The movie list and Kate Hudson

This past year, I really wanted to catch up on movies - the classics, the iconic films of new and old that were groundbreaking at their time - and the ones that I often would hear  "you mean you've NEVER seen (fill in blank)?!?"

Although the list is neverending, I feel I've been able to cross a few off my list this year. Star Wars, Casablanca and The Godfather, to name a few. One I recently watched, maybe not quite as well known, was Almost Famous. It reminded me one reason I love movies. When an actor or actress lights you up and somehow makes you feel stronger, smarter, more confident and simply happier just by watching their movie - it's an amazing feeling. On screen and off, Kate Hudson is one of many that does that for me. Not sure if it's her sunny disposition, her effortless California style (casual or dressy) or just her overall radiance and inner glow. Whatever it is, I think it's awesome.

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Check out the my 'love her' pinboard for women that, in one way, shape or form, I find inspiring. Who's on your list?

Top 10 tips for shopping at the Mall of America

For over ten years now, my cousins and I have been making a yearly overnight trip to the Mall of America in Minnesota. Because we have such a great time together, we've upped it to twice a year, and it still retains that giddy excitement every time. We've found some amazing deals and also have had a few regrets. Let's face it, the place is crazy huge and when you're with friends, the time passes WAY too quickly. To help out anyone that's thinking about making the trip, I've narrowed down my top 10 tips for making the most of your experience.

1. Plan your stay DURING the week. 
MOA turns into crazy town on the weekends. Taking a day of vacation or two is worth the lines and headaches. When you go during the week, you own that place. Trust me. 

2. If possible, stay at Raddison Blu.
The brand new hotel that's connected to the mall is pretty spectacular. Modern architecture, contemporary art work, gorgeous bar and restaurant, I could keep going. No worries about the weather when you can simply walk across a little skywalk and you're there. PLUS, from anywhere in the mall, you can call the concierge and they will come pick up your bags. *insert jaw drop here*  True story.

3. Make a list.
Sometimes I can walk into a store and be so visually overloaded that my mental list simply disappears. Check your closet before you go and figure out what you're looking for.  CLEAR is one of my favorite apps for list keeping. Worth the 5 bucks easy.

4. Dress smart.
This can be a tough one. Pick something that's comfortable, you can slip in and out of quickly AND still feels like you. (if you're anything like me, feeling like a sloppy tourist will bring down the mood and overall experience ;) I generally opt for comfy ballet flats, skinny jeans and a loose top. Don't forget a lightweight cross-body purse to keep your arms free.

5. Drink up.
Keep a lightweight water bottle on you. It's insane how thirsty you can get there. There are water fountains in the food court and by bathrooms that you can fill up at. This also saves you on blowing your budget on overpriced drinks.  

6. Keep track of sales more easily.
Download Malltip. You can add your favorite stores and it will let you know what sales they're having. It also shows you a map where the stores are located in the mall, which is immensely helpful in such a huge place. 

7. Take photos of your faves.
It's hard to say if you'll run into a better deal five stores down so take quick photos to keep track of everything you've found. You'd be surprised at how much you can forget, especially 6 hours and 20 something stores later. Review the list at lunch or the end of the day and go back for the best of the best.

8. Skip local stores.
Hit up the stores that you may not have access to normally. There's only so much time and you want to get your full worth out of your trip.

9. Sign up, know more.
MOA has a great site that you can sign up at to get deals, news, store listings, hours and more. 'nuf said. 

10. Take a map.
It's a little old school, but to help save my phone battery, and avoid hunting down directory kiosks every hour, I take a mini map with me. I printed out a floor plan and added some of my favorite stores. Click here for the interactive directory map. 

I hope this helps if you're planning a trip to the Mall of America or any larger shopping center. Check out some of my wish lists and finds here, here or here.

Happy Shopping Friends ;)

fall fashion wish list

Although I'm a little sad to move my summer dresses to the deep dark sides of the closet, I have to admit, I'm kinnnnda getting excited about fall fashion. Quite honestly, fall fashion, sometimes, is the only thing that keeps me from being completely destroyed about the dropping temps. I love digging out my warm coats and scarves and all the winter accessories I'd somehow completely forgotten about. Drinking delicious hot coffees and cocoas while cozying up in chunky knits... my favorite jeans... knee-high boots... layers of tops in jewel-tones ... the list goes on.

This fall my wish list is all about quality leather items in various chocolate shades, the softest knits I can get my hands on and delicate gold jewelry. Luckily, our annual Mall of America trip is right around the corner, so I'm hoping to cross a lot of these off my wish list very soon. :)

• watches (thanks to Casey for opening my eyes to these beauties) And I can't decide! I want both!

• classic riding boots from ALDO (TOP of the list)

• tote (I want the real leather but this Target one is a great inexpensive substitute)

• thigh highs (I want a pair in every color)

• locket

• ring 1 • ring 2

• coffee girl inspiration • fireside inspiration

First 5K with Brooks Ghost 6

Four months ago I decided that I needed to healthy focus in my life and challenged myself to run a 5K. Coming from someone who has never been much of a runner and usually raised an eyebrow at friends that would "pay money to run?" this was a pretty big deal for me. But lo and behold, four quick months later I ran my first 5K! 3.1 miles of sweat and hills. It was amazing tho! My oldest son ran it with me too *proud mom moment*. Friends and family came to cheer us on... It was honestly, a pretty amazing day.

I did have a few motivators along the way... a girl needs cute workout clothes, right? So after it warmed up a little, I picked up a few things. (seriously, I ran the first few weeks in my down winter coat - welcome to March in Wisconsin). Anyways – as much as I'd love to drop a month's salary at Athleta, I found some really great things in Target's active wear section and even found some great tops at Walmart. Who knew?! Great athletic fabrics for super cheap.

My first big purchase was these Brooks Women's Ghost 6 running shoes. LOVE them. AND, right now they're on sale! Check'm out.

And for completing the 5K, I am rewarding myself with the Cadillac of sports bras: Victoria's Secret Front Knockout Front Close Sports Bra. I'm patiently waiting - I seriously can't wait til it gets here! :)  Bra review to come later.

 
A little sweaty and a lot exhausted but WE DID IT !!!

glittery gold sperries

I first fell for Sperry boat shoes after spending time at a gorgeous marina in Sturgeon Bay the last few summers. Maybe it was all the pristine white boats... the perfect summer sun... the wine at sunset - either way, I have to admit I'm smitten with the entire lifestyle. It's like I've found my vacation-style calling. Here's where my mind wanders:

sperries • collage • boat 1 & 2

choose happiness

Lately my life has involved a lot of inner dialogue that goes something like this: “breathe Christina… breeeeeeathe… deeeeep breaths.” I know deep down things will eventually be fine and I DO realize things could be worse, but it’s hard not to get caught up in the roller coaster of emotions that’s involved with divorce. Sketching and reading positive books/articles/quotes has been a HUGE help. This one below is a pencil sketch I did with my own watercolor incorporated in the background. Hopefully you will find a bit of the serene-sunny-tranquility combination in it that I do.

Victoria's Secret Sugar Scrub

My newest favorite purchase is completely a result of cabin fever and the insanely long winter we've had. Victoria's Secret has walls of intoxicating fragrances and lotions and their Lemon Sugar & Coconut Body Scrub is a perfect mix of sweet lemon and perfectly subtle coconut.  And how freakin' pretty is that packaging?!?  I bought the scrub, the lotion and will probably go back for the body spray - if that's any indication of how much I like it. :)

VS lotion (scrub in stores) • collage • destinations

red necklace sequence

I just purchased the best red beaded necklace from Denise Jewelry Designs on Etsy. I thought I'd give you a little sneak peek at what usually happens in my head when I get excited about a new purchase. Let's just say... I won't deny being a big dreamer. ;)

necklace  •  fashion set  • paris pics 1 2 3

fashion52: photo challenge (34-39/52)

Fall styling can be really fun on so many levels. You're bringing back those rich, saturated colors - oranges, reds, mustards. You're able to mix in chunky textures like cozy knit sweaters and scarves. It's also much easier (and more necessary) to layer, which opens the door to tie together numerous pieces. Kind of like collage art work, sometimes the more you put together, the better it can look. Below are a few hints of my own fall combinations.

fashion52: photo challenge (33/52)

I'm quite a bit behind on my weekly photo challenge, but luckily, the changing season brings a whole new selection of fresh fall styles - and hopefully, a whole new selection of fashion photos. ... fingers crossed.

Here's a little ensemble of grays from the other day. The necklace I made myself, cozy v-neck sweater from GAP, Paige denim skinnies (can't really see), Fergie boots, and my new favorite Tyler Rodan tote. 

scandal style

Season 3 of Scandal premieres Thursday, October 3rd and I can. not. WAIT. 

(Scandal virgin's quick summary HERE or a little more HERE)

SO many things I love about this show but one that immediately stuck with me was Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington)'s style.  It's polished, stylish, professional, powerful and feminine all in one gorgeous cashmere package. My fashion wish list tripled after watching the show. I know - dannngerous ;) Here's a portion of my wish list below. Only a portion because I'm still on the hunt for a stunning light light grey fitted winter coat AND also looking for a pair of champagne colored satin pajama bottoms. 

1  .  2  .  3  .  4  .  5  .  6  .  7  .  8  .  9

fashion52: photo challenge (32/52)

Bold, colorful, statement necklace are pretty incredible right now but I think I'll always have a soft spot for delicate little chains and pendants. Although I took the pendant off this one below, it's still a sweet little necklace on it's own. 
(Forgive the mess of wet/dry hair. If I twist my hair up after I shower, it's still wet when I pull it all down at the end of the day. Consequence of crazy thick hair.)

illustrated portrait No.101

I've been drawing portraits since Ariel/Little Mermaid days ... and for some reason I have yet to figure out, I  still really enjoy sketching out female portraits. Below is one I did at our annual Creative/Craft Retreat this year and thought I'd share it here. :)

fashion52: photo challenge (31/52)

Although I don't wear these chunky beaded necklaces all that often, they're kind of perfect for a weekend summer outing when I'm feeling kind of chill, bohemian and slightly tropical. :) 

Sports Scarf - Part 2

Buffs, Sports Scarves, RallyWear, Yowies, Survivor Scarves - whatever you want to call them, they're here! All 5,000 of them – 2,500 of each pattern! 

See Part 1 for the developing of the scarves and backstory. 

Although the colors printed a little bit differently, I still love how they turned out, in some ways, I love them even more. The darker pattern (which will be given out at a later date.) has a little bit more masculine quality with the brick design but maintains some playfulness with all the colors. And seeing my ribbon sketch come to life was pretty amazing. The lighter pattern also turned out great. The vibrant, coral color matches a lot of the bright neons happening in the sports apparel world but it was also just pink enough to work for the event. :)  So, enough talking, here they are! :)

The first pattern was given out at the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure® event on August 11th. It was amazing seeing people, people that have no idea who I am, sporting something I designed. Young, old, even the guys! How cool is that? 

Photos by Mac Bailey

fashion52 (30/52) Combo

Let me be completely honest, I know NOTHING about playing guitar.

I DO know when I was in college, I could easily kick back and listen to some cute guy in the apartment across the hall strum a little somethin’. :)  I know I love watching videos where Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz or John Mayer play on, barefoot, in their worn-in jeans. But I never knew I’D be able to have the time or talent to actually play a chord. Until today. I learned 3 chords. T.H.R.E.E. 3 chords people. That’s BIG... G, C & D - almost four actually because I’m working on A too. And it’s just …*inhale*... so so so fun. :) 

So this post is dedicated to all things guitar: Photography, Graphic Design and Fashion.

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4  .  5  .  6  .  7  

(top from Aerie, beaded necklace homemade by me)

floral + denim

I definitely miss my days of being able to wear jeans to work, but there's still a few ways to incorporate denim into my work day. I'm on a mission to put this ensemble together. I need to first find a thin, soft, denim/chambray buttondown shirt and then a great floral pencil skirt. I just love the balance of feminine florals with the masculine denim. Depending on the skirt, there's a few different way to accessorize, which I love. You can also find some awesome denim + floral pairings here.

My illustration and Inspiration from Wendy's Lookbook

Set 1

Set 2

https://www.obaz.com/lookbook/3695

fashion52: photo challenge (27-29/52)

The summer is flying way too fast over here so I'm a bit behind on my weekly fashion photo challenge. Here are my 27, 28 and 29 week photos, featuring my straw hat (Target a few seasons back) and you also get a glimpse of two leather bracelets I bought in a market in Rome in 2010. They're falling apart a little bit but I still love'm. 

Hope you all are having an incredible summer! :)

fashion52: photo challenge (25-26/52)

We were completely spoiled this 4th of July. We were invited to stay on my in-law's gorgeous boat for four days in Door County, Wisconsin. There was swimming, snorkeling, pier jumping, grilling out, dinner's outside, wine and gorgeous sunsets. In a nutshell: heaven. Because I spent 90% of my waking hours in swimsuits, I thought I'd take a couple shots for my fashion challenge this week.  

RoXy bikini in an adorable tiny floral print

Loving all things Nautical ! Striped bottoms from Victoria's Secret (not avail online). Navy Polka Dots bottoms from Target.

A view from the Pier while in Sister Bay

Sports Scarf - Part 1

I'm so excited to finally be sharing this project. Marshfield Clinic, where I work, is the presenting sponsor for the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure® event and I was asked to design a multi-use sports scarf to be given away at the event. 

(The scarves are also known as 'buffs' or 'rally-wear'. Click HERE for the quick visual if you're not familiar).  

How perfect that I get to try out textile design for the very first time and all for a great cause! I loved diving into the pattern design world and I wanted to share some of the process. These are only small portions of what went down - I went through a lot of color palettes and a lot of sketches and things got revamped even more when it all hit the computer screen. Even though there were some difficult moments trying to get my sketches to translate on screen the way I wanted them to, it was still an incredible project to be a part of. And big thanks to all the people I work with for amazing feedback as well. 

I will wait til Part 2 (after the race on August 11th) to show you the finished designs and scarves themselves. But for now - here's a small peek how things developed.