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Saturday, September 27, 2014

25 Ways To Be (a little more) Fabulous

Hey guys.

First off: apologizes for my sudden blogging disappearance. I know you've heard it all before, and, let's face it, you're probably gonna hear it again in the future, but I got really busy. It's been a big adjustment, this senior year thing. But I've really, really missed our weekend chats. And I really am going to try to be better. Forgive me?

Over here, I've been in a rut. I feel lazy...and sluggish...and just generally lacking in inspiration. And I feel so wretched to pop back on the interwebs to tell you that. Because honestly, life is great. I've got so much to be thankful for, I'm doing new stuff, and I really feel like a new phase of life is opening up at my feet. But getting out of bed in the morning, or just off of facebook, has been embarrassingly hard.

I'm at the point where I really just need to slap myself in the face and pull myself out by my bootstraps. I've been repeating Coco Channel's quote like a mantra, "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." Hopefully, I can attempt to leave this weekend with a little more fab in my step than I started it with.



So as a reminder to myself, here's a list of 25 ways to be a little more fabulous ('cause let's face it, you're already pretty cool).

01: Make faces at yourself in the mirror while you get ready.
02: Actually do yoga.
03: Make afternoon tea (or coffee!) a thing.
04: Commit to exclusively using colored pens. Purple's my go-to.
05: Throw on a scarf (sweater weather's better weather!).
06: Paint your nails. a $2 bottle of Sinful Colors always makes me happy.
07: Find your personal life mantra. I like "Nothing is ridiculous."
08: Do some goal writing. Like, legit, time sensitive goal writing.
09: Eat a doughnut this week end.
10: Call up that one friend you NEVER talk on the phone with.
11: Watch Seinfeld. 90's TV will always be amazing.
12: Jam out to the Beach Boys WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF WE WERE OLDER.
13: Poke the cutest guy on your friends list. I dare you.
14: Actually sit down an do your homework. And then share your self-motivation secrets with me.
15: Grab some non-fiction free reading.
16: Compliment someone on a random trait--their voice? Their openness? Try to make it something they haven't heard before.
17: Meet up with your best friend. Because no matter what, it's been too long. I suggest combining this with number 9.
18: Take a look back at yourself from a year ago.
19: Smile at a stranger. And see how weirded out they get.
20: Actually be smart about current events. Know what's going on, have an opinion, and take a stand.
21: Do some tidying. Fold that laundry. How long has it been since you vacuumed?
22: Make a photo wall.
23: Make that healthy food you genuinely love. Lately, I've been obsessing over vanilla yogurt with almond granola, and PB apples are always a favorite.
24: Tackle that inbox. No matter how intimidating.
25: Stick some money in savings. Look at you, being all responsible.

There we go! Let's rock this weekend, and step into Monday a little more sassy, classy, and fab, okay?

Happy Weekend! xo

Saturday, September 6, 2014

There's Nothing Wrong With Rom-Coms

Young Yankee Lady: 60's shift dress mod bouffant bun hair style blogger
Dress: thrifted, Bangle: vintage, Sandals: payless.

You know how women have an over-romanticized view of the world?

One that was born from Disney, fueled by Austen, and now kept alive with a new romantic comedy in theaters every three months?

A viewpoint that is, of course, utterly unrealistic and wrong. One that has set women up for failure because we certainly can't expect guys to ever act in such a sweet, tender way. I mean, no one marries anybody in the matter of a week. We don't go on adventures that lead to meeting The One. And we certainly don't become mortal enemies with someone, only later to fall in love. Right?

Young Yankee Lady: 60's shift dress mod bouffant bun hair style blogger

Ugh. Just stop it, people. 

Seriously, stop. Because in my heart of hearts, I don't think that there's anything wrong with romantic comedies. In fact, I'll go out on a limb right now and say I really, really love them. 

I've got a list of rom-coms (consisting of Crazy, Stupid Love, Mona Lisa Smile, and pretty much any Amy Adams movie...) that I want to watch. You've Got Mail is easily my favorite movie ever (with P&P 1995 coming in as a close second), and I find Leapyear ridiculously cute.

Admittedly, rom-coms aren't the most realistic. We've all been told (many, many times) that life isn't a fairy-tale, and I'm sure we've all got our own real-world experiences to prove that. But what I can't figure out is why 'unrealistic' is synonymous with 'bad' in the rom-com world. I mean, Star Trek's not exactly probable, but it's still widely accepted as a good franchise.

Young Yankee Lady: 60's shift dress mod bouffant bun hair style blogger

Cause here's the thing: rom-coms are classic. The guy gets the girl, they kiss in the rain, and the world is perfect for 2.5 seconds. They have a happy ending, and honestly, after spending two hours watching a movie, I want a happy ending. I want to walk out the theaters feeling mushy, and sweet, and like there's some hope for humanity. I want a heroine that's funny and positive; one I can relate to over wacky things (like Meg Ryan throwing a trench coat over her PJ's). I want a hero that's cute, and sweet, and goes against the age-old proverb that all guys are the same. I want to laugh a little too hard, forget about essays and ice bills, and just watch something fluffy (in the best sense of the word).

So, world, guess what: there's nothing wrong with rom-coms. And yes, I'm probably an idealistic, naive romantic to think so. But maybe, just maybe, we've considered the words 'idealistic' and 'romantic' to be silly for a little too long. It's not 'silly' to hope for the best, or expect love from people, or devote yourself to one singular person. It's not silly to do crazy things for someone, just 'cause you love them (and really, is there a better reason?). And it's not silly to curl up on the couch, tea and Hershey bars in hand, and feel some warm and fuzzy's for approximately 90 minutes.

Nope, nothing wrong with that.

Happy Weekend! xo