My Summer Playlist

Something just for fun. These songs get me in the summer mood!

1.  T.G.I.F. or basically anything by Katy Perry
2. Kokomo – Beach Boys
3. Summer Nights – Olivia Newton John and John Travolta
4. Rolling in the Deep – Adele
5. Till the World Ends – Britney Spears
6. Love Drunk – Boys Like Girls
7. The Story of Us – Taylor Swift
8. Judas – Lady Gaga
9. Blow – Ke$ha
10.  The Sweet Escape – Gwen Stefani
11. Lucky– Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat
12. Young Forever – Jay-Z ft mr. Hudson
13. Eenie Meenie – Justin Bieber ft Sean Kingston
14. I Do Not Hook Up – Kelly Clarkson
15. The Fear – Lily Allen
16. Slummin’ In Paradise – Mandy Moore
17.  Give a Little More – Maroon 5
18. King of Anything – Sara Bareilles
19. Spice Up Your Life – Spice Girls
20. My First Kiss – 3OH3 ft Ke$ha

What's your summer playlist?

10 Summer Essentials

10 Summer Essentials by xoxoamanda

Summer in Florida is in full force! Here's my list of essentials to beat the heat and enjoy the season to the fullest!

1. Sundresses - I am proof that you can never have too many sundresses. I have quite a few from Hollister.
2. Wedge heels - SO cute and they're easy on the feet! I love this pair from Dolce Vita's Target line.
3. Bright pink nail polish - Get in on this stylish summer trend! Essie makes great shades!
4. Watermelon - My ultimate summer fruit! Nothing is more refreshing or juicy on a hot summer day!
5. Frozen yogurt - My go-to summer treat! Keep it healthy and pile on the fruit!
6. Sunglasses - They don't have to be designer as long as they protect your eyes from the sun's UV rays!
7. Lip balm - Prevent chapped lips by using a lip balm. Burt's Bees, a longtime favorite of mine, uses natural ingredients and leaves a slight peppermint tingle.
8. Moisturizer with SPF - Let your skin breathe by skipping the foundation and instead using a moisturizer with SPF. I use Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer with SPF 15. I love how light and non-oily it feels.
9. A good book - I highly recommend Beowulf on the Beach which gives a funny and easy-to-read breakdown on 50 literature classics. A very entertaining read!
10. Bathing Suit - Wear something fun and bright! Target and Victoria's Secret make great styles. I love my yellow polka dot bikini from VS (here worn by Sarah Chalke on Scrubs)!

Precious Flowers

This look was done using gold foil all over the lid on top of metallic gold eyeshadow and adorned with little flowers (originally meant for the nails):

Product List
MAC Bare Canvas, Pure Luxe Bullion, gold foil, MAC Teal, NYX Milk, CG Lash Blast, dried flowers, modlash lashes

EUROTRIP: LUCERN, GENEVA, AND ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

Switzerland was an uplanned addition to our Eurotrip itinerary. Leah and Alice, the two Swiss girls we met at our Milan hostel invited us to stay with them in Zurich after they were done with their vacation in Italy at the end of the week. Until that time, they recommended we go to Lucern and from there we could do a day trip to Geneva if we wanted. Well, as we were all pretty flexible (and how can you say no to free accommodation?), we took them up on their offer and did just as they suggested.

With our Swiss friends, Leah and Alice

Lucern was an absolute fairy tale city! So beautiful! No wonder Audrey Hepburn decided to live here for part of her life! The streets are so clean and the people are extremely helpful and friendly. Plus, there are swans everywhere! The only downer was, like the rest of Switzerland, it’s very expensive. I did end up buying a new camera (pink!) though because not being able to take pictures was killing me!

Geneva was much more urban (and expensive) than Lucern and not as clean. It was very neat to see the United Nations though even if they weren't doing any tours for the day :( We walked around the city for a bit and checked out some of the designer stores although none of us bought anything.

So pretty!

The Jet d'Eea fountain in Geneva.

Hostel: Youth Hostel
This hostel was a very different experience from our one in Milan. While Pop House was made for about 5 people, this one had several floors and was made to accommodate at least 100. The reception was very kind when we checked in and was able to put both my friends and I into a triple room so we had the whole room to ourselves. They also offered a complimentary breakfast in the morning which was nice. What wasn’t so nice was having to pay to use the internet by the hour.

The cow at the hostel.

The chalk drawing Catherine left at the hostel.

Food: 
Food (like everything else) was really expensive…but so good. Catherine and I split a yummy cheese pretzel right off the train in Lucern. We also went to a grocery store and bought some really cheap bread to feed the swans, and I got myself some really amazing fresh orange juice. In Geneva, I had my first ever kebap (out of many) and bought a quarter of a watermelon from a street market! In Zurich, I had a delicious tortellini dish and then at Leah’s, she and Alice made us pasta.

Such AMAZING pretzels!

My first kebap!

I will always remember Zurich as the one city that, while I saved money by limiting the amount of food I bought, I made up for it by spending way too much on drinks. Catherine and I spent 40 francs on two Long Islands, and each of the three of us spent 50 francs on a liter of margarita (what were we thinking??). I also had my very first Guinness which is now my favorite beer. 

Oh, margaritas...

Activities: 

The United Nations in Geneva!

So many flags!!

Feeding the swans was a dream come true for bird lover Catherine.

With our lovely hosts <3

The Crying Lion in Lucern was beautiful and sad.

Sitting in front of a statue of Urich Zwingli in Zurich.

Darren Criss in GQ Magazine

Glee's talented (and fashionable) Darren Criss was featured in the June 2011 issue (I know, a little late but I couldn't help myself) of GQ magazine showing off 8 different ways to "suit up" and not look too boring or crazy at a wedding. I loved all the looks and he gives some really good fashion advice in the article.

Suit, $407 by Club Monaco. Shirt, $70 by Nautica. Bow tie, $95 by Rag & Bone. Shoes, $570 by Salvatore Ferragamo. Pocket square by The Tie Bar.

Suit, $695 by Boss Black at Bloomingdale's. Shirt, $265 by D&G. Bow tie, $175 by Thom Browne New York. Pocket square by R. Hanauer.

Suit, $1,850, and shirt, $355 by Gucci. Tie, $125 by Eton of Sweden. Shoes, $198 by Cole Haan. Socks by Falke. Pocket square by Lands' End Canvas. Watch by IWC.

Suit, $1,595, and shirt, $295 by Ralph Lauren Black Label. Tie, $46 by Club Monaco. Loafers by Alfred Sargent.

Tuxedo, $3,190, shirt, $440, and bow tie, $195 by Prada. Pocket square by Paul Stuart.

Suit, $548 by Tommy Hilfiger. Shirt, $40 by Lands' End Canvas. Bow tie, $30 by Gilbert & Lewis. Suspenders, $22 by Topman. Sunglasses, $255 by Moscot. Shoes, $89 by G.H. Bass & Co.

Sports jacket, $595 by Gant by Michael Bastian. Shirt, $155 by Gitman Vintage. Tie, $13 by Uniqlo. Khakis, $72 by Topman. Loafers, $200 by Tommy Hilfiger. Pocket square by R. Hanauer. Glasses by Jil Sander.

Tuxedo, $360 by Topman. Shirt, $115 by John Varvatos USA. Bow tie, $80 by J.Lindeberg. Pocket square by Brooks Brothers. Watch by Jaeger-LeCoultre.

 Photo Credit: Kai Z Feng/GQ

What's your favorite look?

WHAT SHE WORE: Emma Stone's Vanity Fair Bikini

What She Wore: Emma Stone's Vanity Fair Retro Bikini by xoxoamanda

Emma Stone (who I adore) appears on the August 2011 cover of Vanity Fair looking fierce and gorgeous sporting a red and white striped bikini with bold red lips and tousled blonde(!) hair. Although I usually prefer her with red hair over her natural blonde, I really do love this shot of her.

The striped "Bella" bikini is by Marc by Marc Jacobs and is actually not all that expensive - at least for being featured on a major magazine cover. Click HERE for the top and HERE for the bottom.

What do you think about the cover? Do you prefer Emma as a redhead or blonde? Would you wear that bathing suit? Comment away!

What I Loved This Month: JUNE

I can't believe summer is already halfway over! It's been going by so fast! Since returning from Europe, I've been keeping myself busy reading, writing, drawing, catching up on shows, watching movies, and teaching myself Swedish (thank you, YouTube!).

Here are just a couple of my favorite things from one of my favorite months:

TV SHOW: Doctor Who (Finally started watching the fifth season with Matt Smith, and while he can't replace my beloved David Tennant, he's certainly won me over!)

MOVIE: Midnight in Paris (Absolutely fell in love with this charming little gem of a film.)

BOOK: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (Almost finished with this sci-fi classic, it's certainly an interesting read, but I definitely wouldn't want to live in this dystopian future.)

STYLE: Kate Middleton (She continues to amaze me with her fashion choices! Absolutely flawless!)

ACTOR: Peter O'Toole (One of the best actors of our generation! I'm obsessed with him and his films!)

FOOD: Sangria Cupcakes (I got these delicious treats at Lucy & Leo's Cupcakery during their Happy Hour. They were a little small so they gave me another for free - score!)

TRAVEL: Dublin, Ireland (My favorite city during my Eurotrip! I can't wait to go back!)

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH... Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 (7/15), Comic Con (7/20-24), and Captain America: The First Avenger (7/22)

What were you guys into this month? What are you looking forward to in July?