March Roundup

Hey guys! Long time no see. I'll be honest with you: this semester has been absolutely insane, the weather has been REALLY bumming me out, and I spilled some water on my Macbook a couple of weeks ago. These things combined to make for a pretty bad blogging environment, so my apologies for the radio silence. I figured I'd give you guys an Insta-roundup so you can see what I've been up to in the past month!

1. My dog likes to hold hands sometimes // 2. Finally reunited with some of my high school friends! // 3. Tried some Yuengling...it's really hyped up around here! // 4. My neighborhood is pretty even with slushy snow. // 5. Boston malls are so intense. // 6. Got my laptop case all decked out! // 7. Anyone recognize the obscure Johnny Depp reference above my wine bottle shelf? // 8. My weather app lied to me and I was stuck on campus with useless sunglasses on a cloudy, chilly day. // 9. My apartment decor is coming along nicely! I might give you guys a living room tour in a few days.

Post-Valentines Breakfast

Hey, guys! Sorry, not done waxing on about Valentine's Day quite yet. It's on a Friday this year, which is much more exciting than when it falls in the middle of a school/work week and makes everyone's lives miserable. It also opens up a world of possibility. I'm going to propose something that will make your significant other/BFF/self/whoever really happy: extend the love right on out into the weekend.

C and I are embarrassingly obsessed with cooking breakfast. We have accumulated a very extended repertoire of egg, potato, tofu, waffle and pancake recipes from which to draw, and I have to say, we would make damn good brunch hosts. Breakfast/brunch totally rules, and it's a really fun thing to surprise someone with. Your SO thinks Valentine's Day is over on Friday night? Boom. Heart-shaped red velvet pancakes the next morning. What a fun surprise, and it'll show that for you, the romance never ends. Or, y'know, comfort your roomie who has given up on love entirely and make your own Galentine's Day with some insane waffle sushi. Whatever your situation, breakfast food makes everything better, and your recipient will be so happy you whipped up something special for them.

WAFFLE SUSHI. What the what?! This is a very neat recipe if you're an early bird who's looking to put 110% into a creative and fun V-Day breakfast.

mm, the classic Breakfast Parfait. This is a pretty little treat that gets a little Valentines flair with the strawberries. This would be great option for a health-conscious valentine (or a chef who is too sleepy to whip up a huge breakfast).

Yum! Red Velvet Pancakes! This is a Valentines staple, and it's sure to impress and delight. If your sweetie has a sweet tooth, this one's for you.

Spinach Artichoke and Brie Crepes with Sweet Honey Sauce. I could die. My breakfast taste skews more to the savory side lately, and these look totally amazing! Crepes can be a little tricky, but they're universally loved, and lend themselves to all sorts of fillings.

Heart-Shaped Egg in Toast. Martha Stewart, you never let us down. This is tried, true, and not too taxing. It's definitely the most literal interpretation of Valentines-themed breakfast food, and for that reason, is sure to draw a laugh and an appreciative smile.

What do you think — do you like the idea of Valentine's Weekend Brunch? What are your plans for the big day? Spill!

Valentines Playlist!

Hey, guys! Boston is a snow globe right now, so my classes were cancelled (hooray!). I thought this would be a fun opportunity to share some of my favorite love songs with you, in honor of Valentines Day next weekend. Personally, I'm a big Valentines fan...for some, especially in the blogging world, it's a very controversial holiday, but I'm a total sap, so I live for it. Bring on the cheesy Hallmark over-the-top love! C and I go to see Casablanca every year at a great indie theater in Cambridge, and it's a really fun tradition.

Anyway, if you too are smitten with Valentines Day, this playlist is for you! If you aren't...I will note that when I put this playlist together, I had a harder time finding happy love songs than sad ones, so seek comfort in your fellow indie-music-playing love-haters. It's crazy how many melancholy lyric slip by me when you set them to acoustic guitars, hah! Enjoy, guys!

Adventures in Apartment Decorating: My Bedroom

Hey, guys! Both in life and in blogging, I've kinda been boycotting January. I'm going to be real with you here for a second: it is 100% my least favorite month. It's unbearably cold, slushy, and without Christmas, snow really lacks a certain winter wonderland quality. I've been spending a lot of time bonding with mugs of tea and Netflix, is what I'm saying.

So I figured since I have nothing super fun to report on my life in the outside world and, as much as I love you all, I refuse to brave the Polar Vortex to take outfit pictures...I'll show you my hibernation cave bedroom! I've been working on decorating it and making the space say "me" ever since I moved in back in September. You guys seem to like my decorating sense...my DIY Vanity post has driven by far the most traffic to this blog, and clocked in more views than any other post last year. I used that piece as a visual guide for the room and designed around it. If nothing else, this post will help you understand my depth of love for Marshall's and IKEA. It's hard to make a space speak to you when you can't really use nails or paint the walls. So, to all of those looking to spruce up a rental, this is for you!

Welcome to my Crib! (I kind of feel like I'm on an episode of MTV Cribs) I decided to pop an "A" on the door to differentiate from my dear roommate's "L." That's just a wooden letter from Michael's and some very sweet scrapbook paper! The Jaws poster is to ward off intruders.

My bed is so obnoxiously bright, it definitely serves as the focal point for the room. I found this duvet cover at IKEA and absolutely fell in love, and I got a rug (barely visible on the left) and a lamp (just to the right) to match. It even ended up matching my Casablanca and Breakfast at Tiffany's posters...swoon. Speaking of those, all 3 of my posters were actually gifts from my boyfriend, but there are definitely similar inexpensive posters floating around the internet. I think they're a great way to add some personality to the walls, no hooks required. The painting was a very cheap find at Marshall's...aren't those just the sweetest lovebirds?

As I mentioned before, you guys are probably familiar with this vanity. The daisy chain of photos is a new addition. It's not a super original decorating technique, but it certainly makes me smile when I see it over there! Never underestimate the power of having photos of loved ones floating all around your place. They really make a rental feel like "home," and as you can see, I have a lot. Also, I totally forgot to organize the vanity caddy before I took these photos. How's that for "real?" hah.

Here is my ode to my semester abroad in Europe! I love this little shadowbox (also from Marshall's) to show off my mementos, and the Minnie ears are the perfect finishing touch.

Here begins my long and passionate ode to knick knacks. They are far and away my favorite thing to decorate with. Some fun and colorful souvenirs and flea market finds are the perfect compliments to a nice collection of photos. We don't need to talk about how heavily stuffed animals factor into my decor scheme. Who says you need to be an adult at 21, right?

That bird is actually another scrapbook paper-wooden figure creation. They're very easy to make, but I love the extra color they give the space! Those fun, bright frames are also from IKEA. They're actually reversible, so you can pop even more pictures in there and flip it around, which is awesome.

 The fun bicycle frame is from Pier 1, and the embroidery hoop is from the lovely Alyssa from Ten Feet Off Beale. The savings jar is for a trip next Spring Break, but I decided to decorate it with Alien from Spring Breakers because...uh...why not? It makes me laugh every time I see it now. I think "more than a touch of whimsy" is both my design motto and my best advice to those looking to inject some personality into their white-walled rental. Fun fact: Freddy Krueger's hat is signed by Wes Craven! Pretty neat, huh?

You can't go wrong with a little Rosie the Riveter! This is my dresser.

 Here's the other half of the lovebirds! The flowers were all found on sale at Michael's, along with the colorful planter. I think that adds such a fun element to the dresser top. It draws your eye over there right away, and makes it feel just a little bit like spring even when there's snow on the ground.

I tried to make my closet a little Old Hollywood...that Cinema sign was a really sweet thrift store find. It makes getting ready feel a little bit more grand!

So I guess if there's anything to take away from this very insane hodgepodge, it's that the best way to combat boring, white-wall blues is to surround yourself with pictures of friends and family, find plenty of fun knick knacks and posters that speak to you, and do not shy away from color! If you stay near the primaries (ish...), or pick another palate (like pastel) it will probably look fine. I picked red as my main color, but all the accents work with it to create a fun and warm rainbow that almost makes you forget all the white and brown around the room!

I hope you enjoyed the tour! Has the winter made you pick up your decorating game, too?

Blogging and Life in 2013

Hey, guys! Can you believe it's 2014 already?! My fingers can't even figure out how to type that. I hope your New Year's Eve was absolutely fabulous — I know I had a lot of fun! :)

So, full disclosure, I sat down to write this a few days ago and realized that deleting my old Wordpress site was a big, big mistake. I ended up with broken images for every post pre-Blogger move, and I haven't quite completed that bit of housekeeping. It's such a pain! But it's what I get for not thinking harder about that sort of thing...so, most of my travel posts and some other things from early 2013 and all of 2012 will be out of commission for a while while I sort all of that out. What a way to start the year, eh?

But I'm here writing this with a sleeping dog on my knee, and I have to say, it was a pretty great year overall. I got to work at a Halloween store, I got a fiction piece accepted for publication at my school, I went on tons of summer adventures, I moved into my first apartment, I turned 21, I crossed the halfway mark of college (this is both good and bad, y'all, I'm not going to lie to you), and I took in so much great art, tons of tasty food, and even a few fantastic plays with lots of the people I love. There were bittersweet moments, especially my experience at the Boston Marathon bombings, but I think those have just made me love and appreciate life even more than I did before.

I also gained lots of new readers to this little blog! My most-read posts, and the ones that brought a lot of you guys my way, were my DIY Vanity and my Boston Marathon reflection. I'm also linking to a few of my favorite outfit posts, DIYs, and recipes you may have missed.

Boston Strong: Reflections on Marathon Monday

Apartment-Sized Vanity on a Budget

DIY: Summer in a Mason Jar (2 Ways!)

The Evolution of My Style: a Hilarious Retrospective

On Rescue Dogs

Maudslay Stylin'

Boston Campus Style: Hot Spiced Apple Cider

A Really Fun Weekend

Vegan Cider Waffles With Apple Cranberry Topping

Thanks so much for riding through 2013 with me - I hope it was fun for you! Expect to see a lot more of me around here next year, and a very happy New Year to you all. :)

Snapshots from the Holiday

Hello everyone! I hope you had a lovely Christmas! I had such a great time with family and friends this holiday season. Here are a few snapshots from my Christmas:

I'm so excited for New Years! Do you guys have any plans? I'm resolving to get a more regular blogging schedule, so expect to see more of me around here! Enjoy the rest of your holiday season, everyone :).

Merry Mail Ornament Exchange Link-Up!

When I saw that Kenzie of Chasing Happy and Amber of And Yes to Joy were hosting a DIY ornament exchange, I was so excited! What a fun way to meet new bloggers and get some holiday crafting done! It was a great experience, and I'm so happy I got to spread (and receive!) some holiday cheer.

Not to mention, I got to come for winter break to this fun little guy! The very sweet Amy of Club Narwhal noted that I liked animals with little santa hats on them, and totally ran with it :). How cute is he?! He looks great on my tree.

I was so happy to have been paired with Amy: she loves to bake, travel, write, and design. Soul sisters! I embraced the travel idea, and made her this Mod Podge globe ornament:

I also got the chance to meet Jenny of Growing Up Jacobson, and her super cute kids! She told us a great story about a nutcracker she loved as a child, so I decided to make her this nutcracker-based scrapbook paper ornament.

If you'd like to know how I made these little guys, tutorials are coming tomorrow! In the meantime, thanks again to Kenzie and Amber for hosting this fun exchange, and thanks to Amy and Jenny - it has been awesome participating in this with you!

Home for the Holidays

Hi, friends - sorry for the absence! I just came home from school for winter break and I've been decompressing after the semester and the final projects and papers. I absolutely love being home this time of year — as you may have gathered, I'm a big Christmas fan. I adore walking down Comm Ave, seeing the lights in Boston Common, watching the tree lighting at Faneuil Hall, and decorating my apartment, but there's nothing like being with your family this time of year!

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for gingerbread baking, present wrapping, hot cocoa by the fire, mulled wine, and claymation Christmas movies! I missed out on some of the season last year because I was in Europe through half of December, so consider this my love letter to Christmas. I picked out the tree yesterday (though it has to compete with my sweet Saul tree, which just had to come home with me), there's a good old New England snow storm coming this weekend, and I'm ready to rock!

How are you all getting into the spirit? Hanging your stockings? Going sledding? Do tell!

November in Instagrams

So this is a bit late. Even when I pretty much have a handle on finals time, it still drains me! Especially when it bumps so much against the holidays. What cruel calendar god decided that was a good idea? So anyway, sorry for the radio silence is what I'm saying :).

Here's what I was up to last month:

1 // A delicious tofu scramble and sweet potato homefries breakfast! 2 // Pumpkin pie soda?! 3 // Some apartment decorations. 4// My friends trying their hand at deer hunter for a 21st birthday celebration. 5 // Gingerbread lobsters! 6 // My chalkboard seasonal greeting. 7 // A major award! (I saw A Christmas Story: the Musical with my family) 8 // The Faneuil Hall Christmas tree! It is a monster. 9 // Rosco just can't bear the weight of his big ol' head sometimes.

A Christmas Playlist

Happy Black Friday, everybody! I hope you have fun getting started on your Christmas shopping, whether you're a mall shopper or an online deal-hunter. And I hope your Thanksgiving was absolutely wonderful. Because it's officially the day when you're allowed to start listening to Christmas tunes, allow me to share the "Best of" my embarrassingly long Christmas playlist:

Guaranteed to make road trips 300% more awesome. Please share some of your favorite Christmas songs with me! And have a very happy holiday weekend.

Gift Guide 2013: A Very Geeky Christmas

Hey guys! You remember how I said I was super good at giving gifts? I figured I'd try to back that up this year with a fun holiday gift guide! It's not that the holidays sneak up on me (like...at all...hence the Christmas tree on my wall), but sometimes I wait just a bit too long to order people's presents online, and it cuts way too close to Christmas. I think the lateness of Thanksgiving is going to throw off my schedule even more. So even though it might seem like the Halloween decorations just went up, it's time to start thinking about those gifts!

Let's start with one of the most fun categories: the geek gifts. There are a ton of super awesome, quirky things to get the geek in your life - if you've never looked around the internet for a unique Star Trek gift, well, you would be amazed. I'm trying to keep these at a reasonable price point, so none of them exceed $40. Check it out!

1 // Game of Thrones House Pillows via ThinkGeek - These are so neat! And they look pretty cozy, which is important because...you know...winter is coming. ha. hahaha.

2 // Chop Sabers via ThinkGeek - Lightsaber chopsticks?! These are the coolest! Craig and I get sushi take-out all the time, so I snagged him a pair. Good thing he doesn't read this blog ;).

3 // The Hobbit Moleskin Notebooks via ThinkGeek - This is a super classy geeky gift, maybe for a traveler or a writer? It also includes Toilken illustrations inside, which is super cool.

4 // Whooz? iPhone Identification Stickers via the Grommet - This is for a techy family. Each person gets a cute little sticker to identify their iPhone earbuds and charger! Genius! And so adorable.

5 // Star Trek Pint Glasses via Amazon - These are for the beer-loving geek. I love the comic-strip art style on them!

6 // William Shakespeare's Star Wars via Amazon - This is a fun little stocking stuffer - it's a hilarious adaptation of Star Wars in the style of Shakespeare. Perfect for the literary geek in your life.

7 // Mulder and Scully Friendship Rings via Etsy - These are just the cutest things! The other side of the ring has a UFO embossed into it. They're wonderfully subtle. I think these would be adorable for couples or best friends.

8 // Doctor Who Print via Etsy - This is one of my favorite quotes from Doctor Who! I love dictionary prints, as well, and this one is nice and clean. A lovely gift for your favorite space/time explorer/typography enthusiast.

9 // Marvel Bowtie via Etsy - This is a fun and dapper way to spice up a button-down shirt! A good way to help someone feel a little super.

These are a good starting point, but I encourage you to go out and look around to find the perfect gift for your beloved geek! ThinkGeek and Etsy are great places to start - just type in what they like best into the search bar, and be amazed at how much stuff there is out there! If you prefer to go DIY, check out this adorable Lego Star Wars Death Star Ornament tutorial...now that's a mouthful!

Do you have any geeks you're finding great gifts for this year? Let me in on your secrets! I won't tell.

Vegan Cider Waffles With Apple Cranberry Topping

Don't tune me out at the word vegan, y'all. I personally dip my toes in vegan baking pretty frequently, as I am a semi-lactose-intolerant vegetarian who lives with a dyed-in-the-wool vegan. I can say with confidence that this is among the easiest vegan "pastry" recipes ever. There are no flax or chia eggs, no Ener-G egg replacer, only really simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

But seriously, YUM, guys. These are light and crispy, spicy and aromatic, and they pretty much taste like fall on a plate. The apple cranberry topping is a quick and simple touch that take these to the next level. They don't take that much effort to make, and they will totally make your Saturday morning the best one ever. Trust.

RECIPE (adapted from Art of Dessert)

Makes 3 large waffles

Waffle Ingredients:

1.5 cups + 3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 cups almond milk

6 tbsp apple cider

5 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Apple Topping Ingredients:

2 medium apples (I used Gala, but feel free to use whatever you like)

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

3 tbsp coconut oil (or vegan margarine)

3 tbsp dried cranberries

Dash of maple syrup (optional)

Waffle Instructions:

Preheat waffle iron and spray with non-stick spray

Stir all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth

Pour 1/3 of the batter into the iron

Repeat until you have achieved a warm waffle trifecta

Topping Instructions:

Peel, core, and slice your apples

Preheat coconut oil in your pan

Add spices, sugar, and cranberries, stir until combined

Add apples, saute for about 5-7 minutes or until apples are tender

If using maple syrup, stir it in right at the end and get it out quick to prevent sticking

Pour on top of warm waffles and enjoy a taste of the season!

P.S. the waffle maker we have now is an old one of mine from my parents' house. It's shaped like a princess carriage. So every breakfast is 300% more awesome for this fact. Look on in envy:

HoliDIYs: Quickie Twinkle Light Christmas Tree

Hey guys! It may only be the beginning of November, but I am already ready for Christmas. I let the season go as long as reasonably possible. I may or may not be typing this while I'm wearing a reindeer sweater, is what I'm saying.

I love doing fun DIYs for the holidays, so I thought I'd share them with you this year! This one is very quick and simple, but it adds such a fun pop to a blank wall. Here in my apartment, we most definitely can't have Christmas trees (hello, small 3rd floor walk-up). But when I saw a commercial for Command Hooks, I got inspired to craft one out of a single string of lights! It was much easier than I thought it would be, and it looks so fabulous.

SUPPLIES:

2 packs of clear Command Hooks

1 string of green lights

"Star" (light-up yellow object of your choice)

Forgive me, the picture doesn't do it justice. I think this would be a great trick for a Christmas party, or to add some pizzaz to a space that can't necessarily accommodate a big tree. It couldn't be simpler. All you have to do is align the command hooks sparsely, in 7 rows that are about 5-6 inches apart. I only used 2 command hooks per row, and one per corner bend. Just push them closer together as you get up towards the top. Then string your lights around like a snake, hooking them into place as you go. If you're a perfectionist, you could do more measuring than I did. I promise it'll look fine when you light it up no matter how you do it!

Et voila! Our "star" is a chintzy $2 wreath I found at Ocean State Job Lot. Get creative with it! Anything that lights up is going to look fun. Everyone who has seen it so far was amazed at how such a simple idea can light up a room!

In other news, I didn't have a small enough star for our little Charlie Brown tree, so my roommate cut out a tiny Saul Goodman (of Breaking Bad) to sit on top of it. Our Christmas decorating is a bit nontraditional, to say the least...

But I laugh every time I see it!

How about you? Are you in the spirit yet, or does the Christmas music at the mall infuriate you to no end? Inquiring minds want to know!

Style Files: Tall Girl Problems

Hey guys! I'm here today to address a super serious issue: tall girl problems.

(I'm actually 281m tall. It's hard being a giant. Just kidding, guys. But you should consider yourself lucky that my commitment to this joke extends to me including this really unflattering photo of myself.)

I'm 5'8 and mostly legs. Short girls think they have the monopoly on height-related problems, but I beg to differ. I'm the girl who has to crunch down in group photos, the one who has to be super conscious of how short dresses are, and the one who is always "expecting a flood" because my jeans are not long enough. Why don't they make all jeans for women include an inseam? Men get all the luck.

I'm here because I know that some of my friends out there in the blogosphere have the same problems with finding good clothes as I do. Whenever I meet a fellow tall girl, we always ask each other: "where do you get your _____?" Let's face it, the women's fashion industry doesn't make it easy for girls of any size, so sometimes word of mouth is all we've got. I'm throwing out my fave brands for a few of the trickiest clothes to find in long-leg-friendly sizes: jeans, tights, and dresses.

Jeans

Everyone knows that Levi's makes good jeans, but when you buy them online (and sometimes at JC Penney), they have different-sized inseams! Awww-right. I like the Demi Curve Skinny Jean the best, but the style is up to you: just know if you get the long inseam, people won't be seeing your socks.

And somewhat counter-intuitively, teen girls' clothing brand Delia*s makes super awesome skinny jeans. You'll probably have to size up, and you might want to order online to avoid being blinded by the bright colors and twee-ness of the store, but with some well-timed coupons and a BOGO deal, you can get 2 pairs of high-waisted skinny jeans for $45! Sweet. I wear these embarrassingly often. You can get longer inseams online, but strangely enough, I find that the plain old Skylar High-Waisted jeans work just fine for me.

Tights

I'm all department stores for my tights. Tall girls know the struggle of tights falling down all day because they're about an inch too short for your legs. Simply Vera Wang tights last a long time for me, and they're pretty inexpensive at Kohl's. Most importantly, the legs stretch out to be pretty long! Wahoo. Target's Merona brand comes in size medium/tall, which is a fantastic tight-related innovation. I like Vera Wang for patterned or lace tights, and Merona for brightly colored tights.

Dresses

I'll preface this by telling you that my favorite dress length is an inch or two above the knee. I have no problem finding super long dresses, nor do I have a problem finding super short dresses, but finding my ideal length with the length of my legs is always dodgy. I have had great luck on asos.com (with the ASOS brand specifically) - and if the dress doesn't fit, you can send it back for free. Just make sure you check the size conversion chart - go by your waist size in inches, because their conversions can be a little wonky! As for Francesca's, I find that their lengths tend to be appropriate 75% of the time, which is more than I can say for a lot of companies, and they have a great constantly-rotating selection. I would advise going into the store and trying it on, though - you just never know!

Now, fellow giants, let me know where you get your favorite threads! Swapping tips is the best way to put an end to tall people problems :).

October in Instagrams

Happy post-Halloween, guys! I hope you didn't OD on candy. I can't believe it's November already! I've got my Christmas music curated and ready to go for every annoying T ride...how grumpy can you be while listening to Frosty the Snowman, am I right?

This has been a super fun month! Here are some highlights in Instagrams:

1//Some daisy-chained photos above my vanity! 2//Can you believe I kept these pretty mums alive for a month?! 3//The most beautiful sunset above Coolidge Corner. 4//A lovely day in Boston. 5//Halloween greetings from Jesse Pinkman and Walter White (not pictured: Craig had $10,000 and a pack of cards to become "New Hampshire Walt" LOL). 6//Happy tiny pumpkin! 7//My adorable coworkers and I dressed up for Halloween. 8//I met Wes Craven this month!! He signed my Freddy doll. I was geeking out :D.

Now onto Thanksgiving and holiday shopping...Happy November, everyone!

I'm Gonna Soak Up the Sun...

Hi, guys! I had the good fortune of being tagged with not one but two Sunshine Awards! I feel so loved :'). Since my darling Z (of Sometimes Z Takes Pictures) got to me first, I'll answer her questions - but thank you so much for thinking of me, Jess (of Bookworms in Dresses)!

The rules:

You have to post a picture of the Sunshine award in the blog post.

Post 11 random facts about yourself.

Answer the 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.

Nominate 11 wonderful bloggers.

Write 11 questions for them to answer.

Also let the bloggers you nominated know you have nominated them.

11 facts ahoy!

1. I go out for ice cream after a long day like some people go to the bar. I would go out for ice cream in a blizzard. I think it's a Massachusetts thing?

2. I've been a vegetarian since I was 13 years old.

3. This might be evident from the pictures on the blog, but at least 50% of my wardrobe is polka-dotted, and at least 50% (but probably more) of my accessories are animal themed.

4. I once visited 4 countries in one day.

5. I used to compete nationally in public speaking.

6. I consider myself to be a very good gift-giver because my memory retains every small detail about everything that people like.

7. I'm a Writing and Publishing major, and my favorite thing to write is horror stories! This is often confusing to people in my workshops because I am prone to wearing things like dog-printed collared dresses (see fact 3).

8. My very first job was working for a NYC-based burrito restaurant in a centralized call center. It was as strange as it sounds.

9. I'm obsessed with fruit-flavored Mentos. I literally always have a roll in my purse.

10. My usual Starbucks order is a Venti Iced Soy Green Tea Latte - as delicious as it is pretentious-sounding.

11.  I start listening to Christmas music on November 1st.

11 answers!

1. How do you read blogs? Morning/afternoon/evening? All at once? Sporadically?

I binge-read sporadically - it's like how some people unwind with People magazine, I read a ton of blogs when I'm looking to chill for a bit.

2. What's one item from your childhood that you've held onto?

I still have a Mickey Mouse doll from a childhood trip to Disney World - now, he sits on my windowsill! :)

3. What are you going as for Halloween?

I'm Jesse Pinkman, and Craig is Walter White! Ignore the creepy implications of that and instead focus on me in a giant sweatshirt and beanie, because it's hilarious.

4. Are you a big accessory person? What's your favorite to wear?

I wear a lot of accessories! I always wear my Claddagh ring from Dublin, but my favorite is without a doubt my grandma's white elephant necklace.

5. If you could hop on a plane and go anywhere for a week, where would you go?

That's a tough question! I'd like to go back to Italy and maybe see Venice or Florence.

6. What wakes you up in the morning?

A very annoying alarm. I give it funny notes like "Ghoul-d morning" and put a lot of emojis in it so that I can smile a little bit when I turn it off, hah! Unless this question was supposed to be more metaphorical instead of literal...in which case, oops.

7. Socks, slippers, or bare feet?

SLIPPERS. Nothing is worse than cold wooden floors. My mother got me a great pair of Ugg slippers and they are so comfy.

8. Do you have any tattoos? Do you want any?

I don't have any, but I've toyed around with some small ideas - I want to make sure I'm totally sold before I make it permanent, though! :)

9. If you could have lunch with any famous person, alive or dead, who would you choose?

AHH this is such a loaded question. I'd really like to chat with F. Scott Fitzgerald - I think he'd make for very interesting dinner conversation!

10. What's your favorite season? Why?

I'm a very seasonal person - I find things to love about each time the temperatures change. I guess that fall would probably be my favorite, though!

11. What's your current obsession?

So many things! I'm getting into Mad Men now, so there's that - but I also just started reading David Sedaris, so...this is a struggle.

Tag, you're it!

1. Mollie of Molliepop

2. Laura of Girls Fighting Evil

3. Ayley of American Sunday

4. Kristian of Never Fully Dressed Without a Style

5. Churrts of the Astronista

6. Isabella of Sincerely, Isabella

7. Jennie of Jennie & Husband

8. Rachel of Daydream Frenzy

9. Jess of Jessthetics

10. Bel of Rags of Love

11. You! Please do link up and share in the sunshine! :)

Questions for you lovely ladies:

1. What was your best childhood Halloween costume?

2. If you could move anywhere for a year, where would you go?

3. What is your dream job?

4. What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?

5. What was the last book you read?

6. What's your must-have wardrobe staple for fall this year?

7. What are you looking forward to most about winter?

8. What was your favorite subject in grade school?

9. What was your first job?

10. What was the last movie you saw in theaters? Was it any good?

11. If you were on Supermarket Sweep, what would you stock up on?

Thanks for tagging me, Z and Jess! This was fun :).

Fright Nights: Last-Minute Costume Ideas

Hey everyone - happy almost Halloween! I thought I'd cap off this (very) mini series with a few tips on making last minute costumes, if you happened to get invited to a Halloween party you weren't quite ready to get dressed up for. As I mentioned before, I work at a Halloween store, so I've seen a lot of people blow through with some pretty creative ideas! These are some of my favorites:

"What Does the Fox Say?"

This is a Leg Avenue fox kit we sell in my store. You can find it online, too. Literally all you have to do is put on a cute/comfortable outfit, pop on the ears and tail, and wear a sign that says "What Does the Fox Say?" Or, you know, only respond to people by saying "WA PA PA PA POW" when they try to talk to you. Or communicate by mo-o-o-o-orse. Whatever floats your boat.

Effort: minimum. Pop culture impact rating: 9.

"Rosie the Riveter"

Do you have a chambray shirt and jeans? Do you also have a bandana and a curling iron? Boom, Rosie'd.

Bonus: you can spend the whole night flexing and making fierce faces at people. And you never have to think about your pose in group pictures!

Effort: almost none. Pop culture impact rating: 3.

"Minnie Mouse"

The old standby. If you have a lot of bows and red and white polka dotted things at your disposal (Lord knows I do), then you can definitely do this. All you need is some mouse ears, which many people already have from a trip to Disneyland. If you don't, they're pretty cheap at Halloween supply stores. This costume is very cute, and really fun to accessorize - you can definitely make it your own.

Effort: minimum. Pop culture impact rating: 4.

"Grumpy Cat" >:(

My friend told me she was going as "Hipster Grumpy Cat" this Halloween, and I was so delighted. Every costume store has tons of cat ears, tails, and whiskers for sale, and if you're good at makeup, you can take this costume from "vague reference" to "OMG your costume is the coolest." Any tan-hued outfit will do.

Bonus: you can make this face at everyone all night. And that is awesome.

Effort: minimum to medium. Pop culture impact rating: 8

"Walter White"/"Heisenberg"

This one will probably require a trip to the thrift store, unless you have a penchant for dressing like a chemistry teacher who also likes fedoras, and sunglasses. All you need to get is a black jacket, a plaid shirt, a black fedora, a bald cap, shades, and a fake goatee, if you can't grow one yourself. Dipping sticks are optional. A serious 'tude is mandatory.

Bonus: get your friend/significant other to dress like Jesse. Buying the components for Jesse is both cheaper and way more fun (really obnoxious oversized sweatshirts and graphic tees). I may or may not know this from experience. Okay, Craig and I are going to be Walter and Jesse for Halloween.

Effort: moderate/high (my store is out of fedoras already). Pop culture impact rating: 10.

But seriously, what are you guys planning on being for Halloween? Spill the beans. I LOVE hearing about peoples' costumes.