i dont like YouTube.

I don't like YouTube.

There, I said it.

I just don't enjoy sitting and watching stupid video after stupid video for hours on end. Maybe it has to do something with the fact that my brother, my boyfriend, & my guy friends could spend an entire day watching YouTube videos. I just dont ever think the videos are that funny. However - there are a few videos that I have seen recently (thanks to my brother) that I just can't get enough of. Maybe i am starting to actually like YouTube just a little bit.

So here are my 3 favorite YouTube videos of the moment:

give me a book & the beach.

Every year before the annual family beach trip, my attention drifts to one thing. While most (normal) girls would be getting new bathingsuits and sundresses, I am very carefully & pointedly picking out the most important thing to pack.....books. I agonize over my selections - Is it set in the summer? Will it be a page turner that I dont want to put down? The one problem in all of this tends to nag at me in the form of a question for weeks before i leave - Will I have enough books to last the entire week? To most this sounds ridiculous and silly, but to me it is a concern full of validity. I have always been a bookworm, whether sneaking them into restaurants as a child or sitting on the beach all day, I prefer to spend my free time reading. My record for most books read during one beach trip (which is usually saturday to saturday) is 6. Now do you understand why I am concerned I might not have enough!

This is what I have picked to take with me so far:

A novel of cheeky satire about a Chelsea art gallery that has a piece of art hanging in it that no one cares about until the artist suddenly dies. The painting's name is the same as the book - so no, I'm not reading a self-help book about doubting God.

This novel follows to college friends who have feelings that have yet to confess for the other. The story begins the day after they graduate and continues on from there. “One Day” checks in on their intersecting lives once a year, every July 15, from 1988 through 2007. I am under the impression that it will be a version of the movie guys and girls alone like, When Harry Met Sally.

I am finding it impossible to go any amount of time this summer without reading a novel by Pat Conroy. After reading South of Broad, Mr. Conroy's style of writing has poisoned me and I no longer enjoy reading anything else. I would even go as far to say that he is south carolina's father of fiction.

Everyone has buzzed about it for years, but I just assumed it was about carnies. Then i found out that Hollywood is putting it out on the big screen, staring Reese Witherspoon (my personal fave) & Robert Pattinson. Needless to say I bought the book immediately after hearing this.

A classic and one of my all time favorites. It never gets old.

"Books were this wonderful escape for me because I could open a book and disappear into it.

- Dean Koontz

Omaha bound!

I like to consider this my 25th birthday present.

The gamecocks are headed back to Omaha for the College World Series!

GO COCKS!

the color of money & the trees i wished it grew on.

InStyle.com has a section titled "We're Obsessed: If money were no object". I like to browse through the things they have picked to lust over, not merely driven by materialistic cravings, but because they, like myself, see it as a form of art. The other half of the desire is simple: who WOULDN'T want to wear couture?! I sometimes catch myself making mental list of beautiful things I want that come with a heavy, would-never-pay-that-much-for-that price tag. It is a free way to get some retail therapy. Sometimes it is nice to do a little fantasy shopping in a fictitious world where money grows on trees. This is what I am wanting right now, that is until the leaves begin to change. Cartier Trinity Ring 3-Gold

(yellow: fidelity / White: friendship / rose: love)

$1,050

Bottega Veneta Cocolave Crocodile Tote
$25,000




Brian Atwood Weston Slingbacks
$895

Lucifer Vir Honestus

Turquoise and Diamond Earrings
$3,300




Roberto Cavalli Silk Floral Caftan
$1,640

Proenza Schouler Tie-dye Tank Dress
$2,760








Jonathan Saunders Knighton Dress
$1,210





Nicholas Kirkwood
Fluro Python Lace-up Sandals
$1,218

Ralph Lauren

Lamé and Tulle Embroidered Dress

$15,000

Bottega Veneta Twisted Karung Bag

$3,600

Fashion Fades. Style is eternal.

-YSL

the innocent & the beautiful.

I read a blog that an adorable newlywed writes. her name is Megan and she happened to do a recent post about beauty products that she swears by. I enjoyed reading it so much! I have used a few things that magazines have recommended and have been disappointed, but I'll take her word any day (due to her beautiful skin & hair) If you would like to check out her suggestions you can find them here. Also, another cute newlywed (Brittney) was inspired to do a blog entry of her favorite beauty products after reading Megan's post. She is absolutely hysterical and you can find her here. Brittney actually just did a post on her favorite household products. Since i enjoy cleaning so much (seriously - it's like therapy for me) I thought it was fabulous. I have since recommended both of these blogs to my friend Jessica because she is a beauty product addict. I cant wait to try products off of the other girls' blogs!

Now to add to the collection of the best beauty products. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed Megan's & Brittney's.

All About Eyes Concealer
clinique

This concealer works magic for people like me with really dark circles. It not only covers dark under eyes, it brightens and is really lightweight. I have it in 2 different tints: one for when i'm tan, one for when i'm not.

Light Blue
Dolce & Gabbana

I have used this perfume for about 4 years now. It is very citrus-like and smells like summer to me. I tried to find a new perfume to wear in the winter, but I kept coming back to this scent. I cannot get enough of it and I will probably wear it until they stop making it. Hopefully that day will never come.


Tide To Go Pen

I know that this is not a beauty product, but it is just as much a staple in my purse as any makeup I use. I carry this everywhere with me, mainly because I am ridiculously clumsy and manage to spill coffee on myself just about every day. This really does do the trick. You just press the pen down where the stain is and it releases spot remover. Then you use the pen to scrub it into the material. It dries quickly and makes stains disappear. The stain doesn't set and it is a quick fix until I can get home tp throw my article of clothing in the wash.

Spray De Mode
Bumble & Bumble

The best smelling products around: anything by Bumble. I used to use Treseme hair spray until I realized it had glue in it and was causing my hair to fall out. I have always been a fan of Bumble products (styling spray, prep, surf spray, etc) but this might be my favorite of them all. It gives you hold without making hair stiff or sticky. My hair still moves and appears to have nothing on it. It is lightweight and gives a nice polish to my hair. I use it every morning... partly because it smells so amazing. It is definitely not the cheapest hairspray, topping out at $25, but it lasts for about 5 months. My mom thought it was an outrageous price to pay at first, but after using it for the past 2 months, she's whistling a different tune.

Cremesheen Lipglass
MAC

If chapstick and lipgloss mated, this would be the product. It hydrates and provides color. I own it in 2 colors: (shown above) & (hot pink). The wand is a sponge, which makes applying it easier. I really like that it is not at all sticky. It looks good by itself, as well as over lipstick. I am also a huge fan of Dior addict lipgloss because it serves the same purpose, but it is a brush and makes application more difficult (in my opinion). Plus, the MAC ($16) is about half the price of the Dior ($30).

Antifade Complex Hydrating Conditioner
Pureology

This conditioner became one of my favorite things about getting a haircut. It smells soooo good. I used to resist washing my hair for as long as I could stand it so that the smell wouldnt get washed away. It also does not make my hair greasy at all and it lasts forever because you only use a nickel size amount each time. It is about $27. The good thing is Ulta sells it so i can use my coupons!

Super Skinny Smoothing Serum
Paul Mitchell

My hairdresser, Melody, uses this on my hair to create a polished, anti-frizz finish. I buy it at Ulta and it runs about $17 (less with my coupons). I put one squirt of it into my hands, rub them together, then comb my fingers through my hair after when it is still damp. My hair is a mess without it.

Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets
Johnson & Johnson

These are not anything new. I have used these since sophmore year of high school. They absorb all of the oil on your face without removing or smudging your makeup. They are about $5 and can be found at any grocery store, walmart, target, drug store, or ulta. I never leave home without them in my purse. Pretty much a brilliant product that I wish I would've thought of myself....I could be permanently vacationing in Bora Bora right now.

Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes
Neutrogena

I use these every day for two reasons: they leave my skin feeling clean & moisturized; they smell so good. They remove makeup, clean skin & hydrate it all at the same time. Plus, sometimes I am just too tired to actually wash my face. These are great for arms and legs, especially after spending hours in an airport/on a plane. I don't travel without them.

OPI Nail Polish

The two bottles of nail polish go together. I couldn't figure out how to get the pictures side by side though. oh well. I have quite a nail polish fetish. It became even worse when Ulta started doing buy 2 get one free. I was going to put how many bottles of nail polish i actually own, but I was embarrassed at the total. They are all OPI, with the exception of one China Glaze and 3 Essie. The OPI polish is thick in its consistency and the brush is big. I find that Essie polish has a tiny brush, is water thin, and chips easier. I barely ever go a day without polish on my nails. I am beginning to forget what they look like bare. With that said, I cant have a polish that does not have staying power. I would be painting them every day & that is just a waste. My two staples are shown above: for fall & winter i use Lincoln Park After Dark; summer & spring i use OPI Collins Avenue. I usually go through 2 bottles of each during those 6 month periods. I wear a lot of other colors from OPI, but these are two that I always go back to.

Powder Blush

Nars

My face gets really red and embarassed when I have to ask for this in Sephora if I cannot find it or they are out of it. The name of this color is Orgasm, but it is so great I ditch my usual modesty. It is the universal blush that looks great on every skin tone. Also, it lasts forever. I have had mine for a yr & a half and I use it every day. My skin looks sunkissed and appears to have a natural glow when I wear this blush.

Grapefruit Lemongrass Bodywash
Dove

I am a sucker for anything grapefruit, whether it be flavored or scented. This body wash makes my skin smell amazing and it has the exfoliating beads in it. By far my favorite body wash in a long time.

Dior Show Mascara

I am not ashamed to say that I paid $25 for this mascara because it is the best I have ever used. Long lasting mascara that I never need to touchup. I put it on in the morning and it is still in perfect condition when I get home. It has cashmere in it, which is what makes the lashes thicker and longer. It is as if I am wearing beautiful fake eyelashes. My eyes pop when I have this mascara on. It is my #1 beauty product by far. I have had mine since December. The best tip I ever learned from a model in a magazine is when your mascara starts to dry out, pour a few drops of diet coke in it. Works like a charm and makes your mascara good as new. This particular mascara was created when a makeup artist backstage at a Dior show could not get enough mascara out of the one he was using. So he cut off the top and used a toothbrush to get more mascara out and began applying it with that. It became such a problem-solving hit that Dior created a mascara with a big brush that makes your eyelashes look amazing. And we all lived happily ever after....

Tinted Moisturizing Lotion

MAC

This evens out my skin tone and adds a little bit of color to my face. It also helps that it has SPF 15 so I know that my skin is always protected. The MAC foundation brush is the only other thing you need. My face looks so dead in the morning until I put this on. It makes my skin look alive & flawless.

Q-Tips & Floss

These are two products (not really beauty products) that I cannot live without. I use them both obsessively, but I am okay with that because it just means I have good hygene. I am not picky about the brand of floss, even though Crest Glide is by far the best. When it comes to Q tips, there is only one brand: its namesake. The others just dont do the trick for me.

The innocent and the beautiful have no enemy but time.

-W.B. Yeats

haiti.

As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep,

so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places

to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.

-Ezekiel 34:12

Be Italian.

It seems to me that the Italians were born with an effortless sense of fashion.
They make it look easy, yet so perfectly put together.
It is as if they have a sixth sense for rich leathers and luxurious fabrics.
Timeless style runs through their veins and it is that of which i am envious.

[all photographs : Scott Schumann]

“It is a time to look toward the future, without denying the past.”
-miuccia prada