Weekend Five

5. Spring Fever- 

Warm weather, sunny skies, and blooming plants cannot come any sooner. 

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4.  The Great Gatsby- 

I'm rereading it for the my AP English class and  I love it just as much as I did the first time. And although Daisy continuously annoys me, Fitzgerald's vivid descriptions and symbolism make it a great American classic. 

3. Society 6 Totes-

After stumbling on this site for my home decor post I have become addicted to these wonderful tote bags. A little bigger than a purse but not as large as a backpack. Just what I need. I love all three of these but can't decide which one to actually buy. Also it's really hard to tell here but "The Great Wave" one on the far left has pugs as waves. No that isn't a typo. The waves are pugs. Brilliant. 

     

2. Ban.do-

 Wednesday night, I'm chilling on the couch finishing up another post and Hannah tells me about this shop and we both are going crazy because all the products are SO CUTE. Everything about this brand is aesthetically pleasing (they even give out free confetti with your purchase. Yes please!). From the pastel bags, to must-have buttons, and adorable coffee mugs, its all perfect. Also check out their blog. All creds go to Hannah for finding this magically beautiful site. 

1. Sunday March 8 Women's Day-
A day to recognize all the women who are fighting for complete gender equality and to celebrate each woman as a beautiful, unique, and important individual. Every person, including ALL women, has the right to enjoy ALL aspects of life. Although we are Not There yet, leaps and bounds have been made to ensure this. What better way to end the this blurb than with "am I right ladies?!" am I right ladies?!


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 I also posted every time this which feels pretty freaking awesome. I'm really inspired which puts me in a good mood which makes me wanna post so yay for Ana Week.

Have a lovely weekend!!!

xoxo,

Anastasia

Lately

   With marching band in the off season (sadly) I, reluctantly, have a little bit more time on my hands besides homework, SAT/ACT practice, and extracurricular activities. This time is spent mainly in unproductive ways aka browsing the internet for a long time and watching TV/movies endlessly. But in these long hours I've stumbled upon some treasures that I have become, essentially, obsessed with. A little indulgence isn't anything to be ashamed of. 

1. BBC Radio 1- Live Lounge 

Other than broadcasting the amazing show Sherlock BBC has a few radio stations including Radio 1 which internationally broadcasts top current song throughout the day from pop to alternative to dance music. But the Live Lounge is the best part. Various artists take each others songs and cover them, and it is MAGICAL. Artists step away from their typical styles and take on new genres, often transforming the originals song into something completely new. Through this I've discovered some amazing artists like   George Ezra, Years and Years, and London Grammar. Guys. Do yourself a favor and watch these. 

Here are a few of my favorite covers: 

1. Taylor Swift covering Riptide by Vance Joy 

2. Bastille covering We Can't Stop by Miley Cyrus 

3. Arctic Monkeys covering Hold On, We're Going Home by Drake

4. Labrinth covering Shake It Off by Taylor Swift 

5. Miley Cyrus covering Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey

2. Good Mythical Morning 

GMM is an upbeat daily show run by two best friends on YouTube. Rhett and Link dig up some interesting stories and share them, complete challenges, and answer the ultimate questions like Will it Pizza? or Will it Donut? Their music videos are sure to entertain, including 600 pillows, dancing zebras, and refrigerators. It's quality still, and genuinely entertaining. It's nice to wake up on a weekday before going to school and have a funny video to start the day off right. 

3. Button Poetry  

Button Poetry is an organization that promotes spoken word poetry and allows artists to share their works freely. I've recent really gotten into poetry and short stories and wow... people make magic just by weaving words together effortlessly. These poems are so moving because they're personal, raw, and consuming. Some poets choose light hearted topic and others draw from their beliefs and experiences. Spoken word poetry is a more underground art form but it certain deserves its place among other forms. 

Here are some of the best performances that I've seen so far (Warning: there may be some explicit language and controversial topicst):

1. Neil  Hilborn- OCD

2. Lily Myers- Shrinking Women

3. Dylan Garity- Friend Zone

4. Patrick Roche- 21

5. Harry Baker- 59 (Not Button but still amazing)

4. Artist Javier Calleja 

First, how cute is that? Pretty cute. I've been following this artist's Instagram for quite a while and I simply cannot get enough. Calleja's bright colors and tiny materials make his work so original and unique. He incorporates nature, people, and some of his own characters that are both simply and profound. 

 

5. TED Talks 

I've always been a firm believer in the importance of sharing ideas. And this is precisely what TED is all about. TED Talks allow people from all around the work to collect, meet up, and participate in these talks. I could (and have) watch Talks for hours because there are so many diverse topics and unique story and message each speakers hopes to share with the audience. Just two weeks ago our school held an independently organized TED event. 

These are my few favorites:

1. Sir Ken Robinson- How Schools Kill Creativity

2. Tom Thum- Beatbox Brilliance

3. Jacob Barnett- Forget What You Know

4. Sarah Kay- If I Should Have a Daughter

5. Pranav Mistry- The Thrilling Potential of SixthSense Technology

I highly recommend checking some of these thing out. This might be the perfect way to procrastinate on all the work you don't want to do. But we all get by. Have a lovely day!

xoxo,

Anastasia

1001 in 101 Update

Since going back and crossing so many things off this list I've realized how much I actually get done. Most of the time I feel unproductive and almost stuck. It's sort of inspiring to know that I've actually done stuff with my life. Honestly, this list has truly helped me to accomplish certain things that I wouldn't have done before. There is still a lot to get done in the upcoming months that I'm really excited for. There's still so much for me to improve upon and experience but I hope the year ahead will allow me to cross even more off this list and take part in more unplanned surprises!

Anastasia's 101 goals in 1001 days

Start: January 27, 2014
End: October 24, 2016

1. Start this list

2. Become the flute section leader in marching band

3. Get a 1 for solo ensemble (getting evaluated on your instrument playing, 1 is the best grade)

4. Go to Disney world again and take a million pictures

5. Refine my style (same as Hannah, I know)

6.Refine my clothes in general

7. Visit my god mother in Brooklyn 

8. Go to Carlo's Bakery in New Jersey

9. Have a huge birthday party with everyone I care about 16th Birthday woohoo!!

10. Learn to ski

11. Re-learn how to play piano

12. Learn how to play guitar

13. Win 1st place (again) at the Greek folk dance festival

14. Get at least a 4 on the AP World exam

15. Learn basic French 

16. Learn some Italian

17. Buy a really nice camera (I have a Polaroid) 

18. Discover new artists and remain loyal to them

19. Read all the Harry Potter books Thanks to my lovely friends who bought me the set

20. Subscribe to Newsweek or Time magazine Sunday afternoons are for iced tea and Time 

21. Be aware of what is going on in the world

22. Join a new club

23. Get at least a 1900 in the SAT

24. Apply to Georgetown University (my dream school)

25. Get a job and put the money towards my college fund

26. Re-watch all episodes of Sherlock

27. Play a grade 6 perfectly on flute (almost there, grade 6 is very difficult)

28. Get into wind ensemble (our schools best band)

29. Go to a music concert

30. Go to the movies and sit down in a random theater and watch the movie

31. Watch one scary movie (I've never seen one and I don't want to but have to!)

32. See Cirque du Soleil again

33. Visit the symphony at least twice

34. Teach one of my friends a Greek dance (Hannah learned a simple dance!)

35. Be a leader in a successful service project   Raised $700+ for RAPHA House by selling Tie-dye shirts

36. Think/ writing down one good thing that happened every day for a year

37. Exercise every day for at least 30 min for a month and keep it up Yay exercise!

38. Not eat junk food (Cheez-itz, cookies, Goldfish) for 3 weeks (so tough!!!)

40. Cook a meal for my family of 4 once a month {it's going!}

41. Complete a DIY once a month {I've kept up}

42. Tutor someone who needs help in a certain subject

43. Improve my math skills

44. Keep my priorities; achieve my short-term goals

45. Go to a Raven's game

46. Learn to appreciate things more

47. In accordance with #46, do one good thing a day for a month or more

48. Eventually complete this list

49. Learn how to windsurf

50. Do 15 laps a day in the ocean over summer   

51. Visit at least 5 other U.S. states 2/5 so far

52. Post at least 3x a month on this blog

53. Help out at the public or my school's library

54. Go on 3 trips without my parents (2/3 so far)

55. Go ice skating

56. Get the full Harry Potter series 

57. Build a really nice snowman

58. Have a fish live for at least a year (His name is Salmon)

59. Compliment someone different everyday

60. Contradictory to #38, have something sweet once a day (candy not junk food)

61. Congratulate myself for making 60 goals

62. Go scuba diving

63. Visit Italy and have real slice of pizza

64. Drink only water, milk, and juice with meals for 2 months

65. Become an amateur photographer and share my photos with you guys

66. Memorize 5 quotes from different books (The Fault in Our Stars, Jane Eyre, Speak, Little House on the Prairie, and Green Eggs and Ham)

67. Go to an art festival Art festival in old town Alexandria, Washington

68. Go to the White House

69. Be daring in a risky situation and try not to regret it later

70. Go rock climbing

71. Fly a kite

72. Sleep under the stars 

73. Ride a roller coaster that goes upside down Done at Disney!

74. Participate in the Color Run

75. Become more familiar with classical music

76.Give one hug a day for a month

77. Drink an entire mug of hot tea (I hate it!)

78. Read 30 books in a year (atl least 150 pages each)

79. Have an article of mine published in the school newspaper

80. Write a short manifesto

81. Tell my parents I love them every day despite any circumstances

82. In relation to #81, try to be the best daughter I can possibly be

83. Get my brother an awesome graduation gift see here

84. Participate in our archdiocese's oratorical festival 

85. Get a scholarship

86. Become an officer in my church's youth group corresponding secretary 

87. Buy a random item off a shelf in the grocery store

88. Run a mile in under 8 minutes

89. Run a mile in under 7 minutes

90. Make a pizza entirely from scratch

91. Get 10 more followers on this blog this year

92. Improve my writing skills

93. Write in cursive at least once a day

94. Develop a real signature

95. Volunteer for more than 3 hours 5 times in 6 months

96. Clean out my closet (lots of junk in there)

97. Refine my music taste 

98. Try 10 new foods 

99. Attempt to play a sport I've never tried

101. Make a list of 101 goals!!! Phew!

xoxo,

Anastasia

Pretty Things, Second Edition

Let's kick this weekend off right

1//2//3//4//5

See the original Post here

xoxo

HBM

Lovely

 

Too many hair-touching photos? Yea I thought so too...I'll work on it
Tee: Land's End, Pants: H&M, Bracelets: Kate Spade/Alex&Ani, Ring: Kate Spade, Shoes: Land's End, Headband: Target, Belt: H&M

Why I love stripes: It's the neutral of the pattern world. Stripes can be paired with nearly every solid color as well as nearly any other print. Especially if the stripes are black and white

Why I love pink: In the world of symbolism, it represents femininity, love, romance, and beauty. It's bright, it just so happens to be my favorite color, and it makes up 60% of my wardrobe. 

Why I love eyeliner: I can finally get the wings to match (let me know if you want a how-to!!). Also it makes my eyes look huge and much more blue than they really are!

Why I love this outfit: It was casual and easy to wear while making me look like I actually put effort into my appearance that morning. 

xoxo

HBM

PS: Do any of you have any suggestions on taking pictures for outfit posts? It's chilly so I don't always want to go outside. When I do, I'm usually in my own backyard as I'm either at school or at home and the nearest attractive location is a good quarter of a mile away. In addition, my little brother who photographs for me only will help me out 20% of the time not to mention that my camera is ok, but far from professional. I need lighting, editing, and location suggestions! If you've got 'em, I wanna hear 'em!

Tattly

For those who follow us on the  'gram, you'd have seen that my aunt (a local, organic, framer) sent my brother and I some snail mail recently which contained vegetable tattoos!

Not only was the note funny ("I hope your parents don't mind me paying for your first tattoo"), but I thought the idea of a horse radish and an eggplant tattoo was the cutest thing ever. I flipped the tattoo over and saw that it was from Tattly. I recently was shopping online at Forever 21 and stumbled upon the same brand selling the most adorable tattoos in the accessories section! I decided to check them out and they turned out to be the most adorable online shop ever. Each tattoo comes as a two-pack and most cost $5, but honestly I think they're worth it. It's just another way to accessorize!

I spent a good half hour looking through the site and the products below are literally every single one I opened in a new tab for further investigation.

Warning: Picture Overload

awesome//besties//cool cone//dinosaur//floral heart//happy heart//red heart//hello//i feel great//soft serve//left&right//lemon//magic//molecule//nodes//circle//rainbow//floral cluster//square//three hearts//triangle//X//gold diamonds//yay

I can't get enough! I'm planning on buying them as gifts for every occasion, holiday, you name it! It's always fun to get a little tiny gift and these are the perfect and temporary option.
I can't wait until tank top season so I can apply my horse radish tattoo and show it off to the world
Have you ever heard of Tattly?
xoxo
HBM

Weekly Pros and Cons

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++PROS++

Bathroom redesign is in motion! I painted it last weekend and now my mom and I are curtain/accessory shopping.

Snow, while cold and semi-bothersome, has resulted in many delays and days off. We only had one full day this week.

Online shopping is a magical thing because it's like sending a gift to yourself! I ordered some cute tidbits from Forever 21 and am excitedly awaiting their arrival

We had our first sponsor!!

It's March today which means spring is coming...the worst is behind us!

I've binge-watched the first 2.5 seasons of Parks and Rec. I'm addicted

--CONS--

Parks and Rec just ended.

xoxo
HBM