Monday Mantra: Love Your Imperfections

I had some time to kill before work yesterday so I stopped into Barnes & Noble and found myself wandering towards the self help section.  Among the many "how to quit smoking" and "why you are the way you are" books, I noticed one called "Beautiful You".  I didn't read any of it but it did catch my attention, as I never would have even thought that people would consult a book to cope with self-esteem issues.

It's really disheartening how so many people have such a negative self image these days.  It reminds me of a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt that my friend Michelle once told me and has always stuck:

"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent".  

Why should anyone's perception of you be any reason to feel pity on yourself?  It shouldn't.  Everyone  has something about themselves they wish they could change.  But the truth is, these little imperfections are what make you different.  From the big ears that your mom promised you'd grow into, to the freckles on your cheeks that your grandma proclaimed "give you character". I know it's cliché and it's not what you want to hear, but I'm not going to tell you that you can somehow magically change the way you look.  The only thing to do is to love your imperfections & embrace your flaws. Because what may seem like the worst quality to you, just might be what will make somebody fall head over heels. Happy Monday :)

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May the Odds...

So I'm sure most of you by now have either read the books, watched the movie, or both.  If not, you've at least heard of The Hunger Games.

I'm normally not the type to follow these trendy book series'.  As I've said many times before, I've never been a fan of reading.  So it kinda goes without saying that I never got into either the Harry Potter or Twilight series'.  Actually with both of them, I started out reading the first books and got as far as the first couple of chapters before being both completely bored out of my mind and angered by their stupidity and lack of a realistic sense.  Not to offend anyone who admires these books, but they're just not up my alley.  Which is why it's surprising that I've fallen in love with The Hunger Games.  So far I've only read the first book in the series, but I literally could not put it down once I started it.

I saw the movie almost immediately after finishing the book.  Needless to say, it didn't live up to the book as expected {by my standards at least}, but it was still pretty good.  I'm so anxious to start reading the next two books, but I'm debating whether I should wait until the other movies come out..which is tough because that won't be for another few years.  I'm dying to know what happens next though so I'll probably start Catching Fire  really soon.  Have you read the series yet?  Which of the books was your favorite?

Photos: 1

What Should FIT Call Me?

You know when you come across funny things that relate to your life, but nobody else will understand them unless it affects them too?  Well I stumbled upon one of those things last week: this tumblr.  Of course you won't understand many of them unless you're a student at FIT yourself, but it might be fun to check it out anyway.  Here are a few of my favorites:

WHEN YOU MEET A STRAIGHT BOY ON CAMPUS WHO ISNT A BURNOUT 

WHEN GIRLS TAKE THE A ELEVATOR TO THE THIRD FLOOR

WHEN THAT BOY IN HEELS LOOKS BETTER THAN ME

I'm like

WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY PROJECTS DUE THAT YOU CAN'T DEAL

WHEN EVERY OTHER GIRL IS WEARING 7 INCH HEELS DURING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM

HOW YOU THINK YOU LOOK WALKING DOWN 27TH STREET

You’re all,

But you’re really like,

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Monday Mantra: Have Gratitude

Anyone hanging around the New York area last week knows that we got a blast of hot weather.  After a few weeks of miserable cold and drastic wind, it was definitely a luxury to be experiencing a preview of what's to come for Summer 2012.  It was only when I stepped into the shower that I got to thinking.

For me, being cold is literally the worst feeling I can ever experience.  I hate cold weather, I hate cold shower, I just hate being cold.  Naturally, I turn the water up in the shower to warm my skin as steam rises around me.  Anyway, on this particular day, I couldn't help finding myself hating this warm water coming down on me and instinctively turned the water to cold.  It was then that I realized, we are never satisfied.

It was so refreshing last week being able to throw on a dress and sandals, seeing everyone wear shorts and eating lunch outside.  It didn't take long though until the complaints started rising.  Almost everyone around me, myself included, was complaining about how hot it was, when only days before we were wishing for this warmth and shining sun, complaining how cold it was and how we couldn't wait for summer.  And now that we have it, what are we doing?  Complaining about it.

The weather is just a metaphor though.  All I'm saying is we need to take a minute and realize what we have.  To stop focusing on what we don't have and start realizing everything we do have. Think about it.

Happy Monday :)

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Coachella Envy

Today is the first day of Coachella!  For those who don't know, Coachella is a music and arts festival that takes place in Indio, California every year around this time.  It's kinda like, Woodstock meets Warped Tour meets Electric Zoo, but with a lot more Free People style mashed in there.  This year it's taking place over the span of two weekends, from Friday-Sunday {this weekend and next}.  Guests camp out in the valley at night in between days for the whole weekend.

There's going to be over 100 artists performing at Coachella this year, but some that you've probably heard of include The Black Keys, Radiohead, Florence & The Machine, Avicii, & Calvin Harris, to name a few.  Other than the awesome music, another fun part about Coachella is the celebrities that attend.  Some of my favorites are always in attendance, like Lauren Conrad, Vanessa Hudgens, Lo Bosworth, and Whitney Port. It's also really fun to see what everyone's wearing.  It's not a fashion event, but I share similar style with the kind of people who go to Coachella, so it's fun to see pictures afterwards of what everyone wore.

Just wishing that I could be at Coachella right now.  It's going to be streaming live on YouTube the entire weekend, so we can all watch from home and be jealous that we're not actually there.  One day..

Currently Loving..

 {1}

{2}

{3}

{4}

{5}

 {6}

{1 The Hunger Games book series}
{2 Olivia's personal style}
{3 Illume Boulangerie Jar candle in Coconut Macaroon }
{4 Chobani Greek Yogurt, Pomegranate Flavor }
{5 AG Polka Dot Ankle Stevie's }
{6 Nail Trend: Bright Polish & Glittered Ring Finger }

Photos: 1, 3, 5

Woeful Monday

If only this were true!  Coming off of Spring Break is rough.  After a full week of hanging around it really is the worst to get back into a schedule of waking up to an alarm for school.  I just keep reminding myself that there's only six more weeks until summer vacation :)  Happy Monday! 

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Neon vs Pastel

This season it's all about color in the fashion world.  There's been an overload of hot pinks, corals, mint greens, and lavenders everywhere you look.  Which trend will prevail overall though..neon or pastel?  As for me, I don't have a particular preference.  It's fun to be on trend, but it's even more fun to mix them, so I've been dabbling between both color palettes. On my nails I really love to see a pretty pastel like peach or mint green, {try A Crewed Interest & Mint Candy Apple, both by Essie} but I even wore neon yellow black-light warpaint.  {Sick!}  While shopping though, there's been a lot of brights that have caught my eye, and I can't say that I've held back on buying neon colored clothes and accessories.

I'm curious what you see yourself wearing this Spring, more neon or more pastels?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Insta-Obsession

Anyone who hasn't been living under a rock this week knows that the Instagram app finally became available for Android!! I was floored when I found out this amazing news, as I have been wishing for this dream to come true for the longest time.  Obviously I downloaded it right away and needless to say, I am obsessed.  Now I am finally part of this trendy photo editing thing that everyone has been rubbing in my face for who knows how long.  Still no iPhone for me, but until I get my hands on one, I can fake it with my really awesome filtered mobile uploads.  A little ticked that my name was already taken so I had to settle for this one with a million extra letters and 3 little dashy things.  But follow me anyway! @Victoriaaa___

P.S. look at these adorable little Instagram themed cookies!  So cute!

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Tuesday Travels (!!!)

I know, I know I've been slacking on my Tuesday Travels lately, but this post is about to totally make up for lost time!  This Tuesday was a little different, because I'm on Spring Break!  But of course, being home from school did not stop me from gallivanting around the city.  

Remember here when I talked about Lauren Conrad's "L.A. Candy" and the new series 'The Fame Game' coming out?  Well yesterday was the kick off of Lauren's book tour, and of course I had to go see her!

Me and Lindsey trekked to Union Square where we listened in on Lauren's discussion about the new book with her editor, Farrin Jacobs, and a Q&A session with the audience.  Then the best part, Lauren got to meet all her fans and sign copies of the new book!  Her people were really protective over her though and wouldn't let us get anywhere near with a camera.  But of course, I creeped my hardest and zoomed x15 from my seat :)  

It really is so surreal to meet celebrities.  I've met a handful, and I always get giddy every time!  I've been watching LC on Laguna Beach and The Hills for the longest time, and getting to meet her was so fun.  If you see how beautiful she is on TV, trust me when I say she's absolutely adorable in person!

Finally it was my turn to meet her and get my book signed.  I even got to have a quick little chat with Miss Lauren herself!  I snapped a picture of her looking JUST like Miley Cyrus, and she was just as awkward in her response to me as I was when i told her!  Good to know that celebs are real people just like us :)

Monday Mantra: Open Your Mind

At the risk of sounding like a fortune cookie, here's my Monday Mantra for this week.

Be open to whatever comes next.  

In this crazy world, it's impossible to ever know what'll come our way. Don't be fearful of the future though, just keep an open mind and be ready to face whatever is thrown at you, good or bad.  You'll be surprised at how positivity can really change your outlook :)

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