Friday, December 28, 2012

#47: You can fly! You can fly! You can fly!

I'm loving being home for the holidays. I got to be with my family in Cleveland, and now I'm hanging out with my best friends in Columbus. It's so rejuvenating to be back with the ones you love the most. I'm looking forward to being in NYC for a more extended period of time and really having close relationships there. I think that's the hardest part about moving-- you get a fresh start, which is beautiful and something I desperately needed, but sometimes you feel disconnected from the people around you. I'm sort of that super awkward person that's like, "Hey! I like you! You seem cool! Wanna be best friends now? Like right this second?" That kind of 0 to 60 relationship doesn't seem to work for everyone... guess that's the Ohio naiveté in me. Okay, end rant.



Pardon the web cam photos but I was flying solo last night! I started using this new strategy on my makeup where you used your eyeliner only on the upper lash line to get some very subtle but very flattering eye definition. I nabbed this trick from The Beauty Department, which refers to this tip as the "No Liner Liner." TBD is one of my favorite beauty blogs for tips-- I think it turned out great and my eyes look really defined but subtle.

My hair used to be about 5 inches longer than this and I got it cut-- at first I freaked out (anyone who's had long hair their whole life knows what I'm talking about), but now that I see how much the natural curl has come back, I'm super grateful. All that length was really weighing my wave down!






DRESS Skater Dress with Lace Peter Pan Collar, ASOS Curve | TIGHTS Polka Dot Tights, Forever 21+ | SHOES Spiky Cap Toe Flats, Sam Edelman | GLASSES Green Spectaculars, Fabulous Fannies in the East Village, NYC


Please enjoy laughing at me re: the pictures above. I was using Photo Booth on my computer and as you know if you have that app, you literally have 3 seconds to snap the pic. Therefore, I was running back and forth like a weirdo trying to get shots of my entire outfit, which provided nearly impossible, unless I made some awkward ballerina poses or bent down in a weird pooping position. Clearly, I am awesome!

These Peter Pan dress from ASOS is one of the favorites in my wardrobe. It's a little big and blousy, but the color is so vibrant and I love the lace collar so much. ASOS Curve has it in red (on sale for $50), mustard (on sale for $35), and cobalt.

Also, I am on the hunt for some amazing wide-calf boots. I feel like my calves aren't that wide (maybe 17"?), but I can't seem to get anything to zip over these babies! Anyone have a good source for any wide calf boots? I was at Macy's and ALDO today and I was sorely disappointed. However, my awesome step-mom got me a gift certificate to Sephora for my birthday so my crankiness quickly subsided after I bought a Boscia skin care sampler, matte red lipstick, and moss green liquid eyeliner!  I can't wait to share these products with you in a future entry! Happy New Year!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

#46 Wallflower

Oh... hey. I didn't see you there. Good to know you're still reading. Merry Christmas by the way. Remember that time I moved to New York and things were really hard and usually fun but especially hard? Remember that time I had a terrible situation with my landlord and four months after my move to NYC I had to move to a different apartment? Yeah, that was fun. Don't ask.

Excuses aside, it has been a very challenging first few months in NYC. I don't regret for a single second making the move from Ohio --> NYC. I love my job, my students, and the opportunity to experience new things, culture, art, and amazing food every day. But it isn't easy. Definitely not easy. Thanks to everyone who kept up with my little blog and asked about my whereabouts. You are awesome.

I wore the following outfit to a Holiday party for work. I'm obsessed with these ASOS line of wiggle dresses. They elegantly accentuate curves and you may know about my affinity for dresses with pockets. I'm not one for below the knee length dresses that aren't maxis, but there's something so classy and regal about it. I got a lot of comparison to Joan from Mad Men that night. Pardon the bags underneath my eyes-- these photos are not photoshopped and wow, it's been a challenging month.





DRESS Wallpaper Wiggle Dress, ASOS | BELT Golden Bug Belt, ASOS Curve | SHOES Red Suede Wedges, ALDO


Happy holidays & happy New Year!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

#45 INSPIRED BY: Gangnam Style


I don't know about you, but I am absolutely obsessed with PSY, the South Korean rapper and creator of the amazing song and video, "Gangnam Style." A friend of mine showed it to me at work on Friday and I can't get the song, video, and dance out of my head. The word "Gangnam" refers to an area of South Korea's capital, Seoul-- the wealthiest area of all of South Korea.

As I watched the video, besides the hilarious antics and overly dramatic vignettes, I was really blown away by the fashion and inspired by the attention to details in the scenes.


  






Lots of tuxedo jackets with piping, billiard ball peplum shirts, sequin and leather shorts, lots of accessories and necklaces, neon yellow from head to toe, wedge sneakers, sheer flowy fabrics, and equestrian themes throughout. PSY wears several different pairs of amazing sunglasses in the video (my favorite being the tortoise shell ones) and he has two or three button up shirts that have undone bow-ties, but they appear to be sewed or printed on the shirt! I also love the scene when he's on the tour bus, and he's wearing a military style white shirt with gold buttons and these really high fashion looking khaki kilt/skirt/shorts. So much detail clearly went into every aspect of the video, especially the fashion, so it's no wonder why I'm obsessed. 



Gangnam Style

Above, I created a Polyvore spread inspired by the video. My favorite items are the sequin short shorts from Top Shop, the Moschino tuxedo jacket via Net-a-porter, the neon yellow sneakers by Betsey Johnson, the resin necklace from Etsy, the Karen Walker sunglasses, the Miu Miu ruffled peplum top (genius!) and the equestrian print collared dress by Therapy. And I couldn't forget one of my favorite lip colors, Schiap by NARS (available at Sephora). If you click through, Polyvore will show you where to buy all of these lovely albums. So what do you think? Are you feeling "Gangnam Style" and PSY's crazy fashion?

Sunday, September 16, 2012

#44 Final Days of Summer


DRESS Mint Skater Dress, H&M | NECKLACE Cobalt Silver/Gold Statement Necklace, Urban Outfitters | RING Oversized Black Gem Ring, H&M | SHOES Faux Suede Black Tassel Sandals, H&M

It's starting to get cooler and cooler, and I might say that this will be my last "summer outfit" I'll post for 2012. So sad, yet I can't deny how much I am looking forward to cooler weather, leather jackets, warm apple cider, jewel tones (especially cobalt and raspberry), boots and booties, Halloween, thick socks, trees changing colors, patterned scarves, and layered sweaters and collared shirts. I really need to get a tripod so I can take some pictures of my latest fall wear for you!

I'm also looking forward to when September is over. Don't get me wrong: I *LOVE* my school so much and the kids are absolutely amazing. However, every day in September we are required to attend daily meetings after school to help solve problems and work on logistical issues. I work at an extended day charter school, which means we already get out around 5pm, plus evening meetings... it's a long day to say the least. I'm looking forward to having a little more free time, a little more sleep, and lots more availability to take pictures and write blog posts. In the mean time, thanks for your patience! What are you looking forward to this fall?

Saturday, September 8, 2012

#43 Short & Sweet


Labor Day weekend is always a busy time. There are always events, anniversaries, weddings, and cookouts. It's also the last "hurrah" for me because I teach, and Labor Day weekend always signifies the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. So bittersweet. Labor Day has a lot of meaning for me-- my sister and brother-in-law were married over 16 years ago on Labor Day. My father was remarried to a wonderful woman on Labor Day exactly one year ago. And my brother plans on getting married on Labor Day of 2013. This Labor Day, however, my first cousin Zach married his beautiful bride, Katie!

It was an overcast and humid day, but I really enjoyed spending time with my family and especially, my adorable and amazing niece and nephews. To accommodate for the extreme heat, I wore a short and sweet neon yellow lace dress, lost my thick glasses, but mistakenly straightened my hair. You'll rarely see me with straight hair, as although I consider myself a fashionista, I'm pretty low maintenance and refuse to waste 90 minutes of my time straightening my hair! However, with some down time in the hotel, I figured, why not?

The beautiful bride and groom.


They were married at the bride's farm home, and there are lakes and cattails everywhere.



They had these totally creative place cards with origami swans on them. Love it.


Long hair, don't care.



Yellow on yellow.


I love my cage wedges! They are so crazy comfortable.


Extreme close up!


DRESS Neon Yellow Shift Dress, H&M (current) | BELT Braided Yellow Belt, Target | SHOES Stone Cage Wedges, Guess | BRACELET "Diamond" Rhinestone Bracelet, The Limited | BAG Dalmatian Cross-Body Satchel, H&M (current)



I really like the dual shades of yellow working together. I really think it looks gorgeous to have a bright color and pair it with accessories that are just a few shades off. Is that a form of color-blocking? Who knows... that term gets thrown around so much lately, it no longer has meaning.

Also, I highly recommend you run down to your local H&M and do a little browsing. The clothes are always hit or miss for me, especially in terms of sizing, but I snagged this little yellow number for only $15, plus the current accessories are amazing. My dalmatian print bag is my new favorite. I also bought some red and black plaid sneakers, bright yellow flats (to go with my neon yellow dress, of course), and patent black oxfords. Can't wait to show these off in the next outfit post! Happy belated Labor Day!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

#42 A Tourist's Experience: Chicago

Over Spring Break last year, my boyfriend and I got to take a really fun vacation-- we spent half the time in Hocking Hills, Ohio in a little cabin (future entry) and the other half in Chicago (this entry)! My boyfriend currently lives in Germany, and feeling a little blue, I decided to perk up my spirits by reliving some of my favorite moments together during this trip, as April was the last time I saw him. I can't believe it's already been over 4 months now. I know I *just* posted about being in Chicago, but I realized I hadn't posted any pictures from our trip, and wanted to post some for you now!

Cherry trees in the park


Buckingham Fountain. Strangely empty on this cloudy day.


Casual outfit for the day, paired with my favorite tan platform sneakers from ALDO.


Ugliest sweater ever. I love it!


Beautiful bib necklace by ALDO. Dig the straight lines of the cut outs paired with the curve of the bib.


My satchel in my favorite color.


Incredible fields of tulips near S Lakeshore Drive.


Cloudy horizon on the waterfront.


No photoshop here! The water of Lake Michigan was actually this beautiful turquoise. Crazy!


It had to be done-- the bean!





We got a good deal on the Hilton on Michigan Avenue. The interior was really breathtaking-- very ornate and vintage looking.











We also went to the top of the Sears Tower. I refuse to call it Willis Tower-- lame! Look at that water!





We had to go to in the Skydeck boxes, of course.


Even though your rational brain knows it's quite safe, the experience is still somewhat terrifying! But so cool to look down and see the street below you.


Beautiful sunny skyline on our way to the Shedd Aquarium, which while expensive, is a must for any animal/ocean lover like me and was the highlight of my trip.


Beautiful blue poison dart frogs! One of my favorite animals. It took me forever to get this shot because there were so many frogs and they were hopping around so much!


Pretty insane looking spider crab.


Color-blocked shrimp :)


We paid extra for the jellyfish exhibit-- aren't they gorgeous?











Look at these cuties! Yet another of my favorite animals.


SWEATER Aztec Shawl Sweater, Forever 21+ | SHIRT White V-neck Tee, Forever 21+ | JEANS Dark skinnies, Eloquii | SHOES Tan Wedge Sneakers, ALDO | BAG Green Satchel, H&M | NECKLACE Geometric Black & Gold Bib Necklace, ALDO

Overall, although I had a blast, I was a bit unsatisfied with what I saw of Chicago. I feel like we did a lot of touristy things and the areas we visited seemed deserted. I wished we could have had more of a locals experience and see where hip Chicagoans hang out. We stayed pretty much in the touristy areas and the city seemed so large and spread out, it was difficult to decide where to go and explore in such a short time period. But I know next time, I'll do a lot more research. And for sure, go to the Field Museum. One of my favorite bloggers, Chaplin from Mini Penny (who also happens to be from my town in Ohio), LOVES Chicago and always has amazing posts about her experiences in Chicago, events she is invited to, amazing outfit photos, and lots of ideas about where to explore in the city. If you ever go there, I highly suggest you check out her blog!