A Case of the Mondays

I have never been a fan of Mondays, and today was no exception. I felt thrown back into classes and stress and it seemed like one thing after another was a disappointment. I am hoping Tuesday will be better and I am trying to think about the things I am looking forward to and hoping they will brighten up my disposition:

• Finishing all of the little paperwork that gets in the way
• Warmer weather: more iced coffee, sundresses and study sessions on the green
• Passover Seder with good food, family, friends and tradition
• Summer finally approaching
• Starting a garden this summer: nothing is better than a pesto with basil picked from the garden and sweet tomatoes 

Spring Cleaning

So after all the caffeine-filled late night cramming and stress, midterm week has finally come to an end and it is Spring Break! I am looking forward to finishing up last minute tasks, updating my spring wardrobe and hoping that the last of the snow is behind us. I am planning on taking a trip to New York City, taking in all of the art, city life and good food that it has to offer. Overall, I think breaks are definitely a time to sit back, relax and finally read that book or bake that pie you've been meaning to. Happy (almost) Spring, Everyone!

Fearless

My (somewhat late) New Year's resolution has been to stop being afraid of the unknown and live fearlessly. In the past I've felt that I haven't made the changes I've wanted to because I was scared of what the unknown might bring. This past weekend, I attended a lecture where a Hollywood writer/producer spoke about how he created the life he wanted and got to where he is now, when just a decade or so ago he was a recent graduate of my college. Although it is sometimes easier to cower under one's own insecurities the only way to achieve your full potential is by leaping, in the words of Taylor Swift "headfirst, fearless"

A few things currently keeping up my moral:

{Keys (To Success)} 

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. "
 -Bill Cosby 

fearless, adj.

Pronunciation:  /ˈfɪəlɪs/

Etymology:  < fear n.¹ + -less suffix.

Without fear.

 1.

 a. Unaffected by fear; bold, intrepid. Const. of; rarely, with inf.

-Oxford English Dictionary 

Winter Wonderland

Although I've never really embraced the cold weather, I find that coming up with winter activities or traditions often lessens the bite of the chilling winter wind...Here are a few things keeping me warm this holiday season: 

{The Holiday: Classic}

{A Warm Fire}

{Hot Cocoa at Cafe Lalo, NYC}

'Tis the Season to Give Thanks

Just a few of the things I am grateful for everyday: 

(love)

(chocolate chip cookies)

(art)

City Love

Every time I visit my sister in the Big Apple I'm reminded of just how much I want to live there ASAP, but probably not until I have enough money and a steady job to actually afford this... Everything about the city is comforting, stressful (in the most exciting way) and teeming with life. I love the feeling of walking down the street or peering out the smudged glass of a cab window seeing everything but nothing at the same time. There are so many things going on that it's hard to get a clear view of the big picture. However here is a list of a few of the things that I love about NYC:

1. The culture: Want to get your culture fix? The Met, the MoMA, the Guggenheim are just a short cab ride or subway stop away...Furthermore, if Monet is not your cup of tea, The Museum of Sex is always an option...
2. The restaurants: SO MUCH GOOD FOOD. end of story. 
3. The (window) shopping. Louboutins? Check. Prada? Obvs. Marc Jacobs? yep. Old Navy, and Target Harlem, no problem
4. Magnolia Bakery
5. Russ and Daughters (sorry food is a large theme here...) 
6. The fact that you have to be "in the know" to know about various artsy events, but they ARE there, and yet there is enough street and performance art to keep everyone's interest 
7. When the opera gets out and a slew of diamond and fur clad individuals fight each other for taxis
8. Street food. People line up around the corner for the taco truck
9. Parks: central, riverside, madison square. What NYC lacks in nature they make up for in grassy parks with people watching and an abundance of dogs, joggers and strollers 
10. "...falling asleep to the sound of sirens"-JM. When your day comes to an end and your head hits the pillow, the night has barely begun for someone else. 
11. Almost forgot: Ice Skating in Rockefeller Center 

So many more, but these are what came to mind this weekend!

"How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something, but to be someone"- Coco Chanel

Lately there has been much discussion in various aspects of my academic career of feminism and what it means for women to achieve equality with men. Tonight I went to a screening of 'Coco Before Chanel' a movie about the life of Coco Chanel. What I found extremely interesting about this movie was Coco's boldness and her attempts at breaking the social norms that women were expected to follow. She broke fashion rules by refusing to wear frilly, revealing dresses and stifling corsets and pioneered 20th Century fashion that was elegant, modest and classy. She wore pants, refused to marry a rich man and paved her own way eventually becoming one of the most renowned names in the fashion industry. It might be a stretch to say that Coco was a feminist, but she certainly was strong-willed and willing to take risks to achieve her own success. She was not afraid to be who she was and did so with confidence and elegance. 
Plus, her classic skirt suits and quilted bags are gorgeous...


celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe wearing a Chanel Jacket