Leely the Laptop Slayer

So...I should definitely be studying right now for a MONSTER EXAM I have tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM. Yet here we are again crossing paths in the vast blogosphere. Honestly though, I can justify my current lack of drive because this professor's exams are impossible to study for. I go to class. I take good notes. I participate in class when all of the other girls are suddenly in mid-gulp out of their Starbucks cups every time a question is posed. For lack of a better word, I am what they (not really sure who they are) call a gunner. Minus the part of the Urban Dictionary definition about being willing to compromise peer relationships/reputation in order to obtain recognition and praise from superiors. Of course. But, I have yet to earn a perfect score on any of the quizzes or exams in this course. So, I'm just chilling here trying to distract myself from my current academic slump.

Anyways, so today was interesting. I almost murdered my laptop with a knife. Backtrack to this morning at 6:45 AM which is the ungodly hour that I leave for school every morning. I was running late per usual by chance and instead of taking the time to make cuts in my orange (to make it easier to peel) I threw the orange and a trusty knife into a plastic bag and ran out the door. I put the bag and my laptop near each other in my car and unintentionally gave them some valuable mingling time. Anybody can probably guess that the knife was sharp enough to poke through the plastic bag and well...you know the rest. It's almost too painful to write. I now have some pretty SUBSTANTIAL scratches on ma guppy wupps (3 month old) LT :(

Now, I know what you're thinking. Aneela, there's this #amazeballs invention called a LAPTOP BAG. And yes, I'm aware. I have another heartbreaking story about that for a later post.

I swear there was something else I was going to tell you about, but I can't remember what it was so for now I think I'm going to be a big kid, down a cup of coffee, and study for the inevitable and impossible monster exam.

Wish me luck y'all! Happy hump day!

xoxo Aneela

Consumption Of Cookies Before Purchase Is Stealing

One of the things I miss most about Germany and Europe in general is being able to go to the small local bakeries and eat anything my little heart desired made fresh that same morning. We definitely don't have anything like that where I live! But, sometimes you just have to settle. We recently hosted a pretty large event and my mom found an amazing variety of cookies at one of our local grocery stores. For that event, we served cookies with tea for three days and we bought a whopping 55 POUNDS OF COOKIES.

Today, I went to have a look around and "interview" the baker for my blog. The woman who helped me pack my cookies was very sweet and enjoyed my excited questions about the bakery section. She told me that they actually don't bake the cookies or breads at the store. But, they do get frequent shipments, so the cookies are pretty fresh whenever you make a purchase. The company that makes the cookies is called Voortman and she told me that they are carried by other grocery stores in the United States as well. So, if you like what you see, inquire at your local supermarket! Or if you're European, as many of you are, you may as well skip this post because nothing we bake can ever reach your superior level of deliciousness (of course that's a word...darn spell check).

Now, it's no German bakery, but it's something for those of us who get the short end of the stick ;)

Here are a few shots I took today:

I thought this was funny because hello! Common Sense!

Aren't these photo "stickers" the cutest?!

My favorites are the coconut cremes!

Friday Night Arm Party!

Today, I played around with some new tangerine accessories. I mixed them with my rose gold coloured (Doesn't it just look more sophisticated spelled with a 'u'?! ) watch and a silver bangle with a single rhinestone. All of the accessories are from the department store, Kohl's. My watch always gets mistaken for a Michael Kors until people come closer and see the ginormous Minnie Mouse etching on the face. I love it!

I feel like I should add some clutch advice about creating wrist stacks, but whenever I come up with a good combination, it's the result of coincidence mixed with raiding my mother's jewelry collection. Literally, the majority of the accessories I own are things my mom let me keep because I was OMG OBSESSED. Maybe one day I will also acquire my mom's taste in fashion. Amijan, I know you're reading this and I just want to say I think you should keep letting me call dibs on your pieces because it's all part of my plan towards style nirvana. I am simply thinking to the future;)

So, while I definitely believe that the perfect stack is a chance encounter with the right pieces at the right time, I do think this post by Carly (the college prepster) is a great starting point for the novice stacker!

xoxo
Aneela

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind

Today was a hugely important day in the history of my home state of Wisconsin since its founding in 1848. Yes folks, April 3rd, 2014 will go down in history as the date that the cheese state finally got its first taste of some sharp fashion. Haha, did you get that attempt at a joke back there?

Well, today marks the grand opening of the Mayfair Collection in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. And might I add, this place is a literal 30 SECONDS away from campus. I already brag to my family about going to school in the best shopping/restaurant/entertainment area that I know of, but the new Mayfair Collection just adds another destination to my lunch break spots! I predict admission numbers will also be going up in the coming years...I wonder why;)

The shopping area is not fully open for business yet, but the most exciting destinations (Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off Fifth, and Ulta) opened for sales today. Now, I have to say that we Wisconsinites are a bit slow to catch onto trends. We don't start wearing styles until a few months after they've been introduced in the bigger cities and major metropolitan areas. I don't think we will be getting an actual Nordstrom or Saks anytime soon (probably not in my lifetime...depressing, I know). I did predict that if the elite designers did ever make their way over to Wisconsin, they would come in the form of discount stores like Nordstrom Rack and Saks Off Fifth. I should have documented my prediction because I could not have been more right! I guess I have incredible foresight!

So, onto the experience! I decided to go between classes and meet up with two of my good friends, Colleen and Becky. I went around lunchtime and it was opening day, so it goes without saying that parking was a pain. I think once the initial magic wears off, the parking lot is large enough to let people make it to the shops comfortably. Fox News and a few other T.V. stations were also there to report on the grand opening.

The line to Nordstrom Rack and Saks Off Fifth

Once I stepped into the shops, everything was a blur. Like, y'all that live in big cities can't even understand the feeling. My friends and I couldn't get over the fact that we were touching brands we had only ever seen printed on the glossy pages of our favorite magazines. I ACTUALLY HELD MIU MIU LOAFERS IN MY SMALL TOWN HANDS. At one point, I think I saw a mannequin smile at me from the corner of my eye. It was a nice little tribute to 'Confessions of a Shopaholic'. By this point, I'm sure you are convinced that I have completely lost my mind, so I'll stop "talking" and leaving you with the cutest shot of opening day through my eyes!

A very HAPPY Colleen post-Saks!

xoxo
Aneela