Sneak Preview: Portland.

Here is just a sneak preview at some shopping my mom and I did in Portland today.
More to come later :)

The day started with blow outs at the Blowout downtown.  Then off to shop till we drop!

Had a LOT of fun shopping.  Top Row:  Lululemon Basic Headband.  J.Crew Flower hair accessory.  Nordstrom BP Scarf.  Forever 21 Scarf.  Bottom Row:  Anthropologie Print Shift Dress.  J.Crew Sweater.  Anthropologie Black Lace T.  Nordstrom Rack Sperry Topsider Burgundy Penny Loafer.  Nordstrom Rack Boutique 9 Black Suede Ankle Bootie.  

**I have to add a side note just to say how much I am IN LOVE with this Boutique 9 ankle bootie.  It is the PERFECT little bootie, and was ridiculously marked down at the rack.  I will also admit I had not even heard of the brand Boutique 9 until today.  But beside that fact they are perfect.  Take a look below for a better look at them.  They have an adorable little back zipper and a dreamy masculine wooden heel.  Needless too say these will quickly become a staple in my closet.  

Sperry Topsider Burgundy Penny Loafer purchased from Nordstrom Rack.  

**This shoe is so great because it is a punky take on a classic style.  The burgundy patent adds a little spice and the chunky heel with the tan stripe is very Prada.   I am a happy girl.  :)

The perfect bootie.  Enough said.  

COLDPLAY

Wow. What an amazing experience to say the least!! The show was a total jaw dropper from the amazing laser lights, millions of sparkling confetti pieces shooting from canons, twinkling wristbands that were all given to the audience upon arriving, and of course Chris Martin's impeccable dance moves!

My boyfriend and I were blown away.  We were especially impressed with the overall production.  Like I mentioned each person in the audience was give a funky wristband and when Coldplay came on they would light up and the entire arena was glowing - it looked like outer-space! During one song giant blowup world globes fell from the ceiling, there were giant blow up neon animals that approached the top sections of the arena and hung over the balcony.  There were countless surprises throughout the show that only added to the amazing performance of the actual music.

Check out some fun instagram pics!

Check out all of that confetti!!

In the middle of the show the band decided to relocate.  They ended up being five rows from our seats!

Fun little frametastic shot. :)

Coldplay Concert Countdown!!

The title of this post is enough said.

I am counting down the hours until I watch Coldplay perform their newest album, Mylo Xyloto, live at the Key Arena downtown Seattle.

I am beyond BEYOND excited.

The most exciting part??

Picking out what to wear of course!!

From left to right:  H&M Sheer Back Tank.  Layered necklaces from BP at Nordstrom.  Juicy Couture Shades.  Daisy by Marc By Marc Jacobs Perfume.  Vintage crotchet handbag.  

Still considering some options of what to wear but I have been very inspired by all of the Coachella Festival Fashion floating around on the internet.  All I need to go with this outfit are some bedazzled denim shorts with suede ankle booties.

If only it were WARM enough!

Iced Tea and Spar Chips

Yesterday, my friend Ashley and I, had lunch at The Spar in Proctor District.  The Spar is one of my favorite places to eat.  On one side there is an adorable cafe with every espresso drink imaginable as well as a great lunch menu.  On the other side of the restaurant, separated only by a single door, is a really fun bar that is only open from dinner on.

The Spar makes homemade potato chips called "spar chips" and is served with their homemade "spar sauce."  It is such a fun little place with a great relaxed atmosphere.  Here are some pics!

Bits of Inspiration.

 Finally, the first beautiful sunny weekend of spring has arrived!!  This past weekend the sun was shining and it was up to 70 degrees outside.  Unfortunately I had to spend most of the weekend working, I was able to spend Saturday morning laying in the sun and taking pictures with my cousin Bailey.

Floral print is a top trend for spring and summer this year.  While I was enjoying my morning in the sunshine I was blown away with the colors of these flowers.  It is funny how everything looks different in the sun. :)

Here are some bits of inspiration to start out the week:

Friends and Food.

Last weekend a few friends and I got together to have a small dinner party and wish two of our best friends goodbye.  The two leaving are in a touring band and will be gone for a couple months.  It is always such a bummer when they have to leave but when they return it is always feels as if they never left.

The dinner was at our friends house on Beacon Hill in Seattle.  It is an understatement to say that I am OBSESSED with this kitchen.  It has country charm and is slightly cluttered and full of COLOR.  Every time I come over it makes me want to jump in and bake like crazy.

Check out these pictures of our amazing dinner and the beautiful kitchen:

Cluttered color:  So pretty!!

In LOVE with the old-fashioned swinging door.

Pan fried tofu.

Ginger, lime, and white wine.

 Thai lettuce wraps with rice, tofu, vegetables, and pork (for those carnivores!)

Soy sauce and homemade peanut sauce.

Wine!

Have fun on tour Harry and Carman!!

Top 5 Must Have Spring Accessories

Accessories are the best because they are such an easy way to spice up any outfit.  Try a basic sweater black skinny's and boots - cute but kinda boring. 

Add a floppy hat, aviators, a bunch of grandma's old rings, a long slinky necklace, maybe a pop of nail color???? 

TADA!!

Rockstar status outfit.

Check out the TOP 5 MUST HAVE spring accessories to jazz up your spring look:

1.  The Big Bold Earring

Row 1:  Jil Sander Spring 2012.  Marni Spring 2012.

Row 2:  Bottega Veneta Spring 2012.  Prada Spring 2012.

2.  The Wild Eye

Row 1:  Cutler & Gross for Erdem Spring 2012.  Missoni Spring 2012.

Row 2:  Missoni Spring 2012.  Nicole Farhi Spring 2012.

3.  Raging Reds

Row 1:  Christian Dior Spring 2012.  Jason Wu Spring 2012.

Row 2:  Erdem Spring 2012.  Anna Sui Spring 2012.

4.  The Neon Bag

Row 1:  Lanvin.  Kate Spade.

Row 2:  Steve Madden.  Marc by Marc Jacobs.

5.  Pop of Nail Color/Design

Row 1:  Milly Spring 2012.  Karen Walker Spring 2012.
Row 2:  Wayne Spring 2012.  Missoni Spring 2012.

*Images and inspiration from Harper's Bazaar and Nordstrom.

21st Birthday: Part 2

Briefly mentioned in my previous post, I am really into exploring the city in which I live in.  There is something special about trying new places, going on new adventures, and just exploring areas you may have never seen before that are right in your own backyard.

My boyfriend definitely knows this about me, in fact we share this interest.  This is most likely why he planned an amazing adventure for my birthday.  He would not tell me a thing about what we were doing, which of course drove me nuts because I  was dying to know what he had planned.  I thought he may have planned a dinner cruise or something of that kind when we pulled up to the docks at Lake Union, but everything changed when we parked right below an enormous billboard for Seaplanes.

This is a view from our seat, just two rows behind the seat of the pilot.  It felt like we were in the pilot's cockpit with him.

Beautiful Seattle from the seaplane!

Thank you Janssen for making my birthday so special, one I will never forget.

21st Birthday: Part 1

I just turned 21!  Yay!  I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life to help make this day so special.  This was such a crazy weekend therefore I must split this post into two parts.

On Saturday, April 14th, (my actual birthday) I spent most of the day with my family.  My mom, dad, younger brother, and I all woke up early and headed to downtown Seattle for an amazing breakfast at Lola's, one of Tom Douglas's many amazing Seattle based restaurants.  We drank mimosas, indulged in am amazing Mediterranean style breakfast, and finished with birthday beniegts!

After breakfast, we toured the Space Needle.  I have to admit, I felt like such a tourist, but there is something so special about seeing your city from a new perspective.  I have lived in Washington all of my life and had never experienced the top of the Space Needle - it was incredible.

From there we walked to Pike's Place Market and made a few stops at some of our favorite shops.  My personal favorite a small French Bakery, Le Panier.  We sipped on coffee and snacked on Vanilla Bean Macarons. YUM.

It was a full day to say the least.  I am so blessed to have such an amazing family.

The Weekly Cup: Vince.

Vince is a Southern California based label and was created in 2002 by designers Rea Laccone and Christopher LaPolice.  This contemporary brand is known best for relaxed yet sophisticated staples - trendy and understated.  Vince makes a deliberate effort to only use the finest quality fabrics, dyes, and other materials.  The label takes pride in the high-quality items produced.


The name Vince was inspired from California designer, Cynthia Vincent, who in 2001 help the two designers start the label but left just a few months later.  Vince began solely as a womenswear design label and in 2007 the first menswear line was created.  Vince is still somewhat of a smaller label, however rapidly growing.  In just 2008, the first Vince retail store was opened on Roberston Blvd in Los Angeles and in Spring of 2008 the online store was launched.  


Today Vince can be found not only online and in their retailers but inside Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, Barney's New York, and Bergdorf Goodman as well.  Vince founder's want customers to be able to recognize and describe their brand as the fashion equivalent of comfort food - I can relate to that!!


Check out some of the great pieces from the Spring 2012 line below:

*Images from Vince Online.
*The information is this post was found from this article and Nordstrom.com.  

Be Bright!

Color, Color, Color! Get ready because this spring color is going to be huge! I am loving the neon brights popping up in clothing, accessories, and SHOES.

I have heard some of my friends say, "I can't wear color it doesn't look good on me," or "I don't know how to wear color." But really color is a very easy trend to rock.  The easiest way to start playing with color is to start small.  Create an outfit, simple and understated, such as a pair of great denim skinny's with a white boyfriend T and a couple of bangles.  From there choose a pop of color.  This could be a neon cross-body bag, a fun flower headband, or (one of my favorite ways to add color) a great spring sandal!

This trend is meant to be fun - be confident and add some color!

Row 1:  Prada Bow Wedge.  Jeffrey Campbell 'Perfect 2' Platform.  Ralph Lauren Collection Alannah.
Row 2:  Michael Kors Ivana.  Stuart Weitzman Encore Wedge.  Moschino Cheap & Chic Sandal. 
Row 3:  Steve Madden Bethanyy.  Joe's Tina.  Steve Madden Virrtue.

*All images taken from Nordstrom.com.

Single Girl Chocolatey Cake

Once in awhile, after a long day or week, I just need some sugar!  Last night may have been one of those times.  My go to sweet treat from now on is going to be Single Girl Chocolatey Cake from Joy the Baker's Cookbook.

This recipe is great because chances are you already have all of the ingredients stocked up in your pantry and the recipe creates only one serving!  You can make up an adorable girly sized chocolate cake and not worry about eating the rest of the cake!

Best served with a hot pot of coffee with a little bit of cream.