Introducing style icon #1.

I'm pleased to announce my first style icon in my style icon series...Audrey Hepburn!

I fell in love with Ms. Hepburn at first sight. I really did. I know, it sounds crazy, but her slightly mysterious allure and undeniable class made a significant impact on me. At the time, I was going through some really big changes; high school was fast approaching and that summer, I was determined to reinvent myself. Watching Breakfast at Tiffany's, I began to think, "Well, if I'm going to reinvent myself, why not be like her?!" So I started my little journey to imitate the class, grace, and elegant style of this iconic actress.

Oh, the famous Oscar dress. This off-white, high neck, Givenchy beauty was worn by Audrey at the 1954 Oscars, where she won the award for Best Actress for her role in the film Roman Holiday. I love this because of the high neckline and the cinched waist to make her look quite slim. I personally am not a fan of lower necklines on myself just because they're unflattering on me, so I love how this dress covers the entire chest. The waistline is perfect as well. I think that a nice belt at the waist and a fuller skirt create for a very tailored, slim look.

Another great one: the dress from the opening scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Though this was a movie and she didn't wear this in real life, I think it describes her style quite well. It's Givenchy, which was a designer she particularly adored. She liked clean cuts and simple colors. Once again, the high neckline caught my eye! I also am loving all the accessories. I think it's always great to have a simple base to your outfit (white v-neck, medium length khaki shorts) and accessorize like crayyy-zy.

This is a more casual look of hers. Ms. Hepburn was very active at the beginning of the mod era, in the early 60s. Hence, the shift dress and short hair. I love this summery ensemble because once again, it's simple. Audrey was a huge fan of simple and easy, which we can clearly see by the outfits that she stepped out in. This dress doesn't overwhelm her and the stripes don't make her look wide (like they tend to make people look).

That's it! I could go on and on and on about Audrey Hepburn, but I don't want to be unfair to the other icons whom I'll feature in the next couple of days!

Signed,
Penelope P.


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What makes a style icon?

As my previous post on Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, touched on her personal style a bit, I'd like to delve more into the topic of the style icon. I personally believe that a style icon is someone who stretches the "boundaries" of style more than the average person. A style icon is the person that doesn't conform and wears what he or she wants to wear, regardless of the trend or not. They do this and manage to look fabulous.

I have several style icons in mind to share with you all, but how in the world will I be able to put them in one post? I don't think I will, so I introduce to you my style icon series! No less than every other day, I will make one post per icon including a mini profile, photos of memorable, iconic outfit ensembles, and what I think of each ensemble. Why am I doing this might you ask (haha, or not)? Because I feel like it and I think it'll be fun to share with y'all who I think has had a grave impact on the fashion industry over the years.

Feel free to offer up your opinions!

Signed,
Penelope P.

Is anyone as excited for the Prince of Cambridge as I am?!

At 4:24 PM London time Monday, July 22nd, the future King of England was welcomed graciously by millions into the world. I'm American. I have no royal ties whatsoever, but I am overjoyed by the birth of this baby boy! I have been following the Royal Family of the UK very closely since Prince William and Duchess Catherine announced their engagement in November of 2010. I remember getting up at 5:30 in the morning on the day of the wedding in April of 2011 to watch the regal (I mean, hello?) event take place. I was absolutely mesmerized by the dress, how beautiful Westminster Abbey was, and by the fact that before she was Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, she was Kate Middleton, an ordinary woman from Newbury, Berkshire. The Duchess definitely serves the young women of today as a positive role model.

I think the Duchess of Cambridge has provided the world with a sense of grace and class. She seems so go about life in such an organized, elegant fashion, but she still is, in my eyes at least, human. I think that so many people are under the impression, subconsciously, that the Royal Family are not human because they're royal! I've found that people tend to think this about celebrities as well (well, the Royal Family is a family of celebrities). They think that celebrities and royals are so perfect that they can't possibly be just like them. Of course, they have different responsibilities than we have and live drastically different lives, but inside, we're all the same. When I was little, I had my fantasies of becoming a princess and living this lavish life, but now I see how ordinary the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge actually are. They're people just like you and I, and that's why I think that girls should look up to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. She's real, honest, and makes sure that the fame doesn't get to her as it has gotten to many other people.

All in all, I think I will always look up to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, because she's transitioned from common person to royal with grace and poise, all while keeping her true self in the light of fame, which 99.9% of people love (I have never heard of a person who doesn't like her and I can't imagine why they would.).

Long time no blog!

Hey everyone!! I'm really sorry that I haven't been blogging lately. I've been busy preparing for school and transforming my life and I have been clearly slacking very badly on blogging. I feel bad not blogging because it is something that I like to do, but school does take priority over anything else, so that's just something I'm going to have to adjust and work with as I go along.

Just a little update on what I've been doing lately:

• SAT/PSAT prep work! - I re-take the PSAT (which is also the qualification test for National Merit Scholarships) in October and I'm trying very hard to get a better score than I did last year. This means lots of tutoring and memorizing and studying etc.
• Chinese! - I told you guys a while ago that I was trying to learn Chinese and I'm still trying! It's also a lot of work.
• Summer work! - I cannot believe that I have as much summer work for school as I have. I have work in five out of my six classes and I have to read four books. It doesn't seem like much when I say it, but when you're as busy as I am, it's hard to find the time.
• Working out! - I set a goal for myself to be able to run two miles by the end of summer (which for me is August 29th. That is when pre-season starts.) and I've been going to the gym six days a week to work on that. I'll make sure to do a post on goals because I think that goal setting is a very important aspect to life. 
• Beach! - I went to the beach with some friends for my friend, Priya's, birthday. We had loads of fun and I got a tan, which is really nice because I was beyond pale before I left!
• Work! - I've been working a lot lately, i.e. babysitting. Back to school shopping is always a burden on me because, going to boarding school, I need a lot of stuff. My parents try to instill in me the value of a dollar and they make sure that I work hard for what I have, therefore, I buy a lot of the things that I want/need. I also feel a lot better buying my own things because my parents have a lot of other things to buy for my siblings and for themselves, so I make sure to work very hard for my money.

That's pretty much it! Once again, I'm sorry I haven't been blogging at all, but you can see why. I hope to be blogging more in the next couple of weeks and I'll definitely keep you guys posted on the things that I buy for school (I plan to get some super cute stuff!). 

Signed,
Penelope P. 

Embrace.

Shabbat Shalom!!! I'm not Jewish, but my family just feels more of a connection to Judaism to the religion that we are now, so I know a lot about Jewish customs and such. Shabbat, which is a day of rest, begins before sunset on Friday when the candles are lit. You're not supposed to work on the Sabbath and should be peaceful, though partying is expected.

This post isn't about the Sabbath, so I don't know why I told you that! Regardless of what religion you are or if you even identify a religion within yourself, it's good to know. This post is supposed to be on the topic of embracing new experiences. I have had the opportunity to try many new things in my life and I am forever grateful for that. The ability to be able to travel (though mine has not been extensive, seriously), experience new cultures, people and things is invaluable. The education that I have received throughout my life has been the absolute best and I thank my parents and the schools that I have attended for accepting me and molding me into the young woman that I am.

I had the chance today to try something new and I did. Not because it was something to check off my bucket list, but because I truly wanted to do it. It did take me a while, and by a while I mean months to convince myself that this was a good idea, but I got around to doing it and it felt good. I felt at peace and I felt "full" knowing that I had done this thing that I have been afraid of doing for as long as I could remember. Peer pressure didn't plague me, my parents didn't force me, I did this myself and it honestly felt good. 

My point in this post was not to tell y'all about my new experience (clearly, I do not want to. I'm not comfortable sharing things that are that personal to me on the Internet, even if I am anonymous! I may reveal my identity later on). It was to share why you should embrace new experiences even if you're afraid. I'm known for being the scaredy cat, the girl that never takes risks for fear of embarrassment, failure or, I don't know, arrest (hey, I don't think jumping off the house into the pool is legal...is it?), but once I took this chance today and really looked back on it, I was happy that I did it. I was happy that I made this decision for myself and I felt better than awesome at the end of the day. So I leave you with this--don't miss out on those wonderful opportunities that are presented to you. Take that class you want to take. Buy that beautiful bag that your friends don't like, but you love. Bungee jump for all I care! All I know is that if you don't take that chance, nothing is going to come out of it and you'll be stuck at that point in your life that you've been dying to leave behind.

Signed,

Penelope P.

Chinese!

Hey y'all. I was having a lovely day until I began my Chinese learning. Some background on why in the world I would want to torture myself by learning this language first, though!

I like to call myself an inexperienced linguist. I've been taking French since I was 5 years old and I just started Spanish this past school year. I can hold a conversation in French about anything, so I guess you could say that I'm fluent (besides the frivolous grammar mistakes. *cough* passe compose versus imparfait *cough*). I was advised not to take two languages at one time because I would not have a free period and I would get confused...fast, but, being myself, I went against everything everyone said and took both because I really wanted to learn Spanish! The culture, the language and the people seemed were so intriguing, I just had to take a stab at it. No, I didn't have a free period, and yes, I experienced many cold, late, dark (see previous post on why it was dark) nights in my room, but it was so worth it! I love Spanish and I love being able to communicate with my Spanish speaking family not using English. I'm glad I now am at least a tad experienced in Spanish because it made me realize some career paths that I may want to take! I love learning languages and they're definitely my favorite subjects!

Okay, back to Chinese. My dad had to learn a little for a business trip to China back in September, so we have some books lying around not getting any use. In order to get something out of this summer besides fun and relaxation, I think learning Chinese would be good for my brain. Good for my brain and also something small to make me happy. As I said, I love learning languages and other cultures are fascinating to me. That absolutely does not exclude Chinese language/culture. As much as I want to learn the language, it's hard. It's beyond difficult actually. I'm one of those people that gets very discouraged if they don't get something right away, so after about 45 minutes, I closed the book, took a deep breath and decided to do something else for a little while.

Tomorrow, I'll definitely sit down again with the book and the CD and recite some more syllables, but in the meantime, I'm trying to relax a bit and remind myself that nobody is perfect and nobody understands everything right away. I try to go against that and name people in my life who are "perfect" and do everything "perfectly," but that's clearly negatively effecting me. It negatively effects everyone! Just a little life lesson that may seem obvious, but I fail to see it quite frequently: Nobody is perfect, nor should you be!


Signed,
Penelope P.

Did I tell you about boarding school? A quick day in the life!

A minor detail I forgot to mention right off the bat about my life--I go to boarding school! I cannot believe I forgot to say that because it's a huge part of my life. I'm not home during the week and I only go home when I can on weekends. I'm a local boarder, which is really nice because if I forget something at home, my mom or dad can just drop it off. I'm so fortunate to be able to have the boarding option because I absolutely love my school and the traffic where I live is out of control, so I can't drive everyday. Sure, it's all-girls and I have forgotten how to talk to boys when I see them in person, but the atmosphere, the amazing education that I'm getting and the people all make up for that. Below, you'll find an abbreviated day in the life of moi at school. Bear in mind that this was sophomore year and my schedule will be somewhat different next year.

6:55 (it was really 7:10)--Wake up!

7:40--Breakfast with friends in the dining hall (COFFEE.)

8:00-3:05/40--Class

4:00-6:15 (on days I wanted to stay for private instruction)--Dance

6:05 (on a typical day)--Dinner

6:45--Shower

7:05--Start homework/chat with people in the dorm/talk to teachers, house adults etc.

7:30-9:30--Study Hall (either in the library or my room; it's required for everyone besides seniors)

11:00--Lights Out

As you can see, everyday for me is very strictly scheduled. I must stay on this schedule or I get all off! However, that was abbreviated, as mentioned, so I do a lot more and am actually a lot busier that it seems. It's far from fabulous sometimes, but when I graduate and move on to the next phase in my life, I'll look back on my experience at my school and offer my greatest thanks to everyone that made it possible. Hoped you enjoyed this little glimpse into my life!

Signed, 

Penelope P.