Tuesday, August 20, 2013

friendly visits

This past week my dearest friend from Minnesota was finally able to fly out and visit me here in Colorful Colorado. It had been nearly two years since the last time she came to visit, and seeing as I had recently moved to a new home, in a new town, there was plenty for us to explore together.

We had fulfilled the typical "Colorado Vacation Agenda" the last time she was here, i.e. site seeing, shopping, hiking, and the like. So this time, we decided (for the most part) to take it down a notch on the whole visor-and-camera-tourist thing and focus a majority of our time and energy on playing in Boulder.

That all being said, I introduced her to some of my closest friends, took her on a tour of my beautiful campus (CU Boulder), brought her to some of the best and most well-known restaurants in town, and showed her around the Boulder bar scene for a night or three. I guess you could say I gave her a sneak peek into the wondrous life of a Boulder Buff!

Aside from all of the exciting adventures we had experienced in Boulder itself, we did partake in a rather touristy endeavor near the end of her stay here in CO. The two of us, and three of my best friends from school, hopped into the car, blasted One Direction, and took a road trip straight south - destination: Garden of the Gods.

Garden of the Gods is a National Natural Landmark in Colorado Springs. In other words, it is a spacious park with massive sandstone and red rock formations dating back to 1330 BC. The park offers various walking trails as well as hiking, rock climbing, road biking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Set against Pikes Peak and the beautiful blue skies of Colorado, you can't help but notice the true and radiant beauty of the park. Take a look!


If you are ever planning to visit Colorado, I would definitely suggest you make sure to include a trip to the Garden of the Gods in your agenda. There is more information on their website, which you can access here. Oh, and it's free!

Sunday, August 11, 2013

current style icons

As of recently, I've been spending an embarrassing amount of my down time re-watching my favorite television show, Gossip Girl. In a most shortened summary, Gossip Girl follows a group of young socialites from the Upper East side of NYC as they work their way through the highs and lows of a life only the most elite individuals could understand. To the unknowing outsider, their lavish lifestyle may seem to be all glitter and gold, and their problems only petty issues, but there is one particularly threatening force that works endlessly to make their lives utterly miserable - anonymous blogger, "Gossip Girl." Everyone who is anyone in the Upper East side knows about Gossip Girl and her mission to expose the dirty little secrets of New York's finest young socialites, and hang them out to dry in the streets of Manhattan.

Sure, the show may be seen as ridiculous or shallow in the eyes of some, but to me, it is a seriously intricate and creative piece of work. The plot has literally hundreds of unexpected twists, turns, and revelations. The character you confidently declare as your favorite in season one may very well transform into the one you just can't seem to stand. In other words, very rarely do you truly know what is going to happen to Manhattan's elite.

To make things a bit more juicy, each member of the cast is, shall I say, rather appealing to the eye? Physical perfection? Drop dead gorgeous? I would like to choose D, all of the above. Their beauty is only exemplified by the luxurious, designer head-to-toe wardrobe they are dressed in for each episode. Even when a character is at his/her worst, absolute rock bottom, they defy all odds and end up looking as beautiful as ever. It's sickening and wonderful all in the same. So, while I'm on my most recent Gossip Girl obsession, I'll be sharing my favorite style icons: Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen, a.k.a. Leighton Meester and Blake Lively respectively. Not only are my current style icons fabulous and fashionable in character, but out of character as well.

Blair Waldorf - Queen Bee

Classic
Refined
Chiffon
Conservative
Structured
Bows
Sparkle


Serena van der Woodsen - It Girl

Flowing silhouette
Shortened Hemline
Deep Neckline
Scandalous
Bright Color Scheme
Relaxed
Playful

------------------------

Leighton Meester

Street Style:
Casual
Laid back
Skinny Jeans
Jackets & Blazers
City Girl

Red Carpet Style:
Sexy
Dark
Daring
Va va voom


Blake Lively

Street Style:
Prim
Fitted
Heels
Detail
Uptown Girl

Red Carpet Style:
Detail
Gowns
Light
Sexy

If you had to choose...who's style would you love to have?

Saturday, August 3, 2013

the greatest decade ever?

A few nights ago, my friend and I decided to indulge in a laid back evening at the movie theater, complete with treats and soda galore...courtesy of a pre-theater Target stop. We set our sights on catching the new movie "The To Do List"starring Aubrey Plaza, Rachel Bilson, Bill Hadar, and Andy Samberg. And that is where this post begins...

"The To Do List" follows recent high school graduate and, let's say..."socially" inexperienced goodie-two-shoes, Brandy Klark as she embarks on a mission to complete a scandalous summer to do list before heading off to college. I know, I know, this sounds like the average, run-of-the-mill summer comedy that lacks any real potential to make it as a fan-favorite blockbuster, but alas, "The To Do List" gains uber brownie points for one reason in particular; it takes place in the greatest decade to have ever been experienced...THE 90s. In all actuality, there are plenty of other reasons I believe this movie is destined for a bit of success, but it just so happens the fact that "The To Do List" is set in the early 1990s is my favorite, so let's focus on that.
From the beginning of the movie to the final credits, I was completely entranced by a serious feeling of nostalgia. Having been born in 1991, I have always confidently proclaimed myself as a kid of the 90s, I mean, why wouldn't I? The 90s only produced the best fashion, movies, television, music and products of all time, and in honor of such notoriety, each of these elements were on proud display throughout the entire movie.
All of this 90s lovin' had me dying to take a look back in time to find AND SHARE just a few of the many gems that were a result of the great 1990s. Side note: please feel free to bring any of these fine products back into our daily lives, thanks.

FASHION OF THE 90s
Overalls, windbreakers, turtle necks, sweaters tied around the waist, stretch shirts, doc martens, jelly shoes, scrunchies, bucket hats, choker necklaces, butterfly clips, tinted sunglasses, crimped hair, middle parts, long hair, and the list goes on. For your viewing pleasure...


MOVIES OF THE 90s
This was a toughy because there are so many to choose from, but here are just a few of my favorites ranging from early to late 1990s.



TELEVISION OF THE 90s
The 90s provided us with some of the most notable sitcoms to date. In my opinion, we haven't quite matched the same quality of entertainment that the 90s were so generous to provide us.



CONSUMER PRODUCTS OF THE 90s
So many products so little time. Everything from Bop It to Oregon Trail, the 90s had the BEST toys, games, and electronics!


So there you have it! Cheers to being a 90s kid! For all you other 90s babies, what was your favorite part of the 1990s?