Back on the Non-Existent Job

Hey followers, or lack-there-of! 

I know I haven't been around these parts in quite some time, but I've been quite busy.  San Diego's unusually cloudy/rainy/icky winter is FINALLY over and spring is definitely in the air.  I've been thinking of one thing lately, well, besides AP Exams... SUMMER!  This summer, I'm going to be going to Yellowstone National Park and Hawaii.  Too fun!  Here's what I'll be wearing:



1. Bathing suit. From Victoria's Secret.

And yes, I look fat in it I look just like the model.  Because, as my mom says, you can always buy something based on how it looks on the model because that's exactly how it's going to look on you.

2. Sandals. Havaianas, a must.  Gladiators, duh.  But maybe some new ones?  I'll keep you updated.

3. Some Tom's shoes.  Not really that cute, but oh-so-comfy.  And, it is possible to get cute-ish ones.  I'm not going to lie, though... what really sold me on them was the ah-dorable salesclerk that showed them to me at Nordstroms... but that's off-topic.

Pretty cute, right?

4. Cover-up. This one from Victoria's Secret is pretty good with my bikini (see #1).

5. High-waisted shorts.  I've been feeling the whole high-waisted thing lately because of my recent revelation: you can high-waisters with suspenders.  (Revelation courtesy of my wanna-be bestie.)    Oh yeah.  Because nothing says sexy like suspenders.

These ones are pretty cute, right?  They're from American Eagle.  My favorite mall store, I think.

And, last but not least...

6. Lunettes de soleil.  I like so many styles, and they all look so good on me, (#imconceited . Oh wait... this isn't twitter, my bad...) so I'll suggest two for y'all.

Of course, classic aviators.  If I could afford it, I'd have these.

These are kind of cute, too... (and way more affordable... and I mean WAY more.)

Retro-cool, right?  I WANT THEM.


So that was a nice run-through of what I'm going to be wearing this summer.  If that didn't get you in the summer mood, maybe this awesome song will:

 I'm out, yo.

New Year, New Style...

NOT!

At the end of December and the beginning of January, there are people talking about recreating themselves and going to the gym everyday.  Yes it's a new year, yes it's exciting, but do people seriously think that just because they write "2011" instead of "2010" when signing the date that the world has changed and they have to recreate themselves?

Now, I do believe that New Year's resolutions are fun, but only when they are small and REALISTIC.  If you have never stepped foot in a gym, is it realistic to promise that you will go to the gym everyday?  If you've always hated skirts, is it realistic for you to say that this year you are going to only wear skirts to work?  Of course not!  Just because it's a new year does not mean that something magical happened that will make you into a new person.  Instead of overly-ambitious goals such as those mentioned, try setting easily obtainable goals for yourself.  If you always wear drab neutrals, maybe your resolution could be to wear a pop of color at least twice a week.  If you want to get a bit more fit, maybe find a pair of jeans in your closet that don't fit anymore and hang them somewhere noticeable and make a resolution to fit into them by the end of the year.  (Even though New Year's has already passed, you can still make New Year's resolutions, right?  Better late than never!)

Inspiration of the Day:

Eclectic.  Wearing something that others would never dare to wear in public.  Put clothes together in a funky way.  Don't get consumed by self-conscious feelings or the people around you who insist that fitting in is key.  Fitting in is NOT key.  It's boring.  Why would you want to blend in and be forgotten when you can stand out and be remembered?

Shopping in the Rain, Just Shopping in the Rain!

...What a glorious feeeeling I'm happy again.

If you didn't already know, California is facing a itty bitty storm: it's been pouring for about 4 days now.  This may not sound too extreme to folks in other parts of the country, but to us San Diegans, 4 days of pouring rain is the equivalent of a hurricanes.  But, we're running out of time, and we  HAVE to go Christmas shopping TODAY.  Tomorrow's my birthday (yay!) and then it's Christmas Eve, so we really have no other options.  Oh well, I love shopping, and hopefully the rain won't be too bad.  (And hopefully they opened up another way to get in the mall: I heard one of the entrances is flooded!)

The problem with rain in San Diego is that we really don't know how to deal with it.  We don't own any real rain gear, we get in zillions of accidents on the freeways, and our roadways get flooded every time.  I wish that I could say that I have a great load of rain gear, but I'd be lying.  I have some leather boots that I usually wear when it's raining, along with a puffer coat that's pretty rain resistant.  (I mean, I do have other rain jackets, but they're ugly and for camping, not shopping.)  I really need some new rain stuff!  Especially for tough situations like the one I'm about to face: shopping in the rain!

Still in the Christmas spirit, though, I'll say this: Whenever you get stressed out over the holidays, remember that some people don't have it as well as you.  Some people don't have the luxury of having gifts to wrap, or stockings to stuff, or food to make.  Some people don't even have the luxury of a warm, dry home to spend the holidays in.  So cut that Salvation Army bell-ringer some slack and be a little bit generous this season.

Christmas song of the day: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Selfishness & Generosity

If you ever meet somebody who claims they are completely selfless, they are liars.  Even if they truly think that they are selfless, they're wrong.  Truth is, all of us are selfish.  And I mean uber-selfish.  When you donate money or time to a cause, you're really doing it for yourself.  You either want the label of being a good person or you want the feeling that comes with making somebody smile.  Even those of us who do good things just to see a difference in the world are selfish.  They don't want bad things happening in their world.

Moral of the story is we're all just in it for ourselves, so why not embrace it?  Be an individual.  There are many ways to make yourself into an individual, and everything you say/do/wear affects the way that other people see you.  So, why not wear something a little bit daring?  Why not create ensembles with wow-factor?  Why not wear clothes that make you happy?  However, more important than the clothes you wear is how you wear them.  Do you walk around awkwardly, or do you strut your stuff with confidence?

For those of you who are stuck in the "it's what's inside that matters" mind field, think about this:  First impressions are everything.  If you look good and carry yourself with confidence, people are definitely going to see you differently than if you looked sloppy and appeared self-conscious.  We only live once, people!  You have to play all of your cards on the table!

On a slightly different note....

Inspiration of the day:

Generosity.  In a season full of joy and gifts, it's easy to forget about those people who aren't fortunate enough to have a Christmas tree or stockings or presents.  So, while you're out shopping and having fun, spread your holiday cheer a bit farther by giving to those in need.  Donate to the Salvation Army people outside of Walgreens or donate to your local food bank.  Christmas is about giving, not getting, despite what Charlie Brown's little sister Sally might think.

Maybe listening to this (fantastic) Christmas song will put you in the giving mood:

Happy Xmas (War is Over) - John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir

My Style Icon

Heidi Klum

To say I'm obsessed would be an understatement.  I'm pretty sure that if Heidi Klum stopped hosting Project Runway, I would stop watching it.  While watching last year's Victoria Secret fashion show, I almost teared up when she walked the runway.  A couple of years ago, I cut my hair so it would look just like hers.  (I'll try to find a picture for y'all.  It was hot.)

If you don't like Heidi Klum, get out.  Seriously.  Without her, I wouldn't have a style.

But really, how can anyone not like Heidi?  She's gorgeous, has a non-superficial marriage, has adorable kids, has the coolest accent ever, and is bold and daring with her style, unlike most of the other celebrities in Hollywood.  She looks fantastic even when pregnant, and stays true to herself.

If you view this picture and you don't think that Ms. Klum looks insanely cool, again, GET OUT!

Très, Très Jolie... Non?

Inspiration of the Day:

Anything French and fabulous.  Today, ma classe de français took a trip to the San Diego Museum of Art to see the Toulouse-Lautrec poster exhibit.  Before this field trip, I wasn't a huge T-Lautrec fan, but now, I see the beauty of his works.  In his posters, he uses bright, bold colors - but sparingly.  If you know me, you'd see how this appeals to me.  I love color, but I don't go crazy with it.  Usually I have a pop of color here or there and the rest of my outfit is neutral.  For example, today's outfit consisted of black lace-up boots, black opaque tights, distressed denim shorts, a black belt, a hot pink tank top, a long white cardigan, and a black knit hat.  If my outfits were made into paintings, they would closely resemble T-Lautrec's posters.  (For your information: the reason I'm saying T-Lautrec is because he signs his paintings and posters that way.  I thought it was cool.) 

This is one of T-Lautrec's most famous posters, and shows his style very nicely.

While I half-listened to our French-speaking docent while looking at T-Lautrec's expansive collection of posters and drawings, I thought about how fun it must have been to be in France in the late nineteenth century.  The girls (well, the dancers at the Cabaret) wore dresses that were tight across the bosoms and waist then pulled away from the body and flowed the rest of the way down.  T-Lautrec showed them as being primarily white, as I'm sure they were.  The girl's kicked like the Radio City Rockettes - high and in sync with the other dancers.  From all of this exposure to the art culture of nineteenth century France, I was inspired to add a little bit of French fashion to my wardrobe.  Modern French fashion is quite simply the coolest around: simple, gorgeous pieces put together in an unconventional way.

Perfect example of French-inspired street style.  Heidi Klum, here with her daughter, sports modest, simple clothes in an interesting and effortless way.  (For my opinion of Heidi Klum, stay tuned.)

Book Worms & Holiday Cheer

Inspiration of the Day:

My English teacher told us today that we need to have a book by Thursday that's on her list of favorites.  So, today I took a trip to Borders.  The vibe in book stores is so cool!  Some people casually browse through the book shelves, while others sit in cozy chairs and read for a few minutes.  Throughout the store, I noticed quiet, conservative people who mind their own business and just scream "book nerd."  The idea of the book nerd is so inspiring to me.  Sometimes, I wish I had to wear glasses, just so I could pull off the whole book nerd thing.  Book nerds are great style icons in that they don't have a style.  (I'm generalizing here, there are some book nerds who have great style!)  There wear clothing that is comfortable and modest, and for some reason, it makes them look all the most mysterious.  The loose-fitting sweaters and casual jeans is such a cute combination - but it seems that you have to be slightly nerdy to pull this off.

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."
-Will Ferrel as Buddy the Elf in Elf, for all of you unfortunate people who didn't know that.

I love December.  There is Christmas music playing everywhere you go, so I can blast holiday jingles on my car radio shamelessly now.  Sparkling lights are hung on the rooftops of many of the houses throughout the city.  ABC Family plays Christmas movies every night.  Family members want to know what to get me this year, and I try to get gift ideas for my friends and family.  Puffy jackets with furry hoods are seen frequently.  A layer of snow coats the - oh, that's right.  San Diego never has the luxury of a white Christmas.  I truly am "dreaming of a white Christmas."

Bing Crosby - White Christmas

Enjoy.

Tired Feet, Family Time & The Happiest Place on Earth

These past few days have been BUSY!

Friday through Sunday, I was walking 60 miles to fight breast cancer in the San Diego Susan G. Komen 3-day for the Cure.  Bad news:  It rained all day Saturday and some of the day Sunday.  Good news:  I didn't let myself stop.  I had to keep on moving.  Walking 20 miles in the rain and wind sucks, sure, but living with breast cancer sucks more.  I couldn't stop walking.  I think the rain was kind of a gift.  Of course, walking 60 miles over 3 days is tough in any type of weather.  In the rain, it's especially challenging, and those walkers who willed themselves to complete the walk showed the world something great: we will not just sit around and do nothing in the face of something terrible.  We will join together and fight for what's right.  We will walk as far as we need to, and we will not stop.
All of my inspirational blogging reminds me of a song.  I LOVE IT.  (In all of its cheesiness)

The Proclaimers: I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

Tuesday, I went to the happiest place on Earth, aka Disneyland.  I LOVE Disneyland, and I was so excited to go!!!  My feet still hurt from the walk (I had 3 blisters) and it was chilly that day, but nothing would stop me from having fun there.  I went with my family and some of my fellow Girl Scouts.  Earlier in the year, there was a promotion from Disneyland that we took advantage of.  If you did x amount of community service, you'd get a free one-day pass to the park.  So, we got out on the street with some paint, brushes and stencils and painted "no dumping - we live downstream" on the sidewalks of San Diego to help out the planet and to obtain free passes to my favorite theme park!  My sister is in town this week (she goes to college at Humboldt state), so she came with us.  It was super fun!  I went on all the rides I love, like Space Mountain and It's a Small World, and to a couple of attractions I'd never been to, like the Haunted Mansion and the Enchanted Tiki Room.  Cinderella's castle was decorated for Christmas, along with the rest of the park, and I have no shame in saying that I was one of those starry-eyed girls who starred at the castle in delight as the sun set over the California Coast.  I don't care what the Florida people say about Disney World; Disneyland is the original, and therefore the best, of Walt Disney's theme parks.

Inspiration of the last few days:

For all of the holiday festivities coming up, when I will be spending increased amounts of time with ma famille, I will start to develop a slightly less refined sense of style.  UGG boots will be worn more than my more fashionable footwear options, and comfy sweatshirts will be my winter staple.  However, I will still do my best to enhance my day to day wardrobe with some holiday flair, like red tights and jingle-bell earrings.  My inspiration is easy, cozy holiday outfits.  They may not be what the supermodels of Vogue Italia are wearing, but they are certainly more fashion forward than the standard cold-weather outfits of most San Diego teens.  (Have I told you about the unofficial uniform of Point Loma High?  Well, here goes: black, somewhat see-through leggings, tall UGG boots, and one of the many PLHS sweatshirts that our school has to offer.  Note: The sweatshirts do not, repeat DO NOT cover these girls' butts whatsoever.  So, the student body of PL gets to take a gander at all of the uniform wearers' undies; whether they be thongs or granny panties.  Yay!)

Thought of the day:

Is a Thanksgiving meal purchased at a store really a Thanksgiving meal?  Sure, it has the turkey, the stuffing, and all of the fixings.  It has the pie.  But does it have the love?

C'est tout!