{Easter Inspiration}

I love holidays. Seriously, give me any holiday and I will gladly take the challenge of decorating for it. Holidays really give you the chance, and excuse, to add a bit of whimsy to your decor. Obviously Christmas requires an overhaul of practically every room in the house. Smaller holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Easter, on the other hand, call for more subtle decorative additions that better fit in with the overall decor of the house. Holidays are also always a great time for crafting, another reason why I love them so much.

With that in mind, lately I have really been drawn to Easter-inspired decor and fashion. I am seriously loving pastels, florals, light spaces, and touches of greenery.

Elaine Griffin Interiors

House Beautiful

Pottery Barn

Shelter

via Absolutely Beautiful Things

Better Homes and Gardens

House and Home

via Life in the Fun Lane

Lonny

Lonny

Shelter

William Waldron

Burberry Prorsum, SS10

J. Crew

Harper's Bazaar

Country Living

J. Crew

{What's happening in FFP!/Giveaway Alert!}

All of a sudden, the fashion show is about three weeks away! We have made a lot of progress in many areas, but still have a lot of work left to do in others. We have secured donations for both gift bags and raffle items, from companies such as Essie, OPI, Tracy Reese, Clarins, and Henri Bendel, and many more, but there have to be some secrets!

In these finals weeks before the show, it is all of the smaller aspects of the show that now need to be worked on. We will be working non-stop on making flowers and other decorations for the gym, putting looks together, having practices with the models, printing tickets and brochures, securing final donations, and doint lots and LOTS of advertising.

It is certainly a lot of work, but so fulfilling. I get so excited just thinking about the money we are going to be raising to help grant the wishes of sick children; We really want to raise at least $10,000 this year. It also makes me SO thankful for the wonderful members of Fashion for Philanthropy!

Now on an aside, Alaina of Live Creating Yourself, the blog I have mentioned my love for/jealousy of many times, is hosting yet another great giveaway, this time from the design geniuses at West Elm, and their partnership with PATCH NYC. So head on over (if you haven't already!) and check out this great blog and giveaway!

{Giveaway Alert!}

Growing up in a seaside town in New Jersey (where I am lucky enough to hear the ocean from my bedroom window), I have always had a soft spot for coastal-inspired decorating. I find the balance of whimsy beach elements, like shells and large pieces of coral, with more structured, modern pieces to be very aesthetically pleasing. I came across Completely Coastal one day while browsing blogs, and have been hooked ever since.

This blog provides a great array of inspirational homes, decorating tips, and craft ideas to bring elements of the beach and sea into your home. It also provides a great selection of online shops that sell coastal inspired items.

Completely Coastal is offering a great giveaway this week, to win an adorable rug from Outer Banks Trading Group, a site that has so many awesome things to choose from.

How fun are these rugs? I highly suggest checking out Completely Coastal for some wonderful ideas, and entering the giveaway to win a cute rug like the ones above while you are there!

{Bright Lips}

Hi everyone! I hope you had a good week, I definitely took advantage of my relaxing time off. I was more than ecstatic to come home to weather in the 60s! I instantly started working on updating my wardrobe and switching out winter pieces for warmer-weather pieces. Change in weather also means change in my beauty routine, which, despite what my large Sephora makeup case might suggest, isn't very involved to begin with.

Since the fall I have slowly been working on wearing bright colors on my lips, but it certainly takes a lot of getting used to, as it is definitely a statement look. I have found that the cheesy trick of "vacuuming with your bright lips" actually does work. Well I don't exactly vacuum with my bright lips, but I do do things around my room, and before you know it I am heading out the door, completely forgetting my lips are a lovely shade of fire engine red.

My vacation to the Bahamas was the perfect place to try out some of spring's fun, bright lip colors. After spending all day laying in the sun, the last thing I wanted to do was to come back to my room and have an intense beauty routine (life is so hard, I know, I know). My solution? A quick swipe of some bright colored lipstick and a gloss and I was good to go!

Bright lips were seen on many spring/summer 2010 runways:

Bright red at Christian Dior

A nice matte orange-red lip at Giambattista Valli

Matte fuschia at Marc by Marc Jacobs

A fierce orange-red at Prada

Actress Alexis Bledel wore a bright lip that I absolutely loved:

Instyle.com recommends Estee Lauder's Lush Rose to achieve this look.

My personal favorites right now are Max Factor lipstick in #16, Sephora Rouge in It Girl, and Maybelline lipstick in True Pink. The Balm's "Stainiac" in Prom Queen is a great stain to use on lips (and cheeks!) for a slight dose of color. The best part about this trend is that you can easily mix-and-match and layer colors to achieve a desired look, and that it doesn't cost much money as there are many great colors available from drugstore brands. The favorite way to wear this look is with a clean face and major lashes.

Happy Spring!

{Vacation!}

I will be away on a MUCH needed vacation in the Bahamas for the next week. I can't wait to not be checking emails, receiving texts, or be busy doing work. I plan on doing lots of nothing. Because when I return it will be super crunch time for the fashion show. Enjoy your week!

{New York is my campus}

Fordham University's "catch phrase" is "New York is my campus, Fordham is my school," a statement which, although cheesy, I find to ring more and more true as I continue to take advantage of being minutes away from Manhattan. Being able to take advantage of one of the greatest cities in the world has been remarkable. I saw President Barack Obama speak in Washington Square Park in the September of my freshmen year (over two years ago now), have visited numerous museums, interned at wonderful places, saw a little band by the name of U2 perform on the same field of grass that I snuck beers on during warm spring days, and have been introduced to all kinds of people, just to name some of the things I have experienced.

While that little walk down memory lane was fun, I am only continually adding to the list of things I have experienced while here at Fordham University. Most recently, this past Tuesday and the Friday before that, I attended two fashion job events sponsored by the Career Services Center. On Friday I was part of a group that visited the Saks Fifth Avenue corporate center, and met with their head of HR to learn about what kind of internship programs Saks offers. Not only did this experience educate me on Saks's fascinating history, it also supplied me with suggestions applicable when applying to any internship or job. The same goes for the event I attended on Tuesday, called "Careers in Fashion." We were introduced to representatives from Ross Stores, Abercrombie & Fitch, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Target. Again, the panelists provided us with such important information on topics such as resumes, how to present yourself, and how to act while interning.

These two events really showed me how imperative it is that you reach out to your respective school's career services center to see what kind of learning opportunities and services they can provide you with.

I found these tips so important and useful that I have decided to post them here! I hope you enjoy, and find them as useful as I did! {While these were offered by people in the fashion world and some may only apply to that industry, many other tips are applicable in any situation!}

1. Be someone that a company will want to hire! Have a high level of integrity, be goal-oriented, self-motivated, entreprenureal, and have good teamwork skills. Always try to authentically exceed your employers expectations. Enthusiasm and unique answers are always appreciated. Make your prospective employer see that hiring you is worth their investing!

2. Have good communication and social skills. The gregarious applicants stand out more strongly than the wallflowers.

3. Be passionate about your internship. Even if it isn't exactly what you want to do as a career, try to focus on one aspect of it that you can connect to and learn a lot from.

4. HAVE AN OPINION! What are you interested in? What books are you reading or what music are you listening to? Be able to answer what changes you would make to a company. It is good to show that you are interested in progression for the future.

5. Be knowledgable of the business you want to be in. Constantly be observing those around you, what are you seeing?

6. Have both sides of your brain working; be analytical and interested in popular culture. Be on top of what is going on and what is up-and-coming.

7. Think of anything you may have done that could apply to the job you are interested in. Working in retail for three years during high school is really helpful when applying to a job in the corporate side of fashion!

8. Above all else, be honest. Don't lie on your resume, don't exaggerate your skills and experiences to be greater than they were. Prospective employers will see right through it.

{Oscars 2010}

While I do look forward to enjoying all of the "lovely" that goes on during awards season, I always feel a little let down by the fashion; I feel like everything is either "ugly" or "pretty." Save for a few risk-takers, the red carpet is usually strewn with actresses wearing the standard strapless, or as-of-late one-shouldered, dress. I would like to see stars start taking bigger risks on the red carpet again, a la Uma Thurman's 2003 Christian Lacroix gown or Nicole Kidman's 1997 Absinthe gown, part of John Galliano's first couture collection for Christian Dior. But we can't have everything we want, can we? Here's what we were given last night...

Zoe Saldana in Givenchy. I loved this. It is different, ornate, daring, interesting, yet also sophisticated.

Vera Farmiga in Marchesa. She looks like a bunch of raspberry colored cupcake holders stapled together.

Tom Ford in, naturally, Tom Ford. I hope the rumors are true and that he is designing women's wear again, we need some old school influences.

Tina Fey in Michael Kors. Not so sure how I feel about the hair, but I love that Fey, though not always a fashion "hit" doesn't try to be anything that she isn't and sticks to designs she is comfortable in.

Best Actress winner Sandra Bullock in Marchesa. Pretty, but boring. Though I do like the red lip.

Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab. Another one of my favorites. I'll forgive her for the standard strapless since the pattern on the dress is so dream-like and awesome.

Penelope Cruz in Donna Karan. I love Cruz, I think that she chooses dresses that are always risky-enough, yet still classically beautiful. But maybe I am just bias because I have a total girl-crush on her and love her in every movie...

Nicole Richie in Reem Acra. Though this dress almost entirely swallows her tiny frame, I do love how different it is. This is what I'm talking about, dresses that stray away from what is expected.

Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham. It is nice to finally see Cyrus in something age-appropriate, even if the top is three sizes too small. Also, why is she at the Oscars?

Meryl Streep in Chris March. I love that Streep chose a "Project Runway" alum! I also love that this dress is flattering and subtly sexy.

Mariah Carey in Valentino Haute Couture. I think she always looks trashy and that her clothes don't fit.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries Van Noten. MY FAVORITE! I love the pattern and the sleek column shape of the dress. After the incredible Lanvin patterned number that she wore to the Golden Globes last year, Gyllenhaal has become one of my favorites to watch on the red carpet. And that pink lipstick? I will be heading to Sephora tomorrow.

Kristen Stewart in Monique Lhuillier. Yawn. At least she doesn't look like she just rolled out of bed this time.

Okay, Kathryn Bigelow's look was the one I had the most problems with. If I was nominated against my ex-husband, who happened to be James Cameron, who is stuck-up and has won pretty much every award possible and invented some new kind of technology to make a little movie called Avatar, I would NOT wear this. Especially if I was 58 and looked like she does. At least she won.

Kate Winslet in Atelier Yves Saint Laurent. Yawn, and very un-Winslet. It's also unflattering.

Jennifer Lopez in Armani Prive. That is the prettiest bubble wrap I have ever seen.

Gabourey Sidibe in Marchesa. Love the color, love the sleeves, though the whole look is a little mother-of-the-bride, no?

Elizabeth Banks in Versace. I feel like in any other color this would have been a knock-out.

Diane Kruger in Chanel. I have loved this dress ever since I saw it on the spring/summer 2010 runway, and I'm so glad that yet again Kruger chose something different and unique for the red carpet.

Charlize Theron in Christian Dior. I love the juxtaposition of the soft purple against her bright red lips. I think that the "controversial" rosettes on the top of the dress are very pretty.

Carey Mulligan in Prada. Something about this is off. I think that it is the train, I would have liked the dress if it was short in the front than just skimmed the ground in the back. The train looks like an after-thought.

Cameron Diaz in Oscar de la Renta. Another one of my favorite looks, I love that Diaz did something softer than usual for her on the red carpet. I love her sideswept hair and red lip, what a great look.

Anna Kendrick in Elie Saab Couture. The color totally washes her out, and I don't like the chunky shoes with such a delicate dress. I do love her hair and makeup, but the dress should definitely have been a different color.

Amanda Seyfried in Armani Prive; another piece from their bubble wrap collection I guess. I think the dress is very pretty, but the color of the dress and her makeup totally wash her out. Did you know that she was supposed to come to Fordham University but chose to continuing pursuing acting instead?

Well, there you have it. My candid feelings about last night's Oscar fashions. I agree with Cathy Horyn, fashion journalist for the New York Times, when she said that she thinks it is funny that all of these very fit women who are revered for their bodies covered up in layers of ruffles. Check out the rest of her post here.

** All images courtesy of here.