Why I Refuse to Shop at Brandy Melville // Thursday's Thought

As a shopping addict, I was eager to visit the first Brandy Melville store in Massachusetts when it opened on Newbury Street in Boston last year. If you happen to live under a fashion rock and not know of this clothing brand, Brandy Melville is a California-inspired clothing brand that features casual clothing with a beachy vibe, targeted towards teens.

I was particularly excited to try on a popular tee featuring a “stay weird” design, as well as some other items. However, when my sister, friends, and I finally arrived at the store, I couldn’t find my usual size medium. Upon asking a store employee, I learned that Brandy Melville has a “one size fits most” policy.

“Umm, what? One size? Okay…”

As a woman who considers herself to be a healthy and average size and build, I was definitely disappointed to find that the tee I was lusting after was way too tight. Apparently, being a size medium is not in the “most” of the population.

We already live in a society where people are constantly judged on their appearance and feel the need to validate their worth based on their looks. Although men struggle with this issue as well, young girls and women the primarily victims of body image issues. We are constantly bombarded with images of “perfect” women everywhere we look. Brandy Melville is simply feeding this obsession with perfection and making women like me feel like we aren’t good enough. The fact that a healthy woman can not fit into their clothes is a clear indication that their policy of “one size fits most” is not just exclusionary, but also false.

As consumers, we make important decisions daily about what companies we want to financially support through purchases. Therefore, I will not support Brandy Melville by purchasing other items I would like to buy, like their affordable jewelry or trendy room décor. Money is power. I refuse to give Brandy Melville that power, unless they change their policies.

Other companies, like Forever21, have expanded their sizing to service more women. I hope that Brandy Melville follows suit.

What are your thoughts??

xoxo Ava

Addicted to my iPhone?! // 5 Reasons to Put It Down

Disclaimer: I’m sure that when my family reads this title, they will burst out laughing and say I am the last person who should give advice on this topic. But the purpose of this post isn’t to say I have it all figured out. In fact, I would like this post to be a source of personal motivation for myself to cut back on my phone use.

It seems like every year, kids are getting iPhones at a younger and younger age.  This is a far cry from just 7 years ago when I received my first cell phone at the age of 14, this beauty:

Now, it’s time for me to have one of those “the first step is to acknowledge your addiction” moments.

I am addicted to my iPhone.

Like most of us, I rely on my iPhone too often as entertainment, a source of information, or a means to share a random thought or picture via social media. But, it is time to cut back. It’s time to realize that too much of a good thing can become an issue.

In order to remedy my addiction, here are 5 reasons why I should put it down:

1.) Eyes.

We already live in a society where technology rules. You are reading this blog on a laptop, iPad, or smart phone. All have screens. I’m no scientist, (in fact, I avoid as many science courses in college as possible) but I know that after working 9 to 5 as a summer intern in front of TWO computer screens, my eyes were always thankful for the drive home when I can gaze at trees, the road, and anything other than a screen.

2.) Time.

We all have 24 hours in a day. How we choose to spend it is very important. Our time is the most valuable thing we can give someone, and if we are scrolling through our Instagram feed, there is no way we are giving that person our full attention. Your family, friends, or a random stranger will surely appreciate your attentiveness.

3.) Friends.

Put your phone down while you wait in line for coffee and strike up a conversation with the person behind you! Just as you never know who you will meet sitting next to you on an airplane, you could end up having a great conversation with a person in line. Ask them for a drink suggestion or compliment them on something they are wearing to start the conversation.

4.) Knowledge.

Pick up a book or a newspaper. Learn the old fashioned way. Better yet, pull out a map. Yes, a REAL map, not Google Maps. When I went on a biking trip last summer with my parents, my dad relied solely on a paper map for the entire 200 mile journey. We had a few confusing moments along the way, but it all added to the memorable experience.

5.) Memories.

How many times have you told someone a riveting story about a time you had your face buried in your phone?  Very few, if any. Experience life going on around you. And THEN go on your phone to write some notes about it for a future blog post.

Next time I'm bored, uncomfortable, or confused, I will try to remember:

Put it down, look up.

xoxo Ava

Half-Faced Skeleton Makeup & Costume // Halloween 2014

Happy Halloween!

As a child, I was a cowgirl for five years in a row. Thankfully, I have become more creative over the years.
In previous years, some of my favorite costumes have been when I dressed up as Kanye West and Boo from Monster's Inc.

This year, with the help of Pinterest (Follow me!), I decided to kick off the Halloween weekend on Thursday by dressing up as a skeleton with a dramatic makeup look. I was hesitant about the makeup and unsure if I could actually pull it off. I wanted the "human" side of the makeup to be very dramatic and girly, so I used a heavy hand when applying bronzer and blush and threw on some fake lashes and a bold lip as well! Two of my friends were also planning on dressing up as skeletons (they did a DIY costume!) so we all met at their apartment to get ready.

We used Pinterest pins and YouTube tutorials to get inspiration for our makeup, and I think it turned out pretty well! 

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

xoxo Ava

Outfit Details:

Dress: Amazon

Tights: Spanx

Shoes: TJ Maxx

Necklace: Burlington Coat Factory

Facepaint: CVS

Lip Color: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 210 Unapologetic