My YMail love story.

I fell in love with Yves Saint Laurent's YMail collection during my summer in Paris. One rainy day we made an excursion to the grand magasins to see the magnificence of the Paris shopping experience. The bottom floor of Le Printemps includes the high end designers such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and YSL. As I was walking around gazing at all of the lovely items, I came across this glass enclosed case with the new YSL YMail collection.

I was immediately in love. The case housed necklaces, wallets and clutches all emblazoned with the YMail address. Instead of a big logo or design there was this rather small Parisian address embroidered or imprinted onto all the items. I thought it was such a clever idea to include the address of where the fashion house first began. Although I loved the collection I knew there was no way I was going to be able to afford anything so I left the glass case still dreaming about the YMail items.

That love for the collection never left me, so when my boyfriend asked me what I wanted for my graduation gift in addition to my fabulous Louis Vuitton I knew something from the YMail collection would be perfect.  I started browsing the YSL e-boutique and as soon as I saw the black patent coin purse I knew that was what I wanted.

Whenever it arrived in the mail I seriously was like a mad women getting the box open.  Once I finally got it out of the box, I was totally transported back to Le Printemps when I first fell in love with the collection.

I love every little detail. Although it's called a coin purse its actually quite big, I could easily fit my blackberry or digital camera inside it.  Even the back is cute. It actually makes it look like an envelope.

It's seriously lovely. Whenever I reach into my purse and see it, I get a smile on my face thinking about the history behind it.

xoxo,
Amanda

Hair Tutorial-Lea Michele..again

I have a serious girl crush on Lea Michele. First of all she's gorgeous and every time she hits a red carpet I am dying over what she's wearing. I always love what she wears and I always think "I would sooo wear that." Something else I love is how she styles her hair and make-up.  A few weeks ago I tried her hairstyle from the Glee Academy Event and I loved it. This time I wanted to try her style from the Teen Choice Awards this year.

I found some tips on how to get the style on Glamour.com so I had an overall idea before I started. First I just sectioned off my hair into 5 parts- sides, top and 2 in the back. Then I started taking small sections of hair and using my double barrel curling iron on them. After I got my hair all curled, I lightly ran my fingers through it to even out all the waves. I gave my hair a side part and sprayed it with a light coat of hair spray. Then I was done.

I have no make-up on and I'm in my pajamas so this picture is definitely not me at my prettiest, but this is when I like to try out new hair styles. Now I know I can actually create this style so when I do actually want to wear it out I can do it and not worry about screwing up my hair and ruining my night.

I have had my double barrel curling iron since high school and this is seriously the first time I have truly used it to do my hair. Now that I know how to use it I am so proud that I wanna try it with other hair-do's. I'm actually pretty excited!

xoxo,
Amanda



Image Credit: Lea Michele Web

Banana Bread Love

I seriously haven't had banana bread in years. My grandma used to make it and I always loved it but for some reason once I grew old enough to bake for myself I just never made it. That was until today.

Yesterday I was watching Glee and Rachel asked Finn how he liked the banana bread she baked for him. It was seriously one of the cutest scenes ever cause right afterward, she was holding his hand and leaned in and poked him in the arm with her nose. It was adorable. After that I got a mad hankering for some banana bread. Even better was that I had some really ripe bananas hanging around so I was pretty certain the banana bread was meant to be today.

I can't believe I haven't made it sooner! It's seriously delicious! Plus the recipe I used was super simple.

Ingredients:
5-6 really ripe bananas
2 beaten eggs
2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

-Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan and preheat the over to 350 degrees.

-Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Separately cream the butter and brown sugar together.

-Next stir in the eggs and smashed bananas. Combine the flour mixture and the banana mixture, stirring only to moisten.

-Pour batter into pan and bake for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let bread cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan onto a wire rack.

The recipe is so simple right?! Well it turns out deliciously. I couldn't wait to sample my creation so my pictures are post tasting lol.

Seriously how good does that look?! I wish the internet could include scent cause it smells heavenly and so does my apartment still, and I baked this at 5:00. This is going to be fabulous tomorrow morning with my espresso.


xoxo,
Amanda

Antique Map Wall Decor

This one of my favorite projects I have ever done...ever. Finally now I can say it's actually done. It's seriously taken me over a year to get this project finished. I really can't believe it's been that long. Totally worth it though.

Last July I blogged about my love for antique map wall art. Well now I can say I have my own! The reason it took so long was because it seriously was a massive pain trying to get the map separated properly. I tried a bunch of internet programs created to separate images but none of them ever worked. So then I just had a friend help me and we got it separated and it was fairly uncomplicated after that. I wanted a barely there frame so that it didn't distract from the map. Luckily I found them for super cheap so the project, while it looks fantastic, is actually pretty thrifty!

The map is of Paris-of course! It's an antique map I found on the internet somewhere and the fact I was able to find a map big enough was a feat. Thanks to my lovely boyfriend and his amazing mathematical skills we got it hung properly so that all the spaces between the frames are identical and it looks professional.

I love just staring at it and remembering all my experiences and memories from my summer in Paris. It makes me smile...

xoxo,
Amanda

Finally-my long awaited Glee surprise!

So awhile ago I blogged about Halloween costumes and that I had ordered the perfect touch to my Rachel Berry outfit. Well the seller ended up screwing up my address so I had to wait even longer to get it. But-it's finally here! Before I reveal it this requires a bit of back story so here goes-

I talked on here before about how I lovingly call Zach "Finn" cause of how much he reminds me of Finn from Glee. Everything from personality to his style mirrors the character, it's seriously uncanny. So recently Lea Michele tweeted a new picture of a prop necklace that her character Rachel would be wearing this season. Well after I saw it, I seriously knew I had to order one from somewhere, cause it's seriously too cute.

I searched both Etsy and Ebay and honestly there weren't many options. I really didn't want to pay more than $15 for a gag necklace and most were surprisingly expensive. I did end up finding one seller who could make the necklace and its adorable!

Although it's not an exact replica it's pretty close, and its so cute and sweet. I think the idea of wearing a necklace with your boyfriends name, although dated, is really sweet. And so very Finchel. I can't wait to wear it with my whole Rachel outfit, it's gonna be so cute!

In other news I seriously can't wait for the Britney episode on Glee tonight, I'm gonna be a squee-ing mess after the episode.

xoxo,
Amanda

22 Ways to Say Black Event

I saw something about this over at Fashionista and thought it was such a cool idea to see how designers interpreted something so iconic as the Little Black Dress. After checking out all of the 22 dresses, I am seriously dying for a new LBD particularly one by one of these fabulous designers. If anyone's buying these are my favs lol!

Diane von Furstenberg:

Lanvin by Alber Elbaz:

Martin Grant:

Alexis Mabille:

xoxo,

Amanda

Image Credit: swarovski-elements.com

Fall 2010 Inspiration...

I kinda refused to accept that it was Fall until it actually started to feel like it. Although this week it's feeling more summer-like, for a while there it did actually feel like fall. So in honor of that I bring you my fashion ideas and inspiration for Fall 2010...Enjoy!

 

 

 

xoxo,
Amanda




Image Credit-Daily Front Row, Fashionmefabulous, retrovintageshoes.com, famespy.com, J.Crew, Leamicheleweb, Style.com

Fav fall nailcolor

I think I might have found my go to fall nail polish. China Glaze's First Class Ticket is so gorgeous. Originally I was looking for something similar to Chanel's Paradoxal and although this is a little darker, its a very close match. At a fraction of the price of the Chanel I'll take it for sure. It's dark enough for fall but still pretty cause of the purple metallic. I usually just paint my nails some version of pink so this dark shade was a real change for me...and I love it!

Just an FYI-I had to do two coats, one was very streak-y.

I know this post was uber short but C'est la vie!

xoxo,
Amanda

Hair tutorial-Lea Michele.

Let me preface this post by saying I am no good with styling my hair. I usually just leave it straight or put it in a bun after my shower so it gets a wave. I just have so much hair that it takes forever to do anything with and I can never get it right. Usually I just get irritated or tired cause doing my hair is usually like running a marathon.

Yesterday however I got my hair to do something that was actually cute and looked like what it was supposed to look like. I really loved Lea Michele's hair-do from the Glee Academy event in July. I love it's soft, messy elegance. It's like a more relaxed chignon which is really fun.

After looking at it for a bit I realized I could probably recreate it, so one day when I was bored I started trying it out. Although my first run through was really messy, it gave me the confidence to try it again for real. The best part was that it didn't take that much time and for someone with a lot of hair that's a big plus.

First I parted my hair like I usually do, then I just started taking medium sized sections of hair, twisting them around my finger and then pinning them to my head. I kinda just let the ends stick out to give it a messier feel. I really love how it turned out, and I fully intend upon trying it again in the future.

The only thing I'm going to try and work on is making it a tighter chignon. For my first time though I can't believe how much I love it. It really is so freaking cute and best part is it lasted all day and nothing fell out, and I drove with all my windows down yesterday!

In other news can we talk about the Glee premiere last night?! HILARIOUS! So many hilarious one liners, it was great. Empire State of Mind was fantastic, and the opening with Finn and Rachel being a "controllist" was adorable. The end was so endearing with them vowing to never break up-so EPIC! I can not even explain how pumped I am for the Britney episode next week, its going to be outrageous and I can't wait!

xoxo,

Amanda

Image Credit-Lea Michele Web

Glee Cupcakes!

Ok originally these weren't going to be Glee cupcakes. They were just gonna be cute music note cupcakes but once I realized they coincided with the Glee season premiere they kinda became Glee cupcakes by association. Regardless I think they are so cute. For a few of them I used mini oreos which are too cute. Plus they make me even more excited for Glee, ahh I can't wait.

 

Aren't they adorable?! I love them especially the treble clef, I actually piped them myself, and I don't hate them. lol. In other news how excited am I for Glee?!!!!!!!! ahh can't wait!

Going to go catch Cory Monteith on Jimmy Fallon. I love Jimmy's show and Cory's always funny so his interview is probably going to be hilarious. So cute.

xoxo,
Amanda

Sweater time!

Now that the seasons seem to be changing and fall is becoming more and more evident, I have given myself over to shopping for new fall clothes...and I love it! I found some super cute sweaters and I can't wait till the weather gets cold enough so I can wear them.

Aren't they adorable?! I can't wait to pair them with some cute jeans or even a skirt and knee highs. Can I just say how ridiculous the model in the bow sweater looks though- WTF?

xoxo,
Amanda



Image Credit-Forever 21

Penn State Cupcakes!

Yay for cupcakes! Penn State had a big game last Saturday against Alabama and to satisfy my sad feelings over not being there I decided cupcakes would be a good way to show my Lion pride. They turned out really good- both tasty and cute! Zach ended up helping me with the decorating since my paw drawing skills aren't up to cupcake par.

Although they were pretty darn good, they didn't necessarily create the winning mojo PSU needed to win. Alabama ended up with the W. Oh well, there's always next Saturday.

This is the first of two cupcake posts- I have another batch of cupcakes planned for the Glee premiere on Tuesday!-YAY! I'm so excited!

xoxo,
Amanda

My signature...of sorts.

Unless I'm going out I don't wear that much jewelery. I guess I'm just not an accessories girl besides handbags and headbands. I usually only wear the heart ring Zach got me for our first anniversary and my sparrow necklace. Really simple and classic. Ever since I got my ring I have been in love with it and I still am. It's so pretty and girly, and delicate too. With my long skinny fingers it looks perfect.

Though I haven't had my sparrow necklace for as long I'm in love with it already. I had been searching for a tiny birdie necklace for a while and finally after Christmas last year I found the perfect little sterling silver sparrow at Piercing Pagoda. And score-it wasn't even that expensive with the new chain. It looks so cute on also, it's not too big so it doesn't really grab your attention but it's just this little detail that I love.

It also reminds me of myself in some way. My love to be free and go wherever I want with the change of the wind. My love of travel too and my desire to visit every interesting city and country in the entire world. Once I saw it I knew I had to have it. It's becoming my signature necklace and I'm so happy about it.

xoxo,
Amanda

Something I'm loving.

I didn't really get into the Resort 2011 shows this year. I was in the midst of moving chaos so it wasn't really on my radar at the time. But after seeing a picture of Natalie Portman at the Black Swan Premiere (Which I am kinda dying to see) in a Jason Wu Resort 2011 dress, I was in love.

I love love love the print! It's a floral but with the cut of the dress it's kinda hard to tell and it morphs into a cool abstract-ish print instead. The ruffles are equally as fantastic, it looks like such a fun dress. Plus I can never resist a good ruffle! I also really like how it was styled, simple pump, and cute minimal accessories. Kudos to her stylist.

The best part is that that print is an integral part to Wu's collection. It's used in so many different colors and then the cuts and shapes just makes them great. He really knows how to create garments that are fun and flatter the female figure. Go check it out!

xoxo,
Amanda



Image Credit-arts.nationalpost.com

Halloween costumes?

I am in such a conundrum for Halloween this year. I seriously have no good ideas, I feel like. I've done all my favorite Disney princesses so that's a big category crossed out. Last year's Marie Antoinette costume was the best and I LOVED it but now I'm just so ehh about costumes. There are a bunch of ideas running around in my head but none scream "You must be this for Halloween." It's making me sadfaced too cause I am always super excited about Halloween and end up getting my costume a month ahead of time.

I did end up getting a costume though. I do actually really like it.

I love this gypsy costume. It also reminds me of Esmeralda so it's still a nod to Disney which I'm getting to be known for. The colors are really pretty and the stars are a cute detail. It's also really flattering, I'm not so thrilled with the sizing though since its S/M and M/L which is never reliable, but its still cute. However, I'm not wowed by it like I usually am with my costume. Maybe once I get all the jewelry on it will just click and I'll love it but for right now I'm not absolutely positive it's the one.


I've also been toying with the idea of going as Rachel from Glee. I know I already sort of dress like her but I always add my own touch to it. I was thinking of going full out Rachel (animal sweater and all), but only if Zach decides to go as Finn cause it would just be too cute if we went as Finchel. In hopes that he okays it, I ordered a little something off Ebay to make my costume just absolutely perfect! Once I get it I'll post some pictures but for right now it's gonna have to remain a mystery. I seriously freakin love it and I can't wait to get it-here's to hoping it comes extra quick.

xoxo,
Amanda


Image credit: www.3wishes.com

Drools....

Can I just take a moment to comment upon how outrageously sexy he is?! I mean come on.

I love him on Glee, and in interviews he's just so funny. Aside from all that the man is gorgeous. I love that costume on him, the all black with his sleeves rolled up is so sexy. Yowza! I can't wait to see what song this outfit is for. Less than two weeks to the Glee premiere and it can't come soon enough.


xoxo,
Amanda

I finally found them!

I have kinda wanted a cute pair of loafers for forever. Then once I saw them all over the September issues I just wanted a pair even more. Just recently however I got my butt in gear and started searching for them hardcore. The problem was no one had ones that were cute enough. All the pairs I found were dowdy and old or just out of my price range. I knew though that with all the stores and discount stores in the BC/Robinson area that I could find a pair I liked. I swear I looked through TONS of stores for loafers. I was seriously feeling defeated until I stepped into TJ Maxx and found two cute pairs of loafers.

These seriously feel like walking on a cloud. I don't know what it is but whatever the inner sole is made out of is heaven. I love the color, that warm cinnamon color is exactly what I was looking for. I also love the toe stitching, again exactly what I was looking for. I really wanted a buckle or some embellishment but I was gonna go with this pair solely cause it was the closest thing I had found to what I wanted. Also I was feeling a bit defeated.

I seriously was about to leave until I spotted this pair smooshed at the end of the shelf.

This is seriously my other perfect pair. The heel is the perfect height. It also has the buckle which just makes it perfect, plus the front doesn't come up too far so it looks cute and not old lady-y It's exactly what I was looking for. It's a little darker than the cinnamon which means I can wear it with different things. Luckily my BF was fantastic enough to get both pairs for me cause I couldn't pick between them. :)

I just can't believe I couldn't find any and then I found two perfect pairs at the last store of my shopping trip last Saturday. Sometimes you just get lucky shopping!

I have one last thing to show you-socks! My love for knee socks is a long lasting one. I have so many pairs its crazy. But all of them are some fantastic print which is unsuitable to wear outside the house. I stopped at Target the other day and found they had a bunch of new cute knee socks in totally people appropriate colors, I was thrilled! Which translates to I bought a bunch of them. They were only $1.00-$2.00 a pair so it didn't break the bank.

I love the purple argyle set-so very Rachel Berry no?! <-That was so French of me right there, I love it lol. I can't wait to channel her and wear these soon. Not like I don't already but still.


I also got this peacock pair cause when have you ever seen a pair of peacock socks? I love finding off the wall things like that!

Stay tuned for a PSU cupcake post! I've been in the mood to bake lately!

xoxo,
Amanda