Birthday Wishes

It's pretty hard to believe I will be 25 in 4 days. I remember my seventh birthday like it was yesterday. My most attentive and caring mother took my favorite Snow White Barbie to a local bakery where they put Ms. White in the middle of the cake and decorated the cake as her big beautiful ball gown all around her. My Mother was so excited to bring my cake out - as she should have been. What a fun, thoughtful idea, right?

Wrong. Seven-year-old Logan was extremely concerned for the well-being of her favorite doll. She was COVERED in icing! What was my Mom thinking?! Why would a cake decorator do such a thing? I was disgusted and unamused to say the least. My poor mother. Memories like this make me realize what a thankless job parenting must be at times. Going through all that trouble just to have your seven year old turn her nose up at you and stare in horror at the cake you so carefully designed.

Today when the Snow White cake is brought up, my mom gives me that look only a mom can give, and usually says "you little brat." Completely deserved. This is one of the few times in my life I can remember that my mom got me something that I didn't love. My mom has excellent taste. So does her mom. At least I think they do. I hardly ever make a Christmas list or birthday wish list as a result. Sure there are usually a couple things I might have in mind, but the things my mom picks out for me always end up being my favorite. For example, this past Christmas my parents bought me a Kindle. This idea wasn't even on my radar, but it was my most favorite gift- I was so excited. Although my mom does the best job of picking out gifts for me, I do have a few things that I would be pretty excited to get this year...

(Click on photos to see where I found items on my wishlist)

Who wouldn't want to cuddle with this little guy? Go O's!

LOVE this pillow from Etsy - matches my new room too :)

Proceeds from PeaceBomb project bracelets  go toward clearing bomb littered land in Laos.

The Brave Collection helps fight human trafficking in Cambodia.

I love NPR & Coffee. Perfect.

I bought myself an early birthday present this year. Fell in love with it Saturday night and had to go pick up the last one after work this evening. They were sold out online. Here's the newest addition to my fossil handbag collection:

Simple and classic, my two favorites.

Thanks for tuning in.

Love,

Logan

Black & Gold?

My dad raised me to hate the joined colors black & gold from a very young age. As a result of growing up in Northeastern Ohio, we have the bitter sweet burden of being Browns fans. The general rule: we want the Browns to win, the Steelers to lose, and everything else to line up so those first two things can happen. Every season begins with lots of chatter about the promising potential of the new season. New players, new coaches, and a new beginning. Inevitably, every season -and most games- end in disappointment. If it isn't clear from my extremely basic explanation, I admittedly don't pay a lot of attention to the NFL. I try to follow it enough to know what's going on. But the big picture is that there is always a new season, we always hope, and we are always let down. And when we are let down, we root against the Steelers.

UMBC's Golden Retriever Mascot.

Imagine my awkward inner conflict when I come to find that UMBC's colors are primarily black & gold. My first trip to the bookstore was tough. Trying to pick out a subtle shirt that doesn't go completely against the basic foundation of being someone from Canton, Ohio. Black and yellow are evil. We don't wear those colors. It sounds silly because it is. And don't worry, it's not that dramatic or important. But I would be lying if I told you I didn't cringe when I walked in that bookstore, choose a plain grey shirt and walk out. It will probably be a little while before I can dress with more spirit. 

One place I have found that I have no troubles wearing black and gold is in my professional attire. It doesn't look athletic so no one associates it that way. In the last week I have rocked a few different black and gold outfits. All of these items are recent purchases (or gifts) of mine that I wore this week and am so excited to wear over and over again.

1. Gold Necklace, $18 at Charming Charlie

2. Calvin Klein Dress, gift from my aunt

3. Anchor bracelet, gift from one of my best friends from Sara Aghili

4. Tunic Blouse, $23 from Target

I wore 1 & 4 together earlier this week.

Something gold I would like to acquire: How cute is this dainty elephant necklace?

$15 from LemonTreeLand's Shop on Etsy :)

How do your loyalties or dislikes dictate your wardrobe? Do you cringe at the site of certain colors and delight in others?

Love,

Logan

An Ode to the Puffer Vest

As this is my first post regarding clothing, I want to put a few things out there. I am in no way an expert on fashion. I opt for comfort over style more often than I probably should. The amount of cardigans in my closet could rival that of a 63-year-old librarian. I am constantly trying not to match (I have this weird issue with things being too matchy matchy).

To my credit: Friends, family, and even strangers compliment my outfits often enough to make me feel like I'm doing something right. So...if you want to be comfortable & still get asked 'where did you get that?' from time to time, read on!

The collection of puffer vests I have acquired this winter.

I cannot say enough about my new found love for the puffer vest. I have always been curious about these fellas. Tried them on in the past, but they were either too thin to serve a purpose or thick enough to make people wonder if I had single-handedly put Hostess out of business. I'm happy to say that I have found a thickness that is juusst right. I live in Ohio, it's very cold here. These vests are cute, comfortable, and they serve a wonderful purpose: keeping me warm. Whether I'm running to the gym quick & don't feel like shoving my giant winter coat in a locker, or going to a casual lunch on a winter day, these vests are my current go-to item. If you like what you see, I'm sorry to say I could not find links for any of these particular vests. I got all of them as gifts from different people over the holidays. The red one was bought at Macy's, patterned one is Tommy Hilfiger from Macy's too, and the tanish/grey one is from a black Friday sale at the Gap. I found a similar one from the gap:

Pair this purple vest with this thick long sleeve shirt, this scarf, these skinny jeans, and these boots. Of course, if it's a really cold day, don't forget your mittens and hat! Sometimes on those really cold days, I wear my winter coat over the vest if I know I'll be outside for more than a minute or two.

Me in my red vest along the High Line in NYC this past weekend.

Stay wonderful & warm!

Love,

Logan