HBD MACCA!

Wishing a happ happ happiest birthday to the Ultimate Gemini Boyf--and original love of my life.

<3 <3 <3 x 1,000,000,000 

Could he BE any more perfect? 

(Sorry, I've been watching a bunch of Frenns re-runs lately... strictly for the nineties norm-core fashion inspo, naturally. But more on that later!) 

also, Happy Pisces, you guys!

In honor of Pisces beginning yesterday, I'd like to share this lovely astrologically-themed editorial by Carine Roitfeld, featured in the March issue of Harper's Bazaar. I love it when magazines do this--the zodiac is such a great theme, for fashion! But I'm often disappointed when the choices seem arbitrary--like what about that outfit really says Virgo to you, you know what I mean? 

But in this story, Roitfeld exhibits a familiarity with each of signs that make be believe it. For example, the Maison Martin Margiela boots that Capricorn and Aries are wearing are a nod to the cloven hooves of the signs' mascots (goat and ram, respectively). The sheepskin coat Aries is wearing makes the metaphor even clearer. In deference to the two fish that represent her, Pisces is dressed in separates, with clear panels that look like water. Taurus' tough-but-luxurious look is pitch-perfect, and Aquarius' white and black is, I believe, a nod to this signs affiliation with two distinct elements. The two-stem cherry print on Libra's St. Laurent dress is obviously meant to represent the scales, while the one-shoulder silhouette suggests imbalance in such a clever way. And dressing Gemini in the doubly-named label Miu Miu? How perfect! 

the tarot will teach you

I've been so busy these days, I've completely neglected my magic! But for some reason, this past week, I've been really down--about school, life, everything. Only, I couldn't quite put my finger on what was making me feel that way (aside from the weather, the obvious culprit). And since Felix has been feeling a little off this week, too, we decided to ask the Tarot about it. 

When I'm doing readings with Felix, we opt for simple, three-card spreads: past, present, and future. The first card explains what events and forces have led up to your current state; the second card diagnoses your present situation or state of mind; and the third card advises your next course of action. As usual, our readings rang surprisingly true, and helped to put things into perspective. 

 My Reading: 

Past: The Moon

This card represents illusion, psychic awakening, decisions, crisis of faith. It's one of the major arcana, which are strong cards to have in a reading, and speak to larger themes in your life. These past few weeks--but not just the past few weeks--I've been doubting myself a lot. I'm never sure if the assignments I turn in are any good, and I've been worrying that I won't be able to get all of my work done. But the card also indicates that these limitations are self-imposed. It means I haven't been taking enough time to myself, and that my negative thoughts have been holding me back. 

Present: Three of Swords

As a suit, swords indicate mental/intellectual struggles. The third card in this suit acknowledges the disappointment you feel at the loss of an ideal, and can represent heartbreak and sorrow. In my case, I think that speaks to the fact that being a grad student with a child is not and cannot be the same as being a single gal in undergrad. My time is split in many directions, and I have to make compromises to keep up with everything. Which is the root of my trouble at the moment: I need to accept that this is a different time in my life, and not beat myself up for not being as dedicated a student as I used to be. 

Future: Judgement, reversed 

This card represents self-judgement, renewal, truth, forgiveness, and the past. Upside-down, its meaning is slightly altered, indicating a delay, because of the past getting in the way. But the main message of this reversed card is that I've been judging myself too harshly, which I think is true. I've been putting too much stock in the opinions of others, which usually only brings me down. This card says that what really counts is what you believe about yourself. Which is something I'm trying to keep in mind as I move forward. 

Felix's reading:

Past: Six of Swords

This card indicates that, while your problems aren't entirely resolved, you'll at least enjoy a little distance from them. For Felix, I think this speaks to his time at school. It was a little rocky at first, adjusting to his new routine, being on his own during the day. But over the past few months, he's really hit his stride. On his first report card, his teacher said that he's a bright young boy, who loves to learn, and always follows the rules--though he does struggle with saying goodbye to his parents in the morning. Which leads nicely to his second card....

Present: Five of Pentacles

This card, as you might guess, represents hardship. But importantly, the card indicates that the struggle you're undergoing might be due to a fear of losing something, rather than actual loss. It also speaks to isolation. And poor Felix has been having  hard time with this. Maybe it's the winter, maybe it's cabin fever, but he's been feeling low, and especially clingy to yours truly. He simply doesn't want to be with anyone else. It's all wrapped up in my own school schedule, which this semester keeps me away from him much more than he's used to. 

Future: The Sun

Felix was very happy to get this card, which indicates that the future brings the promise of recuperation, growth, and happiness--in a word, springtime! I have a feeling that as soon as the weather breaks, we'll all be feeling much better about our lives. We'll be able to play outside, we'll be feeling energized, and everything will be great. This card also indicates that a relationship with a child will be nurtured, which hopefully means that as our moods improve, Felix will start to feel more secure, and will be feeling less separation anxiety.

As usual, this has made me feel much better about all of my silly troubles--especially since, according to the Tarot, they're all in my mind! Same with Felix! This isn't the first time our readings have corresponded. The presence of swords in both of our readings means we tend to overthink things, and deal with a lot of inner-turmoil. Like mother like son. But at least we're not alone!

spring mermaid

ok I really don't have time to talk about this, but omg you guys. Is there anything more beautiful than the mermaid hair at Valentino this spring?! Srsly. What with the scarves and zippers and static electricity, this winter, like every winter, has had me feeling like I'm due for a haircut--my first in over two years. But these photos give me renewed hope for a magical, mermaid-y spring, if only I can just be patient--and get my hands on some of these gold-plated marine-themed baubles. But how?!

images via style.com

every woman deserves a peaceful period

Like most women I know, I consider getting my period A Drag: it's uncomfortable, inconvenient--and to make matters worse, there's that feeling, widely acknowledged, that it's something you're not supposed to talk about. Luckily, for those of us in the western world, that feeling is mostly in our heads. My husband doesn't mind talking about it in the slightest. He always brings me treats, and when I sometimes, occasionally, get cranky or impatient, he calls me "sailor moon" (get it?) and is generally very sympathetic.

Clearly, even on my very worst days, I have it good. I'm not the richest lady in the world, but I can always afford feminine products--and even if I couldn't, the tampon dispensers in all of the bathrooms at my school are unlocked and hanging open, available to everyone (thanks, Carnegie Mellon!) I can take showers pretty much whenever I want, in the privacy of my own home. In short, I never have to worry about my health, safety, or social standing as a result of this regular event.
Yes, it's inconvenient. But, really, that's all. 

In this I am, of course, incredibly lucky. Because despite the fact that nearly half the world's population gets their period every single month, there are, infuriatingly, many many places where people are not afforded the proper care and resources to cope with it, let alone the sympathy and dignity they deserve. In an AC Nielsen study performed in 2011, 88% of women in India reported using cloth, ashes, or even husk sand as a substitute for sanitary napkins, which most say they cannot afford. Not only do girls regularly miss class when they're on their periods, many drop out of school altogether once they begin menstruating, due to the stigma associated with this perfectly normal aspect of womanhood. You may have already heard the shocking story of Asma Rubber Private Limited, where female employees were subjected to strip searches after a used pad was found in one of the bathrooms.

Here at home, the situation isn't much better for those individuals unfortunate enough to be living on the streets. A recent article featured on Aljazeera called attention to the challenges and dangers that homeless women face as a result of getting their periods. Their access to bathroom and shower facilities are severely limited, causing them to resort to unsafe hygienic practices out of necessity. Pads and tampons are constantly in high demand, but according to shelter staff interviewed in this article and elsewhere, such items are rarely donated by the public.

So, what can you do about it? Well, if you want to let Asma know how outraged you are by its behavior toward its female employees, you can participate in Kiss Of Love's "Red Alert: You've Got a Napkin!" campaign, by sending sanitary napkins--new or used--to the company. Although, due to the as-yet-unconfirmed details of the story, you may consider this to be a little hasty.

But if you're feeling productive, rather than vindictive, there are more constructive routes you might take. For example, you might organize a tampon or pad drive for homeless women in your local area (here are seven steps for doing so) or you could choose to donate directly. Start-rite offers pretty steep discounts on bulk orders of tampons, pads, and the myriad other hygiene products homeless shelters are in need of, which you can have shipped to the shelter of your choosing (here's a national directory for locating shelters in your area). It won't solve everyone's problems forever, and it might not be the kind of thing you can do every day. But it's something! Remember, every little bit helps!

image via here

Happy 2015!

Hi you guys! Happy New Year! I'm not even sure if many of you even read this anymore, due to my year-long negligence. And, as I'm currently on vay-cay in F-L-A, that's not about to change anytime soon. Hopefully, though, when I'm done with grad school, everything will be back to normal. 

In the meantime, it's my top NYR to post AT LEAST once a week. If the past six months are any indication, that will mostly amount to my being a conduit for beautiful things that other people have done and shared on the internet, but it'll have to do for now. So let's ring in the new year with something inspiring! Like this most beautiful editorial recently featured in German Grazia--a delightful publication, I'm sure, if only I knew how to read it! 

May your 2015 be similarly full of wandering, whimsy, and beautiful skirts, and I'll talk to you soon--I promise! :)