see the clouds are creeping towards the sun

I've kind of been living in this outfit for the past few days. It's just so comfortable and light and easy to throw on. It's perfect for this time of year as it gets hotter and hotter but still rains on occasion (like yesterday).

The past few days have been a little weird though. It's been warm-ish for Southern California, but the sun's been pretty washed out or hidden by the clouds. It'll come out sometimes, but for the most part the weather's been kind of iffy.

But it's my little sister's fourteenth birthday today! After school gets out for the summer down here, my family will be completely done with middle school! I feel like everyone's growing up so fast! I can't keep track of my younger cousin's ages anymore. It's just all so weird! Time flies by so quickly!

song of the day: Towards the Sun - Alexi Murdoch

Alloy sweater & belt

Forever 21 dress & sandals

You could see LA really clearly the other day from downtown. It's a rare occurrence because of the smog.

Departures

So I watched this today while I ate lunch. It's beautiful. I absolutely loved it! And not because there was a cello in it. Or because it won an Academy Award. The ceremony and ritual of preparing the bodies for "departure" was so touching, especially how the families were involved and reacted to it and how the experiences changed the main character, Daigo. I'd recommend it to anyone.

picturesque junk yard

Check it out! New clothes! I bought the shirt the other day after months and months of searching for one. I was so excited when I saw it on the rack! It took forever! And my mum gave me the skirt today before she left for work. She'd gotten one like it in blue for my sister, but she didn't like it. So when I asked my sister why she didn't like it, she said she doesn't like skirts. It kinda blew my mind. How can you not like skirts?? They're fantastic! Oh well. She's still young. I didn't wear clothes like this when I was her age.

I bought new nail polish yesterday too. I really like the color. It's subtle and cute and light. Perfect for summer!

I really like this spot. It's cramped and I have to figure out how to not cut my legs off below my knees in pictures, but I really like the bit of fence in out side yard with the lattice work on the top. I'm not sure what exactly it's for, but I like it. It's kind of like a mini picturesque junk yard back there! I'm really liking being back home because of all the options I have for outfit pictures just in my back yard. It's not as green and full of plant life as I wish it was sometimes, but it has interesting aspects. And it always looks better in the sun!

And I made peanut butter cookies today! I really like baking and making cookies from scratch. I made chocolate chip cookies last week. I think I might need to make it a weekly thing for the rest of the summer. Maybe I'll try snickerdoodles next week! I just need to look up more recipes and make sure we have everything to make then before I start more baking projects.

Forever 21 navy and white striped shirt & nail polish

Target skirt & flats

westerns and the job hunt

I wore this yesterday to go to church and run around shopping and trying to save baby birds in.

Right now, I'm filling out job applications, watching "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw" and contemplating baking a cake or something. Fun stuff!

song of the day: Come Together - The Beatles

American Eagle top

Urban Outfitters skirt

a few things

Just a few things from this weekend....

Halloween-themed cupcakes a week early for my sister's birthday....

A pizookie with my whole family at BJs for my official welcome home dinner....

And look who dropped by our backyard tonight before dinner....

Our attempts at saving their lives without their mama abandoning them = gardening shovels and flower pots....

There! All safe and sound. Hopefully they'll be okay.

After our rescue mission, we had dinner and now we're watching "Minute to Win It." And earlier today I bought some new clothes! It's been a good weekend. This next week will be dedicated to getting a job. Happy Pentecost Sunday, by the way!

song of the day: Neverending Summer - Dayplayer ('cause it's officially summer!!!)

Season finales tonight! And I get tot watch them on a real TV and when they actually air. I'm so excited!

Images found here and here.

and I say "it's alright"

Look! Sun! It finally decided to make a real appearance today. So I decided to take pictures in my back yard to show off where I live. As you can see, I have a pool. It's too cold to swim in right now, but it's warming up a bit. We don't really use the pool do much anymore, though. It's too cold most of the time to use since we don't heat it and it can just get too busy during the summer to consciously decided to go swimming.

I also got a new skirt when I came home on Sunday night. I'd ordered it the week before, so it was waiting for me when I got home. New clothes make me so happy!

My dogs were hanging out with me in the backyard today. Well, Tessa always hangs out in the backyard running laps around the pool and chasing after birds. But Toby followed me outside and they both came in when I did and are watching a movie with me now. They're such good dogs. I missed them so much when I was at school.

song of the day: Here Comes the Sun - the Beatles

Forever 21 skirt & sandals

Alloy cardigan

Target top

up up and away!

Away We Go was such a good movie! I just watched it last night and I love it. I think everyone should go see it. It was a great movie to start out my summer break.

I loved all the places they went and just the whole story. I think I might have to visit Montreal, if not live there at some point in time in my life. And Maya Rudolph's clothes! I loved all the prints that she wore. If I ever get pregnant, I'm wearing all of her clothes. For reals.

The only sad thing is that it's been kind of rainy and gloomy since I've been back. This is Southern California! I need sun!

movie stills found here

The imagery in this video is so perfect and beautiful! I couldn't not share this.

Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

it's contagious, it's contagious

Today is my last day on campus!!! I'm really excited to be done! But I'm sad to be leaving everyone for a few months. A few of my friends are actually not coming back next year because they're taking a year off, if not more. Sad. But I've been up and packing all morning and have my storage space all figured out. I just have one more final and I'm completely done with my freshman year of college! Yay!

song of the day: Us - Regina Spektor (it was kinda the theme song for most of this year!)

forever 21 skirt, top & sweater

Urban Outfitters sandals

no wind, no rain, or winter's cold can stop me, baby!

So I know that I've been wearing this skirt a lot the past few days. But it's so comfy! It's seriously one of my favorite articles of clothing.

I'm really super excited about today though! I have a final in like half an hour, which I am not really excited about.... But! My mum's going to be here tonight! She's gonna be on her way to the airport within the hour! And I had pizza with Hayley for lunch. And I had a lot of fun last night with friends after a day away from finals. And there's lots of fun stuff that's going to happen later today as well! So it's a good day! I also finally picked up my year book and sold back some books to the bookstore. I didn't get much compared to how much they cost, but it's still money! And on top of everything else! It's in the 70s today! The sun is making sparse appearances, but it's still really warm! I'm so happy! I hope you are too!

song for the day: Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Forever 21 tank top

Alloy grey cardigan

Urban Outfitters skirt & sandals

a little busybody

Today is cleaning/packing and studying day! It feels so overwhelming how much needs to get done in the next few days before I move out of my room. The first people in my dorm left today. It's so strange to see their rooms (that won't be their rooms anymore) stripped of their things and just so bare. I took almost all of the pictures/posters off my walls today as one of my first steps and now they seem so empty. I don't like it.

But I only have two more days at school after today! And my mum's going to be here tomorrow night! And only two more finals! I'm really excited but sad at the same time. All I can do is look forward to next year and spending my last days with my friends. Hayley and I are going to get one last pizza of the year tomorrow for lunch, and I've made plans to hang out with friends tonight, and have one last "tea party" with another friend and Hayley tomorrow night. And we're planning something special for dinner tomorrow night too. I'm going to miss all my friends and the girls from my hall so much this summer!

Forever 21 blouse & sandals

Urban Outfitters skirt

navy blue Target leggings

song of the moment: Go Do - Jonsi

Study-Fest Spring 2010!

Last night was the beginning of what I like to call "Study-Fest Spring 2010." The venue for last night's festivities was "the Love Den," my friends' common room down the hall.

And then I moved to my room when my computer started to die a few hours later....

As you can see, there was studying and some.... not studying.... There's always fun times in the Love Den!

Well, I've finished one final and have one more to go today. I still have studying to do. And I am currently running on about 2 & 1/2 hours of sleep! I look just a bit haggard....

Today's song came on my iTunes the other night while we were studying and seems fitting for this past year. Especially this week as I'm less than 5 days and 3 finals away from being done with school until September. Yay!

So the song for today (although it might not keep me awake....): The Freshmen - Jay Brannan

And if you need to be kept awake like I do for the rest of the day, this might wake you up a bit as well: She Brought the Dance Floor - With Honest Eyes ('cause it's always good to support friends and a little bit of screaming never hurt anyone....)

used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that

I'm feeling a bit goofy today. It's the last normal day before finals and I was up really late last night working on final assignments. I'm still not done. I have to get those movie reviews finished. And then it's time to study study study for my two finals tomorrow! With a brief interlude to pick up my yearbook. I'm kinda excited just because of the cover! It's this kick-butt picture of our president who is "graduating" with the seniors this year. So of course I had to get one!

Because I was up so late last night, today's outfit had to be kind of an easy, thrown on affair. Same thing goes for my hair. French braids are easy, sturdy and last throughout the day. And they keep my bangs out of my face. Awesome.

Reasons why my shoes are amazing today: 1) they're moccasins. Who doesn't love moccasins?? 2) I made them! They came in a kit, so I didn't have to cut the pieces or anything like that, but I still stitched them together. This will be the third year since they came into my life thanks to high school winter camp. I used to wear them all the time. But they're not really practical for wetter weather....

song for the day: anthems for a seventeen year old girl - Broken Social Scene

Forever 21 sleeveless top & orange cardigan

PacSun skinny jeans

hand-made/assembled moccasins