No Excuses.

A few weekends ago, while at the STL Galleria, I noticed there was something different—something not quite right. Near that weird, pond-like thing in the middle of the mall was a kiosk-turned-store I hadn’t noticed before.

Yes, that’s right. There is a Crocs store. Because those giant, double-wide kiosks weren’t enough. Unless you’re gardening, swimming, at a job that requires slip resistant shoes, and so on, Crocs are not okay. I’m not going to explain why, because it should be given. I don’t care how comfortable they are. Crocs are on the same list as Ed Hardy, the vast majority of everything made of velour, and the word “jegging”; they’re just wrong.

Benet by Crocs, $99

I do have to admit that the YOU by Crocs line is decent. Judging by the pictures online, they are basic shoes—simple, normal, women’s shoes at stupid prices. $89.99 for leather thong sandals? You’re joking, right?

Julia—1, Crocs—0.

Get Excited.

Midterms are done. I would have blogged during, but, y’know, my brain was fucking exploding. And I can’t mock much during exam weeks; if your head is too full of chemistry or anatomy or something equally terrible that you can’t remember to put on shoes, whatever. I spent more money on caffeine than cigarettes and food combined.

Apparently the combination of exam stress and lack of sleep is rather intense, as I am now sitting in my pajamas at home, sick and pathetic and chugging juice. Lucky for you, I have plenty of things I’ve been waiting to write (cough, rant, cough) about. Funnnn.

Who needs lipgloss?

So if you happen to know me in real life, you know I wear very red lipstick every day. I am a woman of routine, and one of my most favorite routines is making my lips redredred.

It used to be a three-step process: lipstain, lipstick, and tinted balm. However, there were flaws in that routine, the first and foremost being this awful ring of red around the outside of my lips. It looked very 90s, like perhaps I'd lined my lips a few shades too dark. Also, the process of using all of those products takes a lot of time. I suppose that's why most women save red lips for fancy occasions. I would put on the stain, wait for it to dry, put on the lipstick, dab it, put on more lipstick, dab it, put on more lipstick, wait for it to dry, and put on balm. I don't always have time for the dabbing and waiting, which leads to it fading away or leaving marks on my cigarettes and coffee cups. If I was in a real hurry, I would skip the middle step. However, most lip balms seem to rub the lip stain off my lips, making it fade even quicker.

But now, I have found the solution: Smith's Rosebud Salve.

Smith's Rosebud Salve, $6 at Sephora

For a mere $6, this amazing balm makes me lips super soft (no seriously, they were icky chapped on Saturday and perfectly smooth Sunday morning) and keeps the stain on all day. I colored my lips at eight this morning and they still look great. There was no mark left on my coffee, nor is there a ring around the outside. The color survived food, drinks, a nap, and 15+ hours.



It smells like a mix between flowers and baby powder. It isn't sticky; my (very) long hair hasn't stuck to it at all. And I can't stop using it. Sorry Burt's Bees.. You've been replaced.

FOUND.

Hey, so guess what. I found myself a lovely camel bag.

It's not exactly what I thought it would be.. There is only one strap, it's not really leather, and it's kind of small by my fucked up standards. However, it was something like $27 at H&M and I love it. I was shopping with a friend from class when I saw a girl grab this lovely handbag. Tragically, it was the last one. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her set it down. It became mine before she had the chance to change her mind.



Hello, new purse. Siiigghh.


Clearly, the size isn't a huge issue, as I can still fit a ton of stuff in there.

What's all inside? Well.. Keys, Vera Bradley ID holder, Jacobs by Marc Jacobs key fob, Moleskine planner, Liz Claiborne checkbook wallet, UO sunglasses, BIC highlighters, Five Star notebook, Marie Claire magazine, Baekgaard leather envelope (full of coupons, because I'm a crazy coupon lady at twenty), LeSportSac cosmetics bag, SLU parking passes, Double Bubble bubble gum, Stride chewing gum, Marlboro Reds, "Show Me Yours & I'll Show You Mine" lighter, vintage gold bracelet, Timex watch, Smyth's Rosebud Salve (amazing new addiction.. post to come), Blackberry Bold, giant headphones I just found at TJ Maxx.

Call me crazy, but I find it fascinating what people carry with them. Maybe it's the taboo that you never look inside a woman's purse. Maybe it's me being overly curious. Maybe it's the same reason I like house tours on design blogs, House Hunters on HGTV, and the last page of Marie Claire magazine. And maybe, since you clearly are reading this, you find it interesting, too.

Because adorable things make a happy Julia.

I promise, I'm not forgetting my blog yet again. Blogger has been acting funny, and I am exhausted and way too busy.

A quick and simple way to cheer myself up is by looking at pretty things on the internet. Virtual shopping is a wonderful, mood-lifting hobby, even if I don't ever go for my credit card or add anything to my cart.

What kind of internet eyecandy can possibly do the job when I'm this stressed out? Happy, silly, kitsch-ish items. For example, cartoon jewelry.

I am as picky with cartoons as I am with purses. Really, I think I'm just picky about a lot of things, but there's no need to go into that (yet.) There is a fine line between cute/sweet/fun and tacky/cheap/unfortunate. I've noticed most of the cartoon jewelry I adore is enamel, or something similar (cough, rarely plastic) and a bit muted in color. Simple charms with a single, cheeky icon make me as happy as Saturday morning cartoons.

Tarina Tarantino Large Crystal Barbie Medallion

Tarina Tarantino does a great job of making characters look more like pop art and less like quarter machine finds (although, I have found a few great quarter machine deals.. I'm personally a fan of the ridiculous, attachable mustaches.) Her Barbie, Alice in Wonderland, and Hello Kitty lines are adorable, excluding a few waaayy too over the top pieces and the hippy-inspired crap. I love the necklaces and earrings, but seem to be let down by the bracelets. For that price, I feel more comfortable with chains and clasps, as opposed to elastic bands and slip-ons. But back to the positive.. Who doesn't love Barbie? Especially retro Barbie? She's a doctor, she's a teacher, she's a princess, she's an astronaut, she's on the beach looking modest yet seductive. She's Barbie, c'mon!

MBMJ Miss Marc Large Pendant Necklace

Do I talk about Marc Jacobs enough? Probably not. I am sort of kind of madly in love with his Miss Marc character.

Juicy Couture Ice Cream Dish Charm

Although technically not a cartoon, Juicy Couture's sweet charms add the same level of holyshitthatscute. I have a thing for charm bracelets, and would love to start collecting theirs, starting with this ice cream dish. You can't beat the little details.

Speaking of the little details, I have a handful of itty bitty assignments due soon. Back to work (for now!)

Oh, Project Runway.

Oh, so, funny story, while watching Project Runway the other day (I'm super behind.. I have class on Thursdays and have to watch repeats) I realized A.J. himself and his sort-of weird/totally awesome designs looked familiar.

So I Google'd him. Because what the fuck else do you do? (I also realized I say Google'd too often.)

Turns out, he's from St. Louis, and was part of the Trashbiscuit line I saw at last year's STL Fashion Week. I also think Michael D. looks really familiar, both face and fashion. He's also from St. Louis, but I haven't found anything about collections he's done.

On a side note with Project Runway, I think half of the designers are loving the highschool, let's gang up on someone, mindset and they're kind of awful people. Go Michael C.!

That's enough T.V. rants for Julia.

Reason #9072172818273 To Love Target

It's is finally the weekend, sort of. I'm nauseatingly busy between school and work, but I get to go to a show this weekend and have a few good magazines to catch up on. Oh yeah, and a new mattress topper that makes my bed so comfy I'm contemplating never getting out of it again.

Last night, in an attempt to relax, I read Marie Claire. It was an all-around good issue, I suppose. I thought it lacked some real meat, but it was the beauty issue, which I always dislike.

In it, though, there was an advertisement. For purses.

Mulberry Oversized Alexa, $1250

For Mulberry purses, in fact. The above bag is the first Mulberry bag I ever noticed and is why I am currently hunting for the perfect multi-strap camel bag. I love this one. However, I don't joke around with prices like that. In my world, that's a car payment, that's a few months rent. That's not a satchel, no matter how buttery the leather is.

Mulmerry for Target Ad

But then everything changed when I read the fine print. Holy crap, Mulberry is doing a line for Target. Yes. Will the leather be as buttery or the details as grand? I'm sure not. Is it a much more affordable option, and will I more than likely have to get one? It's looking that way.

Thanks for kicking so much ass, Target.