Monday, December 27, 2010

A poem

Merry belated Christmas to you all!

 
 [A bit of fashion from this non fashion related post; I admire people who wear red lipstick regularly, knock off ray's and of course, tights.]


To start, here are two Christmas miracles that occurred this season:
  1. The Broncos won a football game, all thanks to Tim Tebow (whom my parents want me to marry, they recently informed me that that is their retirement plan.. no pressure)
  2. My sister, Savannah, is getting married on September 29 to her fiance Jason. Anonymously, someone donated $5,000 dollars to their wedding venue, nearly paying in full the cost of their wedding. This only affirms the purity and value in their relationship
  On quite a different not from my usual posts, I have felt an urging in my heart to share a poem I wrote while I was abroad in New Zealand. I hope you not only enjoy this poem, but get a sense of meaning from it as well. May it touch your heart. 

It all started when I was a little girl
Trying to figure out this big, crazy world
But somewhere along the line
My eyes became blind
And I started to wonder
Where is this God of thunder?
It seemed as if maybe He was too busy
But thinking that only made my head dizzy
It made me all the more lost
Thinking God was this mean boss
Fire breathing
Always angry and leaving
Arms closed, back turned
Thinking this time my lesson was learned..
Until one day,
You changed my ways..
As if awoken from a sleep
You pulled me out of the deep
And when I thought all hope was gone
You showed up in my life like the morning dawn
The angry God that I thought..
Turns out He was not
I began to see Your love
And realized it was something from above
And as You gently drew in near
I lost all sense of fear
For a second I thought it was too good to be true
But then you gave me a heart brand new
Making me pure
And eternally secure
And suddenly I knew!
The One this was all possible through
And so I give praise to Your Son
Because I know He is the only one
Who gave me life
In the midst of all my strife

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Tis the season!

 As most of you know, Christmas is right around the bend! It comes as even more of a shock to me considering I live in Colorado and have only experienced a couple snowstorms! Oh the randomness of Colorado weather.. Regardless of it not FEELING like Christmas, our house is decked out as usual from ceiling to floor in everything Christmas (my mother is a little obsessed with Christmas..). This year, she put me in charge of designing the table setting. Automatically the wheels in my brain started turning and all I could picture was glass jars filled with glitter (of course), pine cones, candles, and other pretty things for a classic yet rustic feel. Sounds quite random, but then I saw the Pottery Barn Catalog and guess who already published my idea? Right.. So here is their spin on MY wonderful idea:

Fabulous right? Well here is my (less glamorous) version:
Since they borrowed my idea, I figured it was okay to borrow their paper star idea, they're just too cute!


So although I may not be up to Pottery Barn's standard, I still think this will make a chic and extravagant table setting for the Christmas season! And also in spirit of Christmas..
Back in '07 in one of my legendary ugly Christmas sweaters! It isn't Christmas without one!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Woodland Creatures


Just call me Lumberjack Jo! This season, my favorite look (besides my obvious adoration of everything sparkly) is the "I just came out of a log cabin in the woods of Colorado" look. It seems that every time I go shopping I find mannequins clothed in items that will keep you bundled in the thick of a forest. What isn't there to love about this perfect combination of cozy and cute? On that note, here are a few photos of my spin on this woodsy trend and also different articles that inspire and enhance it.

[Flannel: Target (boys section!) / Boots: Target / Hat: Forever 21 / Shorts: Old Navy]
I believe the key to achieving a forest friendly look is layers, layers, layers. I love flannels like this one because you can pair it with so many things; add a sweater, scarf, colored tee, etc (I wear mine over EVERYTHING). I'm a big fan of the shorts + tights look as well, it allows you to reuse your summer shorts even throughout the fall! I debated a while over the ankle booties, but now I'm fully convinced of their charm and not to mention their comfort!

[Headband: New Zealand / Sweater: Forever 21 / Skirt: Nordstrom Rack / Boots: The Buckle]
An oversized sweater is one of your main ingredients! Truly, anything knit will give you automatic success with this trend. I paired my sweater with this adorable floral skirt that adds a bit of a romantic feel.
  I HAD to have these outrageous boots the minute I saw them, also considering the fact that you can wear these bad boys various ways (as seen above).

 [Headband: Forever 21 / Sweater: Target (girls section!) / Boots: Forever 21]
Well if you haven't noticed, I've bought items in the wrong section. But can you blame me? Not only are they stylish, they're also extremely affordable (just take a gander at that sweater)! I already have multiple knit headbands to keep my head warm and fashionable. Also, I think a hint of leather from these moto boots help balance out this look to give it bit of an edge.

  1. Tweed shorts are a perfect article to a cozy look! I also love the idea of pairing shoes with ankle socks, or again, shorts with tights.
  2. What screams log cabin more than fur? I'm ready to stoke the fire with this hat.
  3. Again, anything knit accomplishes this look, just like these gloves.
  4. The more tights, the merrier! I love tights like these with a pattern or texture for fall.
  5. No explanation necessary, flannel = lumberjack.
  6. Add denim to an outfit and you're ready to go. This shirt would go great with an oversized sweater.
  7. Perfect sweater for a storm!
Well I hope you've been inspired by these pieces and also ready to cuddle by the fire this Winter!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Sibling Love

This is Chelsea and Ashton.

Colorful Colorado, I love you more and more with each passing day!

 Enjoy :)




Saturday, November 13, 2010

Sequin City

I have deemed it necessary to make an entire post all about sequins. They are EVERYWHERE these days and I absolutely love it! I want to be covered from head to toe in sequins (Okay, too far..). But really, with the holidays coming up I think sequins are the perfect way to spice up an outfit.. and they just make you feel pretty, doggonit! So here are a few photos of my shimmering purchases and also the glittery items I dream about.

This little number with black tights and pumps would be the perfect holiday dress
[Nordstrom or in my case Marshall's at a discount price!]
I was in love with this black sequin hat the first time I laid eyes on it
[Forever 21]
 


  1.  These Toms are perfect to dress up a casual outfit and still comfy enough to wear out and about. They've already made my Christmas list!
  2. This blazer is sparkly perfection!
  3. A girl can dream about this Juicy Couture bag right?

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Birthday Buddies

Today is the day before my very best friend, Katie Leach's, birthday (and mine is only 4 short days after). We celebrated her 20 years of life tonight with her family, presents, and TASTY food (Lobster tails, steak and carrot cake). For her birthday this year, I wanted to give her something from the heart. She has been such an incredible friend to me that no present could do her justice, but I did my best anyways. So here are a few pictures of my attempt at a unique and treasured birthday gift by incorporating some of the little things I've learned about Katie over the course of our friendship.
It's like we're in a relationship.. except she's way better than a boyfriend. Happy birthday Katie!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Today was a successful day to say the least! I not only had one photo session, but i had TWO! Its absolutely insane how you take pictures for one person then someone sees it and wants their pictures taken as well. Its entirely word of mouth, and it spreads like wildfire! It gets me excited to think that this hobby I adore so much can actually become a reality for me, I didn't think I had it in me to be completely honest! Well regardless, above are a couple of pictures of me in action and below is just a sneak peek of some of the shots we got today. Not only was it a fun day, it was also a GORGEOUS fall day and so enjoyable to see Colorado in her prime. Enjoy this lovely October night and stay warm!

Savannah and Jason's "Save the Date" photos


Chelsea and her brother Ashton