Oct6

The Strain – Season Finale!!!!

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The Strain – Season Finale!!!!

The season finale of FX’s The Strain aired last night, and it was fantastic! Minus a few flaws through out the season, I thought it was a really solid effort. Last nights finale ended pretty much identical to how it did in the first book of The Strain trilogy, so it was nice how they stayed true to that. I’ve learned to look past the god awful makeup for The Master, as I know that once he sheds his newly injured body in lieu of a new vampire follower, we’ll never have to look at the stupid muppet makeup again! There’s a few things about the television series that I didn’t care for:

1) I absolute HATE that blonde Brit chick. WHO IS SHE?! In the book she’s basically non existent. It’s so obvious that she’s a “fill in” character to give the show a bit more diversity or what have you – but either way: she’s annoying. Get rid of her for season two please and thank you!

2) The casting choice for Zack. That kid is lame. In the books Zack is fairly tough and is no where near as sensitive as they make him on the show. The kid can’t act to save his life from a vampire attack either. It sounds like he’s reading from a script the whole time. There’s a million of capable child actors that could play this part, and unfortunately their choice is not one of them.

3) The choice of communication for the vampires. WHY IN TARNATION ARE THEY TALKING?! In the book, the vamps strictly communicate via telekinesis and it was SO much more effective than actually seeing them speak. I’m specifically referencing The Master and Quinlin, of course. The thought of hearing vamps speak in your head really gave me a sense of unease whenever I would read it in the trilogy. The choice to have them actually vocalize was a disappointing one.

4) Nora’s mother. She was insanely annoying – and that’s all I’m going to say about that, because anyone reading this probably already thinks I’m insensitive for calling the actor who plays Zack lame 🙂

For those of you who have read my previous posts on The Strain – you’ll already know how I feel about The Masters makeup (lord have mercy on me) so I didn’t feel the need to put that as the obvious number one on my list of bothersome flaws on the show. All in all though, this was a FANTASTIC effort of a first season. The first book in The Strain trilogy which is what this season was based on, was absolutely jam packed with detail. The production team did a really good job of remaining fairly true to the book, and I applaud them on that. The season finale was a good one – full of suspense. It also left at a really nice cliff hanger to keep us excited for season two, which will air in 2015. I don’t wanna wait that long though!!!!

Where are all of my fans of The Strain at? How did you feel about this season? What did you like? What did you hate? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Oct5

Lazy Sunday

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Lazy Sunday

It’s a chilly 49 degrees in Akron, Ohio right now. Fall is definitely here. Today is the perfect dreary day to light some candles, get cozy in some sweats, and be a homebody. I’ve had my iTunes playing all morning while tidying up the house in sock feet and there was something so calming and peaceful about it – being home alone and hearing the music echo throughout the quiet rooms and having the aroma from my fall scented candles fill the house. A lazy day is the perfect way to cure the hangover blues (see my previous post Being “That Girl” for more on that incident!) I’m ready for catching up on my lame celebrity gossip magazines and watching some shitty reality TV. I’ve been on the go this past week, from job interviews to college preparations, so it’s so nice to have a day to myself. Speaking of job interviews and college prep – pleeease send me some good vibes! I have my final interview at Family Video and a pretty important college counseling appointment coming up this week so keep your fingers and toes crossed! For those of you who have been keeping up with my posts, you’ll know that Sunday is the day for my TV obsession, The Strain. IT’S THE SEASON FINALE TONIGHT!!!! I’m so excited I can barely even handle it, ten o’clock can’t come soon enough!!! Definitely expect a post either immediately after or tomorrow morning on my views on the finale! I know I always thank you guys for reading my posts, but here’s another friendly thank you! I’ve gotten over five hundred views on my blog that hasn’t even been up for a month yet – that’s awesome! The likes, comments, and follows are much appreciated so keep them coming! ❤ I applaud all of you out here on wordpress-land – there’s so much talent! I might have mentioned this before, but I always try to read as many posts as I can before bed each day, and you guys can write!

Hope you all have a fantastic Sunday. What are you guys up to for the day? Are you getting chilly fall weather where ever you’re at right now? Stay warm if you are! -Sarah

Oct5

Being “That Girl”

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Being “That Girl”

So last night I went out with my sister Kristen and her boyfriend Ramon, and had an absolute drunken blast. Now I totally understand that some people won’t appreciate this entry, but that’s okay. I also promise you that there’s a point to this post.  Let’s get this story started:

The night started out with pre gaming at Ramon’s place. We drank the ultimate girly drinks of strawberitas and Angry Orchard. Honestly I’m such a lightweight that I was pretty intoxicated by the time we got to the bowling alley, where we met up with a bunch of our friends. I’ve never had so much fun bowling in my life, even though I gutter balled almost every time! Minus the one true miracle that occurred when I somehow managed to get a strike! “HOW DID THAT EVEN HAPPEN?!” While at the bowling ally myself and the crew indulged in more alcohol, this time we were drinking on actual liquor. Fireball and Coke and Long Islands for me and my sister. This is when I began turning into “That Girl”. After my first Fireball and Coke drink, I was completely and utterly wasted. (#lightweight) That’s when you would think the night began to take a turn for the worse, but really my night just got better. The only sucky part of the night was throwing up in the bowling ally bathroom – that was pretty gross. But like a champ I headed back to my friends and threw another perfect gutter ball afterwards. It was only midnight at this point in my drunk adventures, the night was still young, and would continue for another hour or so. How could I forget to mention my knight in bowling shoes in my drunken fairy tale? The entire night myself and this really cute guy named Andrew were pretty flirty with each other. He tried in vain to teach me how to throw the bowling ball and we were both having such a good time. And yes, we TOTALLY made out. Score! God, he was so cute. The end. 🙂

The point of the story? That sometimes, its okay to be “That Girl”. Am I condoning going out and getting wasted every night? Absolutely not. Am I condoning going out for the first time in ages and having a great time? Absolutely. There’s nothing wrong with being a twenty year old every once in a while. Sometimes I forget that I’m only twenty….I feel so much older. It also doesn’t help that all of my friends forget that I’m still a “baby”. It was really fun doing something like bowling with a drunken twist. I felt safe while I was with my sister, Ramon, and our posse. I felt safe knowing we had a designated driver to get us home. So why not live in the moment? Why not indulge for one night? I have a hell of a hangover right now, in fact, my head is throbbing as I type this – but that’s just one small price to pay for a night out.

Happy Sunday and best of luck to anyone nursing a hangover today. I feel for you. -Sarah

Oct4

My Music ABC’s

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My Music ABC’s

So I thought it would be fun to give you guys my music ABC’s once a month or so. I always get complimented on my taste in music, so why not share it with the world? Here’s the ABC lowdown on the bands I’ve been really diggin’ lately.

A- Alt-J (These guys rule! Check out Tessellate, it’s a goodin’!)

B- Bear Hands (Bone Digger off of their latest album Distraction is fantastic.)

C- Cage (for all your angsty rap needs!)

D- Dan Croll (This kid can CROON!!!!)

E- Electric Guest (Call me a little grown up 😉 )

F- Funeral Party (New York City loves to mess around with the LA sound, the LA sound! I dare you to not get this hook stuck in your head!)

G- Grouplove (I adore these guys. Such a talented group.)

H- Haim (SO GOOD!!!! Their debut album Days Are Gone is a home run. Fantastic all around. Total girl power group to the max.)

I- Icona Pop (I’m obsessed with the song Sun Goes Down off of their EP, Iconic.)

J- Jack White (Naturally he’s in my Music ABC’s. I love Jack White to death, and I will have his pale children. COUNT ON IT!)

K- k-os (I’ve mentioned this fellow before, and I urge all of you to give him a try. He absolutely annihilates every genre he dabbles in. From rap, to soul, to R&B, and everything in between. Amazing.)

L- Los Campesinos! (It’s been so fun watching and hearing this band mature over the years. They’re quirky and cool. Really listen to their songs when you listen to them, because there’s a lot of sharp wit and wordplay in their lyrics.)

M- MAGIC! (Rude is my guilty pleasure song, WHAT OF IT?!)

N- Nicki Minaj (Judge me for getting down to some Nicki, it’s cool. Her songs are hit or miss, but when she does hit, she goes hard. Roman’s Revenge is one of my all time favorites, no doubt.)

O- OneRepublic (I really REALLY like these guys. It’s nice to have a band out on popular radio land whose lyrics actually mean something. And what talent. The lead singers voice is gorgeous.)

P- Pharrell (That Pharrell is SO hot right now. *Zoolander reference* But anyways, I love me some Pharrell and I’ve loved Pharrell for a very long time, from his N.E.R.D days and beyond. His recognition is much deserved.)

Q- Queen (I’ve been in a big Queen phase as of late. It’s really amazing to pick out modern bands who are so clearly influenced from Queen’s sound decades before their time. That’s how you know a band is talented. When their music touches musicians for generations.)

R- Ra Ra Riot (YES! I love these guys. Such a soothing sound with some really sweet lyrics to match. Too Too Too Fast is my all time fave.)

S- Santigold (Miss girl can spit! She has so much attitude and swag it’s literally palpable in her music. Her flow is spectacular and she has a great voice without autotune. Check out Your Voice if you don’t believe me!)

T- Tanlines (These guys are beachy fun. While working at PacSun we played basically their entire album Mixed Emotions and it was a joy. Their tribal beats and distinctive vocalization made them really easy to pick out in the Pac playlist. I really enjoy Lost Somewhere. When the gentleman duo begin harmonizing with each other, magic is made.)

U- The Used (I’ve been in quite a big emo-punk phase lately to prep for the AFI concert in Pittsburgh that I’ll be attending in less than two weeks!!! The Used have been around for quite some time now, and they really do just get better with age. Props to them for keeping the angst alive in all of their albums!)

V- The Vines (Since I was about ten years old, I’ve loved The Vines. I’ve had the biggest crush on Craig Nicholls for half of my life now, and I’m so okay with that. Their alt-garage sound has set stepping stones for so many bands of our day such as Jet, The Hives, Wolfmother, and Cage the Elephant, just to name a few.)

W- The White Stripes (I’m forever in a White Stripes phase, and that will NEVER change. Elephant was one of the first albums I ever bought, and it instilled a deep respect for all music in me. It also instilled a never dying crush for Jack White, and I’m not complaining one bit.)

X- The XX (Crystalised is a CLASSIC and I dare you to disagree!)

Y- Yelawolf (I LOOOOOOVE me some Yelawolf, oh yes I do. 1) He’s drop dead GORGEOUS. 2) His flow is INSANE. Dude can spit a mile a minute and I love every minute of it!)

Z- Zedd (One of my dear friends has been trying to get me into bass dropping DJ, Zedd lately. Though the house/heavy electronica music isn’t usually my scene, I can definitely appreciate Zedd’s style, and there’s no denying his talent.)

So there you have it, my Music ABC’s. This was SO fun to make, and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did. What bands would you include in your music ABC’s? Do you like some of the bands I mentioned above? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Saturday! -Sarah

Oct4

Frog Eyes

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Frog Eyes

Many people have asked me “Sarah, what are some of your favorite albums?” and I always mention Frog Eyes’ Tears of the Valedictorian. What a tremendous album. What a tremendous sound. What a talented band. Tears runs barely over thirty five minutes, but that’s all they needed to give us nine great songs that each tell a story. Cary Mercer’s vocals truly make the album, they are just gorgeous. What he does with his voice is unmatched by probably anyone in the indie music industry, aside from former band mate Spencer Krug of Sunset Rubdown and Wolf Parade, and perhaps Issac Brock of Modest Mouse. Honestly, to truly understand what I’m talking about when I say that his vocal ability is unreal, one would have to listen to the album. Or at least take a listen to one of my favorite songs of all time, Bushels. I promise you, this will be the best nine minute musical experience of your life:

Good lord. Talk about vocal range, huh? Tears also provides other fan favorites such as Reform the Countryside, “Stockades”, and Caravan Breakers, They Prey On the Weak and the Old. The album opens up with the short and sweet Idle Songs to set the tone of the next half hour, then delivers punch after punch until the very end with the even shorter and still sweet My Boats They Go to bring Tears to a close. One of the reasons why I love Tears of the Valedictorian so very much is because it’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Mercer introduces such unique sounds throughout the album, from the animal chanting in Bushels to the full length crescendo of Evil Energy, The Ill Twin Of…

An interesting thing about Frog Eyes in the amount of influential musicians in the indie world that have come and gone as band mates. These name drops include:

  • Ryan Beattie of The Himalayan Bear
  • Dante DeCaro of Hot Hot Heat and Wolf Parade
  • Megan Boddy of Chet
  • Matt Skillings – head engineer for Japandroids

The musicians named above are just a few members past and present of the Frog Eyes crew. Because of the number of band mates walking in and out of the band, Frog Eyes is associated quite frequently with other indie fan favorites such as Destroyer, The New Pornographers, Swan Lake, Wolf Parade, and Sunset Rubdown. (The last two listed are two of my other all time favorite bands!) For your enjoyment, here’s Caravan Breakers, They Prey On the Weak and the Old. Please indulge:

tears

If you’d like to hear the rest of the album, all of the videos should be on Youtube! Where are all of my Frog Eyes fans at? What are some of your favorite indie bands? What’s your favorite album? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Oct4

Gone Girl: A Terrific Effort

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Gone Girl: A Terrific Effort

Tonight my mom, sister, and myself had a “girls night out” to go see Gone Girl. It was alright! It held very true to the book in just about everything, which is difficult to do when Gillian Flynn’s novel packs so much detail into 415 pages. But then again, there should be no surprises in the movie since Miss Flynn herself wrote the screen play. The talent of the cast was really something to commend. Ben Affleck played a great Nick Dunne. Affleck gave Nick the perfect amount of aloof smugness that made you semi dislike him, but also gave him charm and a genuineness that redeemed him. Also, can I PLEASE give a shout out to the lovely Miss Carrie Coon of Copley, Ohio! (Represent!) this was Coon’s first film EVER, and miss girl knocked it out of the park! She. Was. FABULOUS! Everything that I pictured Margo, Nick’s twin sister being, she was. She was sharp. She was sassy. She was frazzled. She was amazing. Her work deserves a major tip of the cap, because her acting was one of the highlights of the entire film. Now, I have a bone to pick with Rosamund Pike, who played Amy Dunne, the Gone Girl herself… I really didn’t care for her acting. In the book, I pictured Amy being something…more. In the movie I felt that Pike was almost too soft with Amy’s character, therefore she came off as weak, rather than a conniving, psychopathic bitch. If Pike pushed this character just a little bit farther, she could have given the performance of a lifetime, but it just fell flat. The quiet air that she had throughout the film read as disengaged rather than a plotting, crazy wife. Don’t get me wrong, Pike did well. But it just wasn’t as impressive to me as other performances throughout the movie, which really is a shame considering she’s the title character. Crowd pleasing cast members such as Tyler Perry and Neil Patrick Harris gave solid performances as well. They really held their own as supporting actors.
The movie was quite long, it ran about two hours and twenty minutes. However it flowed very well. There were only a few parts that were a tad drawn out for my liking, but it would pick up immediately after with another shocker. The movie never felt boring to me, as some lengthy films can easily do. People who were a fan of the book will definitely enjoy the movie. And fear not to anyone who was worried about differences from book to screen because not a toe was stepped out of line from the novel. Of course, if you’ve read my previous posts, you’ll know exactly how I feel about the ending of the book. So I shouldn’t even have to say that it’s exactly how I feel about the end of the movie. Disappointed and robbed. BUT, I knew it was coming, so I wasn’t nearly as upset as when I finished the book. To anyone who goes to the movie who hasn’t read Flynn’ novel are in for a MAJOR disappointment.
All in all I rate this film at a healthy, solid 7.1, for a fantastic effort. It was clear how much work was put into this movie, and I definitely appreciate that. Some of the acting fell flat, and the ending sucked. But to anyone who knows the story, that won’t surprise them.
Who has seen Gone Girl already? How did you like it? How would you rate it? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight. -Sarah

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Oct3

Bombay Bicycle Club

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Bombay Bicycle Club

So I’ve always been quite a big fan of Bombay Bicycle Club, and I’ve been listening to their latest album So Long, See You Tomorrow a lot recently. While working at PacSun we played at least half of this album through out the day, and I would always get so hyped when I would hear them. BBC plays with a lot of different sounds on this album, vastly different than any of their previous music. There’s clear influences of Bollywood on my personal favorite “Feel” and a great attempt at electronica on their first single off of the album “Carry Me”. The Bollywood influences came from lead singer, Jack Steadman’s travels to India and Turkey, and it really is a fantastic effort. I’ve always classified Bombay Bicycle Club as strictly indie rock, however, So Long, See You Tomorrow has made me think otherwise. Previous albums like Flaws and A Different Kind Of Fix stayed in a pretty safe zone of a mellow sound with some occasional indie pop thrown in. So Long, threw all of their previous safety blanket songs out the window with some heavy hitters like Overdone, Home By Now, and Luna. It’s really cool to hear BBC give themselves fully to a cool indie/electronica hybrid sound on quite a few songs off of this album. Hearing Jack Steadman’s lovely human vocals over unique robot-beats makes for a completely unique sound. Bombay Bicycle Club is more to me than just a typical indie band, now that they’ve proven themselves with different genres of electronica, Bollywood, and indie-pop – I mean honestly, tell me you can’t picture their ballad-esque It’s Alright Now on the radio – I dare you. Clear influences of pop music have made the general sound off of So Long, See You Tomorrow much more attainable and crowd pleasing. And let me tell you, this member of the crowd is pleased. Do yourselves a favor and check out their official video for Carry Me. The concept is awesome and the animation is sweet!

All in all, I rate So Long, See You Tomorrow at a healthy 7.4. Where are all my Bombay Bicycle Club fans at? How do you feel about this album? What’s your favorite BBC song? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Oct3

Parks and Rec! My favorite:)

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Parks and Rec! My favorite:)

My mom and I are absolutely in love with the show Parks and Recreation. We binge watched up to season five and were SO disappointed to have to wait for such a long time to see season six, as it only came out on Netflix and DVD a few days ago. Lucky for us, we finally snagged the DVD set from the library, and have been watching our usual two episodes per night, just like before! My P&R time with my mom is very similar to my Dancing With the Stars time with my dad (see previous posts!). It’s our special time with each other, where we don’t have to think or do anything other than laugh. We love the cast of the show so very much. I’ll be honest, I used to despise Amy Poehler before I started watching Parks. I found her quite annoying. But after spending six seasons with her on this show, I adore her. She’s the cutest little thing ever! I love how passionate her character, Leslie Knope is about her job and her coworkers. I find it so adorable just how much she goes above and beyond for all of the members of the Parks team. Leslie Knope is thoughtful and goofy! Poehler is just fantastic at portraying this. Another fan favorite of ours is Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger. (Anne Perkins!) This guy cracks me up! Everything said by Traeger is either funny or indirectly funny because of his delivery. Seriously every time he opens his mouth it puts my mom and I in stitches. The chemistry between the cast is really something special. They also have a great script to work with as well. The writing on Parks is sharp and quick. I love the different types of humor it touches on, everything from sarcasm, satire, to complete silliness. Even the smallest backhanded comments on each episode pack a humorous punch. I’m looking forward to watching more of season six. My partner in crime and I are on episode five and so far so good!

If you haven’t watched Parks and Recreation, I can’t recommend it enough. Fantastic writing, a solid story line, and an all star cast including Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, and Adam Scott to name a few. Did I forget to mention Guardians of the Galaxy super star Chris Pratt is on the show too?! He’s a trip. Here’s a few snippets of some funny moments from the show:

Where are all of my Parks and Rec fans on here? What’s your favorite episode? (Mine is the Sexual Education epi on season 5!) Who’s your favorite character? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight! -Sarah

Oct2

Fall crafts I want to try!

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Fall crafts I want to try!

So as all of you know, I LOVE crafting with my friends. I was looking for some quick and easy crafts to make on our next hang outs together and found quite a few that I like a lot. I’ve been really drawn to the candle holder crafts lately. I think they add such a neat and unique touch to any room. Not only are they great decor, but they make awesome gifts too. I wanted to share all of these cool new crafts I plan on trying with you guys. If there’s any crafts that you’ve completed recently that you think are awesome, please share them with me!

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I’m really looking forward to making the candle holders with the haunted house and bat stencils. They look so cool! Hopefully mine turn out just as well. I also really like the canvas art that’s set as my featured image. As you all know, I love me a good canvas art, as you can see by my previous crafting posts 😉 The little acorn owls are seriously the cutest things ever. I feel like this would be an awesome craft to make with little ones during your fall family gatherings this year. So precious!

What crafts are you guys currently working on? If you’ve made anything similar to the pictures I posted, PLEASE show me! I’d love to see it! Wish me luck on my fall crafting adventures! -Sarah

Oct2

Into it/Over it!

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Into it/Over it!

Alright, there’s a lot of new trends that this fall season will be bringing us, so here I am to rate them with an Into it! or Over it! Here we go!

Aubergine: Eggplant everything! I’m so very INTO IT! This color is such an awesome revamp of the traditional fall hue of oxblood. I can already picture it now: deep purple pea coats, knit scarves, trouser pants, the list goes on. It’s such a gorgeous, rich color. I’m so ready to find the perfect eggplant pieces to add into my wardrobe!

dress

Aztec Print: OVER IT. SO OVER IT. I’ve BEEN over it for over a year now, but Aztec print always seems to make a drastic comeback during the fall season. I want something new. Something original. Something that everyone and their brother doesn’t own already. To get more specific, I’m ESPECIALLY over the Aztec print cardigan. To stand out in a sea of tribal print this fall, I plan on getting a lot of solid hued cardis in rich colors such as emerald green, mustard yellow, and my new favorite aubergine. Once accessorized right, it will be an awesome statement!

cardi

The sweater and skirt combo: I’m very on the fence about this trend, so I’m neither into it or over it. I really like this cute combo on other people, but I’m not sure how I would feel about it on me. The pairings of the outfits I’ve seen are pretty dramatic, and too much fabric over powers my tiny frame. I don’t want to look like I’m swimming in the outfit! However. I give props to the girl pictured below, because she looks hella cute! If anyone has any tips or pics on how they styled this trend, let me know!

sweater

Emerald green: ALWAYS AND FOREVER INTO IT!!!!! So much yes. If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts, you’ll already know how very fond I am of any shade of green. Of course, I’m extremely biased to this trend, because green is my absolute favorite color to wear. There’s nothing better than a pasty pale girl with bright red hair working a deep green! I recommend that everyone find their favorite green piece immediately. Whether it be a scarf, handbag, or major piece like a blazer or pea coat. You won’t regret it!

green

Mickey Mouse print clothes: OVER IT. In fact, I HATE this trend. I don’t know where this recent obsession with Mickey print clothing has stemmed from but I am NOT a fan. I think this print is extremely childish. I can’t find one appealing thing about a grown woman wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt. Save it for Disneyland. *hair flip*

mickey

Animal print clothing (specifically snakeskin): I’m actually very INTO IT. However, let me state this right now – I will forever be OVER any type of animal hide used in ANY type of clothing. Whether it be leather, alligator, sheepskin, or snakeskin. Anything other than man made materials hold no place in my wardrobe. Having said that, I very much like the snakeskin pattern. I think it’s extremely edgy and quite sexy. It’s a very rock n’ roll print, and that’s definitely something I’m into! I would really like to find some cool snakeskin print skinnies to add to my wardrobe soon!

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So there you have it! I’ll be adding on to my list of Into it/Over it trends through out the fall season. What are your favorite fall fashion statements so far? What are you over? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah