i'm not getting married, but . . .

. . . i was doing some spring cleaning today on my computer, browsing through my files of photos i've grabbed from various websites and stumbled across this post from alyson at unruly things and remembered how in love i am with her ring.

quick detour/explanation: in college, when girls would look at rings and proclaim "this is the one i want" and say it loudly enough for all roommates to hear so that future fiances could be steered in the appropriate direction, i never had that moment. nothing ever won me over. this might have been a little bit because after seeing "Blood Diamond," the traditional diamond solitaire felt inappropriate. i eventually decided i was probably more of a pearl person, but i still wasn't super in love with the idea.

back to alyson's post. seeing how stunning a nontraditional engagement ring can be inspired me to do a little searching and find some "this is so me" options.



[alyson's ring. the hammered gold band, the smoky grey stone? sigh.]


[grey diamond ring from erie basin.com]


[black diamond ring from melissajoymanning.com]


now, who knows? by the time my opinion on engagement rings actually matters, i will have probably changed my mind three more times. but at least i know what i want today. that's worth mentioning.

i made it!

so my first solo road trip went down without a hitch. my road trip mix was great, i listened to this fun audiobook . . .



. . . and ate these delicious snacks.


i split up the trip into two days so that i wouldn't get too tired and it was perfect.

the first few days in provo were beautiful. pretty sure it was at least 80 and when i drove with the windows down to supertarget [best. store. ever.] i got a few more freckles. best trip already right there.

then i decided that since i was in the land of beauty schools and everyone worth seeing was finishing finals i should spend a few hours at paul mitchell and dye my hair. this time i did a dark purpleish black color that i love and looks really cool in the sun. and it was only $30. why don't i live in utah again?

in between packing up everything my sister owns, including the worlds' largest sweatshirt collection, i got to see some of my favorite people.


me and mckenna l. after lunch at guru's.


me and mckenna c. thanks for the photoshoot, chris!
[one can never have too many friends named mckenna]


on my way home, i stopped in boise and got to hang out with this guy . . .




. . . and baked the ugliest cake i will ever admit to making. but we learned an important lesson on patience with bundt cakes. good thing rainbow chip frosting was there to save the day.



now i'm drowning in laundry and trying to catch up on tv [project runway finale!] and my too-big stack of books from the library. good to be back home.

hello again and a request

well it's been a crazy two weeks of nannying all day and i'm just now getting around to emails, laundry and getting more than 6 hours of sleep.

but on to the fun stuff . . . i'm taking a road trip! i'm headed down to utah to pick up my sister from college and i couldn't be more excited. beautiful weather, catching up with friends, and hopefully sneaking in some shopping and good eats while helping my sister pack up. i've never driven on a road trip by myself before but i think it's going to be great. i just need a little help figuring out what to listen to on loooong drive. i have a few good audiobooks that i haven't got around to listening to yet, but i need some fun songs to keep me entertained. any good ideas?


my sister Lindsay and I (the only one I could find of us in a car, circa 2007?)

i'm late, i'm late for a very important date!

i know, i know- but better late than never, right?

i loved . . .

the john hughes tribute. i'll admit i got choked up seeing ferris, ducky, and molly up there. i grew up watching those guys and they have a special place in my heart.

hosts alec baldwin and steve martin killed it. no argument. but maybe it helps that i think steve is the funniest man alive.

tina fey and robert downey jr. as presenters were funny and reminded me why i watch and love everything they do.

ben stiller in full avatar costume. held my breath waiting for james cameron to come up and punch him. phew.

jeff bridges' acceptance speech. dude, man, you're awesome.

sandra bullock's acceptance speech. dang she made me cry.

kathryn bigelow. proud that we have the same name. embarrassed that the hurt locker has been sitting unopened on my desk for too long. i'll get right on that.

ok, now to the important stuff:


[zoe saldana] in love with the pom poms


[vera farmiga] bold choice, gorgeous details
picture from americansuperstarmag.com


[sandra bullock] classy and beautiful, if a little boring.


[rachel mcadams] monet in a dress. can i buy this please?


[miley cyrus] if only the top fit correctly, she would've knocked it out of the park.


[kristen stewart] if you squint, it almost looks like she's having fun. seriously though, one of her best looks.


[jennifer lopez] i'm a sucker for the huge poof. see: eva mendes, golden globes 2009


[carey mulligan] not a huge fan of the dress, but i love her pixie cut + huge earrings.


[cameron diaz] winner for overall gorgeousness. from the hair to the lipstick to the right amount of sparkles, it works.

if anyone's still reading, what did you love?


all pictures (unless otherwise noted) from justjared.buzznet.com

what's stuck in my head . . .

sometimes when i get new music i listen to it until everyone around me is sick of it and i know every word. case in point: i've been listening to these three albums and assorted singles nonstop for weeks now with no end in sight.

albums


[rihanna. rated r]


[ingrid michaelson. everybody]


[vampire weekend. contra]

singles
justin bieber: baby (fastforward through the irritating interlude, of course)
the script: break even
onerepublic: all the right moves
jason derulo: in my head

please don't judge. i enjoy a good sugary-sweet pop single from a child every now and then.

one for one

i finally went out and bought some Toms last weekend. i was on the fence about them because i thought they were kinda funny looking yet i wanted to support their cause. the verdict? they're so comfortable i may never wear another pair of shoes again! and they actually look pretty cute.


i went practical and just bought a neutral color, but after browsing the website i now want all the fun patterns. at least this is one shoe purchase i feel really good about.






want to know more about Toms' movement to give shoes to every child in need?
visit their website, toms.com

now i'm a real grown-up

since i moved back home i've been on the search for the perfect desk. my bed and dresser were just not cutting it. i searched craigslist, target, all the usual suspects and had pretty much given up. i was out running errands with my parents and we randomly decided to run into a furniture store and check it out. we were winding our way through their basement warehouse and literally bumped into my future desk. it was love at first sight. the wonderful people at stanton's in beaverton gave me a wonderful deal on the desk and matching chair that i am now typing this from. it's apparently a mission-style desk [i learn something new every day!] and is untreated pine. now all i need to do is stain it and start organizing all the junk that has already materialized on my desk.


[actual desk]

i also want to replace the drawer knob with something more fun and found a couple great options from anthropologie. where else can you buy fun drawer knobs?


[Granita Knob]


[Coiled Rope Knob]


[Framed Facets Knob]