"The Flowers"

 Photo courtesy of V and Co. (and Allison of Cluck. Cluck. Sew.)

How adorable is this pillow?  I found the tutorial for how to make this (Yes, make it!) on the blog V and Co.

If I were more crafty and had a sewing machine I would totally do this.  I think the most fun part would be mixing and matching colors and patterns for the flower and the actual pillowcase.

I went out "window shopping" today and came back with two $10 shirts from Gap.  I have a ton of stuff on my wish list, but I absolutely cannot spend any more money.  UGH.  I especially loved a jacket and shorts from Lululemon, but the prices are ridiculous.  I was surprised that J.Crew had absolutely NOTHING I wanted.  I'm bothered that they don't have a better shoe selection in store.

While I was shopping I got a ton of compliments on my new scarf from ModCloth.com!  I look like shit today so I don't have a current picture of the scarf, but I took a picture of myself wearing it when I got in the mail.  I'm a fucking cheeseball...

"Tie the Rope"

Inspired by the cute tops from Anthropologie (and a classmate who wears the most adorably delicate bow ring--Hi if you're reading!), I'm really feelin' stuff with ribbon bows and the like.  Although it may seem overtly girly and in-your-face, I love the silky oversized bows that I've been seeing lately.

On the left is the "Presently Perfect" top ($68), and on the right is the "Blushing Bow" top ($68).  Both are made for lounging around the house, but as most women dress on the casual side, I'm sure these will work outside of the house with some cropped skinny jeans and cute flats.

On the left is the "Ring of Bows" tank ($68) and on the right is the "Pearly Glow" tank ($68).  Anthro definitely loves pricing things at $68!  That's too expensive for me, but they also always have GREAT sales.  I'm hoping that one of these goes on sale since all of them are adorable.

Lastly, we have the most casual item out of the bunch (Bow Print Vest from Topshop, $50).  Also much too expensive, especially considering it is a cotton tank (!) but it's the prettiest shade of pale pink.  It's definitely more young and fun than the others, like what you'd wear with your bikini and denim cutoffs to the beach.

"Hey"

I don't like it when people judge me because of how much money I spend on certain things.  It's my money, not yours!

Anyway, the weekend is almost over, and it makes me so sad!  I got to see many high school friends on Friday, but stayed up til 7 a.m. working on the introduction section of a joint research paper.  Who knew it would take so long?

Blueberry scones turned out pretty well!  I have to make an entry for it, but uploading pictures and being creative takes too long.  I shall post it up soon :)

The sandals in this post are on sale, but at $99 it still isn't cheap enough to buy.  Le sigh.

"Sweet Disposition"

So I think I'm gonna be cheesy and pick random song titles as the titles of my posts.  Most will probably not have any special meaning, so don't read too much into things.

I'm so glad that this "week" is over!  Well, I still have to meet with my research group to discuss the Introduction section of our paper, but that's nothing.  Definitely made a couple mistakes on my midterm, and maybe one on my quiz--nothing dreadful.  I really want to impress this professor since he's the Chief of Audiology/Speech-Language Pathology at one of the Veterans Administration hospitals.  I would love to work in the hospitals my first few years out of grad. school, and the VA system would be an amazing place to learn more and be challenged!

To "reward" myself I decided to do some online shopping of the Nordstrom anniversary sale.  I honestly didn't see too much I wanted, and what I did want was too expensive.  I settled on a few items, but spent $200 to get free shipping haha.  I plan on returning most of it...

I've been golfing a lot lately (at night), so my uniform is Hard Tail yoga pants + a comfy shirt and jacket to ward off bug bites.  Since I only have one pair, I decided to splurge on another since they were on sale.

 Hard Tail Roll Waist Pants - $44.90

I can probably find cheaper yoga pants elsewhere, but lately I've been reminded that you really get what you pay for since my Target and F21 clothes are falling apart as we speak.  I've had my one pair of Hard Tail pants since 2006 and they're still going strong!

Ella Moss "Sedona" shorts - $98

These shorts were just way too adorable to pass up, but I don't really tuck my shirts in.  I love that it can be dressed up, and it would be cute with tights and boots when cold weather strikes.  If I try it with a bunch of tops tucked in and none work, it's going back.  We'll see if it's worth the price when it comes!

Tarnish stripe scarf - $23.90

I'm a big scarf fan, but I surprisingly do not have a scarf with grey tones in it.  I'm a big fan of the brights :)  This is probably gonna be one of the two things I keep since it can be worn during the summer or winter with almost anything.

DV by Dolce Vita "Ontario" sandal - $29.90

This sandal came in so many different colors, it was difficult to pick one!  I've been wanting some crazy-colored sandals (hot pink or turquoise), but the rational side of me decided that white was a good choice.  I've been wanting the Steve Madden "Sanfrann" sandals in white, but I'm pretty sure they've been sold out since last year.  These are my consolation prize!

Food + music post

http://itsnotdoneuntilyouseesmoke.blogspot.com/

Beef stew!  Try it, you'll like it :)

When I'm stressed, music is also a calming influence.  Here's what's on my playlist right now:

1. Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over    [love her voice!]
2. Justin Nozuka - My Heart Is Yours    [can he please serenade this to me?]
3. Gabriel and Dresden - Tracking Treasure Down    [great workout song]
4. Brandon Boyd - The Wild Trapeze    [his new solo stuff is pretty good, still very much like Incubus]
5. Neon Trees - Animal     [I normally HATE music that's been in a commercial, but this one is catchy]
6. Black Eyed Peas - Rock That Body     [pure fun]
7. Muse - Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)    [let's ignore the fact that this is on the Eclipse soundtrack]

Super stressed...

Big tests/quizzes these next two weeks, plus lots of research to do.  Who knew it'd be so hard to find relevant articles related to gender differences in language comprehension?

I was a major bitch this weekend due to stress and hormones, le sigh.  Hopefully it'll be better once this week is over!

I think I'm in need of a window shopping day (and a cupcake-eating day, but that will come next week).  Magnolia Bakery just opened up in LA this weekend, but I of course had no time to go.  A couple girlfriends from class and I are gonna head out there next week when we're less busy.

I'm so excited!

New blog!

I think that this blog will now be solely about fashion, shopping, and my "personal" life.

Cheers to a new cooking blog with my brother!

I'm the little fatty in the bunny suit.

http://itsnotdoneuntilyouseesmoke.blogspot.com/

It's a bit wordy, but just bookmark it or follow it for some yummy and not-so-yummy recipes and food adventures!

First post by me will most likely be cheddar-dill scones!  It'll probably end up being a MISadventure ;)

Enjoy my brother's humorous take on my mom's cooking!

Chop-chop.

Necesito un haircut. 

(that is a look of disgust on my face...)

Not sure how short I want to go (or what style I want), but I definitely want to hack off at least 6 inches.  I hate that I never have a good "example" picture of what I want for my hairstylists when I go.

I went to an Aveda salon the last time and really liked it.  For $40, I was very happy, so I think I'm going back there again!

Cooking (and restaurants)

So I've kinda been ignoring the foodie aspect of my blog...

I blame it on school and my constant exhaustion.  Well, I'm not constantly exhausted, but when dinner time comes around I'd much rather go to a restaurant I've been meaning to try than go to the supermarket and search for ingredients.  AND when I'm at a restaurant, I'm so excited about food, I forget to take pictures!

Things I plan on cooking/baking in the NEAR future (and posting):

• Cheddar dill scones.
• If those are a success, some sort of sweet scone.
• Barbacoa beef - If you love Chipotle, you will love me and my recipe! + homemade corn salsa + homemade guacamole + cilantro-lime rice.  I go all out when I make my barbacoa :)
• Lemon bars.
• Green bean risotto - I've alluded to it in the past, but have never made a post about it.
• Baby back ribs.
• Have yet to find a recipe for it, but hollandaise sauce for my favorite: eggs benedict.

Places I plan on going to and reviewing on here + Yelp:

• Julienne in San Marino
• Pizzeria Mozza and/or Ice Pan in WeHo
• Blu Jam Cafe in WeHo/LA
• Umami Burger (YES, I'm late with that... but come on, who wants to deal with parking and driving over there?)
• BLD
• Alcove Bakery/Cafe
• and ANY tea room!  I'm trying to find the best in LA :)  Already tried the Huntington Garden tea room, and it's just "eh."

Temptations await me!

I have to return a pair of jean shorts that I bought from Madewell.com to the Madewell store...

Pray that I won't succumb to the many cute clothes that will be staring at me from their hangers!

I always say I'm on a shopping ban, but it never happens...

I feel like this post is naked without a picture, so here is one from Saturday.

Ruffled camisole: Love 21 by Forever 21

Gray capris: Gap

Silver sandals: "Gigi" by Sam Edelman

Too bad I don't have a photographer for all of my outfits like real fashion bloggers out there, hahaha. 

J. Crew love.

I swear, J. Crew and Madewell will cause me to go bankrupt!

I haven't bought anything, but I do want everything... in particular, these gladiator sandals.  I have cute sandals in gold and another in silver, but I don't have any black or brown sandals (unless you count Rainbow flip flops as my brown "sandals").

These would be a perfect addition to my sandal collection:

"Reese" studded back-zip gladiator sandals, $138. 

Definitely out of my price range, but I scored my gold sandals at J. Crew for $30, originally $90!  Maybe if I scout out J. Crew stores long enough, I can find these on sale.  Thank goodness I have huge feet, because 10s are always left behind.

Also, I'm pretty set on having my future bridesmaids wear dresses by J. Crew, and this is a favorite:

Linen-silk "Milla" dress, $198.

The dress only comes in this color ("neon peach") and black, but I did want peach and/or pale aqua (Tiffany blue) to be my wedding colors!

I'm getting way ahead of myself with the wedding ideas, but I was also never one of those little girls planning my dream wedding at age 10 (I'm behind in the game!)  Now is my planning time, at a much more realistic age :)

93.

This weekend was mostly spend studying, but Saturday was pretty fun!

Pick up game prior to the 20-year old meanies joining them.

Darryl and some of his uncles and cousins decided to play basketball at a park in Irvine before their great uncle's 93rd birthday bash.  Despite their team consisting of three guys aged 50+, two middle-agers, and one 24-year old, they kicked the asses of these five 20-something guys three times!!!  Granted, the middle-agers play weekly in leagues consisting of a few retired NBA and D-1 college players, haha.  Those 20-year olds were PISSED, especially this one Chinese guy wearing a religious shirt (who was rude, unfair, and not "Christian" at all).  God and the bible taught you to act like rude, whiny, disrespectful, and violent cry babies?

Another pick up game prior to the 20-year old meanies :)

Break time.

The trash-talking side of me came out in front of some of Darryl's relatives, but thankfully they didn't mind!  Darryl even got mad at one of the guys.  That NEVER happens!  This shows you how rude these guys were.

After they cleaned up (and two showers broke, yikes), we were all off to a beautiful house in Newport Beach.  Apparently Kobe lives in their neighborhood.... dayum!

Yummy food was eaten, stories were told, presents were opened, and cards were played.  It was a good weekend!

Mm, Peonies.

Totally going to be my wedding flower.  Even if they are twice as expensive as roses (wholesale roses=$2-$3, wholesale peonies=$4-$6).  Thankfully they're huge so they take up twice as much space!

*edit:  Apparently Trader Joe's (love) sells 6 for $5.99!  Hmm, I sense a small wedding with long and narrow cafeteria-style tables and small centerpieces every few seats.

Um, hello cold weather.

So I was visiting Fullerton since I had a long weekend, and it was FREEZING today!  Not a ray of sunshine hit my face until 4 pm, and I wanted to bundle up in a sweater, jeans, boots, and a scarf for the first time in months.  I'd guess that it was 65 degrees for half of the day (Californians would agree that that is cold, hehe).

I complain about the heat, but when it's gone, boy do I miss it!

This outfit would have been perfect for today:

This woman can do no wrong in my eyes.  She makes the simplest outfits look glam, and most of her expensive pieces have cheap counterparts that look just as good.  Where can you NOT find a black scarf, leggings/skinny jeans, or a gray sweater for cheap?  Those boots may be hard to find... but any rugged pair would do.

Awesome 4th of July!

As usual, my house was jam packed with relatives and friends as we celebrated the 4th of July with tons of delicious food and illegal fireworks.  We're slowly getting toddlers into the mix after a little more than a decade of only teens and adults.  It was a 4th of July to remember for my brother's friend's adorable son!

The little guy :)

The other block's illegals.  Not a great picture; fireworks are hard to capture!

I have no pictures of our illegal fireworks (just our legal ones), but I took a video of our neighboring block's illegals.  Gorgeous, but, not as good as ours!  :)

Love is in the air!

Wow, so within the past couple months, 4 couples in which I know one or both people in the couple (all my age) got engaged!  Congratulations to all of them.

It seems like 2 years after undergraduate graduation is a popular time to propose?  One of my girlfriends from the Masters program had a similar experience with her friends last year (and she's a year older than I am.)

I was bored so I was looking at some ridiculously expensive wedding dresses.  Surprisingly, I really only liked one of the dresses by Monique Lhuillier!  That's good for my future wedding budget :)  Apparently I don't enjoy ornate gowns with long trains, who knew.

It's a little too lingerie-inspired for me (lace is def. Monique's thing), but I LOVE the overall silhouette of the dress.  Strapless sweetheart neckline, cinched waist, A-line skirt.  Yummy.

Madewell love.

 L: Madewell "Floaty Floral" dress, $158.   R: Madewell jumper - SOLD OUT online, obvs.

So many celebrities are wearing Madewell these days!  Jessica Alba has been my favorite so far.  She keeps everything so simple yet looks so chic.  I think it helps that she's also super gorgeous...!  Can I please look like that after having a baby?

My favorite is definitely the jumper.  I saw it at the Glendale store, if anyone wants to spend lots of money on a jumper!  I'll stick with my Target jumpers :)

Old wish list I found...

Funnily enough, I've completed quite a few of these items!!  Additions in blue.

December, 2008:

	1. A meal at Craft in LA.  I love Top Chef, I love Tom Colicchio, and I love food... so why wouldn't I love Craft?  Maybe the price would cause me to not love it.... but this meal would be a gift of course : )  Nope, besides, I hear it's overrated. 2. A 7 1/4 Qt. Round Dutch Oven from Le Creuset (in white, lime, or blue since RED is a dreadful color that will never be allowed in my future home.)  Or any kind of stoneware from them.  I now have around 3 Le Creuset items which I LOVE!  One in blue, one in white, and one in lime :) 3. A short weekend trip to wine country (including a free meal at The French Laundry!)  (I would also wish for higher alcohol tolerance!)  Woot.  I'm going to wine country this September with one of my favorite grad school buddies.  Ad Hoc is our restaurant of choice, though :) 4. A double-stacked oven so I can make like 6 dozen cookies all at once.  Plus, my brother gave me my Christmas present early -- a KitchenAid Professional 600 Stand Mixer!!  He's so ridiculous, but a double stack would be perfect to go along with the mixer.  Nope. 5. A 16GB iPod Touch.  I don't really need one since I love my Nano, but it would be so fun to play with!  I guess an iPhone would make more sense then...... : )  Yup, 32GB iPod Touch, biatch. 6. A PS3.  AND GOD OF WAR 3!!!!!  I love that series... but they are taking way too long to come out with the 3rd installment.  God of War 3 was SUCH a disappointment, but check and check. 7. Mario Kart for Wii.  Yup, with steering wheel controllers! 8. A gorgeous wallet that can hold all of my cards, money, gift cards, and random junk.  I've been searching for the perfect wallet but I can't find it (or it's way too expensive.)  I got the perfect budget friendly wallet from Anthropologie.  LOVE it! 9. A good pair of 3" black pumps that do not make my feet hurt!  I have yet to find any like that... Found a great 4" platform pump from Cole Haan.  Have yet to wear them, though... 10. A 4 bed/4 bath house, and a Cavalier King Charles (or Welsh Corgi) puppy : ) Um, this will not happen for at LEAST 10 years.		"

Inspiration

I'm not engaged or getting married yet, but I can't help but browse for cute wedding ideas!

I may periodically post such things when they strike me as something I would do.  It's fun to think about such things...

I'm such a cheeseball, but HOW PERFECT!!  I'm not sure how this couple used the mugs, but I'm thinking that it was probably at the guestbook table.

If my wedding does not incorporate Tiffany blue and pink I will be slightly sad, but at least I won't be cliche, hehe.  But come ON, such a great wedding cake color, right?

This WILL be my bouquet.  Gorg.

June Gloom

Lately the weather has been kind of weird.  Morning gloom, afternoon heat, freezing nights (a perk and a burden of getting out of class at 9:30 pm!)  But I do love gray skies, and I'm especially loving gray skirts!

I've also been on a big neon kick, and I love this J.Crew tee I just got in neon pink.  Sadly it's not available online, but I've been wearing the crap out of this AMAZING neon lime shirt from Nordstrom that is now $9.90!!!  Buy it, you won't regret it.  Super soft, comfy, and versatile!

I'm glad that my love of neon goes with my love of gray, so here are a few gray skirts I've been eye-ing.  Madewell, please put the Mariposa skirt on sale?  Pretty please?

 Adorable "Rah-rah-rumba" skirt from Anthropologie for $78.

My beloved "Mariposa" skirt from Madewell for $88.

 On a more budget friendly note, this mixed media dress by ELLE from Kohl's fits SO well ($37.99).  Sadly I still do not believe in spending more than $30 on something from Kohl's so I refuse to buy it until I get a coupon!

 

 On a sexier note, this body-con mini skirt from Express is budget friendly ($59.50, compared to Pleasure Doing Business and Herve Leger) and great for a night out with the girls!