aquafrolic

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

later today...

(all photos found via weheartit)

a fun winter tutorial coming later today :]

Monday, December 28, 2009

back around the time of my surgery (early november), i sent my dear friend erin a scarf as a gift. i laughed out loud when, a week later, i received a text from her that read, "this is kind of embarrassing, but i don't know how to wear it! am i doing it right?" along with this photo:

she's so stinkin' adorable :] i guess all of you midwest and northern folk are only used to wearing scarves out of necessity because of those cold winter months...but down here in the south, it's rarely cold enough for a scarf to serve its intended purpose (unless it's windy). but because they are such a fun part of fashion, and we do love them so, we use them as more of anaccessory than as a necessity. so, i promised her a "how to wear a scarf as part of an outfit" tutorial.

how to wear a scarf as part of an outfit:

keyhole:

this is a casual way to wear one. looks great with just a tshirt, or a cute top :] here's how to do it:

1. fold the scarf in half, lengthwise, and wrap it around your neck

2. keep the looped end on one side and the ends of the scarf on the other

3. slip the open ends through the loop and tighten, adjusting as desired

4. allow the ends to fall where you feel comfortable

summer scarf:

this is for that thin scarf in your closet that has a pretty pattern, or interesting texture, but isn't really worth a flip when it comes to keeping you warm. i call this a "summer scarf"...it's strictly there for decoration...this one is very simple:

1. wrap scarf around your neck, one end on one side and the other end on the other side.

2. bring the to strands together, as if they were one, about 4 - 5 inches from your neck

3. tie the two strands together as you would the end of a balloon or a trash bag.

voila!

nape knot:

i have this short little scarf that is the most beautiful green plaid. however, because it is so short, it's hard to do much with it. so, here's how i wear it:

1. follow the same steps as the keyhole

2. rather than letting the ends hang, tuck them back up into the knot, creating more of a necklace than a scarf

3. adjust and fluff until you've reached the desired look

knotted drape:

this one is so simple, it's ridiculous. and you can wear any large scarf this way. it creates the least amount of volume for all of you well-endowed ladies out there :]

1. lay the scarf out flat, creating a square/rectangle

2. grab opposite corners and lift up

3. bring those two corners behind your neck, and tie in a knot.

4. keep the knot behind your neck and let the scarf hang loose in front

drape:

for this one, you follow very similar steps to the knotted drape:

1. lay scarf flat, creating a square/rectangle

2. pick up opposite corners of the scarf

3. bring those corners behind your neck, criss-cross them behind your neck and bring them back down the opposite shoulders

4. let the ends drape down the front and fluff and adjust the middle until you've acquired your desired look.

cozy scarf:

this is the type of scarf that everyone has at least one of....even if it's buried in the back of the closet. it's generally a wool or cotton blend, a little thicker than fashion scarves, and usually a pretty generic pattern and/or color. just because it might seem boring, doesn't mean it has to be. pair it with a top that's a not a matching color, but still a complimentary one. and my favorite...add a hat and shoes that don't necessarily match, but blend. doing so adds a little interest to the outfit. so there are two ways i wear this type of scarf:

the first way, above is the warmest way to wear it.

1. wrap the scarf around your neck, letting each end drape down your side

2. take the one end and wrap it around the front of your neck, and hang the end down your back

3. take the other end from the front and do the same thing.

the second way is just as easy:

1. wrap the scarf around your neck, letting each end drape down at your sides

2. tie the two ends together as you would for the first step of tying your shoe

3. adjust the height, tightness, and thickness of the knot until you've reached the desired effect.

so there you have it :] how to wear a scarf, the emjay way :] scarves are such an inexpensive way to liven up any outfit that you've become bored with, so i encourage you all to dig out a scarf and try it out for a day. :]

a big thank you to my lovely little sister for being my model...isn't she stunningly beautiful? and just for fun, here are some out takes from the afternoon...

xoxo

emjay

Saturday, December 26, 2009

photobooth friday

a day late...

mr rox (my kitty) distracted me for this one... :] i still love him though.

i promise for some more fun posts soon. it's been a busybusybusy month, and things are *finally* beginning to slow down a bit. :]

hope you all had a very merry christmas :] be back sooooooon!

lovelove

emjay

Friday, December 18, 2009

photobooth friday

sorry i've been kind of m.i.a. this month...it has been a busy, stressful, sleep deprived and work-filled couple of weeks. the holiday season is the busiest time of the year in the restaurant industry...and while that means my bonus will be good (yay!), it also means i don't have a lot of spare time to enjoy this time of year (boo).

so in honor of the way i've been feeling these last two weeks, here is your photobooth friday picture:

it's what i wish i could do all day today...but alas, it's work time. and i get a visit from my district advisor today, so i have to be on my A game!

hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :]

lovelove

emjay

Sunday, November 29, 2009

why?

i woke up this morning feeling super lazy, and haven't been out of bed but once to pee. the only thing remotely interesting on tv (and i use that term loosely) is a marathon of this:

and i'm finding myself actually enjoying it. doubleyou tee eff?

it makes me wonder, am i channeling this gal?

holy geeze. i've never really watched it before today, and i'm already worried that i'll have to add it to my list of guilty pleasures...ick.

have a lovely sunday! :]

lovelove

Saturday, November 28, 2009

day dreaming...

1. Snow Covered Benches, 2. Snow!, 3. Big Snow (down our street), 4. Cardinal in Snow - Part 2, 5. Snow in Winter, 6. snow fence, 7. Trees snow, 8. First Snow, 9. Paris under the snow, 10. A Snow Heart For You :) xoxox, 11. snow on my tail on Front Page :-), 12. king of hearts in snow ...

i wish i lived in a place where it snowed. of course if i lived in such a place, i might be singing a different tune. however, growing up in south louisiana, where we're lucky enough to get flurries once every ten years, i often find myself daydreaming about snowfall during the winter.

today, we're putting up the christmas tree at my mom and dad's house. my sister, takes after my mom...they get so excited to decorate and spend hours and hours making the mantle and the tree look just perfect. i, however, take after my father. we both enjoy the festivities, but i'd rather not take part. my favorite part of this time is sitting on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa and listening to christmas music. i enjoy that my sister and mother enjoy decorating, and i take pleasure in their excitement, but i really rather relax and just watch.

this afternoon, i am doing just that. i'm watching as layer up on layer of beads, lights, ribbons and ornaments are added and the tree starts to take that familiar shape. each ornament has a meaning, whether it be from my first christmas, my parents 25th wedding anniversary or our vacation to jamaica...each one means something special to one of us. that's one of the things i love about our tree.

so as i sit here, sipping on my hot cocoa and listening to mannheim steamroller on the surround sound stereo, i find my mind drifting off in to a winter wonderland...staring out the back windows of the living room and imaging the pool and palm trees covered in snow...i dream of being brave enough to uproot my comfortable life here and replanting it in a new place. a place with seasons. a place with snow. a place with fall colors. a place with real spring. a place where summer temperatures aren't regularly in the triple digits. i wonder how i would fit in such a place. a place to make new friends. a place to start over fresh, on my own. a place to start a new chapter in my life. would i enjoy it as much as i do in my daydreams? could i even be brave enough to try it? oh how i would love an adventure...but for now, i'll just day dream...and maybe one day i'll muster up the courage.

i hope you are all enjoying the final days of autumn. the temperatures here haven't reached above 70 all week, so that means winter is setting in for us! yesterday morning, there was frost on the cars in the driveway...first time this year. i think i am ready for the new season. more so than i usually am at this point in the year. there are a lot of exciting things in my future, i can feel it...and i'm ready for them to begin!

xoxo

Friday, November 27, 2009

photobooth friday

i decided to spend today away from the crazy people and stayed home spending time with my cat, roxie, and cleaning up a bit around my house. it was a morning well spent :] now i think i'll take a quick nap before going in to work tonight :]

happy friday to you all!

xoxo

emjay

Thursday, November 26, 2009

merry christmas to me?

while watching the macy's day parade on tv with my parents and sister, i found myself distracted from this thanksgiving tradition by one of my favorite clothing websites, modcloth. over the 3 hours of giant balloons, highschool bands and collection of overplayed and/or washed up pop artists, i compiled my christmas list...and i only have one thing to say... "please, santa? please?"