I want this poster.

The end.

Into The Gloss

{Clinique's new Bottom Lash Mascara}

I don't have a lot of time to post right now, so I decided I'll share a little something that I read today instead.

Into the Gloss is a blog I check regularly, and if you're a fashion/beauty girl you'll quickly become addicted.  Their posts discuss fashion and beauty from the inside, which they define as the fashion industry and my particular favorite, the street.  The posts include some really fascinating interviews with stylists, models, designers or even famous DJs about their beauty regimens or fashion tips.  Today's post struck me because it was all about mascara: my makeup staple.

Check it out for yourself here.  I hope you enjoy!

Is it Thursday Already?

Wow.  This week actually flew by for me!

I know I've been MIA so let me explain...

The last time you heard from me I had come down with a lovely case of pink eye.  Turns out I got sick as a dog for the weekend, ended up with pink eye in both my eyes and some version of a flu, or a head cold or I don't even know what.  Whatever it was, I was in bed for the entire weekend.  And yes, this means I rang in my 21st birthday like a wild child...in bed.

As part of some birthday miracle however, I woke up Monday morning with the pink eye(s) pretty much looking back to normal, and I was able to get out of bed and enjoy my birthday.  I went out for a nice dinner, ordered a margarita and was extremely upset that they didn't ask me to show I.D.

By Tuesday, I was feeling totally better and got to celebrate my birthday with my friends.  We had a great time. (I'll tell you all of the good and the silly details in tomorrow's post)

In between all the celebrating, I did have to make time for the fact that it was 4oclock week here at Lehigh, which is just a less intimidating way of saying exam week.  Two fabulous birthday celebrations and three exams later brings me to today!

I don't have any pictures from my birthday available yet, but I do have pictures from a few weeks back when I was home for the day.  My mom snapped some photos of me in our yard, and since I haven't lived up to my promise of outfit posts (I'm sorry!) I'll post this half-decent outfit for you.

{Forever 21 Shirt, Leggings, Jeffrey Campbell booties, Sister's boyfriend's ski socks}

The Good and The Silly

It's Friday!  Let's go over some of the good and the silly that's on my mind right now...

the good:
-I have successfully studied in advance for my exams next week
-I just received a beautiful birthday card in the mail from my sisters (see above)
-I'm wearing a short-sleeved shirt in February woo woo
-I gave my room a great cleaning this morning
-I will be receiving visits from several members of my family this weekend being that it's my birthday!

the silly:
-I woke up with a severe case of Conjunctivitis, aka the dreaded PINK eye
-I'm studying at my desk with one eye open since my eye is so sore
-My teacher actually stopped his lecture at one point the other day to ask me to stop sneezing.  He was kidding, but stillllll
-I still haven't stopped thinking about minx nails
-The fact that I have an absolute aversion to mustard but these pants may be helping me to get over it quickly.

Have a good weekend! xxx

{Aren't they the best? p.s. I miss them too!}

The Little White Dress

 

The little black dress is a classic wardrobe staple that I will forever adore.  Albeit, it's the little white dress that has caught my attention more recently.

For as long as I can remember, I've been a fan of clean, crisp white clothing.  Each year as spring and summer roll around, I am always on the lookout for great white jeans, t-shirts, shorts, bikinis, you name it.  This year is no different, with the exception of the fact that I've added the little white dress into the mix.  The minimalism of a white dress is something that I believe to be perfectly chic.

The little black dress is known for its sleek sex appeal, but the little white dress is probably more appealing for its versatility; it can be worn during the daytime and nighttime, which is something I don't believe the little black dress offers.  We all assume the woman in the black dress is immediately noticeable, but the woman in the white dress just may be more salient in the upcoming seasons.

1. Nasty Gal Belle Chiffon Dress
2. Nasty Gal Slice Of Heaven Dress
3. Miss Selfridge Cream Mesh Dress
4. American Apparel Tank Dress
5. Topshop White Sheer Shift Sleeve Dress (try saying that 3x fast- some serious alliteration)
6. Nasty Gal Cloud Nine Cutout Dress
7. Urban Outfitters Sparkle and Fade Shirtdress

An Unhealthy Obsession?

It's safe to say that I have achieved an unhealthy relationship with nail art in the past 48 hours.

It all started when my older sister sent me a text as she was on her way to a nail appointment.  She told me she was finally getting the minx manicure that she had always wanted in honor of her trip to Miami this upcoming weekend.  Like my sister, I have always been a fan of minx but have never had the opportunity to have a minx experience.

A few snapshots from her appointment was all it took for me to be insanely jealous.  The final product (above) seriously makes her fingernails look as though they have been dipped in gold - it's amazing.

My sister's minx appointment got me thinking about all sorts of nail art.  Several Google searches later, I was hooked.  My particular favorite is the nail art seen on DJ Harley Viera-Newton, as seen here in a post by Into The Gloss.


Since I'm sure it will be a long time until I actually have my first minx or nail art experience, I will be brainstorming ideas in the meantime.  Already I've become keen on the idea of rhinestones on every finger.  Wouldn't it be fabulous if I could get a little birthday theme going for my upcoming birthday?  If only...

 

Date Night

Well, I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's day.  Whether or not you had someone special to celebrate with, Valentine's Day is always a fun day to get dressed up and go out for a good dinner.  Who doesn't love an excuse to do either of those things?

My friend Laura and I were so excited to get dolled up for our respective nights out that I decided to do a joint outfit post for us!  We were both trying to get a little extra dolled up last night because we tend to rush around during our busy days in our gym clothes and needed that little boost.

Laura has an amazing fashion sense. I drool over some of the items in her closet.  Not to mention, I think she's a little blogger in the making, or at least she has great ideas if she were to become one.  Laura actually gave me the brilliant idea to start featuring some of our friends in my posts.  She suggested I post about different trends we see our friends trying out and encourage others to try them.  Honestly, why didn't I think of that sooner?  I can't wait to start incorporating my friends into my posts. I'm probably going to start with Laura soon, and I look forward to diving into her closet with her.

Fashion sense aside, Laura is a phenomenal individual.  If I had to pick one word to describe her I would absolutely choose leader.  Laura's presence in a room is outstanding, and her passion for everything she does simply amazes me.  I don't know how she accomplishes all that she does in a day and still makes time to be my friend.

Juliet Supperclub- NY

February is a month filled with birthdays in my family.  My big sister turned 24 at the beginning of the month, and my adorable little pup just celebrated her 14th birthday too.  However, the best birthday in February is of course my own.  What makes my birthday even more special is that I just so happen to share it with my best friend- my twin sister.

Since this year is my champagne birthday, (I'm turning 21 on the 21st) I have become a tad overenthusiastic about the affair.  I've always been obsessed with stalking The Cool Hunter's website, but my obsession with their bars and clubs tab has been a bit overboard lately.  Perhaps the fact that I am almost of legal age to drink makes it all the more relevant.

I've always been into the idea of interior design, and I love when the design of a space really impresses me.  Juliet Supperclub (above), which I came across during a random visit to The Cool Hunter really stunned me.  The club is like nothing I've ever seen before.  To many, the shimmer may be overwhelming, but I find it incredibly opulent.  I just adore how all of the colors seem to bounce off one another, and I couldn't help but share it with you all.  I hope you are equally as aroused by it as I was.

I will most likely be celebrating my 21st birthday in a dive bar in downtown Bethlehem, but I'll be dreaming of the Juliet Supperclub in NY all the while.

The Little Princess

I should have posted this Saturday, but better late than never.

My beautiful dog, Abby, turned 14 on Saturday, and since I couldn't be there to enjoy the birthday celebration my mom sent me this photo on Saturday morning.  I'm really appreciative that she sent this my way because it really made me feel like a part of the birthday action.  My mom knows how much that pup means to me.

Abby is without a doubt a spoiled princess, but we wouldn't have it any other way.  You can see she is thoroughly enjoying her scrambled eggs, which just so happens to be served to her on a plate from the family kitchenware.  I wish I could have seen her attempt her second course, a brownie for dessert.

Happy birthday Abby!

If I were you, I'd steer clear of me.

I know it's not a very appealing picture, and if you don't read this post I completely understand, but that is how I feel right about now.  Today was just a bad day.  I can't really tell you why it was, or how it came to be, but my day just kind of stunk.

Let me list all of the things I want to complain about...
-It was cold.
-I'm exhausted.
-I did a lot of work.
-I didn't get such a hot score on an exam that was returned to me.
-When I finally worked up the energy to go to the gym, it turned out to be so crowded that I waited 20 minutes for any sort of cardio machine...and still didn't get one, so I left. (Spring Break and New Years Resolutions has made the university gym a crazy place)
-My nails are heinously chipped, but I refuse to take the polish off.
-I acquired a cough in the past four minutes since I've started writing this post.  Is that possible?

On a more positive note, tomorrow is Wednesday aka hump day, which means the next day is Thursday, and then it's my weekend.  Phewfffffff.

Sorry for the pessimism.  Perhaps tomorrow I'll wake up on the correct side of the bed?

My Quest for Personal Style

{Shoes: Aldo, Vest: Forever 21, Shirt: H&M, Leggings: VS}

I know I hinted that I'd be writing a post regarding personal style, so let me explain...

For starters, I cannot stop looking at personal style blogs.  I swear it has become the worst guilty pleasure that I have ever taken interest in.  There are at least five personal style blogs that I check on a daily basis.  As if that's not enough, I tend to click through a bunch of random comments on these blogs in the hopes of coming across any new blog that I can be addicted to.  I think I've convinced myself that the complete strangers whom I read about are my friends.  I want need to know what they're wearing everyday and what inspires them.

These personal style blogs are really getting to me.  I daydream about them while I try to study or sit in class, I scroll through them at night in bed until my eyes are watering from starring at the computer screen...and then I keep starring.  I've even texted my sisters at times in fear that I have an actual addiction and need some kind of help or something (luckily, they've reassured me that I'm wrong).   

It seems crazy, but I am so envious of these women who have achieved a sense of their own personal style and are able to convey it so well with incredible outfit posts.  These are women who are experts in my two favorite vices: fashion and social media.  How could I not have a slight obsession with them? 

That being said, I've created a new goal for myself: I'm going to define my personal style better.  I don't know how I'll do this, and it's definitely easier said than done.  However, I'm hopeful that this will help me to stop obsessing.  I'm really pretty excited about it.  And, beginning today I'm going to start doing outfit posts!  So bear with me along the way because I'm sure some days will be better than others.

I've started my personal style quest by asking myself what I think personal style is.  I don't know if I'll ever really define it, but I do think it is all about taking risks.  If you want to be a master of personal style you cannot be afraid.

Lucky for me, I don't think personal style is about the budget you have.  Creativity and being resourceful is definitely key in a defining sense of style as well.

With that in mind, I will begin my quest.  Wish me luck.

 

Hello everyone!  I hope you had an amazing Wednesday.  It was basically an ice age in the Lehigh Valley, which worked out well considering the university decided to close for the day.  Unfortunately, I have an exam tomorrow.  I took advantage of the day off by studying theory upon theory concerning child development.  Although I do find the information interesting, I was distracted several times by personal style blogs.  I can't seem to get enough of them!  My next post will be about my personal style goals for the future, and I really look forward to posting about them.  Until then, I didn't want to leave you without a post.  Well, it's more like I just wanted to post... I justified it by ensuring you wanted to read it. 

The image above is a collaboration of some items I'm lusting after.  I just need to hit the lotto or something in order to obtain them.  Until then, we can drool over them together, and I'll keep on wishing.  That's all for now since it's pretty late and my exam starts at 9:20.  Goodnight!

1. Haute Betts Bracelets
2. Floppy Hat American Apparel
3. Norma Kamali Cat Eye Sunglasses
4. Nasty Gal Cotton Candy Blouse
5. Urban Renewal Cutoff Denim Shorts
6. Moto Panelled Knee Skinny Jean Topshop

See those two fine ladies?  The girl on the left is one of my closest friends Kara, and the girl on the right (I know- she bears a striking resemblance to me) is my twin sister, Alana.  I just came across this picture of them on Facebook and I was A) in awe of how gorgeous they both look and B) even more jealous that I missed out on Kara's fun 21st birthday affair!

I couldn't help but show off how incredible they both look.  Appropriately enough both of these ladies had big days today, so it's fair to post about them.  Kara just left for Florence for a semester abroad.  I am anxiously awaiting a text from her to hear about her very first hours in Europe.  Alana just started her very first semester at NYU today.  I am also anxiously waiting for her to return my phone call so I can hear every last detail about her first day.  Alana and I have just recently learned how to be separated.  We went to school together all of our lives until just recently. She did her first two years of college with me at Lehigh before she transferred.  I begged my mom to send me a "first day of school" picture of my sister, but I guess when you're 20 you stop taking pictures in front of the front door with a backpack...that's a shame. 

Miss you girls!!!!

I know I shouldn't be posting right now because I've got a decent amount of reading to get done for class tomorrow, but I'm very eager about this post for some reason.  It may be because I'm impressed with my InDesign capabilities today, or because I'm particularly excited for spring, but regardless I'm excited to post. (Professor Littau, if you're reading I know you're smiling on the other side of the screen)

When I can't sleep at night, I tend to peruse countless fashion sites looking for the newest trends that catch my eye.  This definitely doesn't help me sleep.  In fact, I usually end up with a headache from squinting for hours, and I'm usually to excited thinking about my outfit for the next day or things I want to buy to ever fall asleep.  Regardless, I do it anyway.

Last night as I did my perusing, I was happy to see the skinny belt trend making an appearance for spring 2011.  I'm a big advocate of belts, but I can never seem to wear a thick belt appropriately.  For some reason, they don't seem to work on me.  The thin belt however is something I definitely want to start incorporating into my wardrobe.  In fact, I bought two the other day at Forever 21 before I even came across the trend on all of my favorite sites.  Luckily, I have these two now because after seeing the many ways to add them to an outfit I'm pretty eager to throw one on.  I did wear one the other day to class over a flannel as a cinch belt if you will, and it really made the outfit.  Sometimes a little accessory can go a long way. 

The skinny belt will be fun for spring because you'll be able to wear it as a cinch belt or as a regular waist belt.  I think jean shorts and a white t-shirt with a leopard or crimson red skinny belt will absolutely make for a perfect, casual (but still trendy) ensemble.  Or, a skinny belt over a maxi skirt if you're trying to really keep up with the trends -now that is a look I'm excited about.

And now it's back to something not so exciting...63 pages of reading on Meditation and the Martial Arts - wish me luck!

Cozy Days

Perhaps it's because the weather has been so cold up in the mountains of the Lehigh Valley, but I cannot seem to stop lusting after oversized, cozy sweaters.  I know Christmas just passed, but I have to be honest when I say I wouldn't be too devastated if any of these sweaters just so happened to appear on a hanger in my closet.  As I attempt to get dressed every day lately, I only want to throw on a big chunky sweater with some leggings and clunky snow boots.  It very well may be because my walk to class is ten minutes of cold so brutal that I'm actually still shocked I haven't developed a case of frost bite.  But, there's something about a chunky knit that I find incredibly cute. Any girl I see walking campus or studying in the library in a sweater that looks like it is four sizes too big for her is a girl I'm envious of.

1. Topshop Knitted Pale Blue Cotton Cable Jumper
2. NastyGal Aspen Knit Cardi
3. NastyGal Oversized Shawl Sweater
4. Topshop Knitted Navaho Cardigan
5. Topshop Camel Knitted Animal Jacquard Jumper

TGIF

Finally! It's Friday. Week one of the second semester of my junior year is OVER.  Friday is my absolute favorite day of the week so this makes me a relatively happy girl today.  Not to mention, I have no classes on Fridays this semester, so it really makes for the best day.  Today, I woke up late, ate a hearty brunch of egg whites and a smoothie and then headed to the gym for a workout.  Ever since, I've been lounging around catching up on reality t.v- such a guilty pleasure.

Since I don't have much else to say at this point I think I'll make a list of the good and plain silly stuff from the past few days.  I'll try to make this a tradition for every Friday post.  Here goes...

the good: 
-last night, I had cake batter ice cream for dinner
-all of my teachers seem really interesting and intelligent
-my sisters got the apartment they wanted (yay!)
-my workout playlist was very good today
-my mom answered my phone call last night, even though I could definitely tell she was sleeping.
-I received an email from my friends abroad about their adventures thus far: I was given the very interesting details about a casual night out roaming the streets that turned into a very drunken bar adventure for them.

the silly:
-last night, I had cake batter ice cream for dinner :/
-I had to use the elliptical in the gym today, and I am not a very graceful ellipticizer
-I made up the word ellipticizer, yeppp
-I just tried to paint my nails and failed miserably, though the color choice was pretty
-My cell phone decided it doesn't want to make or receive calls anymore.  So if you'd like to get in touch with me I'm limited to texts only now.
-oh, and my cell phone makes a nonstop beeping noise...
-A car alarm kept me up all night on Monday.  I am not kidding people. ALL night. And then I found out it was my friends car alarm, and the university police called him in the middle of the night in a rage about how his car alarm was keeping an entire sorority up. It was miserable.

Back to School

{A skype session with my Barcelona babes}

{Can't wait to visit you girls March 4th!!!}

Well, semester break is over and I'm officially back at Lehigh.  Usually I'm eager to get back to school, but for some reason I really didn't want to leave my family this time.  It was hard to say goodbye to everyone knowing they're all at home together and I'm the one away.  The only thing that made it a bit easier was knowing my sisters are moving to NYC within the next few weeks, so they won't be home too much longer.  I am SO SO excited for them.  They just found an apartment that they're interested in, so I'll be hoping that they get it!  I cannot wait to visit them as my escape from school every now and then.  You can imagine how incredibly jealous I am that they are moving into the glamorous NYC while I live in the, for lack of a better word, dull Bethlehem, PA.

This semester will be a little bit different for me being that some of my closest friends are abroad.  This post is dedicated to them, and I cannot wait for them to stumble across it (I think they are the only readers of this blog anyway haha).  It hasn't quite set in yet how different my semester will be without them, but I'm sure next week I'll be posting sob stories about how I miss them terribly.  I spoke to them just the other day, and they are having a wonderful time (the pictures above are images from our skype session and a photo of them in a club in Spain).  The fact that they are happy and having fun makes me beyond thrilled.  I will be looking forward to March 4th when I board a plane for Barcelona during my Spring break.  Special thanks to my daddy for the best 21st birthday present ever!  My first trip to Europe, WOW.

I only had one class today, so my semester started off fairly easy.  My teacher seemed brilliant, which always excites me.  I also loved her enthusiasm for the course, as that is always a contagious attitude.  I'm a nerd what can I say, but I've always loved being in school.  Tomorrow I've got three classes  back to back from 9-2, so I'm attempting to prepare myself for a longer and much more serious day.  I'm hoping that something exciting will happen throughout the course of the day so I can post about it.  In the meantime, I hope I'm not boring you too much.  I'm enrolled in a religion course, which is a new thing for me, so I'm looking forward to what it has to offer.  I've also got a Psyc course on child development to look forward to and a Communications course about media and communication.

I'm praying for not too much snow in the Lehigh Valley!  It makes getting to class the most arduous and horrible process.  Not to mention, I'll be sliding all over the mountain that my campus just happens to sit on.  Seriously, the inventor of the escalator went to Lehigh and I know he got the idea because he had to walk the mountain all day.  He should do us a favor and install some free escalators all over campus or something because this place is brutal!  Thank God I've got my new Sorel Joan of Arctic snow boots to keep my toes warm!  They're amazing if you're looking for a cute but still functional snow boot btw.

Random Fun

{me at the restaurant}

Today was randomly a lot of fun.  Although I planned to just stay in my room and pack to head back to school, once I had all of my clothes on the bed ready to be packed, I was over it.  Instead, I joined my big sister for a pedicure.  I know I just had a manicure yesterday, but she told me my feet looked like they belonged on a homeless person and I couldn't argue it.  Plus she worked all week in NY and I barely got to see her, so the quality sister time was something I couldn't pass up.

After the pedicure, I met my dad and other sister for a meal at one of our favorite local restaurants.  It's Greek, and I just so happen to work there as a waitress over the summer.  I ordered a Greek salad and some french fries =) yum.  I can't resist Greek fries as they're amazing.  For those of you who don't know what Greek fries are, they've got lemon and oregano sprinkled on top.  Seriously, if you haven't had french fries with that combination then you MUST try it.

After dinner, one of my best friends, Kara came by my house.  We were thinking we'd have a low key night at my house, but it turned out quite differently.  Neither of my sisters were home when we first got here, but they both ended up coming home with company in tow.  We played rounds and rounds of elephant man, more commonly known as thumper.  Seriously, that game is absolutely underrated.  A simple animal symbol goes a long way when it comes to laughter, and the fact that my older sister is incapable of carrying a beat just made everything that much better. Others may argue otherwise, but I know I dominated as the shark.  My sister gave me a good run for my money as the uncoordinated unicorn nonetheless.

Believe it or not, the game playing didn't stop at elephant man.  We continued with a game of Left, Right, Center.  This is an amateur gambler's game and it's actually hilarious.  You have the potential to win through the very last second of the game, which is what makes it so exciting.  Although I was the second to last person in the game, ultimately my twin sister beat me to win the pot of (a whopping) 30 dollars.  It was a tough loss.

A spontaneous day made for a successful one, agreed?

{my lovely Greek salad and Greek fries}

{my big sis enjoying a pedicure}

{me and my daddy}

{alana really loves her half roasted chicken}

{kara, before I crushed her in elephant master ;)}

Busy, Busy

At last, I find the time to write my first post of the new year!

As it turns out, my break has been pretty eventful, which is why I've been having trouble finding time to post.  I just got back from a brief stay in NYC where I celebrated my friend Brittany's 21st birthday.  Her party was a blast!  The picture above is an image from the very end of the night when the bartender brought out some champagne for us.  By that time, there were barely any people left at the party.  I think the image, although blurry, really captures the essence of that moment.  Brittany's sister and best friend is next to her on the left, while Scott and I watch on (me, particularly excited) from the right.

I love any excuse to get to New York because it's without a doubt the best city in the world, but I was happy to come home as my break is quickly coming to a close.  I'll be headed back to school on Sunday so I'm trying to squeeze in as much time with my family as possible.  Today my mommy and I got manicures together and then I went to my dad's house with my twin sister and cooked dinner.  We made a delicious turkey chili that had a great spicy kick to it.  I can't really take any credit for the chili, but the corn bread was all me :)

I don't know what I'll be up to for the weekend but hopefully it will be exciting enough to post about.  And now it's time for me to end this post and watch the tivo'ed episode of tonight's Jersey Shore that is calling my name.  If there's one thing you'll come to learn about me, it's that I LOVE a lot of really bad television - so be it.