Friday's Fashion Finds: Bib Necklaces

I'm not sure what's gotten into me lately when it comes to accessorizing. I was never one for statement pieces, I think mostly because I was never quite sure how to style them. They're absolutely everywhere right now though, so for someone like me who isn't always sure what matches, it's the perfect time to be brave and experiment! 

Modeled by yours truly

I borrowed the gold one from my sister to spice up the simple dress since I was headed to the casino for my 22nd birthday, but I think it might be time to invest in some of my own.

Charlotte Russe

I love this one from Charlotte Russe and I feel like it would be perfect for everyday wear (possibly with something in white chiffon??). Also, I've been ready or spring since we hit the New Year, so this peach is calling to me!

Bauble Bar

And of course we have to include Bauble Bar. I can't afford it, but I can lust after it with the best of them. Definitely more for a night out, but the mint is one of my personal favorites. Pretty sure half the things I bought in 2013 were mint and I'm not ashamed.

What is your favorite way to accessorize? Let me know in the comments!

Top 5 Tuesday: Chick Flicks

If anyone knows me in real life, then they know I have an addiction to the $5 movie bin at Target. Since snagging my boyfriend's Netflix password, my purchases have subsided, but that doesn't mean my love for movies has.

I've some how managed to narrow it down to the top 5 that I watch over and over and over again. Now I know they aren't necessarily works of genius, but they're always a good time and for me that's what's important! So in no particular order here we go...

1) Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging

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I know what you're thinking, it's a Nickelodeon movie... But it's a British Nickelodeon movie! It's based on the first two books in the Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison which hold a special place in my heart since I read nearly all of them in my early high school years. It's got a cute plot about a girl with a crush, a sassy soundtrack, and is guaranteed to leave you feeling all giddy on the inside.

Also, it features Aaron Johnson as a babe which is awesome because now he looks like this. WHY?!

2) Clueless

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Honestly, this is probably my favorite movie of all time. I think I watched it every night for an entire week this summer. Cher Horowitz is my spirit animal. (I'm currently wearing nail polish named "Ugh, As If..." and the fact that that's its name is making my entire week!) But this movie has it all-- 90s fashion, Beverly Hills slang, baby Paul Rudd! 

Two very enthusiastic thumbs up. Fine holiday fun.

3) Legally Blonde

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Are you sensing a trend here? I like them valley girls, okay? Their humor suits me. I hope by this point you've seen Legally Blonde, but if not you need to watch it immediately. It's about a stereotypical California girl who gets into Harvard Law school in a scheme to win back her ex-boyfriend. Obviously she's brilliant and witty and too good for him. Bring on the sass guys, I'm all about the sass.

4) The Devil Wears Prada

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I'll admit it, I live vicariously through this movie. Post-graduation I plan to head out to the big bad city and break into the event management biz. The Devil Wears Prada follows an assistant at a fashion magazine while she works under HBIC Meryl Streep ( and let me tell you, her sass factor = maximum). I'm well aware I'll probably be fetching someone's coffee for the first 2+ years of my career and I am 100% okay with and looking forward to that. So whenever I need a taste of something other than this farm town in which I currently reside, I sit back, relax, and look forward to the day I'll be running errands and attending fashion week. 

5) Charlie St. Cloud

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If you haven't yet seen Charlie St. Cloud and your only reference for Zac Efron's acting is HSM don't be skeptical! Our boy Zac has come a long way since his days as an East High Wildcat and oh my god. Charlie St. Cloud is literally heart wrenching (in a good way? is that possible?) Basically it's about a guy who loses his younger brother and spends the next few years trapped by his guilt.

THIS MOVIE GUYS. SO MANY TEARS. Sometimes after a bad day I need to get all of my feelings out and this movie does the trick. No matter how many times I watch it I'm still sobbing like a baby, but sometimes that's just what you need!

Now it's your turn! Have you seen any of my favorites? Or do you have a movie you think I would like? Let me know in the comments!

Marriage Don'ts ft. Kim Kardashian

So in honor of the Kimye proposal on KUWTK last week I thought I'd give my two cents on Kim's last trip to the alter.

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Personally I'm hoping the third time is a charm for Kim K (especially because each time she gets engaged I feel like the ring gets bigger, have you seen the rock that Kanye got her?!), but it's hard to tell since we see so little of her and Kanye actually interacting on camera. This may be a step in the right direction already! But fortunately for us, E! captured the entire rise and fall of the DoubleK love story on Kim and Kourtney Take New York. After seeing the 72 day marriage unfold on the show, I have to say they are the poster children for a divorce waiting to happen.

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1) They fell into a lot of at risk categories.

Kim and Kris weren't exactly starting with a clean slate when they got married. They fell into quite a few risk categories for couples which by no means guarantee divorce, but definitely do more to work against the couple than to work in their favor.

• Kris was Kim's second husband. Remarriage increases risk of divorce because at least one member of the couple already sees divorce as an acceptable option. They've experienced a marriage that was not permanent and if their new marriage isn't working out the way they hoped, they will be more likely to choose divorce as a solution. 
• Kim and Kris only dated for 6 months before getting engaged. Studies show that when a courtship lasts less than 2 years, the couple's relationship is not nearly as stable as couples who have dated longer. It doesn't mean they aren't in love, but they haven't had time to fully integrate their lives. With such demanding work schedules I can't imagine Kris and Kim even spent much of that 6 months in the same state, let alone the same room! They don't have a lot of shared routines and rituals which doesn't leave them with a great foundation for marriage.
• Kim's a child of divorce. Kim's parents (Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner) got divorced when Kim was 11. Similar to Kim's own first marriage ending in divorce, seeing her parents end their marriage makes divorce a familiar option that seems normal to her. Like with most things, the more you see something occur, the more normal it seems.

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2) They apparently didn't talk about ANYTHING before they tied the knot.

After Kris and Kim got married, they immediately moved into the temporary housing Kim had in NYC while she was shooting K&KTNY. But obviously they had plans for when the show wrapped, right? Not exactly. In fact they didn't really have much of a plan for anything. Kris seemed to be under the impression that they were going to split their time between Minnesota and California, especially once they had kids. Kim on the other hand was having none of that. She told him flat out that she would never, EVER, move to Minnesota and had no intentions of slowing down career-wise once they had kids. Might have been useful to know that before they got married? 

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3) Even after marriage, they still don't seem to be communicating.  

After an interesting attempt at a long distance marriage, Kim and Kris decide that Kris living in Minnesota with Kim staying in New York was not the right approach to fix their relationship. They decide that instead they should have a baby! (Public Service Announcement: BABIES DO NOT FIX RELATIONSHIPS). But anyways, after a brief 30 second discussion about how a baby is the next step for them, Kim decides that her birth control is a thing of the past. Over the next few days Kris gets excited but Kim starts to have second thoughts. So now Kim has two options: she can go to Kris and tell him her concerns because they have a strong partnership where both people feel comfortable communicating their feelings and desires OR she can secretly start taking her birth control again and let Kris think they are actively trying to conceive in order to "avoid a blow to his ego." I'll let you guess which one she picks!

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4) He didn't think very highly of her.

Although Kris might not have had a way with words, he was definitely...honest? Perhaps the most cringeworthy moment of the whole DoubleK fiasco was when Kris told Kim that of course they could move to Minnesota because by the time they have kids Kim will be irrelevant to society!  Not exactly the most respectful way to speak to your wife. It definitely shows how much he values her (or doesn't) as a person and as a professional. This probably has something to do with why she doesn't want to talk to him about anything important. But again, it might have been nice to know he was kind of a butt-head before she vowed to spend the rest of her life with him. 

So the moral of the story is pre-marital counseling ftw.

So I hope you enjoyed my term paper turned blog post (I'm not kidding, I originally wrote this for a class. College is so fun!) Let me know in the comments if you keep up with the Kardashians and what you think of Kim and Kanye!

Friday's Fashion Finds: Chiffon Tops

So I don't know what it is with me and chiffon but we when I see a sheer button down top I literally cannot control myself. Personally, I don't feel comfortable rocking it with just a bandeau underneath, so I do opt for to cover my entire midriff with a cami so I don't feel self-conscious. Plus, I'm not the kind to really go out on the town, but I do like to dress up a little during the day. 

Tobi

I love this one from Tobi specifically because of the sparkle and my obsession with all things feminine and sassy. 

Charlotte Russe

And then this one from Charlotte Russe also has a little spice to it with the shoulder details and the slit down the sleeves.

To me chiffon says, "yes I may be sitting in a lecture hall for 3 hours today buttttttttttt, I did put some effort into trying to look like the adult I'll eventually have to be."

Let me know what your favorite piece of the moment is!

Top 5 Tuesday: Men in Hollywood

So I had quite a busy day today! Okay, by busy I mean went to class and then took a 3 hour nap which somehow seemed to take up the whole day. But anyways, since I'm running out of time left in this Tuesday, I decided to make this Top 5 Tuesday on a topic that speaks for itself. So here it is, quick and easy, my top 5 celebrity crushes of the male variety.

Enjoy! :)

1) Bradley Cooper

Okay, so Bradley has the most beautiful blue eyes and an adorable face and apparently isn't above dating 22 year olds so eventually he might date me. (Right?)

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2) Ryan Gosling

GUYS HE HAS HIS OWN MEME. And his ability to grow facial hair is far superior to most. And just all the other reasons that exist. Let's be serious.

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3) Justin Timberlake

Not only can Justin rock a suit but he has the voice of an angel. Not to mention that his set during the 20/20 Experience Tour is 3 hours long which is crazy! And when he won at the People's Choice Awards his first move was going to Taco Bell.

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4) Ian Harding

My love for Ian Harding stems from the fact he wears a sweater vest on screen like 95% of the time.

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5) Josh Hutcherson

I'm not gonna lie, it's mostly because of this cardigan and the fact that I can't separate actors from their onscreen characters so the fact that I love Peeta so much seriously helps his case. 

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So let me know which celebs are worthy of your love in the comments!

The Bachelor: Why it "works"

As a shameless lover of reality tv, it's surprising to me that I never really got into The Bachelor. The show, which features a hot piece of man and between 25 to 30 ladies vying for his heart over the course of just under 3 months, is currently in it's 18th season. Not to mention it has two spin off series (The Bachelorette and The Bachelor Pad). Despite it being on the air,  I didn't realize it was still relevant until one of my friends told me she couldn't get dinner because "her Monday nights were reserved for Juan Pablo."

(Source: E! Online via ABC)

So what's the deal with JP? Yeah, he's definitely hot and has an accent to die for. But will 25 women fall in love with him in 90 days? The answer is: not really, but kind of, and here's why.

Excitement = attraction.

Imagine you've just been selected to be on the show. You're going to be on television, your 5 minutes of fame is just around the corner! You'll be living in a fabulous mansion and wearing beautiful dresses. That in itself is probably enough to get your heart racing. But wait! There's more! So far on season 18 we've seen the contestants travel to foreign countries (New Zealand, Vietnam, South Korea), participate in some extreme sports (bungee jumping and Electric Runs), and even take a joyride in some strange water car contraption. 

(Source: Wet Paint via ABC)

But Juan Pablo and the producers on the show chose these dates because of JP's sense of adventure! Wrong. They chose these dates so in episode 3 when Chelsie conquers her fear of heights and finally takes the plunge off the platform, adrenaline will be coursing through her veins and JP will be right by her side. Now we know that all those butterflies in her stomach are coming from just having free fallen hundreds of feet towards possible death, but Chelsie will interpret them as a sign that her and JP are meant to be. How sweet! It's love!

But in all seriousness, this is a clever strategy by the producers because if you continuously have stimulating experiences while in the presence of a specific object/person, you will undoubtedly start to associate those feelings of arousal with that object/person. And voilà! Now we have 25 girls falling head over heels for a Venezuelan hunk who should probably just keep his mouth shut.

(Source: Yahoo)

Rose Ceremonies
Let's think of the whole elimination process like it's an initiation. Lots of elite groups have an initiation process. Members work hard for weeks to prove that they are worthy, so when they are finally chosen to join the group, the status becomes so much more valuable. And why wouldn't it!? You hear horror stories of potential fraternity brothers swallowing live goldfish only to swear loyalty to the "brothers" who made him do it 2 weeks later. Military recruits are sent through bootcamp where they endure intense physical challenges and have their identities challenged and restructured by senior officers. At the end they've beaten the odds, they've gone through hell, and now it is time to reap the benefits. It's actually quite a common tactic.

Poor Kylie!! (Source: Daily Mail)

And then there's the show. After 3 months in a house with 25 girls all dating your boyfriend, you've proven that you're the one he wants. You've gone through the stress of weekly eliminations where you put yourself out there for the possibility of rejection on national television. You've had to prove your motives to him, to the other girls, to America. You've fought for him and earned his love and now that you have it you're never letting it go (at least not until 3 months after filming which seems to be the shelf life for most Bachelor relationships).

So there you have it! But just because you know how it works doesn't mean you can't enjoy it! So tomorrow night be sure to get your Juan Pablo fix with your head held high.

Let me know in the comments if JP is the man for you!

Friday's Fashion Finds: Jeweled Collars

So as my online shopping eyes begin to wonder, I always seem to stumble upon pieces that I absolutely LOVE, yet could never justify the price tag. My current obsession to lust over are these tops with the jeweled collar. 

J Crew

It's all Tanya Burr's fault since I saw her do a haul video wearing the bottom jumper from Top Shop. As a broke college student, I don't know why I was cruelly teasing myself on the J Crew website, but I spotted a similar short sleeved version which I've been lusting after ever since.

Top Shop

BUT I do feel like if I could find a way cheap polyester t-shirt, it would be a pretty easy DIY project to just glue some gems around the collar. Although I could be getting a little ambitious with that one.

Let me know if there's any fashion trends you've been loving!

Painting Adventures

So instead of keeping up with my homework, I completely ignored my responsibilities this afternoon and finally did the YouTube Tutorial I've been meaning to try. It came out pretty good if I do say so myself! Of course now I'm paying the price for an afternoon spent lolly-gagging as I sit here trying to force myself (while failing miserably) to trudge through the final 10 pages of academic journal articles for tomorrow morning's class. Second semester of senior year is NOT turning out to be the slide that I thought it would be. But oh well, I guess I can sleep when I'm dead.

lolololol at that last statement since anyone who knows me in real life knows that I sleep approximately 9 hours a day and am loving life. Anything less than that puts me on the struggle bus hardcore.

But here's the final product! Giving it to the boo for Valentine's Day.

Let me know if you've been working on any projects lately!

Well hello there!

Hello everyone!

My name is Elise and I'm a 22 year old college student whose hobbies include knitting and reality tv.

Welcome to my blog and thank you for visiting. Up until now I don't know that I've ever really had much to say, but as I am heading into the home stretch of my time at UConn I realize that I have learned quite a lot here.

I've learned things in my classes, yes, but I've also learned a lot about myself. I've grown so much in my four years at this university and now I would like to share that with you.

So come with me on my adventures! Now that I've found my voice, I'm really excited to use it. :)