Five Things

 1. Getting back into the routine of school.

2. J.Crew's cashmere sweaters.

3. Looking at the latest fashions from la belle Paris.

     4. Doctor Who, Season 7!

5. Tea.

XOLily

Nerd is the New Cool.

Nerdy or cool?

The technology generation is revolutionizing high school stereotypes.

These days it seems just about anyone is willing to put on a pair of fake glasses and a Star Wars t-shirt to seem "nerdy".

But years of watching TV shows and movies that portrayed nerds as unattractive and socially incapable makes me wonder: when did being nerdy become so cool?

I consider myself a nerd, so I decided to do the most nerdy thing possible and look up the definition of the word.

The Merriam-Webster definition of nerd is, "an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits."

The Urban Dictionary definitions are a little different. My favorite was this one: 

"The unobtrusive man who sits in the back of the room with quite, knowing eyes, watching the comings and goings of all the ignorant people that are unaware their petty lives will one day be controlled and governed by this container of all that is awesome. He will strike with all of the rage and knowledge that his life of social abstainency and gaming gluttony has brought him in one swift blow. Fear me for I am The Nerd." -T. Nerd

That definition (along with many of the other definitions on Urban Dictionary) was written by a true nerd, as their Username suggests. 

It was as I was scrolling through the definitions on Urban Dictionary that I found the answer to my question. 

Well, sort of. 

Instead of asking, "When did being nerdy become cool?" I should have been asking, "Who made being nerdy become cool?" 

The answer: Bill Gates.

Now there's a nerd.

That's right. In this new age of technology people look at Bill Gates as someone who is successful. He's one of the wealthiest people in America and he is also a huge nerd.
Same with Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. Super nerdy and super rich.

So, the new idea is that success comes with nerdiness. Which makes being nerdy the new cool.

Now the question is, who is a true nerd and who is just trying to be cool? And how do you tell the difference?

XOLily

Haiku Wednesday.

It is September.
The air is getting colder,
too cold for sandals.

There's one thing I crave:
a delicious pink cookie.
Today they were out.

I have a problem.
On twitter, I mostly tweet
about my weird cats.

XOLily

Five Things

1. Fun ferry rides.

2. Hiking up Mt. Pilchuck.

3. This beautiful dress by Marchesa. 

4. Drinking tea and having Doctor Who marathons.

5. Alfie trying to snuggle with the computer. 

XOLily

Haiku Wednesday.

Born a diva. 

"You're a senior now?"

Everyone asks this question.

And I just say yes.

Then they look at me,

remark on how fast time flies

and I smile and nod.

But to me, time's slow.

I've been waiting to be old,

never satisfied.

Maybe it is good

that I still feel really young.

Still free and happy. 

XOLily

New York Fashion Week Favorites...

A few things to know about the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City along with some of my favorite looks from last week's shows:

1. New York Fashion Week (NYFW) happens twice a year, once in September and once in February.

Romantic dresses and sparkling shoes
at the Christian Siriano show.
Photo by Julia Rubin.

2. The fashion world is always one step ahead of the rest of the world, so this September's fashion week showcased 2013 Spring and Summer clothing.

My favorite model, Karlie Kloss,
walking for Jason Wu

A beautiful Monique Lhuillier dress
paired with trendy blue eyeshadow.

3. Haute couture refers to custom made clothing, fitted for an individual person. It is different from ready-to-wear (prêt-á-porter) which is factory made in standard sizes. Some designers have both haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion shows. 

Tulle was big this year, an example
is this dress by Jason Wu.

A flowery white frock by Jill Stuart.

4. My favorite way to get all the latest fashion week updates is on Twitter and Tumblr. I follow Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and a few other major fashion reporters who provide me with updates and trends on Twitter and pictures of the shows on Tumblr. 

J.Crew's bright colors and interesting patterns.

5. High fashion may seem a little outrageous and unwearable to normal people like me, but it's still fun to find all the latest trends and apply them in a subtler (and cheaper) way to my wardrobe.

XOLily