The Goodfellas...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOaV06ruMqg&feature=related

What are some of the first things you think of when you think of Italy...Pizza, Pasta, the Mafia!

Goodfellas is one of the best movies that has be produced about the Mob. it was based on a true story, and it really gives you the facts about how the Mafia really ran the place.

I find it interesting because these guys lived a whole life full of crime and always got away with it because of how manipulating they were...Not to mention if someone made a wrong move in the system, they didn't live to see the next day. Things are still happening like this in Italy. Pretty Crazy!

Gotta have Love!

The best of Passion comes from the ones we love and the ones who love us...When I saw this on my Facebook page I couldn't stop smiling. Its from my Johnathan. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAUMU3QQE6w

Could you Imagine...

http://www.hanefesh.com/edu/Holidays/Holocaust_Remembrance_Day.htm

The Holocaust was one of the most devastating times in history. I couldn't imagine being one of the victims of this horrid, historical event. So many lives were lost and so many lives ruined. Families torn apart; people suffering from terrors of what they saw, how they were treated, and the pain they felt. Still to this day the Holocaust effects us and it always will...

Thanksgiving 2010...

So its my first time being away from home on a very important holiday. I don't know how some people don't get together with their families every year. Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family, lots of food, lots of laughs, and lots of love. I'm handling it pretty well though, I think. I really miss home and the familiar family faces, but I have a small family of my own here in Milan. 

I have struggled so much with being homesick since I've been in Italy. I may over exaggerate it a little bit sometimes or be too dramatic about it, but home is where the heart is...having such an amazing opportunity to travel the world is always what I wanted and I know I'm going to miss Italy when I get back to America. 

This trip has taught me so many tips about life that I'm going to definitely use along my journey. I'm stronger, braver, smarter, confident and will always appreciate everything in my life more than I have in the past. 

You just start to realize when your missing out on a whole other world across the ocean, that anything can happen at anytime and you have to be ready. You have to get out and do whats best for yourself, but don't ever take it for granted. Family & Friends will always be more important than anything in this world, & having faith in God will always be number one! 

Learn to live each day through prayer & love EVERYTHING, with all your heart!

Paris was my dream...

From the time I was 4 years old all the way up until I was 18 I fantasized about living in Paris..It was everything I wanted; a fashion capitol, the city of love, city of lights, historic, so much to see, so much to do, a city that never sleeps.

During the time I was in Paris when I was 18 years old, I couldn't bring myself to believe that I was living my dream at such a young age. But going to Paris before I began my "grown up" life I realized that I could never live that far away from my family. After I got home that year and started my college life I kept thinking about how I would love to visit Paris again...

Currently I'm studying abroad in Italy and just got back from Paris a few days ago. It was completely different than it was the first time I saw it, Paris was still as beautiful as ever though, of coarse. I still can't bring myself to live so far away from home. I would never complain if I had to travel back and fourth to Paris my whole life. But my home is in America. <3

Paris 2008/2009

Paris 2010

Inspiration.

Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news: The news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish!<3 

---Anne Frank

Avant Guarde on Steriods! Featuring Lady Gaga...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2smz_1L2_0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrO4YZeyl0I

One person who has always influenced me in fashion is definitely Lady Gaga...I do like her music but that is not the main reason I look up to her so much. She's completely a fashion icon! Some of the Avant Guarde outfits she has worn are truly amazing, I wish that I could be her designer someday, just because I know if I made something utterly outrageous she would still wear it, and the whole world would see it!

In Lady Gaga's music videos you can see how she promotes so many top designers, she has such a love for fashion and its very inspiring to me. She doesn't just wear the clothes, she always has her hair and make-up done to give the outfits such a unique look...If you didn't know Lady Gaga and her fabulous fashion you would think she was 10 different people.

I added a few clips for you to watch because there are many amazing designer shoes, accessories, and one of a kind outfits that Lady Gaga promotes...Watch closely because she moves a lot.

Having a hard day.

For the past few days all I've been able to think about is the day that I'll see my family and friends again...I'm so ready to get back home and spend time with everyone. I guess its just because I've been over here for 7 weeks and haven't seen any familiar faces in a while. Some days I just like to stay in all day and be by myself to sketch, to listen to music, to watch movies, and just have some "me time." All I've had is time to myself in the last few days though, I keep staying in, its almost like I'm not motivated to get up and get out so I can get things done. I want to go on walks and go shopping, but I'm afraid to go alone. Its just been kind of a weird day today. I'm ready for Wednesday to get here because we are going to Paris...I'm so ready to be back in my favorite city in the world! I love Paris so much! <3

What a fantastic Idea!

In my Trends and Concepts class, we took a field trip to the Italian Modern Museum of Art. What a neat place! The Art was so different and crazy! It was so much fun to look at...As I glanced at the art, I kept wishing I was sitting in a studio working on all these different discoveries, trying to make the things I was seeing. My favorite piece of Art were these chairs made out of different craft supplies: Foam, Fabric, Stuffed Animals....It was the neatest thing, I think I'm going to try and make a chair out of stuffed animals when I get back home! <3

Where I'm at now...

Its week 6 for me...Living in Italy.

I can't believe I've made it this far already...I've seen so much and picked up on so much of the Italian culture. My biggest excitement though, is how I'm going to take back everything that I have learned to America, and apply it to my life back home. If I have already came this far in just 6 weeks, how much more am I going to learn in my last 6 weeks here? <3

No Hotels...WHAT!?

The first time the girls and I stayed over night, on our own...we didn't book a room ahead of time and decided to just find a room when we got to our destination. After about an hour of looking for a hotel room, for 4 girls to stay in, we realized we probably should have booked a room ahead of time. Luckily we ran into an older lady walking down the street and she had a friend that took us in. Her friend gave us a room with 4 beds, a kitchen, a bathroom and everything we needed for one night...It was such a great price that we jumped on it!

After our whole day of adventures in the city, we came back to our room, got ready for bed, and NEVER went to sleep. We were so scared we were going to hear someone walk in to our room. We had music playing all night, the lights were on as high as they would go, and we all kept each other awake. It was probably one of the funniest nights I've had in Italy...So FUN! <3

This is what I call a field trip...

My Culture and Civilization class took a "field trip" to a town outside of Milan called Bergamo. It was such a neat little town, and had so much history behind it. The story we were told states that the upper part of town, where all the old buildings and houses are located, was the richer area where the "important people" stayed. On the lower deck of town is where the poor people stayed. There was such a different between the top and bottom parts of town.

Must See!

One of the most beautiful places in Italy that I have visited is Cinque Terre. As I was riding the train into Cinque Terre I was sleeping, I woke up right before we got into the village called Monterosso. When I looked out the window of the train I was SHOCKED! It was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! I felt like I was in Hawaii, but better. Cinque Terre gave me so much inspiration. Just standing on the rocks looking out at the Mediterranean Sea gave me chills, my eyes were opened, and I realized that I wasn't in Indianapolis anymore. <3

MAC Make-Up!

My friend from school sent me this video...I thought it was interesting how he was telling me he might be over here in Milan, working and I have been to half the places in this video already...Check it out, its pretty awesome. <3

http://www.youtube.com/user/maccosmetics?blend=5&ob=4#p/u/1/QeY22luDq_Y