the top 10 birthday wish list

with my birthday less than a month a way, i have quite the wish list that has built up.


1. Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer, a great baking cook book to go with it, a cake stand, other baking tools!
2. Nikon Camera, i need to do further research on what would be a great professional beginner camera that is digital.. i am thinking of a Nikon COOLPIX p500
3. Michal Kors Large Hamilton Bag in luggage
4. a spa day, but of course... who wouldn't want a spa day.
5. Kate Spade Daycation Medium Leila
6. Kate Spade "say yes 'smile' necklace"
7. Steve Madden Westii in black
8. Steve Madden Caryssa in blush pat
8. essie nailpolish  in French Affair
9. mac cosmetics lipstick in speak louder
10. victoria's secret gift card.. an amazing idea, no one can ever have enough undies:)

i would also enjoy a breakfast brunch including omelets, waffles, fresh fruit and mimosas. for dinner i would like mexican food of course, with a giant strawberry margarita. oh, i can't wait to celebrate.


best,
alyssa

p.s. oh, a weekend get-a-way would  be nice too! of course i hope i am not asking for too much. i just want everything.

breaking it up

i'm not a huge fan of belts. i love them on other people, but find myself being very picky when it comes to adding one to an outfit of my own. when i dug out this belt from my closet before, i decided to keep it out in plain sight to make sure i would make myself wear it again differently. belting a maxi dress with my own belt, made me feel better in a sense that i could place the belt where it made me feel most comfortable. before i used to be much more hesitant in purchasing any outfit that was "pre-belted." dresses that come with a belt attached do not always hit our greatest point and can definitely make an outfit not very flattering.  i also am not a fan of mixing brown and black, but hey.. why not step out of the comfort zone every once in awhile?

maxi dress from target($14)/ belt from hollister

photography done by adam chandler, thanks adam!

best,
alyssa

crazy print crop top

i love crazy prints, crop tops and neutral colors. a main reason for the purchase of this top. a higher waisted pant is a perfect way for those who might be afraid of the crop top to make the first step to wearing it confidently. another way is to layer it with a solid tank or cami under neath. with this outfit i choose to spend more on the top i wanted, and spent much less on the basic skinnies i need and love.

i got to work on this test shoot (last minute) yesterday with my photographer friend, adam chandler. he's a great photographer and i appreciate his patience with me (being that i am not a model). i can't wait to work with him again on a day that the weather wants to work with my hair. hope you enjoy the outfit! a remix is predicted in the future as it gets warmer.



top: h.i.p. woven tee from nordstroms bp ($28)/ skinnies: from forever21 ($10.50)/ bangle: from h&m ($3.50)/
flats: merona from target ($20)

 this was merely our first shoot, and i hope to work with adam much more in the near future.

location: carmichael, ca
photographed by adam chandler


best,
alyssa

better than green beer

everyone who knows me, knows i am not a huge fan of produce. the slightest unexpected piece of lettuce in my food can easily make me gag. however, a good green salad can still bring a smile to my face. i am thoroughly obsessed with recipe ideas right now, and want to make the time to make everything. green food is slowly growing on me, and eating healthy is an attractive idea.

at first i was on a hunt for cute st. patty's clothes, but then i thought of all the great food that has some st. patty's day inspiration. choose to enjoy these simple recipes, i too hope to try them all sometime soon.



coconut lime crusted fish
thanks to onehungrymama.com

 


corned beef, of course.
thanks to simplerecipes.com




charolette tolhurst's egg sandwich
thanks to designspongeonline.com




chocolate covered kiwi, perfect dessert.
thanks to cutestfood.com




green onion and goat cheese mini muffins.
thanks to seddy5.typepad.com




tuna and avacadobbq kabobs.
thanks to en.julskintchen.com




zucchini walnut bread.
thanks to fussfreecooking.com

 so excited to eat, drink and celebrate with friends today. everyone needs some random celebration in their lives. began last night with close friends and can't wait to continue on today.

best,
alyssa

p.s. happy st. patrick's day!

comfort and bliss

lately i have been out on my own mental vacation. i have resorted to dedicating my life to being completely busy and wrapped up in everything besides the worries in my life. a mental escape is all that one really needs when things are really weighing down heavy on his or her shoulders. i've been able to take my free time to focus on exerting my energy into the positive.  i'm not gandhi, and i definitely am not one to be advising everyone on how to achieve pure and utter bliss; however, i do feel that quality time with the ones you love and or are getting to know for the first time can definitely get you closer to bliss than any material thing could.

i escaped to capitola, ca with a friend of mine and was able to feel disconnected from all that has been weighing down on me. for someone to understand my choosing to just want to get away and feel free for once, was new and refreshing for me. i thank that person for doing that for me.

capitola, ca
march 5th, 2011
via camera phone

the amazing "mexi burger" from betty's burgers in downtown capitola.  no produce, sub regular beef for ground turkey :)
that way i am somewhat healthy, since i wanted the sweet potato fries.
via camera phone

i have been neglecting choose,want & need for too long, and i am making a promise to myself that i will not be forgetting to do what i love.


here are some lovely pictures of inspiration that give me comfort and bring a smile to my face.

a bedroom for serenity.
via pintrest

to be so prim and proper, then at the end of the day, all i want to do is this.
via pintrest

enjoying some milk and cookies, and not caring if you make a mess.
via pintrest

blissfully yours and wishing the best,
alyssa

interested in pintrest

my new found love.. pintrest.com. i was recently asked what inspires my style, and many mental images appeared. browsing the pages of magazines, fashion documentaries, or even old books of the history of fashion. there are so many things that inspire me on a daily basis, it actually bothers me to not have a direct answer to that question. the beautiful, the ugly, the interesting, anything that captures my eye really does inspire me. and whether its my style or just simply something that gets the wheels turning in my head, i love the idea of a website that can help me organize my inspirations.

pintrest is a place for people to share their photos, as well as browse through the infinite "pins" and albums of others. whether you're a photographer, blogger, or just someone who enjoys a good photograph or two.. pintrest gives you the opportunity to share and organize those photos without the hassle of using all the memory on your computer. the nice thing about this website is that it is almost "exclusive", instead of over populating their site, they want to keep the quality they have a reputation for. anyone is free to browse the site, however to make your own account you must request an invite. this can take anywhere from a day to a couple weeks to get a response. i was lucky enough to have a friend invite me immediately. so please keep in touch with me if you would like an invite. i will be slowly organizing my photos on there as time goes on.

i would also love to share one of my best friends, melissa rose photography. here are her two most prized possessions, and my two all time favorite pictures from her collection of new photos. in spirit of february and her new beautiful baby girl. please "like" her page on facebook, click here!

brandon, the flirt

madison rose, born february 4th, 2011
and i'm already loving her style!

choose to enjoy life at a slower pace, need more down time to enjoy life, and want a new camera, so i can practice with my photography skills.

best,
alyssa