July 25, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

The Beekeeper’s Daughter

I don’t really know what a beekeeper’s daughter looks like in a picture formed in one’s head. Is there a crown of bees involved? Is there a white jumpsuit? A veil?

Well, whichever it is I am sure I do not usually look the part.

Except today.

Today I went full out with the theme.

But hopefully not in an over-the-top way.

I just really love this Modcloth Twofer Honey Dress. I waited for this to hit sale and was ecstatic when it did.

I decided to pair it with some booties. Close-toed shoes are a must in Imaginary Bee Land.

The honeycomb crochet on this top is just really neat. I love the yellow color paired with the grey. I think it looks modernly bohemian. The complaints about this dress were the sides stick out underneath your arms. This does not bother me at all. I do not walk around with my arms above my head, but I wanted to show you what the reviews meant. You can see it in this picture.

These honeycomb earrings are also from Modcloth. I own a very similar pair from Anthropologie last year. The two pairs of earrings are different because one has a slightly larger honeycomb weave than the other.

This is ~~not~~ important.

Do you know I have only been stung twice by a bee? I find this kind of miraculous having grown up surrounded by them. It just proves that they really are peaceful creatures. That, and the fact that honeybees die when they sting you. : (

You should see my dad with a honeybee. It is like watching a bee whisperer. He lets them crawl on his huge rough hands and soothes them with his voice. Sometimes he will bring them to his mouth (don’t do this!) and breathe hot air on them if they are too cold to fly. It is amazing and something I never tire of seeing.

This bee wrap bracelet is the coolest. I purchased mine for $10 from Nordstrom Rack a few months ago and I cannot find a similar one online. My grandma used to collect bee jewelry and ever since she passed away, I have felt a need to continue her tradition.

I also made waves in my hair using a wave iron I purchased last week (more on this soon. I do not want to link to it until I am absolutely sure I will recommend it. So far I love it, but I want to play with it some more to be certain). I used to wear waves in my hair all of the time a few years ago and then I lost my wave iron and my hair remained wave free for too long.

In Imaginary Bee Land, beekeeper’s daughters always have wavy hair.

It is a fact.

Trust me.

I know.

I invented the place.

Do you ever make a theme for your clothes? Have a story in your head for a particular outfit? Please tell me I am not the only one.

P.S. * I shared this on The Pleated Poppy!

*This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing an item from a link on this post will result in ~~more fodder for Imaginary Bee Land~~ a small commission for this site.

July 11, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Lemon Fields

Lemon wine
Thir-ty seven
A day without kids
I ate everything.

Isn’t that catchy? I think it is the next big hit.

Actually, I did not go to a lemon field. And I had neither lemon wine nor wore lemon or wine on this day, but I did visit a vineyard. I wore a lemon color and I drank enough wine to lead me to believe that this post should be entitled, “Lemon Wine” and then promptly changed my bleary mind. Does that count?

When my husband and I visited this vineyard, our children had embarked upon a weeklong camping trip with their grandparents. We were footloose and family free.

We ate so much I got sick.

I would say drank, but both the waiter and myself concurred that it must be the food and not the wine that had my head spinning. Who am I to argue with an expert?

Speaking of spinning, I spun through their gorgeous vineyard.

I had previously reviewed this skirt here, and I had dismissed it. But then Jessica from Breakfast at Gigi’s went and bought the skirt and I loved it so much on her, I decided to try it again. This time I ordered the Zocalo Maxi Skirt in a medium (it is sold out, but you might be able to call customer service and find it in a store). It was on sale and I loved pairing it with turquoise.

Another brilliant thing Jessica did was to iron the sides of the skirt closed. I contemplated doing this. And I eventually might go this route, but for now I simply paired my skirt with a lace slip. I like the extra dimension and coverage that it provides.

I cannot get enough of my Simply Livly’s Turquoise Necklace.

Who says romance is just for kids?

Wait. Does anybody say that? That is just wrong.

Either way, I definitely had a moment with that creme brûlée.

And nobody can tell me differently.

Have you spun through a vineyard? Or from a vineyard?

And who thinks lemon wine should be a thing?

Those strawberries are sweet and all, but lemons… they’ve got some tang.

P.S. * I shared this on The Pleated Poppy!

May 15, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

It’s The Little Things: Bracelets

I started this blog while I was still discovering my personal style. And I still am discovering it. I think self discovery is always an on-going cycle. With that said, I used to not like to wear more than one accessory. And sometimes that is still true.

But lately I have wanted to layer more and more.

The less clothes I get to layer as the weather warms up means the more accessories that get to take their place.

I bought my first bracelet last year.

It was so exciting.

I have since added a few more:

This Free People Hammered Stacked Multi Cuff was a recent acquisition as I try to push myself past my comfort zone.

My husband thinks it looks like shower curtain rings.

When is he going to learn that when he compares something to something else weird or funny, that just makes me like it even more?

Forever 21 has a very similar version in gold. I really like that one, too.

I wore these Forever 21 Globetrotter Cuffs yesterday. They are my absolute favorites. They are also less than $5 each. I love them so much, I hope they last.

The turquoise layered bracelet was one of five that I purchased last year for $4 each. They are sold out, but Forever 21 has some fun colored bangles in a similar color vein here. And I saw almost identical ones at Target yesterday.

I own two of the Anthropologie Scalloped Monogram Bracelets. One with my husband’s initial and one with my own. I think these are feminine and sweet. I like the little details on them.

One weird fact (of many… Too… Too… Many) about me is that I love octopuses. I think they are brilliant creatures that we still have not studied enough. So, when I saw Modcloth’s My Pet Octopus Cuff, I knew it was being added to my collection. This bracelet is fun, but I will say that I have small wrists and this moves around a lot. I think this would fit better on a girl with larger wrists.

I purchased this yellow wrap bee bracelet two weeks ago at Nordstrom Rack for $10. I could not find a link for a similar bracelet (or rather, I could not find a link to a similar bracelet at a reasonable price. I am not going to link to a bracelet that costs more than most dresses). The brand is Dazzle. Each bug had a different color. There was a pretty kelly green one, too, but my heart belongs to the bee. Ever since my grandmother passed away, I feel more drawn to my heritage as a daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter of many generations of beekeepers. So when I see a piece of jewelry with a bee or bees on it, I pounce.

It’s The Little Things: A small accessory to bring a little more fun to an outfit. And a little more joy to my heart.

Have you gotten into the bracelet love this season? Do you layer them? Do you have weird jewelry rules like me (you will never see me wearing a necklace and earrings. It has to be one or the other)?

*Disclosure: The links in this post are affiliate links. Clicking on a link will result in a small commission for this site.

P.S. Speaking of bracelets, Heather from the shop, Peacock Fairy, has some pretty bracelets, too. She is giving away a beautiful necklace.. It ends tonight at 9:00 p.m. PST. Please do not forget to enter. Thank you!

May 8, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

It’s The Little Things: Paper Straws

Folks. I have a problem. We can joke about. Pretend it is a silly thing. A small thing.

But it is getting a bit out of hand.

It is kind of my habit or need, if you will, to have a supply of every possible thing. Imaginable. Just in case. You never know.

“Just in case. You never know.” That is the mantra of my life, by the way. In one word it can be summed up to: ~~greed~~ paranoia.

I have always been a Straw Freak. I bet you didn’t know there was such a thing. Well there is. Here I am. “Nice to meet you.” I cannot drink out of a glass without a straw. I make weird slurping noises. It is like I have been drinking out of puddles all of my life. My lips cannot form properly onto the glass.

I am sure at this point you are crossing off the word “straw” in Straw Freak.

I don’t blame you.

Also. I cannot drink water with a straw. Or milk (unless the milk is from a donut shop in a small container purchased on the way to the airport between the hours of five and seven thirty in the morning. Jealous of my husband now?). It is simply not done. Sends shivers down my spine, it does.

If I am at a restaurant, I always grab extra ones. Especially at Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf. Their straws are the absolute best. They are big. They are purple. They live in my purse where I can stroke them daily.

Shhhhhh!

So, I started seeing these gorgeous paper straws popping up all over the place. And the Need Beast in my heart grew.

I finally caved and purchased some hot pink paper straws from Amazon.
.

But the Need Beast was not satisfied.

So I bought a small pack of twenty yellow polkadot and stripe ones.

But he longed for more.

He wanted. All. Of. The. Colors.

RRRROOOOOAAAARRRRR!

But I did not want to pay for them. Well, the other day Anthropologie had free shipping on anything. That’s right. Anything. Do you want to know what I bought?

Clothes?

Nope.

Shoes?

Nope.

Jewelry?

Nope.

Shocker: I bought straws.

Eight boxes of fabulous clearanced paper straws. Eight boxes of 144 count straws (seriously, the best price I have found is on Anthropologie. Who knew?). This, combined with my previous Amazon purchases, left me with a total of 1,196 straws.

My husband was very impressed with this number, folks.

You should have seen his jaw clench.

I think it was in anticipation of the fun sipping he will be doing all season.

Don’t you?

I am so ready for this summer. For margaritas by the pool. For lemonade. And piña coladas.

All made more exciting with the use of colorful, happy straws.

It’s the little things: Making a drink even better.

Do you have paper straws in your house? Do you drink from a straw? Do you have weird rules about straws? Please share. My Need Beast really wants to know.

* The Amazon link is an affiliate link. The straws for this link are $1 more than what Anthropologie is selling their straws for. However, I provided the link in case Anthropologie runs out. Also, I get free shipping on Amazon but not on Anthropologie. Purchasing through the Amazon link will result in a small commission for ~~The Need Beast~~ this blog.

Gnome Lover

Stumbling through life while still having fun

yellow

The Beekeeper’s Daughter

Lemon Fields

It’s The Little Things: Bracelets

It’s The Little Things: Paper Straws