victory.

"Easter is about more than baskets of eggs and pastels- 

it's about the fact that what we believe 

actually is true."

-J.R. Kerr

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"But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 

'Death is swallowed up in victory.'

'O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?'

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 

but thanks be to God, 

who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Inspiration Friday: Mamma Mia!

*Updated version of Inspiration from: Mamma Mia at Everyday Planet*

I have a confession.

I'm totally obsessed with Mamma Mia.

Yes, that Mamma Mia.

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The one with Meryl Streep & Colin Firth & Amanda Seyfreid & Greece & um...Pierce Brosnan. 

All singing ABBA songs. 

I just can't help myself guys. I love it.

Here are a few reasons....

1.  Decor. 

I read somewhere that you should watch this movie on mute and then you'll love it. It's just so pretty! And kind of makes you want to move to a Greek island. 

• blue & white
• plants
• water- fountains, the sea
• candles & twinkle lights

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• patterns - on towels, bedding, curtains, etc. 
• light
• I even love all the sparkly scenes & suddenly feel that I really need a little more glitter in my life. 

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2. Female relationships. 

I love how totally open the women in this movie are- with themselves & others. Yes, I know this movie is based on songs by ABBA, so they are obviously portraying extremes. But I love the idea. 

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These women scream when they're excited, cry & run away when they're sad, & tell each other exactly how they're feeling, even when it's not always nice. They are super close and supportive and they know how to have fun together, which brings me to point #3...

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3. Fun. 

Seriously. Meryl Streep does a toe touch in this film. They dance, sing, laugh, and wear sometimes insane clothes. 

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Because as Dr. Suess would say, "These things are fun, and fun is good." 

Seriously though, this movie always makes me think, I really need to lighten up and just have fun (plus, you never know when a feather boa might come in handy!)

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3. Style

Don't even get me started. Oh wait...

• deceptively simple outfits
• lots of blue & white plus the occasional 70s bellbottom pantsuit. 
• wavy hair & barrettes.
• dresses & skirts.

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• fun jewelry (necklaces, rings, anklets)
• That cowboy hat!
• I've noticed they actually wear fairly not-simple outfits (lots of jewelry, patterns, etc.) but in a very simple- just walk out of the house- way. I love it. 
• They don't always wear things that look perfect on them (see above picture of Amanda Seyfreid: no offense, but the swimsuit/white skirt combination is weird. But I still love it). This works because of the next point: 
• Confidence. Amanda Seyfreid spends an entire montage wandering around the island in a one-piece swimsuit. When was the last time you even felt comfortable wearing a swimsuit by the pool? Confidence goes pretty far. 

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So you've got the simple "I grew up on this Greek Island" clothes and then the "my mom was a hippie/ABBA singer" clothes. 

• bellbottoms
• sequins
• sparkly shoes 
• blue eyeshadow
• feather boas
• platform shoes
• going all out. 

Come on, guys, those scenes are awesome. 

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4. Lightening Up. 

When I found out a good friend of mine also liked this movie, I said "No way! I love it! But everyone I talk to hates it cause it's so crazy." 

She said, "Anyone who says that is just taking themselves too seriously." 

I concur. Let's lighten up. 

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5. Meryl Streep

Yes, I know that Pierce Brosnan sings in this movie, and I agree: it's a travesty. It shouldn't have happened. 

But can we just all contemplate for a moment how awesome Meryl Streep is? She can basically play anyone, and I love that she chose this film. 

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She dances, sings, and wears overalls and a cowboy hat. 

The woman can do no wrong.

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6. That scene with the scarf.

Ok. If you still hate this movie, you have to at least give me this one: the scene where Meryl Streep sings The Winner Takes It All is Just. So. Amazing.

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7. Dancing Queen. 

Who doesn't love some ABBA? And 2+ hours of ABBA songs + Meryl on a Greek Island sounds like a good time to me. 

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It's It

The Chicago river is dyed (bright!) green every year on St. Patrick's Day, and I wanted to take Ian & Adrianne to see it, but we wanted to avoid all the people (who started drinking at 6am) so we braved driving by the river and crowds instead. It was crazy, but so fun! 

Then we headed back to my place to make It's It ice cream sandwiches! 

The cookies are apparently a San Francisco classic and the recipe is from the second Babycakes cookbook (i.e. Yum).  

Seriously guys, these are gluten- and sugar-free, and vegan.
And so delicious.

They are chocolate chip cookies, with mint ice cream (mint=green=st.patrick's day=festive!)

 between them then they're dipped in chocolate.

And frozen.

Mmmm.

We were pretty excited to eat them. :) 

friends.

Last week was awesome. That's because my best friend from high school, Adrianne, and her awesome husband Ian, came into town! 

Seriously, every time we see each other I consider either:

 a)kidnapping them & keeping them in Chicago or 

b)moving back to MN so we can live closer! 

 I'm so grateful for these amazing friends!

They got to see the city, we hung out & laughed, ate lots of good food, & basically had an epicly great time. 
Can't wait till the next visit! 
 

The Dorm Room Rules

*Updated version of Dorm Room Decorating at Everyday Planet*

College is awesome, isn't it? Yes, it can be one of the most stressful times of your life :), but there are also so many things about it that are fun. I went to a community college for two years (living at home) then transferred to a Bible college and was there for three years (my school pretty much required you to live on campus, so: dorm room for three years. I was on the same floor all three years, but lived in two different rooms and had four awesome roommates (all at different times).

The dorm rooms were tiny, with two small closets, lots of regulation furniture and about 2 inches of floor space. Decorating each year required some creativity but was so fun.

Now that I am gainfully employed, I am shocked to remember how poor we were as college students (my roommate and I once turned down going to an event because it cost $2.00. Two dollars.) So here are a few things that are helpful for decorating your dorm room (or other small space) on a college student budget:


1. Creativity

If your dorm is like mine was, there are about a thousand rules for what you can't do to decorate (no nails, candles, paint, etc). So you have to get around those rules with some creativity. Case in point: Note the mirror in the picture below:

yup, that's me studying in college.
One of the few pictures I could actually find of my room. 

We couldn't put nails in the wall, so we painted 3M hooks, stapled two pieces of ribbon to the back of a ($5 Target) mirror, and hung it sideways. Voila! Something on your wall, and bonus: it made the tiny room look bigger.

2. 3M hooks

I realize now, I should have bought stock in 3M hooks as a freshman. Some ways we used them:

*the tiny clear ones lined the wall next to the ceiling to hold twinkle lights
*for holding back curtains
*painted different colours and hung vertically, to hold mugs
*hanging pictures, obviously.
*the larger ones can hold bathrobes or a pretty dress on a hanger.
*small hooks hung horizontally over a dresser to display pretty necklaces.
*just the tape is also great for hanging maps, posters, and pictures.

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3. Paper.

I was lucky enough to have both an art supply store and a Paper Source two blocks from my dorm room. We would buy sheets of decorative paper and maps each semester (I now have some of those cheap maps framed in my apartment!). Girls on my floor got pretty creative with this stuff.

*Use large pieces to cover almost an entire wall.
*Hang them diagonally and write a favorite quote across them.
*Origami! My friend Kate has a star on her wall in her apartment now, and it's awesome.
*As a background for favorite pictures.
*Use to cover anything ugly. We covered light fixtures (don't start a fire though!), and a myriad of other ugly things in our dorm room.
*leftovers can go in the front of your class notebook or to a poorer dorm room neighbor.

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4. Comfort 

Dorm rooms are often filled with wooden furniture. Soften it up! Make sure to have lots of cozy blankets and pillows for studying, chatting with friends, and the all-important nap. Put down some throw rugs, have framed photos of far away friends and family, and a few favourite things from home.


5. A beverage corner.

Tell me you don't drink more coffee then ever in college! Make sure it's out of a cute mug. My roommate and I had a whole set up on top of our small fridge: coffee pot, electric tea kettle, spoons, etc. Fun coloured hanging mugs on the wall. It was always fun to have girls in for a cup of tea or coffee and a study break.

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6. Pretty storage

This goes for both your school supplies/ notebooks (that could be a whole separate post as I spent 4+ years refining my school organization system :) as well as all your stuff. You probably have to pack a lot into a small amount of space. This requires some ingenuity. Some ideas:

*one of my roommates and I put one of the two regulation-dressers into the closet: we had less closet space, but it made for a lot more space in the room.
*Under-the-bed rubbermaid bins. Lifesavers. Label them so you can easily see what's inside.
*Fabric/Paper-covered boxes. For computer cords, extra school supplies, snacks, you name it. Hide the stuff that's not cute!
*Use baskets to hold bigger items: blow dryers, dishes, etc.
*Stacking rubbermaid drawers. These can go in your closet or you can use the top of one for your beverage corner!


7. Light 

As if all that homework isn't already giving you a headache.I don't know if it still exists, but in college, we were all in a Facebook group called "People Against The Use of Flourescent Lighting." Open your blinds, turn off the overhead lights and bring in some ambience!

If you can't light candles in your dorm, Target has some great battery operated candles (some are even scented!). Paper lanterns from IKEA are fun, and get some cheap standing lamps for lots of light. Plus clip on desk lamps and fun beaded lamp shades. Make it cozy!

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Twinkle lights: everywhere. These are great for getting ready on those early mornings after a really late night of studying. No one needs to see you looking that tired.

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All of the above ideas can be done using things you already have + a shopping trip to IKEA, Walmart, or Target. Have fun!

College friends!

spring

I recently saw the first flowers of spring...

That's always a good day.

Now it's like summer has come to March! I'm not complaining. :)

I'm loving being outside, opening my windows, and wearing sandals. 

I'm not sure it will last, but I'm enjoying it while I can. 

Happy Spring!

entertain us.*

Here's a look at what's been on my ipod, nightstand and tv lately....

On the ipod: The Head & The Heart

Do you know this band? Last summer I went to see Iron & Wine (for free!) in Millenium Park. I'd never heard of the opening band, but as I was talking with my friends and they were playing, we all kept pausing and saying "wow, they're really good." "Oh, I kind of like them." "Who is this band?" Turns out it was The Head & the Heart. I may be behind the times, but if you are too, you should check them out. They're from Seattle & are awesome.

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On the nightstand: The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

This one is way overdue (not at the library: I mean I should have read it a long time ago). I've been carrying this around and found that a surprising number of people have not heard of Chaim Potok. This book is about an Hasidic Jew who becomes an artist and how it affects him and his community. Such a great book about the creative life. If you've never read Potok, I suggest starting with The Chosen. 

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On the TV: Revenge of the Bridesmaids

On a lighter note, I can't get enough of this movie. Awhile ago, my sister and I were having one of those watch a really cheesy movie on Netflix nights, and stumbled on this gem. I bought it recently at Target and have already watched it three times. It is still cheesy, but surprisingly funny. It has all the things I love about a made for TV movie, good one liners, Raven Symone (Olivia from Cosby! all grown up and still funny), the girl from Better with You, plus some surprisingly apt observations about Girl World.

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What are you reading/watching/listening to? 

*Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

Playing Dress Up Series

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Just in case you missed any of them, here are all the posts in one place! 

Playing Dress Up

Playing Dress Up, Step #1: Define Your Style

Playing Dress Up, Step #2: Clean Your Closet, Young Lady!

Playing Dress Up, Step #3: Make a List to Fill in the Gaps

Playing Dress Up, Step #4: Confessions of a Shopaholic

Playing Dress Up, Step #5: Putting Together Outfits

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Playing Dress Up, Step #5: Putting Together Outfits

 I have to tell you, it took me awhile to figure out what I was going to say for this one! I'm pretty hesitant to tell you how to put an outfit together. Part of me wants to just say: be creative! wear what you like! But that's probably not super helpful. So, here are just a few ideas on putting together outfits you like. I promise I won't tell you that a black blazer goes with everything (unless you want it to!)

#1 Wear a uniform. 


The idea here is to find the idea of an outfit you like and then just stick with it. Do you love jeans and t-shirts? You could have a white v-neck, patterned long sleeve shirts, black crew neck t-shirts and wear them with different kinds of jeans. Or if you love wearing printed skirts and cardigans, get some in different colours and just mix them up. Easy, right? Here are a few people who do the uniform thing really well:

Charlotte Gainsbourg i.e. French woman extraordinaire (hi, look at her hair).

She basically wears straight leg jeans, cowboy boots, and a t-shirt/blazer all the time. And she always looks great.

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Anna Wintour i.e. Editor of Vogue/ The Devil Who Wears Prada

I'm definitely not telling you to be like her, but if you look at pictures of her, you'll see she knows what she likes. Always the same haircut and she often wears printed dresses and open-toe heels.

Anna Wintour

Anna Wintour

Moment of honesty: I don't really do this idea at all. But I love the idea of finding what you are comfortable and look good in and sticking with it. I'll try this and get back to you!

#2 Copy an outfit

This is a fun way to use what you have. Take an outfit from Pinterest, a catalogue or a magazine and try to recreate it with items you already have in your closet. Example: I saved lots of pictures of girls in shorter skirts and big sweaters, so I went to my closet and came up with this (I'm the one on the right, ha ha):

Dasha Zhukova

Yours truly

#3 Wear one piece multiple ways

Fashion bloggers in general are so great at this. Take one item from your closet and try to come up with at least 5 different ways to wear it. No more wearing the same sweater with the same jeans every day. Try wearing the sweater with a skirt, buttoned over a dress, under a jacket, or with a long shirt and leggings. 

What Would A Nerd Wear is a great example of this (surprise!). The picture below shows how something odd (a bright orange skirt) can be really versatile. 

What Would a Nerd Wear

#4 Simple/ Complicated

Another thing I like to do when putting together an outfit is to either go really simple or really complicated (I usually land on complicated). 

Simple: black pants, striped shirt, one necklace. Walk out the door. 

La Mariniere

Complicated: Multiple patterns and colours, layers, a scarf, sunglasses, stacks of bracelets on both arms. 

Toast UK

I would love to hear your ideas on putting together outfits! 

It's been lots of fun writing this series; I hope you've enjoyed it as well. Thanks for all your awesome comments! 

Playing Dress Up, Step #4: Confessions of a Shopaholic

I'm not sure when it happened, but I love shopping. I definitely wasn't that into clothes in high school and had no money in college. But somehow, it happened anyway. I'm not exactly Rebecca Bloomwood, and I probably own less clothes than a lot of people, but I do sometimes have to remind myself that I don't need another blue sweater! Hopefully you can benefit from my shopping knowledge. :)

1. Shop with a list. 
Especially if you are making over your whole closet!

2. Buy a latte. Drink it while you shop. It's just a good idea.

3. Buy nice underwear. I know, even I can't believe I'm talking about this on my blog. But trust me: get a nice bra and some underwear in the right sizes. It will make all your clothes look better and will hopefully make you feel awesome. I'm all about saving money, but don't skimp here. You wear these every day: it's worth it!

4. Shop for jeans/swimsuits on a separate trip.

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This should be a separate trip from all your other shopping, or you will probably end in tears (I'm not the only one who hates jean shopping, right??). A few reminders:
*very few people look good in skinny jeans.  If you do, please wear them because I can't! My friend Megan looks amazing in skinny jeans, and every time I see her, I try again to find a pair that fits me. But I have yet to find any that even fit past my calves. And I'm pretty sure if I did find some, they would not look awesome. I have a theory that in a few years we will all look back and equate these with the Dreaded Tapered Jeans.
*most people do look good in bootcut jeans. You know, the boring ones, with no weird patterns on the pockets and no fraying, in dark blue that always look good on you even when bell-bottoms or stonewashed jeans are back in again? Those are the ones you should buy.
*Don't try on a bikini in the winter. Just don't.
*Don't eat a big meal before you go jean/swimsuit shopping. You will regret it.
*Do take yourself out for a meal after you go jean/swimsuit shopping. You deserve it. 
*Find what you love and buy two!


 5. Learn to love the clearance rack. 

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If you can take the (small amount of) extra time to shop in the sale section, you will really be able to get nicer clothes than you otherwise might be able to afford. I like shopping in a bit more pricey places (for me, this is Banana Republic and Gap and Anthropolgie rather than Target and Old Navy) for things like sweaters and skirts for work. You could buy a $25 sweater at Old Navy. But you could also get one on sale at Banana Republic for the same price, and it will last you longer.


6. Find your favourite stores and stick to them. A few of my favourites:

Gap 

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Sweaters, skirts, tank tops, scarves. Gap is just so great at basics. A crazy amount of my wardrobe is from here. I also love their sale section because it is small and pretty well organized.

Target 

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If you don't shop here for clothes, I actually think you're a little crazy. Not only do they have the best plain v-neck t-shirts ever (for $6), but if you keep your eyes open for their designer collaborations, you can get things designed by people like Jean Paul Gaultier, Jason Wu, and Paul & Jo. For crazy cheap. They are also great for other basics- jeans, pajamas, cardigans, shoes, etc. I can't help myself whenever Converse comes out with something new: uber cute dresses and sweaters.

Old Navy

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I feel like Old Navy really goes through good and bad stages. Sometimes there is nothing that would fit me. Other times, it's like they made the clothes just for me. I have found sweaters, purses, and rings here that I wear all the time. Amazingly enough, I have a pair of black pants that I bought here at least 15 years ago for about $20 that are one of the best pairs of pants I've ever owned and I still wear them consistently. I also have things I bought here that practically fell apart the next day. Shop here a lot when they are in a good stage. If they're in a bad stage, just wait a few months.

Boden

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This is a British company that makes awesome clothes for the 'yummy mummy' set. Or if you're me, for the single working woman set. They have great, practical (and really pretty) dresses, skirts, and jeans. It's more expensive than the stores above, but they have amazing sales multiple times every year. And their clothes are classic and will last you a long time. I don't know how they do it, but when I order things from Boden, they consistently look better on me than I thought they would. These clothes actually fit real women, which is encouraging! 

LL Bean/ Land's End

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Please skip the tapered jeans and monogrammed polos (well, I guess the polos are fine if that's your thing). But if you do that, these are great companies! They both make quality things that will last you basically forever. I have gotten slippers and vests from Land's End, the Boat Bag and Duck Boots from LL Bean, among other things. They are the best. It is definitely better with these things to spend the money up front ($60 for the bean boots rather than $15 at Target) and not have to replace the item every year. 

H&M, Zara, etc.  

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These stores can be so busy that I have been known to almost have a coniption and have to leave immediately. But if you can manage to shop at a time when they are not as busy- like 10am on a Tuesday- then you can really find some awesome stuff! H&M is perfect for fun, funky, trendy things. $3 for a pair of purple earrings, $5 for a halter top, $10 for the hammer pants that will (hopefully) be out of style next year. Hard to beat. Zara is a bit more expensive, but well made. I have a paisley work shirt and a trench coat from here that I love. Plus Kate Middleton shops there, so you should too. With all of these types of stores (Forever21, H&M, etc), my M.O. is to swoop in, look around for 15 minutes, buy 1 or 2 things for $5 and then leave before I get overwhelmed. They're fun places for adding a bit of extra style to your basics.

7. Don't torture yourself.

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While you are shopping remember: If you don't love it, move on. I learned this simple but amazing tip from my friend Kristen in college. You know how you are in the dressing room, trying on a pile of clothes and you put on a pair of pants and cringe? And then you stand there for 5 minutes, looking at yourself from each angle, saying, boy! these pants make my thighs look huge! they are sooo small! who are these made for? Well, whoever it is, it is not you: just take them off (quickly, people!) and move on. Don't stand there berating yourself. Just get the next size up! Or a different colour! Or a different style. Find something that does look awesome on you. Believe me, you're cute. There are plenty of things that look awesome on you.

Related to this, don't shop in places that make you feel awful. There are certain stores that just don't make you feel great. Either the sales people are too pushy, the store is catering to a different demographic, or the clothes just aren't right on you. There are two stores I love, but for the life of me I can't shop there. I really like the style of the shirts and tank tops at American Eagle. But every time I go in, I remember: oh yeah! They are catering to tiny teenagers and I am a normal size twenty-something. I also love J.Crew. A lot. But for whatever reason, even though I am small, their shirts only ever emphasize my stomach. So now, I just get the catalog and look for ideas on ways to put together outfits- which (sorry J. Crew) I buy at a different store.

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Now, have fun going home and putting away all your new purchases in your clean closet! 

Come back later to find out how to put all your new items together....