Hooray for More Free Time!

I am LOVING this outfit. It just screams spring & country to me and think that it fits perfectly with the dirt road and pine tree forest setting here. And do you want to know something really neat about these pictures? They are completely, 100% unedited. Straight out of the camera here. I am taking the Mastering Your DSLR class that the A Beautiful Mess team is putting on right now. Im super glad I signed up for it. Learning more about my camera was one of 2014 goals and this class is doing just that!  The past couple of weeks I have been taking pictures with the manual setting instead of the auto one and have been loving the results. Hooray for less time in photoshop!

Outfit Details

Jacket || Nordstrom

Shirt & Skirt || Nordstrom Rack

Shoes || Target

Necklace || Forever 21

Fields of Daffodils

Im lucky to live where I live. These fields are just an hour from my house and I wouldn't let them disappear without me getting up there to take these pictures. In just a few more short weeks, even more fields filled with tulips will be in bloom. Im patiently waiting for that to happen and to get up there for an afternoon to walk through the rows. As you can probably imagine its quite the site, just like these fields of pure yellow.

Outfit Details

Top & Belt || Forever 21

Skirt & Socks || Target

Boots || ℅ Joules 

Flowering Trees and Shrubs

I don't know about you where you guys are, but here the flowering trees and shrubs are in bloom! I wanted to highlight some of these trees and shrubs on here to give them some love and let you know more about them and what you can do with them. Todays spotlight goes to Forsythia and Purpleleaf sand cherry.

Forsythia 
Botanical Name: Forsythia spp.
Flower: Bright yellow, 1 inch long, blooms early spring, bell-like with 4 long lobes.
Leaf: Green, turning red, orange and yellow in the fall, up to 5 inches long, leaves emerge after flowers, ovate shaped (oval with pointed tip), deciduous (leaves drop in fall)
Use: Use them in a monochromatic arrangement with daffodils for a seasonal spring centerpiece. They bloom at the same time!
Meaning: Anticipation

Purpleleaf sand cherry
Botanical Name: Prunus x cistena
Flower: Pinkish - white, 5 petals and many stamens, blooms spring after the leaves have begun to appear
Leaf: Purple-reddish all throughout season, 1-3 inches long
Use: Cut a bunch of branches off of a mature tree and use alone as a tall arrangement.
Meaning: Impermanence

I hope this gives you a little more information about what is blooming around you now. If there is another plant or tree you want to know about let me know and Ill see what I can do about it :)

Thanks for reading!
xo

Country Life

This past week I was in Eastern Washington at my boyfriends house. They live in a small little farming town where everyone knows everyone. I kind of love it there. It's the kind of place where there are cows in the front yard, deer running through the field and chickens hanging out on your front door step. Afternoons are spent on the ATV deep in the hills and you spend the evening watching the sun disappear behind the mountain out back. What is there not to love? I love having a place like this to escape to every so often, not often enough though. Its perfect.

Outfit Details

Dress || Modcloth

Sweater || A boutique in California

Tights, Socks and Boots || Target

Growing Plants from Seed

Happy Spring! I thought that a post talking about growing seeds would be the perfect post for the first day of spring. What better way and day to get you REALLY thinking about your garden? Enough with the small talk, lets talk benefits and drawbacks.

Benefits

• I can't stress enough that growing your plants from seed is so much cheaper than buying starts from the nursery. A packet of seeds costs around $4, maybe. Depending on the type of plant you are buying, you can get at least 50 seeds in a packet that could potentially turn into 50 plants. $4 would buy you one start at the store. You do the math, seeds are cheaper. Much cheaper. 
• Nurseries often have a limited selection of plants and varieties to choose from. You can purchase seeds online from a much bigger assortment, getting hard to get varieties for cheap, cheap, cheap. 

Drawbacks 

• The major drawback to growing your own seeds is that it takes time and lots and lots of patience. Once you plant the seed you aren't going to see anything for a couple of days, and you won't get a bloom for a couple of weeks, if not a month. So if you do decide to grow your own plants this season, stick with it! It will be well worth it in the end. 

Where do you get seeds?

• This year I got my seeds from Territorial Seed Company online. You can visit the site and request a free seed catalog. Almost all online seed companies have a free catalog. I like to request them just to look at them, even if I have no intention of buying any. Also check out Burpee, and Harris Seeds. 
• You can also get them in stores at a Lowes or Walmart and some nurseries. 
• If you're really good, you can get them from the plant itself! I haven't done this yet, but maybe this year I will. 

Planting and Growing your Seeds

• Choose the container you want to grow in. This can be growing trays or even old milk jugs that you cut the top off of. Fill your container with loose textured soil to allow oxygen to the seed. Determine the depth you plant, by looking at the back of your seed packet, lightly water and place in a warm spot!
• When the seeds start to emerge (this is so exciting), move them to where they can get some light and keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. You don't want your little plant to start to rot. 
• When your little plant has developed two sets of leaves, it is time to transplant. Only do this if the tray it is in is to small for it to develop a healthy set of roots. 
• When it is time for the little guys to go outside, you're going to want to acclimate them first. This means setting the plants outside for a couple hours, increasing the time each day. 
• Now you plant, relax and admire the little plant you grew from seed!

I hope this helps you out a little. Growing plants from seed really isn't as hard as it may seem. You just need to give them a little time. Give it try this year, you will be so proud of yourself. Im planting mine next week and am so excited! If you do plant some, keep me updated on twitter with the progress! I would love to see!

Thanks for reading!

xo

Spring Lip Favorites

Hello! With spring arriving this week, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about my favorite spring lip products. As much as I love the deep reds and plums in the fall and winter, I am always happy to put those away and bring out the lighter colors for a fresh, clean look.

Maybelline Color Whisper in Pink Possibilities || I have been wearing this one the most this week. It is a bright pink that goes on sheer, giving you just enough color, without being too loud. I love this whole line by Maybelline. If I were to only recommend one product, this one would be it.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart || This is another light option, but it gives you much more color than the Color Whisper. So they are sort of like a lipstick but much, much more moisturizing and it doesn't feel heavy like lipsticks can. This color is a bright pink, perfect for spring.

Maybelline Elixir in Breathtaking Apricot || I would describe this as an opaque lipgloss. You've got tons of shine and tons of color in one product. And the best part, its not sticky!

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Starlet || This is another lipgloss (obviously) but not quite as opaque as the Elixir. I don't believe this one is available anymore, but it is pretty easy to find a light pink gloss with gold shimmer. It gives you tons of shine, without being too much.

MAC Lipstick in Hue || For those days when you want a clean, bare face. Its a pinky nude and is good to have on hand when you don't want color.

I really shouldn't ask you this, because I don't need anymore lip products, but what are your favorite lippies for spring? I would love to know!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!
xo

Snoqualmie Falls

Happy Monday! This last week, I took a drive with my mom and brother over to Snoqualmie Falls. It was my first time there and will be returning to hike the little trail down to the bottom to look at the falls from the bottom up. Im looking forward to that but have no plans to yet. This summer hopefully. Do you have any plans this summer? I would love to hear about them!

Outfit Details

Chambray || Kohls

Pants || Old Navy 

Shoes || Target

Spring or Winter?

No tights required! I don't know whether to put this under the spring category or the winter. I mean, its technically not spring but this is definitely not a winter outfit. What do you think? On my Facebook page I have albums for each season of the year for my outfit photos. Have you seen this yet? I just set it up about a month ago and love being able to go back and look at my outfits by season and year. So, do I start my spring 2014 album yet? Or wait until next week?

Outfit Details 

Dress & Flats || Target

Chambray || Walmart

My Favorite 'Coffee Table Books'

Ok, so some of these aren't really coffee table books, but I like that name rather than "informational books". Am I right? I love coffee table books, and just in case you don't know exactly what a coffee table book is, it is "a large, expensive, lavishly illustrated book, especially one intended only for casual reading". Over the past couple of years, I have slowly built up my collection, I just love looking at them, and they can be very interesting.

Paris, An Inspiring Tour of the Cities Creative Heart || The photos in this book are GORGEOUS. I just opened it to write this little blurb and my heart ached for Paris. I was there for a day and a half a couple years ago and it was not nearly enough time. I completely fell in love with that city, but about the book. This book is all about the best kept secrets of Paris. The best cafes, bookstores, boutiques and little gardens in the city. Travel off the main street and discover the charm of Paris.

The Disneyland Encyclopedia || This book is mostly words with some black and white photos but is a MUST for any Disney lover. This encyclopedia holds the history of Disneyland. Every single ride that has ever been in Disneyland, shop or restaurant. Did you know that Main Street used to have a little flower cart, selling artificial flowers, or that Main Street also used to have an Intimate Apparel shop aka Corset Shop in 1955-1956. This book has it all.

A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book || Im sure you have all seen this book within the last year. I love the photos that those ladies take over on their blog and couldn't pass up the opportunity to purchase this book. I love flipping through the pages and gathering inspiration for my own everyday lifestyle photos.

The Flower Recipe Book || If you are interested in arranging flowers, I would get this book. The pictures are amazing and it has got arrangements for you to make for all of your favorite flowers. Whether you want to do simple arrangement or one with more layers and variety. It has everything from the tools to use, the vessel and how many flowers to use in each arrangement.

Weird Washington || If you one weird road side attractions, you will love this one. These guys have books for the majority of the states, if not all. It has haunted building and cemeteries you can visit, stories of local legends, and those weird roadside oddities. For instance, did you know we actually have a huge troll underneath a bridge holding a holding a real Volkswagen Beetle? One of these days Ill get outfit photos with it.

Emily Post's Etiquette || I love this one. It is a huge book filled with everything you need to know about the proper way to do… everything. This is the 18th edition, so it has been updated with etiquette on cell phone and social networking use. When is it ok to unfriend someone on Facebook? Is it ok to tweet from a wedding? I love having this book sitting on my shelf to answer those questions. Plus, it looks pretty.

I love getting new books like this. Do you have any favorite coffee table books? I would love to hear what they are!

Thanks for reading!
xx

February Photo A Day

March has finally arrived. We are getting closer and closer to cherry trees blooming and flowers every where you look. Anyone else as excited I am? Here is my February photo a day "Calendar". But I kind of messed up. There are only 27 days on it… I missed a day. Oops. Oh well! This is a hard challenge.

One more thing.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! 

Planning & Dreaming

Remember when I said that we were having gorgeous weather here the past couple of days? As I am writing this, it is now snowing and everything is slowly turning white. Im glad I got some clean up done outside and in greenhouse because now with nothing but rain in the forecast for this week, it will be the perfect time to plan what will go in the garden and determine when to start growing the seeds.

Outfit Details

Dress || Nordstrom

Boots & Belt || Target

Necklace || Forever 21

Tights & Cardigan || Old

Photos by my mom