As the title suggests, I am Sonoma Bound as of tonight and I absolutely can not wait! My friend goes to school up there and her break happened to fall on the same week as mine. Lucky duck, right?
For me, the hardest part of traveling is always the packing. I am absolutely miserable at it. I over-pack regardless if it is simply a sleepover night or a month-long trip. The line of thinking generally goes: You never know if there might be a freak snowstorm in Northern California in late March for that one week I will be there. Better pack the parka just in case. Well good news, the bag is completely packed. It took me all day, but it is done.
Now I can focus on the fantastic week I have ahead of me. I have some lofty plans thus far. I want to dye my hair, eat a doughnut (yes, that is an actual goal), maybe tan if the weather cooperates with us, watch some movies and basically just love life with my Bestie!
If ya'll have a break, I hope it is an absolutely fabulous time for you. If you don't, take comfort in the fact that I'll be joining the workforce shortly and won't have one anymore either. Sad business. But, I will be sure to snap a lot of pictures, so you will feel like you are there.
Woo!! It is officially one of my favorite holidays! Of course, it explains a lot that my last name begins with Mc. It is so lovely though. Green, a color I believe happens to be particularly underrated, gets some serious p.t., delicacies like Irish Soda Bread and Corned beef and Cabbage get turned out of kitchens around the world and most everyone engages in some seriously conspicuous alcohol consumption! What's not to love?
I am particularly excited for the day's festivities because I went a bit bold with the green theme. I did it folks, I bought green jeans. It's a pretty big deal. Not only are they green, but they are skinny fit! Just so you know, saying I own skinny jeans is practically blasphemy in my head. I always swore them off, convinced that they just do not suit my shape. Well, I pushed that ridiculous thought out of my head and committed. Now, I can't wait to wear them out! I'll surely post a picture of my outfit later, but here are the jeans on there own.
The perfect clover color, if I do say so myself.
I hope you all enjoy this lovely holiday. Do you have any special plans? I don't really know what I'll be doing, but I know I will be rockin' some seriously awesome green jeans.
I do not know what it is, but I am absolutely adoring the look of them lately. I think they give off the perfect combination of cute, flirty but not trying too hard to look put together. This is my interpretation of them anyway. I did not have the right size scarf to use, but was so hooked on trying the look out that I resorted to cutting up one of my neglected scarves. I cut one side to fit and figured the rest would just be a awkwardly-shaped leftover, but it was actually the leftover bit that fit better. Typical Brittany maneuver, of course.
This was my first attempt trying it out, but I was very happy with the look. I mean, we can probably discuss how relatively perfect that pouf is too. I'll pat myself on the back for it. I'm not above it. Back to the scarf, I think it added a little something interesting to a basic outfit and I was just so excited about it that I felt confident all day. That is really the biggest plus in my mind.
Here, is a tutorial on tying them. You should really take a gander at the rest of the blog too. It's by Keiko Lynn and her style is just so fantastic! Plus, she looks ultra adorable with her scarf.
Here are some more images of fabulously stylish scarves. Some of them have a feeling of old Hollywood glamor that I just love.
Image Courtesy of superkawaiimama.com.au
The above picture originally comes from the link provided, however I found it on a blog specifically dedicated to head scarves (http://head-scarves.blogspot.com)
I found an archived post on this cute blog about them as well and she included some really cute pictures, so you should check it out. I'm personally gonna check out her more recent posts because it looks like the kinda blog I could get hooked on. Don't you just love finding new reads?
So, what do you think?
Will you be giving head scarves a go or will you be sitting out this particular fashion?
I hope to find some more scarves I can use, because I am totally hooked, even more so after seeing all these new cute pictures too.
"Ben Franklin Boombox" by Get Up captured by Lulu Hoeller
So how ya'll doing this beautiful Monday evening? Have you survived the time-shift? Doesn't it sound so futuristic when you say it like that? I survived, but just barely. The extra cup of coffee really did the job.
For this lovely little musical day, I have really a self-indulgent playlist in mind. I mean, as if all my other ones haven't been already. Anyway, this one focuses on all the new music I plan on downloading in the near future. I told you I was working on a To-Do list that involved music, right? Well, here it is! In the cyberspace equivalent of flesh.
You should be advised that when I say new, I really mean new to me. I never download music, so I have a bit of a backlog of songs that I would love to have.
Yesterday, I celebrated the First Beach Day of the Year! It was fantastic, let me tell you. It might very well be one of my favorite holidays. The sun was shining, the sand was warm and the smell of sunscreen was in the air. It was Heaven.
It was a day of bonding with my roommates. First, we ate breakfast at this adorable little cafe in Mission Beach called Olive Cafe. I ordered a breakfast burrito and goodness, it was amazing! So tasty. I particularly loved the salsa they served with the burrito. It was delicious while not being very spicy. I highly recommend stopping by if you are in the area. The food really was excellent. You should get there early though, because there was quite the line of people waiting.
After breakfast we went to the beach for a little volleyball action. Now, I'm particularly horrible at volleyball, more so than any other sport really, so I elected myself photographer. I got in some excellent tanning and people watching time too, always a fantastic activity in my book.
Things clearly got real during the twenty or so games played. Everyone was really leaving it all on the sand, as it were. I was quite proud. In case you were wondering, I'm an excellent cheerleader. First class, really.
I'm also a great navel-gazer. It's a gift.
All in all, it was a fabulous day! I am working on being a bronze beauty by the official start of Summer. These are the goals I give myself. Nothing too lofty, mind you.Anywho, I'll let you know about my progress, of course. I wouldn't dream of keeping you in the dark about something that is so important!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I hope you are somewhere warm and sunny!
*Disclaimer: This post is entirely focused on Boy Bands; please take the necessary precautions.
Firstly, if you have been lurking around Sunshiny Beat for any length of time, you will know about my tween-ish tendency of Loving boy bands. Loving with a capital L, mind you. If you are unaware, you can read about such ravings here and here. I also believe I have a playlist dedicated to them. Might want to check that out, just saying.
Secondly, if you have been listening to the radio, watching daytime television talkshows, or have been on the Itunes or Billboard charts, you will have noticed that these guys are really taking off.
Combining these two facts makes for a very happy teeny-bopper population + yours truly. I want to shout from the rooftops to my fellow fangirls:
"This is our time! Gather your witty, construction paper signs and puff-paint shirts, because this is our time!"
A little overboard? Likely. Flying my crazy flag a little too high? Most definitely. But can you really blame me? I have been waiting years just for the slightest hope that N'Sync will get back together. All of that devoted waiting has been rewarded with the emergence of not one, but three dominant boy bands this year! I am on cloud nine!
Firstly, we have Big Time Rush, a nickelodeon formed quartet. Last summer, they were playing state fairs and small venues. This summer, they are headlining their own nationwide arena tour. I've already heard from very reliable sources that their Winter Better With You Tour was absolutely phenomenal, so I can safely assume their Summer tour will be epic! Needless to say, this girl has plans to see them when they come to California.
Next, we have the British/Irish boy band The Wanted. From the other two posts, I'm sure you have gathered who they are by now. You might not know that their single "Glad You Came" came in the Top 5 on Billboard's chart, the highest ranking a UK boy band has ever received on the charts. They also topped out at number 2 on iTunes download chart. I just received my copy of their second cd Battleground in the mail yesterday and must admit, I am totally hooked. They are releasing their debut US album on April 24 and I am definitely predicting good things for them.
Image Courtesy of Billboard.com
*Prediction: I think they should release this song, "Warzone", as their next single. It will definitely be as widely received as "Glad You Came" has been.
Lastly, there is One Direction. I admit I do not know a lot about these boys other than the fact that they are also a British/Irish band that are definitely blowing up in the US right now. They are on the cover of virtually every teen magazine out there right now. Yes, I admit I do look through them. I'm not ashamed. Frankly, if you are still reading this, I am thinking you are not the kind of person who is going to judge that anyway. I also know that they are simply adorable, as is their single "What Makes You Beautiful". They are currently opening for Big Time Rush actually, and they won a highly coveted BRIT award for Best British Single.
After seeing these guys and listening to their singles, you can see why I am so giddy for this year. All around, I'd say good things are coming for all of us, self-confessed boy band lovers. Below are links to dates for each band's tour dates and information sites. I know, after all that talk you are simply itching to see them live. I'll just stop rambling and get to it then, huh?
We all have them. Whether they are written down on paper, typed into a computer or just kept up in the head, we all have our own list of things that have to get done. I am quite the list person, so I actually have dozens of lists currently going. Things I have to do now, things to think about for the future, songs to download, the order in which I would marry the Big Time Rush boys, absolutely everything goes in a list.
Well, unless we are a superstar or a billionaire, these lists are too particularly exciting to read about. No one really cares if you have to get an oil change or buy more toothpaste. If this is the case, why am I talking about my To-Do List, you might ask? Because this is no ordinary list, no no.
You see, this is my Dream To-Do List. Everything that I wish I had to handle this week. It provided the perfect distraction from actually accomplishing anything, plus it was just a ball of fun! I highly suggest you think of one for yourself. Please, share your ultimate Dream To-Do in the comment section. I bet you will come up with some fabulous ideas.
1.) Take my dress to dry cleaners to get champagne stains from the Oscar after-party out
3.) Accept his Friday date-night invitation, confirm motorcycle transportation is perfect!
4.) Go to store and buy ingredients for this at private cooking lesson from him
5.) Convince Bakingdom to package these up and send them to me
This is what has made it on my list so far. As you can see, I am a very busy and important person in my dreamland. This is one list that I certainly won't mind adding to. What is on your list?
Now, I know what has been in the back of all of your minds. You have been wondering what happened to all the sunrise posts, haven't you? I knew it. It has been too long, I agree. Not being one to disappoint, I have returned to praise the beauty of our sunrise this morning.
So without further ado............................
I know I must say this every time, but I think this might be the most beautiful one I have ever seen. I literally gasped out loud when I opened the blinds this morning. Such a romantic, aren't I?
Please forgive the reflection of my lamp in the photo. Alas, I am a poor photographer. The true talent went to my friend Joni. Maybe when I am rich I can hire her to be my personal blog photographer? (eh, Joni? What do you think?) Until that fabulous day, however, we shall have to make do.
I also have this photo from the day before. It isn't a sunrise, but it does have a day moon. That's something. I hear they are good luck. That hearsay is based off of a cheesy teen movie though, so.......yeah.
Now that we have all oohed and awed over the stunning sunrises, let me hit you with my moral dilemma. I gave up drinking Starbucks coffee as my Lenten resolution. For those of you who don't know, Lent is supposed to be a way for Christians to prepare for Easter. People generally resolve to be a better person or they give up something for the span of forty days. I gave up Starbucks and, full disclosure, have already failed once. So, my dilemma is that while technically I gave up Starbucks in particular, should that also extend to prepared coffee beverages from other places? Because if it does, we might be in a spot of trouble.
It was just simply too good to resist. So, can you say loophole?!
I hope you have all successfully survived this Monday. Remember, it's all downhill from here. Shoot, the weekend will be here before we know it!
The latest in a long line of would-be craft projects.
This one, surprisingly, was actually thought up, purchased and accomplished all in a day, a fact that is slightly unheard of in the world of Brittany's crafts. This success is probably due to the fact that all of the thinking-up, purchasing and accomplishing was done not by me, but my roommate. My own results were a bit mixed.
So, things started out very neat and organized.
That quickly fell into a mass explosion of string.
I then attempted to rearranged that mass into something that slightly resembled a bracelet.
Here is what I ended up with; a rather pitiful attempt really.
That is what I get for never going to a summer camp. I actually don't think I would really thrive in a camp atmosphere. The only thing I ever pictured was the scene in the Lindsey Lohan movie "Parent Trap" when they are at camp playing poker in their bunks and the girls are betting Oreo cookies and nail polish. My sister and I always thought that was amazing and wished we could go to a camp like that. Looking back though, I don't think a real-life camp would have fit our lofty expectations. Dooming us to a cookie-less failure.
That was a lengthy digression. But, I'm back. After the baby bracelet above, I figured I should just attempt a standard braid. This went a whole lot smoother, let me tell you.
Not only is it relatively uniform in color sequence, it also fits a normal sized wrist. Results!
Here is a video clip of the movie scene I was talking about too.
I hope you all are having a splendid weekend. We are having glorious weather here and I just might convince myself to go out for a little sunbathing. Toodles!
