According to Alyssa: books

Happy Fall-oween! | Fall Home/Beauty/Clothing Haul

12:40 PM

Writing a Christmas Children's Book! | Go Fund Me

9:57 AM

Though my year has been one of the most exciting ones yet, I think this announcement may be the best of all! I am so very pleased to share with you that I am writing and self-publishing a children's book! HOORAY! I can't believe it is actually happening.

If you are new to my blog, then you should know that I write about beauty, fashion, music, and life for Maniac Magazine which is so much fun! I truly love every second of it. But, I've been wanting to do some more fictional creative writing to stir up the pot.

I am also a HUGE fan of Christmas. I have been watching the past few years of Zoe Sugg and Tanya Burr's vlogmas videos every day for the past month (I know it's early!) and listening to Christmas music in the shower. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAAAAYS! (Anybody know who sings that?!) My boyfriend is extremely annoyed with me, but whatever! It's the most wonderful time of the year, and it's only 5 months away!

So with my mind full of ideas and high on the thought of Christmas being so soon (lol), I texted my friend Katherine, who is an AMAZING artist (YES, SHE DID THE REINDEER PICTURED ABOVE. ISN'T HE GORGEOUS?!) and half-jokingly said "let's write a children's book". Her response was entirely serious and 100% for the idea. And that was it. We got to work right away and are now so pumped to be writing a children's Christmas book!

The story follows a retired reindeer far past his glory days who is searching for a way to continue to bring happiness to children! We've launched a Go Fund Me campaign in the attempt to raise some of the money that we need to publish this book in time for Thanksgiving! If you're interested in learning more, PLEASE don't hesitate to check out the campaign and make a donation! We've included some pretty awesome rewards for anyone who helps us out, so we think it's definitely worth it!

Also, if you can't afford to donate, don't worry! You can always just share the link to the campaign and help us spread the word!

Thank you all in advance!

xx

Alexa Chung

Autobiographical Addiction

3:09 PM

While I've been a big reader forever, I've always leaned more towards fiction works than anything remotely real. I'm a sucker for a good love story or a fantastic tale of magical adventure (*cough* Harry Potter *cough*). However, I've recently found myself picking up more and more autiobiographical works, whether they be essay collections, books of inspirations, or full on autobiographies, and I thought I'd share that newfound love here by gushing over a few of my current favorites!

The first book of this kind to really grab my attention and have a real "influence" (ha...wait for it...) on me was actually Influence by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. This book is a collection of interviews conducted by the twins themselves! It features many people who have inspired me in different ways (Diane von Furstenberg, Karl Lagerfeld, Bob Colacello, etc.) and is just put together so beautifully.

Book number two is one that I picked up after Christmas and breezed through in a day. Written by another one of my fashion icons, It by Alexa Chung is incredible. If you know anything about this lady, then you'll love this book. Every page oozes her wit and charm and describes all of the people/things that have helped her throughout her modeling/designing career. And again, stunning presentation.

When I first got hired at The Andy Warhol Museum, I was anxious to know more about the artist so that I could answer questions correctly whenever people asked. That, and my 20% store discount, led to my purchasing The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again) by Andy Warhol. Filled with Warhol's thoughts and anecdotes on subjects such as love, fame, and...underwear power, this book is truly inspirational. I wish I had a mini version to carry with me in my bag!

And finally, my most recent read: Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. As a huge fan of her show, Girls, I was majorly curious as to what else Lena Dunham had to offer and watching Tiny Furniture every night on Netflix didn't quite satisfy my need for more. I have to admit, after reading some of the more "offensive" excerpts that were being widely criticized online, I was a bit taken by surprise and hesitant at first, but I can assure you that everything was taken out of context and I truly believe that every twenty something should read this book. Lena Dunham is the voice of my/your/our generation.

Where do you draw inspiration from?!

books

Lorde of Music

7:29 AM

Everyone knows that New Zealand girl with the wildly curly hair and the purple lipstick, but did you know that she’s only 17? Or that she is curating an entire motion picture soundtrack?!

In September of 2013, Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, better known as Lorde, released her first studio album, Pure Heroine, which quickly rose on the Billboard 200 and ultimately peaked at number three. The album produced five singles, four of which landed on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Royals” easily securing the number one spot and becoming instantly recognizable to anyone with a radio.

Now, just over a year later, Lorde is preparing to make another huge release, this time in the form of a soundtrack. After her incredibly successful album and a track on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack, (she covered Tears For Fears’ classic song, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”), the young singer/songwriter was chosen to display her talents in a new way, as curator of the soundtrack for the upcoming blockbuster, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. This position has allowed her the opportunity to choose artists’ talents to showcase on the album, as well as to write her own, film specific pieces.

Being a strong female figure that spends a lot of time in the public eye, Lorde can be made comparable to the series’ main character, Katniss Everdeen, and that (combined with her incredible talent) makes her an obvious choice for this role. Although, I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that she is also a huge fan of the books!

The first of the original tracks was released on September 29th and is titled “Yellow Flicker Beat”. Lorde took to her Tumblr around the same time of the release to thank her fans for the past year of her life and introduced the track by stating, “It’s my first offering from what I hope will be a soundtrack you love. It’s my attempt at getting inside her head, Katniss’. I hope you like it.” And with lyrics such as “People talk to me, and all their faces blur, but I got my fingers laced together and I made a little prison. And I’m locking up everyone that ever laid a finger on me. I’m going in”, it is easy for fans of the series to see that her “attempt” was successful.

While the soundtrack doesn’t release until November, just a few weeks after her 18th birthday, Lorde is suspected to announce which artists will be featured on the album very soon. Check out the track for yourself and be sure to let me know your thoughts!