In the six months that I've been running Cocoa, I've made it my goal to be as optimistic as humanly possible - to show people that life is what you make it and that the world is a dizzying, wonderful place. Nevertheless, it's hard to ignore what the world is going through today. We're in a crisis. We're struggling. People from all around the world are suffering in so many different ways, some losing their jobs, some losing their houses, some losing hope.
But today, all of that will change.
For the first time in my entire life, I can truly say that I am proud to be an American - that I love my country. I feel something today that I have never felt before, and it's a fizzy cocktail of pride and joy, but above all I feel hope - hope and the belief that this is the only country in the world where anything can happen. Where anyone can make a difference. Where anyone can change the world. America has just made history. We have come together for a common cause, and I truly believe that President Barack Obama will be the glue that keeps us together. Because we are one nation, one world, one voice. And yes, we can.
Halloween is upon us, my chocolate bunnies, which means spectacular parties, incredible costumes, and all kinds of wicked fun. Like most girls with a thing for dressing up, Halloween is by far my favorite holiday and I hate to say it but this is the first year in a long time that I haven't gone all-out with my costume. No, this Halloween I'm playing it simple - I'm a modern day fairy, complete with cowboy boots and a winter coat.
My wings didn't stay up very well!
+ Handmade babydoll dress
+ Faux-fur coat from a second hand store
+ Pink wings from Target + Boots (not shown) from Clarks
In celebration of this glorious holiday and in keeping with the festive spirit, I bring you this tiny little Halloween trinket that I found while scouring the great big internet. Those of you with a gushing crush on Bollywood will be especially ecstatic!
So how was your Halloween, cupcakes? How did you celebrate, who were you with, but most importantly what did you wear?!
Here in the States, the first traces of winter are starting to flutter into open windows which means hot soup, warm blankets, and a lot of time spent indoors. Being confined inside can drive some absolutely stir-crazy, so to counteract these lazy days here are ten simple ways to keep busy and ensure that you have a superbly thrilling winter!
01. Invite friends over for tea, hot cocoa, and cider, then break out all your favorite flicks for a lively movie marathon. My personal picks to warm up winter days? Better Off Dead, Be Kind Rewind, and Ed Wood.
02. Have a take-out adventure. Dig through all of those delivery menus that you've managed to acquire over the years and order something from every one. Make it your goal to get through them all before spring rolls around.
03. Open a cafe in your living room. Cook up all kinds of tasty deserts and concoctions and invite friends and family over to have some coffee and enjoy the atmosphere. Bonus points if you or someone you know is in a band and is willing to contribute some live music!
04. Head to your local library and bring home as many books as you can carry. Try to make it through the whole pile in one month and be sure to document your literary adventures with journal entries or podcasts. Include your thoughts, favorite quotes, and possibly even a re-enactment of a particularly thrilling scene.
05. Make a movie! Round up your closest friends and re-create a historical event, your entire life, or even an encyclopedia entry! Insist on using only what you have lying around for props and costumes and have a red-carpet premier to celebrate its completion.
06. Renew your living space. Clean out the closet, go through your books, get rid of all those magazine subscriptions that you never read and generally tidy up. Not only will your flat be less cluttered, but it will help you relax and contribute to a more productive environment.
07. Design your dream dress - go all out and be sure to include every little detail, from hand-stitched flowers to tiny white feathers. If you're daring enough, hone in on your sewing skills and actually create it!
08. Make mix-tapes for all occasions. A mix for meeting someone new, a mix for accidently stumbling over a crack in the street, a mix for seeing an especially adorable dog at the park... when you're finished, send them to the people you know who remind you of the occasion.
09. Celebrate a holiday that your country doesn't. November 1st & 2nd is Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico, or the traditional Day of the Dead, November 3rd is Japanese Culture Day, and December 8th is La Purisima in Nicaragua. Do a little research into international holidays and celebrate as many as you possibly can!
10. Create your own tarot deck. Use watercolors and ink and tissue paper and ribbon to personalize your very own set, drawing tiny interpretations of all the cards. When you're finished, carry them everywhere and offer to give readings to anyone you see who looks especially curious.
Ride in on a little pink vespa and park it right in the middle of the gathering + Bring your own band, complete with all the orchestral trimmings, and have them rolled in behind you when you enter, playing your favorite song + Enter with fizzing sparklers knotted in your hair + Roll up by horse-drawn carriage, all decked out with electric lights and glorious white horses + Bring your menagerie with you, carrying a tiny fawn or walking a leash of Greyhounds + Have an unusual escort, like a costumed character or a great dane + Wear the biggest whipped cream frosted cake of a dress and walk around the event serving guests slices from it + Race in on horse-back + Dress up like it's prom night all over again, complete with a tiara, a sweet date, and an oversized corsage + Ride in on a giant Jeff Koons balloon animal + Rock a Marie Antoinette hair-do, decorating your head with feathers, ribbons, and lots of glitter + Re-enact the scene from Funny Face where Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson perform "Clap Yo' Hands"
What about you, bunnies? How would you make your grand and glorious entrance?
I wish... I had thrilling, fright-filled plans for Halloween. It seems like this year I'm the only one in the Halloween spirit, carving faces and stars into tiny pumpkins and shrouding the house in a spellbinding layer of faux-cobwebs. While I lay out dresses on my bed and try to put together an especially lovely costume, the people and houses around me are completely devoid of all festivities. There's not so much as one decoration on my street and I've yet to hear about any ghoulish balls, not to mention the fact that due to its prickly price, Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights is completely out of the question. Who knows... there are still three days before All Hallows Eve. Perhaps something exciting will come up?
I wish... for wardrobes overflowing with costume jewelry and faded tulle tutus and old silk dresses and spider-web gowns. I wish for the costumes of 1920's circus performers strung up on silk ribbon hangers, overpowering whole city blocks with the tart smell of cigar smoke and a back-flipping acrobatic history. I want dresses that speak and sing for themselves, dresses with a certain spark and vigor and charm - I want clothes that can swing from the ceiling or hang around my neck and still hold the same iridescent, dazzling power.
I wish... to speak only in the most precise of words, to tango with language as though it were a seasoned partner. I want to use the most vivid of adjectives, the sweetest of verbs, the most cunning of nouns and the most tranquil of soliloquies. I want to fill whole novels with beautiful, unintelligible phrases that roll off the tongue like raindrops in the grass - to wrap myself around my English language lover and shake through the soles of the world. I want to be that girl that is never at a loss for words.
I wish... for ballet flats and cafe mochas.
So, goblins, in this glorious week of tricks and treats and costume balls, what do you wish for?
+ For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
+ For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
+ For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.
+ People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
+ Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.
+ As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
+ The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
+ The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows.
+ And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!
I've been informed that although this incredible list of "beauty tips" was echoed bravely by Miss Hepburn, the true credit goes to Sam Levenson who authored it. Nevertheless, I think we can all still safely say that Audrey Hepburn lived her life as the epitome of these words, giving back to this sometimes crazy, mixed up world, always putting others before herself, and meanwhile somehow managing to be the most lovely woman in show business. She was not just a starlet with a beautiful face - she was a humanitarian, an optimist, one of those incredible people who carved their own rugged path in life just to be sure that others could safely follow. At times it can be hard to say this of people you've never met and I usually don't say it very often, but Audrey Hepburn was truly beautiful and we will never find anyone like her on this little Earth ever again.
I've always been a huge fan of Lucky Magazine and right now they're running an incredible contest with some even more incredible prizes. Ironically enough, they've paired up with Lucky Brand Jeans for the "My Denim Transformation" stylist challenge - a contest where all you have to do is show off exactly how you would "style" your jeans for a night out. Simply send a photo of yourself all dolled up in your favorite jeans and submit it on the Lucky Style Spotter site for a chance to win a trip to my favorite city in the world, New York, a chance to be featured in Lucky Magazine, and the great and wonderful prize of getting to personally style a Lucky Brand ad. For any fashion majors out there, or just budding fashionistas, I don't think I have to tell you what a fantastic opportunity this is - plus you get to dress up, which is, in my opinion, the most thrilling thing a girl can do alone!
I know Polyvore sets aren't allowed, but my look would be something along these lines... think - Catwoman goes to the circus! Meow!
Now I'm sure you can come up with outfits way better than mine so show me up and enter! Go forth and submit, kittens, and don't forget to show me all your gorgeous styles!
Want to ask for advice, drill me for freelance work, or even just drop off a quick hello? Send out a lovebite! E-mails make my heart flutter, so drop me a line! ♥
