Nautical By Nature

I will always and forever love anything nautical. Lighthouses, stripes, anchors, paddles, seashells, sailor collars. I love all of it, even the tacky stuff. In fact, I like it when restaurants by the ocean have tacky nautical decor. It reminds me both of home and of childhood vacations to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and the like. I love tacky gift shops. I love cheesy restaurant names that cleverly use nautical terms. Oddly enough, I don't really enjoy seafood. The only things I'll eat are stuffed clams, fried filet of sole, and fried clam strips. I've lived on the shoreline all my life, so it's just instilled in me. The shore is kind of a part of who I am, in a sense.

A couple of weeks ago, I couldn't resist getting this anchor ring from Urban Outfitters and naturally I decided that it needed to be paired with a nautical outfit. I had a few ideas since I do have a lot of red, navy, and striped pieces in my wardrobe, but then I remembered this skirt that I've had for years now and rarely wear. It's been forgotten in the bottom of one of my drawers for a while. It's one size too big, so I kind of wrote it off.  But even though it's a little big, it still looks fine! Plus, the belt buckle reminds me of some kind of nautical knot. So...I am sincerely sorry, striped skirt. You didn't deserve that. Please forgive me?

Top: Charlotte Russe//Skirt: Forever 21//Tights: Forever 21//Shoes: Unlisted//Sunglasses: Forever 21//Ring: Urban Outfitters

It started to rain mid-shoot, so I had to hightail it to my car in my heels. It was a passing shower, though, so I was able to finish taking pictures afterwards. It was also pretty windy, but for once it didn't mess things up too much. It may have been because I had hairspray in my hair. It actually did wonders for my skirt, although at times I had a little Marilyn action going on.

[This one looks like I'm rockin' out]

I think that this lighthouse is my lucky charm for photoshoots. I keep getting good pictures from here! This is the same beach and lighthouse that I did my balloon shoot at. I love the weathered look of the stone. I think it'd be cool to have a house that looked like that.

I'd like to explore other lighthouses this summer. That's always been a summer goal of mine, but I never actually end up going through with it. Instead, I end up living vicariously through Tieka at Selective Potential who also has a strong fondness for lighthouses. Maybe this summer will be the one that I actually go and visit some. Now that I have my new car and I don't have to worry about it pooping out on me, I'll be more inclined to get back into day tripping. I really do miss it. I used to travel all over the state, and sometimes out of state, all the time. I'm hoping for some weekend getaways this summer too. For now, I'll just be happy with some steady warm temperatures and lots of sun.

Early Orcharding

I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day yesterday! My family and I went out to brunch where I sipped a delicious mimosa and then devoured everything in sight. Afterwards, my mom and I took Tiara for a walk to try to awaken ourselves from our food comas. We were supposed to have tacos for dinner, but we ate so much that we weren't hungry even at 6.

My afternoon was spent at a local orchard where the apple trees were blossoming and goats were surfing on ponies. No, really. One of the goats kept jumping on top of the pony and standing on its back. It was the strangest thing!

I also had a vanilla ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles. It's a classic from my childhood that I still love. It used to be that all I'd ever get was vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. I'd never get M&Ms or Reese's or any other candy. Luckily, I branched out as I got older and discovered all the goodness of mixing candy with ice cream. Can you imagine life without candy toppings? I can't.

Dress: H&M//Sweater: American Eagle//Shoes: Payless//Tights: Unknown

It seems that lately when I try to take pictures, it's always super windy! Wind is something that I have no tolerance for. I won't even drive with my windows all the way down because I can't stand my hair whipping around and getting in my face.

The weather is pretty wonky around here. One day it's 76 degrees and then the next it's only 62. It seems that the hot days are the ones when I am stuck inside at work all day. It's supposed to be 70 on Saturday, so I'm hoping it stays that way. I can't wait until it's summer and warm all the time and I don't have to worry about coats or tights or anything!

Winner of Lisa Leonard Designs Giveaway

Congrats to Erika G. who is the lucky winner of the $50 gift card to Lisa Leonard Designs! Look for an e-mail from me within the next day or so for more information regarding how to claim your prize. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to everyone who entered! I'm hoping to be able to have more giveaways for you all in the future. Also...

Happy Mother's Day! :)

Meet Tiara

I know I've mentioned her before and you may have seen a couple of pictures here and there, but I thought I'd officially introduce you to my little foofball, Tiara. She's a pomeranian who is now 13 years old, but still acts like she's a pup. She loves to run around, go for walks, and sit in your lap. She's also a huge fan of belly-rubs. She just loves to be with you at all times. She's super lovable...and adorable. :)

When I was about 10 or 11, my mom and I stopped in a pet store just to look at the puppies. That's always how it starts, right? We ended up seeing this little ball of fluff playing with the other puppies and getting bit on and stuff, so we decided to take her out and play with her. I am told that while I was holding her, I begged my mom to get her with the simple reasoning that I was "already in love with her!!". So my mom caved and the next day we had a new little pom pup! She was so, so little when we first got her. She could pretty much fit in our hands!

It's weird because Tiara never really got into playing with toys. She did, however, enjoy ripping apart our trash and dragging it under my mom's bed. She also enjoyed gnawing the wooden baseboards in our house and chewing our underwear. She also liked to escape sometimes and take off down the street at 6 in the morning and I'd have to chase her around while half-dead from sleep deprivation before going to school. She was a bit of a handful as a puppy, but she grew out of it and is now super well-behaved.

[This one always kills me]

Tiara always looks like she's happy and smiling, even when she's just hanging out and relaxing. I love how her face is kind of like a little fox and how her big fluffy tail curls in on itself. I always found it funny the way she hops up and down on her hind legs when she's excited. She still does it even though she's a little older now. My mom would always say it's like she has springs in her feet.

It is so hard to photograph her because she's always moving around. And for some reason, I always manage to get her with her tongue sticking out. Sometimes she lets me get some nice ones, though.

I would definitely recommend getting a pomeranian if you were ever considering it or thinking about getting a smaller dog. They are loyal, playful, and generally cheerful dogs. Tiara will literally follow you around from room to room and just lay at your feet and hang out with you while you do things. Pomeranians are lap dogs, so be prepared for lots of cuddling and love...and very dainty kisses.

[Back when I had dyed my hair!]

*Just as a final reminder: The Lisa Leonard Designs giveaway ends tonight at midnight, so now's your last chance to enter!