Stocking Stuffers + Restoration Hardware

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All of these little stocking stuffers from Restoration Hardware are so cute! I have a lot of other great ideas to share closer to Christmas. I can't believe it's just a little over a month away. My 2013 has gone by so fast! After this weekend I will only have one final left, and I will be able to enjoy the beginnings of holiday fever.

♥ Have you ever been to Restoration Hardware? Have you starting thinking about stocking stuffers?

Currently + Phalaenopsis Yu Pin Pearl

Watching. Over the weekend we finished up the final season of Dexter. It was a wild ride. When we picked up groceries at Trader Joe's this orchid caught my eye. It reminded me of the "blood spatter" orchid Hannah gave Dexter.

Loving. I love my new earrings from Sevgi Charms. Like I said before, it has been two years since I switched them up, so it was about time. These cuties were worth the wait.

Reading. Next week I'm starting Catching Fire. I read the first Hunger Games book and loved it. I really want to read the next one before I see the movie. I'll be using our last photo booth souvenir as my bookmark.  

Playing with. My "playtime" consists of an afternoon at Buffalo Exchange. I thrifted one blouse, one crop top, and one necklace. Can you tell I'm really into arrows?

Thinking about. My mind is on the holidays. It surprises me that people already have their Christmas trees up. I'm at the list-making stage of what diy's, presents, and decorations I want to do, make, and buy. These stringed lights are going to be wrapped around our bed frame. I thought it might be fun to put a little something up, even though we generally wait until December 1. 

Working on. My life has sadly been dedicated solely on finals. Two down, two to go. My math final is due Saturday, so my life consists of coffee, a TI-84 Plus, and endless scribbles in my notebook.

Tasting. A few weeks ago I picked up these cute woodland cookie cutters. If time allows it, I was thinking about making some sugar cookies, and possibly this Almond-Jam Tart recipe from Kinfolk Vol. 9 for Thanksgiving. We have two houses to visit, so one recipe for each side of the family.

Listening to. Local Natives' Hummingbird album is so good. I can listen to it over and over! If you haven't heard them yet, you are in for a real treat.

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Anticipating. I can't wait to see how our Oana Befort portrait turns out! She is such a sweet, talented lady. This is my anniversary present, and I can't think of a better one.

♥ Thank you to Danielle at Sometimes Sweet for the idea for this post. What are you currently into?

Friday's Favorites + Growing Young

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These beautiful mini flower hoop earrings are from Sasha Bell Jewelry. I have been wearing the same earrings for over two years, so I think it's about time to change it up.

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I'm a sucker for paper crafts! This template from Paper Wolf's Shop looks like so much fun. I've never done anything like this before, but it seems simple enough.

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How cute is this mountain pillow from Three Bad Seeds? I feel like this needs to make it's way into my home as soon as possible!

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I love all stories involving Sherlock Holmes. With that being said, my favorite Waston character is definitely Joan Watson from Elementary. Her outfits are always amazing, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I peek over here to find out where to get them.

I saw this video on tumblr the other day (side note: you can find mine here). It really got me thinking about why women become camera shy. I can relate to the free-spirited child dancing in front of the camera, and I can also relate to the women hiding and shying away. This video has definitely inspired me to embrace the idea of "dance like no one's watching" when in front of the lens. This compliments my new philosophy of growing young.

I will leave you with my current favorite quote: "The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before." -Albert Einstein

♥ Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

Sparkler Writing + A Simple How-To

The night of our two-year anniversary we drove home from California, but had just enough time to attempt sparkler writing. We had never tried it before, but I always thought it looked really cool. It's actually quite simple.

what you need:

• Camera (I used my Canon Rebel EOS T3i)
• Tripod
• Sparklers
• Lighter

what to do:

• Put your camera on Shutter Priority Mode
• Attach your camera to a tripod
• Adjust the timer (I used 5 seconds for the "2" and 10 seconds for "love")
• If possible, have someone press the button for you
• Practice the outline before you actually take the picture
• Don't forget that you will need to write backwards
• If you finish your outline before the timer goes off just stay still
• Cursive works best, and just keep your lettering flowing and loopy 

♥ What do you think? Have you tried sparkler writing before?

One In Six Billion + LA Part II

The view was beautiful from the Griffith Observatory.

The card I bought Jason from Frances Vintage.

Target does it again! The $1 wrapping paper I bought sure made his present extra special.

I couldn't wait until Monday to give him his present. I was just too excited! Tonight we finally have time to start putting R2D2 together.

Legos are so much more organized now. Everything is broken down into different bags so you can assemble a little at a time instead of having everything thrown together.

Jason always gives me the cutest cards. He is my one is six billion.

We really wanted to go to the Planetarium, but we didn't have time. Next time!

Kermit!

It's not easy being green.

Franz Kline The Ballantine

Oil on canvas. 1958-60.

Jackson Pollack Number 15

Oil on Masonite. 1950.

Mark Rothko White Center

Oil on canvas. 1957.

Andy Warhol Campbell's Soup Can

Oil on canvas. 1964.

Pablo Picasso Weeping Woman with Handkerchief 

Oil on canvas. 1937.

The places we went:

Disneyland

Griffith Observatory

LACMA

Cinefamily

CB2

Plantation

The coffee shops we tried:

Cafe Midi

Susina

Blu Jam Cafe

Stumptown

♥ Have you been to LA? Where are your favorite places to go?

Disneyland + LA Part I

We had the best time in Disneyland! We flew through space, took bobsleds down an icy mountain, went down the rabbit hole, dodged a boulder, and joined the rebel alliance with C-3PO. So, to sum it up it was an adventure. 

Our favorite rides were: Space Mountain, Indiana Jones' Temple of the Forbidden Eye, and Peter Pan's Flight. 

♥ What is your favorite amusement park? Did you do anything fun this weekend?