Monday, August 30, 2010

Wishing I was here...

[Images: amalficoast.com]

Amalfi Coast, Italy

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Girl Crush: Diane Kruger


[Images: weheartit]

Dear Diane,

You're super cute. You kill it with your style every. single. time. Red carpet, on the street, it's all on point. You always look fresh and unique.

Love, 
Sydney

P.S. You and Joshua Jackson are precious.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Life List: 3

[Image: gowhere.com]

Snorkel in the Barrier Reef before it's gone. 

Monday, August 23, 2010

The great outdoors

[topshop]
[urban outfitters]
[topshop]
[minnetonka moccasins]
[target]
[target]
[sur la table]
I've mentioned that it's been blazing hot here the past few weeks (highs expected to be at 107 this week...ahh!), so I would love to be able to take a camping trip to the mountains to cool off. Here's what I would pack:

-A chunky cable-knit sweater
-A rough-and-tumble satchel
-A thick, fur-lined parka
-Cozy moccasins
-Sturdy riding boots
-A warm plaid blanket
-Smore skewers (most important part, let's be honest)

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Dear summer

Dear Summer,
At first you were a tease. You enticed me with your overcast mornings and highs of 80. I thought "this isn't so bad!" Then, you started to show how hot you can really be. But as soon as the 100 degree days came, they left again. I breathed a sigh of relief. Turns out I can only dodge you so long. You're here, with a vengeance. And I can't hang. It's not me, it's you. I need the ability to drink hot beverages, to snuggle in bed, to wear jeans! So if you could just scoot on out, and make room for my bestie Fall, I'd appresh. Thanks.

XOXO,
Sydney

Friday, August 20, 2010

Happy weekend!

[Image: weheartit]

I love Friday nights. It's the farthest you can get from the next time you work. I plan on...staying in the air conditioning, reading the huge stack of magazines by my bed (so I can stop tripping over them) and catching up on my netflix (I'd like to tell you that those haven't been sitting around since JULY, but....that would be a lie). 

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Resolutions revisited

Remember when I wrote about my new year's resolutions and said I would do monthly-ish updates? No? Yeah, apparently neither did I, cause here we are nearly 2/3 through 2010 and nada. So let's recap, shall we? 

A job with better hours and/or better pay
Check! Got that job mere days after that post and I'm still chugging along there. 

Become financially independent
Check! I am now paying all my own bills (health insurance, credit card, gym, etc.) but am not at the point where I can afford to move out. 

Open a retirement account
In my limited looking around, I can't find one that would be worth my while. I'm considering opening a higher-interest savings account with ING but that's as far as I've gotten.

Focus my money on experiences rather than possessions
Hmm....not doing so well on that. Shopping is still my guilty pleasure. But who knows, big things travel-wise could be coming in 2011 if I can swing it. 

Experiment more with my outfits
Nope. If anything, my style has gotten less impressive. I work in an super casual office/warehouse so I have to be prepared to jump between the two. And in the warehouse, that definitely means more comfort than fashion. And when I'm just running errands around town, I'm not really dressing to the nines. 

Clean out/replace makeup drawer
Check! I cleaned out the cheap, junky stuff earlier this year and just bought Bare Minerals. My super-sensitive skin loves it. (PS - don't know why I put this on my resolutions list, it really seems more like a "to-do," but hey, when a girl's on a roll...)

Keep in touch with friends
Check! My college friends and I are really trying to get together every few months and so far, so good. Gotta get better about those phone calls though (hate talking on the phone...)

Continue going to the gym 4-5 times/week
Check! Gotta be honest, I'm holding pretty steady at about 4 gym trips/week. I feel like I'm stuck in a gym rut there, but I'm plugging along. 

Improve my health/diet
Work in progress. Still going to the gym, so that's good. Diet has improved now that I have a full-time job, because instead of being bored and eating all the time, I can pack exactly what I need for most of the day. And I bought a large reusable water bottle, so I'm no longer going through 2-3 plastic bottles a day. 

Turn off the tv
Gotta be honest, this isn't going well. I'm definitely the type where I "multi-task" by having the tv on in the background as I read or go online. I think I've watched every csi episode two times over. 

So there you have it. I'll probably just do one last year-end round-up of these ones and then it'll be on to 2011! Whew. Can you believe it?

Sunday, August 15, 2010

PS, I love you

[Image: ace hotel]

My cousin and I road-tripped to Palm Springs for a mini-vaca this weekend. We stayed at the hipper-than-thou Ace Hotel. It's been raved about in tons of magazines and blogs, and we wanted to check it out for ourselves. Let me tell you, it's a hipster's dream come true. But let me tell you, I am no hipster. The interiors are cool and eclectic, and I like the idea of a hotel chain aimed at younger people, but overall the whole place wasn't exactly my vibe. I didn't feel cool enough to stay there. So while I had a great time swimming, reading magazines, and drinking boozy sno-cones (my favorite part of the place), I'm not sure if I would stay there again.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Jennifer Aniston


[Images: Harper's Bazaar, September 2010]

This issue of Harper's has been killing it. In love with Jennifer Aniston's editorial, an homage to Barbra Steisrand. 

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

I die!


[Images: Harper's Bazaar] 

Loving this tongue-in-cheek editorial from Harper's Bazaar. Top designers snuff out Rachel Zoe....perhaps they were tired of her signature line "I die"?

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Sleeping Under the Stars



[Images: Conde Nast Traveler, August 2010]

I was flipping through Conde Nast Traveler at the gym the other day and found an article where they highlighted hotels where you can sleep outside. Wouldn't that be a cool experience? Three of my favs: Blue Mountains National Park, Australia (top), Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa (middle) and Lake Powell, Utah (bottom).

Friday, August 6, 2010

Pretty...

[wiciwato flickr]

People in the northernmost areas of the US have been able to see the Northern Lights this week. How lovely and otherworldly.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Life List: 2


[Image: postsecret]

There's something thrilling about sharing your deepest secrets with complete strangers. I especially love the positive ones, like this one above.


*Completed: 9/6/10

Monday, August 2, 2010

Girl Crush: Rachel Bilson







[Images: fyeahrachelbilson tumblr]

This girl crush goes way back. I've loved Rachel Bilson from her days on The OC. But her style is amazing. She has awesome casual style (she rocks sunnies and scarves like nobody's business), but she also does dressed-up really well. And since we're about the same height, I take petite style cues from her.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

L'ennui

I've been feeling uninspired lately, in every sense of the word. Every day feels like same, and I'm looking for a big way to shake things up. I feel wanderlust creeping up on me. I need some new scenery.