I'm not fashion expert, but I always make one. I've never published one anywhere until now...

Dun Dun Dun...

This time I didn't finish it, but it's pretty exhaustive already. 0_o

Laura's cluttered Fall Picks:



Sweatshirts and Sweaters:

http://www.lulus.com/products/Gloria+Sweater/14454.html

http://store.alloy.com/item.do?categoryID=2222&itemID=50954&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter= A good alternative to a neck constricting hoodie

Love this! http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16652539&parentid=W_APP_SWEATERS&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=30&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_SWEATERS&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=

http://store.alloy.com/item.do?categoryID=2222&itemID=51151&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter= Wear this with shorts or form-fitting jeans, not tights.

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16901779&parentid=W_APP_HOODIES&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=237&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_HOODIES&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16610222&parentid=W_APP_SWEATERS&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=30&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_SWEATERS&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=

Cardigans:

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=sw%5Fcardigans&product%5Fid=2063344815&Page=1

http://www.forever21.com/twelve/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=12x12%5Fsweaters&product%5Fid=2060928774&Page=1



Shorts:

I think shorts will be in this fall especially since we live in a milder climate. Pair this with a loose solid colored sweater or a tee, solid vest, (opaque) black tights, and cute solid colored flats.

http://fredflare.com/customer/product.php?productid=5028&cat=298

http://www.lulus.com/products/Peggy+Sue+Shorts/12628.html

http://www.lulus.com/products/Prankster+Pinstripe+Shorts+in+Blue+and+White/12529.html (Pair this one with dark neutrals!)

http://www.forever21.com/heritage1981/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=81bottoms&product%5Fid=2063312694&Page=1

Skirts:

I forsee in-your-face florals, eastern motifs, and artsy prints being a hit. Save your plaids for jackets or shorts, I don't see them being in. Tiered and gypsy skirts won't make it either if they're floor length, but I'll include some nice alternatives. Solids are in any season.


Artsy / Florals:

http://www.lulus.com/products/Monet+Floral+Skirt/14424.html works with almost anything

http://www.lulus.com/products/Soft+Spoken+Skirt+in+Floral/13400.html

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=61&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16183139&parentid=W_APP_SHORTS&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=48&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_SHORTS&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=

http://www.lulus.com/products/Fresh+Start+Skirt/10910.html this is a good spring to fall skirt

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=btms%5Fskirts&product%5Fid=2062708587&Page=all

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=btms%5Fskirts&product%5Fid=2063587077&Page=all

Boho/Eastern:

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=btms%5Fskirts&product%5Fid=2058417144&Page=all

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=btms%5Fskirts&product%5Fid=2065509693&Page=all

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=61&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16069684&parentid=W_APP_SHORTS&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=189&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_SHORTS&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=

http://store.delias.com/item.do?itemID=52166&categoryID=450&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter= tights are a must for this one

Classic:

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=btms%5Fskirts&product%5Fid=2064774393&Page=all

http://www.lulus.com/products/Pinwheel+Pepper+Skirt+in+Black+and+White/11623.html

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=love21%5Fskirt&product%5Fid=2064138165&Page=1

http://store.alloy.com/item.do?categoryID=16&itemID=50900&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter=

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=faith%5Fbottoms&product%5Fid=2065537170&Page=1

http://store.alloy.com/item.do?categoryID=16&itemID=51087&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter=
Bubbles are good for windy days!


Dresses:

Sleeveless dresses can be worn with a jacket or a tee or long sleeve underneath. Maxis made such a roar this summer that they won't be around for fall. Any kind of hankerchief and eastern patterns, shirt dresses florals, mini dots, or knitted wear will make it big.


http://store.delias.com/item.do?itemID=50277&categoryID=424&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter=

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=dress%5Fcasual&product%5Fid=2061358344&Page=all

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=61&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=17042938&parentid=W_APP_DRESSES&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=399&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_DRESSES&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=

http://store.alloy.com/item.do?categoryID=11&itemID=50974&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter= Great with tights or fitting jeans underneath

http://www.lulus.com/products/Peasants+Ballad+Dress/14103.html

http://store.alloy.com/item.do?categoryID=11&itemID=50958&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter=

http://store.alloy.com/item.do?categoryID=11&itemID=50690&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter= cute with a beret!

http://www.lulus.com/products/Walters+Dress+in+Grey/13925.html

http://store.alloy.com/item.do?categoryID=11&itemID=50681&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter=
this is a cute skirt but it doesn't look good on everyone, not for the full chested or those with wide middles.

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16926958&parentid=W_APP_DRESSES&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=18&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_DRESSES&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=

http://www.lulus.com/products/Sophia+Dress/14480.html good for pear figures and petite frames. great with a cropped jacket

http://www.lulus.com/products/Dream+Lover+Dress/14379.html

http://www.forever21.com/heritage1981/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=81dresses&product%5Fid=2063303793&Page=1

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=10&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=15618945&parentid=W_APP_DRESSES&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=27&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_DRESSES&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=

http://www.lulus.com/products/Kishi+Silk+Dress+by+Collective+Concepts/14284.html

http://store.delias.com/item.do?itemID=51896&categoryID=424&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter=

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16806002&parentid=W_APP_DRESSES&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=18&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_DRESSES&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=181&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16347569&parentid=W_APP_DRESSES&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=462&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_DRESSES&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=

All day long...

Tags: music, stuck in head
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: You don't know me - Ben Fold feat Regina Spektor

Calories aren't everything. Fat and sugar and sodium would still count, and that wouldn't be good. I've never been able to binge, I've never been able to eat so much that I felt like throwing up, so I wouldn't do that, but I would whip out perhaps a candybar and a slice of pizza. :)

Tags: calories, dieting, food, writer's block

 

Me (to Nate and a friend): "Hey how does Mashed Potatoes, Brocolli, and Lemon Pepper Chicken sound for dinner?"
Nate: "Sounds good"
Friend: "Yeah"

So I go cut up the potatoes and they're boiling...The chicken is in the oven baking...

Friend: "Uh...Laura...I realized I don't really like potatoes all that much. I liked em as a kid, but not so much now."

Me (with the serious Laura face): "Then you must die" 

He walks away stunned and tells Nate in the living room: "Your sister can be scary...I'm never telling her the truth again!"

I've been submerged in wedding and hawaii planning and figured this would be a good reason to surface and get a fresh breath of air...

First off, don't read below the link if you haven't listened to the new album. I don't want to poison your views of the audio candy until you've formed your own opinions. 

Listen here:
www.imogenheap.com/ellipse/



Ellipse. Funny how an ellipse isn't a perfect circle, it's got swifter and longer lengths, and while it isn't perfect, it is found more often in natural forms. Like a circle, it loops around. It seems like the songs on the album loop around too, drawing a little bit of here and there from earlier projects (Details, Speak for Yourself). 

I've read a couple reviews and I was quite upset at how negative they are. While I think Speak for Yourself was more "Dynamic", there are so many elements that make Ellipse beautiful. First off, I was surprised at the more pop-like sounds. While it has die-hard Immi fans raising an eyebrow at first impression, it's a great move for attracting newer audiences to her work, especially as she branches out with White Rabbit.

The catchy-ness of her new tunes embodies the first song, "First Train Home".  An easy beat to tap your foot to, a chorus that's easy to remember, and the magical atmosphere she's noted for. This is the small of the ellipse, the faster ride that propels you towards the middle, which is a slower journey until the opposite pole wraps you into quicker orbit once more.

"Wait it out", which seems to have gotten the short end of the stick from other reviewers, is actually a favorite of mine. While the lyrics are shallower than what I've come to expect from Heap, the emotional feedback from the instrumentals and background sounds fuel me with what the words lack.

As the ride gets longer it slows down, with two songs I personally think are sleeper songs.
 "Earth" and "Little Bird" have slower cadences, small talk, a conversation between two distraught lovers.

The curve goes back to the small with "Swoon" and "Tidal". The tempo picks up, the lyrics are strengthened, senses are heightened again. These songs are moody, enchanting, more original in nature. Tidal is also a favorite of mine on this album. Heap takes advantage of the broadness of her voice, switching back and forth between sweet and delicate and harder, heavier vocals. It is that beautiful fluctuation that won my ears over in Details.

"Between Sheets" shares elements with "Earth" and "Little Bird" as it is a less inviting song, one more dialogue between lovers, where the music fills in details. There is a caress to "Between Sheets" something soft but intense, like an ardent stroke to one's cheek.

"2-1" , "Bad Body Double", and "Aha" personally, are the weakest songs in the album for me. "2-1" leaves me with no real impression, and while I understand the reasoning behind "Bad Body Double" the flow of the lyrics don't quite cut it. "Aha" cracks me up, the halloween equivalent of "Just for Now" (Christmas), it carries a tune that Tim Burton would borrow, that Jack and Sally would dance to. And because of that, I can't take it seriously!

"The Fire" is audio poetry. Close your eyes for that one, and you will be engulfed for the short yet satisfying sounds. It reminds me of The Little Match Girl.

The album wraps up with two wonderful songs. "Canvas" is gorgeously heavy. Another song that highlights the talent that separates Imogen from anyone else in the music industry. A blend of strong and weak and tempting falsettos. Another favorite. "Half Life" is the song you put on repeat for emotional purging after heartbreak. It wraps up the album and exposes the beauty of it. 

Music is Heap's first love. She wouldn't delay the release of her album by almost a year and  document and share it this boldly if it wasn't something she put her entirety into, something she believes is an achievement and personal best. In this album, she introduces you to herself. 

What wins me over for Ellipse is the undertones. I can tell that this album exposes little snippets of Heap that she has not let out until now. The lyrics are less ambiguous, less artsy, more raw and heartfelt. The songs fit together snugly in this album, whereas Speak for Yourself was more experimental, less connected. An artist can produce imaginative, bold, artistic pieces, but if they cannot show themselves through it, they have no value. In this album, she breaks down to make something less perfect sounding to her main audience, but more real to life. It exposes the fast paces and slow paces in life and relationships. The ellipses we make in life and how they overlap with people around us. 

I can't wait to hear the instrumental versions tomorrow. 

-Laura

Tags: album, imogen heap, music, new, review
Current Mood: full
Current Music: Tidal - Imogen Heap

Being a terrarium and bird obsessed person, her work makes me swoon a little.

www.paulahayes.com

<3

Tags: artist, discovery, plants, terrarium
Current Mood: artistic
Current Music: bad body double- imogen heap

Big Yay!

Tags: imogen heap, music
Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: New Eclipse Album!

 I'm a bad blogger...I don't post pictures. But that's what my facebook is for, right :)?

Yesterday was the big day...probably more epic than my graduation commencement. lol. It was my graduation open house. One of the best days ever. It was hectic, I didn't really get to sit down too long, but it was AMAZING! I was surrounded by my favorite people :)

I kid you not, we spent a month preparing for the party. About 80% of that was housecleaning, the other part preparing and cooking food and putting up decorations. I think I got a glimpse of how crazy (should I have one) my wedding day will be. My poor parents spent $500 on buying food alone! We figured (by counting plates) that there was probably had at least 120 people who attended since we went through 185 plates that day and two packs of bowls. 

My favorite gifts (through I definitely appreciated the money) were the little surprises of the day. Heidi showed up with two of my favorite things - bubbles and an old book. But this was no ordinary book, it was Alice in Wonderland! With original lithographs and the whimsical typesetting of the poems the way Carroll made them. And with her was Anne! I was so excited! She came all the way from Ojai to be there! My friend Desiree announced to me that she was expecting, I got to see Becca's baby bump for the first time. Things are kind of strange in cousin land, and this was the second time all my cousins from my mom's side were together this year, so that meant so much to me. Two of them are studying at UCI, and two reside in Arizona now. My friend Alicia, made it, and I got to hang with her for the first time outside of school. Alicia and Rose pretty much stayed until 10, I got to have them all day! Suzy went to her first party ever, and brought me a BOX FULL of manga! I was so proud of her, she's very antisocial and so to step out of her comfort zone to come to a very busy party (when she's never gone to a party in her life) was amazing. She couldn't stay long but she managed to start a conversation with Becca and make small chit chat. I got this huuuge beach towel that'll be awesome for the beach. At 10pm, Alicia, Sarah, and I watched pushing daisies. I got hugs from people I thought barely knew of my existence, and people made me feel very special :)

People were very generous, I saw more benjamins and jacksons between Nate and I than I have ever seen my whole life! Okay, that sounds like I got a stack of them, but lol, I can exaggerate a little bit! God is so good to me, and I am glad I can be a cheerful giver again. The first thing I did was grab a bunch of bills and hand them to my dad. It felt good to be able to repay (probably not even half of what I had to borrow, but oh well) my parents for the money they lent me for odds and end to get me through school. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have made this journey in four years. My must-be-clean-and-orderly mom held her sighs and "closed her eyes" all the times I used the kitchen table as a cutter and left piles of trimmings and a cutting mat and misprints scattered all over the table, or threw a design table in the kitchen because I couldn't fit all my projects in my room (and stacked that thing as high as everest). I'd shake my dad awake to drop me off at school when I got 15 mins of sleep three nights in a row and didn't trust my driving, and I'd drag him to far away field trips because I didn't trust my directions. They let me know they would rather live a little poorer than see me super stressed between a job and school projects and pretty much payed for everything my last year. I am so thankful!

Today, as I picked up the little odds and ends, wiped down the tables, took down decorations, and look at my photo collages, it hit me.


I'm done. :)  

Tags: family, friends, graduation, parents, party
Current Mood: excited
Current Music: Trust in the Lord (reprise) - Sixpence None The Richer

 So much has happened in the last couple months that I can hardly contain them in written passages! I got an internship, I turned 21, One of my best friends (Becca) got married and I was the maid of honor, I got a Macbook Pro AND epson printer,  I graduated, We got grass in the backyard and repainted the exterior, Nate got his first *official*  girlfriend, We lost a Camry, Gained a Highlander, He graduated highschool, Nate will be turning 18 in October, Desiree will get married in October and I'll be a bridesmaid, Becca will have a second son in november,  and I'll hopefully get my first real job this year!  There are so many other neat events that have happened inbetween. It's just amazing :)

God has showed in all this that He is good, indeed He is good. 

Last night was Nathan's graduation. For a class of 68, there were a gazillion people there! I think one of the teachers counted over 900 in attendance. There were so many people there, that all the chairs were full and people stood AROUND THEM and blocked off the entire back wall and sides!

It's funny, my brother's highschool experience is the closest I've gotten to a highschool experience, by the end of his years there, I can name a good ten professors, one who used to go to my church and I had a crush on as a tween. haha. And Nate has such a cool group of friends there, that I was excited for not just Nate, but for Rose, Austin, Angela, Nicole, Kelli, and others who have become familiar faces. And of course, a handful of the borders staff was there to congratulate their favorite seniors :) The keynote speaker (who I guess is the founder of the school) had a fun speech. For the first half, he spoke to the parents. For the second half, he talked to the graduates. His points were based on things you learn in kindergarten, like flush, watch out for traffic, take a nap, and have a good warm cookie with a glass of milk. :) He pointed out that if you have been attending grace since Kindergarten, your parents have spent a whopping $70,000 on your education. Whoa! 

My parents barely afforded to make Nate full time this year with our limited budget, but it was totally worth it. He has grown so much, especially spiritually, that I wouldn't have it any other way. I am so proud :)

Tags: graduation, life, reflection, school
Current Location: my almost clean room
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: To be Alone with You - Sufjan Stevens

 Depend on God

I've always disliked this acronym..but there is truth to it. Especially right now in my life, as everything paramounts financially, academically, and physically. 

Dog. I didn't like it because of the animal it read. Liken my faith to a canine?


Dog. 


A somewhat helpless creature who must rely on their master. Who learns to be obedient without knowing whether or not there is a treat waiting for them. Instinctive, but doesn't always know when instinct is right or wrong. Is learning to trust and to love their master unconditionally even when it seems like the master isn't doing everything that is to their best interest. Often focuses too keenly on what they want and forgets there is more to have. Can scrap around and pretend to get by alone but does best when guided. 

I can identify.