Bucket List: Movie Hop

 In middle school, I would go see a movie every weekend. As I've gotten to high school, however, I simply could not find time to go. These past few years have been pretty movieless, and for this week's bucket list item, I decided to movie hop, an activity I used to associate with rebellion.

 I went to the AMC theatre in Boston Commons, and I'm so glad I did. I forgot how much I loved the theater, with its gorgeous decorations and old-school feel. I especially loved how rows of old movie posters, as they stressed the lasting impact of cinema. That impression seemed fitting to the occasion.

I chose X-Men and Neighbors as the two movies I would hop between. I've found that movies are an amazing way to bond, and action and comedy are the best genres for that. As I watched X-Men, I quickly found myself teaming up with my two friends against the antagonist of the movie. I decided to go to the 3D version, thinking that the ticket would make up for my second movie (it did... the ticket was grossly overpriced). I thoroughly enjoyed the movie though, as it combined the actors I loved from the newer movies with those from the older ones. The ending was unexpected, yet poignant, and I'm satisfied with this conclusion to the epic series.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any good pictures of Neighbors, but that's probably a good thing as many of the scenes were a bit raunchy. Nevertheless, the movie was hilarious; I found myself constantly laughing. Zac Efron and Seth Rogen were an unexpected pair, but their humor complemented each other well. Dave Franco as always was also great, even doing a great Robert De Niro impression.

I'm really happy with my movie hopping experience. I'll admit I felt a little rebellious, as I snuck between theaters, but more importantly, I gained a greater appreciation for movies. X-Men and Neighbors were vastly different movies. Yet, both were so successful in their execution. It goes to show how diverse artists can be and still be ridiculously talented.

Boston Street Style (Week 4): Prints

Summer is the perfect time to embrace prints after a dreary winter of grays and blacks. Mixing prints also exudes that colorful joy that washes over anyone and everyone with that first ray of sun.

This winter in Boston was beyond miserable. It was cold and dry starting around October and then wouldn't stop snowing for a few months starting in January. And once that last snow storm hit in April and finally, FINALLY, the sun came out... so did every Bostonian ever. And with them came their printed shorts, shirts, sweater, shoes, headbands, and I'm sure some undergarments just because.

After a good amount of time just observing our fellow city-walkers and their tremendous flaunting of their lighter wardrobe, we compiled a list of what we believe to be the biggest street trends in the print world this season.

DAISY

It's cute, floral, and sunny. You can feel grown up or down right adorable. And every mainstream store and line has embraced the trend to its fullest extent. Basically, I'm a fan.

{SAVE: aliexpress.com's Sleeveless Daisy Printed Dress ($12); SPEND:
ASOS's T-Shirt Dress in Stripe and Daisy Multi Print ($54); SPLURGE:
Free People's Women's Fitted with Daisies Dress ($128)}

{SAVE: Sears's Bongo Junior Halter Crop Top - Daisy Floral ($10); SPEND:
Urban Outfitters's Truly Madly Deeply Daisy Cropped Tee ($29); SPLURGE:
ASOS Premium Daisy Crochet Tank ($67)}

{SAVE: Forever 21's Dainty Daisy Flared Shorts ($11); SPEND: Delia's
Daisy Dolphin Shorts ($27); SPLURGE: Shopbop's MINKPINK Sweet
Daisy Shorts ($71)}

{Etsy's LittlePiecesWithLove's Glass Orb Daisy Necklace ($19); Forever
21's Darling Daisy Crocheted Platforms in Cream ($33); ASOS's Motel's
Wild Daisy Print Fruit Pastel Swimsuit ($77), Anthropologie's Daisy Day
Vinyl Tote by Kestrel ($148)}

CHEVRON

While this design can be super flattering, or not so much, when worn well it is the funky version of stripes.

{SAVE: Charlotte Russe's Ikat Chevron Print Maxi Skirt ($20); SPEND:

Tilly's Full Tilt Multi Print Maxi Skirt ($30)); SPLURGE:

Kami Shade's Black & White Chevron Print Maxi Skirt ($70)}

{SAVE: Zumiez's Empyre Hatfield Black Chevron Print Dolman Tee Shirt ($20); SPEND:

Kami Shade's Cute Chevron Printed Crop Top ($39)); SPLURGE:

Free People's Ethereal Daze Sheer Chevron Print ($78)}

 

{SAVE: Target's Room Essentials Chevron Duvet Cover Set ($17); SPEND:

Kami Shade's Cute Chevron Printed Crop Top ($39)); SPLURGE:

West Elm's Organic Chevron Duvet Cover ($99)}

QUIRKY

Conformity is no longer cool - quirk is. Quirky clothes are adorable. Weird print that don't make sense but make you feel better when you see them. That's all you need.

{SAVE: Etsy's Emandsprout Red Fox Shoes Fox Face Mary Janes ($28); SPEND: Modcloth.com's Playing Cat & Mouse Flats ($154); SPLURGE:

Kate Spade New York 'Inoltra' Sandals ($209)}

{SAVE: JC Penny's Sugar High Leggings ($12); SPEND:

Modcloth.com's Quirky Skinny Kitten Constellation Leggings ($25)); SPLURGE:

Alex and Alexa's Mini Rodini Giraffe Print Leggings ($37)}

{SAVE: Forever 21's Quirky Soup Midi Skirt ($16); SPEND:

Modcloth.com's Bea & Dot Quirky Mid-Length A-Line Pretty as a Purr-trait Skirt ($60)); SPLURGE:

Etsy's BeckyQueenOffRocks Umbrella Print Skirt with Pleats ($95)}

Quote of the Week

"Life is like photography. We develop from the negatives."

-Unknown

Like I said in an earlier "Quote of the Week" post, I'm really not someone who typically likes metaphors or similes. Yet, this one is both clever and accurate. I'm all for perseverance, and not letting difficulties keep you down. I think we all need a reminder that although obstacles might seem impossible to overcome at the time, we should remember to see them as lessons to propel us toward our goals.

DC

Trends of the Week

Trends of the Week

Color of the week: lavender

Outfit of the week: skater dress

Accessory of the week: gold studs

I'm loving lavender right now. In fact, I went with the lavender OPI color on my nails for prom, and it looked divine. Lavender is a secret neutral, it can mellow out any outfit while complementing every color.

{nail polish: OPI's You're Such a
Budapest; dress: Topshop's Jenna
dress by Jones & Jones; shoes:
Converse's lavender canvas classic sneakers}

{Mila Kunis in a lavendar gown (http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Best-Selling-Mila-Kunis-Oscar)}

Skater dresses are easy to throw on, and incredibly flattering. Basically they're the perfect combination. 

{from left to right: LOVE's women's woven skater dress
 in fantasy floral, Megan's peach bandeau skater dress,
Daisy Broderie's skater dress in blue}

{Kim Kardashian in a black
skater dress (http://www.
porcelain.com.ng/skater-dress.html)}

So for prom, I need silver dangling earrings. It is the perfect accessory to go with my prom look.  However, I haven't been able to find a pair to fit my criteria. At all. Whatsoever. Every pair of earrings out right now is a gold stud. Thus, in my pursuit of one thing, I have uncovered a trend: gold studs.

{from left to right: SHY by Sydney Evan Diamond 14k
Vermeil heart stud earrings, JCrew's brass star
 earrings, Stella & Dot's Cleopatra studs}

{Stacy Keibler in gold stud earrings (http://celebrityblingz.
com/2012/02/28/stacy-keibler-gold-studs/)}

Photos of the Week

http://besttravelphotos.me/2013/12/20/sea-gate-santorini-greece-2/

1. So excited for my trip to Santorini, Greece this summer.

http://www.weddingchicks.com/2013/08/29/cake-toppers/

2. A metallic, but still seemingly delicious, wedding cake.

http://www.iainclaridge.co.uk/blog/2861

3. This picture of Grace Kelly is great inspiration for the summer.

http://www.ahfabrics.com/collections/588-zahara/detail/3164-7695a?tmpl=component

4. I would love to have this print as wallpaper.

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/74/96/12/7496129656eeb7ffef78ba71df58028c.jpg

5. I love the bodice of this designer dress.

News of the Week: Gang Rape in India

In a village of North India, three people have been arrested in relation to gang raping and hanging of two girls. The two girls were cousins, aged 16 and 14. Their bodies hung from mango trees in their village for 15 hours while villagers mourned and protested around them before being taken down. 

Autopsies of the bodies revealed that the girls had both been raped and then strangled before being hung. The families of the victims accused three brothers for this tragedy, two of which have been arrested so far. The third brother is still missing. 

Families within the village are incredibly frustrated with police as they have been pushing for more protection at night for several years. In relation directly to this case, one police officer has been arrested due to his negligence during the time of the incident.

The two girls had left their house at night to go pee in the fields nearby when they were grabbed. Almost half a billion Indians are lacking easy access to toilets, and is the reason behind many kidnapping and rape cases.

Rape in India is a major issue, especially due to restriction of women's rights. Many women feel too scared do anything about an attack, prompting more attacks to happen.

India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi has said that one of his first goals is to help with women's safety, especially in rural India. A lot of work has to be done until women feel safe though, considering that this brutal attack happened during an action so routine.

References:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/world/asia/india-gang-rape/
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/01/india-three-confess-gang-rape-murder-girls

Links I Love (Inspired by Cupcakes and Cashmere)

1) I'm always looking for good ab exercises.
2) Kate Middleton is the perfect princess.
3) Graduation is coming up, and this ivory dress has an amazing cut.
4) I've had National Geographic's photo of the day as my homepage for the past week, and I love it.
5) Celebs share some healthy recipes.
6) A marine surprises his sister on her wedding day. 
7) So excited for Alex and Sierra's new song 'Scarecrow."
8) I love seeing the audition tapes of celebrities... Just goes to show how talented they really are.
9) A blog that remind you to appreciate the little things in life.
10) 101 Cookbooks has every recipe imaginable.