i ♥ live music.

music in and of itself is wonderful. but there is something about LIVE music that makes me like my favorite artists even more. seeing them in the flesh, having that connection with them for a few hours is... incomparable when it comes to music.

luckily for me, these next few months bring in some pretty good shows for me to see!

as you know, this month i saw she & him live which was unforgettable.

{no, this is not a test}

october will bring ingrid michaelson.

{i love the way you call me baby, and you take me the way i am}

and november means kate nash!

{because wearing black is mysterious}

three of my very favorite artists ever! - who have you seen live? who do you want to see live?

{go here to see who i've seen live and who i have yet to see!}

sorry folks.

if you've tried to access my i ♥ 365 site and it wouldn't let you in because it was private, you can now access that site. i apologize for sending you to it when i hadn't set it back to open permissions!

anyway, enjoy and stuff.

p.s. i will soon be posting clothes that i have for sale.

i'm excited about this.

you probably should be too...

happy birthday to me!

*please visit my i ♥ 365 site. it is now up and running.

let me just start off by saying: i'm one of the hardest people to surprise. i've known for a long time everything i'm getting for christmas and my birthdays and i know what's happening even when no one has said anything. when i was younger, my mom said that i would shake my presents that were under the christmas tree and i would be able to tell what they were. i was never wrong. one year, right before christmas my sister said to me "i know what i'm getting you for christmas" at that exact moment, i knew what she was getting me and that's all she had ever said about the matter.
so, that being said, i never had surprise parties when i was younger. no one could ever surprise me! my 18th birthday had a little surprise factor going on, but that's about it.
this year, that all changed. i was kind of ho humming around about my birthday because i've been feeling a little weird about the fact that i was going to turn 25. my room mates asked what i wanted to do and i couldn't come up with anything (which is rare. i've been planning my own parties since i was like 9 years old). finally, kdp took matters into her own hands and told me to be ready by 4:30 on my birthday (yesterday). at this point i tried to figure out what was going on. i asked the typical first question "what should i wear?" usually, when i haven't been able to figure out what the surprise is, the answer to this very question will give me the details i need to figure out the surprise. (i.e. the parents were planning a surprise vacay, i asked what i should wear, they told me to dress warm, i knew we were going to yellow stone.) her reply though, "something outsideish but we wont be walking long distances", gave me no clues.
4:30 on my birthday rolls around and i'm ready to go. me and my friends get in the car and head north, meet another friend for dinner then head to our destination. i'm still in the dark at this point. i know we're going to be outside and that whatever we're doing is cheap or free. in slc that could be anything!
as we're driving i see "concert parking" signs. okay. a concert... i know who's coming but not who's currently in town. i'm still in the dark...
it wasn't until we were walking through the gates of the concert with kdp saying "have you guessed yet? do you know what's going on?" and me shaking my head "no" once more, that she actually told me. i knew we were at a concert, but who in the world would be playing a free concert in slc?

SHE & HIM, THAT'S WHO!

that's right everyone. my friends surprised me for my birthday by taking me to a she & him concert. i know. i know. it was pure amazingness and never in a million years would i have guessed that's what we were doing! i had no idea that they were even in town! it ended up being one of the best birthdays i've ever had. just the fact that i was within 100 yards of my girl crush zooey and listening to the wonderful sounds of she & him, made. my. life. clearly, my friends are awesome.

*welcome to my newest followers! only one more to go until i announce my give away!!

25 things i've learned in 25 years.

in celebration of me turning 25, i thought i'd share 25 things i've learned throughout my life. enjoy:

1. even on fat days, shoes always fit.
2. there is no such thing as ceiling wax. there is, however, such thing as sealing wax.
3. friends will come and go, but family will always be there for you.
4. its the simple things in life that make the world a happier place
5. each person is beautiful in their own way. sometimes we can see that beauty, sometimes we cannot.
6. the laughter of a child is more beautiful than any other sound on this earth.
7. the word is discombobulated NOT discombogulated.
8. sometimes the ones i love the most can hurt me the worst, but i will always forgive them because i love them the most.
9. we can make or break ourselves.
10. boys will be boys. stupid boys.
11. you always want something you can't have.
12. having the best doesn't mean having it all.
13. the best things in life aren't things. (do i sound like a mormon velum wall quote or what?!)
14. your surroundings are what you make them.
15. being mad at someone will never change them.
16. its flamenco dancer. not flamingo dancer.
17. we are all different for a reason.
18. spoon me once a week is enough to keep me sane.
19. being an individual will often get you looked at. sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way. both types of looks are worth being an individual for.
20. mama always knows best.
21. laughter is the best medicine.
22. sometimes a good cry is the only thing that can make you feel better.
23. there is always someone worse off than you.
24. love is not a fairy tale. its reality. which is even better.
25. i still have a lot of life to live and i couldn't be more excited.

have you?

today marked the release of two very important items. very important indeed:

gossip girl season: 3

&

mocking jay

(the 3rd book in the hunger games trilogy)

i'm out of town so i don't have either, but you can bet when i get back i'll have both!

any other amazingly awesome stuff happen today??

do tell.

have you hugged your kids today?

so, i'm not a mom, but i am an older sister. i have five younger siblings ranging in ages from 22-5. (yeah, that's how we do.) sometimes i feel like a mom because of how long i've been helping take care of the two youngest, boo (9) and m (5), but i love the feeling. if taking care of them has given me any sort of glimpse into mother-hood whatsoever, and if my children are anything like them, i'll have a wonderful time being a mother. these little guys brighten my life in so many different ways.

i love that they know music. they request to listen to things like: newsies (sieze the day), journey (don't stop believing), roisin murphy (rama lama bang bang) and anything jack johnson.

i love that they get excited about things like: human shaped pancakes with blueberries in them, applebees, and going to the park.

i love that they are all boy. they love star wars and super heroes and indiana jones. they like getting dirty and playing hard.

i love how smart they are. boo talks like he's about 40 years old and m taught himself the alphabet. they are like geniuses inside little kid bodies.

i love their giant sized imaginations. they can create anything they want and they never hold back.

i love the hugs and kisses they smother me in and i love doing the same.

i love that no matter what i do, they still love me and they never fail to tell me that they love me.

these boys have shown me how to enjoy life and to focus on the simple things.

i hope everyone has someone in their life that does the same.

have a delightful weekend!

the principles of uncertainty.

we all like stuff right? well, i thought i'd share some recent finds that i l-o-v-e. cause then maybe you could get this stuff and love it too.

the principles of uncertainty

i'm not very far in this book yet, but so far i really like it. the woman who wrote it, maira kalman, also did all the art work in it. its beautiful.

burt's bees muscle mend

so, my job requires me to stand for hours at a time. there is no sitting. because of this i've been having major muscle pains. i finally broke down and picked up some of this stuff and have been pretty addicted ever since. its basically natural, organic icy hot. yes please.

despicable me

if you haven't seen this flick yet, go see it. it was funny and adorable and great all rolled in to one which = awesomeness. also, it has steve carrell and jason segel which also = awesomeness.

maybeline gel eyeliner

i'm so addicted to this stuff. there is so much you can do with it and its sooo easy to use. if you want beautiful cat eyes but don't want to mess with other eye liners, i highly recommend picking up some of this magical wonderment. (it comes in multiple colors too. love.)

anything you're loving on this week?

do tell.

gems.

i've been thinking about the little things in life that make me happy. for me, its never any one big thing. its always beautiful little gems that make me feel happy inside and keep me smiling throughout life. i find new ones every day and, to me, that's the beauty of life. finding joy in all things.
well, i thought, since we can all use a little joy in our life at one point or another, that i would share my latest "amores" with you and encourage you to reflect upon your own!

google's wizard of oz icon

when i saw this, it made me smile. the wizard of oz is one of my favorite movies, and judy garland one of my favorite actresses. i actually played dorothy once. it was a wonderful experience and the wizard of oz always will be and always has been a fun, happy memory for me.

{google chose this as their icon in celebration of the 71st anniversary of the wizard of oz.}

the fact that i can black mail kdp into doing things for me by simply threatening to give her the sytycd results before she's watched them!

scars

choreographed by: nappy tab

danced by: robert & dom

first of all, robert was my favorite dancer on so you think you can dance this season (season 7), second of all, this dance is so wade-robson-esque that i love it, and thirdly, nappytab are phenomenal choreographers. phenomenal. please watch. please love it.

i want this on a reel in my house never stopping. constant happy.

receiving sweet texts, phone calls, e-mails, facebook message and blog comments from my amazing friends, family, and readers.

glitter in the air

by: p!nk

i love this song. no specific reason, its just amazing.

the lyrics are beautiful and very thought provoking.

{also, this specific performance is... wow! she sings it with so much conviction and desperation. that and the added fact that she's sopping wet, hanging upside down from a piece of silk fabric, spinning around like a trapeze artist and still belting out the lyrics like it aint no thang!}

the feeling i get when boo and little m call me and tell me about their day.

my remarkable friends and family

what are the gems in your life this week?

*update: my mom's wrote a similar post a few days ago. since her blog is private, i thought i'd share her sweet list on my blog!

enjoy:

Ahhh, the simple things

by: mom

I haven't been feeling too great the last day or two. Probably because my boat is rockin and rollin on the river of life right now...which is okay with me but I think all the turbulence has left me a little sea sick.

I put off going to bed as late as I could last night due to the fact that I had been dizzy most of the day and trying to lay down while dizzy just doesn't work for me. So I went to bed around 1:00am.

As I lay down and closed my sleepy eyes the room started spinning and it was very hard to relax and so, as I often do while falling asleep, I thought of the simple things in life. You know, those awesome little things that aren't really life changing and that you could probably survive without, but that bring so much joy to your heart when you experience them? Yeah, those little simple things. Such as:

A bouqet of dandelions clutched tightly in the hand of a sweaty little boy who saw them and thought of you while out at play

Warm, gooey home made chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven

Wet, sticky kisses all over you face from the tender lips of a 5 year old at the end of a long day

The soft touch of a gentle breeze blowing through your bedroom window as you fall asleep at night

Snuggling with the one you love on cold winter nights

The sounds of screaming and laughing trailing up the stairs from the basement late at night when your teenagers are supposed to be asleep

Taking a drive on a lazy afternoon just to see the crops growing in the fields and the flowers in bloom

Having a slumber party with your adult sisters

Knowing who you are, where you came from, and where you are going

An e-mail from an old friend...just to say hello

Long talks into the night with your teenage son

Cafe Rio salads

A washer and dryer that both work at the same time

Having enough money to go to the laundromat if they don't

Home made blueberry smoothies

Warm blankets straight from the dryer

Pictures from a family vacation

Spinach artichoke dip on warm french bread

Jacuzzi tubs

The smell of rain

Listening to waves at the beach

Music

The laughter of children

thanks for sharing mom!

lars and the real girl.

i love the movie lars and the real girl. ryan gosling, in my opinion, deserves an oscar for his work in this film. every time i watch it, my heart goes out to him! if you haven't seen it, i recommend checking it out. its wonderful.

what are some of your favorite movies?

*all pics found via google

feeling frosty.

friday signaled the last day of school for the summer semester.

since deciding not to go back in the fall, friday the 13th has been all i could think about. i was more than ready to be finished and out of there.

take all the work i had to do for that and add it with 34.5 hours of work and by saturday i was feeling pretty cruddy both mentally and physically. after looking up my symptoms online i found out i was pushing myself into exhaustion.

oops.

guess i better take it easy from here on out!

to make myself feel better i needed one of these bad boys:

one on saturday night and one on sunday afternoon had me feeling much, much better.

that and i'm heading out of town on wednesday for a week so all i have to do is hang on till then!

how was everyone else's weekend??

you're all just daper.

happy friday the 13th everyone!

so, lately a few bloggers (amazing bloggers!) have been doing semi-promotions about me on their blogs and i've appreciated it SO much that i thought i'd do a pay-it-forward type of deal. i'm going to share with you all the awesome blogs i read and why.

i hope you check out these blogs because if you don't, you're missing out on some of the worlds greatest people. if you do stop by their blogs, leave them a comment, let them know i sent you! i encourage everyone to write a similar post as well, edifying the blogs you read. you never know when someone is going to do it for you!!!

blogs i read religiously:
busy bee lauren - by far and hands down my favorite blogger ever. lauren is SO positive and always has something fun to talk about. i feel like a teeny bopper visiting her blog and its awesome. she also does GREAT give aways AND sells her adorable clothing and headbands.
buscuit - i'm new to following her, but i read all of two posts of her blog and was hooked. she tells it how it is and is entertaining while doing it. she also has an awesome blog header that looks like its an ad for some awesome store that i would totally shop at.
life is bananas - i've mentioned her multiple times. this girl has sass and class. her blog always makes me hungry in the best way. i love reading about her crazy-awesome life in her i-don't-care-what-you-think voice.
confessions from a mormon bachelor pad - these guys blog about what its like to be a single-and-looking mormon 20 something. their blog is so drama-filled its like reading an episode of the hills without the alcohol and sex and from a guys perspective.
leah - fashion blog! she posts about what she wears and its awesome. she has the GREATEST clothes. i love to go to her blog and look at her outfits with green eyes of jealousy. she's also very sweet and humorous. and tiny which i love.
squeetus - since i'm an aspiring novelist, i like to keep up with some of my favorite authors. its like peeking into their brains. - this blog belongs to shannon hale aka my favorite author EVER and she addresses so much more than just her literature and how to be a writer. she talks about life and her opinions on certain topics as well. shannon hale is the author of the books of bayern series as well as the princess academy a few of my most favorite books ever. if you're looking for some excellen literature, these are the books you need to look for!
the happenings of a not so cookie cutter mom - not only is this blogger one of my best friends for eternity, she's also a hip young mom who knows how to have fun. i like reading her experiences as a mom and her crafty tutorials on how to do awesome diys.

blogs i stop by at least once a week:
(even though i only stop by a few times a week i almost always end up staying long enough to read everything they wrote that week!)
b is for brown, breathe, and believe - the author of this blog is named summer. she is a raw and open writer who shares her life experiences. she posts about pretty much everything under the sun and is a real genuine girl.
the singles ward - i'm new to this one too, but this blog is similar to confessions of a mormom bachelor pad. their blog covers dating life as a young mormon guy. these guys are humorous though. they talk about random things like pillows with arms and how guys should smell. its great.
deals, steals, and heels - this woman is hilarious! she blogs about fashion and her opinions on life. every time i read her blog i laugh out loud. she's just that awesome.
after 'i do' - this blog is pleasant, which i love. she writes about good places to visit and good books to read as well as what's going on in her life. krysten is so sweet and positive, i like dropping by her blog.
aleciadawn photography - alecia is one of the most amazing photographers i know. i discovered her through one of my besties for eternity and i've followed her photography ever since. her pictures are fresh, dynamic and beautiful.
amyschmamey - amy is great. she is a photographer and avid blogger whom inspires me to just be myself. i love dropping by her blog and hearing what she has to say.
lyds was here - i just barley found this blog. like seriously, just barley. - lydia is awesome! she just tells it like it is (like everyone should) and is very good at expressing herself through words. i'm excited to keep up with her blog in the future.

blogs i stop by at least once a month:
(again, i always do a lot of catch up reading on these blogs)
alecia 365 - same alecia that does alecia dawn photography. this blog has one wonderful photo for everyday of the year and a little explanation as to why she chose that particular photo.
apparently! - another wonderful author whom i hope to someday be like. she wrote the books wings and spells (go read them!) and is currently working on the last two books in her series. she's a funny lady who talks about life and literature.
brandon mull - author of fablehaven, i stop by his blog to check out his promotions and such. his site design is really awesome. also, you should probably go read the fablehaven series cause it rocks my world and it will probably rock yours too.
captured by mikki - another extraordinary photographer. she has so many great, innovative ideas that make me feel all happy inside every time i stop by her blog.
chelsea talks smack - chelsea is a tell-all girl. she has the most insightful words of wisdom about life and all that goes with it. every time i stop by her blog i wonder why i don't stop by more often.
just a small town girl - small town girl blogs about her life as well. some posts make me cry, some make me smile, others make me laugh. she's just a genuine girl living her life the best way she knows how.
love notes - erica has fun pictures and life-happenings to share. she also has a great etsy shop that i love!
myth & mystery - another author! rick riordin author of my favorite book series EVER: percy jackson and the olympians (go read this series!), writes about what you can expect from him next. i check in every once in awhile to get myself excited for his up coming projects.
rockstar diaries - taza and her  husband share their day-to-day wonderfuls. i love looking at all their photos and reading about the whimsical things they do.
seriously, so blessed - this lady cracks me up. she is an "anonymous blogger" that makes fun of all the typical mormon mom blogger stereo types. she has about a billion buttons and blinkies on her blog as well as the trendiest music, and she'll basically make you feel like crap (in a good way) because she's cooler, more hip, and prettier than you'll ever be (according to her.)
tates tourtes - tate aka tatum, makes the most delicious looking treats ever! if you live in the utah area, and are looking for someone to bake for you, she's the girl to see. i have yet to try something of hers, but i will someday and i already know it will be delightful. 
much love - this is a charming blog with inspirational photos, give aways, and her day-to-day doings. i love dropping by her blog.

go check out those blogs. they're great and wonderful and stupendous and every other adjective that = love and good.

rock on. you deserve to rock.

welcome to life.

recently i've been having one struggle after another. i know that this is life and that's how things are, but that fact doesn't automatically and magically make things easier to deal with.
i haven't been dealing with any one big struggle, just little ones that have been eating away at me, slowly bringing me down.
yesterday was the turning point. after trying for almost 24 hours to find a ride to work, i still had nothing. no one. finally, i broke down and called my manager and told him i didn't think i was going to make it because i didn't have a ride. while i thought [hoped] he'd be understanding, he was almost the complete opposite. he told me i either had to find a way there or get my shift covered. and he wasn't flowery about it either. after i got off the phone with him, i wanted to scream. i was SO mad. all i could do was cry.
then i realized, it wasn't his problem i couldn't find a ride. it wasn't his problem i don't have a car. those are my problems. my problems alone. i'm an adult now. one who has to skip out on movies and meals out to be able to pay my bills, one who gives up eating real food for a few weeks just so i have enough money to buy and send my brother a birthday present, and one who has absolutely no love life. but those are all my problems. this is life. my life. its up to me to be successful and achieve my dreams. no one else can do that for me and honestly, why would i want them to? if we all lived by mediocrity and doing the bare minimum, where would the growth come from? it sucks that for growth to happen, there has to be struggles, but that's how it is! there is sadness so that there may be happiness, tragedy so that we might have compassion, and trials so that we may raise above them. as much as i hate miley cyrus, her song, the climb, is often relevant in my life. "it aint about how fast i get there, it aint about what's waiting on the other side, its the climb."
i eventually got to work, and later on that night i gave myself a good talking to, telling myself that i could do it. and i can. i can do it.

life isn't easy, but it wasn't meant to be. life is a learning experience. so learn from it. its the smartest way to live.

like whoa!

this is what it looks like when you have too much time on your hands and you find out your computer can make your face look pretty frackin' funny:

aint nothin' pretty about it.

i'm totally buggin'.

stop it. you're annoying me.
things that have been annoying me lately:

obnoxious ring tones.what classifies as an obnoxious ring tone? anything that i can hear that goes off a lot. i understand you just loooove that rascal flats song, or that mariah carey is your favorite artist, but seriously, if i'm going to have to hear that song multiple times in the space of a half hour i'm going to scream. i'd like to introduce you to my little friend: vibrate. thanks.
in fact, the other day, kdp and i were discussing our roommate, reag-ls ring tone. its not that its a bad song or anything, its just that its constantly going off. last night we had this conversation with reag-ls:

*reag's phone starts ringing*

kdp: um reag, we have something to tell you...

me: (bursting out with no tact whatsoever) WE HATE YOUR RING TONE! this is a ring tone intervention.

reag-ls looks around at both of us, unsure of what to say.

kdp: its just that we hear it so much, and its killing me not knowing what the rest of the song is! all i know is... (she then proceeds to sing the 5 words of the song she knows)

me: ring tone intervention.

reag laughs.

needless to say, she hasn't changed her ring tone OR put it on vibrate. at least she knows how we feel about it. that's all i wanted.

that's what she said jokes. this is only funny when michael scott says it and even that's questionable now-a-days. "that's what she said" has been completely worn out on me. people make "that's what she said" jokes out of everything now! "i'm running to the grocery store."  - "that's what she said!"... "that guy just ran that red light." - "that's what she said!"..."lets go to a movie." - "that's what she said!" seriously?! WHO IS SHE AND WHY DOES SHE SAY EVERYTHING I SAY? its starting to make me feel like i have an evil clone running around loose in america, saying everything before i do. freak man!

not returning my texts.i get it if your busy when i text you, or sleeping or whatever, but don't be ignorant and ignore me all together. jerk.

not having a car. i'm sick of bumming rides off of people and having to rely on a bus schedule. it sucks and i'm ready for a car of my very own. a reliable one. a reliable, pretty one. a reliable, pretty one that shines like the top of the chrysler building... is that so much to ask?

american idol. who's leaving american idol? who cares? who else is leaving american idol? who cares? who's going to be the next american idol? who cares? the mojo that takes second place will be more successful anyway! i used to like this show like the first 2 or 3 seasons. now i just hate it. its all anyone talks about and they people they choose usually aren't that great anyway. its also a great show to watch if you wanna see media-hungry bozos who can't even sing but want camera time so they can be the next reality tv star. you know the ones i'm talking about.


what annoys you lately?

help!

no, i'm not talking about the beatles song. i'm talking about my gadgets/widgets! why are they soooooo faaaaaar spaced out from each other? does anyone know? i've checked my html coding and everything looks okay there... i think. other then that, i don't know what to do.

awesome.

happy 8/9/10 everyone.

kiki and i will be celebrating by eating delicious salads at pizza factory.
rock on.

obviously we delight in the little things.

here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.

if you know me, you know that i'm obsessed with all things disney. and if you don't know me, you still learn that pretty quick!

i've been going to disneyland regularly since i was about 4 years old and its become my home-away-from-home. since my junior or senior year of high school i've been going at least once a year and this year, i'm feeling long over due for a trip down memory lane (aka mainstreet usa).

its all so nostalgic for me.

the smell of the churros and the water on the rides (disneyland-ride-water has a very distinct smell.) the shops scattered down main street usa, and of course the attractions.

i love being able to go and feel like a kid again for a few days.

disneyland is my favorite place in the world.

when i'm there i forget all my troubles and simply enjoy being alive.

its wonderful.

where is your favorite place?

p.s. welcome to my newest followers, grace, buscuit, rebecca, alice jones and gwen rice!! - oh and all pics (except for the one that says "here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy") were found via weheartit.com the other one is by me. all me.

question.

why do i keep changing my blogger banner?
because. i haven't found something that screams "this is me!" just yet. i get closer and closer everytime, but haven't quite struck gold.
in addition to that, change = me. i'm a chameleon. an ecclectic. so the frequent changing of my blog kind of represents the way i live my life. 

that is all.

tally ho.

i've decided.

with my recent winnings of the most awesome give away ever, and successful give aways i've done in the past, i've decided that when i hit 75 followers, i will do another give away. (that means i have 18 followers to go.) tell all your friends and we'll get the party started! (if you are crafty and are ever interested in being featured on my blog and doing a give away for my rock-tastic followers, e-mail me at sparrow.child {at} hotmail {dot} com!)

in other news, here's a few pictures that i've found this week that have inspired me, resonated with me, or are just plain awesome.
enjoy!

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happy friday one and all!

you had me until the chacos. {part 2}

huzzah for part 2 of "you had me until the chacos"! today i'll be looking at the more positive side of things and letting the world know what i do like about the way guys dress (yesterday was what i didn't like.). of course there is much more to a person than just appearance, but usually that's what first gets me interested in getting to know someone of the opposite sex, therefore i pay close attention to it.
basically, my ideal fashionista in boy form can be explained all in one name: justin timberlake. forgive me if i photo him a lot.

so, boys, i'll notice your:

1) fedoras - guys in hats are awesome all together, but fedoras are my absolute favorite.

2) suspenders - i love a little bit of an old fashioned feel and the suspenders definitely add that to an ensemble!

3) chucks with your suit - the chucks give just enough nerdiness to the dressiness that the suit already is. perfect combo. like chips and salsa or chuck bass and blair waldorf.

4) layers - i don't know why i like layers so much. i just do. maybe its because they are so versatile... or maybe its simply because the look so darn good!

5) aviators - love me a good pair of aviators!

6) nice, fitted jeans - see. zac shows us the proper jeans to wear and how to wear them. you can do a lot with a good pair of jeans.

7) light colored suits - dark suits are nice too. lighter ones are just less common which equals a special treat when i do see them!

8) vests - just yum okay??

as far as face and hair:

1) euro hawk/euro mullet/futbol mullet - whatever you want to call it, i love it. it shows that the guy actually took a little bit of time to do his hair in the morning.

2) 5 o'clock shadow - clean shaven is nice too, but there is something about a 5 o' clock shadow...

3) tousled - tricky hair style, but can be done! i love it.

4) curly - boys + curls = awesome-yes-please

5) shaggy - a little bit of length is okay with me. just stay away from the fabio looking stuff...

6) faux hawk - a classic hair style that still hasn't gone out

*runner up - shaved head. i'm not talking biced. no thank you. but cut down to a 2,3, or 4 is nice. not many guys can pull this one off. its a rarity which makes it beautiful!

the fact of the matter is, people are beautiful in their own little ways and we all have our opinion on what is beautiful and what isn't. i guess that's why they say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"!

what catches your eye when it comes to outer appearance?!

you had me until the chacos. {part 1}

*this is strictly subjective. these are my opinions and my personal preferences.

don't you hate it when you're totally checking out a guy/girl (which ever suits your fancy) and everything is good up until that one seemingly small thing that you just can't let go of? like a... mole right in the middle of their forehead, or the middle finger that's shorter than all the other fingers. of course these are silly little things that we as flawed human beings should be able to look past, but the reality is: we can't. (now, i understand there are people out there that look past the flaws, but its subjective right? the flaws you may look past on one person, might really bother you on another person...)

well, today i saw a rather good looking guy walking down the hall at school. the hair was good, the face was good, body, out fit (yes, i look at the outfit.), legs, all good and then i spotted them. the chacos. (cue the shocked-at-what's-just-happened music. dun, dun, dun!) at that point, everything was ruined for me. the guy was no longer attractive. that's right. i judged him by his footwear. confession: i do it all the time! but i'm not shallow. since i wake up every morning and carefully choose what i'm going to wear and take time to care about how i look in my clothes rather than just yanking something out of the closet and putting it on, hoping it matches or fits, i hold dateable-guys to the same standard! while i don't expect them to go through the same rituals as i do each morning i do expect them to look nice in what they're wearing. because of this, i've been inspired to do a 2 part series entitled "you had me until the chacos." part 1 is what guys shouldn't wear. part 2 will be what tickles my fancy.

now, i don't really have a "type" of guy. guy is my type. but, when it comes to fashion, i know what i absolutely do not like.
in the way of clothes and appearance, these are a few things that turn me off. waaaaay off:

chacos

why? because unless your hiking or camping, they aren't necessary! not to mention they give the wearer hideous tan lines. i'd take a farmer's tan over a chaco tan any day! save the chacos and tevas for havasupai.

crocs

why? i don't care what celebrity wears them, unless you are working in the garden, on a boat, or are under the age of 10, crocs are not okay. plastic shoes died out in the mid-90's for a reason.

(and do you really want to be lumped in with this guy?)

but really, crocs and chacos aren't nice or attractive. to me they scream first-pair-of-shoes-i-could-find. why not take a few extra minutes and choose shoes that you actually have to tie... or get a pair of toms. at least those are a little nicer looking.

carpenter jeans

why? because i know you went to wal-mart and got the first pair of jeans that fit you without even caring about what they look like. if you're not a carpenter, you obviously don't need carpenter jeans. again, take some time and find a nice pair of jeans that make the girls go "whoa!" believe me. the right pair of jeans can absolutely do that for you!

basketball shorts

why? well, if you're going to actually play basketball (or any other sport), then fine. wear them!! but if not, please, wear some clothes that don't make you look like you're heading to or coming from the gym.

looooong hair

why? not even fabio looked good with the long locks. if the hair is longer then mine, i'm out. its the prince's job to wait around for rapunzel. not mine.

luckily its rare that i run into these fashion-absolutely-nots, but when i do, i cringe.

tune into tomorrow to see what impresses me appearance wise about guys. and while you're waiting, share what is absolutely unacceptable for you when it comes to the outer side of the opposite sex!

p.s. welcome to my newest followers brie and brittany!

you CAN have your {cup}cake and eat it too.

lauren of busy bee lauren has officially made my life. i just found out today that i won the vintage polaroid camera she featured in her give away. that means this little beauty:

will be all mine soon!
THANK YOU LAUREN! (can you tell i'm serious? i used all caps)
she also posted a link to my blog on the winner information which gained me some awesome new followers! welcome to the blog court, becca, laura, CaL, nicole, sophia, amylou, iram, sheena, and jmay!

besides that, we had the most beautiful thunder storm at about 5am today and its been stormy and gloomy ever since which in my book = awesomeness. and to top it all off, sytycd is on tonight! i'm totally team robert!

how's your wednesday going?! who's your favorite sytycd contestant this season??

*photo courtesy of busy bee lauren. i did not take the photo and i don't own it.

winner, winner, chicken dinner.

i just finished a 13 hour work day (13 hours is a looooong time to be on your feet!) and i still have two papers to write AND shower. guess what i'm doing instead?

if you guessed going to bed, you absolutely guessed right. - winner, winner, chicken dinner (which you'll have to buy for yourself. sorry.)

anyway, 23 days till i'm 25 on the 26th. wow. - at this point in my life, i was 3 years old and waiting for a new sister to arrive. my how time flies!!

good night lovelies. good night.

its my birthday month!

yesterday marked the beginning of my birthday month. that's right, i'm one of those really crazy people who celebrates their birthday for the whole month. believe me. its waaaay more fun that way for sure.
this year i will be the big 25. not too sure how to feel about that, but i'm going to celebrate anyway!



*check out this awesome baby shower! and welcome to my newest followers! leave a comment sharing your thoughts! i love to hear from my readers!!