Peachy Keen

Peachy Keen Vintage: Black Friday Sale!

2011-11-25T10:02:00.000-08:00

It's Black Friday! Use coupon code BLACKFRIDAY for 30% off everything in the shop! The sale lasts until Sunday at 10 PM MST. Happy shopping!

Life is good.

2011-11-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

So far, my weekend has consisted of...

-Cuddling with my husband and my cat.
-Cleaning the apartment.
-Baking chocolate chip cake (my mommy's recipe).
-Watching Beauty and the Beast (Followed by Aladdin!)
-Some online shopping at Express FOR FREE! (Gotta love gift cards.)
-Tumblr
-Sally Hansen Nail Effects in Kitty, Kitty (Photos to come.)
-Surfing the net.
-Doing nothing.

And I still have all of Sunday too!

Slow Down

2011-10-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

Dress: Vintage, Time Bandits Vintage (Etsy)
Shoes: Payless (Flagstaff, AZ)

Today was the slowest day of work EVER. It felt like it was never going to end. If you would have talked to me this summer (the busiest time of the year for our apartment complex), I would have begged for a slow day like this. But now, I wouldn't mind a busy day every once in a while. Or at least a walk-in or something.

On the plus side, the office has never looked better because I've re-cleaned it every day this week.

P.S. I am sooo ready to get rid of that boot. I have another x-ray coming up soon and hopefully they will tell me that everything is healing right and I don't have to wear it much longer. Wish me luck?

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

2011-10-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Old Navy (Flagstaff, AZ)
Skirt: Rainbow's End Imports (Flagstaff, AZ)
Belt: Charlotte Russe (Glendale, AZ)
Necklace: Tinkerbell (Glendale, AZ)
Shoes: Payless (Flagstaff, AZ)

Fact: I am a little intimidated by the color orange. Mostly because I am a natural redhead. (It also didn't help that one of my fellow trombone players in high school liked to call me "Carrot Top", haha.) However, since I am currently blonde, I thought I would give it a shot. And you know what? I like it!

And yeah, that's about it. Not much to say today.

Meow!

2011-10-24T17:54:00.001-07:00

First of all, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone. When you are struggling with depression, it is very easy to feel alone. I really mean it when I say that your comments meant a lot to me. I was afraid of what people might think when I posted about the current state of my mental health but I am glad that I did.

Now, I have a big announcement to make...

We are now a family of three! Meet Sam: Our adorable, lovable, slightly pudgy 7 month old black tabby! He is probably the cutest thing in the entire world (not that I'm biased or anything) and is currently sitting on my lap, purring his little head off as I write this. He is perfect. :)

Dress: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)
Shirt: Old Navy (Flagstaff, AZ)
Belt: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)
Shoes: Payless (Flagstaff, AZ)

As for my outfit, well, I sort of ~~stole~~ borrowed the idea from the lovely Lindsay of Lindsay Living.

Mental Health: The Diagnosis

2011-10-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

Note: This is a pretty heavy post. Just figured I should warn you.

I'm not really quite sure how to start this, so I guess I will just jump right into it...

After spending a week in the Flagstaff Medical Center's Behavioral Health Unit because I was planning to commit suicide, I have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD - also known as Recurrent Depressive Disorder and Clinical Depression) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Now, depression is nothing new to me. I have been on medication before and then weened off of it. I have seen a therapist/counselor off and on. However, this was the first time that it really sunk in. Depression runs in my family and because of that biological aspect, it is something that I am going to be dealing with for the rest of my life and I will probably always be on some sort of medication. I wont' lie to you: This was very hard for me to come to terms with. I felt like there was something wrong with me. And in some ways, I still do. However, I am slowly starting to overcome this shame.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder on the other hand, was something completely new to me. I have always been a very high strung person and even if everything is perfect, I will always find something to worry about. I just assumed that this was just the way I was or that I was a perfectionist but looking back at Elementary and High School, everything makes sense now.

I have been out of the hospital's Behavioral Health Unit for 5 days now and I will admit, it's been a little weird being back in the "real world". Little by little, I am beginning to feel like the real me again. I had lost interest in a lot of things (blogging, socializing, school, work, etc) because I was just so exhausted all of the time and I just didn't care. Now, I am starting to enjoy those things more. I actually want to get up in the morning. And, as cheesy as it sounds, I feel like I have a new perspective on life.

I am finally ready to start living and I will not let GAD and MDD drag me down. I do not ever want to return to the place I was at when I was admitted to the hospital that afternoon.

Gimpy

2011-09-22T21:52:00.001-07:00

I fractured my foot yesterday. My left one, to be exact. The power went out at work and I kinda sorta overstepped and fell down the stairs. Thankfully, it's something that will heal on its own as long as I use my crutches and wear this nifty boot-shoe thing to keep my foot in position.

For the next 4-6 weeks.

Ugh.

P.S. I kind of want to bedazzle my boot or something seeing as it is going to become a regular part of my wardrobe for the time being. Any suggestions on where I could find rhinestones that would stick to it?

Tar-jay

2011-09-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

By now, I'm sure that everyone in the blog-o-sphere has heard about Missoni for Target. Well, I ended up going into Target today to pick up a prescription and found almost all of the Missoni for Target products completely sold out. (Which isn't really surprising, considering I live in a pretty small town that only has one Target.) I was a little disappointed, however, I did manage to grab the cute laptop case that you see above. I've been looking for one anyways and since it was the absolute last one they had in the entire store, I decided to grab it while I had the chance.

My husband Will, who actually works at Target and has experienced the craziness full-on, told me he doesn't quite understand the hype. "It's just like... stuff with different colored zig-zags on it! What is so great about that?!"

Either way, I'm just glad that I managed to get one of the Missoni for Target items before they completely disappear from Flagstaff, AZ. Or get purchased and then sold on eBay for double the price.

You Better Work

2011-09-13T21:07:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Since I spend most of my time during the week at my desk, I decided to snap a few photos for you. :) Note the collection of scented markers and the cat calender, haha. You can't see it in these pictures, but the entrance and the front counter are to the right of my desk. (Oh and I was definitely not on Etsy at work... *wink, wink*)

Dress: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)
Cardigan: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)

Watch: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)

Shoes: Payless (Flagstaff, AZ)

Outfit-wise: Since I forgot to set my alarm last night and woke-up 30 minutes before I had to be at work, hair and make-up were very minimal today (AKA I didn't do anything). Which is why I cropped my head out of the first picture, haha. I really liked this outfit except for the fact that it wasn't quite warm enough. It's been raining off and on for a while now and I just wonder how long it's going to be before the rain turns into snow. Time to start stocking up on tights again, I guess.

P.S. Is it just me, or do watches make you feel all "grown-up"?

P.P.S. I just realized that 75% of my outfit is from Target. Yay for Will's employee discount!

Lumberjacks!

2011-09-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kevin Igo (AKA my Father-in-Law)

This past Saturday was the first football game of the season! Now, I'll admit that I'm not much of a football fan. During high school, I was kind of forced to care (or at least, pretend I cared) because of marching band, but that's about it. The main reason I went to this game was because Will is in the NAU marching band this year, haha. Plus, Will's parents and grandma were in town to see the game and visit.

NAU won 58-13 over Fort Lewis which was pretty cool, however, it defintiely made for a slow game. Especially when it was obvious that NAU was going to win after the 2nd quarter.

Sunday on the other hand, was pretty uneventful. We went grocery shopping, went to Target, watched Oliver and Company (what can I say, I have always loved animated cat movies), ate leftovers and played Mario Party 8 for the Wii. Oh and I did some homework for my Business Law & Ethics class. It was really nice, especially considering that this week is going to be pretty busy.

Oh and I didn't get any pictures of Sunday's outfit, but this is what I wore on Saturday...

NAU Shirt: University Text & Tools (Flagstaff, AZ)
Skirt: Rainbow's End Imports (Flagstaff, AZ)
Irish Coin Necklace: AudrasAura (Etsy)
Shoes: Payless (Flagstaff, AZ)

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Back-to-School Sale!

2011-08-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

Vintage 1970s Dress - Aquamarine Dream Dress (S-M)
Vintage 1970s Dress - Peachy Keen Dress (S-M)

Vintage 1950s Suit - Tan Secretarial Pool Suit (M-L)

Vintage Classic Pearl Necklace

Peachy Keen Vintage's Back-to-School Sale is now extended until Sunday, September 4th, 2011! All items in the shop are 20% off! Be sure to check it out! :)

So excited!

2011-08-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

A quick photo from my Rue 21 shopping trip yesterday... Classy, I know. ;)

So, tomorrow is the first day of classes at NAU. It's werid; I've done this 3 times already however this time it feels completely different. Not only is this going to be my first day in my new Major (Business Management), it's also my first day as a part-time student. I'll be taking two classes (Legal Environment of Business and Introduction to Computer Information Systems) along with working full-time at the apartment complex. See below for a preview of my schedule.

(Click for the photo for a larger view.)

Here's to hoping I don't go crazy this semester?

I'm baaaaack! And blonde!

2011-08-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

I realized recently how much I miss blogging. So, as you might have guessed, I am going to end Peachy Keen's hiatus! However, this time around, things are going to be a little different. Before, I felt like I was constantly fighting to keep my blog interesting. And, because of that, I ended up doing things just because other big name bloggers were. I began to see blogging as a chore and not something I did for fun.

Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean I am completely giving up blogging challenges or features. It just means that I'm not going to sign up for something because I feel that I have to. I want Peachy Keen to be authentic, if that makes any sense at all. And to me, that means posting what I want to post and for lack of a better term, "keeping it real".

So, yeah. Let's do this!

Hiatus

2011-06-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hello! :) I am back... ish. Yes, I finally have my internet up and running however I am going to continue my blogging break for just a little while longer. It's just gotten to the point where blogging feels like a chore vs. something I do for fun. Plus, work has been crazy busy and it's only going to get busier in July. In the meantime, I am going to give Tumblr a shot, continue to read my favorite blogs, work on Peachy Keen Vintage, etc. Then, when the time is right, Peachy Keen WILL return!

So, ~~goodbye~~ BRB for now!

XOXO,
Cassie

Week 2, Day 1: Wild Card

2011-05-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of Week 2: Wild Card Inspiration! :) My Wild Card for the week? Video Game Heroines! Yep, I will be drawing my inspiration for the week from some of my favorite Nintendo and PlayStation girls. I'm a HUGE gamer girl, haha.

For my first outfit of the week, I drew my inspiration from the video game character I have tattooed on my shoulder blade: Princess Peach!

Crown: Halloween Costume
Dress: Vintage, Time Bandits Vintage (Etsy)
Belt: Forever 21 (Online)
Earrings: Aldo (Glendale, AZ)
Wedges: Payless (Glendale, AZ)

Obviously, I didn't actually wear my crown to work. ;) Also, please ignore the mess in the last photo. We move into the new apartment tomorrow and things are still kind of crazy over here, haha.

I do have some unfortunate news: Because of the move we are going to be without internet for about a week starting tomorrow. Yep. An entire WEEK. How will I ever survive? I will still be able to check my blog, Facebook, etc. on my phone and at work but I won't be able to do any new blog posts for a while. I will still continue my challenge, obviously, and will post all of my outfits for the week in one huge mega post as soon as I'm back.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the lovely ladies of 7% Solution and Girl of a Thousand Faces - both of which are participating in the 4 Week Challenge with me!

Week 1, Days 6-7: Tina & Mercedes

2011-05-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday - Tina

Tank Dress: Express (Glendale, AZ)
Lace Shirt: Romy (Glendale, AZ)
Hair Clip: Hot Topic (Glendale, AZ)
Heels: Charlotte Russe (Glendale, AZ)

Sunday - Mercedes

As you might have noticed, the second outfit is just a Polyvore. Why? Because in the midst of all of the packing/moving crazyness I forgot to take photos that day. Oops!

The last two days of my Glee week I drew my inspiration from two of the original Glee girls: Tina and Mercedes! I wasn't very fond of my Tina look (it just really wans't my style) but my Mercedes outfit was a lot of fun! The bright colors, the ruffles, accessories - so cute! I just wish I had an actual picture to show you. Maybe I'll re-create this outfit someday so you can see what it actually looks like.

All in all, I had a lot of fun with the first week of the challenge! I'll be posting my first Week 2: Wild Card Inspiration post in just a little bit! ;)

Week 1, Days 3-5: The Original Cheerios

2011-05-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

Wednesday - Quinn

Irish Coin Necklace: Audras Aura (Etsy)
Cardigan: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Dress: Thrifted, Buffalo Exchange (Phoenix, AZ)
Black Flats (not pictured): Payless (Peoria, AZ)

Thursday - Brittany

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Blue/White Sweater: Clothing Swap
Gray Sweater: Clothing Swap
Belt: Charlotte Russe (Glendale, AZ)
Shorts: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Boots: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)

Friday - Santana

Dress: Clothing Swap
Belt: Forever 21 (Online)
Pearl Earrings: Gift from Grandma Beam
Black Heels: Charlotte Russe (Glendale, AZ)

All Glee photos via Fashion of Glee.

P.S. Laura (AKA Aki) of 7% Solution is also participating in the 4 Week Challenge with me! I met Laura at the AZ Blogger Meet-up and she is so sweet. She posted her outfit for Week 1 the other day and I absolutely LOVE it! Be sure to check it out! :)

Week 1, Day 2: Gold Star

2011-05-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Before I get to my outfit, I just have to tell you the exciting news! I got a promotion! I am now the Assistant Property Manager of Millpond Village! You see, last Friday was our Property Manager's last day. So, the Assistant Property Manager was promoted, leaving the Assistant position open. They asked if I was interested (since I have already have some training under my belt), I said yes and I was hired!

I'm going to be much busier than I have been seeing as this job will have me working 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday but I am really excited. Plus, it will be great business experience. Oh and the free two bedroom apartment with new flooring (!!!) was a pretty big incentive as well, haha. ;) We might even be able to move-in to the new apartment this weekend! I will definitely post pictures when we make the move!

School-wise, I am still going to be attending Coconino Community College part-time, taking all night classes. It's going to be tough, but I'm up for the challenge!

Headband: Borrowed from Kirsten

Blouse: Romy (Glendale, AZ)
Skirt: Rainbow's End Imports (Flagstaff, AZ)
Socks: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Shoes: Payless (Peoria, AZ)

Photos via Google Image Search

"Rachel somehow manages to dress like a grandmother and toddler at the same time."
-Kurt Hummel

Today's outfit was inspired by none other than Rachel Berry! When I first started watching the show, I could not stand her. However, over time, she has started to grow on me. Though, I will say one thing: She is too good for Finn! Quinn is too good for him as well. That is all.

Rachel's style is very quirky and I had a lot of fun putting this outfit together! As you can see, a lot of her outfits have a very schoolgirl-esque feel - hence my white button-up, blue pleated skirt and socks with flats. I added the headband as a nod to both her love of bows and well, headbands. (She did write a song about them.)

Week 1, Day 1: Here we go!

2011-05-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

So, today was the first day Week 1 of the 4 Week Challenge! The theme for this week is Inspiration: TV & Movies. Now, before I tell you which show I will be using as the inspiration for my outfits, can you guess which TV character I was inspired by?

Bow Earrings: Vintage, Archives Vintage (Etsy)
Dress: Banana Republic via Clothing Swap
Cardigan: Clothing Swap
Necklace: Tinkerbell (Glendale, AZ)
Flats: Payless (Peoria, AZ)

If you guess Emma Pillsbury from Glee, then you are correct, haha! Glee is one of my all-time favorites (no shame!) and with all of the fashionable Glee girls, how could I resist? I actually had a couple different outfits planned for my Emma-inspired look, but I finally decided on this BR dress. It's simple, chic, has interesting details and reminded me of some of the dresses she has worn on the show before.

Images via WWEPW?

So, what do you think? :)

P.S. Though, I doubt Miss OCD Emma would be comfortable posing in front of garbage, haha. I didn't notice until now that there was an empty milk jug and stuff in the background. Oops!

Cooking wtih Cassie: Cheeseburger Macaroni

2011-05-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

Cheeseburger Macaroni
Overall Rating: 10 out of 10

Ingredients

1 package of elbow macaroni or shell pasta
1 pound of ground beef
1 package of taco seasoning
1 small can of tomato paste
1/3 pound of Velveeta cheese
2/3 cup of milk
1/2 onion, chopped

Recipe

In a 10 inch skillet, brown the ground beef and onion. Drain. Add 1 small can of tomato paste and taco seasoning. Stir.
In a separate pot, boil water and add the noodles. Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.
Mix the ground beef, onion and noodles together. Stir.
In another pot, add 2/3 cup of milk and Velveeta cheese. Stir frequently until melted; be careful that the cheese does not burn.
Pour the melted cheese over the ground beef, onion and noodles. Put on low heat until the cheese starts to bubble. Stir until the cheese is evenly distributed. Enjoy!

Changes I Made

Changes I Should Have Made

My Thoughts: You might have noticed that there was no cookbook or website listed above. That is because I came up with this recipe all on my own! I've had similar dishes before and since I was bored and hungry, I decided to try and make my own version. I think it turned out wonderful! Will and I both LOVED it! (Although, my recipe writing skills could be better, haha. It all makes sense at least, right?)

The biggest turn-off was that it dirtied up a lot of dishes (a skillet for the ground beef, one pan for the noodles and another for the cheese). As well, I felt like it was missing something... Maybe another veggie?

4 Week Challenge: Inspiration

2011-05-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

4 Week Challenge:
Inspiration

I am pleased to announce my first ever 4 Week Challenge! I've been in a bit of a style slump lately, and I needed something to help me get out of said slump. As well, I wanted a fun way to kick off the beginning of Summer and get back in the swing of blogging now that I have a lot more free time on my hands.

So, over the span of 4 weeks, I will be doing 4 different wardrobe challenges all based on the same theme: inspiration!

If you would like to join me in one (or all) of these challenges, feel free to comment on this post! I will be making a master list later of everyone who is joining me in this challenge. The only thing that I ask if that if you do join, please link back to this post. That way, if others want to join, they will know where to find all of the information.

The Challenges

Week 1 (May 16th - May 22nd)
Inspiration: TV & Movies

For the first week, you will draw the inspiration for your outfits from your favorite television and movie characters. (However, I won't tell you which TV and Movie characters I have picked just yet! I will announce my choice for the week on Monday, May 16th.)

Examples: Outfits based on Disney characters, outfits based on animated characters from your favorite childhood TV shows and movies, outfits based on a specific movie or TV show, outfits based on a variety of TV/movie characters, etc.

Week 2 (May 23rd - May 29th)
Inspiration: Wild Card

This week, you choose what inspires you.
I will announce my wild card on Monday, May 23rd.

Week 3 (May 30th - June 5th)
Inspiration: Colors of the Rainbow

This week, every day will have a specific color assigned to it. You don't need to dress entirely in that shade, but try and feature the color of the day either with bright accessories in that shade or a stand-out piece such as a dress, blouse or statement necklace.

Monday: Red
Tuesday: Orange
Wednesday: Yellow
Thursday: Green
Friday: Blue
Saturday: Purple
Sunday: Pink

Week 4 (June 6th - June 12th)
Inspiration: Blogger Love

This week is all about spreading the blogger love! You will be getting your inspiration for the week from your favorite bloggers. Maybe you love Sydney's sense of style and want to try and recreate an outfit of hers. Or, maybe you adore how Suze uses bright colors in her wardrobe and want to give it a shot. With so many different bloggers and styles out there, the possibilities are endless!

Paper Doll Project!

2011-05-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

For some reason it looks like I have a baby bump in this picture. Please ignore that.
Trust me, there won't be a bun in this oven for long time.

Hat: Forever 21 (Online)
Clip (worn on hat): Hot Topic (Glendale, AZ)
Sweater: Clothing Swap
Dress: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Ring: The Basement Marketplace (Flagstaff, AZ)
Shoes: Vintage, Incahoots Vintage Clothing (Flagstaff, AZ)

So, today was the May edition of the Paper Doll Project! I asked Kellie of Second Star to style my vintage lace oxfords and I absolutely adore what she picked out for me! I wouldn't have thought to wear this sweater over a dress but I ended up really liking the combination of the nautical stripes and the girly pink dress and lace shoes. The whole outfit was very sweet!

She suggested that I wear a headband, but unfortunately my hair decided to be difficult today and I ended up wearing a hat instead.

To see how I styled Kellie, click here.
Or click here for a list of all the Paper Doll Project participants.

Rainy Day

2011-05-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

As you might have guessed by the title, it was a windy, cold, rainy day here in Flagstaff. We even got a little bit of snow! (Or well, I guess it was technically sleet.) Will and I took advantage of this weather and did absolutely nothing productive. We stayed home, played video games, made chocolate chip cookies, had grilled cheese & chicken noodle soup for dinner... Perfect (lazy) rainy day activities!

Yum! And that was only the first batch... :)

Outfit-wise, today was kind of boring. I just bummed around in a t-shirt, jeans and no shoes, so I didn't take any pictures. I do have a picture from yesterday, though. It was SUPER slow at work, hence the office photo. And sorry it's so blurry. My phone doesn't take the best pictures, haha.

(I hear that the iPhone has a pretty good camera. And my birthday is in June... *wink, wink* *nudge, nudge*)

Dress: Thrifted, Goodwill (Peoria, AZ)
Necklace: Tinkerbell (Glendale, AZ)
Earrings: ???
Teal Wedges (Not Pictured): Payless (Peoria, AZ)

Work + Style

2011-05-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Dress: Windsor (Glendale, AZ)
Cardigan: Forever 21 (Online)
Earrings: Vintage, Archives Vintage (Etsy)
Shoes: Payless (Peoria, AZ)

My goodness! I feel like I haven't done an outfit post in forever! Now that I'm back on my regular schedule, expect to see these much more often! Including some of my awesome work outfits like this one.

In reality, my work outfits aren't much different from what I normally wear. The only real requirements Millpond Village has is that I wear my name tag and dress "business casual" - I can even wear nice jeans and a top if I want to! Pretty much, as long as I don't show up in sweat pants or PJs (which is apparently something the last receptionist thought was appropriate), I'm good to go.

Since we're on the subject of style, aren't those earrings ADORABLE? I've been admiring them for a while now and they were on sale, so I finally made the purchase. I don't know if you can tell if that photo, but the heart is made up of smaller hearts. So cute! And fitting since it's definitely wedding season. I swear, like, 5 people I know are getting married over the next couple months! I have my friend Brittany's bachelorette party on the 14th, my brother-in-law's rehearsal dinner on June 3rd, my brother-in-law's actual wedding on June 4th, etc. It's so crazy! At least now I won't be the only married woman from my graduating class/age group, haha.

P.S. It's a little hard to tell in these photos, but I also got a haircut and re-dyed my hair! It is once again dark red. Yay! :)

Updates

2011-05-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well, I survived my first 5 days of work! Unfortunately, I didn't get any outfit photos. I could not find my camera battery anywhere. Turns out it was buried at the bottom of my purse for about a week. (I really need to clean out my purse, haha.)

On a different note, I do have some exciting news! I am going to be participating in the May 11th installment of Miss Vinyl Ahoy's Paper Doll Project! :) I found out today that I was paired up with the adorable Kellie of Second Star! I can't wait to style an outfit for her! And of course, I can't wait to see what she comes up with for me.

I also have a couple of week-long wardrobe challenges (4, to be exact) in the works that I hope to start on May 16th. I need something to get myself back into the swing of things (and kick of the summer) and challenges always seem to do that for me. I'll be posting more details at the end of the week; if you wish to join me, feel free. The more the merrier!

Houndstooth

2011-04-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Dress: Clothing Swap
Belt: Charlotte Russe (Glendale, AZ)
Shoes: Payless (Glendale, AZ)

Technically, I wore this yesterday but I just never got around to posting until today. Yesterday wasn't too busy, which was nice. I had to go into work to fill out some paper work but that only took like 15 minutes. (I love living at the same apartment complex where I work. It's only a 3 minute walk to the main office, haha.) Other than that I took some photos for my shop (I will be posting those items today!) and cleaned the apartment.

Tonight should be a lot of fun. We are going out to celebrate my friend Sean's 21st birthday at Buffalo Wild Wings. After BDubs, everyone who is of age is going bar hopping, so Will and I won't be joining in on that part (Will turns 21 in July and I still have a couple years ahead of me). Regardless, it should be a lot of fun!

And yeah, that's about it. :)

I'm still here!

2011-04-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Phew! I am so sorry for the lack of posts lately! I have been even more busy than last week!

And Will and I went to GameStop and traded in a bunch of games and they were having a buy two get two free sale on select games, so during my free time I've been distracted by Final Fantasy X and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn...

It's going to be a little bumpy the next couple weeks as Will gets ready for Finals and I start my new job (!!!) but once summer hits, things should slow down a lot and I'll be posting much more frequently.

Anyways! Here's a few major things that happened this past week...

1. The Earth Day Festival! Peachy Keen Vintage sold offline for the very first time here in Flagstaff, AZ. It was a lot of fun but not quite the right venue for my shop. I mean, I made a couple sales (enough to cover the booth cost) but most people weren't really looking for clothes and didn't bring much cash. Plus, most of the other booths (besides food and eco-friendly cleaning supplies/bath products) were just for information and were giving out free stuff, hosting contests, etc. Still, I'm glad that I did it because it gave me some more business experience and I handed out a ton of business cards.

2. Will's Junior Recital was AMAZING! I mean, I've heard him play before but it's been a while since I've heard just him and a piano accompanist in a concert setting. Dan, another trumpet player and a good friend from high school who also goes to NAU, played as well and he was great as well. Will passed his Junior Recital which means that he can continue on with his Music Education degree.

3. I got a job! :) I had an interview on Wednesday and found out that I got the job later that day (probably the fastest I've ever heard back from a job ever, haha). I'm now the new weekend receptionist at Millpond Village Apartments. It's only a part-time weekend job (with some additional hours if the 1st and 2nd of the month fall on a weekday), but it pays $9 and I will be getting about $200 a paycheck which is better than nothing.

4. I signed up for classes at Coconino Community College. I'm going to be starting at CCC in the Fall as a part-time student. I wanted to be able to work as much as possible while still chipping away at my degree, so I'm going to be taking some of the basics and most common business courses. Then, when we move to Oregon in December 2012/January 2013, I'm going to transfer to Portland State University.

5. Will has another HUGE concert coming up! However, instead of playing, he will be debuting one of his musicals compositions. He has composed a ton of stuff (one which won a contest) but he has never had one played in a concert setting, so that's pretty exciting. All of the students taking private composition lessons here at NAU and debuting pieces as well, so it should be a really good concert.

P.S. Be on the lookout for a Peachy Keen Vintage Mega Update! I have a lot of clothes and jewelry I've been meaning to put in the shop. I'm hoping to have them all up by tonight or tomorrow morning/afternoon.

Earth Day 2011

2011-04-17T00:15:00.000-07:00

The Flagstaff Earth Day Festival was a lot of fun! I've never ran a booth like that before and it was definitely a great business experience. However, I have to get up early tomorrow for Will's Junior Recital (AKA the biggest recital a Music Education Major like him ever has to perform in), so, I will tell more about it later. For now, here's a picture from the Festival:

Goodnight!

Seventeen

2011-04-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

I saw this link over at Odelma Vintage and I just had to share it with you guys! It's so cool to see how things have changed over years! Especially because Seventeen was my go-to magazine in high school.

Cooking with Cassie: Harvest Ham Supper

2011-04-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Harvest Ham Supper from Simple 1-2-3: One Dish
Overall Rating: 2 out of 10

Ingredients

6 carrots, cut into chunks
3 potatoes, cut into chunks
1 pound boneless ham
1 cup maple syrup

Note: Since we do not have a full size Crock-Pot, I altered the recipe a bit. I do not know the exact amounts I used; I just measured everything by sight so it would be enough for two people. Oh and I used baby carrots instead of full-sized ones.

Recipe

Slow Cooker Directions

Place carrots and potatoes in bottom of slow cooker to form rack. Place ham on top of vegetables. Pour syrup over ham and vegetables.
Cover; cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours.

Changes I Made

Changes I Should Have Made

I should have cooked it for 4-5 hours instead of 6. The ham was way overcooked.

My Thoughts: Pros: This meal was super easy to make. Cons: Pretty much everything else. This was one of those meals that I was looking forward to all day and when it actually came time to eat, it was a huge disappointment. The ham was overcooked and the entire meal was super bland. It literally had no flavor (unless the very, very slight taste of maple syrup counts). The only reason it got a 2 out of 10 and not a 1 was because of how easy it was to prepare. I will not be making this meal again any time soon.

Sucker Punch

2011-04-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Dress: Clothing Swap
Earrings: Aldo (Glendale, AZ)
Tights: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Heels: Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)

Just a quick outfit post before dinner. Will is making Japanese curry, rice, wontons and chicken. YUM! Afterward, we are going to the movies to see, you guessed it, Sucker Punch!

Yay for date night! :)

Peachy Keen Vintage Photoshoot

2011-04-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Vintage 1950s-1960s Pendleton Skirt

Vintage 1980s Shirt Dress - SOLD

Vintage 1960s Picnic Dress

Vintage 1950s-1960s Confetti Dress

Vintage 1980s Emerald Secretary Dress

Vintage 1980s Red Hot Dress

Photography by Steffani Packard of Iffy Inklings

Portlandia

2011-04-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hat: Sundara (Flagstaff, AZ)
Scarf: Gift from Kirsten
Shirt: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)
Cardigan: Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)
Purse: Giveaway Win from Blogging for Joy
Jeans: PacSun (Glendale, AZ)
Rain Boots: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)

Oh, Flagstaff. It was nice and sunny out the other day. What happened? At least I already went to the grocery store. And, with dinner cooking in the Crock-Pot, all I have to do now is relax, apply for jobs, work on stuff for the Earth Day Festival, watch Desperate Housewives on Netflix (no shame!), clean and dream about our move to Portland, Oregon.

Yep. Portland, Oregon. Nothing is set in stone yet, but the more Will and I discuss it, the more real it seems. You see, Will is going to be doing his student teaching for his Music Education degree during the Spring 2013 semester. And since most teachers get hired in the school district that they student teach in, we knew that we didn't want to stay in Arizona. (As you may know, Arizona isn't exactly known for their stellar public school system and funding for education. They also pay their teachers one of the lowest salaries. Washington, on the other hand, pays one of the highest teacher salaries.)

When we started thinking about where exactly we would want to move, Oregon and Washington were some of the first places that came to mind. I've been to Oregon (Portland and Seaside) a couple times because I have family there and Will LOVES the weather. The plan now is to move to Portland, Oregon in December 2012/January 2013.

Will would do his student teaching in either Portland or Vancouver, WA, which is only a short drive from Portland. I would transfer to the University of Oregon - Portland, unless I take summer courses and finish before we move. We've already started looking at potential schools in the area for him to student teach at, apartments, etc. I know I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but I just can't help it! I'm so excited!

However, this whole plan only works out if I get a job. We would need to save up some cash, after all. So, Flagstaff businesses that I applied to: PLEASE HIRE ME! I'm a really good worker and you won't regret it. Thank you! ;)

Maxi

2011-04-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Shirt: Old Navy (Peoria, AZ)
Cardigan: Clothing Swap
Necklace: ModCloth (Name It & Win It Contest)
Skirt: Green Cotton (Etsy)
Flats: Payless (Glendale, AZ)

I have a confession: I broke one of my own personal style rules today! You see, I usually avoid maxi dresses/skirts (except for during Turkish/Egyptian) because I have this fear that they make me look shorter than I really am. However, I can not deny the fact that they are super comfy. And, since I spent most of the day at home anyways, I wanted to be comfy. And you know what? I actually kind of like this look. And I don't think I look short at all.

Steffani! If I look short in this picture, it's because I really am compared to her, haha.

On a different note, do you guys remember that photoshoot I told you about the other day? Well, Steffani (Iffy Inklings) sent me the pictures today! :) I absolutely love them! You can see some of the photos here and I will be posting more tomorrow!

Goodnight!

Shop Update!

2011-04-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

Vintage 1970's Eyelet Lace Maxi Dress

Vintage 1960's Bold Floral Skirt

Photoshoot!

2011-04-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

(Pre-shoot. Like this dress? Buy it here!
Bow brooch not included; however, I will be listing it later.)

Today, I did a photoshoot with Steffani (Iffy Inklings) at Heritage Square in Downtown Flagstaff and it was so much fun! Photos coming soon. :)

Today's outfit is brought to you by the letter Q!

2011-04-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

Head Scarf: Vintage, MacAlpines (Phoenix, AZ)
Irish Coin Necklace: Audras Aura (Etsy)
Cardigan: Forever 21 (Online)
Dress: Windsor (Glendale, AZ)
Shoes: Payless (Peoria, AZ)

Or, well, technically I guess I should say today's outfit was inspired by the letter Q. Why that particular letter? Because of the always adorable Quincy (Q's Daydream Vintage), of course! Ever since I got this vintage head scarf over Spring Break, I've been trying to figure out what to wear it with. While looking for inspiration on some of my favorite vintage blogs, I came across this outfit and... voilà! What do you think? ;)

Cooking with Cassie: Ham & Cheese Bread Pudding

2011-04-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

Ham & Cheese Bread Pudding from Simple 1-2-3: One Dish
Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

Ingredients

1 small loaf (8 ounces) of bread, cut into 1 inch thick slices (I used wheat.)
3 tablespoons butter, softened
8 ounces ham or smoked ham, cubed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mild or sharp Cheddar cheese
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Recipe

Grease 11x7 inch baking dish. Spread 1 side of each bread slice with butter. Cut into 1 inch cubes; place butter-side down on bottom of prepared dish. Top with ham; sprinkle with cheese.
Beat eggs in medium bowl. Whisk in milk, dry mustard, salt and white pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture. Cover; refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or until puffed and golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve immediately.

Changes I Made

Well, I sort of accidently skipped the step where you refrigerate overnight and then cook it... Oops! I just popped it right in the oven after preparing it.

Changes I Should Have Made

I should have refrigerated and then cooked like the directions said.

My Thoughts: Well, I obviously made a mistake there. To be completely honest, I didn't even notice I had skipped a step until I was typing up the recipe for this post. I feel like an idiot, haha! It tasted fine, though it was a bit runny (probably because of that missed step). It was also very, VERY rich and filling - I only ate about half of my plate. Preparing it was fairly simple and didn't take much time at all. I'd love to try this recipe again, this time, following the recipe a bit more closely.

Life

2011-04-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

Regarding Health

I'm feeling better and my symptoms aren't as bad, so that's good. I just kind of wish I knew what exactly the problem was. My doctor advised me to drink a lot more water and cut back on the soda, so I've been doing just that. As well, he referred me to a local urologist who I am going to set up an appointment with really soon.

The one thing I did learn is that I have some cysts on my ovaries, which I guess is pretty normal. It is most likely because of the cysts popping that I've been having the discomfort in my lower back/stomache. Like before, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Regarding School

I decided to withdraw from the term. I've just been so stressed to the point that I'm making myself sick and my grades were suffering because of it.

As some of you know, I graduated high school a semester early and started classes at Northern Arizona University right away in Spring 2010. I do not regret graduating early one bit (if I had stayed at my high school, my clinical depression would have only gotten worse). What I do kind of regret now is going to college right away. I set myself up for failure. I should have just taken that semester off, worked and saved up some money.

Now, I can not change what has already happened. But I can make some decisions about the future. Since I did not fully withdraw from the university, I can return to classes in the Fall if I choose to. However, what I'm leaning toward right now, is taking some time off and working. Then, either Fall 2011 or Spring 2012, I will start taking classes at Coconino Community College and work my way back to NAU.

Regarding Work

As I said, I want to take some time off to work (both on Peachy Keen Vintage and at a full-time position). I've already got the working on my business thing down, especially with the up-coming Earth Day Festival. What I don't have is a full-time position outside of the house. I've been applying like crazy the last couple days and I plan on going downtown sometime this week to hand out some resumes, so *hopefully* something will turn up soon.

Wish me luck?

Pink & Plaid

2011-03-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

Headband: Target (Peoria, AZ)
Dress: Thrifted, Goodwill (Phoenix, AZ)
Necklace: Group USA (Tempe, AZ)
Shoes: Payless (Glendale, AZ)

It was another long day, but I feel much less stressed now.
I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. Goodnight!

ER

2011-03-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today started with a trip to Urgent Care.
Which quickly changed to a trip to the Emergency Room for 4 hours.
Blood tests, catscans, etc. followed.

The Good News: It's not kidney stones, kidney failure, cancer, a UTI, a kidney infection, etc.
The Bad News: They don't really know what it is.

They sent me home, so they must not think it's too serious. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens... :/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a happier note, I made my first Etsy sale today!
I also posted some new items, so be sure to check it out!

Where's Waldo?

2011-03-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

Group photo! Can you find me? ;)

As promised, here are some more photos from the Arizona Blogger Meetup! I didn't actually end up taking any photos of my own, so these are all from other bloggers (Merry May Handmade, Tea Talk) and the Arizona Blogger Meetup Flickr.

Cooking with... Oops!

2011-03-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

I won't lie to you: I completely forgot about Cooking with Cassie this week. Oops! I've just been so busy! If you're itching for some delicious meal ideas, you should definitely check out Kate's (elefantitas alegres) Menu Sunday. Seriously, I can't read it without drooling over at least one thing. Or two. Or her entire menu for the week.

Arizona Blogger Meetup

2011-03-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Shirt: Borrowed from Jenny
Irish Coin Necklace: Audras Aura (Etsy)

So, as you guys know today was the Arizona Blogger Meetup. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay for the dinner portion, but I was there for the daytime activities in Downtown Phoenix. I was kind of nervous at first - I'm a little shy - but I ended up having a lot of fun! I met a bunch of great girls and it was fun seeing the people behind the computer. We went to a bunch of cute shops downtown and I ended up getting an adorable beaded vintage cardigan and a vintage anchor pin for only $10!

I will post some pictures of the actual event tomorrow when I'm not falling asleep at the computer, haha. Goodnight!

Birthdays, Breaks and Bloggers... Oh my!

2011-03-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

First things first, I want to wish my little sister a happy birthday!
So... happy seventeenth birthday, Jenny! I love you!

What I Wore Today

Headband: Borrowed from Kirst
White T-Shirt: Old Navy (Peoria, AZ)
Lace Tank Top: Old Navy (Peoria, AZ)
Leather Jacket: Borrowed from Jenny
Jeans: PacSun (Glendale, AZ)
Shoes: Aldo (Glendale, AZ)

Don't you love that jacket? I borrowed it from my sister when I was in Peoria over Spring Break. It makes me feel so tough, haha!

However, I did not feel nearly as tough as when I helped Jenny with her photography project last week. You see, she had to take a picture that was opposite of one she took last semester. The picture she decided to use from last semester was one that she took of me looking sweet and girly. The obvious contrast of that was tough and rock n roll. What do you think? ;)

Now that Spring Break is over and now it's back to writing papers, exams, online classes, etc. I'm just excited because the end of Spring Break means that my Turkish/Egyptian Dance class starts on Friday! And that the Arizona Blogger Meetup is this Saturday! Unfortunately, I won't be able to stay for the dinner, but I will be there for the afternoon activities. I'm so excited! (Or, to quote Miss Rebecca Black, "We so excited!")

Spring Break Giveaway Winners!

2011-03-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

The Sterling Silver Earrings by Iffy Inklings

The Crocheted Wallet by Peppermint Winds

The $25 Gift Certificate to Peachy Keen Vintage

Thank you so much to everyone that entered and congratulations to the winners!
I will be e-mailing you shortly for your shipping information.

Cooking with Cassie: Cherry Cobbler

2011-03-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

My Mom's Recipe for Cherry Cobbler

Overall Rating: 10 out of 10

Ingredients

2 Cans of Comstock More Fruit Cherry Pie Filling
1 Box of White Cake Mix
Butter
Cinnamon

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Empty the cans of cherry pie filling into a baking pan.

2. Pour the white cake mix powder over the cherries.

3. Scoop 12 spoonfuls of butter on top of the white cake mix powder.
Make sure they are evenly spaced.

4. Cover the entire thing in cinnamon.
As my mom says, if it looks like it has too much cinnamon, then you are good!

5. Bake for 45 minutes. After it is finished baking, let it cool for 5-10 minutes.
Serve with Cool Whip and enjoy!

Changes I Made

Changes I Should Have Made

If you don't like cherries, you can substitute them for blueberry pie filling, apple pie filling... Basically, any fruit pie filling you can think of!

My Thoughts: Pretty much everyone in the Beam family, the Igo family and my mom's office knows of this recipe and absolutely loves it! It is my all-time favorite dessert (with cheesecake coming in a very close second). It is very easy to make and absolutely delicious! (This recipe is not new to me, so I did cheat a little this week. But since I was down in Peoria and making it anyways, I figured I would use this opportunity to share it with you!)

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P.S. I'm not dead! Sorry things have been so quiet here, haha. I'm going back to Flagstaff tomorrow morning and will be posting a recap of Spring Break 2011 then!

P.P.S. Just a reminder, there is only one more day left to enter the Spring Break Giveaway!

Spring Break Giveaway!

2011-03-14T21:21:00.001-07:00

1. A gorgeous pair of handmade earrings from the lovely Steffani of Iffy Inklings. (They are approximately 1 inch in size and made out of sterling silver.)

2. An adorable crocheted wallet from the very talented Lacey of Peppermint Winds.

3. A $25 Gift Certificate to my store, Peachy Keen Vintage!

Want to win one of these amazing prizes? The rules are simple...

You must be a follower of Peachy Keen.
Leave a comment on this post telling me your dream vacation destination. Be sure to leave your e-mail address as well so I can contact you if you win!
Enter before 11:59 PM on March 21st. The winners will be announced the following day (March 22nd) and will be selected using a random number generator. (I will generate 3 random numbers - the first will be for the earrings, the second for the wallet and the third for the gift certificate.)
You can only win once. If by chance the same number is chosen twice, I will disregard the second time and use the random number generator to choose a new number.
This giveaway is open to U.S. readers only.

Good luck!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-03-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of outfit posts this week! Midterms = Long nights and sweatpants. Now that it's Spring Break (!!!) look forward to some actual outfit posts. :)

As well, there will be no Cooking with Cassie today. I just did not have time this week. Cooking with Cassie will return next Sunday, March 20th.

I was chosen to be a part of the ModCloth ModSquad. So, that's pretty exciting!

Peachy Keen Vintage will be making its first offline debut on April 16th at the Flagstaff Earth Day Celebration at Wheeler Park! Yay for recycled fashion! More information on this later.

Speaking of the shop, there is a gorgeous black lace dress up for sale now! I will also be adding some adorable pins, necklaces and earrings to the shop within the next week.

I had also found a pink lace dress for the shop, but after realizing that it fit me like a glove, I just couldn't let it go, haha.

Aaannnddd... that's about it.

Friend Friday: Balance

2011-03-11T17:36:00.000-08:00

via Edible Glitter

1. When it comes to prioritizing your life, in what place does blogging fall? I would say that blogging falls somewhere in the middle. It is something that I'm very passionate about, but as of right now, it is just a hobby. Obviously, things like school, my husband, my friends, my family, real life in general, Peachy Keen Vintage (seeing as it is my only job right now), etc come first.

2. We all wish we had more free time to dedicate to blogging and all it entails. What are your tricks for taking advantage of the time you do have to be as productive as possible? I plan out some stuff in advance (giveaways, specialty posts, Cooking with Cassie, etc) but other than that, I just go with the flow. I take my outfit photos whenever I have the time (usually after school and before Will goes to work), upload, do some very quick edits and post. It's actually a pretty quick process.

3. Have you discovered any short-cuts that makes blogging easier or more time efficient? Unfortunately, no. But if you have any tips, I'd be glad to hear them! ;)

4. Do you have an editorial calendar or something similar that helps you plan ahead? Nope, it's all in my noggin. (Except when I was doing the 30 for 30. I planned out almost all of my outfits on the computer then.)

5. If time wasn’t an issue what you would be doing on your blog/for your blog that you aren’t doing now? If I had the time (and a nice camera), I would love to take some really cool outfit photos around Flagstaff (Downtown, in the park, in the woods, etc). Oh and I'd love to just get all dressed up and do some vintage-y photo shoots with props and everything!

Facebook

2011-03-09T21:38:00.000-08:00

Peachy Keen is now on Facebook!
"Like" to keep up with the latest posts, shop updates and so much more!

New Layout!

2011-03-07T18:31:00.001-08:00

I've been working on it for this for a while today and I'm actually really proud of how it turned out. The lovely banner as well as the peaches were drawn by my little sister, Jenny! Isn't she amazing? (She definitely inherited my dad's artistic talent.) You can see more of her work on her deviantART page. I also switched my commenting system over to Disqus; that way, I can actually reply to your posts. I'm still debating on whether or not I like it.

So, what do you think? What do you like? What do you not like? Etc, etc.

Cooking with Cassie: Baked Macaroni & Cheese

2011-03-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

Baked Macaroni & Cheese from Food.com
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk, hot (not boiling)
1 & 1/4 cups grated American cheese, separated
1 &1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, separated (for a different variation, try using Monterrey jack cheese or adding 1/2 cup jalapeno slices)
1 pound elbow macaroni

Recipe

Grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray a casserole dish.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan.
When melted, add flour, stirring constantly for about 1 minute (until butter is absorbed).
Whisk in hot milk, cook for 3 minutes (stirring constantly).
Add 1 cup each of the cheeses, and stir until smooth.
Cook macaroni, drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again.
Combine everything together and pour into casserole dish.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Changes I Made

Changes I Should Have Made

My Thoughts: One word: Delicious! While it wasn't as good as the Igo family's twice baked Velveeta macaroni, it was still really good. It could have used more cheese, though - it was kind of skimpy in that department. In the future, I would probably choose the Igo's recipe over this one; however, this is a nice, quick substitute. (I'll post the other recipe sometime soon!) Enjoy!

Working It

2011-03-05T15:18:00.000-08:00

Top: Spring 2011 Clothing Swap (Flagstaff, AZ)
Scarf: Spring 2011 Clothing Swap (Flagstaff, AZ)
Skirt: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)
Shoes: Gift from my cousin, Ariel
Bow Earrings: Gift from Grandma Beam

Today has been very productive! I opened my Etsy shop, Peachy Keen Vintage, went grocery shopping (and got Girl Scout Cookies... yum!), turned in applications for Goodwill and Rue 21, etc. (Hopefully, I'll hear back from one of the many places I've applied soon!)

Outfit-wise, I'm definitely loving my clothing swap swag! I've had so much fun putting together outfits with my new clothes! And the best part is I got all of this stuff for free! Plus, all of the other girls who attended walked away with a ton of new goodies and in the end, we donated an entire hamper full of leftover clothes to Goodwill. You can bet that I will be hosting many more swaps in the future!

P.S. Please ignore my squinty eyes and slightly wrinkly skirt! I didn't even notice how bad it was until I was looking at these photos.

P.P.S. Is it bad that I ate an entire sleeve of Thin Mints? I just couldn't help myself, haha! So unhealthy, but so good! Definitely not going to do that again.

Grand Opening! (Updated)

2011-03-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

I am proud to announce the grand opening of Peachy Keen Vintage!

As a special treat for all of my blog readers, I am offering free shipping on all orders from now until next Saturday (March 12, 2010)! Just enter the code PeachyKeenBlog at checkout.

Big Changes!

2011-03-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

I have been contemplating changing my Major for a while now and I have finally made my decision. Spring 2011 will be my last semester as an Elementary Education Major and in Fall 2011, I will start classes for Management with the ultimate goal being to own my own vintage boutique someday. I just realized that as much as I love kids, I just don't think I could see myself as a teacher, let alone a school counselor.

Thankfully, this change will only set me back 1 semester. (Unless I take summer courses at Coconino Community College, then I can graduate in Spring 2014 like I originally planned.)

Peachy Keen is about to take a big step forward as well. Within the next week, I am going to be moving from Blogger to WordPress (self-hosted)! More on these changes within the next couple days as well as the official move date and new URL. For the time being, I will still be here at Blogger with outfit posts, Cooking with Cassie and more!

Edit: After doing some more research, I realized it will probably take a lot more time to move Peachy Keen from Blogger to WordPress than just a week or two. I will be moving to WordPress in the future, I just don't know when yet. I'll let you guys know when I have a better time estimate. Thanks!

Wee Little Boots

2011-03-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

Dress: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Sweater: Spring 2011 Clothing Swap (Flagstaff, AZ)
Belt: Charlotte Russe (Glendale, AZ)
Boots: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Rose Earrings: Aldo (Glendale, AZ)

2 Days until the Grand Opening of Peachy Keen Vintage
10 Days until Spring Break
20 Days until Jenny's Birthday - I bought her present yesterday! ;)
23 Day until the Arizona Blogger Meetup

So excited!

Mixing Prints & Asking Questions

2011-03-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Shirt: Spring 2011 Clothing Swap (Flagstaff, AZ)
Cardigan: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Necklace: ModCloth (Name It & Win It Contest)
Capris: PacSun (Glendale, AZ)
Wedges: Payless (Glendale, AZ)

I was feeling adventurous today and decided to give mixing prints a shot! (Especially because my top already had some print mixing of its own going on.) Obviously, I've got a long way to go before I'm a master like Kristine. Or Polly., but I did like the outcome. It's a little hard to notice in these pictures but my cardigan is stripped. The lighting in these photos makes the burgundy stripes on my navy blue cardigan blend together. Oops! ><;

In other news, I reached 50 followers today! And between that, my 100th post yesterday and my Etsy shop opening this Saturday, I wanted to do something special. So, from now until next Tuesday, ask me anything you'd like! Send me your questions, no matter how crazy they may be!

I will post my answers to your questions next Wednesday. So, ask away!

Sneak Peak!

2011-03-01T18:45:00.001-08:00

Click each photo for a larger view!

All of these fabulous vintage dresses and that adorable 1950s blazer will be available for purchase when Peachy Keen Vintage & Thrift opens its virtual doors this Saturday! More vintage dresses and shoes will be up for sale as well... but you'll just have to wait and see those on opening day. ;)

One Hundred

2011-03-01T16:43:00.001-08:00

First and foremost, I want to say congratulations to one of my best friends Brittnay (author/artist of @dot.edu and my "secret lover") and her boyfriend-turned-finace Travis! I am so happy and excited for you two!!! :)

It's me! Drawn by Brittany, obviously.

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Lace Top: Spring 2011 Clothing Swap (Flagstaff, AZ)
Black Tank Top: Old Navy (Peoria, AZ)
Cardigan: Spring 2011 Clothing Swap (Flagstaff, AZ)
Jeans: PacSun (Glendale, AZ)
Boots (not pictured): Delia's (Online)

This is my 100th post! Woo! It's kind of hard to believe, actually. But definitely exciting! I would just like to thank all of my readers and everyone who has supported me and believed in me up until this point. You guys rock!

Here's to another 100 posts!

(And another 100 after that. And on and on and on and on...)

P.S. As promised, I will be posting a sneak peak of my Etsy, Peachy Keen Vintage & Thrift, later tonight!

28

2011-02-28T21:57:00.000-08:00

Honeymoon in Disneyland. :) December 2010.

Reason #24
I love Will because he is always willing to help me whenever I need it.
School work, my blog, my Etsy, etc.

Reason #25
I love how talented Will is. He composes beautiful songs and plays the trumpet like a pro!

Reason #26
I love Will because he is still a kid at heart. :)

Reason #27
I love Will because he is ambitious and has big dreams for the future!

Reason #28
I love Will because he is is true to himself.
He never tries to act different or change just to fit in.

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P.S. I am 1 post away from 100 and 2 followers away from 50! Yay!

P.P.S. I spent a better part of the evening doing a photoshoot for my upcoming Etsy shop. A sneak peak and the official launch date will be posted tomorrow!

Cooking with Cassie: Mini Cheesecakes

2011-02-27T16:53:00.000-08:00

Cheesecake 5 Ways from Hershey's Recipe Collection
Overall Rating: 9 out of 10

Ingredients

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together 2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 4 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl; blend in 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine, mixing well. Press mixture onto the bottom of each cupcake wrapper. Place wrappers in a cupcake tin and bake 4 to 8 minutes. Cool.
Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared cupcake wrappers. (Be careful not to over-fill as the cheesecake mixture does rise a little during baking.)
Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until almost set.
Cover; refrigerate 3 to 4 hours or until chilled. Just before serving, garnish as desired. Cover and refrigerate leftover mini cheesecakes.

Note: This recipe makes 2 dozen mini cheesecakes.

Changes I Made

Changes I Should Have Made

While I loved the plain cheesecake, I felt they needed some fruit topping or something.

My Thoughts: I'm actually quite proud of this recipe! I took the Cheesecake 5 Ways recipe from the Hershey's Recipe Collection and came up with the idea to make mini cheesecakes all by myself! I made them for the clothing swap I hosted on Saturday and everyone loved them! They were absolutely delicious but like I posted above, I felt they needed something else (fruit topping, chocolate chips, etc). As the name of the original recipe suggests, the cook book lists 5 different variations on plain cheesecake that I will definitely try with my minis in the future.

Friend Friday

2011-02-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

Peachy Keen's
FBFF Blog Awards

1. Creative Juices (most creative) - SK{ru}SH
2. The Real Deal (authenticity) - The Daybook
3. Spark Notes (most helpful) - cute & little
4. Newbie (best blogger under a year old) - Lindsay Living
5. Can You Hear Me Now (most connected) - Statements in Fashion
6. If I had a Hammer (best DIY) - Running on Happiness
7. Tribe Leader (blogger who brings people together) - Sometimes Sweet
8. Practically Perfect (most fashionable) - Vixen Vintage
9. Paint by Numbers (best beauty blogger) - Keiko Lynn
10. Renaissance Woman/Man (best all around) - Kendi Everyday

Dreaming of Ink

2011-02-23T17:38:00.000-08:00

Headband: Borrowed from Kirst
Shirt: Thrifted, Plato's Closet (Chandler, AZ)
Camisole: Target (Peoria, AZ)
Necklace: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Pants: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)
Flats: Payless (Peoria, AZ)

As of late, I've been itching to get another tattoo. I know exactly what I want, unfortunately, I don't have the cash. Tattoos can be pretty pricey and we just don't have that kind of money right now. Food and being able to the pay the rent are a little more important that ink, after all. However, a girl can always dream, right? And admire Sometimes Sweet's Tattoo Tuesday feature.

Also, Flagstaff residents: Can any of you suggest a good tattoo parlor here in Flag? Or at least, within a reasonable driving distance? Normally, I would just return to the place that I got my Princess Peach tattoo done at but unfortunately they went out of business and I have no way of contacting the artist. Thanks in advance!

Reason #23
I love Will because he understands that sometimes I just need girl time. Hence the fact that on Saturday while I host my clothing swap, he is going out for sushi with Sean.

A Short Post

2011-02-22T17:32:00.000-08:00

Hat: Sundara (Flagstaff, AZ)
Dress: Windsor (Glendale, AZ)
Sweater: Aerie (Glendale, AZ)
Pin: Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)
Tights: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Boots: Delia's (Online)

I loved everything about this outfit. It was warm, comfy and perfect for class. The only flaw was the fact that it made me look unusually short in these photos. Or maybe I'm just looking too much into it.

Anyways! As you can see, Flagstaff got more than a little snow this past weekend. Which is nice, except when you try to take pictures (it was sooo bright outside and I couldn't stop blinking) or it melts and turns into ice and as a result you're slipping and sliding all over the place. Or maybe that's just me. The world may never know...

P.S. To my fellow AZ bloggers: Are any of you attending the Arizona Blogger Meetup on March 26th? And if so, are as excited as I am? :D

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Reason #20
I love Will because he is nice and a good person. It may seem like a simple thing, but nowadays you come across many people who aren't.

Reason #21
I love Will because no matter what, we always have a good time when we're together. Even if it's just sitting at home, watching SNL on Netflix and eating ramen. (Tis the life of broke, married, college students.)

Reason #22
I love Will because we are both HUGE nerds.

Cooking with Will: Valentine's Day Cheesecake

2011-02-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

We never took a picture of the actual cheesecake, so enjoy this professional picture instead.

Creamy Cinnamon Chips Cheesecake
from Hershey's Recipe Collection
Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cartons (8 ounces each) dairy sour cream
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 & 2/3 cups (10-ounce package) Hershey's Cinnamon Chips, divided
1 teaspoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)

Recipes

Crust

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter in medium bowl. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and about 1 & 1/2 inches up side of 9-inch spring-form pan. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven.
Or just use a pre-packaged graham cracker crust like I did.

Cheesecake

Increase oven to 350 degrees F. Beat cream cheese, remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; beat on low speed until blended. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Do not overbeat.
Pour half of filling into prepared crust. Sprinkle 1 & 1/3 cups chips evenly over filling in pan. Carefully spoon remaining filling over chips. Place on shallow baking pan.
Bake about 1 hour or until center is almost set. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Using knife or narrow metal spatula, loosen cheesecake from side of pan. Cool on wire rack 30 minutes or more. Remove side of pan; cool 1 hour.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Cover and refrigerate leftover cheesecake.

Topping

Combine shortening and remaining 1/3 cup chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds; stir until chips are melted. Drizzle over cheesecake.

Changes I Made

I couldn't find any cinnamon chips, so I used a lot of cinnamon powder.

Changes I Should Have Made

Don't use cinnamon powder. Find actual cinnamon chips.

My Thoughts: It was good, just way too cinnamony with the powder. The cheesecake itself was delicious and pretty easy to make. Because of all the cinnamon, I gave it a 6 out of 10. Without the cinnamon power, I would give it a 9 out of 10.

Snowy Saturday

2011-02-19T14:51:00.001-08:00

You just can't beat Snuggies and photo booth pictures on snowy days!

Sorry I've been so quiet as of late. Will has been sick and because of that, I am now sick and have spent the last couple days either sleeping, doing homework, sleeping, cleaning, working on my online class and, you guessed it, sleeping. Hopefully, this cold will go away soon.

Now, for something completely different...

Hair. As of late, I'm starting to grow tired of my pixie cut and miss my wavy bob. I miss being able to actually do stuff with my hair. I miss all of my beautiful hair flowers, clips and vintage facinators no longer hold as well due to my short hair. Etc, etc.

So, now the question remains: To grow or not to grow? What do you think?

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Reason #17
I love Will because no matter how cold it gets outside, he is always warm. And cuddly. :)

Reason #18
I love Will because he is willing to brave the snow with me to pick-up lunch.
(We really need to go grocery shopping, haha.)

Reason #19
I love Will because he fills in for Cooking with Cassie when I'm sick.
Stay tuned for Cooking with Will tomorrow!

Regarding the Winter 30 for 30

2011-02-16T18:03:00.000-08:00

I am going to be stepping out of the Winter 30 for 30.

I was kind of the fence about joining this time around, but I did it anyways. (30 for 30 peer pressure? I think so.) While I absolutely loved the Fall 30 for 30, I just had no inspiration or motivation this time around. Plus, as you may have noticed, this is a particularly busy semester and I don't always get to post every day. Obviously, I'm still going to keep doing outfit posts, but during especially busy weeks it will probably be every other day as opposed to every single day.

Good luck to all of the other 30 for 30-ers! I'm rooting for you guys!

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Reason #13
I love Will because he watches Glee with me. :)

Reason #14
I love Will because we keep each other in check. He reminds me to check my online classes, I remind him to do homework, etc.

Reason #15
I love Will because we make a great team.
(He seems to think that we would be great on Million Dollar Money Drop.)

Reason #16
I love Will because he is very sweet. On Valentine's Day, he brought me breakfast in bed, flowers and made homemade cheesecake and chicken parmigiana for dinner.

Cooking with Cassie: Bacon & Potato Frittata

2011-02-14T14:55:00.000-08:00

Bacon & Potato Frittata from Simple 1-2-3: One Dish
Overall Rating: 5 out of 10

Ingredients

2 cups frozen O'Brien-style potatoes with onions and peppers
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
5 eggs
1/2 cup crisp-cooked and crumbled bacon
1/4 cup half-and-half or milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Recipe

Preheat broiler. Place potatoes in medium microwavable bowl; microwave on HIGH 1 minute.
Melt butter in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl butter up side of pan to prevent eggs from sticking. Add potatoes; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Beat eggs in medium bowl. Add bacon, half-and-half, salt and pepper; mix well. Pour egg mixture into skillet; reduce heat to medium. Stir gently to incorporate potatoes. Cover and cook 6 minutes or until eggs are set at edges (top will still be wet).
Transfer skillet to broiler. Broil 4 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until center is set and frittata is golden brown. Cut into wedges.
Optional: Garnish frittata with red bell pepper strips, chopped chives and salsa.

Changes I Made

I didn't have any O'Brien-style potatoes, so I just cut up 2 cups worth of regular, non-frozen potatoes.

Changes I Should Have Made

I think it would have been delicious with some cheese melted on top.

My Thoughts: Much like the Chicken-Potato Bowls, I wasn't a huge fan but Will loved it (he is definitely what you would called a meat and potatoes kind of guy). It was alright, just not really my cup of tea. I'm don't really like salsa, so it was kind of bland. If I were to make this again in the future, I would sprinkle some cheese on top and melt it for some extra flavor. The one great thing about this recipe is how easy it was to make. Perfect for school nights!

P.S. Sorry this is a day late! I was very busy yesterday and never got around to posting.

Days 9-10: Mini Vacation

2011-02-12T01:04:00.000-08:00

Day 9

Hat: Sundara (Flagstaff, AZ)
Shirt: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)
Camisole: Target (Peoria, AZ)
Pants: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)
Wedding Shoes: Aldo (Glendale, AZ)
Bracelet: The Rainbow Delegation (Online)

Day 10

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)

Shirt: Romy (Glendale, AZ)

Camisole: Target (Peoria, AZ)
Belt: Forever 21 (Online)
Skirt: Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)
Navy Tights (not pictured): JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
White Heels (not pictured): Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)

This has been a great weekend! Went down to Peoria, saw my family, had a sleepover with my sister and cousin Ariel (Am I too old to have sleepovers? Eh, whatever!), went out to eat with the In-Laws, etc. Oh, and there was plenty of photo-bombing by a certain kitten named April. All in all, it was a lot of fun and exactly what I needed. :)

Reason #11
I love Will because he is really, really, really smart. And he is always willing to help me with my Biology and Jazz assignments. :)

Reason #12
I love Will because he sings to songs on the radio during long car trips.

30 for 30 Recap: Days 1-5

2011-02-10T19:19:00.000-08:00

(Click the picture for a larger view!)

Favorite: Day 5
Least Favorite: Day 1
Biggest Risk: Day 2

My Thoughts: Hats, hats, hats. I think this is a sign that I need to get my roots done, haha. I'm sooo glad that I swapped my maroon flats for a good pair of heels. It's been surprisingly warm and snow-free, so I've actually been able to wear them. Another thing I noticed is that this recap was very blue and green - my two favorite colors. I think I should try to incorporate some other colors into my wardrobe in the future.

Day 8: Sunshine

2011-02-10T17:03:00.000-08:00

Hat: Sundara (Flagstaff, AZ)
Shirt: Fashion Co. (Phoenix, AZ)
Camisole: Target (Peoria, AZ)
Jacket: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Jeans: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Boots: Delia's (Online)

Woo! It's finally the weekend! (Or well, my weekend at least.) I had my Special Education Exam today and I actually think I did pretty well. Unfortunately, I won't find out my grade until Tuesday. Either way, I'm just glad to finally get a chance to relax, even if it is only for a couple days. I'm going to Pilates with my friend Reyna tomorrow morning and then Will and I are heading down to Peoria. I can't wait to see my family! And maybe eat some delicious Kabuki. ;)

Reason #10
I love when Will plays the trumpet! I know that I'm going to sound biased, but he really is very talented. I can't wait to hear him play at his Junior Recital!

Days 4-7: As busy as a bee!

2011-02-09T19:52:00.000-08:00

Day 4

Gray Hat (not pictured): Sundara (Flagstaff, AZ)
T-shirt: Old Navy (Peoria, AZ)
Jacket: Macy's (Glendale, AZ)
Skirt: Rainbow's End Imports (Flagstaff, AZ)
Tights: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Heels: Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)

Day 5

Hat: Sundara (Flagstaff, AZ)
Sweater: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Belt: Vintage, The Clothing Warehouse (Online)
Necklace: Tinkerbell (Glendale, AZ)
Skirt: Target (Flagstaff, AZ)
Tights: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Heels: Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)

Day 6

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Top: Charlotte Russe (Glendale, AZ)
Cardigan: Forever 21 (Online)
Necklace: ModCloth (Name It & Win It Contest)
Jeans: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Teal Flats (not pictured): Aldo (Glendale, AZ)

Day 7

Hat: Sundara (Flagstaff, AZ)
Lace Shirt: Romy (Glendale, AZ)
Teal Top: Thrifted, Plato's Closet (Chandler, AZ)
Necklace: From Leah of The Rife Observatory (Defeat the Xmas Blues Swap)
Tights (not pictured): JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Black Flats (not pictured): Payless (Peoria, AZ)

OKAY. Finally all caught up. I've had this photos sitting on my camera just waiting to be uploaded. Between Will spraining his ankle, more plumbing problems, my upcoming Introduction to the Exceptional Child and Jazz History & Styles tests and getting stuff together for my Etsy shop, I've been super busy! Hopefully, things will slow down within the next couple days.

Reason #6
I love Will because he is an AMAZING cook!

Reason #7
I love Will because we can talk to each other for hours and never grow bored.

Reason #8
I love Will because he does the dishes, takes out the trash and dusts.
(AKA the three chores I hate the most!)

Reason #9
I love Will because he takes care of me when I'm hurt/sick. (Even if he is stubborn when I try to take care of him when he has a sprained ankle! :P)

No Cooking with Cassie this week. :(

2011-02-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Due to the fact that we've had no running water for most of the week, there will be no Cooking with Cassie segment. :( Sorry! I had a difficult time doing our regular dishes, so I didn't want to dirty up too many pots and pans. I promise to pay you back double next week!

Day 3: Playing catch-up.

2011-02-05T16:20:00.000-08:00

First things first, I decided I needed at least one pair of heels in my 30. So, I swapped my maroon flats for white heels. I haven't worn the maroon flats, so I think that counts. From this point forward, no more swaps.

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Dress: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Jacket: Macy's (Glendale, AZ)
Scarf: From Leah of The Rife Observatory (Defeat the Xmas Blues Swap)
Tights: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Shoes: Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)

Are you guys getting tired of my mirror photos? And that blue hat? And my leather jacket? I promise to mix things up more tomorrow! And if it's warm enough, I'll even take some photos outside. Pinky promise!

Reason #4
I love Will because he is goofy and he watches silly animated movies with me (most recenlty, Cats Don't Dance and The Princess and the Frog).

Reason #5
I love Will because he takes care of me and provides for our small family.

CSN Giveaway Winner!

2011-02-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

Get ready to jazz up your drab white walls, Chelsea! :3 Congrats! I will be sending you an e-mail with the gift certificate information shortly. Thank you so much to everyone that entered!

Day 2: What's blue and green and teal all over?

2011-02-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Shirt: Old Navy (Peoria, AZ)
Sweatshirt: Charlotte Russe (Glendale, AZ)
Jacket: Macy's (Glendale, AZ)
Scarf: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Jeans: PacSun (Glendale, AZ)
Gray Boots (not pictured): Delia's (Online)

First things first, I swear I'm really not that pale! The lighting in our bedroom during the day just makes me look that way, haha. Now, as you might have guessed by the many layers in today's outfit, it is still REALLY cold in Flagstaff. Not as bad as yesterday, but still enough to keep our pipes frozen and our faucets dry. We should have running water tomorrow, seeing as the high is supposed to be 40 degrees F as opposed to today's 25 degrees F.

Luckily, despite all of this, it's actually been a pretty good day! My classes went well (Introduction to the Exception Child was especially interesting) and Will received some very exciting news! Remember that video I posted a while back? The one with Will's original composition as the background music?

Well, Will's dad won the contest which means his video is going to be made into a commercial and played on local stations here in Arizona! Will is officially going to be a published composer!!! :)

Reason #3
I love Will because he is very supportive of me and my goals. College, dance, music, my blog, my Etsy... you name it! He has always been very encouraging and willing to give me constructive criticism along the way.

Frozen

2011-02-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

Like many parts of the country, Flagstaff has been FREEZING. No snow, just 3 degree temperatures with wind chill that makes it feel like it's -22 degrees. Now, I can deal with the cold outside. What I can't deal with is when our pipes freeze overnight and, as a result, we have have absolutely no running water in our apartment all day.

(I'm not really sure what the cause was. We always leave our heater on at least 70 degrees like our apartment complex told us to keep the pipes from bursting. In the future, someone suggested that we leave our faucets dripping overnight to keep water moving through them to prevent freezing. Since our water is included in our rent, this is definitely what we will be doing from now on.)

Maintenance came by and put some space heaters under our apartment with the pipes, but that didn't do a thing. They had to remove them after a couple hours since it was a fire hazard, so Will rushed to the store (isn't he great?) and bought 14 gallon jugs of water so we would be able to take showers, wash our hands, have water to cook with, etc.

Needless to say, today has been pretty crappy. So, I ordered Pizza Hut for dinner and spent the day in my PJs. My 30 for 30 will be off a day, but I think I can live with that. Hopefully this problem will be fixed in the morning, but they said it could take until Friday at the latest.

Reason #2
I love Will because listens and puts up with my complaining, pouting, ranting, etc. And even on the worst of days, he always finds to make me smile. :)

Day 1: New Month, New Challenges

2011-02-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Sweater: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Tank Top: Old Navy (Peoria, AZ)
Jacket: Macy's (Glendale, AZ)
Necklace: Tinkerbell (Glendale, AZ)
Skinny Cargo Pants (not pictured): Target (Flagstaff, AZ)
Black Flats (not pictured): Payless (Peoria, AZ)

Today is the first day of the 30 for 30 Winter Edition! Emphasis on the Winter. The weather in Flagstaff must have picked up on that fact, because unlike last week when it was actually pretty nice out, it was SUPER chilly today. And windy. Which is the absolute worst combination ever.

Today is also the first day of another challenge I will be participating in: Karly {plus} Wade's 28 Reasons Why I Love My Lover! Basically, for the entire month of February, I will tell you all one thing I love about Will at the end of each post. Pinky promise I won't be too super mushy. ;)

Reason #1
I love Will because he makes me laugh! And laughs at my dumb jokes in return.

P.S. Just a reminder, my CSN Giveaway ends in two days!

Etsy

2011-01-31T18:42:00.001-08:00

I have some very exciting news! I was going to wait until I had everything set up, but I just couldn't help myself. I am going to be opening my very own Etsy store: Peachy Keen Vintage & Thrift!

There isn't much to see right now, but things are coming along slowly but surely. I've already got some gorgeous pieces for the shop and now I just need to take photos, figure out pricing, finish setting up the shop, etc. Obviously, you guys will be the first to hear about things as they unfold. ;) I am so excited!

What do you usually look for when visiting an Etsy shop?
Any tips from seasoned Etsy sellers?

P.S. That is just a temporary banner. Jenny has been kind enough to help me with my Etsy shop banner as well as the one she is currently creating for my blog. The concept is basically the same, just inked and colored and possibly with a different font. As I said, I'm still working on it.

P.P.S. I'm so sorry for the lack of outfit posts the last couple days! I've been crazy busy setting things up over here for the shop and studying for my Jazz History & Styles Exam that I just haven't gotten around to it. I promise to return to our regular scheduled programming tomorrow. Which is also the first day of the 30 for 30!

Cooking with Cassie: Cajun Shrimp Ramen

2011-01-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

Cajun Shrimp from Symphony of Flavors
Overall Rating: 9 out of 10

Ingredients

1 cup of butter
1 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 pound frozen cocktail shrimp
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup beer (optional)
2 cups hot cooked rice

Recipe

Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a large skillet.
Add ingredients 2-11 (onion salt through Worcestershire sauce). Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add remaining 1/2 cup butter and water. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in beer and cook 1 minute (optional).
Remove from heat. Serve over hot rice.

Changes I Made

Obviously, since Will and I are both under 21, I did not use the optional beer.
In place of rice, I served the shrimp over shrimp ramen. (Yep, the quintessential college dinner. But since it has shrimp, it's fancy!)

Changes I Should Have Made

I think it would have been really good with some cooked veggies. Maybe onions or carrots or celery or something.
Will thinks it needed Cayenne Pepper.

My Thoughts: This meal was good but wayyy too spicy for me! Will on the other hand, absolutely loved it and even said that it wasn't spicy enough. It was very flavorful and really jazzed up the shrimp ramen. This meal is perfect for those who like spicy foods. If I were to make this again in the future, I think I would add some veggies to it.

I like lists.

2011-01-29T19:36:00.001-08:00

1. Basically all of the photos on my cell phone are of my cats. Or pictures of myself. Or pictures of me with my cats. Manny is the white cat and April is the gray. (Are they still considered my cats if they don't live with me and thus I don't take care of them any more? Technically, they were me and my sister's. Are they just Jenny's cats now? I don't know. I just really want a kitten. I miss having a pet! Oscar is great and all, but he's not much for cuddling like Manny and April were.)

2. I think I might join the Swing Club at NAU. I've always loved swing dancing and I've taken a couple lessons before but I would love to learn more! I would make Will join with me, but unfortunately he has classes on Tuesday nights when the meetings are. This is the first semester that I've actually been able to think about joining because my last two semesters at NAU I've had Tuesday night classes.

3. The Winter 30 for 30 starts in 2 days! Is it weird that I'm super excited? My 30 items are currently sitting in the front of my closet and at the top of my drawer and I have so many combos in mind!

4. Can August come sooner? Please? I want to move into the Arbors now!

5. I love Sloppy Joes! They are a soul satisfying food.

Friend Friday: Technology & Photography

2011-01-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

1. What technology do you use in blogging?
Nothing too fancy - just my Sony Cyber-shot for taking pictures and either our Compaq Presario Desktop Computer or my Dell Laptop to do the actual posting.

2. What computer and online technology do you use?
Just Blogger for hosting, Microsoft Paint to re-size my pictures and occasionally Windows Live Photo Editor to fix things like red-eye and the brightness. From time to time, I'll also mess around on Picnik, though I haven't ever posted any of my edited photos on here.

3. What is your process for taking photos?
1) Get dressed.
2) Bug Will to take photos of me.
3) Go outside my apartment.
4) Smile and pose!

And that's about it. I like to take my outfit photos in the late afternoon (around 3-5 PM) because that's when the lighting is best outside. However that doesn't always work out because of school and Will's work schedule. On days that Will isn't available to take pictures, I will take pictures in my over-the-door mirror or set the self-timer and take pictures in the kitchen because it has the best lighting in the house. The only exception is when I'm in Peoria visiting my family when either my sister or mother take my pictures.

4. When it comes to backdrops for your photos what do you consider? Do you scout locations or shoot the same spot daily?
My favorite place to take pictures is outside! The lighting is always better. As of right now, I use the same couple locations (outside my apartment, in the kitchen, mirror shots in the bedroom, Jenny's room if I'm in Peoria). I would love to expand my horizons in that department - Flagstaff has some gorgeous building Downtown as well as beautiful parks! I would just have to get over my fear of doing outfit shoots in public, haha.

5. If you could splurge and get one new piece of equipment what would you be buying?
Definitely a new camera - preferably a Nikon DSLR of some sort! That and a tripod.

Good Days > Bad Days

2011-01-27T16:18:00.001-08:00

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Top: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Pin: Gift from my mommy!
Belt: Charlotte Russe (Glendale, AZ)
Jeans (not pictured): PacSun (Glendale, AZ)
Flats (not pictured): Payless (Peoria, AZ)

So, yesterday was not the best - I was a little hormonal. To put it into perspective, Will said it was, "One of those days where I just place a chocolate bar in front of you and back away slowly."

Luckily, today was much better (except for the part where I accidentally sprayed expired sunblock on my tattoo - I really hope it doesn't mess anything up). You see, I was just planning on going to class and posting my new giveaway, but I was happy to find that not only did I make IFB's Links à la Mode but I also received the Stylish Blogger Award from the lovely Melrose! Oh! And I also got a call about a job interview - Friday at 11 AM! Wish me luck!

Thank and link back to the person who originally gave you this award.
Share 7 things about yourself.
Pay the award forward to 10 great bloggers.
Contact those bloggers and let them know they have received the award.

1. I am currently attending Northern Arizona University and Majoring in Elementary Education with a Content Emphasis in Psychology. After obtaining my Bachelors, I plan on teaching while working on my Masters in School Psychology, with my ultimate goal to be a School Psychologist.

2. My favorite color is green. Although, pink and blue are very close seconds! And my favorite patterns? Leopard, polka dot and lace (does that count as a pattern?)!

3. I am happy to say that I am officially depression free! I suffered from clinical depression all throughout high school and I just recently was weened off of my medication.

4. My all-time favorite fashion blogger is Solanah of Vixen Vintage! I wish I had a wardrobe like hers - and the confidence to dress is head-to-toe vintage basically every day! Her blog was the first I ever followed.

5. If I could visit any country in the world, I would want to go to Ireland. Some of my other dream vacation spots include England, Germany and Japan.

6. I am very OCD - to the point that I will make sure I space out the hangers in my closet exactly the same distance apart.

7. My guilty pleasures include bad reality shows (think Rock of Love and I Love New York), spending hours playing video games and rocking out to Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Ke$ha.

And now for my 10 choices...

archives
lindsay living
Running on Happiness
SK{ru}SH
The Cheap Girl in the Chic World
Aerograms from Jan
thrifted things
I Take Photos in the Bathroom
Q's Daydream Vintage
Vixen Vintage

If you have already done this, or just aren't into this sort of thing, you don't have to re-post. Just know that I think you are very, very, very stylish. :)

I made Links à la Mode!

2011-01-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

It's Getting Hot In Here
Edited by Ann of Holier than Now

Though you may be living in a snow globe (sure feels like it here on the East Coast), you're never out in the cold - assuming the snow hasn't knocked out your internet ... This week's links will warm you up with hot topics that, ideally, bring out the best in a thoughtful, vibrant blogging community. Take your gloves off (the wool kind, not the boxing kind) and join the conversation!

P.S. If you'd like your voice heard here in Links a La Mode, take a look at this helpful guide by Grit & Glamour.

Links à la Mode: January 27th

Alternations Needed Petite Body Tips Are Usually Bunk: Find Out Your Real Body Shape
Styling You Jeggings: For or Against?
Ruby-Eyed Okapi How The Media Tells Us How to Look Through the Lies of Photoshop
Melina Bee 8 Tips on How to Leave Great Comments
Love Brown Sugar The Great Debate: Do Skinny Girls Have More Fun?
Fashionwrites On the Controversial Debate on Fashion and Ethnicity
Peachy Keen A Week with No Pants
Full Time Fabulous The 10 Commandments of Building a Loyal Blog Readership
FOTW A Controversial Take on Burberry's SS/11 Campaign
Independent Fashion Bloggers: Proezna Schouler speaks at IFB Evolving Influence
The Haute Hoosier One Man Admits His (Sartorial) Man Crush
A Perfect Midnight What's In a (Blog) Name
The New Professional Walking the Halls, Not the Streets: Can Tall Boots & Skirts Work for the Office?
The Demoiselles What Does it Mean to Be Labeled - And Does it Matter?
Brunette Blogging Privacy and Blogging
260 Days No Repeats Can the Stripe Trend Work for Any Body Type?
Makeup and Jeans Girl Orange Lipstick for All? 5 Tips to Make It Work
Holier than Now Crossing the Line: The Cross Jewelry Trend - Offensive or Innocent?
Dress with Courage Androgyny, Prada, and Taylor Swift: My Relationship with Perfume
Analogue Chic No More Mugshots: How to Look Better in Profile Pics
Over 50 Feeling 40 Is Fashion Over 50 More Fun?

SPONSOR: Shopbop: Clogs, Flats, Heels, Platforms, Knee Highs Boots, Wedge Sandals, Booties, Open Toe, Shoe Sale, Designers

CSN Giveaway!

2011-01-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I am so happy to be able to bring you another giveaway here at Peachy Keen! Up for grabs this time is a $25 CSN Stores Gift Certificate! CSN has over 200 different online stores, so you are sure to be able to find something you like - from wall art and decor to shoes to cookware and everything in-between!

The rules are simple...

You must be a follower of Peachy Keen.
Leave a comment on this post and tell me how you would spend your $25 gift certificate. Be sure to leave your e-mail address as well so I can contact you if you win!
Enter before 11:59 PM on February 3rd. The winner will be announced the following day (February 4th) and will be selected using a random number generator.
This giveaway is open to everyone!

Good luck!

Cassie

2011-01-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

Who is Cassandra?

I am... a wife, sister, daughter, cousin, friend, etc.

I want... a new apartment. Particularly, a 1 Bed/1 Bath at the Arbors.

I have... a Hershey's Cookies n Creme Bar. Yum!

I wish... to help people.

I hate... guacamole, pickles, dust, doing the dishes and sushi.

I fear... rejection.

I hear... a combination of The Bachelor and Will typing on his laptop.

I search... for free stuff on Craigslist. College student much?

I wonder... what the future holds for me.

I regret... slacking off my first semester at NAU.

I love... kittens. Oh, and Will of course! :)

I ache... after a long day in heels.

I always... check my Facebook and Blogger. I'm a little addicted.

I usually... avoid wearing the color orange.

I am not... very coordinated.

I dance... Turkish/Egyptian Belly Dance.

I sing... in the car. (Though, I'm not always in tune.)

I never... watch horror films.

I sometimes... wear sweats in public.

I cry... over silly things like movies and TV shows.

I am not always... the best cook, but I'm learning!

I lose... my cell phone and keys all the time.

I am confused... by how people can be so overtly rude to others.

I need... caffeine. (Cherry Coke!)

I should... probably get started on my Biology reading.

Who are you?

(via Running on Happiness)

P.S. Do you like the drawing at the top of this post? It was done by my fabulous sister, Jenny, and is a sneak peak of my new blog layout! It still needs to be inked and colored, but I'm really excited! Also, sorry for the lack of outfit photos the last two days. Monday was spent in sweats, super cleaning the apartment and redecorating the kitchen. Today... was just a 'blah' outfit.

Cooking with Cassie: Breakfast Casserole

2011-01-23T15:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas Breakfast Casserole from Statements in Fashion
Overall Rating: 10 out of 10

Ingredients

1 pound of ground pork sausage
1/2 teaspoon of salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups of milk
6 slices of white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
8 ounces of mild cheddar cheese, shredded

Recipe

Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown. Drain.
In a medium bowl, mix together salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes and cheese. Stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cover and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.

Changes I Made

I did not have any ground pork sausage, so I used regular summer sausage cut into cubes.
In place of white bread, I used wheat.

Changes I Should Have Made

My Thoughts: This week's recipe comes from a fellow blogger, Collette (Statements in Fashion), instead of a cook book. The moment she posted this Breakfast Casserole on her blog, I just knew I had to try it out - and boy am I glad I did! This is the first entree to receive a 10 out of 10 and it definitely deserves it. Not only was the very simple to make, it is absolutely DELICIOUS! It would be great as either a dinner or a breakfast/brunch. I honestly have no complaints about this meal and I can definitely see myself making it again in the future (and again and again...).

No Pants Week Recap

2011-01-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Outfit

Dress: Thrifted, Buffalo Exchange (Phoenix, AZ)
Cardigan: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Tights (not pictured): JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Heels (not pictured): Payless (Peoria, AZ)
Pin: Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)
Earrings: Gift from Grandma Beam

Favorite Outfit: Day 6
Least Favorite Outfit: Day 5
Biggest Risk: Day 7 (Summer Dress in Winter)

My Thoughts: This week has been so much fun! I felt super feminine wearing dresses and skirts everyday. No one really seemed to notice or comment, though I did get a few odd looks on some particularly cold, windy days. All in all, I think it was the perfect way to start out the semester - not to mention all of the great girls I met and new blogs I found in the process!

Speaking of which, here are my favorite looks of the other lovely participants!

Hayley | Sara | Lindsay | Katie

Katherine | Abby | Ramsey

Thanks so much to Hayley for putting this challenge together!

Hooray for Friday!

2011-01-21T15:50:00.000-08:00

Hat: Forever 21 (Glendale, AZ)
Dress: Thrifted, Buffalo Exchange (Phoenix, AZ)
Cardigan: Forever 21 (Online)
Tights: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Shoes: Payless (Peoria, AZ)

The first Friday of the school year is always the sweetest. Mostly because after coming back from a long break, you appreciate it so much more. We are going to look at apartments tomorrow. I'm so excited! It's not that I don't like where we're living now, it's just wayyy too small for the two of us. It was the perfect Studio "bachelor pad" for Will but now we don't even have enough room for all of our pots and pans!

(I'm not going to lie, I already have my favorite dream apartment picked out - as long as it looks as good in person as it does online, obviously. And I may or may not have spent a better part of the day looking at vintage-inspired home decor. And I may have already started planning in my head how I would decorate. Oh, the possibilities!)

So, here's to Friday! What are your plans for the weekend?

P.S. Only one day left of No Pants Week! I'll be posting a recap tomorrow along with my favorite looks of the week from the other lovely participants. :)

The Seven Year Itch

2011-01-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Dress: Windsor (Glendale, AZ)
Sweater: Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)
Pin: Vintage, Abby Jean's Boutique (Flagstaff, AZ)
Tights: JCPenney (Glendale, AZ)
Shoes: Payless (Peoria, AZ)

Yet another windy day in Flagstaff. All I can say is thank goodness I was wearing spandex shorts along with my tights! Though, it did make me feel very Marilyn Monroe with the wind and the red lipstick. Now it's time to unwind, watch The Office on Netflix and do some math homework.