Gonna Take You For a Ride On a Big Jet Plane

Just a quick update to say that I am alive. (That's me in DSW getting some darling shoes which shall make their appearance soon, if all goes as planned.) Went home for the three-day weekend and had a lovely time traipsing about town with my beloved cousins. Unfortunately I am now back at school, land of concrete buildings and eternal bad weather. Oh Seattle, where are you when I need you??

Ferns Galore!

I know this is literally months late, but I realized today that I forgot to post pictures from my month-long trip through Oregon and Washington with my cousin and aunt and uncle. It was arguably one of the best vacations I have ever taken. My dream city is Seattle and it's where I would have gone to college if out-of-state tuition wasn't like death. I loved the intense amount number of trees and how every spare bit of ground was covered with flowers and ferns. San Diego is so sparse in its greenery... It's rather depressing for me. Which is why I will probably study abroad somewhere like England or Ireland and why I'm looking for some kind of summer program in Seattle for this coming summer. Regardless, here is some Washingtonian green goodness.

Creatures of Dreams and Nightmares

Spring/Summer 2011 Collection by Scott Park

Who Knew It Could Be Spring and Fall At the Same Time?

Outfit Details:

Monteau dress

Hue teal tights

Black heels

And so we have January in sunny ol' Southern California. I mean, really, how is a girl supposed to dress appropriately for the weather when it literally is 75 degrees on Friday, windy and cold on Saturday, and rains on Sunday? In fact, over the three day weekend the weather was so lovely (it hovered between 80 and 85 degrees) that we headed off to the beach every day from Friday to Monday. (Speaking of which, I should post some pictures. It was quite a good time.) Now, I appreciate that this is unseasonably good weather for this time of year, but is it really too much to ask to have at least some semblance of the four seasons? I enjoy bundling up a bit for the colder months, and nothing makes me feel more alive than a lovely overcast day, so the fact that this place seems to have completely skipped winter in favor of spring is a little disorienting. Amusingly, on campus there are simultaneously trees that have yet to lose all their leaves, while others are already beginning to blossom. In what universe do fall and spring occur at the same time? These poor trees are so dreadfully confused by this bizarre weather.

Myths of the Forest

Lusting for: Modcloth Shoes

Whywhywhy must shoes cost so much?!!? And why I must I live in this minuscule little dorm room with even less room for shoes than I'm using right now? I always feel limited in my outfit choices by my lack of shoes... and I have more than twenty pairs with me. I often go through fashion crises such as this, where I end up disliking everything I own or just plain am dissatisfied with my options. I's bratty and childish of me, I am fully aware, yet I can't help it. So since I'm trying really hard to stay within my budget, here's my shoe lust list (hopefully posting it will make the not-getting of the shoes less painful):

I'm a little obsessed with the Victorian era, and these boots look like they just popped out of 1895. The lace, the buttons, the creme leather. Just lovely.

The bow. I can't get enough of ribbons or bows, particularly on shoes. Plus, black patent leather tips? YES!

Love the stacked wood heel. And lumberjack boots. 'Nough said.

Something about this shoes is just so appealing. It might be the combination of rust orange and sapphire blue, or it could be the leather with suede, or it could be the little gold studs on the wedge heel.

These are just on here for a whim, because I technically own them already. Just in a different color. I love this color as well, but I simply could not justify buying two pairs of the same shoe.

Lace-up boots are one of the greatest loves of my life.

I would be the height of a normal person in these! And that, combined with the lovely soft brown suede and warm wood platform, make these absolutely irresistible.

Did I mention I like the Victorian era?

These remind me of the Wicked Witch of the West. Which is always a good association. Also, they're velvet. I really can't say no to emerald green velvet. With ribbon bow.

Ohhh these shoes. I have been nursing a crush on these for, oh, a year now. Something like that. I can't bring myself to splurge on them (and I think my size is out of stock anyway). But I sure can love them. My consolation to myself is that I will make my own pair. I have already bought the glitter.

All from Modcloth

P.S. Sorry for the length! I always go overboard on these lust-lists.

I'll Be Gone Before the Nightfall

Mmm lots of lovely new things today! Let's start with the lipstick. I had been searching for the perfect red shade ever since fall began creeping in last year, but my skin tone is such that most colors were too pink or too orange. So I waited, secretly checking out the lipstick section anytime I ventured into the makeup section of a store. And then, I found it. Revlon's Crimson lipstick. It's quite a departure from my usual routine of mostly neutral makeup, especially when it comes to lips. I'm so pale I tend to shy away from things like bright lipstick would increase my already uncanny resemblance to a vampire. Also new are the lovely thigh-high socks I bought myself for Christmas. I love how long they make my legs look, and they're very warm and soft. I'm completely won over.

One of things I realized while writing this post was how... dissatisfied I am with my photos. I think a number of things have contributed to this. I cannot take my own pictures (as mentioned before) because people on campus would almost certainly think I was crazy. So that means I have to coerce friends/roommates/etc. to take pictures for me, and they usually don't want to. And really, who can blame them? So I don't get to take the millions of pictures I would like to take in order to have a much greater variety to choose from. Also, I have basically one courtyard area that I like on campus, and that's it. The pictures today were of one side, and I've posted many a post of the same area: a, b, c, d, e. It has definitely become my official campus haunt, but I sincerely wish there were more, well, attractive places on campus. It is my daily lament. There is so little greenery or even nice architecture (unless you like overtly modern buildings, which I do not.)

I also realized that I look so darn morose in these pictures! Jeez! And I wasn't even having a bad day or anything as an excuse. Resolution: LOOK AT THE CAMERA, DARN IT!

Urban Outfitters tunic

Target skirt

Sheer nylons

Charter Club thigh-high socks

Modcloth's Made the Cutout heel

The Birds Are Silent In Their Nests

All by Alena Hennessy