Mini Vacay

this weekend I'm heading out on a mini vacay to Florida.

time in the sun........................

in comfy clothes...........................

is really all i require.

oh and a ton of wine. kthanks.

Music Festival Favorites

Madewell does it again.  They have a sub-category on their site for clothing items appropriate for lounging in the grass, drinking some beers, and listening to tunes all summer long.  That sounds perfect to me.  I'm ready for this warm weather and sunshine, and definitely ready for the concerts to begin!

Shades of 2012

I am in the market for new sunglasses.  I don't really NEED any...since I still have my Ray-Bans from several years ago.  If I purchase new ones, I need to branch out of the Wayfarer trend and into some more current trends...

Cat Eye fix:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

More music sharing

Electric Guest..great song.

Vid

had to share. Odd video, but catchy tune.


~Ane Brun

Blog tag!

 Sorry, Gracie Lou. I am late on re-posting this. Mostly because I forgot to check your blog for a minute and see that I was tagged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Grace and I went to college together.  We enjoyed:

-dancing like the world was going to end

-smoking cigarettes on our porch (scandal!)

-the cold (ha! lies.)

-grilling in the winter

-baking cookies

-driving fast and blaring pop music all the way to Robinson Township

She is great. One of THE greatest.

Moving on..

1. The first rule is to post these rules.

2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 things about yourself/your life .

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.

5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them that you've tagged them.

Photos:

On the left, you have me and my cousins and sister listening to New Kids on the Block. I'm the second  from the Left of the photo.

On the right, my roommate and I (me on right).

 Here is a fab dress up session with sister/cousins...me 3rd from the Left of the photo.

and Grace's questions:

1. age? 28

2. dream job? tbd...I am currently an oil & gas accountant, and while that may not seem glamorous or high profile, it is actually very challenging and interesting, so I'm happy for now.

3. favorite blog? I'm not sure. I will tell you the first blog I became obsessed with.  That would be Scott Schuman's the Sartorialist without a doubt.  His was also the first book signing I ever attended.

4. favorite recipe? I'm going to go with favorite recipe not passed down through my family (I am predominately Lebanese and Italian. We cook.). Probs Pioneer Woman's chicken parmigiana.

5. favorite book? Toss up between Great Expectations and The Great Gatsby. I like the style of writing, the character development, and in GG's case, the time period.

6. one piece or two piece swimsuit? I have both.  I have nothing wrong with either.  Regarding two pieces,  I usually prefer a bandeau top (tan lines, people!) and regarding one pieces, I recently purchased this one. In dark rosewood.

7. most embarrassing moment? Why would I want to share it?! Hmm...I have two that are nearest and dearest.  In 2010, after an evening of celebration, my foot turned in my fabulous wedges, and I face planted in the valet line.  I had a soul patch scab on my chin to show for it.  At the end of 2011, my two front veneers came off on a Thursday during dinner (a burrito! NOTHING CRAZY!), and the dentist couldn't see me until the following Monday.  Needless to say, that Saturday night out for a birthday party....the temporary dental cement did not follow through.  My engineers canNOT stop laughing about either of these stories.

Here is me the night of the face plant/soul patch scab 2010. You can vaguley see the shoes (they're great) in the photo, but not really my face since my cousin decided to cover it up. It was pre-fall, so I don't know why he covered my face...

8. pet(s)? if yes, name(s)? My roommate has a cat, Calvin. He's kind of a d-bag, but we still keep him.

9. specific makeup item you couldn't live without? Eyeliner and mascara. OH and under-eye concealer. Sorry that's three!  I have dark circles under my eyes, gotta cover that up.  And without eyeliner/mascara, I look 14. (I might with it on as well, but I still think it helps).

10. favorite song of the moment? Wild Ones by Flo Rida w/ Sia. (judging begins now!)

11. weekend plans? Fun filled. Time with my nephews (they're in town for Spring break), a baby shower, and whatever else happens in between.

Now I pose the following questions to Kris, Sydney, Katie, Kendi, Julie, Mitzi, and Mary:

1. Blog name and premise?
2. Favorite item in your closet?
3. Words that best describe your personal style?
4. Stripes or polka dots?
5. Favorite comfort food?

6. Favorite vacation?

7. Do you wear earrings? Posts or dangles?

8. Favorite pair of shoes (this could double up with #2, but go with it)

9. Favorite Christmas memory?

10. Do you drink wine? What kind is your favorite?

11. Favorite blog? (Sorry Grace I ran out of ideas and had to steal)

Ok ... I won't cry if no one re-posts this, seeing as it took me nearly a week to get on posting it myself. :)

Mullet

You know what it is.  Business in the front, party in the back.

Have you seen its debut in the fashion world lately? I just can't decide what I think about the skirts/dresses/tunics that are reminiscent of the ever-criticized mullet, and as a consequence I have not made a purchase of such an item.

This NBC New York article (don't even fight it-if it says New York, most claim it's a reputable source of discernment) dubs this fashion choice "mini in the front, maxi in the back".  Hee hee why does this make me giggle?!

Some are subtle..just an extra inch or three below the front hem..

Some are not-so-subtle..creating a sort of tail on your clothing..surely no one wants to look like they have a tail on, so far from Halloween?

I am ready to find the fashion mullet that changes my mind about this new trend.  My roommate pointed out that it often takes me a minute or 45 to adjust to a new trend, and then I'm all over it and telling the world about it.  In any case, I'll be sure to admit when I have proved myself wrong on this one.

(all dresses/skirts found at Zara)

What men think of your lipstick

Sometimes guys give me their opinion, and I respond with "I'll let you know when I wanted it".  Sassy? Yes. Rude? Unintentional.  Just being honest here.

As I've said (shut up about it already, Ann) I like wearing lipstick.  One of my aunts thought I meant on a previous post that lipstick wasn't allowed at work---no, no. I would just be answering the question of why I'm wearing it all day, instead of getting work done.

Anyways, I read a recent article on visual things on a woman that guys find unattractive, and found that I possess most of those...things (couldn't think of a better word).  They include: bangs, glasses, wearing your hair in a bun, wearing lipstick...to name a few.  Follow it up with Yahoo's article this week on what men think of various shades of lipstick, and you have a disconnect between how fashion/society/women in general dress and perceive their fashion statements as opposed to how men perceive these.  I find it very interesting since a little color on your pucker might make you feel like your skin is clearer, teeth whiter, and eyes brighter....but a man can't help but be turned off.

Moving on...here are the thoughts of one man (editor of Men's Health, Matt Bean):

 Few thoughts here: I think every guy has a mini crush on Rooney Mara now that she's played a complete badass in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. They're kind of intrigued by her and scared of her at the same time.  I believe that has a lot to do with their opinion of her lipstick.

And...I cannot stop laughing at his criticism of J. Lo.  I feel like sometimes nude lips make it look like you're wearing concealer on your lips (and maybe you are!).

 I think we can all agree with him on Lady Gaga's selection below:

Also, it's Friday. Did you know?  What's going on this weekend? Maybe I'll make a new maxi skirt like Anna.  Maybe I'll figure out how people find my blog like Grace. 
I'll definitely try to stay as cute in the potential rain in the forecast like Bee. Or catch Ree's cookie show on Saturday.

Maybe all of the above, and maybe none. You never can tell...

Should I Text Him?

This is amazing.  My favorite one is: Is he your boyfriend? - Yes - Are you sure?

As I poured through this, I realized how few times it is acceptable to text him.  Ha! 

Have fun with your text/iMessage/BBM/SMS turmoils.

Madness

March Madness, that is.  I have been filling out a bracket since I started in the work world. I think it's essential to fill one out to enhance water cooler conversation (we don't have a water cooler, btw).  If you know me, you know I'm not an avid sports watcher, but I have been winning office pools for March Madness and the Super Bowl for a few years, so I can't stop now!! 

I found these absolutely appropriate for the situation at hand, which is finding the time to fill out my bracket.  I usually recruit a (male) friend to assist me in choosing a conservative amount of upsets as well.

Happy Spring!

SNL

Do you watch SNL? I definitely do. And I love Kristen Wiig.  So...as a result, I had to share this video.

Happy Tuesday.

Musical Snack

Remember that time I used to blog? Ya I do too....sorry I'm not sorry, because work interfered with fun for about two weeks straight.  How DARE I let that happen?!  I apologize for:

1) Cancelling 90% of my social events over the last fortnight.

2) Not blogging (who cares-moving on).

3) Not being a stable part of my residence (sorry roommate!).

4) Complaining about it even a little bit..heck at least I'm employed!

5) Giving you a meaningless list that has nothing to do with the post title.

Moving onward and upward...I have a pretty deep affinity for musical tunes.  I like to pour through Pitchfork reading endless (and sometimes meaningless) reviews of new bands.  I like to go to concerts.  I like to attend music festivals (except I haven't done the all-night-camping-with-too-many-hippies-kind). I like to talk about music with others. I like to listen to samples on the Youtube or on Spotify, while deciding whether or not to download via Amazon.com (it's cheaper than iTunes and the files are mp3s, so you can share them with friends!). And....I still enjoy making mix CDs for friends and family...are you totes jealous you haven't received one?!

Moving on.  Here's a list of my current favs.

But before... a little caveat (I enjoy using that word as much as possible in my daily life)...my musical taste ranges from mushy/gushy/soft rock to electronic/dubstep/techno and always excludes angry/screaming/metal and most country.

Back to the list. (2 lists in ONE POST!? oh my)

1. Sbtrkt- clever...no vowels! This is more in the direction of electronic/pop/dubstep genre, and I greatly enjoy it.  Give it a sample by listening to this or this.

2. tUnE-yArDs-took me a while to type it out, but that's ok.  It's worth it. This chick is crazy, and a little husky, but I am absolutely into the Afro-pop vibe she is putting down. Check this video out imediamente. This track is fun too.

3. M83-sorry, another electronic dubstep band to share. My favorite part of Anthony's stuff is that he said he felt super unmanly recording these high pitched sounds while his girlfriend was asleep upstairs. You might recognize Midnight City from a recent Victoria's Secret commercial. Perf. Here's another good one.

4. St. Vincent-Let's be real, I have a pretty substantial girl crush on her.  I have a pin board dedicated to her (And Zooey Deschanel, my other girl crush). It's still a work in process.  When my hair was shorter, I was told I resembled her-I'll take it!  Back to the point, this album took me a little while to get into, but I'm hooked. Cheerleader is by far my fav.  Super sassy, super awesome. This one is playful and fun as well.

5. Jay-Z/Kanye- Look I know it's surprising, that I could have an affinity for these two hoodlums. Hello-Jay-Z is married to Beyonce, and I definitely enjoyed his tracks back in the day.  Don't even try to hide that you did too!  Kanye, though his reputation and temper are less than wonderful, can make great music.  I'm sorry! That's all I have to say!  I especially enjoy their Otis Redding tribute. I was a HUGE Otis fan as a kid. I also checked out No Church in the Wild, which coincidentally, when I was in S Africa on safari, there in fact WAS NO Church! I was crushed.  Side note, if you never got into Kanye's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, you'd do yourself a favor by checking it now.  Better late than never. A warning that the album cover is not PG, along with some of the lyrics.  You were warned!!

Please note, my "current favs" change weekly, daily, and sometimes hourly.  Look forward to future posts that mirror this.

Adolescent Literature

What is it with adolescent literature that makes it SO appealing?  Could it be that you can fly through a novel in 2 days flat? Or that you tooooootally relate to the leading lady/gent (obviously I'm an expert with a bow and arrow, have only designer shoes, and/or am crazy in love with a vampire)?  Or that you're really just giving your mind a 'mental break' by reading simple literature? That's it...

I will admit it.  I read some good, serious novels.  But I also read some utterly ridiculous books we may not even be able to call novels.  I've read the Twilight saga, the Hunger Games series, Sophie Kinsella, and Emily Griffin, to name a few.  I know I'm not alone (ahem Grace!) Plus..some of these gems have been turned into films! That HAS to add value, right?

Anyways, I just recently picked up Sophie's latest, and can't wait to start it.  I just have to finish the last 27 pages of the Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest.................. Wait..what? I was supposed to finish that last weekend...but didn't. 

Anyone else have any guilty reads to add to my shameful list?