steak&cakes

2011 Birthday Wishes

2011-03-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm still hanging onto my 20s, & would luv a few pretty little things to make my last year an enjoyable one, ha!

A few pretties to look at...
(Polka dot coups from Kate Spade, Art from Etsy sellers ToxicInk & dearcolleen)

And a few for my home...
(polar bear footstool from Wind & Weather, Le Creuset round dutch oven)

And finally, something fun - I adore these little coin purses from Diana Eng.

Or, I'll take spending some time with my close friends & Con over my birthday weekend. I'm hoping for a great steak, maybe some sushi, & champagne, of course!

A trip to Red Mango wouldn't hurt, either.
♥

The Library of Sadness

2011-02-22T12:06:00.004-06:00

Here's what I'm currently dealing with. Those are kitty insides. I need to memorize them. No one should ever have to memorize the inside of cats. And that water in the background? I don't think it's making me smarter.

I forced myself to be delivered to the library today to study. No out until 7pm.

I wish I was at home.

Drinking that stuff. Or wearing my pretty new shoes (they weren't allowed to come to the library - it's like 25 degrees outside).

And yes, those are pink glitter ♥s on my nails.

Okay, I've got to get back to it. Or rather, back to gChat w. my sister.

♥

Tuesday Shoesday

2011-02-15T12:58:00.003-06:00

Well,

that's kind of awesome.

found here.

♥

Recent Recaps & the Weekend

2011-02-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

A few pics & bits from some stuff I've been up to the past few weeks.
Prepare for random.

My friend Cassie took some great pics that I had to share...

(performing the cell block tango from chicago)
Monica West, my good friend, & most fabulous drag queen ever, performing at the Miss Max 27 pageant in January.

More drag queens! BINGO @ Flixx.
We didn't win, but cannot deny it was a fun time.

Casandra Evans was a great hostess. I can't wait for next time.

What I came home from work to before the Superbowl - Go Pack! (& FYI, those are definitely long underwear ol' Con is rocking) And you can see that I'm continuing on my fancy/goofy drink trend. I don't even remember what that pink thing was, ha.

My nails are all painted for the weekend: I went w. a new Sephora by OPI color, Leotard Optional. It's the prettiest nude shade. Highly recommended.

Pretty laid-back weekend ahead for us. We're celebrating Valentine's Day Sunday night since we both work Monday. More to come!
Happy Friday all!
♥

I ♥

2011-02-09T10:25:00.001-06:00

Shoes! Cotton Candy! Unicorns! But that's old news. A few things I'm really pumped up about this week...

♥ Red Mango - Madagascar vanilla + mojito w. blueberries & mango.
♥ Artliners from Lancome.
♥ Girl Scout cookie time!
♥ Sweet Tart martinis.
♥ Champagne on Tuesdays.
♥ Desperate Housewives reruns.
♥ My mom on Twitter!
♥ New handbags.
♥ 55 degree forecasts. (warmth!)

My newest concoction: sweet tart amazingness.
(2 ounces island pucker + 1.5 ounces citron vodka + 2 ounces sour + lime/sugar rimmed glass)

Happy hump day darlings!

♥

Chinese New Year + Weekend Ahead

2011-02-04T10:20:00.000-06:00

(nice fortune!)

It's already the weekend! Again! I'm definitely not complaining. Anyway, last night Conor & I celebrated the Chinese New Year with dinner @ our favorite Chinese restaurant, Rice Bowl. It's an old tradition I have from my days at Creighton University. We ate there all the time & now I take Conor as well.

Mm, egg rolls & Yum Yum chicken. Probably not the healthiest choice.

This weekend I'm looking forward to watching a few friends' bands play a show Saturday night & of course - Superbowl Sunday! We will be cheering on the Packers (cheese, Wisconsin, beer... hello!!!) at a friend's party Sunday night. I ♥ a good party.

Hope y'all have a good weekend - enjoy the big game!

(or the commercials, as that's what I'm usually paying attention to)

♥

Product Reviews

2011-02-03T08:00:00.001-06:00

I know most of you are probably holed up at home due to the weather. And I know that cabin feav. tends to lead to online shopping. Anyway, I've picked up a few new items recently I'd love to recommend:

Peter Thomas Roth Laser-Free Resurfacer: my skin is much smoother & less blotchy/red since I've started this guy about 2 to 3 weeks ago. A great serum if you want to even out your complexion! I'm also super prone to breakouts & have not had any probs. I ♥ it!

Too Faced Romantic palette: I'm a huge fan of Too Faced palettes. This one is no exception. Prettiest spring colours that anyone can wear. Make sure you use a primer first! I recommend LORAC's eye shadow primer.

Carole's Daughter Tui Hair Smoothie: smells amazing (mango/guava/passionfruit) & makes my hair SO shiny. I only use it once or twice per week because I have fine hair, but it's truly amazing. And all natural!

Have a great day

♥ P

Weekend Fun

2011-01-28T08:00:00.007-06:00

I'm so excited for this last weekend of January! First & foremost, my best friend Cassie is coming to visit. She'll be picking me up from Sephora late Friday, then it's cocktail time to get the weekend started off right. Our plans:

♥ trying out a new Sweet Tart cocktail recipe

♥ manis & pedis w. my sister (going to try out Shellac for the 1st time!)

♥ hitting up Chanel @ Von Maur, & maybe a little shoe shopping

♥ Drag Queen BINGO @ Flixx followed by...

♥ the Miss Max pageant @ The Max!

One of my good friends & coworkers, the fabulous Miss Monica West will be performing. Yays!
A weekend of fun & glitter. Can't go wrong!

{Major recap on Monday}
♥ P

Tuesday Shoesday

2011-01-25T12:34:00.004-06:00

Because I'm tired of gray, icky winter.

Found here,

& here.

♥

Weekend Ahead

2011-01-21T08:00:00.003-06:00

Yay for the weekend! A few things I'm looking forward to...

♥ drinks to celebrate a friend taking her dental school boards Friday night,
♥ lunch @ Barrett's, a local pub with amazing patty melts on Saturday, followed by...
♥ a movie at my favorite drunk theater, Midtown Crossing,
♥ & attend our Sephora holiday party Sunday night!

I think it's going to be a great weekend.

Happy Friday all!

♥

Tuesday Shoesday

2011-01-18T14:37:00.004-06:00

I am so ready for some nice summery weather.

Either of these two would be fun warm weather options.
♥

Red Carpet Faves & Failures

2011-01-17T08:00:00.002-06:00

I know you've all probably seen 500 websites w. best & worst dressed lists, & here's yet another! I ♥ award season and usually get together with friends to have our own night of commentary. I loved reading all your Tweets this year, as I was home sick.

Well, let's get to it. My choices for best & worst of the Golden Globes!

Best Dressed ladies of the night...

I'm a huge fan of classic looks, & this was by far my favorite. Very old Hollywood with a touch of edge from the open back. I ♥ Eva.

Catherine was absolutely channeling Scarlett O'Hara in this one. And she had the best accessory: Michael Douglas.

I really liked all the green this year. I'm curious how deep emerald green Angelina's dress was in person. I love the shape, drape, & again, old Hollywood style. Brad looks like a douche.

Perfect red carpet princess dress. I'm glad she left her hair down to keep everything from being too fussy. I want to sit on my sofa in this dress & eat Cheetos w. my best friend Cassie.

Worst Dressed...

They were all just really bad, in my opinion. I mean, come on Michelle. She looks like she's going to do a magazine spread for Sunflowers perfume in 1994. Eek.

So there you have it! Do you agree or disagree w. my picks? Did I leave anyone out?
Let me know what you think!
♥

Welcome to 2011, 3 weeks late.

2011-01-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

I miss my blog. This one. The very one you are reading. That is, if anyone even realizes my blog still exists. It's barely hanging on.

I've been working quite a lot, spending lots of time w. friends, drinking champagne, & of course, missing the blog world!

It's a new year. I've already broken my half-assed resolutions. In fact, I really don't remember what they were. Classes have started up again. It's f r e e z i n g cold. However, I've got a lot planned for this year & I'm looking forward to sharing some of it with y'all!

♥

Weekend Luv

2010-11-19T14:43:00.010-06:00

Hey, look! I've neglected my blog for weeks! What a shocker! My apologies. Work & school are quite time consuming at the present moment.

Anywho - it's that time of the week. The week's end. AKA, the weekend! A look at why I ♥ this weekend:

♥ A hockey game (match? battle?) for a friends birthday

♥ Followed by cocktails @ Side Door Lounge
♥ Record night @ O'Leaver's Pub

♥ Harry Potter @ the drunk theater w. my luvs

♥ Homemade french onion soup
♥ Holiday mtg. @ work (yes, I AM looking forward to this - I ♥ my job!)

And next week starts off w. a visit from my bestie-darling Cassandra.
Happy November to me!

♥

Halloweiner!

2010-10-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

(via Country Living & Martha Stewart)

One of my favorite holidays! Autumn, costumes, treats (in booze form for moi)...it's just great. So tell me, have you darlings got costumes planned? I myself have a vampire-y zombie-esque thing planned. I'll do my best to capture an image or two from the festivities for Monday.

In the meantime, here's a great recipe for a Pumpkin Cocktail, courtesy of Market Fresh Mixology (fun book).

Happy haunting!
♥

Tuesday Shoesday

2010-10-26T09:17:00.003-05:00

Am looking forward to the upcoming holiday season & all it's sparkly goodness.

Found here.

And here.

And here.

Cheers!
♥

Tuesday Shoesday

2010-10-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

We're in the midst college football season. The happiest time of the year!

Vivienne Westwood's Dragon Lady Heart II - so much SC spirit to celebrate my trip to see the Trojans play Cal this weekend at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

While the team may not look so great, it'll still be a fun weekend with my USC shoes!

♥

P

More of Tuesday Shoesday here: (postcards & pretties) (pretty little things) (superburbs) (landlocked bride) & (meant to be sent)

Currently...

2010-10-11T11:25:00.005-05:00

loving lots of things:

Fall in Nebraska - this year is particularly pretty due to warm weather. If I didn't live here, I'd really miss the foliage.

The Chloe Ethel satchel. Seriously, I need this bag. I've had dreams about it. Early Xmas gift anyone?

DDF Ultra-lite Moisturizing Dew. If you're oily or acne-prone like moi, this is the best moisturizer ever. Seriously, you will not be disappointed. Luvs!

The Big Bang Theory. Con & I have been watching it from Netflix. It's kind of stupid, but totally effing hilarious. I was taken completely by surprise.

And finally (last but not least), Cone-Bone himself. The ol' man o' the haus. Smoochies.

♥
P

Hey, guess what?!

2010-10-06T15:56:00.004-05:00

Pipee shamed at lack of blogging!

I took a little bloggie break. Actually more like an extended leave of absence. Have been feeling slightly less than creative (AKA brain dead) for the past few months. However, it's October, my favorite time of the year, and I feel that a comeback is in order. Just a little FYI, if any of y'all give a pirate's booty anymore.

I may have also been partying myself out a bit. WHAT?

Stay tuned, my blog pets. I've missed you all!

♥

Tuesday Shoesday

2010-07-27T14:10:00.004-05:00

Meow. Found here.

I'm a blog neglector. Will catch up soon!

♥

(ps...you can check out my Tumblr as well - sometimes he gets updated more often)

Weekend Ahead

2010-07-16T11:40:00.001-05:00

Time for yet another weekend! My favorite, of course. And I'm sure many of yours as well. This is going to be a fun one:

Tonight - dinner w. some friends (lambie burgs, mm!) & a perhaps a little dip in the pool, too.
Sat. morning - Farmer's Market! On my list: mint, basil, tomatoes, peaches, & flowers.

(Con w. last year's Derby winning cars)

Afternoon - O'Leaver's Second Annual Soap Box Derby. It was so fun last year & I can't wait to see what kind of soap boxes everyone comes up w. this year (plus there is plenty of beer, which is the real draw, ha!). So far I've been told there will be a pirate.

(My friend Eric, the drummer, in his band Techlepathy)

Later Sat. - dinner w. more friends before heading to see a bunch o' bands @ O'Leaver's to celebrate said Derby (+ more beer). Yay!
Sun. - brunch w. Con & relaxing. I think we're going to need some rest after all the fun Sat.

Well, that's what I've got going on - I'll be sure to recap on Monday. Hope you all have a great weekend as well.

♥

Time to Relax!

2010-07-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Now that my research papers are done & turned in, aka out of my hands, I am ready to relax and have some time away from the books. I ♥ making lists, so I've come up with some things I would like to get done before I head back to school in August.

(ice cream & vampire books)

Finish reading the Sookie Stackhouse books,
attend each & every Waffle Cone Wednesday @TCBY. My favorite? White chocolate mousse yogurt. Mmm.
Hit the gym in the mornings - I was doing great before the wedding in May, but have definitely gained back any & all weight that was lost. Sigh.
Visit the Henry Doorly Zoo. Conor hasn't been in years either, & it IS one of the best in country, afterall!
Bake one of these......one of these......plus this!
Visit Milwaukee - this is scheduled for the week before school & I can't wait!

What about you all - how are your summer 'to dos' going?

It's time for a midsummer check-in!

♥

Tuesday Shoesday

2010-07-13T08:00:00.002-05:00

Sam Edelman Lorissa - no one's gonna mess w. you in these babies!

I know a lot of other bloggers do shoe posts on Tuesday, so I'm barreling onto that bandwagon, because, well, I LOVE shoes!

I'm already looking ahead to fall & loving all the suede. My favorite purple suede pumps died & I hope to someday find a suitable replacement.

Elizabeth & James bootie. Will be great for fall.

Coach Teagan suede sandal. I adore these!

More of Tuesday Shoesday here: (postcards & pretties) (pretty little things) (superburbs) (landlocked bride) & (meant to be sent)

♥

Summer Weekends

2010-07-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

I ♥ them. Who doesn't? Seriously? My sister recently showed me a receipt I'd left at her house that had a bunch of hilarious items on it that I'd brought to her house. Nothing says "summer" like this receipt. For reals.

It's really hard to read, so I'll fill you in: a water gun, 3 Snickers bars, plastic boats, a floaty mattress for the pool, gummy worms, a pool lounger, tampons, Zours, & 2 Gatorades. Happy Summer indeed.

(Me & my peacock seat at dinner. Pretty!)
The weekend was relaxing: the Bodies exhibit was awesome - definitely check it out if it's in your area. Conor & I went for some walks, had dinner at a Mexican restaurant, watched some Mad Men & True Blood, & had our first tomatoes of the summer. My mom, sister & I got pedicures in fun summery colors.

My sister's toes in Essie's Lapis of Luxury, mom in Essie as well (couldn't remember the name - a coral-pink), & me in Essie's Splash of Grenadine. My sister's & mine came in a little 4-pack w. a turquoise & a gray color as well.

I have the next week totally free - I plan to get my ever-growing rump to the gym, plan our upcoming trip to Milwaukee, & cook/bake a lot! I'll be sure to keep the blog world posted!
♥

Weekend Ahead

2010-07-09T08:00:00.002-05:00

(image by Pipes)

I'm so glad it's the weekend again. Sometimes these short weeks are tougher than the real ones. I finished up summer school today & am quite relieved to have a month off before heading back in August.

The weekend's agenda:

Pool time,
making these for breakfast (perfect w. mimosas!),
gettin' a "pedicure on my toes, toes..."
visiting this before it leaves town: Bodies...The Exhibition.
Drinking a few of these bad boyz,
having a private marathon of Mad Men w. Con,
topped off w. a BBQ with our neighbor boys.

Enjoy your Sat. & Sunday!
♥

A Midsummer's Dream

2010-07-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Things I'm currently coveting:

Dresses from Thread Social's Resort Collection. OMG I NEED THEM NOW!
Any of the many shoes found in my always full Zappos shopping cart.
I can't quite cough up 200 bucks for swim wear quite yet, but if I could I'd definitely get this Spanx piece (via Real Simple).
A bunch of Ikat fabric (found here) to cover up a chair my mom has for me. I luv turquoise!

♥

Around the House...take 7?

2010-07-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

I know I've shown you all a few items here & there around the ol' shanty. It's been a bit, so I thought I'd do the same - a little update, mind you.

First up: an interesting piece of art done by my friend & artist Rebecca Herskovitz. It's hard to pick up online, but the drawing is done on wood with both paint and thread accent stripes as well. It's gorgeous. It's also on a tripod because I live in fear of dedicating myself to hanging pictures.

My pile of wine corks once got out of hand, I gave a bunch away, and they started accumulating again. Conor & I started writing little notes on them w. Sharpies such as the date, event, whether or not we enjoyed the wine itself, & so on. It's actually become really fun to look back at them. I highly recommend doing this - we wish we'd started sooner!

This old bar was an inherited item from my grandmother. I love it - it was much needed & stores ALL my champagne coups & flutes. I'd love to update it a bit w. new knobbies, but the ones on there aren't budging as of yet...

This sweet-ass hole in our ceiling is courtesy of our lovely, brain-dead plumber duo. And yes, it's still leaking.

Happy Wednesday! I hope you enjoyed my mini-tour!

♥

4th of July Recap

2010-07-06T13:32:00.012-05:00

I had a great time this past weekend! We celebrated with a pool party/BBQ for the 2nd of July, followed by fireworks & listening to the police scanner on Saturday. For the 4th we traveled through the smoky-as-hell city to attend a fireworks extravaganza/block party. It was a GREAT weekend!

(Pandas, margaritas, patriotic booze, & more pandas!)

(clockwise from upper left: Me, sister L, Shel, Jules, MOI, Eric, Shel -peeking!, sister L again, & Frank)

All in all a great time - one to remember. I still can't get over how Baghdad-esque our city felt with all those firecrackers & fog - it was crazy!

Hope y'all had a great weekend as well.

♥

Where does the time go?

2010-06-21T16:42:00.004-05:00

It's amazing how fast time flies, right? It's June 21st. Wow. Neglecting the blog again - so busy w. school. My hands smell like rubber gloves from dissections & I'm SO sleepy. I'll be in & out of here the next few weeks!

Maybe I need one of these?

(Dismembered arm pillow found here)

♥

Baseball, soccer...the weekend ahead.

2010-06-10T17:12:00.007-05:00

There are a whole lot of sports-related events going on this weekend in Omaha...
at least for me, sort of.

(Going out w. these fools...I'm the cute one in the bottom left corner, FYI. I couldn't come up with an appropriate picture to go along with baseball, ha ha)

Tonight I am possibly, rain permitting, heading to the soon-to-be demolished Rosenblatt Stadium here in Omaha to watch the Royals play some baseball. Ohh, and fireworks. They have great fireworks (the baseball, from what I've heard - not so good).

(via ESPN & Kate Spade)

Then I'm going to watch the USA play England in the World Cup tomorrow. But not in South Africa. I will be watching on television, obviously. I will also be heading to Von Maur to check out the above Kate Spade bag. Shopping? Definitely a sport.

(via Flickr)

Finally, Sunday I plan to observe vampires chase humans around & eat them. Kind of a sport. True Blood premieres on HBO Sunday evening.

Hope you all have a great weekend as well!

♥

Vampires & Weekends

2010-06-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Vampire Weekend? No, not the band.

Anywho, I had a great weekend - as some of you may know, I used to work for Clinique. Well, I spent one night this weekend out w. some of my old co-workers & had the best time. We started w. some Fun Ship Specials (thanks to Carnival Cruise Lines, apparently), then hit up some tacky Nebraska bars w. the locals & drank cheap pitchers of beers.

I then spent the day before class began reading the Sookie Stackhouse books - I thank Mrs. Jetplane & Pink Sass for enticing me to read them. They are constantly talking on Twitter about the series & I couldn't resist. I'm so glad I gave in!

Which leads me to my next thought - what is our deal nowadays w. vampires? Seriously though? Last night Con & I rented 'Daybreakers' which was about, what else, VAMPIRES (oh, & it sucked, literally & figuratively, WHOA!). There's True Blood, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which I've been watching old episodes of on Netflix, ha!), Transylmania, The Vampire's Assistant, & so on. You get the idea. & BTW, I totally want to read the Bree Tanner book. I know, I know.

Conor says it's just a trend - that pirates were all the rage 4 years ago. Maybe he's right. Either way, we humans must have some major desire to feed on our kind's blood, or have someone feed on ours, because I can't think what else could possibly explain this major phenomenon. I think that if vampies honestly started populating the world, we'd all be panicked & horrified. BUT, it's a lot more fun to think that it'd be fabulously glamorous, sexy fun. I hope it's the latter if such an event ever actually occurs, ha!!

Happy week - it's hawt as heck here in NE, so I'm assuming it is everywhere else in the world as well!

♥

Upcoming Attractions of Summer 2010...

2010-06-03T08:00:00.003-05:00

I read yesterday on Tale of a Grits' adorable blog about what she was predicting to be her obsessions for this upcoming summer season. It got me thinking about my own....

*Season 3 of True Blood. Soon! I have finally watched both seasons 1 & 2 and must say I am a huge fan. I can't wait to see Sookie & Eric hook it up. I'm not stupid, it's totally obviously going to happen. Besides, I was starting to feel like Sookie & ol' Billiard Ball were the two most boring, lovey-dovey creatures ever.

*Nude coloured shoes - totally stolen from Miss Grits as well, but I am seriously in love this year. I have a pair of flats that I adore & am on the verge of wearing out. These two are hawt contenders for Next Member of Piper's Closet.

*Coral nails (currently Make Mine Mango by Revlon) & blurry pictures, apparently.

*Mad Men - summer tv is totes where it's at. The new photos from Vanity Fair are H-A-W-T! I am super excited for the new season. I think the last one ended like 400 years ago. In fact, I can't even remember how it ended, so I suppose I should dedicate some nice summer days to holing up in my apt. watching past seasons...

*Seasonal cocktails...I was recently gifted this book & am excited to try some fruity booze.

(BULGAR!)

*Tabouleh salad. I could eat it every day. And never grow tired. Even though it IS mostly veggies....which leads to -

*Omaha's Farmer's Market. A new one just opened up by my house on Sundays. And it's not at 5am, which is much more do-able for Pipes.

*And last, but certainly not least...my sister's pool - so long as it gets up & running soon. Here's an awesome video from last year's fun.

Well, these are a few things that I'm looking forward to - I'm sure you all have plenty more that I've forgotten (or need to be filled in on!), so please share.
♥

Seasonal Eating

2010-06-02T08:00:00.002-05:00

(Fresh ingredients = delicious)

Ah! PRODUCE SEASON! I love the Midwest this time of year. Pretty flowers (check out Monday's post) & delish foods. Nothing beats our farmer's markets. This past week I was able to indulge in some pretty fabulous foods. The best part is that it is all pretty good for you as well. For your viewing pleasure....

First up, lambie chops + orzo & pesto. My mama & paw made this for me when I was in Iowa last week. SO good, fresh, & simple. I ruined that tablecloth later when I knocked over a full bottle of red wine, FYI.

The meal being cooked above in it's completed state. Turkey Burgers Caprese. Again so simple, fresh, & good. Seasoned ground turkiez, fresh mozz, tomatoes in balsamic vin, & fresh basil. Corn on the cobbie completed the meal. I even used FAKE BUTTER on my corn. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter....SPRAY! ZOMG! Ha ha.

I first saw this at my dearest darling Gabby's blog. How had I not heard of blending together such amazingness? AKA, frozen chopped bananas. That's it. ONE ingredient. Probably the creamiest "ice cream" I have ever eaten. Four simple steps:
1. chop bananas
2. freeze chopped bananas for 2 hrs.
3. blend chopped frozen bananas in blender
4. binge eat frozen blended bananas

So, there you have it. An inside look into a few things I consumed last week. Pretty exciting stuff! What's your favorite fresh, healthy food?
♥

Springtime & Memorial Day

2010-05-31T08:00:00.002-05:00

I really feel like Spring was around for two days before Summer took over. One day it was breezy & warm, & the next it was h-a-w-t! I'm not complaining, but I do love Springtime. One of my fave things are definitely the peonies. I managed to grab a few from a neighbor for my apartment, & also snapped some photos from my mom's garden. So gorgeous! I wish they bloomed all summer long...

A few traditional, huge peony bushes... & my favorites - an 'old fashioned' variety. So delicate - we had one big rainstorm & they were done!

(My dad, last Memorial Day helping present flags at a Memorial Day ceremony honoring the veterans of our small town in Iowa)
Happy Memorial Day to all!
Remember why we celebrate & honor those that have given their lives & those who choose to serve our country so we are able to relax & enjoy days like today.

Wisconsin Recap

2010-05-28T12:30:00.000-05:00

(the beach across the road from Conor's parents' house, looking towards Milwaukee)

So, not only do they drink plenty of beer in Wisconsin, but there is the desirable cheddar cheese that I totally forgot to mention in my last post! And we consumed a TON of it. As in, dinner ends & the cheese comes out. You get home from the bars - out comes the aged cheddar!

(Me & Con at Lake Oconomowoc)
We had a great time: plenty of quality family bonding for Conor, tours of breweries, shopping, lakeside walks, and great dinners out in the city. The verdict is in: I love Milwaukee.

(Con, me, & his dad)
Out & about drinking, what else? Beer! And this set is a prime example of why I have NO nice photos of me & Conor. When told to look at the camera, this is what we ended up with...

Probably the most decent photo of us from the entire trip - & it's certainly not one for the picture frame, if you get what I'm sayin'...

(Ew, so pinkfaced!)
The brewery tour was super interesting. I hope to go on more when I return for another visit. If you drink Miller Lite - one of these cases may end up being yours, ha!

(Miller Lites & Leinenkugels on the "assembly line")

(The Miller Inn at the Miller Brewery)
Conor REALLY wanted to steal the High Life bus. It is his favorite beer, afterall. And the bus was pretty much awesome.

It's taken me forever to get caught back up from all my trips - I just returned from Iowa as well this week. But, only one more week off & back to school! Have a great Memorial Day weekend - I'm hoping mine will be lots of fun!
♥

Presents, Pics, & Photobooths

2010-05-11T12:35:00.009-05:00

Finals are finished! I'm officially on summer break (for 3 more weeks). Tomorrow we are off to Milwaukee to visit Con's fam & partake in some Wisconsin fun (beers tours, beer drinking, hmm...what else happens there?). In the meantime, a few updates on what I've been up to!

First off, I received the most awesome package today from Miss Beauty H2T. Seriously, I couldn't believe how fab this gift is when I opened it today! I mean, do you see that awesome Marimekko eyeshadow? So far, I've only tried the Stila lip glaze & I ♥ it. Super glossy & seriously not ONE BIT STICKY. I plan on reviewing all the products after I try them out. Go check out her blog, ASAP. She does lots of beauty reviews and is gorgeous to boot. Thank you so much new blog friend!

I promised Vegas pics, and am here to deliver what sad pathetic pics I have.

(Super gross dude @ a bar performing a scary lap dance)

(Me + another bridesmaid)

(Me + bride dodging the paparazzi)

(Our pretty + tan bride!)

I stole a few of these from other girls. I seriously took a total of 5 pictures. FIVE. Eh, I blame the drinkin'.

And how much do you all love photobooths? My sister & recently discovered one at a local bar & she "accidentally" chose the above background. Cute.

Well, now you know how I've been spending my time - socializing, grooming w. new products, posing for photos. It's a pretty hard life my friends, ha ha.

I'll try to update from the north this week!

Home, at last + some beauty reviews

2010-05-04T12:02:00.007-05:00

{I made it through the week-long Vegas extravaganza. I started doubting I would around Wednesday, but all was good - the bride & groom are happily married, my bridesmaid dress did NOT fall off, & I only sustained two bodily injuries. Pictures will, I promise, be posted - as soon as I identify the culprit who took off with my camera after the reception, ha.}

In unrelated news, I've recently gone through some re-vamping of my beauty routine, and thought I would share with you my finds...

First off, I have oily, somewhat breakout-prone skin. It's a bummer. Hopefully I won't have as many wrinkles when I age. Whatever, there's Botox for that,right? A few weeks ago, my skin

f r e a k e d

out. It was trauma. Grossout trauma. The lovely creatures at Sephora introduced me to the anti-aging gel cleanser by Peter Thomas Roth.

It has saved my life. My skin cleared up and smoothed out SUPER fast. I highly (HIGHLY) recommend this if you have skin like moi. I use it twice daily, with my Clarisonic, of course. After cleansing, I sometimes use the PTR Gentle Complexion pads as well for a little extra exfoliation. The best part of all of these products is the scent. Peach Bellini, anyone?

Moisturizers are not used much in the Piper household (gasp, I know). I do use Clinique's All About Eyes Rich eye cream though - oldie, but goodie. I love it. I suffer from puffiness, and it's a great solution. (Plus it's like, $28!) They also have a rollerball version of the AAE that is super soothing - I used it in Vegas and it was tres helpful.

My other newest fave is Lavanila's The Healthy Deodorant. I have the vanilla-grapefruit & love it. It's free of scary chemicals & smells fabulous. With the upcoming warm weather it's a must. Try it - they all smell awesome.

Whew. That's a lot of information for one post. I'll end it there - someday I shall share more, as I'm sure you're now on the edge of your seat waiting in anticipation! Ha.
Take care of your skin!
♥

My Vegas Essentials

2010-04-22T22:39:00.011-05:00

Have I mentioned I'm heading out of town Monday for a little Vegas getaway? This doesn't happen often for me, so it's a monumentous occasion. Poor college students can't just run off for a fun weekend whenever they please....sadly.

Everyone I know brings certain things along when they travel - here are a few of my "necessities!"

1. Magz for the flight. My mom bought me these (except for my sorority one, obviously). Yay, Mom!

2. Pretty shuz. These guys are coming along for this round....the little pink ballet flats are another Mom-gift that will obviously come in quite handy after wandering the strip for hours in pumps.

3. Travel-sized products: okay. I, like everyone else, prefer to use my cleansers & lotions of choice, but when traveling one must seriously get over it & pack lightly. I actually love Tresemme's hairspray, so the little travel sizes are always in my purse regardless. I also find that travel body washes & whatnot are a great way to try out potential new full-size purchases. My fave facial cleansers for trips are definitely cleansing clothes. Especially when slightly (to mostly) intoxicated.

4. ADVIL. Duh.

5. Mini champagnes & Toblerone. They make the Advil a necessity. And travel tolerable.

6. Two of your best friends. Obvs!
The bride, Meghan, is on the left, & my travel buddy Cassie is on the right.

Happy Friday!
♥

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T08:23:00.006-05:00

I used to ♥ Earth Day. It meant that you got to leave school to plant trees and draw pictures of the Earth with sidewalk chalk in downtown. Paint trash cans to be placed around the city. Have a mini parade with all the other classrooms on the playground with your faces painted. I miss being a kid sometimes!

As adults we can still celebrate Earth Day - my plan?
Grilling out with some friends. I know, it doesn't sound eco-friendly, but we are using Cowboy Charcoal, which is! You can get it at places like Whole Foods and it's actually quite great.

What are you doing to celebrate? Taking shorter showers? Sitting around with the lights off? Just be sure to enjoy it, we only have ONE Earth!
♥

Coveting

2010-04-20T15:11:00.005-05:00

(from Assouline)
(I wish these were our bridesmaid's dresses.)

As I mentioned before, I'm getting ready to head to Vegas for a wedding next week. Wow, only 6 days away (so not feeling prepared). Anytime I go on a trip I make mental plans of outfits I own and those I'd like to add to my closet. Here's what I'm currently coveting.

This dress from American Eagle. Not the kind of place I frequent, but they have some cute dresses this season - and SUPER affordable.

I love everything about this dress from Thread.

Thinking I should have a pair of these little shoes for when the 4-inch pumps lose their appeal!

(pretty Isla)

And I'm thinking this is a good hair style for hot days...can I pull it off without looking like a velociraptor? Probably not.

♥

Catching Up

2010-04-15T10:09:00.004-05:00

Since I've been out of the loop for so long, I thought I'd let you in on a few of my current faves. I tend to like to do that...

(Wow, I should sell this little collage to X-Rated. I think they'd appreciate my enthusiasm & want it for marketing purposes. Ha, ha.)

First up: X-Rated Fusion Liqueur. It's so cheesy, right? My friend left a bottle of this at my house after a party a few weeks back & I have to say it's delish. I drink it on the rocks w. a little splash of club soda. It's so pink. I wish it had a better name.

My personal fave: summer shoes! AKA, sandals & open-toed heels. Anyone living in the Midwest knows we had a long, awful winter. I love my summer shoes. Love them. LOVE THEM. I totes need a pedicure...

What about you all? Have you had this delightfully tacky pink concoction? Do you LOVE shoes? Of course you do!

♥

HOLY COW

2010-04-13T17:06:00.007-05:00

I've been MIA on the B-LOG lately. School finally caught up to me and prevented any extracurriculars regarding internet time. Well, except for online shopping & Twitter. A girl's gotta live. Anywho, I finally finished up projects for the semester & only have finals to contend with in a few weeks.

So much has been happening!

I had a birthday. And drank champagne, obvie.

And one of my presents was...

...that my friends came to Omaha for St. P's day. We obviously have no ability to take decent photos. But our outfits were festive.

I also partied it up in honor of my bride-to-be friend Megz 'til 6am, as you can see on the clock. April has been wedding month, as we've been throwing showers, going to bachelorette parties, and are headed to Vegas in a few weeks for the wedding. I plan on blogging the hell out of it.

I'm looking forward to getting back into my blog, so I'll be in touch with you all - yay for getting back into it!

♥

Taggity Tag!

2010-03-04T08:35:00.002-06:00

I was tagged by Gabby @ Gabby She Wrote to open up my first photo file, dig out the 10th picture, & tell you the background on the little doozy.

This is my brother at a USC tailgate in Lincoln, Nebraska. He has donned a Trojan helmet from his days in the 'SC band & it fixing the antenna on the top of our RV. Ha ha, RVs are funny.

(Wow, I look crazy, guys!)

I thought you needed one of me as well, so here I am on Easter a few years back looking for eggs at my mom's house. She did not have any, as evidenced by the look on my face.

I encourage any & all of you to join in - I look forward to seeing your photos!

♥

Helpies!

2010-03-01T09:35:00.003-06:00

I am in the process of attempting pommanders for the bridal shower I'm throwing in a few weeks. I am THE single more horrid pom-maker in the world. Have any of you made these beasts? Tips? What am I doing wrong? They look super gappy. Do I need more tissue? Should I give up? Have a pom-bonfire?

♥

The Corners of my Home...

2010-03-01T08:58:00.006-06:00

Or apt. Whichever. My mom took me shopping yesterday. I got a few items...

New lotus flower candle holders. I love lotus flowers.
A giant white pineapple that, once unwrapped, turned out to be a candle (I thought I was hallucinating the pineapple scent - afterall, it is ceramic) alongside some spray roses from Conor.
New pillows to brighten up a not-so-new sofa. They're black & white. Surprised?

Enjoy your Monday. In the words of the wise Bob Costas, "and now, the always enjoyable giant inflatable beaver..."

♥

Gift List!

2010-02-22T08:00:00.003-06:00

My birthday is coming up in a week. I swear, I just wrote this same post a few months ago, but alas, it's actually one year later....time flies, right?

1.Perrier Jouet champagne
2. Half-apron
3. Vera Wang Roses in a julep cup
4. Yves Saint Laurent shadows
5. Jelly flats
6. Bumblebee clutch
7. & 8. Spring dresses

If you're wondering what you should send my way, here are a few suggestions. Gift cards to various establishments are welcome as well. Thanks!

♥

Recap: Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T15:27:00.004-06:00

First off, I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day, whether you were with a loved one, hangin' solo, or holed up in a cave. Ours was fairly quiet - Conor worked at the pharmacy all day & I studied for an exam. Fun stuff, right? Are you excited to read more? Don't be.

We had our usual champagne faire: Moet Imperial & Sophia Coppola were this year's choices. I made Conor a Scrabble valentine. It was free. We had some yummy cheese courtesy of Whole Foods (thank you furry cheese man for the recs) followed by chicken piccata & creme brulee.

We sat at my computer & watched old episodes of Dr. Who. Whatever, we cancelled cable a few weeks back - it limits your choices. Well, that's that. Back to paper-writing & whatnot. Dragging Conor to the gym tonight...maybe if you're lucky I'll photo him in the "workout" clothes he bought. Hee hee.

♥

What I'm Enjoying {Today}

2010-02-09T17:05:00.005-06:00

When you're in the midst of a cold, dreary, test-ridden school week you have to look at the bright things in life. Oh, and no drinking allowed. You've got exams, remember? Today's favorite mood boosters? Two things:

Labels on Chipotle burritos (mine is the 'Hers,' FYI). Like I said, sometimes there isn't a lot to be that excited about, so things like this make your day. Feeling sorry for me yet?

& Miss Candace Rose's pretty pictures. I received a few photos from her that I ordered this weekend. They are the perfect thing to remind me that Spring will in fact come again (I think). Go check out her Etsy page & order some pictures! I can't wait to get mine framed & hung up. I'll be sure to post the pics when it's all done.

I'm going to study a bit before my upstairs clogging neighbors get home. I call them "the trolls."

♥

B A G E L S

2010-02-03T16:02:00.003-06:00

I ♥ bagels. The saddest thing is that they aren't as healthy as eating an apple, which they positively should be. And they can be expensive, and sometimes hard to find in a city like Omaha (freshly made, that is). Anyway, I found a simple enough sounding recipe online the other day after Conor had made some comments about boiling our own bagels (I wasn't even aware bagels were boiled).

(Pre-boiled & baked bagel rings, kneaded & shaped by Con.)

They turned out amazing. As in, better than Panera. But, I'm biased, as they were made in Chez VB-McC with lots of love. Oh my gawd, someone just knocked on my door.

(Boilin' bagels.)

UPS man. Sadly, he was at the wrong address.

(Final result. They have since been consumed.)

Back to the bagels. Here's the website: BAGELZZZZZ. Check it out - it was so easy & fast!
I prefer to feed on bagels with cream cheese, lox, & capers. But I'll eat them with just about anything else on them as well. Bagelz.
♥

What's New, Darling?

2010-02-01T14:12:00.006-06:00

{My Foursquare "Mayorships": 2 pubs, a liquor store, & dept. store -
doesn't say much about my usage of spare time, huh?}

Foursquare & Skins. My two latest obsessions. Do you use Foursquare? I can't quite decide whether it's a truly annoying application (people knowing where you are 24/7?) or totally ingenious. There are definitely some things that need to be worked out, such as the allowance of gas-station checkins. I mean, come on. Gas stations? Number one, who cares whether you pump your gas at Kum & Go or the Pump & Munch (both Midwestern gas station chains, lovely right?)? And why does one spend enough time at said gas house to think to check in there online? Get your gas, Cheetos, & Diet Coke & get the hell out of there.

Anyway, back to business. I recently started watching season one of Skins. I know I'm a little late to the party (as always), but at least I showed up. I'm completely addicted. I love the characters & the crazy scenes (mental hospital happy time, anyone?). I love that it's like a combination of The OC, Degrassi, & I don't know...some other stuff. But it's great. Check it out. My favorite character is definitely Cassie Ainsworth, who's absolutely vacant & not a little crazy. Her makeup & outfits alone sold me, ha.

Well, back to the books, ta ta!
♥

Bridal Shower (part 1)

2010-01-20T18:44:00.005-06:00

Part 1 of many, I'm assuming. I've never had the honor of throwing a bridal shower. This spring my friend Meghan is getting married. I will be throwing her a shower & am super excited. I love a good party, afterall.

{Me & Megz, Derby Day, pardon the goofiness, the party was in Nebraska}

I have some great ideas about decor & food, but am at a total loss about the rest. Am I supposed to be making this about sharing recipes or gifting kitchen items or buying lingerie? I simply don't know. And activities? Total loss. The issue is that Meghan isn't your traditional, cutesy, bride-y bride. We are going to Vegas for the nuptials & our bridesmaid shoes are hot pink patent pumps.

Help! What are some fun activities that you've participated in or liked from your showers?

♥

A Fully Stocked Bar

2010-01-19T16:00:00.007-06:00

I'd always figured you'd really grown up once you were able to keep a fully stocked bar in your house. This is something that tends to be quite difficult for people like me - once there's a new bottle of something in the house it tends to disappear quite quickly. Ask Conor. Oh wait, he's busy in the kitchen drinking all our scotch. Ha ha.

{A close-up of my sad excuse for a bar}

But seriously, I've lately been thinking about this idea of a "bar." I'm getting better! As of right now it's a very scotch-heavy bar due to Conor's late obsession, plus I myself am not a huge consumer of liquor (I veer towards champagne, wine, & beer).

{Look, more black & white decor! Go figure, huh?}

I did a little research & have determined that a simple, home bar should have the following liquors: blended whiskey, bourbon, brandy, gin, liqueurs (Kahlua, Grand Marnier, etc), rum, scotch, tequila, sherry, dry & sweet vermouth, & vodka. This is pretty basic. I'm not even close to basic. I'm like, sub-basic or something.

Oh well. You have to start somewhere! What do you all have in your home "bar?"

Is it super fabulous or are you on the same level as moi?

Do tell!

♥

Black + White

2010-01-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

I think I could stand to have an entire home decked out in black & white. For example, this front entry - talk about a first impression. GORGEOUS.

(via Belle Maison)
This bedroom is also pretty much awesome.
Of course, the fabulous loft apartment doesn't hurt!
My bedroom = not so lovely.

(via Apartment Therapy)

I'm always on the lookout for black & white decor. Fun, little things to dress up my place. Since I'm still renting I cannot go all out, but sometimes the accessories are the best part! Today I found the cutest acrylic tray - & it was super cheap, too! It's perfectly simple: clear & white. I had to have it. Trays are an especially attractive item to me.

Hi tray!
I can't quite decide where it is going to live yet, but I have a feeling it will be pretty versatile.

Looks good with colour, too.
Vintage Cocktails: fave book o' the moment - a Christmas giftie from my bro & his wife. She's an interior designer - duh, it's obviously what we're good at!

I never did a "tour" of my new place. I honestly think it's kinda dumpy. "It is only temporary," I keep telling myself. Well, stay tuned & I'll be posting some more of my favorite black + white items around my place. Maybe that will finally get me excited about making my apartment a little bit more of a home.
♥

Ugly Shoe Season

2010-01-13T08:00:00.001-06:00

It's the first week of yet another new semester - aka "ice breaker" time for students. Don't you just love when professors think it's a genius idea to make you stand up & say something "interesting" about yourself to the entire class? There's got to be a better way to introduce ourselves, right? How many times can I honestly tell people I was named after champagne, or that I really like dogs, or that someday I'd like to own a brewery? (I made that up, ps)

Yesterday I told my teacher that I don't like winter because it's, for the most part, "ugly shoe season, which can be evidenced by looking around the room." No one laughed. Then I realized that I insulted each & every person in there. Lovely, Pipes. I'm hoping for an A+ in that class, & maybe a few new pals.

{Scary view! Both the crappy window & the snow.}

I came home & started researching attractive options for dealing with 20+ inches of snow on the ground. I just cannot get into it. Here's my short list:

{Clockwise from upper left: Cole Haan Air Devyn Rainboots, Chooska Classy Classic Boots, Dirty Laundry Raindrop Rainboots, Burberry Check Boots}

I've decided that it's just better to be dropped off at the door than to have to don giant waterproof beast-wear & risk leg breakage while stumbling ungracefully through giant snow drifts. I can't wait until May when it's all gone & I can feel like a lady again. Ha ha.
♥

Happy New Year!

2010-01-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Last week, of course. I'm way behind on a million blog-related things & am still having stoooopid technical issues (stemming from the Macbook Accident of '09) that will probably only be fixed by buying a new laptop...something I'd love to do, but cannot right now - textbooks first!

Without further ado, I'd like to announce the winner of my Kate Spade giveaway -

Miss Suburban Sweetheart!

Congrats! Please email me your shipping address & I will ship it out ASAP so you can plan out your new year. It's a bit crazy snowy here, so I will be as quick as possible! (-20 Friday? NO WAY)

{NYE with a bow in my quite-icky hair, wearing my heavy coat + my friend Caitlin & her impressive red bow.}

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season & a FUN NYE - ours was quite cold & snowy, which I'm sure you're well aware if you follow me on Twitter!

Looking forward to catching up,

♥

Stocking Stuffers {under $20}

2009-12-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ever in need of a last-minute gift? These are fun & cheap options that you can afford to have on hand. And pretty much everyone would enjoy them - unless they're a grinch, of course.

How about a reusable coffee mug? I love this ceramic one from Amazon.

For the friend that's always loaning out their latest reads - a fun way to ensure they'll get them back.

These pictures frames can be tacked up anywhere - I love their fun, chunky style.

My friend Cassie turned me on to these fabulous glosses. Tingly & icy, in flattering wintery colours. And 4 for under $20? Such a good deal.

Kate Spade's 2010 Planner. I love the illustrations - colourful, classy, & full of whimsy.

And...you can get your very own right here! I will be giving away a planner to a lucky reader of my blog. {That could be you!} Just leave me a comment & I'll select the winner on Christmas Eve. Happy Holidays, & good luck!

♥

Favorite (guilt-free) Wintertime Snackies

2009-12-15T19:34:00.000-06:00

Snacks are the best.

And since it's especially important around the holidays to keep the snacking healthy (hello, gravy), please enjoy a few of my faves!

1. Nestle Cocoa Mix (I get the fat free, calcium added kind). At only 25 calories per mug, make sure to toss in a giant marshmallow for another 25. This is my favorite evening treat. SO warming & cozy.

2. Pink Lady apples + sliced mozzarella. I especially ♥ the Pink Lady apple because it's super crisp & tart. With the mild mozz. it's a great, satisfying snack.

3. Clementines are one of the best-tasting snacks around. Citrus is great this time of the year & a big crate of these will last all week long. I love being able to toss one in my bag & run off to class!

4. Gingerbread! I love it. LOVE IT. With this recipe for Gingerbread People, two big cookies is only about 112 calories. I also like the Gingersnaps from the store. Crispy, spicy, yum.

5. Want to know what the gingerbread tastes great with? Frozen Cool Whip. I love to eat Frozen Cool Whip (the fat free one) all by itself as well. It's so delish. Try it. You'll love it. Ice cream-flavored air, ha!

Happy snacking!

♥

Fancy Theaters

2009-12-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

{Breakfast!}

Does your town/city have one? We just opened up a new theater here in Omaha {which is where I saw New Moon, as a matter of fact!} which features cocktails, lunch/dinner options, & wonderful seating.

{Luxurious, 1st-class seating}

We chose to sit in the balcony (no dinner served up there) because we were able to reserve our own seats online. No searching for an empty set of chairs in a dark theater anymore! It was wonderful. That and the cocktails. Did I mention the cocktails?

{Yes, Chuck, that's an ad for 'The Squeakquel' in the background}

You simply press a little red button & voila! A waiter at your service to prepare your drink of choice. I think we managed to get through about 4 bloody marys each in a 2 hour movie. Of course, you can also simply hit up the bar, which happens to be on the way to the restrooms.

{Our bartenders, working hard in Vue, the balcony's bar}

The verdict? I would go again.

♥

Winter Wonderland!

2009-12-08T11:49:00.008-06:00

I only say this because school has been cancelled for today & tomorrow. Yay! This actually resulted in a final being cancelled next week for a once-per-week class. Me = Happyface.

So, lots of you have super cute pictures on your blogs of your 'outfit of the day.' Here's my super fancy (not at all cute) digs:

{To those of you that know me, yes, I wore Uggs today. Yes, I'm aware of the horror. I had no other option.}

I look like I'm eating my camera. Dorky.

Anyway, it's literally raining snow. Really, it looks like it's pouring down SNOW. For those of you in Chicago - it's heading your way, so prepare yourselves. I'm glad I stocked up on champagne & vodka at the store last night.

My snow-day plan is to catch up on blogs & study. To those of you in the Midwest - be careful! To everyone else - I wish I was you.

♥

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T08:00:00.002-06:00

I hope you are all going to be eating well & enjoying the company of whomever you're spending the day with. I'm off to Iowa tomorrow to be with my family enjoy a huge turkey dinner {w. all the fixins, of course!}. Have a great & safe holiday weekend!

♥

Holidays with the Crew

2009-11-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

J.Crew, that is. Whoa, ho ho, aren't I clever?

Honestly though, I've always liked J.Crew, despite their ever-increasing price points, but this holiday season they've really stepped it up beyond their usual pretty pieces. I love how glam everything is - fur trims, sparkly clutches, silks, satins, & jewel-toned dresses. Love it all.

(via J.Crew)

Now, if I just had some fabulous parties to go to...

♥

PS...I'm hoping to get my comment posting for your blogs figured out sometime this week - it's been super hard to be able to post on your blogs without being a creepy 'anonymous' creature - I will hopefully get this figured out ASAP!"

I have to admit...

2009-11-18T08:00:00.001-06:00

I think Dakota Fanning has grown up to be quite the lovely little lady. I used to think she was more on the "freakish child star" end of things until I saw her spread in Teen Vogue (my guilty pleasure). She looks gorgeous! And I cannot wait to see her on Friday in New Moon.

The dresses from the shoot are also pretty much amazing. My fave? This gorgeous leopard option that is going to be in Target (yes, TARGET!) in December. Thank you Rodarte.

How fun is this dress, seriously? I must own it.

As for New Moon, this still alone looks great. I would take 'Jane's' outfit for sure.

I am so excited.

Conor is taking me see it at a new theater (w. booze!) on Friday afternoon.

We have reserved seats, ha! What a guy.

{all photos via Teen Vogue}

♥

I'm {sort of} Back! And some cupcakes, too...

2009-11-16T08:00:00.001-06:00

I am making a huge effort to get back to my blog this week. I've been really busy at school (end of the semester, yeehaw!) with studying & projects, so I will do my bestest.

I'm also still on the sad, dilapidated Macbook, but have discovered I can use Safari to blog. I hope this comes out okay.

Just to get restarted, here's a little action for the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book - aka, the Book o' Dreams. Custom-made Cupcake Car anyone? I personally enjoy the expressions on the drivers' faces. So bizarre. I want two.

Or maybe just one for my mom, cuz it's her BIRTHDAY.

Love you Mom! Go "sip some Bacardi, like it's yer berfday," says Sir 50 Cent.

♥

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's costume time! I'd hoped to have a super fabulous, totally creative, blow your mind costume planned this year, but moving to a new place & midterm exams kinda got in the way. I have two of my best friends coming to town, so I think we'll just get all dressed up & have some fun with makeup!

My inspiration? This glam-zombie face from M.A.C.'s 2009 Halloween looks.
That's what it's really about anyway - the hair & makeup. This coming from a former cosmetics consultant, of course!
I promise to take pics & post whatever I do come up with. It should be worth a laugh, at the very least.

♥
PS...I am still having major computer issues. This is actually being typed from a creepy public lab at school...blah! I can't actually log onto Google at home, so I am unable to keep up with your blogs too well. I'm hoping to have something worked out soon, please don't forget about me!

Gore & More

2009-10-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

{"Oh my goodness," says Miss Rosemary, "these movies are scary!"}

Yesterday I gave you my faves in the more 'suspenseful' area of scary movies. Fret not, my gore-loving friends, I've got a list for you as well!

Without further ado...

10. Pet Sematary {I loved my pets too, but let them go!}
9. Scream
8. Saw {but not Saw II, III, IV, V, VI...etc.}
7. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre {1974}
6. Night of the Living Dead {1968}
5. Drag Me to Hell
4. Friday the 13th {classic, & kinda hilarious}
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street {classic, & totally hilarious}
2. The Shining
1. Shaun of the Dead {as you can see, I'm truly not a fan of gore, which is why this is my fave}

Sleep with the lights on!
♥

My Favorite {s c a r y} Movies

2009-10-26T08:00:00.003-05:00

{doing my best scared/suspense movie face}

Everyone likes scary movies, right? The adrenaline, nerves & giggly fear they instill inside us can become quite addicting. While I'm not a blood & gore lady, I do like some good, classic, thrills & chills. In the spirit of Halloween, here are my top 10 faves.

Check them out, turn out the lights, & get scared!

10. Mothman Prophecies {I actually got so upset watching this, I cried, ha}
9. The Exorcism of Emily Rose {Pipee not like demons}
8. Invasion of the Body Snatchers {1956}
7. Nosferatu {1922}
6. The Orphanage {El orfanato}
5. The Sixth Sense {Mischa Barton alert!}
4. Halloween {again, the original, please}
3. Rear Window
2. The Birds
1. Rosemary's Baby {wouldn't walk to a friend's car alone after this one}

♥

Oh no!

2009-10-21T17:39:00.003-05:00

So I got a little too sure of my Macbook's abilities when it turned itself back on a few weeks back. It has since succumbed to the damage inflicted by the 52 ounces of water previously spilled upon it's sad little self. SO, no computie. Or hard drive for that matter. Plus I'm in the process of moving to a new place, so it's a bit hectic around the Van Buskirk/McChesney household.

Blah.
I will be back.

Until later, my pets!
♥

Football {food & drink}

2009-10-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

I had planned to post weekly party ideas for you football-lovin' peeps out there. Then the Macbook had a tragic accident & it did not work out. BUT, we still have about half of the season left, so here we go!

{A round of lavosh. I keep them on hand in case people show up unannounced!}
One of my favorite party snacks is definitely lavosh. If you haven't heard of it, it's actually Armenian cracker bread that you can toast with toppings or soften to make rolled up sandwiches. It's awesome. Whenever I purchase this, the checkout dude or other customers always ask what in the hell it is.

To start, I spray the surface of the lavosh w. PAM olive oil spray.
You could use whatever, or even real oil, too.
My favorite is Thai.

First sprinkle shredded Havarti over the surface, followed by chopped green onion & diced chicken breast (already roasted, of course).
Place in 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. Just keep on eye on it (cheese will bubble & edges turn brown...we've all cooked pizza, right?).
Remove & immediately top with chopped tomatoes & cilantro.
Drizzle your favorite peanut sauce over the top, break into chunks & enjoy!

{obviously you could use a huge variety of toppings, get creative!}

As for cocktails, this was inspired by Miss Candace Rose, one of my favorite bloggers.
Beer Margaritas!

One cup white tequila...
one frozen limeade tube...
4 beers {I used High Life, obviously}.

Mix together, chill & enjoy! These are seriously unreal.
SO GOOD.
I drank about 2 pitchers too many.

Now go...eat, drink, & be merry!
♥

Fall Break {Chicago!}

2009-10-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

I'm going out of town. So happy, so excited. I've been blessed with 2 days off, so am heading to the Windy City to visit my best friend, Chuck. I promise to post a blog while I'm there, hopefully from the warmth of a window seat at a bar in Boystown, ha!

{I hope to get some good pics, as these are usually what come out from our visits...}
On the agenda? Yummy dinners, football {Arkansas & USC, our faves} on Saturday, brunch & plenty of cocktails Sunday, & maybe a little shopping on Monday.
Stay tuned!
♥

{Winter} Wishlist

2009-10-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Well, now's as good a time as ever. It sleeted all last night, has been below 45 all week - in my opinion that means it's time for some wintertime wishes...

1. Flats...as any girl in the Midwest knows, each year you pretty much destroy the shoes you've worn throughout winter. Snow, salt, & mud. Ick.
2. A cute black dress. I see this one with a cute blazer, tights & super high heels.
3. A magnum of Moët. Why not? Booze = Warmth.
4. Longchamp Nylon Logo Tote...feat. the Longchamp Rider. Ponies! And the nylon is an added bonus for wintertime wetness.
5. A new "puffy" coat. I like the length & slimness of this Gap option.
6. The 2009 Chanel Fragrance Wardrobe. A little bit of everything.

What's on your winter wishlist?
♥

Cold Weather Comfort {Food)

2009-10-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's cold!
No seriously, cold like winter.
I get that I live in the Midwest, but this is unseasonable. Sigh...well, we must deal with what we're dealt, right? I deal by drinking hot liquids & eating yummy hot food. Last night I made us a {g i a n t} chicken pot pie. It was delish.

{I used a springform pan, ha!}

I could use some better detail work, such a crust with an edge. Also using a pie pan may have helped, or individual mini cocottes.

It was quite good though...& I'm sure quite horrifically unhealthy. I based mine on a classic recipe, but used fresh veggies, skim milk, reduced sodium chicken broth, chicken breast meat only & so on, hoping to cut down on the really bad stuff.

And since there's two of us, we ended up with plenty of leftovers.
Stay warm!
♥

{Homecoming} Weekend

2009-10-11T23:17:00.006-05:00

{older peeps like face decals, too}

It's a little different when you go to a smaller school. As in, the football field is in the middle of campus. The stadium has actual bleachers. And the band? One word for you: Whoa. Honestly, it was a good time {other than the S N O W that blew through & the 32 degree weather, of course}.

We woke up to super chilly, snowy weather. Yeah, it's only October. Apparently 'Old Man Winter' decided to show up early to the party. Plenty of coffee & eggs in a hole & we were ready for the game.

{there are no words}
The Mavericks (us) beat the Ichabods (I don't know who came up with that one...) 31-21.
The band "blew" us away with some Pink & Lady Gaga. This flag twirlin' dude even wore a purple wig. It was odd, to say the least.

Back to school tomorrow.
And blogging, too!
I've got lots planned, finally.....
♥

{More} Halloween Decor

2009-10-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

I'm taking the easy route here on Steak & Cakes. Picture time until my computer is 100% up & running {ps...it turned itself back on, but the battery is def. dead}.

I love all these ideas for decor because they can be done with pumpkins, constructions paper, cheesecloth, fake birds & felt. Why spend money at a Halloween store when you can get these kids of results with such simple, affordable items?!

I love the ravens.
Totally classic Halloween.
And the are very important to my costume this year, which I will reveal later!

{all from Country Living}

Halloween, Come Sooner!

2009-10-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love it so much. You have no idea, but will probably find out over the next few months, ha! Well, Conor agreed to let me have a party this year. Dinner party, that is. Last year my favorite sister pair, Jessica & Alex, had a big ol' kegger, {more on that closer to the actual holiday} so I'll leave that one to them.

The reason for this sudden desire to celebrate Halloween? These photos, from Country Living, of an outdoor party celebrating the ghoulish day.

By day...

....and by night.

The idea was that you would ask each guest to bring a Jack-o-Lantern for decor. I love it. Now if only I had an outdoor space like this...or for that matter, one at all!

Do any of you throw an annual Halloween party?
Or at least have your costume planned for this year?
♥

Temporarily Out of Sorts...

2009-09-29T19:41:00.004-05:00

Bad blogger doesn't even begin to describe what I've become. BUT, I did just destroy my Macbook, which makes anything involving technology a bit difficult. As of right now, I am blogging from my dinosaur, aka G4 Mac from 2001. Yes, it still works, but S L O W L Y.

My Macbook drowned in a tragic accident involving a giant glass of water.
Don't drink & use your lappies, my dears.
Sigh.

I will be back...hopefully next week sometime!
♥

Whoa.

2009-09-20T12:00:00.001-05:00

Can ya tell school started? My blogging has become practically non-existent! Ugh, how blah of me. It's hard when the biggest event of your day is getting a massive pumpkin spice latte at the campus library Starbucks.

At least we have fall television premiers, right? My picks...

{courtesy of Fox}
House, even thought I mostly have no idea what is going on. Saw the finale of last season & previews for the new one. Looks like it's finally going to be good again.

{courtesy of AMC}
Mad Men...continuing from summer. How crazy is it getting?

{courtesy of the CW}
90210 & Melrose Place. I'm channeling my inner 90s-girl. Again, I have no idea what's going on with these bizarre kids, but they're fascinating to me.

{courtesy of the CW}
And last, but certainly not least, Marissa Cooper's {oops, I mean Mischa Barton} return to tv! The Beautiful Life looks like a wonderfully guilty pleasure. I'm excited.

How about you all? Anything I'm missing out on?
♥

{Fall} Makeup Trends

2009-09-10T12:27:00.005-05:00

{both collections @ Sephora}

Guess what? They're my favorite! There's not a lot to say other than for me to tell you to take in the drama, the rich colours, & the beautiful skin. Gorgeous. Guerlain & Nars put out my fave 2 this season. Which do you prefer?
♥

Holiday Weekend {& a Winner!}

2009-09-08T09:30:00.007-05:00

{Cows celebrating Labor Day}

First off, sorry I didn't get to posting a winner of my giveaway yesterday. We spent the holiday in Iowa at a family friend's farm & got back late last night. Without further ado, the winner is....

{I used an online random line picker for the winner}

Pink Sass! Congrats to you & thank you all SO much for being great readers & supporting my blog. I look forward to more giveaways in the future {I thought up a great holiday one the other day...} to show my appreciation.
Miss Pink Sass, if you would be so kind as to send me your info I would be much obliged.

{My friends. Probably one of the most normal photos I ended up with. We're having fun. See? Thumbs up.}

The weekend was a nice long one. I spent a lot of time visiting my family & celebrating with my friends. Friday night was a show at our fave bar, O'Leaver's, with a BBQ on Sunday night as well.

{Ooh, special effects! Me & Becca @ the bar.}
As I already mentioned, yesterday the fam headed to a farm in Iowa where we shot guns, looked at animals & ate, what else, but Steak & Cakes. We're so Midwestern, aren't we? There were lots of farm kitties {cute, but dirty little things} & I even drove, aka steered, a tractor! It was funny.

{They sat in their food. ??!}
I hope you all had a great holiday weekend & thank you again for being such lovely readers!
Have a great week.
♥

Football. Glorious football.

2009-09-04T10:08:00.006-05:00

I know lots of you are excited. Who's your team of choice?
I'll bet you know mine by now...

{USC's mascot, Traveler}

In related news, it's the weekend! I've got a whole plan for the football festivities tomorrow {mini burgers, homemade 'end of summer' salsa & chips, stuffed jalapenos...& so on}. My plan for sharing with you is this: next Friday I will post the preview week's blowout {or shindig, depending on size} so you can have some ideas for parties of your own that weekend!

{USC head coach Pete Carroll & alum Will Ferrell}
So stay tuned each Friday this fall for some yummy ideas {including vegetarian options for lovely Pink Sass, who recently requested so} & fun pictures. Oh, & hopefully lots of happiness about USC's perfect season.

And don't forget to enter my giveaway! I will be posting the winner Monday. Have a great weekend & a fun Labor Day. We're heading to the farm to fish & shoot guns. How Iowa, right?

♥

One Whole Year {a giveaway}

2009-09-02T11:00:00.001-05:00

That's about how long my blog has officially been around. Please don't look at the pathetic number of entries I have actually written in this time. It's shameful. But I made it a year, wow! And mostly thanks to all my lovely readers & friends.

{you can find these very items in my bag RIGHT now!}
In honor of this event, I'm doing a little anniversary giveaway to celebrate & thank all my loyal followers. It's just a few of my must-have, everyday items. Things I simply cannot leave the house without.

1. A fun book. In this case, Bergdorf Blondes, one of my personal faves.
2. Notebooks! I love lists. Love them. I've chosen this 4-pack of recycled notebooks for YOU!
3. Nail polish. My go-to shade is Ballet Slippers by Essie. {doesn't show mistakes, ha!}
4. Rosebud Salve. Moisturize, ladies! Perfect by itself, over lipstick, under gloss, mixed with blush or eyeshadow to make a cream, ....etc., etc., etc.!
5. Sharpie pens. The best thing that could have happened to the pen.
6. Cherry Passion Tic Tacs. AKA USC Trojans football Tic Tacs. Hee hee.
7. My new fave mascara: CG VolumeExact. It's actually pretty awesome. I die without mascara, really, I do.
8. My signature sunnies, giant, massively fabulous 'Sparkling Jackies.' You'll love them, too.

To enter, simply leave me a comment. And that is it! If you're a follower, I will give you two {2!} entries, just be sure to let me know. You have until Sunday evening, September 6th, to enter. I will announce the lucky winner Monday {Labor Day}!
Good luck dears!
♥

For No {Special} Reason

2009-09-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

We made a few special treats for dinner last night. I suppose you could say it's because we made it through Monday, which is usually a struggle, afterall. Actually, I had a great piece of ahi tuna {THANK YOU MOM & DAD, you were right, it was awesome} that needed to be eaten & a recipe for said piece of tuna.

SO, just for fun we had some fancy pants food & wine, & watched the college football preview on ESPN-U. I think it's important to have a little special time w. the one or ones you love. Con & I both love to cook & try new things, so this made for a perfect evening.

Here's what we created: Ahi tuna tartare {adapted from Ina Garten's recipe} & broiled escargot. Both were SO easy & quite quick.

The tuna took all off 10 minutes to pulse through the food processor & mix w. the other ingredients. Ina's recipe is for like, 800 people, so adjust accordingly.

Moo Cow looking over his handiwork, aka CHEESE.
This is the best way to eat escargot: 1. Spread out your little snails {I used canned. I'm serious.} in a baking dish, 2. Put a few tablespoons of butter in around them, 3. mince some garlic in there, 4. spread shredded havarti over it all {6 ounces or so}, 5. sprinkle chopped scallions on top, 6. broil for about 8-10 minutes.
EAT IT. With a baguette. Mm, snailies.

Voila! Two quite complementary dishes, I must say.
Go "cook" them now. It's not hard. One is broiled & the other is raw.
You have no excuse not to be "fancy."

We're so fancy we eat off our coffee table w. candles in jars.
Now go on, treat yourself!
♥

Football Food

2009-08-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm kind of on a fall kick. My bf, Conor, & I were talking about how the first USC {our personal fave} game is in, like ONE week. Wow. That is soon. This made me & my party-lovin' mind go into planning mode. Sure, there's decor & themes & outfits to think of, but the most important part of any football-watching-shindig is obviously the menu.

Here's a few highlights of the many menus I have set up for the 2009 season.

1. CHICKEN WINGS! My favoritest food ever. Ever.
2. 7-Layer dip. In individual jars. How fab is this idea? No more digging around in someone else's dip-waste. Ew.
3. Mini burgers. Mini anything. H. Dogs, tacos, pizzas, whatever. Mini is the new regular. Or something.
4. Kettle Corn. I just mastered this one & haven't heard one complaint.
5. "Oh look, they're little footballs." "Laces out!" Some Ace Ventura-inspired football cookies.
6. Pudding Shots. Remember these? I made them for the Superbowl last year & they are AWESOME. Dessert & booze.
7. Punch. With alcohol in it. I don't care what kind. Just make me some.
8. Beer Margaritas. I've heard some pretty great stuff about these...
9. Cheap beer. Duh.

I'll be sure to post real party pics throughout the season, starting next week. And don't worry, there will surely be lots of fun decor, not just food. I'm thinking Astro-Turf tables, fall flowers, & whatever else I can come up with....stay tuned & happy weekend!
♥

First Week Back {I'm tired}

2009-08-26T19:32:00.004-05:00

I know I've been a bad blogger this week. I've missed visiting everyone's blogs and would much rather be reading them than research texts about psychology. I have lots of fun posts in mind that I will hopefully get to Friday & next week. And...my second giveaway! I haven't had once since my first around Christmastime & want to reward my loyal readers for sticking around. It's just my little way of saying thank you!

{computer camera HARD for Pipe-pipe to make work}
More later. I leave you with a pic I sent to a friend over the fancy World Wide Web today during class. Yes, it was that bad. And yes, I had to re-write backwards. Note the crazy school-eyes. Oh yeah.

So check back next week for your chance at a few of my favorite things!
♥

{Back to School} Breakfast

2009-08-24T08:07:00.003-05:00

Well, fall semester has finally begun. I'm currently laying in bed having sent Conor off to work dreading the idea of finding a parking spot & navigating the {most likely crazed} bookstore. This got me to thinking about breakfast.

Generally throughout the school year my breakfast choices are those above. Iced latte or hot, depending on the lovely Nebraska weather, of course. Better than nothing, right?

Is the first meal of the day really the most important? Do you all eat brekkie? Most of my adult life I've tried to schedule my days so as to sleep through this meal. So please give me some quick & easy breakfast ideas. Otherwise I'm afraid I won't make it through Horticulture, blah.

Okay, I must head to campus.
♥

Heading Home!

2009-08-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

{Our house...ps, it's for sale if you're interested.}

To my hometown, to see my parents & relax before the fall semester begins on Monday. Home is Iowa; Shenandoah to be exact. It's small. It's pretty. But the best thing there is definitely Les & Rog's place {my parents}.

Gourmet food, drink, & company awaits. I'll even post some pics this weekend to show you how pretty Iowa can be!
♥

{Blood} Red Lips

2009-08-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

So, what do you guys think of them?
Any of you lovely ladies {or guys, I don't judge} fans of the classic red lip look?

My boyfriend took a pic of me yesterday that made me rethink red. Perhaps it's the lighting, or the fact that it was before noon, but I'm feeling that it's a bit much. Perhaps I should stick to wearing reds under the veil of evening.

{Nice hair, Pipes}
Next question...if you are a red lipstick fan, what's your go-to colour?

Now, I'm off to swipe on some Rita Beige, my favourite nude lipstick. Sigh.
♥

{Fall} Reading

2009-08-19T15:25:00.000-05:00

Earlier this summer I posted about the various titles on my summer reading list. Well, as summer is on it's way out, I've composed a list of books to read that I'm planning to mix in with various {school-related} psychology texts.

A Thousand Splendid Suns & Shanghai Girls have been on my list for a bit, but were overlooked this summer for the easy beach reads. I, of course, had to throw in a few silly ones, which is why I chose Twenties Girl {love Sophie Kinsella, just do}, & sTori Telling. How hilarious is Tori, honestly?

Murder on the Orient Express, New Moon, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, & Dracula are all on the list to get me prepped & ready for Halloween, my favorite holiday. {Well, New Moon is more of a re-read for movie prep in November, of course!}.

What's on your current, or to-be-read list? Please share!
♥

Incomplete...

2009-08-17T14:08:00.007-05:00

For me, summer is coming to an end.
My fall courses begin in one week, so I got to thinking about what I had planned to get done this summer...

{I'm the pale sun, thank you.}
I had planned to lay by the pool & achieve the perfect café au lait colour. I'm more of a pale beige, to be honest.

Grilling dinner every night? Not unless you count bar food as "grilled." Whoops.

Those flowers & herbs I planted? Yeah, dead.

I didn't make it on that summer trip to Milwaukee/Chicago. Nope, still here in Omaha.

{Uneven paint job. Boo hoo.}

The furniture I had planned to finish painting never got it's final coat. Sigh.

But hey, fall is upon us & I still have time to create plenty of new plans I will never fulfill. Ha.

Now, please tell me that some of you are like me in this sense? Summer "goals" that were never met? Share!

♥

Back to School {Shopping}

2009-08-13T11:05:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm finished with my summer classes, which means it's time for the fall semester to begin. Sigh. In all reality I have one week to get myself prepared, but it's not much. To honor the sometimes-dreaded-back-to-school I've put together a mini-list of items that would make heading back to the books that much more enjoyable.

1. A cute little Vespa. Everyone knows parking on any college campus is horrid.
2. Some cute new clothes, of course! {from Lulu's Boutique}
3. A rainbow of Tory Burch flats. Comfy is key!
4. A new Blackberry Tour. My friend Kenny says these are the best. Kenny = Phone Guru.
5. I've always loved Balenciaga's Le Dix collection. A large please, for my Macbook.

These would all come in quite handy, if I do say so myself. What would be on your back-to-school wish list? I may have missed something totally obvious. I was perfecting my flip/cannonball form late into the night at my sister's pool, so I'm a bit off today.
♥

Weekend & Week Ahead

2009-08-12T11:27:00.009-05:00

{Dad & Conor: my only decent photo...it was quite dark}

I had the best weekend! Dinner with my parents was so fantastic - the best food & company around.

Seeing my Chicago friends Chuck & Kenny was great. We had some cocktails, went to the casino & hit the bar.

Needless to say, after they left Tuesday morning I spent most of the day napping & re-watching season 2 of Mad Men {gotta get prepared for Sunday's premiere!}. I'm pretty excited to see what's going to happen w. Peggy & Pete's pseudo relationship.

{The gorgeous Mad Men cast}
Fall semester starts in another week so I am busy ordering textbooks from Amazon {tres cheap}, putting together a fall wardrobe, & contemplating a move to a l a r g e r place. More on that later, of course!
♥

Fancy {Schmancy}

2009-08-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

My parents invited me & Conor on a double date. Pretty awesome, huh? We also just so happen to be going to the most fabulous restaurant in Omaha. V. Mertz. If you're from here, you simply must have at least ONE dinner there. It's fun to be fancy. If it was winter, I would totally be donning the fur I inherited from my G-ma.

Anyway, V. Mertz is this great restaurant located in the Old Market Passageway downtown. They change their menu seasonally & have an intimidatingly large wine list. I can't wait.

I 100% promise to post some pics from the night on Tuesday.
Unless they confiscate my camera at the restaurant for being a tacky customer, ha. We shall see!

{Chuck & Kenny}
My best friend & his boyfriend will be visiting Monday, so I will be busy frolicking by the pool & playing at the casino. Yes, casino. You just wait.
Have a great weekend!
♥

Shoe Confusion

2009-08-06T12:50:00.005-05:00

I need advice. How do you lovelies feel about shoes "designed" {I use that term loosely, as we all know these ladies simply put their name on the things} by celebrities? Case in point - I developed a crush on a pair of pretty, bow-topped pumps by Valentino awhile back. I love bows. Well, needless to say, I couldn't afford to buy them, as their retail price was higher than my monthly rent.

1. Valentino's bow-detailed d'Orsay {$695}
2. Paris Hilton's Senorita pump {$89}

Here's the dilemma. Paris Hilton {aka Satan}, has come out with a similar shoe. I actually really, really like it. Sadface. What to do? It's under $100 & super hilarious. I want them to live with me. But Miss Hilton leaves little to be desired in my book, so I am stuck between a rock & a hard place.

Thoughts?

♥

Bring on Fall

2009-08-05T16:38:00.004-05:00

I'm ready for it.
It's been an odd, not-too-summery summer. I got kinda bummed the other day when I was thinking about the upcoming back-to-school season, but my dear pal Charles reminded me of our favorite things. Football, layers {as in clothing}, & cool, crisp weather. Not too mention Autumn is quite pretty around the Midwest.

Tailgating!
In this particular instance it was a bit chilly
{hence the watching of the game from the RV}
& Conor is apparently trying to get fresh with some dude.
Seriously, could he get any closer?

Look at the fall clothing. Look at it! I ♥ Anthropologie.

Alright, I've got a final tomorrow.
♥

Remember Me?

2009-07-31T10:37:00.007-05:00

I had a busy week. Kinda. Actually, I just wasn't feeling very "bloggie." I will be better next week, I promise! And I've been trying to catch up {& will continue to so} as best I can on all of your lovely lives as well.

To send you off on your exciting weekends I'm going to post some of my current desires.
Just a little pretty something to look at.

1. Creamy, classic, buttery yellow pumps @ DSW.
2. Anna Spiro's darling puppy, Ned.
3. A bigger apartment. Please?
4. A bright blue bag from Lulu's. It's slightly obnoxious in that "Piper" kinda of way.
5. A h u g e stack of Scotcheroos {these are on my to-do list for today}.
6. A new mascara - suggestions welcome!

Have a lovely weekend!
♥

{fresh} Weekend

2009-07-25T15:40:00.007-05:00

A fresh bouquet from the Omaha Farmers Market next to the bed.

{along with my fave milk glass plates, pearls & a lamp full of shells belonging to my late grandmother}

BLT fixins. Well, minus the L + another B.
The bread is a wonderful black olive sourdough from Le Quartier Baking Company in Lincoln, Nebraska. The tomatoes are unreal.

Hope you all had a great weekend as well!
♥

Cupcakes & {Wild} Animals

2009-07-22T14:00:00.005-05:00

Yesterday included both for moi.
Conor & I went out to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo's Wildlife Safari to drive through the "wilds" of Nebraska.

{this bird almost succumbed under the Camry}

It was a great time & pretty hilarious as well. I highly suggest seeing if your part of the country has something similar. You drive around in a Jurassic Park-esque setting looking at animals from the relative safety of your vehicle.

There were hiking paths to black bears & timberwolves.

{they were kinda scary}
I also made cupcakes. Malted cupcakes...but I have to say that they didn't turn out too malty. Basically, they're a good, rich yellow cake with yummy chocolate icing.
Can't complain about that.

Here they are, sitting patiently in their cupcake carrier waiting to be eaten.
The recipe is Here! Next time I will try something with more malt powder perhaps. Or I'll just stick to eating Malted Milk balls...whatever.
♥

{Racy} Weekend

2009-07-20T14:17:00.007-05:00

Haha, I'm so clever. The races were great this past weekend - the soap box derby was the best, though. The cars were hilarious, there was an easily accessible beer garden {très important}, & a lot of our friends were there as well.

The H1N1 team was my fave. Their car was a little pig.
It ended up losing a wheel or something...

There were puppies there as well....

This pic pretty much sums up the event. Note the flask in one hand while being pushed by a dude with a PBR. Not a lot of the cars made it to the finish line.

The horse races were another story - always exciting, of course, but w a a a y too crowded. This was the best shot I could get. I cropped out a lady with a scrunchie. Yes, you read that correctly.

Anyway....
baking some malted cupcakes today...I'll let you know how they turn out.
Happy Monday!
♥

{Playing} Catch-Up

2009-07-17T16:47:00.004-05:00

First off, I want to say that I did see the new HP {& was so excited}, but was more than slightly disappointed. While I understand that it is a movie adaptation {I liked the others}, I felt it wasted a lot of time on unimportant stuff & was honestly quite boring. Sorry, just my honest opinion. And trust me, I am very, very sad to say it.

{my new friend}
Second, remember my horrific Lighting Emergency? Well, here's the replacement. It'll have to do, & it's actually pretty fun & quite the conversation starter.

Now that those little "catch-ups" are out of the way, it's the weekend! I've got lots of Abnormal Psych reading to catch up on, a close friend to catch up with, & some fun events to catch. I promise to take lots of photos for Monday's post {horse races & a soap-box derby, my friends}.
Have a great one!
♥

{Anniversary}

2009-07-15T10:34:00.004-05:00

A few things about today: it's our 3-year anniversary {Con & mine, that is} & Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince comes out in theaters {I'll bet you didn't know I was excited to see it, ha}.

{Blue in the Market}
To celebrate our milestone {?} we are hitting up Happy Hour @ Blue Sushi, then heading out to watch the movie with a few friends.

{Oooh, that's bad!}
I can't wait to see Miss Helena Bonham Carter reprise her role of Bellatrix Lestrange. Ee!
Recap of my day tomorrow!
♥

{Harry Potter} Decor

2009-07-13T23:15:00.005-05:00

So, remember how Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince comes out on Wednesday? TOMORROW? As I mentioned before, I've been catching up on my previous movies. The stories are obviously great, but I also love seeing all the decor & backgrounds used in the films. One of my favorite? Sirius Black's family tree.

Apparently it is embroidered on the wall. Painstaking. Wow.

{Andromeda is apparently no longer a part of the fam}
I love it. I think it'd be the most fab addition to a study or guest bedroom. What do you think? Would you be down with a personalized family tree in your home? Do you already have one of some kind? I'd love to know.

I know some of you said you were going to see H.P. tonight - have fun & don't forget the popcorn!
♥