life lately & August favorites

Hi lovelies,

I want to apologize for not blogging very much this month. August, to be honest, has been absolutely hectic, crazy, and busy and I've just been overwhelmed! Unfortunately, this meant that my blog had to take a backseat for a little while. I'm hoping now that things have calmed down and I've gotten into a routine, I'll be able to blog once or twice a week. I can't make any promises about a schedule right now, but I will do my best to upload frequently and regularly.

So, August. NYC. Babysitting. School. Swim. Pretty much sums up my month. I started school again two weeks ago, and swimming (I swim for my high school team) started the second week of August. I babysat the entire week before summer break ended. And I took a quick trip to New York City in early August (you can read about it here). I haven't kept a great record of my favorites this month, and none of them are fashion related. That's why this is an informal, personal post. I promise that I'll have some fashion posts up soon. It's hard to do daily outfit posts because I go straight to the pool after school (hey, that rhymed!). But I will work on coming up with an alternative solution.

I have a ton of music favorites this month. I've discovered a lot of new music and many songs that I'd never heard before. One Direction...sigh. I never hated 1D. But I'd also never listened to any of their songs besides the few that make it to the radio. Until this month... Let me just say, I'm obsessed. I'm going to see This Is Us (their movie) this weekend. It's not even worth listing my favorite songs, because the list would have to include all of them. Marry me Harry. Martha Styles... it kind of has a ring to it, don't you think? Anyway, beyond my newfound love for One Direction, I've really rekindled my love for Demi Lovato this month. Her new album, DEMI, and her third album, Unbroken, are amazing. I love Neon Lights, Made in the USA, Really Don't Care, and Warrior from DEMI and Skyscraper and For the Love of a Daughter from Unbroken. I've been listening to a lot of Lana Del Rey, Florence + The Machine, and Ellie Goulding this month, as well. I also love Skinny Love by Bon Iver, Tennis Court by Lorde, and Warzone by The Wanted. And lastly for music favorites, Like a Champion by Selena Gomez. And thanks to Pandora for exposing me to many of these great songs this month!

I haven't been reading as much as I'd like lately. However, I did read a few great books this month. The four Throne of Glass novellas were spectacular and had me in tears by the end. Of course, then I had to reread Throne of Glass. Speaking of which, the sequel, Crown of Midnight, was released this past Tuesday! I might just have to pick it up over the long weekend. I also FINALLY got around to reading Scarlet, by Marissa Meyer (sequel to Cinder). I preordered this book before it was released last February and had been meaning to read it for months. It was amazing and I can't wait for the next book in the series. You can see the cover reveal for Cress here.

I've done a good deal of TV watching this month. The Pretty Little Liars season 4 finale was this past Tuesday, and I can't wait for the Halloween special now! EzrA. I don't believe it for a second. I've also enjoyed the Real Housewives of Orange County three part reunion. And of course, Keeping Up with the Kardashians is entertaining as always. I've also gotten back into Dance Moms this month. I think summer television is the best, and am sad that all the seasons are ending.

In other miscellaneous news...

• I made a Tumblr.
• My one-year blogiversary was August 18th. I was planning on doing a special post, but time got the best of me.
• I saw Mamma Mia! on Broadway in NYC at the beginning of August. It was amazing. You can read about my trip here.
• I toured two colleges!
• I discovered HelloKatyxo. She's my favorite YouTuber of the moment!
• I created an "About Me" page. You can find it by clicking the pink button in the right sidebar. 
• Frozen yogurt was my favorite food of the month. 

18 oz. of deliciousness. Cost me $10, too. 

I hope all of you had a great August. I appreciate your patience and support. Thanks for reading! 

Follow me on Instagram: @marthafab

the city that never sleeps

Hi lovelies,

As you probably know, I got back from New York City earlier this week. So this is my NYC travel and style diary post (yay). I was in the city for four days, and had an unforgettable trip.

It was a rainy first day and night!

Washington Square Park.

Madison Square Garden.

The world's largest Macy's on Fashion Avenue (7th Avenue).

RetroSpective: The Fashion and Textile History Gallery; The Museum at FIT.

Right after Mamma Mia! at the Winter Garden Theatre.

Greek art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

African art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Cypresses, 1889 by Vincent van Gogh.

Modern art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

At Chat Noir (East 66th Street).

We stayed at a brand new hotel called The Refinery (West 38th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues). It was fantastic, with great decor and amazing service. Very modern, with an Urban Outfitters-type feel to the theme. I definitely recommend The Refinery as a place to stay in NYC. Our first day (Thursday) was rainy, cold, and quite miserable. The second day was sunny and beautiful. We probably explored the most on Friday, visiting Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, Soho, the West Village, Little Italy, and China Town (where we ate lunch). After lunch, we visited The Museum at FIT. Later that evening, we saw Mamma Mia! on Broadway, which was an incredible show. On Saturday, we walked to the Metropolitan Museum of Art after enjoying authentic New York bagels (yum!). We spent a few hours in the many art galleries there, then strolled down Park and Madison Avenues to Chat Noir, an adorable restaurant tucked away on a side street. I bought my Louis Vuitton key pouch on the way back to the hotel (you can read a post about that here). 

I won't give you the full itinerary of the trip, because we really did a lot and obviously this post would be too long. But I had an amazing time with my dad and am so grateful to have been able to go to New York City again. I had been to the city two or three times prior to this trip. And each time, I fall in love with it all over again. 

Until next time, New York...

Oh, Louis

Hi beauties,

I got back from New York City on Sunday and want to share a little (big) purchase that I made while I was there. I had an amazing time exploring the city, and will have another post coming later this week dedicated to that portion of the trip. My dad and I must have walked up and down Fifth Avenue at least seven times during our stay and on one of our last treks down the shopping street, we stopped in the flagship Louis Vuitton store and I made my first purchase!

Granted, it was a very small purchase (that came with a rather big price tag). But I am happy that I took the jump and bought it. I think the LV key pouch can be used in so many ways and for various purposes. I've already replaced my Ted Baker wallet with this little beauty!

I purchased the Louis Vuitton Key Pouch in Damier Ebene (it is also available in Damier Azur and Monogram). The exterior is made of printed, coated canvas and the interior is made of leather. Mine was made in France (yay!). The key chain part can be placed inside the pouch to make it a regular coin purse. The key pouch comes wrapped beautifully in a LV box with an adorable little dust bag. It was $190, and since I bought it in New York, I paid 9% tax instead of 7%. Oh, well.

I'm so excited to own a Louis Vuitton, even a small one. I'm glad I am able to share my first LV purchase with my lovely readers. I hope you found this post helpful if you are considering purchasing a Louis Vuitton key pouch. Thanks for stopping by!

About...

FAQ

How old are you? I'm in high school. (Sorry to be vague! A lady never reveals her age.)

Why did you start a fashion blog? I've always loved fashion and playing dress up. I decided a few years ago that I truly have a "passion for fashion" and that I want to work in this industry as an adult. Being a teenager, there aren't a ton of ways to start getting involved, but starting a fashion blog seemed like a good way to get my foot in the door. I started this blog to practice and get some experience, but it has since become an outlet that I can use to express myself and my love for fashion.

Why did you name your blog Fashion Amour Forever? I love fashion and am obsessed with France and anything French. So Fashion Amour seemed like the perfect name (amour means "love" in French). However, that blog name and domain was already taken, so I added "Forever" to the end.

How many siblings do you have? Three! Two brothers and a sister.

Where do you live? The United States.

How tall are you? 5’ 4.5" (It's very important to emphasize that extra half inch. Otherwise I'd be average height.)

Is your hair color natural? Yes, it is 100% natural. I don't really do much with my hair (styling or coloring).

Do you have a YouTube channel? Yes! You can find it here.

What do you want to do when you grow up? I know that I want to work in a part of the fashion industry, but I'm not decided on which part yet. I'm interested in marketing and merchandising, styling, and fashion PR. I'd love to work for a fashion magazine or designer. As I learn more about the industry and gain more experience, I'll narrow down my preferences.

Where do you want to live after college? New York City.

If you could visit one place in the world, where would you go? Paris, the city of lights.

What are your favorite fashion blogs? Atlantic-Pacific, Pink Peonies, Tuula Vintage, and The Blonde Salad.

Where else can I find you? I'm on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Bloglovin', and Google+. (Busy life, huh?)