Summer 2012 Wishlist

I made this set way back in early May, when summer was still a little ways off. Now summer's in full-swing...it's already July!

1. A summery sundress [pictured: Cope Linen Sightseer Dress and Pins and Needles Backless Lace Dress from Urban Outfitters]
--CHECK! I bought some nice sundresses in Rome that I still have to show on this blog.


2. Colorful bangles [pictured: Kate Spade New York Make a Splash Idiom Bangle, out of stock]
--I'm starting to really like wearing bracelets, and I love simple ones such as this Kate Spade piece.


3. Colored/patterned shorts [pictured: Lilly Pulitzer Callahan Short]
--Like everyone else, I LOVE Lilly Pulitizer's You Gotta Regatta print and would love a pair of shorts with it.


4. One-piece ruched swimsuit [pictured: J.Crew Off-the-Shoulder Tank]
--CHECK! I bought a similar piece at Target. I don't know why I love the ruched detail so much. I just think it looks good on everyone.


5. Nook Color Case [pictured: Lilly Pulitzer Falling in Love Nook Color/Tablet Cover]
--It's pretty unpractical for me to buy a new Nook case, but some of the new ones Barnes and Noble came out with are so cute.


6. Brown sandals [pictured: Jack Rogers 'Georgica' Sandals]
--Though I would love a pair of Jack Rogers, it's really easy to find similarly colored sandals at DSW and TJ Maxx. The color goes with many of my summery outfits.

There you go, my summer wishlist! What's on your summer wish list?
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Also, check out Kasia's giveaway at Koju Bofu! She's giving away three of her watercolor paintings. Go enter!

My Strange TV Obsessions: Summer 2012

Summer usually means that all the good, primetime TV shows are on hiatus. For me, it means that I finally can catch up with the shows I missed during the busy academic year!

Apparently I'll watch anything...because these five TV shows are about as different from each other as you can get. Here's the shows I started watching at the beginning of summer and recommend to others.

1. Downton Abbey

Via

Nope, it's not Downtown Abbey, it's Downton Abbey. And it's amazing. It's a period drama drama from BBC about a family trying to marry off their eldest daughter, who is heir to the family's fortune. You'd think the show would be a little dry, but it's not at all.

What keeps me watching is that the show focuses both on the wealthy family and their servants. You really see the contrast between the two classes. Oh, and McGonagall is in it (Dame Maggie Smith). Though the first season starts right after the Titanic sank in April 1912, the second takes place during World War I and the third will cover the Roaring Twenties.

2. How I Met Your Mother

Via

I first started watching it during its first or second season, and I thought it would just be a copycat of Friends. I mean, you have to admit, they both have the same premise...six friends in the late twenties, living in New York City. Where have we heard that before?

But it's such a different show than Friends. I feel as if it's smarter, more heartfelt. The characters have progressed so much from Season 1 to Season 7. After the season finale, I knew I had to rewatch all the episodes again. Thankfully, they're all available on Netflix, yay!

Now if we just knew who the mother was...

3. Girls

Via

Ok, yeah, it's hipster. Yeah, the girls are rich and can get a bit annoying. But I feel like these girls are a good portrayal of our generation. The show follows the lives of these four girls who are living in New York City and are struggling with their jobs and love lives. Though I'm still in college, I can relate to all of them.

4. Mad Men

Via

I've been hearing about Mad Men for years, so I knew I had to start watching it. In a weird way it reminds me of Downton Abbey--both are period pieces and serialized dramas. The costumes for both are amazing too. I'm not very far into Mad Men yet, but so far I love it.

5. Baggage

Via

It's the guilty pleasure show of all guilty pleasure shows. My parents got the GSN channel while I was away at college, so when I came back I discovered this little gem of a television show. Seriously, it's amazing. Three contestants, who are competing for a date, each have a small, medium, and large piece of baggage, each containing something weird or a bad habit the person has (like the one above, "I spoon feed my puppies at restaurants".) Whoever wins is the one whom the date thinks is the least bizarre, based on their baggage. It sounds confusing, but you just have to watch it!

Are any of you watching any good shows this summer?
--Becky

May Favorites

Now that I have a few weeks off, I'm going to spend them relaxing and getting ready for my trip. Here's just a few of the things I'm going to love during the next two weeks!

1. DIY Friendship Bracelets: Ever since I saw this tutorial on Pinterest, I've been obsessed with making a bunch of these colorful bracelets for the summer. They look so easy to make and cheap...embroidery floss is, what, a buck per color? There's also a bunch of projects I can make with the extra floss.

2. Harry Potter marathon: I'm an HP fan, but I haven't seen the movies in forever (even though they're on ABC Family every 3 months or so). I got the 8-disk DVD set for Christmas, so on a rainy day I want to just plop down in front of the couch and spend a day reliving my childhood.

3. Nook Color: I have tons of books loaded onto my Nook, just waiting to be read. No more Victorian Lit for me...the next two weeks are going to be filled with nothing but chick lit, let me tell you!

4. Frappuccino Happy Hour: May 4th-May 13th at 3-5pm, frappuccinos will be half off at Starbucks. I want to try their new Mocha Cookie Crumble.

5. Pinterest: I'm on that site 24/7, but I want to start making a board filled with "Bucket List" items, which I've seen other pinners do. I'll let you all know how it goes.

6. Shopping: These two dresses are from Forever 21 for around $20 a piece. I need a new summer sundress, so they would be good deals. And very in-style too!

What are you loving this May?