anna sui: spring 2010 rtw

hey dears!

this is anna sui's spring 2010 rtw line -- though i'm guessing you might have known that from the post title. xD i LOVE this line! there are so many excellent pieces!

i love chanel iman -- she's one of my favorite models. she is so pretty! (also, this dress is very spring time. :D)

this outfit looked better backstage than it did on the runway. haha. i'm really in love with that skirt -- grey denim a-line? yes, please!



OHMYGOD THESE SHOES. purple metallic gladiator-esque mid-calf flats. blue metallic gladiator-esque heels? LOVE LOVE LOVE.

the entire line was something excellent -- very floral and boho and spring, with metallic accessories. the sweater cardigans were another favorite -- however, i wasn't that fond of the outfits they were put with. i got these images from style.com, so you ought to check that out, too!

so, how do you feel about these pics? anna sui? anything? haha.

with love,
rachel. <3

one word: drops

(from feb. 25, 2010.)




rain drops on my face;

drink them in drink them in.

they travel along the
plains of my forehead,
the hills of my cheeks,
the valley of my lips.

hitch-hiking to my chin,
where they simply

drop

drop

dr
op.

yellow hippie attackkk! (& what a lovely thursday!)

hello you guys!

happy thursday! today has just been a lovely day; the choir went to district competition and we scored straight ones -- on to state! :) state band competition was yesterday and we scored I, I, II on stage and a I in sightreading, which means a I (superior) overall -- excellence! i'm very proud of the fchs band & choir.

but anyway. my best friend/un-biological sister, anna, and i ran around together after school today. we went to a local consignment shop and tried on TONS; the owners of the shop told me one day they love it when we come in because we dig and hunt for hours. xD anna bought a fabulous floral skirt (for $1!), a lovely brown purse, and a blue sack dress with crochet detailing. i bought a green deep v-neck hoodie, a red and white pinstriped mini, and a teal velvet blazer (for $1!).

and now i'm home, drinking diet snapple peach tea and procrastinating. :)

BUT ANYWAY. outfit time~

yellow shirt is... uh, well, i'm not sure where it's from. belk's, maybe? jeans are american eagle. braided belt is american eagle, as well.



super-skinny bronze & silver bangles are from kohls. blue, pale yellow, green, and red bangles are lucky brand. wooden bracelet was a gift. flower bracelet was bought in chicago from a vendor on the pier (whose name has completely escaped me...).

these are one of my favorite pairs of shoes. they're from target & were $20! i <33333 cheap shoes. not to mention, these are perfect! i've needed brown heels for ages and now i have them! yay. these shoes are amazing. yes.



narcissus needs her close up~
(earrings were a gift from my little brother -- and probably my most-worn earrings! i believe they're from avon.)

with love,
rachel. <3

andrew gn: spring rtw 2010

hey loves!

i'm quite sorry about being so depressive yesterday. like i said, i'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed. today i've been looking through the spring rtw 2010 collections, and i stumbled upon andrew gn's collection.

I WANT IT ALL.

97% of it i would wear without question. that black satin skirt above is so amazing! those black stovepipe pants? simply great. the simplicity of the two looks above is another part of their allure.

the collection was diverse, though, and all of it was brilliant!

see? completely different. i REALLY love this look. i find no faults. the bright yellow tank with tuxedo-bib detailing? gorgeous. floral skirt? feminine. fishnet tights? just sexy enough. strappy green heels? excellent. i'd perhaps add a bracelet & some earrings to tie it all together. perfect spring/summer look.

i love cocktail dresses. these are BRILLIANT! i love the green color of the first one and the cinched waist & strapless neckline. the saturated blue color of the second one is absolutely beautiful, as well as the cinched waist and adorning bow. (do you see a trend? defined natural waistlines and bows... hmm.)

now, you wanna talk dream prom dress? oh, it's this one. it's STUNNING. it's like a perfect, longer mixture of the two cocktail dresses.

may i say i again?
I WANT IT ALL.

oh, also, why am i looking through spring 2010 rtw instead of fall? because i'm sick of cold weather & these looks are much more appopriate for the coming seasons. :D

how do you feel about these looks? a fan of andrew gn? let me know!

with love!
rachel. <3

music!monday -- radiohead & placebo (again).

hello darlings!

it's music!monday~

i've been feeling very down-tempo lately. most of this music is actually pretty depressing. good, but depressing. i think i've been listening to it because i'm so exhausted -- i swear to god i'm running off coffee and willpower sometimes.

anywho, onto the music:



creep -- radiohead. i love radiohead, and i really love this song.



my sweet prince. ah, another placebo song. i can't stop listening to them! this song is so beautiful; it gives me chills. it feels so hopeless and beautiful and it pretty much leaves me beyond words.

so, dears, how do you like the music?

with love,
rachel. <3

one word: confusion.

(from january 5, 2010.)



you looked at me in barely-veiled confusion. "what?" you inquired, repeated.

"i am dying."

"bullshit." you didn't believe me.

i barely believed myself.

your anger was to hide your fear, and your rage at me even thinking of succumbing to death. (though i suppose anger & rage could be considered the same.) however, "everyone dies."

"not us. we are young. we are immortal."

debra porter fashion show 2010.

hey loves!

oh man, i love sundays. 90% of the time they're the one day out of the week i have nothing to do, unless i go to church. today is one of those beautifully lazy sundays. :)

these are the pics from the local fashion show i did a few weeks ago. the store i modeled for has formal dresses, mostly. the majority of these pics are backstage, but i have a few a family friend took of me walking.

i didn't particularly like the way this one fit me. it clung to my torso & was a bit too long. however, everyone else loved it, even if i stumbled in it. xD

the blue ballgown is one i'm considering to wear for prom... isn't it gorgeous?

give me your opinions, darlings!

with love,
rachel. <3

recap: all-state band tryouts. & prepster purple+khakis.

hey dolls!

oh my goodness, what a whirlwind of a week it has been!

we had all-state band tryouts on tuesday. they were... emotional, to say the least. my audition was decent -- my scales were okay, even though i had to play my c scale an octave higher than i'm used to. my prepared pieces were GREAT, if i say so myself -- something just came over me & i've never played the first two that fast or that well in the entirety of me playing them. my third piece was as good as i could have hoped for. but the sightreading... it broke me. i sounded like a fool. in fact, i walked out of that room almost crying. it was so humiliating, especially because i've been working so hard on that!

fast forward to the posting of the chairs -- and more importantly, who made all-state. we were sitting by a table near where they post the results. everytime a paper came, i'd run to the other side of the table, worried sick. there wasn't a chance i had made it, i was sure. however, they posted the flutes, i ran to the other side of the table, and i hear my friend sam say, "OHMYGOD, RACHEL, YOU MADE IT! BLUE BAND!"

i collapsed in the floor, crying on sam's shoulder. i was so amazed and so relieved. nothing beats that feeling of accomplishing that. absolutely nothing.

i ended up making 5th chair district, which means that from our district, i'm the first blue band flute. it's exactly what i made last year. haha. however, this means i have to choose between all-state band and all-state choir. but, honestly, there's really no choice -- i have to do band. it's so much more rewarding because i'm nowhere near as good at playing my flute as i am at singing.

but anyway, i'm pretty sure you're not too interested in all that rambling! i've got an outfit for you -- it's an old one, but i rather like it.

i feel like such a prepster in this outfit! haha. white shirt is generic, khakis are american eagle (and a bit baggy -- i'll have to look for a tighter fit). shoes are from goody's. purple&white scarf is from pac sun.



all bracelets were gifts. the three-layer sphere bracelet is navy, in case you can't tell.



purple shoes! my english teacher rather likes these, which i find quite endearing. i happen to love these shoes as well! they're kinda my trademark.



close up! yes, i'm such a narcisstic person. ;)

comment me dearies! even if it's just something small; i love feedback.

with love,
rachel. <3

auburn honor band recap. & music!monday -- placebo.

hello!

oh my goodness, what a busy weekend i had! auburn honor band was just lovely -- in fact, i think it's one of the best i've ever been to. i made fourth chair in the second band, which was directed by gregg gosslin, the associate director of bands from the university of georgia! i was so excited about that, because i've been thinking about going there. (i've also been looking at auburn, but not as much as uga.) he was very nice, and i talked to him about coming to an honor band uga hosts next october.

we had two people from our school make first chair in the top band, which is a BIG deal. i was so proud of them! another guy (a freshman) made first chair in the second band, and another person in my grade made third chair in the top band. i was a little bummed out to make fourth chair in the second band, but i also came to the realization that i am not the best flutist, which is fine. someone has to fill those fourth chairs, right? :)

auburn was also SO GORGEOUS. it snowed heavily friday (for alabama, anyway) and practice friday was canceled. we went to the campus to play in the snow. i've never seen so many snowmen in my life! there were some cute themed ones: some in bikinis, some with auburn attire. i even saw one with an uga cap! there were plenty of snowball fights as well. some guys i saw had snowBLOCKS as big as my carpet bag purse! it was crazy.

i had so much fun! i roomed with mrs seymour (my middle school band director) and brenna, her daughter. they're such lovely people. brenna's style is also AMAZING. in fact, she's one of my real-life inspirations. mrs seymour is actually one of the main reasons i even got started with honor bands.

everyone was so friendly at this honor band! or maybe i talked more, i don't know. but i had a blast, and if you're in alabama & get the chance to go to this honor band, i highly reccommend it.

also, i have all-state band tryouts tomorrow, so wish me luck! i'm definitely going to need it.

here are some pictures of the snow i got. isn't it beautiful?

& to make this a tiny outfit post, here's what i'm wearing in this pic: loose-knit beanie from forever 21. peacock feather scarf from pac sun, black peacoat gotten as a gift, levi's jeans, & riding boots from somewhere or another. ;)

and don't think i've forgotten that today's music!monday! today i'm giving you one of my favorite songs i've discovered in 2010 -- running up that hill by placebo. placebo is quickly becoming one of my favorite bands. enjoy!

running up that hill. official vid.

the official vid is pretty cool: it's a mash up of fan videos and the singer. i'd check it out if i were you.



it's pretty hard to find a live version of this song i like as much as the studio version, but this one is pretty good.

this song just... kills me. it's so beautiful it makes my heart break.

so. comment me!

with love,
rachel. <3

if you want to destroy my sweater...

... pull this thread as i walk away. ♥

hello lovelies!

today i give you an outfit post before i run off to auburn honor band! an outfit post containing TWO outfits! that's how much i love you guys. :D

before the pics, however, i received some fabulous news today: i made all state choir! :D i'm so happy about it! now if i can do well at auburn & make all state band, life will be wonderful. also, there's a solo i'd like to try out for in my school choir, but i'm not sure about getting it. my best friend, anna, is trying out for it as well, and her voice is just gorgeous. we'll just see! :)

and now that i've sufficiently bored you, picture time!

outfit #1: black sweater + bowling shoes



black sweater is charlotte russe. (i love $10 comfy sweaters.) it has really adorable square pockets on the sides -- you can't see them in pictures, sadly. jeans are american eagle. (OMG NOT LEVI'S!) shoes are rampage. (i also love $30 shoes bought on black friday. :D)



vintage green&rock statement bracelet. my grandmother had this in her closet and she gave it to me. she has some of the most amazing jewelry. those little chunks encased in the bracelet? those are ROCKS. it's such a unique bracelet; i utterly love it. however, the clasp is quite loose on it, so if anyone knows how to fix that, PLEASE comment below & help me out!



my chain & rhinestone earrings. they're just punk enough & just girly enough. perfection? perhaps not, but quite close.



close up! the cameo is from some cheap jewelry shop; can't remember where, though. also, JESUS CHRIST i was unphotogenic that day. xD

outfit #2: yellow&grey + zipper booties



double full-shot!
yellow&grey striped sweater is from pac sun, but i can't remember the brand for the life of me... its the softest sweater i own: it's part cashmere and delicious. it's also quite a few sizes too big. jeans are levi's. booties are zigi soho. silver belt (the picture quality of these are shit, sorry) is from some cheap trend store.



my zipper booties! i love these things; they go with so much, and are so punkbitch and... sexy. xD they're probably a 4-41/2 inch heel, which makes them one of my highest pairs. they're just really fantastic shoes -- i could rave about them all day.



headshot! trio of pearls bracelet is from avon. (i know, it's crazy!) silver bracelet -- which is not very visable here -- was a gift. i'm also wearing the chain&rhinestone earrings.

i'll be without my laptop until sunday, so i suppose i'll talk to you guys next monday! leave me some lovely comments to return to.

with love!
rachel. <3

music!monday -- classic rock: the who & steppenwolf.

hello there!

it's music!monday! turns out that all-state band tryouts were postponed... again. xD so i get to blog after all!

if you watched the super bowl this sunday, i'm sure you saw the who perform the halftime show -- which was pretty awesome, saying they are kinda old. xD so of course i'm going you give you a few of my favorites of the who! (i'll have to be honest, though, so far i've only listened to their mainstream stuff. you'll have to forgive me.)

and for the hell of it, BORN TO BE WILD. <3



although i can't embed the album version, i can give you the AMAZING WOODSTOCK VERSION. :D



baba o'riley. you know that song you can listen to and relate to over a timespan of years? this song is that song for me. it's my everlasting anthem.
i also love the little tape skips in this video, but i guess i'm kinda weird like that.



OMFG THIS SONG IS SO GREAT.
"like a true nature's child
we were born, born to be wild.
we can climb so high,
i never wanna die.
born to be wild."
how great are those lyrics? yeah, definitely one of my favorite songs. it always makes me feel like nothing could come close to stopping me. :D

so! readers, how do you feel about my selections this week? does classic rock suit you? (i will be honest, i can enjoy it, but it's overrated in my opinion. however, that doesn't stop these songs from being tremendously awesome.) comment me! :)

with love!
rachel. <3

blue stripes + black vest. or "omgpirates!" look. & some rambling.

hello lovelies!

goodness, i need to think of better outfit titles, huh? this week has been INSANE, and i'm terribly sorry i haven't blogged much! but it's starting to calm down -- at least a bit. i'll be at all state band tryouts monday evening/night, and i'll be off to auburn honor band thursday though sunday next week, though. ahh, so busy! but anyway.

oh! i "modeled" in a local fashion show this evening. i wore a slinky prom dress, a HUGE fluffy ball gown, and a short party dress. it was my first time, and although i kinda screwed up the first and second times i walked out, i kicked ass with that short dress! mom took a million pics, so i'll post some here... eventually. xD

but anywho! this outfit is the blue stripes + black vest look. OR my "omgi'mapirate!" look. (the way the vest puffs out from the belt and the skinny jeans remind me of a pirate, don't ask.)

oopsie, cut my elbow out. anywho, blue striped shirt is ralph lauren. (it's two sizes too large now, though.) black vest is also lauren ralph lauren. (and also, two sizes too large.) jeans are levis. black flats are surprisingly from avon! yes, the make up company. they have a very adorable ruffle on them which makes them just unique enough. i love those things.



these are the earrings i wore -- my beloved betsey johnson earrings! i wear these all the time. i love betsey johnson; she's one of my favorite designers.



this was my statement piece of jewelry: a metallic flower ring from mark. it's gotten a lot of wear -- it's so versatile! i can wear it with the most feminine of outfits or with a grunge-inspired look.



pic!whore. perhaps if you look closely, you can see my chain & pearl necklace i'm wearing.

if i don't get to blog for a while, i want you guys to know how completely AWE...inspiring you are! (bonus points if you caught my lame-o joke.)

with love!
rachel. <3

music!monday -- all-state choir music + 1980's depeche mode...?

hello!

it's music!monday time again!

so, for the past, oh, five months i've been working on music for all-state choir tryouts which are this wednesday. if you don't know what all-state choir is, it's pretty much where choral singers from all over the state audition to make one of either two state choirs for middle school or one of three state choirs for high school. i'm trying out for SATB high school. i made SATB last year, but personally i find this year's music to be quite harder! but excuse me, i'm rambling.

anywho! today i'm giving you my favorite piece out of what i'm singing for all-state: "african sanctus", arranged by david fanshawe.

today is also the five-month anniversary of me seeing my first depeche mode concert. (i'm obsessed, i swear.) so i'm going to enlighten you with some great live footage of them. :D



african sanctus. this isn't my favorite recording of this piece, but it's still very powerful. i'm a sucker for tribal music + latin choral music. xD



this is probably the first song i ever heard by dm. it's very... dirty. it's great to dance to, though. this video also has many close ups of alan (the dark haired man with the amazing cheekbones playing synth), whom is absolutely gorgeous. and don't you love their circa-1984 style? it's too great.



i think it may be a little obvious i love their old concerts/tv appearances. (don't get me wrong, i love their more recent appearances equally so! it's just harder to find those.) told you so is one of those "OMGI'MSOANGRY" songs. and i actually really do love their style here. maybe not their haircuts, but nonetheless. :D

and i'll leave you with those three.
so, tell me! are you into the choral music scene? ever sang african sanctus? do you even like african sanctus?
as for depeche mode... have you heard of them? you have no idea how few people know of them here -- of course, i'm starting to change that. ;) do you like their stuff, and if so, do you have a preference over old or new?

with love!
rachel.