Hands Across the Sand

This is amazing.

Hands Across the Sand mission statement: To organize a national movement to oppose offshore oil drilling and champion clean energy and renewables. These gatherings will bring thousands of American citizens to our beaches and cities and will draw metaphorical and actual lines in the sand; human lines in the sand against the threat oil drilling poses to America’s coastal economies and marine environment.

Photos: Surfrider, Hands Across the Sand

Oh Diane!

Featured on the cover of the July issue of Allure magazine is the beautiful Diane Kruger and she looks absolutely amazing!

Kruger is most notably famous for her work as Helen of Troy in Troy, Dr. Abigail Chase in the National Treasure franchise and recently as Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglorious Bastards. However, aside from being a very talented actress, Kruger has definitely proven herself as a style icon of our time. 

Did you know that she is a personal friend of Chanel genius Karl Lagerfeld!? Diane told Allure how Karl designed her dress for the Cannes film festival in 2004 and he even signed the sketch of the dress to her personally! How lucky is this girl?! 

Not only is she pals with one of the most amazing men in fashion but Kruger proves herself to be a genuine, down to earth fashionista that I would consider one of my idols. She is her own stylist, hair stylist, and did I mention that she does her own makeup for all red carpet events to make sure that she always looks like herself? So cool! 

Photos: Allure, Garance Doré

International Surfing Day - Help the Oil Spill Relief!

Living in Southeast Texas I've never had the chance to go surfing, although it is on my list of things to one day learn. I grew up in Orange, TX which is 5 minutes from the Texas/Louisiana state border and only 45 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico. My family did take regular trips to the gulf and it was a natural quick trip destination for me and all my friends throughout high school. I immediately gained a love for the beach and ocean (even though our beaches resembled a muddy lake much more than a beautiful blue ocean, thank you Mississippi River), but nonetheless it will always hold a special place in my heart.

The Surfrider Foundation is a foundation that is committed to helping protect the beaches of the world, and preserving this amazing part of life for future generations to enjoy. Sadly, technology of today is threatening our beaches and ocean life. I'm sure everyone is aware of the BP oil spill that is affecting the gulf as we speak. In the past 61 days there has been 66,612,000 gallons of oil spilt into the ocean. Thats almost 2,000,000 gallons into the gulf a day.

Photo of a beach in Alabama

Tweeted by @surfrider as a wave no one would want to surf.

Tweeted by @surfrider, BP should practice what they preach

To do your part in the oil spill relief there are many different things that you can do. Text WILDLIFE to 20222 to donate $10. Go to Surfrider Foundation and become a member and donate what you can to help (I am a member!). Follow Oceans Waves Beaches blog to be informed about the current situations. Be active and do what you can!

Also a Happy Father's Day to all the daddy's out there! Hope your day is incredibly special!

The Dog Days of Summer School

Taking 8 hours of summer school was a bad idea. My brain feels like mush. These are the times I wish I was Bill; lucky dog, he doesn't have to take calculus.

Have a good weekend!

If The Shoe Fits...

Rachel Zoe included these amazing leopard flats by Devi Kroell in her Zoe Report yesterday and I fell in love!

I wasn't very familiar with any of Kroell's designs, and after taking a look at her spring, summer look book for 2010 I must say I have been missing out! I am amazed with all of her work. The way she mixes colors and textures is pure genius and I find myself drooling over all these shoes!!

Snakeskin tennies? Yes please!

I'm already imagining all the holiday parties these beauties could attend!

And speaking of Rachel Zoe, is anyone else super excited for the return of The Rachel Zoe Project, August 3rd on Bravo??!! It's going to be bananas!

Photos: Devi Kroell

Meet Me in the Mediterranean

Summer is here. It's melting. When this time of the year comes around my appetite seems to fly out the window; food feels too heavy to eat and if it's not ice cold I'm not interested. Being in college full time and working part time doesn't leave me much time to cook for myself so whenever I get the chance to whip up a dish I'm more than happy to! I invited all the girls over for a little dinner party for one last get together before my roommate leaves for vacation in Colorado and then Oxford for the rest of the summer (so jealous!) and I got the chance to make one of my favorite dishes, Greek Pizza.

The best part of this pizza: it takes about 20 min. total to prepare and cook, it's completely vegan and organic for all those foodies out there, and it tastes ten times better as cold leftovers the next day.

Greek Pizza with Basil Pesto
1 bunch fresh basil
1 cup toasted walnut halves
3 cloves of garlic

2 Kabuli ready made pizza crusts (can find in most specialty food stores)

5 Roma tomatoes - sliced
1 lg. purple onion - sliced
1-2 jars pitted, halved Kalamata olives (depending on how much you like them, I love to smother my pizza in them!)

First you want to make the pesto spread that is used instead of pizza sauce. In a food processor blend the walnuts and 3 cloves of garlic. After well processed add 1/2 cup of water and basil and blend until thick.

Next, spread equal amounts of basil pesto on your two pizza crusts. Top with sliced onions, olives, and roma tomatoes. Place both pizzas in 450 degree oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes, just until the crust is brown and the tomatoes have slightly wilted. Sprinkle with fat free crumbled feta (optional), pour a glass of pinot and enjoy!

{at the dinner party we had to throw in a classic pepperoni for the picky eaters!}

Had to try to this bottle of Pinot Grigio only because the label was so cute! I love that little cartoon fish sunbathing, in the rain, on the beach. :)

Fashion Down Under

After coming across Vanessa Jackman's photography blog I discovered that there must be something in Australia's water.... the girls there are all incredibly stylish and amazingly beautiful; watch out America these Aussie's might have one up on all of us!

Here are some of her photos from Australian Fashion Week 2010, of girls with amazing street style.

Can we also say how beautiful Vanessa's photography is? I am definitely a fan!

And now for some of our favorite Aussie models:

Tallulah Morton

Juliana Forge

Abbey Lee Kershaw

Isabel Lucas

I love the eclectic style of these lovely ladies. They all do an amazing job of consistently showing their own personal style and definitely exuding that coolness factor that we all strive to achieve daily.

Happy Wednesday!

Photos: Vanessa Jackman, Look What's New, College Fashion, Fashion Rising

Pirate Radio

So I finally had a Saturday off this weekend and after a long, fun night out with friends I was in definite need of some couch potato time. I always keep a list of books to read, music to download, and movies to watch on some sticky notes on my laptop desktop. With my new found free time I thought it was the perfect time to cross off one of those movie I had put off seeing for such a long time. And so I spent the next hour and fifty seven minutes watching a movie that is now at the top of my favorites list, Pirate Radio.

This movie was laugh out loud funny and total "rule-breaking" inspiring. The movie is about how British Parliament outlaws rock n' roll radio stations in the 60's. Large ships were anchoring off the coast of Britain, just out of law's rule and broadcasted their shows to millions of British fans. Pirate Radio epitomizes the "eff-authority" attitude of the 1960's era and I loved every minute of it.

Not only was it incredibly fun watching a group of middle-aged (and one very young, hot Tom Sturridge I might add), music loving, hippy men broadcast illegal music to thousands of screaming brits but the soundtrack was absolutely amazing! From Smoky Robinson and the Miracles, to The Beach Boys, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix and The Who, Pirate Radio was completely successful in including a plethora of influential bands from the time period. I immediately bought the soundtrack on itunes and haven't stopped listening to it yet! I would definitely give this flick two thumbs up!

After the movie deepened my love of the awesome 1960's I looked around the web for some iconic images to leave you with:

  

So in the spirit of the '60's, Peace Love & Rock N' Roll! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

New Beginnings

Welcome to The Core Essentials! Along with having about 20 things on my plate already, I thought to myself, "What the hell, I'm gonna start a blog!" So here it is blogger world, my very own blog. I have been addicted to reading several blogs every morning (actually can't start my day without catching up on all of them) and was inspired to start my own about all things that I love and inspire me.

So here are my first ramblings! Hope you all enjoy reading as much as I enjoy sharing!

Well summer is almost officially here and it's already so hot here in Texas that it still feels scorching in doors with the air conditioner on full blast. Soon the entire city will be walking around in nothing but teeny bikinis and swim trunks. Normally my summer wardrobe consists of loose cotton shorts and tees in hopes of staying cool and dry. However, after receiving the summer catalog for Roxy a while back they left me wishing that I could revamp my closet with every look they put together! Here are a just a few favorites of mine:

(Yes, I had to add a teeny bikini in case the heat finally gets to me too!)

I feel they have done such a great job providing comfortable, versatile clothes that can easily transition from day to night. So hurry to roxy.com and grab all the essentials for a fun summer wardrobe! 

Photos: Roxy.com