instagram sunday

This week was my last part time week, and as of tomorrow I will be working full-time. It's bitter sweet. More money, less time. But hey, can't really complain. Here are some pictures from this week!
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Top to bottom (left ro right)

1. I love all the fresh fruit during summer, especially cherries! Give me sun, a good book, and a bowl of cherries and set.

2. I have been working on my clothing rack on and off, it's finally almost done. Painting can be time consuming, especially when you're almost finished and then scruff the paint. Gaaahhh.

3. This little elephant sits on our shelves in the kitchen, and decided to take a tumble and break. Luckily, it was nothing that a little superglue couldn't fix!

4. Lemon!

5. Sparklers are the only fireworks I truly care about. When I was little I used to pretend to be a fairy with a magic wand, twirling and whirling my sparker around. 

6. The weather FINALLY started to turn around on Wednesday, and has been so beautiful ever since! Summer is finally here in western Washington. Yay!

7. Long exposure and sparklers! I took this photo using the MyShutter app. The app is pretty "meh," but this photo turned out pretty neat.

8. Blueberry pie. Ice cream. 'Murica!

9. Coconut calamari with fresh mangos, red onions and arugula. Some of the best calamari ever, so fresh and tasty!

10. Tommy and I participated in art walk, and purchased a few screen printed cards. Loved this one about the founding fathers...so funny!

4th of July

Hope you all had a great 4th of July! Mine was really laid back and relaxing. I tended to my brussel sprouts, put a few coats of paint on my clothing rack (almost done!), made blueberry pie, and ate hamburgers with Tommy.

This blueberry pie was one of the best I have ever had. I used this recipe, and only tweaked it slightly. I used a bit more flour, a splash of vanilla and let the pie sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes prior to baking. Why don't I make more pies?

Later we decided to watch fireworks from our back yard and play with sparklers. I had never played with long exposure before, so I grabbed my camera and gave it a go! 

Loomis Dean beach shoot

Well, it's raining again. It started pouring last night and hasn't stopped. I like the rain when I get to stay inside, but all I want to do is lay outside in the sun, read Game of Thrones and eat cherries. Is that too much to ask Washington clouds?

Because of the lame weather I have been working on a clothing rack (post to come soon), and watching lots of Mad Men. How did it take me so long to start watching this show? I'm thinking about being Joan for Halloween, I just need to convince Tommy to be Sterling.

Since I started watching the show, I have been looking at the Time Magazine photo archives via Google. There are some pretty amazing photos! Here is one of my favorite shoots I have stumbled upon by Loomis Dean, called "Bathing Suit Caps And Beach Fashion California." I love the muted colors, red lips and fun bathing suit caps.

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instagram sunday

Happy July everybody! I can't believe June has come and gone already! Here is my week via instagram.

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(Top to bottom, left to right)

1. We finally had a nice enough day for me to wear my new dress. You can see the rest of the outfit here.

2. One of the things I love about my house is that I find new flowers growing all the time. These little daisy-like flowers were too cute not to pluck.

3. My mom gave me a hanging tomato plant, and the seeds began to sprout! Sadly...the very same day I killed them. I thought a little sunshine would do them good, they got too much and wilted. Definitely need to work on my green thumb.

4. Tommy and I went enjoyed a cheese plate and wine before seeing Moonrise Kingdom.

5. Bushes with beautiful purple flowers frame my front porch, and bees have taken a liking to them. The bushes are great to look at, but it's a little scary to have to dodge bees everyday in order to get through the front door!

6. I was able to lay out and enjoy a book in the sun one afternoon, and this amazing ring around the sun appeared.

7.Yummy latte!

8. Our landlords came and took down our beautiful ivy! So sad.

9. Hard to tell from the photo, but the weight of my clothing broke the hanging bar in my closet. Get rid of clothes? Nahhhh.

10. Funny pepper.

11. Suuuushhhi!

12. My sister Amber came up for the night, and we spent it eating sushi and frozen yogurt while watching the gymnastic olympic trials.

lipsticks tips & favorites

Let's talk about the wonderful world of lipstick, shall we?

First, I would like to acknowledge how awesome it is. There are few things that come in such a small package, and yet have the power to completely change a look. It's relatively cheap, there are a thousand options from color to finish, and application is pretty fool proof.

While some women hop from various colors and brands, others have a lipstick that is "theirs." It is a color they feel comfortable in and keep coming back for. Having a favorite color is cool, but it's fun to try new things! Especially when it's something that's so easy to remove.

A few tips when choosing a new lip color:
1.) Consider when you'll be wearing it. Are you looking for an everyday lip color, or a product for special occasions? If it's something you'll wear everyday, choose something you feel comfortable in. If it's going to be a "special color," pick something slightly out of your comfort zone!
2.) Decide what kind of texture and finish you like. Thick and matte, or creamy and glossy? Remember that this choice will probably affect how long it lasts on your lips. The glossier the lip product, the faster it will come off (generally).
3.) Taste and fragrance. Do you like your lip products to smell, or do you prefer fragrance free? If you don't mind fragrance, smell different brands and find one you like.
4.) Skin tone is the most important thing to consider when choosing a color. Eye and hair color can play a role, but figuring out if you have a warm or cool undertone to your skin will really help narrow down your options!
5.) Try it on if you can. If you're shopping in a department store with testers, don't just try it on your hands. The shade will look different on your lips! Kindly ask the person behind the counter to clean off the product for you.

Here are a few of my favorite lip colors! Personally, I like to stick with warm tones such as red, orange or coral. 

1. Sephora's Rouge Cream lipstick in "It Girl." This lipstick is a rich orangey-red that is super long wearing and highly pigmented. It has a nice matte finish and ultra thick texture. This is the only lipstick of mine that I like to apply with a brush, because of the texture and deep color. Putting on a bit of chapstick before hand is a good way to go, because it can be a little drying.

2. Clinique's Chubby Stick in "Mega Melon." This product is great for summer because it's less of a lipstick and more of a tinted chapstick. Made with mango and shea butter, it feels great on the lips. Also so easy to apply! No need for a mirror.

3. Clinique's Butter Shine lipstick in "Ambrosia."  This lipstick is a Clinique "Butter Shine," lipstick, which means it has a glossier texture and finish. I love, love, love this color. Orange red with little specks of gold, it's perfect if you have a warm undertone.

4. MAC's "Vegas Volt." I wasn't sure about this color at first, because it's lighter and more pink than I usually wear. But it soon grew on me! The texture is smooth and it wears great throughout the day.

orange tulip

    Top: Gap

Skirt: Macy's

Vest: Macy's

Shoes: Macy's

Earrings: Forever21

     Okay, so I wore this outfit for about three hours today. Just enough time to go to the store and make this post. No, I was not naked for the rest of the day. I was lounging in the sun! This is a big deal you guys. It has been so cloudy and rainy here in Bellingham for the past week or two, I was sure we were just going to skip summer and jump into fall. But alas, the sun came out and I was able to put on my swimsuit! Definitely not doing a swimsuit style post. 

    I'm a little on the fence about this skirt. I got a great deal on it, which is a plus. But when I walk or if there is a slight breeze, the skirt opens up which  gives my underwear a chance to make a debut. Not my thing. But I'm thinking it will be great for fall when I can throw tights on underneath. 

     In other news, our asshole landlords came this morning and took down all the beautiful ivy growing on the garage. I understand that ivy can do some damage...but it was so charming! 

zigzags & coral

Dress: Bar III (Macy's)

Blouse: Coincidence and Chance (Urban Outfitters)

Shoes: Lucky Brand (Macy's)

Necklace: (Macy's)

      Today Tommy and I are going to see Moonrise Kingdom, I can't wait! Have you seen it? The cast is amazing and Wes Anderson always delivers, so I'm looking forward to it. Our local theater also started allowing beer inside to drink while you watch. In my experience, good beer has always improved my cinema adventures.

    I wore this dress while lounging around the house yesterday. It was the perfect dress for reading, tidying up, responding to emails and watching True Blood. I could really get used to only working part time with no school.

    Are there any amazing Apps that I need to have? I have been loving VSCO CAM, Family Feud (haha...yeah) and Bump. Oh, and Twitter. I have finally joined the Twitter club! You can find me @AmandaKbybay. I have two whole tweets so far! :)

instagram sunday

My first Instagram post! Oh how exciting!
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Left to right (top to bottom) 1. Bellingham clearly has not gotten the message that summer is here. It was POURING yesterday. 2. My cactus collection!3. LOVING Fiona Apple's new album. I cannot stop listening to it.   4. Yogurt cookies! Still enjoying these guys. They have gotten so soft!5. Reading and enjoying a popsicle outside. The weather was warm, but cloudy. Who needs the sun anyway? 6. Tommy's first show with his band, The Social Schema.  7. Statue outside Whole Foods in Seattle.  8. Mini mousse cups at my Clinique class! So cute and yummy.9. Clinique training is always fun, and the food at the Pan Pacific Hotel is always amazing!10. Tulalip tribe singing and rowing a canoe in Tulalip Bay.11. Visited the driving range with my mom and brother for the first time. Definitely not going pro anytime soon.12. Hush. Poster in my sister's room. 

cute cases

I have noticed that iPhones are incredibly slippery! Mine slips off everything. Because of this, I've been hunting for a cute case for my iPhone. It didn't take long for me to decide that Society6 is definitely the place to find one! Here are a few of my favorites. 


I think I'm leaning toward the first one with the triangles. Which one do you like?

1. triangles // 2. umbrella // 3. black & white paisley // 4. c'est la vie // 5. Sailboat  // 6. cherry blossoms