Wisdom Wednesday: Being a Girl

Happy Wednesday! With Wednesday comes the inevitable "hump day" blues, sense of disillusionment, exhaustion, and longing for the weekend. Like a good shot of espresso, an inspiring quote can often inspire and perk me up, ready to take on what the rest of the day and week holds. Each Wednesday here on notsosimplestyle features a few bits of wisdom on varying topics, in the hopes you may find humor, inspiration, solace and affirmation.

Being a woman, girl, lady, or gal isn't a walk in the park. Sometimes it's great. Sometimes it's fighting against societal expectations, or struggling to fit in, or wanting things to just be different. It's being a tomboy and a girly-girl and something in between. It's being yourself. I could go on and on and probably will at some point but frankly other people have said it better.

A successful woman is one who can build a firm foundation with bricks others have thrown at her.

                     ~ Unknown

Every girl is expected to have caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama and doll tits. This is why everyone is struggling.

                      ~ Tina Fey

Growing up, I wish I hadn't tried so hard to fit in. I'd tell myself to just embrace what you were born with because it's beautiful and you were made like that for a reason. It's tough being a girl. I think we need all the support we can get.

                       ~ Shay Mitchell

Feminism to me means fighting. It's a very nuanced, complex thing, but at the very core of it I'm a feminist because I don't think being a girl limits me in any way.

                       ~ Tavi Gevinson


Better to be strong than pretty and useless.
                       ~ Lilith Saintcrow


Girls will get together just to get together. Guys need an activity as an excuse. Otherwise it's too homo for them to handle.
                        ~ Megan McCafferty


One of the biggest mistakes girls can make concerning their romantic life is sitting around waiting for their prince to find them, rather than getting out there and finding him themselves.
                        ~ Meg Cabot


I love the person I've become because I fought to become her.
                        ~ Kaci Diane


We must teach our girls that if they speak their mind, they can create the world they want to see.
                        ~ Robyn Silverman


Show me a girl with her feet planted firmly on the ground and I'll show you a girl who can't put her pants on.
                         ~ Annik Marchand

Oh the places you'll go!

Oh the places you'll go, the people you'll see! But where oh where have I gone?

While the rest of New York was preparing for fall, I took an extended summer. For most of October I have been on St. Catherine's Island, one of the Sea Islands or Golden Isles located just off the coast of Georgia. Being archaeologist is amazing for many reasons, one of which being the opportunity to travel to places closed to others. The island is host to many researchers, lots of wildlife and beautiful scenery. Hope you guys enjoy the photos!

Hearts and Stripes

Outfit Details...

Dress: Loila

Sweater: Brandy Melville

Booties: H&M

Belt: b.p. at Nordstrom

Ring: Forever 21

Necklace: Forever 21

Lips: Revlon Lip butter in Strawberry Shortcake

Wisdom Wednesday: Music

Happy Wednesday! With Wednesday comes the inevitable "hump day" blues, sense of disillusionment, exhaustion, and longing for the weekend. Like a good shot of espresso, an inspiring quote can often inspire and perk me up, ready to take on what the rest of the day and week holds. Each Wednesday here on notsosimplestyle features a few bits of wisdom on varying topics, in the hopes you may find humor, inspiration, solace and affirmation.

Being in the field requires a particular kind of music, the kind that makes you feel happy, relaxed, and surrounded by friends. Some songs stay on repeat while others bite the dust (pun intended). There are some songs that will always remind me of archaeology regardless of where I am. Music becomes memories, emotions, people and places. It consoles, entertains, and sets the tone for whatever may come your way. This week I wanted to explore what some famous people had to say about the magic of music. While I think its pretty powerful, it's nice to see that sentiment reflected by more potentially credible sources.  


Without music, life would be a mistake.
                        ~ Friedrich Nietzsche


I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was necessity for me-like food or water.
                         ~ Ray Charles


Music expresses that which cannot be said and on that which it is impossible to be silent.
                         ~ Victor Hugo

Music is well said to be the speech of angels.

                         ~ Thomas Carlyle

Music is a strange thing. I would almost say it is a miracle. For it stands halfway between thought and phenomenon, between spirit and matter.

                          ~ Heinrich Heine

Music the shorthand of emotion.

                          ~ Leo Tolstoy

Who hears music, feels his solitude peopled at once.

                           ~ Robert Browning

Music is the strongest form of magic.

                           ~ Marilyn Manson

If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music.

                           ~ Gustav Mahler

When people hear good music, it makes them homesick for something they never had, and never will have.

                           ~ Edgar Watson Howe

Dusk: Blue to Black

Outfit Details...

Shirt: Forever 21

Pants: H&M

Shoes: Zigi Soho (DSW)

Bag: H&M

Nails: Essie Off the Shoulder

Lips: OCC Lip Tar Super NSFW

Thanks Mariko for being my photographer!

Wisdom Wednesday: Shit Tumblr says...

Happy Wednesday! With Wednesday comes the inevitable "hump day" blues, sense of disillusionment, exhaustion, and longing for the weekend. Like a good shot of espresso, an inspiring quote can often inspire and perk me up, ready to take on what the rest of the day and week holds. Each Wednesday here on notsosimplestyle features a few bits of wisdom on varying topics, in the hopes you may find humor, inspiration, solace and affirmation.

I will admit my addiction to Tumblr as readily as the next person. While the ferocity of my obsession waxes and wanes, usually inversely in regards to how much I have to do; it does offer delightful digital distraction. After hours, you may find yourself wallowing over sad loves of the past that you never actually had, never-ending gifs of tv-shows with committed fandoms, beautiful overly-filtered pictures, and incomprehensible wolves, triangles, and aztec print. With that said, Tumblr does offer forth some quotes gems, reassurance that you are not alone in feeling a particular way, even if every hipster and their brother has reblogged it.

Some people will only remember you when they need something.
                       ~ thejewelyouare

There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.

                       ~ n-e-w-y-o-r-k-l-o-v-e

There is always that one person who you love who becomes that definition. It usually happens retrospectively, but it happens eventually. This is the person who unknowingly sets the template for what you will always love about other people, even if some of these lovable qualities are self-destructive and unreasonable. The person who defines your understanding of love is not inherently different than anyone else; they're often just the person you happen to meet the first time you really, really want to love someone. But that person still wins. They win, and you lose. Because for the rest of your life, they will control how you feel about everyone else.

                       ~ staypozitive

It's one thing to admit you're in over your head. It's another, to welcome the drowning.

                      ~ kushandwizdom

Sometimes you have to be strong for yourself. You have to know that you are a good person and a good friend. What is meant to be will end up good and what is not won't. Relationships are worth fighting for, but sometimes you can't be the only one fighting. At times, people need to fight for you. If they don't, you must move on and realize what you gave them was more than they were willing to give you. Hopefully, people realize great things when they come around and don't lose something real. Always fight, until you can't anymore, and then be fought for.

                       ~ staypozitive

And I tell myself, a moon will rise from my darkness.

                      ~ nizar-qabbanii

Don't ask for my opinion then get mad when I tell you the truth.

                      ~ truelifequote

You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.

                       ~ spiritualinspiration

Remember that person you thought you couldn't live without? Well, look at you living and shit.

                       ~ kushandwizdom

If you can't solve it, it isn't a problem--it's reality. And sometimes reality is the hardest thing to understand and the thing that takes the longest to realize. But once it hits you in the face you'll never forget it. It will always be there in your memories and sometimes that is the best way to look at it.

                        ~ ohlovequotes