Nothing like some Dior to make me miss Europe

Marion Cotillard should cut me a freaking check for how much I feature her on this blog. Here she is as the face of Dior's 2011 ad campaign. I've been seeing these images in every magazine on the newsstand this month (especially the first one) and I am blown away not only by the colors, but by the locations (I'm assuming photo#1 is supposed to be inside the London Eye and #2 on the Eiffel Tower), and the photoshopping (frankly, #1 doesn't even look like her, but whatever, pretty pictures!).

Images via

The devastatingly interesting story of the copycat scarf

Once upon a time, a 19-year-old college sophomore bought a really cute scarf at H&M. She was excited about wearing it because she was just starting to dress with style, and she fancied her new purchase a cornerstone of her future wardrobe. Misfortune struck, however, when, upon returning to class she realized that a friend of hers had the same exact scarf. This would not have been such a problem if this friend hadn't worn this scarf every day, and if the protagonist didn't have class with her 5 days a week. Much to our heroine's chagrin, the scarf became her friend's signature piece, and she was forced to banish it to the back of her closet until her friend grew tired of it.

Years passed. The scarf remained hidden for so long, she had forgotten about its very existence. Then, one day, when she was home for winter break, her eye was caught by a sliver of grey fabric poking out through two blazers. Intrigued, she gingerly pushed the blazers aside and was greeted by a beautiful sight: the long-forgotten Copycat Scarf. She reached out and freed the scarf from its prison, and wrapped it around her neck one, two, three times. Such versatility! she thought to herself. Several days later she got on a plane back to Boston, the scarf still resting upon her shoulders; and the two lived happily ever after.

F21 top; BP Nordstrom bag; Family Dollar jegs; UO socks and necklace; Target boots; H&M scarf; Brighton watch

Photos by Liz

You're impossible to love and leave

The only thing worse than today's weather was yesterday's weather; slush, ice, freezing rain. I love you, Boston, but you are giving me seasonal depression.

Etam dress (remixed!); Family Dollar jegs; F21 vest; Charlotte Russe jewelry; random boots

In other news, you may or may not have noticed the increase in my usage of lyrics as post titles. I fully realize how cliché this is, but I've been blogging for a year and a half and I struggle with thinking up clever and relevant post titles for like... 85% of my posts. Today's title comes from Impossible by Anberlin. I love this band so much I even named my blog after a song of theirs. But more on that in a later post :)

Photos by Monique

I am a visitor here, I am not permanent

Modcloth dress; Laila Rowe jegs; F21 belt; Blake Scott wingtips

Earlier this week I was asked if I considered Boston to be my home. I answered "yes" right away. Of course Boston is my home, I thought, it's where I live 9 months out of the year.

But now I'm starting to reconsider my answer. While it is true that Boston is where my life is now, Virginia is where my life used to be. From birth to 18, Virginia was everything, and I can't help but wonder why I've been so quick to give it up for the next best thing.

Tomorrow I leave to back to school, which means today is my last day in the house I grew up in. All aspects of my life are so up in the air right now, I have no idea when I'm coming back or if I'll ever live here again. It's just now starting to hit me what a huge step I'm going to be taking in 4 short months, and honestly, although I hide it well, I am scared shitless.

My future may be bigger and better than my past, but I know I will always want to come back here. So this goes out to you, Virginia. My safe haven, my constant. I think you are my home.

The ice was getting thinner under me and you

Notice anything different?

Forever 21 tunic and belt; Family Dollar jeggings; Target boots; Eastern Market earrings

I now have short hair (kind of)! It's a little shorter than I wanted it to be but it's much more manageable than my super-long locks.

Mexx jacket; random Burberry knock-off scarf

Any cool weekend plans?

Wingtipper

Guys, I realize that I am unforgivably late on the whole jeggings trend (and I'm not even sure if people still actually wear jeggings, or call them "jeggings") but last week I found a pair for $5 at a random Family Dollar in south Florida and figured what the hell, I'll get them. $5 well spent, my friends.

Mexx jacket; scarf from an open market in Marrakech; F21 dress; Family Dollar jeggings; Blake Scott wingtips

One rule for jeggings-- always make sure the top you're wearing covers your butt. Nobody wants to see that seam.

Also new in this outfit: a pair of wingtips from DSW! My shoe collection is pretty conservative. Not in number because god knows I have an Imelda Marcos (or rather an Em-melda Marcos HAH!) sized collection, but in style. I stick to flat sandals or heels in the spring and summer, flat boots in the fall and winter. I rarely deviate from this formula... until now.

My mom is convinced they're men's shoes. When I showed them to her last night she actually yelled "those are mens wingtips!" Seriously, mom. They are women's wingtips. But because of that I can't stop calling them my Man Shoes now. Next time I plan on feminizing them up a little more with a dress and some tights. I have many ideas for these so expect to see them again soon!

Young professionals

I don't have the energy to write a long post about anything relevant today, so look! Pretty pictures!

thrifted skirt; BP Nordstrom tee; H&M pumps; Express tights; Brighton bag; vintage necklace

Why don't you tell me about your day instead?

Winter outfits are like onions

Today was the first time I've ever worn this dress in the winter (Check out summer stylings here and here). Putting the longer-sleeved top on underneath was pretty random for me. Normally I would have put a cardigan on over it, but in the spirit of trying new things in the new year, I layered the dress over the top. I really don't think I give the concept of layering enough credit. Layering is great! And I actually really like how this turned out.

Anthro dress; Nordstrom tights; Target boots; H&M top

One thing I love about this dress-- how cheap it was! Even though it's from Anthro, I only ended up spending $18 on it.

I also tried out a winged eye, which I haven't done in awhile. I can never get the wings exactly even, so I end up adding slightly more liner on each eye until I have huge, scary Amy Winehouse eye makeup and I have to take it off and start all over again.

Oh, and you guys get the title, right? Winter outfits are like onions because... they have layers!

Beach Bum

Even though I'm back in frigid Virginia, I thought it would be nice to show the outfit I spent the better part of this past week in:

Target dress; Aero bikini top; c/o Boy Meets Girl tote; H&M sunglasses

More outfit posts to come this week! I have several meetings in DC so expect some more business casual (aka the exact opposite of this).

22 by 22: Go Jet skiing

Remember my 22 by 22? Of course you do. How could you forget? Well, if you follow me on Twitter (and if you don't already, please do!) you already know that a few days ago accomplished my first goal: to go jet skiing! It was absolutely so much fun and I would recommend it to anyone who is kind of ballsy and into daredevil sports.

My cousin Caitlin and I could barely contain our excitement in the minutes before the skis were ready to ride.

You can't tell in this shot, but after I threw my concerns for personal safety to the wind I got up to 53mph on the open ocean.

Totally elated at the end of my 30-minute ride.

Would we do it again? Absolutely. Stay tuned for at least one more vacation post since I now have internet again.

Casual Girl

Hello from partly sunny Fort Lauderdale. I have to say, this is a huge change from the sub-zero arctic temperatures of Boston and I am loving every minute of it. I got a nice little burn yesterday on the beach, so I spent today fully clothed in neighboring Las Olas shopping at trashy Florida stores and binge-eating Nutella gelato. This is the good life.

Wet Seal top; Hollister shorts; H&M sunglasses; DSW sandals; c/o Boy Meets Girl tote

Vive La Resolution

via

I will admit freely that for the past 21 New Years I have been one of those people who sticks her nose up at new years resolutions, declaring haughtily that nobody in the history of the roman calendar has had the tenacity to stick to their guns past Valentine's Day (if they even make it that far). What's the point of even participating in this tradition if its meaning fades so quickly?

This year I have decided to take a different approach to the whole idea of the new years resolution. My friends, this year I have taken a page from the book of some of my favorite courageous women (especially Sarah Von and Elizabeth) and compiled a list of 22 things I want to accomplish before my 22nd birthday on August 8th; a 22 by 22. And guess what? Whenever I accomplish one of these things, I promise to come straight home and blog about it! I don't expect you to actually read through every single one of these but I'm putting it out there into the universe that I want to accomplish these goals in the next 8 months:

1. Graduate college

Ok, duh. I'm set to graduate in May. I don't expect there to be any problems with this, but graduating is important and therefore is my top priority for the next few months.

2. Get a 4.0

Slightly more difficult than #1. My semester GPAs have been relatively awesome, but I haven't gotten a 4.0 since middle school and I want to try my hand at it again. I'm looking to go out with a bang.

3. Run a 7-minute mile

The fastest mile I've ever ran was just over 8 minutes. My most recent time was something like 8:17, but I've always thought the ability to run a mile in 7 minutes was extremely impressive.

4. Run a 5k race

Another physical feat I hope to accomplish. Maybe #3 and #4 will go hand in hand.

5. Ride a motorcycle

Totally silly, but I've never ridden one and I feel like it's much more freeing than simply driving a car. You miss a lot when you're inside of a box. I want to feel the open air.

6. Visit Chicago

For some reason I've always felt a pull toward this city. My dad moved there at 21, right after he graduated college, and he loved it. Emma Aubry Roberts, hook a sister up with a place to sleep?

7. Lose 20lbs

The list would not be complete without a cliché weight loss goal (she says through a mouthful of Cheez-Its), but I have put on a couple of pounds since I graduated from high school/left for Paris/rediscovered Funyuns and I would like to shed some of that by August.

8. Do a 30 for 30 Challenge

I hope you are all familiar with the wonderful blog Kendi Everyday (and if you aren't, please do yourself a favor and click the link) and the remix revolution she has played a big part in starting. The 30 for 30 challenge involves choosing only 30 articles of clothing (shoes included!) to remix for 30 days. Another catch? No shopping during the 30 days! You can read more about the challenge here.

9. Save up some money

I won't go into specific amounts (that would be totally tacky) but I do have a goal amount of cash I would like to have saved up before graduation. How will I manage this? Well, not buying more clothes all the time is one way. Not splurging on expensive, girly drinks is another (pomegranate appletini margarita mojito? No more). I could also take more advantage of the dining hall and less advantage of the readily available takeout mere blocks from my apartment. All things to think about.

10. Get certified to teach English abroad

This has been a dream of mine for quite some time. I've been back in the US of A for 9 months now and am starting to feel the itch to live abroad again. I have gotten mixed reactions when I tell people about my tentative plan (ranging from "THAT'S SO COOL!" to "that's pretty weak"), but I feel like going abroad for awhile would be a great experience for me at this time in my life.

11. Take a bellydancing class

It's no secret that I am totally obsessed with the Middle East. How cool would it be if I added this sexy sport to my list?

12. Turn a heinous article of clothing into something wearable

One problem with this goal-- I don't have a sewing machine. Oh yeah, and I can't sew. But I will figure it out. I actually already have the item; I found it at Goodwill several weeks ago, and don't worry, it's just awful.

13. Spend a weekend in Canada practicing my French

I haven't been to Canada since my 12th grade ski trip to Quebec. The city was great. The 17-hour bus ride was not. Now that I live in Boston instead of Virginia, the drive will be a lot shorter. I'm also thinking of going to Montréal this time instead, since I have a friend who's in grad school at McGill. Decisions, decisions!

14. Go jetskiing

I may be able to accomplish this this week, since the resort I'm staying at offers a bunch of water activities. I'll keep you posted.

15. Go vegan for a month

I've been a vegetarian since I was 18 (although sometimes I cheat and eat a little fish. It's tough being a vegetarian who loves sushi), and I've tried and failed to go vegan a total of three times over this period, so I know I don't have the skills or resources necessary to maintain a vegan lifestyle at this point in my life. Also, I put cheese on everything, guys, it's so bad. But one month? I'll accept that challenge.

16. Make homemade ice cream

I've heard it's kind of hard, but it will be delicious. I am already handy in the kitchen, and would love to add ice cream to my repertoire.

17. Get a brazilian wax

Oh god, I am so going to regret this one, but I need to do it. I need to experience the mysterious and magical brazilian at least once in my adult life.

18. Sing in public

Not many people know this but I actually used to have a beautiful singing voice in high school when I took lessons. Next semester I am going to try to take lessons again (when I'm not hitting the books to earn my 4.0!) and hopefully my voice will improve to a point where I will be able to sing at a public venue without breaking any windows, mirrors, champagne glasses, eyeglasses etc.

19. Get eyelash extensions

All of my friends will tell you that I am a fake eyelash fanatic. I rarely go out at night without my falsies on. The problem is that they're a pain in the ass to put on and I always end up covered in eyelash glue. Can eyelash extensions solve my dilemma? It's worth a try.

20. Ask someone out

I have actually never asked another human being on a date (that I can remember). I have always been the asked, never the asker. And why not? I think it would be totally ballsy to take a risk like that. The next time an appropriate situation arises, I am going to go for it.

21. Make sushi

The vegetarian's dilemma. I inherited my love of sushi (along with a dry sense of humor and a pair of baby blue peepers) from my dad, a sushi aficionado. So sometimes I take the rules of vegetarianism a little more lightly than others. A little unagi once every few months doesn't make me a total hypocrite, right?

22. Do 22 hours of volunteer work

Ha ha totally cutesy, I know. I plan on starting out slow, then once I find a program I really like I'll stick to it. Hopefully this will be easy, given that BU has a great community service center.

There we go. My 22 by 22 is now out there. Let's make it happen, universe.

And please please please, tell me all of your hopes and dreams and goals for 2011 in the comments because I genuinely want to know everything about them.