Monday, January 31, 2011

Style Muse: Jean Seberg In “A Bout de Souffle"





I’m absolutely taken with personal style of Jean Seberg in Jean Luc Godards's timeless French classic, “A Bout de Souffle” (translated “Breathless”). Her innocent striped tees, boyish crop, and smoldering eyes give new meaning to the phrase, “je ne sais quoi”. It's enough to make me want to quit my job, jet off to Paris, and spend my days glamorously puffing a cigarette, eating croissant, and casting smoldering looks at handsome Frenchmen! Well, almost...

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Channel your inner creative goddess and make a collage!



I’ll be the first to admit my complete and utter lack of artistic talent. I can’t draw to save my life, fraternity paint parties are as close as I’ll ever get to becoming the next Picasso, and the last time I tried to sew a button, I almost severed a finger (I kid you not). A while back I even engaged in a brief fling with a pottery wheel, only to come to the unfortunate conclusion that I value manicure preservation above clay formation any day! But despite these innate creative shortcomings, ever since I could hold a pair of scissors, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the art of collaging. For some reason cutting up a bunch of beautiful images and arranging them in a unique way just gets me hot and bothered (No, not in that way. PERV!).

I regularly gather stacks of fashion and travel magazines, blast some quality tunes, and plop myself down on my bedroom floor with a pair of scissors. Before I know it, hours have flown by and I’m still cutting and pasting away like a mad woman!

Though my collaging ritual began as just a fun way to pass an afternoon, it has morphed into an integral part of my goal setting routine. I’ll start by imagining something I want to attract into my life, ranging from vague notions of inner peace to finding a new boyfriend (Yes, I’ve successfully made a romance collage, yes I ended up giving it to the person, despite persistent warnings from well meaning friends to “let the freak out in doses”, and yes it worked out—we ended up dating for a year and remain close friends!). I never quite know what the finished product will look like when I start, but that’s almost half the fun!

To you closeted artists/New Age skeptics who’re thinking, “Just get it over with already and set sail on an astrology cruise with your fellow crystal collecting, Feng Shui loving weirdoes!” All I have to say is 1) that sounds like a lot of fun and 2) don’t knock it till you try it!

But in all seriousness, even if you’re a disbelieving, die-hard devotee of the scientific method, who wouldn’t be caught dead reading The Secret, never fear! You need not subscribe to the church of “Woo Woo” to enjoy a good afternoon romp with a pair of scissors and some glue! Who knows? You might just create something you love and treasure, make an unforgettable gift for a close friend, or channel your soul mate! No artistic ability necessary, promise!

PS. Since I’ve had career/professional development on the brain lately, I recently created the collage below to represent my dream job!



Until next time…
xoxo

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Eye Candy...

"Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves."


Gisele looks like such a princess in this photo...love it...


This pic by Corrie Bond makes me want to jet off to Paris!


I love things that sparkle...


YUM!


Doing ballet in couture lingerie...nbd.


Shoe orgasm.


Twinkling lights, so magical...


More cake :)


HOT!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Suffering from winter blues?



The glow of the holidays is beginning to wear off. Its dark. It's cold. You can't stop sneezing and a not-so-sexy bruise is forming from when you ate pavement yesterday (thank you ice). I feel you. But instead of fantasizing that you are on a beach somewhere exotic (drinking margaritas with someone even more exotic!), I challenge you perk up, bundle up, and enjoy some of the simple magical pleasures of winter. Why not...




Build a fire - Go ice skating - Spend a Saturday in bed - Paint your nails a wintery color - Dive into a novel you've been meaning to read - Drink tea - Make a snowman - Get to work an hour late and blame it on the snow - Plan a trip to the spa and sit in the sauna - Take a road trip with friends - Cuddle with someone you love - Light yummy scented candles - Learn to knit - Take a hot yoga class - Call your grandparents/other relatives who love hearing from you - Wear your Uggs out on the town (this will likely horrify some of my girlfriends, but I'm listing it anyway!) - Start a craft project - Make someone's day - Bake something (or intend to bake and just eat all the batter...) - Send snail mail to close friends telling them how much they mean to you - Clean out your closet - Volunteer at a soup kitchen - Plan your next vacation - Watch old movies - Enjoy yourself...



Follow my blog with bloglovin

Monday, January 10, 2011

6 Ways To Make Mondays Better!


Hello all. This morning as you busily check your Inbox and dive back into projects (and last weekend’s frivolity rapidly fades to a distant memory…), take a second to read some of my tips for making the most dreaded day of the week, well, better!

1. Look extra cute for work (or school…or sitting on your couch!). You just did your laundry, got lots of sleep, and are ready to take on the week, right? I don’t know what it is, but whenever I take the time to look extra nice, I have a better day (I like to call it the “blow-dry and high heels effect”!). Start making a point to look extra fabulous on Mondays and it will set a positive tone for the week to come!

2. Get your most arduous work/school task done first thing in the morning. You’ll get a huge energy boost when you finish and will give day a sense of productivity and accomplishment.

3. Indulge in a good cup of coffee. Monday is not the day to go cheap or go without. You need fuel for your week!

4. Have a delightfully bizarre conversation with a complete stranger in the elevator. I do this almost every day and am a better person for it.

5. Stay away from the office candy bowl…at least until 4pm.

6. Start building a supply of treats at your desk to keep yourself feeling pampered and happy throughout the day. My stash includes aromatherapy peppermint spray (so refreshing and apparently promotes focus), a colorful head massager (really cool looking/makes me popular when people’s kids come to the office), lip gloss (a low-cal stand in for candy…KIDDING), a mini zen garden (so fun to rake…the easily amused know what I mean), Gummy Vitamins (don’t let anyone tell you they’re just for kids), and a fun mouse pad (mine is leopard print!). Investing the time to make your workspace a place you actually want to spend time will pay great dividends on the days you feel close to burnout, trust me!

Have a great week!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

My FABULOUS New Years Resolutions


Here's what made my list, in no particular order…

1. Take more bubble baths (potentially wearing a tiara, because really who doesn’t love feeling like a princess?).

2. Dance. Every day. Even if it’s just a booty shake while I brush my teeth!

3. Listen to live music at least once a month. There are so many cool music venues in DC and I have no excuse not to enjoy them!

4. Workout at least four days a week. I heart endorphins. Enough said.

5. Think of three things I am grateful for each night before I go to bed. I read a quote recently that said, “developing an attitude of gratitude is the only path to true fulfillment.” Corny? Perhaps. But I couldn’t agree more.

6. Do more “outdoorsy” things (aka. hiking, camping, kayaking, etc). I always love spending time in nature but I need to make more of an effort to build it into my schedule.

7. Read something inspirational every day (if you want to add this to your list and need some advice, check out some of the blogs I follow!). Also enjoy more solo excursions to Borders (I really do have an unhealthy obsession with bookstores…).

8. Get more professional massages (Don’t ever let anyone tell you this is a frivolous waste of your money. They are wrong!). And on this general topic, spend more of my money on experiences rather than things.

9. Be better at keeping in touch with friends (and siblings!) who live far away. My closest friends (you know who you are!) mean the world to me. As tough as it can be to make the time and play phone tag, it is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS worth it. Friends are everything.

10. Write in this blog once a week (NO EXCUSES!). On that note, take a writing class or join a writers group. Continue to take baby steps toward my ultimate goal of writing a bestselling novel.

11. Go to sleep earlier during the week and wake up a half an hour earlier each morning to write in my journal.

12. Find a community service project in DC that I enjoy and do it regularly.

13. More quality time with Pablo (I love you Becky!! J).

14. Plan more fun (and off the beaten path) outings with friends.

15. Learn to use my super duper really sweet camera and take more pictures. Be "that girl" who's always snapping away.

16. Take steps toward launching "The Pursuit of Fabulous" with my incredible sister, Lindsay. More info on this to come.

17. And maybe while I’m at it I’ll eat more vegetables, floss regularly, give up chocolate icing binges once and for all, and be more punctual! (These make the list every year but a girl can dream…)

What are your resolutions for 2011?