Sparkle in the New Year

How better to ring in the new year than with some sparkle and shine? It seems to be the thing that everyone does on New Years Eve, as if to out shine the giant sparkling News Year's ball, so I thought I would post some glittery things to get you in the NYE mood.

Irredescent Sparkle Earrings

Wrap Top with Studding

Rhinestone Necklace

Metallic Threaded Gloves

Sparkle On Poster

Rainbow Titanium Ring

Sparkle & Shine Tassle Garland



Last Day

It's the last day of 2011! Are you excited? Sad? Hopeful?

Since it's the new year I've decided to clean my room (I still live at home with my parents) of any unwanted and needless things. I want to start the new year with a fresh perspective, and of course a tidy room.

I'm also excited about what's coming in 2012, especially the Olympics in London, the presidential election, the fact that it's a leap year (I don't know why, I just think it's cool), and The Hunger Games movie.

Are you going to kick back and relax tonight or join the party the world is throwing?

(Pictures via Bing, Facebook)

2012 Resolutions

With the new year only a couple of days away, I figured I should post about my resolutions. I usually don't make resolutions, but this upcoming year I have many things I want to change about my life that I can hopefully adhere to.

Life

Blog daily

Finish my novel

Hang out with friends more often

Read at least one novel a month

Laugh more

Smile more

Dance more

Talk to people more

Take more risks

Money

Stop wasting money

Continue saving to repay loan

Health

Drink more tea and water

Eat healthier

Exercise more

Fashion

Take more fashion risks

Wear dresses more often

Wear heels more often

Learn to use what I have in my closet

Beauty

Exfoliate more often

Find the perfect red shade of lipstick

Clean my make up brushes every week

Wear my hair down more often

(Picture via LiciousCity)

Quote

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

-Lazarus Long, Time Enough For Love

A perfect quote for a blog about lots of random things and my thoughts (which are also pretty random).

The Guilt-Free Gift

A reader's tastes are peculiar. Choosing books to read is like making your way down a remote and winding path. Your stops on that path are always idiosyncratic. One book leads to another and another the way one thought leads to another and another. My type of reader is the sort who burrows through the stacks in the bookstore or the library (or the Web site — stacks are stacks), yielding to impulse and instinct.

Love this section from the New York Times article "A Guilt-Free Gift Certificate." It's so true that you can't really guess what books some people will like or why. A gift certificate is a good choice, in my opinion.

(Picture via Bookoisseur)

Positively Present

I think it's important to be positive and live in the moment. And at Positively Present, Dani believes so too!

Her site is full of ways to be upbeat, stay organized, improve your life, and share your positively with others! So to share the wealth happiness, I thought I would share the site and Positively Present's 2012 Planner. I printed it out earlier today and it's already marked up and full of resolutions for the new year!

Download the planner here.



Meeting Someone for the First Time

Do you ever get really annoyed sometimes at what people do or don't do when you meet them for the first time?

Here's how first time meets should probably go: eye contact, firm handshake, exchange of names, friendly smile, further conversation optional, end of story. It's really not that hard, though it can be awkward and nerve-wracking; but for some reason some people seem to not do one or more of these things.

Let's go through it one at a time, shall we?

1. Eye Contact

I'm surprised at how many people simply don't make eye contact. Personally, I find it somewhat rude when people don't look me in the eye. I know we're both nervous, please just do it.

2. Firm Handshake

Please no dead fish. Most men give me a firm handsake, but for some reason a lot of women don't think they need to. I think a nice, steady handshake shows that you care (whether it's business or casual) and that I mean business (when it's a business setting).

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Tattoos

I don't have any tattoos, but I've always liked seeing other people's because they tell a story. A tattoo is someone's past, their favorite song, a person they love, their religion, their inclusion in a group, or maybe just a symbol they're fond of (like a heart or a star).

Love Jackie's "That Girl Has Love" tattoo

Love this Harry Potter tattoo

 Love the placement and font of this tattoo

Love this simple flying bird tattoo

Love this cute tattoo

Love The Clothes Horse's tattoo

Love this masculine heart tattoo

Love this cursive love tattoo

Love this spade tattoo

 Love this behind the ear feather tattoo

 Love this empowering tattoo

"I'm the hero of this story.

I don't need to be saved."

Do you have any tattoos?

(Most sources are unknown)

It Only Takes A Girl

I saw this video yesterday and had to share. It's emotional, informative, heart-breaking, and shocking, but it also gives me a sense of hope that things can change if we want them to.

Please take a look.

For more information, go to It Only Takes A Girl or her blog. To donate, go to Girl Effect.

Awards

Jackie of Claws Up gave me two awards!

I got a Top 10 Award and a Liebster Award!

I'm not really sure how this works, but here are my top ten blogs:

1. Claws Up (thanks for the awards!)

2. The Clothes Horse

3. Kendi Everyday

4. What Would A Nerd Wear

5. Scathingly Brilliant

6. Mocha Soy Whippy

7. A Cup of Jo

8. Color Me Katie

9. Bookoisseur

10. I Could Make That

A random assortment of blogs that I love, some that I've been following for years and some are new favorites. Thanks for the awards!



Gaga's Workshop at Barney's in New York

My best friend Jackie is a Little Monster. She is completely obsessed with Lady Gaga and isn't afraid to show it. She asked me if I would go with her to Barney's on 60th and Madison to see Gaga's Workshop and, of course, I said yes. I knew it was going to be over the top, I mean c'mon it's Lady Gaga, so I wanted to check it out before it closes on January 2nd.

The entrance to the store! It's like you're being gobbled up by Gaga!

Gaga's Workshop was like an art exhibit in a department store. It was fanastic and colorful

and her latest album played on loop while we looked around.

And don't you love the "Paws Off" signs?

Jackie and I tried on crazy sunglasses!

It's hard to see in the picture, but mine looked like they were covered in clay.

Jackie tried on ones that looked like lab goggles covered in lace (which were $187 by the way)

and then ones with large spikes that had no place for her nose.

And then we tried on the most comfortable black leather jacket ever. It was so soft and supple! The spikes on the shoulder and the zippers really added to it's edginess. I totally would've gotten it if it wasn't $525.

At one point, we stumpled upon a large box with candy and a tin of ginger and lemongrass tea that was $150, but Jackie only wanted the tea. We searched and searched and couldn't find it. And then out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tin! I swear it was the last one in the store. Yay! So glad I found it for you, Jackie!

I didn't get anything for myself while there, but Jackie got a nice tote bag and the tin of tea.

To read about how happy Jackie was to see the workshop, click on over to Claws Up.

Did anyone else see the workshop or is planning to go?

Happy Hannukah

Happy first night of Hannukah!

(Picture via Flickr)

Pomander Pendant

I love long, dangly necklaces. I think the reason I would much prefer to get long ones is because I wear the same short necklace that lies just above my cleavage every single day. I've worn the same necklace (though the chain has changed several times) ever since ninth or tenth grade. So that's about eight years! I'll have to take a picture to show you the necklace.

 

Anyway, a month or so ago I signed up for JewelMint since so many people were excited about it. I liked the jewelry, but I couldn't find many things that I wanted to spend the $29.99 on. Remember, I'm a broke grad student. But yesterday, I got an email from them with a 65% off code, so I decided to look around.

 

And then I found the Pomdander Pendant.

I've never been much of a perfume girl. I think most of the time perfume is too overwhelming for me. When it's on my clothing, it becomes all I can smell, which I don't like. So this necklace is perfect for me. All I have to do is take a cotton ball, spritz on a perfume I like, and place it inside the necklace. If the scent ever gets too overpowering, I can simply take the necklace off. I think it's the perfect compromise! Now I can't wait to get it in the mail!

 

Unfortunately, this necklace is out of stock at the moment, but I'm sure they'll be adding more soon.

 

Any suggestions for perfumes?

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, 
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
    And no birds sing.

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
    So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
    And the harvest's done.

I see a lily on thy brow,
    With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
    Fast withereth too.

I met a lady in the meads,
    Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
    And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,
    And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
    And made sweet moan.

I set her on my pacing steed,
    And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
    A faery's song.

She found me roots of relish sweet,
    And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
    'I love thee true'.

She took me to her elfin grot,
    And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
    With kisses four.

And there she lulled me asleep
    And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -
The latest dream I ever dreamt
    On the cold hill side.

I saw pale kings and princes too,
    Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci
    Hath thee in thrall!'

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
    With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
    On the cold hill's side.

And this is why I sojourn here
    Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
    And no birds sing.

-John Keats, 1819

Such a beautiful poem.
If you would like to hear it, you can listen to Ben Wishaw from the film Bright Star.

Holiday Wishlist

If I wasn't a broke graduate student, I would buy everything on this list. But alas I need to save my money for gas so that I can get to work, and so that I can buy special people in my life presents!

Lovebirds Decal. So cute, right? There are tons of cute decals over at Blik. ($38)

Fleece-Lined Leggings for comfort and to keep my legs oh so warm. ($18)

Free Bird Hair Clip to pull back my hair while reading and drinking hot chocolate. ($9)

Airwalk's Hope Slip-On shoes look comfy and do good -- everytime you buy one of these shoes, one pair is donated to children in need. They're like Toms, but a lot less expensive. ($22)

Nails Inc. Special Effects Holographic nail polish. It just looks so damn cool! ($10)

This absolutely amazing Star Projector! Seriously, how fantastic would it be to

walk into a room that looked like that?! ($22)

The Seven-Year Pen that, you got it, lasts for seven years. For a writer, this is awesome! ($7.50)

What gifts do you want this year?