my-oh-my eyebrows

ever have those random pieces of information that you heard somewhere, sometime completely randomly- but for some reason they just stick with you forever? if you're like me, this occurs pretty much on an hourly basis. during the shower, I always remember that I once heard that shampoo should only be used on your roots and conditioner is meant for the "ponytail area" of your hair. so for the rest of my life, I have this nagging voice dictating to me proper shampooing and conditioning practices. or how eyelashes should be curled not just once at the base of your lash line, but again in the middle and at the end if you want them to really curl. so even I'm pressed for time and rushing through my makeup, I always take time for that step.

but for the sake of this blogpost, the one most important tidbits has to do with my most discussed features- my eyebrows. a person's eyebrows are what frame their face and draw attention to their eyes. they should be like sisters and not twins. as an Italian girl with very thick hair, my unruly eyebrows have been the bane of my existence for as long as I can remember. (insert picture with bushy eyebrows here) it wasn't until I discovered the miracles of waxing, that I realized my true eyebrow potential. Now while there were a few slip ups along the way (who doesn't remember the ever popular and universally unflattering look of pencil thin eyebrows?!) I managed to find a shape, thickness and all out perfect eyebrow for myself.


tool of the trade:
eyebrow brush/"spoolie"
tweezers
small manicure scissors
hard angled eyeliner brush/stiff eyeliner brush
matte eyeshadow: choose the color that corresponds with your hair color/eyebrow color. brunette: dark brown (not black!) blonde: light brown red: medium brown/chestnut




pardon the close up but this is my brows naturally before any grooming/filling in

the best way I've found to shape my brows is to follow their natural shape as much as possible. straight up from the inner tear duct of your eye is where your brows should start, and about a 45 degree angle from your outer corner is where they should end. now, I naturally have very strong brows, so the beginning part of my eyebrow is a bit larger than some people are comfortable with, but I start my arch right about where my pupil begins and arch it slightly through my whole brow. because of over-plucking during my teenage years (curse me!), my brows end a bit earlier than they should. easy fix with the stiff brush and dark brown shadow!

using short strokes with a stiff brush and shadow, I create the strong start to my brow. I continue with that same pattern through the front of my brow, filling in any sparse areas and making them look nice and full. be careful to use a light hand when doing these short strokes, you don't want to have eyebrows that look colored in- too cartoony! to fix my sparse ends, I use the same stiff brush and shadow, except this time I wet the brush to give me a nice clean line. I continue following natural line of my brow, getting thinner as I get closer to that 45 degree angle mark. to make sure they look natural and not drawn on, I take an eyebrow brush or spoolie and brush through my brows and over the line. the last step is to pluck any stray hairs that fall outside the defined brow area and trim the tops to make sure everything is neat and in line.

it sounds like a ton of steps and seems a lot more complicated than it actually is. eyebrows probably take up 5 minutes of my entire makeup routine, but trust me when I tell you that it makes a world of difference!

xx,
Marissa

ombre nails

so, what's it been like a millennium since my last blog post. shame, shame- i know! but here i am with something beautiful, girly and a la lauren conrad. so what could be better? nothing right?!

the ombre trend has been everywhere for quite some time, and honestly i don't see the trend going anywhere anytime soon. from hair, to handbags, to fabrics and even nails- slight variations in color are quiteee the bee's knees ;)

to get this look i used five different green nail polishes (all varying ever so slightly) why a single person needs that many slight variations for almost the exact same color may be many people's first reactions, but not mine. my nail polish addiction is a bit of a problem, and green is my favorite color, but hey cheaper and less dangerous than crack. win, win- right?

OPI "Gargantuan Green Grape", Charlotte Rousse cheapie mint green polish, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Mint Sprint", OPI "Jade is the New Black" and Orly "Wandering Vine"

give it a try- pink, mauve, red, purple, blacks.
xx,
Marissa

blogs and 'zines

one of my favorite parts about quick CVS runs is the magazine displays during check out. while the celebrity trash magazines are fun to flip through, it's always the fashion and beauty magazines that are the ones I actually grab. lucky has been a favorite of mine for a while, and I love the stickers they include to make it easier to remember which things I'm currently obsessing over. i feel like an editor-in-chief tagging the things that I love, and making note of certain articles for blog posts (that is, as long as I follow through...)



notice, all those tabbed pages? my bank account is not going to be very happy with me. and hi, that sequined fish scale skirt- to die for! even though the print media industry (books, magazines, etc.) is on the outs, there's something about flipping through the glossy pages of a magazine that reading blogs just can't match.

what are some of your favorite magazines? are you a fashion gal like me, enjoy getting scandalous sex advice from cosmo, or need your fix of trashy celebrity gossip?

xx,
Marissa

little man turns 4

been slacking majorly on the blogging front, but not having internet access for my beloved ipad has been pretty much a kill joy. updating from my big-girl phone just doesn't do it for me. but alas, last weekend was jordan's (the coolest 4 year old on the block, who just so happens to be my nephew) birthday party. snapped some pics of kids being kids, and all the birthday goodies that make kid's parties fun. games, pizza, presents, prizes- what more could a kid ask for?

perfect mix of concentration and natural talent.

victory dance.

opening presents- whatta goon.

digging in.

four generations.

happy birthday little man. best text message i've ever gotten, a picture of him right after he was born sent during class saying "hi auntie! i'm here". love you more than anything

xx,
Marissa

ps. found the cutest store the other day. expect a blog post within the next few days with pictures of the store and my new fav accessory :)

all hallow's eve

one of my favorite parts of fall has always been halloween. I love everything about it; witches, ghosts, costumes, parties and trick-or-treating. I was totally the kid who stayed as the same character for multiple halloweens. I'm pretty sure my mom made me not one, not two, but three dorothy costumes because she was my favorite. I even brought it back two halloweens ago (not the same costume of course) when I was in Germany visiting my cousin Nilene who, with the help of her friends and boyfriend, hand created costumes for all the characters.


while I like to take the time to carefully select the perfect costume each and every halloween, sometimes (like last year) a costume can slip your mind. blasphemy I know! but it was my 21st birthday and that celebration was deemed more important than halloween since it would happen once in my entire life. during those times, or hey even the random costume party or theme night, being able to throw something together in a pinch can make or break the evening!

that, my dear friends, is where makeup comes quite in handy. with the help of a few eyeshadow colors and some imagination you can instantly transform your look from everyday to someone else entirely.

with a few oceany colors; dark blue/navy, turquoise, sea foam green and pearly white, I was able to create an eye look fit for a mermaid.
add a touch of purple and wing the ends out and you're a peacock in a pinch. hello last years halloween costume!


to create the wave of color going from darkest in the outer corner to lightest on the inner corner the tried and true "smokey eye, apply the darkest shade (dark blue/navy) to the outer corner of your eye in a sideways "V" shape. then take the second darkest color (turquoise) and apply it after the navy, blending the two together slightly over one another. next take the second lightest color (sea foam green) and apply it from where the turquoise ends to just before the inner corner. lastly, take your lightest shade (pearly white) and apply it to the inner corner/tear duct. i like the take the same color and mirror the colors on my lower lash line as well, helping to make your eye appear larger. connect the outer corners together in a soft point, and do the same around your tear duct. don't forget to curl your lashes and add a few coats of mascara to complete the look.



with an eye look as crazy as this, just remember to keep the rest of your makeup pretty simple. clear and glowing skin and a simple lip. the color combinations for this look are endless and so are the different costumes that would be created!

xx,
Marissa

fall faves

so, my all time favorite season would have to be fall. I love the layers, the comfy fabrics and the completely different style just a few months can change. Don't get me wrong, summer is amazing; sundresses and sandals are my go-to staples (and totally inappropriate for any other season in New England), but to me there's nothing cuter than cable knit sweaters, pea coats and a great leather riding boot. To get myself ready for fall, I pulled a few of my favorite pieces from last year that have the perfect preppy crispness that just screams fall to me.


Cable knit: maybe it was my years of working at Ralph Lauren, but to me nothing says back to school like a cable knit sweater. I've always preferred the v-neck variety, but a crew neck is great for layering a button down or polo underneath. Just as comfy as a hoodie, but you look a million times more put together.

Stripes: besides floral print, stripes are hands down my favorite pattern. I love the crispness of them, how tailored they look and are just the perfect amount of nautical. This rugby has been in my wardrobe for years now, and still looks just as good as when I bought it. I love it so much, I even bought it in pink. But the best part of keeping them in rotation? The older they are, the softer and comfier they get. If you think a horizontal stripe will make you look wider, go with a thicker stripe like this one. Too many little stripes is what adds onto your body. Or a chevron stripe is great and is everywhere this season.

Lace: perfect fabric in my opinion. Kind of multiple personality, if you want to personify fabric. Can be sweet, girly and ultra feminine or when mixed with the right accessories sexy and badass. I love when I see girls rocking lace with black pieces and leather, like combat boots or a leather jacket. I prefer to keep my lace sweet, by wearing it with silk, cotton or sequins. This shirt is great to wear with boyfriend jeans and looks super cute with a variety of different colored tank tops underneath.

Pearls: cute and casual all rolled into one. This sweatshirt material pullover balances out the boyish factor with the delicate sprinkling of pearls around the top. While I have a strict no hoodies/sweatshirt policy outside of my apartment, this little beauty is able to sneak in under the radar. Perfect for when the days start getting chilly.

I also snuck in a few rando's in the picture, like my thick sweater tights; perfect for making some of my favorite sundresses fall appropriate. Throw on with a cardigan and boots, you're good to go! I love leather bags for the fall, especially this one with it's saturated color, gold hardware and roomy inside. Perfect with the gorgeous foliage, and a great bag to use if you're in school. Chunky jewelry, like the leather and gold bracelet is perfect for fall. So much easier to accessorize when you're not worried about sweating, swimming and everything else the summer entails. Fall means back to a schedule for most people, and what better to do that with than a great watch. While many people carried the white watch trend on through the summer, I mean hello white does look amazing with a tan, I still like it for the fall. It will look great with navy and all the gold accessories I see myself wearing. And finally, changing seasons means changing scents. While during the summer your scent can be fruity and light, I like to wear a sexy, sultry scent during the fall. Something a little spicy with almost a men's cologne smell to it. My favorites? Burberry Brit and Victor and Rolf Flowerbomb.

Hope everyone else is as excited for fall as I am. Caramel apples, pumpkins, Halloween, the leaves changing, the smell, my birthday... The list goes on and on.

xx,
Marissa

grown-up glitter

while some people consider glitter better left in the hands of little girls under 10,  i of course think otherwise. the same way tulle, bows and the color pink, can be grown up and have a prominent place in a grown-up girls life, i believe glitter can too. the key is simply moderation. proof of these beliefs can be seen on any given day with my signature glitter nail or in this next nail look. my inspiration came from a picture i saw the lovely Lauren Conrad post a few days ago with a cute aqua colored glitter manicure. except in her case, it was loose dry glitter, which i always find too messy to even bother with. since i can't find the link anywhere, your imagination will just have to do. but without further adieu, grown-up glitter.

 twist on the classic french manicure by using glitter polish instead of traditional white.

i opted to go for a super skinny line of glitter to make it as cute and classy as possible. feel free to go thicker if you like, for this look i think the thinner the better.

to get super skinny and smooth lines like the ones i have here, use a nail polish with a thin brush (not like the normal nail polish wand in most bottles. i use this one!

xx,

Marissa

i feel pretty, oh so pretty

i think i've done a fairly accurate job of expressing my love of skirts, dresses and anything exceptionally girly. the majority of my outfit posts have included one of the two, and a large percentage of my wardrobe includes pieces that are flowery, lacy or made of tulle. so, when i came across this blog post by the lovely and talented laura, or lollipop26 from her glory days of beauty guru-ing, gushing about her new mesh skirt from h&m, i knew i had to have it. not only is is tulle and blush colored, hello two of my favorite things!, it was like the grown up version of a tutu that i've been desperately seeking out. now while it doesn't completely fit the bill in the tutu department, it does manage to put a smile on my face and twirling it mandatory. here are a few different looks i put together for a piece that some may consider hard to style.

 

cutesy- tucked inlacy tank (Old Navy) long sleeved long cardigan (C&C California) both belted with brown leather (Silpada). light and cute date look. perfect for class. layers are great for fall.

casual- long mint t-shirt scarf (C&C California), same brown leather belt from previous outfit. comfy, casual and simple. great for a breezy sunday, shopping with girlfriends or getting work done in the library.

femme- same lace tank, black mesh collored shirt (Zara). great night look. dressy date. night out with the girls. sexy, while appropriate.

three totally different looks, with one amazing skirt. 

xx,

Marissa

flower power

with fall approaching, i've taken to cozy-ing up some of my favorite summer sundresses. perfect way to transition summer pieces into the fall? layering!  this dress has been one of my favorites for a few seasons now. i love the color, cut, style; pretty much everything about it. and while it's spaghetti straps may have been fine for a hot summer day, today's temperature managed to dip a bit. to combat these cooler temperatures i threw on this bright and floral- two of my favorite ways to describe clothes!- cropped cardigan. love the bright colors and the way the two pieces came together. layering cardigans, tights and boots is my favorite way to continue to wear spring and summer pieces through the fall. and any excuse for me to keep wearing dresses, is a good one in my book!

xx,
Marissa

let's see how long this lasts...

besides the fact that i've been slacking majorly on my blogging, today i decided to start a bobbles&lace tumblr. of course you may be wondering how i expect to keep up with two sites to update, and honestly i'm wondering the same thing. hence the "let's see how long this lasts". i like the quick little blurb style that tumblr uses, and is wicked easy to update via my phone. so, on days (like the past 14 or so) when i'm sucking at doing a full post, snack on a bite of my tumblr action.

no more teachers, no more books

well strike that, there will be books, but sadly this is the first fall since I started pre-k that I won't be back to school shopping, organizing my notebooks and making sure I know just which classrooms are mine. And to throw another wrench in the chaos that is my life, the end of the summer marks the time when my roommate/best friend/partner-in-crime/wingman leaves the East Coast to return to California and her family. Much like graduation, when I tried to pretend it wasn't happening until I hyperventilated the morning of graduation and couldn't leave my apartment without force (yes, that really happened), I've been allowing myself to be ignorant to the fact that her departure date is getting closer and closer. As the weeks turned into days, and now unfortunately into single digits, we've been making the most of her final days by cramming in as many fun activities, adventures, and wild and crazy memories to end our four years together with a bang. Expect a blog post as soon as the craziness dies down with the full extend of our adventurous week, it has been documented thanks to my brand new Big Girl phone :)



xx,

Marissa

dear people of the world, take note.

I've always believed that women should be ladies, and accordingly, men should be gentleman. But unfortunately, the majority of men and women find living their lives without manners, proper grooming and chivalry is just fine. For those who feel that a real man will open the door for a lady, treat women with respect and know the proper way to tie a Windsor knot and that a real lady takes that extra 5 minutes to polish herself before walking out the door, treats other women with the kindness that they expect and doesn't believe in bodily functions outside the bathroom, these sites that I found just might be your new bible.

Enjoy, I know I do.

For the Ladies
and
For the Gents


xx,
Marissa

lovely lashes

my go-to, five-minutes-to-get-ready, take-to-a-deserted-island makeup item has always been mascara. It has the ability to leave you bright eyed and bushy tailed when you have had less than enough beauty rest and pulls together your entire face. I've been known to shell out a pretty penny to get fabulous lashes- my favorite mascara being a toss up between Make Up Forever Smoky Lash $22 and DiorShow Mascara $24.50. But, that isn't to say that I'm a snob when it comes to finding drugstore dupes for my favorite designer makeup.


these four are the MVPs, the mascaras I've found to work just as good (if not better) than the high end brands I've tried and loved.

Maybeline the Colossal Volum' Express Mascara: Great volume, nice big brush to really grab your lashes, reminded me a lot of my beloved Dior mascara but for a fraction of the price :)

Maybelline One by One Volum' Mascara: My new Holy Grail of mascara. Gave me the lashes I'm sporting in this posts picture. Doesn't clump, literally separates each lash from one another. The reason behind this entire post, I love it so much.

Rimmel the Max VolumeFlash Mascara: An old favorite with a big brush to give you full lashes, without clumping everything together. Dries out kind of fast though, bummer.

Covergirl Lash Blast Fushion: Found this mascara and thought that I was done trying new brands forever. Leaps and bounds above the original Lash Blast which I hated with a passion. Thanks Drew Barrymore for steering me wrong. Fortunately, this little beauty made up for any wrong-doing. Great length and definition, but also gave full lashes that everyone loves.

Just a couple options for mascara that won't break the bank, but also make you look like a million bucks :)

xx,
Marissa

fried ends? fake it til you make it.

ever take a bit longer than you should between your trips to the salon I'm just rounding out the 10th month since my last haircut, and while I know what I need is a good cut, one too many nightmares in the past makes me nervous about taking the plunge. Add sun damage from the summer's rays, salt water and chlorine from swimming and you have a recipe for fried ends. No self respecting girl likes to go out with raggedy hair, you put in the effort to look nice, you don't need your hair to ruin your ensemble! My favorite trick? Curl just your ends loosely with a big barrel curling iron. It smooths and seals your ends, and gives your hair a finished look. Even after they start to fall out, which they will between the humidity, weight of your hair and the loose curl that you gave them, you'll still look polished and put together. Exactly the look you were going for :)

xx,
Marissa

my love affair with D.C.

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I had planned a trip to DC to visit my best friend who had just graduation from George Washington University. The trip was a gradations present from her family, and a kind of two- for-one treat for the both of us. Having never been to DC before I wanted to see some of the sights, but we both agreed a relaxing/mellow visit was just what we needed. Just a sprinkling of tourist, but mostly spending time with her and enjoying her life down there.


Our first night out in Adams Morgan- the bar and club area of the city. Full of crazies, but so much fun! Highlights included 4am pizza that was larger than my head, running away from creepers at the bar, her roommate stepping on a baby walking the streets at 4am, biker gangs and a group of weirdos speaking in accents for no reason and saying they were on the Boston Real World. It was crazy.


Walked the GW campus. For four years I've been on the phone with Kaitlin as she walked from building to building having no idea what anything looked like. It was nice to finally have a layout and visuals to put everything together. But the true highlight of the campus was seeing the hippo statue that I had heard about for years. According to Kaitlin, the former president purchased this statue for his house, and when his wife told him to get rid of it, because who in their right mind would want this thing in their house, he donated it to the school. However, the sign below said nothing of the sorts. Good lie Kaitlin, good lie.


Cupcakes! Cupcakes! Cupcakes! After what seemed like centuries of hearing this cupcake shop get rave review, I finally was able to sample them for myself. After waiting line like the rest of the tourists and cupcake groupies, we finally made it inside and were faced with the impossible task of choosing our flavor.





Lucky for us, they give you a menu listing all the different cupcake flavors that they carry, and which ones are available that day.





First bite! So much build up for this. As a cupcake connoisseur, Kaitlin was scared that I would be disappointed.


Worrying was completely unnecessary. Literally, the greatest cupcake that I have ever eaten.



Then we left Georgetown and headed downtown to check out some of Washington's sights.


Typical tourist White House picture was totally necessary. Frame worthy shot right there ;)


And finally, while continuing my quest for the perfect iPad case, I made a completely impromptu but absolutely perfect purchase to serve as a moment of my trip. Because honestly, how many oversized city t-shirts and name-sake shot glasses do you need? At least this will remind me of my trip every time I wear it, which lately has been a lot.

Good job D.C. for having me for the weekend, making me fall in love with you and ending our love affair just as soon as it started. But no worries, I'll be back soon.

xx,
Marissa

- Posted using BlogPress from my

Location:Washington, DC

perrrfect manicure

I'm definitely a girl who prides myself on having nice nails. To me, it's just a part of life as a lady. While the average woman may paint her nails once a week, or even longer, it's hard for me to wait more than a couple days. My constant need for manicures has led me to the perfect step-by-step process that can take as little as 10 minutes and be done right before bed.




Start with clean nails.

Use cuticle clippers to trim any hangnails, or cuticle around the edges.
Push back cuticles around the base of your nail- I use my pointer nail instead of an orange stick or nail tool. One less thing to have in my nail drawer!



Clip your nails to the perfect length for you. The best for me is just a bit below my finger tip. Make sure you only file in one direction, going back and forth in a sawing motion makes your nails weak and split super easy.

My go to shape is the "squ-oval", an almost square shaped nail with rounded corners. This shape is the best for preventing chipped corners since you don't have any corners to snag on.

To get the smoothest surface possible before you apply your polish, use a 4-sided file to even out and buff the surface. This makes your polish stay on and really have something to bond to.

Right before polish, use a fresh cotton ball to fully clean the surface of your nail. Paint your nails using three smooth motions; one in the middle, then one on either side. It's best if the first coat is thinner, while the second can be a bit thicker to make sure your polish is totally opaque.






The top coat that I swear by is Seche Vite Dry Fast Topcoat. It gives nails an almost-plastic, perfect look that I love. But the reason that this is my holy grail nail product is that it honestly stays true to it's name. I can paint my nails and they're completely dry within 10 minutes. Love, love it.




And of course my perrrfect manicure wouldn't be complete without a glitter nail <3

xx,
Marissa
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

dressed to the nines

so I'm what many people would consider a complete girly girl. I hate leaving the house without something on my face, will not be caught dead outside in bumish clothes and have panic attacks whenever my manicure isn't perfect. now being a girly girl should not be confused with being high maintenance, even though most people would consider the two interchangeable. as a card carrying girly girl I'll take a few moments to explain the difference.

high maintenance girls take forever to get ready because they need to look perfect, in an effort to impress anyone and everyone. girly girls take just enough time to make sure they look nice before leaving the house. your outward appearance is an expression of how you see yourself. If you look like crap, then you see yourself as .... well you get the message.

high maintenance girls expect people to do everything for then, especially their significant others and male friends/family. girly girls are fine with doing things themselves, as long as it won't get them dirty or be too hard, then the help of someone is always appreciated, but not expected :) and a sweet girly girl will always say thank you!

high maintenance girls must have the biggest and best of everything,since according to them, they deserve it. designer labels and name brands will only do. girly girls don't require the best of everything, as long a it's pretty, they're good.

see the difference? ;)

one way I help to keep my girly girl points up is my consistent rotation of dresses within my wardrobe. now I've always been a dress girl, how could you not be! one step, one piece and your dressed and good to go! airy and breezy, they help to keep you cool while looking cute.





my dress of the day- cutie patterned dress from target. I've gotten so many great dresses there that I always get tons of compliments on whenever I wear them! I love the bottom part of the dress. you can just see the top section scattered with tiny rosebuds, but there are also skinny candy pink stripes and little posies on the bottom. too cute for words <3

xx,
Marissa

ps. the comparison between high maintenance girls and girly girls was just for fun. remember, there's no crying in blogging; or wait was that baseball... hmph I guess we'll never know.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

too witty for words

how perfect are these coasters. totally look like something you'd see in urban outfitters home section. must find and purchase in large amounts. great hostess gift or the perfect little something for a friend moving into their own place. well, actually perfect if your friend has a good sense of humor. if not, invest in some new friends?






xx,
Marissa

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

perfect little present

I've always wanted to be one of those people who can wake up one morning, decide you want to go somewhere, and make it happen. However, the sad state of my bank account at the moment makes that virtually impossible, but I always love when it when my friends are able to just pack up and go. One of my best friends and her boyfriend just got back from a spur of the moment trip to Vegas. She had been talking about going one Friday night when we were out, and that Monday they left. Awesome right?

I was able to live vicariously through her with constant picture updates via text and got to experience a teeny tiny piece of what Vegas has to offer. Now I know when I go, the Beatles Love show will be my #1 priority since she said, and I quote "Marissa- it is the reason I was born. To see that show. It was the greatest moment of my life. I cried". Now how's that for buildup?

And besides the constant updates on what Vegas has to offer and being the amazing friend that she is, she came back with perfect presents for both me and my roommate, but also our other best friend. Remember that picture from graduation? Yup, that's us. :)




Considering that her and I are basically the same person, of course I loved her little memento from Vegas for me. I mean how couldn't you? It's just adorable. And you know me, throw sparkles on anything and I'm sold.

xx,
Marissa
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

wishing for pockets full of sunshine

The weather in Boston has been anything but nice today. Raining cats and dogs doesn't even begin to describe it, even pouring buckets doesn't do it justice. And I don't know about you, but when the weather is bad, the last thing I want to do it go out. While my roommates don't share my feelings on staying in, it gave me a chance to cross multiple things off my never ending to-do list (something I feel I haven't been able to do in forever). With my trip to D.C. rapidly approaching it was the perfect opportunity to get some laundry done, wash my sheets and clean my apartment. Now I'll be able to come home to a clean apartment, fresh sheets and breath a sigh of relief. Don't you just love that? :)

Another important task that's been looming over my head for the past week has been my thank you notes from graduation. So many of my amazing friends and family were able to make it out for the party and I of course wanted to thank them. I don't know about you, but being surrounded by so much texting, emailing, Facebook messages and everything else makes me love hand written notes that much more. And think about how nice it is to get something delivered the old fashioned way- right to your mailbox- that isn't a bill or junk mail.




Remember how I said that I've become a bit of a paper snob since I started working at Papyrus- well that fact became all the more apparent when I sat down to write my notes. Not only did I have 3 styles of thank you notes to choose from, but also an assortment of colored paper and coordinating envelopes. Don't they look just like Valentine' s Day?




And my thank you notes just happened to all coordinate with my party invitations. How perrfect <3




A little late but a recent pink donut that literally made me squeal with excitement. The newest addition to my Kate Spade stationary collection. Just a little bit obsessed ;) Thank you Jillian <3

xx,
Marissa

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mama said knock you out

ohhh the life of a teenage girl! today, with the unfortunate help of one of my best friends, I was reminded just how lucky I am to no longer be forced to brave the halls of junior high, deal with terrible teenage hormones and just general bitchiness. And while the days of bffs, AIM and frenemies are behind me, they helped to remind me of one of my favorite parts of junior high; glitter! or more specifically pink glitter.



Love this manicure that I gave myself, essie's "knockout pout" with wet and wild "kaleidoscope" on just my two ring fingers. I love having an accent nail, it makes a simple manicure just a little more interesting and a lot prettier :)




neons are a fun way to brighten up your typical nail polish routine and are great for the summer; they look amazing with a tan! this glitter polish is a great choice cause of the holograpic glitter, perfect to pick up a rainbow of other colors and work with whatever you have on. if you missed out on OPIs "Mad as a Hatter" from the limited edition Alice in Wonderland collection, sadly like I did, this is a great replacement- and at 99 cents, it won't break the bank. switch from your norm and put down the boring and serious nail colors, give something fun a try. tomorrow IS friday!

xx,
Marissa

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never a dull moment in the North End

Nothing to make a crummy day better than a parade right outside your door. All summer long the North End is host to a variety of different feasts for the different Saints and Sunday was, I believe, the first of the summer. Crazy Italians throwing money out their windows and carrying around a giant statue through the windy streets of the neighborhood. My roommate and I jumped in for a few blocks, snapped a couple pics and hopped out before anyone would notice us. You never know what shape a pink donut is going to come in for that day. Always been open to the possibilities <3

xx,
Marissa