it's autumn in LA!!

 {there's a storm a'brewin over my pretty city}

los angeles is a very sunny city. It's bright and big and crazy, wacky and hysterical and eclectic...and it also finally welcomed autumn in december. crazy, hey? as you can tell from this post, i was a little frustrated way back when because it was much too hot. well, november just had to die a slow, heated death to give way to the pretty-ness that is: december. 

is it still fall in your neck of the woods? i'm seeing pictures with snow/christmas trees, and i can hardly believe it. time really does fly. i have nine days to soak up some rain, some pretty la sunsets and hollywood crazies, before my life gives way to summer again, all the way over in africa. a bbq for christmas? bring it on.

 {leaves}

 {love love loving the dark clouds}

{proof of the rain in the 'ol 90210}

halloween treats.

you've seen sprinkles cupcakes before on this blog, and for good reason. they're very yummy. and...they just happen to be my favorite treat for any season/holiday. i {love} fall, but am not such a fan of the treats. mainly because they're full of pumpkin. i know, i know. sacrilege. but i just don't like it. instead, i scoured the web for some fun...not so pumpkin-y sweets for the halloween season. as much as you all don't want to say it, there are some of you that stand with me. right?

tasty popcorn balls

molasses spice cookies

an amazing new take on cinnamon rolls

apple crisp - my favorite!

halloween cupcakes that look too cute to eat

candied apples with a twist

mini pretty pastries

okay, okay. enough with all these tasty things. they make we want to go to the store and buy everything in the baking section. hope you've found something fun and new to try...i know i have. happy halloween, everybody!

making it yours {3}

i live in flats. yes, i have a lot of high heels and wedges and converse sneakers {my favorite!}, but flats pull together every look in a more refined, comfortable, and sophisticated way. that's why when my favorite tan flats became noticeably scuffed around the toes, i was a little more than upset.

since i'm a recent college grad, i don't throw much out. i fix it or reuse in a some different way. i have a little collection of acrylic paints in my diy cupboard, so i thought i would try my hand at the new metallic cap-toe trend that's making it's rounds on the red carpet.

the result?

flats that look cleaner, trendier, and have a fresh new chance at life.

i measured out the length of the cap coloring that i wanted, and then stretched a strip of tape across the toe in order to create a straight line. with a couple of coats of gold acrylic paint, there were clean new strips of color that hid my scuffs and brightened up the whole shoe. {here's a step-by-step from the people who know ;) }

i will be the first to say my paint job isn't entirely perfectly, but those marks are covered up nice and neat. and my skinny jeans? are in love with them. this is a diy i will definitely do again and again, with all different pretty colors :)

making it yours {2}

last week, i got to share with you a bit about decorating that usually messy, white bathroom counter we all have {see this post}. it wasn't until late on friday night that i figured out what i was going to be doing this week:

decorating a camera bag.

since i bought my sweet little canon rebel a couple of weeks ago, i've been cradling it like a small child and trying to keep it out of harms way while still camera bag-less. i checked etsy and amazon, chain stores and friendly recommendations for my "bag-mate." there simply wasn't anything that fit my flair for girly-vintage fun. since i was going to be carrying it around everywhere, i needed to make sure i wasn't cringing at the sight.

then came a fateful trip at the cusp of the weekend. we were hunting through mountains of old purses and totes when my best friend found an old camera bag. it was black and painfully beat up, with a wiry strap that bit deep into my shoulder. but with a little tender loving care? it became a home to my little camera. i might be a little {a lot} ecstatic. with a bit of paint+patience+broadway tunes, i've finally made this precious little bag my own.

{all crafting materials found at jo ann}

{before: wiry plastic strap and all}

{after}

is it autumn?

{we're still doing this in my neck of the woods.}

due to the fact that today was around ninety degrees, i'm having trouble with the fact that it's supposedly, "fall". my mama has called from nashville and bragged about their chilly weather, but california is still nice and sunny. {the nice part is debatable}being a november baby, this is really difficult for me to deal with. my fall weather is going to be cut down to a couple of weeks...and i'm not happy. especially since my journal entries tell me that my school pretty much flooded last year around this time.

what in the world is happening?!?
since i feel like my world is falling apart, i have to comfort myself with bits and pieces of autumn. {i know, i know. another list. but i'm tired and it's late and you know you love 'em}

- pumpkins are on sale at the grocery store
- i changed best friend's name to, "Meredith Grey" in my phone, which means fall tv seasons have started up
- nighttime is getting chillier
- getting under the covers is now necessary at bedtime
- lemonade is on sale
- people are planning halloween parties{?!?!??}
- gas is going down, just a little bit ;)

has fall come to your town? it's time to share with LA, everybody! ;)

days gone by.

okay, okay. i'll admit it.
i love looking at old photos.

it's one of my favorite things to flip through little pieces of the past, and smile at all the hidden memories that come rushing back. since i'm a big sister, it's always so sweet to see my little sibling's features soften and curve back into those adorable baby faces i miss so much.

there's something that's just so fascinating about the past. it enables us to enjoy the beauty of the present, and be excited for the promise of the future. my siblings faces may not be teeny-tiny any more.  but one day, we'll have our own to squeal over.

am i getting ahead of myself? maybe.
but there's nothing wrong with a little tuesday morning dreaming :)

in honor of the beginning of autumn, here are some of my favorite memories from back home, complete with pumpkins+sunny california weather.