Easy Updo

I don't know about you, but I love holiday parties. I love finger foods, family and friends and festive dresses. But I always struggle with how to do my hair. I want it to look fancier than usual, but it can't take hours(dates flee at the thought of 3 hours worth of getting ready). I also like my hair, which is on the fine side and tends to fall victim to the dreaded static, to be off of my face and depending on the dress off my neck.
Both of these styles look both chic and(I know I've tried) are pretty easy to achieve. All you need for the first is some second day hair and baby poweder, a big culring iron and some bobby pins. The second is a just a charmingly mess chignon. Either would look just delightful with a cute as a button party dress(maybe like this one).

Or here's some inspiration I cooked up for whether you're the glam goddess, the social butterfly or the rock star.

Christmas Party by acelovesvintage featuring American Eagle Outfitters

Items in this set:
American Eagle Outfitters dress, $45
Modcloth.com dress, $53
Shop.hm.com dress
Miu Miu shoes, $396
French Connection boots, 130 GBP

Heading Home

Holiday Travel by acelovesvintage featuring American Eagle Outfitters

I don't know about you, but when I'm driving, I have a very strategically planned ensemble. It is planned for comfort, warmth, and to disguise the coffee I will inevitably spill on myself. I am just returning from a week at my parents place in upstate NY and that means putting together all my road trip essentials. Namely, an oversized sweater, comfy dark leggings, my awesome moccasin boots, a cute coat, a hat to keep my ears toasty and my staticy hair hidden and a big purse to throw all my crap into. I met my mom half way to see New Moon, yeh, I went with my mom. So I also brought along the new moon soundtrack and some sweet face shimmer(not this brand but this made me giggle). A road trip also wouldn't be complete without some Devendra and Avett Brothers and my fav chocolate covered pretzels. What are your road trip essentials?

Penny Saver: Coffee Time!!

I haven't done a Penny Saver in awhile. But with the holidays coming up I know we're all looking for ways to pinch our pennys(and I don't just mean at the Black Friday Sales). Now I know you all know I'm a coffee feind so let me introduce you to my little Penny Saver, Goya brand espresso. Some of you may scoff at the simple Goya brand, but I swear by it. I love their black beans for soups and beans and rice and their Sazon Goya is the perfect seasoning for just about everything and now I've discovered their coffee and lemme tell you I'm sold. At just $4 a can this is a bargain and its rich, delicious flavor is nothing to scoff at.

Got Penny Savers of your own???? I'd love to hear them and if you don't mind, share them.

Fall Outfit Inspiration

I love the combos of gray and white and mint in this with black accents. The gorgeous long rocking horse charm is also just amazing. I'm currently coveting a circle scarf like that, I'm hoping to grab one(maybe on sale?) from American Eagle, they have some very charming crocheted ones.
This is just too sweet. I love the summery dress with the cutsey knit hat and the ivy league professor style grandpa cardi and briefcase. The background is super sweet too. The loose, simple hair is the perfect touch.

So The Secret's Out

Paranoia. Fear. When did I become this frightened person, this needy person? When did I start needing constant reassurance. I used to be so self assured. I used to be so confident. Now I find myself worrying. I worry about the new one, I worry about the old one, I worry about worrying at all. Why should I care? I shouldn't, so why do I?

Why do I question myself, why do I question? I worry I'm annoying, I'm so tired of feeling annoying, more worried about feeling unwanted. I feel unwanted. I never used to. I worry he doesn't want me, that now that I've crossed that threshold of wanting him that those feelings won't be returned. I've spent a year feeling unwanted, I've spent 6 months feeling unloved, I've spent three months feeling hated, worthless. My self esteem is shot. I find myself reading too deeply, looking for a clear sign.

My ex knows, about the new one, he says one of my readers told him. If that's the case, I'm hurt and I admit to feeling a bit betrayed. Which is odd given I don't actually know any of my readers. But I am not afraid, I will not hold back. The truth is he hurt me, he broke me down and made me doubt myself and everything I knew. I am just barely putting myself back together and I deserve to feel good, I deserve to feel wanted, and I deserve to want and care and feel ok with that.

So my dear reader, if you do in fact exist, thank you, for letting him know that I refuse to be trapped in a cycle of addiction, emotional abuse and pain. Regardless of any other person, people, what have you, I do know that I should be(even if it's hard) moving on from this. And I have to hope that in time my self assuredness will return and I can feel safe in caring about someone and being cared about.

Ink Love: My Ink

As promised, this, my friends, is my tattoo. It was my second and I got it about 3 years ago when I moved to Boston. I got it the day before Christmas eve with my then boyfriend. It says "Fortune Favors the Bold" which is one of the english translations of the latin "Fortes fortuna adiuvat". It was originally written by Terence in the second century BC but is most often associated with Vigil's Aeneid and it is believed to invoke the goddess of luck. To me it was to signify my choice to leave the path I was on, my major, english, my new home, North Carolina, and pursue a new path, music in Boston. It was to remind myself to be bold in my choices and to not hold back when it comes to the things I want. Living in North Carolina, away from my family and my boyfriend, and losing my best friend was a really difficult experience and I felt in a lot of ways I could have just given up or felt sorry for myself, but I refused to allow the things that had been difficult in my life define me and the tattoo was my way of constantly reminding myself to chase my dreams, no matter how tough it was. Do you have tattoos? What do they mean to you? Or do they mean anything? I would love to know, even if it's just tattoos you've thought about or are thinking about getting.

No More Midterms Please!!!!!

After an awesome, but exhausting weekend recording I must now go take a second midterm for my awful music history class. How dreadful! Wish me luck, cause to be honest, with all of the music making, not a lot of studying was done. It's ironic that making music is taking a toll on my music major.

Studio Virgin

The Halsey Sisters began recording last night, hooray. I'll admit that I was astoundingly nervous, but it's getting better. Granted, I had to turn the studio lights off. But all went well and we've got one song almost done, we're hoping to get a second done today. The only problem? I'm starting to lose my voice, so yours truly will be chugging tea all day! Now we're off to go pick up our brand spankin' new ukelele and possibly a tambourine. Wish us luck!

P.S. I want to be the girl above.

Currently Listening to:

Tiger- The Halsey Sisters

Don't Rain On My Parade

Rainy Day by acelovesvintage featuring Hunter boots

Today it's pouring and this, minus the cute boots, umbrella and change purse, is what I'm wearing. My band gets in today and we start recording tomorrow so nothing can keep me down! Also, the aforementioned items which are not in my outfit are totally on my Christmas list. Have a great day everyone and if I don't get the chance to post have a great weekend. Wish me luck!!

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros- Home

Falling For New York

I posted awhile back that one of the scariest parts of going through a breakup and being on your own for the first time is feeling something for someone new. It hasn't been long since my breakup, and I'm the type to second guess myself a lot, it's what I do. I wonder if it's too soon to feel something for someone, if perhaps I should be in some sort of relationship mourning, I wonder if he's the right person to feel something for. Is it rebound? Or perhaps am I rebound for him? I worry that I'm treating having a man around as a crutch, I tend to over analyze.

But my last trip to New York made me appreciate this certain someone and how much he respects me, cares about me and wants to be around me. It feels good to be wanted, and though I've resisted, I find myself wanting as well. I'm not saying I want to jump in head first, eyes closed and hope for the best. I am the portrait of emotional caution, of slow, timid movements towards anything beyond friendship. He would like more, he has been honest about that, and I respect that, but he also respects the fact that I am far from ready for anything more than casual and cautious.

I haven't invited him to Boston yet, it feels too intimate to bring him into my space, in the place that to be honest I hide from feelings and let myself be unashamed and hurt. He understands that hurt as well I know, having been through similar if not worse hurt himself. But bringing him into my place still feels too overwhelming. All the same though, it feels good to have a few timid butterflies in my belly.

Little Love

It's no secret that I love Hole and idolize Courtney Love quite a bit, yeh, boob flashing and all I think she's swell. As a rebellious child I loved hole, they were tough and in your face and looked super freaking cool. Plus, my mom called them "noise" thus solidifying their appeal.
I happen to think her style is pretty awesome, or was, these days it's a bit lack luster I know. But I loved those red lips, ripped tights and tarty babydoll dresses. She was the crowned queen of grunge. I can't deny the soft spot I still harbor for babydoll ditsy floral print dresses and the occasional clunky doc martin.
Her rebel without a cause streak was also pretty enviable and the fact that she didn't seem to care what people thought made my youthful offenders heart convulse.
It seems though that mama's little baby is following in her wild child footsteps, a good thing? I'm not so sure, but the girl looks pretty badass. I will admit to having a soft spot for alabaster skin, ebony locks and a ruby red mouth(I'm talking to you Dita). And this girl has all that going, and she's only 16! I suppose if you're the offspring of uber famous and yet more tragic grunge royalty you have no choice but to be pretty fierce.

Favourite Things: Pink

Pink makes me happy, it is one of my favourite things. Since winter tends to make me blue, I've decided to do a few posts on my favourite things. Pink being one of them. I love this picture of a couple of girls on a random pink couch. It inexplicably makes me smile.
This pink bike makes me swoon. I dream of a sweet pink bike. But I do so love my pretty blue one.
I ADORE this phone. Finally a good reason for a land line. It belongs to the one and only miss Peaches Geldof and it makes me terribly jealous. As does her silly little Brooklyn apartment.

Outfit Inspiration

I love this adorable and slightly tarty but perfectly fall outfit. I love the black dress and the super high slightly sheer socks with the rugged boots. Topped off with that sweet little hat and that scarf? I adore it. What do you guys think? Got great inspiration pics? Send them my way!

Hair Appointment, Let's Try This Again.

I'm getting my hairs chopped off again today, let's hope it works out better this time...

Ink Love: Beautiful Mess

I adore this tattoo. It's too bad you can't read it but I just love this picture. The cut of the shirt, the messy messy hair and the tiny, subtle tattoo against the dark city background. I love it. That's all.

Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Take Me In...

Headed to the city for a weekend of music and revery. Have a great weekend everyone!

The Halsey Sisters

I am going through musical withdrawl. I don't think I mentioned it, but over the summer my roommates and I formed a casual but very fullfilling band which we dubbed The Halsey Sisters. We wrote a few songs, covered a few, played in a few parks and it was frankly fantastic. I am missing that outlet terribly now.

I just found out that a friend of mine, who is not a musician per say, sang at her bars open mic with a friend. The wave of jealousy that washed over me was not only overwhelming but surprising. I was intensely jealous of that oppurtunity and really wanted the same for myself.

My old roommate and have been attempting some long distance song writing and she's coming up in a few weeks to record some stuff for my recording class and I'm heading to NYC this weekend to play a bit and see some friends. But I'm itching to have some people to write and play with on a more consistent basis, and also the time with which to do so(dare to dream).

What I'm Listening To:

I and Love and You- The Avett Brothers

College Does Not Look Like This

College is taking over my life. I had incorrectly assumed at the beginning of the semester that my senior year would be a piece of cake. And not that it's the hardest thing I've ever done but it's not easy either. The combination of 30 hours a week at work, full time school with some hard ass history classes and a rather tragic case of senioritis is leaving me pretty pooped. I feel like I have no free time to myself and I would KILL for a day off. Or even just a day to sleep in. How do you guys deal when you feel as if you're stretched just a bit too thin? How do you remember to find time for yourself but also make sure you get all of your work done? I'm not gonna lie, I'm very much looking forward to graduation.

Newly(and officially) Single? Bring On the Leather...

Nothing says hot piece of confident, sexy, so-over-that-other-dude ass quite like leather. My new roommate has brought something lovely to the house...
A pair of leather leggings that I did not have to buy. I'll be honest, they aren' the sort of thing I would buy myself, but if they're laying around well hell, I'll indulge my inner rockstar. They are perfect for heading to the bar and picking up that cute, scruffy musician looking boy at the end of the bar. And yeh, ok, my confidence is a bit lacking and maybe they'll only allow me to muster up the courage to look at said cute boy, but hey, it's progress.

Leather by acelovesvintage featuring Splendid

My only question is how would you wear your leather leggings? Tips for me anyone?

Currently Channeling: Toast

I love the Toast catalogue. Love it. It always makes me want to run off to some pretty old farm house on a moor with a yet more pretty slightly shaggy man. The looks form this years catalogue is just as lovely as the seasons before.
I adore those little lace up shoes, and how sweet are all the wooly tights and boots? The sweater dresses aren't bad either.

I also love the wellies and the muted plaids. The layered shirts are pretty great, but that's never been a look I could pull off. It always feels very high school to me. But I am lusting after that pretty yellow coat in the top picture.

What I'm Watching:

Labyrinth