May 5, 2011

Location: Bogota, Colombia

Weather: Sunny (Honestly, make up your mind!)

Mood: Excited!!!

I love days like today. Love, love, loooove them. The day before the trip is almost as exciting as the trip itself. It is very important that you make a checklist with everything you have to pack, clothes, meds, makeup, work, everything else… second, don’t lose the checklist. Ok, so maybe I’ve misplaced mine, but I have so much on my mind… plus the cold’s got me all drowsy… so technically it’s not my fault. Anyway, the most important thing I have to take with me right now is my memory stick. Without it I can’t do my homework, or my blog for that matter… You didn’t think I was going to abandon you just because I’ll be sitting by the pool sipping pink lemonade or watching fireworks at Magic Kingdom did you? So, apart from what I need to pack... what else was on my checklist… oh yes, I have an appointment to wax and get a mani-pedi which I mustn’t forget, and I need to pack my glasses if I plan on driving of I’ll run someone over and get fined and put in jail and… ok, it’s also important not to get ahead of yourselves when planning a trip. It is important to keep calm and poised, ad… OH MY GOD I’M GOING TO DISNEY TOMORROW! I mean I’ve been to Disney, a couple hundred times, but still… who doesn’t love Disney… it’s so magically and pretty and the pretzels… I love the pretzels… back to reality, I still have a lot to do before tomorrow, (did I pack my passport? Oh God where’s my passport... s**t!!!)  And I’m actually running a little late so I have to run. Did I tell you I’m getting strawberry nails to match a really cute hair scrunchy my mum bought me just the other day…? I’ll paint them red and then paint cute little green blobs on the tips and tiny yellow dots. Sooo cute! So, before I forget what this blog is really about, (I’m so excited I can’t even think straight) I’m wearing my not-so-black-anymore jeggins, my lucky white tee and a gray cardigan on top. I’ve decided to accessorize it a little by wearing really long ballerina leg warmers over the jeggins (just over the knee). They’ll keep me warm and they look really cool.  And, since I’m going for the urban ballerina look, I’m also wearing my ballerina flats which I’ve had since forever so they’re really cute and comfy. As I look at myself in the mirror I feel quite pleased about what I see… very chic, cold and all ;) OMG is that the time? I’m sooo late!! I’m going to be so dead soon! Or as the weird Alice in Wonderland white rabbit would say: “I’m late, I’m late, I’m late! I’m late for a very important date. No time to say hello, goodbye… I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!!!” – Rx. 

May 4, 2011

Location: Bogota, Colombia

Weather: Cloudy… again

Mood: Worried….

How on heaven’s name am I going to fit all this in there? I seriously believe my clothes get puffier at packing time. I’m sure I’m not taking that much stuff, just a couple of things but it looks as if I were taking my whole wardrobe with me. Ok, so… I’m taking my knee-length flower skirt to go to Tampa because I’m going to see my Uni’s campus and I can’t go looking like a crazy tourist, right? I’m taking my Forever 21 pink maxi skirt for the evenings because if we go to the cinema I don’t want to freeze to death. That’s all as far as skirts go. Now shorts: I need shorts to go to Disney, I mean what else am I supposed to wear? So a pair of black shorts from H&M, perfect because they don’t get dirty after sitting in ride after ride after ride… right? My Abercrombie denim shorts because I can’t wear the same black pair of shorts every day. Besides, denim goes with everything… and then there’s my pair of royal blue shorts from Zara to go shopping or whatever. I mean the temperature is really high in Orlando right now. One little stripy romper from Forever 21 that hardly takes up any space, a couple of bikinis for the pool, a pair of slip on mint shoes for walking, a pair of gladiator sandals for the heat, 2 handbags, and a couple of tees. Ok maybe a bit more than a couple… more like… eight? Seriously, I’m going for 10 days! 8 t-shirts is pushing it to the not-that-many limit. So that’s settled. Underwear, makeup, basic necessities… and it all adds up to 19 pounds… I’m allowed 50 pounds… I’ll be fine. Sometimes I think I worry too much… still, I have to fit it all in… and do all my homework… and go pick up like a ton of packages that arrived for me yesterday (including the whole “friends” series yay!) My cold isn’t any better but never mind, it’ll have to go away eventually. I slept all day yesterday so at least I’m not tired, right? Besides, packing is a tricky business… you have to make sure you take everything that is essential while not packing things you DON’T need and while not forgetting anything at home you might need during your trip. Like my stupid textbook which is a couple of pounds extra weight in my luggage that I wasn’t counting on… Never mind. I still need to wear something warm today though, I don’t need this flu business to get any worse. So I’ve decided I’m wearing a black v-neck tee with a really warm, lumpy Ralph Lauren sweater that ‘ve had for ages and jeggins to make the packing a bit more comfortable. Black boots to keep my feet warm and yesterday’s chunky gray scarf, and I’m all set. Packing time begins: NOW. – Rx.

May 3, 2011

Location: Bogota, Colombia

Weather: Cloudy

Mood: down, down, down...

I haven't felt this bad in ages... I’m seriously considering moving somewhere warm where it never rains. I might die of heatstroke (I don’t do heat too well) but at least I wouldn’t be in bed with a stupid cold because of this ridiculous weather. One day it’s sunny, one day it’s cloudy. Both days it pours down with rain, sun or no sun. It’s ridiculous. Worst part is I have sooo much studying to get done, and I don’t feel like doing anything except sleep all day. I’ve always wondered why colds and flus get so much worse in the evening… In any case, I barely got any sleep last night. Between the headache, the high fever and the fact I can’t breathe through my nose so I have to breathe through my mouth AND that developed into a horrible throat ache, well, I didn’t get much sleep. So I’m in a bad mood, with small, sleepy eyes and wondering if I’ll feel better by Friday. Still, I have Disney to look forward to, although I still have to sort out what it is that I’m taking with me. I’ve put all the possible options on my couch. Now I just have to start to cross things out, which in my honest opinion, is the hardest part of all. I mean how are you supposed to pack light when you have no clue what you’ll want to wear? That’s the whole point of tee shirts: they’re cheap and they come in millions of colors and textures and shapes… so you can have quite a few and pick out the one you feel like wearing on that specific day. It's silly, really. Anyway, I might start to do that later if I feel any better. I’m not going anywhere today so I picked out a stay-at-home outfit. I could stay in my PJs all day but my mum says I’ll feel better if I get dressed. So I’m wearing a pair of black leggings with a scruffy, very old white tee from H&M and a three-sizes-too-big black sweater which I love to pieces. I’m also wearing a very chunky scarf because there’s a draft in my house due to all the open windows (mum says the house has to ventilate or I’ll give them all the flu) So… here I am, all dressed up in warm clothes… Oh God, please make me feel better tomorrow... For starters Man United is playing against Schalke04 and it’s the definitive game for them to pass to the Champions final, and I don’t want to miss it due to Tylenol Cold overdose. Second, I really, really have to get all my work done before Friday; I want a weekend of joy and piece, not of work stress. Finally, I really need to pack or my boyfriend will get all cross because I’ve left everything for last minute and we’ll miss the plane because I’ve forgotten to pack something crucial and insist we have to go back and…! Anyway, I need to pack. I’ve even got a check list and everything. For now however, it’s warm tea and back to bed… -Rx. 

May 2, 2011

Location: Bogota, Colombia

Weather: Sunny but it’ll probably rain later

Mood: mah…

I don’t feel so good. I think I’m coming down with a cold, which is highly inconvenient considering I’M GOING TO DISNEY OF FRIDAY!!!! I’m so excited I woke up extra early. Well, that and the fact I couldn’t really sleep because I can’t breathe through my nose. Anyway, it’s a nice sunshiny day and I really, really hope it stays that way. Not only for my sake but for all the millions of people who are victims of the rough winter that is slowly destroying our country… last time I read the newspaper there were 3’120,300 victims, approx. So please, please don’t rain. We need sunshine in order for all the water to dry up and all the people to be able to start over. Speaking of which, if anyone wants to contribute to helping the victims of this winter disaster, there’s web page you can donate money for the cause:
https://pagos.conexioncolombia.com/detalle_proyecto.aspx?ProgramID=330
If you prefer not to donate money, you can also go to the Red Cross headquarters and donate all kinds of stuff such as clothes in good state, blankets, sheets, sanitary needs (toothbrushes, soaps, etc.) You can also donate non-perishable goods such as rice, lentils, sugar, beans, salt, sugar, coffee… You know what I mean. It’s for a good cause people! I’m going to start the day by dedicating today’s outfit to the cause too! So I’m wearing my new blue top with these gorgeous yellow flats I bought in Portugal. You know, those shoes have quite a funny story behind them because we weren’t supposed to be shopping- we were sightseeing. We had spent the day at Fatima and we were looking for somewhere to eat – it was really weird because from 2:20PM ‘till around 7 no restaurant is open… So we finally arrived at this small town by the sea with the most gorgeous little streets and we found a great fish restaurant and everybody was happy. My dad was knackered, so he said he was gonna get a little shut-eye in the car for 15 minutes, so my mum and I wondered of through the small streets just browsing around… We walked into this really quaint shop, you know those that sell all kinds of stuff like postcards and souvenirs and tee shirts and… shoes? Who would have ever thought… so I walked over to the rack of shoes, just to get a better look while my mum bought souvenirs for people at home, and there they were. A pair of yellow flat shoes. The funny thing was, since it was such a small shop, they only had one pair in each size and guess what? The yellow shoes fit me like Cinderella’s glass slipper. Now, I thought, we need to find out how much they cost. This is a thing I do: when I don’t know the price to something I really like, I tell myself “I won’t buy them if they cost over something- and then I set a top price for myself depending on the object- I mean of course I’m willing to pay more for shoes than for a lousy I HEART PORTUGAL t-shirt, right? I do that too when I go shopping, I promise myself I won’t spend more than a limit amount, and I usually stay within my budget. Anyway, back to the shoes. I walked up to the till lady and asked her how much the yellow shoes were (hoping desperately she wouldn’t say 200 Euros. “Hmmm let’s see” she said. “These yello’ shoes… ten Euro’.” What? 10 EUROS FOR SHOES? So you can imagine what happened next…  Anyway, to top of my outfit I’m wearing a yellow pull-over sweater from Ralph Lauren that surprisingly enough, I bought in Orlando. It’s nice and colorful (bright colors are very IN this season) and I’ll be very à-la-mode.  Besides, it’s really warm and snuggly, perfect to keep safe from this cold I’m coming down with. I still have a couple of things to do but I’m going to try to stay at home and take care of myself. Last thing I need is to have a fever on the plane. Have you ever gotten on a plane when you’re not feeling well? Well, if you have, you know it ain’t pretty. Actually, I don’t like flying too much. I’m not scared it’ll fall or anything; I’ve been through some really nasty storms and I haven’t really thought I was going to die- which I didn’t- so it’s not really that. It’s more the whole sitting in a flying sausage-shaped object for hours, most of the time next to a complete stranger to whom you either have to ask permission to go to the bathroom, or who keeps asking you! Plane food is terrible, the entertainment system is… well, its ok I guess, and it’s sooo cold in there. On Friday however, none of that will matter because I’M GOING TO DISNEY!!! I’m so happy! Achuuu. God, better take a shower to see if that makes me feel any better, and then get some breakfast inside of me. I need all the strength I can get. Maybe I’ll have a bowl of frosted flakes… after all… they’re GGGGRRRRRRRRRRReat! – Rx. 

Sunday Special - Affordable Fashion

Today I have a little treat for all of you. Every other Sunday I’m going to dedicate my blog to my very own, very personal, (very secret) fashion advice. You know how you browse through magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Glamour, and wish you could afford the beautiful clothes printed on those glossy pages?  Well, today I’m going to prove to you everything is possible with a little imagination. Take Vogue, for example.  I don’t know if many of you know who Anna Wintour is. For those of you who don’t know, she’s the biggest, most important fashion editor of the 20^th century. If you’ve ever seen the film The Devil Wears Prada, she’s Miranda Priestly (I totally love Meryl Streep in that movie, btw.) And I’m not just making that up. The Devil Wears Prada is originally a book written by no other than Lauren Weisberger, one of Wintour’s ex put-upon assistants in Vogue. Wintour is the editor-in-chief of the American edition of Vogue, and has been since 1988. Born in London in 1949, she became interested in fashion as a teenager. Her mother was American and her father British, who by the way was editor of the Evening Standard. Because of her passion for fashion, she always found new ways in which her father could improve the publication of the newspaper by attracting the young British population in the mid 1960's.

After leaving school at age 16, she chose not to go to college and instead started a career in journalism on both sides of the Atlantic, a cruise that finally stopped in New York at the Home & Garden magazine. Not long after, she became in charge of the British Vogue, and finally moved to America after being offered an editor position in the New York Vogue. She has been widely recognized within the publishing industry for its success ever since. Just like one of her predecessor, Diana Vreeland, she has become an icon in the fashion world. Her haircut and her wearing dark sunglasses indoors has become a common image that is deployed along the front rows of fashion shows from most of the top designers in the world.  She has become an institution comparable to the magazine she edits. Acclaimed worldwide for her keen eye for fashion trends and the support she constantly offers to young designers, she has a cold and demanding personality which has earned her the nickname "Nuclear Wintour." However, she is a true genius and I would very much love to meet her one day.

As far as Vogue’s concerned, the clothes that are printed on those pages are a true reflection of the most recognized trends in the world. But if you can’t afford $1,000 Versace pants, (I know I can’t,) you shouldn’t let that defeat your love for fashion. In today’s blog I am going to show you how you can look Vogue-worthy for under $100 dollars. Just sit back and relax, you don’t have to be rich to look absolutely glam! 

      Sudanese-born, Melbourne-based model Ajak Deng looking very chic in a purple maxi-dress and black wedge shoes. Get the complete look at Forever 21 for only $63!

Horizontal lines can be tricky because they can work against you and make you look thicker, or for you, like in this picture where the 21-year-old Argentine supermodel looks very stylish in a A.Y NOT DEAD vest.  

If you're into the whole Barbara Blade look (you know the one from the Lady Speed Stick deodorant commercial) then you'll love this very modern look and the combination of gray with coral which can be worn during the day or in the evening.  

If you're going to the beach for the summer, impress all your friends with this colorful bikini from Victoria's Secret and in the later hours of the day, if it gets a little chilly, you can top it off with a very à-la-mode plaid shirt. 

Polka dots first became very common in Britain at the begining of the 19th century and then became very popular at the end of the 1980's. Wear them today in different sizes without worrying about looking over-dotted! 

If your looking for a more cowgirl-meets-girl-next-door look, you can match a pair of Minnentoka boots with a pink and brown dress and there you have it! It's the perfect outfit to go the the grocery store or to spend the day in the countryside. 

         Finally, we should not forget our heritage and honor our ancestors with this tribal mini dress which paired with bright colored sandals looks perfect for any occasion in the sun!  In the evening you can wear a shawl over it to keep from the cold. 

I hope today's advice has has been useful to all of you and don't foget, all you need is to use your imagination! -Rx 

*All images are taken from April 2011 American Vogue print edition -editor in chief Anna Wintour- and Latinamerican Elle, April 2011 print edition.  

April 30, 2011

Location: Bogota, Colombia

Weather: Sunshine reggae

Mood: Worried

So you know how I mentioned the other day that I use to have all my clothes from Zara but then Forever 21 took over my wardrobe? Yesterday I found out why. It was really sunny outside and I’m stuck at home for 20 odd hours of the day, 7 days a week so I decided I needed a break from work and I went out for a little stroll – and casually my stroll ended up in the shops – what a coincidence! So I wondered into Zara to see what’s new in the world of fashion, and OMG would you look at the price tags! I know Zara is a Spanish label and that there are import taxes to pay and so on, but $80 for a shirt? A SHIRT?!?! Honestly, I don’t remember this shop being so expensive, and it got me thinking… Zara in Spain is like buying your clothes in K-Mart - not that there’s anything wrong with K-Mart, you can find really cute things if you browse long enough… I actually bought these really cute olive green tights there which I should really use more often… Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is, Zara is not a high-end store, now is it? When I went to Spain with my parents I had the greatest time shopping there because everything was so much cheaper. Even to my exchange rate, which makes Euros quite expensive, I was buying clothes for less than half the price that I would get them here. I even have a friend whose mum lives in Spain and when she comes and visits, she brings loads of gorgeous clothes for her daughter. My friend basically just goes to Zara here, looks up what she likes, e-mails her mum like “hey there’s a really cute dress I liked” and her mum buys it for her and she pays her back! But not all our mums live in Spain, so were stuck with the prices they bring to Colombia. Just to prove my point I bought a royal blue v-neck tee (really cute) which cost me $25 UDS (49,000 COP.) I carefully removed the price tag covering the real price which is in Euros and it only cost €6! Convert that to dollars and you get around $9. That’s 36% under the price they sell it here! Talk about overpriced! Anyway, I got a new t-shirt out of it. I then wondered into a small smaller corner shop which caught my eye because they had a “go green” sign on their window display. Things were seriously overpriced, but I soon found out all their money goes to a foundation in charge of the environment and saving the Earth. I bought a little paper weight which I can save for some present I have to give some time or another, but I felt really good about contributing, even just a little on saving our planet. It got to me so much that I planned today’s outfit in favor of pollution awareness. My entire outfit is earthly colors, blues and greens and browns… Colors we won’t be seeing for much longer if we keep polluting like this… Speaking of which… I wanted to dedicate a small slot of today’s blog to remind all you readers out there that the world we live in is our home, and as such we should take better care of it. People pollute and don’t really care about the environment if it doesn’t affect them directly – what they don’t realize is that it does. It’s our planet, and what we do with it is what one day we’ll leave to our children and their children after that, and their children after that, and so on. We pollute the world today, there might not be any of it left in 100 years. Think about it, that isn’t too long into the future from today.

Take a few minute from your time to watch this award winning animated video on global warming, and a small animated video about polar bears discussing climate change. Together, we can all make a difference. –Rx.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9tCenQh3Rw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zo7wTOdc_M&feature=related

April 29, 2011

Location: Bogota, Colombia

Weather: Raining with Sun

Mood: Sleepy head

I’m sooo tired. As probably all of you know, considering it’s hard to ignore, today was a day of celebration for the British Royal Family. Today was the wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, otherwise known as Waity-Katie. She’s known William for over 8 years now, and after several disturbing break-ups, him serving his country, his doubts, her doubts, everyone’s doubts, today, April 29, 2011, they finally tied the knot. Today in a very important day in world history and I had to see it first hand, even if it was via CNN right in the middle of the night… Fortunately my best friend is almost as crazy as I am and we watched it together. So there’s the odd little hiccup that she’s all the way in Spain, but that’s what technology’s for, right? Besides, Kate Middleton got the fairytale ending every little girl wants to have: she married her prince charming and became a real princess. So, in honor of the blue-blood family and the blue prince, I wore blue too. My blue v-neck, low back from Express with my matching blue Tod’s moccasins looks pretty nice.  But I’m not really too fond of smurfs, they kind of scare me all blue and suspicious, so I matched my outfit with a white cardigan sweater from St. John’s bay that I bought in JC Penney last time I went I to Orlando in September. You know what I just realized? Everything I’m wearing today I bought in that same trip. I bought the Express top and the pashmina one day that my boyfriend went off to brows games at a video store; I bought my gorgeous Tod’s at an outlet after my boyfriend convinced me they were worth every penny. At another outlet I wondered randomly in JCPenney and realized I didn’t really have any white cardigans so I bought the one I’m wearing today. Finally, my Coach handbag, now that has a story behind it. Where to start... Every year I fill a piggy bank and at the end of the year I break it and treat myself to something I wouldn’t usually buy. Last year I had collected quite a reasonable amount, so I entered the Coach page to look at the new Poppy collection. I instantly fell in love with a gorgeous pink handbag with 2 hearts on the side. Unfortunately this was way back in February and I wasn’t going to risk buying it online and have it get lost in the post. By the time of the trip, the bag was out of stock. However, there was an even cuter handbag that caught my eye. Full of colors and with a gold strap. It was perfect. It would go with everything I wore. It would brighten up a black outfit. I wanted it. So that was settled, that was the one I was going to buy. However, when I got there it was sold out! I looked everywhere, Coach, Macy’s, the outlets… It was gone. However the Coach shop assistant was a really nice girl called Jessica who saw me so desperate, she looked in her system and there was one left in the whole country! Unfortunately, it was in Hawaii!!!! Lucky for me, she could have it shipped over to Orlando. It took a couple of very long days, but finally it arrived and it was mine. I have never appreciated any other handbag so much. I take very good care of it and use it more than all my other handbags. It’s a real treasure. So, enough about treasures; I’m going out to see what else is out there for me. And to Kate and Will, I hope they have a very happy life together for as long as they both shall live. And congrats on the wedding; it was really worth staying up for! – Rx.

P.S sorry I’m posting this so late, my Internet broke down due to the stupid weather…