First Things First

As some of you may remember, I won my first blog giveaway a few weeks ago from Spotted Moth via Tieka of Selective Potential, and it finally arrived! Hurrah!

It's definitely a statement piece, so I imagine wearing it with a simple outfit or possibly in my hair... who knows, the possibilities are endless! ;)

Annnddddd.... the lovely lady behind The October Issue honored me with the Versatile Blogger Award! If you haven't checked out her blog, do so! :) I think the rules are to list 7 things about myself and then pass the award on to a few bloggers... so here goes.

1.) I have 3 tattoos (a cherry blossom branch across my back, seven mini swallows swooping across my chest, and a traditional swallow on each wrist), and I plan on getting at least one more. What can I say, I'm hooked! ;)

2.) I have 3 dogs (all Queensland Heelers, but one is mixed with Pitbull). Panda lives with my dad and brother, and Rocco and Ginger live with my mom and me. They are crazy but I love them!

3.) I have a 16 year old brother who lives with my dad. His name is Taylor, and he is mentally ill so he doesn't leave the house/go to/school/etc. He's a funny kid though, and I luuurv him! If he ever lets me take pictures of him, I promise to post them!

4.) I live across from the street from the beach. Spoiled, eh? My house is like a little beach bungalow, and it is awesome!

5.) I used to bleach my hair white blond. Like Gwen Stefani white blond. It was fun, and I had it for about 4 years, but the upkeep was a bit much. I like changing my hair constantly, though, and always dye/ cut it.

6.)I like reality TV. Kind of lame, but it is entertaining. I'm mainly into Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, and So You Think You Can Dance. They're my guilty pleasures! ;)

7.)I don't drive on the freeway. I have, and if I had to again I could, but I really prefer not to! I don't mind driving fast, but I'm not into merging while driving fast haha! So city streets it is!

And as for the awesome bloggers I am passing the award on to...

1.) Amber Rose of Laughing with Broken Eyes

(http://www.modestjune.com)

2.)Emily of Ruby Slipper Journeys

(http://rubyslipperjourneys.blogspot.com)

3.)Johanna from Sketchbook Six

(http://sketchbooksix.blogspot.com)

4.) Ali from The Drawing Mannequin

(http://thedrawingmannequin.blogspot.com)

5.)Ellie Rose from The Mix Kitchen

(http://themixkitchen.blogspot.com)

6.) Marilou from Twenty York Street

(http://twentyyork.blogspot.com)

7.) Whitney from Chubby- But- Lovely

(http://chubby-but-lovely.blogspot.com)

In Transit

I went on a mini adventure with my family today. We tried to go on a hike near a small town called Davenport, but the trail ended up being a no dog zone, so we went to a beach near the trail to let the pups run. It was super windy and there was a dead seal floating in the water, stinking the place up, but we had fun staying upwind of the stench! I wish I had brought my camera, it was so pretty and the water was teal and clear! This is a picture of the same beach I found online, though... the rock on the right is called Greyhound Rock.

Anyways, summer is coming to an end before it even started here. The wind picked up today, and our two days of warmth have since returned to mild weather. So, I thought I'd wear a Summer-to-Fall outfit. The dress is clearly very summery (excuse the uneven hem!), but I paired it with bright/warm colors and my lovely new clogs to make the transition into the upcoming season. I have found that I dress cute during summer, but I dress more "stylish" during the cooler seasons when I actually put more thought into my outfits.

Dress: Billabong (My mom's) Tights: ($10 from Macy's) Sweater: Roxy ($15 from Macy's) Clogs: Jeffrey Campbell Cayenne Clogs ($50 from Ross) Earrings: ($5 from PacSun)

Also, I just joined Bloglovin', so feel free to follow through that as well! :) Thanks!!!

What is your favorite season clothing/fashion-wise?

Don't You Ever Stop

Oh Jeffrey Campbell, you're the poet in my heart (two Fleetwood Mac references in one post, that's right). I just found these Jeffrey Campbell clogs at Ross of all places for 50% off their retail price! Hollah! They are clogs, too, so I'm right on trend, eh?! They are beautiful and comfy, and I love them oh so very much! I also got this dress there for $7! While I really need to stop spending money, I couldn't pass these two deals up!

Dress: One Clothing ($7 from Ross) Clogs: Jeffrey Campbell 'Cayenne' Clog ($50 from Ross)

Peace Bracelet: (Gift from my aunt) Hair bow: (just found it in my room today)

Also, the past couple of days have been the first truly warm days all summer, so I have been living in my cutoff jean shorts, a tank, my bathing suit, and my super matted ocean hair! The fog just rolled back in, so looks like I won't be being so grungy (as seen below) anymore haha!

Shucks!

You Can't Always Get What You Want

I have a very hard time being serious in front of a camera. I always make silly faces, or just look awkward, or do something else to make an otherwise good picture a little funky. What can I say, I'm kind of a spaz! ;) This blog has helped me in that I can now take a few good shots in a row before crossing my eyes or sticking out my tongue, but there are still plenty of less-than-flattering photos of me. So, here are some of them in all of their unedited, uncensored beauty! Hope you enjoy! :)

Good thing I don't mind looking like a fool, eh?

Do you prefer being silly or serious in photos?

You Got A Face With A View

(from Talking Head's "This Must Be The Place" )

Fact: I love suspenders.

I really do, and I'm not sure why. The last couple of things I ordered from Forever 21 came with suspenders, so I've been sporting them out and about lately and totally loving it! This is my mom's scooter, and I do believe it makes quite a nice prop hehe! I felt pretty retro with the scooter, suspenders, and shiny oxfords, so I tried to edit my photos to reflect it. Like it?

Love my little pup!

Top: American Rag ($10 from Macy's) Jeans: American Rag ($20 from Macy's) Suspenders: from F21 skirt Oxfords: F21 ($20? online) Earrings: ($20 from The Farm Bakery)

Oh, and good news: I won a Spotted Moth giveaway from Tieka over at Selective Potential! Woohoo! On the off chance that any of you aren't avid followers of her blog, get your butts over there pronto! I am super excited because 1) I love Tieka's blog, and 2) it's my first giveaway win! Also check out Spotted Moth; they have great stuff! As soon as my prize arrives, I promise to post photos! :)

What's What and Who's Who

I have had this blog for a couple of months now, so I figured it was time to share some interesting tidbits about myself with you guys!

1.) My name is actually Rhiannon, not Rio.

I use Rio here in the blogosphere (which makes it sound like we bloggers live in our own little world... which is kind of true :)) because (1) it has been my nickname forever (along with Rhi, Nannon, etc), and (2) Rhiannon takes a lot longer to type out all the time... yes I am that lazy haha!

Me and my pretty puppy Rocco :)

2.) I am really, really short.

I'm not talking about just below average height, either! I am 4 feet eleven inches tall... yup under 5 feet tall. I actually like being this short though; it works for me :). There are really only two things that bother me about it: 1) People think they can pick me up all the time. This is not only weird, it's kinda creepy haha! 2.) People think they can talk to me like I'm 5 years old. Earlier this year, a silly girl who was probably a good 4-5 years younger than me actually baby-talked to me at a concert. Not cool man, not cool! Overall, though, I like being small. :)

My mom is 5'8" just for reference as to my shortness :)

3.) I am a waitress.

I work at a small Hawaiin food restaurant that serves Hawaiin style plate lunches, i.e. chicken teriyaki with rice and macaroni salad. I make pretty good tips (dollah dollah bills y'all haha), and I plan on working there until I'm done with college. There is only one girl who works at a time, along with the cooks, and a food runner on the weekends during summer, so the girl working has to take orders, run food (except in summer), clear tables, clean, and stock everything. It's tiring and not my ideal job, but I do like my coworkers, bosses, and a lot of the regulars I've met in my almost 2 years there.

3 item combo plate w/ coconut prawns, kal-bi ribs, and chicken teriyaki

4.) I am a science nerd through and through.

I am going into my senior year as an Earth Science major at UCSC, and my main focus is marine/coastal geology. At my junior college, I was a teaching assistant for an Oceanography lab for 2.5 years, and it was awesome. This quarter, I will be taking 3 upper-division geology classes, and I get to be an instructional aid for a California Geology class, which means I have to run my own discussion section...ahhhh scary! What can I say, I really like rocks. ;)

Geology field class at the Pinnacles National Park

5.) I love traveling.

I loooooove it, seriously. My family is definitely far from being rich, but my parents have always made traveling a priority. We have driven through Baja California more times than I can count, through the desert, scary cliffside roads, getting lost, popping tires, and shattering windows! We also went to Bali as a family, and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. My mom and I went to Costa Rica two summers ago, and I fell in love with the country, the people, the zip-lining through the forest,etc. I just love going new places, meeting new people, and trying new things. I'm always thinking about where I want to go next!

Waiting at the Liberia Airport in Costa Rica, 2008

Anything you feel like sharing about yourselves?

Let The Sunshine In

Hot diggitty it's sunny today! Still a bit breezy, but hey sunshine is sunshine, right?! I just got this top today (note to self: Stop spending money!), and I think I can style it in a lot of ways... dark skinny jeans perhaps. As much as I love the shoes in these photos, I cannot walk in them on solid ground, let alone in soft, muddy grass. There were definitely some close calls walking through my front yard! ;) I am actually wearing cutoff jean shorts and a tank today, but I thought I'd practice styling my new top then change back into my sunny day outfit! It was super bright out, so it's a little hard to see the details in the top, but the bow and stripes are a pretty silver and not as washed out as they look here haha!

My silly puppies making me laugh and almost tripping me :)

Shirt: American Rag ($15 from Macy's) Leggings: ($10? from Macy's) Shoes: Steve Madden ($75 from Macy's) Earrings: My Great-Grandma Ola's

Anybody do anything fun this weekend???

Oh I Would Make Einstein Jealous With My Brilliance

Back from camping! While I had fun and it was good to get out of town for a couple of days, being the genius that I am, I did make three fairly significant mistakes pertaining to my trip.

Numero uno: I forgot my camera. Seriously. What kind of a blogger forgets to bring their camera on their only trip of the summer?! I realized it when we were driving through San Francisco, and couldn't justify driving the hour and a half back home to get it. Dang!

Numero dos: Our plan was to go to the Russian River, but I somehow booked our campsite in Cloverdale, where apparently the river doesn't really make a huge appearance! We did drive to Healdsburg our second day, where we found the river, but our campsite in Cloverdale was in the middle of nowhere. Well, it was near a tiny duck pond but no river! Doh!

Numero tres: When we found the river, we ended up taking an 8 mile kayak trip. It was super cool, and the company allows dogs to go in the inflatable kayaks. My mom was in charge of keeping the dogs in the kayak, which meant that I was on row duty! The mistake was made in that I put sunscreen everywhere but the tops of my legs and my stomach! Now I look like a lobster... and I am ridiculously sore! Ouch!

Anyhoo... here's what I wore to work tonight. I thought I'd try this new one-feather-earring trend, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm liking it! :)

Blouse: Forever 21 (thrifted $10) Jeans: American Rag ($25 from Macy's) Sandals: Roxy ($15 from Macy's) Belt (thrifted $8) Earring: Feather from an American Rag vest put on a small hoop (creative, eh?)

Now I'm tired from a busy night at work, so goodnight to one and all!

Gone Camping... Be Back Soon

Yay!!! I am going camping! Wish me warm weather and happy camping! :) I'll be back in a couple of days to post some fireside/riverside pictures!

First three photos from weheartit

Camping at the Pinnacles National Monument two years ago for a geology field class (what a nerd, I know!)

Anyone going anywhere cool before summer ends???

Pop Tart

So I lied... I didn't take any outfit shots today. But, I did glam it up a bit and took some fun, kooky, colorful shots inspired by my newly painted nails! My outfit was nothing special, so I decided not to include it in the shots, but I did have fun with all the candy colors on and around my face haha! I was also proud of the fact that the "headband" I am wearing is actually a scarf that I managed to get to resemble some sort of a blossomy headwrap :).

Hear No...

See No...

Speak No...

I look evil... hehe

But, you can kind of see the purple lipstick and green eyeliner (which I wish showed up more in the pictures!) so I'm posting it anyways :)

Happy Weekend!!!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Tsk tsk... bad blogger! I have done a total of one outfit posts this week. Doh! A combination of being summoned for jury duty (didn't get picked or even questioned YAY!), cold weather, and plain old laziness has made for a week of boring outfits. So instead of changing out of my sweatshirt and ripped jeans, I am posting pictures of the bangs that I wish I had. Once my layers grow out a wee bit, I will get bangs cut. Probably side-swept since my hair is wavy and super thick, but I can still dream of blunt bangs, right?! Oh, and I promise an outfit post for tomorrow! :)

(Top two images from Allure Magazine)

(www.celebsalon.sheknows.com)

(http://site.voguewigs.com)

(http://beauty.about.com)

So... What Do You Think?