This just in!

Spotted: Gossip Girl stars in Long Island.
Check it out!

I just found this and I think I'm having a heart-attack.
It does seem like they're re-doing the Breakfast at Tiffany's scene. The trenchcoats, B's hair, the rain...I adore Breakfast at Tiffany's. I can't wait to see this episode!


But wait a minute, where's cat?

You know you love me...

Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

Treasure Cove - March 30th

Hello, beauitfuls!

Is it Sunday already? Well, times goes quite fast.
Holidays are almost over. I start classes on Tuesday. Back to reality, homeworks, students council stuff...as much as I would like to get back to my daily exercise routine, I don't really want to go school for two reasons:
First, because I'm tired of it. I just don't have any subjects I really like, and I think most of my professors have been slacking a little lately. Maybe it's all because I'm so thrilled about going to art school and about studying and learning things I actually like and enjoy. I can't wait to go!
But on the other hand, the other reason I don't want to go back it's because it's gonna be officially the beginning of the end. Clock's ticking...and this semester has passed away so fast, and so will this two months left. And then it's graduation. High school's over and it's time for all of us part away. I've known most of my friends since kindergarten or at least for more than a couple years, and we're a all going to different cities, two of my best friends to Canada for a year, other to travel around Europe, and even when some if us will coincide in the cities we're going, it's not gonna be the same. Still I know I will remain forever close with most of them.

It's going to be weird running the blog in school days, because I started this blog not quite long ago, and I've been working on it during holidays. But it's not going to be hard.

Now, I found some interesting this week...

1. Red Leather Diary.
   Reclaiming a life through the pages of a lost journal, this journal, rescued by New York Time's young writer, was more than half a century forgotten in a dumpster. It brings back to life the glamorous story of an extraordinary, high-class young woman. For five years, not a day is missed.
   Horseback riding around Central Park, trips to Paris, London, Rome; art, dances, tea at Scharfft's and toasts at El Morocco, displaying the old New York's glamour.
   I think this book/journal would be an amazing read, and would truly show us how girls were back then.
   Talking about Mary Poppins.
   I can't wait to get this book.
2. Artist's block?
   Here's some inspiration, or more like 50 pages of it.
   Got it from Gala's Carousel.
3. Calling all aspiring Jackson Pollocks!
   Now you can create your own masterpiece.
   Click here for a good, solid dose of stress relief.
4. 8 keys to instant charisma.
   Great piece. Something we should all know and learn.
5. Chair Couture.
   I love chairs. Don't ask why, I simply do.
   Go see for yourself.
6. What Puma & Adidas have to do with the Nazis.
   Quite very interesting.

I hope you had an amazing week, and please do enjoy your Sunday leisure with these links I give you.
Now I go to eat some lunch.

Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

Just a spoonful of sugar.

Role Model: noun
Someone worthy of imitation.
dictionary.com

Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way. A perfect role model, isn't she?
She's everything the word "ladylike" describes.

She's proper, and well mannered. She's got a "cheery disposition", she's "kindy & witty", and is "never crossed".
I think there's quite a lot to learn from her.
So I took the features and values that make Mary Poppins so special and practically perfect in every way, things every girl should have and learn, things that remain that have always been and forever will be, but trying to apply them to out contemporary lives.
I took these characteristics out of Jane & Michael's advertisement.
You can read the whole transcript here.


A "cheery" disposition.
A smile can open a thousand doors. Being cheery and kind to people can truly make a difference. People feel the difference. How do you feel when someone makes a grimace to you? And when someone's cheery and smiles?

Be positive.
Even when it's about doing boring and fastidious chores, stuff we don't wanna do, being positive turns the whole situation upside down. Let's say you have to wash the dishes. You have to do it. Stop thinking about what would you do if you didn't have to, and stop wasting time and energy complaining. You could be halfway finished by the time you realize complaining is not going to get you anywhere.
Turn things around. Make it more fun. Put some music on, or challenge yourself on doing something, or how to do it.
Always remember: "Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, the medicine go down..."

Be kind and witty.
Yes, be kind a witty.
Take an interest on learning things. Develop your mind. It doesn't have to be maths and physics, but try to enhance your mind by reading or learning interesting things. Whatever you like, fashion, history, famous quotes, gardening, cupcakes, or just random stuff.
And be kind. As great as you might be (and I know you all are), as smart, as beautiful, and talented...always be kind to others. There's nothing worse than snotty people, who make other people less just to feel and appear more. I think that's one of the worst kinds of people. It shows a tremendous lack of self-esteem and security.
But I know none of you are like that. You are all very kind, and share what they know with others, and offer their help when they can.

Never be cross or cruel.
This is a hard one. Never be cross. It's quite challengning! You know, I get stressed and cross easily, and it's one of my purposes to change that. People doesn't forget about you being cross, and by saying cross I mean being ill-humored, snappy, tempered, which usually come from being stress, and you can create a reputation for being grumpy, which I think, is not very ladylike. Nor very nice. There's a difference on being headstrong, and determined and being stubborn to the point of getting angry and cross.
If you are cross, well then, take a deep breath. Be proactive. You can't change the situation, but you can change how you react. If you're all stressed out and grumpy and someone says something to you that just makes you explode, press pause! Don't be snappy or cruel.
Just ignore it. You'll see you feel so much better, and you'll feel good with yourself for controlling your impulse

Be sweet and pretty.
One of a girl's most charming features is being sweet. Girls who swear and act so boyish like are not very nice to see. Unfortunately, we see a lot of this these days. And I'm not gonna lie to you, I swear sometimes, I do. But there's swearing occasionally and there's being a complete potty mouth.
Girls are supposed to be sweet and charming, well-mannered. And this doesn't mean that women shouldn't stand for themselves and be independent, it's a matter of being both, of course!
I mean, what use would it have to be so prepared when you are ill-mannered, absolutely not diplomatic, and are rude and impolite? You wouldn't get very far would you?
Now, about being pretty, if there's something we remember of Mary Poppins is she's always impeccably dressed, with beautiful attires always so classic, proper and elegant.
Her hair always flawless, perfect rosy cheeks and lips. Under-dressed is not a word in Mary's vocabulary.

I even searched for some style ideas and products to dress a la Mary Poppins.

(Product Information)

Obvious color scheme: white, blue and black with the red scarf.
It's easy.
A white blouse or shirt, extra points if it has ruffles and cute buttons. A dark cerulean blue, or a bright navy blue skirt. Above I chose high-waisted skirts because those are the ones I consider would be more appropriate, but feel free to choose!
You can go with white tights, sheer or with patterns, or black too. But I think white would look better...mais oui!
To keep this outfit to being just an outfit and truly transforming it into Mary Poppin's style, the red scarf is essential, next to the black coat.
A pair of oxfords of course...b&w, or just black. And oh, please, don't forget to stand with your feet open, almost like a ballerina, just like she did.
Now, accessories. White gloves or wristlets. If you're going sans gloves, use a pretty ring. I chose a red rose ring because she has a red flower in her hat. Talking about the hat...this is the only part I consider a little complicated, so instead I whose a black headband with a bow. You could get away with it with just a ribbon or something. A red or black ribbon.
Also, in some part of the movie she's wearing a red bow tie, so I put it there too. I think I'd look tres cute.

Mary Poppin's make-up is quite au naturel. But the rosy cheeks are of highly importance! And rosy lips too. They're always cute and elegant.
Besides, just a little dab of color in your lips will help keep you from looking under-dressed.

Finally, two very important things.
Mary's Umbrella, and her "magical" satchel/bag. A girl has to always be prepared.
Pick a bag spacey enough to carry all your trinkets.
I'm famous for always carrying wide bags and lot's of stuff. I always have a pen when needed, my stain remover Tide marker, make-up, a little mirror, and my sketchbook and pencil. You never know when inspiration will strike.

Something extra I want to add about Mary Poppins is that she never, ever gives explanations.
While sometimes we have to, I think this is something very admirable.
Yesterday while reading Miss Couturable, I thought all of this. Miss Couturable has been getting a few comments about her blog and the way she writes about certain stuff.
If there's something I love about Miss Couturable is that she's not afraid to show who she truly is. She is who she is (you can find my comment there). And that's something we all love from Mary Poppins. She was who she was. My mom always tells me that not giving explanations in vain is something she learned from watching Mary Poppins when she was young.
I told Miss Couturable so, and so did other fellow readers.
Don't give explanations you don't have to give. Don't make excuses for yourself. We tend to this a lot, and most of the times we're repeating unnecessary explanations, explanations we didn't have to do in the first time. We are who we are, and we do what we do because we have our own reasons. What third parties have to say about it, we don't care.

Mary Poppins certainly is a figure that represents a lot of things and values from the past. But they are those values that are still right here. Unfortunately, they are getting lost now. The word ladylike is not what is used to be. We don't find most of these things in girls nowadays. And these are things every girl should have, learn, and develop, adapted of course to our contemporary lives.
Call me old-fashioned, but I think the world ladylike is something universal, that should remain forever.
And Mary Poppins is proof of that.

There's only one thing left to say:
Supercallifragilisticexpialidocious!

Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

P.S. Haven't you always loved Bert?

Things I Love Thursday

Bonjour! Or shall I say good night?
It's 2:41 a.m. for me so perhaps I should.
But that means it's officially Thursday, time for Things I Love Thursday!
Things I Love Thursday is a list, being it small, big or huge, of the things you've been loving these days, or what's making you happy.
This is a tradition created by the always brilliant Gala Darling (who I seem to have mentioned in almost every post!) and it has been adopted by lots of nonpareils like myself to follow in our own blogs and our daily lives.

Something I've learned from Gala is being grateful. We don't really see it, but being grateful makes such a difference. It makes you happy. Life can really change if you appreciate the small things it gives you, it turns everything a whole lot brighter.

There a lot of things people don't see or take for granted, and they are truly special things. A beautiful sunset, a midnight phone call, laughing with a friends, a coincidence, or life itself.refore we're focusing on them so we're happy.
Things I Love Thursday is wonderful tradition and it's worth making a habit. As grateful as we can be, it's good to have a special day to write it all down so we won't give anything for granted, and it's also nice to share with people what's making us happy and what we love. It shows a great deal about the other person.

This is what I'm Loving this week:


By being grateful we're highlighting the good things in life and the

1. The Twilight Tales.
   I love the fact this girl has a whole blog about fairies and fairytales and I love the fact that it was all inspired by the twilight.
   I love fairytales, we all grew up with them, and in this imagination-starved world, it's good to know all those magical stories are not so forgotten.
   
   
2. Holidays with my friends in the beach, taking lots and lots of pictures and having so much fun together before we all go away for college.
   
   
3. Keira Knightley's green dress in Atonement (I'm posting the same picture because I love this shoot. It's the perfect light for the dress)
   Indescribably beautiful and elegant. So 1930 - 1940's, and the perfect shade of green.
   
   
4. Mika. He's really had me singing the whole week. My moment's obsession are Lollipop and Relax, take it easy.
   
   
5. I'm officially enrolled on the College I wanted, so I'm officially going into the visual arts career I have always dreamed of. I'm immensely happy.
   
   
   
6. Cleaning & order.
   Since I'm now officially going away, there's a pile of stuff I need to get rid off to see what I've got and what I need to buy. Same with my wardrobe. There are so many clothes I don't really use and there's a lot of things I need, like, basic things.
   I'm also very excited of the idea of a new house, and a new room decorate freely. I already have stash of pictures and ideas for that purpose. But I have decided I will become more ordered, so I've also started searching for pictures in Flickr to get some inspiration for my future studio or work area, to keep all my materials organized and a neat & inviting working zone. Gracious! I'm so excited.
   Here are some examples...
   Une, deux, trois, quatre, et cinq
   

What's kept your heart swooning this week?
I hope a bucketful of things. Now go and love your days away!

Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

"No rhymes, no embellishments..."

As the evocative sound of a typewriter writes the word "Atonement", the image turns into a gloriously beautiful doll house. A blonde girl typewrites as the signature piano starts. Precocious, blue-eyed, Briony finishes her play in that 1930's high class nursery where the story begins.
A scene representing everything, us, writers, have been founded by. The whimsical, sweet flavor of the dollhouse, the nursery, and the countryside scenario (a la J.M. Barrie)as the sound of words pouring out of the typewriter and this bright-eyed girl's hands, writing off in her beautiful paper.
Whimsical enough to have me, sitting here writing about a movie I just finished watching.

Atonement, Ian McEwan's acclaimed novel, turned into celluloid.

Exquisite and shocking in every possible way, Atonement, tells the story Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie (James McAvoy), whose romance was unfairly denied by a decision 13 year-old Briony took, that caused Robbie's imprisonment and sending to war.
The movie follows Cecilia as she leaves her family for their injustice and enrolls in nursery school, and Robbie in a German-invaded Northern France during the Dunkirk evacuation.
Silent yet expressive, the simple story-line is told by sublime and breath-taking scenes, achieved by Joe Wright's vision, Dario Marianelli's signature piano, an amazing camera work and a, what I think was, incredible team.


Crossed scenes, silent, but expressive. Playing with ethereal lights and shadows, present and past mixtures and a piano fused with the sound of a typewriter, Joe Wright manages to keep you mouth-gaping the whole movie, with your heart bursting with the beauty of the scenarios and scenes so sublime, like a 5 minutes-long take where Robbie walks around Dunkirk, which isn't cut or moved for 5 minutes, ending with him standing in front of a black and white, old-hollywood, movie proyection of a couple kissing, contrasted with the atrocities of war you saw the 5 minutes before. The music roaring as he walks through the wounded and despaired soldiers, who sing to keep the hopes up. Then he reaches the screen, thinking of Cecilia, and his promise of coming back. Your chest fills with something you can't explain, and you get chills up and down your spine, and tears are very likely to sprout from your eyes.

With a highly-unexpected end, shocking and quite unbelievable, Atonement is one of the best movies I've seen in a while.
Just as in Pride and Prejudice (which is one of my favorite movies and forever will be, for things this movie has too), Joe Wright is able to express the story beyond acting. He expresses it visually, manipulating elements like the colorful, natural scenarios in which the imposing Victorian mansion is located, crude war scenes, settings, lighting, costumes (like Keira Knightley's green dress below), lost dialogues here and there that truly are the ones that pull the story together and a certain way of telling the story.
Plus, an amazing cast, capable of portraying their characters with just their eyes.
Bravo for the whole crew!


When the movie comes to the final part, which was an end (which, of course, I won't tell) that totally caught me off-guard, you just can't believe the twist the story takes, and the simplicity it's told with. Simple words, simple, feelings, no rhymes, no embellishments, no scenarios, no ethereal lights, just simplicity of words.

Exquisite from beginning to end, Atonement is the kind of movies that still has you glued to the screen even though you're halfway the credits. They stay with you for a while.
So bad, that here I am, channeling Briony and her typewriter, trying to put in words those enticing images.

I don't think I truly can.


Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

Thoughts Become Things

(Photo Credit)

Impatience is a sign of hurrying; hurrying is a sign of worrying; worrying is a sign of fear; and fear is a sign that someone has temporarily forgotten that it's never too late to change their thoughts and therefore their "things." And for these reasons, time will forever be on their side.

Glad we could straighten that out - The Universe

While checking my inbox today, and I found this, and I don't know, it just clicked and I though about sharing it with you. I think it's all very true.
Sometimes all we need is to stop for a second, breathe, and re-evaluate the situation. We're on time to change our thoughts, and thoughts become things.
So we're on time to change everything.

The Notes from the Universe Newsletter is one of the best things that happened to me in 07.
They changed my life, and keep doing it every time I read them.
Because Thoughts do become things.

Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

Do you hear that? - Beatbox March 24th

(Photo credit - RossinaBossio )

These songs are rocking my speakers right now:

1. Lollipop - Mika
2. Mercy - OneRepublic
3. All I want is you - Barry Louis Polisar (Juno Soundtrack)
4. Naked as we came - Iron & Wine
5. Trash the rental - Soho Dolls

What's coming out of your speakers?

Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

Treasure Cove

Hello, bunnyheads!
Happy Easter!
Did you found many hiding eggs?
I think everyone should look for eggs on Easter Day, it's so cute.
When I was little every Easter Day, my grandfather would wake my sister and me and we'd look everywhere around the garden for easter eggs, chocolate eggs and lots of candies. I was nostalgic today remembering that forgotten tradition.
If you don't celebrate well at least eat a chocolate or two, let's celebrate the Sunday!

I've got something for you. It's a Treasure Cove. A weekly Treasure Cove!
I happen to be quite an observer and a net-surfer, and often enough, I find very special treasures here and there. You see, treasures can be found everywhere. If you know where to look.
Hey, you just walked past one!

Just like Gala's Carousel and Miss Couturable's Sunday Six, I will post every week, some of the treasures I've found during the week.

Treasure Cove - Sunday, March 23rd

1. One of my best friends sent me the link to this video just a while ago.
   He said, "Hey you've got to watch this! It's the best music video you'll ever see!"
   And he was right.
   One of the best songs ever, and one of the best performances ever.
2. Twenty-something, Mae Jane, is in the middle of Quarter-Life Crisis.
   But aren't we all?
   Her blog is an artful manifesto about living life: a call to seize the day, and follow our own lead. Why settle with "normal" when you can have "extraordinary"?
   Full of awesome, speaking art, doc.u.menting, is worth checking out.
   Give it a read, this girl has something to say.
3. This picture:
   
   All right, all right. I didn't find this. But I took it. That counts.
   Right from the middle of the ocean just for you.
4. Blah, blah, blah. We talk our days away, but the truth is, we're terrible talkers.
   I found this in Gala's this week Carousel. I found it quite interesting, because communication is everything.
   I give you... 250 things you wish you know that will guarantee your speaking success.
   It helps to know these kind of things, even when you don't usually talk in public, and if you do, well then it might be very useful.
   (Last semester I had to give a speech in front of around 800 people + judges, and it can be quite terrifying.)
   5. And finally, a treasure I found in my drawer the other day. My old ipod, oh, how much I miss it. I bought a new ipod last December, and I love it, but I haven't been able to manage to extract all the music from the old one yet, and it contains lots of music I love.
   The battery died so it always had to be plugged. Quel drag!
   Luckily, I remembered my speakers work as a battery charger too, so I can listen to it again. Do you hear that? Memories coming from the speakers.
   
   
   
   
   What treasures did you find this week?

Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

Here Comes the Sun (Part II)

Helloooo sunshines!
How ya doing?

To be honest, I'm a little confused here. Is spring break over for you guys? Because it's almost over for me, but reading Miss Couturable I found out spring break's about to begin?
So I have decided it's time to focus and finish the second part of my Spring Break Essentials piece, regardless if spring break's over or not. If it's over for you, well then it's still useful, let's just call it "Beach Season's Essentials" or something.

Let's start with the basics.
Your number one essential for the beach? Swim wear.

Even if it's a swimsuit or a bikini, this is the most important thing for obvious reasons.
It's essential to choose a form and color that flatters your body type. There's a wide range of bikini's and swimsuits in style and price.
Go shopping for it with someone who you know will be sincere on how it looks. Pick one which with you feel comfortable and pretty, otherwise you'll be feeling all self-conscious and insecure all day long, therefore you'll be proyecting insecurity.
For Product Information click here.
Once you have your bikini or whatever, start planning your outfit around it. Let your imagination fly...

Sundresses, colorful shorts, denim minis, tops, floral prints, bright colors.
Headbands and head scarves really were the trend here, and I loved it because I have always loved them and used them.
Also, get a big tote where you can carry all your stuff: your towel, a sweater (if weather's like it was here last week), your make-up (tinter moisturizer, cheekstains & stuff we talked about last time), your cellphone, your ipod, sunglasses, a good book.
Whatever you need. I highly recommend taking a bottle of water to stay hydrated.

Product Information

I threw together this two outfits and I loved them. They're so different, but they're like my two style sides, preppy and couturable-ish, and kinda hippie and urban; colorful.
The first one is so Blair Waldorf, don't you think?

It doesn't matter the style you have, or the trend in fashion, be yourself. Choose the things that suit you and that you identify with.
Choose cheerful accesories. A colorful towel, an unusual necklace.
Have fun with it.
And have fun in the beach.

I gotta run now, sunshines!
Remember,
Dress shabbily and they remember the dress, dress impeccably and they remember the woman.
Or at least that's what Coco Chanel said.
What do you think?

Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

Here comes the sun (Part I)

Finally. Spring Break. Or at least for most of us.
And for those, who as me, live on the beach (or are planning to go to the beach) Spring Break is a synonym of bikinis, beach on a daily basis, parties, lot's of sun, tanning, and all beach-fashion.
Seriously, around the first days of January, everybody starts a diet to get fitter because Spring Break is not so far away, and after those Christmas family meals...a slim fisique is a hard task.
Quel drag!

As weeks start to pass, the situation becomes critical, and by the beginnings of March, the store's displays turn into an endless exhibit of swimwear, portraying from surfer looks to tropical styles. Floral prints, bright colored bikinis and tote bags as far as the eye can see.
The beach truly becomes a catwalk, and spring break a fashion show.
Brands like Roxy, Billabong, Hurley, and Paul-Frank are essentials for this time of the year.
Bikinis, sandals, totes, hats, shorts and boardshorts, sundresses...everyone's eager to see what everyone's going to wear. For a whole week before Spring Break, gossip's all about who bought which bikini and where. Same bikinis, oh, mon dieu!

Even though I bought a beautiful red & white Roxy bikini this year, I'm kinda tired of the same everyear.
Luckily for you, beach bums in lack of inspiration, I decided to throw a few ensembles together for Spring Break, hoping that it helps you a little bit to try new stuff this beach season, as well as some essentials and must-haves along with some beauty tips.

So let's begin.

Your first accesory while in the beach (& always) , is your skin.
The trick to flawless skin?
Water, water, water. Drink lots of water. Always, not just for Spring Break, always! If you don't have the habit of doing so, this is a great opportunity for you to start.
Also, have you ever heard that whole thing about "You are what you eat"?
It's absolutley true. Try eating healthy a few weeks prior your beach days.
Lot's of greens and lots of fruit.

Exfoliate your skin on a regular basis. Exfoliation removes dead cells, giving way to new, prettier, cells.
Try Victoria Secret's Secret Garden Collection Stimulating Body Scrub.
Plus, if you're planning on self-tanning, like spray tan, exfoliating your skin before applying will make it so much better. Just shower, exfoliate, dry off completley and spray. Pssssssss.
And don't forget to moisturise. That's very important. Keep your skin both hydratated inside and outside. Sometimes when I'm heading to beach or on very hot summer days (trust me, I live in a very, very, very warm place during the summer) I don't apply cream, just body lotion, because it's less thick and it won't have you feeling all sticky.

If you don't want to arrive at the beach looking ghost-like, thank god for self-tanners. Even though I'm not a huge fan of these (maybe because I've lived in the beach my whole life so I've never really needed it, yes, even though I have very white skin) I must admit they're really handy when really needed. Desperate times, desperate measures.
Let's say, you have a hot date next week, and since winter is just ending, you haven't had the chance to wear that gorgeous short dress you've been dying to for months, but you haven't been able to tan either, and your legs are severly vanilla ice-cream-coloured.

Simple answer: Spray tan. Just spray et voilà!
But be careful, my soon to be roasted friends, apply it correctly and catiously, unless you want to end up looking like a giant baked orange!
But don't worry, remove any mistakes with self-tanner removers.
I found for you in ElleGirl.com a quite good-looking spray tan, Sally Hansen Airbrush Sun.

And don't forget sunscreen, sunshines!

Now, hair. Let's just say it, it's not very practical to leave your hair down when going to the beach. Sand and bronzing oil are not a good combination. If you're planning a hardcore tanning session, then I definitley say, pull your hair up!
Otherwise, I love natural hair on the beach. Go for a dip and then let your hair dry naturally.
A good trick is to take an empty spray bottle and fill it with salt water. Spritz in your hair and let it air dry (thanks ElleGirl, again).

Now. you don't wanna go to the beach all full of make-up. It'll end all cakey.
Use a tinted moisturizeer instead, skip powder if you want and then just add some bronzer, or a litle bit of blush.
Lately I've been using tinted moisturizer daily. I hate to go geisha-looking to school. So I started using it instead of make-up. Just concealer, tinted moisturizer, a little bit of powder, a little bit of pinkish bronzer and blush. I love how it looks. It gives my skin a natural glow.

Remember, sunshines, don't forget to choose a color that suits you well.
Sephora is a good place for startings.

If you want to go lower-key with all the make-up thing, here's a little thin for you,
Tarte Natural Cheekstain in full blossom. Perfect for a beach-all-day-long day because it looks so natural. It'll looks juts like a sligh flush. So cute. If you want something less natural check for the other cheekstains.

While in the beach tanning you must keep your skin hydrated. In my family since I was kid would always take to beach a bottle of Evian Mineral Water Spray. It keeps you fresh and smoothes your sun-burned skin. This is a must and a keeper. Trust me.
Besides, keeping your skin hydrated helps you get a better tan. Wink

Now we're talking of tanning, there are few thing about tanning you should know.
Want a golden-ish tan? Try beer. I'm not kidding! Put beer on your skin and you'll get a nice, golden-ish tan. Oh, la, la!

Take care of you skin. Too much sun will give you expression lines and wrinkles sooner that they're ought to appear. And maybe I'm being too drastic but beware of skin cancer.
Oh and there's nothing worse than a sun-burn. One of those when you can't move and it hurts all over. But if you're stuck in one of these, take a shower with templed water, not too cold, not too hot, and put lots of body cream. And when I say lots I mean it. Then go wrap youself in your softer pajamas, snuggle in your bed and watch a movie. There's no other feeling like that!
Snuggling in my bed to a movie after a long, sun, beach day makes me so happy.
Rarely happens though. Especially during Spring Break.

So, beach bums, I'm running out of time, so I'm cutting it here. But stick around because Part II is coming soon filled with beach fashion and the most whimsical must-haves for this spring break.

Meanwhile, make a playlist, and go soak up the sun.
Relax & enjoy. It's spring break, after all.


Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

Today is...

Ever had a though week coming ahead?
You just want to get into to your bed, cover yourself up to your head and sleep the whole week away.
That's what I wanna do.
This week is going to be quite a thunderstorm for me. Plus, next week is spring break for us, there are two free precious weeks laying ahead of me.
But before I can enjoy this 15 days of sun and sand, I have exams this whole week, a charity event on Wednesday night for the city's Orphanage (my mom's part of the board in charge of it and I promised her I'd help. I love those kids!) and very same day I have to study for Thursday's exams which are the worst.
I have yoga everyday and I don't want to miss it, and I don't want to skip a running session either. So it's all a matter of organization.

One of my goals for 2008 is to organize my time. You can do sooo many things if you manage your time properly! I have this huge agenda which I carry everywhere, it's ridicously big! But it's my life, I swear! And I love to fill it in with different quotes I found around, notes, pictures, magazine articles, and the usual stuff, like birthdays, homework and to-do lists.

Something very useful I try to use every week is something called "The Big Rocks". I learned this while reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey (I'll talk about this some other day). Great book.
Anyway, have you ever heard that story about rocks in a glass?
Well, how do you fit in a glass several big rocks, small rocks and pebbles?
If you put the pebbles first and then the small rocks and the the big rocks, you'll se that they don't fit. You have to place the big rocks first, then the small rocks and then the pebbles and they will all perfectly and orderly fit.
Big rocks are the things you must do, like study for a test. Small rocks are other things you have to do, but are not as urgent/important, and the pebbles are the things you want to do. It's called prioritize. Determine the things you definitley must do and do them first. Once you're over with that you'll have lots of free time to do whatever you want to do!

However, if you slack all week long you'll be cramming on Sunday night to finish that essay you could have perfectly and calmly done on Wednesday, when you were lying on the couch watching the rerun of The Big Bang Theory for the second time. Sometimes it takes a little sacrifice, trust me, I'm such a slacker. I love spending time surfing the web looking for whatever I can find. I love doing this, I call it "doing research". But really, managing your time in the right way is the key to get rid of stressful, late-night cramming sessions, and being in a hurry.

A daily planner or agenda is essential, of course. Even though right now I have my big agenda, which I adore, I would love to have a Moleskine. I have a Moleskine sketchbook I bough in the NY MoMA, and I regret so badly not having purchased a standard notebook.
I first fell in love with Moleskines because of Gala Darling. An kick-ass, Astraulian young lady, who's in love with life. Actually she's responsible for this blog. I adore her. My day is not complete if I do not check her blog. I will dedicate a whole post to her later.
Meanwhile, do pay her a visist, cheries!

Ok. Back to Moleskines, they are a practical and perfect way to manage your time. And they're stylish too.

Goodness, I got a bit carried away, didn't I?
This being my first actual post, I didn't really mean it to be about this, I was just posting my weekly resolutions, something I haven't even mentioned!
But oh, well, I have learned this past year the importance of time management so it's something quite positive to share. Let's not waste another minute!

About weekly resolutions...it's a habit I've adopted from Gala too.
Every new year we set a thousand resolutions that just get lost and forgotten, so it's easier and better to make Weekly Resolutions. It's like breaking the problem into small parts. Once it's in small parts it's way easier to solve. Resolutions are easier to accomplish or to stick to if they are short-term.
Every Monday morning or every Sunday evening, plan your week ahead, as much as you can.

Locate your Big Rocks: appointments, tests, events, homework due this week, classes, or even a party you don't want to miss. Organize around this.

You don't have to do this, you could just set your resolutions, but it works better for me this way, but it's up to you.

Once you're done, decide what do you want to achieve this week. Eat healthier, have at least 30 minutes for relaxing everyday, read at least an hour each night, excercise daily, don't miss any yoga classes (that's me), or whatever you want to do.

It's important that you have them somewhere you can see them, like your desk or the place where you work or spend more time at. I keep them in my planner with a clip, so I see them everyday, and every once in a while. It's easy to forget about them or to lose motivation. But if you're constantly being reminded of them you'll stay in the right track.

Every Monday I'll post my Weekly Resolutions and you are welcome to do too. We'll check together how we did.

These are my Resolutions for this Week:
1. Drink lots of water. I haven't been drinking enough lately and my body's starting to resent it.
2. Don't miss one single yoga class. Including Saturday's class at 9:00 a.m.
3. Study for my tests.
4. Don't complain (that much) about everything I've got to do this week.
5. Post at least threee things here. (Yay! This makes one!)
6. Get/Make a present for one of my oldest and best friend's birthday, which is on Saturday.
5. Clean up my bedroom.

That's it! Have a wonderful weekend, and beware of chasing white-hurried rabbits with waist-pocket watches.
Let's work our time the best this week!

Remember, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
What's your week going to be like?

Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.


P.S. Sorry there's no picture! I'll put some as soon as I find out how to pass pics from Flickr to here. I haven't been able to!
You can check these inspiring day-planners for some ideas!
IDEA1
IDEA2

I believe...

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughter is the best calorie burner.
I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong
when everything else seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls
are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another
day and I believe in miracles."

-Audrey Hepburn.

Infinite x's & o's...
M.B. Whimsical.

Hello, who's there?

Goodness!
Welcome to the capricious tales of M.B. Whimsical.
Tales about anything and everything as she travels through the nonsensical and unpredictable notions of life.
But who is M.B. Whimsical?

She is just an 18 year old girl, who's about to graduate from high school and is leaving home to pursue a career in visual arts. Since she was little she's loved stories, words, pictures, colors, unusual things and any form of expression. Being of such a curious and stubborn manner she's always had kind of a knack to find the extra in the ordinary things, and that's why she's fascinated with the most mundane stuff. (She's quite a hopeless romantic)
She also believes nothing in this world is ordinary.

In the future M.B., dreams of working in an important fashion magazine like Vogue, or Elle, as editor-in-chief or as creative director. She also dreams of creating a fashion line inspired in surreal and childish stories; writing and directing a movie; work for an advertising agency; being a photographer for the fore-mentioned magazine; paint as much as her hand can take and travel the world.

She believes that 2008 is going to be one of the best years ever because she is now aware of how much power she has to make things true and she has begun her journey on achieveing all these things. Also, one of her goals right now is to be a very happy person and being positive even when everything's going wrong.

At the moment she is trying to keep her grades up, focused on school's student council and on working on her little portfolio for college. She's trying to enjoy these last months home and make as many good memories as she can before she sets off for college.

M.B. Whimsical enjoys sunsets, art, The Beatles, fashion magazines, books, her ipod, iced tea, history, roadtrips, movies such as marie-antoinette and breakfast at tiffany's (don't forget about pride and prejudice), the word autumn, waking up early on Saturdays, midnight calls, yoga, rain and brand new black pens.

Oh and M.B. loves her big sis, her family and her friends.


Got any questions or comments?
This blog is about anything and everything, from fashion to nonsensical theories, so if there's anything you would like to read about..
please do write!
whimsicalb @ gmail . com

merci beaucoup!

enjoy.