a hodgepodge

2010-05-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with interior design inspiration lately. I don't have a source for this image, just one (among 30+ images) I've snagged from tumblr. I can't wait to have my own house to decorate and paint.

My last apartment, which I shared with Jimmy, was okay - looked right out of an Ikea catalog. It was definitely uninspired and pretty bland. White shelves, white walls, old/ugly sheets. I can't wait to be able to do it over again in a place I'm inspired by with all of these images I have to help me.

I saw "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" today at River Oaks with my parents. It was very, very intense but amazing. Subtitled from it's original Swedish but as with most foreign films you forget you're even reading by the end of it. It is unrated - definitely has some very graphic scenes which made me want to cover my eyes and sometimes cry. My dad read the book(s) and loved it and so we stopped by the Barnes and Noble there so I could grab a copy. Only on page 40 of 640 or so but it's great so far.

It's been longer than a month since I posted last. I am a failure at blogging. But it's May! What a great month. Cinco de Mayo, my birthday, and one of my favorite holidays (Memorial Day)! So it's a new month and maybe I will blog more!

Maybe I'm Back!

2010-03-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! I haven't posted in forever and I would like to start posting again regularly! I can't believe how much has changed since I last posted that pic spam of my nephew!

Jimmy and I have decided to put our wedding on hold until I graduate, at least and have slowed down a lot in our relationship and we are both back living with our parents. Everything is great though, our relationship is strong and healthy and we are working on a lot of the things people need to work on before they get married. :)

I also am no longer an education major! I left St. Thomas and started at the Art Institute of Houston in January to finish my bachelors, but in Graphic Design! So far, I have only taken basic drawing and design classes but I am loving it so much. It's a different experience then the other two universities (lol) I've been to but I really enjoy it. Except I still hate general education classes and I'm not very into perspective drawing.

Since I moved back in with my parents, my mom and I joined a gym and have been going pretty regularly. I hate going, but love leaving! I mean, I love the feeling of being able to say that I did work out today and that it wasn't that bad. Some people have mentioned I look a little bit slimmer so that is a definite perk. I also got a new car! We traded in my old, ugly volvo and I got a brand new Kia Soul ! (Exclaim).

It is so much safer than my Volvo and so much cuter, too! I love it so much.

I am going to be updating regularly (trying to) from now on!

Noah

2009-11-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

Wedding Update

2009-07-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, after posting that I probably wouldn't be posting as often until school starts (which is late August), I wanted to update about my NEW wedding plans. My invitations, bouquet, dress, everything is different although the ~feel~ of the wedding will be the same.

Here are mockups of the save-the-dates, ceremony invitations, and reception only invitations. I will be making them myself. Where the butterflies are, there will be 3D butterflies glued on.

And as for my clothes!

1. A VoguePatterns dress that I absolutely love.

2. The fabric will be white 100% linen

3. The SHOES oh my god, I want them NOW, haha. Made by Nicole.

The last thing I can think of is the bouquet. This picture has been going around the internet recently because it deserves it. This bride, Laura, and her husband, Ben, were featured in the newest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings (which is the website I use to organize my things). Her wedding was absolutely beautiful and it has been the most inspiring wedding of any I have seen so far. Here is her bouquet:

Martha Stewart's website gives a tutorial on how to make this bouquet and I am definitely doing it for my wedding.

Oh, food! For dinner we are having BBQ. I mean, it'll be summer in Texas, are there any other options? Plus, everyone I know loves BBQ. Then, we're thinking we'll have cupcakes for dessert and we're not planning on having a "cut the cake" moment where everyone's eyes are watching us feed each other.

We are inviting 56 families, which about 119 people. This is a lot more people than we had originally planned. We had 111 and cut the list down to 90 and then we kept thinking of people we wanted to come, and people we knew would be hurt if we didn't invite them. We're done, now, though. If we think of anymore people, we'll have to just deal with it. Obviously if they came to our minds so late in the game then maybe they aren't as ~important? I don't know, that sounds mean. Well, what I mean to say is, 119 is like around 70 more people than we thought we would be inviting and since we're not having it at a venue, just in my parent's yard, we need to be careful how many people will be there.

Weddings are expensive. I had no idea officiants cost so much! Jimmy and I signed up on a "find your officiant" website and it said for a weekend wedding it'd be between 450-650. That seems crazy. It almost makes me want to do without a ceremony all together... but not quite, haha.

These always turn into chapter books! I guess I always have a lot to say?

Thanks for reading!

Edited to add: does anyone know how to get rid of those black outlines around my pictures? I hate them.

Unannounced Hiatus

2009-07-23T18:18:00.001-07:00

I'm so sorry for my unannounced hiatus, those of you who check this thing. This is going to sound silly but once school starts again I bet I will update a lot more. I am moving into a new apartment in Houston this and next weekend and so soon I will post pictures of it and the process of making it cute.

Thank you!

My Nephew Noah

2009-04-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

I am so absolutely in love.

April Jewelry

2009-04-16T17:27:00.001-07:00

These pieces range from $2.99 - $54.00 - although most of them are under $20.

I think you can also click on this to make it bigger, since blogger shrinks it.

1. big as a house diamond ring from fredflare.com - $9. My close friend Kirsty came home from her trip to NYC our senior year of high school with a massive square ring just like this. In fact, this ring also comes in square, although I am liking the round cut, haha. This ring is adjustable, larger than life, gets a lot of attention and compliments, and is way cute.

2. This Bud's for You Earrings from modcloth.com - $11.99. These earrings are too cute. Make sure you go to the website to look at these in better detail - the center of the flower is really great and textured. I think these look like they'd cost way more that $12.

3. Wide-Eyed Daisy Ring from modcloth.com - $7.99. I love this adorable adjustable ring. I think it matches the earrings perfectly and is a great piece for spring and summer.

4-6 are part of the "My Pet Octopus" set although they are all sold separately. All of these pieces also come in antique gold. Also, I put them in a set but not necessarily because I believe they should all be worn together. Actually, if i had these pieces I would NOT wear them together. My previously mentioned friend Kirsty thinks these are creepy, but I really like them. I think they would be a fun and interesting addition to the basic outfits I've been wearing lately.

4. My Pet Octopus Cuff from modcloth.com -$15.99.

5. My Pet Octopus Ring from modcloth.com - $7.99 & adjustable.

6. My Pet Octopus Necklace from modcloth.com -$14.99.

7. Crowded Teeth mini earring pack from fredflare.com - $15 for 6 pairs. These are SO cute. I love that they are so cheap, too, it's really only $2.50 for a pair. My favorites of the set are the giraffes and the umbrellas, but all six are adorable. I think you'd hear a lot of, "omg, your earrings are SO cute!"

8. Little Apple Earrings from modcloth.com - $9.99. These are adorable earrings for the fall. I think I'd probably wear them year round, but they remind me of picking apples in the fall.

9. braided mosiac bead cuff from fredflare.com - $15. Let me just say it now: I LOVE THIS BRACELET. If you have ever seen my polyvore then you have probably noticed that most of my outfits include this bracelet. I think it is so versatile and would go with everything I like to wear. Oh, I just love it.

10. purrfect kitty earings from fredflare.com - on sale for $6.99. These cute earrings also comes in a tabby color, which are almost sold out. I am honestly not a big cat fan, but who doesn't love kitties? I think these earrings would be adorable on a little girl, too.

11. smiley PB+J earrings from fredflare.com - $10. Who doesn't love a PB&J? I do, in fact it's what I have been eating for lunch lately, haha. I love these earrings and I love that they are smiling, haha. I also love that they aren't the same color but they still match.

12. Key to the City Ring from modcloth.com - $29.99. My favorite thing about this ring is it's name. I love that it's called "Key to the City" and not "Key to my Heart" or something. My other favorite thing is the color. I love matte gold. In fact, I just recently started considering ANY gold. I used to never like it, but I guess it's grown on me.

13. Disney Couture Bambi hoops from fredflare.com - $40. These are one of the more expensive items on my list, and that's because they are Disney Couture earrings. That means that they are like the "designer" brand from Disney. I think these are so cute. My best friend Ava, who I mentioned in my wedding post, has the nickname Bambi and I think these would be perfect for her. They are kind of flashy, but I think they're a good kind of flashy.

14. Peacock Feather Earrings from modcloth.com - $12.99. I am really into peacock things right now. I think these earrings are fabulous. They would totally add flair to any outfit without being too much (I think, anyway).

15. cherry blossom watch locket from fredflare.com - $24. This is too cute. A watch locket reminds me of being a little girl, but this one is way prettier than any watch locket I had as a kid. I love the green, too.

16. bee necklace from fredflare.com - on sale for $24.99. A long time ago, before I even left for school, I bookmarked this necklace to show to my mom. We love bees. My mom, my sister, my aunt Carrie, and my aunt Karen all have bee tattoos on their right shoulders. I'm getting one too, probably this summer! I love this necklace. It's also really big, which I like too. If you look on the website there's a picture of it on a model to show the size.

17. zodiac hoops from fredflare.com - on sale for $2.99. These are not my style, but I want them so bad. I seriously almost bought them as I was gathering for this post. I love, love, love these earrings, but I would feel so weird wearing them because I have never owned or worn earrings like this before. I think they are super fun. I'm still debating buying them. What do you think?

18. Centerpiece Ring from modcloth.com - $12.99. This ring is so pretty! It reminds me of a ring you might find at Anthro or UO but $20 cheaper. It comes in other shapes but I liked the star. I love the color of this ring, also.

19. forget me not ring from fredflare.com - $54. This is another piece I have been coveting from fredflare for a LONG time. It is so, so cute, but super pricey, and it also doesn't come in my size - which is probably a good thing after-all. Big girls have big fingers :(

20. flight of fancy necklace from fredflare.com - $12. I love this necklace. This is another piece that reminds me of UO and Anthro. It also reminds me of my mom! She has a cardigan from Antrho embroidered with birds that is adorable, and I think this necklace would look great with that. I would also wear this with a white v-neck tee as a centerpiece for an outfit.

Also, I fixed comments, so please leave me messages! I love knowing that people visit my blog and like what I'm posting. If you have suggestions for a spotlight or for anything, just drop me a line! I would really love hearing from you.

Wedding Post

2009-04-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

First wedding post! Excited? I am, haha. Well, to start off, our wedding is going to be June 5, 2010 with a business casual/casual dress code. It'll be at my parent's house, outside, under a little deck we have between the back porch/pool and the garage/porch area. The little deck has a roof and growing on one side is a lot of beautiful wisteria, which will look beautiful behind us.

We picked white, yellow, and red as our colors, and I am planning on making my own dress (as of now)! I want to make this dress (pattern A):

(from McCall's Patterns) but with crossing back straps instead of halter and in this fabric:

(white, 100% cotton eyelet) from www.onlinefabricstore.net

I also want shoes similar to these:

from Seychelles Women's Chemise Wedge Sandal

I want to have red accessories, like flowers in my hair (which will be like a messy milkmaid style braid) and bracelets. Also my 2 beautiful bridesmaids, my sister Liza and my best friend Ava, will be wearing red dresses of their choice.

We've also picked out invitations that we like from mewpaperarts.com

They are SO cute and we really love the poppies. My bouquet might be red poppies. Either red poppies or ranunculus, both are beautiful. Ava and Liza will have white bouquets, maybe chrysanthemums or tulips.

That's about it, I just wanted to share what I have/know so far with curious minds! And also I love talking about the wedding.

Spotlight: Cameos

2009-04-15T12:01:00.001-07:00

1. Beautiful 18K gold earrings from forzieri.com These are gorgeous, although quite pricey.

2. A ring to match your earrings! 18K gold ring also from forzieri.com. Also pricey but it almost seems worth it because of the vintage, classic look.

3. A modern looking belt buckle to spruce up a plain leather belt. Not even unreasonable priced!

4. Tarina Tarantino's electro cameo mod ring is incredibly cute. It comes in black, as well, but I think the bright blue adds a younger and more modern touch! But, alas, it is kind of pricey, especially for an adjustable ring.

5. Cute and affordable (!!!) vintage looking brass ring from urbanoutfitters.com. I really like this ring, especially for the sale price.

6. This cameo pendant from Urban is also on sale which makes it an affordable and classic piece. I like the black but it also comes with a red background.

7. A touch of Greek influence in this Hellenistic cameo ring from modcloth.com! Another affordable piece - which also makes sense because it, too, is adjustable.

8. This is one of my favorite items in my cameo spotlight. I am a big fan of post earrings versus dangly earrings or hoops, and I think these are not only reasonably priced but incredibly cute.

I really love cameos. I think they are a very cute vintage looking item that is easy to work into an everyday wardrobe. And they can be dressed up and down depending on your outfit! I love them.

Flowers

2009-04-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

Another spotlight, this time on flowers and flower related things. A fresh flower my mom had at her house this past weekend inspired this spotlight.. plus it's spring! I've always had fresh flowers around me because my mom loves them so much, and so here are my six favorite flowers.

Ranunculus! This flower is absolutely gorgeous. I love that there are so many petals. The ones my mom had this past weekend were blue and green and absolutely beautiful. They look kind of French to me, like Marie Antoinette would have had these growing her in her little farm village.

Chrysanthemum! This is my favorite kind of chrysanthemum. To me, they look kind of like ranunculus's mama or something, haha. I love that look.

Poppy! I absolutely love poppies. I think they are one of the cutest flowers, as opposed to most beautiful. And, who couldn't love a flower that was featured in "The Wizard of Oz"? Remember "popppppies, popppppies!"?

Calla Lily! This picture is actually of one of the calla lilies my fiance got me for Valentine's Day! So beautiful and classic.

Gladiola! This is one of my mom's favorite flowers and it has become one of mine. I always think of the movie "Drop Dead Fred" when the little girl says, "Daddy, why don't we throw mommy out the window? It won't hurt her. She'll land in the gladiolas."

Tulips! Another cute flower. If I were playing a word association and someone said, "Spring?" I'd immediately think of "tulips." I love these in yellow.

Other flower related items I want to mention are cute DIY style planters.

This planter was made by my freshman and senior year English AP teacher for a mutual friend Elaine, who shared it with me. I think this is SUCH a cute gift idea/idea in general.

The planter made for Elaine immediately reminded me of a DIY planter I've seen before. The Eggling! Available at amazon.com, it comes in many different varieties! I'd love to try the strawberry and the spicy red pepper, which is pictured here.

Herb growing tater pots from fredflare.com are too cute. I think these would definitely inspire kids to want to plant. They could even name their little tater pot. Each color is a different type of plant. I love the red one (oregano) that's winking!

These mini rainboot gardens are adorable and very heavy duty. They're made of porcelain, so as long as you're not a butterfingers you should be okay with this little pot for a while. I love the yellow boot, but I wish it'd grow strawberries instead of chamomile. Then again, if I ever get an eggling it'll be strawberry, so I guess it works out!

A venus fly trap plant cube from urbanoutfitters.com is an interesting item that I probably wouldn't personally buy for myself, but I think it actually makes a good gift for a boy. You put it together for him and then tie a bow around it maybe and he'd be good to go with a plant for his apartment or bedroom (if he's a little boy!)

This micro terrarium is also way cute. I love that the one with clovers is named "lucky." This is incredibly affordable now that it's on sale for $3.99. So cute.

Last, but not least, my favorite of the planters. Flowers in a can! I think this idea is SO great and I want the Dahlia can pretty badly. I might have to spring the $11 this summer after I start working again, haha.

One last thing before I head off to class. My dad just sent me the cutest email I think I have ever received.

That's me with the umbrella and my dad, mom, and Uncle Kirk in the boat coming to San Antonio! God, I love my family. They are perfect and amazing!

Spotlight: Matryoshka Nesting Dolls

2009-04-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here are 10 way too cute Russian nesting doll items I really love. I remember playing with my mom's beautiful, ornate wooden Matryoshka dolls when I was little.

Russian Doll Name Necklace - This necklace is absolutely adorable, although it does kind of look like an air freshener. I'd love one of these with Riley on it!

M a tryoshka Paci fier Clip - If my handsome, perfect nephew happened to be a niece, I would instantly buy this cute paci clip. It's incredibly cute, and cheap as well.

nesti n g R uss ian doll plates - All I can really say about these plates is that I want them. They are almost too cute to use as real dishes but I'd do it anyway.

Russian do ll s al t and pepp er set - I feel like this salt and pepper set is the perfect table ornament for picnic style, casual summer dinner parties.

Russian D oll Se win g Kit - I pretty much want this item in my purse at all times. How CUTE and completely handy is this? It even comes with a tape measure!

graphic tape - I would use this for every special package or envelope I send out. I'd find any excuse to use this, actually. It's pink!

bobb y pins - My hair wants these cute, cute, cute bobby pins in it every day.

sweet matryoshka necklace in blue and red - This necklace is incredibly cute and I'd bet you would get tons of compliments daily wearing it. It comes in many different colors too, just check the etsy shop. Adorable!

acrylic coasters - These are so perfect for the same summer-time dinner parties the salt and pepper shakers are for. The acrylic makes it perfect for any condensating glass!

10.

Russian Doll Keyring - Even though this picture is a little weird, this keyring is not! I'd definitely clip it to my keys in an instant. I love the yellow, too.

I hope my first spotlight post was worthy. Dare I say that matryoshkas could be the new owls? It'll take some time of course, but they're getting more and more popular. This summer I'm going to purchase some cute fabric and make aprons and things, and maybe set up an etsy shop to sell them in?

Also, I heard from three different friends that the comments aren't working!? I'm new to blogger and I have no idea how to fix anything, really, so please comment my livejournal if you have anything to say! I really appreciate the comments.

Swimsuits

2009-04-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

Another fashion item that's hard to find as a plus size girl is a good swim suit. They're often upwards of $50 and that's fine as long as it lasts longer than one summer. My parents put in a pool last spring, and so this summer when I go home, I fully expect to be out there every morning with my mommy doing aqua aerobics to disco music and again every evening when I'm sunbathing and relaxing after work.

Last summer, I got a cute swim suit from silhouettes.com that's black with white polka dots, has a little skirt and some buttons on the side. I also got a cheap giraffe print swimsuit from Target that's already feeling kind of old. I also don't like to wear it if I'm swimming with other people because it's like a really loose and weird tankini that's attached to separate bottoms with skin colored mesh, and the top part isn't connected anywhere but at the bust, so the loose tankini part flows up and away from the bottoms and bunches under my boobs. I want to replace my cheap target swimsuit with another high quality suit that will last.

So, I began my search for a perfect swimsuit. Last year, my best friend got some shorts to go with her suit and I really liked that look, so that's what I'm looking for this year.

So far the only place I've looked is Lands End, which always has some kinda cute plus size swim suit options. Here is what I've come up with:

I am leaning toward the combo on the right. I wonder what the big differences between the two different shorts are? The first pair have a zipper and pockets, like real shorts, but also have swim bottoms built in. I like these a lot, but they don't come in black for the last swim top. They come in bright pink but I don't want bright pink shorts. I'm doing a poll on my livejournal for my friends to chose which one they like the best.

Fashion Confessions

2009-04-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

As as ~big girl~ I have a limited amount of places to shop. My favorite place to shop for clothes is Old Navy, even though it can often be a hit or miss, while my favorites for accessories are fredflare.com, Urban Outfitters, and Anthropologie. This reminds me that Forever 21 is coming out with a PLUS SIZE LINE! I am super excited about this, because as a plus size girl, I can only very, very, very rarely fit into a large at Forever 21. Actually, I haven't tried to stretch into a Forever 21 large in a very long time, so I honestly probably couldn't do it anymore. The new line is going to be sold in Forever 21 stores and it'll be called Faith 21. Here I come, Faith 21.

I have to admit that I have not been much of a fashionista lately. I've been into really simple, basic clothes. Recently, I bought a bunch of new basics. Especially since I'm a college student, and I'm never really going any place special, or going anywhere except class, these clothes are comfortable and kinda cute, so they fit my needs perfectly. I also bought some adorable eco friendly shoes from Simple Shoes. They are probably the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, and they fit in perfectly with my casual spring & summer (and probably fall and winter) wardrobe.

A pair of shoes I want to feature are also from Simple.

They're the Pinwheel - Organic Cotton sneakers. They are some of the cutest shoes I've seen in a while, and I am definitely coveting them.

Speaking of coveting, I can't wait for the days when instead of my really nice backpack, I can start carrying a really nice purse. I bought a cheap bag from Old Navy that I use if I can't use my backpack. I get a lot of compliments on it, also, and I feel like it was $12 well spent. After college, I'm going to invest in a really nice (and expensive) leather bag that will last me for years. But until then, I'm rocking my navy blue backpack and cheap cotton bag.

Introduction

2009-04-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

While procrastinating on my reading for Texas History, I'm going to introduce myself! My name is Riley, I'm eighteen, a full time Early Childhood Education student, and engaged to an incredibly sweet, and perfect (for me) man.

If you don't know me already (and maybe even if you do), you're probably saying, "Oh, my God, but you're so young to be engaged!!" Let me just say, I know. I know I'm young. But I believe that when you find "the one" you just know. We both know we're right for each other. Our wedding date is set for June 5, 2010. As we get closer to the wedding, I will definitely be posting a lot of wedding related things and if it bothers you that I'm engaged and so young, I'm sorry. Just don't read my blog.

In this blog, I'm going to be posting ratings and/or reviews for restaurants I go to, movies I see, books I read, music I hear, etc. But most importantly, I'll be posting cute things I find or hear about. And, like I mentioned, I'll be posting things about my upcoming wedding! For ratings, I'm going to use a five star system because I feel like this is an easy way to get my point across.

Anyway, I'm going to have to get back to reading. I'll update again soon with a real post!