hot date?

the site i'm dating myself had me crying with laughter late last night, so i knew i had to share it. the blog is a magical land of photoshop; the pictures show couples who have been changed to have the same face. maybe i only found it funny because it was 1 am, but something about the genius editing of some pics (and even the bad editing of some pics) had me crossing my legs to prevent urine flow.
am now inspired to learn photoshop in 2011!

party people

it's the perfect time of year to be hosting a party, with the new semester just beginning and midterms still in (what seems to be) the distant future. and while it might seem super easy to have a party (just create an event on facebook, buy some beer and make sure there's music), there is so much more you can do to make sure the night is memorable.
listening to: i just wanna love you (give it 2 me)- jay-z

1. decoration tips
- a polaroid wall: if you or any of your friends have a polaroid camera, borrow it for the night. have your guests pass it around, take pics throughout the night and designate a wall in the house where they can be taped and displayed.
- christmas lights: even if the holidays are long gone, christmas lights add life to any room and something about them screams "college chic". spell words out of the strands or hang them haphazardly to create a party atmosphere.
- blank canvas or stick on chalkboard: super easy to buy! have some chalk or paint handy nearby and have your guests unleash their creative side. bonus: you might gain a great new work of art to display in your apartment long after the party is over.

2. details

- good music is vital. have your most music-savvy friend create a bomb ass mix that is at least 4-5 hours, and make sure you have a good sound system (it's not a party unless you have to shout to be heard). have some crowd pleasers (i.e. anything from the 90s) mixed with some recent electronic, rock and hip hop. save the celine dion for when you're home alone on a friday night.

- go over your guest list. while you may love all your friends, try to create a mix of people that you think have things in common, have the potential to have fun together and will not cause any trouble. 

- if you decide the polaroid wall (mentioned above) is too pricey an endeavor, find your friend who's aspiring to be the next mark hunter (a.k.a the cobrasnake) and have them take pics throughout your party with their dslr (flash required). 

images from the cobrasnake

3. the grub

- make sure you have an array of hard liquors and beer and set aside an area or table where people can make their own drinks (plastic cups will be a huge help to you in the morning clean-up). make sure you have some pop and juice for your friends who don't want to drink. or you can save all this hassle and make the party b.y.o.b. if it's a fancy party, find some cocktail recipes on drinks mixer and have a friend help you prepare the drinks pre-party. 

- have some sort of finger food prepared. chips is the most popular (but also really annoying when someone drops them and then steps on them, leaving little chip explosions all over your house), but candy is also a good idea (m&m's, sour gummy worms, etc.). if you're willing to spend a little more, pizza is also a good option.

4. aftermath

apparently, as the host, you're supposed to be the first and last person your guest sees at your party. have some little goody bags prepared with things like advil, a bottle of water, gum and a red bull for the morning after. just so they can remember what a fun time they had.

happy party planning everyone, i'm expecting an invite!

even though i've never had a fancy dress party (though i'm dying to), when i came across this h&m x elin kling dress, i knew that this was the hostess dress of my dreams. high slits, graphic prints, asymmetrical sleeves, oh my! image found here.

sitting waiting wishing

in my opinion, now that christmas is over, spring and summer can't come fast enough. i no longer want to be wearing puffy jackets, mitts and waterproof boots everywhere i go! and if you can't give us spring yet, at least give us some sun. please.
all these pictures from downtown from behind are making me green with envy. i want nothing more than to ride a bike around the city with the hot sun on my back. who's with me??
listening to: scenic world- beirut

EDIT: just found this video, watched it and felt like the sun was beaming on my face. so adorable.

looking bad has never looked so good

while my last post was about how someone can look really good when they're all 'put together', today i'm going to explore the opposite side of the spectrum. for some reason, i love seeing a girl in ripped clothes, messy hair and hats/boots/knit purses that have seen better days. whether they're trying really hard to look like they just rolled out of a dumpster or they truly just don't care, i always look twice. you can convey your inner bad girl with:
-anything slouchy. slouchy pants (that reveal your slouchy underwear...bonus points if you're wearing mens' calvin kleins), slouchy sweaters, slouchy hats
-anything ripped. if it's not already ripped, rip it. if it's already ripped, rip it more. also, master the art of shredding shirts.
-throw away your hair and beauty products, except for your eyeliner. you can use it to create a fake black eye (really tough), or you can just work the smoky eye.
-if you want to keep your femininity, pile on lots of costume jewelry.
your icons: effy stonem (from tv show skins), rumi neely and THE QUEEN: erin wasson
listening to: diet mountain dew- lana del rey

more pics inside

joanna hillman

she's the senior fashion market editor at harper's bazaar and she's been posting pictures of her daily drool-worthy outfits for the last 25 days. she has amazing clothes but more importantly, she's mastered the art of putting them together in a mix of editorial-meets-street fashion. i love her long grey coat in the second row (it's simple, has clean lines and a great fit...i smell a new closet essential) while that plaid puffer jacket in the last row is perfect for a casual winter day. she has officially rekindled my love for prints.
see all 25 outfits here.
listening to: flume (bon iver cover)- the chairs

transamerica

candy, the world's first transversal style magazine, is creating waves as "the first fashion magazine ever completely dedicated to celebrating transvestism, transexuality, cross dressing and androgyny, in all its manifestations." they recently did a spread with men dressing up as famous fashion honchos like anna wintour, grace coddington and 13-year-old blogger tavi. i wonder if anna's seen them yet! the results are both scarily accurate and hilarious, check it out:
listening to: ego- beyoncé

see more at refinery29

all about organization

if i had the time and money, one thing i would definitely investigate is designing a new closet space. a dream closet is probably at the top of most women's decorating lists, evidence drawn from the fact that in sex and the city the movie, big asks carrie if he should get her a ring (for their engagement) and she promptly responds: "no, no....just get me a really big closet." (and boy, does he deliver. i think i heard gasps all around the theatre when he threw open those closet doors)
right now, i have one of those compact ikea fake wood closets, but (if i can pare down my wardrobe...something i've always been meaning to do) i would really love to have a single clothing rack so all my clothes are on display.
listening to: the girl and the robot- röyksopp feat. robyn
here are some great closets i found: