water you doing?

Spring and summer are creeping up on us and I’m so excited! I can’t tell you how many people have told me about the great rivers and lakes in the Pittsburgh area where I can kayak and have fun in the water. I’m getting water sports fever and want to get my kayak on!

What is your favorite summer activity?

(photo via here)

my other hunger games obsession

Did you download the Hunger Games soundtrack yet? Yes? OK, good.

The entire soundtrack is amazing, but I am particularly obsessed with the Jayme Dee song. I’ve never heard of her before, but I did some serious YouTube stalking and she has so many beautiful covers of popular songs. Her rendition of ET by Katy Perry pretty much took my breath away. I love her voice sooo much and she’s so adorable!

you’re (not) so far away

Is this not the best idea? They’re postcards that come with a heart stamp and you put a heart over your city and your friend’s city to prove that, indeed, you aren’t very far apart.

So sweet.

(photo via rarrarpress)

madewell + history lesson

Really, you guys, I can’t wait until the Madewell store opens by my house this summer. Will I be able to afford anything? No. But will I pretend that being near one will mean I’ll go on Madewell shopping sprees all the time? Yes.

I will just lust over this color block dress for now ….

My friend Mags and I were talking about this recently, but did you guys know that Madewell used to be called Madewell 1937 and it was the tiny, obscure sister to J.Crew? I remember about six years ago, when I was in fashion school, a girl told me about it on the train and back then it was the younger, cheaper version of J.Crew (with shopping only possible on its not-very-user-friendly website). I can’t believe how much it’s expanded and that I’ll even have a store in my little neck of the woods now!

(photo via Madewell)

love love, bang bang

I think about cutting my hair a lot (as I’ve mentioned). Something about this hair cut I found via an old Cup of Jo post really caught my eye though. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I used to have thick bangs (a la Zoey Deschanel), but I like this idea of sporting them again with a grown-out bob. It’s a more chic take in my opinion, but what do you think?

(photo via the thinking tank, via Cup of Jo)

the liquor games

Yesterday my sister and I finally saw the Hunger Games! I started crying immediately because I was just so happy and I though the movie was perfect. Did you know the screenplay was written by Suzanne Collins? That’s why it so perfectly matched the book (with a few minor tweaks, but trust me, they’re not worth giving a second thought!)

Well, suffice it to say my sister and I were very inspired by the movie, so last night we came up with the “Katniss Kocktail.” Oh yes, that’s right. We used Hunger Games-inspired liquor and it actually came out pretty darn tasty! We were surprised.

If you would like to try it out, here is the recipe:

• 2 oz vodka (for Haymitch’s white liquor he drinks)
• 1 oz apple pucker (for the apple Katniss shoots out of the pig’s mouth during training)
• 1 oz crown royal (for the tree bark that Katniss eats in the arena – I think it’s aged in oak barrels?)
• cranberry juice to taste (for the berries they eat)

It’s a stretch, I know, but we had fun! Let me know if you try it!

(photo via flickr)

spring in my step

Spring has sprung! Last week while we were out of town in Ohio all of the plants blossomed and everything looks so beautiful now! I just wanted to share some photos of the pretty things I’ve experienced lately. (I’m obsessed with the macaroons from Bartram House Bakery, so good!)

all’s fair in music and memories

Last night, I was driving and having a moment where I let my mind wander. I was thinking about all of my favorite music and how strong my association between different albums and different times of my life is.

One of my all-time favorite albums is Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel. I was thinking about how happy I was when I first discovered that album. I was living in San Diego, was having so much fun in college, living with one of my best friends in the best house ever and it was the first time I was in love (yep, Simon & Garfunkel = love).

All of those things have changed now and I’ve moved on to new adventures (still good, happy ones), but listening to that album reminds me of so many great memories.

Do you have a particular album associated with any memories?

(photo via Simon&Garfunkel, Wikipedia)

 

move over pinterest

Have you guys heard of STYL.MX? It’s a new site my friend Maggie told me about (she has the best job ever at Buzz Sugar).

It’s the recent creation of Brian Sugar, the genius behind the Sugar Network. It’s the fun of Pinterest with the added bonus of shopping! I just joined and am, of course, addicted.

Sign up for an account here. It’s every bit as easy as Pinterest, promise.

put a braid on it

I just got the new Madewell catalog in the mail! (When you don’t check the mail for several days, there’s all kinds of surprises!)

The styling in the spring catalog is spot-on and the braid crown sported by the model is pure perfection. Apparently I’m not the only who thinks so too, because the geniuses at Madewell posted a tutorial on how to copy her cute hair!

Thanks Madewell!

P.S. I only posted part of the tutorial, check out the rest on their Tumblr.

(photos via Madewell: Top and DIY)