skating down the mountain, skyline in our rear view mirror.

Monday

imaginary enemy.

Well, I've reached the end.The end of something and the start of everything. No more papers, no more deadlines, no more chiseling away at tiny pieces of wood and ramming dried-baby's breath into cardboard for architecture models. No more, but just for now. Next semester is a far cry from today and nearly invisible when considering the amount of bass standing between myself and the new year. So in light of being burned at both ends (can't think of a better tattoo for a better man) for the past 4-odd months, I thought a simple visual aid would do the trick of telling my story. In my mind, I made it through the harsh realities of fall semester with flying colors. (Some colors flew at half mast, but when you get colors to fly at all, you have to just sit back and enjoy, right?!)  
volcom striped longsleeve, stonewashed Levi 514 jeans, H&M race jacket, various knit beanies
I often beat myself up, and sometimes more than I think, but as long as it's all good hearty beatings with no lingering effects, I usually emerge a new spirit with a head full of great memories of all those nasty whippings ;)


-shane

Friday

tints of christmas.

Around this time of year, it's funny to look down at what I'm wearing and realize I'm accidentally in Christmas colors, because olive greens, deep brick reds, and piney browns are the hues that have surrounded me since Day 1, living among my parents' decor selections. I let it cross my mind that I might want to justify my clothing color choices to people who point it out, with this little tidbit, but hey, I am in no way a grinch about the holiday season, other than perhaps during what I find to be an extremely high-stress family gift exchange game on Christmas Eve. We won't go there. 
anthropologie top, american apparel skirt, 80%20 wedges c/o modcloth, target satchel, necklace from poland - gift from mom, handmade blue bracelet (below) from three rivers arts festival, copper bracelet from colorado c/o mom!
We found it to be an extraordinarily mild day to step out from the office for a quick breath of fresh air, it was marvelous. Isn't this vintage [faux?] fur coat marvelous as well? 'Twas a serious *free* score on my mother's part, and I think we've just been in awe of it hanging in her closet for about a year until I finally gathered the gusto to wear it just this week. No matter that it was way too warm for that type of coat - I was into it!
Have you stumbled upon any awesome vintage finds lately?

-christen

Photos by Mindi Harkless. Find her here or here.

Thursday

ok, ok.

You know those days when your outfit looks flawless on the hanger, but once the clothing actually gets on your body, it just...zigs when it should zag. Welcome to my Wednesday. A few times I considered asking my coworkers to switch clothes, but then I felt bad putting them through the odd emotions provoked by the lumpiness of my layers. I managed to persevere, pushing my stripes into my under-stud pouch time after time with a smile. (I know!)
banana republic striped tee c/o mom's closet, lauren ralph lauren linen top c/o mom's closet, urban outfitters skirt, jeffrey campbell wedges c/o modcloth, modcloth bracelet (below)
All this said, I dedicate this post, as I should many others, to the lovely and all inspiring Mindi - the genius behind what came so close to not ever existing! She continues to just bulldoze me with how she can turn an office park parking lot into an urban allegory, and a 'blogger's bad day' outfit that's too-close-to-fupa-for-comfort into something much less awful than that. Applause, applause!

I think you should check out more of Mindi's work both heeeere and heeeere! 'Cause she rocks!

:) christen

Tuesday

livin' for kicks.

wire-vines invade endless skies, infinitely searching for a new pair of eyes.
flip the scene, lose the screen, taste each vibrant shade of green.
Much more than chains, running through our brains,
we dart and weave through collapsing lanes.
now bring the sun, you've had your fun. 
it's time for light. it's our day of flight.


-shane


Monday

merry monday.

After coming in from a shoot last week, Julie and I found our co-worker Mary looking insanely chic (which is nothing new)! I've been wanting to display my fashionable friends on here for quite some time, so let Mary be the first to inspire you to wear something dashing on this fine Monday. 

:) christen

Friday

hit it!

I'll be the bass, you fill in the rest...
[boon doom doom do doon doom doom do boom boon doon do doon]
j.crew toggle sweater, j.crew striped top (gift), j.crew cords, j.crew belt (mom's), lucky brand earrings (gift), bracelet from trip to colorado (mom's), j.crew socks, i.n.c. shoes c/o macy's, modcloth scarf (below)
Ok, now my guitar solo, you rock the roots...
[bleeee deedee deedee, weeoow wowowmowow ziggaziggazooowww]
Lemme get those drums, show me what you got...
[bph bph (tss tss-tss) zigaadabop! bop! bop! bop!]
Whew! Awesome job. Now smiiiiile...
And bow... (it's okay if you tie your shoe while you're down there)
Thank you, thank you, we'll see you all next week!

-christen

Photos by Julie O'Boyle of Orchid Grey.

Thursday

positive impulse.

vintage dress c/o tea & tulips online boutique, modcloth tights, payless shoes, target earrings, urban outfitters (I think?) watch, j.crew bangles (the b&w one I found!)
Many may call impulse buying a dirty habit, and while I can definitely see why one might feel this way, I completely beg to differ. If I see a garment or gadget or useless trinket that I know I want to purchase right then and there, no thought involved, an instant must...it's gotta be a pretty ding dang awesome thing, so why pass it up, right?
If it's a new thing, you can always return it later if you regret it, no problem. If it's a vintage thing, like the dress I'm wearing here, you won't want to return it anyways! Yes, this dress was a complete impulse purchase, and no, I have not stopped being obsessed with it since the moment I laid eyes on it. Sounds pretty win-win to me!
Does anyone know of any awesome thrift stores either online or in Pittsburgh, within which I can go shamelessly implement my impulse technique?!

-christen

Photos by Mandy Fierens of The Curvy Model

Wednesday

self help.

This morning, to steal the words of my friend and coworker, Beth, I felt like my aura was spilling out of my body. I know. So I made the conscious decision to embrace it and not reject it, by clothing myself in basically no color whatsoever. 
modcloth dress, macy's sweater, lucky brand necklace, h&m flower in hair, j.crew boots
Later in the day, though, I had had enough lethargy, as it was being fueled by a minor case of self-pity that I was feeling lethargic. It was a sorry cycle that needed to end, and below are my attempts at destroying this biscuit colored dullness. Starting with rock 'n' roll yoga...
Next, doing what must be done at least once each time this dress (which as become one of my favorites that I own because of its easiness to wear due to shape & length) - spins galore...
And finally, I call this one...staring at the ground. Or rather, pleasantly and contentedly gazing at the ground, which...well...
I suppose that between these three easy activities you can try at home, some sort of magic was created that fixed my aura issues right up!
...and I never looked back again. ;)

-christen

Photos by Julie O'Boyle of Orchid Grey.

Tuesday

hello.

pinterest
You can now 'like' from the woods. on Facebook! As always, thank you dearly for all your support!

Friday

you again.

Hello, chartreuse. We meet again! Thank you for being so kind as to brighten up the first flurry-ful day! 
modcloth dress, anthropologie belt, target cardi, anthropologie tights, frye boots, target earrings
This color is like earth tones' crazy/awesome aunt. You don't see it very often, and then when you finally do, you realize how insanely fun it is and go all out with it. I think this was only a two-day visit (cape Wednesday, tights today) with my Aunt Mabel hosiery, so thanks for the good times, Auntie! I love you and I hope to see you again soon!

:)
-christen

Photos by Mandy Fierens of The Curvy Model

Wednesday

black friday.

Well, the day has come and gone, and most have moved on past Cyber Monday, or skipped the whole hurrah altogether and gone straight to the Christmas tree farm...but I'm still stuck in overwhelming amazement with myself that I actually participated this year. Now that's rare. Don't get me wrong, I'm actually somewhat of a fan of large crowds of people who seem to have lost their minds...but only when they are dancing - not bargain hunting - for that is a completely different cookie. 
This outrageous chartreuse cape is what I found on super sale! And I insist it's the coziest of them all. Now I'm just hoping this cape trend doesn't vanish fast, 'cause, as you can see, I'm stockin' up!
anthro cape, modcloth dress, modcloth flats, rustic roots (no longer in business) bracelet

-christen

Photos by Mindi Harkless. Find her here or here.

Tuesday

neato!

I made it onto the ModCloth blog yesterday! Read the quick blurb on what I have to say about the peep of shoes you can see in the above photo, and on my all time favorite way to dress - in earth tones - here


-christen

Monday

seriously scrumptious stuff.

'Twas a busy kitchen the morning of Thanksgiving, but it wasn't bustling with basters and butternut squash; instead, my branch of the family was responsible for the dessert table this year, and indeed, we took it quite seriously! 
No bellies were left unsatisfied with the world's best apple pie recipe, which I nabbed from The Pioneer Woman's wonderful cooking blog, and modified ever so slightly, making them 'mini' to satisfy my love for crust (which, everyone knows, makes your hair curly)! Here's how to make your peeps happy:
1. Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Peel 4-5 Granny Smith apples (^the men in my family have a knack for getting their hands dirty in the kitchen - my brother was a big help!).
3. Slice those babies super thin. If you're making mini pies, chopping the slices in half may be beneficial, but I didn't, to save time.
4. In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 Tablespoon flour, and some cinnamon. Then add it to the apples.
5. Take a large glass (or, if you happen to have one lying around, the lid to a 40-oz jar of peanut butter is the perfect sized cutter for your crust to fit into a muffin tin) and cut out your crusts. If I had woken up earlier, I would've made the crust from scratch, but I found that the Pillsbury refrigerated crusts taste great, too! 
6. Gently push the dough circles into your muffin tin.
7. Fill your dough cups with as much apple mixture that will fit. Don't be afraid to use your fingers - you won't regret that you did when it comes time for finger lickin'!
8. In a separate bowl, create a crumbly topping for the pies by mixing 7 Tablespoons (just under a full stick) butter, 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup chopped pecans (more to taste), dash of salt. If you have a food processor, that may make this process go a bit more quickly. Sprinkle this generously on top of each pie.
9. Bake for approx. 20-25 minutes. You'll know when it's done, when the tops are bubbly and golden brown.
Mmm :) These are definitely something you will make again. I think between my mum and I, we've make them three times in the past two weeks! And as if that wasn't bad enough for our waistlines, my dad has honed his Banana Cake baking skills, and upgraded to trying a two-layer cake, as you can see below. Delish!
What was your favorite dessert this Thanksgiving?

-christen

Find the official Dreamy Apple Pie recipe, complete with more pictures and details on baking instructions, here

Thursday

gobble gobble.

pinterest
Have a marvelous day!

Love,
                         A baked corn lover
              and
                                             An out-of-the-bird stuffing lover

(can you guess who's who?!)

Wednesday

two trick pony.

While I wish I was cool enough to only have one trick, I found a sidekick for the first. Meet ModCloth and Anthropologie - they're the duo that have created the love child that is this outfit. Initially, that may seem pretty pretentious of me to admit, until you realize that a vast majority of the garments clothing me today were bought at too-good-to-be-true sale prices. The kind that you always hear about other people finding, but you never seem to find yourself, until one magical day. When you look at it that way, I'm no different than an ultra girly hobo.
modcloth dress, modcloth tutu, anthropologie sweater, modcloth necklace, modcloth boots, anthropologie ribbon-rhinestone bracelet, cookie lee wrap bracelet
Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to meet that one with the shotgun! If I knew it would increase my chances, I would wear this outfit...every day.

-christen

Photos by Mindi Harkless, who, in ways I cannot comprehend, made this horribly ugly scenery look rather charming! Find her here or here.