5 things I love Wednesday.

1. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins.

image from last.fm.

image from last.fm.

I think I first started listening to Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins' album "Rabbit Fur Coat" in high school or early college. Relatively recently, one of the songs off the album came up on my iPod while it was on shuffle and I decided to listen to the whole album again. I find it just as amazing as I used to. Jenny Lewis's voice is so unique and so sincere. If you're into singer-songwriter, folksy kind of stuff, you should definitely check this album out! Some of my favorite tracks are "Rise Up With Fists!," "You Are What You Love," and "The Big Guns."

2. leopard flats from Target!

I actually bought two pairs of these shoes, the leopard pair and also a black pair. It was love at first sight when I saw the studs on the back. When looking for shoes that I can wear casually as well as to work, I like comfortable flats with a little classiness to them. While I definitely would not wear the leopard pair of shoes to work, I would and have worn the black pair. Also, because there is black and brown in the leopard pattern, they go with almost anything!

3. Status Updates on Hulu

screenshot of Status Updates on Hulu.

Brigitte Dale, the creator of Status Updates is one of my favorite Youtubers. She is hilarious and adorable and quirky. She was MIA for a while and then turned back up on Youtube with a video explaining that she collaborated with MTV to create Status Updates, a web series on Hulu. The show is so light-hearted and very funny. I don't usually laugh out loud at TV shows or movies, but I found myself giggling a lot while marathoning through the first season of this show. The thing is, the episodes are only about seven minutes long, so you can really go through a season quite quickly. I am really hoping they'll come out with a second season!

4. Root: 1 red wine!

Okay, so maybe this should be more like a favorite for 2012! Root: 1 is probably my favorite red wine at the moment, although I recently tasted Sharecropper's red wine from Oregon at the Charles Lucas Confectionery and it may become a new favorite. One of the greatest aspects about Root: 1 is that we can find it around here at wine shops for about 8 bucks! I also love the graphic design on the bottle.

5. the VSCO CAM iPhone app.

Okay, so I have a new favorite photography iPhone app! VSCO CAM blows just about every other photography app I've used out of the water, other than Snapseed. Somehow, VSCO CAM makes your iPhone photos look like they are better quality than they really are. I also love the fact that they give your photos the look of film. The graininess adjustment really lends to this.

I hope you enjoyed this week's rendition of 5 Thing I Love!

xoxo

Cara

Valentine's Day outfit!

Happy Valentine's Day! xoxo

Today has been so hectic... scurrying around, finishing presents, and getting dolled up. Not to forget class... which was rudely not cancelled!

I thought I'd share the outfit I wore out to dinner with the boo.

top - H&M; shorts - Forever 21; flats - Target. earrings - Forever 21.

coat - Gap.

I was so happy that I found the Gap coat I bought last year (I think?) and couldn't find anywhere for the past few months. Cleaning out my room is like a mini Christmas, rediscovering old treasures you had almost forgotten all about.

ring - Forever 21.

Happy love day, loves!

xoxo

Cara

unseasonal weather.

I might try to do more fashion-related posts now. These are some of my favorite posts on fellow bloggers' sites, so I figured why not give it a shot myself? The weather here has been rather erratic, but mainly warm for this time of year. This allows for more tights and dresses and less form-swallowing eskimo coats.

coat - Forever 21 ($12!); dress - Old Navy; button-up shirt - Salvation Army; shoes - J. C. Penney.

It's always quite awkward for me to take photos of myself, but if it's for the sake of fashion, who am I to let my discomfort get in the way? From what I've heard from other bloggers, the process gets less awkward in time.

Thanks for reading! Let me know how you feel about outfit/fashion posts, please.

xoxo

Cara

hudson with bear.

I have been incredibly fortunate over the past few weeks in that my best friend, Erika a.k.a Bear, has been home on break from grad school. We decided to take a little day-trip to Hudson to check out the vintage shops. The vintage stores have very odd and sparse hours and almost all of them were closed on the Wednesday we visited. However, we still made the most of our trip.

It was also incredibly cold outside that day. We decided we could not make the most of our day until we got a nice beverage in our systems, therefore we headed to Mexican Radio.

The decorations in Mexican Radio were so colorful and fun. Also, I will always advocate for string lights... anywhere.

earrings, Ann Taylor Loft.

After some yummy grub, we headed to the Spotty Dog, a cafe/art-shop/bar/bookstore. How could you resist?

  

Our last stop of the day was Swallow Coffee for a warm beverage before the long walk back to our parking spot. It can be difficult to find non-metered parking in Hudson and we ended up parking quite a distance from the main drag.

Once we read "coconut rooibos tea" on the menu, we had to give it a try. I honestly think it was the most delicious smelling tea I've ever had!

jacket, Urban Outfitters; scarf, Forever 21; hoodie, American Apparel; jeans, Ann Taylor Loft; black oxfords, Aldo; bag, Alexander Wang replica from this ebay seller.

We hope to go back again soon when the weather is better and when the majority of the vintage/consignment shops are open. It was still a very fun trip and I recommend it to anyone in the area!

xoxo

new years!

The days leading up to New Years this year were filled with snow. I cannot tell you how many times I brushed and/or scraped the snow and/or ice off my car. Regardless, it was beautiful.

The night of New Year Eve was spent with loved one, which is really all I can ask for!

top: Ann Taylor Loft; skirt: Forever 21

jacket: Forever 21; purse: Alexander Wang knock-off from Ebay

I made an 8tracks mix of some of my favorite songs from 2012, if you'd like to give a listen!

2012 favorites from cara.m.hanley on 8tracks Radio.

Happy 2013, everyone! May this be your best year yet! xoxoxoxoxo

my outfit today: october 21st, 2012.

Knowing I had paper-writing ahead of me, I decided to spring for geek chic this morning. I like to dress up for school and I also feel I get better work done when I'm more put together.

Plus, I needed an excuse to wear my new purple trousers!

ribbon: Glossy Box; lipstick: Glossy Box.

necklace, Housing Works; cardigan, Ann Taylor Loft; button-up shirt: American Apparel.

pants: Ann Taylor Loft; shoes: Ollio.

In other news, I tried to feng shui my room this morning. Photos to come, hopefully!

xoxo

Cara