SanFran

Here are some pictures of San Francisco - the Golden Gate Bridge (of course), the wharf, Ghiradelli Square, Lombard St. (curviest street ever!), an Italian meal in North Beach (a.k.a Little Italy), the Painted Ladies (row of pretty houses in pastel colors), and sea lions! More to follow...

C is for Chorus

A playlist of artists that start with the letter "C":

1. Coconut Records - Microphone
2. Carla Bruni - Quelqu'un m'a dit
3. Cary Brothers - Ride
4. Charlotte Martin - Veins
5. Cocorosie – Not For Sale
6. Coeur de pirate – Comme des infants
7. Cold War Kids - Audience
8. Coldplay – The Scientist
9. Cat Power - Song to Bobby
10. Christina Aguleria – Mother

Holiday

I am back from my vacation in Northern California. The weather was so superb there, it's hard to get used to humidity again. I can't wait to share my pictures with you! But first here's the new video from Vampire Weekend called "Holiday." I am already in love with them , but the fact that they are dressed like they belong in Versailles and are gorging in cake a la Marie Antoinette makes me love them that much more :)

West Coast

{these pictures are from flickr - they're not mine. they were taken with a diana f+, which i have and am bringing on my trip - hopefully they come out as good as these}

.

I'm heading off to California today for a week! I will be going to San Francisco, Napa Valley and Yosemite. Its my 21st birthday present from my parents (since now I can legally enjoy the wine in Napa) :) I'm very excited - cant wait to share all my pictures with you! A San Francisco, California themed playlist:

1. San Francisco – Vanessa Carlton
2. California – Phantom Planet
3. San Francisco – Brett Dennen
4. West Coast – Coconut Records
5. San Francisco – Ingrid Michaelson
6. Over My Head (Cable Car) – The Fray
7. San Francisco Song – Camera Obscura
8. California English, Pt. 2 – Vampire Weekend
9. California – Rufus Wainwright
10. Come Back from San Francisco – Magnetic Fields

Out in the club, sippin' that bubb'

(some cupcakes from my birthday)

It's my birthday week of turning 21 - so here is my playlist of songs perfect for girls getting ready to go out and have a good time (notice all the Lady Gaga, I can't help but love her):

.

1. Love Today - Mika
2. Hurricane Drunk – Florence + The Machine
3. Party in the USA – Miley Cyrus
4. Cheap Champagne – Georgie James
5. Telephone – Lady Gaga
6. I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
7. Boys Boys Boys – Lady Gaga
8. Drinking Song – Jenny Owen Youngs
9. Dancing With Myself – The Donnas
10. Just Dance – Lady Gaga

^LOTS of guilty pleasures!

It's my birthday and I can drink if I want to

An "I Love List" - Birthday Edition:

I love my friends. Last night I went over to spend the night with my best friends from high school. My friend who had it at her house got all these balloons, made a cake and had out all this food for a little celebration. It totally made my day. At midnight we popped open some champagne and celebrated by 21st! Then we continued to talk and snack until 5am - I had work at 10am, mind you, but it was completely worth it :)

.

I love my the people I work for/with. They all wished me happy birthday and gave me a bottle champagne and an adorable apron. They're all just so fun!

.

I love sleep. Right now I am crashing BIG TIME. I even started falling asleep kinda at dinner - running on 3 1/2 hours of sleep is hard and I don't recommend it right before your b'day.

.
I love my parents. They took me out to a yummy sushi dinner tonight. It was my first time ordering alcohol, but since my parents made such a scene about me being 21 and how it is my birthday to the waiters, they didn't even card me, because they just assumed that we were telling the truth - which we were! Still - I wanted to be carded though! There's always a next (thousand) time (s) haha

.

I love how everything is in bloom. Everything is so lush and green. When I came home from work, my mom had cut all theses fresh flowers from our yard and put them in vases in my room. She knows how I love flowers (and ice cream cake, which is pictured above).

.

I love Anthropologie. I am on their member /shopper list thingie and they send me this adorable candle necklace with a 15% off coupon. Talk about customer service. It made my day when it arrived in the mail. I plan on using it in California :D

I love birthdays.

Wish List

This is my WISH list for my birthday, emphasis on the WISH. Some of these I dream of receiving (like the designer dresses), others just might happen :)

...plus some good wine and cute cocktail glasses

It's always Summer, back in Alabama

In the last 3 days I have taken a final, packed my dorm room, driven home 6 hours, unpacked and worked a full 8 hour day at work! My hands are stained with food coloring, so that means one thing: it's summer!

.

This summer I will be working to same job I had last summer - decorating cakes, garnishing desserts, helping out with kid's parties. I love what I do and I love the people I work for. It truly is a dream job.

.

All my best friends will be home, which makes me merry happy. This means sleepovers, Starbucks hangouts and just frolicking around random fields (I swear we are in college lol).

.

I also turn the big 2-1 in just a few days! I am quite excited about this. It kind of stinks that I'm the oldest though, so no one can go out with me to the bars. Though come to think of it, I'm not a bar-hopping type of girl. However, I can buy us wine for themed dinner parties! As a birthday gift my parents are taking me to Napa Valley and San Francisco for a week, because now I can legally taste the wine at the vineyards.

.

Also, for the summer I have already bought tickets to see Greg Laswell and the IMOGEN HEAP! I am ecstatic about this purchases :)
.

I'm only one day into my summer, and I think its shaping up to be a good one!

Here is my sunny summer playlist:

1. My Boys – Taken by Trees
2. The Summer – Coconut Records
3. Swing – Zero 7
4. Sweet Road – Animal Collective
5. Travel – Thao
6. I Sing I Swim - Seabear
7. Better Together – Jack Johnson
8. The Strums – The Dodos
9. Caterpillar Playground - Nurses
10. Summerboy – Lady Gaga

.

What are your plans for the summer?

Heath Toffee Cookies

I made these yummy cookies for a bakesale a few weeks ago and basically only used what I had in the pantry. They're semi-healthy with the wheat flour and margerine (or so I tell myself). I wish I took pictures, but they're much better tasting than they look. In fact, they were DELICIOUS!

1 1/2 c. sifted white wheat flour, minus 3 TBL
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. margarine (I used Parkay)
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3c. toffee bits (1 package)

1. Combine flour, soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream margerine and add sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy and stir in dry ingredients.
3. Blend in candy.
4. Drop 2 inch apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Orient Automatic Watch Giveaway Winner:

is Ashley Lauren! CONGRATS!!!

Petit Rococo Giveaway Winner!

....and the winner is Chelsea Rebecca from Triumphs and Blunders of a Kooky Gal
CONGRATS!!!!!!

I put a camera to my eye

Songs about cameras, pictures and photos:

1. Pictures – Sia
2. Kamera - Wilco
3. Moving Pictures, Silent Films – Great Lake Swimmers
4. I Hate Camera – The Bird and The Bee
5. I Turn My Camera On - Spoon
6. Your Picture – Camera Obscura
7. Photocopier - Fujiya & Miyagi
8. The Sun On His Back - Camera Obscura
9. Pictures of You – The Last Goodnight
10. Anti- Western - Camera Obscura