summer photo dump

Heyoo, bloggers! I fell off the blog wagon a few weeks back, but I'm ready to make a triumphant return. Well, we'll see just how triumphant it ends up being in the next few weeks...today is a simple photo dump of what I've been up to this summer. Here goes nothing!

In my opinion, summer is all about making the most out of your time with your friends. During the school year, it's painstakingly difficult to find time to get everyone together for some fun and mischief. So, I make sure to enjoy every last minute that I get to spend with my most precious and darling friends! From celebrating birthdays to celebrating holidays or just celebrating a night out on the town, I've been doing my best to live in the moment and enjoy some truly amazing company!



There is quite a lot to do in the summer: travel, spend time outdoors, go to sporting events and concerts, and the list goes on. This summer I was able to travel back to Minnesota for a week and relax at the lake and take in the most beautiful sunsets. I've also been able to enjoy hiking at Chautauqua in Boulder, golfing at a course near Denver, and watch the Rockies win over the 2012 World Series Champions, the San Fransico Giants! To make things better, I was at the game with a few Giants fans...you better believe I relished in the victory.

There are some things in life that just scream "SUMMER!" For instance, a refreshing drink in a charming mason jar...ora giant bowl of fresh berries; blue berries, raspberries, strawberries, OH MY! Even a sunny day in a one-stoplight town in the middle of nowhere, MN. BUT, if you ask me, the epitome of summer is reading a good book by the pool. If I could have all of these things in one instance, I'm fairly certain it would be the best day of the entire summer.

Behold, the summer is not over quite yet! I've got a couple of fun things planned for the rest of July and August, so stay tuned for another photo dump!

my kryptonite...online shopping

In my line of work I spend a lot of time at a computer. I mean A LOT of time...oh the joys of working the front desk at a country club. Only so much of that time can be spent checking and updating all of my social media networks, reading the blogs I follow, and catching up on breaking news. Luckily, there is one other thing the internet is good for...online shopping. I spend quite a bit of time online window shopping, creating "wish lists," putting things in my "cart," and if all goes well, making it all the way to the end of the line...also known as "check out," where all of your money goes POOF and all your dreams come true.

The other day, one of my friends asked me which shopping sites were my favorite. This question got me thinking I should share my go-to websites with everyone, and in return, you can all share yours with me. In other words, we can all feed each others addiction to shopping, or materialism, it's really however you chose to look at it. Anyways, here are a few of the sites I visit most frequently....

1. Hautelook.com 

I love Hautelook because they offer such a great variety of goods and items available for purchase. They have the following categories: men, women, children, home, and beauty. Within each category there are various designers and brands to chose from, each offering a plethora of items on MAJOR discount. I also love Hautelook because they offer high end brands and designers as well as less expensive labels and everything in between!

On another note, Hautelook has just a couple negative qualities. First, you have to create an account by providing an email address. This isn't a huge deal, but you will receive daily emails from them. The only other bummer about this site is the shipping. Sometimes your order will come fairly quickly and other times it can take up to a couple of weeks, it all depends on where it is being shipped from.

2. Tobi.com

Tobi is a seriously amazing site for young women. I would consider it to be tailored to women between the ages of 16-25 (give or take a few years). They offer a huge variety of apparel. Even better, each section (i.e. sweaters, swim wear, etc) literally has hundreds of items to chose from. I would say the pricing is moderate, for example: you can find a pair of shorts ranging anywhere between $25-$70, depending on what you're looking for. All of their clothes are super hot and right on trend. Another bonus, if you have any questions about the clothes or shipping, they have a comments section at the bottom of their homepage that proves to be incredibly helpful. Need more convincing to check them out? You can get 50% of your ENTIRE first order!

As far as I am concerned, the only bummer about Tobi is that it requires you to create an account, similar to Hautelook. This means that you'll get multiple emails throughout the week.

3. NastyGal.com

Last but not least, there is a lovely site that goes by the name of Nasty Gal. Similar to Tobi, this site is tailored specifically towards women; if you couldn't tell by the name. Most of the clothing and accessories offered here are a bit more wild and risque, but seriously stylish nonetheless. The price point is a bit up there, but if you're dying to find something unique and trendy, it would definitely be worth it to drop your dime here! Nasty Gal even has a vintage section with a lot of cute and interesting old-school pieces available for purchase...if you've got the funds. Even better, you aren't required to set up an account for purchases. You are more than welcome to create an account if you'd like, but you are also given the option to place an order as a "guest."

So, all in all, I would say the only downside to this site is the price point. There are definitely items that will cost a pretty penny, but they would totally be worth it! And if you're budget is a bit smaller, take a look anyways, there are plenty of less expensive items available...and as always, check out the sale section!

So, there you have it! I hope you all enjoy these sites and maybe you'll even snag a seriously exciting deal on a new pair of summer shorts or a darling summer dress. You'll never know if you don't click on the links....so do it! CLICK.

canvas and cocktails

If I didn't know any better, I would think my mom is living a double life...her second life being the woman we all know as Martha Stewart (minus the whole fraud and prison thing). In other words, my mom is literally the most talented and creative Susie-homemaker I have ever known. She cooks and bakes to-die-for meals and goodies, she has mastered the art of tiling floors and back splashes, she can transform something from old to new with a quick refinishing or reupholstering, AND she can pretty much sew or knit an entire wardrobe at the drop of a hat.
All that being said, it probably comes as no surprise that, during my visit home, my mom had prepared for a canvas and cocktail day. She found a craft on Pinterest that not only looked fun but also pretty simple. She purchased all of the following supplies:

Cocktails!

Canvas(es)

Spray paint

An assortment of lace/doilies

Masking tape

Newspaper/Paper bags

FIRST: Prepare your cocktail. My family is really into wine, so we decided to have this delicious Sauvignon Blanc rather than a traditional "cocktail".

SECOND: Set up your space. We decided to do this craft in the garage due to our use of spray paint. We put down newspaper and paper bags to protect the garage floor. Begin with a blank canvas.

THIRD: Decide where you are going to place your lace/doilies. Once you have decided on placement, tape everything down as best you can. For example: I began by wrapping lace around the top section of my canvas and securing it with tape on the back side. Then, I placed my doilie and wrapped the excess around the canvas edges and secured it with tape. (The lace and doilie are discolored because they had previously been used.)

FOURTH: Keeping the can about 10-12 inches from the surface, spray paint one coat using a swift left to right motion. Be sure to spray the edges of the canvas as well, and let dry.

FIFTH: Repeat step four.

SIXTH: When the canvas has dried, remove the lace and doilies. The finished product should look something like this...

the strange things girls do...and i'm not entirely sure why.

A while back I wrote a post that poked fun at a few of the things guys should avoid (at all costs) if they are going to have any luck in snagging the girl of their dreams. (If you need a refresher course, that post can be found here!) In all honesty, I was pretty shocked when I found out just how much traffic that post generated. The shock was mostly due to the fact that the "deal breaker" post was so different from what I'm generally comfortable writing. But, it's popularity got me thinking that I should spread the love around a bit. So, I decided it was necessary to be fair to the guys and shift the focus to my girls. The overall idea of this post is exactly the same as it was in the "deal breaker" post: to poke fun. However, the topic of discussion has been altered a bit, as I can't really speak for the male gender about what is or is not seen as a dating deal breaker when out on the prowl for a lady friend.

All that being said, this post is going to focus on the seriously strange things females tend to do... for no apparent reason. Now, I'm not saying that every last girl on the face of this Earth participates in these strange rituals, but unfortunately, a good amount us do. I am a firm believer that most of these things should be avoided at all costs (just like the deal breakers for guys). But, if I'm going to be honest, I'll have to admit... I've done a thing or two on this list and I'm not proud of it. Let's get this show on the road.


Repeat the following phrase for each point: I'm not entirely sure why, but girls tend to...

1. Insist on going to the bathroom in pairs...or groups. This will forever be a mystery to me. It's like, "Don't mind me, I'll just stand here awkwardly while you do your thing."

Lindsay is playing the part of "awkward bystander"

2. Contort their bodies into painfully awkward positions for photographs. I'm not sure what this craze is all about, but I'd bet that 1,000 years from now, researchers are going to believe we collectively suffered from severe spinal issues.

3. Put a full face of make up on just to go to the gym or the pool. It's going to sweat off of your face anyway, so why take the time?

This meme says it all

             **continuing with the whole make up thing...

4. Put on so much bronzer and foundation that it literally looks as if you could scrape it off with a spoon.

5. Choose to wear heels they cannot walk in. If you are wearing a pair of pumps that make you look like a baby deer trying to walk for the first time, just do us all a favor and take them off.

Oh, Bambi...

6. Fake bake or spray tan until they are orange. You know what, accidents happen. But, if you are consistently orange time after time, that's no longer an accident.

Excuse me, Xtina...but, you're orange

7. Sport obnoxiously long/ unnatural looking extensions; either in their hair or on their eyelashes. Please, just refrain. No one thinks that looks natural.

8. Idealize hopelessly romantic movies and then wonder why life isn't like it is in the movies. News flash, ladies: Allie and Noah don't actually exist...

The Notebook: providing young girls with false hope since 2004.

9. Fill their closets with a hundred different shirts, pants, dresses, and skirts, and then only wear five things because everything else is "ugly" or "doesn't look good on." We all do it, and we all need to come to terms with the fact that we all do it.

There's obviously nothing to wear in here

10. Add extra letters to words in order to create some sort of desired emphasis. This is most often done via text or on social media networks. For example, "I can't believe she said thatttt."


After the "deal breaker" post, I learned that I should probably include a disclaimer for posts of this nature, so here it is: I AM BY NO MEANS TRYING TO CAUSE MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL PAIN/SUFFERING. IF YOU HAVE DONE OR PRESENTLY DO ANY OF THE THINGS LISTED IN THIS POST OR IN THE "DEAL BREAKER" POST, PLEASE DO NOT TAKE OFFENSE AS THIS IS PURELY FOR GIGGLES.