Blathering on about Books, Boys, and Brits

Really don't have time to write much now, sorry. But I've been reading some books lately (while I should be studying!) - Bridget Jones' Diary and now I'm reading Confessions of a Shopaholic.


I don't recommend Bridget Jones, really, unless you want to pick up British slang (which I do - someone tell me what "sod" means, please. I know it's rather nasty... but what's it mean?). Bridget is rather a sad character, and makes 128 lbs seem terrible. The romance isn't very good, mostly, and they're all drunk a lot. But there's some excellent feminism.

At first, I thought Shopaholic was awful because Rebecca what's-her-face is rather silly and has zero self-control. She can't manage money at all, and I find that irritating and stupid beyond belief. But don't give up hope - there's men involved eventually and then the plot thickens, and she does some actually smart things. But, like I said, I haven't finished.



I feel very strange, because I keep using words like rather, excellent, and nasty in places that I normally wouldn't. Why? Because of that aforementioned obsession. Didn't get the hint? Look at the initials of the title of my last post, and then watch the Narnia movies and google William Moseley. He's fabulous - pretty and sweet. And I think he has a six-pack, but I wouldn't really know. Anyway, in the end, I go through phases of obsession, and this is a package deal: WM and the UK, basically. If you live in the UK, maybe you think I'm a loser (would you be right?), but everything's just so lovely there! Like the manner of speaking.

Anyway, that's why I'm reading predominantly British authors. This post is silly, but that's what happens when you listen to Taylor Swift while you write. Maybe I'll delete this later - enjoy it while you can.

xoxo,
SMG

What I'm Loving Lately - I Adore May?

I know it's been way too long - and I feel awful.

So I'm giving you a quick update on what I've been into lately... Quick because I'm still really really busy (finals much?).

Tea

I mean English tea, really. I know my trip to London was, like, a million years ago, but I really fancy drinking afternoon tea (around 4, actually) - with half a teaspoon of sugar and some milk.

Nature-Inspired Jewelry

Did you know I love Peter Pan? I don't remember if I mentioned it (it's really been while). But I do. And for some reason, I adore leaf- or branch-motif jewelry because of this (he lives in the woods, wears leaves for clothes). Okay, does this reasoning sound silly? I'll try again.

I love how artsy but simple these pieces are. They're very stylish, but still so natural, and a lovely sort of effortless.

Star Trek

No, I'm not a Trekkie, but this movie is fantastic for just about everyone. Think this movie is just for 40-year-old nerds who live in their moms' basements? No. It's for people just like you. Didn't you wonder why they made Captain Kirk so hot?

This Picture

Saw it today in an old Vanity Fair... fell in love. I don't actually watch Gossip Girl, but obviously I know who Blake Lively is. I KNOW I wrote about tulle last time, but this just looks so graceful and glamorous. I love how she's wearing an enormous Versace couture dress and hasn't got her shoes on, and the fact that her face is rather blank makes it seem much more candid and less "Say cheese!" I just find this photo inspiring.

And do I adore May?
Sort of. I mean, it's a lovely time of year, nice weather and all. And it's almost summer! But there's FINALS, like I said. So it's a love-hate relationship, really.

xoxo,

SMG

P.S.

There's a hint at one other thing I'm loving in the title. Actually, I'm obsessed. Can you guess it? (Okay, there's no way most of you'd ever guess it, but can you get close?)

P.P.S.

That really wasn't quick at all, was it?

Tutu Cute!

Nothing new has really happened, so I decided to dedicate this post to something we all know and love (or maybe it's just me):

Tulle.

As in tutus. And veils. Yes, I think they're fabulous. Tutus are so very feminine, and at the same time extremely fun. I mean, you can find girls in London subways wearing them with ripped tights and Converse low-tops, and it's still completely adorable. I find that what's best about them is how stereotyped they are. That material - tulle - is associated so strongly with girly-girls (ballerinas, old-fashioned movie stars, debutantes) that it's perfect for juxtaposition. Like what I was saying earlier, with the punky English girl, if you put tulle next to something tough, maybe masculine, like a leather jacket or gray jeans, it looks indisputably cool, simply because it's unexpected and unique in an eye-catching way.

I wish I had tulle in my closet- I don't have any. I'd love a tutu or something... I'd dress up and take photos, most likely. Or just hang it up and look at it loving. Because that's the kind of gal I am.

(About the picutures: the first one is a Betsey Johnson dress, the second, I don't know, the third, or course, is Marilyn Monroe in a tutu, and the last is an Alice and Olivia dress.)

xoxo,

SMG

A Sketchy Weekend

This Sunday I went to an event, Sketch, which was a little fashion seminar for teen girls, with a friend. Fashion designers, boutique owners, and fashion journalists talked to us about their careers and the industry. It was an RSVP event, but I actually had an invite this time. It was fun, held at a cute boutique called Bows + Arrows, with some indie clothes and designers I've never really heard of (pictures above).

Plus, there was free cupcakes and cookies afterwards, and we had a drink while we chatted with the designers and journalists. It was really fun, and educational! They also talked about trends that would be in this season, and they said it would be boyfriend jeans and rompers (how on was I?).

The masquerade party was awesome on Saturday, in case you were wondering. My outfit is pictured above for you! (Sorry that my head's cut off, but see the previous post for the mask.) It went from 5 to about 10:30, and we ate dinner, danced, and socialized. Lots of fun!

xoxo,

SMG

A Masquerade!

First off: Wore a romper today - so comfy! It was totally cute and really fun.

But what I'm really excited about is this Saturday. I'm going to a masquerade Quinceanera (for those of you who don't know, it's a big 15th birthday bash, like a sweet 16)! It's going to be loads of fun. There will be dinner and dancing... and, of course, masks!

Funny, I was just telling my mother the other day how I wanted to go to a quince.

So my mask arrived in the mail today (we ordered it online), see it above. I'm wearing it with a cream/gold brocade shift dress by Elie Tahari, my gold Miu Miu flats (which, unfortunately, have taken a bit of a beating from my scrambling all over the place in them), and a gold Juicy Couture clutch.

As you can see, my color scheme is cream and gold.

Basically, that's it. I actually really need to buy some self-tanner (golfing has left my legs tan, feet white, and thighs somewhere in between)... any suggestions? I've never used it before, but of course I've heard terrifying stories about streaking and orange coloring and all that, so I really want to do it right.

xoxo,

SMG

Happy Birthday to Me and Happy Easter/Passover to You!

My birthday was this weekend! And it was awesome.

I got some wonderful presents, including:

- 2 Juicy bathing suits (one's a halter-bikini with a skirted bottom in this fabulous yellow print with navy accents, and one's pictured above, except mine is a cream color they call "Angel)

- an adorable Velvet navy tank-romper (okay, I made that term up, but it's a romper with spaghetti straps like a tank top, and I mean Velvet the brand, not the fabric)

- a cute Juicy charm for my overly-adorned, 1000 lb. Juicy charm bracelet

- chocolates!

- some fabulous, sparkly bangles

- a gift card to Anthropologie (thank you, Kira!)

and more...

I just want to take a moment to appreciate how wonderful Juicy Couture bathing suits really are. There is nothing in this world more delicious than a Juicy swimsuit. At least, in my opinion. They are flirty and cute, with little skirts attached (a look I've liked ever since I was 3!), and in fun prints and colors. And I love love love the shirred swimdresses - so flattering to all body types, and kind of retro-chic. These babies are wonderful and stylish without being too revealing, and totally comfortable, too!

(Really, I should be getting a check in the mail from Pam and Gela any day now. All I do is advertise for them... but j'adore Juicy, I can't help it. Hehe.)

xoxo,

SMG

Jeans...

Okay, so I haven't posted in a while... but I just couldn't think of much to say. There are no interesting movies out (I think), I haven't gone shopping since I last wrote, and there's really not much to tell.



So I'm going to talk about jeans.

I could say I love jeans, but everyone loves jeans. Well, almost everyone. But even if you're really girly or really preppy or whatever, and I don't mean preppy in the A+F sense (please!), I mean in a pleated-skirt, button-down, silk-tie, knee-sock way, you probably wear jeans anyway.

I'm going to talk about my favorite brands.



J Brand:

These jeans are comfortable enough, when they're the right size (except for high-waisted ones, which I learned the hard way). The best type to get with J Brand are probably the dark, wide-legged ones. You can see Jessica Alba and people wearing them in, like, InStyle, and for a while they were really popular in Hollywood. I don't know about now, but if you're into the dark 'n' wide look (and it works better if you're tall or in heels, I think), J Brand is the way to go.

7 for All Mankind:
Ah, yes. These are what I think of when I think "designer jeans." They're a classic. They're comfortable and come casual enough that you can wear them without being concerned about things like dye bleeding (watch out for that in rich, dark jeans), rhinestones falling off (they stay on really well, haha), or not being able to run because you can't move your thighs. They come in all different styles, and if you're only going to have one expensive pair of jeans in your closet, I recommend 7s.

True Religion:I love these for the horseshoe design on the back pockets. It's their signature. These can be really flattering, but are generally low-riding, so they go around the widest part of your hips or just below (or at least they do on me). They look good, but can be a little stiff around the knees and thighs.

Paper Denim & Cloth:I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't heard of these. They're not underground or anything, but not as famous as the ones I already mentioned. But these are soo comfortable and really casual. They fit like a glove (if you have the right size, of course). They're the best for those days when you ate way too many chocolates or you just don't want to squeeze yourself into anything.



Hope this is helpful or interesting for you guys. What are your favorite brands? I don't really know much about Chip and Pepper, Joe's Jeans, or Hudsons (and a million other brands I don't know at all), but I know they're pretty popular.

xoxo,
SMG


P.S.
I've just written the word "jeans" so many times that I was starting to suspect it wasn't actually a real word. I had to Google it to be sure. (It is.)