Un-Zipped

We have all got the Fall 08 runway trends memorized: the color black, country chic, black lace, strong silhouettes, modest necklines, etc etc. I love all those, but for me zippers will also be on my list.

You may be asking"butModern Marie, aren't zippers on all most of our clothes anyways?" Well yes they are but no longer will they just be for practicality, now they actually accent a garment.

If you look closely at particularly the YSL and Pre-Fall Chanel, you can see clearly exposed zippers - places where they should be as well as places out of the ordinary, like a trim on an entire jacket.




i think zippers add an extravagant yet rocker look to an outfit.

Love this purse in the July 08 issue of Harpers Bazaar by YSL.

Of course all this zipper talk got me in the mood for a DIY. I saw a flower zipper broach in February's Teen Vogue and had to figure out a way to make it. I went to Jo-Anns and bought one long black zipper (its near the thread), but they have every color and metal color imaginable. I pretty much just unzipped it and started looping and hot gluing from the outside in. I had to play around with it before I started hot gluing it in place. Then I hot glued a broach pin on the back and ZIPPIDY DO DAH!

Kids At The Playground

Lets all feel like little kids again playing on the jungle gym, playing tag, and swinging on the swing set (as i photographed myself doing here). This weeks playlist will bring you back to childhood - playing with friends outside on a warm summer day, Popsicles melting on your hands, playing in the sprinklers.... Let's go back:

1. Be Gentle With Me - The Boy Least Likely To
2. Tree Hugger - Juno Soundtrack
3. On Site - Psapp
4. Tire Swing - Kimya Dawson
5. Wishful Thinking - The Ditty Bops
6. Anyone Else But You - The Moldy Peaches
7. Upside Down - Jack Johnson
8. It's 5! - Architecture In Helsinki
9. Bunnyranch - Adam Green
10. Fur Soft As Fur - The Boy Least Likely To

One Fish, Two Fish...

Swedish Fish Cupcakes

Sticky Fingers

Chocolate Colored Nail Polish

Little Miss Sunshine

Who doesn't love Little Miss Sunshine? The cute quirky movie with the fabulous soundtrack? The Album is on heavy rotation on my ipod - the Mexican mariachi band sounding, driving through the desert sounding, Sufjan Stevens and Devotchka singing music. It brings me pure happiness. tThis weeks playlist is inspired by the music in the movie and has a little bit of the movie's music in it as well. Hope this spreads a little Sunshine:

1. You Love Me - Devotchka
2. A Well Respected Man - The Kinks
3. How Bizzare (Mix) - OMC
4. Uncertain Times - The Raveonettes
5. Just A Thought - Gnarls Barkley
6. Somewhere In Texas - The Raveonettes
7. Llorona - Devotchka
8. Anaconda - Misha
9. Losing the Will to Survive - Findlay Brown
10. Tamacun - Rodrigo y Gabriela

** I have also put together a little collage of pictures, both from the movie and some of my own from my trip to Palm Springs 3 years ago. Look and listen!

Best Smoothie Ever!

This is the best smoothie you will ever taste in your life - and you made it! Take 2 frozen ripe bananas (freeze in plastic wrap when they get too that too sweet, too soft stage), two 6oz containers of your favorite flavor of yogurt (I use fat free kind, and you cannot tell a difference), and 3 tablespoons of strawberry preserves. Mix it in the blender until all the frozen banana (which serves as your "ice") is smooth.

and VOILA! you have the best smoothie ever!

this recipe serves 2 people

in the summer what I like to do is make these the night before and freeze them in 2 cups. They taste really good frozen hard and that's my breakfast or lunch for the next 2 days :)

ENJOY!

Not To Early To Go Back To School

Fall, one of my favorite seasons, consists of apple crisp, pumpkins, fall leaves, briskly weather, going back to school, hay rides, Halloween, crunching leaves when you're walking down a street, Thanksgiving, a new wardrobe, and a new playlist for fall that gets you into the season. But how dare I bring this up in the middle of summer when the last thing we want to think about is homework and colder weather? Well all the fashion houses and magazines have been getting you ready for Fall ever since March!
I have my albums and songs I like to play mainly in the summer (like Vampire Weekend, Jack Johnson, etc) not that I don't play them year round, I do, but their music is like perfectly themed for summer I think. My fall playlist is more folksy, harvesty sounding stuff (like Jon Foreman, Ryan Adams). But never have I bought an album that was entirely devoted to a seasonal playlist like Jaymay's Autumn Falllin'.

I didn't know it would fit all the requirement of what I think Autumn music should sound like when I bought this CD a few weeks ago. not only does the music have an acoustic, folksy, frolicky flair, but each song actually does have to do with the Fall season! Its perfect! It has already been on heavy rotation, yes, even in the middle of summer. If you like Regina Spektor or Katie Herzig, you will love Jaymay.


***I put some of her music on my little bear music player!

Memories of Italia!

I made this for Father's Day for my dad. I basically just got a plain wooden frame and went crazy with the hot glue and stickers. Sort of tacky and kitschy, but it is to display our tourist pictures after all. I'm thinking about making a France and Germany one as well...

Summer In The Cities

cookies, Eleni's Bakery NYC

In honor of July 4th tomorrow, this weeks playlist consists of ballads about some great American cities:

1. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
2. Cleveland - Jewel
3. New York - Cat Power
4. San Francisco - Vanessa Carlton
5. Vegas - Sara Bareilles
6. Syracuse - Pink Martini
7. Birmingham 1982 - Maria Taylor
8. Old Cape Cod - Patti Page
9. Hollywood - Madonna
10. Los Angeles - SUGARCULT

Happy Independence Day!

Souvenirs

Some things I bought on my trip:

the most gimmicky thing ever! a striped shirt that the gondola men wear.

cool necklace I got somewhere in Tuscany

glass bracelets from the outdoor market in Provence

a fan from Venice
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After going to college orientation I have a few questions I would like all of your opinions on:
First, I have mixed emotions about joining a sorority. Have any of you rushed and are in one? What are your thoughts on "Greek life"?
Also is it really hard to blog in college, living with a roommate and all? do your roommate(s) know?
you all give really good opinions, so I thought I would ask the experts lol!
I'm sure I will have more questions as time goes on.

oh sorry I haven't updated my links in FOREVER. I will try to get around to that really soon!