What's InStyle ::part1::

The September issue of InStyle magazine features Hilary Swank on the cover. I've seen some of her movies but never knew that much about her. She fights for what she wants, decides her own future, and is zen throughout the process. A few days before the Academy Awards, where Swank was a nominee for the first time for Boys Don't Cry, she said "No matter what happens, I've had the time of my life." And she meant it.

Here are some photos from her InStyle shoot, along with her words of wisdom.
(click to enlarge)

Don't Rain on my Parade

Ew.. it's the rainy season here and instead of being all gloomy and letting the weather decide my mood, I'm just gonna slap on my silver hunters, break out my new umbrella, and get on with it! BCBG was having a sale and I bought this umbrella on an impulse yesterday, but it was only ten bucks and it rains a lot in Florida... It's perfect for me and my love of musicals! ('Don't Rain on my Parade' is a song from Funny Girl, also sung in the 1st season of Glee!)

Vintage Photos from Grama

As I said in my last post, I was away visiting family and while I was there, I had to scan some old photos for my grandma. Well, I couldn't resist posting a few, so here they are. (I love looking at all the clothes, cars, etc)

This one reminds me of the Parent Trap (1961) with those uniforms!

I love this pic because it reminds me of one of my favorite Marilyn Monroe movies, Niagara.

My grandma and her mommy!

Can you believe, this is what she wore to first grade? So cute!!

And some wedding photos... I love her dress, and those cat eye glasses are crazy!

Roadtrip

Its been a busy couple of weeks... I took a roadtrip with my sister to visit some of her potential colleges (after we got back she found out she got in to her first choice, UCF!!) and visited family along the way.

After touring University of Central Florida in Orlando, we went to CPK for dinner and then walked a couple doors down for dessert at Sweet! by Good Golly Miss Holly. (The shop's owner was a winner on the show, Cupake Wars on the Food Network, so that's how we heard about it.) We got some mini cupcakes to try: red velvet, boston cream, strawberry, black and white, and a high hat (soooo good- the vanilla frosting was piled on like ice cream, then dipped in chocolate ganache so it made a hard coating). If you're in Orlando, I definitely suggest going there.

We had lunch with the family at Mallie Kyla's Cafe in Dade City (a cute little antiquing town). They always have a couple of huge cakes-of-the-day on display, like the strawberry one pictured, and a ton of blue glass bottles on the tables and in the windows. Also pictured are a hot ham and swiss sandwich and cup of swiss potato soup, and a greek salad.

The cafe' is actually inside of a store, so after you're done eating you can start shopping right away. Everything was overpriced, so no one bought anything, but we had fun trying on all the crazy jewelry. The mannequin with all the pins reminded me of the jacket in the J. Crew fall lookbook.

On the way home, after looking at USF and on the way to FGCU, we got some boba tea for the ride home from Kaleisia Tea Lounge. I was going in for tea, but somehow came out with a mango smoothie... my sister got a chocolate and mint rooibos tea though, which was amazing. I've never had boba before, but I know people travel far to get it, so I had to try it at least once. It didn't tast bad, but the chewy texture and the way it went down kinda made me gag... eh

Anyway, it's good to be back blogging, and I'll have some more posts coming soon. (I've been trying to get throught the stack of 6 september issue magazines that were waiting for me when I got home...woah...needed time to process!)

Movie Pick: Gidget

As the end of summer is swiftly approaching, I find it's best to say goodbye with a tribute to one of my favorite movies, Gidget. Its about a scrawny teenage girl who doesn't have any luck on a manhunt with her girlfriends at the beach, so she does the next best thing: surfing. Terrible at first, the persistent Francie Lawrence quickly becomes a great surfer and the mascot of the local beach bums, who give her the nickname of Gidget (a girl and a midget). What seems to be a dreary summer with nothing to show for can quite easily turn out to be the best summer of her life!

"Oh, Moondoggie..."

A circus on the water.

Little Gidget is along for the 'Manhunt' with her friends.

"Hey, guys, I just want to swim... you can have the boys."

A newfound hobby.

What do you do when you can't get to the waves...?

*All photos screenshots from Gidget DVD, except for last photo from the Gidget Goes Hawaiian DVD.

It's a Frozen Yogurt Showdown!

There are two new frozen yogurt shops near my house: Allegria and Yogurtland. Allegria has been a favorite of mine ever since it opened about a year ago because they serve not only yummy frozen yogurt, but cupcakes as well! I'd been hearing about the newer Yogurtland being the place to go, so I had to check it out and compare it with Allegria, the competitor in my opinion. So, if you're in the south Florida area (Allegria is in Coconut Creek and Yogurtland is in Coral Springs; check their websites for other locations), read on for my review. Otherwise, just look at the pictures!

Allegria

Location

Allegria: In the Promenade at Coconut Creek, a new plaza with a ton of great shopping and restaurants.

Yogurtland: In the Walk, in between Starbucks and Jamba Juice, which get a ton of traffic daily.

Winner: Yogurtland. The Walk is already an established hot spot in the area.

Allegria

Frozen Yogurt Flavor Selections

Allegria: Original, Chocolate, and Green Tea are readily available, as well as the flavor (or two) of the day. The usual selection of toppings are available (candy, granola and fruit). You pay by the cup + each topping.

Yogurtland: There are about 12 different flavors available at a time, that change regularly. Since it is a self-serve situation, you don't have to pick just one. Toppings are self serve as well; a wider variety of fruits, candy, and syrups. You pay by the ounce.

Winner: Yogurtland. Hands down has the most selection, but be careful not to pile on too much- the smallest size cup is 16oz!

Allegria

Cupcake Flavors

Allegria: They have an awesome red velvet cupcake, and I love the vanilla one. Other great flavors are milk chocolate, vegan carrot, key lime, caribbean coconut, strawberry shortcake, mocha esspresso, cookies n cream. (Side note- the graphic designer in me can't help but tell you how cute the boxes are!)

Yogurtland: No cupcakes :(

Winner: Allegria.

Yogurtland

Decor / Ambiance

Allegria: Very cute themed with their logos, colors and artwork on the walls. High tables and chairs (love!) and some velvet-y couches and chairs (think Starbucks, but cupcakes). Nice presentation of cupcakes, toppings, etc. They also have cupcake bouquets and samples to try. More of a sophisticated feel.

Yogurtland: Family-oriented, sterile white walls and interior except for the frozen yogurt wall that had some nice tile mosaics. The assembly line of yogurt, toppings, cashier wasn't very inviting to make you want to stay- I felt like I was in a Disney World 'restaraunt'. The seating consisted of ugly white plastic table and chairs (that have sticky stuff all over it from the kids). If you go there, just get the goods and leave.. unless you can't take one more step without ingesting some frozen goodness.

Winner: Allegria.

Yogurtland

Frozen Yogurt Showdown Champion: it's a tie! 

*If you're looking for more flavors and toppings to pile in your cup (but less ambiance), go to Yogurtland. 

*If you're a chocolate and vanilla person who wants a couple toppings, a nice place to sit, and possibly a cupcake to go... choose Allegria (still my favorite choice!)

Happy Friday the 13th!

 

*Photo via May 2008 Vogue Italia, posted on The Glossy Blog

Yes, I consider any Friday the 13th a holiday. Instead of talking about Jason (oops, I just did... ch ch ch ha ha ha), I'll post some eerie photos. I imagine that I might end up being a crazy old lady decked out in pink in my pink house and pink lawn with little dogs all around me (I'm not much of a cat person).

Hope you have a spooky weekend!

*I can't remember where I found this photo...

Wear for Fall: Floppy Felt Hats

Olivia Palermo has graced the cover of ASOS magazine this month, donning a floppy felt hat. ASOS claims that felt hats are the newest trend we should be sporting for the fall. And while I agree that these hats are cute, I still love the panama hats everyone has been wearing. Once a trend has gone mainstream, it's basically over in the fashion world; but don't do away with all your other great hats just yet— keep them and make a little room in your closet for a felt one!

1. ASOS Wide Brim Fedora in Black $37
2. ASOS Wide Brim Fedora in Navy $37
3. FREE PEOPLE Janis Brimmed Hat $68
4. FREE PEOPLE Guitar Hat $29
5. SPEIGEL Felt Portrait Hat $39

Wear for Fall: Sequin Pants

Those who know me well know that I love all things shiny, sparkly, sequin-y, and metallic. I just can't resist! As of now, I've never gone overboard in that department— I've always kept the sparkle to a minimum, doing it only on accessories, shoes, bags and shirts (one at a time!). We've all seen sequined pants and leggings, it's nothing new; I've never given a thought to getting anything like that until I saw Isabel Marant's Fall 2010 collection. Sequined legwear was made glamorous in a non-gaudy way, and surprisingly, the percentage of sequins presented in the look wasn't overbearing. When choosing your look for fall, consider sequins. Take a cue from Marant's looks (below) and maybe you'll find the right pair from my selections!

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1. SIWY Hannah Sequin Skinny in Pixie $122
2. ALICE + OLIVIA Sequined Mesh Leggings $200
3. SIWY Hannah Sequin Cropped Jean in Marine $79
4. BULZEYE Sparkle Leggings $41
5. FOREVER 21 Metallic Leopard Leggings $10.80
6. ALICE + OLIVIA Sequin Slim Pants $286

*Isabel Marant runway photos from Style.com

Splurge vs. Steal

I've been drooling over these cargos ever since they hit my radar, and for good reason- they are this year's "it" jeans. I've found various versions of these but never pulled the trigger in getting them, probably because I'm subconsiously holding out for the real thing. Seeing as I've yet to purchase anything resembling the J Brands, I feel their purchase is imminent- watch out wallet!!

This cute skirt from Elizabeth and James just popped up on Shopbop recently and, in my frugal state, I've kept an eye out for a look-a-like at a better price... enter Forever 21. While not the same fabric or color, the style is extremely similar; and for 1/12 of the price, that's good enough for me! ...maybe :)