Family Weekend 2019

Happy Sunday everyone! It's been about a month since I last blogged, and trust me it's been a whirlwind. I know that I said that I would be posting once to twice a week,  but life has been a bit tough recently and I haven't been able to post. I have a few partially written blog posts that I will be finishing up, so March will be filled with more of 'This Fashion Girl'. This weekend was Family Weekend at my college, so my parents came up and we had a very busy 24 hours. Here's a little insight into how I spent my family weekend.

Just making a call from the Dean Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island.

At 12pm, I met my parents at the basketball game. Providence College was playing Marquette at the Dunkin Donuts Center (our home arena). I had been to all the games this season except for two, but this was so exciting because it was sold out because of alumni & family weekend. Unfortunately, we lost the game, but hopefully, next season will be a lot better. Our freshman basketball players are so good. This was my parents first time at a PC basketball game, and they had such a fun time. 

Afterward, I hung out in their hotel room for a bit. My mom and I went to get my eyebrows threaded, which was such a necessity at that moment. Then we went to Friskie Fries and bought fries with chicken, parmesan and mozzarella cheese, and sauce. We might've devoured it before taking any photos...

Then, we went to the hockey game at 5pm. My school was playing UMass Amherst, and we won 3-2! This was super exciting because of the last two games they played each other, Providence had lost. The arena was filled too because of the weekend, and it was fun to have at least one win for the day. 

For dinner, my parents took me and my two friends, Colleen and Alex, to dinner. We hung out in the Dean Hotel first and took some photos before going to RED FIN Crudo + Kitchen, which is a very yummy tapas restaurant.

This phone is located outside of a karaoke bar called 'The Boombox'.

The three of us posing with the cute red phone. You can check out more of those photos on my Instagram!

 The Next Morning...

 My parents and I went to Rebelle Artisan Bagels and bought three different sandwiches to split. Above is the "Breakfast Sammi" which is a spinach frittata and bacon on a bagel. My mom got egg and bacon on a bagel (not shown, but either she or I will post it on insta).

 Lastly, we bought cream cheese and lox bagel. I have never tried lox before, and it's very good. I've been to this store twice, and have only gotten the "vegan dream," which is absolutely delicious, but I decided to switch it up this time. Rebelle is partnered with NitroBar, and so they have a cold brew tap, so I had to buy it.

Before this weekend, I hadn't seen my parents in person since January 12, so spending even twenty-four hours with them meant a lot. Although we facetime a lot, there's nothing like being present with people you care about. Also, it's so fun for them to come up here because we get to try out different restaurants and cafes for breakfast and dinner that I wouldn't have gone to. It's more of an opportunity to discover more about Providence and catch up. 

A Quick Trip to the Met

Happy Sunday! On January 9, I was back on the Upper East Side and decided to go to one of my favorite places in the world...the Metropolitan Museum of Art! My friend, Aubrey, and I wanted to go there since it had been a while, and we were both heading to college soon (only 45 minutes apart from each other!). If you don't know, I used to go to high school right across the street from the Met, and during that time I've fostered a great love for the museum.

 My favorite exhibits in the museum are the Greek and Roman statues, Temple of Dendur, French & Italian paintings, the American Wing, and the Japanese art. In art history class, I was able to learn about the artists and types of art, and all about the time period, they were created in. A fun fact I learned in high school is that most of the marble statues in the room that I am shown in above are not the original statues, but marble replicas of bronze statues that were melted down in Rome. These marble replicas of Greek statues were recreated by Romans. The original bronze sculptures were created in first to third century B.C, but the marble statues were created between 2-5 century A.D. If you ever come to the Met, I recommend coming to this gallery!

 Of course, you have to take photos by the glass windows in the Temple of Dendur!

One of the rooms used for the Met Gala each year is the Temple of Dendur, so technically speaking, some of your favorite stars have been in this room. I love coming to this exhibit because it's super spacious, and has the real Temple that was from Egypt (you can even walk in it), and a sphinx. You have to walk through the Egyptian section of the Met to get to it, and on one of the walls is the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

 I've been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art probably around 100 times between art history courses, spontaneous visits, bringing foreign friends, and events. Aubrey and I have even realized how accustomed we are to being there that we sometimes forget that we are even in a museum. If you ever catch me there you can most likely hear me talking about how crazy it is that humans made this art, spinning around while talking about how cool history is, or trying to make the security guards laugh or talk to me by saying absurd comments about the art. It's all in good fun though :)

Aubrey and I spent some time in the American Wing (and the cafe within it). I have come to this room so many times, and I still never get tired of it. There is a skylight, so we sat there eating broccoli & cheddar soup (we had a coupon!) from the cafe and talking while within the walls of a beautiful museum. Although I wouldn't recommend always coming to the Met to eat because there are a ton of other places to go in the area, it was a nice treat!

Thanks for reading! There should be another post coming up about other things I did while back home for Winter Break. Have you ever been to the Met? What was your favorite exhibit?

xx

Christina Madeleine

Also! I made a new Instagram just for my blog! So please follow me there to see all the live updates about what I am doing! https://www.instagram.com/christinaxmadeleine/

My Trip to the Jersey Shore 2018

Hey everyone! From July 29 to August 3, my family went to Long Beach Island and brought my best friend, Bree, along! Growing up, my family and I would go to the Jersey Shore every summer, but after Hurricane Sandy, we hadn't gone back until last year when we stayed in Ship Bottom (which is on the island). This year we stayed in Beach Haven, which is a very popular area. We also vlogged the whole trip! So you can check out our videos (it's split up into two videos):

Although most of our trip is vlogged, I wanted to share some photos as well!

We were outside during golden hour on our first night, so we took the opportunity to take photos. Bree had gifted me the lovely sun hat. 

There's a restaurant called Chicken or the Egg (also known as Chegg), and we went so many time...but this was my breakfast one day. It is a buffalo chicken omelet. 

We went to a snow cone place, and I bought a "Hawaiian" Ice, which was just super sweet ice that vaguely tasted like pineapple. It was good regardless!

Bree, Jenn (our friend who is in the vlog), and I rented bikes for a few days. One day, we biked two miles to the Wawa to buy breakfast, lunch, and coffees. I ended up having to balance the food in the bike basket while pedaling. If you ever go to the Jersey Shore, I highly recommend renting bikes! 

 Our last night, we went out to eat. The colorful houses in the background are so cute, and every time we always obsess over them. I would love to own the purple or blue one.

That same night, the four of us have a tradition of going to the waterfront in Ship Bottom to take photos.

I know this is a super quick post, but please check out my vlogs of the trip (we put a lot of effort into them!). I just wanted to highlight key moments, but most of the trip is documented on video. Sometimes we think we're funny...sometimes!

This trip was super special to me since I am going to college in Rhode Island, and Bree is going to a university in California. Also, I am so glad I got to spend time with my parents.

Leave a comment if you watched the vlog/what did you think of them!!

xx

Christina Madeleine

Book Review: Love & Gelato

Hey everyone! I can't believe it's been six months since my last book review! My GoodReads goal is to read 25 books this year, and I am only up to four so far this year. Since it's Summer now, I've decided to get back into reading. For my graduation, my friend Eleanor bought me Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch and I was able to read this book in about five days because I was so captivated by it.

Synopsis from GoodReads:

“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more. 

My Thoughts:

To sum up the plot in a straightforward sense: Lina's mother dies in the first few pages of the book, but her mother had arranged for her to move to Italy to live with a father she had never met. The plot is more than that because she is given a journal that her mother wrote from when she spent a year in Italy when she was in her twenties. Lina meet Lorenzo (who goes by the name "Ren") who's mother is from Texas, but they live in Italy, and they become friends instantly. She also meets other teenagers from the International School who all have really interesting back stories, but none of them are fully Italian.

One of my problems with the book is that it all takes place within a week. Lina has a breakdown literally everyday about her mother, and she goes on this journey with Lorenzo after only knowing him for a day. Also her father, Howard, is super chill with the fact that the daughter he never met before literally three days before is going off with a boy he doesn't know on a motorcycle around Italy. Lina also causes so much drama for herself and the friend group that existed prior to arrival, and everyone just takes her side. I feel like the plot should've been over a long period of time because nothing too deep happens, and by the end of the book (literally six to seven days) after the beginning, she decides she loves Italy and wants to stay there. My other problem with the book is that the descriptions of the places in Florence seem like someone looked at a picture of Italy and has never went there before. An example is how she describes Florence, "The climb was totally worth it. The view of Florence was just as stunning as my mother had described it, a sea of red rooftops under an unblemished blue sky and soft green hills circling everything like a big happy hug" (pg.194). I don't know about you, but I didn't really get the feel of Florence from that passage or describing something as a hug. 

Lina did absolutely no research on Italy before moving there. An example (pg 166):

Lorenzo: "Hey do you want to get a gelato?"

Lina: "Whats' that?"

Lorenzo: "Gelato. Italian ice cream. The greatest thing that will ever happen to you."

If you're moving to a different country, wouldn't you do a little research on the food and culture. Don't even get me started about how she literally knows none of the sights of Florence, and asks Lorenzo everything.

Overall, I liked the book because it was a cute summer read and it made me want to go Italy (despite the subpar descriptions). I think it was a cute book and I got excited over the romances in the book, but I don't think it was a "literary masterpiece," but I do recommend if you want a light and cute read.

I usually do favorite quotes, but there weren't any that particularly stood out to me. 

xx

Christina Madeleine

Send me book recommendations!! Friend me on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/55538660-christina

OOTD: Easter 2018

Hey everyone. Happy Easter! Today, I decided to dress up for the Holiday and do an OOTD. It's been a few years since my last Easter Outfit of the Day.

My Outfit:

Black Long-sleeved shirt - LOFT

White Fluffy Coat - Begreh (a store in Braga, Portugal)

Striped Pants - Cue Boutique 

Blue Eye Glasses - Rayband

Silver Hoops - Cue Boutique

White Scrunchie - Walgreens

Black Boots - Steve Madden 

I spent Easter in Williamsburg with my extended family. There were about twenty of us, and it was about four hours of food, laughter, and cake. The amount of sweets and sugar I have eaten in the last two days is actually ridiculous.

Details:

Handbag- Coach 

Rings- Stradivarius ( a Spanish brand)

Red beaded bracelet with cross - a gift from Italy

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter or just day (if you don't celebrate). Thanks for reading :)
Please leave a comment 

xx

Christina Madeleine

OOTD: Thrift Shopping 11/25/17

Hey everyone! A few weeks back, two of my friends and I went thrift shopping in the East Village and Lower East Side of Manhattan. I've always liked the idea of thrift shopping, but I never end up buying many items. There are so many thrift stores in New York, so I am excited to start trying to find more items from these places. On November 25, I went shopping at AuH2O (Goldwater - located 84 E 7th street) and The Monk (located on 97 E 3rd street). I only bought two items, a blue and back flannel jacket and white sunglasses (now known as 'clout goggles' or Kurt Cobain sunglasses). There will definitely be photos of me wearing the sunglasses soon...(possibly on New Year's!).

                                                                             My outfit

                                       Fake Ripped High-waisted Jeans - American Eagle Outfitters

                                       Black and Blue Flannel Jacket  - AuH2O (thrifted for $17)

                                                             Adidas Stan Smith Sneakers

                                                    Long-sleeved black shirt - Forever 21

                          My grandmother had a huge scarf collection, so my pink roses scarf is from her.

Originally Nikki, Marina, and I went into The Cure (a thrift shop located on 111 E 12th street), and it is very nice in there, but the prices aren't really what we were looking for.  We found a fur coat that was over $300, so we decided that this place was a bit too expensive, but they had some very good pieces of clothing. Unfortunately, we weren't willing to pay those prices.

The Cure has very eccentric items of clothing. Unlike other thrift stores, such as L Train Vintage, they have a certain aesthetic of clothing they are trying to upkeep. Many of the pieces have bright patterns on them.

The Cure had everything from home decorations to sandals to ugly Christmas sweaters.

After going to The Cure, my friends and I went to lunch at Wagamama (located on 210 5th Ave).  We all got different orders of ramen. My order was ramen with tofu, sprouts, an omelette, and mushrooms. We also had edamame and a chicken dish for appetizers.

After we finished thrifting, Nikki and I went to ViVi Bubble Tea (located on 5002 5th Ave). This place's bubble tea is so good. We ordered our drinks with cotton candy on it, and there is a whole order on how to drink the bubble tea. I definitely recommend this place!

I hope you enjoyed this post. I plan on doing more posts similar to this because I love doing different activities in New York City. 

Have you ever been thrift shopping? What places where you live do you recommend?

                                                                                xx
                                                                  Christina Madeleine

Book Review: The Dollhouse

Hey everyone! I'm back with another book review. Recently, I joined my school's book club and we read The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis. I am really glad that I am apart of book club because I feel like I wouldn't have discovered this book if it wasn't for it.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Fiona Davis's stunning debut novel pulls readers into the lush world of New York City's glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, where in the 1950s a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and editors lived side by side while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success, and where a present-day journalist becomes consumed with uncovering a dark secret buried deep within the Barbizon's glitzy past.

When she arrives at the famed Barbizon Hotel in 1952, secretarial school enrollment in hand, Darby McLaughlin is everything her modeling agency hall mates aren't: plain, self-conscious, homesick, and utterly convinced she doesn't belong—a notion the models do nothing to disabuse. Yet when Darby befriends Esme, a Barbizon maid, she's introduced to an entirely new side of New York City: seedy downtown jazz clubs where the music is as addictive as the heroin that's used there, the startling sounds of bebop, and even the possibility of romance.

Over half a century later, the Barbizon's gone condo and most of its long-ago guests are forgotten. But rumors of Darby's involvement in a deadly skirmish with a hotel maid back in 1952 haunt the halls of the building as surely as the melancholy music that floats from the elderly woman's rent-controlled apartment. It's a combination too intoxicating for journalist Rose Lewin, Darby's upstairs neighbor, to resist—not to mention the perfect distraction from her own imploding personal life. Yet as Rose's obsession deepens, the ethics of her investigation become increasingly murky, and neither woman will remain unchanged when the shocking truth is finally revealed.

My Thoughts:

I really liked this book because it had a very unique plot. The book switches between Rose, a journalist, whose life has turned upside down in the span of a few days in 2016, and Darby, a woman who moved from Ohio to New York, in 1952. I love books that have flashbacks and the point of view of multiple characters, hence why All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is one of my favorite books. 

I found the character Rose slightly annoying. She becomes obsessed with the lives of the women that live in her building that were alive when a maid was killed in the '50s. I understood that she was a journalist, but I feel like there should have been more consequences for actions, especially living in someone's apartment for two weeks without them knowing. She deals with a lot of relationship problems (both romantic and with family), and it's obvious that her coping mechanism isn't the best. 

I liked Darby because her point of view was so interesting. She is a young girl that moves from Ohio to New York to go to secretary school. She meets Esme, a maid at the Barbizon Hotel where she lived and gets introduced the jazz scene of the 50s. Darby's life becomes so much more interesting once she meets Sam Buckley, a chef at a downtown Manhattan jazz club. There's so much character development that happens to Darby. She goes from this shy, small-town girl to a woman who truly finds herself. Unfortunately, when there's the time jump she's not like that. 

This book is meant for adult readers, but there's a very thin line between young adult and adult The Dollhouse. There are a few sexual scenes, but those are only a few pages long and not a huge part of the overall plot. I recommend this book because it's easy to read and gets you hooked on page one. 


I hope you look into this book because it's definitely a great read!

Question: What books are you currently reading right now?

                                                                                 xx

                                                                       Christina Madeleine

Fall Shopping Haul *September 2017*

Hey everyone! How is September treating you? As you know, I love everything about the Fall/ Autumn. I love the styles, and the weather so much. The only slight sadness is going back to school which means back to studying, tests, and waking up early. But, there are so many back to school sales! In August, I went to the Tanger Outlets in Riverhead, Long Island to get the best deals on Fall Clothing. I go to a catholic school, which means that I wear uniform, I took the opportunity to buy clothes I can wear on dress down days and weekends. Here is what I bought :)

Vera Bradley 

I have quite a bit of trips planned for my senior year such as weekends at my friends' houses, skiing, and to Washington D.C., and I needed a new duffle bag that would fit everything I need. This bag was originally $120, and it was 70% off, which meant I only paid $36 for this huge duffle bag. I love the pattern of this bag, and the colors all go together so nicely.  I can't wait to use it!

Nine West 

 As much as I love handbags, I needed to be real with myself...and get something I'll use more. I bought a cute, small-ish, fashionable backpack from Nine West. I've never shopped there before, but my mother took me there and I was immediately drawn to the backpacks. I can definitely use this bag for going around the city, a day trip, or just to bring my computer and books on a vacation. I like the bag because it's small enough to make the distinction between going on a day trip and going to school. I can also style this with an array of outfits.

Nine West Backpack $60

Calvin Klein

At the Tanger Outlets, other stores give coupons that are valid only for that day. For example, my family and I went to Nike, and they gave us a 10% off coupon for Calvin Klein. I bought a sports bra (with cool back straps), and an "athletic" shirt that's so comfy I would rather wear it as pajamas.

(Kinda) Funny Story: I recently bought a black and white Calvin Klein dress from Century 21 for $50, and I saw the exact same dress but in red in the store for around $90. This has happened a few times, when I found the same article of clothing for cheaper at other places (it's a good thing to shop around).

American Eagle Outfitters

AEO is one of my favorite stores! I can always find good jeans, fun dresses, and cute shirts. First, I bought a $30 book bag for my senior year. I was in need of a good bag to fit my computer and binders. Since it's my last year of high school, I decided that I would go with the bag I found the best, rather than the usual one I always used (it's been through a lot).

AEO was having the buy one get one half off sale on jeans/jeggings. I bought three pairs of high waisted "jeggings", which are more like really stretchy jeans. Honestly, how did the early 2000s celebrities where low-rider jeans! High waisted are soooo much better! I can't wait to where these pants throughout the Fall and Winter.

I love socks! I bought two pairs of shoes on this day too, so I needed gray socks to go with it. AEO has the comfiest socks, and honestly if my mom wasn't there; I would've bought more pairs.

I'm not the biggest fan of shirts with words on it, but I really like this shirt. If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you would know how big of a feminist I am. I am glad AEO is selling shirts with sayings like this to promote feminism and women empowerment. Girls can do anything! Also, I will 100% be wearing this shirt with one of my new pairs of jeans.

 My camera was being annoying, and this is the only shot of this shirt I got (but, there's an outfit of the day coming out with this shirt on!). This shirt is cropped and long sleeve, and has an elastic around the waist. I pair it with high waisted jeans, and it black boots or slip ons.

 This is just regular gray t-shirt with flowers, but I thought the pattern was so pretty. I am planning on wearing this shirt with a ripped denim jacket (from Forever 21 below!).

Forever 21

For me, Forever 21 is a hit or miss store. I can sometimes go in there and find tons of clothes, and other times I'll get only a few items. This time, I bought two items and I am perfectly happy with them. The denim jacket was $32 and is a sturdy jacket. Usually denim is so much more expensive, and I wasn't originally looking for a jacket, so I was pleasantly shocked with the price.

I got a pair of shorts for $12.50, and they are good for just hanging out around the house or pairing with a t-shirt.

Steve Madden

I bought two pairs of boots from Steve Madden because they were having a buy one get one half off sale (which is my weakness when it comes to shopping).

These rose-velvet boots are definitely the cutest shoes I own at the moment. They are so easy to get on because instead of lacing them up, you just zip them up on the side. I believe these shoes were around $70.

Yes, I already own about three pairs of black boots with heels. The difference between those and these are that these boots zipper on the side and is about 5x more comfortable. I can't wait to pair these boots up with dresses and jeans. These shoes were about $90 before the discounts.

Eddie Bauer

Northeast winters are freezing, and I needed a coat that would last me for years and keep me warm. This coat is from Eddie Bauer and was originally $275, but it was on sale and I bought it for around $130. I really like this coat because it's the perfect length and I can wear it over my uniform on the train. Also, there's fake fur on it which is good because I wouldn't have bought it if it had real fur.

Victoria's Secret

At Tanger, the VS outlet was one of my best buys. I bought these two sports bras for $10 each, and a regular bra for $19. Usually these sports bras at least $25, and I wasn't willing to pay that much. I was in desperate need of sports bras for my field hockey season, and VS did not disappoint.

LOFT

 I'm going to a christening for my new baby cousin in the end of September, and I needed a dress to wear. I've never been to LOFT before, but my mother is a big fan of the store. I automatically fell in love with this dress. It was originally $82, but I got 10% because I asked for a student discount. I can't wait to show you all my OOTD.

Question: What is your must-have Autumn clothing?

Hope you liked this post! Don't forget to comment :)
  
                                                                           xx
                                                               Christina Madeleine

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*Note: Tanger Outlets has all/most items on sale, and I didn't get anything for free. This post wasn't to brag at all, but to show you all what I bought. All photos were taken with a Canon Powershot.