What's In My Bag: Dallas Edition!

Well. The weekend I have been waiting for for a YEAR AND A HALF is finally here. As of last night, I have been in Dallas getting ready for my best friend's wedding!

Who remembers when Gerrick and Daniel got engaged, all the way back LAST February? I can hardly believe it was eighteen long months ago... so much has changed since then! I have loved being a part of all the wedding planning and celebrations during this time. And this weekend I get to be a bridesmaid for the first time!

I thought I'd show yall what I've packed to bring along with me :)

Don't worry, I brought NO LESS THAN SIX dresses for the weekend. Please remember that I have my dress PICKED OUT FOR ME. It's a sickness, what can I say? :)

 


A little striped sundress (this one is similar and you can't beat the price!)
I have been wearing these Pour La Victoire wedges everywhere since I bit the bullet and got em
Love the colors of these Kendra Scott earrings!
A new J.Crew turquoise maxidress, scored on major sale - go get it now!
A bridesmaid has to be tan - and my bronzer is called Dallas, nonetheless!
My go-to rose gold earrings - I'll be wearing these on the big day
Gonna sass up this flowered dress with a leather belt and some comfy brown wedges
I had to buy this gorgeous dress the moment I laid eyes on it. Look at the colors!
My new favorite beauty buy - a subtle yet bright pink lipstick!

Like seeing what's in my bag? Check out what I've packed for other trips recently!
Austin - Las Vegas - Chicago

I promise I'll be back next week with a MILLION pictures. And you might want to check back on Sunday to see a little peek of something special... it may or may not be the speech I read at the rehearsal dinner, but who knows? :)

Wishing you all a weekend full of love, laughter, and happiness. I know I'll be having one of those for sure! XOXOXO

Summer Sale

Friends, lovahs, I have not forgotten about you. Apologies for my lack of posts lately - I have been an actual legitimate crazy person running around trying to get ready for Gerrick's wedding, which is now SIX. DAYS. AWAY. Omg!

Somehow in between freaking out about what color to paint my toes and nearly hyperventilating with excitement I managed to do some rummaging around on le internet. Is it me or is it kind of a weird retail time? There are some fabulous things on sale right now - it's all I can do not to buy them all and stuff them in my closet (ahem, Hoarders, I may be calling you one of these days...)

Don't believe me? Behold:

Super fun patterned beach bag by Roberta Roller Rabbit ($59)

Gorgeous purple druzy cocktail ring? Yes please! ($135)

The glitter espadrilles I've been drooling over are finally on sale! No one buy my size before I do or ELSE :) ($98)

The cutest oversized clutch, covered in polka dots ($59)

We all know I love a tassel - how fabulous are these reptile-print Stuart Weitzman flats?! ($146)

I'm all about anything turquoise - this Navajo-esque bracelet is a great find. (Only $37!)

Speaking of turquoise - how pretty is this little necklace? ($70)

LOVE these embroidered Cynthia Vincent ballet flats! ($135)

Internet, I love and loathe you at the same time. I want it all! 

One of These Things Is Not Like The Other!

One of my favorite blogs to read is also one of the very first blogs I ever started following. I have read every single post Kelly from Kelly’s Korner Blog has posted since January 2008. Crazy!

Recently Kelly posted an amazing topic inviting people to talk about the differences stemming from where they live – ie, what people call things, what they eat, how they talk, what they refer to – and how it differs from state to state.

I read almost every single comment (nearly 500 total!) and was DYING. I had no idea that some of the things people were mentioning even EXISTED!

As many of you know, I went to the University of Arizona for college and though Tucson is a mere 500 miles away from Los Angeles, I met people there who could easily have been from another world. Almost every single one of my best friends is from the South – places like Memphis and Houston and Dallas and Mountain Brook and Austin and Charleston and New Orleans and Shreveport, places I never expected to visit in my lifetime!

Now, of course, I consider myself an honorary southerner :) I drink sweet tea and say “y’all!” I’ve been to rodeos and the Texas State Fair and have visited Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. I have eaten chicken fried steak and grilled oysters and real barbeque (wet AND dry) and po boys and sausage on a stick – foods you just don’t see over here.

I remember being in college and learning all these crazy things that they ALL knew about and I had never even heard of. I had never eaten queso (cheese dip) or went “muddin’” – which is when you drive your truck into a super muddy field and then go to school with your truck all filthy and dirty. I didn’t know what cow-tipping was (umm… which is when you and your friends go into a field and literally tip a cow over on its side…) I had a friend who had a gun rack in his car, for God’s sake.

Because Gerrick’s wedding is literally just days away we’ve been talking a LOT about southern weddings. Did ya’ll know that in the south it’s a tradition to take bridal portraits before the wedding? That’s right, the bride gets her hair and makeup done and gets all dressed up in her gown and takes photos with her photographer – just of herself! Her fiancée is not involved at all! And then she displays a photo AT the wedding! I had NEVER heard of this before Gerrick told me about it.

Also new to me? House parties and grooms cakes. In the south, in addition to the bridesmaids in the bridal party, brides ask close friends to serve as the “house party” – basically female ushers. They come to the bachelorette party and walk down the aisle, but they don’t have to wear bridesmaid dresses. And grooms cakes are VERY southern – in addition to the big fancy wedding cake, the bride surprises the groom with a smaller cake that’s decorated like something he lives – usually his favorite sports team, I think. NEVER heard of that before I met my friends either!(Don't worry Mom, I am planning on getting bridal portraits taken and I will certainly have a groom's cake AND a house party!)

I feel like I’m rambling…but I just think it is too funny the differences between states. I have learned SO MUCH from my friends and I like to think that I’ve taught them things too :) I’m curious if you have had any experiences like mine? Do you have friends who are completely different from you who have taught you new things?

The Bachelorette Party To End All Bachelorette Parties

Well. I survived my best friend's bachelorette party! (But just barely. I've been back for more than 48 hours and my body still hurts everytime I move. But I guess that means it was a success, right!?)

Anyway - thirteen of us had an AMAZING time in Chicago celebrating Miss Rebecca Gerrick - soon to be Conroy!

I got into Chicago late Thursday night with Greene Bean (Vince Vaughn was on our plane! GB nearly fainted) - and we met up with Julie at the lovely Lindsey F's apartment, who was kind enough to host us for Thursday night and show us around town on Friday while we waited for the rest of the pals to arrive. Obviously, I insisted we go visit the bean!

We met up with everyone that afternoon at a bar, where, just as I suspected, Gerrick was all decked out in official bachelorette gear - sparkly necklaces, a tiara, a sash... later on she may have added penis sunglasses too :)

We spent our first night there at her sister's house - we hung out on her rooftop patio, ate cheese and crackers and sushi, played games, drank wine, and gossiped - ya know, the usual :) Let me take this opportunity to publicly thank Jessica (who may or may not loooove this blog) for hosting us all weekend - we are a LOT to handle and she was the perfect hostess!!!

Saturday the fun REALLY began. We started the day with... drumroll please... a PIZZA TOUR! Deep dish style, of course. We visited 3 different pizzerias and had a great time trying the different kinds. Here we are outside the famous Pizzeria Uno:

Oh, did I mention that we were wearing our matching bachelorette shirts all day? I designed them with the help of the t-shirt company we used to use back in COLLEGE - I love calling the same guy and sheepishly saying "Hi, this is Jordan... yes I used to be in AEPhi and used to be the New Member Educator... yes I graduated in 2007... and yes we still like to wear matching t-shirts." And NO, your eyes do not deceive you... the back of the shirt does INDEED say "THIS BITCH IS GETTING HITCHED!" and in neon pink to boot! (I'm available for custom designs if anyone wants!) :)

We came across a group of Boy Scouts. I INSISTED Gerrick get in the middle of them and them point to her and smile! Poor little boys look terrified.

After basically eating our weight in deep-dish/majorly carb-loading, it was time to work it off... at a POLE DANCING CLASS! Oh yes. We do not mess around. Our whole group had a private class at Flirty Girl Fitness and it was SO MUCH FUN. I actually think it may have been my favorite part of the whole weekend. We were each given our own pink feather boa and we learned a group routine to a Pussycat Dolls song. And I even managed to get off the ground and twirl on the pole! (Once. Hey, I tried. Upper body strength I do not possess.)

It's hard to say who was LESS coordinated... me or the bride:

After the pole dancing class we headed home to shower, change, and rest up for the evening... because at 7:00pm sharp, we looked out the window in time to see our very own TROLLEY pull up!

Yup, we got ourselves a trolley for some celebratin'. And for the next four hours we danced and sang and drank nonstop on our private trolley as it drove around and around Chicago. From time to time the driver would pull over at a major landmark and we would all pile out, take a picture, and run back onto the trolley for the next destination... all the while singing as loudly as possible to "Call Me Maybe." NEW THEME SONG ALERT!

Obviously, some fabulous trolley pics :)

The night ended when one soon-to-be-bride couldn't keep any more liquor down, if you catch my drift :) we headed home and ate leftover pizza. And then the weekend slowly came to an end :( everyone started leaving early Sunday morning.

Those of us who were left enjoyed a delicious brunch and walked around the city doing some shopping (I picked up this cute dress from Topshop in 2 colors and these little neon sunglasses cases in pink and orange - RIDICULOUSLY excited about those, I have been looking for good ones FOREVER and these are awesome.) And then me and GB headed to the airport with my new favorite person Robley (Gerrick's MOH) and headed home :( It was over.

To my best friend - I hope you had the time of your life :) I know I did!!!! The good news is that in a week and a half, we'll all be together again - this time, for the wedding itself! It's going to be a shit show. I CANNOT WAIT!!! 

What's In My Bag: Bachelorette Edition

I can hardly believe it's been eighteen loooooong months since my best friend called to tell me she was engaged, but now, a year and a half later, the wedding is literally around the corner! This weekend I am heading off to Chicago for Gerrick's bachelorette party!

To say I am excited is the understatement of the century. I am looking forward to a long weekend spent dancing, laughing, eating, drinking, and sightseeing with my best friends in a completely new city - I've never been to Chicago!

Here's what I'm bringing along with me...

A very special bachelorette T-shirt in neon pink (design to be revealed next week!)

A sassy brand-new dress in bright kelly green!

The most enormous flower corsage you ever did see - it aint a party without one

Awesome little lightening bolt earrings

A chocolate-colored DVF purse with neon accents (borrowed from a friend - thanks RK!)

A light and breezy chiffon blouse in electric orange

Some more pink - in the form of a fluttery new skirt!

My brand new Baublebar necklace that my mom surprised me with... I'm OBSESSED.

My latest sandal acquisition - is anyone surprised that they're leopard?

(See past What's In My Bag posts here, here, and here)

By the time you read this I'll be cavorting around Chicago with the bride-to-be. Here's to a weekend full of bachelorette games, trolley rides, deep dish pizza, and making questionable decisions! :)

Out & About, Instagram Style: June!

I freaking LOVE Instagram. It's so fun being able to scroll through and see what my real life friends, celebrities, and blog besties are up to (yes I know that's what Twitter does too but Instagram is prettier!)

Here's a little sneak peek into what I've been up to lately, through the eyes of my iPhone :)

Last week I hit up the Splendid/Ella Moss sample sale downtown. It was held in a giant warehouse and let me tell you - bitches were SCAVENGING. It was crazy and very disorganized (little kids shirts next to men's pants, tons of clothes on the floor, no one around to ask for help) but I came away with some good stuff - I got this dress in a fuchsia maxi version, this tunic in bright green, and this cardigan in burnt orange - all for less than $80! #majorscore 

On Tuesday night GB and Ram came over for dinner and I whipped up some pesto shrimp (using this recipe - just as good with shrimp! Email me if you want the full recipe), couscous, and my usual tomato & mozzarella salad...but this time I added cubed avocado and tossed it with balsamic glaze and truffle oil! Um... unreal. Y'all need to run out RIGHT NOW and buy truffle oil right now... Ram got it for me at Whole Foods and it is seriously insane. 

A friend of mine was having a rough week so she asked to borrow some chickflicks... I brought her these three (including my favorite ever, Mean Girls) but while I was collecting these from here I realized that I only own chickflicks! Bring It On, Cruel Intentions, 10 Things I Hate About You, Clueless, Notting Hill, Romy & Michelle, Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, Center Stage... you get the picture.

On our way to the movies over the weekend Ram and I walked by a Mrs. Fields and this was in the window... I laughed out loud. And then instantly wanted a piece of cookie cake. In college it was our GO-TO -- anytime anyone had a birthday celebration we would get one. Mmmm! 

I am so NOT into the idea of sneakers but I can get down with an espadrille... especially if its covered in glitter. How do I not own these already? J.Crew, you are killing my credit card.

Speaking of glitter... I would just like to post this on the blog since it could basically be my life motto. Glitter IS one of my favorite colors and as I told my friend Nicolette yesterday -- i consider it a neutral! 

Gotta love Instagram. Are we following each other yet?! Leave me a comment with your name and go look me up. I'm @queenjord, obviously :)

Shelf Showdown

Yesterday, after poking around on my desktop folders (yes, long before Pinterest I saved inspirational images in obsessively detailed folders on my laptop) and discovering a cache of images from my "Shelves" folder, I was inspired to redecorate one of my bedroom shelves.

But first, the inspiration:

emily, cupcakes & cashmere

source? i cant remember!

amber interior designs

I had a free hour and was kind of restless so I figured why not? Here's what I started with - my apologizes for the dark pictures, this was before my brilliant self remembered to turn the light on:

Books falling off shelves, weird little stuffed animals, outdated photos... not good. The shelf itself is incredible (it's the Leaning Bookshelf from Crate & Barrel and I loooove it - after months of looking at it online, when I went to the store to finally buy it, the floor sample was on sale for 50% off in perfect condition! It's the first thing I bought for my apartment when I moved in four years ago) but everything I had on there was not doing it any favors. Time for an update.

I took everything off the shelves and reorganized. Here's how it looks now:

So much better, right? Neater and cleaner and more colorful (always a huge plus in my book)! I organized all the books by subject (history, chick lit, autobiography, and my favorite genre, food memoirs), swapped out the photos in the frames for newer ones, and added a couple accessories that I had laying around the kitchen, den, and bathroom. Here are the top three shelves:

On the top shelf: $5 orange picture frame from Home Goods, $3 polka dot bowl from TJ Maxx, and a rainbow striped vase from a bouquet my parents sent me on my 21st birthday. The middle shelf holds my bracelet rack, pink leopard mini vase that I painted at Color Me Mine in 2008, and a white picture frame from a Pampa going-out-of-business-sale, while the third shelf is stacked with books, my fabulous Diane Von Furstenberg African bracelet, Urban Outfitters necklace holder, and a $5 zebra striped pig from a flea market. 

I really like the way this shelf (second from bottom) looks now. I styled it with books, an adorable frame my mom gave me years ago, a tiny vase I bought on spring break in Mexico (filled with scent sticks from the Aria hotel!), my mirrored tissue holder, a turquoise picture frame, plus a hamsa from Israel and a little heart knickknack from Santa Fe. I love using items from my travels to decorate!

The bottom shelf was a pain in the butt to get to look decent. So many books, none of which need to be displayed (uhhhh, note to self, hide "Hitler's Death Camps"). I added a few cute things, including my amazing agate bookends (major Home Goods score, $12 for both!) and a purple picture frame, plus another hamsa from Israel. When I move into a new place some of those books can get tucked away but for now this works for me!

Here's another side shot. I'm not gonna lie, I kinda love it. Cleaning and reorganizing things is a huge de-stressor for me and now I get to enjoy the prettiness on top of it! 

Not too shabby for an hour on a Monday afternoon :) What do you think?! 

A Meme for Monday

You know the drill - once again I have stumbled across a meme and must participate. My love for answering questions about myself convinces me beyond a shadow of a doubt that I should have been a famous movie star. I would have killed at press junkets!

If you had been born a boy, do you know what your parents planned on naming you? That’s easy. Girl or boy, “p” or “v”, I would have been Jordan!

What is your favorite book of all time? My favorite SERIES of all time is hands down Harry Potter. The final book came out at midnight the night before I left for a two week trip to Italy. I told my parents I REFUSED to get on the plane without it. My dad went to a bookstore in the middle of the night and when I woke up it was on my bed. As for a single book I always say that Jennifer Weiner’s Good In Bed is the book I should have written. Great story, amazing characters, and a plus-size heroine. Go read it! 

If you could have lunch with one celebrity, who would it be and why? I often discuss this very thing with my boyfriend. I have a small arsenal of celebrity impressions that I like to do to entertain him, and all of those impressions happen to be of women who I really love. My ideal lunch date would be a cozy meal with Mindy Kaling, Zooey Deschanel, and Adele. I am UTTERLY CONVINCED that we would be the bestest of friends if we met. Ladies, let’s do sushi!

Did you go Greek in college? If so, which house? PHI TIL I DIE. I bleed green and white and would give up carbohydrates for the rest of my life if I could go back and have one more year in college and my sorority with my best friends.

Sweet or salty? Salty for sure. My parents were sodium adverse when I was growing up and as a result I CRAVE salt. I loooove salt & vinegar chips and I put soy sauce on everything – including pasta and eggs and vegetables. The ultimate dessert for me is sweet AND salty – salted caramel ice cream, anyone?!

Do you prefer to make a phone call or send a text? I will never NOT be a phone person. So many of the people I love most live scattered throughout the country, I need to talk to them and hear their voices constantly. Also I have chubby fingers and long nails and its so hard typing on my iPhone. (I know, #whitegirlproblems.)

What is your favorite flower? Gerber daisies! I buy a new bunch at the Farmers Market every Sunday. 

 
Did you have an American girl doll as a child? I had a Samantha doll! I totally loved her and was so careful with her. I recently pulled my doll trunk down from my closet and when I opened it, she was fully dressed with her hair brushed and all her clothes folded neatly in the little drawers. Fun fact: Bailey was a rough child and her Felicity doll no longer has her head attached to her body.  

What is your favorite white wine and favorite red wine varietal? No more drinking for me :( I’m super allergic and wine is actually one of the worst offenders for me. 

What is your favorite quote? My first instinct is to reference something, anything from Mean Girls – “Boo, you whore!” “Say crack again,” “She’s fabulous… but she’s evil” or everyone’s favorite “You go, Glen Coco!” 

But if I was being serious, I’ll go with a quote by Mary Oliver...

“What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Gallery Wall Gorgeousness

I needed some cheering up yesterday so naturally I turned to retail therapy to do the trick. Oh, NO SHOPPING MAY, I hardly knew ya.

Anyway, rather than going for my usual shoe/bag/necklace purchase, I did something different – I bought an art print! Here she is:

Michelle Armas

I LOVE abstract art and bright colors so this purchase was a no brainer. I think she’ll go well with the pieces I own by Jennifer Sanchez, too – this one and this one, to be exact. Up next on my list to acquire? Maybe one of these… or both!

Anna White

 

Melanie Mikecz

Autumn Rose

Over the past year or so I’ve slowly been collecting different prints and pieces that I love, and I think soon I’ll be ready to finally display them all. Rather than spread them out around my apartment, I’m seriously considering doing a gallery wall. Here are some pictures that have inspired me!

Erika Brechtel (one of the most talented women I know!) did a gallery wall in her office - love how all the different pieces have a similar color scheme! 

I really like this arrangement. Something about a white mat with a simple black frame is very appealing to me, especially considering most my prints are super colorful. 

Love this version for photos... could it work for prints?

Gallery walls have become so prevalent that stores now sell entire framing kits with instructions (like the one above!), so the work is done for you! I am not very handy so this option is somewhat attractive to me :) At the same time, I like the idea of doing it myself... and getting to see my hard work hanging on the wall exactly the way I envisioned it!

I'll have to ponder. Any suggestions? Got a print you think I would like? I would love to hear. 

Have a great weekend!