I won’t deny it: I spend way too much time online. Mostly I’m just stalking people on Facebook and Instagram, other times I’m doing something more useful like reading articles on style and teen sites as research for work. But once in a while I find gems that make me grateful that the Internet was invented, that we have access to other people’s wonderful words even when they’re half a world away, and that we are all connected through our online presence and the love and wisdom that somehow manages to seep into the cracks between useless rants and gratuitous selfies.

A young writer posted this poem called “Here” by Aracelis Girmay on Tumblr a couple of weeks ago, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve read it every day since then. It reminded me of a photo I took early last year while on vacation with my family; in the photo my shadow is split, and it would take a while for you to spot the other half. But it’s right there, captured, and lately I’ve been thinking that life is a lot like this, too: It often feels like something is missing, but what we don’t realize is that our hearts are more full than they seem. You are already here, and so is everything you need.

Dive into Girmay’s full poem here, and let me know if you loved it as much as I did.

xx,
Marla

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We’re kind of loving today in a superduper way, because aside from the fact that it’s a Tuesday that feels like a Friday (no work tomorrow, whuuut!), Steph, Sam, Erin, and I got to sit down for a scrumptious lunch courtesy of the good folks at Wee Nam Kee. We were invited to their snazzy new Glorietta 2 branch (it’s along the Palm Drive entrance, right beside Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf), and presented their newest limited offering: the Yellow Chicken.

Yellow, is it me you’re looking for?

It’s supposedly hailed as the Wagyu, Kobe, and Kurobuta of chicken because of its premium quality, and after one bite, we instantly understood what all the fuss was about: it was juicy, tender, and jampacked with flavor, and we loved pairing it with the chicken rice and drowning it in crushed ginger, chili, and dark soya sauce. It’s only available in the Glorietta and Serendra branches until June 30, and we can’t wait to go back and sink our teeth into this delicious delicacy again! Will we run into you there? We really hope we do, so we can be Yellow Chicken Fans together.

What yummy dishes have you tried lately?

xx,
Marla

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I’m a creature of a habit, but I do like finding new things to call my favorites, whether or not they’ve been around for a while. Here’s a mishmash of the things I currently love, clockwise from top left:
1. Illustrator and typographer Connie Cann‘s work. I love her animal pun creations (“I think we should sea otter people” and “Sometimes I feel so irrelephant”), but this one’s pretty cool, too.
2. Selena Gomez’s EDP is sweet, feminine, and lasts all day. The cute bottle doesn’t hurt, either.
3. I’ve had this Topshop skater skirt since late last year, but this summer I’ve been reaching for it more often, pairing it with everything from tank tops to button-downs to denim vests. Easily my favorite thing in my closet at the moment.
4. Revlon’s Photoready shadow+primer is perfect for eyeshadow noobs like me. The soft brown and subtle highlights work wonders on tired-looking eyes!
5 & 6. On heavy rotation right now: Local Natives’ Hummingbird and Sleigh Bells’ Reign of Terror. Local Natives has always been my go-to writing background music (and “Airplanes” from their first album Gorilla Manor definitely makes it into my top 10 songs of all time), while Sleigh Bells is the perfect running companion.

What are YOUR new favorites?

xx,
Marla

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photo by Patrick Martires

You’re probably not very interested, but just in case you’re interested…

1. Ian Somerhalder
2. What being a hipster really entails
3. The subtle differences between “artsy,” “happening,” and “hipster”
4. Our zodiac signs, and why our hearts harden a little bit every time our monthly horoscopes lie to us
5. Celebs who are dating and breaking up
6. Non-celebs who are dating and breaking up
7. Food (usually while consuming food)
8. Paul Wesley
9. Why we don’t really need another pair of shoes
10. Why we really, really need another pair of shoes
11. Nail polish, and whether or not we’ll ever be comfortable enough to paint each other’s toenails. In the office. With cleaning.
12. “Did you see ________’s tweet?!”
13. Food (recently, GoNuts Donuts’ #CookieButterDonut, which we still lie awake thinking about at night)
14. Candy Crush
15. Serious stuff, too. Sometimes.

*Because 150 things, in celebration of our 150th issue (#Happy150Candy) would have taken a couple of days to list, and we just can’t afford to use up that much time—not when we’re busy planning more amazing issues for you! ;-)

xx,
Marla

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While I’ve never seriously been bullied (the most I got were dagger looks and a failed rumor-spreading attempt from a girl who thought I had a crush on her boyfriend—which I didn’t, and a few insensitive comments from seniors who seemed to have forgotten what it felt like to be a scared little freshman), I will always sympathize with and admire those who have actually experienced it. My heart breaks more than a bit every time I receive an email from one of you telling me about the mean girls in your school who give you a hard time, or boys who think name-calling is remotely cool. A few days ago I saw this collaborative animated video based on a spoken word poem by Shane Koyczan, made up of illustrations from over 80 artists with different styles and different stories. Its clear, strong message, that bullying is never ever okay—and the powerful way in which it was conveyed—completely blew me away, and I have a feeling it’ll have the same effect on you.

These are my favorite lines; I think they’re absolutely wonderful. Watch the video and let me know what yours are.
“if you can’t see anything beautiful about yourself
get a better mirror
look a little closer
stare a little longer
because there’s something inside you
that made you keep trying
despite everyone who told you to quit”

xx,
Marla

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