"It's my birthday!"

Quote of the weekend..."OMG it's my birthday." Mainly stated out of tipsy frustration that 88% of my "friends" are lame enough to bail on my birthday celebration. A couple whiskey cokes and free shots later, though, my few friends and I were happily dancing away in the VIP and doing just fine for ourselves. Well, that is after I slipped on a spilled drink and fell from my nearly 6'4" stance in my awesome heels right in front of the club owner, looking like "that girl" who couldn't handle herself...even though it was prior to said shots/drinks. So that was a downer. Literally. But whatever, people, you missed out. And I really hope you enjoyed bailing on me (:

That being said, here's what I wore on Saturday. Totally in love with this slip from Free People and can't wait to wear it again.

 

My actual day of birth was on Monday, Earth Day, my Golden Birthday! I spent the day shopping with mom and grabbing a lite lunch at PF Changs...couldn't resist the free mini cheesecake at the end, however. After a few more purchases and a nice cruise in le convertible, we met up with the rest of the fam for dinner in Lake Oswego at Manzana.

(cue awkward plethora of photos with me blowing out candles)

I do believe I ate more this weekend than ever in my life. But totally worth it. (Friday was Kat and I's standing date with Henry's, so a burger and a double jack & coke felt necessary considering the flood of "sorry I can't make it tomorrow" text messages.)

Off to reevaluate my friendships and tend to the goosegg on my forehead and likely broken knee cap.

Happy Tuesday all!

xx.

What I Wore: Cherry Chapstick Slip, Free People; Cropped Leather Jacket, B.P. (similar here); Nedra Sandal, Vince Camuto; Studded Belt, Target; Woven Stitch Scarf, Free People (new colors here); Crop Jacket w/ Pleather Sleeve, Forever 21 (similar here)

So, this happened...

As per usual, when I see someone with gorge hair I automatically embed the thought of how gorge I could be if I had said hair into my brain. So one quick dose of Pinning and a few Instagram discoveries later, I decided I probably needed to cut my bangs again. These things always sound like great ideas upon conception (i.e. the pixie-cut tragedy).

before...

On Friday, I went in to freshen up my highlights, darken the roots, and trim off the overall straw like quality of my ends. As I sat down, my hair gal Wendy waited for the usual "what we're doing this time" spiel, since it usually involves some crazy total makeover and hours of work. I said, "I think I want to cut my bangs." Then the blank stare. "Okayyy, we can do that."

So we did.

after!

My ombre is turning out to be nearly perfect for my taste, and it's been a long road to get it this way seeing as how I've had nearly every color of the rainbow on my head at one point or another! So I'm super pleased with my most recent dye-job, plus the trim and conditioning treatment did wonders for the texture...long over due!

Day one of my bang chop was a success, I'm loving them with loose waves and some texturizing spray. Day two, however, was good until I went out with some friends and kept catching glimpses of myself in cheap bar mirrors and realized that bangs and second day hair and alcohol and hot, sweaty bars don't exactly mix. I used to get away with washing my hair only every third day or so (it's constantly in a bun anyway) but with my new fangled cut and style it's clear that can't happen anymore. Flat, lifeless bangs just look like greasy misplaced hairs and as someone who's rarely a fan of myself in photos to begin with...uh, you can imagine my stress over the whole situation.

holy paleness...

A fresh wash and dry did the trick, though. I'm still glad I made the cut (I was in desperate need of a style-change) but the new 'do does require a bit more effort! Hopefully I can keep up.

le highlights!

xx.

PS, can someone please tell me why no matter how tan I get, what shade of makeup I use or how much bronzer I pack on for a night out...my face is, without fail, extremely white in every photo taken with a flash! .....This is the definition of a white girl problem. Literally, I'm see through. Time to find new products.

What I Wore: Grey Denim Skinnies, Hudson (similar here); Black Mesh-Sleeve Top, BCBG (similar here), Nedra Sandal, Vince Camuto (Nordies!); Jasmine Head Piece, Golden Birthday

My Hairdresser: Wendy Wood at Nassau West Salon

Something I Love

Firstly, something I hate: waking up at 6am and driving an hour to work before my coffee fix. This was my morning on Tuesday. Luckily, though, I made it downtown in time for a little pick me up at Starbs before heading down 23rd to find parking. And I must add...I'm getting scary good at parallel parking these days. I could always manage just fine - I'm not my mother! (she makes me park for her half the time) But by working in the city and constantly on a time crunch (surprise)...my parking skills are now that of a professional. Just sayin'.

Now for something that I'm loving right now: looking like an Indian Princess on a cloudy Tuesday. In high school, I was always one to try new "trendy" things...or just make up my own trends when I felt like it. One of my favorites to date - turning a cheap silver necklace with a big dangling locket on the end into a head chain and walking around like I owned the place. Ha, it may have looked silly to others back then but I'd just like to point out to all the haters that I was crazy ahead of the times! :)

(enter poor quality photo of said "trendiness")

I've since hung up my amateur hair accessories, but now that my hair is becoming manageable again, post-pixie cut, I was dying to get my hands on this gorge little head chain from Golden Birthday. (Hey, next week is MY golden birthday! Meant to be?) All handmade locally here in Portland, these girly gems are the perfect addition to, well, any outfit. 'Cause let's be honest, who doesn't want to look like a princess all the time? Nothing says "I'm present day Nicole Richie/an accessory goddess" more than a unique piece like this.

 

Lovely designer, Dana, makes her chains in a variety of colors and styles so you're bound to fall in love with one - or three. Or just buy them all because they're super affordable, easy to wear, and you'll be the freshest princess on the block.

I'm currently planning my birthday outfit around one of these as chains we speak! :)

Happy Wednesday loves, here's what I wore! xx.

   

What I Wore: Jasmine Head Piece, Golden Birthday; Trapeze Slip in Mint, Free People; Grey Zippered Ankle denim, Joe's (similar here); Cropped Leather Jacket, Nordstrom (similar here); Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash Mascara, M.A.C. 

Holy Hot Weather, Batman.

Maybe it's the fact that I've been stuck in typical rainy Portland weather for the past 6ish months but this weekend's heat wave felt worse than usual. I mean, we're talking make-your-spray-tan-run hot! Not cool (pun possibly intended).

Anywho, in the midst of all the excitement over sunshine as if it never existed before, we celebrated Easter with a plethora of familial events. Always a joy. 

In honor of the weather, I pulled out one of my favorite Free People maxis and some of my tallest heels. And in true #giraffeproblems fashion, I attracted the usual "holy crap" looks and whispers from total strangers in church. My favorite, though, was from a little girl in the grocery store who stopped mid-aisle to gawk at my height as she yelled out "Wow, mommy, she is tallllll." I guess at 5'10" sans wedges, I kind of asked for it when I slipped on those 4 1/2 inch stilts. 

This dress was a total steal at a TJ Maxx in the valley during last year's stint in LA and actually came discounted even further due to a missing slip. Naturally, I couldn't resist the crazy deal so I took it anyway in hopes of finding a new slip. Luckily, I found the perfect color to match the springy floral pattern at Free People Portland this Saturday so the dress could finally come out to play.

Later in the day, I zhuzh'd it down a bit with a cropped denim jacket, a double wrap belt, and some cute buckled flip flops. Perfect for family gathering numero dos.

So excited for the weather to start turning, just wish my airbrush tan felt the same way! PS if you're looking for an awesome shot of color in the coming weeks check out Organic Bronze Bar on the Portland waterfront to get your Kardashian on. I tried them out on Friday and the color is awesome, seems to stay a bit better than the typical Mystic or Versa tan (minus a little run in the boob area from yesterday), and the colorist makes sure to get you bronzed in all those little places the booth can't reach. Added bonus - no "Ross" moments, just even color on all sides!

Happy Spring, people!

What I'm Wearing: Maxi Dress, Free People (old, similar here); Slip in "Berry", Free People; Split Heel Wedges (similar here); Denim Crop Jacket, H&M; Wrap Belt (from a Target dress, similar here); Pyramid Bangle, Forever 21 (similar here), Watch, B.P. ; Flip Flops, Aldo (Nordstrom Rack, similar here)

Photo by my lovely sister (myspace-esque shots by yours truly)

Love/Hate

So this is a bit of a "latergram" of sorts but I felt the need to report on the latest bestfrienddate I went on with my love K last weekend. Yes, bestfrienddate. She lives away at school and somehow I convince her to drive back home nearly every Friday so we can shop, do our nails, and drown in our sorrows over wine and hummus at our favorite spot downtown. The week prior typically consists of hilarious hour long texting rants about out how much we despise all things that should make us happy, like men and food and other friends. You could say we love basking in each other's misery. I think it's quite comical, actually. 

 

So anywho, back to our most recent date. After stuffing ourselves full of calamari and spicy pita bread we decided cake was necessary, of course. So a quick park job on 23rd and a half hour wait in the cold street later, fluffy lemon chiffon cake and hazelnut soy lattes landed in front of us. While I'm shoveling the most satisfying of bites into my mouth, I can't help but overhear the most ridiculous of conversations going on behind me. The look on K's face said it all. She had the frontal view of what was clearly a blind match.com date happening and I had the pleasure of seeing her facial expressions as we heard "Oh really, what's your sign?! I'm a Sagittarius and bla bla bla." I honestly couldn't even tell you what else exactly happened because I was so distracted by the awkwardness that ensued.

Let's just say they were seemingly two of thee most opposite human beings. Yet, they still found each other somehow. And here K and I are just as single as ever. Typical Saturday night. Stuck in a busy restaurant full of happy couples. But hey, at least we'll always have our love/hate relationship with food.

xx,

K

I Promise I Can Parallel Park.

Wandered around some more today. This whole working from home/having time to actually enjoy life is pretty great so far. Free time is beginning to grow on me. Go figure.

Slept in a little too late today, by accident. The girls - my dogs - were up at least 3 separate times during the night and, being that my bed is a million feet tall, all I hear are whimpers and constant woofs until I wake up to let them down. Finally decided to get ready for the day: another crispy fall afternoon in Portland - the best kind!

New arm candy, fall fur, giant flares, and a fresh face for roaming around downtown.

Headed down to 23rd to hit up craft-lover's-heaven, aka Paper Source, and searched at least 15 minutes for parking. Found a spot. Had a horrible start, angle wise. Tried to start over and get closer to le curb...one of those "Oh I totally know my car, the front end is close, but I'm definitely gonna make it with my awesome turning radius" moments. And boom. Hit the dork in front of me. Immediately go into "oh shit" mode and back up quickly, look around to see if anyone saw that tragedy, hop out to make sure there's no damage, and breathe a sigh of relief that there wasn't. Thankful that he had one of those awful looking chrome bumpers that failed to leave a paint scratch on my pearly white one (: Crisis averted, I zoomed around the corner to find a new spot. Okay, so I may be a wanted criminal for a technical hit and run...but I promise I'm usually a great parallel parker! ...Promise. Plus...no scratch, no problem. Sorry about it, dude!

 

Got some pink envelopes and cards for my grad announcements, caught up with Sammy for a bit, sat in traffic for an hour - surprisingly not mad about it - and had another awesome home cooked meal. This week is shaping up pretty well if you ask me.

 

 

 

 

 

xx,

K

It's Phsyically Impossible to Leave Target Without Buying Something.

Back on this blogging kick, as long as I continue to be spoiled with these post-graduation free moments. I had the best day I've had in awhile today. After moving back to Portland, I've been waiting for these rainy fall days to kick in. Got what I asked for, to say the least. Note to self: don't go frolicking downtown mid-day in a dress, paper-thin tights, new suede booties, and a miniature jean jacket.

Cute, but not so cute when wet. 

Went costume hunting today. Doing one of those surely overdone Pinterest-y homemade costume type things this year. It's somewhat of a surprise, mainly because I've tricked myself into believing it's the best idea ever and I don't want anyone to steal it. Anyways, not much of a success so I bought some new arm candy instead. A thin, gold initial bracelet to add to the collection. 

Hopped over to the M.A.C store and scored some free lip gloss and eyeshadow, thanks to my obsession with makeup and 12 empty containers. (Not to mention the 6 I traded over the weekend for lipstick) It's a problem, really.

Giddy from my non-purchased purchase I stepped out into the monsoon of the season, sans umbrella. Stood there dumbfounded under a tree for a good minute before deciding tea sounded like the perfect solution to this soggy situation. Thank god there really is a Starbucks on every corner. 

Figured I had nothing left to lose since I already looked like a wet dog, so what the hell! I asked for rain, why not walk around in it. After the 6ish blocks full of puddles and funny looks from people staring at my giant, makeshift scarf-hat, I decided a Target run felt necessary. 

Seriously though, you walk into that place looking for something, or maybe nothing, and you leave with a cart full of completely pointless stuff. It's physically impossible to leave Target without purchasing something. Which is why I bought a minty green/navy striped shirt that I have yet to try on. But it was $10. And striped. ...Meant to be if you ask me.

Ended my pleasant me-day with some leftovers and comfy, obnoxiously long socks.

Mondays like this should happen more often.

xx,
K

Sorry!

Pardon my absence, people! I've been busy drinking lots of wine in celebration of my 21st, hanging out in PDX, and of course slaving away on schoolwork. I just got my first "full" night of sleep in a long time (a whole 4 hours worth) last night and mid terms are fast approaching...uh and by fast I mean tomorrow! Regularly scheduled posting will resume soon (:

I hope!

XX.

My Street Style Blog

Need some help deciding what to wear today? Click here for endless outfit inspiration!

Enjoy (:

Ryder James

Babysat this little munchkin tonight - aka my adorable nephew - while my sister took the other little one to the Blazer game! We watched Cars 2, played with his "puppy" and then he brushed his teeth, took his vitamins, and went right to bed like a good boy at 7:45! Such a peach. XX.

Coffee Break.

Spring break feels more like winter break in Portland! Snowed all night last night and it's ben raining like crazy since I flew in. Not that I really care...because I did miss the rain...but come on! I could've stayed in LA and laid on the beach for 3 weeks! ...And lord knows I need a tan! Oh well.

 

Been taking time to sleep - a lot - and enjoy my morning coffee each day! With temperatures at or barely above freezing, coffee will definitely be my bride this break. It's bitterly cold and I did not pack accordingly! I've already made 3 shopping trips and an online purchase. Looks like I'll be shipping some boxes back to LaLa Land since my suitcases were already stuffed to begin with! XX.

Taking Time to Pretend I Have Time to Be Blogging Right Now...

Ahem...sheer boredom has set in from sitting at my computer doing homework for the past 6 hours so I'm taking a little break, pretending that I actually have time to take breaks...cause I definitely don't this week!

Anywho, QR codes are just about everywhere lately. I thought it'd be a clever way to promote yourself (especially your blog!) on a business card! For class, I had to craft my own business card and crowned myself with the official title of "Blogger", which felt pretty cool to see in print. I chose to slap my blog's logo on the front and simple contact info on the back so I didn't leave room for my QR code. However...I may rethink this for future business cards! Everyone and their mom has an iPhone these days so if they can easily scan your QR code while they stand in line at Starbucks or wait for the subway to arrive then just think about how much more traffic you could gain from this simple little code.

Bonus points for being SO easy to do...just go to this website, type in your URL, and download the file. It saves to your computer as a photo so, from there, you can add it to just about anything. Yay for new traffic!

Happy Friday! XX.

P.S. this is what my day/night is looking like today...

designing a chic, high rise wedding reception from top to bottom in photoshop!

Stressful Rant...

Just saw a commercial advertising Marni for H&M and got super excited.

...I just can't wait until the day when I can ACT on said excitement. AKA get a job and/or have money to spend on frivolous things, such as an amazing maxi dress I might not ever wear once I move back home. But whatever. One can dream!

Stress is at an all time high these past two weeks. Between registering for classes, getting financial clearance, juggling 8 courses worth of a homework load, finals, finding time to eat, breathe, and clean my apartment...I wouldn't be surprised if I've given myself an ulcer or two this quarter.

Officially in the home stretch, though. 9 days until I'm hopping a plane back to the comfort of my own home and I couldn't be happier.

No more time for ranting tonight. Must sketch my heart away and complete a marketing presentation. Oh, and avoid sleep until 5am when I need to be first in line to register for next quarter. And find time in there somewhere to pray to the high heavens that my courses are still open.

Yoga is beyond necessary right now.

XX.

Bath Time

I'm reposting this from my old blog because I just recently debated taking a bath...then I remembered this tragedy.

Okay, let's get one thing straight...whoever said baths were relaxing obviously had the biggest, deepest, warmest tub with the best, most bubbly, and fantastic bath stuff they could find. Taking a bath is a freakin' hassle.

With that said, I'd also like to add that baths are somewhat nasty. You're basically swimming in your own filth. Which is how I've always felt about baths. Which is why I typically take showers. And also why I would typically take a shower before bathing, as absurd as that is. Like, what about shaving? All that extra hair has got to go somewhere when it falls off your razor so you unfortunately end up sitting in a pile of floating hair from your legs and other bits. Ew. Rule #1 of bathing etiquette: No shaving in the bath. Do that in your pre-bath shower.

So, anywho. Went to LUSH today. Fell completely in love with every single product but limited myself to just three for now. First, a fresh blueberry face mask to calm red skin and hydrate it beautifully. Successful, I'd say. Second, a yummy massage bar with black pepper and something else cool to help release sore muscles. You rub it around a little and it melts just enough to leave a bit of massage oil, which was cool. So I gave myself a little foot massage. Not too shabby. And finally, a bath bomb. This little ball of fizz dissolves in the bath water, has a really sweet fragrance and turns the water into a foamy, milky and, best of all, glittery gold mess.

Back to my whole anti-bath theory. Rule #2: Use piping hot water, because it will cool down quickly. And it will be unpleasant.

The bath bomb was nice. I definitely liked the gold water. And I must say that I now smell delicious.

Rule #3: Do not wash your hair in a milky pool of gold dust. It will not get clean.

After a few minutes of wasting all my warm water just sitting there deciding whether or not I was enjoying my "bath", I figured I should start actually "bath"ing myself. It seemed like a good idea at first, but after dunking my head into the sparkles I knew I was wrong. Washing out my conditioner was a bitch for 2 reasons. 1: I'm way too tall for my bathtub so I'm forced to slide all the way down with my feet in the air to get water to flow anywhere near my chest. And 2: The bath bomb made my water turn basically to butter and left my hair feeling just as creamy as when I first put the conditioner on my head. Plus glitter.

After maybe a 20 minute ordeal I decided to be done and washed the gold stuff down the drain. I think I managed to relax at least a little bit, and I definitely feel nice and soft and pretty for no reason. So maybe baths are okay. Given the correct sized bath and good products, it would be nice to take one here and there.

Minus any shaving or hair washing. XX.

National Pancake Month?!

Okay.

...WHAT?! February is almost over and I'm just now coming to the realization that I could've been carelessly chowing down on delicious, fattening hot cakes all month!? Saddest.Day.Ever. If only I knew...

I guess it's probably a good thing because I do live conveniently above the downtown corner iHop - which, mind you, is not as cool as living above Central Perk -  and if I'd known that the most depressing month of the year was also the month where it is socially acceptable to eat my weight in sweet, sweet dessert for breakfast...well then I'd just be one big fatty for sure.

All this talk about pancakes is making me miss home more than before...

Reason being: Slappy Freakin' Cakes in Portland. Okay, so it's just called Slappy Cakes but they make, hands down, the best freakin' pancakes ever. Plus if you don't mind waiting a day and a half in line for a table, you can make your own on the table top griddle and add all the goodies you want. Can you say "nom nom" in your creepy little internet voice? Ya. Basically amazing. 

With that said, you know where I'll be tomorrow morning.

iHop...let's be friends for a few days.

XX.

Technology Takeover: Part 2

Between the long awaited unveiling of the newest iPhone as if it was a visit from the President, the overall obsession with "checking in", and our incessant "hash tagging", the Internet and, just as well, the entire world of electronics, is seriously taking over. With hundreds of ways to share, catch up and, inevitably, stalk each other, there is no escaping it! The young digerati is in full force and, to be honest, I love it and I hate it.

It's great to be able to see what your friends are up to, grab information in a matter of seconds, and do practically everything short of eating sushi via cell phone but the reality of it all is sorta creepy! If you haven't noticed, Facebook always seems to know what you're thinking. On the side bar, they're able to post ads for products and services that you may like. And how did they know you wanted to take Salsa dancing lessons last Friday? Metadata. You're checking in to places, commenting on friends' photos, and searching for pages like there's no tomorrow and all of that information is now public - and Facebook - knowledge. By voluntarily providing all of your information to the Internet, multiple sources can now use that data to strategically implement their product or service right in front of your face so that you might click on it and potentially become a customer. Pretty smart, huh? Yep, and somewhat creepy! But that's what happens when our culture is making the shift from personal and private to totally disconnected and public. 

We can't really complain about "lack of privacy" because we're to blame for choosing to blog, tag, and update our status 15 times each day. By the time our kids have kids, there will literally be no such thing as privacy, or paper books for that matter. As a certified nerd, I don't really mind the technology take over because it's just too fun getting in on the latest gadgets but when you sit back and think about it...it's just really crazy how far we've come, even from when I was a kid - and I'm only 21! Imagine the crazy factor for my parents...

Get.In.My.Closet.

...but really though...

Europe has been known to birth the most amazing designers and artists since god knows when but, this Spring, they are really kickin' it up a notch. 

Ran across this article on Refinery29 last night and about peed my pants over the first few designers they showcased. Mainly though, Avelon is completely unreal, amazing, perfect. And the shoes?! Dying. Dead.

P.S., here's what Refinery29 has to say about the designer:

"It’s alright that Erik Frenken is bit on the moody, almost-schizophrenic side (he claims his collections are “like duck-taped cocktail dresses”), because the Amsterdam-based creative director still has one ridiculously chic line. He credits it to his fascination with juxtaposing luxurious fashion designs with cutting-edge techniques and fabrics. Think leather overlaying viscose or a super-slim silhouette accented with an oversized geometric embellishment. He plays with proportions, shapes, and textures and isn’t afraid to cross the line now and then.

While most of us would abhor the thought of showing up to an elegant soirée in the aforementioned taped-up frock, Frenken’s designs are so unexpected, imaginative, and playful that you’ll happily reconsider the notion. No, he doesn’t actually design a duck-taped cocktail dress, that’s merely a metaphor for his distinct aesthetic — flawlessly blending urban cool with high-end fashion. And thanks to that witty POV, Avelon is one label we’re going to be seriously lusting after in spring." 

Drool for yourself! XX.

Side note: this dress is from F/W 11 and he clearly knew what was up back then, too! Nothing like a peplum hem.