they came!

after seeing them here and here,

i finally decided to go here

and order them.

i'm so excited!

and they came just in time to ring in the new year!

cheers!!

{via}

and no matter what, i GOT this ring! cause i have the best bestie in the world

so around my birthday, t was being very weird about asking what stuff from my blahg i have bought? i replied, "well, i'm getting that camera (little did i know..ha), but that's it."

she said, "good, i just hope you don't have this other thing."

and that was it.

weeks later, she told me that the "thing" never shipped and she had to re-order it.

wednesday night, we had a bestie dinner night, present exchange, and play time.

when i opened my pressie: there was a bag of reeses (on top) from her cute mom denise (i love that woman), a beautiful shirt, a dream catcher (that's another story to tell) and a mysterious box.

i couldn't even believe my eyes when i opened the box.

t really is the best bestie ever. she knew how much i wanted this ring and she got it! it wasn't cheap either. and she even didn't mind having to order it from gothicplus.com (you guys, she has 15% off her next purchase. lucky girl haha) i love her so much. every day i thank my lucky stars that i have a bestie as awesome as her. everyone reading this should be jealous. not just of the ring, but of the friendship i have with her. love you t! thanks for everything

i never want to take this ring off....ever

flashback friday

one year ago...

AWESOME!

merry christmas eve

I think in a way that it’s good, you know? I mean, maybe it’s the only way that we could finally stand on our own. You know, to hurt each other so much that we have no choice but to let go.

Maybe otherwise we never would.

no way, you guys! it's already been a year

i get really bored sometimes and read back through blahgs (that's normal, right?).

so today i was looking through my own blahg

wouldn't you guess that i stumbled upon this.

exactly one year ago today this amazing conversation took place on my facebook status.

(remember when i had a facebook? that's okay...me either.)

i forgot all about it!

i was hysterical as i read it.

i guess nothing ever gets too old to be funny.

mikey, you rock my world

i like to eat chocolate and watch gossip girl on saturday nights

i think my love for countdown-to-christmas calendars has been made clear. but really, what are you supposed to do when you open number 11 and there is not one in there?

she's not the type of girl

“She’s not the type of girl to wait by the phone, she won’t cry, she knows it’ll get her nowhere, she’ll laugh a lot and often, and she will live her own life. She would like you to be a part of it, but she will do just fine without you.”

{via i am blessed.

also, you would not believe how long it took to get that picture,

but i think it was worth every second.}

happy birthday to me

sometimes when you want things for your birthday, you just have to get them yourself

case and point:

you want that camera??

YOU TAKE IT!

{i really did buy it. i think caroline and my dad are the only people who read this who might get that dexter season 5 reference. you want that promotion...you take it!}

when life gives you lemons, people...

you paint that sh*t gold.

perennial plum

the lipstick mentioned here.

it was WAY darker in the tube than on my lips

and it was darker in real life then in this picture

but i still liked it.

a little {more recent} flashback for your friday...er i mean tuesday. it feels like friday so i'll run with it

sometimes when i get bored {which is like all the time now}, i go back through jen's blahg. it's funny to see how everyone has transformed in the past few years. i found two examples i want to post for 'ff' {usually ff is really old pictures....and these are fairly new...but seem really old....you'll see what i mean} drumroll....

#1

my thoughts:

on mom- pants. also, it's pictures like these that make the p90x weight loss evident. my mom has always looked great {remember this?} but now she looks really great! way to go mom!

on jen- i don't know why she looks so funny/different to me {baby fat?}...but she does. and i love it. ps. i like your hair better now jen. you're pretty. :)

on me- holy hair! the last time my hair was this long was my sophomore year in highschool. so this picture was obvi taken then. i used to love those american eagle jeans....weird.

on the whole picture- wtf clowns in the background?!

#2

on me- holy hair! {i'm beginning to notice a trend} sometimes i wonder why i did that to my hair, but at the same time i remember how cool it was {like...honestly guys...how cool is that mowhawk...ugh [it actually looks kinda neat in this picture though]} i still fight the idea of cutting my hair this short almost everyday...but if i did...it wouldn't look anything like this. trust me. on another note...that's a long sleeve shirt i'm wearing....so why are the sleeves pulled up that far?

hi ben.

happy time-warp tuesday. blizzard warning. what?!

and breathing gets easier

i had my last chemistry test yesterday. i studied and studied and studied all last week and now i'm done {at least until my final}

i can just sit back and breathe, and wear the new lipstick i bought {it's almost a magenta/plum color...i'm a litte nervous} and spend some time with family and friends over the long break.

p.s. i wore a polka dot dress yesterday with a plaid jacket. i asked db if i looked like a circus, or a man repeller, and for once he said no. it was awesome.

you know you suck when.....

you are having to get your phone replaced for the third time in less than a month. boo.

ps: my hair looks like this today

i took a 20 minute nap

i had a long, but productive day. it was a good day.

i ran into this guy, {charlie..not austin. even though i would consider it a rare occasion when austin i do see each other. we are so darn busy.} in an art museum and it was just the thing to brighten up my day. we had conversations about life and love while standing in front of a paint of naked men. we decided that we need to do something like this again once school was over. charlie said we need to get the entire old gang together, and then he clarified by saying, "and by old gang i mean you, me and austin and that's it." he has the right idea.

i got to hang out with jen and watch project runway and then have a hilarious dinner with my favorite couple {db and jen, duh} and ryan. we alway laugh so hard.

i got to go to my first volunteer committee meeting

i got to dominate some chemistry {is it just me or can you work so hard in a class and the tests still sneak up on you?} i've been dominating for days straight and it won't stop until monday at 8:35.

i got to have chocolate fondue and laugh some

i got to come home to an apartment that had the outside light on {thanks austin!}

and now i get to sleep for a few hours before it all starts again....

"carry on and make it work" thanks tim gunn

Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.

— Groucho Marx

and then i watched an episode of dexter by myself and it was weird because i've never done that before.

i was a little lonely, but the preview for the next one looks really good. i'll watch that by myself this weekend probably. yay.

happy list {by emily}

10 things that make emily awfully happy:

{reverse order like emmy wrote it}

10. conversations about life, school, politics, religion and the environment with my niece and three nephews

9. swiss oatmeal from corner bakery and ethiopian food

8. walking around buildings and neighborhoods while admiring urban form

7. listening to kexp while at work for find new music

6. talking memories with texas friends

5. dancing at late night establishments while avoiding eye contact with strange men

4. dinner nights, where we laugh over everything

3. back of the neck kisses when least expected

2. mint chocolate treats

1. love

what an excellent happy list. thanks emily. this is just what i needed.

happy weekend everyone

{via}

fuchsia fusion

i really like wearing lipstick...even if it's a friday and i'm just wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. lipstick makes everything better and a lot of people like it because it's not just everyday when you see someone wearing it. except if you're me. in other news, in the past day i have eaten exactly 15 countdown-to-christmas chocolates. when i went grocery shopping with my mom the other day i grabbed one and she was surprised that i was already getting one. i told her it was just to eat and i would get a real one closer to december. {and yes....i am 20 and still do those. and yes...i think that chocolate is that good that i just get them to eat.} in other other news, the demon...i mean little girl...that i help at my second volunteer place...wanted to play soccer today. i agreed and promptly started kicking her butt {no going easy on the little ones for me}. she said that i "wasn't being fair" because i was winning. she has a lot to learn. only one more week.

conveniently i wear leopard when i think about posting my outfit OR conveniently i get really bored on the days i wear leopard.

i feel like i always look nice/dress up for school {and life in general} but today i dressed up a little more than usual....in a wild business sort of way.

black blazer, navy shirt, high wasted leopard skirt that i've had forever, but have only worn once before now {also...there are some days when i just don't wanna tuck stuff in}, opaque black tights and grey booties.

big not-matching earrings found at a church sale in pennsylvania and a nice, tight bun {idk why but this is seems to be my go-to hair style, well that and going to bed with my hair wet and "fixing" it in the morning}

faked a nice, cheesy smile for this one. nice detail on the navy shirt.

and of course. the beautiful grey booties. i've had a thing for wearing heels lately. i blame it on watching so much gossip girl and seeing that they wear heels everyday.

anyway, back to real life. i've had a crappy day today {or actually a crappy month} i was on beck street for 40 minutes today. FORTY MINUTES. absurd. i was late to class {and i'm never late. i hate being late} it seems as though this really is true. overall, i'm having a really hard time, but in the midst of everything, i find myself surrounded/supported by amazing people {mostly}. it only seems appropriate to thank them. so thank you. {i think i might do a more individualized post a little later about this} let's hope this week can only get better. {sorry for being depressing} time for more gossip girl.

i just broke a mirror into hundreds of pieces, looks like about a million years of bad luck for me.

i could have told you that even before i broke the mirror. and i'm still having popcorn tonight.

and yes, i always believe my fortune:

enjoy the lighter things in life, deeper joys will follow

weird things happen in the mall parking lot at 9:47 at night

t and i had a much needed bestie night last night. i met her in the mall parking lot {cause she has a job and i don't} and we decided that she would drive to yogurt and her house. we had just gotten into her car when a jeep pulled up and two guys told us to roll down the window. t just opened her door a little cause the car wasn't on and the two guys said, "we're going to a sushi bar, wanna come?" who did those guys think they were?! {maybe it was the obnoxious sequin pants i was wearing?} eww. of course we declined and i wanted to punch them in the face. but seriously, i did. and then we laughed about it the whole night and i got to meet her little puppy. it's funny how little puppy kisses and bites and bestie time can make you feel better for at least a few hours. thanks t.

postcards from italy

Postcards From Italy from ForYouLoveMe on Vimeo.

i love this video so much. they are so happy and in love. and i swear i've had this song on replay for the past day. these make me happy. {i love the blog of the people in this video. isn't she gorgeous}

and then i remember things like, 'life is too short' and i make my life better

thanks yesterday for teaching me all kinds of stuff about life. i both loved and hated you. it's like, again, when it rains, it pours. but then you have all these ideas that seem crazy, but they make your life happier in the middle of the proverbial storm. like being the bigger person, and making up with someone who has done you wrong. i'm still glad i did that. {t, jen, and mom: you know what i am talking about} i feel big and...it's a really nice feeling. and you guys, i think it's time for me to dance in the rain, so here goes nothing.

{so many cliches, but whatever}

love is patient, love is kind.

love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.

love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not become angry easily.

love does not remember wrongs done against it.

love is not happy with evil, but is happy with truth.

love bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things and endures all things.

love never fails.

{i need my birthday to be over already}

you're kidding me!

electric blue boots like these actually exist, but river island doesn't ship to the us?! they are only 89.99 euro {which translates to approx. $125.04 but who is counting, right?}

elephant in the room

we learned about the artist maurizio cattelan today in my art class.

my teacher (same one who said no one could ace a test leaving early...i got 98/100) showed us this picture in honor of halloween. isn't it the cutest?!

the title of the piece is "not afraid of love"

it's fitting, right?

i love this.

i wanna give that elephant a big hug.

my thoughts exactly.

I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.

- Coco Chanel

{via}

ridiculous

sometimes outfits are just too cool not to share with everyone {sorry for the crappy photobooth pictures...it's the best i can do when no one is home to snap a shot}

this picture didn't really turn out, but it gives you a sense of the entire outfit

{and yes....i did have to click go and hurry and run into position}

messy hair, striped tee, leopard cardigan, shell necklace, leather jacket.

and eclectic mix, but the chaos works {in my opinion}

complete with cuffed, black rock revivals and sparkly red flats

one of my art friends today commented that my outfit {and all my other outfits} was ridiculous, but in a good way. the two others with us agreed and she continued to say that i wear crazy stuff, but it works for me...and wouldn't for anyone else {i'm flattered}

she said, "you should be a stylist for a celebrity, but instead you want to be a doctor."

you bet i want to be a doctor.

a well dressed doctor

who mixes leopard with stripes, leather with shells and sparkly flats.

sounds like a good deal to me.

{no matter how shallow it sounds, conversations like these always make me feel good.}

sometimes we stay up way too late talking about extraterrestrial life and taking out the trash, recycling and compost

austin and i are up to our shenanigans again. we love our bonding moments and shooting pretend guns over our heads and laughing and washing dishes and all the other fun stuff that roomies do. oh how i adore that boy.

ps: apparently i really like to title my posts starting with 'sometimes' or 'and sometimes.' the little drop down box even confirms it

goodnight!

and no matter what, i want this ring

this ring looks the coolest when it is actually on a hand. check it out here.

beautiful.

real quick:

some days are just long. they go on and on and you kinda wonder when they are gonna end. i left my apt at 8:00 this morning and didn't get home until 9:30. NINE THIRTY AT NIGHT! today was full of ups and downs.

ups: getting to sleep in longer than anticipated, drew a classmate in art and it actually looked like her {finally!}, got to squeeze in a quick lunch before lab, got to laugh and laugh in lab, laughed and laughed while doing homework. got to eat at noodles & co {why have i not been eating there lately?}, found a new blog to obsess over, got to phone talk with S, got to snuggle up in bed early.

downs: being in a 4 hour chem lab for 4 hours 20 minutes {and having to repeat one part of an experiment 2 times and another 3}, doing chem for a total of 8 hours! cold weather with no jacket {i already planned my outfit for tomorrow and, regardless of the weather, i'm wearing these real nice tailored-but-baggy (?) shorts.}

i love my looooong mondays. looks like i'm in for another busy week.

p.s. my birthday is in two weeks, don't even ask me how excited i am. i might explode and confetti and smiles would go everywhere! yes!

i spend approx. 1/4 of my life cleaning my room and hanging up clothes...

when will i ever learn?

happy list {by jen}

10 things that make jenny awfully happy:

1. trips to sonic on warm summer nights

2. seeing shaq's face in the window when i come home from work

3. dinner nights with friends and family -

and how the conversation always gets out of control rapidly

4. walking into a house that is warm and cozy because the heat is on

5. injera with danny

6. babies, babies, babies!

7. nights out or in with my sister {aww!}

8. crockpot meals

9. christmas music

10. kisses from my husband

what an awesome 'happy list'

thanks for sharing, jenny!

{via ffffound}

how about a flashback for your friday

it's been so long since the last 'flashback friday' post, so in honor of the month and upcoming holiday, here are some old halloween photos. enjoy!

points to note from the first picture

1. jenny's typical costume-either a bride (dead or alive) or a pagent queen (dead or alive)

2. why didn't i wear a black shirt underneath my costume?

3. big bales of hay in the front yard?

4. the scarecrow that we still have in our yard (minus the pole cause it broke, now it just sits)

5. jen's painted pumpkin with HUGE glasses!

points to note from the second picture
1. lipstick!
2. jen's cute retainer smile and my...forced {?} smile
3. position change from the last photo
4. jen "holding" the scarecrow's hand
5. my nasty painted pumpkin {mom and dad:why did we decide to paint the pumpkins?}

awww i love halloween. happy friday!

p.s. i found a really funny picture of mom, jenny, and me, but i was nice and didn't post it. i showed jen and we laughed and were pretty grossed out!

dear sister:

'member yesterday, when i was sitting on the arm of the rolly chair and you got up cause you didn't know...and it tipped over and i fell all weird-like into the table/window shades?

yeah, well i have a big bruise on my leg and when i push on it, it hurts like there are massive internal injuries in there!

oh well, it was still funny when it happened, and even funnier to think about it now.

{i can only imagine what my face looked like}

love, amanda

good ol' self portrait

it's been a long time since i have taken one of these:

look guys: i have bangs!

{there is something about fall that always makes me wanna have bangs/ cut my hair similar to this}

sister's cute friend haley did this, i like it.

the random friday post of thoughts {bulleted list form}

• i can't help but be bothered by the fact that paradise bakery only gives you a chocolate chip cookie with your sandwich. i wonder if you could upgrade to a different cookie.
• taking tests as an art major blows my mind. i had a test based strictly on memorization {i have a good memory, so i got done with the test way fast-and was accurate} and my teacher said {to a group of kids who got everything done after the first round of slides} that no one, not even her, could ace the test after the first round. well....sorry lady, but i aced the test the first time around. i guess i'm just used to being in classes where people are trained to think fast, study and problem solve...weird.
• i just need to find a yellow wig! how come wigs come in almost every color imaginable except yellow!
• when you're used to fast internet, internet that moves at a glacial pace is almost unbearable. {i've had to ctrl+alt+delete TWICE because it just freezes}
• target opened in slc! it smells new and they do stuff like hand out cotton candy, cake and salami, cheese and crackers and workers compliment my tights.
• i WILL go to the cornmaze with S tonight, even if it has rained all day. we'll bundle up {too bad i don't have those smittens, jen. also, when will those not be sold out?!} hold hands and wear cowboy boots. it's gonna be cute. maybe i'll get a photo, but probably not.
• i want either a polaroid classic instant or a fujifilm instax mini for my birthday. wouldn't it be so fun to have the instant print outs?! they are so cute.
• my much deserved fall break began today at 10:40. no school for a week makes me one happy girl.
• i miss my bestie. we're both so busy and she got a new puppy! i wanna see him and go to frightmares!
• i saw a girl {at target nonetheless} whose blog i read. i've never met her before. needless to say, i was a little starstruck. creepy? no, not really.
• i'm really helpful when it comes to finding a locksmith in the area
• a little boy came up to me today at volunteer #1 and asked, "do i look like a superhero?" i put my best smile on and said, "you sure do!" {this is a big accomplishment because #1 i don't like kids. #2 this little boy and all of his siblings were running around me at the front desk for like an hour. i was on my last nerve. kudos to me}
• the guy said i would be ready to take the MCAT next may, what?!

okay...phew. that's the end of the very long thought list. hope everyone has a good friday!

one perk of not having a job: i can bake all the time

one good thing about october is that it is appropriate to make/have everything pumpkin flavored. i made these cookies the other day {via taza and streaming gourmet} and everyone loved them {from sister, to db, to austin and clint, to chem partner, to a bunch of boys}

the recipe is super easy to follow and makes a lot and it's always cool when a recipe includes mace, right? anyway, i think i'm gonna make these like all the time now. they are just so cute and fluffy, not to mention delicious!

oh yeah, that's me

i went to pick up my chemistry exam today {is it just me, or is all i talk about chemistry?}. the professor's assistant asks for your name and your student id {cause we all like picking up other people's exams, just to see what they got}. when she asked for my name, i said it and handed her my student id {things are just easier that way when you have a complicated last name} she took one look at my name and said, "oh! you're the one who always draws smiley faces on your stuff".

yep.

yep that's me.

my lab partner just looked at me and laughed. anyone who knows me on a scholarly level, knows that i always put a smiley face next to my name on an exam {and i also write my name in obnoxiously huge, all caps letters, but that's another story}. and by the date on all of my notes. and in my lab notebook. and just about anywhere else i can squeeze them in. i'm just awesome and scholarly like that i guess.

and he's cute cause he's not real

i've got a fun new companion for the october month on my sidebar. he even follows the cursor around. what a loyal little spider!

maybe...

i get really excited in october. maybe it's the cooling-but-not-too-cold weather. maybe it's the changing colors and changing fashions. maybe it's that my week long fall break is in a week. maybe it's that the decorations are so cute. maybe it's all the candy. maybe it's that dressing up is so fun. maybe it's that my birthday is in less than a month.

maybe it's these cute meringue bone cookies

maybe it's these funny 'choirboy gourds'

maybe it's this cute halloween tree

or maybe it's all of these things.

{images via}

i love talking on the phone OR more conversations

preface: i had to call/email people for something at my volunteer job {is that what i would call it?}. if people had a email listed, i would email them. {obvi since talking on the phone scares me} 7 people had emails listed, 1 person did not so i had to call.

call #1:
man {english not a first language}: hello?
me: hi, is this mike?
man: there is no mike, you have the wrong number
me {i don't even say anything, i just hang up. oops}

i figured i would give it one more try, in case i called a different number than what was listed
call #2 {30 mins later}:
man: silence........{he didn't even say hello!}
me: hi, is mike there?
man: there is no mike, so many people have called for mike!
me: oh i'm sorry about that
man: no problem
me: hang up....

ummm apparently a lot of people call him asking for mike {or just 2} maybe if mike would put the right number on a form, people would stop calling this poor soul.

*the names have been changed to protect the innocent*

stuff needed to become baby peach:

-blush

-false lashes

-short blonde wig

-crown with jewels

-pink shirt with scalloped collar/trim on bottom

-scalloped shorts/bloomers

-white foldover socks with lace

-pink shoes

-pacifier

-baby buggie

{looks like i need to get goin!}

but sometimes i just like repeating conversations

i was talking to the guy at the organic chemistry stockroom today, this was our conversation

guy: i can't believe you're a chemistry major

me: umm, i'm not?

guy: you're not?!

me: no, why?

guy: oh i was just gonna say that usually the higher girls get up in chemistry, the more they stop caring about what they look like. so i was surprised you were in chemistry.

me {thinking}: is that some kind of weird chem major, guy compliment?

me {out loud}: yeah i'm definitely not a chemistry major...

he was then blown away that i'm an art major in organic chemistry. he asked why i'm taking it and i said hobby {ha} then had to explain the whole art-premed thing. yeah...that hasn't gotten old yet.

all i do is:

-study chemistry

-eat

-study chemistry

-sleep

-study chemistry

-do other hw

-study chemistry

-go to school

-study chemistry

-etc

-study chemistry

i'm beginning to notice a disgusting trend.

{but i did have time to watch dwts with sister sister tonight!}

happy list

10 things that make amanda awfully happy:

1. sipping soda pop through a straw

2. designer jeans

3. bright, glittery nailpolish

4. doing a drawing that i think looks good

5. my dad's popcorn

6. remembering things that made me laugh years ago

7. watching fireworks on the roof

8. tagging along with sister-sister the whole evening

9. long walks with S, pointing out the houses we like

10. anticipation for the holidays

11. spending time with my whole family {that includes all our friends} on sundays

okay, i snuck an extra one in there, but when it comes to happy lists, is that such a bad thing?

happy tuesday!

{image from here}

no better way to start off a friday than to get cupcakes

i picked up these beauties {they are my favorite} on my way to school this morning. i carried them with me all day so that they wouldn't get ruined. go figure that on the way to volunteer they kinda tipped and ended up looking messy. these cupcakes are seriously the best, and what makes them even better is to share them with sister-sister and her awesome co-worker craig.

today was my first day volunteering and it was so nice to have sister there to help me. i got to meet nice people, sell cookbooks, run donations, and answer the phone a few dozen times {which is an enormous accomplishment for me because of my phobia of answering phones/calling people}, help with chores, laugh a lot, and look at a lot of slideshows from fashion week. i went straight from volunteer #1 to volunteer #2 {maybe more on that later...maybe} then i got to come home {i even saw craig on my way home..what a pleasant surprise!}, get noodles with S, eat with db and sister-sister, watch dexter, have snuggle time with S while watching dexter {the best!}, watch shaq go nuts and laugh with the fam. looks like my fridays are gonna be the best.

fashion week

i think i could wear every single piece in the badgley mischka spring collection.


<----umm how ugly is this model. click to enlarge.
things i loved:
the muted color scheme, very loose, but still flattering, detailing, that hat{!}, the ruffles, all of the different textures, structured yet light pieces, sheer fabric, playing with the different lengths
*all photos from style.com*