::Book Nook::

I recently picked up The Hunger Games after reading great reviews and seeing it all over GoodReads top pick lists. It is book one of an amazing young adult trilogy! I immediately started reading it and could not put it down whatsoever. From start to end the book had me at the edge of my seat with vivid anticipation. It draws you in within the first few pages when you fall in love with the main character, Katniss, who is forced to appear and participate in a kill or be killed government broadcast of quick-witted survival. The plot twists and turns in ways I would not have imagined and I am ordering the next book, Catching Fire, as we speak. :)

wishlist...

Dear Santa:

For Christmas in July please send me a vintage car.

Thanks,
Meechellaaa

new fave storeeeeeee

I had the honor of shopping w/ my lovie Colleen last week and stumbled upon MADEWELL. I wish I would have seen this store sooner because I absolutely fell in love with it. They have a great variety of styles and prices and their sale section is pretty satisfactory. [Although I did find their jewelry a bit pricey for what it was I still loved the store.] I went through the website today and I might have to purchase a LOT of their items :).

::My Weekend::

After some MIAness I spent the weekend down at the shore house for some good ol' memorial fun. We relaxed, swam, ate, played games, ate, laughed, and ate some more. I learned this new Civil War/Bombs over Baghdad game....it can get a little vicious but overall an awesome time.

Setting Up...

 

 A Shot from the Older Folk

A Shot from the Younger Folk

Victory!!!

Overall....Fun!

Then off to F cove! :) 

Lots of cool boats

Lots of cool people

A Great Weekend!!!

capture a moment

this summer, a better me

[more rounded edges for you mr vinny]

now that school is finished and summer is basically here :) i now have time to finally do things I have been itching to do all year! I am so excited and really wanna make sure i achieve them all so I decided to take every week this summer and dedicate it to something new. Granted, i know some will take shorter/longer than a mere week but i want to make sure i take no time for granted and live to the fullest! I have this motto I go by "just shut up and do it" and I know its not really all that clever or sweet but it gets to the point. We really only live once and the worst thing to have is regret in life so if there is something you wanna do you gotta just go out and do it. I am also going to scrapbook the whole summer for memories and dedicate a space in my house for organizing and planning. Im excited! Its time to make moves...

*photo taken from weheartit

::Art Anticipation::

No question, Mark Ryden's works of art are truly unique. I love them! With his new show in NYC I am definitely making it a priority to attend. His whimsical art is just so clever and imaginative! Just thought I'd like to share that with the world if you didn't already know :)

Meet me there! 

Paul Kasmin Gallery 

293 Tenth Avenue 

New York, NY 10001

Some of My Faves: 

Saint Barbie 

Heaven 

Ghost Girl 

 Snow White

Hubble Turns 20!

 The image above is a mountain of dust and gas rising in the Carina Nebula

I am one who is completely fascinated and flabbergasted by the universe. It blows my mind how much there is out there and thanks to the Hubble  we know so much. Take the above image, its cool hydrogen being worn away by the radiation of nearby stars: crazyyyyyy. This telescope has captured more than 30,000 images in the mysterious night sky and continues to innovate for the future. The images captured are genuine artwork and really allow you to dwell on what could possibly be out there.

In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into its orbit around the Earth. Over the past two decades, the world has followed Hubble's saga, watching as image after image revealed another part of the cosmos that would otherwise be invisible to our eyes. We absorbed the discoveries that the pictures sparked and witnessed the astronaut missions that brought the telescope new technology and extended its life.

 The gaseous outer layers of a Sun-like star glow in space after being expelled as the star reached the end of its life.

Messier 104 is commonly known as the Sombrero galaxy because in visible light, it resembles the broad-brimmed Mexican hat. However, in Spitzer's striking infrared view, the galaxy looks more like a "bull's eye." 

Close-up view of an electric-blue aurora that is eerily glowing one half billion miles away on the giant planet Jupiter. Auroras are curtains of light resulting from high-energy electrons racing along the planet's magnetic field into the upper atmosphere.

 Hubble ultra deep field image. Yeap, those are all galaxies.

Arp 274 is a trio of galaxies. They appear to be partially overlapping in this image, but may be located at different distances.

Gas released by a dying star races across space at more than 600,000 miles an hour, forming the delicate shape of a celestial butterfly. This nebula is also known as NGC 6302 or the Bug Nebula.

All images, descriptions, and quote graciously taken from Hubble Site

G E O C A C H I N G...Happy Earth Day!

 Everyone needs to do this. You're probably scratching your head as to what this could be. Well, I learned about geocaching about a year ago from a podcast and completely fell in love. Who wouldn't love a worldwide scavenger hunt?

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

They are awesomeeeeee. Most caches contain little goodies along with a notebook so you can trade knick knacks while leaving your team name. Some caches have puzzles to solve, some are competitions, but all of them are unique which makes it a great experience.

The bf and I did a couple of caches a couple of months ago and found a beautiful hidden beach, a romantic lake, and gorgeous greenery. It really opened my eyes to how much beauty there really is in the world and sometimes we need to just step back from the mayhem of our everyday lives to truly admire it. Currently, there's more than a MILLION geocaches around the world! Given that it is Earth Day, everyone should really check this out....you won't regret it. So let's go HUG A TREE :)

::Chic Tuesday::

Beach Cruisin' Babe 

With summer right around the corner and avid anticipation for my beach cruiser I decided to look into some great finds for looking extra savvy at the shore.

Great Ride! 

{BeachBikes $269.99}

 Perfect For Essentials
{Nantucket Basket Company set $75.00}

  Vintage Bathing Suits
{ModCloth $89.99}

Sailor Stripes
{Forever21 Top $10.80 Bottom $9.80}

Awesome Aviators
{Heritage1981 $3.99}

 Sweet Straw Hats 
{NastyGal $18.00}

Rad Rompers 
{Anthropologie $158.00}

 Straw Bags
{Etsy $14.00}

No Shoes
{free}

Reasons Today Was A Good Monday

Photography by Don Ungaro

Mondays usually consist of a lingered start and very long 24 hours. So instead of the dull negative approach to the beginning of a new week I decided to look into reasons why it was a good Monday. Call me silly but it's a good way to ooze the positivity out of something most of society dreads.  (yep, I said ooze haha)

1. The DOW finally hit more than 11,000 points and now there is a little more optimism for a recovering economy. 
2. 2010 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced and now can add some more great reads to my summer book list!
3. Urban Outfitters began their $5 sale online. total omg for that one :) 
4. I put in a request for my awesome purple beach cruiser to be made! Summer here I come! 
5. Zen Habits posted yet another inspiring piece of work that goes hand in hand with Mondays

Rather interesting little set of awesomeness I'd say. On to tomorrow scouts!

::National No Shoes Day::

What better way to celebrate the beautiful weather than to jump for joy with no shoes on! :) TOMS shoes is this great company with a wonderful movement and awesome shoes.  Everyone should join the movement by not wearing shoes to spread the awareness of how important shoes are and the impact they can have on a child's life. So undo those laces ladies and gents...I know I will!

TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about. The TOMS One for One business model transforms our customers into benefactors, which allows us to grow a truly sustainable business rather than depending on fundraising for support.

::Spring Must Haves::

With spring finally here it is time for a wardrobe clean-up. Every spring I like to ransack my closet and dressers and donate anything and everything I know I will not wear. Inevitably there will be things I do still have to hold on to and many things I must consume :)

April Showers bring May flowers 

 {Totes Bubble Umbrella $16.99} 

 Awesome Oxfords 

{Anthropologie $245} 

Beautiful Dresses 

{ModCloth $64.99}

Floral Goodies 

{Forever 21 $4.80}

 

Chunky Goodness 

{Urban Outfitters $48.00}

Springy Ways to Tell Time 

{ModCloth $23.99}