Holiday Pinspiration

Hello again! I apologize I've been MIA for a while, I had some final projects, all due in the same week of course. So after a 8 days of stress, 15 hours in the library, and 4 hours of sleep over two nights, I am now back! I still have one project left before I'm really done, but I have plenty of time to complete it stress-free!

Today I decided to bring you some holiday pinspiration of holiday gift ideas, decor, and foods I've found through Pinterest, or pinned myself from some of my favorite blogs. I hope you enjoy! :)

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Free holiday gift tag printables so you don't have to worry about spending much!

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Feel like making your own gift tags? These origami trees are super cute and easy to make!

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I fell in love with these nested bird ornaments! I definitely want to try making one of these!

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Some cozy felt iPhone sleeves you can DIY for anyone on your list!

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I loved these DIY clay ornaments/gift tags! I can't wait to try making some of my own!

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Cute, easy to make garland, where you can use anywhere!



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Peppermint hot chocolate, yum!



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These truffles look delicious!



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Red velvet cheesecake cookies. Sounds like quite a combination!



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Nutella cinnamon rolls. Goodness I must try these!

So many great ideas out there! I'm hoping I'll be able to try some of these out once I'm on break. If you try any of them or know of any other awesome ideas out there, I'd love to hear about it! Enjoy the season!

<3

Comfort in the Cold

Top: Pimkie (France) | Cami: Charlotte Russe | Pants: JCPenney | Shoes: Shoe Dept |

Bow: Hot Topic | Watch: Japan | Green Dinosaur: Squishable

This is my comfy-when-it's-cold outfit. And my I-only-have-to-go-outside-once-today-so-I'm-not-going-to-put-in-more-effort-than-I-need-to outfit. I usually try to put in effort even if I'm not doing much in the day, but today I just felt like going to my cold weather go-to outfit. And honestly I love wearing this. The pops of color is just what I need to brighten my day and I've been in love with my fifi lapin sweater since I got it in France. 

The semester is starting to wind down here, as I'm sure it is for many others too. The stress is coming, followed by the sweet relief of winter break. I try to keep my cool by taking frequent breaks and try to get a few workouts in here and there.

What do you do to stay sane during the stressful end of semester? Good luck!

<3

Stripes and Tights

Jacket: Alloy | Dress (as top): Charlotte Russe | Skirt: Japan | Shoes: France | 

Tights: Target | Hair Bow: Hot Topic | Watch: Japan | Pin: Japan

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving! Mine was a great relaxed afternoon with great company and delicious food. This outfit is what I wore for dinner, which I may have been a bit overdressed for, since apparently I am unaware about proper attire for Thanksgiving. But you know, I never really get to dress up so I enjoyed it :)

Below is the corn pudding I made for dinner. My mom taught me how to make it years ago and for any big dinners we'd have I'd usually make it so that she had more time to take care of everything else. But this was the first time I actually brought it myself to a non-family event, so I feel all grown up, ha.

Break is now almost over, which saddens me. How did the time go by so fast?!?! I guess it's time to go back to the usual daily grind.

How was your holiday? Are you ready to go back to normal?

<3

Thanksgiving Firsts

Happy Thanksgiving!

*Gobble Gobble*

I'm normally not a huge fan of Thanksgiving and don't say much about it. But this year Thanksgiving is different so I did want to share what I am thankful for, not just today, but during this season of my life.

I am thankful for:

• My family and friends who support me no matter what, even when I'm being crazy and make no sense.
• My education, because even though it drives me crazy half all the time I know that it will be very important for my future.
• The kind people at this university whom are inviting me to their home this afternoon even though I am not family.
• The clothes in my wardrobe, because even though I always complain that I hate what I have or need more, the fact that I have a choice in clothing is enough in itself.
• The life that I have. Seriously, life isn't as bad as I always think it is. Au contraire, it's quite awesome ;)

That's all I have for now, but there are many many things I am thankful for in my life! I am off to prepare my family's famous (not really) corn casserole dish for dinner tonight. This is my first Thanksgiving without my family but also the first time I actually get to contribute to the dinner! So it all works out in the end :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I want to hear all about it afterwards!

<3

Goal Completed: Make Something

Earlier this month I shared 4 goals with you that I hoped to complete by the end of 2012. I happy to say that I have completed one of these goals, Make something! I painted a flat canvas then added some origami flowers to it.

Please don't judge me too harshly on this, I really have not had much experience with painting. That is part of the reason why I added the origami, something I am at least decent in, but also just because I thought it would be fun to mix the two together!

It looks kind of small on my wall, but I enjoy it there. Now my wall isn't as boring, haha. Even though I completed this goal, I hope to continue creating more projects. It's such a great outlet and so much fun!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and any ideas for a next project!

<3

Currently...

Gaming with Secret of Mana. This is an old Super Nintendo game from the '90s that I loved but mostly watched my brother play. This is probably my one of my favorite games of all time so it was definitely time for me to play it myself and this weekend I finally beat it!!! I feel accomplished.

Watching any movie in my arsenal or on TV while I work on my craft projects, so that I have some background sound to keep me company. So far I have watched Ferngully (yes, apparently I'm 5) and The Fifth Element, which is pretty much my favorite movie ever and is my go-to film to play in background, because I know what's going on without having to look. Seriously, I can quote over half the movie, it's ridiculously awesome.

Making a ton of origami. So far I've made a few different types of flowers, a crane, and a dinosaur (pictured above). I can't stop folding!

Looking forward to having a Thanksgiving dinner, even though I'm away from my family. One of the directors in the Residence Life department here at Virginia Tech so kindly invited me to her home for dinner, along with some other staff in the department. It was such a sweet gesture!

Planning an art project. I want to practice painting, plus I have some canvases that are looking a little white and need some color on them! I may even be adding a unique element to it. I really hope it turns out well! I'll be sharing it with you all upon completion :)

Working on a paper. I included this just to say that I'm actually doing something school related. Nothing interesting to say about it.

I hope everyone is having an amazing day!

<3

Ready to Break

And by break, I mean take a break! Because I've got one full week off!

Top: Charlotte Russe | Long sleeve top: Kohl's (old) | Shorts: Charlotte Russe | 

Tights: Target | Boots: Shoe Dept. | Bow headband: Japan

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I have one full week off from classes which I have been longing for all semester! I'm staying in Blacksburg for the first time to work a little, but I should have a good amount of time for myself to catch up and recuperate. Some of my plans for the week:

~Complete a few assignments and get a head start on some upcoming ones.

~Beat a video game I've been playing all semester!!

~Take some time to read for fun

~Accomplish one of my 4 goals

~Have fun :)

What do you have planned for yourself?

Enjoy the holidays and thanks for reading!

<3

Gifting on a Budget

At the end of October, my fiancé CJ and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. I could not believe we've been together for so long now. Time really has gone by fast! But I've been enjoying every minute of it :)

We unfortunately couldn't see each other on the actual date of our anniversary since it fell on a Monday, but sweet, sweet CJ had cookies delivered to me that night! They were from Campus Cookies, a local store that delivers a variety of yummy, warm cookies to the Blacksburg area. It was such a sweet unexpected surprise!

We ended up seeing each other the following weekend, which I would then give him my gift. But since CJ knew I've been on a tight budget (college student budget, woo), he made me promise not to spend more than $5 on him. After some thinking, I got inspired to create a fun little project. If you know anything about Pokémon, then hopefully these will be a little familiar. 

I painted these on two separate flat canvases. These are Umbreon and Jolteon, the two Pokémon that we chose to represent us. Yes, we are huge Pokémon nerds, in case you hadn't already realized ;)

This is Jolteon, as CJ. This is the half of the painting that he took home with him.

And this is Umbreon, as me, which I keep with me at my bedside table, haha. Then, once we can be together for good next year, these two will be joined together. Is that super cheesy? It's cheesy. But we're kind of cheesy like that :)

This isn't one of the 4 goals I had mentioned, since I made this before the goals. But this was a great way to get me inspired into more painting or crafting. I'm not very good at painting/drawing, but it's definitely something I would like to work on!

With the holidays coming up, doing small things like this are a great way to show how much you care about your friends and family, but without spending too much! If any of you create something, I'd love to see it! Thanks for reading!

<3

Winter Layers

Yeah, I'm a little cold, haha

Dress: Charlotte Russe | Top: 579 | Jacket: Macy's (I think?) | Scarf: Charlotte Russe | 

Tights: We Love Colors | Shoes: Blowfish | Headband: Gift | Watch: Japan

The winter cold is officially setting in and it makes me a little sad :( So I counter it by wearing my favorite tights and a cute dress! Because it's the little things that can always help cheer you up!

For some reason I have the hardest time buying winter clothes. I don't like sweaters that are super thick and swallow me up. Which usually means that I spend winter freezing, oops. But I do enjoy layering what I do have whenever I can, so that I can still enjoy my summer dresses throughout the year!

I just realized this week that I have one week of classes left before I my Thanksgiving Break. I'm not always crazy about the holiday, but I am surely grateful for getting a week off ;) This year I'll be staying in Blacksburg, which while it may not be as fun to go home and see my family, it'll be a week where I can take the opportunity for some "me" time, so I can re-energize myself to finish off the year! Almost there...!

<3

4 Goals

I recently read a post from A Beautiful Mess about creating 4 simple goals to keep up with for the remainder of 2012. I thought this was a wonderful idea that would help me stay motivated as the year wraps up. Usually, as the semester winds down and the winter starts to set in, I get a lot more sluggish and have no motivation to get anything done (which includes schoolwork, haha). So today I will share with you my 4 goals and will update you on my progress these coming months. This will definitely hold me accountable and work hard towards accomplishing them. 

1. Eat veggies everyday: As a vegetarian, this shouldn't even be a goal. And yet, you'd be surprised at how much I neglect this. I'm not saying I eat junk food all the time (I don't), but I wanted to make this a goal as a way of just making sure I'm eating healthier foods!

2. Make something: This could either be painting or any kind of craft project, but I want to make sure I take some time doing something creative. I think having a creative outlet is important and is a great way to take some time for yourself. And it's fun too!

3. Read and learn about photography: Photography is something I've recently really wanted to learn. The blog is one way that I get to at least use my camera some, but I really want to actually know how to use it. I bought a used copy of Digital Photography for Dummies a while back (yes, you can laugh at me) but I have yet to have the chance to even read any of it. So with this goal, I'd like to at least ready Part II of the book, which is all about camera settings and shooting.

4. Add some variety to the blog: Dreaming of Dinosaurs is primarily a fashion blog, however I don't want that to be the only thing I post about. Up until now, outfit posts are all I really had time for, but now I'm trying to organize and plan better to include other types of posts (such as this one!). Any input/advice is welcome!!

So those are my 4 goals for the remainder of 2012! Think I can do it? I am definitely going to try my hardest to accomplish them!! 

I feel like practicing how to write on my tablet should have been one of those goals...that will have to be another side project to do, haha!

<3

All about the shoes

Top: Japan | Cami: Charlotte Russe | Skirt: Forever 21 | Tights: We Love Colors | 
Shoes: Onmyodo | Hair Clip: Japan | Glasses: Japan | Watch: Japan

Do you ever have an awesome article of clothing that you base the rest of your outfit on? Well these amazing shoes from Onmyodo are just that. They are so unique and bold that they just have to be the focal point! Well that and I don't have much that matches with it, so they kind of have to dictate what I pair with it...but that's besides the point. Ironically, these shoes are probably the most Asian-esque thing I own, and I didn't buy them in Japan, haha.

And yes, my classes are 8-bit. Because I am pretty much obsessed with anything in 8-bit and they just make anything instantly awesome.

These pictures were actually taken a few days ago, when the weather was nice and sunny. Now some snow has decided to chill all over the grass and I have no desire to leave my room. Or my bed for that matter. 

I hope everyone is trying to stay warm in the cold! And if you live somewhere where it is actually warm, or at least not miserable, then please enjoy it for the rest of us! ;)

<3

Welcoming Fall

Oh, I'm just wearing your average dress today, right?

Nope!

This is a penguin dress. A dress that looks like a penguin.

A PENGUIN!

Seriously, what dress can be more fun than this??

Dress: Hot Topic | Jacket: France | Shrug: Pimkie (France) |
Shoes: Blowfish | Tights: We Love Colors | Hat: Charlotte Russe

Fall has pretty much always been my favorite season. The chill air is comfortable with a light jacket and as cliché as it is, the trees are just gorgeous! But if you've been to Blacksburg then you know this town likes to take a step further and go straight to winter, which I do not approve of. I've realized recently that I might actually be more comfortable in slightly warmer weather. But you know what the best thing is about colder weather is? TIGHTS! That is honestly the main reason I look forward to fall. Summer makes me sad because I can't wear my colorful tights without having a heat stroke. Fall accessories really are another reason to just love the season! Who doesn't love to get all dressed up with boots and scarves?

So I've been thinking a lot about trying to make this blog grow and expanding my content. So please tell me, what would you like to see on the blog?! I'd love to hear your input!

Happy Fall!

<3

Working Life

Top: Uniqlo (Japan) | Skirt: Japan | Shoes: Payless | Purse: Japan | Tie: Japan | Watch: Japan

I'm back! It has been way too long. Adjusting to a new semester in grad school was more difficult and time consuming than I had anticipated. I've been struggling a bit on managing my time, thus the blog had to be pushed to the side momentarily, unfortunately. I've been thinking about what I want to do with the blog, whether I would be able to continue it with my crazy schedule. It'll be a challenge, however I can't give up on Dreaming of Dinosaurs. It's still new but I want to take this blog further in the future. I hope you can all be patient with me, as my posting may not be as frequent as I'd like, but I am determined to keep it alive and I hope you will join me along the way :)

So this outfit is actually from a while ago. I apologize for another closet picture, I really need to get out more... It was for the first day of my internship, where I am observing a French classroom at a high school twice a week. That's where half of my time is going, while school is taking the rest, ha. I am enjoying the occasional professional wear, such as this particular one, though I am in major need of expanding this part of my wardrobe. As well as the rest... Can you tell I'm in a large need for a shopping trip? haha!

What has been keeping you busy lately? How do you like to manage all of your daily tasks?

Thanks for still reading! 

<3

First Day of School

Dress: JCPenney | Cami: Charlotte Russe | Blazer: Charlotte Russe | Shoes: Payless | 

Hair Bow: Hot Topic | Glasses: Japan | Pin: Japan | Backpack: Hot Topic

Yesterday was the first day of classes for me. And I'm already swamped with a million things to do. AWESOME. Yeah, there was a little bit of sarcasm in there, ha. This semester, well, the entire school year really, will be a challenging one, but hopefully it'll end with a positive result... I am looking forward to learning many new things and growing so much more. 

Today I introduce you to my closet. Mostly because I didn't have time to go outside and take a better picture. You know how it goes. I thought that this outfit was a good introduction to my more professional educational career this year, while still keeping it nerdy. And I am in love with this dinosaur pin. It's the best thing to add a little more fun into any ensemble! You'll probably see me in a bit more business/formal attire more often, though I still need to increase that part of my wardrobe. But that probably means that I'll be able to show you more new pieces in the near future :)

I'll try and keep up with Dreaming of Dinosaurs even when I'm busy! And good luck to any readers who have also just started classes!

<3