Trying Your Luck.

cardigan: Monki (thank you, Jenn!), dress: Silence + Noise, silver flats: Cooperative (not pictured)

It's been a while since I last posted an outfit, but I found a bit of time to do it last night before my dad's birthday party began. Not enough time for the shoes, but alas! I digress. I really love this dress. I wear it quite often when the weather is right. But since it did get quite chilly, I knew the perfect something to throw over it. Especially since the solid color of the dress gave me a chance to play with print. That's an opportunity I always like to jump on.

You'll See.

My Friday night was spent having yet another adventure in Los Angeles. Along with some wonderful pals, I attended a cozy little show at a cozy new space called Dilettante. White Fence, The Moor, and Stella Mozgawa (of Warpaint) provided tunes for the night, while artist Ana Kraš displayed her beautiful handiwork. The event was low-key, with not an overwhelming amount of people in attendance.  It really was quite an intimate setting, and we all had a wonderful time. Most of all, I was really just thrilled to see the work of Miss Kraš.

The lamps above are called Bonbons. These photographs can't sufficiently capture just how beautiful they look in person. From what Ana told me, each lamp takes an incredible amount of time to complete, for they are all meticulously detailed. They're gorgeous, and I admire all the time and work that goes into producing each and every one.

I hadn't really gone out in quite a while, so last night was a real treat. As you might be able to conclude from the recent lack of posts, things on my end haven't exactly been tip top as of late. With that said, I was in dire need of an adventure, and it was just what I needed.

listen to: M. Ward's new single, "Primitive Girl"

photo by Autumn De Wilde

One of my favorite musicians of all time, M. Ward, will be returning this April with a new solo release.  While I'm a big fan of Monsters of Folk and an even bigger fan of She & Him, I've always adored Matt's solo efforts, and it's about time for a follow-up to 2009's Hold Time. (Coincidentally.) His newest record is called A Wasteland Companion, and a second track has been released today.

Listen to the first single, "Primitive Girl", after the jump.

listen to: SoKo.

To be honest, I had never even heard anything from or about SoKo until recently, when I'd read about her on a music blog. I'm a few years late, but determined to do some catching up on such talent! For starters, she is a French singer, as well as a prolific actress in her native country. She had never actually released any LPs, with only a successful EP under her belt. While she took a breather from her music career for a few years, she recently (and finally!) resurfaced with a debut record, titled I Thought I Was An Alien. Let me tell you, I'm quite pleased with my new discovery, as the album is absolutely stellar.

Have a few samples behind the jump.

Long Shorts.

Last week, my nephew came and spent a few days with me and my family. I always find it a total treat getting to spend time with him, so needless to say, we had a brilliant time. In spite of feeling ill for the majority of his four-day stay, he cheered me up massively. We stayed up late at night, watched a great amount of Disney Junior during the day, built Legos, and feasted on quite an abundance of treats. I honestly didn't take as many pictures as I should have, but below are Instagrams that I took, with brief descriptions below. Enjoy!

2.7: My nephew has a strange, but hilarious and endearing affinity for Frosty the Snowman. In fact, he even likes calling Frosty his "brother". I just happen to think it's sweet. And completely amusing. Ah, Wubby. I love that little weirdo. 2.8: I kid you not, this is the best hot sauce ever. My pizza-eating experience (at home) would not suffice without dousing my slices in this. It's the best. 

2.9: My favorite meal of the day is breakfast, even though I rarely wake up before noon. When I'm given the choice, at least. Oh, and. Breakfast for lunch? The best. 2.10: This is my friend Brandon. He's tall, lanky, and he makes me laugh. He's one of the few people that genuinely makes me happy on a regular basis. I adore him, his unfailing dorkiness, and great love for movies. Cheesy or not. ;-)

2.10: Oh, look who it is again! His smile in this one is so hilariously fake, but I do love that little dimple beneath the right side of his mouth. What a cutie my nephew is. 2.10: After spending a little while at the record store with Emma, Brandon, Sammy, and Wubby, I ended up going home with the three pictured above. I stumbled upon the Australian vinyl of The Raconteurs' Broken Boy Soldiers, which is under their The Saboteurs name. Only in Australia, but I found it right here in Claremont, California. I couldn't leave without it. Or the rest, clearly..

2.10: This is my favorite photo out of the entire set. I just want to squeeze him and cuddle him whenever I look at this. I love my nephew so much. He's just precious. 2.11: I love Legos. I  may be nineteen, but I'm  eternally a big kid at heart. Admittedly, I was also having an incredibly rough day. All I wanted was to lock myself indoors and spend some time with myself while it rain beautifully (and appropriately) fell outside. Naturally, I distracted myself by building Lego contraptions. I like organizing the respective pieces before I begin.

2.13: Gabe's stay was cut short so he had to return home to the valley, but we decided to drop him and his mom (my sister) a visit a few days later. I always miss him whenever we're apart. He just makes me happy. 2.13: He has the coolest pirate things, from treasure maps, to barrels, to treasure chests. To Pirates of the Carribean Lego sets. I suppose you could say he's pretty obsessed.

listen to: The Drums' "Money"

I recently checked off The Drums' sophomore album, Portamento, on my endless wish list of records. I really love these guys. A year ago, I planned on (finally) seeing them play on the first day of the Coachella weekend. However, due to issues with my wristband, I unfortunately missed their set. Instead of catching them, I spent my early afternoon frying in the sun, waiting an hour for a line I wasn't even supposed to be in. But, I digress! Enough about my previous Coachella troubles. My point is, these boys are fantastic, and I love this album just as much as I do the first one, if not more. The lyrics are darker, but the sound is classic Drums. And I'm still waiting on a chance to finally see them live. Damnit.

Such Fun.

Much to my glee, I was able to renew my Disneyland annual pass last month! In lieu of that, three of my favorite boys and I celebrated by spending the day in Anaheim. Vincent, Brian, Mario, and I were seriously running around the park(s) until our legs felt all wobbly and sore. Or at least, mine did by midnight, anyway. I was pooped, but it was quite the adventure, and it's safe to say that we all had the best time.

After draining ourselves at Disneyland, Mario introduced us suburbians to a cozy little coffee shop called McClain's in Fullerton. We were exhausted, so it was the perfect spot for us to relax and get all cuddly after such a productive day. The coffee was good, but the company was difficult to match. I sure love those boys.

*Brian and I switched positions as designated photographers throughout the night, so some of the lovely shots above were taken by him.

Once In A While.

Quite frankly, my week has been incredibly dull. Which is my only explanation for the lack of posts. I've been uninspired. As usual, I'm exhausted on a regular basis. A zombie walking through the same routines, simply awaiting the end to it all, and the commencement of freedom. I've been floating by in school, but I make sure I use my time wisely and happily on the weekends. Somehow, anyway. 

I spent my Friday evening inside. The original plan was to go for a second round of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close in theaters, and this time with my sister and parents. Unfortunately, my mom started to feel quite ill today, and our plans were put on hold. So I decided to stay in, sip on some hot chocolate, watch a good film, and spend my time simply relaxing. Not to mention puppy cuddles. My best friend Claire even popped by for a bit! It was lovely; we hadn't had enough time to catch up as of late.

On another note, I've also been busy with some fantastic new ideas for the blog. New features are upcoming, and I absolutely cannot wait to share them. I feel like a mad scientist. My brain never seems to rest..