for the love of stripes

yesterday was my attempt at fashion post #2.

i read somewhere that you're not supposed to do fashion posts if you're not a fashion blog.

but who really makes the rules anyways?

it's too much fun pretending to be a model for an hour or so.

so i'm sure you've noticed that stripes have become very popular lately.

unfortuantely, i own very few striped items.

the one in this outfit was actually adopted from my mom's closet.

oops mom, i'm sorry, i know you hate it when i do that!

but really, what are daughters for?

(i'm pretty sure i pointed it out in the store anyways.)

so really, it's half mine! ;)

sweater: francesca's

shirt: downeast basics

leggings: downeast basics

boots: wild diva (amazon.com)

belt + accessories: forever21

sunglasses: coach

this was also my first attempt at red lipstick.

i think i like...

              something that i've learned from other blogs is to buy skinny belts and tie them around your waist.

to see more, go here.

i hope everyone has a fantastic week!

hopefully i will be able to find some free time to come back and post...

i was framed...

i'm sorry that i have been gone for so long.

these last few weeks have been so crazy!

i started school last week on the seventeenth (booo).

then kaleo came home on friday and we spent the weekend at his cabin in cascade with his little brothers.

it was one of those weekends where everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong.

let's just say that it all started when our truck got stuck in the snow on our way up.

this happened about a mile away from the cabin.

being after 1 a.m., we couldn't get a tow truck to get us out.

so we walked.

uphill.

in about three feet of unplowed snow...

(you know you're out of shape when you're so tired that you don't even care to lay flat in the snow as soon as you see your destination.) 

only to get to the cabin about an hour later and realize that we had no dry clothes since we couldn't carry our bags up... 

and that's where it all started.

but i have to say, because of the memories that we made, it was worth it.

i just wish that i would have had my camera!

i also tried skiing for the first time during our little trip (after about six years of snowboarding, i finally gave up).

only i realized that guess what?

skiing is so hard!

it is definitely not easy like it looks.

and to all of you snowboarders who say that snowboarding is so much harder than skiing, have you ever tried skiing?

i was even in tears at one point during the day, just ask kaleo.

embarrassing, i know.

i think it's time that i give up on all snow sports.

but anyways...

it's the end of my third year at boise state and i'm realizing that every semester gets harder and harder.

(wouldn't it be nice if it got easier??)

so i've spent every night with my nose in my text books.

but tonight i finally got a break!

so here's what i did...

ok, so let me explain a little.

for a while now i have wanted to start an etsy shop.

but with so little time, it hasn't really happened.

a few weeks ago my mom and i went thrift shopping to find things that we could fix up and sell on etsy.

so at one store i found this frame that i fell in love with...

i wasn't sure what i had in mind for this little frame, but i decided that it would look good spray painted pink.

'cause let's face it, i'm a pinkaholic.

everything looks better pink!

so my mom got a silhouette cameo machine for christmas.

it was time that i gave it a shot.

(for those of you who don't know what this is, it's a machine that cuts vinyl, fabric, paper, etc. using templates that you create, or buy online. )

so i picked out a few fabrics and a design that i thought would go perfect in my frame.

guess what design i picked?

a silhouette cameo.

ironic????

so first i ironed on some fabric adhesive to the back of my fabric that would be cut into the cameo.

the adhesive was cut to size, and ready for the machine...

now my design was cut, and ironed onto the background fabric...

i then cut the fabric to fit my frame, hot glued the edges around the back, and bam!

 i've just made myself a cameo frame...

what do you think, is it good enough to sell on etsy?

my very first fashion post...

so i wasn't originally planning on doing this.

but i went shopping yesterday and found these shoes.

aren't they beautiful?

but here's the thing.

they were orginally $100.

yeah, and i got them for $22.

and that is why i shop at marshalls.

they were on an additional clearance, so they weren't originally this cheap.

but still!

i didn't even think twice before putting them in my cart.

then i thought, i have to tell people about this.

i'm always looking at other girls' fashion blogs, and so i thought maybe i would give it a shot.

so here's what you must know.

my mom and i went out this morning to take these pictures, and the weather, well, it was 27 degrees!

so i was freezing.

i wish there was a word for colder than freezing.

because that's what i was.

so we worked fast.

and i mean fast.

so the pictures aren't perfect, but here's what we got...

outift:

top: downeast Basics

shrug: folio (received from a friend. kayla, where'd you buy this??)

skirt: sans soucci (bought at marshalls)

belt: calvin klein (also bought at marshalls)

shoes: Steve Madden (bought at marshalls, it's the place people!)

accessories: maurices and macy's.

   

ok and this next one i just couldn't resist posting.

here's my photographer.

look at that killer pose.

she taught me all there is to know about modeling ;)

to see more pictures, check out my momma's blog here.

my smash book...literally

so have you heard?

there's this little thing called a smash book.

it's rapidly growing in popularity.

and i have one.

i got it for christmas actually.

and you should have one too...

it's like a scrapbook, but without the time and intricate details put into it.

you can just throw in whatever you want- notes, receipts, magazine clippings, pictures, etc.

there's no pressure.

and that's what is so great about it.

i keep everything- movie stubs, clothes tags, receipts- you name it, i save it!

i just can't let things go if they connect to a special memory.

i usually just throw these things in a box at the top of my closet, but the smash book gives you a way to actually display these little precious memory joggers.

so this was perfect for me.

today i had my first go-at-it in my smash book.

and it was quite fun.

here are some pictures of my smash book (prior to my work today).

every page is different and unique.

here are some of my favorites:

you can buy all sorts of smash products too!

there's tape, string, paper clips with flags, and some of my favorites below:

a date stamper, what more could you want?!

calendar pockets- to store basically anything your little heart desires.

a smash pad- full of lists that you can create to remember special details (and other fun stuff).

so now that you have a better idea of a smash book, here is the page that i completed today:

(it was a page about this christmas, by the way).

i don't know if you can read the tag, it's labeled "favorite gifts".

i kept some of the tags from my gifts and displayed them on top of a picture of my new camera bag (yep you guessed it, my favorite gift!).

so these are some of the receipts from gifts that i bought for other people.

is it weird that i saved them?

it just brings back really special memories of shopping at christmas time.

i know, i am such a dork.

just can't let go...

so here's a pocket that i jammed full with pictures.

i thought that the pocket was rather drab when it was bare, so i added some chipboard scrapbooking letters.

and that might have been a mistake- here's why:

one page down and the book will barely close!

so i guess that's why they call it a smash book- cause you have to smash it, literally!

sit on it even...

that's probably what i will have to do.

but that's ok because i love it.

so, thank you smash book creator...

where do you get your great ideas??

a little bling goes a long way

if your makeup bag is like mine was, it's probably full of pencil shavings, stray hairs, dried globs of mascara, and covered in a coat of excess foundation and powders.

so for your sake, i hope it isn't like mine!

but it was clear, my time for a new makeup bag had finally arrived.

when i walked into francesca's last week while shopping in the mall, i found this little beauty-

this bag and i instantly had a connection.

but i thought something was missing.

there needed to be a button in the middle of the flower.

or something.

don't you agree?

it was just a little too "blah" for my taste.

but i saw some serious potential.

so i bought it, and rushed home to fix it.

and here's what i did...

i applied a button or two, or well, nine.

so i got a little carried away...

but that's just what i do, and i'm ok with it.

four out of the nine, however, are scrapbooking rhinestones.

i just used hot glue to adhere my "bling".

turns out, hot glue doesn't stick to metal that well.

so i got kind of sloppy to make the rhinestones work.

note to self- buy metal glue.

but there you have it.

now you have no excuse for those accessories that are somewhat blah-ish.

and this only took me all of about ten whole minutes- if even that.

and i love it so much, i even keep it out on my bathroom counter!

come join me in the fun!

notice my headband.

whenever i wear this, i always get so many compliments.

i am also always asked where i bought it.

in a panic, i can never seem to remember just where it was that i got this little thing.

so today i am going to introduce you to where you can get headbands just like this one.

it is not the same place that i bought mine, but better.

a blog that i frequently visit, much love, illy, is having a giveaway.

the winner will recieve two headbands from My Sugar Blossom Boutique.

if you want to have some fun and join in the giveaway yourself, visit much love, illy.

oh christmas, how i miss you so..

i know we are so past christmas now.

but i was just editing some pictures for another project that i'm working on and i thought some of them would be fun to show on here. 

this christmas was rather quiet for us.

we didn't travel to see family in california.

and most of our local family was out of town. 

but it was still great.

we spent a few days in nampa.

there was plenty of eating, playing games, watching movies, and just enjoying each others' company.

the day after christmas i am always so bummed.

i already miss the christmas music, the hustle and bustle of shoppers, wishing for snow, and the excitement of presents under the tree.

but i am so glad for pictures to remind me of the sweet memories that were made.

i wish i would have had this blog at the time, because then i'm sure i would have taken a lot more pictures.

but here is what i (and my mom) happened to catch during our christmas.

what's the best part of christmas eve?

opening up pajamas!

are we surprised that ryan got ninja turtle socks in his stocking?

no, we're really not!

my amazing boyfriend took me shopping for clothes for my christmas gift.

that's a whole other story in itself.

anywho, here are some of the new additions to my closet.

which is always open to expanding.

just sayin'...

oh my mom was so stoked it was christmas.

oh, my dear quelf.

you made my christmas.

really, though.

if you don't have this game, you seriously should look into getting it.

i can't even explain how great it is.

i had planned on taking pictures of my family doing crazy, embarrassing things throughout the game.

bur after the first round i was given a rule card that made me keep my hands on top of my head.

for a really long time.

my arms were very sore.

and it only got worse from there.

so the idea of taking pictures kind of went out the window.

but i did get a few at the start of the game...

my sweet grandma.

i believe she was supposed to act like a weeping willow and hum a sad song.

or something like that.

however, she doesn't look so weepy does she?

here my dad was probably reading the card that told him he had to slap his knee and say "wakka, wakka, wakka!" everytime he laughed.

one of my favorite parts of the whole game!

hmm... i can't remember what they were laughing at here, but i can only imagine it was something awesome.

and that's the end of my game pics.

here are a few random...

my beautiful emily.

who now looks and acts older than me.

how does that happen with baby cousins?

it makes me so sad but proud at the same time.

ah..the greatest grandpa in the world.

(tied with my granddad).

he does everything for his family.

he is even the reason why we are all carrying a few extra pounds right now.

and for that grandpa, i am just a little mad at you...

i was so lucky this christmas.

i got so many amazing gifts.

one of my favorites was this juicy coin purse.

i've only owned one other juicy couture item in my life and that was a pair of flip flops that i bought when i was a nanny in texas.

it was about time that i added to my collection.

is it a purse?

no!

it's a camera bag.

my mom is so talented.

so she bought me this purse and then made an insert to go inside that would hold my camera, extra lenses, chargers, etc.

it is pretty much the cutest little camera bag ever!

here's the inside...

i am so lucky to have a mother that sews.

cause this is definitely something that i would never be able to make.

i wish i could.

but i just can't sew.

she even made me the most adorable camera straps.

maybe someday i can get her to visit my blog to share how she made them. 

but for now, this is all that i've got.

i hope that your christmas was wonderful too.

goodnight.