Friday, May 30, 2014

Weekly Links: Written in the Stars


TGIF!

This week I started my Summer internship. While it has only been a few days, I have already learned a lot and have worked on a vast array of different tasks. One main thing that I've learned  whilist working this week: Why coffee is so important to adults.

Having a big kid job takes  alot of energy!

*Click the hypertext below to be redirected to the original article*

 

Not too long ago, I was a yearbook editor. I know things change at a rapid pace, but never did I think that schools would start photoshopping their student's yearbook portraits. I'm not talking about the standard air brushing a few pimples or getting rid of a few stray hairs here. Utah’s Wasatch High School is currently under scrutiny after students realized their photos were drastically changed without their knowledge. Necklines, tattoos, even shirt colors: all changed with a click of a button.

 

The highly anticipated film adaptation of The Fault in our Stars comes out next Friday. The book is huge. The movie is going to be huge. If you haven't heard of this novel by John Green then you must be living under a rock. Many Nerdfighters ( Green's fans) know that TFIOS was inspired by Esther Earl, a teen Green met that was battling cancer.  I just recently found out that Esther's parents published an autobiography filled with Ether's poems, drawings and life story which you can buy here. I can't help but see this book being just as inspiring and influential as TFIOS.


Wedding season is in full swing. Like any milestone, couples receive numerous different types of advice from friends and family. Now imagine getting advice from a celebrity. How cool would that be? Comedic legend Bill Murray  crashed a Bachelor party and gave his own wedding advice. His wisdom has a sense of wanderlust to it and is inspiring for new and older couples alike.
 
 
Scout Willis hasn't been happy with Instagram this week. The young starlet posted a photo of her wearing a sweatshirt that depicted two topless women. Per Instagram's guidelines there can not be any inappropriate content such as nudity. Scout's Instagram was made private and then was deleted by the photo sharing app. To protest this, she walked around NYC topless, where it is legal. Scout's protest deals with much more than just her photo that was banned. She is also standing up for breast cancer survivors ( Their pictures of mastectomy get deleted by Instagram as well) and for women body impowerment.
 
Random Little Links
5. To my fellow Community fans: #sixseasonsandamovie could happen!

Have a lovely weekend everyone! I can't believe June is just around the corner.

Best,
Sarah



Sunday, May 25, 2014

OOTD: Beach Daze



Happy Memorial day. Never forget those who  have served our country. Their bravery, selflessness and dedication are unparalleled and for that, the USA is extremely grateful.


Last week, I went to the beach with my mom. It was such a beautiful day and I decided to test out some flowy, bohemian-esque pants. 

It was a great decision.


Tank top: Bozzolo
Pants: Target
Sandals: Steve Madden
Cross body bag: Francesca's 

Sorry this OOTD post is short. I was hesitant to bring my camera to the beach, so these are all taken from my phone. I also didn't bring sunglasses- as you can imagine, in all of the pictures I took my face was scrunched. ( Quite amusing actually, but I'm sparing myself the embarrassment by not placing them here!)

Here's some more inspiration...

 



Have a great week. If you're out and about and come across some wide legged, flowy pants, try them on! They are so comfy and definitely have a Summer vibe going on. You can thank me later.

Best,
Sarah

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Weekly Links: Muppet Ed Sheeran Will Make You 'Sing'


Why, hello there.
This week was comprised of a day at the beach, loads of reading and one too many fro yo runs.  This girl will never pass up an opportunity to get some frozen yogurt. It truly is my vice.

* Click the hypertext below to be redirected to the original article*


Fat shaming is just as bad as skinny shaming. Being too fat, too thin, too lanky, too short - everything about our bodies gets put in a certain box. You know, that there's something wrong with yourself no matter what. I love body image, I love talking about it, I love that people embrace themselves. I believe we should all do this.  Love the skin you're in, right?  When talking about body image, it seems to always be about coming down from a heavier weight "Before" to something more healthy "After" in society's eyes. However, everyone is on their own journey, how one feels in their skin is up to them.  Mother of three, Tara, was a former body builder and realized no matter how healthy she looked or felt she still didn't love her body. So, she started the Body Image Movement. Tara believes that women should celebrate their bodies and that we  all have to power to redefine beauty standards. Love love love all of this. Tara's website is pretty awesome and she is even trying to fund her own documentary which you can help support here.


On Monday, a group of Iranians were arrested for filming a video to the song 'Happy'.   Luckily, 6 of the participants of the video have since been released.  In Iran, it is illegal for women to be seen without their hijab, which was shown in the music video. The video went viral and so did the participant's swift arrest. Twitter spread messages of #freehappyiranians and Pharrell even spread his own opinion on the matter. The power of social media played a role in setting these individuals free and that's something to be happy about.

Is this creative or just plain creepy?
 Japanese artist  Haruhiko Kawaguch started a new series of portraits called "Flesh Love", where he shrink wrapped strangers together. This idea, presumably, comes from the extremely popular video "Strangers Making out" which I talked about a few months back. (see here) Kawaguch's work was best put by Refinery 29 as portraying "The closeness can sometimes feel like all of the air is sucked out between you and your partner"


No one can craft a song quite as beautifully as Ed Sheeran can. On June 23, Sheeran's highly anticipated second album, X, will be released. To tease us all, he's released two singles : Sing and One. This week, he released his video for Sing and it was not what I was expecting at all and I mean that in a good way! The only thing that could ever  be cuter than Ed Sheeran is  a muppet version of himself singing his hit song.  

Monday, May 19, 2014

Billboard Music Awards Recap


I love award shows and last night was the Billboard Music Awards. Everyone tends to be a self proclaimed critic when big performances or award shows roll around. Today I thought I would recap what caught my attention in case you missed the show last night.

Best Dressed

Kesha

Pete Wentz

Jennifer Lopez

Shakira and Gerard Pique

5 Seconds of Summer

Performances

The Billboard Music awards is always jammed pack with over the top performances. Below are a few of my favorites. Also, I've noticed that videos don't often work when on mobile, so I also have the hyperlink to each performance.


Iggy Azalea performed Fancy and then Problem with Ariana Grande. Both were absolutely fabulous.  THe only "problem" with the song? That it's so darn catchy! Problem is definitely going to be the Summer song of 2014. If the above video isn't loading click here.


Michael Jackson, or rather his hologram, performed  Slave to the Rhythm. The performance amazed many people and equally freaked some others out. I thought it was pretty cool to see just what technology can do. On mobile? Click here.


Miley Cyrus was actually quite subdued last night. She covered Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds with The Flaming Lips. Much to everyone's surprise she didn't twerk everywhere or stick her tongue out incessantly. While everyone says never cover a Beatles song, this was nicely done.  You can also see the video here.

Big Awards

The Billboard Awards is made up of mainly performances, but here are some of the big winners of the night.


- Lorde won Best New Artist and for Top Rock Song
- Justin Timberlake won 7 awards(!) including Top Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album 
- Imagine Dragons won 5 awards including Top Duo/Group and Top Rock Artist 
- Katy Perry won Top Female Artist-Jennifer Lopez won the Icon Award
- Robin Thicke, T.I and Pharrell Williams won 4 awards each for Blurred Lines

Big 'oops'


# Kendallyouhadonejob.  Australian group Five Seconds of Summer made their US  television debut last night. Billboard made an intro video telling the audience how their performance mirrors the Beatles coming to America for the first time 50 years ago. However, when introducing the group, Kendall Jenner started by saying 'One' as in One Direction then continued to say how she's a horrible reader and ending with '...seconds of Summer'. See the mix up here. It's almost as painful as John Travolta's whole Adele Dazim mix up a few months back. I guess she had ex Harry Styles on the brain.

If you watched last night, what were your favorite parts of the show? Let me know! Have a great week everyone!

Best,
Sarah

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Weekly Links: Rihanna Breaks a Phone and Still Makes Money



 Hello everyone! This has been quite a week!

Who would have thought that Solange would ever beat up Jay Z? ( More on that in  Random Little Links). Or that it would finally hit me that I'm 19? Yeah, my days as a teen are numbered and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that - yet. Per usual, I think this week flew by and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you enjoyed your week as well.

* Click the hypertext below to be redirected to the original article*


Prom season is in full swing. Girls spend countless hours finding the right dress, getting their hair and makeup done and plan where pre Prom or after Prom may be. My days of going to Prom are long over, but the all the stress and excitement that comes with the day still resonates with me. That's why when I read about Chloe I couldn't help but sympathize with her.  The 17 year old was Prom ready, but her experience was short lived as chaperones believed her dress produced 'impure thoughts'. Chloe's dress was not scandalous by any stretch of the imagination; God forbid the girl is graced with long legs! The simple fact that not two bodies are the same should have been kept in mind. I think what's worse than allowing shorter girls to wear more scandalous attire than Chloe is the fact that dads at the Prom thought Chloe's dancing was scandalous. That, my friends, is a whole lot more dangerous than a tall girl feeling confident in her Prom dress!



When I find something about body image, I can't just stop at one thing; I eat this stuff up (see here) So, this next link is again about the body. Instead of an actual girl, this controversy comes from a mannequin.  Lingerie store, La Perla, was in hot water this week when a customer took a picture of one of its mannequins.  This mannequin was more than just a double 00, it was  one step away from promoting an eating disorder.  Every body is beautiful- big or small, but this does not need to be in store windows all over the country. Seriously, who thinks this is ok?



Long live the King of Pop.  This week, Justin Timberlake released the video for Michael Jackson's new song 'Love Never Felt so Good'. It is so catchy and I can not think of anyone better to carry out Jackson's song. This music video is for Michael Jackson's new album XSCAPE, which I am currently listening to on Spotify as I type this. This album is fantastic and I know Michael Jackson would be proud of where his team has taken his work. Please give it a listen.



 There's a  small part in all of us that cringes any time someone asks to look at our phone. However, if that person is Rihanna and she wants to take a selfie? Well, you'd hand over your phone pronto! That's exactly what LAPD comission president Steve Soboroff did yet the moment wasn't so picture perfect. The pop star dropped and broke Soboroff's phone in the process. Nonetheless, Soboroff was a good sport and decided to sell his phone in which he gained $81,000 for charity in the process.  It's safe to say that I'd have Rihanna break my phone any day.

Random Little Links:

Have a lovely weekend and we'll meet again on Monday!

Best,
Sarah

Monday, May 12, 2014

A Few of My Favorite Things


Happy Monday everyone! 
Today definitely feels like Spring if not Summer and I hope warm weather finds you today as well.

 Now that school is out and  I have more time for myself, I've found time to do the things I love or better yet discover new things!

I realized that my last favorite things post was in January so a new list is long overdue.
What are you all currently loving?

"...Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things"


I'm not a huge Country fan, but Hunter Haye's new album, Storyline, is absolutely fantastic. I don't care how much you strongly detest Country music, I know after one listen to this you won't be able to get the songs out of your head! Tattoo and Secret Love are really catchy, upbeat songs , while Invisible and When Did You Stop Loving Me are more somber. There's something for everyone on this album.


My dorm rooms at school don't allow candles which is a real bummer. While out shopping, I found this adorable candle. Anything that's floral or pink is good in my book. It's great to just lay out for decoration and also smells amazing. You can buy the candle from Paddywax here. A candle is something so simple yet can fill your home a beautiful scent and a pop of color.



I love sandals, but not necessarily buying them! As long as I can slide them on while running out the door, I don't really care what they look like. Once I buy a pair of sandals, I try to wear them until they are so worn out that they're discolored, frayed or hole ridden. For my birthday, I decided it was time to update my sandals and I found this super comfy pair at DSW. I could walk for miles and miles in these! They are also so easy to pair with things- dress up or dress down,  you better believe I will be wearing these!


Last week, I visited my lovely friend Deborah for a pre birthday celebration. The day was spent eating sweets, laughing, random bursts of shameless dancing ( done mostly by me) and watching Neighbors.  

I'm sure you have seen previews for the comedy starring Zac Efron, Dave Franco and Seth Rogan. However, for those unfamiliar, the movie is about a couple with a newborn who find out that a frat is moving in next door. They try to keep their cool at first, but loud parties night after night start to take their toll and the couple decides to take matters into their own hands in which an all out war between both houses ensues.  Neighbors made an impressive $51 million this past weekend, beating Spider man 2. While the humor may not be for everyone, seeing Zac Efron with out a shirt is another justifiable reason to go watch the flick.

 To see more of my favorite things that I like on a whim, follow me on Pinterest or Tumblr

I hope you all enjoy your week!

Best,
Sarah


Friday, May 9, 2014

Weekly Links: Makeup From a 3D Printer?!


Hello there!
This week I've started creating a list of books I want to read over the summer. Divergent, TFIOS and #GirlBoss are on the top of this list. I also want to reread The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks because I recently found out it is going to be a movie and I absolutely can not wait!  Now that school is wrapping up, I think everyone should grab a book and read. Reading for fun is hard to come by nowadays.

*Click the hypertext below to be redirected to the original article*


College is the land of cramming for tests, trying to find time to sleep while also having quite the overindulgence of Starbucks. This parody of 'Do you want to build a snowman?' is the best I've seen to date. It does more than just entertain, it portrays the college lifestyle perfectly. Just in time for everyone wrapping up their finals.



Diets come and go, but a gluten free diet has been rapidly catching popularity the past few years. People choose a gluten free lifestyle based on medical reasons, such as celiac disease. I personally don't know much about a gluten free diet and apparently neither do gluten free people.


 Going through High School is stressful enough, but going through High school AND college simultaneously? That is insane! However, it can be done as shown by 16 year old Grace Bush.  Bush  enrolled in Florida Atlantic University High School, which gives students the option to work towards their Bachelor's degree while attending High school.  Bush earned a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice a week right before her High school graduation. She plans on going on to earn her Master's degree in public administration and then move on to law school. This girl is going to change the world.


I saw this scrolling through my Facebook feed and it just amazes me with what a 3D printer can do. I still don't entirely grasp how a 3D printer can do what it does, but it is undoubtedly going to change a lot of things in the near future. One example being how women get their makeup. A Harvard Business Student, Grace Choi, created Mink, a mini 3D printer that allows women to print makeup. Yes, print it! No more spending extraneous amounts of money at the store.  The article goes on to demonstrate how you can pull color codes off the internet and soon after can be holding it in your own hands. Her business pitch, located at the end of the article, is also really neat to check out.

Random Little Links
Have a great weekend everyone! Don't forget to treat your mom extra special on Sunday!!

Best,
Sarah

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Super Easy and Delicious Parmesan Kale Chips


It seems like everywhere I go I see the mantra 'Eat more Kale!' plastered on shirts, stickers, bags- all sorts of things.  ( see here) While I  do know  residing in the land of all things organic, healthy and local aka Vermont plays a major part in this, one just can't deny that Kale's presence is everywhere.

I had Kale once and in it was in a green smoothie. I drank it and felt super cool and healthy. 
Yet up until writing this post I had no clue at all what Kale even was. Here's a quick Kale 101:

Kale is one of the world's healthiest foods so it's surge in popularity is well deserved.  One cup of cooked kale has only 33 calories. Not only that BUT the leafy cabbage also has a boatload of antioxidants and vitamins along with the power to prevent numerous types of cancer and heart disease. It's been around since the 17th century and will not be leaving our plates anytime soon.

Reading all the benefits of this hearty green prompted me to drive to my grocery store and attempt to make Kale chips.  I then found this recipe and the rest is history. The process was so easy and the result was so super duper delicious that it just wouldn't be fair not to share with you all. 


What you'll need:
- Kale ( a cut and bagged version is a lot easier to handle)
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- Parmesan Cheese

1.  Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Make sure your Kale is washed and then pat dry. *Also, make sure there are no big stalks on your Kale- they will be tough and not taste good.*


2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on to your Kale. Mix this all up to make sure the olive oil covers each leaf evenly.


3. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top- use as much as you want! The more you use, the cheesier your chips will be- yummy!

4. Place your Kale in a thin layer on a baking sheet and then bake for 15-18 minutes. You want  your chips to be crispy and the Parmesan cheese should look golden. 

.... and that's it! I told you this recipe is super easy.


Once out of the oven, eat those babies before anyone else can get their hands on them. In all seriousness, the chips taste better when they are straight out of the oven. When the chips start to cool they begin to wilt and no one wants to eat a soggy chip. 

I think the Parmesan gives the chips a nice touch, especially for Kale novices such as myself. Kale chips are great for when you need a crunchy snack and are so good you'll forget they're healthy. Enjoy!

Best,
Sarah

Friday, May 2, 2014

Weekly Links: Girl Power


I don't know about you guys, but I think this week flew by!
 I met a lot of friendly people, learned a ton of beneficial things and, sadly, had to bid farewell to the dorm I called home for the past 9 months. Since the week flew by, I apologize for this not being posted as early as it usually is on Fridays. Time flies when you're having fun packing and repacking.

In my search for finding all things interesting this week, I stumbled across a few things that simply confirm the fact that girls are awesome. I'll tell you why I honed in on this topic at the end of my post!

* Click the hyperlinks below to be redirected to the original article*


I don't always watch things other than the Today Show, HGTV, and The Tonight Show, (I swear I'm not a grandma)...but when I do I like to watch The Voice. And by watch it, I mean only tune into the blind auditions. I've always liked The Voice for being its unique and unbiased approach on a singing competition and this week I fell in love with it even more when NBC confirmed that Gwen Stefani will replace Christina Aguilera as a new judge in the Fall. I'm super excited!  This $@!% is bananas. ( B-A-N-A-N-A-S)

I think because of this news we should all just take a moment to reminisce  on Gwen's song Hollaback Girl aka my anthem in 5th grade. 



Alright, Gwen appreciation rant over. In other news, I love Taco Bell. Their social media expert should get a gold medal, they're recent breakfast launch has been a success and above all else, I crave it all the time. Yes, even after reading Fast Food Nation  my love for Taco Bell is unwavering. However, I have to admit that I didn't know one particular thing about the brand. What's that you may ask? Well, in 2011 the company confessed that only 85% of their meet is actual beef. That in its self should be enough to turn me away, but as I mentioned, my love is unwavering. This week the company revealed what is in the other 21% of their beef through a new change on their website. I now realize this has nothing to do with girl power, but girls love Taco Bell so does that count?


Scrolling aimlessly through Tumblr I found a beautiful photography project. Annalisa took a series of photos that portray culture and counter culture over the past 10 decades. The full project can be seen here and you can follow her on Tumblr here. This was all done for a class project and I sincerely hope she received an A.


Shout out to all of my fellow oldest siblings out there. I'm the oldest of four and a lot of responsibility often falls on my shoulders. Most of the time I don't particularly mind this, but I have to admit sometimes that pressure does get to me (and I'm sure it gets to you too if you're in the same boat!) Fear not, all that pressure makes us ambitious. According to a new study, the oldest child and in the case namely first born girls tend to be more ambitious and accomplished.  To quote a fellow first born girl Beyonce: "Who run the world? Girls."

Random Little Links

To the boys that read my blog, I hope you don't mind all the girl empowerment loving going on over here today. 

 To my lovely ladies, I got my inspiration to find all these great articles from #GirlBoss. I'm sure many of you, like myself, have daydreamed over owning clothes from Nastygal.com. The site is unprecedented in its effort of clothing the modern-gal-that-knows-exactly-what-she-wants-and-does-it-by-looking-uber-cool. Nasty Gal's founder, Sophia has a book, #GirlBoss, coming out Tuesday all about her journey; taking the little that she had with a ton of passion to ultimately live her dreams. The book also is bound to inspire a new wave of smart and passionate ladies that just don't take no for an answer.* I can't wait to get my hands on it. 

* I am not a sponsor for Nasty Gal or #GirlBoss. Opinion, enthusiasm and anticipation in regards to Nasty Gal and #GirlBoss are my own.*

Prom is happening tonight in my town and I am so excited to see my neighbor Taylor all dolled up. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Best,
Sarah