Summa Summa Summatime

Kevin and I are going over to my uncle and aunt's later today to swim and grill some burgers. Nothing says summer quite like grilling and spending time outdoors. I felt like painting my nails bright summery colors for the occasion. As for the dress, it's flowy and comfortable aka perfect to wear over a bathing suit.

Don't mind the clear nail polish that came off on the bottle.

Outfit Details:

- Dress: Macy's

- Fingernail polish: China Glaze in "Purple Panic (Neon)"

- Toenail polish: Sephora by OPI in "Read My Palm"

One of my favorite summer jams

Simple Saturday

Outfit Details:

- Dress: Revival (Thrift store in Iowa City)

- Flats & Earrings: Forever21

I'm Blue Da-Ba-Dee-Da-Ba-Dai

Just some fun nail art in light of the current Rainbow nails trend!

Details:

- Thumb: OPI in "Ski Teal We Drop"

- Index finger: Sally Hansen XTreme Wear in "Pacific Blue"

- Middle finger: Forever21's Love & Beauty in "Periwinkle Pout"

- Ring finger: Sinful Colors in "Rise and Shine"

- Pinky: Forever21's Love & Beauty in "Seafoam Galaxy"

It's Friday Friday Gettin' Down on Friday

Happy Friday, everyone! Kevin and I are going out for Japanese food with some of his work friends this evening and I decided to get dolled up for the occasion. The other day at Wal-Mart I purchased a cheap dual straightener/curler. Since my hair is the longest it's been in about two years, I decided that I want to do more with it! Voilà curls!

Also, I made a valiant attempt at ombré nails. I saw an example on Pinterest that I liked and tried to mimic. I didn't have any makeup sponges so I used Q-Tips to get the "faded" look. It looks okay for my first try, but I'll definitely be picking up some makeup sponges at the drugstore sometime soon. 

Outfit Details:

Dress & flats: Old Navy

Earrings: Forever21

Nail Polish: Milani brand in "Black Magic", Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in "Navy Baby", and N.Y.C. in "Cashmere Creme"

"That's a Zooey Deschanel dress"

Well, after a pretty long hiatus I am back and coming to you live from another Midwestern city. Also, I have my favorite outfit photographer, le Boyfriend, back. When he saw my outfit this morning the first thing he said was, "Aw! That's a Zooey Deschanel dress! Isn't it?" He knows my love for the queen of all things adorkable. 

Outfit Details:

- Dress, flats, earrings: Forever21

- Tights, dark blue ring: Penneys (Dublin, Ireland)

- Cardigan: Revival (Thrift store in Iowa City)

- Nail Polish: Sally Hansen XTreme in "Mellow Yellow"

Movies That Have Inspired My Personal Taste

While watching one of my favorite movies, Broken English by Zoe Cassavetes, this morning, I thought about how certain films have helped develop my personal taste. Whether it be my choice of clothing, music, interior design, or even beliefs these movies have all had a hand in their formation.

Broken English

Jean-Paul: Most people are together just so they are not alone,but some people want magic.I think you are one of those people.
Nora: Is there something wrong with that?
Jean-Paul: Nothing, but it doesn't happen all the time.
Nora: Does it ever happen?
Jean-Paul: First, Nora, you must find love and happiness in yourself.

Before Sunset (I also love Before Sunrise, but I prefer the sequel)

La Dolce Vita

Lost in Translation

Annie Hall

"After that it got pretty late, and we both had to go, but it was great seeing Annie again. I... I realized what a terrific person she was, and... and how much fun it was just knowing her; and I... I, I thought of that old joke, y'know, the, this... this guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, 'Doc, uh, my brother's crazy; he thinks he's a chicken.' And, uh, the doctor says, 'Well, why don't you turn him in?' The guy says, 'I would, but I need the eggs.' Well, I guess that's pretty much now how I feel about relationships; y'know, they're totally irrational, and crazy, and absurd, and... but, uh, I guess we keep goin' through it because, uh, most of us... need the eggs."

Hannah and Her Sisters

"One day about a month ago, I really hit bottom. Ya know I just felt that in a Godless universe I didn't wanna go on living. Now I happen to own this rifle, which I loaded believe it or not, and pressed it to my forehead. And I remember thinking, I'm gonna kill myself. Then I thought, what if I'm wrong, what if there is a God. I mean, after all nobody really knows that. Then I thought no, ya know maybe is not good enough, I want certainty or nothing. And I remember very clearly, the clock was ticking, and I was sitting there frozen with the gun to my head, debating whether to shoot. All of a sudden the gun went off. I had been so tense my finger squeezed the trigger inadvertantly. But I was perspiring so much the gun had slid off my forehead and missed me. Suddenly neighbors were pounding on the door, and I dunno the whole scene was just pandemonium. I ran to the door, I didn't know what to say. I was embarrassed and confused and my mind was racing a mile a minute. And I just knew one thing I had to get out of that house, I had to just get out in the fresh air and clear my head. I remember very clearly I walked the streets, I walked and I walked I didn't know what was going through my mind, it all seemed so violent and unreal to me. I wandered for a long time on the upper west side, it must have been hours. My feet hurt, my head was pounding, and I had to sit down I went into a movie house. I didn't know what was playing or anything I just needed a moment to gather my thoughts and be logical and put the world back into rational perspective. And I went upstairs to the balcony, and I sat down, and the movie was a film that I'd seen many times in my life since I was a kid, and I always loved it. I'm watching these people up on the screen and I started getting hooked on the film. I started to feel, how can you even think of killing yourself, I mean isn't it so stupid. Look at all the people up there on the screen, they're real funny, and what if the worst is true. What if there is no God and you only go around once and that's it. Well, ya know, don't you wanna be part of the experience? You know, what the hell it's not all a drag. And I'm thinking to myself, Jeez, I should stop ruining my life searching for answers I'm never gonna get, and just enjoy it while it lasts. And after who knows, I mean maybe there is something, nobody really knows. I know maybe is a very slim reed to hang your whole life on, but that's the best we have. And then I started to sit back, and I actually began to enjoy myself."

A Single Man

"A few times in my life I've had moments of absolute clarity, when for a few brief seconds the silence drowns out the noise and I can feel rather than think, and things seem so sharp and the world seems so fresh. I can never make these moments last. I cling to them, but like everything, they fade. I have lived my life on these moments. They pull me back to the present, and I realize that everything is exactly the way it was meant to be."

(500) Days of Summer

Going the Distance

"You know, the only way you're content in life is if you marry your best friend"

Flower Power

Outfit:

- Dress: Forever21

- Jacket: Anthropologie

- Tights: Penneys (Dublin, Ireland)

- Flats: The LOFT

Bein' Girly

Outfit:
- Dress: H&M
- Cardigan: Target
- Flats: Charlotte Russe
- Tights: Kohls
- Earrings: Gift from Melanie