just smile

lalala faves.
...that was the gibberish I typed to start off the body of this friday favourites post while I uploaded the photos. I think it seems like the perfect introduction, don't you?
so there you have it.

1. there's nothing more comforting and homey than a cool coffee mug. and what's cooler than an octopus and a little homicidal humour? // Modcloth & Style Dahlia. 

2. since I have a little blond in my hair now, I love the idea of a fun colour at the ends. I've used Manic Panic temporary dye before, and I am really liking "voodoo blue." // Manic Panic.

3. I gave a friend earrings similar to this dandelion seed necklace before; 

I love how whimsical and delicate it is! // Ruby Robin Boutique.

4. my mom keeps telling me I need a casual winter coat. who am I to argue? it's cold here! // all Asos.

5. I made these chipotle sloppy joes for dinner a couple nights ago, and they were soooo YUMMY. you can get the gist of the recipe here, but I kind of put my own twist on it. 

you can find my recipe at the end of this post.

6. still kind of keeping my eyes peeled for potential wedding ring replacements. 

this vintage opal one is stunning! // Estate Jewellery Shop. 

7. I came across this beautiful horse drawing on Pinterest, but I can't find the original source. I think it's magical. I've always loved horses. a similar, original piece would make a lovely tattoo. 

// Pinterest.

8. I love this "sweet" tee in a pretty pastel. // Modcloth.

9. there are always plenty of adorable dresses on my wish list. newest additions are this travel-themed, fun frock and a candy-striped, bow-adorned little number. // Modcloth & Ruche.

10. last but not least, here's my new favourite dog breed! the corgi-dalmatian mix. actually corgi-anything is pretty stinkin' adorbs. but what a cutie pie, amirite?? // Buzzfeed.

hope you found something to make you smile in my little list. I know I did!

happy weekend!

click "read more" below for the sloppy joe recipe.

I want to fly away

I've been kinda bored with my look lately, and trying to think of ways to mix it up. shopping is usually the easy way, but it gets a little more difficult when you're between jobs and planning a move.   so instead I decided to take the plunge and try dying my hair.

besides a few pink streaks a couple years back in my "emo" phase  (whatever happened to emo? is that still a thing?), I've never dyed my hair. I'd really love to go all out and get a pastel blue or lilac mane, but I really don't have the funds, patience, nor dedication to upkeep that kind of commitment requires. I went for a more low-key ombre. 

I actually really love it! my thinking was mostly "well, it's not that much of a change, so if I don't like it, it no big deal." but it's just the amount of change I needed. this is my "unkempt," hippie-esque hair day, but the ombre looks even better with soft curls. and the nice part is, I can use temporary dye or hair chalk to satisfy my colour kick. 

I know most people would say ombre is "on the way out" or whatever, but I kind of like trying things when everyone else is over them. that way I'm not surrounded by a bunch of hipsters with the same hair as me. 

(*note: that was not a dig at hipsters. I love hipsters. they're ballin'.)

dress- vero moda (gift) // cardigan- gift // boots- modcloth // belt- fr. another romper // necklace- birthday gift

another way to update your look is to get fabulous pot-Christmas presents from your mom! my mother got this dress for me because it was only $13 and she knew I would looove the print. airplanes! adorable, right? I love anything airplane or map print. I'm such a travel bug, and when I can't actually go anywhere, pretty things that remind me of past and future voyages make me happy. 

last night i had a dream that me and my friend went travelling together and "chose" our destination by jumping out of a plane with parachutes on. we landed in the Amazon river surrounded by flamingos. 

turns out my subconscious knows more about flamingos than I thought. 

and now I really wanna go to South America.  

up in the gym, working' on my fitness

the past few days I haven't had much time for photo shoots. I've been cooking and reading and trying to get into a sort-of fitness routine, and Brandon was away... so most of the time I've just been running around in yoga pants and neon tank tops. 

I have, however, discovered that cute workout clothes act as extra motivation to go to the gym! I find I'm more in the mood to go if I have a bright, girly outfit that doesn't make me look like a chubby slob. Activate Apparel is hands-down the best place to find cute and funny workout tops (for girls and guys). 

all from Activate Apparel, except bottom row #3 from Proxy Prints

all of these make me lol and suit me to a T! (har har, to a tee?) 

Mulan is basically my fitness inspiration (she shows those guys how to be a man!), and I like portraying to the world that I am definitely NOT any sort of fitness nut. hence all the "just kidding" and food references. 

aaand Chris Hemsworth. rawr. 

ahem.

till next time!

happiness & health. ♥

an ordinary day

the other day I decided to do a "photo an hour" post to kind of show what my day consists of lately. of course the problem is my day usually doesn't consist of a whole lot outside of sleeping, so the post got kind of boring. I mean, you don't want three pictures in a row of me watching Big Bang Theory reruns with my cat, right?

so this is more of a photo collage that's representative of my daily life, as of late... I'm sure you'll find it fascinating.

morning coffee...afternoon coffee, evening coffee. soooo much coffee.

breakfast of champions. no really, this is breakfast when you sleep till noon.

I just finished "February" by Lisa Moore. such a good read! 

my family's goofy looking' pup! she waddles around my days and makes me smile.

Brando, part-time shovel model.

heading to the gym. one of the few things I can do to get me out of the house! 

mom made turkey pot pie for dinner. delicious home-cooked meals are the best part of living with the fam!

my babes! her eyes look so dark here, she must be her usual sleepy self...

screenshot from Dexter, our current time sucker. and I mean that in the best possible way.

bubble bath time! being bored sure is relaxing.

there you have it! a day in the life. 

bootylicious

friday favourites time!
are you ready for this jelly?
I HOPE YOU'RE READY.

1. I'm in love with this raw citrine necklace. the colours are beautiful, and I really like the purple accents. Roots and Wings.

2. lipstick is my favourite thing. especially purples and rich jewel-toned reds. from left to right, Up the Amp, Asian Flower, Flat Out Fabulous, Good to Be Bad. MAC.

3. a cat print dress? um, yes. cats in a movie theatre? yes please! Modcloth.

4. I've always been a fan of vibrant glass bottles as home decor. I love these bright green wall fixtures. Pineknobs & Crickets. 

5. not only are these prints funny and aesthetically adorable, they also speak the truth. coffee rules all.  Noodlehug.

6. this colourful 80s dress is gorgeous and eye-catching. great with big hair and clashing-coloured heels! Swamp Lily Emporium. 

7. THESE JEFFREY CAMPBELLS ARE ON SALE I NEED THEM. Urban Outfitters.

8. more cute kitties! I love these even more because the orange cat looks like my Ninja. Modcloth.

9. I'm really, super, duper sad to finally admit this... but I lost my beautiful wedding ring. I don't know how it happened, I'm usually so good with jewellery! ugh. anyways. I've been perusing etsy for a unique replacement. (even typing "replacement" makes me sad.) matte rose gold + dinosaur bone inlays, just because. The Sly Fox, Jewellery by Johan. 

a marshmallow world

more snow for us today!

yesterday I was missing the sweetness and sweat of summer, but I stand by my opinion that snow is better than depressing rain.

dress- american eagle // cardigan- urban outfitters // hat- topshop // scarft- gift // shirt- borrowed from my dad // boots- hunter

I felt pretty comfy-cozy in this outfit, but I'm not completely psyched about it. layering tends to make me look bulky these days; after looking at these photos I immediately went to the gym. I guess I can't pull off cute winter layers as well as these ladies!

photo by Delightfully Tacky 

photo by Keiko Lynn

the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home

this post has been a long time coming! 

I've been meaning to share this with you ever since my first Louisville post way back when, but never got around to it. oh well, the pictures of sunshine and warm memories are a nice change from the freezing cold bleakness of January. 

as I said before, our stay in Louisville, Kentucky was one of my favourite parts of our cross-country road trip this summer. we enjoyed shopping and drinking local bourbon-laced beers and swimming in the hotel pool to get over the insane humidity, and one day we took a taste tour.

I think I found it in a pamphlet or something; it was called "the taste of Louisville" and seemed affordable and fun and home-grown. the lady who ran things did everything herself, from the actual tour-guiding to the driving to choosing the food. (I think this is the tour we took, the web page looks a little different, but it sounds the same.) in a nutshell, the tour was amazing!

first stop was across the Ohio river into Jeffersonville to visit a famous, 200-year-old candy shop. (200ish? dangit I took notes all trip so I wouldn't forget these things but my books are all packed away!) 

the owners showed us how their candy is made, using the same methods as when the shop first opened, and made some right in front of us. that goop in the second picture is gonna be noms. I tried and bought a bunch of candy from there, and it's all amazing. and I'm not even a candy person (are people even allowed to say that? am I emblazoning a scarlet letter on myself right now?). 

I brought home some fish candy for a couple sugar-loving friends, and while they appreciated it I don't think they were quite as impressed as I was, having witnessed the birth of those little fishies...

the tour stayed on the Indiana side to stop in a park with a smashing view of the Louisville cityscape. we were served traditional Kentucky hot browns, fried green tomatoes, sweet rolls, and bourbon slush. I would have taken a picture but it was so delicious I kind of inhaled it all... it was so good Cait and I went back to the restaurant the food was from and got it all again the next day! 

after our photo ops the fun little tour bus took us to museum row, then drove around Old Louisville. we learned all about Thomas Edison and the mansions and quirky neighbourhood stories. then we went to Churchill downs and visited the horses! I was a huge horse freak as a kid (and still kinda am) so I was beyond excited. real Kentucky Derby horses at the real Kentucky Derby! you have no idea how badly I wanted to buy one of those giant derby hats...

our Churchill Downs "taste" was, appropriately, derby pie and mint juleps. soooo goooood. ♥

we also made a visit to the University of Louisville and a premier Bourbon Chocolate company, Art Eatables. they're a little family shop that pairs bourbon with chocolate flavours that complement each other. I bought "Big Ass Bourbon" chocolates for my family to try, and they were awesome! 

if you're ever in Louisville, this is the lady you're looking for!

she was so wonderful and interesting and knowledgeable, and you could really tell she enjoyed her job. the bus was cozy and decorated with cushions and twinkle lights and paper flowers. we just had so much fun! 

I'm admittedly a fan of a good tour, but this is by far the best one I've been on. 

I'm especially missing Louisville today... there's so much to see and do, yet it still feels quaint and homey. I would love to go back someday. 

long live the South, right??