Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Drive-in Movies

...yes. They still exist.

I love the retro Americana vibe you get when you visit one. I've recently started attending them over a year ago, and frankly I'm hooked. I frequent them more often than I do regular movie theatres, which are less intimate and charge too much for popcorn. I mean, you get to go to the movies in your pajamas! In fact, you can fill up the entire car with blankets, pillows and stuffed animals as I personally enjoy doing. Not to mention it's easier to sneak food in (bags and bags of it, I might add), and you can be as loud as you want without disturbing the neighbors. It's also cheaper; the one I usually go to is $8 per person and is a double feature. Movies with your date and nights out with close friends will no longer be clichéd and boring.

Not to mention afterwards the 3am, calm and tranquil drive home, allowing you to relax and collect your thoughts.

.........Unless of course, your car battery dies, which has happened to me before.

(Fyi, for those living in Washington state, there are still quite a few drive-in movies. I personally go to the Valley 6 Drive-in in Auburn, since it's close to my house. Here's a complete list of them all.)

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

socktheory

Unique designs. Reasonable prices. Eye-catching photography. I think I'm in love.





"And then he ran into my knife. He ran into my knife ten times."

Thursday, September 9, 2010

what I wore o2

Wore this when I went to Bellevue Square today:

FCUK sweater
French Connection

Black legwarmers
Tabio

Gray cutoff shorts
Wet Seal

Enzo Angiolini riding boots
Nordstrom

Music tote bag
Tokyo

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

19 years young.

As a kid, I would always try to imagine what life would be like being "grown up." I would create these scenarios in my head of me doing adult things like drinking coffee, going to the bank, using big words, voting, learning calculus, etc. I often wondered what I would be like as an adult. Would I be pretty? Would I be smart? Would I be happy? Sad? Okay? Would I have brown hair? What color shirt would I be wearing? Would I be able to wear high heels? Would I be married and with 3 kids with a house in the suburbs, or live the bachelorette life in a studio apartment overlooking downtown?

At this point in my life, I wouldn't completely call myself an adult. I don't live on my own, I don't know how to cook without a recipe, I've never had kids, and sometimes I still have trouble wearing high heels. Sure, I can drive, travel by myself like a big girl, own my own bank account, and have boyfriends. But like I said, I'm not completely grown up yet. However, it's just starting to hit me that adulthood is pretty much here, and it's kind of a crazy feeling.

A lot of my friends who I've grown up with are turning 20. Some are already 20. Some are even 21. 24. 25. You name it. We're no longer ickle kiddies or teenagers anymore--we're big kids now. I'm sorry, big adults. Most of my guy friends have facial hair (legitimate facial hair, not 16-year-old peach fuzz), and a lot of my girl friends wear makeup and have closets full of shoes...including myself. Suddenly it's okay to date people several years older than you. Back in elementary or middle school, it would be considered weird to date outside your grade level. But nowadays, the only real criteria is, is he/she over 18? Of course, I've ogled a few graduate students here and there, but it's a really strange feeling looking back at all these years and realizing how much has changed.

Remember back when you were a kid, and you were considered an old person if you listened to jazz? Well here I am, listening to Frank Sinatra (I own two complete CDs by him!), realizing that people 5-10 years younger than me are probably thinking the exact same thing. Kids don't listen to Frank Sinatra! Only old people do that! Obviously, I don't feel that way anymore, as quite a few of my friends who are very young at heart listen to jazz, go to jazz bars, and have Old Blue Eyes listed under their favorite music on Facebook.

To make things even better, I recently had a wrinkle scare this summer! I was completely horrified. 19 years old, and with wrinkles? What a completely asinine thought! But I'm so young! It turned out to be dry skin on my eyelids, but that was when it really hit me. Women can start getting wrinkles as early as their mid 20s. That's five years from now. Do I really have five years left before I start looking haggard and gross? What happens next? Slower metabolisms? Gray hair? Memory loss? Back pains?

My youth is one of the things I treasure the most. I love being able to stay out with friends until 4am, eating at any hour without getting some nasty digestive problem, being in shape, having the ability to get away with crazy attire, being careless and making mistakes. That's why I love being in college, because I can start exploring the world that used to be so limited back in grade school.

Am I the only person who feels this way? It seemed that last year, most of my fellow freshman completely jumped into the adult world without looking back. For me, it took a little bit of pushing, but eventually I did too. But did anyone else pause to reflect back on the past 18-19 years and realize how much they've grown? Am I the only person who's completely awed by how much has changed over the past two decades? I mean, I'm happy with all my self growth, and I'm definitely enjoying my boundless youth and independence, but like I said, this is all kind of a crazy feeling. What will the future be like? What will it be like getting married, experiencing the miracles of childbirth, buying a house, and growing old? I'm a little reluctant on becoming an old lady, but if it's inevitable, bring it on. Carpe diem.

^and as a little kid, I would also never imagine myself ever taking Latin. See what I mean?
And I'm sorry if the blog title's a bit misleading. No, I did not recently have a birthday, I've been 19 for quite a while now. I just didn't want to put something generic and stupid like "growing pains."

How's everyone liking my new header, by the way? I drew it myself! I've always been a fan of art nouveau and burlesque outfits, so why not put them together? ^^

Monday, September 6, 2010

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Anti what not to wear

While there are things in this world that ought not to exist (like uggs and sweatpants), there are some things that people wear that I really do not see enough of. Which is quite a shame, because with every fake tan or North Face jacket I see, a part of me dies on the inside. But it's those few people who know how to dress amazingly who restore my faith in everyday fashion:

1) Military jackets
I know this has been an ongoing trend for quite some time now, but I just can't get enough of the military jacket trend. It adds a dash of sophistication and edge to pretty much any outfit. Pair it with some skinny jeans and knee-high boots and you're sure to turn heads.

2) Guys in button-ups
With the first top buttons undone, and the sleeves halfway rolled up the forearm. Sexy yet casual. Unfortunately, the majority of guys I meet are just jeans-and-tshirt kinda guys, which is considered the norm nowadays. What happened to trying to be attractive? What happened to being dashing, charming and having the ability to sweep a girl off her feet? Any man with these above traits gets an A+ in my book.

I'll admit, I'm a total sucker for anything vintage. But really, what's a better thing to wear on your head in cooler weather? Throw it on with your peacoat, skirt and lace-up boots ensemble and you'll look like you're straight from the 1940s.

4) Healthier amounts of makeup
Lately, I've been seeing both ends of the spectrum: Too much makeup, or none at all. But when a woman has layers of foundation caked onto her face and eyeshadow all the way up to the brow, I cringe a little. A little bit of liner and mascara never hurt anyone, is effortless to put on in the morning, and it lets natural beauty shine through as well. Too much makeup is unhealthy for the skin and is a sign of insecurity.

5) Septum piercings
I'm usually not an advocate for facial piercings, but for some reason, I really like septum piercings. I've had people say they remind them of bulls, but honestly, that's not the first thing I think when I see someone with one. Besides, it's a nice alternative to the generic and done-to-death nostril piercing.

6) Vintage heels
Maryjanes, Oxfords, Spatterdashes, you name it. I pretty much adore anything with a steampunk/Victorian feel to it. I especially LOVE the things they sell at Clockwork Couture. I've particularly had my eyes on these beauties:

7) Trench coats, which I've already elaborated on in previous posts.

I like these colors together because it's unique, edgy, and modern. It's loud, but easy on the eyes due to the inclusion of a neutral to balance it out.
*Image (c) Karolina Anderson

9) Cigarette holders/pipes
I don't support smoking at all, but if people are going to do it, they should at least look fabulous. If I was a smoker, I'd definitely be wielding one of these lovelies. Besides, what woman wouldn't want to feel like Audrey Hepburn when they're having a cigarette?


Aaaand...the most important thing a person should never leave home without:



10) Confidence. And a smile.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

What I wore o1

Happy September! It's finally getting cold enough for me to start wearing my new wardrobe!

One of my favorite artists does this thing which she draws pictures of her outfits and posts them on her blog, which I thought was a neat idea, so why not do the same?

Wore this on Monday when I went to the mall:


Enzo Angiolini riding boots
Nordstrom

Bowtie print long tunic
H&M

Black tights
Old Navy

Red cardigan
Primark

Burberry tote
Craigslist