Farewell

The first leg of my journey to Australia leaves in about three hours and I am surprisingly calm.  I'm guessing that won't last very long...


More to come later.


Amanda

Introducing my very talented friend

My friend Patrick Cortes is a singer/songwriter/general sound artist.  His one-man-band is called Animal Weapon.  If you are a fan of electronic sounds, you should definitely check him out.  He also has some self-titled music which you can find here.  He also recently collaborated on a hip-hop song with Ike Beezy and Johnny Cotton.  The song is called Black and Blue.  Check it out!

More music.


Hugs n kisses,


Amanda!

My guilty pleasures: Pretty Little Liars

Yes, I know that this show is shown on ABC Family.  And yes, I know that the characters are all in high school and that the show is geared toward 11-18 year olds.  However, these facts don't stop me from loving it for the exact same reasons that I love Mary-Kate and Ashley movies.  Unlike Mary-Kate and Ashley movies, this show  also has some elements of danger.  Plus some of the guys on the show are oh-so-yummy.  I can say that because  there is a great likelihood that all of them are much older than the characters that they portray.  Watch this chat with the "boys of Pretty Little Liars".  Caleb is my favey!

All about the fashion:

The other thing I love about this show?  The fashion!  Seriously, these girls go to school every day dressed like runway models.  The show also very tastefully explores the issue of teen sexuality.  The show is highly unrealistic but oh-so-fun to watch.  I suggest you check it out!  


The opening theme song:

Try not to make fun too much (a little is ok).

Ta ta for now,

Amanda!

Happy 21st birthday lil bro!

This past Monday, my awesome little brother, Dexter turned 21.  He is legally allowed to drink and legally allowed to get silly on the weekends.  He is such a man now!  My brother runs his own blog over at Tumblr called Carolina Style.  It's mostly photos of men's fashion but it also has lots of photos of other people, places, and things that he deems post-worthy.  He is a very fashionable young man.  Other people must think so too, because he has lots of followers!


Anyways, on Sunday night at midnight, out whole family went out to Tyler's Taproom in Cary for Dexter's first legal drink.  On Monday evening we all went out for a delicious dinner at Bonefish.  Yum!


Here is a pic of myself, Dexter, grandma, and our sister, Sydney:

Dexter is the one in the tie.  Isn't he fashionable in his grandpa vest?  


Ciao for now,


Amanda!

First of all...

How amazing is this music video?  I really want to know what's behind that pretty red door at the end.  I found this on Katie's blog, Skunkboy Creatures, one of my daily blog reads.

Second of all...

Elsie from A Beautiful Mess is doing a 'beautiful giveaway' from Threadsence.  They have such amazing stuff over there.  Check it out!  Elsie's blog is another one of my daily reads and personal all time favorite blogs.  To enter this giveaway, click here.  To see the rest of Elsie's amazing blog, click the link above or the beautiful button in my sidebar.

Oh, and of course, don't forget to watch the new Threadsence lookbook.

So many great links to click on!

Love, love,

Amanda!

Kiawah holiday: a lovely night in Charleston

This past Thursday evening, after a long day at the beach, we all decided to take a break from the lush green jungles of Kiawah island, and spend a little time in another sort of jungle: Charleston.  If you have never been to Charleston, you should go as soon as you have the chance.  If you have been, you should go back.  Charleston is such a charming city.  Just keep in mind that during the summer months, South Carolina gets H-O-T.  The residents of Charleston have done such a wonderful time preserving the old timey feel of the city.  The streets of the downtown area are lined with beautiful, colorful row houses.  Many of these have been converted to shops and restaurants while some are residential.  I tried to snap as many photos as possible while I was there but Kaity and her family thought I was weird for taking pictures of doors and bicycles (they just don't get it).  Also, it was so humid that my camera lens kept fogging up every time I took it out of the case.  Anyways, here are some of my very unprofessional photos from the evening:


I love the tall, narrow buildings!

Husk is where we had dinner.  The food and service were both phenomenal.  I ate until it hurt and I still wanted to keep eating!  Give their website a little peek and definitely eat there if you ever get a chance.  The chef won a James Beard award (whatever that means).  

Seriously, I had a ball at this place.  I ended up finishing off EVERYONE'S desserts because I couldn't stand to see them get wasted.  My pretty white skirt was feeling quite a bit tighter by the end of the meal.

Say hi to my cousin Kaity!

So many horse-drawn carriages in this city.  I think this one was for a history tour.  I would love to learn more about the history of this beautiful and iconic southern city.

Some of the photos turned out very hazy due to the humidity fogging up my camera lens but I think the result is actually kind of nice.  What do you think?

After dinner, we stopped in at a couple of different wine bars including the cutest little rooftop bar.  It was too dark to take pictures with my little compact camera, unfortunately.

Was that too many photos?  I'm sorry (not really).  The city is just so charming, I couldn't help myself.  I had been to Charleston several times in the past but there was just something about that night that made me see its beauty in a way I never had before.  Does that sound crazy?  Maybe a little.

Ciao,

Amanda!

The Glee Project

Ok, normally I think this show is stupid but today, I was sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast, and my sister was watching the The Glee Project right in front of me so I paid a little bit of attention while I at my Grape Nuts.  I was glad I did too.  In this particular episode, the competitors were focusing on pairability and chemistry.  They were split up into pairs and given a song to perform for a music video recording.  After sitting through a couple of decidedly odd videos, one of which featured a rather large guy dressed in 20's style drag, I had the privilege of getting to watch this little gem:

First of all, I love that song.  Second of all, their chemistry was awesome and so believable.  Third, just feast your eyes on that fabulous 80's styling.  Hello Madonna!  Why, yes.  Yes, I do want you.

Cheers,

Amanda!

Does anyone know of any 80's parties coming up soon?

I really need an excuse to buy this dress!

It's is so fabulously tacky.  I love it!

Hugs n kisses,

Amanda!

How adorable is this little Blythe!?

Blythe dolls are something that I would LOVE to start collecting.  Unfortunately it is not really in the budget and it wouldn't really make sense to start collecting things when I don't really have a permanent home yet.  My bedroom at home is fairly small and is already bursting at the seams with all of the stuff that I have.  And besides that, this Blythe has already found a new loving home.

I just love her wild hair.  And her face has so much personality!  This artist is very talented.  Source

Happy Friday,


XOXO Amanda!

Beach report: day 5

Yesterday and today have gone by in such a blur.  I spent the day yesterday on the beach again, walking and swimming with Kaity.  We cut the day short so we could go back to the house and get cleaned up for dinner Then the whole group (13 of us including the two little ones) went out for dinner at a nearby place called Red Sky.  Us girls all got dolled up for the occasion.  I had a Roquefort pear and blue cheese salad for my appetizer, and then seared scallops with some sort of sweet potato side dish mixed with minced meat and veggies.  It was soooo delish!  I tried a little bit of Kaity's crab cake appetizer, which was also wonderful.  Of course we had some white wine as well.  After dinner, we all went over to the Freshfield's shopping center for ice cream.  I ended up just getting mango ice cream in the smallest cup possible.  Then, I did a teensy bit of shopping and got some sunscreen (a necessity) and a little present for Tim.  We spent a little time at the bar, and then Kaity and I spent the rest of the evening lounging around the house and drinking wine.  She thought it was hilarious when I opened up one of the drawers in the dresser in our room and found a dead lizard on a stick!  Yes, a previous occupant of the house left a dead lizard in the dresser.


Today, I spent my beach time sitting on a chair right at the edge of the water and reading a new book called "The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love" by Oscar Hijuelos.  I haven't gotten very far into it yet, but I will let you know how I like it later.  While I got a little lounge time into my schedule, Kaity was able to take a walk with her mom and tell her about her plans to move out to Sacramento to be with her boyfriend, Rob.  I was so proud of Kaity for being brave and being honest about what she wants.  It took me much, much longer to be honest with my family.  In the end though, everything worked out for her, just as it has for me, and she is so very excited about her future with Rob.  I am excited for her!  I know all too well how hard it is to be away from the person you love.  I just feel so incredibly lucky that I will be able to see my own love in two short weeks!  Anyways, Kaity and I took a long bike ride before dinner.  It was so hot that we were both drenched with sweat and exhausted when we got back.  Dinner tonight was a pot roast with veggies (yum!).  We spent the remainder of the night in the house playing games and watching TV.  A couple people had maybe a little bit too much wine (not naming names).


Once again, I hate that I can't share pictures yet, but I promise to have them up asap.


I hope you are having a lovely week!  Next I will tell you all about my night in beautiful Charleston!


Ciao,


Amanda!

New Header!

So, as you can probably see, I have added a new header to my blog.  These pictures are all ones that I took for the photography class that I took when I was in Australia last year.  I quite enjoyed that class and would love to take another.  Anyways, this is my first attempt at blog design, and it actually took me quite a bit of time to figure out, especially since it was my first time using Picasa.  Hopefully next time it will be easier... and maybe look cooler.  But, for now, this one will be hanging out at the top of my page for a while given that I think it makes a nice addition to the overall look of my blog.  I am open to suggestions as well.


Enjoy,


Amanda!

Beach report: day 3

I guess this is day 3 if you count travel day as day 1.  Anyways, this morning, Kaity woke up early (and when I say early, I mean 10-ish)  and went to pick up her friends, Charlie and Kelsey.  She came back to the house around 11:30 and woke me up.  I finally got up and got myself ready to meet them out at the beach.  We all spent some quality time frolicking in the waves.  Eventually, Charlie and Kelsey had to hit the road.  Kaity and I walked them back to their car and said goodbye (it was so hot that I was drenched in sweat by the time we got there) and then we headed back out to the beach.  A couple hours and a walk or two later, we went back to the house, this time on bicycles, for a delicious dinner of shrimp, friend okra, fresh fruit, and salad.  After dinner, Kaity and I went on a bike ride along one of the many trails that run all over the island.  We biked until dark, returned to the house, and got cleaned up and ready before heading back over to pretty much the only bar on the island.  At the bar we had some drinks and a nice chat with a guy who was roughly around the same age as us.  At midnight, we were the last ones in the bar (pretty lame) so we headed back home to catch some much needed Z's.  


I know this post is a bit boring without any pics but I promise to have them up asap once I have access to my camera-computer connection cord again.  Anyways, I am really enjoying my time here with my bestest friend in the whole world but I am also getting more and more excited by the day about my upcoming journey overseas!  14 days left... holy crap!!!


Aloha (that's beach speak for goodbye),


Amanda!

On my travel bucket list: Isla Mujeres

This is what the V-Traveled blog from Virgin Atlantic has to say about it:


Isla Mujeres

Laid back Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) is just a half hour’s boat ride from Cancun but a world away in pace of life. Beautiful beaches and a relaxed, colourful streetlife is about the sum of it.

How adorable is this place?  I just want to go there and stroll around and take lots of pictures!  Also located on the island is this amazing house that is shaped just like a shell.  How neat!

Yep, definitely a must-see.  I hope you are having a lovely day!


Adios amigos,


Amanda!

Me + summer + Nanette Lepore = true love

Nanette Lepore is probably my all time favorite modern designer ever, followed closely by Betsey Johnson.  And right now, I am positively dying over her summer 2011 swimwear line.  Summer means swimwear, so check out some of this eye candy and then share your favorite swimwear designers with me!  

OMG so gorgeous... unfortunately, Nanette Lepore is a bit pricey for me since I'm trying to save some money for my trip.  So, instead, I snagged this adorable little number from Target (the bottom matches):

Love it!

In other news, today I got up much later than intended (as usual), packed my bags, and drove down to Charlotte to meet up with my cousin and life-long best friend, Kaity.  Then, we piled all of our stuff in her Jeep and made the trek down to beautiful Kiawah island, South Carolina.  We didn't make it here until after dark and I didn't bring my camera to computer connection cord, so photos will have to wait until later.  This is the third year in a row that I have come here with my cousin's family and this island is gorgeous.  It's all dark green trees hung low with Spanish moss, long meandering bike trails, and beautiful sunny beaches.  I am so happy to be here and to have a break from the stress of work and family.  Don't get me wrong, of course I love my family, but everyone needs a break sometimes.  

Now, I am sitting here waiting for a call from my Aussie love.  I am looking forward to a week of fun in the sun.  Only 17 days til departure.  Indescribably excited!

Love, love,

Amanda! 

Free playlists?!

One day last week, I had some time to kill before work, so I stopped in at the Cameron Village Starbucks for a Frappucino (which is what I always get from Starbucks, even when it's winter).  While I was there I picked up this nifty little card that had an iTunes code on it.  Using that code, I was able to download my very own summer playlist!  Apparently, Starbucks comes out with a new playlist card each week and releases them every Tuesday.  How cool is that?  Check out the awesome songs that I got, courtesy of Starbucks!



Create a playlist at MixPod.com

Ok, so I don't love all the songs but it was free so I really can't complain.  In other news, today was moving day.  All of my furniture is now nestled snugly in my grandma's garage.  All of my clothes were hauled to my parents' house in trash bags.  I have yet to figure our how I'm going to fit them all in their appropriate spots.  My closet is already jam-packed full.  I miss my old closet already :(  Oh well, let's hope that wherever I end up living in Australia, we have a big closet.


Arrivederci,


Amanda!

Things I Love: Vintage Wedding Gowns

I dream of one day getting married (doesn't every girl?) in a dress like one of these:

 

 Source 

 

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Source 

 Source

Sigh.  I guess with so many of my favorite bloggers getting married lately, I've kinda had weddings on my mind.  

Have a happy Thursday,

Amanda!