good morning, upper east siders

Since Gossip Girl is taking a break until January 24th, here's a post to help you miss it a little less. Besides all the guilty pleasure drama that takes place on the upper east side, many of us watch the show for the style. Blair's style is my favorite; she looks polished and put together, yet she always manages to wear something unexpected.

Blair is my favorite character, because she is the most complex. She feels deeply but lives in a shallow world.

I tried to pick my favorite of her outfits or accessories for the whole show, but that proved impossible. As I tried to decide between her green pea coat and yellow accessories outfit and her white Marc Jacobs dress and headband, I realized I could not pick the best of all three-and-a-half seasons. Here are my top five from season four so far.

{photos via http://blairfashion.blogspot.com from youknowyouloveme.org}




No one else makes black and white look so fashion-forward. Love the patterned tights.




The colors on this dress make it so elegant and almost seem like the are from an old, faded photograph.



This must be Blair's least expensive outfit all season. The skirt was not even eighteen dollars. She is mixing florals perfectly and proving that cheap can be chic.




The fuchsia with red could not be better. Leave it to Blair to mix it up while still looking elegant. I couldn't not choose this glamourous dress.




I lovelovelove how Blair mixed these prints. The beret is so Paris and the perfect accessory to start to the season.



You know you love me.
xoxo,


Hannah

Harry Potter Thursday

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and there are so many things to be thankful for, but mostly I'm thankful for...

HARRY POTTER!

Just a joke. Sort of.

I am a huge Harry Potter fan, and have read all the books several times. Tonight, I'm going to my first every Harry Potter midnight premiere. The books are absolutely spellbinding (pun intended), and while the movies could not possibly live up to the books, they are also great.

My friends are dressing up, (one is going to be the golden snitch!) but I'm not sure if I'm dressing up yet. I am wearing my house colors to class Friday, which are blue and bronze for Ravenclaw. Maybe I'm a Hufflepuff, though? I'm not quite sure. (Note: I ended up dressing up as Luna, complete with dirigible plum earrings, and I went barely awake in Hufflepuff colors to class the next day.)

Here is the trailer for the Part I of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, just to get you even more excited for the movie:

I do not consider the Harry Potter series to be about magic. Yes, they go to wizarding school, play Quidditch, and preform magic, but all these things serve as a mere backdrop and are secondary to real story. The real duels are not fought and won with wands, but with the heart. It is the characters that choose love, friendship, and selflessness over magic who are the "good" characters and whose vision ultimately prevails. Lily Potter's love and selflessness ensure Harry's survival against Voldemort's killing curse. Also, in the end, Harry defeats Voldemort in a duel, despite Voldemort's stronger wand and more advanced magical skills, because of the sacrifices people have made for Harry and for 'Good'. Although the heros of the books make devastating mistakes and are deeply flawed, their hearts are in the right place. This quote is central to the idea that character is more powerful than magical prowess:

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities" - Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

ab imo pectore,

Hannah

teenage dream

If you turned on the radio this summer, you are undoubtably familiar with Katy Perry's catchy song "Teenage Dream." I love remixes and acapella, so I thought I'd share these great covers with you!

This version is from Glee and is performed by the Dalton Academy Warblers (who are the Tufts University Beelzebubs in real life!) One of the 1093392 reasons to love Glee.

This cover is just one of the great covers by Boyce Avenue. Boyce Avenue changes some of the lyrics in this song, making it softer and more romantic. Katy Perry's version is fun and upbeat, but this version sounds so sincere and from the heart. Love it!

ab imo pectore,

Hannah