{ a w a k e n , }

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“you can live a whole life time never being awake.”

 - The Peaceful Warrior, 2006

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“one who awakens gradually out of a dream, a delicious, grotesque, impossible dream, to feel again the realities pressing into her soul” 

 - Kate Chopin, The Awakening, 1899

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“Perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one's life.”

- Kate Chopin, The Awakening, 1899

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Newest tattoo from two weeks ago-- inspired by a varied collection of literature, film, thought & words.

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{ a w a k e n ,} -- dont let yourself become numb to the world

- xxS

mini weekend getaway

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This past weekend a bunch of friends and I met up at our friend Dom's house in Ellicottville, NY. Whenever Dom had parties here before i was never able to go due to work {or not being in the country} - this time i was able to go friday afternoon to saturday afternoon. I was bummed i couldnt stay the second night but it was still such a nice time. Ellicottville is perfect & lovely at any time of the year. Being a ski town it is in its prime in winter but I've gone down there with my family during autumn and its just breathtaking with all of the variant coloured leaves. This time around it was nice to see green on green on green. The house was beautiful up on a hill with this gorgeous wall covered with windows. It was so lovely to be able to get away and see a different place if only for one night.

- xx S

weekly style capture 18.0

 // Sunday -- >>
// maxi: forever21, 20$ // scarf: h&m, 14$

 // Monday -->>
// skirt: anthropologie, 40$ // shirt: fossil, 20$ // necklace: {stolen from my mum}

 // Tuesday -- >>
// crop bra: free people, 14$ // shorts: thrifted & diy, 6$ // headwrap: brick lane market, 8£ //

 // Wednesday -- >>
// lace shirt: fossil, 15$ // jeans: fossil, 25$ // striped tank: old navy, 12$ / scarf: charlotte russe {stolen from my sister}

 //Thursday -- >>
// crop bra: uo, 10$ // skirt: charlotte russe, 15$ {stolen from my sister, ha}

 // Friday -->>
// shirt: fossil, 25$ // jeans: fossil, 20$ //

 // Saturday -- >>
// maxi: forever21, 15$ // tank: fossil, 20$ // hair pin: icing, 7$ //

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eeek, im way too excited about this beautiful new Memoir Satchel from Fossil. It came in the other day for the Fall 2013 floorset & i bought it on the immediate -- {no but really, i left the mall, drove to the bank, withdrew money from my savings & drove back to get it, sooooo, oops} I had been wanting something fresh for awhile and kept trying to like some of the older summer sale bags, but never pulled the trigger. This bag came in and i fell in love with the colour and simplicity of the hardware. Needless to say, im obsessed.


- xxS

nos·tal·gi·a

I've written and spoke over and over again about my discontent with being home and my yearn to be back abroad. I've bored all of my friends and even annoyed myself with my endless drone. However, I cannot shake it--the nostalgia. Every single day i am reminded of how very far i am from where i felt most alive. It sounds so incredibly dramatic but today marks seven months since ive been home, which makes it ten months since i first left. Over and over again I surprise myself with how quickly time passes. Not a day goes by that I dont miss the beautiful places, people, and moments--or ache for the person I was in those months.
A lot of this hits home more so now because it is summer, and i can no longer distract myself with coursework of my last semester, and now I've graduated. So now what? Too much time in my own head has never served me well, and with no set path or plan for future months, i end up back in those wonderful three months where my only worry was not having wifi once i left my flat. Its also scary because although these moments of life seem engraved in my very skull, they also seem to be fading with time.
I try to be positive and assert the fact that i will be able to go back abroad one day, but since that day is undetermined it is much easier to attempt to reverse time and to re-live those three months. It doesnt help that I get a sharp pang of jealousy whenever I see other people, either that i know or through the internet, being able to explore all these beautiful places--especially when I know ive been in that exact spot in their photos.
So for now I will continue to be homesick for the places I only knew for a few months, or a few days, or a few hours and pray and dream that i will be back someday soon. xx

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{ all photos taken by: me // mostly with 35mm film (7/18 with iphone) // London, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris  }

- xxS

weekly style capture 17.0

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 // Wednesday -- >>
// dress: fossil, 128$ // chambray shirt: fossil, 15$ // boots: fossil, 30$ // earrings: icing, 2$ //

 // Friday -- >>
// maxi dress: h&m, 15$ // sweater: uo, 15$ // flats: aldo, 40$ // necklace: anthropologie, 40$ // earrings: icing, 4$ //

// Saturday -- >>
// top: fossil, 8$ // jeans: fossil, 69$ // belt: thrifted, 1$ // necklace: diy


- xxS

Date Night!

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 Tom & I planned a date night for yesterday! He had kept mentioning how he wanted to check out Parkside Candy down on Main St for awhile. From the outside I could tell it was a treasure & the inside had such a cute vintage vibe to it. I fell completely in love with all the great wall and ceiling detail and dark wood trimming. I bought dark chocolate & sprinkles covered pretzel rods while Tom bought salt water taffy & caramel popcorn, yumm

    

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Next we headed down to Hertel ave, and walked around outside in the sun for awhile before stopping at Gramma Moras for dinner! I had been itching to try this authentic Mexican place for awhile, & it was so delicious! My mom told me that her and my dad used to come here on dates back in the day (aweuh) I indulged in the seafood enchiladas and a pomegranate margarita (and still have some leftover) We finished off the night by renting Silver Linings playbook & eating salt water taffy. Such a lovely Thursday

- xxS

DiY -->> statement necklace

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This project was inspired by a certain necklace i had my eye on at Anthropologie a few months ago. It went on sale and i still didnt buy it & now its out of stock (sadness.) So i decided to try and make something in a similar colour palette & i found this string of beautiful gemstones at the craft store (ac moore) --whipped out my coupon and decided to experiment. Heres what i came up with & how:

 // Supplies: 
+ gem stones - 2.50$ with coupon {5$ originally}
+ copper wire - 3$
+ antique gold chain - 4.50$
+ lobster clasps - 1$ -->> {did not end up using these for this project however}
++> not pictured-->> jewelery pliers from home!
// total cost: 10$ 

// What to do:
I. the copper wire I bought was 26 gauge (pretty thin) so i first cut a long piece and strung each stone onto the wire
II. Next, i knotted the ends of the wire towards the stone, leaving a bit of excess wire on each end
III. Using pliers, I disconnected the part of the antique gold chain that i wanted around my neck
IV. I began to wrap the excess wire through the ends of the antique gold chain
V. I cut a bunch of small pieces of the copper wire to wrap around where the two chains met to strengthen the connection as well as give the chain a more layered look

 

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// The finished product:

+ I really like the two varied metal tones mixed with the rust colour of the gemstones

+ The copper wire on the one side of the necklace did break (i was pressing too hard with the pliers,) so i just kept adding more reinforcement with wrapping more wire

+ The gemstones are heavy so this is a super fragile necklace but i am really happy with the result!

It's mending my breaking heart over the loss of the Anthro necklace...kindof

- xx S