Keepin' it as Simple as a Pimple

Nationality has been on my mind a lot lately. For some heart breaking political reasons, which I won't get into now, as I'm not sure this is the time or place, but also for some more simplistic outward reasons as well. The chief of which being the fact that I'm often confused for being a variety of different nationalities. Some I can understand and others not so much. I've gotten, Brazilian, Asian, Islander, Arabic, Colombian, etc. I usually enjoy hearing people's guesses as to where I'm from and then let it pass from my mind. In fact, just the other day one of my female co-workers stopped me in the middle of the hall and demanded to see my eyes. Obviously I let her, although, I was slightly tempted to say, "No, weirdo. Chu wanna look at my eyes fo?" Anyway, after staring me down for a few seconds she addressed me thus, "why do you look Asian today?" Obviously I had no answer to this because, um, how should I know why I happen to look Asian to her? Anyway, she then told me it must be my makeup, to which I just said sure, because um, my makeup looked exactly the same that day as it does every other day. Anyhow, her comment stuck with me, not because it's I think the third or fourth time someone has told me I look Asian, but because it got me to wondering what I actually look like to other people. I mean, when I look in the mirror I just see me, but what is everybody else seeing that they think I'm Brazilian, Asian, or Arabic? Tis cray. Anyway, do you guys ever forget what you even look like, or is that just me? Because I forget what my face looks like on a regular basis, so when I happen to pass my reflection I'm like, "Whoa. So that's what I look like. I forgot. Interesssssting. I have a face." Weird, I know. Also, I'm told, by my sister anyway, that I make the most crazy (and I'm pretty sure downright ugly at times) expressions. I love me some good and crazy facial expressions, though, so I have no shame in contorting my face into beastly forms. ;) Tis fun!

top: aerie
jeans: American Eagle
purse: aldos similar
shoes: F21
watch: bohme
bracelet: bohme
photos: Rachel Laukat Photography

For this look today I decided to keep it uber simple and relaxed. Some days just call for baby soft boyfriend tees and perfectly worn in torn boyfriend jeans, ja feel? I think the key to simple looks, though, is spicing them up with fun accessories. I decided to spruce this look up with this fun bag, and a little jewelry metal mixing with my rose gold watch and spiked silver bracelet. Also, loafers, dudes. Staple piece to any comfy look.

Much love!

P.S.
Check out Rachel's photography website. This girl is mega talented and UBER nice! If you're in the Utah area and in need of photos, hit her up!

Like Cookies & Pickles

Sooo, I went to the dentist last week for a cleaning. I know this is so gross to admit, but I honestly hadn't gone in to see a dentist for a cleaning, much less anything else, in a while. Life just got so crazy and stressful shortly after I graduated high school (four years ago) and going to the dentist just sort of fell to the back burner. Anyway, I went into the cleaning totally dreading it. I mean, who likes going into the dentist (Sorry Alisha)? I mean, I certainly never have. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was that demon child that the dentist dreaded having to help. I'm pretty sure in his spare time he referred to me as the spawn of Satan and likely still has nightmares about me to this day. ;) Me and dentists have just never mixed. It's like pickles and cookies. Polar opposites. I would be the cookies in that equation, of course. ;) Anyway, I was just the kind of kid that would tear his hand right out of my mouth at the first sign of discomfort. Even if all he was doing was spraying ice cold water in my mouth. I know, pretty awful. I just have a low tolerance for mouth pain. Any other kind of pain, though? I'm boss at handling. I have literally had one of my internal organs explode on me and not even batted an eyelash. But spray cold water on my teeth? I flip out. Oh, and of course I forgot to bring my earphones so I could avoid having to hear that stomach curdling scraping. Yick. Which, funny story about that, actually. When the scraping started, my stomach literally started curdling. The second the sweet hygienist that was doing my cleaning started the scraping I literally almost threw up on her hand. I don't know what it was, but something about that sound just made me so disgustingly nauseous. I had to fight so hard not to send chunks of my breakfast, a green smoothie, flying everywhere. And yes, you all totally needed that mental image. ;)

dress: ASOS
shoes: ZooShoo
purse: Aldo's 
jewelry: F21
photos: EmmyLowePhoto

Gross dentist stories aside, though, I am totally in loooove with this dress! It's so light, airy, and totally perfect for this vomitrocious heat! Not to mention that floral pattern is to DIE for. Little secret? It's actually a maternity dress. I know, I know, super weird of me to go out and buy a maternity dress but as I was looking through ASOS' summer sale dresses I spotted it and fell so much in love with it I decided to get it anyway. I got it in their smallest size possible hoping the fit wouldn't be too big. The waist is still pretty loose, for obvious reasons (I'm not pregnant), but throw on a belt and problem solved! Also, these cute little F21 accessories and tiny powder blue Aldo's bag are so darling! I was going for a girly light summer look and I fee like the accessories totally tied that look together for me!

Much love!

Dear old Alfred

I've got one thing on my mind and one thing only...BATMAN. I know I already talked about it yesterday but I'm on the last movie in the trilogy and I'm still pretty obsessed. Also, my DVD player is probably older than I am. I think it may even be the first DVD player ever made. Seriously. It has no pause button, fast forward button, rewind button, or menu arrows. Apparently back in the day you either watched yo movie all at once or not at all. Missed something? Too bad. Ya can't rewind. Need to pee? Pee yo pants cause ya can't pause. Bored of a certain scene? Well then boohoo, why'd you rent the movie because ya can't fast forward either. It's pretty funny, actually and I actually kind of like it because it forces me to pay more attention then I would have otherwise. Also, I ALWAYS cry at the scene when Bruce kicks out poor Alfred. I love Alfred, he's the sweetest old guy ever and yes, I'm officially the nerdiest nerd out there. I mean, who else cries at a super hero movie?

blazer: h&m
top: gap similar
shorts: abercrombie similar
shoes: ZooShoo similar
belt: h&m
purse: F21

I literally have nothing to say about this outfit. Not because I don't like it, but because I'm too engrossed in "The Dark Knight" rises at the mo. I will say this, though, I'd been looking for a good pair of nude heeled sandals for ages and when I found these on ZooShoo and scored them for $20 I was beyond ecstatic! They are a dream and I've already worn them a thousand and one times! The only thing I did notice about my recent orders from ZooShoo is that their sizes run a little small so I'd recommend going a half size up! 

Much love!

Because I'm...Batman!

Remember how I mentioned yesterday that I was hording up the Batman trilogy in my room? Well, I just started my little tete-a-tete with The Bat. Man, I love those movies. Most well done super hero movies ever. EVER. Also, I have a sweet spot for them because back in middle school my little sister and I used to have a bit of a crush (ok, a MAJOR crush) on Christian Bale. SUCH. A babe. I remember the summer in between eighth and ninth grade she and I ordered EVERY Christian Bale movie available on Netflix. Of course, this was back when Netflix only mailed DVD's out to you. Heehee, DVD mailing. ;) Anyway, that summer we watched everything Christian Bale. Well, excepting "American Psycho". Understandably, my dad had us send it back the second he realized we had ordered it. Course, we had no idea that "American Psycho" wasn't exactly a friendly movie, although, we should've guessed by the fact that it has the word "psycho" in the title. Anyway, he didn't want us to, get ready a Batman quote is coming up, "burden ourselves with the secrets of scary men". Anyway, JUST watched the Christian Bale "push up" scene in "Batman Begins". MmmmMmmm, biceps. ;) Also, Katie Holmes is AAAAdorable in the movie!

leather jacket: Betsey Johnson via Nordstrom similar
top: h&m 
shorts: abercrombie similar
purse: Aldo's similar
sunglasses: hot topic

I know you can't see it, but it was totally raining on me during this shoot! (Ok, more like sprinkling;) It was actually kind of funny because I had put together this outfit as my "rainy summer day" look. :) Leather jackets are the perfect way to keep the chills away on a rainy summer day! They're thick enough to keep you warm but thin enough to keep you from getting too hot. Also, I'm OBsessed with this jacket. Remember how I had mentioned a while back that I had gotten a Betsey Johnson leather jacket when Nordstrom was having their super sale? Well, this is the jacket! It. Is. Killer. I know I'm going to be wearing it NON-STOP when Fall hits! Anyway, I thought the perfect way to keep the look still light and summery would be to pair it with some slouchy boyfriend shorts, a bright bag, and heart shaped mirrored sunnies! Which, by the way, this is the third pair of sunnies I got in Vegas, and I luuuurve them! I think the heart shape is just so fun for summer! Oh, and this bag? My sissy and I fell in love with it when we stopped by the Aldo's in Vegas and decided we should go halfsies on it and split the cost!

Much love!

"Do you even LIFT Mr. Wayne?"

The point, Alfred, was to watch Christian Bale do pushups. ;)

Marky Mark

Sooooo....I finished reading Pride & Prejudice...for the umpteenth time. I must say, it was just as captivating as the first, second, third...and hundredth time I read it. ;) Every reading of Pride & Prejudice must of course be followed by an immediate watching of the 2005 film version of the book. Yes, I realize what an immense nerd I am. Even amongst nerds I am considered an even odder sort of nerd. Anyway, I'm usually a huge fan of the 2005 film adaptation of the book, the actors, their portrayals of the roles, the MUSIC, my gosh, the music is DIVINE. Dario Marianelli is a musical genius. Anyway, this time around, I wasn't quite as captivated by the movie. The teeny little differences from the book and the fact that it moves so quickly kind of got on my nerves a smidge. The whole beauty of Pride & Prejudice is how long it takes for Lizzy and Darcy to come to terms with their love for each other. Aaaaand now I'm just straight up writing you guys an essay about Pride & Prejudice, which, actually, I was thinking this as I read it, "Man, I'd LOVE to write an essay about P&P. I know exactly what I would discuss, the points in the story I would dissect, the characters and symbols I would go over, etc. I'd love to have another go at an AP English Lit exam just for the joy of writing the essays." This is seriously a thought that I had. If that isn't enough confirmation for you all of how much of a nerd I am, more specifically an English Literature nerd, than I'm sure nothing else I can say will convince you all of it. ;) Also, I am currently hording "The Italian Job", "Flipped", and the complete Batman trilogy in my bedroom right now. I've already watched "The Italian Job", which, honestly, was only included in my DVD hording because I watched "Transformers" over the weekend (it was awesome and hilarious, albeit loooooong) and it got me hankering to see Mark Walberg, aka "Marky Mark", as a youngin'!

dress: c/o Chic Wish
shoes: Aldo's similar
hat: h&m

Now that I've probably bored you all silly with my raptures on a book that no one but myself cares a dime about, let's get onto the outfit! This dress is my "it" dress, you guys! Ya know, the kind of dress that the moment you put it on you feel instantly awesome? I've already worn it a good few times since I got it, and I will be posting two other ways to wear it in the coming weeks! When I saw it on Chic Wish's site I knew I had to have it! Not only did I fall in love with that stunning floral print, but I loved that it was purple, which, I'm very much sweet on this season! I know it's not quite "radiant orchid" but I'm crushing on any form of purple right now! Anyway, it is my belief that every girl needs, nay, deserves, an "it" dress so go check out Chic Wish's collection of dresses to get yoself one! I ordered mine in a size small and it was a touch too big 'round the waist, which consequently caused me to have to belt it which then caused it to be a tad shorter than I would've liked, as belting always does, so I'd order half a size smaller for this particular dress if I were you! Otherwise, though, Chic Wish's sizing is usually pretty accurate! Next, these shoes are SPECtacular, you guys! They're the ONE pair of shoes I managed to snag while I was in Vegas, and for a song too! I'm flippin' in love with them! They always make me feel like a dainty little ballerina when I put them on and they're so chic! Anyway, I've got my perfect "summer dress" look down pat now, thanks to these cute little items!

Much love!

Hello My Name is Carl

Reason #108 why I don't like summer: The Butt Burn. You all know what I'm talking about. When you get into your vehicle after it's been sitting in the sun all day, and not only does it feel like a suffocatingly hot sauna, but the seats have gotten so hot they could serve as a stove top on which you could fry yourself up some eggs, hash browns, and bacon. Which, honestly, once yo buns hit that seat they in fact turn into the sizzling aforementioned bacon! Yee. Ouch. Don't even get me started on the pain of bare leg skin on hot LEATHER seats. Kind of makes you want to sing/yell, "My, butt is on fiyahhhhhhh!" to the tune of Alicia Key's "This girl is on Fire". Reason #109? I get tired ten times faster on my runs if I run anytime after 8am due to the extreme heat. That, and ninety percent of the time I forget water, so I have to quit after only a few miles because I don't want to die of dehydration. Anyway, that's my little shpeel on Summer for the day. Also, life is good you guys. Just when I think I've reached the point of giving myself an ulcer from stressin', the Lord pulls through for me (like always, I don't know why I stress at all, if I know God is on my side. I am lame.) I am a blessed human. I'm thankful for that. Oh, and as a completely unrelated side note, the stickers for the special license plates at work smelled like baby poop yesterday. The warm liquidy green kind, too. Yick. Also, why is awesomeness a word but liquidy isn't? That don't make no sense. FYI, "that don't make no sense" is a direct quote from "Baby Mama". Yes, I have 90% of the lines in that movie memorized. I'm pretty sure I could take over Dax Shepard's role and play Carl. I would be an AWEsome Carl.

top: Old Navy 
skirt: c/o Agnes & Dora similar
sandals: ZooShoo sold out, here is the Steve Madden version
hat: h&m
purse: F21 similar
small necklace: F21
large necklace: American Eagle

I have a lot of outfit chitchat for you all today so let's just jump right into it. First, red and turquoise? My FAVORITE summer color combo! I love how they look together! Next, I bought this shirt 4 sizes too big. Yeah, I know, that sounds crazy. But I wanted a really relaxed loose fit that would look fun and slouchy and also be long enough to wear tied, like I did today. Also, two words: layered necklaces. I'm obsessed. I love layering different necklaces together, It just adds an effortless touch of chic to an outfit. Next, these sandals? I love 'em. I got them at an online shoe shop I found recently, ZooShoo. I may or may not have gone a little crazy and bought three, yes THREE, pairs of boots, and a pair of heels. I couldn't help myself, though, their shoes are CARAZY adorable and CARAZY affordable. I got, 40% off my purchase! They also carry brands like Steve Madden, Sam Edelman, Chinese Laundry, etc. Which, of course, are a little pricier, but still, they gots it all. Also, I'm currently really feelin' my soft indie music playlist. I've been jammin' out to it as I type. Every time an extra good song comes on, which is pretty much EVERY single one of them, I turn it up and think, "dis ma jam!" Which then causes me to giggle because who else in the world cranks up soft INDIE music and thinks, "dis ma jam", much less JAMS out to it? Only me...probably. Anyway, you all know how I love to share my music, so here is my playlist. Listen to it, love it, jam out to it. It has been the careful work and cultivation of years of music listening so it is dang well near perfect, in my opinion. ;) 

Much love!