Wednesday, February 26, 2014

spring break ... the bank

The countdown has officially begun.

I have less than one month until spring break finally graces me with its wondrous pleasure. I usually don't do anything terribly extravagant or exciting for school breaks, BUT things have quite a different outlook this time around. In a few short weeks, my family and I will be on a plane headed to Hawaii. I have never been to the "Aloha State" before, so this trip will be a totally new and exciting experience for me. Just the thought of spending a week at the beach - drinking fruity drinks with tiny little umbrellas and working on a killer tan - gives me goosebumps.

All of my excitement turned into panic when I found myself wondering, "What am I going to wear? What am I going to pack?" If you know me at all, I'm sure you can imagine that it was at this point in the thought process that the online window shopping began...

Unfortunately, I'm the stereotypical super poor college student, and the likelihood of me getting the chance to buy all of the items I deem to be "vacay necessities" before I leave is pretty slim. Nevertheless, I spent a good hour and a half or so putting together the ultimate day-at-the-beach outfit. Here are my top 5 necessities for the beach!


1st necessity: a fun and exotic swim suit.
Darling Daisy Flutter Bikini, Forever21 - Top $10.80, Bottom $10.80



2nd necessity: a sun dress that can act as a suit cover up
Racerback maxi dress, alloy.com - $19.90





3rd necessity: trendy summer sandals
Sinicle Sandal, by Steve Madden - $49.95







4th necessity: a wide-brimmed sun hat. Because how often to you have a reason to wear one?
Weaved Sun Hat, Forever21 - $14.80


5th necessity: a beach bag to hold your towel, sunscreen, bottle of water and cell phone
Beach Tote, Target - $24.99






Breaking that bank...but a girl can dream.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Worst. Movies. Ever?

In the past couple of years, I've seen some pretty awful movies. So bad in fact, I often find myself thinking, "What are the worst movies I've ever seen?" Here are a couple film flops that I've recently had the misfortune of coming across.


The Campaign
I might be in the minority with this pick, but give me a second to explain. I love a good comedy just as much as the next person. Dry humor, classic comedy, you name it. BUT, when a movie gets completely spoiled by the trailer, what's the point in sitting through the entirety of it? All of the gut-wrenching punch lines were given away in the trailer weeks before the movie was even released!







The Bling Ring
This movie couldn't have been more anti-climactic. There was absolutely NO substance. Instead, it was a terribly bland re-telling of an equally bland story. In fact, this movie was so awful that it was pulled from most theaters within a couple of weeks. To make matters worse, Emma Watson's attempt at an American accent was just uncomfortable.





Cabin In The Wood
This movie starts out like any other scary movie made in the last few years. A group of friends decide to head out to a remote cabin for a few days of fun and relaxation. But, low and behold, there is something strange, something scary going on in the cabin. All of a sudden there are monsters and creatures coming out of no where. I completely missed the connection between the horror film genre and strangely placed sci-fi creatures.






That's My Boy
Adam Sandler has completely lost his touch. This terribly dreadful "comedy" seems to go on and on, with but a few laughable punch lines. Grown Ups, Jack & Jill, and now this? Maybe he should think about retiring?






Spring Breakers
I literally can't think of a worse movie. Spring Breakers had NO plot line, AWFUL acting, and IRRITATING characters. You can deduce all you need to know about the movie by looking at the poster. I will never get those 94 minutes back...



Which movies have totally killed your vibe?

Saturday, January 18, 2014

PSA!

As some of you may know, the following topic of discussion is particularly near and dear to my heart ...

If you haven't seen or heard, yet ANOTHER photoshop scandal has made its way into headlines recently. This time, the controversy surrounds Vogue magazine's cover photo and spread of Lena Dunham.



For those who might be unaware, Dunham is both the producer and star of the HBO hit series, Girls. The show has received plenty of criticism and backlash about casting, story line, nudity, et cetera, but that has only helped to propel it further into the realm of extreme popularity. And, as expected, as the show becomes increasingly popular, so too do the stars - most notably, Dunham.

Just like her show, Dunham has been the focal point of unwarranted criticism. Her appearance - generally in relation to her weight - has been, and clearly continues to be, a topic of discussion amongst the media. Although Dunham always responds in a manner that suggests she is not only unfazed by the comments, but also that she is completely comfortable in her own skin, the criticism just doesn't seem to fizzle out.

It's no secret, Dunham doesn't have the body of a Victoria's Secret model, but then again, how many of us do? Instead, Dunahm rocks a body that is but a reflection of the norm in our society. She is not a stick. She is a woman with curves, and she is proud of it.

Now, a while back, Vogue made an international pledge to use "healthy" models within the pages of their magazines. Since, Beyonce (a self-proclaimed modern-day feminist), Michelle Obama (a health and fitness spokesperson), and Jennifer Lawrence (a voice for positive body image) have all graced the cover of the U.S. Vogue.

That being said, it isn't necessarily a shocker that Vogue chose Dunham for their next cover. However, you'd think that in putting Dunham (a curvy woman known to have positive body image) front and center, Vogue would be working toward cultivating a healthy body image for women. And it's true, having Dunham grace the cover is a step in the right direction as far as breaking hegemonic stereotypes is concerned. BUT, in my opinion, that one step forward is only followed by two steps backward once the photoshopping comes into play.

Recently, Dunham told Time that the controversy surrounding her shoot "confuses" her. According to the article, she said, "I don’t understand why, photoshop or no, having a woman who is different than the typical Vogue cover girl, could be a bad thing." (Time article)

Although I agree with her in that having an atypical woman on the cover of Vogue isn't a bad thing (in fact, I think it's a GREAT thing!), I disagree with her view on the use of photoshop.

I understand that the photoshop used on these photos isn't drastic, but I think it's the principle. Photoshopping someone who has come out as having a positive body image and that speaks in favor of being comfortable in one's own skin nearly defeats the entire purpose of placing Dunham on the cover. In essence, this is Vogue telling their readers that although Dunham is a great role model for embracing who she is inside and out, she still needs touching up in order to be accepted in our society. One step forward, two steps back.

**You can see more of the before and after photos from her shoot here.
 
The controversy surrounding models, photoshop, unrealistic ideals, and body image is not new. And unfortunately it doesn't seem to be going away any time soon. There are plenty of instances far worse than Dunham's, and I understand that. I just find it to be incredibly important for women AND men to know the difference between realism and idealism.

At this point in my life, I can't do much to make a difference one way or another, but I hope by educating myself (and hopefully others) and speaking out about it, changes will be made.

//Images courtesy of Google//

Friday, January 10, 2014

The Law of the Lady

After a good 22 years of life as a lady, I've compiled a list of "must-dos" and "must-haves" for any 21st century lady looking to make the best out of the life she's been given.

1. A good Little Black Dress never goes out of style. Always classy, always fashionable. We can thank Audrey for that.


2. Bring your biggest purse to the movies. You can fit more candy, chips, and soda in a bigger purse. It's not rocket science.

3. Sometimes less is more. For example, make up and accessories. Please do us all a favor and refrain from going over board with eccentric colors and bedazzling.

4. When in doubt, always buy the second bottle of wine. Girls nights with wine and magazines are the best nights.


5. It is well worth your money to buy salon brand hair care products. Our hair is our pride and joy, why not treat it right?

6. Always carry a nail file. You never know when a nail is going to break and ruin your day.

7. Always keep a super secret, yet easily accessible, stash of chocolate for some serious stress relief. The little Dove chocolates are pretty neat; they just might cheer you up for 2.5 seconds.


What did I miss? What are your lady "musts"?

Saturday, January 4, 2014

The Fault In Our Stars - Book Review

There's not a whole lot of things I enjoy more than a great read. Whenever I get a break from classes, one of the first things I do is ditch my awful textbooks, cuddle up by the fire, and lose myself in the pages of a New York Times Best Seller. Whether it be an autobiography or memoir, murder mystery, chick lit, crime fiction, or even romance novel, chances are, I'll give the book a go.

The most recent NY Times Best Seller I read was "The Fault In Our Stars," by John Green. To my knowledge, the author doesn't include a synopsis on the back cover (at least for the hardcover edition), so I'll do my best to give you an idea of what the book is about...

[[The story is told by Hazel Lancaster, a young cancer patient that is simply going through the motions of life; a life only those who've experienced cancer can truly relate. Hazel is forced by her parents to attend a local support group for kids with cancer. It is their hope that this support group will not only help get Hazel out of the house, but that it will also help her to make friends. Hazel isn't exactly keen on the idea of sitting through support group, but she goes anyways. It is at one of the dreaded support group meetings that Hazel meets Augustus Waters, a handsome young man in remission. Hazel and Augustus find themselves falling deeper and deeper in love with each other, all the while keeping in mind that their chances of living a long and bountiful life with one another are very slim.]]


"The Fault In Our Stars" was quite a bit different than most of the books I've read. I was totally taken aback by the ending - it wasn't quite what I had been expecting. But, then again, I suppose "the unexpected" is what makes a book great, and what makes a great book a New York Times Best Seller. I loved John Green's style of writing. It's almost as if he wrote the way he might have spoken as a young adult, which made it an easy and enjoyable read. I think my favorite aspect of the book was the way in which Green was able to incorporate a touch of humor within an honest tale of young love and death. I would strongly suggest this book to any one of my friends or family members.

However, if you're the kind of person that would rather watch a movie than read a book, then you're in luck. "The Fault In Our Stars" comes to theaters this summer!