Argh....

I have so much work to do. And its the summer. And it just keeps coming up.

I keep telling myself that I can handle it. Hopefully, if I keep telling myself that, it will all just go away. I need to:

- finish my film term paper
- study for my film final
- work on SERP ...which I have procrastinated on
- get down to 100 pounds
- try to relax on vacation

I keep telling myself that I'm wonderwoman. I can handle it.

I just finished my poncho


For the past two weeks, I have been knitting myself a poncho! And through all the dropped stitches, time, and frustration, I have finally finished the body of it!

I'm so excited. This is the first knitting piece I've made which I can actually where on my body, and it looks really good! I used this chunky dark purple yarn. I'll try to get a picture up once its all sewn.



Once finished, it should something like this, except chunkier and thicker. I want to wear it in the fall and winter, as my back to school coat.

Today, I was eating some chinese food, when I got a mysterious fortune cookie message:

Your secret desire to completely change your life will manifest.

It could be a coincidence, but of late I have been wanting to change myself for the better: get prettier, smarter, thinner, more confident, popular, etc. etc. Hopefully this fortune cookie is a good omen.

Summer has officially started for me, and so far it has been fairly productive. I have started reading a couple of books, worked on a scrapbook, hung out with friends, and started knitting a poncho.

Today I went into the city with an old cousin of mine. I had on my liquid black eyeliner, so I was feeling extra special and Edie Sedgewick-ish. We went to see Get Smart, starring the awesome and awkward Steve Carrell and the sleek and sexy Anne Hathaway. It was just so nice to get out of the dying heat, even if I did need to suffer a 2 hour movie in the 65 degree chill.

We later went to this chic pizza restaurant in downtown. I absolutely adore this place, mainly because of the extremely handsome waiter that works there. I swoon every time he asks me what I want to drink.

XX,
Adele

So, I just wanted to update you guys on how summer has been going for me. I knitted myself a scarf a couple of days ago, so now I'm moving on to knitting a poncho! I've taken up drawing, which I am actually fairly good at. I still need to upload lots of new music onto my ipod, but I have been listening to new artists such as Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. I've read Twilight a lot, but I also want to read The Picture of Dorian ray nad Wuthering Heights. I've been practicing the pride and prejudice piano soundtrack a lot. I'm starting to exercise more, and I'm going to get an Audrey Hepburn poster for my room.

I'm alos going to create a savings account, start a scrapbook, interpret a dream, and create a photo album.

xx,
zoe

Today, I met a girl who is the perfect example of a teenage social climber. Lets call her A. A is the type of girl that gets along with everybody and anybody. She loves to talk and converse with people from all different walks of life. She can strike up an indepth, meaningful conversation with anybody, whether they are goth, prep, punk, nerd, geek, etc. She is involved in lots of different and unique activities. She is always happy and bubbly, and makes the people around her feel happy and good about themselves, too. She brings out the best in everybody. Just seeing her gives my self esteem a boost. Everybody feels comfortable and at ease when around A. She always seems genuinely interested in what you have to say, even if you're going on about how your cat barfed all over you last night. In fact, A is not a social climber-- she is already a star, an it-girl, a fashin forward it girl, and a hard worker. Meeting A. has inspired me to be just like her.

***

On a different note, we can cross something off my "To do" list: make a tasty dessert! Do you remember those brownies I made a couple of days ago. They are now delicious! I feel so proud of myself :)

I want to go out tonight. To the boardwalk. I'm all dressed up for it.

But my friend isn't calling me back :(. Boo. I really want her to call me soon!

xx, zoe

MY BAKING ADVENTURE


Today I made a poor attempt to bake a tasty, delicious dessert. I decided to do something very easy, very straightforward: brownies. Simple enough, right?

Of course, only I could have problems baking something as simple as brownies.

For starters, I used too much olive oil while greasing the baking pan. So much that, when I peered into the oven to see how the brownies were baking, all I could make out were little fizzing bubbles of extra virgin olive oil

While making the brownie mix, I spilled hot melted chocolate all over myself, creating large, swelling burns on my fingers. This wasn't pleasant, especially since all the directions after that required me to "stir vigorously".

While pouring the egg yokes into the batter, little bits of egg shell fell in too. I then needed to spend a good 15 minutes fishing out all the little white chips using my pink leopard patterned tweezers.

Ten minutes after I put the brownies into the oven, I realized that I had forgotten to add the sugar into the batter. I then unsuccessfully attempted to mix two cups of granulated sugar into half-baked, hard brownies.

And what were the fruits of my efforts? Crumby, bitter, dry brownies.

Of course, my sister and mom both professed that they absolutely loved them. Personally, I hated them. By the time I had finished baking them, I was so fed up with the baking fiasco that any thought of chocolate made me want to gag.

I'm hoping I'll have more success with cupcakes...

Isn't it just lovely...


When you need to wake up at 6:30 on a summer day?


When your brat of a sister wakes you up from a nap to tell you that you need to walk with her to her little league baseball park, which is a 30 minute walk, so that she can pick up her trophy?


And then, on getting there, having her little sister realize that she actually needed to come down tomorrow, not today?

And I still need to bring her down tomorrow as well?

So other than those lovely frustrations, today went pretty swimmingly. I needed to go to school today for student council, but C. was there, so we talked about boys and friends and potheads and such.

For amusement, we went through the surveys the freshman class needed to fill out a couple of weeks ago. It was nice to laugh at the stupidity of our fellow classmates. There were some amusing answers for the question "If you have any other concerns, write them down here":

"Only God knows"

"I want an AP swimming, AP lunch, and an AP gym."

For the question, "Did you go to any school dances, and if not, why did you not attend?":

"Gay gay gay gay."

"Penis".

Don't you just love the subtle humor of 14 and 15 year olds?

TEEN COOKING

To be a successful social climber, you must be adept in all skills, whether global or domestic. Cooking is one of them. Cooking is one of those skills that will come in handy throughout your whole life.



Unfortunately, the only meals I can cook are microwavable or leftovers. So just in case I'm throwing a party and need to quickly whip up a fabulous meal for one of my guests, I need to find some cooking skills. Another thing to add to my list of "things to do before completing high school"



$13 at Amazon. Not bad for lifelong skill.

Today I worked on #14 on my "30 things to do before completing high school" list. And no, not detox as in drugs. Detox as in food.



I am a total food druggie: carbs, sugar, fats, salt... You name it, I will eat it. Recently, my food binges have caused me to gain a couple of pounds and become rather sluggish.



Today, I resisted the snack stands, the deli, the latte at Dunkin Donuts, the leftover donuts, and the leftover chinese food. Instead, I've been downing water like theres no tomorrow. So far, I feel pretty good. If I can last two weeks without submitting to a food binge, I will consider myself officially detoxed, and will ahve completed #14.

SUMMER is here!



A time for tanning, beaching, relaxing, vacationing...

and volunteering at the zoo, college now, and SAT prep.

Summer is no longer a time to kick back and relax. Its a time to show the colleges that you're not only a fabulous student, you work, volunteer, and do extracurricular activities in your free time, too!

Of course, summer is also the time to do the things that I never have time to do in the school year. Its time to cross off some of the things off my bucket list, no?

Such as:
exercising
knitting
reading
sleeping
getting highlights
meditating
practicing the piano
tredmill
yoga


Of course, I'll start all this...tomorrow!

I saw these two in SoHO today!



Check them out at Fred Flare. They're from Staten Island!

It's nice to know that somebody of quasi-celeb status came from the forgotten borough, excluding Christina Aguilera.

My Bucket List:

1. Redo my bedroom
2. Create a journal COMPLETED
3. Start a blog COMPLETED
4. Assemble a photo album
5. Listen to new music COMPLETED
6. Give technology a break
7. Look closely at a work of art COMPLETED
8. Develop the art of conversation
9. Interpret a dream
10. Make a gift
11. Start a book club
12. Sing karaoke
13. Establish an excercise routine
14. Detox my body
15. Plant an herb garden
16. Keep a scrapbook
17. Take an art class
18. Paint my room
19. Write a manifesto
20. Make my own halloween costume
21. Design a t-shift
22. Write a letter to my future self
23. Create a tasty dessert
24. Make and follow a budget
25. Open a savings account
26. Take care of a houseplant
27. Try a new hairstyle
28. Get an astrology reading
29. Watch the sunrise
30. Spend a day in silence
31. Meditate

SAD Day and Valentine's Day outfits

As you probably know, two very important holidays are coming up--Singles Appreciation Day (SAD) and Valentine's Day--which are both conveniently on February 14th! Here are two outfits, one for lounging around with your single friends, and the other for your date with your hot boyfriend:

CURLY CELEBS: HALLE BERRY

As you know, I am a shameless naturally curly hair promoter. I love my curly locks and I rarely straighten them. I love Halle Berry's au naturale do.



It must be the pregnancy that is giving her that bounce and shine!

How Blair Waldorf has inspired me Part II

You probably remember the episode with Blair Waldorf in her itsby bitsy teeny weeny red polka dot bikini? It was so retro, so naturally the next day I combed through the internet, trying to find something similar.



I found the actual bikini, but I wanted something for my budget.

I checked the swim section of Delia*s, (the love of my life) and found this red heart bikini. From far away, the hearts look like dots.


$29.50

$24.50

I normally do not buy swimwear online, but for this I could make an exception...

For a large part of my adolescent life, I have longed for coach sneakers. You have probably seen them before. Anyway, a couple of months ago my wonderful grandma surprised me with a pair. I was ecstatic, and wore them every single day. The heel has worn down, the pieces of plastic around the end of the shoelace have fallen off, and they desperately need to go to the cobbler. (Are there still cobblers around anymore?)

To save the sneakers from disentegrating, I have not been wearing them for a while, instead opting for my furry boots and my flats. I have found myself online shopping for other, more classier sneakers as well. Although I love coach, their sneakers have become increasingly mainstream, so much that two people in my grade have my coach sneakers.

I am thinking about buying a pair of classic Keds, like the classic Keds champions in red.



These are the only sneakers I could see my fashion idol Blair Waldorf prancing around in.

Marc Jacobs makes the coolest shoes.

Seriously.

I want these....TIGHTS!

I have never heard of Celeste Stein before, but they have the coolest tights in thousands of wacky patterns, from floral to retro. I'm too lazy to put up a picture, so you are going to have to see for yourself

www.celestestein.com

Celeste Stein Hosiery from www.mytights.com

Ew!

If you have been reading Teen Vogue, you have probably seen this hideous bunny bag by Stella McCartney for Le Sport Sac.

I have never been a fan of Le Sport Sac. No matter how much you dress it up, it is still a sports bag. This horrid thing reminds me of something some punk/emo person would wear so that they could be "different" and unfashionable.

I would totally wear...

I would totally wear the dress on the left from the Chanel collection. Very Marie Antoinette, no?



And what about the dress in the middle from the Dior collection? I am even fond of the hat!

Stacy Lapidus makes the coolest hairbands.

As seen on Gossip Girl. Check her out: http://www.staceylapidus.com/insideha1.cfm

What do you think?

As seen on Blair Waldorf in episode 5 of Gossip Girl. It's by Alex Woo, and is part of his little letters collection. It's $129 for the silver necklace.

I can't help it....

I love Delia's! Delia's was the first store that really got me into fashion. Their clothes always are of the utmost quality, and are reasonably priced for my budget. Although I have moved onto my H&M, I will always return to Delia's.

My goal this year is to wear more reds, blues, skirts, and dresses. I want to look less casual, and more put together. Here are my picks from my wonderful Delia's:



To me, this is the perfect spring coat. It is not stuffy, but light and sophisticated.



I need this dress.



I love the floral pattern on this dress. Some floral patterns make you look like a hippie, but these flowers are so Americana in their red and blue.



Although jeans are not part of my spring budget, I am really into these pockets. Plus, they're called "Blair Low-Rise Straight Leg. Coincidence?



Purple rocks. The color of royalty!

How Blair Waldorf has inspired me: Part I

Blair Waldorf is the best character on tv right now. She has the best fashion sense on Gossip Girl, is ridiculously stylish and the uber of queen bees! SO, I'm starting a new series, of how Blair Waldorf is inspiring my wardrobe. This first part is headbands.

Now, my love for wide headbands has gone back since about a year ago, but Blair Waldorf has made them even more fashionable. Here is a montage of different headbands that I am in love with; some of them have been worn by Blair Waldorf on the show:












The below headband I bought for $7.90 at H&M. It was inspired by Blair Waldorf and Maire Antoinette. I photographed it on my sister.

I love Posh and Marc and those shoes

Fashion Rule #1-- Think before you sweat(pants)

I decided that i am going to start my list of fashion rules today. Since this is the first time I am seriously fashion blogging, I think that this is a good way to start it off.

First, let me tell you about my fashion rules. I am not so sure if fashion rules are a universal concept. Before I buy something, I first see if it complies with my fashion rules. Fashion rules are a bunch of laws about what to wear and what not to wear. Although sometimes I want to break the fashion rules, I almost never do. In the end, by following my fashion rules I know I will find myself, happy, healthy, and most important, more fashionable.

Everybody should have their own set of fashion rules that they make up to guide them along when shopping. Here is the first one:

Fashion Rule #1- Think before you sweat(pants)

Ahh...sweat pants. In middle school, I was forced to wear sweat pants twice every week for my dance class...I remember looking into the paneled mirrors in the dance room, and hating the awful sweatpants I was forced to wear. Needless to say, ever since I graduated middle school, I wear sweatpants about once every month.

To me, sweatpants and flannel pajama pants tell the world that you have given up on life. And since you have given up on life, you might as well be comfortable. h, but true. I only wear sweatpants if I know nobody I know will see me. And if I do wear sweatpants, I only wear velour sweatpants , because they have a touch of glamour to them. Here is an example of sweatpants I will condone:




Solid velour wide leg pant
Orig. 29 Sale $19 at Victoria's Secret






Juicy Couture
Wings Velour Hoodie
Price: $148.00


Juicy Couture
Wings Velour Pants
Price: $128.00

These two sweatsuits are from Victoria's Secret and Juicy Couture. As far as sweatsuits go, they make fairly glamorous ones. Victoria's Secret is always in style, and Juicy Couture is usually the sweatsuit of choice for most teens. I make sure that it doesn't say a brand on the butt. Now that's a trend I can't wait to play out.

SPRING footwear

Ok, I know it's a bit early to be thinking about spring...ok, a LOT early. But that hasn't stopped me! The new york city cold has made me dream of warm, flowery days, where you don't need to bundle up with scarves, hats and gloves. Here is the footwear that I desire for the spring:

Quilted Velvet Ballet Flat in vintage wine

Price: $34.50

Now: $9.99

While shopping at the mall yesterday with the numerous gift cards I received for christmas, I came across these flats in aeropostale. My look has begun to be inspired by Blair Waldorf, so that means preppy, red, bows, and FLATS! Plus, my glamorous side pulls me toward the quilted.

Champion mosaic slip on

$44.99

You might have seen these in the February issue of Teen Vogue. I instantly fell in love with them. This spring, I want lots of light and airy clothing, and the flowery print of the slip-ons would be the perfect shoe to go with them!

Juicy Couture

Carmen Thong Sandal

Price: $55.00

I am really into pink and charms right now, so these flip-flops would be a must for summer. They have that wonderful glamorous feel to them! However, since there is no Juicy Couture near me, I probably will settle for something like this:

Sunbathe pink multi

Steve Madden

Price:$24.95 marked down to $9.99

BCBGirls Women's Fun Flip-Flop

Style No. : 126337



$29.95

sale $23.99

GUESS Galatea

Price:$49.99 Promo $25.00