Mini Room Tour

      Hey guys! I'm so happy I've been able to keep up with blogging the first few weeks of school. I'm really loving it! Now, my room definitely isn't in perfect shape at the moment. I'm planning on repainting the walls and redecorating them, too. This is probably my bedroom's most simplified state, if you forget about the pile of junk on the floor out of view of the camera of course. (We all do that, right?)

      Organization isn't really in my nature but I really appreciate it, so occasionally I'll do a big deep clean of my bedroom and hope my sister (I share a room) follows suit. Of course, once it was all nice and organized I had to take some photos to share! This isn't a full room tour- I need to fix some things before I can do that- but it's a nice look at the things around my sleeping area. 

      Here's a close-up look at my nightstand. I moved the ugly clock to another shelf so I could fill it up with my jade plant (which needs a pot asap!), some pretty boxes for jewelry, the new nail polishes from my recent wish list, and a peach body butter from the body shop. (my favorite! Fun fact: I bought it in Mississippi when we stopped at a mall in Jackson for lunch on the bus ride for our New Orleans trip so it has an extra special place in my heart because I loved the trip so much).

      Here's the top drawer of my nightstand (from ikea). It has this nifty little tray thingie for all the little bits that I want to toss in without worrying to much about them getting lost. Today, it's filled with:

• My swatch watch from Paris
• A Kimmidoll keychain
• Old state fair tickets I never used 
• An old metro ticket from Paris
• My seam ripper (I always lose it!)
• Coins from Europe and Iceland
• My Guatemalan self-embroidered coin purse
• My pathetic washi tape collection

      And here's the whole thing, complete with the watermelon garland from my last post! (My duvet/doona cover is from Urban Outfitters, online only) 

     Any print/poster recommendations to spruce up my wall?

DIY Watermelon Garland + FREE PRINTABLES

      With summer coming to a close here, I thought I should be able to squeeze in another last bit of fun and warmth, so I made this cute little garland! (Although yours doesn't have to be little!)

    This post is inspired by Chloe from A Little Birdy Blog's DIY Scallop Garland, but I thought I'd add my own twist, plus give you a little freebie, which comes in 5 different color varieties, since watermelons do come in many different colors! (I used the multi-colored version for this DIY).

     And excuse the grainy pictures, I used my iPhone since I've neglected to charge my camera. 

you will need: 

• string (I braided embroidery thread since I don't have good string at home)
• scissors
• glue stick
• free printable, or several of them! (see bottom of post)

      First, cut out each circle. Make sure to cut out the entire thing and not just the colored part since you'll need the blank half too! I just made the template one-sided since printer ink is quite expensive and it's best to use as little as possible. 

      Next, fold all your circles in half, like above.

      Last, take your glue stick, rub it on one of the inside halves of the watermelon, like above, and fold it closed on the string! Repeat for any remaining watermelons. 

here are your free templates! just click on any of the images to download them.

     You could make one with just five watermelons, or you could make a really long one with multiple printables! And of course, combine all the colors any way you'd like!

     Happy garland-making! if you'd like me to make the printable in any other colors, or a double-sided version, just leave a comment and I'd be happy to!

     If you make one of these and post about it anywhere, comment a link! I would love to see it!

Fairly Wonderful

      This post is pretty late, but I figured I'd post it once school started to remind myself of how nice and summery the day ways, because, quite happily, I did end up getting back to the state fair on its last day! I decided to do some outfit pictures, since time was running out for shorts and sleeveless shirts! (Thanks to my mom for the photos!) But of course we couldn't go back without getting some food (more specifically, cheese curds and cookies. Yummmmmm!)

shirt// brand unknown (purchased at a boutique in Newport, RI)

shorts// vintage Levi's

sunglasses// Forever21

bag// Guatemala (★^O^★) I grew up with lots of Guatemalan stuff around the house since my grandma used to live there half the year and would bring tons of souvenirs to family. 

re: stacks

To tell you a story:

I was looking forward to possibly being in the school musical so much,I more than anything else this year. I picked up the audition music and practiced it at home until it was perfected, and I'll be honest, I think I did a pretty good job. I even hit the high notes I was afraid of.

But then, the day before my audition, I came down with laryngitis. 

My voice was raspy and weak and my range was totally gone. I could barely talk, let alone sing. I rested my voice and tried all kinds of teas and odd things and still tried to power through the audition, but my voice was still so weak and went silent on the high notes. I mentioned beforehand that I was recovering from laryngitis, but when I sang, I still saw the director make a face. And that really really hurt.

I hoped like mad that I'd get a callback simply as a second chance in hopes that I'd be recovered by then. 

But even though I nailed the song at home, since I was sick and couldn't sing with a strong voice, I didn't. And all my friends did. 

I was so angry at the way the whole thing played out, how the one day I got laryngitis of all things was during my audition. I went home and couldn't stop crying for an hour and a half. 

And sometimes, only Bon Iver and taking pictures can make me feel better.

Today's playlist: re: Stacks by Bon Iver. On replay.

GIMP Curve Pack #1 Download

      Now, I know I gave a little curve lesson just recently, but I have something a little more exciting than that. Some free curve presets for GIMP users!

Lately//

Lately I've been..

Thinking// about changing my blog header (and really the name as well). I like them, but they're temporary. My content is all over the place and I always have trouble finding something to fit my style, so it might be a while before I come up with something official.
Reading// My AP Human Geography textbook (begrudgingly so). Hopefully I'll be able to balance schoolwork and fun this year!
Photographing// the outfits I wore this week for a new post! I need to get back into fine-art photography again soon.
Listening// to The Shins, Alt-J, and Kishi Bashi, but don't tell the boy I used to have a crush on. He'll think it's only because I liked him.
Eating// bagels and toast with peanut butter and chia seeds. Seriously, try it.
Drinking// lots of mint tea. I switched over from chai lattes every morning because I overloaded those with sugar. Plus, they remind me of last year, and, well, it's this year now. 
Shopping// (well, not really buying anything yet) on modcloth.com. Now that I can shop online I get really happy when I find a store with stuff my style, and they have the cutest shoes too!
Hoping// that I'll make it into the school musical! My audition is on Wednesday and I'm so incredibly nervous!
Wishing// that overseas subscriptions to Frankie and Yen didn't cost hundreds of dollars! There aren't any magazines like them in the US as far as I know and I'd love to be able to read them! BUT my grandma is going to New York soon and said she might be able to find a copy of one for me, I'm pretty excited!
Planning// to get some pots for my new succulent plants and give them an official home on my windowsill!

Chilled Out Mix

      With school having recently started (for most of us in the northern hemisphere anyway),  I'm still having a little trouble getting back in the swing of all the homework. (yuck). This playlist isn't necessarily meant to induce concentration, but it might be a good addition to an afternoon where you need a little pick-me-up without your music being so upbeat that you get up and dance. It's just a few songs I love, meant to chill you out and cheer you up. 

     What's your go-to homework music?

End-of-Summer

      Well, today is my last day of summer. School starts tomorrow. Wonderful, am I right? Just kidding.I used to look forward to school starting but now that I get such an insane amount of homework I can't help but dread it. It swallows up most of the time I'd otherwise have to take pictutres, blog, style outfits, make cute food and hang out with friends. This summer was a bit drab compared to other years, to be honest, but here's a last hurrah in photo form.

// photoshoots with my cousin at the old farmhouse
\\ farmers' market tomatoes
// a blueberry mint ice pop from the farmers' market
\\ my friend insisted the lighting was nice, so I obliged and let her take pictures of me

What's In My Pencil Case?

I got this wonderful little post idea from Chloe and Zali!

       I don't have much time for drawing and art in my school life, so I try to incorporate some artsiness into the everyday. I tend to do my homework in colored fineliner with doodles of poppies in the margins. So, I've got lots of nice pens and things to make the school day that much more palatable.

 Plus, I've got this cute little pencil case I got a few years ago at Barnes & Noble and it still works great! It's not quite my style anymore and I'm in the market for a new one, but I do still really like it. 

     mechanical pencils & lead // I almost never use wooden pencils since I need to do so much writing for school. I fully endorse all mechanical pencil use. Most kinds are sufficient, but as a rule of thumb, the less that come in a pack, the better quality they tend to be.

      stabilo colored fineliners // I use these all the time, sometimes for doodles but mostly for schoolwork, since they'll add a little pop to my day. These are really great and pretty cheap for nice pens/markers ($1 USD) and I would recommend getting a handful since they're simply fun to have around!

      saukra pigma micron pens // these are a bit pricier ($2-3 USD) but they're worth it. I have these in three different colors and sizes and they work wonderfully!

      highlighters, ruler, and eraser // It's good to have all these around for any projects or assignments I might need them for. Plus, I love the designs on these highlighters. (I think they're Jonathan Adler. I received them as a gift from my hipster cousin, who got them in Chicago). 

     

      Thank you for reading! What's your favorite thing in your pencil case?

State Fair Photo Diary (Day 1)

      As much as sometimes I wish I could live in Europe (It's so beautiful! And don't get me started on the food...) There is something America sure knows how to do right: State Fairs. 

      If you're not from the United States or you're confused, you probably still get the idea of what it's all about from the pictures. (Except that there are also farm animals, which I didn't care much to hang around, honestly). 

      Basically it's just a bunch of people and fried food and little exhibits and things with a bunch of carnival rides to boot, not to mention Minnesota's fair has a stand with the most delicious chocolate chip cookies around. (really). It comes every year and here it lasts for twelve days. I love this event shamelessly and am releasing all inhibitions about whether I might be deemed a stereotypical American because it is F U N. (albeit expensive, if you want to try lots of food.). 

      I always have a wonderful time and this was the first year that I brought my camera, which made it even better!

// The Ferris Wheel before sunset

\\ Corn Roast- They literally dip the corn in butter.

// Views from the Skyflyer (and that's just a little piece of the fairgrounds. They're much larger). 

\\ Walking & photographing with my friends

// A candid of a stranger

\\ The famous cookie stand

// Late-night snacks

     

      Hopefully I'll be back again before it's over. What's your favorite thing to do at a fair?

Sunny // Cloudy

      I knew an outfit post was long overdue. They tend to be some of the hardest posts for me since the photos are so hard to get right. But I thought maybe I'd throw together one of my go-to nicer outfits and take some photos in it before the summer was over to get back in the swing of it.

       Aren't these shorts the cutest? I got them with an Anthropologie gift card and I couldn't be happier. Plus, I scored the cardigan for just $15 at J. Crew. This might be among my favorite outfits simply because it includes stuff from nice stores.

Wearing:
shirt // Macy's (old)
shorts // Anthropologie
sweater // J. Crew
shoes // DSW