Two New Dresses

I won't lie, I got these a couple of weeks ago. I'm only just now getting around to showing them to you, though. I have yet to wear them, but that'll change soon.

They're both 22/2x from eShakti, smocked in the back, and absurdly comfortable. Especially the bow-tie one.

 Can we just talk about how excellent this print is? This dress is covered in bow-ties. Not bow, but bow-ties. Nothing is cooler than this dress.

 The hem detail of the blue dress. It's still a bit wrinkled from shipping, but it's 100% cotton, so it is isn't a big deal. And I really wish these pictures could do the color justice.

 This dress fits fantastically. I think there's a bit of boning in the bodice, too, actually. It's unlined and completely cotton and just waiting to be worn.

 Guys, it has pockets.

 This dress might just be the most comfortable thing I own. It's lined, which is good, considering the light, sheer material it's made out of. It also has these little tab things in the shoulders for your bra straps. Really, why don't all sleeveless dresses have that?

Alas, no pockets.

The bodice is a little gape-y, unfortunately. It doesn't look that bad, but when I sit, it really shows more than I'd like it to. Nothing a few stitches can't fix, though. Aside from that, this dress is perfect.

I spent my own money on these. I think I spent about forty altogether. The blue one was on sale, plus I used a code to get an additional 10% off. Yeah, buddy. The second one was dirt cheap because I used a $20 gift code. You guys, eShakti gives you a $20 gift code after your first purchase. Could they be any more perfect? I think not!

I just felt like sharing my opinions on these dresses, because why not? I live to help you guys with your shopping adventures, or something like that.

B.F.G.

Also known as the big, friendly giant.

Also known as me in heels.

Skirt: Fashion Bug | Tee: Fashion Bug | Babushka necklace: Forever 21 | Heels: Forever 21

Since I was determined to wear these fabulous shoes to school today, I went for an obscenely simple outfit. All black, of course. I love that the print reminds me (vaguely) of that one Miu Miu collection, the one that still haunts my dreams. You know the one—the one with the daisy, cat, and sea gull prints.

Anyway, I realized that this was not the day to wear them for the first time. I need to be able to handle them a bit better if I'm going to be hustling to catch public transit. I ended up wearing flip-flops instead. But don't worry, heels, I'm coming for you.

Rembrandt 2.0

Top: thrifted | Belt: Fashion Bug | Skirt: Forever 21 | Bangles: Forever 21 | Ring: Icing | Shoes: Payless | Necklace: Fashion Bug

Some girl on the bus afternoon told me that she "liked my swag." I decided that it was about time someone noticed!

Just kidding, that word annoys me. Almost as much as the dreaded YOLO! cry. For the love of it all, stop it.

Anyway.

I spent nearly two hundred dollars this evening on supplies for my drawing class. With a coupon. And 15% discount. Seriously, this class had better turn me into some sort of wunderkind with charcoal. Although, honestly, it doesn't matter. It'll be fun, and I have all of this stuff to play with. I'm so excited about that class!

Italian, on the other hand, might prove a bit more difficult. Despite the fact that it's closer to French than anything, and that I remembered more French that I thought I did, and that I latched onto the alphabet pretty quickly, I'm pretty sure I left that class with less knowledge of the Italian language than when I walked in.

Oh, well, I have sixteen weeks to learn...something.

Brilliant!

Back to the world of academia! It's terribly interesting, right? Although, if you must know, I desperately wished for seven people to be kidnapped by bears (being on the wait list sucks, guys), struggled to stay awake in my archaeology class, narrowly avoided breaking my ankle running to catch a train in inappropriate running shoes, and went out to dinner with my mom.

It's been a long day, and all I want to do is lie in bed and listen to Cabin Pressure, my new favorite radio show. Well, my only favorite radio show.

Once again, I need to clean my room...

Top: Forever 21 | Camisole (underneath): Forever 21 | Skirt: Forever 21 | Shoes: Payless | Bangles: vintage

Color Me Helpful

Okay, so, I'm going back to school tomorrow. Which is rough (I have to get up early, and I am not meant for mornings. I'm just not), and awesome (Biology! Drawing!) at the same time. I'll be getting back to normal, with fairly regular outfit posts, so that's something we all can look forward to, I hope.

For my readers starting/going back to college tomorrow, or in the near future, here are some things you might find useful, whether your school is of the two-year, or the four-year variety:

• Don't wear open-toed shoes in a lab. Any lab. Especially chemistry. You're just asking for amputation. (I will be ignoring this tomorrow, because I doubt I'll be spending much time in my bio lab. Such is the life of waitlisted students).
• Don't wear heels or new, uncomfortable shoes until you know what to expect. You'd probably want to know how much walking you'll be doing to/from classes, how much time you have between classes (not all of us can run in heels. I can barely walk in them), how hilly your campus is, etc. You'll thank me for saving you from blisters and achy long-day feet.
• On the first week, at least, you'll want a decently-sized bag. Something that can fit a bunch of notebooks and/or a binder. This seems like common knowledge, but trust me, it's absurdly easy to be caught off-guard with a bag that's just a little too small for all the stuff you have to carry.
• Unless your campus has a uniform (do they even do that? I don't know), then seriously, you can pretty much wear whatever you want. Clothes are clothes, and unless you're wearing, like, a bikini, you're probably doing it right. My favourite part about going to school almost every day is honestly the fact that I have to get dressed every day. I'm not gonna lie: I spent most of the summer in my pajamas. I'm excited about getting to wear some of my new clothes, and some of my older stuff in new ways. Use this as an opportunity to get creative, or just live your life in sweats. Seriously, college isn't like high school: 90% of people really are there to learn, so what you're wearing will probably only barely cross anyone's mind. Have fun with it, or don't. Wear what you want.
• Actual useful tip: if you're a commuter, one of the best things in life is an extra layer. Cardigan, coat, scarf, it doesn't matter. If it's made of cloth (or something along those lines. Whatever), and if you can safely bunch it up, you can use it as a pillow. Also, they're good for wearing when the commuter bus is way too cold to survive. Because seriously, that sucks. Even when it's still a hundred degrees out.

These are just useful little things that I've picked up in the past couple years. It really is all simple, common-knowledge stuff, and honestly, I think that the only thing that everyone ought to remember is that bit about labs, but I'm just trying to be helpful. I figured I'd impart my wisdom! Because, let's face it, I am terrifically wise.

We Missed This

For the first time in a (very) long time, Casey and I went to the Boulevard, for the Farmer's Market.

I know—weird, right?

We walked there, got smoothies, wandered and reconnected with old friends (by that, I mean we got more free samples than we could handle. Everyone missed us), made new friends (the same way), and went to the town's new museum. It's actually really cool. It's a combination art/historical museum, which I enjoyed. I never realized that this town could actually be interesting.

After dinner at one of our favourite restaurants, we went to watch an open mic night. Always fun.

I wish I could lead a more interesting life for you guys, I really do.

Wandering the High Sierras

So I've been gone a while. I went to Mammoth for a few days with my family. It was a sort-of family reunion, which was really nice. My aunt came in from Tucson, my aunt and uncle came up to join us (it was their trailer, after all), my cousins came up from San Diego, all that jazz.

On the way to Mammoth, we stopped at this restaurant, Schat's Bakery. It's a great bakery, with fantastic sandwiches. The whole place makes me think of Denmark in the 70s. It's so fabulous it hurts.

I say strange things.

We finally got there, we were thrilled. Seriously. Mammoth is this great mountain town, so all week it was about 75 or so. Vastly different from my hometown, which is stuck in the middle of the desert and averages an easy 105 all summer long. It feels like death, if death feels like an oppressively hot summer.

We had dinner at this good restaurant, Roberto's. Awesome shrimp quesadilla, awesome chili rellano, awesome lime Jarritos. Really, I could spend all day talking about how much I love lime Jarritos. Specifically lime.

My uncle arrived the next day, bearing barbecue. We all chilled for a while, just enjoying the weather and all that.

After that was a day trip to Yosemite. Third national park of the summer. My aunt kept a tally for me.

Next was my other aunt arriving, my cousins coming to the campsite, barbecued dinner, general excellence. Also of note, I drove. In traffic. To and from the grocery store. Look at me, learning new things!

And then we came home.

Sigh.

Thrifty's is the best.

(Super) Easy Maiden Braids

Okay, so. You've seen this hairstyle before, done on my friend Erika's hair, but I thought I'd show you how I do it on a regular basis. Via video. Because this is the future.

I don't know.

It's the same exact style, just simple maiden braids, just done more simply. It's easy, it's messy, and I think it looks good. That's all that matters, right?

Lust List: Academia

I don't know about my fellow students, but my classes start this month. As in a couple of weeks. As in far too soon. But despite this little fact, I'm excited. Of course, I'm excited for my classes (drawing and biology especially), but I also love the fall. My closet and I are much more suited for autumn.

Anyway, here are some of the things I'm feeling. Lots of prints, witchy details, and interesting colors. Oh, and school-appropriate bags.

Day Eleven: Coming Home

Coming home from a great vacation is the best/worst thing. On the one hand, it's lovely to be home when you get there. On the other, it sucks to leave.

We left early, stopping for Starbucks. I even did the unthinkable and got coffee. I'm not a coffee drinker, for reasons unknown.

The drive was very, very, very long. We had lunch at an In-N-Out in Utah (not sure where) and passed through Arizona, Nevada, and a very dull chunk of California. I have recently discovered that I really want to explore an abandoned water park just after the fruit check, though.

I gave (almost) everyone their presents when I got home, introduced them to the wonders of huckleberry (I still have some of that licorice left), and honestly enjoyed being back home, in my own bed.

I would love to get a job at Yellowstone next summer, honestly. I want to go back as soon as I can. That place fills you up, makes you feel smaller and more alive. You can't escape the sheer might of everything there, but at the same time, you feel a bit closer to connected, you know?

Stop me before I wax too poetic.

I think that everyone should go to Yellowstone and Grand Teton at once. There's nothing quite as cleansing as a tremendous view, right? That's all you get there.

And so it concludes.

I think this just means that I need another adventure, and soon!

First bit of California in a while—in Utah.

Jerry in Arizona.

Big Adventures

So, another adventure today. I like this. Erika and I decided to end the summer with something awesome. Hiking at Devil's Punchbowl works well enough.
After she called me at six in the morning (just wrong), she picked me up around 7:45. We made lunch and ate breakfast at her house with her boyfriend, Beyrin, and headed off to pick up our friend Noel and hike through the wilderness. The Punchbowl is one of the prettiest things that the AV has to offer, really. Sheer sandstone rocks, big skies, near silence, and (if you're lucky) a creek running at the bottom.
We weren't lucky.
We did the mile-long hike and decided to go to nearby Big Rock Creek for lunch. We stayed for about half an hour, and I waded in the river a bit. I tried skipping rocks, and failed spectacularly. We soon realized that we needed a parking pass, so we left to go to Jackson Lake instead. There, we ate our lunch and played cards.
Beyrin cheated.
On the way back from the lake, though, Erika's brakes started to burn out, so we ended up waiting by the side of the road for a good half hour. I did some exploring. It's lovely out there. It's almost completely silent, and the trees provide a bit of shade, and everything smells so fresh. It's probably the best part of where I live, even if this was nearer to Wrightwood than our hometown.
When we were finally able to leave, we went to this great, hokey place called Charlie Brown Farms. If it exists, they sell it, I promise. We wandered the endless halls, found a creepy and endless (to me) room of porcelain dolls, saw an awesome fiberglass shark hanging from the ceiling (which I want (desperately)), and tried to understand all the bacon-flavored candy.
We had dinner there, which was really good, and then left. All in all, I count it a very good day. Even if Noel probably got a cold. At least I saved him from the river!

I just can't take these children anywhere. They wander off all the 
time. All. The. Time.

They are very soft, whatever they are.

Day Ten: Whoops, No Pictures!

We had a very chill morning, basically made up of me and Casey watching videos on YouTube. Around two, we drove to this little town, called Midway, for whitewater rafting. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures from that adventure. Hopefully I'll get the one that the guide took of us soon, but no promises for that to happen in the near future. Sorry.

Real quick, though, some cool information about Midway. Well, I think it's cool. On the way to the river, the guide told us about how Midway is essentially the second version of itself; the first is in the reservoir. I think that underwater towns are hideously cool. I'd love to check it out one day.

Anyway.

The rafting itself was easy enough, and really fun. I nearly fell in near the end, though, when we hit the bank a bit too hard. Everyone managed to catch me, luckily. I wouldn't have minded, but for the rocks. That would have hurt.

Of course, since Casey had us sit at the front of the raft (now I don't think I'd be able to sit anywhere else), I got soaked. It's cool, since it felt awesome.

We had dinner at the condo in our pajamas, and Casey and I watched more videos after packing up our things and most of the things that belonged in the car.

I'd call it a successful last day, really.

Day Nine: Is This the Real Life?

No matter where we go, Casey and I will always find a farmer's market to wreak havoc at enjoy. Fortunately for us, the one in Park City was within walking distance of the condo! Also near the condo: the cabriolet. Which was free. Being the children that we are, we spend an obscene amount of time going back and forth on it, in between wandering the market and eating.

We had snow cones and lunch (mint limeade (served by cute guys who totally played along with our mild insanity) and an apple strudel) before going back on the cabriolet. Again. For very long stretches. We yelled things to the passersby down below ("This is your sign!") and sang along to "Bohemian Rhapsody" and generally had a great time.

When we got back to the condo, we lazed around, decidedly in love with civilization again.

After dinner, though, we chilled in the hot tub. Well, not chilled...

Regardless, it was wonderful just being incredibly lazy for a day, you know?

Day Eight: Fear of Heights?

Casey and I spent the morning on our iPads in the living room, so that we could socialize without actually socializing. Welcome to America, or something like that.

We went to lunch at this great restaurant on Main Street, the Wasatch Brewery. They have ridiculously fantastic fish & chips.

My aunt left us to do some errands, so we took the time to explore Main Street. Casey let me into a bookstore, and I left with two new books. Le sigh. I can't complain, though, because new books always make me happy.

After exploring a few more stores, we decided to go on the chair lift. It's a roughly forty-five minute shindig, round-trip, and it's so worth it. You get amazing views of the city, and everything. Even if you're afraid of heights (and really, there is nowhere worse to realize this than on chair lift several feet off the ground).

We took the bus back to the condo, and on the walk from the stop to the front door, my aunt caught up to us. We got in the car and headed to Wal-Mart for some barbecuing essentials. After that, we got dinner at Panda Express and went to see Ted.

If you're wondering, you do need to see it. Desperately. Seth MacFarlane, you are my new favourite person.

Lots of Planets Have a North

It's another nail tutorial! The nail art itself is easy enough, I'm just not the best at it. Yet. One day.

Regardless, here's a step-by-step adventure in nail painting.

Here's what you need:

• Two colours of nail polish (it's best if they contrast fairly well, but you live your life!)
• Base coat
• Top coat (or just use clear polish for the base/top, but it's best if you have these. They're nice to have.)
• Nail brush (a thin one is your new best friend)

Blue: I Need a Refresh-Mint (Wet n Wild)
White: French White (Ruby Kisses)

Day Seven: Let's Get Civilized

Before I discuss this day, I just have to tell you all that I am very, very excited about the new Doctor Who trailer that came out yesterday, and I don't know what I'm going to do with my life until the twenty-fifth. Re-watch the series, maybe?

Ahem.

So we finally bid goodbye to Wyoming and headed off for Park City. Approximately five minutes after packing up and leaving the campsite, we saw another moose. This time, however, we saw a good one, giant antlers and all. Everyone should always listen to me: I said that we'd see a good one on the way to Park City, and I was right!

Our drive through Wyoming passed through several small towns, all strung together. When I say small, I mean towns with populations of 300 or less. Minuscule. Tiny. Dinky. Etc.

We stopped for lunch at this little diner called Tootsie's (excellent sandwiches) before heading off again.

We went through Idaho and spent a great deal of time admiring Bear Lake. It's huge and incredibly blue and incredibly pretty. We stopped at a rest stop in Utah to admire it, and play with grasshoppers (they'd be out on the cement paths, and we'd run down the paths to make them jump back into the grass. Big fun).

By the time we got to Park City, it was raining, but who cares? We were finally at a shelter that wasn't made of nylon, and our beds weren't inflatable.

Okay, so I like to complain about camping. It's all good, because no matter what, I will love very few things as much as I love camping.

Anyway.

After a home-cooked dinner, showers, and the discovery of wi-fi (horray!), we all went to bed and reveled in civilization, because really, what's better than a memory foam bed after sleeping on a slowly deflating air mattress for a week?

Nothing, that's what.

Day Six: Teton and Disney

We had to leave Yellowstone, eventually, I guess.

Le sigh.

We drove down through the Grand Teton Park, and let me tell you, that is probably the prettiest place I'd ever seen. I am fully convinced that it's photoshopped, or that Disney is somehow behind it. Unfortunately, I only have one picture (my camera decided that that was a fabulous time to die), but hopefully I'll get Casey's soon. Just know that it's stunning. You've got these really craggy old mountains, grey and dusted with snow (in July. Really, Wyoming?), wildflowers, lush greenery, stunning lakes, and butterflies everywhere. It's almost too pretty to be real, and it smells faintly like the colour green.

We made it to our campsite near Jackson, WY, and set up the tent in record time. In the rain. Like bosses. Eventually, though, we headed out into the wild that is Jackson Hole. It's actually this cute little tourist-trap town. We got some ice cream and wandered around, looking at all the hokey little things. Moose stuff everywhere, which was particularly difficult to stomach.

See, when we went on our unsuccessful moose hunt, we decided that we were using the word too much, and thus jinxing it. If anyone said it, they had to put in a quarter, sort of like a swear jar. A swear jar that never got cashed. For the record, Casey won.

Anyway.

We had dinner in Teton Village, at this great restaurant called the Mangy Moose Reindeer. It's pretty good, but the best part is definitely the atmosphere. Everywhere is just crammed with things. There are flags and movie posters all over the ceiling, moose reindeer heads on the walls, and an airplane hanging over the restaurant. It's actually pretty cool.

On the way back, though, we saw a moose! It was a female, and she was just hanging out in a marshy area, grazing and looking completely bored by the dozens of people taking a picture.

It was beautiful, though, because we could say the word moose again. You never realize just how much you love the word moose until you can't say it...

Arnold Palmers on the Secret Menu

I spent today with Erika. And yesterday. And Monday. It's actually been a lot of fun, though, so don't count on me getting bored. We have some adventures planned for next week, too, so there's that to look forward to.

Today, we went to the mall, and oh dear everything, I should not have gone to the mall. I bought two dresses nothing of import from eShakti yesterday, and then quite a bit of stuff today. I got a great outfit that I can't wait to debut, though, some excellent heels, and a couple pairs of sunglasses. Oh, and two pairs of thigh-highs! I'm so excited because now I don't have to deal with tights all the time and one pair is black lurex, and that's reason enough to be thrilled, don't you think?

Also, for fun, I thought do do a What's In My Bag post. It's fun for me, at least. I don't even know.

 What's in my bag at any given moment: camera (and case), learner's permit, wallet (from Avenue, years ago), notebook and pencil, house key, mirror, cell phone, lip balm (this one is huckleberry), and sunglasses (Claire's).

The wear is starting to show on my favourite bag.

Day Five: Multistate Adventure

Casey and I woke up...lazy. Not sore or exhausted or anything, just lazy. So we nixed the original plan (hiking the Grand Canyon) in favour of something a little less ambitious. So sue us. Regardless, we'd seen the canyon from above. That was all we needed, you know?

Right. We're hideously lazy, we really are.

Since it was our last full day in Yellowstone, we did something awesome: we went on a two-for-the-price of one hike. We saw the Grand Prismatic Pool and the Fairy Falls.

Being the lazy fools that we were, we complained (quietly and amongst ourselves) about the short trek from the parking lot to the lookout for the Grand Prismatic. Keep in mind, that when I call it a lookout, I'm both being generous, and severely underselling it. That "lookout" is actually the side of a mountain, littered with fallen trees that serve double duty as hiker-helpers and benches. Casey and my aunt climbed up higher than I did (Casey for the picture, my aunt for fun), but you don't have to get very high to get the most spectacular view.

For those not in the know (and keep in mind that my pictures will not lessen your status), the Grand Prismatic Pool is this roughly 300-foot hot spring. It's this deep, vibrant blue-purple in the middle that extends out into the clearest, most flawless blue and then yellow, and then orange. When it's sunny out, it's so bright and gorgeous and bizarre. The steam coming off of it is either turquoise or orange, and it's one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

After a while, I hiked down to perch on a tree and read. Let me tell you that going down the side of that mountain was tricky business. It's all loose dirt and rock and dangerous and awesome.

When my people came back down, we "hiked" to the Fairy Falls. I say hike, but really, it's little more than a long (1.something mile) walk down a gravelly path through a forest. We did more complaining (the best part of anything, really), but when we got to the Falls, we couldn't complain about a thing. At all. Ever.

It's two hundred feet of sheer gorgeous. And it does a neat job of cooling you off. It's absolutely ridiculous how pretty it is.

After our trek, we drove to Montana for showers in a laundromat and pizza. If you're ever in West Yellowstone, MT, then get pizza at Rocky Mountain Pizza Co. on Canyon Street. Best. Ever. Plus, they have huckleberry Italian soda. Be still, my heart!

On the drive back to our campsite, we saw several animals of the baby variety. Be aware that there are few things in this world as adorable as a baby bison.

Also of note, Wyoming doesn't understand nighttime. It was ten o'clock, and there was still plenty of light on the horizon. Of course, when it gets dark, it gets dark, but still. Casey and I carried on and on about the sky. It was great.