Kensington Gardens

So I'm in London... what? My study abroad experience has officially started and it's off to a beautiful start - this weather is insane! It's been over 70 degrees and sunny since we arrived and it's perfect. I've been getting acclimated to the general area lately, Kensington and Chelsea, and it's gorgeous. It's quite posh and my neighbors (well... I mean a few houses (streets) separate us) will be Wills & Kate once they move in to Kensington Palace! I kicked off my stay with an obligatory visit to Kensington Gardens and happened to be there during the most lovely dusk. It was a walk full of peace with a hint of magic and I wouldn't want it any other way! I can't believe that this is my home base for the semester, but I'm so excited to get out and truly explore the rest of the city! Stay tuned!

One of my first looks at the park.

The palace... such beautiful scaffolding!

For whatever reason it hasn't rained once yet and it has been BEAUTIFUL.

Dress the Part: Charlotte "Chuck" Charles

We all have our screen fashion icons! One of my absolute favorites and day-to-day style inspirations is Chuck from the short-lived show, Pushing Daisies. Every week I would obsess over the snappy dialogue, crazy premises, and the fashion. Oh my god. They put Anna Friel in the most amazing pieces! Everything had this crazy retro vibe that she just looked fabulous in and fit the character and the world of the show so well. The great part about the show is that it really happened in its own little world that had its own time frame. It wasn't the 50s but so much of the design pulls from that era. Chuck's wardrobe is feminine, super saturated, and witty too! Here's my take!

Sunnies: Kate Spade | Timepiece: Anthropologie | Shoes: Modcloth | Purse: Kate Spade | Belt: Tory Burch | Dress: Modcloth

Who are some of your best dressed characters?

Zenon Tech Accessories for your Laptop

Who says your technology can't be as fashionable and exuberant as you are? I certainly don't and there are as many laptop cases as there are styles. If your a minimalist, choose a Herschel. If you're a boho girl, go with bright colors, amazing texture, and details like tassels. Don't be afraid to take some risks, because if you can't do it with your laptop case, where will you ever? This is such an easy way to infuse another part of your life with style so take it!

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London Calling: A Movie Marathon

In celebration of my upcoming semester abroad, I'm giving myself some homework and setting out on a London movie marathon of epic proportions! Now most of these aren't the small British films that are more likely to be accurate depictions of the city, but for the moment I'm sticking with these - my guilty pleasures, rom-coms, action movies, intimate dramas, and some sci-fi that will all get me in the mood for my temporary move across the pond.

Photo source

35% on Rotten Tomatoes
Directed by: Dennie Gordon
Starring: Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston, Eileen Atkins, Anna Chancellor, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver James, Christina Cole

Yes, it's pretty terrible by all standards, but it was when Amanda Bynes was normal and the girl everyone wanted to be best friends with! If you're a girl my age, chances are this was one of your favorites growing up and it gives you a sense of nostalgia whenever you watch it. This and Winning London. Plus, Colin Firth!

Pins of the Week: Style Secrets

Here are some great style tips that I've found on Pinterest this week to make you feel fresh and chic for fall! @trinacardamone

J. Lawr knows the secret to looking fresh - get a fabulous hair cut!

SYTYCD Top 8

Photo via Fox

Opening choreography by Mia Michaels.

Travel in Style

I will be heading off to London soon to study for the semester! In celebration (and a fit of anxiety) I've rounded up some of my favorite stars and their genius airport style in hopes that I can look as chic as they manage to!

Image via Glamour UK

Emma Stone's everyday style is amazingly relaxed, but polished and she translates this effortlessly to her airport style. Her Canadian tuxedo is comfortable but refined in a way that let's her breathe or be warm enough on the plane and hop right off and continue with her day. A hat, pop of red, and flats are simple. You won't look overdone and you won't be fumbling with anything going through security. This timeless style will allow you to hit the ground running. There are so many options even within an outfit like this now - Madewell has about a million different amazing chambrays. They have different washes, silhouettes, and even prints that will make this outfit pop even more and put a personal stamp on it! My latest obsession, d'Orsay flats, are another way to keep this style especially current and nothing says style like an Indiana Jones style fedora.

Hat: Urban Outfitters | Purse: Burberry | Jeans: Loft | Chambray: Madewell | Flats: Jenni Kayne

 More travel style stars after the break!

1 Look, 2 Jackets

With fall comes layers! The best part about this (besides cozy sweaters and cute hats) is jackets! A great jacket can make an outfit. Two great jackets can make, well two outfits! A jacket change can dramatically change any piece or outfit in your wardrobe, which gives you endless possibilities! Check out an outfit I changed up with two of my favorite jackets.

Jacket: Gap | Sweater: Urban Outfitters (similar) | Shirt: Loft (similar) | Jeans: Loft | Shoes: Thom Brown (similar)

Summer Movie Monday: The 2013 Finale!

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Opening Wednesday, August 21st
Directed by: Harald Zwart
Starring: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Kevin Zegers, Jemima West, Robert Sheehan, Robert Maillet, Kevin Durand, Godfrey Gao, Lena Headey, Harry Van Gorkum, CCH Pounder, Jared Harris, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Aidan Turner, Stephen R. Hart
16% on Rotten Tomatoes

The next Twilight? This is certainly being marketed as such and I hope for the sake of the movie that they only mean that in terms of box office and not quality of content. I do like Lily Collins (she's got killer brows) and the supporting cast is intriguing so maybe... Jury is definitely still out though, because this could just be a train wreck. I mean seriously - what's a shadowhunter? Hopefully it's not just YA fluff that's not worth our time.

Lee Daniels' The Butler, Short Term 12, Drinking Buddies, and The World's End after the break!

So You Think You Can Dance: Season 10 Top 10

I know that not all dancers have the highest opinion of So You Think You Can Dance and I understand why, but hey I still drink the juice and right now it's tasting mighty good. This past week's top 10 show might have been one of the best I've seen. This is the rare top 10 where I truly like every person and would just like to watch all ten of them dance together for a few weeks before cutting down more. There was artistry among all of the battements and pirouettes.

It all started with the beautiful opening number. Christopher Scott is a "concept" guy so his pieces hit or miss, but he usually crafts amazing group pieces. This was no exception. The way he utilized rocking chairs as props was beautiful, innovative, and inherently expressive.

Then came Amy Yakima performing the season's first disco with All-Star Brandon Bryant. Brandon was one of my favorite contestants during his season. He just turned out many an amazing routine, and somehow he has become one of the token disco All-Stars along with Neil Haskell. Amy is a strong, precise, energetic dancer so this disco was perfect for her! Of all the girls, she's probably the most suited to disco (and, well, everything else) because of her precision and every foot was in the right place. If I had to pick a favorite girl this season, I think she's it, but I want her to get some really gritty choreography because she's been in so many high energy, charismatic pieces.

Pins of the Week: Fantasies

So this week is all about dreams and fantasies: my dream closet, fantasy wedding, and more!

Dance is something that, if I could, I might have pursued it.

On my mind: d'Orsay Flats

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to study in Paris for two weeks before this past spring semester started. One of my favorite parts of the visit (which is hard to narrow down, believe you me!) was the Musee d'Orsay. It is a lot of impressionism, which is my favorite. It's also the perfect size. Unlike the Louvre or the Met, you spend the exact amount of time that you want to spend in the museum and by the time you're ready to get out of there, you've seen everything! Not only is the art beautiful, I'm neglecting to mention one of the most interesting parts - it was converted into a museum from a train station. The old clocks are still intact too! Why does this matter? I've been yakking on and on about a museum and this is a style post. Well, one of the newest shoe trends for fall is d'Orsay flats! They're beautiful and chic. Read on for some of my favorite picks!

Adventures in New York

This summer has found me interning and living in Manhattan and it has been the experience of a lifetime so far. Between exploring and truly getting to know the city, whereas before I had always vaguely known where I was and where I was going, I have come to accept public transportation, hate and love (and love to hate) midtown, and view the city from rooftops that are neither bars nor the ESB. I've seen some shows, a bunch of movies, and spent more than my fair share of time in dance class. The parks have been my convenient sanctuaries, more common and easy to come across than one might think. There's nothing quite like the pace or the fact that there is just about everything you (or at least I) want within reach. I've pounded the pavement and tried my best to see the city in my own light. Here are a few ways in which I did so!

A quintessential NYC stoop, near Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park

Nature in New York, The High Line

Summer Movie Monday: Underdogs

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

Opening Friday, August 16th
Directed by: David Lowery
Starring: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Keith Carradine, Kennadie Smith, Jacklynn Smith, Nate Parker, Robert Longstreet, Charles Baker, Augustine Frizzell, Kentucker Audley, David Zellner, Turner Ross, Rami Malek, Will Beinbrink
74% on Rotten Tomatoes

An outlaw on the run from the law in an attempt to reunite with his wife and the daughter he never met. I can't wait for this. Casey Affleck is just outstanding. Some might think of him as Ben's younger wiseass brother from Good Will Hunting which just means you haven't seen his knockout performances in Gone Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Combined with Rooney Mara's quiet power (she was positively lethal in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), this movie is bound to create some very powerful reactions.

Austenland and Kick-Ass 2 after the jump!

Pins of the Week: Fabulous Fall

My favorite pins this week are celebrating my favorite season of the year - bold, beautiful, layered autumn. Follow @trinacardamone for many more pins!

Bring out the burgundy suede - these mary janes are perfectly sweet and bold.

More fall-themed pins after the break!

Thank You Note Style

Call me crazy, but I love office supplies. Staples is heaven. Even better, Papyrus. Oh my god, I could spend hours in Papyrus. Why does this matter? Well, if you're doing an internship this summer, like I have been lucky enough to, chances are it's coming to an end. Standard protocol is that you write whoever you feel you should be writing, a thank you note. It's common courtesy and it's the least you can do. Plus, thank you notes can be way more fun than you thought when spending hours after your birthday party or Christmas writing them. Here are some of the cutest thank you notes around that will add a little bit of flair to every "thank you so much for this opportunity" that you write.

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Many more after the break!

Summer Movie Monday: Ain't Life Grand?

The Spectacular Now

Opening Friday, August 2nd
Directed by: James Ponsoldt
Starring: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Kyle Chandler, Masam Holden, Dayo Okeniyi, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nicci Faires, Ava London, Whitney Goin, Andre Royo, Bob Odenkirk, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Levi Miller
92% on Rotten Tomatoes

This is your sensitive, A Walk to Remember/Perks of Being a Wallflower teen romance, this time starring Woodley and Teller, who will hopefully bring something different enough to the table to keep everyone interested. We have seen the popular guy and the shy girl who are attracted to each other despite all of their differences before, so hopefully this indie will have enough spark and freshness to make us believe what's on the screen. I've really enjoyed Woodley before (The Descendants) and am excited to see her get away from the horrible television show that was holding her back and with luck (and hard work) she'll blossom into other roles that show her talent as well as The Descendants did. As for Teller, hopefully this role will be less like Footloose and more like Rabbit Hole in terms of depth.

Update:
A lot of people will love this movie. It's good, definitely, but it's also heavy and a little depressing. You watch Sutter (Teller) continually bring Aimee (Woodley) down and you're just waiting for him to destroy her one way or another. Then he does and it's as shocking as it possibly could be, because despite your misgivings, you've fallen down the rabbit hole with them. Woodley is just getting better and better. Her wonderfully naive, but not stupid portrayal of this girl who isn't quite clued in to everything high school is pitch perfect. Watching Teller keep spiraling is heartbreaking and too real. The reason I didn't love this movie was because it was so well done that it hurt. 

Elysium, Only God Forgives, Prince Avalanche and We're the Millers after the jump!

Pins of the Week: In Bloom

Here are some of my favorite pins this week! Now if you've been following, you know that I'm a major floral girl. I just can't resist! Lucky me to have found so many great floral pins on Pinterest this week! Check them out and follow me @trinacardamone for much more!

Nike x Liberty London

Style Icon: Emma Stone('s Stylist)

So Emma Stone... She's fiercely talented, whip smart, apparently value driven (or as much as you can be in Hollywood) and isn't a tabloid star for anything but looking great and walking around with Andrew Garfield occasionally. As for her amazing style - she's one case where I'm sure her kick-ass stylist has a lot to do with what you see on the red carpet, but I don't mind. She carries off an array of different genres and styles (retro throwbacks, sweet, sour, modern, edgy) without trying at all and she takes risks - eagle belt guys, eagle belt. Her style off the carpet is equally admirable for its mix of prep (classic tailoring, not neon Polo shirts) and tomboy which suits her public persona so well, which is part of the reason I just don't care if her stylist is picking out most of what she wears on the red carpet.

Lanvin pre-fall 2013

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, A Beautiful Trailer

I have a constantly evolving list of "Movies to See." It's just a Word document on my computer, but I keep it updated, adding and crossing movies off of the list all the time. One movie that has been on the list for a while is, you called it, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Now, I usually have a reason for putting movies on this list but it's got over 300 titles on it so you'll forgive me if I don't remember why exactly I put movies on the list in the first place. However, I have faith in my taste and reasoning, so I don't bother keeping up with every title all the time. This one slipped through the cracks and when I was browsing IMDb (a favorite pastime) earlier and saw the trailer link, I was intrigued, thinking I know I want to see this but I can't for the life of me remember why. Naturally, I clicked, and essentially stumbled upon possibly the most artistic trailer of the year, and definitely my favorite so far. It's not gimmicky, doesn't give everything away, and tickles that sleepy lion that is your imagination enough to make you curious. Not only that, it's beautiful. Take a look for yourself!

I for one, really like Ben Stiller. Between Zoolander, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Tropic Thunder, he's done an interesting combination of hilarious, stupid, compelling, and flat out brilliant work, and I don't think he should be overlooked as a formidable and capable actor. Plus, there's the great supporting cast too with the likes of Adam Scott, Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn, Kathryn Hahn, Patton Oswalt, and Shirley MacLaine.

Excited for any movies coming this fall? What's your favorite trailer ever? Did you know that they have awards for the best trailers - like the Oscars of trailer-making, legitimately.

Plus, I mean.... Tony Wonder, guys.