Pattern Mixing

What did Emily do yesterday?  Let me tell you what she did yesterday.  She posted pictures of her mixing patterns.  We're talking stripes and a patterned skirt from Anthropologie.  And do you want to know something?  She rocked it.  And it started me thinking how much I love pattern mixing but I rarely do it.  So in the spirit of being open to new things, here are some other wonderful examples of mixing patterns.

Emily

Stripes & Florals

Pink Florals & Stripes

Gingham & Florals

And for the home...

Patterned Pillows

Red White & Blue

Mint & Navy

Blue & Lilac

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Weekend Snapshots

Let's talk about this weekend.  Friday was kind of the absolute perfect mix between productivity and super enjoyable things for me.  I woke up to the doorbell ringing.  And what was left at the door?  My new running shoes! Yes.  I put them on immediately and refused to take them off until I went out in public and decided they didn't go so well with the dress I was wearing.  That same day I also got Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray in the mail.  For free.  I was walking down my stairs to venture outside and I was literally thinking at that very moment how I was having such a wonderful day and didn't know how it could get any better.  THEN lo and behold, right next to my mailbox was sitting the package with the surf spray.  I won it from one of the many competitions I've entered.  Don't you just love it when that happens?


Later that day I walked to a coffee shop and spent some good quality time working on a job application.  Friday night was a surprise going away party for one of my very best friends from high school.  The surprise was pulled off without a hitch and it was an amazing night with lots of great friends.  

The rest of my weekend was pretty standard.  There was running, lots of reading, grocery shopping and Olympic watching.  Overall I would say it was pretty successful by my standards.

Asics Kayanos.  The only shoes I'll run in. // I LOVE getting free things in the mail.

This is where I spent my Friday night. // I can't even explain to you how amazing this dip is.

The many trails of Minneapolis. // Love this city.

The Rest of Summer

Where. is. summer. going?  Seriously.  I know I talk about fall all the time (and don't get me wrong, I am very excited for my favorite season!).  But at the same time, it's always a shock to me how quickly the summer months fly by.  And maybe it's just making me think of how quickly time flies by in general.  Either way, it is slightly unnerving.  And what is a girl to do when she feels slightly unnerved?  Do something calming.  My version of calming? Make a to-do list for what I want to accomplish by the end of the summer.

1. Learn to play at least two more songs on the guitar. // 2.  Go to movies in the park again. // 3. Finish Pillars of the Earth. // 4.  Go on a weekend trip to Chicago. // 5.  Make a point to keep in touch with close friends.  I found out today that my roommate from freshman year (who I got along with SO well) just moved to South Korea and will be teaching there for a year.  I haven't seen her since last July.  Holy reality check.  I need to make more of an effort to stay in touch with friends now that we're all starting to branch off in our post-college years. // 6. Blog blog blog.  Every weekday.  As if I could stop thinking about my blog for a day! // 7. Have more moments where I stop and actually enjoy myself.  I was talking to my roommate yesterday about how we're going to look back at this summer when we were interning and job searching and had extra free time and all we'll remember was how stressed we were.  It's possible to be productive without being so stressed.  I need to remind myself of that. // 8.  Get outside in this beautiful city more often. // 9.  Be healthy.  I'm always trying to make small conscious steps to be healthier.  Because when I'm eating well and working out, everything in my life seems to operate better.

Chicago image via

Rules of the {College} Bedroom

Let's talk bedrooms today.  College bedrooms.  I know most people's vision of a college bedroom or a college home in general is anything but inviting.  But I don't believe in skimping on a place where I spend so much of my time.  I sleep in my bedroom, I used to do endless hours of studying in my bedroom (along with a healthy dose of facebook checking & youtube watching), and I write almost all of my blog posts from my bedroom.  I personally want it to be a nice place to spend time.

So, as promised, and with a bit of inspiration from Emily, here are my rules of the bedroom.

1) Two words.  Satin. Pillowcases.  There's less friction than with cotton pillowcases, and therefore less frizz.  Sign me up any day for something that promises less frizz.

2) Fresh air.  In Minnesota, I would say it is probably only possible to sleep with my windows open 1/4 of the time.  It's either too cold in the winter or too hot and humid in the summer.  But when it is the perfect weather, I love taking advantage of the crisp breeze and fresh air.

3) Lamps. Lamps. Lamps. And candles.  I am not a big fan of overhead lighting, so I always pick lamps for my bedroom.  I love candles, too.  They provide the perfect ambiance.  This past winter (before we realized that our heat wasn't working) I even used them to try to heat my room before going to sleep.  Sagas of a college student.

4) Framed pictures.  I don't love trinkets or any decorative pieces that don't have another purpose, but one thing that I do love are framed pictures.  I have a collage in my room of some of my very favorite pictures and a painting in the middle that I got from Paris when I was 17.

5) Natural light! And pretty drapes to block it.  I got my floor length drapes from Target last fall and I love them.  They look so elegant (or at least I hope they do!) and make my room feel taller than it is.

6) Organized office space.  Because college bedrooms usually also function as offices, it's important to me to keep my desk organized and minimalistic.  I don't have drawers so I bought magazine files to hold folders and to act as book ends.

7) A comfy bed, that's always made.  I've made it a habit to make my bed every morning because it starts my day off on a productive note and it makes everything look nicer.

8) Improvised headboard.  Let's say you're a college student with either A) Not enough money for a headboard or B) Not enough room for a headboard.  I bought a few giant pillows and set those against my wall to make the bedding look more finished and to improvise as a headboard.

What are your rules of the bedroom?

Wish List: Fall Shoes

Is it awful that I'm writing another post regarding fall fashion?  I know all of the fashion magazines  and designers are doing it, but that doesn't mean I can!  Regardless, I'm going to do it anyway.  Because I can't get enough of fall at any time of the year.

This post is about shoes.  We're talking flats, loafers, boots, booties, heels and oxfords.  We're talking shoes that look absolutely adorable and that make that oh-so-rewarding sound as they crunch the fall leaves.  Fall shoes.  Let me break it down for you.

J. Crew Printed Flats // Madewell Flats // Tory Burch Reva Flats

Frye Shirley Boot via Nordstrom // Elizabeth and James Creed Boot via Piperlime // 

Hunter Rain Boot via Nordstrom // Zara Ankle Boot // Zara Studded Ankle Boot 

Stuart Weitzman Bootie via Nordstrom // Classiques Entier Riley Pump via Nordstrom 

Kate Spade Loire Pump // J. Crew Wedges // Zara Studded Slipper 

BP Paxton Oxford Flats via Nordstrom // Gap Loafers

SO many options.  Which are your favorites?  What shoes are you hoping to buy for the fall? 

P.S. I'm also getting new running shoes soon (Which makes me happier than you could ever know).  Which color is your favorite?  Images via

Stripes

Do stripes ever go out of style? Ever?  In my lifetime, I sincerely hope that they don't, because I love wearing them.  There's something so classic about a plain tee or blazer with stripes on it.  Here are some of my favorites.

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

1. Stylemint Broadway T // 2. Madewell Tee // 3. J. Crew Boatneck Tee

4. Tory Burch Earrings via Nordstrom // 5. J. Crew Pencil Skirt 

6. Anthropologie Loafers // 7. Ya Los Angeles Dress via Piperlime

Do you have a love affair with stripes, too?  

Weekend

This weekend was lovely overall, but I was awful at taking any pictures for the blog.  This was the one picture I took.

Super exciting, right?  My yoga teacher brought us cupcakes for her birthday.  It was really sweet of her, but super ridiculous that this gem is the only picture I have from my weekend.

This weekend was relaxing and laid back and still quite productive.  There was running and yoga and on Saturday I did a major clean of the apartment.  I also met up with an good friend on Saturday night.  We ended up sitting outside of our favorite frozen yogurt shop for almost 2 hours until they finally had to close and kick us out.  Don't you just love catching up with friends, though?  I do.  It's probably one of my favorite past times.

So since I don't have any lovely Instagram collages for you this Monday morning, I'm going to post some of my favorite quotes as of late.  Let's call it Motivational Monday, just for kicks.

This guy is the background on my phone right now.  

It's a nice reminder to have throughout the day.

Please tell me y'all love Sex and the City as much as I do.

This is so important.  Be grateful for what you have and you'll probably 

end up having more to be grateful for in the future.

True story.

Gotta love Kate.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for inspirational quotes.  I hope you like them too!  Happy Monday everyone!

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Wrap it Up

My love for blogging is constantly growing and is so much more than the posts I look forward to creating everyday.  I have fallen in love with the blogging community and today I would like to wrap up the week with some of my favorite blog posts from the past seven days.

1) Kendi's honesty.  Most fashion and lifestyle bloggers (I am guilty of this as well) portray lives of perfection.  I don't think anyone means to create blogs that are viewed as being detached from reality.  But I also think most bloggers didn't start blogs to complain or be emotional. They started blogs to inspire themselves and others.  But amidst all of the inspiration the blogging world provides, sometimes it's nice to hear someone tell it like it is.  So thanks Kendi.

2. Emily's Shark Bite Cupcakes and crying confessions.  The cupcakes because  they were the most adorable, amusing cupcakes I have ever seen.  And the crying confessions because we can all relate.  Legends of the Fall is to Emily as 50/50 is to me.  Holy emotional rollercoaster.

3. My introduction to paleo via Danielle and Gina.  I have got to admit, I am utterly curious.  I'm not really a fan of diets so much as lifestyle changes and I'm not looking to lose weight so much as to improve my health.  And paleo would be a lifestyle change that would probably improve my health.  I'm definitely considering trying paleo for 30 days and seeing what happens.  And I might as well do it in the summer when fruit is in season! 

4. Thank you to Jess for informing me about Keratin Straightening Treatments.  Getting a treatment will continue to be my dream until I have a job that pays enough money that I can justify buying it.  Hopefully this dream will come true soon.  Because shiny, silky hair - or as Jess puts it, 'a hair transplant of gorgeous, smooth, silky, healthy locks' - are every girl's dream.

5. The career features over at The Everygirl.  This week's career features were Joy the Baker and Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co.  These are two incredibly driven, motivated, talented women.  It was so interesting to learn more about the career paths that have taken them to where they are right now and SO inspiring to learn what a little imagination and a lot of hard work can do for you.  

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

There you have it.  A week in review.  A little peek inside the posts that entertained and inspired me this week.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  Seriously.  Go do just that.  And if you feel especially inclined, you can take a listen to the song that's been on repeat in my world all week long.  

The Little White Dress

There is always so much hype around the LBD that I think sometimes people tend to forget about it's breezy, bright counterpart, the LWD.  Perfect for summer (and weddings) the little white dress is equally as stunning and I'd like to highlight a few of my favorites here.

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Maggy London Dress via Nordstrom // Joie Lace Dress via Piperlime 

Pins and Needles Lace Dress via Urban Outfitters

Which do you prefer?  The LBD or the LWD?  Or the LRD (little red dress)?  Or the LHPD (little hot pink dress)?  So many options.

Wish List: (Early) Transition to Fall

Is it bad that I'm already starting to dream of fall?  I hope not.  Either way, I'm going to justify it because: A) With all of this hot and humid weather as of late, it's hard not to dream of cool, crisp fall temperatures. & B) Fall is my favorite season.  Period.  No ifs, ands or buts about it.  Speaking of which, I'm thinking someday I should move to Berkeley.  Someone once told me that fall lasts forever in Northern California. We're talking fall leaves in January.

Anyway, I'm thinking it's about time for another wish list.  It's been ages since my last one.  And with this one I'm hoping to tie in some pieces that can transition seamlessly from summer to fall. Enjoy.

1. Anthropologie Blazer // 2. ShoeMint Christina Shoes // 3. J. Crew Bag

4. StyleMint Pacific T // 5. Madewell Flats 

6. Stella & Dot Cuff // 7. Stella & Dot Ring // 8. Essie Nail Polish

Urban Outfitters Corporate Campus

We all love Urban Outfitters, yes?  Okay, great.  Now that we've established that we can move on to a subject that the architect in me thoroughly freaked out over yesterday.  I'm talking about the Urban Outfitters Corporate Campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Holy architectural masterpiece.  The campus is housed in Philadelphia's Navy Yard, and (to my surprise and delight) was designed by Minneapolis based firm Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle.

Here are some pictures of the beautiful buildings.  Wouldn't you love to work here?

All Images via