simply, melissa ashley

Did someone say pancakes?

2012-02-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

the [easy] recipe: via cooks.com

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs, well beaten
2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. milk

Combine dry ingredients.
Beat eggs and add buttermilk and milk.
Add dry ingredients (a cup at a time) and mix well.
Recipe can also be used for waffles. (definitely doing next time!)

My roommates and I actually doubled the recipe because someone had said it only made nine "small" pancakes. NOT TRUE. We could've had breakfast for days with doubling the recipe, so unless you're the brady brunch, don't double :] These were easy yummy. Once our favorite fruits are in season, we are definitely adding it to the recipe next time. Chocolate chips are also on the list.

Oh, and I highly suggest adding a side (or two) of bacon.

Tuesday Tunes v.9 | Andrew Belle

2012-02-20T22:17:00.001-05:00

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://andrewbelle.bandcamp.com/album/the-ladder"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The Ladder by Andrew Belle&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://andrewbelle.bandcamp.com/album/in-my-veins-feat-erin-mccarley"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;In My Veins (Feat. Erin McCarley) by Andrew Belle&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

"There is a right and a wrong time." 

Can you tell I enjoy singer/songwriters? I have pretty much fallen in love with Andrew Belle's calming voice and ridiculously beautiful lyrics. He's a mix between a heartache and a heart skipping a beat. He's an artist I listen to every song without skipping a track and always on repeat. So thank you Andrew for making any day of the week feel like Saturday. I know you all will become instant fans because if you don't fall in love with his music, I don't know what kind of alternate universe your head is living in.

His new EP is being released in one week! My goodness I can't wait. I'm sure I'll be posting about the new EP soon after. For now, enjoy his wonderful music. My favorites include "Static Waves," "The Ladder," "In My Veins" and forget it, everything else of his, seriously.

Be sure to check out the rest of his music on his bandcamp.

*linking up with Danielle at Tongue Tied in Awe
You can check out the past Tuesday Tunes posts here

Imaginary Closet

2012-02-19T18:56:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time,
in a land far, far away without credit card payments, tuition, deadlines or alarm clocks, there existed a tree that grew money. Real money where college girls could visit and pick as many dollar fruits necessary to buy dresses of all sorts from Mod Cloth. Also in this far, far away land existed to-go closets where everyone could have infinite room for all their beautiful dresses and take them wherever they please. Whenever they would wear these dresses, magical things would happen! Finding love isn't just for princesses. Love existed everywhere...in their bellies (because cuisine was exquisite in this land) and in their hearts. Life was just as beautiful as Pinterest makes it out to be. With their dresses by their side, beautiful college students lived happily ever after.

The End.

all images via Mod Cloth

Her Campus Appalachian State

2012-02-18T21:10:00.001-05:00

For those of you who don't know, I am a staff writer for Her Campus Appalachian State, an online magazine with content on style, travel, career and anything that pertains to the college experience (and more!) Her Campus is a national online magazine, but college campuses can have their own branch. Her Campus has been one of the best experiences I've had professionally and personally. Our writing team consists of some of the strongest, humorous, dedicated and fashion forward women. I love our weekly coffee meet-ups, not even to discuss work but to enjoy one another! They are supportive and I wish I could just give them a big 'ol hug right now :)

We launched Her Campus Appalachian State last September 27th and come out with weekly content to keep you laughing, smiling, feeling inspired, and thinking. I want to give an overview of some articles I've written for the past five months. The national Her Campus is having a "One Million Collegiettes" campaign to try and reach one million views during the month of February! When they reach one million, they will be donating site impressions to She's the First nonprofit organization.

In spirit of the campaign, they will be hosting a giveaway every day for the month of February so be sure to enter daily to win free stuff. I've been entering religiously!

Be sure to check out all our Her Campus App State content weekly, daily, hourly, whatever your preference is :) Here's a collection of the articles I've written so far. You can find money saving tips, diys to advice. You can view all of them here too. I have until May before Her Campus and I will part, so I'll be sure to share the rest of the article links at a later date.

Now you all know a little bit more about what I do :) Click on each photo to read the article.

Read all of HC App State articles here and always check the site for updates. The rest of the HC App State writers have written some wonderful articles! New content gets uploaded daily!If you want you can follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.Thanks to all our readers for the support!

If you want to support our online magazine, feel free to put this button I designed up on your site!

200x100

Guest post with As Luck Would Have It | What inspires you?

2012-02-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, I've asked several of my blogging friends, "What inspires you?" In a world of deadlines, papers, group assignments, textbooks, dates with the library, sleepless nights, lots of naps, caffeine, COLLEGE, I find a lack of inspiration at times. I never want to feel uninspired, ever and I hope my readers are constantly inspired by something everyday whether its from someone's outfit, a lecture, a blowing leaf or Pinterest. That is my goal of this blog - that you leave inspired. I'll leave it to my blogging friends to share with you what inspires them. Let me know if you'd like to do a "What inspires you?" blog post! Without further adieu...

Hey guys! I'm Kristin and I am the girl behind As Luck Would Have It. I was beyond honored when Melissa asked if I would be a part of this guest post series with some of her favorite bloggers and share what inspires me - not to mention excited because taking the time to think about my favorite things and being inspired is just plain fun. The only truly difficult part was where to start! I feel inspired by so many things, but the first thing that came to mind was NATURE. I love to be outdoors and hiking a mountain trail or hopping over waves as I walk along the shore are some of my very favorite things. So here's where the fun inspiration part comes in:

I want to be able to feel the sense of peace and quiet energy that I have when I'm outdoors on the days that I have to be indoors. We spend most of our lives in our homes, right? We might as well make them our happy places. I'm starting to get pretty excited about moving into a new apartment when I make my cross-country move to start grad school in the fall and one of the best parts about moving (if you ask me) is having a whole new, fresh space to make your own. In an effort to bring nature into my every day - even those days that I'm hunched over a desk for hours or what have you - I've been gathering pictures of some seriously beautiful landscapes and thinking about how I can bring a similar feeling into my new living space. To show you what I mean, I paired up a few of those landscape photos along with some great interiors that I think really capture their feeling without being too literal in their interpretation. Because let's face it...there are very few of us that would actually enjoy having a forest in our bedroom. Take a look!

What do you think? Would you be happy calling these nature-infused spaces home? I know I would. Especially that top bedroom photo...heaven.

Thanks so much, Melissa and all of you, for letting me share. When you have a second, drop by over here and say hello - I'd love to have you!

________________________

Thank you Kristin for stopping by and sharing with us your inspiration for your new home and incorporating nature :) There is nothing like a serene room with a touch of nature.

2012-02-15T23:28:00.004-05:00

That is all, folks.

image via tumblr, original source unknown

Guest post with Tongue Tied in Awe | What inspires you?

2012-02-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

Ciao bella! I'm Danielle from Tongue Tied in Awe, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I get a huge amount of my inspiration from Pinterest. Now we don't want to start out our friendship like that, do we? ;) For me, Pinterest is a never ending source of beautiful photos, inspiring words, and design goodies. I probably spend way too much time on there, but it is so hard to resist. For you today, I have curated some of my current favourite pins. If you would like to see more, feel free to hop on over and take a glance at my boards here.

I am drawn to photos for a variety of reasons, but what usually catches my eye first is composition and subject matter. Merely changing those can alter a photo completely. I also tend to be drawn to photos that leave a little mystery. I love to try to guess what they were trying to portray - a lot of my ideas come from this process.

So, my friends, what keeps you inspired? I'd love to know. xo, Danielle

*All photos from Pinterest

Tuesday Tunes v.8 | Bon Iver

2012-02-13T23:57:00.002-05:00

Tuesday Tunes v.8 Bon Iver by melissa vega on Grooveshark

If anyone of you either watched the Grammy's or received all the social media updates on it, you would know that the talented indie band Bon Iver received the Grammy for "Best New Artist" and there were a lot of "confusion" and "Who is that?," but I am proud to show off the talent behind Bon Iver. There was even a blog created on tumblr called "Who is Bon Iver?" that includes all the tweets and status updates about Bon Iver's win. It's pretty hilarious. Some tweets include, "Who is Bonny Bear?" and "Why is that homeless man receiving a Grammy?" For those of you who don't know Bon Iver, here is an opportunity to finally be introduced to his music and for those of you who already know them, let's celebrate and embrace their recognition. These are the kinds of artists that should be recognized.

You go Bon Iver.

I loved you before the Grammys and well after them, too.

*linking up with Danielle at Tongue Tied in Awe
You can check out the past Tuesday Tunes posts here

Remember:

2012-02-13T14:28:00.000-05:00

source

Just a little reminder for myself

and for each and every one of you.

Happy Monday!

I'm sorry I've been...

2012-02-11T18:02:00.000-05:00

My apologies friends.
This past week has taken a toll on my routine and the blog just had to be last on the list. I will return shortly with more posts, updates, letters, photos and inspiration. Just know that I'll be out of the hiatus shortly! Things has been busy in my little corner of the world but for the most part good. I have to remind myself of my favorite quote, "The only constant is change" and accepting that change and working from it. I hope things are going well for all of you and just hold on tight for posts :)

Ps. This photo was taken with my first roll of Holga film around seven months ago. Some friends and I took a little walk/photo shoot off the Blue Ridge Parkway and it led us here. I need to go back to that breathtaking place!

Tuesday Tunes v.7 | Wild Sweet Orange

2012-02-07T01:24:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Tunes v.7 by melissa vega on Grooveshark

"Seeing and Believing" is currently the second most played song on my iTunes. It could be nostalgia that comes with this song, but it definitely strikes a chord with me. Maybe it's his voice...maybe it's their band name...maybe it's their lyrics, but something about this band gets me hooked and keeps me there. Unfortunately they broke up in 2010, but I continually listen to their EP and full length album, religiously.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

*linking up with Danielle at Tongue Tied in Awe
You can check out the past Tuesday Tunes posts here

Hallelujah

2012-02-05T11:14:00.001-05:00

Every now and again, I like to look at my past journal entries. Some entries I'm entirely embarrassed about, others I definitely reflect on. Journaling has honestly not been on my "plate" for years...I wrote an entry a few months ago, but before that it had been about 1.5-2 years since the last entry. I'm on a mission to try and journal more...at least jot down my thoughts. Here's a more recently entry I wrote while I was waiting for my car to get fixed at a Meineke (I know, a great place for deep reflection).

"I'm so excited to love. Not necessarily a specific someone. When I meet that someone, I'll know, but in general to love. Love myself, my family, alone time, the little things, love a stranger, love the unlovable things in life. Just love everything, because I know I have that capability. I'm really excited for my life right now and my heart is so full and ready to love."

I'll leave you with some Rufus -
Rufus Wainwright by Hallelujah on Grooveshark

*Can you notice my tired eyes? I would say "that's college," but I'm not sure if this is the extent of the exhaustion I will feel in the "real world."

Giveaway winner announced!

2012-02-04T14:42:00.000-05:00

Thank you Laura for letting me host this wonderful giveaway! I used www.random.org to pick the winner...

Congratulations Lorraine!

I'll be sending you an email shortly and get in touch with Laura.
Thank you to all who entered the giveaway! Hopefully I'll have another one soon!

Featured Artist + Shop: Laura of le animalé

2012-02-03T16:11:00.002-05:00

I am here to introduce Laura from le animalé! She has one of the most unique shops on the etsy block and I am so excited I can show off her work to all of you! She makes a ton of these cute little animals totems that are sure to brighten your day! Read along to find out more about her and her shop.

blog | twitter | shop | facebook

Getting to know Laura:

1. Tell us a little background about you and your shop!

I'm Laura and I make the cute little animals of le animalé. I grew up in a coastal town in North Carolina. As a little girl I always thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors (well, I still do) and I really, really loved animals (well, I still do that too). I loved reading about them and discovering new ones and drawing them and pretending to have them as my pets. From then until now my background is full of creative ventures (from music to painting to photography), but I've recently settled into the miniature sculptures and artwork I make for le animalé.

2. What is your inspiration behind le animalé?

Simple! - animals and all of their quirky, cute, humorous, endearing antics! Last year as I was thinking that a miniature zoo would be the most awesome thing ever, I just decided to make one. Now I'm sharing my miniature zoo with the world so everyone can have any and every little animal they've ever dreamed of. No chores or cleanup necessary, just cute little animals to brighten your day.

3. Starting a handmade shop is a huge responsibility, what do you recommend for someone thinking about opening their own?

Well, you set your own pace it ends up being as much or as little responsibility as you want it to be. But with that said, you get out of it what you put into it, and if you're considering starting a handmade shop in order to make a living, you need to be willing to put in a lot. A lot of time, a lot of research, a lot of work. But it's very rewarding and so worth it to be able to share your creations with the world, know that your products make people happy, and make your living doing something you are truly passionate about.

4. What should we look forward to from le animalé?

My brand new website will be done soon! With the new website comes new photos and new products, so there is a lot to look forward to with that launch within the next month. PLUS, my 1 year anniversary is coming up in May, and I will be doing a lot to celebrate it (giveaways, special products, and more!) Keep your eyes peeled for exciting new le animalé goodness!

5. What is one of your quirks?

This one may go against my typical right-brained thinking (or maybe it doesn't) but whenever I see a group of numbers I think of different ways they can work together or be combined. For instance, if I see 3681 on a license plate I'll think, "3 plus 6 is 9 minus 1 is 8", and so on.

Now check out some of the animal sculptures she creates!

These are some of my favorite of her collection. Be sure to check out her shop for more!

Thank you Laura for dropping by Simply, Melissa Ashley & letting me interview you! The Featured Artist blog posts have been created to showcase some of my favorite artists floating around. None of these posts are sponsored by the artists featured, unless otherwise noted. I just love to spread the love of handmade local artists!

J&H's Save the Date Revealed!

2012-02-02T05:00:00.001-05:00

At last, at last!
My friends Joe & Hannah are finally letting me release their Save the Date on my blog :) (they wanted to wait until their Save the Dates were mailed out for obvious reasons) If you haven't already seen from my blog, they are the cutest couple...well, ever.

They gave me the honor of shooting their engagement photos (check out sessions one and two), shooting Hannah's bridal portraits in the upcoming months AND designing their save the date! What a perk for being one of their best friends/in their bridal party :) Their save the date was inspired by an engagement shoot we saw floating around the internet, but I can't seem to find it!

I may or may not be more excited for the wedding than they are.

The save the date photo is from the second session we had. Check out more photos here.

Here's a couple more photos from the shoot we didn't share because they wanted the date to be a surprise, so here's a treat! Two more photos from the shoot :)

Cutest couple, right?

ALSO! If you haven't entered this AWESOME giveaway from Elgie Designs, you should check it out. Win a pair of crochet earrings and a crochet necklace? You lucky, lucky dog! Giveaway ends tomorrow at midnight!

Guest Post: Melissa from My Soul is the Sky

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hi, I'm Melissa from My Soul is the Sky.I was recently asked by Melissa, "What inspires you?"

I find inspiration in all things cozy, comfortable, and with a hint of chic.

I love seeking out and finding new people, places, and things so I love to browse tumblr, pinterest, and blogs. I find a lot of my inspiration in beautiful pictures and always want want to share it with others.

I feel very lucky to live in a time where things are available from around the world with a simple click of a button. It's easy to explore and discover what beautiful things are out there besides what's just directly around me. It helps me know that there are other people out there with my similar interests.I guess the things that inspire me most are simply the beautiful people and places in this world.

Feeling inspired? Come check out my blog for more (:

Thank you Melissa for sharing :) Her blog is amazing filled with hair tutorials, fashion, everything beauty and overall cuteness! Not only does she have a fabulous name ;) but she is an absolute sweetheart. Be sure to check out her blog for more!

ALSO! If you haven't entered this AWESOME giveaway from Elgie Designs, you should check it out. Win a pair of crochet earrings and a crochet necklace? You lucky, lucky dog! Giveaway ends this Friday!

Tuesday Tunes v.6 | Tribute to Etta James

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Tunes v.6 - Etta James by melissa vega on Grooveshark

Inspirational. Timeless. Legendary.

Etta James.

Rest in Peace.

These are a few of my favorite Etta James tunes. I mean, realistically, how can you choose?
Linking up with Danielle from Tongue Tied in Awe for Tuesday Tunes. You should too!

ALSO! If you haven't entered this AWESOME giveaway from Elgie Designs, you should check it out. Win a pair of crochet earrings and a crochet necklace? You lucky, lucky dog! Giveaway ends this Friday!

photo sources [1/2/3]

I remember: cupcakes in Raleigh

2012-01-28T11:42:00.002-05:00

I'm going to start putting "I remember" in front of posts where I share photos that I've been digging up on my hard drive or memories I'd like to recall. I honestly haven't been able to take photos as much as I'd like to this semester and I just love looking back on that ones I have taken. Great, great memories.

These were taken May 5, 2010 in downtown Raleigh.

Cupcake Shoppe is a cute little local, well cupcake shop! This was honestly the first and only time I ever went which is so heartbreaking because the cupcakes are to die for! Living in Boone for college makes it difficult to support local shops in my hometown. Don't worry Cupcake Shoppe, we WILL reunite! The bottom two photos are two of my best friends Nicole and Frederick, who also happen to be siblings.

Oh cupcakes, why are you the definition of perfection?

ALSO! If you haven't entered this AWESOME giveaway from Elgie Designs, you should check it out. Win a pair of crochet earrings and a crochet necklace? You lucky, lucky dog!

Featured Shop: Elgie Designs & A GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-27T01:02:00.000-05:00

I am EXTREMELY happy to present to my readers a great local artist from Boone, Laura who is the face and creator of Elgie Designs! We were brought together by mutual friends from Appalachian and I am so happy to showcase her shop. I feel honored to host a giveaway with her beautiful jewelry. Without further adieu!

Esty Shop || Facebook

Getting to know Laura:

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself Laura and why you decided to open shop!
Well, my name is Laura Guidry. I'm a sophomore at Appalachian State University. I've flirted with several majors and I'm starting to think Interdisciplinary Studies might stick...at least this semester. I like writing, crafting, the cello and I'm fairly certain several friends are planning an intervention for my coffee addiction. I opened shop so I could channel my exploits in crocheting and knitting into something productive. I became addicted and there were not enough days in a year to handle the amount of earrings I was making so I figured I should share the crochet love.

2. What's the background behind the name Elgie designs?

The name Elgie designs comes courtesy of my best friend Chloe. She decided way back in high school that my initials sort of resembled an old lady name so we just spelled it out and a nickname was born. The nickname has stuck since then and who knows, maybe when I'm a old lady wearing enough crochet/knitted accessories to be confused for an Afghan, my grandkids will call me Elgie too.

3. Whose/What is your store inspiration?

Hmm....where does my inspiration come from... I like bold, funky accessories that tell a story. You know, that weird bracelet that your uncle brought back from vacation that you're not sure where it is from and is hanging on by one thread but by golly, has an awesome loud print. So, my inspiration probably comes from all around... traveling, different textures, yarn, that really cool bead from Beadbox or that old scarf that looked like it was craving some unraveling so it could take a new shape. And hopefully, my inspiration turns into some pretty nifty creations, the ones that show off your personality and are a little offbeat and funky. And never the same as the next.

4. What's your favorite part of being a handmade shop owner?

My favorite part of being a handmade shop owner is, well, when people wear my designs! It's the coolest feeling to see someone incorporate something you made into their style and completely own it. You sort have to fight the feeling of a mom before their kid gets their driving permit...you know what I'm talking about, the feeling like you want to whip a camera out and have them pose despite the potential of completely embarrassing them. Gosh.

5. What's next for Elgie designs?

Lots of crocheting and creating because Elgie designs will be at Boone's Art Crawl, February 3rd at Lucky Penny! You can also find some earrings made just for you on etsy as well as in Asheboro at Colorshow Gallery and in Wilmington at Lula Balou and Aqua Fedora. I'm working on some new designs so if you go to ASU and see a girl wearing a funny looking necklace (or is that a necklace) yarn creation, it's probably me, trying to figure out a new design and getting emotionally attached to a failed attempt. Don't you worry though, there will be plenty of lovely things for you at Art Crawl and on etsy!

Isn't she just so cute and lovely! Here's a little glimpse of what she creates!

Check out her shop for more items.

GIVEAWAY!
One of you ah-mazing readers will have a chance to win a pair of yellow crocheted earrings AND a brown crochet necklace! How lucky of you. I'm so jealous. I'm dying for one of each!

Here's how to enter:

MANDATORY: [Leave ONE comment]
(1) Visit her shop, tell me your favorite item, AND like her shop on Facebook! Leave me a comment afterwards with your email letting me know you did this and so I can contact you!

OPTIONAL: [Leave a SEPARATE comment for each]
(2) Add Elgie Designs to your favorites on Etsy!
(3) Follow this blog via GFC or Bloglovin'
(4) Share this giveaway via Twitter, Facebook or Blog about it! Be sure to leave your link in the comment. If you tweet about it, tweet me so I can see it! (@mashleyvega)
(5) Leave me your favorite quote!

Wow FIVE entries for this wonderful giveaway :)

Giveaway is open until midnight Friday, Feb. 3, 2012.

Winner will be announced Saturday, Feb 4, 2012.

Be sure to visit Laura at Lucky Penny in Boone for her trunk show during Art Crawl on Friday, Feb. 3!
Support your local artists + shops!

Tuesday Tunes v.5 || The Study Mix

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Tunes v.5 by melissa vega on Grooveshark

Readers of mine, I present to you "The Study Mix" also appropriate for relaxing, cups of tea, moments when words are unnecessary, those moments before bedtime, a bath or to let your mind wander. This being my last semester of college, I really need to buckle down and make sure I graduate with some good grades, since graduate school is in the plan. I listen to these songs over and over and over again when I'm doing anything school related. It puts me in a good place and I hope it does the same for you. So for those of you in school, good luck this semester and hopefully this playlist will help take out the stress.

If you have any instrumental pieces or movie scores that are your favorite, please share! I'd love to be introduced to new music and add to my studying playlist.

Linking up with Danielle from Tongue Tied in Awe for Tuesday Tunes. You should, too!

*This photo was taken four semesters ago while I was studying for a Biology exam. Flashcards + coffee = go time, with a side of a nap.

Cookies + Cupcakes

2012-01-22T21:13:00.000-05:00

What else does a girl need?
Some baking, yummy frosting, an apron, measuring and the scents. Oh the scents!
I got my domestic on and I must say, I have officially jumped on the baking bandwagon.

The pumpkin cookie recipe has been floating around the blogging world for awhile and I must say, it is definitely the easiest recipe ever. Here is the recipe I used. The cream cheese frosting is made from scratch. I'm sure you can find an easy one to find floating on the web. I have already made these cookies four times in the last month. Oops :)

The Sprinkles cupcake mix was sent me from LauraJane for Package Pals 2011 and I finally used it! LauraJane [looks like] an extremely talented baker and since she couldn't send me cupcakes, she sent the next best thing. Ain't she a sweet thang? Well they were delicious! The pinwheels were won from a giveaway from Meg and from Earth Cookie Creations! Aren't they precious?! I made the cupcakes for a potluck and they were a hit! Only have three left. Actually...now there are only going to be two ;)

Keep calm and bake on!

NCMA: North Carolina Museum of Art

2012-01-20T01:03:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, all you need is a little trip to the museum.
It's the little things. I'm linking up with Lindsey, From the Aisle to Aloha.
Museum trip on 01 | 13 | 2012

Ah, a trip to the museum. An art museum.
Sometimes that's all you need. Did you know I've never been to any of the museums in Raleigh and I've been living there for years. By years, I mean practically my whole life (with the exception of going to five different elementary schools including Richmond, Guam, Cary and Raleigh) ANYway, the museum was lovely. I felt so grown-up, I actually read the descriptions (I mean, did you really do this on school field trips, be honest) and I absorbed it all. Also, the NCMA has this kickBUTT restaurant inside their second building that looks so cool! It's on my list of places to eat in Raleigh :] Any one want to come with?

So in conclusion, when you need a little lift, time for thought and some good ol' inspiration, go to the closest art museum possible and make some art of your own ;)

Have a safe and inspiring weekend!

Be sure to check out the previous post about my lovely friend Chelsea's creative and innovative shop! Her shop is almost as lovely and cute as she is :)

Featured Artist + Shop: Chelsea of Leather and Copper

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've started a new FEATURE blog series, where I'd like to showcase some talent and passions of artists and shop owners all around I've come to get to know and admire! It won't necessarily be a weekly blog series, but I'm going to post them as often as possible.

For the first blog post, meet my adorable and even more talented friend Chelsea.

Shop || Facebook || Pinterest

The interview:

1. First off, tell us a little about yourself. Your quirks, favorite color, anything!

My name is Chelsea Brendle and I am a senior at Appalachian State University. I am studying Art Education, Art History, and Studio Art. Let's see...my quirks? Oh dear...too many to name, I'm sure! One might be that about 75% of my closet is made up of thrift store finds! (Which reminds me - we definitely need to have a GW trip soon, Melissa!) My favorite color is grey. I know it sounds boring, but it is really just so beautiful.

2. How did you decide to open up a shop? What was your inspiration for Leather and Copper?

I started Leather & Copper in May of 2010. I had been dabbling in other crafty areas and had already started an Etsy shop for those, but I became much more serious about this one. It all started when I just decided to check out the Tandy Leather store. I came home with a starter kit for leather tooling and I knew that I had found something that I loved!

3. How do you juggle being a college student and handmade shop owner?

Being a handmade shop owner is kind of perfect for being a student. I have always wanted to have a job while at school, but didn't know if I would have enough time; this way I can choose my own hours, do something that I love, and even make a little bit of income from it! I also have this weird thing where I kind of like to be busy (I have never taken less than 18 hours a semester!), so it works out well!

4. What are the things that inspire you most?

I have a confession: I am a Pinterest addict. Matt (my boyfriend) tells me I spend way too much time on there, but he just doesn't understand. A lot of inspiration comes from there - colors, patterns, designs - but a lot also comes from art classes as well. I love seeing different art motifs from around the world, and art history classes are wonderful for that. Oftentimes, I have more inspiration than time to actually make the pieces! I definitely need to get better about that! I have a feeling that I will be adding a lot more stuff to the store soon, so stay tuned!

5. What are some future plans for your etsy shops and well, life?

I am going to finally sit down and make a lot of new inventory, so that should be coming soon to Leather & Copper! I also sell my goods at Ruby's Gift in NoDa in Charlotte, but I am hoping to also get them in some local stores in Boone. As for life...whew...I wish I knew! haha. I will be taking my last semester of classes now, and then student-teaching in the Fall. After school, I would absolutely love to find a job in the arts. I definitely want to be an art teacher, but I would also be happy in any art setting. I definitely want to travel as well - there is such an amazing world out there that I can't wait to get out and see! Whatever happens, I want to continue Leather & Copper and keep working on my own art!

Thanks so much, Melissa! Your blog is amazing - I always look forward to your posts!

Her work:

Isn't she adorable?! And isn't her shop just wonderful? I definitely need to grab one of her cuffs before we both split after college. I hope you enjoyed her little interview and definitely check out her shop! I love having talented and crafty friends like her :) Also, I know that she LOVES custom orders so be sure to shoot her a message on etsy or email her! So a big thank you to Chelsea for taking the time to let me interview you and share your art with the blogging world!

*All featured artists are handpicked by me and I am in no way compensated for the featured posts on my blog. I just want to share the talents and passions of different artists all around! Support your local artists.

GlassesUSA

2012-01-17T20:17:00.002-05:00

So, I'm obsessed with glasses. What's new?

I had some fun with GlassesUSA.com's virtual try-on mirror!

Obviously I couldn't stay away from the thick-rimmed glasses.
Bad habits die hard :)

Well, I would like to introduce to you all GlassesUSA! I was on their site for hours looking at their selection of high quality frames and lenses. I seriously didn't think they would have such an array of cheap glasses...you're not even breaking the bank. They offer prescription eyeglasses (what I need most), rx sunglasses and multi-focal. It was super easy to maneuver around their site to find the pair just for you.

What makes them so different from other glasses companies?

Well, they offer a 110% lowest price gaurantee (all the eyeglasses frames I tried on were well under $100) and a 100% satisfaction gaurantee. They even have a generous refer-a-friend program. Check out their site for more details!

Check out their Facebook and Twitter (@GlassesUSA) to stay up-to-date on all GlassesUSA happenings and deals! Like this one >>

As a New Year Sale:

Take 20% off any pair of eyeglasses and get FREE US shipping with the code: New2012
Take 10% off any order of prescription glasses. Code: Blog10

Hurry up! Go shopping or at least have some fun trying on a pair (or two, or three). Try thick-rimmed frames if you're used to metal rims or vice versa! Definitely go outside your comfort zone to find a pair that's right for you. They make for fun (and somewhat) embarrassing pictures as well.

*I did receive compensation for writing this blog post, however, all opinions are my own.

Tuesday Tunes v.4 | Josh Garrels

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

photo source: one // two

Tuesday Tunes v.4 by melissa vega on Grooveshark

Close your eyes and think of the words inspiration, raw, hope and think of driving with the windows down, taking the back roads with the one you love most by your side.

That is how Josh Garrels makes me feel.

I've just recently stumbled upon this genius of a musician. I introduce to you Josh Garrels. I truly can't believe I've survived without his music for so long, but better late than never right? His latest album "Love & War & The Sea in Between" was released last year with the single "Farther Along" which made me first fall in love with his music. Just listen for yourself. I could probably talk your ear off about how inspiring I have found his music, but I don't want to bore you.

If you like the album, he even has it as a FREE download here.

So come on, go download it. Let his raw and inspirational music flood your ears, get into your veins and thoughts and let him change your music collection forever.

Also, check out this blog post I've stumbled upon where Josh and his [very cute] family are interviewed and photograph. A genius musician and a family man? Just. Can't. Beat. It.

*I'm linking up with Danielle of Tongue Tied in Awe. Go check out her blog, write up your Tuesday Tunes post, share some music and link-up! Danielle and I would love to see the music everyone is listening to!

laugh list v.2

2012-01-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm back with my laugh lists. Check out the first one here.

Since the beginning of the semester is right around the corner (and by corner I mean TUESday), I decided I needed to start this semester off with a few laughs because, let's face it, it's the only thing that's going to keep me sane. Along with coffee, some inspiration and a few road trips to surrounding cities to escape (because for some reason I like to do that).

Well, let's begin!

1 >> Karla, from Casual Bedlam referred to this photo in her blog post and I couldn't help from laughing. Hard. This is basically foreshadow for my final (yes final) semester for my undergrad. I know you college studs can relate ;)

2 >> I literally ran across this video while I was writing this laugh post. Fate?

"Hey can I borrow your Nickelback cd?"

"I completely understand my taxes."

"Hey does anyone know how to make Papyrus my default font." (My favorite)

Okay, I'll stop ruining it for you now. Watch the video!

3 >> One of my best friends, Catherine (who is also known as my Soul mate) left me this beautiful note on my typewriter (okay, cue the Hipster jokes. I know, I own a typewriter). Loved how she included that little "that's what she said" joke. I am surely immature when it comes to that joke (apologies) so I appreciated it.

4 >> I saw this the top photo from tumblr and realized I had definitely done this a few weeks ago. Yup kids. I stuffed myself in a dryer. I used to do this a lot time to time as a little nugget, so it definitely felt a lot more snug than I'm used to. Regardless, it was nice little trip down memory lane. Just don't let your friends close the door and press the start button even for a second. Yup, my wonderfully kind and passionate friends did that to me. Ouch, right? You might have seen me tweet this photo if you follow me Twitter ;)

5 >> Last but not least, I found this "little gem" on my car window after I left Wal-Mart late one evening. Flattering? Maybe... Classy? Not one bit. Above everything else, it made me laugh. I think he got me at Eskimo.
(I apologize for everyone who saw the post earlier where the picture didn't work! Here it is!)

He's a keeper isn't it?
So great, I didn't even feel the need to blur out the name or number...

What made you laugh this week?

Rainy days + used book stores

2012-01-13T22:44:00.000-05:00

This past Wednesday I felt it was about time I took a trip to our local Ed Mckay's and spent some store credit I had built up from selling them some old books. I had a lovely $24 to spend and at first I had about *seven books in my hand and realized what I really wanted to buy was just one, To Kill a Mockingbird. Hands down, one of my favorite books and now I finally own it. Then I wanted to build up my record collection so I bought four. Yup, all for $24.

I'd say that day was successfully wonderful. Wouldn't you?

Ps - Isn't my mom cute? :) Her and my little sister were so patient while I walked up and down the endless aisles of books + records for (what felt like) hours.

*The reason I didn't go through with buying seven books is because as much as I love owning books, I only want to own books I actually love. I'm trying to step away from my hoarding tendencies and become a little more minimalistic. So instead, I wrote down all the book titles, hopefully find them in my local library and potentially buy them if I feel they belong to my bookshelf.

DIY: Pencil Holder

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Inspired by this pin, I borrowed a drill from a guy friend of mine and attempted to create my own pencil holder a few weeks ago (in the midst of finals). At first, I stared at the drill for about a good 10 minutes trying to figuring out how it worked. I even made a phone call to another guy friend of mine, but really, how could he help over the phone? Then I proceeded to give it a shot (by putting a lot of pressure) and broke a 9/64 drill bit (it's one of the tiniest ones). Why did I try to drill this into this big block of wood? Don't ask and don't worry, I replaced it :]

After getting the hang of putting the right amount of pressure and angling the drill the right way, I finally was able to drill some holes using the 3/32 drill bit. After the wood chips all over my living room floor, I decided to move my project OUTside and thus, success! It was time consuming and my hand cramped up a bit, but overall, it was a successful DIY! I found the piece of wood while shooting my friend's save the date photos and therefore (without the cost of replacing the drill bit, which was $1.94), the project would've cost nothing!

I plan on using the pencil holder for some new art pens I've had my eyes on :)
Did you do any DIY projects recently?

Contact Sheets || B&W Film

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

I miss you.
I have spent nearly all my afternoons and evening with you two years ago.
It was hard not to fall in love with you.
You inspired me.
You made me feel passion.
You made look at things through a new perspective.
You made me feel like a true artist.
I made mistakes with you, but they were beautiful mistakes.
There was no such words like perfection in your vocabulary.
You helped me understand what it truly felt to take a photo.
Not a snapshot, but a photograph.

You made me believe that photography is truly painting the world with light.

Thank you for being my light.
I miss you.
I miss you, film.

From an earlier post, you may not have noticed that I took a black and white photography class two years ago and it truly was the best experience I ever had. These are a few of the contact sheets I have from class. What are contact sheets? After you develop the film (and let them dry), you cut them into slips of five and insert them into a page protector. You then transfer it to photo paper in the dark room like you would for any photo. This way you can see all your pictures on that roll of film at once and decide which photos you want to develop individually. This also helps see which shots were overexposed or underexposed. I think these contact sheets are a work of art in itself. Tells somewhat of a story doesn't it?

I hope to continue to use film more. As far as developing goes, I have no access to a dark room, but maybe one day, yes, one day, I will have one of my own. I guess I should add that to my bucket list, huh?

Neri Wedding

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Do you remember when I mentioned I got the opportunity to shoot a wedding for the first time? Well, I finally am revealing the photos to my blog readers! One of my best friend's brother and [now] sister-in-law got married November 19, 2011 and they asked me to be their photographer for the reception portion of their beautiful day. I felt so honored, but I was extremely nervous. Their wedding was absolutely stunning and her dress was b-e-a-u-tiful!

Thank you Aimee and Ansell for extending this lifetime of an opportunity for me. It makes me (relieved) and happy that you enjoyed your pictures! I also had an opportunity to work with the lovely ladies Stephanie and Jamie who are the face of Viva L'Event. They were the geniuses behind this fabulously planned wedding. Be sure to check out their Facebook page and stay up to date with all they do.

All photos are (c) Melissa Vega

Tuesday Tunes v.3

2012-01-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

I love sharing with you all new artists that I find. The genres will pretty much range considering I almost love everything, but that's NO to dub step. Sorry. If you want to share music as well, make sure you check out Danielle's blog tongue tied in awe, where I will be linking up! She has one of the best tastes in music so you'll surely find something you like!

Anyway, I introduce to you Jillian Edwards!
A hopeless romantic, just like me, except she actually knows how to put her feelings into lyrics. Something I have not gotten the hang of, or sing, or play guitar for that matter. ANYWAY, if you're into the cute, easy-listening, romantic, singer/songwriter type of music, she's your girl. She's just as cute as her lyrics.

Ps - There's a little surprise at the end of this blog post, so be sure to check it out.

photo source. one // two

Take a listen:

Jillian Edwards Tuesday Tunes by melissa vega on Grooveshark

Like what you just listened to?
Well, I've got the greatest news! Her album "Galaxies and Such" is a FREE DOWNLOAD on Noisetrade. Be sure to click here and download it so you can listen to her over and over again like I've been doing. Also, her newest album "Headfirst" is under $7 on Amazon [I just bought it!]. Go support lovely artists like this one.

Hope you enjoyed :]

When in doubt...

2012-01-05T20:17:00.000-05:00


(c) Melissa Vega Taken August 2010

I am indecisive.
I think too hard, I worry, I contemplate pros and cons and I allow my mind to get clouded with what ifs, "Am I making the right decision?" along with worrying about the ending rather than the beginning. I am sure all of you have felt this way one or another, you're basically not human if you haven't :] 2012 is opening a lot of doors for me, along with closing a few. While being in college, I have gotten away with not having to make too big of decisions because the next four years were basically planned out for me. Now everything is up for grabs. My life was planned around "semesters", Spring Breaks, summer sessions or ratemyprofessor.com. Some friends of mine are off to Graduate School (which I will eventually get to), marriage, new places, foreign countries or staying right where they are (which is perfectly fine.) As for me, who knows.

Isn't it kind of fun though?
Just not knowing. I have a few exciting things lined up for 2012 including a trip to Thailand and a three month trip to the Philippines, but after that I am going to have to make some decisions. One thing I know for sure though, is that I am truly going to let my heart guide me.

Recently my mother told me to follow my head and not my heart (when it came to love) but I just can't do it. I don't want to be safe. I don't want to make the decisions that seem like the best for me externally but not internally. She had the best of intentions, making sure I didn't get hurt but If I follow my head, where's the excitement? Following my heart will definitely get me hurt and get me in life's little pickles, but that's where you learn the most. I want to learn. I want to to grow. I want trial and error. I want to look back and say, "You know what, I don't regret what happened, because I followed my heart." I want to live in a different state, make new friends and let the old ones grow.

I want to want.

So do me a favor this year and let your heart guide you.

Don't over think.
Don't worry.
Don't think about what if's and listen to your heart.
If you look back at your life, the best things have happened because you listened to your heart.
Am I right?

Tuesday Tunes v.2

2012-01-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hey friends :]

For Tuesday Tunes this week, I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite bands, Freelance Whales. I got to see them last year in Chapel Hill and they were absolutely stunning! They were some of the nicest people in the world and love to get to know their fans. I think they can change the music scene. One of my favorite things I respect about them is that they all play five instruments each, minimum. I may be exaggerating but regardless they all switch instruments during shows and definitely show their individual talent.

"To call them multi-instrumentalists might be a little overdone. The kids in Freelance Whales are really just collectors, at heart. They don’t really fancy buffalo nickels or Victorian furniture, but over the past two years, they’ve been collecting instruments, ghost stories, and dream-logs. Somehow, from this strange compost heap of little sounds and quiet thoughts, songs started to rise up like steam from the ground."

Enjoy this lovely band dubbed Freelance Whales.

They're so cool, even Starbucks had to use them for a commercial here.

Freelance Whales by melissa vega on Grooveshark

**last two photos were taken at the show I went to two Octobers ago.

A glimpse into my holiday season, 2011

2012-01-02T12:08:00.001-05:00

First off, can I just say how lame I have been with my blogging!
I had envisioned my break just a little differently, however, I would not change a thing.
Here's a little glimpse into my Christmas.

CHRISTMAS 2011 >

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were beautiful ones filled with so much love, new scarves (thanks Mom!), Just Dance 3, lobsters, doggies, warmth, some of my favorite cousins (a new one!) and just overall fun. As you can see from the pictures, my family knows how to celebrate - with JUST DANCE 3 of course! At one point, we have about 15 or us dancing together. What a perfect little way to celebrate life and family. Of course I wish my whole family could've been with us, but regardless, it was a beautiful time.

So I kept talking about Just Dance 3, well, we even captured it on video. Enjoy!

I also added my bucket list FINALLY to my blog! Read along :)

Welcome to the world, Chloe.

2011-12-27T20:56:00.001-05:00

On December 26, 2011, my beautiful baby cousin came into our world. Healthy as can be, she's already the most precious little peanut I have ever seen. Aren't Asian babies the cutest? Okay, all babies are the cutest but I can already tell she's going to bring so much joy into the world. She already has! Thank you God for blessing us with this beautiful little peanut and congratulations to my Auntie Lelah and Uncle Huy! You are going to be wonderful parents! Chloe is the first newborn I've held in my arms, just eight hours old (in the picture with me and her).

I can't wait to babysit you, buy you precious bows and tickle your cute little feet!

Love you already Chloe.

From my heart to yours

2011-12-24T18:45:00.003-05:00

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas!

Otherwise, Happy Holidays!

I hope it is filled with laughter, love, family, friends, pets,

good food, good company, hope and faith.

God Bless.

Have you told someone you loved them today?

*Photo taken Christmas 2009 by yours truly.

A little holiday cheer

2011-12-23T16:39:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine decided to make a JibJab video of us for the holiday season. He made it a couple weeks ago, but I just noticed it last night, so thank you Frederick for having this float around on Facebook [without my knowledge]. I find it extremely humorous. He's made these videos for the past two years. New holiday tradition? Probably.

Also, one of my favorite artists, Rachel Platten, is having free music on Noisetrade today. Download here! You won't regret it.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

Tuesday Tunes v.1 || Free Music Edition

2011-12-20T15:50:00.000-05:00

One of my best blogging friends Danielle has been doing Tuesday Tunes for quite some time now and I am finally linking up with her! She has one of the best taste in music, so look at her past TT posts and bond with her over the love of music. Today's post will consists of some amazing artists (some even local!) that I want to share with everyone. For a bonus, every artist I'm sharing offers a free download of one of their songs (I know, early Christmas presents for all, right?)

Without further adieu...

Love You Strongly

I ran across this lovely sweet song on Amazon as a free download and guess what...it's still one! Click here to get your free legal download of this song. Amy has the sweetest voice and downright honest lyrics about "the other side of love." You can't help but fall in love with her fresh talent.

I Don't Want Love

When I say I'm in love with this song, I mean I'm in love. The kind of love that hurts while at the same time makes you extremely unhappy. I guess the kind of unhealthy love. I don't want know it is about this song, but it hits some sort of nerve of mine and I can't let go. I listen to this song maybe five times a ~~day~~ an hour. I wish I were exaggerating! Trust me, there will be more posts on The Antlers. Click here for the free Amazon download for "I Don't Want Love." All you have to do is listen and you'll understand.

The New River Boys are three of the most entertainingly, talented and giving gentleman out of Boone. No, but seriously. They are all over Boone and have the best sense of humor I have ever witnessed in my life. If you don't like to laugh or listen to great music, just don't go to any of their shows. They recently played for a fundraiser I planned a couple weeks back and I can't thank them enough. Oh, and did I mention they play the BEST covers of The Avett Brothers? Seriously though. I melt every time they play "Murder in the City." Ask them, they saw for themselves.

Facebook || Twitter

Click here to listen and download their version of "Silent Night" & other Christmas treats.

Slow Roll (Acoustic Version)
Straight out of Augusta, GA, Funk You is, you guessed it, a funk band that "delivers an eclectic blend of funk, reggae, jazz, and hip hop focusing on a high energy progressive funk sound that will keep you moving all night long!" It is quite true. When I saw them a couple weeks ago, I couldn't help but get down to their funky sound. I had dance moves I didn't even know I had. None other than their fresh sound, don't they just look like people you want to be friends with? They're going places, so why don't you join them in their journey. Visit them on Facebook and if you're in GA go see them live! They have "Slow Roll" as a free download on their Facebook page, so go download that to hold you over until their EP comes out (which is soon.)Hope you all enjoy the free music.Go support these artists in other ways by going to a show, buying their album and just spreading the word.Have a lovely Tuesday with your new music!

ugly sweaters = photobooth

2011-12-17T20:52:00.000-05:00

In the midst of finals, my roommates and I decided to throw a little shindig for a small little study break for yummy food, How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey edition), ugly sweaters, good company and some great laughs. Moments before the party, I had a epiphany! Let's have a photobooth! It's not quite as fabulous as professional ones, nor is my flash high-end, however, we turned our back porch into a photobooth! It was a hit :)

We got to capture some wonderful moments and even better [ugly] sweaters. I even added a prop box for added fun. Aren't my friends wonderful?

Ps. BLOGGING WORLD, I'M OFFICIALLY BACK!
No school or work for a whole month :D

Life right now >>>

2011-12-13T10:33:00.001-05:00

via

College life!
I am 2/5 done with my last week of final exams & presentations.
I'll be back soon, with a bang.
I promise.

To my fellow college friends, good luck.
To the rest of the world have a wonderful week!

A little black & white film

2011-12-08T09:53:00.001-05:00

Two years ago, I was able to take a Black and White Film class offered at Appalachian. It truly was one of the most creatively inspiring and challenging courses I ever took. I say challenging because the dark room aren't no walk in the park! I was feeling nostalgic about using my manual camera and dug some of these photos up from my old class binder.

I'm on a mission to find the photos that I used for critiques. These photos were either not turned in, or developed just for the sake of developing :]

I hope you enjoy a little of my adventures with my '76 SLR Nikon and the photos I had the lovely opportunity of developing in a dark room. I miss you dark room.

Photo details

[1] My camera and I on a little adventure down 105 [2] Appalachian Library [3] My beautiful friend Olivia who I used to swap clothes with [4] My inspiring father and loving younger sister [5] My old roommate and wonderful model back in the day when I took more photos [6] Isn't she beautiful? [7] Right outside that little park [8] Hannah being the cute model that she is [9] My ever inspiring friend, Rene [10] My first love, Zoey.

I'm escaping down to Georgia this weekend to take a break from finals. Good luck everyone!

DIY: Tea Bags

2011-12-04T22:07:00.001-05:00

I present to you, a DIY inspired by A Beautiful Mess. My lovely roommate Kaleigh & I finally implemented this project for my Her Campus article this week. She was also my hand model!

Click here for the FULL instructions on my HC article.
Enjoy!

12. December. Diciembre. Dec.

2011-12-01T01:06:00.001-05:00

It seem as though November has come to an end,
& an old friend named December has come to visit.
Hello December.
Did you know I started this blog last December?
Let's just say I took some ...huge breaks in between posts back then ;)
Here's the first post.

Well friends, if you've been following me on the monthly goals journey, it looks like it's time for a little update! You can see the all the posts here. Here's the list and what I've marked off so far.

I've already written 21 thank you notes, so here are the remaining nine! Since all I've been putting in my moleskine lately are lists (school lists really), I decided to write my last thank you notes in there.

So, thank you November.
In the midst of a few bad days, awkward moods, cold hands and confusion, there were more days of joy, discovery, warmth, new friends and good food. You were a wonderful month. I feel more and more blessed every single day.

PS: If you're in Boone and looking for something to do, come out to my group's fundraising event this Friday from 5-8 p.m. during Boone's Art Crawl. All proceeds to go towards a local nonprofit, F.A.R.M. Cafe < -- go to their website for more information. Here's the flyer I made for the event. Be sure to check out the official Facebook page!

outfit post// christmas pjs

2011-11-29T22:43:00.000-05:00

It's officially Christmas season in the Carroll-Scearce-Vega household. We whipped out the Christmas pajama pants! My roommates and I (pictured above) have finally put up most, if not all the Christmas decorations. Even if we are all peacing out before Christmas, it'll add to the holiday spirit! We're going to make our list of Christmas movies to watch soon. We better make time to watch them in the midst of finals, Felicity and trying to keep sane.

[Side note about the picture: At first I hated this one because it's "true to size." I look so short compared to them :( I am 4'11. Anyway, I made them take another one while I stood on a step school but felt dishonest, so I used this one!]

My lovely friend Mary Beth took these photos :] I hate taking photos on campus. Ugh. She said, "Are you going to use these for your blog?" At first I wasn't going to just to spite her but, even deep down I knew I was hehe.

Oh yeah, and it snowed a little here in Boone. No, it wasn't a blizzard (although I'm anticipating when Boone becomes a snow globe on steroids). I'm pretty bi-polar when it comes to snow here in Boone (as you can tell from the pictures). Cold, cold hands, but cute tights. Foggy, wet glasses but wearing coats! My walk to class gains five extra minutes from the wind blowing me back, but snow is beautiful! My car gets stuck every year and I can't even make it up my hill to my house, but watching snow fall from the window with the fire going is one of the most serene feelings.

Sigh, snow snow snow. How to feel about you. Obviously you're a man if you're making me feel this way.

Is it sad to base where you will move to next based on your closet? I just can't live anywhere too warm or without a cold season. I have just too much fall/winter clothing!

Guest post with Beth for "Dot Cuts Back"

2011-11-28T13:02:00.001-05:00

Check out my guest post for Beth from dot...in the city! She is having a series of money saving tips for the holiday season. I put in my two cents about ways I save money while being in college, but the tips can be for everyone - in college, not in college and those in between! Be sure to check it out and the other posts as well!

Have a great Monday friends!

Outfit Post // Sisters Edition

2011-11-27T03:42:00.001-05:00

Finally! Another outfit post. I'm beginning to enjoy these...especially when I get to take pictures with my younger sister. I decided to do a little photo shoot on Thanksgiving Day. It was less awkward because I wasn't take pictures of just myself this time, but what was awkward was that we took photos in the "Bark Park" of my mom's apartment complex...hmm. Need I say more?

Well blogging world, I introduce to you my little sister Megan. Gorgeous, driven and I hear her older sister rocks ;) Enjoy our little photo-op. A few hours later we stuffed out faces and bellies full of lovely Thanksgiving food. We then proceeded to hang out with our adorably cute cousins and play the best game of Pictionary with everyone I had ever experienced. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Warning: This post is photo heavy. We just had too much fun!

My outfit: Dress//boutique, Shoes// found here - Old Navy, Tights + cardigan//Target, Bracelet//Gift, Purse// Michael Kors, Glasses//found here - BonLook,

Hair inspired by: Sara Lynn Paige
Megan's: Dress//Mom's, Shoes//Charlotte Russe, Blazer//Silvina's, Earrings//found here - Forever 21, Belt//JCPenny, Tights//Mine

PS: Isn't her nail polish adorable?!

Now, are you ready for the self-timer-awkward-but-arguably-cute-photos?

I love this little girl to death. Can't believe she's already 16! Yow-za!

Well, I trek back up the mountain to Boone tomorrow for a few more weeks of fundraising event planning, assignments, papers, exams, group projects, photo editing, work and uh, you know, college stuff. Finals are coming up, so all my college friends, best of luck to you :)

My break home was nothing short of necessary, relaxing and beneficial.
Hope everyone had a wonderfully safe holiday!

thank you notes part II

2011-11-23T17:16:00.001-05:00

As part of my monthly goals, I am to write 30 thank you notes in the month of November. So far I've posted about nine of them, and here is the little update of my notes!

My Yes, Teacher! mini-cards ran out, so I did the next thank you notes digitally >>

Nine more thank you notes to go.
What are you thankful for this season?

a little award: Liebster Blog

2011-11-22T16:54:00.001-05:00

I've seen this award floating around the blogging world and I am happy that Kirsten from whiskey.tango.foxtrot decided to bless me with this award! The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming blogs who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word meaning dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

Not only am I supporter or up and coming blogs, but I love to share with others my favorite ones! It's good to support bloggers that are trying to find their little niche in this blogging world. At times its hard because you compare yourself to those with 343454564567 followers, but it's never about numbers :] Ever. So all of you remember that.

How does it work?
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love too!

So thank you again to Kirsten for this lovely blog award! I want to pass it along to a handful of bloggers that I've loved and adored for quite a while now. I try to spread the love to bloggers I haven't awarded yet and instead of just naming yet, I want to share a little description of why.

1. Melissa from My Soul in the Sky

Not only does she have a rockin' name *wink*, she is stylish, has great hair tutorials, takes beautiful pictures, is ultra sweet and has great recipes. I think I ran across her blog via Gentri (man, she comes up a lot in my posts, hehe) and I'm so happy I did! I always look forward to what she's posting next because she's just ultra stylish and adorable. Oh, and her husband and her are the absolute cutest. Okay, I'll stop being like a complete stalker now. So glad I have met you girl! Seriously. Let's be blogging friends forever!

2. Lauren from Tastes Like Love

Lauren is SUPER sweet! We're sponsors for one another, so it feels kind of nice to showcase her a little on my blog :) She has a great post series on her blog called "Start your week off with..." that features posts from other bloggers she recommends. (She has showcased me a couple of times here and here . I told you she was sweet!) She has does she pretty sweet illustrations. I want one of me so bad! (hint, hint) Just kidding :) But you should check out her blog because it's just crazy if you don't.

3. LauraJane from Little Miss LJ

I am SUPER lucky to have met this wonderful lady through packpage pals. You can see what we gave each other here. She's was the perfect person to exchange packages with :) I got some sa-weet things from California! Her blog is filled with make-up tutorials, cute outfits, YUMMY food and just overall cuteness. I wish I could meet her in real life. I feel like we would be the bestestest friends! I'm going to hire her one day to do my make-up and bake me yummy stuff on the daily :) Can't wait to meet you in person! California, here I come!

4. Megan from ASULike It

Not only do I know Megan in real life so I know that she's just a fabulous person, the concept behind her blog ASULike It is brilliant! She captures the fashion of men and women on the campus of our school, Appalachian State University, through her lens. It's wonderful because you get to see a bit of real life college fashion on the streets of Boone. She even featured me once here and I feel so dang honored! Megan however is one of the most fashionable people I know! I'm going to feature her on here one day because she's also a great model ;) Check out her blog now!

5. Amber from The Owl's Den

She's crafty, cute, an entrepreneur and knows how to find some great vintage things! Seriously. I would totally want her to come with me thrifting because she finds the best stuff. She also has a cute etsy store named Craft'n Bettie that's affordable, cute and fun! I've had my eyes on a few things. I want her to bring back the glasses necklace! (Hint, hint amber!) Anyway, I'm glad the blogging world has brought us together! I hope your etsy shop has extreme success and we can go thrifting together!

There you have it kids! The Liebster award. I went into a little more detail than most, but I just wanted to feature some great bloggers :) Hope you check them out and pass along the award (if you want to). Love you all!

PS: Just entered this lovely giveaway by Miss Indie. If you love camera's you'll love this.
You should too. Maybe not, because I want to win. Kidding :)

Obsessed Series 005: Manchester Orchestra

2011-11-19T11:55:00.001-05:00

Nothing like seeing a band live.
Especially when you love them more than you did walking in.

I've always been a fan of Manchester Orchestra, but now it's like I truly fell in love with them. Sure I would listen to the handful songs I had from them recommended from various friends, but now...now it's true love. I've never appreciated them like I do now and all of you, yes all of you need to, too. Andy Hull, singer/songwriter/guitarist, writes some of the most honest lyrics and his voice is so raw and fierce. I went to go see them in Charlotte on a whim and I'm so glad I did. I even walked out with their newest album on vinyl, Simple Math.

In other news,

+ I am officially home for the Thanksgiving holiday.

+ I did photography for my first wedding reception. Preview pictures to come!

+ I am looking forward to gaining 10+ pounds this week.
+ I've downloaded some new fonts & gotten new music. Both of which make me extremely happy!

+ I leave you with "Deer" by Manchester Orchestra and you'll understand my love. It is the first song on their new album. [Sorry, no actual music video for this song]

package pals 2011

2011-11-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

I am happy to present to you, Package Pals 2011!

My lovely blogger friend, who is one of the most adorable and friendliest people I know, Gentri, hosted this lovely project that truly brought a lot of bloggers together. I got paired with LauraJane and we were seriously the perfect match! I sent her some love from North Carolina and she sent some love from California. Maybe one day we'll meet up and bake together and she can do my make-up! (She has some great tutorials on her blog!) Here's some photos of what I got/gave. Her package was just filled with love and she knows me so well. Enjoy the pictures :]

I had the absolute best time putting together her package and of course I loved every second opening hers! I nearly ripped the box in half because I was so excited. Every time I picked up something from her package I was like, yes! This is perfect! My roommate was next to me and I could feel her jealous looks, haha. She had the best explanations for my gifts, i.e. giving me the "Awake" Tazo tea because she knows I'm in college and working like three jobs and a Vegan cookbook because I was trying Vegan recipes. Oh! And I don't know if she knows, but she actually sent me my FAVORITE brand of cupcake mix!!

I LOVE the feather headband she made me and my cute yellow pouch!
Ok, there's nothing in that package that I didn't love!

I decided to send her a few of my favorite things as well such as notebooks (because I am forever making lists and doodling), a mix cd (because if I make you a mix cd, you know we're real friends ;]) and I started a little quote book for her to finish. I hope she loved my package :]

Thank you Gentri for hosting this project and a HUGE thank you to LauraJane for one of the best packages I have ever received. So glad we met and look forward to out little blogging friendship!

making a statement

2011-11-15T21:28:00.001-05:00

I never intended to make this a "fashion" blog of any sort, but every now and then an outfit post will suffice, especially when it showcases some little goodies I've gotten from giveaways! Maybe I'll start doing more? What do you think?

Again, I feel so silly when I pose with the self-timer. Sorry for my awkward poses...and moments of my camera not focusing. Maybe I should have a post of all the not-so-great camera moments...Never mind, that's too embarrassing. Anyway! On to better things!

Just wanted to give a shout out to Lo, the blogger at Little Somethings by Little Lo Hood and etsy owner of Printed Peaks! Thanks to her and Gentri for hosting such a lovely giveaway, I won this perfect necklace that if I daresay, makes a statement. A great one at that! Love it, love it love it. Another shout out belongs to Amanda, the blogger behind feast.fashion.faves! She hosted a BB Dokota tank giveaway a few weeks ago and I was super lucky to snag this wonderful black tank! It's so comfortable and definitely my style. Thank you both, you ROCK!

The knitted sweater in this photo was bought when I was 16! Can you believe it? It's from a little shop in Arcata, CA (which Boone reminds me of and pretty much why I chose to go to App). I wish I remembered the name of the store because I remember loving it. Hopefully California and I will reunite within the next year [I have some plans in mind ;)].

Wow, I've posted two days in a row. I'm getting a little better keeping up with this blog! I guess it's pretty obvious that school is calming down a little bit...if only for a moment.

Okay, my roommate and I are going to finish The Hills series tonight. BYE!

new glasses, new me

2011-11-14T23:35:00.001-05:00

Okay, not really, but I did get new glasses
Thank you BonLook for creating affordable glasses :] I got this pair.

Anyway, I always feel like such an idiot when I take pictures of myself on the porch, but I would feel even more self-conscious making my roommates take them honestly. At least my town home has beautiful wood paneling that I can use as my backdrop...and my back porch is a story or two from ground level, so it's less awkward.

This look is what I call my lounge-around-my-house-writing-a-paper-look. My favorite look! Warm, comfy, neutral and these glasses make me feel extra intelligent [and hipster] so it's no wonder I just wrote a kickbutt paper. Maybe...probably not and it's okay, I will allow you to call me hipster this one time ;)

The cardigan was a hand-me-down along with these black tights (from eighth grade!)
Flannel was JC Penny and knee-high socks are from TJ Maxx. Ralph Lauren I believe?

Anyway, four days until I get a breakity break from school, kind of.
I can't wait!

This weekend includes Manchester Orchestra + Deer Hunter show in Charlotte, shooting my first wedding and HOME. Home sweet home. Look out for my package pal post in a few days :] Can't wait to share what LauraJane got me! Can't wait to see what everyone else got/gave.

Have a great week friends!

laugh list v.1

2011-11-10T22:16:00.001-05:00

In the midst of deadlines, over committing my time, stressful environments and no sleep [welcome to college!], it's important to take a breathe and focus on the fun things in life. With this being said, I decided to start compiling a little "laugh list" where I share with you all things that helped me survive my weeks and find joy in the little things in [college] life. It's important to laugh :] Hopefully these things will make you laugh as much as it made me.

+ Barbie & Ken's wedding
Hi-larious! It's hilarious because it's so well done! I know you've probably seen these puppies floating around the internet, but just in case you didn't, I am here to share them with you! Photographer Beatrice de Guigne featured this photo shoot on Rock n Roll Bride.

Guigne quoted, "Barbie was tired of waiting so she asked Ken to get married."

You go girl! *

+ Elf on a Shelf
I was on the blog Run with Scissors and came across these silly little photos of this elf! Who's this elf you ask? He is Santa's helper who keeps an eye on you to determine if you're on the nice or naughty list. They like to play hide and seek, especially with kids! You can read more here for the detailed story. Realistically, parents purchase this elf on the shelf to have fun during the holidays. Some people have come up with hilarious little photo shoots. Hope they make you laugh like I do :)

You can find some more floating around the internet :]

+ This Haiku, written by Chic on the Cheap

Hahahaha it's genius!

+ My friend Cameron's status on Facebook

+ My Dad's comment about "Hoe Cakes"

While we were having a family brunch at a restaurant called Courtney's, on their specials board they had an option called "Hoe Cakes" which apparently are cornmeal pancakes. (Honestly still don't really know what that means).

Anyway, my dad exclaims,

"Does it come with a side of hoochie mamas?"

Yup, my dad said that.
Now you tell me where I get my sense of humor from ....

Gotta love him :]
I sure do

Ps. I made my little sister a picture of this with my phone haha. Thanks Megan!

What made you laugh this week?

monthly goals update one

2011-11-10T01:13:00.002-05:00

I debuted my monthly goals list a handful of months ago, but I don't think anyone read my blog then. Actually, I don't think many people still do, but I love those of you who do read it! Anyway, here's a little update on the month goals and what to expect :]

Monthly goals?
Being the Virgo that I am, I decided to set goals for myself for the next year. I started this past August and so far have completed three months of goals (whoo!), but I do have nine more to go. I think I'm going to do this every year. It's a great way to push yourself to achieve certain goals you've been wanting to for awhile and it keeps life interesting. Here's the little list I compiled last July and more information about the progress I've been making and my experience.

August was quite a hard month! I was in the Philippines (where shopping is a sport) and I was so tempted to buy buy buy. Actually this was probably the perfect month for this goal because it really pushed me.

September was a super fun goal! I FINALLY framed some black and white pictures I've been meaning to for a while. I did a post a while back on it and I even rearranged my room a little bit to showcase my new collage of frames. Check out the post here.

October was a challenge. I've been a Pescatarian (where you are allowed to eat fish/seafood) when I first started college, but that ended when Capone's accidentally put chicken in my pizza (oops!) This month allowed me to try more vegetarian meals with my friend Melissa and it was super fun! Check out what we cooked here and here. I'm definitely meant for meat (that didn't sound right), but vegetarian options are, well, an option! Plus, my wonderful package pal LauraJane got me this great vegan cookbook!

November is a month of thank yous. I've always been a fan of writing thank you notes to family and friends, so I thought this would be the perfect month for this goal. Leah over at thxthxthx.com inspired me to write one everyday in November. Check out her blog. She even has a book, so you know she's legit.

Here's my notes so far -

PS - These note cards were won through a giveaway offered by Lori and Sarah from Yes, Teacher! I absolutely love these mini cards. I thought they would be perfect for this little thank you project. They were my first thank you :] Check our her etsy store for some more of these cute cards! Actually won another giveaway from both of them and ordered the mustache love cards! Just a lucky girl I guess ;]

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone! It's almost Rebecca Black day, I mean Friday.

a new bookshelf, kinda

2011-11-08T17:23:00.003-05:00

For a couple months now, I've been inspired to redo my bookshelf! There are tons of cute bookshelves on pinterest that continue to inspire me, so I decided to do my own ~~little~~ project. It honestly was a bigger project than I anticipated (mainly because I knew nothing about wallpaper beforehand) but here's a little look into my project :) You should check out Sarah's post from Yes, Teacher! about bookshelf projects that may get you inspired too!

Project duration: A few weeks [because I'm a college student + it takes me forever to do anything other than school work. True story]
Cost: $20, I couldn't resist buying the textured wallpaper! I have enough to do my other bookshelf as well, so technically $10 for this project
Mess factor: Extreme. The glue from wallpaper is ... gross and books all over my floor for weeks, oops!
Outcome: Much happiness + satisfaction from this college student!

I was able to clear out some books that I wasn't reading anymore and set them aside to resell to a bookstore in Raleigh. Last time I got some good store credit, so I'm hoping to again. These bookshelves were handed down to me and after visiting Ikea a few months ago, I thought I "needed new bookshelves." I was nearly about to drop $100+ on some [ridiculous, I know]. Instead, I redid them and couldn't be more happy! Now these babies will last me (hopefully) awhile!

I love upcycling!
I have a few more diy projects on my list, so as long as I can get through these next few weeks of school, maybe I can actually implement them.

Do you have any upcoming home improvement type diy projects?

Thrifty Seeker

2011-11-07T16:54:00.002-05:00

A month ago, I ran across a little website named ThriftySeeker.com where I bought my Pink Lemonade mustard yellow rosette headband! Pictured below. Guess how much I got this headband for? $5. No joke. Now I will share with you how.

ThrifySeeker.com are for those who are always on the lookout for great deals that you just can't beat. Items that are easy on the wallet, but are one-of-a-kind.A few times a week they will post amazing new deals that are always 40-90% off! This website isn't for the consumer, but also for the shop owner. By selling larger quantities than normal, both customers and merchants can benefit.

Okay, but how did you get your headband for $5?!Well, just by signing up, you automatically receive $5 credit! That's how my headband went from $10 to $5. Just can't beat it. You can also earn points for referring friends and by purchasing products.

Other things to note about Thrifty Seeker:

Thrifty Seeker is a National Group Deal Website
Are you a shop owner and want to have your product featured? Contact info@thriftyseeker.com and if you want to feature a service, contact mark@dibsondeals.com

For more information on all things thrifty, check out their Facebook and Twitter.

So what ya waiting for? Sign up for your free $5 and check out all the great deals going on right now! Support shop owners and abide by your wallet's rules :]

Disclaimer: I did receive compensation for writing this blog post, however, all opinions are my own.

a letter for November

2011-11-04T14:00:00.002-04:00

[ This photo was taken four years ago, right outside my dorm freshman year with my point and shoot camera. I can't believe it's already been four years! Probably one of my favorite photos.]

Dear November,

You are the month that always likes to sneak up on me. I get so preoccupied in the month of October that I almost always forget about you, which is sad because you are a great month - especially this year. I always love when you come around because I get to wear all my favorite coats, which you know I'm obsessed with, and you always make sure I spend time with my family. You are always filled with sales, beautiful drives down the mountain and scarves. This year you have made school a huge priority, but I think it's because you know I'm ready to tackle it! These next two weeks will be pretty hectic and filled with more planning, writing, studying and late nights than ever before, but you know I can handle it :) After that you will reward me with a whooping ten days at home. See, you truly know how to be a great friend.

Stereotypically you are known as the month of giving and giving thanks, but even though you make me realize I need to thank the people around me and the opportunities that have been given to me, I never really get to thank you. So thank you November. You are one of the sweetest months because you always put things in perspective.

As far as the blog goes, look out for some great posts in November. I'm hoping once things settle down a little in the academic world, I will be able to devote a little more time to my blog because I've got some great things in store to share with everyone. Just sit tight. Hopefully November will stay a little longer than usual :]

An aDORAble Halloween!

2011-11-02T14:52:00.001-04:00

Finally!
The Halloween costume is revealed! Ta-da! Introducing Dora the Explorer! At first I was going to be Kourtney Kardashian so I could have a reason to wear "classy" clothing and red lipstick, but since I decided to work this weekend, I needed something family friendly, comfortable and inexpensive. The orange shorts and pink shirt was bought at Goodwill, pink socks at Wal-Mart and the backpack was purchased in Charleston this past summer [thanks to my Aunt!]. I just added eyes and a mouth :) All the kids kept saying "Where's map?!" and I had to tell them he was too tired and stayed at home (even though honestly I was too lazy to make one haha)

Enjoy the pictures!
Hope everyone had a wonderfully safe Halloween. Can't wait to see pictures of everyone's holiday.

What has been your favorite Halloween costume?

Giveaways to check out!

+ Gentri is hosting a giveaway from the lovely, "Secret Life of Bees!"

an award or two

2011-11-01T10:44:00.001-04:00

Who has the best blogging friends in the world?

I think I do!

Okay, okay. That may have been a little biased.

I truly can't believe how many amazing people I've met through blogs. Those of you who are less excited about the internet and sharing personal information publicly probably wouldn't understand how you could "trust" or find "friendships" through blogging, but I'd beg to differ! Anyway, the point of that was to segway into these two awards that two of my sweet blogging friends (and one of them I actually know - in real life - haha) awarded me! I'm a little late with replying to these but hopefully you'll forgive me :]

Angela from Simply Simple Me was such a sweetheart for extending the "The Kreativ Blogger Award" to me! We're both participating in the Package Pal project hosted by Gentri and if my memory doesn't fail me, I think that's how we met! Can't wait to get to know her a bit better :) We both have a love for food, wine and blogging!

Rules of the award: To share seven things about yourself and award seven more bloggers this award. Be sure to let them know you awarded them so they can pass it on! [Hope I don't bore you with too many random things about me haha]

Seven Things

1. Favorite color: Mustard Yellow
2. I'm a public relations major and love it!
3. I'm "organized chaos."
4. I may or may not have four jobs.
5. I graduate in May [Eeeeek!]
6. I'm going to Thailand on May 20.
7. I am desperately trying to grow out my hair. It has been/will be a long process.

Now to pass on the award to: Danielle, Katia, Isabel, Lauren, Caroline, Sarah and Laura.

These ladies rock and are inspiring. Check out their lovely blogs!

Emily from Life of Emily! has graciously given me the Versatile Blogger award [a month ago] and now I get to share it with other bloggers! Thanks Emily for awarding me this :] You rock as a fellow Her Campus App State member & blogger.

Rules of the award: Just like the Kreativ Blogger Award, you must share seven things about yourself and award seven other lovely bloggers to pass it around! Let your bloggers know you awarded them!

[Another] Seven Things
1. I don't go anywhere without my planner + moleskine.
2. I am constantly making to-do lists.
3. I collect vinyl.
4. My home is made of wood paneling.
5. I am in the process of working on my Flickr account for my photography.
6. I only like to use certain kinds of pens.
7. I don't like colored pencils.

Passing along this award to: Rachel, Ashley, Renee Redd, Lena, Meghan, Beth and Danelle B.

Thanks again to Angela + Emily. Check out their blogs and all the other wonderful bloggers.

Vegan meal + game night

2011-10-29T02:55:00.002-04:00

Some of my friends & I love home cooked meals & game nights.
So why not have both in one night?

Last time we cooked butternut squash lasagna & played "Bang." This time we cooked scalloped potatoes and eggplant bacon using this recipe (which happens to be vegan) and played Apples to Apples! My goal this month was to not eat meat...and that's why my good friend Melissa has been introducing me to yummy vegetarian & vegan options. [Sidenote: She's a vegetarian!] Even after I start eating meat again, she's probably the best person to cook with vegetarian meals with because she's great at it. ;) We're going to accomplish baking next time, VEGAN baking. Aren't Melissa's the best ;)

Here's a glimpse into our fun-filled evening last Sunday!

I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend!
Rumors (and weather.com) say it may snow here in Boone tomorrow.
I don't think I'm quite ready.

Just a heads up, I have a ton of ideas for future posts and plans for this blog. I'm hoping I can implement them and squeeze it all in with the limited 24 hours per day!

Thank you to everyone who reads this little blog.
Seriously though. I've already made some great friends and connections.
Hopefully we can all meet one day :]

October Follow Fest!

2011-10-27T23:57:00.000-04:00

It's a link par-TAY.
Welcome welcome new readers :]
Make sure you check out all the fellow October Fest readers + links! Join the partay!

Autumn is my absolute favorite season. Living in the mountains is absolutely beautiful seeing the leaves change, however, this season is short-lived here. [Thanks winter] I wish I could say that my October has been filled with pumpkin carving, pumpkin-flavored everything, fall festivals and watching scary films, but due to college I can barely squeeze in time for breathing! (Kind of, but not really)

SO for this link-up party I wanted to share with you a little recap of my past Halloween costumes, because admit it, it's fun to dress up as someone completely different :] I am not one of those college students to ....you know, "dress up" as a you-know-what, instead I wear costumes that a 5-year-old probably wore too. Isn't that the best part though?

Ready?!

Also!
For a nice little Halloween treat, one of my favorite singer/songwriters has her song "Zombie" as a free download on her site in spirit of Halloween. Check it out!
& thank you to those who commented on my last post. Just keep the Funtila and Larsen family in your prayers.

Another lovely treat? A Dose of Lovely is hosting a MITTENS giveaway. Click to check it out.

Joy Funtila Larsen

2011-10-25T23:06:00.002-04:00

The world misses you Tita Joy,
but you are forever in our hearts.

I have been meaning to write this post for weeks, but it just didn't seem real + I couldn't find the right words. I still can't because there are none.

That October day, one of the most kind hearted people I have ever known left our world for another. She left us a beautiful baby girl named Caitlin Marie Joy Larsen, but she will forever stay in our hearts and in our memories. Here's a little message I would like to leave for her:

Dear Tita Joy,

In life there is struggle, deceit, darkness and then there are people like you.

Just yesterday I could picture my adolescent self running around chasing boys while you and the other Filipina instructors tried to calm us down enough to teach us choreography for a dance. I remember always loving when you taught us. You were always so kind and so patient and you really did dance beautifully. At a young age I knew how kind hearted of a person you were. Everyone knew. Every hug you gave me was filled with warmth and care and even if it was never said, I knew you loved each and everyone of us. I never had a chance to tell you how much I looked up to you as a little girl, I still do. I remember your patience, your modesty, your smile and your big heart. Thank you for being there while I was growing up. I know we haven't been in each others lives in the last few years or so, but you will forever remain in my heart and your family in my prayers.

I know they are struggling without you. Every person and life you touched is struggling.

I pray for your beautiful family. I pray for every person whose lives you've ever touched. I pray for Cade, Ian, Caitlin and pray they have as much strength as you did. I pray for Tito Carl who will continue the beautiful life you both created. It was difficult seeing them lose someone so loving and strong, but I know you're looking down and watching over them. I know you will do your best to protect them from any more of life's harm. Caitlin will grow up around one strong family and will be a great of a woman as you were. Don't worry, she is in great hands.

You touched lives through your kindness, your dance and your heart. You made a difference in this world and let it shine just a little bit brighter. Everyone truly misses you.

In life there is beauty, struggle, happiness, darkness and then there is lost.
See you someday.

Infinite love,

a little guest post @ Tongue Tied in Awe

2011-10-25T13:51:00.000-04:00

Today I am guest posting over at Danielle's blog at Tongue Tied in Awe!
I'm super excited about the post and I hope you all go check it out :]
Danielle is one of my favorite blogger friends + it's always a pleasure to guest post for such a lovely lady.

Here's a little glimpse into my guest post.

Hop on over there to find MORE photography + inspiration quotes to feel inspired today.

Have a great Tuesday loves.

a little restaurant called Our Daily Bread

2011-10-24T20:57:00.000-04:00

I love my college town.
Living in Boone seems to get better by the day.
(this disregards the Winter days because I promise, in a few weeks I may not like Boone's weather so much...haha)

We have the cutest local restaurants, shops, record stores, bead shops, thrift stores + mountains to surround it all! Last Friday, I met up with my Her Campus AppState writers (who I absolutely adore) and we had a little writers meeting + excursion to local restaurant, Our Daily Bread. Their menu is FILLED with yummy sandwiches, soups, salads, vegetarian/vegan options and it will take you hours to decide what to order because everything and I mean everything sounds good. They strive to serve local and organic foods, which is always a plus, and the restaurant is absolutely beautiful with the brick walls, local art and exposed vintage ceiling tiles.

This is what I ordered:

Can you say yummy?

In other news, I have quite the full plate filled with classes, joining the Communication Honor Society Lambda Pi Eta, writing for www.mycollegeroadtrip.com, writing for HC AppState, working as a wine representative for Tar Heel Winery, picking shifts at Primo's and keeping up with the blogging world! However, I am blessed for the opportunities that have come my way and I am seizing all of them. That is not even half the things I have to manage but I am determined to be able to do it all! Sleep? No one remembers sleeping anyway ;)

Have a blessed week fellow readers!

PS. Just bought the Beirut album "The Rip Tide" on vinyl with my $5 coupon whoop! It's amazing. Absolutely amazing.
Also, one of my fav. bloggers + fellow button swapper, Dot In The City, is hosting an awesome giveaway! Check it out!

a little pink lemonade + a little yellow

2011-10-21T02:31:00.001-04:00

First and foremost, if you know me at all, you must know that one of my favorite colors is yellow and today I was very loyal to my color. A week or so ago I was super lucky to win a giveaway hosted by Ilene of much love, illy (she's one of my favorite blogs!) + Paige of Pink Lemonade! I won a pair of rosette earrings made by Pink Lemonade, so naturally I chose yellow.

Just wanted to say to them:

I'm in love with my earrings!

So despite Boone's little weather tantrum, I figured I'd outshine the weather by wearing one of my favorite coats. At least I finally get to dig up my coat collection even if Boone tends me [literally] blow me away with her weather. Ah, and yes. My cheeks are no longer chipmunk size :]

(Next time, I need to wear more on top of my head)

I never meant to blog about my outfits this much. It's honestly a really weird concept for me, but hey, things happen :]

Happy almost weekend everyone!

What's your color soulmate?

PS: I designed + added another button, redid my sidebar bio and redid the banner! I've also been working on my Flickr account, so once I get more photos organized I can FINALLY share with you all more of my photography.

a little project or two

2011-10-20T00:26:00.001-04:00

Ah, it feels nice to finally breathe air that is not full of Sociology of Work & Organization terms + concepts! My roommate + I have spent the last few hours making up acronyms to remember these ENDLESS terms.

Anyway, here's a glimpse into a few projects I've been working on.
Since I've moved away from home, my mom likes to "dump" all my belongings from her apartment so that I can now take full custody of my "junk." Among those things, I found this frame that I decorated when I was probably 14. (My room used to be pink + I tried to draw a tree...) WELL, before completely tossing it, I realized that I could TOTALLY redo this and make it more [21 year old] Melissa friendly.

Here are the results:

Another wonderful project I'm a part of is The Small World Project, hosted by Bree over at The Art of Being Cool. It's week three so I've sent my third letter to Katie! I'm still awaiting my letter from Sasha this week. I've had such a great experience anticipating snail mail, learning about my fellow blogger friends + writing letters! Here's the two letters I received yesterday! One from the cute + creative Katie from Kitty Snooks and another from another sweet Katie :] Thank you both!

Aren't they so creative and cool? I knew Katie from Kitty Snooks would have a fabulously artsy letter...being in art school and all. I LOVE the way she wrote my name. I wish she could create a font so I could use that on everything! She was so sweet to try and send me a pin in the mail from Canada (since I collect them), but it got lost :( I am so touched though! She drew me a cute little Halloween-inspired illustration too! I loved how the other Katie made her envelope out of a math page! So creative. You two rocked my world yesterday!

Have a blessed Thursday :]

Ps. I've totally a-ddicted to Friday Night Lights. I can't wait to blog about it! I have 12 more episodes left! Yippee! Off to bed! I do need to have a functioning brain for my exam tomorrow.

Also! Got some new content up on Her Campus Appalachian State you need to check out -
+ Upcoming Movies You Don't Want To Miss [written by yours truly!]
+ Campus Celebrity: Aaron Simpson from New River Boys
+ 6 Fall Recipes Everyone Should Try [written by Laura]
+ Anxiety Answers for the Collegiette

Go on, read along!

a little thank you

2011-10-19T00:35:00.000-04:00

Very recently the lovely Sandy from Sandy a la Mode hosted a giveaway with Maple Boutique and I got extremely lucky and won the $25 gift certificate to their cute boutique! I quickly visited their website and even though it was such a tough decision deciding what to get (in the lovely college budget that I currently have), I decided on this:

So, thank you Maple Boutique & Sandy a la Mode!
It's comfy, casual and can be fall/winter friendly paired with a long sleeve shirt.
Today I paired it with some wide legged jeans I bought from a thrift store in Wilmington!
(My face is still healing from the wisdom teeth surgery so no face pictures for now!)

Definitely visit Maple Boutique and find a little treasure like I did.

Happy middle of the week!

snapshots II

2011-10-17T22:26:00.000-04:00

When all else fails, camera phone to the rescue!

Here's a little glimpse into my last week or two through my phone camera.

[one]

I think my cousin's glasses are awesome! So jealous of them. I wanted a picture with them because I felt like a hipster along with my precious dog Zoey. She lives in Raleigh with my cousin and Dad's girlfriend since I can't have her in college :(

[two]

Peanut Butter frozen yogurt with Heath Bar = YUM!
My friend Lena and I explored downtown Raleigh last weekend. Raleigh is where I grew up, but you definitely see it differently after you move away for college. I've definitely seen a new side of Raleigh I haven't before and downtown is continually prospering. We went to FRESH @5Points and ordered yummy frozen yogurt!

[three]

Some friends and I had some beer and appetizers at Mellow Mushroom and joined their beer club! My friend Kaleigh's beer made a tree :] How cool is that?

[four]

This is the successful butternut squash lasagna my friend Melissa and I cooked for our friends last Thursday. Here's the post with the other photos :]

[five]

Meet Zoey. My first love.

She is half beagle and half jack russell. She is sassy, lovable, gives the best hugs and has an attitude problem, but we love her :] Wish I could've taken her to college with me :(

[six]

Meet Pac Man! Boxer. Named after the Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, whose nickname in the ring is Pac Man. He is the newest edition to the Vega family and an absolute sweetheart. I'll probably share more pictures of these lovable creatures soon.

Other than that, I've been in recovery after my wisdom teeth surgery and let's just say, it's going....alright. It definitely hasn't been the best experience but hopefully I'll feel like myself again! Drugs are no fun. I have made A LOT of progress watching Friday Night Lights! Finally on Season 2. I may be too embarrassed to say how many episodes I've seen so far....okay...I'll let you know. I started on episode 13 and now I'm on episode 57 (ah!) I know. Productive right? :)

Here's to feeling like myself again soon!

Homemade lasagna + game night

2011-10-15T19:04:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't been posting as often. On Friday I had my wisdom teeth removed so I've been filled with oxycodone, moxicillin and Friday Night Lights! So far my recovery has been going pretty well with the exception of going in and out, being lethargic and swollen. I currently look like a chipmunk!

Here are some photos of Thursday night where a bunch of friends and we cooked homemade Butternut Squash Lasagna with this recipe. It was a successful! All of our friends enjoyed it. I definitely recommend everyone to check out the recipe. It was easy to follow and a hit at our little get together.

That night we also played a game called "Bang." Lots and lots of fun :]

Exploring downtown Raleigh with Lena

2011-10-11T20:08:00.001-04:00

I absolutely love weekends.

Especially when they are filled with exploration, friends, celebration, frozen yogurt, thrifting and a camera to capture it all. Among other great things that have happened this weekend, I'll share with you a little photo blog about my adventures with my friend Lena! I met her via Her Campus and since she was visiting her grandparents in Raleigh and I finally got to go home for a weekend, we just had to hang out together :]

Photos of our adventure in the local antique shop Father & Son:

Here are some Her Campus articles you need to check out!

+ Stress Relieving Tips for the GRE (written by yours truly!)
+ The Lowdown on Guy's Style at ASU (collaborative article with all HC Writers)
+ Keepin' it Classy on Campus (written by Lena!)
+ 5 Steps to Starting Over After a Breakup
+ Ways to Feel Productive in 30 Minutes or Less!

it's the little things 004

2011-10-06T22:54:00.000-04:00

It's that time of week again! Here I am linking up with Lindsay, who of course is one of my favorite bloggers. She even inspired an outfit of mine this week! Overall, it's been a pretty stressful week with school. I'm struggling to find balance between schoolwork, writing for Her Campus and just life in general. I'll find balance soon, for now, I'll just have to have take moments during my day is just breathe.

INSPIRED BY LINDSAYLindsay is one of the cutest fashionable bloggers I follow! She lives in Hawaii and has the most gorgeous, colorful and fun outfits! Yesterday she had a post about how she transformed her dresses into skirts to enhance the variety in your closet! Check out her tutorial. She inspired me to do the same today.

Here is my dress turned skirt!

I bought this dress when I was 16, so I've forgotten where I bought it!
Necklace: handmade by me.
(skeleton key - antique store || charms - Bead Box, Boone)
Shirt: Forever 21

Here it is in dress form:

I also got to make homemade veggie sushi with my friend Drew.

It was long overdue and I'm glad we got to finally have some friend quality time!
Yummy good, great conversation and great company.
It was truly a nice break in the middle of my stressful week!

Hopefully things with school calm down and I won't be running on 4 hours a sleep.

This weekend I will be in Raleigh (FINALLY) even just a couple of days.

I almost forgot to mention the amazing giveaway I won to Maple Boutique through Sandy a la Mode!
That definitely made my week.
Also, Emily gave me the Versatile Blogger award, so I'll get to that asap! Thanks Emily!
Be sure to check out this giveaway from {long distance loving}!

What were the little things that made your week?

Don't forget to link up with Lindsay!

long overdue post

2011-10-05T01:16:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't been updating as regularly!

You know, life just happens :]

Here's a quickie overview of the past days.

1. MY FIRST HER CAMPUS ARTICLE IS UP!
You should check it out :] It's "Small Ways to Save Money as an Appalachian Student" It's an article about the creative, yet smaller ways to save money! Saving money doesn't have to include savings account and ramen noodles. There are other ways, I promise. Read on to find out.

2. I also have my last article written for Appalachian's homepage up as well! It's about the Sustainable Development's trip to Madagascar this summer. My friend Logan attended so you should check out the story and read about this awesome trip they made!

3. Fall is beautiful and the leaves have definitely been changing colors. These photos were taken on campus of Appalachian State.

4. My trip to Atlanta was absolutely wonderful. It was one of my best friend's birthday's and it was wonderful being able to spend the weekend with her. I've met the best people in Atlanta. Seriously. I can't help but smile from everything that happened this weekend! I didn't take much photos because I was too busy embracing every moment, but here is me and the birthday girl :]

5. Giveaways!

My friend Emily is having a Sylvia Benson giveaway, so check it out!
I won my FIRST blog giveaway yesterday! It's the Pink Lemonade giveaway from much love, illy. I'm excited to get my pair of rosebud earrings! Yay for giveaways!

Also, Ashley is having an AWESOME giveaway! A total of NINE things! Check it out!

6. I'll leave you with a few snapshots!

1. My and my favorite fedora. Got called "fedorable." Haha how clever my friends :]

2. Atlanta - Wish I took more pictures of this great city.

3. $2.99 gas! I haven't seen this is in forever! Thank you South Carolina.

4. When I saw LION KING 3D! All this for $3.50! That's how move concession prices SHOULD be.

I'll be posting again sooner than later.

Thank you to all my wonderful blogger friends!

it's the little things v.3

2011-09-30T03:22:00.001-04:00

It's that time of the week for the little things post hosted by Lindsay at From Aisle to Aloha!
This week may have taken a lot out of me, but fabulous things still happened, with a side of anxiety and stress to the point of going delirious. Of course, the good things always conquer the ~~bad~~ not so good so it has been a good week :]

Here are the little things that have made my week wonderful!

+ HER CAMPUS LAUNCH/PARTY
I think you've read in a few past posts that I am part of Her Campus Appalachian State, which is an online magazine dedicated to the women on campus with articles on style, health, career, love, life and many other subjects that make up a woman :) I am a staff writer and of course as soon as my articles go live, I will share! For now check out their website! We've got some great articles up so far about thrifting, food and Boone. Can't beat it!
(I've put a link on the bar up top and I've just recently made a button!)

Our launch was Sept. 27 so naturally we celebrated!
Thanks to Grace, Emily from (In the life of Emily) and the rest of the PR team we had a wonderful turnout/event. Here's to the other Her Campus bloggers! Laura (Left to Write) and Katie (Hello Sunshine).

+ New pants!
This isn't the greatest picture of them, but they are the most comfortable things in the world! I initially went to Old Navy to look for a present (which I did) but I also found these...on sale. Here's what they look like online. I'm going back tomorrow for the black ones!

+ Rearranging my room!
My goal for September from my monthly goals list was to frame my photography and hang it up in my room...so I did! I got a little carried away with decorating and rearranging :) Here are some before and after shots. I am super excited about my heavenly little corner now!

Before:

(The painting is something I did a couple of years ago. I'll either put it somewhere else in my room or try to sell it. What do you think?)

After:

I added the frames, tree decal, birdcage and shelf.

Other wonderful things have also happened this week such as the first Small World Project letter exchange, getting to know who is our Package Pal (Mine is Laura Jane!), semi-good grade on exams, and SURVIVING the GRE. Now it's a weekend full of traveling (Hey again Atlanta!), writing articles and fitting in school work.

Have a blessed weekend!

guest post

2011-09-28T16:20:00.005-04:00

You can find me today over at Danielle's blog Tongue Tied in Awe guest posting :]
Click on the picture to check it out!

Also, I love me some giveaways and Audrey at Putting Me Together is offering
a $25 gift card to Target! Click on the gift card to find out more :]

In other news,
Today has been quite the overwhelming day.
Honestly, I've been struggling to keep everything together and to just breathe.
Maybe I need an escape this weekend.
Just maybe.

a-z

2011-09-27T20:55:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone!
Things were pretty hectic and stressful these past few days filled with:
+ the GRE, but I think I did alright!
+ exams, papers, presentations, oh my!
+ picking up serving shifts at Primo's
....and things with school are just going to get crazier! Last year of college, whoo! (Well, undergrad)

I've decided to do the A-Z thing so you readers can get to know me a little better :]

Here are some snapshots of the yummy food I've had this past week.
I am a huge fan of taking pictures of my food. I think that may be my dream job .... FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER. What do you think? I would only take the job if I could eat the food afterwards... haha

From left to right:

[1] Spinach and garlic foccacia bread from Stick Boy Bread Company (local bakery)

[2] Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie from Stick Boy (but I got peanut butter choc. chip!)

[3] Wildberry scone from Panera Bread

[4] Caesar salad from Panera Bread

I am SUPER excited to do my guest post for Danielle tomorrow over at Tongue Tied in Awe!
Check back tomorrow for the link :] :]

ALSO! My friend Megan has a blog named ASULike It, which showcases the outfits she finds around our little town of Boone and today she featured me on it! You should check out her blog :) I feel so honored to be on it haha

I loved Fridays before Rebecca Black

2011-09-23T00:48:00.000-04:00

It's the second official week of | it's the little things | post hosted by From the Aisle to Aloha. I really look forward to these posts now! All week I think, "Hm. I should save this for 'it's the little things'." Haha. Kudos to Lindsay for creating such a wonderful idea.

So, here we go!

+ It's boot season!
Ah, the smell of Autumn means boots and warm colors and tights and falling leaves and and and and and scarves and jackets! Should I keep going? Especially with the horrible grammar? One of little but exciting things this week was being able to wear boots. Now I'm craving to buy some new ones...uh oh.

These two pair of boots are probably my staples. I'm willing to expand though ;) I was wearing some wedges with this outfit, but as you can probably notice outside, it was not weather appropriate. My sleeves look kind of awkward rolled up, but you get the picture ;)

details

+ 1st pair of boots: TJ Maxx
+ 2nd pair of boots: Rack Room Shoes
+ Shorts: American Eagle
+ Long sleeve shirt: Old Navy (sleepwear. hehe)

+ Grinding coffee

A little bit ago I received free coffee from Caribou Coffee (yay for connections!), but the coffee were still beans. I was brainstorming ways of creeping into various grocery stores to use their grinder until one of my good friends here in Boone let me use her coffee grinder! As mundane as a task it seems, I actually had a lot of fun!

Here's my little experience -

And viola! Fresh grounded coffee.

+ 7 Things & an "Tell me about yourself Award"
This week, I have been extremely honored with everything in the blog world. I seriously have met some very sweet and welcoming ladies. From receiving the "I dig your blog Award" from Gentri at her blog, Gentri Lee to joining The Small World Project from The Art of Being Cool blog.

Now I will be participating in the Package Pals 2011 created by Gentri and Katie from Chestnut Mocha awarded me with the "Tell me about yourself Award." What a sweetheart! Thank you so much. I'm a very happy blogger. All this on top of the wonderful new followers I have and lovely comments. So thank you to everyone who has been so sweet and kind!

Here are the rules for the newest award!

1. Say "thank you" with a linking post
2. Write 7 things about yourself
3. Give the award to 15 other blogs
4. Inform them about it!

My 7 things
1. I am Filipino and I absolutely love going to the Philippines.
2. I take my photos with a Nikon D60.
3. I have some knowledge with playing the guitar, ukulele and piano.
4. I can make some of the best made-from-scratch cream cheese frosting...ever.
5. My favorite color changes on the daily.
6. I think I might give up potatoes for lent? (Ahhhhh!)
7. I love to paint, but I haven't painted in months :( Sadly.

Here's are the 15 blogs and I would love to pass this award to!
I would love to learn more about you all!
1. Gentri from Gentri Lee
2. Chui Ying from elephantisl♥ve
3. Ashley from The Feisty Redhead
4. Bree from The Art of Being Cool
5. Autumn from Stay Gold, Autumn
6. Katia from Kitty Snooks
7. Chloe from me, myself, and jeff
8. Amber from The Owl's Den
9. Ashley from City Lights
10. Charming Eleplant
11. Sophie from cupcakes and notes
12. Kate from Kate's Irrevelant
13. Lauren from Logicandlemondrops
14. Renee from Ren Am
15. Mike from The Adventures of WonderboyAhoy

The last two are two of my really good friends, but I still want to get to know you both better :]
Make sure you let me know when you do your post! I would love to read it.

PS - The title of this blog was something I tweeted a month or so ago. Haha. I'm sure I'm not the only one who came up with this, but I thought it was a little clever.

EDIT 12:14 pm
I just wanted to thank Angela from Simply Simple Me for tagging me in the "Tell me about yourself Award." I am absolutely smitten! I have the best blogger friends. So thank you Angela for just being the absolute sweetest!

J&H Part II

2011-09-21T17:56:00.002-04:00

For those who don't know, my best friend/roommate is getting married next summer! I had the honor of taking her engagement shots and most recently her save the date photos! We can't show you the actual save the date photo, so that those who get it in the mail can "ooooh" and "ahhhhh," but I'll share with you the other photos of the cutest couple in the world.

Click here for their engagement shots!

Sorry we can't show you the actual save the date! :]
Eventually I will because it's really really cute!

Here's to my best friends <3
You two belong together and I feel so honored that you asked me to take your photos.

Love love and then more love!

Oh and PS. The H is for Hawksworth! (the groom's last name)

wonderful news all around!

2011-09-20T23:55:00.000-04:00

The sweet and beautiful Gentri from Gentri Lee seriously made my day by awarding me with this award!

Since I started blogging, I never thought I would meet such an array of wonderfully kind, creative and warm group of people. I look forward to many more adventures via blogging!
Here's the three random facts about me: (since I'm suppose to do this after the award)

1. I don't drink milk.
2. I like to watch Disney shows.
3. I collect dead light bulbs.

Now it's my turn to award five of my favorite fellow bloggers!
(This is so difficult considering I love so many blogs!)

1. Jillian from A Jillian stitches....
She is fashionable, creative, beautiful and talented. Need I say more?
2. Danielle from tongue tied in awe
She is one of the first blogger friends I've made and her blog seriously inspires me daily!
3. Kelsey from Kelsey and Covey
Absolutely adorable and her blog never fails to make me smile.
4. Audrey from Putting Me Together
Her outfits always inspire me!

5. Karlya from casual bedlam

Because we're so similar, except she's a little bit cooler :]
Fixed the spelling ;]

So for those of you I awarded, pass the award along to five blogs that you dig!

The innovative Bree from The Art of Being Cool came up with this wonderful idea called "The Small World Project" which is a personal monthly snail-mail relationship between bloggers. I was chosen to be one of the first four bloggers along with Bree, to send each other creative snail mails for a month! Check out her post about the whole idea and click here to meet the other participants I'll be getting to know soon :] The project starts in October and I'm really excited!

Other wonderful news include:
+ My first Her Campus writing assignment! (More on this later I promise)
+ The save the date photos for my best friends have been taken, but we'll have to keep them a secret until the invites go out! Wish I could show you, but you'll just have to wait :]
+ I've just been really happy and excited about the future of this blog!

What a great start to a week. How was your Tuesday?

snapshots

2011-09-18T23:08:00.000-04:00

This has been my week in snapshots.
Last weekend I got a new phone (because I dropped my Blackberry in the ocean...), but luckily we got a good deal on a phone called the Google Nexus 4G Droid and I'm in love with it! It's like the Sprint version of an iPhone, so instead of having Instagram (which I know a lot of you lucky bloggers have), I have a similar app called My Tubo. If some of you all follow my Twitter, you may find these snapshots familiar, but here's a little bit more detail of my week :]

one
Pins! Pins! Galore.
Since I was 15, I started collecting pins and putting them on the inside roof of my car. Throughout the years, I have had generous friends giving me pins, finding them at Goodwill and of course the occasional purchase. I usually don't go searching for them, they usually find me :] It makes my car seem really young and funky, so I'll keep them for now. Who says I have to grow up completely.

two
Fall is approaching! And I couldn't be more excited. This photo was taken while I was walking to class last week. It's time for boots, scarves, my mustard yellow jacket, uggs and fuzzy socks.

three
As mentioned in the last post, my roommate and I got the opportunity to finally do some crafts! Due to weather, we haven't been able to implement the crafts we've made for their save the date pictures, but hopefully we'll be able to do it soon! I miss crafts. I made a promise to myself I would do more crafts this year. There was even talk of maybe participating in the local Boone Handmade Market? First we need items to sell...so maybe we'll just shop again like last year...haha.

fourRIP beansTalk :[
This was one of my favorite local coffee shops that closed down this past summer. Lots of memories since Freshmen year. Maybe another coffee shop will open up soon, but for now passing that building is a little sad :[ Here's a link an old post where we visited beansTalk for the last time.

five/six
This weekend I have been to Panera Bead twice! They have the best deal on coffee. If you dine-in and order coffee with a mug, you get free refills, so if you're like me studying for the GRE for hours at a time, those free refills start to sound really good. Today I got the Potato Soup in a bread bowl. Ah-ma-zing soup, probably one of my favorites from Panera. Yum yum yum. Panera Bread can never do wrong.

[And if some of you were wondering about all the sudden design changes, it's because my wonderful Dad got me the Adobe Creative Suite 5 for my birthday a couple weeks ago! Yay! So I've been obsessed with designing things and getting more practice. Let me know what you think! I have been getting some graphics from Polyvore, too]

How was your weekend? What was your favorite part?

Fridays

2011-09-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

This is my first | it's the little things | post hosted by Lindsey over at From Aisle to Aloha. She is one of my favorite bloggers so I decided to jump on the wagon and share the little things that have made my week :]

+ List making

First off, in order for me to somewhat function throughout the day, I make lists. It gives me goals and then I always feel a sense of accomplishment once I cross them off. Lists keep me focused and organized, so if anyone is feeling overwhelmed...make a list! It can look impossible in the beginning, but once you cross those to-do's off, it's a wholllllle other feeling.

+ Craft nightOne thing that I never have enough in my week are arts and crafts, so to prepare for my roommate's part II of her engagement pictures I'm taking, we made some props for the event! We're planning on shooting them next week, but here's a little sneak peak ;)

+Welcoming the Fall with open arms

Here in Boone, Fall starts a little early and ends even earlier, so it's always best to take FULL advantage of the scarf, cardigan and tights wearing weather before it gets to the 5 inch coats and obnoxious boots kind of weather. I finally get to wear my favorite ankle boots that were a hand-me-down!

and a little bow to top it off.

outfit details

top: traded with roommate, originally Forever 21

shorts: Philippines ($10!)

bow: Philippines ($2!)

shoes: hand-me-down from Dad's girlfriend

Other exciting things this week:

+ First Her Campus meeting! [I got a position as a Staff Writer. We're an online magazine for woman on our campus! First issues comes out in 11 days.]

+ Re-activated my Netflix account! My travel channel shows are now on there (Yes!)

+ Revamped the blog! New banner, About section and links on the side. Gave it a nice little makeover :)

What were the little things that made your week?

Happy Friday!

Enjoy the weekend.

WIWW

2011-09-15T01:45:00.000-04:00

To get rid of the "middle-of-the-week blues," I decided to wear one of my favorite yellow dresses that was given to me from one of my best friends and fellow blogger, Renée. I can't believe I don't wear this dress enough! Love the color, the embroidery and the fact that Renée knows my taste.

Today Hannah & I also went to Goodwill today to look for some props for Part II of the engagement/save the date photos! Naturally, I found something other than what we went in looking for. I'm a sucker for a good find! I would say 50 percent of my closet is thrifted, but somehow I'm okay with that. Thrifting is the way to go :]

Thank you Hannah for taking some of the photos!

the details of the outfit
dress: gift

cardigan: Forever 21

earrings: Dollar Tree [not kidding!]

purse: Thrifted Dooney & Bourke vintage {$4!}

Here was the "find" of the day!
Introducing my new, {$3!} picnic basket! It even comes with a strap :] Thank you Hannah for modeling for me. What a sport :]

Here's to Wednesdays and probably good-bye to the warmer weather :[, but hell-o Fall!

J&H

2011-09-14T00:43:00.001-04:00

All photos (c) Melissa Vega

These are two of the most wonderful friends any girl could ask for.

Hannah & Joe officially got engaged on August 22 and are planning to have a wedding next summer! I was asked to be a bridesmaid, so of course I had to say yes! Last weekend while we were in Wilmington, we decided to take Part I of the engagement photos. This weekend we'll have Part II (which we're in the process of planning and getting constantly inspired from Pinterest and other blogs! Ah!) They both wanted to capture the beach and the mountains in their photos. Hannah & Joe are originally from Wilmington, but attend Appalachian State with me in our small little mountain town called Boone.

Words can't express how happy and excited I am about Hannah & Joe embarking on their next journey. They both truly deserve every ounce of happiness and success life can offer them. Being friends with them has helped me grow as a person and truly understand what it means to have genuine friendships. I'm so glad I get to be a part of their journey :]

PS. Aren't they adorable?

Keep an eye out for Part II of their engagement photos.
This time we'll showcase the ring haha.

2011-09-12T20:36:00.002-04:00

I have an obsession, and it's called Mumford & Sons.
I will probably write an obsessed series post on them in the near future.
Today I wanted to share a video series they have on YouTube called "Acoustic Bookshop Sessions" where they played an acoustic set at a bookshop in London called Treadwell's. Although their studio recordings are as epic as epic can get, acoustically you can really feel the raw talent they all possess.

I actually saw them in concert this past June in Asheville. Hands down, the best live show I have ever been to and I did not anticipate the headache I got trying to get my hands on their tickets! I thought Mumford & Sons was my little secret a while ago, but I can't help but be overwhelmed with happiness with their current success.

Enjoy the wonderful acoustic songs of Mumford & Sons. I assure you, you will hear more about them in future posts :]

So happy Monday everyone!Here's some music to start your week off right.

2011-09-10T00:24:00.000-04:00

One week ago, I turned twenty-one.
It was weekend full of laughs, good company, old friends, new friends and just a whole lotta love.
I feel extremely blessed to be surrounded by the friends and family I have in my life. Although a few of my favorite faces were not there to celebrate with me, it has been one of the best birthdays so far. A few friends and I also took a trip down to Atlanta because who doesn't love a road trip? :]

Atlanta is a city that has an interesting reputation, but I vouch that it is one of my new favorite cities! It's just bursting with culture, art, new adventures and some of the best people. My two and a half days in Atlanta included:

Ikea, new friends, yummy burgers, laughing spells, huge burritos, Louis CK, good company and a craving for more Atlanta. Hopefully I'll be able to explore more of Atlanta soon enough!

This weekend I am in Wilmington, N.C. enjoying some coastal weather and wedding planning for one of my best friends, Hannah. This is the third city we've been to this week. On Tuesday we spent one night in Chapel Hill to celebrate one of my best friend's 21st birthday.

So far in Wilmington, there's been:
+ shoe hunting
+ port city java
+ half-off purchase of a new dress
+ engagement photos on the beach
+ blackberry drowning in the Atlantic Ocean
+ pizza | wings | wine
+ reading of Hannah's seven-years-old "di-ray" (diary)

I will try not to take so long to upload pictures next time.
Can you tell I've lately been obsessed with hats?

Anyway, hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!

Music[video] Monday 007

2011-08-30T01:13:00.001-04:00

It's about time that I shared a music video.
Today was a bit of a struggle to find a video, just because I wanted to find the absolute perfect one.
Sure, perfection doesn't exist, but when it comes to this song, it sure comes close.

I am sharing "Rootless Tree" by Damien Rice. Live version from Abbey Road.
If you ever come across any sort of account name I had in the past, the term "rootless tree" should sound familiar. I do warn you, there are a few lines in this song that are explicit, but with the version I'm sharing it's very limited.

Damien has a way of being able to reserve words for when they count.
This song has been there for me for years, ever since it first came out in 2006/2007. The meaning of "rootless tree" changes every time I hear it and I don't know if I'll ever grasp the complete meaning, but I think that's the point.

"What I want from this
Is learn to let go
No not of you
Of all that's been told."

Does anyone remember this day?

It started off horribly and ended wonderfully because of the people surrounding me.
And guess what? The ones that mattered the most stuck.

My few days in Concord, New Hampshire

2011-08-29T00:00:00.002-04:00

All photos (c) Melissa Vega

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Before venturing off to the Philippines this summer, I spent a few days in Concord, New Hampshire, the small capital where my Dad lives and works. While he was in the office, I got to explore New Hampshire by myself and loved every minute. I spent the majority of my time exploring its little downtown.

Photos -
[1] Sailing through the sky
[2] My organic meal at Celery Stick, an all natural cafe located in the Concord Market and Kearsarge Cooperative Grocer. My dad usually walks here during his lunch break every so often and I experienced why. The food is amazing! They call it the "Hot Bar" and they have different menu items made from scratch each day. Definitely recommend. My portion even cost under $5.
Pictured above: Red curry swordfish with rice, stuffed greens and butternut squash.
[3-4] At a coffee shop downtown called Caffenio where they served me delicious iced coffee with a generous refill. I used this time to do some work, even if I was on vacation.
[5-9] Photos of downtown Concord - local record store, abandoned theatre, local bookstore and various buildings.
[10-11] I spent some time in the Concord Antique Gallery, a block from the main street downtown. It's an antique store, need I say more? :)

Other adventures include:
- watching "Crazy Stupid Love" during matinee in theatres. It was a first movie I went to alone and I loved every moment. It's a different experience when you take yourself on a date!
- Also ate a yummy local restaurant called Cornerview and at a YUMM-Y local bakery called Bread and Chocolate (located downtown). I have some photos from last year that I took. This year, I actually tried their pastries. The bakery is even linked to the local bookstore...books and then pastries. A wonderful combination.

I love little towns.
I loved this little town.

What are some of your favorite little towns?

Flashback Friday 005

2011-08-26T20:14:00.000-04:00

I am officially back from the Philippines!
I got about three days ago and have been thrown back into the realities of my life, including all the responsibilities I got to leave behind for a couple of weeks. Posts about my trip to the Philippines will come shortly!

For Flashback Friday, I wanted to share some photos back in the day of my mother.
It's cliche, but I truly cannot imagine the type of person I would be without her. Her birthday is tomorrow and I wanted to show the world (well at least the readers of this post) how amazing of a mother I have and how I hope to one day be as loving as caring of a mother as she is. Also, I would like her shoe and ring collection :]

My mother knows me inside and out even when I don't let her in, she knows my every thought. She continually looks out for me and lets me know how proud she is and how much she loves me. I always know she is looking out for me. She cooks me food to bring back to my house in Boone, gives me shoes she doesn't want anymore (that I do!), hangs my paintings in her apartment, and showers me with love. I haven't met a woman more hard working, appreciative or with a great personality.

Thank you Mom for being there.
For always being there.

(you can click the photos to enlarge)

My mother and I a handful of Christmases ago :]

Family portrait circa 1992

My mom and my cousin Kayla.

My mother while she was pregnant with my young sister in Guam

me, my mom and dad back in the day while I'm cheesin' away

my mom <3

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!

Love you.

Quickie from the traveler

2011-08-15T11:00:00.001-04:00

Greetings from the Philippines!

Just wanted to send some love from across the world and give you all a few updates so that you feel like I haven't completely fallen off the face of the Earth!

So far I got to spend some time in the little town of Concord, NH and then past several days in Manila. Filled up my days with quality family time, good-plate-licking authentic Filipino food, shopping (of course), TRAFFIC, pollution and pictures. Silly me forgot my camera cord, so all the photos from my trip will have to be postponed 'til I get back! Then I will flood your eyes with visual aid of my vacation.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer thus far.
It'll be the first week of school the day I get back (time is FLY-ing!)
I will be in route to Tacloban and Bato, Leyte. Small provinces of the Philippines. We'll be taking an early one-hour flight to the islands. It's the province, therefore, my time on the internet is much more limited than it already has been, but I'm hoping to have some peace and quiet to actually study for the GRE and re-lax a little :] Manila gets a little hectic and crowded. Also, my Dad is donating twenty-some laptops to elementary schools in the province (reason for our trip) in honor of my grandmother. So, we'll be busy with that and of course the annual Lunang Festival!

As for the blog -
I am currently in the process of some "reconstruction" so please don't mind some unfinished projects on the layout, etc. I am in the process of working on -
> buttons
> sharing links with other bloggers
> traveling section of the blog
> minor reconstructive designs
Oh, and I changed the name to simply, melissa ashley.. What do you think?

See you all later and safe travels to all

Sunday's Someday 004 | Music[video] Monday 007 | Hiatus

2011-08-09T21:28:00.001-04:00

Hello all,

I know, I know.
I haven't been keeping up with my "day-of-the-week" blog posts, but I've been quite the traveler.
I've spent the past couple of days in Concord, New Hampshire to stay with my Dad enjoying some time exploring the little town. I even went to the theatre alone for the first time. Very liberating. I suggest it!
I'll upload some photos soon of my time in Concord.
For now, I've condensed three days of blog posts into one :]

Hiatus ---

First off, for the next couple weeks I will be the Philippines!
We're spending five days in Manila and the rest in a small province called Leyte.
I may have an opportunity to shoot a blog post every now and then, but considering our itinerary, I most likely won't. So just in case you bloggers wonder why I won't update, it's because I'm in another country :]

Sunday's Someday ---

I'll keep this one short.
Someday, I would like to own a mini cooper.
One kind of like this :]
Someday when I'm successful and my daily attire includes pencil skirts of some sort.
I'm giving myself in the next 2-5 years. *crosses fingers*
The mini cooper will eventually represent the day I am completely independent.
That's why it has deemed a lot of meaning for me.


Image source

Music[video] Monday ---
This week's music video comes from Casual Bedlam's recent blog post. I became obsessed the moment I saw the video and knew I had to share it with my friends and family. It was produced by Drew Barrymore. Pretty cool, huh? The video also showcases many of Holllywood's up and coming actors, so kudos to you young actors! I love music videos with story lines. Enjoy.

Get More: MTV Supervideo, Music, Best Coast

I wish you all safe travels to any where you are going during the last weeks of summer vacation. Enjoy them!