Best Reads of 2k12.

Unfortunately, I haven't really mentioned what I have been reading lately, so I figured I would wrap up the year with a list of my top ten favorite books of this year :) Enjoy!

9; Divergent by Veronica Roth
      Now, I started out skeptical about this book. I mean, the plot line is becoming quite cliche in the book world (boy loves girl, girl loves boy, for some reason they can't be together, throw in a few things supernatural, and voila!) However, after a friend of mine talked my ear off about how great this one was, I gave.
      In the end, the book was quite good. To me it still followed a very similar plot line to the Matched series, but all in all, I loved it.

8; The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti

     Now this author drives me up a wall. Even though her books have the right idea, and good plot lines, she (almost) always bores you to death until you just can't keep reading. 

      However, this book broke the model and was one of the great books to bring me joy this year. The story line was cute, the characters were great, and you definitely wished you had the fortunate luck of Indigo Skye :) 

7; The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
    I don realize I am quite late reading this one, but whatever.
    I absolutely love the movie and most of Nicholas Sparks other books, so I got thinking to myself, why exactly haven't I read this one yet?! And it was just as good as I thought it would going to be :)

6; The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodrin

    This one I actually just finished last week, and let me be the first to tell you, this. book. is. amazing. 

     I was slightly leery at first, but after the first chapter, I swear you're hooked. This book has its fair share of suspense (even the ending was a cliffhanger), amazing characters that you learn to love/hate, and actually has a unique story line (a rare find these days).

The only thing that is stopping me to literally run to get the sequel is the wall of books, I have yet to finish...  

5; Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
      This book I completely picked up on a whim. I was in Barnes & Noble with no book list on my phone (shocking, I know!), so I text a friend of mine (also a crazy reader) if she had any recommendations and she sent this back to me with many exclamation points.
        You will absolutely, without a single doubt, fall in love with the characters in the book. The authors make it so incredibly easy to love them, so much to the point where you don't want to put the book down and separated from their world. So. Good.

4; Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer

      From the beginning, this book has intrigued me. As soon as a I found out that Jodi Picoult wrote this with her 17 year old daughter, I knew I had to read it. 

       The plot was so out-of-this-world imaginative, it was just down-right genius. We never quite seem to think, what happens when we shut the book, and let me tell you, I so wish this was real life. :) 

3; Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
    These last three spots were about the hardest decision I've had to make in a while. However, this book got pushed down to third, while it just as easily could have been number one in any previous year.
     I finished this book way back in late summer, and I still have moments when I think back to it. It is one of those books that kind of changes your outlook on power, greed and anger and how they can effect one person. Seriously, it is a must-read.

 2; Life of Pi by Yann Martel 

     I honestly have no words on how great this book is. It is magnificently written and so well crafted. I have read this twice in the last two months, and I can honestly say, I would read it again in a heart beat.

I also, unfortunately missed the movie when it was at my local movie theater.. *silently sobs in background*

 1; The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

         This one was really the no-brainer choice for me. I have raved over this book for ages. (I am pretty sure I mentioned this in not one, but four previous blog posts) 

          It is so cheesy, and worn-out to say this, but it will literally change your life. I view things differently and still think about that world. I wish to be Hazel, I want a boyfriend like Augustus, and I swear, they will never leave my heart. 

         John Green is quite the genius. :) 

until next time lovelies, 

mckenna k. xx

New Traditions.

photo cred; Amber Walker

This past year has been pretty much a roller coaster  In October, my family went through a huge change that basically turned everything in my life, upside down. And since the holidays are sort-of, kind-of the worst times of the year when you have experience a massive change, my mother & I were determined to make a good, new tradition.

We needed something to symbolize letting go and something to hope for. So, we bought five red balloons and five green. Each of the red symbolize something we planned to let go off in the new year, and each of the  green stood for everything we hoped to see in the future. We then released them over the ocean.
        For myself, it was incredibly emotional and healing. The idea of sending them away, and looking forward to something was just what I needed.

However, one thing we may have looked over was the fact that it was only 30 degrees out and there was almost no sun... We froze, but it was kind of worth it. 

So, the holidays turned to not be so bad after all. We created new tradition let go of awful feelings and are moving in a good direction for the new year. 

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who has been through a time of loss and bleakness. It helps greatly, and you start to feel yourself again :)

 So, I will leave you with what has become my moral over this year: Sometimes you just need to twirl :)

mckenna k. xx

My Little List to Happy

1. Returning to my love of writing <3 

It seems like ages and I am so glad to be back

2. Holiday drinks: 

Joe Muggs frozen peppermint mochas, Starbucks gingerbread lattes, I could go on for days..

3. Ed Sheeran. I will forever worship him. 

If you have yet to experience the magic that is Ed Sheeran, you have yet to live young grasshopper.

4. The beginning of winter; snow, snow, snow

Chunky scarves, cute boots, warm mittens, cuddles, fireplaces, I love it all.

5. X Factor UK.

I had been watching it obsessively on YouTube & I was over the moon excited that James won :)

6. My tea concoction of gingerbread tea & vanilla caramel creamer 

I have been having upwards of 4 of these daily... 

7. My little sister's giggles :) 

This really is my favorite time of the year. Family surrounds you, warmth welcomes you at every door way and you have the excuse to do everything that you love <3 

mckenna k.xx

{My Little Pony Hair}

I did something crazy. Well, okay crazy for me that is. 

Lately I have been utterly obsessed with ANY type of colored hair. Seriously, if you have a primary color in your hair, beware because I will most likely be dying for a picture. 

A friend (she's also a blogger! go check her out!) and I were watching the X Factor a few weeks ago, and we flipped over Britney's hair during judges' homes week, when it had the pink & blue ombre thing going on. 

And so it all began.

We made the plans, and it was set! I made probably, the most impulsive decision of my life (well, I did consider chickening out before.. but I just couldn't)

We spent hours bleaching, dyeing, jamming out, and washing until FINALLY we had blue hair! And let's be real for a sec, I was completely obsessed with it. I literally took over 200 photos in less then 24 hours...

Then... the night mare set in.

 After only three days, the blue had faded to the ugliest shade of grey-ish green and I was forever depressed. :( I looked like all that & a bag of chips for only 72 hours and I didn't want to re-dye my hair again (it had already been dried out quite a bit the first time).

So, I discovered this shampoo & conditioner by Aveda, which puts the natural brown tones back into your hair without dyes or unnatural materials, and it is MY NEW BEST FRIEND. My hair has almost to it's natural color WITHOUT dye. So my friends, if you have this awful experience, buy this shampoo.

So, even though I was pretty sad it only lasted for three days, I am proud to say I was able to cross something off of my bucket list! Number 4 was "Dye my hair blue/purple/green, even if only for a little while." :) and that made me very happy. 

So until next time lovelies, 

mckenna k. xx

Currently.

 

So, I may or may not have missed a month (or two, or maybe even four) of doing my currently posts.. I love doing these so I am so sad that I didn't keep them going! So let's just dive right in, shall we? :)

What's New; My life experineced a HUGE change about two weeks ago, so about everything right now is "new." Not in the sense that I have to start over & crap, but more in the sense of having to start new routines, traditions and finding new things to do with myself. 

But on a happier note, I have been starting to truly act myself lately. Wearing flower crowns, laughing freely, and telling jokes when I think they're funny. Cheesy I know, but it's been a while since I have felt like me all the time. :)

Reading; What you are about to read may shock your ears, so continue with caution. I started to fall out of love with reading. Yup, you read that completely right. I was shocked too at first, wondering why o'why couldn't I just sit down and read for hours like I used to? However, I am slowly crawling back to the old love. :) Let us see, I just finished James Patterson's new novel, "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" which was so. Freaking. Good. Seriously, I couldn't put it down and when I did, I swear I expereinced withdrawls from not being inside of Tandy Angel's brain. 

I am now reading Deb Caletti's new novel, "The Story of Us." I am so on the fence with this writer. If you have read here you may understand, some of her books are OUT OF THE WORLD FANTASTIC and then some are just "eh" and then some are just flat out boring. So let us all cross our fingers that this one is going to be good. 

Watching; Well, what I haven't been watching would probably be a shorter list. Project Runway (CHRISTOPHER SHOULD HAVE WON. Okay, rant over.), Covert Affairs, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (I cannot believe I just admitted to watching that show), and much, much more that I will probably remember as soon as I stop typing. 

Thinking About; The Future. I know, so cliche but as aforementioned in the begin of this post, a recent shaking-up of my life has lead me to plan ahead like a maniac and worry like a maniac as well. Let's hope these thoughts quickly faaade. 

I also have been thinking a ton about the pending election. People are seriously becoming crazy over this, so I thought I better be keeping myself (some-what) educated about what's going on.

Eating; Smoothies, smoothies and more smoothies. I am an addict. Legit.

Also, I have been an extreme addict of Quaker's Popped rice cake/chip thingys.. They. Are. So. Darn. Good. How could I not have discovered them before now?! My favorite flavors are Sweet Chili and Ranch. Sooo gooooood ;)

Braces color; Teal and puuurple. Yes, I am a freak but I had planned to add this to these currently posts ages ago, but didn't shocker. You can see my awesome metal mouth here. ;)

Wishing For; my childhood to come baaaack. I think I get these feelings everytime Halloween rolls around, I mean who doesn't though? I am at the age where I just look stupid dressing up without a party to attend and trick-or-treating is definitely out of the question, considering I wanted to go as Nicki Minaj this year.. I swear I'm not a sketch. I just need a rewind button :)

Listening to; RED. Taylor Swift freakin' does it again. She is seriously a genius. I haven't been listening to too much else since I bought that CD and I don't think that is changing anytime soon. :) 

However, on that note, I will admit that I have been slowly slipping back into my love for crappy pop music. *Shudder* I know, so scary. But in my defense, my music taste is bipolar: one day Indie alternative and Top 40, the next.

enjoy this month lovelies! i have a feeling it's going to be a great one!

mckenna k. xx

Style Icon of the Moment; Ariana Grande

Lately, I have been completely obsessing over Ariana Grande. It's no secret that I have been lusting over red hair for about.. forever! So, when I saw her gorgeous Ariel-the-Disney-Princess red hair, spot on makeup and retro with a dash of Audrey Hepburn style, I had my newest style icon. If I had discovered her this summer she would have easily made my Style Icon of this decade.
        So, since I missed the boat on adding her to my Style Icons Through the Ages, I decided to create a Ariana Grande post(s) all on it's own! I add the yes, because I am going to be doing a series of posts for this Style Icon; today is make-up, and I will be adding hair, and style to the series as the week progresses! Stay tuned! :)

I decide to start the series off with the most fun: her makeup. Seriously, it always looks picture perfect, and due to the fact that she just made a YouTube tutorial on her exact makeup routine, it was so easy to find! 

       1. She always starts by filling in her lashes, with some individuals. Personally, I think a full-set of faux lashes is just too much, so I am all for the singles. She didn't mention the exacts she uses but I you can virtually find them anywhere; the ones I love are here.

       2. She uses RCMA foundation mixed with a moisturizer (my favorite) to prevent cakey-ness. I have never used the RCMA foundations but it's pretty cheap, and this one is a close alternative.

       3. I freaking love this bronzer. It is seriously, one of the best you can buy that doesn't a) make you orange, b) get clumpy throughout the day or c) make your face too shiny. It's some-what of a splurge for a bronzer, but trust me, it's worth it.

       4. Urban Decay's eyeliners are probably the best there is on the market right now. They glide on super easy and never smudge. Seriously, one night I was out late & didn't remove my makeup, and when I woke up the next day it looked like it hadn't moved at all. I wear it in the color "Underground" and she wears it in the color "Corrupt" which was discontinued recently.

       5. Too Faced eye shadows have slowly become the only ones I use; they stay on forever and look so professional! She uses the the duo palette in the colors "Honey Pot" and "Cocoa Puff."

       6. I have never been a fan of the Clinique mascaras personally, but she raves about their high impact mascara so I might have to give them a try again.

       7. The original Chapstick is like, a staple to my makeup regimen. Duh.

       8. I am always a slacker when it comes to lip liner. If I don't absolutely need it, I usually skip it. However, Ariana uses the Inglot lipliner in color 74.

       9. I. Am. Obsessed. With. This. Lip. Color. Being known for her ever-amazing red lips, I was shocked to hear that Ariana usually wears Maybelline's Fushia Forever lipstick. BRB, heading to the store to buy it now. 

       10. Last but not least, is her blush. She wears MAC's Powder Blush in the color Pink Swoon. And that is just what I did for it.. swoon! So, gorg, I might just be heading to get this one as well :)

Also, if you would like to see Ariana put on this makeup routine for yourself and check out her amazing singing covers while you're there, you can find her YouTube channel here.

stay lovely, lovelies <3

mckenna k. xx

Etsy Love.

Lately, I have been falling back in love with Etsy. I used to be a complete addict of this website, constantly pinning my favorite looks, lusting over all of the homemade-chic, and being inspired. I slowly grew out of my initial love of the whole thing, but when I checked it recently, I was hooked by the first glance.
      I thought I would share some of my favorites I have completely obsessing over and wanting to buy with you this Friday :) Since there is so much crap I love on this website, I separated my favorites (trust me, it wasn't even easy to pick this few) into categories; clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry & geekery. enjoy!

Clothes;

1. I have been obsessed with everything geometric lately. Triangle rings, tattoos, cups, iPhone cases, shirts- I love 'em all. This shirt has a subtle & chic touch geometric to add to your closet.

2. I seriously have no idea why I love this Vintage Jackie Taub dress... but I am sooo infatuated by it.

3. These skyscraper leggings. Do I really have to say anything else about these babies?

4. I have been in a love/hate relationship with red forever. (Let us not think about my obnoxious red walls that I had to have..) But this coat, brings me to the good side of red. Yup. Definitely, in love right now.

5. Last but not least, I mean how cute is this sweater?!? Its a definite need for my baggy sweater family. 

Shoes;

Apparently, I am going to be getting more daring with my footwear...

1. Love, love, love these beauties. *Cue the Little Mix song* "You're words don't mean a thing / I'm not listening / There just like water off my wiiiiings."

2. WWII Steampunk Couture Booties. How could you go wrong? (these were very unfortunately sold out shortly after I looked at them :/)

3. Canary Yellow Combat Boots. Seriously. What has my life been without these beauties?. (also sold out. I blame myself for pinning them so many times...)

4. As a self-proclaimed Pixar anything addict, I don't even have words for these. Seriously, how cute would these hand-painted flats be in my wardrobe? That's right. Two Tons of Cute.

Bags/Purses;

1. I love boho, slouchy bags. This square one is cute like this & scrunched up. I will marry the person who buys this for me. 

2. This clutch is super cute, and would go with virtually anything (BONUS; it features the chevron trend). Now that I have been more busy, I have preferred to ditch my purse and just carry my wallet, so this clutch is also a need. Who am I kidding? All of these things are needs.

3. The Bag = Stunning. The Color = Divine. The woman's hair posing with said bag = Jeeeealous.

4. I have been kind of drawn to skulls lately. Anything a little bit edgy while still keeping the girl look I love, has been a must for my closet. This bag is a prefect mixture of skull & ladylike flowers.

Jewelry;

1.  OhmyHungerGames. When I saw this ring, fell IN LOVE. Peeta's pearl to Katniss. I am such a geek. And proud.

2. This statement necklace is to die for, in the best possible way. Remember me mentioning my love for geometric anything? Well, here it is again. 

3. And again. (Also loving this "hand bracelt" trend.. different but kind of hardcore)

4. I have also been intrigued by the "over-the-knuckle" rings trend. Definitely an acquired taste, but I really like the look of these ones.

Geekery;

1. I had my eyes on this my Little Pony dress for ages, but it sold recently. :( Again. I blame my excessive pinning.

2. This Scarf > Everything. I must-have for my fall wardrobe.

3. This Deathly Hallows case is freaking to die for. Now, all I need is the iPhone...

4. I have wanted this necklace since I first saw this on Etsy, months ago. I think it might be time to buy it :) Don't ya think?

5. This ear cuff maybe be a little geeky.. but hey, this is the geekery category & I might actually wear this.. Is that bad? Actually, I don't care. :)

I have legit, had this post started for weeks.. so I figured it was time to finish it. ;) Better late than never, right?

mckenna k. xx

Stuck in Her Daydream: Fall Playlist

After getting so much attention for my Wish U Were Here: Summer Playlist, I decided to make this whole playlist thing a seasonal thing, so here I am! However, this time I am doing specfic artists or albums because some of these would be virtually impossible to choose a single song.

They do it again. I have been a Maroon 5-fan since "She Will Be Loved" and I don't think they are going to produce anything I don't love. I can legit listen to all of these songs for hours without getting bored. So. Good. My favorite tracks are "One More Night" and  "Sad."
Check them oooout.

This pick is probably cheating, because this record hasn't left my record player since I got it last Christmas. However, I cannot stop listening to them. Marcus' voice, mixed with their crazy-but-amazing style of strumming a guitar is just pure genius. Their new single, "I Will Wait" is so addicting and so s-o-g-double-d good ;)

This one is probably, also a cheating pick. But c'moooon, its Queen! My aunt was the one who distilled my love of the 80's and especially Queen in my blood and I don't think there's a way back.
Almost every time autumn rolls around, I find myself humming "Bohemian Rhapsody," and strutting around in baggy sweaters, "Under Pressure" jamming in my head.

I am not that much of a rap fan. I mean, I like to listen to the occasional Eminem once in a while but never anything to the point of this. B.O.B. takes an almost Indie-sounding tune and makes it hip, current, and oh-so-catchy. Favs; "Both of Us" (featuring the ever-wonderful Taylor Swift and "Outta My Mind" (featuring the ever-cray-cray Nicki Minaj."

Yes, yes, this was on my summer playlist as well. But I legit have not even come close to getting sick of hearing his voice.. Soothing, yet masculine and words that describe every feeling you've ever had perfectly, Ed Sheeran is a master at what he does. I can't even tell you my favorite songs, due to the fact I listen to them all on a daily basis. (Obsessed Status; 5 Bagillion)

No brainer. I am such a P!nk addict, that there was no question in my mind that her new (awesome) album would be on this list.
In. Love.
I have no words.







This last one is kind of a "wild-card" pick so to say, for me. When I heard their song "Tongue Tied" on the radio, I found myself humming it until I annoyed everyone around me & I finally listened to their other songs about a month ago. I'm am slowly getting hooked.








enjoy rocking out lovelies,
mckenna k. xx

The Rare Outfit Post.

I have always loved looking at outfit posts on other blogs, and since I don't think I've done one in a while (or ever) I thought I would do one today! enjoy!

 

outfit info; scarf // american eagle, blazer // maurices, embellished tee // coldwater creek (thrifted), jeans // almost famous, rain boots // lower west side, earrings // claire's

on my nails // l'oreal penthouse pink & claire's gold crackle

until next time lovelies,

mckenna k. xx

Serendipity. At Its Best.

A couple weekends ago, I went vintage shopping. If you know me at all, you will know that thirfting/vintage shopping/digging through bins of awesome retro crap (whatever you want to call it), is one of my all-time favorite things to do. So, when my grandmother brought up the idea of spending the majority of our weekend  browsing some of our favorite vintage locations, I couldn't resist. 

clothing info; denim top // maurices, scarves // vintage ;), jean vest // silver jeans co.

on my nails // brash red hot & revoln god coin

now, the three major things I gravitate towards anywhere vintage-y, are clothes, records and books. Hands down. This one particular trip, I hadn't planned on finding much- maybe a new book to curl up with or a nice frame- but boy, was I wrong. 

I found one of my best vintage finds.. EVER.

I found these unbelievable scraves in a little basket labeled "$3 Scarves."
I went mental.
I mean, look at them! They are gorg-e-ous and there was no way in this Universe that I was going to leave them there :) Its kind of cool when you find something you weren't even looking for and it brightens up your life (and your wardrobe!).

I challenge you to find your "Serendipitous" moment in something as simply as two really cheap, vintage scarves. <3

all my love,
mckenna k. xx

My {Official} Return. ;)

okay.

I am such a bad blogger. I know. 

I promised my return about a month ago, posted a few things and then I was back to square one. 

Nowhere. 

I got thinking one day, I didn't want to look back in a year, and say "Remember when I was a blogger?"  So this time, I am SERIOUSLY returning. I have posts planned out, and ready to go. And I am planning to take time out of each day to get AT LEAST a post done a day. 

So, I PINKY PROMISE on all the Boybands in the world that I will be popping up everyday. :) 

You'll probably get sick of me ;)

mckenna k. xx 

I Am Happy.

Lately, along with finding myself, I have become happy. 

I have been  finding beauty in the little things.

I find myself smiling for no reason.

And I am enjoying every second of it.

wishing you all the happiness in the world,

mckenna k. xx

photo cred; Amber Walker