Things I'm Loving Lately.

You are graced with another glimpse into what I do the 'net for when I should really be sitting down + doing my graduate school work - window shopping. There is a bit of a perk to it, though, if you decide to get . All of the items I chose can be purchased with a coupon code. So it could be worse, right?

This twisted gold snake necklace is only $36, but it is the closest thing I'll get to this vintage Givenchy choker. For one week, you can get 15% off at Outfit Additions by using the coupon code FALL.

I seriously love Cambridge Satchels. Modcloth is now carrying these handmade bags for $134.99, + is giving $20 off of your first order [coupon linked here].

These Gold Dot Desiree Wedges in Navy are so unique + under $55 over at Karmaloop. They also come in Grey. You can snag 20% off your entire order if you use the rep code ShortGirlLongIsland.

I love high-low dresses. This one from Lulu*s is one of my faves. If you use the code FLORALFUN, you'll save 15% off of your order. They also always order free shipping on orders over $50.

I can't get over these mouse rings. They are the cutest. Oasap is selling these for $8 each. If you use the coupon code SGLI, you will save anywhere from 21% - 35%. The more times you use the coupon, the greater your discount will be. Crazy, right? I'm not complaining though!

If any of you know of great deals that are going on + have coupon codes, comment below to share the deals with other readers. Enjoy the rest of the week - its halfway over already!

Come Together.

The other day, my friend Rachel had posted a picture on Instagram, about a fire in Maine. Apparently, her good friend Kate is reaching out to help her brother, sister-in-law, niece + two nephews. Early in the morning on Sunday, September 16, Patrick MacDonald's sister-in-law woke up to the smell of smoke, and alerted her brother-in-law. At first, he thought it was the neighbors house, and ran outside to get a hose to help. At some point, he realized that it was his home on fire, and made sure he ushered out his family. According to Bangor Daily News, MacDonald tried to put out the fire, but was unable to do so.

For the last six years, this family has poured their hearts + income into making this a wonderful home to raise their three children in. Unfortunately, the MacDonald family has to start from scratch. I asked Kate a bunch of questions, because I knew I had to blog about this. I know that my readers are giving, compassionate people that would jump at the chance to help this family out.

Kate started an indiegogo fundraiser page, to help raise monetary funds for the family. I asked about the children, to make sure that they are taken care of. This has to be devastating for the children, so here is the breakdown. For privacy of children, they will not be named.

Girl, 6 years: Wears size 6X in clothing. She is very upset that she lost all of her Webkinz + loves Barbies + Disney Princesses.

Boy, 3 years: Wears size 3T in clothing. He loves tools, Captain America and Iron Man.

Boy, 5 months: 5+ months in clothing + his mother, Christina, was using cloth diapers for him. 

If you have toys lying around that your kids aren't using anymore, perhaps make a care package with your child + have them create a card for the MacDonald children. Kate tells me they are literally the best little kids in the entire world, so lets help make this easier on them. When I inquired about what grocery stores are in the area, Kate told me that there is a Hannaford and Food City, along with various chain stores in the town of Windham. They also have a Target + Wal-Mart nearby.

Here is the address where gifts + clothing can be sent to:

The MacDonald Family

53 Sweden Rd.

Waterford, ME 04088

If you can't help out monetarily, it is totally understandable. Please do not feel pressured if you cannot afford to do so. The only thing I ask is if you could please post this onto Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram - basically any social media source that you utilize. The more people that see this, the more people that we can round up to help this family. I have never posted about anything like this before, but when I saw it on Instagram, I couldn't turn a blind eye. 

Thank you for taking time to read this, and thank you for passing this along to others. Hopefully, we can all come together + help the MacDonald family out in their time of need.

Sugar Junkie.

I am such a sucker for anything kawaii - have been since I was a youngin'. Some of you might be asking yourself, what the heck is kawaii? It basically translates to "cute" in Japanese. When I came across Pajamie's Sugar Junkie creations, I spent a good twenty minutes drooling over her Etsy shop. One day, she asked if any bloggers would like to review some Sugar Junkie accessories, + I jumped at the chance!

I was sent a plethora of goodies in the cutest wrapping, with an even sweeter card! What you are feasting your eyes on are the Crochet Chocolate Chip Cookie Brooch, Star Lollipop Bracelet, Pastel Strawberry Hand Painted Wooden Heart, and a Pastel Rainbow Valentine Bracelet. Each item is so fun + you can't help but smile when you see them. When I saw the Cookie Brooch, I immediately thought of my favorite little cookie monster, Julia. She would be so excited to have this, so I'm saving this to put in with her Christmas present. The Star Lollipop Bracelet reminds me of Rainbow Brite, which was one of my favorite shows growing up. The Strawberry Heart is really cute + reminds me of Strawberry Shortcake, which was another one of my favorite shows. The Rainbow Valentine Bracelet reminds me of hair accessories I had when I was younger - my hair was down to my behind until I was nine or ten, so my mom was always using super cute barrettes + hair ties to keep my mane in check. 

Once I can justify making purchases again [Erich gives me the evil eye if I even mention shopping - I'm on a budget until further notice], I plan on snagging a Cat Coffee Cozy. It will keep me from wasting sleeves at Starbucks, in turn helping to save trees. I'm torn between the blue + orange [not pictured]. 

When you have a moment, head over to Sugar Junkie + check out some of Pajamie's recent creations. Pajamie also has a really fun blog, which you should swing by as well.

UPDATE: Sugar Junkie has added a coupon, just for the blog! Use the code shortgirl10 and get 10% until Sunday, September 23.

Life After Death.

A few times on the blog, I mentioned how I was reading Life After Death, written by Damien Echols, a man wrongfully imprisoned for eighteen years for a crime he did not commit. I finally finished the book on Sunday afternoon, and had to sit down to write down all that was swirling through my head. 

I first heard of Damien Echols when I saw the documentary, Paradise Lost. He, along with Jason Baldwin + Jessie Misskelley, were accused of murdering three children. I remember watching it really late at night in the basement at my Aunt Lil + Uncle Marc's house - I believe it was the summer after eighth grade. I was flabbergasted at how these individuals, teens expressing themselves through their attire + music, had been pegged for these murders. I remember wearing questionable clothing [it covered my body, don't fret] + listening to Marilyn Manson. My mom would say that Manson was not a good influence - she even blocked MTV from being viewed at her home, because of questionable content [aka Beavis + Butthead]. I would get so frustrated with her reasoning, but being an angst-ridden teen who was attempting to cope with the recent death of her grandfather, I did not handle it with grace. 

I wanted to write these boys, who were a few years older than me, to tell them that I believed they were innocent. To say that I, too, have been misunderstood + called a weirdo, because of how I dressed + what I listened to. But I never wanted to bother them. I figured they received loads of letters from people, stating that they were on their side. Who would want to hear from a thirteen year old kid, anyway?

Over the years, I randomly thought about the gentlemen + would hop on Google to see what was going on with the case [I even wanted to order them books from their Amazon wish lists, but I was afraid the guards wouldn't deliver the parcels]. Eventually, they were released in 2011, with a plea deal that was less than stellar, but to get off of death row - I would have probably done the same thing. When I heard about the West of Memphis documentary, I also caught wind of Damien's memoir, Life After Death. Luckily, I was able to snag an advance copy so I could tell my readers about it.

I don't even know where to start, folks. There is so much that I learned while reading this book. After spending over half of his life on death row, the fact that he made it out intact truly amazes me. He is a fascinating person, someone I could see myself randomly chatting with in a coffee shop about the weather, a book, or music. Not fascinating in a negative sense, or in some freak-show sort of way - I want to clarify that. When you read the text, you will understand what I am getting at, without revealing the contents of the book. I also have such a great respect for Damien's wife, Lorri. My god, what a wonderful + strong woman she is. I can't begin to imagine what the both of them went through [pieces are given through the book, but there is only so much you can put in a book just shy of four hundred pages], but I am so glad they had each other. That's the power of love [yes, that is a Huey Lewis + The News quote, plus my second BTTF reference this week, but hey - it works].

In all seriousness, this book brought out a variety of emotions, as Echols has a way with words + connects with readers on a level I didn't think that was possible. I am kicking myself for never sending letters of support, after reading what Damien experienced throughout the course of his life. Luckily, he received continued support over the years from notable folks such as Peter Jackson, Johnny Depp, Eddie Vedder + Henry Rollins, just to name a few. These people helped shed light onto the case + made sure this wasn't forgotten, that these men would be freed.

Life After Death will be released on Tuesday, September 18. If you'd like to pre-order or purchase for your Kindle, head over to Amazon. If you are going to be in the NYC area on Friday, September 21, there will be a speaking engagement of sorts with Damien Echols + Johnny Depp at the Union Square store. If I didn't have to work that day, I would be there in a heartbeat. If any of you attend the event, please let me know how it went!