All About Nail Polish

I’ve very recently come upon a new obsession. It kind of does have to be called an obsession, too, because my affection is completely unbounded by reason. I like painting my nails a whole lot more than I ever would’ve thought probable or possible. It’s a bit of therapy, I suppose – when I’m tired and need to cool my brain off for a while, I watch a show (thanks so much to whoever invented Netflix and/or Hulu!) and paint my nails. I’m not at all a patient person, so normally I can’t stand waiting for polish to dry, and I also have the attention span of a toddler, so being able to combine two of my great loves – nail polish and tv – into one wonderful study break is just about the greatest thing I can think of. I paint my nails probably every other day, which is endlessly fun but also terrible for my nails, so I’ll have to figure out how to cut back a bit one of these days, but I’m so enthusiastic about nail polish right now, I thought I would share my favorites!

We all carry these things…

We all carry these things inside that no one else can see. They hold us down like anchors. They drown us out at sea.

I love that quote. I’m to lazy to find out who it’s by, or what context it was written in, or anything like that. Which reminds me of another quote, which I saw in a terribly sentimental novel I read the other day (The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller): “Analysis destroys wholes. Some things, magic things, are meant to stay whole. If you look at their pieces, they go away.” So, not terribly relevant, but what I mean is this: sometimes when you like something it doesn’t matter at all if you know anything at all about it. Just liking things ignorantly is nice. All that to say, I quite like that quote. It also reminds me of the idea that humans can never truly connect to each other because we’re all too much inside of ourselves and can’t break out. Illustrative quote: “We’re all sentenced to solitary confinement inside our own skins, for life.” – Tennessee Williams. That’s how I feel a lot of the time. I’m just so darn bad at really connecting with people. Rather than facing the probable truth that I’m just socially-awkward, I like to think that I’m discovering one of the great points of life… everyone has a secret inner life no one else can see. I certainly feel that way. It’s wonderful when you can break down walls and show others those anchors, but generally you can’t and that’s just life.

Starting Off 2012 In Portland

After a hectic end of 2011 (dead week, finals, Winter break festivities, Christmas festivities, New Year festivities…) I’m finally having some relaxing time in 2012! I’m spending this week with my beloved cousins in Portland, OR. I’m very much looking forward to having some time with some of my favorite people and getting some post-Christmas shopping in!

Today I ran around Portland a bit, hitting a Buffalo Exchange and one of the malls – I saw a few things I QUITE liked but only got a pair of cheap aviators. I always break my sunglasses, so I’m limited to inexpensive ones. Tonight I’ll be watching movies and eating donut holes. Not the best start to the new year eating-wise, but oh well.

Speaking of the new year, I wish all of you a very happy 2012! The start of a new year is always such an exciting time. I feel as if anything could happen – dreams seem possible, wishes are closer than ever, and I get a fresh start on everything. This year I hope to run a marathon, finish my first year of college with solid grades, and strengthen my relationships with everyone around me. Also improve my wardrobe! And do something fin with my hair! And all sorts of other frivolous non-resolutions. Anyway, I’m starting my year of well and I’m excited for things to come.

Hypothetical Shopping Lusts for Winter

As I mentioned in my post about distracting yourself in Chemistry class, I’m a super huge fan of online shopping. Now, I’m a poor struggling college student. I can’t afford to buy myself anything. But I still love looking at clothes and thinking about what I would get if I could! So I present here my current lust list for Winter (click photos to go to the store website):

Cat slippers! But a bit more sophisticated than most slippers. I think these are just TOO adorable! They’re definitely going in my Christmas letter to Santa…. They also have them in navy and red and I think I might prefer the navy but it’s sold out – such is life. I do think this emerald is really beautiful though! I really need some cozy footwear and these would be perfect to wear around the house in Winter. ($28 from Topshop)

 

 

I do love sweaters. Fair Isle is so classic and I really like this particular sweater! I walk to class in like 30 degree weather every morning and my warm clothing stock is getting seriously overused, so it might be time to invest in some good/cute/cozy sweaters! I think this one would fit the bill nicely… ($34.95 at H&M)

 

 

Here are a couple of skirts from Zara I really like. I have a hard time with skirts and dresses because I have a VERY long torso and shorter legs so a lot of things are way too short. Plus, I’m honestly not ladylike enough to safely wear skirts. Winter is helpful, because you wear legging with everything, which makes an accidental flash a lot less likely, so I’m thinking I should give skirts another try. ($59.90 and $39.90 at Zara)

 

To answer any questions in advance, yes I do realize this is the most vomitously (I’m not sure that’s a word, but it should be) Barbie-like wallet probably ever. But that’s why it’s so great! I get too into only wearing drab colors and basic shapes and just not having anything FUN in my outfit. Well, this is fun. I also find it very charming – and if the pink is too much there’s also a nude/blush tone that’s a bit tamer. ($9.80 at F21)

 

 

Like I said, I have a hard time with dresses, and I can guarantee these would be too short on me. But I LOVE long sleeve minidresses! And these are so great – I like the sheer sleeves and everything a lot. Plus I’m both a huge fan of grey and the pattern, so I would be totally happy with either. And they’re so affordable! ($17.95 at H&M)

 

 

I can tend to wear very drab and basic things. But to me, I think that can be very chic. Black, grey, and navy are my favorite colors – I can’t really help that. I think that it only tends to a not-too-great goth side when your attitude is similarly dark or things aren’t classy, if you know what I mean. I love this coat! I think the graphite is great and the cut is lovely. It’s very feminine and has a really nice length – definitely on my wish list. ($169 at Zara)

 

 

These sort of sum up what sort of shoes I’ve decided I want – chunky black heels with some sort of visual interest. There are lots of good options out there, but here are two I found and QUITE like. ($69 and $59 at Urban Outfitters)

 

 

 

I really really am loving delicate, lacy things in general right now. I’ve always really like being feminine, but I think I’ve recently reached new highs of liking frilly, flimsy things. At the same time, I really am drawn to masculine or ‘tough’ shapes and things, but I think it’s a happy juxtaposition. Anyway, this shirt would be great under a coat. It also comes in a few colors – no idea which one I’d pick. ($59.50 at J.Crew)

 

 

So sparkly!! I love a classic shape with something INTERESTING about it. This is a very basic A-line dress but it has such wonderful glitter. I wish I could’ve worn this to prom…. ($250 at Topshop)

 

 

 

 

When I was younger, I remember having very strong feelings about animal print – particularly leopard print. I hated it. I think my main association was plastic trophy wives in Florida… I am happy to report I have moved on to having a good relationship with animal print. I’m especially partial to leopard and zebra! The idea of short sleeve sweaters has always confused me a bit, because that seems a bit self-defeating, but this is cute enough I’ll ignore that. ($49.90 at Zara)

 

 

These are two radically different bags from J.Crew… I had initially only intended to post the first bag here BUT then I saw the second and fell in lust so it had to go up too. Anyway, the first is smaller than my bags usually are but very chic and a lovely color. I could stand to downsize the amount of things I lug around, and this to me would be a very nice winter bag. And the second has a mermaid!! It might have to be reserved for vacations, though. Perhaps a mid-winter cruise? ($238 and $198 at J.Crew)

I want to cuddle up in a blanket by a fire with hot chocolate and a good book with a storm outside… wearing this sweater. It just looks so appropriately wintery and warm! I do appreciate a heathered grey. ($92 at Topshop)

 

 

 

I think the midi dress is going to be very big very soon. You already see it a lot in the upper echelons of society and on celebrities a lot, but I’m hoping it’ll trickle down! I really like the length of this dress, along with the whole lace-and-sheer thing. Definitely lust-worthy, as far as I’m concerned. ($27.80 at F21)

 

 

I’ve always wanted a leather jacket, but I’m too picky and too poor. I think both of these are really cool though! And a leather jacket would just be perfect for Winter – pair it with something feminine and it’s ultra-chic, or you could just go tough all the way and be wonderfully unapproachable and cool. Either way, I think it’s a win. ($99 at Urban Outfitters, $159 at Zara)

 

 

I’m the most finicky jewelry lover EVER. It’s so incredibly hard for me to find things I like. No, scratch that, it’s super easy for me to find jewelry I like, but very very difficult to find jewelry I would actually wear. I don’t think there’s any rhyme or reason to what appeals to me in jewelry – I can only give that horribly unsatisfying answer of, “I know it when I see it.” Anyway, I know I want these. ($16 at Urban Outfitters)

The Best Incognito Outfit Ever: and other gems from “How To Steal A Million”

If you haven’t seen this absolute gem of a movie, stop reading this right now and run out to your local video store (if those still exist?), rent it, watch it, and come back. I don’t think I’ve ever really heard How To Steal A Million talked about, but it really is great. Very silly, very fun, and both campy AND classy. Peter O’Toole is completely adorable, and Audrey Hepburn is at her most charming. The storyline is hilarious – lots of mad capers, art theft, secret agents, that sort of thing – but the real scene stealer is Ms. Hepburn’s wardrobe. It’s the best of the ’60s and Audrey just looks so darn cute in everything! Every time I watch this I want to dash out and refit my closet. (click on the photos to view larger)

The really iconic outfit is when Audrey meets the dashing Peter O’Toole at a restaurant. She thinks he’s a thief and intends to strike a deal with him, but all this must be hush-hush, so she dresses in her best undercover outfit. This consists of a black lace dress, black lace leggings, and a truly spectacular black lace mask. Obviously, this woman is a pro at going unnoticed. The whole thing is just so chic, though. I would absolutely wear it to a masquerade (because, you know, I go to a whole lot of those.) and it looks completely lovely. Also hilarious, given the context. Audrey’s up-do is also extremely classic and elegant, and her eye makeup is spectacular… What you can see of it through the mask, at any rate.

Another really wonderful look is a very mod ’60s navy peacoat with leggings and a striped scarf. A coat like that is what I need – it looks somewhat boxy and mannish, but I feel rather drawn to that. When you pair it with really feminine things like the gloves, tights, and bowed shoes, it looks exceptionally classy. I also love the sharp contrasts between the white scarf and gloves and the navy. Black gets old sometimes, but navy is a really solid option and doesn’t tend towards drab as black sometimes does. Once again, Audrey has fabulous big hair and great makeup – I think I need to go practice my cat-eye makeup skills.

Sometimes I wish it was a little more accepted to wear hats. This is just the greatest thing ever! Audrey speeds around in an adorable little car with her white sunglasses, coat, and hat, and it’s all so FUN. I think people who put effort into dressing up tend to either try to look terribly sexy, terribly chic, or terribly cool, and often completely forget about having fun with fashion. I think How To Steal A Million is really stylistically relevant because Audrey Hepburn was absolutely classiness exemplified  in the movie, but her outfits also had both a dose of drama, innocence, and whimsy. People forget to have a good time with what they’re wearing, so maybe it’s time to take some tips from Audrey Hepburn and throw on our most wonderfully fun outfits.

Things to do in a Chemistry Class that are more fun than learning chemistry

While Chemistry is fun and interesting and great, it gets a little boring when your professor endlessly reviews relatively simple concepts…. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not exactly a chemistry whiz, but sometimes things get a little dull during a 2 hour lecture, so I have to divert myself. Waiting for an appointment? In a tedious class? Ready to snap if you don’t get some distraction in your system? What can you do? Have no fear. Here are some wonderfully engrossing activities you can do at your desk.

1. Now would be a great time to test out your artistic ability. I’m guessing you have a notebook with you? It’s probably pretttty boring. Why not doodle it up? It doesn’t really matter if you’re a good artist or not, once you get enough drawings on a page it all looks good. Who knows? You might have some untapped talent.

2. Take a nap. You’re probably not getting enough sleep, so what better way to spend a spare hour or two? It’s surprisingly (to me, anyway, but then I’ve always been a picky sleeper) easy to get some shut-eye in a chair, and if you sit towards the back, then it shouldn’t be tough to keep a low profile. Go get that beauty rest!

3. I just thought of this, but it’s a great idea and one I intend to execute soon. You could totally paint your nails! It would work so well. Shove your favorite colors in your bag and you can take your sweet time doing an excellent manicure for yourself. Sure, you could get some odd looks, but they’ll turn to envious glances once you’re done. Who has an hour spare to do their nails? You do, now.

4. Catch up on your TV show! Once again, I recommend skulking in the back for this one. I would also recommend keeping one ear on the lecture in case you miss something important. But for you multi-taskers out there, this is a great way to go! Whip out your laptop and get yourself acquainted with all the latest developments on your show.

5. Not much better than actually paying attention, but you could always work on other homework or get some reading done. This is a good option because you look studious and indeed, you ARE studious, just perhaps not for the class you’re in. If you’re busy in one class, there’s not really much that’s more stressing than having to focus on something you understand when you really should be studying for that midterm tomorrow or catching up in that other class.

6. Silent Skype. Turn your volume off and get your chat box up! You can still see your buddy and talk to them (in writing). Better than texting, significantly less obvious than a phone call (probably shouldn’t try that in class), Skype with sound off is a good way to go.

7. Start penning that epic novel! You know there’s a great bestseller in you, time to release it. Hey, if you write a few pages a class you’ll be well on your way in no time! Contributing to your future success as a NY Times Bestseller list topping author is a lot more important than learning about moles (the chemistry kind, not the animal. The animal might actually be pretty fun to learn about…)

8. Hypothetical shopping. This is one of my favorite activities! I’m a poor, struggling to pay the rent college student, so I can’t really afford to buy myself much. I do love clothes and shopping though, so I spend an inordinate amount of time checking out my favorite stores online shops. I never actually buy anything (unless I bump into a free-shipping fifty-percent-off-everything sort of deal), but sometimes just picking out what I WOULD buy is the real fun, anyway.

I realize that 8 is NOT a typical number to end this sort of thing on, but I think I’m going to be okay with that. What I chose to do today during my Chemistry class was rot my brain on Facebook and write this blog post! Fun stuff. I also learned about entropy, but that’s of a sort of secondary importance….

XOXO

Alia

Once Upon a Time

I’m about the world’s biggest sucker for fairy tales. I love them all – Lang, Grimm, Andersen. I’m also a huge fan of this new trend for fairy tale reinterpretations in pop culture. There’s two Snow White movies coming out next year (Mirror, Mirror, and Snow White and the Huntsman) and two TV shows that recently premiered (Once Upon a Time and Grimm) that feature fairy tales. I’m overjoyed. I see this all as a natural progression – Harry Potter to Twilight to fairy tales. Magic and the idea of a happily ever after is such a great escape from our not-always-magical world. Granted, most of these adaptions have a significant dark side, but that just makes it that much more dramatic and compelling. There’s something about fairy tales that just draws you in…

I remember when the first Twilight movie came out a few years ago I read its review in the New Yorker. The line  from that review that has stuck with me since then is the description of the Pacific Northwest as ‘gloomily magnificent.’ What better counterpart for a beautiful love story or magical adventure than a cloudy melancholy? The dystopian has always had a lot of appeal, anyway, maybe because we assume something so dark must be really deep or cool or something.

Regardless of WHY the fantastic in pop culture is becoming so popular, I’m just happy to be along for the ride. My roommate and I have weekly dates to watch Once Upon a Time and it is so great. The show is really cheesy and heavy-handed with the drama, but that’s what fun TV is all about! If my life is boring and I’m dreaming of a magical adventure, I can live vicariously through Hulu or whatever in the world of Snow White! Last week’s episode was the (highly modified) story of Snow White and Prince Charming falling in love and it was about the cutest thing ever. I was oohing and ahhing my way through. Now I just have to wait for my own Prince to come sweep me off my feet!

XOXO

Alia

I found the lovely Snow White picture on Christopher Dombres‘ flickr.

I Suppose I Should Start With Myself….

Blogging seems so narcissistic in a lot of ways – “Ooooh, look at what fascinating thing I’ve posted about my life!” – but I still feel compelled to start one. Maybe I’m a closet narcissist after all. I do think, though, that this is going to be a lot of fun for me. It’s like journalling, except with; 1. A computer, 2. Fun tools, photos, and things to make posts more visually interesting, and 3. An unknown and probably non-existent audience. So, audience, if you’re out there, hello! This is my place to write about whatever I’m thinking about I think could be good to put on the internet. Gotta preserve my amazing insights for posterity right? Ha. Anyway, I imagine I’ll be writing about fashion, beauty, art, literature, movies, pop culture in general, and occasional vents about my life (I’m a prolific venter).

Well. On to about me, then. I’m newly a college student, so THAT’s interesting. I actually really love school, and I’m in the Honors College at my state school, so that’s fun and makes it a buit more challenging. I’m swimming through endless possibilities of majors and so far have made absolutely no decision – my problem isn’t lack of interests but WAY too many interests. I don’t know how I’m ever going to make an absolute decision to pick one (or two) subjects to focus on. I’ve always tended towards the areas art, literature, history, and humanities in general, but what I’ve learned in my short time in college is that I actually really quite like science, so we’ll see how all that pans out.

I have a remarkably dysfunctional functional family. My parents are lovely, as are my three siblings, but we have a very odd family vibe… Not really good or bad, just a lot of strange people living in close quarters. This year, though, I’ve headed out into the big world on my own and landed in a Christian girls’ co-op house. I live in a gigantic and beautiful old house (built in 1890 by my school’s first female Architecture graduate for the Tri-Delta sorority) owned by a church and inhabited by 46 girls, including myself. Everyone is really wonderful (no enemies yet!) and it’s a very welcoming and safe environment, which are both qualities you really appreciate after a long day in school. My room is up in the eaves on the 3rd floor. It’s tiny, but I love it. My bed is in the window alcove, so I have a great view of a huge old tree. It’s so nice this time of year with all the fall colors, and when the sun’s out the light plays through the leaves and it’s really pretty. I have a roommate who is completely great, I couldn’t be happier in that aspect!

I until recently HAD a boyfriend, but I ended that this summer and have since had an emotional roller-coaster of a relationship with my ex. We had wanted to stay friends, but he’s taken a very sharp turn in his life direction and is heading in areas that are not the best, so I’m no longer involved in his life. Now I’m focusing on my life, which is nice after a year+ of being so conscious of someone else. I’m dreaming of an epic romance – Mr. Darcy, knight in shining armor, swept off my feet sort of thing – but I’m in no rush to get there, so for now I’m happy being alone.

One really important thing to me is my Christian faith. Really, it defines almost every aspect of my life (and the areas it doesn’t it probably should….). How I feel is summed up nicely in the book of John: “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” (John 6:68). Because, really, what else is there that I could turn to in this world? I don’t feel that I want to write extensively about religious topics on here, but I just think it’s pretty vital when talking about myself to note that huge aspect of my life.

As far as my general interests, likes, dislikes, etc, I feel like I shouldn’t give it all away here! This is only the first post. So I’ll just give a very brief synopsis. I like books. Pride & Prejudice and Anna Karenina particularly. Style.com is one of my most visited web sites. I love baking and cooking but I’m way too good at eating EVERYTHING I make. I’m really athletic, though: I’m currently in training to run my first marathon on May. I love watching horribly dramatic romance movies. I’m a sort-of closet Twilight fan. I like sports but fall asleep during football games. I, along with about everyone else in the world, love Audrey Hepburn. I’m a bit of an artist, though I don’t do as much as I’d like. I’m alternately an introvert and extrovert. And I love doing makeup, but only about once a week as I’m too lazy to have any sort of long getting-ready routine every day.
I’m sure you’re QUITE enrapt in my life now. I don’t think I’ll talk this much about myself again, so expect something a bit more genuinely interesting next time.
XOXO
(I’m also a Gossip Girl fan)
Alia

This is what I look like... sort of... but only on Halloween.