I Made A Teen Titan...

costume: thrifted and made by me (i just feel so happy saying that)

Funny fact: When my family fandoms, we legitimately FANDOM. My little sisters had a fandom over the Jonas Brothers that you would not believe. The Hunger Games was in everyday conversation in our family since it was published. We have met David Archuleta twice and have been to over 5 of his concerts. One Direction decorates my thoughts and dreams and are quickly overwhelming my life with the general British/Irish hotness. So, when my brother came home with a yellow sheet, green tights, and a red shirt from Savers it came as no surprise to me that he wanted to dress up for the new Batman movie. ( I now realize this post is debuting 3 months later, but for the DVD release, you know?)

I don't quite know why he chose Teen Titan Robin as a character to dress up as...? But what I did know was that he gave me 1 hour to make him the costume. I cut up the yellow sheet and red shirt, sewed on the embellishments, created the gloves out of extra fabric and made sure that he wore something on top of the green tights (you're welcome Utah Valley). But it didn't stop there. He wanted a mask. So I grabbed out the Halloween make up and painted him a mask. I gelled up his hair and VOILA- Teen Titan Robin.

We Hamilton children have no shame.

Happy HalLOUween!

So...Halloween comes around every year..obviously. And I always put off costume ideas until quite literally the day before...you know, when the thrift shops have been stripped bear and all that is left are those "let's see how little fabric you can wear going out in public and get away with it 'cause it's Halloween" costumes, ya, no thanks. 

I delved deep into my brain, and I all I could think of was One Direction this, and One Direction that (big surprise, I know). I sat thinking and thinking when it suddenly dawned upon me like a grand vision. 

Louis Tomlinson and Eleanor Calder.

These two are quite the hot item right now. Louis is a gorgeous member of the globally famous band One Direction, who is currently dating British model, Eleanor J. Calder. Why NOT make them a Halloween costume?!

So, I dressed up my sister in a striped shirt and red pants, threw her into some Tom's, pinned up her hair and added a 5 o'clock shadow...the effect was shocking.

Eleanor's outfit was fairly easy. She's a classy gal, and luckily, everything I needed for the outfit was in my closet. Sweet. 

No one in our family knew who we were...big surprise. I got a "Snooki",  and that "girl from Jersey Shore" and Sarah got called "Harry"...close, SO close.

What's better than being a member of One Direction's girlfriend?

Not. A. Lot.

One Direction Party Style!

One Direction released their Up All Night Tour DVD. The only way to watch a concert tour DVD is with a party. A party with style.

each outfit came from my closet, all of which was thrifted. yes, yes, i do love some One Direction style.

No haters please. I invited many a person to this party. Of all those invited, my little sisters, and my best friend showed up. Which left no one to be Niall. Come on people. You do not leave out Niall.

Becca: Louis Loves StripesTomlinson

Sarah: Harry Styles (beanie styles...haha no pun intended)

Emily: Liam "the hottie" Payne

Myself: Zayn'n and brooding Malik

I honestly didn't think that our sound system could go up as high as we had it...but it did. The walls were vibrating with One Direction rhythm. There was dancing, their was screaming, there was singing, and yes, there was definitely some excessive bouts of fangirling. 

That's right, I know you all wish you were there.

What I Wore: Fancy Florals

blouse: thrifted, levi shorts: thrifted, bdg tennis shoes: uo, tights: walmart

I hit up the thrift store...again. I have been looking for a really flowy floral top as of late and wouldn't you know it, the first thing I see when I walk into the thrift store is this floral gem. I don't about you, but I suffer in hot weather. Don't get me wrong, I love summer. LOVE. But there is something about 100+ degree weather that kills me. It doesn't help that I pair tights with shorts...but I'm not subjecting the innocent public to my legs.

AND OH MY WORD.

You guys, the pairing of my blue tights and red shoes looks awfully familiar...I AM SPIDERMAN.

The Amazing Spiderman...is Amazingly HOT.

I've got a soft spot for all things British.

1. biggest dream: live in London.

2. british fashion sense

3. cottages

4. One Direction

5. if i had a british accent I would never shut up

6. Andrew Garfield

7. i read anything and everything to do with medieval england

8. british accents

9. overcast forecasts

10. british accents

When I heard that one of my British obsessions, Andrew Garfield was going to play Spider Man in the newest rendition of the epic comic films I basically started counting down the days, minutes and seconds until I got to see him on the big screen. My brother took me to the movie for my birthday and i.was.so.overwhelmed.by.this.man's.attractiveness.

You guys, I am waiting for a backstage pass to meet my husband. 

yes, yes i did approve of the spidey suit. 

i mean come on, this man makes nerd glasses look hot. 

hello biceps.

I loved how awkward Peter Parker was. The Lizard Man was a little weird...but what comic book villian isn't? Even if I had hated the story, I would go and see this again, and again. Eye candy. 

Stimulus Tuesday is coming up. All tickets, all day are six bucks and popcorn and drinks are a dollar. I think I'll settle into a movie theater seat with my dollar popcorn and enjoy the amazingly HOT spider man.

Yard Sailing: Week 1

What do I love more than trips to the thrift store? A lot of things actually. My family, Disneyland, currently One Direction...excuse me as I get distracted. The answer to the initial question is YARD SALES. The yard sales are so beloved in my family that we have actually coined our own verb for our weekly outings- "yard sailing". We are pretty legitimate. I mean, in what alternate universe would I ever wake up on a Saturday morning at a quarter to 8 for anything other than a yard sale? I would if it meant I would get to meet One Direction...but again, I digress...

This week's edition are finds found in the good old city of Payson, Utah. I could not believe the amazing items I found. Forget high-end Orem yard sales with their, "I'll sell that jacket that I bought at DI to you for $15 dollars because even though I spent probably $3 bucks on it, the fact that I at one time purchased and owned the jacket makes the value triple in rate." Ya....no, thanks. Payson sales know deals. I mean you have yard sales to clear out crap, therefore saving you the back breaking effort of loading all the said crap you didn't sale into the back of your truck to haul to DI. For all the amazing stuff I found I didn't spend more than $10 dollars. Thank you Payson, and thank you Grandma for being willing to barter down prices because I am too pathetically shy to do it myself. 

1. pair of 1940's daniel green red wedges 2. vintage embroidered clock (it works!) 3. adorable vintage squirrel cookie jar 4. vintage christmas ornaments 5. 1930's double wedding ring quilt 6. vintage ceramic mustache mug 7. 1950's french lady lamp (i can't even you guys...I think I legitimately drooled) 8. vintage dick and jane novel (I am a huge sucker for cute illustrations) 9. 1930's wall calendar graphic framed (there is a story written on the back. apparantly this hung in a poultry farm and the woman who penned the story saved the print from rain leakage) 10. vintage ceramic fawn (i might be a tad obsessed with woodland animals) 11. 1960's embroidered clutch

I am currently having the funnest of fun times decorating my room with some of these items. Items that will not be added to my room will be sold on my Etsy shop-NerdyBirdyVintage. Check it out here!

It's Prom!

It's May, my friends, and you know what that means!

A month of testy weather (seriously, just pick-hot or cold), yard sales, spring flowers, graduations, weddings and of course, prom! Planted Earth has been busy with young high school students buying corsages and bouts for their prom dates. Aw...young love. What better way to impress your high school sweetheart than with a mini bouquet strapped to your wrist or lapel? And of course, prom would not be complete without the fancy dresses, tuxedos and dazzling hair and make up (not so much on the guys, but these days, you never know..)

So when I got a text from my dear friend asking if I would be willing to do her little sister's hair and make-up for prom, I jumped at the opportunity. Equipped with my trusty curling iron, make-up and bobby pins I was ready to transform the beautiful Ms.Stefanie into a prom queen:

I had so much fun with Stef's hair! I divided her hair into several different layers, spritzing each with hairspray. Each of those layers were curled with the hair wrapped around the barrel. After each layer was complete I ratted the hair on the crown of her head and took 4-5 sections, pinning each at the back of her head with a bobby pin to create a more voluminous look. I took the end of each of these sections and shaped them into curls the wrapped around one another. A few rhinestones and a ton of hairspray later we had our hairstyle!

The make-up was my favorite part! Stefanie is naturally a gorgeous gal, so it didn't take much! I added foundation to create an overall matte finish, using concealer under the eyes and on some red spots. I then set the foundation with some loose powder. To highlight the cheekbones I added bronzer to the area beneath the cheekbone and then highlighted the apples of the cheek with blush.

I started with a matte color on the eyes and then layered a darker brown on the dome of the eyelid. With an angled eye brush I created a eyeliner line and then smudged to create a softer look. After adding a dark brown to the corner edges of the eye I then added liquid eyeliner to the outer corner of the eyelid angling them toward her eyebrow. A little bit of lengthening mascara later and voila! A fresh and fabulous prom look!

one direction

Um....

What is better than 5 extremely attractive boys from England that dress amazingly fantastic in a way that only trendy Europeans can do, who happen to have voices that sing bubblegum pop songs that stay in your head all day after being played at excessively high volumes in the car while driving anywhere around town?

Not a lot..not a lot...

 

Well...maybe three tickets to see them live in concert next July. Section 203, Row 4, Seats 4,5,6. 

You better believe it. 

Daily Outfit: Nautical Inspiration

vintage sailor shirt: thrifted, cardigan: bdg (thrifted), high-waist jeans: thrifted, vintage keds: thrifted, headband: dollar store

I thought to myself while driving around town the other day, "self, you haven't posted an outfit post in awhile. not that anyone cares if you do or not...but you know, just saying..." and then I turned the volume of the cd player in my car to deaf inducing tones-which I will later pay for when I am older and can't hear my grandchildren- and belted out the chorus to one direction's, "one thing" because it is just that darn catchy.

note to self: remember to roll the windows of your car up when belting out a hit like your mariah carey...

my thrifty bedside table

I have been thrifting like a fiend for the past couple of...oh dear...for the past couple of months.

I'd like to say that I list a lot of the stuff I find thrifting on my etsy store, but alas, I usually find the items to cute to live without. 

And what happens when you get all sorts of cuteness together? Well my dear friends...you must show it off. 

Today I am featuring my "bedside/reading" table:

framed embroidery/butterfly: thrifted, lamp:thrifted, books:thrifted, ceramic planter/plant: planted earth, fabric yo-yo cover: made by me, terrarium cover: hobby lobby, gnome candle: thrifted, old sewing table: garage sale

Coming up next: My dresser drawers!

Happy Thrifting!

April Fool's Day

I was downstairs the other day, sitting on the couch, reading a book, minding my own business. 

All of a sudden my sister walks up to me, stares at me for a few awkward seconds and then says:

Sarah: Guess what?

Me: ?

Sarah: Josh Hutcherson won't be playing Peeta in the next Hunger Game movies. He didn't sign the contracts. 

Me: .....

Sarah: *still continues to stare at me awkwardly*

Me: ......

Sarah: Did you hear what I said?

Me: ......

 Sarah: Erica?

Me:

Of course, it was only after the fact that I had begun to write a petition to keep Josh Hutcherson in the Hunger Games, wished all manner of terrible things upon the casting crew, and cried just enough to create a tributary to the Nile River that Sarah then said:

April Fool's!

Someone is not going to sleep easy tonight....

they see us rollin'...they hatin'...

Spring is in the air! 

Well, to be quite honest, some days it feels like spring, the warm sun shining down on the beautiful valley in golden rays. Other days feel like you stepped into an ice chest filled with grey smog that clogs your lungs and makes your eyes water.  And of course there is the occasional day where you had planned for chilliness, wearing a ski sweater and long john's, but silently curse to yourself wishing you could pull the sacks of lava off you as the day wears on, the sun becomes brighter and the temperature rises to 80 degrees.

When I see blossoms on a tree, and the beginnings of green grass, regardless of the fact that the may still be covered in snow, it's time to pull out the beach cruisers!

And what is a perfect beach cruiser without a perfect Dad? A stick with wheels. My sweet, sweet Dad checked over our swag rides, pumped the tires, and attached handy and might I add, adorable wicker baskets. It was like having our own Nascar pit crew.

Riding our bikes like a boss. We be SO fly. 

and it was...AMAZING.

My fellow friends and bloggers. 

As you may know, I have been awaiting the premier of the Hunger Games for quite some time. I have been fangirling like it's nobody business. And when the night of the 23rd arrived I was hardly able to contain my excitement. 

In order to properly celebrate the release of this epic film, I knew that I had to dress up. And dress up I did. Oh...we were legit...

Hannah, my little sister's best friend, accompanied me and Emily to the thrift store in attempt to find a "capitol" outfit. Emily found an amazing outfit for Katniss in the arena, and Hannah, well, you'll just have to check out the pictures to see.

I picked out an outfit for Sarah, braided her hair, and *BAM* she became Prim. I had Hannah curl her hair, then I put it up, spray painted it pink, and went hard to work on her makeup and *BAZINGA* we have Effie Trinket. Emily borrowed my boots and pants and surprisingly let me braid her hair. Complete with a bow and arrow *WHAM* Emily became Katniss in the arena. Sarah remembered I had the perfect dress to match Katniss's reaping outfit. I threw it on, quickly put my hair up in a braided ca-bobble and *WHOA* I was Katniss at the reaping. 

You guys, the movie was perfection. I rarely enjoy books being converted to movies, but I was not disappointed in the slightest. Sure, there were some things that I thought were missing (more PEETA!), and things that they could have done right (the giving of the Mockingjay pin), but in all sincerity, I.LOVED.THIS.MOVIE. And I will hear no crap from anyone on Peeta, a.k.a, Josh Hutcherson. His incredibly attractive jawline astounds me. I love him.

So..to all my fellow Hunger Game fans...

May the Odds be Ever in your Favor!

oh my gosh you guys...

The Hunger Games Movie comes out tomorrow....

TOMORROW

*breathe in and out Erica, slow, steady breaths*

holysmokesalmightyicannotwaitilovepeetaihopetheydothebookjusticeiamtotallydressingupaaahhh!

I just said that all really loud in one breath. Yes, that is how excited I am. 

Went to the thrift store to get my sister's Katniss outfits, and a couple of Capitol outfits too. Might I just say that they are totally legit. With a capital "egit".

This is going to be the highlight of my whole year. I am not joking.

For your entertainment (but mostly mine) I have provided fandom pictures below:

You guys. I think I might die.