Do The Polka!

Yesterday was the really first  HOT day of season and today was no different, getting all the way up to 94 degrees! As soon as the hot and humid air hits the area where I live, all I will be found in are lightweight dresses, skirts and breezy shirts. I think that everyone trys to wear as little layers as possible when summer comes just to keep the heat at bay. I've seen a few people attempt to rock the layered look in the summer, and let me tell ya, its not pretty seeing someone look as if they might melt like the wicked witch of the west. I love this retro looking bathing outfit which I found on weheartit.com, it looks like the perfect thing to wear to my friends pool party on Friday! The hat is divine, it looks like it has the right amount of "floppy" and is even cuter with the polka dot ribbon. There is something magical about a polka dot bathing suit, but perhaps this is because of that catchy song lyric "she wore an itsy bitsy yellow bikini..." So lets hear it for the grand adventures of this summer (in a polka dot bathing suit of course)!
Jem

New York Mornings

I have had such a long day, I am completely exhausted. We woke up bright and early this morning to drive three hours to New York City. After our drive, during which I managed to talk the whole way (much to the irritation of my friends! Haha...), we arrived at the hospital to visit my friend. We spent much the day visiting J who is recovering from surgery. From their we left NYC and headed back home, not without making a stop at this huge mall in New Jersey (I left without buying anything. However I will be back since they had shops which we do not have where I live). I love New York it is such a bustling, vibrant, crazy city and it is impossible not to get caught up into its madness.Next time I hope I get to spend more time, not just a few hours in one of my favorite cities (besides, London).
Jem

Beautiful Rouge

I love this Chanel advertisement, is so simple and beautiful. Plus the lipstick color is amazing, no? I am obsessed with it, I've never been much of a lipstick kind of girl, but seriously, Chanel is making me a converter! Now if only I could figure out exactly which color they used in the ad....

Ever since I saw this photograph I have been on the hunt for a hat similar to this one. It looks like the perfect shape and size for a great summer hat, plus the ribbon is a nice touch.

After I discovered Corinne Bailey Rae's music with the release of her first album I have been hooked on her sweet, sometimes melancholy music. This is the album cover for her newest record, The Sea, of which I cannot stop listening to Paris Mornings/New York Nights. Its such a poetic song, I love it!

Jem

Finding Inspiration

I was reading the divine blog, The Glamourous Grad Student (http://theglamourousgradstudent.blogspot.com/), when I happened upon a series of posts on figuring out what style of dress you tend to gravitate towards. I loved this idea, especially the post on style inspiration. So I thought I would copy the questions and share with you my own answers. Feel free to do this on your own blog too (or leave a comment telling me about your inspirations), it would be neat to get a lot of other people participating since I would love to read about who inspires your style.

Which famous person scores highest for style with you? Can be an actress, singer, politician, It-girl... Whoever appeals to you!

Michelle Obama and Emma Watson are two of my favorite famous people, not just for their personalities and awesomeness but because they have great style. Mrs. O always dresses impeccably, she knows how to wear classic items yet make them pop with a bright pattern or a nice accessory. As for Emma Watson I think the same could be said for her, she tends to wear classic items yet puts a little twist on them.

What are your favourite literary, movie and television characters, if style alone were the criteria?

Two of my favorite movies purely based off of style are 500 Days Of Summer and Marie Antoinette. I love Summers style in 500 Days Of Summer, such a retro and quirky style. The film Marie Antoinette is what I like to call "clothes porn" since everyone in the film wears stunning outfit and you cannot help but be inspired by them.

Time and place can be so evocative. When and where would you love to live, just for the style? List up to three.

Photograph taken by me

I would love to live in the beautiful city of Paris, France. I have always thought that the majority of Parisiennes have such a classic style and I would love to be immersed in it. I can picture myself wearing a simple pale pink dress with black buttons and ribbon around the waist, paired with a tan trench coat and a Chanel purse (oh yes, I've dreamed of this fantasy before, all the way down to what I am wearing!) while sitting a cafe drinking an espresso.

If money/shipping limitations/stupid sizing were not issues, what shops and designers would you go to for clothes?
If I had the money to afford these designers and stores I would shop at Chanel (who wouldn't?), Selfridges (when I went into the store I could not stop oohing and ahhing at all the lovely clothes), Stella McCartney (I love a good eco-friendly line which also has great clothes), and finally I would want to shop at little boutiques which carry designers which are impossible to find anywhere else.

What this section tells me...

It seems to me that I tend to favor classic styles but worn with a whimsical twist (so a bright color or innovative piece of jewelry). All of the people/movies who I admire are very classy, prim and proper, and tend to wear a lot of dresses. I think I've already begun to incorporate wearing dresses into my style, I've always been more of a dress girl then a pants girl. So from now on when I go shopping I shall think "what would Michelle/Emma/Summer/Marie/or a Parisian girl wear?"
Jem

You Are You

One of my favourite websites which I frequent is http://www.operationbeautiful.com/ . On the site their mission is

to transform the way you see yourself one post-it note at a time. This is done to end negative, "fat talk" about ourselves and others. On Operation Beautiful they encourage people to participate by writing on post-it notes positive sayings, such as "you are beautiful" or "your beauty shines on the outside and inside" and than hanging them in public places (bathrooms, at the gym, dressing rooms, where ever you want). I love doing this, a few times I've put one on my schools bathroom and then I've come back later to see girls reading the note and smiling. I find its one of the easiest ways to make not only myself feel better but others as well.

Jem

High School

(I couldn't resist sharing a photograph of my favorite high

school movie, The Breakfast Club, it's such a classic!)

I cannot believe that their is only eighteen more days left of school (yes I am counting, I mean who doesn't do this?), which means their is only eighteen more days left of senior year! Holy crap! It seems like time flys by and now I have to enjoy it while it lasts. It seems so surreal. On one hand I am so excited to graduate but on the other hand... I am going to miss this place. Their are a few more things to check off my list before graduation day though, senior skip day (my friends and I are having a pool party), senior prank and prom. All these quintessential cliches about senior year of high school. However, I don't think any education would be complete without them. So tell me... what was your senior year like? I must say though, I am also really excited for what lies ahead, starting college, meeting new people, and growing as a person.
Jem

Wanderlust

Beach Vacation by the fairytale featuring Miu Miu shoes

Ideally these four outfits would be worn by me on my luxury beach vacation in the Mediterranean. The  picture of the town/beach is in Croatia and it looks positively charming, don't you think? I keep envisioning myself on a beautiful, classic sailboat on the bow (in the yellow one piece of course!) reading a good book, and the sun beating down on me. Sounds like a good dream, huh?
I have probably made it very clear throughout many of my blog posts, I have a serious case of wanderlust. I always want to be somewhere else then where I am right now. Makes me wonder what this feeling of wanderlust says about the type of person I am. Although, I don't think I can help it, it is in my blood. My grandma wanted to travel after high school so she joined the WAC (Women's Army Corps) during WWII. Her time as WAC took her to a training camp, then to London, Paris, and eventually she landed on Normandy Beach a few weeks after the invasion! Isn't she such an inspiring women? At a time when women were suppose to support the war on the home front she was going out and really making a difference! Also the fact that she went and followed her dream is quite impressive as well. So yes, I do think it is possible to see where I get my sense of wanderlust from!
Jem

AVPM

Super Mega Awesome Hot by the fairytale featuring Miu Miu bags

This is the outfit which I wish I was wearing right now instead of a tee shirt and sweatpants. Let me restate the previous sentence, this is the outfit which I wish I was wearing if I had a million bucks. Alas, I am only a poor soon-to-be college student. The quote in the set is from one of the best Harry Potter spoofs ever, A Very Potter Musical (a.k.a. AVPM for those in the know), so if you haven't seen the clips on YouTube go look it up. Pronto! I swear I have watched the play at least five times if not more (this is what I do instead of studying for exams because procrastination is my best friend!) and it never ceases to stop amazing me.
Jem

Greatness

So go out there and "kick ass and take names" as my dad always says to me fondly when I need to overcome an obstacle!

Jem

Pale Frocks

Vogue China June

Liu Wen looks stunning in this editorial. I love both these dresses, pale colors look so nice on her. If I could I would totally steal the light blue dress which Wen sports (especially paired with this belt)! In other news, I am so glad that I am done with AP Exams, I had my last one today for English. Yay! I am looking forward to enjoying my last month of school, without having to freak out over AP exams.

Jem

Tree Lover

Growing up I always wanted a tree house in my backyard. Unfortunately for me, all of the tree's we had in our yard were not sturdy enough to hold up a tree house. So instead I had to content myself with building a "fort" made out of broken branches and sticks against the tree stumps. Now if I had my way all these years later this would be my dream tree house! It looks like such a wonderful place where I could just sit, read, and dream.

Jem

The Feminist President

After hours of searching for inspiring photographs I think this is the one which made my day. It is nice to see that even our President is a feminist! This photograph also gives me hope that we will prevail in our fight for equality and be treated equally.
Jem

Fiesta

Happy Cinco De Mayo! I love the bright colors of this photograph and the flags, it really makes me want to party!
Jem

Growth

Wise words by the poet E.E. Cummings. Perhaps it will inspire you just as much as it has inspired me.

Jem

French Beauty

You know their are just some girls who radiate beauty? Well... I think french actress Clemence Poesy is one of those people. She has such effortless style, it seems that everything she wears looks good. Clemence is definitely one of my top style icons, I love the casual look, effortless look she has which works well with the clothes I wear for school. So tell me... who is one of your favorite contemporary style icons?

Jem

Clemence Poesy by the fairytale on Polyvore.com

The Romantics

I love these pictures, they all seem to have a romantic quality to them. Lately I have been in such a romantic mood all I can do is dream up fantasies, dress in flowy dresses, want to braid my hair like the Alexander Wang girls, have picnics, and wear flowers in my hair as well. I think this might be because today was the first really nice day of spring which always puts me in a good mood. What mood are you in?

Jem