Celebrating Dad's Day.

Yesterday was my day's special day..the day of his birth.

Truly, that's one occasion to get excited about! We had a special meal planned for him down in Homer and after a long afternoon of hair curling and makeup application (for myself of course, not Dad!), we headed on out. Unfortunately, we do not have the type of restaurant here that offers fancy food, or at least a place to dress up in. That being said, we take these little jaunts down to Homer with open and excited arms. 

This place did not disappoint. We dined tonight at the scrumptious Two Sisters Bakery down by the water, and had the loveliest evening together, celebrating Dad's birthday. My brother even joined in on FaceTime! It turned out to be a fantastic evening, one much celebrated. Hey, a special guy deserves a special day!

What I wore: vintage pale pink sparkly flapper style dress (used), gold sequined vintage clutch (Mum's), and sparkly gold six inch GUESS pumps (on sale). 

There is never a dull moment with my family especially when it comes to picture taking!

The drive up was full of laughter, chatting, and some puzzled looks from my parents whenever a One Direction song came on, which resulted in belting from the backseat. 

We were the first to arrive in Two Sisters Bakery and so we had the whole place to ourselves for a spell. 

This iced tea was no ordinary iced tea- it had sugared lemon slices placed lightly on top. Holy.

Appetizer number one was fresh oysters, petite size. 

Appetizer number two was fresh ricotta bruschetta with classic prosciutto thinly sliced with basil perched on the top. 

Appetizer number three was ginger pickled salmon on cucumber and wasabi. What a kick!

My meal this evening was a roasted tomato tart- grated potato crust layered with tomatoes, kalamata capers and mild goats milk chèvre, topped with warm spinach tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. 

Don't even get me started on the array of desserts. How is anyone supposed to chose just one?

My mum and dad settled on a red wine chocolate brownie, per my suggestion. 

My sister and I proceeded to split a caramel chocolate cupcake. I heard caramel in the description and was sold on the spot!

Let us not forget coffee!

My birthday guy.. thinks he's got some major swag, and in this case, he sure does. 

Bloody Hell, Harry.

I am a Harry Potter fan.

Oh yes. And because I am visiting Harry Potter World quite soon, I thought it only prudent to catch up on my readings. Granted, it's no chore for me- the books are an absolute ball to read! They remind me of my childhood and it's like I'm taken back in time to the first years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

There is simply such joy in re-reading these masterpieces! And we may have gotten the entirety of the Harry Potter movie series as well and that is most enjoyable to watch. It never gets old!

So today, I dressed in the various colors of the four houses (slightly favoring Slytherin with my green) and sat down to do some serious reading. And the sweater most definitely reminded me of one that Ron Weasley would wear...

What I wore: multi-strand vintage pearl necklace (used), striped AMERICAN EAGLE sweater (my brother's old one), a kelly green HALOGEN pencil skirt, and khaki ankle length WET SEAL booties (worn in a fashion show). 

Sunshine with Sis.

It's been far too long with my sister.

 

With her in the throws of a difficult junior year, preparing for a dance show, and the homework loads, we haven't been able to see each other as we often do.

 

That being said, any opportunity to be with her is a cherished one, and what better way to catch up than to walk out on this fine sunny day?

 

A Song for Sunday- Rocks.

Imagine... Imagine.. Imagine Dragons.

I can't get enough of them! Seen 'em once, saw them twice, wouldn't mind seeing them yet another time!

Although all of their music is purely fantastic, this particular song is one of my fave ones of the moment. Clung on to the ending of their "Nothing Left to Say Now", this song jumps out at me and is one of spirit-lifting positivity.

The reason I come back to it is that it was sung at the concert I just attended, part of their "Into the Night" tour (now their third? tour from their first album, Night Visions), and every time I play it back (I literally filmed every song sung there, they are all so amazing), I just get goose bumps and this uncontrollable urge to smile and sing at the top of my lungs.

Beginning with a beautiful harmonies "We fall" chorus repeated in perfect symphony, it builds to this bob-your-head piece of music that just makes you wanna dance! Clear as that.

There are so many unique elements of this short song that make it so fun to listen to- the use of drums, the harmonies, the lyrics of trees falling, and its ability to lift the spirits. It is my ultimate feel good song and at the moment, I can think of no other reason why we shouldn't be happy on this fine Sunday afternoon.

Bright Colors Bring Bright Skies.

It turned out to be a really beautiful day.

The sun was shining its brightest rays and it felt as if spring were truly here. Knock on wood, because knowing our Alaskan luck, it's going to snow again. But for the moment, let me enjoy these promising skies!

I wore this colorful ensemble today because that's how I was feeling- bright, young, and happy.

What I wore: neon yellow J CREW cashmere top (used), mod circle necklace (used), high-waisted aqua blue acid-wash VIVIENNE WESTWOOD pants (used), and red AE flats. 

Later in the evening, when the sun had disappeared on the horizon, I met up with some friends at one of my favorite cafe's in Old Towne Kenai, Veronica's. Ironically, being Saturday night and the birthday of one of the goofiest fellas I know, it was pure celebration bubbling in this tiny cafe. 

There was dancing, sore faces from endless laughter and smiling, and of course, coffee and dessert!

And even when the sun disappeared, the lights continued to shine..