A Little Inspiration

I Love the Internet

Here are some pictures I found online in the past two weeks. I don't own the rights to any of them of course, but I like putting together these collage type posts. Pictures can really spark the imagination.

This is Eva Mendes in a gorgeous Dior dress and Cascada sunglasses. I think of her as sort of a Latina Marilyn Monroe for our generation. Stunning face, amazing body, and she really knows how to dress. She looks like a classic movie star. Imagine this picture in black and white, wouldn't you think it was from the '50s?

This is one of the most famous drag queens in the world, Lady Bunny. Pardon my french, but what a fierce bitch! Now, I don't recommend wearing as much makeup as a drag queen, but being a little more dramatic and out there is really fun.

Zooey Deschanel and M.Ward together are the band She & Him. Their albums, Volume 1 and Volume 2, are fantastic and put me in a great mood. Zooey is obviously a well known fashion icon but she is a talented actress and, surprisingly, a great musician. She actually wrote all of the songs on both albums which is very impressive. Beautiful girls who can back it up with talent are always OK with me.

This is possibly the photo I'm most excited to post. This is Debbie Harry of Blondie and Joan Jett of the Runaways backstage at a show in the '70s. Both are fashion icons in their own right, but their styles could not be more different. Debbie Harry is a flat-out gorgeous woman (she still looks great) and had a very vampy, feminine style in the '70s. Joan Jett, meanwhile, is also a gorgeous woman but is known for her offbeat, tomboy style. She took on the role of a male rockstar while still maintaining her femininity. This rare moment that captured the two powerhouses together is exciting to see.

I did a post a while ago about shopping ideas and stated that I want a striped shirt like this one. Rachel Bilson looks cute, casual and chic. It's really an effortless look. I'm still searching!

I just like this picture. A young Marlon Brando hamming it up for the camera. What a gorgeous man.

This is an actress named Tuesday Weld. She's famous for being a very beautiful teenage girl in the '60s and not much else. I like doing my eye makeup like this and her hair is so classic '60s. Adorable.

This is Madonna in the '80s. Yes, she looks completely different than her present face but I put this up to say: could Lady Gaga look more like Madonna's first face? I mean COME ON.

Okay, a little explanation here. Some unknown designer sent the models at his latest runway show down the catwalk with bald heads and wispy beards. I have something to say about this. There is such a thing as being quirky in a creative way that comes naturally, and there's such a thing as making your models look insane so that an unknown designer can get in the press. Which do you think this is? Mhmm.

And finally, who wants to buy me these shoes? I NEED them. They are things of beauty.

Thus concludes my internet pic roundup. Hope I gave you some inspiration! Au revoir!

Outfit of the Day 7/18/10

Please Don't Look At My Face

Okay I decided, in a moment of stupidity, to take these pictures before I put my makeup on. I think I'm pretty but everybody needs mascara. Anyhoo. I really like this outfit. I'm wearing a brown dress that my Mom bought me...at some point in the past. Don't remember. I decided to pair it with a denim shirt I bought at my place of employment, PacSun.

The reason I think this looks kind of fresh is because we're very used to seeing denim worn on the bottom of an outfit, not the top. Wearing the denim shirt over a nicely draped dress is a cool counterpoint. I feel confident in this outfit, especially with my new tan. Thank you, Karabel family pool.

I'll wear my white Chuck Taylor low tops with this and probably a silver necklace. And, obviously, some makeup. Remember, you can mix your wardrobe up. Wear two unexpected pieces together. Also, please never wear denim shirts with jeans. It's not a cute look.

Hope I gave you some inspiration, au revoir!

My Type

Matthew Gray Gubler

So yeah I'm doing a whole post on one guy's hotness. It's my blog, deal with it. This guy is an actor on the tv show Criminal Minds. Thus ends my knowledge about him. I don't care to know anything else, he's beautiful. If I had to pick out a guy and say, this guy is what I'm looking for, it would be him. He's a little weird looking and often looks as if he hasn't bathed. He's brunette and very tall and has odd bone structure. I am an odd girl. I don't like obvious beauty. But that makes me me. Now feast on these pictures, I know I will.

I Wore a RomperI

And I Looked Cute

Okay so I did a post when I actually bought this rompe r, and then it broke. The strap broke, I mean. Now, I love my family dearly, but we are artsy people who live in our heads. Things that would be common sense to others sort of escape us. Hence, we didn't have a needle and thread in the house for me to fix the strap with. I am not kidding. And it took me a month of complaining about not having a needle and thread to buy a sewing kit at Target. Like I said, I often live in my head and not in the real world. ANYWAY. Ali and I were having a much-needed girl's night and it was 200 degrees outside so I wanted naked clothes. I fixed the strap and wore my romper. My hair is completely not done in this picture because of humidity, all I did was braid the front. After a few margaritas at the Mexican restaurant and another viewing of Shutter Island (which is a fantastic movie and I'm planning a post on the fashion in it) I decided I loved my romper and would do a post on it. I wore this weird little black shrug thing I have over it for the air conditioning and, of course, my black sandals.

So my message is this, dear readers: sometimes you buy things you're scared to wear. Wear them out for an evening with your best friend and decide whether or not you love them. It's not embarrassing that way. Love you all, au revoir!

The "SoCal Vibe"

No, I Did Not Make That Phrase Up

Okay, so some people think that my style is an odd fit for PacSun. However, there are two sides to me. I either get what people call "dressed up", (which to me is just normal) or I'm in jeans and a t-shirt. Working at PacSun has given me license to wear all my favorite t-shirts. The "SoCal Vibe" is a phrase PacSun Corporate uses to describe how they'd like us to dress. To me, that's pretentious. But it basically means wear what you want, and don't wear dressy clothes. So I thought I'd show you what I wore to work today.

This is my favorite band t-shirt. My dad got it for me online when I was probably 15. He was very proud that I liked the Clash. He found it on ebay and we have yet to find another one like it. It's old for sure, but it fits and there are no holes. And check out the back:

The Clash was called "The Only Band That Matters" by journalists. This is the unique part of the shirt, it's impossible to find another one. I wore this with some skinny leg Gap capris and my favorite brown belt, purchased at Marshall's but made by Calvin Klein. And I just wore some Havianas as a compliment.

Hope you enjoyed this post! Au revoir!

I'm Baaaack!

Long Time No See!

So sorry for the gap in blogs, I've been working and summer-ing. Yeah, I just made a word up. So here's what I've been up to:
1. I got a haircut! I had been looking like a yeti for quite a while, not cute. So I booked an appointment with the best hairstylist in the world, Katy Magagnotti from Hair Sculptors, and she worked her magic. While the hair is a little short for my taste, it's no longer unmanageable and it's no longer turning into dreads while I sleep. This picture isn't great but you can see I have beautiful layers.

I'll need to get it colored again in August. What do you think about me going red again? Ha ha evil laugh.
2. I am working at PacSun now! I absolutely love it. It's a great atmosphere and I obviously love being surrounded by clothes! I've already picked out a few things for school, including a new schoolbag, a gorgeous large tan bag with quilting details and big handles. Very exciting!
3. I went to the Chicago Gay Pride Parade. I thought I'd use this time to express my opinion. I saw a sign at the parade that said "Straight But Not Narrow." That was so touching to me. I was raised to be a Christian, yes, but my parents taught me to love everyone equally. There was never a time when I thought homosexuality was wrong or that it made you less of a person. I believe that the gay community deserves all the same rights as the straight community. Another sign said "We hold these truths to be really freaking obvious." It should be obvious to everyone that gay people aren't any different than straight people, and that they are not to be excluded from the same civil rights as anyone else. I am including a link for PFLAG, an organization that supports parents and friends of lesbians and gays.
http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2
Now I'm going to do something fun, a 25 question tag that has been floating around YouTube and Blogspot. Anyone else with a blog is welcome to do it, consider yourself tagged.
1. Do you have any pets? I have a dog named Oliver and a cat named Layla. Oliver is a yorkshire terrier. He's a tiny little guy. He was supposed to be bigger, but he's 8 and has never gotten above 5 pounds. He's one of the loves of my life. Layla is technically my brother's cat, but I love her as my own. She is, without a doubt, the fattest cat I have ever seen. She's also incredibly loving and sweet.

Oliver and Layla

2. Name three things that are physically close to you right now. My cellphone, the TV remote (I switched to Gilmore Girls at 4, not that I watch that show every single day and have seen every episode more than twice), and the new Rolling Stone with Gaga on the cover.
3. What's the weather like right now? Hot and gorgeous, with a nice breeze! Wish I was at the beach!
4. Do you drive? If so, have you crashed? Yes and yes. I'll spare you all my car accident details but the worst is this: I got side swiped by a semi in DRIVER'S ED.
5. What time did you wake up this morning? Mmm, ten thirty? Sometime around there.
6. When was the last time you showered? At one o'clock today.
7. What was the last movie you saw? In the theater, I saw... wow, I cannot remember. The thing that springs to mind is A Nightmare on Elm Street. On Monday I watched Inglourious Basterds (again) and Anchorman (again) at Neal's apartment.
8. What does your last text message say? Let's see, it's from Neal and it says "Yikes." I'll let you wonder about that.
9. What's your ringtone? Oh, I love this, I made my own. It's Maggie May, the Rod Stewart song, but I made it so when the phone rings it says, "Wake up Maggie I think I got somethin' to say to you." I'm such a dork.10. Have you ever been to a different country? I have been to Puerto Rico and some Bahamian islands.
11. Do you like sushi? I LOVE sushi. One of my favorite foods is raw tuna. I'm a little obsessed. The thought of a spicy scallop roll makes my mouth water.
12. Where do you buy your groceries? WiseWay, of course.
13. Have you ever taken medication to make you fall asleep faster? Hahahaha yes. I have chronic insomnia and I have taken just about everything. Right now I'm on Lunesta, it works great.
14. How many siblings do you have? I have one sibling, my older brother Adam Karabel, or as I call him, Bubby.15. Do you have a desktop computer or laptop? MacBook FTW!
16. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? My birthday is next week, July 5th, and I'll be 22.
17. Do you wear contacts or glasses? I've worn contacts every day since I was 13.
18. Do you color your hair? OH YEAH. I am a natural blond. I look TERRIBLE as a blond. In fact, finding a picture of me with blond hair is quite difficult because I've been dying it brown since I was 13. I just prefer it. I've had red hair also, which I loved, but I got a little tired of it and went back to brown.
19. Tell me something you are planning to do today. Well, this isn't really a happy thing but I'm going to a wake tonight.
20. When was the last time you cried? I cried Sunday while I was rereading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Not kidding.
21. What is your perfect pizza topping? At California Pizza Kitchen, they have a roasted red pepper, feta cheese and bacon pizza. Best thing ever.
22. Which do you prefer-hamburgers or cheeseburgers? I don't like either. I'll only eat plain hamburgers from McDonald's which barely even count. I prefer hot dogs, but not grilled, just boiled. I'm difficult.
23. Have you ever had an all-nighter? Not on purpose. Only because of insomnia.
24. What is your eye color? Dark brown.
25. Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? I sure can, and I like Coke. I can also tell the difference between Diet and regular Coke because I only drink Diet.

Have fun doing the tag! Au revoir!

Inspiration for This Week

PICTURES!

Here are some pictures of things and people that have been on my mind lately, I use these as inspiration when I get dressed and put makeup on and this is kind of a view of what's been on my mind lately.

Juno was on TV recently. I had forgotten how much I love it! Ellen Page really created a girl who was a total original, someone you would want to be friends with. It's funny that a pregnant teen could be a good role model, but this is America.

Oh Amy Winehouse. I miss you. I know you're not dead but you used to be awesome. I love your album and your old style. Now you have big fake boobs and you don't make music. So sad.


I watched Inglourious Basterds (again) with my best friend Ali. What a truly great movie. I focused on our two heroines, Shoshana and Bridget. Shoshana's storyline is my favorite in the movie. It's just a beautiful film, even if it's gory. See it if you haven't already.


What a great pic of Marilyn. Love the hat.

Man Jimi Hendrix was hot. Look at him. That's a rock star. When I see pictures like this I wonder where he got all that jewelry and if he put it all on or if someone got him dressed. It's just so cool.

Here's my girl Nicole Richie looking gorgeous. She's kept some weight on which is nice to see and I think she looks AMAZING brunette. I just think she's awesome, she seems fun and I love to see what she wears.

Rachel McAdams at the airport. She is so beautiful it's painful. She really has a timeless look.

Okay so can we talk about Alejandro? WHAT THE HELL? I am a huge Gaga fan, okay, but what is going on in this video? It's World War II, there are orgies, she becomes a nun, she wears a bra with guns attached to it, she dies? I guess? Goes blind at least. I just can't follow the plotline, and I am good at following weird plotlines. I love how the video LOOKS, but I just...wow.

This is a picture of me with almost no makeup on, all I did was put on foundation and do my brows. (I'm a natural blond so my eyebrows are basically nonexistent. Not a good look if you dye your hair dark brown like I do.) I love how this looks, I look fresh and I'd like to go out like this more often.

Okay, so, I put this up on my facebook because I am SO proud of how I look lately. This is two years of clean living, and it was a struggle. Yeah so it caused a big uproar amongst my parents and friends but I stand by it, I'm proud of myself and I look awesome. I want to encourage people to embrace their shape and the way they look, it will only make your life better.

Hope I gave you some inspiration! Au revoir!

Conceited

I Love This Outfit!

I wore this to church today, I think this outfit is so cute and I felt pretty so I decided to put it up. Like I said, conceited. Dress is from Rue 21, about three years old, belt from somewhere I don't remember, cardigan from H&M bought a year ago. I wore my brown and turquoise sandals from Target. Remember, every time you get dressed, it's an opportunity to look awesome!

Hope I gave you some inspiration! If you're tired your clothes, mix it up! Au revoir!

I'm A Hot Mess. Emphasis on Hot. No, Not Really, Emphasis on Mess.

Yes, This Is My Room

Okay, here's the thing. I love my room, I love my clothes, I love my belongings and I'm grateful for them. I'm just a messy person. An insanely messy person. I tend to get easily distracted (a doctor once told me he thought I had undiagnosed ADD) and so things just pile up on me. The other thing is, I don't care. Honestly, it doesn't bother me that much to have things this messy. Maybe my brain is cluttered and I'm used to the feeling? I don't know. The purpose of this post is to show most of my clothes and accessories just as they usually are. Just in case this is too much for you, I included a picture of my brother's cat Layla as a palate cleanser. This is my sickness, I'm wondering how many of you are also afflicted?

What I Want Right Now

Wish List

Here's some clothes I'm lusting over right now. To answer the inevitable question, no, I don't need anymore clothes. But I like these. It's never about need.

I love this little plaid skirt. I'm really into high-waisted bottoms right now because they show off my teeny waist. This looks short on the model but I'm so short it would be just about the perfect length on me. I'd wear it with a tucked-in white t-shirt and my white Chuck Taylor low-tops.OMG I want this belt. It snaps in the back and it's just a really interesting shape and texture. It's a waist belt of course, that's why it's so little.

I love the print on this skirt. It's sort of batik but not really and I like the idea of a print on the bottom and a solid on top.


Yes, this is a t-shirt you can actually purchase. I think it would look cool with skinny jeans and a white tank top underneath.

These shorts are adorable. They're shaped a lot like a pair I already have but again, having a print on bottom instead of on top feels really fresh to me. This shape is flattering on me also.

Sexy! Those aren't zippers, it's kind of like chain mail all the way up the leg. They would look cute with that very long distressed black shirt, now that I'm thinking about it.

I've wanted a classic black and white boatneck for years. It's very cool french girl.
I have been searching, DESPERATELY, for black gladiator heels. These are almost what I've been looking for. I really like the double ankle strap.

This is a Gaga-inspired piece. She does a lot of shoulder pads but these aren't as much shoulder pads as they are two large ruffles. I'd like it in a solid color better, a red would be amazing.

This is what I want right now, hope I gave you some shopping ideas! Au revoir!