Home Videos and Nostalgia

I stole a whole pile of home videos turned DVDs from my parents house while I was in Phoenix and it's been doing a first rate job of filling my time. I was so freakin cute when I was a youngster. I would share some clips but I can't load any of the DVDs onto my computer. Silly... Does anyone know how to do this? I feel like there shouldn't be any licensing conflicts because they are MY videos...no?

I miss the days when I jumped at a chance to sing for my mama's camera. Kids are so bold! Since we could all stand to get back in touch with our inner child, I found some fun kid crafts that you can whip up in a heartbeat. These are classics people!



(how impressive is this?!)

source
Fingerpainting...need I say more or find a link to a how-to? I don't think so.. But I will give a step-by-step for those of you who are confused. Step 1) Pick out some paint. Step 2) Put your fingers in said paint. Step 3) Paint.




This isn't a craft, nor was it done by kids, BUT HOW COOL IS CHRISTIAN FAUR'S USE OF CRAYONS!?
For the child in you, you can check out hundreds of craft ideas at Crayola's website.


Annnd homemade playdough. Have any of you ever made this? Every time I think of it I just remember the excessive amount of salt burning my hands and my taste buds (because I always ate some even though it tasted awful) You can find a recipe here.

Have a good night! I'm off to watch more of my childhood.

xoxoxo
Malori

Sugar

I remembered your sugar today! It's spring in my mind and I can't get enough of pretty flowers and this lovely shade of purple.

Here's your lavender sugar!










Images: flickr, weheartit

In other news, I'm heading back to my beautiful city today. I CANNOT WAIT! I picked up about 500 crayons last night so I can get started on a really fun project for class. I'll be sure to share pictures because if all goes according to plan, it's going to be awesome! I've got my ipod loaded up with Frank Sinatra and my knitting needles ready to go. I'll see you all tomorrow.

xoxoxo
Malori

Online shopping; tips and tricks

I shop online constantly. As a matter of fact, I shop online way more often than I shop in stores. Part of the reason for this is that I really don't have a lot of money and I've found that if I stay out of stores my wallet stays a happier, fuller environment and I can afford important things like groceries.

Having said that, I adore online shopping. Most people I meet can't seem to understand why I enjoy it so much and have expressed their distaste for the online market. I decided that the reason these naysayers are raining on my parade is simply because they don't know the right way to shop online. When I came to this conclusion, I thought it would be really fun to share a handy guide to online shopping, so here goes!

Whenever I'm shopping online, there are a few important things I do.

1) bookmark, bookmark, bookmark

The great thing about online shopping is that you don't have to decide what store or mall to go to. It's also great because once you're at a particular site, who's to say you can't search for the same garment at a lower price elsewhere before you make your purchase? I have a folder on my computer reserved specifically for "things I want to buy ASAP". I tend to do this a lot with handmade items that I can't afford but would love to own when I do have the money. It helps keep me prioritized when shopping. If I liked something enough to add it to my bookmark list, it automatically trumps something I've seen in passing.
It is also important to bookmark online vendors that you like. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a site that I adore, only to forget what it is and regret not bookmarking it. If you're like me, eventually you'll find a few hotspots that you check out regularly because they've done you well in the past.


2) Read reviews

One of the biggest complaints I hear about online shopping is that you can't try things on before you buy them. I know that the sensory part of shopping is quite important but it is not all lost online. Most sites offer a section for reviews on the particular item you're looking at. I can't count how many times I've been dissuaded from buying something because of the reviews. Learn from other people's mistakes! This is where you're going to find out if the fabric is cheap or the bust fits weird. If you see a lot of negative reviews, chances are you aren't going to like the garment either. Best to pass it up. However, if you do make a mistake...

3) Read return policies BEFORE buying

You CAN return things to online vendors. Exciting right?! The only drawback to this is depending where you're buying from, the return policies vary greatly. Sites like modcloth, free people, and mod cloth all offer free returns. Sadly, some sites do not. If you think you're taking a chance on what you're buying, make sure the company has a gracious return policy. Nothing is worse than buying something you hate, paying shipping for it, then paying MORE shipping to get rid of it. Be sure you're well versed on the return policies of wherever you're shopping.

4) Pay attention to shipping costs


This is the other major drawback to online shopping, but an easy one to avoid. One main reason to shop online is to get a deal that you won't find in stores. Most of the sites I frequent offer discounted prices on items. The way I look at it is that if I'm getting a discount, I don't mind paying that extra $10.00 for shipping. Especially if I'm sure that I'll love whatever it is that I'm buying. However, some places charge WAY TOO MUCH for shipping. In my opinion, you really shouldn't ever have to pay more than ten dollars to have a garment shipped to you. This obviously changes if you're buying something like furniture, but as far as that cute summer dress you've been drooling over goes, ten is more than enough for shipping. Don't get trapped into paying ridiculous shipping prices!


5) Look for deals

There are about a billion gazillion (yes...that is a real number) discounted designer retailers online. No matter who you are, you CAN find a discounted price on what you're looking for if you're patient enough. Some of my favorite places to find great prices are as follows:

Private Membership Only Sales
-Gilt Group
-Ideeli

A little something fashionable for all
-Shop Bop
-Mod Cloth

My Favorite Vintage
- Billie Goat Vintage
- Marion Mercer
- Chic and You Shall Find

Jewelry
- Lara Lewis
- Verameat

Mainstream
- Urban Outfitters

The Happiest little e-mail of my week
- Shop it to Me

I hope this changed your opinion (at least a little?) on online shopping! I know I love it, so you should too.

Have a beautiful Saturday
xoxoxo
Malori

Sore neck!

I think that I break when I'm in Arizona... Earlier this week I was attacked by allergens, then I had a cough for a few days, and this morning I woke up with an extremely sore neck/upper back which is giving me a gigantic headache now. I can't wait to get back to my city. Hopefully Chicago can put me back together.

That's enough of my complaining though :).

Here's just a fun little time-killer. This website lets you sketch. Even if you aren't an artist, what you come up with will be beautiful!!

This is what I did first...

and then I did this...


Go play! Share what you did :)
xoxoxo
malori

Haircut!

Hello there :)

Today I got my hair cut...well...trimmed. I really needed it too. See how cute? It's not really any different, I just wanted to keep it healthy because I'm trying to grow it out.

I also started packing to go back to school (YIPPIE!) and I am realizing how many dresses I have. I LOVE it. I don't think I'll be able to fit all my spring clothes and shoes into my suitcase for the trip back to school.

Not too much else is going on... I'm still feeling really down because of these awful allergies. It's so annoying! I really can't wait until I go back to Chicago.

Before I head out, I wanted to share a really interesting blog with you. This artist is trying to sketch every person in New York. Have any of you see or heard about him? His blog is awesome!



His sketches range from extremely basic to very detailed depending on how much time he has to sketch his subject. My favorites are the really busy drawings. I'm not sure why because they really resemble scribbles more than anything, but I love all the layers! They're so neat. You can see all his work at his blog.


Have a lovely evening :)
xoxoxo
Malori

Relaxing day!

I woke up bright and early this morning to go to a surprise breakfast for my mama's dance team. It's a tradition for the 8th grade girls to kidnap the 7th grade girls and take them to breakfast once a year and I just happened to be in town for the event so I decided to tag along. I danced when I was in middle school so it was fun to see the team now (even though I don't know too many of the girls).

It was a little chilly today (by Arizona standards) but I still wanted to wear a dress, so I slipped on this little number. It is one of the most comfortable things I own and I love when I get the chance to wear it.

Sunglasses: Ray Ban
Dress: Ella Moss
Shoes: Steve Madden

At the breakfast, I got to see a girl who used to be in my small group. She's like one my kids :). The light in Mimi's was not the most flattering thing in the world, but we snagged a picture together for you!


I'm dying as a result of TERRIBLE allergies so I've been pretty low key these past couple days. I spent a few hours reading on my couch today and grabbed coffee with one of my friends. It is always so nice to see people when I'm home :). Now I'm off to make cookies with another friend! If you're lucky I'll take pictures and share with you tomorrow.

xoxoxo
Malori

Today was pretty low key. My baby bro took the day off from school to spend time with me so we just ate a lotttt and relaxed together. We got breakfast at Cups N' Crepes (our favorite restaurant to go to together) and chatted about his life and my life. We talked about his girlfriend (awhhhh) and some top notch brother/sister bonding went on. After breakfast, we were going to lay out for a while but it was RAINING..stupid Arizona... so we went home and laid down for a while, then decided to get some lunch. If you're from Phoenix, you've probably heard of YC's Mongolian Grill. If you have not heard of it, let me introduce you.

You pay for a bowl ($9.00) then proceed down the buffet and cram as much food as humanly possible into said bowl. You create a sauce (they have some recipes if you aren't feeling creative!) and then the lovely cooks prepare it for you. Here's where it gets good... That single bowl that you piled high with goodies has now MULTIPLIED! That's right, you can get a good week's worth of lunches out of the leftovers from your food. And, in my opinion, the leftovers are just as good, if not better, than the original meal.

My little bro isn't as good at stacking his bowl as me and only ended up with one bowl. I got two. My older brother can consistently get three bowls. It's a fun little competition :).

Here's another outfit picture!!! I decided to go casual today (oh how awkward I am in this picture. My family doesn't like taking pictures of my outfits for me so it's kind of luck of the draw). Anywho, this is my outfit for the day!

glasses: See!
purse: H&M
top: Ralph Lauren
tank top: Forever 21
jeans: Paige
shoes: Urban Outfitters

I also forgot to share with you when I finally finished my beanie. I really like it and I can't wait for next winter to wear it. Okay I lied...I can TOTALLY wait till next winter. As a matter of fact, if it never gets cold enough for me to wear it I'd be pretty pleased.


That's all that's going on in my life :). How are all of you?

xoxoxo
Malori

New Header.....

I'm looking for someone who would want to design a new header for my blog. If you're interested, send me an email and we can talk more about it. I don't have any money so I can't pay you, but I would be willing to work out some sort of a trade!

I'll be back later tonight with a real post. Just wanted to throw this out there :)

xo
Mal

I missed your sugar yesterday!

I'm so silly! It didn't even occur to me that it was Sunday. Breaks really mess with my head and my concept of time/days. I'll just wait until next week for your sugar :).

Today was a really relaxing day. I'm shocked that I even know how to relax! I woke up early and got breakfast at this CUTEE new restaurant in my hometown. If you live in the Phoenix area, you really should check out The Hillside Spot.
The menu is unique, the prices are affordable, the atmosphere is warm and friendly, and the food is first rate. From what I understand, it is modeled after another restaurant there that I simply adore, La Grande Orange. I got a breakfast sandwich. It was SO filling and wonderful. It had avocado, tomato, scrambled eggs, chorizo, and mayo on it.

My friend and I sat on the patio so I could enjoy the weather and I ended up getting a rectangular sunburn on my chest. I had a cardigan on over my dress this morning so nothing else got burnt, thank god! Speaking of what I wore...


dress: Fire LA
shoes: Steve Madden
Are you noticing a theme with the shoes? Steve is my man and everything I buy from him fits me like a glove. Plus, I can afford it! Hop on the train friends :)

After I got back from breakfast (which sort of turned into lunch) I threw on a swimsuit, grabbed a book, and read by my pool for a couple hours. It was GREAT! It wasn't too hot out so I had a wonderful time. Laying in the sun definitely takes it out of me though, so I watched some tv and took a nap after. I'm feeling really lazy but I am actually enjoying it.

Day two of break?
success

xoxoxo
Malori

I'm home I'm home

And already antsy to get back to school/work. I'm the weirdest person ever. Who can say that they really aren't a huge fan of taking breaks? I feel like I'm wasting time when I'm not doing anything... I need to learn to relax.

I wanted to tell you all that my flight went very well!! I listened to Frank Sinatra the whole time (extremely relaxing) and read a wonderful book cover to cover (with some time to spare!). I got so much done, I even ended up knitting for a while. I feel really accomplished! The book I read was assigned for homework over break but I LOVED it. So much so, that I'm giving it to you as homework. Go out and get a copy of Our America, read it, and tell me how much you love it.

This is a fantastic book about life on the south side of Chicago. It is written by two teens who grew up on the south side and is the most honest account of the ghetto I've ever had the privilege of reading. Have any of you read it? Did you like it?

I spent my first day in down being really busy! I met with some friends who are already headed back to their various schools all over the country today. My spring break didn't line up with theirs, but it was really nice to have a weekend that overlapped so I could see some shining faces of good friends <3. I also visited my old work and shopped for a while. I had some store credit built up and got some fantastic dresses that I cannot wait to debut. I'm trying really hard to incorporate more fashion posts into my blog because it is, after all, my major. Having said that...I'm soaking up every bit of sunshine Arizona is willing to give me. I woke up and FINALLY got a chance to wear the dress my mama bought me for Valentines day. It's SO cute and I gotten about a million compliments on it. I was too lazy to take a picture with my real camera so I also took a close up, as well as the regular picture, for the detail.

dress: target

My plans for the week seem pretty promising. I've got to make some plans/decisions about what I'm going to do with my life this summer. I've got a lot to think about in regards to my living situation this summer and next year. So I want to take a lot of time this week and pray/talk it over with close friends until I come to a decision. I also have some fabric here and I really want to bring you a tutorial (I've had the idea since winter break but I forgot to bring the supplies to school with me) so hopefully I'll pull that together. I want to go on a lot of hikes because the weather is beyond fabulous and I want to soak up as much of it as possible. I'm grabbing various lunches and breakfasts with good friends at my favorite restaurants in the area (I loveeee eating out when I'm in Phoenix). I'm trying to embrace my break even though taking time off isn't my most favorite thing in the world. Perhaps I'll be able to read more books and finish the knitting projects I have lined up? I may be getting a little ambitious...

How do you like to spend your breaks? Does anything in particular make the time go faster for you?

I'll be back tomorrow if I have more to share! Have a wonderful day!
xoxoxoxo
Malori

Goin Home :)

I'm sitting in the airport right now waiting to board my plane. I had a few extra minutes and some internet connection so I figured I'd post :).

I'm really weird about flying because I hate some parts of it but there are a few aspects that I sort of like. I hate the actual flying part--cramped legs, smelly people, no arm room, being stuck thousands of feet above the ground with no control over anything (yes...I am a control freak). However, I do like the expediency that flying offers over driving, and I enjoy looking and feeling glamorous at the airport. Whenever I fly I try to wear heels and a cute outfit. You never know who you may meet on a plane and if I meet someone important I don't want to look like a scrub. I also really like the vintage images of flying that spring to mind when I picture airplanes. Flight attendants from the glory days of flying were absolutely fabulous. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of these classy women.






Alright, it's time for me to board :). See you in Arizona friends!

xoxoxo
Malori

YAY SPRING BREAK!!!

I'm done with all my classes and it's officially spring break :). Tonight I need to pack so that I'm ready to head back to Arizona tomorrow. It's supposed to snow later this week in Chicago (suckersss...) but I'll be poolside reading book after book questioning why I ever left the sunny state I grew up in anyways. I have a whole stack of books that I need to get through and I need to stay caught up on my goal list.

Tonight, I'm going to go on a walk by the lake with my wonderful roomie. I can't wait for her to get home :). I'll share some pictures tomorrow.

Today my classes were really fun. In my first class, we ditched the classroom and discussed our projects in the park. Never in my life have I felt more "college", or as my friend Caitlin would say "collegetastic". I couldn't take pictures with my real camera but I was really sneaky and took some with my phone...


After my first class, I ran back home and snagged some food then bolted to my art history class. We built the Hagia Sophia out of oranges and tangerines, then got to eat them. My art history teacher is so cool, she really loves what we're learning and does everything she can to keep us interested.

Here's my Hagia Sophia...


During our break, she showed us this hilarious music video. If you've ever studied art history of any kind, or read a book with pictures in it, you'll most likely recognize at least one of the scenes.

70 Million by Hold Your Horses ! from L'Ogre on Vimeo.

I'm pretty sure that after this post anyone who thought that my school was a joke is feeling validated and anyone who thought my school wasn't a joke has officially changed their opinion. I promise, we do real work too. It's just nothing noteworthy.

Alright that's all I have to offer tonight :). Tomorrow I'm going to be flying all day so I can't promise that I'll have time to post. Hopefully I will though!!

xoxoxo
Malori

One more day of class...

I ROCKED my marketing midterm tonight. I feel like a million dollars right now. I feel so good that I'm okay with using a cliche! Tomorrow I have two classes but no midterms and one of my classes is meeting in the park so we can enjoy the weather!! I AM BEYOND EXCITED! If I can sneak a few pictures I will, but I doubt my teacher will want us to have a quickie photo shoot in the middle of class...

This week has been pretty wonderful despite all of the chaos that's been swirling around. I've been doing pretty good with my midterms (studying MIGHT help...I guess I'll admit it...) and even though I've had to put my crafty projects to the side for a few days, it's been nice to take a break. I've had a lot of time to myself which I simply adore and it's been FULL of music. I usually bring you one playlist a month so I figured I should hop to it for your March list seeing as how the month is more than halfway over.

Spring Songs

1) Little Secrets By: Passion Pit
2) Best For Last By: Adele
3) Leave the Light On By: Priscilla Ahn
4) Hills and Valleys By: The Rocket Summer
5) Summertime By: Sublime
6) Hurricane By: Something Corporate
7) Always Will Be By: Raining and OK
8) Many the Miles By: Sarah Barellis
9) Short Skirt, Long Jacket By: Cake
10) Summer In The City By: Regina Spektor

Other fun things that are going on:
1) My roommate let me borrow her nailpolish and it is SO CUTE. I also realized looking at other blogs that this color on nails is all kinds of popular right now. Who knew?!

2) Chelsea-Rebecca is having an ADORABLE giveaway over on her blog. You should really check it out because, let's be real here, no one wants to refuse free stuff.

3) It's St. Patrick's day. Celebrate by wearing some green :). Here are some pictures of my friends and I from the day of the parade. Since I have class tomorrow I'm not really celebrating today... oops! But I had plenty of fun on Saturday to make up for my lack of fun tonight.



It was rainy and yucky on Saturday hence my matted down hair and sickly look. Silly Chicago weather...Not too flattering in pictures.

4) I've been asked what Etsy shops I frequent. I'm going to hopefully pull a post together later this week with that information. If you have a question you'd like me to address on my blog or something that has nothing to do with anything, feel free to ask on my formspring! The link is on the right side of my page, or you can just click here.

5) Last, but not least, I finally gave in this afternoon and bought a tank top from Gold Saturn. Seriously, I'm dying to have a few of their other items but I'll have to buy them one at a time because I really shouldn't be shopping at all... Online shopping will be the death of me.


I hope you all have a fabulous evening,
xoxoxo
Malori