Talk About It.

"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity." -Plato

I Still Need A Few Pairs.

I feel like we can all probably relate to this photo from Confessions of a Shopaholic. (It makes me yearn for more room to store shoes.)

Do It Over.

There has been a lot of talk about a subtle Vogue revamp, and I'm personally quite excited. I definitely think it is time for a little change.

(A different Vogue cover might have been more relevant, but I just thought I'd share my favorite Vogue cover. Perhaps we all haven't seen this one yet, where as I'm sure we've seen the Sienna Miller cover by now.)

Take A Hammer To It.

Nail polish trends are my favorite sort of trends because they're easy and risk free. There isn't any commitment involved, if you don't like the color or type of polish all you have to do is remove is and keep the bottle hidden away in your bathroom.

My nails are almost coated with a pretty color, whether it is an old classic or a trendy shade. The latest trend that I hope to be sporting (very soon) is matte nails. I haven't had a chance to purchase a matte polish just yet, but once I do you can be sure I'll test it out right away.

The best part about this trend is that there is even less commitment than there would be if black were to come back in style. (It's always a little extra trouble to get off the dark colors.) If you decide matte isn't for you, all you have to do is add a layer of top coat.

Have you, or will you be trying out matte nails?
What has been your favorite recent nail trend?

Things I Can't Live Without This Week.

I realized I hadn't made one of these posts in a while and it was supposed to be a weekly post, so I figured it was about time.

This past Friday my father was attending a Bob Dylan concert and wanted to wear a tie dye shirt. The only problem was that he hadn't been able to find a shirt that both he and his wallet agreed on. So, I bought a white tee and a few boxes of Rit dye and made him a shirt on my own. I hadn't tie dyed since when I was in Girl Scouts, so I found it surprisingly fun. I don't consider myself the tie dye wearing type, but I do enjoy actually making tie dyed items. It was fun removing all the rubber bands from the shirt and having no clue what to expect it would look like. And, if I do say so, I even thought the shirt turned out pretty well. It was almost cute enough for me to wear. Now that I've finished tie dying I just need another suggestion of a fun/crafty/DIY project to keep me busy during my boring summer. Suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

I'm currently on a total orange juice kick. I've taken to drinking it with a lot of ice. I cut soda out of my diet a while ago and drinking orange juice seems to make it easier. It's got more of a punch that water, but isn't as bad for you as soda.

I am sure that I have mentioned my love for Beverly Hills 90210. Despite the fact that I was too young to watch it when it aired originally (and I wasn't even born until a few episodes into the fourth season), I still find myself enjoying it to no end. My favorite seasons are the earlier ones, when Shannen Doherty was still playing her character, Brenda. Up until now I had been waiting patiently for each of the ten seasons to be released on DVD. They're currently up to season seven, and I knew it would be a good while until season eight would be released. This is why I was so excited to see that Surf The Channel has found each episode online. And finding season eight online is my excuse for being constantly glued to my computer as of late.

The summer heat does sad things to my hair, and being off from school makes me too lazy to straighten it everyday. Which is why I am so grateful for ponytail holders and ponytails themselves. I do not know what I would do if I had to have my frizzy mess of hair in my face all day. Being able to pull my hair up and at least pretend the humidity isn't ruining my hair are things I've begun to really appreciate.

Closet Envy.

I dream about spacious, perfectly organized closets. However, it seems that despite how many times I purge my closet of old clothes, it still looks cramped (and looking cramped makes it appear disorganized). I suppose that until I'm older and living elsewhere, I'll just have to enjoy looking at other people's immaculate closets.


If that wasn't enough closet-inspiration for you, check out this great post filled with closets uploaded onto flickr.

What Were You Thinking?

What do you think of Lily Allen being the face of Chanel?

In my opinion, this is what a good Chanel ad should look like.

Tell Me A Story.

Last night I rented the Coco Chanel Lifetime movie, and only made it about half way through.

I was extremely disappointed with the movie, and this is coming from someone who can sit through some of the worst chick flicks and trashy television shows. To start with, the movie was quite long (139 minutes) and after more than an hour all I had seen was Coco making a hat.

The movie had a lot of focus on Coco's romantic life, which frankly I didn't care about. There were lots of little 'hint' type moments that were building up for everyone to recognize her as a fashion god, but it was taking too long to get there.

Another problem I had with the movie was that more than an hour in I had seen Shirley MacLaine on screen for maybe four minutes. She alone was featured on the box the DVD was in, which is why I found that part a bit odd.

Anyway, the costumes were nice and I did enjoy seeing them, but the little snippets of fashion were not worth sitting through Coco's (obviously) ill-fated romance.

I felt more like I was watching a movie based on a Jane Austen book, not a movie based on a significant and genius fashion designer. I had heard rave reviews for the movie, and I saw that it was nominated for multiple awards, so maybe I'm alone in my boredom and disappointment. I'm still curious to know how you felt about the movie. Would you give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down?

I Want That.

Last week I asked for a little advice on the next bag that I'll purchase. Despite the fact that I've run out of room for purses (or anything else for that matter) in my closet, I'd like a new bag for the new school year.

Anyway, when I asked for a little bag advice, a lot of you seemed to think MARC by Marc Jacobs was my best option. This morning after reading this post on Miss Couturable, I was reminded of my search for a new bag, and I got to work. I quickly found my way to the MBMJ section on the Bergdorf Goodman website, and that is where I spotted this lovely bag. Thoughts?

Valley Of Dreams.

For my vacation a few weeks ago I stocked up on magazines, one of which was Glamour's July issue. I don't usually read Glamour, but I was pleasantly surprised once I came upon this page. The page shows a model wearing minx nails, the newest nail fad.

I first heard about minx when Beyonce started to don them to big events. At the time I thought the idea was neat, but her flashy nail designs didn't tempt me. When I saw the funky and cute floral design and realized that they were also from minx, it actually made me want to consider going to a salon where minx nails are offered.

A close up of the same design the model has on her nails.

For those of you who haven't heard about minx nails in the past, you can imagine them as being somewhat like stickers. The minx website describes them as "solid nail coatings" which are heated before application.

Minx nails are pricier than a traditional manicure, Glamour says that you can expect them to cost you around $55. This is certainly more than I'm used to paying, but you should consider that they take a lot less time than that traditional manicure and you are given a wide variety of intricate options to showcase on your nails.

The first picture alone was enough to make me keep minx in the back of my mind when a special occasion comes along.

Almost Like That.

The collection that I am currently lusting over is the Christian Dior Fall 2009 Couture collection. The collection plays with the boundaries between proper attire and lingerie. The way the two are mixed for the collection is dynamite, and large splashes of fun colors (orange, pink, etc) add another playful element. This ensemble (above) is my favorite, I love how lady like it looks despite all the sheerness. The rest of the collection is quite beautiful too, check it out here.

This part of the post is just a tiny reminder that I thought I'd give. Teen Vogue's snapshot contest comes to an end at the beginning of August. If you didn't enter, your chance is over, however you should find time to vote for your favorite. The girl shown above, with the great Lolita sunglasses, was last years winner. The winner will (of course) be in a future issue of Teen Vogue, so be sure to vote wisely!

The latest issue of Allure magazine recommended this deep conditioner to me, so yesterday night I picked it up. I used it today and so far, so good!

The other day I posted my koi fish necklace, and this is not where my animal necklace collection stops. I think animals on necklaces are really fun and cute. Other necklaces in my collection include an owl and a deer. And now that I've been sucked in by etsy, I think I'm going to need this panda necklace! I knew pandas were precious, but if I were to ever doubt it, I think this necklace could rid me of those doubts. How cute is that?

Clean This Mess Up.

I used to keep my room kind of like this drawing. Except worse. It was quite the mess. And sometimes it looks like that again if I'm having a day where I can't decide what to wear. There used to be months where I couldn't see anything in my mirror because my dresser was piled high with clothes. Anyway, over the last few months I've become much more into keeping order in my room. I find that the only way I can make myself keep my room clean is if I tidy it every single night at the end of the day. Hold off for a few weeks and it becomes too much of a 'project' to clean my room.

Anyway, I was wondering what kind of condition you all keep your rooms in?
I like to keep my room kind of how Carrie Bradshaw kept her apartment (before the movie makeover). I like it to look a little bit cluttered. Well, not exactly cluttered. I just like there to be a lot of stuff everywhere, but everything has it's own, tidy place.

Perhaps I'll share a few room pictures soon. I posted some forever ago on my old blog, but I've made many changes since then.

Now, I've got to tidy my room up. (That is what inspired this post.) It just so happens this is one of those days that I couldn't find anything to wear and now a million nixed options are around my room!

Back On Track.

I am not looking forward to returning to school one bit, but maybe these will ease the pain. They're the cutest erasers that I've ever seen, each looks like a delicious (detailed) dessert. When I was on vacation I found the erasers being sold separately for just 99 cents each. I got two of the ice-cream cones (one in vanilla and another in strawberry) and the cake pictured on the right.

The store where I found these erasers doesn't have a website, but if you find these erasers as cute as I do, you can purchase the set for $12 at Fred Flare. The other option is to look for Iwako (in stores, or online). Iwako is an awesome Japanese eraser company. They have tons of food inspired erasers (a small portion of the selection of erasers look like non-food items, but are equally adorable), some of which are even cuter than the ones that I bought. I could definitely spend quite a lot of time and money checking out the selection online, but I forced myself off of the Iwako website.

Besides, I've been keeping my erasers in the packaging (nothing special, there is a cute little illustration though), so I have yet to see if they actually work. I'm pretty skeptical about it, but I think I prefer them in their current pristine condition anyway.

BlackBerry Fields Forever.

I'm not incredibly tech savvy, but I know enough to get by. Still, when it comes to technology I've become terribly superficial. If it's shiny and smaller than you ever though an electronic could be, send it my way. Which is why I currently covet a BlackBerry.

I don't actually need one, or any of those special qualities you have to pay extra for. There isn't anything wrong with my current phone, but there is something about a blackberry that just calls to me. It's so sleek, but still, I doubt I'll ever be able to justify buying one to myself. Although I do get a new phone in a few months, I won't be buying a BlackBerry, but maybe I'll find something equally sleek.

Blaze A Trail.

There was the year I got into bangles, the year I loved jumpers, and so many more. This year though, I have a flawless favorite in mind. Blazers. Blazers instantly finish off any outfit, and add another great element to any look. Plus, they're a great way to deal with the chilly air conditioning inside my school. While everyone else is resisting the cold in sweatshirts and hoodies, I'll be rocking fabulous blazers.

I Have Seen Heaven.

One of my purchases on Friday was this tank, and let me tell you, I have never loved a tank so much. I wore it yesterday while babysitting, and it was so comfortable that I collapsed into my bed with it on. It has a great amount of bagginess and an awesome racer back. But above all, it is just amazingly comfortable, and only cost $5.80. It won't last me forever, but for that price, I'm willing to buy another if it stays this comfortable forever. (The picture isn't too great, it actually looks nicer in person.)

On a pretty much unrelated note, I came across this picture and loved it. It is so much like the Coco Rocha Chanel ads. I love how they used the same hairstyles in the ads and on the runway. Looking at both makes me really want to go find a ton of brooches.

Sorry for the short/lame post. I'll do better tomorrow.

PS; I'm currently in a very good mood because I lost five pounds this week.

You Are So Cute.

I went to see Harry Potter yesterday and before the movie I went to the mall with my mother. We had dinner (a delicious and terribly unhealthy meal of Chick-fil-A)and then did a little bit of pre-movie shopping. I didn't buy a ton, just a few necessities. For now I'll just share two of my 'fun' purchases.

When I first saw this little owl in the bins near the Forever21 checkout I thought it was just a wallet. But then I saw the writing and noticed the spelling of so/sew. I unzipped the owl and inside is the cutest little sewing kit. Therefore I immediately had to buy it. ($6.50) It actually looks like a pretty good kit, and I'll have lots of fun pulling it out when I'm taking my fashion course this year. (More on that in the future.)

I also got this necklace. The photo doesn't do it justice. It's a very cute koi fish. It's mostly a teal color, but it also has some brown detailing. The fish came in three other colors, but I caught eye of this one and was in love. It isn't exactly a typical purchase for me, but it was so fun, I couldn't resist. I even put the necklace on before going to the movie theater.

And totally unrelated to anything else I've mentioned, head over to turnyournameintoaface.com and do just that. You enter your name and out comes a pixelized face. My name came up with this...interesting face.

Call Upon.

My dream purse would definitely be an Hermés bag (in particular a Birkin), but in reality I do not see that in my near future. Besides, in all honesty I think a Birkin would look a little peculiar on the arm of a fifteen year old.

Getting past my Hermés fixation, I would like to purchase a really classic bag. Something mature, something that matches everything, something gorgeous, something that will last a long time, and something that will never go out of style.

This is where you all come in, I need suggestions!

I don't have a price limit in mind because I don't need to buy a new purse immediately. However, don't make any suggestions that are too crazy.

P.S. Isn't that Hermés ad the cutest?

I Know I Said I Hate Routine.

I've heard a lot of talk about summer uniforms. Not like a school girl uniform, or a uniform for a job, but a go-to summer outfit.

During the school year I'm always trying to come up with creative outfits, but then summer hits and I become quite lazy. After a few weeks I notice that whenever I kick the laziness and get dressed, I seem to be wearing something very similar.

My go-to outfit has become, a pair of jean shorts (mine are less ripped up than Nicole's though), a v-neck tee, a lightweight scarf, gladiator sandals, a pair of sunglasses, and a fun assortment of bracelets. And during the summer I continue to carry around a gigantic leather bag. They're just as great for carrying around beach necessities as they are for carrying my lunch during the school year. They aren't so great for taking up small amounts of room though! (This is my way of saying that I am in dire need of a bigger closet. A lot bigger.)

During the school year, one thing that tends to be uniform about me is my hair. It's always straightened, partly because I prefer how it looks, and partly because it makes it a lot easier to manage. During the summer however, I left my waves take over and usually keep my hair piled atop my head.

Anywho, what is your go-to outfit in the summer?

Fashion's January.

Are you excited to see The September Issue? The movie follows Vogue editor, Anna Wintour in the creation of Vogue's most important issue of the year.

I loved The Devil Wears Prada, and I have a feeling that this real life version will be pretty great too.

Take It For A Spin.

My latest beauty obsession are the Sephora Jumbo Eye Pencils. They sell for $6 and come in a variety of colors (12 shades are offered on Sephora's website). I've had the beige pencil in my makeup collection for a while now, but my love for it wasn't as strong until this past week.

I've found that these pencils look great smudged on your top lid. I put a little bit of an eyeshadow base on (Urban Decay Primer Potion or Too Faced Shadow Insurance are good choices) and then layer the pencil on top. Then I take a flat brush and smudge the pencil. It creates a great, dewy look. So great that next time I'm at the mall I will definitely be picking up a few more shades.

What is your most recent beauty obsession?

Out With The Old.

My new favorite television show is It's On With Alexa Chung. She is well dressed and surprisingly quite funny. Humor and style are always a winning combination in my book.

If you haven't seen her show yet, it's on weekdays at 12 PM. Tomorrow she'll be talking with Kelly Osbourne.

Never Thought I'd Be Green.

My camera/computer are giving me issues, so I don't have pictures of my purchases. I guess my words will have to suffice.

I am not a very green person. I'm always leaving my computer on and I love shopping bags. But while doing a little shopping during my vacation, I found the best green product...ever. It's not a water bottle, or a 'green is the new black' totebag, but rather shoelaces. I found shoelaces that are made of old kimonos. They are beautiful, and were just $4.95. After buying one pair and smiling at my feet everytime that I looked down, I was forced to buy another pair.

I don't wear sneakers that often, I have a pair I use for gym class or when I run on the treadmill, but other than that I prefer heels/boots/flats. I do however own two pairs of converse. These and a plain black pair. It just so happens that these shoelaces are the perfect touch for the black pair.

The first shoelaces I bought are black and have white and pastel flowers on them. They're very pretty and elegant, a great spin for converse that you usually see on scene kids. The other pair is red with blue, yellow and white flowers. I'm sure the shoelaces are a little difficult to imagine, but trust me my converse are currently looks pretty sweet, laced with the black pair of laces.

Remember The Day.

I'm back from vacation, and although I'll miss the beach, it was amazing to be back in my own bed last night. Plus, I missed my dogs while I was away. (That is definitely the biggest downside to vacations.) Now that I am back, I can share all my vacation purchases. Cape May (where I was) doesn't have the best shopping, but I did find some cool things.

I don't have time to take pictures at the moment (and I don't know the location of the camera), but I'll share one of my favorite buys.
I bought a wallet that is very similar to this one. The drink pouches that mine is made out of are more colorful and varied, but the basic idea is pretty much the same. It's recycled and very cute. If you have the issue of InStyle with Michelle Pfeiffer, turn to page 20. My wallet looks exactly like the bag next to Angelina Jolie's head, except mine is a wallet, not a giant bag.

I'll be sharing my other awesome buys very soon!

Fly Away Little Bee.

Rachel Bilson, looking as cute as ever while leaving the airport.

Tomorrow is my final day before leaving on my vacation, so it's probable that I'll be extremely busy. Expect this to be my last post until next weekend, when I return from my week long trip.

Tomorrow I'll spend my day cramming all my pre-trip tasks in. Starting with a pedicure to prepare my toes for the beach. Then I need to pack, which I oddly enough enjoy doing. I love packing, I just hate unpacking. I also need to drop my dogs off at the kennel. (Which will be sad, spending a week away from my dogs is tough!) And then I'll likely spend the rest of the night worrying about things I've forgotten and trying to shove afterthoughts into my suitcase(s).

Since I won't be here to say it on Saturday, I hope you all enjoy the 4th of July! Hopefully mine will still be enjoyable despite my prediction that a great portion of the day will be spent stuck in icky traffic.

If anyone else is traveling for the 4th, how about sharing what you bring to keep you busy on the road/train/bus/airplane. I usually stuff a purse with tons of stuff to keep me busy.

• A magazine, or three. This time I'm bring the issue of Glamour with Taylor Swift on the cover.
• Two books. I usually read one on the way there and one on the way back. This year I'm re-reading an old classic by Judy Blume, Forever. I also have a few books lying around my room that are dying to be read, so I'll probably bring those as well.
• Ipod/MP3 player. I haven't updated the songs on my ipod in around a year, and the battery has started to die ridiculously fast, but when my eyes start to tire, I like to have something to listen to. And I know the rest of my family doesn't want to listen to my music on the radio for the entire trip, this keeps us all happy. Plus the music blocks out whatever my family is saying!
• A pillow. I always keep a pillow nearby so that I can rest my head against a window and try to catch some sleep. I like to hope that the next time I open my eyes I'll be pulling up at the beach.
  
• A snack. Things like the 100 calorie packs and other on-the-go type foods are good.
• Deck of cards. If you're traveling with a friend/sibling/etc. cards can be surprisingly fun. There are a ton of fun games to play, and maybe the people you're traveling with know of a game that you don't.
  

I Love A Little Gossip.

It has been announced that Hilary Duff will be making her way to everyone's favorite teen drama, Gossip Girl. Hilary will have a several episode run as Vanessa's roommate at NYU. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I'm a Hilary Duff fan, and I'm very excited about the combination. I think Hilary has a very cute, casual sort of style. Plus, sometimes on bored days I like to go to surfthechannel.com and watch old episodes of Lizzie McGuire. Anyone else excited for her return to television (I think she was on an episode of SVU a little while ago, but this a bigger venture)? We'll have to wait until October for episodes featuring Hilary, but I'm sure the CW will be kind enough to air plenty of teasers until then. They are known for having interesting Gossip Girl ads, hopefully this season will be no different.

And just because...who is your favorite Gossip Girl couple?