my 'merica day

so once a year the nation comes together to celebrate the birth of 'merica.
that day was not today. it was actually a couple weeks ago.
fail marisa.

though today might not be thaaaaat special, perhaps it's special in its own way.
for instance...today, i went to a coffee shop. well...(brief self dialogue):
who am i kidding, no need to be cryptic and hipster. you're not that cool)
 i went to starbucks.

to start off properly...i went target-walking (favorite pastime) but this time, i was on a mission.
someone at work was eating carrots and hummus and you know when you're not hungry
but see someone else eating and suddenly you NEED to eat food?
and not any food...ONLY that food?
well yes, that particular craving took hold and i needed hummus and carrots.
so i went to target.

while there, i stopped by my favorite sections of the store: purse clearance, shoes, books, unhealthy snacks, healthy snacks, curly hair products, and makeup (in that order).
after wasting a good 35 minutes, i finally made it to the checkout and i was ready to go home
when decided to gaze a little too long into the eyes of that green haired goddess.
(sorry, i know...i am not a stephanie meyer. i should get to the point.)

~~GETTING TO THE POINT~~

seeing the sign and barely anything else, i didn't realize the line was kind of long.
but i was like this coffee needs me. so i jumped in and waited.
........and waited.
....and waited.
waited.
wait.
wa.
until i finally got to the counter where a very nice, solo worker called jay
apologized for the wait and upgraded me to a venti when i asked for a grande.
he also complemented me on my patience and didn't charge me for my
two shots of vanilla (yes--i'm that customer).

it's funny because i'm really notttt patient. like at all.
probably how you guys feel with the point of this post.
what i'm trying to go with is to appreciate everyday...no matter if it's a day to celebrate or not :)
__________

this was my 'merica day:

we went to the free philly concert...which had approximately one bajillion people there.

(well, behind this dementor looking thing...)

doing the sister thing.

 

 

celebrate any day,

m.p.

the harem pant

whoa. hold the phone.

so you're telling me you can walk into your workplace

with classy pants that double as pajamas...and still retain your job?

what.

gurl, yes(!)

harem pants have been around since the 80s (and likely even sooner)

thanks to that awesome dance (don't remember?)

but oh how, ohhhh how has the harem harmonized (um...excuse me marisa?)

BAM.

 charcoal muscle tee | forever21

harem pants | forever21

sandals | dsw

bag | primark

sunglasses | ebay

harem pants, also known as "slouch pants," are a pretty excellent item 

to have in your wardrobe, simply because they're SO incredibly versatile.

you can easily go from office life to going out.

or--if you're like me--the office to snuggling up in your bed because

these things are so darn comfy. 

i am definitely on the hunt for more! these harem pants were only around 

$13-14 at forever21.

(^^obvi me in an attempt to look semi cool #mmmnotworking)

 lipstick | ruby woo

cuffs | ebay

 oh, and also...

 this is me proposing to my best friend danielle because she's my favorite =D

enjoy your lovely day!

m.p.

the urban jungle

i really love new york. 

well...sometimes. not times square. not particularly the metro.

and not the abundance of sweaty summer tourists. 

but...i do like new york. particularly, the markets...

union square market

i also really like the understood notion of not needing to have a purpose.

in my travels, there were multiple times when i decided i didn't

want to follow the same path, so i switched it up.
randomly.
sporadically.
...and that was okay.

sometimes, you don't always need to know where you're going,

you just need to go.

  in bryant park, i found an orchestra playing outside on a day that was perfect.

the sun was out, all of the benches and chairs were occupied...
and many an old men took the liberty of taking their shirts off. 

but no biggie, it was entertaining to say the least.

(don't worry, i won't show you those pics because nsfw.)

 

we finally headed to union square to grab some delicious shake shack goodness.

they have a shack shake in philadelphia and one of my close friends took

me there last summer, but this was my first time at the one in nyc.

little did we know that it was most likely many families' and tourists' first

time delving into the cheesy, gooey masterpieces, as the line had about a 30

minute wait on it!

regardless, it was worth it! i snagged a portobello mushroom burger because

1) i'm a poultritarian and 2) i thought i'd be healthy for once. 

however little did i know the sandwich would be fried :(

oh well. totes worth it!

my favorite attribute of new york is the sense of anonymity you have as an observer.

you could be a tourist or a resident, 

have the key to gramercy park or sit on the curb outside of it, 

famous or infamous.

whatever you are, it's not easily laid out for the world to see because 

you're one in a million. relish in that moment.

m.p.

brotherly love.

i LOVE philadelphia.

growing up, i--like most young, naive south jerseyians--didn't understand the full
geography of this wonderful armpit of a state (haha i keed, i keed).

but what i mean by that is:
it was very easy to believe philadelphia was a part of new jersey.
not many grown-ups (or at least my grown-ups in particular)
did a lot to distinguish the state from the city.
See: wawa, "hoagie," and the eagles.

south jerseyians are evidently passionately intertwined with the city of brotherly love.
and even so, I still forget how vastly underrated and genuinely beautiful it is.
my favorite part about going to work (other than work, of course) is getting to explore
the city every chance i get.

for instance, before work one day this week, I grabbed a bite from old city coffee, 

a diamond in the rough cafe down in a hidden alleyway within old city.

 spinach and cheese scone | ice coffee w. vanilla

~~

you know, every once in a while you need to, 

as Parks and Rec's Donna eloquently put it: treat yo'self.

whether that's through retail therapy, getting your little sister to

massage your feet, or a wonderful combination of the two...

you have one goal in this matter, and that is to feel happy.

thus in a solid way to cover the guilt I feel towards spending 

a chunk of change all at one time, i'm going to blog about it.

...at least i'm making someone happy.

   

charcoal cropped muscle tee | forever21

boxy striped crop top | forever21

basic black crop top | forever21

rayband look-a-likes | NYC street market

wanna-be wild fox's | ebay

black sunnies with gold accent | ebay

large black circle sunnies | ebay

spiced wine | bobby brown cosmetics

san francisco | buxom

pro longwear concealer | mac cosmetics

ruby woo | mac cosmetics

wallace | steve madden

I was also in dire need of a new phone because my old one obliterated spontaneously one day 

(well, through the help of my good friend gravity, dancing, and of course beyonce). 

i've been contemplating getting a new phone, but I didn't know which to get.

it was between the galaxy five, the iphone five s, and the mythical iphone six

(to be released in september).

 in the end, because i'm impatient and skeptical of change, this is what happened.

hope you all enjoy your 4th,

m.p.

free flowing: the kimono.

"kimono" | h&m 

"some dudes marry dudes" diy'd t-shirt | fckh8 

shorts | urban outfitters 

black combat boots | river island

layered silver necklaces | forever21 |  charlotterusse | h&m

cyber | mac

the kimono kraze is taking over the planet. it's the perfect little knick-knack nugget

to add to any outfit to immediately give it an 

"i'm heading to coachella now" vibe. 

i grabbed this "kimono" from h&m a few years ago (#hipstering). 

it's actually not a kimono, but a sheer button-up dress. i remember 

it being on the sales rack for 5.95...which, of course, blew my socks off.

these boots are my favorite black combat/platform boots. 

when i was abroadin london last semester, i stupidly walked to my classes 

by going down oxford street because i told myself it was the quickest way.

it wasn't.

but by doing so, i passed all the high street stores like topshop, office, 

and of course river island.

 hope you're enjoying your monday funday,

m.p.

sun-daze.

what are Sundays for but quality time to reflect on your week? 

too bad that wasn't my today, as I was out and about doing the intern thing. 

but last Sunday, I was able to flawlessly r&r and catch up on my favorite youtubers.

and i'm not saying i've become uber-ly healthy

--as you can see a hefty helping (and a few extra licks) of peanut butter--

and I still enjoy the weekly occasional chipotle burrito bowl, but alas...I have gone vegetarian. 

well, poultritarian to get specific...basically meaning I don't eat any red meat. 

I also dabble in the seafood department.

realizing how much food affects the body really has me interested in

learning about natural beauty products for the body and hair. 

in this quest, I've scoured the interwebs and found 

a REALLY bombdotcom recipe for an au naturale hair mask.

~

WARNING: pictures nsfw...

~

    well, not this one.

    the recipe calls for coconut oil, argan oil, one banana, honey, and an egg.

blend everything together so it's beautifully disgusting.

slap that gloriousness on your head.

 look cute.

 pop an inside-out shower cap on (or anything that's plastic-y), then hit the sack.

 (look cute?)

excuse the lack of makeup and severe acne break outtage (told you, nsfw), 

but this mask might soon be your best friend. 

really simple, really inexpensive, and super satisfying to the hair follicles. 

I left mine in all night, but you could limit the time depending on your schedule. 

when you decide to take it out, just rinse with water then conditioner. 

your blending skills will determine how long you'll be in the shower ;)

hope you're enjoying your RR time today,

m.p.

definition.

there is something very visceral about beginning a blog.

it's both intimidating and ludicrous, carrying intentions heavy with 

inspiration, revelation, distinction...you might wonder why you took on 

such a passion project smack before entering quite possibly 

the most taxing year of your college career.

and yet the entire concept is wildly attractive.

so today, I bring you rag and riot. it's a trace of rough and ragged 

layered with a tinge of weirdness complete normality. 

it'll be a combination of my own style sense, how others perceive fashion, 

day-in the-life things, and food. 

a lot of food.

so grab some snacks, a comfy blanket, and R&R

m.p.