JOURNALS

BONJOUR-
Okay, so I procrastinate a lot and its something I'm trying to control. Without much luck however as I'm only just now responding to your post about keeping a journal...Like you, I've tried over the years to document my life in the usual ways through diaries(journals, diaries whatevah) and I've always failed. I think the longest I have been able to continue with one has been about three days. Maybe this comes back to this whole procrastination thing but I don't really feel like becoming introspective and fixing my problems so we'll just leave it at that. I did however save all my of sad attempts as becoming the iconic diary-writing, make-up-wearing girl that I wanted to be. Looking through them now I've realized I had a strange affinity for drawing hands and pictures of myself in later years(maybe everyone did this). Writing was usually secondary to my sketches, probably since I'm a lazy sea lion and writing out my day quickly got tedious...

SAYONARA MY GOOD FRIEND

--Charlotte

Thom Yorke Painting

By Sarah

Keeping a Journal

Dear Charlotte,
Halfway through my frustratingly repetitive and unhelpful English homework, I started thinking about what I'd actually enjoy doing in the class. One thing that came to mind was keeping a journal. From about 4th grade onward I have tried and failed at keeping a permanent record of my thoughts and experiences. I've only had 2 that lasted longer then a month-one that took up most of my eighth grade year and another that I started writing last year. Part of the problem, I think, is that actually recording what happened today or talking about whatever guy I like at the moment seems pretty trivial and kind of boring because I know in the scheme of things, none of that matters. However, I like the idea of putting down on paper whatever personal feelings and questions run through my head and have them immortalized on paper, even if later I will look back and be embarrassed at my own ignorance/stupidity/I-think-I'm-so-deepness. I guess keeping a journal in English class would kind of actually suck though, because I wouldn't be writing what I am really thinking/feeling for fear of Mr. Dowling reading it. It would force me to confront myself and actually ask myself questions though. What do you think? Have you ever kept a journal? LET ME KNOW SISTAH,
love ya,
Sarah

Dear Sarah-

I'm slightly terrified of putting this video up on the blog, but here we go...

Backstory: Sarah, Clare and Charlotte had too much time on their hands one fine afternoon and decided to create this superb music video to the song "What If God Was One Of Us"

..that's all I'm going to say..

(After this can we please go back to fashion posts...)

LOVE-

Cha Cha Chooo

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

Source: http://www.une-vie-saine.com/2011/06/my-favorite-books.html

HELLO HELLO,
I know that we have discussed this series before, but I just reread the first one, Sloppy Firsts, again and DAYUUUM that is one fine piece of teen lit (although it is labeled as an adult novel.. weird). Sloppy Firsts and all the characters that live within it's pages are so memorable and real to me that for some reason I keep having the urge to reread the entire series. Jessica Darling, in particular, in her teen-angsty way, makes me love the books. Not only because she is funny, observant, and all-around cynical, (all characteristics I love) but also because she is going through a similarly hellish high school experience as us. As I am sure you remember, at the start of the first novel she is coping with her friend Hope leaving town (like you will be leaving me soon!), pressure from her dad to be the best at track (seriously Charlotte, this girl and I have so much in common..), mind-numbing insomnia, and no one she can really connect with. Much of this changes when she starts talking to a "Dreg" named Marcus Flutie who she can't quite figure out entirely. While Jessica does a lot of moping, especially in the first book, it is counteracted by witty insight and spontaneous, often hilarious, rants. It's easy to become absorbed into her world. I just read that it is in the works to become a movie as well, HURRAH! Now I gotta go reread book 2!
LOVE YOU,
Sarah

Paris Fashion Show 2011

Dear Sarah,
This summer I was lucky enough to visit France and Italy over vacation. To keep things short, here are a few photographs from a fashion show I attended while in Paris! The clothes were magnificent, and many were collaborations of various designers such as Galliano, Kenzo, Givenchy and Diane Von Furstenberg. The overall theme was that of 50's and 60's Hollywood with bright turquoises and pinks galore.
Enjoy!
--Charlotte

Mary Katrantzou

Spring 2012

Spring, 2012


Spring 2012 (All photos above credited to Style.com)


Rodarte uses the digital projection technique--Fall 2011 source: Vogue


Anna Dello Russo in Mary Katrantzou, source: FAJO magazine

Dear Charlotte,

I am aware that you aren’t a big floral fan. This is a fact that I have always accepted due to the froufrou 80’s prom dress that pops into my head upon the mention of floral attire. However, somehow Mary Katrantzou has changed my mind.

Katrantzou has a knack for prints. That’s actually quite an understatement, seeing as she’s at the forefront of a new era in fashion, in which digitalized images can be incorporated into clothes. Both Rodarte and Alexander McQueen have dabbled in the use of such technology to high acclaim. However, it is Katrantzou who really captured my attention because her clothes transform the wearer into a walking collage.

When Katrantzou was first beginning to really be noticed, for her Spring 2011 collection, she was mostly using images of rooms in her designs and adding details like skirts shaped like lamp shades to keep things out of the ordinary. While the collection did leave a lasting imprint on many viewers minds (how could it not?!), it was a little too wacky for people to really want to buy.

In her Fall collection for the same year however, she amped things up, and used Faberge eggs as a motif as well as Chinese pottery. This garnered the same fascination as the collection before, but now the designs were wearable-a perfect combination of art and semi-normalcy. Soon enough her designs could be found on the likes of Anna Dello Russo and Keira Knightley. 

For her Spring 2012 collection, she used a combination of nature (hence the floral comments above!) and man-made images to produce some surprising designs. The meshing of metals and florals is hypnotizing, and if I had bajillions of dollars at my disposal, I would be buying the whole collection.

And THAT is the perfect transition into very exciting news for us mere-middle class consumers—she is doing a collaboration with Topshop coming out this Spring. Praise all spirits that be, we may have some Mary Katrantzou clothes on our hands sometime soon!

AU REVOIR MADAME,

Sarah

Mixtape

Dear Sarah,
As you know, you give me so many new great artists and songs to check out so I give you full authority to take credit for finding any of  these songs. ANYWAYYYYS here are some tracks from my little music library brain think I believe are worthy of being on someone's next mixtape:

1. Ruby Falls-Guster (I mean...I just really really like them. ferrealz...)
2. West Coast-Coconut Records (I'm realizing already that these songs aren't exactly new, so that's all I have to say.)
3. Being Around-The Lemonheads (ditto^ but so good.)
4. Big Dreams-Likely Lads (I found them a while ago and I'm so proud of my discovery. WOOO)
5. Swing Tree-Discovery (Yep, this one is DEFINITELY credited to you my fine friend Sarah)
6. Man of the Hour-Pearl Jam (What a lovely song to listen to as you lay on your floor and sing)
7. I Am The Walrus-The Beatles (I felt walrus-y today. this is the only song I know about walrus's.)
8. Loser-Beck (Foot tapping away)
9. Annie Waits-Ben Folds (I don't really know why more people don't know this song. If you are in fact a person who knows it well however, I appreciate you.)
10. Into The Ocean-Blue October (Walrus's live in the ocean too. I'm sinking into insanity. goodbye)
11. First Day of My Life-Bright Eyes (Go watch this music video. It's so cute, I want their relationships)
12. Sixteen Military Wives-The Decemberists (Don't have much to say on this one. I'll speak in French :"Oui oui mon poisson!" there you are. The extent of my French knowledge.)
13. Sugar-Imperial Teen (Thanks mom)
14. Ooh La-The Kooks (If anyone would like to purchase tickets for me I suppose I'd be open to that.)
15. High And Dry-Radiohead (Always nice to have a little Radiohead up in thur...)
16. Kissing The Lipless-The Shins (...and The Shins)
17. B.M.F-Rick Ross (What a beautiful man. This was put on here semi-ironically. I'm sorry I can't say it was entirely a joke...oh my life.)

LOVE YA!

--Charlotte

50/50

Dear Charlotte,
As you know, I kind of have a thing for Joseph Gordan-Levitt. This doesn't really make me unique seeing as he has a fervent cult following, made up mostly of tumblr-frequenting, "hipster" girls (and sometimes boys) who wonder if they (we?) would look good in Zooey Deschanel bangs. Seeing as I love JGL so much, it only makes sense that I would go to see his latest movie, titled 50/50, which came out earlier this Fall. In it, Adam (Gordan-Levitt), is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He bears the many procedures that must be endured, with the help of a very concerned mother (Anjelica Huston), a self-absorbed yet still lovable best friend (Seth Rogan), and a pretty therapist (Anna Kendrick). I laughed and cried my way through and came out immensely satisfied with the movie as a whole. The soundtrack was a masterpiece unto itself and tied together with great acting (JGL strikes again!) and writing, it was bound to be a success. However, seeing as everyone has some connection to cancer, there was bound to be some criticism on the comedic moments in the movie. While I can't even begin to fathom what it would be like to have cancer, I think that the movie's sometime-hilarity makes it a more realistic and well-balanced story--without humor what would life be worth, anyway? On that philosophical note,
GOODBYE MADAME,
Sarah

Fall

Dear Charlotte,
The season of Fall is perhaps my favorite one. I say "perhaps" because when I get to thinking about Fall it gets me thinking about winter which gets me thinking about its polar opposite Summer, which gets me thinking maybe Fall isn't my favorite season. ("What about Spring?" you may ask. Spring is my birthday season! But for some reason it's still my least favorite season.) HOWEVER, the point of this post/letter/whatever it is, is to tell you about Fall. I love Fall because I love the clothes. Chunky sweaters, black tights, mittens (In Maine mittens are necessary as early as Fall), L.L. Bean boots, long socks, hats, and layer upon layer upon layer--you can wear everything at once! I love Fall because it becomes legitimate to pile blankets on the bed and sleep in a cocoon and because drinking apple cider is much more common in Fall than in any other season. And finally I love Fall because somehow music sounds better and deeper when it starts to get cold and my photographs come out with Fall's light upon them. Every aspect of my day-to-day life is somehow affected by the feel of Fall and it seems everything is a little more meaningful. Maybe I'm just going crazy!
FARETHEEWELL,
Sarah

NANOWRIMO

Dear Writers,

Working with the theme of the last post...National Novel Writing Month has officially started today, and Sarah and I have decided to attempt it. For those of you who don't know, the goal of NaNoWriMo is to complete an entire novel(50,000 words...dear lord) by the end of November. While the task seems daunting, (I'm currently procrastinating by blogging and hot-chocolate-ing) the success afterwards will make up for your social life lost...

So, for all of you out there who would like to join us, it's not too late! grab your laptops and coffee, lots and LOTS of beautiful coffee...and let us embark!

xoxo

Charlotte

link to the website: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/dashboard

Books of My Past and Present

Dear Char,

First of all, I never noticed that you have the same nickname as Prince Charmont in Ella Enchanted until this very moment as I write "Dear Char." That book was my absolute favorite book for about a million years and I would reread it and reread it until I knew certain phrases by heart ("And so, with laughter and love, we lived happily ever after." It's a classic). Right now I'm more into The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
(notice my smooooth segue?) which, in actual fact, you suggested we both read! While I am not yet done reading it (I'm on page 284 of 590) I can say with conviction that I LOVE IT. It started out pretty slow and there are some EXTREMELY disturbing scenes which make getting out of bed to turn off my light at night seem very scary. However despite both these negatives, it's so gripping that I can't stop reading it. Every small plot twist makes me question the final outcome of the novel and each character has depth and intrigue. So in short, you can borrow my copy when I'm done and then we can go see the movie together! (more on that later..)

L.O.L (in this case lots of love..),

--Sarah

Rag and Bone's Pre-Fall Collection

Dear Sarah,

I know, I know, I'm behind. But Rag and Bones pre-fall collection for women?? It's love. (cue Subaru theme song?) The collection's all about broken in boots, with contrasts in the clothing of short and long, dark and light. In fashion, while there are always amazing designs that everyone seems to love, there's always the issue of finding a social setting in which, let's say, a full body suit that covers you're whole face is appropriate.(Don't get me wrong I would wear it if I could pull it off...) This collection hits the nail right on the head with clothes that are awesome and fashionable and all those good things, while still being something that could be worn on a day out in the city.

LOTS OF LOVE MY FRIEND AND ENJOYYY

--Charlotte

Foster the People lyrics

--Sarah

Studying Technique

This past week I had a history test that I was absolutely DREADING. Something that really helped me study was making a study guide with a pen and colored pencils. The coolest part about doing this was not only that I enjoyed studying a lot more, it was also that I was able to absorb the information better because I was drawing the guide like a map for my brain.
-Sarah

Room Collages Part 2

Since I was little I've always loved making collages. Like many people, I get inspired by the photos and drawings I see in magazines and online. I love hanging up all of my favorites in a place where I spend a lot of time (my room).

--Sarah

Room Collages Part 1

For the past year or so, whenever I find myself staring at the wall, I'll add to the collages I've made in my room from various fashion magazines. This one is currently in the process of being finished. The records are just ones that I've found at goodwill for probably 25 cents(!)
--Charlotte

A Picture I Drew in Art Class

--Sarah

Review, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

(photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/mirellacardoso/)

I first read this book last year, which-like the main character of this book, Charlie-was my freshman year in high school. My experience was very different than Charlie's, unlike him I spent most of my freshman year with Charlotte watching odd shows we came across on her netflix ("Samantha, Who?" anyone?) Charlie's freshman year, on the other hand, happened in the early '90s and was chronicled in the form of letters written to an unknown person (presumably to whoever is reading the book). Charlie's experience was one filled with experimentation, mostly with drugs and alcohol. His freshman year was a learning period about music, books, and girls. His honest and often painful descriptions are undoubtedly unique and beautiful. Despite the differences of our freshman years, I could completely relate with the tumultuous range of emotions that are exposed in this novel. His confusion at others' actions, longing to belong, and endless searching for all things beautiful are a signature of the age and stage that come with freshman year. I would definitely recommend this book to any one seeking a novel about what it means to grow up, and the strength it takes to get there.
--Sarah