Love Story: Granny + Grandpa

Hi everyone! 

I'm really excited about this post; I want to share on my favorite Christmas presents. A bunch of the older gals in my family received this small package on Christmas Day from my grandma that we were told that we had to open at the same time. 

Inside was a small frame with this picture inside. This was my grandma and grandpa probably around the 1940's! The original picture (we all received copies obviously) was recently re-discovered in an old letter from a distant relative. 

My grandma doesn't really remember where or when this picture was taken, but that isn't really important to me. 

What is most important to me is the overwhelming amount of love and happiness that is in this picture. 

I am very lucky to have heard my granny and grandpa's love story first hand and it no matter how many times I have heard it, I love hearing my grandma tell it again and again. 

My grandparents met in 1943. My grandma was 17 years-old and a junior in high school, where she was a member of a club called the 'Tri-Hi-Y' club. In this club, the lower underclassmen had to do small things for the seniors like carry their books and take things to their lockers, etc. 

So, one day, my grandma and a bunch of her friends had to dress up really funny. She said that she had one stocking on and one pantyhose, really chunky heels, half of her hair curled, and the other side pinned down really close to her face. Basically, she just looked really silly. 

She and her friends were about to walk home dressed like this when these two guys asked if they could drive them home. They agreed, but not before they went back into the school and changed first! :) 

One of the guys, obviously, was my grandpa. When they dropped my grandma and her sister off of her house, her dad came out to the door and looked pretty intimidating because, while my grandma was allowed to date, her sister was not because she wasn't sixteen yet. 

However, before my grandpa left, he said to my grandma, 'Can I see you tomorrow?' And she answered, 'I guess so.' 

And apparently he asked her that everyday until he asked him to marry her. 

They were married on March 1, 1944. 

My grandparents were married for over 50 years; they were probably the cutest, most fun, and in love couple that I have ever had the privilege to know. You can still tell when my grandma talks about him that she still loves him so much. 

I hope that when I'm old and gray, I can talk about the love of my life to my grandchildren with the same affection and happiness that my grandma does. 

Also, how fabulous do they look? I wish that she still had her 1940's clothes; they are too beautiful for words. 

xoxo, 

Laura 

Let's Remix this Business #1

The Problem with Rompers 

Outfits and Giggles 

Fall Leaves and Sweaters 

Rappin' n' Rhymin'

Keep the Change, You Filthy Animal

Floral Handmade Shirts and Resolutions

Game Day

I really loved these boots. I got them my freshman year during a thrift trip with one of my guy friends for $5. They were a little different from my usual style, but he encouraged me to buy them anyway. And I am really glad that he did, because they were my 'go-to' shoes for quite awhile. 

Sadly, I wore these boots really hard. The heels became slanted and then they just completely fell off. And now they are super slippery, so it really isn't safe to wear them anymore. 

I did get two new pairs of boots for Christmas, but I will still really miss this pair. 

R.I.P. awesome brown boots. 

You will be missed. 

Have a great and safe weekend everyone!

xoxo, 

Laura 

Just for Funsies

Hey hey all! 

Hope that everyone had a fabulous weekend + Monday off. 

I, unfortunately, didn't have yesterday off, but had my first day of classes! I can't believe that it is spring semester already. Only one more year of college? What the wha? 

These pictures are still from Christmas break, mostly because it has been freezing here lately. Literally. Today the high was 15 degrees. FIFTEEN. I feel like temperatures should not be lower than my age. 

Despite the insanely cold weather we have been having, I can't help but feel like this semester is going to be one of the best yet! I have been thinking a lot about my New Year's Resolution to have more fun. 

And honestly? I don't think it is going to be as hard as I thought it was going to be. 

I mean, just in the couple days since I got back on campus I have 

a.) went on a late night Sheetz run for hot chocolate with my gal pals and jammed to old school Backstreet Boys the entire way. 

b.) did six inches with my roomies while belting to one of the best songs of all time.  (Okay, the six inches weren't that fun...) 

c.) discovered that one of our guy friends put a coconut monkey in a tree before he left for studying abroad. And it was still there when we just got back from break. Is this going to turn into a game where we hide this monkey all around campus? Most definitely. 

Don't worry, I know that school isn't all fun and games. As soon as I'm doing writing this, I need to go read a chapter for my Women in Religions class, even though the 78 on my Bloglovin' toolbar is sooooo tempting. Must resist! 

Shirt : Thrifted : Vintage

Cardigan: Thrifted : Target

Jeans : Hand me downs from a friend 

Boots : Christmas gift 

Ring: Claire's (from very long ago) 

Lion Necklace : Thrifted - You should know that I'm strange and name everything. So, my lion necklace's name is 'Simba.' Because I'm also unoriginal. :) 

Have a great night everyone! 

xoxo, 

Laura

I Guess This is Growing Up

Hey everyone! Happy Thursday. 

Hope that you are having a great day! Tonight has been pretty relaxing, watching Funny Face; I just love this movie. S'wonderful. S'marvelous. Oh, Audrey Hepburn - no one can compare. 

I can't believe that tomorrow is my last day of full time work before school starts. I'm excited for classes to start again, but I have to admit that I'm going to miss working full time. That may make me a tad unusual, I guess, but, I just really am enjoying the office atmosphere.  I can't believe that in a year from now I will be starting my final semester, which will be the full time internship. 

Time is going by so fast. 

Enough about the future, that can get pretty terrifying fairly quickly, even though it is really exciting too! 

Remember how on Christmas Eve, I was house-sitting and had no clothes for church, so I just hit up my favorite thrift store? Well, this outfit was the result of that trip. 

I ended up not going to the service because it started to snow and I had to drive home in it, which was terrible I might add - never doing that again. 

So, I recreated the look again and Amy shot these pictures for me on her parent's back porch on our very windy hang out day. Can't wait for some roomie quality time this coming semester. We actually moved into a quad, so roommates nights are going to be a blast! 

Well, I'm off to watch Miss Hepburn say bonjour Paris! 

Have a great night everyone! 

Sweater : Thrifted: Vintage

Blouse: Thrifted 

Skirt: Thrifted 

Tights :Anna Sui: TJ Maxx 

Belt and Necklace: Thrifted 

Shoes: Thrifted: Ann Taylor (They were only 25 cents - total score!) 

xoxo, 

Laura 

Polka Dots// eShakti

Hello everyone! 

 Hope that you had a fabulous day. Mine was super long, be on my feet in the office all day. But, classes start soon and I know I may miss the work environment when I sit down to write a 10 page paper. 

I gave a little preview of this dress on the teeth reveal post, because I was just so excited about it. eShakti contacted me a little bit go asking me if I would want to do a review for them. Of course, I said yes!  

eShakti is a really awesome online clothing company that has sizes from 0 to 36. But, more than having a full range of styles, you have the option of customizing eacharticle of clothing. 

For example, the dress that I chose, the 'Belted Poplin Dress,' was originally longer and had capped sleeves. I usually like my dresses around knee length, so I ordered it a tad shorter and I am not a fan of cap sleeves at all. There have been many-a-times that I have not bought a dress or top because of the cap sleeves. But, with eShakiti, I could just simply change it to have elbow length sleeves - no problemo! 

Also, this dress is super comfortable and fits like a dream, thanks to their custom sizing. 

Plus, shipping was really fast! I was seriously freaking out when I got it - I put it on and did not want to take it off. 

Plus, it has pockets! Dream dress right here? I think so. 

I wore it to church and received lots of compliments on it. One of the ladies told me I looked like Doris Day - that pretty much made my day. 

Even my best guy friend liked it - which is saying a lot, let me tell you what. He said that he really liked the belt. When I told him it was connected to the dress, he said, 'Oh, that just ruined it for me. You shouldn't tell people that.' He was kidding...I hope. 

So, if you haven't been over to eShakti's website you definitely should. What are you waiting on? Scoot. :) 

Dress - c/o eShakti 

Tights - Anna Sui - T.J. Maxx

Shoes - Madden Girl - Plato's Closet

Necklace - Thrifted 

Purse - Vintage - Thrifted 

Gloves - Vintage - From a friend's grandma 

xoxo, 

Laura 

This post was a product review for eShakti. In agreement to do a review for them, I received their merchandise at no expense to me. However, my opinions expressed in this post are all genuine and honest. 

Sign Language: I Look to You

Hey hey!

Thanks to everyone's kind words on my last post. I still can't believe that the metal is gone. 

 Hope that everyone had a fantastic weekend. Mine consisted of watching Harry Potter, sleeping in, meeting up with some friends, and playing Scattegories. 

As some of you may know, I have taken two semesters of Sign Language so far, and my Sign III class is going to start next week! I'm pretty stoked about it. 

Awhile ago, I posted my Sign II final and explained why that song was important to me. 

Well, this past semester, even though I did not have a sign class, I was asked by my church pastor if I would like to perform a sign song for church. I said that I would love to, and that I had the perfect song in mind. 

I also asked my good gal pal Kara if she would like to perform the song with me as a duet. She said that she would! The day we performed it went really well (my parents surprised me that morning) except for the fact that we had a faulty memory card. 

So, with a new memory card, we re-filmed it. Plus, now you get to see bloopers! 

The song, 'I Look to You,' is another song that is very important to me. This is the song that I listened to as I wrote the faith statement that was read at my baptism the summer of 2011. 

That was the summer that I was beginning to feel like myself again after over a year of hurt and letting someone else control my happiness. 

Those lyrics could not have been more relatable to what I was going through. I needed strength. I needed a melody. With that I was able to realize that I could plan out my life as much as I wanted to, but that didn't mean that it was necessarily going to work out that way. 

“For I know the plans I have for you ,’ declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope, and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11. 

So, if you feel so led, give our video a watch. 

Many thanks to Amy for filming, Kara for being a lovely duet partner, and to our sign professor, Lori who is such an amazing teacher. 

xoxo, 

Laura 

P.S. It is indeed Monday, but I have decided to only do two Melmac Monday posts a month, so that I can share other things like this. :) 

The Big Reveal!

Hey all! 

Hope that you are having a fantastic week so far! The weekend is almost here, too! Woot woot! 

So, you may have been a tad curious about why I chose to interview Maria on braces yesterday. Or maybe you just knew where I was going with this. 

Either way, belly roll please...

That's right, folks! After over three years, one graduation, one wedding (my brother's - don't worry you didn't miss anything), three times out of the country, and many other events, my teeth are finally free!! 

I got my braces off right after Christmas and it feels awesome.

When I first got them off, I went out to eat with my parents and our waiter gave me a bunch of gummy bears before our meal came. That was perfect; thank you cool waiter. So many Starbursts and Fruit By the Foots since I have gotten them off too - I think I put my gummy-loving niece to shame.

 I put an apple and carrots everyday in my lunch this week during work (just so my teeth don't completely rot after all the artificial fruit snacks)  and didn't have to worry about anything breaking. :) 

Plus, I finally don't look like I'm 16 or the inspiration of a 2000's cartoon anymore. (Does anyone else remember that show? Loved that in middle school.) 

So, I just wanted to show everyone my pearly whites! 

Next week will start my post-braces outfits - the rest of this amazing outfit will be shown too! 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

xoxo, 

Laura 

Interview: Maria of Avenue M

Hello everyone! 

Today, I have a special interview from the lovely Maria who blogs over at Avenue M.   The theme of the interview? Braces! Why? You'll find out tomorrow. :) 

1. Name + a little bit about yourself and your lovely blog, Avenue M.

My name is Maria and I am a 15 year old vintage lover with a blog that's all about my love for vintage clothing, photography and other frivolous things. 

2. When and why did you get your braces on?

I got my braces on the 10th of April, 2012. I know, I'm super weird for remembering the exact date! I got braces because I had a twisted tooth that I was extremely self conscious about, and there were large gaps between my teeth towards the back that needed to be fixed up!

3. When do you expect to get your braces off?

I'm hoping to have them off by October 2013, but I may even get them off earlier!

4. Did you ever feel self-conscious about them?

At first, yes, I was extremely self conscious. Now, I don't mind them too much because I keep reminding myself how wonderful my smile will look after they come off compared to before! :D

5. Did you start your blog with braces?

Nope! I feel like I've had them on forever though... even though it's only been about 8 months. 

6. Any funny stories about your braces?

Many! I've had various experiences with the whole 'food-stuck-in-teeth' and they've been quite embarrassing...

7. Any advice to those about to get metal on their teeth?

Embrace it! I am so grateful to have braces. Just remember that you'll only have them on for a while, but (if you wear your retainer religiously) you'll have a perfect, beautiful smile for the rest of your life. Nothin' beats that, haha!

Thanks for the wonderful interview, Maria! You are such a doll! 

Pop on over to Avenue M and check out her gorgeous blog!

xoxo, 

Laura 

Melmac Monday: Weekend Memories

Hey all! Hope that you had a fantastic weekend. 

Mine included going to see Les Mis with my cousin and my sister. Let me tell you, I have not cried so much at a movie since the final Harry Potter movie! It was so amazing; I really want to see it again. 

My sister also spent the night, so we got to hang out. Some little snippets of our night included eating Cinnamon Chex for supper, giggling at Fat Amy and the other Barden Bellas in Pitch Perfect, jamming to Macklemore, and packing. 

Well, I was packing. My sister decided to make fun of me. This is the convo that went on. 

Me: I can't find my copy of the Great Gatsby! Crap, I wonder where that is? I want to re-read that before the movie comes out. 

My loving sister: Oh my gosh, you know your sister is a nerd when...

Me: Hey! Uncool. That book is a classic. 

Sis: NEEERRRDDDD. 

Sometimes I can't believe we are related. :) 

Other than that things have been pretty quiet. Back at school (two weeks early) to work full time. 

Right now I'm just ready to relax, grab some cocoa, catch up on some blogs, and read Lolita. 

And oh, of course, look at pretty Melmac. 

Summer

Lime Time

Flower Power

Dandelion

Picnic Set

xoxo, 

Laura 

Game Day

Okay, I have a confession to make: I am a HUGE game nerd. 

I don't mean video games, but rather board/card games. And it isn't just me, oh no, it is my whole family. No one is safe; probably all of my friends have played some sort of card game with my family at one point or another. And my future husband, whoever he may be, doesn't have a prayer. Both of my sister-in-laws have been sucked in, too. 

It all started when I was a wee one: the first game that I remember playing with my siblings and mom was the Berenstain Bears Hat Game, where you had to match the hats up with each member of the Bear family before you got a wind card that would blow your hats away. 

I was taught how to play Uno probably at age 3 or so - on a Rugrats Uno deck I might add; Reptar was the 'pick up two' card; so ballin'. 

I remember being so excited when I was allowed to play with the 'grown up' cards when I was about 5, since my hands were then big enough to hold all the cards. 

For awhile growing up, my dad and I had a million point game going on - we didn't make it that far, but I know that we made it somewhere in the hundred thousands. 

I clearly remember my dad teaching me to play Phase 10. I was probably around 5 or 6. Our church would go to this camp in Delaware over Labor Day when I was growing up, and my dad taught me how to play that card game out on the porch of our cabin, slowly explaining the differences between sets and runs. 

I remember that breaking out Monopoly (either the NFL or Star Wars addition) meant two things: 1.) we had to find the extra card table 2.) it was probably a snow day. 

I learned quickly that Dutch Blitz, aka the best Pennsylvania Dutch game, is the loudest, most intense, and fun game ever. (Ha, Amy and mine dorm neighbors learned that too on Hurricane Day.)

I learned the French words for car parts whilst playing Mille Bornes.

But, I knew that I made it into the big leagues, when I was about 10 or 11 and was taught how to play Rage. Rage is a card game that has an interesting history. It was called "Oh Hell!" and "Shit!" at different times. When I was growing up, you had to be very careful with the Rage cards because they weren't being produced anymore. (My sister left one of our decks out in the rain when we were camping one time - she still gets crap for that over 15 years later.) They could be purchased in German, if you were lucky. For awhile you had to pay around $40 for a deck on Ebay. Thank goodness, now another company started making them...but my family stocks up on decks, just in case. 

I officially became accepted as an adult when I was 12 or 13 and answered the correct answer to "What was the year that Albert Einstein died?" in Trivial Pursuit. The answer is 1955 in case you were wondering. 

In case it wasn't obvious, I spent the majority of today playing games with my mom and dad, including 5 Crowns, SkipBo, and Scattegories; the latter in which I heard my mom say the words 'homeboy' and 'Ratfink.' 

In fact, as I type this my parents are arguing over the rules of Peaknuckle. 

I love my family. 

Sweater - Re-Threads Consignment Shop

Jeans - Hand me downs

Bag - Thrifted (it was only a $1!)

Boots - Thrifted 

xoxo, 

Laura 

P.S. Sorry that this post really has nothing to do with what I'm wearing. 

Also, thanks again to Becky for taking these pictures for me. :) 

Floral Handmade Shirts and Resolutions

Hey all! Hope that you had a wonderful first day of 2013. 

I spent the day with my family playing games, eating pork and sauerkraut, and reading the Hunger Games out loud - okay, that last one might have just been my cousin and I reiterating our nerdiness, but whatevs. 

I know it may be 2013, but I still have pictures from 2012! And they need to be shown so that I can show off my recent change! 

I took some time to think about my resolutions for the New Year. 

Don't worry, I have more resolutions than wanting to embarrass my best friend by talking about having a rash on the red carpet like Jennifer Lawrence; still so hilarious. 

1.) The first is the typical: get healthier.  I'm fairly confident about this, however. I only have 12 credits in the spring, so there really is no excuse. Plus, Amy is doing a Zombie 5K, and I told her that I would help her train. 

Also, a sort of part of that resolution is to cut out fast food unless it is the only option. I don't eat it that much, especially at school, but I watched 'Super Size Me' again and I realized that there is no reason to eat it. 

However, I do know that I will make an exception for Shamrock Shakes; I'm just glad those things only happen one time a year, because they are like my personal mint flavored crack in milkshake form. 

But, other than that, I really want to not eat the stuff. 

2.) My second resolution is to become more financially dependent. I am fairly dependent than some other college kids, but I realized that as the future is coming there are some major purchases that are going to be made, such as a car, new laptop (mine is so old), paying rent, and saving for grad school. So, although it is rather grown-up and boring, I'm going to strive to save a lot more, too.  

3/4.) These next two kind of go together, but sometimes I feel like between school and work, I can feel way too bogged down, stressed out, and frankly too grown-up. Therefore, this year I want to remind myself to have more fun!  College is not going to last forever - I have only two semesters of classes left before my professional semester and I want to have a blast during them! So, along with that I want to do something completely spontaneous. I don't want to do anything reckless obviously, but I would like to do something fun, random, and a little out of character. I have no idea what that looks like yet, but I guess that is the point! :) 

5.) This resolution is also kind of boring, but completely necessary. I really need to organize my room at my parents' house. Since I haven't lived there for over a year, except for the occasional weekend here and there, it sort of has turned into a disorganized storage unit with orange shag carpet (don't judge - that wasn't my idea). Mainly there are a lot of house-ware items that I have been collecting here and there for when I move out. So, I would really would like to get things together and labeled so when I actually do move, it will make that process a little less stressful.

6.) This blog was my main New Year's resolution last year, so this year I would like to continue (duh) and develop it more. I have a lot of exciting ideas planned for this year, so stayed tuned! 

7.) This resolution may seem sort of random but I really want to donate blood this year. I have only donated once when I was 17 and haven't been able to since then because of my international travels. I will have to wait until May (when my year from the DR is up) but as of now I don't have anything plans to leave the U.S. So unless that changes, I'm going let them dig around my veins and help save some lives. 

Shirt: Handmade: it was my mom's when she was in high school 

Cami (underneath): Wal*Mart 

Jeans: Hand-me-downs from a friend 

Boots: Thrifted 

Clutch: Thrifted 

8.) Finally, I usually come up with a fashion related resolution. Last year's was to wear heels to class, which I did exactly once (it was actually my first outfit post ever) and never did again; it just doesn't work for me, as much I wish it did. 

This year I have decided that I need to work on developing my professional wardrobe. I'm not sure what my plans are for the summer yet, but there might be a chance that I will have to look nice everyday. Along with the fact that there is only a year until I start my internship semester, before entering the real world, it is probably about time. 

Have a great start to 2013 everyone!

xoxo, 

Laura 

P.S. These lovely pictures were taken by Becky near the pond at her house.