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!

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?

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?

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.