About Me

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Chicago, IL, United States
I'm just a girl with a huge appetite for life. I am wildly inspired & influenced by fashion & music.
College student & aspiring fashion stylist. I live for thrills & have many goals & ambitions.

Thursday, December 23

Wednesday, December 8

Benefit 'Confessions of a Concealaholic' Giveaway!



Want to win this concealing & brightening kit by Benefit Cosmetics?
Blogger of outside-and-in is doing a giveaway that you can enter right now!
Winner will be picked at random & this giveaway closes on January 1st, 2011.

Kit Includes
"That Gal" brightening face primer
Boi-ing industrial strength concealer in 2 shades for custom concealing
Erase Paste brightening camouflage for eyes & face in No. 2 (for medium complexions)
Lemon Aid (sheer pale yellow) color correcting eyelid primer
Eye Bright (pale pink) instant eye brightener
Concealer Brushes
Step-by-step lesson
Retail Price: $36

You can find details on how to enter here.

Hate Me Now Then Hate Me When I'm Winning





Pictures from Monday night's Bulls vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game!

     Such a good game!  Had really high expectations for it, & let me tell you I was not disappointed.  Seeing Kevin Durant in person made me really realize how huge he is..  The Bulls played really well - Boozer was on fire & Rose had so many assists ♥  Oh, & I was sitting behind the cutest little boy ever haha.  He kept holding up his sign at inappropriate times while everyone was sitting down & his dad kept kindly telling him that he should put his sign down because some people might not be able to see.  But he was so young he didn't understand, because he would look back at everyone behind him with the most innocent look on his face & then slyly hold up his sign again haha.  Then afterwards he was chosen to take a picture with the Chicago Bulls cheerleaders, it was so funny!  Overall, it was a fun night - the only thing that made me complain (aside from the bad calls that the refs made) was the fact that afterwards, my best friend & I did NOT remember where we parked at all..  We literally walked around the United Center from each parking lot to the next in the freezing cold!  We got tired of walking so then we got pulled around in a medium-sized bike carriage by the nicest man ever, seriously.  I felt so bad because he wasn't really dressed that warm for the freezing weather & we went around for what seemed like forever trying to find our car!  But surprisingly he didn't seem to mind at all, in fact he was delighted to help us out so we tipped him really well.

     Today, well technically yesterday because it's almost 2am now, I went Christmas shopping with my brother.  It was really cool to spend time with him since we hardly have the time to anymore.  Afterwards, we watched the DVD that came with the deluxe version of Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon 2 album.  I got the CD the day it released but I never had the time to watch the DVD until now & let me tell you, it has convinced me to buy tickets for his next show in Chicago - but it's too bad that tour dates have not been announced yet.  However, that doesn't stop me from being excited!!! :)

     Well, I should probably be going to sleep.. Goodnight, loves ♥

XO,
Racheal

Monday, December 6

Long Roadtrips with Little Cash, Recklessness, & Total Freedom

Photography by Jason Lee Parry













     I just recently discovered this photographer & I'm so thrilled that I did because I fell in love with his aesthetic.  I love LOVE love how nature, vintage, & nudity can be seen throughout his entire portfolio.  The women that he photographs always have bold, strong, & intimidating characteristics which I absolutely adore.  I like the edginess in all his photos - he definitely knows how to capture the beauty of powerful, fierce women.

     When asked what his inspiration was, he answered: "Living in a tent in my living room & drinking whiskey for days on in, that's when the ideas really started to flow. Or any kind of fort will do. 60's & 70's playboy mags, old motorcycle films, Jim Morrison's poetry, long road trips with little cash, recklessness, total freedom to be myself, Guy Bourdin, long walks at 3am, my beautiful humble woman, activities that have no meaning, bad weather, complete confidence without cockiness, being with people who do before they think, very small towns & villages, just doing shit that's out of the ordinary." 

     I hope you guys enjoy these pictures just as much as I do!

XX,
Racheal


http://jasonleeparry.com/main/
Quote from..
http://bentrovatoblog.com/fashion/photography-by-jason-parry/

Sunday, December 5

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

     So I admit that I haven't been a very good blogger lately, hence my lack of posts.  My Thanksgiving was very nice, it's my #1 favorite holiday of all - I love the quality time with the family, the amazing food, & not to mention the great deals right after for Black Friday.  It was really good seeing family that I haven't seen in a while & I finally learned how to play Texas Hold 'Em, haha :) I always thought that gambling card games were confusing, but after a few rounds I was hooked!  My Black Friday shopping went very well.  I wanted to avoid the malls in the Chicago area that I knew would be hectic as hell with reckless shoppers such as Woodfield Mall, so I went to Northbrook Court & I'm so happy I did.

     Aside from that, I have been occupied with tons of schoolwork & preparing for the holiday season!  Christmas is in 20 days, can you believe it?  & we finally got inches of snow a few days ago :)  Now, I'm the type of person that HATES snow - driving in it is such a b*tch & it is way too cold now, but as of right now I'm admiring the beautiful scenery & the winter gear that comes with it.  That is, until the are holidays over, when I start wishing for the snow to melt & my Summer fever starts kicking in.

     Now, if you haven't already seen Louis Vuitton's S/S 2011 Menswear runway show by Marc Jacobs, you should definitely check it out!  The tailoring is impeccable, just like all menswear collections should be.  The reason I'm bringing this up is because of the legendary tattoo artist Scott Campbell.  If you didn't notice, many models on the runway of LV's S/S 2011 collection for men were sporting hot body art, previewing the upcoming collaboration with Louis Vuitton & Scott Campbell himself.  The highly anticipated collaboration collection will consist of ready-to-wear, scarves, & limited edition weekenders & will hit boutiques in late February.  I'm so excited! Tattoo lifestyle meets designer fashion, need I say more?
 



     Here is a video introducing the collaboration, revealing the life of Scott Campbell & the beginning of his mysterious journey - to where, we will only have to wait & see.

XX,
Racheal

Wednesday, November 24

'I Only Sleep in PINK' Holiday Challenge!

Put together a dreamy, holiday look reflective of the optimistically chic PINK vibe.
Victoria's Secret is having a Polyvore contest for anyone who wants to enter to win the grand prize of a $500 Visa gift card! 2nd & 3rd place winners will receive a $250 Visa gift card. All winners will also be featured in VSPINK.com & PINK's facebook page.

Rules
  - Entries must include at least 2 pieces of PINK sleepwear from the specific contest items.

Contest ends on November 30th 11:59pm PST.

I'm so excited, I love Polyvore contests so I will definitely be submitting an entry asap! You can go ahead & start creating your Polyvore set below!

For official rules & regulations, click here.

Monday, November 22

All Hail McQueen


Sarah Burton's S/S 2011 Collection for Alexander McQueen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sxc_lwGSJk&feature=fvst

*I apologize for the inconvenience, I have replaced the original video that wouldn't work with the full version from YouTube! For some reason, the original video said that the video was currently unavailable.. But if you want to see the original video I posted (the shortened version), it still works on W Magazine's website! I have posted the link if you would rather watch that one.

3 minute version on W Magazine
http://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/video/2010/alexander_mcqueen_spring_2011

Sunday, November 21

Inspired


     Here are some outfits I liked on Chictopia. I've always been a huge fan of neutral colors. I would say my style in clothing is very boho-chic with grunge undertones. Layering is a must & I love oversized button up shirts!

XO,
Racheal

Friday, November 19

Lanvin x H&M


I like Lanvin, but for some reason I honestly was not so excited for the Lanvin x H&M collaboration that came out today. I only found 2 pieces in the collection that I would actually want to buy - which is the faux fur jacket & the red heels! They are both so stunning & I'm definitely going to be saving up my money for them!





I wanna hear what you guys think about the collaboration!
Are you guys excited for it to hit stores?

XO,
Racheal

Thursday, November 18

Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston

I've always been fascinated by the decade of the 70's so when I heard of this documentary I, of course, became unbelievably excited. I first heard about it yesterday as I was reading through the November issue of the Elle UK magazine (I know, pretty late since it premiered in April). This documentary presents his rise as a legendary designer which later led to his devastating fall in the 80's. Roy Halston was not only known as America's first celebrity designer but also the fashion icon of the decade. As said by Elle magazine, "Halston was a talk show regular, a Studio 54 staple, and a close friend of Andy Warhol and his entourage." He lived the glamorous lifestyle, full of dancing, discos, and parties. I'm amazed by Studio 54 and extremely jealous of anyone who has ever had the opportunity to experience it before it shut down, so I'm very eager to see it come back to life in this movie! Plus, I can't wait to see Halston's extravagant life secondhand so I'll definitely be watching this asap :)

XO,
Racheal

http://www.halstonmovie.com/
http://fashion.elle.com/culture/agenda/2010/05/04/ultrasuede-in-search-of-halston-premieres-at-tribeca/

Tuesday, November 16

Barneys Wishlist

1.  Lanvin | Happy PM Printed Bag
2.  Marc Jacobs | Castoro Ash Satchel
3.  Barneys New York | Lock Tote
4.  Marc by Marc Jacobs | Saddlery Striped Perfect Messenger
5.  Prada | Platform Peep-Toe Bootie (absolutely in love with these!!!)
6.  Ann Demeulemeester | Red Combat Boots
7.  Fendi | Platform Ankle Boot

Monday, November 15

Sunday, November 14

Team Pacquiao

     Last night's Pacquiao VS. Margarito boxing match was so intense! I was actually pretty nervous at the beginning because Margarito was bigger & taller compared to Pacquiao but I'm so happy he won!! Even though I did feel bad for Margarito's eyes afterwards haha..

     On a side note though, I've recently became obsessed with brown nail polish lately! I don't know why but I can't get enough of it. I'm not just talking about any brown nail polish either, I'm talking like.. dark brown nail polish. I'm definitely going to be wearing it a lot throughout the Fall, as well as red nail polish (duh, it's my all time favorite haha). I'm in love with OPI's "Mauving to Manitoba" and "Vodka & Caviar".



XO,
Racheal

Friday, November 12

Musical Eargasm

     Okay, so I've been lacking on the posts - the past couple of weeks have been hectic! School isn't getting any less stressful unfortunately, plus more & more things are popping into my life, keeping me busy. My Halloween weekend was crazy & fun, however I didn't really take much pictures. The weekend after that, or in other words, last weekend, was definitely memorable.

     Last Friday I went to The Rave in Milwaukee to see rapper J. Cole!!! He is most definitely one of my favorite music artists & it was so cool to see him live - he is SUCH a good performer too so throughout the show I often caught myself in a daze, just watching in awe haha. ♥



*Excuse the horrible photo quality! That's the best one I took from my not-so-great digital camera in the dark.

     It was slightly sad to see one of my favorite months come to an end, but I love November as well. It's that time of year when everyone prepares for the Winter & gets into the holiday spirit :) I've seen people getting a head start on their outdoor Christmas decorations & it definitely puts me in a good mood.

     Plus, if you have a similar taste in music as me, you've probably found November to be a month full of musical excitement! I mean first of all, Weezy was released out of jail on the 4th!!! Then Kid Cudi dropped his 2nd album, Man on the Moon 2: Legend of Mr. Rager. J. Cole's new mixtape, Friday Night Lights, comes out today. Then later this month, Kanye's gonna be releasing his new album called My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I mean COME ONNN, is that not a musical eargasm or what?!

     Right now, I'm just freaking in love with November haha.

XO,
Racheal

Friday, October 29

Halloween Hysteria

     This past week has been unbelievably busy that when looking back, it all seems like just a huge blur. I guess I have midterms, sleepless nights, & the Halloween weekend to blame. It's been hard keeping up with the generous amount of schoolwork, making time for my blog posts, & figuring out my Halloween plans - all while trying to maintain a balance in my social life.

     I am so relieved & ecstatic at the same time because I can finally say that the weekend celebrating my favorite holiday has arrived! Unfortunately however, my costume ideas for Halloween are so last minute due to the hectic couple of weeks. I know for sure that for one of my costumes, I am going to be a french maid (I can finally wear the costume I bought last year that I didn't even get to use!). I was also planning on being a sailor, but the costume that I had found online was out of stock in the size that I needed & I haven't been able to find any other decent sailor costumes compared to that one. Since I don't want to dress up as the same thing all weekend, I have decided that I might want to be a bunny because of how simple it is.

     I cannot wait for this weekend to get started! I shall post pictures & updates of my Halloween endeavors shortly after!

XO,
Racheal

Thursday, October 28

Combat Boots: Hate it or Can't get enough of it?

I was never too crazy about combat boots, but they've recently grown on me. I really like the edgy look to them & lately, I've been searching for the perfect pair of boots to wear during the fall because I'm honestly just tired of Uggs. Plus, I feel like they're the perfect everyday boots to wear if you're going for a casual look. Combat boots have grown to be very popular over the last few months & I've been seeing them all over the mall. I'm debating if I should get a pair in either grey or cream & I can't decide because I'm crazy about them in both colors!

Here are a couple of options that I'm considering..

Steve Madden | 'Troopa' in NATL LEA $99.95



Nine West | 'Rivit' in grey / dark grey by Boutique 9 $200



What's your opinion,
Are you guys admirers or haters of the new trend?

I'll update sometime soon with what pair I decide on getting!

XO,
Racheal

Tuesday, October 26

Tights Galore



I currently have this obsession with tights & I seriously can't get enough of them. The fact that it's Fall makes them even more appealing to me because it seems that they can put together any look. If you're not ready to store away your high-waisted skirts or shorts along with the rest of your summer clothes (& believe me, I'm not either), tights may be your solution. You can wear them underneath shorts, skirts, & my personal favorite, sweater dresses! The only thing is that you have to be careful when pairing together different textures that could easily clash, ultimately leading to disaster.

     My Top Favorite are..
  • Opaque Tights! I like the sheerness of them & they won't look so much like leggings.
  • Classy Tights with a Lace-like Pattern. (NOT too overdone though or it looks tacky).
  • Grey Tights. The perfect neutral color to go with anything. Plus, its a popular color this season.
  • Navy Blue Tights. A great, bold color that could either be played down to be subtle, or paired with neutral colors to really pop.
  • Maroon Tights. If you want to be daring & add color to your outfit.
I've found gorgeous tights @ stores such as Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, Banana Republic, LOFT, Express, & American Apparel, just to name a few.

Saturday, October 23

My Very 1st Post

Hello everyone! The name's Racheal, & I'm just a girl that loves the everlasting rollercoaster ride of life. I live for thrills, hence the name of the blog :)

I have created this blog with aims of documenting my life & expressing my love for music, & above all - my passion for fashion. Stay tuned.

XO,
Racheal