I DID IT.

SO, I finally did it. It wasn't nearly as painful as I expected it to be, and I am in love with it!!

This isn't the greatest picture, and doesn't really do justice to the amazing work that Steve did. I can't wait to get more added to my arm in the future! 

<3 Happy Tuesday!

Elladora!

GUYS. We got a new puppy!

Her name is Elladora. Ella, for short :) She is a 5 month old Chihuahua-Pekingese mix! Nick and I like to call her a Pekachi :) We rescued her from the Stray Animal Adoption Program that comes to my Petsmart every Saturday. Last weekend, a woman brought her in and surrendered her to the program and I instantly fell in love.

And we can't forget about the cutest baby EVAR.

Just as pretty as ever.

Happy Sunday!!
xo S

Karmin, you stole my heart.

Check out this duo, you won't be sorry. Thanks, to my little brother for exposing me to this awesomeness. I listen to it a little more often than I am comfortable admitting. ;)

They are a couple of friends who were in a college class at Berkley and had to create something together as a project. Now they are this:

(If you aren't into the hip hop covers, they also have some really awesome Adele, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga covers, too!)



Happy Friday!! <3

Thursday, today.

Hello, friends! This week has been pretty crazy. A lot is happening that I really don't want to talk about until I know for sure that it's happening/not happening. Don't worry, it's nothing bad! I will definitely keep you posted once I know the details either way :)

This past weekend at work was both good and bad. I sold come classes and got pats on the back at work, so that was good. Sunday, however, was a mixture of good and bad. Mostly bad. Right when I got to work, a super heavy metal grate (what we keep in the bottom of the kennels in the salon) fell on my ankle and I was really worried that it was fractured. It hurt SO BAD, dudes. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and it definitely had me in tears. Thankfully, it's not fractured, but the bone is bruised, and it definitely hurts to walk on and is occasionally swollen. LAME.

Then, about halfway through my day, a couple brought in their pit puppy and laid it on the floor carelessly. (Most PetsMarts have in-house Banfield Pet Hospitals.) It began seizing and convulsing and it was probably one the most horrible things I have ever witnessed. The worst thing about the situation, though, was how the owners acted. They were laughing and mostly just angry that they spent $200 on the puppy, just for it to get sick. The doctor ended up making them leave, and we later found out that the puppy had either Parvo or Distemper, and had to be put down.

These are the things that make me think for days. How horrible do you have to be to be angry at a puppy for contracting a disease that it should have been vaccinated against? It was so hard to watch, and I hope that those people don't put another puppy through the same thing. Just a word to the wise: Get your animals vaccinated! This is SO important. If you have an animal that contracted Parvo or Distemper and didn't survive it, do NOT bring another animal into your home until you are sure the virus is gone. It can live in your furniture and carpet and will infect another animal unless vaccinated.

The rest of the day turned out okay, I made some tips and bought myself a bag I have been eyeing for weeks. The LPLP Linea Pelle Satchel from Target in blue. I <3 it.

Sorry for such a downer post, guys. I think that these are important things to know, though! 

Love you all

S

Wednesday Wonders v.17 FOODNOMZ EDITION

You guys know that I have been all up in Pinterest's grill lately. (By the way, I still have some invites if you want one!) I have a pinboard on my profile entitled FOODNOMZ in which I repin the most delicious looking food I can find. Since I am hungry right now, I thought it would be a great idea for this week's WW to be the FOODNOMZ edition. WOOP. 

1. Chocolate Kiwi Popsicles

2. Sweet Potato Fries

3. Chocolate covered banana bites.

5. Raspberry Ice Cubes. HELLO LEMONADE WHERE ARE YOU?

6. French Macaroons. I've always wanted to try one! 

7. Jalapeno Popper dip. OBSESSED with Jalapeno Poppers, so how could this be bad?

8. Tomato Basil Mozzarella Bites. YUM HELLO. 

SHOP!

Guys! It's Tuesday. That means I want to give you a special, special coupon for my shop.

Happy shopping! <3

Music Monday: Band of Horses

GUYS. Have you heard this band? If you haven't, get off your cyber butts and youtube them. NOW. Or just continue with this post in which I have chosen some of the best songs FOR you. This = less work for you, which = WIN.

I saw these guys at Bonnaroo the first year that we went, and it was one of the best shows that I have ever seen. Not only was I extremely close to the stage, the sound was fantastic, and I even got a couple of videos of their music. It was one of those shows that gives you chills THE ENTIRE TIME. Everyone was into it. Here are some of the pictures I took that day:

Band of Horses are a fairly young band, but they have two fan-freaking-tastic albums out right now. The first one, Cease to Begin, is the one I fell in love with:

Favorite songs on this album are: "Is There a Ghost," "Cigarettes, Wedding Bands," and "No One's Gonna Love You." These are ones you should definitely give a listen! Here's a playlist for your listening pleasure...

Their other album, Infinite Arms, is the newest album. It's very similar in sound, and was just as addicting the first time I heard it. (Also I think the album cover is really pretty!)

My favorite songs from this album are (first and foremost!!) "Compliments," "Laredo," and "Dilly".

There you have it! Some of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands. Do you know/like BoH? If so, what are some of your favorite songs? Know any bands that sound similar that you think I'd like? Let me know in the comments!!

xo
Happy Monday!
S

HOLY EXHAUSTION

Guys? This week/weekend has been absolutely exhausting. Work has been going really well. I am full time now, but that means that my schedule is all wacky because obviously retail is more lucrative on the weekends. My work week runs Thursday through Monday, which means I get Tuesday and Wednesday off. Since this week we went to the Cake show, I am on my Wednesday today, and I am officially wiped out. Only two more days until my weekend!!

I'm really excited to be full time at work now. I get to reap the benefits, and it's going to make me feel a lot more comfortable getting an apartment. Classes have been going great, but I have been feeling under the weather for the last two days. I have a bit of a sore throat and a constant headache. Luckily, this is the sickest I have been for the last three years. It's amazing what restricting your diet can do for your body. I used to get horrible horrible HORRIBLE colds every time the season changed, and I haven't had to deal with that at all for the last three years! Love it.

In a couple of weekends, I'm getting one of my favorite quotes tattooed between the anchors on my hips: "Let me live, love and say it well in good sentences." I'll also be making the appointment to begin the work on my half sleeve, which the awesome Steve Cupp at Vertigo in Oxford is doing as a graduation gift! CAN'T WAIT. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I have been really thinking hard if this is the right thing for me, so I had Lynzie photoshop a picture of me with a arbitrary tattoo design on my arm just to see what I'd look like and I really love it.

This might seem kind of silly, but I really really wanted to make sure that I would be okay with how I will look with a huge tattoo on my arm, and now I can't wait to do it. Here is the finished design (by Lynzie) for the tattoo that I'll be getting:

The colors will obviously be a lot more muted and less vibrant, but I really can't wait to get it. I'm loving the traditional roses that go along with matryoshkas usually, and I think that's going to make it a very feminine tattoo. I will be sure to post pictures of both things as soon as they're done!! 

Happy Saturday, friends! :)

TOMS: Again.

Remember my deal with Chelsey? When I graduated in March, she bought both of us a pair of TOMS, and the deal was that I'd do the same thing when she graduated. Well, I held up my end of the bargain, yesterday, and bought these beauties:

Chelsey got the same ones in Coral:

So pretty! These two are from the summer line, which is out now! You guys should check it out. I used the coupon code AFFTM5 to save $5 on my order, which was pretty fantastic, also. 

These are next on my wishlist: 

Also, tonight is CAKE and Shanghai Mama's! Cannot WAIT. 

xo

S

Wednesday Wonders v.16

1. I feel like we should look at food a little differently. 

2. *Swoon..*

3. Adorbz. 

4. I love photographs like these. 

5. I want a penguin. Who has his own shoes. 

6. SO CUTE JIM HALPERT. 

7. I would like to make these, please. 

8. Pretty red door.

9. I NEED THESE LIKE NOW. Plz and thanks. 

Music Tuesday: CAKE.

Firstly, I'm sponsoring Windshield Diaries in May, and am hosting a giveaway over there! Click the banner to check it out!

So, wayyyyy back in February, I bought Nick tickets to see CAKE at the Aranoff center downtown for his birthday. It's FINALLY here, and we are super excited. It turns out that Lynzie and Brandon and Kim and Chris were also going to the show, so we are all going out to dinner beforehand.

I know that Nick loves this band, but I have never gotten myself too familiar with their music other than what I've heard in Nick's car and what is played on the radio, so I thought that I would take this week's musical feature as my opportunity to familiarize myself (even though I'm still obsessed with Adele from last week. 21 is on constant repeat...)

After some research (and raiding Nick's iTunes library) these are my favorite songs....

And this...

And this! (you should skip the first 36ish seconds)

Do you like CAKE? What's your favorite song?

Some exciting news...!

After lots of talks with the boyfriend this weekend, he's decided to think about moving back home when his lease is up and finishing up school (which I am so so so so proud of him for) and I have decided to get my very own apartment (with a roommate).

Remember Kim?

I've known her since we were freshmen in high school at Mercy, and now she is going to be my (our) roommate!! I'm so excited. Kim is one of my best friends, and I can't wait to live on my own. I've never had this experience, and I can't wait to do it with a great friend (and the fur babies, of course!!). 

We looked at one apartment today which was a no go because they have a policy there that states you can't have any rust spots or dents on your car in order to sign a lease there. I counted three dents on my car. HA. This is also funny because the part of town it's in isn't exactly the most upscale.... So we're enlisting the help of Nick and Chris (Kim's fiance) later this week to see some more places. 

Since I've never done this before, can you guys throw out some things I should keep an eye out for other than aesthetics? 

Happy Monday!! <3

xo

S

ADELE.

So, not sure why it took more than the 20 blog posts I KNOW I've read about Adele in the last four monthsish for me to be hooked, but it did. Maybe you guys are like me in that I get overwhelmed by listening to a new artists because I feel like I have to get to know ALL of it. And while I realize that's not true, it still took my friend Chelsey choosing two or three songs for me to listen to, and I was hooked. Also, she's British, which makes me love her more. (Nick hates her. He was actually mad that I had her album playing when he got home from work yesterday, haha!)

Currently, this one is stuck in my head:

And this is my favorite on the album I bought:

And my other favorite:

Do you guys like Adele? I need some more female vocalists (besides just Regina Spektor and Imogen Heap) in my iTunes. Feel free to help a girl out in the comments :)

Happy Thursday! <3
S

Today, Wednesday.

Happy hump day, friends! The past week has been pretty crazy, so excuse my lack of presence around here. Monday ended a stretch of about 11 days with no off days, and I have been pretty exhausted. Couple that with my graduation party, a phone/craigslist fiasco, and general life craziness, I've been pretty busy! (Also? That tank I am wearing is my new favorite shirt. I bought four of them. In different colors. YEAH, TARGET!)

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I bought a Droid Incredible from someone on Craigslist over the weekend, and it turned out to be a very expensive paper weight. I tried and tried to get ahold of the person who sold it to me without success, and finally chalked it up to a loss. I listed it on Craigslist in the hopes that someone more tech savvy than I, or someone who could use it for parts would snatch it up, and they did! So I took a chance with Craigslist again, and bought a replacement. I have been wanting a smartphone for AGES. Since I started blogging and overall becoming more of a presence in the Internet world, I've been coveting the portability of unlimited data. Seriously guys? I don't know why I waited to so long. It's pretty amazing. I've been all over Twitter the last few days, and per Mandy's suggestion, I downloaded Vignette and have been taking some pretty fantastic photos, today. SO instead of continuing to blather on about how obsessed I am with my phone, I'll just show you some pictures :)

(This last one is severely creepy. I couldn't get her to come out, but I wanted her to be included!!)

Also, I got this pretty awesome argyle case for it on Amazon for $9.95. Pretty sure they have tons of colors, too!!

Also, this fancy cute wallpaper:

Before I go, starting today and going through next Thursday, but something from the shop and your total will be donated to get Gus walking again. :) Don't forget to use the code WELLHELLO for 20% off your order! 

xoxo,

S

Bloggin' Ladies: Tigerlilly Quinn

I know it's been a huge long time since I have posted one of these features, and it's not because I started to hate their guts. In fact,  I really love their guts, but I no longer had anyone to feature! (If you want to do a feature like this one, check out this post for more info!) Actually, that's not true. My friend, Fritha, here, has wanted to, but her email got lost in my box. So finally, here it is!! Happy Tuesday, friends!! 

Name+Age+Site/Blog

Fritha + 25 + www.tigerlillyquinn.blogspot.com

What is something interesting about you? 

That my middle names are Moonbeatle Tigerlilly Quinn :) and I have never eaten meat in my whole life 

Why did you begin blogging? 

About a year ago although I only got my first hit in June! My uncle was my first follower shortly followed by my boyfriend and sister..I'm sure for the longest time it was just my family members reading it. Even now when I speak to my mum she says 'oh yes I saw that on your blog already' ha!

How long have you been blogging?

I would say I started blogging properly about June 2010, I would only blog about once a week back then but now I try to at least every other day :)

Who is your inspiration for writing and Where do you get your ideas?

I get my inspiration from my life and the things around me. I don't really plan my blog posts very much, I rather get an idea or feeling that I cant wait to share or a piece of art I have been working on. I would say that I'm not sure that my blog is either a lifestyle blog or a art blog, its a bit of both and everything in between. I think its a pretty good extension of myself as a person! I also think this is why I genuinely feel so thankful when people like it and the work I do. 

Do you have any advice that you want to share with fellow lady bloggers?

I think it is a good idea to know what kind of feel you want your blog to have. I do try very hard not to be to negative even when I have been having a rough week, that being said I think if you are honest with your readers it will make you more approachable and your readers will connect with you more. Also sometimes it is good to share! The blogs I like to read are not just about pretty things they have found on the internet for example (although they are always good for a dose of inspiration) but ones that you can relate to. 

What is one thing you are looking forward to most in your future (blog or otherwise)?

I am hoping to make a career for myself as a professional illustrator, and am very exited about the illustrative collective 'Tea and Crayons' that I have recently become part of with five other amazing illustrators. I also hope to start a family in the not so distant future! But mostly I am pretty content with my life in Bristol with my boyfriend and my two cats!