lovers {sotw}...

Jackie Evancho became the fast favorite in the opera world after her discovery through AGT last year. Her charm, sweet personality, and amazing voice captured the hearts of millions of people worldwide. What makes her so unique? She's 11 years old, yet has the voice of a mature operatic singer. It really is incredible. She has such a wide vocal range for such a young voice, it's truly amazing.
Jackie just released her new CD Dream With Me this past month, and has already sold millions of copies. If you listen to it, you'll see why. Now all she has to do is sing a duet with Josh and I'll be one happy gal. :)
My SOTW this week is Lovers from Jackie's new CD. Many of her songs have a relaxed, slow tempo, and this song stands out a little more with it's more dramatic sound and faster tempo. (If you want a slower song, listen to her version of Nessun Dorma)

So, my SOTW: Lovers, by Jackie Evancho.

taken {netflix pick}...

Our latest Netflix pick was Taken. SUPER good, I really enjoyed it. The writing was smooth, the dialog was pretty good, it had a believable plot with AWESOME fight scenes (little blood = happy Lauren), and the acting was great -- well, Liam Neeson is always great. :) Because of the plot, it's definitely one for teens and not kids, but I highly recommend any 17 girls who want to go to Europe with no adults to watch it. It has some good points to highlight (like: don't share a cab ride with a random stranger...duh). Also, learn karate...or carry a gun, but karate you can take on a plane...unlike guns...or snakes, for that matter.
Overall, definitely a movie I'd watch again. I give it a 3.5/5. I highly recommend it. :)

social trend mothership...

This is one of the cutest wedding pictures I've seen in a long time. So simple, so sweet, I love it.
I like to look at wedding blogs during some of my spare time. Some people may say I'm thinking WAY too far ahead. To those naysayers, I say: nay!...Wait a minute.
I've brought up ideas, planned a few events, and have brought A LOT of decor ideas to multiple parties -- all of those ideas I got from looking at wedding blogs. They really are the social trend mothership.
I also get A TON of photography ideas from wedding photos, like the one above. You will definitely see some of the most unique and original photography on wedding blogs. Lighting, colors, themes; they're all there.
So, to the doubters of wedding blogs, I say: look for yourself. Here are a few of my faves:

* * *

100 Layer Cake

Style Me Pretty
Style Me Pretty -- California

going cutco crazy...

My Dad and I made a spontaneous trip to the Mid-State Fair last night (we only go at night because it's WAY too hot during the day). We don't usually go on the rides or anything, we just like to look at the exhibits and see the different vendors and whatnot. So my Dad and I made our way through the art, the cake, the sewing/crafts, what was left of the floral, and many more exhibits. Then we got to the vendors. Now, we don't bring in our wallets because we know we will want to buy stuff. It's nice to just look around at all of the stuff people have out nowadays. We wandered through the leather goods, then the mattresses, then the jewelry polish. Shoes, food, and clothes were soon to follow. Then, we saw them: the Cutco people.
I have been looking at Cutco knives for over a year now, researching and digging at them to see which is best. The thing with knives -- or any kitchen gadget -- is that you have to try them out before you buy (especially the pricey ones). So, I would gaze and drool at the computer, hoping to try them out one day.
When I was doing my research, I discovered the Santoku knives by Cutco. The knife is wide, with enough leverage for little ol' me to cut through a potato, yet also light and thin enough to cut a thin slice of kiwi. I was in love. But, alas, I didn't know which size was best. The 5", or the 7"? Which would be best for me? When I saw the vendors at the fair, I had to know: which Santoku knife?
We made our way to the vendor, he asked if he could help us, and I asked him, "Do you have your Santoku knives?" He looked a little surprised by the fact that I knew the name of a Cutco knife. He handed me the 5", and I started rambling about my whole "researching and digging" and how I didn't know which would be better. I was probably the easiest customer of the day. I walked away having bought 3 new Cutco pieces for my kitchen collection when all I had wanted to do is hold the Santoku knives. But I don't regret it one bit. I LOVE the pieces I got.
I got this Santoku gift set. It comes with the 7" Santoku and the Santoku-style trimmer (I cut about 4mm slices of grape with this baby...I cut the grape into about 8-10 slices). When you buy a gift set, you get a free gadget...
...I got the pizza slicer. My gosh, I'm so excited to make pizza now. The blade? Detachable! Gah!

I can't tell you how excited I am about these new knives. Makes me wanna cook!!

fabio? um, no...

What?! There's a new Old Spice guy?! Who's this "Fabio" and what have you done with the old Old Spice dude? Fabio doesn't compare to the old dude.
I think it's some sort of contest, but I have no idea. I just hope they bring the old guy back.
Wait! There's hope! I just found this video while I was writing this post! Yay!! OK, I feel better now. GO OLD OLD SPICE GUY!!

wild world {3/3 sotw}...

I remember hearing Cat Stevens for the first time when I was in high school -- a family I babysat for used one of his albums as a lullaby CD. I remember loving it, but I never thought to look inside the CD player to see who it was (I admit, I wasn't too bright when I was 12). When the kids stopped listening to the CD, I was sad -- only because I thought I would never hear it again. About 4 years later, my Mom bought me a CD for my birthday. Low and behold, it's Cat Stevens (she just bought it thinking that I might like his music...my Mom knows me well). Now, here I am, listening to Cat, thinking about babysitting and lullabies...maybe that's why I get tired every time I listen to a CS song? Since I'm going to take a nap on this fine Sunday, my third and final SOTW this week is Wild World. Smooth, warm, and sleepy. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

My third and final SOWT: Wild World, by Cat Stevens.

parachute {2/3 sotw}...

I'm a fan of Ingrid Michaelson. She has such a rich and warm voice that just makes you want to sing along. Her music re-vamped and re-introduced the indie-pop industry to this generation -- you think of this genre, you think Ingrid Michaelson. She plays the ukelele too, which is just cool.

So, my second SOTW this week: Parachute, by Ingrid Michaelson.

set fire to the rain {1/3 sotw}...

Due to my busy schedule (and general forgetfulness), I realized that I haven't posted a SOTW in about 2 weeks. Sadly, I have no excuses. Maybe it's the whole "summer laziness" thing that's been going around, I don't know.
So, to make up for the lost Sundays, I may - . . . no, I WILL post 3 songs this week (no slacking this week!).
My first song is Set Fire to the Rain, by Adele (yes, another Adele song). This is my fave from her new album, thus far. The music, the key; it all compliments her so well...and it shows. She sounds great.

So, my first -- out of three -- SOTW: Set Fire to the Rain, by Adele.

pizza prowess...

The eve was tinged with cold as two old enemies burrowed into each others souls -- who would be the first to break? Twas the defeated me? Nay.
Yeah, that was a little over dramatic. I made my first (ever) pizza last night! I've worked with pizza dough only once before, and it didn't go so well (hence the over dramatized beginning to this post). I bought TJ's pizza dough this time which was WAY better than the Pillsbury kind I got last time (dough shouldn't come in a can...it's just not right). Of course, I couldn't get it into a circle, but who said pizzas need to be round?

The pre-made goodness.

In the words of AB, "Golden, brown and delicious."

My toppings? Sauce (duh), pepperoni, mozzarella, spinach, 'shrooms, yellow pepper, kalamata olives. It was a little salty, but still SUPER yummy, if I do say so myself. I will definitely be making pizza again soon. :)

the dark knight rises...

...Can you tell that I'm excited?...Nah.
The first trailer for The Dark Knight Rises is out! Check it out!

cherish by carol...

While I was in AZ, I took some pictures of my aunt's jewelry and doll clothing business, Cherish By Carol. This is only a taste of what she can do -- I took SO many pictures. All of her jewelry is so delicate, intricate, and beautiful, I love it. And the doll clothes? Adorable (I especially like the shoes). Here are only a few of her creations:

She makes larger, more complex beaded pieces...

She makes simple and elegant earrings (which I want)...

She makes adorable little butterflies and small pendants (the blue and orange is my fave)...

She makes matching little girl and doll jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, etc.)...

Last but not least, she makes doll clothes (I can't get over the shoes)...

All of her items are so cute, and I was so happy to be able to take the pictures for her new business. I had never taken photos of jewelry before, so I wasn't sure on what backgrounds or lighting to use. Overall, I think they turned out well. If I had had more time, I would have used some models (can't go wrong with models). But for what time I had, I really do like the results. :)

busy & eventful weekend...

Wow. It's almost been a week since I've posted anything (time flies)! But I have a good excuse: I was out of town with no internet (told you it was good).
I've been in AZ visiting family for the past few days, which is always fun. A lot happened on this trip: Sis and I got lost a couple of times, but only for a few minutes each time (fun!...not), I was repeatedly attacked by cats (painful), I got locked in a self-storage place for 45min in 100+ degree heat and had to call the car wash next door to get me out (interesting), and I got sick (...ew). But aside from all of that, I had a great time! New adventures can be fun, right?...Right?! :)
My aunt had asked me if I could take some pictures for her new business, Cherish By Carol, while I was down in AZ. SUPER adorable little girl and doll jewelry and clothes, along with some adult jewelry that I REALLY wanted. So much of her jewelry consists of very intricate patterns that take so much time and patience to do...SO beautiful, I can't wait to show you all of the pics. :)

seals and pie...

A couple of weeks ago, some of my relatives came into town. So what do we central coast citizens do? Yep. Go see the elephant seals. It was SUPER windy, but it's always fun to see the "little" babies. Afterward, we had dinner at Linn's. Gah, SO good! I had the Hearst Burger. HUGE. But I took some home and had the rest for dinner the next night; and it still tasted really good, even after microwaving it! I was impressed.
My Mom, Sister, and I are going to AZ this weekend to visit more relatives. My Mom is already down there, and my Sis and I are leaving tomorrow night, stopping in Palm Springs, then heading the rest of the way to Scottsdale the next morning. It's the first road trip that my Sis and I will be going on...should be interesting. :)

seriously?...

...These just make me laugh.
{You can find more of these signs on Ellen's site}

new header...

Yes, I have a new header now! The previous pic was cute, but SO pixeley (yes, I just made that up)...it was time to get a new one. I may play with the current one a bit (lighting, editing, whatnot), but for now, it's bueno. Let me know what you think!

daydreamer {sotw}...

I didn't discover Adele until her latest CD was released (which is probably the same story of a lot of other newbie fans). She has a very raw sound, which usually doesn't work for me. But for some reason, her's does.
I picked up a copy of her CD 19 at the library a while ago, and I'm still listening to it pretty much everyday. My fave song, so far? Daydreamer. Her natural, raw voice accompanied with some simple acoustic guitar makes the perfect combo.

So, my SOTW: Daydreamer, by Adele.