My Hair is Full of Secrets...just sayin'

Top of the mornin' to you all loves. Guess what? My hair is full secrets. Nah, just kidding. It's just that the other day, when I wore this outfit, my sister asked me how I got my hair so big. Of course we couldn't then resist quoting mean girls and said, "Gretchen Wieners knows everybody's business, she knows everything about everyone. That's why her hair is so big, it's full of secrets." Therefore, by that logic, my hair is also full of secrets. ;) Just kidding, the only secret this hair is holding is sweat. I'm not even kidding. That's the secret to my big hair. Sweat. When I style it, I usually like to do it at night, when I have more time to burn, rather than in the morning. Anyway, then when I go into the gym early in the morning I just throw it up into a ponytail at the very tippy top of my head and get started sweating like a flying hog monkey. By the time I'm done, about 45 minutes later, and I let my hair down it just comes down full of insane amounts of volume. Now, I know most people already know the ponytail on the top of your head trick, and it's awesome, but for long lasting big hair the key really is sweat. It's kind of gross but true. That's my trick to long lasting volume, anyway. I don't know if it'll work for everyone, but if you've got thick hair that's on the textured side, like me, then it'll work for sure, if not, give it a shot anyway and see if it works for ya!

In other news, The Closet Challenge is going pretty well. (Don't know what I'm talking about? I've committed to a year without shopping! That's right, a year. Click here for more info!) I've been holding strong thus far, though, despite many temptations. I haven't bought a single thing. Are you guys proud? I'm proud. Also, I'm amazed at how easily getting dressed in the morning has been. Going into this, I was so sure that coming up with outfits on a day to day basis without any new clothes would be a lot harder than it has been. I was so sure that I'd just go into each day thinking that I had absolutely nothing to wear and immediately turn back to my shopping addiction. Happily, that has not been the case. I've got a million and one outfit ideas running through my mind every morning, and I have yet to get bored of the things in my closet. Let's see how long this lasts. Hopefully it'll last me many months more and not just be a one month thing. Fingers crossed. Knock on wood. Although, I have to admit, h&m has been killing me. I have a list of about seven things from their new Spring collection that I'm simply dying to have. My skin is itching to get them. Especially since a couple of them are now half off. Waaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Knit Cardigan: Abercombie Kids similar

t-shirt: h&m

Boyfriend Shorts: h&m similar

Loafers: F21

Necklace: h&m similar

Tights: h&m

Have I mentioned how unseasonably warm it's been here in Utah lately? Well, it's felt gloriously Springy! Mid forties! SO toasty! Anyway, in the spirit of it feeling so springy I decided to break out my baggy boyfriend shorts! I luuuuuuuurve them. I actually got them at the end of December (pre the shopping ban) for ten buckeroos! What a steal. I also love that they're not itty bitty. That's also a major plus. Anyway, I decided to try out the whole "shorts with tights" trend, and I have to say I actually loved it. Especially with my handy dandy cozy/chunky knit cardigan! Very "Weird Girl Next Door". ;)

Much love! 

I'm Chocolate Wasted

Happy Monday dearies! How were all of your weekends? Good I hope! My weekend was pretty fantabulous. Friday night I had the pleasure of having a little game night with the Graham girls, my favorite little girlies around! The eldest is twelve years old now. TWELVE! That's the age I was when I first met the little sweet hearts and started babysitting for their sweet family. My, oh my, has the time flown by. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was a shy little twelve year old! Where has the time gone? I actually asked my sister that exact question yesterday morning. I asked her where the time had gone and when we had gotten so grown up. You know what the little snob and a half told me? That I wasn't grown up! Pfft. Pfft. The impudence of the woman! (Just kidding, Allison, I love you! Don't kill me for calling you impudent, I was just quoting P&P;) Anyway, one of her reasons for saying that I didn't qualify as a grown up was the fact that when I asked her the question I was sitting across from her slurping away at the smoothie I had made myself for lunch. She claims grown ups don't slurp. Or drink smoothies for lunch for that matter. In fact, as the day progressed she kept pointing out little things that I do that disqualified me from being a grown up. I eventually joined in on pointing out the non "grown up" things I do because, well, she was kind of right, I'm not really much of a grown up.

Here is a small list of the reasons we came up with,  just, during church of why I'm not a grown up. :)

Reasons Why I'm Not a Grown Up

• I slurp my drinks
• I play with my candy wrappers
• I poke my sister with said candy wrappers during Sacrament
• I fidget like I've got a monkey in my skirt
• I occasionally giggle to myself for no apparent reason
• I like to doodle on the program
• I need to pee urgently every 15 minutes. (Well, that might actually just mean that I have a bladder infection. Whatevs. ;)

Oh! Oh! And the reason why I'm not a grown up that takes the cake: I play with stranger's jackets. Yep. During sacrament I started playing with the jacket of the girl sitting next to me. During the entire meeting. I didn't notice what I had been playing around with, or that I was even doing it, until the closing hymn. We were sitting pretty close to each other because our bench was pretty crammed. She had her jacket off and resting around her, and at some point early in the meeting I surreptitiously picked up a corner of it and started running my thumb up and down it's fleece lining. Honestly, I don't even know why I did it. Maybe it felt like a baby's blankie and I felt like feeling like a baby? Who knows. I'm kind of crazy. Anyway, the only reason I finally noticed I was doing it was because by the last hymn, I had started running the edge of my nail along the zipper and I thought to myself, "heehee I like the sound of zippers with this hymn, heehee, I like the feel of zippers...wait. When did I get a zipper?" and that's when I noticed that I was holding the corner of a stranger's jacket. I wonder if she noticed. I hope she didn't. If she did, she was nice for letting me play with a corner of her jacket. Bless her. ;)

Sweatshirt: Hollister Co similar

Maxi Skirt: Forever 21 similar

Heels: Charlotte Russe similar

Necklace: h&m similar

Well, now that the story telling is done and we've established that I don't qualify for the grown ups club let's talk about the outfit. First, I realize that it isn't quite spring yet, but it's been feeling so deliciously warm the past couple of days, (43 degrees guys! It's basically summer!;) that I decided to just bring out a pop of spring colors anyway. I just love bright happy colors, and the color of this maxi is exactly that. I thought a fun and slightly different way to style it, that wouldn't make it seem too summery/springy, would be to pair it with this cropped sweatshirt I got a couple of years ago at Hollister! I love how dressed up and yet simple this look was! It will definitely be on repeat. 

Much love!

P.S. take a look at these outtakes. Mr. Roku was behaving like a little demon child for photos, and decided that it would just be so grand to runaway from us and pee on all of our neighbors trees. Little punk. Naturally I had to chase him down, in heels mind you, and I ended up picking him up butt up and head down. 

Lay like Broccoli

Sometimes all a girl really needs is to spend a day snuggling with her sibs, laughing, tearing up, pigging WAY out, and just vegging out in general. That was my day yesterday and it was sheer heavenly bliss. The day started out by going to see Frozen with my sisters. We loved it so much. We went into the theater not knowing a whole lot about what the movie would be about, and were pleasantly surprised to learn that the movie was all about sisterhood and love. We laughed, we cried (not even kidding), we munched on popcorn, and we came to the conclusion that I am totally Anna, the red headed little sister. It was the perfect movie for the three of us to go out and see, especially since my baby sister will be leaving for Canada in a few weeks! We're drinking up every moment we have to spend with her until she leaves. Another reason we went is because, honestly, we just never really outgrew Disney movies. I mean, we can argue their racist sexist undertones till the cows come home (and I'm actually pretty well versed when it comes to arguing this point) but at the end of the day they're still dang good enjoyable movies. :) No matter how cheesy the little songs are. "Am I excited, or is it just gas? Maybe it's a combination of both?" That was a gem from one of the songs on Frozen, and yes, it was a girl who sang it. I almost cried of laughter.

Anyway, afterwards we all took a quick break to do some other activities separately. Ok, ok, my sister's went out to run an errand for our mum and I...went to the gym. Anyway, though, when we all reconvened we decided to turn our kitchen into one of our favorite restaurants, Bruges Waffles & Frites. We cooked ourselves up some ginormous waffles and homemade garlic/cilantro fries. May I say, I make some mean garlic/cilantro fries. Nothing beats a salty and sweet dinner shared over laughter with three of my favorite people. Oh, and to wrap up the evening we all gathered round and watched Parenthood together. Heart. Wrenching. Episode. Sorry about all the mushy cheesiness but really, there's nothing like the love between sisters, and sometimes all a girl needs is a good ol' snuggle sesh with her sissies to get her spirits up. I'm so grateful for my sisters. I love them more than cookies, ice cream, running, s'mores, pie, cake, bread, avocados, beans, and daydreaming. So, essentially I love them more than all the things that make life worth living.

 Over sized Cardigan: American Eagle

Dress: F21 similar

Over the knee Boots: F21 similar

Necklace: American Eagle similar

Both within the family and without, our sisters hold up our mirrors: our images of who we are and of who we can dare to be.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/sisters.html#OOGDLICwM4kFiI5x.99

Both within the family and without, our sisters hold up our mirrors: our images of who we are and of who we can dare to be.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/sisters.html#OOGDLICwM4kFiI5x.99

Both within the family and without, our sisters hold up our mirrors: our images of who we are and of who we can dare to be.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/sisters.html#Xpb6EQeqLhhAoshL.99

Both within the family and without, our sisters hold up our mirrors: our images of who we are and of who we can dare to be.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/sisters.html#Xpb6EQeqLhhAoshL.99

Both within the family and without, our sisters hold up our mirrors: our images of who we are and of who we can dare to be.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/sisters.html#Xpb6EQeqLhhAoshL.99

"Both within the family and without, our sisters hold up our mirrors: our images of who we are and of who we can dare to be."

Much love!

Baloney Shaloney

Hello, dudes. Ever have one of those days when you feel like you belong in a Maroon 5 music video? Today was one of those days for me. Minus the scarf, I totally resemble that chick in the Maroon 5 "Misery" music video. Well, if I were about a foot taller, a whole lot sluttier, and blonde. Otherwise, though, I've got her pegged. ;) Actually, based on this outfit, I'd be more like the Adam Levine in that music video. I mean, Adam Levine is like lord supreme over plain white tees and leather jackets so I'm totally just vibin' him today. After all, he is a fellow Pisces, holla! Maybe leather and tees are just a signature Pisces thing. Kidding, kidding. I can totally just picture my home gurrrl Alisha rolling her eyes at that whole last sentence and inwardly cringing at me for believing in the whole astrological sign baloney. (Hi Alisha!;) I totally and one hundred percent buy into the astrology thing, though! Call me crazy, but I just really think there is some major truth in it. Now, I don't really believe in the day to day horoscopes (that I do think is just a bunch of baloney) but everything else? I totally believe in it.

I mean, tell me this isn't me in a nutshell and I'll stop believing in astrological signs, but this is pretty much my personality summed up.

My Daydreaming Tendencies
When Pisces are independent and inspired by life's events, their creativity comes shining through but they are unable to be on their own for long before they start dreaming in their imaginary world of happy people and happy endings. They need other people to keep them grounded and on the right track.
My Friendships in a Nutshell 
Pisces will go out of their way to help a friend. They are extremely sensitive and loyal. They will take a friend's problem and make it their own and suffer with them.  Even, though, Pisces will offer to make everything right, do not allow them to take on all your problems because they will lose their identity in your situation. They need a strong positive friend to make them strong. Pisces like adventure, new situations and social events. A Pisces friend will always have something exciting in mind and it is a very fulfilling, long lasting friendship.
Why I've Always Wanted to be an Activist
The Pisces personality is hard to pin down, it is very mysterious and elusive. Pisces are molded by their surroundings, they incorporate their experiences and surroundings into themselves. They have extreme compassion and they feel the pain of others. If something is wrong in the world that affects them, it affects them deeply, they take it to heart and feel extreme feelings regarding the matter.
Why I Rock at Board Games
Pisces trust their gut feelings and if they do not, they quickly learn to, because they realize that their hunches are usually correct.
Why I end up in Sticky Situations because I don't know how to reject the total Barney's that ask me out
Pisces downfall is their sensitivity and their inability to reject another person. They do not like rejection and they try to treat others the way they want to be treated so they will rarely say no to a person for fear of hurting their feelings.

Leather Jacket: Wilson's Leather similar

Plain White Tee: h&m

Scarf: inherited from my grandma

Jeans: American Eagle

Booties: GoJane similar

Purse: Aldo's similar

Key Necklace: F21

I'm tellin' ya that's my personality compiled into a couple of paragraphs! Astrology is real guys, it's real. Either that, or my personality is depressingly easy to overgeneralize. ;) Any who, all of you go and Google your astrological signs and see if your personalities match up! I'm intrigued to know if they do! Oh, and just because I forgot to include these earlier, here are the main personality traits of a Pisces.

Pisces Strength Keywords:

- Compassionate
- Adaptable
- Accepting
- Devoted
- Imaginative

Pisces Weakness Keywords:

- Oversensitive
- Indecisive
- Self-pitying
- Escapist

Again I say, that is me to the T! ;)

Much love!

Rollin' With the Homies!

Mornin' dudes. I hope you're all well! I must confess, the view from where I sit is rather boring. Nothing to entertain the mind as of late. Well, I guess there's always daydreaming, but as you all know I'm trying not to do that as much anymore. It's actually more challenging than I thought. Who knew I daydreamed so much? Everyone, actually. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm Space Cadet Supreme. Also, this whole no shopping thing is getting harder day by day. It feels good to know that I'm not spending my money needlessly anymore, its a HUGE weight off my shoulders actually, but I'm seeing all the new Spring Collections for my favorite stores all over the place and now I'm getting that itch to go out and spend a fortune! All I can say is, my birthday wishlist is definitely getting longer and longer. I'm doing my best to stay strong, though!

The good thing about this shopping challenge of mine, though, is that it's forcing me to actually wear the things in my closet. This dress for instance. I think, before today, I had only worn it once! I'm actually really digging it now, though, and I can't believe I'd only worn it once in the entire year that I've owned it. See? Maybe this shopping challenge will be completely amazing after all! "It's for my own good, it's for my own good, it's for my own good" that will be my mantra for the year! ;) In other news, my dear old mum helped me get my gym membership at my favorite Cross Fit gym again! She's just the best! Monday was my first day back and holy caaaaraaaap! My muscles could definitely tell that I'd gone for about two months without cross training! I mean, I still kept up my usual running regimen but it really is astounding how big a difference cross training can make for overall strength and endurance! I've missed feeling like I can barely get down the stairs from soreness! Also, I know tooting my own horn is super annoying, but I'm just so insanely proud of this, even though it was my first day back I still got the best time for the workout in the entire gym! I even beat out all the fellas! Holla! Now, forgive me for bragging, I'm done now. ;)

{Target: shift dress similar; F21: cardigan similar, over the knee boots similar; h&m: wide brimmed fedora; AmericanEagle: turquoise necklace similar; Turquoise Earrings: gift from my aunt in Guatemala}

Also, in this day of complete boredom, my little sister and I decided to watch "Clueless" for about the thousandth time this month! We freakin' love that movie. So hilarious and so adorable. Of course, watching "Clueless' must immediately be followed up by a watching of "Emma". Two of my favorite movies! And one of my favorite books too for that matter!  

"Rollin' with the homies"

Much love!