"Why I'm Excited it's Almost Autumn" by the one and only GINA

well, friends, do I have a treat for YOU! the one and only, GINA, is guest posting for me today

because I'm birthday-ed out and spending time to hang out

with my friends and "vacation-ing" if you will indulge me that far.

GINA writes for Hello Giggles ,which is where I first found her,

and is quite seriously the person I would Freaky Friday/switch bodies

and lives with if I could. 

visit her here.

THANK YOU, GINA!

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Why I’m Excited it’s Almost Autumn

And by “almost,” I mean “two months, practically,” but a girl can fantasize. Maggie asked me if I wanted to guest blog for her while she was vacationing and living out the freshly 21 year-old dream, and I said YES! But had no idea what I should write about. To be honest, I’ve been slacking on my own blog. I got a new kitten (Yoshimi) and she’s been taking up almost all of my free time. Not that she’s a hassle-she’s a very independent little girl. But she gets into EVERYTHING. Like, right now, she’s investigating my Trader Joe’s cookie butter filled chocolate bar sitting on my bedside table. And I have to steer her away from the True Death and so she’s started to claw my thighs and laptop screen. So, yeah, fun times, everyone. 

This morning I woke up, however, and realized I really want it to be autumn. Like, really bad. And I was like, this is what I’m going to write about. I’m done with the sticky weather (it’s even been weird and humid in San Diego), I’ve had no time to go to the beach anyway, and I want my pumpkin spice latte already. Fall is seriously the best season because: 

1.      Like I mentioned: PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES.

Actually, pumpkin everything. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes (the mix from Trader Joe’s is seriously bomb) pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin candles, pumpkins themselves. The combination of pumpkin and cinnamon is just so cathartic; add almond milk to the mix and I’m golden.    

2.  Fall fashion.

Late August means I get to go back-to-school shopping, even though grad school probably doesn’t warrant that luxury. I AM teaching my own freshman comp class this year, so I should get some new clothes for that right? I am SO excited for all the forest greens, burnt siennas, new jeans, boots, tights, and sweaters.

3.   ALL the shows.

Well, not all. Shameless and Game of Thrones aren’t back until winter/spring. BUT hello Walking Dead, American Horror Story,New Girl, and the Mindy Kaling Project. So many good things happenings once it starts to cool down, and a lot of them are on my laptop screen. Hooray.

4.   Thanksgiving.

I like food, okay? What can I say. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all time because it doesn’t involve the stress of buying presents, it just promotes love and thanks and family, and those are the most important things in life, right? And it’s just a stress-free holiday. Like, even making Thanksgiving dinner isn’t even that hard. You just coat a turkey with seasoning and stick it in the oven for 8 hours mash up a few different kinds of squash. Pretty much easy. Thanksgiving is a holiday that revolves around eating too much and then passing out on the couch while your dad and uncle watch football. It’s amazing.

5.   It’s always “crisp”.

I love the word “crisp” because it’s hard to describe the weather when it’s clear, kind of cold but not, and fresh. Like, you breathe it in and you are that much more alive. Fall weather is almost always “crisp” even in Southern California (although sometimes it’s just Indian Summer over here and that’s always disappointing).

I just had to Google “how to play with your kitten effectively”. I’m seriously. I’m such a bad cat mom. But she’s been chewing on my paycheck for the last five minutes and all the toys I give her are not as good as the $120 curtains I just bought. On accident. That’s a different story, though. Also, is it normal for kittens to just attack you? Like, woah, energy. Sometimes she’ll just attack a corner for being a corner. I’m trying not to take it personally. 

Anyway, thanks again for letting me guest blog. I know the love of fall is nothing revolutionary, but I just had to get it out there today. And it’s mid-summer. And I’m feeling that mid-season itch where I want things to be different. And fall kind of encourages you to start over, even if it means buying a new maxi skirt and jean jacket. Over and out.

a post from shelby

so shelby is more or less one of my favorite people

and i asked her to guest post on my blog because i am so very busy and 

semi internet-less

on the beach getting burnt and eating smores. 

THANKS, shelby!

also, read her blog.

that is a command.

************

There’s this weird phenomenon where people who are young and in love are somehow supposed to publicly acknowledge that we know it might not work out and that if it doesn’t, you know, whatever, life. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard “oh, you’re so young!” or “you don’t even know yourself until you’re thirty!” after hearing that I’m engaged, and I don’t disagree. I hope that I’ll be constantly growing for the rest of my life. I’ll just have Sam by my side.

There’s also this weird need for people to tell me that I need to date a wider variety of people before I “pick” one. I suppose this means that I’m supposed to go to clubs or bars and try to “find” someone. I went to college away from Sam. I had opportunities to meet more interesting and more desirable people, but I didn’t find any. Admittedly, I wasn’t looking, but I wasn’t looking for Sam, either. He just kind of happened. I found a good one at a young age and I’d like to keep him. Why wade through the creepers, cheaters, and generally boring individuals in pursuit of finding something only half as interesting and perfect for me than Sam? I have absolutely zero interest in dating around, and anyone that has ever married someone for love can absolutely attest to that fact. I like to joke that if Ryan Gosling was at my door, I’d still choose Sammy every time. And I would. 

You know how you have those moments where everything feels right and you’re right where you’re supposed to be? That’s how I feel with Sam. When he unexpectedly showed up at OSU after driving for three hours because I’d had a bad day and he wanted to cheer me up – that was one of those moments. When he asked me to marry him, after we had been baking scones after a really bad day and I knocked over a bowl of water that splashed all over the floor, only to turn around when I heard a chuckle to see him on one knee with an earnest look on his face – that was one of those moments. When we split grilled cheese sandwiches on his floor, or when I wake up to him giggling like a schoolboy as he parts my hair down the middle, or when I always, always forget to hang up my towels after I get out of the shower and he hangs them up for me with minimal complaint – those are those moments.

About a month ago, we adopted a puppy. In exactly eleven days, Sammy and I will be signing the lease on our first apartment. In about a year, we’ll be getting married. After almost three years of living in different states and going to different colleges, we’ll finally be together. Hopefully, in about ten years, we’ll be having babies that look like the triplets from Brave. I know that we’re young, but we’re also happy. Why wait?

guest blog for jen!

if you want to see the front of my outfit (or my face), a closer

picture of these shoes, and read what i have to say about why

these shoes are the last shoes i would have

ever imagined myself wearing, wander over

to jen's blog to see my guest post!

and over thanksgiving break, i learned html

between editing pictures, back to back episodes of season 7 of how i met your mother,
and physics problems, i managed to teach myself html.
i knew it before, but in my last layout, it took some tricky sneaky
moves to figure out and finish after i'd finished the ground work.
low and behold, brooke's blog!
also, you should probably read it... she is a real hoot and i went
to high school with her, just saying.
(also she guest posted for me this summer here!)

guest post from brooke!

ever since i started reading brooke's blog , i have closeted both an irrational fear of admitting to her that i stalked hers regularly because i'll never tell a story nor be as witty as she is and an irrational fear of asking her to maybe, someday, hopefully post on my own blog. both fears were silly, namely because it was revealed she read mine (WHAT!) and when i asked her in the midst of her wedding planning and exciting life, i promise you she did reply in all caps and exclamation points. and i'll let my blog readers in on a secret: i know brooke in real life!!! i went to high school with brooke and also endured countless never-as-bad-as-i-expected-them-to-be early morning soccer conditionings together. brooke was always a hoot and extremely nice, but i secretly was also a huge fan-girl of her closet; ado, i always felt it was completely superior to my own. this girl has styleeeee! i'm completely excited to share with you all one of my favorite blogs that i read daily but also someone who comes from the same roots as my own. idahoans are of a special and spectacular breed, folks. go read (and follow!) her blog because you'll probably pee your pants from laughing. she's also beyond gorgeous and is getting married in less than a month and i can guarantee her wedding pictures are going to be out of this world. lastly, i really want her hat and
to rock lipstick so awesomely as she does.

_____________________________________________________________

Giant-cyber pinky promise to not make fun of my modeling attempts?(also, dear fashion bloggers, HOW DO YOU DO IT?! I have about...one pose and then I was stumped!)

Onwards.

Can I just tell you how excited I am to be here? When Maggie asked me to guest post on her blog I emailed her back a slew of capital letters and exclamation points. When she asked me to talk about my style, I peed on the floor…twice. You guys, I love clothes.

My style has evolved and changed over the years, thankfully. I love to adventure with my style—one day I’m sophisticated and preppy and the next day I’m in a tye-dye dress with a baseball tee underneath (no seriously, this happened 10^th grade year—giant-cyber eye roll? Me too). This year, in particular, my style has undergone the most change.

College has forced me to rethink my closet and clothing purchases. With limited storage space, crazy weather (dangit, Utah winters!), and the freshman fifteen (A REAL THING!), I’ve been forced to recruit an army of basics to guide my through my days. I find myself wearing cotton t-shirts (Urban Outfitters men’s section!), chambray button ups, boyfriend jeans, and generous swipes of punchy lipstick (M.A.C. Chatterbox and Revlon Coral Crush, thank you) 95% of the time (usually not all together, usually).

My one piece of style advice: just own it. Even if you feel silly and realize halfway through the day that you look like a clown, own it. And layer. And also always shop the clearance section. And scour through T.J. Maxx every Tuesday. And do you like my hat? And did I say ‘my style’ enough times?

Good.

mint and coral

hey! i'm guest posting over here today!

can you mix mint, navy, and coral? 

well, i did it anyways.

guest post from charlotte!

I'm taking the next couple days of blogging off to study and focus on other things to get myself organized! Charlotte is absolutely fantastic and was kind enough to fill in for me! She's one of my favorites and just how amazing is she at wearing colored jeans!? Yeah... I'm going to have to try it myself! Enjoy!

Hi readers of Lifesize Paperdoll! I'm Charlotte and I blog over at girl next door fashion. You might remember Maggie blogging for me a couple of weeks ago when I was up to my eyes in revision, and today I am returning the favour. I have just finished my degree (!) so right now I have a few weeks to kill before I start my summer job in New Jersey.

When Maggie blogged for me a few weeks ago, she mentioned in her post how much she loved my mint jeans, so I thought I would dedicate my post to my love of coloured denim. Up until a few months ago, I was a committed denim-a-phobe. I even took on a challenge of wearing denim every day for a week (which I found incredibly difficult!) after someone mentioned the lack of jeans in my wardrobe. As a typical pear shape and sufferer of short-legs-long-body syndrome, I had long since brushed jeans off as not being very "me" and not suiting my body shape, and instead chose to frolic around in dresses and skirts. But then I discovered coloured denim and my life was changed forever. I still love my skirts and dresses, but now I have a whole new collection of clothing in my arsenal and I love it.

My first foray into coloured jeans came in September, right on the cusp of autumn winter, and during that phase where I, like everyone else, was obsessed with anything mustard or maroon. Mustard jeans were just too great an opportunity to miss. When I first opened them, I expected I'd wear them a couple of times before realising they didn't get along too well with my thighs and I would guiltily banish them to the back of my wardrobe. How wrong I love. These pants were amazing. Colourful enough to be fun, but dark enough to be a neutral. I couldn't believe how versatile they were. I soon added a pair of maroon trousers to my collection.

For a while, my coloured jeans collection stayed at my mustard ones and my maroon pants, until I was approached by Matalan to take part in their coloured jeans contest. Well, I couldn't say no to that now could I? I welcomed the coral pair to my collection, and over the last few months, I have added bright pink, peach, and my beloved mint to my collection.

But how do you wear coloured denim? Believe me, I was nervous the first time! Here are my tips on how to wear coloured pants!

1. Choose a colour that works well with your wardrobeMy wardrobe is mainly warm colours- pinks, reds, peaches etc. so the addition of coral and mustard jeans worked perfectly for me. I would also say to start subtle- bright blues, mustard yellows, maroons and bottles greens are great options to start with as they're not too in-your-face. After a while you can move onto bright pinks and corals like me!
2. Find a great fitLike all jeans, a great fit is essential. My bright pink ones are a little too big for me, which affects how comfortable I feel wearing them. You want to feel as confident as possible so shop around for your perfect pair.
3. Start simpleFor the most part, I like to pair my coloured jeans with neutrals- beige, black, cream, nude. I find that is the best way to really make your jeans stand out, and avoid looking like you have too much going on.

4. Got your confidence up? Then have fun!The best big of advice I can give you is to not let coloured jeans intimidate you. Wear them just as you would wear any other kind of jeans- with a white shirt and a blazer for a sophisticated chic, with a band tshirt for a lazy day, with a pretty top and heels for the evening. Have fun with colour blocking, or adding prints. Prints are easy to master, especially if you find a pattern that incorporates the colour of the jeans, or by wearing a "neutrals" print such as black and white stripes or leopard print.
Have you ever worn coloured jeans? How do you like to wear them?

Guest Post: Elanor!

skirt: thrifted, belt, backpack, & platforms: goodwill, shirt: old navy

Hello! I'm Elanor from Missing Lovebirds, and I will be filling in for the lovely Maggie today as she is off vacationing! I'm sure you all love Maggie's playful patterns and adorable headbands (which I wish I could pull off...) as much as I do... but I'm glad the girl is getting a break! Camping is a great way to relax away from society and to just be in nature.



For my guest post, I went to a cute little town the other day with my boy Nathaniel to take some photos! He's always such an eager helper, that one. :) I hear Maggie's Niklaas is too! Aren't boyfriends great? Heheh. Well anyway, I bought this beautiful skirt for 2 dollars at a thrift store recently and decided to style it right up especially for this post! As you can see in the detailed shot of the bottom of the skirt, it has very delicate and detailed lace. Personally I think it's beautiful, but Nat said it looks sort of like a table cloth! Sigh. I guess he's a little right though...Oh well!



Well, that's all for me today! I hope you enjoyed my guest post! Have a wonderful day and be sure to stop by say hello sometime over at Missing Lovebirds...! xx

currently listening to... Baths - Nightly, Daily

Guest Post: Kylee!

i was beyond thrilled when maggie asked me to guest post for her. being considered worthy enough to write on such a blog is definitely worth celebrating. and what better way to celebrate than with a discussion about birthday traditions.

birthdays are by far my favorite holiday. yes i consider birthdays a holiday. and not just my birthday, everyone's birthday. i love nothing more than giving the birthday kid a baked treat. i always tell them they can choose any baked good and their wish will be my command. i'm basically the birthday treat genie. no rubbing of the lamp is necessary though. birthdays in my house always last a week long. they may be self dubbed week long celebrations, but its fine. it's your birth week. you're entitled. i have this favorite mexican restaurant. if you're ever in utah i beg you to go. it's the one restaurant i crave on a daily basis. yes you read that right, daily. there is no better place to eat your yearly birthday dinner. sometimes i try to branch out and think about other options but in the end i remain loyal and la puente wins.

after eating the best smothered burrito ever created we drive home for my traditional birthday cake. i'm a girl who likes routines and plans. change is not my thing, i usually stick to what i know i like. naturally, i choose the same cake every year. you know that better than anything cake that has everyone nodding in agreement while eating, this really is better than anything? i'm here to tell you that statement is wrong. i know the cake that really wins the i'm better than you competition. it's the exact same thing but take out the heath bar and replace it with butterfinger. your dying inside right? you want a piece right now don't you? i do too. if you want to adopt my tradition i'll let you. you won't be sorry you did.

as i mentioned earlier i'm not all about me and my birthday. i love to celebrate with others. i love to let them know how loved and appreciated they are. for this reason i tend to fill my blog up with dedications to the birthday kids. consider it a virtual birthday card complete with a picture or two. everyone deserves a good birthday tribute. and now for two of my very favorite birthday traditions both including dad. lunch with dad is one of the greatest things. i get to pick the place and we get to spend some quality daddy daughter time. it's the little things like lunch dates that a girl remembers forever. every year my dad gets me and my sister birthday roses. one rose for every year of age. birthday roses have become the one birthday tradition i look most forward to. even though i know they're coming,  i'm always pleasantly surprised.

since my birthday isn't for another 9 months i ask you all to celebrate your birthdays for a full week, eat at your favorite restaurant, get free ice cream from cold stone, try the better than anything butterfinger cake, make someone bake you a treat and even find yourself some birthday roses. if you're birthday isn't anytime soon perhaps you should find someone who does have one coming up and celebrate with them. birthdays are the best. yours, hers, his, theirs and even mine.

Guest Post: Jasmine!

Greetings readers of Lifesize Paperdoll! 
I'm Jasmine and I run my own personal style blog (Transient Withdrawal), but I'm so happy that Maggie asked me to do a guest post for her while she's away on an internet vacation! I asked her if she had any themes or ideas, and she gave me a list of some which included dream wedding, how I'd spend $500 on clothes, birthday traditions, and favorite Summer reads. Now since I've put myself on a budget of $100 for my entire Summer wardrobe, I thought dream shopping could turn to be a little dangerous so I took the last idea and spun it in a different direction. The entire Harry Potter series is always a Summer read for me. Always. It has been this way since I started reading Harry Potter as a kid and I'm still not sick of it. Though, I'm currently too busy to actually read the books so I have taken to listening to the audio books at the gym, in the car, and while I'm reading blogs. I'm actually listening to it right now. My boyfriend also surprised me with Harry Potter midnight premiere tickets. We've been together for nearly 4 and a half years, and every year since, I drag him to see Harry Potter with me. So it was super sweet that now he's the one taking me to see the very last one. I figured now would be a good time as any to do some sort of tribute to the series that changed my life. Thankfully I already had some scarlet and gold things in my closet to create this look and thankfully they're fit for the heat during Summer. 

outfit: top - forever 21 / skirt - urban outfitters / belt - topshop / shoes - marais usa 

"He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Harry Potter--the boy who lived!'" 

{dress: target, shirt: consignment shop, hat*sunglasses: f21}

Hi guys! I'm so honored to be blogging for Maggie today - I was seriously so excited when she asked me if I would be able to. She's so kind and has the cutest style!

Thought I'd be super adventurous and dress up in my "winged" shirt, hat and new sunnies to walk my sister's dog. Posing with her proved to be waaay more difficult than I thought it would be. She is seriously so wild and HAD to bark and chase after every single thing that made a noise. If it wasn't for that hideously cute face, I'm not sure I'd be able to stand her. Haha. Anyway, I at least got a few shots where she wasn't running out of the frame, howling at the sky and wrapping her leash around me. :-)

If you get a chance, be sure to say hello!

Guest Post: My Dream Wedding

Check out my guest blog over at Amber's blog!

It details my dream wedding:)

Guest Post for Jen

I guest blogged for Jen this week! Jen has been one of my favorite bloggers since I got into this whole blogging shin-dig and really, I couldn't adore her more! I found Jen's blog through Jasmine and seriously, I adore them as bloggers and I adore their friendship! If it were a dating site, it would be an E-Harmony commercial of success. I am so honored to fill in for the always-stylish-and-gorgeously-chic Jen! I love how she always looks perfectly put together in her separates and I love her amazing shoe collection!

Windy Florals

Hey guys! I'm Jen from JennifHsieh and I'm guesting blogging for the lovely Maggie today! I decided to style up an outfit inspired by Maggie's style...so despite the strong gusts of wind and the chilly weather I slipped on one of my floral dresses and a pair of tights. I always love how Maggie styles up her florals and she pulls them off better than I can! I'm not much of a daring person when it comes to patterns but she knows how to work them here, and here, and here, and...well...I could keep on going. Instead of opting for a cardigan I decided on a very basic sweater and belt combo. :)

(Zara Sweater, Modcloth Dress and Belt, HUE Tights, Matiko Wedges, H&M Coat)

Looking at these pictures is reminding me that I really need to stop by home and get my bangs trimmed. It's getting hard to see with them in my face. Maybe I'll just start clipping them back until I can go home to see my hair cutter.

And if you're wondering if I tripped in these shoes...then the answer is yes. Yes, I did. 

Vegan Baking with That Silhouette Girl

Hi guys! I'm Catherine, from Silhouette Girl, filling in for Maggie today. I've never done a guest post before, so I'll admit, at first I was a little clueless on what to write about. I figured since it's Valentine's Day, half of us are probably celebrating while the other half of us are probably avoiding it. I'd throw myself into the latter group, but this is because of those pesky college applications.

Anyway, there's probably no better way to celebrate or avoid this holiday than eating delicious desserts - chocolate, cake, cookies, you name it. Lately I've been particularly fond of apple pie, so I'll share my recipe with you lovely readers! My aunt talked me through baking my first pie, but I've since haphazardly recorded the recipe, and now here's my fully edited version.

I use vegan versions of these ingredients, but feel free to swap out whatever you have on hand (butter instead of margarine, etc.).

Beforehand, you need: an oven preheated to 450 degrees, measuring cups and spoons, 2 large mixing bowls, 1 small mixing bowl, pastry cutter (or two forks), wax paper and tape/saran wrap, rolling pin, 9" pie pan, cookie sheet covered with tin foil

For the filling:
5 medium sized apples (I use Macintosh, but you could probably use Gala or a combination of different apples for a unique taste)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 quarter teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons flour

Peel and cut apples, put in large bowl. Mix sugar/cinnamon/nutmeg/flour together, pour over apples, toss/stir until coated. Set aside.

For the crust:
2.5 cups flour (plus more for rolling)
1.5 stick margarine (or 1 stick of margarine with .25 cups shortening)
.25 tsp. salt
(.5 tsp. sugar, if you like your crust a little sweeter)

Cut margarine into little pieces, place in a metal or ceramic bowl. This next step might sound funny, but if you've baked a pie before, you know why. Place the bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes, feel free to put the pastry cutter (or large forks, spoons, etc.) in too.

If you're using shortening, add it after the freezer - it's pretty difficult to work with frozen. Cut the margarine (and shortening) into flour with cutter, press in until smaller pieces until crumbly. Do not use your hands to mix yet - it has to be kept very cold! Add between 3 to 5 tbsp. of cold water quickly to mix into dough – this is used to bind the crust.

At this point, use your hands to mix the ingredients and form into a large ball. Cut in half, make two patties. Place one in the fridge, while the other is rolled out.

Set up your workstation: tape pieces of wax paper together, or cut several pieces of saran wrap and stick them together. (I use the latter - it's usually easier, and you can easily peel the dough off.) Lightly flour the surface, as well as the dough and rolling pin.

To roll it out, roll in opposite direction of previous roll. Go up, down, sideways, and diagonally until it's large enough for your pan. Put in pan, pour apple mixture in, and place four slices of margarine on top of the apples. Repeat the rolling process for the top layer.

Attaching the top can be a little tricky at first, but it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Use a fork to make ridges on the edge of the pan, then brush water on the edge. Carefully place the top layer on, and make fork ridges along the edge again.

Cut off excess dough with a knife, and cut slits in the center of the pie so steam can escape. You can brush on soy milk (or water) to make the pie a little shiny, but I usually skip this step. Sprinkle a little sugar on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then decrease to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour. HELPFUL TIP: Since pies can be messy in the oven, place a cookie sheet lined with tin foil on the rack under the pie to collect whatever may spill. Even if you think your top is well-attached, I'd recommend this for first-time pie bakers... hopefully you won't learn the hard way!

And that's it! It may sound like a lot, but it's rather easy and less time consuming to clean up compared to cupcakes or the like. Seriously, I make/eat these pies like it's my job.



xox Catherine, the Silhouette Girl