The Liebster Award & Nominations

"The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. What is a Liebster? The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome."

I've been nominated by Oanh at Indefinite Style for the Liebster Award. 

The rules are:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs!

Here are 11 things about me:
1. Right now I speak only English fluently, but am learning Italian. After that, I'd like to go back and polish up my French and learn Spanish as well.
2. I've only left North America once, on a trip to Italy.
3. Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday because my whole family on my mom's side gets together.
4. I'm pretty sure the first day of autumn used to be on my birthday (September 21st), but has since migrated to the 22nd. This really cheeses me off.
5. I adore mystery novels and am excited to have recently discovered the neo-noir film genre.
6. I love television shows which demand the contestants/actors display some sort of natural skill, e.g. "So You Think You Can Dance" and "The Glee Project."
7. My father is an artist and graphic designer which has given me very specific tastes in aesthetics. For example, I adored the art deco-inspired posters for the film "Black Swan."
8. Although not a natural-born comic book nerd, I do love Captain America. One of my friends often teases me by sending me .gif images of Steve Rogers' (a.k.a. Chris Evans') backside from the opening boxing scene in "The Avengers."
9. Florence + the Machine is my favourite band, and I am longing for the day I get to see them in concert.
10. As a child, I wished for red hair. I'm pretty much the opposite of Anne Shirley.
11. The most enjoyable sports I've ever gotten to try are fencing, boxing, and archery.

Indefinite Style's Questions:
1. What's your most worn item at the moment? This is between a white ballet leotard-style t-shirt (which goes with everything), and my coral striped shirt from Hollister (I love the fit, colour, everything).
2. Name one place you want to visit. It's hard to pick just one, but a place I'm definitely already planning to visit is Venice, or Venezia in Italian. I'll be travelling back to Italy once I've got my degree and would like to spend some time in the more northern cities, as the last time I went I hit mainly central Italy. Other than that, the Harry Potter theme park, hands down.
3. Favourite store/online store? Forever 21 is definitely the store I most consistently buy clothing from. MAC is the store I'm most excited to be in (I could honestly live in there). Anthropologie is the online store I most frequently browse through, but I've never bought anything from them because I have no money :)
4. Best purchase of the month. My burgundy cords from Joe Fresh. They fit amazingly and were only $19 (Canadian). So exciting!
5. What is one blog that you check religiously? Definitely Cee's blog Coco and Vera. She is one of the classiest dressers I've ever seen, while still having a style which is not unrealistic for the average woman.
6. What is your go-to outfit when you don't know what to wear? Either a nice pair of jeans and a t-shirt with some sort of interesting detail and a bright colour, or the same kind of top with any white bottoms. I've always got to be wearing some sort of rich colour. 
7. What is the newest beauty item you've tried? At the moment, my Sonia Kashuk blush in "Flamingo," which I picked up after reading rave reviews. For a beautiful colour at a really good price ($8 American maybe), it definitely doesn't disappoint.
8. What is your dream job? I would love to work either in public relations or at a publishing house. I love to read, write, and speak in front of people. Being surrounded by literature would be a dream.
9. Name an item you can't live without? I might have to be really arrogant here and say there's really no material thing I couldn't do without. I'm not at all addicted to modern technology, so I guess. . . soap? That's pretty essential, right?
10. What is your favourite season? Why? Definitely autumn, because it's when all the best things happen. School starts (yay English!), it's when I persist in thinking my birthday is (see #4 of things about me), there are fall fairs, crunchy leaves, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and lovely sweaters.
11. What is one thing you wish people knew about you? I think there are very few things that can't be achieved with respect and honesty. I will always act and make decisions based on these two qualities. Also, I once had a fish named Zeus.

My Questions:

1. If you had the chance to style any celebrity, who would it be?

2. What are your favourite physical and personality traits in yourself?

3. Name one distinct phase you went through clothing-wise (e.g. constantly wearing the same shirt, being all about tie-dye [please don't answer that one!]).

4. What is one goal you have for your blog?

5. What is the first thing you remember wanting to be when you grew up?

6. Do you have any odd talents?

7. What is one item you wear (makeup, clothing, or accessory) that one of your family members, friends, or significant other can't stand?

8. In a group of individuals representing cliches, which one would most suit you: the sweet one, the smart one, the funny one, the shy one, the center of attention, the tomboy, the clumsy one, the artist, or the [insert other more applicable cliche here]?

9. Is there a fictional world (either film or book) you would like to be a part of? Which one, and why?

10. Which individual or band (alive or dead, or split up) would you kill (not literally) to get tickets to see?

11. Name one thing that you would love to have in your wardrobe/makeup collection that is totally impractical (due to the limited number of times or places you could wear it, due to price, due to it belonging to a celebrity [helloooo "Thriller" jacket!] etc.).

Nominations:

1. Little girl, big thoughts

2. The Tyrannosaur 

3. The Treasure Chest

4. Nestled

5. EleanorGrace 

6. L. loves to share

7. Obsessed About Beauty and Fashion

8. Sophia x

9. Style Rhapsody

10. Confetti Letters 

11. Betsy Boat 

Thanks again to Indefinite Style!

-C

It's because he's a muscular genius

Something very strange has happened recently. I know I mentioned in a previous post my general distaste for the most recent Batman series , but I watched "The Dark Knight" the other day and then went out and bought "Batman Begins." Here are my theories on the reason for enjoying them more this time around:

1. They are best watched out of order. This time I've tackled the problem by starting with the second film.
2. Robin was obviously the best character ever and he didn't make it into the latest franchise so I've been subconsciously boycotting them.
3. Superhero movies are a hit and miss with me. Spiderman: miss. Iron Man: miss. Captain America: HIT! Maybe I should pursue the ones without "man" in the title?
4. As Jay explains in "Modern Family" (which I've just started watching; see last post), Batman is a "muscular genius." I used to write Batman off because I felt that he relied too much on gadgets and not enough on sweet alien powers (although, I oddly also dislike Superman and there's one dude who's all about the alien powers), but I'm starting to get the impact of the whole life story that gets played out in this series.
5. I will basically watch anything in which Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a somewhat dominant role (see review of "Brick" here). This willingness will truly be tested when I see "The Dark Knight Rises" however, due to the supreme irritation inflicted on me by watching Anne Hathaway. My love for her pretty much begins and ends with her exaggerated "Gueeess not" when Gabbana is not spelt for her over the phone in "The Devil Wears Prada." 

 Also in the category of things that are strange for me to do, I wore red yesterday. Let us scoop up our collectively dropped jaws and move on. This news should definitely rank somewhere between "J.K. Rowling is a billionaire?" and "you can almost smell the Lush store from across the mall" on the scale all things ridiculously uninformative and/or obvious. And nothing against Lush, but if I ever got a job there, I think I might be asphyxiated by the million and two scents in that small, small space. Anyway, yes, I did in fact stray towards coral's spaghetti sauce coloured cousin and I felt that this uncharacteristic dressing choice must be documented. 

Skirt: Old navy; Shoes: Guess via TJMaxx

As well, girls with short hair can do more than just wear it down! Braiding my hair has become a great option for me when I don't feel like pulling out the straightener on a hot day (and when something absolutely MUST be done with my hair because it's way too thick).

Top: Banana Republic

This post was supposed to contain my OOTD (check) and two movie reviews (neither of which was going to be Batman. . . oops) but it turns out that I was not at all at a loss for words! Have you seen "The Dark Knight Rises" yet? What are your feelings about superhero films (such a serious issue, I know)?

-C

Please don't be the spit in my face

Today's quotation is actually a real line, not just an absurdly disgusting request. Yesterday I began attempting to get addicted to something. The something was "Modern Family." A good friend of mine absolutely loves this show and raved to me about it throughout the past school year. We live several hours apart, but I will hopefully be seeing her soon, and at that point I'd like to wow her with my knowledge and up-to-speed-ness of the show she is so crazy about. Aside from introducing me to this wonderful person of bizarre televisional tastes (and a few other things like life skills and an appreciation for higher education), my university has often become "the spit in my face" alluded to by Gloria in "Modern Family." Something always goes horribly wrong with my schedule, special requests, etc. each year like clockwork. At the moment, although I didn't get into a couple of courses I wish I could have, everything's going alright. This makes me very suspicious. It's the calm before the takeawayyourscholarshipmakeyoupaydoublefortextbooksandallyourclassesareacrosscampus storm. Kudos to you if you read that.

Nevertheless, today it has become August. It really does feel like August, too. I was in Walmart the other day and had an urge to buy strangely coloured pens and overpriced notebooks. However, I resisted the impulse since notebooks I don't need yet at all, and I'm pretty sure I always end up with way too many pens and likely still have plenty fresh ones kicking around from last year. The thing that excites me most (not surprisingly) is buying my books. For many people, a Health Sci bound friend of mine in particular, purchasing textbooks is less than thrilling, but for me, it's pretty much Christmas. This is mainly because I don't have to buy books for labs, math, engineering in any shape or form, but actual literature; most of which I will actually enjoy. Buying something new and lovely and interesting because it's MANDATORY! I love being an arts student.

Just anticipating the books in my not too distant future has got me wanting to rearrange my bookshelf. This is perhaps the nerdiest of all nerd pursuits, but I don't care at all. My books have been arranged so many ways by now: by school/non-school, by author, by spine colour, and even once by height. I'm glad that this is a marginally useful insanity as I channel by OCD tendencies into superior organizational methods. At least that's what I've been telling myself.

Tomorrow's post will contain an OOTD and two movie reviews. How is everyone's summer going? Anyone else thinking about school yet (if you're still attending)?

-C

Carpe Diem

The sun is leaving us in golden brilliance, evening is coming, and the air in my house has expanded with the smell of raspberries. Two days ago was a quick shopping trip in the States, yesterday was small town shops and antiques, and this afternoon found me in the kitchen making raspberry jam. Besides quaint summer goings-on, I've also been watching the Olympics like crazy. The one event I didn't see but so wished I had was the women's synchro diving finals, in which Canada took a first place finish. Hopefully Team Canada can keep rolling on this momentum.

A couple of nights ago now, I watched the 1989 film "Dead Poets Society." I actually chose this film because I wanted to make a comparison to another I'd recently re-watched, "Mona Lisa Smile" (review here). Both are period films, set in the 50s-60s era, featuring students of gender-exclusive schools whose lives are powerfully shaped by forward-thinking teachers. While Robin Williams' character John Keating isn't swimming against the stream in such an obvious way as Julia Roberts' Katherine Ann Watson (who attempts to reshape women's idea of their place in the home and society at large), other issues and pressures are successfully brought to the forefront. My title today is the central message of the film which Keating attempts to instill in his pupils. Seizing the day is not an easy task for all of them as they repeatedly come up against the confines of their school system and their own desires are abandoned for those of their parents.

I have many more films and novels on my summer list to get through, so stay tuned for reviews and recommendations. Analyzing "Dead Poets Society" and the more recently made "Mona Lisa Smile" was a really interesting exercise, besides both of them being excellent films on their own merit. I guess when it comes to summer movie watching, there are two universal truths: nobody puts Baby in a corner, and that my inner academic will not be contained.

What did you do/read/watch/listen to this weekend? Have you been keeping up with the Olympics?


-C

His life, though vivid, was largely a dream

The quotation for this post comes from E. M. Forster's A Passage to India. Today's composition will be my 27th blog entry; not exactly a typical landmark, but it did strike me as I was beginning to write this that almost every one of these posts has been introduced with a quotation. Repetition is a wonderful thing- the more I say, think, or write something, the more likely I am to remember it for ages and ages. I've always delighted in recording lines from books. Events in real life often recall almost-forgotten song lyrics. The frequency with which I introduce film speeches into everyday conversation is almost obscene. When I see all of my past titles lined up along the side of my blog, it's like a row of little gems I've picked out over the recent days, weeks, months, and years of my cultural experience with film, literature, and television. For me, it's pretty much the best of the best; C's "greatest hits," if you will, in the form of snippets from a million (27) individuals moments of joy at stumbling across a line I just loved.

The act of finding, recording, rediscovering, and transposing each of these separate moments onto my blog is a feeling similar to the Forster quotation I've used today. Each one has the dreamlike quality of a memory, but possesses a sharp vividness in my mind from being especially selected for the purpose of being remembered.

In terms of the real meat of this blog post (yes, I did just go from a sort of poetic attempt at explanation to "meat"), I can connect the most recent novel I've completed to this same half-imagined reality. This book would be L. M. Montgomery's Anne's House of Dreams. I don't feel as though I really need to review this; either you've read the Anne series, or you ought to. These are certainly not works for children alone. Characters (Anne especially) spend as much time in the world of imagination as they do faced with very real, difficult, life-altering challenges.

Giving myself a break from Montgomery for now, next on my reading list is A. S. Byatt's The Shadow of the Sun. So far I've only read the introduction, but honestly, even that was extraordinarily interesting. Though this is near blasphemy for a student of English literature, I must admit that I usually skim or skip entirely over introductions in novels (not to be confused with prologues which are actually a part of the fictional text). I was prepared to do the same for this latest work, but I found myself captivated as Byatt reflected on her novel (N. B. the introduction was added 20 years after the original publication), drawing parallels between her life and her characters, these characters and figures of her other texts, and how she has come to see her novel in a new way, making fresh connections she was previously unaware of in her own book. Imagine coming back to something you'd finished decades before and feeling as though you were seeing aspects of it for the first time! To me, this certainly counts as a mark of a great author.

I'll be watching the Italian film "Don Giovanni" in a little while, so I should have a post about that up tomorrow or the following day. Also on the blog roster are items from a recent shopping excursion, which will be compiled into a little skincare and fashion haul. I didn't think it would be exceptionally interesting to display these items as a pile of stuff (some of it wrinkled, none of it laundered), so I'll be giving reviews of the cosmetic products alongside pictures of them, but just describing briefly the clothing I bought. Out of personal preference, I'm going to save images of fashion pieces for OOTDs to give you a better idea of the actual size and shape of each article as it exists on an average-heighted/weighted person, outdoors, in natural light.

Have you been enjoying your weekends? As always, feel free to leave a comment to let me know what you've been reading/watching/wearing or any recommendations you might have for me!

-C

The chariot that bears a human soul

Today's quotation is actually part of the Emily Dickinson poem "There is no frigate like a book." I've never used poetry as a title before, so I guess today's a little something new. As you may be aware, I'm a student of English literature, so the times when I am NOT reading something or other are pretty rare. My love for the written word extends back beyond the bounds of my own memory. When I was a little girl, my mom bought me a book of poetry from each of Robert Browning, Edgar Allen Poe, and the aforementioned Emily Dickinson; the poem I've quoted was in fact my favourite of the collection (despite initially have no idea whatsoever what a frigate was).

Given my past and present attachment to literature of all shapes and forms, it won't come as a surprise that today I'm grasping yet another opportunity to talk about some of my favourite printed art. I am an avid follower of the blog Sprinkle of Glitter. I find that Louise's cheerful tone and colourful subject matter always bring a smile to my face. Today, I'm extremely pleased to be able to join her in her Wednesday LOTD: Book.

My favourite novel is Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife, which I finished reading (for the 3rd time) yesterday. To me, this is an absolutely breathtaking novel. There is honestly something in this story for everyone. Niffenegger tackles the subject of time travel in a very approachable way for us readers; she doesn't make light of it as a fantastical ability but instead transfigures it into a tangible (when the character isn't travelling!) genetic disease, the implications of which constantly shape and reshape the lives of Clare Abshire and Henry DeTamble.

The heart of this tale is the unconventional love story of Henry and Clare. We watch them struggle through coping with loss, separation, joy, uncertainty, and a truly incredible amount of devotion. Even if the time travelling aspect doesn't hook you, you MUST READ THIS NOVEL if for the love story alone; it is the most powerful I have ever read, and that is saying something. The Time Traveler's Wife is also appealing on a psychological level as it battles the issue of free will. Henry's voyages back and forth through time may at first seem magical and exciting, but he is also constantly reminded of the fact that outside of his present (when he's not travelling), he has no agency. He frequently meets with events he wants to change, but lacks the ability to do so. Nothing can be altered because in Henry's past (which is where he mainly ends up), everything has already happened. Things will go the way they will go because they have already done so. Confused yet? It's understandable if you are. The novel explains all of this better than I can, plus each section lets you know what the date is and Henry's age (or ages, sometimes he exists twice in the same trip) at the time.

The bottom line is, this is an astoundingly beautiful story of the steadfast constancy of love through both space and time.

-C

Like making a bed

Happy Monday, all. I haven't posted anything for the last few days, and I'm sorry about that. I had some important stuff going on this weekend so blogging had to take the back seat. I know that I probably could have tried to push myself to do it anyways, but if I did I suspected that my writing would turn out subpar, which isn't especially enjoyable for either you or I. Also, I'm very much a perfectionist with my writing. Generally, I can be confidently and correctly categorized as a type-B personality. However, when it comes to any sort of work I have to do, be responsible for, and live with the effects of afterwards, I'm type-A through and through.

Things, to put it mildly, have been pretty super-fantastic with me over the past little while. Lots on my mind, but in a good way rather than a bad. I've had a lot of time for thinking lately and have found myself up late frequently doing just that. That and writing. Not blog writing, unfortunately, just writing writing. I occasionally go through phases where almost every night I have a million little ideas running through my head and I absolutely have to record them. . . or at least attempt to. These things come to me as I'm ready to fall asleep and if I can repeat them to myself often enough, I will attempt to actually roll over, switch on my bedside light, dig out my journal, and write down a close enough approximation to whatever I was thinking/feeling/remembering in a way that I feel is original and pleasing enough satisfy me as to the fact that it was worth jotting down and that I can now go to sleep, unburdened of said phrase my brain has been arranging. It sounds rather horrible, doesn't it? It's a very comfortable feeling though, being able to create something, even a line, that I just love, and then having the will power to refuse to let it slip my mind until I have tucked it away for the night. I put it to bed with black pen. It can rest on my lined paper as though between its own cotton sheets.

Normally I think of the title of each post before I begin to type. That way, I give myself a starting place and allow myself to consider the quotation as I write; expanding and exploring it, probing at it, looping it in and through my ideas until I am satisfied. Today I didn't have anything definite to put up in that little "Post title" rectangle, but now I do. Right now I'm reading Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife for possibly the third or fourth time (I've mentioned more than once that this is my favourite novel). My own description at the end of my last paragraph has reminded me of a line in this novel that I find particularly comforting: "Turning each page is like making a bed, an enormous expanse of paper slowly rises up and over." A good friend of mine has told me more than once that folding one's laundry is cathartic because it mimics putting one's life in order. Writing itself can be like this for me; like making a bed, it is relaxing and orderly.

What are you reading at the moment? I am genuinely interested to know as well how you construct your blog posts. Some of mine involve OOTDs, etc. and so I simply take the pictures and mould the rest around that visual story. For those that don't, as I've mentioned in this post already, I just find a pleasing quotation and then am off and running with it until I reach what feels like the end of my thought or the bottom of this bottomless, virtual typing box.

-C

I'll shout the name back to you

Good evening/morning/afternoon to you all! Today's quotation comes from the film "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," which is really quite a mouthful to say after being used to just calling it "Pirates." I really love the series, and the part I've taken this line from is the argument between Captains Jack and Barbossa in which Jack plans to leave Barbossa stranded on an island in possession of not so much as his own name. Strangely, this bizarre little exchange does hold some relevance for my post. I recently asked you to recommend a few new nail colours for me (preferably for summer, possibly pink). Well, I haven't been out to buy any yet, though I did get a few lovely suggestions, and I decided I'd better just paint my nails something different in the meantime. This came in the form of an absolutely gorgeous red OPI nail polish, which I unfortunately don't know the name of since it's just a mini one my mother gave me a couple of years back. If any of you can recognize it (if you do, you are a nail polish wizard) please feel free to do like Captain Jack and shout the name back to me! Or, you know, leave a comment. Whatever works!

I'm just enamored with this red, which is strange for me because I'm not usually a fan of red. I bought a nice red shirt last month, but other than that, I have no red items in my possession. I'm sure that shirt will turn up in an OOTD eventually, so keep a look out for that! I have quite fair skin (apart from the plethora of freckles) with pink undertones, and I find that a nice warm red works best for me (more yellow-red than blue-red, if you know what I mean?). Anyway, this red has become very near and dear to my heart for actually looking good on me. To make the application of this colour even nicer, I did my nails in between watching the film "Pretty Woman" (I couldn't do it while watching because I hate missing even a little of a movie I love so much). If you want more info as to why this would be such a great experience for me, please check out my last blog post.

A little blurry, but ooooh! Pretty!

A sharper image, but as you can see, not as true to the warmth of the colour.

If you have any more nail colour suggestions, or maybe even a specific colour and movie combo (why shouldn't such a thing exist?!), please leave a comment for me to read!

-C

Be still like vegetables

Today's quotation is from one of my favourite films and also a pretty good representation of what I'll be doing this afternoon: absolutely nothing. This line is spoken by Julia Roberts as Vivian Ward in "Pretty Woman" when she suggests to her host (Richard Gere's Edward Lewis) that he should spend some time relaxing in front of the TV. I didn't just appropriate this quotation to complain about the paralysing heat here (yet again), but to facilitate a post that will hopefully help you learn a little bit more about me. 

In the world of international and timeless style icons, many people select Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, or Sophia Loren as their biggest role models (obviously there are many, many more to chose from, I'm just reaching for the most common). Well, I am not fortunate enough to possess perfectly curled blonde locks, a face for oversized cat eye sunglasses (I have small features, so any large shades absolutely dwarf me), or for exotic cat eye makeup for that matter. The look that I find myself turning to time and time again is instead the aforementioned character of Vivian Ward. Just to be clear, we're talking after the blonde wig and safety-pinned boots. For me, Vivian is just so incredibly classy in a way that very few woman (characters included) have been, and that even fewer women are now. Her style is timeless and simple, and she always, always, always has the right accessories. I realize, of course, how much easier putting together such a wardrobe becomes when you have a wealthy professional on hand to bankroll the entire shopping excursion. Don't you just love it when Mr. Hollister inquires as to the amount Edward will be dropping in his store and he replies "Really offensive"? I would love for someone to spend that specific quality of cash on me!

So many clothes!!

Another big attraction for me about Vivian is actually one about Julia as well: her hair. I've been lucky enough in my life to always feel pretty comfortable with the way I look. The only thing I've ever wished for that I didn't have, in terms of physical attributes, was red hair. I longed for red hair as a child, and when I watch "Pretty Woman" I can't help but be reminded. Even with all that class (what an ironically noneloquent phrasing), Vivian's hair helped her original feisty personality shine through. She may look like a lady, but she's also vivacious and savvy enough to keep looking out for #1; I like to think this is a trait Vivian and I share. My favourite look in terms of her hair in this film was during the bar scene ("You're late" "You're stunning" "You're forgiven". . . you know the one). I remember wanting my hair done just like it for one of my high school semi-formals but didn't end up having this up-do because I couldn't find a good enough picture, or my hair wasn't long enough, or some other triviality.

"You're late."

I can't say I have quite enough style, patience, or money to dress like Vivian Ward every day (sometimes I do end up with similar looks coincidentally though), but if I did, I'm sure I would like it "better than Pirates of Penzance"!

"If they love it, they will always love it."

-C

We band of boaters

My title has been appropriated from one of the most famous speeches penned by William Shakespeare: dear Harry's "band of brothers" oration from Henry V. However, this post is not about royalty, nor war, nor even men. I went to an event today which I never could have predicted myself going to. For several years, I've had a vague idea that my city held dragon boat races every year, but had really no need to think any further about them than that brief recognition of their existence. Well, this year my mother decided to get involved and join a team and so my family experienced our first dragon boat event (my mom was the only one actually racing though). Only one person in my mom's boat had ever done this sort of thing before, apart from the two practice sessions the boat club sets up for each team prior to race day. Even though they weren't the top team in the water, they still managed to beat six other groups, making them champions of their division. This "band of boaters," as I'm calling them, stuck it out in a fantastic display of teamwork and motivation. I'm honestly so proud of my mom for finding something new to try and really giving it her all.

To further adapt the quotation I've chosen, I'd like to back-track further up the line to "We few, we happy few." In terms of today's event, it was something more along the lines of "We many, we sweaty, sunburnt many." I feel like I do perhaps say too much about the heat, but I've already told you in my last post that I managed to acquire a lovely red burn yesterday, so being out by the lake today was not so pleasant on my skin. As for the many, I am so not kidding when I said that. I had no idea how many teams entered into a competition like this, or how many others came to watch it! There were easily a thousand people present. All this means is that, in terms of this blog, I didn't take any pictures of myself there. I'm still new to this being in front of the camera thing and I was sure I'd attract more stares than I'd have been comfortable with if I started snapping pictures of myself at the event, so I took them at home afterwards instead.

I'm completely in love with the shirt I wore (that sounds quite self-indulgent, but if I hadn't loved it, I wouldn't have bought it, right?). This outfit ended up pleasing me so much for looking a sort of mix of retro/classy/comfortable, that by the end of the afternoon I had myself pretty nearly talked into believing I was a modern Vivian Ward, only watching boats race rather than horses. If only I had a sweet little pair of white gloves to go with it. . . those are going straight on the top of my list!


Also, seeing as tomorrow is Father's Day, I likely won't have a post for you. I'll be away at a big family BBQ, but I hope you all enjoy your day!

Hat: Forever 21; Top: Monteau via TJMaxx; Shorts: Jacob; Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren via TJMaxx; Watch&Bag: Fossil; Shoes: Enzo Angiolini also via TJMaxx

Julia Roberts as Vivian Ward in "Pretty Woman"

Maybe a little similarity? I wish I'd realized it before and done a cute hat-holding pose like Julia. Darn!

 -C

Can I make a special request?

If you're any kind of student, university or otherwise, you know that sometimes school can really mess you around. If you've read my little description (right under my wide-eyed self-portrait), you may be able to infer that my own university experience has failed to be something that could be consistently described as "such stuff as dreams are made on." I really thought this would be a post in which I neglected to make a literary reference, but that last quotation, which I'm sure many of you will recognize, comes from Shakespeare's The Tempest. It seems that the part of my brain that feels the need to make constant literary and filmic references simply refuses to be caged; especially when we throw one of my favourite plays into the mix. Well, let's just roll with that and get into the reasons for my title today.

As my previous posts will suggest, I love wordplay. Toss me a metaphor, a parallelism, a synecdoche, etc. etc. and I'm on board! With this in mind, let us reacquaint ourselves with today's title. My desire to make a special request can first be linked back to my occasional university woes, my post-secondary pains, my higher education hindrances; the list could go on. Well, the time has come ("the walrus said, to talk of many things") to start considering which courses I'll be taking in the fall. Let's just leave Lewis Carroll here and mutually acknowledge the unlikelihood of me studying anything to do with shoes, ships, or sealing wax. To be perfectly honest though, these things may not be as far off the mark as you might think. I've nearly completed my degree and only have a few more mandatory classes to take. What this means in practical terms is that my remaining time at university will be largely occupied with the taking of electives. 

Don't get me wrong, I do love a good elective. They make first years so giddy they nearly wet themselves and have yet to fail at putting a spring in the step of upper years (such as myself) who can practically taste the sunshine-y goodness of the light at the end of the tunnel that is graduation and the wonders of the wider world. Phew, that was a lengthy line! The point is, I'm going to be taking more courses from other faculties than from my own (Arts & Humanities) and it's seeming a little ridiculous. Sure, it might be fun to have a schedule with space exploration, major anthropological finds, accounting, women's experience in the workforce from 1700-1900, and art history of the Baroque era (as my public school music teacher always said, "If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it!"). Actually, that's a lie. I cannot imagine a world in which I would derive any sort of pleasure from taking accounting.

Joking aside though, I'm sure you can see how completely irrelevant it will be for an English and Italian major to pack her final time at uni with things that have no practical use in the real world. I thought that's what high school was for?! Just kidding. Stay in school kids. I would like to please make a special request to my university that they assist me in making the end of my time here both fun and functional, nifty and necessary, enjoyable and educational. I promise that's the last sentence like that for this post! In case they don't pull through though, I've turned back to the cotton candy world of beauty and pulled out my own little "Special Request."

Sephora by OPI's "Special Request"

A bit too much flash, but look how shiny!

This one's blurry, but it shows the colour the truest. It's a really lovely coral-y orange! My favourite!

 -C

Lying on the shore where Fortune has stranded me

The title of this first and most daunting post is one I have paraphrased from the novel I'm currently reading: Vanity Fair. Blogging is something I have never before attempted, much like the reading of said novel. Let us hope that soon, both my flow of thoughts and reading experience will be going along smoothly. I'm a person who writes down the things she likes, particularly when it comes to literature. Right now (well, not RIGHT right now, it is summer holidays after all) I'm studying English lit in university, so basically every single day of the school year I find myself confronted with mountains of words and heaps of sentences through which I must sift and try my darnedest to emerge victorious with some kind of point. Fortunately for me, the discipline I've chosen and the professors I've had are both open to multiple, if not infinite, interpretations. Even so, every once in a while, it's extremely comforting to grab onto a particular sentence or even a short phrase that really makes sense/hits home/floats my boat, etc. etc. This brings me back to the title of this post.

You may have already decided to pack it in at this point, seeing as my capacity for written rambling is nearly boundless. However, if you're still hanging in there, waiting for me to turn this thing into something spectacular, then I think we're off to a good start together. In the aforementioned literary masterpiece that is Vanity Fair, the quotation I have selected is used to describe the state of a woman whose family has fallen on the hardest of hard times. In her shoes, others may have thrived, but this particular female absolutely gives herself up to the universe and struggles no further (or maybe she will, I've already said I haven't finish the book yet). This seaside prostration is a position I have come upon myself in, but I'd rather not leave things up to Fortune, or at least not just yet.

Above all things, I value honesty. I am going to be honest with you right now and tell you that I'm really not 100% certain where this blog is going. Gosh, I'm not even 100% certain where this post is going. I did write out what I thought I wanted to say in my premiere publication, but somehow none of that information has made the cut. So far, I find it's more fun this way. I can tell you a few things about myself though, which will hopefully hook you in and win you over so that you might feel motivated to check out my blog again. I'll keep it simple for now, in case one of your suggestions is that I keep these posts shorter! I've already told you that I'm in university and that I study English lit. I'm also trying to get through with at least a minor in Italian, despite the fact that I come from a family of purely Scottish descendants, making it rather difficult to actually practice the language at home. I have a real, honest-to-goodness love of literature, so I try to read as much as I can. This is considerably easier during the summer when I have the leisure to read for pleasure. The list of my favourite novels grows all the time, but my so far irreplaceable favourite is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

Outside of the literary realm, I watch a fair number of movies; a habit helped along by a good friend of mine who did a double major in English and Film. I haven't watched an inordinate number of films, but I am willing to branch out. If you have any marvellous suggestions for me, please leave a comment and I'll let you know whether I've seen it, or, if I watch it, what I think. Also, related to both novels and films, I'm willing to write reviews on here, so if there's something you really want to find out about, I can promise you a thorough look at it through an honest perspective.

One final interest I'll leave you with is for fashion and beauty. I'm a member of a small, middle class family, so I don't buy loads of things constantly, but I do appreciate them! I can honestly spend hours watching my favourite vloggers on YouTube tell me what they've bought in a recent haul or how they've been finding such and such an eyeshadow. The name of my blog, "C of Corals," is inspired by this love of all things pretty as well as the literary nerd in me that relishes a good double meaning (C of Corals. . . "C" like "sea" and "Corals" as either the colour family or the aquatic plant). Also, my first name begins with C, so there is a more practical meaning in there along with my strange attempt at creativity.

Anyway, please let me know how I'm doing. Don't be too hard on me (it is my first try!), but feel free to make suggestions and ask questions.

-C