Mandi Beckham, Basically.

Let's face it: there is nothing natural about getting up and running around in circles unless you are trying to catch something, or you found out about a JCrew Warehouse Sale at the last minute. However, I'm confident in saying that once we get into a rhythm of exercise, we'll become addicted to the endorphins and find ourselves in support groups in no time! But until that glorious day- how do we motivate ourselves?

Cuh-lothes, obviously! We must channel our athletic alter-egos and dress accordingly. For example, I always wished I was a soccer player. Therefore, when I workout I often wear bright orange soccer socks. This way people will look at me and think: Wow! She is going running right after a soccer game! Where does she get the stamina? -- Which only motivates me to zoom past people even faster and I end up sprinting ten miles, or something like that. 

So what is your athletic alter-ego? Channel it and you will be working out in no time! Wish you were a cheerleader (didn't we all?) Soffe shorts. Gymnast? Spandex. Swimmer? Goggles. Sure, you might look a little silly running in goggles, but the important thing to remember is that you are getting your exercise- no matter how much of scene you will undoubtedly cause.

It is also important to note that most athletic gear is very expensive, and if you aren't ready to drop hundreds of dollars on running attire then check out the Activewear at Target.

On a related note, running shoes are way overpriced. However, the importance of buying quality shoes cannot be overstated-- people won't take your running seriously unless your shoes are fancy! So here is my advice: order them online. You can find much better deals on ebay and amazon then you can at your local running store. It never hurts to check out discount stores while you're at it either. I found an awesome pair of Puma running shoes at Ross this weekend for 27 dollars. I have no idea about the quality- but they look great!

Anyway, as much as I'd love to stay and chat- I've got soccer practice in a few minutes...

until next time,
Mandi

Little Purses, Who Knew?

Let's talk about little purses, real quick. But before we do that, we need to address something else. Should there be a comma in that first sentence? What about the second sentence? This stresses me out. And while we're on the subject, is that how you spell comma? It has to be. Otherwise we'd be talking about comas, which are both depressing and irrelevant. 

-- Moving forward, (or backward, really) did you know that little purses are the next big thing? I didn't really either but then my roommate Wendolyn came home from Spain with one of these for me, and she said that everyone is Spain has one. So therefore, I think its safe to assume that they are the next big thing. In fact, go and throw away every big purse you own. Chop-Chop!

Here is some photographic evidence to prove my little purse theory:

                                           See? I told you.

I will admit that the clutch doesn't really count because they are always small. However, I really like this particular clutch and so there it is. Also, check out all of the little purses happening at JCrew right now. And more importantly: if you just can't bring yourself to throw out all of your big purses yourself, send them to me and I will make sure they are taken care of.

Don't mention it,
Mandi

Recommended Reading

As a small child my parents used to always read to my sister and I before we went to sleep at night. I can still recite The Cat in The Hat flawlessly because I made my dad read it so many times. This started my journey towards being an avid reader. Not only am I a voracious reader, I also am admittedly an incredibly pretentious reader. When people tell me they love things like Nicholas Sparks and John Grisham I judge them harshly and then whip out my well worn copy of a Dostoyevsky novel, and stare at them condescendingly from behind my 19th century Russian novel, feeling much smarter and more enlightened than everyone I know (because let's face it, I am).

I tell you this because I have been keeping a secret. This is hard for me to admit, but I LOVE trashy tween novels. I don't mean Twilight (although, admittedly I have read them all, perhaps more than once) I mean books series ghostwritten for everyone's favorite reality star: Lauren Conrad!

Oh yes kids, I read L.A. Candy, the tale of a recent high school grad who moves to L.A. to experience life, find love and somehow drink at bars even though she is underage yet never seems to get carded. Life throws her a crazy curveball and suddenly she finds herself on a reality television show! The best part of it all: it's a 3 part series. Three Lauren Conrad books, be still my heart.

 

 The great thing about these books is that if you, like Mandi and me, are a fan of Laguna Beach and The Hills you will be happy to know that all of your favorite characters are featured in these novels, just with different names! If you are sad about The Hills ending and desperately need more LC, Lo, Audrina and Heidi I recommend you read these. As an added bonus you can can read all 3 books in a day so people will give you mad props for reading not 1, not 2, but 3 whole books in one day.

  xoxo, Shanna

 

Celebrity Girl Crush

I love Laura Marling. I do. She is so talented that she can have an entire audience in the palm of her little laura-marling-hand in no time flat, while showing approximately zero personality! It's astonishing, really. How can someone be stoic and interesting? I, for one, am stumped. But what I can tell you is that I have worked very hard on learning all of her songs and singing them just like she does- british accent and all. Sometimes, when I am singing, my roommates probably think Laura Marling is in our house. But I digress.

Even aside from her music, Laura manages to make every girl want to be just like her. At least, I think that's the case, but there is a slight possibility that I am projecting. Nevertheless, she somehow manages to look good in short hair, long hair, dark hair, light hair, straight hair, wavy hair, big hair, small hair and not to mention medium rare hair. Every time I think I have effectively copied her hairstyle- it changes again. Stop it, Laura!

Moreover, Laura makes me want to be pale. Did you hear that? Pale! And- are you ready for this?- she makes me want to dress my age. American Eagle? Yeah right! To Banana Republic and beyond! I thought I would never outgrow my love of ripped jeans and tan skin, but then Laura came into my life and everything changed. Suddenly, the world looked different- and my jeans became higher-waisted. 

                                            

                                                        

But truthfully, I'm still not over the whole ripped jeans thing,
Mandi                                                         

The Bike-Spiracy

 While I have not hidden my affection for Mr. Satorialist here on the Superfish blog, something has come to my attention which I feel needs to be addressed. Everyonewhoisanyone knows that if you have a nice bike your cool factor goes up exactly 10 notches. We also know that it goes up even higher if your bike has something special about it, like a basket or a little bell thingy.

Additionally, if you can manage to ride your bike downtown and put fresh-baked bread and/or flowers in your bike basket, then you have officially increased your cool factor by 20! Furthermore, if you are wearing a hat that you bought for a really expensive price, or that you found at a thrift store, while you are riding your bike with your bread and flowers in your basket, and you are ringing your bell thingy periodically as you ride, then you are up to 30 my friend! Not to mention, your score doubles automatically if you live in Europe while all of this is happening.

Which brings us to my next point. I see where Mr. Satorialist is going with this whole bike thing. I really do. However, there is no way that these ladies, no matter how fashionable they are, could be riding these bikes in those shoes! This is a bike-spiracy!

In life we must learn to call a spade a spade, and a conspiracy a bike-spiracy. Do I dare suggest that these pictures aren't as candid as one might have been lead to believe? I do dare and I do suggest!

                                         Yeah right, Olivia!
Sincerely,
Mandi

The Real Zooey D

Today I came across this new video by She & Him....

She & Him - Don't Look Back from Merge Records on Vimeo.
and I found myself INCREDIBLY jealous of Zooey Deschanel.
First of all she has the most awesome bangs...

Secondly, she can pull of some killer red lipstick like nobody's business...

Third off, she is married to Ben Gibbard, lead sing of one of my all time favorite bands, Death Cab For Cutie...

Fourth of all, she is Katy Perry's secret twin....

(it's uncanny, isn't it?)

 

 

I think it is not so much that I am jealous of Zooey D. but I think she is someone that I try to emulate from day to day in style. When it comes right down to it she is absolutely adorable. (I have tried to emulate her in my singing voice, but let's just say the phrase "can't carry a tune in a bucket" comes to mind.)


xoxo, Shanna

Baby You're Not Going Down

You know how sometimes it's the worst day ever? I'm not trying to be over dramatic here, but my life is basically over! And by that I mean, this morning my chicken biscuit was without chicken. Yes, you read that right. I paid basically one million dollars for a plain old biscuit! I. don't. even. like. biscuits. Also, I don't like having to type the word biscuit.

Anyway, because I am still brewing over this whole thing four hours after it happened, I decided to post this song for any of you out there who also have been tragically stricken by a biscuit with no chicken.

time heals,
Mandi

Celebrate Regular Times, Come on.

I believe it was the late philosopher Jillian Michael's who once said: "Never be afraid of trying something new.." and then she probably went on to say something about reaching for the stars and I tuned out. But anyway, on Friday I did something new- something that many of you never thought would happen. I opened a savings account! Ta-da! So, in honor of my brand new savings account, here are some celebratory things I bought this weekend:

  

                                Seryn Sofft shoes: 30 celebratory dollars

                                   J Brand Jeans: 20 celebratory dollars

  Random Tank Without a Cause: 14 celebratory dollars

 

                              Big Apple Red manicure: 12 celebratory dollars.

I don't want to talk about it.

Mandi

El Presidente

Do you guys remember Quinn?
Not this Quinn...

 (we do love Glee though, because really, who doesn't?)
I am talking about this Quinn...

 Remember Daria? That show was so awesome. Except I had to watch it in secret because I was not allowed to watch MTV. I blame this on Chuck Swindoll and his influence on my parents. Although if I had children there is no way I would ever let them watch Jersey Shore. (sidenote: just got this today on FourSquare, hilarious.)
I forgive you, Mom and Dad.
I bring up Quinn because she was president of the fashion club and today after checking out The Sartorialist I felt like I should be president of the fashion club. Here is why....

 Please note the girl's shoes in this photo.


Now here is a photo of the shoes I was wearing today....

I think this pretty much sums it up. I feel so awesome today.
xoxo, Shanna

Jenny Marshall and Me

Do you remember the first time you looked at someone else and thought:
 
I wish I was wearing that...?

I do. It was on the bus ride home from school and Jenny Moore (I think that was her name) was, of course, the center of attention and everyone wanted be in her good graces. Keep in mind, this was third grade. I was fascinated by this Jenny. What made everyone love her so much? She really wasn't very pretty, to be perfectly honest. She was very ordinary, actually. Thin brown hair that was a little scraggly, but who's counting? Dark skin, dark eyes, crooked teeth, and yet somehow she was Queen. All the boys threw things at her and punched her and kicked her and I was jealous. She was always beaming, and who wouldn't be with that kind of attention?

So I thought long and hard about the whole thing for at least five minutes. And that's when it hit me: Jenny Miller is cool because of her clothes. As I arrived at this conclusion I immediately started making mental notes of all that she was wearing. A baseball hat (or was it a visor? We'll give her the benefit of the doubt and say baseball hat), a long t-shirt dress with a giraffe on it (giraffes were so hot back then) light blue lace leggings (or were those holes?) socks that didn't go together, and big old clunky tennis shoes. Everything had stains on it and nothing matched. She was a goddess.

So I did what any hot-blooded third grade girl would do- I went home and tried to replicate her outfit exactly. It was difficult because I didn't have any of those items. So I just wore a regular length tshirt, with regualr tights (not to be confused with leggings) and mix matched socks, and a hat and I'm pretty sure I teased my hair a little. I looked in the mirror and stood in awe of my creation. Surely, the boys will punch me now.

Then suddenly, the door to my bedroom came swinging open and in walked my mother with a basket full of laundry. "You look ridiculous!" she said, encouragingly.

Standing there for a moment, I began to feel foolish. What am I wearing? I thought, and, Why don't I have pants on? So I mustered up the best defense of my actions that I could think of:

"Jenny Mackey wears this and she is popular!" I blurted out, with my hands on my hips.

My mother looked amused. She set her laundry basket down on my bed and then walked over to me.

"Mandi," she said gently, turning me to look at myself. "You are beautiful and dressing like Jenny Malone is not going to make you any prettier than you already are."

Silence.

I stood there and watched as the mystical cloud covering my reflection went away and instead of seeing Jenny Maddox I saw myself. And, as it turned out, I liked how I looked a-whole-lot better when I was wearing pants.

Lord Of The Layers

Mr. Satorialist has a way finding the adept and avant-garde as they roam unassumingly through the streets until wham- he randomly makes them famous. This man, for example, seems to be completely over the whole 'winter coat' thing, and instead has decided to put on every-single-item in his closet at once-- without even looking bulky! It's like a clothes puzzle and he has managed to put it together perfectly, even without the indubitable advantage of having a picture to look at. He is Lord of the Layers!

Allow me to break this down a little for you: he appears to be wearing something green- a tie? mock turtleneck? I can't tell. Then we have a collared shirt over that, a sweater over that, a blazer over that, and a vest over that! Well done, sir. Way-to stick it to the Michelin Man! - otherwise known as the puffer jacket. He has conquered the cold without the bulk and to that I say: good for you, but I would be claustrophobic.

Can you wear this many layers without looking like the Goodyear?

<3 Mandi

"Express Not Repress!"

Well: I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I have discovered a new all-time favorite movie, the bad news is that it came out in 1995, and I'm just now getting around to watching it. And no, it is not some indie flick that I happened upon while digging through piles of documentaries in some hole-in-the-wall bookstore downtown. Actually, it's something much less cool, and a chick flick at that. It's French Kiss, actually, and you can stop your hating this instant!

I can't even tell you how much I love Meg Ryan- or at least the 90's version of her. I mean come on, those facial expressions? She makes me laugh so hardily it's obnoxious. My poor roommates have to suffer through two hours of piercing laughter every time I watch this- which has been way more than is acceptable in recent events. Anyway, it's funny to see Meg's frump-tastic 90's outfits showing up again now. Cuh-learly, fashion designers love this movie too. So who's judging now? Hm?

ciao!
Mandi

Aunty Em!

Tornado Legs abound. Probably what happened is everyone read my blog and gained confidence and now they are showcasing those tornades for all to see. Well, what can I say. I'm changing the world, one twister at a time.

                                            His & Her Tornadoes

                                             Tea Party Tornadoes

                                             Pregnant Tornadoes

                                          Famous Tornadoes

                                        Oliver Twist Tornadoes

                                           Old School Tornadoes

                                               Pop Culture Tornadoes

                                        Dreamy Tornadoes (Hey, boo)
                                                    
Wearing my Moto's like a cyclone,
Mandi