first of all, you got home. second of all, you got friends.

When I get a hold of something I love, I become completely enthralled and obsessed with it. Shoes, clothes, make up, nail polish, a movie, tv show, song, celebrity… the list goes on. I will constantly stare at, wear, apply, listen, watch or whatever else this thing until I have absolutely worn it out and/or found something else bright and shiny to obsess over. The past two weeks or so, that thing of mine has been the 'Homefriends' mix that Ross One & Harley Viera-Newton created. I usually cannot stand listening to mixes that are an hour long and doesn't involve a little fist-pumping (aka I do not listen to these things outside of a club). But this mix is different. It isn't exploding with the newest Rihanna and Drake songs, but rather songs that will hit you with nostalgia. These are songs that you listen to and connect to a memory. Or hell, just think, "Wow, this song really fucking rocks." You will think that for the entire hour that this mix goes on, trust me.

I have done almost everything to this mix. Write, fall asleep, walk on the treadmill, fry my skin in the sun, do laundry, and pedal ferociously on my stationary bike. This mix even made me forget how badly the seat of said bite was riding my ass. That is how good it is. But I think 'Homefriends' is built for much more than I have exposed it to. It needs to be brought to the great outdoors, where it is enjoyed within a group (which obviously has to be your homefriends, also known as the friends from your home. See, it isn't so hard to understand). So my ideal location to blast this mix would be a picnic. I'm thinking somewhere super green and grassy rather than a beach, which in my mind is a park in London but since London is kinda far from New Jersey, I will settle with a park somewhere within fifteen minutes. I'm lazy, okay? But that is another reason why I love having this mix so much: no more making playlists! Even if you're at your little picnic for more than an hour, just make sure to get the people with you super buzzed on wine and/or beer and chances are they won't notice that you just keep playing the same mix over and over again. As per usual, I had to choose my ideal picnic outfit. It has been steaming hot in the sun lately, so minimal clothing would be a must. You might even want to exchange the bandeau for a bathing suit in case the tank is too much. Yes, that is how hot it is. Wear comfy sandals, cute cutoffs, a sweet pair of sunglasses and you're pretty much set. And don't forget the food. My idea of the ideal picnic would be an assortment of precut fruit (pineapple, apple, strawberries), finger sandwiches or a sub in slices (salami would be ideal, but I'd totally get down with PB & fluff), pudding cups for dessert, water bottles to keep from passing out, and beer/wine to ensure that your friends are drunk, forgetful about the music and freely dance when 'Lovefool' comes on. How could you go wrong?

summer lovin', happened so fast...

June is coming to a close which means that summer is already nearly one-third over! I know summer technically starts the third week of June, but for those of us that are in school, whether grammar school or graduate school, summer is marked from the moment we step out of those halls until the moment we have to gather our backpacks for a new year. If I was going by that logic though, my summer would actually be over July 9th when my first graduate class starts, but since it is only twice a week and during the late afternoon-early evening hours, I say it doesn't count! But summer is still rapidly passing us by, and I can't say I have done a whole lot that is on my summer to-do list. Sure, I have now accumulated a decent tan from laying by or in the pool so I no longer resemble the look of the undead, but there is so much more to be accomplished and so much more fun to be had. Have a sleepover with my girlfriends that involves lots of hair braiding, nail polishing, and maybe even a prank phone call or two. ☺ Read as many fun, romantic, or cheesy books as possible. ☺ Make an epic playlist that encases all of my summer favorites. ☺ Go to the beach for the entire day, morning to night. ☺ Get those popsicles with the gumball eyes from the ice cream man. ☺ Have a water balloon fight. ☺ Toast marshmallows in the fire pit with my family. ☺ Create the perfect summer salad. ☺ Go through all of my old and new copies of Nylon that I've never finished. ☺ Write more blog posts! ☺ Tie dye my white tank dress in fun pastels. ☺ Get in touch with old friends. ☺ Watch episodes of 'Laguna Beach' and laugh at how much I used to love it (and still do). ☺ Drink lemonade and frozen margaritas by the pool. ☺ Drive to the beach and watch the sunrise at the pier. ☺ Write more short stories / try my hand at poetry. ☺ Re-pierce my ears. ☺ Learn to make at least one decent dinner… and those chocolate chip cookies with the oreos inside them. ☺ See both Magic Mike & Ted & laugh my head off. ☺ Go to six flags and ride everything. ☺ Make the effort to exercise more often. ☺ Go to the city and have a fancy brunch. ☺ Dance, dance, and dance some more. ☺ Take more photos!

things i love this week: first edition!

This week was incredibly dreary.. well, this month really, and so it's been really easy to get caught up in a funk and feel a bit down and out. To rid that negative feeling, I thought I would adapt the concept of posting little things that I enjoyed, loved, or found inspirational each week, which is a concept that I originally found via Gala Darling! If you don't already check out her blog, you absolutely should begin. She is all about radical self love & a lot of her articles have really opened my eyes over the years I've followed her! But now onto the things that I've loved this week..

The image above from the Wildfox sunglasses collection ◆ Having a Sunday family dinner with my best friends ◆ The Feasting Foodie ◆ Going on a online shoe-gazing spree! ◆ The trailer for Pitch Perfect ◆ Starting A Place of Yes by Bethenny Frankel.. I think it'll be an interesting journey! ◆ Matt Bomer's beautiful self ◆ Constantly tweeting Bret Easton Ellis as if we are best friends (no, he never tweets back) ◆ Discussing 'Girls' with my friends ◆ An upcoming weekend full of fun ◆ The rain finally coming to an end today ◆ Waking up from bad dreams and knowing they will never be real ◆ The faux fur throw on my living room couch (impossible not to take naps with it!) ◆ The smell of my mother's meatloaf ◆ Whatsapp ◆ Getting sucked back into Grey's Anatomy ◆ Deciding to start wearing my wedges again! ◆ My once too-tight jeans feeling a little bit big ◆ Constant snuggles from Peanut ◆ ...And new songs by Azealia Banks!

laters, baby.

As you know from my previous blog post on Less Than Zero, I'm a huge Bret Easton Ellis fan. When I read on his twitter account that he was showing legitimate interest in penning the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey, it is an understatement to say I was excited. Yes, I read the trilogy. I am always tempted to read things that become fads, and while I know that they are not incredible literature, I was sucked in just like everyone else! I have been getting beef about it from fellow Literature majors, but I have no shame in what I read in my free time (usually). Like everyone else in the blog-world, I have to share my casting choices for Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. I'm sure many people have had the same ideas for these parts, as they fit them almost perfectly as shown in past roles. Felicity Jones has a very innocent, young look despite her actual age and she can play both awkward and sexy within the same character, which is more than necessary. I think by casting her in the part, they would be giving Ana more depth to her character, simply by not placing a 'teeny bopper' actress in the part (Nina Dobrev, for example). I think Matt Bomer is perfect partly for his look but also as he has displayed his knack for playing a businessman as well as being boyish. Christian needs both sides.

But this is a blog about fashion, so I'm not really here to discuss the plot or characters but rather.. to style Anastasia! It's difficult to style her because she has a million looks throughout the book, but I chose some that stuck out in my mind without having to fumble through the book looking for descriptions. So while these looks won't be perfect, they are close to what I picture them to use in the film. Also, this is my first set that I did not have a price limit on, as I am currently pretending to be as wealthy as Christian Grey, so don't be surprised if you click on something and it's more than $50-100! The first thing that stuck in my mind was the purple dress. It had to be something slinky, something that would cling to her body so it would show when she lost weight. This was also the hardest item to find, but I like the dress I chose. Next, I chose the long, silver dress. This is more of a casual gray, but I couldn't help myself. I felt it was lovely for her character. The next outfits were slightly blurry: I knew there was a blue blouse, lots of jeans, converse sneakers, knee high boots, black on black work attire and a gray skirt. I think if one was going for a true Anastasia look, one would wear tight jeans and a casual tee or blouse during the day then vamp it up at night. Of course, she transitioned into a well-dressed career woman throughout the books, but I hope to see a lot of the basic college girl style in the film before she completely does a 180.

So no matter what you have to say about the book, characters, or possibility of a film, you have to admit that this story is everywhere. And while the story might make you cringe, at least the main character has a style that anyone can emulate (even if you don't have thousands to spend on a single item of clothing)!

i want to go out tonight!

One of the best parts of summer is going out on the town with your friends. Now, of course, you do this year round but there is something about memorial day and what comes after that makes things more fun. Maybe this is a Jersey Shore thing, and I don't mean in a Snooki way, but because the bars that we go to are so close to the ocean, the summer gives us more of an excuse to go all out. My friends and I frequent this sports bar, which means wearing shorts/jeans and a tank top all summer. Don't get me wrong, we love this bar and the bartenders and the people, but every once in a while it's fun to get a little more dressed up and play with fashion. When this bar shut down for a month (and my birthday month too!), we were extremely disappointed but at least we recently discovered some place that is a completely different atmosphere. Rather than sit/stand around talking to each other, we dance all night and I end up with sore legs the next morning. Going out that turns into exercise? That is the only kind of work out I'm interested in.

But like I said, this meant a fashion change. The first time we went, I wore jeans and a tank and felt a bit out of place. Girls were wearing tight skirts and dresses and heels! Before we went back, I knew I was going to have to go shopping, and I knew exactly what I wanted. I felt like it was necessary to be a little bit dressier/sexier than usual, but in no way did I want to look… well, less than classy or too fancy. And there is definitely a fine line between the two. To be on the safe side, I decided that I would need some bandage skirts. They are everywhere right now, and I finally see why! They are awesome. (To fellow curvy/bigger girls: they are like wearing spanx as your outfit. Trust me. Invest.) Above are some favorites that I found on polyvore. As of now, I have one that is similar to the black above and one that is a light, slightly-neon blue color. But I want more! That is how great these skirts are. But I think there are some rules for them. For one: you don't want it to be too short. It will absolutely ride up if you are dancing all night and you don't want to be the girl on the dance floor with her lacy bits showing. Also, I think it's important to have one basic black/staple skirt and then get some fun ones! And don't worry about the skirt being too dressy, like the yellow one above, because you can always dress it down with the top and shoes you choose. I think it's important to choose the skirt before you choose the top so that you know which direction you are going in. If I'm going to this specific bar, I don't want to be too dressed up so if I pick a fancier skirt, I'll go with a more casual top like the one with the tie or the smiley face. But if you are going somewhere a little bit more upscale where you need to really dress to impress, don't be afraid to choose a top similar to the black one above. The important thing is to mix and match, have fun and experiment! You don't want to be the girl at the bar that wears the same thing week to week (which is a rule I'm sort of breaking since I'm wearing the same skirt two weeks in a row, but my excuse is I'm desperate for a shopping trip for tops and some of these might be on my list!). You can really push limits with your top if you're feeling adventurous too. Don't be afraid to go a bit sheer or with a crop top (as long as only a sliver of skin is showing and NOT your navel!).

Of course, shoes are another key part of deciding what to wear. Here is my advice: unless you are going somewhere with a dress code that says you need to wear heels.. DON'T DO IT. Wedges are key if you are going out and want to be able to be on your feet with no issues. Or do what I do when I have to wear heels and keep one of those fold up pair of ballet flats in your clutch! But for me, and maybe again this is because I live on the Jersey Shore, I opt for sandals or flats every time. I just know that my feet will thank me the next day!

So those are some of my basic fashion tips for going out on the town with your girlfriends. Remember: don't be afraid to mix and match with your clothes but never with your alcohol!

missing: one fashion blogger.

Missing in action is an understatement! I have completely and whole-heartedly neglected this blog, and I have to tell you, it has been terrible! I graduated from college in mid-May and thought that I would give myself a break from all things internet (save for downloading my favorite shows and applying for endless jobs and internships, of course!) which meant that my laptop has been taken much less abuse in the past few weeks. However, this also means that I have been writing less and feeling less creative. Blasphemy! While I have read a few books since my summer has begun, I have to admit that I need a little bit more stimulation. I even miss writing ridiculously long academic papers! I suppose it's a good thing I'm diving head first into graduate school in July… I wish I could say that I have been up to many different adventures, traveling across the globe and meeting fabulous new people and new experiences. Truthfully, I've been spending many of my days laying outside on my patio or inside with a book and spending the evenings with my same three best friends going to the same bars and dancing my feet off! It may sound boring to some, and yes, sometimes I get bored in the confines of my house, but I love it. But since I am starting this blog up again and hoping to keep it going for a long time, I think that is the perfect incentive to get out there and DO SOMETHING! I am currently getting over an awful case of strep throat (in June? Seriously? Only me!) which has kept me particularly lame in outings but I'm hoping to stop that soon… especially with my birthday coming up in a couple weeks. Atlantic City, anyone?

So while this is not a wonderful apology, and I am lacking wonderful excuses that could reflect the awesome new gig I got interning at a fashion magazine in the city (yes I'm still unemployed and despising it -- hire me, hire me!), I hope you will take it all as a promise for more. More words, more inspiration, and hopefully more excitement!