17. Holdays

I honestly can't believe it's been virtually a month since I last posted. This may be the longest break I've ever taken. Not that it matters. I've been having fun enjoying life ! That's what really matters, right?

Thanksgiving came and went, and now it's only 10 days till Christmas. 16 days till New Years Eve, and that also happens to be the day my Fiance proposed last year! Its hard to believe that any of this is even going on. Since we were always the couple who would never get married. I guess being together for 7 years changes things. ;) Thinking of doing a post looking back on that day before the end of the month. Not only to be able to try and live it a little again, but share it on the new blog as well!

I wanted to leave you guys with some pictures of what's been going on this past month since I'm short on words and time at the moment! Greg and I threw our first Holiday Party/Birthday Party! Went To San Fransisco for 2 concerts, and got our Christmas Tree! Add work and that was our month in a nut shell! Sorry for the cheap Instagram photo's, but my phone is always the best means of documentation since its always on me. 

 Birthday girl and I

 Pre-Party set up

The goods

 My Morning Jacket

 Before

 After

 Best coffee in San Fransisco

 BTBAM

 Future SIL

Left: Joel, Right: Fiance

Hope everyone is having a great week.

xoxo

A/C

16. If the shoe fits

I'm not sure what all of you think about knockoffs out there... but being a girl on a HUGE budget, I'm down.  I recently came across a site called GoJane. I'm going to be honest and say that the clothes are more a long the lines of Wet Seal/Contempo Casuals kind of thing. On the other hand, most of the shoes are awesome. Awesome as in I can finally get myself a pair of 'Litas'. Probably the closest I will get while planning a wedding and figuring out how to get back into school when that's over! So for a girl like me, these are beyond perfect. Looking forward to maybe adding a pair of suede ones to these so my cute shoes don't get lonely. ;)Maybe I'll get a few pairs of cute socks to throw on during these cold Winter type days we have been having around my parts of California. Brrrrrr.

A/C

15. In My Baby's Arms...

Sometimes you have to let the songs do all the talking.... or blogging in this case. I know I will never ever ever be alone... 

This song goes out to the best man I know...

My Fiance.

14. 10 Months

Well, I can't say I've been doing a great job at blogging! Nothing wrong with that. Usually means I have been enjoying my life instead of filling it with internet time!

Speaking of time, its exactly 10 months away from my WEDDING! Those are words I never thought I would type, speak or write down. Ever! Needless to say I am getting more excited each day.. and more nervous! In a good way. Planning is quiet at the moment. Hopefully I can stock pile all my energy and save it for when things start to really get crazy around March! I'm guessing sleep will no longer be in the cards about 6 months out. I get a little to anxious in any exciting situation. This being my wedding, I'm sure my ever present anxiety will be in overdrive! 

The other day I finally treated myself to a 'real' haircut! I say 'real' because for the last  years I have been cutting my own hair. Not exactly ideal. Luckily, it never look horrible. Needless to say it was great going to a salon and being pampered a tad. Doesn't hurt that my hair is finally looking healthy and has more than one layer!

And a quick pic of my hair! 

P.S. Thanks again to everyone who helped vote in the contest.We didn't win... but there was a lot of effort put in by a lot of people! Thanks Again!

A/C

13. One Stop Shop

Current wants from NastyGal.com

If only. <3

A/C

Change in plans....

I wasn't planning a post for today but I had to share this song. I really love She & Him... and I really love Christmas! So when I heard they were coming out with a Christmas album I just about died! I think this will be the #1 thing played at my house this Holiday Season!

Enjoy.

11. Hair Guacamole?

Yes, you read that correctly. Hair Guac! Okay, okay I fib. Well, I did use avocado in my hair... but I left out the other ingredients. ;) I did however make a nice little hair mask. I found the recipe on thebeautydepartment.com . There's only consisted of avocado and olive oil, but I thought I would try and amp it up a bit by adding a few other products. I threw in some honey for extra shine and argan oil that I mentioned in my diy leave in conditioner post last week. After blending it all up I jumped in the shower to wash my hair. After that I got out and applied all of what I had made. Took a blow drying to it for a little over a minute and left it in for a little over 30 minutes. 

After I finally had all the nasty green stuff out I just left my hair to air-dry. The product left my hair a bit limp due to the oils, but I should have only put it half way up my head, not on the scalp. I really liked the fact my hair was really soft and had a lot less frizz. The results only lasted about a day. after taking my next shower I had to wash because the oils built up REALLY fast. So less is more in this case! 

Next i'm going to do a home hand milk bath. I've always wanted to do that so I figured I would share that as well. 

Hope everyone is having a great week. Don't forget to go vote on the contest my fiance and I are in! 

http://www.soundtracktoido.com/?p=2055

A/C

10. Rock the vote

Hey guys! So, I need a little help from everyone right now. I am currently trying to win a contest for free wedding photography . I would love it if everyone could help me out by voting for my Fiance and I. We are couple #1 out of 5! The contest is open till the 15th, and you can vote each day. Once on the website, once on facebook (go to albums and like couple#1). Please and thank you to everyone in advance! this really would be a dream come true for us. Since we are working with such a tight budget this would make all the difference.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/soundtracktoido 

here is the link to the facebook

http://www.soundtracktoido.com/?p=2055

 

and to the actual website. Again, please visit both if you can.... and once per day! I know etthis seems like a lot to ask of strangers over the internet... but I figured it could only help matters. 

A/C

9. A bit of beauty

I really hate spending money on beauty products. Like A LOT. So much that I'm pretty sure I went about 2 years with out buying hairspray just because I thought it was a waste of money. But then I started to realize I kind of looked like a shaggy dog most days. Not exactly the best look, except maybe while camping. Even though I'm pretty sure I will never try to not look cute while camping. 

So yesterday while trying to figure out how to get my hair to not be a big puffy mess I decided to make my own leave in conditioner. It seems to be doing what I want  it to do at this point. Controlling some frizz and making brushing a hell of a lot easier. I don't ever really heat my hair. Air drying is usually the only thing I do after brushing. So I'm not sure of how the results might be if I were to blow dry is. 

Alright, so what this is all I did. Super simple. You may even have everything at home already just like I did. 

First: Take any spray bottle. ( I used an old product bottle that was empty and washed it out.)

Second: I filled the bottle about 1/2 way up with cold water.

Third: I took my daily conditioner and added about a table spoon or so of the conditioner ( I really just squirted some till I though it would be enough)

Fourth: Shake well.

Fifth: I added a few pumps of my Argan Oil into the mixture 

Sixth: Shake well (again?)

Now use! This may not be anything special, but it worked for me and it was technically free! So that's always a plus.  I'm going to make a hair mask this weekend that I found on the beautydepartment   .So maybe that to come soon. 

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend! 

A/C

7. doughnut/donut

If there is one thing I love, it's sweets. Almost any kind. Anything that looks cute and tastes sweet is my ultimate weakness. I've been trying really hard to make it a habit to cook things ( sort of ), so I made some doughnuts the other weekends. Surprisingly easy to make. I am easily frustrated by things that don't come natural to me, so I decided to find something simple but seemed impressive. These fit the bill perfectly. I tried a cake doughnut thinking it would be easier to handle vs a yeast one. Once I try the later of the 2, I'll have to update. Since this is only an assumption.

I started by using this recipe. I also made it the night before, since you have to let the dough chill for at least an hour.  To cut them out I simply used a cocktail shaker top and the smaller top for the centers. Worked perfectly! When my crumbs didn't exactly turn out I opted to make a quick glaze . I did have with that and half with Cinnamon and Sugar.  Needless to say not only was I impressed, but I'm pretty sure the Fiance was too! Score!

Just a quick snapshot from my phone of my supplies, and some of the final product! 

A/C

6. Flying by

This week went by WAY too fast. I have a feeling this year will somehow be the slowest/fastest moving year for me, EVER. I know that sounds silly... but when you are looking forward/stressed out by something like I am with our wedding.... you probably catch my drift when making comments like that.

 A few major things have already been taken care of. I'm trying to make it a goal to figure out one things each week. I'm a very high stress type of person... so taking it slow is a must for me. Staying organized and ahead of schedule is a must! Venue for the ceremony is officially ours. The restaurant is making up a contract as we speak.... and I may have even found my dress! I went out on a whim a few weeks ago. I called a local store to make sure they were taking walk-ins that day, and sure enough she was! I was surprised by the dress I've pretty much picked ( trying it on in 2 weeks to make sure I still LOVE it). I had a totally different idea in my head of what would look good/thought I wanted. I guess sometimes we all surprise ourselves.

I think my new favorite way to kill time at home is painting my nails. I was never very good at keeping a good manicure. I hate paying for it.. and I always ruin it when I do it at home. I guess practice makes perfect. Here's my new favorite simple at home manicure:

Hopefully I'll make time to share my new Maxi skirt I made last weekend. I was in need of something new to wear and opted to make it. ;)

A/C

5.Mix and Match.

I've always thought about having a GOLD wedding band placed upon my finger one day. Not silver. Not anything else. Gold. Maybe it's only because in the past maybe that's all I had seen, or maybe it's because my mothers was gold. I have no idea why. I just wanted it. I'm pretty sure I still do. So here lays the idea of mixing and matching the metals on my wedding ring finger. Should I? 

I think it looks great when done right. I usually mix my metals in my jewelery anyway. So it's not an odd concept for me. My ring being platinum I would have to mix to get what I think I want! Hmmm, I already sound so unsure! But that's just me. Recently on A CUP OF JO she did this great bit on simple wedding rings. I really think I'm in love with this hand hammered 14k gold band! So simple and chic. Best part is the price. $16.50. Yes, sixteen fifty. 

I guess these stacker rings by favorJewelry ... oh well. I don't like rules like that. Thank you Etsy for always providing!

So what do you all think about mix metals for wedding rings?

A/C

4.Need.

The Cambridge Satchel Company. Thank you.

A/C

3.Fall in California

I always feel a little left out of seasons when it comes to living in California. Especially the Central Coast/ Bay Area where I'm from. We are FINALLY getting into our ' Indian Summer' , pretty much a mild summer to most peoples standards. Its pretty much the same 60 degrees all year round. I guess I can't complain. No need for drastic wardrobe changes from summer to winter. It all pretty much works. The one item I have found I need each year once fall/winter rolls around are good boots. When the weather does decide to feel a bit more authentic it does help to have the right shoes! I've found that I need a new pair each year because I seem to always walk big holes through my right shoe. ALWAYS. It's not very fun when it's starts raining and you end up with soggy feet for the day! Especially when in the City! So now I'm on the hunt. Again. Because once again.... right foot is being exposed in ALL of my boots! GRRR! My Fiance says its because I'm more of a 'truggder' not a walker! Hmm, maybe I should practice feminine walking? Can you even do that? Someone let me know! Back to the topic, boots. I'm really looking for a pair a little more stylish compared to the normal combat/big rain boot kinda of boot. Not so technical with the names... I know! A few of my favorites so far:

Zara

Jeffery Campbell

Asos

Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday!

A/C

2. SF

This weekend was one of the best , most productive, utterly tiring times I've ever had. I now have a lot more respect for people who manage to plan and produce huge weddings , because this stuff if not just... but hard! I'm lucky enough to have a fiance who is actually involved in the process of planning. Who wants to add input, who talks about more than how much money I'm going to spend, and is genuinely psyched about the whole thing just like I am! That really showed this weekend.

We took a little day trip to SF to look at the garden we wanted to get married in and talk to the owner of the restaurant we are having the reception at.  Everything went much smoother than I had planned. We got done so fast that we actually had time to enjoy some of the day in our favorite city. (  currently working on convincing the fiance we NEED to move there. We will see. ;)  ) Beers, Pizza, and lounging in the sun at Washington Square Park. Perfect day.  I tried on my first wedding dresses on a whim the next day after brunch and may have found THE one. I'll be sleeping on that one for a while though. ;)

1.

I had planned on getting my first post out a few weeks ago, guess that didn't really happen! Welcome, to California Dreaming. If you came over from my older Blog 'faking IT' thanks for stopping by! The reason for the change was pretty simple. I just wasn't happy blogging in the space I had created. I felt like I was limiting myself on the content I wanted to share with people, and I really just needed a change. This year is a major changing point for me. Yesterday marked one year till my Fiance and I finally get married! We have been together for what seems like forever, so it's a really big step for us! I really wanted to open my blog up to share a little bit of my experience with this and anything else I wanted. Ha! I guess that's fairly vague , but it's sort of my intent. No limitations.

First order of business , I wanted to talk about Pinterst!... and how addicted to it I am. When I got engaged a friend told me to join and boy was I glad she did. I was saving all my images in a file on my work computer of all places. ( Not the best idea when i think of it now!) It wasn't really a helpful organizing tool. So now I use Pinterest. I'm pretty sure you can just sign up now. I had to wait for an invite for a while when I first singed up. It gets addicting let me tell you! I even found a few recipes on there and actually baked them! ( I'll show you guess my trail with donuts soon.) So go check it out!

Just a few Polaroid snapshots I did of my Pinterest account.

....And my Fiance and myself on our 6 year anniversary on a hike in Henry Cowell State Park in here in Cali.

Hope everyone enjoys there weekend! I'm off the San Francisco to start our wedding planning! 

A/C

Coming Soon...