Sunny Side Up

This past year, I've learned that in one moment, you can be at your lowest point, and in a flash... have the world at your feet. Life is unpredictable, spontaneous, and wild. And in order to keep up, you have to either change the things that make you unhappy, or learn to accept them.

In 2011, I graduated college, completed my first quarter of graduate school, had my first blog giveaway, started dating my first real boyfriend, learned to better cope with a loss, accepted the way my undergraduate years played out, and met a ton of new friends, both in real life, and through blogging. As you can see, with tough times, come good. My challenge for you: think about all the things you've changed and/or accepted this year, and allow yourself to feel proud.

Thank you for all of your love and support! Cheers to the new year! I wish you all the best.

XO,

SWEATshirt DRESSshirt

"You are prettier than you look. Smarter than you think. Stronger than you feel. Wiser than you know." -R

*All nail tutorials can be found in the "Best of SSDS" section.

Homemade Pizza

Besides this past Friday, I can't remember the last time I had a homemade pizza. After the first bite, I asked myself why I didn't do this more often; mostly because of all the benefits: less grease, more customization (I'm a lots-of-sauce fan), and the fact that you can make an event out of it, like my friends and I did.

Note: The dough we used was from Trader Joe's (pretty much my favorite grocery store). It has a wonderful price ($1.29!), and you have an option of regular, whole wheat, and I think... even garlic!

Nail Polish Extravaganza

Recently, my friends and I had a nail painting party. We pooled our collections together, and spent close to an hour coming up with fun, and unique designs for the new year. It's been a while since I've painted my nails with anyone. I couldn't be more pleased with the inspiration I left the party with.

Left: 'Mermaid's Tears' OPI //right: Color name unknown, Orly //polka dots: Sally Hansen nail art pen

'My Chihuahua Bites' OPI

'Meep-Meep-Meep' OPI Muppets Collection //'Only Gold For Me' SEPHORA by OPI

Gettin' Crafty

My friend K is so talented. I'm 100% convinced that she is going to be the next Martha Stuart. That said, I thought I'd show off some of her work, as it might inspire some of you.

Everything you see above, minus the pillow cover, she put together (with the help of my other friend K) for our annual holiday get-together. A little secret about the winter-y centerpiece: it was made using some branches from her backyard, spray paint, and ornaments from the dollar store.

Who's with me, in thinking that she needs to open up her own Etsy shop, asap?

Merry Christmas+10 Things To Do Tomorrow

Merry Christmas, to all my friends on Blogger! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day, filled with food, relaxation, and time spent with loved ones.

For tomorrow, here is a list of 10 things you can do the day after Christmas:

1. Relax: be a couch potato,  read a book, and/or watch movies all day!
2. Go shopping/return stuff: there are going to be a ton of after-Christmas sales, one being the men's half-yearly sale at Nordstrom!
3. Take down decorations/clean up: though it may be sad to see the holiday spirit go, cleaning up now, will be better than cleaning up after a long day at work next week.
4. Exercise/burn some calories
5. Organize your new gifts
6. Go to church
7. Do a DIY project (there are a bunch of cool ones on Pinterest!)
8. Write thank-you cards
9. Post about the previous day on your blog
10. Go out to eat

XO,

SWEATshirt DRESSshirt

In With The Nude

Last week, I met up with one of my best friends, N, for dinner. We chatted for almost 2 hours, and towards the end of our meal, her and I exchanged Christmas presents. One of the things she got me was 'Classy', a nude nail polish by Revlon. I've never worn a color this natural looking... until now, and I've been growing to like it.

Here's a challenge for you all: Branch out, and try on a color of nail polish that you would normally stray away from. As Deborah Lippmann once said, with nail polish, "...you gotta try it on. You can't just look at it in the bottle and be afraid of it. Nail polish should be fun."

Tutorial: Braided Bun

I'm a big fan of hairstyles that look really complicated, but were a cinch to create. If you're like me, and are in search of something different (but do-able!) from the everyday, classic styles, the Braided Bun is worth trying out.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 2 hair elastics, a few bobby pins that match your hair color, and hairspray (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Create a middle part and split your hair into 2 even sections.

2. Braid each section.

3. Loosen each braid by gently tugging at its sides in an outward direction.

4-5. Secure each braid near the nape of your neck, making sure they lie parallel to one another. Tuck in the ends, and pin in any fly-aways.

6. Optional: Finish the look with with a mist of hairspray and/or add a headband.