This morning I went to the International Women's Show. AKA one of the best things Michigan has to offer if you're a girl. It's a HUGE showplace filled with over a thousand exhibitors - ranging from health, fashion, food, massages (!), and beauty. Typically, there's a few celebrity guests - this year's being Jenna Bush. I saw Jenna speak, had her sign my copy of her book about a young woman living with HIV/AIDS (It's called Ana's Story - I highly recommend it) and got my hair done for free... Making friends with the hairdresser was the highlight of my day! One of my favorite trends that I saw was rhinestones that you can flat iron into your hair that last up to three weeks. I know feathers are the thing right now, but the rhinestones look a little more sophisticated.

     If you're in Michigan this weekend, I highly suggest you check the show out! It costs $9 at the door, but you can go to Kroger and get discount tickets for $7. It's a lot of fun and there's a ton of stuff to see!

     Happy spring! I've been MIA for awhile, but sometimes life just gets in the way. I'm officially a senior in college (which is a huge wake up call) and I've moved back home for a month before my internship starts. I've been working a lot, eating a lot, and sleeping a lot. I hope everyone had a great Easter! Mine was quite nice - all of my family came to our house, except my lack of self control resulted in a major stomach ache after too much dessert. Typical!

     I always love spring and summer because I feel like it's a time when I can just focus on making myself happy rather than worrying about school. Today was my first yoga class in almost seven months and oh man I was struggling. I'm looking forward to getting back into it and, of course, riding my bike. I hope everyone is having a happy spring and I'll be posting much more now that I'm finished with school for the year. I also have decided to stop doing daily wishlists, although there may be a weekly one!

One last thing - tinsel*'s first birthday is coming up in May! Look out for a special giveaway :)

♥ j. nicole

I would just like to say THANK YOU to everyone who helped me raise money for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen over the last week. My class raised over $26,000! 

P.S. I'll be finished with finals on Tuesday so I'll be back in a few days!

    Bows get me every time.

P.S. This bag is on sale from $80, what a deal. 

As many of you know, I'm a student at the University of Michigan and for one of my classes our class has a group project where we are trying to raise $30,000 for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in ONE week, meaning I'm responsible for $500. Detroit has been struggling for years, the soup kitchen has been a source of hope and opportunity for the people of Detroit. 

Some services provided include:

• 2,000 hot meals a day
• 300,000 pounds of food distributed per month to families
• 30,000 articles of clothing per month
• Over 500 pieces of furniture and appliances to families per month
• Showers and a change of clothing for the homeless and poorly housed individuals
• A 25,000 square foot urban farm project
• A children’s library and art therapy studio serving up to 800 children per month

If you can help me out in any way, please click here to donate. All I ask if that you email me a copy of your receipt at jzientar@umich.edu because otherwise I have no way of knowing how much I've raised so far! 

Thank you all so much, I appreciate it! 

    Finally something cheap, right? I went off to the mall Saturday night for some retail therapy, but ended up just getting this dress, but in white and neon yellow. Pretty much highlighter yellow (you can't miss me) but it's cute. And ten bucks. But hurry, it was in the clearance!

        

     This weekend I skipped out of my fraternity's banquet for the semester and went to the Lupe Fiasco concert instead, which ended up being awesome. It was a benefit concert for the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps (which was announced in Ann Arbor at Michigan!) The show was sold out, I finally made it in Hill Auditorium, and it was nice to do something other than homework. 

        

I haven't been posting very many recipes lately, but next on my list are cinnamon ice cream and lemon meringue cupcakes! 

     I love a good online magazine and Matchbook Magazine has yet to disappoint. Started in January of this year, Matchbook boasts of being the ultimate lifestyle publication, almost daring you to read it -- "From lipstick to letterpress, gelato to grosgrain, and Paris to Peru, consider us your field guide to a charmed life." Well, sign me up. I usually have a hard time reading some of the articles in magazines - half the time they're honestly just things I've already heard or don't interest me, but Matchbook features chic illustrations that accompany columns such as "ten things to do under ten dollars" (what's up, poor college students) and "encyclopedia: pearls" that chronicles a staple accessory for a charmed life - and gives helpful style advice along the way. It's sophisticated without being elitist and the perfect way to spend an afternoon not studying.