There's Something About California.

Mom and I were able to get away for a long weekend up in Northern California and it was great. With the end of school getting closer and all of this college decision stuff, I haven't really felt like myself lately. Being able to hit the open road and throw caution to the wind (very Thelma and Louise-esque) allowed me to start over fresh and give everything a clean slate. It was lovely. On top of that, there is something about Northern California that is so enchanting. Driving through the whole state really made me realize how beautifully diverse California is. There is so much beauty and the bay area is one of the main causes for that. We stayed pretty much out of San Francisco and we basically covered all of the surrounding area. It was one of the most fun weekends I've had in my whole life and I'm so glad that I got to share it with my momma. We talked, laughed and ate the whole weekend. So great. I think all of that talking may have led to a decision about college which is such a relief because that has basically been consuming me for the last week and a half. I don't want to say 100%, but I am a solid 99.99999% sure with my decision....which I will reveal soon. Probably all of the people who read this blog already know because I told them, but I will just use teh suspense to fill up another blog post. :) enjoy the pics.

SCAD vs. Parsons. Let the War begin.

Yesterday I got into my dream school....my other dream school. And what I thought would be a great and exciting thing is turning into the hardest decision in the world! SCAD or Parsons? I could fully go through both arguments on here, but that would take up about two pages of back and forth and would be quite boring to read, so I will just give you the main points that have popped into my head since I opened up that terrible/amazing letter in the mail:


I got into Parsons!

That’s cool. I'm glad I'm going to SCAD.
Wait- I got into Parsons.
Why do I feel weird right now?
Do I want to go to SCAD or Parsons?
Crap.
They are both great schools.
But one has to be better.
Which one is better?
If only this were as easy as buying a school sweatshirt.
What if I make the wrong choice?
Is there a wrong choice?
Once I decide, there is no looking back.
How cold does it really get in New York in the winter?
Can I handle New York Winters?
Can I handle Savannah Summers?
Which one of these schools will get me a better job?

I wish a lady in a black robe with no face would come up to me and hand me a slip of paper with the name of one school on it.

No, that'd be weird.

Am I looking more towards my future future or my college future?
Don and Linda moving right before I leave does not make this decision any easier.
Maybe I should just get a job here and be a moocher for about 15 more years and then move out.
No.
Since when is getting into your top two colleges a bad thing?
I’ve got great roommates lined up at SCAD. What if I have crappy roomies at Parsons?
There is no crab shack in New York.
There is no Insomnia in Savannah.
It feels like people I talk to are more excited about SCAD.
Am I reading too much into what people have said to me about SCAD?
Am I putting too much weight into what other people think?
I just want some more chocolate cake, but it’s all the way downstairs.
I’ve had too much chocolate cake today.
Will I fit in more in New York or Savannah?
Will I fit in anywhere?
Who cares about fitting in?
I care about fitting in.

I did get a paper cut from opening the Parsons letter.

Maybe that means something.
Jeremiah 29:11
Ok. Make a decision. Now.
What’s the first school that pops into your head...Now.
Now:
Now:
Now:
Cake.

The Rundown

So, last night's Oscars were good. Good. Not outstanding just good. I think that Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin did a great job adding funny yet still clean humor to the night and the Kodak theatre looked great. The show seemed to go off without a hitch. I am so glad that none of the movies swept the whole night (Avatar in particular) because that just seems to make things so boring! I also liked the fact that the speeches were short, sweet and to the point with barely any political undertones that are so unnecessary (p.s. what was with that random lady jumping on the stage and interrupting the Precious screenwriter in his moment of glory?) The fashions were a little disappointing. As stated in my last posts, I love to be shocked and wowed when the stars walk down the carpet and unfortunately, none of the looks did that for me last night. Of course, I had my favorites, but there was no magic in any of the clothes. Lame. There were some major themes that we started to see as the night went on like the overload of creams, golds, and off-whites (SJP, Bullock, Seyfried...) and we also saw many dresses with prints (Gyllenhaal, Mcadams...). Here are my top 5:

It took some getting used to, but I have finally decided that i love this vintage Chanel on Sarah Jessica Parker. She always makes a bold statement with fashion and this dress seemed to be bold in a very subtle way. After mulling over it during the show and then getting a good night's rest to really consider it, I've decided that the classic simplicity of the pillar like silhouette allows me to give this dress two thumbs up.


Rachel Mcadams is so beautiful and her whole entire look was one of my faves of the night. Here we see the previously mentioned trend of prints and the spring color scheme looked great with her hair and make-up. It's really about the complete look and I think she demonstrates that beautifully.


O, Miss Cyrus. As much as I wish I could hate you, I just can't bring myself to do it. There's something about her obnoxiousness that makes me love her, but whether you like her or not, you cannot deny the beauty of this dress. Wowza. Come to think of it, She has really stepped up her game when it comes to red carpet fashion in the last couple of awards seasons. In the end, though, she's just being Miley.


Kate Winslet. If I could look anything like her in my forties, I must have done something right in my life. She seems so confident and self-assured and those make any woman look attractive. Add on such an effortless dress and you find yourself a winner. She really knows how to dress to bring out her best features and she rarely misses the mark.


And the big winner of the night: Sandra Bullock. From the moment she stepped out of her limo, she just looked like a winner. I am thrilled that she won the Oscar which, in my opinion, she fully earned (mom) and I loved her speech. On top of all that, how could you not love her in this dress?


That's it for my top 5, but honorable mention definitely goes out to Maggie Gyllenhaal, Anna Kendrick, Cameron Diaz, and Kristen Stewart. Well done, ladies. For the men, the Mr. Dapper awards go out to Ryan Reynolds (be still, my soul), Colin Firth (my old man crush), and Jake Gyllenhaal (I'll take Reese's sloppy seconds any day).

That's it for awards season this year. Tear. But what did you guys think about all of the looks last night?

Oscar Fashion Part II

(Scroll down to read original post)
....As if I could only narrow it down to 5. Puh-lease. Here are some more of my faves.


As much as Marion Cotillard bugs me due to the fact that she seems as dumb as a box of rocks, I cannot deny the amazingness of this dress. It sticks out in my mind whenever I think Oscars and she really does look great in it.


Penelope Cruz is another one of those actresses who rarely gets it wrong, but this dress especially is gorgeous. The color is great with her skin tone but the detail of the pleating and rouching of the dress itself is just amazing.


I think this Michelle Williams moment wins as my favorite Oscar dress of all time. Everything about this look is perfect to me and I would pay a lot of money to look as great as she did here. The dress, the jewelry, the make-up. Love, love, love!


It's impossible to have a best dressed list without mentioning Audrey Hepburn. She was nominated for Roman Holiday, another one of my favorite movies, and like her character in her movie, she really looked like royalty here. She's amazing. Timeless. I'm Jealous.


I will never forget Gwyneth Paltrow in this Pink Ralph Lauren dress. I think it was the first time I ever watched the Oscars and seeing her ascend down the red carpet is one of the times I realized I wanted to go into fashion. She looked so feminine and unforgettable. (Btw--And she's probably one of the only people in the world who can pull of a full on bubble gum pink ball gown.)


I can't wait for tonight and I will definitely be giving you my opinions very soon.

And the Academy Award goes to...

Boy, do I love the Oscars. I watch all of the awards shows, but there is something about the Oscars that feels extra special and memorable. My favorite part of the Oscars, like everyone else, is obviously those rare fashion moments where a beautiful celebrity walks down the red carpet in a gown perfect for her in every way and an iconic fashion moment is made. Sigh. So, I am going to share with you my favorite Academy Awards fashion moments because this is my blog so my opinion is the only one that counts. (These are in no particular order)

I loved Diablo Cody in this leopard print dress. Fashion critics gave it mixed reviews, but I thought it was totally memorable and totally her. Everything from the simple gold flats to the skull and crossbones earrings was playful but still appropriate.


Cate Blanchett can do no wrong in my book and there are about 5 other great Oscar moments we get from her, but this dress just fit her perfectly and brought back that old Hollywood glamour in a creative way with the fabric color choice.


The color of this Charlize Theron dress makes me want to scream. I never get tired of ice blue and this dress is no exception. It's basically the quintessential modern day Cinderella.


Here we have Cher. Love her or leave her-- it's Cher. This dress will forever be on the worst dressed list, but there is something about it that makes me love it and her even more-- especially because she picked up the Oscar for one of my faves, Moonstruck.


Natalie Portman looked so fresh and young in this dress. It was so angelic and whimsical, but modern and unique. I think the best part of this ensemble is the choice of hairstyle and the headpiece. It added just enough youth to such a young and already iconic actress.

Gaaaaahhh..... I hate working out.

But, alas. I must. So, for the 89087890th time, I am challenging myself to be healthier and to lose that extra 5-10 lbs. that are so pesky on my thighs. It's something that is so attainable with a little discipline, but for some reason it's soooo hard for me to do! But this time, I am going to try and take a different approach. Instead of hitting the gym (which I absolutely despise), I'm going to try and do things that are enjoyable for me that trick me into working out. A few of those forms of exercise that I came up with are biking (which my dad and I are going to start doing together), swimming laps at Fran and Keets community pool (something I've never done for working out, but should be fun), Yoga (my absolute fave.) and running (I loathe running. So so so much). All of these things I'm very excited about except the running which, as much as I hate, I feel is a necessity...I won't be doing a lot of it, but just enough to be in a healthy enough place that the mention of the words "Do you want to go on a run with me?" don't send shivers up my spine. So, as of today, I have 90 days until school let's out (THANK YOU, JESUS!) and during those 90 days, I am going to do something physical 6 days a week. I am a little leery of this challenge because there have been so many before it that have died an early death by cookies and 90 days is a long time! So, in order to make this challenge seem less massive and scary, I am going to just try and do it one day at a time. One healthy choice at a time. I can totally do this...Hopefully. I kind of suck at follow through.
Speaking of follow through..... I have a confession....remember that whole Lent thing? The whole Lent thing that I promised I would do for 45 days....well, I didn't exactly follow through on that one...oops? Ok. These are the facts. I really could have finished it; It was not that hard for me. The hard part was, as I predicted, missing out on fun times with my firends! So, I caved. All I have to say is that Wahoo's on Sunday tasted pretty good after church. :/....BUT, even though I failed, I have majorly cut down on my restaurant in-take and continue to do so. And for that, I think God will let the whole suffering for 45 days thing slide.
So, here we go on a new day, a new adventure, a new challenge. I will keep you posted. And I really want to succeed, but admittedly, I am pretty low on the self-confidence levels for this one. But, I need to succeed at something. I need to finish something. Ugh....why is this so hard for me!?! I just want to feel good about myself for once. I will do this. I can do this!

A cool website that allows you to track distance on your run. This will be my starting out point. 2 miles ain't bad, right?