join the cult.

grace/glory/good times.

I first discovered the gaia in a pop up shop in West Hollywood. I started to follow them on instagram and quickly became a borderline stalker of the gorg gaias. I had pinned countless pictures of brides with gaia type headpieces, and have always been obsessed with Victoria Evigan's beautiful bouquet on her head in her **whimsical wedding wonderland. **

What I love about Cult Gaia is that the bride is not the only one who can play dress up and rock the gaia. It is made for all girls, any hair color, any occasion, any location. Although they are a bit pricey, they are made with happy fingers in sunny Los Angeles, CA - and will last a lifetime....as long as you treat the paper flowers with care (even you wild weekend women). & don't you worry, if you aren't an Angeleno, they are even available online !! 

Ways to Wear Gaia.

For the urbanite needing a break from city life. For nights of debauchery. For romance and rebellion. For fairytales and fables. For bad hair days. For nostalgia, for fun, for friends, for festivals, for birthdays, for dancing. For whimsy and silly. For expression, for escape, and play. For sleep, for sex, for gowns, for sundresses, for boxers, for briefs, for goddesses, for your inner child. For beauty, grace, glory, good times and souls alike.  CULT GAIA.  

Cult Gaia is Everything.

CULT GAIA is an off kilter, whimsical brand that celebrates the exploration of fantasy, fun, and everyone's inner rebellious charm. Colliding rebellion, romance, and everyones inner child, Cult Gaia is designed to woo you, and remind you that few things are as profound as nature, beauty, good times and comfort among like minds.

happy {good} friday.

"for one minute, walk outside, stand there, in silence, look up at the sky, & contemplate how amazing life is."

happy easter weekend. live it up. xx

be young. be dope. be proud.

If you are a twentysomething - have graduated from college, are in the process of being completely cut off from your parentals, & finally know what billz are, I am sure you are good buds with the 1/4 life crisis. Yes, I read a book about this catastrophe on my kindle so I am quite familiar with the feeling. Since we always knew what the next steps in our lives were going to be...the minute we are finished with schooling for good, it is totes normal to wonder what now? Yes, a job, but do you want to get some random entry level position and look at the clock every three minutes or do you want to slowly but surely go after your dream job? There are just so many questions running through your mind and believe me, it is pretty exhausting. But, don't feel alone! It helps to talk about it with those close to ya, trust me, my friends heard it all. But what I realized after finishing my "self-help" book (I'm not above it) is that I need to learn to cherish these moments of unsureness because I will look back on this time and miss it; that time in my life when I was finding out who I really am and what I want to do with my one wild & precious life. According to one of my go-to quotes, "life is too short and unpredictable not to live it exactly as you please," so enjoy the ride & and remember that your feet will lead you to where your heart is. 

My friend emailed me this amazing old school thought catalog article yesterday and it is just too good not to share. "Make a mark. Make a stain. Make something."

krazy 4 karlie.

If y'all are friends with me on the f-book, you oughta know how Karlie Kloss makes me heart flutter. Each year, we all know that it is the Victoria's Secret fashion show season by the go to model profile pictures & the millions of girls bragging about eating pizza while watching the show, like go them. But really, I still can't believe that our homegirl Karlie Kloss is big time. I was reminded that she is literally everywhere when my grandma called me the other night to let me know that her and my grandpa were watching "my friend karlie is in her panties on the tv screen." Like, can you not? This 20 year old superstar is the most down to earth, family oriented girl who just happens to be in every Vogue I pick up, or on every billboard I see while driving down Sunset. It honestly doesn't even shock me when I hear about all her accomplishments because this chick has got it all, and her humbleness has truly got her this far. I still remember that tall skinny Statesmen cheerleader that made me look like an oompa loompa in my uniform. 

Keep doing your thing KK. You are giving everyone from the dub-g {& STL} something to brag about, so we don't have to refer to Nelly as our hometown hero anymore. Thanks girl.

you belong somewhere you feel free.

While listening to Tom Petty's "Wildflowers" last night, I realized how important it is to feel free. As cliche as that sounds, everyone has their own way of making their heart feel happy. It is hard to pinpoint individual instances or times when I knew my heart was "free," but I do know the certain things that bring a smile to my face. Graduating college and finally being on your own truly shows you that making yourself proud is the most important thing, and your friends & family will be there for you while you are enjoying the ride. Here are a few of my fav quotes that make that free feeling totally a thing:

*"For one minute, walk outside, stand there, in silence, look up at the sky, and contemplate how amazing life is."

*"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in our hearts."

*"Be in love with your life, every minute of it."

*"This is the part where you find out who you are."

*"Life isn't about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself."

& here's my best shot....

I am a passionate person and I’ve been here for 23 years of my human days.

I went to college at DePauw University and studied Sociology & Education Studies.

I will always be eating, laughing, or dancing. One of the three. 

My favorite album of all time is Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits. 

Right now I’m listening to Radio by Lana Del Rey.

My go to outfit is my j-brand skinnies, an oversized t-shirt, & a pair of booties. 

To get inspired I live my life each day to the fullest & pin in between. 

Anything coconut  is my biggest weakness.

In my next life I want to come back as an Olsen twin.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Growing up I was a tom-boy with big ol' bangs. 

My favorite book is The Happiness Project.

The best beauty tip I’ve learned is to be confident. 

I never go anywhere without my Ray-Bans & chapstick. 

My sweet friends always put a smile on my face.

My curiosity is my most prized possession.

Never being worried about tomorrow is what free means to me.

Change the bold answers with your own and it is truly refreshing to get to know yourself a little bit better. I want to be a better me, don't y'all? xoxo.

the perfect parfait.

Whenever I go out for a weekend brunch, I find myself ordering some version of a yogurt+granola+fruit combo. 10 bucks later, I realize I could eat another two meals for a fraction of the price! So go me, I have decided to make my own yummy yogurts #yolo. You can make them the night before & bring them to work with ya in a marv mason jar or even eat it on the go. I simply just made three layers: {the yogurt on bottom, granola in the middle, fruit + toppings on top!} This tasty treat even looks pretty, what a bonus.

Ingredients:
Strawberries
Blueberries {or any kind of fruit you want}
Greek Yogurt {I used TJ's Nonfat Vanilla Greek}
Honey
Sweetened Shredded Coconut
Granola {I used TJ's Vanilla Almond Granola}

the finished product!

dig in.

Now we all know that breakie is the most important meal of the deal, so what is your favorite early-morning-eats?

best thing since string cheese.

If you have been around me and my computer for more than 5 minutes, you have seen this wedding video. If not, lucky you, you are in for a real treat! I would be worried if my computer had a most visited website, because no doubt about it, this video would be numba one. Even before pinterest & netflix, like woah. {Told ya I wasn't kidding around Laura, please don't feel stalked!?} Mat Kearney's "where we gonna go from here," the peeps, the personal & witty wedding vows, the location (wonderful world's fair pavilion in the lou) & the hair. Girl you rocked it! Even after 73 views or so, I still giggle and tear up every. single. time. Now, I swear this isn't some random girl crush of mine, the bride was my bomb babysitter growing up. I thought I was like totes cool when she would come over, even though literally my mom was paying her to hang out with me. Props to ya for introducing me to sass, "shit," & shenanigans as a little squirt.

wall ART wishin'

Happy Friday! This weekend I am working on spicin' up my apartment a bit {yes, maybe this has to do with the fact that my roommate is leaving for Florida & i get to go girly without his approval!} But, all this decorating has really got me thinking about how much wall art/decor makes your apartment YOU. It is another way to express yourself & incorporate your sense of style. I made (quite a large) wish list of pieces of art that I would love to have one day, if I ever have a house big enough to fit them all...keep dreamin' girl. But first, check out a few of my favs from my pad:

• Not All Who Wander All Lost - I picked this print up from Urban Outfitters and framed it for my living room. This is one of my all time favorite quotes that serves as a great reminder every day.  
• Don't you just LOVE the gold wings!? My friend Shellie works at a stellar shop, The White Rabbit in St. Louis & got me these wonderful wings for my birthday. They come in two different sizes (I have the small) and I am waiting for my apartment miracle man, Jose, to help me hang them above my bed. Perfect for all Pi Phi's :) The two prints are going to go on either side of the wings and are simply framed Paper Source prints! 
• I have been searching all over LA for this Fleetwood Mac record & my amazing friend, Ali surprised me with this framed gem for my birthday. I need to find the perfect spot in my apartment to show that baby off.

my way long wish list:

Blogs & Coffee - $25

Coney Island Beach - $19

Love Candy - $35

Brittle Stars - $45

Elephant - $85

Cheer Up In Pink - $45

it's always a good thyme.

I don't know why it has taken me this long to blog about my one & only, Olive & Thyme. This cutie cafe is a hop and a skip away from my apartment, so in other words, this place is my main hang. Never have I ever been let down by this family-owned favorite. My wallet isn't as crazy about it as my tum is, but ya win some, ya lose some, right? The decor is just screaming instagram's name, the staff make you feel as if you are right back in the Midwest, and the grub is absolutely, must I say, orgasmic. My picks are the cobb salad, the fruit w/ yogurt & honey, and their intelligentsia vanilla lattes. Plus they sell macarons, like talk about a match made in heaven y'all.

spring has sprung.

Bring it on, sprang. 

 

via Cupcakes & Cashmere

via Free People Santa Monica Place

via Sugar Paper 

In honor of the first day of this super season, one of my favorite shops in LA is having their spring sale, score. Sugar Paper is like Papyrus + a little sugar on top. They have a cutesie shop in Brentwood, but all of their cards and prints are available to errbody online @ https://sugarpaper.com/shop/! Go us! & make sure to order them today to get the twenty percent off {code: SPRING20}, here are a few cards + prints that are currently in my shopping cart.

*Now I just need to find a spring fling to send these love letters to, and we are good to go. xx