almost there

by this time next week, i will be starting my internship! since i returned home from the hectic life at school, i have gone from being excited to nervous to anxious all the way back to excited about this internship. at the very least, it will get me out of my house and doing something productive. 

i spoke with the manager of my assigned department today and found that this program may be worth more than i originally gave it credit for. i will be in cosmetics, which was surprising but nevertheless all the more exciting since that seems to be the one scope of this huge fashion industry i have never indulged in. when speaking with the manager, i spoke of my concerns related to the lack of experience i do have in applying make up, but she did not seem the least bit worried. i will mainly be learning the brands and shadowing her to get an idea of how managing a department works up until the anniversary sale. she did also give me the option to work in the skin & fragrance area of the department, but i am hopeful that i will learn a little bit of everything within the wonderful world of cosmetics! it's always something that has excited me, & know i will get the great opportunity of learning all about it. 

now of course, this by no means takes away from what i has been my passion since i was twelve as i plan to take careful notice of what's going on in the store, what people are buying, and what interests them as consumers not simply just within either cosmetics or apparel, but as a whole. it should be a learning experience indeed & one that doesn't seem to involve running around meaningless errands, which is something you don't find everyday interning in the fashion industry. 

on the edge

in celebration of the new lady gaga album coming out (not surprisingly already #1 on itunes), here is one of my most recent gaga faves. i love the rhythm of the song, surely one i will play over and over again this summer. i hope you all feel the same!

Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory

why not

after a week of next to complete boredom, which included a daily routine of waking up at the crack of ten in the morning (just in time for kathie lee & hoda), heading to the gym, then returning to reorganize my closet led me to thinking that i need to put my energy somewhere where it matters. since i'm not planning on having much time to sew and design following the start of my internship, i wanted to give my new machine a whirl and start putting things together.  it could very well be a complete & utter disaster, but i have everything on my side... including nothing to do and a lot of time for whatever mistakes that come my way. 

to start off on gradually & since this is a new machine i have never used before (brother ls2250prw), i wanted to do something simple and similar to what i have done before. so considering my length of expertise runs as deep as the chances of the world ending today, my options are very few & far between. i recently made a long, gathered skirt with an elastic waistband and considering that the long peasant skirt is a hot item this summer, i immediately leaned towards it. 

{american apparel}

 {long pleated skirt, south moon under}

my goal is to eventually create a couple pieces by the end of the summer, which is mainly dependent on how well this project goes. so, here goes nothing! 

what about love

  it may be the news of what was seemingly one of the strongest couples in the public eye, arnold schwarzenegger and maria shriver, are "separated" or just the fact that i have watched way too many unrequited romance movies lately... but i have been down on my luck about "romance" or any of the like for quite some time. 

now, as i commonly tell my friends, my personal life is not one for the world to see and would never end up on this website; however, when i get down on love despite all these exciting things going on (which trust me, i am so incredibly thankful for!) it gives me a little warm feeling inside to see these famous couples, who i am sure have gone & go through it all, survive day by day. so although i may see them on the front page of us weekly the next day breaking the news of their split after years of marriage, i know that although breaking up goes through the pain, it teaches you something for the next go around, so when you do finally meet who or what was meant for you, it feels right and you know it is right... and isn't that the whole point of life after all? 

in homage to some of my favorite couples (some fictitious, of course)

                                               

{without the glitz & glam of paparazzi following their every move, these couples prove love lasts}

{i held my breath thinking reality show couples curse, but by the looks of it... they both seem on their game ready to handle whatever life brings as them. pun intended!}

{ahhh... love story. that is all!}

 {by far my favorite music couple, not only do they kill on stage both as a duet and solo, tim mcgraw and faith hill have some serious chemistry years after they've been married.}

{everyone needs a ross to their rachel}

{classic love story of my generation}

{they may be a little too much for some people, but it proves that as talented and professional as they are, they aren't afraid to let loose every so often!}

the end. <3

;)

can i quote myself?

be happy.

but be courageous too, because only true happiness & solidarity is found within the bravest people.

{5 things that make me happy}

an organized closet

(slowly but surely, I will get the motivation to get to this point!)

 laughter so deep it hurts

 summer blockbusters to look forward to 

walking silently,

my favorite kind of meditation

worker bee

it's that time of year again... as i headed up the long interstate drive, i made my trip home for the summer filled with an almost ground hogs day resemblance of plans for the next three months. however, this time won't be filled with leading around the world at camp or working late nights unpacking merchandise (well, possibly). this summer i landed a great internship, surely possible the only apparel-related internship on the east coast that is paid. and as excited as i am, i can't help but be a little anxious as this is so different from anything i have ever done before. it will i'm sure have it's challenges, but i am more than looking forward to learning from it & taking it any experience i can. 

with a change of pace & pattern, for nearly the first time i will be going to work without a strict dress code. no stuffy white button downs or uncomfortable bathing suits or awkwardly bright t-shirts (no offense to those who i am referring to!)... this time, i get to dabble with my own style. while realizing that this internship is still a job and i am still a professional, i know my limits, but i can't help but get a little excited. for the past couple weeks, i have done a little research and come up with these basic starts to what i plan to wear, enjoy! 

with a larger pear shaped body that i was born into, which has only gotten worse over the college years of beer and fried foods... i have not been a fan of shorts up until recently. but if they fit right and have a loose light feel, they may just be the best choice for a casual day at work. the one trick is to sure that they are a appropriate length. if you are having trouble deciding what that is, ask your mother or conservative friend (we all have at least one).

forever 21 oversized woven shirt, loose fitting shorts.

with a dress at work, you don't want to stand out so much that customers may be overwhelmed & perhaps a little intimidated... seems crazy but it can be true!

T Los Angeles Raglan Dress - South Moon Under

outfits shouldn't be too fuzzy, so avoid frills or ruffles at all costs. now is the time to try things on and see what is most comfortable because it's a guarantee you'll be doing some work in whatever you choose to wear. if you still want the drama, pick a bright color that is a for certain trend this season like 

the Leith Silk Habutai Blouse from Nordstrom seen here.

similarly to the above selection, color blocking is a great way to make a bold fashion statement versus an inappropriate statement of any other kind. it's simple and when you are in a rush to beat the traffic of work, it's an easy & effortless choice. diane von furstenberg "reara" color block dress.

when choosing accessories, do much like the main pieces & go simple. the more fussy it is, the more complicated it will look and the worse it may feel. you are going to want to be as confident as possible to show them what you've got this summer; let your outfit be a reason to set you above, not below the rest!  

stop. breathe. look & go.

with the summer quickly approaching, i can't help but think about how time has flown by. when i was little, i heard my mother say this all the time, typically around birthdays or holidays, but i never understood it until just about now. it's when i'm seeing my close friends graduate and not just move on to college, something i've always had a certain understanding with, but to the unfamiliar & cloudy "real" world that i am flagged with a rushed & tightened feeling in my chest.  

it isn't a feeling of excitement, but neither one of anxiousness either. it's a feeling that those words "stop and smell the roses" are ones i need to re-familiarize myself with for awhile, until life seems to slow down. because although meetings & class seem to take up a majority of our days, it doesn't mean that you can't take those 15 minutes to do something completely and utterly for yourself or, occasionally, for others. it may be hard to separate blackberry from mind, but i have been told it gives a great perspective on where your fast track is headed. 

so, as many of my friends put on their cap & gowns and i think to myself, that will be me in one year, i hope that i will eventually stop freezing at the thought and start enjoying what i have. since honestly, what is the use of worrying? in my opinion, it may be the most wasted source of energy and coming from someone who worries more than what's the norm, i try to remind myself every day. 

simple as that.

stop. breathe. look. and go. 

best of luck to grads, weds (including our most famous, katherine & wills!), and all the in between, because who doesn't need a good dash of luck

in closing, a youtube video from what is to surely be my favorite artist of the summer

Ray LaMontagne - You are the Best Thing