Colonial Christmas

Our trip to Williamsburg yesterday was a lovely idea, but didn't turn out quite as well as I hoped... the outlets were ridiculously crowded, and the selection was not what we expected. Frustrated, we grabbed lunch and headed toward the historic district and walked around for a grand total of 5 minutes before it started pouring (the forecast was a 20% chance of rain and a high of 60, neither of which were true) , but that gave us an excuse to go in some of the adorable little general stores. I was incredibly impressed with my point-and-shoot Canon SD1100IS (the story on why my Kodak died this summer is funny in retrospect, I may have to share that later) ...I am so excited that I'll be able to finally blog with pictures!! Plus, I have the least steady hand in the history of photography, and it was cloudy, but the pictures turned out quite well! The decorations there are just darling, and will definitely be a source of inspiration for future Christmases. Some of my favorites:

I celebrate the day...

Merry Christmas everyone... I'm heading to Williamsburg Virginia with one of my best friends for shopping/exploring the colonial district tomorrow, and there will be PICTURES because I got a Canon Powershot for Christmas!!

13.1

I'm trading in my ballet flats.... for running shoes.

Let me tell you, this is no small feat. I haven't ran since.. sophomore year of high school, and that was just for a fitness test. Seven years. Plus, I never exercise except for dancing. Huge deal for me.

I'm not sure what inspired my best friend Dana and I to run a half-marathon next November. Maybe it was the fact that my BMI recently and officially hit the overweight category (yeah, that's probably it), or the strong desire I've had to make a lot of positive change in my life, and to use this time in my life when I'm single and not obligated to much... whatever the reason, I am quite determined to do this. =]

Goal: Running first a 5k, then the 13.1 mile OBX half marathon on November 9... time is not an issue at this point
Current BMI: 25.0
Goal BMI: 19.1

I'm going to avoid making weight loss my focus, which is why I'm using my BMI stats instead of weight... I don't need to be obsessed with the number on the scale. I'm so excited about this new adventure, and so blessed to have the support of a best friend doing this with me and my wonderful friends to motivate me.

The Verdict Is In

In a fit of procrastinating studying for exams (which are now done... it's officially Christmas break, hooray!!), I came through on my promise to research the best of the cosmetic industry in order to avoid wasting any more money on finding, well, the best. I did a little internet browsing but books proved to be a more trustworthy source, given the lack of advertising or bias toward a sponsor company (even though it often seemed like it given the rave reviews of Clinique I continually found). I'll skip the scientific mumbo-jumbo and the detailed reasoning behind why these are so great (usually has to do with other products being too irritating or not having better ingredients than their less expensive counterparts) and just give you the rundown of the best products, especially for combination to oily skin.

Top 5 companies:
Clinique
MAC
Estee Lauder
Neutrogena
Prescriptives
(I know... I was very surprised to not see La Mer, Chanel and the like topping the list as well, but pricey plus good marketing does not always equal the best for your skin).

A few top products:

Makeup
Makeup brushes: Sonia Kashuk (thanks Target!)
Foundation: Clinique Perfectly Real or Dewy Smooth Anti-aging SPF 15 (Almost Makeup tinted moisturizer is also a great option if you don't need the coverage)
Concealer: Mary Kay Signature concealer
Blush: MAC powder blush, sheertone or shimmer
Mascara: Clinique Lash Doubling or High Impact Mascara
Lips: everything in the Bobbi Brown line

Skin care
Cleanser: Clinique Liquid facial soap mild
Moisturizers: Clinique Dramatically Different Gel in tube, Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer, and Moisture-in-Control Oil-free Lotion; also Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer for acne-prone skin like mine
Scrub: Most recommended not using a scrub, insisting that cleanser on a soft washcloth will do the same thing, but if you must... Olay Definity Pore Refining Scrub
Spot Treatment: Mary Kay Acne Gel
Pore Treatment: Clinique Pore Perfector

Many of these are already in my makeup drawer... Clinique is definitely my go-to brand. Every time I try to stray away, lured by pretty packaging (I am SUCH a sucker for it) and the grass being greener (literally... Burt's Bees natural skincare is great but many products are not effective), I always end up deciding I like Clinique's line much better.

I also found this incredibly helpful product report from Beautypedia... perfect for those who aren't too keen on department store beauty and are having a little wallet trouble lately (along with the rest of America).

Recession Proof Beauty

Ciao!

Volcanic Activity

Blemishes, pimples, zits, Vesuvius... no matter what you call acne, it SUCKS. I dealt with acne all throughout my teenage years, but figured that once I hit college it was supposed to go away... now here I am in my early twenties, with acne just as bad as ever and wondering when wrinkles are going to start showing up so I can have a lovely double-whammy of skin problems. On hormone pills or not, I have continually had light to moderate acne that nothing seemed to be helping, until now - my doctor (not a dermatologist) decided to prescribe Differin gel for me - worst idea EVER. My mild case has now turned into a monstrous disaster that has left my face looking something akin to a volcanic island. I can't decide whether I should just suck it up and go to a dermatologist, or continue to try (read: waste money on) new over-the-counter deals. Luckily, on my stress-relieving Barnes and Noble break tonight, I came across a beauty encyclopedia of sorts. Written by Paula Begoun, "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" is an entire book full of reviews on seemingly every product on the market, from drugstore to upscale/ridiculously overpriced (Paula addresses the issue of luxury makeup pricing in the first chapter). Armed with this information plus a bit of online researching, there is going to be a serious overhaul of my skin care and cosmetics drawer during Christmas break. (St. Ives, you will be the first to go... Clinique, you can stay. For now.)

Bookworm

Exam time is always incredibly stressful. One of my very favorite ways to relieve stress? Grabbing a favorite friend and heading to Barnes and Noble with the intention of buying nothing but coffee or tea while we're there. It works every time, even though it makes little sense that I would try to get away from reading books by... going and reading more books. That being said, here is my short (for now) list of uber-girly books that I'll be poring through the next few weeks...

What Would Jackie Do? : An Inspired Guide to Distinctive Living by Shelly Branch
Better Than Beauty : A Guide to Charm by H Valentine
A Guide to Elegance by Genevieve Dariaux
Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
How to Be Lovely: the Audrey Hepburn Way of Life by Melissa Hellstern
All You Need to Be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives, Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women by Helena Frith-Powell
What Would Audrey Do? by Pamela Keogh
Everything CS Lewis that I haven't gotten to already... even though theology/spirituality is tough reading when you're in the middle of a crowded bookstore, so I think I'll stick to the frivolous.

Buon Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday, and could spend quality time with those most important to you and reflect on how blessed we all are... so many people were not able to come home, or didn't have a home to go back to for Thanksgiving. The highlight of the day for me is watching the Macy's Parade; I was a bit sad that I didn't get to see but about 15 minutes of it, but given how much it made me miss New York and the summer, it was probably a good thing. At least I got to see the performance by the cast of the Little Mermaid (which was not that great of a play, but has such an incredibly talented cast!) ...what I would have given to be able to see the parade in person! One day. =]

Although I enjoyed Thursday, I had also been looking forward to Wednesday for quite some time... they have been building a new J Crew outlet 45 minutes from my house (the nearest one otherwise is 3+ hours away), and the grand opening was last weekend!! I was a bit worried that I would be disappointed in the merchandise and selection, but my only complaint, if you could even call it that in the fit of joy I was having, was that they didn't carry shoes or jewelry (but do any of the factory stores?) The haul? Spent under $200 (one ninety eight, to be exact) and scored bootcut jeans, espresso flannel-lined chinos (a new favorite... dressy on the outside, pajama party on the inside!), a black turtleneck sweater dress, and the lady day peacoat in camel... I felt like I was practically stealing that one. I was going to post pictures, but can't seem to find them anywhere... I'm sure you can probably just imagine what jeans look like. ;) I can't wait to see what Christmas sales are in store!! (Get it? In *store*? Anyway....)

In a fit of procrastinating the loads of work I have to finish before exams, and since I'm incurably festive sometimes, a good part of my break has been spent downloading ridiculous amounts of Christmas music. I compiled my top 20 favorites on my playlist, in no specific order... enjoy!! =]

The Weekend.

What a crazy weekend! ...especially considering that on Friday, I had absolutely no plans except to recover from staying up till 3am on Thursday (any guesses as to why I would do that? hint: it has to do with that time of day right before it gets dark...) After my last-minute hair appointment on Saturday morning, my mom came into town and we got tickets to see a Christmas favorite, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, that night! I'm glad that at least my family can keep up with my serious case of spontaneity... Anyway, the show was phenomenal - for what the music sometimes lacks, the light show and pyrotechnics definitely make up for it! My mom had been wanting to go for some time, so I'm glad she got to see it although her only comment was on how deafening it was...

Before the show, we got in some pre-mad dash shopping - I used to hate, HATE shopping with "old folks", but ever since college my mom has become my indispensable shopping buddy. Although shopping with my friends is a lot of fun, I'm usually more focused on socializing than actually looking, plus I rarely try anything on unless it's absolutely screaming at me to buy it (I believe this actually happened when I got my red Gap peacoat...). However, my mom always pulls out the things that I might not give a second glance to for whatever reason, but when I try it on OMGIHAVETOHAVETHISRIGHTNOWPLEASE. Like this (in navy).
















I almost missed this chance to channel my inner Waldorf, but thanks to my mom, this somehow incredibly flattering shirt (that does not, in fact, make me look like a pilgrim) has already been put to good use... twice. (In case you were wondering, it's J Crew's Emerson blouse... with my college discount and the 20% off sale, we ended up scoring it for $12... take that, "J Crew is way too expensive" naysayers!). What can I say? Moms always know best. =]

'Tis the Season

You know, I'm not sure that I know anyone who DOESN'T absolutely adore this time of year, unless it's solely because of the cold weather (our blood runs a little bit thin in the Carolinas ;]). This year, even though I'm stoked about getting my Santa list together (and I'm probably more excited about shopping around for presents than actually receiving them), the thing that I am most looking forward to is the Christmas party my roommates and I are going to get together. We had deliberated not getting presents for each other (there's four of us) but we still wanted to do something special... so we came up with the idea that instead, we'll host a party for our friends and family with an 'admission fee' of bringing a present that we'll give to a family in need chosen from the Angel Tree at our church. I'm not much of a cook, so my roommates will most likely mastermind the food aspect, but I am all about some theming and decorations!! =] I'll update on the progress of the planning of it when it gets closer (even though we're done with the semester in a few weeks... now there's something to be thankful for!!!)

Another reason to adore the holidays that I discovered this morning? Panera Gingerbread Bagels. Mmm.

AHHH!

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=114635&PartnerID=LINKSHARE&LinkshareID=BolFSqx4S4U-BaS2aNodvgQuWXmCV6gYRQ

Oh Marc Jacobs, how I adore thee.

Now if I can only teach my mother how to use the computer well enough to buy my Christmas presents online... =]

New York, I Love You

OHHH MY GOSH.

Best city in the world, best actors in the world... I am so stoked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB270fk-FhM&feature=related

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Fall break means... getting to completely (well, mostly) forget about school for a short period of time, being at home where I can openly admit that I love the smell of dirt and peanuts, and poring through all of the long-neglected catalogs that were previously shoved underneath my textbooks. Sure, all those stores happen to be in the mall five minutes away, but there's just something about catalogs...

Fall break also means that Halloween is not too far away, and a costume must be decided on. It's not that Halloween is that big of a deal, and I probably won't be joining the 10,000+ people trekking down Franklin St. in Chapel Hill, but I always jump at any chance to be festive (read: dressing up). In the past, one of my dearest friends and I have gone as duos... most notably Galinda and Elphaba from Wicked, and Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle. (Actually we had an entire group go as the Pan crew, Tiger Lily and all... we definitely won the costume contest.) I think these may have set the bar too high... we haven't been able to come up with anything creative this year, besides the cheesy or entirely predictable duos.

I'm thinking I should just go as Audrey Hepburn/Holly Golightly, since I wanted a costume somehow related to NYC. This would be entirely do-able, except for the fact that my hair is blonde. (And no, I refuse to go as Marilyn Monroe). My only hang-up is that every other girl at my all-girls college will probably have the exact same costume, especially since our class ring dinner is Tiffany & Co themed. Sigh... so much for originality.

Anyone have an amazing costume this year?





















Umm... is it just me or does this look slightly embarrassing?



This one is better, but I think I'll probably just put it together myself.

Whee!

I've wanted a blog for some time now. I'm not entirely sure why I've procrastinated for so long, but I suppose fall break is as good of a time as any to start sharing the things that make my life beautiful, namely music and fashion. I'm by no means a fashion zombie, or a socialite who can afford to look like a Blair Waldorf replica (and actually get away with it)... I'm just a small-town girl trying to get through college as a music major, who wants to stay true to her faith and who loves all things gorgeous... and affordable... and who needs some sort of outlet for rambling about what is currently making my day brighter. =]