In A Perfect World...

I've said it before and I'll say it again

I'm a dreamer.

I like to look at Pinterest and Tumblr and blogs and imagine my life in the footsteps of others. I've gotten past the "wanting to be her" mentality and more towards the "that'd be really cool to love life and live that way," which I think is healthier. But, when life starts to stress me out I like to live vicariously through others for a minute. 

I thought it'd be fun to gather up some of my favorite re-pinned pictures and make a little

"in Sarah's perfect world" story

So here's me. In my perfect world I'd be classy and graceful like Kate Middleton. I'd have a beautiful ring and a rockin' bod. I'd be able to take fashion risks and be confident even in the public eye.

I'd be married to a super hot guy. Chuck Bass, anyone? He'd dress classy and fratty at all times. And each morning we'd wake up snuggled up with our dog and not a care in the world. 

Our home. It'd have beautiful curb appeal.. worthy of random people taking its picture. I'd have a waterfront view and the city in the distance. I'd be able to walk to work on the quiet city streets as the sun rises. There'd never be any traffic and I'd never be running late or in a hurry. Just city city streets, a coffee to go, and my thoughts. 

And we'd vacation all over the world! To some of my favorite places- Paris, Amsterdam, the beach. Any holiday we'd take would be spectacular.

... and end fairy tale. 

It's fun to daydream a little bit. And, as perfect as that sounds, I couldn't live in a world that perfect.

But it's fun to dream.

& the pictures are fabulous!

Sacrifices and Scapegoats

The last thing I expected to get from a Gossip Girl episode was deep thoughts about life and relationships. It's the episode where Dan reveals to everyone that the book he wrote was not only by him, but about them. The reactions depicted in the show were very real and I'm sure that I'd react similarly to that kind of news. The thing is, he used his creative license to take reality and change it. Dan wrote about the world he lived in, but he emphasized the bad. 

He took a very realistic view of the Upper East Side world.

Obviously, he wrote as he needed to and he took a hit from the exaggerations in his writing. His friends felt betrayed and his father felt as if he were a waste. Blair's engagement was almost ruined and Nate took offense to the fact that he didn't even get a full character in the book. On the surface, this whole episode is full of tense moments and irony. Taking a deeper look, though, I think we can all learn from Dan's experience.

The thing is, there are going to be times in our lives where we're going to have to act as a scapegoat. We are going to have to put ourselves out there to be slaughtered in order to advance who we are. Whether artistically or academically, these moments will show us who are true friends are. They're the ones who will understand that their embarrassment or failure (for lack of better words) in the eyes of someone else is what allows for others to progress. This fact is deep and terrifying, but oh so true.

Just think, even Jesus acted as a scapegoat. He had to be shamed and embarrassed for the continuation of mankind. His sacrifice led to bigger things in the scheme of the world. In the case of Gossip Girl, the superficial Upper East Siders had to be sacrificed for Dan. In the big picture, who they are portrayed as in an artistic book that only a select audience will read, it doesn't really matter. And, that's something I'll have to remember when I'm put in either position: the scapegoat or the killer.

Growing up and advancing in a career or school is something that any person striving for success will have to do. To be on top, someone's got to be taken down. I'm not saying that I'll take personal attacks on people like Dan did, but there will be advances made. American society thrives off of competition and there's no way around it. So, when you are in this situation just remember to think it through. Is the tearing down of one person going to matter in the big scheme of life? Can this be a commensalistic relationship, where one person benefits and the other really doesn't suffer much at all?

I can't tell you how I'll react.

But I pray that it is with grace and poise.

Top Five: February 2013

In celebration of my least favorite month coming to an end, I bring you my February favorites! These  five favorites cover a wide range, and have become a part of my daily life. Here we go...my February favorites!

1. Gossip Girl

I'm sure you could have guessed that, but seriously. Gossip Girl has become my new obsession and has become a part of every aspect of my life. From my love of Blair, to the way I dress and style my hair, to the books I read, I am inspired by the GG storyline. It grabs you and takes you with it, and I dare you to try avoiding it! I even received a hand-me-down from my cousin yesterday that, though she has no idea about my GG obsession, it fits right in: she gave me a Yale t-shirt that has been passed down for many years. I'm pretty sure I never want to take it off! 

2. Pistachios

This may be the weirdest favorite, but it's so true! I make this low-carb mix of pistachios, almonds, and dark chocolate chips, and it is a life saver! I talked about my Six Week slim down, and this is my little secret! Between this and my tea, I can satisfy my sweet-tooth, salty food craving, and keep to my diet. They aren't low in calories, though. I have to be careful with the amount I eat. But they are filling and oh so yummy!

3. Clinique Mascara

I've been a huge huge fan of Clinique products for the past few years. They aren't harsh on my skin at all, which is perfect because I'm not prone to acne or anything like that. It keeps my skin looking fresh and radiant! (ahh!) Lately though, I've been loving their makeup, which is just as perfect for my skin. Having red hair, my eyelashes a very light. Having the skin of a redhead, it's very easy for my eyes to look way too made up with minimal makeup because it looks so harsh against my light skin. The Clinique High Impact mascara is perfect! It darkens my lashes, but looks natural and not clumpy at all! And, major plus, it's waterproof!! I have a feeling that this will be my go-to for quite a while. 

4. Amazon

So, we all know that I have a serious online shopping problem.... Amazon does not help. At all. Of course I've used Amazon before this month, but never like this. It seriously has everything! All in one place. It's like Pinterest: it sucks up so much time and can leave you feeling like you need to buy and try all these new things. But with Amazon, it's all so readily available and can be on your doorstep in 3 days. And they're working towards same day delivery?! I'll never leave my home again..except to show off all of my new purchases, of course!

5. Pandora

Okay, I am not new to Pandora in any way. I way overused it when it first became popular, but then it fell off my radar. Until this month, that is. Pandora has seriously stepped up their free music and I've found a way around having to use the "skip" to skip a song...twice as many skips and hour! wooo! When I'm at home, pandora is what I constantly listen to. It's introduced me to so many incredible artists, all for free! Being the happy customer that I am, I'd like to see what ad free listening is like. and for only $3 a month, it's really not that unreasonable. The only thing that could make it better would be if it didn't suck up so much data and I could use it when I don't have wifi.

There you have it! This month has been surprisingly pleasant. I took a few personal days but worked more than usual, too. I made some new discoveries as well as reintroduce myself to the old. I'm welcoming the arrival of March, spring break, the sun, and the final months of my senior year! 

I can't wait to find next month's favorites!

WWBD?

What Would Blair Do?

By Blair, I mean THE Blair Waldorf. (Has my Gossip Girl obsession gone overboard?) The fabulous, scheming, Blair. The Queen. Whatever it is you know her by, you must know what I mean by WWBD?

While Blair isn't always the most pragmatic or kind, she possesses a sense of self-worth that I envy. She expects much of herself and those around her. So much so, in fact, that she appears standoffish because of these expectations. When matched with someone of her same power, she becomes loving and kind. She is constantly striving for perfection in her world and the world of others in a way that I find amazing. Of course, I am not a Blair in anyway. I'm quite the opposite: opinionated but quiet, a perfectionist but with less than perfect expectations of others. I strive to be more like Blair. I want to see the potential in all people; instead of seeing who they aren't, I want to see who they could be. I want to have a power like hers. I doubt I'd use it in the same way, but I'd like to have a taste of her authority. But enough about her crazy personality..what about that closet?!

If I could pull off half of the outfits Blair wears, I'd be perfectly content with my life. Blair is always polished to perfection and girly as can be. Her prep school uniform was always presentable and her hair always held back with one of her signature headbands. While Blair may not be your favorite GG character, (Serena was mine all through the books), I think there's a part of every girl who wishes she has been a part of Blair's group. 

Whose shoes would you like to step into for a day...or lifetime?

Reading List: Water for Elephants

After countless recommendations, WfE has received the coveted top spot on my Kindle and I couldn't be more excited! I went into this book skeptical- I had only heard that it was a good movie about a circus. Literally nothing more. It had really good ratings on GoodReads, so I figured I'd give it a try. I have been more than pleasantly surprised.

The book, while about a circus, is much deeper than just that. There is love, tragedy, and a real sense of loss due to the depression. There are struggles and fights, stress and tears. It's obvious that the author really took the time to research the time period and the circuses of the day. This book really sucks me into the time period, which is something that I've had a hard time finding since the beloved Harry Potter books. 

The worst part about finding a book so enjoyable is the lack of time I have to read. Between school, work, and extracurriculars, I've lost almost all sense to self. Any down time I have, I want to just be lazy and watch GG. I guess I could be reading during that time, but it's so hard when every GG episode ends with a cliff hanger (every SINGLE one!!!!!). But, I have been trying to spend more time reading and it's very enjoyable and relaxing. Water for Elephants is a great read to escape my crazy busy life and get caught up in someone else's world.

Even though it's taking me a while to read, don't let that scare you away. If you love a good read I'd definitely recommend WfE. You won't be disappointed!

A Girl's Best Friend

I'm not really the kind of girl who opens up and gets super close with a large group of girls. For me, girls are hard to trust... except for those few who I know have my best interests at heart. It's so incredibly hard to find great friends in high school, in my opinion. The friends you made in eighth grade are suddenly so different junior year. The girls you meet freshman year probably get sucked into the party scene by junior year. I've come to the conclusion that the summer between sophomore and junior year is the year that everything and everyone changes. It's true for me, at least.

That summer was one of the worst summers that I can remember, but it led to great things. I remember feeling so lonely that year. I was growing up and excited to start focusing on my future. Everyone else was discovering the parties that the senior class was throwing. All of my girlfriends became these monsters, and I didn't want that to happen to me. It wasn't until my final week of that summer that I met my best friend.

I'll refer to her as LEM, and you will probably hear about her a lot. She is the most wonderful person to come into my life thus far. While I can't understand why she doesn't like science or reading (I guess she's just not a nerd like I am), we share a love of monograms, Gossip Girl, and just being crazy! She is the perfect compliment, and sometimes contrast, to me. I can't imagine what my life would be like without LEM. She is my go-to girl, who never judges me for my crazy ideas and is 100% supportive of pretty much anything I propose. I believe that every girl needs her LEM.

Show your LEM some lovin' today!

Xoxo, Gossip Girl

So, don't laugh at me when I tell you my plans for tonight. While it's Friday and I could be out doing just about anything, I'm going to relax on my couch, do some online shopping, and watch Gossip Girl. I know, most lame senior ever award belongs to me! But, after weeks like this one, the couch and Netflix are just sucking me in!

I am well aware that Gossip Girl is in no way a reality for the majority of the world. (a girl can dream, can't she?) I don't like that I like the show. Trust me, it sucks up so much of my time! But, I think it might be a slight addiction. Even since I found GG on Netflix, I've been watching the show from the beginning season. It's incredibly different from the books, which I loved. That's not to say that I don't love the show. I might have a slight crush on Nate Archibald. eek! No matter what I do, I live for these 45 minute episodes that allow me to escape the hectic world that I live in and live vicariously through Blair and Serena... or B & S. :-)

I absolutely hate the cold. Big cities, while I love them, creep me out a little bit. And I'd hate living in an apartment (although the penthouses are quite lavish)... But Gossip Girl has me wanting to try out living in the Big Apple and taking prep to a whole new level- prep school. 

How can you resist this?