Black and White!

Vest: H&M, Dress: H&M, Bracelet: Express, Watch: Charming Charlie's, Shoes: Gojane.com

This past saturday night I spent celebrating a friends 21st birthday! Everyone got pretty crazy and I had a really awesome time! It's good to let loose every once in a while and realize that I have places and people to go to, to have a truly awesome time. It's good to remind yourself to be grateful for those little things everyone so often ya know? Anyway, I tried to look really bad ass to impress a certain someone and I think it worked! :) I always somehow get stuck in a bubble of always looking innocent and cute, so I was determined to amp up my "bad ass-ness". When I walked in the room the boys stuttered and told me I "looked great!" to which I ALMOST replied "I know". It's crazy how a certain outfit can almost make you feel like an entirely different person sometimes. I love that depending on what clothes I'm wearing I will feel either innocent, confident or like a bad ass! It really is an amazing way to express yourself and make you feel good.

My face :) I think I'm really digging my new hair! (when my bangs behave at least)

I loved my friend Megan's bow tie. (excuse me for looking incredible silly)

My new hair!!

I never showed you guys my new hair! This is it, redder and with bangs! I think I really like it :)

Second fashion post!

Sweater: Forever 21, Pants: Gojane.com, Boots: 6pm.com - $58

Holy cow it has been so cold these past few days! I feel like I had on some cute outfits but I get too embarrassed to take pictures when my roommates are around. Today was the first day I had time alone in the room so I took a quick few pics of todays outfit. These boots are brand new! They came in the mail this morning and I ran out to pick it up before class so I could wear them today. The weather has been so cold I can't even wear my flats with out having my feet feel like they are going to fall off. Walking around campus in heels isn't a very good idea either with the type of terrain we have and my walks to and from classes are 20+ minute most of the time. Basically I needed more boots! Luckily I had a little extra Christmas money to spend and bought these as soon as I got back to campus. I love them so much! 

The sweater was a gift from my friend Moira who you've heard lots about so far on here. It's a wrap sweater so the front fits like an infinity scarf. It's super cool looking and definitely one of my favorite sweaters I own. Even though this is kind of a plan outfit, I really like it anyway. I'm excited for the warm because I have way better and more interesting clothes for fall and spring weather!

NYC!

Yesterday my friend and I went to NYC! It was the first time I have ever been there and it was just as amazing as I had hoped it would be. Even though it was cold and rainy, we made the best of it by shopping basically all day. I bought so many wonderful things that I'm just so excited to wear! 

We woke up super early and just barely caught the bus from Philly to New York City which was perfect since we didn't have to wait outside for the bus too long. The first 5 minutes of the trip consisted of everyone screaming because a bird somehow got trapped in the bus! The driver had to shoo the little guy out with a rag. It was terrifying but also so funny :)

Once we got there we visited broadway, time square (as seen from above), soho, little italy, Rockefeller   center, and Maddison Square Garden! We shopped at so many cool places, and I went to the huge Forever 21 store. 

Here is my friend looking happily over-whelmed 

After meeting up with a friend of mine who helped us figure out the subway system, we got dinner at a cute little place in Little Italy called Rubirosa! It was the most AMAZING FOOD. We both got what was probably the best ravioli's either of us had ever eaten and the most delicious italian doughnut's with a chocolate hazelnut dipping sauce. Highly recommend!!!!

My beautiful date sitting by candle-light :)

We got home around midnight and could barely move our bodies because we were so sore from walking all day. It was totally worth it though. Although we didn't get to see some of the more touristy things (museums, empire state building, 9-11 monument) on account of our limited time and dreary weather conditions, we still saw a lot. Very successful first trip to New York City for sure! :)

Here I am at times square wearing Moira's hat :)

Silver Linings Playbook

Last night I went to this cute small town movie theater to see Silver Linings Playbook with one of my good friends. IT WAS AMAZING! The entire premise of the whole movie is really quite sad but it was made in a way that still made me laugh. It's nice to see the humor in things that are so sad.

Jennifer Lawrence is quickly becoming a new favorite actress of mine. I had seen reviews on her performance saying how she stole the scene from Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro so I was nervous about being let down. Let me tell you, I was not! The whole movie was brilliant and exactly what I needed to see. The ending made me genuinely cry with laughter and left me in such a good mood!

Bradley Cooper plays a man with "anger issues" coming out of an 8 month stint at a mental hospital after he finds his wife cheating on him while playing the song from their wedding. He ends up beating the crap out of the guy and is court ordered to the hospital. In my humble opinion, I think his anger was just a little bit warranted... The rest of the movie is him doing everything he can to prove to his wife that he is getting better in order to win her back and is driving himself insane in the process. Jennifer Lawrence plays a girl who is equally as crazy after her husband dies and without giving any spoilers, the rest of the movie develops with their meeting and helping each other. It is such an amazing movie and I can not wait to see it again... and again.. and again.

I think something that made it better for me is that it takes place right around my area! Robert De Niro plays Bradley's father obsessed with the Philadelphia Eagle's. Scenes of the skyline and other areas around Philly are shown throughout the movie too. The homey feel made it that much more enjoyable for me :)

Here is the cute little small town theater we went to:

Late Night Blogging/first fashion post!

Okay so I didn't actually wear this today but, I recently wore this while taking pictures for my little brother's Winter Ball dance! You know how when you go to take pictures for a dance that you won't be going to, you still end up being in pictures that will be all over social networking sites? Well, that definitely happened to me.

Luckily, I had assumed as much and so I dressed appropriately.

                          

Shirt: Target, Leggings: Victoria Secret, Boots: DSW, Scarf: Aerie 

My goal was to look cute without looking like I was trying to show up all the 16 year olds in their pretty dresses and I think I managed it! My little brother wore a suit and black bow tie! (because I taught him right ;) ) and his date wore a short lacy black dress! They both looked so amazing and it was nice to see him getting all suited up.

Here is a close up of the scarf:

And here is a close up of the detail of the leggings:

My Winter Break Movies, Shows and Books!

Throughout the break I have tried distracting myself anyway I could. Luckily, I found refuge in stories; inspirational stories, travel stories, action stories, fantasy stories, funny stories, anything that could take me somewhere else. Through these stories I have found insight and a safe place to put my thoughts. 

1. The Dark Knight Rises 
2. Eat, Pray, Love
3. Elizabethtown
4. The Black Swan
5. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
6. He’s Just Not That Into You
7. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship
8. Pitch Perfect
9. High School
10. Sherlock Holmes 2
11. Shanghai Nights
12. Teen Wolf (TV series)
13. Sex and the City (TV series)
14. The Mortal Instruments Series (book series)

Yes, clearly I have had a lot of time on my hands, but there is just something so great about being in such a horrible mood and then pressing play or picking up a book and being totally immersed in a story completely different than the one going on in your own life. After I finished these stories, the mood they created lingered in me and inspired me to change the way I think about things. I honestly don't think I could have gotten through this break with out them. Each story inspired me in a different way, whether it be to work out (Dark Night), care less about what other people think (pitch perfect), travel more (Eat Pray Love and Elizabethtown), be more independent (sex and the city), be excited about my future (Sex and the City), be less desperate (he's just not that into you) and so much more! 

I'm wondering if anyone else knows of a movie they really love that has changed their life to think in another way or inspired them to do something? Leave me a comment :)