Here's to the man.

or...men, as the case may be. A few days ago a friend of mine asked me something along the lines of "how to improve the way he dresses." Random, I thought, but a fair enough question. While I can't say that I love men's clothing (unlike say, my own :) I don't entirely hate shopping for it. Although I am definitely getting better, so progress is progress I suppose.


So, first things first. The big Don'ts. Numero uno: do NOT wear manpri's. EVER. The simple fact is that there is neither a time nor place for fashion this bad. You know what I'm talking about, the pants that are just not quite short enough to be shorts and yet way too short to be pants. Here, let me help you with a little visual aid.

Ok, now let me apologize for that. I know, it burns my eyes too.

 So just remember that. For life. Moving on.

Sandals. This can be a tricky one, because yes some men can get away with it. Many, however, can absolutely not. At the beach, ok you're excused, but out on the town, be careful. This is a little hard to show because everybody is different, but if you fear this may be a problem, just ask a girl. We are quite adept at helping you out in any (and all) areas of fashion. Obviously, there are some sandals that need always be avoided. For example:

Just no. Don't do it.

No jewelry, no popped collars, no skinny jeans, no tank tops, and no white socks with a black suit.


And the do's? Well again, everyone is different. I've noticed, however, that there are a few general pieces that get me everytime. Blame it on the (majority of) guys I've dated. In general I've been pretty spoiled in finding guys who know how to dress. Just lucky I guess. :)


Anyway, I love casual button up shirts with jeans.

So easy, and yet I can't resist it. 

Loose ties and a jacket. If executed purposely and properly, it can be perfection. See Chace Crawford.

I mean his looks don't hurt either but hey...just saying.

Other simple looks, just a blazer and jeans. (and maybe, just maybe a little scruff. :)

 

Other than those specifics, it's really rather easy. Nice jeans and casual tshirts are good for everyday, but it's always nice to get a little something different, especially in the case of a date. Trust me when I say I can almost assure you'll get a second one.

Well, that's the best I can do without a specific person in mind. So that being said, just think about what you wear when you're putting it on, and it never fails to check a mirror...and a girl. :)

On a sidenote, while men have made some mistakes, I can't finish this post without thanking them for some fabulous trends women have since adopted. 

 

divavillage.com

Boyfriend Jeans, a la Reese Witherspoon and Rachel Bilson (both of whom I kind of adore.)

So what do you guys think? Any suggestions for my friend who wants to improve his wardrobe? Or what he definitely shouldn't do? And how do you feel about menswear?

well it is ABOUT TIME!

The return of the "proper dress." (According to Rue de Chic) Not that I haven't been wearing this style for years anyway, but now I'm hoping it will as least be a little bit easier for me to find!

So what exactly is the proper dress anyway? Well, according to them it is the alluring 50s style dress, and to me, it is the epitome of elegance. Seriously, these dresses are stunning. They are fun, flirty, stylish, new (well, re-new. and yes I am well aware that is not a word but you catch my drift), so lady-like, not to mention MODEST! Incredibly unusual lately, I know.

Do I even need to tell you how excited I am for this? I have always loved full skirts from the time I was just a little girl. I could twirl all day long. Plus, it's all about defining your waist, which is pretty much perfect because it looks good on anyone. Day or night, this style can be made pretty much any way you want it. Colors, neutrals, florals, polka dots...I could go on and on. But I will not bore you with that now. Instead I will just give you a few examples. Beginning with some familiar faces:

Miss Michelle Williams in Oscar de la Renta

Miss Carey Mulligan in Prada

Now for those of us (me) who can not even come close to justifying a purchase of that magnitude for one dress, there are still plenty of options!

This adorable polka dot dress from ModCloth. 

I would pair it with a soft white cardigan and some simple wedges. 

 Pinupgirl clothing

Another ModCloth find.

Black pumps and either a black sweater or maybe even my black leather jacket to change up the look.

Another option is a simple skirt and tshirt. I adore those shoes and wooden bangles are easy to pair with just about anything, but add a little earthier tone to the whole outfit. :)

I guess that's it for tonight, I have loads of work to keep doing. Wish me luck!

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; but the tree is the real thing."

Abraham Lincoln said that. Smart man, he was. 

So. For my Buyer Behavior class we had to take a survey online to determine the different (and strongest) aspects of our personality. It ranked the traits 1 through 24 after answer (many) questions. First let me tell you I was actually pretty intriguing in this class at the beginning of the semester, and in general, the subject really is fascinating. The only problem I have is that all we do in class is watch the professor go through slide after slide after slide...after slide. And let me tell you, that is so dull I have to waste my time counting down the minutes left. Anywho, just thinking about it is boring me so moving on. 

I actually found the quiz (and subsequent results) quite interesting (and for the most part, quite accurate as well.) But without further ado, the top 10 results:

Your Top Character Strength

Kindness and generosity

You are kind and generous to others, and you are never too busy to do a favor. You enjoy doing good deeds for others, even if you do not know them well.

Your Second Character Strength

Spirituality, sense of purpose, and faith

You have strong and coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe. You know where you fit in the larger scheme. Your beliefs shape your actions and are a source of comfort to you.

Your Third Character Strength

Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty

You excel as a member of a group. You are a loyal and dedicated teammate, you always do your share, and you work hard for the success of your group.

Your Fourth Character Strength

Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness

You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.

Your Fifth Character Strength

Humor and playfulness

You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

Character Strength #6

Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness

Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.

Character Strength #7

Curiosity and interest in the world

You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.

Character Strength #8

Fairness, equity, and justice

Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.

Character Strength #9

Forgiveness and mercy

You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.

Character Strength #10

Industry, diligence, and perseverance

You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you "get it out the door" in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.

So what do you think? Now I know not all of you know me super well, but for those who do. Anyone else interested in taking the survey? I know it is rather long, but you don't actually have to answer all the questions at once (although I did.) You can always save it and go back and finish later. And hey, you might learn something new about yourself. I know I certainly did. :)

To take the quiz go here: http://uat.viacharacter.org/VIACHARACTERPROFILE/GetYourProfile/tabid/62/language/en-US/Default.aspx 

and click to take the "VIA Survey of Character."

Blugirl

I probably began my official love with Blugirl a little over a year ago. It was then that I discovered a pair of shoes that would forever change me. And you can view said shoes off to the top right of this page. After discovering them, I instantly knew I needed to own them. I mean, I had been searching and searching for the perfect pink wedding shoes (no, I'm not getting married anytime soon, but that is besides the point) for ages now. AGES. And these were them. Unfortunately, since that time, I have still been scouring the vast world wide web for a chance to purchase these babies. So that being said, if anyone has any hints on where I may be able to actually own more than just a picture, I would be greatly appreciative.

Of course, even though Blugirl has essentially made my life and subsequently crushed it all at one time, I still have a certain admiration for the line. Fun, colorful styles fill their runway shows, and while I can't exactly afford their clothing at the moment (see: starving college student), I certainly don't mind stalking their site occasionally. :)

This maxi just looks so soft and flowy. Hello easy summer days!

I absolutely ADORE those shoes, and the site has loads of different perfectly adorable ones too. Win. Oh and I don't mind the cute pastel jacket either. :)

And that is all for today because unfortunately I am SWAMPED with homework from now until approximately...the end of the semester. Lovely, isn't it.

change of plans.

I know I said I found that list of daily topics and I wasn't planning on doing them. I even had good intentions, I did start after all! However, as I was looking for today's topic, I started looking down the whole list when I realized, I really didn't like them. I mean, I'm sure they would have been fine, and probably even exciting for some people, but it just wasn't me. Letter to a crush (which I currently don't have), who you hate or whoever has hurt you the most (of which I find not only incredibly depressing, but unnecessary), pictures from over ten years ago, pictures now, self-portraits...Anyway, you get the point. I have no desire to be that vain.

I will still be posting more often, although my school schedule right now is completely ridiculous. So while they may not be long or crazy, or even as often as I'd like, I'm going to do my best. Starting with this.

Whilst searching for a little pick-me-up between classes today, I stumbled upon this little gem from Furla. Now normally this would not really be my style, especially with the $200 price tag. However, this hit me as a little bit adorable simply because it's so fun and simple, which is quite rare in handbags as of late. Anyway, even after all that, I still needed to get a little something more. And get it, I did!

Yes, it came in the form of this little treasure. It's a matching mini purse which opens up to reveal-get this-a FLASH DRIVE! Maybe it's just my technology loving, school going, MacBook toting self, but this sold me. Seriously, it is very adorable if I do say so myself. And with the variety of colors-blue, black, green, red, yellow, orange, pink...how could you resist? :)

So naturally I had to browse the site a little further and came across this gorgeous bracelet.

I don't know what it is but I find pearls fascinating, especially different colored ones. While I do wish there were a few more darker colored ones in this particular accessory, I still can't help but admire the ethereal beauty of it. Ah, if only that expendable income would kick in.

The Great Delay.

I know, and I apologize for it. Unfortunately I'm skipping day 4's topic for now, but I'll get back to it soon. I've been a little out of sorts lately, as anyone who I've spent time with in the past month can probably tell you.

On February 12, I found out my grandpa had passed away. While it may be considered somewhat "expected" (after all, it was Kaiser that severely screwed up the surgery he had a little over a year ago, but I digress), I was in no way prepared for it. Now maybe it's because I was off at school away from him or any of my family, maybe it's because he was one of the strongest people I've met, or maybe it's simply because I wasn't ready to truly accept it, but I indeed struggled for awhile. I felt like I was walking around in some weird fog. I didn't answer any calls or texts, I didn't talk to any of my friends. Honestly, I was lucky if I just made it to class that first week. I'd like to apologize to all those who tried to reach me, I wasn't intentionally ignoring any of you, I just didn't know what to say. Thank you for being patient with me and understanding. Being away from family, and not being able to see him and say goodbye didn't help either, but such is life. I don't have very many pictures with me on my laptop at school, but I will post a few of what I have at the bottom of this note.

I didn't I didn't think I was going to be able to attend the funeral purely for expense and time constraints, but fortunately I was able to make it down for a very quick weekend trip. It was great to spend a couple days with family and friends and to feel all their love and support. We talked and told stories and enjoyed each other's company, but it was a little bittersweet for me knowing that in a couple days I would have to be back to the grind of school and leave all that behind. Anyway, that is not the point I wanted to make here, I just wanted to give some small explanation of why I have been absent from the blog, email, life in general.

Many of you probably did not know my grandpa, but for those who did, you all know what an incredibly kind and great man he was. Hard working until the very end, adventurous, entertaining. He served in 2 different fields of the military serving and protecting his country. He loved the gospel and his family. Grandpa made sure to attend every important moment in our lives, be it baptisms, graduations, weddings, etc. He also enjoyed hunting and shooting in general. He would always tell us stories, and as usual make his own hilarious inputs. He actually attended Utah State back when it was just an agricultural college, and won the title FFA, which proved to be ironic when he moved to Thousand Oaks, CA and started working construction. (It's kind of nice to know that I am walking some of the same places that he walked when I go to school everyday.) Eventually, he built a company that continues to bear his name, with his 2 sons as well as some grandsons. He also was the integral factor behind purchasing a plot of land in beautiful Pine Valley, UT (about a half hour form St. George). Here, the family and even some of our friends began building what is now our family cabin, which holds so many wonderful memories for all of us. He was able to travel and visit one time to see the cabin in all of its glory last year on his birthday. I am so grateful for the example he set for his family, in both his professional and personal life; and especially for helping my dad become the amazing and supportive person that he is today.

On behalf of not only myself, but my entire family, I would like to thank everyone for their loving and sympathetic words and visits, especially those that have reached my grandma. It's hard to imagine her without him, but she is such a strong and wonderful woman, that I know she will make it. Sometimes when I walk into their house, I still expect to find him sitting in his chair watching a game. While I still find myself crying randomly at times, I know that he is watching over me, and all of us, and I appreciate when I am still able to feel his comforting presence.

While I was coming back up to school after the funeral, I heard a song that I have heard many times before but for some reason I actually listened to the words this time. While the context in the song itself is a little off, and by no means what I would have considered to have a profound impact on me, I'd like to share the lines which helped me (in hopes that no one is offended).

Coming home, I'm coming home.

Tell the world that I'm coming home.

Let the rain wash away, all the pain of yesterday.

I know my kingdom awaits, and they've forgiven my mistakes.

Coming home, I'm coming home.

Tell the world that I'm coming home.

Yes, I'll admit I immediately burst into tears, and I know the rest of the song has absolutely nothing to do with this kind of sentiment, but THAT is what I needed to hear. I am so incredibly grateful to have the gospel in my life and to know that I will one day be able to see him again. I only hope that I can make him proud and live up to his legacy in the meantime. 

Unfortunately, I don't have my favorite picture with me, but perhaps when I get back home, I'll post. 

Dad and Grandpa

My brother Rob with Grandpa

Grandpa and Grandma

Grandpa and Dad out shooting

Me, Grandma, Rob, Jess, and Grandpa at Thanksgiving right after getting out of the hospital (again)

Grandpa's birthday at Pine Valley with 2 of his great grand-daughters (my nieces Kelsey and Katelyn) 

My brother Jesse, me, and Grandpa at my graduation