Teens

Oh, where do I begin? I’m not sure how the search for rental housing is in other cities as I’ve never rented anywhere else besides DC, but in DC it’s an absolute madhouse to find affordable housing. (“Affordable” in this context is on that of an entry-level salary for a recent college grad.) Add into the mix wanting to live in a relatively safe neighborhood and ambivalence towards the idea of roommates then, well, I had a giant mountain to climb in order to secure housing. When I started my housing search, I wanted a studio apartment that was within my budget and in a safe part of town. Clearly, none of these expectations/requirements were out of the ordinary for a girl that was striking out to live on her own. But my God, DC sure makes it hard for all of those requirements to be met. (I realize that the usual route for a girl in my situation would be to live in shared housing, but I wanted to see if I could make it work with a studio apartment and live on my own.) This city’s crazy expensive, with studios in nicer areas reaching as much as $1,800 for one month’s rent – not including utilities! Needless to say, I most definitely cannot afford to pay $1,800 each month in rent. I knew I had my work cut out for me when my first initial Google and Craigslist searches made me despair and want to tear out my hair. Visions of myself living in a cardboard box on the street crying over the insanity of DC real estate danced in my head. Or rather, they plagued me over several sleepless, anxiety-induced nights. But then I started finding some places that either fit square in my budget or, with a little creative math, were priced at rates that I could make work. However, some of these locations came at a cost, monetary or otherwise. Was I willing to live in an area that was semi-cut off from the happening areas of downtown and generally only accessible by Metro but not buses or walking? Did I want to live close to the Maryland border and have to hike across town when going out with friends as I don’t have a car? What about living in a hip, central part of town close to everything I would ever need but having to live off beans for a year because of the higher rent? It also didn’t help that when I was conducting my apartment search, my office was in the throes of busy season and more often than not I had to schedule apartment viewings during my working hours. (Why are leasing offices generally only open 9-5? Why not even 10-6?) Luckily, my office was more than understanding; my coworkers were incredibly supportive and provided advice as I conducted my hunt for an affordable studio apartment. But then, I found a gem of a studio apartment. It was perfect in size and in a prime location, right next to the Metro and several bus lines and within walking distance to work, shopping and groceries. I had previously searched for apartments in this area, but the first few times I searched nothing came up. For some reason, I felt like searching within that neighborhood might turn up something new, and turn up something new it did. I called to schedule a viewing and the leasing office said that they did walk-ins. I hemmed and hawed as I looked over my work schedule to see what times were plausible for me to leave the office without disrupting my work projects. My original plan was to view it the next day, but around noon I got hit with the strongest instinct to view that apartment as soon as I could so I ended up going to view the apartment in the early afternoon. Once I got there, I found that another girl was there to see the same apartment, too. The manager showed it to both of us at the same time, and then of course it ended up being that we both wanted it. (Oh no!) It turned out that the building had an identical apartment also available, except the rent was $30 more. (Something to do with the fact that the building is rent controlled – the manager explained, but I was too busy focusi

I have 25 goals I want to accomplish before I turn 25. This is the story of how I accomplished one of those goals! Want to see my full 25 Before 25 list? When I was 14, a banana cream pie recipe stumped me. I can’t remember if it was the fact that Australia didn’t have the right kind of cream I needed or if I simply purchased the wrong one. At any rate, I had decided to make a banana cream pie. I ended up with banana cream soup. It’s the only recipe that I didn’t try making again upon failing at a first attempt. Therefore, it was the only recipe that defeated me. As a burgeoning home cook and baker, that fact simply would not do. A friend of mine and I had been talking about getting pie for a year (literally), and a few weekends ago he was in town for a visit. To honor the occasion, I decided that it was as good a time as ever to finally conquer the banana pie recipe. (It helped that I already had the majority of the ingredients on hand.) I’m proud to report that the banana cream pie was a smashing success. To say that my friends and I devoured the pie would be an understatement! The post 25 Before 25: Conquer Making a Banana Cream Pie appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

A bit of a new look for me--I've been practicing some different hairstyles and created a simple outfit inspired by my retro ponytail. It's pretty dramatic and people stared like I was a space alien when I wore this out. I would do it again though, I love the rockabilly look! Wearing a 50's cashmere cardigan, an H&M pencil skirt, Zara heels, sunglasses by Elizabeth & James, and Britt bag c/o Sole Society

Around the World is a travel guide series where readers share what they love about hometowns, favorite vacation spots, home away from homes and everything in between. If you want to learn more, see what places have been covered and/or submit a travel guide of your own, check out the Around the World page. Today’s guide is brought to you by Kate, a Winchester native! Winchester is a fascinating city – first off, it’s not the size you’d expect for a city. In fact, it’s tiny. But it has a Royal Charter to say it’s a city, so size isn’t important. At least, that’s what I told my Geography teacher in Year 8 when she had the cheek to refer to it as a “market town”. It used to be the capital of Wessex, and was an important city in England for a long time and is still the county town of Hampshire, fending off competition from the far-bigger Southampton. So it deserves some respect. As you’d expect, Winchester’s packed full of history and however carefully you try and spot everything of historical significance, you’re bound to miss something, especially if you explore Hampshire’s other attractions (the county Winchester is in). But with our insider’s guide you’ll have the best chance possible.. Tell me then, where should I go in Winchester? The most popular destination is Winchester Cathedral, proud owner of the “Longest Nave in Europe” title. First built in 1079, it almost collapsed at the start of the 20th century and had to be restored by a diver called William Walker. It contains Jane Austen’s grave, along with many bishops and other historical figures. Then there’s the Great Hall, containing the Round Table of the legendary King Arthur. There’s the statue of the slightly-less-legendary King Alfred. There’s the City Museum, which will tell you the story of the city and nearby is the 15th century Buttercross, a stone structure where the youth of the city often congregate, listening to the buskers on the High Street. And what should I do in Winchester? Well, sightseeing is the obvious starting point. Should you get bored of walking around the historical sights of the city, you can climb St Giles’ Hill and picnic there, with the whole city spread below you. You can see as far as the hospital and prison, and it makes for a charming view, the mix of modern and ancient architecture. The green roof of the 19th century Guildhall particularly stands out. If you’re looking for a day trip out of the city, there’s the famous Marwell Zoo nearby with its hundreds of species of animals, or there are huge shopping malls with multiplex cinemas in Basingstoke and Southampton. There’s also some scenic countryside around and it’s close to both the South Downs and the New Forest, which are preserved for their natural beauty. I’m hungry/thirsty/tired – if there anywhere I can get a drink nearby? You’re in luck! Winchester had – at last count – 42 pubs within a mile radius of the centre. A favourite among locals is the Royal Oak, which claims to be the oldest bar in England and dates from 1002 (current building is from 1630 though!). Next door is the equally-historical building that houses Ask, a modern Italian restaurant. For more food choices, you’ll also find Pizza Express at the bottom of town, next to a working watermill and Dim T at the top of the High Street, for affordable but great dim sum. If you prefer your food less affordable, some big chefs have restaurants in Winchester – notably Raymond Blanc (Brasserie Blanc) and Jamie Oliver (Jamie’s Italian). The food is, naturally, pricier but it’s worth treating yourself! And where can I find something to take home? As mentioned before, the bigger cities of Hampshire are the places to go for huge malls – the Brooks Centre in Winchester is small and not over-full of shops. But lately, a few higher-end stores have opened on the High St, such as Jack Wills (clothing) and Cath Kidston (quirky homewares). Plus, there are hidden streets of specialist shops, such as the jewellery stores on

A couple of times recently I've had a last minute invite to a party or dinner and had no idea what to wear. I saved a couple of photos of Julia Sarr Jamois on my phone to get ideas for inspiration. I love all of her outfits and especially appreciate her love of oversized jeans and sneakers. She definitely makes me think I could use a little more color and playfulness in my wardrobe! 1. Marc by Marc Jacobs collar pink dress 2. Alice + Olivia Lenora sleeveless striped dress 3. Clover Canyon Turquoise Valley neoprene dress 4. La Petit S**** woven cocoon coat 5. Marc by Marc Jacobs dotted rabbit scarf 6. Clare Vivier woven fold-over clutch 7. Jules Smith Papi ring 8. Maison Martin Margiela glitter boots 9. Miu Miu crystal embellished Mary-Janes     1. Botkier Valentina Hipster bag 2. Theory stretch-crepe blazer 3. J. Crew neon lace skirt 4. Clover Canyon neoprene printed skirt 5. Chimala denim jeans 6. Chini and Parker red oversized sweater 7. Current/Elliot Stadium sweatshirt 8. Stuart Weitzman Guything brogues 9. New Balance Classics in teal  

I think I have fallen in love with San Francisco. Sure, I might have only been here two days and maybe the majority of my time here has been occupied by work. And I have been here before, twice. But my God, this city has so much to offer that I love. Matcha green tea lattes and Uniqlo, for a start. Cable cars and gorgeous architecture and historical districts and great food and awesome people and just, wow, I’m in love. I’ve never been able to see myself in DC indefinitely but I also haven’t really been able to sense where within the US I would go if I were to relocate in a few years. Now, I might have an answer. Even in San Francisco doesn’t turn out to be the answer, I at least have a little more clarity in what I’d want in a city I would relocate to later on down the road. Aside from falling in love with San Francisco, traveling for work has also been a new experience. This is my first business trip and I’ve enjoyed it so far, although I could do without the early wake-ups that are a result of needing to report to work at 6 a.m.! I don’t even miss my bed; such is the luxury of having a king-sized bed when on work travel. Beauty I love The Beauty Department’s makeup tips and their tip for perfect eyeshadow blending is most excellent as I’m slowly mastering the smokey eye technique. Life I loved Jennifer’s grandfather’s poem “When the Lilacs Bloom.” Olga writes about the drafting, drafting and re-drafting process of writing. Sarah sums up why writing a short bio is a daunting task. Like Shannon, I consider myself a writer; like Shannon, I am better at the telling than I am at the imagining. Writing is a skill that can pay, as long as you play your cards right. Shayes writes about how Stephen King’s advice to “kill your darlings” when writing books has affected her approach to working on her first novel. Online I can totally relate to Clem’s post about feeling old on the Internet. Was it really pushing ten (!!) years ago that I started dabbling in writing in online journals? The post Link Love, Vol. 17 appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

  My most basic essentials, I like simplicity for everyday. I'm a grey tee junkie and always on the quest for the perfect sloppy oversized one. This Zara tee comes pretty close! I've been a big fan of AG's Stilt jean for years now so I was really excited when they did this perfectly faded version for summer. Wore this to grab a quick lunch, and yes, I had to buy a pack of Imperial Sugar Dr. Pepper to bring home. It's the Texan in me. Wearing Zara grey tee, AG Stilt jeans, H&M sunglasses, and Nike sneakers    

I probably shouldn’t be admitting this in a public setting considering my best friend R was absolutely horrified when I told her this fact, but my favorite mascara ever in my makeup rotation was, uh, not from a recent time. As in, it may have been one of the first mascaras I ever bought in my early teen years (thanks, Maybelline). I might not have used it consistently since the time of purchase and there was definitely a several year window that the mascara was not used at all, but I cannot deny the fact that my favorite mascara was Very. Very. Old. It was most definitely older than the three month lifespan that mascaras are advised to have. R told me to throw it out. She actually pleaded, “For the love of God Manda, please just throw it out.” This is coming from the girl who doesn’t ever wash her makeup brushes, so I knew that I should REALLY just throw out my beloved mascara. (Sorry for sharing with the world that you don’t wash your makeup brushes ever, R.) It was with a heavy heart that I threw it out. Luckily, I already had several new mascaras to try out in my stash, thanks to a combination of mascara tubes courtesy of Ipsy and cashing in some coupons at the drugstore several weeks ago. I had picked up Maybelline’s Colossal Volum’ Express mascara at the drugstore, thinking that it would be the same as the tube I had thrown out. I knew there was a chance that it wouldn’t be exactly the same since I wasn’t 100% sure what type of mascara I threw out considering the markings on the tube had worn off a long time ago. Still, I assumed it would be close enough. Wrong! Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the brush is different than my old one. In all likelihood, the formula is probably a little different too, but I can say for certain that the brush is probably the main reason why my lashes aren’t as volumized as I’d like them to be. The moral of this story is to not get so attached to an old mascara that is discontinued and have no new favorites lined up to replace the discontinued one. My lashes are fairly lengthy naturally, so I like to use mascara for volume rather than length. Maybelline’s Colossal Volum’ Express mascara is fairly good, but I’m a little disheartened that it’s not turning out to be a replacement for my beloved old mascara. Anyone got any tried and true mascaras they can recommend? My one requirement for mascara is that it’s at a drugstore-friendly price. The post When You Don’t Replace Mascara Every Three Months appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

A friend and I caught up over lunch last weekend and decided that we wanted to try eating somewhere new. After consulting my Scoutmob app, we picked LiLLie’s Restaurant in Woodley Park. The coupon via Scoutmob offered us 50% off our bill (max discount of $15), so we figured that even if lunch went horribly wrong, at least we wouldn’t be paying full price. I was really impressed with the atmosphere at LiLLie’s. I think that may have been the most impressive part of my experience, actually. It was a small, cozy restaurant that had an intimate atmosphere that I could see being perfect for an quiet brunch or romantic date night. My friend and I were seated by the window, and I enjoyed the view that the seating provided. I ordered “the schnitzel,” which was comprised of “lightly breaded chicken breast, two over easy eggs, lemon, roasted potatoes, arugula.” The eggs and schnitzel were cooked to perfection and the arugula side salad with fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes was the perfect size. However, I would have appreciated more than four (small) measly roasted potato wedges as well as a more seasoned plate. The eggs and schnitzel may have been cooked wonderfully, but it was sorely lacking some salt and pepper. Easily remedied on my own, but our table didn’t have either, and our server was nowhere to be found for the entirety of our meal. Not once were my friend and I asked if we wanted anything to drink (we didn’t want anything besides water, but it’s customary to be asked), or how our food was, or if we wanted anything else to eat (dessert?). Not once did I even see our server, actually, so I’m not sure how we would have flagged her down had we decided to request salt and pepper or something besides water. It’s not like the place was packed; we were one of three tables and were the second of the three to be seated. Did I enjoy my experience at LiLLie’s? I suppose. But mainly because my meal cost a total of $12 including tax. Would I have enjoyed it if I didn’t have a Scoutmob? In all likelihood, no. There are some great restaurants in DC so I’d much rather be spending my time and money there rather than a mediocre one. The post Eating Out in DC: LiLLie’s Restaurant appeared first on Break the Sky. Want to continue the conversation? Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service. For $10/month, members get deluxe samples and full-sized products along with a tote bag to keep all the items in. Each month’s tote design depends on that month’s theme. The theme for May was Spring Fling. Ipsy COMPLETELY outdid themselves this month, guys. I know I am generally impressed with Ipsy every month (which is a great thing for a monthly subscription service!) but this is the best Ipsy bag I have received, hands down. (It definitely tops any Birchbox that I ever had.) Why is this month’s bag so great, you ask? Well, just check out the brands included (and the size of the items!) For previous Ipsy boxes I’ve received, check out this tag. ZOYA: Nail polish in “Blu” Zoya Nail Polish and Treatments puts beauty, fashion and style into every bottle with innovative custom color creations and fashion trend adaptation resulting in a truly luxury cosmetic experience. The award-winning, ultra long-wearing Zoya formula is also vegan friendly an