Things I Am Guilty Of

• Making lists listing lists that I have to make. I would include an example, but y’all will think I made it up for the blog. No one understands.

• Liking Miley’s  new song

• Eating alone almost everyday, but getting emotional when I see others eating alone in public. Don’t know why. I just do.

• Keying my own car (by accident)

• Being afraid of having to act like a grown up in the “real world” after graduation

• Not being able to read Teen Vogue anymore because most of the cover girls are younger than me

• Freaking out and groveling with my professor to no end because I almost lost my status as a 4.0 student. One A- will kill your numbers.

• Lying about why I wasn’t in class. I just couldn’t deal with my 9 pm class last week. Sue me.

• Being afraid of everything with fur and four legs. Except for horses.

• Pretending I know less than I actually do to be more likable

• Acting like less of a gunner than I am to be more likable

• Hating bologna.

• Going to the library to study and talking to a friend I’ve run into the entire time and then leaving more stressed out than when I got there. I swear this happens to me EVERY time I have work to do.

• Judging people when they’re late

• Owning way too much stationary to be considered normal

• Sneaking into the back room of church on campus and napping on the couch. I am waiting for the day I get caught. Until then, I will do whatever it takes to make my EIGHTEEN HOUR DAYS a little more bearable.

• Persuading a cop to forgive a parking citation. According to everyone else, I’ve accomplished an impossible feat. Hey, I’m already up to my neck in undergrad debt…I can’t afford alla dis;)

• Still getting a smidgen of stage fright before doing public speaking

• Owning way more clothes than I actually wear. I’m a creature of habit.

• Pondering the fact that I’ve spent the past seventeen years of my life in school and still have four more to go. That is over TWO DECADES! What is my life? How will I survive when I’m no longer institutionalized?

• KEEPSAKING EVERYTHING. Yes, I know keepsaking is not a real word.

• Liking The Hills. A lot.

• Being scared about the future and wondering if I’ll make it, but realizing that I’m pretty dope. I can handle a few lemons, God willing;)

Hope you enjoyed a peek into my brain! What are you guilty of?

A Favor to Ask!

I recently designed a pair of Tom’s shoes to commemorate their ‘One for One’ campaign! My design is called ‘Share the Love’ and was inspired by the brand’s commitment to be charitable and eco-friendly.

Please vote for my design by hitting like on this link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=561819390529235&set=pb.110408512336994.-2207520000.1367531525.&type=3&theater

Thank you everyone! Voting ends May 12th! I am currently tied for third place!

*If you would like to purchase this pair, you can call the sponsor at (414)-431-4832 and ask for the ‘Share the Love’ design. You can also contact me at: thedesiknot@gmail.com with your information! Thanks again for helping me out by voting!

Spring/Summer 2013 Trend Forecast

Wordless Wednesday

(image via freepeople.com)

Trend Watch: Eclectic Inclinations

I am currently working on curating a womenswear collection that focuses on apparel that is modest yet keeps up with with current trends and creating a store concept around it in one of my merchandise management courses. As a warm up for that final project, I explored a trend that I believe is going to be huge this Spring. Welcome to Eclectic Inclinations! This trend is all about mixing high end and fast fashion, being daring with bold hues, big patterns, and quirky textures. Being eclectic is all about putting an outfit together that no one else would think of and being aesthetically pleasing at the same time. What this trend is not meant to inspire is desperately seeking attention. Desperation is the root of all evil, so don't use Nicki Minaj (no offense to Nicki) as your fashion muse when listening to your eclectic inclinations. Instead, look to people like Erin Fetherston, Susie Bubble, and Leandra Medine for inspiration on color, texture, and accessories. Let me know what y'all think of this new eclectic vibe! Will you be experimenting with this trend in your dressing this Spring?

Store Concept:

Style Inspiration:

DIY Easy & Delectable Apple Chips

I recently ran across the idea of dehydrating sliced apples to make apple chips. I know I am a little late on the bandwagon, but better late than never right? Anyways, I don't own a dehydrator, so I decided to try my hand at making them in the oven. And guess what?! It worked! I have since made several batches and I thought I would share the recipe with all of you. Hope you enjoy this super easy, guilt-free, and absolutely delicious treat!

Supplies:

-apples of your choice

-cinnamon powder (optional)

-oven

-apple corer (optional)

-mandoline slicer (optional) 

1. Core the apples. 

I like to get rid of the core and seeds. But, I read somewhere that some people like to make their apple chips without coring. You may want to try both methods to see which one you like more.

2. Slice the apples. 

Yes, I cheated and used a mandoline slicer. It's really the easiest way, but you can also slice them by hand. Although if I had sliced mine by hand, I wouldn't be posting a picture of them online;)

3. Lay apple slices on a sheet of wax paper on a baking tray.

I also sprinkled my apples with cinnamon powder since I used granny smiths. The sweet cinnamon and sour apple combination turned out to be unbelievably good. You could also experiment with other spices and mix and match different apple types with various toppings. Play around with it a bit!

3. Bake the slices at 225 °F.

Leave them in the oven until the moisture is removed from the slices. You will see them start to crinkle up like potato chips. Also, flip them over once to make sure they dry out evenly on both sides. This process takes me about 30-35 minutes, but it really depends on the thickness of your slices.  

4. Store apple chips in an airtight container.

This will keep your snack fresh and crunchy for a long time. But, I hope your apple chips turn out to be so good that they never make it to an airtight container. 

Have a fabulous day!

xoxo

Aneela

Prabal Gurung for Target

Nepalese American designer Prabal Gurung is the newest featured designer collaboration at Target. I have to admit I don't go absolutely gaga over his work, but I really appreciate designers that have been through the fashion school system. Gurung happens to be a graduate of Parsons! Can anyone say dream school?!

Even though I am not a huge fan of the pieces Gurung designed for Target, I believe they are a strong representation of his style. The collection does an amazing job of putting together entire looks as opposed to featuring individual pieces that do not promote multiple purchases.

The collection features staple dresses that could work in a business casual setting. And, the dresses can quickly be transformed from day to night with a great mix of evening footwear, handbags, and jewelry. I think the most impressive thing about this collection is how cohesive the entire collection is and the generous number of pieces there are to choose from. The collection provides 21 pre-coordinated ensembles in its lookbook! That is a lot to choose from for a collaborative collection. So, if you are partial Prabal Gurung's work (or even if you've never heard of him before now), hop on over to target.com and feast your eyes out!

*I have added the lookbook from the collection below. My personal favorites are the shirt dress from look #7 and look #17! What are your faves? Comment below!

(images via target.com)