My Last Week of Summer in Photos ♥

Well, today is my last day of summer vacation.  Summer 2010 was an amazing one, the best summer i've had in years.  I wanted to spend the last week of it in total relaxation, but as some of you may know from me constantly tweeting about it, i had a lot of work to do (still do actually, but you know me - procrastination nation!).  Although i had soo much stuff to accomplish, i ended up trying to manage my time as best as i could - balancing relaxing, blogging, completing my summer homework, & soaking up the last week of being free as much as possible.

Reflecting back on my summer, i realize all the fun times i had *sigh*.  The best night of the past three months for me was definitely going to Summerfest & seeing Passion Pit..ah-maz-ing (read about that here :).  The song "Sleepyhead" by Passion Pit is my song of the summer - it will always bring me back to that night & this past summer whenever i hear it.
But i digress..........

I had the idea of taking photos throughout the past week so i could kind of give you all a glimpse of what i've been up to!  I hope you ladies enjoy this & i hope you all had a spectacular-super-fantastic summer ♥.

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Tag: Fashion Q+A!

There are a whole lot of beauty & cosmetic-related tags making their rounds through the blog-o-sphere, so i thought i'd search for a fashion-related tag to do, to switch it up a bit & to also give you a little insight to my style.  I found an 11-question fashion tag that meganheartsmakeup did a while back (link to that video here) & thought it looked interesting so i thought i'd do it!

Some of the questions were related to making Youtube videos, so i edited those questions to relate to blogging instead :).  Now onto the questions!

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1. What is your favorite accessory?

It's so hard to just choose one!  If i had to narrow it down, i would say: a great pair of stud earrings, a watch (always will be a classic :), a fabulous bag, & a smile :)

2. Who's your fashion role model? (In real life & Youtube/blogging)

I'm not exactly sure what this question means by 'real life' because Youtube is real life?  It's not like a tv show?  Haha, anyway... Like i answered in a previous post: i absolutely adore Rachel Zoe, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen, & Whitney Port's style - anyone who has a Bohemian-chic, laid back style i love :).  Blogging & Youtube-wise, i love gathering inspiration from websites & blogs like Lookbook.nu & Fashion Toast (a recent love ♥), but i think anyone who wears what he/she wants to wear, without caring what other people think, and completely rocks it is a role model to me.

3. What do you always carry with you?

No matter where i go, i always have my Blackberry, iPod, & a water bottle in my bag.

4. What would you describe your style as?

I think i'm still in the process of trying out different styles & seeing what i feel most comfortable in, but i've noticed recently that i'm really drawn to flowy, girly pieces & hippie-chic type clothing.  I'm also leaning toward trying out a lot of different colors, as opposed to my usual black ensemble.  I love anything floaty, vintage, & floral.

5. Favorite: jeans, sunglasses, heels?

I think i'd have to say sunglasses!  I live in leggings, tights, skirts, & dresses, so jeans are kind of out for me :).  And as for heels, i absolutely adore drooling over a good pair of Louboutins, but since i'm so tall, they're kind of out of the question atm!  Sunglasses are more than just eye protection for me, they can be a total statement piece :)

6. What inspired you to blog about fashion?

I admit that i don't blog about fashion as much as i would like, but i digress.  I was inspired by other fashion bloggers, of course.  It was a little over a year & a half ago that i stumbled across the whole blogging-scene, and i just had to be apart of it - and i'm SO glad i did, words can't describe!  It's such an incredible thing to be apart of.

7. What is your favorite fashion store/shop?

Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, H&M, and Boston Store are where you'll see me shopping most of the time.  But i LOVE obsessing over stores that i don't even have access to, such as Topshop, Primark, etc., it's so sad haha.  I swear, when i go to England & France in April, i'll be all. over. that.

Oh, and of course i can't help but dream about owning lush Chanel handbags and glorious Miu Miu platforms *sigh*.

8. What is your favorite fabric in clothing?

I'd have to say cotton!  I live in cotton.  Cotton, leather, etc.  I don't really like wearing man-made materials at all to be honest.  Materials like wool i find i'm allergic to (which puts a major damper on my wanting to rock the chunky knit trend!) & they're also a bit scratchy i find.  So yeah, cotton all the way!

9. Who is your favorite designer?

This is a toughie.  I feel like i haven't seen enough designer's work to really state my favorites, but from what i've seen i love (these are basically all well-known): Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Karl Lagerfeld (is that even a question?), Valentino Garavani, Phillip Lim, Pierre Balmain, the late Alexander McQueen ♥.

10. Who/what inspires your style?

What doesn't inspire my style is the real question!  I'm genuinely inspired by everything around me.  Architecture, music & musicians, photography, nature, history, friends, old movies, along with bloggers & a select few celebrities, of course.

11. What would you choose to do - buy something in high quality or make it yourself if you could?

I think if i had the time & skills to make my own clothing, i would do it.  But of course buying high quality pieces is a great alternative & what i'll stick to for now :)

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The lovely ladies i tag!:
Hannahh x at Beautylishious ♥
Holly at heevans94 ♥
Sabrina at A Little Obsessed ♥
Kirsty at Boo ♥
Kaneesha at Once in a Lifetime Alive ♥
Kasey at The Duty of Beauty ♥
Of course if anyone else fancies doing this tag, i'd love to read it!
xoxo

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My Favorite Shoes :)

SHOES!  A favorite topic of many :).  I have to admit, i'm more of a bag-fanatic than a shoe-fiend, but i still enjoy buying the odd pair of shoes every now & then (which is admittedly when i'm in desperate need of them!).  Now, i don't own as many gorgeous shoes as i wish i did - my current shoe wishlist is endless - but the pairs that i do have, i like & quite enjoy wearing.

Since i'm quite tall, 95% of the shoes i wear have less than a .5" heel on them..it's pathetic i know, but i like to feel comfortable, and towering over my peers isn't something that exactly makes me feel the most confident.  Maybe when i'm older i'll embrace my height & wear heels, but for now - it's the comfort zone for me!

I've picked out my most worn & favorite shoes (which coincidentally are the same) to share with you all, so i hope you ladies enjoy!  Now onto the shoes.......♥ 

Can you even spot where my shoes are in this mess of a closet?  Haha :P

Beaded Fringe Sandals from Boston Store ♥

I got these sandals almost two years ago (maybe?), and i absolutely adore them.  They are exactly my style with the fringe & beading - very Bohemian..love.  You've probably seen them in many a OOTD, with good reason.  These babies go with just about everything & i get so many compliments whenever i wear them.

Mossimo Black Flats from Target ♥

I think every girl needs a pair of basic black flats in her wardrobe, they go with everything - tights, leggings, jeggings, skirts, jeans, dresses - the list goes on.  These $13 Target puppies (that's a steaaal)  are my go-to pair - although i haven't even worn them yet!  They look kind of strange when just lying around, but on the feet?  Amazing!  I know i'll be reaching for these until they're tattered & broken ;).

Charlotte Russe Nude Ruffle Flats ♥

These photos are making these shoes look like they have a slight green-tinge, but i promise they do not!

I got these (along with the black flats above) whilst back-to-school shopping a fortnight ago, and although i haven't even worn these yet either, i know i'll be getting plenty of use out of them.  Nude shoes of any sort (heels, flats, etc.) are, i think, another basic in any girl's wardrobe.  Since they're a nude, they'll go with everything, and they'll make your legs look a thousand miles long since there's no color to cut off the line of the leg.

Since i just got these a little while ago, they might still be in stores if you're interested!

Champion Canvas Original Keds ♥

Ignore the dirt please ;)

Ohhhh, Keds.  Some people love them, some people think they belong on elderly ladies..i personally adore them.  Whenever i wear them to school, or just in public even, i seem to get many stares (esp. in the foot-region) & a look that kind of says 'wtf?' (and sometimes the odd rude comment..haters) - it's quite frustrating as i don't really see what the fuss is about!  Regardless, when i wear these Keds, i wear them with pride ;)

Link to get this style here.

What are your opinion on Keds/this style of shoe? ♥

Steve Madden Black Suede Boots ♥

Technically, these are my sister Samantha's boots, but i ended up borrowing them so much that they are actually now housed in my closet, so i like to just call them mine ;).  I basically lived in these last winter (although these will not protect your feet from frozen puddles or snow!), hence the stains on the bottom from all the street salt haha.  I adore these!  They're suede & have a bit of scrunch-detailing along the leg.  These go perfect with leggings & tights, i sometimes even pair these with jeans.  And if it's super cold out, you can even slip knee-high socks or leg-warmers underneath!

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What are your favorite shoes? :D

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Back-to-School Supplies! ♥

Now, i'm one of those people who absolutely dreads getting up at 5:30 AM five days a week & going to a place filled with people i don't particularly enjoy (school, ahem), but i have to admit i love shopping for school supplies - folders, notebooks, pencil cases..the whole lot.  I mentioned on Twitter about a week or so ago that i wanted to share all the goodies i got for the coming school year, and i got a surprising amount of people who wanted to see as well!

This may not help those of you whole are already in school (i hope it's going well for those of you who are!), but i thought i'd go ahead & share anyway.  I got all of the school supplies mentioned at Target, besides the bag which i bought at Forever 21.  I hope you all enjoy!

This year (i'm a junior if you're wondering :), i wanted to infuse my school supplies with colors & cutesy things - compared to my supplies from last year, which were dreary & quite plain.  I want to be able to have these things kind of brighten up my day a bit, because i don't know about you, but school can put quite a damper on my day.

I'm also a folder & notebook person, i don't really like lugging around bulky binders with looseleaf & a mish-mash of papers sticking out of them.  That being said, i got a folder & notebook for each of the classes i needed them for (all but orchestra & gym).  I tried to get the folder/notebook for each class to match (or at least go together) to organize me a bit more, but to also make them cute of course :).  I also got what i call a 'take-home folder' (because i'm still in elementary school at heart haha), and this will hold all my extra papers, as well as my homework for that night.  I would've gotten an assignment notebook as well, but apparently my school is supplying them for us this year.

Yesss, a Michael Jackson notebook!  I knew i just had to get it when i spotted it.

I'm going to get totally hated on for having a Hello Kitty folder..mhm, people at school just don't know when to leave others alone!  Whatever ;).

This last notebook/folder set, by the brand 'Greenroom' are made with paper containing 70% recycled fiber & printed with non-toxic soy-based ink..love.

The 'take-home' folder i was talking about earlier, as well as a pink 4 GB flash drive & a flashy pink glitter pencil case (only about $3!).

A closer look at said pencil case ;)

And of course to store all this & more in, you need a fabby bag.  This one, as mentioned before, is from Forever 21 and was around $34-$35.  It's massive inside, where it has two open-pockets & one zip-pocket, and it also has a zip-pocket on the outside.  This bag came with a detachable longer/adjustable strap as well.

I don't use the same bag for school everyday, i do switch off bags for school depending on my outfit, but the more bags to choose from, the better!  And i didn't have a tan/nude color bag so... :)

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Of course along with getting all the necessary supplies for school, i went back-to-school shopping for clothes as well (several times, haha :P), which i might do a separate post on ♥

Hope you are all having a fantastic weekend so far..last one before school starts for me :(

Let's all make this school year a fun, yet productive one, hmm? :)

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Mini Q+A ♥

I was tagged by the lovely Sabra Rose to do the 8 questions tag!  Thank you soo much again sweetie :)

I've already done the '8 questions tag', but the questions are different every time, so i thought i'd go ahead & do it :) ♥

I also want to say a quick thank you to everyone who follows me as i reached 350 followers the other day!  Thank you ladies soo, sooo much - i don't deserve you ;D

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1. What's your favorite lipstick or lipgloss?

I'm definitely more of a lipstick person, and i have two lipsticks that i find myself reaching for the most :).  They are, Maybelline's Color Sensational Lipstick in "Pink Please" - a more medium-toned, peachy-pink (review here) & Revlon's Matte Lipstick in "Pink Pout" - a warm, light pink color (review here).

2. Do you love fake tan or do you just embrace being pale?

I'm naturally super pale (we're talking NW15) & i've always hated it, i just never did anything about it.  But i've recently gotten into self-tan & i'm never going back!  Haha :) (A post on my self-tan venture here).

3. Are you a dog or cat person?

I think i'm more of a cat person.  One of the main reasons may be that i'm allergic to dogs :/, but i feel like i can relate to cats - as weird as that sounds hahaha.  They mainly just sleep all day, stretch, lounge around - exactly what i do ;D.  They're also mega adorable of course!  I still do adore dogs though :)

4. Do you feel more comfortable in jeans or a skirt?

I've never found the 'perfect' pair of jeans (i'm quite tall, so jeans either run too short, too big around the waist, too tight in the thighs, etc.), so i never really feel too comfortable in them.  And with skirts, i always feel really fussy with them, haha, but i think they are more comfortable tbh.  I'm still most comfortable in leggings or a dress though :)

5. Do you like matte or glowy skin?  Do you prefer to start with a matte base and highlight certain places on your face or do you just like to glow all over?

I like to try & find a happy-medium between the two.  I like to start with a matte base & highlight certain places, for sure - especially in the winter.  In summer though, i feel like it's easier to get away with more glowy/dewy skin.  I have quite oily skin, so either way, i'm always a bit shiny/dewy!

6. What's your favorite fruit?

I used to like strawberries & pineapple the most, but ever since this summer, i've started to like watermelon the best :).  So watermelon i think is my fave atm, but i love red grapes & green apples as well :)

7. Who's your style icon and who's your makeup icon?

I can't say i have one specific icon for either, but i do like to draw inspiration from celebrities, bloggers, magazines/ads, etc.  Some celebrities whose style i love are: Rachel Zoe, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen, Whitney Port - anyone with a laid-back, bohemian-chic kind of style :).  As for makeup, i mainly just look up to beauty bloggers for inspiration to be honest :)  But i think i'll be unoriginal & say the Kardashians celebrity-wise - we all know they look absolutely fab 24/7!

8. How do you feel about tattoos?

Unlike my parents, i'm quite open to tattoos.  I think tattoos that have a meaning behind them are brilliant.  If you're going to permanently mark something onto your body, it might as well mean something to you, otherwise i think it's just something you'll regret.  If i were to ever get one, i think it would be just one word, or a short phrase that holds quite a significance to me in my life.  Overall, i think it's a personal choice & should be really thought through before actually getting it done, instead of it just being on a whim - remember, your skin isn't going to be this firm & wrinkle-free forever!

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The Fishtail Braid ♥

I rolled out of bed this morning, with my hair all in a mess, not really sure how to tame it & style it in a way that would be suitable for the day.  Since i was going to be doing chores around my grandma's house & running a few errands, i wanted to keep it up & out of the way.  Because i have yet to master the messy bun -sadface-, i landed on a braid!

Braids have been really big this season, particularly the messy fishtail braid - it's one trend i'm definitely willing to follow :)

Are you sick of seeing this romper yet? haha ;)

After brushing out the craziness that was my hair, i back-combed a bit & attempted the fishtail braid and i really like how it turned out :).  As for my bangs, i simply twisted & pinned them back - which is becoming a daily thing for me as they're such a weird length, eep.  After the braiding of my hair & the twisting of my bangs, i simply played with it all for a bit (so it wasn't too neat) and sprized a little hairspray :)

Oh, and i had to add a flower of course ♥

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Happy 101 :)

I was tagged by the lovely Belle over at x_All that's beautiful_x to do the Happy 101 tag!  Thank you so much sweetie :)

I was actually planning to do the "10 Things That Make Me Happy" tag, & although this is a bit different, i'm so glad i got tagged!

Rules:

1. Post who gave you this award.

2. State ten things you love.

3. Give this award to 10 other bloggers & notify them in a comment.

This is in no particular order :)

1. My sisters ♥

left picture: Samantha, Stephanie, me
right picture: me, Samantha (she graduated that day :), Stephanie
I have two older sisters (yep i'm the baby hehe), and i love them to death.  They're the ones i feel i can always talk to when things are going right & when i have no one else to really turn to.  I'm so grateful i have them in my life :).  I don't know what i'd be without them!


2. Friends ♥

That's me in the middle LOL
This sounds so typical, but i really do love my friends!  Haha.  I finally found a great group of people to hang out with this summer (let's not go back to my past friendships...ohgod.), and i'm so happy i found them!  We've had countless amounts of good times together & yeah :).  Love 'em!


3. Blogging ♥

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Blogging is amazing, i'm soo glad i stumbled across the whole blogging world!  It's such a creative release for me (also a way of procrastating...ahem..), and it's a fantastic way to discover new products & clothes, as well as other cultures & ways of life!  Soo incredible. 

4. Music ♥

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Music is everything to me, as cliche as it sounds.  It's there when i'm happy, mad, sad, confused, anxious, apathetic - it's there through everything.  When there's no where left to turn, there it is to turn to :).  Music really does save lives ♥.
As for my taste in music, i love absolutely everything.  Name any genre out there, i lovess it.


5. Shopping ♥

credit - love this girl's blog!
And yes, i realize the US doesn't have Primark!  lol :/
Ohhhh, shopping.  We all know we shouldn't do it as much as we should, but who can resist right?  I guess i could list off some places i love to drain my cash into - Forever 21, H&M, Charlotte Russe, etc. :)  Confessions of a Shopaholic = life!  (Minus Hugh Dancy *sigh*)

6. Autumn ♥

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I was just discussing with a friend the other day how much we love autumn & everything about it :).  Hoodies, homecoming, hot chocolate, walks through the park with the leaves changing colors, crisp not-too-hot-not-too-cold weather, etc. ♥.  Fall would be the perfect season if it weren't also back-to-school season! :(


7.  Photography ♥

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Photography to me is not just a form of art, it's a way of escapism & inspiration.  Looking at different photographs can take one to different places & different times..it's incredible.  I'm not even going to bother sharing some of my favorite photography in this post, it would literally be 905423 years long if i did!  If you do want to see my faves, check out my Tumblr & weheartit (shameless plug!).


8. Traveling ♥

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Sometimes photographs just can't do real-life objects justice..With traveling, you can discover different places (obv.), cultures, lifestyles, foods, architecture, & yourself (i know, cheeseballlll! but it's true :).  I think everyone needs to travel.  If someone goes their whole life without even leaving their city, they are truly missing out on the world - sure you can discover things through the internet or tv, but nothing tops actually having the whole travel experience.


9. Chocolate & sweet treats ♥

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Cookies, cotton candy, cupcakes, brownies, donuts, cake...am i making you hungry yet?  Haha, we all love a bit of something sweet sometimes!  Well, maybe all the time, but we try to limit ourselves, right?  ;)  I've been getting better at resisting these sweet treats, but those who also have a sweet tooth know how hard it is sometimes haha.  Bottom line, tasty treats are tasty ♥.


10. Dancing ♥

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I've been dancing since i was really little, and although i don't take actual classes anymore, dancing is something i adore :).  It must go along with some of the music i listen to (ahem..Passion Pit), but sometimes i can't even resist a bit of foot tapping or even a bit of flailing of the arms (hahaha, truth!).  If i actually danced as much as i wanted to/felt the urge to, i'd probably be burning so many calories that i might be the healthiest person alive haha ;).  Love love love.



Anyone who fancies doing this tag, go ahead - i'd love to read it!

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