I’m not very productive when I try to get work done in my room. But there are so many times when, even though I know I should go out to the library, all I want to do is stay in. And curl up on my bed to read, which is never a good idea. I think it might help a bit if I had a more organized, functional workspace in my room. Since I live in a dorm, I’m a bit limited, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dream.

Turns out there’s no shortage of workspace inspiration on the internet. Click through the gallery to see what I found!

[lead image via paperblog.com]

There’s no better excuse for a party than warm weather. And if you’re going to have a party in the sun, you’re going to need some delicious cool beverages. Once again, we got sucked into the addictive world of Pinterest, finding recipe after recipe for amazing drinks.

Check out the gallery below for some drinks to take your spring bash to the next level. Read More »

By now, January 1^st, 2011 seems like a century ago. I mean, just think about how much has happened – good and bad – in the last five months.  Do you remember those little resolutions you made way back when? You know, when you were feeling optimistic and empowered and you were ready to change your life in 2011? Yeah, you probably gave up on them a long time ago.

And I’m here to get you back on track.

Now, I’m not talking about the resolutions like, “I promise to never drunk text my ex ever again.” Ladies, I’m not some magician here! (And really, who thought that was going to happen? Come on – get realistic!) I’m talking about the first month when you were able to get yourself out of bed at 7 AM, head to spin class and arrive in your Political Science class feeling like a super star. Remember all of that excitement and motivation you had? Where did that go?

If you stopped working out or leading a healthier lifestyle, ask yourself why. Did you get too busy? Did the routine bore you? Pinpoint the exact moment when you stopped sticking to your resolutions and then make a change for the better. Read More »

Want to be a classy woman?  Zenyatta could teach you something.  And I’m not talking about the Zenyatta Mondatta 1980 Police album, either. I’m talking about a living, breathing, Guinness drinking lady. Who also happens to be a horse. That’s right, a horse.

Which is more surprising?  The fact I just called a horse classy or the fact I said she drinks one Guinness a day?

When I meet a really classy woman, I can just smell it wafting from her like a spritz of Chanel No. 9.  She presents herself with ease and balance. She lifts her head high but does not turn her nose up at you. She exemplifies sophistication and showcases a confident attitude.

Have you met a classy woman? I’ve met quite a few in my time but none quite like the horsey woman inside the equine goddess, Zenyatta.

Before you go say I’m a crazy person for forcing you to look up to a horse, hear me out.  And follow her amazing story. Read More »

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use musicians (like Debbie Harry) or movie characters (like Annie Hall) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

Diablo Cody is one cool lady.  Not just because she has a wicked awesome tattoo on her arm of a pinup girl, the fact that she won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Juno, her previous profession of being a talented “clothing-remover,” or the fact that her name means “devil” in Spanish.  All of those help make her pretty neat, but there’s just something about her, something I can’t quite put my finger on, that oozes awesome.

And she wraps it all up perfectly in her uniquely fabulous look.

Diablo is pretty under the radar when it comes to her style, but I fell in love with it the first time I saw her being interviewed for Juno.  It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before; the innocent ’50s housewife meets the rock-and-roll dominatrix. She’s got the whole pin-up vibe going on, but still manages to look totally modern. It’s romantic yet somehow dark and edgy. Think animal prints and spikes meet polka dots and ruffles, then get married and live happily ever after.

It shouldn’t work, but it does.

Read More »

Who inspires your style? Or better question, WHAT inspires your style? Many of us use movie characters (like Penny Lane) or celebrities (like Leigh Lezark) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

Edie Sedgwick, best known for being one of Andy Warhol’s muses, is my muse for this week. In addition to being a quadruple threat (actress, model, heiress and socialite), she was also known to be a major style icon.  Although she is no longer with us today, her style still continues to appear as fashion inspiration from runways to sidewalks.

We are all shaped and fashioned by what we love to do and Edie exhibited that in her style.  Many hours of her day would be spent practicing ballet and other types of dance, which would require tights and a leotard.  Instead of changing after dance into a more typical outfit her time, Edie was known (and infamous) for throwing on a large (most likely fur) coat and going about her business. And thus it became her signature style. Read More »

Who inspires your style? Or better question, WHAT inspires your style? Many of us use movie characters (like Penny Lane) or celebrities (like Khloe Kardashian) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

I’m just going to start this off by saying I would have absolutely no qualms switching lives with Leigh Lezark for a day, or a month, or longer.

I don’t remember how or when I first heard her name, but I immediately wished my name was an alliteration that easily rolled off the tongue like hers. Too bad we can’t always get what we want (thanks, parents!). On the bright side, something we can achieve is her effortlessly bad-ass sense of style.

For those of you still wondering, Leigh Lezark is a DJ in the trio Misshapes in New York City.  Oh yeah, and she’s a model.  Yes, a DJ and a model.  Très, très jaloux (which is French for, I’m mad envious).

DJ Leigh and her Misshapes posse like to bump electronica and indie rock.  They are also known to attract the Hispter crowd, but I try to stay open-minded to the boundary-pushing that she, and her party-mates, tend to inspire people with. I just love their sound. I also find Leigh Lezark incredibly chic, cool and mysterious with her all-black ensembles, signature jet-black bob and aversion to ever smiling in a photograph. And while The Misshapes tend to dress in some brands that are a bit out of my league (Alexandre Herchcovitch, House of Holland, Imitation of Christ, Jeremy Scott, Obesity and Speed, Pleasure Principle, to name a few), I’m going to toss some more affordable options in your general direction.

Because you don’t have to spend like a DJ/model to dress like one. Read More »

[Do you ever feel like you can’t pull something off? Have trendy pieces in your closet that you would never have the courage to actually wear out? Well take those pieces out, shake off the dust, and continue reading!

In this series, I will choose a different piece that can be difficult to incorporate into an outfit and give you ideas on how to wear it. If there’s anything you would like to read about in the future, please leave a comment!]

It’s really starting to get cold out there now, but you can stay warm by adding a few furry touches to your wardrobe. Models on the fall runways sported real fur, but faux fur is a more wallet- and animal – friendly option. While it may be a little unrealistic and over the top for a college girl to sport a big fur coat, here are some ways you can subtly slip this trend into your wardrobe: Read More »

Three days ago, I returned from the first ever Rothbury Festival in Rothbury, Michigan – a 5-day musical event featuring an eclectic range of music, from Dave Matthews to Disco Biscuits to Snoop Dogg. I’m exhausted, my feet are calloused & my cheeks are sunburnt (& freckly!), and maybe it was just all the booze, greenery & glow sticks, but my little spirit is renewed.

After spending a night chillaxin’ in Sherwood Forrest, letting my fatigued body sink into a colorful hammock for two and talk for hours with one of my new best friends over cocktails in combustible corn cups, I knew it was time for a change. A huge, life-changing, effortful change. Something about spending the weekend surrounded by happy, empowering, inspirational people (albeit a little dirty & drugged-up) was a huge, magical, sparkly slap in the face that it’s time for me to conquer, one-by-one, all the things I want to in life.

So, without further adieu, here is my list of sweet stuff I wanna learn.

1. How to give a kick-a** massage. I am OBSESSED with massages. I try to con all my boyfriends, friends, (even boy friends!) to give me little shoulder, back or foot massages (perfect after a long day at work…or shopping). However, I am just as inclined to return the favor because I know how ridiculously nice (and/or orgasm-inducing) a massage can be.

2. How to make sweet jewelry. I used to be the baddest b*tch on the block because I could make friendship bracelets with any color of the rainbow out of any type of string. Unfortunately, I haven’t practiced my art for about, oh, 10 years & I think it’s time for me to get back in the game. But, I sure will have a lot of catching up to do. Read More »

Please note that it has been almost a month since I signed up for my race. I haven’t been to the gym since that initial trip, although I was rejected from said gym when a new front desk worker didn’t even know there was a corporate gym in the building and I had left my ID at home. Instead of delving right into running, I started walking home whenever it was warm enough and I wasn’t heading to class directly from the office.

I’m failing miserably and I haven’t done anything yet.

The walking surprisingly has given me more energy, but I’ve realized that it’s not quite the same as a nice jog or run. Feeling a bit pathetic, I decided I needed to change my diet again and pretend I actually cared about eating healthy food. I traded actually running for giving up chocolate and other sweet snacky foods. I subside largely on vegetables, natural peanut butter, and whole grains. I’m not exactly a vegetarian, but for the most part I don’t really eat meat or seafood more than once or twice a month, so I’ve been trying to find healthy, creative ways to get my protein.

Natural peanut butter is my addiction, with avocados at a close second. They’re not at all the same but they’ve been a good way to get healthy fat. Also have been working on getting protein from beans, lentils, chickpeas, and the like, so I don’t make myself anemic. Read More »