two songs

these are two songs that i love, and have been listening to constantly, so i'd like to share.

fail

i dont think i've ever used that so-popular-internet-word "FAIL" before in my life but as I watched the new Bravo disaster NYC Prep tonight, all i could think in my brain is "FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL". Like...okay, this is bad enough that I'm wasting my finger movements and brain cells to even type about this garbage but this needs to just go off the air now. PC, you're kind of hot but I was over the whole "i'm chuck bass" thing within the first 3 minutes. Everyone else? WOW. No. Not even.

In essence, what I'm trying to say, is that NYC Prep is a big ol' load of plastic, no personality, cross eyed, hair tossin' caucasian "rich" trash. what did I expect? i'm not sure. but this is coming from the girl who can easily say she enjoys watching shows about mermaid legs on babies, morbid obesity and the occasional healthy dose of E! reality shows. But this? I'll pass. Unless someone has a baby at 16, loses a leg, dates a little person and/or has a real life drug or alcohol addiction.

photoshoots.

I had a wonderful roommate this past year at my (old) college. mary was my best friend at king's, is a wonderful person, full of interesting thoughts & things to say, and made for the perfect model/guinea pig for eighty8. she put up with my scraps of material all over our already disgusting carpet, bits & bobs of jewelry things all over, and modeled my first pieces for me whenever i needed it. i miss having a live in model!

the past two weeks, i've made so many necklaces that are just laying around waiting to get photographed. i want to do a photoshoot with a bunch of my friends/anyone who is willing to model so i can really get a chance to photograph the designs on dressed, real life human girls. that is my goal for the next couple of weeks. *fingers crossed*.

ohgoddamn

kim kardashian is someone that I really want to hate but I just can't. "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" is clearly staged and all that but it's the perfect show to watch and surprisingly enjoy when you're really bored and E! happens to be on. Although Kim and her sister's styles are different from mine, I still think that recently they look so pulled together, sexy and chic. I haaaaate the word FIERCE but come on. it's what they are. face it.

there i am, ya'll. except i'm pretty sure there are more positive attributes somewhere..

i might as well be wearing pink, dotting my i's with hearts, reading YM magazine, chompin' on bubblegum and dreaming about ~boys~ while I admit this, but I really love reading my horoscope. it's always right? honestly. 97% of the time I go to read what should be happening in my Scorpio life, and it's always on target. for instance, today:

"Although this might be your day to return to work, it also offers you a bit of solace that may have previously been elusive. You might have a feeling of isolation, even in the midst of others. Fortunately, your current aloneness can be reassuring, for it offers you space to think about an unresolved issue without having to report every thought back to someone else. Enjoy the solitude while you can, for it won't last very long. "

why is twittascope inside my brain? for real. well, let's just say it's relevant and proves my pro-horoscope point. I hate to be cheesy (again) but even the description of a scorpio is me. i don't know how it all works but it gives me comfort. so, there's another addition to my list of things i believe in that have nothing to do with religion/god/jesus.

listz

i'm all about lists. whether they're in my brain, on paper or in my blackberry. i need to make note of everything or else the idea will most likely wither away into dust. it's like i have some type of menopausal brain where I wander into a room and ask the ever-so-mom-grandma-aunt question "why did i come in here for?" and everyone rolls their eyes. why am i that, at 20? this is bad.

so i figure i'll make a little list on here about the movies I need to see this summer-

• THE HANGOVER. - i'm probably the only human in the world who has not seen this. and i love zach galifianakis with all my heart. he's my dream heartthrob.
• 500 Days of Summer - i need to see this as soon as it comes out.
• Inglourious Basterds- looks really cool and I love a good nazi flick every now and then or always.
• Bruno- come onnnnn, i need it's offensiveness and hilarity in my bones & veins as soon as possible.
• Public Enemies- what a perfect cast. looks like a guy movie but i dont care.

And Today I had the most successful trip to the library.

• CDs- Santogold, Fleet Foxes, Patti Smith, Saves the Day, Al Green, The Black Lips, French Kicks Bruce Springsteen, The Shins & David Bowie (YES I STILL USE CDs. especially free ones!)
• DVD- Hannah & Her Sisters (will be watching this tonight.)
• Book- just finished a biography on Zelda Fitzgerald so now I'm on to mafia book The Good Rat.

well, i wouldnt be human/american if I didnt confront the whole Michael Jackson deal. I know he was a crazy, sometimes a pedaphile, and looked silly/frightening but I need to adress that although he may be all of those things, he was also really talented. Gotta hand it to him. And now he's gone, and I feel weird about it.

I have a list of people, mostly celebrities, that I cannot picture being dead. People like Regis Philbin, Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Hefner, Dolly Parton, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson. I know that Seinfeld is probably the only one who will survive the next ten years (or even 10 days for some of those people oops) on that list, but I could have sworn MJ would be alive for the next 100 years. I never pictured him as human, which was ultimately the problem. He was a person but never had a chance to just be one. He was kind of a prisoner in his own world of crazy and fame. So, this whole week I'll be celebrating his life Sarah style by listening to his cheesy 80's guilty pleasure pop songs and finding comfort that he's now free.

Let's not forget about Farrah Fawcett. I mean, we saw this comin', especially after I cried my eyes out for two hours at her 'farewell' documentary about her battle with cancer. She was very beautiful and an icon, and it's horrible how her life ended especially with her son being in jail for drugs. Hopefully she is free now too. Wherever they are.

P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - Michael Jackson

who doesnt love this song? the beat kiiilllls me.

Today I began sketching all my ideas for my next 'collection' of necklaces. I've decided to of course stick to my 'look' of golds, layers, charms and all of that, but with the next couple pieces i'm going to stick to a more specific theme (secret!) and i'm incorporating different objects into the designs that I've never used before so i'm excited. Hopefully when I'm finished, the necklaces will represent a whole other look than the others ones in the shop, but still in the same realm.

I begin summer classes in two weeks at a local community college. I really wanted to do this because a: i need the extra credits since i'm switching my major (along with my school, duh) so I have a couple I lost unfortunately. and B: i want to get real training in drawing and art before I go to an art school. So i'm taking an art history & a drawing class. I'll get six credits and also learn the ropes of drawing/sketching which is something I really need. I'm working on sewing this summer and I've already learned a lot, but now I need to know how to properly sketch whatever is in my brain onto paper and have it make sense.

This past year I took a graphic design class and my teacher constantly encouraged us to sketch any idea before we created it on the computer. I kind of rolled my eyes at it because I thought you could practice on the computer instead of paper. Well, she was right, because every time I sketched an idea first, I did better. With jewelry, often times people think that you can just piece it together as you go which can be successful usually, but i've learned that when I draw out whatever is in my brain first, and then watch it come to life, it's so much more rewarding. I feel as if it's really mine, which is something I'm constantly striving for since I'm using vintage/antique jewelry parts (aka: someone else's previous design).

SO needless to say, i'm pretty psyched about the ideas i've been coming up with and I hope I execute them well. If not, then oh well, i'll try harder next time. But i'm really having fun with it. I've been listening to the new Decemberists and in between creating things & reading all my blogs & gossip websites (RIP Farrah Fawcett!), i've managed to sneak a peek at the new Vogue documentary trailer. (above)

I cant stress enough that if I met Anna Wintour, she'd completely rip my life to shreds with one shake of her bob, but I still admire her (see post from last week for more on that) and I can't wait to see this.

not with yr bewtz ted.

One of my favorite blogs is called Sea Of Shoes, which is run by a 17 year old girl that is constantly impeccably dressed with the best shoe collection. Teenagers in general scare me, but usually the kind that hang out at the movie theater in Hazlet or walk around the mall looking for a fight, with messed up eyebrows, crunchy hair, and boyfriends with huge pants & fitteds. A 17 year old girl who knows more about fashion than I ever will, and just developed her own line of shoes for Urban Outfitters is completely entitled to intimidate me, without an Aeropastale wardrobe and permanent dirty looks. (Im still talkin about those scary Mall teens.)

From her blog, i've become a fan of such designers as ann demeulemeester, rick owens, comme des garconnes, and dries von dotten. The shoes above are my dream shoes that are often featured on Sea of Shoes. The boots look like they would be a nightmare putting on and would quite possibly make my body look like something completely frightening but I can still be a fan right? Shoes are cool, i'm realizing this more and more lately...

Alright, so you know when you think you're a big shot and plan your outfit the night before you're going to wear it? I've done that for the past two years since I entered college because a: im crazy and b: it was the first time in 10 years or so that I didnt have to wear a uniform. Plus, it's just easier. Or so you think.

Is it just me or are outfits so good at night when you're tryin it on, thinking its great and you go to bed so excited to wear it the next day and then boom boom pow, it's disgusting in the morning light. Life is hard. Wah Wah Wah. Real life problems, i know.

Today was one of those days. I thought I was such a cool guy with my outfit planned and then of course, in the morning, I looked like a mess in it. Days like this you wish you had a closet like Cher's in Clueless where you can just have all your clothes listed online and you pick it out from there. Except the online closet would be infact some designer's website and the kicker would be that you didnt have to pay for anything and by magic, each item would just land in your hands, perfect size and all. Someone should get going on making that dream a reality..just sayin'.

One of those websites that I wish was apart of my personal magic dream closet is Steven Alan. Not only do I want everything, but all of the items are both pretty and practical for everyday life which is key. Above are some of my favorite looks from the line.

uh..oh?

i'm a woman now. yes, it's true. i'm the proud owner of a credit card. uh oh? i've been staring at it out of the corner of my eye for the past 15 minutes as it sits ominously (ominous is my favorite go to word for a lot of things, fyi.) on my desk. the thing is, i'm pretty responsible with money and almost cheap. I budget pretty well, although I occasionally overdraw my PNC account but whatever! i havent done that in a while. so now this new baby is in my life, good ol' Chase card and i'm petrified to use it.

Is it just me or are all girls taught that the second they get their credit card, they will turn into some sort of maniac shopping psycho and automatically buy the entire world because all of a sudden a piece of plastic is in their hands now? like, i'm not dumb i'll be fine but the idea of a credit card has scared me for the past couple years because of that very stereotype. "Sarah you do realize that a credit report will follow you your entire life, right? if you screw up, you won't get a home or a job and your skin will ultimately turn into fire and you'll disintegrate. you get that right?" or "If you lose that card, your heart is going to just turn into m&ms and you're gone." YES!

So credit card, it's me and you kid. I'll treat you right and probably just use you once a month for the slightest thing until my brain is fully matured. I'll walk down the street clutching my purse just assuming everyone i make eye contact with is trying to steal you from my wallet. Better safe than sorry, huh world? Bleh.

I need to build credit but i'm so scared. Whose fault is this? Probably my Mom or probably the MEDIA. I don't know. I just want to use my debit card forever and hide under my bed. Free credit report.com songs will haunt my nightmares!

I think this momentous occasion calls for a nice purchase though...and its going to be this bad boy.

entering my early 20's, it's quite apparent that about 70% of my peers really don't know what they want to focus on in life. One minute they want to do one thing, and the next it's another thing. Probably somewhere in my brain, i'm the same way. I want to be so many things but they are all in the same realm and somewhat easy to achieve if I just give it a try. I feel confident focusing on one such thing because if I'm going to do it, I'm going to it. If I want to try something else, well...then i'll do that too. I never want a 9-5 cubicle job where I'm miserable but that is probably what is on the mind of 95% of my peers. It's that fear of boredom, settling down, giving up new experiences. I totally get it.

However, one certain thing I feel so jealous about are people who make music. Maybe because music has touched my life and is so important to me, I look up to those who create it as some sort of form of God. I don't understand how songs are made, how instruments are played, how lyrics are thought up and put perfectly to the tune of sound. It's something I just have faith in and respect, but will never be able to do it myself. I just read Girls Like Us about female music phenomenons Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carley Simon. These women had brains, beauty and this amazing capability to produce songs that touched the souls of millions back then and also at this very moment. Books are being written about them, their music still filling our ears through records players or in the backgrounds of book shops.

Even when I watch videos on youtube of The Kills, Arcade Fire, Emily Haines, Tegan and Sara, etc. I look at them with respect and almost thankfulness because they are making something beautiful that makes people's lives better, or at least mine. I get extremely jealous because I just wonder if anyone will ever see me as that. Where am I heading? Will it make any sort of difference to someone? There is a kind of (i hate to use this word) "bad ass" appeal to a girl who can get up in front of a crowd, play guitar and sing like she doesn't give a fuck and impress. We all know the power men have just in general, but especially with music, but when women do it it's a whole other power. Both are equal. Of course music is subjective and what you think is great, I may not. But the admiration is pretty universal. I can only hope that some person can see whatever I do in life and think "that made my day good" or "that made me feel good" because god knows I look to a lot of people's creations and think that.

i don't know if any of this is important or relevant but it just dawned on me that it may seem cocky but being a musician is one of the things that I see as something completely unattainable which makes it almost god-like to me. more god like than actual god stuff. have I just made sense of something in my life a little? maybe. cool.

"fashion is what you're offered four times a year by designers -- and style is what you choose."

-lauren hutton quote from the book Influence

i must admit, this week i worked pretty hard for both my jobs that i'm able to do from my little office, and i enjoy it. it's so FUN. i may complain both inside my brain and outloud about how my current social life is pretty dead (aside from occasional old lady fun with my best friends.) but i lucked out this summer as far as jobs go.

here are a couple new necklaces added to the shop today. i worked pretty hard on them & i feel proud. there are 3 or 4 more that I will add on monday. enjoy the weeeekend!

you know that i could use somebod-aaayy-uhhh

honestly, all i want for christmas/chinese new year/labor day/any holiday that comes up, is an out of shape sarcastic but happy jewish guy who likes good music, enjoys good burgers and beer, will love me/my friends/family/and babies, and will make fun of everything with me. sure he should have a job and ambitions and all that crap, but whatever!

i mean, i hate when girls have 'blueprints' of what guys they want but that's what i want. is it too much to ask? am i aiming too high? are they out of my league? a girl can only dream. note: there is not one ounce of sarcasm in this post. so get ready. its going to happen. dreams are big in 09. I'm over tiny whiny wiener guys who are neurotic, filled with issues, need attention, listen to sad music & weigh 110 lbs.

okay, so i have a couple of things to talk about. not only is this weather messing with my brain, i'm finding myself to be very jumpy (maybe it was the coffee i just drank really fast and now the tea im sipping on). i've been in work every day, not only working on being a mini-PR girl for my dad's new business venture, but creating non stop necklaces for the shop. the best part about things not selling so fast & remaining in my possession a little longer than expected? i get to wear it! I usually tend to let it sit in it's proper place in the workroom and leave it untouched but sometimes I just want to throw it on and give it a test spin.

i'm constantly reading different blogs on my google reader list which then always lead to finding more websites/reading material and before I know it, it's 6pm and i've been down in this tiny office for hours and hours but i wouldn't change a thing. Reading my favorite blogs a day really make my day better. I always always always learn something. Lately, i've been reading about the sister duo at Rodarte and French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld.

Rodarte, which i've written about on here before, was started by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy in 2005. They are laid back California girls who moved to New York with only 10 pieces for their collection, modeled on paper dolls. They sent them out randomly to different publications and WWD came back and wanted to feature them on their cover, which lead to the attention of Anna Wintour. I find it inspiring how clueless they seemed when they started, and ill prepared, yet that is when things took off. Perhaps one of my favorite things about Rodarte is how they have such cool personalities in their interviews and of course their designs are beautiful. They just seem normal, and infact have normal bodies, perhaps even considered large especially for the fashion industry. They are relatable women who gave their dream a shot & became a success.

Roitfeld on the other hand seems a little less relatable but definitely is inspiring. This morning I found a video online of the CNN Revealed episode of Carine Roitfeld. It was extremely interesting. American Vogue sort of sucks, and as much as I want to dislike Anna Wintour, why should I? Yeah, she would probably judge me to death & is probably a huge bitch but so would a lot of men and they get away with it. Wintour is a woman who holds a huge, powerful position with one of the most popular magazines in the world, why on earth would she be anything other than opinionated? Whatever she says goes, but there are thousands of jobs that depend on her seal of approval.

There is a huge rumour that Roitfeld is being set up to replace Wintour and come to America but in the CNN episode, she clearly states that it is false. The two Vogues are completely different, and although both women scare me, how they run their operations will always be discussed and criticized mainly because they are women. Not only are they women, but they are women working in a field that many people declare "unimportant". I wouldn't want to trade shoes with them (welll...maybe literally trade shoes with them because they are probably a good pair.) but I love reading about them. Especially Roitfeld because her style is impeccable and she remains both chic & 'young' (i hate to use that word because everyone should just embrace whatever age they are), and also a family woman.

I know what I want and most likely say/do whatever it is for me to try and get what I want(and i mean that in not a spoiled sounding way.). Nothing comes to you from sitting on a couch, wishing that it will just fall in your lap. The double standard is that a man can do that all he wants, in his personal life & also in his career, but when a woman does it, it is almost unacceptable. I'm starting to see that at a young age. It's kind of fucked up but hey? Whatever. I'm not going to let it stop me and neither should you! Okay end of my feminist rant.

since tonight is the season finale of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, I have decided to dedicate a post to these head bitches in charge. Yeah an entire post, i'm so generous since clearly I have better and more intellectual things to talk about. You know, like Friedrich Nietzsche, the economy, the war and existentialism. The usual topics of this blog. So i'm sorry, i'm going to dumb it down a little. I know you'll understand. (i had to google how to spell Nietzsche)

okay so, i am from new jersey. born & raised, live by the beach, spend summers with the sea air, like a good ol' springsteen song. all that shit. i really have zero complaints about where I live because although the state is so teensy tiny, it has so much to offer. The beach, beautiful farms, an hour and a half away from both New York City (with the skyline in the distance ) and Philadelphia, tons of great places to live and shop, millions of malls and diners, the list goes on and on. So when I moved outside of this NJ bubble, I realized how much shit people give this state. I'm talking..people who hail from the most disgusting rural PA towns where all there is to do is go to Walmart & drink in the woods, making fun of New Jersey. It makes no sense? I have never had the complaint of having nothing to do but go to Walmart in my entire life.

People are close minded and think Jersey girls are just bimbos with tons of hair spray, gelled haired muscle boyfriends, long nails and horrible fashion sense. The reason for that is because that is how it is always portrayed. NJ is the big joke on everything from MTV (True Life: Jersey Shore. COME ON.), and now Bravo but you know what...I support it.

The Real Housewives series on Bravo is my favorite guilty pleasure in the world. It's my drug of choice, it's my favorite secret can of hairspray, it's my glitter eye shadow & hot pink nail polish. It's perfect. The cheesiest crumbliest form of humans with gaudy homes, husbands and wardrobes. Let me break down the characters.

Dina- she is my woman-crush. She is so beautiful and often makes me feel gay. She's just livin life so good with her husband who is kind of just a ghost/doesnt exist on the show, her daughter that reminds me of 95% of the girls i went to school with when I was younger, and her awful hairless cat. Her house has too much going on decor-wise, but i won't hold that against her.

Caroline- Simply an angel with obnoxious children (except Albee who i wanted to roll my eyes at but ultimately drool at) Dina's sister & they are married to brothers who own the Brownstone which is a banquet hall in North Jersey. Fact: their father in law was found murdered by the Gambino Crime family in the 1980's.

Teresa- Italian glitter princess trophy wife with three unreal cartoon like dauwtas (daughters.) with big bows, tiny purses and lip glaws (gloss.) she is an angel too with her "delicious and juicy" (her words, not mine) husband Joe and their monsterous mansion that was most likely bought with blood money, just sayin.

Danielle- just go on perez hilton or people magazine or whatever to read about this freakshow. She's a dalmation with lip stick and fake boobs and makes for perfect television.

Jaqueline- boring but nice. dumb, but nice. i want to slap her daughter.

I think i hit on everything. Tonight is the season finale and Teresa flips over a table. Sometimes having a very Small social life at the moment is a blessing in disguise so I can be a fan of things like this, ya know? What am I going to do when I start doing cool things again & start getting busy with school? Do i...neglect cheesy television? What kind of a person would I be?

wishwishwish.net

today turned out to be a beautiful day! The sun came out & I was so excited to see on my googlereader that WishWishWish's Carrie featured eighty8's feather headband on her latest entry! Since her blog is absolutely adorable, I decided to send a necklace for Carrie to use as a giveaway, which will go to one lucky commenter on her blog within the next five days. So if you'd like the necklace, go go go and comment! :)


I was shocked to see all of the positive feedback. It is an indescribable feeling to see complete strangers say such kind things about your creations. I can't even explain how nice people can be. It really motivated me to keep doing more and trying harder. My heart is smiling so hard.


Thanks again Carrie! And if any of you haven't checked out her blog, DO IT. She is from England, so stylish and creative with such a successful blog.

PS: I mentioned last night how I fell in love with the 80's movie The Big Chill and it's soundtrack. (vintage Kevin Kline is so hot) So I decided to gather a bunch of my favorite songs from the movie & make an Imeem playlist for myself, but also I want to share it on here. Tonight i'm going to watch the Devil and Daniel Johnston!

the big chill

fishy boy

this past christmas I recieved a fish eye lense for my camera from my brother. I really have not used it that much since summer started (i really should.) but I was just looking through old fish eye photos from this past winter & decided to post them.

ps: i just watched The Big Chill and i'm in love with everything about it.