~ internal screaming ~

Let's talk about pet peeves.  We all have a few.  Even Jay Leno, who lists his top pet peeve as "talk show hosts who have nothing to say."  We occasionally have to deal with someone who exhibits a few from the list, or perhaps you even live with that someone.  But rarely have I ever met someone who exhibits ALL of my top pet peeves and sits very near me during an hour and 15 minute class...until now.

•  nose whistling.  CHECK.
• stomach growing.  CHECK.
• clearing of the throat.  CHECK
• coughing.  CHECK.
• loud sniffing.  CHECK.
• asking annoying questions that have super obvious answers.  CHECK.
• kicking the back of my chair.  Seriously dude?!  CHECK.
• not making eye contact during a conversation.  CHECK.
• loud breathing.  CHECK.
• loud swallowing.  CHECK.
• tapping fingers/pencil on the desk.  CHECK.

You, sir, drive me insane.  Let's all take a moment to appreciate those who resist from exhibiting our top pet peeves and hope that we don't annoy the crap out of those around us.

xoxo,

Eliza

~ electric avenue ~

the eternal question: what do you wear when it's 45 degrees when you leave for class and 80 when you get out.

Exhibit A.
Skinny jeans, polka dot top, cardigan, and high heels (since walking around campus all day is the perfect time to wear them)

Exhibit B.
Highlighter yellow pants and a super thick sweater.  Never mind the fact that you'll be sweating bullets by the end of the day...you'll FEEL fantastic!

{please excuse my morning face - it was cold and I'd only had one cup of tea}

So far this week I've turned in an essay, given a presentation on creative thinking, finished all my design homework, and now I'm studying for a test, reading a script before rehearsal tomorrow and wiping a memory card for a photoshoot this weekend.  This Mindy Project gif explains my recent wardrobe choices...

So au revoir Tuesday, hello Wednesday.  Bring it on!

{via The Kitsch Bitsch on facebook}

xoxo,

Eliza

~ 18 ~

On November 1st, I turned 18!  I slept late, opened presents in the morning, had biscuits and tea for breakfast (a birthday tradition), baked my birthday cake with my mom, watched 42nd Street (my favorite movie), did a little drawing, took a nap, and then finished the day with dinner and cake with the family.  It was a great day and I enjoyed every second of it!



Seventeen was a transition year - full of trying new things, personal highs and lows, major life changes, the forming and breaking of relationships, and trying to figure out who I am.  It was a deep year!  And now I'm excited to move on and see what 18 has in store for me!

The first few days of this new age have been fantastic!  I went shopping and found the PERFECT boots for fall (my birthday present to myself), ran into one of my best friends who is back in town from college, had a photoshoot, and feasted on left over Halloween candy and birthday cake.

{currently wearing: gap sweater, gap jeans, old navy boots}

I am so loving this gorgeous fall weather Florida has been having!  One of my favorite things to do lately has been to sit outside and read while drinking tea.

{currently reading: The Catcher in the Rye}

If you've seen my art and graffiti board on pinterest during the last few weeks, you'll see that I'm completely obsessed with Kate Long Stevenson.  I recently discovered her work and can't get enough of it!



I hope you are all having a beautiful fall so far!

xoxo,
Eliza

~ halloween ~

Happy Halloween!!  I hope you all had a fantastically spooky night.  In case you're anything like me (and feel that Halloween is the best holiday there is), here are some truly terrifying vintage photos that just might scare the living daylights out of all those who view them.










This year I carried on my tradition of dressing as a historical woman.  After several rolls of duct tape, 16 hours of work, a lot of cussing, and a whole pack of hook and eyes, I present to you....the original 1941 Wonder Woman!



I spent the night eating handing out candy, watching the SNL Halloween special, and hanging out with neighbors and friends at a community bonfire - definitely a successful night!



You might remember that the last three years I was Mary Poppins, Carmen Miranda, and Rosie the Riveter...

So tonight I put away my costume, tomorrow I celebrate my birthday, and Saturday I start planning next years costume.  Goodnight all!

xoxo,
Eliza

~ thank you ~

I want to give a big thank you to Velva from Tomatoes on the Vine (http://tomatoesonthevine-velva.blogspot.com) for featuring one of my photographs on her weekly Wordless Wednesday post!  Whether you're a foodie, gardener, food photographer, or a lover of all things yummy, check out her blog - it's fantastic!

~ war paint ~

Here's a topic that I feel needs to be addressed: mistakes.  They suck, don't they?  There's no denying that.  Whether it's small (drinking coffee at 8 PM and not sleeping that night) or big (telling someone how you feel before they're ready to hear it) or ginormous and life-altering, a mistake can certainly take a smile off your face very quickly.  But here's the thing: most (except for the really big ones) are only a passing situation.  That perm will eventually come out, you can always repaint the bedroom (princess pink might not have been the best idea), you can return the shoes that you thought were your size, send back the dinner that you thought was dairy-free but wasn't.  Even the majority of the bigger ones can be forgiven, corrected, forgotten or found funny 5 years later.  So why do we beat ourselves up about having a temporary lapse of judgement or not thinking things through?  Maybe it's because we set standards for ourselves, sometimes even harsher than the standards we set for the people we surround ourselves with.  When something doesn't go as planned, we hold ourselves responsible and call it a mistake: something to pick apart, analyze and dwell over.  Well here's the thing - people think that if you are constantly aware of your mistakes, you won't make another.  But sometimes you are so busy thinking of the past (where all your mistakes live) that you miss an opportunity to avoid a mistake in the present.  Even set yourself up for a mistake in the future.  So try this next time (and there will be a next time, I assure you): forgive yourself.  It might sound cliche and impossible, but it takes less energy than beating yourself up.  Understand that you're only human and treat each mistake as an opportunity to build yourself up, instead of tearing yourself down.

Put on your war paint, hold your head high and MOVE ON.  It's not healthy to get so stuck on past mistakes that you forget to truly live.  So here I am.  Admitting that I've made mistakes in my seventeen years (some big, some small), putting on my brave face, and carrying onward.  

~ side note: my war paint happens to be eyeliner, which is surprisingly hard to draw on in a straight line ~

 So, do we have a deal?  Forgive yourself.  Let go.  Move on.  Don't let the past keep you from experiencing the present and looking forward to the future 

A negative mind will never give you a positive life 

~ the greatest show on earth ~

I've always had this fascination with circuses, despite harboring an intense dislike for clowns (blame the one time a clown followed me around a circus when I was 4 years old).  There's something about the saturated colors, the sounds and smells, various unhealthy (but really, really good) foods that don't taste the same out of that setting, the beautiful costumes, and the interesting people that has always mesmerized me.  But I'm not talking about just any type of circus.  I'm talking about vintage circuses.

After visiting the Ringling Circus Museum in Sarasota earlier this month, my obsession has intensified.  Before I even unpacked, I ransacked my closet looking for anything I could make into a circus costume!  I found an old wedding dress, took it apart, dyed it powder blue, and put it back together again.  It's my dream costume!  I don't think I'll ever take it off.

So here you go.  A photoshoot representing everything that I love about circuses plus some of the photos that will always inspire me to keep life weird and interesting!  Enjoy.



~ the detail on their costumes is beautiful! ~



~ I love the similarities between these two photos, despite the different time periods ~



~ my take on it all ~







~ different kinds of stripes ~







~ a balancing act ~



There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!!  I have a feeling my circus obsession is just getting started.