2010 was a good year

Everyone is doing these year-end retrospectives.. so I'm going to jump on the bandwagon. I don't have very many photos to document my year (99% of the pictures I took were of my son), but I'll share a little pre-blog life with you. LOL.

2010 was a pretty good year for me. :)

We started the year off by implementing our strict $600/year clothing budget, after a failed attempt the year before to cut down unnecessary shopping. I can say that I stuck to the budget pretty well, except for a few exceptions, and I'm pretty proud of myself. I've learned how to find good bargains and appreciate the clothes that I'm able to buy so much more.

{img via weheartit}

I bought a sewing machine and learned how to sew. Still not very good at it, but it's a work in progress, and hopefully someday I can finish some of those dresses/skirts I started.

Baby turned one! I'm so in love with my son, and I can't imagine my life without this little ball of sunshine.

Husband and I finally upgraded our basic non-internet cell phones for iPhones, and absolutely LOVE them. How did I ever survive without it?

I went to Vegas with my co-workers and had a blast. We had one company trip back in 2008, and husband came along, so this was my first time leaving my husband (and baby!) home. I had more fun than I anticipated, despite not being much of a party person.

(We saw Ja Rule at the club, LOL)

Husband and I started trying to eat healthier. We are trying to follow the paleo/primal lifestyle and cutting out grains and bad carbs. We also started getting organic groceries delivered, which has been awesome in trying new things and supporting local farmers. I'm happy to be back at the weight I was in high school!

And of course, I started my little blog here. SO GLAD I DID. I'm loving the community and having something that I'm passionate about.

I hope 2011 will be even better! :)

I look up to the sky, and now the world is mine

Sweater: Target
Tank underneath: AE
Jeans: AG (Hand-me-downs)
Boots: Steve Madden
Necklace: Forever 21

It was really bright and sunny today, but freezing as well. There was a little bit of snowfall yesterday, and everything froze overnight, but the sun was out this morning and burning off the frost. I tried to take some pictures with the glistening frosty shrubs, but they didn't turn out so well, and left my boots all muddy from trekking through mushy grass. EWW.

These pictures were taken at the Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island (where Joel McHale went to high school and home to Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft), which is somewhat on the way to work. I've only been to the park once before for a friend's wedding last summer, and loved how beautiful it was. Don't be surprised if you see more photos from here in the future!

I am not one for bold jewelery, so this necklace is kind of a big deal for me... but I am totally in love with it! I knew it'd go perfectly with an otherwise boring outfit.. since I dressed more for warmth than appearance today.

Oh, and I followed Tiffany's hair curling tutorial this morning. I never realized there were so many different ways to curl one's hair... and each way results in a totally different look. I finally feel like I know how to curl my hair now. :)

PS. I tried some tips from Sydney's adorable posing video, and I still look awkward.. and felt even awkwarder.

Happy birthday, husband!

Dress: Ross
Boots: Indigo by Clarks
Scarf: Gift (from Germany I think)

Happy birthday, husband! I feel kind of bad because I didn't get him anything this year. I guess I'm not a very good gift-giver because I bought him a really funny shirt for Christmas, and he didn't think it was funny at all. So, I'm going to have to go return it because $20 for a funny shirt that he's just going to wear to sleep isn't worth it. (It had glow-in-the-dark eagles on it. I thought it was pretty awesome) So, for his birthday, he can just pick out his own present and I'll just pay for it. Or he can pay for it himself, since all the monies are shared anyway.

Well, I got these boots for husband's birthday. Yep, that's right. I got a present because it was my husband's birthday. My sister and I went shopping the day after Christmas, and stopped by the Clarks store to see if there were any comfortable walking shoes, since she has to walk 20 minutes everyday to and from the parking lot to her work. I always associate Clarks with mom shoes, but they ARE pretty comfy, and we found a few cute styles! We both ended up with a pair of boots and a pair of heels (we both got this pair but in a burgundy color, so now I have one thing crossed off of my clothing-needs list!).

BUT, the problem was that my clothing budget was down to $3.48 for the rest of the year, and the boots and the shoes cost more than that. Since I got my sister a lame present (She wanted me to get her Shape-ups, but she changed her mind last minute, thank goodness, so I just got her some random little things), I ended up buying her boots and shoes for her as her Christmas present, and then she bought me my two pairs as a birthday present for my husband. It's pretty much cheating the system, but I couldn't live without these boots (which were an additional 25% off if I bought two pairs of shoes, so I just HAD to get two pairs, right?) YAY.

These boots weren't made for walking

Shirt: Banana Republic

Skirt: Old Navy

Boots: Steve Madden

Necklace: Target

This is from last week, when it was pouring outside, and I was SO close to giving up on trying to take an outfit picture.. but I decided to suck it up and scouted out a dry location. But only because I really liked my outfit.

I tried out Kyla's wavy hair tutorial in the morning, and it looked really cute when I left the house, but all the humidity and rain kind of ruined it. So sad. I've since learned that my curls hold MUCH better if I don't use conditioner... so my hair has been kind of looking like a rats nest out of the shower. But so very worth it when my curls hold all day. :)

So, I was walking around in the rain looking for somewhere to take my pictures, and my heels started feeling kind of wet. I thought maybe the shoe had become detached from the sole, and would just need a trip to cobbler, but I looked down and this is what I saw on both heels. I should probably throw them out, but I wear them like every other day and I haven't even had them for a full year.. so I'm going to keep them for non-rainy days... or until I find a replacement pair.

Oh and the shirt? I really wanted a chambray or light denim shirt after seeing it on every other fashion blogger, and I finally found one at the Banana outlet, on clearance! But I was shopping with my sister (who doesn't read fashion blogs) and she was like, "um.. that looks like it's from the 90s. I have this blue button-up that looks similar but cooler, and I never wore it. Do you want it?"  Soooo... it's not exactly chambray, but it's super cute AND it was free. Having a sister is awesome.

PS. I've had a formspring account for a long time, just because it's so much easier to keep track of the people I follow... but I hadn't really linked it to from here. I randomly saw a question in my account the other day, so decided to open it up to you guys if you have any questions. I have no idea why anyone would be interested in my life, but feel free to ask me (almost) anything!

PPS. This is what I really looked like that day. It was pouring rain and freezing. Not very cute.

Merry Christmas!

Dress as a top: Target

Skirt: Forever 21

Shoes: Sofft

Merry Christmas everyone! :) Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and got what you wished for. I should have added a garment steamer to my wishlist. That would have come in handy after sitting on my butt, stuffing my face, and getting my skirt all wrinkled last night. I hate ironing.

Blogland is quiet today, so I'll just keep my post short. I'm going to go take a nap now. :)

Cavities Schmavities

T-shirt: Express

Cowl Sweater: Express

Jeans: Paige Denim

Boots: Steve Madden

Jacket: People's Liberation via Hautelook

At my last dentist appointment two weeks ago, my dentist found two cavities. TWO! I hadn't had cavities since I was little, so I was a little scared going in today to get them filled. While she was filling them, she suggested just going ahead and filling the neighboring tooth as well, since a cavity was forming, and we might as well fill it now while I was all numbed up. UGH. So not fun.

What I don't like about filling cavities is, it's not a very good excuse to get out of housework. I absolutely hated being pregnant and I do hate being sick, but I do love having an excuse "Oh, I can't wash the dishes because I'm pregnant" or "Oh, I can't pour juice for myself because I'm sick." But with filling cavities it's different. I have to go through all this pain and suffering* but I don't feel any sympathy or pity. I had to make my own lunch and husband didn't even bring me any cookies when he should have been waiting on me hand and foot. Oh well.

I can't believe Christmas is in 3 days. I'm not even close to being finished with buying gifts. I still don't know what to get half the people on my list! :(

*Maybe I'm exaggerating a little...

And the shadow of the day will embrace the world in grey

Polka-dot T-shirt: Thrifted
Cardigan: Old Navy
Skirt: Old Navy
Boots: Frye

I tweeted about it earlier, but OMG Seattle Center was PACKED today. So many families, and it was nearly impossible to find somewhere without little kids running around. (And if you're not following me on twitter, you're totally missing out. Just kidding, you're not... but I want to follow you because my following list is kind of sad.)

Anyway, I only wanted to go take a quick picture and come back, but I seriously circled the entire place trying to find somewhere without people. I finally found this little unexciting corner... so I'll make it up with MOAR pictures. Yeah!

The third picture is just for you, Elle. I was thinking about photoshopping Etta in the corner, but that would be a little overboard and you guys would think I'm a weirdo and stop visiting my blog.

PS. I got a haircut at a fancy salon today, because I won a raffle for a $200 (!!!) gift certificate. No, my hair cut did not cost THAT much, but it doesn't look that much different either. Just a trim, but I like.

Total Eclipse of the Heart

Striped-T: Macy's
Skirt: Thrifted (orig. Sanctuary)
Belt: Thrifted
Boots: Steve Madden
Necklace: Forever 21

I think today was the very first time it was raining as I took my outfit pictures (more like sprinkling)... you would think it would be super rainy here, but I guess it hasn't been too bad in the past month. It was also FREEZING and I didn't want to take my jacket off.

This picture was taken on the edge of the Olympic Sculpture Park overlooking the Puget Sound. I found a few more good picture locations today on my lunch-time excursion, so I'm excited to come back again next time. It's been so much fun exploring the city around me looking for good places to take photos. In the five years that I've worked in this area, I've probably ventured out to these super-close tourist attractions maybe once or twice. Blogging has totally let me explore the area and appreciate how beautiful this city is!

Did anyone see the lunar eclipse tonight? It's too cloudy to see anything from our house. :(

You can ring my (door)bell

Shirt: The Limited
Skirt: Banana Republic Factory Store

Shoes: Sofft
Necklace: Kenneth Cole

I accidentally set my alarm super early today, and didn't realize until after I had already showered (or else I totally would have jumped back into bed). So, I took the extra time to try out Linley's hair tutorial. I tried her upside-down curling for the pieces on the side of my face, but I couldn't do it right, so I just kind of gave up and curled it normally. And I kind of like the curls intact, so I didn't do the scrunching at the end. And my curling iron is smaller... so yeah, a lot of excuses to why my hair doesn't look as awesome as hers... but at least I tried!

I've had this shirt for a few years now, and I've worn it once or twice (but under a cardigan or sweater), because I used to think that it was too loud (so bright! so shiny!), but I'm totally loving it today... except for that darn side zipper that refuses to be tucked  smoothly into my skirt. So no, that is not my muffin top. It's my zipper, I swear!

By the way, I just made the most amazing meatloaf last night. YUM.

@blue_lanterns on twitter!

I finally took the plunge and I'm on twitter now! I'm still trying to figure out how everything works and what all those confusing hashtags mean.

I'd love it if you could follow me so I can start following you!! :)

PS. If anyone is kind enough to explain some things to me... it'd save me lots of googling time. LOL. What's the easiest way to create those bit.ly links? Can I do it on my phone? Best twitter iphone app? Best way to post pictures? Thanks a million!! 

One month blogiversary!

Cardigan: Alternative Apparel

T-shirt: Thrifted (orig. H&M)

Lace skirt: Target

Boots: Steve Madden

Belt: Forever 21

I can't believe I've only been blogging for a month now, but I totally love it and am SOOOOO thankful for my awesome readers and fellow bloggers that have been super supportive and nice to a blogging n00b like me.

Since it's such a special occasion, I wanted to take my pictures today somewhere that has a special meaning to me, and what's better than where I got married? I had my wedding reception at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center down on the Seattle waterfront back in the summer of 2007. LOVED IT.

And because I love you, here are some pictures from the reception....

And that totally ties in to my blog, because I loved those aqua blue lanterns SO MUCH. So much, that I named my blog after them.

But this morning, I didn't have fancy schmancy wedding photographers following me around, so outfit pictures were a little more difficult to take. I even asked two random ladies to snap quick photos for me (that didn't turn out well due to the strong sunlight). That's how desperate I was to get a good photo! Plus, I totally went out of my way to go there on my way to work, so I was pretty determined to not make it a waste of time.

Anyway, thank you all for sticking around and visiting my blog! Your visits and comments really mean a lot to me. :) Here are some more pictures from this morning because it was just gorgeous out. The first one was taken from in front of my parents house (I told you they had a nice view) and the second two were at Bell Harbor.

Stylish?

Striped tee: Thrifted
Cardigan: Target
Jeans: Rock & Republic (Hand-me-downs)
Shoes: Born
Belt: Thrifted

Kileen over at Cute and Little tagged me in a Stylish Blogger Award today! Never in my life have I ever been called "stylish" before, so I'm super super SUPER flattered (okay, maybe I've been called stylish one time before, but it was by my sister, who is probably biased, with us being sisters and all).

It's funny because I was inspired to start my blog because of Tiffany over at Iamstyle-ish. After telling my husband about starting a blog, he was like, "What are you going to call it? Iamfrumpy-ish?"

Haha, very funny.

So anyway, I'm really flattered that Kileen tagged me, and I mean, ALL of my blogger friends (like you!) are so stylish and awesome, so it was really hard for me to pick 3 (only 3!!!) bloggers to pass this award on to.

Linley from Dwelling and Telling - Linley has the most amazing wardrobe and puts together the cutest outfits... AND she does the best belted scarf ever. Plus, I'm pretty sure she's never had a bad hair day in her life.

Ashley from Hudson's Happenings - Ashley is a stay-at-home-mom but you'd never be able to tell. Her outfits are always unique and totally awesome, and she takes the BEST pictures ever.

Kristen from Honestly, Kristen - One of the newest blogs I'm subscribed to, I totally love Kristen's simple yet chic style, and she totally makes me want to start wearing pencil skirts and sheath dresses to work. Plus, her building's doorman calls her "the movie star," and she totally looks like one.

Now go on and tag three more stylish bloggers! :)

A Vintage Poster Winner!

A big congratulations to Gingie from Ready in Five for winning the A Vintage Poster giveaway! :)

Gingie, go check your email!

Skidamarink a dinky dink

T-shirt: Charlotte Russe

Cardigan: White House Black Market

Skirt: BB Dakota

Belt: Nordstrom BP

Boots: Steve Madden

Today's picture was taken in front of McCaw Hall. I think it's an opera house, but I have no idea, because I've never actually been inside. It was built in 2003, and I just LOVE the design and architecture of the place... well, just the outside at least. I totally wanted to have my wedding reception there, but it was just WAY too pricey and I think the layout of the place made it kind of awkward... since opera houses aren't really meant to be reception halls, you would have to seat everyone in the lobby, which is terrible for acoustics.. what with all the glass and high ceilings.

So, this skirt. I ordered it online in a size small, but it was, like, REALLY short because it sat super high up on my waist, so I exchanged it for a size L. I have no idea my reasoning behind NOT getting the medium, but the large is way too big, and sits really low on my hips. You can't see (and I'm not going to be taking self-timer pictures of my behind), but it has a super cute exposed zipper on the back, making it near-impossible to alter. I was too lazy (and cheap) to send it back a second time, so I'll have to deal with belting it.

You know what's annoying me today? When people who don't know how to use bcc send mass emails, and then all these random people that I don't know reply-all with their stupid "I'll be there!" emails. I'm on TWO of these stupid emails, where the original sender should have just used Evite. Seriously, I've been getting TONS of these, and it annoys me to no end. GRRRR.

My poster giveaway is (finally) ending tomorrow. I think it was stupid to have a two week long giveaway, I should have made it way shorter, but I guess I know for next time. Go enter if you haven't yet. It's my last reminder :)

PS. I can't figure out how get myself in focus when I'm using a self-timer... since the camera is already focusing on the background. I wish I had a fancy DSLR that I could use a remote with, but I don't. And manual settings make my head hurt. Help?

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

Dress: Thrifted
Belt: Thrifted
Cardigan: Forever 21
Boots: Frye
Necklace: Target

I stopped by the new Lake Union Park this morning on my way to work, and it was gorgeous. I had no idea there was even a park here until I looked at the map this morning trying to find a new photo location. Surprisingly, the sun was out (doesn't happen much during the winter months)... and I had no idea my eyes were this small. You should see some of the outtakes, it looks like I'm sleeping. SAD.

I picked up this dress on one of my very first Goodwill outings last year. After implementing a clothing budget at the beginning of the year, I realized that I couldn't continue my old shopping habits and was forced to either drastically cut down on buying new clothes, or I had to go cheap. I chose to go cheap, which is why the majority of my new clothes these days comes from Target, Forever 21, or Goodwill. I should probably save up and buy stuff that will last forever, but I have tons of those kinds of nice/slightly pricey-er things in my closet that sit unworn because they're just out of style, or because I'm sick of them already and don't want to donate them because I spent a lot on them. Plus, buying cheap makes me happy. I like to get the most bang out of my buck these days. :)

I'm not sure I like the silhouette of this outfit. You can't really tell from the picture, but the dress has kind of a bell shape to it, and then the cardigan has these pockets that make me look super hippy. This is one of those outfits that looked so much better in my head than in person, but I got up really late this morning and I didn't have the time or patience to pick out something new. But whatever, I like the pattern on the dress a lot, and that's what counts, right?

Peace out!

With you right here, I'm a rocketeer

Tank: Forever 21

Jacket: Macy's

Jeans: AG (Hand-me-downs)

Shoes: Target

I'm wearing skinny jeans again! I'm so proud of myself despite my ankles and the tops of my feet FREEZING today. I wore these flats the last time I wore skinny jeans, and sadly enough, these are one of my only two pairs of flats.. I'm totally lacking a pair of black flats, and have been on the hunt for the longest time, but I have really picky feet and can't seem to find a pair that's comfy, cute and cheap. You would think a pair of black flats would be the simplest thing to find!

I got this little knit military jacket thingy at Macy's in the junior department on clearance for like $8. I was so excited that it was so cheap and cute, and didn't really check it carefully before rushing over to the cashier. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that one of the front buttons was missing (!!)... and it's not like I can go to JoAnn's and buy a matching button. (BTW, why are buttons sooo expensive? srsly!) I went back the next morning and they were out of mediums, so I had to get a small instead. Oh well, still fits, just a little more snug than I'd like. Moral of the story: check to see all your buttons are there before purchasing, especially if it's a super cheap junior brand that doesn't include extra buttons. Or else you'll have to make an extra trip to return it, and they might not have your size anymore.

Oh, and an update on my forgotten phone sitch today, it was safe and sound in my car when I returned in the evening... but now I'm like totally behind on blog reading, since I do most of my reading while on the bus and throughout the day. Sad face.

WWYD?

OMG, I'm totally continuing my stupidness/forgetfulness streak. I left my phone in my car at the park and ride today. I didn't realize until I was already almost at work, and to turn around and go back would make me more than 2 hours late to work, since there's not that many buses that go back and forth after rush hour (I get to work at 10am.. my co-workers and I are all pretty lazy in terms of start time).

Plus, without my phone, I wouldn't be able to email or call my manager to let him know that I'd be in 2 hours late. It wouldn't be such a big deal to be that late (I'd just make it up later), but it's just that to be that late WITHOUT letting them know is kind of bad.

But now I'm just sitting here fretting... is someone going to break into my car?! AH! I don't know, since my car is against a wall, with a car on either side, and no one is going to be walking by my car unless except for the two neighbors. I'll just pray that they're good people and leave my phone alone. But it's just that i can't stop worrying, because I'm kind of attached to my phone, and I don't think I could function without it. :(

At least today we have some company meeting and a beer pong tournament later, so hopefully I can just slip out early... since I'm a party pooper and think beer pong is gross.

What would you do?

Twinsies

On me:
Hoodie: J. Crew outlet
Jeans: Paige Denim
Shoes: Chucks

On P:
Hoodie: Target
Jeans: DKNY (hand-me-down)
Shoes: Chucks
Goldfish crackers: Costco

I wasn't originally planning to wear this outfit, but after I got my son dressed, I couldn't resist changing into a matching outfit. You can't tell, but both our hoodies have a sherpa/fleece lining. So warm! Hoodies, jeans and Chucks used to be my go-to outfit... this is what I would wear every.single.day. Boring, right? Yeah, I thought so.

I took the day off of work today to stay home with baby P, and it was such so nice and relaxing... just a lazy morning spent snuggling in bed watching Thomas the Train on the iPad and then playing with Christmas ornaments. After his nap, I took him to go run some errands, mainly getting my new watch's links taken out, doing some returns, and getting some groceries. I stopped by Target, and couldn't resist the clearance section, and ended up with two new shirts and a new dress, but as the cashier rang me up, I realized I didn't bring my wallet. DOH! So no new clothes or groceries today... but I did end up getting my watch re-sized... the lady was nice enough to let me pay her tomorrow! I'm crossing my fingers that the clearance clothes that I picked out will still be there tomorrow. I was so mad though, since I had so many things that I needed to do. Does that ever happen to anyone else? I feel like it always happens to me. Just forgetful I guess.

I can't wait for the new year and my clothing budget to be replenished... I'm already thinking of the things I'm going to buy next year. First off is a pair of new comfy heels and a boyfriend blazer, and then I'm going to buy one of those bunny necklaces that Katrina makes. Seriously the cutest things ever. She's currently running a giveaway on her blog for one, and I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I win.... but even if I don't, she's such a sweetheart and I'll probably buy one anyway. :)

PS. My poster giveaway is still going on. Go enter if you haven't! :)

I feel the sun creeping up like tick tok

Button-up: Thrifted

Skirt: Old Navy

Lace skirt underneath: Target

Boots: Steve Madden

Necklace: Kenneth Cole

For today's tour of Seattle, we bring you to the EMP/SFM, which is, the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum that was funded by Paul Allen and deemed one of the ugliest buildings in Seattle. It's not a particularity attractive building, but sure makes for a cool backdrop, right? I had to go around to the back of the building because the front is right up against the busy street, and I'm for sure not busting out my self-timer there! My husband and I were just there a few weeks ago, and I remembered that there was a nice high ledge thingy that was a perfect height to place my camera. I was glad when I went this morning on my way to work and found that it was completely deserted back there. Yay for no awkward looks!

This corduroy skirt ALWAYS bunches up funny and clings to my tights or leggings, so today I decided to add another skirt underneath it to act as a slip (because I don't own one) in addition to adding some warmth. I do like the extra peek of lace, and think I might be doing this more often in the future.

OK, for all you ladies who do not have kids yet, here's a warning for you. They all tell you that you don't lose as much hair as normal when you're pregnant, and that's true. I had fabulous hair when I was pregnant and for the first 3 months of my son's life. Then around 3 or 4 months after giving birth, all of that hair that didn't fall out starts shedding, and it's disgusting. Clogged drains and hair all over the carpet. SO GROSS. And I looked bald when I had my hair pulled back, but I'll spare you the pictures. Well, all your hair starts growing back pretty quickly, and you'll end up with wispies ALL over your head. I had to cut bangs for the first time in my life because of it. Anyway, what they don't tell you is that it takes FOREVER for wispies to grow out. See all that hair that came out of my braid on the side of my head? That's all my "new" hair, and it doesn't like to cooperate. SO ANNOYING. They always escape my bobby pins and hair bands. It's been more than a year and they're still so short. UGH.

On another note, thank you all for all the super sweet comments about my boring life. This is why I like blogging so much, you guys totally make me feel like I have real friends, even if there's a slight chance you might be some creepy old man pretending to be a girl.

She wears high heels, I wear sneakers...

Dress: Target
Cardigan: Target
Belt: Romy
Shoes: Sofft

I'm one of those girls who walks funny in heels. Most of the time, it's because I'm just not used to it, but more often than not, it's because my feet are killing me. I thought that it was because my heels were all cheap and maybe that's why they're not comfortable, so I went out and bought super comfy old lady brand heels that aren't even that high, and they STILL hurt after awhile. Maybe because I stood on my feet for 2 hours today, and I was exhausted after yelling at rowdy 2nd and 3rd graders to pay attention during Sunday School. I only have like 13 or 14 kids in my class, but they're quite a handful. I don't know how all you full-time teachers do it.

I want to wear heels more often, since it totally makes a huge difference and turns a boring outfit into a polished and put-together outfit. I think I'll plan to have one of my new year's resolutions be that I want to wear heels at least once a week. We'll start from there, and see how it goes. I might need a few new pairs of heels first. :) Anyone have any recommendations for cute, not TOO tall, comfortable heels? I think I want something similar to Kendi's red suede pumps from UO.. but not sure if I like the heel on that particular pair.

So here's a little bit about me: I have no life. Really, my life is pretty boring. When I'm not working, I'm spending as much time as I can with my son. The only free time I have is when he's sleeping, but then it's not like I can go out partying or whatever, since I'm usually the main caretaker for bedtime. That means I don't get to see my friends very much, and I'm probably the worst kind of friend there is.. you know, the kind who gets married and has a kid, then drops off the face of the earth. Of course there's moms out there that can work full time AND spend time with their kid AND have an active social life, but that's just not me. So why am I telling you all this? Because I'm reading everyone else's weekend posts that are all like "oh, we went here and there and ate at this fancy restaurant and then had drinks at this fancy place..." and I'm all like "uh, I ate leftovers for dinner, and the highlight of my weekend was getting our leaky sink fixed" (okay, technically not the highlight of my weekend, but I'm glad we can finally use the sink again. YAY!) so yeah, I hope you enjoy my fun-filled blog of super exciting adventures in sorting laundry and eating cookies!

Nerdy Stuff: A is for Ackbar

I'm a sucker for cute things (and nerdy things), so when I came across these Star Wars prints, I couldn't not share them!

They were a project by Brandon Peat and his wife, who drew them for their son's nursery. My husband is a big fan of Star Wars, and while I don't really "get it" (I ask a million questions when we watch the movies- Hey, who's that? Why did they do that? Is that a good guy or bad guy?) I do enjoy the franchise and someday dream of doing Star Wars-themed family costumes for Halloween (with me being a non-slutty Leia, of course). These prints are now available in a book form which they are giving away for FREE if you donate at least $15 to their son's college fund. What an awesome idea!

I guess it's been super crazy with the number of people donating, so they are ending the donation drive tomorrow, December 6th at 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time, so if you want one, go order it NOW. It's really for a good cause (school is cool!) and the illustrations are amazing. I can't wait to get mine :)

Oh na na, what's my name

Denim moto jacket: Gap Outlet
Thin sweater that's all bunched weirdly: Express
Pants: Forever 21
Boots: Steve Madden
Scarf: Burberry

Oops. You can see the label on my scarf. I'm guessing that you're supposed to cut those off, since they're barely sewed on, but I've kind of been putting it off. Once I cut it off, it's just going to be a plain brown plaid scarf, not a Burberry one (oh you fancy huh, you fancy huh..). Do you guys cut the labels off your scarves? I never do.. I just turn them inwards so they don't show (which I obviously failed at today). Am I just a weirdo?

I've been wanting a leather moto jacket for awhile now, and when I came upon this denim version at the Gap Outlet on clearance AND on the 40% off Gap Give and Get weekend, I couldn't not buy it. But even with the smallest size they had in store (XS), it still feels a little too boxy and not as form fitting as I would like. I love when girls can wear their moto jackets open over flouncy dresses, but I tried that I just look like I'm wearing some kind of stiff cape. Hmmm.... oh well.

We went to Nordstrom Rack to use our Groupons today, and I bought myself a new Fossil boyfriend watch. It's grey instead of white like the one I had on my wishlist, and doesn't have the 3 mini-clocks inside (I never understand what those are for anyway) but I LOVE it. Especially when it was only $35 instead of the $95 like the one I originally wanted, plus I had the $50 for $25 Groupon. Isn't it pretty? I have to go get one of the links taken out, which bums me out, because I want to wear it, like, NOW.

You know what's stupid? I keep feeling guilty when I'm buying new clothes, because I sometimes forget that I'm not doing Kendi's 30x30 challenge. I'm subscribed to all the remixers' blogs, and obsessively check everyone's remixes everyday. I forget that I don't have to adhere to the same rules as you guys.. lol. Not that I want to rub it in your face... but I'm going to miss the challenge once it's over! :( I hope all you lovely remixers continue to post your outfit pics after the challenge is over, because I'm just loving all the inspiration I'm getting from you guys! <3


PS. Rihanna's new song is stuck in my head today and I CAN'T get it out. SO ANNOYING. So I guess I'll be sticking to this title-has-nothing-to-do-with-post thing I got going on.

PPS. Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't already :)

First time for everything

T-shirt: Alternative Apparel
Cardigan: The Limited
Jeans: Forever 21
Flats: Target
Bracelet: via jewelery swap with Frances Joy

This may look like a normal outfit, but it's actually a "first" of sorts. You see, it's my first time wearing skinny jeans WITHOUT tucking them into boots. Well, okay, that's kind of a lie. I tried it one other time, maybe two, but I completely hated the results before. I think I just didn't wear the right shoes or have the right skinny jeans. So this is my first time actually liking myself wearing skinny jeans. I'm kind of slow to jump on the bandwagon... it's taken me THIS long to finally embrace them.

Second, it's my first time wearing flats in the winter months. I usually put away all my flats until the spring, and survive the cold weather months in boots or sneakers... I absolutely HATE not wearing socks and having the top of my foot exposed to the elements. But I sucked it up.

Third, this is my very first super cute statement cuff/bracelet thing (that you can't really see at all). Maybe it's not technically that statement-y, but it is for me. I'm scared to death of loud jewelery, and own very few pieces of jewelery in general. This cuff is totally out of my normal comfort zone, but I've been itching for a reason to wear it, and what's better than a vanilla outfit? :)

And about this rusty wall, it's not actually a wall, it's this:

I walked on over to the Olympic Sculpture Park during my lunch break. I guess this is kind of like a tour of Seattle on my blog! Well, don't get your hopes up. I'm too scared to take self-timer pictures in more people-filled touristy places like Pike Place Market... I like my camera too much to risk it getting stolen by a hobo.


PS. Please ignore my one-sleeve-up-one-sleeve-down thing that I have going on. And my squinty eyes. Blame it on the sun... or my genes, whatever.

Fly like a cheese stick

Dress/tunic(?): Armani Exchange
Cardigan: Gap Outlet
Boots: Steve Madden

Leggings: Forever 21
Belt: Forever 21
Necklace: Loft

I work really close to the Seattle Center, so I popped by today to take my outfit picture. It's not too busy at the Center in December, so I wasn't too concerned about awkward stares (I just pretended I was a tourist taking a picture of myself.. pretty much everyone else there was a tourist, so why not?) It did, however, get awkward when some guy who was walking by stopped to let my self-timer go off. It's awkward enough to smile at my camera that's sitting on a bench, but extra awkward when there's a guy standing there watching you a feet away. At least he offered to snap a photo for me, and it turned out 1000x better than all 20 of my self-timer ones... despite the Space Needle sticking out of my head.

I was thinking about those fashion-blogger poses, you know, the "hey look what's on my shoe" or the arm behind the head, or the "I'm minding my own business and didn't realize there's a camera there" kind of thing, and it totally works for other bloggers, but I feel foolish and awkward just thinking about them. I think I'll just stick with standing here and smiling. How do people do it? Especially in public places?! Please do tell, I'm dying to know.

I bought this dress/tunic thing months ago with a gift card, and have been having a really hard time incorporating it into my wardrobe. Armani Exchange really isn't my style, so I seriously browsed the website for over 2 hours deciding what I should get, before giving up and just blindly picking two items from the sale section. The other shirt still has the tags on it... and I still don't know what to do with it.

As for the title of this post, I sat here for 5 minutes trying to think of one... and laughed when I thought of that "Like a G6" song. My husband thought they were singing "fly like a cheese stick" HAHAHA. I don't even know what a G6 is, so I prefer his version. It has nothing to do with this post, but it's my blog and I can do whatever I want.

Don't forget to enter my poster giveaway if you haven't already! :)

A Vintage Poster Giveaway! - Closed

I was recently introduced to A Vintage Poster, and was immediately drawn to the clean graphics, bold text, and colorful backgrounds. SO PRETTY.

What's more, is that every poster is custom made, so you can pick the background color to match your home's decor or your favorite color. How cool is that?

I ordered a custom poster for my friend as a housewarming gift, and Sara was so sweet to work with. I had no idea what I wanted the poster to say, so she put together several wording and font options for me to choose from. Talk about great customer service :)

Aren't they just beautiful? Sara was nice enough to sponsor a giveaway for a 11"x14" or 8"x10" poster of your choice*! I'm so excited, because I just LOVE giveaways. Also, I'm SOOO thankful for the handful of readers that have come to my brand new blog and have been so encouraging and soooo very nice, so I want to give something back to you guys :)

Here's how you can win:

Mandatory Entry: Go to A Vintage Poster, then come back here and leave a comment with which poster is your favorite

Bonus entry #1: Become a follower of Blue Paper Lanterns (that's me!) and/or subscribe to my blog via RSS

Bonus entry #2: Mention this giveaway in a blog post or tweet

Leave one comment for each entry, so if you do all three, you would have left a total of 3 comments. Make sense? If you do not have your email address visible on your profile or blog, please leave that so I have a way of contacting you if you are the winner.

This giveaway is open to US and Canada addresses only. Contest ends 12pm PST on Wednesday, Dec 15th. I'll pick a winner via random.org and the winner will have 72 hours to claim their prize.

*Excludes the posters with custom text/graphics.