Moving Day

Lots of big and exciting changes are in store for this little apple. I'm kicking the dust off my Lexington roots and moving all the way to Louisville (for those not familiar with the geography, it's only an hour west of where I live now). My boyfriend and I have bought a house! Its in a great neighborhood; close to a lot of local restaurants, shops, and downtown. I sound like I'm on an episode House Hunters, but it really is the perfect little home. I am beyond excited to be starting my life with him, and to decorate the crap out it! So be prepared for lots of 'before' and 'after' shots, DIY projects, and wish lists. So cross your fingers the late August humidity doesn't get the best of me while I move! I can't wait to share my new adventures in a new city! Have a great holiday weekend!

Camo Saturday

Just kicking it on an overcast Saturday in camo print and chambray. I mean, is there any other way? 

top: Anthropologie (similar)

pants: Aeropastale

bag: Nine West

necklace: American Eagle

sandals: Tobi (similar)

H&M Home

I am slowly finding myself accumulating a pile of toss pillows. Soon you might not be able to sit on my sofa or see the duvet on my bed. Lucky for me I have two of each in my house so that justifies me buying just a few more right??? And these pillows from H&M Home, which you can now buy online (finally!), look like the perfection addition to my collection.

(sequined, stripes, grey aztec, black and white aztec)

Muller Cuteness

Have you guys seen these super cute Muller yogurt commercials? I am totally digging the vision of the stylists behind this work. I think they've captured the 20-30 age bracket of millennial woman perfectly. She's got the quirky, Zooey Deschanel look about her; with the blunt cut bangs, cat eye makeup paired with a bright lip, thin gold rings, and an eclectic style of dress. (It also makes me really want to try their yogurt; advertising success!) And did I mention she wears glitter heeled shoes, a parrot skirt I recognized from H&M, runs late for work, and has romantic candle-lit picnics on the dock with her boyfriend?! I mean, she's just like me!

Watch the commercials:

PS I'm back! 

Small Thoughts

I photographed these sweet sunshine yellow tulips outside my parents house yesterday.

Tonight I saw them again, and they were all closed up. Headed to bed early, like all sensible flowers. Seeing them all closed up reminded me of last scene of Adaptation. I swear I could compare everything in my life to something in the movies (I'm such a nerd)!

Just a little happy something for your Thursday.

Spring Breezes

top and boots:Urban Outfitters, skirt: Anthropologie, necklaces: (black) Stella and Dot, (locket) vintage

A warm spring day dared me to bare my pale legs to world. It was worth it, because I couldn't ask for a more perfect Tuesday. Lunch with a friend, a little shopping, reading in the sun, and going for a run topped my day.

Innovation leads to innovation

 

I don't know if it's because Mad Men is back on TV, but I feel like my brain is getting hooked on advertising campaigns more than ever. I saw this commercial over a week ago, and I am still thinking about it. I have no idea what Arrow Electronics is or what they do, but I am captivated by their ad campaign. The above commercial is their introduction to the "Innovators Club." Their tag line being, five years out. Asking businesses the question: are you being innovative, being future thinking, like many great inventors. It's pretty thought provoking. In addition to their long form, they have several funny 15 second extension commercials as follow ups (below). What about you, what ads are taking hold in your brain?

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

The start of Spring means the start of baseball season! It's the one sport I can get behind and actually enjoy and keep up with. So get out your peanuts, your cracker-jacks, and your cutest sideline outfit to enjoy 9 innings of Americana at it's best.

1 earrings
2 floral hat
3 floral baseball tee
4 keep calm baseball tee
5 hot dog toaster
6 pinstripe shorts
7 canvas shoes (seriously thinking about buying these!)

Simple Thoughts

Sorry to have been absent around here this past week. It's just been one of those not much happening, not sure what to write about weeks. I read a quote this weekend on another blog I frequent, "comparison is the thief of joy." I'm sure you've read your share of post from bloggers about wanting to be original, stand out, blog with passion, and do something new and inventive. I'll try not to sound like a broken record here, but I feel like I shouldn't be blogging just to blog. Just because I read a dozen or so amazing blogs, that doesn't mean I need to keep up with them. I don't need to post every day, or do the same thing they're doing. I have to be me. Share good content with you guys when I feel it, when there's something just so awesome that I can't keep it in. So I hope you don't mind I took a few days off and I promise to share more soon! xo

Friday Flick Picks

Foreign, comedy, classic. I feel like there's a funny joke with those 3 words but I just can't put my finger on it...(please reply with your best attempts). Audrey Hepburn aside, because nothing compares to her Oscar winning masterpiece, I wasn't wowed by either movie this week. Rust and Bone left too many plot questions unanswered, and main characters didn't feel fully developed. This is 40 was just depressing to me. Moments of comedy seemed too far between all the Debbie downer moments between Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's characters. New movies are over rated, stick with the classics apples! 

Have a wonderful weekend, Hoppy Easter, and enjoy some sunshine! 

Just try and turn it off...

Sometimes I like to have the TV on for company. You know, sometimes you're cleaning, cooking, surfing the internet, and you want a little background noise. And you want some thing on that's a little more exciting than the weather channel. So perhaps you scroll through your TV listings and stumble across a comfort film.

The definition of a comfort film: a movie that you don't necessarily like but when you start to watch it you can't turn it off until the credits roll. 

I have almost a dozen movies that are like that for me. I would argue that a few of them are actually good movies, (Shawshank, A Few Good Men, or You've Got Mail) but they're different than my die hard favorite movies. They're movies that I may own on DVD, but I get super excited when I see them on TV and then want to watch them until the end. 

I created this list on a great website called Letterboxd; a website for the film fanatic. A site that allows you to track all the movies you're watching. You can rate, review, log the date watched, share your lists with friends, and follow others to see what they're watching. Not only can you keep up with movies you've watched recently, but you can make fun lists like this one!

Chime in if any of my comfort movies are the same as yours! (and if you say you don't watch Overboard when it comes on TV I will call you a liar!) 

3 Month Mark

Before Christmas I made a brave decision to chop my long hair to pixie shortness. Needless to say it was quite a shock. Messy buns, beach waves, and braids are things I miss dearly. You never know a good thing until it's gone. 

I will say having short hair is fun, sometimes. Getting ready is a breeze, headbands look cuter, and it's easy to change your look up. And even though I'm glad I cut my hair, it's a one time thing. I'm in for the long haul of growing it out. I am happy with the 3 month progress I've made; I can even grab the end of my hair into the tiniest ponytail. 

I will say the sadness of having long hair for the summer gets me down, and I've been considering extensions.  I'd be happy to hear any stories if any of you have tried them! 

Keeping Warm

sweater: BB Dakota, jeans: A&F, boots: Unisa, necklace: Stella and Dot

Bundled up in sweaters and boots is not the way I imagined my end of March outfits to look. Sigh. I mean don't I technically live in the South?! There's snow on the ground for goodness sake. Nevertheless, my Southwesterly print is keeping my spirits up while making me feel cozy. One day this skin will know warmth!

Spring Break Get Away

Now that Spring has officially begun you're probably daydreaming about getting away. To warm beaches, bustling cities, or private hideaways. Anywhere but where you are; am I right? Perhaps you're like me, and looking for a get away on the cheap to tide you over until the hot summer months. And if you're going to jet set for a bargain, why not pack your bag on a budget too? Everything you'll need for under $50!

1. pullover
2. denim jacket
3. shorts
4. sandals
5. kindle (ok, your one splurge, but under $70)
6. sunglasses
7. button up
8. tote
9. hat
10. bathing suit
11. tshirt

Brass Table on the Brain

So I've become obsessed with finding this little brass accent table at Target. It's from their new Spring home line by Threshold. I've seen the line advertised in several magazines, Pinterest, and talked about with much anticipation on a handful of blogs. I had read that much of the new items would be released this past weekend. So I waited for the appropriate hour Sunday morning (when I really wanted to go out at 6am) to venture out to Target to find my table. And NO LUCK! I went to 2 Targets, asked an associate for help, searched online, and even called customer service. And nothing. I am totally bummed out that it is no where to be found. For now. 

This is a warning to the brass table. I will find you. Even if means calling Target every day. So if anyone has insider information on the release of this product I would really appreciate it. 

UPDATE: Thanks to help from another blogger, Modern Eve, we found out from Target's PR department that the product has been delayed, but should be out next week! 

Outfitting: Black and Yellow

blouse: pleione (Nordstrom brand), skirt: bar III (Macy's brand), boots: anthropologie

The weather around here is having difficulty making up its mind. One day, sunny and 60, the next, gloomy and 40. How is a fashionista who loves Spring supposed to get her outfitting on? I'll manage somehow, and in the meantime keep my winter jacket out for another few weeks.

Fate's Gentle Push

As you can tell there is a theme to my movie watching this week: Pariee. The Eiffel tower, cobblestone streets, the historic architecture...I'm in love and I've never even stepped been. How I long to get swept up in their culture. I had a customer tell me this week, who was planning to a trip to Europe in a few weeks, that I needed to go. That now is the time. I feel like it's fate pushing me in the direction to go.

What about you little apples, what has fate been telling you to do lately?

Ferris Bueller Style

It's no secret that I have much love for the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I watched it on an outdoor screen this past summer, you know like one of those blow up screens, but tonight I am seeing it at my favorite movie house: The Kentucky Theatre. Besides totally in love with the Ferris Bueller persona, there's no arguing his fab sense of style either. If you wanna rock the FBDO look you're going to need three key items. The perfect motorcycle jacket; the more tones the better. A classic white tee; to compliment your vast vest collection. And if you're going to spend the day roaming the streets of Chicago than you need a sturdy pair of oxfords.

I am so pumped to be seeing this tonight, if you're in the Lexington area the show starts at 7:15pm!

links: tshirt, jacket, shoes

Happy Weekend

No movies for me this week, and that makes me super sad face. But gosh darn it if I don't get out to see Die Hard 5 (don't hate, I'm a Willis fan for life!) this weekend I will never forgive myself! There aren't any movies coming out this month that I have any interest in seeing, so I'm looking to Netflix or HBO to entertain me this month. Any recommendations are welcome. I'm also debating about outright buying this movie because I can't stop thinking about it. Always a little kid at heart.

I hope everyone has wonderful plans for the weekend; and I hope Spring-y weather is in your forecast!

Toms Love

I have to be honest I've never worn a pair of Toms before, or tried a pair on for that matter. I see everyone wearing them, especially in the warmer months, and every time I think, "oh those look so cute and comfy I should get some." And then never do. I think the company's manifesto is beautiful, and I love that people like Blake Mycoskie had a big enough heart to start a company like this. I received their Spring catalog yesterday, and I think I've found the perfect pair, or two, to start my Toms collection with. Are you guys wearing Toms, if so, what kinds do you love?

Guest Post on Effortless Anthropologie

Hey apples, check out the guest post I wrote for Effortless Anthropologie while Roxy is on vacation. If you're a lover of Anthropologie clothing, but not the price tags, you will love the awesome look-alike steals I found.

A Home for Plants

Ever since I planted my terrarium, and became engrossed in this book, I am all about plants right now. My little succulents are doing fine but now I'm thinking where else can I add some green to my home. With spring right around the corner I feel like it's the perfect time to freshen up my spaces with some greenery. Not much for the typical terracotta pots I'm trying to branch out and find some interesting vessels for my plants to call home. I'm thinking galvanized buckets, glass jars, wooden crates, and various baskets would all make lovely substitutions. What about you guys, where do your plants live?

Having Stuff

When does wanting stuff become too consuming? When does wanting too much stuff become a problem? Why do I want so much stuff? 

These are some questions I've been mulling over lately. Part of this questioning comes from a movie I watched last week: The Queen of Versailles. It was about an extremely wealthy family, Jackie and David Siegel, who owned the largest time share resorts: Westgate Resorts. They were on top of the world, had scads of money and when the economy crashed, they lost almost everything. It was so disgusting to watch this family flaunt and talk about their wealth like it was nothing when they had it, and when they lost it, have no real concept of living beyond their means. They weren't homeless after the economy crashed, but they were having major money issues. It bothered me that the wife continued to spend lavish amounts of money on things they couldn't afford. This family had multiples of every material thing you could want in life, but they still they bought more and complained that they didn't have everything. 

It got me thinking about myself, and the way I continually yearn to buy something. I feel like it gets harder and harder to walk away from things I want to buy. Whether it be a pillow for my sofa or blouse in my closet. I wonder if  things like Pinterest, frequent visits to my favorite store Anthropologie, or working at a furniture store factor into my consuming nature. I feel like I'm a (real) adult now; and should be making real strides to eliminating my debt, set up a Roth or IRA, save for a house, and basically not freak out when my bank account starts to get low. These are the important things to want in life, not a new pair of heels, right? 

Does anyone else feel this way? How do you guys stop yourself from wanting more? 

Friday Flick Picks

Anyone else feeling a little drained after the Oscars? Ok good, I'm not either! Slightly hard on myself for only getting 16 out 24 right on my ballot, but lucky for me I'll get another chance next February. Unfortunately, after the Oscars the movie world goes into a horrible dry spell. Bad movies are released weekly to fill our hearts until Summer blockbusters come out. So now is the perfect time to catch movies I never saw in the theatres, documentaries, and old classics. Don't worry apples we'll weather the bad movie storm together!

This week I was happy to get in four movies. I saw Amour on Saturday night, and really wished Emmanuelle Riva had won best actress. The movie is rip your heart out touching. It truly is a beautiful telling of love between two people. It's my pick of the week. The other movies I saw this week were just all right. I wouldn't highly recommend any of them to watch, unless you love you some B. That woman can dance, sing, and flip her hair, like crazy!

What A Girl Wants

I'm a girl of wants, what can I say? I am all about finding pieces to enhance my living room look right now. My 70's style sofa, in the perfect grey micro suede, an antique storage chest as a coffee table, and a brass trunk end table, need dazzling accent pieces. Here's what I've been thinking on:

(L to R, top to bottom)

cozy wool pillow in a small herringbone pattern in navy and cream (arhaus)

fun yellow chevron pattern pillow (society6)

paisley patterned plate to corral tiny succulents under my terrarium lamp (anthropologie)

faceted ceramic end table (west elm)

arc lamp in simple silver, probably change shade to black to match other lamp (target)

soft cable knit throw to wrap myself up (free people)

I can't decide if I want to match my existing brass trunk end table with one with a similar finish. So I'm torn between the martini side table (west elm) or two drawer trunk-esq (1stdibs)

patterned accent chair in my favorite accent color: yello (target)

Friday Flick Picks

I had to get in one last Oscar nominated movie before Sunday, plus one more for good measure. I wasn't wow-ed by either one to tell you the truth. I should have trusted my instinct and saw Die Hard 5 instead. Silver Linings was ok, but a little all over the place for me. I wasn't blown away by JLaw's performance, to me, Chris Tucker gave the surprise great performance  Side Effects was no better. A total disappointment.  Steven Soderbergh and, my new favorite actress, Rooney Mara, and I still couldn't get behind it. A slow plot, with a bad pace, and plot twists that seemed obvious and confusing all at the same time (if that's possible). Save your pennies, and see something next week, or catch some of the Oscar winners after Sunday.

And speaking of which...Oscars are Sunday! If you can't tell, I am pumped! It's the Super Bowl to a movie nerd like myself. Research will be done, blogs and articles will be consulted, to ensure I have the most right answers on my ballot. I've seen 8 out of the 9 Best Picture nominated, and had good SAG and Golden Globe ballot answers, so I'm feeling pretty confident. Argo is winning best picture of 2012 you can bet on that, and in my favorite category, best animated short, Paperman will definitely get the win. Watch it here, and tell me your heart didn't melt.

Happy movie watching my little apples! 

BHLDN: Houston

When I first heard I was going to Houston, TX, I thought, "I have to work on my birthday?!?" But my immediate second thought was, BHLDN's first store is there. Luckily, only a few miles down the road from the Arhaus store we opened, I took my lunch break one day to bask in their wedding loveliness. Ethereal, vintage, glamorous, bohemian dresses, shoes, accessories, and decor surrounded me as I shopped in their beautiful store. I would imagine it would be hard to shop for a wedding dress exclusively online, but if you were to decide on a BHLDN dress you wouldn't be disappointed when it showed up on your doorstep. These dresses looked so much better in person (not that I think they look bad online, but they are so pretty in real life)! I had so much fun looking, and touching, and photographing, all the things in their store. I have no doubt in my mind I will one day be a BHLDN bride. If I hadn't had paint under my fingernails or had more than an hour to browse, I totally would have played dress up in their store.  

I loved this baby blue lace tea dress, so fun for a bridesmaid or garden party

I was all about the sparkles in this tulle caplet 

The jewelry in these cases were to die for! so many vintage and one of a kind pieces

Paper made flowers filled the window display

The decor room was probably my favorite part of the store. Floor to ceiling shelves filled with invitations  cake toppers, and decorations. I actually squealed when I saw Ann Wood's handmade birds in the shop! 

Melt Your Heart

Is there anything sweeter than a dog's unconditional love? With every new picture on ayasakai's Instagram feed the "aww" sound I'm making keeps getting longer and more high pitched. If you'd like to experience the same emotion, check out a mom's documentation of her son and his inseparable best friend. I need a cuddle asap!

30 Never Felt So Good

A week ago today, I turned thirty years old, and it feels great. I had an amazing time celebrating with friends and family on the day of my birthday and this past weekend. I was away for a work trip to Houston, TX on my actual birthday, but my co-workers went out of their way to make me feel really special despite our rigorous work schedule. And to top the day off a small group of us had a very yummy dinner at Del Frisco's. This weekend my best friends surprised me with a big group of our friends meeting to go ice skating! We had a blast laughing and shakily making our way around the rink. A Mexican fiesta for dinner, and a side splitting game of Cards Against Humanity made for a perfect celebration. (Seriously the funniest game you'll ever play with your friends. It's like a dirty version of Apples to Apples)

But the biggest accomplishment I have to talk about is my 30 Before 30 list. Right after my 29th birthday I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish by February 11th, 2013. I've blogged about most of them, but I'm really proud to have completed so many. There are 10 pesky ones still hanging out there, but I've really enjoyed having this set list of things I want to do in my life, and I hope to cross them off soon. 

Thanks to everyone who wished me happy birthday and supported me here on the blog. Here's to life in my thirties! 

1. Get another tattoo
2. Dye hair red
3. Be brave enough to try a funky haircut
4. Volunteer for a charity I've put my name in to volunteer for 
5. Buy a car
6. Have 3-4 months of expenses saved up still working on this one! 
7. To be able to have a hard conversation argument with someone without crying (I'm a big softie what can I say?)
8. Make an origami paper crane
9. Find the perfect shade of lipstick, and wear it!
10. Pay off credit card or at least get balance below $500 still working on this one, but with my tax refund this one can get marked off very soon
11. Do Jillian Michael's workout for 30 days consecutively
12. Take styled pictures of where I live for blog
13. Find a reason to wear my sequin dress from Anthropologie
14. Make a 3 course meal
15. Add new page to my blog
16. Rent or own a shallow depth of field lens for camera and use it effectively I lost some of my enthusiasm for taking photographs lately, but I'm working on bringing that back to rent the lens
17. Make a cinemagraph
18. Own professional make up brushes, and know how to use them 
19. Get in a better beauty routine with my hair, not just let it be naturally stick straight everyday
20. Own dishes I love to eat off of
21. Read a classic novel like Pride and Prejudice
22. Have at least 75 followers to Little Yellow Apple at 70! I can only go up! 
23. Make some sort of progress towards learning French I have downloaded a program to help me learn French, now I have to make the time to learn it 
24. Travel to a fabulous place like NYC, LA, Europe or Disney World (or have plans to travel to one of these places) This year I went to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Houston. It was great to be able to travel so much, but none of it was for pleasure. I'm hoping to go on a real vacation this summer. 
25. Meet a celebrity (a girl can dream right?) Still dreaming on this one! 
26. Go ballroom dancing didn't make it around to this one either
27. Watch all of Audrey Hepburn's movies since Roman Holiday (I only have 11 left to see) this turned out to be harder than I thought. It's hard enough to find a movie rental place, let alone old Audrey movies.  
28. Choose a handful of Pinterest challenges to replicate or try out and blogs about the results
29. Plant a terrarium 
30. Have the best 30th birthday party! 

The Winner is...

Yay! The winner is...Michelle Fallman! 

Email me at lileyllowapple@gmail so I can send you your box of goodies!

Thank you to everyone who is a follower, I didn't quite reach my 75 goal, but I know I'll get there! 

Thank you again for all your continuous support. 

Texas Love

My heart's in Texas y'all! Until Friday I'll be working up a storm at an opening of a new Arhaus store in Houston. I'm super pumped to be in warmer temperatures and seeing friends that come together for these openings. I'll make sure to check in during the week too, especially on Monday to reveal the winner of my birthday appreciation giveaway. I only need 4 more followers to make my 30 goal! Tell your friends!

PS If you have any must-have places to share, I'm all ears!

A little love

I know, I know, how can I even recognize another holiday in the same month of my birthday? But I'm giving Valentine's Day some slack this year. Perhaps it's because I've been out shopping lately and everywhere has hearts and romance all around. Part of me feels a little sexy, the other part feels like snuggling up in cozy jammies and watching a sappy movie. Which side of my personality will win out on the day of love? Only time will tell (who are we kidding, I'll still be on a birthday high)!

Pajamas: Forever21
Bra: Victoria's Secret
Tshirt: Old Navy
Panties: Victoria's Secret

The Mindy Project Apartment

Are you guys watching The Mindy Project? If you aren't, then you're in luck. It comes on tonight: 9:30pm EST on Fox. It's like the come to life version of her blog from back in the day, "Things I've Bought that I Love," and the funny parts of her character Kelly from The Office. It's hilarious, and if you're a girlie girl, then you will love all parts of her character and dynamic of this show. But more importantly than loving the fashion choices she makes you will LOVE the apartment she lives in. I mean check out that dining room above! I'm totally digging the mixing of pattern, texture and colors all pulled together seamlessly into her open floor plan. I would die for those yellow captain's chairs or blue tufted seating bench.

I pulled together my own dining room inspiration board to mimic Mindy's apartment. What do you think, am I close?

bookends, bench, chandelier, curtains, table, prints, carved buffet, white buffet, yellow chair

Giveaway: One Week To Go

So I told you guys I would have a surprise for my followers, and soon to be followers, when we got closer to my birthday. In 7 days I will be 30, and I'm actually really excited about turning the big milestone year. It feels like I have a true, fresh new chapter in my life to begin. So to celebrate the clean slate I want to have a little giveaway. A grab bag of things that make me happy to show my appreciation you guys.

Here's how to enter:
1. For ONE entry: become a follower of Little Yellow Apple, and submit a comment letting me know you've become a new follower.
2. If you're ALREADY a follower of Little Yellow Apple (you're awesome, thank you!) then your name will be automatically entered twice in the giveaway, no comment required
3. For an EXTRA entry follow me on Twitter, and let me know in the comments you're a follower. If you're already a follower there too, write a comment saying you're already a follower.

The Goodies Include: a striped scarf, a Fossil makeup or jewelry travel pouch, my favorite goat's milk soap in orange sage and lavender scents, a LOVE stamp, a mini Hello Kitty notepad, floral cupcake liners, and vintage inspired stationery. PLUS...no favorite things grab bag would be complete without items from my favorite store: Anthropologie. To fit the "yellow" theme: a patterned bowl and chalk board spice jar.

The giveaway will be open until midnight, EST, on Monday February 11th. I will notify the winner shortly after the 11th.

Help me reach one of my 30 before 30 goals and enter to win "My Favorite Things, I Love All My Readers So Very Much" giveaway and good luck!

Fickle Warmth

top: Jcrew, pants: Oldnavy, shoes: Urban Outfitters

 Unlike my last outfitting post, I was not afraid of catching frost bite while outside today. It was a sunny 65 degree day here in Lexington. But don't worry it'll be freezing again by Wednesday. The surprise warmth didn't have me ready to expose bare legs or arms or anything, but I will take errand running without a coat or gloves any day. Spring any time you wanna stick around for good I'll be fine with that.