Friday & Feeling Free

Photo by: Rory M.

Happy Happy

Photo by: Sam D.

Today, I want to give a special shout-out to my friend, Sam. It's her birthday, and I want to take some time to educate the masses as to why she is so darn cool. 

The first week of my freshman year in college, I heard a knock at the door, and found a crowd of overly-excited freshmen. (I was the type that preferred to sit in the corner of my bed and count ceiling tiles over talking to new people.) The scary, happy crowd was led by a tiny, freckle-faced girl who wore a very large grin.

"Hi! I'm Sam! We're going to every floor and meeting people! Want to join?"

Nononononoooo..."Sure!" Crap. 

Somehow, I ended up in the back of the crowd, and by the end of the night I had met some of my favorite people in college.

This year, when Sam would invite me over for after-dinner tea (Yes, we do that.), I had to ask myself, "What time do you want to be in bed? 12am or 4am?" Sam and I could sit and talk for, literally, hours. As long as the tea kept coming, we would go over food, fashion, family, makeup, boys, music, theater, films, books, hair, crafts, more boys, nails, and we might have touched on Boston weather. 

I admire Sam for her inviting persona, both in real life and in her writing. You can't help but be excited about what she's excited about, and I think the world needs more passionate people like her. 

Happy Birthday Sam!!

Rory

Bangspiration

Photo by: Rory M.

Recently, I made the decision to get my bangs cut.  Alert the media. Big deal, right? A friend of mine just cut her own hair in a bob. The point of this isn't to share a sensationalistic tale, because, apparently, stranger things have happened (No offense, Sam.). However, at the time, it felt like a much bigger deal than it really was. 

Like most people who are considering a change to their style, I asked the opinions of others. A lot. I had been asking and getting people's opinions on the matter since last semester. Even when I decided that I wanted bangs (and I wanted them now!), I still continued asking. I even considered posting a poll to see how the blogosphere felt about this, when I came to this realization: I want bangs, so who cares if anyone else likes it? 

Forget the fact that most people can't and will not be bothered by the subtle changes in my appearance, I was so focused on the opinions of others that I became disillusioned, and ignored these two facts:

1. No one is nearly as invested in my hair as I am.

2. I want bangs. 

Although it's beneficial to heed the advice of others, you can never please everyone. When it comes to personal beauty, it's in the eye of the beholder, and you're the beholder that counts. 

Rory

PS: I love my bangs! 

Summer Nights

I am a summer beauty nerd. It's the only time of the year where fearlessness is truly embraced. Case in point, summer cliff diving=crazy, but is socially acceptable, winter cliff diving=you have a death wish.

Now is the time to test out new looks! We've got cook outs, drive-ins, family reunions, road trips, romantic beach dates, summer flings, (insert the favorite summer activity of your choice), let's get fearless!

Turns out for gingers (or at least the only ginger in my life, Tay) summer beauty is daunting. Golden bronze glows are really seas of freckles, porcelain skin turns the color of lobsters and ginger hair turns carrot top orange. So, she really didn't share my summer-time beauty excitement but after some coercing, I convinced her to let me handle her make-up for her aunt's evening baby shower on Cape Cod.

Photo by: Alysha Marie

 TA-DA! Summer Nights was born! Inspired by summer nights on the beach, we focused on a bronze eye with glowing skin and rosy lips. Subtle enough to wear near your grandma but  interesting enough to attract the interest of your fashionable cousins. Did I mention that it's SUPER easy.......

Ingredients:

1. Flirt! Eyeshadow in Peach Champagne and Bronze Splash-Khols

2. Almay Ideal Lip Gloss in Berry Shimmer- CVS

3. E.L.F. Golden Bronzer-Target

4. Angled Eye Shadow Brush- Amazon.com

5. Small Round Eye Shadow Brush-Amazon.com

6. Big Round Blush Brush- Amazon.com

7. (not pictured) bowl of luke-warm water

8. (not pictures) Q-tips

Photo by: Alysha Marie

How To:
1. Dip Angled Eye Shadow Brush into cup of water; Get damp but not dripping water. Dip brush into Bronze Splash (the third color in from your left) and then draw a line from the inner corner of your eye to the end of your lash line. Now, thinly line the bottom of your lashes using the same method with the shadow and water. Repeat for your other eye.
2. Take a Q-tip and smug the bronze line you just created on your lid. I found rubbing it in a small circle motion upwards (about 1/8 of an inch), gives you the perfect smokey eye.
3. Using your Small Round Eye-Shadow Brush apply Peach Champagne (1st shadow on your left) to your  brow bone and extend up towards the arch of your eyebrow.
4. Take your Big Round Blush Brush and apply Golden Bronzer to the apples of your checks, along your hairline and along your jaw bone. This is an awesome highlighter that works for all skin types and didn't hide her freckles but gave her a nice glow.
5. Apply lip gloss and your ready to go!

Test it out and be fearless.
In fearlessness, we might find unexposed beauty within us.
OX Alysha Marie

Saving Face

Photo by: Rory M.

When I was a junior in high school, I participated in my school's production of the 50s-era musical, "Bye-Bye Birdie". I was discussing hair and makeup tips backstage when one of the cast members interjected, "I don't wear makeup. If you're not comfortable in the skin you're in, whose skin will you be comfortable in?" 

I respected her opinion, but the comment seemed judgmental. Apart from sounding like a Seussical catch-phrase, it also made no sense to me. It seemed far-fetched that applying stage makeup labeled me as insecure in my appearance. 


Although I disagree, I understand where this girl (and people I've encountered who feel similarly) are coming from. This is the reason that I've come up with:
A. People have faces. 
B. Makeup covers people's faces and can change their appearance. 
C. People who use makeup do not like their face, and want to change their appearance. 

I'm sure this reason applies to some people. In fact, I believe I've met some of these people. But I've also met people who do like their face, and choose to wear makeup. I also know people who don't like their face, and choose to not wear makeup. Therefore, this reasoning is not universal, and may only apply to a certain percentage. 

In fact, there are many reasons an individual may choose to paint their face. I once had a roommate who thought the amount of makeup I wore was morally wrong. To her, I was hiding my true appearance from the world, and lying about what I looked like. Months later, we met up and I complimented her on her well-applied red lip and eye liner. As it turns out, she was not hiding her face and lying about it, she just thought it was fun to experiment in a wearable art form. 

My sister describes it like this: Makeup is the paint. My face is the canvas. 

The truth is that a negative self-image is not fixed with the right tip, trick, or makeover. Also, telling someone that their beauty routine reveals their insecurity won't make them any more secure. If you truly want to help someone feel better about themselves, get to know the person behind the cosmetics. Meet the artist within. 


Rory 


"The makeup is simply an extension of the personality and colors, clothing, makeup all express something."(Gene Simmons)

Granny

Photo by: Rory M. 

Meet Granny. I did, last April, because my friend, Katie invited some friends and I to visit her grandmother for the weekend. To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to spending time with anyone's grandmother. Katie insisted that I would love her Granny and promised that the weekend would be weirdness-free. So I conceded, and boy am I glad I did. 

I could write on and on to describe what kind of amazing person Granny is and the awesome life stories she has, but I'd like to focus on one element of our trip, an element that is underrated today: Hospitality. 


It became clear, upon walking into Granny's house, that an old lady lived there. Accents from the last seven decades sat on the mantle, while old photos of friends and family stared from the coffee table across the room. The carpet was so high and fluffy, you could fall asleep on it (and we did). What made visiting Granny different from visiting other strangers was her gift (yes, it's a gift) of hospitality. 

She knew how to make a house a home for the weekend, from the individually wrapped cookies on the pillows in the guest bedroom, to the mylar balloon that read "Welcome!" with L-A-D-I-E-S letter-stickers underneath. 

My favorite parts of the weekend were those moments just sitting with Granny, sipping tea or diner-style milkshakes. She seemed just as relaxed with us as we did with her, answering all of our questions about her favorite movies, and dating in the 1950s. It was peace. There was no pressure or expectations on Granny or her guests. 


The day we left was a sad one. She asked (That's a lie. She coaxed.) us to stay for another day, and when we reminded her about finals, she gave a childish sigh and reminded us that her home is ours, as her honorary granddaughters. We began planning our next trip on the way home. 


She created the perfect atmosphere for a weekend away: She was the hostess to give Martha Stewart a run for her money because she understood that it isn't the quality of the food or the comfort of the ambiance that truly makes the experience, it's the people you share it with.


Flash forward.


Last weekend, I hosted a brunch for Alysha and some of our friends. I was so excited to host. Over this past year, I've developed a love of cooking and have learned a lot about preparing a meal. I'd looked forward to hosting a gathering to show off my skills all last semester, and this was the perfect opportunity. However, as I prepared my recipe list, something changed. It slowly became less about the girls I hadn't seen in months and hearing about their spring semesters, and more about how I would impress them with my Martha skills. 


Saturday morning, my sister and I had a great time prepping for the girls, and breakfast was a hit. But I can't help but think that if my attitude was more Granny-like and focused more on the women at my table, rather than the food on top of it, our time might have been more meaningful. 


Don't get me wrong- there's nothing wrong with a great meal, and it's always nice to go the extra mile when people come over, but my heart was in it for the praise of my friends. I will continue to cook when people come over, but I'm going to do it Granny's way- for the love of friends. And that's something that will keep 'em coming back for more! 


Cheers,
Rory 

Peachy Keen

Photo by: Rory M.

"It was in Love class one night when a girl said, ‘I know why I’m so despairing all the time. It’s because I want to be loved by everybody, and that’s a human impossibility. I could be the most delectable, the most delicious, the most wondrous peach in the world, and I could offer it to everybody. But there are people who are allergic to peaches. Then they may want me to be a banana.’ And so often we become a banana for other people who want peaches. What a messy fruit salad. Isn’t it all right to say to them, ‘I am sorry I cannot be a banana. I would love to be a banana if I could for you, but I am a peach.’ And you know what? If you wait long enough, you’ll find a peach lover. And then you can live your life as a peach, and you don’t have to live your life as a banana. All the lost energy it takes to be a banana, when you’re a peach!"(Leo Buscaglia)


Happy Monday, and enjoy every moment being the peach you are! 

We're Still Alive!

Photo by: Roark T. 

Stop putting up missing person flyers and sticking our picture on the back of milk cartons: Rory and I are still alive......but busy. To demonstrate how busy we've been here's a short list of what's been going on:


#1. Graduated high school! 
#2. Turned 18.
#3. Did all those silly senior events that I will remember in nostalgia for years to come.
#4. Got my passport and have 5 weeks till I leave for Africa. (Did I mention that I still can't speak the language?)
#5. Started a new job (yup, two jobs in the summer...I'm just an over-achiever.)
#6. Started planning my big move out to Arizona in the fall.
#7. Wiped out nearly half of my bank account.


Now out of all the life changing events that have been going on, you would think that a.) going to a foreign country or b.) moving halfway across the country would be the most terrifying but it turns out #7. was enough to give me a panic attack.


Why did I wipe out nearly half of my bank account? Because that's how much is costs to go to Africa (and a pit-stop in Madrid on the way home). Last week, the money was due. I'm standing in line at the bank, shell shocked. I couldn't get over the number of zeros and comas that were on the withdrawal slip and as hysteria started to rise, I was struck by this thought: I can't take it with me.


I know very Buddha of me, but honestly, in 20 years, what will I remember: the fact that in 2012 I had X-amount of money, or I went to Africa and Spain?So I walked up to the counter and withdrew a lot of money and haven't regretted it a day since.


No, I'm not saying withdraw all your money and go hog wild, but life is short. There are never any guarantees that a door might open again, so don't be afraid to jump. I don't know what that door might be or what the sacrifice might be to get there but don't let money, something that you can earn and can be easily taken away, stop you from taking a leap of faith.


Leaps of faith lead to adventure, and adventure to exquisite beauty.

You can't take it with you.

Don't miss the beauty waiting around the corner.

Don't be afraid to leap.
OX Alysha Marie

P.S. I'll let you know how it goes.