Outtakes: March 2011 Edition

As we all know, not every photo taken turns out looking fabulous. I've decided to create a monthly blooper post to showcase some of the not so flattering pictures. Let's get on with it!

The above photo was taken when my brother was in town for Spring Break. During this particular shoot,  he kept snapping pictures after I said, "ok, let's be done!" Surprisingly, younger brothers find joy in not listening to their older, wiser sisters. So this is my slightly annoyed face.

Where am I looking? Why am I so tired? What am I saying?!

This guy is from my most recent outfit post. I have no explanations...

Time for bed! I'm actually fairly shocked that I could stay awake long enough to finish this - I was typing with only one eye open at a time. 

Have a lovely day/night!

Mmm...Dessert

The tree branch was attacking me!

Just finished baking red velvet cookies and butter pecan cupcakes with my mom. Both sugary delights were topped with one of my favorite things in the world - CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. Not only did I lick the batter bowls completely clean (we actually just put all cooking utensils back in the cupboards after I was done), but I ate four cookies and three cupcakes. How gluttonous!

I'm going to bed as soon as someone rolls or carries me down the hall...

Have a lovely week!

Tidbits About Me: Part One

I decided that I didn't want to create a blog where my readers didn't know anything about me (I'm really thoughtful, huh?!), so I'll periodically post a few fun facts for all to enjoy!

First is my kitty, Pennie Louise. I like animals to have middle names, which you probably noticed with Kassie James. And, yes, I realize that Kassie does have a masculine middle name, but she's comfortable with it. Anyway...I consider Pennie my first child and treat her as such. She is extremely loyal to me and only me. Friends and family can definitely attest to that. Some of Pen's talents include fetching and knowing how to royally tick me off. Now, I understand a lot of people don't like cats, so I'll move on.

Let me also share a story of my addiction. To chapstick. It began around fifth grade - there was a brand of chapstick called 'Natural Ice' (I assure you, it has no relation to the beer) which made my lips tingle with joy. Soon enough, I was making my way through a tube a week. I tried other brands of chapstick, but they didn't have the same affect. One time in seventh grade I was spending the night with a friend and, much to my horror, I forgot to pack my beloved Natural Ice, so I had to slum it with my pal's Blistex. Out of the blue, my mouth started swelling and it grew to about five times the normal size. Now quickly scroll back up to the photo of me and imagine that visual. Gross. The next morning my mom took me to the doctor and he confronted my addiction and prescribed diaper rash cream to calm the swelling. It was so mortifying carrying that around school. Fast forward, I quickly rid myself of the Natural Ice addiction after that incident, but I will always have a special place in my heart for chapstick. Currently I use Burt's Bees and will settle for nothing else. 

That felt like a really long story and I kind of cut it short at the end, but I'm in a Red Lobster daze and can't concentrate on anything other than how bad I want a belly rub. 

I'll be back with outfit posts either tomorrow or Monday - I can't make guarantees.

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Choose my Adventure

Reader's choice - which version of this thrifted polyester shirt should I style first? Please keep in mind that I threw these together pretty quickly. My cats were rushing me.

In reality, I'd probably tuck the shirt in for a more prim and proper look. 

Keep the top untucked and blouse-y here...or maybe tucked in with a cute belt. See, the details weren't very well thought out on my part. 

Important lessons I learned while attempting to assemble these outfits:

1. I have no idea how to appropriately lay jeans for photos. In fact, I wouldn't blame anyone if they chose the skirted option based on how ridiculous these jeans look. 
2. My cats have an amazingly annoying way of sensing when I want to get something accomplished in a hurry. Kassie James kept trotting around my photo set, sniffing everything and playing with the newspaper. Then she decided she needed food immediately and sprinted right over my freshly placed clothing into the kitchen. (See her antics below)
3. When you make it public news that a new blog post will be up that day, don't wait until the last minute. I'm exhausted and shouldn't have put it off until after watching 'My Life as Liz'. 

Have a lovely day!

Sunday Best

I decided to help my mom volunteer at the nursing home yesterday morning and wanted to wear something really sweet and girly. Though it could have used more color, I think the button-up and butterfly belt add darling touches to the overall look. 

Photos by my mama - thanks for directing me to play with a dead plant

Have a lovely day!

P.S. Picked up some fun new things from Atomic Garage and Goodwill when I went out the other day, so check back soon for photos. There is an amazing vintage dress that I'm particularly jazzed about! 

Sox Appeal

I have a love/hate relationship with socks. They keep my feet warm, but sometimes sweaty. They come in so many styles, but I despise when a favorite pair gets hole-y. Most of all, I am heartbroken when they disappear, which seems to happen on almost a weekly basis. I keep a graveyard of lost socks, in case their mate decides to show up at some point. There are about thirty lonely socks sitting in a laundry basket. During dry spells of taking care of my laundry (always), I visit the lonely socks and match two similar color and fabric schemes, so these socks are not without purpose.

Anyway...the real reason for this post - I've been finding joy in showing off my socks the past few weeks, by rolling up my jeans a bit (like in this post) or pairing them with skirts/dresses/etc. Now, I know this isn't a particularly new fashion revelation for many, but it is for me and I'm embracing it with a big bear hug!

Photos courtesy of my Dad - Setting courtesy of the KMart loading dock

Have a lovely day!

Hands on Hips

Just a quick post before watching my NCAA Tournament picks go down the toilet...

Looking through all the photos my brother took tonight, I realize my signature move is right below (hands on hips). When I get confused and can't think of any ANTM poses, I revert to this. Oh well!

Thanks again to my brother for taking the first two photos...see, isn't he a doll?!

Have a lovely weekend!

Hair Tragedy

As I transition from Minnesotan to Iowan, I'm enjoying the comforts of my old bedroom. Thankfully, my mom keeps it on reserve for me. Unthankfully, she has filled the walls with my senior photos and other childhood nostalgia. Each time I walk into my room, I'm reminded of the haircut disaster of 2004. You see, I had a slight obsession with Mandy Moore, even more so after she got that adorable pixie cut. Immediately I ran to my hairdresser and requested 'the Mandy' then handed over a collage of googled images. The first words out of her mouth were, "Great! I'm going to do this, but keep the length a bit longer and infuse my own take on these photos." That should have been my cue to either get up and leave or open my mouth and tell her I wanted my hair to look exactly like the photos. No exceptions. But, I was young and far too polite. Long story short, I walked out of the salon nearly in tears. Then, I had to save money for weeks just to go to Great Clips and have another lady take way too much hair off. It was an incredibly emotional experience.

So, none of my photos have anything to do with the above story, but I didn't do anything exciting today and felt like working my creative writing.

Photos taken by my grossly adorable younger brother

Outfit Details:

Sweater & Boots - Modcloth

Maxi Dress - Target 

Purse - Francesca's Closet

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Click the link within this blog title to follow me on Bloglovin'! It's a super fantastic way to organize all your favorite blogs.

P.S. Here is another photo I forgot to post earlier today. Learned an old wives tale from Tia's roommate, Jamie. Apparently if you're cutting an onion and start to get a little misty-eyed, you should shove a spoon in your mouth. Probably not actually shove. I can't tell if it really worked or I convinced myself that the spoon trick was successful.

...and why can't I keep my eyes open in any of last night's photos. I cooked blindly, I guess. 

Profesh Cooking with Tia

It was decided around 6:00 p.m. last night that my blog would include a cooking segment. Here are the results of my first go-round with Tia...

Stir-Fry Chicken with Garlic Sauce

What you'll need:

1.) 2 large garlic cloves, minced

2.) 1/4 cup soy sauce

3.) 1/4 cup water

4.) 1/4 cup honey

5.) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

6.) 1 tablespoon cornstarch

7.) 1/4 teaspoon pepper

8.) 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

9.) 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into quarter size chunks

10.) Any vegetables of your choice - we used 1 yellow onion, 2 big broccoli florets, 1 red pepper

Continue reading this recipe after the jump!

Spring Wish List & Other Random Thoughts

Above are my top 3 MUST HAVES (not really, I'm too poor) for Spring. 1) American Apparel Calvary Twill High-Waist Pleated Pant. 2) Modcloth Paradise Pond Dress. 3) MRKT Cleo Wedge Sandal - via DSW. 

It has been a while since my last post, but I'm working on a more specific idea of what I'd like to include, other than my outfits. I've been toying with the idea of interviewing local businesses to spread greater awareness of what Des Moines has to offer. Feel free to offer up any suggestions! 

In other news...

Got a haircut at Salon Spa W in the East Village. Highly recommend. The entire staff was extremely professional and personable! Once I get past the awkward 3-4 days post new 'do, I'll post photos. 

Dwolla Meetup

At Cabaret West Glen for the Dwolla Meetup with Brandon, Kim and Dave

(Photo courtesy of Dani Ausen with the Des Moines Juice - see more pictures from the Meetup at www.dmjuice.com)

B was too excited about the Meetup to take many photos, so I had settled with these few outside the bar. The event had a fantastic turnout - it's amazing to see how many people in the Des Moines area are supportive of local organizations. Now, the night wouldn't be complete without food! We went to a fun little sushi/chinese joint right in the West Glen Town Center called 'Wok in Motion'. The food was yummy, of course I was starving by the time we ate, so I probably would have settled for anything. Our waitress was also very kind and good humored. 

Please take a few minutes to create your own Dwolla account at www.dwolla.com!

Outfit Details:

Silk blouse - H&M

Sweater & Jeans - UO

Belt - No clue...I think my mom bought this for me in high school.

Shoes - DSW

Have a great night!