The Blogmopolitan Quiz

Learn a little more about me from this Cosmo-inspired blog quiz!

{credit: two thirds hazel}

What I'm Listening To | Broods

Dear Broods, I LOVE YOU.

I'm such a sucker for a great duo and Broods is just that. Actually, they're beyond great. They're AMAZING. Why oh why has it taken me so long to discover you?! Hailing from New Zealand, this brother/sister duo has been owning my Spotify playlists for weeks and it's been beautiful. Georgia Nott has the voice of an angelic goddess (I don't know if that's a thing, but I've made it one). Did I mention they're both ridiculously attractive? Seriously, like nobody is that beautiful. Everytime they Instagram they should totally #blessed because that whole family must be like gorgeous.

The duo's self-titled debut album is available now on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify or wherever you get your music. I HIGHLY suggest that if you have Spotify you take a listen to their session. It will melt your heart. SO MANY FEELS.

Here they are playing my current fave Never Gonna Change:

Let me know what you think of Broods - love it or hate it? Are you feeling all the feelings? I know I am! Have any suggestions of artists I should check out? Let me know in the comments below!

WTF?! Wednesdays: Choker Necklaces

Another day, another weekly series. If you've been around for a while, this is nothing new. If you're new to RJV, allow me to explain. WTF?! Wednesdays are literally me ranting about a trend or anything else that makes me go WTF?! Pretty self explanatory. For this WTF this Wednesday I present to you...

CHOKER NECKLACES.

Nope, you aren't seeing things. That is a tattoo choker necklaces that everyone from Kate Moss to the Spice Girls to your next door neighbor was rocking in the 90's. This image isn't from the 90's though. It's from freaking Topshop's website TODAY as in August 20, 2014. Seriously, here is the link: http://bit.ly/VEgFeo. Even better, it's freaking $12! Remember when these things used to come out of machines at Chuck E. Cheese where you only paid like 50 cents to play? WTF?! Someone please tell me why these are back and why they are expensive and WHY, WHY, WHY? I don't get it. I hate it. I don't want one. I don't want to see them on anyone. DUMB. There is nothing attractive about a thin piece of plastic around your neck that will leave an ugly imprint which you will see if it moves the slightest on your neck or you take it off because it's freaking annoying. OMG enough! I'm all for normcore and bring back some of this 90's stuff, BUT NO, NO, NO. Whoever brought these back, YOU CAN GO SHAVE YOUR BACK NOW.

Introducing the Tuesday Ten

I bring you a lovely new blog feature - the Tuesday Ten. What is this you ask? Every Tuesday I will be bringing you something awesome in a quantity of ten. Anything from my top ten favorite songs to 10 Things I Hate About You quotes (which I've decided count) - you'll see it here on Tuesdays. I would tell you what to expect, but I don't even know what to expect! Anyways, here we go with the first ever Tuesday Ten :)

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I've been re-watching How I Met Your Mother for the zillionth bazillonth time. Seriously, I'm pretty sure I know every line to every episode by this point. Do I feel shame? Heck no! I'm proud through and through. Since I'm currently watching as I type this post, this week's Tuesday Ten is HIMYM inspired. Don't worry, I won't be giving you any spoilers just incase you already don't watch this amazing show which is extremely disappointing and you should be probably get on Netflix right now to watch it. Well, right after you read this post of course :) Without further ado...

Ten Things I Learned from Ted Mosby

1. "When it's after 2am, just go to sleep. Because the decisions you make after 2am are the wrong decisions."

2. "Sometimes even if you know how something's gonna end that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the ride."

3. "Shouldn't we hold out for someone that doesn't just tolerate our little quirks but actually kinda likes them?"

4."Here's the thing about mistakes: Sometimes, even when you know something's a mistake, you gotta make it anyway."

5. If you're not scared, then you're not taking a chance. If you're not taking a chance, then what the hell are you doing anyway?"

6. "The great moments of your life won't necessarily be the things you do, they'll also be the things that happen to you. Now, I'm not saying you can't take action to affect the outcome of your life, you have to take action, and you will. But never forget that on any day, you can step out the front door and your whole life can change forever. You see, the universe has a plan kids, and that plan is always in motion. A butterfly flaps its wings, and it starts to rain. It's a scary thought, but it's also kind of wonderful. All these little parts of the machine constantly working, making sure that you end up exactly where you're supposed to be, exactly when you're supposed to be there. The right place at the right time."

7. "You can ask the universe for a sign all you want, but ultimately, we only see what we want to see when we're ready for."

8. "You can't cling to the past because no matter how tightly you hold on, it's already gone."

9.  "Sometimes love means taking a step back. If you care about somebody, you should want them to be happy, even if you wind up being left out."

10. "I think for the most part, if you're really honest with yourself about what you want out of life, life gives it to you."

Blogger? I hardly knew her!

HAHA, I know I'm hilarious! JK, what a corny blog post title but for realz... HI!

I've left and came back more times than I can count on one hand. If failing at blogging was a thing, I would win every single time. Wait, can you win at failing? Is that a thing? Oh well, just made it one. BAM. 

This girl graduated college (woohoo!), did some internships and is now on the PROWL for a job. Yeah, I said prowl. Public relations is all I've wanted to do for my entire life. I knew I wanted to work in public relations before I even knew what public relations really was. Basically, I'm not really willing to settle for any old job. I'm 22 years young (almost 23 when apparently nobody is going to like me anymore), have super supportive & amazing parents that will let me live here forever (seriously, they will but no way is that happening) and I am never going to be this young or this free again in my life - so why settle for anything less than what I want? Now, obviously I know I'm not going to get my dream job right out of college because that would be crazy! I can get something in my field that will give me loads of great experience and hopefully, I'll enjoy because as the saying goes "if you love what you do, you won't work a day in your life". Anyways, end random tangent!

Let's get into why I'm here, what I'm going to do and the real question on everyone's mind (aka Rachel who is probably the only one reading this) - will I actually keep up this blog?! My track record sucks BUT maybe thousandth time is a charm? ;) I'm here because I've always wanted to be here. Even when I didn't do the best job of showing it, this is where I wanted to be. I wanted to be blogging and rambling on about my love for toast with peanut butter and bananas (YUM) or all the trends I HATE (stay tuned for WTF?! Wednesdays). Now on to the what I'm going to do here part - WHATEVER I WANT! Seriously. I'm going in blind, no plans, no intentions - just going. Expect the unexpected? And when it comes to keeping up with this blog, hopefully I do and hopefully you keep up with me! I mean, people still keep up with Kardashians and they've become... we'll save it for another rant.

So if you've been here before and have experienced my crazy, unable-to-commit self - nice to see you again. If you're new, welcome to rippedjeansandvinyl! Grab your favorite beverage (may I suggest an iced black tea lemonade or if you're of age, an iced cold beer) and stay a while. Let's hope I'm not like that guy at the bar who asked for your number and then never called!

True Life: I Have Commitment-Phobia

The title of this post does not lie. Seriously. When it comes to committing to anything, I usually run the opposite direction. It's not just major decisions either. I mean, this girl can't even decide what drink she wants at Starbucks until she changes her mind a thousand times and just ends up ordering what she was thinking about to begin with. Yup, I'm that annoying girl in front of you in line when you're rushing to get your morning latte before work. Oops, sorry! When it comes to relationships, I could rant for hours but we can save that for another post... or never.

Anyways, as I've said before, this isn't my first attempt blogging. My commitment-phobia seems to be running at all time high when it comes to blogging, unfortunately. I always get real into it and I'm loving it and then, life happens. School happens. Something happens and it all goes down the drain. I am trying to be a conscious effort to NOT let this happen, but if I do disappear there's an explanation. Is it a good one? Eh, not really but it'll do. 

So bear with me and hang tight because it's only getting started. New posts will be coming out next week as I plan on doing lots of blog work as I lay on my sick bed with my vanilla chai tea. Sick girl = productive blogging girl! 

Have a freaking awesome weekend and I'll talk to you guys soon :)

WTF?! Wednesday - Fashion

Fashion is one of my many passions. Rhyming, yet true. Maybe I have a future in rapping? Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I read the glossies and the blogs. I know what's in and what's out, but that doesn't mean I agree. There are some trends out there that this girl will never understand how someone could actually wear and I've decided rant about them to you all. I could go on about this forever, so I've decided to present these absolutely stupid and ridiculous trends to you in installments.

Every Wednesday I will present to you, WTF?! Wednesdays. I will rant about a fashion, beauty, entertainment, etc. trend that makes this girl go WTF?!

So, without further ado, I give you the beginning of a beautiful weekly series...

1. This whole not putting your arms in your coat sleeves thing is beyond DUMB. It's all you see on the streets of New York City during fashion week and it is ridiculous. You don't look sophisticated or classy or anything besides STUPID. It is freaking 20 degrees outside - put your damn arms in your coat sleeves! The sleeves are there for a reason, duh.

credit: trendylisbon.com

2. Those freaking plastic bubble necklaces. Just because J. Crew sells it for $150 (which is so insane I'm not even going to try to figure out why such an outrageous price tag is attached to a hunk of plastic) doesn't mean that it's cool or attractive or whatever. Seriously, I hate these things. They're everywhere. Like okay, I get it's a statement piece that's on the simpler side and for those that don't want to take the plunge into awesome, sparkly statement pieces like this guy - it serves a purpose. Unless you're playing dress up or Pretty Pretty Princess (if you don't get this reference, BYE. JK, but seriously...), plastic jewelry is just not acceptable. If you're nervous to try a statement necklace or are a poor college student like this girl, there's some great affordable options out there like this edgy bib from H&M.

credit: jcrew.com

Let me know in the comments what trends you just don't understand or think are absolutely ridiculous!

What I'm Listening To... Matt Nathanson's Last of the Great Pretenders

'Just because you learn to breathe underwater, doesn't mean you ever shake the fear of being drowned.'

With Matt Nathanson's 9th full length studio album, we hear a sound we've never heard before from the pop rocker. In the words of the man himself, "And with this record, I can really feel it working. I hear it. These songs feel different, in a really cool way. It's exciting... evolution baby! A bunch of steps forward on the slow slog towards becoming 100% myself. Cause in the end, that's the only real currency we have anyway."

The tracks move away from that "sappy and romantic" pop vibe and move towards a place of rock. Although there always had been a sense of truth to his lyrics, it's clear that with this album Nathanson went deeper and a more personal connection is felt. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, which is something I really appreciated. There's a feeling of loss within the love in some of the tracks and it's real. A great example is the album's single 'Mission Bells'.

I'm a big lyrics girl. Whenever I get a new album, I listen to it straight through once to experience the whole thing. I listen to it through again and pay close attention the lyrics. Often, lyrics make or break a record for me. I want to understand the story and the message. I want to feel the feeling of the track. I want to have the full experience of the album.

The tracks I have on repeat: 'Birthday Girl', 'Kill the Lights', 'Heart Starts'

'Last of the Great Pretenders' is available now on iTunes, Amazon and even better, get it at your local record store!

Have you listened to the album? Have any album suggestions for me? Leave a comment below!

ABC, 123, Get to Know me

I'm aware the title of this post is way corny, but go with it! I have folders filled with random things I find on the interweb to keep for inspiration, boredom, etc. One of them is an ABC list of questions about yourself. Since we're just getting acquainted or reacquainted, I figured it was the perfect time to post it.  I would love to give credit to where ever I got this from, but it's been sitting around for a long time. If you are the one that came up with this, thanks! So here we go...

A: Attached or single? Single girl swag (I can't believe I just said swag...)
B: Best friend? Just one? I'm lucky enough to have a few and I wouldn't trade them for anything. The loves of my life. My sisters. You know who you are, xo.
C: Cake or pie? Cake. Specifically, cheesecake!
D: Day of choice? Saturday because it's all play and no work :)
E: Essential item? My iPhone.
F: Favorite color? Turquoise and that whole family of beautiful blue/greens.
G: Gummy bears or worms? Is that even a question? Obviously gummy bears.
H: Hometown? About 45 minutes outside of the City of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia)
I: Favorite indulgence? This is always changing, but I'd have to say currently frozen yogurt.
J: January or July? July. Summertime is the best time!
K: Kids? Nope. Sorry, I wasn't on Teen Mom 1, 2 or 3.
L: Life isn't complete without? Laughter, good friends and good music.
M: Marriage date? SERIOUSLY?! HAHA BYE.
N: Number of brothers/sisters? One younger sister.
O: Oranges or apples? Apples. Preferably with honey or peanut butter.
P: Phobias/Fears? Heights, roller coasters and probably a bunch of other things I can't think of right now.
Q: Quotes? Not all those who wander are lost.
R: Reasons to smile? Life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about. (Love ya, Marilyn)
S: Season of choice? Summer and spring are tied. Warm weather and sunshine is all I need!
T: Tag 5 people. Eh, maybe. Sunshine and Sinatra, tag you're it!
U: Unknown fact about me? I hate ranch and blue cheese like absolutely HATE. Don't even come within 5 feet of me if you have either of those.
V: Vegetable? Red peppers, preferably roasted.
W: Worst habit? Biting my nails.
X: Xray or Ultrasound? WTF?! Once again, I wasn't on Teen Mom 1, 2 or 3 and I'm proud of it!
Y: Your favorite food? Chicken fingers because I'm secretly 5 years old.
Z: Zodiac sign? Libra.

Hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about me. Comment below about something we have in common or a fun fact about you! Feel free to fill out the survey on your blog and play along :)

Stop, collaborate and listen...

... Jenna's back with a brand new invention! 

Alright, that was the beginning and end of my rap career. If you don't get the reference, please view the following: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog8ou-ZepE. 

I'm kind of new, kind of old when it comes to blogland and I would love to connect with some fellow bloggers. Let's trade buttons, collaborate, guest post or whatever! I have space on my blogroll and I'll love to add some lovely blogs.

I love getting emails, but who doesn't?! Feel free to email me ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. Seriously. Okay, well anything and everything but spam. Nobody likes spam! 

Did you hear a great new album or is there some new band you are obsessing over? Find a new store or trend you love? Did you just have the best lunch of your life? TELL ME ABOUT IT! Maybe we'll come up with a new post or just start a new friendship.

So, holla at ya girrrrrl - rippedjeansandvinyl [at] gmail [dot] com

Hi, I suck with HTML and now I seem like a jerk.

Apparently my limited HTML knowledge from my Myspace/Xanga days has failed me and I need to give some credit where credit is due! I was messing around with the sidebar and the widths and accidentally deleted the coding for the button for the gal who made this lovely layout - NOT COOL!

Just need to give a proper shoutout to Katrina of Pugly Pixel who offers really great free things for bloggers from tutorials to Photoshop brushes to a zillion other random things. I suggest you all check her out! I am no where near talented enough to make this layout on my own, but she is and it rocks!

I'm working to add her to my sidebar right now to give her the proper credit, but I just wanted to shoutout to her now.

So we may have met before...

Once upon a time, more specifically July 2013, this girl decided to finally take the leap in the blogging world. Being a PR girl, I followed a variety of blogs from fashion to music to whatever else you could think of. I've always been somewhat of an addict. We don't even need to discuss how many times I check my Bloglovin' app on my iPhone daily. When it comes to putting my thoughts to paper, it's always been natural to me. Writing's always been one of my passions and I have notebooks filled with my jottings from over the years. As much as some would like to deny it (and I sure as hell am not one of those people), social media is taking over the world. Seriously. More people get their news from Facebook or Twitter than actually turning on a cable news channel or program. Like I said, I'm a PR girl and I couldn't resist making my mark in this crazy social media world beyond my excessive quippy tweets or sharing my favorite BuzzFeed posts on Facebook. Why couldn't I be like these bloggers I admire so, but with my own spin (obviously)?

Anyways, that brings me to my "leap" in July of 2013 which turned out to be more like just dipping my toes in the water followed by epically falling on my face. It's pretty intimidating seeing how established many of these bloggers are and how they know their audience so well and consistently have amazing content and AHHHHH! Admittedly, that intimidation led me to kind of back off the blogging world. I surrendered. Well, the intimidation combined with life in the real world outside of the interweb because ya know, we all have one of those - a real life. I kept saying I was going to come back, but that never happened. I admit it, I failed.

In the words of Aaliyah (RIP, homegirl) - "If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again." So I'm back, but why? There's a multitude of reasons, but it all started with an article I had to read for a writing class. Doesn't it always seem that what we do in the classroom somehow translates into our lives in one way or another? It's crazy how life works.

The article discussed advice for recent journalism school graduates in the first five years of their career. Now, I'm not in journalism school and I'm not a recent college grad (this May - wahoo!), but the article really drew my attention. It provides useful tips for anyone attending college with interest in communications or writing.

The first tip in the piece says to "Write something short everyday." Back in middle and high school, I always would write just for enjoyment. I kept journals and yes, something they were more "dear diary" kind of things rather than anything else, but I was writing because I loved it. I missed that. Now I have the opportunity to write about not only my passions, but also things related to my career path and industries of interest. Plus, I wouldn't mind having something awesome for my future employer to see when they inevitably Google me. If you're reading this future employer, HI!

Like I said, the article reaches out to more than just the journalism school graduate. Don't let the title scare you off! Here's a link to the piece if you want to check it out yourself: http://bit.ly/1nLJtM5.

So if we've met before, nice to see you again. If you're new, welcome to rippedjeansandvinyl! Grab a cup of tea (I suggest vanilla chai) and stay a while. Things are just getting started.

Every Twenty-Something Should Be Watching GIRLS -- Seriously.

If you're a twenty-something, you should be watching GIRLS on HBO.

• Judd Apatow is a writer and producer on the show: Judd freaking Apatow! How can you deny anything that man has done? The creator of Freaks & Geeks (which was cancelled for reasons I can never comprehend) and basically everyone's favorite comedies. You name a hilarious movie, this man made it. He's a genius. He's perfect. This show just is another masterpiece he's a part of.
• Self-Discovery: I'm about to be a senior in college and from what I've heard & seen, the transition from the comforts of college to being an actual adult in the real world can be rough. TV shows and movies tend to sugarcoat this rough times in our lives, but GIRLS keeps it real. The show's pilot episode begins with the main character Hannah (Lena Dunham) getting cut off from her parents and telling her she needs to get a real job. She can't be in her mid-20's with an unpaid internship and her parents, as they say, "funding her groovy lifestyle". This whole scene sets the stage for the series as Hannah embarks on getting a real job and finally growing up.
• You Are Beautiful -- Seriously: All five of the girls the show centers around are very different in many ways. Unlike you're typical show, it's not all size zero girls who eat cheeseburgers for every meal and don't gain a pound. Dunham, the creator of the series and main writer, realizes that we're not all a size zero. The show is infamous for all the naked Hannah that we see and although at times we may cringe, Dunham doesn't have the perfect body. She is comfortable in her own skin, all the girls are. This positive self image continually radiates. Yes, there are times where Hannah may say she hates herself, but don't we all? We all have moments where we are unhappy with our bodies, but in the end, no matter what shape or size; we are all beautiful.
• We're all a little self-centered...: It's true. It's undeniable. No matter what you may say, every single one of us is a little bit self-centered. When you're a twenty-something, the most important person in your life is you. Hannah doesn't stop talking about herself and manages to make every situation about her. Jessa lives in her own little bubble and runs away from every sign of struggle or problematic situation. Shoshanna is Shosh. There's really not much more to say. Once you meet her, you'll just understand. Marnie has a smothering boyfriend and once they break up, she falls apart and goes into a downward spiral. While they're all friends, you can tell that sometimes they just love themselves more than each other.
• It's freaking hilarious: During a break up Hannah quotes Missy Elliot as defense. Seriously. This show is so hilarious in the most honest way. The unbeatable creative team of Dunham and Apatow come up with some of the best lines in any TV show I've seen lately. The way pop culture is so intricately weaved into this show is perfection.

All in all, these ladies are the voice of our generation. Every episode is relatable on some level. The struggles of a twenty-something are real and the show dramatizes situations the same way we all do in our minds. If you're not watching, get it on. If you don't have HBO, steal a friend's HBOGO password or find it illegally online (yes, I'm promoting illegal activity because it's THAT good!).