marine, lulu's part 3 of 3

photos by the porte-plume.

wearing marine biologist color block skirt courtesy of lulu's, banana republic mint ruffled top, gold embossed clutch from blush, and stelio malori floral pumps from italy.

LULU*Sa final thank you to the wonderful people at LULU*S for sending me this third and final gift, the marine biologist color block skirt. beautiful panels of teal, green, and mustard combined with the perfectly placed pockets and appropriate brown belt? sign me up. this piece combined with the melie bianco green tote and the michael antonio studio gallista platforms was such a wonderful gift from the people at LULU*S. spot on for the spring season! i encourage every single one of you to visit the LULU*S website and take a look around. there is a very wide selection of dresses, tops, bottoms, shoes, and accessories, making it easy for every single girl to find something perfect. thanks again, LULU*S!

in other news? the black keys are still awesome. there was speculation and whispers about 'lonely boy' and lack of appeal, but honestly? they're still the black keys. although i'll always have a special place in my heart for the 'brothers' album, i still enjoy the new stuff. you should, too.if it was realistic to stay that something is yummy for your ears and eyes, i'd vote for that video.
i'm obviously swamped by school because i have no fun and exciting stories to tell you. the good news? i'm making plans for stories. there's no way that my weekends will be clearing up at all before i graduate in may, but forcing myself to make time for new discoveries is necessary at this point. a girl should enjoy the final semester of college. there's a long list of things i've been meaning to try, do, succeed, and fail at...but, i just haven't had the time. time to make time for time. i do know that there are sponsor opportunities on the horizon that i think you all are going to enjoy. including one that may or may not last an entire year. exciting stuff. stay tuned for more!

if you're looking to shop around on LULU*S, use the followingsite-wide coupon code to get 15% off your total purchase:COSMICAROLINEnote: code is case sensitive and is valid for united states andcanadian customers until february 28, 2012. one use per customer.





breathe peace.

neon, lulu's part 2 of 3

photos by the porte-plume.

wearing michael antonio studio gallista platforms courtesy of lulu's, free people crochet cuff henley, hakei pink skinny jeans, pangaea floral bracelet set, target skinny blue belt, dorothy perkins nude clutch, and neon pink scarf made by my swedish grandma.

LULU*Sanother huge thank you to the wonderful people at LULU*S for sending me the stunning michael antonio studio gallista yellow velvet cutout platforms featured above. let's just take a moment of silence for these bad boys. they're seriously gorgeous. i love the intricate laser cutouts with tonal top-stitching, the bright sunshine yellow, and the retro chunky heel. even down to the tiny detail of the tassel zipper pull, these platforms are a statement piece. thank you again to all the wonderful people at LULU*S. i also received a wonderful melie bianco satchel, featured in part 1, which you can see here. go check out LULU*S online shopping website for more gems, the selection is so impressive. stay tuned for the final LULU*S piece coming up at the end of this week!

the only thing on every college kid's mind right now is spring break. most want to travel south for the warmth, margaritas, and bikinis. and despite my love for all things ocean, i'm doing the opposite. i'm headed east with close friends for a week of snowboarding. although i spent the majority of my time sliding through snow on two skis, i don't mind re-visiting the feeling of smashing my face into fresh powder because i'm still an amateur snowboarder. regardless, the leap of faith is exhilarating. almost as exhilarating as the following.who's with me?


if you're looking to shop around on LULU*S, use the followingsite-wide coupon code to get 15% off your total purchase:COSMICAROLINEnote: the code is case sensitive and is valid for united states andcanadian customers until february 28, 2012. one use per customer.





breathe peace.

kelly, lulu's part 1 of 3

photos by the porte-plume.

wearing vintage french striped sailor top, express zig zag banded skirt in stone, f21 floppy hat and black belt, red or dead ingie tights courtesy of tightsplease, target navy blue leg warmers, wedge ankle boots courtesy of zara, and melie bianco terri green handbag courtesy of lulu's.

LULU*S

a huge thank you to the wonderful people at LULU*S for sending me three gorgeous pieces to review. this wonderful melie bianco terri satchel is the first of more to come, and it's absolutely gorgeous. not only is the exterior made of vegan leather, but the gold accents and twist-lock closure are super chic. the signature polka-dot interior is nothing new for melie bianco pieces, and it adds a certain girly feel that's almost necessary in any handbag. this specific shade of green is absolutely perfect for spring. the bag is big enough to hold my laptop and books for class, but small enough that i don't feel weighed down. clean lines, lovely color, and an adorable interior push this bag above and beyond any other tote i have ever used before. thank you again to the wonderful people at LULU*S. such a treat! i encourage you to check out their handbag selection and take a look around, you won't be disappointed! stay tuned for two more LULU*S pieces coming this week!

in other news, i hope you all have been well. i've baking cookies and failing at origami with the porte-plume, freezing at a college hockey game, and getting gussied up to go nowhere. so fresh, so clean can be a success, as long as skinned knees and rolled ankles aren't involved. i blame myself for the six-inch heel decision. i've been giving advice to freshman and thankfully convincing some of them to study abroad, pretending i know how to direct a sports video production, and counting down the days until i'm done being a student. eating scrambled eggs and downing blackberry smoothies to wake myself up isn't cutting it anymore. thank goodness for people you can lean on, laugh with, and grab onto in a time of extreme flailing. that's flailing, not failing. despite the muck, i'm still going strong. only seventy-something days left until freedom. and only two weeks until i'm face-first in fresh powder.

and on a completely unrelated but much more important note, the following is something i wish was more apparent. sometimes i get on my soap box, today is one of those days. the brazilian government has plans to build the third largest water dam in the entire world on the xingu river. this project will divert 80% of the xingu river away from its current location, and the brazilian government, led by president dilma rousseff, refuses to stop at any cost. this means no water for the indigenous juruna and arara people that need the xingu river to survive. the "belo monte monster dam" will require more removal of fertile land than even the panama canal, including the excavation of two canals that are each 500 meters wide and 75 km long. this project will force over 20,000 people from their homes as the forests are flooded and clean water sources are contaminated. the following is short clip from amazon watch, a nonprofit organization that has been dedicated to protecting the rainforest and the homes of the indigenous people in the amazon basin since 1996.

it's almost disgusting how little attention has been paid to the native people of the xingu river. the dam is supposed to provide a solution to brazil's periodic electricity problems, but the project will instead uproot people from their homes, dry up 80% of the river's fertile ground, and release enormous quantities of methane gas into the flooded forest areas.good news? you can help. you can read more about it here, you can sign a petition here, and you can get updates and learn other ways to help by visiting amazon watch and following them on facebook and twitter. over 170,000 people have already joined the movement. stand for something, spread the word.
if you're looking to shop around on LULU*S, use the followingsite-wide coupon code to get 15% off your total purchase:COSMICAROLINEnote: the code is case sensitive and is valid for united states and canadian customers until february 28, 2012. one use per customer.




breathe peace.

five gems

{ little bunny foo-foo iphone 4 silicone cover - enough said }

{ a valentine's gift from the muddah - painted flower bracelet set from pangaea }

{ a beatles tribute alarm clock i picked up in liverpool two years ago with the cupcake }

{ zuzu luxe eyeshadow in espresso, jemma kidd eye colour in season, maybelline masterdrama liner in midnight master, and nars blush in orgasm }

The Kills
Get More:
The Kills, MTV Hive

{ the kills cover of patsy cline's crazy and alison mosshart's pink hair }

there's something to be said about the true grit of rock 'n' roll. it's all i've been clinging to these past couple days. roaming around my apartment at 4 in the morning, mumbling to myself the possible answers to ethics and 20th century poetry prompts, leaning against door frames to hold up my tired back. when you get to a certain hour of the night, sight turns into film. the room darkens at midnight and lightens by the time you feel you've actually accomplished anything. birds begin to chirp outside to remind you that your behavior mimics that of insanity itself, and the realization that you may be the only person awake on your street sinks in as a strengthening and solidifying thought. obviously, you can tell that my whole life is school right now. i find myself highlighting lines that have no use, simply to make myself feel like i'm studying. it's all a distraction that i find completely ineffective. a few more hours and the weekend is here. there's a reason the five gems are important. it's a reminder that despite my inability to raise my eyes to the sun without cringing at the idea of another day of school, there's grass between my fingertips and i can move myself from one place to another. and for that fact, i'm grateful.

breathe peace.