happy {spooky} halloween...

October 31, 2011

// photo's by the fashion gal //

happy happy halloween! wow what a weekend! the past two days have been jam-packed full of halloween celebrations and quality time spent with quality friends... and one really cute fireman, of course. anyway, i managed to make a pretty fun costume that was extra fun to wear! i was.................. The Black Swan!!! remember this post? well, i wasn't the Mad Hatter after all. i just couldn't help myself from wearing a HUGE fabulous tutu and prancing around like a possessed ballerina! in fact, i layered THREE tutu's and made the third one really last minute... which i am so happy i did! the third tutu really gave my costume the va-va-voom it needed! i also loved the black opalescent feathers that i hot-glued to the bustier for a dark eerie swan effect. you should have seen my ballet moves! now those were kinda scary(!!) the actual highlight of my weekend was (definitely) spending time {and carving pumpkins} with a wonderful girlfriend, her hubby, and their darling little guy (Jameson!). see our pumpkin carving day way below... (!!!)

**did anyone dress up this weekend?? what about carve a pumpkin???

B L A C K   S W A N. 
{what do you think??? can you tell i'm wearing THREE tutu's? what about the dark hair?!}
{just the eye makeup took me an hour to apply! it was a really fun costume to wear!}


A PUMPKIN CARVING KINDA DAY.
{i mean, come on. look at that baby! everyone, meet Jameson. he's my fantastic friend (Meagan's) son!}
{i'm a very proud auntie.}
{when carving pumpkins... you've GOT to have some good grub. this was the perfect salty/sweet combo}
{oh, and you should have a yummy cocktail too! this was champagne with a splash of blueberry juice. yumyum!}
{Jameson loved how the pumpkin-goo felt in between his fingers. it was really cute.}
{yep, she's wearing a hat.}
{our pumpkins really turned out to be one big happy family. to bad the fireman missed out... he's the best pumpkin carver of all!}

 little side note: we actually jammed packed our day SO much that i will have to post a part two and show you our colorful art project that we {Miss. Meagan} and i had a blast making! stay tuned!


well........ what was everyone for Halloween!? OR what are you dressing up as tonight?
trick or treat!!!!



music sunday...

October 30, 2011

happy sunday-funday folks! remember when we listened to that fabulous French pop star Yelle a few sundays back? well today we have some more international goodness. the band is called Brazilian Girls... and the singer sings in a few different languages. i believe she mostly sings in French, but between her playful style & unique sound, who really cares what language it is! it's awesome! this band makes me happy, hope it does the same for you...

**"music sunday" is so much fun fun fun! check out more music sundays on the left index under "the goodies"/"mixed tape"

BRAZiLiAN girls.

{Brazilian Girls "Good Time"... we just like to have a good time!}


{Brazilian Girls "Jique"}

have a fun sunday... i'm off to Oktoberfest!



what i wore...

October 28, 2011

// photo's by the fashion gal //

happy friday! how was your week?? have you figured out your Halloween Costume yet? if you need a little Halloween Costume inspiration click here or here. i'm going to be a..... ________ !! you'll have to tune in monday to see my spooooooky costume! but for now you can see what i wore this week while i ran around town. today's mini theme is NAVY + BLONDE. since my recently-repaired-roots are still blonde blonde blonde, i wanted to throw a little contrast in the mix and wear some navy-on-navy! this outfit is also a good example of mixing inexpensive items (like my top from Target) with more investment pieces (like my ballet flats by Vera Wang) to create a budget balanced look! so here is what i wore...
*if you like what i'm wearing here... check out more "what i wore's" on the left index under "the goodies"/"what i wore"
**oh, and have a fabulous & spooooooky weekend! xo(!)

navy with a side of navy.

{eeeeeeeek! my new watch! i've always wanted a watch with a brown leather band... really! the fireman surprised me with it last week. see post here! "just-because" gifts are always the best! so thoughtful.}





{the goods}
top: Target!!! / watch: Fossil {i LOVE it!} / cardigan: Banana Republic / skinny jeans: Target (again!) / belt: a cool cowboy store in Ventura / handbag: Louis Vuitton / ballerina flats: Vera Wang / sunnies: Ray-Ban / necklace: Hinu / gold spike bracelet: forever / nail polish: Revlon, Emerald Green / coffee: Pete's {small low-fat latte!}


have a GREAT weekend!

okoberfest(!!!)

October 27, 2011

// my favorite part of Oktoberfest... the pretzels! //

are you're kidding... is it really October 27th already?!? how did this month FLY by so quickly!? now i only have 4 days left to go and celebrate (being German) at my local Okoberfest! oompapa-oompapa! if you're not really sure what Oktoberfest is... don't worry, i got you covered. Oktoberfest is a fancy word that means a HARVEST CELEBRATION. it is the largest Fall Festival in the world, with the biggest celebration taking place in Munich (MYOO-nik) near Bavaria. did you know that over 6 million visitors go to Munich (each year) to eat sausage, drink beer, and partake in the traditional German games and to sing the traditional German songs... that's a lot of fabulous (drunk & happy) people!!! AND did you know that most places in Germany actually start celebrating Oktoberfest mid-way through September? those German's really know how to party! i have such wonderful memories going to Oktoberfest when i was a little kid and my parents dressing us up in little Lederhosens  (for the boys) and a mini dirndl (for me). we would go every Sunday afternoon for "family day" during the month of October... that's when all the local German families would go to show off there kids and have a Sunday afternoon beer. Proost!

here are a few things i LOVE about 
O K T O B E R F E S T...
{the Traditional Bavarian Dirndls... hey if Kim Kardashian thinks Oktoberfest is cool, well then come on!}
{the amazing German beers and the fabulous glasses & steins they come in! the "boot" is the most fun to drink out of!}
{the people watching!! i'm counting 11 HUGE steins! how many do you see???}
{this is a tradition German breakfast... you can usually find these yummy breads & cheeses at the German grocery store. they are not however (typically) served at Oktoberfest... the pickles & mustard are amazing too! if you ever go into a German grocery store, buy yourself some bread, cheese, mustard, & pickles}
{the tradition German cookies (aka: Pfeffernusse!), see recipe here}
{and maybe a little German Chocolate Cake (!?), see recipe here}
{The Tradition German Outfits: 1. Bavarian-style alpine hat... hopefully with a feather & collected pins in it / 2. Traditional Bavarian trachten shirt / 3. Lederhosen / 4. Knee socks / 5. Leather boots / 6. Head scarf / 7. A pretty dirndl blouse / 8. Bodice aka. push-up bra / 9. A dirndl / 10. Leather shoes /11. Steins}



now that you know all about the Oktoberfest Tradition... do you think you'll check it out???
remember Kim K. thinks it's cool! (wink-wink!)


we like food: breakfast

October 26, 2011

// photo's by the fashion gal //

happy hump-day! today is the first {of many} "We Like Food" posts! yippy! here's how it work's... we (the fireman & i) LOVE eating at new cool restaurants or old cozy favorites, so if it's worth talking about, we'll let you know what was DELISH and what was worth ordering again! we may be self-proclaimed food critics, ya know. but in actuality we have no professional experience in food, other then the fireman eating a LOT of it daily and my one summer waitressing at Hennessy's in Hermosa Beach. but i can tell you this, WE LIKE FOOD... and we like it a lot. so grab your cup of Joe and tune in for some fabulous food feedback... because today we're talking breakfast! YUM YUM(!!!)

Le Pain Quotidien, Manhattan Beach CA
 {my double shot latte with REAL (whole) milk... mama wasn't counting the calories today!}
 {the thing i love most about this quaint little Belgium cafe, is the simple European touches. first off, i love the outside seating area. the tables & chairs are simple but inviting. i also enjoy the wide assortment of jams, nutella (my fave!), and sweet pecan spreads for the fresh baked breads they serve, on request}
{i ordered the Baguette French Toast that was soaked in agave (rather then maple syrup), garnished with strawberries, banana, and topped with a pretty white powdered sugar}
{the fireman ordered the Farmers Scramble that included ham, tomatoes, scallions and came with mixed greens and a fresh baked baguette. luckily it came with the baguette because the portion was a little small for the big guy}
{he's a food stealer... busted!!! it's ok, i grew up with two older brothers, so i'm kinda use to sharing my food}
{this wasn't your typical French toast... the crispy baguette bread, savory agave, and mint leaf gave this breakfast treat it's own little delicious twist! Yummmyum!}
 [Our UN-official {official} Review...]
Le Pain is a beautiful Belgium cafe with a lot of outside seating. the pastries looked amazing and coffee wasn't bad! i loved the oversized coffee cups (of course) and really enjoyed the uber-fabulous baguette french toast. the fireman liked the scramble he ordered, but was enjoying MY breakfast as much as i was (of course, again). over-all this is a great place for lunch with your girlfriends or breakfast with your man. 


what did you have for breakfast???


MAN-STUFF... Fall Fashion

October 25, 2011

// i'm kinda LOVING this stache & hair-do... very cool //

today we are talking about MAN-STUFF (Men's Fall Fashion, to be exact!) and to my knowledge there are 4 men that actually follow this blog: the fireman, my two brothers, and my extremely cool uncle. so let's give those boys something to read why don't we!? i know this could be a teeny bit boring for all you fabulous ladies... so maybe you can share this post with your extremely cute {male} co-worker that you've been eye-ballen for months??! a little in-office romance?? ice breaker!?! come on! we're trying to hook people up here, people! anyway, back to the boys... boys like clothes too and from my experience, between growing up with two brother's & now the fireman, they appreciate a little inspiration & guidance as well. not to name names, but my oldest brother did slip the other day and told me that he was googling Men's Fall Fashion {i'm sorry Philly! xo!}, so i figured i'd write what he was looking for! check out my styling tips & photo's below for Men's Fall Fashion 2011 inspiration...

*for more MAN-STUFF, go to the left index & look under "man-stuff"
**if you {boys} ever have any clothing questions, i'd love to try and help... just leave me a comment, a tweet, or shoot me an email.

1. layers: a tee, a button-up & a sweater;
{style tip:} if all these layers seem intimidating, then stick to neutral colored pieces to layer on top of one another. and if layers are your thing, then through some plaid in there, to mix things up a bit.
 2. color blocking- the man way;
{style tip:} layer a charcoal sweater over a heather grey tee, and then pair this light & dark combo with a colored pant... let's not get too crazy, i like these camel colored khakis.
3. add a sweater between your shirt & jacket;
{style tip:} this is a great Fall update for the office, think about investing in a fitting sport coat to get this look.
 4. jeans & a t-shirt layered with a killer jacket;
{style tip:} when in doubt, KEEP IT SIMPLE! us gals love a man in a good pair of jeans and a crisp clean tee. i think it's definitely worth looking for a pair of jeans that fit well (and don't have too much stuff going on) if the pockets of your jeans have more embellishments then the pockets of my jeans... i'd probably advice against those. if this helps, think about the guys that did & do it right, like style icons James Dean, Steve McQueen, & Brad Pitt.  
 5. add a sweater to your daily duds;
{style tip:} i love this deep blue sweater. if you're not much of a sweater guy, then pick up a neutral color to start and pair it with different layers & colors. i just saw some cool Men's sweaters at H&M & Zara. the great thing about these stores, is that you can hit a trend without breaking your bank! PS: i love elbow patches... just thought i'd through that out there.
*get yourself a nice watch;
{style tip:} old or new, a nice watch can enhance a man's style instantly. don't get me wrong, if your sporting a pair of old basketball shorts and a worn-out tee, a watch won't help you much. but with the right outfit a nice {vintage or newer} watch can complete a look perfectly.
* a nice pair {leather} shoes;
{style tip:} i love these simple leather Clark's. they are low in cost, high in quality, and good in the looks department. i also like the shoes in picture #5. PS: the fireman has Clark's and says they're super comfortable.
// photo's by pinerest //


if your a man and reading this post... i would LOVE to hear from you! any MAN-thoughts? 
and if you're a gal that is enjoying this post... well, i always love to hear from my gals!

for more MAN-tips, check out out facebook page {throughout the day} for a little more Fall Inspiration!


a little dose will do ya...

October 24, 2011

// photo's by the fashion gal //

living on the coast typically results in pretty great weather year-round. however when a stubborn marine layer rolls in and thick clouds cover the sky {like a blanket} you begin to think of what inside-activities you can do. surprisingly, (to most of my friends) this is my favorite kind of weather. big grey cloudy clouds... yes please(!) i LOVE throwing on a cozy sweater, making a huge cup of tea, and conquering unfinished projects all day long. sounds like paradise to me! but since the fireman and i had the day off together, we decided to get out of the house and head into the city for a little dose of culture & art! so off to the Getty Museum we went! 

**a little note: below are the photo's i took throughout our day of adventure. it was an overall success and we both look forward to going back and checking out more of the exhibits {the exhibit on Cuba was awesome!}... and of course the amazing architecture and beautiful gardens!
***another little note: i personally LOVE the two paintings above. it's currently my new computer screensaver.

our little day {at} the Getty Museum...
{the fireman}
{the clouds were thick}
{that's me!}
{nothing better on a cloudy day}

 CUBA: a Revolutionary Project
// this was a very cool exhibit of Cuba... with true photographs that really told a story of Cuban history, it's culture, and it's people. this was the fireman's highlight for the day //

the flowers & the art
// and of course the colorful paintings & serene gardens were my {absolute} favorite part! the fireman was very patient while i took each one of these photo's... i think he understands now (after 3 years) that i kinda love taking photo's of flowers. he's a keeper. //

// the sun began to peek through the clouds later in the day... so we got to really enjoy the spectacular views of our BIG city, LA //


what do YOU enjoy doing on a cloudy day?(?)?


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