Mall Finds

Retail Haul

So my wardrobe is very mixed between retail and true vintage, today I'll be showing you some of my favorite retail finds over the past month or 2!

So fair warning I don't really believe in seasonal colors, but mustard is one of my signature colors honestly.  This adorable dress is from forever 21 I believe it was around $30, a little expensive but totally worth it!

This skirt is also from forever 21!  It has this gorgeous crochet detail at the bottom, it's like a light beryl in color. (That took about 7 people at rehearsal to come up with the color)  I purchased it in New York on clearance so I don't have a definite price!

Okay so basically all my clothes come from forever 21.  This ADORABLE blouse is my favorite thing I currently own.  It was $20 but it was 100000% worth it!

I love love love this top.  It's slightly cropped but works fabulously with highwaisted pants or skirts.  I always feel very Audrey Hepurn mixed with a little bit of Twiggy when I wear this top! You guessed it, forever 21.

Hey guys look it's something NOT from forever 21.  I bought this skirt at H&M for $5 on clearance.  I love the pattern it's very 60'!

Vintage Dupes

Retail takes on Vintage Style

So I went to my local mall today to cope out some retail duplicates of some of the 60' and 70' most iconic trends.  Though they are not identical these retail duplicates are sure to give you that classic feel your searching for! 

Above is a picture of the beloved Jackie Kennedy in a vibrant yellow suit.  This 1960' inspired duplicate on the right is from H&m and costs around $50.  Quite the pretty penny but still significantly cheaper than a true vintage dead stock version of the jacket.

Hot pants! One of the biggest trends of the 1970'.  Here is just one example of the many different options of hot pants offered at Forever 21 prices varying but all seem to stay under $30!

I instantly fell in love with this powder blue coat at H&m.  It immediately reminded me of classic movies like charade or the 1960' musical comedy How to Succeed in Business Without really Trying.  The price for this coat by my memory ran somewhere between $70-80.  Still quite pricey but still cheaper than buying the real thing! For the classic vogue inspired ladies out there this coat could be the pinnacle of your closet!

On the left is a fashion editorial from 1976 on the right is a dupe top from forever 21.  Being that this springs color trends are lots of cool colors and pastels this top is definitely a mix of new and old style.  I can't recall the price on this item but if I had to guess I'd say under $25.  So for our more adventurous ladies grab your bell bottoms and wedges and rock out to some grateful dead!

Not just a Hollywood Trend

International Women's Day

As a young woman I believe that it is only appropriate that today I wrote about a pressing issue in today's world, gender inequality.  Recently many celebrities have come forth supporting or launching campaigns to encourage equality.  But what we need to keep in mind is that this isn't some trendy new weight loss plan, this is a political issue dealing with humanity.

Lets break out the facts;

• On average in 2010, women made 77 cents to every dollar a man earned for the same work
• Women's wages in the workplace are as low as 61% of men's
• 774 million of the worlds illiterates are women
• Only 22% of all national representatives in the world are female as of January 2015

These are just a few examples of this modern day battle.  And gender equality is not just a campaign for women's rights but for men's also.  Stereotyping against gender is just one of the topics covered in UN Women Goodwilll Ambassador Emma Watson's speech launching the #HeforShe campaign.(Watch Emmas speech here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkjW9PZBRfk)  Men are stereotyped just as much as women, men are often ridiculed for expressing their true feelings.  Called "soft" or lacking in masculinity just for having feelings.  To add to my point on stereotyping women shouldn't be ashamed of being feminists.  The majority of women even in today's world will not openly say "I'm a woman and I am a proud feminist", this is because society looks at feminism as "man hating" or "unattractive".  Let's take today to think about what we can do in our own lives to put the word out there.  Take today to educate yourself on campaigns such as #NotThere or #HeforShe, to learn how you can help in the journey to gender equality.

Educate yourself Today!

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

http://www.summer.harvard.edu/blog-news-events/gender-inequality-women-workplace

http://www.socialjustice.org/index.php?page=gender-inequality

http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/Worldswomen/wwEduc2010.htm

http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation/facts-and-figures

Inside and Out

Simple Breakfast Sorbet

Good Morning everyone!  This is a simple recipe I make for myself if I have a little extra time in the morning that's ingredients are sure to help make you beautiful inside and out!

To start off with you will need;

• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Cranberries
• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Oats/Nuts of your choice

Take your berries (preferably frozen) and dump them into a blender along with the yogurt.  Blend these ingredients together until you get a smoothie-like consistency.

Pour the smoothie mixture into a bowl and add in the oats or nuts of your choice. Enjoy!

Health Benefits;

• Raspberries are filled with vitamin C, they are good for heart health and also have anti-inflammatory properties.
• Blueberries contain natural anti-aging qualities and are also proven to reduce sun damage to your skin.
• Cranberries are great for your digestion system as well as being dubbed one of the worlds healthiest foods.

My Pandora Likes

Give them a Listen!

21 of my Favorite Tunes

1. The Blowers Daughter- Damien Rice
2. 1973- James Blunt
3. Why Georgia- John Mayer
4. Come Round Soon- Sara Barielles
5. Please Mr. Postman- The Marvellettes
6. The Beat- Ben Rector
7. State of Grace (acoustic)-Taylor Swift
8. One and Only- Adele
9. A drop in the ocean- Ron Pope
10. Fool that I am- Adele
11. It's not a good idea- Loves Labours Lost (original cast)
12. Gives you hell- All American Rejects
13. Somewhere only we know- Keane
14. If I were a boy- Beyoncé 
15. New Romantics- Taylor Swift
16. Tear me down- Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Original Broadway Cast)
17. Superman- Five for Fighting
18. Yellow- Coldplay
19. Mr. Brightside- the Killers
20. Wild Heart- Bleachers
21. Do I wanna know- Artic Monkeys

Im new to this!

Welcome to my new blog!

My name is Lauren and this is my first ever blog!  So this blog is going to be really a major mix of different topics; DIYs, recipes, fashion, hair, poetry, theatre, sewing, ect.  

A little bit about me

• I'm hugely influenced by vintage clothing particularly the 60' & 70'
• A lot of my clothing comes from consignment shops, etsy, (sometimes even closet raids of my family members or friends hehe)
• I LOVE MUSICAL THEATRE, I don't really now if I'd consider myself an actress, but that's my hobby.. acting!
• My music taste ranges anywhere from the Offspring to 60' girl bands to James Blunt to Cast Albums, if that tells you anything about me.
• I keep a journal! I don't write daily because if I did that I believe I'd come across fairly boring, but I write at very least one entry a week or when there is anything in my life worth writing about!
• I'm obsessed with the future.  I love saving pictures and tickets and playbills and cards and letters.  I have a box under my window I call my "Memory Box".  I promise I'm not a hoarder and I don't save things that are stupid really, but the things that mean a lot to me now that may mean a lot to me in the future!
• I base my style around icons like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Natalie Wood, while still keeping to my own personal style and comfort!