Sexy Baby the Documentary

While bored, freezing cold and embracing my recent snow day, I was scrolling through my Netflix account and ran across the documentary "Sexy Baby" by Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus. Described as a documentary in which explores the lives of three very different girls living in todays society and media overload, and how they've individually been affected by it. Right away I was intrigued. I've taken a women studies class in college and have deeply explored our cultures sexual phenomenon. I so badly wish to enhance people's insight on this topic, especially mens, who on many occasions have thrown comments in my face about the topic, like "you're all just looking for attention," "if you want respect then stop being sluts," and so much more. Ugh the ignorance blows my mind.

I've seen many documentaries on society and the way woman are represented and treated because of the way they are projected in the media, but this one was different. This documentary didn't try to push the point on how wrong it is, it doesn't blame the media, and how men and woman should change. It's not example after example of the exploitation of women's bodies in magazines and the way men control them. This simply catches the reality of three women's lives in today's society and lets you reflect on your own the way they are affected and are rounded by social media, sex, and exploitation. It leaves you to judge what's wrong and right, and to realize how deeply the lives of not only these girls have been shaped, but even yours and the people around you. There's no explanation necessary. So please, spare the 82 minutes of your life and watch this documentary. It's truly eye-opening.

Oh, and if you haven't already, check out Lilly Allen's song, "Fear".

Yours truly, A. xo

The Deal With Fatty Hair: Malibu Shampoo

Hey everyone!

I've had some issues with having really fatty hair. What I mean by fatty hair is that it gets greasy after one day of being washed due to excessive sebum. Excessive sebum is the opposite of having a dry scalp (here's more info on excessive sebum --> LoveToKnow). Over the past few years I have noticed my hair thinning, and struggled to follow the 'wash 2-3 times a week' routine without covering my head with a hat because of the grease. Also, rather than having flakes, like dandruff, tiny balls of oily skin gather. I know, sounds kind of gross, right? Well it isn't. This is something that is completely normal that a lot of people deal with! I haven't had the issue of this being visible, but I have felt it, and know that many people do have problems with is being some what visible. Like I said, this is normal and nothing to be embarrassed about. Having oily hair has also caused minor acne around my hair line, just as an oily face can cause acne. For a long while, I never knew the cause of my hair loss, the small clogs of oily sebum were.

After some long research, I have found out that the best thing for my hair was an all natural organic shampoo that contained no chemicals, sulfates, parabens, etc. I took a trip to the grocery store (the one near me is Wegmans), and took a look around for the best, cleanest, clear shampoo I could find and felt like I could trust. Malibu Scalp Wellness Shampoo is the one I started using and even after one wash I could feel the difference.

Here's what it looks like:

 ($16.00 on Malibu website)

It's a 100% vegan shampoo, is clear in color, is free of sulfates, parabens, & more, and works to normalize the state of your scalp.

I've been using it for 3 weeks now and the difference in my hair is astonishing. I have volume and a lightness to my hair after every wash, and a feeling of coolness to my scalp. I can practice an every-other-day shampooing routine and not have unbearable greasy hair on the second day. I even have gone as far as to rub the shampoo on my hair line and mid-forehead area where the spots were arising, and it worked! The shampoo dries the area up and keeps my hair line from getting oily.

I started my first week with washing my hair with the shampoo daily. I personally feel that this routine worked best for my oily hair, especially since skipping a day leaves me with oily hair and sebum build up on my scalp when the third day rolls around, and I know that that's washing day, but it leaves me feeling that I am allowing the excessive sebum to come back rather than eliminate it and have normal hair, with no ball-like build up. So if anyone else has any experience or info on this matter and has some great advice, I would love to hear it :)

I hope this can help! I know how embarrassing it can be and uncomfortable, but don't be shy to ask any questions.

-A xo

Totally Clueless

(MY FEET ARE SO PALE)

 

White Blouse - Michael Kors, Grey Sweater - Forever 21, Shoes - Big Buddah, Coat -Dana Buchman

 

Clueless is one of my favorite movies, and when I put these two pieces together this morning all I could think of was Cher from clueless (yet still not nearly as cute... She's hard competition (; ) I haven't worn either of these tops in forever, and went into my closet looking to wear something older for a change. The white blouse is still available from Michael Kors (I saw it on sale in Macy's the other day!!).

 

I hope you like it!

XO, A

Lovely Words: Slaves of the Ordinary

Today's quote hits all the right spots in all the right places for how I've been feeling lately... I'll be carrying this one around with me for awhile. I hope you will too...

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary."

-Cecil Beaton, Photographer

(Image: Marilyn Monroe photographed by Cecil Beaton)

XO Enjoy,

-A

State & Occupation

I've had a struggle for inspiration and creativity lately. I've always been and strived to be unique, but lately I feel the flows of society reeling me in. It used to come easy for me, to like weird things and always wear strange pieces of clothes. The best compliment I ever received was, "You always wear the uglies clothes, but you make them look so good. I don't know how you do it." Yup, and I remember it like it was yesterday, because it pretty much satisfied my innermost feelings of creativity and individualism for the rest of my life (I really mean that... because it still does). Ahhhh the relief I felt. I was different. But I'm panicking at the loss of feeling lately. After scrolling through some category posts, I came across the blog, State & Occupation written by the smart, beautiful Dakota Barber. I couldn't believe what a unique, quirky page she had. I've never seen something so different and inspiring! So I write this post, not only to express my emotions of desire to expand my individual creativity by asking you to share some with me, but by giving you some by showing you her page. You truly will be in awe. Keep on creating and embrace the beauty of others.

Enjoy xo

A

Lovely Words #1: The Future is the Past

I have always been incredibly inspired by writing, and have kept a 'quote' journal for many years. So I've decided to start posting some daily inspiration from my journals; some beautifully written phrases, and pieces of sweet love I've found along the way.

So here it goes....

"Why didn't I learn to treat everything like it was the last time? My greatest regret was how much I believed in the future."

-Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

(Image: antonmuller.de)

_A

An Open Letter to All Models 'Bullying' Kendall Jenner

Hey everyone!

I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and saw a sponsored-type post about a struggling models letter to Kendall Jenner, and after reading it, I was left simply frustrated. (Here's the full letter --> An Open Letter To Kendall Jenner About Her Model 'Bullying') Overall, the letter wrote to express to Kendall the daily and total life struggle of an every day model working for a spot on the big runway, and how hard life can be for them. She points out how frustrating it can be to other models who have done so much to get a call and then get pushed aside for someone like Kendall, who (presumably) just walks in to whatever she wants and simply gets it because of her families fame and fortunes.

Here's my outlook on it all:

In many, many, many interviews Kendall has pointed out that modeling is her passion and her dream and something completely separate and singular from her sisters and the show, and that she wants her own light aside in the fashion industry. Not only did she say that, but she mentioned her struggle to be as successful has she has lately and how hard she has had to work for her spot on the runway.

Here are just a couple of interviews where Kendall expresses her journey to catwalk fame: ABC - Kendall Jenner Opens Up About Modeling, teenVogue - KJ in All of Her Up-and-Coming Mega Model Glory

This rant can be understandable, especially from my point of view because on a, most likely weekly basis, I get a bit annoyed with the 17-year-olds driving around in brand new Audi's and Mercedes' with no work to be done, while I'm working twelve hours a day to pay for my 2000 Lexus and a community college degree. Yeah, it sucks having to make your way to the top with no support and seeing other people walk into amazing opportunities with no understanding of appreciation and hard work because of their lucky birth rights, but that's life and life isn't fair. There's nothing you or anyone can do to change the individual life that each of us lead and no way to change our born fortunes. And neither I, nor any other opinionated less fortunate individual have the right to comment on the fortunate lives and presume that they don't understand the worth and don't apprecaite the things they are handed. We don't know them personally, do we?

But lets ask one thing - If writer Arisce Wanzer, wants Kendall to be so understanding of a per-say 'regular' models trek to success, and wants Kendall to see from their point of view, then maybe she should take a look from Kendall's, and try to be understanding of her life.

It isn't her fault she was born into fame and money and if she wasn't she is still beautiful and fit to be a model and would be a successful one, regardless of her fortunes. So I don't agree with this at all and I think it's completely ignorant.

What do you think?

-A

 

(Picture Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/kendall-jenner-poses-topless-new-photo-shoot-article-1.1816607 )

 

Headspace: Get Some

I've had a troublesome few days, to say the least. I've been half a week back into reality. No more family, presents, late nights watching movies, and all the warm fuzzy moments of the holidays (dreary, right!?). Just as my week started, so did a snow storm, which, automatically means no work! Now this can sound like a good thing, but not for someone who gets paid on an hourly basis. My gym-freak obsessed boyfriend just had to go to the gym in the slowly, but surely piling snow and of all things, in my car (my SUV was the better option over his small Audi TT). On his way home from his travels, he slid off the road into a mound of snow and mud and was stuck in this awful ditch. Can you imagine my stress?? Luckily there was no damage to the car, or him, but it only took a few hours for another unfortunate event. He left the car battery on over night, and the cable wires aren't working. What are the chances, right? Could my week get any worse? Well, it did. In the short distance from the kitchen, straight out the door and to the car, I lost my phone. In a snow pile, or somewhere along the way to it, it's just oh-so-casually floating about, nowhere to be found.

After these stressful, frustrating few days, I've been able to find a little relief in meditation. I read about the benefits online a few times, but never knew exactly how to do it. After seeing a small description about an App called Headspace in InStyle, I downloaded it and gave it a try. Of course, this was all before I lost my phone. But because I did the few sessions that I did before losing my phone, I was able to learn some things and give it a shot on my own these past few days.

And, NO. You don't have to be in some beautiful serene place and be sitting criss-cross apple sauce to meditate like in the picture. That's the great thing about Headspace! It teaches you all the things that meditation is, and isn't.

It gives you a 10 minute session per day that vocally guides you to a perfect balance of calm relaxing 'headspace' and teaches you all the right, wrong, and normal feelings and ways of meditation. It's free to download, and the first amount of 10 minutes sessions are basically like a tree trial, and if you like the app you can pay to get the full benefits of its art in meditation (which I strongly recommend!) I finally knew what I was doing (and only two sessions later still feel a bit confused) but the app is just so comforting, and answers every question you could imagine.

Here's some more information and even some short videos that you can check out to find out some more info on Headspace!

I hope maybe this can help improve your days a little more, cause it definitely did for me :)

XO - A