floral frenzy

I noticed a couple of things the day I wore this outfit.  

One:  Almost everyday I catch myself wearing things people have given to me over the years.  This is one of the perks of being open to most pieces even if they don't immediately scream my style and being petite--when people grow out of something or accidentally shrink something, they pass it my way!

Two:  I wear a TON of floral.  Ted's friend, who just met me last weekend, told him I was "the personification of a flower."  I laughed, then realized I was wearing floral on floral...

While I was taking this picture of Ted...

...Ted's friend was taking this picture of us.  Officially my favorite picture of us!

Outfit:  blouse (hand-me-down from mom)/Banana Republic, tanktop underneath (gift)/ Free People, jacket (gift)/ boutique, button from Ireland, skirt (another hand-me-down)/unknown, vintage belt from garage sale, tights (gift)/Kate Spade, shoes/Born, bow/Nordstrom, Deathly Hallows earrings/Whimsic Alley

10 things that make me happy

Having visitors.  Just this past week two of my best friends visited, and recently some family visited.

Libraries.  Being in them, looking at them, dreaming about them.  This one I found on Pinterest.  (See my Librarian For Life board.)

Tea Chai Te knowing me and Erin's zodiac signs.

Spotting cacti at Anthro.

Spring.  Snow and blooming roses.  Cool.

The Hunger Games (which I read literally right before seeing the midnight premiere).  Jennifer Lawrence,  the outlandish Capitol costumes (check out this interview with the costume designer), and wearing Claire's mom's necklace from the 70's that looks remarkably like the mockingjay pin.

Oh YEAH--THE COSTUMES FROM WICKED.  Ted and I saw the show a few weeks ago and I fell in love.  See an awesome video about the costumes here.

This sweet idea for a necklace.

Pencil shaving collar -- I must make this!

Disposable camera pictures.

i'm seeing a pattern here

Love this!  Also, it reminds me of the play that I saw tonight at my school.  For The Increased Difficulty of Concentration (translated from Czech by the professor who directed the show), the costume shop built five costumes out of the same bonkers patterned material.  It was so fun to see all of them on stage at the same time turning a particularly chaotic hallucinatory sequence.  The play itself is a farce, so of course it was completely crazy, not in chronological order, a blur of orange set and turquoise/brown/green costumes, and lots of door-slamming and calculated noise.  Overall, it was pretty hilarious and only a little confusing.

happy pi day

Marionberry pi(e) in Physics.

Apple, Strawberry & Banana, and Chocolate Pi(e) at dinner.

10 things that make me happy

Jewelry with puns on them.

Finding pieces of Arizona in unlikely places (This was a brochure about a German study abroad) and shirtless pictures of Darren Criss.

Free music festivals at school.  Although I don't listen to Gogol Bordello, they put on an awesome and insanely energetic  show.  Everyone was dancing like crazy people, including me.

Snow.

Finding a single rose blooming in the tree outside a window.

Color swatches at the hardware store.

Flower seed packets.  They remind me of when Erin and I made some into invitations for her birthday garden party a couple years ago.  I picked up four packets for an upcoming craft project that's for giggles.

Weather-sensitive albums.  Break it Yourself when it's raining and Seven Swans when it's snowing.

Declaring my major (Theatre with a Concentration in Design).  Last May I finally admitted my dream of becoming a costume designer.  Since then I have learned a lot about following dreams.

It's not that easy.

In fact, it's pretty darn difficult.  Because once you know what you want to accomplish, every little mistake you make or every little speed bump that you encounter makes you stop and wonder if you'll make it to the other side (or if you even want to).  All this comes across as blatant, utter discouragement.  Yet through the trials and tribulations of diving into the theatre world woefully unprepared, I have learned so much about things I never imagined possible knowing, and more importantly, I have learned that I never want to stop learning about this collaborative art form and the role I want to take in it.

So, I turned in my form, and next Fall it looks like I am taking three theatre classes and a science lab.  

What's making you happy lately?

outfit swap

For a fun Sunday morning activity, Claire and I decided to dress like each other and go to brunch to get people's reactions.  Although a few of our friends got it, we were definitely the most amused.

Me in Claire's room, with a daffodil, doing a classic Claire pose.

Claire in my room, with a cactus, animal print skirt, bow, and all.

musique pour yer ears

I am really looking forward to Sucre's first album due out April 10th!


I just downloaded my free copy of Andrew Bird's new album "Break it Yourself" that came with my concert ticket and I am loving it!  Can't wait to see him live this April.

bright idea

For a while now, this motto has been one of my favorites.  Not only does it scream, WEAR BRIGHT COLORS AND PAINT THE WHOLE WORLD RAINBOW!!!!, it also speaks to me as a lifestyle that I want to embody.  Smile, spread cheer, live your days with the purpose of making it as fun and happy as possible (and thus brightening everyone else's), and incorporate as many sprinkles and sparkles as possible.  

I have many sources that have fueled my fascination with color over the years.  Kate Spade, for one, has been quite influential (and in fact where I got the motto "Live Colorfully" from) since the ripe age of nine.  I remember getting confused comments from my peers in second grade when they spotted my hand-me-down Kate Spade green pencil case.  "Your name isn't Kate!"  

Of course, there are bloggers that have inspired me as well.  If I can ever get even close to these women's awesomeness, I would be the happiest girl on earth.

One of my oldest favorites, Color Me Katie, is the epitome of the colorful lifestyle.  She brightens everything from her white apartment to random strangers on the streets of New York.  (And she works for Improv Everywhere!)

However, my most favorite blogger is A Beautiful Mess.  This girl is living the dream.  End of story.

Then there's the fancy people making awesome/loonybins collections that they show at London Fashion Week.

Moschino Cheap & Chic Fall 2012 collection

Meadham Kirchhoff's Fall 2012 collection (!!!!!!!!!)

Before I get totally out of hand and start ranting about other things that make me happy and colorful, I am going to click PUBLISH POST.  Now.  (For more colorful things, check out my favorite Pinterest board of mine.

nineteen

Yesterday was my nineteenth birthday!  Of course I swindled my friends here into a weekend long celebration that included a Friday night performance of PSU's Urinetown,  a Sunday picnic, and finally a birthday dinner and dessert on Monday night.

Ted loves his musicals...

The sun came out to play with us the WHOLE TIME!  It was extremely nice to have the sunshine, tunes, friends, and GLORIOUS FOOOOD!!!!!!

Ted made the tarts, and my mom, dad, and sister sent me the macarons!  Pickled cranberries were even donated to the festivities and after all was said and eaten, we played Apples to Apples.  Sunshine and good food--definitely one of most lovely afternoons of the year so far.

When I walked out my door on Monday morning, I found these balloons waiting for me with a fresh, hot breakfast bagel sandwich!  Ted's a keeper.  Although I had a sunny disposition the whole day, unfortunately the rain came back at full force after our lovely sunny Sunday.  Oh well!  At least I got to wear my pink lace and metallic dress that I bought on my birthday last year.

Note the gold necklace, bangle, and flower purse peeking out from the corner--all lovely gifts from my grandparents!  

This is my "I'm so mature now; I'm nineteen" look displayed on the Pio on our way downtown.  

Note the adorable teacup earrings from Mikaela and precious knitting pin from Erin.  Gotta love my friends!

SUSHI TIME!

Claire's gift for me, complete with a storybook card.  It was a "Family" frame with a picture of our group of friends and an album with the beginnings of pictures from this year!

Me and Ted laughing over the check.  Oh dear.

Me and Claire bein' all cute and stuff.

Me, Claire, and Mikaela pumped for dessert at Papa Haydn's.

  

If you ever get a chance, be sure to try one of their desserts. I love the Boccone Dolce, which is the best and most unique cake I've ever had!  It has meringue, whipped cream, and fruit.  Yes please!

I was also surprised with these macarons!  The salted caramel was my favorite.  YUM.  

I had at least ten macrons, received oodles of love from friends and family, and even got some sun.  Even though I missed my AZ folks, I thoroughly enjoyed my first birthday away from home.  Thanks to everyone who made it special!