Thanksgiving Day With My Family

The American tradition...Thanksgiving.  A time to get together with friends and family to participate in the annual tradition of finding out how much food you can eat before you feel sick.  This year, my Aunt Lynne decided that we should all meet at the San Diego Zoo for a thanksgiving meal.  I had no idea that the zoo was open on Thanksgiving, much less that they were serving meals.  I joked to everyone that they would most likely be serving the animals that have died that year at the zoo.  Many people took that seriously so I stopped saying that.  However, it wasn't far from the truth. They were serving other animals that weren't fortunate enough to have residence there.

Throughout the week, I watched traveling stories of horror on the news about how backed up the freeways were so I decided to travel on Thanksgiving morning.  I drove to San Diego to meet my cousin, Wendy at her house in Linda Vista.  Earlier in the week, she posted pictures on Facebook of a dead raccoon on the side of her neighbors house.  For days it laid there and she was completely disgusted that nobody properly disposed of it.  After a while, it didn't smell so she figured it was a taxidermy raccoon.  Once I saw a photo of it on Facebook, Mr. Raccoon had to participate in their family portrait. When I arrived, Wendy and I took a walk to the neighbor's house and I knocked on the door.  The music was blaring and once the door opened, I didn't see who was on the other side from the metal screen door but I said, "Hi, we're your neighbors and I am a photographer...may I borrow your raccoon?" The voice on the other side said, "sure" and the door closed.  Mr. Raccoon fit in just perfect with the family of Wendy, Don, Pasa, Goldie, Colin and Jennifer! The following day, we went back to the house and Wendy asked if we could adopt the raccoon.  It is now a part of my family.  It's me, Max and Mr. Raccoon!

After the family portrait photo session, Wendy and I headed to the zoo to meet up with my mom, her mother and their partners, Allan and Erick, respectively.  After our meal, we wandered around the zoo looking at some of the animals.  I am fascinated with people watching animals at the zoo.  It's a bit sad and makes you wonder if there are any other species on this earth that have pets like humans do.  I know the animals at the zoo aren't considered "pets" but do other animals have pets?  Anyway, as I walked by the gift store, I saw some animal masks that would be perfect for  some "couples portraits" of my mom and Allan as well as Lynne and Erick.  They were good sports to play along, even though it might seem a tad creepy.

After the zoo, Wendy and I headed to her father and step mothers house.  I don't get to see Dick and Judy very often so it was nice to spend some time chatting and having a piece of pie.  Dick makes me laugh and this photograph of him taking a photograph seems to fit his personality well.

I am thankful of my loved ones on this holiday, as well as every day in between.  I know we are all nuts (perhaps I may be the freak show leader), but I wouldn't want it any other way.

Here are some photographs from the day...

FAUX leather & STUDS.

I like wearing outfits with a little edge.  It's all about the pieces you choose & how you put them together.  I just got these bad boys shipped to me today from Shoedazzle & I could not wait to put something together based around them.

The spiked studs are a sure fire way to add an edgy/rocker feel but I wanted to take it a little further. I've noticed that some girls shy away from flats, but if you get the right pair, they can do wonders for your outfit.

I got this grey & black long loose fitted top from Zara.  It's extremely comfortable & I knew the leather embellishments would go well with these flats.  When I got the shirt the first thing that came to my mind was that it's got some edge.  Zara is a great store by the way!

I wore this with a pair of black high waisted skinnies from H&M. They've got some great pants there.  Next I chose one of my faux leather jackets that is also from H&M.  It comes right to the waist & has a lot of zippers which I love.  Zippers also add some funk.  Leather in all forms is huge this fall/winter.

        

I threw on my arm candy, a pair of Marcasite inspired earrings from Aldo Accessories (another birthday gift, thanks Tati!), a flower ring, & of course my Ray-Ban cats.  Even if it's not that sunny outside I put these on. It's kind of a habit and I love how they bring all of my outfits together.  They're great shades.  And for the final touch, I got my favorite fringe bag with studs from H&M.

So take all of these elements, put them together & this is my final look! It's a great trendy laid back outfit. It's put together well without trying too hard.  And that's the key :) 

You can take an outfit like this and switch it up a little more to your liking.  Maybe throw on some combat boots or wedges, or add some more color if you want.  Do it the way that suits you best. :)

Arm Candy

It's all about the layers, even when it comes to accessories.  More than ever, I have been seeing both women & men with multiple bracelets on their arms and mixing different colors & types together (leather, beads, cuffs, bangles, etc.)  But my favorite is to layer bracelets with watches on the same arm.
This summer I bought my first Michael Kors watch.  It's big faced, unisex, & makes a statement.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm really drawn to men inspired pieces. I recently got this black & silver double wrap & black belt wrap around bracelet. I paired them with my MK watch & here you have it:

             
                                   MY ARM CANDY

I love how it draws so much attention to my wrist.  I'm on the look out for more bracelets.  Accessories can make your entire outfit!  Here are some bracelets on current trend that I love.

YVES SAINT LAURENT

CHAN LUU

CHAN LUU

CARA

CARA

TORY BURCH

MICHAEL KORS 

MICHAEL KORS 

I think all of the Chan Luu leather wraps are amazing.  Some of them are made with Swarovski crystals & pearls. They run anywhere from $115-$325.  I have these on my wish list! As you can see I have a slight obsession with wrap arounds! What's on your wrist? :) 

xx NATY.

FALL FASHION TRENDS

If you're always up on the latest trends in fashion then you probably already know about this list.  Some trends are amazing & always find their way back into the spotlight while others go out of style as quickly as they came in.  Here are some of my favorite 2011 Fall trends.



COLOR!

I love branching out & rocking some bold & bright colors.  Color blocking was a huge trend this past spring/summer, but right now it's more about matching your clothes & accessories.  Everyone has their own opinion on this.  Some love to match, while others hate it.  I admit, I tend to match pretty often, but I always try to break up the color somehow, even if it's subtle.  But if you're feeling a little bit daring, you should try this trend. The possibilities with this are endless.  Two popular colors this season are Jade Green & Mustard hues.

                               

LACE!

It's always been around but I'm starting to see it more frequently. I absolutely love lace embellishments.  If done the right way, it looks amazing.  There's something very classic & elegant about it, but it also has  sex appeal.  I am loving these photos from the Jason Wu & Prabal Gurung Fall/Winter collection.  I die for that jacket & this dress is beautiful!  It reminds me of something Carrie Bradshaw would wear :)

& I need this dress in my life! It's MM Couture by Miss Me $92

BRIGHT PANTS!

Usually people think of more toned down, neutral colors when the fall & winter seasons come.  Well not anymore! This is a fun trend. You can make any outfit stand out with a nice pair of brightly colored pants.  Don't be afraid of color.  If you are unsure about how to wear them, I would suggest pairing them with a cream/white colored top or something neutral to start off with.  Or you could be more daring like the model with the red top & pink pants. I love these red ones & I'm still looking for a good pair.

CHOKER NECKLACES!

Yes, chokers have made a come back right on the runway this season.  I adore statement necklaces, but I really do like the effect a choker can have on your outfit.  It adds a little sophistication.  These photos are from Marc Jacobs & Max Azria Fall/Winter collection. I love the choker with this white dress!

TUXEDO STYLE!

I love taking menswear inspired pieces & making them look feminine.  I've noticed a lot of celebrities use this as an alternative for evening gowns.  It's true not everyone can pull this off, but if you do, then it will be stunning! This trend can be very glam & sophisticated. I am loving this red Tom Ford ensemble!

& I adore these 2 looks from Prabal Gurung & Jason Wu.

DUSTER COATS!

These long coats are floor length & sure to make you look extra glam this season.  Not only that but they will keep you warm too! :)  They look great with all textures & colors peeking through from underneath. You will definitely make an impression in one of these!

MICHAEL KORS 

L.A.M.B., THEYSKENS' THEORY, & RODARTE

There's plenty more trends including leather, faux fur, polka dots, & high slits!  Try one, or try them all :) Hope you enjoyed!!
xx Naty

WOODEN HEELS & SCARF VERSATILITY

It's safe to say that when it comes to shoes, I pretty much want them all.  Some people collect coins & comic books, I collect shoes. 

 So when I saw these wooden heel booties at Steve Madden I needed to have them!  The color in this picture is actually a little off.  They're more of a taupe/olive.  

This look is a bit preppy.  I first wore these with a white button down.  I love button downs because there's so much versatility to them and most girls don't really know how to wear them.  I'll have to do a separate post on that, but I suggest investing in a few of these.  It's a staple piece that should be in your closet because it never goes out of style!  I paired it with this printed scarf from H&M. It's one of my favorites and I've worn it in many different ways as you will see in this post.  They're a must have for the fall/winter.  The jeans I'm wearing are slightly ripped (huge fan of ripped jeans because they add texture) from Forever21.

The next time I wore the booties I wanted something laid back but still with a little edge.  I opted for the slightly ripped jeans again, wore the same scarf in a different way & layered on this rustic brown faux leather jacket that I got on sale at Mandee :) The shirt is a loose fitted cream tee from H&M as well as the shoulder bag.

Unfortunately I don't have a full length shot of me in this next outfit, but you'll get the idea.  I got this amazing faux fur vest from H&M.  Pieces like this add a lot of element to an outfit.  I love neutral colors because you can do so much with them.  I wore it over a plain olive green long sleeve shirt with skinny jeans.  My accessories are this beautiful bracelet from Forever21 that I got as a birthday gift (Thanks Ellie!), earrings from Aldo accessories, and I got this gold medallion necklace from a local thrift shop.

Here's a shot of me in this practicing on my guitar :)

So that's 3 different outfits I put together, all different looks, with the same booties.  Next up I am going to show you a few more ways that I wore this same printed scarf.  Scarves are another thing that not everyone knows how to wear, nor do they realize how many different ways it can be worn.

This is probably one of my favorite ensembles.  It's classy & chic. I wore this for a friend's birthday party. The dress was a great find at Forever21. It's simple but still says a lot.  I didn't want to wear a belt, but I did want to break up the color.  So I wore the scarf as a shawl this time and it really dressed up the outfit.  This AMAZING statement necklace is from a local thrift shop.  I wore "Sophisto" from MAC again.  I love how the raspberry shade compliments the dress.

Here you can see the dress with & without the scarf.  Wearing it as a shawl really added more to the look. It's little things like this that can really MAKE your entire outfit.

And one last way I wore this scarf for a trendy yet preppy look. I wore this out for drinks with some of my girlfriends. I paired it with these great high waisted rustic suede shorts from H&M, the same white button down from before, & these peep toe heels from Aldo. Clutch is from Charlotte Russe. I also went with a brighter polish shade since this was actually towards the end of summer & I wanted to add another dimension to the outfit.

I didn't realize how long this post was going to be but I hope that it gave you some ideas!  Just remember you can take something simple & still make it look fab! Happy Monday loves! <3 Naty

New Review Papers on Food Reward

As research on the role of reward/palatability in obesity continues to accelerate, interesting new papers are appearing weekly.  Here is a roundup of review papers I've encountered in the last three months.  These range from somewhat technical to very technical, but I think they should be mostly accessible to people with a background in the biological sciences. 

Food and Drug Reward: Overlapping Circuits in Human Obesity and Addiction
Written by Dr. Nora D. Volkow and colleagues.  This paper describes the similarities between the mechanisms of obesity and addiction, with a focus on human brain imaging studies.  Most researchers don't think obesity is an addiction per se, but the mechanisms (e.g., brain areas important for reward) do seem to overlap considerably.  This paper is well composed and got a lot of media attention.  Dr. Volkow is the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.  The NIH is the main source of biomedical research funding in the US, and also conducts its own research.

Here's a quote from the paper:

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