be careful what you wish for

Remember how I spent all that time complaining how cold and rainy it was, and how much I wished it would just be summer? Ummm yeah, about that.... it's freaking hot. As in according to the weather people the heat index (how hot it feels with humidity. Because this is Minnesota, we don't get dry heat) is about 105 degrees for the Twin Cities. Fun stuff. 

h&m dress

vintage belt

 born sandals

I love this dress, especially when paired with this belt (actually, I've already shown it on the blog, albeit a long time ago, on this post. sorry for the repeat ^^). It's a heavier fabric which gives it some shape but it's still light enough for hot days, and the blue has a bit of a sheen to it, which is fun.

Clearly I'm feeling a bit angsty about the heat in this photo... mom and I were walking the dogs this afternoon and I had to take Tilly (our labradoodle) back after about 2 blocks, it was that bad. Minnesota is most definitely making me eat my words :)

Holding the hair off my neck. Seriously, is one day of hot weather enough justification to cut it all off with the kitchen scissors? Ok, now I'm just being over-dramatic (what's new) but whatever. 

Let's see, what did I do today... went on a walk with my mom in the morning (before the heat really hit its stride) and had a voice lesson in the afternoon with my old choir director Julia - always fun and a confidence-booster, she is such a sweetie! She stills seems convinced that with proper training I have the range to become a coloratura soprano (the ones that sing the really high, bouncy upper ranges) even though I've had issues with anything over a D for ages. But oh well, the exercises she's given me have really helped, and I think that with some practice I can at least be a decent first soprano again by the end of the summer. Yay!

And, ummmm, my mom made really good salmon for dinner tonight? That's about all I can think of. My life is superrr interesting. We leave for a weekend at the cabin tomorrow up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, a.k.a the land of spotty cell service and non-existent Internet, a.k.a. I won't be posting until I get back (perhaps I'll try to put up some scheduled posts for the weekend before I leave. We shall see). Regardless, hope you all have a fun 4th of July weekend! xo

busy busy day

Phew! I feel like I've been running around all day - mom and I didn't even get home to take these pictures until around 9pm! Thank goodness for the long days and late sunsets of summer, otherwise I would have had to do inside pictures, which are not exactly my favorite... I wasn't actually wearing this outfit all day, but earlier in the day I was dressed for an internship interview, so I'd say this outfit is cuter :)

loft button down

h&m skirt

born sandals

Another item I left at home this past year an rediscovered this summer: my purple, ikat-esque print skirt. I fell in love with it at the store, then when I brought it home decided it was a bit too bright for my taste. But lately I've been trying to wear more color, and this most definitely fits the bill. And the waist is great for tucking in shirts, a.k.a. my go-to outfit...

So it was a pretty busy day today, as I said yesterday. First in the morning was my dentist appointment. Don't you just hate the dentist? You just feel like a small child, having them brush and floss your teeth for you, accidentally dripping some of the water they give you to rinse your mouth (is that just me? hope not, now that I just admitted to it...) and, the yearly torture, x-rays. My mouth just isn't big enough for them! One piece of  good news though is that now that I've survived my childhood without any tooth decay and seem to be staying on that path, I don't need fluoride anymore! You know, that nasty, grainy stuff they paint on your teeth and expect you to keep there all day? Yeah, that stuff. Never again.

Then we went to my foot doctor appointment and I have to say, it went really well! My doctor says that in his 26 years of experience, he has never seen a patient with my level of damage (I think that I am only now beginning to understand how badly I hurt myself. Kind of glad I didn't really realize until after the fact, I was already hysterical enough ^^) have the range of motion and bone repair that I have. He really couldn't emphasize enough how happy he was with my recovery, and I am so happy! Apparently it will always be sore and stiff, but that it will improve over time - just not to the level of my right foot. But you know what, I'm starting to be more ok with that. I'm walking, and I'm able to walk more day after day. I'll take it.

Ok, trying not to get too long-winded in the description of my day. I also had an interview (I won't go into depth about how it went, don't want to jinx anything) and a pilates class with my mom (it was difficult. She's been doing pilates for over 2 years and, I'm sad to say, definitely beats me in the strength department). Then I got to see my old choir perform! It was my first time ever sitting in the audience watching them, and it was so much fun! I'm so proud of my girls (I still know most of them, with the exception of some new recruits), especially the first sopranos, who were absolutely amazing. They are going to rock Australia. Ok, enough gushing, time for sleeping. This post is going up past midnight, so I guess it's officially Thursday. Oops. Good night :)

summer has arrived?

I'm really skeptical about saying this (knock on wood), but it's supposed to be actually warm and sunny for the rest of the week and I'm excited! It only took the whole of June, but it's finally warm. Mom, Natalie and I went on walks outside, ate an outdoor lunch with my Aunt Susan, and we had dinner on the porch. Altogether a lovely day :)

rebecca taylor tank

zara skirt

born sandals

Sooo, my photos aren't as cute today as they were yesterday (as I'm sure you can all tell). I could blame it on my mother, who took photos today instead of Natalie, but that wouldn't be fair. There are days when you just aren't photogenic, you know? Those are the days when you just shouldn't be taking photos of yourself - not really ideal when you have a blog though :)

Ignore my chipped nail polish. Ugh. So I found these sandals up in the closet where a bunch of my stuff got shoved after I left for college, and I kind of like them! When I first saw them I wasn't sure if I thought they were cute, or old-ladyish. But after some careful reflection (more like lots of time staring at myself in the mirror) I have decided I like them! And most importantly, they are "supportive" (my favorite word you know...)

Cute little bow on my shirt - this one is another discovery from the upstairs closet. Jenny gave it to me years ago and, to be honest, it had too many frills on it for my taste. So, I cut a few tassels and such off, then gave it a try, and I quite like it now!

So tomorrow is a crazy busy day for me! I have the dentist, a foot doctor appointment (just a check-up, so wish me luck. Today was the 5-month anniversary of the injury, so you'd think all would be well), an internship interview (once again, some positive vibes would be appreciated ^^) pilates, then my sister's choir's Bon Voyage concert! As I'm sure you remember, her choir (my old one from high school) is going to Australia this summer - sooo jealous. But I still haven't seen them in concert since I left, so even though I have pilates until 7 (a.k.a. when the concert starts), I'm going to rush over to see them! Should be a fun day, mom and I are hoping to sneak in a lunch at Patricks between the doctor and my interview (he has the absolute best desserts). That's about all for the evening, and as my mother is most likely frosting the cake she baked as we speak, I'm going downstairs! Good night :)

sunny day

I know! It's weird! For those of you not in Minnesota, the title of this post may seem normal for a summer day. However, for those of us currently living under the overcast, rain-filled skies of my lovely state, this is quite an improvement. Sunny and in the 70's! Can't ask for any more. However, I am still wearing pants, as I had an interview today and wanted to look presentable.

necklace bought on vacation (a.k.a I don't know who it's by)

 old navy button down and pants

jcrew belt

h&m flats

So my interview today was at Old Navy, and it was stressful! It was one of those group interviews where they ask you all questions then expect you to chime in with answers - talking over people and chiming in not being my forte. Oh well, it's good practice, and I got to come up with a cute outfit made up of Old Navy clothes! (I thought it would be nice if I came in wearing their clothing, who knows if they noticed)

Look at me smoldering there... no, not actually that's just what I said upon first seeing my (very special) facial expression in this photo. Now I'm mostly just seeing my red cheeks. Oh the downside of the heat. And genes from my mother. Such is life

Once again, my poor shoes! I think they're falling apart more now then the last time I showed them. Perhaps it's time to take a black marker to them, see if I could color in those spots on the toes? Couldn't hurt.

Sorry for the blurry photo. The necklace is from our most recent family trip to the Virgin Islands, specifically from the day we spent on St. Johns. I saw a lot of the little key motif in the jewelery stores, and decided to pick one up. It's just so cute and dainty.

Don't really have much to say about today, besides my interview it was fairly uneventful... Made myself a pizza, does that count as interesting? Probably not... well then, I will bid you all adieu for today's post. Have a lovely evening!

p.s I haven't done one of these for awhile, but I had a lot of photos from today that I liked, so I thought why not?

last friday night...

Well, a.k.a yesterday night, but I just heard that song and it's kind of stuck in my head (and it was technically a Friday yesterday). Ughhh I promised I would put up a post of my outfit yesterday and I didn't! I was just too busy. Good news is I managed to take pictures of my outfit, so here they are!

vintage necklace

jcrew button down

martin&osa cardigan

 old navy shorts

 minnetonka moccasins

Wearing this cardigan makes me miss Martin&Osa! I don't know how many of you ever saw it, I feel like there weren't that many stores and it wasn't around for long, maybe a year? It was an offshoot of American Eagle aimed at a slightly older crowd (maybe mid-20s) and they sold really cute, classic, slightly nautical-inspired basic pieces (and had really great sales). Then American Eagle decided to close them in favor of a little kids store. Really? My friend Jenny and I were kind of depressed.

I know, wearing something black and ankle-height on my feet probably isn't going to make my legs look any longer. But I love the shoes, I liked the look of them with this outfit, and I figure I'm tall enough that its not the end of the world if I wear a pair of shoes that aren't technically lengthening...

I am in love with this necklace! It's another one from my Grandma Linda in Iowa, and I just love the mass of chains and the intricate clasp (as witnessed by me wearing it in the front, not the back). My mom loves it too, so there's a chance I won't be able to bring this one back to school with me... or I could just steal it, like those shoes? We shall see

So yesterday I had pilates in the morning, a phone interview in the afternoon, and another in-person interview in the afternoon as well. Then I went home, grabbed some food, and headed out to volunteer greeting visitors and taking donations at Caponi Art Park for their Shakespeare Festival, always a fun, chill job. I should be doing that again tonight, assuming the rain stops. We were promised 2 days of sun, and they can't even give us that?? Ridiculous.

After that I went over to a friends house and a couple of us went out to see Bad Teacher, Cameron Diaz's new movie. My suggestion would be wait until it comes out on DVD - it had it's funny bits and the characters were good, but the plot overall was just ehhh. So yes, that is all. Now I really reallyyy need some lunch, just spent the morning volunteering on the carousel and haven't eaten for quite a few hours. Hope the weekend is going well for everyone!

sweatshirt

 

The title of this post will serve as my explanation as to why I'm posting a collage instead of an outfit. I know, I know, I said I would take actual pictures today. But it was so cold! I wore an old sweatshirt all day and literally almost froze to death. I haven't seen the sun in days. Basically things are looking bleak weather-wise in Minnesota. Apparently we're supposed to get sun tomorrow? I'll believe it when I see it.

In other news, I had my day of shadowing at the carousel today! For those of you who haven't read my blog before, I mentioned previously that I'm volunteering at this historical carousel at a zoo/park in St. Paul. Despite the cold it was really fun! I spent a normal shift (3 hours) following around some of the women who were working the carousel today, learning the routine and all the safety regulations. And let me tell you there are a lot! I spent most of my time on the carousel stressed some small child was going to fall off or some teenager was going to break the leg off a horse. Thankfully none of those things happened. Also, getting on a moving carousel is difficult! I know, they don't move that fast, but still! There are poles everywhere, the horses are moving up and down... needless to say my first few tries were quite graceless. But I think I got the hang of it! Hopefully I can sign up for a shift on my own soon.

  I have a busy day tomorrow! I can't make any promises, but I should be wearing something cute (and if its hits 70 that should make it a lot easier!) Good night :)

happy birthday natalie!

 My younger sister just turned 17 today (now she can officially go to R-rated movies on her own... or buy dried ice... weird) and we had a lovely little birthday dinner for her. She insisted on making her own cake (she has a slight obsession with baking) and made us all eat vegetables for dinner. Lots of vegetables. Well, we were allowed to eat some chicken with our veggies this time, which was a step up from last time she cooked...

I have to say it was a pretty good cake, despite her addition of unrefined sugars and a variety of healthy flours. It was a pound cake with lemon curd and fresh berries on the inside with lemon buttercream frosting. Yum.

Oh, and this is the necklace I was wearing today. Sorry you aren't getting any outfit pictures, once again no one would take photos for me and I just wasn't feeling self-timer photos today. Promise I'll make Natalie take some photos for me tomorrow.

One of Natalie's friends gave her henna tattoos, which we of course proceeded to put all over each other (Natalie also has one right below her belly button, it's pretty classy ^^) As you can see, Natalie got a nice normal tattoo, down the back of her neck. Quite pretty actually, something she'll probably be able to leave on for awhile. I, on the other hand...

Yep, there is henna on my cheeks. I come home from pilates and find them putting these on and they swarm me, trying to figure out where they could put a tattoo. Their original suggestion was above my eyebrows. Really? Really. Thankfully I got them to back down to the cheekbones, though I'll still have to wash them off before I go volunteer tomorrow, sadly. 

Oh. My. Goodness. So exhausted. I went to bed much later than was advisable last night, then got up at 7:45 to go out for breakfast with Natalie and the parents for her birthday. It was quite good (I got french toast and sausage) but still. Much too early. To be honest, I ended up taking multiple (short) naps throughout the day. Didn't really help. So now I'm going to bed and don't plan on waking up for a long time... Good night :)

busy day

I know. What? A busy day for me, the unemployed college student? I mean I suppose it wasn't that busy, but it felt like I actually had something to do for most of the day, which was something new. Anyways, here are some self-timer photos, as there is no one in the house to take photos for me (no one skilled and/or willing that is - Aunt Lori and my mom weren't really up for it)

gap tank

old navy button down

 old navy shorts

vintage necklace

Yes, I'm wearing this necklace again. I know, I wear it too much, it's just too perfect with everything! If I need something easy to spruce up a basic outfit, toss it on and voila! Well, even if you are all getting tired of it, I'm sure my Grandma Linda is happy to see it's been getting lots of use since she sent it to me.

So we walked up to J.Crew today to take advantage of their 30% off sale items (if you haven't already I'd suggest you take advantage of it - it's 30% in-store and online, and they have pretty good stuff) despite the drizzling rain. Here are photos of 3 out of the 4 items I bought (apparently my camera didn't like the picture of the 4th item? I swear I took a photo of it, but when it came to upload time it wasn't there. And I'm just too lazy to go up a flight of stairs to take another photo). Anyways, it was a grey and white striped sweater, very cute.

Don't worry, I don't normally keep my knits on hangers, this was just for the purpose of taking a photo without actually having it on my body, as I have no photographer...

I think this is my favorite new piece. It's a sort of greenish-grey and made of silk, and has the cutest little gold buttons! Gotta love J.Crew's sale

So besides the afternoon run to J.Crew (and Chipotle, as I hadn't eaten in approximately 6 hours) I spent the early afternoon at Como Zoo having my volunteer orientation for the Cafesjian's Carousel! It's this old refurbished carousel that used to be at the Minnesota State Fair until the 1980's I believe, when they were going to auction it off for parts. Instead, a non-profit was formed to save the carousel, and it moved around for awhile until it settled in this little pavilion in Como Zoo, where it's open spring through fall and run totally by volunteers. So, since I can't get a paying job for the summer, I thought I'd spend some time running a carousel! Today I got to learn about the different tasks the volunteers perform, and practiced walking on a moving carousel (very reminiscent of walking on the metro in D.C, so I didn't do too bad if I say so myself). Later this week I get to shadow someone for a shift, then I'm on my own! And I get a cute little tshirt :) 

Ok, I'm off to hang out with some friends for the evening, looks like it might even be done raining for the day (is that possible??). Hope you had a lovely Tuesday!

in the alley

 So we decided to have a little photo shoot in the alley, post Jenny and I attempting to go bike riding. Yet again. Last time, after we finally got the midget bike (a.k.a. a bike Natalie or I used when we were like 10, a.k.a. the size Jenny is now) out of the garage, we found it had no air in the tires and neither of us was crafty enough to figure out the bike pump. Or remember to bring money with us when we went to (multiple) gas stations to attempt to use a working air pump. We're awesome. But today, even though dad put air in the tires, the handlebars were too short and we didn't know how to fix them, and Jenny is a bit of a weeny and was worried her back would hurt if we went on an actual bike ride. So I suppose I will be going solo, now that she's at work.

 Sisters. Aren't we cute? Natalie doesn't like this photo, but I think she looks gorgeous. How could you not with hair like hers? Just kidding, she would be gorgeous even without her amazing hair :)

 Don't know the outfit credits for Jenny, but isn't her shirt cute? Apparently she got it from her roommate in exchange for a black cardigan. A good trade, no? I love the back.

 thrifted necklace

urban outfitters top

thrifted belt

martin&osa shorts

teva flip flops

And now we get to me. Oh goodness. I really need to find a good pair of summer sandals. Problem is I still need supportive shoes, and when we went to DSW and asked for the more "supportive" sandals, apparently that was code for "ugly." I actually couldn't imagine wearing any of them in public. I think I might just suck it up and buy myself a cute pair. It's been almost half a year! You'd think I could wear normal shoes right now, and supportive flip flops just aren't cutting it for me in the fashion department right now.

Isn't it weird how we can all look at photos that others tell us we look perfectly fine in and think that they are absolutely horrible? I made Natalie and Jenny pick which photos to use of me on the blog, I'm just to biased against pictures of myself... so why did I decide to make a website devoted to pictures of myself? Very good question...

 Have a lovely Monday! xo

carbonara night

 So, after being abandoned for the evening, Natalie, Caitlin and I decided to make carbonara! It's one of my absolute favorite pastas, but my mom refuses to make it for me since it's so unhealthy (sigh. the problems with living in a healthy household). But after some researching, Natalie found that traditionally carbonara isn't actually made with cream, just eggs! So we decided to experiment, and it turned out pretty well! A little too much pepper. And, to be honest, I think the artery-clogging cream version is better :)

 And Natalie's lovely spinach salad. Seriously this girl goes through so many fruits and vegetables in a day it's insane. We've had put her on a no-carrot diet for the time being, as she was starting to turn orange - not even kidding...

 I've been told that if I don't put Sophie into the blog, she'll cry... more like run around in circles and throw her mushy bone at the wall (she's not the brightest dog in the world ^^). But we love her :)

vintage blazer

urban outfitters tank

old navy skirt

One down-side of this blazer I have discovered is that it has a tendency to seem very nautical - as in, I can't wear it with stripes (which I own and wear quite often) without looking like an off-duty sailor. Oh well, I still like it, especially now that I took the linebacker-esque shoulder pads out.

We went shopping today! Caitlin had an eye-doctor appointment, so while she was being examined Natalie and I did a little shopping in Old Navy. She was shopping for choir tour (in other words, everything below the knee) something I am going to miss so much! They're going to Australia in a few weeks, I'm beyond jealous. Back on subject. Ok. I got an adorable new swimsuit, as well as some black denim shorts and a little patterned skirt. Photos coming soon, assuming it ever warms up in this weird state. 

I'm posting twice today! This is kind of odd... But I've decided that if I can't have a job, the least I can do this summer is exercise and blog well - guess which one I'm not so good at? (please don't say blogging that will make me sad ^^)