couldn't live without it in 2007

Wow, the end of the year sure crept up on me. I was going to break this category down into health/beauty and fashion, but tomorrow is the deadline for 2007...no one wants to read about 2007 once the calendar flips to '08!

For skin care, my best find was the seaweed line from The Body Shop.

I have always battled with horrible skin. Tetracylcline, Minocycline, and every other --cycline; clearasil, neutrogena, Proactiv, Dr. Murad; Retin-A, Benzaclin, Differin, Suphera, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, soap-and-washcloth only, and finally even Accutane have left me frustrated. I was fortunate enough to never have the full-face deep acne that leaves scars, but any girl who deals with acne knows how depressing it is and how hard it is to feel pretty when your face is dull/oily/bumpy. I don't know if it's partly due to age, but my skin has really been looking better this year. I really enjoy the seaweed scrub (I use it twice daily, it is very gentle), the daytime mattifying lotion, and the nighttime exfoliating moisture gel.

To stay healthy, I try and drink Emergen-C everyday.

It's great for people like me who can't eat a big breakfast first thing in the morning. I just have a glass of this, eat a small breakfast late morning/early afternoon, and I haven't even gotten a cold this year (knock on wood) thanks to the 1000 mg of Vitamin C in each packet.

Somewhere out there, at this very moment, a beauty editor is writing the words, "The best mascara EVER is still Maybelline GreatLash"!! And then I will read these words, and it will make me barf. Why? I despise Maybelline GreatLash! It has a small little brush and is very clumpy. I have only bought it twice in my life, admittedly not recently, but this year I tried out a lot of new mascaras. I do agree that DiorShow is amazing, but the $23/a tube price tag is hard to swallow for a mascara-holic like me. That's why I was so excited when I found MAC Plush Lash. It is only $11, but has the big fat brush that I loved in DiorShow. It is very smooth and silky, and I haven't had a single problem with clumping or flaking.

My favorite accessory this year? Headbands!

I have really strayed away from wearing noticeable jewelry, so a great way to spice up your look is with a little headband. I'm a fan of everything from a thin black Alice band to a thicker, embellished band. I have been even more inspired since headbands became a part of Blair Waldorf's signature look.


Working retail is killer on your feet. I have come to depend upon Dr. Scholl's foot powder to ease friction, and Body Shop's foot care scrub and thick peppermint lotion. Without that lotion, I could never wear strappy shoes again!

Skinny jeans are definitely not new, but this year I have become obsessed with them and find myself snubbing my nose at the flare-leg pants in my closet. I am not a skinny-mini, but I think they're flattering and so much more fashionable than the flare legs of high school girls. Every pant I bought this year had a straight leg, and hopefully they will stay en vogue for years to come.

2007 has been a crazy year for me, and I'm especially excited to see what 2008 will bring both fashionably and personally. Blogging has been such a fun experience so far and I'm sure it will only get better. Anyway, I won't get too mushy here!! What were your favorite things this year?

merry christmas, darling

As I patiently wait for Santa to bring my brothers their PS3 with Rock Band so I can play it all day, I wanted to wish everyone a very merry Christmas from Lola & me.

that extra half an inch

My sister came home for Christmas and handed me this book. She knows I love all things Beckham (I'm not embarrassed!) and so is letting me borrow her copy of That Extra Half an Inch.

I spent about an hour browsing through the book so far, and I have to say, it's pretty amusing. Some fun facts about Posh:

-She gets acrylics on her toes in the summer
-She likes to ski, but won't wear those bulky ski goggles
-Her infamous "I have never finished a book" quote was misinterpreted by a reporter after she said that since she has become a mum, she has been so busy that she hasn't finished a single book
-She showers and carries out her complete beauty regimen 2x a day
-She does not let her face get tan

There are actually lots of good tips in there. She urges us not to spend money on trendy items, but to always buy good quality in staples such as denim, boots, and a black dress. She talks about really thinking through an outfit before wearing it. Don't be guilty of just throwing on a shirt because it's on top of the pile and you're too lazy to keep looking for a more suitable option. Pay attention to the little details that make a big difference in your look- clean shiny nails, frizz-less hair, and moisturized skin.

Although she is over-the-top, I have loved Posh since she bopped around the screen in "Wannabe" and will probably always love her. In the book her tone is playful yet knowledgeable, and I will definitely continue reading her book and hopefully pick up some more glam tips.

pre-christmas bits

I'm getting very excited for Christmas Eve --in my family, it is our "big night" with a king crab-leg feast, lots of homemade drinks & treats, and opening presents (except Santa's, of course).

I started getting in the real holiday spirit during my final mall trip, where I picked up these little pre-christmas goodies:


I got 2 of the little French penguin mug/plate sets from Anthropologie, where they were 1/2 off. While there I also picked up this little papier-mache box, which is perfect for keeping my stray jewelry from being strewn all over my dresser (also 1/2 off).



These silver brocade shoes are from Forever 21 -- I know! -- for only $20. I just had to have them, though. My Nana had shoes exactly like these from the 50s. The only problem with hers is their AAA narrow width. My slightly-wider-than-average feet can't handle that, so I'm glad I found these shoes that give me fond memories of dressing up in Nana's fabulous vintage party clothes.

I wore them out last night to see Sweeney Todd. It was incredibly enjoyable. I loved the songs, they had a lot of very subtle humor. There was a couple sitting in front of us who obviously weren't expecting a full-blown musical, and walked out after about the first 10 minutes of solid singing. I think it's the kind of movie that you really have to see in the theater- the dark, convincing atmosphere is best experienced when larger-than-life. If you go see it, be sure to watch for Mrs. Lovett's "By the Sea" montage. Hilarious.

I of course have to work tomorrow (dreading it), but hopefully you don't. Have a great Christmas Eve, everyone.

christmas shopping

with a free day on my hands, I made a trek to the mall for the little odds & ends that would signal the END of my Christmas shopping. What trek it was-- my usual 15 minute drive time took almost an hour, and even singing along loudly with The Clash, Led Zepplin, & Timbaland would not ease my creeping road rage.

On the bright side, I was in and out in about 2 hours and my Christmas shopping is completely done. For some reason, the whole mall smelled like gingerbread so it made things a little more bearable. I had to stop by Forever 21 to see if they had the moose sweater (they didn't), Urban Outfitters for my sister's stocking stuffers, and Neiman Marcus for stuff to pamper my main squeeze. My outfit today was definitely inspired by the Blair look on Gossip Girl, but I of course kept my own style so that I wasn't running around looking like a complete Blair-wannabe with my curled hair, headband, collared shirt, skinny jeans, and leopard print peep-toes:



I tried on a topper that would go with a prep school ensemble, and loved it:


But again, I could not justify a purchase only a mere 3 days before Christmas, especially one that is slightly too heavy to be useful in Florida.


And although I did not find the moose sweater of my Christmas dreams, I found another ugly sweater that is still on my mind-

old man stripes, orange mixed with gray and brown, two different patterns; it is great. If my Christmas bounty doesn't include a sweater, I'll probably be back.

I have to admit that I spent a little bit of money on myself today, just not on any clothes, to congratulate myself. I got a surprise last night in the form of my LSAT scores, more than a week and a half before scheduled arrival. They weren't tip-top Harvard-worthy, but they were certainly okay (possibly worthy of the majority of schools numbered 15 and higher), and I feel immense relief. I think I can now say with (cautious) certainty that I will get into a law school. I found a few little treasures that are in no danger of encroaching on my Christmas list gifts, and I'll be sure to post them tomorrow.

Good luck to anyone who dares venture out into the surely crazy crowds tomorrow!

freakin' shopbop

If any of you are like me, and if you're reading this you probably are (sorry), then this will excite you:

new winter markdowns at shopbop.

we're talking primo stuff here. They even have my previously-posted shirt on sale. But it's going fast, folks. I put a sub-$200 Marc by Marc handbag into my wishlist, and it's already sold out. It's probably for the better, though, since my bank account is seriously suffering from Christmas drain and I don't need a single thing. Leave it to shopbop to make me doubt my much-needed shopping hiatus!

ew. ew.

Does anyone else hate all the old navy commercials this winter? The new one is so bad (besides the puppies) that it just makes me angry:



The entire store is one nautical-fest right now, with bright spring colors. It doesn't feel like Christmas at all in there. And rugby polos a la Abercrombie '03? I don't get it.

EDIT: the bow tied onto the basketball?? doesn't it totally look CGI'ed? lol.

I can't decide, though, if it's better or worse than last week's commercial:



Yes, that is a shirtless guy playing with a baby. Plus, 3 girls hanging out, one in her underwear. I'm sorry but I can't stand that pants-less model. She is up all over the store and I'm sure she's beautiful, but the art directors just make her look insanely creepy/alien-like (and not in a good Gemma way. Just a bad, scary alien way). It doesn't help that the clothes she's wearing are, um, butt ugly. I don't know if I've just been around them now for too long, but I can really see how shoddy the quality is in that store. There are a few exceptions here and there, like that Mike & Chris knockoff or this blouse, but everything else just falls apart so quickly, some of it even disintegrating right in the store. We have loads & loads of cotton sweaters that already have gapes between the weave and they stretch out as soon as you try them on. Their pants fit horribly, their "dressy" fabrics are thin, bunchy, and wrinkly, and they try to portray a whole image of good quality.

I understand that some of it will work in a pinch, and sure, it's an okay place for athletic socks, undershirts, and dog toys. But the more I'm there, the more I realize that it's just not good clothing. It seems like the company was on the up-and-up, with better things flooding the store during the last couple years, but maybe it was just a phase. I don't know why this makes me so angry, but I just feel like so many of the customers are getting ripped off. Plus, at every turn there is an associate cramming a credit card down your throat. Can't be a pleasant experience.

Could it be that I am almost cured of quick-fix shopping? Well, maybe, except for that Forever 21 moose sweater, haha.

shooting stars

After a long day of working 2 retail jobs back-to-back and getting home after midnight, I was walking my dog in an angry huff. As I was pleading with her to do her business quickly, I looked up into the too-hot-for-December sky and gasped. A shooting star! It was so big and bright, it startled me at first. In the split second that I realized what it was, I got my thoughts together and made one huge wish. And no, I'm not telling what it was!

After seeing the star, I felt completely exhilarated. I like to think the star was meant for me--I mean, how many other people could have seen it in that one millisecond? It was a personal sign that everything (bad job, unsure future) is going to be fine.

But, on second thought, maybe I should have wished for one of these items. Especially the shoes and the dress--I am completely in love with it!


(more item details here.)

hang up the mistletoe

yowza! I have got to pick up the pace if I'm going to make it to 100 entries by 2008. I guess I've been caught up in the craziness of trying to get awesome, unique gifts for everyone I know, and the depression of working everyday at a job that I hate. Yes, it's official, I hate my job. I came to this realization after hours of fantasizing about walking out in dramatic ways, or being fired and getting to act like a martyr.

Little girls, if you are reading this, never, EVER think to yourself, "oh, I'll be perfectly happy going from an honors political science student to a retail worker, at the command of people who have never gone to college. It is, of course, only temporary." Trust me. (This is not an insult to non-college-goers, but I have put my whole life's energy into my education, and it kills me a little bit each day to be at a job that utterly wastes it).

I have been trying to come up with subtle ways to let my headmaster troll boss know that I loathe the ground they walk upon. Maybe I should wear the same outfit every single day?

day 1.

day 2. what, my smile doesn't look sincere?

day 3.

day 4.

day 5.


This is the best I can come up with so far. I know, I know, passive-aggressive is not the way to go. But until I find a new job that also has full health insurance, I don't want to completely burn my bridges by voicing my true feelings. (If anyone else has retail horror stories, we should totally commiserate and share the gory details).

Sorry for the grim posting, but I have some fun ones coming up! It's the end of the year, so everyone knows it's time for YEAR-END COUNTDOWN LISTS!

Also, I have finally given up my desperate attempt to find a semi-formal party to attend, the sole purpose of which was to find a reason to buy a pretty dress. Instead, I have focused on finding a family-appropriate outfit for our gathering-round-the-piano, presents-opening, and Apples-to-Apples-playing festivities. I am thinking this sweater with my new velvet pants:

Yes, I am so predictable. I absolutely adore anything holiday-kitschy, and I am notorious among my friends for having one too many shirts or accessories with animals on them in some shape or form.

I better decide quickly...only 2 weeks til the big day!

back to fashion, for now

Well, the test is over, thank you to everyone who gave me good wishes! I definitely needed every last one, but alas I don't know if the good feelings were enough to save my sorry, mushy brain. More than 5 hours of mind-numbing testing, and it was such a blur that I don't really know how well I did. I think I totally bombed one section, but maybe made up for it in the other 5? We'll see...I need to know if I should be aiming for the likes of George Washington/Wash.U or more along the lines of SUNY Buffalo/U. of Utah! haha...no offense to any school, I will be happy if I get in anywhere.

SO, being the vain little person I am, felt deserving of a reward just for completing the test. I went to Neiman's Last Call in hopes of finding some new skinny jeans. It was very slim pickings, but I did find some beautiful Vince velvet skinny pants for $60.

They fit like a glove, and will be pretty festive if I dress them up, but I think they can work for everyday wear too.



I tried them on with this top, and it looked awesome, but the top was still $78 and I just couldn't justify that. But let me know if it goes on sale at shopbop, mmmmk?

Ok, it's been awhile so I need to jump back in and catch up with all the wonderful blogs out there, and get a move on my holiday shopping....and with all the crazy traffic around the malls here, I think I will be staying exclusively online!