Wow it's been awhile. . .

I seriously cannot wait until winter break. What really sucks is technically I only have 3 days of the semester left. BUT I won't be finished this semester until December 20. yay. I still haven't even started Christmas shopping. Not that I can afford much since I've been out of a job for almost a year and a half. I have a lot of goals for winter break and I do not know if it is possible to accomplish them all because Montclair is giving the puniest winter break EVER. Oh well. One more semester and then graduation, and I will be officially in the 'real' world. On a happier note, here is what I am currently obsessed with :)

Book:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I read this book in my Young Adult Lit Class and fell in love with it!
I would definitely recommend it!
Hopefully I get books 2 and 3 for Christmas so I can find out what happens.
And there is going to be a movie.
But I'm not sure I want this book to turn into the next Twilight.
I'm kinda over that.


TV Show:
Nikita

Okay, this is completely different from all other shows on the CW.
I would describe it as 24 but Jack Bauer is a girl. It is AMAZING.
And Shane West is in it. What could be better?
It's on Thursdays at 9 pm. It won't be back on til January 27
so there is time to catch up if you're behind!


CD:
Taylor Swift - Speak Now

I really like this album. T. Swift is back and does not disappoint.
As of right now my favorite tracks are Mean, Sparks Fly and Speak Now.

Person:
Darren Criss

So I have to admit before Darren's role on Glee, I had no idea who he was.
But after seeing his debut, I did some googling and discovered that he performed in
a college musical that he helped write the music too. This musical is on youtube.
And what was this musical you might ask.
A Very Potter Musical.
And Darren is Harry Potter.
I watched it and loved it! And the soundtrack was free so of course I downloaded that.
Then I continued to look for information
and found some clips he had posted of himself singing
Disney songs.
Yes.
DISNEY SONGS!

Movie:
Burlesque

I must admit I have not seen this. But I really want too!
Watching the preview gives me the chills when Xtina belts out those notes.

xox

flashbacks

I think that I was born in the wrong era. Now I do appreciate all the modern technologies that we have available to us today, but why can't we revert back to the way people used to dress. I guess we would look funny walking around in hoop skirts while updating twitter on a blackberry. I cannot think of a single situation, except for maybe a Halloween costume party, where I could dress in a Scarlett O'Hara type dress.

On a somewhat related note, I have been in the mood for some classic movies. I am looking forward to watching Breakfast at Tiffany's with my sister this weekend. I really want to watch Casablanca because I have never seen it.

Here are some dresses from movies that I would love to wear at least once.

1. Scarlett O'Hara's wardrobe from Gone with the Wind
Vivien Leigh is gorgeous and she wears these dresses so well.


2. Christine Daaé from The Phantom of the Opera
Emmy Rossum did a wonderful job as Christine in the movie adaptation of
this legendary Broadway musical. And she wore some pretty awesome dresses.


3. Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's
Audrey Hepburn made this dress iconic.


4. Katey Miller from Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Romola Garai is beautiful and these dresses flatter her nicely.

What I'm listening to:
The Lucky Ones by Brendan James
It's free on itunes til Tuesday I believe.
I would definitely recommend it :)

xox

shopping is better than sleeping. . .

Okay not really. I realize sleep is vital, but I don't feel like going to bed yet. Even though I have a paper that needs to be written tomorrow, I just felt like sharing [yet again] some nifty clothes/accessories I found online. Before that I want to share my frustrations with the "Jersey" everything phase. I am really tired of people bashing on my state. Sure, not everyone here is super friendly and nice, and okay don't go the speed limit in the left lane or you won't be anyone's best bud on the road, but we are not all orange oompa loompas with big hair. And not everyone throws tables at dinner. Some of us can live in New Jersey and still have class. Also, those "Jersey Shore" people are phonies since most of them (with the exception of 2, I believe) don't even LIVE in NJ, they just come to our beach and drive all the locals nuts. (My roommate who is from the Jersey shore refers to Seaside in the summer as Sleaside because of all the riff raff that accumulates there.) I guess I would not have ever known about all these negative views of Jersey except all for all the attention New Jersey is getting for tv shows like: The Jersey Shore, Jersey Couture, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and Jerseylicious. If the rest of the country doesn't like us so much why are there some many shows about NJ!!! Okay, I'm done ranting about this for now. Back to fashion. Here's what I like right now:

I think this skirt is really cute.
I love the banded skirt look with an adorable top.
This one is from Express.

[source]

I love these tights.
Well of course, because they have roses on them!

[source]

I want these shoes.
How great is this color?


[source]

I think elephants are pretty cool.
Maybe because we share the first same letter.
So whenever I play that "I'm going on a picnic game," I can bring elephants.

[source]

And lastly, I know florals are a little out of season
since we are entering the cold, blustery weather,
I still like this little wallet. It is cheery until the warm temperatures return.

[source]

xox

trinkets and baubles

I've been finding all this cute jewelry lately that I wish I could have. So I'm gonna share my findings and maybe someone else will fall in love with these pieces too.

Why I love this necklace:
Who doesn't want a message in a bottle?
I just think it is so cute!

[source]

This ring is so pretty.
I love pearls and I think that this is a unique way to have a pearl on a ring.
It is considered a purity ring and a representative of wholesomeness.
Unfortunately it is quite a bit of money,
and I don't know how nice it would look on my fingers.
[source]

Besides loving pearls, I also love roses.
Perhaps I am influenced by the fact that my middle name is Rose.
Who knows.
This ring also introduced me to another new obsession: rose gold.
I am mostly a white gold/platinum person but I love the way this ring looks!

[source]

Finally, I love sea shells and the beach,
so this necklace is a perfect combination of that.
What is really cool about this, is it is handmade and it's for sale on etsy.
The store is YuraPockylover. I like a lot of the jewelry that they have for sale.

[source]

What I'm listening to:
My new favorite song is called Like We Used To by A Rocket to the Moon.
Even though it is super depressing, it's still a cute song.
Like my roommate says, who are these girls that get all these songs written about them!



xox

Cold weather brings cold feet

Last year, we had a pretty brutal winter, with lots of snow and ice. (I fell twice but that is not the point) Now I have a pair of snow boots that I've had since like the 7th grade and I think I got them at a second hand store. Needless to say, my toes are a little squished. I really would like a pair of snow boots because I have a feeling this winter is going to remind me of last year's. My dilemma is where are all the cute snow boots?! The ones I currently own look like a white pair of the boots Napoleon Dynamite wore, so they are not exactly stylish. And all the cute "cold weather" boots I find online look like any type of moisture would soak through and cause wet socks (and who really wants those?) I did buy rain boots last year, because I was having this same issue when it rained, and they were my makeshift snow boots last year but they did not keep my toesies warm. Then the other day at Target, I saw that they make micro fiber liners (basically giant socks) for rain boots and I might get those. (For only $10 they sure are a lot cheaper than snow boots!) Well here are some of the boots that I found that looked cute and they also had good reviews by customers who bought them.

These range from $68.98-$139.95
They also come in brown but I like them better in black.

[source]


These look like the water would soak right through but
according to the customer comments they keep your feet warm.
I don't know if I believe them though.
They are $74.95 and come in black also.

[source]

And this is what I'll probably go with
unless someone buys me a pair of snow boots.
At the store I saw them in pink, white, and black.
They are $9.99
And they look quite goofy :)

[source]

Music Spotlight

A few weeks ago the VMA's were on MTV. I watched them, and Lady Gaga took home a ton of awards. Now I am not a huge fan of hers but I will admit that her songs are catchy and I am guilty of singing Bad Romance and having Poker Face stuck in my head for days. What upsets me about shows like the VMA's is the narrow range of artists that are represented. There are so many good groups/singers out there that don't get enough recognition. I do enjoy a fair amount of pop music but I think groups that are smaller deserve to have their own awards show. Of course half the fun of listening to unheard of musicians is not having their songs played out on the radio and knowing that few other people listen to what you are listening to. Lately I have three favorites, I hope you enjoy. :)

1. Regina Spektor
Thanks to my sister and the 500 days of Summer soundtrack for introducing me to her.
Us


2. She & Him
Actress Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward make up this duo.
Thought I saw your face today


3. Frank and Derol
Brandi Cyrus and Cody Caraco (and occasionally Megan Park)
Back and Forth

Celebrating Banned Books

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them”
- Ray Bradbury

This week is the National Banned Books week. A few weeks ago my mom received a list in the mail of 50 banned books. As I was reading over the list, I was surprised at the amount of books on there were ones I had read. And enjoyed. I remember in high school reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, I don’t remember all of the details but I do remember one: the government was taking specific books and destroying them so no one could read them. I do not know if today people go to the extremes of burning books that are banned due to content, but they go far enough to have them removed from school systems and libraries. I don’t think it is fair or right to have other people deciding what is right or wrong for me to be reading. If I wish to censor myself, then I will. There are books that I have been waiting to read until I think that I can handle them. For example, I have put off reading Lolita but I know someday I do want to read it. Even before I was an English major, I have always loved reading. I don’t want someone to blacklist one of my favorite books because they deem it “inappropriate.” Some books that have been banned have important messages that need to be told.

This week, be a rebel. Read a banned book.
I know I will.




[for more info]

If I had a paycheck. . .

So I've been out of a job for over a year. I must admit that it makes me very sad that I cannot shop the way I used to and very badly want to. Yesterday in the computer lab, I noticed a website that a girl next to me was on (yes I was being a creeper but she was on a mac and Montclair has the HUGE screens) The website is topshop.com and I found some really cute clothes on there. If I had some income then perhaps I could begin to dream about having these clothes. And the site offers 10% off for students which I thought was really cool. I also really liked looking at their collections My favorite was the Dark Nouveau. It is a mixture of leather and punky pieces with feminine accents.

Satin Trim Babydoll Tunic
Bright Bloom Lace Corset Dress
Hinge Front Flap Bag

Ruched Strap Heels

Dark Nouveau

Somedays in September.

This month has been rather difficult for me. Adjusting to living away from home and what seems to be an intense amount of schoolwork, is a lot. I guess most days I'm okay but the weekends are the hardest. Of course, it is very exciting to not worry about classes and waking up at a specific time (6:20 a.m. is not my friend) but the weekends are full of spare time and the void of not having family and close friends. Usually I spend my weekends holed up in my apartment doing 1 of 3 things.
1. Procrastinating - As an English major, I spend my time either reading or writing about what I read. The reading part I don't mind so much, as long as the book is interesting, but when it comes to writing I have to force myself to sit down and write. For example, today is Sunday and I have a response due tomorrow. I read the book Friday, and I started writing yesterday, but now I have to finish today.
2. Watching TV - The bonus of being at school is the fact that here I have cable and at home I do not. (This is also a downside because it contributes to my procrastination.) So I can flip through about 50 some channels and hope that there is something interesting for me to watch. It also gives me an opportunity to catch up on Keeping up with the Kardashians since that is what E! tends to play ALL the time.
3. Making Food/Eating - One of the perks of living in an apartment is definitely having a kitchen. I can now control what I eat, instead of hoping that Montclair's cafeteria is serving something I like and being disappointed. I also use eating as a source of procrastination. (Last Sunday, while I was trying to write a response, I made flowers out of my m&m's)

Now the best is when all three of these occur at once. Take for instance last night. I was hungry so I went to make dinner. While I was making dinner, I turned on the tv in hopes of catching the Kardashians. Instead they had just started a movie (Coyote Ugly) which I had never seen before but had always wanted to. So while I was eating, I watched a 2 hour movie and took a break from my homework that I had not really started.

And now I'm blogging instead of writing my response.
:)

My guilty pleasure. . .

So since I'm no longer getting my regular fix of Ali on the Bachelorette, I decided to give ABC's spin off show The Bachelor Pad a try. Now I was never an avid follower of the Bachelor franchise because finding love on tv seems near impossible. I mean let's face it, the Bachelor/Bachelorette shows have only had 2 lasting couples out of 20 seasons. (Not including Ali and Roberto who I am hoping stay together!) Not a very good track record.

Ah the Bachelor Pad. A place where 19 men and women get to compete for $250,000 and maybe find love. Or just control people. (Ahem, Elizabeth) So far this show seems to be like a twisted game of survivor except for the whole surviving in the wild part. And I have noticed a pattern that I am curious to see if it continues. Week 1 - Craig M. wins the twister challenge and is safe, he saves Jessie S. Week 2 - They both get sent home. Week 2 - Gia and Jonathan win the pie contest. Week 3 - They both get sent home. So Week 3 - Dave and Peyton win the kissing challenge. I wonder if the pattern will continue or if it just mere coincidence. I really hope Peyton does not go home because I like her. She is one of the decent girls on there.

On Wes and Gia's flirtation, or whatever was going on there, I do not know if I trust Wes. Granted, I did not watch Jillian's season of the Bachelorette, but apparently Wes was a villian and very smooth. I see he is still very suave because he captured the heart of Gia, the only one there with a boyfriend. Well now she is gone and I suppose I have to wait for the reunion show to find out if she is still with her boyfriend or if she is pursuing something with Wes. Or if Wes was just playing her the whole time.

Well can't wait til next week's episode. Here's hoping that Elizabeth goes home. :)

Tidings on Tuesday

On Father's Day, I watched the movie Australia with my dad. I had always wanted to watch this movie, (except I thought it was a musical, I was way off) it did take me a little while to get into it, but I ended up really enjoying the movie. It was a very complex movie and at times hard to follow - and understand (Australian accents can be a bit difficult) - and the movie had comedy, romance, and action. It was also emotional at times. And Hugh Jackman is definite eye candy. Now I don't want to give anything away so if you haven't watched the movie this might spoil some of the plot. One of the main characters is a half Aborigine/half white child, and he is sent to an island called Mission Island, along with many other interracial children. After my race and ethnicity class this past spring, I began to wonder if this really happened and if all those children were actually shipped out of Australia. I mean it seemed like a pretty harsh action. So I googled mission island and I found a really interesting article. If you have seen the movie and want to learn what I found out, here's the link:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/an-aussie-love-story-that-strays-far-from-fact/2008/12/09/1228584832870.html


Hope you find this as interesting as I did :)

xoxo

Transition

The reason I created this blog was for an assignment I had in one of my linguistic classes. I want to transform it into something different, a blog of my findings and as the title suggests - my thoughts. Are you ready blogger world? I don't know if I am, but I am making this my summer project. Since tomorrow is the first "official" day of summer, I will have to start thinking of what my focus will be.

Bonne Nuit :)