desperately fashionable

all I can say is

2008-11-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

hello!

2008-11-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in MONTHS. For anyone (anyone?) who actually pays attention to this blog, I sincerely apologize. I meant to start posting again in the fall but things have been really crazy with college applications (no pressure or anything), various school activities (you're looking at one of the editors of the school paper's Arts & Entertainment section!), et cetera. Crazy stuff, I know. Now I guess I'm just going to jump right back into writing about cool or interesting or pretty things as if I hadn't disappeared for oh, I don't know, four months.

Lately I've been listening to Jenny Lewis' new album Acid Tongue. I love it. Jenny Lewis' genuine talent and constant production of new and beautiful music never ceases to amaze me. Go listen to it. I also like Fleet Foxes, whose music is very folksy and dreamy, and makes you feel like you're in a forest or a cabin drinking tea with a group of similarly carefree people wearing flannel and sporting either a messy beard or long unkempt hair--or both--and strumming banjos. Or something. I especially like the song "Mykonos." A large contributor to some of my new musical discoveries is the brilliant website Daytrotter, where you can find exclusive recording sessions with emerging artists, poetic (and sometimes unwittingly hilarious) descriptions of the artists' music, and (pay attention!), songs from those artists available as free downloads. What more could you ask for?

I'll post more soon about happenings in fashion and design! Sorry for the long absence, and if you're reading this, thanks! :)

Now to read about Russian absolutism and work on my USC application!

yours sincerely

geraldine

at the seaside

2008-07-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

I went to Santa Cruz today, and took some pictures and read on the beach and people-watched, which was nice, despite the pretty bad sunburn I got. I had a delicious quesadilla at this place (above).

More pictures:

yours truly

geraldine

pencils & pens

2008-07-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

I really like this art from ghostpatrol.

Today was fun, and involved lots of laughing and cheesecake--always a good combination.

I really want to buy some Minnetonka moccasins--they seem really comfortable and soft. And they're not crazy expensive. I also like these boots, minus the feather-pom-pom thing (which is conveniently removable):

I may be getting up early to go to santa cruz for breakfast/beach so I think it's time to catch some z's (I have never heard anyone use that expression in real life).

yours exhaustedly
geraldine

tomorrow, tomorrow

2008-07-18T23:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is actually a somewhat busy (compared to my usually uneventful summer days) day for me. I'm going to a wedding with my family around 2, and then out to dinner for my friend's birthday later in the evening, which is something to look forward to. And I'm pretty proud of myself after doing some creative gift-wrapping:

Time to sleep.

yours truly

geraldine

happy friday

2008-07-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

HOT NEWS! Ray-Ban now makes colored Wayfarers! So now you have no excuse for buying the neon colored versions of this hipster staple from Urban Outfitters (GUILTY). Except that some of the colors that Ray-Ban has selected for their classic sunglasses are kind of gross. For example: hunter green. Camouflage and hunter green. Hunter green and brown. Cranberry. Despite these dubious color choices, there are some that I really like:

I love the pink ones (although I found them on amazon, so their legitimacy as Ray-Bans may be questionable).

MORE HOT NEWS: I'm going to Target now.

yours truly

geraldine

p.s. check out the Fiery Furnaces' "Waiting to Know You" (on the mixtape on the right!)

listen to this

2008-07-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Modest Mouse, "Blame it on the Tetons": I am in love with this song. I find some of Modest Mouse's songs a little harsh-sounding, but this one is beautiful and kind of serene. And I love the way the vocals sound with the scratchy guitar and background noise.

Unfortunately I did not complete all the things on my to-do list. I did, however see Wall-E. I really liked it--it was cute without being overly kiddy--in fact, the message was pretty serious: we can't keep using and abusing the Earth at the rate we are without expecting consequences. Rather than being an ominous warning, though, it was uplifting, and Wall-E's character, despite his being a trash-collecting robot, was lovable and sweet. The characters and their unique mannerisms were creative, and visually, I think it was one of the best Pixar films yet--the views of space were magical-looking, and the light and movement was especially realistic.

Time to sleep--tomorrow is Thursday. Which means absolutely nothing.

yours truly
geraldine

sleepwalkin'

2008-07-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

I woke up before 8 this morning ( to go to the DMV, woo hoo), and now it's only 11. I still have the whole day ahead of me, unlike when I wake up around 11 and don't actually start the day until around 1. Not that I have anything particularly interesting to do today. Nevertheless, here's my list of things to do today:

1. draw.
2. go to starbucks. purchase green tea frappuccino.
3. call starbucks about my application (HELLO, I NEED A JOB, THANKS).
4. clean room, because the entire contents of my drawers is currently on my bed.
5. keep reading A Prayer for Owen Meany (summer reading!)
6. sign up for yoga class!
7. go to Target.
8. see Wall-E with family.

I've noticed that "go to Target" appears on a lot of the to-do lists I am constantly writing. I've also noticed that I almost never complete all the items on my to-do lists.

more later.

yours truly,
geraldine

july, july

2008-07-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe it's july already--the summer's going by so fast! So far it's been pretty relaxed.

my favorite summer things:

1. gladiator sandals. Despite having already bought a pair of these type of sandals from Target , I keep seeing them everywhere, and I can't help desperately wanting another pair. I'm not really a fan of the kind that seem to entrap your legs in countless leather straps and buckles (kind of scary. plus, who has the time to do up all those straps?), but I love these more delicate ones by Rampage, and this strappy gold style. And these gold-studded ones have a cool rock-glamour edge.

2. dance-party worthy music. As much as I love all you guitar-strumming, poetry-inducing indie-folk guys (yes, you, Bon Iver and Iron & Wine), sometimes you just need some musical non-diet, completely caffeinated soda pop to brighten your otherwise unremarkable days, or to blast from your car (or from the old boom box precariously attached to your bicycle), or to dance to with your friends. here are some songs from my summer playlist:

M.I.A, "Paper Planes"

Phoenix, "Consolation Prizes"

Spoon, "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb"

Santogold, "Say Aha"

Jonas Brothers, "Burnin' Up" (no, this is not supposed to be ironic)

Duffy, "Mercy"

Madonna (feat. Justin Timberlake, etc.), "4 Minutes"

et cetera.

to be continued!

yours truly

geraldine

OMG

2008-06-26T14:39:00.000-07:00

If the gods of music were to create the perfect music festival for me, this would be it:
I NEED TO BE THERE. Excuse me while I have a minor heart attack and figure out how to come up with $225.

yours truly
geraldine

the little things

2008-06-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day.

Around lunchtime I went to Borders and bought I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle. I finished it a little while ago. I really liked it--its protagonist, Denis Cooverman, is hilariously self-deprecating and hopelessly socially awkward, and very likeable, and the story is familiar without being cliché. I also bought George Orwell's 1984, which I convinced my brother to read. Unfortunately, this means that I can't read it until he's done. hm.

Also: right now I'm a little overwhelmed by how nice it is to have people ask how you're doing and even just say hi. It's a nice reminder that there are people that care about you, which is one of the best feelings in the world. basically, I love my friends :)

Anyway...tomorrow I'm going to go to Starbucks and ask about working there and make an appointment to get a haircut (the latter will not take place in Starbucks, more likely in a hair salon).

now it's time to sleep.

yours truly
geraldine

i left my heart in san francisco

2008-06-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

I'm back!

The trip was really an amazing experience. It was both shocking and saddening to see all the poverty and other issues that exist in our own state of california, but I came away from the trip feeling empowered to do something about it, and also to make a difference in others' lives in smaller ways, even by just saying hello or smiling to people on the street. I also formed some new friendships and strengthened the ones I have, which I really hope I can hold on to throughout the summer and next year. It feels kind of strange to be home still, even though I came home on wednesday.

Here are some pictures from our time in san francisco, although not from the area we worked in (we were working in the tenderloin, which is a small, very poor, densely populated 25-block area in between union square and nob hill).

Now back to perusing mixwit for some new music to listen to. I'm also considering a nap.

yours sleepily

geraldine

(p.s. check out this mix, it's really good)

later gators

2008-06-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving tomorrow morning (at 6:45 am) for a 10-day volunteer trip around california with my ethics class. I'm looking forward to it. I think.

Right now I am attempting to pack. Which really shouldn't be this hard.

Also I'm starting to read Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovksy. Once I finish it I'll post about what I thought of it.

so until I return,

yours truly,
geraldine ♥

norweigan indie pop

2008-05-30T23:45:00.000-07:00

I really, really love Kings of Convenience. A lot. My friend told me about them and they're just amazing. (listen to "I'd Rather Dance with You" and "Misread"). I also love Jaymay (for fans of Regina Spektor or Kate Nash), especially her song "Gray or Blue," which is just a perfectly sweet and pretty song.

Fashion-wise...I was recently (as in earlier today) trying to find a cute one-piece swimsuit, and guess what? They exist.

Example A:

This check center-knot one piece from Delia's is sweet and simple, and overall pretty normal-looking, as well as fairly reasonably priced, as one-pieces go (it's on sale!). And this one from Anthropologie is really unique and pretty, although the fact that it's almost $300 is kind of a deal-breaker for me.

Despite these promising discoveries, today's search for a one-piece swimsuit was unsuccessful. But tomorrow brings another day, and more opportunities to try on strange-fitting garments.

For now, I'm going to go to sleep.

yours truly

geraldine

cheap + chic

2008-05-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

new things I love:

1. Feist's Let It Die

I love the calm atmosphere and sophisticated beauty of this album. It feels like it's from a different time. Also I always feel like I should be in a French lounge wearing a slinky dress and throwing mysterious glances all over the place when I listen to it. But maybe that's just me.

2. v-neck tops

I know this isn't the most original thing to write about. V-neck t-shirts seem to be the new staple for anyone even vaguely hip. But I don't really care--I think they're more flattering and less boring than your regular old crew neck t-shirt. I bought some for $8 each from Heritage1981 recently, and I'm finding it hard not to wear them every day. I think I'm wearing one in the picture to the right...

more later...I have no exams tomorrow, so I don't have to go to school. that's always a good thing :]

yours happily,

geraldine

pas vraiment français

2008-05-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I really like songs sung in French by non-French artists. That may be a dangerous generalization, as I'm sure there are many examples of such attempts gone horribly wrong, but I think a lot of French songs (language-wise) can sound much more beautiful and in some cases, romantic. That might be because I don't speak French--understanding the words to the songs would probably remove the mysterious and slightly exotic element that makes them so appealing. Anyway, here are some of my favorite French-but-not-really songs:

1. Feist, "L'Amour Ne Dure Pas Toujours"
2. Nada Surf, "L'aventurier" (this song is actually slightly obnoxious, but I wanted to include it anyway)
3. Eartha Kitt, "C'est si bon"
4. Sambassadeur, "Le Chanson de Prévert"
5. Rufus Wainwright, "Complainte de la Butte"

That is all for now. Sometimes I wish I was taking French instead of Spanish. But c'est la vie.

yours francophilically
geraldine

new romantic

2008-05-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Lately, there's been a trend of sorts towards young, female, obviously British-sounding singers coming out of the U.K. and gaining popularity in the U.S. Take, for example, Lilly Allen, whose cheeky, unapologetic songs have made her immensely popular here, and Kate Nash, who, while not as widely-known, is becoming famous for her sweet yet spunky voice and songwriting.

Laura Marling, an 18-year-old from Berkshire, England, seems to be the newest member of the club. Her soft voice and sweetly realistic songwriting are the kind that might just make you cry. Her songs are funny at times but never jokey or excessively silly like Lilly Allen's can be; and her accent, rather than throwing itself in your face, enhances her music. At times, because of Marling's more folksy sound, I'm reminded of Jenny Lewis, the lead singer of Rilo Kiley who recently released her own solo album. Laura Marling's first full-length album, Alas, I Cannot Swim, was released in February (maybe only in the UK, I'm not sure), featuring delicate, touching songs such as "Ghosts." Marling has also collaborated with bands like The Rakes and Mystery Jets (look up the song "Young Love,") and toured with other singer-songwriters like Adam Green. For fans of Jenny Lewis, Kate Nash and even Regina Spektor, this emerging artist is definitely worth a listen.

more later on fashion, etc!

yours happily

geraldine

"i love paris in the rain"

2008-04-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

(regina spektor, "ne me quitte pas")

hello hello! new things, old things, pretty things, strange things:

1. Print Liberation (website)

I really like some of the shirts on this website. The designs are pretty simple and maybe random (they might possibly have some kind of subliminal message, but then again they might not), but kind of interesting. I particularly like Alex Da Corte's "Forever and Ever" design (most shirts on the website are around $20).

Print Liberation is actually a "creative visual agency" that designs posters and logos for various companies and clothing for retailers like Urban Outfitters (you can even have a custom shirt printed with your own witty catchphrase).

Actually, that's all I can think of right now (AP exams begin next week).

so...until a less stressful time

yours exhaustedly
geraldine

finally!

2008-03-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of dress I want. Maybe without the sleeves (definitely without the little vesty thing), but I love the color and the way the top is kind of wrapped. And the jewelery looks gorgeous with it. Perfect!

As a side note, doesn't Ali Lohan look way older than 14? It's kind of weird. Really weird.

My favorite thing right now: Vampire Weekend. This band's original and appealing sound has been getting a lot of attention lately (they appeared on SNL last week, I think), and I'm predicting that they're the "next big thing." Also, I really like them.

yours busily

geraldine

awfully sorry!

2008-03-07T00:43:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted in a while; I've been kind of busy and preoccupied.

But I'll think of something soon!

yours truly
geraldine

working for the weekend

2008-02-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

No more AP classes for this week! And the biology test that I've been dreading is over--it wasn't even that bad.

I bought new shoes last weekend! Even though a lot of people have them at school--which would usually be a major turnoff for me--I like them a lot. I liked the purple and yellow and blue ones too, but they're not as versatile. And people notice if you wear yellow shoes every day.

NEW TARGET DESIGNER!

The latest designer for Target's GO International line is Jovovich-Hawk. It's not in my local Target store yet, but from the images on the website it seems to be kind of "country-and-western." Interesting. My expectations are pretty low, as they have been for the past couple of designers, because all the collections are similar and kind of disappointing. If these designers can make gorgeous $500 dresses, why can't they design a cute $30 dress for Target? (also, I do not know why this picture is blue).

That's all I have to say for now...

yours contentedly

geraldine

this is nifty

2008-02-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

My brother just told me about this website: www.music-map.com. You type in an artist that you like, and it creates a "map" of artists you might also like (their similarity is indicated by how close they are). Then you can click on one of them to keep following the map!

A very handy way to find new music!

I'm going to a party in a couple minutes...hooray!

yours happily
geraldine

hello weekend

2008-02-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

I actually really like Panic at the Disco's (note the absence of the !) new song, "Nine in the Afternoon." It seems a lot more complex than the more poppy songs on their past albums, and its dramatic pianos, guitars, and choruses remind me of Queen. I'm looking forward to their new CD, Pretty.Odd (out March 25).

I was in Old Navy the other day and they have some cute things for spring. I like their "Urban Explorer" theme, especially the little khaki jackets and gladiator sandals.

This dress + these sandals = perfect spring outfit!

Another short post! Since I didn't wake up until noon today, I think it's time for lunch.

yours lazily

geraldine

spring fever

2008-02-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

Hello! I finally found some inspiration for a new post. It doesn't look as pretty here as in the magazine I saw it in, but I absolutely love the Rodarte dress that Keira Knightley wore to the premiere of Atonement. This (or a modification of it, maybe witnout the triangle of bare skin in the middle) will be my prom dress. Oh yes. It will. My mum wants me to have a dress made, so if i can find a pattern of a dress like this and the right material, it would be perfect. Especially with some gorgeous shoes.

In other news, I have a new favorite CD: Rilo Kiley's Under the Blacklight. Amazing.

Oh! I almost forgot about tomorrow. Tomorrow is, if you for some ridiculous reason do not know about it, Valentine's Day. I'm going to make cupcakes with Sweetheart "conversation hearts" on them. And give them, very unspecifically, to all my friends.

That's all I have to write about for now...short and sweet, right?

yours sweetly

geraldine

Hello again!

2008-01-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

Cripes! I haven't written anything for a month! I wish I had an intriguingly exotic or vague or mysterious excuse, something like ,"I'm afraid I can't disclose where I've been for the past month. The CIA doesn't--oh, oops," or "I had a lovely time in New York. And Paris. And London. But we never did make it to Milan--the dear old Queen was ever so welcoming, and we simply had to stay for Prince William's birthday," or "Uh, well, umm, you see, er..." Although stuttering doesn't really translate well into blogs. Nevertheless, here are some random and delightful things I've been wanting to write about.

1. Beard Papa's "fresh 'n natural cream puffs."

I was in San Francisco a little while ago with my dad and my brother, and while walking around outside the Metreon we were immediately drawn to this small shop by its cute exterior--and the fact that it was called "Beard Papa's." We went in and bought some cream puffs--vanilla, chocolate, and tiramisu. They were all delicious. Don't worry--Beard Papa's is a chain with locations in many major cities. www.beardpapa.com

2. Heritage 1981
Basically Forever21, but better. As the cheap-and-cheerful retailer's sister store, Heritage 1981 is better organized, making it a lot easier to shop there. It's clearly arranged to feel more like a boutique; clothes are folded on low tables and hung neatly on racks arranged around the store. The store also seems to have more of a "concept" behind it, a kind of urban-hippie-chic, and has a hint of UrbanOutfitters about it . Heritage's clothes are much more casual than Forever21's, and the glitzy going-out tops and throwaway sequin dresses are largely absent. Everything seems to be better quality than Forever21--although that might just be the organization and "ambience" of the store. You still have to pick-and-choose carefully, but there are some really nice tops among the graphic tees and hoodies. http://www.heritage1981.com/

3. Camera Obscura

I can't believe I only found out about Camera Obscura a couple weeks ago.

The Scottish group has been around since 1996, and made their first album,

Biggest Blues Hi-Fi, in 2002. Their latest release is Let's Get Out of This Country (released 2006), followed by several EPs. Every single song is absolutely charming: the vocals are softly pretty and romantic, and the lyrics are witty, but not in an overly-ironic-Fall Out Boy-way. I would describe Camera Obscura as a blend of Belle & Sebastian, Regina Spektor, and Casey Dienel. In a word: perfect. http://www.camera-obscura.net/

Well, that's all I have for now--time to sleep! I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions for the blog in general--content, layout, etc!

yours sincerely,

geraldine

Happy Christmas!

2007-12-24T14:39:00.001-08:00

(tomorrow).
I'm very, very excited for Christmas and very happy that I have no school. It doesn't really feel like Christmas, probably because of the weather--it's not very cold, and it's quite sunny. Nonetheless I'm excited!

Have a happy Christmas and a happy New Year!

yours merrily
geraldine

Studious.

2007-12-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

I have finals on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week. I only have one one-hour final on Wednesday, which I probably won't study much for (Spanish). But Monday and Tuesday are not going to be fun:

Monday

Ethics
English III AP
US History AP

Tuesday

Precalculus Honors
Biology AP

Yuck. Therefore, I am studying all weekend. I can't really focus right now though, which is kind of worrying because I REALLY need to...I guess all I can do is stick it out until Wednesday at 2pm, when I will run out of the halls skipping and singing "Jingle Bells," then sit outside for 30 minutes waiting for someone to pick me up.

I went to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) today with my art class, which was amazing (go, right now, if you are not studying for finals like I am). More about that later (after Wednesday).

yours anxiously
geraldine

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

2007-12-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

For December, that is! It's hot. No rain or anything. Did the weather gods not get the memo? It's December. Nonetheless I'm in the Christmas spirit--I've had 96.5 on for the past couple days. It's all Christmas music, all the time. Oh yeah.

Friday. Went to school. Ran out of school like a...well, I don't know. Later, ate some of the most delicious pizza I have ever had.

Saturday. Went to the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco with my art class. It was amazing, mostly because we'd learned about the art there (up until Impressionism, with a couple more modern pieces). I discovered that I love Impressionism. I want so badly to be able to hang a painting by Monet or something in my room. But of course, I am not a millionare. So that is most likely not going to happen. For now I just have to settle for one from allposters.com.

I also deleted my Myspace account. It was a good decision, and I feel oddly relieved.

Sunday. Volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. This is the third time I've helped on the same site and I'm going to keep going back. It's cool to be able to help out and also see the results of what you're doing--ultimately, a house for someone who needs it. If you're looking for a volunteer opportunity, it's a great way to help others and also have fun with friends.

Two weeks left of school before Christmas break! I'm very excited, but one of those weeks is finals week, which is less exciting, more nausea-inducing.

yours festively

geraldine

Social Cocoon

2007-12-07T23:37:00.000-08:00

Life in general is tricky. Especially life in high school.

I'm a little sad right now...high school is so limiting. Four years to do everything you're "supposed" to do.

Anyway...after that collection of vague statements...I'm very tired and I wish I wasn't up so late. This weekend is going to be busy and I have a lot of work to do. In particular, my english project is making me nervous... And the fact that finals are coming up. Also, I am overusing ellipses.

yours exhaustedly
geraldine

Target redeems itself

2007-12-06T18:26:00.000-08:00

Earlier I mentioned that I thought Target's designer collections were going downhill. Never mind:

Target might just regain my respect with this promising collection by Loeffler Randall. So pretty!

It's almost the weekend! How exciting! And my art class is taking a trip to the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco on Saturday, which I'm definitely looking forward to.

Meanwhile it's already 6:30 and I have a lot of tedious homework to do...

yours contentedly

geraldine

Oh, Tuesday.

2007-12-04T18:32:00.000-08:00

I'm still very busy...just trying to hold on until Christmas break. Then skiing with my cousins from Ireland!

A recent musical discovery, recommended by veronica:

Everybody Else. Poppy alternative that sounds like Plain White T's but less obnoxious. Their songs are very catchy and sometimes sound like Jet, sometimes like Cute Is What We Aim For and various other emo-alterna-pop artists. www.myspace.com/everybodyelse

Also, I really want to buy The Killers' new album, Sawdust. I listened to some of the songs and it sounds amazing (especially "Romeo and Juliet" and Jaccques LeCont's Thin White Duke remix of "Mr. Brightside"). It's not new material; it's a compilation of previously unreleased songs.

Back to homework! I'm tired and I want to go to bed early tonight...

yours exhaustedly,

geraldine

Two more weeks

2007-12-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

There's only two weeks until finals, then Christmas! Exciting, but the thought of finals makes me feel slightly nauseous.

I'm a bit busy right now with homework (Sunday night...) but more interesting things are to come, hopefully.

Christmas is in 23 days! Just to let you know, in case you are mathematically challenged!

yours sillily (that's a tounge-twister!)
geraldine

Better, better, better

2007-11-28T17:31:00.000-08:00

It turns out my AP History midterm and Ethics tests weren't too bad. I went to a review session for the midterm this morning, which helped a lot because the teacher basically told us the answers to half of the questions. And the biology lab wasn't confusing at all, it was actually pretty interesting. We put a flourescent gene from a jellyfish into a bacterial plasmid! Très intéressant!

And like I said earlier I'm going to a Fall Out Boy (with Plain White Ts and Gym Class Heroes) concert tomorrow with friends! I have to come up with an outfit--one that I can wear to school and the concert, since I'm not going home beforehand.

This is the perfect time to listen to Keane. So relaxing! Under the Iron Sea is definitely on my list. I'm also planning to buy Casey Dienel's Wind Up Canary and Feist's Let it Die. And the new Jimmy Eat World album, Chase this Light.

I'll post about something more scintillating this weekend; I'm off to do homework and study for a horrible Biology test tomorrow.

yours busily
geraldine

Too much to do, too little time.

2007-11-27T23:31:00.000-08:00

I'm very, very stressed and worried for tomorrow. For several reasons, all of which are school-related. I have various tests and labs tomorrow and I feel completely unprepared (probably because I am). And I have to be in school at 7 am for a history midterm review session. All that does not add up to a good day.

Nevertheless, I'm excited for the Fall Out Boy/Gym Class Heroes/Plain White T's concert I'm going to on Thursday. It's for my friend's birthday so there's a group of us going, which makes it even more exciting. But I'm stressing about planning homework, etc around it...it's right in the middle of a rather unpleasant week. Still excited though!

Back to work, even though I can barely keep my eyes open.

yours sleepily
geraldine

Biology and Orangina

2007-11-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

A bittersweet combination. I thought I should start with homework as I have an AP History midterm and various other projects and assignments due soon, but that went away pretty quickly. I really need to study tonight and tomorrow, though, because I'm volunteering for Habitat for Humanity on Sunday with some friends.

Anthropologie is amazing! I love the store so much, it's beautifully arranged and decorated. Although it's way above my price range, just looking at all the clothes, jewelry, accessories, and things for the home is inspirational!

Here are some unique and gorgeously delicate pieces from the website (http://www.anthropologie.com/).

Now I'm going to attempt to regain focus and then go to bed early. The Farmer's Market is tomorrow morning, so hopefully I'll be able to get up early and go.

Frankie and Annette

2007-11-23T19:19:00.000-08:00

That's the name of a song by Casey Dienel (amazing!). I just love the way it sounds.

I found a lot of pretty things in my travels throughout the internet! Christmas present ideas? Possibly, now that the shopping season has "officially" started...

Pretty basics from Old Navy:

London Sole ballet flats (they're quite expensive, around $160), which come in every color and pattern you could want:

An unbelievably cute necklace (who can resist puppies?) from Shana Logic (http://www.shanalogic.com/)

Frye "Sunny" boots (at about $300, definitely something to save up for):
A satin shift dress by Velvet Torch, at Nordstrom (perfect for a holiday party!)

Finally, a LeSportsac tote (which I just bought today), perfect for carrying around books:

There you go! More later, to help with your Christmas present lists!

geraldine

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T16:49:00.000-08:00

I just watched Anastasia (the animated Disney movie), and remembered how amazing the older Disney movies are. I want to watch all of them again!

I hope you have a nice, relaxing Thanksgiving with family and friends. Also, if you choose to go shopping tomorrow, good luck staying sane!

yours thankfully
geraldine

Istanbul, not Constantinople

2007-11-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about Thanksgiving, then turkey, then Turkey, and then I thought of that song. Interesting train of thought.

Thanksgiving break has officially started (it's only 2 extra days, keep your knickers on) and I am dismayed to find that I have homework (whether explicitly stated or implied) for almost every class. It really annoys me how the teachers are all telling us to "work on it over Thanksgiving," because obviously we have nothing else to do during this ridiculously long expanse of time. And they're sneaky about it too, e.g. "Don't worry, I'm not giving you homework over Thanksgiving, I'll just tell you what the assignment is now so you can get a head start," or "By the way you should have this done by Monday." How infuriating!

Anyway I need to stop complaining and start doing something productive.
The new Target GO International designer is Erin Fetherson, a finalist in the CFDA(Council of Fashion Designers of America)/Vogue Fashion Fund contest. However, the Target collections have been losing appeal for me--overall they are not well made and often just strange. I think the designers need to put in just a little more effort. If they can design gorgeous $400 dresses I think they can design a cute and well-made $24.99 dress for Target. From what I've seen on the website, some of the items are cute and fashionable, but I'll check in-store and write more in detail about it.

I don't really have anything to do, so I think I'll paint my nails or work on
my scrapbook or do something else equally frivolous.

yours frivolously,
geraldine

I don't like Sundays

2007-11-18T16:12:00.001-08:00

Sunday means homework and worrying about the coming week. I wish it was a day of rest.

At least this weekend was nice. On Friday I went to San Francisco with my aunt, my dad, and my brother. We ate lunch in the Fog City Diner and walked around Pier 39. Typical touristy things, but fun. Sea lions are not pleasant creatures.

Why does Pandora keep playing sad music? One can have too much Dashboard Confessional, you know. Although I do love their new album, especially "Where There's Gold."

The weeks left until Christmas break are going to be really crazy. Community service for school, stage crew for the school play (hopefully I get on the run crew, although that will mean being at school from 6 to 10pm for a couple of weeks), my friend's birthday concert, studying for finals, etc. I can't believe the school year is almost half over. It's too fast!

I need to get back to homework if I want to finish it reasonably early (before 10!).

geraldine

I'm making a lasagna...for one.

2007-11-15T16:46:00.001-08:00

I love Flight of the Conchords.

Whimsical holiday cards:
paperedtogether's etsy store

"Forget-me-knot" ring: fredflare

More cute stationery: Jezebel

Pretzel Salt

2007-11-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

No subliminal meaning whatsoever. Seriously.

Here are some more photos from our vintage/thrift expedition yesterday. Now we just have to write the article by tomorrow...

I want this bag. It was about $35, I think. $35 more than what I had.

Have a nice Wednesday!

Delightfully Quirky

2007-11-13T18:49:00.000-08:00

Vintage and thrift shopping in San Jose.

Black & Brown

More later...for now, back to studying Biology!

A few of my favorite things

2007-11-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered the joys of Pandora Radio and Vick's Scented Tissues. Two things that you should definitely check out.

In my opinion, Pandora Radio is one of the most brilliant inventions to grace the Internet. It's a website that lets you create music "stations" by typing in the name of an artist, song or composer. The website then composes an ever-changing playlist consisting of music related to or similar to that artist, song, or composer. It's a great way to find music that you like, and you can listen to it for as long as you'd like, for free. It's amazing. Check it out: http://www.pandora.com/

Puffs Plus with the Scent of Vick's are another of my new favorite things. They're pretty self-explanatory, but amazing nonetheless.

That's all I've got for now. I predict that my posts will become increasingly random, in accordance with the increasing entropy of the universe.

More later,
Geraldine

Hello again!

2007-11-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

Hello again! I haven't posted in a while--about three months, actually. Time goes by so fast! This school year is one of the fastest ever, which is not necessarily a good thing. AP classes are no picnic, and I seem to be perpetually tired. But on the bright side, I'm taking a Western Art course at school, which is amazing. I think I might want to go into art history or something. I think most of the reason the class is so great is the teacher, who's hilarious and just really fun, so it's impossible not to pay attention. Recently we took a trip as a class to the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco to see a photography exhibit by Hiroshi Sugimoto. I'm not very knowledgeable about art and photography, but even so this was a fascinating exhibit. Here's the exhibit's description:

"One of Japan’s most important contemporary artists, Sugimoto is known for his ongoing multiple series of hauntingly beautiful black-and-white photographs exploring the themes of time, memory, dreams, and natural histories. Working with a large-format camera, he produces glowing images, ranging from the richly detailed to the starkly minimal, which are often suffused with expanses of light and space."

Sugimoto's photography was clever, sometimes even witty, and aesthetically appealing, including photographs of nature dioramas that looked incredibly real, "portraits" of Madam Toussaud's wax figures of Henry VIII and his six wives, and a series of photographs of 3-D figures created using mathematical formulas.

More later about art, fashion, et cetera!

Sleepless in Seattle

2007-08-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, I took the train to Seattle with my family for a sort of mini-vacation (we were only there for two days). I have to say that taking the train was an "experience"--29 hours on a train isn't something you easily forget. Fortunately, we had little rooms on the train that had fold-out beds, a bathroom, an even a shower! However, I wasn't adventurous enough to try and shower in an airplane-sized bathroom on a moving train. I think taking the train is one of the best ways to travel, especially for long distances. Although it might not be extremely pleasant (the regular seats probably wouldn't be very comfortable after 29 hours), the whole idea of traveling by train is so classic. We had some beautiful views out the window: Mount Shasta, miles of pure forest, sharp hills of black volcanic rock. And I loved going to sleep with the train still moving--it's like being rocked to sleep.

Before we left for Seattle, I looked up some interesting places to shop. The trip definitely wasn't shopping-centered, but I figured if I had specific places to go my family would agree to be diverted from the usual tourist attractions (the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, etc). So we took the bus (which is free in the downtown area) to Broadway Street, where we found several interesting shops, including American Apparel, Red Light, and Crossroads Trading Co. American Apparel is available online and there are stores near where I live, so I didn't find anything I wanted to buy there. I came across some other vintage/thrift shops, which were slightly messy and hard to navigate, so we moved on. Red Light was one of the best stores--it had a lot of trendy secondhand clothes and accessories upstairs, and downstairs there were vintage dresses organized by decade (interesting to browse, but not the best to wear) and a huge costume store. Upstairs there was also a section for men's clothing, which had everything from old Star Wars t-shirts to leather motorcycle pants to knitted sweaters with mallard ducks on them. The vintage glasses in the accessories section were really cute (there were pink 50's style ones with rhinestones) and the jewelry and pins were unique and pretty. I ended up buying a black and white cameo necklace.

Walking around the city, I looked around to see what Seattle style was. The general style was--well, actually, there really wasn't a general style. Just like in any big city, style was varied and unique, sometimes ultra-trendy, sometimes individual, sometimes quirky.

However, most of our trip wasn't spent on shopping. We spent most of the time doing the usual "tourist" things and just walking around the city, taking it all in. Anyway, here's some things to do and see if you're ever in Seattle:

Pike Place Market
Boat Tour around the harbour
Shopping on Broadway Street
Pine Street for shopping and restaurants
Seattle Space Needle
Seattle Art Museum
Olympic Sculpture Park/Waterfront
Good restaurants: 13 Coins and Paloma Cafe

-geraldine

Summer Slump

2007-07-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Summer is the time of year when my concern for style or fashion goes out the window. It's so hot that I frankly don't care if I'm wearing denim shorts, a tank top, and flip flops. Especially since this summer I haven't hung out with friends a lot, so no one really sees me anyway.

But should I feel guilty about this? If a tree falls and no one's there, does it make a sound? Well, maybe that wasn't the best metaphor to use, but you get the point. If the only people who see me daily are my family and random people I don't know, then does it really matter if I look sloppy and boring?

I guess, in the long run, it doesn't matter at all. For me at least, "summer style" is basically an oxymoron. I am, however, getting both nervous and excited about back-to-school. Last year I felt like a lot of the time my outfits were sometimes a little off, sometimes boring, and occasionally just wrong.

So this year I want to wear the clothes I want to wear, and feel stylish every day. I made a list of all the things I want to buy for back-to-school. I showed it to my mum, and she raised her eyebrows a little, meaning I'll have to start babysitting a lot more pretty soon if I want to fulfill my shopping goals.

One thing that I'm absolutely sure (for now, at least) I want for back-to-school is a plaid Longchamp bag that I saw in Teen Vogue. It's just under $200, which would normally be way above my budget, but it's really nice, it's a good quality brand, would work for carrying books, and I don't think I'll get sick of it. I think it should be available on the online store early August. I still have to figure out how to come up with $200, but for now I prefer to just dream.

Anyway, here's the link to the Longchamp website. You can find the bag by clicking on "Fall 2007" on the left side of the page (the bag is on pages 30-31 of the slideshow). Tell me what you think! Is it worth it, or is there a cheaper alternative?

-geraldine

Libertine for Target

2007-07-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is kind of late, as there are already ads for Libertine for Target, but that's what I'm posting about. I have mixed feelings about the collection after seeing the pictures on Target Corporation's website (see below). Of course, the article in Teen Vogue made it very appealing, but the whole collection somehow never makes it to my Target store, and buying it online just doesn't have the same appeal. Target's website doesn't present the clothes very well and often detracts from a collection's image.

Anyway, hopefully some of the better pieces will make it to my Target store, and hopefully this won't be as much of a letdown as some of the others have been. I'm most looking forward to the striped shirtdress, trench coat, bow blouse, cornucopia shirt, and screen-printed shorts. There's also a black crepe dress with white at the collar, which could be either very pretty or very awkward.

Aside from Target, I've been looking at Topshop's website but had to stop because of the heartache it was giving me. I don't buy things online (not having a credit card is probably a big factor in that) and my nearest Topshop is across the Atlantic ocean, so it was painful to see all the fabulously gorgeous shoes, dressses, and bags. Topshop, unfortunately, does not have an American equal that can combine fashion and generally affordable prices so amazingly. Also unfortunate is the fact that I won't be going to the U.K. this summer. Oh, and I'm not exactly set up for a huge shopping spree, either.

I just bought new curtains and bedclothes from IKEA, both with black and white floral patterns. I originally wanted a damask or toile theme, but none of the fabric I found was quite right.

Well, since there is a ridiculous number of blogs out there, I'm sure this one won't get much attention, but if you do stumble upon it, please comment! Help me out here, people.

Libertine for Target Collection Images:
(http://pressroom.target.com/pr/news/fashion/go-international/album.aspx?id=4614)