lipstick

currently listening to "honey" by erykah badu

shades shown: peach, coral, ruby, and raspberry

always obsessed with pretty lipstick.. im in love with revlon's colorburst line.

neutrals

currently listening to "add my effort" by the weepies (my favorite band ever)

left to right: j.crew, j.crew, american apparel, free people

summer means simple and easy outfits and right now im incredibly obsessed with neutral tops that i can just as easily dress up or down. plus, california boasts some unpredictable weather so these creamy tops really allow me the freedom to throw on bright and colorful cardigans if the clouds decide to make a guest appearance.

torch song

one of my all-time favorite artists.. easy to see why, right?

roasted shrimp and orzo

currently listening to "pink bullets" by the shins

i love summer recipes! ive really been trying to branch out of my usual meal consisting of chicken, rice, and broccoli or some variation of the sort and, lo and behold, i stumbled across this little gem. this recipe is so beyond simple and the best part is that its delicious served immediately or (even better) cold the next day.. yum.

quote of the day

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others." - Audrey Hepburn

sea green, see blue

currently listening to "sea green, see blue" by jaymay

yesterday dalia, one of my oldest and dearest friends from massachusetts, was driving from los angeles to muir woods for her birthday weekend so we got to have lunch as she passed through carmel! we both scarfed down the most delicious tri-tip bbq sandwiches from a local deli shop (bruno's market), and although it was a bit chilly on the beach, it was still fun to catch up and enjoy the waves. happy birthday miss dalia!

cocktails

currently listening to "marathon" by tennis

as many of my friends know, once i find a trend i like ill typically buy multiples of it -- case in point: cocktail rings. my opinion is that every girl should own at least a handful of these over-the-top jewels; however (as with all of my accessories), i try to be as price conscious as possible because i realize that these arent really staple items. 

these ones were purchased at f21.. ill probably wear them until my fingers turn green.

young the giant

true talent requires zero auto-tuning.

summer breeze

currently listening to "moves like jagger" by maroon 5 featuring christina aguilera 

new favorite dresses

left to right: moulinette soeurs, abercrombie & fitch, j.crew

yesterday i worked for 12 hours straight so i really took advantage of relaxing on my day off today. it was absolutely beautiful outside: temperature was in the mid-60's, cloudless, and sunny.. so i decided that i needed to scavenger the city. i ended up just moseying around window shopping and happened to stumble upon a cute old-fashioned bookstore. after spending about an hour in there i came home and made some baked kale chips using this recipe. if you havent had kale chips before you really need to try it -- its surprisingly delicious and a great alternative to potato chips.

i hope everyone enjoyed the "official" first day of summer yesterday (although im sure my friends in texas have been enjoying summer for quite some time now)!

strawberry fields forever

currently listening to "can't you tell" by vetiver

ive always wanted to make homemade jam and found this recipe online which seemed simple enough for even a jam-making rookie such as myself.. and it really is so easy! 

i love mason jars and now i have two filled with perfect-for-summer strawberry jam :)

pumped up kicks

this song makes getting up in the morning so much more fun!

quote of the day

"Every song you love, every memory you cherish, every moment that has moved you to holy tears has been given to you from the One who has been pursuing you from your first breath in order to win your heart. God's version of flowers and chocolates and candlelight dinners comes in the form of sunsets and falling stars, moonlight on lakes and cricket symphonies; warm wind, swaying trees, lush gardens, and fierce devotion." - Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

book a million

currently listening to "sail" by AWOLNATION

im almost finished reading "water for elephants" by sara gruen.. i watched the movie (which, by the way, was amazing) before picking up the book. the book is enchanting and although the movie does portray alot of the storyline differently, they're still both good in their own ways. id highly recommend watching the movie and reading the book -- doesnt really matter which order!

next on my reading wish list:

"bossypants" by tina fey

"one day" by david nicolls 

(in theaters july 8th starring anne hathaway and jim sturgess)

one of my favorite past times is reading a good book so if you have any recommendations please let me know - i hope everyone had a great weekend!

chase some dreams

currently listening to "missing me" by pat green

f21 dress, j.crew belt, michael kors watch, jack rogers navajo sandals

got to spend yesterday shopping and eating with david collins himself.. doesnt he look like an absolute celebrity? probably because he is.. click to hear his angelic voice for yourself: baylor after dark 2009 - david collins

fairytale livin

currently listening to "king of diamonds" by motopony 

today i get to go wine-tasting for work at noon so my mom and i decided to use the morning to hike along the trails overlooking big sur. there were bunnies running all around us and little birds chirping every which way.. i really felt like snow white walking through a forest! i havent even been in california for a week and have already fallen in love with this place. now off to wine and dine!

hotel california

currently listening to "little flowers" by denison witmer 

ann taylor silk navy blazer, j.crew top and pants, essie nail polish in flirt

today was my very first day at my new job and not knowing what exactly to wear (business casual? business professional?) i went with my basic attire: j.crew head-to-toe. i threw on a simple blazer to dress it up a bit which helped out since it was a little chilly here near the coast.