i can go 3 speeds!

I'm excited to announce that I now own a bicycle! Soon I will also own a lock (which is something I forgot about when I brought my previous bike up to college with me, which explains why I had to buy a new one), and then I will be able to have an alternate form of transportation to and from work! I've been scouring and by scouring I mean casually perusing Craigslist but only finding things like mountain bikes the internet for a cute cruiser type bike, but coming up with nothing but expensive new bikes and crappy used bikes. Then one day a friend posted on Facebook that he had a lot of bicycle things he wanted to sell, and I jokingly replied "I need an entire bike, do you have one of those?", and as luck would have it, he did! Although I would prefer a women's frame just for the simple fact that they're easier to get on and off of, I found this bike to be almost exactly what I dreamed of; a stylish, vintage, cruiser-style bike.

Alas, I have yet to actually take it out for a spin. Partly because I don't have a lock for it yet, and partly because I don't know where to ride it besides to work. The Des Moines area has a pretty developed set of recreational bike trails, which I need to further investigate. I'm kind of afraid of riding through downtown (which is how I get to work) because I don't trust that people will see me and not hit me! I grew up in a tiny town where there really was no traffic, and that's pretty much the only place I've ever ridden a bike. To give you a better idea, I crashed on multiple occasions and laid in the middle of the road for 5-10 minutes without worrying about any cars. I need to brush up on my biking hand signals.

So, who wants to go on a bike ride with me? :)

instagram dump

diy ombre? dip dye? something.

My lovely friend Lucy agreed to help me turn my hair from brunette to half-brunette, and this is the outcome! It's not perfect (one side is blonder than the other, but I didn't feel like putting more bleach in, letting it sit, then washing it out. Again. Because I'm lazy.), and it's definitely not dry or styled in either of these pics, so it's yet to be seen how it will look on a daily basis. Actually, I usually wear my hair up because it's in an awkward stage, which is why I wasn't that scared about the dye job looking like crap. If it does, oh well! If it doesn't, then cool, I may actually style my hair on occasion!

My hair stylist friends are probably shaking their heads disapprovingly at me right now...... I'm sorry, friends! I'm poor and this was a cheaper solution to my boredom with my hair! I promise when I make real money I will come to you for all my styling and coloring needs. 


Edited to add this photo of it curled: 

 

what's in your bag? round 2

You may recall (but probably not) that I did a "what's in your bag" post back in February. Well I just got my new Baggu bag in the mail the other day, so I thought I'd show it off!

Duck Bag in Coral, $24, from Baggu.
Bag contents - yellow shopping bag (folded into the pouch) by Baggu, Alternative Apparel zippered pouch for all my secret things+little things that I don't want swimming around on the bottom of my bag, envelope wallet from Hobby Lobby.

So far, I really love my new Baggu tote! The shoulder strap makes it more versatile, and the pocket on the inside of the bag is perfect for my chapstick and phone! I definitely would like to purchase another bag in a different color in the future. ALSO, check out their fabulous leather bucket bag:

Drawstring purse in Natural, $140. Also available in black.

Amazing, right?! If I ever have some spare money sitting around (which will be NEVER), I'm going to get one of these beauts.

current obsessions: july edition

My cat, Rooney. Even though she annoys me when I'm trying to sleep, I still love her. She's the best cat I could have ever adopted from the ARL!

Baggu bags. I just ordered both a shopping bag & the tote. Can't wait to get them! The shopping bag folds up into that small pouch that conveniently fits into almost any purse.

I'm a sucker for period shows/movies (I'm watching it as we speak). I love history so much, but it's crazy to me how life used to be. Class systems, separate stairs, kitchens, and quarters for the service staff, the lack of women's rights. I will say, however, that the clothing from that period is amazing and beautiful, for both the men & the women.

Summer Woodchuck, which I discovered 2 months too late. It's only available April-July, and they've already pulled it from the shelves at Gateway Market :(

So You Think You Can Dance. My favorite summer show since season 2. I'm so jealous that my body doesn't move like that.

My new layout! It's just a (simple) new header & a new template, but it's brighter & cheerier than my last layout & that makes me happy.

more weeks in instagram

4th of July at the Murillo!

Boyfriend time at The Continental, my apartment, and Centro!

80/35 Music Festival: Death Cab For Cutie, Now, Now, and DJ John Solarz.

so let's set the world on fire

I just rewatched the sectionals episode of the most recent season of Glee, where they sing "We Are Young" at the end. Even though I'm so so so sick of that song, watching/listening to this version gave me goosebumps.

When I think back to my high school years, I don't cringe, or feel so glad that I'm past that stage in my life. In fact, I often wish I could go back. Sure, there were times when I thought my world was ending (it was usually because the boy I had a crush on liked my best friend instead of me), but for the most part I loved my high school experience. I went to a tiny high school (seriously, there were only 23 people in my graduating class), I had great friends, and was involved in many different things. Sports were a big part of my life, and it's definitely one of the things I miss most about being in high school. I still have dreams that I'm in high school, at a softball or basketball game, but there's usually something wrong, like I forget part of my uniform and then am late for the game so I have to sit out. What do you think that means? I also miss having a core group of friends, that were always around. Most of us have drifted apart in the 8 years since I graduated high school, Yep, I just aged myself there. Yikes. but there are a few people that I still consider my best friends. The only thing now is that we all live in different places, and lead very different lives. It's not as easy to keep in touch, and for the most part I only get to see them during holidays or occasions that bring us all back to our hometown. It makes me sad, but I guess that's the reality of growing up.

Anyways, the end of that episode always brings back all those memories and makes me feel nostalgic/a little sad that things will never be like they were when I was 17 ever again. Why was I always so excited to get older? It baffles me, now.