Day: Orange you glad?

     I love lipstick. When I was younger I remember sneaking into my moms makeup bag and trying on all her different shades and stealing the ones I liked to put on when dressing up in my room. It wasn't until prom season in high school that I was bold enough to wear red lipstick out. After that I started wearing it out at night and I would get tons of complements. I read an article from Glamour about beauty tips from women around the world.

“Always wear lipstick,” says Terry de Gunzburg, French makeup artist and creator of By Terry. “French women do not wear a lot of lip gloss; they favor lipstick, often red, and never leave their apartments without it.” 

(click here to read the rest!)

This is a picture of my at this year's Fourth of July!

    I have red, maroon, light pink, shimmery pink, and nude shades of lipstick. I especially love Covergirl and Revlon's lip stains! However, I was reading Cupcakes and Cashmere's blog under 'Favorites' and she listed Revlon's Moon Drops Moisture Creme Lipstick in Orange Flip as one of her favorite colors. 

      It is simply an awesome color and the texture is smooth and creamy but stays on all day! I tested it out today - matched my belt!

feathered headband - The Best of Everything; stripped top - H&M; orange belt - Jcrew; urban renewal cuffed Levi's denim shorts - Urban Outfitters; bag - Antique Mall; socks and shoes - my mom's closet ;)

But since these photo's didn't do the lipstick justice I snapped a few photos!

 I thought my lips were a good comparison to Edwardo's beak (the name of my iPhone cover... yes, I name my phones. It's a talent)

-M.

Day 19: uuuhh hhhuuh WE WE! (in a french accent)

      Today as I was checking out the few blogs I follow, Leandra Medine or more commonly known as 'The Man Repeller', posted a link for a contest. (click here to read more!) The contest consists of 4 cities around the world with 4 of the most renown bloggers who will choose one of their readers to go to Paris with them for one of the biggest fashions shows, ever. A reader will be chosen by a picture they post that best represents the style which the city they live closest to was assigned. For instance, New York was given the style of 'Preppy'. I entered this picture:

I first took each picture, taken on my iPhone, edited them one by one in the iPhone app Instagram and then added them into the app PicCollage. Headband - The Best of Everything; pearl necklace - Flag Lady; braided gold necklace - antique; button down shirt - The Gap; black blazer - The Junior League Thrift Store; tie belt - Jcrew; jean shorts - Urban Outfitters; high socks - Jcrew; black heels - Mandy's

-M.

Day 18: "They tried to make me go to rehab.."

        I was scrolling through "Popular" photos rated on my photography app 'Instagram' when I saw a picture of Amy Winehouse which said 'RIP'. That night, the first song I put on at Karaoke was her most famous song 'Rehab'. I wasn't surprised, nor even remotely affected by her death. It was not until I read an article that Russell Brand wrote that it really sunk in for me. To read the entire article click here.

"When you love someone who suffers from the disease of addiction you await the phone call. There will be a phone call. The sincere hope is that the call will be from the addict themselves, telling you they’ve had enough, that they’re ready to stop, ready to try something new. Of course though, you fear the other call, the sad nocturnal chime from a friend or relative telling you it’s too late, she’s gone."

       All of a sudden I started hysterically crying. I have had so many reoccurring nightmares about that phone call. All I can think of sometimes is receiving a call from my mom and her telling me that P. has either died of alcohol poisoning or suicide. It is a real fear I have. I am scared I will never see my brother again, that I will have so many unanswered questions, and never have the chance to reconstruct our relationship.

"All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill. We need to review the way society treats addicts, not as criminals but as sick people in need of care." 

    This is a view about addiction that I was taught the first time I visited P; addicts are not bad people looking for a way to be better, they are ill seeking help healing. I know P. is sick and that he is getting the care he needs but I still have some pent up anger.  I hope the next few months of sobriety and this exploration of my life will bring me the strength to forgive him and the peace I so desperately desire.

RIP Amy

-M.

Day 17: Denim Dilemma

      Somehow in midst of making my dorm room a tornado when getting ready or sprinting to the laundry room to get a washer I lost a couple articles of clothing my first year at college. Including two pairs of jeans. I struggled at the end of the year with only one good pair of jeans to go out or wear to class. So I have had my eye out for jeans and been really aware of denim styles that are popular now.

Kate Moss, Eva Longoria, & Victoria Beckham showing off all shades of 70 style flare jeans.

I got a pair of Hipster Flare Jeans on sale at American Eagle

 I have been admiring the bright colored denim look! While in New York I snagged a pair of nantucket red/orangish pair myself!

I am obsessed with high wasted... anything! I think they are extremely flattering on a lot of body types. I bought a pair of Cheap MondayHigh-Rised Second Skin Jeans in black and Urban Renewal Cuffed Levi's Denim Shorts.  

At first I thought someone would be fashionably incompetent to think it was chic to wear an entire 'jean suit'. But the denim button down has really grown on me. First Rachel Bilson is sporting a casual look with black shorts and a denim button down. In contrast, Dolche&Gobbana paired a denim shirt with a floral skirt and belt. Denim shirts have been a little too high for my price range so I am searching Amazon.com for a more reasonable price, as I am typing this post....

-M.

Day 16: Empire State of Mind

     This weekend in the Big Apple was the highlight of my summer. I was excited by all the sight-seeing, inspired by all the people, and enthused by all the adventure. My roommate K. and I ventured into Time Square, SOHO, St. Marks Place, and Central Park. Saturday night there was an opportunity to drink Four Loko's or Twisted Tea which I easily turned away because I was having way too much fun participating in Karaoke!

I arrived ready to rage with armored arms when I stepped off the megabus and into the city

tank & necklace: Forever 21; high wasted shorts: Bloom

polaroid taken on the 3rd floor of the Forever 21 in Time Square

dress: Marshalls; I'm actually wearing three separate black belts that are all hand-me-downs from my mom

Singing 'Say My Name' by Destiny's Child

shirt: Marshalls; skirt & shoes: Urban Outfitters

102 degree whether will make you break a sweat, but so will forcing you to choose between your budget and you beloved findings!

Confessions of a [True] Shopaholic 

Day 11 Part II: Lunch Date

      Today I had lunch with the most amazing woman I've ever had the pleasure of growing up with. My grandmother. She goes by Eileen, Mom, Nanny, the sweetest woman alive ...etc. We talked about her health, my summer, our family, her schedule, my plans for the future, our favorite shows and much more. She is going to be turning 90 next year and had been living on her own for 25 years up until this year she was moved to a wonderful living arrangement this year. It is NOT a nursing home.  She has her own apartment to herself, all three meals ordered and prepared for her, and her room cleaned once a week. Along with weekly activities and monthly events that are planned for all the residents. However, she was very depressed when she first moved. She felt claustrophobic and hated change. At the time I was reading Water For Elephants which addresses an old man who hates his life in a nursing home and cried through the entire book and swore I would make time to visit my Nanny more...

She loves her tea

How precious is her jewelry box?!

She took me on a trip down memory lane...

We talked about our favorite places to shop (hers is Talbots) and how she should wear her maroon boots more..

She does have a flat screen in the living room but I just LOVE this antique television

She has photos of our whole family all around her apartment. My mom is the beautiful bride. Can you believe her sister wore white on her wedding day?!

      I'm scheduling a dinner date with her next week. I just realize we never talked about her favorite music...

-M.

Day 11: Stage Fright

    I live in a suburb of Philadelphia, but NEVER go into the city. I've always wanted to utilize the opportunity to do fun and adventurous activities in the city but a lot of the events require you to be 21 or older. While researching 'things to do in Philadelphia' I came across a lot of Open Mic nights. It got be thinking about how much I enjoyed auditioning and how much fun it would be to attend one or more less get up and perform! Just looking at the dates and times and brainstorming what songs I would choose to play got my heart racing. So I thought it would be best to warm myself up and just attend one, see how it was and then hopefully I'd muster up enough courage to do it myself. It so happens that there are Open Mic sessions on Wednesday and Friday nights at a coffee shop just down the  street from me. I think I'm going to go check it out tomorrow night!

Here are songs I was thinking of performing:

I Never Told You by Colbie Callait
Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
Good Life by One Republic
For The First Time by The Script
Soldier by Ingrid Michaelson
The First Cut Is The Deepest performed by Sheryl Crow
Free Falling by Tom Petty
Hallelujah by Rufus Wainright (shrek song)
Your Song by Elton John
Price Tag by Jessie J.

-M.

Day 10: Free As My Hair

    So in the past I have been known to be a chameleon with my hair. Up until I was a Junior in high school I was verrrrry blonde.

   Then I got sick of how noticeable my roots were and dyed my hair black. People didn't know who I was for a good 6 months and then everyone just thought I was my sister. But now being a brunette for almost 3 years now, no one questions it. After not touching my hair with any chemicals for over a year, I starting experimenting again.

This was my hair in March.

This was taken in May.

This was taken in June.

     I am bored with my hair once again. My sister wants me to go completely blonde again and chop off my hair like Brooklyn Decker's new do:

I have never cut my hair short so I am very curious...

But I am also diggin the dark roots with light tips look:

   Maybe I'll cut my hair and darken my roots?

-M.

Day 9: A Road Less Traveled By...

     The week has just begun and I have already been faced with very tempting decisions. However, all my good choices have already shown good consequences. This is how I see my train of thought:

Yoga > Sleeping in

I went to a 10 am Yoga class with my friend E. on Sunday and tomorrow we are going to the 8 am (yikes!). Not only does it kick my ass, it gives me the motivation and energy to eat healthier! 2 eggs with cheese, red and green peppers and onions with 2 slices of wheat toast and a glass of orange juice. YUM.

Delaware > New Jersey

      Instead of asking to go down the shore for the night to have a beach day in NJ and in the words of the invitation 'party my face off', I reserved my traveling privileges (since I am still in the dog house for throwing the party) to asked to go to Pilot Point Lewes Beach in Delaware for the entire weekend. I was seriously so tempted to just drive down the shore, stay at my guy friends house for 2 nights. However, I know that I would have been easily persuaded to drink and the chances of my parents letting me spend the weekend with my friend from Penn State (who I haven't seen all summer) would have been slim to none. 

Retro > Boring 

My Urban Outfitters order came in today and I am absolutely in love with my purchases (like these cateye sunglasses!). Now I can bring my new wardrobe to NYC when I visit my roommate for college one of these weekends (: Oh, and the head wrap is just a scarf that I just twisted at the top and tucked in the ends on the side to look like a turban!

-M.

Day 7: Part II

      Today could have turned out to be a really tough day. First of all, I was flooded with phone calls and text messages from my club field hockey team who are all up at Penn State this weekend for Arts Fest. I heard all the details about their adventures the night before and their plans for the rest of the day. I could have sulked and felt sorry for myself for miss out or even feeling incredibly left out of all the fun activities happening while I wasn't there. Second of all, I went to dinner with my dad. Dinner was great and spending time with my dad was even better. It was the fact that I was served wine (victory was mine!) and my dad told me it was ok for me to drink (which he never does) but I turned it down. Telling the waiter, "No thanks" wasn't the difficult part about dinner - it was the conversation. My dad's friend asked about each one of our family members and once we got on the topic of  P. it didn't stop. For the entire time we were ordering, eating, and paying for the meal - we talked about P. We discussed how he used to be, what lead up to his entry into rehab, how he is doing now, and amongst other details.
       I could have easily let the events that occurred today really bring me down. However, I decided to have a relaxing day in my backyard soaking in the sun (with 30 spf on, of course), painting my nails, and downloading new music to my iTunes all day. During dinner, instead of feeling uncomfortable about the topic at hand, I engaged and expressed my personal opinion about P. and how I see things. I actually think it was really nice to talk about it with someone who did not know P. before or even now. When in most circumstances that P. is brought up in conversation, people ask how he is doing and try to tell me that he's going to just fine. The thing is, it's hard for me to tell them that he actually is really struggling and that there is a huge percentage that he is going to relapse in the future and that everything isn't going to be 'just fine'. I appreciate the optimism and support, but for me, I need to be realistic.

I used Miley Cyrus's nails for my inspiration today. I also edited pictures I took of how I accessorized a few outfits (more to come later!)

^ I <3 fishtails!

I layered a floral skirt from Charolette Ruse with a a grey oversized tank, yellow and navy flowy tank, and lace top all from TJ Maxx, that is clinched by an orange belt from Jcrew. This outfit is inspired by another blogger - The Man Repeller! (under June 9, 2011 entry about 'Prink Blocking')

 I went to dinner tonight in a button down from Abercrombie, a leopard cropped cardigan from Lloheman's, and although you cant see a blue high wasted skirt with a silver belt with a lions head clip(vintage). The layered necklaces are both antique jewelry.

I wanted to flaunt my precious and most prized collection of RINGS. I purchased most of them from the Antique Mall off of Lansdown and Steel Rd Upper Darby, Pa. 

-M.

Day 7: "Oh simple thing where have you gone? I'm getting old and need something to rely on"

      Today is Saturday: A day to sleep in. But instead I had to wake up to drive my little brother J, to his baseball game. Funny thing is, J is far from little anymore. He is approaching 17 and has more than a couple inches on me now. When he was indeed 'little', he was the cutest bleached blonde, blued eyed baby you could have ever laid eyes on. This photograph of a photograph was an idea I took from DearPhotograph.com.
     The reason I've been feeling so nostalgic lately is because of the beginning, resurrection, and ending of a few media sources from my past. First of all, the new Winnie the Poo movie came out yesterday July 15 and I cannot wait to go see it. especially after seeing so many trailers for the movie that make my heart all warm and fuzzy inside: http://disney.go.com/pooh/. It reminds me of the innocence, the simplicity of my childhood. Our summers were defined by endless hours spent at the pool, having a catch with our old rescue dog, countless trips to the polar bear exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo, and playing kick-the-can with the neighborhood gang. Those were the summers of my life. Although I've lost sight of that completely thinking that summer's that involve spending every waking moment bathing in the sun, making mixed drinks, and staying up all hours of the night was what I miss the most. Yes, senior summer was one I will always remember, but one I don't think I could ever repeat. So along with my vow to stay away from alcohol I want to make a promise to myself to do more childish activities. Ride a horse, go to an amusement park, go camping, or even just fly a kite. Not only am I reminded of my childhood through Disney, but Nickelodeon has decided to bring back shows that they aired in the 90s. http://www.wimp.com/nickelodeonback/. All That comes to mind (see what I did there?!) is having a 90's Nickelodeon themed party when I get back to school. Only 90s music will be played, everyone must dress as if they were on set of The Fresh Prince, and reminisce about how shows we watched as kids are flat out 100,000,000x better than shows they have for children today - and I would know, I babysit for a living.

      Bring back all these epic pieces of my childhood makes me so happy, but at the same time a chapter of my childhood has closed. I went to see Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part II on Thursday night at 12:00.  I was anxious, excited, and frankly overwhelmed at the premiere. I could not wait to see it, but was dreading for it to be all over. Of course I teared up a little while watching, but to be honest I was very pleased with the movie and how well it was made. It is just so funny to look back at the very first book or movie and remember where I was when I first read it (my mom read it to me and J as a bed time story) and then look at myself and even the actors now.

Time seems to be moving so quickly and I get scared I don't have enough of it. Enough time to figure out what I want to do with my life, enough time to do things I've always wanted to do or that I know I need to do more of, or enough time to figure out if I'm better off without some people in my life or whether their relationships are worth mending. Time is slipping away but I hope from this point forward I'm going to cherish it more everyday. Because I'm not going to get another chance to turn back the pages, but lucky for me my book isn't done being written yet.                                            

-M.