I Left My Heart In Tucson

There is nothing I can write here that will convey how much fun I had this past weekend.

No words will be able to express the utter joy that filled me the moment our plane touched the ground in Tucson or the way I found myself BEAMING as I drove the rental car towards the hotel. From the very moment we landed until the moment we took off, I felt so genuinely happy and carefree. I was back in Tucson with my best friends. I was home!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the weekend. I need to get myself to a Walgreens and print these because I am OBSESSED!

We lunched at Beyond Bread… twice. Ahem.

Paid a visit to AEPhi, our old stomping grounds, and temporarily borrowed their greek letters and took a few pics on the front lawn. We have no shame.

Remember last week I mentioned an itinerary? Well, Julie and Stacy went as far as to print and LAMINATE a color copy for me - complete with stickers! I carried it everywhere all weekend. Amazing.

Our first group dinner took place at a fancy restaurant, Wildflower, where no less than 8 of the 11 of us ordered their signature appetizer, smoked salmon on a potato latke. DELICIOUS.

Group dinner shot:

Floff kick - our signature move! (PS. Like my polka dot pants? They were $8 DOLLARS at Macy's!)

From dinner we headed straight to the best bar on earth - Dirtbags. We got a table and I promptly ordered everyone a round of shots. Tucson is the CHEAPEST place in the world - 11 shots and 2 drinks was only $40. #godblesstucson

On Saturday we woke up bright and early and headed over to Frog & Firkin for a little brunch and drinking before the basketball game! I designed matching t-shirts for us - the front is the Arizona "A" and the back is the outline of the state of Arizona with a heart over Tucson with the phrase "We left our hearts in Tucson, Arizona!"

After lunch it was time to head over to the basketball stadium for the game! Greene Bean got us all tickets through work and our seats were amazing!

Arizona beat Washington State and we all rejoiced - then headed down to the court to take a picture with Wilma and Wilbur Wildcat! (This is huge… it was basically like taking pictures with celebrities.)

From the moment we all booked our tickets, there was talk of a "mini photo shoot" on campus wearing our matching t-shirts. I'm only a little embarrassed to admit we pulled it off, with the help of a complete stranger named Nathaniel who had the misfortune of walking by us while we searched for someone who could take our pictures. Don't worry - we bribed him with a box of Girls Scout cookies of his choosing :) Behold - our many cheesy poses:

We spent Saturday night at Oreganos having dinner:







Thebest part was when we ordered pizzookies, their famous dessert, for the table - and Stacy was so happy she cried real tears :)

The last item on the agenda? Going back to AEPhi one more time…both for banana bread from our chef, and to take a picture with the infamous giraffe statue - and our house mom too, I guess. Here we are with K-Train, as I like to call her :)

It was so sad when we all had to say goodbye to each other. I miss my friends every single day. It is an amazing thing to know that even though we all live spread out across the country, we all still love each other and fall right back into it like a day hasn't even passed whenever we get to see each other.

There is a famous quote that perfectly, PERFECTLY sums up how I feel about Tucson, the University of Arizona, AEPhi, and my beautiful, amazing friends…"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." It's so true - no matter how old I get or where I end up in life, I'll always be one of the luckiest girls in the world for having had this experience that changed my life forever.

Tucson, my heart is yours forever. I miss you already!!! 

Oscar Style: Best Dressed!

I LOVE Oscar Sunday. I love sitting on the comfy couch surrounded by friends, eating delicious food and snarking about movie stars and celeb fashion - er, I mean paying tribute to talented people and the art of cinema. Sorry Ram :)

In all seriousness, there was no better cure to my "leaving Tucson" depression than watching the show with Ram and some pals as we ate delicious appetizers and Chinese food. I thought the show itself was kind of a snooze and as predicted, I nearly had a conniption when they announced Hathaway as the winner (my phone, computer, and beverage were taken away from me so I wouldn’t throw them if/when she won… so instead I ripped up my Oscar ballot #dramaqueen #hathahate), but I loooooved Argo and was so happy for Ben Affleck, and Jennifer Lawrence can do no wrong in my eyes… so I did enjoy the show for the most part!

I personally could have used a lot more color and pattern on the red carpet this year, but overall, there weren't any major misses for me, barring Hathaway and her weird darty nip situation. So here's my best dressed picks for the night!

(all photos from instyle.com)

When I arrived home from the airport and immediately ran to the TV to turn on the E! Red Carpet, Jennifer Hudson was the first celebrity I saw. I really liked this navy Roberto Cavalli gown - the combination of peekaboo lace and sequined leopard was gorgeous. My only hesitation was in regard to her shoes - the bright blue seemed to clash, but maybe it was better in person? Overall, a beautiful dress on a beautiful lady - with a beautiful voice to match!

My first thought when I saw Halle Berry in Versace? "That's a SERIOUS dress." And it is - look at those broad, structured shoulders, that beautiful yet dizzying sequined stripe pattern, the detail at the chest - that's a lot of dress to pull off, and yet Halle Berry does it so, so well. I love the drama of the dress paired with her awesome little mohawk, too - so rock and roll!

THIS is what I mean when I say we needed more color on the red carpet! Jane Fonda is SEVENTY FIVE YEARS OLD, for gods sake. She looks incredible in this neon yellow Versace - the color is so attention-grabbing, yet the cut is completely age-appropriate and the detail at the waist is interesting. I really loved it.

Who can do no wrong? Charlize Theron can do no wrong, that's who. Have you ever seen such a beautiful face in your entire life? Have you ever seen a woman carry off a short haircut with such femininity before? Charlize in stark, simple Dior Haute Couture white with minimal jewelry and makeup and perfectly groomed eyebrows is a major vision. There's no one else who could pull this look off besides her. And that peplum is everything!

And my pick for best dressed of the night?

Well, that honor goes to Miss Naomi Watts. In the past she has never really been on my radar - I like her, but I was never wowed or overly impressed by her. That has completely changed since last night, however - she KILLED IT in this gorgeous Armani Prive gown. I love everything about her look - the soft pulled back hair, simple makeup with dramatic eyeliner, and of course, that insane dress. THIS is the dress I'd wear out of all the dresses seen on the red carpet last night - it is dramatic and sparkly and everything I could ever want! A+, Naomi!

So there you have it! My top five best dressed for the 2013 Oscars. I know you were all anxiously waiting with bated breath :) And now it's your turn to spill! Whose gown did you love? Whose gown did you hate? Was Seth McFarland awkward for you too? Did you scream when John Travolta came out on stage? Did you wonder if Meryl was indeed picking her tush on live TV? I am dying to hear what you thought!  

Tucson Or Bust!

By the time you read this, I will be on my way to one of my favorite places in the entire world...

Tucson, Arizona!!!

A few months ago, my best friends from college started tossing around the idea of a reunion. It's been years since we were all together back in our old stomping grounds, so a plan was hatched, a weekend was chosen, flights were booked, hotels and rental cars were reserved, and of course, dinner reservations made :)

We have lots of fun activities planned - my friends Julie and Stacy even made a special itinerary and they were NOT screwing around, this thing is comprehensive as hell. Here are some highlights...

This afternoon at 4:00pm we will be "joining hands and singing "Beardown Arizona" as we walk through the gates of campus holding hands" (yes, all 11 of us.)

This will be followed by a visit to our sorority house, where apparently banana bread and frozen lemonade (what our chef was known for... yep) will be waiting for our arrival. Note: I am unsure if this will actually be happening as I was apparently supposed to ask our house mom if this was possible. I didn't... because she hates me. Oops.

Tonight we will be visiting our favorite bar, Dirtbags, which will be glorious. I don't drink alcohol anymore but I may be persuaded to order one or four of my old standby, vodka cran. The itinerary is MORE detailed when it comes to "after bar snacks" - namely, Silvermine's Subs, Pita Pit, or Papa Johns are all mentioned by name AND phone number. So helpful!

These are just a tiny part of the itinerary - I'm sure you can imagine how hilarious the rest of it is! (And speaking of hilarious, I hope you enjoy the old pictures I'm pulling out of the archives to go along with this post. WE WERE SO YOUNG!!! And our fashion sense was so... questionable.)

I literally have been counting down the days for the past two weeks and I'm so happy our reunion is finally here! BEARDOWN ARIZONA! Hope you all have a great weekend, I know I will!!! 

Had To Have It: Free People T-Shirt

I'm excited about starting a new series on the blog! I'm calling it "Had To Have It," and it'll be a semi-regular series featuring something new and fabulous I saw in a store or online and just had to have :)

(Last week I showed you a gorgeous necklace - Nordstrom is taking their sweet time delivering it so I don't have it yet :( rest assured I'll show y'all a picture when it finally arrives.)

In the meantime, here's what I had to have this week - can you tell I'm really enjoying having a regular income again?!

Finding the perfect T-shirt has always been a challenge for me. I don't consider myself super picky, but for some reason, the right t-shirt just hadn't found its way to me... til now! 

I randomly picked up this Free People Keep Me T-shirt at the mall over the weekend and tried it on. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. It fit every single one of my "musts" for a t-shirt -- crazy soft, stretchy but not too oversized, loose but not baggy, long enough to cover my butt if I wanted to wear it with leggings, solid enough to wear alone but light enough to layer over a tank if needed... we had a winner!

I took it home that night in white and ordered it in charcoal grey to be sent to me. I then proceeded to wear the white one for the next three days straight - to dinner with Ram, to San Diego with his family for a little day trip, to work with a cute oversized sweater. It's the perfect shirt! Can you blame me for driving to Free People yesterday and buying a THIRD in fuchsia?! 

I am definitely the type of person who falls in love with something and buys it in every color, but when it's something as basic as a t-shirt, I don't even feel bad about it. I know I'll wear these in every color nonstop... I'm already eyeing the heather purple and olive ones! 

The shirt retails for $58 but you can find the red and blue ones cheaper here or here. See all the colors here. Go and get you one!

A Super Sweet V-Day!

Hello lovebirds! Hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day if that's your thing - I sure did :)

Our celebrations started, as I mentioned, on Wednesday night - dinner at our favorite restaurant, Animal! We went all out and got all our favorites and some new things too - highlights were the poutine with oxtail gravy, a delicious cheese fondue with chorizo and garlic bread, and a truly insane ricotta gnocchi bolognese that was so good we high-fived after eating it. True story!

Thursday I got all decked out in my new UNREAL pink J.Crew shoes for work, paired with a black and white heart printed scarf to really get in the V-Day spirit, but I couldn't sit still at work - all I wanted to do was get home to Ram :) My mom joined me for lunch though, which was really nice, and she bragged about the flowers that Ram had dropped off for her and his mom earlier that morning! #suchagoodboy 

The moment I walked through the door, Ram handed me this HUGE bouquet of flowers! My favorite - Gerber daisies in my favorite color, of course, with some purple orchids thrown in for good measure! 

Next he took me on a little tour of our house, where I had to find the cute little notes he taped up in each room. This one was my favorite:

And then, we sat down to exchange cards and gifts. I gave him some fancy pairs of designer socks from our friend's line, Hook + Albert, which I knew he wanted. And he gave me a huge package full of treats from Drybar - new hair products from their new line, and not one, not two, but THREE blowouts!!! I am not kidding when I say I have already booked two appointments. 

Also, if any of you know of my insane love for Schmidt from New Girl, you'll know why I was delighted to find a picture of him taped to the outside of one of my cards. LOVE IT.

After gifts I made him go hang out in the bedroom so I could start cooking. My menu for the evening? Tomato & mozzarella stacks with truffle oil and balsamic glaze to start, followed by grilled steak with mustard cream sauce and roasted garlic and rosemary potatoes. This was my first time ever cooking steak and I'd give it a B+ - but the rest of the meal was DELICIOUS if I do say so myself, and we could not stop eating the mustard sauce. Do yourselves a favor and make it - here is the recipe - it was so easy and so freaking good!

I even set the table nice and pretty! Usually we eat on the couch while watching TV... not very romantic. (Also not romantic is when I yell about crumbs on the floor. But I digress.)

I also picked up some sweet treats from my favorite bakery, right down the street - Susiecakes! I got us two mini Valentine's Day cupcakes, a slice of carrot cake, and a tiny cherry pie. We were so full from dinner that we barely made it through the cake, though - so perhaps tonight we'll get to the pie? 

I am very lucky to have such a sweet boyfriend - he is thoughtful and romantic all the time, not just on Valentine's Day, but he put extra effort into making yesterday very special and I can't help but want to praise him for it publicly - so thank you Ram for going all out and making me feel like such a princess...er, I mean queen :)

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! xoxo

I Heart You!

via 

Hope your day is full of love already :) Last night Ram and I started celebrating a little early - we went out for dinner at our favorite restaurant, Animal! Longtime readers might remember that last year, we tried to go there and the traffic in LA was so bad we literally didn't make it off our street. So instead of dealing with that again, we went the night before - and today the celebrations continue!

Today's post is a no-brainer - in honor of a day of love, I wanted to show you guys some of my favorite heart-related items!

ONE:
I seriously love these little golden stacking bowls. I kinda REALLY want them!

TWO:
If you're lucky enough to get lots of Valentine's Day presents, why not write your thank-you notes on these adorable notecards?

THREE:
A few of my friends own this delicate little picture frame - I think it's time I get one of my own!

FOUR:
Such a sweet little art print from Minted. Perfect for a nursery or office.

FIVE:
I love the colors of this cozy sweater! Wildfox has the best patterns for their clothes.

SIX:
You know I love an "arm party" and this heart bangle would go perfectly on mine. So snazzy!

SEVEN:
Ram bought me this ring for my birthday. I wear it every single day - I adore it!

EIGHT:
Heart-shaped earphones! What will Marc Jacobs think of next?!

NINE:
Fill this adorable little pouch with all your daily essentials - you'll smile every time you pull it out!

TEN:
Sass up any outfit with a tiny sequined heart - pin it on your blouse, your bag, your scarf, you name it!

ELEVEN:
This iPhone case is leather! How cool is that? Plus, turquoise and pink - you just can't go wrong.

Ram has been very busy planning lots of things and I can't wait to get home and see what tricks he has up his sleeve :) and tonight, I'm cooking a fancy dinner for us! More on that tomorrow...

However you're celebrating, I hope your day is full of lots of love! 

Had To Have It.

Every now and then I come across an item online, swoon, shriek, immediately fall in love with it, and buy it on the spot. From first eyeing it to clicking "BUY NOW", the entire process takes about thirty seconds - it's kind of dangerous. 

The latest offender? Behold, this ridiculously gorgeous necklace from Nordstrom:

HELLO?! Look at those gorgeous colors and sparkling beads! It's so intricate and tribal and interesting. I shall wear it with everything from casual chambray shirts to fancy black party dresses. I am anxiously awaiting its arrival on my doorstep so FEEL FREE TO HURRY UP, FEDEX!

It's by a brand called Spring Street - it makes sense that I love it so much, since I own a couple of necklaces that were purchased in this hasty, lust-filled manner - and they are all by the same brand! Get on it, friends. Be colorful and bright like me. Buy yours now. 

Oh, and did I mention it is $38?!?! THIRTY EIGHT DOLLARS, YA'LL. Go on and get you one!

Thinking Pink

Valentine's Day is just one week away and I am getting very excited! Last year Ram went above and beyond and we had a lovely day so I can't help but wonder what he's got up his sleeve this year. I can tell you one thing - whatever we end up doing, I'll be wearing something PINK!!!

Most of you aren't new here - you know pink is my absolute favorite color and I love every single shade of it, from blush to fuchsia. I like wearing it, decorating with it, accessorizing with it... when R and I moved in together, I went through some SERIOUS pink withdrawals as I tried to make our apartment more "guy-friendly." Lucky for me, he likes pink (he even has a few pale pink button-downs he wears) and doesn't mind having pink things around. Good thing, cuz I'm obsessed - as I type this, I'm wearing a pink Snuggie!

I couldn't help but do a little round-up of all the pretty pink things catching my eye lately. Enjoy!

ONE:

The leather on this gorgeous Valentino tote is so beautiful... and who could pass up a huge bow like that?

TWO:

I love a statement necklace. This Kate Spade one would look amazing with a black cocktail dress.

THREE:

I own these salad servers in glittery gold and they're a huge hit whenever I use them while entertaining - I'm sure they're just as adorable in hot pink!

FOUR:

I actually ordered this pink peplum dress - it's from Target from all places! I'll keep ya'll posted if it ends up looking cute or not.

FIVE:

The most glamorous way to keep your wine bottle from spoiling - a Kate Spade jeweled stopper!

SIX:

Pink AND leopard? Be still my heart! Loving these DVF sandals for spring.

SEVEN:

Any party would benefit from these gorgeous pink ikat cocktail napkins!

EIGHT:

I could think of a million uses for this little pink leather Gap clutch, from toiletries to travel essentials to jewelry or even as a little pencil case! 

NINE:

I hate buying anything from J.Crew at full price but I adore these ballet flats with every fiber of my being. They're definitely coming home with me next time I visit the mall!

TEN:

These earrings are so unique! I love the way the grey pearls pop off the pink.

ELEVEN:

My sister bought me this LOVE paperweight from Furbish for Hanukkah and I just love it. It's displayed on my bookshelf and makes me happy everytime I look at it. 

TWELVE:

What can I say, pink and leopard just make a great combination! This Gap scarf is so soft and the print is just lovely.

I literally ADORE everything posted above - probably more than any round-up I've ever done - and would love to get any one of them for Valentine's Day... or for any other reason. Hint, hint! :)

Think pink, ya'll! 

An Awesome Office

So yesterday was my first day at the new job!

I was super anxious and barely slept the night before - do any of you do that, too? It's like a combination of nerves + being scared I'll sleep through my alarm. Luckily I didn't and had a very nice day - my work is interesting, all my new colleagues are really nice, the location 15 minutes away can't be beat, and of course, as I mentioned, having my own office is pretty sweet as well :)

I'm a big believer in making my work space feel like my own. After all, if I'm spending 35+ hours a week somewhere, I want it to feel as me as possible! So there are always a few things I like to surround myself with - both functional AND pretty. There's no rule that says you have to use boring office supplies!

I own almost every single item listed below and love them all! Many of them have made appearances at every job I've had since graduating. Stick with what you know - and like!

ONE:
I was gifted some amazing office supplies from Poppin last year - this fancy tape dispenser was one of them!

TWO:
I much prefer a loose notepad over post-it notes. I have this exact one and love writing on it. Leopard? Yes please.

THREE:
Here's a fun weird fact about me: I hate using ballpoint pens. I love ink pens and these Pilot ones are my favorite! Obviously I hoard the pink one for "special tasks." #crazyperson

FOUR:
Sometimes you have to look at a funny sign to give you perspective on things. Mine says "PANIC AND GIVE UP" but this one is good too! 

FIVE:
Probably my favorite thing in my desk, not kidding. My friend RK gifted me a massive party pack of rainbow colored Sharpies for my birthday last year and I LOVE THEM SO FREAKING MUCH.

SIX:
It's always nice to have a living thing in your workspace and since a puppy is out of the question, why not a baby succulent in a cute jar? I kill plants like it's my job, but this one only requires a spritz of water every few weeks!

SEVEN:
I love and collect picture frames and think they're the best thing to have on your desk. I just bought these two gorgeous frames from Lulu & Georgia and can't wait to fill them up with the smiling faces of people I love.

EIGHT:
Where are you going to put all your fancy pens and markers? In a lucite monogrammed pencil cup, oh yes you are.

NINE:
Greene Bean gave me this a few years ago and it's never left my desk - a mini emergency kit packed with lots of essentials, including hairspray, tampon, needle and thread, clear nail polish, deodorant, and more.

TEN:
I'm a writer and an obsessive list maker so a notebook is a must have for me. My preference is a spiral with lined pages and this one is so cute!

I can picture my mother laughing as she reads this and secretly hoping I don't go overboard with the pink or sparkly things. "Don't make it look like a dorm room!" is a thing she is fond of saying. Don't worry, Mama, this is a grown-up job and I'll make sure my grown-up office reflects that. But rest assured, it will be very me!

A Lil Trip Down South

Bet you didn't know I went away last week, did you? Guess where I went - to the SOUTH!

Yes friends, during my last week of freedom I packed up a bag and hopped on over to New Orleans and Dallas to see my pals and practice saying "y'all" for a couple days. The timing worked out great - I found out about my new job the day before I left, so I could just relax and enjoy this little vacation before getting back to business!



In New Orleans, Gerrick and I stayed with our friend Bragman. We posed with her tiny dog, Lila - seriously that dog weighs 3 pounds. Our first night we headed to Drago for their famous Chargrilled Oysters - oysters grilled with butter and garlic sauce. OMG. The next day was the first day of Mardi Gras and of course we hit up the parades! I caught lots of beads, a stuffed football, and a teddy bear (and did not have to show off any body parts - score). I loved watching the little girls dance down the street in the parades to the music played by the marching bands. And after the day parades - Gerrick and I headed to the restaurant where Bragman works, Superior Seafood, for some MORE oysters - this time raw. New Orleans has the BEST and CHEAPEST seafood - 12 oysters for $6! We were in heaven!



We stuck around and caught the night parades too, and when we were walking home when they were over, I found a wallet on the ground! I looked through it and found the guy's business card - when I called him he told me that I "exemplify all that is good in the world." And then asked me out for a drink. Ha! Other highlights: before leaving New Orleans, we met up with Gerrick's husband Daniel and my bestie Jacob, who were in town for their friend's bachelor party. We enjoyed a lovely brunch (featuring yet another oyster poboy) while laughing about the boys' drunken adventures. And then, right before leaving, I had my first bite of king cake - and my slice contained the baby!

Our adventures continued as I accompanied Gerr and Daniel on the lovely EIGHT HOUR DRIVE from New Orleans to Dallas. Daniel slept in the back while Gerrick and I sang, gossiped, chatted on the phone to various friends, and enjoyed each other's company. We stopped in Shreveport Louisiana - how beautiful is the sunset there?! - for dinner and an amazing slice of strawberry pie from Strawns. Guess what they say about southern hospitality is true - I asked for a slice to go, and when I took out my wallet to pay, the lady saw my California drivers license - and gave me a whole pie! When we finally reached Dallas, we were greeted by the rest of the Conroy family - their dogs, Ranger and Louie, who took a particular liking to me and tried to sleep in my bed. Oy!



Other highlights - Gerr and I spent THREE HOURS at the Dallas Homegoods, which was UNREAL. Homegoods is my favorite store and the Dallas one is amazing - if it was in LA, I would spend thousands of dollars there on a regular basis, I swear. We also got to lunch with my dear friend from college, Miss ABG, and even met up with Gerrick's childhood bestie Robley and her husband Brad for dinner at a restaurant called Chef Point Cafe, which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives because of it's very strange location - it's in a GAS STATION! #onlyintexas. Click here to read about it - it's an amazing story. And the food was ridiculous!!!!

All in all, an amazing trip to the south!

And now, I'm off to bed - I've got my first day of work tomorrow! Wish me luck, y'all!!!