the story of stuff

I just got back from a showing of "The Story of Stuff" at my local church, and all I can say is 'Wow.' I know this mini-documentary is nothing new, but I am so glad I was able to watch it. If you have never watched it, I highly recommend you do (all twentyish minutes of it is very worth your time). After watching it, I will:

- be more aware of how much I am consuming, from the paper cup I drink coffee out of, to the five napkins I take from my cafeteria
- be more aware of the quality of clothing I buy (I will not be sucked into planned obsolescence)
- try to change my lifestyle
- realize that recycling is not the answer
- realize that I cannot buy my way to a better environment through reusable bags, an energy efficient car, etc.

Looking around my bedroom now makes me feel really guilty. I am a known pack rat, and now I know that being a pack rat is no longer an O.K. thing. I mean think of everything you really consume on a daily basis...really think. It's not just a coffee and some gas.

-K.B.

mom's day

My mom woke me up this morning by dancing into my bedroom and singing to me, clearly excited for Mother's Day. We went out to breakfast with my dad at this little Greek diner a few towns away. Then we went to an indoor flea market half an hour away, where I picked up a few pieces of jewelry (two rings and an amazing owl necklace, I'll post more later). For dinner, we ended at this delicious Italian restaurant in West Hartford, with unfortunately poor service.

Wearing: Mother's blazer, F21 dress, H&M necklace, UO tights, Nine West heels

Happy mother's day!

-K.B.

whirlwind

This past week has been crazy. I can't believe high school is almost over, and in less than 4 months, I'll be moving into my dorm at Marist.

Yesterday I made my tattoo appointment (oooh, scary!) for my birthday, and bought the cutest yellow dress ever to wear for my anti-prom night consisting of a swanky dinner in downtown Hartford and the Kanye/Rihanna/N.E.R.D./Lupe Fiasco concert.

Now I just have to get through my AP exams, and life will be even better.

-K.B.

A belated greeting

Happy Chinese New Year!

One of my best friend's spoiled me with some New Year goodies last week. I wish I celebrated it!

-K.B.

i WILL keep these

Photo by rkr806 on Flickr

Here's my own set of resolutions for 2008 that I will be happy to keep.

I will...

• learn to walk in high heels- as of right now, I walk sort of wobbly in them. I plan on practicing regularly and hopefully by graduation, I'll be a pro!
• keep a daily sketchbook and/or blog- I really want to regularly sketch in my sketchbook, or post on here. or both!
  
• stop procrastinating!!!- since the hectic Christmas season, I've been getting better at this. I refuse to give up on this main resolution; my life will be much more free of stress if I learn how to plan things out instead of waiting until the last minute.
• keep a money diary- my main concern currently should be saving for college; however, buying a latte or new shirt is so much more appealing. keeping a diary of every cent I spend will help me see my cash downfalls on paper, and will hopefully influence future spending.
• clean my room daily- this goes along with not procrastinating (if I let things pile up, cleaning will just take that much longer in the end).
  
• read more & learn something new every day- to expand my knowledge :)
  
• exercise regularly- ...to stay happy. I feel as though putting weight loss & exercising together makes it so much more serious. but after I exercise, I feel so much more energized and happy! the half hour of sweat and pain is worth it for that happiness.
• do something for myself once a week- this includes little indulgences such as buying a new nail polish or watching a new movie that I usually wouldn't make time for.

What are your resolutions?

-K.B.

The best candy bar

On Friday, I woke up early to catch an Amtrak train ride into the City with my boyfriend. We had been dreaming about roaming around Manhattan for months, and finally the opportunity arose to make it a reality!

After walking to Central Park in hopes that the ice skating rink would not be too busy (hah!), I was distracted by passerbyers carrying Dylan’s Candy Bar bags of deliciousness. Just last week, I was watching VH1’s “Fabulous Life Of…” and saw this candy store mentioned! We decided to pass on waiting in the never-ending ice skating line, and instead walked over to 3rd avenue in search of this candy store.

When we arrived, we waited in a short line before being released into the two story (soon to be three) candy-lover’s paradise. I practically trampled over young kids just so I could get my grapefruit slices and Haribo candies I had been craving all day! After picking up a bag for myself, and some old-fashioned candies for my parents, we headed to the check out, being left with a “Have a sweet day!” from the cashier.

If you are ever strutting around the Upper East Side like a Gossip Girl and are in need of a candy fix, I recommend Dylan’s Candy Bar to help settle your sweet tooth.

-K.B.

"Upscale" cheapies?

Cheap no more.

Every now and then, fashionistas like myself I'm sure head to a Goodwill or other thrift store in hopes of finding a name-brand bargain. There's a certain thrill that comes with finding a vintage hat or purse for a few bucks, rather than its original hundred or so. But yesterday when I ventured to the Westport, CT Goodwill in hopes of finding such a steal, instead I found Burberry trench coats for $90, and real fur coats for $300+. Is Goodwill really allowed to charge that much?! I was so shocked and disappointed at the price of these jackets that I left with nothing in hand. (I also found a pair of Marc Jacobs jeans ... an incredibly ugly pair, nonetheless).

Today, I went to a more local Goodwill, not ready to give up so fast on my search for a vintage-y item. There were also $100 fur coats there, and jewelry grab bags for $20. Once again, I bought nothing.

A few minutes ago while browsing Fashionista, I came across an ad for Patricia Field for Payless, a limited edition holiday collection. I adored these boots, but when I saw the price, I was shocked. $55 for Payless boots?! Are you kidding me?

Is anyone else shocked by the new 'upscale' ways of cheap stores? Have you found an item you love, only to discover its higher-than-average price tag? Or is all this frustration completely irrational?

-K.B.

P.S. I'm back! All of my college applications are done, with the exception of F.I.T. ... my portfolio review is on December 8th though, so I'm still working my tail off!

Mishmash

I apologize for the complete lack of posts. College, AP art, and life in general has taken quite a toll on my life. I have narrowed down my list to the Fashion Institute of Techonlogy, Philadelphia University, University of Vermont, Marist, and Assumption. I know I need to focus on actually getting accepted into each school, but I'm really struggling now about where I want to go and what I want to do. I mean, Vermont and NYC are complete opposites!

Any how, I would like everyone to know that I am still reading all of your blogs, and try to comment when I get the chance; reading them keeps me sane during the complete whirlwind that has been this month!

Hugs & love,
Kayla

Vermont

Photo by Kipernicus, via Flickr

Fall is my favorite season, hands down. So since the weather has continuously been 80 degrees and humid in Connecticut, I have not been a happy camper. Luckily, my family had been planning a quick Vermont visit so we could visit UVM. When we arrived in Burlington this afternoon, I was in heaven. The air was chilly and crisp and the leaves were changing colors; what more could a New England girl ask for?

Granted, I have yet to visit all of the states. But ever since vacationing there two summers ago, it has become one of my favorites. I adore the laid back lifestyle, the weather, and especially the locally produced food. It's funny how I know I want to go to college in New York City or Vermont--they are complete opposites! For those of you ever planning on visiting, here is a must-do activity list:

• Visit the Ben & Jerry's Factory; I've gone on the tour three times and each time just gets better and better! (I am a bit ice cream obsessed, though..)


• Shop downtown Burlington; with an American Apparel, a myriad of Vermont-made stores, and great food, you could spend all day here and not get bored.


• Rent a cabin on Lake Champlain; This is the definition of a relaxing vacation: being surrounded by the wilderness and the lake is just amazing!
  
• Buy your food at local co-ops; Supporting local farmers is a great way to do your part in helping to save the environment (plus the food is just better that way!).
  

While in Burlington, I picked up a few American Apparel necessities...

Images from American Apparel

Happy Columbus Day weekend!

-K.B.

Highly waisted

Honestly, when I bought these Cheap Monday jeans last month, I didn't realize that they were high-waisted. I think I might've gotten lost in how amazing they fit my body while in the dressing room at Urban Outfitters. They're a little long, and a little loose around the waist, but I'm really bad when it comes to returning clothes or exchanging them, so I'll have to deal. Anyways, it was really chilly today! I saw plenty of people wearing flip flops and short-sleeved shirts at the mall, but I was freezing my bum off. The outfit:

-Laila Rowe aviators
-Gap blue & white striped shirt
-Kohls' necklace & belt
-Cheap Monday skinnies
-Chocolate Uggs ; (It might've been too early in the season to break these out, but I was just dying for a chance to warm my feet with them!)

At the mall today I picked up some goodies including Chanel mascara, a rust-colored (or "curry"-colored, according to my mother) knit tunic, and a knit floppy hat from H&M. I was a bit disappointed with my mascara results, especially after my mom told me my eyelashes didn't look much different than when I use my cheapy Maybelline mascara. Oh well.

Photo credit: F21

-K.B.

Better

This week hasn't been the best for clothes and keeping up with NYC Fashion Week, and I apologize for the lack of posts. My boyfriend of almost 2 years and I broke up on Sunday and it hasn't exactly been easy. Every day I'm getting better, though, little by little, and thankfully I have great friends that have been there for me. It was sort of funny to watch my progression of what I wore this week though: Monday, I wore a gross outfit of sweats, Tuesday was a little better with jeans and a t-shirt, and today...well, today was a pretty good day in my opinion (see right).

• Scarf: H&M
• Blue top: Gap
• Grey skinnies: Hollister
• Greyish/blue shoes: Bandalino

Another positive? No school tomorrow! Thank you, Rosh Hashana. It will be spent sleeping in, relaxing, and working on my portfolio.

Have a good night everyone, and to everyone who may be Jewish, have a good holiday!

-K.B.

P.S. Check out the previous post; I've finally been able to post that picture!

So sorry!

I just wanted to stop in and let everyone know that I'm super sorry for the lack of updates. Please don't forget about my blog while it's in hibernation for the next few days! School starts for me on Tuesday, and I have quite the list of summer assignments to finish up. I have a lot of things to mention/show you when I get back, so make sure to come back in 4 days! Have a fabulous Labor Day weekend & make sure to be safe!

-K.B.

Upset with Old Navy

I just got back from my local Old Navy, and am majorly bummed. There were a lot of cute styles there that looked sooo good folded, or on a mannequin: grey skinnies, a charcoal fleece jumper (pictured), a large pocket tunic, etc. But when I tried all of these things on, they were either too big there, or too small here. Talk about frustrating!

One successful piece I tried on (but didn't buy; I'm waiting for it to go on sale!) were wide legged, corset jeans*. I LOVED how they made me feel, and they actually fit pretty well throughout. The only problem was the length, but since I'm a shortie, that's usually the case.

But doesn't it just break your heart when you try an item of clothing on that looks like it'll be fabulous, just to find out it doesn't look good on you? Tear, tear.

-K.B.

*I would show you a picture of these fabulous jeans, but they don't seem to be on the Old Navy website! Hmm. Interesting.

Photo credit: Old Navy

Manhattan, part two

Visiting the city yesterday was ten times better than my Monday trip. Why? Please refer to this brief list:

• Taking the train & seeing Grand Central Station for the first time
  
• Seeing the memorial service for the NYC firefighters who recently passed away: it was such a beautiful, moving experience, and the amount of people who came to St. Patricks to watch was heartwarming.


• Saks, and its shoe level with its own zip code (I felt awkward taking a picture here, so please excuse the horrible-ness of it!)


• FIT (more on that later)
  
• Chipotle burritos; have you seen the size of those things? Delicious!

I visited the Fashion Institute of Technology with my dad for one of its information sessions. After experiencing a casual, "how about YOU ask me questions and I'll answer them"-type session at Parsons, I wasn't expecting much. Instead, what we got was the most informative, well-rounded 2 hours of information I have heard from any college I've visited. More importantly: now I know this is where I want to go. Everything about FIT is perfect, it's almost surreal. And it's right in the middle of the Fashion District!

Today was spent spending more money than I should have, on items that really weren't necessary. I bought a cute little Moleskin notebook to tote around in my purse to replace all of my scrap pieces with numbers and times jotted down, as well as the latest issue of Preen (even though I still have to flip through the ginormous September Vogue; is it bad that I've been saving it for the right time, almost as if it's a special treat?)

I hope everyone has had a very stylish weekend so far!

-K.B.

Manhattan, part one

Manhattan was even better than I remembered it being. There is so much to see everywhere you look; the city is like a never ending supply of eye candy. First, I had a quick lunch with my parents at an Au Bon Pain, and then it was time to do some shopping!

We made quick stops at Anthropologie (if I could choose one store that is the embodiment of my natural style, this would be it), Juicy Couture (um. Let's just say I couldn't afford anything there), Levi's for my mom, and American Apparel! I finally decided to purchase a pair of purple leggings, and now I want them in every color. They're super comfy, and I just want to live in them 24/7!

Then it was off to a quick, informative information session at Parsons on 5th avenue. Frankly, I loved everything about the college. It's right in the heart of the city, borders other colleges (part of NYU's right next door), and the diversity of the student body is astounding. Please accept my application, Parsons!

On the way out, we passed by S'MAC, a simple East Village restaurant specializing in mac n' cheese. I'm praying we'll make a stop there Friday, when we go back to visit FIT.

-K.B.

Speaking of boots...

On Monday, I'm going to visit Parsons in Manhattan with my parents. The downside: it's supposed to be pouring out. And of course, if I'm going to visit one of the schools I'm most interested in applying to for fashion design, I might as well look as good as possible on a dreary day. I found this super cute pair of rain boots at Laila Rowe in New Haven last night for $35.

And I already know what dress I'm wearing to match...=)

-K.B.

The cupcake gal

Yesterday I had a sudden urge to bake delicious, icing & sprinkle topped cupcakes. I didn't want them to be the same ol' vanilla batch, though, so I went recipe hunting for a simple vegan cupcake recipe. I found a super-easy one here, on wikiHow; the only difference between this recipe and regular cupcakes was the use of soy milk in place of regular milk, and the use of oil instead of butter and eggs. (*I am neither vegan nor vegetarian, but always love trying out such recipes to see what I can do differently) I then decorated the tops with raspberry and orange frosting and pretty star sprinkles. Unfortunately the frosting itself was not vegan.. I didn't have time to make my own and instead purchased it pre-made.

Today, I ventured into work today, cupcakes in tow, and waited for my coworkers to try them. They liked the denser texture, and subtle sweetness (I used a little less than 1.5 cups of sugar for 24 cupcakes...so I don't really understand why they didn't taste sweeter).

I also figured I'd dress up in a cutsey dress for such an occasion.

Black top & dress: H&M
Pink leather purse: my mom's
White flats: Target

I apologize for the picture overload of moi! I didn't think to take pictures of just the cupcakes. My friend and I decorated them together, and decided to go photo crazy.

-K.B.

Rain, rain

Today I woke up to the sound of rain. It sucks really, waking up to that, because it just makes me want to stay in bed all day. So after having to force myself up and start my day, I had to meet with my art teacher for the school year and show her my summer homework progress. Basically, I have a lot of work to do. Sometimes I think I'm too sensitive for criticism, even when it is constructive. I need to learn how to change that, asap!

Now it is almost Saturday, the rain is still trickling down, and I am freezing. Wearing winter pajamas to bed in August is just crazy! At least the rain will make for a good night's sleep.

I hope everyone else's day was sunny, or at least a good one!

-K.B.

Fruity, perfume-y musings

Photo credit: Betseyjohnson.com

I don't recall the first time I smelled Betsey Johnson's perfume, but that is the day I fell in love. This "fruity floriental" scent (as described on the Betsey Johnson website) is an instant mood lifter. I hate being unable to smell the scent a few minutes after I spray it on. If it weren't for potentially disgusted looks I would get from passerbyers, I would spray this perfume on me every few minutes.

Fruity, sweet-smelling fragerances are definitely my thing. I never thought I would like Paris Hilton's perfume until smelling it in a magazine; it instantly reminded me of sugary grapefruit candy (I have a pretty intense sweet tooth).

What's your favorite perfume/perfume genre? I'd love to hear!

-K.B.

P.S. On a completely unrelated note, I still do not believe this is really Gwyneth Paltrow.

Remembering to breathe

Has anyone ever met someone...whether it be an acquaintance or new found friend...who is a breath of fresh air? To me a breath of fresh air is this: someone who stands out from the rest in all the right ways. Usually I find breaths of fresh air in the little things people do, i.e., holding the door open, smiling, saying hello, and I try to do the same.

In high school, 99% of boys are as follows: stubborn, arrogant, and sex-minded. I was lucky enough to meet one recently who does not fit that description, and is a down-to-earth, friendly person. I am now very glad we've become friends and consider him my most recent breath of fresh air, the 1%.

On a Hollywood level, Anne Hathaway has to be my favorite breath. She is a confident woman with a great personality and style to match. Always stunning, always different (no rehab for her!), she is the perfect role model for girls of all ages.

Credits:

"Breathe"

Anne Hathaway photos

-K.B.