apple a day; tree pose

(song of the day: i want you back, jackson 5)

heyhey! hope your tuesday's treating you well. mine's going okay. i spent TWO hours on my school website, but i think i've finally got things sorted out now. it's been a long time since i wrote anything health/fitness related. today we're talking yoga. i've got pretty good balance to the tree pose is one of my favourites.

one. begin standing with your feet together and arms down at your sides.

two. place the sole of your left foot as high as it will go on the inside of your right thigh, just like in the picture at left.

three. with your palms up, raise your arms above your head. hold for 5 to 10 deep breaths (30-60 seconds). focus on keeping your breaths slow and steady. easy as that!

over at self magazine, they paired this move with an appropriate calisthenic: a hybrid plié squat. check it out for a real workout and some more poses.

the picture above was also borrowed from self.

love your life;

(song of the day: running, david archuleta)
for fomatting, and the reason i do this, click here

1. today: i woke up sick and late. but i didn't let it get me down and i'm proud of that. i know the reason it feels like a truck hit me this morning is because i had an AMAZING weekend between weddings and birthdays and die hard. i wouldn't trade it for the world.

2. one thing i'm looking forward to: right now, it's celebrating the birthday of a friend. (love you L!)

3. one thing that'll make my week: if i can find a bottle of arizona's half and half and this quotation.

thanks for the photo trish mccoy!

"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same."

Carlos Castaneda

best ofs; june 22-26

(song of the day: for my love, bethany dillon)
(happy birthday L!)

ONE. i know we don't have target here, but i was still pretty excited when i heard anna sui was designing a gossip girl-inspired line just for the store. it's not in stores till fall, but check out a preview of the collecion via the cut. which one would you wear?

TWO. i'm not a twilight fan by any means, but i did find this article pretty funny. it lists ten ways that twilight has ruined a generation of high school girlfriends.

THREE. fan of crude humoured comics? me too. right now i'm reading getsajob. the creator, aaron bowersock gives a historical or pop culture figure an amusing job. like what would happen if picasso got a job designing signs for the city, or if clifford got a job as a seeing eye job. good times. if you have a wiifit you know how funny/annoying this is =P (click to enlarge)

FOUR. ages ago, my friend R sent me this really cool list of 5-minute meals that slim. check it out! let me know if you think there's one i should try.

FIVE. karen over at the makeup and beauty blog gave a rundown of 21 tips and tricks for buying makeup from your drugstore. it's good stuff!

okay, that's all for me. singing at a wedding today. AH! have a good weekend lovely ones.

-lovelovelove.

je t'aime;

so i'm currently trying to think of what i should do with my hair for the wedding tomorrow. i've already got my makeup sorted out but i'm stumped in the hair department. i have to say i am really not a fan of updos, on the whole. you will rarely see my hair in a ponytail or bun. but updos seem to be the norm most times, no? that or curls, and curls and me don't fare so well on hot summer days. another bummer? my hair's shorter now and i have a hard time doing anything other than leaving it down. and on top of that, have to keep it simple because my sister won't be there tomorrow to help me! here's what i'm looking at so far.

luckily, i found how to's for all of these styles. it shouldn't surprise you that there are two hairstyles here with braids in them. jennifer aniston's is simple enough. it's definitely my fall back if i can't come up with anything more creative.

i'm loving zooey deschanel's, and i've even done something like it before. but i'd have to run out for some sort of sparkly broach/pin tomorrow morning. and i think the waves make it a little more fancy, no?

if i'm going to go the updo route it'll definitely be something like jessica alba's. i'm into assymetry. i'm also loving that it looks kinda messy but in all the right ways. i'd probably leave my bangs out though. so...



or maybe you would suggest something else entirely? i open to anything! i'm watching some avatar and dragging my feet about going to work.

thoughts; you make time for what's important

(song of the day: everybody knows, john legend)

morning! so today i'm thinking about time. when i was little the days seemed to crawl by, and now i can't get them to stop. my friend's B is getting married tomorrow and it feels like they only started going out just yesterday. it's crazy. things just go SO fast. i mean, it's almost july and it feels like i have yet to do anything with my summer vacation. while i was writing my last essays and exams i made a list of all the things i wanted to do, and they all remain un-checked.

i've always said: you make time for what's important. but never really taken my own advice. usually when i say it, i'm whining about whatever friend blew me off that week. but it applies to me too! i mean, somehow i always find time to (guiltily) read perez, or browse EVERY twitter trending topic or go see a movie i don't even really want to see, or make a late night mcdonald's run, but i've got a novel i've been meaning to write and i haven't even started. i mean, this week has been ridiculously busy and fun, but at the same time i haven't really done much.

when you "can't find" the time for something make time! being too busy isn't always an excuse. EVERYONE is busy. my advice? define what's important to you and then do it. do it right away! don't make time an excuse. it's easier to get things done when you've got your priorities straight. deep down, i realize i always find time to watch reruns of the office, or hang out with people because i love that stuff. even if it doesn't really accomplish anything. in all honesty, i need to put a bigger effort toward getting the important stuff done.

in the next week, i'll be thinking about spending my time more wisely. if writing's what's important to me, that's what i'm going to make time to do. so what about you? what do you need to finally get around to? for more check out this short post for the skelliewag blog, even the comments were helpful.


and one more thought;

here's what i learned from princess protection program. i saw it the other day and one line stuck with me. in typical fashion, the mean girl tries to make a fool of the perfectly innocent good girl. but instead of striking back, instead of getting angry, she replies "no one can make me something i'm not." i'm paraphrasing, but it's so true. don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

-xoxo!

photos from here and here.

quick tip;

Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out; it takes time to sink in.

catalogue; eleven

(song of the day: you and i both, jason mraz)

occasion: church
dress: old navy, $15
brown cami: fairweather, $5
white cardigan: borrowed
silver gladiators: aeropostale, $20

hello summer! i'm loving the weather of late. i wore this to church after the bachelorette and then to my mom's graduation party last sunday. despite a few complications, she did end up being surprised and it was really fun. i don't think i've ever worn as many dresses as i have these last few weeks. i think i'm in love. what's become your go-to summer staple?

love your life;

so i woke up this morning and i wasn't loving my life at ALL. i'm not actually sure that i want to do this today. but then i remembered that days like these are the reason i started writing this section in the first place. so i press on.

1. today: i'm glad my sister's finally on summer vacation and we can hang out. she's had her head in the boks for WEEKS now. we're having a spa day, and then going horseback riding with our cousins.
2. i'm looking forward to: my friends getting married at the end of the week! and transformers, bien sur.
3. one thing that'll make this week better: Psalm 146.

ironically, this morning i came across some tips over at charade for dealing with your down days. v. helpful. that's all for now!

thanks to meg loves sunshine for the awesome picture.
to read why i do this, and for formatting, see here.

best of; june 15-19

(song of the day: here we go again, demi lovato)

phew! it feels like i've been more busy than ever since school let out. but, i wouldn't have it any other way. between personal showers, goodbye parties and convocations it's been an awesome week. my mom got her masters and won an award for academic excellence, i'm uber proud. tomorrow's going to be nuts too. work, then a goodbye party, then a bachelorette party. shwew! anyway, here are the best ofs for the week!

ONE. check style bakery's outfit suggestions for bachelorette parties. definitely gave me some ideas as the one i'm going to tomorrow is my first!

TWO. this week i stumbled across the uniform project. it's "an exercise in sustainable fashion." the girl has pledged to wear the same dress for an entire year. the way she accesorizes is amazing and a little bit inpsiring. but she's also taking donations and giving them too an organization that funds uniforms and other school stuff for slum children in india. it's good stuff.

THREE. i've read this EVERYWHERE this week, but still can't help being excited that jimmy
choo is coming to H&M. expect to be lining up for it sometime this fall.

FOUR. attention matte fans! some of you really liked the idea of matte polish when i wrote about it a bit ago. a lot of nail polish brands have jumped on the trend and are slated to release their own matte collections in the near future. but essie has come up with a matte finisher that can be applied over any polish to give it the desired finish. it should be in stores by fall 2009.

FIVE. this week FB from fabulously broke put together this comprehensive list of superfoods everyone should be eating more of. i just wish i didn't find most of them to be really yucky. i mean butternut squash, do i have to? =P

SIX. the latest personal blog i'm obsessed with is "...love maegan." she's got a ton of super sweet outfit posts, and a DIYs that actually don't look too hard to do! that's her at left. i'm loving her tulip dress and the front french braid. amazing!

SEVEN - TEN. if you're anything like me, you've completely forgotten about father's day this sunday. (oops!) check out these gift guides, one from glamour, one from collegecandy, and two from style bakery: one for the traditional dad and one for the hipster dad. but hopefully you've already found something!

that's all! have a great weekend!
-lovelovelove.

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top ten; ideas for cutting costs on wedding gifts

(song of the day: if you only knew, savannah outen)

i'm not a wedding expert by any means. that's why i'm writing these! but i remember i had a particularly unfortunate experience last year. i shelled out $50 for a bridal shower present and then it turned out i wasn't even invited to the wedding. NOT a pleasant experience. i had forgotten back then that it's not so much what you spend as to what you get that matters. the price tag isn't the bottom line, you should find/buy/make something the couple will appreciate. now that times are tough people are evening more understanding. hopefully these gift ideas will keep everyone happy!

it's important to set a budget (1) more and more i'm trying to at least find a goal amount that i want to spend. it makes me more careful when i'm about to go over. and of course, it makes me more careful of the item i pick up. i'm perfectly willing to go over my limit if it's a really good deal. i find that budgets put things in perspective.

i think gift registries are wonderful. it takes all the guesswork out of everything, but when you're a student, not everything on said list is attainable. i think it's okay to purchase a smaller ticket item and then personalize it with a really nice note (2) or something. people don't really write letters any more but they're amazing to receive. chock it full of memories, wishes or advice for the happy couple. or get a group of friends and pool together (3) to get something reaslly nice.but if you're going to d this, don't wait till the last minute.

you can find an item from the gift registry and try and find it cheaper elsewhere (4). this only works if it's the EXACT same item. but if they're registered at the bay and you can save yourself five dollars at wlamart, i don't see a problem with that! just don't forget to notifiy the store that they can cross the item off the list.

i totally suggest giving etsy a browse (5). you could find a one of a kind gifts that they'd love. you may even have something you could personalize. if you're crafty you may even want to try making something yourself. i'm not talking a plaster cast of your palm print. homemade gifts (6) can actually be really nice. the key is to keep them personalized. go with names, or inside jokes,or something special with a memory attached. and keep the couples interests at heart first and formemost. if they're not really into cross stitching, it's not going to be much of a gift.

and if you've got skills of other sorts, you could always offer them (7) as a gift. if you're good with video, you can offer to edit all of the wedding footage taken into a nice dvd for the couple, cause services charge a lot for that. if you're musically inclined ask if the couple would like some free entertainment for the reception. if you're a whiz in the cosmetology department offer to do hair or makeup for the bridal party. maybe you can paint some original artwork for their new home.

some other kind of frual but still v. cool ideas (8): packaging up the perfect movie night (popcorn and video rental coupon included), framing their wedding invitations, putting together a cookbook of foolproof recipes, any kind of scrapbook is lovely really. and then, magazine subscriptions are gifts that keep on giving.

if you're tapped out for ideas, i've never heard of a couple that's complained about getting cash or gift cards (9). they're definitely easier to pack with you! and i think it's perfectly legit to use gift cards you've gotten (10) to buy someone something else. i'm not opposed to using coupons or store credit either.

one last thing: avoid regifting at all costs. if you didn't use it want it, why would anyone else?

anyway, that's it for me, i've got worship practice and some shopping to do!

-lovelovelove.

je t'aime;

i'm loving this outfit from forever 21. it's soft but not TOO soft you know? but it was her, i'd pull the shorts down just a wee bit more. (you have to squint, but they're there.) haha, i'll defs be recreating this in the future though. it's been a looong time since a catalogued outfit, mostly cause i can't find my camera. haha. more wedding stuff is on its way later today my lovelies!

in other news, forever21 launched their blog last night. there's not much content yet, but the layout alone is enough to get me excited.

don't forget to check product info.

current obession; weddings (part 2)

about face.

today i'm covering hair and makeup. if you're rolling in money you can always solve the problem by booking a hair or makeup appointment and i will envy you from a far. i had always thought that wedding makeup had to be outdone on complicated but almost everything i read suggested the exact opposite. apparently, the thing to do is to find a fresh, but natural look that highlights the best possible you. especially for summer occasions, sheer and simple looks are the best. in weddings, it's better to look timeless as opposed to trendy.

my first tip? have a test run a few days before. there's nothing fun about running late to a wedding with makeup and hair that you hate. you can make sure you have any thing to need and it won't be too late to incorporate new ideas. you never know where you'll find inspiration, magazines, celebrities, blogs ;) but you never want to try something new the day of.

you have to consider makeup that'll last for the whole day and that will look good in pictures. having a good foundation and concealer are key. it always seems that the tiniest imperfections get amplified in pictures. pick one that matches your skin tone exactly. you also might wanted to choose one that won't get cakey by the end of the day (again, a test run here would be helpful)

a few last makeup notes: avoid matching your makeup to your dress and go with what brings out your facial feautres! in your purse the day of the wedding i suggest carrying oil-absorbing sheets and lip gloss for touchups. lovely!

now as for hair...

take note of the dress code. with formal attire updos are the norm, but you can keep things more simple if you're headed to a daytime wedding. don't go with an updo or curls just because it's the thing to do, choose a hairstyle that compliments your face! round faces should go for volume and height, square faces are flattered by layered, wispy, romantic looks. heart-shaped faces do well with sweep of hair across the brow and oval faces generally look good with anything. do a little googling/experimenting.

the immensely tight bun look is on its way out right now. opt for a cute bedhead bun and accesorize with a sparkly pin, fresh flower or headband. or a cute look like the one in the video. i can see offsetting something like that with some nice dnagly
earrings, coulnd't you?



but don't over do it. after all, all the real attentions supposed to be on the bride ;) and if all else fails, remember that a smile is your best accesory!

-xoxo.

p.s. karen over at the makeup and beauty blog rounded up 101 bridal makeup tutorials for your perousal. even though they're aimed at brides there's plenty of good stuff. tons of videos and tutorials. go nuts!

je t'aime;

reasons today is awesome: went to the hairdressers, hung out with my aunt, drove for the first time since my little accident, bought lingerie for the first time (still not for me, but it was quite the adventure!), bought the new jonas brothers cd (and i'm loving it) and THEN i found this delicious picture of ed westwick to tide me through a summer without gossip girl.

absolutely fabulous.

got the picture here.

current obession; weddings (part 1)

dress the part.

so this week there'll be a bit of a focus on weddings. i certainly hope i'm not the only one going to a wedding in the near future, it feels like wedding season is fully underway so i hope these next few posts are useful to you. gosh! there's so much i want to say, but i'm picking out the good stuff.

today i'm covering what to wear. the first key to that is figuring out what kind of attire is required. a couple weeks ago when i announced this series i pointed out a post from fabulously broke that was a pretty good guide for proper attire. you can use the time and place of the wedding as an indicator. afternoon weddings are usually not black tie affairs. even when an invitation says casual jeans are not reccomended. go business casual to be safe. black tie: requires your dressiest look. most weddings fall somwhere in between check FB's cheat sheet for more.

it doesn't really matter if your dress is this or that colour (though i'd say avoiding white at all costs is a pretty safe rule) or is this or that trend. the most important thing is fit! any dress that you have to be stuck in all day (sitting, standing, dancing, taking pictures etc) NEEDS to be comfortable no?

first tip? buy a dress that fits you, regardless of what the tag inside says. if you ask me, the sizing system for women is retarded anyway. if a size 10 makes you LOOK better buy it! even if you're usually a size 4, just cut the tag out to make yourself feel better.

second. know your body and dress accordingly. (i'm talking things like wearing empire-waist dresses if you have a shorter torso, off the shoulder cuts and halter necks diffuse broad shoulders) a dress that fits is instantly flattering!

when buying a dress you always want to consider versatility. formal wear isn't cheap. but i've got no trouble forking over more change for a dress i'll be able to wear more than once. my prom dress, gorgeous pink, bowed contraption that it is, sits alone in my closet. while girls who bought black dresses are free to wear them over and over again.

so the rule of thumb? the simpler the lines of the dress, the more you'll be able to make it look different. considering accesorizing with a belt, ribbon, shrug, broach, statement necklace, or scarf. if you're going to an outdoor wedding try working a floral broach. the real flower will look amazing! and of course changing your hair and makeup around (more on that later this week!) and of course, get it in a colour you love! one that flatters you, and one you'll love to wear over and over again. summer weddings are the perfect time to embrace warmer colours, if that's what you're into.

i leave you with a few quick thoughts:
-hosiery is no longers necessary, but if you choose to wear it, at all costs, avoid panty hose and open toed shoes
-if you're really strapped for cash, trying organizing a dress swap with friends who're going to the same event and all the same size

so that's all for now? but it's not too late to submit your wedding questions to me!

-lovelovelove.

dress by BCBGMAXAZRIA

je t'aime;

mosquito bites are the absolute WORST! i found four new ones this morning and was none too happy about it. i would not have made it through the weekend up north without benadryl itch spray. i like that it doesn't sting as much as after bite and i find it works better for longer too. unfortunately, i've only seen it in the states - but if you've seen it here let me know asap! i can't even remember what i did before i found it. so i'm asking y'all, how do you cure the itch?

i googled and found this list of 40 mostquite bite itch remedies. you'll never guess what i tried.


some of these sounded like they made more sense than others. but i decided to go for a crazy one! toothpaste! (i used one of those basic cream toothpastes from arm & hammer) it sounds crazy cause it is. i just spot tested on a few-of many- mosquite bites. my results were mixed. it relieved the itch for only a few minutes i feel. and i'm stuck being sticky and rather minty. but i mean, at least i'll have something to do if i ever run out of benadryl spray, heaven forbid!!

so there you go. what i wouldn't do for you, dear readers =P

love your life;

1. today: i'm glad my sister's home. i haven't seen much of my family lately. and not just cause i was away on an amazing retreat all weekend. it's been a while since i've actually just hung out with her. she's not off school yet, but helping her study has actually been kinda fun.
2. i'm looking foward to: my first personal shower and my first bachelorette party this weekend!
3. one thing that'll make this week better: if i can find a way to stop these mosquito bites from itching. i'm in major pain here!

what about you? what are you loving about your life this week?

thanks to [[chase]] for the pretty picture.
for format, and the reason i do this, read here.

je t'aime;

i've been meaning for a while now to get around to telling you how the whole cosmo routine thing went. this has been a weird week for me, i thought once i was done school i'd have all the time in the world but i feel just as busy as before, between prepping for this writing contest i'm entering and throwing fab "surprise" parties, i don't feel like i've had a real moment to breathe since summer started. ah well, i'm having tons of fun and i suppose that's what matters.

to the results!


in case you need a refresher, i tried doing drinking mostly water, eliminating white grains (bread, pasta) from my diet, various exercise for 30 minutes, and giving up ice cream! it was weird because in the process i also gave up sweets of all types. no cookies, donuts etc. which i've never done EVER. (i have a LOT of sugar, and i'm well aware it's a main factor in my sunny disposition most days) it might have been a lot to take on, but it was certainly an interesting experience!

i'm not gonna lie the first two days were torture. i was running around my house concentrating on everything i couldn't eat. (the no bread or refined sugar left a HUGE whole in my diet) but that's not really the way to go about things. by wednesday, i looked a bunch of food ideas online and things got better (like white egg omeletes!) and i got over my dislike of water. i realize even though it doesn't taste as sweet as i would like (=P) it really is the best way to quench your thirst.

the exercise was again, painful. but i tried to make it fun. i did lunges between commercials of my favourite tv shows and that seemed to work pretty well.

i think the weirdest thing about it is that even though i'm not doing it this week a lot of the habits have carried over. (okay, not the exercise part) but i reach for water more often than not, and i've only had ice cream TWICE this week. (which is a big step down from my previous practice of twice daily) and, i grabbed a BOWL! my family was astounded. i'm really addicted to cherries right now. and i'm feeling pretty pro star.

you can't really notice as visible difference on my stomach. my mom pointed out -on day 6 - that i should've measured my waist from the start. haha. next time. interestingly enough i did lose five pounds, though i'd like to point out again it wasn't my main goal. pretty cool side effect though =P it was kinda neat to step back from my normal routine and really think about what i do to my body. you don't have to cut out carbs to do that, i recommend everyone try it!

how to; exfoliate your lips

i have a lip gloss addiction, and smooth lips go hand in hand with that. when i posted about how to wear lip stains a few weeks ago and i got to the part about exfoliating before you apply i really wanted to dwell on it a little longer! it's tons easier for a product to stick when you start with fresh, smooth lips. so today, here are three (free!) ways to get prime your lips and make them super smooth using stuff you've already got.

1. use a washcloth
to begin, wet the corner of a washcloth with warm water. next place your finger inside the washcloth and rub your lips in soft circles until you've removed all the dirt/loose skin, old lip product.

2. use tooth brush
use a plain toothbrush, wet it with warm water, but don't put any water on it! and brush away dead skin flakes. my recommendation for this is to by a kids toothbrush. i have one! they're perfect because the head of the toothbrush is smaller and the bristles are softer.

3. use some sugar
it's a natural exfoliant. make a thick paste of sugar and water and apply it to your lips using a finger. rub in a circular motion until all the flakes are gone. (and try not to lick the sugar off because it IS tempting!)

seal in smooth lips with a lip balm or vaseline. then apply lip gloss, lip stick, what have you. it might not be a bad idea to invest in something with an SPF because lips can get sun burnt too! check my reccomendations, below.

of course there are a lot of lip exfoliants you can buy as well, i already talked about a great one from bath and body works and sephora's got a great one too. check out what works for you!

je t'aime;

i gotta say, OPI is probably my favourite nail polish brands and i'm pretty excited to hear that they're releasing a matte collection this july. when i heard about it i was really excited! they're taking some of their most popular shades and releasing them in this new matte format.

matte's don't last as long as polishes with the regular satin finish. this could be because you're not allowed to use top coast, base coat or hand lotion for the effect. even still, i was intrigued by the idea.

but when i finally some of the swatches, i wasn't quite sure how i felt about it. these aren't the exact same shade, but i wanted to just show you what they look like. lincoln park after dark is one of my favourite shades. here it is in matte form.

i couldn't find the exact shade, but here's another picture just for comparison. but looking at the picture, i'm not so sure the dull finish is a good thing.

thanks to all lacquered up for the pictures!

love your life;

(song of the day: fly with me, the jonas brothers)

1. today: i'm loving lazy mornings. i've got a homemade egg mcmuffin and i'm chilling out, watching some justice league (and even though they're getting their but kicked right now) it's fantastic. i feel like i keep saying it but i've learned SO much in the last little bit. and i'm so thankful for it. i say this alot too, but i'm also crazy thankful for some amazing new friends!

2. i'm looking forward to: the 1825 retreat! i don't think i've ever been so excited for a retreat before. truly. i can hardly wait till friday. though i mean, there are some really cool things happening between now and then: mini-golfing with jenn, a wicked "surprise" party! i've got a lot of work to do this week too. like, i'm trying to get this story ready so i can submit it for this contest and nothing's really coming together. when friday comes i'll finally be able to breathe and recharge a bit.


3. one thing that'll make my week better: stopping to be appreciative of everything good that's happening! it'd be all too easy to stress over the things i have to do. i mean, that's why i write/do things like these. but of course... if things get really rough, i can always stop and have some icecream not that that whole deal is over. haha. i actually learned a lot from it! more on that later.

so how was your weekend? and how will you love your life this week?

how cute is this picture by alice.fan? it reminds me of up
(which was like the cutest movie ever. i laughed so hard.)
for format, and the reason i do this, read here.

best of: june 1-5

(song of the day: lucky, jason mraz)

heyhey! this weekend is ridiculously busy, but in all the right ways. i got to go to this book conference today. i got to meet all these different people from the industry: editors, publishers, marketers and TONS of authors. i made a whole bunch of friends from harlequin. we're tight now. haha. in all seriousness, it was great. i learned SO much. and i have a crapload of story ideas now. anyhoodle, here are the best ofs for the week!

ONE. the girls over at collegecandy share my confusion about taylor swift. i'll admit i'm more confused than ever. cause even after i blogged (or kinda bashed) that song of hers. it grew on me, like exponentially. (no lie, it cracked the top 25 on my ipod) and while there's a part of me that has no given up on my dream job as a disney princess there is also a part that hates her sappy lyrics about prince charmings and picture perfect happy endings. sometimes i think songs (books/movies/shows) like these are ruining relationships before they even start. i'm on the fence on this one (and i could mull over it forever) either way, check it out!

TWO. you know those iphone commercials that frequently proclaim "there's an app for that?" well there's a site for that. anyone can submit their funny fill in the blanks. example: "if you forget to bring a pooper-scooper when you're taking your dog for a walk, there's an app for that." i was amused. check 'em out.




THREE. i've finally been getting around to doing some much needed wardrobe weaning, so A's tips on taming your closet were all to welcome this week. hop over to the glamorousgradstudent.

FOUR. so i found out this week that kenny ortega's not directing HSM4. let me count now. kenny's not there. none of the original cast is there. and none of the people they introduced are there. (you heard me, all the new wildcats got fired) so why are they bothering to make it at all? just my two cents.

FIVE. over at allwomenstalk, they finally broke down how to read food labels. i wish i written it myself!

anyway, i'm going out for a movie with matt. later gators!

current obsession: tim gunn's guide to quality, taste and style

(song of the day: everybody wants to rule the world, tears for fears)

my current obsession? tim gunn's guide to quality, taste and style. it's always been my philosophy that you should invest more into having good style than being "fashionable" and tim gunn's book helps you do just that.

i've been meaning to read this for a long time, but with school and all i just didn't get the chance. but now that i've read it, i gotta say, i don't really want to give it back (to the library)

i learned so much about developing my personal style (whatever it is. haha) i didn't fully understand the importance of silhouette and fit. his closet clearing tips were a lot better than mine. and what he had to say about finding your perfect fit. he offered all these great tips on making your accesories work for you. but i was really paying attention to what he said about posture. i didn't realize how much it had to do with style, nor did i notice how much i let it slip sometimes. check out this passage. (am i allowed to do this? i'm doing it anyway =P) he was talking about the three foot and fashion faux pas to avoid. the flip-flop waddle.

"every summer, people all over celebrate the arrival of temperate weather by casting aside constricting winter shoes in favour of the flip-flop. although we have discussed the flip-flop's appropriateness in various situations, we have not mentioned the veyr real problem of flip-flop-induced waddling. now, some people are just prone to waddling-ie., the extremely pregnant-but we are convinced that the unstructured nature of the flip-flop causes many other completely unnecesary cases. it happens like this: the feet, enjoying their freedom, are slowly allowed to turn out until they are no longer parallel. this gait not only looks ungainly from the front, it does terrible, terrible things to the view from the back. the legs are turned out from the hip joints, causing a general spreading and widening of the bottom. take a look next time you are on the street. the most flat-bottomed among us tend to be those walking around with feet that are not aparallel. which came first, you may ask, the poorly placed feet or the pancake bottom? does it matter? why not be on the safe side and get those feet in line?"

i totally know what he's talking about. but i hope i've never done it! he also gives tips on how to dress for any occasion, how to shop and how to choose a fashion mentor. haha. i love the way he speaks. it's so crisp and witty. i've heard some of the things he said i've heard before, but it's only because their true! and the way tim gunn says them is refreshingly smart. it's an all around great read! do you ever read books about fashion/style? if you have, what's good?

anyhoodle, i'm off to throw an outfit for an 80s party i'm going to tonight. woohoo!

-xoxo.



i'm cool! i cite!
Gunn, Tim, and Kate Moloney. Tim Gunn A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (Tim Gunn's Guide to Style). New York: Abrams Image, 2007.

je t'aime;

(song of the day: more than useless, relient k)

darn it! looks like they're won't be enough time for a real post today after all! i'm just leaving another je t'aime to tide you through =P today's been so great and it's not even over yet! it had a minor hiccup this morning, but i ended up having a reall fun phone conversation out of it. and i got my sandals! not at payless though. the square one branch doesn't carry the one i picked out yesterday. but i ended up getting something better. this is seriously the best deal i've scored so far this YEAR.


i got them from claire's (i never shuck out a lot of money on summer sandals. that way i can always buy more the next year). they were originally $20.50 each, and i got both for FIFTEEN dollars thanks to a wicked 2 for $17 sale andddd my SPC card. there's a banner day right there. i'm thinking i'm going to wear the gladiator ones tonight. you can bet they're both coming to a catalogue outfit near you! in other news...


these are my nails right now. and even though it took FOREVER for me to do, i really like the way they came out. i bought that nail art pen EONS ago -okay, april- but this is the first time i've used it. and i think i'll do it again? i only used it on the thumbs of each hand on account of my imminent fear of looking "ghetto fabulous." (haha) i think it turned out all right though. everytime i look down at them i smile. but i'm looking for some more design ideas. (sadly, that leaf (?) like thing is all i could come up with.) any ideas? or... are you not a fan of nail art on the whole?

i used:
essie polish in room with a view
sally hansen polish in sheer lilac
sally hansen nail art pen in silver

haha. i promise i'll write something more productive/informative tomorrow. i'm off to get ready for worship practice. later days!

-lovelovelove.

je t'aime;

i'm in need of some new summer sandals. seriously. i'm running on one pair of flipflops here. and i mean luckily, the weather's not really all that warm yet so i'm not sweating in my sneakers. but i really need to replace my brown pair.

i'm digging this pair from payless, (the samara jeweled sandal from montego bay, $19.99) cause you could dress them up or down. a bit ago, i wrote about the top ten spring/summer trends for shoes, but i'm wondering, what shoes will you be living in this season?

apple a day; egg white omelettes

(song of the day: better together, jack johnson)

hey there! care for an update as to how the cosmo routine is going? let me fill you in!

one. i've been drinking plenty of water and it hasn't been that hard. i did have a glass of orange juice cause my mom said i could use the vitamin c, but i don't feel bad about it cause it was 100% juice. i've been avoiding the sugary stuff.

two. avoid white grains/pasta. i'm the girl who loves muching on plain white bread between meals, or any time really. and pasta has practically become its own food group for me. so this one has not been easy. it's been hard to think of things to eat, white grains are everywhere! luckily my mom stocked up on carrots this week, those are fun to eat cause they crunch like chips. (yep, sometimes i have to pretend vegetables are junk food in order to trick myself into enjoying eating them. whatever works my mom always says.) and i'm about to share my creative breakfast solution in just a minute!

three. do 30 minutes cardio. did you know my family had an eliptical machine?! =O i think i kind've knew but had forogtten. so that's a good way to get my cardio in. i'm still sick so i'll admit i haven't really been going at this one full throttle. but i've been working in the lunges! i'll usually hop down and do them during the commercial of whatever show i'm watching.

four. i've actually gone without a lot of sweets this week, but ice cream has been my one food sacrifice, and probably the hardest thing i've had to do so far! there's nothing better than chilling with some cartoons and chomping on some icecream. ahhhh. i'm trying not to think about it >.<

five. i've been getting in more than a half hour of sleep actually. it's weird, during the school year, i can convince myself that i'm okay to function on five hours, but eight is sooooo much better.ice cream aside, i haven't really been craving anything i've cut out. the problem is literally finding things to eat. around breakfast time i've been making a lot of eggs! my favourite way is probably the egg-white omelette. they taste a lot like regular omelettes but without the fat or cholestorol. and i've really liked making them a different way each day. plus, it really doesn't take too long, mybe like 10 minutes to prep and 5 to cook? my kind of breakfast. it's hard to put an exact recipe down cause i do so much mixing and matching.

1. seperate 3 eggs, and toss yokes aside. whisk the egg whites together with 1 teaspoon of water. here's where you add your spices. most recipes suggest salt, pepper and dill, to taste. but i have fun throwing in whatever i can find from the spice racke. i even tried chile powder once. it was a disaster for me, but my sister said it tasted good!

2. place your desired fillings in a small bowl. the most common include spinach, tomatoes and cheese, but again, you could use anything really. make sure they've been ripped/cut/shredded into tiny pieces!

3. pour your egg mixture into the pan and let it cook until the egg whites begin to set on the bottom. then, spread the filling over half of the omelette and fold it in half. cook for another to minutes.

4. then, slide the omelette onto a plate and garnish with maybe a few dill leaves, some shredded cheese or a reserved teaspoon of your filling.

and that's all to it really. i'm a big fan. as soon as this episode of justice league is done, i'm off to attempt to clean my room/do some laundry, before heading off to worship practice

-later days!

got the photo from here.

top ten; june/july movies

it's that time again! i LIVE for summer movies. truly, last summer i average about two a week =P i'm not planning on doing that this year, but here are the top ten movies i can not live without!

june.
1 ►transformers: revenge of the fallen (june 26)
i have NEVER been more excited for a sequel! evertime i see the trailer i squeal a bit no lie. but i'm super nervous cause, it never really looks like they're even coming close to winning in any of the commercials! the tone of it is just so... sad. that just means i'm going to be super tense the whole movie. should be a good one!

2 ► land of the lost (june 5)
will ferrel is my weakness. i stayed up late to watching conan last night and he was on it promoting it and it only got me more excited. and that whole "matt lauer can suck it" comment gets me laughing every time.

3 ►the taking of pelham 123 (june 12)
john travolta's character tkaes a NYC subway train hostage and demands that the train operater (denzel washington) act as a negotiator for his demands. this one has a good twist and i'm dying to figure out what it is! this one has mom and me written all over it =P

4 ► the proposal (june 19)
i can't say i'm the biggest chick flick fan, but i lovelovelove movies where they get forced together by lies and eventually find love! and i love anne fletcher (she also directed step up and 27 dresses) anyway, sandra bullock's character forces her to marry her so she can avoid deportation. they're totally gonna fall in love! calling it now. haha. plus ryan reynolds looks sooo attractive in this one. the whole wolverine thing was such a let down, so i need a fix.

5 ► away we go (limited release, june 5)
john krasinski and maya rudolf star as a couple trying to find a place to settle down and have their baby. it looks so funny and cute.

june still has some honorable mentions to cause i would LOVE to see year one (june 19). even though i havent's een a preview for that that really interests me, i can be swayed by starpower alone. the jack black michael cera combo is a one-two punch. and i really wanna see my sister's keeper (june 26) it's looks really beautiful and sweet. it's about a girl who looks to emancipate from her parents because they want to use her kidney to help her cancer-stricken sister. what a tough call! i am GUARANTEED to cry =P that and i just saw a commercial for the hangover (june 5) that actually made it look really funny! i wasn't so sure before, but i may have to go see it now.

july.
7 ►funny people (july 31)
here's this summer's contribution from the judd apatow camp, but it actually looks to be a little more serious than most and kind of sweet! more dramedy than crass comedy. i'm really excited to see it. adam sandler plays a comedian who's dying and takes a new comedian (skinny seth rogen) under his wing. leslie mann's in there too.

8 ►the ugly truth (july 24)
i'm a huge gerard butler fan, so this one's kind of a no brainer. gerard plays a professional womanizer who makes a bet to find a man for his love-challenged tv producer (heigl) or quit the business forever. ten bucks says the two of them get it on!

9 ► public enemies (july 1)
i'll admit i'm intrigued by this one by its actors alone. christian bale? johnny depp? channing tatum? and they're playing bop-it gangsters. that's all i need to know

10 ► 500 days of summer (limited release july 15)
this one looks really sweet too. i'm a huge zoey deschanel fan. it's about a greeting card writer who falls for a girl we works with (named summer) and chronicles 500 days of their relationship. if you have a second, check out the trailer.

10 ► some harry potter movie (july 15)
i'm not even sure which one it is. i've never seen a single harry potter movie. not necessarily by choice, just by chance. there are tons of people who've said that they're going to make me do a marathon and if that eventually takes place, i will go see it when it comes out! it does look pretty exciting.


i'm more excited for june movies to be honest. or do i just have weird movie tastes? which ones are you looking forward to? is it one a didn't mention? for more trailers, pics and info, check imdb.

that's all for now. i'm off to get my hair did.

weekly resolve; the cosmo routine

today's the day!

let me just say that i don't like the concept of diets. and despite all the talk about karl lagerfeld and fashion the other day, i'm really doing this beacuse i don't want to get fat sitting at home eating ice cream all summer. not to reach any specific number. i'm not in this to lose weight, more to prove to myself that making healthy choices for a week won't kill me. (time will tell)

that said, i was really happy when i went back to that article i bookmarked at cosmo and reread it more carefully to find that it said to choose at least four of the suggested rules and follow them for a week.that seems more reasonable doesn't it?
okay, these are the five i've chosen.

1. drink mainly water.
i couldn't agree more with this one. luckily, a recent breathing problem has forced me to cut out soda and i have been feeling all the better for it. but now, i'm heavily addicted to sugary artificial juice and i'm told that's not much better. i'm not really a big fan of water, but i'm making it a goal this week to drink more of it. my mom's always said, a lot of times when you're thirsty, this is what your body is really crying out for.

2. ban white bread and pasta.

cosmo warns that white grain products cause bloating, particularly around the belly area. no fun! they suggest subbing in whole grain options or vegetables. veggies get digested more slowly so you remain full longer.

3. do cardio 30 minutes a day.

this is the main one i'm going to try and work into my daily routine. half an hour really isn't a lot. remember my random spurts of dancing? that was actually really fun. but i completely let it go after a few weeks.

(3 and a half. the article also reccomended do 36 push ups and lunges every other day. and doing squats and sit-ups for definition. i did mine while watching tyra/rachel ray this morning. haha. the joys of being home.)

4. make one food sacrifice.

they suggest cutting out one food indeulgence. and at first, i wanted to object because they were already asking me to go without pasta, but i couldn't ignore the carton glaring at me the freezer. yep, that's right. for one week i'm giving up that peanut butter cup ice cream i'm always raving about.

5. sleep more.

cosmo suggests that even an extra half hour of sleep can boost your metabolism, encourage muscle tone, and refresh you enough to make better food choices.

for other tips, check the rest of the article. which four would/will you choose?i'll let you know how i'm doing later.

that's it for me!

-later days!

love your life;

1. today: today, i'm glad i get to spend the day recuperating and blogging. (yeah, i'm sick again =( but i've almost got all of the posts set up for this week!) i'm thankful for things that happened yesterday. it still counts, believe me. i had such an amazing time at youth group yesterday. i love the smell of smoke and today, am glad i can still smell it on my jacket. i LOVE the people there. and i love girl talk and am super glad i've got a whole new bunch of girls to have it with ♥ it's so weird, cause last year, i hated it there, and now i wouldn't trade it for anything.
2. i'm most looking forward to: conan o'brien being on tonight. if you remember, from my list of top ten funny men, conan is my favourite comedian. i'm so excited he's back! and i'm glad jay gets to keep his job too. that whole shuffle up at NBC was kind of ridiculous, but i'm glad it's all getting sorted now. (yes, i talk about late night hosts like they're my friends)
3. one thing that'll make my week: this one's hard. i feel in yesterday alone, my week's already been made! not going to school is a definite plus. and if i can find some saved by the bell on tv, my entire life will be made. mm! and i get to attend a writer's conference at the end of the week as part of my new job thinger. so yeah, i'm loving life.

are you loving yours?

for format, and the reason i do this, read here.
thanks Zoë (HPAD) for this gorgeous picture.