NY Fashion Week. Why Am I Not There??

Well, this week is New York Fashion Week and I really can’t think of any other place I’d rather be. But here I am, in Charlotte, trying to be crafty, decorate an apartment, and learn how to clean dentures. But just because I am states and miles away doesn’t mean I can’t dream. Afterall, attending NY Fashion Week is #41 on my bucket list of things to do before I die. So to hold me over until my dream somehow comes true, I have been keeping up with the fashion blogs religiously. Here are a few of my favorite looks from the runway:

BCBG- I have recently discovered the amazingness that is BCBG, and this dress is no different. Absolutely gorgeous. Surprisingly, I love the color. I also love the neckline and the cute jacket over top.

Chris Benz- Chris Benz is quirky, and I love it. I think that his looks are good for the runway, but I’m not sure that I’d ever be able to pull them off. I love the jacket and the dress in the first picture. I love how the color of the belt ties into the dress colors. In the second shot, I really like the sleeves and the general cut of the dress. I’m really into long sleeve dresses right now. And the last dress is just perfection. The neckline, the length, the colors, the pattern, the belt…just yes.

Jason Wu- Yes. Please. I absolutely am obsessed with this first dress. I love how girly and flirty it is. I love that it’s shorter in the front & longer in the back. I love the colors & the deep V neckline. The second dress is simple, the color is simple, & the cut is simple. There is something to be said for simplicity. With the third look,, I so wish I could pull this off. The high waisted shorts are classy. And paired with the black floral blouse, this look is timeless.

Jenny Packham- If I’m being honest, I would have to say that Jenny Packham’s collection is probably my favorite. I would wear all of these outfits (if I had an occasion). That being said, the first dress might be my favorite of all of fashion week (so far). I love the baby blue color, the light flowy material, and even the shoes bring a little pop of color to the already perfect dress. The second dress speaks for itself. It’s classy and flowy and would be perfect for a summer red carpet. The third dress incorporates 2 of my favorite things, lace and yellow. The sleeves and the neckline are so delicate looking. And then the dress fades from white to a light yellow. Just…ahh..yes. And the last dress is so simple and so practical. The solid white, lace dress would look perfect with a pair of brightly colored heels. You win, Jenny Packham, you win.

Lela Rose- I love the colors of the first look and the mix of prints. I really really hope that gold/yellow color comes into fashion this fall/spring. I love it. The second dress is so perfect for spring. I can see someone wearing that at the Azalea Festival. The floral print and the light pastel colors are so elegant. I want the third dress in my closet right now. That’s really all I can say. The color, the material, the embellishments, and the sleeves- it’s wonderful. The next look is a great spring look as well. The skirt is a great length; just above the knee is short enough for a spring look, but long enough to be classy. The top has a nice pop of color and I love the flow. The next look is a simple dress, but the color and the cut really make this dress stand out to me. And the last look is a sweet dress with a tight silver corset top, with a flowing dotted bottom. I love the contrast of the tightness and the flow. Overall, I think the Lela Rose collection is gorgeous and something I could see myself wearing.

LUCA LUCA- I have followed Luca Luca’s collection for a while now, and usually love almost everything. However, this fashion week I only saw one outfit that I liked. But when I say I liked it, I really really liked it- the unique cut and the simplicity of the white. Plus, look at those models legs. I will wear anything that could make my legs look like that!!

Rachel Roy- I love Rachel Roy and I think she’s one of the most beautiful designers out there. The first look is the blue jacket/shorts combo. I love the femininity of the cut and color. I also really love the somewhat abnormal cut of the bottom of the jacket. Clean lines and soft colors. Classy. The second look is something I would never actually be able to wear, but I love the concept. The coral top is what drew my eye in at first, but I also really love the print shorts too. I’m not really sure who could pull of that outfit, but I know it’s not me, and that's a shame!









So, no I’m not Joan Rivers, I’m not a fashion designer or critic- I’m just a girl who dreams of nice clothes, cute shoes, and New York Fashion Week.

　

September 11th: 10 years later

I love America. I do. I’d consider myself patriotic and I sing the National Anthem off-key just like every other American. But today, of all of the days, I feel especially proud to be an American. 10 years ago today, on September 11^th, 2001, American was changed forever.
It started as any other ordinary day. I was in 7^th grade and I remember every detail of that day, from sun up to sundown. Everyone has memories and stories from that day. Here’s mine:

It started out as just an ordinary Tuesday. My mom was out of town, in Alaska helping my aunt prepare for the birth of my cousin. At the time, I was in 7^th grade at Wilmington Academy of Arts and Sciences- potentially the tiniest middle school ever (The school consisted of 2 double wide trailers and a room in a church). I remember that morning our teachers split us up, boys and girls, and took us into classrooms to talk about “body changes” and hygiene. I remember being absolutely horrified and thinking that it was going to be the worst day ever. Little did I know. We were then dismissed to Language Arts with Mrs. Hodges. I was sitting next to a girl named Chelsey in the back row on the far right. Mrs. Hodges cell phone vibrated a few times before the main phone rang in the building. I remember the look on Mrs. Hodges face when she answered the phone. First she looked annoyed, then surprised, scared, and sad. She informed us that it was her husband and he told her that the World Trade center had been hit by a plane. At first this didn’t really seem like such a huge deal. It must have been a mistake. Maybe a few people got hurt. But I realized it was much more serious when she excused herself to go inform the other teachers. All of the students then gathered in one trailer and turned on the TV. The students sat on the floor and in chairs and anywhere there was a space, while the teachers stood in the back of the room- some one their cell phones, some with a blank expression, and some crying. At this point I knew it was serious, but still wasn’t sure of what exactly was happening. It all became real when at 9:03 Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower. We watched this happen live on TV, and we all then knew that this was not an accident. 56 minutes later, we were still watching TV as the South Tower crumbled. I remember feeling confused and sad. I remember wondering what was coming next. It was shortly after that phone calls started flooding into the school. Parents were calling to make sure their children were alright, some even picked up their kids. Meanwhile, it was the middle of the night for my mom who was 6 hours behind in Alaska. The rest of the day was kind of a blur. We watched so much TV that day. You could tell that the teachers wanted to try to move on with the day, but everyone was so distracted and you couldn’t help but feel like you’d miss something huge if you turned off the TV. But we did eventually pull ourselves away. We were scheduled to have a “cultural lunch” that day, so the whole school went and ate outside. It was pretty quiet, except for the whispers of guessing and speculation. Finally word had gotten to my mom, and she called the school in a complete panic. Because she was in the middle of nowhere Alaska, she didn’t get TV or radio, so she had to rely on my Dad to relay the message of what was going on in NY. I’m fairly positive my dad ended up telling my mother that “they were blowing up NY. They were blowing up the country.“ Can’t blame the poor guy for being a little dramatic. No one knew how to explain it. No one knew exactly what was going on. My best friend, Sarah, and her mom came to pick me up at the normal time and I went over to her house until my dad got off of work. I remember sitting in Sarah’s room and talking about our days together. Because she went to a bigger public school, they didn’t let them watch TV or make an announcement. This was one of the few times that I was thankful to have gone to my tiny little private school. Later that night my dad came and picked me up. We went home and turned on the TV. The news was on every channel. I remember sitting with my dad in his chair and having this conversation- “Dad, is this going to be on the news for the whole night?” He responded “yes”. “Will it be on the news for the whole week?” “Yes”. “Will it be on the news for the whole month?!?” “Yes. Honey, this will be on the news for a very, very long time.”
I remember we turned off the news to get a break from the sadness. We talked about how it made me feel, and I claimed that I was okay. But when it was time for bed, I remember being scared that my house would be bombed while I was sleeping. I slept in my parents bed that night and prayed that I would wake up the next morning.
And although September 11^th technically ended at 11:59 that night, the experience lasted much longer.
I remember after weeks of air travel being stopped, my mom finally came home. I remember the first airplane I heard flying overhead and the sinking feeling in my stomach. I remember returning to school and talking about it with friends. I remember the news coverage. I remember seeing videos of people jumping out of the burning buildings. And I remember understanding more and more about the death and destruction that occurred that day. September 11^th is a day that no one will ever forget. And now it’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years. In those 10 years I’ve finished middle school, graduated high school, completed college, and started nursing school. We have all done a lot in 10 years, but none of us have forgotten. So today, on this day, September 11^th, 2011, let’s unite and be proud of our country and let’s not forget the heroes, the fallen, and the families and children.

Follow Friday: Friends of Firefighters

Happy Follow Friday, everyone! With the upcoming 10 year anniversary of the September 11^th terrorist attacks coming up, I wanted to dedicate this Follow Friday to an organization called Friends of Firefighters.
On that terrible September day 10 years ago, 343 firefighters lost their lives trying to save others, 98 FDNY vehicles were destroyed, and since January 2002, 300 firefighters have had to take medical leave for respiratory issues. A few days after the horrific attacks, Friends of Firefighters was created. Local community members joined together to make meals for families of the lost and surviving firemen. During an extreme time of need, Friends of Firefighters addressed the physical and mental needs of the NYC firefighters and their families. Now, 10 years later, the organization provides long-term support through confidential counseling, wellness services, and other assistance.
These brave people helped so many others on such a scary and terrible day in our nations history. Today they are still feeling the effects. Financial donations and volunteer work are really the only ways that this amazing organization can provide care. Every little bit counts.
-$35 can buy 1 hour of counseling for firefighters and families
-$40 can buy 1 hour of massage therapy for firefighters and families
-$100 can provide food for the monthly On the Arm Breakfast for firefighters, volunteers, and family members.

Here are some ways you can help:
1. Donate online! It’s very simple and quick.
2. Text to donate! Through Connect2Give you can donate on the go by texting FIRE to 52000 to donate $10. Reply YES to the text message you receive in response in order to finalize the donation. Charges will appear on your next cell phone bill.
3. Mail a donation! You can mail checks or money orders, payable to Friends of Firefighters, Inc. to:
                    Friends of Firefighters, Inc.
                   199 Van Brunt Street
                  Brooklyn, NY 11231
4. Buy something from the Friends of Firefighters store!
5. Visit the Official Website!

It really is an absolutely amazing organization and I am so thankful that the brave firefighters of that day are being taken care of. After all, they took care of so many people and saved so many lives. Let's do what we can to help them out!

                                                                                               *photocredit* 　
　

127 Hours. Ew.

Hello all! Hope you guys are having a wonderful week so far! I just finished watching 127 Hours and wanted to write up a brief post about it. (When I say brief, I mean brief like I have to wake up for class in 5 hours).

So, a man gets stuck in a canyon when a rock falls on his arm. No surprise there right? I mean, there is really no way there could be any spoilers to this movie. Unless you've been living under a rock (pun totally intended), you know what happens. Boulder falls on mans arm. Man is stuck for 127 hours. Man cuts own arm off. The end. But really it got me thinking, could I cut my own arm off if I had to? Nope. I would like to think that my survival instincts would kick in and the adrenaline would allow me to just slice my own arm right off, but I'm pretty sure I'm not built that way. I'm pretty sure I would spend 127 hours crying and napping, before just surrundering myself to fate. But then again, if we're being honest here, first I would never make it 127 hours, I would probably dehydrate from crying like a baby before then; and second, I would never go hiking, especially not by myself.

The moral of the story. Don't go hiking. ever. and if you do, be prepared to chop off one of your own appendages. Yeah, no thanks. I'll stay inside.

PS- It made me sad that no one was looking for that poor man while he was stuck in the cave. If I ever stop blogging unannounced for like more than a week, someone check in on me to make sure I'm not trapped in a cave sawing my own arm off, please. I would like to think someone would care.

My Week in Collage: August 28th-September 4th, 2011

Follow Friday: The Heart Walk

Happy Friday, yall! This weeks Follow Friday is gonna be a little selfish as I promote the American Heart Walk! I will be walking in the heart walk in 2 weeks on September 17th here in Charlotte, NC.

Here is a little bit of back story about my personal connection to the Heart Walk. 

In March of 2009, I experienced a few episodes of passing out, general shortness of breath, and other various symptoms. After visiting a few doctors, the cardiologist finally found that I have an ASD, or atrial septal defect. We figured that now that we knew what was wrong, we would be able to control the symptoms. Unfortunately, in February 2010 I visited the Emergency Room 6 times in a single month. I was having more frequent and more intense episodes of passing out. At this point I was unable to go to school and took a medical leave of absense for the semester. It wasn't until May of that year that I was diagnosed with POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, which is a form of dysautonomia. Pretty much my heart and my brain don't communicate to each other very well which causes my blood pressure to drop and my heart rate to speed up.

So in 2 weeks I will be participating in the Heart Walk to raise money for the American Heart Association. Walking 3 miles might be a challenge for me, as my body tries to rebel with any form of physical activity. But still I am excited to be joining other people, including my roommate, to walk for the AHA. My goal was to raise $300 by the day of the walk and so far I have gotten $110. I don't usually like asking friends and family for money, but I know that this is a worthy cause. If there is any way you could financially contribute, I would be so appreciative. If you can't donate at this time, that's okay too! Even just spreading the word could be a great help. You never know who will be willing to donate. And remember, every dollar counts. Seriously.

I am so thankful for you guys and I can't wait to update yall on how the walk goes!

Here is a link to my donation page: http://heartwalk.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=456696&lis=1&kntae456696=01F9411F3411449FA85C51DA4E4C5B73&supId=332972661

                                                          THANKS FOR VISITING!

Smart, Kind, and Important

When we constantly tell little girls "you're so beautiful. you're so cute. you're dress is so pretty", we are placing a high emphasis on looks and physical appearance. Author Lisa Bloom covers this topic quite well in one of her articles titled "How to Talk to Little Girls". I highly recommend you check it out!
Anyways, I saw "The Help" yesterday and it was amazing. Here is a little clip from one of my favorite parts. I promise it is not a spoiler and won't give anything away!

So, let's all remember this about ourselves. And once we start believing it, it will be easier and more second nature to speak to little girls in a way that promotes self confidence based on something other than appearance!

Remember, you is smart. You is kind. You is important.