Thoughts for Tuesday, v.11: Free Write

Honestly, I'm really stressed out - no apparent reason either other than getting into the habit of my internship and still not being able to figure out whether I'll be studying abroad during fall or spring, if at all. I can't think of a controversial topic or anything thought provoking. No, here's another personal post.

My room is such a mess and I have my artwork piled up everywhere. Though I definitely feel more motivated with creative endeavors, I'm simply too stressed/busy to attempt to go through it and find a place for it all. Seriously, why did I think I'd ever use nearly a hundred mismatched bowls, cups, and other ceramic items?

I have my prom in a little more than a week, and before I go I plan on dying my hair back to its natural color. I'm not even stressed about that, though. One of my best friends is in beauty school, so she can do it for me whenever and it's pretty much just hanging out rather than feeling obligated to make small talk with the hair stylist.

That's another thing: small talk. I'm an introvert. I keep to myself, by nature. I don't share my every though nor do I strike up conversation all the damn time. It's a hassle for me, honestly. I think I've come out of my shell enough where I can talk to people without being crippled by anxiety - or simply text someone to see what's up without getting incredibly nervous - but I'm not the kind of person that talks all the time. I observe, I soak up my surroundings, etc.

With all of that being said, I'd like to take a moment to reflect upon how far I've come in that aspect. You know, my "social life" aka the most important part of high school. I used to sit in all the time wishing I had something to do, despite my comfort being alone sometimes. I think the difference is that I was lonely, not simply alone, y'know? Over this past year and a half I've made quite a few friends... many of whom are merely acquaintances, but I've also gained some solid friends.

Hurrah. I do prefer this feeling over being insatiably bored, but I suppose I'm just trying to explain my absence. I don't think I'm doing a great job though - or perhaps I am, considering how poorly constructed this entire post is. I'm not trying to be critical, but normally I put more thought into writing. Sometimes it's nice to just let the words come to me instead of desperately trying to find them.

Hopefully by next week I'll be back to blogging more frequently. And then the following week I graduate! This is madness. The good kind, of course.

xox Catherine

Weekly Favorites, v. 13: 5/22 to 5/28

Clockwise from top left: Another Day To Dress Up, Natalie Off Duty, Orchid Grey, Polienne


Clockwise from top left: blushing ambition, mode d'amour, La Catrina, This Time Tomorrow

xox Catherine

Five two five

Dress - Free People, necklace - made by me, cuff - antique, shoes - Aldo

I bought this asymmetrical black dress at TJ Maxx. I was on the quest for shoes suitable for prom, but I'm terrible at finding good things in discount stores. Naturally, I didn't even find this myself. But that's whatever, right?

I'm done my internship for the weekend, and I'm itching to go to the beach. Literally every Facebook status on my news feed involves driving down/wanting to go/being there. I'd probably settle for a pool with many friends. I definitely would, actually.




It's weird to me that I'm growing my hair out... I still haven't decided if I want to get it cut in June, but I think I might let it get a little longer for a change of pace. It's been nearly two years since my hair has been this long. But either way, I'm going to dye it one color before prom (so I won't have these roots anymore!) and possibly put in more purple after graduation.



It's a long weekend (yay!) so I'll have plenty of time to catch up on blogging and even squeeze in some adventures. I love, love, love this time of year, in case it's not evident.

Enjoy your weekend! Any cool plans?

xox Catherine

Thoughts for Tuesday: Note

To my dearest, lovely readers:

I just started my internship today, and it's really worn me out. I just woke up from a too-long nap and blahblahblah. I've been submitting even more job applications, and just fixing up a few loose ends.

Due to all of this, I will be (most likely) postponing this week's Thoughts For Tuesday post. Thanks for understanding!

xox Catherine

PS I do have a pretty sweet queue on my Tumblr, though.

Last Day

Jewelry - antique, cardigan - sister's, dress - Billabong, shoes - Aldo

So, I did it. I have to complete my internship, but I'm done classes at high school. Forever. For years I thought this day would never come, but alas, it has, and I even shed many tears. Yeah, me, the girl who tried to remain indifferent to everything, the girl who tried to conceal all emotions while in school. I hugged friends and teachers and went on my merry way.




By now (post-nap and having to lug all of my stuff home) I'm kind of over the whole sentimental part of leaving high school. I mean, for now, anyway. I'll probably have the same song session and cry-fest the night before I graduate. Looking forward to that, of course.




I'm in the market for a new pair of sandals. Actually, two pairs of sandals, if I count shoes I'll need for prom.

I hope you all have a nice weekend!

xox Catherine

Close your eyes, and it's passed.

Cardigan - H&M, necklace - made by me, dress - vintage, cuff - antique, shoes - Aldo

So, today (Thursday... I've lost track of the days this week) is my school's annual art show and was the second to last day of high school for seniors. My mind is occupied on the first event, but surely, after the show, and especially when I'm tearing down all of my hard work, I'll feel it. That high school is over. I know it's really not a big deal, at all. I mean, I was barely phased by starting high school. I haven't put much effort into my studies here, even though I was recognized at an awards ceremony for an "outstanding contribution". Whatever that was.

"High school seemed like such a blur. I didn't have much interest in sports or school elections, and in class I dreamed all day of a rock and roll weekend." - Social Distortion

No, I didn't first hear that song through Guitar Hero, though I'll admit it was always my first choice to play. I first heard that songs years after my first exposure to Social D, while in a friend's car on a warm summer night. It was the summer after seventh grade.

I'm just amazed that the time has passed so quickly. But then again, it felt like the end would never come.




Needless to say, I'm feeling a little ambivalent about this whole high-school-ending-and-possibly-not-seeing-many-of-my-classmates-ever-again thing. Despite my apathetic attitude I held most of the time, I'm probably going to cry. Weird.




Anyway, I should be leaving for the show very shortly. I'll be sure to take photos of my wall that I've put together!



Also, I'm thinking of finally telling people I know (besides a select few) about my blog. I mean, what are they going to do, judge me? Maybe I'll gain a few new photographers. Ha. I'm silly

I hope all is well.

xox Catherine

Thoughts for Tuesday, v.10: Male vs. Female Fashion Designers

"Men are often better designers for women than other women... Of course there are many more gay male designers. I think we are more objective. We don't come with the baggage of hating certain parts of our bodies... Sometimes women are trapped by their own views of themselves, but some have built careers around that. Donna Karan was obsessed with her hips and used her own idiosyncrasies to define her brand." - Tom Ford

Despite fashion being something frequently associated with a fancy of women, it is arguable that men dominate the field as designers, photographers, and in some cases, even models.

Some say that men (gay men in particular) are simply better for this industry. If one looks at a list of winners of the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards from years past, it is evident that male designers prevail. This year, the Womenswear Designer of the Year award nominees include Alexander Wang, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez (the duo at Proenza Schouler), and Marc Jacobs. The Swarovski Award for Womenswear nominates Joseph Altuzarra, Prabal Gurung, but only one female team (Mary-Kate and Ashely Olsen at The Row). Similarly, all menswear nominees are indeed men.

All nominees are talented designers, but it is illustrated that the proportion of prominent designers is not equal among both genders, despite that fashion school students are mostly female (usually 85 to 95 percent). Of course, this could be influenced by a variety of things, from the fact that professional women have only climbed to the top relatively recently, Anna Wintour's alleged preference of male designers, or the camaraderie between men as opposed to the perceived rivalry between women.

But what about highly influential female designers - Coco Chanel? Miuccia Prada? Donna Karan? Kate and Laura Mulleavy at Rodarte? And a personal favorite, Stella McCartney? These women are not just female designers, though. They stand alongside their male peers, equally. It's ridiculous to say that only male designers have achieved success.

Compared to other industries, fashion is accepting of and accessible to women, but there's still a handful more men that get ahead. I have no idea if "things are changing," nor does there seem to be any evidence that there is a disparity (thus no suggestion that the gap is lessening).

What are your thoughts?

For more reading, check out "In Fashion, Who Really Gets Ahead?" by Eric Wilson.

xox Catherine

PS I've become obsessed with Tumblr. You can check mine out here.

Late

Top - sister's via Urban Outfitters, cuff - antique, jeans - Delia's, shoes - Aldo

Apparently, I had a thing for white last week. I guess that's not surprising, judging by my most recent weekly favorites post. White supposedly isn't the most flattering color, but I do think it can be very flattering, actually. However, these jeans? Not so much, considering they're approximately three sizes too large in the leg yet one size too large in the waist. I'm thinking it's time for a new pair, since I really do love white jeans.




Keeping my fingers triple crossed that I'll land one or more of the jobs for which I sent in resumes. I have really terrible luck when it comes to finding a place to work - in the rare event that I even get an interview after following up on my application, they usually end up telling me that they made a mistake and were hiring for a different position/schedule. Whereas some of my friends are hired on the spot, and have employers contacting them initially, and so on.

There's currently a sun shower (at 7pm, I love springtime and consequently, life) and I'm planning on making a strawberry rhubarb pie with the several pounds of strawberries that mysteriously appeared at my house. Oh, and I'll use the humongous food processor I just uncovered... no more hassle of manually mixing pie dough! I'm thrilled.

xox Catherine

In my mind, I'm having a pretty good time with you.

Necklace - thrifted, tshirt - Wildfox, dress worn as skirt - Target, boots - Doc Martens

I feel strangely clever for this outfit. From a first glance, it's borderline demure though certainly fresh, but upon further inspection my boots are plaid and my hair is purple. What a twist. Not in the black combat boots + pink floral dress way, since the 90's took care of that. I know I'm doing anything novel, but I felt pretty damn fun wearing this.

If it weren't so palely shaded, I'd deem this suitable for frolicking. Alas, it's white and off-white. And I'm terrible at removing stains from clothing.




I guess since I felt so "fun" the jumping photo is obligatory. Clearly, I don't mind making a fool of myself online. Just kidding, kind of - jumping photos aren't foolish. They're cool in my book.




Please excuse any grammatical errors in this post... it's approaching 1am (scheduled post) and I'll probably forget to edit it post-sleep. Who am I kidding, I never edit my posts!

xox Catherine

5/9/11

Jewelry - mostly antique, dress - vintage via flea market, shoes - Aldo



Surprise, surprise - I've dyed my hair! It's something I've been contemplating for a while, but the idea of using bleach made me nervous (even with a low vol. developer) and I wasn't too sure I'd end up liking it. Of course, now I'm wishing I were a bit more liberal with the bleach so I'd have more of this purple hue in my longer-than-usual locks. I'm surprised at myself for letting my hair get this long.




I wanted to wear something relatively simple with it. I'm not going to plan outfits based on my hair, but there were a few motivating factors behind the plunge and I wanted to embrace it. That probably made no sense whatsoever.

It's getting to the time where everyone at my school is discussing prom nonstop. Aka it's prom season. And I'm partaking. I'm still secretly hoping it'll be just like every 90's teen movie, most of which feature a prominent school dance, it seems... but of course, that's a little silly of me. It's still funny to me that people stress about it so much when it's not the biggest-event-ever.

I am pretty excited to wear a fancy gown, though.




I hope everything is well in your life!

xox Catherine

Thoughts for Tuesday, v.9: Oh, she deserved it for dressing like that...

I'm in the middle of studying for my psych final, which is actually inspiring my thought process. Yet again, I haven't planned anything to write for this week's post. So this helps.

My blogger friend Alex addressed receiving attention for dressing in a manner that skews from common attire. (You know, flowy skirts and blouses instead of microminis and tank tops.) Such attention can range from stares, to glares, to compliments, snarky remarks or blatant insults. Yeah, it happens, whether from female or male observers.

I choose not to be a victim of this type of negativity. My high school is relatively small, and I firmly believe that the majority of my classmates will not matter to me in the future. If for whatever chance they do, it's not as if what I wear now will have much influence then. Bitter questions about why I'm so dressed up - in a tshirt and skirt, no less? Whatever. So I wear what I damn well please, within the boundaries of what my closet has to offer, of course.

One of such negativity's different facets, however, hits a little harder. There's the common perception that females are catty and malicious, whereas the male population is incredibly perverted. I generally eschew these opinions, but it's shockingly common for my peers of both sexes to justify sexual harassment stemming from clothing.

A girl is wearing a low-cut top, so she must be seeking male attention or conforming to the male gaze? I don't know. I'd like to believe she's dressing in a way that's self-satisfying, but as we know, that's not always the case. Regardless, wearing a certain type of clothing does not warrant sexual harassment. Ever.

No one's body is public property, though society often treats a female's body as exactly that. It's too usual that someone will remark on how a woman should expect to be treated inappropriately if she's dressed revealingly.

Yet it's not limited to skin-tight, skin-showing garments. A few months ago, a guy made a comment about my crew-neck tshirt related to my breasts. So I spoke out within the class, and an ally of the harasser defended him, suggesting I was making it up and that I shouldn't wear such clothes if I don't want to hear such things. (Trust me, I fired back.)

Clearly, misogynistic attitudes hold strong among others. This is going to sound completely cliche, but you can change that. Guilty of calling a girl a slut for wearing a short skirt? Try to stop. Hear someone say "she deserves it"? Speak up.

xox Catherine

PS Due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to cancel the giveaway I previously posted. I'm terribly, terribly sorry for this.

On Friday

Cardigan - sister's, necklace - thrifted, tunic - Plenty by Tracy Reese (via my sister's closet), skirt underneath - Lulu's via Beso.com, cuff - antique, shoes - DIY

I have to admit, I was rather proud of myself for putting this outfit together in just a few minutes. I wanted to wear these shoes, so I looked through my closet to no avail, then scoured my sister's recently refilled closet and came across this tunic/too-short dress. Solution? Wear a skirt underneath! I guess it detracts from the casual beachy vibe of the tunic, but it's wearable and dare I say, personalized.




And then there's these shoes, formerly clunky 90's platforms, transformed into a pair of Miu Miu knockoffs. Hurrah. My peers stared in either amazement or disgust. Hurrah, high school.

In the middle of this little photo shoot, I received some unfortunate news. I'm trying to stay optimistic about it. Because, you know, I have no other option.

At least it's the weekend! School is over so soon, it's weird. Anyway, I hope you are well!

xox Catherine