the day nordys let me down

I love Nordstrom. I need to go on record and say that before I post the following rant that may lead you to believe otherwise. You see, I am (currently, at least slightly, perhaps unfairly) disappointed in Nordstrom! I am a bridesmaid in a wedding this summer and when the bride sent me a Nordstrom link to look at the front running dress, I was immediately excited. Bridesmaids dresses are usually a challenge (honestly, they are almost never fun), but I love it when the bride picks a great store instead of forcing us into the bridal salon experience where chances are you're buying something overpriced, in a bigger size than you'd like, knowing you'll literally never wear it again. I don't particularly like kissing hundreds of dollars goodbye. Nordstrom seemed so very hopeful and my heart soared. Momentarily. The disappointment set in when I clicked on the potential dress and there was a price range displayed: $189 - $240. Instantly I knew that could only mean one thing - plus size dresses are $51 more expensive. Now don't get me wrong, I understand there is some extra fabric required for a larger dress, but is it $51 worth of "extra" fabric...AND if that logic is accurate, then why isn't a size 2 less expensive than a size 16? Honestly. As if it isn't bad enough that I have to BE the fat bridesmaid, I also have to pay a hefty penalty fee on the bridesmaid dress? I am offended, there is just no way around it. I bought a size 18 at David's Bridal for Emily's wedding so I am hopeful that maybe I'll fit into the regular size 18 at Nordstrom and not have to pay the $240 price, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see when we try them on. The good news is that the dress looks good on skinny girls and plus size girls alike, and for that I shall say thank you to the bride!

the grammys

Last night was the Grammy Awards...an epic night for American music. However, I haven't watched them yet because I decided I would rather watch The Bachelor Wedding (an epic night for women everywhere and Chris Harrison) with my best, Carrie. She enticed me with cookies and cute children that needed to be cuddled - it wasn't really even a question! After Sean and Catherine were blissfully wed (Sean's Dad was just darling as the Officiant - I think he was my favorite part, maybe other than Catherine's dress which was divine), I did catch about 2 minutes of Lorde's performance and I just don't understand what happened to her nails...I don't think it counts as a manicure if the entire tip of your finger is painted black...strange-sauce! Anyway, I will probably watch the Grammy's eventually - or at least fast forward through them so I can see TSWIFT perform (love her!) but I had to look at the red carpet pics. I am (and forever will be) a total sucker for a red carpet. My favorite looks were all neutrals with a bit of glitz. Taylor takes the lead in her stunning gold strapless dress with a silver sparkle overlay. Perfection. I also loved Sarah Hyland (one of TSwift's real life friends and actress in Modern Family) in her black and white short dress! Fun and fancy while still looking young and feminine - these girls are babies after all (even if they are literally the rich and famous). I don't know if Anna Kendrick's dress is my favorite - but I just love her so I thought I'd throw her some blog love and Kacey Musgraves just looks phenomenal. Again, I'm not sure I love the dress it feels a little more Academy Awards than Grammys, and the layered ruffle might be a bit too much, but the air of class and sophistication is bar none and I love her manicure. Nails will win me over every time. There is quite a lull between the Grammy's and the Oscars, so I will have to wait a long time until the next red carpet...but praise the Lord it is a really good one! Until then, I will write ridiculousness and watch Oscar nominated films...

its friday, friday...

Well, another week has come and gone...
Sometimes it seems like once you enter adulthood, you basically live for the weekend - you go through the motions Monday - Thursday eagerly anticipating the arrival of Friday and the hope of spare time to do with as you please. I try to make every day count on some level, but I admit that weekends hold some allure that a workday just cannot. So praise the Lord that it is Friday and the weekend is upon us! Here are five of my favorite moments this week...

1. I rocked this absolutely fantastic and amazingly adorable double tassel bracelet in navy and hot pink from Wrist Soiree. Those tassels made me happy all day. Literally. I'm a huge fan of accessories, so they are pretty much always my favorite part of the week!

2. I spent Saturday and Sunday in San Elijo with my parents - the weather was a dream and the sunsets were breathtakingly gorgeous. I kept hearing the Sara Bareilles song "Chasing the Sun" playing in my head - the lyrics never fail to inspire me to look for the brightness of life and live it to the fullest... "You said, remember that life is, not meant to be wasted - we can always be chasing the sun. So fill up your lungs and just run. All we can do is try and live like we're still alive." There is something truly awe-inspiring about the vastness of creation and the power of our God. Finding that moment of still and quiet to truly soak it in was refreshing to my soul.

3. My childhood best friends Anna Garcia and Jenny Linthicum were also staying with their parents at the beach (beach camping has been part of our lives for as long as we can remember) so we got to spend some quality time together. We have been friends forever, so afternoon walks to Starbucks, painting our nails, and sitting around the campfire together are moments of perfection.

4. I took this random selfie and when I looked at it again, it totally looks like a glamor shot - which CRACKS ME UP! I bet those pictures are still proudly displayed on someone's mantle somewhere! I sent this via text to a few friends and had a really good laugh.

5. I went to see "her" with the Clark family. We are all on track to see all the Oscar nominated movies before March 02 and "her" was still on the list. I enjoyed the film(although it was perhaps one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen) and it left me contemplating, which is always a good sign. The basis of the story revolves around a man who falls in love with his operating system - and very soon you realize everyone is interacting more with their operating systems than with people. It's an interesting parallel to our society where social media has taken on a life of its own and truly controls and commands our presence in a lot of ways. I'm really glad I still have friends to see movies with - and that I'm not just in my head! Sounds like a really lonely and half-baked existence.

the oscar countdown has begun...

The Oscars are on March 02, which is in exactly 37 days (you can countdown to the minute the show begins online - visit the official Oscars website for all kinds of news and fun tid-bits!) and I have a lot of movies to watch! Nominations came out one week ago today and I have not been to the movies since! YIKES BIKES! There are a total of nine best picture nominees and I will do my very best to see all of them before Oscar day! The nominees are:
-- American Hustle
-- Captain Phillips
-- Dallas Buyers Club
-- Gravity
-- Her
-- Nebraska
-- Philomena
-- 12 Years a Slave
-- Philomena
-- Wolf of Wall Street

I saw American Hustle the weekend it came out - it stars Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams and was directed by the incredible David O. Russell. Liking it wasn't even in question - I knew I would love it. I did. And it has been winning awards all season! HAPPINESS!

I have also seen Gravity and Philomena.  Gravity was much better than I expected and I give Sandra Bullock major credit for being able to sustain the film completely on her own - that is serious talent. Philomena was beautiful...the story was captivating and devastating and infuriating and heartbreaking and just absolutely beautiful.

Tonight I'm going to see Her and I can get Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, and 12 Years a Slave from Redbox meaning it is time to start planning for lots of movies nights at home! (Can we say Praise the Lord for Redbox by the way, I am so glad I can watch some of these movies for $1 instead of $15! AND I can bring whatever snacks I want into the "theatre"! AND I can wear jammies and cuddle under a blanket or push pause to use the restroom. AND I don't have to feel guilty checking my cell phone - THIS is the good life!) With all those watched, I'll be down to just Wolf of Wall Street and I need to get a date on the calendar to watch that with Gan (Leo is kind of her guy!). Ahhhh I do love the movies!

wedding season here I come...

Earlier this week my dear friend Rebecca (aka. Kenz) asked me to be a bridesmaid in her upcoming wedding (she wrote me a tender note on the INCREDIBLY GORGEOUS Rifle Paper Co. Will you be my Bridesmaid? card - swoon). I am so excited and I know we'll have a blast celebrating this joyous season together, but can I be honest for just a minute and say that weddings have a distinct way of making me (us?) feel incredibly insecure. Being a bridesmaid can reach into the depths and dredge up the worst feelings I've ever had about myself. As soon as I saw the front of the card my brain immediately went to dresses and if they would fit and flatter, if they'd even have my size, if the number on the tag would be a devastating blow to my self-esteem. With that thought firmly planted, I moved onto contemplating the other bridesmaids and how pretty they may be. I know comparison is the thief of joy, but fending off that enemy is an incredibly hard battle to fight and often I lose. Wedding days involve hundreds of pictures that will likely adorn the walls of a dear friend for years to come and I do not want to be the girl that ruins them all with my diagonal chin. I know I can have beautifully painted nails, but that just doesn't seem like the most valuable beauty trait on wedding day. I'm sure that for weeks leading up to the wedding I'll be doing hair-trials and testing different makeup combinations to ensure I look the very best I can. On wedding day, I will walk down the aisle with as much confidence as I can muster and hope that the photos turn out well, but I will have to squash that little seed of doubt repeatedly. And I hate that. I hate that I (we?) give in to all that. Kenz didn't ask me to be a bridesmaid because she thought I would look pretty in her pictures, she asked because we have shared life together, because we are friends that have laughed through great adventures and cried on hard days, we have made memories and been a constant presence throughout the current season of life - and THAT is not based on looks. We are so much more than what size dress we wear, how good our hair looks, or how perfectly our makeup is applied. This wedding season, I'm going to do my darndest to embrace the beautiful I know I am, I'm going to take pictures with Kenz and my Gan (she is also a bridesmaid, HELLO GOOD TIMES) and cherish the memories without letting the little seed of doubt steal my joy. I am going to overcome my inner critic and just celebrate...WEDDING SEASON HERE I COME!

my january music obsession...

On November 4, 2013, the amazingly gorgeous "Say Something" by A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera was released...it was featured on So You Think You Can Dance as well as The Voice and then Christina performed it at the American Music Awards. Haunting harmonies in tragic ballads are probably my very favorite and Say Something definitely fits that criteria. I fell in love instantly. Yesterday, A Great Big World released their premiere album Is There Anybody Out There and it is FANTASTIC. I have already listened to the entire album numerous times and I have a feeling it will continue to play on repeat in my world for the next several days. Some of the songs are bright and enthusiastic while others carry a bit more weight, but the mix feels just right. I think I'm a junkie.

sag awards

Awards Season is going strong and making me one happy lady! I have LOVED getting to watch a red carpet virtually every week! SO FUN! The SAG awards are always fun because it is actors celebrating actors. The red carpet at the globes was definitely more spectacular overall, but I found several dresses to love and there were plenty of laugh-worthy moments. I think my overall best dressed has to go to Hannah Simone. She stepped out of the car and I audibly gasped. I loved the grace and sophistication of her dress coupled with the subtle makeup and classy hair. She was breath-taking. Michelle Dockery also looked remarkably classy in her tuxedo inspired dress with a simple twisted pony and soft side bang. Elisabeth Moss rocked the bright red strapless and Lupita Nyong'o picked the perfect color for her skin tone. My final pick went to Jennifer Lawrence who wore a fantastically fun dress - let's be honest - it has sequins - and anything with sequins is a WIN! Plus, she is just my fav and always deserves a little blog love! Looking froward to the Grammy's this weekend - bring on the TSWIFT!

high 5 for friday

I'm linking up with lauren elizabeth because it is...high 5 for friday! Here are 5 of my best moments from the week...

1. I rocked this amazing necklace that Gan gave me for Christmas - it is gold and has fringe - could a girl ask for anything more. SASSY but still CLASSY is my favorite! Plus I wore it with this polka dot dress that I absolutely LOVE!

2. I spent an evening at the theatre with my sweet friend Justine - we saw Beauty and the Beast and it was fantastic. Justine kept asking me if they were actually singing or if there was a soundtrack - she just couldn't believe it was all live. We saturated in the arts and became more cultured all while feeling fancy in our dresses and heels. I love all things Broadway, so it was a sure win - plus we had chickfila for dinner, and there really isn't much better than chickfila!

3. Bachelor night with my best bud Rory James and cuddles in abundance. I think I am gonna love being a mama someday - but I'm treasuring being aunt shell for now!

4. I experienced eatitalian. Thin crust pizza, homemade pasta, gelato and pastries = happy girl.

5. I raised my glass and toasted a long-term client who has become a treasured friend through our years working together. Amanda and I have spent countless hours together working on projects, sitting in meetings, and sharing life on a daily basis. She is headed to San Francisco for a whole new adventure and I wish her nothing but the best; however, I will miss her terribly and shed a tear (or two) as I said goodbye.

critics choice movie awards

Last night was the Critics Choice Movie Awards and I have to admit I was not very impressed. In fact, I ended up changing the channel before the show was even over. There was no red carpet pre-show, the host was terrible, and Jennifer Lawrence wasn't there. Nevertheless, I'm an award show junkie and gave it my best try! This morning I glanced through all the dresses and though many of my favorite stars were not present, there were three stand-out dresses*! The Critics Choice Awards are a formal event, but it's not classified as black-tie so the dresses and hair definitely reflected that. All my best dressed votes went to ladies adorned in black and white, which is a bit odd since I'm usually a bright and bold girl. Julia Roberts looked fantastic - and I absolutely LOVED her hair - but I think Margot Robbie takes the cake with her amazing black lace pantsuit (*a pantsuit doesn't really count as a dress, but you totally get what I mean, right?!) and messy wave blonde locks. I could literally never pull that look off, but she ROCKED it! The SAG awards this weekend and I have no doubt more of my favs will be on the red carpet dressed to the nines and looking absolutely stunning! Can't wait! 

sensational in sydney

This morning I hit pan on my very favorite eye shadow palette of all time. I am basically distraught. I have been wearing Stila Sensational in Sydney virtually every day for the past year. I've also used it as a base for wedding eyes several times and it is perfection. The shades are perfect, the amount of shimmer is perfect, the length of wear is perfect. I am going to be lost without it. According to google shopping, "Your search - stila stylish in sydney - did not match any shopping results." Today is a sad day.