Travel Romance

Such happy, sunshiny interiors. I'd love to attend this event and get myself on that dancefloor.

Subtle and romantic. Looking at this photo makes me smile.

London

Young Love

Old Romance

"Biologists make it seem so simple. The same heart whoever you are, hamster or human and no references in the whole book to the effects and consequences of falling in love."

-Caddy Casson in Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay

Just a couple of photos I love (what happens when you mix wanderlust with a romantic) and a quote from one of my favorite books. Caddy Casson was the original owner of my nickname.

Image source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

HAVE A GOOD ONE!

The Rundown

The To-do List:
Today will be spent shopping for gifts. Three days till Christmas and I have bought nothing at all, too caught up in schoolwork.

Today I'm trawling the mall in search of a birthday present for my good friend Spencer (her first name is Maria but I call her Spencer/Spence). I've known Spence for over a decade and have been going to her birthday parties for almost as long. We've moved from all-girl elementary school parties that ended in the early evening to more grown up mixed celebrations where we actually closed the place down (we moved to the place across the street and carried on with the celebration).

Spencer is a wonderful gift giver and has the distinction of being the only person who tells me what she wants for her birthday. I do the same with her. She's recently gotten more into fashion and dressing up. This year she told me quote "I want to test your fashion skills and see if you can pick out a shirt/blouse for me." In the words of Barney Stintson, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!! Hence I'm going on a mall trawl. Wish me luck!

Also on the to-do list

• gifts for family, friends
• I'm hoping to find a great pair of heels
• Fingers crossed I find a dress too. I have 4 parties to go to in the next 4 days. They're annual parties so outfit planning must be done with care to insure I don't repeat outfits from last year at the same event.
• Maybe a haircut, my locks need some love
• But first THE GIFTS!

Happy Thoughts

1. Wrapping presents
2. Eating ice cream and talking with my grandmother who loves ice cream too. She told me in her youth she and her sister once ordered a tub each and the waiter looked at them in shock.
3. Dancing around to fun music.
4. McD's for dinner last night with my younger brother and his friend Mica (who's also our Aunt)! Yes, my Aunt is younger than me. I can relate to Joe (Tom Hanks) from You've got Mail! Hee, Hee! Incidentally I love that movie.
5. The Holiday Season: the decorations, the music, people exchanging greetings, the buzz. LOVE!!!!

Images via Weheartit 1,2, 3, 4

Donations to Magic

Images via Holy Relics, Lovebot, The Sartorialist (October 21, 2009 On the Street....Friends, Paris), We Heart It, Holy Relics, Mary's Blog, We Heart It

Sunshiny Thoughts

1. Christmas break draws nearer. That top photo just seems so festive to me.
2. Visiting and playing with some really cute sick kids. The children's ward was all decked out for Christmas, so that was nice since some might be there on Christmas day.
3. Helping my high school senior younger sister and her friend get ready for a party.
4. She and I laughing about the fun times of high school parties when she came home at the end of the night.
5. Staying up even later and helping prepare a meal for and talk with my older brother about random stuff.
6. Ian Somerhalder is awesome as Damon Salvatore.
7. The Big Bang Theory makes me laugh.
8. Getting to SLEEP!!

The Violin Tango

Images Via: Bouncytrouncyfun (Image 1,4,6), Knightcat, WeHeartit
Happy Thoughts

1. The video my friend T and I have been working on since last week got a great reaction when we screened it during TV/film production class today. Our professor said she got goosebumps. Awesome since we stayed up till 3:30 this morning editing it.
2. The class being interrupted by my prof's male friend who came in with a rose, a present and a violinist who played the most GORGEOUS tango. It was from the film Scent of a Woman and it was beautiful. I thought it was going to be a proposal, but it was his way of apologizing to her for missing her birthday two weeks ago. AWW!!! Things like this do happen.
3. The music of THE BEATLES!!! I love The Beatles and The Beach Boys.
4. The constant flow of food gifts that arrives during Christmas. T and I stayed awake fueled by cupcakes, cookies and Lindt Chocolate! YUM!!!
5. The two families who let me go ahead of them at the grocery store since I was only buying a chocolate bar.
6. Reading the December issue of Good Housekeeping and getting ideas for Christmas wrapping. I love wrapping gifts. :)
7. My 3 new for me (but old issues) of Elle Decor. I love looking at beautiful spaces. My interest in interior design predates my interest in fashion by years. It's my mother's passion so I grew up around it.

The Positive Image Stream of Consciousness

Images: Venice by The Sartorialist (July 1, 2009)/Hand it over/We heart it/Snazzy Fashion or Silverwings/Cupcakes and Cashmere/We heart it/
Just some images I like, saved and wanted to share.
Around two years back at this time of year I got tagged on my other blog to list something that made me happy everyday. I titled the lists gratitudes after Miss Ginny Branch Stelling who's blog was and continues to be an inspiration. I decided to revive it on this blog because it's fun.
Gratitudes:

1. Laughing in the car on the way home from school.
2. Helping my friend pick out a good pair of pants for his 21st birthday.
3. Drinking strawberry iced tea.
4. Eating Russian tea cookies
5. Running into an old friend from childhood. When we were kids we were at the Eww boys/girls stage and didn't have many conversations that didn't include one of us being annoyed by the other. Now he and I now attend the same university and talk like civilized adults which is nice.

Here are the tags instructions if you want to join in. Tell me if you do so I can read your lists. I love reading lists like these.Rules:
1. Post about something that made you happy today even if it's just a small thing.
2. Do this everyday for 8 days without fail.
3. Tag 8 of your friends to do the same (because 8 is the magic number XD)

Cascades, Casuals and Pink Higlights

Casual Twin braids.

Pink Highlights, perfect for summer and days by the beach.

A dainty cascade of hair at the front and a chic pony at the back.

I really like the way Blair's (Leighton Meester) hair looks in this episode (Season 2 It's a Wonderful Lie).

I think this new fascination with hairstyling is overdue after being, a girl who hated combing her hair (still get lazy about this), wore the same headband for seven years (kindergarten till 6th grade) and only knew how to put her hair up into half or whole ponytails (I'm now into braids).

Hope you guys like the blog's holiday decorations. I'm in the midst of typing my thesis but am already thinking about dressing up for Christmas parties. I'm feeling the buzz of the season and LOVE IT!!!

Images via Knight cat & Pepper and Chips and Polyvore

Tresses

Just some hairstyles I'd love to try out.

I love how she styled her headband and hair in a loose falling look that's held back.

Photos from Hanneli, Imogen Wilson via Knight Cat, Garance Dore.