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.
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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

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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
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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

the best girls root for Boston

So in honor of the unbelievable athletic ability the B's were able to showcase last night, it only seemed appropriate to give them some props on the blog. If, for some reason, you haven't been watching the showdown between Boston and Canada, you should probs get on that. My roommate and I have been all about going out and watching every game of the series. When you live within 5 minutes of the Garden (where the Bruins play) it would pretty much be blasphemy for you NOT to go. Bee Tee Dubs- that was the second time I've used the word blasphemy in this blog. And both times were about Boston sports. I guesss you could say I take my teams a bit seriously- but come on, it comes with the territory!



I took this picture before going out for Game 4. The Globe had been passing out these signs all over the city, and with our black and yellow (insert over-played but completely amazing and appropriate Wiz song here) outfits it seemed like a perfect photo-op. Thanks Instagram for letting me take an okay picture and turn it into a wicked sick advertisement. Agreed?

Here's to wishing the boys luck tomorrow in Canada. Home advantage would have come in handy right now, but sometimes that's just the way the cookie crumbles ;)

xx,
Marissa

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Just like Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century

So just like an self respecting 90's girl, when the first Zenon movie came out, I was more than a little obsessed. I mean how could you not be- between her galactic fashion ensembles, out of this world adventures and futuristic gadgets she was the perfect tween heroine!


Z and Nebula- two best friends who knew how to put off neons and metallics like none other!

But it was her high tech gadget dubbed the "Z-pad" that I patiently waited for all these years. Before everyone with opposable thumbs had cell phones, the idea of being in constant communication with everyone was crazy, and Zenon went one step forward with her ability to video call all her bffs. How perfect.

Fast forward some 10 odd years to 2009 when the man, the myth, the legend Steve Jobs unveils one of the coolest inventions of our time- the iPad. I'm sorry, we couldn't get any cooler with the name though? Come on Steve, zPad... iPad... you're not fooling anyone. But regardless, that beautiful piece of technology is now mine. Thanks friends and family for coming to my graduation party and adding to the "Get Marissa an iPad fun". Job well done! :)

So, as most people with Apple products, I look it upon myself to take some shameless Photo booth pictures today since I liked my outfit. Don't judge ;)




I was just wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans and a pink t-shirt, but I decided to give the blazer trend a try. I love when celebrities take a simple outfit (like jeans and a tee) and look polished and put together instantly. But hello! Works like a charm. I went from blah to polished and classy instantly- which if you know me at all, is my life m-o. So my word of advice if you're looking to class up your wardrobe, or looking for a new piece of invest in for your wardrobe; give a blazer a try! This is a cheapie from WetSeal that I borrowed from my roommate. Works like a charm!

xx,
Marissa

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it's a garden party

it's felt like weeks since my mom and i started planning my garden graduation party. the idea started months ago, then came the planning, designing and ordering the invitations, multiple trips to the post office, arguments over menu choices and creating all the hand-made decorations- quitee the production. but all of the hard work payed off saturday when my yard looked beautiful, i was surrounded by friends and family and finally was able to celebrate the end of my college career. i wanted the event to have a light and airy feel, with pops of pastel colors, a very feminine and preppy feel, but somewhere my guests could still have fun. i think it came together perfectly!

mix of accomplishments (honor societies, awards, cum laude cord) and memories.

you know those big boards that people have at graduations- the ones where people all write "congrats! keep in touch! you're amazing!"? i find those awkward after the fact. like- what am i supposed to do with a big board that says class of 2011 or something like that? i had the idea to use pretty pieces of card stock that we sell at work and have people write messages, memories and advice for the future on. then, i can keep them and look back on them in the future :)

what's a garden party without flowers?!

 the paper lanterns that took me forever filled the naked tree and added pops of color to the yard. i became a pro at making these when we made a bunch at work to decorate the store. here's the tutorial on how to make them yourself- super easy. of course it's from martha <3

more paper flowers, lanterns and pastel colored chairs make a cute little seating area!

my pretty cake!

gerber daisies were a key element in the decor- from the center pieces, to the color scheme, they were everywhere. and i love that my mom surprised me with them even on my cake. chocolate cake, chocolate filling and whipped vanilla frosting- yum!

aw friends :)

soo lucky with the weather on saturday. sunny, clear skies, not too hot. perfect for a garden party. can't believe after all that planning and stressing it's finally over. buttt that means i'm one step closer to my graduation present. more on that later ;)

xx,

Marissa

Coral Crush

for as long as i can remember, coral has been my favorite color to wear during the summer months. it's bright and fun- two crucial points of summer colors, and looks amazinggg with a tan. during a recent dose of retail therapy, i picked up a few pieces that i know are going to be staples of my summer wardrobe.

my outfit today. best shorts ever. super comfy, airy fabric, fun color. need i say more? iwill be looking on their website and seeing if these shorts come in any other colors. hello love <3

oh my goodness! saw this dress and literally stopped in my tracks. perfect mix of 60's and prepster- too perfect. saw something like this in a vineyard vines catalog not too long ago and loved it then. perfect for a cute day dress, great transition from pool/beach to running around doing errands. gah!





started playing around with the site polyvore. now i finally understand how all my favorite bloggers made those wicked cute inspiration boards for their posts. some cute coral stuff to give you some inspirtation to bring my fav color into your wardrobe! remember it's about the little things- and if wearing a gorgeous color like coral can make you look even a little bit tanner, that's a win for me! :)


xx,
Marissa