a coffee date in the city

the perfect girlfriend date? tasty holiday drinks from starbucks,

window shopping, and a walk through the city!

i am collaborating again today with my dear friend, asa, of lace and pearls. 

asa and i are styling two looks from local boutique, lika love,

that would be perfect for the upcoming holidays! 

i love how well the sweater dress fits asa, and my jacket is stylish, yet practical. 

i think my favorite part of our outfits, however, is the jewelry!

the jewelry and accessories available at lika love are to die for! 

after visiting the madison park location, 

i wanted to bring home several necklaces, rings, hats and earrings.
i'm trying to practice self-restraint. must. not. shop. for. myself. until after christmas :) 

^^^ isn't she the cutest?! ^^^

and now, for onto our outfits!

on megan

coat: lika love (similar here)

striped tank: loft

jeans: kut from the cloth (similar here)

necklace: lika love (exact here)

ring: c/o lika love

bag: lika love (similar here)

booties: thrifted

on asa

sweater dress: lika love (exact here)

necklace: lika love (similar here)

bag: lika love (similar here)

hat: lika love (similar here)

booties: cobb hill (exact here)

all photos by michelle dorman photography

don't forget to check out my earlier post with asa, styling

cozy sweaters from lika love here.

as a special treat, malika, founder and owner of lika love,

is offering a lovely scarf to one of my readers; a similar giveaway

is also being featured on asa's blog! 

at this time, the giveaway is only available for US readers due to 

shipping restrictions. thank you, and good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

checking in + some positive thoughts

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hello! the past few days have been rough, which 

feels like a major understatement! i managed to catch a terrible

stomach virus from the kids at school and have been at my parents' house

recovering since saturday morning. it was pretty yucky,

and today is the first day i'm finally out of bed and eating real food (but bland food).

i thought i would share a few of my favorite

pins (i'm a sucker for inspiring quotes) as of late, to motivate

us and to cheer me up! 

in addition, i would like to announce the winner of my giveaway

with leia beila jewelry! congratulations, crystal, and thank you for entering!

i am truly grateful for everyone who entered, 

for those of you who follow this little blog, and for aimee,

owner and creator of leia beila jewelry, for this amazing collaboration;

thank you!

happy tuesday, friends, and stay healthy out there!

xoxo.

plaid, jewelry & a giveaway!

^^^ wearing the mini lune necklace with greek goat leather,

handmade by talented aimee of leia beila jewelry ^^^

t-shirt: target, plaid tunic: nordstrom rack, flats: dolce vita,

purse: nordstrom, ring and necklace: c/o leia beila jewelry, 

jean: kut from the cloth (via july stitchfix)

i'm collaborating again with the incredibly talented aimee, 

of leia beila jewelry! i recently styled her 'kaleidoscope' crystal earrings and 

'ghost babe' obsidian ring here. 

today, i am wearing the mini lune necklace with greek goat leather. 

each of aimee's pieces are handmade with exquisite detail - 

even the clasp on the above necklace is stunning! 

i wanted the focus of this outfit to be the necklace, 

but added the plaid tunic to keep things simple, yet fun.

aimee has been handcrafting jewelry in the seattle area

for just over ten years. her website features numerous 

pieces, all of which are unique, trendy, and can be styled 

in countless ways (i'm lusting after so many things, too!) and today, 

you can win your very own piece from leia beila!!

^^^ similar here ^^^

to see more leia beila, be sure to follow aimee on instagram (@lb_jewelry) 

and twitter (@leia_beila).  don't forget to enter the giveaway below, too!

good luck and happy shopping!

xoxo.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**winner will receive one leia beila piece of jewelry, 

valued at $100 or less :) 

'the best is yet to come'

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i cannot quite remember what my resolutions for 2014 entailed. 

which means they probably were not too exciting (or too important?).

i likely aspired to visit the gym more frequently, 

spend less money (and stop shopping), read a set number of books,

eat healthier, etc. etc. etc. 

while i did read a great deal - both for school and personally,

i could always stand to eat healthier, spend less money, 

stop shopping, and workout. 

these resolutions are seemingly futile. 

this year, i want to have fun, help others, and be the best 'me'

that i can. 

these three little goals seem much more attainable, 

and subsequently, more realistic. 

what are your goals for 2015?

in other news, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a shopping

spree to urban tribus;

details to enter can be found here.

good luck and xoxo.

sweaters, a pup, & a giveaway just for you

sweater: forever 21, skirt and flats: nordstrom rack, purse: tj maxx

trying to coax the littlest dog to be in my pictures;

clearly my attempts were unsuccessful.

for the past several days, 

i have been able to wear dresses without tights, due to

the warmer than normal weather. 

the cold has returned in full force, however! 

i quickly raced inside to change (unfortunately) after these pictures were taken.

in other news, i have a wonderful giveaway for you, 

hosted by urban tribus.

urban tribus is offering a $25 gift card to a special 

reader of diary of this girl - that winner could be you.

^^^ a few of my current favorites online at urban tribus ^^^

ellen tracy zipper jacket / michael kors shala ballet flat / kate spade wallet

see a previous post of mine detailing the products of urban tribus here.

you can enter the giveaway below, and good luck! 

xoxo.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

holiday hair with SEVEN the salon & a giveaway!

^^^ i asked kat to fix this prior to attending a blog 

event this past november! ^^^

when it comes to styling my hair, 

i am as lazy as they come.

it is a rare feat for me to completely blow-dry my hair.

rather, i let it air-dry on my walk to work, 

praying the seattle wind and rain magically add volume and

shine, while providing me with the "oh i look like i just came

from the beach, right?" look.

however, when i visited kat at SEVEN the salon 

earlier this winter, 

she promised me that haircare, and subsequently 

styling my hair, could be quick and easy!

with a few new SEVEN products, tips, and a bit of 

encouragement, my hair routine has improved. immensely.

unfortunately, the texture of my hair requires me to wash it daily. 

it begins to feel and look greasy as the day progresses.

while washing hair daily is not ideal, 

it is something i have adjusted to; 

thus, when i visited kat, my hair was not fully dry.

she did a quick dry and then added an abundance of products to my hair.

i was nervous that products + more products would 

leave my hair feeling greasier than normal.

however, that was not the case!

kat used diamond shine serum, boost for volume, and 

strong hold hairspray to complete the look above. 

she also used a 1.5 inch barrel curling iron.

upon releasing the curled hair from the iron, 

kat rolled the curl and pinned it to my scalp 

to increase the volume of my curls.

i then sat with my head full of curls and pins and spray

for several minutes to let the curls cool and set.

once the pins were removed, some fluffing was completed,

and a final coat of hairspray applied - kat had turned my

'blah-half-dried-beach-hair' into something new.

she made me feel incredibly glamorous!

^^^ the gorgeous stylist herself, kat! ^^^

while i may never fully recreate the gorgeous style kat provided,

i feel her recommendations (and accompanying confidence in my abilities)

have helped improve my hair styling techniques. 

i no longer fear mixing styling products. 

in addition, i know that holding the curling iron at different angles 

(such as a 90 versus a 45 degree angle)

can change the shape and volume of the curl.

i do not think i have ever seen such volume or shine in my hair - 

kat and SEVEN salon, i have you to thank for that.

and now, for my readers, i have a very special giveaway for you!

good luck, everyone!

xoxo.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**giveaway, valued at approximately $100,is valid for US residents only. 

the haircut by kat can only be awarded to individuals 

who are first time guests at SEVEN the salon.

blue nile giveaway

^^^ loving this gorgeous branch necklace c/o blue nile ^^^

this sterling silver branch necklace is both dainty and elegant.

dress it up or down, depending upon the occasion! 

i recently wore mine with the above grey, drop-waist dress to dinner

with the girlfriends;

i cannot wait to wear it again.

enter to win your very own branch necklace below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xoxo.

you can purchase the necklace directly here