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