Just Kitten Around

Tonight I am taking a step out of my pink and pearls comfort zone and leaping into the world of gray, animal print, suede, and rayon. The new frontier! This expanding of horizons is the first step in this new adventure of mine—becoming a grown up...dun dun dunnnnnn

While I think it is very important to define your style and stick to it and all that jazz, I also think that it is beneficial to expand your comfort zone and try new things. As long as you still stay true to yourself of course. I mean what would have happened if Alice had not tried something new and not gone down the rabbit hole? We would have missed one of the best stories in English literature. But what makes it so great is that in the end she returns to who she is/was...whatever. 

So while this may not exactly be my usual style, I mean no bows? really? At least I have stuck true to my inner crazy cat lady.

Meow

Justice

Taking it Personally

No I do not mean getting emotional about stuff. Emotions are for the weak.
I kid.
No, I would like to talk about personalizing your space. First, however, let me back up. Last Tuesday my Papa and I hopped into our mini cooper (named the oyster cracker) along with almost all of my earthly possessions and headed off on a road trip to CALIFORNIA!

a visual. 

After a week of driving, visiting family, stopping at every beach and taking pictures, we arrived at my new home. The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. A lovely city.

So then came the job of moving me into my new digs, something I have been dreading for essentially my whole life. It's hard moving into a place like a dorm because you want to make it comfortable, to feel like home, and to be very personalized. Yet you are so constricted. You can't paint the walls, you have to share the room (usually), and you don't exactly have the resources to recreate a beautiful Restoration Hardware display.  How in the name of cheesy tacos am I supposed to do this???? While my new dorm, an old hotel on Sutter St. in San Fran, may not exactly feel like my hobbit hole in the hills of Colorado, I certainly feel like I will be able to find a home in it. I have personalized my top floor room in every aspect from the princess magnets on my mini-fridge to the stuffed doll of Mr. Darcy (the character, not my cat) on my bed.

my bed (pottery barn duvet cover and Tommy Hilfiger sheets)
and a square cubby bed side table and shelf unit from Bed, Bath and Beyond, pink of course 

My desk/drafting table and the beginnings of my "Inspiration Wall" consisting of old cards,
vintage Barbie sketches, and Audrey Hepbrun pictures. 

Of course my book collection. How else would I feel like home?

And my two best friends. Mr Darcy (so much better in doll form) and Peachy

It’s amazing how just adding a few little personal touches can make a plain room turn from just an old hotel room to a place that feels warm, cozy, and like home. Go ahead, give it a try.

Xoxo

Justice

Aphrodite Didn't Have a Thigh Gap

I think that it is safe to say that we are all aware of the fact that "skinny" is in. "Skinny" has been in for quite a while. I will let others write on how un fair it is to the curvy girls out there, how unhealthy it is to be skinny, why Kate Moss is evil, etc. etc. I am not all that interested in those subjects because I believe that all God's creatures are beautiful and that if you were born with it, baby, flaunt it. If that means you were born to be a size 0, girl go get your self some skinny jeans. But for the majority of us, that means that we were born with, well, a little extra meat on us. (I will also here avoid all topics regarding unnatural skinniness, as that could get controversial. and I would not like that). I would like only to talk about the historical context of this *tiny* phenomenon. It is funny isn't it, that for years and years, hundreds, thousands of years, what was considered beautiful was plumpness, roundness, and paleness. This was the case because for hundreds, thousands of years to be plump, round, and pale meant that you were privileged enough to not work outside, you had people to do the work for you. You were able to have a life of luxury away from hardships. You could also afford food to make you plump and round, and we all know good food can be a bit pricey–just go try to find a nice, affordable lobster dish, and ps, it isn't in Bangkok. Here is the basic syllogism, fat woman=well fed woman, well fed woman=rich woman, rich woman=attractive woman, therefore, fat woman=attractive woman. There you have it, being curvy means you get to eat, you're rich, and attractive. Sounds good, right? Well sadly that all changed around the industrial revolution, and especially in the early part of the 1900's. When in the past being skinny and tan meant that you had to work outside all day, that was not too appealing; when it meant that you didn't have to work inside at a sewing machine all day, well then it became a bit more alluring. Then along came Coco (Chanel of course, darling) who made the flapper girl all the rage and all of a sudden round and plump was out and skinny and twiggy was in, as seen in The Great Gatsby. And it has stayed that way. After thousands of years of embracing the curves, society decided to throw rulers at all of us and expect us to transform, which ain't gonna happen. But you know what? I am perfectly happy being a pale girl with a bit more rounded-out parts (okay, I'm curvy.) because, if Aphrodite didn't have a "thigh gap", I don't see any reason I need to have one.
Let us take a moment to celebrate the classical beauty of history
(some content may not be appropriate for children: some nudity)

The Birth of Venus
Botecelli 

Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Verlée, 1761-1835),
 Later Madame de Talleyrand Périgord, Princesses de Bénévent
by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le brun

Nymphs and Satyr
by William Bouguereau

Reclining Naiad
by Antonio Canova

Spring
by Boucher

I don't think any of these girls would have looked quite so beautiful, and would not be hanging in famous museums, if they had boney shoulders and you could see their ribs. It is their joyful roundness, youthful paleness, and womanly curviness that makes them so fabulous as subjects for art.
So whenever you may be feeling down about how you look, put down the magazine full of itsy bitsy models and go look at some different, older art, and be reminded that beauty has many forms.

xoxo
Justice

WWJLD?

Happy Birthday Jennifer Lawrence! That's right ladies and gents, today our favorite funny, sexy, intense, beautiful actress turns 23. Can you believe it? 23! And she's already been in 11 movies–with 6 more coming out soon–and 6 TV shows. Not to mention she is the youngest person ever to have been nominated for 2 oscars, winning one of them. She is simply amazing. Let us examine the reasons why.
1) Her impecable style

Jen's Street Style

Jen at the Dior Fall 2012 Fashion Show in Paris, France

Gosh, she even looks fabulous while traveling

In Dior at the Hunger Games Catching Fire Premiere in Cannes, France

Wow. She is hot.

 2) Her Beautiful Face in the Dior Campaign

Dior Fall 13 Ad

3) Her Vogue September Spread (and Cover girl)

Taken from Vogue.com

Taken from Vogue.com

But perhaps the reason we all like her so much has more to do with her personality than how she looks (not denying the fact that she is simply stunning). Seriously though, I can't think of any other celebrity with as much wit and carefree humor as the Hunger Games star.

Not only is she hilarious, but she is also incredibly kind and involved in her community. She is right now working with a charity called Bellewood Home for Children for underprivileged children.
Watch this short video to learn more:

More so than anything above , I think the reason that Jennifer Lawrence is so universally liked is the fact that she is a real person. She makes mistakes, like tripping on stairs, she makes ugly faces, she is funny, she likes food, she has a normal body, and she wants to be left alone as much as the average Joe. She is, wait for iiiiiittttttt...a normal human being (other than the fact that she has amazing acting abilities and makes more than most of us could imagine in a lifetime, let alone a year). She doesn't let her entire life end up on the shelves at the check out line in the grocery store. Other than a few odd facts–like that she loves glass doors and windows–J Law has kept her life rather anonymous. Which is quite refreshing. It gives the illusion that her life is not so out of control, corrupted, and weird that the paparazzi is drawn to it like flies to a rotten banana. So then we think, "wow, she must be a really good, down to earth, serious actor", unlike many others, *cough cough* Miley Cyrus (speaking of which, are she an Liam still together? because that needs to end. now. he is mine). I think she could be an inspiration to us all. Jennifer Lawrence, not Miley Cyrus. Next time you think, "hmmmm, I want attention. I think I'll just tell everyone every detail about my life." Stop. Drop. WWJLD? I don't think Jen would blab every detail about her date/trip to the bathroom/shopping spree, so you probably shouldn't either. There is something to be said about the power of anonymity. If you leave parts of the story out, people will be intrigued and want to know more. When an author tells us every little thing and doesn't leave anything up to the imagination, we get bored and put the book down. But when there is a bit of mystery, like why on earth did Delores Umbridge not die?, we are far more interested to read more.
So, whether or not you are a big screen actress, a librarian, homeless man, store checker, average high schooler, etc, I encourage you to keep your life out of the presses–even if those presses happen to be Facebook and Twitter. People will probably like you more. Which is the point, right?

Here's to you Jennifer Lawrence, may you live long and prosper, you are an inspiration to us all.

xoxo
Justice

Chameleon Confidence

Every once in a while I am reminded of the fact that I am from the middle of no where Colorado. I mean seriously, middle of no where. Sure I can go into the city (if you can call Denver a city) but seriously, my neighbors are cows. My house barely shows up on GPS. So when I come to places like, oh say, New York City, it is quite a culture shock. Like, did you know that some kids actually have neighbors to play with? I mean when I was growing up my parents shoved me outside to let me "get in touch with nature". Here's a stick, your new best friend. But no, some kids actually have human contact outside of school (not to mention they go to schools that don't regularly have lock downs because there are mountain lions on the playground).
Exhibit A:

My lovely sisters in their youth modeling the fabulous style of mountain living

So, like I said, coming to New York has been quite a culture shock. Which is why I have had to turn on full chameleon mode. While in Colorado, where people think crocks and cargo shorts constitute as style, I may be considered the most fashionable one on the block (or mountain as it is), here I have had to try a little harder. A lot harder. But that's okay, I enjoy practicing my chameleon skills. No, this does not mean I have the ability to turn into a reptile, which would be quite fantastic–Xmen style–but it means that I try to blend into whichever environment I may be in at the time. This requires two main things: 1) clothing that looks as if it belongs in the environment and 2) the confidence that you do in fact belong there. Regarding requirement one, it is not necessary that you spend a fortune on completely different outfits so that you can fit in just as well in a mountain cabin as on the upper east side. I highly recommend shopping at places like, shhh, TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack. That way you are able to find a few good pieces for relatively inexpensive that are able to work anywhere–like a good button up blouse, nice jeans, and good shoes. The harder part is number two. Sometimes it is really hard to actually feel like you belong some where. You may feel as if everyone can tell that your life started in a trailer or that you spent the first 15 years of your life thinking of Target as practically couture. But you know what? They actually can't! When walking into somewhere like Bergdorf and Goodman or the designer flagship stores on Madison Ave, the only thing that matters is knowing that you are the costumer (even if everything in the store costs more than you make in a year) and that, being in a a free country, you have just as many rights as the models and aristocrats of the world and that means that you too have the right to shop in a beautiful, shiny department store. So, stand tall, smile, look clean and put together, and no one will question why some small town girl from Colorado is in their store. Confidence is key.
And Context is all!
Wait I actually don't know how that is relevant...oh well...
Once you have your confidence in check, you can chameleon your way through anything! It's like that quote, "fake it till you make it", just pretend that you belong there, and people will think you do, and who knows? maybe someday you will. If that's what you want, go follow your dream.

Example: as I have mentioned above, I am in New York. Manhattan that is (for an internship). I brought as many cute clothes as I could fit in my tiffany blue hard case suitcase, which was not quite as much as I would have liked. So, I have had to make do. The other day I went to "work" and then went to some of the major stores on 5th ave, including Bergdorf and Goodman. This is what I wore

Calvin Klein shorts, Rebel wedges, braided leather belt, and Tart Collection gingham button up in mint

(forgive the selfie, I have no photographer out here)

While maybe not my most fashionable outfit, with a little touch of confidence and an air of self importance, I was able to fit right in with the hordes of upper east side moms and rich french tourists roaming around Bergdorf and Goodman and even acquired quite a few compliments. Tada! the magic of chameleonizing. 

So my friends, whether you are going to a fancy store, a cocktail party, climbing a mountain, or going to a ranch, or really just anywhere where you may feel a bit out of place, just pretend you are a chameleon, and adapt as best you can–easier said than done, I know, but believe me, once you master that, no one will ever no the difference. 

Go forth young grass hoppers, grasp that confidence and live a life full of experiences. 

xoxo

Justice

I Cu Oxidizing

It seems that everywhere I turn now a days I see the color mint. I have avoided talking about it because I thought that it, like many fads, would disappear. But it hasn't. It is still the "it" color. Don't get me wrong, I love the color, in fact I think it is my spirit color (like a spirit animal, but just a color), but I would just like to give it a deeper meaning than "it's pretty".

When you are in cities that are, well, getting on in years, you may notice that many of the big, old buildings have beautiful, bright green roofs. Mint roofs. Illustrated here for clarity:

This is not because the architects of yore had any particular affinity for the color. In fact, when first made, these buildings had orangish, brown roofs. Funnily enough, they were the color of copper. You know why? Because the were made of copper!!! SACRE BLEU!!!! QUELLE SUPRISE!!!!!! Here we shall now have a bit of a chemistry lesson. Copper (Cu) does this amazing thing called "oxidation". Basically this means that the electrons on the copper atom get excited and go to a party, some magic happens, and bada boom bada bang, the element turns into another piece of science! In the case of copper, which has two oxidation states, when it reacts with oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide, it can form a compound called copper carbonate which just so happens to have a beautiful greenish, blueish color. So when things are made out of copper, like the top of a building in New York, and are left out in the air for a while, the top layer of copper gets a "patina" of mint. Sadly, though, it does not actually taste like peppermint. That would just be too much excitement for SCIENCE in one day. However, this  "patina" does do something really cool, other than to look pretty (because, as we know, every pretty thing has another purpose that is much more important...okay well maybe not the Kardashians. As far as I can tell they have no purpose other than to show off their beauty. And even that is debatable). By forming a layer on top of the rest of the copper, the patina of mintiness is able to protect the rest of the copper from rusting and dying. Mint here to save the day!


So today when I was wearing my new mint sun hat from C. Wonder, it did not escape my notice that, not only was I being fashionable, I was letting the color live up to its full potential. I allowed it to protect my head in the same way it protects the head of Lady Liberty.

See Now? We now have a better reason to love this season's (and last season's and probably next season's) favorite color. Not only is it pretty, but it is a courageous, noble color that protects roofs all over the world from being destroyed by nature's evils. 

With Mint, Liberty, and Justice for all, I bid you a good night.

xoxo

Start Spreading the Word, I'm leaving today

"If London is a watercolor, New York is an oil painting"—Peter Shaffer 

I awoke this morning to my usual alarm clock blaring at 5 am. For a moment I forgot where I was or what was in store for the day. Was I supposed to go to work today? Or school? Or church? Or go back in time to stop Helen from going with Paris and thus avoiding a 1000 year war? No! None of the above. I hopped out of bed and instantly turned on Frank Sinatra. What song you ask? Well "New York, New York" of course! For today, at 8:45 in the morning I got on a plane for New York City!

"NYC!!! Just got here this morning! 3 bucks! 2 bags! One me!"

Okay well maybe more than three bucks, as that would not go very far in today's age, no matter how much it may have gotten some one in the Great Depression  as in that awful musical Annie. 

Starting on Monday I have a two week internship with a New York based company called Fashion Snoops, a fashion forecasting website. Being in one of the top fashion centers in the world, and one of the best cities in the world, I plan on absorbing every bit of "la mode" that I can. 

As today was a travel day, nothing too exciting happened. Dropped our bags off at the New Yorker hotel, popped in a cab and headed down to soho where we got a bit of research and a lot if shopping done until dinner time. We (being my mum and I) are as of now sitting on the floor, absolutely exhausted, watching Roman Holiday and eating a dinner bought from the Whole Foods on the corner. Perfection darling, simply perfection.

I can already feel the muggy New York air doing me good

For the day of travel, I wore a simple, yet stylish outfit, that was as comfortable as being fashionable allows

Corso Como heels, Calvin Klein jeans, free people chiffon top, brass "world" locket, and fossil purse. 

Being a bit tired now, I am not feeling too inspired tonight and cannot leave you with any great words, but I can say that when you want to feel as tiny and insignificant as an ant while simultaneously as large and important as Thor up on his clouds, come to New York. 

Xoxo 

Justice