Monday morning link love.

This weekend was a quiet one. I spent the majority of the weekend snuggled up in my pajamas watching football or eating good food. One of my best friends from high school visited this weekend and it was so nice to see her. She mentioned she cannot get enough of likes my link-up posts, so this one is for her. Enjoy, Alex!

In case you're like me and devoured the January issues of Glamour & Real Simple the first week of January, there's always Matchbook.

An exciting peek into a weekend at Alt Summit.

Hair trends for 2012. I want to try the square bob...but I'm a sissy about chopping off my hair.

This perfect advice that made me cry my eyes out in a crowded coffee shop. (Spotted here on Meg's blog - one of my favorite blogs.)

Love this feisty & smart little girl that doesn't just like the pink stuff.

Beautiful earrings. The ampersand studs make my heart hurt.

Last night for dinner we made these bite-sized tacos and raved about them between each bite. (Changes we made: we used 2-3 wonton wrappers & only baked them for 7 minutes. They turn golden brown quickly.)

I hope everyone had a nice weekend & I hope you enjoy the little round up. Leave me fun + pretty links if you've got 'em!

When it snows, ain't it thrillin'?

On the first day of every month, my dad will call just to chat. "Haven't talked to you this month, so I thought I'd call and say hello," he'll say, laughing.

Well, guys, I haven't blogged this month, so I thought I'd pop in and post.

It is officially December: the month I graduate from college. One paper and four final exams stand in between me and The Big Day. Let the freaking out commence. (Ha!)

Here are a few delicious links to check out instead of writing a paper/going to the gym/doing anything productive whatsoever.

Pretty handmade ornaments that make me say, "Why didn't I think of that?"

A sparkly holiday dress. A flute of champagne, anyone?

Have a girlfriend that's impossible (read: really picky/has everything/style changes often) to shop for? Use this brilliant Gift Finder from Anthro to get her the perfect gift.

Holy best holiday cookie ever, Batman! Sweet, crunchy peppermint + soft, sugary cookies.

Crap. This is not the website to discover ten days before final exams. Everything is so lovely!

Nor is this Anthology winter issue via Jordan. See ya, productivity!

Adorable print that I would love to hang in the kitchen during the holidays.

Hope you guys enjoyed this little holiday list! The picture is from my little sister's bedroom back home. Every year our aunt gives us snow globes; we have quite the collection. I love how my sister arranged her snow globes.

If you have fun winter-y links you'd like to share, leave 'em in the comments section! Have a fantastic Thursday and first of December.

Deck the blog with boughs of holly.

Hi, guys! Did you all have a good weekend? Mark came to visit so we snuggled a lot and went to the theatre to see J. Edgar. Very cozy weekend.

Here is a happy list - inspired by the holidays. Indulge me, will you?

Lovely earrings to pair with a neutral-colored pea coat.

I am the Eggman. I am the cutest Christmas ornament on earth, coo coo ca choo.

This beautiful artwork found here. Don't you want to hang this print in your hallway near the coat rack? (I don't have a coat rack, but I do have dreams.)

These three books: one, two, & three; holiday reading suggestions via e-mails from Anthro. (Yeah, that's right. Anthropologie e-mails me. Fine, Anthropologie e-mails all of us.)

I am going to make these whimsy snow globes over Thanksgiving break.

Old school Refinery29.com beauty advice: wintry version.

Having a hard time narrowing my wish list to one pair of Steve Madden booties when there are easily fifteen pairs that I love.

This sheet music is gorgeous. Swoon.

I don't even like squash (I've tried it several times), but this recipe looks amazing.

What are some of the things on your Dear Santa list? Spotted any delicious holiday recipes? Any great Christmas music you've been listening to? Let me know in the comments below!

Now the word "list" sounds funny.

Y'all. I'm going to be honest: I had an overall crappy week. But enough. No more whiny-pants.

I'm going to list five no-good-very-bad-day things that happened this week, and then I'm going to list five things that made me happy this week (even if half of the items listed are food).

And after I press publish, I'm going to knock out the heap of laundry in the corner, go buy a book, and pack for a weekend in the valley because my step-sister is getting married(!).

My grump list:

1. My grandma was hospitalized.
2. Midterms. Enough said.
3. The frustrations of not having a car.
4. A migraine that lasted two days!
5. The post-grad job search.

My joy list:

1. My grandma was released from the hospital.
2. The blog transformation is complete. And you guys. It's absolutely beautiful.
3. Red velvet cake ice cream + crushed pretzel on a toffee cone.
4. A very productive guitar lesson. Soon I will be Slash.
5. Pomegranate smoothie from Jamba Juice.

I'll be back Monday to introduce the new blog layout(!) and share pictures of the wedding. I coordinated the decorations with my step-sister this summer, so I'm excited to put everything together. I hope it is as pretty as we have imagined!

Have a great end-of-the-week and a relaxing weekend.

More link love.

It's a wonder I get anything done with all the time I spend admiring every surface of the Internet. I have a few blog topics I'd like to hammer out, but these links are too good not to share. (Here's a previous link love post.)

Well, now we all know what Anna Wintour eats for breakfast. Hysterical!

I'd love to get a string or ten of these pretty lights.

Honestly? I almost cried, because this adorable couple reminds me of my grandma and late grandpa. (Save for the hilarious part about the boobs. That wasn't Papa's style.)

And another link featuring - funnily enough - the Silent Generation. This grandma rocks!

I know I'm one of those dweeby - and rare - 90's lovers, but I neeeeeed these. Paired with tights - and suspenders if I'm feeling feisty. Yes, please.

A gorgeous DIY for fall.

Yes! This restaurant is equal parts ludicrous, clever, and witty.

Have a great Thursday! xo

(Photo from my summer trip to Portland; farmer's market @ PSU.)

Rambling + link love = this post.

Well, I've crossed a couple things off of my summery list this week.

Saturday evening my boyfriend and I went to his brother's house and did a variation of swim, drink beer, swim, drink beer. Etc. Tuesday night we watched Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. The following night my boyfriend, our friend JW, and I went on a 10 mile bike ride and then stopped for smoothies at Smoothie King.

Frankly, I wouldn't mind a rinse and repeat of all the above.

This weekend my friends and I are going to a British comedy at a local independent theatre and to a huge (free) music festival downtown. Do you have any fun weekend plans?

Oh, and - just for fun - here's a little link love:

Hilariously wrong ways to pronounce fashion labels.

A very stylish "fun bun" for busy days. Or, you know, if it's 107 outside and you want the hair off your neck.

Possibly the best Tumblr ever.

Gah! And the one I love most? A cool $430.

Absolutely delicious fall line from BHLDN.

Yeah, so, in real life I just wear Forever 21 and Gap. Not sure how all the fashion-y stuff snuck in. You can usually catch me in my maroon Chucks and cut off jean shorts. Sometimes I wear Steve Madden platforms.

I'm rambling. Have a good weekend!

A summery list.

My last semester of college starts one month from today. So I move from the big city where my boyfriend + most of my friends live back to the small college town where I go to school in less than a month. Depression sinks in...now.

To cheer myself up a bit, I've made a list of summery things I'd like to do with my boyfriend + friends in the next month:

1. Bike rides at the river!
2. At least one trip to the farmer's market. (I've only been 3 times this season!)
3. A cooking class at Whole Foods or Williams-Sonoma.
4. Go swimming! Unfortunately I haven't been swimming since May. Yes, my skin is very pale this summer. Yes, that annoys me.
5. Make homemade popsicles.
6. Go out for one super nice dinner.
7. Have another picnic.
8. Sip homemade sangria with extra plump peaches.
9. Watch Star Wars with cans of ice cold beer.
10. Host an outdoor dinner and invite all my loves.

And I'm determined to not let the 100+ temperatures deter me from fun.

Little list of little loves.

Since school is out and I have a small break before my internship begins, I've been taking time for myself everyday to enjoy little pleasures. Such as:

1. Dark chocolate covered almonds
2. Early morning hard work-outs
3. Taking an entire hour to sip my coffee & read my favorite blogs
4. Jammin' out to this song
5. This field and the flowers covering it:





Yes, I stole some. I was just bringing the beauty indoors, Mother Nature - don't worry about it.

Hope y'all have an excellent weekend. Xo.

Christmas lust list.

Eartha Kitt once sultrily sang about her extravagant Christmas wish list - a light blue '54 convertible and a deed to a platinum mine - and now I am here to somewhat unabashedly write about my "Santa Baby"-esque list of Christmas desires. I won't sing. I sound like a yodeling 12-year-old boy in my natural singing voice. So here's my Christmas list. In all it's "gimme", Grinch glory.

Santa cutie, this year I am pining for:

These adorable socks from Anthropologie.

This stunning wintery felt hat from Anthropologie.

A pair of brown teardrop oxfords from Urban Outfitters.

This fun scratch-off world map from Urban Outfitters.

The Daisy by Marc Jacobs perfume.

A cozy Patagonia fleece pullover in "castlerock".

A little moped in seafoam green or lilac purple. It's on my Never Going to Happen birthday and Christmas wish list.

Oh, and then there's the beautiful S95 that I am gifting to myself.

This year, instead of telling family and friends "I don't know" when asked what I'd like for Christmas, I'll say: "Anything. I know exactly what I want. Please refer to my blog or the plethora of e-mails in your inbox with the subject title: "Buy This Gift to Ensure Our Friendship/Love for 2011".

And here is the proverbial sentence about how gifts don't really matter. And they don't. But it's tasteless to write about the things we all do at Christmastime - whether it's baking cookies for those living in assisted living, giving gifts to underprivileged children, or volunteering at a soup kitchen - so I instead chose to write about beautiful things that would make me very happy to have. For the record, though - to me - Christmas is not about the tangible things. It's about the birth of Jesus and what we do and say to show His love to others through ourselves. Christmas is about love. Didn't mean to go all Scrooge on you guys!

The small things.

Today was one of those easy-going, effortless days. Woke up having a good hair day. Got in the car with my sister, grabbed cups of our favorite coffee to-go, and drove to our grandma's house. We spent the day with grandma getting manicures, going to lunch, and sitting around her bright kitchen area talking about the love between her and our grandpa.
We sat in here for hours asking grandma about the letters they wrote to each other while Papa was in the war, stories of how he courted her, the story of how they eloped, etc. And then, grandma shyly told us that she had saved some of the letters, and that we could read them if we wanted to. They were so romantic; letters from a strikingly handsome man in Pisa, Italy talking about the life they would have when he returned from the war. I wanted to faint I was so smitten! As my grandma read the letters to us, tears welled in my eyes. They had such a lovely marriage and were in love until the day he died. It was obvious that grandma still loves him madly, and she really enjoyed getting the letters out and reminiscing.

We came home and mom had made pancakes for dinner!
Over dinner mom gave me a package from my aunt. She sent me a box of energy bars that I ate compulsively while we all vacationed in Michigan. I loved to eat them with berries and coffee at breakfast and as a snack after a hike on the dunes. I found it really sweet, especially the note attached: "Hope these make you feel like you're back at the cottage."

My day of perfect small things filled me with pure joy.

Final exams by the numbers...

Shortest amount of time I spent studying for a final: 13 minutes
Grade I received on the final that I studied for 13 minutes: 92%
Longest amount of time I spent studying for a final: 4 hours
Grade I received on the final that I studied for 4 hours: Not yet graded/posted
Earliest final time: 8:00am
Latest final time: 8:00pm
Shortest amount of sleep I got in one night (in hours): 4
Longest amount of sleep I got in one night (in hours): 6
Hours spent reading blogs instead of studying: About 3
Hours spent at the pool instead of studying: 5
Minimum amount of Diet Cokes I consumed in one day (ounces not measured): 3
Maximum amount of Diet Cokes I consumed in one day (ounces not measured): 7
Boxes of late-night pizza purchased: 1
Minutes it took 5 girls to devour said pizza: 6
Minutes spent waiting for a table at our favorite Mexican restaurant for Cinco de Mayo: 45
Drinks ordered while waiting in line: One per person
Minutes it took to assemble the pinata we bought for the holiday: Too many
Minutes it took to bust the pinata: 3
Number of people opening their front door and screaming at us to shut up because they were studying for finals and we were busting a pinata: 1
Amount of people standing on their balconies watching my friends and I bust a pinata: 15
Amount of people that came downstairs to retrieve candy once it was busted: 8
Amount of time I loved finals week (based on a percentage): 100%

Tonight boyfriend M and I are going on an "adventurous" date to kick off the summer. I'm very excited and I might wear red lipstick...