The only way into the sun is walking, but you'd rather run

(lyrics from Jaymay's "You'd Rather Run")

Oh what a bad blogger I've been! Not to make excuses (but I'm gonna ;) ), but I did start school last Thursday, and I had to run my first discussion section for the California Geology class that I am T.A.ing today. The T.A.ing went really well, which is good because I was pretty nervous! I am taking 3 geology classes (yay science haha!), so I'm kind of geology-ed out already though!

And you know how I complained all summer about the fog and lack of sunshine? Well our late summer has hit, and it has hit hard!!! It was 103 degrees yesterday, which is pretty much unheard of in these parts of California--- 80 degrees is considered real warm here! My university's campus is up in the redwood trees, but the weather is always about 5 times more intense than in town, so it was way too hot all day up there!

As for my outfit, it is too hot to wear much, so when not in a bathing suit with my dogs at the beach, I've been in light airy dresses. This dress is actually a skirt, but it's kind of an awkward ankle length and sits too high on my waist, so dress it is! ;) I love everything about these shoes except the way they fit... they don't stay on my flippin' feet! :( As for my vest, I am basically obsessed with anything crocheted, especially in vest form. Wearing a cute vest is the easiest way to give any simple outfit some spunk and style! My braids, well those are just because it's too darn hot to wear my hair down.

Skirt (worn as dress): O'Neill ($15 from Macy's) Vest: American Rag ($10 from Macy's) Shoes: Hurley ($15)

(This is what a bad dog looks like! Ginger, you lil' devil!)

And I do have a couple of post ideas lined up for this week, so hopefully it will make up for my lack of posting! :)

Raspberry Truffle Shuffle

Ok, so I'm not going to shake my belly and do the "Truffle Shuffle" like Chunk from The Goonies! ;) But, I am going to show you my new dark 'do! I used Garnier Raspberry Truffle, which I chose partially because the color and partially because of the name haha! It's still a little dark, but it should lighten up a bit... hopefully! I actually really liked my natural color (as seen in the first shot), but I also like changing my hair nonstop. I dyed it Wednesday night... the night before school started (ya, we started way later than everyone else)! I always seem to do these things right at the beginning of the quarter. :/ Anyways, check it:

Before:

After:

Also, I've got some good news! I just won a painting via a giveaway from Cristie of The City Bird's Nest! I love her blog, her style, her love of bikes, and her awesomely silly pictures, so you can imagine how excited I was to win! When it arrives, I promise to post pictures!

I was also tagged with two awards, one from Tragic Fairy Tales and the other from Thrive On Novelty! Thank you so much girls! You are both awesome, and I always look forward to reading your new posts! Sorry it took me so long to post about it! Everyone should check out all three ladies' blogs... you'll be happy you did! ;)

Happy Friday To One And All!

Lucy! I'm Home!

This outfit was inspired by the following four things:

1.) Lucille Ball of I Love Lucy fame, who was always adorable and goofy and awesome!

(photo from pbs.org)

2.) Erin of Calivintage, whose sweater, rolled skinny jeans, and chunky heel outfits are some of my favorite in the blogosphere. Plus, she's a fellow California/ Bay Area girl... hollah!

3.) Lucy of Dear Fish Vintage, whose last post was all about red and black and matching your clothes to your tattoos. If you look close, my sweater has birds and cherry blossoms... just like my tattoooooos! ;)

4.) My brand-spankin' new shoes, because they are beautiful, and my mom bought them for me! Thanks mamacita! :)

Sweater: Element ($15 from Macy's) Jeans: American Rag ($25 from Macy's)

Shoes: Lucky Brand ($50 from Macy's online) Earrings: ($20) Bandana: $?

Happy Weekend!!!

The Devil Makes Three

[aka: one of my favorite bands ever ;) ]

(my new beanie from Forever 21 ($4.50 online)- expect to see it lots!)

Guess who's got two thumbs and is finally starting to feel better?! This chica! Hollah! ;)

On top of feeling better, the sun was out today, and I took two of my pups to the park with my friend and her adorable pup! I realize now that I spend way too much time with dogs and probably not enough with humans haha! Oh well, school starts next week, so I'll be around plenty of people soon enough.

On to my outfit, I have had this dress for a couple of years but have never worn it. It is super see-through and kind of shapeless, but for some reason I just can't seem to give it up. So, I thought I should at least wear it once before making up my mind... which I still haven't done! My cowboy boots are from a children's secondhand store, and they are still too big for my ridiculously small feet! But whatever, I still rock 'em anyways! ;)

Also, please excuse the immense amount of photos, rambling, and silly faces- this is what happens when I'm not sick!

Dress: Lux (Thrifted $10) Boots: ($? Got them years ago)

Earrings: ($20 from The Farm Bakery)

Love these the most!

What bands are you hooligans listening to these days?

Some Folks Inherit Star Spangled Eyes

(from "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival)

Ugh! Still not feeling too great, but the show must go on, eh?! I kept my outfit fairly cozy today, especially since it was brrrr cold out all day! I felt very Americana in this chambray/jean combo and even more so against the red and white of my house. Maybe because it's 9/11 so I'm feeling a little patriotic... Anyways, I'm keeping it short tonight, since I'm a sickling, but I hope everyone is having an excellent weekend! Hopefully by my next post I'll be feeling better and will be able to actually put some effort into my outfits haha! ;)

Button-up Shirt: Billabong($10 from Macy's) Tanktop: F21 Burma Elephant Tank ($12 online) Jeans: American Rag ($25 from Macy's) Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell ($50 from Ross) Earrings: ($8 from PacSun)

Peace Out Friendly-Types!

Let's GoGo On Safari

First off, thank you to everyone for your sweet comments on my last post! It was one of my favorite outfits as well! Also, a great big gigante thank you to everybody for visiting/commenting on/following Showers of Sunflowers! :)

On the not-so-bright-side, I am not feeling super great... my mom passed a cold she caught from her sixth grade students on to me. :( Bleh, no good! I wanted to do a post though, since I haven't for a while, so I kept it simple. I love my giraffe sweater, and I wear it with pretty much everything! The sweater dress is my mom's, and it's a little small and see-through, but the sweater made it wearable. As for the boots, I have had them for years and years and got them for super cheap. They are beat up, but I just keep on wearing them! ;) For some reason, I felt like a go-go dancer on safari, hence the title haha! Please excuse my un-psyched face in these shots! :/

Sweater: Volcom ($15 from Macy's) Dress: Volcom ($? from Macy's)

Boots: (?) Earrings: ($5 from PacSun)

Lots O' Love!!!

Moats and Boats and Waterfalls

(from 'Home' by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros)

Honestly, I'm kinda digging this whole summer to autumn wardrobe transition. I love summer, but since this summer has been one of the coldest in the past 40 years in my neck of the woods, I am okay with the supposed-to-be cold seasons coming. I also like the color pallet for autumn; browns, greens, and rich colors suit me just fine! ;) This skirt has no elastic in the waist, so a belt is more than necessary, but I love the colors and its bohemian feel. I also love my hat, which my friend bought for me in Ireland while she was a student in Spain last year. It's warm and pretty, and kept my head toasty in the evening fog! And, I don't think it is visible in the photos, but my sweater says 'LOVE' in light blue! :)

Sweater: (Thrifted $10) Skirt: (? Had it forever) Shoes: Lucky Brand ($60 from Macy's) Hat: (Gift from Ireland) Purse: (Thrifted $10) Belt: (Thrifted $8)

Gourds from the squash plant that is taking over my entire yard ;)

Puppy love for everyone!!!

Goodness Gracious

Oh boy, the puppy clan is expanding! We got another puppy yesterday... seriously. I blame my mom-- she is dog-crazy and can't seem to help herself! He is 8 weeks old and possibly an Australian Shepherd/ terrier mix, but it's hard to tell. He has ears that are far too big for his tiny face, making him ridiculous looking and super cute at the same time! He is currently asleep on my lap, which is good because I think the other dogs would like to eat him! :0 So, cute outfits are taking a backseat to puppy-proof clothing for at least a couple of days (especially since he peed all over me yesterday haha)!

We are thinking about naming him Zeke, but we'll see if it sticks...

Hopefully he doesn't become lunch for the other pups!