Stock Up

I think this past week has certainly caught everyone off guard as far as the weather goes. I knew that this past weekend when it was in the 90's and my skin was definitely not ready to face the blazing sun. Where was all the sunscreen?! I decided to once again stock up on one of my old friends, La Roche-Posay. Anthelios SPF 15 is my life saver. This fabulous non-comedogenic UVA and UVB protection sunscreen uses breakthrough technology such as Mexoryl SX as a sun filter that has been approved by the FDA to help prevent harmful rays. Best of all, there are different types of sunscreen for every type of skin out there! (Thank god, something that won't block my pores for once)

Surprise, Surprise

This week has certainly been full of positives to say the least. The unusually hot weather we're been having, (leave it to NJ to be 45 and 95 in the same week), an easy week in school, and...meeting Amy Astley and Eva Chen?!? No, I'm not kidding about the last one. 

When I last posted about meeting Mary Kate Steinmiller at the Haute Spot last weekend, I had no idea what was in store for me on Friday afternoon when I got a phone call from my friend. I was supposed to be babysitting at 6:30 when I got a phone call from my friend telling me that AMY ASTLEY (my idol), was going to be at the Haute Spot at 5! I thought to myself, "Ok, its 4:08, I have less than an hour to get home, put together the PERFECT outfit, and drive 20 minutes to the mall." AND, I had to be back in town to babysit by 6:30...how perfect (HA!) Somehow I managed to get everything together, but enough about me, let's talk about the real reason why your reading this post.

From now until I'm old, I will never forget the moment I layed eyes on Amy for the first time. It was one of those moments you see in the movies where the nobody girl is standing there (in this case me), and the star walks in and the scene plays in slow motion as everyone in the store watches. Well, in this case, I was the only one watching. So as Amy passed me by, I have to admit, she was everything I didn't expect. She was just like me. Someone who was driven, into fashion and Teen Vogue, and willing to meet and talk to new people. In fact, Amy came over to me and talked to me for 15 minutes. We talked about everything from Teen Vogue, ,to scoring an internship, to fashion, to summer, to high school in general. She was absolutely wonderful in every way possible. 

The story doesn't end here. It wasn't until aboiut a half hour after I had been there that I spotted Eva Chen. As I approached her, she was shocked that I knew who she was. She had just cut her hair into a cute pixie cut with bangs (similar to Amy's hair), and didn't think any fans would be able to spot her....can't fool me! Eva and I chatted for a while about skin care, blogging and once again...scoring an internship. She was so poised and down to earth, I felt 100% comfortable with her.  

Overall, the day was a total tease. It made me want to work for Teen Vogue even more, (if that's even possible!)

University of Green

Look like Earth Day won't just be celebrated today. The U.S. Department of Energy, globalgrind.com, and SmartPower have teamed up in partnership with America's Greenest Campus to find the green college in the United States. The challenge is the first nationwide contest to produce the reduction of carbon, and promote green living at colleges all over the U.S. The best part? The winning college will receive up to $20,000 to "green the campus." Even though the winners won't be announced until October, there's still no time to waste. Spread the word around campus! Visit americasgreenestcampus.com for more details. 

GOOP it up

It looks like Gwenyth Paltrow is extending her horizons these days. Not only does the model, mother, fitness-guru and actress manage to balance all of these masks, but now... a writer? I discovered Gwenyth's website and newsletter, GOOP just recently, and I must admit, she has the inside scoop into NYC life. 

Make, Go, Get, Do, See, and Be are the six categories Paltrow specializes in on her website, and her weekly newsletter focus on different topics or personal anecdotes that matter to her. I was so amazing to read through the different categories and see just how personal Gwenyth got in some of her posts. So do as the website says and "get the scoop from GOOP."

You know you...DON'T love me

My face was almost as stunned as Serena's watching last nights Gossip Girl. Except for the last 5 minutes, I felt like I wasted an hour of my time even watching. Looks like my theory about the CW running out of ideas may be coming true, because things seem a little stale for the life of Constance Upper East Siders. The one part of the episode that did leave me wondering what was going to happen next was what's going on with Chuck. This may sound a little off the wall,  but does it seem as though Chuck might be comtemplating suicide? After his remark to Jenny about, "I won't be here when you try to move in," I couldn't help but feel that he meant it literally. While Dan struggles with college funds, and Serena is (yet again,) in the midst of a romantic frenzy, how will things get sorted out with the next few episodes before summer repeats begin haunting us? CW, I need answers!

Haute Spot

I was absolutely thrilled when I was strolling through the Short Hills Mall on Sunday only to stumble across Teen Vogue's latest pop-up store dubbed the "Teen Vogue Haute Spot." As I anxiously ran up to the store, I was bombarded with girls coming up to me and handing me the latest issue featuring Miley Cyrus on the cover (too bad I already bought a copy as soon as it came out!) As I ventured into the store, I instantly felt like I had stepped into a Teen Vogue magazine. I can only imagine how fabulous the offices must be in the Conde Nast buidling in Time Square, NYC. Being in the store was probably the closest I'll ever come to being in a Teen Vogue office (for now anyway).

 The store is filled with the latest trends hand picked by the editors from stores right in the mall. However, as soon as I ventured into the store, I was 100% star struck when I saw Mary Kate Steinmiller standing right in front of me. Most of the people who walked into the Haute spot probably didn't know who she was, but I instantly walked up to her and said how I was a huge fan and so happy for her success she has achieved at Teen Vogue. Imagine: being an intern for three years, then becoming the Associate Fashion Market Editor all by the age of 24! 

If you happen to live in the Tri-state area, making a trip to the Haute Spot is definitely worth it! Check the Teen Vogue website for the exact days of upcoming events. This weekend Fashion Market Director Gloria Baume will be at the Haute Spot to talk about scoring a job in the greatest industry there is: fashion! You can bet I'll be there front and center on Saturday!

Sea it to believe it

Yesterday, I found my new obsession. As I was walking into work, I instantly noticed a coat rack hanging up in the front of the store filled with the most eye-catching bags I've seen in quite some time. As I approached (more like ran) over to the bags, I instantly fell in love. Sea Bags, as they are called, are made out of old sails that have been, as the company promises "sailed around the world." The more I found out about the bag, the more I began to love it. Each one is custom designed so no two will ever be the same. When you look at the bags up close, they have a distressed look to them, and the white or off white dacron and canvas designs make the bag impossible not to love. The handles are hand-spliced at the shop in Portland, Maine and give the bag an extra nautical feel. Custom make it, or choose one of the adorable designs already available on the website at seabags.com. The price may be a little costly, but I think it's well worth the splurge for something that will last for many summers to come.