A Beautiful Obsession

Ellie Saab Couture Spring 2014

2014-01-25T11:44:00.000-05:00

Ellie Saab just had the Spring 2014 Couture runway show in Paris.
It was filled with gorgeous gowns, perfect for princesses getting married.

Sneakers are now in??

2014-01-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

I've never been a big fan of sneakers.
I was never an athletic kid, so I did not really have a need for them. I also did not like the way they looked. I do not think sneakers look fashionable or pretty.
Well...Chanel just came out with their own couture sneakers, complete with lace and pearls.

I actually think they are very nice. Sweet and delicate sneakers. More for the look than athletic use.

Look at those eyes!

Aerie gets Real

2014-01-19T00:17:00.001-05:00

Aerie, the lingerie line for American Eagle has come out with a new ad campaign which features models that have not been retouched. It is more realistic for the customer, and hopefully starting a new revolution for the fashion industry!

These models are pretty and girls can look up to them!

Lena Dunham

2014-01-18T23:30:00.000-05:00

I am pretty obsessed with Lena Dunham (and the show Girls of course), so I was very excited to hear that she is on the cover of Vogue.

I think she looks gorgeous! So classy and so herself. Jezebel has released the untouched photos, which really aren't that different. They fixed some lighting issues, which is totally normal. They did, however, slim her jawline and neck, which was not necessary, but hey it is Vogue. They could have done a lot more, so I do congratulate Lena, Annie Leibovitz, and Vogue on the cover. I will be buying it!

Miley Cyrus Bangerz Tour Outfits

2014-01-18T23:13:00.000-05:00

The Bangerz Tour outfits have been revealed and they are being designed by Roberto Cavalli, which is very exciting!

I am loving the crystals and the body suit. Remind me of Britney Spears. Very sexy! I am looking forward to Miley performing her slower, vocal-centered songs as well.

Last few days in Canada

2013-04-23T09:56:00.001-04:00

I just got home a week ago and it has been super busy. The last few days in Canada have been really busy as well with school, packing, and family stuff.

I am going to miss the beautiful sunsets on the prairie

But not the snow.. however it is pretty!

I got my dorm room all cleaned up! I have so much stuff that I had to clear out, now I have to organize it all back home

I went out for dinner and drinks with one of my best friends :)

I had a great time this semester! I am now done my third year of elementary education. I had my pre-internship block in which I taught measurement to first graders. I grew so much during that time as a teacher and as a person. My internship is next semester and I can't wait to find out where I will be placed!

Lilly Pulitzer

2013-04-08T11:55:00.000-04:00

Lilly Pulitzer has passed away yesterday at her Florida home with family and friends. She was a fashion icon and famous for her print dresses. Lilly is synonymous with prep and style.
I have a few Lilly items, clothing and accessories, but no dresses. Now, I really want to go out and buy one! I just have to find a garden or cocktail party to go to, or country club gathering...

New Betsey Johnson Dresses

2013-04-06T13:45:00.001-04:00

I have always loved Betsey Johnson's cute and fun dresses! They are very cool and hip, perfect for the younger crowd, yet she is older, which is makes her pretty awesome.
These are two of my favorite dresses from her new collection.

Lace Short Sleeve Dress

Perfect for outdoor Summer parties and taking walks.

Petticoat Bell Sleeve Cover Up

Perfect to wear as a cover-up for the pool or beach or just daily life, as long as you have something underneath.

Rape Culture

2013-04-06T12:25:00.003-04:00

Rape Culture has been a term used a lot recently since the Steubenville case. I've read many articles in the news and on social media and it's interesting to see all of the comments.
An article that I recommend reading is from Hello Giggles, a blog originally started by Zooey Deschanel.

This is the definition of rape culture given in the article, as well as some examples of what it is for those that do not know.

The term “rape culture” refers to a culture in which attitudes about rape are tolerant enough to be an enabling factor in anything ranging from sexual harassment to actual rape. When a girl complains about being catcalled on the street because it made her uncomfortable, and you tell her to just take a compliment, you’re perpetuating rape culture. When a girl has one too many drinks at a party and is taken advantage of, and your reaction is that it’s her fault for not being more careful, you’re perpetuating rape culture. When you say that someone was “asking for it” because their skirt was too short, you’re perpetuating rape culture. When you assume that men are never victims of sexual harassment or assault, yes, you’re still perpetuating rape culture (not only because desexualizing one gender sexualizes the other by proxy, but because classifying one form of harassment or assault as valid over another is contributing to the problem).

It has happens all the time, as you can see from the examples.

The article goes on to talk about the history and some political and legal cases and definitions of rape.

Every day girls are taught how to not get raped, yet we do not seem to teach boys to not rape.

The burden of rape prevention is thought to fall on women: keep your eyes on your drink, don’t have too much, don’t dress provocatively, have a defense strategy for your walk home every night. The idea that the burden of rape prevention should fall on the perpetrator and not the victim is rarely the standard reaction to sexual assault.

What shocked me about the Steubenville is that the mainstream media focused on the males in the case and how their bright future is gone now because of this.

Rape culture is CNN, ABC, and NBC news using the Steubenville verdict to spike ratings with a sympathy story, even if it’s in favor of the perpetrators, who never apologized for raping a girl but only for getting caught.

True, they did have big possible football careers ahead of them after high school and now that is gone, but it is their own faults and it could have been prevented if they chose to do different actions.

It is Candy Crowley focusing on how a 16 year old rapist’s actions will haunt him forever, instead of acknowledging that he made the choices leading to his verdict, while his victim did not get to choose.

It is terrible that one decision can change your life for the worse, but the media just focused on the boys and how their life is now changed. The girl will have to live with this her whole life, and in the meantime she is being blamed by the town and media for all of this.

The other people at that party are also to blame. They just watched this happen and did not stop it, but instead encouraged it by taking pictures and passing them around on social media.

It’s a party filled with people who watch a girl being taken advantage of and, instead of helping her, send each other photos of her assault.

Why does a woman have to worry about being too drunk at a party? Guys do it all the time, but they don’t have to worry about getting raped. A drunk guy is just a drunk guy, he’s never “asking for it.” Both men and women may be worried about getting mugged on their walk home, and a man may worry about getting physically assaulted, but generally only women have reason to worry about also being sexually assaulted.

Rape Culture is often seen in popular music, especially rap.
The latest case is rapper Rick Ross, which his song "U.O.E.N.O." contains the lyrics

"Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it/I took her home and I enjoyed that. She ain’t even know it.” (For the uninitiated, Molly is slang for ecstasy, or its active ingredient, MDMA).

I think it is pretty obvious that he talking about taking advantage of a girl, but apparently he does not get it because in his apology, he stated

“There was a misunderstanding with a lyric, a misinterpretation,” he said last week during a radio interview in New Orleans. “I would never use the term rape in my records, in my lyrics. And as far as my camp, hip hop don’t condone that, the streets don’t condone that, nobody condones that.”

Well according to the Hello Giggles article on Rape Culture, he is wrong, and that is obvious. Whether he is talking about date rape or taking advantage of a girl at the bar, this song is glorifying rape, and that is not OK.
This relates to the fashion world because Rick Ross is a spokesperson for Reebok.

And to conclude, a quote from Mean Girls

This is what Tina Fey was talking about in Mean Girls when she said, “you have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores – it just makes it ok for guys to call you sluts and whores.”

Troian Bellisario for Rachel Antonoff

2013-04-06T11:32:00.000-04:00

Pretty Little Liars is my favorite TV show and one of the characters, Spencer, is played by Troian Bellisario. She is the new model for Rachel's Spring 2013 collection.
She seems smart, mature, and more reserved compared to the other Pretty Little Liars girls. But this shoot shows her fun and quirky personality, which I love seeing. And she certainly is very beautiful!

Why I always put my lotions in a zip-lock bag for my carry-on when I travel...

2013-04-06T11:09:00.000-04:00

I always thought, well lotion is not really a liquid, but then it's not a solid. So I never took the chance and put it in a zip-lock bag in my carry-on when I travel. I always carry a mini lotion, body spray, and hand sanitizer, and put them in a bag for airport security. I have it all together and just take the bag out to make the process easier. And now I know why this is a good idea.
I learned that the detectors that check for explosives look for a compound called ammonium nitrate, which can sometimes be found in creams and lotions. This is not meant to scare people to never wear lotion again. But, in this story the woman probably put some on while she was in line before going through the detectors. I always put lotion on in the morning before I leave my house, so by the time I get to the airport I should be fine, but you could always just wash your hands before going through security.

Spring Tory Burch Flats

2013-03-29T11:23:00.000-04:00

The Stitched Logo Chelsea Ballet Flats are new to Tory Burch and are perfect for Spring! It has the logo on the sides and top and look very classy. It comes in these cute colors, Black, Daisy, Iced Coffee, Fire Orange, Ocean Breeze, and Rose Petal.

My favorites for Spring are the Ocean Breeze, Rose Petal, Daisy, and of course you have to have a classic Black ballet flat.

Lilly Pulitzer Spring 2013

2013-03-25T19:48:00.001-04:00

Lilly Pulitzer has new arrivals for the Spring collection.

I love all the cute and simple, yet classy Lilly Spring dresses! Perfect for garden parties, cocktails, and outdoor gatherings.

Rylan Dress

Briella Dress

Joslin Dress

Lowe Dress

Rosaline Dress

And I love this look! Cute top and skirt

And here is a similar, but more flirty outfit (top and skirt)

Michael Kors Spring 2013

2013-03-25T19:16:00.000-04:00

Michael Kors has new arrivals for accessories and apparel.

I love this studded purse, very punk chic!

Here is a more classic and elegant purse

As well as studs, stripes are also in. Here are some good options for a striped purse and dress.

Banana Oatmeal cookies

2013-03-19T09:58:00.003-04:00

I found this recipe online for banana oatmeal cookies. I fell in love with the fact that they are healthy and easy to make, then I actually fell in love with them.

All you need is 2 bananas and 1 cup of oatmeal. You can also add other ingredients of your choice, I put in a handful of chocolate chips and a tablespoon of cinnamon. You put them in a bowl and mash it all up.

Then, you put spoonfuls on a greased pan and put them in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes.

It makes about 18 cookies (depending on how big your spoonfuls are).

The cookies have a bit of a mushy texture, because of the bananas, but I think they're great! They are healthy, so I won't feel bad if I eat half a batch (it's only 1 banana and half a cup of oatmeal). They're are a great snack and I pack them in my lunch when I go teach.

Pearls!

2013-03-14T19:02:00.000-04:00

Pearls are such a timeless and classy fashion accessory piece. So beautiful and elegant, yet simple. Here are some ideas from Refinery 29 for some genuine and imitation pearls.

Affordable pearl necklace from Boticca

Dainty pearl ring from Catbird

If you cannot afford genuine pearls, the imitations are an affordable option and can look the same!

My father was shopping for a pearl necklace for my mother and I went to try them on so he could see if they looked good. Now I really want a pearl necklace! Just so lovely :)

Nicki Minaj on the cover of Elle

2013-03-14T18:48:00.002-04:00

Nicki Minaj is on the April 2013 cover of Elle magazine. She is often portrayed as wacky and crazy with her outfits, hair, and makeup. However, for this look she is mostly natural. She has no crazy wigs on, no bright pink lipstick, or intense costumes. Frankly, she looks beautiful!

Keds and Kate Spade

2013-03-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

Keds and Kate Spade have partnered for a limited edition and online only collection of shoes. Both brands are classy and timeless, so it seems fitting.
I am loving the stripes and spots!

Leopard Print

2013-03-07T22:57:00.001-05:00

So Leopard print is officially a trend this season! It was been spotten (no pun intended!) across the Fashion Weeks in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. I have always been a fan of leopard print; I have some shoes, scarfs, shirts, and a ton of bras and underwear with leopard print. I can play around and experiment with it more now that it will become increasingly popular!

Spring 2013 Nail Polish Guide

2013-03-07T22:49:00.000-05:00

Fashionista came out with their Spring 2013 Nail Polish guide. I love nail polish and always have some color on my nails! There are so many lovely new ones, but I'm just going to focus on my favorites. I have noticed a theme of pastels, and although I have never tried pastel nails before, I do love this!

I love this Essie collection, plus they are named after famous shopping streets around the world, like Madison Ave.

The Butter London "Sweetie Shop" is more typical pastel colors, and perfect for Spring and Easter! Reminds me of macarons from Laduree in Paris :)

The new Deborah Lippmann collection has black glitter and pastel colors, fun and sweet!

The Estee Lauder collection is actually called "Paris Macarons"!

These L'Oreal Paris colors are classy and cute!

If you are into lighter pastels, try this Zoya collection.

On a bit of a side note, I adore the Deborah Lippmann Girls nail polish collection (the pink and purple are pastels, so it is not completely off track).

Cruelty-Free Beauty

2013-03-01T23:14:00.000-05:00

I came upon this article from Refinery 29 which contains a list of some Cruelty-free beauty products. I've never heard of many of them, but they seem great!

Antipodes
Lush
W3ll People
Vapour
Tata Harper
Intelligent Nutrients
Patyka
Pangea Organics
EO Organic
Dr. Bronner's

This list looks great and I will definitely check out these products! They are a bit pricey, but if they work well and are socially conscious, then they might be worth it. One of my favorite brands, Lush, is on the list and I'm happy about that. When I first bought from them, I was a bit skeptical because it a bit out of my budget, but they work great, so I love it!

PETA also has their own extensive list of products that do not test on animals.
They have Lush, Bath and Body Works, and The Body Shop listed, my favorite beauty products!

New York Fashion Week by the numbers

2013-02-28T17:15:00.000-05:00

I love these kinds of charts! It really gets you to be able to visually see how much is really put into fashion week. Lots of work and lots of materials. Makes you realize how crazy and jam-packed it is. But it still looks like an amazing time!

"Queen Kate"

2013-02-28T16:50:00.000-05:00

As in Kate Moss. The supermodel is up for cover of the century for her December 2001 British Vogue cover.

She was probably the first supermodel that really got me into fashion and I have loved her ever since. Her personal life maybe not be the best, but as for her modeling she is definitely the "Queen".

And on more recent Kate news, she is the new spokesmodel for the Kerastase hair products company.

Let me just say that we can all envy her hair! Stunning!

TOMS

2013-02-22T10:36:00.001-05:00

I have always TOMS cause (when you buy a pair, they give a pair to a child in need) and shoes, and they also happen to be very comfortable!

I got my first pair last summer, the Red Canvas Classics.

They look great with just about everything. I wear them with summer dresses to jeans.

I also got 2 new pairs for Christmas.

The Pink Glitters

They are very vibrant, but I love the look!

The Black Crochet (which is not available anymore, but here is the similar Navy)

These are great for summer!

Michael Kors Watches

2013-02-20T23:48:00.000-05:00

I have always loved Michael Kors accessories and I just saw an ad for these Runway watches and they show that he never fails me.

My favorite is the Rose one!

And speaking of Michael Kors, he is the most searched American fashion brand!