12.24.2013

it's Christmas all over...

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clockwise: presents for my gals, cards for my gals, tree at the amazing Mallory's cute house
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sweet Christmas jewelry, gifts from two kind friends, our family tree, sweater/headband/Nutcracker

and it really is!
just sharing some festive parts of my life lately.
wishing you the merriest Christmas with plenty of good food and great family/friends.
from all of us here at perfectly Priya, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
now get off the computer and go give some hugs!

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12.21.2013

meanwhile, back at the Liebster...

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scarf- c/o Carina, sweater, c/o Carina, pants- Old Navy, booties- Old Navy
Just a couple outfit notes: These were taken (by Shel's brother: shout-out to you, Kolten!) in the fall in an attempt to capture some foliage! I wanted to find a way to turn these "cargo" (can you tell?) pants into colder weather way. This was a simple, really cozy attempt that I enjoyed wearing! 
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Almost forever ago the sweet and kind Akshara (no seriously- girl's a gem and a wizard with words! Check her out!) nominated me for a Liebster award. Thank you Akshara! 
I've gone through the Liebster process once before, but I couldn't resist answering a good questionnaire. And hers is a good one. Like I mentioned before, sometimes I feel like I jumped right into blogging without much of an intro of who I am. I love getting to know people through their blogs, that's the reason why I'll continue to read a blog, so I like including things like this when I get a chance. 

What is the #1 item on your bucket list?
I do have a legit, written in a journal, bucket list, first off. Nothing on it is really "ranked", but if I had to add urgency to one I would say "traveling around mainland Europe"!

Sapphires or Emeralds?
Jewels, period. Emeralds over Sapphires though. Emerald Green is just gorg.

What is your favorite clothing store?
Pretty sure it's Old Navy. I love really boring, classic stuff, but I also love that come up with cute trendy items per season. Price is always fantastic and they are constantly running awesome sales!

If you could be best friends with a TV character, who would it be?
Summer Roberts from The O.C. :)

Dream car?
An Audi. Specifically a black Audi A6.

Favorite genre of music?
This is tough, and i HATE to be the kind of person that says "all kinds!" Honestly since I've gotten older I have learned to appreciate certain aspects of all kinds of music. But if I had to say favorite of all time...alternative, piano-rock type stuff. 

Favorite season?
Fall. No questions. September is consistently my favorite month every year.

Favorite city in the world?
There are still so many for me to see, but for right now, San Francisco!

Sail around the ocean or fly up into outer space?
Ocean! Flying in space for some reason sounds really uncomfortable to me (maybe it's the lack of oxegen, idk?). An ocean sail sounds relaxing and classy as hell. 

Thanks for the fun questions, Akshara! Remember to go visit her at Simply Akshara!

Oh...and what's really going on in my life right now? Finishing all my Christmas shopping, packing to go home, packing to move houses, wrapping presents, making cards, spending some time with Huntee. All whilst listening to the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack (gooo have a listen. I am omg! not crazy about Christmas music. But the Vince Guaraldi Trio makes it soooo worthwhile.)

I'm headed home tomorrow early in the a.m., making my return to CA right around 1 p.m. Three cheers!

Safe travels & good cheer to all until I (potentially) stop by again this week. 
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12.19.2013

'tis the season for:

Holiday parties! I've been lucky enough to attend several parties this year to celebrate the season. Christmas has got to be the most effortlessly festive time of the year. Ugly sweater or not, you need only show up to a party to be swaddled (though not laying in a manger) in friends, treats, and good cheer.

Last week was my first company holiday party at my "new" job (which is starting to feel just normal, but no less fun)! I was so pleased to help with some decor and planning. I wanted to share some pictures, mostly because they are gorg and I think they will reflect well on my blog. But also, it was a night to remember. So so fun hanging with my new friends & old friends (Huntee, [obvi] my date, and Shel came as a +1) in this beaaautiful space (locals: Pinewood Social).
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Nashvillians: get thyself to Pinewood soc as soon as possible. i mean, really. 
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the vintage bowling lanes (though I did not bowl once) are charming.
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i tried to not only choose pictures that i'm in. anyway, i'm in this one. in my new dress <3
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hunter really wanted to bowl (of course) so I left him there a few times and set out to mingle
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pretty sure i'm eating fried chicken here. it's a great shot of how much i loved my hair
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probably my only regret of the night is i didn't eat nearly as much as i wanted to because the food was increds
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our Emma Christmas tree, with ornaments made in a happy hour, now on display in front of my desk 
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here i am pinning a bird ornament in huntee's hair. also notable that some of my favorite new friends, kyle, art, and emily are in this picture
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i really can't take credit for all the fabulous decor that was a brainchild of christopher
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shel & i dancing our heart out, probably to Robyn
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my contribution to this is those little figurines on the mason jar lid.
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and because iPhone pictures sometimes capture moments better...(clockwise): my cute date bought himself a new blazer [not pictured], my gals, my favorite picture ever, my Shelly bean

Ready for next year, already.

Please note: I didn't take any of these pictures! We had an amazingly talented photographer, Diana Lee Zadlo, who took them for us! Check out more of her work on her tumblr! 
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12.14.2013

nyr update: November

Is it at all possible for me to comment on how fast this year is over without sounding completely cliche?
Didn't think so. This is my last month to make 2013 my best year, and challenge myself with the resolutions I made wayyy back in January. What resolutions, you ask? 
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If I had to sum up November I would say: friends & fam. Shifting to working full-time has allowed me to make LOADS of new pals, as well as hang out with old ones I'd been missing. 

(If you're interested in viewing the other months, here they are!)
(This is mostly to keep myself in check although you're welcome to share encouragement/criticisms/keep me accountable!)

Here are my resolutions for the year, with my personal commentary for the month added in:
1. Ride my bike more. [nope. It's freezing here. Up until about a week ago I was running diligently to prepare for the marathon relay in Memphis that got canceled. Since then I've been pretty stagnant.]


2. Send something to my Mummo [Finnish grandma] every month. [Check! I also got a Christmas card from her today. Now about that translation, mom...
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3. Remember all my friends/families birthdays. [Well, not many birthdays in November. Shout-out to Colette, my gal from middle school. Otherwise, nope!]

4. Read a book every month. [Uh yeah I kinda read an entire book on the plane back from the Bay, but I still don't want to talk about it.]


5. Only buy what I need & get rid of what I don't need [After MONTHS of having clothes on their way out in my trunk, I finally sold some stuff to Plato's Closet. And promptly re-invested that money. I don't know that I desperately needed the updates I got for my wardrobe, but it sure is fun and more interesting to get ready in the morning. Moving in to my new home will require me to be even more choosy about what I keep, because storage space is decreasing.]


6. Be confident. [I would gauge this as a really happy month. My new job feels more regular and less "new", and I got to spend time with some of my favorite people in one of my favorite places. There is always an improvement that can be made here, but I feel pretty great.]


Hope everyone is doing well! Thank you for reading.
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12.13.2013

red pants in the city

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earrings- Nashville Flea, top- secondhand Target, pants- Old Navy, flats- Old Navy, purse- c/o Shel

Happy Friday to all! Here's the very last set of pictures taken while I was home for Thanksgiving. And it only took me 'til nearly Christmas to post them! My sister Carina took these for me while we were out "urban hiking" in San Francisco. Yes, these shoes + the hills in SF tore up my feet, but they were new, and I was excited to wear them.
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How trippy is the angled sidewalk in these pictures. It's like one of those tricks on your eyes photographs. Now THAT would be a fun spin for a fashion blog!
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I've been living in, or with, rather, this tiny purse as my confident. Which is a shoulder-responsible, minimalistic decision. This shirt was passed to me by a co-worker, in all it's Target goodness. I think I could live in silk blouses #divalife
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Yeah, I'll say it: I left my heart in San Francisco. It's gotta be one of my favorite places in the world.

For those of you who may be interested in my life apart from wearing clothes (which, does it even matter?) this week has almost completely escaped me. Between helping with our company Christmas party (which was a smash last night and has left me reeling today. Pics soon) and a last minute round of seeing friends before the holiday (and subsequently baking and taking gingersnaps) it has been CRAY.

Forecast for next week: get my stuff together for Christmas. Seriously. Rapid tidings of great joy.
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12.09.2013

weekend update: in 3 iPhone pictures

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(clockwise): 1. I got new pajamas. And they match! I am obsessed with Old Navy and I want someone to tell me it's ok. Hunter asked me to help him pick out an outfit for this season of holiday parties (I said: duhhhhhh) and I ended up picking out goodies for myself as well. 

2. Huntee & I went to a Christmas party, I wore a second-hand dress from someone in my office (complete & utter score). Hunter wore his cute new sweater. We both enjoyed extensive food and assorted merriments, as well as friends from school we hadn't seen in a while.

3. Sunday evening after visiting a new church with two work friends, Hunter & I doubled dated with Andrea and her sweetie. I feel VERY responsible because I ate ONE slice of pizza and then had a side salad. One thing I've learned about being an adult is that you have to remind yourself to eat vegetables.

Otherwise this weekend I layed low and it was lovely.
How was your weekend?? Any exciting stories or festive times to share?
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12.06.2013

an American Nutcracker

A couple more beautiful CA Thanksgiving mems on this dreary dreary (albeit maximal cozy) day in Nashville. Seriously, mid-TNers (or elsewhere with storms) say safe! Stay inside!
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earrings- gift from Jacqui/Katie, necklace- Tiffany's, top- Madewell, pants- Old Navy, shoes- Blush boutique (Nashville)

On this trip home, I was lucky enough to see a production of The Nutcracker, starring a close family friend of ours. Is it so terrible that after planning to attend an event like that my next thought is often "What is appropriate to where to [said event]?" What can I say? I like my fashion to revolve around appropriateness (or, being "approps" if you're into "abbrevs"). I mean that in the sense of just being relevant for the event, weather, crowd, etc. So that being said if I were invited to an "80's skank party" I would dress to the nines and in rare Cindy Lauper-esque form. (Already have the approp earrings, take a peek.)
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Anywayssss, my mom (I know, right? Go mom!) took these pictures for me right before the show. I settled on an all-black ensemble with pops of red (lipstick- Rimmel in Diva Red, earrings- gift from London circa 2009 from my loves Jacqui & Katie) that felt very holiday-approp. 
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This Madewell top came my way via a price adjustment giftcard after purchasing the dress of my Madewell dreams. "Price adjustment" has been one of my favorite terms as of late. As in: if you buy something online and then it goes on sale (probably some of the worst moments of my young life) get thyself a price adjustment! My dress hasn't made it on the blog, why?? I don't know. Stay tuned! With my giftcard combined with a promo online I scored this top for around $10! Also my first peplum. A dreammmm by all accounts.
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This was my first time seeing The Nutcracker ever, so I was pumped. I wrote my title because the whole time I joked that it seemed a very "American" thing to do, especially kicking off the holiday season. It was such a lovely Sunday afternoon activity to enjoy with my near and dears.
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Asha made a beyond gorgeous Snow Queen (& that costume. I'm dying!). Wonderful job my dear! Suddenly all my childhood dreams of being a prima ballerina came in full force! Still waiting for those long, dancer legs to grow, BTW...

I'm really having a wonderful day. It started with a surprise friend coffee date this morning at the super cool bar/lounge/bowling alley that has established itself next door to my office (locals: Pinewood Social). I meant to post this yesterday, but I got a few projects to do and before I knew it the day was over! One involved helping with our company holiday party...which is making me feel very festive and excited! I'm honestly very glad I wrote today instead. 

I was supposed to head to Memphis this weekend for a marathon relay tomorrow, but with this weather so dreadful, TN is kinda on lock-down (and especially Memphis). Now looking very much forward to a cozy weekend inside where I eat cheese and watch movies.

Stay safe & dry friends, thanks for reading & talk to you soon!
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12.03.2013

a thaaaanksgiving

I flew back into Nashville last night and hit the ground running- back to work after a full week off [I wasn't supposed to have a week off, but due to a deathly illness, I did!]

I didn't know for sure that spending Thanksgiving at home was in the budget for me, nor what combinations of my family would even be at home (5/9, if you like numbers).

I'll save the rest of the cliches for my journal and just say; thankful that I like my family as much as I do. Thankful I got to see some of my best girls (and miss the other two!). 

Maybe it took moving away to realize that home never gets old. NorCal in my <3 forevs!
Untitledloved hanging with the great great Merriweather girls (and planning a sister weekend, soon?)
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just that classic Finnish table fanfare
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some family Thanksgiving pics, nbd
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Tuppy is trying out for Shrek: The Musical (for donkey) in January, and I am going to see it! 
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managed to see in person, Skype, or email every member of my family during the holiday
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we played some Apples to Apples & Balderdash, Mom got "bogus" HA
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post-turkey: lots of cuddling (some forced) and pumpkin pie breakfast with my girllll Jacqui
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NorCal, take me back!
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Pappu girls in baseball caps, standard
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standard Black Friday hike. the weather in NorCal was unreal
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commence SF adventures! I love that city and I adore my sister, she walked me to death
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we tried to win show tickets through the lotto twice, to no avail
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Carina took me to the most amazing bakery where we had pumpkin-filled pastries. brb, dying
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Saturday night I got to hang with Katie, Steph, & my sisters. I kept saying "I feel like it's my birthday party!" Which got seriously misconstrued and I got made fun of, but I meant because I was hanging out with almost all my favorites on this earth.

Ok, this is a fun & crazy time of year. Though if I were still in school, life would end in about a week when finals were over. As an adult, I'm taking an extra push to make it to the next holiday! Crazy times indeed. I'm off to the Preds game tonight! Thanks for reading, friends!
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11.27.2013

hibernate!

Hi friends! Stopping in for a very quick outfit post before I'm out the door to CA for Thanksgiving!
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shirt- Huntee's, vest- Local Honey Nashville, belt- Ann Taylor Loft, leggings- Nordy's Rack, boots- from Carina
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This comfy outfit was a no-brainer for a cozy night in with friends. I stole/borrowed this shirt from Hunter a few weeks ago and have been living in it! It goes with literally everything and has a longer length, perfect for layers & leggings (ladies...do you civic duty and cover up those legginged buns)! 
I added my leopard print belt to cinch off my waist and make this outfit a little less schlepy, though not less cozy at all! One more tiny bit of leopard print: on my earrings!
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Outside Hunter's apartment was the most beautiful and festive hillside of fall colors. Which, I realize you can't really see in these pictures. Just trust me.

It's been an interesting couple of days, with a 24-hour bug that left me laying at home all day yesterday, so I am SO thankful to be feeling better and on my way home!
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Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! Get off your computer and gooooo tell everyone you love them.

One more thing: linking up with Bri from Work Clothes, I Suppose for a Third Thursday Threads of animal prints! Check it out!! 
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11.25.2013

weekend update: mostly food

I finally didn't have to work/go out of town, so I had the full, glorious, weekend I've been dreaming of.

It included lots of food, many friends, and several babes.
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Said babes. Ryland (balancing a grape on his head, left) & Natalie (straight cheesin', right)
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Saturday night I got to break out my baby Crock-Pot for the first time, and try my hand at a game day dip while the Vols played Vanderbilt. I made "cheeseburger dip" [I guess]. I'd give myself a C for creativity and an A for crowd-pleasing. 
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Hunter very diligently prepared soup for all of our buddies that joined! Here's the end result of him going to town on some cilantro.
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the guys really enjoyed the game
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Whitley, Andrea & I talked about blogging and Ryan Gosling and stuff Untitled

Sunday we finally got to use the fancy brunch Groupon to Sperry's Hunter bought a few months ago (expiration date: Sunday). I've been craving orange juice for a few weeks now so this was the best orange juice of all time. Oh, also brunch was really lovely. I had a Belgian waffle and Huntee had Eggs Benedict! Oh we fancy huh?


Today, alas, is a Monday that's basically a Wednesday afternoon (with only 2.5 days of work before the festivities begin). I've already managed to cut a hole in my tights and miss a meeting completely. Also- it's SNOWING in Nashville! And super freezing cold! So if you're looking for me tonight I'll be in bed with Season 3 of The O.C. that arrived in my mailbox Thursday afternoon.
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