until the new year, I decided to dress a little festive. I received this sweater from my grandparents last weekend at our extended family celebration. I picked it out a few weeks earlier, after seeing it in a Seventeen magazine and falling in love with it. I also featured it in a Polyvore post a while back on my blog. I love the little sequined details, the pure white color, and the small pattern. It's also very soft. I think it expressed my feelings today very well...I'm still wishing for a white Christmas! Also, it can be assured that I wear this skirt WAY too much, it's just so cute! If I seem a little overly giddy in these photos, I apologize, I was extremely excited when I took these--it was right after school ended and I had been eating lots and lots of candy during the day...haha. It was probably one of the best days of school I've had this year--everyone seemed so cheerful, presents were distributed, candy canes were plentiful, and the teachers were in good spirits as well.

I am currently lounging around on my couch in fuzzy pajama pants and socks, enjoying the end of Elf. Elf is one of my favorite Christmas movies, obviously probably, as you can tell from my references. One of of my other favorites is "A Christmas Story,"it's hilarious, from the tale of the leg lamp to the whole fiasco with the Christmas meal and Chinese restaurant. I would definitely recommend it, you won't understand my references unless you see it. I also love "Miracle On 34th St." It's a classic, traditional movie that never gets old. I am obsessed with so many Christmas movies, these are just a few! What are some of your favorites?

Countdown to Christmas: Holiday Music

2011-12-20T18:10:00.000-06:00

When it comes to Christmas music, I'm pretty flexible in what I like. I love almost anything from traditional to new, sappy songs. There are a few songs that I don't like so much though, such as the Justin Bieber Christmas album, at least most of it, and I don't love any of it, the song "Christmas Shoes" and a few select others, mostly country, haha. I have a few favorites this year from different genres.

I love this song, even if it is a little depressing. I can't relate to it, at least in the boyfriend/girlfriend way, haha, but I still love it.

I also love this song, even if it is a little sappy. I also like the Michael Buble version.

I am obsessed with the whole Michael Buble Christmas album, and this song is one of my favorites. His voice is perfect for singing Christmas music.

Now on to a traditional song--I have loved this song since I was little, it was my favorite for a long time. It's so cheerful and fun!

This song is just plain out funny, and it goes along with a wonderful movie--the original movie is so much better than the new one!

And of course, one of the most classic Christmas songs ever written! I love how calming and traditional this song is.

To conclude my favorite songs, here is one of my absolute favorites. I love, love, love, love, love this song. It's so pretty, and the lyrics are beautiful as well.

Countdown to Christmas: Christmas in New York

2011-12-19T17:44:00.001-06:00

{I do not own ANY of these images, all copyright goes to owners}

Ever since I visited New York a few summers back, I have been in love with it. The atmosphere, the scenery, the shopping, the people, just everything. I have seen movies and pictures of New York at Christmastime, and it looks so amazing and magical. I would love to live in New York when I'm older, and the holidays would be an added bonus to experience there. It is definitely on my bucket list to visit New York around Christmas. The lights are over the top and so beautiful, the stores are all decorated, especially Macy's, the people on the streets seem full of holiday cheer, and so much more. It would be so cool to see Rockefeller Plaza and the tree, go ice skating, and visit Central Park in the wintertime. Is there any place you guys are obsessed with, or want to visit someday, especially at Christmastime?

Countdown to Christmas: Christmas Tree + A Little Decorating

2011-12-18T20:44:00.001-06:00

{an ornament with a picture of me from when I was 4 or 5}

{I love the ornaments we use, and the newest addition of a braided garland}

{the finished tree}

{I finally got a tree for my room this year, my parents found it at an antique market, haha! I decorated it with some cute mini ornaments, some white tulle, and a string of pearls}


{one of the sets of curtains in my room, lit up festively}

Last weekend, my family and I got our Christmas tree, and set up all the rest of our decorations. I did more decorating in my room this year, with little touches here and there, like the little tinsel tree, the lights hanging on my curtains, and the festive-smelling lotions on my dresser. I am only sharing a few photos of our decorations and tree, but if you all were interested, I could share a few more of some of the decorations around the house.

Kind of a funny/interesting story about Christmas trees in my family: a few years back, we used to visit a tree farm way out in the country and pick out a tree to be freshly cut. Then, we grew a few in my backyard that we used every year, until the remaining ones were either to small or too big. Now, we purchase our trees from parking lots haha, but they're still beautiful. We were planning on chopping down one of the smaller trees in our backyard because my mom thought it was big enough, but after my siblings and I persuaded her it would "ruin Christmas," we ended up with this beautiful tree. Honestly though, I would have been okay with a little one as well, I'm thankful for any tree, but I love the tradition of decorating a big tree and putting all the presents beneath it.

I spent the day at my grandma and grandpa's house for Christmas celebration. It was a lot of fun, and the food was amazing, and yes, I ate too much! :) I loved seeing all of my cousins and family, and watching the looks on their faces when they opened their presents. I got a beautiful new sweater (I did pick it out, but I still absolutely love it, and I was looking forward to getting it officially!), a Hawkeyes shirt (even though I love fashion, I wanted a shirt like it for the big games, or lazy days, and it's a nice, cute one as well. I also got a book of Shakespeare poetry, and it looks very interesting, I'm excited to read it. Hope you all had wonderful days! Tomorrow it's back to school, for 3 more days!

Countdown to Christmas: Winter Market

2011-12-17T21:43:00.001-06:00


{the beautiful, giant Christmas tree at a winter market in the city}

To kick of my Countdown to Christmas series, I have a post on one of my favorite holiday traditions: the indoor winter market in the city that I visit every year now. I love going for a few reasons: the beautiful tree, as shown by these many pictures, people-watching (yes, I'm a creep), getting in the holiday spirit, and oh yeah. The actual stands selling things. I love sampling the jams, cheeses, baked goods, and lots more. There's also lots of vendors selling homemade soaps. These soaps smell absolutely amazing, and I picked up a few today as gifts for my family.

{the market was full of people}

{some of the Christmas decorations being sold}


{samples of Lemon Sunshine jelly, and peach jelly at a locally own stand}

After the Christmas market, I relaxed at home and listened to Christmas music for a while. After that, I went to a Christmas baking party with Emily and some other really good friends! It was really fun, and we decorated sugar cookies and watched Elf, pretty much my all-time favorite Christmas movie. Afterwards, I finally got around to wrapping most of the Christmas presents I am giving this year. So all in all, it's been a busy day, but a very fun and cheerful one as well! I still have a lot to do before the weekend is over, because I'm giving some of my friends at school holiday treats this week, and I'm not quite done baking all of them! Hope you all had a great day! :)


{packaged presents ready for Christmas day}

ps. sorry about the bad quality in some of these photos, I realized at the end of the day that my flash was turned off...oops!

Candy, Candy Canes, Candy Corns, Syrup

2011-12-16T21:09:00.000-06:00

{Michael Kors coat, Marshall's dress, Target tank, Sears ballet flats, gifted music note earrings, Mom's bracelet}

After a long week of school, I'm back with an outfit post, again! It's crazy that I hadn't posted any outfits in what seemed like forever, and now I've posted two just this week! Sorry for the unoriginal poses and background, it was freezing and I was in a hurry to go to swim practice. These photos don't show how gorgeous this dress and coat really are! I purchased the sweater dress at Marshall's earlier this fall, and this was probably the first time I wore it. I love the color, cut, and the style. It's perfect for fall and winter, from school to parties. My earrings were a birthday gift from my mom, and I love them, because I am obsessed with music and jewelry, so it's a perfect mix. The bracelet is "stolen" from my mom, and it's so pretty with the pearls, tiny blue beads, and silver details. The coat I'm wearing in these pictures is from Costco. Yes, you read that right. Costco! I absolutely love Costco for the food and other thigns, but I never suspected it would have something as cute as this coat! It's Michael Kors brand, and comfortable and cute. It's my "fancy" coat for this winter.

I am ridiculously excited to announce that I will be having a Countdown to Christmas series for the next week and one day, leading all the way up to Christmas! I will do my absolute best to have a new, Christmas-themed post for every day. I have so many ideas, and I wish there were more days left until Christmas so I could post more of them. On the other hand, you'll be sick enough of them by the end of this week ;) I will be posting kind of follow-me-arounds, recipes I've made, DIYs, and almost anything else Christmas-themed. Once school is out for break, on Wednesday, I'll have more time to work on the posts! :)

Don't You Bring Me Down Today

2011-12-14T21:06:00.000-06:00

{Sarah Jessica Parker "fashion is not a luxury" shirt, Old Navy sweater, Ragstock skirt, ? tights, Famous Footwear boots, Forever21 necklace, gifted bracelet}

After almost a week, yet again, I am back with a quick outfit post. I haven't had an outfit post in what feels like forever, I'm sorry! Unfortunately, it rained today, so I could not take photos outside. I tried out the curtains in my room as a backdrop, but the lighting wasn't so good, I apologize for that! Lately, I have found myself dressing up/out more often, it's actually quite fun. I want to wear skirts and dresses every day now, haha. This outfit was one of those outfits that looks better in person than in pictures, but I still love it. I tried braiding my hair last night to make it wavy today, and I think it turned out pretty well. I didn't realize that my shirt isn't very visible in these photos--sorry about that! It says "fashion is not a luxury." Since this outfit post is so short, I thought I'd share with you this new show that is my current obsession.

Smash is a new NBC show that is coming out the week after the super bowl. It follows two women following their dreams to become Broadway stars in a musical about Marilyn Monroe. I first saw the previews on Thanksgiving, during the parade on NBC, and ever since, I have been absolutely obsessed with the show's ideas, previews, just everything. The clothes also look gorgeous. The show looks so inspiring, and it makes me want to live in New York even more. It also makes me wish I could actually sing, haha. In the last video, I absolutely love the cherry-printed dress, it's so vintage-looking and adorable! I am also obsessed with the songs featured in these previews!

Thank you for all your wonderful comments, and I hope you enjoyed this small post and the previews! Sorry if it was a little rambly, haha! :)

Christmas Ads

2011-12-09T17:18:00.000-06:00


{Ralph Lauren}

{Gap}

{Tiffany&Co.}

While reading magazines and shopping, I've noticed a lot of holiday ads. Even though I may not like the actual clothing or company, I've found that holiday ads can be beautiful and so festive. I compiled a few of my favorites above, all completely random of course, Tiffany&Co. doesn't have much to do with Gap, haha. The very last Tiffany&Co. picture featured took my breath away when I first saw it. I was at a store, browsing through an InStyle magazine when I first came upon it, and it's much more beautiful on paper than in the little picture above. Just something about the gorgeous scenery, vintage feel, and picturesque couple makes this ad perfect. I hope these photos provide some inspiration for you to get in the holiday spirit! :)

Season of Sweetness

2011-12-02T22:05:00.001-06:00

{a freshly-cut cookie ready to be baked}

{all of the dough, waiting to be shaped, and eaten}

{a Christmas tree cut-out}

{a warm cookie right out of the oven}

{Christmas cookies, ready for frosting}


{baked, frosted, and sprinkled holiday cookies, waiting to be eaten}

Tonight, while my parents were off at a holiday party, I decided it was finally time to bake some holiday cookies. Believe it or not, as much as I love both holidays and baking, I've never baked sugar cookie cut-outs. I am happy to say that they turned out very well. I used this recipe for the cookies, and this recipe for the frosting. Just in case any of you were planning on testing this recipe, I have a few suggestions: make sure that the butter in the cookies is all the way soft, because it makes the whipping of the butter and sugar more effective. Also, cook times can vary from oven to oven, and I baked a few different sheets, each at different times. They turned out best for me at five minutes and thirty seconds for me, but if you like a little bit crisper cookies, try more like seven minutes. I do recommend this recipe--it's delicious. Both my siblings and I agreed!

I am most certainly getting into the holiday spirit right now, I have already begun Christmas shopping, and I am enjoying Christmas music, baking, and just the spirit. I am sorry if you do not celebrate Christmas and this offends you, I just absolutely love this holiday! In fact, at the moment, I am relaxing on the couch watching "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" while writing this post. I am planning on catching up on my favorite blogs, and checking out some new ones of all you lovely readers!

On a different note, I'm terribly sorry for not posting for over a week--school work has been increasing in difficulty and size. This week has been very busy, but I will do my best to start posting more frequently once again. I have plenty to share with all you lovely people, and I have to thank you all for the wonderful, sweet comments you've been leaving me, and I've gained a few followers in the past couple of weeks--thank you all so much! It means a lot. :)

I will have plenty more holiday-themed posts coming--so many that you will be sick of them! :)

I Am Thankful For...

2011-11-24T09:31:00.000-06:00

my amazing family
my amazing friends
a warm home
the food, drinks, and warmth I am given all year round
my adorable dog
good health
(mostly) good weather
my teachers in both school and music
my swim coaches
the opportunity to swim on a competitive team
the opportunity to play a wonderful-sounding violin and be taught by an amazing teacher and play beautiful music
the opportunity to play piano and be taught by a wonderful teacher
being lucky enough to be able to buy plenty of clothes to fuel my fashion obsession
all of you guys, and your support on this blog, thank you so much!!

This Thanksgiving, I'm also thankful for the always fun and amazing Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, it's a holiday tradition for my family to watch it together. I'm thankful for being healthy today, and most other days. I'm thankful for two amazing parents, who not only always love and support me, but also drive me around everywhere, pay for all of my extracurricular activities, and help me with anything from homework to giving advice. I am thankful for my lovely siblings who are all crazy in the best ways. I am thankful for the adorable shelter dog my family adopted a few years back.

A few of the little things I am thankful for are the delicious food my mom makes, the ingredients I am supplied with to make baked treats, the lovely camera I have to take pictures of everything from nature to outfits, and so much more.

What are YOU thankful for? Have a wonderful Thanksgiving if you live in the US, and even if you don't, give thanks for all you have!

Tis' The Season For Sweaters

2011-11-23T19:40:00.001-06:00

With winter well on it's way, and the holiday season already started, I felt it was fitting to share some of my favorite winter clothing styles with all of you. Some of my favorite pieces for winter for various reasons, are sweaters. I love sweaters for their comfort, variation, and look. There are a few different styles I've been eying this season, and they include sweaters with sequin detail, sweater dresses, and cable knit sweaters.

The first trend, sequined sweaters, is a style I have yet to get my hands on. I love the subtle sequins in the sweaters I picked for the above set. Sequins are a great way to sneak just a little bit of sparkle into a winter outfit. For a cold day, you could wear a sequined sweater with dark jeans, a warm knit scarf, and riding boots. A sweater like the above would also work for a party (maybe New Year's Eve!) paired with a tight or ruffly black skirt, tights, and heels.

The next style of sweater I am loving this year is the sweater dress. I own probably three, including a new purple-colored one that I am ridiculously excited to style and wear for the holidays. They're so easy to wear, and the perfect combination of comfort and style. You can either dress it up for a party with heels, a few statement pieces of jewelry, and tights, or dress it down for school with boots.

The final trend of sweaters I'm featuring in this post is cable knit sweaters. I had never actually been a fan of these in the past, but this year, I'm loving the chunky fit and comfy look. They are perfect for school, church, or any other casual cold weather occasion. I love the look of cable knit sweaters with dark skinny jeans tucked into boots, or with a plain black skirt. They are perfect for freezing cold days, so you can avoid the snowman look.

I hope you all enjoyed this post, and it gave you a few ideas for the winter. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.

Autumn, The Year's Last, Loveliest Smile

2011-11-13T19:46:00.000-06:00

{Delia's shirt, Old Navy cardigan, American Eagle jeans, Sear's ballet flats, Delia's scarf, gifted earrings, sister's headband}

{couldn't resist taking a picture by this hay bale...}

The weather is finally changing into fall prettiness with bright colors, crisp fall days, and crunchy leaves covering the ground like a blanket. I wore this outfit earlier this week, and it was an outfit very inspired by fall's colors. I feel like the mixture of colors in the outfit represents some of the beautiful fall colors around this time of year. I love taking photos outside with the backdrop of the bright trees and warm colors! Enjoy it while it lasts, because soon, bare branches, frozen ground, and grey skies will take over...there's actually already snow here in Iowa, that fell just a few days after these photos were taken!

Hope all of you are enjoying the pretty features of fall, or whatever the weather is like where you live.

11/11/11

2011-11-11T07:20:00.000-06:00

{neither of these photos belong to me, all credit to original sources}

How often we wish for another chance
To make a fresh beginning.
A change to blot out our mistakes.
And change failure into winning.
And it does not take a special time
To make a brand-new start,
It only takes the deep desire
To try with all our heart,
To live a little better
And to always be forgiving,
To add a little sunshine
To the world in which we're living.
So never give up in despair
And think that you are through,
For there's always a tomorrow
And a chance to start anew.
~~ Author Unknown ~~

11/11/11~make a wish!

Eye of the Cheetah

2011-10-31T21:56:00.000-05:00

{Forever21 shirt, Ragstock skirt and bandeau, Famous Footwear boots}

These are some pictures I completely forgot about from back before school started. I love this outfit, and I wish I had worn more variations of it before it got cold. Don't get me wrong, I love fall, and most of what it brings, but looking at these, and how tan my skin was makes me miss summer.

Update+Mini Outfits Post

2011-10-29T20:25:00.000-05:00

{Forever21 shirt/jeans, gifted bracelet}

{Delia's crop top, Forever21 tank top, American Eagle jeans, Famous Footwear boots}

I'm finally back, after a long, stressful but rewarding two weeks! I haven't explained to you guys what all is going on in my life for a while, so here's what was happening for the past little while:
-Last weekend, I had all-state orchestra auditions, which took a lot of preparation and work, but I made it in! It was very rewarding, especially since I'm a freshman and it's hard to make it in on violin.
-As most of you know, I've been swimming on my high school's team this season, and my season ended today with the districts meet. I was hoping to make it to state, but I didn't get that far, even though I came close, and dropped in my events. All in all, my season was pretty much amazing! :)
-School has been pretty hard lately, especially in my advanced classes, like AP human geography/people and places. My schedule went something like this during the swim season: wake up at 5:20, go to morning practice, go to school, immediately after school go swim for another 2 hours, go home, do a few hours of homework, practice violin an hour or two, pack all my stuff for the next day, and prepare to do it all over again! So yeah, it was pretty crazy, but totally worth it!

My season is officially over, and even though I'm sad, I'm excited to go back to my regular swim team, and have a little more time to spend freely, especially writing blog posts! I've missed you guys.

The photos above are two different outfits I wore this week. I snapped these pictures really quickly, so sorry if they're not great quality...and the first one only shows my top, haha. I'll be back soon with more outfits and things like that! :)

happiness #4

2011-10-13T21:19:00.000-05:00

{changing colors}

{corn husk "huts" in my backyard}

{more beautiful leaves}


{autumn barbeques}

What's making you happy right now?

Wake Me Up When September Ends

2011-10-01T20:16:00.000-05:00

{Forever21 shirt, Ragstock skirt, Sears ballet flats, mom's pearl necklace}

I'm finally back with a new outfit post! I am so excited to show you guys this new shirt--it's actually kind of funny, because a while back, I was in Chicago over the summer, and I saw it in the Forever21 store there, but since we were in a hurry, I didn't get a chance to try it on/fall in love with it. I found it again later in the summer, and bought it! I love the ruched shoulder detailing, the little bows, the romantic feel/color, just everything! It's not even that fancy or anything, but I absolutely love it. Also, even though it has the shoulder detailing, it doesn't make my swimmer shoulders look any bigger, which makes me so happy, haha.

I wore this outfit on Tuesday (yes, I'm very late in posting this!) for a "dress-up" swim meet day. I loved the way the outfit came together. I've been very into skirts/dresses lately, but I guess I always have been...haha:)

Today after swim practice, violin groupclass, and homework, I baked two different kinds of chocolate chip cookies, went for a walk (it's gorgeous out right now--perfect fall weather and colors), ate a delicious dinner of homemade hamburgers, fries, and ice cream sandwiches (so healthy, I know haha), and now I am going to go try out some new workout DVDs with my siblings--yeah, we're weird:)

Thanks for reading everyone--I hope you all are having great days/weekends! Enjoy some hot chocolate for me! ;)

Homecoming 2011

2011-09-25T12:14:00.000-05:00

{JC Penney dress, Sears shoes}

Hi everyone! Well, last night was homecoming! All I can say is it was amazing. I'll give you guys a rundown of my night:

3:30 PM-Start of getting ready: painting my fingernails silver, and my toenails a dark purple.
4:00-Curling hair, having my mom french braid both sides, and put hair up into loose updo.
4:45-Makeup: light smoky eye with gold and champagne colors added, curled eyelashes, and tinted lip balm. (very minimal!)
5:00-Getting dressed, finishing touches, and pictures with my mom and sister!
5:30-Helping other people get ready for homecoming at a friend's house, and doing other people's makeup and hair!
6:30-Dinner: Homemade pasta, sauce, meatballs, and garlic bread for dinner at a friend's house with some of my best friends.
7:00-Finishing touches and pictures with friends and parents.
7:30-Off to the dance!
7:30 to 10:30-Amazing time dancing, talking, and just having fun with friends!

My night was so much fun! I'll explain my dress in a little more detail: I picked out a fairly simple and typical dress for homecoming, but I still liked it a lot. I don't have any pictures of the back, but it has crossing straps down to the middle of my back that I liked. This dress was really different than what I usually wear, but I still loved it. Sorry I didn't have more pictures! My shoes were silver and strappy. My hair was in a style I haven't ever worn before but I loved: french braids on both sides, and loose curls in a bun. Unfortunately, I can't french braid, although I'd love to learn, so my mom did it!

The dance was so much fun, and all of my friends looked gorgeous too, which made it so much fun. I'm already so excited for next year, and I'm already scouting out dresses!;)

I hope you guys have fun at your homecomings as well!!:)

Homecoming Hair/Makeup

2011-09-23T08:46:00.001-05:00

#1 (I don't own any images, all credit to rightful owners)

Homecoming is this weekend for my school! I have my dress, shoes, and accessories all ready to go, but I need some help with hair and makeup. The hairstyles above are the ones I am thinking about doing variations of, but I can't decide which! Please comment and tell me which one you like best, or any other ideas. I do want to wear my hair up, because the back of my dress is strappy, and I want it to show. Also, I don't want to give any details of my dress yet, but I can tell you that all these styles would go well with it! Next, I need help deciding on makeup! I've never worn eyeliner, but I was thinking about trying a little for the dance. I can't decide on the rest of my makeup either! Please, please tell me your favorite. Even though I won't pick a favorite ultimately from the comments, I would appreciate some insight:) Also, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm extremely excited! It might be obvious with the extreme use of exclamation points in this post!:P

'Cause I don't know how it gets better than this...

2011-09-19T20:03:00.000-05:00

{Forever21 dress, Sears ballet flats, Old Navy headband}

I have homecoming week this week! I'm so excited. Today was celebrity day, and I was completely stumped on what to be! Finally, I just decided to be Taylor Swift, since I am completely obsessed with her, her music, and her style. I ended up wearing purple suede boots instead of these adorable new ballet flats, and I wore my hair down for most of the day with waves in it ( or at least attempted waves...stupid hair mousse didn't work too well...;))

I hope you guys all had awesome days!:)

Update-Homecoming, Fall, Swimming, and More

2011-09-17T15:16:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I haven't posted in more than a week, which is crazy, since I posted every day of last week. I feel like I haven't had time to actually sit down and write a personal post, along with outfit photos, so I thought I'd give you guys an update on what's going on in my life right now!

I'm in the middle of high school swim season, which is completely crazy/fun/exhausting/amazing. I have practices Monday-Friday 6-7 in the morning, 3:00-5:00 in the afternoon, and on Saturdays for two hours. In addition to this, we have at least one meet a week, which takes up all of my free time! So far it's been rewarding, because I've improved, and I've met so many people, and become close to them. There's a lot of stress that goes along with the season, most parts of it are fun!

Homecoming for my school is this week! I'm ridiculously excited! I got my dress before school started, but I'm not sure if I'll post it on my blog. It's not exactly what I usually wear! I do love it though, and I'm excited to wear it. I probably won't be posting outfit pictures this week, since we're doing the traditional crazy days...it'll be fun!

The weather has been so cold here for the past few days! I actually like it, because I get to wear fall clothing, including fuzzy socks, and I'm excited for fall and all that it contains: hot chocolate, changing colors, Halloween, and so much more. I'd appreciate if it got a little warmer for homecoming this week though, haha!

School has been crazy as well, even just the one AP class I'm taking this year is a lot of work! We have at the least 25 vocabulary words to learn each week! Also, for English, we've written at least 3 essays already. The weird thing is though, that I'm actually enjoying high school more than middle school! The projects and homework I've done have gone well, and the topics are interesting. Also, I love the fact that I'm branching out with groups of friends this year! It just makes me so happy to have all of these amazing people around me at school/swimming/other places all the time!

I hope all of you guys are enjoying the start of fall and school/work/etc! I know I am. :)

I Hope That You Catch Me, 'Cause I'm Already Falling

2011-09-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

{Forever21 dress/necklace, Target sweater/earrings (?), Famous Footwear sandals}

This outfit felt comfortable and soft, but it's not too lazy looking, haha! The weather is still so nice, and it was cool enough to wear a light sweater. I hope you all had a great day! :)

All I Can Say Is I Was, Enchanted To Meet You

2011-09-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

{Old Navy shirt/shorts, Famous Footwear sandals, Delia's scarf}

I wore this super-simple outfit to school today, because it was kind of a lazy day, haha! I love being able to wear more fall clothes, even though I'm going to miss the warm weather! This scarf is one of my favorite ones, it has really pretty colors.

Yellow Brick

2011-09-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

{Target shirt/headband, American Eagle jeans, Famous Footwear boots, gifted earrings}

I'm wearing this outfit today, for school and a violin audition. Sorry about the big space between the pictures and text--I can't fix it! Also, sorry my head is cut off--my brother took these, I usually take them myself. This shirt is from the kid's section at Target, haha shh!:)

Hear My Thoughts In Every Note

2011-09-06T05:00:00.004-05:00

{Target dress, thrifted shoes, gifted bracelet, Forever21 hair clip}

I first wore this dress for eighth grade promotion in May, and it's been collecting dust in my closet since then, which is crazy, because it's adorable, and the colors are so pretty! I wore it today because my school's swim club had a meet today, and we are supposed to dress up on meet days, which is fine with me, because it gives me an excuse to wear a dress! Hope you all have a great day! :)

This Weekend

2011-09-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

{I made these delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies--one of the best recipes I've tried, and even the dough was soo good! recipe here}

{The weather was beautiful over the weekend--sunny, breezy, and the low-70s! We rode our bikes to B-Bops, and the weather was so nice!}

{Joey is so cute in his sandbox!}

This video is so adorable--this guy is great at piano and singing, and a great performer. I watched this video over and over this weekend! :)

Hope you guys all had a great long weekend--I sure did!

Flowers and Knits

2011-09-03T11:14:00.000-05:00

{thrifted dress/sweater, Target heels, gifted bracelet}

With the cooler weather this week, I've been able to wear something other than light tank tops and shorts, finally! I'm definitely going to miss summer, but it's nice to be able to wear different clothes sometimes. This dress is hard to wear by itself, because it is cut weird in the back, and low cut in the front, so the sweater was great for pairing it with. School has been taking up so much of my time, and that combined with high school swimming, music lessons/practice, and homework has pretty much taken up all of the rest of my days! It's mostly all fun though! :)

we were born and raised in a summer haze

2011-08-28T09:40:00.000-05:00

{Old Navy (?) skirt, unknown belt}

Even with school started, it's nice to enjoy the last of the beautiful summer weather, and wear light clothes. This long skirt worked well as a dress--and it was pretty comfortable too.

Hair Inspiration for the First Day of School

2011-08-25T19:29:00.002-05:00

First Day of School: Hairstyles! by memestyle97 featuring pink hair accessories
Even though I went back to school today, I'm posting a few inspiration pictures to help anyone who can't decide on a back to school hairstyle! I had wet hair from swimming, so unfortunately I couldn't do much with mine....I went with a half up, half down sort of style, with a little bit of added messiness (partly intentional, but swimming can do that to your hair!)

My first day went well, it was really tiring, but still good. I didn't get lost, which is a big good thing!! I am now a freshman! I had swimming 6-7 in the morning, and then after school from 3-5:00, and then a violin lesson, and now homework added to a full school day, even if it was easy, was pretty tiring. I'm excited for this school year though, to meet new people and make new friends (cheesy but true!) and I can't wait for the rest of my high school season, with even more practices and time spent in the pool! I hope everyone else has/had a great first day of school! :)

PS. I didn't get a chance to take outfit photos, but I may put the outfit together again this weekend and take pictures to show you guys! I didn't really dress up that much, because I have the whole year to do that! In case you were wondering, I wore an outfit similar to the one here, the only things different were that I tucked the shirt in to the skirt, and wore sandals instead of little heels.

First Day of School Clothing Mix&Match

2011-08-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

What to Wear...First Day of School-Artsy/Boho by memestyle97 featuring cotton shirts

What to Wear...First Day of School-Retro/Grunge by memestyle97 featuring an owl necklace

What to Wear...First Day of School-girly by memestyle97 featuring a crochet skirt

What to Wear...first day of school-vintage! by memestyle97 featuring short necklaces

As much as I don't want to admit it, school is starting soon for a lot of people, including me. Although I haven't put together an outfit for my first day back, I have some clothing suggestions for you guys! These sets aren't actual outfits, but things you can mix/match/add to to create a cute back to school outfit. I hope this helps some of you! :) I start school on the 25--when does everyone else start?

Iowa State Fair

2011-08-19T12:05:00.000-05:00

{This little tunnel was in the kid's section of the garden at the fair--I used to love going through it when I was younger!}

{Biggest bull--his name was Bubba!}

{This little calf was so cute!!}

{World's smallest bull!}

{This ostrich was funny to watch--he bobbed his head at everyone, and also, he had a little accident...it was weird!}

{baby donkey with his mom--I couldn't get a good picture, but the baby was trying to pull his mom's harness off, haha!}

{Cow made entirely of pop cans!}

I went to the Iowa State Fair with my family this week. It's always fun to see the adorable (and not so adorable!) animals, all the good food samples, all the amazing photography, and so much more! I got a peppermint bar from an ice cream stand called Bauder's, and it was so good! Everyone that loves fair food says the peppermint ice cream bars are by far the best food at the fair, and although I didn't get anything fried, I'd have to agree! I hope you all enjoyed seeing some of the livestock and stuff from the fair!

French Sailor...(?)

2011-08-13T14:42:00.000-05:00

{French Connection shirt from boutique in Iowa City, Ralph Lauren skirt, thrifted shoes, ? belt, gifted bracelet}

This outfit felt like kind of a mix of french and sailor for some reason! Probably because of the striped blue and white, braided belt, and little gold details. I got this shirt when I was in Iowa City a few weeks ago for state swimming! It's so cute, and I love the way it's a little off the shoulder.

Hair Tutorial: Top Knot

2011-08-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

{Step 1: brush out any tangles, and smooth hair}

{Step 2: brush hair up into a ponytail on top of your head, and fasten with an elastic}

{Step 3: tightly twist and wind hair into a bun. Fasten with an elastic and bobby pins, if needed}


{Step 4: add cute accessories, and your hair will look somewhat like this!}

Hi everyone! Today I am posting a very simple hair tutorial, one that most people would probably be able to do themselves, but a lot of people have asked me for some tips! The pictures for this may not be that helpful, because this is my first hair tutorial, and it is not easy to take your own pictures while attempting to do your hair! I hope to do more hair how-to posts soon, and improve on the pictures! I hope this helped some of you. This hairstyle is perfect for fancy events, but still appropriate for school. To make this hairstyle more interesting, after step 2, you can tightly braid your ponytail before winding it into a bun. This makes it a little more fancy too, I have worn it this way to concerts and restaurants before.

Betsey Johnson Inspired Nail Tutorial

2011-08-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

{left to right: Chapel of Love by OPI, OPI unknown, Forever21 unknown}

Step 1: paint nails a bright shade of pink

Step 2: use a small polish brush or toothpick to add little gold or brown dots to nails


Step 3: add glitter nail polish and this is the finished result!

Recently, I have gotten obsessed with doing my nails in different ways. I've done watermelon nails, cupcake nails, glitter nails, french manicures, you name it! I am definitely not a professional at doing nails, but I find it fun to try out new designs. This tutorial is one of my favorites to wear on my nails. It is SO easy, and I've gotten a lot of compliments on it. If you guys would like more nail tutorials, be sure to let me know! :)

happiness #3

2011-08-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

{brightly-colored nail polishes}

{new lotions from Bath&Body Works-this one is perfect for summer}

{days at the pool}

{having time to perfect brownie recipes;) recipe here!}

{no happiness post would be complete without a picture I took of flowers, right?:)}

Previous happiness posts:
#1
#2

Thanks for reading! :)

Confessions.

2011-07-26T14:43:00.001-05:00

I have never told you guys a lot of these insider details before...so I'm telling you now!

-When I first started my blog, up until just a little while ago, I took pictures with Photo Booth on a laptop. They were of great quality! (see below...;))

{note the sparkling clean bedroom, sepia coloring to avoid readers from seeing how bad the quality was, and the nice bed in the background}

-I do not wear "fashionable" clothes every day. I wear nice clothes most days during the school year, but during the summer, I'm sad to say that I usually come home from swim practice and put on workout clothes, because of three reasons: 1. I am too lazy to pick out an actual outfit, 2. I have to work out, and I'm to lazy to change after I do, and 3. I'm lazy. So yeah. Sometimes I do wish I could be that person who wants to look nice every day, and takes the time to put together a fashionable outfit. Kind of like Someone Like You!*

-In most of the first pictures I used on my blog, I was barefoot. Apparently I was just straight-out lazy, unless I was going for a hippie look or something like that. See below...

{I always cut the pictures off mid-thigh, just to give it a certain flair}

I think that's all the deep, dark secrets I have for you now, but you never know...I might just have a shocking post if I remember any others! I hope none of you guys took this too seriously, because although all of these "confessions" are true, I didn't want to spill in a serious manner. Also, I'm pretty sure other fashion bloggers can relate to at least one of these!

*Although this post is written overall in a sarcastic tone, I'm serious that I think Lauren looks fashionable every day!! I wish I had that motivation and inspiration to dress as perfectly every day! :)

How To Wear: Jean Jacket

2011-07-23T17:00:00.001-05:00

{Old Navy}

Tips: Add a festive sundress, metallic jewelry, and sandals with cute little details, like braiding. Cuff the jacket for a relaxed look}


{Tips: Add a loose, soft top, a ruffled skirt, tights, ankle boots, and a headband with jeweled detail}

worn in this post:
spring/summer: Forever21 dress/necklace, Famous Footwear sandals, Kohl's bangles
fall/winter: Forever21 shirt, Ragstock skirt, Target tights/boots, Claire's headband/earrings

How To Wear: Neutral-Colored Sweater

2011-07-22T17:00:00.000-05:00

{New York boutique}

Tips: Add a light tank top with little details, like ruffles, a patterned skirt, sandals, and "romantic" inspired details like headbands with ruffles}


{Tips: Add light-wash bootcut jeans, a tank top, a stack of bangles, ballet flats, and a pretty headband}

worn in this post:
spring/summer: Old Navy tank top, Forever21 skirt/necklace, Old Navy headband, Famous Footwear sandals, Claire's earrings
fall/winter: Old Navy jeans/tank top, Kohl's bangles, Target ballet flats, Claire's headband

How To Wear: White Shirt

2011-07-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

{Kohl's?}

{Tips: Add a brightly patterned skirt, strappy sandals, and a small chunky bracelet}


{Tips: Add dark-wash skinny jeans, a bright scarf, a pile of bangles, and suede boots}

worn in this post:
spring/summer: 21 Forever skirt, Target sandals, gifted bracelet
fall/winter: Heritage 1981 jeans, Famous Footwear boots, Delia's scarf

How To Wear: Basic Black Tank Top

2011-07-20T21:42:00.000-05:00

{Forever21}

{Tips: Add a light-wash denim skirt/shorts, light crop top, sandals, and delicate accessories}

{Tips: Add dark-wash skinny jeans, a bright sweater, ankle boots, a patterned headband, and silver accessories}

Hi everyone! I recently had a 4-H fair (further proving I'm from Iowa...), and one of the projects I entered was in a fashion category. I made a binder of ways to wear 5 basic pieces for fall/winter, and spring/summer. The 5 basic pieces are black tank top, white shirt, neutral-colored sweater, jean jacket, and dark-wash jeans. I feel like pretty much everyone has these things in their wardrobe, but it might be hard to create different, cute outfits out of such basic garments. For the actual project, I styled all 10 outfits, and wrote descriptions of how to style each outfit. I then wrote more detailed instructions and other things like that. This post is the first of the five to be following until Monday. I have a swim meet this weekend, so these will be scheduled, but I'll still be reading/replying to comments--I'm way behind!

worn in this post:
spring/summer: Delia's crop top, Target skirt, Famous Footwear sandals, gifted bracelet
fall/winter: Old Navy sweater/jeans, Target boots, Forever21 headband, gifted necklace

Midsummer Romantic

2011-07-11T20:39:00.000-05:00

{Forever21 shirt, vintage purse, Forever21 necklace, Target sandal heels, Ragstock skirt}

My sister bought me this shirt as a birthday present in Chicago, and I absolutely love it! It's so soft, pretty, and easy to style. This outfit is one of my favorites for summer, too.

Thanks for reading!

ps. yes, I have corn in my backyard...obviously I'm from Iowa...haha.

Wild Side

2011-07-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

{Forever21 shirt, Target heels, ? shorts, Forever21 tank top, ? necklace}


It was so hot out when I took these pictures! This is how I felt afterwards...:p

I bought this shirt while I was in Chicago, and I love the design! It's so much fun to wear, even though it's different than my usual style. I was trying so hard not to laugh in some of these pictures...I'm not usually this serious in pictures, haha. Hope you guys liked seeing a different kind of style!:)

Summer Essentials

2011-07-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Fashion Essentials: loose, flowy, with bandeaus for coverage!


Beauty Essentials: hydrate, replenish, and glow

These are my summery essentials...the key points are to embrace the no makeup look, since the temperatures are rising, and humidity is messing with hair and skin. Hope this helped some of you with summer shopping lists and key things to pack on vacation!

Easy Peasy: A Cooking Series: Eggs with Rice and Tofu

2011-07-02T19:24:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! I'm starting a new cooking/baking series that I will update occasionally. The first recipe is so easy that it shouldn't even be called a recipe!<--what else would it be called?:p I love this recipe for after hard morning swim practices--it's very filling, and healthy.

Ingredients:
-1 egg
-2 tablespoons of 1% milk
-1/2 cup cooked brown rice
-a 3 inch wide, three inch long slice of cooked, plain tofu (optional, but good)
-1/1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce
Utensils:
-cooking pan
-spatula
-fork
-bowl
-stove (obviously! if you don't have one, substitute cooking for microwaving for around 3 min.)

Step 1: combine egg and milk by whisking with fork in a bowl

Pour bowl's contents into pan. Use spatula to keep egg from sticking to pan, and to flip/scramble egg. You can also use a little butter (less than a teaspoon) to keep egg from sticking.

Put brown rice in a bowl, and heat up if not already warm.

Cut/break tofu into little bits and add to brown rice.

Add cooked egg to mixture of tofu and rice, drizzle soy sauce, and mix together. Enjoy!

lazy days of summer

2011-06-30T17:03:00.002-05:00

{Old Navy jean jacket, Forever21 dress, Forever21 necklace, Target sandals, Forever21 and OPI nail polishes}

can you see my dog?;)

{manicure of the week}


{pedicure of the week} The day after I got back from Chicago, I went to a local art festival. I wore this laid-back summer outfit. The dress is great for summery occasions, and the fabric is nice and light. It was a little chilly in the morning of the festival, so I threw on a relaxed jean jacket. My nails were done by myself, but I loved the sparkles--Forever21 nailpolish is cheap and cute, but I do have to admit, pretty low quality. I think each glitter polish is under $2 though! My trip to Chicago was amazing! We went shopping on the Magnificent Mile, at Forever21, H&M, and a lot of other favorite stores. I will start showing all of you my new purchases in more outfit posts soon! I also got to see fireworks at Navy Pier (cool!), take a boat ride along the Chicago River, and much more. I loved getting to spend my birthday in Chicago too. What could be better than spending your birthday shopping, touring, and having fun in Chicago? :) I'll be back soon with more posts!

Chicago!

2011-06-22T11:57:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I WAS going to upload some quick webcam photos of my outfit today, but blogger had other plans...I was going to show you my outfit for traveling to Chicago today! Yes, that's right. I'm going to Chicago again! Yay! I forgot to say anything about it earlier, but I thought I should let you guys know. I'll try to find internet there, but I may not be able to post until I get back. I'm really excited...we'll be shopping, touring, and just having fun! Since I can't post the outfit pictures right now, I'll give you a rundown: striped red and white nautical Urban Outfitters shirt tucked into tan shorts from ?, bracelet made from shells from Chinatown in New York, necklace from ?, nail polishes from Forever21, and sandals from Famous Footwear(?). I may be able to post the outfit pics later, but they're not good quality anyway. Talk to you guys soon!:)

Current Favorites!

2011-06-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! After a long few weeks, I'm finally back with a new post. Summer started for me and I got lazy! I'm starting a new series of posts today, which will feature my favorite songs, videos, stores, brands, and pretty much whatever! I'm thinking of a new name for the series, but for now, it'll just be called "current favorites." Anyway...here are my favorites!

My favorite song right now is called Pearl, and it's by Katy Perry. I'm not sure who or what the song is written for, but it's a pretty song with a deep meaning. It came out sometime last summer, so it's not extremely new, but it's new to me.

I found this video a while ago, but I can't get over the cuteness of it! The baby is just so cute. There's a lot of adorable videos of babies on YouTube, but this might just be my favorite.

This conditioner is my first deep conditioner, but I think I'll stick with it for a while! I swim so much that my hair gets extremely damaged, and since I'm trying to grow it out, I've been trying new products on it, like clarifying shampoo, and other chlorine-damage repair products. The Aussie conditioner is great for dry hair, and I use it a lot, probably more than you're supposed to, but it makes my hair super soft and shiny. It smells coconut-y and summery, which is a definite plus!


{image from stylishcuisine.com}

One of my favorite snacks right now would have to be frozen grapes. I love grapes in general, but I tried freezing a bunch, and the result was basically yummy fruit popsicles! Speaking of which, I tried making popsicles out of blueberries, water, and lemon/lime juice. They were delicious! They're yummy summer treats!:)

Well, that's all I have for now, but I hope you liked this new series! I know it's a little different from the usual posts, but I've been wanting to do something like this for a while now. Let me know if you like it!:)

happiness #2

2011-05-29T17:28:00.001-05:00

After my short hiatus, I'm back with a quick "happiness" post. The past few weeks have been crazy, with finals, orchestras, and swim practice, among other things. With school slowing down, it's nice to be able to take pictures of the things making me happy right now--flowers (as usual), my puppy, and just spring in general. I was excited that our peonies bloomed (last picture), they smell soooo good, and they're really pretty.

This Thursday is my last official day of school, so three more days! We don't have school tomorrow because of Memorial Day. It's so nice to be done with finals, and even though I'm excited for summer, but ninth grade is so old! Eek! haha.

Let me know if you like the new happiness posts, maybe next time I should try to include something besides flowers and my dog...haha. I might as well name the posts "flowers and dogs." :p

quick explanation+update

2011-05-23T09:04:00.000-05:00

As many of you have noticed, I haven't posted in almost two weeks! There is no real reason for this, other than that May is probably the craziest month of the year for me, especially this year. I have finals this week, and I'll be studying for almost the whole time I'm actually home from school, swimming, orchestra, and other things. I just don't have the time to post this week, but after this week, I'm basically done with school other than eighth grade stuff, like promotion, field trips, etc. I'm sorry to leave everyone for so long, but I'm taking a break this week from posting, and from browsing through blogs and leaving comments as much. I'll be back soon, and thanks for sticking with me through this!

I have an English final and algebra test today, a biology final tomorrow, a Spanish final on Wednesday, economics final on Thursday, and this one vocabulary final thingie from a book called Word Within The Word on Friday. *sigh* This is gonna be a longggg week! If anyone else has finals this week or next week, good luck!!!:)

Makeover

2011-05-14T18:06:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!! I just wanted to let you know really quickly that I will be working on some new layouts, pictures, etc. on my blog for the next few days/weeks starting today! I like the layout I have right now, but I want something new. Let me know in the comments what you think of the changes I make! Thanks:)

EDIT: I've already changed almost the whole layout for now, so let me know if you like it better or worse. Also, some suggestions would be useful!

EDIT: Arggggggggggg I have just about had it with Blogger! As most of you know, Blogger crashed and deleted random posts, comments, and changes on blogs. I spent forever trying new layouts on my blog until I found one I liked, and all the changes are gone now!!! Time to try again...:(

Summer Fever

2011-05-08T21:35:00.000-05:00

{Forever21 skirt, Target shirt, Sally Hansen nail polishes}

On Friday, I wore a simple but summery outfit. I love the weather just around right now, because you can go outside without freezing your butt off, and, you have more options for clothing! I was finally able to break out one of my favorite summer skirt, and to top that off, I didn't have to wear leggings underneath! I'm jealous of people who get to live in sunny, tropical places year-round. The last shot of my nails isn't good quality, but if you can't tell, they're purple with silver stripes. Purple and silver look city-chic together, and I wanted to try the trend on my nails today.

I went to my high school's fashion show on Friday!! It was awesome, and I loved seeing the different collections. I'll probably talk about it more later...I seriously need to go to bed now...5:30 swimming tomorrow morning!

Goodnight! Or morning I guess? (haha whatever time it is where you are!)

Longing for Summer

2011-05-04T14:17:00.000-05:00

Inspration: Beach:)) by memestyle97 on Polyvore.com

With the weather warming up, and just a month of school left, I'm looking forward to finally enjoying summer! Unfortunately, my school isn't thinking the same way...there's still finals! Ick...I can't wait till they're over. I made this set for inspiration to make it to June!:)

xoxo

Ozarks Trip Tidbits

2011-04-29T21:42:00.000-05:00

{There was a lot of this cool moss in the woods}

{This rock was actually balanced on the lower one--so cool! Of course, we had to take a holding-up-with-a-finger picture!}

{See the turtle at the bottom of the log? So cute!}

This week has been pretty hectic for me, with multiple hard tests in my classes, rehearsals for a group violin recital tomorrow, and just the general mix. I'm glad it's finally the weekend, but I haven't posted for almost a week! I'm posting a few promised photos from my spring break vacation to the Ozarks. We spent most of our time outdoors, and the parks were soooo pretty! There were wild flowers, budding trees, and other nice spring details while we were there. We didn't take very many pictures, but these show parts of the parks we went to!

I'll post again soon once I have the chance to upload more photos and get organized again!:)

happiness #1

2011-04-24T20:03:00.003-05:00

This week: the simple happiness-inducing pictures involve spring, plants, warm weather, and anything springy.

1. I love being able to wear flip flops again, and paint my toenails fun colors to match. (wearing: Old Navy flip flops, Sally Hansen nail polish)
2. My adorable dog was sitting on our porch the other day, and even though he is usually camera-shy, he let me snap a few pictures of his gorgeous fur and cute face.
3. As you can tell, I'm obsessed with spring, and it's so exciting to see flowers blooming, finally! We have lots of these pretty wild flower-type.
4. Daffodils are one of the first signs of spring, and ours just bloomed!
5. This close-up picture is so bright and sunny...I had to share it.
6. The tree in my yard is budding...it seems like almost all of the trees budded overnight.

These are just the simple things making me happy this week...the weather was gorgeous for the most part, and when the weather is nice, it just seems like the world is so much better:)

Happy Easter to all of you who celebrate it!! I had a great day, with a good church service, lots of yummy candy, a bike ride with my family, and just other fun little things:) I hope everyone else had a great day!!

C is for Cookie

2011-04-22T15:57:00.000-05:00

{Target shirt, Forever21 skirt, Famous Footwear boots, Forever21 tank, Kohl's bangles}

It's finally Friday!! Which means...baking! At least today, because it's a bit miserable outside. Again, I pre-took the outfit photos, and it was too cold to wear a skirt, so I wore jeans and a belt instead. I just finished baking (and devouring) chocolate chip cookies! They taste sooo yummy straight out of the oven, which is when I (of course) had to sample one.

I hope you all enjoy your Fridays, and if I could, I'd give you a cookie! *virtual cookie giving*:)

Pink Polka Dots

2011-04-21T17:00:00.000-05:00


{Target sweater (for less than $5!), Forever21 tank, Ralph Lauren skirt, Montego Bay shoes}

I am slightly embarrassed to admit that these are pre-taken, I planned out some of my outfits for this week and did a little photo shoot over the weekend, haha. I just bought this adorable bright sweater for less than $5!! I love it, and it's perfect for spring. I didn't get to wear this skirt with the sweater though, because it's been to cold this week. I'm ready for spring to fully arrive...

I wanted to take outfit photos today, but my skin had other plans...my face is currently bright red and itchy/painful/hot. I have an allergic reaction to a lotion I used (my skin is ridiculously sensitive!) and that plus a new face wash and too much chlorine exposure (swimming) is not working out well for my face...haha. Hopefully it'll be better tomorrow, I didn't want to scare anyone away with my face;p

I'm so glad it's almost Friday...have a great rest of your day everyone!:)

Summer Guide: Healthy Tips #1

2011-04-15T16:31:00.002-05:00

(joshuanoerr.com)

women4hope.wordpress.com


therapistnyc.com

Today I'm posting a very different subject matter to this blog. To some of you, this may be very weird, but if you haven't noticed yet, I'm trying to expand the horizons of my blog to all of my interests, even though I still mostly post fashion. I'm posting some healthy fitness, health, and exercise tips today. I'm actually extremely interested in fitness and health, especially since I'm a competitive swimmer. I think it would be fun to be a physical therapist or personal trainer or something like that as at least a part-time job when I'm older. Okay, anyway, so here we go!

Food/Diet

-Eating healthy doesn't mean eating bland, tasteless, low-calorie foods! In fact, that's basically the opposite.
-Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water each day.
-If a food is brightly-colored, it is usually healthy. This is especially true for fruits and vegetables.
-Healthy food options are basically endless...here are a few:
-Try a salad with your favorite mix of lettuce/spinach/kale. Add some veggies like carrots, snap peas, etc, walnuts/almonds/favorite nut, and add a salad dressing for a yummy (and healthy!) lunch.
-Always at least one fruit or vegetable (or both!) on to your meal.
-Drink milk at least twice a day.
-Experiment with homemade cooking and baking--try making stir fry with chicken or tofu, pasta with a healthy vegetable sauce, etc! Also, experiment with baking your own snacks like granola bars, muffins, etc.
-ALWAYS eat breakfast!! Research has shown that people who eat a good breakfast focus better throughout the day, and meet their fitness goals faster.
-Remember, nobody can eat healthy ALL the time: you have to treat yourself enough! (believe me, I do...haha)

Exercise

-Try to exercise in the morning: studies have shown that you burn more fat in the morning! It's a great wake-up call, and a quick energy boost for the rest of the day!
-Don't overdo it--if you overdo your workout, you will find yourself exhausted, and it will be harder in the long-run to reach your goals.
-Practice yoga--it increases flexibility and is a great relaxing activity.
-Try exercising outdoors! It makes it so much more fun: try hiking in a nearby park, or running on a dirt trail. You could also practice yoga/strength training outside!
-Make working out fun!! It's not a chore--enjoy it by doing it outdoors, and doing activities that are fun, instead of countless reps of boring exercises: try swimming, running, biking, surfing (if you're lucky enough to live by an ocean!), etc.
-Sneak little bursts of exercise into your day: take the stairs when possible, speed-walk a few laps around your office/school during breaks, etc. I do this during the day, and it gives me so much more energy!
-Do crunches/pushups/other strength training exercises before bed or when you first get up! These can help you burn off fat, burn calories, and give you energy.
-Whatever you do for working out, make it fun, worthwhile, and exciting. If you're not excited to work out, it's time to change up your routine!

Well, that was it for today! I hope you guys realize that health/fitness should be a fun thing, and is not to be overdone. I don't exercise to lose weight, burn fat, or any of that stuff, I do it to stay healthy, happy, and fit. I'm only 13, I obviously don't have the same goals as some adult exercisers, but I think I know a lot of tips, since I've read a LOT of research on fitness. I hope these tips helped all of you--let me know what you think! I'll post more soon, if you guys would like. More Summer Guide posts will be up soon, as well as the pictures I keep forgetting to upload!:)

Plaid Girl

2011-04-13T17:11:00.000-05:00

(Old Navy jean jacket, Target dress, Famous Footwear boots, Old Navy headband)

This outfit is actually from last Friday...I'm way behind, sorry! I have a ton of other pictures, non-outfit mostly, to post still. I loved wearing this outfit...the weather was gorgeous on Friday too! It was so much fun to wear a dress without tights:) I haven't worn shorts yet, except for for running/to swimming, haha.

The weather is gorgeous today as well! I took a longgggg walk/run/hike with my dog today. We went to a nearby park, and it was so amazingly relaxing/fun! I'll be doing that more often...if the weather would just stay warm! We had snow predicted for this weekend yesterday, but now the reports have been canceled for now...(thank goodness!). I wish it would just stay in the 70s! haha.

I'll post again soon with all the stuff I have gotten behind on and forgotten to post!;p

Simplistic Sweetheart Dress:)

2011-04-06T15:51:00.001-05:00

{dress~thrifted, sandals~Famous Footwear}

I wore a VERY simplistic outfit yesterday...I wanted to show off my new dress from the weekend:) I actually got this at a garage sale, but it's super cute and I love the cut/pattern/everything of it. It has an adorable sweetheart neckline too! I just wore a french twisty thing on the front of my hair, and sandals from last summer. My outfit matched the weather pretty well too, it's finally getting warmer! Today, it's absolutely gorgeous outside, I spent a lot of my afternoon in our backyard. If only it would just stay warm...haha. As you all have probably noticed, I don't have a lot of patience! ;)

I'm going back outside...:)

Compare & Contrast.

2011-04-04T16:45:00.000-05:00

Hi guys! I don't have much else to post obviously, but I wanted to post something, so I'm showing you Rebecca Black's song, Friday, and Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon's version. I'm not going to say much about Rebecca Black, since she is only 13, like me, but let's just say, Friday is not the most intelligent song I've ever heard. Fact: Rebecca Black didn't actually write this song, the "rapper" is the one who wrote it. In my opinion, this makes her look even less professional, but people could stop slamming her for the lyrics, haha. The Stephen Colbert/Jimmy Fallon version is much better! I'm being serious, and I think he has a better voice in it. Rebecca Black's voice is obviously auto tuned, but still...
I don't mind people making such a big deal of her in giving her so much attention, because unless she somehow steps up and sings well, she'll eventually just fade away! Give her her month/year of fame!:p

My swim team starts practices tonight!! I have to go finish my homework now...:)

Flowers&Ruffles.

2011-03-29T20:22:00.000-05:00

(Old Navy jeans, shirt, gifted bracelet, gifted hair clip thingie, unknown belt)

I know I posted an outfit similar to this with the same shirt last year, but I wanted to show you a new take on it, with this fun new hairstyle I tried! My hair is finally long enough to do more with it...and so I experimented and did this bun! I loved the way it turned out, and I got a lot of compliments at school, haha. I'll be doing it again soon! haha. I also wore this bun to a concert on Sunday--it was the Ahn Trio, and it was amazing! (they also have great style...check them out on their website here, and their twitter here) They wore super-pretty dresses at the concert, and the cellist (Maria) had these gorgeous purple sparkly legging things.

Not much else to say...other than to tell you the weather! Haha, cause I'm sure ya'll are so interested....today it snowed:( It's already melted though, and warmer weather is supposed to be here soon. Also, (non-weather related!) I'm taking ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) this week, so I'm not sure how much I'll be posting...I'll try though!

xoxo

Flirty Polka Dots

2011-03-22T19:41:00.000-05:00

{jean jacket: Old Navy, shirt: Target, skirt: Forever21, leggings: Old Navy, owl necklace: Ragstock, silver necklace: unknown, ballet flats: Target?, earrings: Target, ring: Claire's}

I actually really liked the outfit I wore today--it's all clothes that I haven't worn in a while, or that are new, so I liked being able to wear them with the weather being warmer! The layered necklaces were actually an experiment this morning when I got dressed--I almost took them off, but I'm glad I didn't now!

Not much else to report...today was pretty typical. The weather is crazy right now though! It's thunder storming outside, with lots of lightning, and there were warnings of tornadoes and hail. The tornado sirens are going on and off right now...yikes!

I feel awful for not posting this sooner, but I wanted to remind you guys to donate to the relief effort in Japan! Please donate even just a dollar--they need our help more than ever right now!! You can donate on sites like Yahoo, Red Cross, etc, but please, please do! If nothing else, keep them in your thoughts and prayers. We had someone come and talk to us from Japan today in school. He was teaching in a high school in Japan at the time of the earthquake, and he told us about his experience. He said that the situation is AWFUL there, and they appreciate all the help we have given already, but it's not enough. The situation with the radiation is supposedly getting better, but the man who talked to us said the Japanese government often tries to make the people relax and stop worrying, but in doing so may be underestimating the true severeness of the radiation. This is just one of the problems there...people are running out of food, places to take shelter, water, and many people are still missing. We need to help! Please donate today, and keep the Japanese people in your thoughts and prayers.

I have a math quiz tomorrow, so I have to go study...

Thanks for reading!:)

Floral Patterns and Greener Grass

2011-03-21T17:33:00.000-05:00

{My sister's Old Navy sweater, tank top from Old Navy (for only $5.48!!!!!, Old Navy jeans, Target sandals (only $4.98!!!!!), flower hair clip from Forever21, butterfly earrings from Claire's}

With yesterday being the official start of spring, I decided to wear something with actual color and shape today! Haha. The tank top and sandals are two of the new things I just bought. They're perfect for spring/summer, and I was excited to wear them today for the first time. It's nice to be able to wear summery clothes already...even if it's with jeans and a sweater!

The weather today was supposed to be in the high 60s-70s, but it didn't feel that warm because of the clouds. I'm still thankful for it though--better than what we've been getting all winter! :p

Monday's almost over for me...well kind of. It's 5:31 PM exactly, and I still have dinner to eat, studying for Algebra, studying for biology...icky! But it has to get done...wish me luck on a math quiz tomorrow, and a biology quiz and test!!

Curly Top

2011-03-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

(sweater from Revival, a cute shop in Iowa City, jeans from Old Navy, tank top from Old Navy, headband from Target (?))

Hi guys! I just got back from a spring break trip in the Ozarks, which is why I haven't posted lately. I wanted to share an outfit with you from a while ago, but I didn't get around to posting it. I liked how my hair turned out in these pictures, and it's funny, because I just had my hair in a messy bun while my hair was wet, and when I took it down, it was like this! I love when that happens, ahaha:)

My trip to the Ozarks was super-fun! It snowed the first day, but by a few days later, it was in the high 70s! Crazy, right? Haha. I went hiking, outlet shopping (I got clothes for swimming, Bath and Body Works body sprays, and birthday presents), and horseback riding! Horseback riding was really fun, especially since I haven't gone since a camp a few years ago, where my horse tried to buck me off. Haha. This time though, my horse was adorable AND well-behaved;)

During vacation, I also swam a lot, and played tennis. We had a NICE pool where we stayed, and we took full advantage of it! The water was warm too, which was weird for me since the pools I swim in for practice are usually cold, which is a good thing for our practices!

I didn't wear fancy clothes during the trip, but I wore a few cute shirts (I might share pictures later if you guys want!). I need to post an update on new purchases, because I have a lot! I also went shopping today, mostly for other people, but I got two new tank tops from Old Navy, CUTE sandals from Target for only $5(!!!), and a hoodie-shirt thingie. In Iowa City a few weeks ago, I bought a few things too, the sweater worn in the pictures above is one of them.

Before I end this post, I wanted to ask you guys something: Are you still interested in my blog? One of the reasons I haven't been posting as much lately is because of the huge decline in feedback and readers. I don't know what's caused it, but I'm sure other bloggers can agree: it isn't much fun blogging when you get basically no feedback (but thanks soooo much to all of you who have been commenting and reading still!!<3), comments, or insight on what you post. I'm not having as much fun posting when I open up this page and see on my new posts: 0 comments. Also, I get ideas of things that I love to post about, and I spend a LONG time making a post, and then it seems like nobody has any interest. I know we all have different interests, but I thought someone else must have interest in what I'm posting! I feel like a lot of people who are commenting are commenting mostly because they feel like they have to, because I commented on their blog. Sorry about this little rant, I just wanted to explain to everyone why it may seem like I'm posting a LOT less. I do appreciate every one of you reading this, so thank you for sticking with me through this year! Also, to all anonymous/google name commenters, please leave blog addresses if you have them! And also, just so that you know, I appreciate all of you too! I can't go to your blogs to thank you, so I am now:)

Thanks for sticking through this long post...haha:)

PS. What do you all think of the new header? I thought the blog needed some new features and pictures!

Move that Boogie Body...:P

2011-03-06T11:10:00.003-06:00

My current favorite videos...:)))

Have a good Sunday!

Summer Guide: Swimsuits

2011-03-02T14:50:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone! I decided that I'm going to do a preparing for summer guide with everything from healthy tips to fashion tips. I'm starting today with a swimsuit guide!

In the set above, I compiled a few one piece suits. These are great if you are modest, or just looking for something different this summer.

In the set above, I picked out bikinis. These are all below $50, but I didn't match any bottoms with it. For this summer, I'm loving florals, vintage-modern twist suits, and little details, like lace, bows, or ruffles.

For the sporty section, I definitely have experience. If you are someone like me, you aren't going to be laying around at the pool or beach. These suits are great because you can swim, run, or mess around in them. I wear suits like these to practice in! You can find some one pieces with super-cute backs. I recommend Speedo, TYR, and Nike for the best practice/sport suits.

Some tips for buying swimsuits...

- When you try one suits, you should pay attention to if there are any wrinkles in the fabric, because the wrinkles will only be more noticeable in the water. They can make your suit baggy.
-Make sure there is a lining in your suit--they extend they longevity of your suit, and prevent see-through problems.
-Pay attention to the material of the suit: believe it or not, polyester is the best material for long-lasting suits, it's what I look for in practice suits.
-Before you buy a suit, make sure you are comfortable in it: try walking, running, laying down, sitting, and jumping before you buy it.
-Don't buy it unless you really like it!:)

Good luck!:))

PS. Blogger/Polyvore are pains in the butt when you're making a post like this! Sorry for the empty space at the bottom, and the cut-off pictures! Click on them to see the full thing:)

Born This Way

2011-02-21T11:24:00.002-06:00

(youtube.com)

Hi everyone! As usual, I haven't posted in forever. I just wanted to say hello to everyone, and share Lady Gaga's new song, "Born This Way" with you. I love the song, and I also think it's a great song for all the people in the world who have disabilities, or are different. It's very cool for Lady Gaga to do this, because it sends out the message that no matter where you're from, what you're like, or who you're attracted to, you should be accepted for who you are, and you should accept who you are. I also just love the song...haha.

I have mixed feelings on Lady Gaga, but overall, I think she's great. Extremely strange, but great. She stands up for (mostly) what is right. She can be over the top, and from what I've heard, she doesn't take very good care of herself. I like a lot of her music though, and I like the message her newest song sends.

I know I haven't been posting at all consistently, but to be honest with you guys, I haven't been having the greatest year lately...I'm at a really hard school with a lot of homework, and the pressure of finals, and everything else is tough. Also, my swimming season is not going well. At the second to last meet last weekend, I didn't do well, and I was not expecting that, because I worked harder than I ever have this season. Also, being a middle-schooler is not all fun and games. A lot of kids at my school are just aggravating, like the ones who make fun of people with disabilities and differences. I know this doesn't directly affect me, but it is hard to be at school everyday with this kind of immaturity...:/

Things are looking up though. I'm working hard in school, and it's finally starting to pay off, even if it's a slow process. I've found that some middle-schoolers just need to grow up, and I can't do anything about it, except for making sure I'm with the right group of people, and being kind to everyone. As for swimming, I know I can do better, and I'll be working my derriere off next season in practice. Also, our state meet is coming up this weekend, and I'm excited for that, because maybe now, my work will pay off!

Anyway, I hope you guys put up with all my ranting...I'll try to post soon again! Tell me what you think of the song!:)

S-N-O-W D-A-Y

2011-02-02T20:53:00.000-06:00

(Old Navy shirt, Forever21 skirt, Famous Footwear (?) boots, random tights&headband)

Hi everyone! Today, we got our first snow day of the year!!! I had a fun day, even though we couldn't go anywhere. The pictures above are from a few days ago...my outfit. I was too lazy to upload them...sowwwy:p

I spent my day sleeping until around 8:30 (which is a LONG time for me!), and then making a breakfast burrito (whole wheat tortilla, scrambled eggs, and cheese, and yes, it was delicious), and then lazing around in my pink snowflake pajamas. When my dad finally made me get dressed, I changed into yoga pants and a sweatshirt. Yes, I do have lazy days...haha. I also accessorized with a ponytail, fuzzy socks, and comfy slippers:D For lunch, I had grilled cheese, chocolate milk, and an apple. After lunch, I went on the computer for awhile, got kicked off the computer by mi madre, and finally resorted to reading magazines. I studied for awhile (math, Spanish, English, biology...the list goes on...), and then baked some yummy chocolate chip cookies. I then vacuumed my room, and cleaned both my room and my sibling's, and annoyed my sister. Haha. For dinner I had Chicken Alfredo stuffed noodles, green beans, chocolate milk, berries, and a cookie. After dinner, I went into our basement with my siblings, played some games, and then had a crazy dance fest. Which brings us to now...

I'm currently sitting on my bed, writing this blog post. After this, I plan to do a little pampering, aka using extra face wash and lotion, ahaha. Then, I'll do some planning, pack up my lunch/backpack, and call it a day. I will then retreat to my bed, wearing my fuzzy, comfy pajamas, and snuggle up under my new fuzzy blankets and fluffy pillow. Ahhhhhh:)

Is it weird that I'm telling you all this? I just basically listed out my whole day, in great detail. And is it weird that I told you exactly what I ate today? And what I wore? In a way, it was kind of therapeutic, given that I had SUCH a stressful day...haha.

I kind of really hope that school isn't hard tomorrow...ugh. It will be hard getting back to normal schedule...on Tuesday we ended up having an early out.

I hope you all had great days, and hopefully snow days! :)