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