week(end) in pictures (best weekend ever)

this is why I go to school in Montana and why I'm in love with Idaho








out at sea for seven years, I got your letter in Tangier thought that I'd been on a boat 'til that single word you wrote
,that single word it landlocked me, turned the masts to cedar trees and the winds to gravel roads. Idaho oh Idaho




can you tell we're related? i love cousin visits





Niklaas came (again! second time in a week!)

like you do

things that make Maggie extremely happy:

-getting out of lab an hour and a half early

-toms

-sleeping in but not missing class

-wearing a huge soft cardigan in 60 degree weather

-60 degree weather

-having someone to miss you

-parent phone calls

-cheesecake in the cafeteria

-texting someone good night every single night

and waking up to a good morning next every 

single morning
-rebecca black as the anthym to 1AM walmart runs
-vitamin water
-dimples
-when someone tells you that you look pretty (doesn't everyone?)
-drawing smilies on my toes
-taylor swift online interviews
-closing my eyes when i'm stressed

At this moment in time, I'm very, very tired and very, very stressed and I just want to curl up in a ball and hide from the world. However, I know that I'm making a big deal out of something only kind of a big deal (actually, not a big deal at all) but who isn't tired and exhausted from school at this point? I know I am! Spring break can't come fast enough and the only thing getting me through these last two weeks is knowing that at the other end is seeing my family after what will be six weeks and the fact that when I come back from spring break, I only have three and a half weeks until summer. Summer. That idea is so dreamy in itself.

The lovely and amazing Jasmine inspired me. Once she started wearing sweaters over dresses, I had to try it. I walked out of the door and my mom thought I was insane. Her eyebrows shot up and it was like I was five years old again walking into the kitchen with underwear on my head ready for school. Ha!!! But, Jasmine looks effortless all the time with her sweater dress combination and after finding this little yellow ray of sunshine at goodwill, I knew I had to try it. And I have decided that I don't care what it looks like, it's the comfiest dang thing on the planet.

dress-Goodwill sweater-Goodwill shoes-Niklaas belt-Mom tights-Urban Outfitters

This dress is also a Goodwill prize. In total, this outfit cost me four dollars. Yahoo! I'm wearing THE boots again. I'm telling you, I just wear these all four year long, for every season. They're perfect. I realized that I've never worn my hair "up" before and this seemed like as good time as any. I've been twirling my hair into messy buns more and more these days. 

Well, I'm off to die (do more chemistry and biology). Have a fantastic Friday!

P.S. I tried my luck with HTML and reorganized my layout and made my photos larger! YAY!

you are the northern lights

I tweeted about it, I wrote it in my calender with big hearts, and I talked to my mom about it for days. Niklaas came to Missoula yesterday!!! This semester is kind of different from last in that I came home about every three to four weeks last semester. As of right now, it's been over a month since I've been home and it'll be two more weeks until I return. Niklaas skipped school and joined his mother to Missoula where he got to visit meee! Unfortunately, he was sick, so the adventuring around Missoula wasn't as extreme as we hoped, but he got to spend a couple hours in the morning with me freezing our butts off outside and a couple hours after my classes in the study lounge. He gave me wonderful music (Adele!) to put on my iPod since I fail at doing so and it was lovely! He was also babysat by my best friends and really got to see my whole life here. I was going to skip every class of mine...but, getting to meet them was pretty valuable in itself since next year, he will no doubt be spending a lot of time around all of us. It was a lovely simple day and just seeing him made me a lovely happy little clam!

It was so funny all day long because people kept saying to me, "Wowweee, dressed up for Niklaas, are you Maggie?" Psh!! If only they knew that I tend to only "dress up" around him when I have to look presentable for a special reason or when we take pictures... other than that, I am a sweats girl! I got this dress from Goodwill back in November and it has been my favorite Missoula Good Will find yet. My stylish friend Maggie (coincidink much??) told me that it was ugly and absolutely not to get it...but I just had that gut feeling that it was cute. And when I tried it on at home, it fit me too perfectly and even she said she was glad I got it! It's vintage and floraly and the collar is strange, but that makes it all the better!

Last week, I was at Target, and while part of my becoming an adult has been to limit my impulse shopping, I found tights for $1.75. And, also despite of my becoming an adult and telling myself I wouldn't buy opaque tights ever again... I did. And these babies will never get a run in them!! Target officially is my new favorite to-go place for tights and these pairs are high on my list of 33 pairs. The pattern is so cool and unique among all I own!

I have this huge problem. You all know about my creepy obsession with Taylor Swift. Well, I am highly and very susceptible to crushing on everything. And I mean, everything. And, in fact, it might be even more than a crush because of the amount I love it. I'm that annoying girl in homeroom at 8AM on a Monday chirping away incessantly that could easily be tossed into the bimbo bin. Yes, I'm that girl. It might be more normal if I developed these crushes on people I knew personally, but it goes beyond that. Inanimate objects are not left out. In fact, they are a huge contributer to my list. And people I see in passing just once? I swoon every time I see someone even remotely adorable (and usually they're the dorks and girls dressed in cute clothes) and obsess over talking to them! Well, this doesn't become a huge problem until something happens, like today, when I'm talking loudly in the foodzoo about my new friend so and so that I sat next to in biology...and I turn around, and realize that during the entire 40 minute dinner, they were right there. The person I was ranting about that I exchanged two words with. Whoops!!! (Might I add that I had this sort of crush on Niklaas after just one plane ride and was dying to become his friend.)

dress- Goodwill tights- Target boots- Niklaas necklace- Alex belt- momma

Anyways, I've been very, very lazy these past two days. I didn't do my homework last night. And today I said I was going to write a lab report due next week, polish my paper, do my homework for the third time, and read my textbook....and I did... half of two things. Yikes. So, this means, I need to go to bed right this very minute so that I'll have the energy tomorrow to get things accomplished!

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an education of sorts

I had a weekend of epic proportions. But before I say that, I feel like I have to admit what a snoop I was. If for some reason my friends read this for any reason at all: I am sincerely sorry if I was rude or introverted all weekend or if you felt offended when I said I just wanted to have a night in on a Saturday night. However, as much as I'd like to feel bad about making myself a hermit for a full 24 hours, it was kind of the greatest lived 24 hours I've had in a while. I don't think I realized when I went to college how different friendships would be. In college, it's not, "Oh, hey there. Let's giggle about this this and this," until 3PM when school is over and the occasional Friday night (or every Friday night with your closest friends) like high school. In college, it's between every single class and every 4 hour gap between them, every weekend, every evening at dinner, every evening after we finish homework, every afternoon after classes when we're pooped, and every single friday and saturday night and all day long every single day. Alone time is minimal, at best. And so, folks, I closed myself off and did Maggie things I haven't done in forever! Let's review Maggie's Hermit weekend.

[001] I've wanted to see An Education for.... well, ever. And so, I declared to myself that this weekend while my roommate was gone, nothing would stop me. So last night, everyone, I sat at my desk and painted my nails black while falling in love with Carey Mulligan. Oh my, I'm in love with this movie and every vintage dress and frame of Paris in it.

[002] Also, this weekend I determined I was going to talk to everyone from home. I talked to my sister for an hour and eight minutes and listened to her react to the Rebecca Black Friday video, talked to my grandma for fifty six minutes about everything, called Niklaas with my friend Maggie to discuss her love life (he's amazing for helping my friends), and my best friend Jenni. I sat in my room for three hours in my big cozy chair talking and genuinely soaking in what was going on with my family. Maybe I'm wrong, but being away and just having those phone calls makes me feel so grown up when I start talking about the economy or drunk driving or just about cars so that I don't have to say goodbye yet. I whole heartedly miss hearing my dad rant and tell me things going on at his work and it makes me realize how much I didn't always listen nor pay attention to when I was home.

dress-Forever21 top-Thrifted tights-Target boots-Niklaas belt- my momma headband-F21

[003] I slept in my birthday suit. Okay, not exactly because after the great fire alarm incident of December 2010 at 2AM when one unlucky girl was caught in just a hand towel to cover her body, I couldn't do that. But, I was in my undergarments and it was possibly the most magical experience ever. Clothes just get in the way, if you ask me.

[004] I wrote. I havent written anything substantial since winter break and oh, my. I have this folder of random everything. Sentences I love, paragraphs of random narration, chunks of what I dream to be something, the odd scant of poetry, and just...anything. I read every last bit of it and it was like drinking water in a desert. I need to do more Maggie time, clearly.

[005] Not all weekend could be hermit-like and Friday night wasn't a hermit designated night. And it was amazing. My best friend Katie who is transferring next year that I keep re-falling into obsession with and I and our best friend Kaleb who is our straight male girl pal went to Walgreen's to rent a chick flick and happened across giant bouncy balls with cartoons. Three for four dollars or one for five. So I got a disney princess one. And then we got cookie dough. And then we got ice cream. And then we cooked the cookie dough into one giant cookie and while hot, smothered it in the whole container of ice cream and devoured it. And then watched our chick flick. Ah-mazing.

[006] In lieu of this lovely awakening that was watching An Education, I edited these pictures for a post and as it turns out, I love this outfit more than I remember when I wore it. I've worn this dress twice on my blog but never have I worn it with a sweater or top, so I decided to wear it over something. I just love the lace too much not to wear it again. It's something Amanda from Upside of Wonder does so effortlessly and I loved the result! I got these opaque tights from target for $1.75 and I'm convinced that they are going to solve my opaque tight problem. They are nicer than any pair I've ever owned! This top was also thrifted for two dollars and I feel like it was a major steal. The little polka dots are perfect. And, of course, the boots. The boots. Niklaas really is perfect and I wear these shoes way, way too much. And I wear bows, way way too much. Awe, well. So that concludes the weekend of March twenty fifth to the twenty seventh, ladies!

P.S. NIKLAASSSS IS HEREEEEEE TODAYYYYYYY VISITING MEEE IN MISSOULLLLAAA!!!! <3<3<3

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!

for real

I am determined to get back in the swing of blogging and commenting and posting (oh, the blogging circle of life) regularly! It's weird to look at pictures I took that were intended for spring that I took in the winter. I hate all of them! I think it's what has taken away from my inspiration because I want to be posting new articles of clothing and use all the spring pictures people are starting to post as inspiration, not using old ones! Psha. Just got to get through the next few weeks and spring will be here!!!!!

I didn't get to go home last weekend...but...I'm going home next weekend! Which is almost better because by that point, it will only be two weeks away from spring break. Yay! Everyone seems to be on break right now... and while I'm so envious, I still have a little left in me to keep at it and when it finally does come, we will only have three full weeks before summer. Which is practically nothing! YAY! I quite possibly will have a real job this summer in a microbiology lab next to my dad and I'm just so excited for the whole summer and for next year to come that I could sing.

I got this skirt for Christmas and as I referenced earlier, I just can't wait to wear it in the spring. Without tights!! I only wore these tights a few times all winter and fall, and this is probably the last time I'll have them on until next fall. Whoops! I love the cranberry color though- they'll be perfect for fall next year! Look at me, thinking about next fall. I swear, I already have so many outfits matched to places in my head for the summer. It's just too exciting not to think about frolicking in dresses in sandals!

This top is probably one of the most worn in my closet. I need more tops!! I only realized this winter when I didn't bring back but three dresses from home that I am seriously lacking in the top/sweater department because all I do is buy dresses. It's awful! I just love the lace on this one and how comfortable it is. I hate clingy tight tops- I was never an abercrombie tee kind of gal in High School or pull over vneck Hollister sweater gal. I like comfort! It makes me sad looking at these pictures and remembering how...these boots...are dead. I miss them! Ode to you, dearest boots.

I have this weird thing about not mentioning people's names on this here blog until I'm really good friends with them because if they were to see it somehow I would be so embarrassed that I'm blogging about someone I don't even know yet. But! There's this girl, and this other girl, and these two guys that have lately become close-to-being-able-to-be-mentioned-on-my-blog-status lately and I adore them!! This one girl in particular texted me a week or so ago and was like, "Hey Maggie! What are your top two favorite places to shop?" And I was excitedly like, "MODCLOTH! URBAN! LULUS! SHOPROUCHE!" And she was all like, "Thank you!!!! You dress so cute and you made me want to buy a dress!" It was so cute! I saw her at the mall this weekend and we shopped a little and she asked my advice and oh! It was wonderful! :) 

P.S. Am I the only one who can not stop listening to Avril Lavigne's new album??? Because I can't. It's on repeat all day long. All. Day. Long.