Nautical Style

I accidentally fell in love with a super expensive swimsuit.  It's the Port Stripe Halter Bra swimsuit from Juicy Couture, and I think it is the perfect nautical fashion statement.  It has the classic nautical stripes, a cute little anchor on the front, and the ties in the back are made of white rope. Isn't it so fun?

Image via Juicy Couture

I'm loving all things nautical lately, though, so I'm not pulling out my wallet for that swimsuit yet.

To be clear, I'm loving fashion's whimsical take on the nautical theme, which is different from the industrial feel of actually living full time on a ship like I do.  While it's an adventure, the real ship life is not nearly as adorable; my uniform onboard is a bright blue polyester track suit.  Ugh.

Here are some other playful (non-track-suit) nautical pieces that I love:

1.  I love the red rope detail on these Valentino nautical ballet flats.
2.  The sparkles on this nautical sequin anchor tank from Delia's stand out in a very good way.
3.  This "life ring" from Asprey London is classy and cheeky at the same time.
4.  The fit and flare shape of Kate Spade's Mariella dress looks chic with a navy nautical stripe.
5.  I can't get enough of the watercolor details on the Candace Carryall by Coach.
6.  These bright red anchor earrings from River Island prove that the cutesy nautical vibe can also be affordable.

Do you love nautical fashion as much as I do?
xoxo
Laura

The High-Low Dress

I have been admiring high-low dresses from afar for quite some time now.  Some examples of this short-in-the-front and long-in-the-back style are here, here, and here.

I'm happy to say that I finally joined in on the fun.

I bought an inexpensive summery version of the trend from Target that I think will be perfect to wear at the beach here in the Caribbean as well as back in Denver this spring.  (Speaking of which, I'm so glad it's almost spring!)

While the high-low dress's cut is similar to that of the mullet, I really don't think this is going to be a fleeting trend that everyone laughs about a decade from now.  I've been wrong before, though. What do you think?

xoxo
Laura

A Good Book

I've had a cold this week, so I spent the last couple days lounging around in bed reading Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling and it is so awesome!

Image via Amazon

It's a funny, lighthearted read that is extremely relatable (at least to me, a 20-something non-married girl in America).  I love her writing style because she has struck the perfect balance between actual content and humor.  In her question-and-answer style introduction she writes "This book will take you two days to read.  Did you even see the cover?  It's mostly pink.  If you're reading this book every night for months, something is not right." But man, I wish it had taken me months to read it; then I'd still be laughing.

Have you read this book?  Did you like it as much as I did?
xoxo
Laura

Photo Toaster

This week I'm loving the Photo Toaster app for the iPad.  I payed $1.99 for the full version, but there's also a free version with a few less features if that's more your style.

I love this app because it's like a cuter, simpler version of photoshop for the iPad.  It makes it really easy and fun to change the look of the pictures that I've been taking with my iPad's camera.

Here's an example of a picture that I was messing around with today.  First I cropped it.

Then I picked which filter I wanted to use.  These filters change the color and lighting in the photo, and there are little thumbnails at the bottom that show you exactly how your picture will look with each filter.  For this one, I chose the "happy" filter.

Then I added a fun outline to the edge of my picture.  Again, you can see how all the edges will look in the thumbnails at the bottom of the screen.

How cool is that?  In less than 1 minute, I took an iPad photo from plain to adorable.
I seriously can't recommend this app enough!

xoxo
Laura

My New Toy

I could not be more excited to introduce you to my new love this week...

It's my brand new iPad mini!

I can't wait to start downloading apps for it!  Do you have any recommendations?
xoxo
Laura

Pretty Craft Supplies

This week I'm in love with a big, white box of craft supplies that my sister sent me for Christmas.  

They aren't just any craft supplies; they're craft supplies that are so pretty in their natural state that I almost want to leave them alone and use them as decorations just as they are.  (Almost.)  I can't wait to think of the perfect projects for each and every one of them!

I'll definitely be using these stamps on the next cards I make.

And maybe I'll make some bracelets with these pretty paper strings?

I can already think of a million things I'd like to decorate with this washi tape...

And these pom poms will most likely be making an appearance in my next knitting project.

But this spool of yarn may end up being the one craft supply I succumb to leaving on the shelf as decoration.  I love the wooden spool so much!

I'm feeling very spoiled and lucky at the moment.

Thanks Kate!

xoxo

Laura

Did you know I love glitter?

I hope your New Year's Eve absolutely sparkled!

xoxo
Laura

Knitting and Ice Skating

Professional ice shows have given me the opportunity to perform all around the world, from Madison Square Garden in New York City to live television in the Netherlands (as well as hundreds of significantly less glamorous small town venues, county fairs, and theme parks along the way).  You might think that knitting and skating have nothing in common, but the more I think about it, the more similarities I see.

When I skate I'm rewarded with applause, and when I knit no one claps for me (that would be awkward).  However, the feeling of successfully completing a difficult knitting project is very similar to the feeling that comes from the applause at the end of a show.  Sometimes the satisfaction of completing a knitting project is even more gratifying because the audience will still clap if I didn't perform my best, but I'll only feel fabulous about my knitting if I did it perfectly.

The rewarding feeling I get at the end of both activities isn't the only similarity between the two; I use my brain the same way while I'm doing each one.  What happens is I fall into a level of concentration where I shut out outside distractions, I quiet all of my usual internal chatter, and I focus solely on a mantra-like internal monologue.  When I'm knitting, I chant the pattern in my head to the rhythm of my knitting "knit two, purl two, knit two, purl two…" When I skate it's something more like "one, two, push, extend, left arm, out…"  I absolutely love this feeling of internal quiet and concentration because my thoughts are usually pretty chaotic and scattered if I leave them to their own devices.

So even though the differences between my two favorite activities are countless, they both make me feel and operate in the same way internally.  I challenge you to take a deeper look at the activities with which you fill your life, and I'm willing to bet they won't be a series of disconnected pieces either. There will always be a common thread, and if you can pinpoint that thread, you'll know what it is that you truly enjoy in life.

What do you love to do?
xoxo
Laura

The Perfect Camera Bag

This week I am absolutely loving my new camera bag that my parents gave me for my birthday! It's from Jo Totes and it's the perfect combination of a cute exterior and a functional interior.

I seriously want to take it with me everywhere I go now. I can't get enough of it!

What do you carry your camera in?

xoxo

Laura

Mini Things

This weekend I'm on a little vacation in San Francisco!  After we had brunch this morning, we were browsing around some shops and I ran across the cutest mini book necklace just like this one that you can buy on Peg and Awl's Etsy shop.  (Photo courtesy of Peg and Awl)

And that leads me to my love of the week... mini things!

Here are a few other mini things that I've run across this weekend:

1.  Mini terrariums are all over the place in this town, and I love them.  At this point in my life, this is the only size of garden that I could actually commit to taking care of.

2.  This gluten free mini cupcake made my day yesterday, as well as getting to wear my favorite mini bow ring (which surprisingly only cost $15 at Target).

3.  And of course mini pumpkins are everywhere right now also.  Apparently I'm not the only one who loves these little guys.

Do you like mini things too?  Am I crazy to actually believe that mini cupcakes taste yummier than their full-sized counterparts?

Either way, I hope you're having a fantastic weekend just like me!
xoxo
Laura

Fall Purples

This week I’m absolutely loving my two new purple nail polishes.  They’re perfect for fall because they’re dark colors, and I love that neither one of them is a classic purple.  One is brownish purple (OPI “My Big Break”) while the other is a grayish purple (OPI “You Don’t Know Jacques!”).

What colors are you loving this fall?
xoxo
Laura

This week I'm loving... Fall in Colorado!

Did you know that fall is my favorite season?  Saturday was the first official day of fall, and my friends and I went for a hike amongst the aspen trees.



Did you do anything fun to celebrate the changing of the season?  I'm thinking it's time for me to do some fall baking now.  (Yay!)

xoxo
Laura

This week I'm loving...

My Toms shoes!

I love that they're so comfy, and I love that the stripes have a nautical vibe, and most of all I love that my purchase helped a kid in need.  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Here is what Toms is all about.

What are you loving this week?
xoxo
Laura

I love...

Hi There!

The last thing I want this blog to be is generic, so I've spent the last few days thinking of ways to add more of my personality to it.  I love making DIY posts, and while I plan to continue making them on a weekly basis, I've decided to add another segment to the mix as well: A weekly photo post that highlights a different thing that I love each time.  I'm really excited to share more glimpses of who I am as a person and what inspires me to make the things that I blog about, so here I go!

I love trendy, upscale exercise classes...

...and all the fun outfits I get to wear to those classes!

I can't help myself, I just love them!
xoxo
Laura