March 31, 2011

Holi Moly!

What a way to welcome Spring! Holi is a Hindu festival that greets spring with all kinds of color! They spend time in prayer, fellowship, eat food, and have a good time together throwing colored water and dye powders at one another! I want to do this... it's absolutely going on my bucket list!! My friend Kristen had a birthday/going away party last weekend where she replicated this festival of sorts! I was sad I had to miss it. Anyway, as with many traditions, there is always a legend as to how the celebration came about.  Here is one that I found... "One of the best-known stories tells the tale of the demoness Holika, who tried to kill Prahlad, the son of the demon king Hiranyakashyap, for refusing to worship his father. Instead, Holika is consumed in flames, which is replayed each year with bonfires and effigies, before the celebrants break out the hues and cries of the festival." Now watch this awesome video of the Holi festival in Spanish Fork, Utah.  They put on the largest celebration in the Western Hemisphere! I think this is just absolutely beautiful! 

March 17, 2011

A Taste of Spring

I have a new obsession. Italian sodas. I order raspberry ones at Aspen all the time.  One day I decided that I wanted to make them myself. So I told my cousin, Lauren, who loves to cook up new things that we should make them. We first went to Spiceology so that she could pick up a bottle of cardamom pods for her grapefruit/cardamom syrup.  I chose to make blackberry and raspberry sodas. All it takes is the fruit of your choice, club soda, sugar, water, and some half and half. I fully plan on making different kinds all summer long. So refreshing and delicious! We decided that if spring had a taste it would be the raspberry soda, and if summer had a taste it would be the blackberry.  Try it out!! You will soon find the recipe on Lauren's blog!
Making blackberry syrup!
Mmmm. Raspberries.
A watched pot never boils... and this is so true... because I kept standing over it... waiting and waiting. But then the final product and it was oh so tasty! Lauren's turned out really good too. I had never experienced cardamom before, but it was especially good with the grapefruit!  So, if you're ever bored you should give homemade italian sodas a try! It was so enjoyable to do something different for once... and I don't cook!!!




March 16, 2011

Monkey Business... and Alpacas

Ok. This post is going to be absolutely beyond ridiculous, but you must know something about me. My favorite animal is the monkey. Have you ever really thought about how many different kinds of monkeys there are!? A TON! Okay, so the inspiration for this post actually came about a week ago. On my search for an internship, I was filling out an application and one of the questions asked "if you were an animal what would you be and why?" I thought this was kind of odd, seeing as the rest of the questions asked things like "what are your strengths and weaknesses", "tell me about your best quality", "why would you be good for this internship", etc. And then you ask me what kind of animal I want to be?? Anyway, sitting at Aspen Coffee with Amanda, I couldn't help but take a small break and google "types of monkeys". If I was going to answer this woman accurately on what type of animal I want to be, I'm going to do my research and give her a proper, detailed answer. Needless to say, Amanda and I spent the next 15 minutes dying laughing at these photographs of monkeys. The people of Aspen stared, but it was just too good of a moment to pass up. So please, enjoy these monkeys in their natural habitats...
This little guy is called a Squirrel Monkey.
Bahaha. Sir, White-faced Saki Monkey.
If only everyone had a mustache like the Emperor Tamarin.
This one will sing me deep melodies...Introducing the Howler Monkey.
Check out the lips on these almost blue looking Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys.
I have no shame in imitating this monkey in the middle of Aspen. Amanda agreed I got the face down perfectly. The Patas Monkey. 
Hahaha. DeBrazzas Monkey.
So contemplative. Douc Langur Monkey.
Amanda asked if this monkey was painted. I told her that yes, the monkey gets up and paints his face for battle every morning. The Mandrill.
Don't ask me why, but I feel like he resembles Spock from Star Trek...Roloway Monkey.
This reminds me of those stuffed monkeys you could buy at the zoo and velcro around your neck. Gibbon.
My hair looks like this every morning... but I wasn't about to tell the lady reading my interview questions that. :) Baby Orangutan.
I chose to tell her I wanted to be a Chimpanzee. They are just so playful and seemingly intelligent, or at least they act that way when I spend time watching them at the zoo. 

On another random note... (don't ask where this silliness came from...I just love to laugh sometimes).
My mom and I were in Barnes and Noble while in Springfield and we walked past the magazine section and my mom noticed this magazine all about Alpacas. Needless to say, I was in for another laugh. I think another reason I enjoyed this so was because I like to name every inanimate object that I own, and the magazine named a few of these alpacas. 
Just please imagine how hilarious this magazine was to me as I am not an alpaca farmer... 
I don't know why they're in the clouds...
Best for last. I love Harry Potter and the fact that this alpaca is named Sirius Black is so funny to me, which is why this is now the background on my iPhone. It makes me laugh every time I look at my phone. Well, that's all for now. You all probably think I'm super weird now, but I could not resist sharing my laughter with you all. I'm thinking of posting some music and spring inspired things soon. :)














March 14, 2011

A Red Velvet Weekend

I'll be honest, normally I don't get excited by meeting a celebrity or someone that everyone thinks is cool... but I was a little giddy when I got to meet the girl who gave me the inspiration to own a boutique full of handmade/vintage/local artists' designs.  Yes, this Saturday I met Elsie Flannigan. It was sort of surreal. I walked in thinking, "I know everything about your life because I follow your blog... but you have never seen or heard of me in your life." And of course, there she is, sitting at the cash wrap with her sister Emma!
I found the cutest little yellow 60's dress. I can't wait to wear it with a colorful silk scarf! 
They had the perfect selection of vintage dresses, coats, wedding gowns, belts, scarves, jewelry, and flatware...and yes, amazing men's vintage clothes too (hint).  All the displays were to die for.  I wanted to take everything home with me! I was literally a kid in a candy store. The dressing rooms were so adorable too...patterned with different fabrics and newspaper prints.  She cleverly hung wooden picture frames that you could hand your outfits inside of.
Then, when Elsie said hello, I went to talk to her. I told her I've followed her blog for some time now and she was flattered. (I'm sure she gets that a lot.) She introduced me to Emma too! We talked about where I lived and how she liked my harem pants I was wearing. Then, she asked for my e-mail address. Why you may ask? Well, she said that she loved my look and that my hair was cute and she was dying to use me as a model for her clothes and online store stuff!! I was so excited and totally willing to make the trip to have a great time learning from basically my muse and have fun pretty much playing dress up in adorable clothes! 
As I was about to leave, I couldn't walk out the door without trying one of Emma's famous cupcakes from the Sweet Shoppe. So my mom and I got two red velvet cupcakes that had a little white chocolate button on the top of the icing. (Sort of forgot to take a picture before we started to eat them...)
Oh! How could I forget... as I was looking around the store, who would walk in but Jeremy Larson, her fiance, and the guy whose concert I would be attending that night. Again, it was just so weird being around these people that I read about everyday. (I read his blog too.) Elsie introduced me and he said he would take a picture with me that night after the concert. It was such a blast meeting them and seeing the store I've wanted to visit for FOREVER!
No, I did not go see Jeremy play in Our Town... He held his album premier ("They Reappear") at the Gillioz Theatre downtown. It was an absolutely beautiful theatre built in the 1920s. This picture does it no justice.
The concert was a live recording of the album and we were hearing it all for the first time. It was absolutely, incredibly beautiful! I cannot wait until it actually comes out so I can hear it all again. Another bonus was that Stacy Dupree (of Eisley) performed a few new songs that were being recorded as well, annnnd Darren King (of Mutemath) played! Bad pictures... I apologize.
After the concert I got picture and talked with Jeremy too! :)
What a perfectly lovely weekend to be had! Elsie came up to me again after the concert and asked again if I was sure I'd like to model for her! I told her absolutely yes! She said she would be in contact soon! I really hope she does use me, it would be so much fun!!!! AHH! Well... I hope you all have an enjoyable spring break 2011... mine started out just marvelously! (P.S. Thanks mom for taking me!)




March 9, 2011

Darling Dolls: Hipsters, Hair, Harems and Hats

I've decided that I should really be more organized about the way I blog... I'm a very organized person, so I'm surprised I've been so random about how I blog. I think I'm going to call the category of photographs of my fashion finds "Darling Dolls".  I chose this because one, I love the word darling, and two, because if I had the chance to wear all these clothes I would play dress up like a live doll! 
I have a pair of harem pants like these in a different print! (Very in for spring.)
Her cardigan and romper/dress are just perfect. Plus, I'm still in love with those head scarves. 
I wish people actually wore hats like this around campus... because if I had one and people wouldn't look at me like I was nuts... I would totally wear these!
Oh, this too! 
I want her hair. And I like her cape. 
Can more guys dress like this, please? 
I have wanted a leather bag like this for forever. 
Red shoes. Perfection. Plus his coat and scarf are fancy too.
This whole outfit is just so cozy. I love the indian/african prints that are popular for Spring 2011. 

Now, go listen to some Jose Gonzalez and have a lovely afternoon!