begging you to sit for a portrait on the wall

i've always been a bit on the shy side - in fact, it took some time before i even felt comfortable talking about my true opinions on american apparel on this blog. that said, i feel lucky to be able to delve into anecdotes of a more personal nature with you all and receive such positive feedback.. a huge thank you to everyone who left such kind comments on my last post.

this week was kind of a mess, which in fact means, i was kind of a mess. a ton of schoolwork, extracurriculars weighing down on me, and the incessant search for a summer job or internship - essentially, the life of a college student - left me with two to five hours of sleep a night, ridiculously bad hair days, and a general lack of luster. it was all i could do to look forward to the weekend, which for all intents and purposes is here (i finally managed to create a schedule with no class on fridays)! it promises to be a good one, with my parents coming into town, a ton of events going on, and all the time in the world to catch up on sleep. on the horizon of one great weekend, i thought i'd regale you with a tale of another, which began last friday with an early morning session of super mario brothers..

9:56 am: i'd gone to visit my boyfriend the night before with the intention to pig out and watch wall-e. i accomplished the first task, but passed out before even beginning the second. the next morning, i wake to the sounds of cameron heading out to japanese class, briefly pitying him for having class before realizing i i'm all alone with not much to do.

10:07 am: i'm brushing my teeth in cameron's bathroom when i hear the front door open. i foresee an awkward interaction in the near future. i know that josh, cameron's roommate and my good friend has just come in, but i don't know how to present myself without startling him. seeing no way to avoid this fact, i walk out and quietly stand directly behind him as he fiddles with the television.

10:09 am: he turns around, and is overjoyed instead of startled. we embrace and catch up.

10:15 am: i need to go back home and give dylan his breakfast, but he's convinced me to stick around for some super mario. i instant message my roommate to take over breakfast duty.

10:30 am: i don't mean to brag, but for someone who hasn't played this game in years, i am pretty amazing, if i say so myself. josh mentions he needs new sneakers, and i suggest a shopping trip. we both have afternoon meetings, but figure we can be quick about it.

11:16 am: we hit bodega. i've heard all about this place, and i know that there's a sneaker store somewhere behind this corner store facade, but i'm stumped once we arrive. we're motioned towards the back of the store, and once we step through the ingeniously concealed sliding door, we geek out for a minute or two before getting down to business.

11:40 am: it's down to a relatively conservative black and blue pair of nikes and/or a comparably priced pair of black, highlighter pink, and neon green ones. i lean towards the latter, but warn that several people find my fashion advice outlandish at times. i wander off to gaze at their vintage sunglasses collection - gaudy delights from the likes of gucci and givenchy, circa 1978. throw in some two finger rings and a vintage de la soul "buddy" lp, and i'm in heaven.

12:00 pm: the highlighter kicks are chosen. i love josh. off to newbury in the bitter, bitter wind.

12:20 pm: i stop into rugby ralph lauren on a whim. i'm having something of a preppy moment these days, and i'm curious to see what their offerings are. this place looks like a finals club on speed. i half expect to discover a passed out debauched debutante behind the fitting room curtain. that said, with some searching, i find a few great pieces, miraculously devoid of numbers, shields, emblems, and crests. i spy a simple striped cap-sleeve dress, and make josh promise he won't let me buy anything.

12:42 pm: american apparel. josh considers maroon cords, while i try on their floppy hats. no dice.

1:11 pm: we reach my intended destination, madewell. someone on campus must be working as a madewell ambassador, because there's promotional material in everyone's doordrops, and since i've never been to the one in soho, i'm curious. upon entering, the bright young things working the floor introduce themselves and explain a little bit about the store. it's only been three days since the grand opening, and the airy feel of the store paired with the smell of fresh paint is intoxicating. bottom line, it feels like summer in here and i'm sold - hook, line, and sinker.

1:23 pm: their jeans are fantastic, but they're having this amazing event called denim after dark in march where every pair of jeans is twenty-five dollars off, with free hemming and custom embroidery (consider this your invitation). i wonder what a girl my age would get embroidered on jeans, and move on to the t-shirts.

1:27: i'm in the fitting room. these tees are gloooooorious. i'll take two.

1:34 pm: fifteen percent student discount? why, thank you.

1:37 pm: it's been lovely, but it's time to go home. josh and i are on newbury when a funny thing occurs - i'm being magnetically drawn back towards rugby. damnit.

1:42 pm: i'm in the fitting room. this store's decor is so obnoxious that i actually love it. it's like gossip girl - based on something realistic, but taken to a delightfully ridiculous extreme. god, this dress is fantastic.

1:54 pm: fifteen percent student discount? why, thank you. seriously, let's go home now.

and as the cherry on top of all these warm, fuzzy, retail feelings, i was lucky enough to meet up with martini of beyond boston chic later that day and talk about blogging, pets, the difficulties of keeping up with email, and scandinavian style! a truly lovely day, indeed.