Five things to do this weekend

1. Find an outfit for the Fourth of July.

And paint your nails all cute like that.
Images: 1, 2, 3, 4 

2. Sleep in!  Because it's the weekend.  And you can get away with that sort of thing on the weekend.

3. Bake something delicious.  Like these.

4. Update the desktop background on your computer.  On Wednesday night right before I went to sleep I got an idea to make a desktop background full of my favorite quotes.  So I prolonged going to bed and whipped this guy up on InDesign.  And I must say, it's nice to open my computer to inspiration.

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

5. Compliment a stranger, because it makes their day.  And that's good karma.  Like this morning, I was leaving my apartment and I hadn't even made it a whole block when a woman walked past me and said "Cute dress!".  My day = made.

Happy weekend!

Pretty & Polished

Can we talk nails for a bit today?  Okay, great.  I am one of those people who can never ever in a million years leave the house without my nails painted.  I feel completely naked without polish.   Lucky for me, since sophomore year of college, my roommates and I have always kept all of our nail polish in a large basket in the heart of the living room.  Last year I lived with 5 other girls and there was rarely a night when there wasn't someone sitting on the couch doing their nails. If you have roommates I highly recommend doing this.

Yesterday I scoured the internet looking for my favorite summer nail polish and here is what I found.
Separated by color of course, because I'm organized like that.

Zoya Shay//Butter London Yummy Mummy//OPI Sweet Heart

Butter London Cheeky Chops//MAC Ravishing//Tom Ford Coral Blame via Neiman Marcus

Essie Van D'Go//MAC Soft Pink Nude//Zoya Lolly

Essie Mojito Madness//Butter London Artful Dodger//Priti NYC Californian Bluebell

What's your favorite nail polish for the summer?

Summer Colors: Hot Pink

BaubleBar Belt Cuff//Kate Spade Necklace//Madewell Belt
Michael Stars Dress via Piperlime//Essie Nail Polish//Anthropologie Bag
Cole Haan Ballet Slipper//Joie Top via Piperlime//J. Crew Jeans

Hot pink is one of my very favorite colors of the summer.  It reminds me of the pink and green watermelon dress that I used to wear 24/7 when I was little.  Oh how far I've come...  And even though there are no longer any watermelon dresses in my closet, I still think this color is pure summer perfection.  

She makes pink pants look so effortless.

Taylor Sterling rocking this pink dress.

Will someone please find me an occasion on which to wear this Katie Ermilio dress?  

It's a showstopper.

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4

Lonny Magazine

This past weekend I discovered Lonny Magazine.  It is a go-to for home decorating inspiration.  As I was scrolling through the website and pinning away on Pinterest, I picked some of my favorite looks.  Here they are for you to admire.

That wall is amazing.

 I love the white washed beams & oversized photo.

I want to eat breakfast here.

 So many unique touches.

 Light & airy.  And I love that corner bench.

Can I please wake up to that view?

Charming.

Let's have a bonfire and eat s'mores here.

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend consisted of yoga, running, a reunion with some of my best friends from high school and Pride in Minneapolis.  I didn't get to participate in any Pride festivities but you could still feel the energy all over the city.

On Friday night I also played catch phrase with my roommates and a friend.  Oh. My. Gosh.  I haven't played that game in a long time and I forgot how intense it was.  I literally felt like I was having heart palpitations.

As for what was caught on camera, these are the pictures I have.  Some of them are actually from late last week but I hope y'all can overlook that.

1. New swimsuit! // 2. Learning to play Ed Sheeran's The A Team on guitar.  He is my new favorite.

3. Friends from high school. // 4. My friend's puppy Milton.

5. Lake Calhoun on a summer day. // 6. Breakfast at my favorite restaurant.

Workout Apparel

I am just going to admit it, I am one of those crazy people who loves working out.  In high school I ran cross country and track & field and played tennis.  And since starting college four years ago I've run three marathons.  I also joined Corepower Yoga a few months ago and have been in love with their yoga sculpt classes ever since.

Now that you have my extremely captivating history of working out, let's discuss the real meaning of this post.  Workout apparel and accessories.  Sometimes it amazes me that all of my workout apparel has lasted so long.  Somehow, even though I use it all the time, I manage to make it last for years and years.  Buying workout apparel always seems to come last on my list.

But if it didn't come last on my list, here are the items I would buy.

1. Asics Tank// 2. Lifefactory Glass Bottle via Athleta// 3. Under Armour Tank

4. Gaiam Yoga Mat via Target// 5. Asics Running Shoes

6. Gaiam Gym Bag via Target// 7. Lululemon Crop Pant// 8. Lululemon Shorts

Oh...AND Happy Weekend! 

The Summer Sundress

 

Topshop Maxi Dress//J. Crew Jean Jacket//Zara Sandals

Urban Outfitters Fedora//Marc by Marc Jacobs Bracelet via Piperlime//J. Crew Bracelet

The quintessential summer dress.  It's what I dream of all winter long and the first thing I pull out of my closet when the weather gets warm.  I saw this Topshop dress a few days ago and was inspired to pair it with some of my other favorite summer quintessentials (the jean jacket, the sandal, the fedora, the stacked wrist).  I think wearing that outfit would make me a very happy girl.  Here are some other lovely summer dress pairings.

There are a million and one ways to wear the summer dress.  And there are a million and one reasons summer dresses make me so darn happy.  

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

The Most Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

Yesterday I baked the most amazing chocolate chip cookies ever.  That statement was confirmed by my roommate and her little sister, who each ate three.  I got the recipe for these amazing cookies from one of my favorite blogs, Cupcakes and Cashmere.  The magic is in the 36 hour wait time, the bigger size of the cookie (which allows for a just-almost-undercooked soft inside) and the dash of salt on top.  These are the perfect addition to a summer get together or just to your kitchen counter.  Your friends and family will thank you.  Seriously.

Weekend Snapshots

My weekend was perfectly balanced with productivity, relaxing, and hanging out with friends.  Of course I forgot to take any snapshots of the hanging out with friends part, and that's why there are so many pictures of food above.

I also read a big chunk of The Pillars of the Earth this weekend.  It is such a good book, although I will admit that you need to make it past the first few hundred pages before it gets really interesting.  

On Saturday I walked to my neighborhood grocery store to get ingredients for these cookies.  I made the dough on Saturday night and will be baking the cookies today.  You can only imagine how excited I am to get that dough out of the refrigerator, into the oven, and into my belly.  Picture this.  Every single time I opened the fridge for the past day and a half, that cookie dough deliciousness was staring right back at me.

It's such a miracle I didn't eat half of it already.  I'll be sure to give you an update on the cookies later, but for now, happy Monday!  I hope your week is off to a lovely start.

Color Me Coral

A hybrid of orange, red and pink, coral is one of the prettiest colors on the spectrum.  From home decor to clothing and make-up, it seems to look good anywhere.  So here's a little coral eye candy for your Friday afternoon.  

I'm in the mood to be productive this weekend.  I would love to catch up on some projects that have been put on the back burner for a while.  I've also been reading the book The Pillars of the Earth and I would love to have some time to actually make a dent in it.  It's almost 1,000 pages long and I am only about 130 pages in to it.  Lastly, I hope to spend some time with friends.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Rainy Day

This morning I woke up to a loud thunderstorm outside my window.  And I loved it.  You see, I love thunderstorms.  And I especially love thunderstorms on days when I have no particular plans and I can stay inside all warm and cozy and listen to the rain fall against my window.  Does anyone else feel the same way?  Naturally, as I sat inside all warm and cozy, I decided it would be a great idea to compose a little collage of lovely rainy day looks.  Some of them include the ever perfect Hunter rainboots, which I will one day own.  Hopefully one day soon.

Seriously, how stylish do these ladies look?  That's my goal.  Next time it's raining and I have to walk somewhere, I am going to look extremely stylish instead of arriving at my destination with wet feet and frizzy hair.  

But for now, I am going to go curl up on my couch, respond to some e-mails and read a good book.

Because that's what rainy days are for.

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Summer Beach Essentials

Summer beach essentials can be crucial to a successful summer.  This past weekend  was a scorcher in Minneapolis, so my roommate, a friend and I headed over to Lake Calhoun to get out of the apartment and in to the water.  Unfortunately, as I was packing up for our trek, I realized I was missing a few of the essentials.  I had no sunscreen, no beach bag, and no beach towel.  I know, pretty pathetic.  So I've compiled a list of summer beach essentials so that the same fate doesn't fall upon any of you.

1. Banana Republic Sunglasses// 2. Target Towel// 3. Neutrogena Sunscreen

4. Zara Bag// 5. J. Crew Hat// 6. Water// 7. Elle Magazine or other reading material

I hope this helps everyone prepare for beach days this summer!  I suppose the floppy hat is more optional than necessary, but let's be serious, how cute is it?

Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Here's to summer.

Ten Little Things

I think it's about time for a second post with a list of the little things that make me happy.  You can find my first post here.

1) Watching your favorite movie.  Mine is You've Got Mail.  There's just something about it.  It may not be a movie of the most substance, but it makes me feel like I'm at home, somewhere familiar & loving, no matter where I am.

2) A good laugh.  Like the kind of laugh where you laugh so hard you stop making any noise at all.

3) Watching Jimmy Fallon write his weekly thank you notes.

4) Finally getting in to bed when you're just exhausted.

5) Falling asleep in freshly washed sheets.

6) Getting a compliment from a complete stranger.

7) The beach on a perfect summer day.

8) When the campus red bull car stops to give you a free red bull.

9) Checking my daily blogs first thing every morning.

10) Coffee shops.  And chai tea lattes, like the one I'm drinking right now. At a coffee shop.

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Weekend Snapshots

Have you ever had one of those perfect weekends?  You know, the kind of weekend where you get to do everything on your wish list.  The kind of weekend where every day is just the day you want to be having.  That was my weekend.  There was just the right mix of socializing, having fun and relaxing.

On Friday evening my roommate and I went shopping.  There's 

the Coach city bag I had on last week's wish list.

Colorful pants at Gap!

My love Michael Kors.

View from the bus stop on the way home.  Oh yes, we travel in class.

By the time we got back it was already getting late so we stayed in, 

ate this deliciousness and watched War Horse.  Holy emotional 

rollercoaster.  I've never felt such a connection with a horse.

I splurged at the mall and bought these sunglasses.

I love them.

Saturday was a beach day at Lake Calhoun.

It was 90 degrees and therefore really crowded.  But it was 

also so much fun.

After a couple of hours we went to the Cafeteria in Uptown.

I got a blueberry mojito.  So delicious.

Let me rephrase that.  I got a ginormous blueberry mojito.

And a tasty veggie burger with fries.

How pretty was our view?

After the Cafeteria we headed over to Urban Outfitters.

This sign caught my eye.

On Saturday night we went out with friends. I wore a maxi 

dress from Piperlime.

On Sunday my roommate and I went grocery shopping.  I can't 

tell you the last time I had fresh food in my fridge.  My first 

post-shopping meal?  A spinach wrap (lettuce, avacado, swiss 

cheese, hummus, Morningstar chicken) with grapes.  Perfection.

My roommates and I also watched W.E. on Sunday night.  IMDB gave it a 5/10 rating but we happened to love it.  Check it out if you have the time.  In the meantime, happy Monday!