Neon Sugar

moving on... to penny laine

2010-10-07T09:28:00.001-04:00

i've moved over to penny-laine. please follow there instead of here. i will probably never update this blog again!

Photograher Feature: Lisa Wiseman

2009-07-11T20:59:00.001-04:00

[images via Lisa Wiseman]

drop your panties punch

2009-07-11T20:57:00.000-04:00

Go Ask Alice...

2009-07-11T19:57:00.002-04:00

One pill makes you larger,

And one pill makes you small.

And the ones that mother gives you,

Don't do anything at all.

Go ask Alice when she's ten feet tall.

And if you go chasing rabbits,

And you know you're going to fall,

Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar,

Has given you the call.

Call Alice when she was just small.

Jefferson Airplane White Rabbit

95. Make a list of 100 things I love for future inspiration for art projects

2009-04-22T16:53:00.006-04:00

lightening
astronauts/outer space
plaid
doilies
vintage handkerchiefs
birch, dogwood, Bradford pear, cherry trees
teeth
lace
tutus/petticoats
horse show ribbons
vintage/romantic photography
old maps
dandelions
peonies
ranunculus
unicorns
woodland creatures
dinosaurs
corsets
glitter/sparkles/sequins/shiny things
typewriters
engineer/graph paper
stockings/long socks
fur
masks
perfect fitting t-shirts
satin shorts/slips
abnormally large and gaudy jewelry
teacups
Ouija boards
anatomy illustrations
ribbon
terrariums/bell jars
feathers, especially ostrich feathers
gnomes
cocktail rings
princess and the pea references
alice in wonderland references
eggs, but only the ones that are colored or speckled
birdcages
owls
cupcakes
tulle
moss
skeleton keys
mushrooms
beach cruisers
palm trees
pink/red eye makeup
platinum blonde hair
balloons
vintage suitcases
old picture frames or furniture that were painted white and now the paint is chipping away
bats
ridiculous raver outfits
diptychs
double exposures
butterflies
coral
curls
mason jars
hydrangea
wrought iron bed frames
day beds
floor cushions
French doors
apples
peaches
pears
cowboy boots
any light, flowy fabrics
polaroids
plastic/toy cameras
sparklers
hammocks/swings
serving trays
cute little tiny colorful birds
dress forms
mantels
tin ceiling tiles
ivy/vines
quilts
aprons
white eyelet dresses
globes
grass
clothes lines
white picket fence
fields of flowers
silver
pirates
orcas/dolphins
carousels
hot chocolate
stars
skeleton keys
hearts
sheet music
tattoos
tears

Book Lust: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

2009-04-14T14:32:00.005-04:00

Honestly, the first I saw of this book was the beginning of chapter 1 [below] and I didn't believe it was a real book. I quickly went over to Amazon.com and did a little bit of a search and saw that in fact, this is a real book. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! I'm dying for this book now and I believe I will indulge and buy a copy. I've always wanted to check out some of Jane Austen's books and I think the best way to try to get myself interested is to go for a copy that has some zombie action in it also! Plus it's only a little over $7 which is about what I spent for lunch today so I can't justify NOT buying it.
Once I order it and get it in the mail and read it... I'll let you know what I think of this book.

Photographer Feature: Guy Aroch

2009-04-14T14:18:00.003-04:00

TILT

2009-04-09T14:07:00.004-04:00

[image via Cecy Young]

Housewarming registration... My Tumblr friends said they would actually buy me stuff if I registered somewhere for my housewarming so I started my list at Target.
Hot lunch dates... Yesterday an adorable graduate student took me out to lunch and it was pretty much the best date I've ever been on.
Garden... I thought I would have closed on my house by now and been able to transplant some of the seeds that I started, but so far no luck. My cucumbers and watermelons have gotten out of control and are taking over my apartment. I can't wait to eat something I grew myself.
Compost... My compost bin was set up yesterday at the house. It'll be a while before I can really use it I suppose, but it's still exciting.
Missed Connections on Craigslist

Sorry, that's all I got... Still being bitter about my closing date moving 5 times and having to pay utilities in my apartment and the house that I don't own and can't even go into.

Etsy Love: Sarah Seven

2009-04-09T09:24:00.002-04:00

Sarahseven is based out of Portland, Oregon. Her dresses are feminine and romantic and made to your custom size. She even carries a beautiful wedding line [pictured below]. Did I mention the photography for her store is also amazing?

[images via sarahseven]

Photographer Feature: Mike Brodie

2009-04-07T16:00:00.003-04:00

Spring Has Sprung

2009-04-05T17:00:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday I started seeds to go into the garden of my new house. Now that it's been a week, all but the red peppers and Chinese lanterns have started to sprout. I planted watermelon, carrots [probably more for my bunny than for me], cucumbers, forget me nots, lettuce, Canterbury bells, Chinese lanterns, and red peppers. I went in search of ranunculus today with no success.

If you have any ranunculus or irish moss you would be willing to part with, please let me know!

A Much Needed TILT

2009-04-02T10:17:00.003-04:00

[image via sophie*g]

I’ve been feeling so tragic this morning that I think that a Things I Love Thursday might be exactly what I need to brighten my day up a bit... My closing date got moved again and I just keep getting pushed closer to when my lease ends, I'm petrified of not having enough time to get everything done.

True Friends... I have so much love for my friends who can recognize when I have a big smile on face, but am screaming for help underneath. The accompaniment to the thrift store, chit chat, dancing, and amazing conversations keep me going and are greatly appreciated.
Comedy Night... Last night I went to my first comedy night and it was hilarious, much better than what I had expected. I just wish it were on a weekend so maybe I could have had a drink also! Wednesdays are not good party nights for an 8-5er.
DIY Projects... I keep seeing amazing DIY projects online that I'm dying to do and bookmarking them in hopes of accomplishing them when I get into my new house... Here are some of my favorites and links of the instructions so you can try them too:

Decor Amor: How to throw a tea party
Photojojo: How to develop film with coffee and vitamin c
Lucky Star Origami
Craftzine: Mason Jar Terrarium
Design*Sponge: Custom Wedding Car Cans
Design*Sponge: Cedar Slice Silhouettes
Mr. Peacock: Decoupage your ceiling
Design*Sponge: Recycled Painting Magnetic Noteboard
Design*Sponge: Babydoll Coat Rack

Tumblr friend virtual hugs... A common practice for people on Tumblr is to stop following you if you have a bad day, just one post about having a bad day. Talk about fair weather friends, but every once in a while someone will reach out from the big scary world wide web and give you a nice virtual hug and that's so amazing... A stranger cares enough to let you know that it'll be ok and they've been through the same thing. Aww, feel the love :)
My Emo Playlist for today
Ranunculus... That's the flower at the top, I think they are so adorable, but never knew what they were called till yesterday! Now rest assured that my garden will be filled with them.

Photographer Feature: Horst

2009-04-01T08:30:00.003-04:00

Ginger Rogers

Gene Tierney

[images via Horst P. Horst]

Feng Shui

2009-03-31T13:49:00.003-04:00

[image via remind]

I have been obsessing over house things lately including interior design. I started to dabble a little bit into Feng Shui and how different colors affect the different functions of rooms... I wrote a couple of articles, one about the best Feng Shui colors for your bedroom and another about the best Feng Shui colors for your living room so check it out if you are in the market for updating your home decor with a fresh new coat of paint you might want to look through and see if any of these color suggestions would work for you!

Determining the Best Feng Shui Colors for Your Living Room
Designing Your Safe Haven: A Guide to Feng Shui Bedroom Colors

Etsy Love: Wren & Chickadee

2009-03-30T09:30:00.003-04:00

Creature Comforts has been one of my favorite blogs for a long time now. When I found out that she had her own Etsy shop, I had to check it out. Wren & Chickadee is full of adorable photography prints, mini prints, and PDFs for you to print your own cards. The prices are great too! Go by and check out the shop and the blog, you won't be disappointed!

DIY Tea Cups Suggestions?

2009-03-27T10:58:00.003-04:00

[image via re-nest] how to decorate your own tea set

last night at the YMCA i found 3 white tea cups in one style and 5 in another so i bought all 8 of them up. i am going to do this project since i haven't been able to find tea cups that i like.

i need suggestions on what i should put on them and i'm praying my limited artistic abilities don't ruin it for me. so far some ideas that i like are:

dandelions
bunnies
mushrooms
owls
jellyfish/octopus [i wish i could just have hers to be honest with you]
eggs
plaid
silhouettes
post card
coral
dinosaurs

thoughts?

How to Get Out of Credit Card Debt

2009-03-27T10:52:00.002-04:00

[image via veave_pl]

Having outstanding credit card debt for one or more credit cards hanging above your head can be a major cause of stress. This is a guide to how I dug myself out of a mountain of credit card debt.

After working a horrible food service job that didn’t pay enough to make ends meet, I found myself buried under a huge pile of credit card debt that I thought I would never be able to pay off. I decided to consolidate my credit card debt and force myself to pay it off in one year. I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing it feels to be out from under that credit card debt so I want to share with you how you can work towards freeing yourself from credit card debt and have that same feeling of freedom for yourself.

How Much Credit Card Debt Do You Have?
The first step to getting yourself out of credit card debt is to take inventory of your credit cards. Create an Excel spreadsheet with a column for: name of the credit card, amount you still owe, and your interest rate. Make an extra row at the bottom for the total of the amounts that you still owe.

Request Lower Interest Rate
If you only have one or two credit cards carrying a balance on them and you make your payments regularly you might want to request a lower interest rate from the credit card providers. Over 15% interest is too much to be paying in interest and most of my cards were running at about 22%. If you cannot get your banks to reduce your interest amount by a substantial amount or you have multiple cards that make it difficult to pay each minimum payment you will probably want to consolidate your credit card debt to one credit card.

Consolidating to One Credit Card
I have read some articles that say that consolidating your credit card debt down to one card is a bad idea, but this is a method that I have used myself and successfully got completely out of debt within a matter of months after doing so. Shop around for a good credit card with the lowest interest rate you can find. If you bank with a credit union they should be able to get you a really good interest rate and if you are lucky you might end up getting 6 months to a year without interest meaning that around $20 more of each payment you make will go directly to your debt and not to paying interest. I was able to indicate the exact amount I wanted my card for so I rounded up my total credit card debt to the nearest hundred and transferred all of my card balances to one place. This of course means no more using your credit cards until the balance is paid off. Using cash is a good practice because you can physically see the money leaving your hand which is much more painful than swiping a piece of plastic.

Do NOT get rid of your old credit cards that are now carrying a zero balance. Closing a credit card account is like burning bridges with a former employer. These credit references are like job references, but for your credit report. If you keep these accounts open it will help your credit score more than if you closed them even if you continue to carry a zero balance. Keep your old cards together locked in a safe in case you need one for an emergency situation in the future.

Budget
You should plan on creating a budget for yourself. Make sure you are allocating enough money towards your credit card debt as you can afford to pay even if it means cutting back on some luxury items. Once your card has been paid off you will have a new found appreciation for money and be able to slowly introduce those luxury items back into your lifestyle. Once your debt has been paid off, consider putting part of what you had been paying towards your debt into a high yield savings account such as with ING Direct or Emigrant Direct to help make sure you don’t find yourself in another stressful debt situation in the future. A really great free budget spreadsheet is available through free-financial-advice.net and CNN has Budget 101 that is also a helpful budget guide.

Even after you have paid off your debt it is a good idea to stick with your budget. Accounting for where each dollar you spend goes helps keep things in prospective and helps you avoid running out and putting unnecessary items on your credit cards so you don’t find yourself buried under a huge pile of credit card debt again.

I also published this article on Associated Content.

Things I Love Thursday

2009-03-26T15:29:00.003-04:00

Gosta Peterson "Young Sophisticates"

Wow, how did it get to be Thursday again? Sorry, but there are only going to be a couple of things listed today since I've been goofing off!

-Gosta Peterson's photography... I saw it in a magazine when I was getting my hair cut last night and I just fell in love with the first image [up top] and went on a search for a couple more.

-Getting exhibit space for my photography club to display their photography in the next couple of weeks at She Sha, the local hookah bar

-Running off with my favorite coworker to look at boys... and going to Goodwill with her and Jimmy Johns and Revolutionary Road tonight!

-Getting to watch Twilight with my friend and go get our hair cut. We haven't spent much time together since she got her new boyfriend so we had a blast last night.

-Gala Darling's list of 100 Things to Do When You're Upset

For the Love of Peonies

2009-03-23T11:22:00.003-04:00

[image via Kristybee]

[image via marcus hay]

Pillow Talk peony

Coral Charm peony
[images via better homes and gardens]

[images via francesco lagnese]

Spring is finally here and I can't wait to get my garden started on my new house. I want to have tons of peonies. I just recently fell in love with these flowers, now I want them to be everywhere even though I know that if I plant them this year I will have to wait until next year before I will get to see their beautiful blooms. I had intended on placing them all around my house, but recently learned that peonies attract ants [which they need to help separate the flowers] and should be put further away from the house to actual pull ants away from your house.

Things I Love Thursday

2009-03-19T14:01:00.003-04:00

[image via polanoid]

Bunnies
Spring time, peonies, warmth, picnics in the garden of my new house
Fmylife
Cucumber rolls... Can you teach me to make them?
News stories that make me laugh such as "Project Runway Loser Kenley Collins Jailed For Beating Boyfriend With Cat". Before you tell me that domestic violence is never funny, I’m aware of that and I know that guys get abused also, but with a cat? Plus she was my favorite person on Project Runway ever because she was such a loon that I couldn’t help but love her so the cat seems quite appropriate.
Setting a date to close on my house… I’m supposed to be closing on April 2. I finished picking out paint colors last night!

Etsy Love: Holly Stalder

2009-03-19T13:52:00.005-04:00

Holly Stalder is an independent designer from Portland, Oregon. Her clothing creations are beautiful, feminine, and can be made to your measurements. A few of my favorites of her clothing are featured above.

Kiel Mead - Jewelry Lust

2009-03-19T10:06:00.004-04:00

Today I found some of the most interesting jewelry online... Kiel Mead is a furniture and jewelry designer in New York. Some of his jewelry designs include the ones pictured above: forget me knot rings, matchstick necklaces, chewed bubble gum necklaces, rings made from keys, retainer necklaces, and glasses with freckles painted onto them. This stuff is so cute and quirky, I'm dying to get my hands on the retainer necklace, bubble gum necklace, and glasses with the freckles [despite the fact that I already have my own freckles]!

#2 Have my Photography Published on Paper

2009-03-16T13:49:00.006-04:00

I have been kind of neglecting my 101 Things in 1001 Days obligations and even when I have accomplished things I haven't been marking them off my list. About a month ago Silhouette, the literary magazine for Virginia Tech, featured four of my photographs. These are the four photos that were featured:

If you are interested in buying prints of any of these, they are available here along with many of my other photographs. [Plus if you buy one then that's just one more thing I can mark of the 101 things list!]

Shabby Chic... Still Amazing

2009-02-27T15:13:00.008-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Rachel Ashwell released on her Shabby Chic blog that the company would be declaring bankruptcy. Long before I even thought of owning my own home, I remember watching her show and dreaming of owning the beautiful, romantic items that she featured. I wanted to mention Shabby Chic here because I still think that it is fabulous and I hope that the company will be able to dig themselves out of this unfortunate problem and become successful and inspiring once again. I'm going to show some of my favorite Shabby Chic items that I have found available on Amazon.com for some pretty amazing prices that I want to use for my new home...

Shabby Chic Crystal Chandelier Candle Holder w/ Prisms
Shabby Chic His/Her Towel Hangers

Simply Shabby Chic™ Metal Flower Chandelier
Shabby Chic Corner Cabinet
this one is my favorite and the one thing here that I know I will be buying because it is only $16.82!
Shabby Chic Tray Table

Incense Love

2009-02-27T15:00:00.002-05:00

Set of 6 Incense Nag Champa Sunrise Sandalwood Midnight Patchouli Celesteal By Satya

What, $3.89? Amazon.com, you know the way to my heart. midnight is my absolute favorite... set of all 6 though... is this a joke? Instant add to my wish list because I'm being cheap-o and not buying myself anything until I move into my house [plus who wants to move more stuff than you need to?]

Top 10 Interior Design Blogs

2009-02-26T16:56:00.002-05:00

Top 10 Interior Design Blogs
I am currently in the process of buying a house so I find myself searching the internet for interior design ideas on a daily basis. I want to share with you some of my favorite interior design blogs that I have found in this process.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1513929/top_10_interior_design_blogs.html

celebrity look alike

2009-02-12T10:50:00.002-05:00

ok, so jessica biel is the only one who showed up twice for me... glad they thought i was a man also. so who do you guys think i look like out of all of these people?

things i love thursday

2009-02-05T11:55:00.003-05:00

Wow, it's been such a long time since I've posted a "Things I Love Thursday"! So let me get it rolling...

Watermelon - it makes me think of summer and gardens and they are so yummy. I can't wait to have my own garden filled with tasty watermelons and other fresh fruits and veggies.

Home Decor - this has been a recent obsession with the new house. Specifically I am fascinated with mantels, chandeliers, and swings such as this hanging wicker chair.

Photography Gigs - photography is my passion and I haven't been able to take many photos lately. A friend's band just hired me to do photos of their shows so hopefully between that and my photography club I will get back in the swing of things.

Gala Darling - how could I not love her? She's inspired me to blog and she's always pushing a positive attitude. I definitely give her all kinds of credit for making me more positive and thankful for the things that I do have on a daily basis.

My Interior Design Tumblr

2009-01-30T14:41:00.002-05:00

I know I have mentioned here before that I went missing for a while due to school and real life catching up to me. I'm going to do better now, I promise you guys! :) I've been putting a lot of my time on the internet into Tumblr recently. I have posted a sample of the NeonSugar Tumblr before, but now I want to show you a sample of FirstHome.

I was e-mailed a flier back in November 2008 for an environmentally friendly house that is about 2 blocks from where I work/go to school and it was built specifically for people with low income. There was a lottery system to determine who would get the place and... I won! I found out yesterday that I was pre-approved for the loan. FirstHome is the Tumblr that I have built to post photographs that inspire me for the interior design aspect of my home. I will also be posting some of those ideas on this blog, but FirstHome will be a collection of photos with less writing to go along with it. Without further adieu:

5 Ways to Make Your Anti-Valentines Day a Positive Fun One

2009-01-30T14:08:00.002-05:00

[via]

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and not all of us have a special someone in our lives to share this holiday with. Even some people who do have a significant other choose not to celebrate this holiday because it is a “Hallmark holiday”. So whether you are boycotting Valentine’s Day because you are single or because you don’t think that you need to participate in this ritual to show your love for someone else, I am going to give you some ideas on how to celebrate Anti-Valentine’s Day instead! Most of these things are going to help you look out for number one, but some of them will help you brighten up your single friends’ Anti-Valentine’s Day as well.

1. Treat yourself. There’s nothing like Valentine’s Day to help derail your New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Help keep your spirits high and stick to your New Year’s resolution by treating yourself to something nice and new. So you don’t have a special someone to bring you chocolates and candies and take you out to a fattening dinner? Good! Go buy something you really wanted for Christmas and didn’t get, but normally wouldn’t buy for yourself. Get a hot new outfit to wear to your Anti-Valentine’s Day party (which I’ll discuss more shortly). Go get a massage, get your nails done.

2. Throw an Anti-Valentine’s Day party. Do not include any of your exes or those of anyone else you are inviting. Invite other single people and make sure they know how to have a good time and handle their alcohol. The idea is to boost your mood, not bring over people who are going to be party poopers or get drunk and trash your house. Dance… Even if you aren’t comfortable doing so, give it a try to boost your mood. Start your party off with some dinner because no one wants to try to fight through the crowds to get into restaurants.

3. Sleepover with Your Other Single Friends. Maybe you don’t want to have a lot of people over or even have a co-ed get together. You can invite some of your closest friends over for dinner and a sleepover. Get some wine, amazing food (for dinner and late night snacks), and some funny movies. Remember what sleepovers were like when you were a kid? Make it a point to re-create that, couch cushion fort and all.

4. Cards for Your Friends. Remember back when you were in elementary school and you had to buy the boxes of Valentine’s Day cards and give one to everyone in your class? Did the fact that everyone got a card from everyone else ever make it any less nice? No. Go get a box or two of cheap Valentine’s Day cards and give them out to your single friends who are feeling neglected. If you don’t like the idea of even using those cutesie, already made children’s cards, my suggestion is to buy a pack of plain index cards, a jar of Mod Podge, and a paintbrush. You can collage a unique card for each of your friends based on what they like and write a poem or nice short note on the back for them.

5. One suggestion that I got from Acacia of SuicideGirls.com was to send corrupted Valentine’s Day cards found online (I personally love SomeECards.com for this idea) and send them out to boys that won't leave you alone or who have scorned you in the past. I know this isn't keeping with the positive attitude, but sometimes it is hard to resist! Maybe you can write an anti-love note to an ex and rip it to shreds instead if you are afraid of the consequences of your actions.

I know it can be a depressing holiday if you are single, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Try to keep a positive attitude, they are really infectious so your other single friends will be thankful when you are all having a good time together instead of huddling up under a blanket alone eating chocolate cake, watching sappy chick flicks, and feeling sorry for yourself. If you feel yourself starting to slip into some sadness, think about how lucky you are to be single and not dating someone who doesn’t have a job/car/drivers license/personality/nice thing to say to you/life of their own and get right back to enjoying yourself and the company of your friends.

[fyi: I also published this piece on Associated Content.]

Number 8

2008-12-22T10:49:00.004-05:00

1. aries, 2. Untitled, 3. 0218, 4. Untitled

Final grades are in for the Fall semester. I didn't do quite as well as I had hoped, but I still reached my goal and can check one more thing off on my 101 things in 1001 days list :)

Final GPA for my first semester at Virginia Tech: 3.85

I'm sure some of you think that's not bad. I know it isn't bad, in fact it is much much much better than I did at community college which means my transition kicked ass. I just thought that this would be my only opportunity to get a 4.0 GPA and I didn't quite make it.

Happy Holidays folks! :)

my christmas wishlist

2008-12-17T14:26:00.000-05:00

-Zune 4 GB Digital Media Player (Green)... For some reason I've been obsessed with the idea of getting a Zune lately. I've never had an mp3 player [I know, time to step into the 21st century]

-Sex and the City - The Movie... What girl doesn't love Sex and the City? I have almost every season of the show, now I need the movie.

-Influence... Ya know, the Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen book

-The Family Values Tour '98... This was my favorite CD when I was in 8th grade and I haven't seen it in years so I need another copy!

-Adobe Photoshop CS4

-The Twilight Saga: Slipcased... [why yes, that would be me jumping on the bandwagon, the movie was amazing, I need to read the books]

abandoned? not exactly

2008-12-12T14:30:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry, some of you may have missed me in my absence, some of you may not have even noticed. I just haven't really had much to write about... I've been in way over my head with school and work and life and I honestly still am. All of a sudden it is half way through December and I haven't bought one Christmas present.

I'm declaring temporary hiatus from this blog. I'm still around on the internet. Tumblr is easier for me because I don't have to think or type, just post things that are beautiful and interesting so while I am on hiatus, you can keep up with me on Tumblr

Love you guys, and I hope you are all doing well!
Holls

My New Obsession : Tumblr

2008-11-25T16:12:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I found Tumblr about a week ago and thought that what I saw was good... Then for some reason yesterday I decided that I needed to start my own just to collect random things that I wanted to use for this blog that were kind of sporadic and nonsensical for storage till I could blog about them. Well it's turned into a monster and I can't seem to stop myself... Check out my Tumblr! :)

28. Write a love letter in nothing but song lyrics

2008-11-24T14:56:00.003-05:00

love note by hollyanne

Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again. To see you when I wake up is a gift I didn’t think could be real. To know that you feel the same as I do is a three-fold, utopian dream. Always when we fight, I kiss you once or twice, and everything’s forgotten ‘cause everybody wants some love, shooting from the stars above.

In you I see dirty, in you I count stars, in you I feel so pretty, in you I taste god, in you I feel so hungry, in you I crash cars… We must never be apart. You’re asking me will my love grow, I don’t know. Stick around, and it may show. Trust I seek and I find in you, every day for us something new. Open mind for a different view, and nothing else matters… because maybe you’re going to be the one who saves me? You’re just like an angel; your skin makes me cry. You float like a feather in a beautiful world.

I would die for you. I’ve been dying just to feel you by my side, to know that you’re mine. And my love for you is better than diamonds. To you, everything I bestow. Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything you do. Amber is the color of your energy. Shades of gold displayed naturally.

Can you name all of these songs?... Gold star if you can. One day I will be madly in love and I will give this love letter to that person... Somehow it seems that by posting it on the internet they may not appreciate it as much, but I'm willing to take that risk.
This is #28 on my list of 101 things in 1001 days.

Unplug

2008-11-24T14:12:00.002-05:00

unplug by hollyanne

Sorry, I know it isn't much... Last night I was feeling creative, but was told not to make a mess and get out my art supplies so I tried to put something beautiful together on Polyvore. I love Polyvore if you haven't noticed that yet.

Upcoming articles:
- How to Beat the Cubicle Blues
- How to Boost Your Self Esteem

If you have any suggestions for these, just leave me a comment or somethin somethin.

Loves.

tilt

2008-11-20T14:30:00.007-05:00

1 2 3 4

- People writing poems for me... I realized the other day that my MySpace blog had entries dating back to 2005 that were just too much information and stupid so I started doing some housekeeping. Down close to the very first entries, I found a post that I had made of a poem that my old roommate wrote about me:
ive made a dear friend
call her name of blue with red
thats enough of that sir
is what she wouldve said
dont be sad girl
heart of my heart
stand by me
and youll always be
strong
...... trey ........

- Violent Femmes - "Blister in the Sun"... haven't heard this song in so long, but like magic, last.fm knew I needed to hear it. :) Amazing.

- Gala Darling's interview "I Want To Be... A Dominatrix!"

- As of tomorrow I am on Thanksgiving break from school... granted I will still be doing work, at least I have a week that I don't have to get up and come into work early to make up the time I miss for class.

- The possibility that my first semester at Virginia Tech might end up with a 4.0 GPA for the first time in my entire life... EVER. Now hopefully I didn't jinx it by saying that right there.

- House shopping... it's the most stressful thing in the universe of course, but I might be a freakin homeowner within the next year and I think that it will be amazing to have my own place with my own parking, be able to paint the walls red/orange/pink glitter wall/chartreuse, install a stripper pole, put in hardwood floors, and let my beautiful bunny roam around freely [assuming she stops pooping everywhere, stupid bunny pellets]. If you've bought your own house, please tell me all about it! Also share any decorating ideas you might have b/c I'm all about this stuff right now!

- American Dad!, Vol. 1, Requiem for a Dream, and Jarhead... I let one of my friends borrow these back in the Summer and finally last night he brought them back after 8 months instead of the 3 days that he said he was borrowing them for.

-Cheesy online quizzes:

Your result for The OkCupid Kissing Test...

The Vixen

You are 76% Passionate, 29% Romantic, and 80% Experienced!

You Naughty Thing!

Well, well, well, Ms. Vixen. You've got the highest Passion score among the female kissing types, and you seem to be rather experienced as well. Your scores in Romance aren't as high, which suggests that you're more interested in the erotic and physical aspects of kissing than the emotional ones. You revel in the different textures, tastes and techniques of whoever you happen to be kissing at the moment, and you're a fantastic kisser yourself. You're creative, and like to mix up the makeout with unexpected, flirty moves. You're definitely a committed, passionate kisser. You just might not feel as passionate post-kiss. It's not that you can't get attached... it's just not the FIRST thing you do. And you do that first thing extremely well. We say more power to you. And, um, what are you doing Friday night?

If you're looking for good-spirited makeout fun, we recommend your male counterpart, The Rogue. Good secondary smooch options include The Smooth Operator and The Flirt. Avoid The Traditionalist like the Plague. Trust us.

linkin logs

2008-11-19T09:38:00.002-05:00

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FFFFOUND!… I’m sure some of you have heard of this site before, but I can’t seem to get enough of it. I’m dying to join so if you have the ability to invite new members then *ooooohhh ooooh pick me, pick me!* Tons of photos added on there all the time that are just random and perfect.

Polaroid Project… Basically you can turn any photo into a Polaroid; it even distorts the colors of the photo. You have to be working with a Mac to use it though so I’m afraid I am out of luck, hopefully some of you will be able to use it. Check out this one my friend did of me:

Frozen Smiles… I would love to have these ice trays. Not that they hold very many of them at one time, but who wouldn’t love getting a drink that looks like it has dentures floating in it?

Small Business Planner is a site that I found when I was working on a project for my class about starting a business. I figure it should come in handy for me at a later time and maybe it can help give a little motivation to the other folks out there with hopes of being an entrepreneur.

Dust is this game (kind of) totally wonderful distraction site that was sent to me by one of my favorite people because I kept pestering him about how bored I am at work all day… My favorite items to use on there are nitro and magma, you can make some really trippy on there, but don’t just take my word for it.

Make Me Super will allow you to turn yourself or one of your friends into a super hero complete with a video and music… you choose the photo to be the face of the super hero.

Meebo… I work in an office and I can’t download any software. I think I would lose my mind if I couldn’t be on instant messenger and communicate with the outside world all day and Meebo allows you to sign on to various different types of instant messenger within one internet browser window keeping your social time a little more discreet.

if you know any good blogs or websites that i should check out please let me know... especially ones about buying your first home... my lease runs out at the end of january and i've convinced myself that i will be buying my first home|apartment|townhouse|whatever at that point.

tattoo touch up

2008-11-17T20:19:00.002-05:00

top = before
bottom = after

I got one of my tattoos touched up today. When I first got it, the pain was so horrible that I thought I would never get another tattoo. Today I decided I was ready to take the pain and move on so I can finally let myself get a new tattoo. The glare on that new photo is horrible so when the shading starts to fade out I will take another photo where my foot is not covered in Vaseline. Don't you just love my pink dinosaur ankle tattoo?

tilt... or tils

2008-11-16T14:01:00.002-05:00

I have been sick for the past couple of weeks and I didn't feel like writing on Thursday so now I'm going to do Things I Love Sunday today to make up for it.

-Friends coming in from out of town... My friend seems to have gained a lot of wisdom from moving to another town and I am so proud of her. We got to hang out last night and it was just like old times. We went out and listened to a lot of live music and had so much fun.

-Being taken on a hot date to the Taubman Art Museum in Roanoke by my friend with her art class.

and we walked around downtown Roanoke

-Best of Craigslist

-Anna Copa Cabanna and Flaming Fire... I saw them on Monday night at my friend's house and I was completely blown away. Seriously, it seemed like music that I would never have thought that I could get into and I loved it.

-Painting/Making Collages... I haven't done this in a long time and I think that today I will. It seems that idle hands have been getting me in trouble lately with just being obnoxious. Plus creating something is always amazing :)

101 Things in 1001 Days

2008-11-14T08:55:00.014-05:00

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Ok, so I heard about this 101 Things in 1001 Days project and I thought that it would be a good idea. It gives you almost three years to knock out 101 goals. I haven't been able to finish up my list yet, but I do want to go ahead and list it here so I can show any progress that I might make on it. [completed items will be shown in bold]

Completion Date: Friday, August 12, 2011

1. Crash a wedding
2. Have my photography published (on paper)
3. Have my writing published (on paper)
4. Host a tea party
5. Climb a tree with someone beautiful
6. Have a picnic in a tree
7. Photograph a Suicide Girl
8. Have above a 3.5 GPA at Virginia Tech... it was a 3.85
9. Have my portrait painted
10. Go skinny-dipping at night in another country
11. Write a mini-memoir
12. Stay out all night dancing and go to work the next day without having gone home
13. Shower in a waterfall
14. Find a worth cause and spend time and money helping it
15. Seduce a stranger
16. Drive across America
17. Make a living doing something I love
18. Grow food and eat it
19. Create my family tree
20. Catch a jar full of fireflies
21. Leave a dollar where a kid will find it
22. Take a pole dancing fitness class
23. Figure out my religious standpoint
24. Sell a painting
25. Sell a print of my photography
26. Visit the Playboy mansion (at least see the outside)
27. Stand up for someone who won’t stand up for themselves
28. Write a love letter in nothing but song lyrics
29. Leave beer on someone’s doorstep with a note from the “Beer Fairy”
30. Have a picnic with a homeless person or just buy them lunch
31. Have a sleepover with friends… hair, makeup, movies, popcorn, hot chocolate
32. Visit a dinosaur park
33. Build a tepee
34. Camp out under the stars
35. Write a letter to someone I don’t like telling them how great they are
36. Put together a cookbook full of my favorite family recipes
37. Update my wardrobe so I don’t look like a ragamuffin on a daily basis
38. Bleach my hair and dye it orange or red, some completely unnatural color
39. Take a road trip with no specific destination
40. Eat vegan for one week
41. Get my teeth whitened
42. Go one week without soda
43. Put change in someone’s expired parking meter
44. Kiss in the rain
45. Complete Project 365
46. Fall in love with myself
47. Fall in love
48. Start my own website
49. Send a message in a bottle
50. Attend a music festival
51. Finish coming up with 100 items for this list
52. Go on vacation/road trip with a friend that I have never been on a trip with
53. Buy a house (or at least rent one… no more apartments with no yards!)
54. Travel by train
55. Get an actual address book and put people’s information in it… In case any more phones are suicidal or *gasp* to write a letter
56. Collect something
57. Learn another language (a new one altogether or re-learn French)
58. Go to Mexico
59. Go to Canada
60. Go to Europe and see as many countries as possible while there
61. Plant a beautiful garden full of colorful flowers
62. Send postcards to at least 5 friends/family from an amazing far away places that I go
63. Learn to play an instrument (new or re-learn piano)
64. Make a quilt
65. Get a bike and actually ride it
66. Karaoke
67. Get a new tattoo
68. Get a new piercing
69. Mail a secret to Post Secret
70. Catch a jellyfish in a jar... take his picture... let him go.
71. Learn to make my own cucumber rolls
72. Write a letter to no one and release it into the wind
73. Color every picture in a coloring book
74. Jump into a pile of leaves
75. Carve my name into a tree
76. Build a piece of furniture
77. Take a walk every night for one week
78. Get rid of my parking pass and start walking to work (or biking, or riding the bus)
79. Post my "Things I Love Thursday" list every Thursday for one month
80. Have a meaningful conversation on a swing set
81. Hand out Valentines to strangers on a day that isn’t Valentine’s Day
82. Dance with someone in the rain
83. Spend an entire day barefoot
84. Have my art or photography displayed in a public location (gallery or restaurant)
85. Exercise at least 7250 minutes in 2009
86. Turn a stranger into a friend in one day
87. Sort through everything I own, unclutter and donate as much to the YMCA as possible
88. Write 28 articles in one month for Associated Content
89. Climb the buffalo mountain
90. Paint something that I am proud of
91. Complete all Unusual (and fun) Date Ideas by oncealways
92. Create a book of my photography and musings
93. Get said book published
94. Paint my house
95. Make a list of 100 things I love for future inspiration for art projects
96. Write about every thing on the list of things nobody writes about but should

tilt

2008-11-06T14:15:00.003-05:00

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-OBAMA... I can't believe how many people are extremely upset about this in my area. When Bush won 4 years ago I was devastated, but I surely didn't attack people who were Bush supports because once the election is over, there's no need for debate. I'm very excited and optimistic to see where the next 4 years will lead us!

-Getting hit on by boys that are not only beautiful, but also creative and talented... Especially when they buy me beer and especially when you are in a bar full of half naked girls the day after Halloween when I am the only one not in costume.

-Having truly enlightening philosophical conversations with friends... So many of these in the past couple of days that my brain hurts today and I feel like I couldn't possibly think anymore.

-Conversations on instant messenger that last over an hour. Normally I am all about face to face talking time, but sometimes I think that I will put a little more out there if I don't have to look right in the eyes of the person I am talking to because I have less of a fear of judgment.

-Writing... but currently I have a little bit of writers block. Sometimes I don't think I even understand what I am writing and when I go back and read over a rant that I wrote it sounds eloquent and beautiful and it did make sense after all.

-The book Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit... I'm a little further behind than I should be, but it is an amazing book. It's just been a hectic week! It really makes you think about life and sustainability.

-Halloween in general... this Halloween weekend was the best weekend I can remember having in quite a long time, if not forever. Getting dressed up, hanging out with friends, amazing live music... Love <3 Also... Halloween is the time of year when they put out the clothes and home decor that I would use year round so go Halloween!

-Speaking of that live music from this weekend, I've got to mention Far-Less. Local band that I had never heard before, but they were amazing and already have a following on the internet already [who knew? not I!] Video:

And pictures from their part of the show:

I'm hoping to go see them on Tuesday if I can get myself on the list to get in fo' free.

-Getting random photography gigs from other random photography gigs... Yes I'm talking about the live music and if you want to see the pictures from that check out my photography blog

-Going out and knowing almost everyone at the bar... Made me feel like a rock star... There were so many people there and it was like I knew them all and hardly ever get to hang out with them.

-The way the light leaks into my cubicle in my office. I'm the only person who has a window by their desk on this side of the building... I think the blinds used to be closed because this is a new development, but it seems that at the perfect time in my work day when I feel as if I cannot function anymore, this light cracks in and lights up my life.

-Connect the dots game... If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can play it online here.

How to Dress like Gossip Girl's Georgina Sparks

2008-11-05T21:47:00.002-05:00

Here's the visual of how to dress like Georgina Sparks... If you would like it written out for you (with a little makeup advice also), check out How to Dress like Gossip Girl's Bad Girl Georgina Sparks.

halloween pumpkin carving stencils for college students [ok, and little kids too ;)]

2008-10-30T21:53:00.006-04:00

When you get to be in college, you start to feel a little more creative when it is coming to pumpkin carving. Last year my pumpkin was Bettie Page:

and I haven't picked out a stencil for this year. I'm going to share some links with you guys on the best places to find stencils on the net for that last minute pumpkin carving needs.

- SprayPaintStencils.com carries free printable stencils with letters, unicorns, President Bush, cassette tape, sports, transportation, even DINOSAURS, you name it, they have it. All kinds of unconventional stencils that are for spray painting, but would be even better for pumpkin carving.

- About.com has free stencils of a ghost, spider, claw hand, raven, headless ghost, wand, skeleton, and the devil.

- About.com also has these stencils which contain a bat, a swarm of bats, jack o lantern faces, a witch on a broom, cat, lightning bolt, and a moon face.

- Stencil Punks has band stencils and awesome punk stencils that would make some really unique pumpkins.

- And here you can find pumpkin stencils for Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, Sarah Palin, Hilary Clinton, Oprah, David Letterman, Steven Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Michael Phelps celebrity pumpkin stencils... and also they carry some basics such as an owl, bat, and a garden scene.

- For those of you who are REALLY trying to get into pumpkin carving this year, MarthaStewart.com has 36 pumpkin ideas for you. Some of them are a lot of work, but for the most part, they are going to be way above and beyond what your friends are trying to do with their pumpkins. If you're looking to be a superstar at the pumpkin carving contest this year, check out Martha, she will take good care of you.

Hopefully I've given you some ideas on great pumpkins for this Halloween. Please, whatever you do, be careful with those sharp objects when you are carving your pumpkins! Trips to the hospital are no fun and think of how many drunk people will be in that waiting room with you.

tilt

2008-10-30T08:18:00.004-04:00

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- Zenobia Hikes... gone but never forgotten. She was one amazing person.

- Tegan and Sara - They remind me of my trip to Washington DC back in May with some amazing friends.

- Halloween. This has always been my favorite holiday. Tomorrow, tomorrow, holy crap, it couldn't possibly be tomorrow. I'm as excited about tomorrow as kids get on Christmas morning. Since I already posted a couple of YouTube videos, I'll throw one in there from our Halloween party last year. Do you know who he is supposed to be?

- Charlie The Unicorn. Now I'm just getting insane with this whole YouTube thing, but really, I can't quit with just one. I just saw Part 2 for the first time a couple of days ago and it was just as rediculous as the original. They remind me of the stories that I used to write back in high school when my brain would go numb in math class.

- JPG Photo Contests... And I love even more than that when people vote for me so please spare a minute or two of your time:

...more to come :)

random musings

2008-10-27T19:58:00.006-04:00

I love playing on Polyvore so much. Sometimes I put together some really random things such as:

blue moon

and

code pink

Really, I'm not sure where I was going with either one of those.

And some inspiration via Flickr:

1. Farmer's Market Raspberries, 2. WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME, 3. the south pole as it should be, 4. TINNA, 5. Again & again, 6. Goethes poem, 7. hansel and gretel, 8. Untitled, 9. alice's pumpkin.

linkin logs

2008-10-27T18:35:00.002-04:00

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Okay, a few days ago I promised you great things in the form of links. I seemed to have so many in mind then and I should have wrote them down because it didn't end up looking like a very impressive list... But I did promise you folks a list and I'll share all the ones I can remember for today.

Been Booed rocks my world. You print out these pages and attach a sweet treat and give it to someone, but it's a secret who did it. They are supposed to turn around and do it to two more people and so on and so on. Great activity to bring you and your neighbors and friends closer together this Halloween.

Pinup Girl Clothing Blog has amazing pinup outfits and now that it's close to Halloween they have adorable costumes. Their photography is pretty good also.

Creature Comforts - "designs for all creatures great and small"

Design Freebies is a great blog that posts links to where you can download some pretty amazing graphic design stuff for free.

Debauchette... okay I really stole this one from Gala Darling, but it was so amazing I decided to mention it. Extremely poronographic so don't check it out when you are at work or school.

Girl Savage is the Etsy shop where you can buy the feltidermy that I mentioned on my last post.

Spratters and Jayne sells these really amazing "Chunky 'n' Cozy, Cowl/NeckWarmer/Scarflette/Scarf". I want one so bad, but I'd like to learn to make them myself. It's given me more motivation to craft.

And how could I ever fortget fd's Flickr Toys which is what I used to make the Flickr favorites mosaic at the beginning of this post.

tilt

2008-10-23T22:03:00.003-04:00

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Sorry, but my list is going to be a bit short this week because it is getting late and I have a lot of homework left to do... but what is more important than homework? Being grateful for what I've got going on in my life so I felt like I really needed to bust out a TILT list this week because I've been feeling a little down in the dumps.

-Obama. I'm not a super political person and usually I keep that stuff to myself, but it is hard to avoid politics and what I feel is right. In this situation it was a real no brainer for me. No more McSame. And on that political note, while I'm on my tangent here I want to share this photo that I saw today that really cracked me up [check out the scarf if you didn't get where I was going with this]

photo from MediaBistro

-Climbing trees... It's highly likely that this will be on my list next week too as I plan on doing a lot of tree climbing over the next week. I got off the bus after work today and there was my old roommate outside of Rite Aid. I told him I had been sad and all I wanted to do that would make me feel better would be to climb a tree. So we found a tree and by god we climbed it and it was amazing. I professed my undying love for him accordingly.

-Field trips with my photography club. Last week we went to Cascades in Pembroke, VA. Sunday we are going to Pandapas Pond. I love being the president of something :) A couple pictures from the trip:

see more here

-Martha Stewart. I'm not sure why I always assumed that Martha was for old folks. I guess that's why they say assuming makes an ass out of you and me huh? Her Halloween crafts are to die for. Like I really want that stuff around my house 24/7.

-Feltidermy. I love Etsy and boy do I love feltidermy. You really have to check it out. I want a huge deer mounted on wood to put up on my wall because I've always wanted a deer head mounted, but I am positive that I would cry every time I saw it.

-Friends who will do laundry with you. I always have to do my laundry and my boyfriends laundry. This task frequently falls on Thursdays and leaves me without the opportunity to watch my favorite show, The Office. This week it happened to be worth it because my dear friend came out to the laundry mat with me to gossip and it was AMAZING. I will never look at laundry the same way again.

-The Internet. I have a million links to share, so I'm just going to save them till later on, but be prepared because on Monday, there will be a great list of amazing shops, blogs, crafts, and more.

-My mom. Not that she isn't always the most amazing person in my life, but today she created a Facebook account. My friends couldn't believe that I was excited about it because they would die if their parents had Facebook. Not I. My mom is my best friend. There are things that I don't tell her because I respect her and I don't want her to worry about me, but if it is something that I would post on the Internet, it isn't something that I would keep from her.

That's all for now folks ;)

freelance writing and republishing your blog articles

2008-10-23T09:08:00.004-04:00

I know that earning income from you blog can be a difficult task (at least it has been for me) so I want to share with you how I do try to turn a profit for the pieces that I wrote for my blog and sometimes even papers that I have written for my college classes. I have been a member of Associated Content since December of 2006. I have written everything from reviews on CDs and movies to publishing papers that I wrote for my college classes, from advice to Top 10 lists and made a pretty hefty chunk of change doing so.

I want to let you bloggers (and any other freelance writers) know about this program to help you earn more for articles that you have already written for your blogs. Keep in mind that you can write new content for their site; I love to do Calls for Content because they give me an idea of what to write and I know I will be making usually $4 for that piece. You should submit your article to Associated Content before you publish it on your blog so they do not find the content online and think that you are trying to steal it from someone else. Once your article has been published on their site, you will then be able to use that article for your blog… Here are is what the first submission page should look like (very important that you get this right to maximize your profit):

After about a week you will get a response back from them that will either offer money or ask that you publish it without an upfront payment. Publishing without payment could still end up being a profitable choice for you because there is a Performance Payment also where x amount of hits are supposed to equal out to $x (I have observed this amount to be 1 cent for every 5 or so views). Plus you can now use that content on your blog as well and it could help you get more recognition for you, your writing, and your blog.

I had been inactive on the site until about a month ago when I started to FINALLY have some down time from school. I have written 20 pieces in about a month. I was paid $59.14 total just for these pieces being published and some of them I did not receive payment for. My
Performance Payment for this month so far is $13.39. Even when I wasn't actively writing I would still get around $5 per month deposited into my PayPal account. I just wanted to throw this out there to other bloggers and freelance writers in general because you can really make a lot of extra money for not a lot of work. So if you do decide to join Associated Content, please let me know and I'll keep an eye on you. I'll read your articles and critique you if you would like.

Here are some of my recent articles and how much I earned for each (upfront, not including Performance Payment):

Fun Adult Halloween Party Ideas $2.00
Sexy Bunny Halloween Costume $3.00
How to Become Lauren or Audrina from The Hills for Halloween $4.00
Top 10 Wedding Photography Blogs $4.82
Where to Buy EcoFriendly Christmas Cards $2.50
Tips for Starting a Pregnancy Blog $1.00
Mr. Incredible Halloween Costume $3.50
Tips for Painting Your Own Christmas Cards $3.50
Tips for Creating Corporate Christmas Cards $3.00

nerdy chic

2008-10-21T19:22:00.002-04:00

Gala Darling recently posted I Want to Be a Lingerie Designer on her blog. At the end of the entry there is a contest to enter based on a line of bows so I created this outfit for just that purpose.

nerdy chic

tim gunn's 10 essentials

2008-10-21T19:11:00.003-04:00

I watched a few episodes of Tim Gunn's Guide to Style the other day and in every episode they mention Tim Gunn's 10 Essentials and I realized that I have almost none of those items. So naturally I decided to make a Polyvore collage of what I would buy if Tim Gunn made over my closet.

1. Basic black dress
2. Trench coat
3. Classic dress pants
4. White shirt
5. Jeans
6. Cashmere sweater
7. Skirt
8. Day dress
9. Blazer
10. Sweat suit alternative

this weeks loves

2008-10-16T18:26:00.003-04:00

1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12

I have been so sick lately. I almost even forgot that I should be doing Things I Love Thursday this week, but that is even more of a reason for me to do it... So without further ado, this weeks "TILT" list:

-My Friends. A lot of times I am really hard on myself for all kinds of little things. It's been a long time since I had friends that I truly love and to have them tell me that I'm not this horrible person that I feel like I am makes me feel so much better. To have them put up with me no matter how stupid I'm being or no matter how much they don't agree with some of the things that I do is amazing and I want them to be in my life forever.

-Getting complemented for my photography. I showed a coworker my photography blog earlier this week, she loved the photos and forwarded it on to even more people who also told me how much they loved the photos. Most of the complements were on this photograph:

-Forgetting Sarah Marshall - Who doesn't love an excessive amount of male, full frontal nudity? I loved it, really loved it. It's going on the wish list for sure.

-B'Sue Boutiques has these really amazing pendants that I've been pining over and finally ordered some. So not only was she super understanding when I had a freak out huge problem with my PayPal, she also threw in a bag of candy with my pendants. Such a sweetheart and they have a great selection if you are looking for a place to buy jewelry making supplies.

-fd's Flickr Toys. This site is where I put together the little mosaics of my favorite photos from Flickr. I love it because it allows me to share my favorite photos with everybody.

-Neopets. I know that I'm 23 years old and that Neopets is a children's game, but I don't care. I play the games, I even ate an excessive amount of kids meals to get Neopets toys. This is Sir Pants of Chalot:

-Meeting a new smurf friend while out at the bar with a couple of girlfriends. I was a bit tipsy so I'm not sure exactly what it was we were talking about, but apparently I made an impression because I had a friend request from my smurfy friend today.

cotton candy decor

2008-10-14T18:43:00.002-04:00

I can't wait till I have my own house one day. I think that I will have a room like this one. It reminds me of eating cotton candy.

breakdown

2008-10-13T19:36:00.002-04:00

I love Tom Petty's music so much. I've been listening to it a lot lately. I really love the song Breakdown.

I also can't seem get enough of Polyvore, it's like shopping without spending anymore. I can't wait to use it for something other than just clothing, but today is not that day. I would love to own that outfit.

I also made this one last night:

in honor of my friend Katie. I have been trying to convince her to write me an emo poem about a lesbian lumberjack because she is taking an emo poetry class this semester. Seriously been begging her for almost a month now so if any of you would like to write me an emo poem about a lesbian lumberjack to go with this it would be greatly appreciated! :)

Then I thought about it some more after I created it for guilt trip purposes... this would be such a cute Halloween costume!

build your own boyfriend

2008-10-12T12:26:00.002-04:00

If I could build my own boyfriend, these would be some of the clothes he would wear, he would also be a photographer [hence the Lomography Diana], and it wouldn't hurt if he looked a little something like Justin Bobby from The Hills. Oh yeah, he should also love Incubus, Pink Floyd, and Sublime.

And if this is you, feel free to contact me. ;)

top 5 fashion magazines

2008-10-12T12:09:00.003-04:00

As a female who is an aspiring photographer/fashion designer/artist/anything aesthetic, I have always been a collector of magazines. I have copies of Vogue sitting around my apartment (in tatters because I collage with all my magazines) from when I was in elementary school. I can't get enough of the glossy pages filled with beautiful images and how reading small chunks of their text makes me feel so much better about not finding the time to sit around and read an actual book. Now I want to share with you my top 5 fashion magazines.

1. Almost a year ago I was extremely surprised when an issue of NYLON appeared in my mailbox. A month later when it came again I was even more surprised. Somehow I managed to end up with a free 6 month subscription to this magazine. I had never read NYLON before my free subscription so I am very grateful that I ended up having a chance to check out this magazine. I love it! The photography in this magazine is beautiful. It isn't what one might usually expect from a magazine, the photography is creative (think Lomography - Holga, unconventional, dreamy images) at times and not the crisp airbrushed images usually seen gracing the pages of mags. The clothing in this magazine is always fun and quirky. I can't seem to get enough of it. The December/January 2008 issue featured Mary Kate Olsen as the cover girl and one of the photos taken of her for this magazine is one of my favorite photographs I have ever seen. If you haven't checked out NYLON, I suggest you do it now, it is a great magazine for the MTV generation. They have their finger right on the pulse and there are always some interesting finds in there. They even have a worthwhile website: NylonMag.com.

2. I have been subscribed to Marie Claire for about a year and a half now. My first impression from looking at the cover before becoming a subscriber was that this magazine was targeted towards an older audience than me, but upon further investigation I discovered what a truly great magazine it really is. They always have great people on the cover (i.e. Tina Faye, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and the month that Sex and the City the Movie came out, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon each had a cover shot) which of course means great interviews with those same people inside. Another thing that I love about Marie Claire was that they were involved with the VH1 show, The Shot which was a reality show about becoming a fashion photographer. I usually do not read sections of magazines where readers write in with questions, but in Marie Claire, there is a section called Cubicle Coach that I actually do read because I work in an office/cubicle setting and the advice is right on. You can get a brief taste of what the magazine is like at MarieClaire.com, but this is one of those magazines that are better as a magazine than they are as a website.

3. BUST Magazine almost didn't make my list because I had to think long and hard about whether or not I believe it even is a "fashion magazine" and I have decided that it is. The confusion for me is because there is so much going on in this magazine that amazes me that the fashion element falls out of focus for me. Issues are packed with "How to..." guides, "Do It Yourself" projects, artsy stuff, crafty stuff, and even recipes. From the exterior, one might write this magazine off for looking too "feminist", but in reality it is a magazine that really sets itself apart from the rest and I haven't seen any man-hating going on. This is a great magazine for creative-minded, intelligent women. Who says you have to be a grandma to be crafty? This magazine will show you how to make your own bikini, jewelry, and all kinds of other edgy things. It will keep your mind busy and shortly thereafter, it will keep your idle hands at play cooking or crafting. There is nothing more rewarding than having something beautiful and unique to wear that you have made yourself. Check out their website: Bust.com, it is in a blog format which I also love!

4. Cosmopolitan has changed the way that women look at sex. When you open the glossy pages of this magazine, it is unlikely that you are looking at it for the fashion, but it is in there (hidden in the volumes of sexual advice). These glossy pages are covered in high quality information and there is no doubt about that. If you are into quizzes that reveal your personality type, there has been one in almost every issue of Cosmo I have bought. If you are a fan of the magazine, you should check out their website Cosmopolitan.com. It is free (which is what the internet is all about anyway right?) and full of blogs (Bedroom Blog, Joe Hottie, Sexy Beauty Secrets, Cosmo Quickie Blogs, The Making of a Cosmo Girl, Secret Celebrity Diaries), columns, quizzes, and a forum so there is hardly any reason to even buy the magazine other than for the photos.

5. Glamour is another must-read fashion magazine. The absolute highlight of Glamour is of course the "Dos and Don'ts" section. I love to go back and look at issues from years ago because the "don'ts" are ten times more hilarious now than they even were back then. Another thing that I love about Glamour is the Health & Fitness section. Health & fitness and fashion should go hand in hand, but a lot of the time they don't. I know that I am out of shape so if I can get a magazine that covers all of the bases like Glamour, then I know I have a winner. This is another magazine that has an astounding website - Glamour.com - that makes you feel like you don't even need to buy the actual magazine.

my american eagle fall wishlist

2008-10-12T12:01:00.002-04:00

Now, I know that American Eagle is just your normal tee shirt and jeans type of place to shop, but that is usually what I like to wear. These are some of the items that I'm currently pining for.

Oh so perfect for this nice football weather.

halloween at tiffany's - costume ideas inspired by breakfast at tiffany's

2008-10-12T11:42:00.002-04:00

I have been a huge fan of Breakfast at Tiffany's starring Audrey Hepburn for years and years now. Audrey Hepburn and the jewelry store Tiffany's aka Tiffany & Co are the epitome of glamour. So when considering a Halloween costume this year, why not pay homage to the pop culture princess Audrey Hepburn or the jewelry store that made us all remember her name? I am going to give you some tips on how to be Audrey Hepburn for Halloween and tell you how to turn yourself into a Tiffany's gift box for cheap.

How to Be a Gift from Tiffany & Co.

Now I am not literally saying that you need to look like a box here, in fact I am advising against that. You don't want to have to drive around or navigate your way through a crowded room while wearing a box. If you have gotten a gift from Tiffany's before you know it comes in that beautiful box that is Tiffany Blue [yes they really trademarked that name], it has "Tiffany & Co." printed on the top of the box, and it has a white ribbon tied neatly around it.

To create this look, you will need a nicely fitted, longer t-shirt that is robin's egg blue or as close to Tiffany Blue as you can get. Next you will need to carefully write Tiffany & Co. on the front with fabric paint using a photo or one of their actual boxes as a reference for the font. Once the paint is dry, put on the t-shirt and take a long piece of white ribbon and tie it around the small part of your waist. Pin the ribbon to the shirt on the seams on each side and make a few white stitches there once you have taken the shirt off. This will ensure that you're not constantly adjusting your ribbon all night on Halloween night. All you need now is a nice pair of black pants

How to be Holly Golightly

Hair: I've never been the best at doing my own hair let alone trying to explain to someone else how to do their hair. This website does a great job of explaining the whole process of getting the "pineapple" hairdo and it will confuse you much less than my explanation would. You are also going to need a small tiara for your hair, I suggest the ones that are attached to a comb so it sits further back and will stay put all night.

Makeup: This is another thing that I feel could better be explained by someone else... Especially since there is actually this video that does an amazing job explaining it so you would have a really good visual guide. Seeing is better than reading and trying to interpret for makeup because with my instructions you would probably end up looking ridiculous. The video even shows you how to properly shape your eyebrows and is a must-see if you are trying to duplicate Audrey Hepburn's look from Breakfast at Tiffany's.

The Little Black Dress: There is a prepackaged costume of Holly Golightly that comes with a dress, hat, and gloves, but frankly I think it looks cheap and if you are going to be Holly Golightly, you should do it right! There are black dresses at almost every store so you should be able to find something suitable. You should try to find something that is black [of course] with a boat neck and the bottom of the dress should fall just at your knees. Try to find something as close to this criteria as possible, or if you are feeling really adventurous, you can make your own. This blog has a guide to which patterns you could order that are similar to dresses that Audrey Hepburn has worn in Breakfast at Tiffany's and other movies.

Accessories and Props: You should try to find black opera gloves and a long cigarette holder. Layer together a few pearl necklaces and, if you want to look more authentic, attach a broach to duplicate the look of the pendant that Audrey wore on her pearl necklace. Whatever you do, don't forget that tiara that I mentioned before. You are also going to need some medium sized stud earrings that match your broach and tiara as closely as possible. As for your shoes, you will need black heels, I would go with kitten heels with closed toes so they are easy to walk in and no one will be stepping on your toes. You might want to get a hat, but it is really up to you. I would choose either the hat or the tiara and I think the tiara would be prettier and easier for Halloween.

Hopefully I have helped you find a costume that is classy and beautiful for Halloween. Whether you choose to dress up as Holly Golightly or a gift from Tiffany's, you will be sure to stand out in a crowd full of people who bought their costume in a bag!

I also published this piece on AssociatedContent, but the beautiful visuals are not available there so I felt the need to post the whole article here

things i love thursday

2008-10-09T18:06:00.000-04:00

Gala Darling and her blog iCiNG is one of my favorite websites. I usually check it out once a day. So I'm adopting her Things I Love Thursday idea and using it for my first post here.

-Etsy... I have had an account on this site for at least a year now, but never really spent much time on it. A few days ago I was in search of some pendants and was completely blown away by the selection. I had no idea that there were so many talented, creative people out there. I can spend hours on there sometimes. One day maybe I will get my act together and sell some paintings or photography prints on there.

-Polyvore... This is another website I just found and totally love. I made this one because I have been noticing that my wardrobe consists mostly of black and white clothes and that there's really not anything wrong with that.

my monochromatic daydream

-Target... I can spend hours shopping in Target. One night even got locked in because I was in there so late. They just have the best clothes and right now I can't get over their Halloween products. I made a collage on Polyvore to express my love of Target as well.

-Photography... I know that mine needs a little bit of work, but taking photos is one of my absolute favorite activities right now. I started a photography club at my school and it is going amazing so far. We have a field trip planned for next weekend.

-Writing... I've been writting a lot of articles for AssociatedContent lately to try to make a little bit of extra money. I love being able to pick up actual assignments that I know they will end up paying me for. Some of my recent ones are
--Halloween Costumes: Executioner, Sexy Bunny, Lauren & Audrina of The Hills
--Top 10 Jewelry Designers
--Top 10 Wedding Photography Blogs

-Office Tailgate Parties... Last Friday was Virginia Tech's homecoming game so we had a tailgate party in my office. We had hotdogs so we decided to turn one of them into an octopus named PePe who we flushed down the toilet at the end of the day so he could return to his home in the ocean with his brother Pedro. Don't fret, I have a video of the flushing [please excuse the fact that it is turned the wrong way, I never claimed I was good with a VIDEO camera].

-School... This semester is my first semester at Virginia Tech and by far the best school experience I have ever had. I am feeling inspired to stop working full time so I can be a full time student for the first time since high school. I'm changing my major to art next fall also which will make school even more enjoyable for me!

That is all for now
<3 Holly Anne