Mumus, Scrunchies, & Oversized Comfort

 

{target jacket: similar  //  sweater: old navy  //  tulle skirt: similar  //  boots  //  tights  // watch  //  f21 bracelets, belt: similar bracelet, similar belt}

As I sit here typing in my pajamas and scrunchy-bedecked hair, waiting to switch my third load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, I can't help but feel a little bit frumpy and whole a lot house frau (minus the mumus and Oprah viewings, thank goodness).  It's nice to think back to this past weekend and feel much more glamorous when I look at myself in the above photos.  Oh, to be that girl again...so confident, so colorful, so carefree...

But then I remind myself that sometimes wearing soft, roomy drawstring pants and a big, oversized hoodie can be better than any pretty outfit.  Because let's face it, on Saturday after drinking a few beers and scarfing down a veggie burger, onion rings, and a salad while wearing the clothes above, all I really wanted was to be wearing exactly what I'm wearing right now.

Highlights & Lowlights #4

{top, wedges (similar): target  // jeans  //  bracelets  //  sunnies: harmon}

Lowlights:

• Having to spend some time at the DMV.  I don't know what kind of witchcraft voodoo they've got going on, but no matter what the temperature is outside, it's always stiflingly hot inside.  It's quite remarkable, really.
• Picnik (my love, my editor of choice, my best friend blogging tool) closed.  It was such an easy, fun, user-friendly photo editor.  It will be missed.
• Spray on self-tanner.  I look like some strange Snooki-zebra-leopard hybrid.  I'm now tan, striped, and spotted.

Highlights:

• That one time I looked like Zooey Deschanel.  Yes, I just wrote an entire post about it, but it's just a little too awesome not to mention again.  Fair warning, I'll probably mention it about 5,683 more times...this week.
• I just discovered a new, healthy snack - cover half an apple with a couple slices of cheddar cheese and broil for a few minutes. I may have been lazy enough to make this for dinner twice this week.
• And speaking of tasty snacks, I've also been loving on this dessert: banana mixed with nutella and toasted walnuts.  I'm a fan of the easy.
• Getting to borrow my dad's sweet Audi while he was on vacation last week.  I love my pretty little Scion tC, but I just felt uber cool driving that baby around for a little while.  So what if there were so many controls, buttons, and dials in there that the console was in Spanish and I had heat blowing from the left vents, and AC blowing from the right?
•  Always finding it easier to think of highlights than lowlights.  That's pretty great.

It's party time.

That time I looked like Zooey Deschanel

{top, jacket: target  //  jeans  //  shoes: spring, similar  //  bracelets: f21, similar #1, #2  //  scarf: diy}

Yesterday I finally went to renew my license at the DMV.  I was expecting the usual - waiting, annoyance, waiting, getting frustrated, and waiting.  So imagine my surprise when after waiting only 45 minutes (which to be honest, did kind of feel like an eternity because I forgot to bring a book and there's only so long I can amuse myself counting mullets), I got to the desk and both the girl taking my photo and the guy next to her told me I look like Zooey Deschanel.
This is especially cool because she's sort of  my girl crush and the only celebrity that I actually do want to look like.

{Personally, I don't really see it.  But if putting big waves in my hair (which I will then come home, try to "fix", wind up ruining, and salvage by putting my hair up before leaving the house again), winging out my eyeliner, and using red lip stain does the trick, then I'll take it.}

I tried to play it cool, as if I get that all the time.  But I think my response went something more like:

"Oh my God!  Thank you!" (Awkwardly give the guy a high five). "That's the nicest thing I've heard all day!  Awesome!  Thanks!"

Smooooth....


By the way, somewhere in here they saw Zooey.
(Now that I've been compared to her, I feel we should be on a first name basis.)

Come party with me today here.

Earth Day

I've been environmentally conscious ever since I can remember.  

I was the roommate who constantly nagged everyone to turn off the lights or TV when they left the room.  I was the annoying girl in the office who hounded the company for months until they implemented a recycling program.  I'm (still) the one always reminding her friends to make sure the products they buy aren't tested on animals. 

And once on a job interview I even told the employer that I would recycle toilet paper if I could (true story).

So in honor of Earth Day, I want to share with you some cool, eco-conscious products to help you stay earth-friendly, too.  Because in my opinion, you should live every day like it's Earth Day!

{1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12}

1. This tote is totes adorbs.  Sorry, I couldn't help it.

2. Origins Clean Energy facial cleansing oil.  This company is ridiculously eco-friendly.  Check out what they do here.

3. A corn resin bracelet, conflict-free diamonds, ethically sourced mother of peal, mercury-free battery, and tons of fun, bright colors - plus they donate to several charities - what's not to love about Sprout watches?

4. You'll be hard pressed to forget your reusable grocery bag when it's so bright and cheery (and can squish itself up into a little lemon pouch for you to clip to your keychain).

5. An old boat re-purposed into a sunny, fun serving tray?  Yes, please.

6. By now we all know that when you buy a pair of Toms, the company donates a pair of shoes to a needy child.  But have you seen these new ikat wedges?  Doing good never looked better!

7. For every bottle sold, 100 liters of unsafe water will be purified for a family in rural India.  And you'll cut down on all those evil plastic water bottles to boot!

8. Local is better, so learn how to grow your own organic veggies.  P.S. - they're tastier this way too!

9. This soap is never tested on animals, is safe for the environment, people, and pets, and comes in delicious scents like botanical garden, mimosa sun, and coconut grove (to name a few).    In fact, their whole line of products, from body wash to toilet cleaner, all follow the same mission.

10. Ok, how could you ever want to use a plain old throw-away brown paper bag again when you could be using this reusable lunch sack adorned with a unicorn?!

11. Same as above, except replace paper bag with plastic baggies and lunch sack with awesome reusable snack bags.

12. Stylish.  Bamboo (renewable, removes greenhouse gases, quick-growing without the use of pesticides).  'Nuff said.

I hope these ideas are enough to get the ball rolling on being eco-friendly on a daily basis.  Because if we've been careless enough to destroy the environment, then we surely need to be careful enough to save it!

Can I get an amen?

Bright, Sunshiney Day

{old navy tee  //  skirt: UO cute option 1, option 2 //  sandals: o'neill, similar  //  scarf: mandee  //  bracelets: f21, similar 1, 2}

This outfit is a repeat.  I actually wore it out for my birthday this past Monday but I was having so much fun that I didn't want to leave the action for a photo shoot.
So I did the next best thing - I wore the outfit again.  Just 4 days later.
(I never claimed to be hygienic.)

It was the perfect get-up for sitting in an outdoor beer garden soaking up the sun, enjoying German beer, and sharing lots of laughs and soft pretzels with friends.
As for having to swing my legs over the family-style picnic benches every time I wanted to get up from the table, well, perhaps it was a little less than perfect.
Still, 3 out of 4 ain't bad.

Check out where I'm partying today.

Birthday Girl

Stop!  Hammer time.

{dress: target  //  sandals: o'neill, similar  //  necklace: gift  //  bracelets: f21, delias}

 Yesterday was my birthday.
Over the weekend some friends stopped by unexpectedly, so we invited a couple more over and had ourselves a little impromptu birthday party in the backyard.  My talented friend, Fatiha, and I stole away for a few minutes to do a fun photo shoot.  (You can see me jumping for joy up there, and in the process inadvertently sporting some MC Hammer pants.  Can't touch this.)

Then last night I got to celebrate my birthday again, this time enjoying the gorgeous, warm, sunshiney weather (seriously, it was 85 degrees) at an outdoor beer garden with my dad and some other friends.
(This time I left the Hammer pants home.)

Two parties for the price of one birthday - I am one lucky gal.

Come check out where I'm virtually partying today here.

And last night I partied for realsies here.

Highlights & Lowlights #3

 

 {cardi: joyce leslie, similar  //  top: diy from t shirt, similar  //  skirt: delias  //  shoes: payless, similar  //  tights  // necklace: diy}

       Lowlights:

• Having writer's block practically since the beginning of April.  Not fun.
• Getting a bad haircut.  I'm putting out an official request for my amazing hairdresser of a sister to move back to NJ so I don't have to fly all the way to Florida for a fantastic haircut.
• Being (mentally) prepared to face the DMV to renew my license, and then being absolutely, positively unable to open my safe to retrieve the necessary-to-prove-I'm-really-me documents the DMV requires.  I'm talking straining, grunting, squeezing, pulling, trying as hard as I can to lift the damn latch for over 2 hours before giving up out of sheer frustration.  Hunny bunny gets home and realizes I simply had to push down before lifting up.  ...............Oh.

       

        Highlights:

• Going out to celebrate National Cheese Fondue Day by eating a cheddar/beer/jalapeno/salsa fondue!  
• Waking up on Sunday morning to find that the Easter (hunny) bunny visited and brought two baskets of my favorite Easter candies including two full sized bags of Cadburry mini eggs.  Yes that's right, this full grown woman still gets Easter baskets from her boyfriend and is not ashamed to admit it.
• Starting a new book that I became instantly enamored with.  It's called Cinder, it's made for teens, and it's loosely based on Cinderella.  Except now she's a cyborg living in the future, her best friend is an android, there's a plague spreading around Earth, and there's an evil moon queen who wants her dead.   Sound too ridiculous to be good?  Pick up a copy and see for yourself. 
• Looking forward to baking (my own) birthday cake with hunny bunny tonight.  We're going to attempt ombre cake layers.  Successful results will be shared with you; failures will be eaten before photographic evidence can be acquired.

Check out where I'm linking up today here.

Ensconced in a Hug

 {sweater: target, similar  //  shorts  //  tights: rite aid  //  shoes: payless, similar  //  scarf: h&m  //  watch  //  bracelets: diy}


So, I'm going out on a limb here, and saying that wearing tights and heels can be totally comfortable.
How?
Just pair them with a flowy, billowy top and an uber soft scarf.  It'll feel like you're wearing a big, cozy hug.
Oh, and sit down a lot.  That helps too.
Because I wore tights and heels to a wedding and I can tell you from experience that stuffing your face full of wedding cake and dancing all night certainly doesn't win this sartorial combo any brownie points.
But staying off your feet and eating a small salad will, promise.

Queen of Hearts

{button up: f21  //  cropped top: UO  //  jeans: gap  //  shoes: target, similar  //  vintage necklace: gramma's, similar}

 On Friday I decided to be daring and put a cropped top on over my button up.

And then I proceeded to wear it food shopping.

Boy, do I lead a life of excitement and adventure.

On another note, please pay no attention to my wrinkled sleeves; evidently I twist, move, and scrunch my arms much more than any other part of my body.

Weekend Update

 {button up: old navy  //  top: banana republic, thrifted  //  jeans: target  //  wedges: target similar  //  necklace: diy}

This past weekend was rainy and gloomy and hunny bunny & I just were having too lazy of a weekend to take any outfit photos (which explains my absence for the past few days.  You guys did notice I was gone, right??)  I assure you I did get dressed the one time we left the house, but alas, without photographic evidence I know those are just empty words.

Yesterday was date night, so we decided to go for a walk in the nice, sunny, springy weather.  (And then came home and baked beer bread together - at hunny bunny's suggestion! - but that's another story).

And now I can provide you irrefutable proof that I wore something other than sweat pants at least once since last Friday.

You can all take a collective sigh of relief.