|| Song Of The Day//Foster the People ||

Photo source.

|| OHH, Ellen ||

This is probably one of the funniest videos I have seen in a while.

I sure miss watching this show.

|| The Vamoose ||

Lovely jewelry pieces from The Vamoose. Each piece feels like a sea breeze. 

|| Shoes I Want ||

Love. Adore. Want.
Vans Sophie Boot|Le Bunny Bleu Purple Oxfords|Ruche Buckle Booties

|| Song Of The Day//Linnea Olsson ||

Photo source.

|| Snazzy Suits ||

Snazzy men. Snazzy suits.

I love unconventional menswear. 

A great mix match of suits, blazers, vests, colors,
and prints. These men know what's up.
The Sartorialist|Preppy Style|Pinterest 

|| B and B//Part Two ||

I had a request for more examples of wearing black and brown together and so I am here now with some examples. My previous post was mostly showing shoes/accessories and so I hope these examples show more how to combine tops and bottoms. There are many shades of brown as you can see and pretty much any of these looks can be replaced with a different brown. I searched for more dark/chocolate brown examples, but right now there aren't many to show, but you can pair black with chocolate brown. I wish I had an example of that. The brown leather jacket with the black jean and the girl with the black dress and brown tights are the closest examples of a darker brown I could find. I absolutely love the coppery and rust colored brown with black, that is my favorite. The look above with the black jeans, black printed cardigan and polka dot shirt is to show how easy it is to throw on a brown, of any shade, shirt with your black pants and cardigan. Also, you can pair your brown trousers with black blazers. Brown skirts with black tops, black dress with brown blazers or jackets and of course brown or black sweaters with the opposite in pants. Not only is it a lost rule that you can't wear brown and black together, BUT it is actually fashion forward to pair them together. Don't think because you are wearing a black dress that you have to wear black shoes with it or that you have to wear black tights. Don't think that because you are wearing brown that you can't wear your favorite black shoes with them or that you have to wear your black purse. Your man can wear his camel church shoes with this black slacks all he wants. Mix it up! I hope you can see the possibilities of this combo. Also, if you OWN what you wear then it doesn't really matter what you wear. 

Need Supply Co.|Romwe|Topshop|Gorman|Miss Selfridge

Comptoir Des Cotonniers|Pinterest|Tipa Tipa|Beklina|Asos

|| Song Of The Day//Mat Kearney ||

I just can't get over this song. I have listened to it almost everyday since 

I got the album a few months ago. Too fun.

Photo source.

|| Detroit's Abandoned Houses ||

Gosh, who knew Detroit was becoming such an abandoned city? I had no idea until my friend Savanna mentioned this on her blog. How interesting to go from 2 million citizens to under 800,000 in just a short amount of years. To have over 12,000 homes and buildings abandoned. Photographer Kevin Bauman has been interested in photographing abandonment for years and decided over the last ten years to photograph the series called 100 Abandoned Houses. You can take a look at more of the houses and read more of the info over here. ALSO, I love his Small Churches series if you want to see more than the below you can go here. I would say those churches are looking prettty abandoned as well.

|| B AND B ||

Last Sunday at church Jachen wore his black suit and his camel/cognac colored church shoes. Some twerp fifteen year old boy came up to him and said to him "don't you know you can't wear brown and black together." I am here to tell you, you can. Somehow some people are still thinking that is a rule. So if you are one of them, it's time to realize that is a long lost fashion rule and it has been lost for a few years. However, it IS best combined when combined well. These are just a few examples of people wearing black and brown together very successfully. You don't have to be as fancy as them, you can just throw on some brown boots or brown oxfords with your black tights and you got a great look. Or a pair of black jeans with a pair of brown Vans or these cute brown sandals. Photos source here and the amazing blog The Sartorialist.

part two of B and B, here.

|| Song Of The Day//First Aid Kit ||

Photo source.

|| Final Touches ||

Earlier this evening we made our way to Ikea. Ikea is pretty much the only store to buy home furnishings...unless we want to pay a bundle. There is no Target here. There were a few things we still needed to make the apt complete. Finally we replaced the white shower curtain, that came with the apt, that we were using as a window curtain with the lovely print above. Ghetto and almost see through. Also, we were in need of a curtain in the kitchen. Got that taken care of. Now, we have a little table to use as a coffee table instead of a cardboard box. The coffee table we used in the house was too big for our bite sized apt so we didn't bring that along. Last, the last bit of storage containers in the kitchen. I decided instead of shelving, I just wanted a couple boxes stacked on top of each other. Ha. We are not going to be living MUCH longer in Switzerland so there is no point in getting fancy. And, now we have our PET{which is what they call plastic recycle bottles }, cans/glass and paper containers...which is that grey, white and black set of containers.

We love our cozy little apt.

|| West Elm ||

West Elm has done it again.

I would love to furnish my home with all or any of these.

Gold triangle pillow? YES, please.

|| Etsy Loves ||

Want.

Bird Nail Transfers|Aqua Jewel Necklace

Copper Ring|Wildlife Stickers

|| Printable Calendar ||

Lookie what I made for you!...well and for myself.
Click HERE to download the calendar below to use as a desktop wallpaper or to print.
If you like, enjoy! If you like, let me know and I will make one for March.

OR print out the below, HERE!

|| I Want To Wear You ||

Lovely pieces from Modcloth. That coat is a dream!

I want to wear that skirt with the white blouse with the coat
with the black shoes. Perfection.
Blossom Dress|Heels|Vancouver Heels|Blouse
Pastoral Skirt|Peter Pan Blouse|Coat

|| We Are Done ||

That is Jachen pulling out of the house garage for the last time! Yesterday we officially finished moving everything out of the house and gave away the keys. What a relief! Every Saturday since we started the moving out process we have been at that house either moving out, getting things to take the dump or cleaning. We are more than happy to be done and relax now on Saturdays. 

Yesterday in our mailbox I found a map of the area we now live. Some thoughtful anonymous person put it in there knowing we are new to the area.

It feels good to now be 100% here in our city and not still part somewhere else.

|| Jenni Juurinen ||

I loved stacked boxes as wall shelving and I love that blue little playhouse.
Also, that wallpaper is grand. Good job Jenni.

|| Tricks Of The Trade ||

I am noooo blog expert, but in the six years I have been blogging I have learned a thing or two. I thought I would share with you some of my blogging tips and advice to help you if you are in need. These are all from my knowledge, experience and perspective, but I know if you are looking to make your blog a better place than any one of these tips will help you. If you are new to blogging or don't have a blog yet, these will help give you some things to think about and keep in mind as you start off. As I was laying in bed last night I got the idea to do this post so I jotted down these tips in no particular order, but some are more important than others so I highlighted in blue those that I think are vital to a more appealing blog.

1. Photographs//The photographs you use are a huge element to any blog. I use a lot of images I find on the web and I am very particular about which I choose. I look for a certain size and image quality. I have already learned what size is best for my blog so that would be something you would want to find out for yours. The images I take myself I try and pick only the best. If a photo has bad quality if you can avoid using it THEN avoid using it. You can also fix up coloring if that helps. Keep your blog aesthetic in mind when choosing a photo too. Instead of just choosing ANY photo, find the best photo.
2. Be consistent//Your blog may or may not have a theme or aesthetic in mind, but either way try and stay true to the feel and look of your blog. If you have a color scheme, try and stay not far from it. When placing certain things on a post try and place it in the same spot. For example, on my song of the day posts I try and keep the posts similar and the placing similar...I put up a photo first, the video and then the photo source is always in the same spot. That way your blog isn't all over the place all the time...that there is some consistency which makes your blog easier to follow.
3. Blog what you love//I think it is really important to only blog things you love and not kinda love. If there is a photo you don't love or a topic you don't love than maybe not post about it. Also, don't blog certain things just cus other blogs are doing it.
4. Link!//I think at the beginning I was really bad about linking sources and websites and such. I just didn't keep track of them so I couldn't remember where I found things. I have created a system for myself so that I can remember where I found things. As a reader it is nice to know where things are from so I can actually go and see the art/jewelry/clothes etc for myself. If you don't know how to link a link to on your blog you just highlight the word you are connecting the link to and then copy and paste the url into the pop-up that is called "link" and it's that easy. This will make your blog more user friendly.
5. Stay organized//Whether you blog a lot or a little staying organized will really help. Not only organized visually on your blog, but also in the process of creating posts. I keep things in files on my desktop in categories and I throw images into the trash when I am done using it for a post. I have created a system to stay organized and so should you.
6. Try something new//Explore the possibilities for your blog especially if you want to take your blog to the next level. Try new topics and keep a variety going. I like to keep my blog "in suspense" you never know what posts will show up the next day...unless I do an every day series. I am not only posting stories of my life or only posting outfits{not that I ever have} or posting music...I love a lot of things so I share a lot and search for new things I love. Keep the variety going.
7. Blog like you are the viewer//This doesn't mean to blog what you think others want necessarily, but to also keep in mind what people do like. It's just a smart thing to do if you want someone to come back. It means see yourself looking at your blog and if you just found the blog would you love it? Would you be a fan? You can't expect someone to read or look at your blog if your blog is one you find turing down of others. Meaning, if you don't like a messy looking blog then don't be one yourself. If you don't like when bloggers post a million outfit photos, like I don't like, then don't do it yourself.
8. Fonts//This is not something you necessarily have to do, but if you do want fonts to play a big role in your design and aesthetic then this can be a great tool. With fonts though you have to be careful not to pick bad ones, ha. I have a few simpler fonts and then I have some more fun ones, but the fun ones I use sparingly. You can do a lot with type or a little, but be consistent and chose fonts that work well with your style. Also, I use dafont.com which is a great free font website.
9. Blog often//You don't have to be like me and post an average of 3 posts a day, but posting at least once a day I think is vital. Sometimes I can't post one day and so now I have started preparing posts in advance. Right now I have a lot of time in my day to post and trust me I spend a LOT of time on my blog, but I know someday I will have less time in the day. When I know I will only have a little time the next day to post I prepare that post ahead of time when I have time. Meaning, I will get the images and links ready so that it only takes me a few minuets to publish the post. I can quickly lose interest or even forget about someone's blog if they go days without blogging. Also, I consider blogging a great life journaling process whether it's about your personal life, things you love or a variety of the two and if you get behind you tend to feel more overwhelmed and then tend to just forget about blogging all together.
10. Don't compare//This is a hard one. I find myself wishing my blog looked different or that I knew how to create a "better" looking blog. I have to remind myself that my blog IS how I like it and it's fine if mine looks different than others and that maybe in the future I can change that, but that my blog isn't bad just because it doesn't look like everyone else's. Although, I think it is fine to see others and get inspiration on how to make yours better, but don't hate your blog if it's not exactly how you want it. Besides lots of people have the exact same looking blog than anothers and there is no fun in that either. Like I said before, do what you love and what is you. Don't try and copy others.
11. Text placement//This one is just for you to think about and be conscience of when working on a post. I personally think text looks better all at the bottom or all at the top, but sometimes I break out of that and type where it NEEDS to go even if it might not be so eye pleasing. I used to type in between photos, example here, to explain why I love that item, but I have stayed away from that these days. I am not saying you can't do it, but if you can avoid it, I would. For me, that changes the look of my blog and it doesn't work with my aesthetic. I also think it isn't the most good looking way to do it. But, I am a picky graphic designer who likes things just so. But just be aware of where type is.
12. Photoshop//I highly recommend Adobe Photoshop if you want to be a serious blogger. You can use other programs to edit, but Photoshop does more than they could. I use photoshop for everything. Editing pictures, cropping pictures, making photos lighter, combing images next to each other, using my Wacom Bamboo Tablet to draw and write and any type I use, I use Photoshop. Sometimes, I use Adobe Illustrator, but hardly. Sometimes I will find a photo, like on Etsy for example and the image is just too dark so I will lighten it to make it look better...because like I said photo quality is important. If you are a student, Photoshop is cheaper so get it while you are a student. Photoshop is always a great program to have.
13. Labels//Since I started using the "labels" icon it really has changed my efficiency level. Because I put categories on my posts I can faster access a past post. If I need to find a music post, I just go to my labels on my sidebar and search through my music posts instead of my whole blog. Also, I use it as a guide for my viewers as well. It really comes in handy.
14. Remember//Labels isn't enough sometimes, sometimes you just need to remember what you have already posted. I post a LOT each day and also on each post there is a lot of images. For the most part I can remember if I posted that picture or that subject or that item already. Know your blog and be familiar with it's content.
15. Positivity//Not saying negative things or negative reviews on things has been something I have really tried to implement on my blog. Sometimes it is SOOO hard not to write a bad review of something. Like if I read a bad book or watch a dumb movie I find myself reallly wanting to inform the masses to not read or watch that. BUT out of my own experience when I see someone on another blog "talking bad" about a book or movie I read, it drives me NUTS. I just find it inconsiderate and I really try to hold my tongue....or fingers. I once read some movie reviews on someones blog and they hated a movie that I loved and pretty much since then I haven't really been interested in their blog or their opinions. You are free to share your opinions, but just consider what those opinions will mean to others....like you should always be doing in life.

Well there you have it. These are my tips/advice of what I think is important. Tips I have learned from my own experience on my blog as well as noticed while viewing others blogs. For me it is important to spend time with my blog and make it the best to my own standards and if I am doing that I know I am fine. You should have your blog primarily for yourself and enjoy it. Make it your own.

|| Song{s} Of The Day//Mina Tindle ||

I am REALLY excited to introduce you to Mina Tindle who is my current favorite. I am especially in love with her songs The Kingdom and To Carry Many Small Things, which are below. If you like her acoustic version of The Kingdom then you will love her version that is available on itunes...I think it is even better. Isn't Mina darling?? You will want both songs and probably the rest of her songs.
What do you think?

Photo source.

|| Mixing Patterns ||

I love this outfit, I love the pink hair and I LOVE this photograph.
I love a good mix match of patterns and colors, it's my fav.
See more of the lovely photo series, here.

|| Outer Space Bedroom ||

I think a little too far in advance sometimes...I like to think of the future and plan ahead. I nannied a family once that the boy's room was planets and space themed and I loved it. I decided then and there I wanted my, very far in the future, little boys' room to be planet and space themed. I remember studying and loving space in elementary school and still love it. These would all make great additions to a cute boys room.
Red Moon/The Walkmen|Moon Globe|Northern Hemisphere Star Chart

DIY Star Projector|La Terre Print|La Lune Print|

|| Madewell Fashion ||

I love all of the above. L.O.V.E.

I want every piece in my wardrobe. 

What is your favorite? Can you even choose?

Found here and here.