friday smiles

Things on Pinterest that make me smile:







Hope you weren't offended ;) and enjoyed! Happy Friday friends! 

Daydreams.

It's Thursday. And for me Thursday is so close to Friday I'm just day dreaming about how my perfect weekend will be. Oh, and day dreaming for this outfit I've put together in my head. You know you do it. You make up that perfect dress. Except it hasn't been created yet. You search every store and KNOW somewhere will have it. Sometimes you get lucky and other times you strike out. Well fortunately, I found all these items around the web and instantly stored them for this wonderful get up I was creating for my day dream self to wear.





Not sure how a hooded dress would look on, but I love feeling comfortable, I love dresses, and I love hoods. Today I'm feeling funky and the stripes "clashed" with a patterned clutch is just what Dr. Funk ordered. (Wait. Who is Dr. Funk? Does Dr. Funk even exist? I don't know. But if he does and you find him ask him to come guest post for me, okay?)

Etsy Shop: Living Aloha

Check out this adorable Etsy shop Living Aloha full of cutesy paintings that brighten any spirit. While you're at it, check out Angie's blog here. Sharing her life in Hawaii, her writing feels like an instant vacation to me.

These paintings are absolutely darling for a fun seaside themed bathroom or even a magical children's bedroom!






Beautiful right? I asked Angie one question because I was so exhilarated by her shop. What might that question be? Simple. What inspires you, Angie? This is what she said.

"To answer your question, what inspires me?  I would have to say, hands down, being born here in Hawaii and living on Maui is my primary source of inspiration.  The ocean, the colors, the scents, the sounds, the island lifestyle...everything about living here in paradise translates into art.  I am rarely without inspiration; the challenge is usually in balancing my time to devote to creating.

I started drawing and painting as a child and although I didn't major in art in college, my heart led me back.  It wasn't until 2005 when I actually begain painting and selling my art on eBay and to date, I have sold 233 paintings all over the US and Canada.  I am hoping to someday make this into a full-time gig, because throwing paint around is far more gratifying that sitting in front of the computer at work, crunching numbers and analyzing sale trends.  :)"

Makes you want to open an Etsy shop, right?

Mahalo! ;)
See, I do learn something new every day!

Hair Garlands

I'm terribly influenced by accessories. Mostly because they update a plain outfit in a split second. It makes the shirt I put on really thoughtless for me. Choosing an outfit is much much harder in my eyes. The hippie-esque headband are here to stay. A way to update it is to move towards hair garlands.  The best ones? DIY! Bring out your inner child and play with the flowers that grow near your house.

For day time inspiration:

For fancy night time inspiration:
Wrap a long necklace twice on the crown of your head!



Friend or second mirror required!

Litter SF.

Strikingly edgy, Litter SF creates jewelry that exudes originality while maintaining glamour. This line is absolutely gorgeous. I just need more of an excuse to wear some of the fancier pieces!






Now comes what I'm REALLY obsessing over. SHOE JEWELRY!? Update ANY pair of heels immediately. Now you can never truly get sick of your shoe collection.


Weekend Wino

Happy Friday! I'm hoping I run into RP this weekend since he's in town for Comic Con. If you can figure out who RP is...we're best friends.

So I may or may not be turning into a weekend wino. If you haven't ready my post on cheap wines read it here! I would have NEVER thought to go to a wine bar for breakfast/brunch. I'm the kinda girl that can't drink ALL day and ALL night. If I do anyways, I'll end up at the toilet late night and the majority of the next morning too! So a Bloody Mary the next morning may work for some but to me it sounds like pure vomit to me. (How vomit is 'pure' I don't know?? I think I meant pure as in solely) However, two weekends ago I went to Mosaic Wine Bar in San Diego on a Sunday after a night of drinking for a delicious meal and a glass of sangria. (See my Sangria post here!) I was in breakfast heaven!

This is what I got. I ate the whole thing don't worry! Garlic & parsley potatoes, toast, bacon, and a frittata!







But I kind of wished I got this! I couldn't find it on the online menu but it was some sort of waffle/strawberry/powdered sugar/whipped cream debauchery.







I think I'm a pretty good cook. Okay, okay I'm slowly learning ;) I've yet to make something horrible so that's good. I haven't mastered any breakfast meals though! Does anyone have any easy recipes they'd like to share?? If you've already posted one feel free to post the link via link up below. No need to do anything else! I just need ideas!

It's A Blog Swap, Yo!

Hi I'm Jenna from a la mode! I want to talk about the dreaded First Date!

Its scary, exciting, terrifying, nerve wrenching and fun! (What a combo I know...but it's true)

Before my first date with Frank (the current boyfriend)

I went through about 10 outfits, 

a glass of champagne, (maybe a xanex) 

and the help from my friends Tom and Aimee.


Here's how I break it down:

DRESS IN THE MIDDLE

Know where you are going! Don't get too Dressed UP...Don't wear a clubbing dress to a pub... FAIL!




If you know his height plan your shoes accordingly. I dont like to tower over my man...especially if I plan on kissing them. 




(I DO not kiss on the first date but those of you who are brave enough to... plan ahead... & NO garlic)


Don't UNDER-dress either. If hes taking you to a 5 star restaurant you better look like a 5 star date and not one you can order from Craigslist! Or a Granny for that matter! Show a little SKIN! But not too much!





Be yourself in every way:

I tend to wear a lot of make-up when I'm nervous. Relax and try to just be naturally beautiful. I would recommend highlighting your greatest facial feature but dont overwhelm! 




DON'T Get Blitzed! Whatever you do... a buzz is more than enough! Drunk on the first date is a red flag! 




Finally: Here are my picks for the perfect first date outfits for a casual lunch or dinner:




A Fancier Option:




Best of Luck Ladies! Go GET UM!

Thank you Hollie for letting me borrow your blog:
Head over to a la mode to see what Hollie is up to on my blog!


Photo Credit: Here, Here, Here, Here, & Here

Just Another Vlog

This topic is perfect for my lovely guest posting on my blog tomorrow. HINT HINT!




It's Always Brighter on the Bright Side

It's Wednesday. Today I am so so thankful for my sometimes SEEMINGLY big problems. It can always be worse and being alive is a gift in itself. Count your lucky stars today, friends <3. And! Today I'm guest posting at... <And Everything Nice!
Enjoy!










Watching for Watches

I'm on a serious watch kick lately.

See It Here












The pink one is so fun for day time, yeah?

What's your favorite?

One Shirt: Five Ways

Happy Monday! Today is my very first link up post :)

I'm always getting that feeling that I have "nothing to wear." Well, I do. I have plenty of things to wear. I just don't have something brand new. I've realized that I can recreate that feeling of wearing something special by a little creativity in my own closet. What I've done is take one shirt that I like but I feel like is kind of "old" and find five outfits that make it feel new.

The Shirt:

The Outfits:


Cropped grey jackets with silver buttons and black jeggings

Grey blazer and white skinny jeans

White sleeveless blazer and 70's j brand bell bottoms

Tan blazer and ripped skinny jeans


Black mini bandeau skirt


(By the way someday my iPhone photography skills will improve)

To link up you must:
1. Take a picture of the shirt you chose
2. Take five separate pictures of the outfits you came up with (you must use items already in your closet)
3. Post a link back to this post
4. Post your link on the link up below.
5. Have fun!