Last Day of Magic.

And, so here it is; the last day of 2011. Such an awesome year, that seemed to go by so fast! Just wanted to give an extra thank you to all my followers, readers, anyone who has ever came across my blog, or who has purchased any of my vintage finds. And, of course, my family and friends! I truly appreciate your support and existence. You guys are my rock, my heart, my soulmates... love you to pieces. Sending out good vibes to all in the New Year and many more to come.

       



                                     *LAUGH your bums off and DANCE the night away....*

                                                            = Its New Years Eve!!! =

The Kimono

Pretty, feminine, and flowy. Copped one of these on sale for $4.00 (four bucks!). Bought it for myself as a birthday gift this year :)  I like to wear mine with a baseball tee and flared jeans, for an easy 70s look. Also, pairing the kimono with basic attire helps this lovely piece shine.

note: make sure to check out my vintage shop for great finds. click on the etsy link to the right of the blog :)

(click on images to enlarge)

no one rocks a kimono quite like nicole richie. such a stylish babe!

*images via:  alicecloset,  all-articles,  almanac.interactiveti,  brennasbeat,  erniekhairina,  whosdatedwho,  posh24,  thisnext,  hippiebohoreloaded,  yournextjacket,  you-are-lovely

Take Courage...

                                       Andrew Bird just has to be the best whistler in the world.


                                   "...so take courage that you're not alone, no you're not alone..."



30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

Found this awesome article on http://www.marcandangel.com/. Here are some words to live by in the new year and for ALWAYS:




1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst they are your true friends.

2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.

3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself. Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves. Read The Road Less Traveled.

4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.


5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.


6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.


7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.


8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.


9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.


10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else. Read Stumbling on Happiness.


11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.


12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.


13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.


14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.


15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you. Concentrate on beating your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.


16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”


17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.


18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too. If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.


19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.


20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.


21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.


22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.


23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done. Read Getting Things Done.


24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.


25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.


26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.


27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out. But making one person smile CAN change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus.


28. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years?” If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.


29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.


30. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.


note: make sure to check out my vintage shop for great finds. click on the etsy link :)


post via:  http://www.marcandangel.com/

Moon River.

  


  

 I know this song has been remade several times, but this version is just lovely.

"we're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' round the bend. my huckleberry friend, moon river...

and me..."

Holiday Cookies: Vanilla Glazed Spritz Cookies

An alternative to the sugar cookie, the vanilla glazed spritz would be great with a cup of joe or yummy hot chocolate. Plus, they just look so darn cute. Gah, I'm such a cookie monster! Here's the recipe from Martha Stewart's website:

Recipe for the vanilla dough

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Directions

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined.


For Vanilla Glaze

Ingredients:
3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions

1.Combine ingredients. Use for dipping. Add different food colourings, as desired.


VANILLA GLAZED SPRITZ COOKIES

Ingredients:
1 batch plain or tinted Basic Vanilla Cookie Dough (pressed into any shape)
1 batch Vanilla Glaze


Directions


1. Knead dough briefly to soften. Fill a cookie press with dough, and fit with disk to make shapes. Squeeze cookies directly onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until firm, 12 to 14 minutes.
2. Let cool completely before dipping in the vanilla glaze. Let vanilla-glazed cookies set on a wire rack.

*add different candies and sprinkles for a little fun. enjoy!*



Long Live The Tribe

 I may post a lot of rock/alt music on my blog, but I do love my oldies and hip hop from the golden era.  And in my world, A Tribe Called Quest is a top lister!  Seen them perform some odd years back, and it would make me a very happy girl to see 'em again. :)

 

 

images via:  rottentomatoes,  muzkmesh,  manifestworldwide,  kalamu.com,  largeup.okay,  hiphopgalaxy,  blog.moviefone,  themintcollective.tumblr,  chumpchampion

Chloe's Closet

Here's a peek into Chloe Sevigny's closet. I'm really diggin' her hair and that dress.

At Home with Chloë Sevigny: Part 1 from Opening Ceremony on Vimeo.

Custom made dress and sketches from Mr. Alber Elbaz himself.... jealous!

I absolutely love her S&M collar. In high school, I used to buy these leather-like studded collars. But nothing as killer as this one. Accessory inspo for sure!



Awesome 90's look: no muss, no fuss. Oh, the 90's... my tween/teen years.

also: make sure to check out my vintage shop for great finds. click on the etsy link :)

http://www.mykindsyourkind.etsy.com/

note: I do not own any of these images.

Whether You Fall...

The L word:  Dana and Alice break up scene: So for those of you who have never seen the L word,  

Alice and Dana were best friends turned lovers. Until this scene, where Dana breaks up with Alice to give it another go with her ex-girlfriend. I think I actually teared up while watching this scene for the first time. Oh the drama, the love, the heartache... I miss my L word. But at least I have the dvd's, thanks to le bf. :)

"Whether you Fall" by Tracy Bonham

the sexy ladies of the L word



images via:  fanpop,  weheartit,  lukeford,  ew.com,  citypages,  tvloop,  queerattitude,  thegrapevinesa.wordpress, tvguide, news.l-word

Shoe Craving: The V-Toe Heel

For a sexy, "I am woman and I'm gonna have my way with you" look, opt for the V-toe heel. The wedge gives it a more modern and edgy feel. 

the jirasek wedge boot. seen this boot on aldo.com for $140, on sale for $79. but when i went back to purchase it the other day, they raised the price up to $109! should i or shouldn't i?

to purchase shoes of the like, check out:  aldo.com,  shopstyle.com,  urbanoutfitters.com

note: make sure to check out my vintage shop for great finds. click on the etsy link :)

images via:  feedage, urbanlabel, shopstyle, rawshoes, mirnah.tumblr, jazzy-belle