Magical Monday

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Ugh, Monday came too quickly, but oh well. So another week begins! It's definitely hard after a holiday weekend, but I bet it would be even harder if I hadn't had work on Friday.

The list:

1. Smores. Do I even need to explain? Probably not. Though I am weird and don't actually put the chocolate on mine, so it's just graham crackers and a marshmellow, which is probably like smores blasphemy or something.

2. Library. While my local library may not be the best, what isn't there to like about the library? I mean, tons of free books, all of which could be yours (for approximately three weeks). And if they don't have it, you can request it! So great.

3. Ice cream. Has this been on the list lately? I don't know, it probably has, but it's summer and it's yummy, so I don't even care.

4. Big parks. I'm lucky that I live right by a huge park, which is coming in very handy now that I've start running. Especially since I discovered that part of what my problem was before was the track itself, since I would get so bored, and I also don't particularly like running along the road.

5. Crazy talented friends. One of my friends is a semifinalist in the True Beauty Contest at the Seattle Art Museum. Which is super legit. Because she's awesome. And you can be awesome too and vote for her! You can look at all the pictures here and choose your favorite, which I know is the girl in the white shirt and red pants, right winkwinknudgenudge?? Since they'll ask when you vote, her twitter handle is @quinns_art.

Workout

I'll be the first to admit that my workout clothes are not the most attractive. Usually it consists of t-shirts that are too big for me and leggings. Attractive, right? I know it doesn't really matter what I'm wearing, as long as I can workout in it, but cute workout clothes definitely couldn't hurt. I mean, who doesn't like cute clothes?

While I'm far too cheap to actually want to spend money on workout clothes, that doesn't have to stop me from looking at cute clothes.

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1. Simple. These outfits are stylish and simple. They're kind of like the next step up from what I wear working up. The version where my shirts aren't old and actually fit me, so my top half doesn't look completely shapeless.

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2. Fun bottoms. I like these. The leggings I wear are just boring black ones that I decided I didn't like the length enough to wear for everyday life. But the idea of color on the bottom of the leggings, or even the entire pants being colorful, is really fun. 

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3. Sports bras. As a girl, sports bras are kind of a necessity. But it doesn't mean that they have to be boring. I personally like these fun prints. So much more exciting than solid colored sports bras, no?

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4. Color. I told you I liked color. What better way to add a little spring to your step (or run), than wearing a bright top? Also, on an unrelated note, I'm sad that jacket is so expensive, because it was the kind of jacket I was looking for originally (though I do like the one I ended up going with).

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5. Fun backs. Because I'm me. Duh. If you don't know I like interesting backs, you're probably new here. I love that the sports bra is built into the top on the left, and the racerback is a good way of showing it off. I also love the little slit in the top on the right.

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6. Fun tops. I love both of these, and I think they're fun in different ways. The top on the left is good for motivation and looking cute. It reminds me a lot of the Nike shirts with all those fun sayings (which I also really like). And the tank on the left is striped. I mean. I love stripes. So naturally, I had to include it.

In all seriousness, though, I would like to start sprucing up my workout clothes a bit. Even if that just means buying some cute tank tops every once in awhile. It could even serve as motivation to work out, because I wouldn't want my money to go to waste.

Lululemon, y u so expensive??

Girl Crush: Taylor Swift

So, I know Taylor Swift gets a lot of hate, and it got particularly bad a few months ago, but I really don't understand why. I personally love her. A lot of the hate seemed to be focused on her the guys she's been with, but when you take into account the number of years it spans over and the fact some of them were just friends, I really don't think she's any worse than anyone else. 

She just seems so incredibly genuine, and I love that about her. She cares about her fans, a lot. She's very conscientious of the fact that a lot of them are younger, and she strives to be a good role model for them. I think that's really great, because so many people completely ignore the fact that a bunch of young, impressionable kids are looking up to them.

I just think she seems like such a sweetheart, and this aspect of her personality truly comes out when it comes to her fans.

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I also love her honesty. Taylor is who she is, and she doesn't try and hide it from anybody. Instead, she embraces it. This honesty is really reflected in her songs, most of which read like a diary. While this is another thing she's been criticized for, I think it helps make her relatable, since her songs are about things (or emotions) we've all dealt with before. 

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And I really do love her music. She literally has a song for everything, which I like. And her songs are fun to just turn up, listen to on repeat, and sing along to. I also like that she's been experimenting with her music. She doesn't stay in a neatly defined box. She tried out new things on Red, and I really like it. Of course, there are plenty of songs that are more similar in style to her old songs, but I like that she is exploring new things rather than just sticking with what she knows.

Also, can I just say, that Taylor Swift has wonderful style? Whenever you see photos of her out and about, she always looks so classy and put together. Very lady-like. Her style is so perfectly her. Also, she can seriously rock a red lip. Which just makes her even more awesome.

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Seriously though, Taylor and I would be great friends. And our cats can be friends too. And then if I'm friends with Taylor, my life will be like the music video for 22 obviously. Seriously though, I wish my life was as fun as that video looks. But even not, it'd be okay, because I'd have an awesome friend.

Taylor, can we please be best friends forever and ever?

The first set of images is from the April 2013 InStyle UK, shot by Karen Collins. The second is from the photoshoot for her album, Red (I think, correct me if I'm wrong). The last set is from a 2012 photoshoot with Christian Sinibaldi.

Independence Day

Cardigan: Stradivarius. Tank Top: Aerie. Belt: Target (Came With a Dress). Skirt: Fred Meyer.
Sandals: Fred Meyer. Hat: Walmart.

Just popping in to wish you a happy Fourth of July. Hope your day was full of sunny weather and pretty fireworks! Unfortunately here, it was cloudy most of the day, but it did eventually get nicer. I didn't really do a whole lot other than eat smores (yum!), though I did go on a run today and it's the furthest I've gone so far! 

And look! And outfit photo! With me in it, even! You all have probably forgotten what I look like at this point, cuz it's been so long. This is just a picture taken on a cell phone with a pretty crappy camera, but it's better than nothing, right?

Also, this picture doesn't fully convey how sparkly that hat is. It's a super cheap hat made that they're selling specifically for today, and it's so sparkly! My mom had red and my brother had blue, naturally.

Hope you had a great day! 

The next Girl Crush will be up tomorrow night sometime.

Americana

Yesterday I showcased some outfits that take inspiration from the flag. Since not everyone likes to dress quite so literally on the 4th of July, today I thought I'd show some outfits that are more doable for people who don't like being so over-the-top.

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1. All-American. This is the most literal out of the outfits. I mean, how much more patriotic can you get than red and white stripes and a blue shirt, with anchors on it, no less (though I know you can't really tell in the picture). Or gingham. It just screams America.

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2. Easy. These outfits both incorporate red, white, and blue, but in a way that feels much more natural. These outfits are effortless. I feel like this is the outfit for those who pretend they're too cool to care, but still want to do a little something.

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3. Ladylike. These outfits are so class. The long, flowy skirts keep it looking chic, rather than tacky or over-the-top.

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4. Two out of three. If you absolutely refuse to wear red, white, and blue, choose to make two colors your focus. Though, where I would differ from these two outfits is including accessories with the third color. Maybe blue shoes or a red scarf?

Stars and Stripes

I love a good theme, so naturally, I've been planning my 4th of July outfit for awhile now. While that's still a few days away, I thought I'd take inspiration from the flag, and showcase a few different ways to (quite literally) show your American pride.

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1. Bottoms. Go bold or subtle.

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2. Sweaters. Good for watching fireworks if it's a little chilly out.

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3. Shirts. Easy and breezy.

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4. All over. Because, really, it's the 4th of July. It's okay to be a little over-the-top.

Sorry this is so short, but I'm sleepy and figured this is better than me rambling to try and write more.

Magical Monday

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I'm still melting away over here. It was around 90 again today, which is entirely too hot in my book. I don't know how some people deal with this all summer, cuz I would not be able to deal. 

The list:

1. Air conditioning and fans. I have air conditioning at work, which is a lifesaver right now. Unfortunately at home, I just have a fan, where we just blow around hot air. But it's better than nothing, especially given that it's 86 degrees in my house at the moment. I'm not entirely sure how I survived yesterday.

2. Ice cream. We had a Ben & Jerry's truck at work today, and it was magical and delicious and the perfect afternoon treat. It was also melting super quickly, though, because of the heat. I'm normally not a messy eater, but it got everywhere! It was a good thing I got cookie dough, so the ice cream wasn't dark enough to stain my dress.

3. Slips. Speaking of my dress, I discovered last time that it's a little more sheer than I would like it to be, so after a little bit of searching, I finally got a cheap little slip that I can wear under it to make it less see-through. It's nice to finally be able to wear it again!

4. Tanning. I know tanning is bad for you and all that, but I love laying out in the sun with a good book. So I did exactly that on Saturday, when the heat was still tolerable, only in the 80s. Don't worry, I did have sunscreen on.

5. Sophie Kinsella. I've only read the first two Confessions of a Shopaholic books, since they're always checked out at the library (and I don't have the foresight to put them on hold), but I've read a few of her other books. A little predictable, yes, and completely ridiculous, but so good! I just finished I've Got Your Number, and, as predicted, I loved it (though there was one part that was so awkward it was painful).