"Oh (unconventional) Christmas Tree..."

Jumping right from a Thanksgiving post to a Christmas one... before the leftovers are eaten, it's officially the start of Christmas and decorations start to go up (or if you're insane like a few people I know, they went up well before then). 

This year, I spiced it up a bit by getting a small white tree for my room. It's pretty traditional in my family, but my sister and I always had small trees in our rooms growing up, so we could decorate them however we wanted. I'm taking it up a notch with an unconventionally colored tree, so we'll see how it goes. Posts on that later, certain family members get a little cranky if decorations go up before Dec 1st...

Here are some inspirations for decorating your tree. Enjoy!

 Images via Country Living

Quite the opposite of unconventional, but I love this photo!

All images via Google unless otherwise stated.

Thanksgiving 101

Some last minute Thanksgiving suggestions...

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 thanks·giv·ing   noun \th aŋ(k)s-ˈgi-viŋ \

1: the act of giving thanks

2: a prayer expressing gratitude

3: a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness

4: Americans finding another excuse to overeat 

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How to Decorate:

 Images via Martha Stewart

 What to Eat:

Find Recipes from Martha Stewart

What to Watch:

Home for the Holidays / Miracle on 34th Street / Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

 What to Wear:

 Traditional

Alexander Wang Diego Bucket Bag $825 /  Modcloth Sweet Surrender Dress $80 / Modcloth Snow Bunny Tights $35 / Anthropologie Marchioness Necklace $42 / Forever 21 Dita Sedate Heels $22.80

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 What to Wear:

 Velvet & Lace

 Anthropologie Rose Champagne Necklace $20 / French Connection Libby Dress $130 / Forever 21 Suedette Heels $18.80 / UO House of Dagmar Velvet Jacket $489

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What to Wear:

Maxi Wilderness

 Alexander Wang Brenda Zip Chain Bag $725 / Chan Luu Wrap Bracelet $168 / Modcloth Holding Court Dress $123 / Modcloth Fur Better Jacket $110 / Proenza Schouler Ankle Boot $1055 / Gap Classic Leather Belt $29.50 / Modcloth Play It Cool Blazer $50

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What to Wear:

Modern Frills

B.ella Violet Tights $20 / Viktor & Rolf Ankle Wedge $790  / Sandro Cleo Cotton Shirt $250 / UO Key Bracelet $15 / Edun Linen-blend Ruffle Miniskirt $270 / UO Deena & Ozzy Sequin Stretch Belt $28 / UO Cambridge Satchel Company Briefcase Bag $158

The Art of Giving

Like me, many of you have already started the gift planning process— getting ready for Black Friday and the holiday sales. Whenever I'm stumped as to what to get for a friend, I remember something my mom told me, "Pick out a gift that you would want to receive." Needless to say, there are tons of things I'd love to get, so that advice definitely comes in handy!

1. [FRED FLARE] Forget Me Knot Ring $54

2. [ANTHROPOLOGIE] Gem-Clasped Jewelry Box $38

3. [HENRI BENDEL] Cheetah Haircalf Gloves $198

4. [KATE SPADE] Taxi Mittens $65

5. [AMAZON] Mad Men: The Illustrated World $10

6. [ANTHROPOLOGIE] Waved Spectrum Scarf $48

7. [KATE SPADE] Deluxe Plush Scottie $225

8. [FRED FLARE] Birds on a Wire Photo Clips $12

9. [HENRI BENDEL] Vanilla Flower Scented Soaps $30

10. [FRED FLARE] Fisticup Brass Knuckle Mug $18

11. [ANTHROPOLOGIE] Inner Circle Necklace $118

12. [ANTHROPOLOGIE] Wintertide Scarf $58

13. [FRED FLARE] Skull Ornaments $18 

14. [FRED FLARE] Glittery Body Art Tattoo Pens $9

15. [AMERICAN EAGLE] Peace Two-Finger Ring $15.50

16. [VICTORIA’S SECRET] Pure Seduction Shimmer Powder $10

17. [AMERICAN EAGLE] V Knit Trapper $34.50

18. [B-SIDE BY KEN + DANA] Rebel Handcuff Bangle Blue $64

19. [SEPHORA] Dior Addict Lip Glow $28

20. [HENRI BENDEL] Glitter Treat Box $68

21. [VICTORIA’S SECRET PINK] Faux Fur Booties $49.50

DIY - Galaxy Dipped Nails

 The trick to doing a galaxy-inspired nail is messiness, anyone can do it. You don't need to be artistic, as this DIY tutorial will illustrate. Just follow these simple steps, and your nails will be out of this world! 

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Step 1

Start with a black base coat (your canvas).

Step 2

Haphazardly paint the bottom half of your nails with gray. 

(You can leave some black gaps in there also, do whatever you feel.)

Step 3

Messily paint some silver over the gray. You should leave some gaps that are just 

gray, and you should also paint a bit of silver over the black (so it's not too perfect).

Step 4

Paint some gold glitter on top and you're done.

(You can stop at step 3 if you like that look, but I went for the gold- literally!)

Nail polish colors used in this tutorial:

[Black] OPI "Black Onyx"

[Gray] China Glaze "Recycle"

[Silver] Sephora by OPI "Just a Fairy-Tale"

[Gold Glitter] Sephora by OPI "Only Gold for Me"

To speed up the process: Sephora by OPI Drying Drops

(If you haven't tried this yet, get it asap. You'll thank me!)

Cotton Candy & the Circus!

I went to the circus this past weekend and had a blast. If you remember from this post, I have an intense love of the circus and want to run away and join one! My wonderful sister ditched studying and went with me (two twenty-somethings go the circus without the company of a child...). There's just something about it that draws me in. Anyway, my mom was driving past it and knew to call me immediately to tell me about it. We hurried up to go, but I wanted to have a cute circus appropriate outfit (preferably pastel to match the cotton candy I knew I'd get!).

 MICHAEL Michael Kors shirt, PacSun shorts, Elliott Lucca bag, Hunter boots

"You can shake the sawdust off your feet, but you can't shake it outta your heart."
-The Greatest Show on Earth

My 100th Post! Celebrate with Frosting and...Coal?

 
Things got a little dirty at W Magazine for their December 2010 edition. Some serious frosting** (diamonds) was on display as photographer Horacio Salinas and stylist Talya Cousins showcased top jewelers' creations. Big names included Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Bulgari and Chanel (among others). The photography and concept are excellent for this pictorial, I love the sharp shadows and beauty in the midst of dirt. The use of the coal-like substance on the model's hands really emphasized the beauty of the diamonds that much more, and gave the piece much more visual interest and staying power.

On another note, I'm so excited that I've reached my 100th post! I felt like I'd never get there when I first started out, but it snuck up on me so quickly. Time flies... I just wanted to give you all a warm and sincere thank you for reading, following and commenting. I really love blogging and all the friends I've met along the way. Here's to another 100 and beyond!

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Do you think they got inspiration for this pictorial from Michele Lamy's tattooed fingers? (She's the wife of fashion designer Rick Owens.) 

Photo via Jak & Jil Blog

 *All other images are magazine scans by me.
**Frosting reference from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.  I didn't want that to go over your heads 
while you're thinking I'm crazaay.

Static Structures

Just hangin' out on the roof again... of a parking garage this time. I just got these boots and have been playing matchmaker between them and my closet. Whenever I buy something, I always make sure I can do at least 3 great looks with it to make it worth while. You get even better mileage out of your wardrobe when you're talking about basics and classic pieces. The possibilities are endless with great staples. These boots, for example, are perfect and will last for years to come because of their classic look and relatively low heel that's easy to walk around all day in. Consider that while shopping, and you're golden!

Elizabeth and James shirt, J Brand leggings, Vintage sunglasses, 

F21 ring, Urban Outfitters bag and Diane Von Furstenberg boots

Thanks to my sister, Megan, for being my photographer!

RainbowBows and BubbleWings

Tommy Ton shot the Victoria's Secret Angels backstage during their fashion show. Among the usual frilly and eccentric unmentionables (that you can surely "buy in the store," ya..), there were two items of note that caught my eye. Wings are a major attraction in any VS show. It's amazing that the models carry them with such ease— some of those things look like they weigh 100 lbs. The two coolest pairs of wings that Tommy captured were transparent rainbow bow wings and Gaga-esque bubble wings (which I'm very excited about to say the least). You can see the rest of the photos here on Style.com.

Orange Sunsets and Scarves

Here we go, my first outfit post. I kept it casual yesterday and took advantage of a gorgeous sunset to aid in the atmosphere of my photo shoot on the roof. (It's really not that unusual for me to be up there... I played up there as a kid (ya, but with supervision..) and I do some photography up there now.) I'm usually the one behind the camera, but after a while, it wasn't that awkward (except for the weird looks I got from passing neighbors) ha!

Forever 21 blouse and ring, Nine Rivets jeans, Nine West socks, 

Frye boots and a Simply Vera Vera Wang scarf.

Monkey Bread-ing around

This is one of my favorite recipes that I brought home from college. I'd never heard of 'Monkey Bread' before and I thought it was just slang for the baked good. Soon after, I saw a monkey bread mix at Williams-Sonoma and knew it was legit. I learned to make it with Pillsbury biscuit dough, but I wanted a healthier homemade version. A quick little google search led me to this recipe, which I used (the only thing I changed was adding some pecans and a little icing). If you've never tried monkey bread and you love things like gooey cinnamon buns, I highly recommend this recipe! 

It's best to eat warm, so just wait a couple minutes after you take it out of the oven and dig in. It should last you a few days, depending on how many people you feed. First time I made it... it lasted a total of five minutes (six hungry college kids= no further explanation necessary).

Ball up the dough.

Roll in cinnamon sugar.

 Start stacking it the bundt pan. Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over each 

layer of dough balls (That's what makes it gooey when you pull it apart).

 Layer the pecans as well.

Pour the melted butter over everything when you're finished assembling it.

 Ready to go in the oven!

Pull apart the bread bits and enjoy! 

(I drizzled some icing on top because I didn't put enough sugar in it, 

and it didn't get as gooey as I wanted.)

**A special thank you to Megan for documenting this momentus occasion!