A Christmas Eve (Apartment) Wishlist.

My Apartment Wishlist

(for the apartment I don't even have)

A two purpose product: a night light + a placeholder for your book of choice.

A very minimalistic bookshelf.

Earthy vases...a possible craft project?

The perfect reminder for someone as forgetful as me. 

Something that makes me think of my dad. 

Just about the coolest idea.

...all these products can be found HERE

This will keep you entertained. It makes me feel like I'm actually musically talented....kind of....

Baby, It's Cold Outside

This photograph makes me feel at peace, and letting myself get re-enveloped in the moments I spent alone in forrest preserves photographing help melt away the stress of finals. As the wind would hit my face and all I could smell was the cold air and the distant fireplaces blazing with warmth, happiness and comfort rushed through me. My college town is not known for getting too much snow (sadly it's a rare occasion) but just the other day, as I walked out of my dorm onto the sidewalk, little white snowflakes fell upon my black wool coat, and I couldn't help but smile even though plenty of people seemed bitter over the fact that it was so cold. I have a little over a week left and then I'll be done with my finals; then all I will have left to do is play in the snow, read, write, and spend time with everyone I've missed so dearly back home. I cannot wait.

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If my air freshener was a picture, it'd be this picture. 

Lavender & Chamomile.
(look at the full size image)

Thanksgiving.

As I slipped through my front door, hauling in all of my luggage, I couldn't help but feel overjoyed to be with my family. This holiday has been spent drinking countless mugs full of steaming chamomile tea, snuggling under my favorite blue plaid blanket on the couch with Elf or Harry Potter filling up the screen, and talking about life with my family while the smell of cookies in the oven filled the air. As I sit here in the living room, dreading packing up all my stuff again, I feel incredibly thankful for the life I've had and the wonderful people that have always been there for me. Leaving again will be hard, and I'm sure I'll shed a tear or two on the bus ride back to school, but I couldn't have had a better holiday to be thankful for. 

Iron & Wine.

First off, apologies for my absence. School has been taking over my life and for a while there, my day to day schedule was going to class, eating, studying, and sleeping as much as I could. Splendid ey?

This last Saturday I ventured to St. Louis to see the Iron & Wine concert (which was sold out), and it was probably one of the best shows I've been a part of. Singer and songwriter, Samuel Beam, blew me away with his mesmerizing vocals and soft strokes of his guitar. It was simply breathtaking to see how spellbound everyone in the audience was as he began with soft whispers into the microphone, and the sounds slowly escalated throughout the show as colored lights galloped across the back curtain.  

My two current favorite songs from Iron & Wine:

"Boy With a Coin"

"Upward Over the Mountain"

This will make you feel like a kid again.

And maybe a really cool grown up. haha.

Coffee Exploration#1.

mmm. coffee & treats. 

"the soul of language"

Come Back When You Can - Barcelona
A Few Honest Words - Ben Sollee

Dreams Come True Girl - Cass McCombs

To Build A Home - The Cinematic Orchestra

Society - Eddie Vedder

Tiny Dancer - Elton John

Ghost Town - First Aid Kit

While My Guitar Gently Weeps - George Harrison

Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap

Upward Over the Mountain - Iron & Wine

Such Great Heights - Iron & Wine

Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Imagine - John Lennon

Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

Silvia - Miike Snow

Come As You Are - Nirvana

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths

Set the Fire to the Third Bar - Snow Patrol & Martha Wainwright

John Wayne Gacy Jr. - Sufjan Stevens

Chicago - Sufjan Stevens

Casmir Pulaski Day - Sufjan Stevens

Romulus - Sufjan Stevens

Brand New Day - Van Morrison
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes

Each of these songs makes life a little better. 

Water.

Local Natives
aka the band I saw this past week.

Can anyone recognize this band? I saw them this week, and they were phenomenal. 

(Answer will be posted within the week.)

Coffee is just THAT epic.

PS. White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha.....yum.

TOMS.

TOMS = incredibly comfortable.

Walking everywhere on campus is no longer dreadful

and.....

it's sweater weather - I couldn't be happier!

Current Favorites.

These all make me incredibly happy.

Chicago - Sufjan Stevens

Romulus - Sufjan Stevens

Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons

Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons

Like the Wheel - The Tallest Man On Earth

Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare - Matt & Kim

Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap

Silvia - Miike Snow

Come As You Are - Nirvana

Oh hey, Google. You're pretty entertaining today.

My Excuse...

I just logged onto Blogger to see that it's been weeks since I've blogged last and I'm so embarrassed, but I do have an excuse...I'm in college! I moved into my dorm a week ago and classes started yesterday so things have been rather hectic and I've spent a lot of my time meeting the lovely people on my floor, exploring downtown, and simply getting settled. Once I clean up around here I'll post a picture of my side of the room, and in all honesty, even though the space is small, I loveeee my room. The walls are covered in posters and it feels so comfortable (I even have a little bouquet of flowers my parents sent to me for my first day of school even though they are 7 hours away). Expect some college tips and some of my favorite things soon; time for class!

The possible tattoo.

If I get a tattoo, I want it to be a peacock feather, representative of patience and kindness, with the word "Imagine" in Bulgarian along its' edge.

(Imagine by John Lennon is my favorite song, it's everything.)

What's in my bag?

The things in my bag are...

2 notebooks (black & a collaged one I made)

travel sudoku

Quo Vadis Planner

Sony Cybershot 

Ms. Manicure nail files

Purell hand sanitizer

LG Chocolate Touch

iTouch

Forever21 blotting sheets

Orbit gum 

mini toothbrush/toothpaste

Apple earphones

pen/pencil

travel dictionary

wallet (from UO)

cheap wayfarers 

floral eyeglasses sleeve

floral makeup bag

Bath & Body Works Lotion (White Citrus)

house key (mini Swiss Army knife & Coca Cola key chain)

I always have a book (or two) with me, but both were on my dresser when I took this picture. I'm currently reading Generation Me by Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D. and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Let me know what you have to always have in your bag!

La vie est chic.

"Color my life with the chaos of trouble."

I love them, oh so much. This particular song was referenced in one of my favorite films, 500 Days of Summer. 

Nifty.

A project done by artist Helmut Smits. How nifty is this?

Change has the ability to erupt an importance into those particular things in our life as the rest is given the opportunity to trickle down into the darkness of forgotten moments. 

Crafting: numéro 1.

I am not sure how many stylish women are fans of backpacks, but I can't imagine many, I surely was not...until I came upon a plethora of leather backpacks online. The dilemma? Leather backpacks can run a little steep haha. After countless hours searching websites, I found a leather backpack of good size and reasonable pricing; it's plain black with three outside pockets and one big one. As much as I love black accessories, I'm thinking this one with need a little interest so today I'm shuttling over to Jo-Ann Fabrics and stocking up on some goodies. One of my best friend's, Kelsey, and I are going to get fabrics for throw pillows we're going to make for our dorms and I'm going to get supplies to make pins for my new backpack (like peacock feathers and fun buttons). Maybe I'll post some pictures of my crafting? Who knows. See, you can even make things chic (:


La vie est chic. 

Searching for Sir Schwinn.

I hope to look this fly riding my bike around campus. 

(I am currently searching for a bike online. Hooray!)

Inspiration Pad.

It's called the Inspiration Pad. I want it.

Buy it here.

Teen Vogue: Demi Lovato.

What a beautiful job Teen Vogue did with the photo spread in their latest issue. Bravo. 

The Reverse Graffiti Project.

I am stealing this from a friend's blog; she posted it and I fell in love with it.

(PS. It's an advertisement, but it's still the essence of what greatness is today.)

Project.

Do you smell that? That's the smell of creative energy! I'm not sure what quite came over me (it was probably my flipping through my dear friend's sketchbook), but I got home from work tonight, and just wanted to draw my heart out. Well, I sketched and flipped through pictures I've collected over time and made a small blue notebook my inspiration notebook. The front is now decorated, and I'm going to fill it with things that inspire me. So far I have a picture I drew with gold ink and a snapshot of an old car in front of a gorgeous landscape. Eventually it'll be filled with beautiful things and each flip through it will leave me with a pleasant buzz of creative surges....  (:

Strumming my imaginary cords.

I would really like to learn how to play the guitar. The acoustic guitar. A friend of mine learned on the electric guitar, all on his own, and recommended I start out on the acoustic, so I'm on the search for a cheap one, and I will then utilize the website that can teach you anything: YouTube.

This picture was the perfect way to share this with you all. Plus, it's kind of incredible. (I secretly wish I could steal a guitar from it, haha...)

Books.

Books hold so much more than just words. They hold stories and emotions and moments that consume you as the reader, allowing words to leap off of the page and entirely envelope you. That is why I love books so much. 

Stay...it's Diet Coke + Sweet Disposition!

Not only do I love Diet Coke, but the song Sweet Disposition has been a favorite of mine for quite some time, ever since I saw (500) Days of Summer. What a truly splendid advertisement.

My Summer Goal List

1) Update this blog more frequently. I cannot be more ashamed of how many times I have promised more material to all you lovely followers, and not succeeded in following through. Now it is summer, the summer before college, and I plan on updating this blog a few times a week, maybe I can even write on here every other day. I cannot promise that it will all be fashion related, but I will do my best, I promise. 

2) Read, a lot. I feel like doing this will not be a challenge in the slightest bit. I have for some time been compiling a list of books I want to read, and my vanity area is full of books I've found at book stores on sale that sparked an interest. I have a thing for bookstores, I love them, but I never ever buy books at full price anymore. I always scavenge for clearance reads and buy cheap books off of Amazon and in used book stores, and I love it. I also make use of my library, but I prefer owning books, preferably used. (Would brief book reviews be of interest to any of you? Let me know.)

3) Find groovy and cheap deals. As weird as this sounds, I was incredibly tempted to use a bunch of vintage slang in this post, but I resisted haha. With college coming up next semester, my "goal" for this summer is to save money, which means my coffee runs need to stop. The plan you ask? Figure out how to make great coffee drinks at home whilst visiting mostly thrift shops and occasionally normal stores in search of sales. I actually went to Salvation Army recently to discover a gorgeous earthy toned man sweater for $2 and a set of three floral make up bags for $1.50. Yay! (And yes, I do indeed wear men's clothes, I love them, but they need to be worn a certain way to look ok...would that be of interest to anyone?)

4) Get ready for college. There is so much I need to accomplish before moving for school. My main focus? Buying stuff for my dorm! I've already figured out how I want to decorate it: a mesh of Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie styles, made into a bedroom. If I actually buy anything from either store, it'll be clearance items, but the general idea is to have my room be kind of "hippie" feeling and earthy, with plenty of posters of bands and a collage I'm working on right now. (And no worries, I will continue writing here, even in college.)

Here is a link to the Urban Outfitters web page for all their duvets and quilts; I love almost every single one.

I'm sure I have plenty other things I want to accomplish this summer, but for now, this is my list. I'll probably think of something else I want to get done tomorrow and fret over the fact that I forgot to include it, but that's ok, maybe I can add more in new posts? We'll see (:

This end is the beginning.

“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am not a fan of conformity, not in the slightest bit. I actually like that I have grown to be content with exactly who I am, and that I have come to terms with the fact that regardless of what people think, there is absolutely no reason to change what I look like, what I think, or what I act like. I feel like this is often overlooked in high school, the idea of being yourself. So many times kids are pressured into the image of what they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to want, and the cliche of "peer pressure" comes into play, as their surroundings mold them into someone they are expected to be. But sometimes, kids break from the mold and experience something else, something I feel I went through in high school. I started out conforming like everyone else, wearing unoriginal branding and fading into the crowd, but then I started to question why I wanted to do this. Why was it that I was acting and dressing like everyone else? Really, I had no good reason. So I stopped caring about what everyone else thought. It wasn't an all of a sudden change, it took time, but eventually it happened for me, I grew to be fully content with myself. Ultimately that made my life so much better because once you've found yourself, you find out what and who really matters to you, what is worth your time and love. The process amazed me, and I can say that I am truly happier now than I have been in a long long time. 


I graduate from high school tomorrow, on May 29th, 2010. This end is the beginning of so much more. 

Amongst the endless branches.

“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.”           Albert Einstein 

I love trees. I am not sure what it is, but they inspire thought. I think it is nature in general. There are so many aspects to this planet that we as humans overlook, and it is truly tragic. This summer I'm going to spend as much time as possible outside with my camera and my notebook, sitting endlessly by the river or up in a tree. It will be a time of exploration - figuratively and literally. I cannot wait. 

Across the Universe

I found myself watching Across the Universe, and each time I watch this film, I fall in love with it all over again. I not only dream of the "hippie era" - the fashion, the music, and the need to change all that is wrong, but this movie revolves around The Beatles most famous songs which just happens to be my favorite band of all time. This last performance was the perfect end to such a phenomenal film, and although the video quality is too wonderful (it's the best I could find with just his performance) it will do. I recommend to all of you who are fans of the time period and The Beatles to go and check out this movie, asap. I hope you love it as much as I do...

Days as a photographer.

My little farmland area has grown on me so much in these last few months; I love just getting in the car, and driving and just exploring. Today I actually drove to the forest preserve, and then explored beyond that, about 15 miles south, and although I felt lost at one point, I was at ease with the uncertainty the road held, a vast expanse, an never-ending road full of endless possibilities. 

Lovely, yes?

J.Crew came out with a new catalog, can you say l-o-v-e? I was absolutely smitten with the new range of pieces; some held a very dainty touch whereas others surfaced on the edgier side, and I adore a mix of the two. This picture not only was entirely provoking; the bib necklace is without a doubt one of the most beautiful ones I have seen in quite some time, and combined with the ruffled blouse, flushed pink lip, and messy hair - a cohesive yet contradictory look is created. 

And remember, like always, la vie est chic.

Any questions? Contact me at la.vie.est.chic@gmail.com

Black, White, and Red all over.

My very first outfit post. As I sit here typing this, I am thrilled about posting more outfits on here in the future...I feel like so much of the time, it is easy to shift from a fashion blogger to just typing away about whatever floats across my mind, so posts like these help me get back on track.

Contents:

Faux Leather Jacket (TJMaxx)

The Beatles tee (Salvation Army)

Scarf (gifted)

Silver flower ring (gifted)

Black Skinny Jeans (Macy's?)

Shoes (Chinese Laundry via TJMaxx)

The shoes I am wearing here, oh gosh, I love them. I am already tall (5'10) but with these killer extra four inches, I feel so sexy; I've been afraid and embarrassed about my height for as long as I can remember, but within the last year, I finally have learned to embrace it, or else I am wasting time fretting over something I cannot change about myself. So I challenge you all to come to terms with something about yourself that you have always disliked; it's a healthier way to look at yourself and will honestly make life that much better. 

And remember, like always, la vie est chic.

Any questions? E-mail me at la.vie.est.chic@gmail.com

"Music is the vernacular of the human soul."

As I rummaged through endless photos on the internet, I finally came upon this beauty. It's an old, diminished piano in a wrecked building in Detroit. Something about this photo sparked inspiration within me; it's separate from regular pianos in the essence that it is sad and curious and beautiful. I imagined this as a piano that soulful singers played on in some underground jazz club years ago, so ever since coming upon this wreckage, I have been listening to the music that makes me think of this piano, and it's been lovely; jazz is unlike any other kind of music, it sinks into your core and makes you think and feel in ways others genres do not because it contains so much thought, passion, and soul behind each note.


Here are some of my favorite songs of the week:


I Fall in Love Too Easily - Frank Sinatra
J'ai Deux Amours - Madeline Peyroux
Sweet Loraine - The Nat "King" Cole Trio
The Lady is a Tramp - Frank Sinatra
Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Bublé


And remember, like always la vie est chic.
Any questions, e-mail me at la.vie.est.chic@gmail.com

Days as a photographer.

I have, for quite some time, been certain of my future. I knew after college, I'd scoot myself off to New York City and works towards becoming a writer for Nylon Magazine, but lately, I've been swimming in a pool of new direction. I still want to write, and I always will; it's an expression of my uncensored emotions and thoughts when I need it to be, and I am able to fully explain things I wish to. However, photography has quietly crept upon me, and I have found myself taking more pictures than usual. Well, today, I went out for a few hours and drove around the area I live and took an array of images in the forest preserve, the park, random places on the side of the road, and down by the river.

Somehow, today became one of my favorite days I have spent in Illinois. I drove and walked around for hours, no longer just looking at my surrounding, but seeing them, taking them in, and appreciating all that I constantly overlook. I have never been a nature girl, although my whole life, it's been forced upon me by my father, who if he had the choice, would move to a little house in the mountains; this idea which seemed ridiculous to me in the past, has now grown into a beautiful thing I'd love to do.

Today I realized what's important to me, in a sense. I feel so many times I am not as observant as I should be, and that bothers me. As I took in my surroundings and just how beautiful things can be, something happened in me. I don't know how to explain it, but I felt like for the first time I realized something. I realized that I wanted as many people as possible to feel what I felt today. As cliche as it is, I felt one with my surroundings as a walked through the paths in the forest, I was so entirely at peace with myself and life, which is something I have not felt in quite some time. Today's photography endeavor was so incredibly therapeutic, that along with writing about it here, I feel completely revitalized. I hope you enjoy these, and if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at la.vie.est.chic@gmail.com

And remember, like always, la vie est chic.

Food for the Soul

Lately, I have found myself, more so than usual, consumed with music. I have always had a passion for music, it's a huge part of my life; I rely on it when I am having an off day, or when I just want to have fun and be a goof-ball. I constantly am on the prowl for new artists that spark my interest, so here are some of my new and old favorites:

1) Set the Fire to the Third Bar - Snow Patrol & Martha Wainwright
Can I be in love with this song? Because I am. Many times, I search for a song that perfectly encompasses my emotions and inner thoughts that no one knows about, and for the first time in a long time, this song does that for me. I love that this song is slower in nature, but the chorus speeds up the tempo; I want to thank someone very dear to me for telling me about this song, because it truly is one of my new favorite songs.

2) Boy With A Coin - Iron & Wine
The same person who showed me #1 showed me this song, and once again, this is a wonderful song. It's a mix between alternative and folk and the instrumental sounds along with the voices of the artists are mesmerizing.

3) Crosstown Traffic - Jimi Hendrix
For those of you who have not listened to Jimi Hendrix, PLEASE go look him up as soon as you can. He is known for his incredibly skill when it comes to guitar and upbeat melodic songs; he is one of my all time favorite artists and has been since I discovered him a few years ago.

4) The Beatles
I guarantee that you have all at least heard at the least heard of the Beatles. The Beatles are my favorite band, and even after going through a phase of listening to solely them for a month or two, a couple years ago, I still consider them as my favorite, and they probably always will remain my favorite. A few songs, and personal favorites, to check out: Hey Jude, Help!, Across the Universe (also an exceptional film, although a bit odd), Hello Goodbye, and Penny Lane.

5) It Don't Move Me - Peter Bjorn and John
This is a random group that I actually had in my cherished iTunes library, but that I hadn't listened to. The same guy with the wonderful recommendations of #1 and #2 mentioned this group to me, and I had two of their songs and listened to them, and this song had a bit of a rock/techno/alternative edge, which was great to discover.

6) 1901 - Pheonix
I got this song a while back but discovered it within the last few months, and it was on repeat for quite some time, haha. It's alternative but has strong beats of electronic vibes and then more mellow sounding rock parts; all around, it's a fun song to turn up and drive to.

7) Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
You will either love this song, or you will despise it. It's electronic with Alvin and the chipmunks sounds in the beginning and a high pitched lead singer and techno beats in the background; nevertheless, I am a huge fan.

8) Animal - Miike Snow
Again, this song is electronic/techno sounding, but it's very upbeat with fun sounds fluttering throughout, so I like it.

9) Come Back When You Can - Barcelona
Another friend of mine told me about this song, and the second I listened to it on Youtube (screw 30 second trials on iTunes, Youtube it!), I loved it. Just like "Set the Fire to the Third Bar", it is slow throughout but the chorus speeds up the tempo; I really like the lyrics.

10) Lions! - Lights
This last one is my current favorite song from this newly discovered artist; this artist is Canadian, and just now emerging because she is on tour with Owl City andI have like Owl City even before he, it's a man and his computer, became a fad and every 13 year old was a fan. I am going to  the Owl City concert in Chicago in April and Lights is on tour with him, so I am rather excited for that! Lights' sound has a slight electronic edge, nevertheless, some songs are very soft and emotional.

I hope these recommendations are helpful to any of you looking for new music like I always am; let me know what your favorites are in the comments.

Have a question? E-mail me at la.vie.est.chic@gmail.com

And remember, like always, la vie est chic.

Stabbed, Sore, Sick....Suddenly inspired.

First, I'd like to say Happy New Year to all my lovely subscribers...I want to apologize about my absence for the last month; I got caught up in the spirit of the holidays, and school started up again, and I found myself short on time...

This last week has been rather eventful. I was blessed with a long weekend due to the much awaited end of finals and I was left with no homework, so I was given a chance to spend time with my best friend, Caroline, the first day of weekend, and time with a group of girls where we sat around all night and watched caddy movies till the wee hours of the morning. Then I went to Chicago with my family for a perfect day, and saw the new Diamond exhibit at the Field Museum, and also scored a gorgeous new dress at UO (Would like to see photos of my outfits?). Sunday night rolled around and I had the urge to bake but I was incredibly lazy, and settled for boxed brownie mix; as always, they were delicious but all the ones around the edges were stuck, so I began digging them out with a knife, and sadly, this stupid decision led to accidentally stabbing myself in the hand. I am ok now, but I also put myself through an intense work out session two days later, and I left myself in the condition of barely functioning, barely able to walk up the stairs. And to top off this week, I got home last night with a headache and I felt completely awful; so today I spent the day at home, drinking tea, sleeping, and catching up on my favorite bloggers. Although I felt incredibly gross and my head was throbbing, I was left  with a lot of inspiration for new outfits and the urge to wear things I haven't touched in months. This photo, courtesy of The Sartorialist, left me incredibly inspired and yearning to wear pumps.

Aren't her shoes perfect? I am dying for a pair like that to wear with my new UO dress, a perfect combination? I think so. And remember, like always, la vie est chic.

Any questions or if I want to see something specific, let me know at la.vie.est.chic@gmail.com