Lands' End Canvas

Have you guys checked out Lands' End Canvas? The new line of Lands' End clothing brand launched almost 2 years ago; it features trendier men's and women's clothing than the brand's usual offerings. A dress of theirs was featured in Real Simple's September issue and it had me immediately jumping on their website to check out the rest of their Fall line. These are the kind of clothes I can see myself wearing to work or on a trip to the pumpkin patch!


LOVING these red wedges!

images: real simple, lands end canvas

All in a days work



At the beginning of the Summer I assisted a very talented stylist and friend, Kelly Kruthaupt, for a set of commercials filmed at Hoosier Park Casino. Kelly and I styled the wardrobe of all the main characters in the ads and we had ourselfs two days of crazy fun. I think I dreamed of beeping and blinking slot machines for days after we finished. Yours truly even found a way into one of the spots. You can catch me at the 15 second mark; I'm just behind Willy's right shoulder. Next stop: Hollywood!

Friday Flick Picks


Look at me, I got 4 movies in this week! Some new, some old, it was a good mix this week. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked Friends With Benefits. I figured since No Strings Attached turned out to such a bust, that FWB wouldn't be much better. I think it all came down to which stars had better comedic chops; and Justin and Mila brought it! Wittier dialogue, a little more believable story line, and a MUCH better supporting cast, made it a good rom-com you can watch with your boyfriend that will keep his eye rolling kept to a minimum. Despite my enjoyment for Benefits my pick for the week is going to be Psycho. Hailed as Hitchcock's best film, I had always been skeptical of watching this movie for fear it was too scary. Oh my goodness how wrong I was. Compared to horror movies of today watching Psycho was like watching a B horror movie. It almost campy and laughable, and the ending is a bit out there. I just really loved the 60's costumes, the dark house on the hill, and the infamous soundtrack. Have a great weekend guys!


Side note: Watching this movie also desperately made me want a slice of cheesecake. It reminded me of an episode of the Golden Girls where after watching Psycho they were all too scared to go to sleep, and they end up staying up all night gossiping and eating their signature dessert. Typical Blanche, Rose, and Dorthy!

To Know Me...

is to know my love for Hello Kitty. Something about her mouthless face, oval eyes, yellow nose, and ever changing hair bow, puts a smile on my face and gets me squealing about her cuteness. For awhile there it seemed like every other thing I owned had something to do with Hello Kitty. I thought maybe I should scale back on her seeing as I'm not 10 years old. But I've been missing her lately so I decided to cruise around the internet and see what she's been up to. It's good to reconnect with cute faces.

images: sushi, nails, cake pops, glasses, window

Spotlight on Chloe Jennings

Awhile ago a sweet photographer named Chloe Jennings started following me on twitter. After seeing that she was an Indiana photographer I really wanted to do a post on her. Well then my friend Sheena got married, and she was the photographer of her wedding! At the time I didn't put two and two together but now that I've figured it out, I really had to share her work with you guys.

After reading her bio and looking through her portfolio you can feel her connection with her clients and the life they have on their own. Currently a student at ISU, she's a smart cookie to start building her buisness and skills now so she can have a plethora of opportunities when she graduates. If you're in the market for some great photographs you need to check out her work!



my beautiful friend, Sheena




"the complexities of life can be extraordinarily beautiful in the simplest ways"-Chole Jennnings

Sunshine for Sailboats

button up and shorts: oldnavy, tshirt: anthropoloigie, clutch: via tjmaxx, ring: gifted from a friend, sunglasses: dolce and gabbana,

Hey guys! How was everyone's weekend? I have to say mine felt long and what a wonderful feeling that is. We knew that Sunday would be a Cincinnati day, going to Ikea to find some furniture for the new house
and a stop at Urban Outfitters for good measure, so that left our Saturday to be lazy and carefree. The mornings around here have started to get cooler, hence the sleeves, but by lunchtime I was glad to be in shorts and a tee. Summer still has a few good weeks left in her!



Friday Flick Picks


So I got a little off track with my movie watching this week. But it's not my fault! If you're a diligent LYA reader than you know that I am seriously addicted to watching the TV series The Shield. The last 2 seasons of the show have gotten pretty intense so instead of movie watching I was Shield watching.

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead was recommended to me by a friend, and who doesn't love My Cousin Vinny? I mean it's on TV like once a week; I know this because my dad feels compelled to inform Aaron (my law
school graduate boyfriend) every time it's on. I think I'm going to answer my own question and say I love My Cousin Vinny the most for my pick this week. It has comedy, romance, and courtroom drama. It's a masterpiece. I will say if you're looking for a good food/diet documentary with a happy ending you should check out Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. It's pretty motivating.

I hope you guys have an amazing weekend. I will see you all back on Monday. xo

It's Official!

We've found a place to live!  If all goes according to plan we hope to be moved in by the first week of September. Since leaving my college dorm room I have spent the past 7 years living in apartments; I can't tell you how happy I am to finally be living in a house! We're not quite ready to own a house, but renting one suits us just fine. Besides, who wants to mow the yard and fix leaky faucets when you have a landlord to do those things? Last night, after dropping off the final paperwork and picking up the keys on the drive home, I let my mind wander to all the decorating I want to do...
A fun light fixture over the dining room table, perhaps? Keeping our white bathroom clean and stylish. Setting up a desk near the window in the second bedroom, and some sort of chalkboard element in the kitchen.

Hello There, Pinner

So it's no secret we're all obsessed with Pinterest by now. It's that one place I can go to everyday that inspries all areas of my life. One person I follow, that just happens to be my friend also, who has me clicking 'repin' all the time is Mary Glassmeyer. Mary and I worked together at Anthropologie and her nickname is Christmas Mary. Which not only describes her love of Christmas 365 days a year but perfectly sums up her personality too: full of good spirit, fun, and sparkle.

So I did a little round up of my favorite pins of hers, and asked a few questions about her love of pinterest.
What category or board do you pin to the most and why?
That would be a tie between my board "fashion" and my other board "love, love, love." My fashion board has lots of different outfitting ideas. I was once told that I have Jackie O style with a twist (I like to think that twist is glitter!) I pin to my fashion board anything to give me inspiration for my wardrobe. My board "love, love, love" holds all pins that I look at and in the words of the great Rachel Zoe, say to myself, "I DIE!" These two boards give me realistic inspiration for me every day, and make my heart jump a little!
Why do you love Pinterest?
Why do I love Pinterest or why am I addicted to it? I believe the answer is the same! It is the most inspiring, uplifting, happiest, and most rewarding app I have ever come across. How great is it that something so small such as a pin of Anna Wintour, a vintage dress, a chocolate peanut butter brownie, vintage Pyrex, and a bunch of peonies can absolutely make my day. Pinterest is my place to be creative and wonder off to a far away land of fashion, food, and interior design!
Where do you find your pins?
I find ALL of my pins from other pinners. That search box is a great tool.

If you like what you see you can follow Mary here. Thanks for letting us have a glimpse into your pins!

Cute Little Bugs


I'm loving these images of vintage VW bugs. They have this endless summer feeling to them that I love. They are making me wish we weren't halfway through August already!

images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Friday Flick Picks


What a week filled with movies! I feel so wimpy most weeks with just one or two, but this week I meant business! It also helped that I had the weekend off. My pick for the week is hands down Crazy Stupid Love. It was realistic, funny, sad, and charming. Ryan Gosling really gives the standout performance. It doesn't hurt that he's shirtless in a couple of scenes, or that he's styled impeccably, but he's just a solid actor. I don't think there's another young actor out there that is doing good work as consistently as he is. I see this movie getting a lot of buzz come Golden Globe and SAG award season. But if I had to give you a second place suggestion it would be The Lincoln Lawyer. It's your typical lawyer movie, but has good characters and story line to it. I'm working over the weekend, so I'm not sure I'll hit 5 movies again next week, but I'm always up for a challenge. Have a great weekend you guys!

Instagram or Hipstamatic?


? ? ?
A question that boggles the minds of all iphone app lovers.


I used to be hardcore hipstamatic girl but I think my love is shifting to the instagram. What are your thoughts?


The 'Key' to Inspiration


I think we're thisclose to finding a place to live! Not only am I looking forward to finally unpacking everything but also decorating it! Visions of where to hang things and how we'll arrange our furniture are keeping me up at night. One of my vision is what to do with this odd little wall between the front door and the garage door. I was inspired by the images of the framed blue keys and the hand painted black frame on the white wall. Ideas of framed skelton keys, key hole plates, hooks, doorknobs, and Alice in Wonderland prints will create one large piece of art on the wall. What do you think? I'm just hoping the vision I see in my head turns out just as well in real life.

links: alice image, key hooks, silver key plate, skelton key, framed keys, painted frame, door knob hookbrass key plate

A Wonderful Weekend


One of my favorite places downtown is a tiny placed called Gratz Park. It's the first time I've been there since being home and it felt good to reconnect to the little places I love in my hometown. For a hot afternoon of movie watching, eating frozen yogurt, and apartment hunting, an easy outfit was a must. When I first bought this chambray shirt I though I could pull it off as a dress, but it turned out it was much too short and looks better as a tunic with leggings. With such a simple outfit I thought I could get away with some killer wedges to add some visual interest.

tunic: forever21, leggings: kohls, shoes: seychelles, belt: anthropologie, necklace: urban outfitters



Friday Flick Picks


There is no question that Harry Potter was my favorite movie this week. I laughed; I cheered; I was in suspense; I even got a lump in my throat! It was everything I wanted the final chapter to be. Having read the books many years ago, some of the details were a little foggy, but it all came back as Harry, Ron, and Hermione's adventure came to a close. I felt like I had become friends with their characters, so it's a little bittersweet to say goodbye after all this time. I may have to start saving my pennies now for the blu-ray, extended edition combo pack of the series that is sure to be released at some point down the road, giving me a chance to re-live the adventures from start to finish. Maybe I could just re-read the final book to tide me over? I have to say my favorite part of the whole movie (no spoilers, I promise!) was the last scene at the train station; talk about sweet. I'm working myself up again just thinking about it. Is it too soon to see it again?

Have a great weekend my little apples. I'll see you back here Monday!

Cloudy Skies + Stars





dress: anthropologie, blazer: old navy, shoes: modcloth
Even thought there were cloudy skies yesterday, it was still hot; so I turned to my wardrobe favorite to keep me happy. Dress + blazer = instant outfit pulled together-ness. This is me turning the street in front of my parents house into a runway. Oh yes, I put on quite a show for all the runners in their neighborhood. And my boyfriend and I felt like Wayne and Garth every time we heard a car coming down the street. "Car! Photoshoot on."

7 Happy Things


links: The Paper Nut shop, sweet and sour chicken, Harry Potter,
(unknown: purse and fox image; if you know the source please share and I'll update the post)

Pants Dilemma


Yesterday, I attempted to buy a pair of black pants. I have been without this wardrobe staple for almost 4 years. The question is: what kind of style do I go with? The whole flare or bootleg cut is not for me. I'm much to adjusted to my straight and skinny jeans to try something new. So there I was, in the fitting room of The Gap, with a straight, a slim, and slim cropped style surrounding me. And here's my problem: while they all fit and looked great, I couldn't help but thinking they looked too much like black jeans or leggings. So is there anyway someone could confuse my tight slim black pants as leggings or should I just stick to wearing skirts and dresses to work?