Bear's Birthday

Happy Birthday Bear
My family all had the stomach flu last week during Bear's birthday (Random Fact: my older brother turned 30 on the 19th and my little bro turned 19 on the 30th). We tried a new place for us, Quaker Steak and Lube. It was delicious!! They're known for their atomic wings, but since I have issues with 1.meat attached to bones 2.eating skin and 3.anything spicy I avoided their token item. We had fun though <3

That's as far as I got!!

Ho Ho Holiday Haul

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ME!!!!!
Hello fashion! I got a major haul this season and I'm sooo excited to start working all of these items into fabulous outfits <3<3

I got 6 new skirts. 4 classic pencil ones, a velvet teal, and a super short sparkly mini that JUST fits haha...good thing the new year always comes with my new workout routine!

TEN...count them TEN : ) new dresses. Most of them fit like a glove. I received seasons 1 and 2 of Mad Men (I had heard so many good things about it and have the book "The Fashion File" by the show's stylist) and it sounds silly but watching it has made me feel more secure to show off my curves and accept that maybe it is possible that men can find me sexy even though I usually see nothing but pudge. Watching Joan Holloway and the way men salivate over her has given me a lot more self confidence!

Accessories...2 new berets <3

The Panda Bear necklace is my favorite!! When Bear (my lil bro) was little we called him Andy Pandy...then Panda Bear..and since he's been about 10 we just call him Bear. So whenever I wear this I'm going to think of him <3

I love these belts! The top one makes me feel so very German and idk what I'm going to wear the feather one with but it's a million times prettier in real life

So I collect owl things, especially jewelry. These are my new favorite earrings! I pray I never lose them because I ADORE them!!

BOOTS AND BOYS!!
I have been obsessing over wanting leopard print booties for months now. I FINALLY got some thanks to my older bro's gift card : ) Just as exciting to me is I found my first ever knee high boots that fit my calves. For those of you who can't tell from photos I have enormous calves...luckily I'm well proportioned so it's not so crazy looking haha. Anyhow I went shopping with my best friend Lisa and founds ones that FINALLY fit!! I am sooo excited to come up with outfits to wear them with!!

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes

I love New Years because it's not just a time to look back and appreciate all the blessings of the past year but also to look ahead at the amazing things to come. I'm listening to 10th Avenue North's "You Are More" right now. I think it's a great starting over songs..."Bou don't you know who you are..what's been done for you? You are more than the choices that you've made,..it's not about where you've been, it's where you're brokenness brings you too..you are more than the sum of your past mistakes." With that I give you my New Years resolutions 2011...

1. Keep up with blog
2. Dress fabulously..at least fabulously to me : )
3. Make sure the people in my life feel authentically loved
4. Travel...more road trips...hopefully with a boy
   
5. Become a runner...at least be able to run 2-3 miles
6. Read a book or more a month...real books not just fashion/cooking books
   
7. Cook one gourmet meal a week
8. Stick to my budget
9. Learn violin
10. Be a better listener
    

Well Hello 2011 you sure are lookin' fine

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Ok so I haven't updated in months, my bad. So...New Years resolution #1 Keep up with Blog so that I'm not left with lots of stories and photos I wish I had put up but now feel it's too late!!

2010 was a great year full of love (though lost), fun, family, and friends. I rekindled some lost friendships which I don't know how I went so many years without and made some wonderful new friends. I love both my jobs, even though I get paid peanuts, and like always am thankful for the most wonderful family I could imagine. If 2011 is anything like last year I'll feel like the luckiest girl in the world....again. Although Lord (that's right I'm talking to you big guy) if we could work on the love minus the LOST this year I'd be pretty perfect <3>

I felt like an old movie star! I used my new Ucurl curing iron...still had to go and touch up the ends with a normal iron..it's gonna take me some getting used to. I used some of my mom's eyeshadows too. I went light, golden, and sparkly. Sometimes it's nice to feel really feminine <3

I LOVE this pic! I'm happily chatting with one of my friends and John is hugging someone next to me. It's just a cute party pic and everyone is so happy in it!! Also, I wanted a sparkly dress and I found it. F21 and 27.00. Love at first sight!!I wore it with black tights, black oxford open toed heels and a black cut out cuff...O and my gold necklace which I'll explain in a later post.

This is John Paul...yep like the pope...he fell and now my sparkly gold dress is soaked in booze : ( luckily I brought comfy pjs to change into in case I had gotten sick of my dress

New Years at Jim's was fun! We found a sign on the way there in the back of Tom's car left over from a road trip...as you can see everyone had fun with it : ) Met some great people, a few women who play roller derby and told me I should join. I'd be lying if I said it isn't something I've given a lot of thought to before, though my mother makes a good point, when in the world will I find time for that. I am at least going to look into it though! Mine as well put these German hips to use somehow!! Hope everyone else had a wonderful evening <3>

The Summer is Calling my Name

My buddy Tom n I went to our favorite playground. At 27 maybe I shouldn't admitt I have a "favorite" playground, but O well. It has one of those twirly circle things where the trancipital force makes you want to fall off haha...hope you know what I'm talking about. It's hard to find them anywhere now a days cause so many stupid kids hurt themselves and most playgrounds took them off. But there is one here and sometimes Tom and I go just to act like kids and swing and play. Super Dorks I know!! It was a colorful day though.



I think I have a ridiculously cartoonish face. I'm not saying I think I'm ugly necessarily just goofy. When I see myself talk I always am shocked by how animated my facial expressions are. I guess it helps keep me looking young though, so that's a plus!
I love this pic I feel so Faye Dunaway here! If you haven't noticed yet...YES I LOVE berets!
Being a thick girl is also one of the things I have just had to accept about myself. I'm not rolly or anything and my curves are where they should be but I'm thicker. I'm shaped just like my dad who was shaped just like his and it's a long line of Viking bodies...yes I did say Viking! My last name is Norse Viking for "comforter" and we do have the family history dating back to when our Norman blood settled finally in Holland. So if you need a strong gal to farm or pillage just call....but model clothing in size 4...keep looking haha

I just LOVE the color here!! I don't normally wear a lot of red but when I saw this skirt I just HAD to have it. Top: A.J Wright $4.00 Skirt: F21 $22.00 Shoes: Charollette Russe $20.00 Jewelry: F21...check out the earrings they're peacocks I LOOOOOVE them!!

Always be yourself, everyone else is already taken

I feel very Faye Dunaway here

I love these sunglasses!! I got them in Rochester visiting a friend and I bought them knowing I looked ridiculously 80s....but hot pink and shiny...c'mon that's TWO of my weaknesses!! The fact that they were 5 bucks sealed the deal!

This picture is very me <3 style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaYdcj-ql7BLAU7i0dSKk0mELUVI3DSlca0A8JLPhuqsYoJZKEaMu7rR-MIyyhXOECMSwrFVutxURNzoqd0TAqhzUfzenQa3kNwh33hNeHa3o4fWlPkkV5rciaSF5qppEnqm0nxMO46M/s320/DSC01236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512471555807659730" border="0">

SO we have an outdoor amphitheater in Syracuse and it's Gorgeous!! I wanted to take some shots here before the weather got bad. I might come back when the leaves turn. Fall is my favorite x a million!!



It always makes me laugh a bit when I see photos of myself not smiling, even though they prob look better it's silly cause I don't usually look so serious!



I can't even tell you how much I love this military jacket!! I got it for 20 bucks and it's easily in my top 10 favorite items of clothing. The navy dress was only 11.00 and when I bought then yellow shoes I wondered if I'd even really wear them, but I like throwing them in with outfits they might not normally go with. I think it adds a whole new level on...and I can walk in them easily thanks to how strapped on they are haha! I find the older I get the more I like heels with straps...I'm a power walker after all.

Thanks to my friend Tom for the pics, we had a super fun day hanging out. I've got more too but that's enough for one posting!!

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others

Bear moved into his freshman dorm this morning. Even though he is so close, he's going to Newhouse at SU, it's still really sad for me. I can't imagine how much of a wreck I'd be if he had actually decided on Tufts or Cornell.




So I think I'm doing a photo shoot thing with my friend Mandarino tomorrow. We're def driving all the way out to my college town to eat burritos...but the BEST burritos! It's worth the drive. Hopefully it won't rain, it is Syracuse so you always have to expect it. I figured I'd put up some of my fav photo shoot shots. I'm truly not much of a model luckily my friend Mabyn is one heck of a photographer which you can see in these pics <3

There was a star danced, and under that was I born

Jennifer and I went to Shakespeare in the Park Saturday. The performance was "Much Ado About Nothing" and is now in my top 3 Shakespeare plays (Julius Caesar and The Tempest being first and foremost). The acting was wonderful but we were completely put off by two factors #1. They used modern music!! When I go to see Shakespeare I expect madrigals! END OF STORY!! #2. The woman in front of me was not only dressed 3 decades too young for her but also missed the memo that smoking in a public park in NY was banned a good 5 years ago! Maybe it's me being uppity but when I see theater I expect there to be a certain level of class upheld. I'm not sure if this woman had ever heard the definition of classy but if so she obviously had NO intention of reaching such a state!! That being said, I can't believe I went so long having no idea we have an outside amphitheater in Syracuse!! I'm truly a dope sometimes : / It's so lovely and I can't wait to see it in the Fall! I wore my favorite summer top and jeggings (my new favorite pant). I didn't bother to comb my hair at all but at least I threw on some eye makeup in the car on the way.

Pink Pop

So I wish I had a full body pic of this dress cause it was cute, even though it didn't compliment my figure whatsoever!! I still love it, plus I bought it for TWO bucks TWO bucks!! I finally got a chance to wear these really cute rose earrings I bought almost a year ago and forgot about cause they never seemed to match anything. It was a fun outfit for a super fun night...Vicky's 25th Birthday <3 We ended up singing kareoke at Singers, the local kareoko bar, SOOO much fun!! Vicky and I did Eternal Flame by the Banges requested by Shannon ; ) Amazing!!



Happy Birthday Vicky!!! <3<3>

Sooo I figured I's start this out by posting some random facts about me...

My name is Gaelic for laughter

Lilacs are my fav smell in the whole world and my favorite sound is the symphony tuning up before a performance

I like to listen to musicals when I make dinner, and I'm like Rachael Ray in the kitchen

My dream job would be working with women in the sex traffic industry in India and China to help rehabilitate them

I have a deep affinity for glow in the dark objects

In 4th grade I went a year refusing to answer to anything but Elizabeth because I thought it was a much more regal sounding name

I love peanut butter on graham crackers...I love peanut butter in general

Growing up I wanted to be a nun

I had goats instead of dogs...explains a lot about my childhood

I don't think I've fought with my brothers in at least 10 years

I LOVE historical based movies and documentaries

Hot pink is my favorite color...not pink..HOT PINK

I collect owl jewlery because they represent wisdom...unlike most girls who love butterflies (FYI girls butterlies pretty much die if you touch their wings...do u really want ot represent urself as like the weakest creature?!!?)

I think everything sounds more fun in German

Whenever I watch an action movie it makes me want to train to be a warrior!!

When I get around people with accents I start talking in the accent, but I don't mean to

My family randomly bursts into Broadway showtunes and musically parodies at least 50% of our lives...and I didn't know that wasn't normal until 11th grade

I cry at Hallmark commercials cause I'm such a softy

Someday I want to be awesome at violin

I'm AWESOME at limbo!!!

I think Irish people are the most fun out of every ethnicity

When I go out for ice cream I like to get a chocolate/vanilla twist because it was what my grandpa always bought me as a kid

I'd describe my style as bombshell mixed with rock n roll artist